Tag Archives: Galatians 5:22-23

Christianity, Part 13

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There are 3 occurrences of πάντας in 1 Corinthians [see Table below], the Greek word translated all people in: And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people (πάντας, a form of πᾶς) to myself.1 This is a continuation of my consideration of the first occurrence (1 Corinthians 7:7 ESV):

I wish that all (πάντας ἀνθρώπους) were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another [Table].

Aside from the obvious limitation of πάντας here to ἀνθρώπους (“people”), all is further limited to one who has [this as] his own gift from God (ἴδιον ἔχει
χάρισμα ἐκ θεοῦ), and by “this” I mean: ὡς καὶ ἐμαυτόν (as I myself am). Paul, presumably, does not touch (μὴ ἅπτεσθαι) a woman: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”2

Another limitation to all becoming like Paul, not to have sexual relations with a woman, follows (1 Corinthians 7:2 ESV):

But because of the temptation to sexual immorality (πορνείας, a form of πορνεία), each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

I put the Greek of the first clause into Google translate:

1 Corinthians 7:2a (NET Parallel Greek)

Google Translate
διὰ δὲ τὰς πορνείας because of prostitution

Most Bible translators think πορνείας meant something more to Paul (and Jesus) than we might understand by the word prostitution. I don’t disagree. I’ve labored3 over this to the point of distraction. Sexual immorality seems ultimately meaningless to me: it is so ill-defined it can mean anything anyone wants it to mean. The temptation to sexual immorality, while interesting, still relies on sexual immorality. For my purposes in this essay I’ll translate πορνείας, “the worship of sex,” because that’s what I did at seventeen.

I knew next to nothing of the fruit of the Spirit. I assume I thought God’s own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control4 were just more works I had to do because I had inadvertently become a Christian when I said a sinner’s prayer to Jesus to avoid burning in hell. After I had sex for the first time, I assumed that love, joy, peace, kindness and gentleness at least were a natural result of sex. Therefore, the more people I had sex with, the more love, joy, peace, kindness and gentleness I would have for, and create with, others with whom I had sex: “And in the end / The love you take / Is equal to the love / You make.”5

So, now I have:

But because of πορνείας [the worship of sex], each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.

Paul described sex as something owed, one spouse to another (1 Corinthians 7:3, 4 ESV):

The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights,6 and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but7 the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but8 the wife does.

The Greek words translated her conjugal rights were τὴν ὀφειλὴν, a form of ὀφειλή: “debt, due, indebtedness, duty, obligation.” The verb ἀποδιδότω was translated should give. It is an active imperative form of ἀποδίδωμι in the present tense: “to give away, give up, give out, give what is due.” The Greek words translated does not have authority over were οὐκ ἐξουσιάζει, a form of ἐξουσιάζω: “to exercise authority upon, bring under the power of, control; to have authority and permission; to grant permission; to have the right for (something), authority for (something).”

If a woman does not want her husband to have authority over her own body, if a man does not want his wife to have authority over his own body, they are probably not in love. They are definitely unprepared for marriage (if there is such a thing as being prepared for marriage). “Take me, I’m yours,” is an essential ingredient. Paul continued (1 Corinthians 7:5a ESV):

Do not deprive one another, except9 perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer;10

Do not deprive one another was μὴ ἀποστερεῖτε ἀλλήλους in Greek. As an imperative form of ἀποστερέω, ἀποστερεῖτε means: “to steal, rob; to despoil, defraud, bereave, make destitute, keep back by fraud; to deprive; to withhold unjustly.” And by agreement for a limited time was ἐκ συμφώνου πρὸς καιρόν. The adjective συμφώνου is a genitive form of σύμφωνος: “harmonious, agreeing; corresponding with; consonant, concordant; agreement; consent.”

In other words, the consent to steal, rob, despoil, defraud, bereave, make destitute, keep back by fraud, deprive or withhold sex unjustly from one’s spouse was to be agreed upon harmoniously for a time. The “your wish is my command” consent for sex was already given at the altar, so to speak, which is not to say that there is no place for mercy and forgiveness in marriage if one party refuses sex unilaterally. It is to say that to do so is to refuse to give what is owed to one’s beloved.

I ate lunch one afternoon last month at the Kansas City Barbeque down the street from the San Diego Convention Center. Their food is good but their main claim to fame is being the location where the “sleazy bar scenes” from the original Top Gun were filmed. In one of the more memorable moments from one of those sleazy bar scenes, Goose’s wife Carol (Meg Ryan) yells across the bar: “Hey, Goose, you big stud!”

Goose (Anthony Edwards) replies: “That’s me, honey!”

“Take me to bed or lose me forever!” Carol commands and threatens her husband. Though the threat may not be quite so explicit in Paul’s writing, it’s there all the same (1 Corinthians 7:5b ESV):

…but then come11 together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.

The first clause, but then come together again, was καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἦτε: literally, “and back upon it be” or “and again upon it be” or “again and again upon it be.” Translating τὴν ἀκρασίαν lack of self-control obscures Paul’s point a bit. He addressed self-control later (1 Corinthians 7:8, 9 ESV):

To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is12 good for them to remain single, as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control (ἐγκρατεύονται, a form of ἐγκρατεύω), they should marry. For it is better13 to marry than to burn with passion.

Though forms of ἀκρασία can mean lack of self-control (and there may be some double entendre here) self-indulgence would better address the point. In this context to deprive one another of what is owed even by agreement for a limited time is a self-indulgence rather than a lack of self-control.

The fruit of the Holy Spirit, God’s own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, ἐγκράτεια, translated self-control, is not on the side of continued abstinence here, but buoys up and carries a married couple along to be back upon it again and again. What might tempt (πειράζῃ, a form of πειράζω) one, or a married couple addressed as one, during this abstinence is that they become all too comfortable and complacent with abstinence, especially for something perceived as a higher calling. Married couples become comfortable and complacent for much less: general busyness, children, jobs, financial or other worries and concerns, not to mention boredom with one another.

In their comfort and complacency, disregarding what is owed, each might begin to feel that he or she has regained authority over his or her own body, even authority to share his or her own body with another. After all, in this comfort and complacency one’s spouse no longer fulfils one’s sexual desires. Here is where that lack of self-control might come into play, resulting in adultery, divorce, what the text as translated seemed to imply prematurely.

Paul continued (1 Corinthians 7:6, 7a ESV):

Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. I wish that all were as I myself am [Table].

I think concession might be more begrudging a translation of συγγνώμην (a form of συγγνώμη) than is absolutely necessary. It, too, might have been translated indulgence, a little lighthearted wordplay. I say this (τοῦτο δὲ λέγω) refers all the way back to: But because of πορνείας [the worship of sex], each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband.14 Paul was careful not to command everyone to marry because It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.15

The idea that, but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control,16 was a concession rather than a command seems untenable to me. I don’t believe Paul jumped ship suddenly and altered the terms of marriage he had just spelled out. It seems, however, that he would divert the anticipated outcome of betrothal in what I assume was an arranged marriage17 (1 Corinthians 7:36-38 ESV):

If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed, if his passions are strong, and it has to be, let him do as he wishes: let them marry—it is no sin. But whoever is firmly established in his18 heart, being under no necessity but having his desire under control, and has determined this in his19 heart, to keep20 her as his betrothed, he will do21 well. So then he who marries22 his betrothed23 does well, and24 he who refrains from marriage will do25 even better.

If anyone thinks that he is not behaving properly toward his betrothed: “But if anyone (Εἰ δέ τις) to incur disgrace (ἀσχημονεῖν) upon the virgin (ἐπὶ τὴν παρθένον) of his” (αὐτοῦ) or “here (αὐτοῦ) thinks” (νομίζει). These options may be clearer in a table:

1 Corinthians 7:36a
But if anyone to incur disgrace upon the virgin of his thinks But if anyone to incur disgrace toward the virgin here thinks

Before I began this study I had assumed that anyone (τις) meant “any engaged man.” Most commentators in the past thought anyone meant any father of an engaged woman. As I study in Greek now, I think anyone means “anyone in a given community who knows any particular man and woman in this situation.” I chose “to incur disgrace” because this is the infinitive form of ἀσχημονέω, ἀσχημονεῖν, rather than the 3rd person singular form ἀσχημονεῖ (e.g., that he is not behaving properly). And αὐτοῦ might be a personal pronoun in the genitive case, of his or his, or it might be an adverb: “in the very place, here, there, in this place, in that place.” I translated ἐπὶ “upon” if αὐτοῦ is a pronoun or “toward” (I might have chosen “against”) if αὐτοῦ is an adverb as a matter of preference. So, I’m understanding this clause to mean something like: “If anyone in a given community thinks an engaged couple remaining unmarried disgraces the young woman in that unconsummated relationship…”

The Greek of the next clause is: ἐὰν ᾖ ὑπέρακμος; “if” or “when he is” or “she is beyond the prime of youth;” if she is past the bloom of youth (NET), if she pass the flower of her age (KJV). This was the main reason I assumed Paul referred to a marriage arranged before either party was actually old enough to marry [see footnote 17]. But the verb of being ᾖ doesn’t specify gender and ὑπέρακμος might be masculine or feminine. Apparently, the translators of some recent Bible versions26 reached back to the verb ἀκμάζω and decided that in this particular context ὑπέρακμος meant a really horny guy: if his passions are strong (ESV).

A note (27) in the NET acknowledged this as a possible translation:

Or referring to an engaged man: “if he is past the critical point,” “if his passions are too strong.” The word literally means “to be past the high point.”

Next, and it has to be: literally, “and so (καὶ οὕτως) ought (ὀφείλει) to happen” (γίνεσθαι). This clause doesn’t help determine the meaning of the previous. In fact, it seems open-ended enough to accommodate concerns over the woman’s honor and social status or the acts of a man’s lust (which impacts a woman’s honor and social status), and perhaps a host of concerns in between.

Paul continued: let him do as he wishes: ὃ θέλει ποιείτω. I’m not seeing him or he in the Greek here: ὃ is neuter and θέλει and ποιείτω are 3rd person singular verbs unspecified as to gender in the lexicon I’m using. This clause is also little to no help in determining the specific meaning of the previous two clauses. The relative pronoun ὃ might be in the nominative or the accusative case.

I experimented briefly considering ὃ in the nominative case as the subject of the clause: a vague statement about betrothal leads to marriage, or a very oblique allusion to the final clause of Proverbs 30:18, 19. Both were so forced I was persuaded that ὃ was in the accusative case, intended as the direct object of the clause: translated what (NET, KJV) or as (ESV). It brought me to the more gender neutral: “what one wants one does.” But that effort made the next clause, οὐχ ἁμαρτάνει, easy: literally, “not sinning,” “one does not sin,” it is no sin (ESV).

And finally, γαμείτωσαν is a 3rd person plural imperative form of γαμέω in the active voice and present tense: “they [should, must] marry,” let them marry (ESV). I’m much more persuaded now that Paul laid this out as a collective decision of propriety to be made by the Corinthian church, triggered by any (τις) given member of the congregation (whether man or woman). Then he turned his attention to a man27 who had made it through this gauntlet.

But whoever (ὃς δὲ) is established (ἕστηκεν) in his heart (ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ) firmly (ἑδραῖος), the next verse begins. The verb ἕστηκεν might be in the perfect or imperfect tense. Since it is generally translated28 in the present tense I’ll assume the perfect tense here: “the progress of an action has been completed and the results of the action are continuing on, in full effect.” I assume, then, the action that “has been completed” was the gift from God to be as I myself am.29

The next stipulation is, being under no necessity: literally, “not (μὴ) possessing (ἔχων) necessity” (ἀνάγκην). In other words, none of the disqualifying conditions of the previous verse that made marriage an “ought” (ὀφείλει) apply. Another stipulation follows, but having his desire under control: “but (or “also,” or “and,” or “moreover,” or “now”) authority (ἐξουσίαν δὲ) [he] has (ἔχει) on (περὶ) his own desire” (τοῦ ἰδίου θελήματος). In other words, that gift from God holds sway in his choices and desires.

[A]nd [because of this gift from God] has determined this in his heart; “and this (καὶ τοῦτο) in a present state of having judged30 (κέκρικεν) in [his]31 own heart (ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ καρδίᾳ),” to keep her as his betrothed; “to keep (τηρεῖν) the of himself virgin” or “the virgin of himself,” i.e., “to keep himself celibate” (τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρθένον);32 he will do well (καλῶς ποιήσει). Here καλῶς might have been translated beautifully and hearkens back to, “It is good (καλὸν, a form of καλός; “beautiful”) for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.”33

Paul continued, So then he who marries his betrothed: “So then (ὥστε καὶ) giving in marriage himself celibate” or “giving himself celibate in marriage” (ὁ γαμίζων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρθένον); does well: “well you do” (καλῶς ποιεῖ). Paul was not commending one such as I was who only discovered that he had married while he was making other plans to have sex with as many other people as possible.

Paul’s desire was that all were as I myself am,34 and he reiterated here, he who refrains from marriage will do even better: “and not giving in marriage (καὶ ὁ μὴ γαμίζων), better he will do” (κρεῖσσον ποιήσει).

I’ll pick this up in another essay. The table mentioned above follows.

Occurrences of πάντας in 1 Corinthians
Reference

NET Parallel Greek

 ESV
1 Corinthians 7:7 θέλω δὲ πάντας ἀνθρώπους εἶναι ὡς καὶ ἐμαυτόν I wish that all were as I myself am.
1 Corinthians 14:5

θέλω δὲ πάντας ὑμᾶς λαλεῖν γλώσσαις

Now I want you all to speak in tongues,
1 Corinthians 15:25 ἄχρι οὗ θῇ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ until he has put all his enemies under his feet.

Tables comparing 1 Corinthians 7:3, 4; 7:5; 7:8, 9 and 7:37, 38 in the NET and KJV follow.

1 Corinthians 7:3, 4 (NET)

1 Corinthians 7:3, 4 (KJV)
A husband should fulfill his marital responsibility to his wife, and likewise a wife to her husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband.

1 Corinthians 7:3 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 7:3 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 7:3 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τῇ γυναικὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ τὴν ὀφειλὴν ἀποδιδότω, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ἡ γυνὴ τῷ ἀνδρί τη γυναικι ο ανηρ την οφειλομενην ευνοιαν αποδιδοτω ομοιως δε και η γυνη τω ανδρι τη γυναικι ο ανηρ την οφειλομενην ευνοιαν αποδιδοτω ομοιως δε και η γυνη τω ανδρι
It is not the wife who has the rights to her own body, but the husband. In the same way, it is not the husband who has the rights to his own body, but the wife. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife.

1 Corinthians 7:4 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 7:4 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 7:4 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἡ γυνὴ τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος οὐκ ἐξουσιάζει ἀλλὰ ὁ ἀνήρ, ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ ὁ ἀνὴρ τοῦ ἰδίου σώματος οὐκ ἐξουσιάζει ἀλλὰ ἡ γυνή η γυνη του ιδιου σωματος ουκ εξουσιαζει αλλ ο ανηρ ομοιως δε και ο ανηρ του ιδιου σωματος ουκ εξουσιαζει αλλ η γυνη η γυνη του ιδιου σωματος ουκ εξουσιαζει αλλ ο ανηρ ομοιως δε και ο ανηρ του ιδιου σωματος ουκ εξουσιαζει αλλ η γυνη

1 Corinthians 7:5 (NET)

1 Corinthians 7:5 (KJV)
Do not deprive each other, except by mutual agreement for a specified time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then resume your relationship, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency.

1 Corinthians 7:5 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 7:5 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 7:5 (Byzantine Majority Text)
μὴ ἀποστερεῖτε ἀλλήλους, εἰ μήτι |ἂν| ἐκ συμφώνου πρὸς καιρόν, ἵνα σχολάσητε τῇ προσευχῇ καὶ πάλιν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτὸ ἦτε, ἵνα μὴ πειράζῃ ὑμᾶς ὁ σατανᾶς διὰ τὴν ἀκρασίαν |ὑμῶν| μη αποστερειτε αλληλους ει μη τι αν εκ συμφωνου προς καιρον ινα σχολαζητε τη νηστεια και τη προσευχη και παλιν επι το αυτο συνερχησθε ινα μη πειραζη υμας ο σατανας δια την ακρασιαν υμων μη αποστερειτε αλληλους ει μη τι αν εκ συμφωνου προς καιρον ινα σχολαζητε τη νηστεια και τη προσευχη και παλιν επι το αυτο συνερχησθε ινα μη πειραζη υμας ο σατανας δια την ακρασιαν υμων

1 Corinthians 7:8, 9 (NET)

1 Corinthians 7:8, 9 (KJV)
To the unmarried and widows I say that it is best for them to remain as I am. I say therefore to the unmarried and widows, It is good for them if they abide even as I.

1 Corinthians 7:8 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 7:8 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 7:8 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Λέγω δὲ τοῖς ἀγάμοις καὶ ταῖς χήραις, καλὸν αὐτοῖς ἐὰν μείνωσιν ὡς καγώ λεγω δε τοις αγαμοις και ταις χηραις καλον αυτοις εστιν εαν μεινωσιν ως καγω λεγω δε τοις αγαμοις και ταις χηραις καλον αυτοις εστιν εαν μεινωσιν ως καγω
But if they do not have self-control, let them get married. For it is better to marry than to burn with sexual desire. But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn.

1 Corinthians 7:9 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 7:9 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 7:9 (Byzantine Majority Text)
εἰ δὲ οὐκ ἐγκρατεύονται, γαμησάτωσαν, κρεῖττον γάρ ἐστιν |γαμῆσαι| ἢ πυροῦσθαι ει δε ουκ εγκρατευονται γαμησατωσαν κρεισσον γαρ εστιν γαμησαι η πυρουσθαι ει δε ουκ εγκρατευονται γαμησατωσαν κρεισσον γαρ εστιν γαμησαι η πυρουσθαι

1 Corinthians 7:37, 38 (NET)

1 Corinthians 7:37, 38 (KJV)
But the man who is firm in his commitment, and is under no necessity but has control over his will, and has decided in his own mind to keep his own virgin, does well. Nevertheless he that standeth stedfast in his heart, having no necessity, but hath power over his own will, and hath so decreed in his heart that he will keep his virgin, doeth well.

1 Corinthians 7:37 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 7:37 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 7:37 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὃς δὲ ἕστηκεν ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἑδραῖος μὴ ἔχων ἀνάγκην, ἐξουσίαν δὲ ἔχει περὶ τοῦ ἰδίου θελήματος καὶ τοῦτο κέκρικεν ἐν τῇ ἰδίᾳ καρδίᾳ, τηρεῖν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρθένον, καλῶς ποιήσει ος δε εστηκεν εδραιος εν τη καρδια μη εχων αναγκην εξουσιαν δε εχει περι του ιδιου θεληματος και τουτο κεκρικεν εν τη καρδια αυτου του τηρειν την εαυτου παρθενον καλως ποιει ος δε εστηκεν εδραιος εν τη καρδια μη εχων αναγκην εξουσιαν δε εχει περι του ιδιου θεληματος και τουτο κεκρικεν εν τη καρδια αυτου του τηρειν την εαυτου παρθενον καλως ποιει
So then, the one who marries his own virgin does well, but the one who does not, does better. So then he that giveth her in marriage doeth well; but he that giveth her not in marriage doeth better.

1 Corinthians 7:38 (NET Parallel Greek)

1 Corinthians 7:38 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

1 Corinthians 7:38 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὥστε καὶ ὁ γαμίζων τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρθένον καλῶς ποιεῖ καὶ ὁ μὴ γαμίζων κρεῖσσον ποιήσει ωστε και ο εκγαμιζων καλως ποιει ο δε μη εκγαμιζων κρεισσον ποιει ωστε και ο εκγαμιζων καλως ποιει ο δε μη εκγαμιζων κρεισσον ποιει

1 John 12:32 (ESV)

2 1 Corinthians 7:1b (ESV)

4 Galatians 5:22b, 23a (ESV) Table

6 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had τὴν ὀφειλὴν a form of the noun ὀφειλή (NET: his marital responsibility) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τὴν οφειλομενην (a participle of the verb ὀφείλω) ευνοιαν (KJV: due benevolence).

10 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τη νηστεια και (KJV: to fasting and) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

14 1 Corinthians 7:2 (ESV)

15 1 Corinthians 7:1b (ESV) Table

16 1 Corinthians 7:5b (ESV)

17 From Vincent’s Word Studies, in Commentaries to 1 Corinthians 7:37 on Bible Hub online: “Under the patriarchal and Mosaic dispensations, the father’s power over the children in the matter of marriage was paramount, and their consent was not required. After the Exile the parents could betroth their children, while minors, at their pleasure; but when they became of age their consent was required, and if betrothed during minority, they had afterward the right of insisting upon divorce.”

20 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article του preceding to keep. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

21 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ποιήσει here, the 3rd person singular form of ποιέω in the future tense. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ποιει (KJV: doeth), the 2nd person imperative form in the present tense.

22 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὁ γαμίζων here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ὁ εκγαμιζων (KJV: he that giveth her in marriage).

24 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had καὶ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δε (KJV: but).

25 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ποιήσει here, the 3rd person singular form of ποιέω in the future tense. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ποιει (KJV: doeth), the 2nd person imperative form in the present tense.

27 I wrote man here because the first word in the next clause was the masculine ὃς rather than the feminine ἥ or neuter ὅ. But I recall a time not so very long ago when man, he, him and his included, as opposed to excluding, woman, she, her and hers.

28 The NIV is a notable exception: But the man who has settled the matter in his own mind… But even the imperfect tense implies some continuous history in the past, demonstrating the effect of this gift from God.

29 1 Corinthians 7:7 (ESV) Table

30 The Greek verb κέκρικεν is a form of κρίνω in the perfect tense.

31 I put his in brackets here because ἰδίᾳ is the feminine form of ἴδιος. My assumption, then, is that ἰδίᾳ is feminine to correspond to τῇ and καρδίᾳ, which are also feminine. Still, it is difficult to completely shake the idea that her own heart was intended. So, I suppose I should acknowledge that I put his in brackets here because others have translated ἰδίᾳ his and I’m not ready yet to do a New Testament survey of every occurrence of forms of ἴδιος.

32 I would expect “to keep his virgin” to be τηρεῖν τὴν παρθένον αὐτοῦ in Greek, rather than τηρεῖν τὴν ἑαυτοῦ παρθένον. Having a betrothed would seem to be one of the disqualifying conditions, covered by μὴ ἔχων ἀνάγκην, that made marriage an ought and would not come into play here. I would assume that this particular young woman was first to object to her fiancé’s refusal to marry and has long since been released from a marriage contract he had no intention of honoring. The idea, that a man might default on his marriage contract and yet keep a young woman as a childless servant in his household unilaterally, sounds too much like the kinds of things self-righteous men did to women to maintain their self-righteousness (Judges 11 and 21).

33 1 Corinthians 7:1b (ESV) Table

34 1 Corinthians 7:7a (ESV) Table

The Lost Son of Perdition, Part 9

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This is a continuation of my consideration of God’s love for Satan revealed in the book of Job. The Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, יהוה) allowed (Job 1:12) Satan to carry out his scientific experiment on Job, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil.1

Satan stated his hypothesis before the Lord (Job 1:9b, 10 NET):

Is it for nothing that Job fears God? [Table] Have you not made a hedge around him and his household and all that he has on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his livestock have increased in the land [Table].

In other words, Job’s blamelessness, uprightness, fear or worship of God, turning away from evil was the result of God’s bribe of material well-being (Job 1:1-3). Satan proposed a test for this hypothesis (Job 1:11 NET [Table]):

But extend your hand and strike everything he has, and he will no doubt curse you to your face!

The Lord permitted Satan to take Job’s oxen and donkeys along with most of his servants who tended them (Job 1:14, 15), his sheep along with most of his servants who tended them (Job 1:16), his camels along with most of his servants who tended them (Job 1:17), and his children along with most of his servants who attended them (Job 1:18, 19).

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Job 1:20-22 (Tanakh/KJV)

Job 1:20-22 (NET)

Job 1:20-22 (NETS)

Job 1:20-22 (English Elpenor)
Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, Then Job got up and tore his robe. He shaved his head, and then he threw himself down with his face to the ground. So Iob arose, tore his clothes and shaved the hair of his head and fell on the ground and did obeisance and said, So Job arose, and rent his garments, and shaved the hair of his head, and fell on the earth, and worshipped,
And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. May the name of the Lord be blessed!” “I came naked from my mother’s womb; naked also shall I return there; the Lord gave; the Lord has taken away; as it seemed good to the Lord, so it turned out; blessed be the name of the Lord.” and said, I myself came forth naked from my mother᾿s womb, and naked shall I return thither; the Lord gave, the Lord has taken away: as it seemed good to the Lord, so has it come to pass; blessed be the name of the Lord.
In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. In all this Job did not sin, nor did he charge God with moral impropriety. In all these things that happened to him Iob did not sin at all before the Lord, and did not charge God with folly. In all these events that befell him Job sinned not at all before the Lord, and did not impute folly to God.

Satan’s hypothesis was falsified: removing Job’s material blessings did not cause him to curse God. When I first read the book of Job, however, I knew very little about the scientific method, particularly its limitations. I didn’t know God very well either.

I assumed that the meaning of this story was that Job’s blamelessness, uprightness, fear or worship of God and turning away from evil was something either innate to Job or acquired by his own efforts, definitely not the result of anything God had done. In fact, I assumed that Job’s innate or self-achieved blamelessness, uprightness, fear or worship of God and turning away from evil was the reason God had made a hedge around him and his household, blessed the work of his hands, and caused his livestock to increase in the land.

Now I believe that Satan’s falsified hypothesis was nearer the truth than my own. The following was recorded regarding Job:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Job 1:4, 5 (Tanakh/KJV)

Job 1:4, 5 (NET)

Job 1:4, 5 (NETS)

Job 1:4, 5 (English Elpenor)
And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. Now his sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one in turn, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. Now his sons used to gather with one another and hold a feast each day; they used to take along their three sisters as well, to eat and drink with them. And his sons visiting one another prepared a banquet every day, taking with them also their sisters to eat and drink with them.
And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. When the days of their feasting were finished, Job would send for them and sanctify them; he would get up early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s customary practice. And when the feast days had run their course, Iob used to send and purify them, rising early in the morning, and he used to offer a sacrifice on their behalf, according to their number, and one bull calf as a sin offering for their souls–for Job said, “Perhaps my sons thought bad things in their mind toward God.” So this is what Job would always do. And when the days of the banquet were completed, Job sent and purified them, having risen up in the morning, and offered sacrifices for them, according to their number, and one calf for a sin-offering for their souls: for Job said, Lest peradventure my sons have thought evil in their minds against God. Thus, then Job did continually.

In other words, Job believed the Lord, and [I now assume] the Lord credited it as righteousness to him.2 And that righteousness came in the form of God’s own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.3 Was Satan unaware of this? I don’t know.

If he knew it and carried out the whole charade described in the book of Job anyway, he was more duplicitous than I’ve ever imagined. The whole design of his argument, hypothesis and experiment was intended to throw me (and anyone else) off the scent of God’s graciousness. If Satan knew, then God certainly recognized his duplicity. His love for Satan in terms of his patience becomes all the more astounding.

Satan came before the Lord again.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Job 2:1, 2 (Tanakh/KJV)

Job 2:1, 2 (NET)

Job 2:1, 2 (NETS)

Job 2:1, 2 (English Elpenor)
Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. Again the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also arrived among them to present himself before the Lord. Now it happened, when it was the set day and the angels of God came to present themselves before the Lord, the slanderer also came among them. [to present himself before the Lord] And it came to pass on a certain day, that the angels of God came to stand before the Lord, and the devil came among them to stand before the Lord.
And the LORD said unto Satan (הַשָּׂטָ֔ן), From whence comest thou? And Satan (הַשָּׂטָ֚ן) answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said to Satan (śāṭān, השׁטן), “Where have you come from?” Satan (śāṭān, השׁטן) answered the Lord, “From roving about on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.” And the Lord said to the slanderer (τῷ διαβόλῳ), “Where are you coming from?” Then the slanderer (ὁ διάβολος) said before the Lord, “I have come, after traversing what is under heaven and walking about everywhere.” And the Lord, said to the devil (τῷ διαβόλῳ), Whence comest thou? Then the devil (ὁ διάβολος) said before the Lord, I am come from going through the world, and walking about the whole earth.

The Hebrew word הַשָּׂטָ֔ן (Tanakh, KJV, NET: Satan) was translated τῷ διαβόλῳ and ὁ διάβολος in the Septuagint. Be sober and alert, Peter warned his readers. Your enemy the devil (διάβολος), like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour.4 Still, the Lord loved him patiently.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Job 2:3 (Tanakh/KJV)

Job 2:3 (NET)

Job 2:3 (NETS)

Job 2:3 (English Elpenor)
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil. And he still holds firmly to his integrity, so that you stirred me up to destroy him without reason.” Then the Lord said, “So did you notice my attendant Iob–that there is no one of those on the earth like him, an innocent, genuine, blameless, religious man, staying away from all wrong? And he still maintains his innocence, though you said to destroy his possessions for no reason.” And the Lord said to the devil, Hast thou then observed my servant Job, that there is none of [men] upon the earth like him, a harmless, true, blameless, godly man, abstaining from all evil? and he yet cleaves to innocence, whereas thou has told [me] to destroy his substance without cause?

In another essay I made such an issue of Mr. Cox’s translation of Job 1:8 in the NETS, I want to compare the Greek and Hebrew of Job 2:3 here. The Greek of the Septuagint follows:

Job 1:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 2:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 1:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)

Job 2:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
προσέσχες τῇ διανοίᾳ σου κατὰ τοῦ παιδός μου Ιωβ προσέσχες οὖν τῷ θεράποντί μου Ιωβ προσέσχες τῇ διανοίᾳ σου κατὰ τοῦ παιδός μου ᾿Ιώβ προσέσχες οὖν τῷ θέραποντί μου ᾿Ιώβ

Job 1:8 (NETS)

Job 2:3 (NETS)

Job 1:8 (English Elpenor)

Job 2:3 (English Elpenor)
Did you give thought to your disposition against my servant Iob So did you notice my attendant Iob Hast thou diligently considered my servant Job Hast thou then observed my servant Job

While the Greek of Job 1:8 was τῇ διανοίᾳ σου κατὰ τοῦ παιδός μου, the Greek of Job 2:3 was οὖν τῷ θεράποντί μου. The Hebrew in the Masoretic text, however, was not that different.

Job 1:8

Job 2:3

Hebrew

Greek

Hebrew

Greek
השׁמת προσέσχες השׁמת προσέσχες
לבך τῇ διανοίᾳ σου לבך οὖν
על κατὰ אל
עבדי τοῦ παιδός μου עבדי τῷ θεράποντί μου
איוב Ιωβ איוב Ιωβ

Only the preposition על (ʿal), translated κατὰ in the Septuagint, was changed in verse 2:3 to אל (‘ēl). I don’t really mean to imply that οὖν was intended as a Greek translation of the Hebrew word לבך (lēḇ), only that it is second in the word string. If the rabbis who translated the Septuagint were able to glean this much difference from a preposition, it is well beyond my knowledge of both Greek and Hebrew.

Though I’ve developed a healthy skepticism regarding the originality of the Masoretic text when it differs dramatically from the Septuagint, a brief survey of the most blatant difference (παιδός and θεράποντί) persuaded me not to pursue it any further [See Table below] at this time .

Reference Hebrew NET Septuagint NETS/Elpenor
Genesis 24:24 לבן son θεράποντι attendant/servant
Exodus 4:10 עבדך servant θεράποντί attendant/servant
Exodus 14:31 עבדו servant θεράποντι attendant/servant
Deuteronomy 3:24 עבדך me θεράποντι attendant/servant
Job 2:3 עבדי servant θέραποντί attendant/servant

Four of the five occurrences of θέραποντί (a form of θεράπων) in the Septuagint were translations of forms of עֶבֶד (ʿeḇeḏ). The fifth was probably not a translation of לבן (bēn) but of a word in a phrase which no longer appears in the Masoretic text [See Table below]. There is one occurrence of θεράπων in the New Testament as a description of Moses (Hebrews 3:5 NET):

Now Moses5 was faithful in all God’s house as a servant (θεράπων), to testify to the things that would be spoken.

Hebrews 3:5 alludes to, and quotes from, Numbers 12:7 in the Septuagint where the Hebrew word עַבְדִּ֣י (ʿeḇeḏ), My servant (Tanakh, KJV, NET), was translated ὁ θεράπων μου:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Numbers 12:7 (Tanakh)

Numbers 12:7 (NET)

Numbers 12:7 (NETS)

Numbers 12:7 (English Elpenor)
My servant (עַבְדִּ֣י) Moses is not so; he is trusted in all My house; My servant (ʿeḇeḏ, עבדי) Moses is not like this; he is faithful in all my house. Not so my attendant (ὁ θεράπων μου) Moyses; in my whole house he is faithful. My servant (ὁ θεράπων μου) Moses [is] not so; he is faithful in all my house.

It seems that the rabbis used forms of θεράπων as an honorific among slaves and servants, and Job had earned that honorific by holding onto his innocence. I’ll continue in another essay.

A table comparing the Greek of the quotation of Numbers 12:7 in Hebrews 3:5 follows:

Hebrews 3:5 (NET Parallel Greek)

Numbers 12:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Numbers 12:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
πιστὸς ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ μου πιστός ἐστιν ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ μου πιστός ἐστι

Hebrews 3:5 (NET)

Numbers 12:7 (NETS)

Numbers 12:7 (English Elpenor)
faithful in all God’s house in my whole house he is faithful he is faithful in all my house

A table of all occurrences of forms of θεράπων found in the Septuagint follows:

θεράπων Exodus 33:11; Numbers 12:7; Joshua 1:2; Job 3:19; Job 7:2; Job 42:7; Job 42:8; Proverbs 18:14
θεράποντες Exodus 9:30; Exodus 10:7; Exodus 12:30
θεράποντος Numbers 12:8; 1 Chronicles 16:40; Job 32:13; Job 42:8
θεραπόντων Genesis 50:17; Exodus 5:21; Exodus 7:9; Exodus 7:10; Exodus 7:20; Exodus 8:3; Exodus 8:9; Exodus 8:11; Exodus 8:24; Exodus 8:29; Exodus 8:31; Exodus 9:8; Exodus 9:14; Exodus 9:20; Exodus 9:34; Exodus 10:1; Exodus 10:6; Exodus 11:3; Exodus 14:5; Exodus 14:8; Deuteronomy 9:27; Proverbs 27:27
θεράποντι Genesis 24:44; Exodus 4:10; Exodus 14:31; Deuteronomy 3:24; Job 2:3
θεράπουσιν Numbers 32:31; Deuteronomy 29:2; Deuteronomy 34:11
θεράποντα Numbers 11:11; Job 19:16; Job 42:8
θεράποντας Exodus 8:4; Exodus 8:21

A table illustrating the difference between the Septuagint and Masoretic text in Genesis 24:44 follows:

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Genesis 24:44 (Tanakh)

Genesis 24:44 (NET)

Genesis 24:44 (NETS)

Genesis 24:44 (English Elpenor)
and she shall say to me: Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels; let the same be the woman whom HaShem hath appointed for my master’s son. Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’ and she should say to me, “You drink, and I will fetch water for your camels too,” may this be the woman whom the Lord prepared for his own attendant (θεράποντι) Isaak, and by this I shall know that you have done mercy toward my lord Abraam.’ and she shall say to me, Both drink thou, and I will draw water for thy camels, this [shall be] the wife whom the Lord has prepared for his own servant (θεράποντι) Isaac; and hereby shall I know that thou hast wrought mercy with my master Abraam.

Tables comparing Job 1:20; 1:21; 1:22; 1:4; 1:5; 2:1; 2:2; 2:3; Numbers 12:7 and Genesis 24:44 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Job 1:20; 1:21; 1:22; 1:4; 1:5; 2:1; 2:2; 2:3; Numbers 12:7 and Genesis 24:44 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing 1 Peter 5:8 and Hebrews 3:5 in the NET and KJV follow.

Job 1:20 (Tanakh)

Job 1:20 (KJV)

Job 1:20 (NET)
Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, Then Job got up and tore his robe. He shaved his head, and then he threw himself down with his face to the ground.

Job 1:20 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 1:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὕτως ἀναστὰς Ιωβ διέρρηξεν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκείρατο τὴν κόμην τῆς κεφαλῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ πεσὼν χαμαὶ προσεκύνησεν καὶ εἶπεν Οὕτως ἀναστὰς ᾿Ιὼβ ἔρρηξε τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκείρατο τὴν κώμην τῆς κεφαλῆς καὶ πεσὼν χαμαὶ προσεκύνησε τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ εἶπεν

Job 1:20 (NETS)

Job 1:20, 21a (English Elpenor)
So Iob arose, tore his clothes and shaved the hair of his head and fell on the ground and did obeisance and said, So Job arose, and rent his garments, and shaved the hair of his head, and fell on the earth, and worshipped, 21 and said,

Job 1:21 (Tanakh)

Job 1:21 (KJV)

Job 1:21 (NET)
And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. And said, Naked came I out of my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return thither: the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will return there. The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away. May the name of the Lord be blessed!”

Job 1:21 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 1:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
αὐτὸς γυμνὸς ἐξῆλθον ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου γυμνὸς καὶ ἀπελεύσομαι ἐκεῗ ὁ κύριος ἔδωκεν ὁ κύριος ἀφείλατο ὡς τῷ κυρίῳ ἔδοξεν οὕτως καὶ ἐγένετο εἴη τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου εὐλογημένον αὐτὸς γυμνὸς ἐξῆλθον ἐκ κοιλίας μητρός μου, γυμνὸς καὶ ἀπελεύσομαι ἐκεῖ· ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκεν, ὁ Κύριος ἀφείλατο· ὡς τῷ Κυρίῳ ἔδοξεν, οὕτω καὶ ἐγένετο· εἴη τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου εὐλογημένον εἰς τοὺς αἰῶνας

Job 1:21 (NETS)

Job 1:21 (English Elpenor)
“I came naked from my mother’s womb; naked also shall I return there; the Lord gave; the Lord has taken away; as it seemed good to the Lord, so it turned out; blessed be the name of the Lord.” and said, I myself came forth naked from my mother᾿s womb, and naked shall I return thither; the Lord gave, the Lord has taken away: as it seemed good to the Lord, so has it come to pass; blessed be the name of the Lord.

Job 1:22 (Tanakh)

Job 1:22 (KJV)

Job 1:22 NET)
In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly. In all this Job did not sin, nor did he charge God with moral impropriety.

Job 1:22 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 1:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν τούτοις πᾶσιν τοῗς συμβεβηκόσιν αὐτῷ οὐδὲν ἥμαρτεν Ιωβ ἐναντίον τοῦ κυρίου καὶ οὐκ ἔδωκεν ἀφροσύνην τῷ θεῷ ᾿Εν τούτοις πᾶσι τοῖς συμβεβηκόσιν αὐτῷ οὐδὲν ἥμαρτεν ᾿Ιὼβ ἐναντίον τοῦ Κυρίου καὶ οὐκ ἔδωκεν ἀφροσύνην τῷ Θεῷ

Job 1:22 (NETS)

Job 1:22 (English Elpenor)
In all these things that happened to him Iob did not sin at all before the Lord, and did not charge God with folly. In all these events that befell him Job sinned not at all before the Lord, and did not impute folly to God.

Job 1:4 (Tanakh)

Job 1:4 (KJV)

Job 1:4 (NET)
And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. Now his sons used to go and hold a feast in the house of each one in turn, and they would send and invite their three sisters to eat and to drink with them.

Job 1:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 1:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
συμπορευόμενοι δὲ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐποιοῦσαν πότον καθ᾽ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν συμπαραλαμβάνοντες ἅμα καὶ τὰς τρεῗς ἀδελφὰς αὐτῶν ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν συμπορευόμενοι δὲ οἱ υἱοὶ αὐτοῦ πρὸς ἀλλήλους ἐποιοῦσαν πότον καθ᾿ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, συμπαραλαμβάνοντες ἅμα καὶ τὰς τρεῖς ἀδελφὰς αὐτῶν ἐσθίειν καὶ πίνειν μετ᾿ αὐτῶν

Job 1:4 (NETS)

Job 1:4 (English Elpenor)
Now his sons used to gather with one another and hold a feast each day; they used to take along their three sisters as well, to eat and drink with them. And his sons visiting one another prepared a banquet every day, taking with them also their sisters to eat and drink with them.

Job 1:5 (Tanakh)

Job 1:5 (KJV)

Job 1:5 (NET)
And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. And it was so, when the days of their feasting were gone about, that Job sent and sanctified them, and rose up early in the morning, and offered burnt offerings according to the number of them all: for Job said, It may be that my sons have sinned, and cursed God in their hearts. Thus did Job continually. When the days of their feasting were finished, Job would send for them and sanctify them; he would get up early in the morning and offer burnt offerings according to the number of them all. For Job thought, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s customary practice.

Job 1:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 1:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ὡς ἂν συνετελέσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ πότου ἀπέστελλεν Ιωβ καὶ ἐκαθάριζεν αὐτοὺς ἀνιστάμενος τὸ πρωὶ καὶ προσέφερεν περὶ αὐτῶν θυσίας κατὰ τὸν ἀριθμὸν αὐτῶν καὶ μόσχον ἕνα περὶ ἁμαρτίας περὶ τῶν ψυχῶν αὐτῶν ἔλεγεν γὰρ Ιωβ μήποτε οἱ υἱοί μου ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ αὐτῶν κακὰ ἐνενόησαν πρὸς θεόν οὕτως οὖν ἐποίει Ιωβ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας καὶ ὡς ἂν συνετελέσθησαν αἱ ἡμέραι τοῦ πότου, ἀπέστελλεν ᾿Ιὼβ καὶ ἐκαθάριζεν αὐτοὺς ἀνιστάμενος τὸ πρωΐ καὶ προσέφερε περὶ αὐτῶν θυσίας κατὰ τὸν ἀριθμὸν αὐτῶν καὶ μόσχον ἕνα περὶ ἁμαρτίας περὶ τῶν ψυχῶν αὐτῶν· ἔλεγε γὰρ ᾿Ιώβ· μή ποτε οἱ υἱοί μου ἐν τῇ διανοίᾳ αὐτῶν κακὰ ἐνενόησαν πρὸς Θεόν. οὕτως οὖν ἐποίει ᾿Ιὼβ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας

Job 1:5 (NETS)

Job 1:5 (English Elpenor)
And when the feast days had run their course, Iob used to send and purify them, rising early in the morning, and he used to offer a sacrifice on their behalf, according to their number, and one bull calf as a sin offering for their souls–for Job said, “Perhaps my sons thought bad things in their mind toward God.” So this is what Job would always do. And when the days of the banquet were completed, Job sent and purified them, having risen up in the morning, and offered sacrifices for them, according to their number, and one calf for a sin-offering for their souls: for Job said, Lest peradventure my sons have thought evil in their minds against God. Thus, then Job did continually.

Job 2:1 (Tanakh)

Job 2:1 (KJV)

Job 2:1 (NET)
Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the LORD. Again the day came when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also arrived among them to present himself before the Lord.

Job 2:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 2:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο δὲ ὡς ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ θεοῦ παραστῆναι ἔναντι κυρίου καὶ ὁ διάβολος ἦλθεν ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν παραστῆναι ἐναντίον τοῦ κυρίου ΕΓΕΝΕΤΟ δὲ ὡς ἡ ἡμέρα αὕτη καὶ ἦλθον οἱ ἄγγελοι τοῦ Θεοῦ παραστῆναι ἔναντι Κυρίου, καὶ ὁ διάβολος ἦλθεν ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν παραστῆναι ἐναντίον τοῦ Κυρίου

Job 2:1 (NETS)

Job 2:1 (English Elpenor)
Now it happened, when it was the set day and the angels of God came to present themselves before the Lord, the slanderer also came among them. [to present himself before the Lord] And it came to pass on a certain day, that the angels of God came to stand before the Lord, and the devil came among them to stand before the Lord.

Job 2:2 (Tanakh)

Job 2:2 (KJV)

Job 2:2 (NET)
And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the LORD said unto Satan, From whence comest thou? And Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it. And the Lord said to Satan, “Where have you come from?” Satan answered the Lord, “From roving about on the earth, and from walking back and forth across it.”

Job 2:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 2:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ κύριος τῷ διαβόλῳ πόθεν σὺ ἔρχῃ τότε εἶπεν ὁ διάβολος ἐνώπιον τοῦ κυρίου διαπορευθεὶς τὴν ὑπ᾽ οὐρανὸν καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσας τὴν σύμπασαν πάρειμι καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Κύριος τῷ διαβόλῳ· πόθεν σὺ ἔρχῃ; τότε εἶπεν ὁ διάβολος ἐνώπιον τοῦ Κυρίου· διαπορευθεὶς τὴν ὑπ᾿ οὐρανὸν καὶ ἐμπεριπατήσας τὴν σύμπασαν πάρειμι

Job 2:2 (NETS)

Job 2:2 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord said to the slanderer, “Where are you coming from?” Then the slanderer said before the Lord, “I have come, after traversing what is under heaven and walking about everywhere.” And the Lord, said to the devil, Whence comest thou? Then the devil said before the Lord, I am come from going through the world, and walking about the whole earth.

Job 2:3 (Tanakh)

Job 2:3 (KJV)

Job 2:3 (NET)
And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil? and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou movedst me against him, to destroy him without cause. Then the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job? For there is no one like him on the earth, a pure and upright man, one who fears God and turns away from evil. And he still holds firmly to his integrity, so that you stirred me up to destroy him without reason.”

Job 2:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Job 2:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ ὁ κύριος πρὸς τὸν διάβολον προσέσχες οὖν τῷ θεράποντί μου Ιωβ ὅτι οὐκ ἔστιν κατ᾽ αὐτὸν τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἄνθρωπος ἄκακος ἀληθινός ἄμεμπτος θεοσεβής ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ ἔτι δὲ ἔχεται ἀκακίας σὺ δὲ εἶπας τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ διὰ κενῆς ἀπολέσαι εἶπε δὲ ὁ Κύριος πρὸς τὸν διάβολον· προσέσχες οὖν τῷ θέραποντί μου ᾿Ιώβ, ὅτι οὐκ ἔστι κατ᾿ αὐτὸν τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς ἄνθρωπος ὅμοιος αὐτῷ, ἄκακος, ἀληθινός, ἄμεμπτος, θεοσεβής, ἀπεχόμενος ἀπὸ παντὸς κακοῦ; ἔτι δὲ ἔχετε ἀκακίας· σὺ δὲ εἶπας τὰ ὑπάρχοντα αὐτοῦ διακενῆς ἀπολέσαι

Job 2:3 (NETS)

Job 2:3 (English Elpenor)
Then the Lord said, “So did you notice my attendant Iob–that there is no one of those on the earth like him, an innocent, genuine, blameless, religious man, staying away from all wrong? And he still maintains his innocence, though you said to destroy his possessions for no reason.” And the Lord said to the devil, Hast thou then observed my servant Job, that there is none of [men] upon the earth like him, a harmless, true, blameless, godly man, abstaining from all evil? and he yet cleaves to innocence, whereas thou has told [me] to destroy his substance without cause?

Numbers 12:7 (Tanakh)

Numbers 12:7 (KJV)

Numbers 12:7 (NET)
My servant Moses is not so; he is trusted in all My house; My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. My servant Moses is not like this; he is faithful in all my house.

Numbers 12:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Numbers 12:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐχ οὕτως ὁ θεράπων μου Μωυσῆς ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ μου πιστός ἐστιν οὐχ οὕτως ὁ θεράπων μου Μωυσῆς· ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ μου πιστός ἐστι

Numbers 12:7 (NETS)

Numbers 12:7 (English Elpenor)
Not so my attendant Moyses; in my whole house he is faithful. My servant Moses [is] not so; he is faithful in all my house.

Genesis 24:44 (Tanakh)

Genesis 24:44 (KJV)

Genesis 24:44 (NET)
and she shall say to me: Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels; let the same be the woman whom HaShem hath appointed for my master’s son. And she say to me, Both drink thou, and I will also draw for thy camels: let the same be the woman whom the LORD hath appointed out for my master’s son. Then she will reply to me, “Drink, and I’ll draw water for your camels too.” May that woman be the one whom the Lord has chosen for my master’s son.’

Genesis 24:44 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 24:44 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἴπῃ μοι καὶ σὺ πίε καὶ ταῗς καμήλοις σου ὑδρεύσομαι αὕτη ἡ γυνή ἣν ἡτοίμασεν κύριος τῷ ἑαυτοῦ θεράποντι Ισαακ καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γνώσομαι ὅτι πεποίηκας ἔλεος τῷ κυρίῳ μου Αβρααμ καὶ εἴπῃ μοι, καὶ σὺ πίε καὶ ταῖς καμήλοις σου ὑδρεύσομαι, αὕτη ἡ γυνή, ἣν ἡτοίμασε Κύριος τῷ ἑαυτοῦ θεράποντι ᾿Ισαάκ, καὶ ἐν τούτῳ γνώσομαι, ὅτι πεποίηκας ἔλεος τῷ κυρίῳ μου ῾Αβραάμ

Genesis 24:44 (NETS)

Genesis 24:44 (English Elpenor)
and she should say to me, “You drink, and I will fetch water for your camels too,” may this be the woman whom the Lord prepared for his own attendant Isaak, and by this I shall know that you have done mercy toward my lord Abraam.’ and she shall say to me, Both drink thou, and I will draw water for thy camels, this [shall be] the wife whom the Lord has prepared for his own servant Isaac; and hereby shall I know that thou hast wrought mercy with my master Abraam.

1 Peter 5:8 (NET)

1 Peter 5:8 (KJV)
Be sober and alert. Your enemy the devil, like a roaring lion, is on the prowl looking for someone to devour. Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Νήψατε, γρηγορήσατε. ὁ ἀντίδικος ὑμῶν διάβολος ὡς λέων ὠρυόμενος περιπατεῖ ζητῶν [τινα] καταπιεῖν νηψατε γρηγορησατε οτι ο αντιδικος υμων διαβολος ως λεων ωρυομενος περιπατει ζητων τινα καταπιη νηψατε γρηγορησατε ο αντιδικος υμων διαβολος ως λεων ωρυομενος περιπατει ζητων τινα καταπιη

Hebrews 3:5 (NET)

Hebrews 3:5 (KJV)
Now Moses was faithful in all God’s house as a servant, to testify to the things that would be spoken. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a servant, for a testimony of those things which were to be spoken after;

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ Μωϋσῆς μὲν πιστὸς ἐν ὅλῳ τῷ οἴκῳ αὐτοῦ ὡς θεράπων εἰς μαρτύριον τῶν λαληθησομένων και μωσης μεν πιστος εν ολω τω οικω αυτου ως θεραπων εις μαρτυριον των λαληθησομενων και μωυσης μεν πιστος εν ολω τω οικω αυτου ως θεραπων εις μαρτυριον των λαληθησομενων

1 Job 1:8b (NET) Table

2 Genesis 15:6 (NET) Table

3 Galatians 5:22b, 23a (NET) Table

4 1 Peter 5:8 (NET) The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had καταπιεῖν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had καταπιη (KJV: he may devour).

The Book of Life, Part 1

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If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire.1

This verse follows the one I quoted in another essay: Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire.2 This is the main reason I thought Death and Hades were euphemisms for “those who had died.”

If this is a prophecy of future unalterable events, then this knowledge makes the Lord’s wish…for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9b) seem like sentiment. It gives me pause and another opportunity to consider my options if I stood before the judgment seat of Christ and He determined that it was best that I should be thrown into the lake of fire.

First, I believe his judgments are true and just.3 He does not judge by appearances, but…with right judgment.4 I can’t imagine all that might run through my mind at that moment, but one thing is certain because it is my practice: I would resolve to face the lake of fire one moment at a time in the strength of his Spirit, relying on God’s own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.5

I doubt, however, that Jesus would throw his own Holy Spirit into the lake of fire. So, plan B would be to do everything in my power to cling to Him, to go wherever He is taken, at the moment the Lord withdrew his Holy Spirit. Failing that, well, frankly, I care very little for any residue of me apart from his Holy Spirit. He can dispose of it as He pleases.

None of this was of any concern to me in the beginning, after I prayed to know God. No matter what Jesus had done on the cross I knew the last mile was mine to walk alone. My salvation was ultimately in my hands. My faith differentiated me from all those who would be thrown into the lake of fire. As I wrote before, “I was still pretty cocky.”

“Whosoever will may come” seemed fair to me. It was a popular saying derived from Revelation 22:17 (KJV):

And the Spirit and the bride say, Come.6 And let him that heareth say, Come.7 And let him that is athirst come.8 And9 whosoever will, let him take10 the11 water of life freely.

Eternal life is available to all who will (θέλων, a form of θέλω) or want it. Those who do not want eternal life prefer the second death—the lake of fire.12 Everyone should be smart enough to prefer eternal life to the lake of fire.

So in my early twenties my theology was little changed from that of my five-year-old self. The difference was that my twenty-something self read the Bible more than my five-year-old self. So my twenty-something self was both troubled and intrigued by Jesus’ words (John 6:44, 45 NET):

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day [Table]. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God’ [See Table below]. Everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to me [Table].

So Jesus taught that the Father’s drawing and teaching preceded my will, my desire, to come to Him for eternal life. Looking back at my own life I had to agree that this was true. But my hearing and my learning could still differentiate me from all those who would be thrown into the lake of fire.

There was another related stream (John 6:28, 29 NET):

So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds God requires?” Jesus replied, “This is the deed God requires—to believe in the one whom he sent” [Table].

I didn’t have the NET at my disposal in my early twenties. I read the KJV or the NASB:

John 6:29 (KJV)

John 6:29 (NASB)
Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in Him whom He has sent.”

But I understood this passage as translated in the NET: that believing in Jesus was my work, the deed that would differentiate me from all those who would be thrown into the lake of fire. I heard Jesus’ response then as if He answered the question directly: What must we do (NET/Parallel Greek: τί ποιῶμεν)? Or What shall we do (KJV/Stephanus Textus Receptus: τι ποιουμεν)? Now, I assume that his answer was correcting the basic premise of the question (John 6:29b KJV/NASB):

This is the work of God (τοῦτο ἐστιν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ)…

I sat in the airport recently after seven very long days of work, waiting for my flight home. It was delayed four hours. Every sound everyone around me made annoyed me. I was ready to go off on someone, anyone, but the fruit of the Holy Spirit flooded into me—God’s own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control13—against my will, contrary to my desire to lash out at someone.

Whether πιστεύητε (NET: believe) or πιστευσητε (KJV: ye believe) was original, both are in the subjunctive mood: “in order that you may [might] believe in the one whom he sent” is a very fair translation of ἵνα πιστεύητε [πιστευσητε] εἰς ὃν ἀπέστειλεν ἐκεῖνος once the idea that faith is my work is purged from my thinking. And as the result clause of This is the work of God it is fair to understand this as you will believe: “if the subjunctive mood is used in a purpose or result clause, then the action should not be thought of as a possible result, but should be viewed as a definite outcome that will happen as a result of another stated action.”

In my twenties, though all of this was unknown to me, I did begin to hear Paul’s words as my own (Romans 7:15-25a NET):

For I don’t understand what I am doing. For I do not do what I want—instead, I do what I hate. But if I do what I don’t want, I agree that the law is good. But now it is no longer me doing it, but sin that lives in me (ἡ |οἰκοῦσα| ἐν ἐμοὶ ἁμαρτία) [Table]. For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For I want to do the good, but I cannot do it. For I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want! Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me (ἡ οἰκοῦσα ἐν ἐμοὶ ἁμαρτία) [Table].

So, I find the law that when I want to do good, evil is present with me. For I delight in the law of God in my inner being. But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to14 the law of sin that is in my members. Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! [Table]

So it may be more accurate to describe my experience at the airport as the sin that lives in me wanted to go off on someone. For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.15 But when I’m tired and crabby, it feels like me.

I was like a wife who thinks she is too tired for sex but acquiesces to her husband’s desire anyway. After a while she begins to think to herself, “Okay, that’s not so bad.” A while later she thinks, “Yes, you can do that as long as you like.” And sometime after that she thinks, “Please, never stop doing that.”

I don’t want to carry this comparison too far. An orgasm as a sensation seems to have a definite endpoint with a hypersensitive discomfort whenever I’ve pushed through it. I’ve never actually experienced any endpoint to the fruit of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit is more constant, more continuous, more eternal, if you will.

In my twenties and then through my thirties, the more I believed that the one bringing forth in [me] both the desire and the effort—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God,16 the better my behavior became. For it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.17 The more I relied on the fruit of his Spirit, the more I realized that faith, even my faithfulness (πίστις), is an aspect of his fruit.

But what does that leave me to differentiate myself from all those who will be thrown into the lake of fire? It’s one thing to say, “but for the grace of God…” It’s another thing entirely to come face-to-face with the fact that the only thing that differentiates me from all those who will be thrown into the lake of fire is God: his mercy, his patient instruction, his grace through Jesus Christ, his indwelling Spirit.

“Then who can be saved?”18 Jesus’ astonished disciples asked when He told them it was hard for those they had thought the best (at least, the blessed) among them to enter the kingdom of heaven. And here, I think Jesus answered their question directly in the context in which they had asked it (Matthew 19:26 ESV):

But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man (ἀνθρώποις, a form of ἄνθρωπος; e.g., people, humankind) this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

So now, it’s more difficult for me to gainsay the Lord’s wish…for all to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:9b) over some knowledge I think I have. I’ll look more seriously at the Book of Life (τῇ βίβλῳ τῆς ζωῆς) instead.

According to a note (68) in the NET Jesus quoted from Isaiah 54:13. The table below compares Jesus’ Greek to that of the Septuagint.

John 6:45 (NET Parallel Greek)

Isaiah 54:13a (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 54:13a (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔσονται πάντες διδακτοὶ θεοῦ καὶ πάντας τοὺς υἱούς σου διδακτοὺς θεοῦ καὶ πάντας τοὺς υἱούς σου διδακτοὺς Θεοῦ

John 6:45 (NET)

Isaiah 54:13a (NETS)

Isaiah 54:13a (English Elpenor)
And they will all be taught by God. And I will make all your sons taught by God And [I will cause] all thy sons [to be] taught of God

Where the passage in Isaiah had limited all (πάντας) to your sons (τοὺς υἱούς σου), Jesus expanded it to they will all (ἔσονται πάντες).

Tables comparing Isaiah 54:13 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Isaiah 54:13 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Revelation 19:2; 22:17 and Romans 7:23 in the NET and KJV follow.

Isaiah 54:13 (Tanakh)

Isaiah 54:13 (KJV)

Isaiah 54:13 (NET)
And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. All your children will be followers of the Lord, and your children will enjoy great prosperity.

Isaiah 54:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 54:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ πάντας τοὺς υἱούς σου διδακτοὺς θεοῦ καὶ ἐν πολλῇ εἰρήνῃ τὰ τέκνα σου καὶ πάντας τοὺς υἱούς σου διδακτοὺς Θεοῦ καὶ ἐν πολλῇ εἰρήνῃ τὰ τέκνα σου

Isaiah 54:13 (NETS)

Isaiah 54:13 (English Elpenor)
And I will make all your sons taught by God and your children to be in great peace. And [I will cause] all thy sons [to be] taught of God, and thy children [to be] in great peace.

Revelation 19:2 (NET)

Revelation 19:2 (KJV)
because his judgments are true and just. For he has judged the great prostitute who corrupted the earth with her sexual immorality, and has avenged the blood of his servants poured out by her own hands!” For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand.

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὅτι ἀληθιναὶ καὶ δίκαιαι αἱ κρίσεις αὐτοῦ· ὅτι ἔκρινεν τὴν πόρνην τὴν μεγάλην ἥτις ἔφθειρεν τὴν γῆν ἐν τῇ πορνείᾳ αὐτῆς, καὶ ἐξεδίκησεν τὸ αἷμα τῶν δούλων αὐτοῦ ἐκ χειρὸς αὐτῆς οτι αληθιναι και δικαιαι αι κρισεις αυτου οτι εκρινεν την πορνην την μεγαλην ητις εφθειρεν την γην εν τη πορνεια αυτης και εξεδικησεν το αιμα των δουλων αυτου εκ της χειρος αυτης οτι αληθιναι και δικαιαι αι κρισεις αυτου οτι εκρινεν την πορνην την μεγαλην ητις διεφθειρεν την γην εν τη πορνεια αυτης και εξεδικησεν το αιμα των δουλων αυτου εκ της χειρος αυτης

Revelation 22:17 (NET)

Revelation 22:17 (KJV)
And the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” And let the one who hears say: “Come!” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wants it take the water of life free of charge. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ τὸ πνεῦμα καὶ ἡ νύμφη λέγουσιν· ἔρχου. καὶ ὁ ἀκούων εἰπάτω· ἔρχου. καὶ ὁ διψῶν ἐρχέσθω, ὁ θέλων λαβέτω ὕδωρ ζωῆς δωρεάν και το πνευμα και η νυμφη λεγουσιν ελθε και ο ακουων ειπατω ελθε και ο διψων ελθετω και ο θελων λαμβανετω το υδωρ ζωης δωρεαν και το πνευμα και η νυμφη λεγουσιν ερχου και ο ακουων ειπατω ερχου και ο διψων ερχεσθω ο θελων λαβετω υδωρ ζωης δωρεαν

Romans 7:23 (NET)

Romans 7:23 (KJV)
But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members. But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
βλέπω δὲ ἕτερον νόμον ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν μου ἀντιστρατευόμενον τῷ νόμῳ τοῦ νοός μου καὶ αἰχμαλωτίζοντα με |ἐν| τῷ νόμῳ τῆς ἁμαρτίας τῷ ὄντι ἐν τοῖς μέλεσιν μου βλεπω δε ετερον νομον εν τοις μελεσιν μου αντιστρατευομενον τω νομω του νοος μου και αιχμαλωτιζοντα με τω νομω της αμαρτιας τω οντι εν τοις μελεσιν μου βλεπω δε ετερον νομον εν τοις μελεσιν μου αντιστρατευομενον τω νομω του νοος μου και αιχμαλωτιζοντα με εν τω νομω της αμαρτιας τω οντι εν τοις μελεσιν μου

1 Revelation 20:15 (NET)

2 Revelation 20:14 (NET) Table

3 Revelation 19:2a (NET)

4 John 7:24 (ESV) Table

5 Galatians 5:22b, 23a (NET) Table

6 The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had ἔρχου in the present tense here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had ελθε in the 2nd aorist tense.

7 The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had ἔρχου in the present tense here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had ελθε in the 2nd aorist tense.

11 The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article το here. The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

12 Revelation 20:14b (NET) Table

13 Galatians 5:22b, 23a (NET) Table

15 Galatians 5:17 (NET) Table

16 Philippians 2:13 (NET) Table

17 Romans 9:16 (NET) Table

18 Matthew 19:25b (NET) Table

The New Covenant, Part 2

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I shared the first essay of this series with two friends.  Both preferred the judgment focus of my Pastor’s sermon, what I called “an invitation to do-it-yourself religion.”[1]  To one it was a desirable limit to “grace,” which was seen as a come on to an open-ended commitment to do whatever a preacher says.  The other saw it as the only path to righteousness since “grace” is just an excuse for indulging whatever sins one wants and then saying, “I’m sorry,” at the end to get into heaven (i.e., to avoid hell).  The unifying thread between these two beliefs is the current understanding of the grace of God.

When I think, speak or write about grace what I mean at the very least is the power to become the righteousness of God.  God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God.[2]  In practical terms I think we become the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ, receiving his indwelling Holy Spirit and walking in the continuous supply of his own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.[3]

My Pastor objected to the word power for grace.  The connection to grace is made for me when Paul asked the Lord three times about [a thorn in the flesh], that [this messenger of Satan] would depart from [him]:[4]  But [the Lord] said to me, “My grace (χάρις) is enough for you, for my power (δύναμις) is made perfect in weakness.”  So then, I will boast most gladly about my weaknesses, so that the power (δύναμις) of Christ may reside in me.[5]

I’ve grown up around people who feel that saying too much about the Holy Spirit robs Jesus of some of his glory.  Jesus said (John 16:7-14 ESV):

Nevertheless, I tell you the truth: it is to your advantage that I go away, for if I[6] do not go away, the Helper will not come to you.  But if I go, I will send him to you.  And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment: concerning sin, because they do not believe in me; concerning righteousness, because I go to the[7] Father, and you will see me no longer;[8] concerning judgment, because the ruler of this world is judged.

“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears[9] he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come.  He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you [Table].

In the story of the raising of Lazarus Jesus hints at a proximity effect to his grace: Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and I am glad for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe.”[10]  “Lord, if you had been here, Martha seems to confirm this proximity effect, my brother would not have died [Table].  But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant you.”[11]  At the risk of angering hardcore Trinitarians the Holy Spirit is Jesus omnipresent, Jesus without a proximity effect, Jesus unleashed throughout all space and time.

Here, too, my Pastor objected to my description of the Holy Spirit citing Jesus’ words: Then I will ask the Father, and he will give you another (ἄλλον, a form of ἄλλος) Advocate to be with you forever.[12]  I asked whether—If anyone loves me, he will obey my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and take up residence with him[13]—should be understood as “over and above” the indwelling Holy Spirit.  He said, no, and settled on the word through.  So, I’ll amend my original statement: Through his Holy Spirit Jesus is omnipresent, without a proximity effect, unleashed throughout all space and time.

A more expansive definition of grace is God so loved…that He gave.  Now we have not received the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, so that we may know the things that are freely given (χαρισθέντα, a form of χαρίζομαι) to us by God.[14]  For this is the way God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son.[15]  Ultimately Jesus is the grace of God.

My faith needs some of the nuts and bolts, how Jesus is the grace of God to me.  And here again Paul associated power with the grace that is Jesus: I pray that according to the wealth of his glory [the Father] will grant you to be strengthened (κραταιωθῆναι, a form of κραταιόω) with power (δυνάμει, a form of δύναμις) through his Spirit in the inner person [Table], that Christ will dwell in your hearts through faith.[16]

I want to consider this grace of God and the new covenant in the light of my own experience as the types of ground Jesus described in the parable of the Sower (Matthew 13:1-9).  The first type of ground He described was the path (Matthew 13:19 NET).

When anyone hears the word about the kingdom and does not understand (συνιέντος, a form of συνίημι) it, the evil one comes and snatches what was sown in his heart; this is the seed sown along the path.

This describes me fairly accurately from about five years old to seventeen.  When I said a sinner’s prayer to escape hell, I meant that I disobeyed my parents sometimes.  I was many years and a considerable psychic distance from acknowledging that I was from [my] father the devil, and [I] want to do what [my] father desires.[17]  I was like those who loved the darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil.  For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed.[18]

I didn’t know my deeds were evil.  Quite the contrary, I resented anyone who called what I wanted “evil.”  “What I wanted” was the epitome of righteousness in my mind, though I would not have used the term.  I realized as I grew that what adults called righteousness was often not anything I wanted at all.

I don’t recall ever hearing Jesus’ saying—You people are from your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires—as if it applied to me.  It was relatively recently that I realized He spoke to those…who had believed him.[19]  It was relatively recently that I recognized this saying as one of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven.[20]  I was like one of the outsiders who heard most of Jesus’ sayings as parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand (συνίουσιν, another form of συνίημι).[21]

This period of my life, being the path, came to an end when I chose to be an atheist.  For a time I actively opted out of being any kind of soil for the seed of God’s word.  Even if I have treated it like some sort of necessity in these essays, atheism was not a foregone conclusion.  I had an alternative at seventeen.

I was driven back to the Bible when God didn’t punish me for the “sin of premarital sex.”  But I rejected the Bible if it didn’t agree with what I “knew” it was supposed to say from years of church and Sunday school, when I was the path, one who heard about the kingdom but didn’t understand it, one who whatever he heard was snatched away by the evil one.

I didn’t realize I was that kind of ground at the time.  There was a tacit assumption among those I knew that the three types of ground that didn’t produce consistent fruit were destined for the lake of fire.  I had said a sinner’s prayer to Jesus to avoid hell.  I was, therefore, good ground by definition.

I have described my time as an atheist as a “decline that is such a cliché, it is too embarrassing to mention in detail.”[22]  There was an upside to becoming a cliché: I could no longer imagine myself to be the unique individual courageously forging my own path into the unknown.  My path was well known and well-worn, most notably well known in the Bible, not that I acknowledged that consciously at the time.

My flirtation[23] with atheism ended when I prayed, “If you’re really out there, I really want to know you.”[24]  Though I had an immediate hunger for the Bible from that moment on, I didn’t study the Bible to know…the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He] sent.[25]  I studied to know the rules to obey to keep my end of the bargain.

When I mentioned this to my Pastor, he thought it was a good way to start.  For me it was possibly the only way to start.  But I can’t help wondering: what if I had believed Jesus saying that I was from my father the devil and wanted to do what my father desired?  What if I had let his words create a healthy skepticism in me about those desires and thoughts, those feelings and reasons that came “naturally” to my heart and mind?  What if I had taken Him at his word at five or ten or twenty or even forty-years-old rather than compelling Him to prove to me for sixty-five years that I was from my father the devil and wanted to do what my father desired?

Would it have helped me believe that his grace was enough for me? Could it have shortened the time I spent as the next type of ground Jesus described (Matthew 13:20, 21 NET)?

The seed sown on rocky ground is the person who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy.  But he has no root in himself and does not endure; when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately he falls away.

This ground describes me between the ages of twenty-three and forty-three.  As I searched the Bible for rules to obey to keep my part of the contract and then disobeyed them anyway, I heard Paul’s lament (Romans 7:22-24 NET):

For I delight in the law of God in my inner being.  But I see a different law in my members waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that is in my members [Table].  Wretched man that I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Paul believed that Jesus had rescued him: Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord![26]  I didn’t understand how at first, even though I was more curious than I had ever been before.  Though now I might be more inclined to translate χάρις δὲ τῷ θεῷ διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν[27] “grace from God through Jesus Christ our Lord” and while I might appreciate more now that Paul may have given a very direct answer to his own rhetorical question, I wouldn’t have understood it any better then.  I didn’t know God or his grace—not yet.

Twenty years of springing up with joy only to fall away again, twenty years of being picked up, dusted off and put back together by Jesus one more time, slowly began to teach me to know Him and his grace.  Paul wrote to Timothy (2 Timothy 2:11-13 NET):

This saying is trustworthy: If we died with him, we will also live with him.  If we endure, we will also reign with him.  If we deny[28] him, he will also deny us.  If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since[29] he cannot (οὐ δύναται) deny himself.

Sometimes when I tell this story people want to credit me for continuing to study the Bible over those twenty years.  I also ate food over that time, whenever I was hungry.  Granted, eating food was instrumental in keeping me alive, but the hunger comes from God as did the food.  Eventually, I began to understand that the one bringing forth in [me] both the desire and the effort—for the sake of his good pleasure—is God.[30]

The Greek words translated desire and effort were not nouns but infinitive verbs: θέλειν (a form of θέλω) and ἐνεργεῖν (a form of ἐνεργέω).  Eventually, I was able to make this connection to the hunger, the food and the eating.  The hunger, θέλειν, and the food, the Bible, are from God.  The eating, doing his will, ἐνεργεῖν, becoming the righteousness of God in Him, is the outcome of his grace.  And eventually I trusted Him and his grace more than I trusted myself—good ground at last?

Jesus continued (Matthew 13:22 NET):

The seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly[31] cares and the seductiveness of wealth choke the word, so it produces nothing.

This type of ground characterizes me from about forty-four years of age to perhaps fifty-three.  I got a fulltime job again with a steady paycheck.  I married a woman with two children.  I left all the “spiritual stuff” to the grace of God while I attended to more mundane matters.  This period of my life ended when my wife divorced me.

So from about the age of fifty-four to the present, sixty-eight, have I finally become what Jesus called good soil (Matthew 13:23 NET)?

But as for the seed sown on good soil,[32] this is the person who hears the word and understands[33] (συνιείς, another form of συνίημι).  He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.”

Who knows?  I can’t even imagine how to measure such a thing.  My Pastor treated these measurements like ordinary agricultural yields.  And he’s right.

If I think of a kernel of corn (maize) growing to maturity, one ear of corn would easily be thirty times what was sown.  When I think about the time and attention, the forgiveness and patience, the mercy and grace the Lord has lavished upon me, what I share with others is a tiny fraction rather than a multiple.

I planted, Paul wrote the Corinthians, Apollos watered, but God caused it to grow (ἠύξανεν, a form of αὐξάνω).[34]  After all we’ve been through together I can trust Him with that growth.

Tables comparing John 16:7; 16:10; 2 Timothy 2:12, 13; Matthew 13:22 and 13:23 in the NET and KJV follow.

John 16:7 (NET)

John 16:7 (KJV)
But I tell you the truth, it is to your advantage that I am going away.  For if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you, but if I go, I will send him to you. Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἀλλ᾿ ἐγὼ τὴν ἀλήθειαν λέγω ὑμῖν, συμφέρει ὑμῖν ἵνα ἐγὼ ἀπέλθω. ἐὰν γὰρ μὴ ἀπέλθω, ὁ παράκλητος |οὐκ ἐλεύσεται| πρὸς ὑμᾶς· ἐὰν δὲ πορευθῶ, πέμψω αὐτὸν πρὸς ὑμᾶς αλλ εγω την αληθειαν λεγω υμιν συμφερει υμιν ινα εγω απελθω εαν γαρ μη απελθω ο παρακλητος ουκ ελευσεται προς υμας εαν δε πορευθω πεμψω αυτον προς υμας αλλ εγω την αληθειαν λεγω υμιν συμφερει υμιν ινα εγω απελθω εαν γαρ εγω μη απελθω ο παρακλητος ουκ ελευσεται προς υμας εαν δε πορευθω πεμψω αυτον προς υμας

John 16:10 (NET)

John 16:10 (KJV)
concerning righteousness because I am going to the Father and you will see me no longer; Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
περὶ δικαιοσύνης δέ, ὅτι πρὸς τὸν πατέρα ὑπάγω καὶ οὐκέτι θεωρεῖτε με περι δικαιοσυνης δε οτι προς τον πατερα μου υπαγω και ουκ ετι θεωρειτε με περι δικαιοσυνης δε οτι προς τον πατερα μου υπαγω και ουκετι θεωρειτε με

2 Timothy 2:12, 13 (NET)

2 Timothy 2:12, 13 (KJV)
If we endure, we will also reign with him.  If we deny him, he will also deny us. If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
εἰ ὑπομένομεν, καὶ συμβασιλεύσομεν· εἰ ἀρνησόμεθα, κακεῖνος ἀρνήσεται ἡμᾶς ει υπομενομεν και συμβασιλευσομεν ει αρνουμεθα κακεινος αρνησεται ημας ει υπομενομεν και συμβασιλευσομεν ει αρνουμεθα κακεινος αρνησεται ημας
If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself. If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
εἰ ἀπιστοῦμεν, ἐκεῖνος πιστὸς μένει, ἀρνήσασθαι γὰρ ἑαυτὸν οὐ δύναται. ει απιστουμεν εκεινος πιστος μενει αρνησασθαι εαυτον ου δυναται ει απιστουμεν εκεινος πιστος μενει αρνησασθαι εαυτον ου δυναται

Matthew 13:22 (NET)

Matthew 13:22 (KJV)
The seed sown among thorns is the person who hears the word, but worldly cares and the seductiveness of wealth choke the word, so it produces nothing. He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὁ δὲ εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας σπαρείς, οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων, καὶ ἡ μέριμνα τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ ἡ ἀπάτη τοῦ πλούτου συμπνίγει τὸν λόγον καὶ ἄκαρπος γίνεται ο δε εις τας ακανθας σπαρεις ουτος εστιν ο τον λογον ακουων και η μεριμνα του αιωνος τουτου και η απατη του πλουτου συμπνιγει τον λογον και ακαρπος γινεται ο δε εις τας ακανθας σπαρεις ουτος εστιν ο τον λογον ακουων και η μεριμνα του αιωνος τουτου και η απατη του πλουτου συμπνιγει τον λογον και ακαρπος γινεται

Matthew 13:23 (NET)

Matthew 13:23 (KJV)
But as for the seed sown on good soil, this is the person who hears the word and understands.  He bears fruit, yielding a hundred, sixty, or thirty times what was sown.” But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὁ δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν καλὴν γῆν σπαρείς, οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ τὸν λόγον ἀκούων καὶ συνιείς, ὃς δὴ καρποφορεῖ καὶ ποιεῖ ὃ μὲν ἑκατόν, ὃ δὲ ἑξήκοντα, ὃ δὲ τριάκοντα ο δε επι την γην την καλην σπαρεις ουτος εστιν ο τον λογον ακουων και συνιων ος δη καρποφορει και ποιει ο μεν εκατον ο δε εξηκοντα ο δε τριακοντα ο δε επι την γην την καλην σπαρεις ουτος εστιν ο τον λογον ακουων και συνιων ος δη καρποφορει και ποιει ο μεν εκατον ο δε εξηκοντα ο δε τριακοντα

Addendum: February 6, 2022
I can’t say that a sermon like the following wasn’t preached to me when I was five or ten or twenty or forty-years-old. I can say I heard it today.

[1] The New Covenant, Part 1

[2] 2 Corinthians 5:21 (NET) Table

[3] Galatians 5:22b, 23a (NET) Table

[4] 2 Corinthians 12:8 (NET) with phrases in brackets from 2 Corinthians 12:7 (NET) Table

[5] 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NET) Table

[6] The Byzantine Majority text had εγω here.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

[7] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μου (KJV: my) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[8] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had οὐκέτι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had ουκ ετι (KJV: no more).

[9] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀκούσει here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αν ακουση (KJV: whatsoever he shall hear).

[10] John 11:14, 15a (NET)

[11] John 11:21b, 22 (NET)

[12] John 14:16 (NET) Table

[13] John 14:23 (NET) Table

[14] 1 Corinthians 2:12 (NET)

[15] John 3:16a (NET) Table

[16] Ephesians 3:16, 17a (NET)

[17] John 8:44a (NET) Table

[18] John 3:19b, 20 (NET)

[19] John 8:31a (NET)

[20] Matthew 13:11b (NET)

[21] Matthew 13:13b (NET)

[22] Who Am I? Part 3

[23] I called it a flirtation not to minimize its seriousness but to highlight how I was not serious enough about it to maintain such a demanding faith for any prolonged period of time.

[24] Who am I? Part 3

[25] John 17:3b (NET)

[26] Romans 7:25a (NET) Table

[27] Romans 7:25a NA28  This is what the editors of the NA28 currently believe to be the original text.

[28] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀρνησόμεθα here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αρνουμεθα.

[29] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had γὰρ here.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[30] Philippians 2:13 (NET)

[31] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τουτου following αἰῶνος (KJV: this world).  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[32] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article την preceding soil (KJV: ground).  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[33] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had συνιείς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had συνιων (KJV: understandeth it).

[34] 1 Corinthians 3:6 (NET) Table

Funeral, Part 3

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A friend asked for the transcript of the prayer I prayed at my mother’s funeral.  I should apologize to my sister.  She asked for the same thing many months ago and I never got around to it.  So, finally, here it is.

It is a prayer that Jesus has taught, and continues to teach, me.  I pray it back to Him every day.  It alludes to, paraphrases or quotes from various Scriptures.  It changes from time to time as He teaches me more.

After I prayed it at Mom’s funeral a man commented on it and invited me to his church.  His church has become my church.  This version is slightly altered from the prayer I prayed at the funeral because the Pastor has been teaching Matthew 6:9-15 for the past three weeks.

Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored[1] as holy by me, by all who believe and by all.  [M]ay your kingdom come, may your will be done on earth as it is in heaven[2] in and through me, in and through all who believe and in and through all.  Give us this day our daily bread.[3]  [F]orgive us our debts, as we…have forgiven our debtors.[4]  Lead us not into temptation,[5] but deliver us from the evil…[6]  For…the kingdom and the power and the glory [are Yours] forever.[7]

My persistent prayer for justice[8] is for the mercy on which everything depends, for it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on [You] who shows mercy.[9]  And You have consigned all to disobedience, [so] that [You] may have mercy on all.[10]

Grant us according to the wealth of [your] glory…to be strengthened with power [by the Holy] Spirit in the inner person,[11] that Christ [dwells] in [our] hearts through faith, [that we being] rooted and grounded in love,[12] comprehend with all the saints[13] the height, the depth, the length, the breadth, and…know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge…that [we] will be filled up to all the fullness of God.[14]

Thank you for this eternal life.

Thank you for people.  I pray for all people, especially those in authority, from the least to the greatest across every field of human endeavor all over the world, that we lead quiet, peaceful lives with all dignity and godliness.[15]  I ask that we know by faith[16] your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control[17] [Table] springing up within us to eternal life from your Holy Spirit.[18]

I ask on behalf of those who have not yet received[19] you, or have wandered off,[20] please open the eyes blinded[21] by the prince of the power of the air.[22]  Please send laborers into your harvest.[23]  Thank you for those who are already there.  Please convince,[24] convict,[25] prove the world wrong concerning sin, righteousness and judgment.[26]  Please return, Lord Jesus.[27]

I am believing you.  Thank you.  Please continue to help my unbelief.[28]  Thank you.

 

[1] Matthew 6:9b (NET)

[2] Matthew 6:10 (NET) Table

[3] Matthew 6:11 (KJV)

[4] Matthew 6:12 (NET) Table

[5] Matthew 6:13a (ESV)

[6] Matthew 6:13b (NET) Table

[7] Matthew 6:13c (NKJV) The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had οτι σου εστιν η βασιλεια και η δυναμις και η δοξα εις τους αιωνας αμην (KJV: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.  Amen.) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[8] Luke 18:1-8

[9] Romans 9:16 (NET) Table

[10] Romans 11:32 (ESV)

[11] Ephesians 3:16 (NET) Table

[12] Ephesians 3:17 (NET)

[13] Ephesians 3:18b (NET) Table

[14] Ephesians 3:19 (NET)

[15] 1 Timothy 2:1-6

[16] Hebrews 11

[17] Galatians 5:22b, 23a (NET)

[18] John 4:14

[19] John 1:12, 13

[20] 1 Timothy 6:10, 20-21

[21] 2 Corinthians 4:3, 4

[22] Ephesians 2:1-3

[23] Matthew 9:37, 38

[24] John 16:7, 8 (Douay-Rheims)

[25] John 16:7, 8 (ESV)

[26] John 16:8 (NET)

[27] Revelation 22:20

[28] Mark 9:14-24

Peter’s Second Gospel Proclamation, Part 3

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Peter’s second Gospel proclamation concluded (Acts 3:24-26 NET):

And all the prophets, from Samuel and those who followed him, have spoken about and announced[1] these days.  You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed’ [Table].  God raised up his servant[2] and sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each one of you from your iniquities.”

A survey of the prophecies to which Peter alluded would be interesting but I won’t pursue it here.  After a perfunctory disclaimer “Old Testament messianic prophecies quoted in the New Testament” lists several.

According to the note (72) in the NET Acts 3:25b is a quotation from Genesis 22:18.  A table comparing the Greek of Peter’s quotation with the Septuagint follows

Acts 3:25b (NET Parallel Greek)

 Genesis 22:18a (Septuagint BLB) Table

Genesis 22:18a (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐν τῷ σπέρματι σου [ἐν]ευλογηθήσονται πᾶσαι αἱ πατριαὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν τῷ σπέρματί σου πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐνευλογηθήσονται ἐν τῷ σπέρματί σου πάντα τὰ ἔθνη τῆς γῆς

Acts 3:25b (NET)

 Genesis 22:18a (NETS)

Genesis 22:18a (English Elpenor)
‘And in your descendants all the nations of the earth will be blessed.’ And in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed And in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed

The Greek word translated descendants in the NET (KJV: seed) was σπέρματι (a form of σπέρμα).  I bring it up because Paul commented on it (Galatians 3:16 NET):

Now the promises were spoken to Abraham and to his descendant (σπέρματι).  Scripture does not say, “and to the descendants (σπέρμασιν, a plural form of σπέρμα),” referring to many, but “and to your descendant (σπέρματι),” referring to one, who is Christ.

Note 36 in the NET cites four references in Genesis.  Three of the four were also translated σπέρματι in the Septuagint.

Reference BLB Septuagint Elpenor Sptuagint
Genesis 12:7 σπέρματί σπέρματί
Genesis 13:15 σπέρματί σπέρματί
Genesis 24:7 σπέρματί σπέρματί

In context Peter’s thought went from this singular descendant (KJV: seed) to a singular servant (παῖδα, a form of παῖς; KJV: Son).

Here I’ll focus on God raised up his servant and sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each one of you from your iniquities.[3]  The Greek word translated turning was not a form of μετανοέω or a form of ἐπιστρέφω (Acts 3:19 NET):

Therefore repent (μετανοήσατε, a form of μετανοέω) and turn back (ἐπιστρέψατε, a form of ἐπιστρέφω) so that your sins may be wiped out…

It was ἀποστρέφειν (a form of ἀποστρέφω).  I can’t help but think that Peter or the Holy Spirit alluded to a then present fulfillment of the prophecy Paul quoted (Romans 11:26, 27 NET):

And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion;[4] he will remove (ἀποστρέψει, another form of ἀποστρέφω) ungodliness from Jacob.  And this is my covenant with them, when I take away their sins.”

According to the note (21) in the NET Romans 11:26, 27a is a quotation from Isaiah 59:20, 21.  A table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation with the Septuagint follows:

Romans 11:26b, 27a (NET Parallel Greek)

 Isaiah 59:20, 21a (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 59:20, 21a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἥξει ἐκ Σιὼν ὁ ρυόμενος, ἀποστρέψει ἀσεβείας ἀπὸ Ἰακώβ (27) καὶ αὕτη αὐτοῖς ἡ παρ᾿ ἐμοῦ διαθήκη ἥξει ἕνεκεν Σιων ὁ ῥυόμενος καὶ ἀποστρέψει ἀσεβείας ἀπὸ Ιακωβ (21) καὶ αὕτη αὐτοῗς ἡ παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ διαθήκη ἥξει ἕνεκεν Σιὼν ὁ ῥυόμενος καὶ ἀποστρέψει ἀσεβείας ἀπὸ ᾿Ιακώβ (21) καὶ αὕτη αὐτοῖς ἡ παρ᾿ ἐμοῦ διαθήκη

Romans 11:26b, 27a (NET)

 Isaiah 59:20, 21a (NETS)

Isaiah 59:20, 21a (English Elpenor)
The Deliverer will come out of Zion; he will remove ungodliness from Jacob. (27) And this is my covenant with them, the one who delivers will come for Zion’s sake, and he will turn impiety away from Jacob. (21) And this is the covenant to them from me, the deliverer shall come for Sion’s sake, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob. (21) And this shall be my covenant with them,

I’ve never understood this quite so clearly.  And the deliverer shall come for Sion’s sake (English Elpenor) the Septuagint reads.  That time was past when Paul wrote to those in Rome who believed Jesus: the deliverer had already come for Sion’s sake and Israel in large part (Romans 11:2-5) had rejected Him (Romans 11:11-15 NET).

I ask then, they did not stumble into an irrevocable fall, did they?  Absolutely not!  But by their transgression salvation has come to the Gentiles, to make Israel jealous.  Now if their transgression means riches for the world and their defeat means riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their full restoration bring?

Now I am speaking to you Gentiles.  Seeing that I am an apostle to the Gentiles, I magnify my ministry [Table], if somehow I could provoke my people to jealousy and save some of them.  For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? [Table]

Paul changed ἕνεκεν (a form of ἕνεκα), for Sion’s sake, to ἐκ, out of Zion.  Since Israel rejected their deliverer/Redeemer/protector He no longer came exclusively for Sion’s sake.  For then, in Paul’s present, the Gospel was proceeding out of Zion to the whole world.  The Masoretic text reads to Zion, exclusively.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Isaiah 59:20 (Tanakh/KJV) Isaiah 59:20 (NET) Isaiah 59:20 (NETS)

Isaiah 59:20 (English Elpenor)
And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. “A protector comes to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their rebellious deeds,” says the Lord. And the one who delivers will come for Zion’s sake, and he will turn impiety away from Jacob. And the deliverer shall come for Sion’s sake, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

This deliverer shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob (English Elpenor) as confirmed by the Holy Spirit through Paul: he will remove ungodliness from Jacob.  But the Masoretes’ revision of the Scriptures according to masorah (“tradition”) limits this Redeemer unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob (Tanakh, KJV), or this protector to those in Jacob who repent of their rebellious deeds (NET).  In other words, his impact is limited currently to that select subset (Romans 11:5-7) of the whole of Jacob.

And this shall be my covenant with them, said the Lord.[5]  But Paul veered away from the rest of this quote (Isaiah 59:21b English Elpenor):

My Spirit which is upon thee, and the words which I have put in thy mouth, shall never fail from thy mouth, nor from the mouth of thy seed, for the Lord has spoken it, henceforth and for ever.

Since official Israel rejected Jesus (Acts 4:1-4) this promise doesn’t yet apply to all Israel.  So Paul and the Holy Spirit reiterated when it will apply: when I take away their sins.[6]

According to the note (22) in the NET Romans 11:27b is a quotation from Isaiah 27:9.  A table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation with the Septuagint follows:

Romans 11:27b (NET Parallel Greek) Isaiah 27:9b (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 27:9a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅταν ἀφέλωμαι τὰς ἁμαρτίας αὐτῶν ὅταν ἀφέλωμαι αὐτοῦ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ὅταν ἀφέλωμαι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αὐτοῦ
Romans 11:27b (NET) Isaiah 27:9b (NETS) Isaiah 27:9a (English Elpenor)
when I take away their sins. when I remove his sin, when I shall have taken away his sin;

Still, the Masoretic text speaks truthfully to contemporary Israel: them that turn from transgression in Jacob (namely, turn from their rejection of Jesus as Messiah) will receive the Redeemer, and He shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.  God raised up his servant and sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each one of you from your iniquities,[7] Peter promised in the name of the Lord Jesus.

The Greek word translated iniquities was πονηριῶν (a form of πονηρία).  Matthew recorded the following (Matthew 22:15-21 NET):

Then the Pharisees went out and planned together to entrap [Jesus] with his own words.  They sent to him their disciples along with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are truthful and teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.  You do not court anyone’s favor because you show no partiality.  Tell us then, what do you think?  Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

But Jesus realized their evil intentions (πονηρίαν, another form of πονηρία) and said, “Hypocrites!  Why are you testing me?  Show me the coin used for the tax.”  So they brought him a denarius.  Jesus said to them, “Whose image is this, and whose inscription?”  They replied, “Caesar’s.”  He said to them, “Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Jesus told his disciples: What comes out of a person defiles him.  For from within, out of the human heart, come evil ideas, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, evil (πονηρίαι, another form of πονηρία), deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and folly [Table].  All these evils (πονηρὰ, a form of πονηρός) come from within and defile a person.[8]

As he spoke, a[9] Pharisee invited[10] Jesus to have a meal with him, so he went in and took his place at the table.  The Pharisee was astonished when he saw that Jesus did not first wash his hands before the meal.  But the Lord said to him, “Now you Pharisees clean the outside of the cup and the plate, but inside you are full of greed and wickedness (πονηρίας, another form of πονηρία).[11]

For the love of Christ controls us, Paul wrote of the apostles, since we have concluded this, that[12] Christ died for all; therefore all have died.  And he died for all so that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised.[13]

The love of Christ was ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ in Greek.  Given the way Paul described and defined ἀγάπη (1 Corinthians 13) I think this is shorthand for the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23).  Surely, it is Christ’s ἀγάπη in the sense that, as Jesus said, The Father and I are one,[14] and as He prayed, Everything I have belongs to you, and everything you have belongs to me.[15]  But perhaps more to the point for believers, this is Christ’s ἀγάπη in the sense that it is the same love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control[16] [Table] that “controlled” Jesus.

I used the past tense here only to accentuate the time He walked as a man on earth, rather than to suggest that love no longer controls (συνέχει, a form of συνέχω) Him.  So then, if anyone is in Christ, Paul continued (2 Corinthians 5:17-21 NET):

he is a new creation; what is old has passed away—look, what is new has come [Table]!  And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ[17] and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation.  In other words, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting people’s trespasses against them, and he has given us the message of reconciliation.  Therefore we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making his plea through us.  We plead with you on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God!”  God made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we would become the righteousness of God (δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ) [Table].

I think the righteousness of God we become is the love of Christ [that] controls us, understood as the fruit of the Holy Spirit.  For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.[18]

Tables comparing Isaiah 27:9; 59:20 and 59:21 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Isaiah 27:9; 59:20 and 59:21 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Acts 3:24; 3:26; Romans 11:26; Luke 11:37; 2 Corinthians 5:14 and 5:18 in the NET and KJV follow.

Isaiah 27:9 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 27:9 (KJV)

Isaiah 27:9 (NET)
By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up. By this therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged; and this is all the fruit to take away his sin; when he maketh all the stones of the altar as chalkstones that are beaten in sunder, the groves and images shall not stand up. So in this way Jacob’s sin will be forgiven, and this is how they will show they are finished sinning: They will make all the stones of the altars like crushed limestone, and the Asherah poles and the incense altars will no longer stand.

Isaiah 27:9 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 27:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
διὰ τοῦτο ἀφαιρεθήσεται ἡ ἀνομία Ιακωβ καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἡ εὐλογία αὐτοῦ ὅταν ἀφέλωμαι αὐτοῦ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ὅταν θῶσιν πάντας τοὺς λίθους τῶν βωμῶν κατακεκομμένους ὡς κονίαν λεπτήν καὶ οὐ μὴ μείνῃ τὰ δένδρα αὐτῶν καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα αὐτῶν ἐκκεκομμένα ὥσπερ δρυμὸς μακράν διὰ τοῦτο ἀφαιρεθήσεται ἡ ἀνομία ᾿Ιακώβ, καὶ τοῦτό ἐστιν ἡ εὐλογία αὐτοῦ, ὅταν ἀφέλωμαι τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αὐτοῦ, ὅταν θῶσι πάντας τοὺς λίθους τῶν βωμῶν κατακεκομμένους ὡς κονίαν λεπτήν· καὶ οὐ μὴ μείνῃ τὰ δένδρα αὐτῶν, καὶ τὰ εἴδωλα αὐτῶν ἐκκεκομμένα ὥσπερ δρυμὸς μακράν

Isaiah 27:9 (NETS)

Isaiah 27:9 (English Elpenor)
Because of this the lawlessness of Iakob will be removed.  And this is the blessing, when I remove his sin, when they make all the stones of the altars broken pieces like fine dust, and their trees will not remain, and their idols will be cut down like a forest far away. Therefore shall the iniquity of Jacob be taken away; and this is his blessing, when I shall have taken away his sin; when they shall have broken to pieces all the stones of the altars as fine dust, and their trees shall not remain, and their idols shall be cut off, as a thicket afar off.

Isaiah 59:20 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 59:20 (KJV)

Isaiah 59:20 (NET)
And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD. “A protector comes to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their rebellious deeds,” says the Lord.

Isaiah 59:20 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 59:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἥξει ἕνεκεν Σιων ὁ ῥυόμενος καὶ ἀποστρέψει ἀσεβείας ἀπὸ Ιακωβ καὶ ἥξει ἕνεκεν Σιὼν ὁ ῥυόμενος καὶ ἀποστρέψει ἀσεβείας ἀπὸ ᾿Ιακώβ

Isaiah 59:20 (NETS)

Isaiah 59:20 (English Elpenor)
And the one who delivers will come for Zion’s sake, and he will turn impiety away from Jacob. And the deliverer shall come for Sion’s sake, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob.

Isaiah 59:21 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 59:21 (KJV)

Isaiah 59:21 (NET)
As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed’s seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever. “As for me, this is my promise to them,” says the Lord.  “My Spirit, who is upon you, and my words, which I have placed in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and descendants from this time forward,” says the Lord.

Isaiah 59:21 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 59:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ αὕτη αὐτοῗς ἡ παρ᾽ ἐμοῦ διαθήκη εἶπεν κύριος τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐμόν ὅ ἐστιν ἐπὶ σοί καὶ τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἔδωκα εἰς τὸ στόμα σου οὐ μὴ ἐκλίπῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου καὶ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ σπέρματός σου εἶπεν γὰρ κύριος ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα καὶ αὕτη αὐτοῖς ἡ παρ᾿ ἐμοῦ διαθήκη, εἶπε Κύριος· τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἐμόν, ὅ ἐστιν ἐπὶ σοί, καὶ τὰ ρήματα, ἃ ἔδωκα εἰς τὸ στόμα σου, οὐ μὴ ἐκλίπῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόματός σου καὶ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος τοῦ σπέρματός σου· εἶπε γὰρ Κύριος, ἀπὸ τοῦ νῦν καὶ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα

Isaiah 59:21 (NETS)

Isaiah 59:21 (English Elpenor)
And this is the covenant to them from me, said the Lord, my spirit that is upon you and my words that I have put in your mouth shall not fail out of your mouth or out of the mouth of your offspring, for the Lord has said it, from now on and forever. And this shall be my covenant with them, said the Lord; My Spirit which is upon thee, and the words which I have put in thy mouth, shall never fail from thy mouth, nor from the mouth of thy seed, for the Lord has spoken it, henceforth and for ever.

Acts 3:24 (NET)

Acts 3:24 (KJV)
And all the prophets, from Samuel and those who followed him, have spoken about and announced these days. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have likewise foretold of these days.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ πάντες δὲ οἱ προφῆται ἀπὸ Σαμουὴλ καὶ τῶν καθεξῆς ὅσοι ἐλάλησαν καὶ κατήγγειλαν τὰς ἡμέρας ταύτας και παντες δε οι προφηται απο σαμουηλ και των καθεξης οσοι ελαλησαν και προκατηγγειλαν τας ημερας ταυτας και παντες δε οι προφηται απο σαμουηλ και των καθεξης οσοι ελαλησαν και κατηγγειλαν τας ημερας ταυτας

Acts 3:26 (NET)

Acts 3:26 (KJV)
God raised up his servant and sent him first to you, to bless you by turning each one of you from your iniquities.” Unto you first God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from his iniquities.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὑμῖν πρῶτον ἀναστήσας ὁ θεὸς τὸν παῖδα αὐτοῦ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτὸν εὐλογοῦντα ὑμᾶς ἐν τῷ ἀποστρέφειν ἕκαστον ἀπὸ τῶν πονηριῶν |ὑμῶν| υμιν πρωτον ο θεος αναστησας τον παιδα αυτου ιησουν απεστειλεν αυτον ευλογουντα υμας εν τω αποστρεφειν εκαστον απο των πονηριων υμων υμιν πρωτον ο θεος αναστησας τον παιδα αυτου ιησουν απεστειλεν αυτον ευλογουντα υμας εν τω αποστρεφειν εκαστον απο των πονηριων υμων

Romans 11:26 (NET)

Romans 11:26 (KJV)
And so all Israel will be saved, as it is written: “The Deliverer will come out of Zion; he will remove ungodliness from Jacob. And so all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away ungodliness from Jacob:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ οὕτως πᾶς Ἰσραὴλ σωθήσεται, καθὼς γέγραπται· ἥξει ἐκ Σιὼν ὁ ρυόμενος, ἀποστρέψει ἀσεβείας ἀπὸ Ἰακώβ και ουτως πας ισραηλ σωθησεται καθως γεγραπται ηξει εκ σιων ο ρυομενος και αποστρεψει ασεβειας απο ιακωβ και ουτως πας ισραηλ σωθησεται καθως γεγραπται ηξει εκ σιων ο ρυομενος και αποστρεψει ασεβειας απο ιακωβ

Luke 11:37 (NET)

Luke 11:37 (KJV)
As he spoke, a Pharisee invited Jesus to have a meal with him, so he went in and took his place at the table. And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in, and sat down to meat.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Ἐν δὲ τῷ λαλῆσαι ἐρωτᾷ αὐτὸν Φαρισαῖος ὅπως ἀριστήσῃ παρ᾿ αὐτῷ· εἰσελθὼν δὲ ἀνέπεσεν εν δε τω λαλησαι ηρωτα αυτον φαρισαιος τις οπως αριστηση παρ αυτω εισελθων δε ανεπεσεν εν δε τω λαλησαι ηρωτα αυτον φαρισαιος τις οπως αριστηση παρ αυτω εισελθων δε ανεπεσεν

2 Corinthians 5:14 (NET)

2 Corinthians 5:14 (KJV)
For the love of Christ controls us, since we have concluded this, that Christ died for all; therefore all have died. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἡ γὰρ ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ συνέχει ἡμᾶς, κρίναντας τοῦτο, ὅτι εἷς ὑπὲρ πάντων ἀπέθανεν, ἄρα οἱ πάντες ἀπέθανον η γαρ αγαπη του χριστου συνεχει ημας κριναντας τουτο οτι ει εις υπερ παντων απεθανεν αρα οι παντες απεθανον η γαρ αγαπη του χριστου συνεχει ημας κριναντας τουτο οτι ει εις υπερ παντων απεθανεν αρα οι παντες απεθανον

2 Corinthians 5:18 (NET)

2 Corinthians 5:18 (KJV)
And all these things are from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and who has given us the ministry of reconciliation. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
τὰ δὲ πάντα ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ καταλλάξαντος ἡμᾶς ἑαυτῷ διὰ Χριστοῦ καὶ δόντος ἡμῖν τὴν διακονίαν τῆς καταλλαγῆς τα δε παντα εκ του θεου του καταλλαξαντος ημας εαυτω δια ιησου χριστου και δοντος ημιν την διακονιαν της καταλλαγης τα δε παντα εκ του θεου του καταλλαξαντος ημας εαυτω δια ιησου χριστου και δοντος ημιν την διακονιαν της καταλλαγης

[1] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had κατήγγειλαν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had προκατηγγειλαν (KJV: have…foretold).

[2] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ιησουν (KJV: Jesus) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[3] Acts 3:26 (NET)

[4] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: and) joining these clauses.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[5] Isaiah 59:21a (English Elpenor)

[6] Romans 11:27b (NET)

[7] Acts 3:26 (NET)

[8] Mark 7:20-23 (NET)

[9] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τις (KJV: a certain) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[10] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐρωτᾷ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ηρωτα (KJV: besought).

[11] Luke 11:37-39 (NET)

[12] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ει (KJV: if) here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[13] 2 Corinthians 5:14, 15 (NET)

[14] John 10:30 (NET)

[15] John 17:10a (NET)

[16] Galatians 5:22b, 23a (NET)

[17] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ιησου preceding Christ (KJV: Jesus).  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[18] Romans 8:14 (NET)

Language

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I visit my mother in hospice every morning.  When she still spoke to me she asked me to pray that she could “get out of here.”  I told her I didn’t think that I could care for her at her home.  She said that wasn’t what she meant.  I didn’t answer her.  Later that same visit she sang:

I am the resurrection and the life,

He that believeth in me tho’ He were deade,

Yet shall He live,

Yet shall he live,

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me

shall never, never die.[1]

I recalled the context of these words: Lazarus, Martha’s brother, had died (John 11:21-27 NET):

Martha[2] said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.[3]  But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant you.”

Jesus replied, “Your brother will come back to life again.”

Martha[4] said, “I know that he will come back to life again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life.  The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, and the one who lives and believes in me will never die.  Do you believe this?”

She replied, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world.”

I’ve understood Martha’s answer to Jesus’ question as a very diplomatic and reverent, “No.”  Granted, Jesus had used the subjunctive of emphatic negation οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ, will never die (NET), shall never die (KJV).  She had most likely washed and prepared Lazarus’ body.  She probably supervised his burial four days earlier.  Jesus was talking crazy talk.  It had its impact on me.

From then on I have believed everyday that she who lives and believes in Jesus will never die.  And everyday I pray that my mother can be absent from the body, and…present with the Lord.[5]  Almost everyday since, she has been quietly absent from her body and, I trust, present with the Lord.  She sings hymns and choruses aloud from time to time.

Once she woke and wanted to sit up to sketch.  She used to sketch all of the time, any time she sat down.  But she drifted off again before I could find a pencil or paper.  Another time I asked her if she really wanted to sketch.  She told me where her sketch pad and pencils were at home.  She has them now.

Mostly, I read while I sit with her.  A friend asked me to read “From Dawn to Decadence: 1500 to the Present, 500 Years of Western Cultural Life” by Jacques Barzun.  My friend lent me his own copy to seal the deal.  It’s 800 pages but I’m working my way through it slowly.

Considering the development of prose Mr. Barzun wrote:[6]

One 17C[entury] creation that was neither Baroque nor a pretended imitation of the ancients was its prose….

The modern languages took a much longer time to develop a prose worthy of the name than to find poetic meters that suited their idiom….In early modern times [writers] were hampered by their virtually native mastery of Latin: it spoiled the vernacular syntax. Thanks to its case endings, Latin leaves the writer free to throw the makings of his sentence into one spot or another without changing the sense. That cannot be done when meaning depends on the right sequence and right linking of words.

I’ve heard, and seen to a certain extent, a similar assessment of Greek.  But I find it difficult to believe.   Todd Engstrom‘s article on Academia.edu—“A Prepositional Phrase’s Contribution to the πίστις Χριστοῦ Debate in Romans 3:28”—caught my ear.

We will focus on the placement of the prepositional phrase χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου (“apart from works of law”) in Romans 3:28.  How does it contribute to the πίστις Χριστοῦ (“faith of Christ”) debate?  By having the prepositional phrase χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου (“apart from works of law”) modify the noun ἄνθρωπος (“man”), it bolsters the subjective genitive interpretation of πίστις Χριστοῦ (“faithfulness of Christ”).[7]

Generally, I avoid academic arguments these days.  As Jesus’ understanding of eternal life (John 17:3) has taken root and grown in me the desire to judge others’ “eternal destination” by their verbiage has weakened. But a paper about Greek word placement contributing to the meaning of the text was irresistible. Mr. Engstrom continued:

When we place the prepositional phrase χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου (“apart from works of law”) to modify the noun ἄνθρωπος (“man”), we get ἄνθρωπος χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου (“a man apart from works of law”).  Since “works of law” refers to the works required by the Law, we can interpret this as “a man apart from the deeds required by the Law.”[8]

So Mr. Engstrom’s English translation of Romans 3:28 became, “For we consider a man apart from works required by the law to be declared righteous by faithfulness [Table].”[9]  All in all I have no problem with this translation.  The word faithfulness would have bothered me in the past.

When I thought faithfulness was my efforts to obey my parents, the rules of my religion, the teaching of Jesus, the laws of my city, county, state or nation, the law of God and, finally, Paul’s definition of love recast as rules for me to obey, it would have bothered me a lot.  Mr. Engstrom was very careful, however, to stress that this is Christ’s faithfulness.  And now I know that faithfulness (πίστις) is one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit.

Mr. Engstrom, however, didn’t mean exactly what his English translation said:

Who is this man apart from the deeds required by the Law?  He is a Gentile.[10]

I’ll translate that back into Greek: λογιζόμεθα γὰρ δικαιοῦσθαι πίστει ἔθνος (“For we consider a Gentile to be declared righteous by faithfulness”).  It’s true enough.  But would it have gnawed at me as χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου (apart from the works of the law) had done?  Or would I have remained more content with my act?  If χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου is removed from Romans 3:28, my go to verse would become Galatians 2:16.

Mr. Engstrom had reworked that one, too, in a different paper.

With the adjectival use of ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, Paul’s thesis actually reads:

15 We are Jews by nature and not Gentile sinners; 16 knowing that a man from works of law is not declared righteous, except through the faith of Jesus Christ, and we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be declared righteous from the faith of Christ and not from works of the law, because out of the works of the law every flesh will not be declared righteous.[11]

Here even I could see that he had done a pretty good job of unraveling ἐὰν μὴ (except; literally: “if not”).  The translators of both the NET and KJV [Table] have rendered ἐὰν μὴ but.  I thought my knowledge of Greek was insufficient to understand it, which it was: I thought that linking a prepositional phrase to the word it followed was verboten in Greek, at least unnecessary.

This time, however, I didn’t want to translate ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἔργων νόμου (“a man from works of law”) a Jew.  Perhaps the categories Jew and Gentile were fixed and more watertight in the first century than they are today, perhaps not.  But I am a Gentile who grew up in a Christian home and a Christian church and became “a man from works of law.”  God’s law was about the last law I came to, but Paul’s insistence that God’s law could not make me righteous eventually made me suspicious of all the other laws and rules I lived by.  It prompted me to seek out the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe [Table].[12]

So how’s that going?  Better.  Of course, if I measured my performance against some absolute standard—all Jesus, all of the time; I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me[13]—I’d probably conclude that I suck at this.  But as I wrote that, it occurred to me that I may have objective and subjective reversed.

I first wrote “objective standard”; “absolute standard” was an edit.  What I was thinking of originally as objective was my impression of the time spent alone with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit.  One guess who is the weak link in that chain.  I’ve tried to talk about this with someone who knows me.  I rejected her response out of hand and haven’t spoken of it since, because she began to tell me how wonderful I am.

I took that as a psychological attempt to make me feel better about myself.  I don’t want to feel better about myself.  I want to become the righteousness of God.[14]  Of course, if I actually perceived that I had become the righteousness of God I would feel much better about myself, and that, knowing me, would become the biggest stumbling block of all.  The Greek reads: γενώμεθα δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ (“become the righteousness of God in Him”).

If I take my friend’s assessment as more objective than mine, however, I must confess that outwardly at least more of Christ shows through me than all the sin I see in me alone with God, subjectively.  For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh.  By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled (πληρωθῇ, a form of πληρόω) in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.[15]

But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.[16]  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Against such things there is no law [Table].[17]  Love does no wrong to a neighbor.  Therefore love is the fulfillment (πλήρωμα) of the law.[18]

Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.  I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill (πληρῶσαι, another form of πληρόω) them.[19]

Tables comparing John 11:21 and 11:24 in the NET and KJV follow.

John 11:21 (NET)

John 11:21 (KJV)
Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
εἶπεν οὖν ἡ Μάρθα πρὸς |τὸν| Ἰησοῦν· κύριε, εἰ ἦς ὧδε οὐκ ἂν ἀπέθανεν ὁ ἀδελφός μου ειπεν ουν η μαρθα προς τον ιησουν κυριε ει ης ωδε ο αδελφος μου ουκ αν ετεθνηκει ειπεν ουν μαρθα προς τον ιησουν κυριε ει ης ωδε ο αδελφος μου ουκ αν ετεθνηκει

John 11:24 (NET)

John 11:24 (KJV)
Martha said, “I know that he will come back to life again in the resurrection at the last day.” Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
λέγει αὐτῷ ἡ Μάρθα· οἶδα ὅτι ἀναστήσεται ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ λεγει αυτω μαρθα οιδα οτι αναστησεται εν τη αναστασει εν τη εσχατη ημερα λεγει αυτω μαρθα οιδα οτι αναστησεται εν τη αναστασει εν τη εσχατη ημερα

[1] “I am the resurrection”

[2] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article ἡ preceding Martha.  The Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[3] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀπέθανεν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ετεθνηκει (KJV: had…died)

[4] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the article ἡ preceding Martha.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[5] 2 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV)

[6] Jacques Barzun, From Dawn to Decadence: 1500 to the Present, 500 Years of Western Cultural Life, p. 363

[7] Todd Engstrom, “A Prepositional Phrase’s Contribution to the πίστις Χριστοῦ Debate in Romans 3:28,” pp. 6, 7

[8] Ibid., pp. 75, 76

[9] Ibid., p. 78

[10] Ibid., p. 76

[11] Todd A. Engstrom, “Is the prepositional phrase έξ έργων νόμου used adverbially or adjectivally in Galatians 2:16?,” p. 33

[12] Romans 3:22a (NET)

[13] Galatians 2:20a (NET)

[14] 2 Corinthians 5:21b (NET)

[15] Romans 8:3, 4 (NET)

[16] Galatians 5:16 (NET)  The Greek is καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν σαρκὸς οὐ μὴ τελέσητε (“and the desires of the flesh you never complete”).

[17] Galatians 5:22, 23 (NET)

[18] Romans 13:10 (NET)

[19] Matthew 5:17 (NET)

Patterns of Evidence: Exodus

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Patterns of Evidence: Exodus, A Filmmaker’s Journey by Timothy P. Mahoney was Mom’s coffee table book this Thanksgiving.  I have a bit of history with my mother’s coffee table books.  This time I even asked her if she leaves them out for my benefit.  (She said, “No.”)

I can relate to the need to pursue this kind of project.  If there is something dissuading you from believing the Bible it’s best to take Jesus by the hand and hit it head on.  With a history background I’m a little more inured apparently to the historical dabbling of archaeologists than Mr. Mahoney was.  My bias toward historical documents has afforded me a measure of protection here.

Mr. Mahoney’s book is the companion to a film of the same name.  It’s a good film.  He described it in an interview: “Is there a pattern of evidence at any time in the archaeology of Egypt and Israel that matches the events of the Exodus and the Conquest as recorded in the Bible?”[1]  I won’t steal his thunder.  He and his investors deserve to make their money back.  The companion book was more detailed and much more troubling to me.

The confessions he elicited from Jews (on camera) without torture or duress of any kind disturbed me.  Had you asked me I would have said yes, not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, nor are all the children Abraham’s true descendants.[2]  But I was clearly not prepared to have my nose rubbed in it, like some naughty puppy that has peed the carpet.

Mr. Mahoney interviewed a Jewish anthropologist in his museum workroom:

Anthropologist: I always have been Jewish, I always will be Jewish, and I believe in the tradition of Judaism.  Do I think of the Bible as the word of God?  No (Luke 24:25-27), I don’t….[3]

Mahoney: Do you believe that the Exodus occurred as it is written in the Old Testament—do you believe it was a miraculous event with God intervening?

Anthropologist: No, I don’t.  Do I believe the event may have happened?  Yep.  Sure I do.  But do I believe that there was a miraculous event with God intervening?  I don’t believe it… (Exodus 3:1-22)  But I’m willing to be shown.[4]

He interviewed a Jewish archaeologist in the hill country of Israel.

Mahoney: So was there an Exodus?

Archaeologist1: My easy answer to you, as an archaeologist, it didn’t happen.  Not in the way its written down in the Bible…If we didn’t have the Bible, we would never, as archaeologists or as Egyptologists, be able to say this happened….[5]

I’m Jewish, and I like to sit down at a Seder meal and enjoy recounting the Exodus.  But that’s a tradition.  That makes me who I am culturally.  As an archaeologist, we do not see this happening as a one-off event….[6]

Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down, Jesus said to the Pharisees and the experts in the law.  And you do many things like this.[7]  Jesus’ actual point here was some specific legal wrangling about corban (κορβᾶν).  And you do many things like this, opens it up in my mind to the kind of mental gymnastics cited above.

Mr. Mahoney interviewed another Jewish archaeologist in his workroom.

Archaeologist2: Exodus did not happen in the way it is described in the text of the Bible on the background of the 13th century BC….[8]

This same pattern of traditional thinking informed his view of the Hebrew Bible.

Archaeologist2: We are dealing with traditions (2 Timothy 3:16, 17).  Let’s say that the author of this or that part of the Hebrew Bible sits in Jerusalem.  And people have traditions.  Grandpa says this and Grandma says another story, and there is one tradition of this village and another tradition of that family, that clan and this tribe and so on and so forth…They collected all sorts of stories, memories, myths, tales, you know.  And they put them together in such a way that transmits an idea….[9]

Mahoney: Do you believe in celebrating Passover?

Archaeologist2: When I sit at a Passover meal and we read the Haggadah with the family, that evening, it’s all history from A to Z.  Perfect history…about all those many generations of my forefathers who were sitting to the same table at Passover at the same time and reciting the Haggadah….

Mahoney: What would you say to those people who are concerned with the idea that these stories didn’t happen as they are written?

Archaeologist2: I would tell them that it is not important…I think that it is more important to understand the meaning of Exodus, the moral of Exodus, for our civilization, for humanity, for mankind, for understanding the biblical text and the authors….[10]

“As I have mentioned before,” Mr. Mahoney wrote, this particular archaeologist’s “work and ideas greatly influenced” a Jewish Rabbi “to write his controversial Passover sermon.”[11]  Michael Medved asked this Rabbi about that sermon:

Rabbi: I said that the Exodus certainly didn’t happen the way the Bible depicts it, assuming that it was a historical event in any description….

Medved: Why did you say that?

Rabbi: I said it for two reasons.  One was because I knew that these students and others would go off to college and hear people talk about biblical archaeology and comparative religion, and I wanted them to know that that was not a frightening topic….[12]

This Rabbi regarded the Exodus as fiction:

Rabbi: The extent to which the Exodus story has a historical core is very hard to say, but my deeper conviction about it is that it’s a story that whether it was true, it is true.  And those are two different things…there are things that aren’t facts that can be truths….[13]

Medved: What did you want people to feel, not to think, but to feel about the Exodus?

Rabbi: I wanted them to feel that their faith was unshakable, that it didn’t matter what the conclusions were of archaeologists, scientists and historians….[14]

Medved: What does [Passover] mean if we weren’t delivered from Egypt?

Rabbi: Whether or not people were delivered then, does that affect my ability to empathize with what slavery is like now?[15]

Mr. Mahoney interviewed a Jewish politician in the Knesset who seemed to echo the Rabbi’s emphasis on slavery:

Moses was the greatest revolutionary of all time.  Remember that in antiquity there were grand empires that were based on one principal: slavery (Deuteronomy 15:12-18).  Moses challenged that twice.  He challenged it by taking his people, who were slaves in bondage in Egypt, freeing them, and taking them to their promised land.  But Moses also challenged the empires of the world by providing a moral code for mankind that said it is not the king or the emperor who decides the law.  There is a higher law (Deuteronomy 17:18-20).  These were absolutely revolutionary ideas.[16]

If the reason given for celebrating the Passover was: for in this selfsame day have I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt,[17] a feast to HaShem,[18] then staying home to celebrate it “to empathize with what slavery is like now” is almost as disobedient as going out and doing something else instead.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Exodus 12:14, 17 (Tanakh) Exodus 12:14, 17 (NET) Exodus 12:14, 17 (NETS)

Exodus 12:14, 17 (Elpenor English)
And this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to HaShem; throughout your generations ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. “‘This day will become a memorial for you, and you will celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—you will celebrate it perpetually as a lasting ordinance. And this day shall be a memorial for you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations.  You shall celebrate it as a perpetual precept. And this day shall be to you a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord through all your generations; ye shall keep it a feast for a perpetual ordinance.
And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore shall ye observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance for ever. So you will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because on this very day I brought your regiments out from the land of Egypt, and so you must keep this day perpetually as a lasting ordinance. And you shall keep this commandment.  For on this day I will bring your host out of the land of Egypt, and you shall make this day throughout your generations a perpetual precept. And ye shall keep this commandment, for on this day will I bring out your force out of the land of Egypt; and ye shall make this day a perpetual ordinance for you throughout your generations.

Mr. Mahoney interviewed another Jewish archaeologist in his teaching lab.

Archaeologist3: …as I used to tell my students, archaeology is about 10 percent data and 90 percent interpretation.  And this is why I’d say it is controversial in many aspects and open to different opinions….[19]

This confession proved to be more important than it appeared at first.  Mr. Mahoney, a filmmaker, did an admirable job of demonstrating from archaeological data and a few documentary fragments where the events of Exodus in the Bible fit sequentially into that archaeological data.  He went on to demonstrate that Jewish archaeologists (among others) reject this correlation in favor of their own interpretations of the data.  In other words, they reject the Hebrew scriptures to cling to their faith in their own works, their own interpretations as archaeologists.  You can’t make this stuff up.

The interview continued:

Mahoney: You believe the Exodus and the Conquest are legendary stories?  You don’t see them in the archaeology, is that right?

Archaeologist3: No, we don’t see them at all.  We see something different.  Many times people tell us absence of evidence is not evidence of absence, but the point is, as I used to say, paradoxically, the more information we have on biblical matters, the more contradictions we’ve found…we have hundreds of sites now of different periods and millions of objects which indicate an archaeological reality.  And this reality says the Israelites did not come from outside the land of Canaan.  They did not conquer the land.  They simply evolved from within the local community to a new phase of economic and social organization, which later developed into the state of Israel.  So, the process was entirely different than described in the Bible….[20]

The Exodus story is a very important and interesting legend about the people of Israel, but it has no real historical basis….[21]

So Israelites are merely Canaanites with delusions of grandeur?  Why do I, a natural born Gentile Christian turned atheist, have more confidence in the Hebrew scriptures than a Jewish anthropologist, Jewish archaeologists, a Rabbi or a Jewish politician?  Jesus.

Jesus is dragging me out of my Gentile-Christian-turned-atheist-ness to Himself (John 12:32).  His own confidence in the Hebrew scriptures directed his actions toward their fulfillment: How then would the scriptures that say it must happen this way be fulfilled?[22] He asked Peter.  Does this mean that I am inspired to faith by Jesus’ faith?

Well, okay, sure.  But I’m also inspired to courage, determination and some faith at the climax of Avengers: Endgame when Captain America (Chris Evans), bruised, fallen, all but defeated, tightens the strap of his broken shield on his arm and stands again to face Thanos (Josh Brolin) and his armies, alone if necessary.  The trouble with this kind of inspiration is that it can only awaken the courage, determination or faith already latent within me.

In Jesus I am born from above and filled with his own Holy Spirit just as He promised.  My faith is not my faith[23] but his (it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me[24]), the same faith that flowed into and through Him from the same Spirit when He asked: How then would the scriptures that say it must happen this way be fulfilled?  Jesus also said, Do not be afraid[25] of those who kill[26] the body but cannot kill the soul.[27]

Archaeologists cannot kill the body.  This is not to say that an individual archaeologist is incapable of murderer, just that archaeologists as archaeologists have no authority beyond the grades handed down in their classrooms.  The entire field of archaeology, that interpretive work of archaeologists, is a “finite province of meaning” relative to the “paramount reality” of most people’s everyday lives.  Most people are unlikely to hear, in fact most people do not hear, about most of the interpretations of data uncovered by archaeologists, unless those interpretations prove useful to Satan, who deceives the whole world.

Given the limited authority archaeologists actually have over others it may seem like overkill to apply Jesus’ prohibition to them: Do not be afraid of archaeologists.  But I actually agree with the Rabbi that archaeology is “not a frightening topic.”  When I understand Jesus’ prohibition as a negation of the definition I gleaned from Deuteronomy of the the fear of the Lord—Do not have a heart to hear and do whatsoever archaeologists shall speak—I am free to choose what I will hear with what measure of faith.

Anyone interested in archaeology should take the Jewish archaeologist’s instruction to his students to heart: “archaeology is about 10 percent data and 90 percent interpretation.”  Every student is free to distinguish that germ of data from the mass of interpretation and judge that interpretation accordingly, based on all that student’s knowledge, including the Bible as the word of God.

Answers to test questions in school are not assertions of truth a student must believe.  They are simply a measure of a student’s proficiency taking notes and repeating what a teacher has said.  A student is not forsworn by recalling what a teacher has said and writing it down accurately on a test.  All rights to one’s own thoughts and beliefs are fully retained, even after an archaeology test.

Archaeology, archaeologists’ interpretations of archaeological data, is no reason to let Satan rob you of your opportunity to know…the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He] sent,[28] to be born from above (John 3:5-7), to receive his Holy Spirit, to be bouyed up and carried along by a continuous stream of God’s own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control[29] here and now.

Jesus said: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him….[30]  And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, He promised, will draw all…to myself.[31]  Paul wrote: So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.[32]  For God has consigned all…to disobedience so that he may show mercy to…all.[33]

When I hear these things I tighten the strap of the shield of faith on my arm.  Do you?  Or are you hurting yourself by kicking against the goads?[34]

Tables comparing Exodus 12:17 and 12:14 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing Exodus 12:17 and 12:14 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.  A Table comparing Matthew 10:28 in the NET and KJV follows those.

Exodus 12:17 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 12:17 (KJV)

Exodus 12:17 (NET)
And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your hosts out of the land of Egypt; therefore shall ye observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance for ever. And ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this selfsame day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore shall ye observe this day in your generations by an ordinance for ever. So you will keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because on this very day I brought your regiments out from the land of Egypt, and so you must keep this day perpetually as a lasting ordinance.

Exodus 12:17 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 12:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ φυλάξεσθε τὴν ἐντολὴν ταύτην ἐν γὰρ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ ἐξάξω τὴν δύναμιν ὑμῶν ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου καὶ ποιήσετε τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην εἰς γενεὰς ὑμῶν νόμιμον αἰώνιον καὶ φυλάξετε τὴν ἐντολὴν ταύτην· ἐν γὰρ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ταύτῃ ἐξάξω τὴν δύναμιν ὑμῶν ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, καὶ ποιήσετε τὴν ἡμέραν ταύτην εἰς γενεὰς ὑμῶν νόμιμον αἰώνιον

Exodus 12:17 (NETS)

Exodus 12:17 (English Elpenor)
And you shall keep this commandment.  For on this day I will bring your host out of the land of Egypt, and you shall make this day throughout your generations a perpetual precept. And ye shall keep this commandment, for on this day will I bring out your force out of the land of Egypt; and ye shall make this day a perpetual ordinance for you throughout your generations.

Exodus 12:14 (Tanakh)

 Exodus 12:14 (KJV)

Exodus 12:14 (NET)
And this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to HaShem; throughout your generations ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial; and ye shall keep it a feast to the LORD throughout your generations; ye shall keep it a feast by an ordinance for ever. “‘This day will become a memorial for you, and you will celebrate it as a festival to the Lord—you will celebrate it perpetually as a lasting ordinance.

Exodus 12:14 (Septuagint BLB)

Exodus 12:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔσται ἡ ἡμέρα ὑμῗν αὕτη μνημόσυνον καὶ ἑορτάσετε αὐτὴν ἑορτὴν κυρίῳ εἰς πάσας τὰς γενεὰς ὑμῶν νόμιμον αἰώνιον ἑορτάσετε αὐτήν καὶ ἔσται ἡ ἡμέρα ὑμῖν αὕτη μνημόσυνον· καὶ ἑορτάσετε αὐτὴν ἑορτὴν Κυρίῳ εἰς πάσας τὰς γενεὰς ὑμῶν· νόμιμον αἰώνιον ἑορτάσετε αὐτήν

Exodus 12:14 (NETS)

Exodus 12:14 (English Elpenor)
And this day shall be a memorial for you, and you shall celebrate it as a feast to the Lord throughout your generations.  You shall celebrate it as a perpetual precept. And this day shall be to you a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to the Lord through all your generations; ye shall keep it a feast for a perpetual ordinance.

Matthew 10:28 (NET)

Matthew 10:28 (KJV)
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul.  Instead, fear the one who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell. And fear not them which kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ μὴ |φοβεῖσθε| ἀπὸ τῶν |ἀποκτεννόντων| τὸ σῶμα, τὴν δὲ ψυχὴν μὴ δυναμένων ἀποκτεῖναι· φοβεῖσθε δὲ μᾶλλον τὸν δυνάμενον καὶ ψυχὴν καὶ σῶμα ἀπολέσαι ἐν γεέννῃ και μη φοβηθητε απο των αποκτεινοντων το σωμα την δε ψυχην μη δυναμενων αποκτειναι φοβηθητε δε μαλλον τον δυναμενον και ψυχην και σωμα απολεσαι εν γεεννη και μη φοβεισθε απο των αποκτενοντων το σωμα την δε ψυχην μη δυναμενων αποκτειναι φοβηθητε δε μαλλον τον δυναμενον και την ψυχην και το σωμα απολεσαι εν γεεννη

 

[1] “Timothy Mahoney Interview on Patterns of Evidence,” July 21, 2015, TheBestSchools

[2] Romans 9:6b, 7a (NET)

[3] “Patterns of Evidence: Exodus, A Filmmaker’s Journey,” by Timothy P. Mahoney; with Steven Law; St. Louis Park: MN, Thinking Man Media, 2015, p. 38

[4] ibid, pp. 38-39

[5] ibid, p. 51

[6] ibid, p. 52

[7] Mark 7:13 (NET)

[8] “Patterns of Evidence: Exodus, A Filmmaker’s Journey,” by Timothy P. Mahoney; with Steven Law; St. Louis Park: MN, Thinking Man Media, 2015, p. 55

[9] ibid, pp. 56-57

[10] ibid, p. 173

[11] ibid, p. 173

[12] ibid, p. 42

[13] ibid, p. 43

[14] ibid, pp. 173, 174

[15] ibid, p. 174

[16] ibid, p. 66

[17] Exodus 12:17b (Tanakh)

[18] Exodus 12:14 (Tanakh) The Hebrew word translated Hashem was לַֽיהֹוָ֑ה (Yehovah).

[19] “Patterns of Evidence: Exodus, A Filmmaker’s Journey,” by Timothy P. Mahoney; with Steven Law; St. Louis Park: MN, Thinking Man Media, 2015, pp. 59, 60

[20] ibid, pp. 60, 61

[21] ibid, p. 61

[22] Matthew 26:54 (NET)

[23] The Greek word translated faithfulness in Galatians 5:22 (NET) was πίστις.

[24] Galatians 2:20b (NET)

[25] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had φοβεῖσθε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had φοβηθητε (KJV: fear).

[26] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀποκτεννόντων here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had αποκτεινοντων and the Byzantine Majority Text had αποκτενοντων.

[27] Matthew 10:28a (NET)

[28] John 17:3 (NET)

[29] Galatians 5:22b-23a (NET) Table

[30] John 6:44a (NET) Table

[31] John 12:32 (NET) NET note (67): Grk “all.” The word “people” is not in the Greek text but is supplied for stylistic reasons and for clarity (cf. KJV “all men”).  I removed people for accuracy: καγὼ ἐὰν ὑψωθῶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς, πάντας ἑλκύσω πρὸς ἐμαυτόν.  There is no word limiting this drawing to people in the Greek text.

[32] Romans 9:16 (NET) Table

[33] Romans 11:32 (NET) NET note (24): Grk “to all”; “them” has been supplied for stylistic reasons. Here again I removed people and them: συνέκλεισεν γὰρ ὁ θεὸς τοὺς πάντας εἰς ἀπείθειαν, ἵνα τοὺς πάντας ἐλεήσῃ.  I wrote about τοὺς πάντας in another essay.  For God was pleased to have all (πᾶν) his fullness dwell in the Son and through him to reconcile all things (τὰ πάντα) to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross—through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven (Colossians 1:19, 20 NET).

[34] Acts 26:14b (NET) Table

A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 4

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Cain complained to יְהֹוָ֑ה (yehôvâh):

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 4:14 (Tanakh) Genesis 4:14 (NET) Genesis 4:14 (NETS)

Genesis 4:14 (English Elpenor)
Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the land; and from Thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive (נָ֤ע) and a wanderer (וָנָד֙) in the earth; and it will come to pass, that whosoever findeth me will slay me.’ Look, you are driving me off the land today, and I must hide from your presence.  I will be a homeless (nûaʽ, נע) wanderer (nûd, ונד) on the earth; whoever finds me will kill me!” If today you are driving me out from off the earth and I shall be hidden from your face, then I shall be groaning (στένων) and trembling (τρέμων) on the earth, and it will be that anyone who finds me will kill me.” If thou castest me out this day from the face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from thy presence, and I shall be groaning (στένων) and trembling (τρέμων) upon the earth, then it will be that any one that finds me shall slay me.

The Hebrew word in the Masoretic text translated fugitive in the Tanakh was נָ֤ע (nûaʽ) and wanderer was וָנָד֙ (nûd).  I ran both (without vowel points) through Morfix.

Morfix
Hebrew NET/Tanakh Forms Definition
נע homeless/fugitive נָע to move; to advance; to fluctuate, to range
נָע moving, mobile

Morfix
Hebrew NET/Tanakh Forms Definition
ונד wanderer נֵד (literary) pillar of water, wall of water
נָד (flowery) to wander, to roam; (literary) to move back and forth

The Septuagint had στένων (a form of στένω), translated groaning, and τρέμων (a form of τρέμω), translated trembling.  Given that one of the things we are told about Cain after this is that he was building a city, it seems prudent to question the fidelity of the Masoretic text here, not because Cain said it.  Cain could have predicted his future in error.  But Cain was merely quoting [Table] יהוה (yehôvâh).

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 4:12 (Tanakh) Genesis 4:12 (NET) Genesis 4:12 (NETS)

Genesis 4:12 (English Elpenor)
When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive (נָ֥ע) and a wanderer (וָנָ֖ד) shalt thou be in the earth.’ When you try to cultivate the ground it will no longer yield its best for you.  You will be a homeless (nûaʽ, נע) wanderer (nûd, ונד) on the earth.” For you will till the earth, and it will not continue to yield its strength to you; you will be groaning (στένων) and trembling (τρέμων) on the earth.” When thou tillest the earth, then it shall not continue to give its strength to thee: thou shalt be groaning (στένων) and trembling (τρέμων) on the earth.

Perhaps one could argue that Cain disobeyed a command to become a fugitive and a wanderer by building a city rather than that he proved divine foreknowledge false.  But given that Cain was already groaning and trembling that whosoever findeth me will slay me, the rabbis seem to have a better argument than the Masoretes for more original text.  The murderer, Cain, had become acutely aware how easy it was to kill or be killed.

The writer of Hebrews wrote of Jesus (Hebrews 2:14, 15 NET):

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death.

The Lord (yehôvâh, יְהֹוָ֗ה) responded to Cain’s groaning and trembling.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 4:15, 16 (Tanakh) Genesis 4:15, 16 (NET) Genesis 4:15, 16 (NETS)

Genesis 4:15, 16 (English Elpenor)
And HaShem said unto him: ‘Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.’  And HaShem set a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should smite him. But the Lord said to him, “All right then, if anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times as much.”  Then the Lord put a special mark on Cain so that no one who found him would strike him down. And the Lord God said to him, “Not so!  Anyone who kills Kain will let loose seven acts of vengeance.”  And the Lord God allocated a sign to Kain so that no one who found him would do away with him. And the Lord God said to him, Not so, any one that slays Cain shall suffer seven-fold vengeance; and the Lord God set a mark upon Cain that no one that found him might slay him.
And Cain went out from the presence of HaShem, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. So Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden. Then Kain went away from the presence of God and lived in the land of Naid over against Edem. So Cain went forth from the presence of God and dwelt in the land of Nod over against Edem.

If Cain had come groaning and trembling to me, I’m in no position to promise to kill his murderer and six of his murderers’ family or friends.  I probably would have responded something like, “You made the world this way, live in it.”  And I may have thought that was the best course of action for Cain’s own benefit.  The prodigal son came to his senses suffering in the world he had made for himself (Luke 15:14-19 NET).

Then after he had spent everything, a severe famine took place in that country, and he began to be in need [Table].  So he went and worked for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs.  He was longing to eat the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.  But when he came to his senses he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired workers have food enough to spare, but here I am dying from hunger! [Table]  I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.  I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me like one of your hired workers.”’ [Table]

Does such insight come, I wonder, apart from the word of God, a father’s teaching about the word of God or the indwelling Holy Spirit? especially when it involves something more than running away from home?  Cain was banished from the presence of the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה).  His situation was more like that of sinners born after the law was given.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Isaiah 59:1-4 (Tanakh) Isaiah 59:1-4 (NET) Isaiah 59:1-4 (NETS)

Isaiah 59:1-4 (English Elpenor)
Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: Look, the Lord’s hand is not too weak to deliver you; his ear is not too deaf to hear you. Is not the Lord’s hand strong to save?  Or has he made his ear heavy so as not to listen? Has the hand of the Lord no power to save? or has he made his ear heavy, so that he should not hear?
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God; your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers. Rather, your sinful acts separate between you and God, and because of your sins he has turned his face away from you so as not to show mercy. Nay, your iniquities separate between you and God, and because of your sins has he turned away [his] face from you, so as not to have mercy [upon you].
For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. For your hands are stained with blood and your fingers with sin; your lips speak lies, your tongue utters malicious words. For your hands have been defiled with blood, and your fingers with sins, and your lips have spoken lawlessness, and your tongue plots unrighteousness. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with sins; your lips also have spoken iniquity, and your tongue meditates unrighteousness.
None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. No one is concerned about justice; no one sets forth his case truthfully.  They depend on false words and tell lies; they conceive of oppression and give birth to sin. No one speaks righteous things, nor is there true judgment; they trust in vanities, and they speak empty words, because they conceive trouble and give birth to lawlessness. None speaks justly, neither is there true judgment: they trust in vanities, and speak empty [words]; for they conceive trouble, and bring forth iniquity.

Though the law was not yet given, this promise of vengeance on anyone who would kill Cain was intended to function, I assume, as a deterrent.  We hope the punishments of law will function this way in those who have not yet received (through faith in Jesus Christ) God’s own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control,[1] the righteousness of God, the fruit of his Spirit.  Paul wrote (Romans 13:1-4 NET):

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except by[2] God’s appointment, and the authorities[3] that exist have been instituted by God.[4]  So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur[5] judgment (for rulers cause no fear for good conduct[6] but for bad[7]).  Do you desire not to fear authority?  Do good and you will receive its commendation because it is God’s servant for your well-being.  But be afraid if you do wrong because government does not bear the sword for nothing.  It is God’s servant to administer punishment on the person who does wrong.

Unable to farm for a living, Cain built the city of Enoch.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 4:17b (Tanakh) Genesis 4:17b (NET) Genesis 4:17b (NETS)

Genesis 4:17b (English Elpenor)
and he builded a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son Enoch. Cain was building a city, and he named the city after his son Enoch. and he was building a city and named the city after the name of his son Henoch. and he built a city; and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.

Time passed.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 4:18 (Tanakh) Genesis 4:18 (NET) Genesis 4:18 (NETS)

Genesis 4:18 (English Elpenor)
And unto Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael; and Mehujael begot Methushael; and Methushael begot Lamech. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael.  Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech. Then to Henoch was born Gaidad, and Gaidad was the father of Maiel, and Maiel the father of Mathousala, and Mathousala the father of Lamech. And to Enoch was born Gaidad; and Gaidad begot Maleleel; and Maleleel begot Mathusala; and Mathusala begot Lamech.

Lamech recalled part of the story of the mark of Cain.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 4:23, 24 (Tanakh) Genesis 4:23, 24 (NET) Genesis 4:23, 24 (NETS)

Genesis 4:23, 24 (English Elpenor)
And Lamech said unto his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech; for I have slain a man for wounding (לְפִצְעִ֔י) me, and a young man for bruising (לְחַבֻּֽרָתִֽי) me; Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to me!  You wives of Lamech, hear my words!  I have killed a man for wounding (petsaʽ, לפצעי) me, a young man for hurting (chabbûrâh, לחברתי) me. Now Lamech said to his own wives: “Ada and Sella, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to my words, because I have killed a man for a wound (τραῦμα) to me, and a young man for a welt (μώλωπα) to me, And Lamech said to his wives, Ada and Sella, Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, consider my words, because I have slain a man to my sorrow (τραῦμα) and a youth to my grief (μώλωπα).
If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. If Cain is to be avenged seven times as much, then Lamech seventy-seven times!” because seven times vengeance has been exacted by Kain, but by Lamech seventy times seven.” Because vengeance has been exacted seven times on Cain’s behalf, on Lamech’s [it shall be] seventy times seven.

The English translation of the Elpenor Septuagint—because I have slain a man to my sorrow and a youth to my grief—is similar to the KJV translation of the Masoretic text—for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt.  They leave me with an impression of Lamech as an ironic moral philosopher lamenting his murders.  But that makes his next statement difficult to unravel: Because vengeance has been exacted seven times on Cain’s behalf, on Lamech’s [it shall be] seventy times seven (Elpenor English) or If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.

I asked a friend for her understanding of Lamech’s statement, unaffected by translations other than the KJV.  She apparently took to my wounding and to my hurt as King James English for wounding me and bruising me.   She also assumed a man and a young man were one and the same person.

“I believe the avenger system is already at work,” she wrote.  “A descendent of Able accosted Lamech to avenge his father’s or grandfather’s or great-grandfather’s death.  Lamech is severely wounded, but in the process kills the avenger.  Lamech has not killed in anger as Cain did, but in self-defense.  Therefore, he says God will put a higher protective value upon his life than that of Cain.”

It seems more natural to me to accept the alternative translations that portray Lamech as a murderous egoist.  Cain’s groaning and trembling has vanished from Lamech’s memory.  Though one might argue that his egoism is propelled by his fear of death, he didn’t wait for God to take vengeance on his murderer or hope that the threat of vengeance would act as a deterrent.  He took lethal action himself at every provocation: I have slain a man for wounding me, and a young man for bruising me.  He and his followers made the world God destroyed in the flood.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 6:11-13 (Tanakh) Genesis 6:11-13 (NET) Genesis 6:11-13 (NETS)

Genesis 6:11-13 (English Elpenor)
And the earth was corrupt before G-d, and the earth was filled with violence. The earth was ruined in the sight of God; the earth was filled with violence. Now the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was full of wrongdoing. But the earth was corrupted before God, and the earth was filled with iniquity.
And G-d saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. God saw the earth, and indeed it was ruined, for all living creatures on the earth were sinful. And the Lord God saw the earth, and it was ruined, for all flesh had ruined his way upon the earth. And the Lord God saw the earth, and it was corrupted; because all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.
And G-d said unto Noah: ‘The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. So God said to Noah, “I have decided that all living creatures must die, for the earth is filled with violence because of them.  Now I am about to destroy them and the earth. And God said to Noe, “The time of all humankind has come before me, for the earth has become full of wrongdoing by reason of them, and see, I am going to ruin them and the earth. And the Lord God said to Noe, A period of all men is come before me; because the earth has been filled with iniquity by them, and, behold, I destroy them and the earth.

It matters very little whether Lamech was the bleeding edge of this wave of violence, wrongdoing and iniquity or its hapless victim, killing only in self-defense.  Either interpretation serves as a marker to presage this coming destruction.

Paul wrote believers in Rome (Romans 5:12-19 NET):

So then, just as sin entered the world through one man and death through sin, and so death spread to all people because all sinned—for before the law was given, sin was in the world, but there is no accounting for sin when there is no law.  Yet death reigned from Adam until Moses even over those who did not sin in the same way that Adam (who is a type of the coming one) transgressed [Table].  But the gracious gift is not like the transgression.  For if the many died through the transgression of the one man, how much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one man Jesus Christ multiply to the many!  And the gift is not like the one who sinned.  For judgment, resulting from the one transgression, led to condemnation, but the gracious gift from the many failures led to justification.  For if, by the transgression of the one man, death reigned through the one, how much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one, Jesus Christ!

Consequently, just as condemnation for all people came through one transgression, so too through the one righteous act came righteousness leading to life for all people.  For just as through the disobedience of the one man many were constituted sinners, so also through the obedience of one man many will be constituted righteous.

So also it is written, Paul wrote believers in Corinth, “The first man, Adam, became a living person”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit.[8]  Now this is what I am saying, brothers and sisters, he continued, Flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God.[9]  As Jesus told Nicodemus: What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’[10]

A table comparing Paul’s quotation from Genesis 2:7 in the Septuagint follows.

1 Corinthians 15:45a (NET Parallel Greek)

 Genesis 2:7b (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 2:7b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγένετο ὁ πρῶτος ἄνθρωπος Ἀδὰμ εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν

1 Corinthians 15:45a (NET)

 Genesis 2:7b (NETS)

Genesis 2:7b (English Elpenor)
The first man, Adam, became a living person the man became a living being the man became a living soul

Tables comparing Genesis 4:14; 4:15; 4:16; 4:17; 4:18; 4:23; 4:24; Isaiah 59:1; 59:2; 59:3; 59:4; Genesis 6:11; 6:12; 6:13 and 2:7 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Genesis 4:14; 4:15; 4:16; 4:17; 4:18; 4:23; 4:24; Isaiah 59:1; 59:2; 59:3; 59:4; Genesis 6:11; 6:12; 6:13 and 2:7 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables of comparing Romans 13:1-3 in the NET and KJV follow.

Genesis 4:14 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:14 (KJV)

Genesis 4:14 (NET)
Behold, Thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the land; and from Thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth; and it will come to pass, that whosoever findeth me will slay me.’ Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me. Look, you are driving me off the land today, and I must hide from your presence.  I will be a homeless wanderer on the earth; whoever finds me will kill me!”

Genesis 4:14 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἰ ἐκβάλλεις με σήμερον ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου κρυβήσομαι καὶ ἔσομαι στένων καὶ τρέμων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὁ εὑρίσκων με ἀποκτενεῗ με εἰ ἐκβάλλεις με σήμερον ἀπὸ προσώπου τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ προσώπου σου κρυβήσομαι, καὶ ἔσομαι στένων καὶ τρέμων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὁ εὑρίσκων με, ἀποκτενεῖ με

Genesis 4:14 (NETS)

Genesis 4:14 (English Elpenor)
If today you are driving me out from off the earth and I shall be hidden from your face, then I shall be groaning and trembling on the earth, and it will be that anyone who finds me will kill me.” If thou castest me out this day from the face of the earth, and I shall be hidden from thy presence, and I shall be groaning and trembling upon the earth, then it will be that any one that finds me shall slay me.

Genesis 4:15 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:15 (KJV)

Genesis 4:15 (NET)
And HaShem said unto him: ‘Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.’  And HaShem set a sign for Cain, lest any finding him should smite him. And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.  And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him. But the Lord said to him, “All right then, if anyone kills Cain, Cain will be avenged seven times as much.”  Then the Lord put a special mark on Cain so that no one who found him would strike him down.

Genesis 4:15 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ κύριος ὁ θεός οὐχ οὕτως πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνας Καιν ἑπτὰ ἐκδικούμενα παραλύσει καὶ ἔθετο κύριος ὁ θεὸς σημεῗον τῷ Καιν τοῦ μὴ ἀνελεῗν αὐτὸν πάντα τὸν εὑρίσκοντα αὐτόν καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ Κύριος ὁ Θεός· οὐχ οὕτως, πᾶς ὁ ἀποκτείνας Κάϊν ἑπτὰ ἐκδικούμενα παραλύσει. καὶ ἔθετο Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς σημεῖον τῷ Κάϊν τοῦ μὴ ἀνελεῖν αὐτὸν πάντα τὸν εὑρίσκοντα αὐτόν.

Genesis 4:15 (NETS)

Genesis 4:15 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord God said to him, “Not so!  Anyone who kills Kain will let loose seven acts of vengeance.”  And the Lord God allocated a sign to Kain so that no one who found him would do away with him. And the Lord God said to him, Not so, any one that slays Cain shall suffer seven-fold vengeance; and the Lord God set a mark upon Cain that no one that found him might slay him.

Genesis 4:16 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:16 (KJV)

Genesis 4:16 (NET)
And Cain went out from the presence of HaShem, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. And Cain went out from the presence of the LORD, and dwelt in the land of Nod, on the east of Eden. So Cain went out from the presence of the Lord and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.

Genesis 4:16 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐξῆλθεν δὲ Καιν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ᾤκησεν ἐν γῇ Ναιδ κατέναντι Εδεμ ἐξῆλθε δὲ Κάϊν ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ ᾤκησεν ἐν γῇ Ναὶδ κατέναντι ᾿Εδέμ

Genesis 4:16 (NETS)

Genesis 4:16 (English Elpenor)
Then Kain went away from the presence of God and lived in the land of Naid over against Edem. So Cain went forth from the presence of God and dwelt in the land of Nod over against Edem.

Genesis 4:17 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:17 (KJV)

Genesis 4:17 (NET)
And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bore Enoch; and he builded a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son Enoch. And Cain knew his wife; and she conceived, and bare Enoch: and he builded a city, and called the name of the city, after the name of his son, Enoch. Cain was intimate with his wife, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Enoch.  Cain was building a city, and he named the city after his son Enoch.

Genesis 4:17 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔγνω Καιν τὴν γυναῗκα αὐτοῦ καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκεν τὸν Ενωχ καὶ ἦν οἰκοδομῶν πόλιν καὶ ἐπωνόμασεν τὴν πόλιν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ Ενωχ Καὶ ἔγνω Κάϊν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκε τὸν ᾿Ενώχ. καὶ ἦν οἰκοδομῶν πόλιν καὶ ἐπωνόμασε τὴν πόλιν ἐπὶ τῷ ὀνόματι τοῦ υἱοῦ αὐτοῦ, ᾿Ενώχ

Genesis 4:17 (NETS)

Genesis 4:17 (English Elpenor)
And Kain knew his wife, and after she had conceived she bore Henoch, and he was building a city and named the city after the name of his son Henoch. And Cain knew his wife, and having conceived she bore Enoch; and he built a city; and he named the city after the name of his son, Enoch.

Genesis 4:18 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:18 (KJV)

Genesis 4:18 (NET)
And unto Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begot Mehujael; and Mehujael begot Methushael; and Methushael begot Lamech. And unto Enoch was born Irad: and Irad begat Mehujael: and Mehujael begat Methusael: and Methusael begat Lamech. To Enoch was born Irad, and Irad was the father of Mehujael.  Mehujael was the father of Methushael, and Methushael was the father of Lamech.

Genesis 4:18 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγενήθη δὲ τῷ Ενωχ Γαιδαδ καὶ Γαιδαδ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Μαιηλ καὶ Μαιηλ ἐγέννησεν τὸν Μαθουσαλα καὶ Μαθουσαλα ἐγέννησεν τὸν Λαμεχ ἐγεννήθη δὲ τῷ ᾿Ενὼχ Γαϊδάδ, καὶ Γαϊδὰδ ἐγέννησε τὸν Μαλελεήλ, καὶ Μαλελεὴλ ἐγέννησε τὸν Μαθουσάλα, καὶ Μαθουσάλα ἐγέννησε τὸν Λάμεχ

Genesis 4:18 (NETS)

Genesis 4:18 (English Elpenor)
Then to Henoch was born Gaidad, and Gaidad was the father of Maiel, and Maiel the father of Mathousala, and Mathousala the father of Lamech. And to Enoch was born Gaidad; and Gaidad begot Maleleel; and Maleleel begot Mathusala; and Mathusala begot Lamech.

Genesis 4:23 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:23 (KJV)

Genesis 4:23 (NET)
And Lamech said unto his wives: Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech; for I have slain a man for wounding me, and a young man for bruising me; And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice; ye wives of Lamech, hearken unto my speech: for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a young man to my hurt. Lamech said to his wives, “Adah and Zillah, listen to me! You wives of Lamech, hear my words!  I have killed a man for wounding me, a young man for hurting me.

Genesis 4:23 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν δὲ Λαμεχ ταῗς ἑαυτοῦ γυναιξίν Αδα καὶ Σελλα ἀκούσατέ μου τῆς φωνῆς γυναῗκες Λαμεχ ἐνωτίσασθέ μου τοὺς λόγους ὅτι ἄνδρα ἀπέκτεινα εἰς τραῦμα ἐμοὶ καὶ νεανίσκον εἰς μώλωπα ἐμοί εἶπε δὲ Λάμεχ ταῖς ἑαυτοῦ γυναιξίν· ᾿Αδὰ καὶ Σελλά, ἀκούσατέ μου τῆς φωνῆς, γυναῖκες Λάμεχ, ἐνωτίσασθέ μου τοὺς λόγους, ὅτι ἄνδρα ἀπέκτεινα εἰς τραῦμα ἐμοὶ καὶ νεανίσκον εἰς μώλωπα ἐμοί

Genesis 4:23 (NETS)

Genesis 4:23 (English Elpenor)
Now Lamech said to his own wives: “Ada and Sella, hear my voice; you wives of Lamech, listen to my words, because I have killed a man for a wound to me, and a young man for a welt to me, And Lamech said to his wives, Ada and Sella, Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, consider my words, because I have slain a man to my sorrow and a youth to my grief.

Genesis 4:24 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 4:24 (KJV)

Genesis 4:24 (NET)
If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. If Cain is to be avenged seven times as much, then Lamech seventy-seven times!”

Genesis 4:24 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 4:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι ἑπτάκις ἐκδεδίκηται ἐκ Καιν ἐκ δὲ Λαμεχ ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά ὅτι ἑπτάκις ἐκδεδίκηται ἐκ Κάϊν, ἐκ δὲ Λάμεχ ἑβδομηκοντάκις ἑπτά

Genesis 4:24 (NETS)

Genesis 4:24 (English Elpenor)
because seven times vengeance has been exacted by Kain, but by Lamech seventy times seven.” Because vengeance has been exacted seven times on Cain’s behalf, on Lamech’s [it shall be] seventy times seven.

Isaiah 59:1 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 59:1 (KJV)

Isaiah 59:1 (NET)
Behold, the LORD’s hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: Look, the Lord’s hand is not too weak to deliver you; his ear is not too deaf to hear you.

Isaiah 59:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 59:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μὴ οὐκ ἰσχύει ἡ χεὶρ κυρίου τοῦ σῶσαι ἢ ἐβάρυνεν τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ τοῦ μὴ εἰσακοῦσαι ΜΗ οὐκ ἰσχύει ἡ χεὶρ Κυρίου τοῦ σῶσαί; ἢ ἐβάρυνε τὸ οὖς αὐτοῦ τοῦ μὴ εἰσακοῦσαι

Isaiah 59:1 (NETS)

Isaiah 59:1 (English Elpenor)
Is not the Lord’s hand strong to save?  Or has he made his ear heavy so as not to listen? Has the hand of the Lord no power to save? or has he made his ear heavy, so that he should not hear?
Isaiah 59:2 (Tanakh) Isaiah 59:2 (KJV)

Isaiah 59:2 (NET)
But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear. But your sinful acts have alienated you from your God; your sins have caused him to reject you and not listen to your prayers.

Isaiah 59:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 59:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀλλὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ὑμῶν διιστῶσιν ἀνὰ μέσον ὑμῶν καὶ τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν ἀπέστρεψεν τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀφ᾽ ὑμῶν τοῦ μὴ ἐλεῆσαι ἀλλὰ τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ὑμῶν διϊστῶσιν ἀναμέσον ὑμῶν καὶ ἀναμέσον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ διὰ τὰς ἁμαρτίας ὑμῶν ἀπέστρεψε τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ ἀφ᾿ ὑμῶν τοῦ μὴ ἐλεῆσαι

Isaiah 59:2 (NETS)

Isaiah 59:2 (English Elpenor)
Rather, your sinful acts separate between you and God, and because of your sins he has turned his face away from you so as not to show mercy. Nay, your iniquities separate between you and God, and because of your sins has he turned away [his] face from you, so as not to have mercy [upon you].

Isaiah 59:3 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 59:3 (KJV)

Isaiah 59:3 (NET)
For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, your tongue hath muttered perverseness. For your hands are stained with blood and your fingers with sin; your lips speak lies, your tongue utters malicious words.
Isaiah 59:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 59:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
αἱ γὰρ χεῗρες ὑμῶν μεμολυμμέναι αἵματι καὶ οἱ δάκτυλοι ὑμῶν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις τὰ δὲ χείλη ὑμῶν ἐλάλησεν ἀνομίαν καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα ὑμῶν ἀδικίαν μελετᾷ αἱ γὰρ χεῖρες ὑμῶν μεμολυσμέναι αἵματι καὶ οἱ δάκτυλοι ὑμῶν ἐν ἁμαρτίαις, τὰ δὲ χείλη ὑμῶν ἐλάλησεν ἀνομίαν, καὶ ἡ γλῶσσα ὑμῶν ἀδικίαν μελετᾷ

Isaiah 59:3 (NETS)

Isaiah 59:3 (English Elpenor)
For your hands have been defiled with blood, and your fingers with sins, and your lips have spoken lawlessness, and your tongue plots unrighteousness. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with sins; your lips also have spoken iniquity, and your tongue meditates unrighteousness.

Isaiah 59:4 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 59:4 (KJV)

Isaiah 59:4 (NET)
None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth: they trust in vanity, and speak lies; they conceive mischief, and bring forth iniquity. No one is concerned about justice; no one sets forth his case truthfully.  They depend on false words and tell lies; they conceive of oppression and give birth to sin.

Isaiah 59:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 59:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐδεὶς λαλεῗ δίκαια οὐδὲ ἔστιν κρίσις ἀληθινή πεποίθασιν ἐπὶ ματαίοις καὶ λαλοῦσιν κενά ὅτι κύουσιν πόνον καὶ τίκτουσιν ἀνομίαν οὐθεὶς λαλεῖ δίκαια, οὐδέ ἐστι κρίσις ἀληθινή· πεποίθασιν ἐπὶ ματαίοις καὶ λαλοῦσι κενά, ὅτι κύουσι πόνον καὶ τίκτουσιν ἀνομίαν

Isaiah 59:4 (NETS)

Isaiah 59:4 (English Elpenor)
No one speaks righteous things, nor is there true judgment; they trust in vanities, and they speak empty words, because they conceive trouble and give birth to lawlessness. None speaks justly, neither is there true judgment: they trust in vanities, and speak empty [words]; for they conceive trouble, and bring forth iniquity.

Genesis 6:11 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 6:11 (KJV)

Genesis 6:11 (NET)
And the earth was corrupt before G-d, and the earth was filled with violence. The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. The earth was ruined in the sight of God; the earth was filled with violence.

Genesis 6:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 6:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐφθάρη δὲ ἡ γῆ ἐναντίον τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐπλήσθη ἡ γῆ ἀδικίας ἐφθάρη δὲ ἡ γῆ ἐναντίον τοῦ Θεοῦ, καὶ ἐπλήσθη ἡ γῆ ἀδικίας

Genesis 6:11 (NETS)

Genesis 6:11 (English Elpenor)
Now the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was full of wrongdoing. But the earth was corrupted before God, and the earth was filled with iniquity.

Genesis 6:12 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 6:12 (KJV)

Genesis 6:12 (NET)
And G-d saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. And God looked upon the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted his way upon the earth. God saw the earth, and indeed it was ruined, for all living creatures on the earth were sinful.

Genesis 6:12 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 6:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶδεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς τὴν γῆν καὶ ἦν κατεφθαρμένη ὅτι κατέφθειρεν πᾶσα σὰρξ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ εἶδε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἦν κατεφθαρμένη, ὅτι κατέφθειρε πᾶσα σὰρξ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς

Genesis 6:12 (NETS)

Genesis 6:12 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord God saw the earth, and it was ruined, for all flesh had ruined his way upon the earth. And the Lord God saw the earth, and it was corrupted; because all flesh had corrupted its way upon the earth.

Genesis 6:13 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 6:13 (KJV)

Genesis 6:13 (NET)
And G-d said unto Noah: ‘The end of all flesh is come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. And God said unto Noah, The end of all flesh is come before me; for the earth is filled with violence through them; and, behold, I will destroy them with the earth. So God said to Noah, “I have decided that all living creatures must die, for the earth is filled with violence because of them.  Now I am about to destroy them and the earth.

Genesis 6:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 6:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεὸς πρὸς Νωε καιρὸς παντὸς ἀνθρώπου ἥκει ἐναντίον μου ὅτι ἐπλήσθη ἡ γῆ ἀδικίας ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καταφθείρω αὐτοὺς καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ Νῶε· καιρὸς παντὸς ἀνθρώπου ἥκει ἐναντίον μου, ὅτι ἐπλήσθη ἡ γῆ ἀδικίας ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἐγὼ καταφθείρω αὐτοὺς καὶ τὴν γῆν

Genesis 6:13 (NETS)

Genesis 6:13 (English Elpenor)
And God said to Noe, “The time of all humankind has come before me, for the earth has become full of wrongdoing by reason of them, and see, I am going to ruin them and the earth. And the Lord God said to Noe, A period of all men is come before me; because the earth has been filled with iniquity by them, and, behold, I destroy them and the earth.

Genesis 2:7 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 2:7 (KJV)

Genesis 2:7 (NET)
Then HaShem G-d formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul. The Lord God formed the man from the soil of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Genesis 2:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 2:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔπλασεν ὁ θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ ἐνεφύσησεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πνοὴν ζωῆς καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν καὶ ἔπλασεν ὁ Θεὸς τὸν ἄνθρωπον, χοῦν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς, καὶ ἐνεφύσησεν εἰς τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ πνοὴν ζωῆς, καὶ ἐγένετο ὁ ἄνθρωπος εἰς ψυχὴν ζῶσαν

Genesis 2:7 (NETS)

Genesis 2:7 (English Elpenor)
And God formed man, dust from the earth, and breathed into his face a breath of life, and the man became a living being. And God formed the man [of] dust of the earth, and breathed upon his face the breath of life, and the man became a living soul.

Romans 13:1-3 (NET)

Romans 13:1-3 (KJV)
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities.  For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers.  For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Πᾶσα ψυχὴ ἐξουσίαις ὑπερεχούσαις ὑποτασσέσθω. οὐ γὰρ ἔστιν ἐξουσία εἰ μὴ ὑπὸ θεοῦ, αἱ δὲ οὖσαι ὑπὸ θεοῦ τεταγμέναι εἰσίν πασα ψυχη εξουσιαις υπερεχουσαις υποτασσεσθω ου γαρ εστιν εξουσια ει μη απο θεου αι δε ουσαι εξουσιαι υπο του θεου τεταγμεναι εισιν πασα ψυχη εξουσιαις υπερεχουσαις υποτασσεσθω ου γαρ εστιν εξουσια ει μη υπο θεου αι δε ουσαι εξουσιαι υπο του θεου τεταγμεναι εισιν
So the person who resists such authority resists the ordinance of God, and those who resist will incur judgment Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὥστε ὁ ἀντιτασσόμενος τῇ ἐξουσίᾳ τῇ τοῦ θεοῦ διαταγῇ ἀνθέστηκεν, οἱ δὲ ἀνθεστηκότες ἑαυτοῖς κρίμα λήμψονται ωστε ο αντιτασσομενος τη εξουσια τη του θεου διαταγη ανθεστηκεν οι δε ανθεστηκοτες εαυτοις κριμα ληψονται ωστε ο αντιτασσομενος τη εξουσια τη του θεου διαταγη ανθεστηκεν οι δε ανθεστηκοτες εαυτοις κριμα ληψονται
(for rulers cause no fear for good conduct but for bad).  Do you desire not to fear authority?  Do good and you will receive its commendation For rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil.  Wilt thou then not be afraid of the power? do that which is good, and thou shalt have praise of the same:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
(οἱ γὰρ ἄρχοντες οὐκ εἰσὶν φόβος τῷ ἀγαθῷ ἔργῳ ἀλλὰ τῷ κακῷ). θέλεις δὲ μὴ φοβεῖσθαι τὴν ἐξουσίαν· τὸ ἀγαθὸν ποίει, καὶ ἕξεις ἔπαινον ἐξ αὐτῆς οι γαρ αρχοντες ουκ εισιν φοβος των αγαθων εργων αλλα των κακων θελεις δε μη φοβεισθαι την εξουσιαν το αγαθον ποιει και εξεις επαινον εξ αυτης οι γαρ αρχοντες ουκ εισιν φοβος των αγαθων εργων αλλα των κακων θελεις δε μη φοβεισθαι την εξουσιαν το αγαθον ποιει και εξεις επαινον εξ αυτης

[1] Galatians 5:22b, 23a (NET) Table

[2] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had ὑπὸ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had απο (KJV: of).

[3] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εξουσιαι here (KJV: the powers).  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[4] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article του preceding God.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[5] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had λήμψονται here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ληψονται (KJV: receive).

[6] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had τῷ ἀγαθῷ ἔργῳ in the dative case here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had των αγαθων εργων in the genitive case (KJV: to good works).

[7] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had τῷ κακῷ in the dative case here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had των κακων in the genitive case (KJV: to the evil).

[8] 1 Corinthians 15:45 (NET)

[9] 1 Corinthians 15:50a (NET) Table

[10] John 3:6, 7 (NET)

He Takes Away, Part 3

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In 1882 George Matheson wrote:

O Love, that wilt not let me go,

I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe,
That in Thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

I quote it here—especially “O Love, that wilt not let me go” —as the testimony of two witnesses.  One witness, the author of this verse, is the epitome of the righteous as I understand it, according to a comment on hymnal.net by Ana Lara, March 27, 2020.  George Matheson struggled to serve God against the undeserved evils of blindness and loneliness.  The other witness is a sinner who has struggled against almost every sin of the flesh and most sins of doubt and confusion.

I, that sinner, further affirm that God is patient, God is kind, He is not envious.  He does not brag, He is not puffed up.  He is not rude, He is not self-serving, He is not easily angered or resentful.  He is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth.

The Bible is translated into English by committees of the righteous, not by committees of sinners.  I don’t have a lot of personal experience to know what it feels like to be the righteous.  I have Jesus’ word (Luke 15:11-32) that they may feel that God has treated them unfairly when He shows mercy to a sinner like me.

Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, Jesus said, and the one who comes to me I will never send away.[1]

I’m led to examine the Greek.

John 6:37
 NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus
πᾶν ὃ δίδωσιν μοι ὁ πατὴρ πρὸς ἐμὲ ἥξει, καὶ τὸν ἐρχόμενον πρὸς |ἐμὲ| οὐ μὴ ἐκβάλω ἔξω παν ο διδωσιν μοι ο πατηρ προς εμε ηξει και τον ερχομενον προς με ου μη εκβαλω εξω

NET

KJV
Everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. All that the Father giveth me shall come to me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.

The Greek word translated Everyone (KJV: All) is πᾶν (a form of πᾶς).  It is listed as an adjective that may be in the nominative case or the accusative case, but stands as the subject of this clause in both translations.  It is singular and neuter while πᾶς is singular and masculine. But πᾶν (everyone or all) is limited and specified by what follows.

The next word is the relative pronoun ὃ, a singular neuter form of ὅς, translated whom in the NET signaling the translators’ choice of the accusative case over the nominative case.  The KJV translators’ choice, that, is more difficult to ferret out.  The verb δίδωσιν, a form of δίδωμι in the present tense, active voice and indicative mood follows this relative pronoun.  Jesus makes a factual statement here as opposed to proposing a hypothetical situation.

The personal pronoun μοι, a first person singular form of ἐγώ in the dative case follows the verb.  So I have: “Everyone whom [an as yet unspecified third person singular] gives me” or gives “to me.”  Then the giver is specified: ὁ πατὴρ, the Father, unequivocally in the nominative case.  “Everyone whom the Father gives me…”

The preposition πρὸς is next, followed by the personal pronoun ἐμὲ, the first person form of ἐγώ in the accusative case.  This signifies that ἐμὲ is the direct object of πρὸς, and that the meaning of πρὸς is selected from the following pool: “to; toward, in the direction of; beside; against; with; at; toward daybreak.”  So I have: “Everyone whom the Father gives me, to me…”

The verb ἥξει, a third person singular form of ἥκω, completes this clause.  It is in the future tense, active voice and indicative mood.  This remains a factual statement through and through: “Everyone whom the Father gives me, to me will come.”

Frankly, my knowledge of Greek is insufficient to see why—other than word order—this wasn’t translated: “the Father gives me everyone who will come to me.”  The grammarian in my head actually prefers it.  Of course my grammarian is still more familiar with American English than Koine Greek.  The logician in my head hears “everyone whom the Father gives me will come to me” and “the Father gives me everyone who will come to me” as logically equivalent, so long as I’m not confused by will.

The English word will in the NET doesn’t refer to any forms of the Greek verbs θέλω or βούλομαι (to will), or any forms of the nouns θέλημα or βουλή (the will).  It was simply half of the two word phrase, will come, the NET translators chose for the Greek verb ἥξει.  And though both verbs, δίδωσιν and ἥξει, are in the active voice, I hear no cause and effect between them here necessarily.

Yes, one could argue that, No one can come to me (ἐλθεῖν πρός με) unless the Father who sent me draws him,[2] adds a sense of cause and effect to this clause retrospectively.  But in context it’s not yet the point of this clause.  The logical equivalence of the one the Father gives Jesus with the one who will come to Jesus is really leaping off the page at me.

Imprisoned in time as I am, I’m unqualified to use this clause to judge another negatively.  In other words, I can’t say, it appears to me that you have not come to Jesus yet, therefore the Father has not given you to Jesus.  I may have a limited qualification to judge positively: It appears to me that you have come to Jesus, therefore the Father has given you to Jesus.  But it seems to me, as one who will stand before Jesus to give an account, that the best understanding of this clause is that anyone who appears to me to have come to, toward, in the direction of, beside, with, even against Jesus, should be recognized as at least potentially a precious gift of God the Father to God the Son.

The next clause begins with the conjunction καὶ.  This is followed by τὸν ἐρχόμενον.  Apparently, placing a definite article before a verb (a form of ἔρχομαι here) transforms it into something like a gerund, a verb functioning as a noun, “the coming one,” translated the one who comes (NET) or him that cometh (KJV).  Since τὸν and ἐρχόμενον are both in the accusative case, the one who comes is the direct object of this clause.

The prepositional phrase πρὸς |ἐμὲ| in the NET parallel Greek text or προς με in the Stephanus Textus Receptus follows ἐρχόμενον.  So I have: “and the one who comes to me…”

The negation which follows is οὐ μὴ.  It is nothing like a double negative in English.  Rather, it is an emphatic negation.  The verb it negates is ἐκβάλω, a 2nd aorist tense form of ἐκβάλλω in the active voice and subjunctive mood.   Though it is not the future tense ἐκβαλῶ, it was translated as a potential future event, I will…send away (NET) or I will…cast out (KJV), relative to the time one comes to Jesus.

Here is Justin Alfred again on the emphatic negation of a future event in the aorist tense.[3]

However, when these two Greek negative particles are combined in the form of οὐ µή (ou mē) with reference to a future event, what results is an intensified form of the negative: “οὐ µή (ou mē) is the most decisive way of negativing something in the future.” Thayer adds, “The particles οὐ µή in combination augment the force of the negation, and signify not at all, in no wise, by no means; . . .”

However, when this combination is attached to an Aorist Subjunctive, what occurs is what has been termed the Subjunctive of Emphatic Negation. As was pointed out above, the Subjunctive Mood indicates the probability of an event, and the Aorist Tense emphasizes an action as simply occurring, without any specific reference to time, apart from the use of an adverbial modifier (e.g., that which would describe when, where, how much, or how often). Thus, when you have οὐ µή (ou mē) in combination with the Aorist Subjunctive, what occurs is the absolute and unequivocal denial of the probability of an event EVER OCCURING at any moment or time in the future.

The Greek word ἔξω, translated away (NET) or out (KJV), may be an adverb or a preposition.  I’ll assume that it’s an adverb here modifying ἐκβάλω, since no object of the preposition is present.  I don’t think it diminishes the power of the “Subjunctive of Emphatic Negation” as described by Mr. Alfred above.

The Father and I are one,[4] Jesus said: ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἕν ἐσμεν.

I’ve already encountered ἐγὼ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ, “I and the Father.”  The adjective ἕν (a form of εἷς) is the number one.  And ἐσμεν is a 1st person plural form of εἰμί in the present tense, active voice and indicative mood: “I and the Father one are.”  In other words, God the Father and God the Son exist as one God.  He is not divided against Himself.

So I have “the absolute and unequivocal denial of the probability” that one God will “EVER…at any moment or time in the future” send away the one who comes to Jesus, as a fact before I even come to the metaphor in John 15:1-8.  This fact must be the basis for any assumptions I make when translating that metaphor into English.

When Jesus said to his disciples, I am the vine; you are the branches,[5] he clarified the meaning of a metaphor.  He didn’t transform human beings into the branches of a vine.  Human beings they remained, fully capable of autonomous motion, with agile minds, easily bored, easily captivated by other people and other concepts than Jesus and his word.  Such a hypothetical human being “[is] not one remaining in [Jesus], [and is] like a branch [that] was thrown out and dried up, they gather them up and throw them into the fire, and it burns.”  This is a description of this hypothetical human being’s present condition, not a prophecy necessarily of this hypothetical human beings’ future.

On the contrary, Jesus’ point was: Remain in me, and I will remain in you.  Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in me [Table]…The one who remains in me—and I in him—bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing,[6] as far as bearing the fruit of the Holy Spirit is concerned.

Don’t be fooled.  To other human beings imprisoned in time the human being not remaining in Jesus may appear exceptionally accomplished professionally, politically, academically, artistically, commercially, even, dare I say it, religiously as a “soul winner.”  But as far as the fruit of the Spirit of God is concerned, this one can accomplish nothing, “like a branch [that] was thrown out and dried up, they gather them up and throw them into the fire, and it burns.”

On the other hand, when Jesus spoke of “every branch in me that does not bear fruit,” He speaks of a human being in Jesus, captivated by Him and his word.  And here I’ll mix Jesus’ and Paul’s metaphors: This one participates in the richness of the olive root;[7] this one is continuously filled with God’s own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.[8]  But what proceeds out of this one is not very loving, joyful, peaceful, patient, kind, good, faithful, gentle or self-controlled at present.

I’ll take me for an example, talking politics.  God help me I’m neither Democrat nor Republican but a bomb-throwing anarchist at heart.  And I in this area, even as a branch in Jesus that does not yet bear the fruit that is so generously supplied, can be assured that the gardener, God our Father, will lift us up, move us upward, raise us to a higher level, carry us along, bear with us, endure with us until He causes his fruit to emerge through us.

We can know this for certain by faith in Jesus Christ, who said takes away ain’t no option in Greek for an English translation of αἴρει in John 15:2 concerning the One true God regarding the one who remains in Jesus.  My Father is honored by this, Jesus said, that you bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples.[9]

A table comparing John 6:44 in the NET and KJV follow.

John 6:44 (NET)

John 6:44 (KJV)
No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
οὐδεὶς δύναται ἐλθεῖν πρός με ἐὰν μὴ ὁ πατὴρ ὁ πέμψας με ἑλκύσῃ αὐτόν, καγὼ ἀναστήσω αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ουδεις δυναται ελθειν προς με εαν μη ο πατηρ ο πεμψας με ελκυση αυτον και εγω αναστησω αυτον τη εσχατη ημερα ουδεις δυναται ελθειν προς με εαν μη ο πατηρ ο πεμψας με ελκυση αυτον και εγω αναστησω αυτον εν τη εσχατη ημερα