The New Covenant, Part 1

Posted on January 13, 2022 by admin

Then [Jesus] took bread, and after giving thanks he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.”^[1] The table below compares what He said next from four sources.

NET Parallel Greek, NA²⁸, Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text		Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text^[2]
Luke 22:20 (NET)	1 Corinthians 11:25 (NET)	Matthew 26:28 (KJV) Table	Mark 14:24 (KJV) Table
And in the same way he took the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant (ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη) in my blood.	In the same way, he also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant (ἡ καινὴ διαθήκη) in my blood. Do this, every time you drink it, in remembrance of me.”	For this is my blood of the new testament (το της καινης διαθηκης), which is shed for many for the remission of sins.	And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament (το της καινης διαθηκης), which is shed for many.

A new covenant (διαθήκης καινῆς) was mentioned again in Hebrews (9:13-15 NET).

For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled consecrated them and provided ritual purity, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our consciences from dead works to worship the living God [Table]. And so he is the mediator of a new covenant (διαθήκης καινῆς), so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance he has promised, since he died to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant.

And this new covenant is linked directly to the promise God made through Jeremiah (Hebrews 8:6-13 NET):

But now Jesus has obtained^[3] a superior ministry, since the covenant that he mediates is also better and is enacted on better promises.

For if that first covenant had been faultless, no one would have looked for a second one. But showing its fault, God says to them, “Look, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will complete a new covenant (διαθήκην καινήν) with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not continue in my covenant and I had no regard for them, says the Lord. For this is the covenant that I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds, and I will inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be my people. And there will be no need at all for each one to teach his countryman^[4] or each one to teach his brother saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ since they will all know me, from the least^[5] to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds, and their sins^[6] I will remember no longer.”

When he speaks of a new (καινὴν) covenant, he makes the first obsolete. Now what is growing obsolete and aging is about to disappear.

Jesus, the mediator of this better covenant, prayed (John 17:1-3 NET):

Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that^[7] your^[8] Son may glorify you—just as you have given him authority over all humanity, so that he may give^[9] eternal life to everyone you have given him. Now this is eternal life—that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.

Over time, Jesus’ understanding of eternal life—that they know (γινώσκωσιν, a form of γινώσκω) you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent^[10]—has focused my attention on this aspect of the promise of the new covenant—And there will be no need at all for each one to teach his countryman or each one to teach his brother saying, ‘Know (γνῶθι, another form of γινώσκω) the Lord,’ since they will all know (εἰδήσουσιν, a form of εἴδω) me, from the least to the greatest.^[11] Though I had prayed that genius-level prayer (of very little faith)—“If you’re really out there, I really want to know you,”^[12]—striking at the very heart of the new covenant and Jesus’ understanding of eternal life, I understood nothing of it.

I didn’t study to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He had sent to live that eternal life. I searched the Bible for rules to obey—or disobey as it turned out.^[13]

Though I wrote this describing a slightly later time in my life, it was true earlier, too. Studying the Bible to know God and to follow Jesus did not compute in my mind yet. Now I hope, God willing, to spend the next ten thousand years or so studying the Bible to know…the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He] sent. There is so much I’m missing that Jesus knew, perhaps by twelve but at least, by thirty or so.

It will be nice to have face-to-face contact with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit as well as the other participants. I mentioned this to my Pastor. He corrected me that all of the participants wouldn’t be available to me for an interview, but didn’t think my hope was that outrageous otherwise. Of course, God may have different plans for me. But this hunger for the Bible was a direct result of my prayer to know God, regardless that I misunderstood what it meant or how to satisfy that hunger.

Focusing on knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He] sent does de-emphasize hell, the lake of fire (Revelation 20:10-15). There’s no denying that. When I said a sinner’s prayer at five-years-old I just wanted to avoid going to hell. The rest of this—was unanticipated to be sure but—came as a sort of unwanted shock and largely unwelcome surprise. I’ll try to highlight the difference between knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He] sent and avoiding hell.

I heard a sermon recently presented in what I would characterize as a fairly typical example of the “avoiding hell” fashion. A particular passage of Scripture was introduced as the answer to a question: “Why do so many people reject the Lord?” This was reaffirmed later with the statements: “This is describing why some people accept the Gospel and why the majority do not;” and, “What we see here is the beginning of the Lord’s judgment on those who reject Him. It is the first taste of hell and a warning of things that come if they continue to refuse his offer of grace.”

God’s grace wasn’t ignored in this sermon: “God’s grace is ever-expanding. It reaches its full completion. It never runs out in the generosity of God…” It was just strictly limited: “…for those who truly do embrace discipleship, for those who truly become citizens of the kingdom through faith and repentance…”

“He who has an ear, let that person hear,” wasn’t presented as the word of the One (John 1:1-34) who said, “Let there be light.” And there was light!^[14] It was presented as a weak word, easily ignored: “Most won’t listen. Most won’t understand. Most won’t let it change their lives.” The picture was very bleak indeed: “As long as we refuse to acknowledge how broken we are, as long as we refuse to acknowledge how much we need mercy, as long as we remain hardhearted there is no chance of salvation, zero.”

The passage in question was Matthew 13:1-23, the parable where Jesus describes people as types of ground, types of soil. The most striking thing about this metaphor is that soil is powerless to improve itself. The Sower must improve the soil if He wants a harvest. Still, the emphasis seemed to remain upon the powerless soil: “This is a call for patient endurance. This is a call for wholehearted devotion. This is a call to root out weeds in our life because those thorns be poky and they hurt.”

I say “seemed” because this sermon did an abrupt about face at the very end:

But with the coming of the Spirit we see a new age in humanity, an age in which the church has been filled with the power of God like never before, where the transformation of the power of the Spirit through Christ’s death and resurrection gives us new hope and new life to embrace the Gospel at the very deepest part of our life. So that by his grace He roots out all those vines, all those thorns. By his grace He deepens the soil of our heart and brings us to that place of brokenness and joy because of the healing of Christ. The reason we can have hope as we read this, as we recognize ourselves as the ones with the hard heart and the shallow heart and the crowded heart, is because we know that we don’t live by our own strength any more. We never did. But now we live in the power of the Spirit.^[15]

In my opinion a sermon more focused on knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He] sent rather than “avoiding hell” would start here and go on, maybe even to the God who of his own volition promised: “People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me. For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” says the Lord. “For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”^[16]

I shared this with my Pastor in case I was overly critical or offensive. He seemed satisfied with my focus on the grace aspect of his sermon. We talked some about a Pastor’s choice of focus, his desire to be true to both the grace and the judgment implicit in the text. I may not have learned much about being a Pastor. I did get a fresh glimpse into myself.

Apparently, I heard the judgment focus of his sermon (as I am prone to do) as an invitation to do-it-yourself religion. Jesus, through his indwelling Spirit, forcibly shifted my focus away from judgment and fully onto his grace, putting some steel in my spine, as it were, keeping me trusting Him. In other words, I am heeding the “call for patient endurance,” not by grinning and bearing it on my own but wholly dependent on the grace of my Savior. After all, patience (μακροθυμία) is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23).

I’ve compared the quotation from Jeremiah in Hebrews to the Septuagint as a matter of completeness. It seemed that Hebrews 8:8b may not be a quotation from the Septuagint but an independent translation of the Hebrew of Jeremiah 31:31. The Hebrew word וכרתי (kāraṯ) was translated συντελέσω in the New Testament and διαθήσομαι (a form of διατίθεμαι) in the Septuagint.

Hebrews 8:8b (NET Parallel Greek)	Jeremiah 31:31 (Septuagint BLB)	Jeremiah 38:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται, λέγει κύριος, καὶ συντελέσω ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰσραὴλ καὶ ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον Ἰούδα διαθήκην καινήν	ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται φησὶν κύριος καὶ διαθήσομαι τῷ οἴκῳ Ισραηλ καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ Ιουδα διαθήκην καινήν	ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται, φησὶ Κύριος, καὶ διαθήσομαι τῷ οἴκῳ ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ ᾿Ιούδα διαθήκην καινήν
Hebrews 8:8b (NET)	Jeremiah 38:31 (NETS)	Jeremiah 38:31 (English Elpenor)
“Look, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will complete a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.	Behold, days are coming, quoth the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Iouda.	Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda:

I struggle some with the idea that ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον and τῷ οἴκῳ both translate with the house. I suspect that συντελέσω ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον is something more like I will complete upon the house, but don’t find any support for it other than the NET translation of the same construction in Luke 1:33. He will reign over the house (βασιλεύσει ἐπὶ τὸν οἶκον) of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.^[17]

The clause translated although I was an husband unto them (Tanakh/KJV) from the Masoretic text of Jeremiah 31:32 was translated and I disregarded them (English Elpenor) in the Septuagint.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Jeremiah 31:32 (Tanakh/KJV)	Jeremiah 31:32 (NET)	Jeremiah 38:32 (NETS)	Jeremiah 38:32 (Elpenor English)
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I (וְאָֽנֹכִ֛י) was an husband (בָּעַ֥לְתִּי) unto them (בָ֖ם), saith the LORD:	It will not be like the old covenant that I made with their ancestors when I delivered them from Egypt. For they violated that covenant, even though I (‘ānōḵî, ואנכי) was like a faithful husband (bāʿal, בעלתי) to them (ḇām, בם),” says the Lord.	It will not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by their hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not abide in my covenant, and (καὶ) I (ἐγὼ) was unconcerned (ἠμέλησα) for them (αὐτῶν), quoth the Lord,	not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day when I took hold of their hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; for they abode not in my covenant, and (καὶ) I (ἐγὼ) disregarded (ἠμέλησα) them (αὐτῶν), saith the Lord.

The difference appears to be one Hebrew word: בָּעַ֥לְתִּי (bāʿal). If the writer of Hebrews actually did an independent translation from Hebrew, I have two points of evidence hinting at what the Hebrew word translated ἠμέλησα (a form of ἀμελέω) in the Septuagint and the New Testament was before the Masoretes changed it to בָּעַ֥לְתִּי (bāʿal).

Hebrews 8:9 (NET Parallel Greek)	Jeremiah 31:32 (Septuagint BLB)	Jeremiah 38:32 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ κατὰ τὴν διαθήκην, ἣν ἐποίησα τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπιλαβομένου μου τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν ἐξαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐκ γῆς Ἀιγύπτου, ὅτι αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἐνέμειναν ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ μου, καγὼ ἠμέλησα αὐτῶν, λέγει κύριος	οὐ κατὰ τὴν διαθήκην ἣν διεθέμην τοῗς πατράσιν αὐτῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπιλαβομένου μου τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν ἐξαγαγεῗν αὐτοὺς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου ὅτι αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἐνέμειναν ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ μου καὶ ἐγὼ ἠμέλησα αὐτῶν φησὶν κύριος	οὐ κατὰ τὴν διαθήκην, ἣν διεθέμην τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπιλαβομένου μου τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν ἐξαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, ὅτι αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἐνέμειναν ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ μου, καὶ ἐγὼ ἠμέλησα αὐτῶν, φησὶ Κύριος
Hebrews 8:9 (NET)	Jeremiah 38:32 (NETS)	Jeremiah 38:32 (English Elpenor)
It will not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers, on the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not continue in my covenant and I had no regard for them, says the Lord.	It will not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by their hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not abide in my covenant, and I was unconcerned for them, quoth the Lord,	not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day when I took hold of their hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; for they abode not in my covenant, and I disregarded them, saith the Lord.

Admittedly, I may not have thought of this quotation in Hebrews as an independent translation if I were only considering Hebrews 8:9 and Jeremiah 31:32 (38:32). The comparison of Hebrews 8:10 and Jeremiah 31:33 (38:33) below isn’t exactly a tie breaker on that score.

Hebrews 8:10 (NET Parallel Greek)	Jeremiah 31:33 (Septuagint BLB)	Jeremiah 38:33 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι αὕτη ἡ διαθήκη, ἣν διαθήσομαι τῷ οἴκῳ Ἰσραὴλ μετὰ τὰς ἡμέρας ἐκείνας, λέγει κύριος· διδοὺς νόμους μου εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίας αὐτῶν ἐπιγράψω αὐτούς, καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτοῖς εἰς θεόν, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔσονται μοι εἰς λαόν	ὅτι αὕτη ἡ διαθήκη ἣν διαθήσομαι τῷ οἴκῳ Ισραηλ μετὰ τὰς ἡμέρας ἐκείνας φησὶν κύριος διδοὺς δώσω νόμους μου εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίας αὐτῶν γράψω αὐτούς καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτοῗς εἰς θεόν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔσονταί μοι εἰς λαόν	ὅτι αὕτη ἡ διαθήκη μου, ἣν διαθήσομαι τῷ οἴκῳ ᾿Ισραὴλ μετὰ τὰς ἡμέρας ἐκείνας, φησὶ Κύριος· διδοὺς δώσω νόμους εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίας αὐτῶν γράψω αὐτούς· καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτοῖς εἰς Θεόν, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔσονταί μοι εἰς λαόν
Hebrews 8:10 (NET)	Jeremiah 38:33 (NETS)	Jeremiah 38:33 (English Elpenor)
For this is the covenant that I will establish with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds, and I will inscribe them on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they will be my people.	because this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, quoth the Lord. Giving I will give my laws in their mind, and I will write them on their hearts, and I will become a god to them, and they shall become a people to me.	For this is my covenant which I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith the Lord, I will surely put my laws into their mind, and write them on their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.

There is nothing significant in the comparison of the next verse to persuade me that the quotation in Hebrews was an independent translation of the Hebrew.

Hebrews 8:11, 12 (NET Parallel Greek)	Jeremiah 31:34 (Septuagint BLB) Table	Jeremiah 38:34 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐ μὴ διδάξωσιν ἕκαστος τὸν πολίτην αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ λέγων· γνῶθι τὸν κύριον, ὅτι πάντες εἰδήσουσιν με ἀπὸ μικροῦ ἕως μεγάλου αὐτῶν ὅτι ἵλεως ἔσομαι ταῖς ἀδικίαις αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ ἔτι	καὶ οὐ μὴ διδάξωσιν ἕκαστος τὸν πολίτην αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ λέγων γνῶθι τὸν κύριον ὅτι πάντες εἰδήσουσίν με ἀπὸ μικροῦ αὐτῶν καὶ ἕως μεγάλου αὐτῶν ὅτι ἵλεως ἔσομαι ταῗς ἀδικίαις αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ ἔτι	καὶ οὐ μὴ διδάξωσιν ἕκαστος τὸν πολίτην αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ λέγων· γνῶθι τὸν Κύριον· ὅτι πάντες εἰδήσουσί με ἀπὸ μικροῦ αὐτῶν ἕως μεγάλου αὐτῶν, ὅτι ἵλεως ἔσομαι ταῖς ἀδικίαις αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ ἔτι
Hebrews 8:11, 12 (NET)	Jeremiah 38:34 (NETS)	Jeremiah 38:34 (English Elpenor)
And there will be no need at all for each one to teach his countryman or each one to teach his brother saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ since they will all know me, from the least to the greatest. For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds, and their sins I will remember no longer.”	And they shall not teach, each his fellow citizen and each his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” because they shall all know me, from their small even to their great, because I will be gracious regarding their injustices, and remember their sins no more.	And they shall not at all teach every one his [fellow] citizen, and every one his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them: for I will be merciful to their iniquities, and their sins I will remember no more.

Tables comparing Jeremiah 31:31; 31:32 and 31:33 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of in Jeremiah 31:31; 31:32 and 31:33 the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Hebrews 8:6; 8:11, 12 and John 17:1, 2 in the NET and KJV follow.

Jeremiah 31:31 (Tanakh)	Jeremiah 31:31 (KJV)	Jeremiah 31:31 (NET)
Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:	Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Judah:	“Indeed, a time is coming,” says the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.

Jeremiah 31:31 (Septuagint BLB)	Jeremiah 38:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται φησὶν κύριος καὶ διαθήσομαι τῷ οἴκῳ Ισραηλ καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ Ιουδα διαθήκην καινήν	ἰδοὺ ἡμέραι ἔρχονται, φησὶ Κύριος, καὶ διαθήσομαι τῷ οἴκῳ ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ τῷ οἴκῳ ᾿Ιούδα διαθήκην καινήν
Jeremiah 38:31 (NETS)	Jeremiah 38:31 (English Elpenor)
Behold, days are coming, quoth the Lord, and I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Iouda.	Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and with the house of Juda:

Jeremiah 31:32 (Tanakh)	Jeremiah 31:32 (KJV)	Jeremiah 31:32 (NET)
Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:	Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day that I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD:	It will not be like the old covenant that I made with their ancestors when I delivered them from Egypt. For they violated that covenant, even though I was like a faithful husband to them,” says the Lord.

Jeremiah 31:32 (Septuagint BLB)	Jeremiah 38:32 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ κατὰ τὴν διαθήκην ἣν διεθέμην τοῗς πατράσιν αὐτῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπιλαβομένου μου τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν ἐξαγαγεῗν αὐτοὺς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου ὅτι αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἐνέμειναν ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ μου καὶ ἐγὼ ἠμέλησα αὐτῶν φησὶν κύριος	οὐ κατὰ τὴν διαθήκην, ἣν διεθέμην τοῖς πατράσιν αὐτῶν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐπιλαβομένου μου τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῶν ἐξαγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου, ὅτι αὐτοὶ οὐκ ἐνέμειναν ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ μου, καὶ ἐγὼ ἠμέλησα αὐτῶν, φησὶ Κύριος
Jeremiah 38:32 (NETS)	Jeremiah 38:32 (English Elpenor)
It will not be like the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by their hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt, because they did not abide in my covenant, and I was unconcerned for them, quoth the Lord,	not according to the covenant which I made with their fathers in the day when I took hold of their hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; for they abode not in my covenant, and I disregarded them, saith the Lord.

Jeremiah 31:33 (Tanakh)	Jeremiah 31:33 (KJV)	Jeremiah 31:33 (NET)
But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.	But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people.	“But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel after I plant them back in the land,” says the Lord. “I will put my law within them and write it on their hearts and minds. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

Jeremiah 31:33 (Septuagint BLB)	Jeremiah 38:33 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι αὕτη ἡ διαθήκη ἣν διαθήσομαι τῷ οἴκῳ Ισραηλ μετὰ τὰς ἡμέρας ἐκείνας φησὶν κύριος διδοὺς δώσω νόμους μου εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίας αὐτῶν γράψω αὐτούς καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτοῗς εἰς θεόν καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔσονταί μοι εἰς λαόν	ὅτι αὕτη ἡ διαθήκη μου, ἣν διαθήσομαι τῷ οἴκῳ ᾿Ισραὴλ μετὰ τὰς ἡμέρας ἐκείνας, φησὶ Κύριος· διδοὺς δώσω νόμους εἰς τὴν διάνοιαν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐπὶ καρδίας αὐτῶν γράψω αὐτούς· καὶ ἔσομαι αὐτοῖς εἰς Θεόν, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔσονταί μοι εἰς λαόν
Jeremiah 38:33 (NETS)	Jeremiah 38:33 (English Elpenor)
because this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, quoth the Lord. Giving I will give my laws in their mind, and I will write them on their hearts, and I will become a god to them, and they shall become a people to me.	For this is my covenant which I will make with the house of Israel; after those days, saith the Lord, I will surely put my laws into their mind, and write them on their hearts; and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people.

Hebrews 8:6 (NET)	Hebrews 8:6 (KJV)
But now Jesus has obtained a superior ministry, since the covenant that he mediates is also better and is enacted on better promises.	But now hath he obtained a more excellent ministry, by how much also he is the mediator of a better covenant, which was established upon better promises.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
\|Νυν[ὶ]\| δὲ διαφορωτέρας τέτυχεν λειτουργίας, ὅσῳ καὶ κρείττονος ἐστιν διαθήκης μεσίτης, ἥτις ἐπὶ κρείττοσιν ἐπαγγελίαις νενομοθέτηται	νυνι δε διαφορωτερας τετευχεν λειτουργιας οσω και κρειττονος εστιν διαθηκης μεσιτης ητις επι κρειττοσιν επαγγελιαις νενομοθετηται	νυνι δε διαφορωτερας τετυχεν λειτουργιας οσω και κρειττονος εστιν διαθηκης μεσιτης ητις επι κρειττοσιν επαγγελιαις νενομοθετηται

Hebrews 8:11, 12 (NET)	Hebrews 8:11, 12 (KJV)
And there will be no need at all for each one to teach his countryman or each one to teach his brother saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ since they will all know me, from the least to the greatest.	And they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ οὐ μὴ διδάξωσιν ἕκαστος τὸν πολίτην αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ λέγων· γνῶθι τὸν κύριον, ὅτι πάντες εἰδήσουσιν με ἀπὸ μικροῦ ἕως μεγάλου αὐτῶν,	και ου μη διδαξωσιν εκαστος τον πλησιον αυτου και εκαστος τον αδελφον αυτου λεγων γνωθι τον κυριον οτι παντες ειδησουσιν με απο μικρου αυτων εως μεγαλου αυτων	και ου μη διδαξωσιν εκαστος τον πολιτην αυτου και εκαστος τον αδελφον αυτου λεγων γνωθι τον κυριον οτι παντες ειδησουσιν με απο μικρου αυτων εως μεγαλου αυτων

For I will be merciful toward their evil deeds, and their sins I will remember no longer.”

For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὅτι ἵλεως ἔσομαι ταῖς ἀδικίαις αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ ἔτι	οτι ιλεως εσομαι ταις αδικιαις αυτων και των αμαρτιων αυτων και των ανομιων αυτων ου μη μνησθω ετι	οτι ιλεως εσομαι ταις αδικιαις αυτων και των αμαρτιων αυτων και των ανομιων αυτων ου μη μνησθω ετι

John 17:1, 2 (NET)	John 17:1, 2 (KJV)
When Jesus had finished saying these things, he looked upward to heaven and said, “Father, the time has come. Glorify your Son, so that your Son may glorify you—	These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee:

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ταῦτα ἐλάλησεν Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἐπάρας τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸν οὐρανὸν εἶπεν· πάτερ, ἐλήλυθεν ἡ ὥρα· δόξασον σου τὸν υἱόν, ἵνα ὁ υἱὸς δοξάσῃ σέ	ταυτα ελαλησεν ο ιησους και επηρεν τους οφθαλμους αυτου εις τον ουρανον και ειπεν πατερ εληλυθεν η ωρα δοξασον σου τον υιον ινα και ο υιος σου δοξαση σε	ταυτα ελαλησεν ο ιησους και επηρεν τους οφθαλμους αυτου εις τον ουρανον και ειπεν πατερ εληλυθεν η ωρα δοξασον σου τον υιον ινα και ο υιος σου δοξαση σε

just as you have given him authority over all humanity, so that he may give eternal life to everyone you have given him.

As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καθὼς ἔδωκας αὐτῷ ἐξουσίαν πάσης σαρκός, ἵνα πᾶν ὃ δέδωκας αὐτῷ \|δώσῃ\| αὐτοῖς ζωὴν αἰώνιον	καθως εδωκας αυτω εξουσιαν πασης σαρκος ινα παν ο δεδωκας αυτω δωση αυτοις ζωην αιωνιον	καθως εδωκας αυτω εξουσιαν πασης σαρκος ινα παν ο δεδωκας αυτω δωσει αυτοις ζωην αιωνιον

The New Covenant, Part 2

Back to The New Covenant, Part 3

Back to Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 4, Part 3

Back to Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 5

Back to Exploration, Part 2

^[1] Luke 22:19 (NET)

^[2] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τῆς διαθήκης, of the covenant (NET), in Matthew 26:28 and Mark 14:24.

^[3] The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had τέτυχεν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had τετευχεν (KJV: hath…obtained).

^[4] The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had πολίτην here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had πλησιον (KJV: neighbour).

^[5] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτων following least. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[6] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και των ανομιων αυτων (KJV: and their iniquities) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[7] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και following that. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[8] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had σου here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[9] The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had δώσῃ here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had δωσει.

^[10] John 17:3b (NET)

^[11] Hebrews 8:11 (NET)

^[12] Who am I? Part 3

^[13] Sexual Immorality Revisited, Part 3

^[14] Genesis 1:3 (NET) Table

^[15] Adam Sanftner, “Dirty Heart,” Covenant Bible Church, January 2, 2022

^[16] Jeremiah 31:34 (NET) Table

^[17] Luke 1:33 (NET)

Atonement, Part 1

Posted on February 20, 2018 by admin

I plan to begin a slow pilgrimage through kâphar, which will at a minimum include surveying kôpher and kippûr. The first occurrences of kâphar and kôpher according to Strong’s Concordance are found in, Make rooms in the ark, and cover (kâphar, וכפרת; Septuagint: ἀσφαλτώσεις, a form of ἀσφαλτόω) it with pitch (kôpher, בכפר: Septuagint: ἀσφάλτῳ, a form of ἄσφαλτος) inside and out.^[1] But I’m going to set that aside.

The note (48) in the NET reads:

The Hebrew term כָּפָר (kafar, “to cover, to smear” [= to caulk]) appears here in the Qal stem with its primary, nonmetaphorical meaning. The Piel form כִּפֶּר (kipper), which has the metaphorical meaning “to atone, to expiate, to pacify,” is used in Levitical texts (see HALOT 493-94 s.v. כפר). Some authorities regard the form in v. 14 as a homonym of the much more common Levitical term (see BDB 498 s.v. כָּפָר).

I think homonym was used here as I have used homograph:^[2] “a word of the same written form as another but of different meaning and usually origin, whether pronounced the same way or not, as bear ‘to carry; support’ and bear ‘animal’ or lead ‘to conduct’ and lead ‘metal;’ a homograph.”^[3] A table showing the translations of the occurrences of kôpher from Genesis 6:14 – Numbers 35:32 in the KJV, NET and the Septuagint follows:

Form of kôpher	Reference	KJV	NET	Septuagint
כפר	Exodus 21:30	If there be laid on him a sum of money…	If a ransom is set for him…	λύτρα, a form of λύτρον
	Exodus 30:12	…then shall they give every man a ransom for his soul…	…then each man is to pay a ransom for his life…
	Numbers 35:31	…ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death:	…you must not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death…
	Numbers 35:32	…ye shall take no satisfaction for him that is fled to the city of his refuge…	…you must not accept a ransom for anyone who has fled to a town of refuge…
בכפר	Genesis 6:14	…and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.	…and cover it with pitch inside and out.	ἀσφάλτῳ, a form of ἄσφαλτος

Clearly kôpher (כפר) in Exodus 21:30; 30:12; Numbers 35:31 and 32 is a homograph for kâphar (כפר) in Exodus 29:33 (NET): They are to eat those things by which atonement (kâphar, כפר) was made to consecrate and to set them apart, but no one else may eat them, for they are holy. I am more than content to assume that the homographs translated, and cover it with pitch, have next to nothing to do with atonement. John wrote (1 John 1:5-7 NET):

Now this is the gospel message we have heard from him and announce to you: God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him and yet keep on walking in the darkness, we are lying and not practicing the truth. But if we walk in the light as he himself is in the light, we have fellowship with one another and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.

I can appreciate that something like asphalt smeared inside and outside of a wooden vessel that preserved people through a judgment of water bears a vague similarity to atonement that will preserve people through a judgment of fire (2 Peter 3:5-7). But and cover it with pitch sounds more like Achan burying a nice robe from Babylon, two hundred silver pieces, and a bar of gold weighing fifty shekels^[4] in the ground right in the middle of [his] tent.^[5] It sounds like David calling Uriah home from the front and saying, “Go down to your home and relax.”^[6] When Uriah’s loyalty to his comrades-in-arms proved such that he was useless in David’s attempt to cover his sin with pitch, the king sent him back to the front carrying a letter to his commanding officer that read: “Station Uriah in the thick of the battle and then withdraw from him so he will be cut down and killed (nâkâh).”^[7]

In both circumstances y^ehôvâh brought these pitch-covered-sins to light (Joshua 7:10-26; 2 Samuel 12:1-14). Thinking atonement was a covering of pitch for sin probably had a lot to do with my conclusion that the Gospel was more a mind trick God played on Himself than something of value for me.

Achan and his family were stoned and burned for theft. David’s sins of adultery and murder^[8] were forgiven or passed over. I can’t pass by here without at least considering this moral calculus in some way beyond the obvious, that David was a king and Achan’s only claim to fame was the spectacle of his execution.

All the silver and gold, as well as bronze and iron items, belong to the Lord (y^ehôvâh, ליהוה), Joshua commanded. They must go into the Lord’s (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) treasury.^[9] If I hear this with an unbelieving heart it’s easy to see why Friedrich Nietzsche considered Judaism (and not only Judaism) a religion concocted by weak, power-hungry priests.

The ‘law’, the ‘will of God’, the ‘holy book’, ‘inspiration’ – All these are just words for the conditions under which priests come to power and maintain their power, – these concepts can be found at the bottom of all priestly organizations, all structures of priestly or philosophical-priestly control. The ‘holy lie’ – this is common to Confucius, the law book of Manu, Mohammed, and the Christian church: and it is not absent from Plato either. ‘The truth is there ‘: wherever you hear this, it means that the priest is lying.

Friedrich Nietzsche, The Anti-Christ (1888), 55.

An article, “The Hebrew Bible in Nietzsche’s philosophy of religion,” by Jaco Gericke offers an interesting overview on this subject. My affection for Nietzsche comes from long hours spent with him and Jesus. Nietzsche, of course, is dead and had no opportunity for rebuttal. It’s difficult to say how much that difference alone encouraged and maintained my faith in Jesus. Still I hesitate either to censor Nietzsche’s writings or to promote them as a test of spiritual manhood. Consider Jaco Gericke.

In “Confessions of a Died-Again Christian,” an interview hosted by Robert M. Price online, Professor Gericke gave his testimony, a born-again Christian who became first a “died-again” Christian then an atheist while studying to become a missionary. After I listened to it I spent the rest of the day pouting. That’s what I do now rather than throwing a hissy fit or trying to muscle on in my own strength.

“Either one of these men,” I prayed, “could have been better at this than I am.”

Professor Gericke never described the Bible as the product of lying priests (or preachers, as the case may be). He described “the system”:

The system has everything covered. So whatever your problem is, there’s an answer for that somewhere out there…
And you recognize how religion, how the system has controlled you and told you stories about the way things work, and you see the system for what it is…
You also understand how the system, with apologetics, has everything covered. So to get out is really as close to a miracle as you can get.

He went to the university originally “to become a missionary to share the joy I found [after a conversion experience] with other people.” Over time that desire was replaced by another, to be “academically respectable.” Eventually he read Beyond Fundamentalism by James Barr. “It focuses so much on the Bible and the text,” he described the experience of reading Barr, “that in the end what happens is that your Christian ethics destroys your Christian dogma because you just follow the truth and you do introspection.” Mr. Price concurred: “The all important personal relationship with Jesus, the sole point of the Bible according to most of these guys [e.g., top notch evangelical…scholars], never occurs in the Bible.”

True enough, the words personal relationship with Jesus do not occur in the Bible. The hope and promise of the new covenant reads (Jeremiah 31:34 NET Table):

“People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me. For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” says the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה). “For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”

Judas (not Iscariot) said to [Jesus] (John14:22-24 NASB):

“Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep (τηρήσει, a form of τηρέω) My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our abode with him. He who does not love Me does not keep (τηρεῖ, another form of τηρέω) My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.”

Professor Gericke’s testimony wasn’t a tale of following Yahweh/Jesus through the scriptures to know Him and his Father. Rather, it was a proxy war he conducted in his own mind between his favorite fundamentalist apologists and the writings of Julius Wellhausen, David Strauss, biblical criticism, the philosophy of religion and the history of Yahweh, along with James Barr. His fundamentalist champions didn’t measure up, so the “truth” set him free (John 8:31, 32 NET).

Then Jesus said to those Judeans who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, you are really my disciples and you will know the truth (ἀλήθειαν, a form of ἀλήθεια), and the truth (ἀλήθεια) will set you free.”

Even if Jesus alluded to a stoic maxim (as Mr. Price asserted) truth was not an abstract concept to Him, certainly not the writings of Julius Wellhausen, David Strauss, biblical criticism, the philosophy of religion and the history of Yahweh, along with James Barr. Set them apart in the truth (ἀληθείᾳ, another form of ἀλήθεια), He prayed to his Father, your word is truth (ἀλήθεια).^[10] By word (λόγος) Jesus may have alluded to Himself—I am the way, and the truth (ἀληθείας, another form of ἀλήθεια), and the life^[11]—but He was born a human baby and socialized into all of the rabbinic lore of his time. He grew to become the person I know and love by preferring a collection of writings remarkably similar to the Old Testament I read today, which He called τὸν λόγον τοῦ θεοῦ (Matthew 15:6; Mark 7:13; Luke 8:21; Luke 11:28) or ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ (Luke 8:11; John 10:35). Both were translated the word of God.

After his resurrection He said to his disciples (Luke 24:44-49 NET):

“These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law of Moses and the prophets and the psalms must be fulfilled” [Table]. Then he opened their minds so they could understand the scriptures, and said to them, “Thus it stands written that the Christ would suffer and would rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. You are witnesses of these things. And look, I am sending you what my Father promised. But stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high” [Table].

His devotion to the truth of those writings was so fierce it terrified Peter and the other disciples (Matthew 26:52-56 NET):

Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back in its place! For all who take hold of the sword will die by the sword [Table]. Or do you think that I cannot call on my Father, and that he would send me more than twelve legions of angels right now? How then would the scriptures that say it must happen this way be fulfilled?” At that moment Jesus said to the crowd, “Have you come out with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw? Day after day I sat teaching in the temple courts, yet you did not arrest me. But this has happened so that the scriptures of the prophets would be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Unqualified or not I will get up each morning, take whatever faithfulness I am given and follow Jesus through the scriptures. I desire to do this to know Him and his Father. He has given me a hunger and thirst for his righteousness. And I need to do this lest the sin in my flesh overtake me. Who would have thought of my sinfulness, my utter inability to do righteousness apart from the fruit of the Spirit, as my advantage over Jaco Gericke or Robert Price? I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance,^[12] Jesus answered the Pharisees and their experts in the law.

Admittedly, it takes some faith to find any coherent knowledge of God in his seemingly disparate judgments of Achan and David, but I think they are consistent with Jesus’ command: Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For by the standard you judge you will be judged, and the measure you use will be the measure you receive.^[13]

Achan was part of the army that had judged/condemned Jericho: They annihilated with the sword everything that breathed in the city, including men and women, young and old, as well as cattle, sheep, and donkeys.^[14] David sent out Joab with his officers and the entire Israelite army. They defeated the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed behind in Jerusalem.^[15] Both were judged accordingly.

“This is what the Lord (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) says,” Nathan said to David, “‘I am about to bring disaster on you from inside your own household! Right before your eyes I will take your wives and hand them over to your companion. He will have sexual relations with your wives in broad daylight! Although you have acted in secret, I will do this thing before all Israel, and in broad daylight.’”^[16]

Despite Nathan’s warning David was merciful to his sons Amnon (2 Samuel 13:1-21) and Absalom (2 Samuel 14:21-33), though that mercy was perhaps the most immediate cause^[17] of the prophecy’s fulfillment. Absalom parlayed Amnon’s death (2 Samuel 13:23-37) into a credible political argument that he was the law and order choice for king (2 Samuel 15:1-6). I have thought at times that David—the chief law enforcement official in Israel—if he had been strict with his sons, if he had at least left Absalom in self-imposed exile, may have avoided the consequence of Nathan’s prophecy. But Jesus said in a parable (Matthew 18:32-35 NET):

“Then his lord called the first slave and said to him, ‘Evil slave! I forgave (ἀφῆκα, a form of ἀφίημι) you all that debt because you begged me! Should you not have shown mercy to your fellow slave, just as I showed it to you?’ And in anger his lord turned him over to the prison guards to torture him until he repaid all he owed. So also my heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive (ἀφῆτε, another form of ἀφίημι) your brother from your heart.”

Paul quoted David from the Septuagint: Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered…^[18] The original word in Hebrew was not kâphar or kôpher from Genesis 6:14, and cover it with pitch. David chose kâsâh (כסוי): The waters completely inundated the earth so that even all the high mountains under the entire sky were covered (kâsâh).^[19] Two forms of kâsâh occur in this Psalm (32:1-6 Tanakh):

Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered (kâsâh, כסוי) [Table]. Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile [Table]. When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah.

I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid (kâsâh, כסיתי). I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him.

Therefore you are without excuse, Paul wrote believers in Rome, whoever you are, when you judge someone else (Romans 2:1-8 NET):

For on whatever grounds you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment is in accordance with truth (ἀλήθειαν, a form of ἀλήθεια) against those who practice such things. And do you think, whoever you are, when you judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself, that you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you have contempt for the wealth of his kindness, forbearance, and patience, and yet do not know that God’s kindness leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed! He will reward each one according to his works: eternal life to those who by perseverance in good works seek glory and honor and immortality, but wrath and anger to those who live in selfish ambition and do not obey (ἀπειθοῦσι, a form of ἀπειθέω) the truth (ἀληθείᾳ, another form of ἀλήθεια) but follow unrighteousness.

Near the end of the interview with Jaco Gericke, Robert Price described what he called “Practicing the Absence of God”:

What you use to say was the leading of the Holy Spirit, this internal voice—“Oh, don’t you want to come back? Aren’t you really just trying to escape the implications of the truth?”—you have to eventually regard that as you once did temptations to sin, because intellectually that’s what’s going on. That’s what it is. You have to say, “No, I’m sorry, I know better than that. I’m not going to listen to that. I’m going to go ahead and make a new start.”

Once you have Nietzsche in your head it’s easy to argue that Jesus’ command, Do not judge, was given, not because He is Yahweh come in human flesh but, because He was as desperate for the scriptures to be true as I am, and so, reasoned and argued in a similar manner. He was ignorant of, or confused about, the esoteric knowledge that Jaco Gericke and Robert Price possess. Of course, if Jesus was ignorant or confused, please grant me his ignorance and confusion. For once you have Nietzsche in your head, it’s just as easy to see that Nietzsche raised unbelief to a high art and faithfully followed that art as its reductio ad absurdum.

A table comparing Romans 4:7 and Psalm 32:1 in the Septuagint follows.

Romans 4:7 (NET)

Parallel Greek

Psalm 32:1 (Septuagint)

Psalm 31:1 (NETS)

Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered…

μακάριοι ὧν ἀφέθησαν αἱ ἀνομίαι καὶ ὧν ἐπεκαλύφθησαν αἱ ἁμαρτίαι

Happy are those whose lawless behavior was forgiven and whose sins were covered over.

Atonement, Part 2

Back to My Deeds, Part 3

Back to The Day of the Lord, Part 6

^[1] Genesis 6:14b (NET)

^[2] Condemnation or Judgment? – Part 14; Forgiven or Passed Over? Part 4

^[3] homonym

^[4] Joshua 7:21a (NET) Table

^[5] Joshua 7:21b (NET) Table

^[6] 2 Samuel 11:8a (NET)

^[7] 2 Samuel 11:15 (NET), ונכה

^[8] It is not the same Hebrew word as Exodus 20:13, but Nathan said, You have killed (hârag, הרגת) him with the sword of the Ammonites (2 Samuel 12:9b NET). But if a man willfully attacks his neighbor to kill (hârag, להרגו) him cunningly, y^ehôvâh said, you will take him even from my altar that he may die (Exodus 21:14 NET).

^[9] Joshua 6:19 (NET)

^[10] John 17:17 (NET)

^[11] John 14:6 (NET)

^[12] Luke 5:32 (NET)

^[13] Matthew 7:1, 2 (NET) Table

^[14] Joshua 6:21 (NET)

^[15] 2 Samuel 11:1 (NET)

^[16] 2 Samuel 12:11, 12 (NET) Table1 Table2

^[17] I have written some on this topic: David’s Forgiveness, Part 5; David’s Forgiveness, Part 6; David’s Forgiveness, Part 7; David’s Forgiveness, Part 8; David’s Forgiveness, Part 9; David’s Forgiveness, Part 10 ; David’s Forgiveness, Part 11; David’s Forgiveness, Part 12; David’s Forgiveness, Part 13

^[18] Romans 4:7 (NET)

^[19] Genesis 7:19 (NET), ויכסו

Romans, Part 88

Posted on September 7, 2017 by admin

This is the reason I was often hindered from coming to you,^[1] Paul continued his letter to believers in Rome. The hindrance here was Paul’s own φιλοτιμούμενον (a form of φιλοτιμέομαι), translated I desire (NET) and have I strived (KJV), his own fondness for honor: And in this way I desire to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation, but as it is written: “Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”^[2] But in two other letters Paul used forms of φιλοτιμέομαι without a hint of pride (1 Thessalonians 4:9-12 NET):

Now on the topic of brotherly love (φιλαδελφίας, a form of φιλαδελφία) you have no need for anyone to write you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another. And indeed you are practicing it toward all the brothers and sisters in all of Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers and sisters, to do so more and more, to aspire (φιλοτιμεῖσθαι, another form of φιλοτιμέομαι) to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you. In this way you will live a decent life before outsiders and not be in need.

Granted, Paul’s own aspiration was to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation, while his aspiration for Macedonian believers was that they lead a quiet life, to attend to [their] own business, and to work with [their] hands, as we commanded [them]. But that implies a sense of order and rank, not necessarily a prideful aspiration on Paul’s part. To the Corinthian believers he wrote (2 Corinthians 5:1-10 NET):

For we know that if our earthly house, the tent we live in, is dismantled, we have a building from God, a house not built by human hands, that is eternal in the heavens. For in this earthly house we groan, because we desire (ἐπιποθοῦντες, a form of ἐπιποθέω) to put on our heavenly dwelling, if indeed, after we have put on our heavenly house, we will not be found naked. For we groan while we are in this tent, since we are weighed down, because we do not want to be unclothed, but clothed, so that what is mortal may be swallowed up by life. Now the one who prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the Spirit as a down payment. Therefore we are always full of courage, and we know that as long as we are alive here on earth we are absent from the Lord – for we live by faith, not by sight. Thus we are full of courage and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. So then whether we are alive or away, we make it our ambition (φιλοτιμούμεθα, another form of φιλοτιμέομαι) to please him. For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may be paid back according to what he has done while in the body, whether good or evil.

Surely Paul’s ambition to preach where Christ has not been named, so as not to build on another person’s foundation, was part of his ambition to please God. Still, I wonder how different church history might have been if Paul had arrived first in Rome. He had desired (ἐπιποθίαν, a form of ἐπιποθία) to come to them for many years: But now there is nothing more to keep me in these regions, and I have for many years desired to come to you when I go to Spain.^[3] For I hope to visit you when I pass through and that you will help me on my journey there, after I have enjoyed your company for a while.^[4] He acknowledged the same at the beginning of his letter to them (Romans 1:8-13a NET):

First of all, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. For God, whom I serve in my spirit by preaching the gospel of his Son, is my witness that I continually remember you and I always ask in my prayers, if perhaps now at last I may succeed in visiting (ἐλθεῖν, a form of ἔρχομαι) you according to the will of God. For I long to see you, so that I may impart to you some spiritual gift to strengthen you, that is, that we may be mutually comforted by one another’s faith, both yours and mine. I do not want you to be unaware, brothers and sisters, that I often intended to come (ἐλθεῖν, a form of ἔρχομαι) to you (and was prevented until now)…

The Greek word translated was prevented was ἐκωλύθην (a form of κωλύω). It seems to be a stronger hindrance (see the table below) than ἐνεκοπτόμην (a form of ἐγκόπτω) in Romans 15:22, though Paul strengthened ἐνεκοπτόμην with πολλὰ (a form of πολλός). So while he listed his own desire for honor at the end of his letter as the reason he was hindered from visiting Rome, there is a hint here that visit was deliberately delayed as something not yet ἐν τῷ θελήματι τοῦ θεοῦ (“in” or “by the will of God;” NET: according to).

I suppose I imagine that if Paul had preceded Peter in Rome churches might have become more facilitators than arbiters of the new covenant. I’m thinking especially here of for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD.^[5] But historically the western church became the de facto government after Constantine moved his capital east. Even Paul proposed governmental functions for the church to deal with those who were not led by the Spirit (1 Timothy 1:5-11) in Corinth (1 Corinthians 6:1-8 NET):

When any of you has a legal dispute with another, does he dare go to court before the unrighteous (ἀδίκων, a form of ἄδικος) rather than before the saints (ἁγίων, a form of ἅγιος)? Or do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world is to be judged by you, are you not competent to settle trivial suits? Do you not know that we will judge angels? Why not ordinary matters! So if you have ordinary lawsuits, do you appoint as judges those who have no standing in the church? I say this to your shame! Is there no one among you wise enough to settle disputes between fellow Christians (ἀδελφοῦ, a form of ἀδελφός)? Instead, does a Christian (ἀδελφὸς, another form of ἀδελφός) sue a Christian (ἀδελφοῦ, a form of ἀδελφός), and do this before unbelievers (ἀπίστων, a form of ἄπιστος)? The fact that you have lawsuits among yourselves demonstrates that you have already been defeated (ἥττημα, a form of ἥττημα). Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated? But you yourselves wrong and cheat, and you do this to your brothers and sisters (ἀδελφούς, another form of ἀδελφός)!

To speculate whether western churches would be different if Paul had preceded Peter to Rome is ultimately foolishness. We who have been drawn to Christ by the kindness of God are the ἐκκλησία. The character of our churches here and now is determined predominantly by our faith. Are we facilitators of the new covenant or arbiters, judges with evil motives (James 2:1-4 NET)? When Jesus said Do not judge^[6] He knew to whom He spoke, intimately, both as Creator and a partaker of our humanity.

We judge everything. We judge the weight of an object before we pick it up. We judge the distance and velocity of the things we see around us. We judge everyone: beautiful, ugly, rich, poor, friendly, aggressive, lying, truthful, wise, foolish. I don’t think Jesus’ point was that we stop doing the thing that makes it possible for us to live and move in this world. His point was—that after we make those instinctive judgments about other people—we love them as those for whom Christ died with his own love that flows through us from his Spirit, believing with his own faithfulness that flows through us from His Spirit that we have set our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all people, especially of believers.^[7]

I did a word study of ἐλθεῖν (a form of ἔρχομαι), translated from coming and to come, not because I thought there was anything mysterious about Paul’s usage of the word in Romans 15:22 and 23, but because I know I’ll want a good grounding in the usage of forms of ἔρχομαι when I come around again to Matthew 23:34-36. Doing so exposed me to an interesting study in John’s Gospel narrative that I think pertinent here as it relates to judging others.

Jesus spoke to the Ἰουδαῖοι (a form of Ἰουδαῖος), translated Jewish leaders. I’ll leave it in Greek here because I don’t think being Jewish had anything to do with it beyond the historical fact that they were hardened (Isaiah 6:9-12; Matthew 13:10-17) to the point of being enthralled with what I have called the religious mind.

You study the scriptures thoroughly, Jesus said to those with religious minds, because you think in them you possess eternal life, and it is these same scriptures that testify about me, but you are not willing (θέλετε, a form of θέλω) to come to me so that you may have life.^[8] He continued addressing those with religious minds: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day. It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to me.^[9] Later Jesus explained his teaching to his disciples (John 6:63-65 NET):

The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature (σὰρξ, a form of σάρξ) is of no help! The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. But there are some of you who do not believe…Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed (δεδομένον, a form of δίδωμι; literally, given) him to come” (KJV: except it were given unto him of my Father).

Then Jesus said (John 7:33-36 NET):

“I will be with you for only a little while longer, and then I am going to the one who sent me. You will look for me but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come.”

Then the Ἰουδαῖοι said to one another, “Where is he going to go that we cannot find him? He is not going to go to the Jewish people dispersed among the Greeks and teach the Greeks, is he? What did he mean by saying, ‘You will look for me but will not find me, and where I am you cannot come’?”

Then Jesus said to them again (John 8:21-24 NET):

“I am going away, and you will look for me but will die in your sin. Where I am going you cannot come.” So the Ἰουδαῖοι began to say, “Perhaps he is going to kill himself, because he says, ‘Where I am going you cannot come.’” Jesus replied, “You people are from below; I am from above. You people are from this world; I am not from this world. Thus I told you that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he, you will die in your sins.”

When Judas had gone out, Jesus said [to his remaining disciples] (John 13:31-38 NET):

“Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God is glorified in him, God will also glorify him in himself, and he will glorify him right away. Children, I am still with you for a little while. You will look for me, and just as I said to the Ἰουδαίοις, ‘Where I am going you cannot come,’ now I tell you the same.

“I give you a new commandment – to love one another. Just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. Everyone will know by this that you are my disciples – if you have love for one another.”

Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, where are you going?” Jesus replied, “Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.” Peter said to him, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you!” Jesus answered, “Will you lay down your life for me? I tell you the solemn truth, the rooster will not crow until you have denied me three times!”

Apart from the Holy Spirit we are no different than the worst of sinners or the hardest of those with religious minds. For who concedes you any superiority? Paul wrote believers in Corinth. What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as though you did not?^[10]

You were running well, Paul wrote believers in Galatia, who prevented you from obeying the truth?^[11] I was drawn here because ἐνέκοψεν, translated prevented, is a form of ἐγκόπτω like ἐνεκοπτόμην, translated I was…hindered in Romans 15:22. It’s not wrong to translate μὴ πείθεσθαι (a form of πείθω; to convince, persuade) from obeying. Several of the occurrences of forms of πείθω are linked directly to the action that conviction or persuasion produced.

The chief priests and the elders persuaded (ἔπεισαν, another form of πείθω) the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed.^[12] When Pilate asked, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?” They all said, “Crucify him!”^[13] In Lystra Jews came from Antioch and Iconium, and after winning the crowds over (πείσαντες, another form of πείθω), they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city…^[14]

Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue [in Thessalonica], as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed them from the scriptures, explaining and demonstrating that the Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead, saying, “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” Some of them were persuaded (ἐπείσθησαν, another form of πείθω) and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.^[15]

Demetrius, a silversmith in Ephesus, complained that Paul has persuaded (πείσας, another form of πείθω) and turned away a large crowd, not only in Ephesus but in practically all of the province of Asia, by saying that gods made by hands are not gods at all.^[16] A centurion was more convinced (ἐπείθετο, another form of πείθω) by the captain and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said.^[17] So he ignored Paul’s warning that the voyage is going to end in disaster^[18] and they weighed anchor and sailed close along the coast of Crete^[19] directly into a storm that ran them aground two weeks later.

So while it is not wrong to focus on the obedience aspect of forms of πείθω, it is a bit of misdirection in Galatians 5:7 since obedience was not really at issue. Believers in Galatia were all too willing to obey the commands of anyone who came along in the name of Christ. Apparently some had come preaching circumcision. Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all!^[20] He said this not to the disobedient but the overly obedient. For the act of circumcision as a body modification was meaningless to Paul vis-à-vis the Gospel of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 7:17-19 NET):

Nevertheless, as the Lord has assigned to each one, as God has called each person, so must he live. I give this sort of direction in all the churches. Was anyone called after he had been circumcised? He should not try to undo his circumcision. Was anyone called who is uncircumcised? He should not get circumcised. Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing. Instead, keeping God’s commandments is what counts.

Paul’s concern was the persuasion (πεισμονὴ, a form of πεισμονή; Galatians 5:8) that led to the obedience of circumcision. His concern was that the desire for circumcision indicated that the Galatian believers were not persuaded of the truth of the grace of Christ and were, in fact, following a different gospel.^[21] The act of circumcision among Gentile believers signified a different persuasion to Paul, a different faith that the Holy Spirit they had received was incompetent and required the aid of the σαρκὶ (a form of σάρξ), translated human effort (Galatians 3:2b-5 NET):

Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing what you heard? Are you so foolish? Although you began with the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by human effort (σαρκὶ, a form of σάρξ; literally, flesh)? Have you suffered so many things for nothing? – if indeed it was for nothing. Does God then give you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law or by your believing what you heard?

You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law have been alienated from Christ, Paul wrote obedient believers persuaded by an incorrect persuasion, you have fallen away from grace! For through the Spirit, by faith, we wait expectantly for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight – the only thing that matters is faith working through love.^[22] None of this was written to disobedient people unwilling to obey God’s commands.

The tables I used to write this essay for forms of κωλύω and πείθω follow. I’ve just become aware of the differences in the Greek between the received text (Stephanus Textus Receptus) and the parallel Greek in the NET. At those points where the form of the Greek word is different I’ve broken the table to insert the full Greek text of the verse.

Form of κωλύω	Reference	KJV	NET
ἐκωλύομεν (εκωλυσαμεν)	Mark 9:38	…we forbad him, because he followeth not us.	…we tried to stop him because he was not following us.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ἔφη αὐτῷ ὁ Ἰωάννης· διδάσκαλε, εἴδομεν τινα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι σου ἐκβάλλοντα δαιμόνια καὶ ἐκωλύομεν αὐτόν, ὅτι οὐκ ἠκολούθει ἡμῖν	απεκριθη δε αυτω ο ιωαννης λεγων διδασκαλε ειδομεν τινα τω ονοματι σου εκβαλλοντα δαιμονια ος ουκ ακολουθει ημιν και εκωλυσαμεν αυτον οτι ουκ ακολουθει ημιν	απεκριθη δε αυτω ο ιωαννης λεγων διδασκαλε ειδομεν τινα τω ονοματι σου εκβαλλοντα δαιμονια ος ουκ ακολουθει ημιν και εκωλυσαμεν αυτον οτι ουκ ακολουθει ημιν

Form of κωλύω	Reference	KJV	NET
ἐκωλύομεν (εκωλυσαμεν)	Luke 9:49	…we forbad him, because he followeth not with us.	…we tried to stop him because he is not a disciple along with us.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ Ἰωάννης εἶπεν· ἐπιστάτα, εἴδομεν τινα ἐν τῷ ὀνόματι σου ἐκβάλλοντα δαιμόνια καὶ ἐκωλύομεν αὐτόν, ὅτι οὐκ ἀκολουθεῖ μεθ᾿ ἡμῶν	αποκριθεις δε ο ιωαννης ειπεν επιστατα ειδομεν τινα επι τω ονοματι σου εκβαλλοντα τα δαιμονια και εκωλυσαμεν αυτον οτι ουκ ακολουθει μεθ ημων	αποκριθεις δε ο ιωαννης ειπεν επιστατα ειδομεν τινα επι τω ονοματι σου εκβαλλοντα δαιμονια και εκωλυσαμεν αυτον οτι ουκ ακολουθει μεθ ημων

Form of κωλύω	Reference	KJV	NET
ἐκωλύσατε	Luke 11:52	…them that were entering in ye hindered.	…you hindered those who were going in.
ἐκώλυσεν	Acts 27:43	…kept them from their purpose…	…prevented them from carrying out their plan.
ἐκώλυσεν	2 Peter 2:16	…forbad the madness of the prophet.	…restrained the prophet’s madness…
ἐκωλύθην	Romans 1:13	…but was let hitherto…	…and was prevented until now…
κωλύει	Acts 8:36	…what doth hinder me to be baptized?	What is to stop me from being baptized?
κωλύει	3 John 1:10	…and forbiddeth them that would…	…but hinders the people who want to do so…
κωλύειν	Acts 24:23	…and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister…	…and not to prevent any of his friends from meeting his needs.
κωλύεσθαι	Hebrews 7:23	…because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:	…because death prevented them from continuing in office…
κωλύετε	Matthew 19:14	…and forbid them not…	…and do not try to stop them…
	Mark 9:39	But Jesus said, Forbid him not:	But Jesus said, “Do not stop him…
	Mark 10:14	…and forbid them not:	…and do not try to stop them…
	Luke 9:50	And Jesus said unto him, Forbid him not:	But Jesus said to him, “Do not stop him…
	Luke 18:16	…and forbid them not:	…and do not try to stop them…
	1 Corinthians 14:39	…and forbid not to speak with tongues.	…and do not forbid anyone from speaking in tongues.
κωλύοντα	Luke 23:2	…and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar…	…forbidding us to pay the tribute tax to Caesar…
κωλυόντων	1 Thessalonians 2:16	…Forbidding us to speak to the Gentiles…	…because they hinder us from speaking to the Gentiles…
κωλυόντων	1 Timothy 4:3	Forbidding to marry…	They will prohibit marriage…
κωλῦσαι	Acts 10:47	Can any man forbid water…	No one can withhold the water…
κωλῦσαι	Acts 11:17	…what was I, that I could withstand God?	…who was I to hinder God?
κωλύσῃς	Luke 6:29	…forbid not to take thy coat also.	…do not withhold your tunic either.
κωλυθέντες	Acts 16:6	…and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost…	…having been prevented by the Holy Spirit…

Form of πείθω	Reference	KJV	NET
ἔπεισαν	Matthew 27:20	…chief priests and elders persuaded the multitude that they should ask…	…chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas…
ἐπείσθησαν	Acts 5:40 (39)	And to him they agreed…	[verse 39] He convinced them…
ἐπείσθησαν	Acts 17:4	And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas…	Some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas…
ἔπειθεν	Acts 18:4	…and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks.	…attempting to persuade them.
ἐπείθετο	Acts 27:11	Nevertheless the centurion believed the master…	But the centurion was more convinced by the captain…
ἔπειθον	Acts 13:43	…persuaded them to continue in the grace of God.	…and were persuading them to continue in the grace of God.
ἐπείθοντο	Acts 5:36	…as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought.	…all who followed him were dispersed and nothing came of it.
	Acts 5:37	…even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed.	…and all who followed him were scattered.
	Acts 28:24	And some believed the things which were spoken…	Some were convinced by what he said…
ἐπεποίθει	Luke 11:22	…he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted…	…he takes away the first man’s armor on which the man relied…
πείσαντες	Acts 12:20	…having made Blastus the king’s chamberlain their friend…	And after convincing Blastus, the king’s personal assistant…
πείσαντες	Acts 14:19	…who persuaded the people, and, having stoned Paul, drew him out…	…and after winning the crowds over, they stoned Paul and dragged him out…
πείσας	Acts 19:26	…Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people…	…Paul has persuaded and turned away a large crowd…
πείσομεν	Matthew 28:14	…we will persuade him, and secure you.	…we will satisfy him and keep you out…
πείσομεν	1 John 3:19	…and shall assure our hearts before him.	…and will convince our conscience in his…
πεισθῇς	Acts 23:21	But do not thou yield unto them:	So do not let them persuade you to do…
πεισθήσονται	Luke 16:31	If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead.	If they do not respond to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.
πείθεις	Acts 26:28	Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.	…are you persuading me to become a Christian?
πείθεσθαι	Galatians 5:7	…who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?	…who prevented you from obeying the truth?
πείθεσθαι	James 3:3	…put bits in the horses’ mouths, that they may obey us…	…put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us…
Πείθεσθε	Hebrews 13:17	Obey them that have the rule over you…	Obey your leaders and submit to them…
πείθω	Galatians 1:10	For do I now persuade men, or God?	Am I now trying to gain the approval of people, or of God?
πείθων	Acts 19:8	…disputing and persuading the things concerning the kingdom of God.	…addressing and convincing them about the kingdom of God.
πείθων	Acts 28:23	…persuading them concerning Jesus…	…and trying to convince them about Jesus…
πείθομαι	Acts 26:26	…for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him…	…because I cannot believe that any of these things has escaped his notice…
πείθομεν	2 Corinthians 5:11	…we persuade men…	…we try to persuade people…
πειθομένοις	Romans 2:8	…and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness…	…do not obey the truth but follow unrighteousness.
πειθομένου	Acts 21:14	And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased…	Because he could not be persuaded, we said no more…
πειθόμεθα (πεποιθαμεν)	Hebrews 13:18	…for we trust we have a good conscience…	…for we are sure that we have a clear conscience…

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Προσεύχεσθε περὶ ἡμῶν· πειθόμεθα γὰρ ὅτι καλὴν συνείδησιν ἔχομεν, ἐν πᾶσιν καλῶς θέλοντες ἀναστρέφεσθαι	προσευχεσθε περι ημων πεποιθαμεν γαρ οτι καλην συνειδησιν εχομεν εν πασιν καλως θελοντες αναστρεφεσθαι	προσευχεσθε περι ημων πεποιθαμεν γαρ οτι καλην συνειδησιν εχομεν εν πασιν καλως θελοντες αναστρεφεσθαι

Form of πείθω	Reference	KJV	NET
πέπεισμαι	Romans 8:38	For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life…	For I am convinced that neither death, nor life…
	Romans 14:14	I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus…	I know and am convinced in the Lord Jesus…
	Romans 15:14	And I myself also am persuaded of you…	But I myself am fully convinced about you…
	2 Timothy 1:5	…and I am persuaded that in thee also.	…and I am sure is in you.
	2 Timothy 1:12	…and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him…	…and I am convinced that he is able to protect what has been entrusted to me…
πεπεισμένος	Luke 20:6	…for they be persuaded that John was a prophet.	…they are convinced that John was a prophet.
Πεπείσμεθα	Hebrews 6:9	…we are persuaded better things of you, and things that accompany salvation…	…we are convinced of better things relating to salvation.
πέποιθα	Galatians 5:10	I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded…	I am confident in the Lord that you will accept no other view.
πέποιθα	Philippians 2:24	…I trust in the Lord that I also myself shall come shortly.	…I am confident in the Lord that I too will be coming to see you soon.
πεποίθαμεν	2 Thessalonians 3:4	And we have confidence in the Lord touching you…	And we are confident about you in the Lord…
πέποιθας	Romans 2:19	And art confident that thou thyself art a guide of the blind…	…if you are convinced that you yourself are a guide to the blind…
πέποιθεν	Matthew 27:43	He trusted in God; let him deliver him now, if he will have him:	*He trusts* in God – let God, if he wants to, deliver him now…
πέποιθεν	2 Corinthians 10:7	If any man trust to himself that he is Christ’s…	If anyone is confident that he belongs to Christ…
πεποιθέναι	Philippians 3:4	…thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh…	…thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials…
πεποιθὼς	2 Corinthians 2:3	…having confidence in you all, that my joy is the joy of you all.	…since I am confident in you all that my joy would be yours.
	Philippians 1:6	Being confident of this very thing…	For I am sure of this very thing…
	Philippians 1:25	And having this confidence…	And since I am sure of this…
	Philemon 1:21	Having confidence in thy obedience…	Since I was confident that you would obey…
	Hebrews 2:13	…I will put my trust in him.	…I will be confident in him…
πεποιθοτας	Mark 10:24	…how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter…	omitted
	Luke 18:9	…unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous…	…to some who were confident that they were righteous…
	Philippians 1:14	…in the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds…	…having confidence in the Lord because of my imprisonment…
πεποιθότες	2 Corinthians 1:9	…that we should not trust in ourselves…	…so that we would not trust in ourselves…
πεποιθότες	Philippians 3:3	…and have no confidence in the flesh.	…and do not rely on human credentials…

Romans, Part 89

^[1] Romans 15:22 (NET)

^[2] Romans 15:20, 21 (NET)

^[3] Kenneth Berding, “Paul’s Fourth Missionary Journey (And I Don’t Mean His Trip to Rome),” The Good Book Blog

^[4] Romans 15:23, 24 (NET)

^[5] Jeremiah 31:34b (Tanakh) Table

^[6] Luke 6:37 (NET)

^[7] 1 Timothy 4:10b (NET)

^[8] John 5:39, 40 (NET)

^[9] John 6:44, 45 (NET)

^[10] 1 Corinthians 4:7 (NET)

^[11] Galatians 5:7 (NET)

^[12] Matthew 27:20 (NET)

^[13] Matthew 27:22 (NET)

^[14] Acts 14:19 (NET) Table

^[15] Acts 17:2-4 (NET)

^[16] Acts 19:26 (NET)

^[17] Acts 27:11 (NET)

^[18] Acts 27:10a (NET)

^[19] Acts 27:13b (NET)

^[20] Galatians 5:2 (NET)

^[21] Galatians 1:6 (NET)

^[22] Galatians 5:4-6 (NET) Table

Romans, Part 6

Posted on August 2, 2012 by admin

The children who came of age in a population where the worship of created things was firmly established know better than anyone that the worship of created things is a waste of time and effort. At that moment they have an opportunity to turn back to the worship of the living God, but if their ἀσέβεια (ungodliness) is not overcome by the Spirit of God, the word of God, faith in the Lord Jesus, and being born from above they are more likely to take the next logical step.

Unrighteous Worship

The Wrath of God Revealed from Heaven

And just as they did not see (ἐδοκίμασαν, a form of δοκιμάζω) fit (ἔχειν, a form of ἔχω) to acknowledge (ἐπιγνώσει, a form of ἐπίγνωσις) God…

Romans 1:28a NET

God gave them over (παρέδωκεν, a form of παραδίδωμι) to a depraved (ἀδόκιμον, a form of ἀδόκιμος) mind, to do what should not be done.

Romans 1:28b NET

I think the King James translation of the first part of Romans 1:28a can really help here: And even as they did not like (ἐδοκίμασαν, a form of δοκιμάζω) to retain (ἔχειν, a form of ἔχω) God in their knowledge (ἐπιγνώσει, a form of ἐπίγνωσις)… Paul used the word ἐχέτω (another form of ἔχω) in the sense of having a wife or a husband in 1 Corinthians 7:2 (KJV): let every man have (ἐχέτω) his own wife, and let every woman have (ἐχέτω) her own husband. Considering where all this is leading—you also died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you could be joined to another, to the one who was raised from the dead, to bear fruit to God¹—the double entendre of ἔχω intrigues me. It is something like, even as they did not approve of having God in their knowledge.

Approve is both a possible and likely meaning for ἐδοκίμασαν (a form of δοκιμάζω) in Romans 1:28. It comes from δόκιμος. And the negation of δόκιμος, ἀδόκιμος (ἀδόκιμον), is the unapproved (NET, depraved; KJV, reprobate) mind the Lord gave those who did not approve of having Him in their minds. All of that beautiful logical symmetry is lost in both translations in favor of emotionally charged language that fails to communicate that the mind He gave them over to is unapproved, perhaps even untested, by God. If the lake of fire,² or the outer darkness,³ is the place where the omnipresent God is not, this unapproved mind is as close as a human being can come to it here and now.

Romans 1:28 is the first usage in the New Testament of ἐπιγνώσει (a form of ἐπίγνωσις). Paul used it two other times in this letter: 1) For no one is declared righteous before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge (ἐπίγνωσις) of sin;⁴ and, 2) For I can testify that [my fellow Israelites] are zealous for God, but their zeal is not in line with the truth⁵ (ἐπίγνωσιν, another form of ἐπίγνωσις). Though Paul doesn’t say it directly I think he has used ἐπίγνωσις⁶ in Greek for the Hebrew word יָדַע (yâdaʽ).

The early history of יָדַע (yâdaʽ) must have been in Paul’s thoughts as he penned Romans.⁷ The first occurrence of יָדַע (yâdaʽ) is from the mouth of the cunning serpent: The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die, for God knows (yâdaʽ, ידע) that when you eat from it⁸ your eyes will open and you will be like divine beings who know (yâdaʽ, ידעי) good and evil.”⁹ Adam and Eve believed the serpent and ate the forbidden fruit. Then the eyes of both of them opened, and they knew (yâdaʽ, וידעו) they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.¹⁰ And the Lord God said, “Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing (yâdaʽ, לדעת) good and evil, he must not be allowed to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.” So the Lord God expelled him from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken.¹¹

It seems to me that Paul must have been thinking about God’s promises through Jeremiah as he wrote Romans 9-11. I will give them the desire to acknowledge (yâdaʽ, לדעת) that I am the Lord. I will be their God and they will be my people. For they will wholeheartedly return to me.¹² “People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know (yâdaʽ, דעו) me. For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know (yâdaʽ, ידעו) me,” says the Lord. “For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”¹³ So while the desire for the ידעי (yâdaʽ) of good and evil led to sin and death, the ידעו (yâdaʽ) of God is the way back to righteousness and life.

One more thing about יָדַע (yâdaʽ) bears mentioning and bundles everything together with Paul’s understanding—you also died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you could be joined to another, to the one who was raised from the dead, to bear fruit to God.¹⁴ Now the man had marital relations (yâdaʽ, ידע) with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain.¹⁵ So יָדַע (yâdaʽ) (and ἐπίγνωσις, I think,) describes an intimate form of knowing, much more than a casual acquaintance.

God gave them over to a depraved, reprobate or unapproved (ἀδόκιμον, a form of ἀδόκιμος) mind, and this led inexorably to the social situation we all know intimately (Romans 1:29-31 NET):

They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness,¹⁶ wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless,¹⁷ ruthless.

One final thing should be noted about this unapproved mind. Left to our own devices we not only practice this worship of unrighteousness, we promote it with missionary zeal. Although they fully know (ἐπιγνόντες, a form of ἐπιγινώσκω) God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them.¹⁸

Addendum: May 29, 2020
Tables comparing Genesis 3:4; 3:5; 3:7; 3:22; 3:23; Jeremiah 24:7; 31:34; Genesis 4:1; 2:16 and 2:17 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and Genesis 3:4; 3:5; 3:7; 3:22; 3:23; Jeremiah 24:7; 31:34 (38:34); Genesis 4:1; 2:16 and 2:17 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow. Following those are tables comparing Romans 1:29 and 1:31 in the NET and KJV.

Genesis 3:4 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:4 (KJV)	Genesis 3:4 (NET)
And the serpent said unto the woman: ‘Ye shall not surely die;	And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:	The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die,

Genesis 3:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 3:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ὄφις τῇ γυναικί οὐ θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῗσθε	καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ὄφις τῇ γυναικί· οὐ θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε
Genesis 3:4 (NETS)	Genesis 3:4 (English Elpenor)
And the snake said to the woman, “You will not die by death,	And the serpent said to the woman, Ye shall not surely die.

Genesis 3:5 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:5 (KJV)	Genesis 3:5 (NET)
for G-d doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as G-d, knowing good and evil.’	For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.	for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Genesis 3:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 3:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ᾔδει γὰρ ὁ θεὸς ὅτι ἐν ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ διανοιχθήσονται ὑμῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοί καὶ ἔσεσθε ὡς θεοὶ γινώσκοντες καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν	ᾔδει γὰρ ὁ Θεός, ὅτι ᾗ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, διανοιχθήσονται ὑμῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ καὶ ἔσεσθε ὡς θεοί, γινώσκοντες καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν
Genesis 3:5 (NETS)	Genesis 3:5 (English Elpenor)
for God knew that on the day you eat of it, your eyes would be opened, and you would be like gods knowing good and evil.”	For God knew that in whatever day ye should eat of it your eyes would be opened, and ye would be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Genesis 3:7 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:7 (KJV)	Genesis 3:7 (NET)
And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves girdles.	And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.	Then the eyes of both of them opened, and they knew they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Genesis 3:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 3:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ διηνοίχθησαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ τῶν δύο καὶ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι γυμνοὶ ἦσαν καὶ ἔρραψαν φύλλα συκῆς καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῗς περιζώματα	καὶ διηνοίχθησαν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ τῶν δύο, καὶ ἔγνωσαν ὅτι γυμνοὶ ἦσαν, καὶ ἔρραψαν φύλλα συκῆς καὶ ἐποίησαν ἑαυτοῖς περιζώματα
Genesis 3:7 (NETS)	Genesis 3:7 (English Elpenor)
And the eyes of the two were opened, and they knew that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together and made loincloths for themselves.	And the eyes of both were opened, and they perceived that they were naked, and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons to go round them.

Genesis 3:22 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:22 (KJV)	Genesis 3:22 (NET)
And HaShem G-d said: ‘Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil; and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever.’	And the LORD God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, to know good and evil: and now, lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of life, and eat, and live for ever:	And the Lord God said, “Now that the man has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, he must not be allowed to stretch out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”

Genesis 3:22 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 3:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ θεός ἰδοὺ Αδαμ γέγονεν ὡς εἷς ἐξ ἡμῶν τοῦ γινώσκειν καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν καὶ νῦν μήποτε ἐκτείνῃ τὴν χεῗρα καὶ λάβῃ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς καὶ φάγῃ καὶ ζήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα	καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεός· ἰδοὺ ᾿Αδὰμ γέγονεν ὡς εἷς ἐξ ἡμῶν, τοῦ γινώσκειν καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν· καὶ νῦν μή ποτε ἐκτείνῃ τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ καὶ λάβῃ ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου τῆς ζωῆς καὶ φάγῃ καὶ ζήσεται εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα
Genesis 3:22 (NETS)	Genesis 3:22 (English Elpenor)
Then God said, “See, Adam has become like one of us, knowing good and evil, and now perhaps he might reach out his hand and take of the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”	And God said, Behold, Adam is become as one of us, to know good and evil, and now lest at any time he stretch forth his hand, and take of the tree of life and eat, and [so] he shall live forever–

Genesis 3:23 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:23 (KJV)	Genesis 3:23 (NET)
Therefore HaShem G-d sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.	Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken.	So the Lord God expelled him from the orchard in Eden to cultivate the ground from which he had been taken.

Genesis 3:23 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 3:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν αὐτὸν κύριος ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τοῦ παραδείσου τῆς τρυφῆς ἐργάζεσθαι τὴν γῆν ἐξ ἧς ἐλήμφθη	καὶ ἐξαπέστειλεν αὐτὸν Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ἐκ τοῦ παραδείσου τῆς τρυφῆς ἐργάζεσθαι τὴν γῆν, ἐξ ἧς ἐλήφθη
Genesis 3:23 (NETS)	Genesis 3:23 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord God sent him forth from the orchard of delight to till the earth from which he was taken.	So the Lord God sent him forth out of the garden of Delight to cultivate the ground out of which he was taken.

Jeremiah 24:7 (Tanakh)	Jeremiah 24:7 (KJV)	Jeremiah 24:7 (NET)
And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.	And I will give them an heart to know me, that I am the LORD: and they shall be my people, and I will be their God: for they shall return unto me with their whole heart.	I will give them the desire to acknowledge that I am the Lord. I will be their God and they will be my people. For they will wholeheartedly return to me.’

Jeremiah 24:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Jeremiah 24:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ δώσω αὐτοῗς καρδίαν τοῦ εἰδέναι αὐτοὺς ἐμὲ ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος καὶ ἔσονταί μοι εἰς λαόν καὶ ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτοῗς εἰς θεόν ὅτι ἐπιστραφήσονται ἐπ᾽ ἐμὲ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν	καὶ δώσω αὐτοῖς καρδίαν τοῦ εἰδέναι αὐτοὺς ἐμέ, ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος, καὶ ἔσονταί μοι εἰς λαόν, καὶ ἐγὼ ἔσομαι αὐτοῖς εἰς Θεόν, ὅτι ἐπιστραφήσονται ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἐξ ὅλης τῆς καρδίας αὐτῶν
Jeremiah 24:7 (NETS)	Jeremiah 24:7 (English Elpenor)
And I will give them a heart that they may know me, that I am the Lord, and they shall become a people to me, and I shall become a god to them, because they shall return to me with their whole heart.	And I will give them a heart to know me, that I am the Lord: and they shall be to me a people, and I will be to them a God: for they shall turn to me with all their heart.

Jeremiah 31:34 (Tanakh)	Jeremiah 31:34 (KJV)	Jeremiah 31:34 (NET)
And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.	And they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD: for I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.	“People will no longer need to teach their neighbors and relatives to know me. For all of them, from the least important to the most important, will know me,” says the Lord. “For I will forgive their sin and will no longer call to mind the wrong they have done.”

Jeremiah 31:34 (Septuagint BLB)	Jeremiah 38:34 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οὐ μὴ διδάξωσιν ἕκαστος τὸν πολίτην αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ λέγων γνῶθι τὸν κύριον ὅτι πάντες εἰδήσουσίν με ἀπὸ μικροῦ αὐτῶν καὶ ἕως μεγάλου αὐτῶν ὅτι ἵλεως ἔσομαι ταῗς ἀδικίαις αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ ἔτι	καὶ οὐ μὴ διδάξωσιν ἕκαστος τὸν πολίτην αὐτοῦ καὶ ἕκαστος τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ λέγων· γνῶθι τὸν Κύριον· ὅτι πάντες εἰδήσουσί με ἀπὸ μικροῦ αὐτῶν ἕως μεγάλου αὐτῶν, ὅτι ἵλεως ἔσομαι ταῖς ἀδικίαις αὐτῶν καὶ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν αὐτῶν οὐ μὴ μνησθῶ ἔτι
Jeremiah 38:34 (NETS)	Jeremiah 38:34 (English Elpenor)
And they shall not teach, each his fellow citizen and each his brother, saying, “Know the Lord,” because they shall all know me, from their small even to their great, because I will be gracious regarding their injustices, and remember their sins no more.	And they shall not at all teach every one his [fellow] citizen, and every one his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least of them to the greatest of them: for I will be merciful to their iniquities, and their sins I will remember no more.

Genesis 4:1 (Tanakh)	Genesis 4:1 (KJV)	Genesis 4:1 (NET)
And the man knew Eve his wife; and she conceived and bore Cain, and said: ‘I have gotten a man with the help of HaShem.’	And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.	Now the man was intimate with his wife Eve, and she became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. Then she said, “I have created a man just as the Lord did!”

Genesis 4:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 4:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
Αδαμ δὲ ἔγνω Ευαν τὴν γυναῗκα αὐτοῦ καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκεν τὸν Καιν καὶ εἶπεν ἐκτησάμην ἄνθρωπον διὰ τοῦ θεοῦ	ΑΔΑΜ δὲ ἔγνω Εὔαν τὴν γυναῖκα αὐτοῦ, καὶ συλλαβοῦσα ἔτεκε τὸν Κάϊν καὶ εἶπεν· ἐκτησάμην ἄνθρωπον διὰ τοῦ Θεοῦ
Genesis 4:1 (NETS)	Genesis 4:1 (English Elpenor)
Now Adam knew his wife Heua, and after she had conceived she bore Kain and said, “I have acquired a man through God.”	AND Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and brought forth Cain and said, I have gained a man through God.

Genesis 2:16 (Tanakh)	Genesis 2:16 (KJV)	Genesis 2:16 (NET)
And HaShem G-d commanded the man, saying: ‘Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat;	And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:	Then the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard,

Genesis 2:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 2:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐνετείλατο κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῷ Αδαμ λέγων ἀπὸ παντὸς ξύλου τοῦ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ βρώσει φάγῃ	καὶ ἐνετείλατο Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ ᾿Αδὰμ λέγων· ἀπὸ παντὸς ξύλου τοῦ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ βρώσει φαγῇ
Genesis 2:16 (NETS)	Genesis 2:16 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord God commanded Adam, saying, “You shall eat for food of every tree that is in the orchard,	And the Lord God gave a charge to Adam, saying, Of every tree which is in the garden thou mayest freely eat,

Genesis 2:17 (Tanakh)	Genesis 2:17 (KJV)	Genesis 2:17 (NET)
but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.’	But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.	but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die.”

Genesis 2:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 2:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ξύλου τοῦ γινώσκειν καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν οὐ φάγεσθε ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ᾗ δ᾽ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῗσθε	ἀπὸ δὲ τοῦ ξύλου τοῦ γινώσκειν καλὸν καὶ πονηρόν, οὐ φάγεσθε ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ· ᾗ δ᾿ ἂν ἡμέρᾳ φάγητε ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, θανάτῳ ἀποθανεῖσθε
Genesis 2:17 (NETS)	Genesis 2:17 (English Elpenor)
but of the tree for knowing good and evil, of it you shall not eat; on the day that you eat of it, you shall die by death.”	but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil– of it ye shall not eat, but in whatsoever day ye eat of it, ye shall surely die.

Romans 1:29 (NET)	Romans 1:29 (KJV)
They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips,	Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
πεπληρωμένους πάσῃ ἀδικίᾳ πονηρίᾳ πλεονεξίᾳ κακίᾳ, μεστοὺς φθόνου φόνου ἔριδος δόλου κακοηθείας, ψιθυριστάς	πεπληρωμενους παση αδικια πορνεια πονηρια πλεονεξια κακια μεστους φθονου φονου εριδος δολου κακοηθειας ψιθυριστας	πεπληρωμενους παση αδικια πορνεια πονηρια πλεονεξια κακια μεστους φθονου φονου εριδος δολου κακοηθειας ψιθυριστας

Romans 1:31 (NET)	Romans 1:31 (KJV)
senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless.	Without understanding, covenantbreakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful:

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἀσυνέτους ἀσυνθέτους ἀστόργους ἀνελεήμονας	ασυνετους ασυνθετους αστοργους ασπονδους ανελεημονας	ασυνετους ασυνθετους αστοργους ασπονδους ανελεημονας

Romans, Part 7

Back to Romans, Part 5

Back to David’s Forgiveness, Part 4

Back to Romans, Part 24

Back to Condemnation or Judgment? – Part 16

Back to Father, Forgive Them, Part 3

Back to Son of God – 1 John, Part 2

Back to Fear – Exodus, Part 6

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 1

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 2

Back to Romans, Part 42

Back to Apostles and Prophets, Part 1

Back to Romans, Part 58

Back to To Make Holy, Part 2

Back to Romans, Part 88

Back to Atonement, Part 1

Back to Romans, Part 61

Back to Westworld, Part 3

Back to Westworld, Part 4

Back to The New Covenant, Part 1

Back to Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Part 6

Back to The Day of the Lord, Part 1

Back to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Part 7

Back to Father, Son and Holy Spirit, Part 9

Back to Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Part 10

Back to Keep Yourselves from Idols, Part 1

Back to Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Part 11

¹ Romans 7:4 (NET)

² Revelation 19:20; 20:10, 14, 15 (NET)

³ Matthew 8:12; 22:13; 25:30 (NET)

⁴ Romans 3:20 (NET)

⁵ Romans 10:2 (NET)

⁶ The Septuagint used forms of εἴδω and γινώσκω for the verses quoted in Genesis (3:5 ᾔδει, γινώσκοντες; 3:7 ἔγνωσαν; 3:22 γινώσκειν) and in Jeremiah (24:7 εἰδέναι; 31:34 γνῶθι, εἰδήσουσίν). I think Paul used forms of ἐπίγνωσις to add that intimate sense of knowing, following 1 Corinthians 13:12b (NET): Now I know (γινώσκω) in part, but then I will know fully (ἐπιγνώσομαι, a form of ἐπιγινώσκω), just as I have been fully known (ἐπεγνώσθην, another form of ἐπιγινώσκω).

⁷ cf. Romans 5:12-21

⁸ Then the Lord God commanded the man, “You may freely eat fruit from every tree of the orchard, but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will surely die.” Genesis 2:16, 17 (NET)

⁹ Genesis 3:4, 5 (NET)

¹⁰ Genesis 3:7 (NET)

¹¹ Genesis 3:22, 23 (NET)

¹² Jeremiah 24:7 (NET)

¹³ Jeremiah 31:34 (NET)

¹⁴ Romans 7:4 (NET)

¹⁵ Genesis 4:1 (NET)

¹⁶ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πορνεια (KJV: fornication) following unrighteousness. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁷ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ασπονδους (KJV: implacable) following heartless (KJV: without natural affection). The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁸ Romans 1:32 (NET)

The Gospel and the Religious Mind

An attempt to distinguish the mind of Christ from the ordinary religious mind.

Tag Archives: Jeremiah 31:34

The New Covenant, Part 1

Atonement, Part 1

Romans, Part 88

Romans, Part 6