Exploration, Part 10

Posted on April 3, 2025 by admin

I shared the previous essay with my Pastor. “Jesus didn’t call his hearers/followers actors,” he said. That’s true. He called their teachers and leaders actors. That the term also applied to his hearers/followers was my inference from Jesus’ words to the Jews who had believed him¹ (and continued to believe Him). The Greek words translated who had believed were τοὺς πεπιστευκότας, a participle of πιστεύω in the perfect tense:

The basic thought of the perfect tense is that the progress of an action has been completed and the results of the action are continuing on, in full effect. In other words, the progress of the action has reached its culmination and the finished results are now in existence. Unlike the English perfect, which indicates a completed past action, the Greek perfect tense indicates the continuation and present state of a completed past action.

“If you abide in my word,” Jesus said despite their continuing faith, “you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”²

The Greek is: ἐὰν ὑμεῖς μείνητε (if [or, “whenever”] you [plural] abide), a form of μένω in the aorist tense: “The aorist is said to be ‘simple occurrence’ or ‘summary occurrence’, without regard for the amount of time taken to accomplish the action. This tense is also often referred to as the ‘punctiliar’ tense. ‘Punctiliar’ in this sense means ‘viewed as a single, collective whole,’ a ‘one-point-in-time’ action, although it may actually take place over a period of time.”³

It is in the active voice: “Grammatical voice indicates whether the subject [plural you] is the performer of the action of the verb (active voice), or the subject is the recipient of the action (passive voice). If the subject of the sentence is executing the action, then the verb is referred to as being in the active voice.”⁴ And μείνητε is in the subjunctive mood: “The subjunctive mood indicates probability or objective possibility. The action of the verb will possibly happen, depending on certain objective factors or circumstances.”⁵ According to the Koine Greek Lexicon online μείνητε, a form of μένω means: “to remain, stay; to live, dwell, lodge; to adhere to and not contravene; to abide, continue, remain; to remain, last, persist, continue to live; to remain in force; to endure, bear with; to wait for.”

Where are you to remain, stay, to live, dwell, lodge, to abide, continue? What are you to adhere to and not contravene, to endure, bear with, to wait for? What will persist, continue to live, remain in force? The next words are ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ (“in the word of mine”): Jesus’ understanding of the Scriptures, illuminated by, but not limited to, the words which are highlighted in red in a red letter edition of the New Testament.

The very next word in this wordstring is the adverb ἀληθῶς (ESV: truly). The ESV translators assumed that ἀληθῶς modified ἐστε (ESV: you are) rather than μείνητε (ESV: abide). I want to consider the other occurrences of ἀληθῶς in John’s writing along with their translations in the ESV.

Reference	ESV	NA²⁸
John 4:42	They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world [Table].”	τῇ τε γυναικὶ ἔλεγον ὅτι οὐκέτι διὰ τὴν σὴν λαλιὰν πιστεύομεν, αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀκηκόαμεν καὶ οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου
John 6:14	When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world [Table]!”	Οἱ οὖν ἄνθρωποι ἰδόντες ὃ ἐποίησεν σημεῖον ἔλεγον ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ προφήτης ὁ ἐρχόμενος εἰς τὸν κόσμον

Here, in both occurrences the adverb ἀληθῶς (ESV: indeed) modifies ἔστιν (ESV: is), the verb it follows.

Reference	ESV	NA²⁸
John 7:26	And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ [Table]?	καὶ ἴδε παρρησίᾳ λαλεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτῷ λέγουσιν. μήποτε ἀληθῶς ἔγνωσαν οἱ ἄρχοντες ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ χριστός

Here, the adverb ἀληθῶς (ESV: really) precedes the verb it modifies ἔγνωσαν (ESV: know).

Reference	ESV	NA²⁸
John 7:40	When⁶ they heard these words,⁷ some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.”	Ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου οὖν ἀκούσαντες τῶν λόγων τούτων ἔλεγον· οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ προφήτης

Here again, the adverb ἀληθῶς (ESV: really) modifies ἔστιν (ESV: is), the verb it follows.

Reference	ESV	NA²⁸
John 17:8	For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.	ὅτι τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἔδωκάς μοι δέδωκα αὐτοῖς, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔλαβον καὶ ἔγνωσαν ἀληθῶς ὅτι παρὰ σοῦ ἐξῆλθον, καὶ ἐπίστευσαν ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας

Here, too, the adverb ἀληθῶς (ESV: in truth) modifies the verb it follows, ἔγνωσαν (ESV: they…have come to know).

Reference	ESV	NA²⁸
John 1:47	Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”	Εἶδεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὸν Ναθαναὴλ ἐρχόμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει περὶ αὐτοῦ· ἴδε ἀληθῶς Ἰσραηλίτης ἐν ᾧ δόλος οὐκ ἔστιν

Here it is fairly clear that ἀληθῶς (ESV: indeed) modifies ἔστιν (ESV: there is; e.g., “there is truly no deceit”) rather than λέγει (ESV: said; e.g., “said truly”). But since ἀληθῶς actually occurs between ἴδε (ESV: Behold) and Ἰσραηλίτης (ESV: an Israelite), the translators treated it like a defining characteristic of a true Israelite as much as Jesus’ description of Nathanael. So, I’ll return now with these examples to John 8:31.

Reference	ESV	NA²⁸
John 8:31	So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,	Ἔλεγεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς πρὸς τοὺς πεπιστευκότας αὐτῷ Ἰουδαίους· ἐὰν ὑμεῖς μείνητε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ, ἀληθῶς μαθηταί μού ἐστε

The comma between ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ (ESV: in my word) and ἀληθῶς (ESV: truly) is not original to the Greek manuscripts. The placement of ἀληθῶς (ESV: truly) seems to function like a conjunction, coordinating and qualifying both clauses: If you abide in my word…truly μαθηταί μού (ESV: my disciples) ἐστε (ESV: you are). The occurrence of ἀληθῶς in 1 John 2:5 is similar.

Reference	ESV	NA²⁸
1 John 2:5	but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:	ὃς δ’ ἂν τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον, ἀληθῶς ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ τετελείωται· ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐσμεν

“But whoever keeps his word truly in him the love of God is perfected.” Peter offered us a profound example of not abiding in Jesus’ word truly.

Matthew 16:21, 22 (ESV)	Mark 8:31, 32 (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 he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again [Table].
	And he said this plainly.
And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him,	And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.
saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.”

Jesus’ word to the Jews who had believed him⁸ (and continued to believe Him) continued: and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”⁹ The Greek was καὶ γνώσεσθε, a form of the verb γινώσκω in the future tense and indicative mood (ESV: and you will know). It is a statement of fact, a promise from Jesus, but it is also in the middle voice.

The Greek middle voice shows the subject acting in his own interest or on his own behalf, or participating in the results of the verbal action. In overly simplistic terms, sometimes the middle form of the verb could be translated as “the performer of the action actually acting upon himself” (reflexive action).

The 2^nd person plural you have something to do with the fulfillment of this promise; namely, abide in Jesus’ word truly, even as the work of an actor if necessary, playing a character by obeying a rule, before Jesus has made you one spirit with Him. What will you know if you abide in Jesus’ word truly? τὴν ἀλήθειαν (ESV: the truth), an accusative form of ἀλήθεια. You will know the only true (ἀληθινὸν, a form of ἀληθινός) God, and Jesus Christ whom [He has] sent.¹⁰ “I am the way, and the truth (ἀλήθεια), and the life,” Jesus said. “No one comes to the Father except through me.”¹¹ [A]nd the truth (καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια) will set you free (ἐλευθερώσει ὑμᾶς). For our freedom Christ has us set free, therefore you stand firm and cannot entangle yourselves in a yoke of slavery again.¹²

And here is a glimpse of other truth that can be gained from abiding in Jesus’ word truly; namely, the truth about you, specifically your enslavement to sin. But here, like Peter, the Jews who had believed him¹³ did not abide in Jesus’ word truly (John 8:33-38 ESV):

They answered him, “We are offspring of Abraham and have never been enslaved to anyone. How is it that you say, ‘You will become free’?” [Table]

Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices (ὁ ποιῶν) sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed. I know that you are offspring of Abraham; yet you seek to kill me because my word finds no place in you. I speak of what¹⁴ I have seen with my¹⁵ Father, and you do what you have heard¹⁶ from your father.”¹⁷

Here again, though Jesus offered the Jews who had believed him¹⁸ another opportunity to abide in his word truly, they did not (John 8:39-41a ESV).

They answered him,¹⁹ “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were²⁰ Abraham’s children, you would²¹ be doing the works Abraham did, but now you seek to kill me, a man who has told you the truth (τὴν ἀλήθειαν) that I heard from God. This is not what Abraham did. You are doing the works your father did.”

Again, they did not abide in Jesus’ word truly (John 8:41b-43):

They said²² to him, “We were not born of sexual immorality (πορνείας, a form of πορνεία). We have one Father—even God.” Jesus said to them,²³ “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and I am here. I came not of my own accord, but he sent me [Table]. Why do you not understand what I say? It is because you cannot bear to hear my word.

Jesus was less patient with Peter, with whom He had spent much more time, when Peter refused to abide in Jesus’ word truly.

Matthew 16:23 (ESV)	Mark 8:33 (ESV)
But he turned	But turning
	and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter
and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! 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].”	and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man [Table].”

Eventually Jesus told the Jews who had believed him²⁴ plainly (John 8:44, 45, 47 ESV):

You are of your father the devil, and your will (θέλετε, a form of the verb θέλω) is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies [Table]. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me…Whoever is of God (ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ) hears the words of God (τοῦ θεοῦ). The reason why you do not hear them is that you are not of God (ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ οὐκ ἐστέ; e.g., at the then present time).”

To call Peter Satan, and to say to the Jews who had believed him,²⁵ You are of your father the devil, truly, I infer that Jesus addressed the old self (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον, aka “the old man”), which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires.²⁶ No new self (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον, aka “the new man”), created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness,²⁷ existed yet but Jesus.

Only Jesus was free to serve in the new way of the Spirit (ἐν καινότητι πνεύματος),²⁸ while everyone else served in the old way of the written code,²⁹ whether the law, the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees or Jesus’ commands. They were actors by definition, playing a role by obeying rules, no matter how sincerely. Every act of obedience was an act, a determined effort that was contrary to their true nature and actual character until Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension and the giving of the Holy Spirit.

I continued to be an actor for far too long even after I was born from above, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God,³⁰ until I learned the new covenant from the Lord. For our freedom Christ has us set free, therefore you stand firm and cannot entangle yourselves in a yoke of slavery again.³¹ As Jesus said, 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.³² The result (ὁ καρπὸς) of the Holy Spirit is a continuous infusion of God’s own (Galatians 5:22b, 23 ESV):

…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law [Table].

In other words (Matthew 5:48 EXP8):

You will be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect [Table].

Paul relayed part of that perfection to foolish Galatians who attempted to be perfected by the flesh (Galatians 5:24 ESV):

And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

The Greek is οἱ δὲ, And those, τοῦ Χριστοῦ, “of Christ” (the ESV translation—who belong to Christ Jesus—accentuates the possessive aspect of the genitive τοῦ Χριστοῦ), τὴν σάρκα, the flesh, ἐσταύρωσαν, “they” have crucified, σὺν τοῖς παθήμασιν καὶ ταῖς ἐπιθυμίαις, “along with the ‘suffering, misfortune, passion’ and the ‘desire, longing, craving (in a good or bad sense); lust, concupiscence, coveting, a longing (esp. for what is forbidden); something desired in order to possess.’”

This is not a debatable point for those “of Christ” but something to receive through faith:

We know that our old self (ὁ παλαιὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος; NET: our old man) was crucified with him (συνεσταυρώθη, a passive form of συσταυρόω) in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.³³

After He corrected Peter’s thinking—you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man [Table]³⁴—Jesus continued (Mark 8:34-38 ESV):

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone³⁵ would come after³⁶ me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would³⁷ save his life (τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ) will lose it, but whoever loses³⁸ his³⁹ life (τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ) for my sake and the gospel’s will save⁴⁰ it. For what does it profit⁴¹ a man to gain⁴² the whole world and forfeit⁴³ his soul (τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ)? For⁴⁴ what can a man give⁴⁵ in return for his soul (τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ)? For⁴⁶ whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

The Greek words translated let him deny himself were ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν. The phrase is a little redundant but abundantly clear: ἀπαρνησάσθω, an imperative form of ἀπαρνέομαι, a command in the middle voice, means: “to deny, disown, abstain, renounce, reject, refuse” oneself. The reflexive pronoun ἑαυτὸν in the accusative case emphasizes that this denial is not a denial of things but explicitly himself (oneself), the direct object of the verb (NET: he must deny himself), rather than the indirect object (e.g., he must deny himself this, that or the other thing).

Jesus’ example, contemplating his own crucifixion, comes again to mind here (John 12:27, 28a ESV).

“Now is my soul (ἡ ψυχή μου) troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify your name.”

Then privately He prayed to his Father (Mark 14:36 ESV):

“Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

This is hypocrisy according to the “more general meaning that we use today: ‘a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.’”⁴⁷ And that should tell you everything you need to know about the “more general meaning” of hypocrisy “that we use today.” Jesus did not act as an actor. He demonstrated righteousness in the flesh by denying Himself (Galatians 5:17, 18 ESV).

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, you are not under the law.

When I think of the desires of the flesh, I think mostly of sex, especially kinky sex. But the desire to live (or not to be tortured to death) is a more basic desire of the flesh. Despite this most desperate desire of Jesus’ flesh the night He was arrested, He by the Spirit retained the knowledge of God: all things are possible for you. He did not lie to his all-knowing Father about the desire of his flesh: Take this cup away from me. And He denied Himself completely: Yet not what I will (θέλω), but what you will. And the Spirit strengthened Him.

Matthew 26:51-54 (ESV)	Mark 14:46-49 (ESV)	Luke 22:49-53 (ESV)	John 18:10, 11 (ESV)
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. 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? [Table] But how then should the Scriptures be fulfilled, that it must be so?”	And they laid hands⁴⁸ on him⁴⁹ and seized him. But one of those who stood by drew his sword and struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his ear.⁵⁰ And Jesus said to them, “Have you come⁵¹ out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.”	And when those who were around him saw what would follow, they said,⁵² “Lord, shall we strike with the sword?”⁵³ And one of them struck the servant of the high priest and cut off his right ear. But Jesus said, “No more of this!” And he touched his ear and healed him [Table]. Then Jesus said to the chief priests and officers of the temple and elders, who had come out against him, “Have you come out⁵⁴ as against a robber, with swords and clubs? When I was with you day after day in the temple, you did not lay hands on me. But this is your hour, and the power of darkness.”	Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant and cut off his right ear. (The servant’s name was Malchus.) [Table] So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into its sheath; shall I not drink the cup that the Father has given me?” [Table]

Without taking anything away from the 2^nd person plural μείνητε in the active voice, there is another possible way to understand Jesus’ instruction to the Jews who had believed him.⁵⁵ The Greek words translated my word (τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ) in Jesus’ conditional statement If you abide in my word are in the dative case.

The dative is the case of the indirect object, or may also indicate the means by which something is done.

It is possible to understand Jesus’ word as the means by which you abide: “If you abide by means of my word truly my disciples you are,” by oneness with his Spirit rather than as an actor obeying rules: Whoever is of God (ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ) hears the words of God (τοῦ θεοῦ).⁵⁶ This is what Paul called ὑπακοὴν πίστεως (Romans 1:5; 16:26), obedience of faith, to distinguish it from a righteousness pursued as if it were based on works.⁵⁷ I’ll pick this up in another essay.

A table of the occurrences of ἀληθῶς in the New Testament from NA²⁸ as translated in the ESV follows.

Examples of ἀληθῶς in the New Testament
Reference	ESV	NA²⁸
Matthew 14:33	And those in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.”	οἱ δὲ ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ προσεκύνησαν αὐτῷ λέγοντες· ἀληθῶς θεοῦ υἱὸς εἶ
Matthew 26:73	After a little while the bystanders came up and said to Peter, “Certainly you too are one of them, for your accent betrays you.”	Μετὰ μικρὸν δὲ προσελθόντες οἱ ἑστῶτες εἶπον τῷ Πέτρῳ· ἀληθῶς καὶ σὺ ἐξ αὐτῶν εἶ, καὶ γὰρ ἡ λαλιά σου δῆλόν σε ποιεῖ
Matthew 27:54	When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son of God!”	Ὁ δὲ ἑκατόνταρχος καὶ οἱ μετ’ αὐτοῦ τηροῦντες τὸν Ἰησοῦν ἰδόντες τὸν σεισμὸν καὶ τὰ γενόμενα ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα, λέγοντες· ἀληθῶς θεοῦ υἱὸς ἦν οὗτος
Mark 14:70	But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.”	ὁ δὲ πάλιν ἠρνεῖτο. Καὶ μετὰ μικρὸν πάλιν οἱ παρεστῶτες ἔλεγον τῷ Πέτρῳ· ἀληθῶς ἐξ αὐτῶν εἶ, καὶ γὰρ Γαλιλαῖος εἶ
Mark 15:39	And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”	Ἰδὼν δὲ ὁ κεντυρίων ὁ παρεστηκὼς ἐξ ἐναντίας αὐτοῦ ὅτι οὕτως ἐξέπνευσεν εἶπεν· ἀληθῶς οὗτος ὁ ἄνθρωπος υἱὸς θεοῦ ἦν
Luke 9:27	But I tell you truly, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God.”	λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ἀληθῶς, εἰσίν τινες τῶν αὐτοῦ ἑστηκότων οἳ οὐ μὴ γεύσωνται θανάτου ἕως ἂν ἴδωσιν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ
Luke 12:44	Truly, I say to you, he will set him over all his possessions.	ἀληθῶς λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἐπὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς ὑπάρχουσιν αὐτοῦ καταστήσει αὐτόν
Luke 21:3	And he said, “Truly, I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all of them.	καὶ εἶπεν· ἀληθῶς λέγω ὑμῖν ὅτι ἡ χήρα αὕτη ἡ πτωχὴ πλεῖον πάντων ἔβαλεν
John 1:47	Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!”	Εἶδεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὸν Ναθαναὴλ ἐρχόμενον πρὸς αὐτὸν καὶ λέγει περὶ αὐτοῦ· ἴδε ἀληθῶς Ἰσραηλίτης ἐν ᾧ δόλος οὐκ ἔστιν
John 4:42	They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”	τῇ τε γυναικὶ ἔλεγον ὅτι οὐκέτι διὰ τὴν σὴν λαλιὰν πιστεύομεν, αὐτοὶ γὰρ ἀκηκόαμεν καὶ οἴδαμεν ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ σωτὴρ τοῦ κόσμου
John 6:14	When the people saw the sign that he had done, they said, “This is indeed the Prophet who is to come into the world!”	Οἱ οὖν ἄνθρωποι ἰδόντες ὃ ἐποίησεν σημεῖον ἔλεγον ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ προφήτης ὁ ἐρχόμενος εἰς τὸν κόσμον
John 7:26	And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ?	καὶ ἴδε παρρησίᾳ λαλεῖ καὶ οὐδὲν αὐτῷ λέγουσιν. μήποτε ἀληθῶς ἔγνωσαν οἱ ἄρχοντες ὅτι οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ χριστός
John 7:40	When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.”	Ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου οὖν ἀκούσαντες τῶν λόγων τούτων ἔλεγον· οὗτός ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ προφήτης
John 8:31	So Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples,	Ἔλεγεν οὖν ὁ Ἰησοῦς πρὸς τοὺς πεπιστευκότας αὐτῷ Ἰουδαίους· ἐὰν ὑμεῖς μείνητε ἐν τῷ λόγῳ τῷ ἐμῷ, ἀληθῶς μαθηταί μού ἐστε
John 17:8	For I have given them the words that you gave me, and they have received them and have come to know in truth that I came from you; and they have believed that you sent me.	ὅτι τὰ ῥήματα ἃ ἔδωκάς μοι δέδωκα αὐτοῖς, καὶ αὐτοὶ ἔλαβον καὶ ἔγνωσαν ἀληθῶς ὅτι παρὰ σοῦ ἐξῆλθον, καὶ ἐπίστευσαν ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας
Acts 12:11	When Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I am sure that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from the hand of Herod and from all that the Jewish people were expecting.”	Καὶ ὁ Πέτρος ἐν ἑαυτῷ γενόμενος εἶπεν· νῦν οἶδα ἀληθῶς ὅτι ἐξαπέστειλεν [ὁ] κύριος τὸν ἄγγελον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐξείλατό με ἐκ χειρὸς Ἡρῴδου καὶ πάσης τῆς προσδοκίας τοῦ λαοῦ τῶν Ἰουδαίων
1 Thessalonians 2:13	And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.	Καὶ διὰ τοῦτο καὶ ἡμεῖς εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ θεῷ ἀδιαλείπτως, ὅτι παραλαβόντες λόγον ἀκοῆς παρ’ ἡμῶν τοῦ θεοῦ ἐδέξασθε οὐ λόγον ἀνθρώπων ἀλλὰ καθώς ἐστιν ἀληθῶς λόγον θεοῦ, ὃς καὶ ἐνεργεῖται ἐν ὑμῖν τοῖς πιστεύουσιν
1 John 2:5	but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:	ὃς δ’ ἂν τηρῇ αὐτοῦ τὸν λόγον, ἀληθῶς ἐν τούτῳ ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ τετελείωται· ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ ἐσμεν

Tables comparing John 7:40; 8:38; 8:39; 8:41; Mark 8:34-38; 14:46-48; Luke 22:49 and 22:52 in the KJV and NET follow.

John 7:40 (NET)	John 7:40 (KJV)
When they heard these words, some of the crowd began to say, “This really is the Prophet!”	Many of the people therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

John 7:40 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 7:40 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 7:40 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ἐκ τοῦ ὄχλου οὖν ἀκούσαντες τῶν λόγων τούτων ἔλεγον· οὗτος ἐστιν ἀληθῶς ὁ προφήτης	πολλοι ουν εκ του οχλου ακουσαντες τον λογον ελεγον ουτος εστιν αληθως ο προφητης	πολλοι ουν εκ του οχλου ακουσαντες τον λογον ελεγον ουτος εστιν αληθως ο προφητης

John 8:38 (NET)	John 8:38 (KJV)
I am telling you the things I have seen while with the Father; as for you, practice the things you have heard from the Father!”	I speak that which I have seen with my Father: and ye do that which ye have seen with your father.

John 8:38 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 8:38 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 8:38 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἃ ἐγὼ ἑώρακα παρὰ τῷ πατρὶ λαλῶ· καὶ ὑμεῖς οὖν ἃ ἠκούσατε παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς ποιεῖτε	εγω ο εωρακα παρα τω πατρι μου λαλω και υμεις ουν ο εωρακατε παρα τω πατρι υμων ποιειτε	εγω ο εωρακα παρα τω πατρι μου λαλω και υμεις ουν ο εωρακατε παρα τω πατρι υμων ποιειτε

John 8:39 (NET)	John 8:39 (KJV)
They answered him, “Abraham is our father!” Jesus replied, “If you are Abraham’s children, you would be doing the deeds of Abraham.	They answered and said unto him, Abraham is our father. Jesus saith unto them, If ye were Abraham’s children, ye would do the works of Abraham.

John 8:39 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 8:39 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 8:39 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀπεκρίθησαν καὶ εἶπαν αὐτῷ· ὁ πατὴρ ἡμῶν Ἀβραάμ ἐστιν. λέγει αὐτοῖς \|ὁ\| Ἰησοῦς· εἰ τέκνα τοῦ Ἀβραάμ ἐστε, τὰ ἔργα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ \|ἐ\|ποιεῖτε	απεκριθησαν και ειπον αυτω ο πατηρ ημων αβρααμ εστιν λεγει αυτοις ο ιησους ει τεκνα του αβρααμ ητε τα εργα του αβρααμ εποιειτε αν	απεκριθησαν και ειπον αυτω ο πατηρ ημων αβρααμ εστιν λεγει αυτοις ο ιησους ει τεκνα του αβρααμ ητε τα εργα του αβρααμ εποιειτε αν

John 8:41 (NET)	John 8:41 (KJV)
You people are doing the deeds of your father.” Then they said to Jesus, “We were not born as a result of immorality! We have only one Father, God himself.”	Ye do the deeds of your father. Then said they to him, We be not born of fornication; we have one Father, even God.

John 8:41 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 8:41 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 8:41 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὑμεῖς ποιεῖτε τὰ ἔργα τοῦ πατρὸς ὑμῶν. εἶπαν αὐτῷ· ἡμεῖς ἐκ πορνείας \|οὐ γεγεννήμεθα\|, ἕνα πατέρα ἔχομεν τὸν θεόν	υμεις ποιειτε τα εργα του πατρος υμων ειπον ουν αυτω ημεις εκ πορνειας ου γεγεννημεθα ενα πατερα εχομεν τον θεον	υμεις ποιειτε τα εργα του πατρος υμων ειπον ουν αυτω ημεις εκ πορνειας ου γεγεννημεθα ενα πατερα εχομεν τον θεον

Mark 8:34-38 (NET)	Mark 8:34-38 (KJV)
Then Jesus called the crowd, along with his disciples, and said to them, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.	And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

Mark 8:34 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 8:34 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 8:34 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενος τὸν ὄχλον σὺν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· εἴ τις θέλει ὀπίσω μου \|ἀκολουθεῖν\|, ἀπαρνησάσθω ἑαυτὸν καὶ ἀράτω τὸν σταυρὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκολουθείτω μοι	και προσκαλεσαμενος τον οχλον συν τοις μαθηταις αυτου ειπεν αυτοις οστις θελει οπισω μου ελθειν απαρνησασθω εαυτον και αρατω τον σταυρον αυτου και ακολουθειτω μοι	και προσκαλεσαμενος τον οχλον συν τοις μαθηταις αυτου ειπεν αυτοις οστις θελει οπισω μου ακολουθειν απαρνησασθω εαυτον και αρατω τον σταυρον αυτου και ακολουθειτω μοι

For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life because of me and because of the gospel will save it.

For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel’s, the same shall save it.

Mark 8:35 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 8:35 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 8:35 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν θέλῃ τὴν ψυχὴν \|αὐτοῦ\| σῶσαι ἀπολέσει αὐτήν· ὃς δ᾿ ἂν ἀπολέσει τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἕνεκεν \|ἐμοῦ καὶ\| τοῦ εὐαγγελίου σώσει αὐτήν	ος γαρ αν θελη την ψυχην αυτου σωσαι απολεσει αυτην ος δ αν απολεση την ψυχην αυτου ενεκεν εμου και του ευαγγελιου ουτος σωσει αυτην	ος γαρ αν θελη την ψυχην αυτου σωσαι απολεσει αυτην ος δ αν απολεση την εαυτου ψυχην ενεκεν εμου και του ευαγγελιου ουτος σωσει αυτην

For what benefit is it for a person to gain the whole world, yet forfeit his life?

For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul?

Mark 8:36 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 8:36 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 8:36 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τί γὰρ ὠφελεῖ ἄνθρωπον κερδῆσαι τὸν κόσμον ὅλον καὶ ζημιωθῆναι τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ	τι γαρ ωφελησει ανθρωπον εαν κερδηση τον κοσμον ολον και ζημιωθη την ψυχην αυτου	τι γαρ ωφελησει ανθρωπον εαν κερδηση τον κοσμον ολον και ζημιωθη την ψυχην αυτου

What can a person give in exchange for his life?

Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?

Mark 8:37 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 8:37 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 8:37 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τί γὰρ δοῖ ἄνθρωπος ἀντάλλαγμα τῆς ψυχῆς αὐτοῦ	η τι δωσει ανθρωπος ανταλλαγμα της ψυχης αυτου	η τι δωσει ανθρωπος ανταλλαγμα της ψυχης αυτου

For if anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.”

Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels.

Mark 8:38 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 8:38 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 8:38 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὃς γὰρ ἐὰν ἐπαισχυνθῇ με καὶ τοὺς ἐμοὺς λόγους ἐν τῇ γενεᾷ ταύτῃ τῇ μοιχαλίδι καὶ ἁμαρτωλῷ, καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἐπαισχυνθήσεται αὐτόν, ὅταν ἔλθῃ ἐν τῇ δόξῃ τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀγγέλων τῶν ἁγίων	ος γαρ αν επαισχυνθη με και τους εμους λογους εν τη γενεα ταυτη τη μοιχαλιδι και αμαρτωλω και ο υιος του ανθρωπου επαισχυνθησεται αυτον οταν ελθη εν τη δοξη του πατρος αυτου μετα των αγγελων των αγιων	ος γαρ εαν επαισχυνθη με και τους εμους λογους εν τη γενεα ταυτη τη μοιχαλιδι και αμαρτωλω και ο υιος του ανθρωπου επαισχυνθησεται αυτον οταν ελθη εν τη δοξη του πατρος αυτου μετα των αγγελων των αγιων

Mark 14:46-48 (NET)	Mark 14:46-48 (KJV)
Then they took hold of him and arrested him.	And they laid their hands on him, and took him.

Mark 14:46 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 14:46 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 14:46 (Byzantine Majority Text)
οἱ δὲ ἐπέβαλον τὰς χεῖρας αὐτῷ καὶ ἐκράτησαν αὐτόν	οι δε επεβαλον επ αυτον τας χειρας αυτων και εκρατησαν αυτον	οι δε επεβαλον επ αυτον τας χειρας αυτων και εκρατησαν αυτον

One of the bystanders drew his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, cutting off his ear.

And one of them that stood by drew a sword, and smote a servant of the high priest, and cut off his ear.

Mark 14:47 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 14:47 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 14:47 (Byzantine Majority Text)
εἷς δέ [τις] τῶν παρεστηκότων σπασάμενος τὴν μάχαιραν ἔπαισεν τὸν δοῦλον τοῦ ἀρχιερέως καὶ ἀφεῖλεν αὐτοῦ τὸ ὠτάριον	εις δε τις των παρεστηκοτων σπασαμενος την μαχαιραν επαισεν τον δουλον του αρχιερεως και αφειλεν αυτου το ωτιον	εις δε τις των παρεστηκοτων σπασαμενος την μαχαιραν επαισεν τον δουλον του αρχιερεως και αφειλεν αυτου το ωτιον

Jesus said to them, “Have you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like you would an outlaw?

And Jesus answered and said unto them, Are ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and with staves to take me?

Mark 14:48 (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 14:48 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Mark 14:48 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ὡς ἐπὶ λῃστὴν ἐξήλθατε μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων συλλαβεῖν με	και αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις ως επι ληστην εξηλθετε μετα μαχαιρων και ξυλων συλλαβειν με	και αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν αυτοις ως επι ληστην εξηλθετε μετα μαχαιρων και ξυλων συλλαβειν με

Luke 22:49 (NET)	Luke 22:49 (KJV)
When those who were around him saw what was about to happen, they said, “Lord, should we use our swords?”	When they which were about him saw what would follow, they said unto him, Lord, shall we smite with the sword?

Luke 22:49 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 22:49 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 22:49 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ περὶ αὐτὸν τὸ ἐσόμενον εἶπαν· κύριε, εἰ πατάξομεν ἐν μαχαίρῃ	ιδοντες δε οι περι αυτον το εσομενον ειπον αυτω κυριε ει παταξομεν εν μαχαιρα	ιδοντες δε οι περι αυτον το εσομενον ειπον αυτω κυριε ει παταξομεν εν μαχαιρα

Luke 22:52 (NET)	Luke 22:52 (KJV)
Then Jesus said to the chief priests, the officers of the temple guard, and the elders who had come out to get him, “Have you come out with swords and clubs like you would against an outlaw?	Then Jesus said unto the chief priests, and captains of the temple, and the elders, which were come to him, Be ye come out, as against a thief, with swords and staves?

Luke 22:52 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 22:52 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 22:52 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Εἶπεν δὲ Ἰησοῦς πρὸς τοὺς παραγενομένους ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν ἀρχιερεῖς καὶ στρατηγοὺς τοῦ ἱεροῦ καὶ πρεσβυτέρους· ὡς ἐπὶ λῃστὴν ἐξήλθατε μετὰ μαχαιρῶν καὶ ξύλων	ειπεν δε ο ιησους προς τους παραγενομενους επ αυτον αρχιερεις και στρατηγους του ιερου και πρεσβυτερους ως επι ληστην εξεληλυθατε μετα μαχαιρων και ξυλων	ειπεν δε ο ιησους προς τους παραγενομενους επ αυτον αρχιερεις και στρατηγους του ιερου και πρεσβυτερους ως επι ληστην εξεληλυθατε μετα μαχαιρων και ξυλων

¹ John 8:31a (ESV)

² John 8:31b, 32 (ESV)

³ From Verb Tenses: Aorist Tense, Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions), on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

⁴ From Grammatical Voice of Verbs: Active Voice, Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions), on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

⁵ From Verbal Moods: Subjunctive Mood, Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions), on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

⁶ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πολλοι (KJV: Many) at the beginning of this clause. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the plural τῶν λόγων τούτων here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the singular τον λογον (KJV: this saying).

⁸ John 8:31a (ESV)

⁹ John 8:32 (ESV)

¹⁰ John 17:3b (ESV)

¹¹ John 14:6 (ESV)

¹² Galatians 5:1b (EXP1) Table

¹³ John 8:31a (ESV)

¹⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἃ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο (KJV: that which).

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

¹⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἃ ἠκούσατε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο εωρακατε (KJV: which ye have seen).

¹⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τοῦ πατρὸς here in the genitive case, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τω πατρι υμων (KJV: your father) in the dative case.

¹⁸ John 8:31a (ESV)

¹⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had καὶ εἶπαν preceding him (KJV: unto him), where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και ειπον (KJV: and said).

²⁰ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐστε here (NET: you are), where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ητε (KJV: ye were).

²¹ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αν at the end of this clause. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²² The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειπον ουν (KJV: Then said they) here, where NA²⁸ had Εἶπαν [οὖν], and the NET parallel Greek text had simply εἶπαν.

²³ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουν here (not translated in the KJV). The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²⁴ John 8:31a (ESV)

²⁵ Ibid.

²⁶ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

²⁷ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

²⁸ Romans 7:6b (ESV)

²⁹ Romans 7:6c (ESV)

³⁰ John 1:13b (ESV)

³¹ Galatians 5:1b (EXP1) Table

³² John 14:26 (ESV) Table

³³ Romans 6:6 (ESV)

³⁴ Mark 8:33b (ESV)

³⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εἴ τις here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had οστις (KJV: Whosoever).

³⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀκολουθεῖν here, an infinitive form of ἀκολουθέω, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ελθειν, an infinitive form of ἔρχομαι.

³⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐὰν preceding would (NET: wants; KJV: will), where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αν.

³⁸ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀπολέσει, a form of ἀπόλλυμι in the future tense and indicative mood, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had απολεση (KJV: shall lose) in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood.

³⁹ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had αὐτοῦ following life, where the Byzantine Majority Text had εαυτου preceding it.

⁴⁰ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουτος (KJV: the same) preceding save. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁴¹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὠφελεῖ (NET: benefit is it) here, a form of ὠφελέω in the present tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ωφελησει (KJV: shall it profit) in the future tense.

⁴² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had κερδῆσαι here, an infinitive form of κερδαίνω, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εαν κερδηση (KJV: if he shall gain) in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood.

⁴³ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ζημιωθῆναι here, an infinitive form of ζημιόω, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ζημιωθη (KJV: lose) in the subjunctive mood.

⁴⁴ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had η (KJV: Or) here, where the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had γὰρ.

⁴⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had δοῖ here, a form of δίδωμι in the 2^nd aorist tense and subjunctive mood, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δωσει (KJV: shall…give) in the future tense and indicative mood.

⁴⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐὰν (NET: if) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αν.

⁴⁷ “The Origin of ‘Hypocrite’: This common word has a dramatic origin story,” from Merriam-Webster Dictionary online.

⁴⁸ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτων (KJV: their) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁴⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had αὐτῷ (NET: of him) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had επ αυτον (KJV: on him).

⁵⁰ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὠτάριον here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ωτιον.

⁵¹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐξήλθατε here, a form of ἐξέρχομαι in the aorist tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εξηλθετε (KJV: Are ye come out) in the 2^nd aorist tense.

⁵² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εἶπαν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειπον αυτω (KJV: said unto him).

⁵³ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had μαχαίρῃ here, a form of μάχαιρα in the dative case, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μαχαιρα.

⁵⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐξήλθατε here, a form of ἐξέρχομαι in the aorist tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εξεληλυθατε (KJV: Be ye come out) in the perfect tense.

⁵⁵ John 8:31a (ESV)

⁵⁶ John 8:47a (ESV)

⁵⁷ Romans 9:32b (ESV) Table

Exploration, Part 9

Posted on March 11, 2025 by admin

For our freedom Christ has us set free.¹ Jesus promised this freedom from slavery to sin: I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth²…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.³ I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you.⁴ If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.⁵ [T]herefore you stand firm and cannot entangle yourselves in a yoke of slavery again.⁶

Why? The fruit (ὁ καρπὸς) or “result” of this freedom—which is God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit taking up residence within us—is (Galatians 5:22b, 23 ESV):

…love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law [Table].

One who experiences his love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control like a spring of water welling up to eternal life,⁷ recognizes the source of this fruit (result). The Spirit’s result is mine only in that sense that he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.⁸ This is why Jesus could promise (Matthew 5:48 EXP8):

You will be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect [Table].

I quoted the EXP1 translation of Galatians 5:1 above because I choose to understand the verb στήκετε, a form of στήκω, in the indicative mood (EXP1: you stand firm) rather than as an imperative (ESV: stand firm).⁹ Either is permissible according to the Koine Greek Lexicon online, but the indicative mood jibes better with the freedom for which Christ has us set free. And I am working out [my] own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in [me], both to will and to work for his good pleasure [Table].¹⁰ But why was it even necessary to quote the EXP8 translation of Matthew 5:48?

According to the Koine Greek Lexicon online the verb ἔσεσθε, a form of εἰμί, is in the future tense and indicative mood (EXP8: will be) rather than the imperative mood (ESV: must be). But the ESV translation is (Matthew 5:48 ESV):

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

According to Arthur Carr in Volume 1 of the Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary online, there is still a choice to make here:

ἔσεσθε τέλειοι. Lit. ‘ye shall be perfect.’ Either (1) in reference to a future state, ‘if ye have this true love or charity ye shall be perfect hereafter’; or (2) the future has an imperative force, and τέλειοι is limited by the preceding words = perfect in respect of love, i.e. ‘love your enemies as well as your neighbours,’ because your Father being perfect in respect of love does this. This use of the future is in accordance with the Hebrew idiom.¹¹

With a bit of decoding I favor option (1): “if ye have this true love or charity ye shall be perfect hereafter.” You have this love or charity—But the fruit of the Spirit is love¹²—supplied by God through his indwelling Holy Spirit to all who believe Jesus. This love—his own love (as opposed to some emotion I try to conjure out of gratitude)—is the fulfilling of the law.¹³ You (ὑμεῖς) will be (ἔσεσθε) perfect (τέλειοι, a form of the adjective τέλειος): “mature, complete, perfect, full-grown; morally perfect; impeccable, faultless in beliefs and practice; maximum, utter” (Ephesians 1-3; cf. 3:19).

When? when the Lord brings you to the place of recognizing who you are in Christ: the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.¹⁴ I have been crucified with Christ, Paul described God’s salvation, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. (But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.¹⁵) So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me,¹⁶ on the cross, yes, but beyond the cross and forever (εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα).

As Jesus prayed to his Father (John 17:20-23 ESV):

I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe¹⁷ in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me [Table]. The glory that you have given me I¹⁸ have given to them, that they may be one even as we are¹⁹ one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so²⁰ that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.

The Greek word translated perfectly above was τετελειωμένοι, a middle/passive participle of the verb τελειόω: “to die; to be perfect; to be consecrated to; to be initiated into.”

In the past a statement like—“This use of the future is in accordance with the Hebrew idiom”²¹—might have hypnotized me into compliance with option (2).

[T]he future has an imperative force, and τέλειοι is limited by the preceding words = perfect in respect of love, i.e. ‘love your enemies as well as your neighbours,’ because your Father being perfect in respect of love does this.²²

But Jesus continues to draw me to Himself. Since I began to understand that He (as a human child) learned what He taught (as an adult) from the Holy Spirit’s instruction in the Old Testament Scriptures, and that He expected the teacher of Israel to understand the Scriptures as He did, I’ve become much more critical of this kind of nonspecific assertion. And so I ask: Is the “Hebrew idiom” that seeks to transform a Greek verb in the indicative mood (e.g., a statement of fact) into an imperative (e.g., “a command or instruction given to the hearer, charging the hearer to carry out or perform a certain action”²³) simply because it is in the future tense, a “Hebrew idiom” as God the Father and Holy Spirit intended and as Jesus understood it? Or is that “Hebrew idiom” the understanding of those in Israel who pursued a law that would lead to righteousness [but] did not succeed in reaching that law? [Table]. Why? [Why did they not succeed in reaching that law?] Paul asked rhetorically, and then answered: Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works [Table].²⁴

A few words about the Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary seem to be in order. In the introduction to Matthew’s Gospel the Preface by the General Editor states: “THE General Editor of The Cambridge Bible for Schools thinks it right to say that he does not hold himself responsible either for the interpretation of particular passages which the Editors of the several Books have adopted, or for any opinion on points of doctrine that they may have expressed.” In the Editor’s Preface which follows that of the General Editor—dated December 21, 1880—Arthur Carr listed the lexicons, grammars and various “works principally consulted,” and he acknowledged “several friends who have helped me with suggestions.” The Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary appears to be a collection of the works of individual authors who were described, and described themselves, as editors.

Since the translators of the ESV seem to have gone with option (2), and in lieu of an answer to my question about that “Hebrew idiom” from the late Mr. Carr, I’ll consider the ESV translations of the other occurrences of ἔσεσθε in the New Testament.

And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.²⁵

The phrase you must not be was οὐκ ἔσεσθε in the critical text (NET parallel Greek and NA²⁸) or ουκ εση in the received text (Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text). Both ἔσεσθε and εση are forms of the verb εἰμί in the future tense and indicative mood: “you will not be.” The former is a 2^nd person plural verb; the latter is a 2^nd person singular verb. Mr. Carr explained:

προσεύχησθε οὐκ ἔσεσθε, instead of the singular προσεύχῃ οὐκ ἔσῃ, the singular introduced to harmonise with context ὅταν ποίῃς Matthew 6:2, ὅταν προσεύχῃ Matthew 6:6.

Mr. Carr revealed his preference²⁶ for the originality of the critical text by stating that “the singular [was] introduced [later] to harmonise with context.” (The factual content of this assertion is based presumably on the dating of extant manuscripts.) Likewise, the translators of the ESV reveal at least an affinity for the idea that “the future [tense] has an imperative force”²⁷ by rendering “you will not be” (οὐκ ἔσεσθε or οὐκ ἔσῃ) you must not be.

Mr. Carr did not reiterate the two options he presented for understanding ἔσεσθε in Matthew 5:48. He did, however, present further evidence of his preference for the critical text as he hinted that ἔσεσθε created a rule:

5. προσεύχησθε [e.g., προσεύχησθε in Matthew 6:5 rather than the singular προσευχή]. Plural, because here the reference is to public worship. It is a rule for the Church.

So Mr. Carr’s claim, that Καὶ ὅταν προσεύχησθε οὐκ ἔσεσθε ὡς οἱ ὑποκριταί “is a rule for the Church,” seems supported by the ESV translators: And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites.²⁸ The Greek words translated the hypocrites were οἱ ὑποκριταί, a form of ὑποκριτής: “hypocrite, pretender, impious person.” According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary online, however, these are all relatively late meanings of the Greek word:

A number of different things might pop to mind when we hear the word hypocrite. Maybe it’s a politician caught in a scandal; maybe it’s a religious leader doing something counter to their creed; maybe it’s a scheming and conniving character featured in soap operas. But it’s likely that the one thing that doesn’t come to mind is the theater.

The word hypocrite ultimately came into English from the Greek word hypokrites, which means “an actor” or “a stage player.” The Greek word itself is a compound noun: it’s made up of two Greek words that literally translate as “an interpreter from underneath.” That bizarre compound makes more sense when you know that the actors in ancient Greek theater wore large masks to mark which character they were playing, and so they interpreted the story from underneath their masks.

The Greek word took on an extended meaning to refer to any person who was wearing a figurative mask and pretending to be someone or something they were not. This sense was taken into medieval French and then into English, where it showed up with its earlier spelling, ypocrite, in 13th-century religious texts to refer to someone who pretends to be morally good or pious in order to deceive others. (Hypocrite gained its initial h- by the 16th century.)

It took a surprisingly long time for hypocrite to gain its more general meaning that we use today: “a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings.” Our first citations for this use are from the early 1700s, nearly 500 years after hypocrite first stepped onto English’s stage.

Strong’s Concordance still referenced the original meaning: “lit: a stage-player.” But even Strong’s offered meanings for this word that probably didn’t exist for a thousand or more years from the time Jesus spoke, or Matthew recorded, it. Be that as it may, translating an indicative verb ἔσεσθε as if it were an imperative has a dulling effect on Jesus’ commands (Matthew 6:6 ESV):

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you [Table].

Here, the Greek word translated go into actually is a verb in the imperative mood: εἴσελθε, a form of εἰσέρχομαι. It is completely acceptable to translate εἴσελθε go into; it still means you must go into: “a command or instruction given to the hearer, charging the hearer to carry out or perform a certain action”²⁹ Contrasted to you must not be like the hypocrites, however, go into may not quite convey how dramatic a gesture Jesus commanded. “When you pray, you must go into” (not the synagogue of actors nor street corners where actors pray, but into) your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret.

The Greek word translated will reward in the next clause was ἀποδώσει, a form of ἀποδίδωμι in the future tense and indicative mood, another word like ἔσεσθε, though not translated, “And your Father who sees in secret must reward you.” Neither did Mr. Carr offer “must reward” as another option to will reward. He was more preoccupied with other matters:

ταμεῖον has high authority (אBDE) for ταμιεῖον; cp. the late form ὑγεία for ὑγίεια.

6. ταμιεῖον. A private oratory or place of prayer. These were usually in the upper part of the house; in classical Greek ‘storehouse’ or ‘treasury’, the meaning of the word Luke 12:24. See Matthew 24:26.

Πρόσευξαι τῷ πατρί σου τῷ ἐν τῷ κρυπτῷ. Christ was the first to enjoin clearly secret and silent prayer. Certainly to pray aloud and in public appears to have been the Jewish practice (see however 1 Samuel 1:13); it is still the practice with the heathen and Mahommedans. The Roman looked with suspicion on private prayer: ‘quod scire hominem nolunt deo narrant’³⁰ (Seneca). Cp. Hor. Ep. I. 16. 59–62, where see Macleane’s note. Cp. also Soph. Electra 638, where Clytemnestra apologises for offering up a secret prayer.³¹

Here, again, I favor option (1), to treat the indicative mood like the indicative mood, a statement of fact, a promise to Jesus’ hearers/followers. It is true in their near future that Jesus’ hearers/followers will not be like the actors who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others,³² because Jesus’ hearers/followers will be actors who obey his commands instead: [you must] go into your room and shut the door and [you must] pray to your Father who is in secret.³³ And Jesus’ promise will be true in their not too distant future because his hearers/followers will cease to be actors, portraying a certain character by obeying rules, to actually be those who are joined to the Lord [and become] one spirit with him.³⁴

They will be crucified with Christ. It [will] no longer [be they] who live, but Christ who lives in [them]. And the life [they will then] live in the flesh [they will] live by faith in the Son of God, who loved [them] and gave himself for [them]. [They will] not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose.³⁵ They will be those who do what is true [who come] to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that [their] works have been carried out in God.³⁶ They will be those who are released from the law, having died to that which held [them] captive, so that [they] serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.³⁷

(This prompts me to wonder how a “Church” governed by “a rule”—you must not be like the hypocrites—relates to the ἐκκλησία of God in Jesus Christ. It sounds as if this “Church,” rather than being free to serve in the new way of the Spirit, is consigned instead to serve in the old way of [a new] written code.)

I’ve lumped the next four occurrences of ἔσεσθε together because of their similarities, but none was translated as an imperative in the ESV (Matthew 10:21, 22; 24:9; Mark 13:13; Luke 21:17).

Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be (ἔσεσθε) hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be (ἔσεσθε) hated by all nations for my name’s sake.

And you will be (ἔσεσθε) hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.

You will be (ἔσεσθε) hated by all for my name’s sake.

The only author of the Cambridge Commentary to mention ἔσεσθε specifically in his notes on these verses was Alfred Plummer, Volume 3, in his comments to Mark 13:13.

καὶ ἔσεσθε μισούμενοι. Verbatim the same in all three. The analytical fut. marks the hatred as a process continually going on…

I might ask whether the continuity of this hatred owes more to the present participle μισούμενοι, a form of μισέω in the middle/passive voice: “to hate, despise, detest (esp. to persecute); to strongly dislike; to refuse to have any further interest in.” Surely, the breadth of meaning of μισούμενοι lends credence to the factual content of Jesus’ statement (ἔσεσθε) in the indicative mood well into any humanly foreseeable future. At any rate, Mr. Plummer asserted no “imperative force” for the future tense here: “you must be hated.”

Jesus’ promise that his hearers/followers will be sons of God follows (Luke 6:35 ESV):

But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be (ἔσεσθε) sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil [Table].

Though I may be tempted in isolation like this to think that Jesus held up my works—loving my enemies, doing good, lending, expecting nothing in return—as the cause which effected my becoming a son of the Most High, the rest of Scripture and my own life assure me that I am one of the ungrateful and evil people who has benefited from his kindness.

Here, again, I understand the truth of ἔσεσθε in Jesus’ hearers’/followers’ near future as a demonstration of faith. As they put on the character of God like actors obeying Jesus’ commands, He receives their act as faith in his word. And in their not too distant future—after Jesus’ death, resurrection, ascension and the giving of his Holy Spirit—their reward will be (ἔσται, a singular form of εἰμί in the future tense and indicative mood) great: They will be born from above, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.³⁸ And they will love with his love, do good by his goodness, be kind through his kindness, for the fruit [result] of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law [Table].³⁹

F. W. Farrar, the author of Volume 4 of the Cambridge Commentary didn’t mention an imperative option for ἔσεσθε (or any other verb in the future tense and indicative mood) here (e.g., “you must be sons of the most high,” or “your reward must be great”). He simply reiterated the phrase in Greek with an instruction to compare it to Sirach.

Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary	Sirach 4:10 (Elpenor Septuagint)
ἔσεσθε υἱοὶ ὑψίστου. Comp. Sir 4:10.	ἔσῃ ὡς υἱὸς ῾Υψίστου
Luke 6:35 (ESV)	Sirach 4:10 (English Elpenor)
you will be sons of the Most High	shalt thou be as the son of the most High

Aside from the differences of number, the most notable difference is the word ὡς in Sirach: “Deliver him that suffereth wrong from the hand of the oppressor; and be not fainthearted when thou sittest in judgment. Be as a father unto the fatherless, and instead of an husband unto their mother: so shalt thou be as [ὡς] the son of the most High, and he shall love thee more than thy mother doth.”⁴⁰ This is the work of an actor. By doing xyz the actor becomes as or like the character he or she portrays.

But the Son of the Most High said: love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil.⁴¹ Here, again, the works are those of an actor until the promise is fulfilled, but the promise—you will be (ἔσεσθε) sons of the Most High—is not something an actor’s works can achieve. The actor’s works are received by the Most High as a demonstration of the actor’s faith in the Son of the Most High. The fulfillment of the promise—you will be (ἔσεσθε) sons of the Most High—is the work of God. As Jesus prayed: that they may be one even as we are one, I in them and you in me, that they may become perfectly one, so that the world may know that you sent me and loved them even as you loved me.⁴²

The next occurrence is a direct reference to the freedom in Christ which is the overarching theme of these essays (John 8:36 ESV):

So if the Son sets you free, you will be (ἔσεσθε) free indeed.

Alfred Plummer, the author of Volume 5 of the Cambridge Commentary asserted no “imperative force” to the future tense in John 8:36: “you must be free indeed.” He made no direct reference to ἔσεσθε at all here:

ἐὰν οὖν ὁ υἱός. As before, any son is meant. ‘If the son emancipates you, your freedom is secured; for he is always on the spot to see that the emancipation is carried out.’ The statement is general, but with special reference to the Son of God, who frees men by granting them a share in His Sonship. If they will abide in His word (John 8:31), He will abide in them (John 6:56), and will take care that the bondage from which He has freed them is not thrust upon them again.

This insight seems particularly interesting in the light of For our freedom Christ has us set free; therefore you stand firm and cannot entangle yourselves in a yoke of slavery again.⁴³ Mr. Plummer continued by highlighting the adverb ὄντως (ESV: indeed):

ὄντως. Here only in S. John: comp. Luke 23:47; Luke 24:34; 1 Timothy 5:3; 1 Timothy 5:5; 1 Timothy 5:16. It expresses reality as opposed to appearance; ἀληθῶς (John 8:31; John 4:42; John 6:14; John 7:40) implies that this reality is known.⁴⁴

The next occurrence of ἔσεσθε is found in Jesus’ promise of the Holy Spirit’s power to perform the works of God through those who are one spirit with Him (Acts 1:8 ESV).

But you will receive⁴⁵ power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be (ἔσεσθε) my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth [Table].

The Greek word translated you will receive was λήμψεσθε, a form of the verb λαμβάνω in the future tense and indicative mood, but J. R. Lumby, the author of Volume 6 of the Cambridge Commentary, didn’t offer an option (2) for interpreting either λήμψεσθε or ἔσεσθε in the imperative mood (e.g., “you must receive,” or “you must be”) because “the future has an imperative force.”⁴⁶

The next occurrence of ἔσεσθε is found in Paul’s instruction about speech (1 Corinthians 14:9 ESV):

So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be (ἔσεσθε) speaking into the air.

The note addressing ἔσεσθε by J. J. Lias in Volume 8 of the Cambridge Commentary reads:

ἔσεσθε … λαλοῦντες. Not precisely equivalent to λαλήσετε. The condition of the persons rather than the nature of the action is indicated, ‘Ye shall be as men who are speaking into (or unto) the air.’

Frankly, the “condition of the persons” is a more interesting insight to consider in Matthew 5:48 and 6:5 than transforming “a statement of fact” into “a command or instruction given to the hearer, charging the hearer to carry out or perform a certain action”⁴⁷ For our freedom Christ has us set free; therefore you stand firm and cannot entangle yourselves in a yoke of slavery again.⁴⁸

The next occurrence of ἔσεσθε is in Paul’s paraphrase of some Old Testament promises (2 Corinthians 6:18 ESV).

and I will be a father to you, and you shall be (ἔσεσθε) sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.

Some tables comparing the Greek of Paul’s paraphrase to that of the Septuagint can be found in Christianity, Part 2. The Greek word translated I will be was ἔσομαι, a 1^st person singular form of the verb εἰμί. Like ἔσεσθε, ἔσομαι is in the future tense and indicative mood. Here again, Alfred Plummer, the author of Volume 9 of the Cambridge Commentary, didn’t offer an option (2) for interpreting either ἔσομαι or ἔσεσθε in the imperative mood (e.g., “I must be,” or “you must be”). Mr. Plummer did offer a plausible explanation for Paul’s addition to the Old Testament text: καὶ θυγατέρας, and daughters (ESV).

The recognition of daughters of God as well as sons of God is found in Isaiah 43:6 : but it was the Gospel which first raised woman to her true position in God’s family. At Corinth, where the degradation of women in the name of religion was so conspicuous, it might be specially necessary to point out that women are God’s daughters. Comp. Acts 2:17-18 from Joel 2:28.

The final occurrence of ἔσεσθε is found in Peter’s quotation from Leviticus (1 Peter 1:16 ESV):

since it is written, “You shall be⁴⁹ (ἔσεσθε) holy, for I am holy.”

The received text (Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text) had γενεσθε (KJV: Be ye) here (rather than ἔσεσθε), a form of the verb γίνομαι in the 2nd aorist tense and imperative mood: “a command or instruction given to the hearer, charging the hearer to carry out or perform a certain action.” G. W. Blenkin, the author of Volume 18 of the Cambridge Commentary, favoring apparently the critical text even as he retained the flavor of the received text, wrote:

Generally in the N.T. the title ἅγιος describes the Christian’s privilege, as one whom God has “set apart” for Himself, rather than the Christian’s character. But such consecration to God demands a corresponding character, and here St Peter emphasizes that demand by quoting the standard laid down in the “Law of Holiness,” “Ye shall be holy, for I am holy,” Leviticus 11:44-45; Leviticus 19:2. In the former passage the words are connected with things which were to be regarded as clean or unclean, but in the latter they are connected with various moral laws.

I’ve quoted some English translations of these verses from Leviticus from both the Hebrew of the Masoretic text and the Greek of the Septuagint in three tables below.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 11:44 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 11:44 (NET)	Leviticus 11:44 (NETS)	Leviticus 11:44 (English Elpenor)
For I am HaShem your G-d; sanctify yourselves therefore (וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם֙), and be ye (וִֽהְיִיתֶ֣ם) holy (קְדשִׁ֔ים); for I am holy; neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of swarming thing that moveth upon the earth.	for I am the Lord your God, and you are to sanctify yourselves (qāḏaš, והתקדשתם) and be (hāyâ, והייתם) holy (qāḏôš, קדשים) because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any of the swarming things that creep on the ground,	For it is I who am the Lord your God, and you shall be sanctified (καὶ ἁγιασθήσεσθε), and you shall be holy (καὶ ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε), for I am holy, I the Lord your God. And you shall not defile your souls with any of the creeping things that stir on the earth.	For I am the Lord your God; and ye shall be sanctified (καὶ ἁγιασθήσεσθε), and ye shall be holy (καὶ ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε), because I the Lord your God am holy; and ye shall not defile your souls with any of the reptiles creeping upon the earth.

The Hebrew word וְהִתְקַדִּשְׁתֶּם֙ (qāḏaš) was translated sanctify yourselves therefore (Tanakh), and you are to sanctify yourselves (NET) and, Consecrate yourselves therefore (ESV) from the Masoretic text. The Tanakh on chabad.org rendered it and you shall sanctify yourselves, which is interesting since it captures some sense of promise. The rabbis who translated the Septuagint chose καὶ ἁγιασθήσεσθε, a passive form of ἁγιάζω in the future tense and indicative mood, a promise to you from the Lord your God: and you shall be sanctified (NETS), and ye shall be sanctified (English Elpenor).

The Hebrew וִֽהְיִיתֶ֣ם (hāyâ) followed by קְדשִׁ֔ים (qāḏôš) was translated and be ye holy (Tanakh), and be holy (NET, ESV) from the Masoretic text, the result apparently of sanctifying oneself. In the Septuagint, however, this was clearly another promise to you from the Lord your God: καὶ ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε, and you shall be holy (NETS), and ye shall be holy (English Elpenor).

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 11:45 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 11:45 (NET)	Leviticus 11:45 (NETS)	Leviticus 11:45 (English Elpenor)
For I am HaShem that brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your G-d; ye shall therefore be (וִֽהְיִיתֶ֣ם) holy (קְדשִׁ֔ים), for I am holy.	for I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God, and you are to be (hāyâ, והייתם) holy (qāḏôš, קדשים) because I am holy.	For it is I who am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; you shall be holy (καὶ ἔσεσθε ἅγιοι), for I am holy, I, the Lord.	For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God; and ye shall be holy (καὶ ἔσεσθε ἅγιοι), for I the Lord am holy.

This time, the Hebrew, וִֽהְיִיתֶ֣ם (hāyâ) followed by קְדשִׁ֔ים (qāḏôš), was translated ye shall therefore be holy (Tanakh), You shall therefore be holy (ESV) from the Masoretic text, wafting a scent of promise, rather than the more consistently imperative and you are to be holy (NET). But again, in the Septuagint καὶ ἔσεσθε ἅγιοι, you shall be holy (NETS) and ye shall be holy (English Elpenor), is unequivocally a promise to you from the Lord your God, the result of his own holiness.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Leviticus 19:2 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 19:2 (NET)	Leviticus 19:2 (NETS)	Leviticus 19:2 (English Elpenor)
Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them: Ye shall be (תִּֽהְי֑וּ) holy (קְדשִׁ֣ים); for I HaShem your G-d am holy.	“Speak to the whole congregation of the Israelites and tell them, ‘You must be (hāyâ, תהיו) holy (qāḏôš, קדשים) because I, the Lord your God, am holy.	Speak to the congregation of the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them; You shall be holy (ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε), for I am holy, the Lord your God.	Speak to the congregation of the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Ye shall be holy (ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε); for I the Lord your God [am] holy.

Here the Hebrew of the Masoretic text, קְדשִׁ֣ים (qāḏôš) followed by תִּֽהְי֑וּ (hāyâ), was translated as a promise, Ye shall be holy (Tanakh), You shall be holy (ESV), except for You must be holy (NET). And again, the Greek translation of the Septuagint was ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε, You shall be holy (NETS), Ye shall be holy (English Elpenor), a promise to you from the Lord your God.

A note (60) in the NET on Matthew 5:48—So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect—reads:

This remark echoes OT statements in Lev 11:44-45 and Lev 19:2: “you must be holy as I am holy.”

I’ll continue to quote the EXP8 translation of Matthew 5:48—You will be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect [Table]—Arthur Carr’s contention that “the future has an imperative force”⁵⁰ notwithstanding. The mere possibility that περιπατεῖτε in the phrase πνεύματι περιπατεῖτε was intended to be understood as a statement of fact (“by the spirit you walk”) rather than as “a command or instruction…charging the hearer to carry out or perform a certain action”⁵¹ (“by the spirit you must walk”) has revolutionized my walk these past two months. Everyday since, that little faith has made it so much easier to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.⁵²

What marvelous wonders will faith in Jesus’ promise of perfection bring?

A table of the occurrences of ἔσεσθε in the ESV and the corresponding entries from the Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary follows.

Examples of ἔσεσθε in the New Testament
Reference	ESV	Cambridge Greek Testament Commentary
Matthew 5:48, Arthur Carr	You therefore must be (ἔσεσθε) perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect [Table].	ἔσεσθε τέλειοι. Lit. ‘ye shall be perfect.’ Either (1) in reference to a future state, ‘if ye have this true love or charity ye shall be perfect hereafter’; or (2) the future has an imperative force, and τέλειοι is limited by the preceding words = perfect in respect of love, i.e. ‘love your enemies as well as your neighbours,’ because your Father being perfect in respect of love does this. This use of the future is in accordance with the Hebrew idiom.
Matthew 6:5, Arthur Carr	And when you pray, you must not be (οὐκ ἔσεσθε or ουκ εση) like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward [Table].	προσεύχησθε οὐκ ἔσεσθε, instead of the singular προσεύχῃ οὐκ ἔσῃ, the singular introduced to harmonise with context ὅταν ποίῃς Matthew 6:2, ὅταν προσεύχῃ Matthew 6:6. 5. προσεύχησθε. Plural, because here the reference is to public worship. It is a rule for the Church.
Matthew 10:21, 22, Arthur Carr	Brother will deliver brother over to death, and the father his child, and children will rise against parents and have them put to death, and you will be (ἔσεσθε) hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.	ὁ δὲ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος κ.τ.λ. The parallel expression Luke 21:19 is made clear by this verse, ἐν τῇ ὑπομονῇ ὑμῶν κτήσεσθε τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν, ‘by your patience ye shall win for yourselves your souls,’ i.e. win your true life by enduring to the end. Comp. Romans 5:3-5, καυχῶμεθα ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσιν εἰδότες ὅτι η θλίψις ὑπομονὴν κατεργάζεται ἡ δὲ ὑπομονὴ δοκιμὴν, ἡ δὲ δοκιμὴ ἐλπίδα ἡ δὲ ἐλπὶς οὐ καταισχύνει. σωθήσεται. ‘Shall be saved,’ shall win σωτηρία. In classical Greek σωτηρία means, ‘safety,’ ‘welfare,’ i.e. life secure from evil, cp. Luke 1:71; in the Christian sense it is a life of secured happiness, hence ‘salvation’ is the highest sense. So σώζεσθαι = ‘to live securely’ with an additional notion of rescue from surrounding danger, οἱ σωζόμενοι means those who are enjoying this life of blessed security.
Matthew 24:9, Arthur Carr	Then they will deliver you up to tribulation and put you to death, and you will be (ἔσεσθε) hated by all nations for my name’s sake.	θλίψιν. Rare in the classics, the figurative sense is late in the noun but appears in the verb, Aristoph. Vespæ 1289 and elsewhere. In Philippians 1:17 the literal ‘pressure’ of the chain is thought of: θλίψιν ἐγείρειν, ‘to make my chain gall me’ (Bp. Lightfoot). θλίψις is preferable to θλίψις, though the latter is the Attic accentuation. The tendency of later Greek was to shorten the penultimate. See Winer, pp. 56, 57 and Dr Moulton’s note.
Mark 13:13, Alfred Plummer	And you will be (ἔσεσθε) hated by all for my name’s sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved.	καὶ ἔσεσθε μισούμενοι. Verbatim the same in all three. The analytical fut. marks the hatred as a process continually going on; cf. Mark 13:25. It will have its compensations, τὸ γὰρ ἕνεκεν αὐτοῦ μισεῖσθαι, ἱκανόν ἐστι πάσας ἐπικουφίσαι τὰς συμφοράς (Theoph.). On the causes of this universal hatred of Christians see Plummer, Church of the Early Fathers, pp. 150 f. ὁ δὲ ὑπομείνας εἰς τέλος, οὗτος σωθήσεται. Mt. has the same, but Lk. interprets, “In your endurance ye shall win your souls.” Not εἰς τὸ τέλος, the end spoken of in Mark 13:7, but εἰς τέλος, “finally” or “to the uttermost,” which is better here, as in 1 Thessalonians 2:16. See on John 13:1 and Ryle and James on Ps. Song of Solomon 1:1. In the Epp. and in Rev. ὑπομονή is freq. as a special virtue of Christians, and it cannot be won without affliction (Romans 5:3). It means courageous endurance without despondency. See Lightfoot on Colossians 1:11; Trench, Syn. § 53. With this use of οὗτος comp. that in Mark 13:11; Mark 6:16; Mark 12:10; that of ἐκεῖνος in Mark 7:20 is similar. For σωθήσεται in the spiritual sense see Mark 8:35; Mark 10:36.
Luke 6:35, F. W. Farrar	But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be (ἔσεσθε) sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil [Table].	μηδὲν� ABD. μηδένα א. πολύς. A adds the explanatory gloss ἐν οὐρανῷ. 35. πλήν. ‘However.’ This conjunction is used by St Luke much more frequently than by the other N. T. writers. From this passage we see that ‘interest’ and ‘usury’ are not here contemplated at all. μηδὲν . Vulg[138] nihil inde sperantes. See Psalms 15:5, with the Rabbinic comment that God counts it as universal obedience if any one lends without interest. The words may also mean ‘despairing in nothing;’ or (if μηδέν’ be read) ‘driving no one to despair.’ The verb only occurs again as the varia lectio of D in Ephesians 4:19. It is a late Greek word and generally means ‘to despair.’ Hence our R. V[139] renders it “never despairing” with the marginal reading “despairing of no man” (μηδέν’). Comp. Romans 4:18, παρ’ ἐλπίδα ἐπ’ ἐλπίδι ἐπίστευσεν. [138] Vulg. Vulgate. [139] R. V. Revised Version. ἔσεσθε υἱοὶ ὑψίστου. Comp. Sir 4:10. χρηστός ἐστιν ἐπὶ τοὺς . See the exquisite addition in Matthew 5:45.
Luke 21:17, F. W. Farrar	You will be (ἔσεσθε) hated by all for my name’s sake.	ἐπηρώτησαν. The questioners were Peter and James and John and Andrew, Mark 13:3. πότε … καὶ τί τὸ σημεῖον; Our Lord leaves the former question unanswered (see on Luke 17:20) and only deals with the latter. This was His gentle method of discouraging irrelevant or inadmissible questions (comp. Luke 13:23-24).
John 8:36, Alfred Plummer	So if the Son sets you free, you will be (ἔσεσθε) free indeed.	ἐὰν οὖν ὁ υἱός. As before, any son is meant. ‘If the son emancipates you, your freedom is secured; for he is always on the spot to see that the emancipation is carried out.’ The statement is general, but with special reference to the Son of God, who frees men by granting them a share in His Sonship. If they will abide in His word (John 8:31), He will abide in them (John 6:56), and will take care that the bondage from which He has freed them is not thrust upon them again. ὄντως. Here only in S. John: comp. Luke 23:47; Luke 24:34; 1 Timothy 5:3; 1 Timothy 5:5; 1 Timothy 5:16. It expresses reality as opposed to appearance; ἀληθῶς (John 8:31; John 4:42; John 6:14; John 7:40) implies that this reality is known.
Acts 1:8, J. R. Lumby	But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be (ἔσεσθε) my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth [Table].	μου. The Text. recept. is the result of a conformity to the more common construction. 8. δύναμιν. The Vulgate renders ‘virtutem,’ and makes it govern the words in the genitive which immediately follow, ‘Ye shall receive the influence of the Holy Spirit which shall come upon you.’ It is better, with A.V., to render the genitive as genitive absolute, because of the participle included in the expression. The phrases δύναμις τοῦ πνεύματος and δ. πνεύματος ἁγίου do occur (Luke 4:14; Romans 15:13; Romans 15:19), but not constructed as in this verse. The effect of this gift was to be something different from the profitless speculations to which they had just desired an answer, even ‘a mouth and wisdom which their adversaries could neither gainsay nor resist’ (Luke 21:15). Ἱερουσαλὴμ κ.τ.λ. The order here appointed for the preaching of the Gospel was exactly observed. At Jerusalem (Acts 2-7), Judæa and Samaria (Acts 8:1), and after the conversion of Saul, in all parts of Asia, Greece, and last of all at Rome. ἕως ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς. The precise expression occurs several times in the LXX. of Isaiah (Isaiah 48:20; Isaiah 49:6; Isaiah 62:11). See also Acts 13:47.
1 Corinthians 14:9, J. J. Lias	So with yourselves, if with your tongue you utter speech that is not intelligible, how will anyone know what is said? For you will be (ἔσεσθε) speaking into the air.	εὔσημον. Related to σῆμα, σημεῖον. Literally, well marked, i.e. intelligible. ἔσεσθε … λαλοῦντες. Not precisely equivalent to λαλήσετε. The condition of the persons rather than the nature of the action is indicated, ‘Ye shall be as men who are speaking into (or unto) the air.’
2 Corinthians 6:18, Alfred Plummer	and I will be a father to you, and you shall be (ἔσεσθε) sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty.	18. This again seems to be a mosaic of several passages; 2 Samuel 7:14; Isaiah 43:6; 2 Samuel 7:8 : And I will be to you a Father, and ye shall be to Me sons and daughters. For ἔσομαι εἰς = γενήσομαι comp. Ephesians 5:31; Hebrews 8:10 : but the εἰς may = ‘to serve as, for.’ This is probably a Hebraism: comp. Acts 7:21; Acts 13:22; Acts 13:47. Simcox, Language of the N.T., pp. 80, 143. The recognition of daughters of God as well as sons of God is found in Isaiah 43:6 : but it was the Gospel which first raised woman to her true position in God’s family. At Corinth, where the degradation of women in the name of religion was so conspicuous, it might be specially necessary to point out that women are God’s daughters. Comp. Acts 2:17-18 from Joel 2:28. λέγει Κύριος Παντοκράτωρ. This represents the O.T. formula, ‘saith the Lord of Hosts’ (2 Samuel 7:8; 1 Chronicles 17:7; Haggai 1:2; Haggai 1:5-7; Haggai 1:9; Haggai 1:14, &c.). In the O.T. παντοκράτωρ is frequent; but in the N.T. it is found only here and in Revelation (2 Corinthians 1:8; 2 Corinthians 4:8; 2 Corinthians 11:17, &c.). Westcott (The Historic Faith, pp. 36, 37) points out that παντοκράτωρ is ‘All-sovereign’ rather than ‘Almighty’; the title is descriptive of exercised dominion rather than of abstract power. Scripture speaks of powers of evil as ‘world-sovereign’ (Ephesians 6:12), but it proclaims God as ‘All-sovereign.’ The All-sovereign One can, the Lord will, fulfil his promises, whatever men may do. Si vos ejecerint, si vos parentes abdicaverint infideles, Me patrem habebitis sempiternum (Primasius). See Charles on the Book of Jubilees i. 24.
1 Peter 1:16, G. W. Blenkin	since it is written, “You shall be (ἔσεσθε) holy, for I am holy.”	ατὰ τὸν καλέσαντα ὑμᾶς ἅγιον (cf. Ephesians 1:4; Ephesians 4:1; Ephesians 5:1, etc.). After the model of Him that called you, Who is holy. Here we have the true model (εἰκών) to which men’s lives are to be conformed (σύμμορφοι, cf. Romans 8:29; Colossians 3:10). The original purpose of God in creation was that man made in His image should grow into His likeness. “By divers portions and in divers manners” culminating in the Incarnation the divine likeness has been gradually revealed, and those who are “called” into covenanted relationship with God are bidden to be “imitators of God as beloved children,” Ephesians 5:1. ἅγιος, like the Hebrew קָדו̇שׁ, meant originally “set apart,” distinct from ordinary things. It was at first applied to persons (e.g. Exodus 22:31), places (Exodus 3:5, etc.) or things (1 Kings 7:51) which were “set apart” for religious use, regarded as being connected with the presence or service of God. It is not easy to decide how the same word came also to be applied to God Himself. Some would suggest that it was because God was regarded as “set apart,” separated from what was common or unclean. Others think that as things set apart for God were required to be without stain or blemish, the word ἅγιος applied to them acquired the meaning of “pure,” “unblemished,” and, as applied to persons, moral purity as well as physical would gradually be understood as being necessary. In this sense (the idea of “set apart” being lost sight of) the word might be applied to God. And in proportion as the conception of God became elevated and purified so the idea of (God’s Holiness would acquire a more awful purity (e.g. Isaiah 6:3). But in either case, when once the word ἅγιος had come to be applied to God, the idea of what “holiness” must mean in God would react upon all the lower applications of the word to men. Those who claimed a special relationship to God would be understood as requiring to have a moral character conformable to that of God. Generally in the N.T. the title ἅγιος describes the Christian’s privilege, as one whom God has “set apart” for Himself, rather than the Christian’s character. But such consecration to God demands a corresponding character, and here St Peter emphasizes that demand by quoting the standard laid down in the “Law of Holiness,” “Ye shall be holy, for I am holy,” Leviticus 11:44-45; Leviticus 19:2. In the former passage the words are connected with things which were to be regarded as clean or unclean, but in the latter they are connected with various moral laws. γενήθητε. Shew yourselves to be, prove yourselves worthy of the title which you claim in every detail of your dealings with other men. ἀναστροφή = your converse or intercourse with those around you.

According to the note in the Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary Peter referenced Leviticus 11:44, 45 and Leviticus 19:2, and according to a note (34) in the NET, Peter quoted from Leviticus 19:2 in 1 Peter 1:16. Tables comparing the Greek of that quotation with that of the Septuagint follow.

1 Peter 1:16b (NET Parallel Greek)	Leviticus 11:44b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Leviticus 11:44b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιος [εἰμι]	ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε ὅτι ἅγιός εἰμι	ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε, ὅτι ἅγιός εἰμι
1 Peter 1:16b (NET)	Leviticus 11:44b (NETS)	Leviticus 11:44b (English Elpenor)
“You shall be holy, because I am holy.”	you shall be holy, for I am holy	ye shall be holy, because I…am holy

1 Peter 1:16b (NET Parallel Greek)	Leviticus 11:45b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Leviticus 11:45b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιος [εἰμι]	ἔσεσθε ἅγιοι ὅτι ἅγιός εἰμι	ἔσεσθε ἅγιοι, ὅτι ἅγιός εἰμι
1 Peter 1:16b (NET)	Leviticus 11:45b (NETS)	Leviticus 11:45b (English Elpenor)
“You shall be holy, because I am holy.”	you shall be holy, for I am holy	ye shall be holy, for I…am holy

1 Peter 1:16b (NET Parallel Greek)	Leviticus 19:2b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Leviticus 19:2b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιος [εἰμι]	ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιος	ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε, ὅτι ἅγιος ἐγὼ
1 Peter 1:16b (NET)	Leviticus 19:2b (NETS)	Leviticus 19:2b (English Elpenor)
“You shall be holy, because I am holy.”	You shall be holy, for I am holy	Ye shall be holy; for I…[am] holy

Tables comparing Leviticus 11:44; 11:45 and 19:2 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Leviticus 11:44; 11:45 and 19:2 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing 1 Peter 1:16; John 17:20 and 17:22, 23 in the KJV and NET follow.

Leviticus 11:44 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 11:44 (KJV)	Leviticus 11:44 (NET)
For I am HaShem your G-d; sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy; for I am holy; neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of swarming thing that moveth upon the earth.	For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.	for I am the Lord your God, and you are to sanctify yourselves and be holy because I am holy. You must not defile yourselves by any of the swarming things that creep on the ground,

Leviticus 11:44 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 11:44 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν καὶ ἁγιασθήσεσθε καὶ ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε ὅτι ἅγιός εἰμι ἐγὼ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν καὶ οὐ μιανεῖτε τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς ἑρπετοῖς τοῖς κινουμένοις ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς	ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν, καὶ ἁγιασθήσεσθε καὶ ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε, ὅτι ἅγιός εἰμι ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν, καὶ οὐ μιανεῖτε τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἑρπετοῖς τοῖς κινουμένοις ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς
Leviticus 11:44 (NETS)	Leviticus 11:44 (English Elpenor)
For it is I who am the Lord your God, and you shall be sanctified, and you shall be holy, for I am holy, I the Lord your God. And you shall not defile your souls with any of the creeping things that stir on the earth.	For I am the Lord your God; and ye shall be sanctified, and ye shall be holy, because I the Lord your God am holy; and ye shall not defile your souls with any of the reptiles creeping upon the earth.

Leviticus 11:45 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 11:45 (KJV)	Leviticus 11:45 (NET)
For I am HaShem that brought you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your G-d; ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.	For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy.	for I am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God, and you are to be holy because I am holy.

Leviticus 11:45 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 11:45 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος ὁ ἀναγαγὼν ὑμᾶς ἐκ γῆς Αἰγύπτου εἶναι ὑμῶν θεός καὶ ἔσεσθε ἅγιοι ὅτι ἅγιός εἰμι ἐγὼ κύριος	ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος ὁ ἀναγαγὼν ὑμᾶς ἐκ τῆς Αἰγύπτου εἶναι ὑμῶν Θεός, καὶ ἔσεσθε ἅγιοι, ὅτι ἅγιός εἰμι ἐγὼ Κύριος
Leviticus 11:45 (NETS)	Leviticus 11:45 (English Elpenor)
For it is I who am the Lord who brought you up from the land of Egypt to be your God; you shall be holy, for I am holy, I, the Lord.	For I am the Lord who brought you up out of the land of Egypt to be your God; and ye shall be holy, for I the Lord am holy.

Leviticus 19:2 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 19:2 (KJV)	Leviticus 19:2 (NET)
Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them: Ye shall be holy; for I HaShem your G-d am holy.	Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy: for I the LORD your God am holy.	“Speak to the whole congregation of the Israelites and tell them, ‘You must be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.

Leviticus 19:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 19:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
λάλησον τῇ συναγωγῇ τῶν υἱῶν Ισραηλ καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτούς ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιος κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὑμῶν	λάλησον τῇ συναγωγῇ τῶν υἱῶν ᾿Ισραὴλ καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτούς· ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε, ὅτι ἅγιος ἐγὼ Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς ὑμῶν
Leviticus 19:2 (NETS)	Leviticus 19:2 (English Elpenor)
Speak to the congregation of the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them; You shall be holy, for I am holy, the Lord your God.	Speak to the congregation of the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, Ye shall be holy; for I the Lord your God [am] holy.

1 Peter 1:16 (NET)	1 Peter 1:16 (KJV)
for it is written, “You shall be holy, because I am holy.”	Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy.

1 Peter 1:16 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 Peter 1:16 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 Peter 1:16 (Byzantine Majority Text)
διότι γέγραπται [ὅτι] ἅγιοι ἔσεσθε, ὅτι ἐγὼ ἅγιος [εἰμι]	διοτι γεγραπται αγιοι γενεσθε οτι εγω αγιος ειμι	διοτι γεγραπται αγιοι γινεσθε οτι εγω αγιος ειμι

John 17:20 (NET)	John 17:20 (KJV)
“I am not praying only on their behalf, but also on behalf of those who believe in me through their testimony,	Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;

John 17:20 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 17:20 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 17:20 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Οὐ περὶ τούτων δὲ ἐρωτῶ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ περὶ τῶν πιστευόντων διὰ τοῦ λόγου αὐτῶν εἰς ἐμέ	ου περι τουτων δε ερωτω μονον αλλα και περι των πιστευσοντων δια του λογου αυτων εις εμε	ου περι τουτων δε ερωτω μονον αλλα και περι των πιστευοντων δια του λογου αυτων εις εμε

John 17:22, 23 (NET)	John 17:22, 23 (KJV)
The glory you gave to me I have given to them, that they may be one just as we are one—	And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:

John 17:22 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 17:22 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 17:22 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καγὼ τὴν δόξαν ἣν δέδωκας μοι δέδωκα αὐτοῖς, ἵνα ὦσιν ἓν καθὼς ἡμεῖς ἕν	και εγω την δοξαν ην δεδωκας μοι δεδωκα αυτοις ινα ωσιν εν καθως ημεις εν εσμεν	και εγω την δοξαν ην δεδωκας μοι δεδωκα αυτοις ινα ωσιν εν καθως ημεις εν εσμεν

I in them and you in me—that they may be completely one, so that the world will know that you sent me, and you have loved them just as you have loved me.

I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me.

John 17:23 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 17:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 17:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐγὼ ἐν αὐτοῖς καὶ σὺ ἐν ἐμοί, ἵνα ὦσιν τετελειωμένοι εἰς ἕν, ἵνα γινώσκῃ ὁ κόσμος ὅτι σύ με ἀπέστειλας καὶ ἠγάπησας αὐτοὺς καθὼς ἐμὲ ἠγάπησας	εγω εν αυτοις και συ εν εμοι ινα ωσιν τετελειωμενοι εις εν και ινα γινωσκη ο κοσμος οτι συ με απεστειλας και ηγαπησας αυτους καθως εμε ηγαπησας	εγω εν αυτοις και συ εν εμοι ινα ωσιν τετελειωμενοι εις εν και ινα γινωσκη ο κοσμος οτι συ με απεστειλας και ηγαπησας αυτους καθως εμε ηγαπησας

Exploration, Part 10

¹ Galatians 5:1a (EXP1) Table

² John 14:16, 17a (ESV) Table

³ John 14:26 (ESV) Table

⁴ John 14:18 (ESV)

⁵ John 14:23b (ESV) Table

⁶ Galatians 5:1b (EXP1) Table

⁷ John 4:14b (ESV) Table

⁸ 1 Corinthians 6:17 (ESV)

⁹ Some of my reasons are found in Exploration, Part 1, with more explanation in Exploration, Part 2.

¹⁰ Philippians 2:12b, 13 (ESV)

¹¹ From the Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary, Matthew 5:48 on BibliaPlus online.

¹² Galatians 5:22a (ESV)

¹³ Romans 13:10b (ESV)

¹⁴ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

¹⁵ 1 Corinthians 6:17 (ESV)

¹⁶ Galatians 2:20 (NET)

¹⁷ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had πιστευόντων here, a participle of the verb πιστεύω in the present tense (NET: believe), where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had πιστευσοντων (KJV: shall believe) in the future tense.

¹⁸ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had καγὼ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και εγω.

¹⁹ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εσμεν, a 1^st person plural form of the verb εἰμί here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²⁰ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the conjunction και (KJV: and) joining these clauses. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²¹ From the Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary, Matthew 5:48 on BibliaPlus online.

²² Ibid.

²³ From Verbal Moods: Imperative Mood, Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) in Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

²⁴ Romans 9:31b, 32a (ESV)

²⁵ Matthew 6:5 (ESV) Table

²⁶ This preference for the critical text was stated explicitly in Matthew’s Introduction – On the Greek Text: “IN undertaking an edition of the Greek text of the New Testament with English notes for the use of Schools, the Syndics of the Cambridge University Press have not thought it desirable to reprint the text in common use*[1]. To have done this would have been to set aside all the materials that have since been accumulated towards the formation of a correct text, and to disregard the results of textual criticism in its application to MSS., Versions and Fathers.”

²⁷ From the Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary, Matthew 5:48 on BibliaPlus online.

²⁸ Matthew 6:5a (ESV) Table

²⁹ From Verbal Moods: Imperative Mood, Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) in Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

³⁰ From X. Seneca Says His Health to Lucilius [5], translated into English by Google: “But as I am wont to send a letter with some small gift, it is true what I found in Athenodorus: ‘Then know that you are free from all desires, when you have come to the point of asking nothing of the gods except what you can ask openly.’ For now, what madness is there in men! They whisper the most shameful vows to the gods; if anyone puts his ear to them, they will be silent, and what they do not wish a man to know they tell a god. See, therefore, that this cannot be prescribed healthily: live with men as if a god were to see, speak with a god as if men were to hear. Farewell.”

³¹ From the Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary, Matthew 6:6 on BibliaPlus online.

³² Matthew 6:5b (ESV) Table

³³ Matthew 6:6b (ESV) Table

³⁴ 1 Corinthians 6:17b (ESV)

³⁵ Galatians 2:20, 21 (ESV)

³⁶ John 3:21 (ESV)

³⁷ Romans 7:6 (ESV)

³⁸ John 1:13b (ESV)

³⁹ Galatians 5:22, 23 (ESV)

⁴⁰ Sirach 4:9, 10 (English Elpenor)

⁴¹ Luke 6:35 (ESV) Table

⁴² John 17:22b, 23 (ESV)

⁴³ Galatians 5:1 (EXP1) Table

⁴⁴ From the Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary, John 8:36 on BibliaPlus online.

⁴⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had λήμψεσθε here, a form of the verb λαμβάνω, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ληψεσθε. These appear to be alternate spellings for the same part of speech.

⁴⁶ From the Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary, Matthew 5:48 on BibliaPlus online.

⁴⁷ From Verbal Moods: Imperative Mood, Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) in Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

⁴⁸ Galatians 5:1 (EXP1) Table

⁴⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἔσεσθε here, a form of the verb εἰμί in the future tense and indicative mood, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had γενεσθε (KJV: Be ye), a form of the verb γίνομαι in the 2^nd aorist tense and imperative mood.

⁵⁰ From the Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges Commentary, Matthew 5:48 on BibliaPlus online.

⁵¹ From Verbal Moods: Imperative Mood, Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) in Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

⁵² Ephesians 4:24 (ESV)

Exploration, Part 7

Posted on February 8, 2025 by admin

Describing the freedom for which Christ has set us free¹ Paul highlighted: if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.² As he contrasted the curse (κατάραν, a form of κατάρα) on a life lived by works of the law (ἐξ ἔργων νόμου) to the miraculous life in the Spirit received by hearing with faith³ (ἐξ ἀκοῆς πίστεως) in Galatians 3, he asked rhetorically (Galatians 3:19a ESV):

Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made…

In an article “Five Things About Deterrence” on the National Institute of Justice website, “Daniel S. Nagin succinctly summarized the current state of theory and empirical knowledge about deterrence.”

Research shows clearly that the chance of being caught is a vastly more effective deterrent than even draconian punishment.

With the Lord the “chance of being caught” is 100% and eternal punishment in a lake of fire (Revelation 20:10-15) might have caused even Draco to blush. But without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.⁴ Yet even with faith Paul acknowledged (Romans 7:18b-24 ESV):

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. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me [Table].

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?

Paul answered his own rhetorical question—Why then the law?—with the words τῶν παραβάσεων χάριν προσετέθη (ESV: It was added because of transgressions). It is extremely unlikely that he intended the law to be understood as a deterrence to sin here. For the Greek word παραβάσεων, a plural form of παράβασις, was echoed in his explanation of the spread of sin in humanity (Romans 5:12-14 ESV).

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men (ἀνθρώπους, a plural form of ἄνθρωπος) because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law. Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression (παραβάσεως, a singular form of παράβασις) of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come [Table].

Now the law came in to increase the trespass (τὸ παράπτωμα),⁵ he concluded. It is no small task to persuade us that the old man (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον) is a yoke of slavery⁶ to the sin God condemned…in the flesh through Christ, by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh.⁷ We think of it—if we think of it at all—as our true self, our only lord and master. Mostly we obey its dictates unconsciously—“it’s just what I want to do”—until the Lord creates and begins to grow the new man (τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον) within us.

Only then do we begin to understand what Paul meant: Now if I do what I do not want (ὃ οὐ θέλω), it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.⁸ This confounding of desire (will) and action—For I do not understand my own actions…I do not do what I want (ὃ θέλω), but I do the very thing I hate⁹—might be one’s first indication that the new man has come into existence. And it may take one some time, experiencing the old man’s persistent sinfulness, to begin to appreciate Jesus’ words to Nicodemus: Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all (δεῖ ὑμᾶς) be born from above (ἄνωθεν).’¹⁰ Ironically, it’s only after you are not under the law (οὐκ ἐστὲ ὑπὸ νόμον) that you can look back and realize what it was like to be under the law: gaining the knowledge of sin through painful experience, learning how hopelessly sinful the old man (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον) actually is.

Paul contrasted the free gift (τὸ χάρισμα) of Christ to the trespass (τὸ παράπτωμα) of Adam, the original old man:

But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass (παραπτώματι, a form of παράπτωμα), much more have the grace of God and the free gift (ἡ δωρεὰ) by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. And the free gift (τὸ δώρημα) is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass (ἐξ ἑνὸς, a form of εἷς) brought condemnation, but the free gift (τὸ δὲ χάρισμα) following many trespasses (πολλῶν παραπτωμάτων, another form of παράπτωμα) brought justification (δικαίωμα). For if, because of one man’s trespass (παραπτώματι, a form of παράπτωμα), death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift (τῆς δωρεᾶς, another form of δωρεὰ) of righteousness (τῆς δικαιοσύνης, a form of δικαιοσύνη) reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.

Therefore, as one trespass (παραπτώματος, another form of παράπτωμα) led to condemnation for all men, so one act of righteousness (δικαιώματος, a form of δικαίωμα) leads to justification (δικαίωσιν, a form of δικαίωσις) and life for all men. For as by the one man’s disobedience (τῆς παρακοῆς, a form of παρακοή) the many were made sinners, so by the one man’s obedience (τῆς ὑπακοῆς, a form of ὑπακοή) the many will be made righteous (δίκαιοι, a form of δίκαιος). Now the law came in to increase the trespass (τὸ παράπτωμα), but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness (δικαιοσύνης, a form of δικαιοσύνη) leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.¹¹

Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made.¹² Is the law then contrary to the promises of God?¹³ Paul asked rhetorically (Galatians 3:21b-23 ESV):

Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life [e.g., create the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness (δικαιοσύνῃ) and holiness¹⁴], then righteousness (ἡ δικαιοσύνη) would indeed be by the law (ἐκ νόμου) [literally: “then the righteousness would indeed be by law”]. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned¹⁵ until the coming faith would be revealed.

So, we—walking according to the flesh, the old man which…is corrupt through deceitful desires¹⁶—were held captive (ἐφρουρούμεθα, a form of φρουρέω) under the law (ὑπὸ νόμον), imprisoned (συγκλειόμενοι, a present participle of συγκλείω) until the coming faith would be revealed. This is a fairly succinct description of the human condition vis-à-vis the law before Christ has set us free.¹⁷

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified (δικαιωθῶμεν, a passive form of δικαιόω) by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring,¹⁸ heirs according to promise.¹⁹

The Greek word translated guardian was παιδαγωγὸς: “instructor, teacher, schoolmaster; tutor, a boy-leader, i.e., a servant whose office it was to take the children to school; pedagogue.” In this context I favor the law was our “servant whose office it was to take” us “to school,” the school of hard knocks, until Christ came or we came to the knowledge of sin that, I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out,²⁰ whichever comes first. The one who acknowledges that tends to go to the Lord in faith, saying, “This law thing isn’t working out for me. You got anything else?”

Men like David came essentially to that point (Psalm 51:1-17 ESV).

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions [Table]. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! [Table]

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me [Table]. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment [Table]. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me (e.g., “the old man”) [Table]. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart (e.g., “the new man”) [Table].

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow [Table]. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice [Table]. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities [Table]. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me [Table]. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me [Table]. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit [Table].

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you [Table]. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness [Table]. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise [Table]. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering [Table]. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise [Table].

Men like David proved to be few and far between: For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, Jesus said prior to his crucifixion and the inauguration of the new covenant, before his resurrection, ascension and giving his Holy Spirit to all who believe Him, and those who find it are few.²¹ I was not one of the few. The Lord Jesus drew me to Himself first and brought me later to the faith that this “law thing isn’t working out for me.”

In another essay I wrote:

My wife came home late one night several weeks after she told me she wanted a divorce. I heard her getting ready for bed in the next bedroom. I got up and started to walk toward the door. Before I crossed the threshold of my bedroom door I heard that still small voice, “What are you doing, Dan?” I stopped in the doorway. I was calm, not angry, lucid, and I was going to kill my wife. I started to shake and sweat as I made my way back to my bed. I don’t recall how long I sat there. Finally I made my way to my wife’s bedroom and half-confessed, half-blamed her for bringing demons into our home. It had to be demons, surely I could never kill my wife. I loved her. I said I loved her.

Now, about forty-seven years later, I can begin to understand what happened that night: I knew the Voice was God. I realized that He knew what I intended to do before I had thought consciously about it myself. The Voice, though clearly audible, did not enter from my ears. The Voice originated within that space I recognized as myself, yet it was not my voice. The Voice did not accuse me, reprimand me, quote a law or any Scripture. He simply asked me the most pertinent question. And that alone was sufficient to stop me from continuing in a sinful course of action—cold-blooded murder. The whole event was amazing!

So, did [I] honor [The Voice] as God or give thanks to him?²² No, I was too self-centered for that. I was more concerned about the black mark against my name as I worked to have a righteousness of my own that comes from the law.²³ I all but missed the righteousness that [had come] by way of Christ’s faithfulness—a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness.²⁴ I couldn’t miss it entirely; it happened to me. But I thought it was a unique over-the-top experience due to the enormity of the circumstance rather than something normative. I was wrong—but perhaps not entirely wrong.

Though I believed none of it at the time, as I tried to be justified by the law I was severed from Christ, according to Paul, I had fallen away from grace.²⁵ Why did the Lord stop me from murdering my wife? At the time I thought it was for her benefit rather than mine (though I certainly enjoyed the benefit of not becoming a murderer). There was no condemnation in The Voice that questioned me—The Voice I obeyed without question apart from any command being uttered—but I was thoroughly chastened. I “knew” it was up to me to do better.

But where did that murderous intent come from in the first place? Even now it isn’t entirely clear to me.

Cold blooded murder isn’t mentioned in Paul’s list of the works of the flesh. I was many years then from understanding or receiving that Jesus said to the Jews who had believed (and continued to believe)²⁶ him:²⁷ You are of your father the devil, and your will (θέλετε, a 2^nd person plural form of the verb θέλω in the present tense and indicative mood) is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies [Table]. But because I tell the truth, you do not believe me.²⁸

Though I had begun to experience that strange schizophrenia of the conflict between the old and new self, I wasn’t yet ready to acknowledge them as anything more than Paul’s literary devices characterizing my behavior before I believed in Jesus and what I should be doing afterward (Ephesians 4:17-24 ESV).

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds [Table]. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart [Table]. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. But that is not the way you learned Christ!—assuming that²⁹ you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

The phrase [you] were taught in him (KJV: have been taught by him) was ἐν αὐτῷ ἐδιδάχθητε in Greek. The preposition ἐν followed by the pronoun αὐτῷ in the dative case can be translated: “in, on, at, by, with, within” according to the Koine Greek Lexicon online. I favor “by Him” because the Holy Spirit brings me back here again and again to understand what and how I do (ποιέω in Greek). And I don’t experience preachers or Bible teachers preaching or teaching this very often. That may be an implicit bias of expository preaching.

The phrase τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον (ESV: your old self; NET: the old man) only occurs in Ephesians 4:22 and Colossians 3:9. It was ὁ παλαιὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος (ESV: our old self; NET: our old man) in Romans 6:6. The phrase τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον (ESV: the new self; NET: the new man) only occurs in Ephesians 4:24. The concept occurs again in Ephesians 2:15 as ἕνα καινὸν ἄνθρωπον (ESV/NET: one new man) and in Colossians 3:10 as τὸν νέον (ESV: the new self; NET: the new man; literally, “the new”), which connects this concept to Jesus’ discussion of new wine: Matthew 9:17; Mark 2:22; Luke 5:37-39.

If the strict expository preacher or teacher only considers them when addressing these few passages, the old and new man will appear less important than the emphasis the Lord places upon them: 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.’³⁰…born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.³¹

At any rate, the night I didn’t murder my wife, I didn’t believe that either existed. Both τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον and τὸν καινὸν ἄνθρωπον were merely euphemisms for my works, admonitions to stop sinning and start doing righteousness, rather than something already accomplished by the grace of God in Jesus Christ—ready, available, already present for me to receive through faith.

So I proceeded: “I [had] said I loved her. The next morning I set out to make my word true, not unlike Jephthah. I copied Paul’s definition of love on a piece of paper”³² (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a NASB).

Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails; [Table]

“I tacked it up on my bedroom wall by the door so I couldn’t leave that room without seeing it. I showed it to my wife. I promised her that this was my new law, that this is how I would love her.”³³ I did not write—You shall not murder³⁴—on a piece of paper and tack “it up on my bedroom wall by the door.” That is curious, given that I called love “my new law.” But Paul had written (Romans 13:10 NASB):

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the Law.

Jesus was asked, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”³⁵ (Matthew 22:37-40 NASB):

And He said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment [Table]. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Upon these two commandments hang the whole Law and the Prophets” [Table].³⁶

And it’s highly likely that I had heard “The Law of Love” taught and preached:

The concept of the “Law of Love” is a central tenet in Christian theology, emphasizing the importance of love as the fulfillment of God’s commandments. This principle is deeply rooted in both the Old and New Testaments and is considered the essence of Christian ethical teaching.

And frankly, I was a bit frustrated with “Paul’s understanding of law” (e.g., my misunderstanding of Paul’s understanding of law), thinking that it was what had gotten me into this mess in the first place.

Though I had copied Paul’s description of love verbatim from the NASB, what I understood was:

Thou shalt be patient, thou shalt be kind, thou shalt not be jealous; thou shalt not brag, thou shalt not be arrogant. Thou shalt not act disgracefully, thou shalt not seek thine own benefit; thou shalt not be provoked, thou shalt not keep an account of a wrong suffered, thou shalt not rejoice in unrighteousness, thou shalt rejoice with the truth; thou shalt keep every confidence, thou shalt believe all things, thou shalt hope all things, thou shalt endure all things.

Thou shalt never fail…

Even that may not have been too bad, if I had thought of these as God’s promises rather than as commandments. I did not. I thought of them as laws for me to obey. I set about being perfected by the flesh³⁷ with a vengeance. The troubling thing was: it worked!—sort of—my wife didn’t die. I wrote elsewhere:

Though such things are difficult to measure, I think it is fair to say that I did incrementally better at not sinning by trying to love like this rather than trying not to sin.³⁸

I reflected on my own experience with my wife. I was far from perfect loving like God by attempting to keep the definition of his love as if it were law. But my wife survived it. She wasn’t raped. Even after our divorce she thought of me as one of the kindest men she knew.³⁹

I’ll pick this up in another essay. Tables comparing Galatians 3:23; 3:29 and Ephesians 4:21 in the KJV and NET follow.

Galatians 3:23 (NET)	Galatians 3:23 (KJV)
Now before faith came we were held in custody under the law, being kept as prisoners until the coming faith would be revealed.	But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.

Galatians 3:23 (NET Parallel Greek)	Galatians 3:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Galatians 3:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Πρὸ τοῦ δὲ ἐλθεῖν τὴν πίστιν ὑπὸ νόμον ἐφρουρούμεθα συγκλειόμενοι εἰς τὴν μέλλουσαν πίστιν ἀποκαλυφθῆναι	προ του δε ελθειν την πιστιν υπο νομον εφρουρουμεθα συγκεκλεισμενοι εις την μελλουσαν πιστιν αποκαλυφθηναι	προ του δε ελθειν την πιστιν υπο νομον εφρουρουμεθα συγκεκλεισμενοι εις την μελλουσαν πιστιν αποκαλυφθηναι

Galatians 3:29 (NET)	Galatians 3:29 (KJV)
And if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s descendants, heirs according to the promise.	And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Galatians 3:29 (NET Parallel Greek)	Galatians 3:29 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Galatians 3:29 (Byzantine Majority Text)
εἰ δὲ ὑμεῖς Χριστοῦ, ἄρα τοῦ Ἀβραὰμ σπέρμα ἐστέ, κατ᾿ ἐπαγγελίαν κληρονόμοι	ει δε υμεις χριστου αρα του αβρααμ σπερμα εστε και κατ επαγγελιαν κληρονομοι	ει δε υμεις χριστου αρα του αβρααμ σπερμα εστε και κατ επαγγελιαν κληρονομοι

Ephesians 4:21 (NET)	Ephesians 4:21 (KJV)
if indeed you heard about him and were taught in him, just as the truth is in Jesus.	If so be that ye have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus:

Ephesians 4:21 (NET Parallel Greek)	Ephesians 4:21 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Ephesians 4:21 (Byzantine Majority Text)
εἴ γε αὐτὸν ἠκούσατε καὶ ἐν αὐτῷ ἐδιδάχθητε, καθώς ἐστιν ἀλήθεια ἐν τῷ Ἰησοῦ	ειγε αυτον ηκουσατε και εν αυτω εδιδαχθητε καθως εστιν αληθεια εν τω ιησου	ειγε αυτον ηκουσατε και εν αυτω εδιδαχθητε καθως εστιν αληθεια εν τω ιησου

Exploration, Part 8

¹ Galatians 5:1a (ESV) Table

² Galatians 5:18 (ESV)

³ Galatians 3:2 (ESV)

⁴ Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)

⁵ Romans 5:20a (ESV)

⁶ Galatians 5:1b (ESV) Table

⁷ Romans 8:3b (ESV)

⁸ Romans 7:20 (ESV) Table

⁹ Romans 7:15 (ESV)

¹⁰ John 3:7 (NET)

¹¹ Romans 5:15-21 (ESV)

¹² Galatians 3:19a (ESV)

¹³ Galatians 3:21a (ESV)

¹⁴ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

¹⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had συγκλειόμενοι here, a present participle of συγκλείω, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the participle συγκεκλεισμενοι (KJV: shut up) in the perfect tense.

¹⁶ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

¹⁷ Galatians 5:1a (ESV) Table

¹⁸ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the conjunction και connecting these clauses. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not

¹⁹ Galatians 3:24-29 (ESV)

²⁰ Romans 7:18b (ESV) Table

²¹ Matthew 7:14 (ESV) Table

²² Romans 1:21b (ESV) Table

²³ Philippians 3:9b (ESV)

²⁴ Philippians 3:9c (ESV)

²⁵ Galatians 5:4 (ESV) Table

²⁶ The Greek words translated who had believed were τοὺς πεπιστευκότας, a participle of πιστεύω in the perfect tense: “The basic thought of the perfect tense is that the progress of an action has been completed and the results of the action are continuing on, in full effect. In other words, the progress of the action has reached its culmination and the finished results are now in existence. Unlike the English perfect, which indicates a completed past action, the Greek perfect tense indicates the continuation and present state of a completed past action.” From Verb Tenses: Perfect Tense, Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions), on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online. In other words, who had believed and continued in their faith rather than who had believed but did so no longer.

²⁷ John 8:31a (ESV)

²⁸ John 8:44, 45 (ESV)

²⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εἴ γε (NET: if indeed) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειγε (KJV: If so be that).

³⁰ John 3:6, 7 (NET)

³¹ John 1:13 (NET)

³² David’s Forgiveness, Part 6

³³ Ibid.

³⁴ Exodus 20:13 (ESV) Table

³⁵ Matthew 22:36 (NASB)

³⁶ See Jedidiah, Part 2 for tables comparing the Greek of Jesus’ quotations to that of the Septuagint

³⁷ Galatians 3:3b (ESV)

³⁸ Jedidiah, Part 2

³⁹ David’s Forgiveness, Part 6

Exploration, Part 6

Posted on January 13, 2025 by admin

Paul continued to describe the freedom for which Christ has set us free¹ (Galatians 5:18-21 ESV).

But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality (πορνεία), impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God [Table].

The Greek was: εἰ δὲ, But if, πνεύματι᾿, by the Spirit, ἄγεσθε, you are led. I want to pause here because I’ve misunderstood this clause while I thought walking by the Spirit was my work rather than a result of the freedom for which Christ has set us free; namely, the new man led by the Spirit of God.² I thought εἰ, if, cast doubt on the new man walking by the Spirit, which is embarrassing since I have sufficient philosophical background to recognize the antecedent of a conditional statement.

When Paul wrote εἰ δὲ, “But if,” ὃ οὐ θέλω, “that not I want,” [ἐγὼ] τοῦτο ποιῶ, “I this do” (ESV: Now if I do what I do not want³), it was not to cast doubt on a previously stated fact: For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate.⁴ Rather, it was to highlight the consequent of that fact: it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me.⁵ Likewise, “But if by the Spirit you are led” does not cast doubt on the fact that the new man is led by the Spirit of God. Rather, it highlights the consequent of that fact: you are not under the law.⁶

The Greek was: οὐκ ἐστὲ ὑπὸ νόμον; literally, “not you are under (or, under the authority of) law.” The old man (τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον), which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,⁷ ignores everything else that was written to pounce on this, saying, “O goody, now I can do whatever I want!” This is a perfect opportunity ἀποθέσθαι ὑμᾶς; literally, “to lay aside you,” κατὰ τὴν προτέραν ἀναστροφὴν, “in regard to the first (or, former) behavior (or, conduct, or, way of life),” τὸν παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον, “the old man (or, human).”⁸ So, “to lay aside you in regard to the former way of life, the old man.”

Paul had already characterized the behavior, conduct or way of life of the old man as how Gentiles walk (Ephesians 4:17-19 ESV):

Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds [Table]. They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart [Table]. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.

The translation you must…walk treats the verb περιπατεῖν as a 2^nd person plural form of περιπατέω in the imperative mood. It is actually an infinitive in the present tense: “to walk.” The plural pronoun ὑμᾶς precedes περιπατεῖν but is not the subject of this clause: ὑμᾶς is in the accusative case and is most likely the direct object of the verb περιπατεῖν. In Romans 16:25a (ESV) for instance, Now to him who is able to strengthen you, the phrase to strengthen you was ὑμᾶς στηρίξαι, an infinitive form of στηρίζω in the aorist tense (Interlinear Bible: you to strengthen). Granted, to walk you wouldn’t sound right in English, though it may be closer to the actual meaning. The Interlinear Bible rendered Ephesians 4:17, This therefore I say and testify in [the] Lord No longer [are] you to walk as also the Gentiles are walking in [the] futility of the mind of them. Here the verb of being [are] was added to make the English flow better.

I resist the idea, however, that Paul used ἐν κυρίῳ (in the Lord) like an oath to bolster his testifying. It seems more likely he testified that “in the Lord no longer [are] you to walk as also the Gentiles walk in futility of their minds” (νοὸς, a genitive singular form of νοῦς; e.g., “their own intention”). Whether Paul and the Holy Spirit intended this as a rule to obey or an outcome of [being] ἐν κυρίῳ may be an open question, but I favor the latter.

In the received text (Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text) the adjective λοιπα, a plural form of λοιπός, was interposed between the (τὰ) and Gentiles (ἔθνη) (KJV: the other Gentiles) [Table]. It is absent from the critical text (NET Parallel Greek and NA²⁸). The critical text enjoys the cachet of being closer to the original text, but the editors trust their methods enough to remove words, phrases and clauses from the received text. Textus Receptus Bibles online offers several opportunities to compare the received texts to the current version of the critical text.

I wondered if Paul would have called Gentiles the other Gentiles in this context. It implies that the Ephesians were also Gentiles despite his previous address to them: Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, To the saints (τοῖς ἁγίοις) who are in Ephesus, and are faithful in Christ Jesus.⁹ I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, he wrote the Romans, that I have often intended to come to you (but thus far have been prevented), in order that I may reap some harvest among you as well as among the rest of the Gentiles¹⁰ (ἐν τοῖς λοιποῖς ἔθνεσιν). He had previously addressed them: To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints (κλητοῖς ἁγίοις).¹¹

The plural the Gentiles (τὰ ἔθνη) followed by the verb περιπατεῖ (ESV: do), a 3^rd person singular form of περιπατέω, seems to render the Gentiles of Ephesians 4:17 as something more conceptual than actual (plural Gentiles engaged in singular activity). This is not to say that there were no actual Gentiles who behaved as Paul described, but that Paul, when writing about actual Gentiles, was well aware of the variety of Gentile behaviors, including doing what the law requires (Romans 2:12-16 ESV).

For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous (δίκαιοι, a form of δίκαιος) before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified (δικαιωθήσονται, a form of δικαιόω) [Table]. For when Gentiles (ἔθνη, a plural form of ἔθνος), who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law [Table]. They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

So what concept do Paul’s conceptual Gentiles of Ephesians 4:17 embody? It is evident by what follows that they were the old man entangled in a yoke of slavery to sin. They were in the flesh.

The Walk (doing) of the Gentiles (Ephesians 4:18, 19 ESV)	The Works of the Flesh (Galatians 5:19-21a ESV)
They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart [Table]. They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity.	Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality (πορνεία), impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these [Table].

But Gentiles were not without hope (Galatians 3:7-9 ESV):

Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify (δικαιοῖ, a form of δίκαιος) the Gentiles (τὰ ἔθνη) by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations (πάντα τὰ ἔθνη) be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.

The phrase οἱ ἐκ πίστεως occurs twice above: (v. 7) those of faith, and (v. 9) those who are of faith. These are the new man, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God;¹² the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness;¹³ the saints who…are faithful in Christ Jesus;¹⁴ we who For our freedom Christ has us set free; therefore you stand firm and cannot entangle yourselves in a yoke of slavery again.¹⁵ As Jesus said to Nicodemus: Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again’;¹⁶ literally, δεῖ, “it is necessary,” ὑμᾶς γεννηθῆναι, “you [plural] to be born,” ἄνωθεν, “from above” (e.g., by the Spirit of God).

The conceptual Gentiles Paul described had yet to receive¹⁷ The true light, which gives light to everyone.¹⁸ They had not yet believed in his name.¹⁹ But that is insufficient to invalidate Jesus’ promise to draw all to Himself. Christ redeemed us,²⁰ Paul wrote the Galatians, so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles (τὰ ἔθνη), so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith (διὰ τῆς πίστεως).²¹ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.²²

For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach²³ the good news!” [Table]²⁴

For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God [Table], not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.²⁵

The verb περιπατήσωμεν (ESV: we should walk), a 1^st person plural form of περιπατέω, is in the subjunctive mood and aorist tense. It follows the conjunction ἵνα (ESV: that). This is a purpose or result clause:

if the subjunctive mood is used in a purpose or result clause, then the action should not be thought of as a possible result, but should be viewed as a definite outcome that will happen as a result of another stated action.

The aorist is said to be “simple occurrence” or “summary occurrence”, without regard for the amount of time taken to accomplish the action. This tense is also often referred to as the ‘punctiliar’ tense. ‘Punctiliar’ in this sense means ‘viewed as a single, collective whole,’ a “one-point-in-time” action, although it may actually take place over a period of time.²⁶

In other words, “we walk in” the good works, which God prepared beforehand, at some point in time undesignated by Paul’s statement of fact. I want to return again now to But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.²⁷

I hope it is clear that everyone born of Adam has an old man, enslaved to the flesh, pursuing its desires. That is who you are before you turn to faith in Christ. I hope it is clear how to become a new man born of the Spirit of God and led by the Spirit of God by changing your mind about Jesus (μετάνοια) and believing Him. I hope it is clear that He wants this for you and is drawing you to Himself. I’ll continue to consider what Paul meant by ὑπὸ νόμον (ESV: under the law).

He wrote elsewhere (Romans 7:1-6 ESV):

Or do you not know, brothers—for I am speaking to those who know the law—that the law is binding (κυριεύει, a form of κυριεύω) on a person only as long as he lives? For a married woman is bound by law to her husband while he lives, but if her husband dies she is released from the law of marriage. Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives with another man while her husband is alive. But if her husband dies, she is free from that law, and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.

Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members lo bear fruit for death. But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.

I’ll focus first on a married woman. The Greek was: ἡ γὰρ, For a, ὕπανδρος γυνὴ, married woman. Yes, ὕπανδρος can mean married, but in this context it may be more appropriate to understand it as: “For a subject-to-the-authority-of-a-husband woman,” or “For an under-a-man’s-authority woman.” The Greek continued: τῷ ζῶντι ἀνδρὶ, “by the life of husband (or, of man),” δέδεται νόμῳ, is bound by law. The ESV translation of δέδεται, is bound, sounds right if this were a passive form of δέω. The Koine Greek Lexicon actually lists a richer meaning for the middle/passive voice: “to lack, miss, stand in need of a person or thing; to be less, short (e.g., Quadratus says, “19½ years” as “20 years less 6 months”); to be in want or need; to be necessary; to ask for a thing from a person; to plead, pray, beseech, beg.” In other words, “For a subject-to-the-authority-of-a-husband woman by the life of husband stands in need by law.”

Paul may have had a very specific “subject-to-the-authority-of-a-husband woman” in mind here. Peter had held up Sarah as an example for wives (γυναῖκες): as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, he wrote.²⁸ Her story serves to illustrate Paul’s point (Genesis 12:11-13 ESV).

When [Abram] was about to enter Egypt, he said to Sarai his wife, “I know that you are a woman beautiful in appearance [Table], and when the Egyptians see you, they will say, ‘This is his wife.’ Then they will kill me, but they will let you live [Table]. Say you are my sister, that it may go well with me because of you, and that my life may be spared for your sake” [Table].

Paul continued (Romans 7:3a ESV):

Accordingly, she will be called an adulteress if she lives (γένηται, a form of γίνομαι) with another man while her husband is alive.

Sarai apparently obeyed Abram without protest as events transpired according to his word (Genesis 12:14-16a ESV).

When Abram entered Egypt, the Egyptians saw that the woman was very beautiful [Table]. And when the princes of Pharaoh saw her, they praised her to Pharaoh. And the woman was taken into Pharaoh’s house [Table]. And for her sake he dealt well with Abram… [Table]

Paul had already explained why Sarai wouldn’t be called an adulteress (Romans 5:12, 13 ESV):

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned—for sin indeed was in the world before the law was given, but sin is not counted where there is no law.

My point (and Paul’s possibly) is that obeying the law of her husband Abram made it impossible for Sarai to obey the law, which came 430 years afterward:²⁹ “You shall not commit adultery.”³⁰ In other words, under the law of her husband Sarai was like Those who are in the flesh [who] cannot please God.³¹ But if her husband dies, Paul continued, she is free from that law (ἐλευθέρα ἐστὶν ἀπὸ τοῦ νόμου), and if she marries another man she is not an adulteress.³²

By all appearances, Abram didn’t free Sarai by dying. The story of Abram/Abraham and Sarai/Sarah is about God’s faithfulness to them, growing their faith in Him (and their faithfulness to Him) by his own love and grace throughout their lives (before the law was given). The writer of Hebrews summarized the outcome of Abraham’s faith (Hebrews 11:17-19 ESV):

By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.

So I assume that in the end Sarah was released from Abram’s fearful and Abraham’s prejudiced commandment, and that she, too, was enabled to live faithfully, both to her husband and to God. None of this is to say that the response Sarai/Sarah had to the predicament Abram/Abraham put her in isn’t endearing, romantic and sexy to the heart of man. It is to say that what is endearing, romantic or sexy to the heart of man is not necessarily, for those reasons alone, synonymous with the righteousness of God, the gift of righteousness.

Likewise, my brothers, Paul continued, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God.³³ By all appearances, the plural you (ὑμεῖς), to whom Paul wrote, didn’t die. He expected them to be alive to hear or to read his letter, in which was already written (Romans 6:6-11 ESV):

We know that our old self (ὁ παλαιὸς ἡμῶν ἄνθρωπος, aka our old man) was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved (δουλεύειν) to sin. For one who has died has been set free (δεδικαίωται, a form of δικαιόω) from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus [Table].

The phrase you…must consider yourselves was ὑμεῖς λογίζεσθε ἑαυτοὺς. It is clearly a truth to believe rather than a work to achieve. The work was accomplished by Christ: all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death³⁴…the life he lives he lives to God. So you also…consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus [Table].³⁵ Translating λογίζεσθε as an imperative form of λογίζομαι rather than as a statement of fact in the indicative mood was unnecessary. And λογίζεσθε is the only 2^nd person plural form of λογίζομαι in the present tense listed in the Koine Greek Lexicon online.

Once the old self has been crucified with Christ, you (ὑμεῖς), the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness,³⁶ also have died to the law through the body of Christ³⁷ and are free to serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.³⁸ For our freedom Christ has us set free; therefore you stand firm and cannot entangle yourselves in a yoke of slavery again.³⁹

For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.⁴⁰ The Greek was: ὅτε γὰρ, “For when,” ἦμεν, “we were,” ἐν τῇ σαρκί, “in the flesh,” τὰ παθήματα τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν, “the sufferings (or misfortunes, or passions) of sin,” τὰ διὰ τοῦ νόμου, “through the law,” ἐνηργεῖτο, “were continually⁴¹ active.” This is what Paul meant by the phrase under the law⁴² (ὑπὸ νόμον). For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.⁴³

This knowledge is more than an intellectual awareness of sin, specified by law as that which is unlawful (Romans 7:7-13 ESV).

What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! 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 proved to be death to me. For sin, seizing an opportunity through the commandment, deceived me and through it killed me. So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.

Did that which is good, then, bring death to me? By no means! It was sin, producing death in me through what is good, in order that sin might be shown to be sin, and through the commandment might become sinful beyond measure [Table].

But if you are led by the Spirit, Paul explained another of the better promises of the new covenant, you are not under the law.⁴⁴ Why then the law?⁴⁵ he asked. I’ll pick this up in another essay.

According to a note (14) in the NET, Paul quoted from Joel 2:32 in Romans 10:13. A table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation with that of the Septuagint follows.

Romans 10:13 (NET Parallel Greek)	Joel 2:32a (Septuagint BLB) Table	Joel 3:5a (Septuagint Elpenor)
πᾶς γὰρ ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου σωθήσεται	καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου σωθήσεται	καὶ ἔσται, πᾶς, ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα Κυρίου, σωθήσεται
Romans 10:13 (NET)	Joel 2:32a (NETS)	Joel 3:5a (English Elpenor)
For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.	And it shall be, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved,	And it shall come to pass [that] whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved:

According to a note (18) in the NET, Paul quoted from Isaiah 52:7 and Nahum 1:15 in Romans 10:15. Tables comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation from the critical text and the received text with that of the Septuagint follow.

Romans 10:15b (NET Parallel Greek)	Isaiah 52:27a (Septuagint BLB) Table	Isaiah 52:27a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὡς ὡραῖοι οἱ πόδες τῶν εὐαγγελιζομένων [τὰ] ἀγαθά	ὡς ὥρα ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων ὡς πόδες εὐαγγελιζομένου ἀκοὴν εἰρήνης ὡς εὐαγγελιζόμενος ἀγαθά	ὡς ὥρα ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων, ὡς πόδες εὐαγγελιζομένου ἀκοὴν εἰρήνης, ὡς εὐαγγελιζόμενος ἀγαθά
Romans 10:15b (NET)	Isaiah 52:27a (NETS)	Isaiah 52:27a (English Elpenor)
“How timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the good news.”	like season upon the mountains, like the feet of one bringing glad tidings of a report of peace, like one bringing glad tidings of good things,	as a season of beauty upon the mountains, as the feet of one preaching glad tidings of peace, as one preaching good news:

Romans 10:15b (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Isaiah 52:27a (Septuagint BLB) Table	Isaiah 52:27a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ως ωραιοι οι ποδες των ευαγγελιζομενων ειρηνην των ευαγγελιζομενων τα αγαθα	ὡς ὥρα ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων ὡς πόδες εὐαγγελιζομένου ἀκοὴν εἰρήνης ὡς εὐαγγελιζόμενος ἀγαθά	ὡς ὥρα ἐπὶ τῶν ὀρέων, ὡς πόδες εὐαγγελιζομένου ἀκοὴν εἰρήνης, ὡς εὐαγγελιζόμενος ἀγαθά
Romans 10:15b (KJV)	Isaiah 52:27a (NETS)	Isaiah 52:27a (English Elpenor)
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!	like season upon the mountains, like the feet of one bringing glad tidings of a report of peace, like one bringing glad tidings of good things,	as a season of beauty upon the mountains, as the feet of one preaching glad tidings of peace, as one preaching good news:

Romans 10:15b (NET Parallel Greek)	Nahum 1:15a (Septuagint BLB)	Nahum 2:1a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὡς ὡραῖοι οἱ πόδες τῶν εὐαγγελιζομένων [τὰ] ἀγαθά	ἰδοὺ ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη οἱ πόδες εὐαγγελιζομένου καὶ ἀπαγγέλλοντος εἰρήνην	ΙΔΟΥ ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη οἱ πόδες εὐαγγελιζομένου καὶ ἀπαγγέλλοντος εἰρήνην
Romans 10:15b (NET)	Nahum 1:15a (NETS)	Nahum 2:1a (English Elpenor)
“How timely is the arrival of those who proclaim the good news.”	Behold, on the mountains are the feet of one who brings good tidings and who announces peace.	as a season of beauty upon the mountains, as the feet of one preaching glad tidings of peace, as one preaching good news:

Romans 10:15b (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Nahum 1:15a (Septuagint BLB)	Nahum 2:1a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ως ωραιοι οι ποδες των ευαγγελιζομενων ειρηνην των ευαγγελιζομενων τα αγαθα	ἰδοὺ ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη οἱ πόδες εὐαγγελιζομένου καὶ ἀπαγγέλλοντος εἰρήνην	ΙΔΟΥ ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη οἱ πόδες εὐαγγελιζομένου καὶ ἀπαγγέλλοντος εἰρήνην
Romans 10:15b (KJV)	Nahum 1:15a (NETS)	Nahum 2:1a (English Elpenor)
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!	Behold, on the mountains are the feet of one who brings good tidings and who announces peace.	as a season of beauty upon the mountains, as the feet of one preaching glad tidings of peace, as one preaching good news:

A table comparing Nahum 1:15 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and a table comparing the Greek of Nahum 1:15 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow.

Nahum 1:15 (Tanakh)	Nahum 1:15 (KJV)	Nahum 1:15 (NET)
Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.	Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! O Judah, keep thy solemn feasts, perform thy vows: for the wicked shall no more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off.	Look! A herald is running on the mountains! A messenger is proclaiming deliverance: “Celebrate your sacred festivals, O Judah! Fulfill your sacred vows to praise God! For never again will the wicked Assyrians invade you; they have been completely destroyed.”

Nahum 1:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Nahum 2:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἰδοὺ ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη οἱ πόδες εὐαγγελιζομένου καὶ ἀπαγγέλλοντος εἰρήνην ἑόρταζε Ιουδα τὰς ἑορτάς σου ἀπόδος τὰς εὐχάς σου διότι οὐ μὴ προσθήσωσιν ἔτι τοῦ διελθεῖν διὰ σοῦ εἰς παλαίωσιν συντετέλεσται ἐξῆρται	ΙΔΟΥ ἐπὶ τὰ ὄρη οἱ πόδες εὐαγγελιζομένου καὶ ἀπαγγέλλοντος εἰρήνην· ἑόρταζε, ᾿Ιούδα, τὰς ἑορτάς σου, ἀπόδος τὰς εὐχάς σου, διότι οὐ μὴ προσθήσωσιν ἔτι τοῦ διελθεῖν διὰ σοῦ εἰς παλαίωσιν. – Συντετέλεσται, ἐξῇρται
Nahum 1:15 (NETS)	Nahum 2:1 (English Elpenor)
Behold, on the mountains are the feet of one who brings good tidings and who announces peace. Celebrate your feasts, O Ioudas; pay your vows, for they shall not add any longer to pass on to becoming old.	Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that brings glad tidings, and publishes peace! O Juda, keep thy feasts, pay thy vows: for they shall no more pass through thee to [thy] decay. It is all over with him, he has been removed,

Exploration, Part 7

Back to Romans, Part 20

¹ Galatians 5:1a (ESV) Table

² Exploration, Part 5

³ Romans 7:20a (ESV) Table

⁴ Romans 7:15 (ESV)

⁵ Romans 7:20b (ESV) Table

⁶ Galatians 5:18b (ESV)

⁷ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV)

⁸ Ephesians 4:22a (NA²⁸)

⁹ Ephesians 1:1 (ESV)

¹⁰ Romans 1:13 (ESV)

¹¹ Romans 1:7a (ESV)

¹² John 1:13 (ESV)

¹³ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

¹⁴ Ephesians 1:1b (ESV)

¹⁵ Galatians 5:1 (EXP1) Table

¹⁶ John 3:7 (ESV) Here, again in Greek ὑμᾶς γεννηθῆναι: the plural accusative you is most likely the direct object of the passive infinitive verb to be born, but “it is necessary to be born you from above” would be very awkward in English. “It is necessary [for] you to be born from above” might suffice.

¹⁷ John 1:12a (ESV)

¹⁸ John 1:9a (ESV)

¹⁹ John 1:12b (ESV)

²⁰ Galatians 3:13a (ESV) Table

²¹ Galatians 3:14 (ESV)

²² Romans 10:17 (ESV) Table

²³ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had των ευαγγελιζομενων ειρηνην (KJV: the gospel of peace) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²⁴ Romans 10:12-17 (ESV)

²⁵ Ephesians 2:8-10 (ESV)

²⁶ From Verbal Moods: Subjunctive Mood and Verb Tenses: Aorist Tense respectively, Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions), on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

²⁷ Galatians 5:18 (ESV)

²⁸ 1 Peter 3:6a (ESV)

²⁹ Galatians 3:17a (ESV) Table I was curious how Hammurabi’s Code of Laws dealt with a wife’s adultery: “143. If she has committed adultery, then she shall be executed by being thrown into the water.” Then I was curious if there were any further developments in the dating of Hammurabi’s reign relative to the life of Abraham, and came across the following: “For many years, Abraham was believed to have lived at the same time as Hammurabi, king of Babylon. Later scholars would date Abraham to the period shortly before the reign of Hammurabi. However, the result of recent research is that the chronology of the ancient world is being redated. Hammurabi now appears to be a near contemporary of Moses instead of Abraham” (From “Abraham and the Chronology of Ancient Mesopotamia” by Matt McClellan in Answers Research Journal online.) This is a surprising enough conclusion that I remain a little skeptical, but I’ll continue to consider the evidence as I hear more about it.

³⁰ Exodus 20:14 (ESV) Table

³¹ Romans 8:8 (ESV)

³² Romans 7:3b (ESV)

³³ Romans 7:4 (ESV)

³⁴ Romans 6:3b (ESV)

³⁵ Romans 6:10b, 11 (ESV)

³⁶ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

³⁷ Romans 7:4a (ESV)

³⁸ Romans 7:6b (ESV)

³⁹ Galatians 5:1 (EXP1) Table

⁴⁰ Romans 7:5 (ESV)

⁴¹ “The imperfect tense shows continuous or linear type of action just like the present tense. It always indicates an action continually or repeatedly happening in past time. It portrays the action as going on for some extended period of time in the past.” From Verb Tenses: Imperfect Tense, Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions), on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

⁴² Galatians 5:18b (ESV)

⁴³ Romans 3:20 (ESV)

⁴⁴ Galatians 5:18 (ESV)

⁴⁵ Galatians 3:19a (ESV)

Condemnation or Judgment? – Part 16

Posted on July 4, 2016 by admin

Paul wrote believers in Colossae (Colossians 3:1-6 NET):

Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ (who is your life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him. So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry. Because of these things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.

A note (4) at the end of this passage in the NET reads:

The words ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας (…“on the sons of disobedience”) are lacking in Ì⁴⁶ [correct symbol won’t display] B b sa, but are found in א A C D F G H I Ψ 075 0278 33 1739 1881 Ï lat sy bo. The words are omitted by several English translations (NASB, NIV, ESV, TNIV). This textual problem is quite difficult to resolve. On the one hand, the parallel account in Eph 5:6 has these words, thus providing scribes a motive for adding them here. On the other hand, the reading without the words may be too hard: The ἐν οἷς (en hois) of v. 7 seems to have no antecedent without υἱούς already in the text, although it could possibly be construed as neuter referring to the vice list in v. 5. Further, although the witness of B is especially important, there are other places in which B and Ì⁴⁶ [ditto above] share errant readings of omission. Nevertheless, the strength of the internal evidence against the longer reading is at least sufficient to cause doubt here. The decision to retain the words in the text is less than certain.

Whether the words sons of disobedience were original or not is immaterial to me. I’m more concerned with δι᾿ ἃ ἔρχεται ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ (“Because of these things the wrath of God is coming”). First, ἔρχεται (a form of ἔρχομαι) is present tense; appears or shows itself might be a better translation. Though because is a possible translation of δι᾿^[1] (a form of διά), through would be more common (verse 17) and more in line with Paul’s teaching in the opening of Romans, the wrath of God…revealed from heaven. So I would translate it, “through these (e.g., sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, evil desire, and greed which is idolatry) the wrath of God appears” or “shows itself.” In other words, these are the evidence or symptoms of the depraved, unapproved, reprobate or debased mind to which God gave those over who did not like to retain God in their knowledge.^[2]

God’s wrath was to give them over to a depraved mind, to do what should not be done.^[3] Paul enumerated what should not be done for believers in Rome (Romans 1:29-32 NET):

They are filled with every kind of unrighteousness, wickedness, covetousness, malice. They are rife with envy, murder, strife, deceit, hostility. They are gossips [Table], slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, contrivers of all sorts of evil, disobedient to parents, senseless, covenant-breakers, heartless, ruthless [Table]. Although they fully know God’s righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but also approve of those who practice them.

A young mother put it this way on Facebook:

Parent shaming. Judging. Close mindedness. Mass murders. Hate on Nationalities. Hate on skin colors. Hate on LGBT’s. Hate on parenting. Hate. I can honestly say I’m worried to bring my children up in the type of society we’ve become. What will it take to change? Will it get better before it gets worse? I have to believe there’s more love in this world than hate. Incredibly saddening that my happy, loving boys will one day learn the world is so ugly and destructive.

Even if sons of disobedience wasn’t original I don’t see why ἐν οἷς or ἐν τούτοις are “too hard” of a reading. Paul’s contrast was to the lives the Colossians lived before they died and [their] life [was] hidden with Christ in God, not to some mysterious others called the sons of disobedience. Even Ephesians reads διὰ ταῦτα γὰρ ἔρχεται ἡ ὀργὴ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐπὶ τοὺς υἱοὺς τῆς ἀπειθείας (for because of these things God’s wrath comes on the sons of disobedience^[4]). But again διὰ could be through, ταῦτα refers back to the person who is immoral, impure, or greedy^[5] (probably immorality, impurity or greed) and ἔρχεται is present tense, appears or shows itself.

So I would understand it more like, “For through these [immoral, impure or greedy persons, or immorality, impurity or greed] the wrath of God shows itself upon the sons of disobedience.” The sons of disobedience are no longer a mystery. The Greek word translated disobedience is ἀπειθείας (a form of ἀπείθεια). God has consigned all people to disobedience (ἀπείθειαν, another form of ἀπείθεια) so that he may show mercy to them all. The sons of disobedience are old humans, they have not been born from above: Therefore do not be partakers with them, for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light…^[6]Paul made this same contrast between the old human (παλαιὸν ἄνθρωπον) and the new (νέον, a form of νέος) for the Colossians (3:7-11 NET):

You also lived your lives in this way at one time, when you used to live among them (ἐν τούτοις; literally “in these”). But now, put off all such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old (παλαιὸν, a form of παλαιός) man (ἄνθρωπον, a form of ἄνθρωπος) with its practices and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all.

I think the Bible has been translated by those who expect most people to spend eternity in the lake of fire. I don’t intend to dispute that view. On the contrary, the idea I’m experimenting with here is that all old humans are condemned to spend eternity in the lake of fire. How many new humans spend eternity with Jesus and his Father? That depends on God’s mercy—I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion^[7]—up to and including all—For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy to them all.^[8]

I’m a long way, however, from accepting Universalism, demanding that He save all. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,^[9] was a perfect opportunity to specify few, many or all. Neither Paul nor the Holy Spirit chose to do so. Enter through the narrow gate, Jesus said, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult (τεθλιμμένη, a form of θλίβω) that leads to life, and there are few who find it.^[10] In the past I took this to mean that ultimately relatively few will be saved. Now I think differently.

Since y^ehôvâh informed Cain, you must subdue [sin],^[11] and Moses commanded Israel to choose life,^[12] salvation was determined by the desire, or willingness, of human beings, whosoever will. The result, there are few who find it, is what Jesus became human to change. Someone asked Him directly, “Lord, will only a few be saved?” Speaking in real time before his crucifixion and resurrection, He said, “Exert every effort to enter through the narrow door, because many, I tell you, will try to enter and will not be able (ἰσχύσουσιν, a form of ἰσχύω) to. Once the head of the house gets up and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and start to knock on the door and beg him, ‘Lord, let us in!’ But he will answer you, ‘I don’t know where you come from.’” ^[13] I tell you the solemn truth, Jesus also said, I am the door for the sheep.^[14] As I considered both of these together I wondered what door the head of the house gets up and shuts.

Surely, it was not Jesus but whosoever will. The most immediate reason why the many could not enter was the shut door, but a survey of the word ἰσχύω suggests they were not good enough,^[15] not strong enough,^[16] not healthy enough,^[17] not vigilant enough^[18] and they would not endure long enough^[19] in their own strength. And so Jesus became the door. No one can come to me, He said, unless the Father who sent me draws him…^[20] And I, Jesus promised, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.^[21]

I’ve written elsewhere what I think about the Greek words translated draws and draw relative to “Softly and tenderly Jesus is calling.” And I don’t think much of the old human’s free will in any sense beyond contingent choices. I certainly don’t think it is sacrosanct to God. It wasn’t sacrosanct when He gave old humans over in the desires of their hearts to impurity,^[22] to dishonorable passions,^[23] and to a depraved mind.^[24] Why should it be sacrosanct when one is born from above, not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God?^[25]

Nor can I embrace patristic universalism. I can’t believe in a purgatorial hell. In fact, I think the Old Testament narrates how God has gone out of his way to demonstrate over and over again that the best that is ever achieved by punishment, or by the fear of punishment, is hypocrisy. Jesus said (John 3:5-7, 10 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.’…Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things?

J.W. Hanson painted the early universalist church fathers as elitists in his book Universalism, the Prevailing Doctrine of the Christian Church During Its First Five Hundred Years (p. 56):

Some of the fathers who had achieved a faith in Universalism, were influenced by the mischievous notion that it was to be held esoterically, cherished in secret, or only communicated to the chosen few,–withheld from the multitude, who would not appreciate it, and even that the opposite error would, with some sinners, be more beneficial than the truth….Origen said that “all that might be said on this theme is not expedient to explain now, or to all. For the mass need no further teaching on account of those who hardly through the fear of aeonian punishment restrain their recklessness.”

I’m not oblivious to Origen’s concern, though it seems to me that someone who would return to sin because God is merciful really hasn’t finished with sin yet. And I consider myself the rankest of the rank and file. On the other hand Mr. Hanson characterized many of the patristic fathers as liars whenever they taught endless punishment (p. 59):

There can be no doubt that many of the fathers threatened severer penalties than they believed would be visited on sinners, impelled to utter them because they considered them to be more salutary with the masses than the truth itself. So that we may believe that some of the patristic writers who seem to teach endless punishment did not believe it. Others, we know, who accepted universal restoration employed, for the sake of deterring sinners, threats that are inconsistent, literally interpreted, with that doctrine.

I began this second round considering condemnation or judgment after I read John F. Walvoord’s commentary on Revelation 20 online (Revelation 20:11, 12 NET).

Then I saw a large white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened, and another book was opened – the book of life. So the dead were judged (ἐκρίθησαν, a form of κρίνω) by what was written in the books, according to their deeds.

I’m not aware of ἐκρίθησαν translated condemned in any English Bible, but that is what Mr. Walvoord took it to mean: “Their standing posture means that they are now about to be sentenced.” John’s vision continued (Revelation 20:13-15 NET):

The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each one was judged (ἐκρίθησαν, a form of κρίνω) according to his deeds. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death – the lake of fire. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire.

Mr. Walvoord wrote, “The summary judgment is pronounced in verse 14 that ‘death and hell were cast into the lake of fire.’ In a word, this means that all who died physically and were in Hades, the intermediate state, are here found unworthy and cast into the lake of fire.”

I was shocked that the doctrine I’ve heard my whole life was based on a rationalist assumption that death and hell, or Death and Hades, were not entities that might be thrown into the lake of fire but merely euphemisms for “all who died physically and were in Hades.” And this in an essay where literal was used 35 times, literally 12 times and literalness twice, mostly relative to the thousand years, but it was a consistent theme of Mr. Walvoord’s argument. He wrote for example:

[Barnes] further holds that Revelation 20 should not be taken literally, and interposes the words “as if” before the judgment and resurrection of 20:4 as well as with the binding of Satan. This would seem to be adding to the book, so strongly forbidden in 22:18.

But Mr. Walvoord’s understanding of Revelation 20:13-15 presents us with the following rewrite:

Revelation 20:14, 15 NET	Revelation 20:14, 15 John F. Walvoord
Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death – the lake of fire. If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire.	Then the dead that were in Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death – the lake of fire. No one’s name was found written in the book of life, so they were all thrown into the lake of fire.

Mr Walvoord concluded, without a Scripture quotation or any fear of contradiction:

If the point of view be adopted that the book of life was originally the book of all living from which have been expunged the names of those who departed from life on earth without salvation, it presents a sad picture of a blank space where their names could have been written for all eternity as the objects of divine grace. Though they are judged by their works, it is evident that their destiny is determined primarily by their lack of spiritual life. When the fact is contemplated that Jesus Christ in His death reconciled the world to Himself (2 Cor. 5:19) and that He died for the reprobate as well as for the elect, it is all the more poignant that these now raised from the dead are cast into the lake of fire. Their ultimate destiny of eternal punishment is not, in the last analysis, because God wished it but because they would not come to God for the grace which He freely offered.

What about the dead in the sea? I think we can accept that the sea is not an entity that might be thrown into the lake of fire. I would assume that the names of some, up to and including all, were written in the book of life. Mr. Walvoord changed the subject:

A special problem is introduced by the resurrection of those who were cast into the sea with the presumption that their bodies have disintegrated and have been scattered over a wide area geographically. The special mention of the sea is occasioned by the fact that resurrection usually implies resurrection from the grave. The resurrection of the dead from the sea merely reaffirms that all the dead will be raised regardless of the condition of their bodies.

I would assume though Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire, the names of some of their dead, up to and including all, were written in the book of life. The idea I’m experimenting with is that the new humans born of God are spared while the old humans, in a one for one correspondence, are judged according to their deeds and thrown into the lake of fire. And this, because the names in the book of life are not written there by some who came “to God for the grace which He freely offered” but by the mercy of God (Romans 9:15, 16 NET):

I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion [e.g., “whosoever will”], but on God who shows mercy.

Back to Romans, Part 54

Back to Sowing to the Flesh, Part 2

^[1] Enter through (διὰ) the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through (δι᾿, another form of διὰ) it (Matthew 7:13 NET).

^[2] Romans 1:28 (NKJV)

^[3] Romans 1:28b (NET)

^[4] Ephesians 5:6b (NET)

^[5] Ephesians 5:5b (NET)

^[6] Ephesians 5:7, 8 (NET)

^[7] Romans 9:15 (NET)

^[8] Romans 11:32 (NET)

^[9] 1 Timothy 1:15b (NET)

^[10] Matthew 7:13, 14 (NET)

^[11] Genesis 4:7b (NET)

^[12] Deuteronomy 30:19 (NET)

^[13] Luke 13:23-25 (NET)

^[14] John 10:7 (NET)

^[15] It is no longer good (ἰσχύει, another form of ἰσχύω) for anything except to be thrown out and trampled on by people (Matthew 5:13b NET).

^[16] No one was strong enough (ἴσχυεν, another form of ἰσχύω) to subdue him (Mark 5:4b NET).

^[17] Those who are healthy (ἰσχύοντες, another form of ἰσχύω) don’t need a physician… (Matthew 9:12b NET)

^[18] Couldn’t (ἴσχυσας, another form of ἰσχύω) you stay awake for one hour? (Mark 14:37b NET)

^[19] I am able (ἰσχύω) to do all things through the one who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13 NET).

^[20] John 6:44a (NET)

^[21] John 12:32 (NET)

^[22] Romans 1:24 (NET) Table

^[23] Romans 1:26 (NET)

^[24] Romans 1:28 (NET)

^[25] John 1:13 (NET)

Son of God – 1 John, Part 3

Posted on July 27, 2013 by admin

Dear friends, John wrote to fellow believers, let us love (ἀγαπῶμεν, a form of ἀγαπάω)^[1] one another, because love (ἀγάπη)^[2] is from God, and everyone who loves (ἀγαπῶν, another form of ἀγαπάω) has been fathered (γεγέννηται, a form of γεννάω)^[3] by God and knows (γινώσκει, a form of γινώσκω)^[4] God.^[5] John used the word ἀγαπῶμεν over and over again in his letters to describe this love (ἀγάπη).

For this is the gospel message that you have heard from the beginning: that we should love (ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους) one another…^[6] We know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love (ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τοὺς ἀδελφούς) our fellow Christians.^[7] Little children, let us not love (μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ) with word or with tongue but in deed and truth.^[8] Now this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love (καὶ ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους) one another, just as he gave us the commandment.^[9] No one has seen God at any time. If we love (ἐὰν ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους) one another, God resides in us, and his love (ἀγάπη) is perfected in us.^[10] We love (ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν) because he loved (ἠγάπησεν, another form of ἀγαπάω) us first.^[11] By this we know that we love (ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τὰ τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ) the children of God: whenever we love (ὅταν τὸν θεὸν ἀγαπῶμεν καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ποιῶμεν) God and obey his commandments.^[12] But now I ask you, lady (not as if I were writing a new commandment to you, but the one we have had from the beginning), that we love (ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους)^[13] one another.^[14]

This love (ἀγάπη) is from God,^[15] not from us. It is the love (ἀγάπη) that does no wrong to a neighbor, and the love (ἀγάπη) that is the fulfillment of the law.^[16] It is the love (ἀγάπη) that is patient, the love (ἀγάπη) that is kind, and the love (ἀγάπη) that does not brag.^[17] It is the love (ἀγάπη) that never ends as opposed to prophecies, tongues and knowledge that will be set aside.^[18] It is one of the three that remain along with faith and hope, but the greatest of these is love (ἀγάπη).^[19] It is the love (ἀγάπη) of Christ^[20] that controls (συνέχει, a form of συνέχω)^[21] us,^[22] and it is the love that holds the preeminent place in the fruit of his Spirit: But the fruit of the Spirit is love (ἀγάπη), joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.^[23]

John emphasized, everyone who loves has been fathered (γεγέννηται, a form of γεννάω) by God and knows (γινώσκει, a form of γινώσκω) God.^[24] The person who does not love (ἀγαπῶν, another form of ἀγαπάω) me, Jesus said, does not obey (τηρεῖ, a form of τηρέω)^[25] my words. And the word you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.^[26] And Paul wrote, the one who loves (ἀγαπῶν, another form of ἀγαπάω) his neighbor has fulfilled the law.^[27]

This love is the natural (e.g., super-natural) state of those born (γεννηθῇ, another form of γεννάω) from above,^[28] born (γεννηθῇ) of water and spirit,^[29] not born (ἐγεννήθησαν, another form of γεννάω) by human parents (οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων, literally, “not out of blood”) or by human desire (οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς, literally, “neither out from the will of the flesh”) or a husband’s decision (οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς, literally, “neither out from the will of a husband”), but by God (ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν, literally, “but out from God born”).^[30]

If you know (εἰδῆτε, a form of εἴδω)^[31] that he is righteous, John wrote, you also know (γινώσκετε, another form of γινώσκω) that everyone who practices righteousness has been fathered (γεγέννηται) by him.^[32] Everyone who has been fathered (γεγεννημένος, another form of γεννάω) by God does not practice sin, because God’s seed resides in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered (γεγέννηται) by God.^[33] Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been fathered (γεγέννηται, a form of γεννάω) by God…^[34]

I am the good shepherd, Jesus said. I know (γινώσκω) my own and my own know (γινώσκουσι, another form of γινώσκω) me – just as the Father knows (γινώσκει, another form of γινώσκω) me and I know (γινώσκω) the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep.^[35] And John added, The person who does not love (ἀγαπῶν, another form of ἀγαπάω) does not know (ἔγνω, another form of γινώσκω) God, because God is love (ἀγάπη).^[36] The point here is not for me to act like a hypocrite and turn Paul’s definition of ἀγάπη into a list of rules I strive to obey to con people into believing that I have been fathered by God. The point is for me to believe Him and receive all that He has given to me in Christ.

By this the love (ἀγάπη) of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him. In this is love (ἀγάπη): not that we have loved (ἠγαπήκαμεν, another form of ἀγαπάω) God, but that he loved (ἠγάπησεν, another form of ἀγαπάω) us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.^[37]

Dear friends (Ἀγαπητοί, a form of ἀγαπητός),^[38] John continued, if God so loved (ἠγάπησεν, another form of ἀγαπάω) us, then we also ought to love (ἀγαπᾶν, another form of ἀγαπάω) one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love (ἀγαπῶμεν, another form of ἀγαπάω) one another, God resides in us, and his love (ἀγάπη) is perfected in us.^[39] Once again, lest I stray into hypocrisy believing that this ἀγάπη originates with me so that I may prove that God resides in me, John made it plain. By this we know (γινώσκομεν, another form of γινώσκω) that we reside in God and he in us: in that he has given us of his Spirit,^[40] both gifts and fruit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world,^[41] i.e., through his ἀγάπη (God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him).

Then John connected knowing and believing this ἀγάπη with confessing that Jesus is the Son of God: If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God. And we have come to know (ἐγνώκαμεν, another form of γινώσκω) and to believe (πεπιστεύκαμεν, a form of πιστεύω)^[42] the love (ἀγάπην, another form of ἀγάπη) that God has in us [Table].^[43] I began this study of the Son of God because I was curious ^[44] how Peter, James and John followed through on Jesus’ command to tell (after his resurrection)^[45] about the vision when a voice from the cloud said, “This is my one dear Son, in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!”^[46]

Peter obeyed Jesus’ command to the letter. He recounted the story of the transfiguration.^[47] But John wrote more in the spirit of Jesus’ command about the Son of God and all that meant. From the very beginning of his ministry Paul proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God: For several days [Paul]^[48] was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “This man is the Son of God.”^[49] And the writings of John and Paul most vividly portray the truth, And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us. I can’t say much about Peter’s knowledge or faith, but his writing did not convey this same knowledge and faith in God’s love.

You have not seen him, Peter wrote, but you love (ἀγαπᾶτε, a form of ἀγαπάω) him. You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, because you are attaining the goal of your faith – the salvation of your souls.^[50] This sounds like my feeling for Jesus rather than his ἀγάπη in us. You have purified your souls by obeying the truth, Peter continued, in order to show sincere mutual love (φιλαδελφίαν, a form of φιλαδελφία). So love (ἀγαπήσατε, a form of ἀγαπάω) one another earnestly from a pure heart.^[51] This sounds like our love for each other. Perhaps brotherly affection and ἀγάπη were essentially interchangeable in the Greek language when Peter wrote. But this usage doesn’t indicate any appreciation for the meaning that Paul ascribed to the ἀγάπη from God, or that John carried forward in his Gospel and letters.

Peter continued to make brotherly affection equivalent to ἀγάπη. Honor all people, love (ἀγαπᾶτε, a form of ἀγαπάω) the family of believers, fear God, honor the king.^[52] Above all keep your love (ἀγάπην, a form of ἀγάπη) for one another fervent, because love (ἀγάπη) covers a multitude of sins.^[53] The love in this quotation of Proverbs 10:12 was φιλία^[54] in the Septuagint not ἀγάπη. And Peter used ἀγάπη to describe a religious rite: Greet one another with a loving (ἀγάπης, a form of ἀγάπη) kiss.^[55]

He did grant some ascendency to ἀγάπη over φιλαδελφίᾳ (brotherly affection) when he wrote, make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection (φιλαδελφίαν, a form of φιλαδελφίᾳ); to brotherly affection (φιλαδελφίᾳ), unselfish love (ἀγάπην, a form of ἀγάπη).^[56] But while I was busy adding all of these things to my faith I failed to understand that God’s divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence.^[57] Or I thought the rich knowledge of the one who called us and the key to this life and godliness was the law.

In other words I mistook the knowledge of sin^[58] for the knowledge of God,^[59] that intimate form of knowing alluded to in Romans 7:4, God is ἀγάπη,^[60] ἀγάπη is from God,^[61] and ἀγάπη is the fulfillment (πλήρωμα;^[62] fulfilling KJV) of the law.^[63] Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets, Jesus said. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill (πληρῶσαι, a form of πληρόω)^[64] them.^[65] Apart from Paul’s and John’s writings I never would have understood that this ἀγάπη from God was the fruit of the Spirit, and, in a word, the credited righteousness of God.

God is love, John wrote, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him [Table]. By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love. We love because he loved us first.^[66] For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments do not weigh us down, because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world. This is the conquering power that has conquered the world: our faith [i.e., in Him, yes, and in this love (ἀγάπην, another form of ἀγάπη) that God has in us]. Now who is the person who has conquered the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?^[67]

If we accept the testimony of men, John continued, the testimony of God is greater [referring, I think, to the vision of the transfiguration], because this is the testimony of God that he has testified concerning his Son. (The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son.)^[68] And this is the testimony… And here, I think, John made the ἀγάπη from God functionally equivalent^[69] to the life that is eternal (Love never ends).^[70] God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.^[71]

And finally having received this ἀγάπη from God (Give us today our daily bread^[72]): We know that everyone fathered by God does not sin, but God protects the one he has fathered, and the evil one (πονηρὸς, a form of πονηρός)^[73] cannot touch him. [And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (πονηροῦ, another form of πονηρός).^[74]] We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (πονηρῷ, another form of πονηρός). 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. Little children, guard yourselves from idols.^[75]

It takes a religious mind to be in close proximity to this ἀγάπη from God and yet reject it for the self-aggrandizing vindication of religious works. For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking instead to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.^[76] I’ve been there, and I’ve done that.

I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things – indeed, I regard them as dung! – that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness. My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.^[77]

Back to Everyone Fathered by God Does Not Sin

Back to Romans, Part 46

Back to The Righteousness of God

Back to Fear – Exodus, Part 9

Back to Torture, Part 2

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 3

Back to Conclusion

Back to To Make Holy, Part 5

Back to Christianity, Part 8

^[5] 1 John 4:7 (NET)

^[6] 1 John 3:11 (NET)

^[7] 1 John 3:14 (NET)

^[8] 1 John 3:18 (NET)

^[9] 1 John 3:23 (NET)

^[10] 1 John 4:12 (NET)

^[11] 1 John 4:19 (NET)

^[12] 1 John 5:2 (NET)

^[13] Why was “should” inserted into 1 John 3:11 (NET)? …that we should love one another… (ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους). 1 John 4:19 (NET) We love because he loved us first (ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν, ὅτι αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς). 1 John 5:2 (NET) By this we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and obey his commandments (ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τὰ τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅταν τὸν θεὸν ἀγαπῶμεν καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ποιῶμεν).

^[14] 2 John 1:5 (NET)

^[15] 1 John 4:7 (NET)

^[16] Romans 13:10 (NET)

^[17] 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NET)

^[18] 1 Corinthians 13:8 (NET)

^[19] 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NET)

^[20] NET note: “The phrase ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ (Jh agaph tou Cristou, “the love of Christ”) could be translated as either objective genitive (‘our love for Christ’) or subjective genitive (‘Christ’s love for us’). Either is grammatically possible, but with the reference to Christ’s death for all in the following clauses, a subjective genitive (‘Christ’s love for us’) is more likely.”

^[22] 2 Corinthians 5:14 (NET)

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

^[24] 1 John 4:7 (NET)

^[26] John 14:24 (NET)

^[27] Romans 13:8 (NET)

^[28] John 3:3 (NET)

^[29] John 3:5 (NET)

^[30] John 1:13 (NET)

^[32] 1 John 2:29 (NET)

^[33] 1 John 3:9 (NET)

^[34] 1 John 5:1a (NET)

^[35] John 10:14, 15 (NET)

^[36] 1 John 4:8 (NET)

^[37] 1 John 4:9, 10 (NET)

^[39] 1 John 4:11, 12 (NET)

^[40] 1 John 4:13 (NET)

^[41] 1 John 4:14 (NET)

^[43] 1 John 4:15, 16a (NET)

^[44] Fear – Genesis, Part 6

^[45] Matthew 17:9 (NET)

^[46] Matthew 17:5 (NET)

^[47] 2 Peter 1:16-18

^[48] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο σαυλος (KJV: Saul) nere. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[49] Acts 9:19b, 20 (NET) Table

^[50] 1 Peter 1:8, 9 (NET)

^[51] 1 Peter 1:22 (NET)

^[52] 1 Peter 2:17 (NET)

^[53] 1 Peter 4:8 (NET) Table

^[55] 1 Peter 5:14a (NET)

^[56] 2 Peter 1:5-7 (NET)

^[57] 2 Peter 1:3 (NET)

^[58] Romans 3:20 (NET)

^[59] 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; 2 Peter 1:2 (NET)

^[60] 1 John 4:8, 16 (NET)

^[61] 1 John 4:7 (NET); love comes from God (CEV, GWT, ISVNT, TEV, TMSG); love has its origin in God (MSNT), Greek: ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν (“because this love [1) out of, from, by, away from] the God is”)

^[63] Romans 13:10 (NET)

^[65] Matthew 5:17 (NET)

^[66] 1 John 4:16b-19 (NET)

^[67] 1 John 5:3-5 (NET)

^[68] 1 John 5:9, 10 (NET)

^[69] Son of God – 1 John, Part 1

^[70] 1 Corinthians 13:8 (NET) Romans, Part 44

^[71] 1 John 5:11-13 (NET)

^[72] Matthew 6:11 (NET)

^[74] Matthew 6:13 (NET)

^[75] 1 John 5:18-21 (NET) Table (v. 18)

^[76] Romans 10:3 (NET)

^[77] Philippians 3:8-11 (NET)

The Gospel and the Religious Mind

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

Tag Archives: John 1:13