Matthew 8:23-34

Posted on September 16, 2024 by admin

This passage was assigned in the preaching course I’m taking. It is extra to any assignment in the book:

Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon, 3^rd Edition by Bryan Chapell

It’s preface is Jesus’ response to an unnamed disciple asking leave to bury his father: Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.¹

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.² And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they³ went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we⁴ are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”

And when he came⁵ to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes,⁶ two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way. And behold, they cried out, “What have you to do with us, O⁷ Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the time?” Now a herd of many pigs was feeding at some distance from them. And the demons⁸ begged (παρεκάλουν, a form of παρακαλέω) him, saying, “If you cast us out, send us away⁹ into the herd of pigs.” And he said to them, “Go.” So they came out and went into the pigs, and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the waters [Table]. The herdsmen fled, and going into the city they told everything, especially what had happened to the demon-possessed men. And behold, all the city came out to meet¹⁰ Jesus, and when they saw him, they begged (παρεκάλεσαν, another form of παρακαλέω) him to leave their region.¹¹

The assignment was to determine the SOS, EMP, CTA and RTC for this passage. These acronyms are my Pastor’s technique for establishing a Fallen Condition Focus (FCF). The acronyms mean: Source of Sorrow (SOS), Empowering Grace (EMP), Call to Action (CTA) and Road to Christ (RTC).

Source of Sorrow (SOS)

No one but the demons recognized Jesus as God in human flesh: two demon-possessed men met¹² Jesus and cried out, “What have you to do with us, O Son of God?¹³ In the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text they even called Him by name: Jesus (ιησου).

John made it clear that Nathanael was a possible exception (John 1:47-49 ESV):

Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?” Jesus¹⁴ answered him, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.” Nathanael answered¹⁵ him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the¹⁶ King of Israel!”

But Nathanael, perhaps better known as Bartholomew, was either not present or profoundly silent in these two stories. Matthew acknowledged Peter and John as potentially among those disciples who followed him (ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ) into the boat¹⁷ (Matthew 4:18-22 ESV).

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen [Table]. And he said to them, “Follow me (δεῦτε ὀπίσω μου), and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him (ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ). And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him (ἠκολούθησαν αὐτῷ).

The Holy Spirit had not yet revealed Jesus’ identity to Peter (Matthew 16:15-17 ESV):

[Jesus] said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven [Table].

It would be many years before John wrote his majestic description of Jesus (John 1:1-5, 14 ESV):

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it…

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

At this particular time Peter and John were apparently among the men (ἄνθρωποι, a form of ἄνθρωπος) who marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this (ποταπός ἐστιν οὗτος), that even winds and sea obey (ὑπακούουσιν, a form of ὑπακούω) him?”¹⁸ It caught my attention that Matthew and the Holy Spirit called them men here rather than disciples. It reminded me of Paul’s complaint to the Corinthians over a different issue: are you not of the flesh and behaving only in a human way (κατὰ ἄνθρωπον, another form of ἄνθρωπος)?¹⁹ Presumably, the men continued to accompany Jesus, but disciples followed him as Lord and Christ, the Son of God in human flesh.

Jesus’ disciples are not mentioned again in Matthew’s Gospel account until he was called by Jesus (Matthew 9:9, 10 ESV).

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples (τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ).

Empowering Grace (EMP)

Jesus is God in human flesh (Matthew 17:1-9 ESV).

…Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light [Table]. And behold, there appeared²⁰ to them Moses²¹ and Elijah, talking with him. And Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make²² three tents here, one for you and one for Moses²³ and one for Elijah.” He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” When the disciples heard this, they fell²⁴ on their faces and were terrified (ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα). But Jesus came and touched²⁵ them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear (φοβεῖσθε, another form of φοβέω).” And when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

And as they were coming down²⁶ the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised²⁷ from the dead.”

I’m more like Peter than I want to admit. Confronted with an unimaginable circumstance, his mind scrambled to make sense of it by latching on to an application, what he could, or should, do to make sense of it all. Whether I will make (ποιήσω in the NA²⁷ and NA²⁸) or let us make (ποιησωμεν in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text) is the more original text, the point is the same: Peter alone will make, or enlist James and John and lead them to make, three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.²⁸

As he made Jesus equal to Moses the lawgiver and Elijah the prophet who was taken up into heaven in a fiery chariot, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud²⁹ gave Peter the true understanding of the vision: This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.³⁰ And the voice terrified Peter with the true application, what he should do in response to this vision: listen to him.³¹

Matthew recorded an incident which occurred the night Jesus was arrested: And behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand and drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.³² It is easy, perhaps, to muddle the significance of this action. Only John, many years later named the assailant of the high priest’s servant: Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear.³³

Peter had made his motive and intent quite clear to Jesus (Matthew 16:21, 22 ESV):

From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”

And Jesus had made his assessment of Peter’s motive and intent quite clear to Peter (Matthew 16:23 ESV):

But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me (ὕπαγε ὀπίσω μου), Satan (σατανᾶ, a form of σατανᾶς)! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man” [Table].

Matthew also recorded Jesus’ response to Peter’s drawn sword (Matthew 26:52, 53 ESV [Table]):

Then Jesus said to him, “Put your sword back into its place. For all who take the sword will perish by the sword. Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels?

I have no idea if Peter thought that or not. He had seen Jesus demonstrate his power and authority over the winds and the sea (Matthew 8:26b ESV) and over demons (Matthew 8:32b ESV). I assume he thought that Jesus, if properly motivated, could end all that transpired that night with a word. But Peter had also witnessed how patient and gracious Jesus was in response to the pleas of his frightened disciples (Matthew 8:25-26), demons (Matthew 8:29-32) and even Gentile villagers who begged Him to leave (Matthew 8:33-34). The postscript to these two stories reads (Matthew 9:1 ESV):

And getting into a³⁴ boat he crossed over and came to his own city.

Call to Action (CTA)

The Call to Action is implied in the first verse of the passage: his disciples followed him (Matthew 8:23b ESV), bolstered by the preface, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.”³⁵ But how?

Peter followed Jesus literally for a few years. A voice from a bright cloud warned him to listen to Jesus after he had rebuked Jesus for saying that He would be killed, and on the third day be raised. Later Jesus said, “You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified.”³⁶ But Peter’s drawn sword indicates that he held fast to his own religious belief: This shall never happen to you.

Jesus had instructed his disciples earlier that night (Matthew 26:31, 32 ESV):

“You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered’ [Table]. But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.”

He applied the prophetic Scripture to his disciples (Zechariah 13:7 [Table]):

“Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, against the man who stands next to me,” declares the Lord of hosts.
“Strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered; I will turn my hand against the little ones.

Peter listened neither to Jesus nor the prophet Zechariah (Matthew 26:33 ESV):

Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away” [Table].

So Jesus prophesied to Peter (Matthew 26:34 ESV):

Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.”

But Peter refused to listen to Him and encouraged, if not led, the rest of Jesus’ disciples to follow his mutiny (Matthew 26:35 ESV):

Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

Frankly, I’ve never heard a sermon on Peter’s denial of Christ that didn’t at least imply an application that Peter should have played the man and proved both Jesus’ word and the Scripture false. Peter and the other disciples had one simple task to perform that night: Scatter. Stay alive. And then they were to regroup in Galilee three days later after Jesus’ resurrection.

So now, I see Peter, standing with his drawn sword, defying the will of God, the prophetic Scripture and Jesus Christ. Had he succeeded in his mission he would have become the enemy of every person alive at that time, every person who had ever lived up to that time, and every person who will live since that time, by robbing them of God’s salvation through his Son Jesus the Christ. Jesus didn’t let Peter succeed as his, and our, “enemy” or “adversary.”

He asked Peter a question (Matthew 26:54-56 ESV):

“But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?” At that hour Jesus said to the crowds, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I sat in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me [Table]. But all this has taken place that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled.” Then all the disciples left him and fled.

Road to Christ (RTC)

Peter’s time with Jesus wasn’t wasted. Once he and Jesus’ other disciples received the indwelling Holy Spirit sent by the Father, they were dramatically changed that very day. And here my likeness to Peter abruptly ends. Though I had received Jesus’ Holy Spirit after asking to know God, though I received a voracious appetite for the Bible after I received his Holy Spirit after I asked to know God, it wasn’t long before my religious mind came roaring back with a vengeance.

“Follow me,” Jesus’ oft repeated³⁷ command stirred me but didn’t seem particularly practical since his ascension. I squandered most of my appetite and the God-given energy to satisfy that appetite in the early years searching the Bible for applications: rules I could obey to prove what I could do for God.

It took many years to realize that I could sit down with God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and follow Him through the Bible, and get to know Him through the Scriptures. Duh! It took even more time to realize that knowing Him through his word and his Spirit transformed me into his likeness far better than any desire or effort of mine. And it took many more years for me to stop feeling guilty about all the time I “wasted” studying the Bible with Him when I “should” have been “doing” something “more productive.”

A voice from a bright cloud commanded Peter, James and John: listen (ἀκούετε, a form of ἀκούω) to him. Luke recorded a story about a woman who did just that, though she had never heard a voice from a bright cloud (Luke 10:38-40 ESV):

Now³⁸ as they went on their way, Jesus³⁹ entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.⁴⁰ And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened (ἤκουεν, another form of ἀκούω) to his teaching [Table]. But Martha was distracted with much serving (πολλὴν διακονίαν, a form of διακονία). And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve (διακονεῖν, an infinitive form of διακονέω) alone? Tell her then to help me.”

Jesus’ answer to Martha played no small role in helping me overcome my guilt studying the Bible, for Martha was directly serving Jesus’ immediate needs when he answered her (Luke 10:41, 42 ESV):

But the Lord⁴¹ answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled⁴² about many things, but one thing is necessary (χρεία). Mary⁴³ has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from⁴⁴ her.”

I recall being moved by a sermon on this story when I was young. It’s difficult to date when, but I must have been between nine and eleven. I could read the Bible and I was still talking to my mother about things like my reactions to a sermon. She hadn’t liked it. I don’t remember her words, only the emotional response I had to them; namely, that Jesus was unnecessarily harsh with Martha, and ultimately unfair to her. I did notice that preachers and Sunday school teachers covered for Jesus quite often, when He seemed unnecessarily harsh and ultimately unfair to people. Over time, I suppose, I just began to assume that Jesus was unnecessarily harsh and ultimately unfair to people.

I should probably get back to the text I’m supposed to be studying (Matthew 8:26a ESV):

And [Jesus] said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?”

My assumption that Jesus was unnecessarily harsh and ultimately unfair to people coupled with the belief that faith was not a gift of God but entirely up to me, made Jesus’ words fairly meaningless. Rather, the meaning I ascribed to them had nothing to do with Jesus’ words. O you of little faith might as well have been “O you damned destined to burn in the lake of fire for all eternity!” That made his question unintelligible except as an expletive of utter exasperation, resignation or despair.

Who in his right mind would even want to hang out with this guy, much less follow him? But it is hard to imagine anything more painfully obvious in the Gospel accounts of Jesus’ ministry on earth than this: sinners liked to hang out with Jesus. It was those with religious minds who wanted Him dead.

Paul wrote, when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand.⁴⁵ And I prove his word true every moment of every day I live. Eventually, the Holy Spirit got me to take on O you of little faith directly. Looking at Greek text was still kind of a new thing for me. My first thought was that the phrase wasn’t even there. But by carefully looking up every word in the verse, I discovered that the “phrase” was one word in Greek: ὀλιγόπιστοι, a plural form of the adjective ὀλιγόπιστος.

What!?

My high school French came to mind: “My little cabbage” may not be exactly what I want to be called by anyone, but it was received as an endearing term by enough French-speaking people that mon petit chou was taught in my first semester class. It began to dawn on me that ὀλιγόπιστοι was Jesus’ pet name for his disciples: “my little faiths, my incredulous.” Only then did I fully recognize that He didn’t refuse to calm the storm because his “little faiths” were afraid: Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm.⁴⁶

I want to consider this storm before taking on Jesus’ question directly. I don’t spend much time on the water. I’ve spent most of my life in the middle of the United States of America. So, apart from the occasional tornado, a storm is something that happens in the sky. They are usually enjoyable to watch if one has the time. The Greek word translated storm in this passage was σεισμὸς, the etymological origin of the English word seismic. The disciples weren’t admiring some phenomenon happening afar off in the heavens. They were riding out an earthquake in the sea: great waves mounding up over their heads, crashing mountains of water down upon them, swamping their boat—and Jesus was asleep.

When I first moved to Florida, I had a mostly sleepless night through my first hurricane. I’ve lived through tornadoes, even two I heard right overhead. The Lord protected me and all that was mine. Driving in the dark through the Texas panhandle, my phone alerted me that a tornado had been sighted between mile marker x and y—my exact location. There was no place to pull off and hide. So I sped up and prayed until I got safely to Amarillo, where I could stop for the night. But a hurricane was a new experience. In the morning, however, I realized I’d wasted the night awake. I had slept through worse storms in both St. Louis and Chicago.

Be that as it may, whenever a hurricane was forecast and I was expected to drive recording equipment to a show from my home in Florida, I left early at my own expense to make sure the job got done. Regardless of the harm one may or may not suffer from a hurricane, traffic and travel times could be disrupted. And “at my own expense” usually meant that I stayed in hotels on points I had received from hotels paid for by my employer, and ate in restaurants on leftover per diem from other shows.

I assume then that Jesus’ question—Why are you afraid—was not about prudence. “We have an innate drive to survive this storm and until You woke up and calmed the storm things were not looking promising” would not have been a valid answer. The Greek word translated afraid was δειλοί, a plural form of δειλός: “timid, fearful, cowardly, fainthearted; miserable, wretched, worthless; deserving pity, deserving contempt.” Perhaps, the easiest way to answer Jesus’ question is to consider why Jesus, in exactly the same circumstance, was not “timid, fearful, cowardly, fainthearted; miserable, wretched, worthless; deserving pity, deserving contempt.”

Jesus was conceived (γεννηθὲν, a form of γεννάω)…from the Holy Spirit (ἐκ πνεύματος ἐστιν ἁγίου): As Joseph considered divorcing Mary because she was pregnant with Jesus behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear (φοβηθῇς, a form of φοβέω) to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.⁴⁷

He was in the world, John wrote of Jesus, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born (ἐγεννήθησαν, another form of γεννάω), not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ θεοῦ).⁴⁸

Jesus received the Spirit of God ([τὸ] πνεῦμα [τοῦ] θεοῦ): And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him [Table]; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”⁴⁹

Now when they heard [Peter preach after he had received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:1-36)] they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” And Peter said to them, “Repent (μετανοήσατε, an imperative form of μετανοέω) and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (τὴν δωρεὰν τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος) [Table]. For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls [Table].⁵⁰

Jesus was led (ἀνήχθη, a form of ἀνάγω)…by the Spirit (ὑπὸ τοῦ πνεύματος) and believed the Scriptures (Matthew 4:1-10 ESV):

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written,

“‘Man⁵¹ shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God’” [Table].⁵²

Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple [Table] and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”⁵³

Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”⁵⁴ Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,

“‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve’” [Table].⁵⁵

For all who are led by the Spirit of God (πνεύματι θεοῦ ἄγονται, a form of ἄγω) are sons of God,⁵⁶ Paul wrote to the Romans. But I say, he wrote To the churches of Galatia,⁵⁷ walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do [Table]. But if you are led by the Spirit (πνεύματι ἄγεσθε, another form of ἄγω), you are not under the law⁵⁸ (Romans 8:2-4 ESV):

For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death [Table]. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Follow me, Jesus—conceived from the Spirit, having received the Spirit of God, led by the Spirit and believing the Scriptures—said. And so, I return with the tempter’s Scriptural applications still ringing in my ears, to Peter, standing with his drawn sword, forcing his “heart and nerve and sinew”⁵⁹ not to be “timid, fearful, cowardly, fainthearted; miserable, wretched, worthless; deserving pity, deserving contempt.”

But at that particular place, at that particular time, there was only one meaningful way to follow Jesus, one relevant application: “Scatter.” And at that particular place, at that particular time, none of Jesus’ disciples had the faith in the word of the only true God, or in Jesus Christ whom He sent, to do so willingly. Rather, they fled against their wills, contrary to their own stated beliefs or intentions, because God is faithful.

I find it to be a law that when I want to do right (τὸ καλόν, a form of καλός; i.e., “the beautiful”), evil lies close at hand.⁶⁰ Given that, if I attempt to do right by following a complicated list of sometimes contradictory applications—I, or anyone else, has derived from Scripture—I am as likely as not to think, say or do the wrong thing at the wrong place at the wrong time. And it is completely unnecessary since now we can enter by the new and living way that he opened for us through⁶¹ his death and resurrection; He who was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord.⁶² Follow Him.

According to a note (118) in the NET, Jesus alluded to Psalm 32:2 in John 1:47. A table comparing the Greek of Jesus’ allusion with that of the Septuagint follows.

John 1:47b (NET Parallel Greek)	Psalm 32:2b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Psalm 31:2b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν ᾧ δόλος οὐκ ἔστιν	οὐδὲ ἔστιν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ δόλος	οὐδέ ἐστιν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτοῦ δόλος
John 1:47b (NET)	Psalm 31:2b (NETS)	Psalm 31:2b (English Elpenor)
in whom there is no deceit	in his mouth there is no deceit	and [in]* whose mouth there is no guile

Tables comparing Matthew 8:22; 8:25; 8:28, 29; 8:31; 8:34; John 1:48, 49; Matthew 17:3, 4; 17:6, 7; 17:9; 9:1; Luke 10:38 and 10:41, 42 in the KJV and NET follow.

Matthew 8:22 (NET)	Matthew 8:22 (KJV)
But Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”	But Jesus said unto him, Follow me; and let the dead bury their dead.

Matthew 8:22 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 8:22 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 8:22 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς λέγει αὐτῷ· ἀκολούθει μοι καὶ ἄφες τοὺς νεκροὺς θάψαι τοὺς ἑαυτῶν νεκρούς	ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτω ακολουθει μοι και αφες τους νεκρους θαψαι τους εαυτων νεκρους	ο δε ιησους ειπεν αυτω ακολουθει μοι και αφες τους νεκρους θαψαι τους εαυτων νεκρους

Matthew 8:25 (NET)	Matthew 8:25 (KJV)
So they came and woke him up saying, “Lord, save us! We are about to die!”	And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.

Matthew 8:25 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 8:25 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 8:25 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ προσελθόντες ἤγειραν αὐτὸν λέγοντες· κύριε, σῶσον, ἀπολλύμεθα	και προσελθοντες οι μαθηται αυτου ηγειραν αυτον λεγοντες κυριε σωσον ημας απολλυμεθα	και προσελθοντες οι μαθηται ηγειραν αυτον λεγοντες κυριε σωσον ημας απολλυμεθα

Matthew 8:28, 29 (NET)	Matthew 8:28, 29 (KJV)
When he came to the other side, to the region of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men coming from the tombs met him. They were extremely violent, so that no one was able to pass by that way.	And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gergesenes, there met him two possessed with devils, coming out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man might pass by that way.

Matthew 8:28 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 8:28 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 8:28 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Καὶ ἐλθόντος αὐτοῦ εἰς τὸ πέραν εἰς τὴν χώραν τῶν Γαδαρηνῶν ὑπήντησαν αὐτῷ δύο δαιμονιζόμενοι ἐκ τῶν μνημείων ἐξερχόμενοι, χαλεποὶ λίαν, ὥστε μὴ ἰσχύειν τινὰ παρελθεῖν διὰ τῆς ὁδοῦ ἐκείνης	και ελθοντι αυτω εις το περαν εις την χωραν των γεργεσηνων υπηντησαν αυτω δυο δαιμονιζομενοι εκ των μνημειων εξερχομενοι χαλεποι λιαν ωστε μη ισχυειν τινα παρελθειν δια της οδου εκεινης	και ελθοντι αυτω εις το περαν εις την χωραν των γεργεσηνων υπηντησαν αυτω δυο δαιμονιζομενοι εκ των μνημειων εξερχομενοι χαλεποι λιαν ωστε μη ισχυειν τινα παρελθειν δια της οδου εκεινης

They cried out, “Son of God, leave us alone! Have you come here to torment us before the time?”

And, behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time?

Matthew 8:29 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 8:29 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 8:29 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ ἰδοὺ ἔκραξαν λέγοντες· τί ἡμῖν καὶ σοί, υἱὲ τοῦ θεοῦ; ἦλθες ὧδε πρὸ καιροῦ βασανίσαι ἡμᾶς	και ιδου εκραξαν λεγοντες τι ημιν και σοι ιησου υιε του θεου ηλθες ωδε προ καιρου βασανισαι ημας	και ιδου εκραξαν λεγοντες τι ημιν και σοι ιησου υιε του θεου ηλθες ωδε προ καιρου βασανισαι ημας

Matthew 8:31 (NET)	Matthew 8:31 (KJV)
Then the demons begged him, “If you drive us out, send us into the herd of pigs.”	So the devils besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, suffer us to go away into the herd of swine.

Matthew 8:31 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 8:31 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 8:31 (Byzantine Majority Text)
οἱ δὲ δαίμονες παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν λέγοντες· εἰ ἐκβάλλεις ἡμᾶς, ἀπόστειλον ἡμᾶς εἰς τὴν ἀγέλην τῶν χοίρων	οι δε δαιμονες παρεκαλουν αυτον λεγοντες ει εκβαλλεις ημας επιτρεψον ημιν απελθειν εις την αγελην των χοιρων	οι δε δαιμονες παρεκαλουν αυτον λεγοντες ει εκβαλλεις ημας επιτρεψον ημιν απελθειν εις την αγελην των χοιρων

Matthew 8:34 (NET)	Matthew 8:34 (KJV)
Then the entire town came out to meet Jesus. And when they saw him, they begged him to leave their region.	And, behold, the whole city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart out of their coasts.

Matthew 8:34 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 8:34 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 8:34 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ ἰδοὺ πᾶσα ἡ πόλις ἐξῆλθεν εἰς ὑπάντησιν τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ ἰδόντες αὐτὸν παρεκάλεσαν ὅπως μεταβῇ ἀπὸ τῶν ὁρίων αὐτῶν	και ιδου πασα η πολις εξηλθεν εις συναντησιν τω ιησου και ιδοντες αυτον παρεκαλεσαν οπως μεταβη απο των οριων αυτων	και ιδου πασα η πολις εξηλθεν εις συναντησιν τω ιησου και ιδοντες αυτον παρεκαλεσαν οπως μεταβη απο των οριων αυτων

John 1:48, 49 (NET)	John 1:48, 49 (KJV)
Nathanael asked him, “How do you know me?” Jesus replied, “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”	Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

John 1:48 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 1:48 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 1:48 (Byzantine Majority Text)
λέγει αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ· πόθεν με γινώσκεις; ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· πρὸ τοῦ σε Φίλιππον φωνῆσαι ὄντα ὑπὸ τὴν συκῆν εἶδον σε	λεγει αυτω ναθαναηλ ποθεν με γινωσκεις απεκριθη ο ιησους και ειπεν αυτω προ του σε φιλιππον φωνησαι οντα υπο την συκην ειδον σε	λεγει αυτω ναθαναηλ ποθεν με γινωσκεις απεκριθη ιησους και ειπεν αυτω προ του σε φιλιππον φωνησαι οντα υπο την συκην ειδον σε

Nathanael answered him, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel!”

Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel.

John 1:49 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 1:49 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 1:49 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ Ναθαναήλ· ραββί, σὺ εἶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ, σὺ βασιλεὺς εἶ τοῦ Ἰσραήλ	απεκριθη ναθαναηλ και λεγει αυτω ραββι συ ει ο υιος του θεου συ ει ο βασιλευς του ισραηλ	απεκριθη ναθαναηλ και λεγει αυτω ραββι συ ει ο υιος του θεου συ ει ο βασιλευς του ισραηλ

Matthew 17:3, 4 (NET)	Matthew 17:3, 4 (KJV)
Then Moses and Elijah also appeared before them, talking with him.	And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him.

Matthew 17:3 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 17:3 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 17:3 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ ἰδοὺ ὤφθη αὐτοῖς Μωϋσῆς καὶ Ἠλίας συλλαλοῦντες μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ	και ιδου ωφθησαν αυτοις μωσης και ηλιας μετ αυτου συλλαλουντες	και ιδου ωφθησαν αυτοις μωσης και ηλιας μετ αυτου συλλαλουντες

So Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you want, I will make three shelters—one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

Then answered Peter, and said unto Jesus, Lord, it is good for us to be here: if thou wilt, let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias.

Matthew 17:4 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 17:4 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 17:4 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Πέτρος εἶπεν τῷ Ἰησοῦ· κύριε, καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι· εἰ θέλεις, ποιήσω ὧδε τρεῖς σκηνάς, σοὶ μίαν καὶ Μωϋσεῖ μίαν καὶ Ἠλίᾳ μίαν	αποκριθεις δε ο πετρος ειπεν τω ιησου κυριε καλον εστιν ημας ωδε ειναι ει θελεις ποιησωμεν ωδε τρεις σκηνας σοι μιαν και μωση μιαν και μιαν ηλια	αποκριθεις δε ο πετρος ειπεν τω ιησου κυριε καλον εστιν ημας ωδε ειναι ει θελεις ποιησωμεν ωδε τρεις σκηνας σοι μιαν και μωση μιαν και μιαν ηλια

Matthew 17:6, 7 (NET)	Matthew 17:6, 7 (KJV)
When the disciples heard this, they were overwhelmed with fear and threw themselves down with their faces to the ground.	And when the disciples heard it, they fell on their face, and were sore afraid.

Matthew 17:6 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 17:6 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 17:6 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ ἀκούσαντες οἱ μαθηταὶ ἔπεσαν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα	και ακουσαντες οι μαθηται επεσον επι προσωπον αυτων και εφοβηθησαν σφοδρα	και ακουσαντες οι μαθηται επεσον επι προσωπον αυτων και εφοβηθησαν σφοδρα

But Jesus came and touched them. “Get up,” he said. “Do not be afraid.”

And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, and be not afraid.

Matthew 17:7 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 17:7 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 17:7 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ προσῆλθεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς καὶ ἁψάμενος αὐτῶν εἶπεν· ἐγέρθητε καὶ μὴ φοβεῖσθε	και προσελθων ο ιησους ηψατο αυτων και ειπεν εγερθητε και μη φοβεισθε	και προσελθων ο ιησους ηψατο αυτων και ειπεν εγερθητε και μη φοβεισθε

Matthew 17:9 (NET)	Matthew 17:9 (KJV)
As they were coming down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Do not tell anyone about the vision until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.”	And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus charged them, saying, Tell the vision to no man, until the Son of man be risen again from the dead.

Matthew 17:9 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 17:9 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 17:9 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Καὶ καταβαινόντων αὐτῶν ἐκ τοῦ ὄρους ἐνετείλατο αὐτοῖς ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγων· μηδενὶ εἴπητε τὸ ὅραμα ἕως οὗ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐκ νεκρῶν ἐγερθῇ	και καταβαινοντων αυτων απο του ορους ενετειλατο αυτοις ο ιησους λεγων μηδενι ειπητε το οραμα εως ου ο υιος του ανθρωπου εκ νεκρων αναστη	και καταβαινοντων αυτων εκ του ορους ενετειλατο αυτοις ο ιησους λεγων μηδενι ειπητε το οραμα εως ου ο υιος του ανθρωπου εκ νεκρων αναστη

Matthew 9:1 (NET)	Matthew 9:1 (KJV)
After getting into a boat he crossed to the other side and came to his own town.	And he entered into a ship, and passed over, and came into his own city.

Matthew 9:1 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 9:1 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 9:1 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Καὶ ἐμβὰς εἰς πλοῖον διεπέρασεν καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς τὴν ἰδίαν πόλιν	και εμβας εις το πλοιον διεπερασεν και ηλθεν εις την ιδιαν πολιν	και εμβας εις το πλοιον διεπερασεν και ηλθεν εις την ιδιαν πολιν

Luke 10:38 (NET)	Luke 10:38 (KJV)
Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a certain village where a woman named Martha welcomed him as a guest.	Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house.

Luke 10:38 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 10:38 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 10:38 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ἐν δὲ τῷ πορεύεσθαι αὐτοὺς αὐτὸς εἰσῆλθεν εἰς κώμην τινά· γυνὴ δέ τις ὀνόματι Μάρθα ὑπεδέξατο αὐτόν	εγενετο δε εν τω πορευεσθαι αυτους και αυτος εισηλθεν εις κωμην τινα γυνη δε τις ονοματι μαρθα υπεδεξατο αυτον εις τον οικον αυτης	εγενετο δε εν τω πορευεσθαι αυτους και αυτος εισηλθεν εις κωμην τινα γυνη δε τις ονοματι μαρθα υπεδεξατο αυτον εις τον οικον αυτης

Luke 10:41, 42 (NET)	Luke 10:41, 42 (KJV)
But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things,	And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things:

Luke 10:41 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 10:41 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 10:41 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῇ ὁ κύριος· Μάρθα Μάρθα, μεριμνᾷς καὶ θορυβάζῃ περὶ πολλά	αποκριθεις δε ειπεν αυτη ο ιησους μαρθα μαρθα μεριμνας και τυρβαζη περι πολλα	αποκριθεις δε ειπεν αυτη ο ιησους μαρθα μαρθα μεριμνας και τυρβαζη περι πολλα

but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the best part; it will not be taken away from her.”

But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Luke 10:42 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 10:42 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 10:42 (Byzantine Majority Text)
\|ἑνὸς\| δέ ἐστιν χρεία · Μαριὰμ γὰρ τὴν ἀγαθὴν μερίδα ἐξελέξατο ἥτις οὐκ ἀφαιρεθήσεται αὐτῆς	ενος δε εστιν χρεια μαρια δε την αγαθην μεριδα εξελεξατο ητις ουκ αφαιρεθησεται απ αυτης	ενος δε εστιν χρεια μαρια δε την αγαθην μεριδα εξελεξατο ητις ουκ αφαιρεθησεται απ αυτης

Luke 8:22-56

¹ Matthew 8:22b (ESV)

² John 8:31; John 14:15; John 15:10

³ The Stephanus Textus Receptus had οι μαθηται αυτου (KJV: his disciples) and the Byzantine Majority Text had οι μαθηται (“the disciples”) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁴ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ημας here in the accusative case, accentuating the WE who are perishing (ἀπολλύμεθα), whether that WE included Jesus or not. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not. I can see how ημας here might turn a studious pastor’s focus toward the failure of Jesus’ disciples and away from the grace of God.

⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐλθόντος αὐτοῦ here in the genitive case, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ελθοντι αυτω (KJV: when he was come) in the dative case.

⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had Γαδαρηνῶν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had γεργεσηνων (KJV: Gergesenes).

⁷ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ιησου (KJV: Jesus) preceding Son of God. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁸ “Ancestor Worship and the Gadarene Demoniacs,” by Cedric Vine, on Digital Commons @ Andrews University.

⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀπόστειλον ἡμᾶς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had επιτρεψον ημιν απελθειν (KJV: suffer us to go away).

¹⁰ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὑπάντησιν, a form of ὑπάντησις here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had συναντησιν, a form of συνάντησις.

¹¹ Matthew 8:23-34 (ESV)

¹² Matthew 8:28b (ESV)

¹³ Matthew 8:29b (ESV)

¹⁴ The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article ο preceding Jesus. The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

¹⁵ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και λεγει (KJV: and saith) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁶ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article ο preceding King. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁷ Matthew 8:23 (ESV)

¹⁸ Matthew 8:27 (ESV)

¹⁹ 1 Corinthians 3:3b (ESV) Table

²⁰ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὤφθη, a singular form of ὁράω in the passive voice here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the plural ωφθησαν.

²¹ In the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ Moses was spelled Μωϋσῆς, and μωσης in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

²² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ποιήσω, a 1^st person singular form of ποιέω in the indicative mood here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the 1^st person plural ποιησωμεν (KJV: let us make) in the subjunctive mood.

²³ In the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ Moses was spelled Μωϋσεῖ, and μωση in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

²⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἔπεσαν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had επεσον. These appear to be alternate spellings for the same part of speech, though επεσον may also be understood as a 1^st person singular form of πίπτω.

²⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἁψάμενος here, a participle of ἅπτω, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ηψατο.

²⁶ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had ἐκ (NET: from) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had απο (KJV: from).

²⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐγερθῇ, a form of ἐγείρω here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αναστη (KJV: be risen again), a form of ἀνίστημι.

²⁸ Matthew 17:4b (ESV)

²⁹ Matthew 17:5b (ESV)

³⁰ Matthew 17:5c (ESV)

³¹ Matthew 17:5d (ESV)

³² Matthew 26:51 (ESV)

³³ John 18:10a (ESV) Table

³⁴ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article το preceding boat. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

³⁵ Matthew 8:22b (ESV)

³⁶ Matthew 26:2 (ESV)

³⁷ Matthew 8:22; Luke 9:59; Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27; Matthew 10:38; Matthew 19:21; Mark 10:21; Luke 18:22; John 1:43; John 21:19; John 21:22

³⁸ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εγενετο (KJV: it came to pass) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

³⁹ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: that) at the beginning of this clause. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁴⁰ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εις τον οικον αυτης (KJV: into her house) at the beginning of this clause. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁴¹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had κύριος here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ιησους (KJV: Jesus).

⁴² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had θορυβάζῃ here, a form of θορυβάζω, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τυρβαζη, a form of τυρβάζω.

⁴³ In the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ Mary was spelled Μαριὰμ with γὰρ following. In the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text Mary was spelled μαρια, followed by δε (KJV: and).

⁴⁴ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had απ here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁴⁵ Romans 7:21b (ESV)

⁴⁶ Matthew 8:26b (ESV)

⁴⁷ Matthew 1:20 (ESV) Table

⁴⁸ John 1:10-13 (ESV)

⁴⁹ Matthew 3:16, 17 (ESV)

⁵⁰ Acts 2:37-41 (ESV)

⁵¹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the article ὁ here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

⁵² For a table comparing the Greek of Jesus’ quotation with that of the Septuagint see: Nothing True, Part 2.

⁵³ For tables comparing the Greek of these quotations with that of the Septuagint see: A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 3.

⁵⁴ For a table comparing the Greek of Jesus’ quotation with that of the Septuagint see: A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 3.

⁵⁵ For tables comparing the Greek of Jesus’ quotation to that of the Septuagint see: Romans, Part 4.

⁵⁶ Romans 8:14 (ESV)

⁵⁷ Galatians 1:2b (ESV)

⁵⁸ Galatians 5:16-18 (ESV)

⁵⁹ From the poem “If,” by Rudyard Kipling. This was my Dad’s favorite poem: Who Am I? Part 4

⁶⁰ Romans 7:21 (ESV)

⁶¹ Hebrews 10:20a (ESV)

⁶² Romans 1:4b (ESV)

Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 4, Part 2

Posted on August 8, 2024 by admin

This is the continuation of my notes from Chapter 4 in a preaching course I’m taking. Unless otherwise indicated all quotations are from the book:

Christ-Centered Preaching: Redeeming the Expository Sermon, 3^rd Edition by Bryan Chapell

Exercises

Indicate how explanation, illustration, and application are used in Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5-7) and Stephen’s speech to the Sanhedrin (Acts 7:2-25).

Jesus’ theme was the goodness of God. He spoke to sinners born under the law,¹ what Paul called the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone² and the ministry of condemnation.³ It is also the fallen condition focus of this sermon. At first Jesus addressed the faithful who had learned from the law: since through the law comes knowledge of sin.⁴

For Paul this knowledge (ἐπίγνωσις) was not merely that law designated sin but that law coerced sin into revealing itself (Romans 7:7b-11 ESV):

Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” But sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetousness. For apart from the law, sin lies dead. I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin came alive and I died. The very commandment that promised life (ἡ εἰς ζωήν) proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me.

This knowledge of sin through the law pressed deeper still within Paul (Romans 7:18, 19 ESV):

For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing [Table].

To any who had gained this knowledge of sin through the law, Jesus expressed the goodness of God: “Blessed are the poor in spirit.”⁵ And He explained how God had blessed them with the following promise: “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”⁶

Did Jesus say that the kingdom of heaven belongs to those who give up and say, I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out? Yes—and no, not exactly. He implied that those who give up and say, I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out, are those who wait for God’s salvation. This becomes clearer later.

The knowledge of sin Paul gained through the law pressed stil further (Romans 7:21-24 ESV):

So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members [Table]. Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?

And to those whose knowledge of sin gained through the law had wrenched out a lament like Paul’s, Jesus applied the goodness of God: “Blessed are those who mourn (οἱ πενθοῦντες, a participle of πενθέω).”⁷ And again, He explained how God will bless them with the following promise: “for they shall be comforted.”⁸ The Greek word translated they shall be comforted was παρακληθήσονται, a passive form of the verb παρακαλέω in the future tense. It is almost impossible to disregard its association to the noun παράκλητον (a form of παράκλητος). Jesus promised (John 14:16-18, 25, 26 ESV):

“And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper (παράκλητον, a form of παράκλητος), to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you [Table].

“I will not leave you as orphans (ὀρφανούς, a form of ὀρφανός); I will come to you.”

“These things I have spoken to you while I am still with you. But the Helper (παράκλητος), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you” [Table].

The translators of the KJV made this relationship explicit in English.

Matthew 5:4 (KJV)	John 14:16-18 (KJV)	John 14:25, 26 (KJV)
Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.	And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.	These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

To those whose pride had been humbled by the knowledge of sin gained through the law, Jesus declared the goodness of God: “Blessed are the meek.”⁹ Again, He explained how God will bless them with a promise:“for they shall inherit the earth.”¹⁰ The Greek word translated meek, πραεῖς (from the adjective πραΰς), occurred from time to time in the Psalms in the Septuagint, extolling God’s grace toward the meek.

But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace.¹¹

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Psalm 37:11 (Tanakh/KJV)	Psalm 37:11 (NET)	Psalm 36:11 (NETS)	Psalm 36:11 (English Elpenor)
But the meek (וַֽעֲנָוִ֥ים) shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.	But the oppressed (ʿānāv, וענוים) will possess the land and enjoy great prosperity.	But the meek (οἱ δὲ πραεῖς) shall inherit land and take delight in the abundance of peace.	But the meek (οἱ δὲ πραεῖς) shall inherit the earth; and shall delight [themselves] in the abundance of peace.

He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.¹²

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Psalm 25:9 (Tanakh/KJV)	Psalm 25:9 (NET)	Psalm 24:9 (NETS)	Psalm 24:9 (English Elpenor)
The meek (עֲ֖נָוִים) will he guide in judgment: and the meek (עֲנָוִ֣ים) will he teach his way.	May he show the humble (ʿānāv, ענוים) what is right. May he teach the humble (ʿānāv, ענוים) his way.	The meek (πραεῖς) he will guide in justice; the meek (πραεῖς) he will teach his ways.	The meek (πραεῖς) will he guide in judgment: the meek (πραεῖς) will he teach his ways.

My soul makes its boast in the LORD; let the humble hear and be glad.¹³

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Psalm 34:2 (Tanakh/KJV)	Psalm 34:2 (NET)	Psalm 33:3 (NETS)	Psalm 33:3 (English Elpenor)
My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble (עֲנָוִ֣ים) shall hear thereof, and be glad.	I will boast in the Lord; let the oppressed (ʿānāv, ענוים) hear and rejoice.	In the Lord my soul shall be commended; let the meek (πραεῖς) hear and be glad.	My soul shall boast herself in the Lord: let the meek (πρᾳεῖς) hear, and rejoice.

when God arose to establish judgment, to save all the humble of the earth. Selah¹⁴

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Psalm 76:9 (Tanakh/KJV)	Psalm 76:9 (NET)	Psalm 75:10 (NETS)	Psalm 75:10 (English Elpenor)
When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek (עַנְוֵי) of the earth. Selah.	when God arose to execute judgment, and to deliver all the oppressed (ʿānāv, ענוי) of the earth. (Selah)	when God rose up to establish judgment, to save all the meek (τοὺς πραεῖς) of the earth. Interlude on strings	when God arose to judgment, to save all the meek (τοὺς πραεῖς) in heart. Pause.

The LORD lifts up the humble; he casts the wicked to the ground.¹⁵

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Psalm 147:6 (Tanakh/KJV)	Psalm 147:6 (NET)	Psalm 146:6 (NETS)	Psalm 146:6 (English Elpenor)
The LORD lifteth up the meek (עֲנָוִ֣ים): he casteth the wicked down to the ground.	The Lord lifts up the oppressed (ʿānāv, ענוים), but knocks the wicked to the ground.	when the Lord picks up the meek (πραεῖς) but humbles sinners to the ground.	The Lord lifts up the meek (πρᾳεῖς); but brings sinners down to the ground.

For the LORD takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.¹⁶

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Psalm 149:4 (Tanakh/KJV)	Psalm 149:4 (NET)	Psalm 149:4 (NETS)	Psalm 149:4 (English Elpenor)
For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek (עֲ֜נָוִ֗ים) with salvation.	For the Lord takes delight in his people; he exalts the oppressed (ʿānāv, ענוים) by delivering them.	because the Lord takes pleasure in his people, and he exalts the meek (πραεῖς) with deliverance.	For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; and will exalt the meek (πραεῖς) with salvation.

To any who had the desire to do what is right¹⁷ according to the law, Jesus declared the goodness of God: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.”¹⁸ And He explained with another promise how God will bless them: “for they shall be satisfied.”¹⁹ The Greek words translated righteousness were τὴν δικαιοσύνην (a form of δικαιοσύνη). This promised satisfaction is nothing less than that [which] comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness—a righteousness (δικαιοσύνην) from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.²⁰

Here, it becomes clearer, though not stated so succinctly, that Jesus described what I called a super-application: walk by the Spirit—as Jesus walked in the power of the Spirit²¹—and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh;²² being guided, carried along and energized by Jesus’ own love—the fulfilling (πλήρωμα) of the law²³—his own joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control²⁴ all day, everyday, forever; against such things there is no law.²⁵

“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy,”²⁶ Jesus continued. But this seemed different somehow:

Poverty of spirit seemed like a need that could arise as a natural result from the knowledge of sin gained through the law, that I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.²⁷ To mourn seemed like a natural result of that neediness, made apparent from the knowledge of sin gained through the law. Meekness, humility, seemed to be a natural result of my mourning and neediness gained from the knowledge of sin through the law. To hunger and thirst for righteousness seemed like the only sane response to my meekness, mourning my neediness gained from the knowledge of sin through the law.

While it makes sense that I will need mercy as I hunger and thirst for a righteousness I do not yet possess, mourning in meekness over my spiritual poverty, while it only seems fair that I should be merciful to those around me suffering as I suffer, to actually be merciful seems like that very desire to do what is right that I lack the ability to carry…out. Yet, there it sits in Jesus’ saying, a veritable impediment to my own need for his promise of mercy. Do I give up in despair? Or do I see his grace all around me?

It took an extraordinary amount of effort to transform my native desire to be right into a hunger and thirst for his righteousness, his effort not mine: work (κατεργάζεσθε, a form of κατεργάζομαι) out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works (ὁ ἐνεργῶν, a participle of the verb ἐνεργέω) in you, both to will (τὸ θέλειν, an infinitve form of θέλω in the present tense) and to work (τὸ ἐνεργεῖν, an infinitive form of ἐνεργέω in the present tense) for his good pleasure [Table].²⁸ The ease, I described as a “natural result,” with which meekness, mourning and spiritual poverty seemed to arise from a knowledge of sin gained through the law stands as evidence that God does all the heavy lifting in both the desires and the efforts He brings forth in me. As Paul wrote in a slightly different context: So then it depends not on human will (τοῦ θέλοντος, a participle of θέλω) or exertion (τοῦ τρέχοντος, a participle of τρέχω in the present tense), but on God, who has mercy.²⁹

So, to those learning to be merciful from God’s own mercy toward them as they suffer the knowledge of sin gained through the law, Jesus revealed the goodness of God: “Blessed are the merciful.”³⁰ Here, too, He explained God’s goodness with a promise: “for they shall receive mercy.”³¹ This means even more mercy from God, and perhaps a little from those to whom they are merciful, those who suffer the same knowledge of sin gained through the law.

“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,”³² came next. In my past I took this to mean that those who never thought about sex would see God. I had no clue how to stop thinking about sex, and little desire to do so. I’m not sure how literally I took see God (τὸν θεὸν ὄψονται, a form of ὁράω in the future tense). There appear to be three options. First (Revelation 22:3, 4 ESV):

No longer³³ will there be anything accursed,³⁴ but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. They will see (ὄψονται, a form of ὁράω) his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

This literal meaning of seeing God’s face as a servant of God entails learning the knowledge of sin gained through the law and receiving God’s salvation instead. The second option is (Matthew 24:29, 30; Mark 13:24-26; Luke 21:25-27 ESV):

“Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Then will appear in heaven the sign of the Son of Man, and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn (κόψονται, a form of κόπτω in the middle voice), and they will see (ὄψονται, a form of ὁράω) the Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory.”

“But³⁵ in those days, after that tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling³⁶ from³⁷ heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see (ὄψονται, a form of ὁράω) the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.”

“And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves [Table], people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see (ὄψονται, a form of ὁράω) the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.”

Here, according to Matthew, all the tribes of the earth (πᾶσαι αἱ φυλαὶ τῆς γῆς) present at a certain moment in time will see the Son of Man.³⁸ But Jesus didn’t limit the promise which explained how God blesses the pure in heart—for they shall see God³⁹—to those who are “present at a certain moment in time.” So, the third option is (Romans 15:20, 21 ESV):

and thus I make it my ambition to preach the gospel, not where Christ has already been named, lest I build on someone else’s foundation, but as it is written, “Those who have never been told of him will see (ὄψονται, a form of ὁράω), and those who have never heard will understand (συνήσουσιν, a form of συνίημι).”

Here, συνήσουσιν (a form of συνίημι), will understand, was coupled with ὄψονται (a form of ὁράω), will see. It prompts me to consider some of the other meanings of ὁράω: “to consider (i.e., look at mentally); to arrive at a conclusion by observation; to experience, witness; to notice, recognize, understand; to realize, comprehend.” So, who are the pure in heart (οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ), who shall “consider, arrive at a conclusion by observation, experience, witness, notice, recognize, understand, realize, comprehend” God?

The aim of our charge is love, Paul wrote Timothy, that issues from a pure heart (καθαρᾶς καρδίας) and a good conscience and a sincere faith.⁴⁰ And, So flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart (καθαρᾶς καρδίας).⁴¹ These form a verbal portrait of what those with a pure heart do or are called to do.

Peter wrote (1 Peter 1:22, 23 ESV):

Having purified (ἡγνικότες, an active participle of ἁγνίζω) your souls by your obedience to the truth [through the Spirit]⁴² for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart ([καθαρᾶς] καρδίας), since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding⁴³ word of God;

I added δια πνευματος (KJV: through the Spirit) from the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text back into the ESV translation because καθαρᾶς (ESV: pure) was in brackets in the NET parallel Greek text. It is not in brackets in the NA²⁸. I take this to mean that the occurrence of καθαρᾶς here was questionable in NA²⁷ but considered more favorably in NA²⁸. I imagined what it might be like to read 1 Peter 1:22 with both δια πνευματος and καθαρᾶς removed from the text in light of the Lord’s assessment of the heart.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Jeremiah 17:9, 10 (Tanakh/KJV)	Jeremiah 17:9, 10 (NET)	Jeremiah 17:9, 10 (NETS)	Jeremiah 17:9, 10 (English Elpenor)
The heart (הַלֵּ֛ב) is deceitful (עָקֹ֥ב) above all things, and desperately wicked (וְאָנֻ֣שׁ): who can know it?	The human mind (lēḇ, הלב) is more deceitful (ʿāqōḇ, עקב) than anything else. It is incurably bad (‘ānaš, ואנש). Who can understand it?	The heart (ἡ καρδία) is deep (βαθεῖα) above all else, and so is man (καὶ ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν), and who shall understand him?	The heart (ἡ καρδία) is deep (βαθεῖα) beyond all things, and it is the man (καὶ ἄνθρωπός ἐστι), and who can know him?
I the LORD search the heart (לֵ֖ב), I try the reins (כְּלָי֑וֹת), even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.	I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds (lēḇ, לב). I examine people’s hearts (kilyâ, כליות). I deal with each person according to how he has behaved. I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.	I, the Lord, am one who tests hearts (καρδίας) and examines kidneys (νεφροὺς), to give to each according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.	I the Lord try the hearts (καρδίας), and prove the reins (νεφροὺς), to give to every one according to his ways, and according to the fruits of his devices.

Even without the Holy Spirit or a pure heart in verse 22, 1 Peter 1:23 would still speak of a new birth—since you have been born again (ἀναγεγεννημένοι, a participle of the verb ἀναγεννάω)…through the living and abiding word of God. But I wonder if it would have been enough to dissuade me from attempting to do all that a pure heart entails—flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace⁴⁴—with my old deceitful (Masoretic Text: עָקֹ֥ב) or deep (Septuagint: βαθεῖα) heart. Jesus was clearer perhaps when He told his disciples (John 15:3, 4 ESV):

Already you are clean (καθαροί, a form of καθαρός) because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me [Table].

The Greek word translated clean was καθαροί, a form of καθαρός, the same word translated pure in Matthew 5:8—οἱ καθαροὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ, the pure in heart (ESV). All of this, including the rabbis understanding of deceitful as βαθεῖα in the Septuagint, translated deep (NETS, English Elpenor), with its connotation of dark or murky, turns my attention to the primary meaning of καθαρός listed in the Koine Greek Lexicon online: clear.

It stands then that the first clarity one receives regarding one’s deeply deceitful heart is the knowledge of sin gained through the law, the Word of God. And to them Jesus revealed God’s goodness: “Blessed are the pure in heart.”⁴⁵ And He explained God’s blessing with a promise: “for they shall see God.”⁴⁶ They shall see Him face-to-face one day, as they “consider” Him; “arrive at a conclusion by observation” about Him; “experience” Him, “witness” Him; “notice” Him, “recognize” Him, “understand” Him; “realize” and “comprehend” Him along the way, not fully or exhaustively but truthfully.

Jesus continued: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.”⁴⁷ The Greek word translated peacemakers was εἰρηνοποιοί (a form of εἰρηνοποιός). It only occurs once in the New Testament but John was very explicit about who shall be called sons of God (υἱοὶ θεοῦ κληθήσονται):

He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God (ἐξουσίαν τέκνα θεοῦ γενέσθαι), who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.⁴⁸

Come to terms quickly with your accuser (τῷ ἀντιδίκῳ σου) while you are going with him to court, Jesus commanded later in this sermon, lest your accuser (ὁ ἀντίδικος) hand you over to the judge, and the judge⁴⁹ to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.⁵⁰ The rabbis who translated the Septuagint chose ἀντιδίκους (another form of ἀντίδικος) to describe those on the wrong side of the Lord’s judgment. It would have been to their benefit to Come to terms quickly with their accuser ἀντιδίκῳ, another form of ἀντίδικος.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Jeremiah 50:34 (Tanakh/KJV)	Jeremiah 50:34 (NET)	Jeremiah 27:34 (NETS)	Jeremiah 27:34 (English Elpenor)
Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall throughly (רִ֥יב) plead (יָרִ֖יב) their cause (רִיבָ֑ם), that he may give rest (הִרְגִּ֣יעַ) to the land, and disquiet (וְהִרְגִּ֖יז) the inhabitants of Babylon.	But the one who will rescue them is strong. His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He will strongly (rîḇ, ריב) champion (rîḇ, יריב) their cause (rîḇ, ריבם). As a result he will bring peace and rest (rāḡaʿ, הרגיע) to the earth, but trouble and turmoil (rāḡaz, והרגיז) to the people who inhabit Babylonia.	And he that redeems them is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name. He will judge (κρινεῖ) with judgment (κρίσιν) against his adversaries (πρὸς τοὺς ἀντιδίκους αὐτοῦ), that he may destroy (ἐξάρῃ) the earth, and for those that inhabit Babylon he will incite (παροξυνεῖ)	But their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name: he will enter into (κρινεῖ) judgment (κρίσιν) with his adversaries (πρὸς τοὺς ἀντιδίκους αὐτοῦ), that he may destroy (ἐξάρῃ) the earth;⁵¹

While it remains and open question in my mind whether ἐξάρῃ (a form of ἐξαίρω) should have been translated destroy in English, it is readily apparent that those who have gained the knowledge of their own sin through the law are the more likely to make peace with God quickly (ταχύ), receiving his salvation. To them Jesus declared the goodness of God: “Blessed are the peacemakers.”⁵² And then He explained how God will bless them: “for they shall be called sons of God.”⁵³

Those who have gained the knowledge of sin through the law, so as to have become poor in spirit, to mourn their predicament in meekness, to hunger and thirst for that righteousness they do not yet possess, merciful to those who suffer the same fate, pure enough in heart to make peace with God and wait for his salvation, will be persecuted by those who deny the truth of any or all such knowledge of sin. Jesus declared the goodness of God: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake.”⁵⁴ He explained how God blessed them with a promise, the same promise He made to the poor in spirit: “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”⁵⁵

Jesus followed upon this with an illustration of the form such persecution will take, expressed once again as the goodness of God: “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.”⁵⁶ He followed that with his first application: Rejoice and be glad.⁵⁷

Admittedly, seeing this as his first application helps to reinforce that everything else up to this point was the work of God, both to will and to work for his good pleasure,⁵⁸ through his Word, the law and the prophets. (I had to resort to David, Isaiah, Jeremiah and Joel to understand Jesus’ words. And on that note, I would have understood none of this apart from Paul’s brilliant summation of the purpose of the law. I would have continued to hear Jesus’ words in the sermon on the mount as just more rules for me to obey.)

Jesus explained why one who is persecuted should rejoice and be glad with another promise: for your reward is great in heaven.⁵⁹ Then he explained God’s blessing on those who are persecuted with an illustration from Israel’s past: for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.⁶⁰

“You are the salt of the earth,”⁶¹ Jesus illustrated the goodness of God to those who had gained the knowledge of sin through the law, turned to wait on the Lord’s salvation, become poor in spirit, mourned, the meek who hungered and thirsted for God’s own righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, making peace with God, and persecuted by those who rejected the knowledge of their own sinfulness. But He followed that with an illustration as a warning: but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown⁶² out and⁶³ trampled under people’s feet.⁶⁴

“You are the light of the world,”⁶⁵ He continued his illustration of God’s goodness. And He explained this illustration with further illustrations: A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.⁶⁶ Then came his second application: In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and⁶⁷ praise you for your righteousness? No, that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.⁶⁸ Here is yet another indication that all that has transpired is due to the goodness of God. It was the work of God, both to will and to work for his good pleasure,⁶⁹ through his Word, the law and the prophets.

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets,”⁷⁰ Jesus commanded a third application with a gaze so farsighted as to almost seem like a non sequitur, except to make explicit what his subject matter had been all along as he extolled the goodness of God. I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them,⁷¹ He explained.

The Greek word translated fulfill them was πληρῶσαι, an active form of the verb πληρόω, which might be understood as an infinitive or as a 3^rd person verb in the optative mood (“he might fulfill,” “it might fulfill”). “The optative is the mood of possibility, removed even further than the subjunctive mood from something conceived of as actual. Often it is used to convey a wish or hope for a certain action to occur.” If I consider it as an infinitive form I assume that Jesus was looking ahead to his death on the cross, as a form in the optative mood I assume Jesus’ gaze reached all the way to those who came into the light, so that it may be clearly seen that [their] works have been carried out in God.⁷²

For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished,⁷³ Jesus prophesied to explain. The Greek word translated is accomplished was γένηται, a form of γίνομαι in the subjunctive mood. This could be down the actuality scale from πληρῶσαι if I take πληρῶσαι as an infinitive, or up the actuality scale if I take it as a verb in the optative mood. There is another option that ἕως |ἂν| πάντα γένηται (ESV: until all is accomplished) is the result of not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law, and is as certain as the indicative mood, though |ἂν| understood (but not translated) as may could argue against it.

I started down this path, considering πληρῶσαι as a 3^rd person verb in the optative mood, because I made a mistake. I thought Jesus said πληρώσαι, leaving me no option. The verb καταλῦσαι, to abolish, a form of καταλύω, might also be understood as an infinitive or as a 3^rd person verb in the optative mood. Both occurrences, however, are better understood as infinitive forms. It is clearly easier to understood πληρῶσαι as another infinitive. I don’t see any place except following ἀλλὰ (but) that Jesus might have changed from the implied 1^st person of the infinitives to a 3^rd person form. I don’t believe He would have described his Father’s action in the optative mood. My only option then seems to be: “but [that] it (i.e., the law) might fulfill.” I cling to that possibility, I suppose, because it pays some heed to the law even as its glory faded to that of a status symbol for those in the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, Jesus explained, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, Jesus pivoted, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.⁷⁴

That probably shocked the followers of the scribes and Pharisees. But it helps me, along with what follows, to understand that the one who teaches (διδάξῃ, a form of διδάσκω) the least of these commandments is one like Paul, who taught (Romans 3:19-25a ESV):

Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being (σὰρξ) will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it—the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction [Table]: for fall have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith.

And whoever does (ποιήσῃ, a form of ποιέω) the least of these commandments is the one who receives the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to walk by the Spirit⁷⁵—as Jesus walked in the power of the Spirit⁷⁶—guided, carried along and energized by Jesus’ own love—the fulfilling (πλήρωμα) of the law⁷⁷—his own joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control⁷⁸ all day, everyday, forever.

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment,’”⁷⁹ Jesus said to those who had gained only a superficial knowledge of sin through the law from their teachers, the scribes and Pharisees. Here his sermon became as much a demonstration of God’s goodness as explanation, as he began to draw them into the blessedness of the full knowledge of one’s sinfulness: But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.⁸⁰ Then He gave them the following applications (Matthew 5:23-26 ESV):

So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there⁸¹ remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny.

Though everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment, Jesus’ applications were addressed to the one who had given his brother cause to be angry. One can almost hear Cain’s retort: am I my brother’s keeper?⁸² And I admit I’m more familiar with this aspect of God’s goodness from Paul’s more explicit statement: Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother.⁸³

Jesus continued speaking to those who attempted to use the law for their own purposes, to acquire a righteousness of [their] own that comes from the law:⁸⁴ “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’”⁸⁵ He demonstrated the goodness of God by drawing them into the blessedness of the full knowledge of sin to be gained through the law: But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.⁸⁶ And He followed this with some dramatic hyperbole (Matthew 5:29, 30 ESV):

If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go⁸⁷ into hell.

I know this is dramatic hyperbole because I spent one very long Sunday afternoon after my first divorce contemplating cutting off my penis. Almost thirty years later, after my second divorce, I worked on a film about a man who wanted so desperately to be a woman that he cut off his own penis. It was an interesting project since I had wanted to cut off my own penis, not to become a woman but to acquire a righteousness of my own derived from the law.

The writer/director/producer of the film told me how difficult it was to find a naturalistic fake penis, handled, not completely flaccid nor completely erect. Then it fell to the makeup/wardrobe lady to figure out how to attach it directly to the actor’s body, as the writer/director/producer directed her, fearing that nothing less would look realistic on camera. From the sounds we heard, I gathered that the scene which transpired on the other side of the closed bathroom door was filled with pathos, both tragic and comedic.

Still, that failed experiment to attach a fake penis directly to the actor’s body persuaded the writer/director/producer that the only way to proceed was to attach it to a dance belt, which was the makeup/wardrobe lady’s first instinct all along. The first test left most of us understanding the writer/director/producer’s original concern: It looked like a fake penis glued to a dance belt, though the general shape and position seemed anatomically correct if one squinted. But the makeup/wardrobe lady, an artist who could already visualize the finished piece in her mind, remained confident.

On the day the scene was shot, the actor walked on set with his fake penis glued to a dance belt dyed or painted to match his skin tone. The effect was amazing. The makeup/wardrobe lady graciously received our approval and applause. The shot, however, still did not go as planned.

It was so difficult for the actor to cut through the fake penis with a kitchen knife that the scene became comedy rather than tragedy or horror. This was low budget filmmaking. There was only one fake penis, glued to one dance belt, dyed or painted to match the actor’s skin tone. The writer/director/producer got down on his knees and vigorously sawed almost all the way through the actor’s fake penis. The camera rolled. The actor sliced off his penis with one quick motion. The scene was saved.

My own plan had been to use a heavy cleaver and a cutting board. Both were ready at hand. But the Lord made it quite clear to me in that moment that cutting off my penis would not be sufficient, that I would need to cut off my head. I was uncertain whether I could survive cutting off my penis but quite convinced that cutting off my head would kill me, and said so. His one word answer, Exactly, both stopped me from proceeding and encouraged me to take Paul’s discussions of death more seriously than I had been taking them.

I have said that Paul led me to Christ. That’s not untrue but probably an over-simplification. Jesus led me to Paul and helped me understand his teaching, then Paul led me to where Jesus said the same thing only differently, then Jesus led me to Paul’s words and Paul led me to Jesus’ words, back and forth. I did tend to begin to grasp the concepts through Paul’s words before I actually heard what Jesus was saying, but the process bound their words so tightly together it is difficult to think of the one apart from the other.

Jesus’ dramatic hyperbole shows the level of commitment required to have a righteousness of one’s own derived from the law, if such a thing were even possible, which it is not: For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do.⁸⁸ So, ultimately Jesus’ dramatic hyperbole was designed to draw those who had not yet gained the full knowledge of sin through the law into the blessedness of that knowledge, a truth which sets one amazingly free. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out,⁸⁹ sets one free from the burden of trying to have a righteousness of one’s own derived from the law and on course to seek the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness—a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.⁹⁰

Jesus continued to demonstrate God’s goodness as He continued to draw those with a superficial knowledge of sin into the blessedness of full knowledge, contrasting the teaching of God (Matthew 19:3-8) to that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:31, 32 ESV).

“It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery [Table].

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all,⁹¹ Jesus continued and explained this application with illustrations another application and another explanation, and a final application with its explanation (Matthew 5:34b-37 ESV):

either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.

Jesus’ contrasts continued, explained by a series of applications that would be daunting to even the most dedicated seeker of a righteousness of his own derived from the law. Yet, to anyone who has spent any significant time walking by the Spirit—as Jesus walked in the power of the Spirit⁹²—these “applications” are all too familiar as the very things the Holy Spirit reminds one, prompts one and empowers one to do on a case-by-case basis as the situations arise (Matthew 5:38-45a ESV).

“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also [Table]. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you [Table].

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you [Table], so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven [Table].

Then Jesus explained how our Father in heaven demonstrates his goodness to all: For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.⁹³ He then questioned the value of the righteousness of those seeking a righteousness of their own derived from the law with illustrations, not to berate or condemn them but to draw them into the blessedness of the full knowledge of sin through the law (Matthew 5:46, 47 ESV):

For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? [Table]

Jesus concluded this section of his sermon with an application that should put the fear of God and instigate a change of course in any seeking a righteousness of his own derived from the law (Matthew 5:48 ESV [Table]):

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

I’ve gone long again and have simply run out of time to continue with the author’s first exercise or even consider the second. I was intrigued by the idea of considering Jesus’ “sermon on the mount” as a sermon, testing the author’s contention that a sermon is about one thing. I’m nowhere near clever enough to read Matthew 5-7 and decipher Jesus’ theme. So I asked Him.

The goodness of God was the answer that came to me, his idea rather than mine. Clearly, I’m not clever enough even to understand Jesus’ words, much less relate them to this theme, without recourse to Scriptures outside of the prescribed passage. And though I would love to continue with this theme, I need to move on at this time if there is any possibility that I can keep up with this course in the time allotted.

According to a note (42) in the NET, Jesus alluded to Isaiah 13:10, 34:4 and Joel 2:10 in Matthew 24:29. Tables comparing the Greek of Jesus’ allusion to that of the Septuagint follow.

Matthew 24:29b (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Isaiah 13:10b (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 13:10b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ ἥλιος σκοτισθήσεται, καὶ ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει τὸ φέγγος αὐτῆς	καὶ σκοτισθήσεται τοῦ ἡλίου ἀνατέλλοντος καὶ ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει τὸ φῶς αὐτῆς	καὶ σκοτισθήσεται τοῦ ἡλίου ἀνατέλλοντος, καὶ ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει τὸ φῶς αὐτῆς
Matthew 24:29b (NET)	Isaiah 13:10b (NETS)	Isaiah 13:10b (English Elpenor)
the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light;	and it will be dark when the sun rises, and the moon will not give its light.	and it shall be dark at sunrise, and the moon shall not give her light.

Matthew 24:29c (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Isaiah 34:4b (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 34:4a, c (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οἱ ἀστέρες πεσοῦνται ἀπὸ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ, καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν σαλευθήσονται	καὶ πάντα τὰ ἄστρα πεσεῖται	καὶ τακήσονται πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν…καὶ πάντα τὰ ἄστρα πεσεῖται
Matthew 24:29c (NET)	Isaiah 34:4b (NETS)	Isaiah 34:4a, c (English Elpenor)
the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven will be shaken.	and all the stars shall fall	And all the powers of the heavens shall melt…and all the stars shall fall

Matthew 24:29b, d (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Joel 2:10b (Septuagint BLB)	Joel 2:10b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ ἥλιος σκοτισθήσεται, καὶ ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει τὸ φέγγος αὐτῆς…καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν σαλευθήσονται	καὶ σεισθήσεται ὁ οὐρανός ὁ ἥλιος καὶ ἡ σελήνη συσκοτάσουσιν	καὶ σεισθήσεται ὁ οὐρανός, ὁ ἥλιος καὶ ἡ σελήνη συσκοτάσουσι
Matthew 24:29b, d (NET)	Joel 2:10b (NETS)	Joel 2:10b (English Elpenor)
the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light…and the powers of heaven will be shaken.	and the sky shall be shaken. The sun and the moon shall grow dark	and the sky shall be shaken: the sun and the moon shall be darkened

According to a note (47) in the NET, Jesus alluded to Daniel 7:13 in Matthew 24:30. A table comparing the Greek of Jesus’ allusion to that of the Septuagint follows.

Matthew 24:30b (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Daniel 7:13b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Daniel 7:13b (Septuagint Elpenor)
τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐπὶ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ	μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενος	μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενος
Matthew 24:30b (NET)	Daniel 7:13b (NETS)	Daniel 7:13b (English Elpenor)
the Son of Man arriving on the clouds of heaven	as it were a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven	[one] coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of man

According to a note (36) in the NET, Jesus alluded to Isaiah 13:10, 34:4 and Joel 2:10 in Mark 13:24, 25. Tables comparing the Greek of Jesus’ allusion to that of the Septuagint follow.

Mark 13:24b (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Isaiah 13:10b (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 13:10b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ ἥλιος σκοτισθήσεται, καὶ ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει τὸ φέγγος αὐτῆς	καὶ σκοτισθήσεται τοῦ ἡλίου ἀνατέλλοντος καὶ ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει τὸ φῶς αὐτῆς	καὶ σκοτισθήσεται τοῦ ἡλίου ἀνατέλλοντος, καὶ ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει τὸ φῶς αὐτῆς
Mark 13:24b (NET)	Isaiah 13:10b (NETS)	Isaiah 13:10b (English Elpenor)
the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light;	and it will be dark when the sun rises, and the moon will not give its light.	and it shall be dark at sunrise, and the moon shall not give her light.

Mark 13:25 (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Isaiah 34:4b (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 34:4a, c (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ οἱ ἀστέρες ἔσονται ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πίπτοντες, καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς σαλευθήσονται	καὶ πάντα τὰ ἄστρα πεσεῖται	καὶ τακήσονται πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν…καὶ πάντα τὰ ἄστρα πεσεῖται
Mark 13:25 (NET)	Isaiah 34:4b (NETS)	Isaiah 34:4a, c (English Elpenor)
the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.	and all the stars shall fall	And all the powers of the heavens shall melt…and all the stars shall fall

Mark 13:24b, 25b (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Joel 2:10b (Septuagint BLB)	Joel 2:10b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ ἥλιος σκοτισθήσεται, καὶ ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει τὸ φέγγος αὐτῆς…καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς σαλευθήσονται	καὶ σεισθήσεται ὁ οὐρανός ὁ ἥλιος καὶ ἡ σελήνη συσκοτάσουσιν	καὶ σεισθήσεται ὁ οὐρανός, ὁ ἥλιος καὶ ἡ σελήνη συσκοτάσουσι
Mark 13:24b, 25b (NET)	Joel 2:10b (NETS)	Joel 2:10b (English Elpenor)
the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light…and the powers of heaven will be shaken.	and the sky shall be shaken. The sun and the moon shall grow dark	and the sky shall be shaken: the sun and the moon shall be darkened

According to a note (38) in the NET, Jesus alluded to Daniel 7:13 in Mark 13:26. A table comparing the Greek of Jesus’ allusion to that of the Septuagint follows.

Mark 13:26b (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Daniel 7:13b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Daniel 7:13b (Septuagint Elpenor)
τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐν νεφέλαις	μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενος	μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενος
Mark 13:26b (NET)	Daniel 7:13b (NETS)	Daniel 7:13b (English Elpenor)
the Son of Man arriving in the clouds	as it were a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven	[one] coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of man

According to a note (66) in the NET, Jesus alluded to Isaiah 34:4 in Luke 21:26. A table comparing the Greek of Jesus’ allusion to that of the Septuagint follows.

Luke 21:26b (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Isaiah 34:4b (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 34:4a, c (Septuagint Elpenor)
αἱ γὰρ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν σαλευθήσονται	N/A	καὶ τακήσονται πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν
Luke 21:26b (NET)	Isaiah 34:4b (NETS)	Isaiah 34:4a, c (English Elpenor)
for the powers of the heavens will be shaken	N/A	And all the powers of the heavens shall melt

According to a note (68) in the NET, Jesus alluded to Daniel 7:13 in Luke 21:27. A table comparing the Greek of Jesus’ allusion to that of the Septuagint follows.

Luke 21:27b (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Daniel 7:13b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Daniel 7:13b (Septuagint Elpenor)
τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενον ἐν νεφέλῃ	μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενος	μετὰ τῶν νεφελῶν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ὡς υἱὸς ἀνθρώπου ἐρχόμενος
Luke 21:27b (NET)	Daniel 7:13b (NETS)	Daniel 7:13b (English Elpenor)
the Son of Man arriving in a cloud	as it were a son of man coming with the clouds of heaven	[one] coming with the clouds of heaven as the Son of man

According to a note (18) in the NET, Paul quoted from Isaiah 52:15 in Romans 15:21. A table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to that of the Septuagint follows.

Romans 15:21b (NET Parallel Greek Text)	Isaiah 52:15b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Isaiah 52:15b (Septuagint Elpenor)
οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ \|ὄψονται\|, καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἀκηκόασιν συνήσουσιν	οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ ὄψονται καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἀκηκόασιν συνήσουσιν	οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὄψονται, καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἀκηκόασι, συνήσουσι
Romans 15:21b (NET)	Isaiah 52:15b (NETS)	Isaiah 52:15b (English Elpenor)
“Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand.”	those who were not informed about him shall see and those who did not hear shall understand	they to whom no report was brought concerning him, shall see; and they who have not heard, shall consider

Tables comparing Psalm 37:11; 25:9; 34:2; 76:9; 147:6; 149:4; Jeremiah 17:9; 17:10; Isaiah 13:10; 34:4; Joel 2:10; Isaiah 52:15 and Jeremiah 50:34 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Psalm 37:11 (36:11); 25:9 (24:9); 34:2 (33:3); 76:9 (75:10); 147:6 (146:6); 149:4; Jeremiah 17:9; 17:10; Isaiah 13:10; 34:4; Joel 2:10; Isaiah 52:15 and Jeremiah 50:34 (27:34) in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Revelation 22:3; Mark 13:24, 25; 1 Peter 1:22, 23; Matthew 5:25; 5:13; 5:23 and 5:30 in the KJV and NET follow.

Psalm 37:11 (Tanakh)	Psalm 37:11 (KJV)	Psalm 37:11 (NET)
But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.	But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.	But the oppressed will possess the land and enjoy great prosperity.

Psalm 37:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 36:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οἱ δὲ πραεῖς κληρονομήσουσιν γῆν καὶ κατατρυφήσουσιν ἐπὶ πλήθει εἰρήνης	οἱ δὲ πραεῖς κληρονομήσουσι γῆν καὶ κατατρυφήσουσιν ἐπὶ πλήθει εἰρήνης
Psalm 36:11 (NETS)	Psalm 36:11 (English Elpenor)
But the meek shall inherit land and take delight in the abundance of peace.	But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight [themselves] in the abundance of peace.

Psalm 25:9 (Tanakh)	Psalm 25:9 (KJV)	Psalm 25:9 (NET)
The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.	The meek will he guide in judgment: and the meek will he teach his way.	May he show the humble what is right. May he teach the humble his way.

Psalm 25:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 24:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁδηγήσει πραεῖς ἐν κρίσει διδάξει πραεῖς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ	ὁδηγήσει πραεῖς ἐν κρίσει, διδάξει πραεῖς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ
Psalm 24:9 (NETS)	Psalm 24:9 (English Elpenor)
The meek he will guide in justice; the meek he will teach his ways.	The meek will he guide in judgment: the meek will he teach his ways.

Psalm 34:2 (Tanakh)	Psalm 34:2 (KJV)	Psalm 34:2 (NET)
My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.	My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.	I will boast in the Lord; let the oppressed hear and rejoice.

Psalm 34:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 33:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν τῷ κυρίῳ ἐπαινεσθήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου ἀκουσάτωσαν πραεῖς καὶ εὐφρανθήτωσαν	ἐν τῷ Κυρίῳ ἐπαινεθήσεται ἡ ψυχή μου· ἀκουσάτωσαν πρᾳεῖς, καὶ εὐφρανθήτωσαν
Psalm 33:3 (NETS)	Psalm 33:3 (English Elpenor)
In the Lord my soul shall be commended; let the meek hear and be glad.	My soul shall boast herself in the Lord: let the meek hear, and rejoice.

Psalm 76:9 (Tanakh)	Psalm 76:9 (KJV)	Psalm 76:9 (NET)
When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.	When God arose to judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Selah.	when God arose to execute judgment, and to deliver all the oppressed of the earth. (Selah)

Psalm 76:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 75:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν τῷ ἀναστῆναι εἰς κρίσιν τὸν θεὸν τοῦ σῶσαι πάντας τοὺς πραεῖς τῆς γῆς διάψαλμα	ἐν τῷ ἀναστῆναι εἰς κρίσιν τὸν Θεὸν τοῦ σῶσαι πάντας τοὺς πραεῖς τῆς γῆς. (διάψαλμα)
Psalm 75:10 (NETS)	Psalm 75:10 (English Elpenor)
when God rose up to establish judgment, to save all the meek of the earth. Interlude on strings	when God arose to judgment, to save all the meek in heart. Pause.

Psalm 147:6 (Tanakh)	Psalm 147:6 (KJV)	Psalm 147:6 (NET)
The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.	The LORD lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.	The Lord lifts up the oppressed, but knocks the wicked to the ground.

Psalm 147:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 146:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀναλαμβάνων πραεῖς ὁ κύριος ταπεινῶν δὲ ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἕως τῆς γῆς	ἀναλαμβάνων πρᾳεῖς ὁ Κύριος, ταπεινῶν δὲ ἁμαρτωλοὺς ἕως τῆς γῆς
Psalm 146:6 (NETS)	Psalm 146:6 (English Elpenor)
when the Lord picks up the meek but humbles sinners to the ground.	The Lord lifts up the meek; but brings sinners down to the ground.

Psalm 149:4 (Tanakh)	Psalm 149:4 (KJV)	Psalm 149:4 (NET)
For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.	For the LORD taketh pleasure in his people: he will beautify the meek with salvation.	For the Lord takes delight in his people; he exalts the oppressed by delivering them.

Psalm 149:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 149:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι εὐδοκεῖ κύριος ἐν λαῷ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑψώσει πραεῖς ἐν σωτηρίᾳ	ὅτι εὐδοκεῖ Κύριος ἐν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ καὶ ὑψώσει πραεῖς ἐν σωτηρίᾳ
Psalm 149:4 (NETS)	Psalm 149:4 (English Elpenor)
because the Lord takes pleasure in his people, and he exalts the meek with deliverance.	For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; and will exalt the meek with salvation.

Jeremiah 17:9 (Tanakh)	Jeremiah 17:9 (KJV)	Jeremiah 17:9 (NET)
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?	The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?	The human mind is more deceitful than anything else. It is incurably bad. Who can understand it?

Jeremiah 17:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Jeremiah 17:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
βαθεῖα ἡ καρδία παρὰ πάντα καὶ ἄνθρωπός ἐστιν καὶ τίς γνώσεται αὐτόν	βαθεῖα ἡ καρδία παρά πάντα, καὶ ἄνθρωπός ἐστι· καὶ τίς γνώσεται αὐτόν
Jeremiah 17:9 (NETS)	Jeremiah 17:9 (English Elpenor)
The heart is deep above all else, and so is man, and who shall understand him?	The heart is deep beyond all things, and it is the man, and who can know him?

Jeremiah 17:10 (Tanakh)	Jeremiah 17:10 (KJV)	Jeremiah 17:10 (NET)
I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.	I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.	I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds. I examine people’s hearts. I deal with each person according to how he has behaved. I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.

Jeremiah 17:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Jeremiah 17:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐγὼ κύριος ἐτάζων καρδίας καὶ δοκιμάζων νεφροὺς τοῦ δοῦναι ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ κατὰ τοὺς καρποὺς τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων αὐτοῦ	ἐγὼ Κύριος ἐτάζων καρδίας καὶ δοκιμάζων νεφροὺς τοῦ δοῦναι ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰς ὁδοὺς αὐτοῦ καὶ κατὰ τοὺς καρποὺς τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων αὐτοῦ
Jeremiah 17:10 (NETS)	Jeremiah 17:10 (English Elpenor)
I, the Lord, am one who tests hearts and examines kidneys, to give to each according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings.	I the Lord try the hearts, and prove the reins, to give to every one according to his ways, and according to the fruits of his devices.

Isaiah 13:10 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 13:10 (KJV)	Isaiah 13:10 (NET)
For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.	For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light: the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine.	Indeed the stars in the sky and their constellations no longer give out their light; the sun is darkened as soon as it rises, and the moon does not shine.

Isaiah 13:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 13:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οἱ γὰρ ἀστέρες τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ὁ Ὠρίων καὶ πᾶς ὁ κόσμος τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸ φῶς οὐ δώσουσιν καὶ σκοτισθήσεται τοῦ ἡλίου ἀνατέλλοντος καὶ ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει τὸ φῶς αὐτῆς	οἱ γὰρ ἀστέρες τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ὁ ᾿Ωρίων καὶ πᾶς ὁ κόσμος τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τὸ φῶς οὐ δώσουσι, καὶ σκοτισθήσεται τοῦ ἡλίου ἀνατέλλοντος, καὶ ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει τὸ φῶς αὐτῆς
Isaiah 13:10 (NETS)	Isaiah 13:10 (English Elpenor)
For the stars of heaven and Orion and all the ornament of heaven will not give light, and it will be dark when the sun rises, and the moon will not give its light.	For the stars of heaven, and Orion, and all the host of heaven, shall not give their light; and it shall be dark at sunrise, and the moon shall not give her light.

Isaiah 34:4 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 34:4 (KJV)	Isaiah 34:4 (NET)
And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.	And all the host of heaven shall be dissolved, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll: and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig tree.	All the stars in the sky will fade away, the sky will roll up like a scroll; all its stars will wither, like a leaf withers and falls from a vine or a fig withers and falls from a tree.

Isaiah 34:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 34:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἑλιγήσεται ὁ οὐρανὸς ὡς βιβλίον καὶ πάντα τὰ ἄστρα πεσεῖται ὡς φύλλα ἐξ ἀμπέλου καὶ ὡς πίπτει φύλλα ἀπὸ συκῆς	καὶ τακήσονται πᾶσαι αἱ δυνάμεις τῶν οὐρανῶν, καὶ ἑλιγήσεται ὁ οὐρανὸς ὡς βιβλίον, καὶ πάντα τὰ ἄστρα πεσεῖται ὡς φύλλα ἐξ ἀμπέλου καὶ ὡς πίπτει φύλλα ἀπὸ συκῆς
Isaiah 34:4 (NETS)	Isaiah 34:4 (English Elpenor)
Heaven shall roll up like a scroll, and all the stars shall fall like leaves from a vine and as leaves fall from a fig tree.	And all the powers of the heavens shall melt, and the sky shall be rolled up like a scroll: and all the stars shall fall like leaves from a vine, and as leaves fall from a fig-tree.

Joel 2:10 (Tanakh)	Joel 2:10 (KJV)	Joel 2:10 (NET)
Before them the earth quaketh, the heavens tremble; the sun and the moon are become black, and the stars withdraw their shining.	The earth shall quake before them; the heavens shall tremble: the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining:	The earth quakes before them; the sky reverberates. The sun and the moon grow dark; the stars refuse to shine.

Joel 2:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Joel 2:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
πρὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν συγχυθήσεται ἡ γῆ καὶ σεισθήσεται ὁ οὐρανός ὁ ἥλιος καὶ ἡ σελήνη συσκοτάσουσιν καὶ τὰ ἄστρα δύσουσιν τὸ φέγγος αὐτῶν	πρὸ προσώπου αὐτῶν συγχυθήσεται ἡ γῆ καὶ σεισθήσεται ὁ οὐρανός, ὁ ἥλιος καὶ ἡ σελήνη συσκοτάσουσι, καὶ τὰ ἄστρα δύσουσι τὸ φέγγος αὐτῶν
Joel 2:10 (NETS)	Joel 2:10 (English Elpenor)
The earth shall be disturbed before them, and the sky shall be shaken. The sun and the moon shall grow dark, and the stars shall shed their brightness.	Before them the earth shall be confounded, and the sky shall be shaken: the sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their light.

Isaiah 52:15 (Tanakh)	Isaiah 52:15 (KJV)	Isaiah 52:15 (NET)
So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.	So shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider.	so now he will startle many nations. Kings will be shocked by his exaltation, for they will witness something unannounced to them, and they will understand something they had not heard about.

Isaiah 52:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 52:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὕτως θαυμάσονται ἔθνη πολλὰ ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ καὶ συνέξουσιν βασιλεῖς τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν ὅτι οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ ὄψονται καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἀκηκόασιν συνήσουσιν	οὕτω θαυμάσονται ἔθνη πολλὰ ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ, καὶ συνέξουσι βασιλεῖς τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν· ὅτι οἷς οὐκ ἀνηγγέλη περὶ αὐτοῦ, ὄψονται, καὶ οἳ οὐκ ἀκηκόασι, συνήσουσι
Isaiah 52:15 (NETS)	Isaiah 52:15 (English Elpenor)
so shall many nations be astonished at him, and kings shall shut their mouth, because those who were not informed about him shall see and those who did not hear shall understand.	Thus shall many nations wonder at him; and kings shall keep their mouths shut: for they to whom no report was brought concerning him, shall see; and they who have not heard, shall consider.

Jeremiah 50:34 (Tanakh)	Jeremiah 50:34 (KJV)	Jeremiah 50:34 (NET)
Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.	Their Redeemer is strong; the LORD of hosts is his name: he shall throughly plead their cause, that he may give rest to the land, and disquiet the inhabitants of Babylon.	But the one who will rescue them is strong. His name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. He will strongly champion their cause. As a result he will bring peace and rest to the earth, but trouble and turmoil to the people who inhabit Babylonia.

Jeremiah 50:34 (Septuagint BLB)	Jeremiah 27:34 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ὁ λυτρούμενος αὐτοὺς ἰσχυρός κύριος παντοκράτωρ ὄνομα αὐτῷ κρίσιν κρινεῖ πρὸς τοὺς ἀντιδίκους αὐτοῦ ὅπως ἐξάρῃ τὴν γῆν καὶ παροξυνεῖ τοῖς κατοικοῦσι Βαβυλῶνα	καὶ ὁ λυτρούμενος αὐτοὺς ἰσχυρός, Κύριος παντοκράτωρ ὄνομα αὐτῷ· κρίσιν κρινεῖ πρὸς τοὺς ἀντιδίκους αὐτοῦ, ὅπως ἐξάρῃ τὴν γῆν, καὶ παροξυνεῖ τοῖς κατοικοῦσι Βαβυλῶνα
Jeremiah 27:34 (NETS)	Jeremiah 27:34 (English Elpenor)
And he that redeems them is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name. He will judge with judgment against his adversaries, that he may destroy the earth, and for those that inhabit Babylon he will incite	But their Redeemer is strong; the Lord Almighty is his name: he will enter into judgment with his adversaries, that he may destroy the earth;

Revelation 22:3 (NET)	Revelation 22:3 (KJV)
And there will no longer be any curse, and the throne of God and the Lamb will be in the city. His servants will worship him,	And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

Revelation 22:3 (NET Parallel Greek)	Revelation 22:3 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Revelation 22:3 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ πᾶν κατάθεμα οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι. καὶ ὁ θρόνος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοῦ ἀρνίου ἐν αὐτῇ ἔσται, καὶ οἱ δοῦλοι αὐτοῦ λατρεύσουσιν αὐτῷ	και παν καταναθεμα ουκ εσται ετι και ο θρονος του θεου και του αρνιου εν αυτη εσται και οι δουλοι αυτου λατρευσουσιν αυτω	και παν καταθεμα ουκ εσται εκει και ο θρονος του θεου και του αρνιου εν αυτη εσται και οι δουλοι αυτου λατρευσουσιν αυτω

Mark 13:24, 25 (NET)	Mark 13:24, 25 (KJV)
“But in those days, after that suffering, the sun will be darkened and the moon will not give its light;	But in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light,

Mark 13:24 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 13:24 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 13:24 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ἀλλὰ ἐν ἐκείναις ταῖς ἡμέραις μετὰ τὴν θλῖψιν ἐκείνην ὁ ἥλιος σκοτισθήσεται, καὶ ἡ σελήνη οὐ δώσει τὸ φέγγος αὐτῆς,	αλλ εν εκειναις ταις ημεραις μετα την θλιψιν εκεινην ο ηλιος σκοτισθησεται και η σεληνη ου δωσει το φεγγος αυτης	αλλ εν εκειναις ταις ημεραις μετα την θλιψιν εκεινην ο ηλιος σκοτισθησεται και η σεληνη ου δωσει το φεγγος αυτης

the stars will be falling from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken.

And the stars of heaven shall fall, and the powers that are in heaven shall be shaken.

Mark 13:25 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 13:25 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 13:25 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ οἱ ἀστέρες ἔσονται ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ πίπτοντες, καὶ αἱ δυνάμεις αἱ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς σαλευθήσονται	και οι αστερες του ουρανου εσονται εκπιπτοντες και αι δυναμεις αι εν τοις ουρανοις σαλευθησονται	και οι αστερες του ουρανου εσονται εκπιπτοντες και αι δυναμεις αι εν τοις ουρανοις σαλευθησονται

1 Peter 1:22, 23 (NET)	1 Peter 1:22, 23 (KJV)
You have purified your souls by obeying the truth in order to show sincere mutual love. So love one another earnestly from a pure heart.	Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

1 Peter 1:22 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Peter 1:22 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Peter 1:22 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν ἡγνικότες ἐν τῇ ὑπακοῇ τῆς ἀληθείας εἰς φιλαδελφίαν ἀνυπόκριτον, ἐκ [καθαρᾶς] καρδίας ἀλλήλους ἀγαπήσατε ἐκτενῶς	τας ψυχας υμων ηγνικοτες εν τη υπακοη της αληθειας δια πνευματος εις φιλαδελφιαν ανυποκριτον εκ καθαρας καρδιας αλληλους αγαπησατε εκτενως	τας ψυχας υμων ηγνικοτες εν τη υπακοη της αληθειας δια πνευματος εις φιλαδελφιαν ανυποκριτον εκ καθαρας καρδιας αλληλους αγαπησατε εκτενως

You have been born anew, not from perishable but from imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God.

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

1 Peter 1:23 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Peter 1:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Peter 1:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀναγεγεννημένοι οὐκ ἐκ σπορᾶς φθαρτῆς ἀλλὰ ἀφθάρτου διὰ λόγου ζῶντος θεοῦ καὶ μένοντος	αναγεγεννημενοι ουκ εκ σπορας φθαρτης αλλα αφθαρτου δια λογου ζωντος θεου και μενοντος εις τον αιωνα	αναγεγεννημενοι ουκ εκ σπορας φθαρτης αλλα αφθαρτου δια λογου ζωντος θεου και μενοντος εις τον αιωνα

Matthew 5:25 (NET)	Matthew 5:25 (KJV)
Reach agreement quickly with your accuser while on the way to court, or he may hand you over to the judge, and the judge hand you over to the warden, and you will be thrown into prison.	Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison.

Matthew 5:25 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 5:25 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 5:25 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἴσθι εὐνοῶν τῷ ἀντιδίκῳ σου ταχύ, ἕως ὅτου εἶ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ, μήποτε σε παραδῷ ὁ ἀντίδικος τῷ κριτῇ καὶ ὁ κριτὴς τῷ ὑπηρέτῃ καὶ εἰς φυλακὴν βληθήσῃ	ισθι ευνοων τω αντιδικω σου ταχυ εως οτου ει εν τη οδω μετ αυτου μηποτε σε παραδω ο αντιδικος τω κριτη και ο κριτης σε παραδω τω υπηρετη και εις φυλακην βληθηση	ισθι ευνοων τω αντιδικω σου ταχυ εως οτου ει εν τη οδω μετ αυτου μηποτε σε παραδω ο αντιδικος τω κριτη και ο κριτης σε παραδω τω υπηρετη και εις φυλακην βληθηση

Matthew 5:13 (NET)	Matthew 5:13 (KJV)
“You are the salt of the earth. But if salt loses its flavor, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people!	Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men.

Matthew 5:13 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 5:13 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 5:13 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὑμεῖς ἐστε τὸ ἅλας τῆς γῆς· ἐὰν δὲ τὸ ἅλας μωρανθῇ, ἐν τίνι ἁλισθήσεται; εἰς οὐδὲν ἰσχύει ἔτι εἰ μὴ βληθὲν ἔξω καταπατεῖσθαι ὑπὸ τῶν ἀνθρώπων	υμεις εστε το αλας της γης εαν δε το αλας μωρανθη εν τινι αλισθησεται εις ουδεν ισχυει ετι ει μη βληθηναι εξω και καταπατεισθαι υπο των ανθρωπων	υμεις εστε το αλας της γης εαν δε το αλας μωρανθη εν τινι αλισθησεται εις ουδεν ισχυει ετι ει μη βληθηναι εξω και καταπατεισθαι υπο των ανθρωπων

Matthew 5:23 (NET)	Matthew 5:23 (KJV)
So then, if you bring your gift to the altar and there you remember that your brother has something against you,	Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee;

Matthew 5:23 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 5:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 5:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐὰν οὖν προσφέρῃς τὸ δῶρον σου ἐπὶ τὸ θυσιαστήριον κακεῖ μνησθῇς ὅτι ὁ ἀδελφός σου ἔχει τι κατὰ σοῦ	εαν ουν προσφερης το δωρον σου επι το θυσιαστηριον κακει μνησθης οτι ο αδελφος σου εχει τι κατα σου	εαν ουν προσφερης το δωρον σου επι το θυσιαστηριον και εκει μνησθης οτι ο αδελφος σου εχει τι κατα σου

Matthew 5:30 (NET)	Matthew 5:30 (KJV)
If your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away! It is better to lose one of your members than to have your whole body go into hell.	And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell.

Matthew 5:30 (NET Parallel Greek)	Matthew 5:30 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Matthew 5:30 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καὶ εἰ ἡ δεξιά σου χεὶρ σκανδαλίζει σε, ἔκκοψον αὐτὴν καὶ βάλε ἀπὸ σοῦ· συμφέρει γάρ σοι ἵνα ἀπόληται ἓν τῶν μελῶν σου καὶ μὴ ὅλον τὸ σῶμα σου εἰς γέενναν ἀπέλθῃ	και ει η δεξια σου χειρ σκανδαλιζει σε εκκοψον αυτην και βαλε απο σου συμφερει γαρ σοι ινα αποληται εν των μελων σου και μη ολον το σωμα σου βληθη εις γεενναν	και ει η δεξια σου χειρ σκανδαλιζει σε εκκοψον αυτην και βαλε απο σου συμφερει γαρ σοι ινα αποληται εν των μελων σου και μη ολον το σωμα σου βληθη εις γεενναν

Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 4, Part 3

¹ Galatians 4:4b (ESV)

² 2 Corinthians 3:7a (ESV) Table

³ 2 Corinthians 3:9a (ESV) Table

⁴ Romans 3:20b (ESV)

⁵ Matthew 5:3a (ESV)

⁶ Matthew 5:3b (ESV)

⁷ Matthew 5:4a (ESV)

⁸ Matthew 5:4b (ESV)

⁹ Matthew 5:5a (ESV)

¹⁰ Matthew 5:5b (ESV)

¹¹ Psalm 37:11 (ESV)

¹² Psalm 25:9 (ESV)

¹³ Psalm 34:2 (ESV)

¹⁴ Psalm 76:9 (ESV)

¹⁵ Psalm 147:6 (ESV)

¹⁶ Psalm 149:4 (ESV)

¹⁷ Romans 7:18b (ESV) Table

¹⁸ Matthew 5:6a (ESV)

¹⁹ Matthew 5:6b (ESV)

²⁰ Philippians 3:9b (NET)

²¹ Luke 4:14b (ESV)

²² Galatians 5:16b (ESV)

²³ Romans 13:10b (ESV)

²⁴ Galatians 5:22b, 23a (ESV)

²⁵ Galatians 5:23b (ESV) Table

²⁶ Matthew 5:7 (ESV)

²⁷ Romans 7:18b (ESV) Table

²⁸ Philippians 2:12b, 13 (ESV)

²⁹ Romans 9:16 (ESV) Table

³⁰ Matthew 5:7a (ESV)

³¹ Matthew 5:7b (ESV)

³² Matthew 5:8 (ESV)

³³ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had ἔτι here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had εκει (“there, in that place, to that place”).

³⁴ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had κατάθεμα here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had καταναθεμα (KJV: curse).

³⁵ The NET parallel Greek text had Ἀλλὰ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA²⁸ had Ἀλλ’.

³⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had πίπτοντες here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εκπιπτοντες (KJV: fall).

³⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐκ here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

³⁸ Matthew 24:30b (ESV)

³⁹ Matthew 5:8b (ESV)

⁴⁰ 1 Timothy 1:5 (ESV)

⁴¹ 2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV)

⁴² The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δια πνευματος (KJV: through the Spirit) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁴³ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εις τον αιωνα (KJV: for ever) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁴⁴ 2 Timothy 2:22a (ESV)

⁴⁵ Matthew 5:8a (ESV)

⁴⁶ Matthew 5:8b (ESV)

⁴⁷ Matthew 5:9 (ESV)

⁴⁸ John 1:10-13 (ESV)

⁴⁹ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had σε παραδω (KJV: deliver thee) repeated here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁵⁰ Matthew 5:25, 26 (ESV)

⁵¹ The final clause in verse 34 of the Elpenor Septuagint—καὶ παροξυνεῖ τοῖς κατοικοῦσι Βαβυλῶνα—was not translated in the Elpenor parallel English.

⁵² Matthew 5:9a (ESV)

⁵³ Matthew 5:9b (ESV)

⁵⁴ Matthew 5:10a (ESV)

⁵⁵ Matthew 5:10b (ESV)

⁵⁶ Matthew 5:11 (ESV) Table

⁵⁷ Matthew 5:12a (ESV)

⁵⁸ Philippians 2:13b (ESV) Table

⁵⁹ Matthew 5:12b (ESV)

⁶⁰ Matthew 5:12c (ESV)

⁶¹ Matthew 5:13a (ESV)

⁶² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had βληθὲν, a passive participle of βάλλω here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the passive infinitive βληθηναι (KJV: to be cast).

⁶³ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁶⁴ Matthew 5:13b (ESV)

⁶⁵ Matthew 5:14a (ESV)

⁶⁶ Matthew 5:14b, 15 (ESV)

⁶⁷ Matthew 5:16a (ESV)

⁶⁸ Matthew 5:16b (ESV)

⁶⁹ Philippians 2:13b (ESV) Table

⁷⁰ Matthew 5:17a (ESV)

⁷¹ Matthew 5:17b (ESV)

⁷² John 3:21b (ESV)

⁷³ Matthew 5:18 (ESV)

⁷⁴ Matthew 5:19, 20 (ESV)

⁷⁵ Galatians 5:16b (ESV)

⁷⁶ Luke 4:14b (ESV)

⁷⁷ Romans 13:10b (ESV)

⁷⁸ Galatians 5:22b, 23a (ESV)

⁷⁹ Matthew 5:21 (ESV)

⁸⁰ Matthew 5:22 (ESV) Table

⁸¹ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had κακεῖ here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had καί εκει.

⁸² Genesis 4:9b (ESV) Table

⁸³ Romans 14:13 (ESV)

⁸⁴ Philippians 3:9b (ESV)

⁸⁵ Matthew 5:27 (ESV) Table

⁸⁶ Matthew 5:28 (ESV) Table

⁸⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀπέλθῃ, a form of ἀπέρχομαι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had βληθη (KJV: should be cast), a form of βάλλω.

⁸⁸ Romans 8:3a (ESV)

⁸⁹ Romans 7:18b (ESV) Table

⁹⁰ Philippians 3:9b (NET)

⁹¹ Matthew 5:33, 34a (ESV)

⁹² Luke 4:14b (ESV)

⁹³ Matthew 5:45b (ESV) Table

To Make Holy, Part 6

Posted on February 20, 2019 by admin

The next form of ἁγιάζω I want to consider is found in Jesus’ prayer to his Father: Set them apart (ἁγίασον, a form of ἁγιάζω) in the truth; your word is truth.^[1] But I’m making a slow pilgrimage through his prayer because I believe I can know his holiness here. Jesus prayed (John 17:7, 8 NET):

Now they understand that everything you have given me comes from you, because I have given them the words you have given me. They accepted them and really understand that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me.

The Greek words translated understand were ἔγνωκαν and ἔγνωσαν respectively, forms of γινώσκω. None of the rulers of this age understood (ἔγνωκεν, another form of γινώσκω) [the wisdom of God], Paul wrote believers in Corinth. If they had known (ἔγνωσαν, a form of γινώσκω) it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.^[2]

Paul may have meant that—if they had understood—the demonic rulers (ἀρχόντων, a form of ἄρχων) or their human followers would not have crucified Jesus so that the scriptures that say it must happen this way^[3] would have failed,^[4] rather than that these rulers would have embraced Jesus as Lord (y^ehôvâh) and Christ (mâshı̂yach). Still I think there is much to be gained by contrasting the disciples understanding to its negation. Righteous Father, Jesus prayed, even if the world does not know (ἔγνω, another form of γινώσκω) you, I know (ἔγνων, another form of γινώσκω) you, and these men know (ἔγνωσαν, a form of γινώσκω) that you sent me.^[5]

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard [Jesus’] parables, they realized (ἔγνωσαν, a form of γινώσκω) that he was speaking about them.^[6] But they didn’t understand that the Father had sent Jesus. Now they wanted to arrest him (but they feared the crowd), because they realized (ἔγνωσαν, a form of γινώσκω) that he told this parable against them. So they left him and went away.^[7] Then the experts in the law and the chief priests wanted to arrest him that very hour, because they realized (ἔγνωσαν, a form of γινώσκω) he had told this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.^[8]

John recorded the suspicion of some of the residents of Jerusalem, who in a sense forced their rulers’ hand to prove that they did not secretly regard Jesus as the Christ: Then some of the residents of Jerusalem began to say, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? Yet here he is, speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to him. Do the ruling authorities really know (ἔγνωσαν, a form of γινώσκω) that this man is the Christ?^[9]

The following table contrasts those who did not understand that the Father sent Jesus and those who did:

John 8:25-27 (NET)	John 16:1-4a (NET)
So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus^[10] replied, “What I have told you from the beginning.	“I have told you all these things so that you will not fall away.
I have many things to say and to judge about you, but the Father who sent me is truthful, and the things I have heard from him I speak^[11] to the world.”	They will put you out of the synagogue, yet a time is coming when the one who kills you will think he is offering service to God.
(They did not understand [ἔγνωσαν, a form of γινώσκω] that he was telling them about his Father.)	They will do^[12] these things because they have not known (ἔγνωσαν, a form of γινώσκω) the Father or me.
	But I have told you these things so that when their^[13] time comes, you will remember that I told you about them.

Jesus explained why his disciples’ understanding differed from that of most in Israel: I have given them the words you have given me. Even this may become clearer with contrast (Matthew 13:10-17 NET Table):

Then the disciples came to [Jesus] and said,^[14] “Why do you speak to them in parables?” He replied, “You have been given the opportunity to know (γνῶναι, another form of γινώσκω) the secrets of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. For this reason I speak to them in parables: Although they see they do not see, and although they hear they do not hear nor do they understand (συνίουσιν, a form of συνίημι). And concerning them the prophecy of Isaiah is fulfilled that says:

‘You will listen carefully yet will never understand (συνῆτε, another form of συνίημι), you will look closely yet will never comprehend. For the heart of this people has become dull; they are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand (συνῶσιν, another form of συνίημι) with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’

“But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear.^[15] For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see^[16] it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Jesus’ disciples were not only given the words Jesus’ Father gave to Him: They accepted them and really understand that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. The Greek word translated accepted was ἔλαβον (a form of λαμβάνω). John had described Jesus as follows (John 1:10-13 NET):

He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize (ἔγνω, another form of γινώσκω) him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive (παρέλαβον, a form of παραλαμβάνω) him. But to all who have received (ἔλαβον, a form of λαμβάνω) him – those who believe in his name – he has given the right to become God’s children – children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God.

John also recorded Jesus’ description of his own death and resurrection (John 10:17, 18 NET):

This is why the Father loves me – because I lay down my life, so that I may take (λάβω, another form of λαμβάνω) it back again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take (λαβεῖν, another form of λαμβάνω) it back again. This commandment I received (ἔλαβον, a form of λαμβάνω) from my Father.

Though accepted and received may sound passive^[17] in English, I think this translation is a matter of politeness. All three Greek forms of λαμβάνω above (λάβω, λαβεῖν and ἔλαβον) are active verbs: So they took (ἔλαβον, a form of λαμβάνω) branches of palm trees;^[18] they took (ἔλαβον, a form of λαμβάνω) his clothes and made four shares^[19] and they took (ἔλαβον, a form of λαμβάνω) Jesus’ body and wrapped it, with the aromatic spices.^[20] Jesus’ disciples took the words (ρήματα, a form of ῥῆμα) He gave them and kept (τετήρηκαν, a form of τηρέω) them: and they have kept thy word (λόγον, a form of λόγος).^[21] I feel justified equating the words (ρήματα) they took with the word (λόγον) they kept because Jesus also prayed: I have given them your word (λόγον, a form of λόγος).^[22]

I found two passive forms of λαμβάνω in the New Testament for contrast. The first is admittedly subtle (1 Timothy 4:1-5 NET):

Now the Spirit explicitly says that in the later times some will desert the faith and occupy themselves with deceiving spirits and demonic teachings, influenced by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared. They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received^[23] (μετάλημψιν) with thanksgiving by those who believe and know^[24] the truth. For every creation of God is good and no food [literally, nothing] is to be rejected if it is received (λαμβανόμενον, another form of λαμβάνω) with thanksgiving. For it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer.

The translations of the noun μετάλημψιν to be received and the passive verb λαμβανόμενον is received confused me some, not that I have a better translation of μετάλημψιν to offer. Perhaps the passiveness with which this food is received is clarified by Paul’s teaching to believers in Corinth (1 Corinthians 10:25-29a NET).

Eat anything that is sold in the marketplace without questions of conscience, for the earth and its abundance are the Lord’s. If^[25] an unbeliever invites you to dinner and you want to go, eat whatever is served without asking questions of conscience. But if someone says to you, “This is from a sacrifice,”^[26] do not eat, because of the one who told you and because of conscience –^[27] I do not mean yours but the other person’s.

The second example is more explicit, contrasting a passive form λαμβανόμενος directly with an active form λαμβάνει.

Hebrews 5:1 (NET)	Hebrews 5:4 (NET)
For every high priest is taken (λαμβανόμενος, another form of λαμβάνω) from among the people and appointed to represent them before God, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.	And no one assumes (λαμβάνει, another form of λαμβάνω; KJV: taketh) this honor on his own initiative, but only when called^[28] to it by God, as in fact^[29] Aaron^[30] was.

Jesus’ disciples actively took the words He gave them as they were, words from the Father, and really understand, Jesus prayed, that I came from you, and they believed that you sent me. I admit I’ve wasted too much time wondering what esoteric words the Father knew and gave to Jesus and Jesus knew and gave to his disciples, blind to the fact that they are Jesus’ understanding, given by the Holy Spirit, while studying the Hebrew scriptures. These words are what Jesus learned as He increased in^[31] wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and with people.^[32] And his understanding of these words, are recorded in the Gospel narratives of the New Testament.

Tables comparing the Greek of Matthew 13:14b with Isaiah 6:9b, and Matthew 13:15 with Isaiah 6:10 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables of Luke 20:19; John 7:26; 8:25, 26; 16:3, 4; Matthew 13:10; 13:16, 17; John 12:13; 19:23; 19:40; 17:6; 1 Timothy 4:3; 1 Corinthians 10:27, 28; Hebrews 5:4 and Luke 2:52 comparing the NET and KJV follow.

Matthew 13:14b (NET Parallel Greek)	Isaiah 6:9b (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 6:9b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε, καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε	ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε	ἀκοῇ ἀκούσετε καὶ οὐ μὴ συνῆτε καὶ βλέποντες βλέψετε καὶ οὐ μὴ ἴδητε
Matthew 13:14b (NET)	Esaias 6:9b (NETS)	Isaiah 6:9 (English Elpenor)
‘You will listen carefully yet will never understand, you will look closely yet will never comprehend.	‘You will listen by listening, but you will not understand, and looking you will look, but you will not perceive.’	Ye shall hear indeed, but ye shall not understand; and ye shall see indeed, but ye shall not perceive.

Matthew 13:15 (NET Parallel Greek)	Isaiah 6:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 6:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐπαχύνθη γὰρ ἡ καρδία τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν βαρέως ἤκουσαν καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν ἐκάμμυσαν, μήποτε ἴδωσιν τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν ἀκούσωσιν καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ συνῶσιν καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσιν καὶ ἰάσομαι αὐτούς	ἐπαχύνθη γὰρ ἡ καρδία τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου καὶ τοῗς ὠσὶν αὐτῶν βαρέως ἤκουσαν καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν ἐκάμμυσαν μήποτε ἴδωσιν τοῗς ὀφθαλμοῗς καὶ τοῗς ὠσὶν ἀκούσωσιν καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ συνῶσιν καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσιν καὶ ἰάσομαι αὐτούς	ἐπαχύνθη γὰρ ἡ καρδία τοῦ λαοῦ τούτου, καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν αὐτῶν βαρέως ἤκουσαν καὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν ἐκάμμυσαν μήποτε ἴδωσι τοῖς ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ τοῖς ὠσὶν ἀκούσωσι καὶ τῇ καρδίᾳ συνῶσι, καὶ ἐπιστρέψωσι, καὶ ἰάσομαι αὐτούς
Matthew 13:15 (NET)	Esaias 6:10 (NETS)	Isaiah 6:10 (English Elpenor)
For the heart of this people has become dull; they are hard of hearing, and they have shut their eyes, so that they would not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their hearts and turn, and I would heal them.’	For this people’s heart has grown fat, and with their ears they have heard heavily, and they have shut their eyes so that they might not see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn—and I would heal them.”	For the heart of this people has become gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and I should heal them.

Luke 20:19 (NET)	Luke 20:19 (KJV)
Then the experts in the law and the chief priests wanted to arrest him that very hour, because they realized he had told this parable against them. But they were afraid of the people.	And the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay hands on him; and they feared the people: for they perceived that he had spoken this parable against them.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ ἐζήτησαν οἱ γραμματεῖς καὶ οἱ ἀρχιερεῖς ἐπιβαλεῖν ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν τὰς χεῖρας ἐν αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν τὸν λαόν, ἔγνωσαν γὰρ ὅτι πρὸς αὐτοὺς εἶπεν τὴν παραβολὴν ταύτην	και εζητησαν οι αρχιερεις και οι γραμματεις επιβαλειν επ αυτον τας χειρας εν αυτη τη ωρα και εφοβηθησαν τον λαον εγνωσαν γαρ οτι προς αυτους την παραβολην ταυτην ειπεν	και εζητησαν οι αρχιερεις και οι γραμματεις επιβαλειν επ αυτον τας χειρας εν αυτη τη ωρα και εφοβηθησαν εγνωσαν γαρ οτι προς αυτους την παραβολην ταυτην ειπεν

John 7:26 (NET)	John 7:26 (KJV)
Yet here he is, speaking publicly, and they are saying nothing to him. Do the ruling authorities really know that this man is the Christ?	But, lo, he speaketh boldly, and they say nothing unto him. Do the rulers know indeed that this is the very Christ?

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἴδε παρρησίᾳ λαλεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτῷ λέγουσιν. μήποτε ἀληθῶς ἔγνωσαν οἱ ἄρχοντες ὅτι οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ χριστός	και ιδε παρρησια λαλει και ουδεν αυτω λεγουσιν μηποτε αληθως εγνωσαν οι αρχοντες οτι ουτος εστιν αληθως ο χριστος	και ιδε παρρησια λαλει και ουδεν αυτω λεγουσιν μηποτε αληθως εγνωσαν οι αρχοντες οτι ουτος εστιν αληθως ο χριστος

John 8:25, 26 (NET)	John 8:25, 26 (KJV)
So they said to him, “Who are you?” Jesus replied, “What I have told you from the beginning.	Then said they unto him, Who art thou? And Jesus saith unto them, Even the same that I said unto you from the beginning.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἔλεγον οὖν αὐτῷ· σὺ τίς εἶ; εἶπεν αὐτοῖς \|ὁ\| Ἰησοῦς· τὴν ἀρχὴν ὅ τι καὶ λαλῶ ὑμῖν	ελεγον ουν αυτω συ τις ει και ειπεν αυτοις ο ιησους την αρχην ο τι και λαλω υμιν	ελεγον ουν αυτω συ τις ει και ειπεν αυτοις ο ιησους την αρχην ο τι και λαλω υμιν

I have many things to say and to judge about you, but the Father who sent me is truthful, and the things I have heard from him I speak to the world.”

I have many things to say and to judge of you: but he that sent me is true; and I speak to the world those things which I have heard of him.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
πολλὰ ἔχω περὶ ὑμῶν λαλεῖν καὶ κρίνειν, ἀλλ᾿ ὁ πέμψας με ἀληθής ἐστιν, καγὼ ἃ ἤκουσα παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ ταῦτα λαλῶ εἰς τὸν κόσμον	πολλα εχω περι υμων λαλειν και κρινειν αλλ ο πεμψας με αληθης εστιν καγω α ηκουσα παρ αυτου ταυτα λεγω εις τον κοσμον	πολλα εχω περι υμων λαλειν και κρινειν αλλ ο πεμψας με αληθης εστιν καγω α ηκουσα παρ αυτου ταυτα λεγω εις τον κοσμον

John 16:3, 4 (NET)	John 16:3, 4 (KJV)
They will do these things because they have not known the Father or me.	And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ταῦτα ποιήσουσιν ὅτι οὐκ ἔγνωσαν τὸν πατέρα οὐδὲ ἐμέ	και ταυτα ποιησουσιν υμιν οτι ουκ εγνωσαν τον πατερα ουδε εμε	και ταυτα ποιησουσιν οτι ουκ εγνωσαν τον πατερα ουδε εμε

But I have told you these things so that when their time comes, you will remember that I told you about them.

“I did not tell you these things from the beginning because I was with you.

But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἀλλὰ ταῦτα λελάληκα ὑμῖν ἵνα ὅταν ἔλθῃ ἡ ὥρα αὐτῶν μνημονεύητε αὐτῶν ὅτι ἐγὼ εἶπον ὑμῖν. Ταῦτα δὲ ὑμῖν ἐξ ἀρχῆς οὐκ εἶπον, ὅτι μεθ᾿ ὑμῶν ἤμην	αλλα ταυτα λελαληκα υμιν ινα οταν ελθη η ωρα μνημονευητε αυτων οτι εγω ειπον υμιν ταυτα δε υμιν εξ αρχης ουκ ειπον οτι μεθ υμων ημην	αλλα ταυτα λελαληκα υμιν ινα οταν ελθη η ωρα μνημονευητε αυτων οτι εγω ειπον υμιν ταυτα δε υμιν εξ αρχης ουκ ειπον οτι μεθ υμων ημην

Matthew 13:10 (NET)	Matthew 13:10 (KJV)
Then the disciples came to him and said, “Why do you speak to them in parables?”	And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables?

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ προσελθόντες οἱ μαθηταὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· διὰ τί ἐν παραβολαῖς λαλεῖς αὐτοῖς	και προσελθοντες οι μαθηται ειπον αυτω δια τι εν παραβολαις λαλεις αυτοις	και προσελθοντες οι μαθηται ειπον αυτω δια τι εν παραβολαις λαλεις αυτοις

Matthew 13:16, 17 (NET)	Matthew 13:16, 17 (KJV)
“But your eyes are blessed because they see, and your ears because they hear.	But blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὑμῶν δὲ μακάριοι οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ ὅτι βλέπουσιν καὶ τὰ ὦτα \|ὑμῶν\| ὅτι ἀκούουσιν	υμων δε μακαριοι οι οφθαλμοι οτι βλεπουσιν και τα ωτα υμων οτι ακουει	υμων δε μακαριοι οι οφθαλμοι οτι βλεπουσιν και τα ωτα υμων οτι ακουει

For I tell you the truth, many prophets and righteous people longed to see what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

For verily I say unto you, That many prophets and righteous men have desired to see those things which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those things which ye hear, and have not heard them.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἀμὴν γὰρ λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι πολλοὶ προφῆται καὶ δίκαιοι ἐπεθύμησαν ἰδεῖν ἃ βλέπετε καὶ οὐκ εἶδαν, καὶ ἀκοῦσαι ἃ ἀκούετε καὶ οὐκ ἤκουσαν	αμην γαρ λεγω υμιν οτι πολλοι προφηται και δικαιοι επεθυμησαν ιδειν α βλεπετε και ουκ ειδον και ακουσαι α ακουετε και ουκ ηκουσαν	αμην γαρ λεγω υμιν οτι πολλοι προφηται και δικαιοι επεθυμησαν ιδειν α βλεπετε και ουκ ειδον και ακουσαι α ακουετε και ουκ ηκουσαν

John 12:13 (NET)	John 12:13 (KJV)
So they took branches of palm trees and went out to meet him. They began to shout, “Hosanna! Blessed is the one who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the king of Israel!”	Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἔλαβον τὰ βαΐα τῶν φοινίκων καὶ ἐξῆλθον εἰς ὑπάντησιν αὐτῷ καὶ ἐκραύγαζον ὡσαννά· εὐλογημένος ὁ ἐρχόμενος ἐν ὀνόματι κυρίου, [καὶ] ὁ βασιλεὺς τοῦ Ἰσραήλ	ελαβον τα βαια των φοινικων και εξηλθον εις υπαντησιν αυτω και εκραζον ωσαννα ευλογημενος ο ερχομενος εν ονοματι κυριου ο βασιλευς του ισραηλ	ελαβον τα βαια των φοινικων και εξηλθον εις υπαντησιν αυτω και εκραζον ωσαννα ευλογημενος ο ερχομενος εν ονοματι κυριου βασιλευς του ισραηλ

John 19:23 (NET)	John 19:23 (KJV)
Now when the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and made four shares, one for each soldier, and the tunic remained. (Now the tunic was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece.)	Then the soldiers, when they had crucified Jesus, took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his coat: now the coat was without seam, woven from the top throughout.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Οἱ οὖν στρατιῶται, ὅτε ἐσταύρωσαν τὸν Ἰησοῦν, ἔλαβον τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐποίησαν τέσσαρα μέρη, ἑκάστῳ στρατιώτῃ μέρος, καὶ τὸν χιτῶνα. (ἦν δὲ ὁ χιτὼν ἄραφος, ἐκ τῶν ἄνωθεν ὑφαντὸς δι᾿ ὅλου.)	οι ουν στρατιωται οτε εσταυρωσαν τον ιησουν ελαβον τα ιματια αυτου και εποιησαν τεσσαρα μερη εκαστω στρατιωτη μερος και τον χιτωνα ην δε ο χιτων αρραφος εκ των ανωθεν υφαντος δι ολου	οι ουν στρατιωται οτε εσταυρωσαν τον ιησουν ελαβον τα ιματια αυτου και εποιησαν τεσσαρα μερη εκαστω στρατιωτη μερος και τον χιτωνα ην δε ο χιτων αραφος εκ των ανωθεν υφαντος δι ολου

John 19:40 (NET)	John 19:40 (KJV)
Then they took Jesus’ body and wrapped it, with the aromatic spices, in strips of linen cloth according to Jewish burial customs.	Then took they the body of Jesus, and wound it in linen clothes with the spices, as the manner of the Jews is to bury.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἔλαβον οὖν τὸ σῶμα τοῦ Ἰησοῦ καὶ ἔδησαν αὐτὸ ὀθονίοις μετὰ τῶν ἀρωμάτων, καθὼς ἔθος ἐστὶν τοῖς Ἰουδαίοις ἐνταφιάζειν	ελαβον ουν το σωμα του ιησου και εδησαν αυτο οθονιοις μετα των αρωματων καθως εθος εστιν τοις ιουδαιοις ενταφιαζειν	ελαβον ουν το σωμα του ιησου και εδησαν αυτο εν οθονιοις μετα των αρωματων καθως εθος εστιν τοις ιουδαιοις ενταφιαζειν

John 17:6 (NET)	John 17:6 (KJV)
“I have revealed your name to the men you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, and you gave them to me, and they have obeyed your word.	I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ἐφανέρωσα σου τὸ ὄνομα τοῖς ἀνθρώποις οὓς ἔδωκας μοι ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου. σοὶ ἦσαν καμοὶ αὐτοὺς ἔδωκας καὶ τὸν λόγον σου τετήρηκαν	εφανερωσα σου το ονομα τοις ανθρωποις ους δεδωκας μοι εκ του κοσμου σοι ησαν και εμοι αυτους δεδωκας και τον λογον σου τετηρηκασιν	εφανερωσα σου το ονομα τοις ανθρωποις ους δεδωκας μοι εκ του κοσμου σοι ησαν και εμοι αυτους δεδωκας και τον λογον σου τετηρηκασιν

1 Timothy 4:3 (NET)	1 Timothy 4:3 (KJV)
They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.	Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
κωλυόντων γαμεῖν, ἀπέχεσθαι βρωμάτων, ἃ ὁ θεὸς ἔκτισεν εἰς μετάλημψιν μετὰ εὐχαριστίας τοῖς πιστοῖς καὶ ἐπεγνωκόσι τὴν ἀλήθειαν	κωλυοντων γαμειν απεχεσθαι βρωματων α ο θεος εκτισεν εις μεταληψιν μετα ευχαριστιας τοις πιστοις και επεγνωκοσιν την αληθειαν	κωλυοντων γαμειν απεχεσθαι βρωματων α ο θεος εκτισεν εις μεταληψιν μετα ευχαριστιας τοις πιστοις και επεγνωκοσιν την αληθειαν

1 Corinthians 10:27, 28 (NET)	1 Corinthians 10:27, 28 (KJV)
If an unbeliever invites you to dinner and you want to go, eat whatever is served without asking questions of conscience.	If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
εἴ τις καλεῖ ὑμᾶς τῶν ἀπίστων καὶ θέλετε πορεύεσθαι, πᾶν τὸ παρατιθέμενον ὑμῖν ἐσθίετε μηδὲν ἀνακρίνοντες διὰ τὴν συνείδησιν	ει δε τις καλει υμας των απιστων και θελετε πορευεσθαι παν το παρατιθεμενον υμιν εσθιετε μηδεν ανακρινοντες δια την συνειδησιν	ει δε τις καλει υμας των απιστων και θελετε πορευεσθαι παν το παρατιθεμενον υμιν εσθιετε μηδεν ανακρινοντες δια την συνειδησιν

But if someone says to you, “This is from a sacrifice,” do not eat, because of the one who told you and because of conscience –

But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that showed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof:

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἐὰν δέ τις ὑμῖν εἴπῃ· τοῦτο ἱερόθυτον ἐστιν, μὴ ἐσθίετε δι᾿ ἐκεῖνον τὸν μηνύσαντα καὶ τὴν συνείδησιν	εαν δε τις υμιν ειπη τουτο ειδωλοθυτον εστιν μη εσθιετε δι εκεινον τον μηνυσαντα και την συνειδησιν του γαρ κυριου η γη και το πληρωμα αυτης	εαν δε τις υμιν ειπη τουτο ειδωλοθυτον εστιν μη εσθιετε δι εκεινον τον μηνυσαντα και την συνειδησιν του γαρ κυριου η γη και το πληρωμα αυτης

Hebrews 5:4 (NET)	Hebrews 5:4 (KJV)
And no one assumes this honor on his own initiative, but only when called to it by God, as in fact Aaron was.	And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ οὐχ ἑαυτῷ τις λαμβάνει τὴν τιμὴν ἀλλὰ καλούμενος ὑπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ καθώσπερ καὶ Ἀαρών	και ουχ εαυτω τις λαμβανει την τιμην αλλα ο καλουμενος υπο του θεου καθαπερ και ο ααρων	και ουχ εαυτω τις λαμβανει την τιμην αλλα καλουμενος υπο του θεου καθαπερ και ααρων

Luke 2:52 (NET)	Luke 2:52 (KJV)
And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature, and in favor with God and with people.	And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ Ἰησοῦς προέκοπτεν [ἐν τῇ] σοφίᾳ καὶ ἡλικίᾳ καὶ χάριτι παρὰ θεῷ καὶ ἀνθρώποις	και ιησους προεκοπτεν σοφια και ηλικια και χαριτι παρα θεω και ανθρωποις	και ιησους προεκοπτεν σοφια και ηλικια και χαριτι παρα θεω και ανθρωποις

To Make Holy, Part 7

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 2

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 3

Back to A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 3

Back to To Make Holy, Part 8

Back to Psalm 22, Part 10

Back to Christianity, Part 6

Back to The Day of the Lord, Part 8

Back to Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 1

^[1] John 17:17 (NET)

^[2] 1 Corinthians 2:8 (NET)

^[3] Matthew 26:54 (NET)

^[4] It occurs to me that this is another oblique reference to the partial hardening of Israel which played such an integral role in the fulfillment of the Scriptures.

^[5] John 17:25 (NET)

^[6] Matthew 21:45 (NET)

^[7] Mark 12:12 (NET)

^[8] Luke 20:19 (NET) The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had τὸν λαόν (KJV: the people) here. The Byzantine Majority Text did not.

^[9] John 7:25, 26 (NET) The Stephanus Text Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αληθως (KJV: very) preceding Christ. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[10] The Stephanus Text Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: And) at the beginning of this clause. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[11] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had λαλῶ here, where the Stephanus Text Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had λεγω.

^[12] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had υμιν following do (KJV: unto you). The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

^[13] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had αὐτῶν here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not (KJV: the).

^[14] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εἶπαν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειπον.

^[15] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀκούουσιν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ακουει.

^[16] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εἶδαν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειδον.

^[17] The Greek lexicon online lists the English translations of passive forms of λαμβάνω as follows: “to assume (consequences for), to attain (distinction), to be given, to be subjected to, to receive, to receive into one’s care, to undergo, experience.”

^[18] John 12:13a (NET)

^[19] John 19:23b (NET)

^[20] John 19:40a (NET)

^[21] John 17:6b (KJV)

^[22] John 17:14a (NET)

^[23] The NET Parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had μετάλημψιν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μεταληψιν.

^[24] The NET Parallel Greek text had ἐπεγνωκόσι here, where where the Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA²⁸ had ἐπεγνωκόσιν.

^[25] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δε (not translated in the KJV) near the beginning of this clause. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[26] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἱερόθυτον here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειδωλοθυτον (KJV: sacrifice unto idols).

^[27] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had του γαρ κυριου η γη και το πληρωμα αυτης (KJV: for the earth is the Lord’s, and the fulness thereof) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[28] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article ο preceding called. The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

^[29] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had καθώσπερ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had καθαπερ (KJV: as was).

^[30] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article ο preceding Aaron. The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

^[31] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐν τῇ here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

^[32] Luke 2:52 (NET)

Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Part 1

Posted on December 13, 2018 by admin

I am more or less willing to be a polytheist. Trinitarianism gives me a headache. I’m not quite sure how anyone deduced monotheism from, HEAR, O ISRAEL: THE HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) OUR GOD (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהינו), THE HaShem (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) IS ONE^[1] anyway. The Hebrew word אלהינו (ʼĕlôhı̂ym), as I understand it, is a plural noun treated as a singular (i.e., the Gods is).

If the oneness of the אלהינו (ʼĕlôhı̂ym) meant that they were not warring among themselves, constantly working at cross-purposes like the gods of the pagan myths, then trinitarianism would be an unnecessary complication. But the impact the quotation of Psalm 110:1 in Hebrews had on me as I read it this time compels me to consider something much closer to trinitarianism than polytheism: The LORD (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) said unto my Lord (ʼâdôn, לאדני), Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.^[2]

But when this priest^[3] had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, the anonymous author of Hebrews wrote, he sat down at the right hand of God, where he is now waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet.^[4] This made it obvious that the resurrected and ascended Jesus was signified by לאדני (ʼâdôn) in Psalm 110:1, not יהוה (y^ehôvâh). As a Bible-believing polytheist I would be forced to accept that Jesus is not יהוה (y^ehôvâh) according to this Psalm.

The insight that Jesus is יהוה (y^ehôvâh) come in human flesh has revolutionized my thinking about, not to mention my feeling for, יהוה (y^ehôvâh). I won’t give it up easily. If I can believe, for instance, that the him in Yet it pleased the LORD (y^ehôvâh, ויהוה) to bruise him^[5] was effectively Himself, it presages Jesus’ own words: I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again. No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will.^[6] If, however, I must believe that him was someone else יהוה (y^ehôvâh) abused, an only begotten Son in fact, and He wants to treat me as a son…well, those are fighting words.

As I think of it now, for foolish Gentiles to see one like the Son of man [returning] with the clouds of heaven^[7] and then follow their desperate leaders in a short-lived insurrection will require a hardening much like the hardening that fortified religious minds in Jerusalem to seek the death of a man who healed the sick and raised the dead. So rather than be hardened by a simplistic polytheism I plan to endure the headache of something more like trinitarianism.

The first occurrence of ואדני (ʼâdôn) in Genesis was from the lips of Sarah: After I am worn out will I have pleasure, especially when my husband is old too?^[8] Husband (ʼâdôn, ואדני) was lord in the Tanakh and κύριός in the Septuagint. Peter made much of this single occurrence of ʼâdôn (1 Peter 3:5, 6 NET):

For in the same way the holy women who hoped in^[9] God^[10] long ago adorned themselves by being subject to their husbands, like Sarah who obeyed Abraham, calling him lord (κύριον, a form of κύριος). You become her children when you do what is good and have no fear in doing so.

Surely the relevant relationship in Sarah’s mind as she laughed, contemplated, probably doubted the possibility of having her first child in her old age was that of husband as the NET translators suggested. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD; for I am married unto you: and I will take you one of a city, and two of a family, and I will bring you to Zion: And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.^[11]

The Hebrew word translated LORD here was יהוה (y^ehôvâh), κύριος in Greek in the Septuagint. The Hebrew word translated for I am married was בעלתי (bâʽal). Like אדני (ʼâdôn) בעלתי (bâʽal) can mean master. This is what the rabbis keyed on when they chose κατακυριεύσω (a form of κατακυριεύω) to translate בעלתי (bâʽal) into Greek. But Jesus called them and said, “You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lord it over (κατακυριεύουσιν, another form of κατακυριεύω) them, and those in high positions use their authority over them. It^[12] must not be this way among you!”^[13] In fact, the man who beat [some Jewish exorcists] into submission^[14] (κατακυριεύσας, another form of κατακυριεύω)…was possessed by [an] evil spirit,^[15] not the Spirit of God.

I think the translators of the Tanakh keyed on the relevant relationship the Holy Spirit intended, for later the same passage reads: Surely as a wife treacherously departeth from her husband, so have ye dealt treacherously with me, O house of Israel, saith the LORD.^[16] Again, LORD was the translation of יהוה (y^ehôvâh), κύριος in the Septuagint. The word translated husband was מרעה (rêaʽ). It was translated συνόντα (a form of σύνειμι) by the rabbis in the Septuagint (Luke 9:18-22 NET).

Once when Jesus was praying by himself, and his disciples were nearby (συνῆσαν, another form of σύνειμι), he asked them, “Who do the crowds say that I am?” They answered,^[17] “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others that one of the prophets of long ago has risen.” Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter^[18] answered, “The Christ of God.” But he forcefully commanded them not to tell^[19] this to anyone, saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”^[20]

The LORD was determined to do good (Jeremiah 3:16-18) to Israel but questioned how since they had treacherously departed from Him: But I said, How shall I put thee among the children, and give thee a pleasant land, a goodly heritage of the hosts of nations? ^[21] Jesus explained His answer—and I said, Thou shalt call me, My father; and shalt not turn away from me^[22]—to Nicodemus (John 3:5-7 NET).

I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, “You must all be born from above.”

So, how is one born from above? Receive Jesus. Actually, him in to all who have received him referred back to the Word. I was among the slowest of the slow to realize that the Word was Jesus. Here is John’s description of Jesus as the Word of God (John 1:1-5, 10-13 NET):

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was fully God. The Word was with God in the beginning. All things were created by him, and apart from him not one thing was created that has been created. In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind. And the light shines on in the darkness, but the darkness has not mastered it…

He was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. But to all who have received him – those who believe in his name – he has given the right to become God’s children – children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God.

So, how does the right (John 8:40-45) to become God’s children, the fact that Thou shalt call [Him], My father ensure that thou shalt not turn away from him? Therefore, Peter concluded his first Gospel proclamation, let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ^[23] (Acts 2:37, 38 NET).

Now when they heard this, they were acutely distressed and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “What should we do, brothers?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

We know that everyone fathered by God does not sin, John wrote those who had received Jesus, but God protects the one he has fathered, and the evil one cannot touch him. We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one. And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us insight to know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one is the true God and eternal life.^[24]

So then, brothers and sisters, Paul wrote to those in Rome who believed that God has made this Jesus whom [they] crucified both Lord and Christ, who had repented and been baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of [their] sins, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh (for if you live according to the flesh, you will die), but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry, “Abba, Father.”^[25]

This explains why the ark of the covenant of the Lord will no longer come to mind (Jeremiah 3:16-18 Tanakh):

And it shall come to pass, when ye be multiplied and increased in the land, in those days, saith the LORD, they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant of the LORD: neither shall it come to mind: neither shall they remember it; neither shall they visit it; neither shall that be done any more.

At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. In those days the house of Judah shall walk with the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north to the land that I have given for an inheritance unto your fathers.

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: 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:^[26]

Here again, husband was בעלתי (bâʽal) and LORD was יהוה (y^ehôvâh) in the Hebrew (Masoretic text), but the rabbis chose ἠμέλησα (a form of ἀμελέω) in the Septuagint. The author of Hebrews quoted it (Hebrews 8:9 NET):

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 (ἠμέλησα, a form of ἀμελέω) for them, says the Lord.

The NET parallel Greek text, Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text were identical here.

Hebrews 8:9 (NET Parallel Greek)	Hebrews 8:9 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Hebrews 8:9 (Byzantine Majority Text)
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	ου κατα την διαθηκην ην εποιησα τοις πατρασιν αυτων εν ημερα επιλαβομενου μου της χειρος αυτων εξαγαγειν αυτους εκ γης αιγυπτου οτι αυτοι ουκ ενεμειναν εν τη διαθηκη μου καγω ημελησα αυτων λεγει κυριος	ου κατα την διαθηκην ην εποιησα τοις πατρασιν αυτων εν ημερα επιλαβομενου μου της χειρος αυτων εξαγαγειν αυτους εκ γης αιγυπτου οτι αυτοι ουκ ενεμειναν εν τη διαθηκη μου καγω ημελησα αυτων λεγει κυριος

There were three relatively insignificant differences compared to the BLB and Elpenor versions of the Septuagint.

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 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 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

If בעלתי (bâʽal) was not original in Jeremiah 31:32, it was found in Isaiah, though again it was translated κύριος (Lord) in the Septuagint (Isaiah 54:4-7 Tanakh):

Fear not; for thou shalt not be ashamed: neither be thou confounded; for thou shalt not be put to shame: for thou shalt forget the shame of thy youth, and shalt not remember the reproach of thy widowhood any more. For thy Maker is thine husband (bâʽal, בעליך); the LORD (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; The God of the whole earth shall he be called. For the LORD (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) hath called thee as a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit, and a wife of youth, when thou wast refused, saith thy God. For a small moment have I forsaken thee; but with great mercies will I gather thee.

Therefore, behold, I will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, and speak comfortably unto her. And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD (y^ehôvâh, יהוה), that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali (baʽălı̂y, בעלי). For I will take away the names of Baalim (baʽal, הבעלים) out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name.^[27]

Here the Hebrew word אישי (ʼı̂ysh) was transliterated as a proper name Ishi (also in the KJV). The rabbis translated it ἀνήρ in the Septuagint. And the man (ʼâdâm, האדם; Septuagint: Αδαμ) said: ‘This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man (ʼı̂ysh, מאיש; Septuagint: ἀνδρὸς, a form of ἀνήρ).’ Therefore shall a man (ʼı̂ysh, איש; Septuagint: ἄνθρωπος) leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh [Table].^[28] Most English Bibles that translate rather than transliterate Ishi render it my husband, including the New English Translation of the Septuagint.

Matthew (9:15), Mark (2:19, 20) and Luke (5:34, 35) all recounted Jesus reference to Himself as the bridegroom (νυμφίος). John (3:25-30) recalled that John the Baptist also called Jesus the bridegroom. The prophet Hosea continued quoting y^ehôvâh (Hosea 2:18-23 Tanakh):

And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts of the field and with the fowls of heaven, and with the creeping things of the ground: and I will break the bow and the sword and the battle out of the earth, and will make them to lie down safely. And I will betroth (ʼâraś, וארשׁתיך; Septuagint: μνηστεύσομαί, a form of μνηστεύω) thee unto me for ever; yea, I will betroth (ʼâraś, וארשׁתיך; Septuagint: μνηστεύσομαί, a form of μνηστεύω) thee unto me in righteousness, and in judgment, and in lovingkindness, and in mercies. I will even betroth (ʼâraś, וארשׁתיך; Septuagint: μνηστεύσομαί, a form of μνηστεύω) thee unto me in faithfulness: and thou shalt know the LORD (y^ehôvâh, יהוה).

And it shall come to pass in that day, I will hear, saith the LORD (y^ehôvâh, יהוה), I will hear the heavens, and they shall hear the earth; And the earth shall hear the corn, and the wine, and the oil; and they shall hear Jezreel. And I will sow her unto me in the earth; and I will have mercy upon her that had not obtained mercy; and I will say to them which were not my people, Thou art my people; and they shall say, Thou art my God.

Tables comparing Hebrews 10:12; 1 Peter 3:5; Matthew 20:26; Acts 19:16 and Luke 9:19-22 in the NET and KJV follow.

Hebrews 10:12 (NET)	Hebrews 10:12 (KJV)
But when this priest had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God,	But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
οὗτος δὲ μίαν ὑπὲρ ἁμαρτιῶν προσενέγκας θυσίαν εἰς τὸ διηνεκὲς ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ θεοῦ	αυτος δε μιαν υπερ αμαρτιων προσενεγκας θυσιαν εις το διηνεκες εκαθισεν εν δεξια του θεου	αυτος δε μιαν υπερ αμαρτιων προσενεγκας θυσιαν εις το διηνεκες εκαθισεν εν δεξια του θεου

1 Peter 3:5 (NET)	1 Peter 3:5 (KJV)
For in the same way the holy women who hoped in God long ago adorned themselves by being subject to their husbands,	For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
οὕτως γάρ ποτε καὶ αἱ ἅγιαι γυναῖκες αἱ ἐλπίζουσαι εἰς θεὸν ἐκόσμουν ἑαυτάς ὑποτασσόμεναι τοῖς ἰδίοις ἀνδράσιν	ουτως γαρ ποτε και αι αγιαι γυναικες αι ελπιζουσαι επι τον θεον εκοσμουν εαυτας υποτασσομεναι τοις ιδιοις ανδρασιν	ουτως γαρ ποτε και αι αγιαι γυναικες αι ελπιζουσαι επι θεον εκοσμουν εαυτας υποτασσομεναι τοις ιδιοις ανδρασιν

Matthew 20:26 (NET)	Matthew 20:26 (KJV)
It must not be this way among you! Instead whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant,	But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister;

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
οὐχ οὕτως \|ἔσται\| ἐν ὑμῖν, ἀλλ᾿ ὃς \|ἐὰν\| θέλῃ ἐν ὑμῖν μέγας γενέσθαι ἔσται ὑμῶν διάκονος	ουχ ουτως δε εσται εν υμιν αλλ ος εαν θελη εν υμιν μεγας γενεσθαι εστω υμων διακονος	ουχ ουτως δε εσται εν υμιν αλλ ος εαν θελη εν υμιν μεγας γενεσθαι εσται υμων διακονος

Acts 19:16 (NET)	Acts 19:16 (KJV)
Then the man who was possessed by the evil spirit jumped on them and beat them all into submission. He prevailed against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded.	And the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἐφαλόμενος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ἐν ᾧ ἦν τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ πονηρόν, κατακυριεύσας ἀμφοτέρων ἴσχυσεν κατ᾿ αὐτῶν ὥστε γυμνοὺς καὶ τετραυματισμένους ἐκφυγεῖν ἐκ τοῦ οἴκου ἐκείνου	και εφαλλομενος επ αυτους ο ανθρωπος εν ω ην το πνευμα το πονηρον και κατακυριευσας αυτων ισχυσεν κατ αυτων ωστε γυμνους και τετραυματισμενους εκφυγειν εκ του οικου εκεινου	και εφαλλομενος επ αυτους ο ανθρωπος εν ω ην το πνευμα το πονηρον και κατακυριευσαν αυτων ισχυσεν κατ αυτων ωστε γυμνους και τετραυματισμενους εκφυγειν εκ του οικου εκεινου

Luke 9:19-22 (NET)	Luke 9:19-22 (KJV)
They answered, “John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others that one of the prophets of long ago has risen.”	They answering said, John the Baptist; but some say, Elias; and others say, that one of the old prophets is risen again.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
οἱ δὲ ἀποκριθέντες εἶπαν Ἰωάννην τὸν βαπτιστήν, ἄλλοι δὲ Ἠλίαν, ἄλλοι δὲ ὅτι προφήτης τις τῶν ἀρχαίων ἀνέστη	οι δε αποκριθεντες ειπον ιωαννην τον βαπτιστην αλλοι δε ηλιαν αλλοι δε οτι προφητης τις των αρχαιων ανεστη	οι δε αποκριθεντες ειπον ιωαννην τον βαπτιστην αλλοι δε ηλιαν αλλοι δε οτι προφητης τις των αρχαιων ανεστη

Then he said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “The Christ of God.”

He said unto them, But whom say ye that I am? Peter answering said, The Christ of God.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
εἶπεν δὲ αὐτοῖς· ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνα με λέγετε εἶναι; Πέτρος δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν· τὸν χριστὸν τοῦ θεοῦ	ειπεν δε αυτοις υμεις δε τινα με λεγετε ειναι αποκριθεις δε ο πετρος ειπεν τον χριστον του θεου	ειπεν δε αυτοις υμεις δε τινα με λεγετε ειναι αποκριθεις δε ο πετρος ειπεν τον χριστον του θεου

But he forcefully commanded them not to tell this to anyone,

And he straitly charged them, and commanded them to tell no man that thing;

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὁ δὲ ἐπιτιμήσας αὐτοῖς παρήγγειλεν μηδενὶ λέγειν τοῦτο	ο δε επιτιμησας αυτοις παρηγγειλεν μηδενι ειπειν τουτο	ο δε επιτιμησας αυτοις παρηγγειλεν μηδενι ειπειν τουτο

saying, “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
εἰπων ὅτι δεῖ τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου πολλὰ παθεῖν καὶ ἀποδοκιμασθῆναι ἀπὸ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων καὶ ἀρχιερέων καὶ γραμματέων καὶ ἀποκτανθῆναι καὶ τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρᾳ ἐγερθῆναι	ειπων οτι δει τον υιον του ανθρωπου πολλα παθειν και αποδοκιμασθηναι απο των πρεσβυτερων και αρχιερεων και γραμματεων και αποκτανθηναι και τη τριτη ημερα εγερθηναι	ειπων οτι δει τον υιον του ανθρωπου πολλα παθειν και αποδοκιμασθηναι απο των πρεσβυτερων και αρχιερεων και γραμματεων και αποκτανθηναι και τη τριτη ημερα αναστηναι

Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Part 2

Back to Isaiah 53:10-12, Part 2

^[1] Deuteronomy 6:4 (Tanakh)

^[2] Psalm 110:1 (Tanakh)

^[3] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had οὗτος here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτος (KJV: this man).

^[4] Hebrews 10:12, 13 (NET)

^[5] Isaiah 53:10a (Tanakh)

^[6] John 10:17b, 18a (NET)

^[7] Daniel 7:13b (Tanakh) The Greek word translated returning in Revelation 1:7 (NET) was ἔρχεται, while the Hebrew word translated came in Daniel 7:13 (Tanakh) was translated ἐρχόμενος in the Septuagint. Both are forms of ἔρχομαι. ἐρχόμενος: Matthew 3:11; 11:2-6; 21:6-11; 23:37-39.

^[8] Genesis 18:12 (NET)

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

^[10] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article τον preceding God. The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

^[11] Jeremiah 3:14, 15 (Tanakh)

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

^[13] Matthew 20:25, 26a (NET)

^[14] The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had κατακυριεύσας here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had κατακυριευσαν.

^[15] Acts 19:16 (NET)

^[16] Jeremiah 3:20 (Tanakh)

^[17] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εἶπαν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειπον (KJV: said).

^[18] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article ο preceding Peter. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[19] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had λέγειν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειπειν.

^[20] The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had ἐγερθῆναι here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had αναστηναι.

^[21] Jeremiah 3:19a (Tanakh)

^[22] Jeremiah 3:19b (Tanakh)

^[23] Acts 2:36 (NET)

^[24] 1 John 5:18-20 (NET) Table1, Table2

^[25] Romans 8:12-15 (NET)

^[26] Jeremiah 31:31, 32 (Tanakh)

^[27] Hosea 2:14-17 (Tanakh) Table1 Table2 Table3

^[28] Genesis 2:23, 24 (Tanakh)

The Will of God – Jesus, Part 2

Posted on August 17, 2012 by admin

Jesus fed about five thousand men (Not counting women and children)¹ with five barley loaves and two fish.² After they gathered the leftovers and filled twelve baskets,³ they began to say to one another, “This is certainly the Prophet who is to come into the world.”⁴ This was a reference to Moses’ prophesy, The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you – from your fellow Israelites; you must listen to him.⁵

Immediately Jesus⁶ made the⁷ disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side (πέραν),⁸ while he dispersed the crowds.⁹ Then Jesus, because he knew they were going to come and seize him by force to make him king, withdrew again up the mountainside alone.¹⁰ Once Jesus finished praying he walked across the water, apparently intending to pass his disciples by. But they saw him, thought he was a ghost, and were afraid. So Jesus got into the boat with them (Mark 6:45-51).

The next day the crowds followed him across the lake. “Rabbi, when did you get here?” they asked. “I tell you the solemn truth,” Jesus said, “you are looking for me not because you saw miraculous signs, but because you ate all the loaves of bread you wanted. Do not work (ἐργάζεσθε, a form of ἐργάζομαι) for the food that disappears, but for the food that remains to eternal life – the food which the Son of Man will give to you. For God the Father has put his seal of approval on him.”¹¹

They asked, “What must we do (ποιῶμεν, a form of ποιέω) to accomplish (ἐργαζώμεθα, another form of ἐργάζομαι) the deeds (ἔργα, a form of ἔργον) God requires?” Jesus replied, “This is the deed (ἔργον) God requires – to believe (πιστεύητε, a form of πιστεύω) in the one whom he sent.”¹² After a free lunch these same people called Jesus the prophesied prophet like Moses. They were ready to make him king. But when asked to believe in him, what He said about Himself? what He said about us? that we should think and do these things?—then the duplicity Jesus saw in them was revealed for all to see.

“Then what miraculous sign will you perform (ποιεῖς, another form of ποιέω), so that we may see (ἴδωμεν, a form of εἴδω) it and believe (πιστεύσωμεν, another form of πιστεύω) you?” they said. “What will you do (ἐργάζῃ, another form of ἐργάζομαι)?”¹³ Obviously, feeding five thousand plus people with fives loaves and two fish wasn’t enough. They required better proof than one free lunch if faith was on the table here. “Our ancestors ate the manna in the wilderness, just as it is written, ‘He gave them bread (ἄρτον, a form of ἄρτος) from heaven to eat.’”¹⁴ In other words, give us unlimited free lunches and we might have something to talk about.

According to a note in the NET the people quoted Psalm 78:24 to Jesus. It’s not a great quotation, more like a paraphrase, but here is the relevant portion of the Psalm, a Psalm of Asaph, one of David’s musicians (Psalm 78:18-32 NET).

They willfully challenged God by asking for food to satisfy their appetite. They insulted God, saying, “Is God really able to give us food in the wilderness? Yes, he struck a rock and water flowed out, streams gushed forth. But can he also give us food? Will he provide meat for his people?” When the Lord heard this, he was furious. A fire broke out against Jacob, and his anger flared up against Israel, because they did not have faith in God, and did not trust his ability to deliver them. He gave a command to the clouds above, and opened the doors in the sky. He rained down manna for them to eat; he gave them the grain (Septuagint: ἄρτον, a form of ἄρτος) of heaven. Man ate the food of the mighty ones. He sent them more than enough to eat. He brought the east wind through the sky, and by his strength led forth the south wind. He rained down meat on them like dust, birds as numerous as the sand on the seashores. He caused them to fall right in the middle of their camp, all around their homes. They ate until they were stuffed; he gave them what they desired. They were not yet filled up, their food was still in their mouths, when the anger of God flared up against them. He killed some of the strongest of them; he brought the young men of Israel to their knees. Despite all this, they continued to sin, and did not trust him to do amazing things.

“I tell you the solemn truth,” Jesus answered, “it is not Moses who has given you the bread (ἄρτον, a form of ἄρτος) from heaven, but my Father is giving you the true bread (ἄρτον, a form of ἄρτος) from heaven [Table]. For the bread (ἄρτος) of God is the one who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” “Sir, give us this bread (ἄρτον, a form of ἄρτος) all the time!”¹⁵ they said.

“I am the bread (ἄρτος) of life,”¹⁶ Jesus said. This wasn’t a difficult figure of speech. It came from Moses, Remember the whole way by which he has brought you these forty years through the desert so that he might, by humbling you, test you to see if you have it within you to keep his commandments or not. So he humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna. He did this to teach you that humankind cannot live by bread (Septuagint: ἄρτῳ, another form of ἄρτος) alone, but also by everything that comes from the Lord’s mouth.¹⁷

“The one who comes to me will never go hungry, Jesus continued, and the one who believes (πιστεύων, another form of πιστεύω) in me will never be thirsty [Table]. But I told you that you have seen me and still do not believe (πιστεύετε, a form of πιστεύω). Everyone whom the Father gives (δίδωσιν, a form of δίδωμι) me will come to me, and the one who comes to me I will never send away. For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will (θέλημα) but the will (θέλημα) of the one who sent me. Now this is the will (θέλημα) of the one who sent me – that I should not lose one person of every one he has given (δέδωκεν, another form of δίδωμι) me, but raise them all up at the last day. For this is the will (θέλημα) of my Father – for everyone who looks (θεωρῶν, a form of θεωρέω) on the Son and believes (πιστεύων, another form of πιστεύω) in him to have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day”¹⁸ [Table].

In my imagination I can see one person in that crowd nudge the fellow next to him and ask, “So, uh, does that mean he’s serving lunch, or not?” The actual text reads, Then the Jews who were hostile to Jesus began complaining about him because he said, “I am the bread (ἄρτος) that came down from heaven.”¹⁹

When Jesus’ disciples asked Him, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He²⁰ called a child, had him stand among them, and said, “I tell you the truth, unless you turn around and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven! Whoever then humbles²¹ himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.”²² Then Jesus warned those who would become stumbling blocks (σκανδάλων, a form of σκάνδαλον) to one of these little ones who believe (πιστευόντων, another form of πιστεύω) in me [Table].²³ But after that He affirmed his own faithfulness to the will of God with a story about a shepherd (Matthew 18:12-14 NET).

If someone owns a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go look for the one that went astray? And if he finds it, I tell you the truth, he will rejoice more over it than over the ninety-nine that did not go astray. In the same way, your Father in heaven is not willing (θέλημα) that one of these little ones be lost [Table].

John began his Gospel account with this: [Jesus, the Word who was in the beginning with God, who was God]²⁴ was in the world, and the world was created by him, but the world did not recognize him. He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. But to all who have received him – those who believe (πιστεύουσιν, another form of πιστεύω) in his name – he has given the right to become God’s children – children not born by human parents or by human desire (θελήματος, a form of θέλημα) or a husband’s decision (θελήματος, a form of θέλημα), but by God.²⁵

Addendum: January 31, 2021
As I made the tables for Psalm 78:18-32 it really struck home that neither miraculous signs nor punishment opened unregenerate eyes to see the kingdom of God: “I tell you the solemn truth,” Jesus told Nicodemus, “unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God”²⁶ [Table]. Was Jesus the only one who sang this psalm and understood that? Did all the others, with religious minds, blame their ancestors for being unregenerate human beings and resolve to do better in their own unregenerate strength (e.g., the weakness of their flesh)?

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Psalm 78:34 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:34 (NET)	Psalm 77:34 (NETS)	Psalm 77:34 (English Elpenor)
When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.	When he struck them down, they sought his favor; they turned back and longed for God.	When he was killing them, they would seek him out, and they would turn to God and be early.	When he slew them, they sought him: and they returned and called betimes upon God.

I just assumed that they who sought him and them who were slain were two different but related groups. Now suddenly, I’m questioning whether that assumption was contradicted by Jesus and this Psalm, which says of those who were yet living in their flesh:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Psalm 78:32 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:32 (NET)	Psalm 77:32 (NETS)	Psalm 77:32 (English Elpenor)
For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.	Despite all this, they continued to sin, and did not trust him to do amazing things.	Amidst all these things they still sinned, and they did not believe in his marvels.	In the midst of all this they sinned yet more, and believed not his miracles.

I’ll take a moment to at least consider the implications if they who sought him and them who were slain are one and the same (Luke 20:37, 38).

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Psalm 78:35-37 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:35-37 (NET)	Psalm 77:35-37 (NETS)	Psalm 77:35-37 (English Elpenor)
And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.	They remembered that God was their protector and that God Most High was their deliverer.	And they remembered that God was there helper and God the Most High was their redeemer.	And they remembered that God was their helper, and the most high God was their redeemer.
Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.	But they deceived him with their words and lied to him.	And they deceived him with their mouth, and with their tongue they lied to him.	And they deceived him with their mouth, and with their tongue they lied to him.
For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.	They were not really committed to him, and they were unfaithful to his covenant.	And their heart was not upright with him, nor were they true to his covenant.	For their heart [was] not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.

The first implication would be that God did his diagnostic work (διαγνωσθῇ, a form of διαγινώσκω; Table below) on both sides of the grave. Second, being freed from sin and being raised (ἐγείρονται, a form of ἐγείρω) had no significant impact on the intrinsic weakness of human flesh. Jesus told a teacher of Israel: What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’²⁷

Tables comparing Deuteronomy 18:15; Psalm 78:18; 78:19; 78:20; 78:21; 78:22; 78:23; 78:24; 78:25; 78:26; 78:27; 78:28; 78:29; 78:30; 78:31; 78:32; Deuteronomy 8:2; 8:3; Psalm 78:34; 78:35; 78:36 and 78:37 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing Deuteronomy 18:15; Psalm 78:18 (77:18); 78:19 (77:19); 78:20 (77:20); 78:21 (77:21); 78:22 (77:22); 78:23 (77:23); 78:24 (77:24); 78:25 (77:25); 78:26 (77:26); 78:27 (77:27); 78:28 (77:28); 78:29 (77:29); 78:30 (77:30); 78:31 (77:31); 78:32 (77:32); Deuteronomy 8:2; 8:3; Psalm 78:34 (77:34); 78:35 (77:35); 78:36 (77:36) and 78:37 (77:37) in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing John 6:9; 6:13; Matthew 14:22; 18:2 and 18:4 in the NET and KJV follow.

Deuteronomy 18:15 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 18:15 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 18:15 (NET)
A prophet will HaShem thy G-d raise up unto thee, from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;	The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;	The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you—from your fellow Israelites; you must listen to him.

Deuteronomy 18:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 18:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
προφήτην ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου ὡς ἐμὲ ἀναστήσει σοι κύριος ὁ θεός σου αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε	προφήτην ἐκ τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου ὡς ἐμὲ ἀναστήσει σοι Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, αὐτοῦ ἀκούσεσθε
Deuteronomy 18:15 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 18:15 (English Elpenor)
The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers; you shall hear him.	The Lord thy God shall raise up to thee a prophet of thy brethren, like me; him shall ye hear:

Psalm 78:18 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:18 (KJV)	Psalm 78:18 (NET)
And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.	And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.	They willfully challenged God by asking for food to satisfy their appetite.

Psalm 78:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐξεπείρασαν τὸν θεὸν ἐν ταῗς καρδίαις αὐτῶν τοῦ αἰτῆσαι βρώματα ταῗς ψυχαῗς αὐτῶν	καὶ ἐξεπείρασαν τὸν Θεὸν ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις αὐτῶν, τοῦ αἰτῆσαι βρώματα ταῖς ψυχαῖς αὐτῶν
Psalm 77:18 (NETS)	Psalm 77:18 (English Elpenor)
And they tested God in their hearts by demanding food for their souls.	And they tempted God in their hearts, in asking meat for [the desire of] their souls.

Psalm 78:19 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:19 (KJV)	Psalm 78:19 (NET)
Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?	Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?	They insulted God, saying, “Is God really able to give us food in the wilderness?

Psalm 78:19 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ κατελάλησαν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ εἶπαν μὴ δυνήσεται ὁ θεὸς ἑτοιμάσαι τράπεζαν ἐν ἐρήμῳ	καὶ κατελάλησαν τοῦ Θεοῦ καὶ εἶπαν· μὴ δυνήσεται ὁ Θεὸς ἑτοιμάσαι τράπεζαν ἐν ἐρήμῳ
Psalm 77:19 (NETS)	Psalm 77:19 (English Elpenor)
And they spoke against God and said, “Surely, God will not be able to spread a table in a wilderness?	They spoke also against God, and said, Will God be able to prepare a table in the wilderness?

Psalm 78:20 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:20 (KJV)	Psalm 78:20 (NET)
Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?	Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed; can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?	Yes, he struck a rock and water flowed out; streams gushed forth. But can he also give us food? Will he provide meat for his people?”

Psalm 78:20 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐπεὶ ἐπάταξεν πέτραν καὶ ἐρρύησαν ὕδατα καὶ χείμαρροι κατεκλύσθησαν μὴ καὶ ἄρτον δύναται δοῦναι ἢ ἑτοιμάσαι τράπεζαν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ	ἐπεὶ ἐπάταξε πέτραν καὶ ἐρρύησαν ὕδατα καὶ χείμαρροι κατεκλύσθησαν, μὴ καὶ ἄρτον δύναται δοῦναι ἢ ἑτοιμάσαι τράπεζαν τῷ λαῷ αὐτοῦ
Psalm 77:20 (NETS)	Psalm 77:20 (English Elpenor)
Even though he struck a rock and waters gushed out and wadis deluged, surely, he cannot also give bread or spread a table for his people?”	Forasmuch as he smote the rock, and the waters flowed, and the torrents ran abundantly; will he be able also to give bread, or prepare a table for his people?

Psalm 78:21 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:21 (KJV)	Psalm 78:21 (NET)
Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;	Therefore the LORD heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel;	When the Lord heard this, he was furious. A fire broke out against Jacob, and his anger flared up against Israel,

Psalm 78:21 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
διὰ τοῦτο ἤκουσεν κύριος καὶ ἀνεβάλετο καὶ πῦρ ἀνήφθη ἐν Ιακωβ καὶ ὀργὴ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὸν Ισραηλ	διὰ τοῦτο ἤκουσε Κύριος καὶ ἀνεβάλετο, καὶ πῦρ ἀνήφθη ἐν ᾿Ιακώβ, καὶ ὀργὴ ἀνέβη ἐπὶ τὸν ᾿Ισραήλ,
Psalm 77:21 (NETS)	Psalm 77:21 (English Elpenor)
Therefore the Lord heard and was put out, and a fire was kindled in Iakob, and anger mounted against Israel,	Therefore the Lord heard, and was provoked: and fire was kindled in Jacob, and wrath went up against Israel.

Psalm 78:22 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:22 (KJV)	Psalm 78:22 (NET)
Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:	Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation:	because they did not have faith in God and did not trust his ability to deliver them.

Psalm 78:22 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν ἐν τῷ θεῷ οὐδὲ ἤλπισαν ἐπὶ τὸ σωτήριον αὐτοῦ	ὅτι οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν ἐν τῷ Θεῷ οὐδὲ ἤλπισαν ἐπὶ τὸ σωτήριον αὐτοῦ
Psalm 77:22 (NETS)	Psalm 77:22 (English Elpenor)
because they had no faith in God nor did they hope in his saving power.	Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation.

Psalm 78:23 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:23 (KJV)	Psalm 78:23 (NET)
Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,	Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven,	He gave a command to the clouds above and opened the doors in the sky.

Psalm 78:23 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐνετείλατο νεφέλαις ὑπεράνωθεν καὶ θύρας οὐρανοῦ ἀνέῳξεν	καὶ ἐνετείλατο νεφέλαις ὑπεράνωθεν καὶ θύρας οὐρανοῦ ἀνέῳξε
Psalm 77:23 (NETS)	Psalm 77:23 (English Elpenor)
And he commanded clouds above and opened heaven’s doors,	Because they believed not in God, and trusted not in his salvation.

Psalm 78:24 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:24 (KJV)	Psalm 78:24 (NET)
And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.	And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven.	He rained down manna for them to eat; he gave them the grain of heaven.

Psalm 78:24 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔβρεξεν αὐτοῗς μαννα φαγεῗν καὶ ἄρτον οὐρανοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῗς	καὶ ἔβρεξεν αὐτοῖς μάννα φαγεῖν καὶ ἄρτον οὐρανοῦ ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς
Psalm 77:24 (NETS)	Psalm 77:24 (English Elpenor)
and he rained down manna for them to eat, and heaven’s bread he gave them.	and rained upon them manna to eat, and gave them the bread of heaven.

Psalm 78:25 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:25 (KJV)	Psalm 78:25 (NET)
Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.	Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full.	Man ate the food of the mighty ones. He sent them more than enough to eat.

Psalm 78:25 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:25 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἄρτον ἀγγέλων ἔφαγεν ἄνθρωπος ἐπισιτισμὸν ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοῗς εἰς πλησμονήν	ἄρτον ἀγγέλων ἔφαγεν ἄνθρωπος, ἐπισιτισμὸν ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοῖς εἰς πλησμονήν
Psalm 77:25 (NETS)	Psalm 77:25 (English Elpenor)
Bread of angels man ate; provisions he sent them in abundance.	Man ate angels’ bread; he sent them provision to the full.

Psalm 78:26 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:26 (KJV)	Psalm 78:26 (NET)
He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.	He caused an east wind to blow in the heaven: and by his power he brought in the south wind.	He brought the east wind through the sky and by his strength led forth the south wind.

Psalm 78:26 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:26 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀπῆρεν νότον ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἐπήγαγεν ἐν τῇ δυναστείᾳ αὐτοῦ λίβα	ἀπῇρε Νότον ἐξ οὐρανοῦ καὶ ἐπήγαγεν ἐν τῇ δυνάμει αὐτοῦ Λίβα
Psalm 77:26 (NETS)	Psalm 77:26 (English Elpenor)
He removed a south wind from heaven, and he led on, by his dominance, a southwest wind,	He removed the south wind from heaven; and by his might he brought in the south-west wind.

Psalm 78:27 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:27 (KJV)	Psalm 78:27 (NET)
He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:	He rained flesh also upon them as dust, and feathered fowls like as the sand of the sea:	He rained down meat on them like dust, birds as numerous as the sand on the seashores.

Psalm 78:27 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:27 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔβρεξεν ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς ὡσεὶ χοῦν σάρκας καὶ ὡσεὶ ἄμμον θαλασσῶν πετεινὰ πτερωτά	καὶ ἔβρεξεν ἐπ᾿ αὐτοὺς ὡσεὶ χοῦν σάρκας καὶ ὡσεὶ ἄμμον θαλασσῶν πετεινὰ πτερωτά
Psalm 77:27 (NETS)	Psalm 77:27 (English Elpenor)
and he rained upon them flesh like dust and winged birds like the sand of seas,	And he rained upon them flesh like dust, and feathered birds like the sand of the seas.

Psalm 78:28 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:28 (KJV)	Psalm 78:28 (NET)
And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.	And he let it fall in the midst of their camp, round about their habitations.	He caused them to fall right in the middle of their camp, all around their homes.

Psalm 78:28 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:28 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐπέπεσον εἰς μέσον τῆς παρεμβολῆς αὐτῶν κύκλῳ τῶν σκηνωμάτων αὐτῶν	καὶ ἐπέπεσον ἐν μέσῳ παρεμβολῆς αὐτῶν κύκλῳ τῶν σκηνωμάτων αὐτῶν
Psalm 77:28 (NETS)	Psalm 77:28 (English Elpenor)
and they fell in the midst of their camp, all around their coverts.	And they fell into the midst of their camp, round about their tents.

Psalm 78:29 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:29 (KJV)	Psalm 78:29 (NET)
So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;	So they did eat, and were well filled: for he gave them their own desire;	They ate until they were beyond full; he gave them what they desired.

Psalm 78:29 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:29 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐφάγοσαν καὶ ἐνεπλήσθησαν σφόδρα καὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν αὐτῶν ἤνεγκεν αὐτοῗς	καὶ ἔφαγον καὶ ἐνεπλήσθησαν σφόδρα, καὶ τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν αὐτῶν ἤνεγκεν αὐτοῖς
Psalm 77:29 (NETS)	Psalm 77:29 (English Elpenor)
And they ate and were well filled, and what they craved he brought them;	So they ate, and were completely filled; and he gave them their desire.

Psalm 78:30 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:30 (KJV)	Psalm 78:30 (NET)
They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,	They were not estranged from their lust. But while their meat was yet in their mouths,	They were not yet filled up; their food was still in their mouths

Psalm 78:30 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:30 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ ἐστερήθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας αὐτῶν ἔτι τῆς βρώσεως αὐτῶν οὔσης ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν	οὐκ ἐστερήθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐπιθυμίας αὐτῶν. ἔτι τῆς βρώσεως οὔσης ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν,
Psalm 77:30 (NETS)	Psalm 77:30 (English Elpenor)
they were not deprived of what they craved. While their food was still in their mouth,	They were not disappointed of their desire: [but] when their food was yet in their mouth,

Psalm 78:31 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:31 (KJV)	Psalm 78:31 (NET)
The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.	The wrath of God came upon them, and slew the fattest of them, and smote down the chosen men of Israel.	when the anger of God flared up against them. He killed some of the strongest of them; he brought the young men of Israel to their knees.

Psalm 78:31 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:31 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ ἀνέβη ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν ἐν τοῗς πίοσιν αὐτῶν καὶ τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς τοῦ Ισραηλ συνεπόδισεν	καὶ ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ Θεοῦ ἀνέβη ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς, καὶ ἀπέκτεινεν ἐν τοῖς πλείοσιν αὐτῶν, καὶ τοὺς ἐκλεκτοὺς τοῦ ᾿Ισραὴλ συνεπόδισεν
Psalm 77:31 (NETS)	Psalm 77:31 (English Elpenor)
God’s wrath also rose against them, and he killed among their sleek ones, and the select of Israel he shackled.	then the indignation of God rose up against them, and slew the fattest of them, and overthrew the choice men of Israel.

Psalm 78:32 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:32 (KJV)	Psalm 78:32 (NET)
For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.	For all this they sinned still, and believed not for his wondrous works.	Despite all this, they continued to sin, and did not trust him to do amazing things.

Psalm 78:32 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:32 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν πᾶσιν τούτοις ἥμαρτον ἔτι καὶ οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν ἐν τοῗς θαυμασίοις αὐτοῦ	ἐν πᾶσι τούτοις ἥμαρτον ἔτι καὶ οὐκ ἐπίστευσαν ἐν τοῖς θαυμασίοις αὐτοῦ
Psalm 77:32 (NETS)	Psalm 77:32 (English Elpenor)
Amidst all these things they still sinned, and they did not believe in his marvels.	In the midst of all this they sinned yet more, and believed not his miracles.

Deuteronomy 8:2 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 8:2 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 8:2 (NET)
And thou shalt remember all the way which HaShem thy G-d hath led thee these forty years in the wilderness, that He might afflict thee, to prove thee, to know what was in thy heart, whether thou wouldest keep His commandments, or no.	And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.	Remember the whole way by which he has brought you these 40 years through the wilderness so that he might, by humbling you, test you to see if you have it within you to keep his commandments or not.

Deuteronomy 8:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 8:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ μνησθήσῃ πᾶσαν τὴν ὁδόν ἣν ἤγαγέν σε κύριος ὁ θεός σου ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ ὅπως ἂν κακώσῃ σε καὶ ἐκπειράσῃ σε καὶ διαγνωσθῇ τὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου εἰ φυλάξῃ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ἢ οὔ	καὶ μνησθήσῃ πᾶσαν τὴν ὁδόν, ἣν ἤγαγέ σε Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ, ὅπως ἂν κακώσῃ σε καὶ πειράσῃ σε καὶ διαγνωσθῇ τὰ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ σου, εἰ φυλάξῃ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ἢ οὔ
Deuteronomy 8:2 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 8:2 (English Elpenor)
And you shall remember all the way that the Lord your God has led you in the wilderness so that he might distress you in the wilderness so that he might distress you and test you and discern the things in your heart, whether you would keep his commandments or not.	And thou shalt remember all the way which the Lord thy God led thee in the wilderness, that he might afflict thee, and try thee, and that the things in thine heart might be made manifest, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments or no.

Deuteronomy 8:3 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 8:3 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 8:3 (NET)
And He afflicted thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that He might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every thing that proceedeth out of the mouth of HaShem doth man live.	And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the LORD doth man live.	So he humbled you by making you hungry and then feeding you with unfamiliar manna. He did this to teach you that humankind cannot live by bread alone, but also by everything that comes from the Lord’s mouth.

Deuteronomy 8:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 8:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐκάκωσέν σε καὶ ἐλιμαγχόνησέν σε καὶ ἐψώμισέν σε τὸ μαννα ὃ οὐκ εἴδησαν οἱ πατέρες σου ἵνα ἀναγγείλῃ σοι ὅτι οὐκ ἐπ᾽ ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἀλλ᾽ ἐπὶ παντὶ ῥήματι τῷ ἐκπορευομένῳ διὰ στόματος θεοῦ ζήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος	καὶ ἐκάκωσέ σε καὶ ἐλιμαγχόνησέ σε καὶ ἐψώμισέ σε τὸ μάννα, ὃ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν οἱ πατέρες σου, ἵνα ἀναγγείλῃ σοι, ὅτι οὐκ ἐπ᾿ ἄρτῳ μόνῳ ζήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος, ἀλλ᾿ ἐπὶ παντὶ ῥήματι τῷ ἐκπορευομένῳ διὰ στόματος Θεοῦ ζήσεται ὁ ἄνθρωπος
Deuteronomy 8:3 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 8:3 (English Elpenor)
And he distressed you and let you hunger and fed you with manna with which your fathers were not acquainted in order to announce to you that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that goes out through the mouth of God man shall live.	And he afflicted thee and straitened thee with hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thy fathers knew not; that he might teach thee that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God shall man live.

Psalm 78:34 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:34 (KJV)	Psalm 78:34 (NET)
When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.	When he slew them, then they sought him: and they returned and enquired early after God.	When he struck them down, they sought his favor; they turned back and longed for God.

Psalm 78:34 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:34 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅταν ἀπέκτεννεν αὐτούς ἐξεζήτουν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπέστρεφον καὶ ὤρθριζον πρὸς τὸν θεὸν	ὅταν ἀπέκτειναν αὐτούς, τότε ἐξεζήτουν αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπέστρεφον καὶ ὤρθριζον πρὸς τὸν Θεὸν
Psalm 77:34 (NETS)	Psalm 77:34 (English Elpenor)
When he was killing them, they would seek him out, and they would turn to God and be early.	When he slew them, they sought him: and they returned and called betimes upon God.

Psalm 78:35 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:35 (KJV)	Psalm 78:35 (NET)
And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.	And they remembered that God was their rock, and the high God their redeemer.	They remembered that God was their protector and that God Most High was their deliverer.

Psalm 78:35 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:35 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐμνήσθησαν ὅτι ὁ θεὸς βοηθὸς αὐτῶν ἐστιν καὶ ὁ θεὸς ὁ ὕψιστος λυτρωτὴς αὐτῶν ἐστιν	καὶ ἐμνήσθησαν ὅτι ὁ Θεὸς βοηθὸς αὐτῶν ἐστι καὶ ὁ Θεὸς ὁ ῞Υψιστος λυτρωτὴς αὐτῶν ἐστι
Psalm 77:35 (NETS)	Psalm 77:35 (English Elpenor)
And they remembered that God was there helper and God the Most High was their redeemer.	And they remembered that God was their helper, and the most high God was their redeemer.

Psalm 78:36 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:36 (KJV)	Psalm 78:36 (NET)
Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.	Nevertheless they did flatter him with their mouth, and they lied unto him with their tongues.	But they deceived him with their words and lied to him.

Psalm 78:36 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:36 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἠπάτησαν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν καὶ τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτῶν ἐψεύσαντο αὐτῷ	καὶ ἠγάπησαν αὐτὸν ἐν τῷ στόματι αὐτῶν καὶ τῇ γλώσσῃ αὐτῶν ἐψεύσαντο αὐτῷ
Psalm 77:36 (NETS)	Psalm 77:36 (English Elpenor)
And they deceived him with their mouth, and with their tongue they lied to him.	Yet they loved him [only] with their mouth, and lied to him with their tongue.

Psalm 78:37 (Tanakh)	Psalm 78:37 (KJV)	Psalm 78:37 (NET)
For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.	For their heart was not right with him, neither were they stedfast in his covenant.	They were not really committed to him, and they were unfaithful to his covenant.

Psalm 78:37 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 77:37 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν οὐκ εὐθεῗα μετ᾽ αὐτοῦ οὐδὲ ἐπιστώθησαν ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ αὐτοῦ	ἡ δὲ καρδία αὐτῶν οὐκ εὐθεῖα μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ἐπιστώθησαν ἐν τῇ διαθήκῃ αὐτοῦ
Psalm 77:37 (NETS)	Psalm 77:37 (English Elpenor)
And their heart was not upright with him, nor were they true to his covenant.	For their heart [was] not right with him, neither were they steadfast in his covenant.

John 6:9 (NET)	John 6:9 (KJV)
“Here is a boy who has five barley loaves and two fish, but what good are these for so many people?”	There is a lad here, which hath five barley loaves, and two small fishes: but what are they among so many?

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἔστιν παιδάριον ὧδε ὃς ἔχει πέντε ἄρτους κριθίνους καὶ δύο ὀψάρια· ἀλλὰ ταῦτα τί ἐστιν εἰς τοσούτους	εστιν παιδαριον εν ωδε ο εχει πεντε αρτους κριθινους και δυο οψαρια αλλα ταυτα τι εστιν εις τοσουτους	εστιν παιδαριον εν ωδε ο εχει πεντε αρτους κριθινους και δυο οψαρια αλλα ταυτα τι εστιν εις τοσουτους

John 6:13 (NET)	John 6:13 (KJV)
So they gathered them up and filled 12 baskets with broken pieces from the five barley loaves left over by the people who had eaten.	Therefore they gathered them together, and filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
συνήγαγον οὖν καὶ ἐγέμισαν δώδεκα κοφίνους κλασμάτων ἐκ τῶν πέντε ἄρτων τῶν κριθίνων ἃ ἐπερίσσευσαν τοῖς βεβρωκόσιν	συνηγαγον ουν και εγεμισαν δωδεκα κοφινους κλασματων εκ των πεντε αρτων των κριθινων α επερισσευσεν τοις βεβρωκοσιν	συνηγαγον ουν και εγεμισαν δωδεκα κοφινους κλασματων εκ των πεντε αρτων των κριθινων α επερισσευσεν τοις βεβρωκοσιν

Matthew 14:22 (NET)	Matthew 14:22 (KJV)
Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go ahead of him to the other side, while he dispersed the crowds.	And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ \|εὐθέως\| ἠνάγκασεν τοὺς μαθητὰς ἐμβῆναι εἰς \|τὸ\| πλοῖον καὶ προάγειν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ πέραν, ἕως οὗ ἀπολύσῃ τοὺς ὄχλους	και ευθεως ηναγκασεν ο ιησους τους μαθητας αυτου εμβηναι εις το πλοιον και προαγειν αυτον εις το περαν εως ου απολυση τους οχλους	και ευθεως ηναγκασεν ο ιησους τους μαθητας εμβηναι εις το πλοιον και προαγειν αυτον εις το περαν εως ου απολυση τους οχλους

Matthew 18:2 (NET)	Matthew 18:2 (KJV)
He called a child, had him stand among them,	And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them,

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος παιδίον ἔστησεν αὐτὸ ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν	και προσκαλεσαμενος ο ιησους παιδιον εστησεν αυτο εν μεσω αυτων	και προσκαλεσαμενος ο ιησους παιδιον εστησεν αυτο εν μεσω αυτων

Matthew 18:4 (NET)	Matthew 18:4 (KJV)
Whoever then humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.	Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὅστις οὖν ταπεινώσει ἑαυτὸν ὡς τὸ παιδίον τοῦτο, οὗτος ἐστιν ὁ μείζων ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ τῶν οὐρανῶν	οστις ουν ταπεινωση εαυτον ως το παιδιον τουτο ουτος εστιν ο μειζων εν τη βασιλεια των ουρανων	οστις ουν ταπεινωσει εαυτον ως το παιδιον τουτο ουτος εστιν ο μειζων εν τη βασιλεια των ουρανων