Tag Archives: John 14:10

A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 7

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Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Meeting Tent (Leviticus 1:1-4 NET):

“Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When someone among you presents an offering to the Lord, you must present your offering from the domesticated animals, either from the herd or from the flock.

“‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he must present it as a flawless male; he must present it at the entrance of the Meeting Tent for its acceptance before the Lord.  He must lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf.

The Hebrew word translated flawless above was תָּמִ֖ים (tāmîm).   But since לִרְצֹנ֖וֹ (rāṣôn) was translated of his own voluntary will in the KJV rather than for its acceptance, I want to consider verses 3 and 4 in a bit more detail.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Leviticus 1:3, 4 (Tanakh) Leviticus 1:3, 4 (NET) Leviticus 1:3, 4 (NETS)

Leviticus 1:3, 4 (English Elpenor)
If his offering be a burnt-offering of the herd, he shall offer it a male without blemish (תָּמִ֖ים); he shall bring it to the door of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted (לִרְצֹנ֖וֹ) before HaShem. “‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he must present it as a flawless (tāmîm, תמים) male; he must present it at the entrance of the Meeting Tent for its acceptance (rāṣôn,  לרצנו) before the Lord. If this gift is a whole burnt offering from the cattle, he shall present a male without blemish (ἄμωμον); he shall bring it to the door of the tent of witness, acceptable (δεκτὸν) before the Lord. If his gift be a whole-burnt-offering, he shall bring an unblemished (ἄμωμον) male of the herd to the door of the tabernacle of witness, he shall bring it as acceptable (δεκτὸν) before the Lord.
And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering; and it shall be accepted (וְנִרְצָ֥ה) for him to make atonement for him. He must lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted (rāṣâ, ונרצה) for him to make atonement on his behalf. And he shall lay his hand on the head of the offering, a thing acceptable (δεκτὸν) to him to atone for him. And he shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt-offering as a thing acceptable (δεκτὸν) for him, to make atonement for him.

The rabbis who translated the Septuagint chose δεκτὸν (a form of δεκτός) for both לִרְצֹנ֖וֹ (rāṣôn) and וְנִרְצָ֥ה (rāṣâ).  It encourages me to believe that לִרְצֹנ֖וֹ (rāṣôn) in verse 3 had more to do with adjudicating the flawless quality of the offering before it was offered to the Lord than the free will of the one presenting that offering.  The translation of the Tanakh on chabad.org, however, is more agreeable to the KJV: He shall bring it willingly to the entrance of the Tent of Meeting, before the Lord.[1]

This concept of a flawless (NET) sacrifice without blemish (Tanakh), translated ἄμωμον (a form of ἄμωμος) in the Septuagint, carried over into the New Testament (Hebrews 9:13, 14 NET):

For if the blood of goats and bulls and the ashes of a young cow sprinkled on those who are defiled consecrated them and provided ritual purity, how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish (ἄμωμον, a form of ἄμωμος) to God, purify our[2] consciences from dead works to worship the living God.

The power here was never some magical property of blood.  Atonement from the offenses listed in Leviticus 5:1-4, for instance, required first that one must confess how he has sinned.[3]  Then he must bring…a female sheep or a female goat, for a sin offering.  So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin.[4]  If that was beyond the sinner’s means, however, two turtledoves or two young pigeons, would suffice, one for a sin offering and one for a burnt offering.[5]  When the sinner was too poor to buy two birds or too infirm to capture them alive, the Lord was willing to accept a tenth of an ephah of choice wheat flour for a sin offering.[6]

So the priest will make atonement on his behalf for his sin which he has committed by doing one of these things, and he will be forgiven.[7]

The power has always been God’s willingness to impute righteousness to those who believe Him (Romans 4:1-5, 23-25 NET).

What then shall we say that Abraham, our ancestor according to the flesh, has discovered regarding this matter?  For if Abraham was declared righteous by works, he has something to boast about—but not before God [Table].  For what does the scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” [See table below].  Now to the one who works, his pay is not credited due to grace but due to obligation [Table].  But to the one who does not work, but believes in the one who declares the ungodly righteous, his faith is credited as righteousness.

But the statement it was credited to him was not written only for Abraham’s sake, but also for our sake, to whom it will be credited, those who believe in the one who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead.  He was given over because of our transgressions and was raised for the sake of our justification.

[H]ow much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.[8]  Once my attention is diverted here from the “magical properties of blood” to the willingness of God to impute righteousness to those who believe Him, my focus shifts to the second clause.  Jesus offered himself without blemish to God through the eternal Spirit.  He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death—even death on a cross![9]

I always need to pause here to consider the word translated obedient (ὑπήκοος).  One of its meanings is “attentive listening.”  [Y]our word is truth,[10] Jesus prayed to his Father.  The boy Jesus listened attentively to what I call the Old Testament and became the man I know in the New Testament.  The man Jesus acknowledged that the Father who dwells in me does his works.[11]  So I have the written word of God and the indwelling Spirit of God effecting Jesus’ becoming obedient to the point of death.  It should be sufficient to overcome my tendency to hear obedient (ὑπήκοος) and obedience as works of my flesh, obeying rules in my own strength.

The writer of Hebrews continued to describe Jesus who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God (Hebrews 9:15-17 NET):

And so he is the mediator of a new covenant, so that those who are called may receive the eternal inheritance he has promised, since he died to set them free from the violations committed under the first covenant.  For where there is a will, the death of the one who made it must be proven.  For a will takes effect only at death, since it carries no force while the one who made it is alive.

So the death of Jesus, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God attentively listening to the word of God written in the Old Testament, inaugurated a new covenant of which He is mediator (μεσίτης).  Here I can begin to wrap my mind around how the blood of Christ can purify our consciences from dead works to worship the living God.  But the book of Hebrews was written primarily to Jews who had turned to faith in Jesus.  What were those dead works (νεκρῶν ἔργων)?

Surely the writer of Hebrews didn’t mean Leviticus, this wonderful book I am more and more recognizing as the gospel of the Old Testament.  One word, ἄμωμον (a form of ἄμωμος), from the first four verses led me directly to Jesus.  A few words from the fifth chapter helped illuminate the phrase the blood of Christ (τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ) and guided my mind away from magical thinking toward the power of God.  The Greek word ἀμώμου (another form of ἄμωμος) led me to Peter and some more insight into dead works (1 Peter 1:17-21 NET).

And if you address as Father the one who impartially[12] judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence.  You know that from your empty way of life inherited from your ancestors you were ransomed—not by perishable things like silver or gold, but by precious blood like that of an unblemished (ἀμώμου, another form of ἄμωμος) and spotless lamb, namely Christ.  He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last[13] times for your sake.  Through him you now trust[14] in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

Here the dead works Jesus’ purifies from our consciences was desribed as an empty way of life inherited from [our] ancestors (τῆς ματαίας ὑμῶν ἀναστροφῆς πατροπαραδότου) that we were ransomed from by his death on a cross.  Peter wrote primarily to Jewish believers in Jesus Christ (1 Peter 1:1, 2 NET):

From Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to those temporarily residing (παρεπιδήμοις, a form of παρεπίδημος) abroad (διασπορᾶς, a form of διασπορά)[15] (in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, the province of Asia, and Bithynia) who are chosen according to the foreknowledge of God the Father by being set apart by the Spirit for obedience (ὑπακοὴν, a form of ὑπακοή) and for sprinkling with Jesus Christ’s blood.  May grace and peace be yours in full measure!

Peter made it fairly clear that dead works did not reference the law, but the religious minds’ reactions to God’s law handed down from their ancestors’ religious practice.  That is something I can grasp.

Pain and humiliation are a boy’s constant companions on a ball field, any ball field.  Is there anything more humiliating than chasing into the outfield after a ball that got by you in the infield?  At the crack of a bat, the sight of a hardball careening anywhere near would cause a sane person to hurry off in any direction out of its path.

A boy trained by the humiliation of chasing it into the outfield races to intercept that ball.  He positions his body in front of it in such a way that an unanticipated bounce will strike his ankle, his shin, his knee, his belly, his chest, his arms, even his face if it misses his glove.  A fleshy bruise heals in days; a bone bruise heals in weeks.  The humiliation of chasing a ball that got passed him on an important play in a big game could last a lifetime.  The glory—“good catch,” “nice stop,” “way to hustle”—is as fleeting as the next crack of the bat.  And the boy calls it all fun!

How do you punish such a creature?  Pain and humiliation are his faithful companions.  Punishments that rely on them are likely to be perceived simply as a cost of doing business.  As I wrote in another essay, “Punishment is the currency of childhood.  It’s how one pays for what he wants.”

I think something similar to this had happened in Israel, that the worship described in Leviticus had become little more than a series of commercial transactions.  Jesus found in the temple courts those who were selling oxen and sheep and doves, and the money changers sitting at tables (John 2:14-16 NET).

So he made a whip of cords and drove them all out of the temple courts, with the sheep and the oxen.  He scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.  To those who sold the doves he said, “Take these things away from here!  Do not make my Father’s house a marketplace!”

But Paul, writing primarily to Gentiles, explained how Jesus’ death imparts his own blamelessness to those who believe Him (Colossians 1:21-23a NET):

And you were at one time strangers and enemies in your minds as expressed through your evil deeds, but now [Jesus] has reconciled you by his physical body through death to present you holy, without blemish (ἀμώμους, another form of ἄμωμος), and blameless before him—if indeed[16] you remain in the faith (τῇ πίστει), established and firm, without shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard (ἠκούσατε, a form of ἀκούω).

Indeed according to the law almost everything was purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness, the writer of Hebrews continued (Hebrews 9:22-28 NET).

So it was necessary for the sketches of the things in heaven to be purified with these sacrifices, but the heavenly things themselves required better sacrifices than these.  For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands—the representation of the true sanctuary—but into heaven itself, and he appears now in God’s presence for us.  And he did not enter to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the sanctuary year after year with blood that is not his own, for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world.  But now he has appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away (ἀθέτησιν, a form of ἀθέτησις) sin by his sacrifice.  And just as people are appointed to die once, and then to face judgment, so also,[17] after Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many, to those who eagerly await him he will appear a second time, not to bear sin but to bring salvation [Table].

According to a note (5) in the NET Romans 4:3b was a quotation from Genesis 15:6.  A table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to the Septuagint follows.

Romans 4:3b (NET Parallel Greek) Genesis 15:6 (Septuagint BLB) Table Genesis 15:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐπίστευσεν δὲ Ἀβραὰμ τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἐπίστευσεν Αβραμ τῷ θεῷ καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην καὶ ἐπίστευσεν ῞Αβραμ τῷ Θεῷ, καὶ ἐλογίσθη αὐτῷ εἰς δικαιοσύνην
Romans 4:3b (NET) Genesis 15:6 (NETS) Genesis 15:6 (English Elpenor)
Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness. And Abram believed God, and it was reckoned to him as righteousness. And Abram believed God, and it was counted to him for righteousness.

Tables comparing Leviticus 1:1; 1:2; 1:3 and 1:4 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Leviticus 1:1; 1:2 (1:1b, 2); 1:3 and 1:4 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Hebrews 9:14; 1 Peter 1:17; 1:20, 21 and Colossians 1:21-23 in the NET and KJV follow.

Leviticus 1:1 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 1:1 (KJV)

Leviticus 1:1 (NET)
THE HaShem called unto Moses, and spoke unto him out of the tent of meeting, saying: And the LORD called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle of the congregation, saying, Then the Lord called to Moses and spoke to him from the Meeting Tent:

Leviticus 1:1 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 1:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀνεκάλεσεν Μωυσῆν καὶ ἐλάλησεν κύριος αὐτῷ ἐκ τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου λέγων ΚΑΙ ἀνεκάλεσε Μωυσῆν, καὶ ἐλάλησε Κύριος αὐτῷ ἐκ τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου λέγων

Leviticus 1:1 (NETS)

Leviticus 1:1 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord summoned Moyses and spoke to him from the tent of witness, saying: And the Lord called Moses again and spoke to him out of the tabernacle of witness, saying, Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them,

Leviticus 1:2 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 1:2 (KJV)

Leviticus 1:2 (NET)
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them: When any man of you bringeth an offering unto HaShem, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd or of the flock. Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto the LORD, ye shall bring your offering of the cattle, even of the herd, and of the flock. “Speak to the Israelites and tell them, ‘When someone among you presents an offering to the Lord, you must present your offering from the domesticated animals, either from the herd or from the flock.

Leviticus 1:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 1:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
λάλησον τοῗς υἱοῗς Ισραηλ καὶ ἐρεῗς πρὸς αὐτούς ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐὰν προσαγάγῃ δῶρα τῷ κυρίῳ ἀπὸ τῶν κτηνῶν ἀπὸ τῶν βοῶν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν προβάτων προσοίσετε τὰ δῶρα ὑμῶν λάλησον τοῖς υἱοῖς ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ ἐρεῖς πρὸς αὐτούς· ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ὑμῶν ἐὰν προσαγάγῃ δῶρα τῷ Κυρίῳ, ἀπὸ τῶν κτηνῶν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν βοῶν καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν προβάτων προσοίσετε τὰ δῶρα ὑμῶν

Leviticus 1:2 (NETS)

Leviticus 1:1b, 2 (English Elpenor)
Speak to the sons of Israel, and you shall say to them: When a person of you brings gifts of livestock to the Lord, you shall bring your gifts from the cattle and from the sheep. Speak to the children of Israel, and thou shalt say to them, (2) If [any] man of you shall bring gifts to the Lord, ye shall bring your gifts of the cattle and of the oxen and of the sheep.

Leviticus 1:3 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 1:3 (KJV)

Leviticus 1:3 (NET)
If his offering be a burnt-offering of the herd, he shall offer it a male without blemish; he shall bring it to the door of the tent of meeting, that he may be accepted before HaShem. If his offering be a burnt sacrifice of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish: he shall offer it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the LORD. “‘If his offering is a burnt offering from the herd, he must present it as a flawless male; he must present it at the entrance of the Meeting Tent for its acceptance before the Lord.

Leviticus 1:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 1:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν ὁλοκαύτωμα τὸ δῶρον αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῶν βοῶν ἄρσεν ἄμωμον προσάξει πρὸς τὴν θύραν τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου προσοίσει αὐτὸ δεκτὸν ἐναντίον κυρίου ἐὰν ὁλοκαύτωμα τὸ δῶρον αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῶν βοῶν, ἄρσεν ἄμωμον προσάξει· πρὸς τὴν θύραν τῆς σκηνῆς τοῦ μαρτυρίου προσοίσει αὐτὸ δεκτὸν ἐναντίον Κυρίου

Leviticus 1:3 (NETS)

Leviticus 1:3 (English Elpenor)
If this gift is a whole burnt offering from the cattle, he shall present a male without blemish; he shall bring it to the door of the tent of witness, acceptable before the Lord. If his gift be a whole-burnt-offering, he shall bring an unblemished male of the herd to the door of the tabernacle of witness, he shall bring it as acceptable before the Lord.

Leviticus 1:4 (Tanakh)

 Leviticus 1:4 (KJV)

Leviticus 1:4 (NET)
And he shall lay his hand upon the head of the burnt-offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. And he shall put his hand upon the head of the burnt offering; and it shall be accepted for him to make atonement for him. He must lay his hand on the head of the burnt offering, and it will be accepted for him to make atonement on his behalf.

Leviticus 1:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Leviticus 1:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐπιθήσει τὴν χεῗρα ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ καρπώματος δεκτὸν αὐτῷ ἐξιλάσασθαι περὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπιθήσει τὴν χεῖρα ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν τοῦ καρπώματος, δεκτὸν αὐτῷ ἐξιλάσασθαι περὶ αὐτοῦ

Leviticus 1:4 (NETS)

Leviticus 1:4 (English Elpenor)
And he shall lay his hand on the head of the offering, a thing acceptable to him to atone for him. And he shall lay his hand on the head of the burnt-offering as a thing acceptable for him, to make atonement for him.

Hebrews 9:14 (NET)

Hebrews 9:14 (KJV)
how much more will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without blemish to God, purify our consciences from dead works to worship the living God. How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
πόσῳ μᾶλλον τὸ αἷμα τοῦ Χριστοῦ, ὃς διὰ πνεύματος αἰωνίου ἑαυτὸν προσήνεγκεν ἄμωμον τῷ θεῷ, καθαριεῖ τὴν συνείδησιν ἡμῶν ἀπὸ νεκρῶν ἔργων εἰς τὸ λατρεύειν θεῷ ζῶντι ποσω μαλλον το αιμα του χριστου ος δια πνευματος αιωνιου εαυτον προσηνεγκεν αμωμον τω θεω καθαριει την συνειδησιν υμων απο νεκρων εργων εις το λατρευειν θεω ζωντι ποσω μαλλον το αιμα του χριστου ος δια πνευματος αιωνιου εαυτον προσηνεγκεν αμωμον τω θεω καθαριει την συνειδησιν υμων απο νεκρων εργων εις το λατρευειν θεω ζωντι

1 Peter 1:17 (NET)

1 Peter 1:17 (KJV)
And if you address as Father the one who impartially judges according to each one’s work, live out the time of your temporary residence here in reverence. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man’s work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ εἰ πατέρα ἐπικαλεῖσθε τὸν ἀπροσωπολήμπτως κρίνοντα κατὰ τὸ ἑκάστου ἔργον, ἐν φόβῳ τὸν τῆς παροικίας ὑμῶν χρόνον ἀναστράφητε και ει πατερα επικαλεισθε τον απροσωποληπτως κρινοντα κατα το εκαστου εργον εν φοβω τον της παροικιας υμων χρονον αναστραφητε και ει πατερα επικαλεισθε τον απροσωπολημπτως κρινοντα κατα το εκαστου εργον εν φοβω τον της παροικιας υμων χρονον αναστραφητε
1 Peter 1:20, 21 (NET) 1 Peter 1:20, 21 (KJV)
He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was manifested in these last times for your sake. Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you,

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
προεγνωσμένου μὲν πρὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου φανερωθέντος δὲ ἐπ᾿ ἐσχάτου τῶν χρόνων δι᾿ ὑμᾶς προεγνωσμενου μεν προ καταβολης κοσμου φανερωθεντος δε επ εσχατων των χρονων δι υμας προεγνωσμενου μεν προ καταβολης κοσμου φανερωθεντος δε επ εσχατων των χρονων δι υμας
Through him you now trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. Who by him do believe in God, that raised him up from the dead, and gave him glory; that your faith and hope might be in God.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
τοὺς δι᾿ αὐτοῦ πιστοὺς εἰς θεὸν τὸν ἐγείραντα αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν καὶ δόξαν αὐτῷ δόντα, ὥστε τὴν πίστιν ὑμῶν καὶ ἐλπίδα εἶναι εἰς θεόν τους δι αυτου πιστευοντας εις θεον τον εγειραντα αυτον εκ νεκρων και δοξαν αυτω δοντα ωστε την πιστιν υμων και ελπιδα ειναι εις θεον τους δι αυτου πιστευοντας εις θεον τον εγειραντα αυτον εκ νεκρων και δοξαν αυτω δοντα ωστε την πιστιν υμων και ελπιδα ειναι εις θεον

Colossians 1:21-23 (NET)

Colossians 1:21-23 (KJV)
And you were at one time strangers and enemies in your minds as expressed through your evil deeds, And you, that were sometime alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now hath he reconciled

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ ὑμᾶς ποτε ὄντας ἀπηλλοτριωμένους καὶ ἐχθροὺς τῇ διανοίᾳ ἐν τοῖς ἔργοις τοῖς πονηροῖς και υμας ποτε οντας απηλλοτριωμενους και εχθρους τη διανοια εν τοις εργοις τοις πονηροις νυνι δε αποκατηλλαξεν και υμας ποτε οντας απηλλοτριωμενους και εχθρους τη διανοια εν τοις εργοις τοις πονηροις νυνι δε αποκατηλλαξεν
but now he has reconciled you by his physical body through death to present you holy, without blemish, and blameless before him— In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
νυνὶ δὲ ἀποκατήλλαξεν ἐν τῷ σώματι τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ διὰ τοῦ θανάτου παραστῆσαι ὑμᾶς ἁγίους καὶ ἀμώμους καὶ ἀνεγκλήτους κατενώπιον αὐτοῦ εν τω σωματι της σαρκος αυτου δια του θανατου παραστησαι υμας αγιους και αμωμους και ανεγκλητους κατενωπιον αυτου εν τω σωματι της σαρκος αυτου δια του θανατου παραστησαι υμας αγιους και αμωμους και ανεγκλητους κατενωπιον αυτου
if indeed you remain in the faith, established and firm, without shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard.  This gospel has also been preached in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become its servant. If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel, which ye have heard, and which was preached to every creature which is under heaven; whereof I Paul am made a minister;

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
εἴ γε ἐπιμένετε τῇ πίστει τεθεμελιωμένοι καὶ ἑδραῖοι καὶ μὴ μετακινούμενοι ἀπὸ τῆς ἐλπίδος τοῦ εὐαγγελίου οὗ ἠκούσατε, τοῦ κηρυχθέντος ἐν πάσῃ κτίσει τῇ ὑπὸ τὸν οὐρανόν, οὗ ἐγενόμην ἐγὼ Παῦλος διάκονος ειγε επιμενετε τη πιστει τεθεμελιωμενοι και εδραιοι και μη μετακινουμενοι απο της ελπιδος του ευαγγελιου ου ηκουσατε του κηρυχθεντος εν παση τη κτισει τη υπο τον ουρανον ου εγενομην εγω παυλος διακονος ειγε επιμενετε τη πιστει τεθεμελιωμενοι και εδραιοι και μη μετακινουμενοι απο της ελπιδος του ευαγγελιου ου ηκουσατε του κηρυχθεντος εν παση τη κτισει τη υπο τον ουρανον ου εγενομην εγω παυλος διακονος

[1] Leviticus 1:3b (Tanakh chabad.org)

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

[3] Leviticus 5:5b (NET) Table

[4] Leviticus 5:6 (NET) Table

[5] Leviticus 5:7b (NET) Table

[6] Leviticus 5:11b (NET) Table

[7] Leviticus 5:13a (NET) Table

[8] Hebrews 9:14 (NET)

[9] Philippians 2:8 (NET)

[10] John 17:17b (NET) Table

[11] John 14:10b (ESV) Table

[12] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had ἀπροσωπολήμπτως here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had απροσωποληπτως (KJV: without respect of persons).

[13] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐσχάτου here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εσχατων.

[14] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had πιστοὺς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πιστευοντας (KJV: do believe).

[15] From “1 Peter and the Diaspora” by Phillip J. Long on readingacts.com—

1 Peter 1:1 addresses “the elect” who are “scatted” [sic] (1:1, NIV).  Both words are significant in that they point to a Jewish audience.  The “Elect” is a common self-designation in Judaism.  They are the nation which God chose (via Abraham, or in the prophets, when he rescued the nation out of Egypt).   “Scattered” is the Greek diaspora, the Diaspora.  This was a word used frequently to describe Jews loving [sic] outside of the Land, including those regions addressed in 1 Peter 1:1.

[16] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had εἴ γε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειγε (KJV: If).

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

Psalm 22, Part 8

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This is a continuing look into Psalm 22 as the music in Jesus’ heart as He endured the cross.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Psalm 22:14c (Tanakh) Table Psalm 22:14c (NET) Psalm 21:15c (NETS)

Psalm 21:15c (Elpenor English)
my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My heart is like wax; it melts away inside me. my heart became like wax melting within my belly; my heart in the midst of my belly is become like melting wax.

Since the Masoretic text and Septuagint agree here, I want to spend some time considering what might have been on Jesus’ heart (Hebrew: לִ֖בִּי; Greek: ἡ καρδία μου).  Here are the first occurrences of לִבּ֔וֹ (lēḇ) in the Masoretic text.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 6:5, 6 (Tanakh) Genesis 6:5, 6 (NET) Genesis 6:5, 6 (NETS)

Genesis 6:5, 6 (English Elpenor)
And HaShem saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart (לִבּ֔וֹ) was only evil continually. But the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth.  Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds (lēḇ, לבו) was only evil all the time. And when the Lord God saw that the wicked deeds of humans were multiplied on the earth and that all think attentively in their hearts (τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ) on evil things all the days, And the Lord God, having seen that the wicked actions of men were multiplied upon the earth, and that every one in his heart (τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ) was intently brooding over evil continually,
And it repented HaShem that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart (לִבּֽוֹ) [Table]. The Lord regretted that he had made humankind on the earth, and he was highly offended (lēḇ, לבו) [Note 25: “and he was grieved to his heart”]. then God considered that he had made humankind on the earth, and he thought it over (διενοήθη). then God laid it to heart[1] that he had made man upon the earth, and he pondered [it] deeply (διενοήθη).

The end result of this repentance, regret, consideration and pondering was the flood (Genesis 6:9-8:20).  But the flood didn’t change the evil thoughts of human hearts.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Genesis 8:21 (Tanakh) Genesis 8:21 (NET) Genesis 8:21 (NETS)

Genesis 8:21 (English Elpenor)
And HaShem smelled the sweet savour; and HaShem said in His heart (לִבּ֗וֹ): ‘I will not again curse the ground any more for man’s sake; for the imagination of man’s heart (לֵ֧ב) is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done [Table]. And the Lord smelled the soothing aroma and said to himself (lēḇ, לבו) [Note 33: “in his heart”], “I will never again curse the ground because of humankind, even though the inclination of their minds (lēḇ, לב) is evil from childhood on.  I will never again destroy everything that lives, as I have just done. And the Lord God smelled an odor of fragrance, and the Lord God, when he had given it thought (διανοηθείς), said, “I will not proceed hereafter to curse the earth because of the deeds of humans, for the mind (διάνοια) of humankind applies itself attentively to evil things from youth; so I will not proceed hereafter to smite all living flesh, as I have done. And the Lord God smelled a smell of sweetness, and the Lord God having considered (διανοηθείς), said, I will not any more curse the earth, because of the works of men, because the imagination (διάνοια) of man is intently bent upon evil things from his youth, I will not therefore any more smite all living flesh as I have done.

Jesus continued this teaching about the human heart (Matthew 15:18, 19; Mark 7:20-23 NET):

But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart (καρδίας, a form of καρδία), and these things defile a person.  For out of the heart (καρδίας) come evil ideas, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

What comes out of a person defiles him.  For from within, out of the human heart (καρδίας), come evil ideas, sexual immorality,[2] theft,[3] murder, adultery,[4] greed, evil, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and folly.  All these evils come from within and defile a person.

The first occurrences of לִבּ֔וֹ (lēḇ) in Genesis from the Masoretic text had me thinking this essay would be a contrast between the heart of human beings and the heart of God.  As I made or studied the tables for these verses, however, I noticed that the rabbis who translated the Septuagint veered away from a mechanical translation (if a form of לֵב [lēḇ] was actually in the Hebrew they translated) whenever God was the subject.  I took it to heart.  It was a human heart, THE human heart, that melted like wax on the cross.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Psalm 68:2 (Tanakh) Psalm 68:2 (NET) Psalm 67:3 (NETS)

Psalm 67:3 (English Elpenor)
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax (דּ֖וֹנַג) melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. As smoke is driven away by the wind, so you drive them away.  As wax (dônāḡ, דונג) melts before fire, so the wicked are destroyed before God. As smoke vanishes, let them vanish; as wax (κηρὸς) melts from before fire, so may sinners perish from before God. As smoke vanishes, let them vanish: as wax (κηρὸς) melts before the fire, so let the sinners perish from before God.

David’s prayer got a very literal answer in the movie Raiders of the Lost Ark when NAZIs, the contemporary archetype of evil, and their French collaborator literally melted like wax before the ark of the covenant.  But NAZIs and their collaborators are not the only ones with evil human hearts, the source of evil ideas, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, evil, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and folly.

Do not be amazed that I said to you, Jesus said, ‘You must all be born from above.’[5]  Paul wrote of Jesus: For he hath made him…sin for us, who knew no sin…[6]  I don’t believe the phrase τὸν μὴ γνόντα ἁμαρτίαν (who knew no sin) means that Jesus lacked an evil human heart.  Quite the contrary, the Word became flesh,[7] John testified of Jesus.  Jesus stated explicitly how He knew (γνόντα, a form of γινώσκω) no sin: the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.[8]

Jesus is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith,[9] the beginning, the firstborn from the dead:[10] Before his crucifixion He was a human being with an evil human heart so led by the Holy Spirit, so filled with God’s own love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that He knew no sin.  But the Word become flesh did not need anyone to testify about man, for he knew (ἐγίνωσκεν, another form of γινώσκω) what was in man.[11]  And God hath made him…sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made[12] the righteousness of God in him.[13]

The writer of Hebrews, who I think scribed what Jesus taught during the forty days between his resurrection and ascension, was fairly explicit about Jesus’ humanity (Hebrews 2:14-17; 4:15 NET):

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, he likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death.  For surely his concern (ἐπιλαμβάνεται, a form of ἐπιλαμβάνω) is not for angels, but he is concerned (ἐπιλαμβάνεται, a form of ἐπιλαμβάνω) for Abraham’s descendants.  Therefore he had to be made like his brothers and sisters in every respect (κατὰ πάντα), so that he could become a merciful and faithful high priest in things relating to God, to make atonement for the sins of the people.

For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted[14] in every way just as we are (καθ᾿ ὁμοιότητα), yet without sin.

Through faith in Him we, too, receive his Holy Spirit (2 Corinthians 1:21, 22 NET):

But it is God who establishes us together with you in Christ and who anointed us, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts (ἐν ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν) as a down payment.

Paul prayed for the inner strengthening each of us needs to be a dwelling place of God (Ephesians 3:14-19 NET):

I kneel before the Father [Table], from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named.  I pray that according to the wealth of his glory he will grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person [Table], that Christ will dwell in your hearts (ταῖς καρδίαις ὑμῶν) through faith, so that, because you have been rooted and grounded in love, you will be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth [Table], and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you will be filled up to all the fullness of God.

I can think of no better way to end this essay than to conclude with Paul’s own benediction (Ephesians 3:20, 21 NET):

Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond[15] all that we ask or think, to him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever.  Amen [Table].

Tables comparing Genesis 6:5 and Psalm 68:2 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing Genesis 6:5 and Psalm 68:2 (67:3) in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Mark 7:21, 22; Hebrews 4:15 and Ephesians 3:20 in the NET and KJV follow.

Genesis 6:5 (Tanakh)

 Genesis 6:5 (KJV)

Genesis 6:5 (NET)
And HaShem saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually. But the Lord saw that the wickedness of humankind had become great on the earth.  Every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time.

Genesis 6:5 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 6:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἰδὼν δὲ κύριος ὁ θεὸς ὅτι ἐπληθύνθησαν αἱ κακίαι τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ πᾶς τις διανοεῗται ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἐπιμελῶς ἐπὶ τὰ πονηρὰ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας ᾿Ιδὼν δὲ Κύριος ὁ Θεός, ὅτι ἐπληθύνθησαν αἱ κακίαι τῶν ἀνθρώπων ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ πᾶς τις διανοεῖται ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ αὐτοῦ ἐπιμελῶς ἐπὶ τὰ πονηρὰ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας,

Genesis 6:5 (NETS)

Genesis 6:5 (English Elpenor)
And when the Lord God saw that the wicked deeds of humans were multiplied on the earth and that all think attentively in their hearts on evil things all the days, And the Lord God, having seen that the wicked actions of men were multiplied upon the earth, and that every one in his heart was intently brooding over evil continually,

Psalm 68:2 (Tanakh)

 Psalm 68:2 (KJV)

Psalm 68:2 (NET)
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God. As smoke is driven away by the wind, so you drive them away.  As wax melts before fire, so the wicked are destroyed before God.

Psalm 68:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 67:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὡς ἐκλείπει καπνός ἐκλιπέτωσαν ὡς τήκεται κηρὸς ἀπὸ προσώπου πυρός οὕτως ἀπόλοιντο οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ θεοῦ ὡς ἐκλείπει καπνός, ἐκλιπέτωσαν· ὡς τήκεται κηρὸς ἀπὸ προσώπου πυρός, οὕτως ἀπολοῦνται οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ ἀπὸ προσώπου τοῦ Θεοῦ

Psalm 67:3 (NETS)

Psalm 67:3 (English Elpenor)
As smoke vanishes, let them vanish; as wax melts from before fire, so may sinners perish from before God. As smoke vanishes, let them vanish: as wax melts before the fire, so let the sinners perish from before God.

Mark 7:21, 22 (NET)

Mark 7:21, 22 (KJV)
For from within, out of the human heart, come evil ideas, sexual immorality, theft, murder, For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἔσωθεν γὰρ ἐκ τῆς καρδίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων οἱ διαλογισμοὶ οἱ κακοὶ ἐκπορεύονται, πορνεῖαι, κλοπαί, φόνοι εσωθεν γαρ εκ της καρδιας των ανθρωπων οι διαλογισμοι οι κακοι εκπορευονται μοιχειαι πορνειαι φονοι εσωθεν γαρ εκ της καρδιας των ανθρωπων οι διαλογισμοι οι κακοι εκπορευονται μοιχειαι πορνειαι φονοι
adultery, greed, evil, deceit, debauchery, envy, slander, pride, and folly. Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
μοιχεῖαι, πλεονεξίαι, πονηρίαι, δόλος, ἀσέλγεια, ὀφθαλμὸς πονηρός, βλασφημία, ὑπερηφανία, ἀφροσύνη κλοπαι πλεονεξιαι πονηριαι δολος ασελγεια οφθαλμος πονηρος βλασφημια υπερηφανια αφροσυνη κλοπαι πλεονεξιαι πονηριαι δολος ασελγεια οφθαλμος πονηρος βλασφημια υπερηφανια αφροσυνη

Hebrews 4:15 (NET)

Hebrews 4:15 (KJV)
For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
οὐ γὰρ ἔχομεν ἀρχιερέα μὴ δυνάμενον συμπαθῆσαι ταῖς ἀσθενείαις ἡμῶν, πεπειρασμένον δὲ κατὰ πάντα καθ᾿ ὁμοιότητα χωρὶς ἁμαρτίας ου γαρ εχομεν αρχιερεα μη δυναμενον συμπαθησαι ταις ασθενειαις ημων πεπειραμενον δε κατα παντα καθ ομοιοτητα χωρις αμαρτιας ου γαρ εχομεν αρχιερεα μη δυναμενον συμπαθησαι ταις ασθενειαις ημων πεπειραμενον δε κατα παντα καθ ομοιοτητα χωρις αμαρτιας

Ephesians 3:20 (NET)

Ephesians 3:20 (KJV)
Now to him who by the power that is working within us is able to do far beyond all that we ask or think, Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Τῷ δὲ δυναμένῳ ὑπὲρ πάντα ποιῆσαι ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ ὧν αἰτούμεθα ἢ νοοῦμεν κατὰ τὴν δύναμιν τὴν ἐνεργουμένην ἐν ἡμῖν τω δε δυναμενω υπερ παντα ποιησαι υπερ εκπερισσου ων αιτουμεθα η νοουμεν κατα την δυναμιν την ενεργουμενην εν ημιν τω δε δυναμενω υπερ παντα ποιησαι υπερ εκπερισσου ων αιτουμεθα η νοουμεν κατα την δυναμιν την ενεργουμενην εν ημιν

[1] The phrase laid it to heart is an English translation of the Greek word ἐνεθυμήθη (a form of ἐνθυμέομαι).

[2] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μοιχειαι (KJV: adulteries) preceding sexual immorality (KJV: fornications).  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

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

[4] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had μοιχειαι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had κλοπαί (KJV: Thefts).

[5] John 3:7 (NET)

[6] 2 Corinthians 5:21a (KJV) Table I deliberately dropped the words to be added by the translators.  They are not in the Greek and they add nothing to my understanding.

[7] John 1:14a (NET)

[8] John 14:10b (KJV) Table

[9] Hebrews 12:2b (NET) Table

[10] Colossians 1:18b (NET)

[11] John 2:25 (NET)

[12] The Sephanus Textus Receptus had γινωμεθα here, where the NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had γενώμεθα (NET: would become).

[13] 2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV) Table

[14] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had πεπειρασμένον here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πεπειραμενον (KJV: was…tempted).

[15] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὑπερεκπερισσοῦ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had υπερ εκπερισσου (KJV: abundantly above).

Who Am I? Part 12

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Jesus said, I always do those things that please him[1] (literally: “I the pleasing things do always”).

“How?” I ask.  I couldn’t even say, “I always lie.”

The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works,[2] Jesus replied.

But I say, Paul wrote, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.[3]

I’ve written that I became an atheist during my prodigal years.  That is technically correct according to the definition that pops up in Google: “a person who disbelieves or lacks belief in the existence of God or gods.”  I stopped believing in my god of punishment for a few years, and I certainly didn’t believe in the existence of any other gods.  But I was by no means a practicing atheist.

To become a practicing atheist is at least as difficult as becoming a do-it-yourself-Christian.  Atheists exist in a world where God the Father is making Jesus’ enemies a footstool for [his] feet;[4] God the Holy Spirit is proving the world wrong concerning sin and righteousness and judgment;[5] and God the Son promised to draw all…to myself.[6]  The practicing atheist must be ever-vigilant to withstand his relentless love while striving to make this world the place where the omnipresent God is not.  The atheist philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche lamented, “I am afraid we are not rid of God because we still have faith in grammar.”[7]

It’s probably more meaningful to say that my free will became relatively unfettered from God for a time.  Since I didn’t study the Bible in English, much less in Greek, I didn’t know anything about ἀπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ.  I didn’t see the connection between ἀπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ and θέλημα.  I was clueless that the noun θέλημα related to the verb θέλω: “I want.”  But with my own free will relatively unfettered from God I was about to get a crash course in I want.

The following Gospel harmony provides a glimpse into Jesus’ free will as I want:

Matthew 26:36-39a (NET)

 Mark 14:32-35 (NET) Luke 22:39-41 (NET)

John 18:1 (NET)
When he had said these things (John 13:31-17:26),
Then Jesus went with them Then they went Then Jesus went out and made his way, as he customarily did, to the Mount of Olives, and the[8] disciples followed him. Jesus went out with his disciples
across the[9] Kidron Valley.   There was an orchard there,
to a place called Gethsemane,[10] to a place called Gethsemane,[11]
When he came to the place,
and he and his disciples went into it.
and he said to the disciples, and Jesus said to his disciples, he said to them,
“Sit here while I go over there and pray.” “Sit here while I pray.”
“Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”
He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and he became anguished and distressed.  Then he[12] said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death.  Remain here and stay awake with me.” He took Peter, James,[13] and John[14] with him,[15] and became very troubled and distressed.  He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death.  Remain here and stay alert.”
Going a little farther, he threw himself down with his face to the ground and prayed, Going a little farther, he threw[16] himself to the ground and prayed He went away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed,
that if it were possible the hour would pass from him.

Jesus’ will here, what He wanted, was not to be tortured to death.  My Father, if possible, let this cup pass[17] from me![18] He prayed according to Matthew’s Gospel narrative.  Abba, Father, all things are possible for you, Mark’s Gospel narrative clarified.  Take this cup away from me.[19]  This is perfectly intelligible to me.

I want to live, not to die.  If I must die, I want that death to be as easy as possible.  Viewed this way Jesus’ expressed a fundamental aspect of the human will.  But viewed in the context of his own life and words, I get a very different picture.  He had already stated quite publicly (John 12:27, 28a NET):

“Now my soul is greatly distressed.  And what should I say? ‘Father, deliver me from this hour’?  No, but for this very reason I have come to this hour.  Father, glorify your name.”

And then privately, alone in prayer with his Father, He did exactly that: He prayed that if it were possible the hour would pass from him.[20]  This is so pathetically human I can hear the pre-echo of Paul’s lament: Wretched man that I am!  Who will rescue me from this body of death?[21]  Jesus’ prayer was more nuanced, however, than I’ve made it seem.  His free will was more constrained by the will of his Father.

Matthew 26:39b (NET)

 Mark 14:36 (NET)

Luke 22:42 (NET)
He said,
“My Father, if possible, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you.
“Father, if you are willing,
let this cup pass from me!  Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Take this cup away from me.  Yet not what I will, but what you will.” take this cup away[22] from me.  Yet not my will but yours be done.”

Jesus’ will was subordinate to his Father’s will (letter C of the throne diagram).  Father, if you are willing (εἰ βούλει), He prayed before his request in Luke’s Gospel narrative.  Yet not my will (πλὴν μὴ τὸ θέλημα μου), followed his request, but yours be done (ἀλλὰ τὸ σὸν γινέσθω).  Matthew’s and Mark’s Gospel narratives had the following after Jesus’ request:

Matthew 26:39c (NET)

Mark 14:36c (NET)
Yet not what I will, but what you will. Yet not what I will, but what you will.

Matthew 26:39c (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 14:36c (NET Parallel Greek)
πλὴν οὐχ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω ἀλλ᾿ ὡς σύ ἀλλ᾿ οὐ τί ἐγὼ θέλω ἀλλὰ τί σύ

Though I didn’t study the Bible, this story was unavoidable as Easter approached.  I don’t recall it being presented as a Gospel harmony.  We were Protestant.  Visual aids were not generally used upstairs in gownup church.  I do remember flipping back and forth between Gospel accounts during sermons.  That’s how I knew they “needed” harmonizing.

As a boy I found it embarrassing, even a little disconcerting, how much Jesus feared death.  I’m sure preachers tried to explain how it wasn’t a fear of death, but that just seemed like a cover for their own embarrassment over Jesus’ lack of machismo.  Besides, Jesus was so perfect, it was all going to work out okay in the end—for Him.  What follows always seemed like the point of the story to me.

Matthew 26:40, 41 (NET)

Mark 14:37, 38 (NET)
Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping.  He said to Peter, Then he came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter,
“Simon, are you sleeping?
“So, couldn’t you stay awake with me for one hour?  Stay awake and pray that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Couldn’t you stay awake for one hour?  Stay awake and pray that you will not fall[23] into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

I thought I needed to be stronger than Peter and the other disciples, stronger even than Jesus perhaps:

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

   To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

   Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;[24]

[Jesus] did not need anyone to testify about man, for he knew what was in man.[25]  For we do not have a high priest incapable of sympathizing with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way just as we are, yet without sin.[26]  But I missed completely that when Jesus said, The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak, He referred primarily to Himself.  He wasn’t chiding his disciples so much as empathizing with them, as he continued to wrestle in prayer with the weakness of his own flesh.

Matthew 26:42 (NET)

 Mark 14:39 (NET)

Luke 22:43 ,44 (NET)
He went away a second time and prayed, He went away again and prayed the same thing.
Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him.  And in his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
“My Father, if this cup[27] cannot be taken away[28] unless I drink it, your will must be done.”

An argument could be made that the angel from heaven didn’t appear until Jesus’ third prayer session.  I placed this appearance in the second because I know what comes next.  We are taken from a scene of Jesus in anguish praying more earnestly with sweat…like drops of blood to a scene where Jesus is terrifyingly calm.  These scenes are separated not by decades, nor years, not months, nor weeks, not even days: It was only a matter of moments before Jesus asked Peter and the other disciples: How then would the scriptures that say it must happen this way be fulfilled?[29]

Despite my attempt to add a few moments here the angel may not have appeared before Jesus prayed: My Father, if this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will must be done.  The clause your will must be done (γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημα σου) struck me as I consider free will in general and Jesus’ free will in particular.  The subject, your will, is τὸ θέλημα σου.  The NET translators chose must be done for the verb γενηθήτω, a passive imperative form of γίνομαι.  I laughed out loud at a passive imperative.

It was clear that must was intended to convey the imperative aspect and be done the passive aspect.  But I couldn’t grasp whether the imperative aspect should hold sway (your will must be done by me), or the passive aspect (your will must be done to me).  Gary Gagliardi’s insight on Christ’s Words — The Mysteries of Jesus’s Greek Revealed was helpful here:

The word translated as “be” means “to become,” that is, to enter into a new state. In Greek, especially as used by Jesus, it is the opposite of “being,” which is existence in the current state. It is in a form that doesn’t exist in English, the 3rd person command in the passive. In translation a 3rd person command is usually translated with a leading “let”, so “let your.”

Mr. Gagliardi’s translation, “let your desire come into being,” seemed like a perfect solution until I tried to make it more concrete with a simpler command: one in authority says, “I want you to wash the dishes.”  “Let your desire come into being,” rings true if the one under authority says it on the way to washing the dishes.  But if the one under authority simply stands there, or sits there, and says, “Let your desire come into being,” I have a fairly practical demonstration of James’ maxim (James 2:17 KJV):

Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.

The translation alone for the Greek word ἑαυτήν (NET: itself) seems to strengthen the connection to a later statement: You see[30] that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone (μόνον, a form of μόνος; KJV: only).[31]  Jesus presented this same issue to the chief priests and elders of the people as a question (Matthew 21:28-31a NET):

What do you think?  A man had two sons.  He went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today’ [Table].  The boy answered, ‘I will (θέλω) not.’  But later he had a change of heart and went.  The father went to the other son and said the same thing.  This boy answered, ‘I will, sir (ἐγώ, κύριε),’ but did not go.  Which of the two did (ἐποίησεν, a form of ποιέω) his father’s will (θέλημα) [Table]?

The works are so integrated into the faith we would probably call it faithworks if we were physicists.  But who does these faithworks?  Do I do them as continuous acts of my own free will or do they come from God?  I expressed my current bias clearly at the beginning of this essay: The Father that dwelleth in me, Jesus said, he doeth the works.[32]

The scene of Jesus’ anguish in prayer continued:

Matthew 26:43-46 (NET)

 Mark 14:40-42 (NET)

Luke 22:45, 46 (NET)
When he got up from prayer,
He came again and found[33] them sleeping; When he came[34] again he found them sleeping; he came to the disciples and found them sleeping,
exhausted from grief.
they could not keep their eyes open. they could not keep their eyes open.[35]
. And they did not know what to tell him.
So he said to them, “Why are you sleeping?  Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation!”
So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same thing once more.[36]
Then he came to the[37] disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?
Enough of that!
Look, the hour is approaching, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Get up, let us go.  Look!  My betrayer is approaching!” The hour has come.  Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Get up, let us go.  Look!  My betrayer is approaching!”

And that abruptly we are in a new scene: Jesus is back, large and in charge, and terrifyingly calm.  It is probably time to call terrifyingly calm what it actually is: the peace (εἰρήνη) of God that surpasses all understanding,[38] an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit.  Jesus, strengthened by an angel from heaven, prayed in anguish as the human response exemplified by his disciples was to sleep.  Jesus exhibited the peace of God that surpasses all understanding when the human response exemplified by his disciples was fight (Matthew 26:51-54; Mark 14:47-49; Luke 22:49-52; John 18:10, 11) or flight (Matthew 26:56; Mark 14:50-52).

It becomes more and more impossible for me to believe that Jesus subordinated his will—“I want not to be tortured to death”—to his Father’s will by an act of his own free will, which was—“I want not to be tortured to death” at that moment. The apparent choices, willpower or the indwelling Spirit of God, are listed in a tabular form:

Willpower

The Indwelling Spirit of God
If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

Except the Will which says to them: “Hold on”;

 The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

But that’s Jesus.  What about me?  For it is God which worketh in you, Paul wrote to those who believe Jesus, both to will and to do of his good pleasure.[39]

The Greek word translated worketh is ἐνεργῶν (a form of ἐνεργέω).  The word translated to will is θέλειν (a form of θέλω).  And the word translated to do is ἐνεργεῖν (another form of ἐνεργέω).

To conclude I’ll consider the passive imperative γενηθήτω again, not as a bad joke but as a source of real insight.  I’m more confident that your will must be done by the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.  But there is an aspect of your will must be done to me as well here:

Matthew 26:45b, 46 (NET)

Mark 14:41b, 42 (NET)
Look, the hour is approaching, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners…My betrayer is approaching!” The hour has come.  Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners…My betrayer is approaching!”

The Greek word translated betrayed is παραδίδοται (a form of παραδίδωμι).  The same word was translated will be handed over when Jesus told his disciples, You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be handed over (παραδίδοται) to be crucified.[40]  It was translated is delivered in the KJV when Jesus taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered (παραδίδοται) into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third[41] day.[42]

Though the emphasis above may be on the betrayer (παραδιδούς, another form of παραδίδωμι) Judas Iscariot, Jesus was handed over and delivered by God the Father long before Judas was born: How then would the scriptures that say it must happen this way be fulfilled?[43]  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten (μονογενῆ, a form of μονογενής) Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.[44]  Yet none of this was contrary to Jesus’ own free will (John 10:17, 18 NET).

This is why the Father loves me—because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again.  No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will. [45]  I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again.  This commandment I received from my Father.

This leads me to a third aspect: your will must be done through me.  Whether this aspect is implicit in the passive imperative γενηθήτω or not, it is revealed in this story.  These three aspects are difficult for me to hold in my mind simultaneously as one whole (not unlike the nine aspects of the fruit of the Spirit).  Those who believe have God’s promise to guide us through this and every faithwork.

Masoretic Text

 Septuagint
Isaiah 55:10, 11 (Tanakh) Isaiah 55:10, 11 (NET) Isaiah 55:10, 11 (NETS)

Isaiah 55:10, 11 (English Elpenor)
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: The rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return, but instead water the earth and make it produce and yield crops, and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat. For as rain or snow comes down from heaven and will not return until it has soaked the earth and brought forth and blossomed and given seed to the sower and bread for food, For as rain shall come down, or snow, from heaven, and shall not return until it have saturated the earth, and it bring forth, and bud, and give seed to the sower, and bread for food:
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. In the same way, the promise that I make does not return to me, having accomplished nothing.  No, it is realized as I desire and is fulfilled as I intend.” so shall my word be, whatever goes out from my mouth; it shall not return until whatever I have willed (ἠθέλησα) is fulfilled, and I will prosper your ways and my commandments. so shall my word be, whatever shall proceed out of my mouth, it shall by no means turn back, until all the things which I willed (ἠθέλησα) shall have been accomplished; and I will make thy[46] ways prosperous, and [will effect] my commands.

Tables comparing Isaiah 55:10 and 55:11 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing Isaiah 55:10 and 55:11 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Matthew 26:36; 26:38, 39; Mark 14:32, 33; 14:35; Luke 22:39; John 18:1; Luke 22:42; Mark 14:38; Matthew 26:42; James 2:24; Matthew 26:43-45; Mark 14:40 and 9:31 in the NET and KJV follow.

Isaiah 55:10 (Tanakh)

Isaiah 55:10 (KJV)

Isaiah 55:10 (NET)
For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: The rain and snow fall from the sky and do not return, but instead water the earth and make it produce and yield crops, and provide seed for the planter and food for those who must eat.

Isaiah 55:10 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 55:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὡς γὰρ ἐὰν καταβῇ ὑετὸς ἢ χιὼν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποστραφῇ ἕως ἂν μεθύσῃ τὴν γῆν καὶ ἐκτέκῃ καὶ ἐκβλαστήσῃ καὶ δῷ σπέρμα τῷ σπείροντι καὶ ἄρτον εἰς βρῶσιν ὡς γὰρ ἂν καταβῇ ὁ ὑετὸς ἢ χιὼν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποστραφῇ, ἕως ἂν μεθύσῃ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἐκτέκῃ καὶ ἐκβλαστήσῃ καὶ δῷ σπέρμα τῷ σπείραντι καὶ ἄρτον εἰς βρῶσιν

Isaiah 55:10 (NETS)

Isaiah 55:10 (English Elpenor)
For as rain or snow comes down from heaven and will not return until it has soaked the earth and brought forth and blossomed and given seed to the sower and bread for food, For as rain shall come down, or snow, from heaven, and shall not return until it have saturated the earth, and it bring forth, and bud, and give seed to the sower, and bread for food:

Isaiah 55:11 (Tanakh)

 Isaiah 55:11 (KJV)

Isaiah 55:11 (NET)
So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. In the same way, the promise that I make does not return to me, having accomplished nothing.  No, it is realized as I desire and is fulfilled as I intend.”

Isaiah 55:11 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 55:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὕτως ἔσται τὸ ῥῆμά μου ὃ ἐὰν ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου οὐ μὴ ἀποστραφῇ ἕως ἂν συντελεσθῇ ὅσα ἠθέλησα καὶ εὐοδώσω τὰς ὁδούς σου καὶ τὰ ἐντάλματά μου οὕτως ἔσται τὸ ῥῆμά μου, ὃ ἐὰν ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου, οὐ μὴ ἀποστραφῇ, ἕως ἂν τελεσθῇ ὅσα ἂν ἠθέλησα καὶ εὐοδώσω τὰς ὁδούς μου καὶ τὰ ἐντάλματά μου

Isaiah 55:11 (NETS)

Isaiah 55:11 (English Elpenor)
so shall my word be, whatever goes out from my mouth; it shall not return until whatever I have willed is fulfilled, and I will prosper your ways and my commandments. so shall my word be, whatever shall proceed out of my mouth, it shall by no means turn back, until all the things which I willed shall have been accomplished; and I will make thy ways prosperous, and [will effect] my commands.

Matthew 26:36 (NET)

Matthew 26:36 (KJV)
Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to the disciples, “Sit here while I go over there and pray.” Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Τότε ἔρχεται μετ᾿ αὐτῶν ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἰς χωρίον λεγόμενον Γεθσημανὶ καὶ λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς· καθίσατε αὐτοῦ ἕως [οὗ] ἀπελθὼν ἐκεῖ προσεύξωμαι τοτε ερχεται μετ αυτων ο ιησους εις χωριον λεγομενον γεθσημανη και λεγει τοις μαθηταις καθισατε αυτου εως ου απελθων προσευξωμαι εκει τοτε ερχεται μετ αυτων ο ιησους εις χωριον λεγομενον γεθσημανη και λεγει τοις μαθηταις καθισατε αυτου εως ου απελθων προσευξωμαι εκει

Matthew 26:38, 39 (NET)

Matthew 26:38, 39 (KJV)
Then he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death.  Remain here and stay awake with me.” Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
τότε λέγει αὐτοῖς· περίλυπος ἐστιν ἡ ψυχή μου ἕως θανάτου· μείνατε ὧδε καὶ γρηγορεῖτε μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ τοτε λεγει αυτοις περιλυπος εστιν η ψυχη μου εως θανατου μεινατε ωδε και γρηγορειτε μετ εμου τοτε λεγει αυτοις ο ιησους περιλυπος εστιν η ψυχη μου εως θανατου μεινατε ωδε και γρηγορειτε μετ εμου
Going a little farther, he threw himself down with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me!  Yet not what I will, but what you will.” And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ προελθὼν μικρὸν ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ προσευχόμενος καὶ λέγων· πάτερ μου, εἰ δυνατόν ἐστιν, παρελθάτω ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ τὸ ποτήριον τοῦτο· πλὴν οὐχ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω ἀλλ᾿ ὡς σύ και προελθων μικρον επεσεν επι προσωπον αυτου προσευχομενος και λεγων πατερ μου ει δυνατον εστιν παρελθετω απ εμου το ποτηριον τουτο πλην ουχ ως εγω θελω αλλ ως συ και προσελθων μικρον επεσεν επι προσωπον αυτου προσευχομενος και λεγων πατερ μου ει δυνατον εστιν παρελθετω απ εμου το ποτηριον τουτο πλην ουχ ως εγω θελω αλλ ως συ

Mark 14:32, 33 (NET)

Mark 14:32, 33 (KJV)
Then they went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples, “Sit here while I pray.” And they came to a place which was named Gethsemane: and he saith to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I shall pray.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ ἔρχονται εἰς χωρίον οὗ τὸ ὄνομα Γεθσημανὶ καὶ λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· καθίσατε ὧδε ἕως προσεύξωμαι και ερχονται εις χωριον ου το ονομα γεθσημανη και λεγει τοις μαθηταις αυτου καθισατε ωδε εως προσευξωμαι και ερχονται εις χωριον ου το ονομα γεθσημανη και λεγει τοις μαθηταις αυτου καθισατε ωδε εως προσευξωμαι
He took Peter, James, and John with him, and became very troubled and distressed. And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ παραλαμβάνει τὸν Πέτρον καὶ [τὸν] Ἰάκωβον καὶ [τὸν] Ἰωάννην μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἤρξατο ἐκθαμβεῖσθαι καὶ ἀδημονεῖν και παραλαμβανει τον πετρον και τον ιακωβον και ιωαννην μεθ εαυτου και ηρξατο εκθαμβεισθαι και αδημονειν και παραλαμβανει τον πετρον και ιακωβον και ιωαννην μεθ εαυτου και ηρξατο εκθαμβεισθαι και αδημονειν

Mark 14:35 (NET)

Mark 14:35 (KJV)
Going a little farther, he threw himself to the ground and prayed that if it were possible the hour would pass from him. And he went forward a little, and fell on the ground, and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ προελθὼν μικρὸν ἔπιπτεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς καὶ προσηύχετο ἵνα εἰ δυνατόν ἐστιν παρέλθῃ ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἡ ὥρα και προελθων μικρον επεσεν επι της γης και προσηυχετο ινα ει δυνατον εστιν παρελθη απ αυτου η ωρα και προσελθων μικρον επεσεν επι της γης και προσηυχετο ινα ει δυνατον εστιν παρελθη απ αυτου η ωρα

Luke 22:39 (NET)

Luke 22:39 (KJV)
Then Jesus went out and made his way, as he customarily did, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And he came out, and went, as he was wont, to the mount of Olives; and his disciples also followed him.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ ἐξελθὼν ἐπορεύθη κατὰ τὸ ἔθος εἰς τὸ ὄρος τῶν ἐλαιῶν, ἠκολούθησαν δὲ αὐτῷ |καὶ| οἱ μαθηταί και εξελθων επορευθη κατα το εθος εις το ορος των ελαιων ηκολουθησαν δε αυτω και οι μαθηται αυτου και εξελθων επορευθη κατα το εθος εις το ορος των ελαιων ηκολουθησαν δε αυτω και οι μαθηται αυτου

John 18:1 (NET)

John 18:1 (KJV)
When he had said these things, Jesus went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley.  There was an orchard there, and he and his disciples went into it. When Jesus had spoken these words, he went forth with his disciples over the brook Cedron, where was a garden, into the which he entered, and his disciples.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Ταῦτα εἰπὼν Ἰησοῦς ἐξῆλθεν σὺν τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ πέραν τοῦ χειμάρρου |τοῦ| Κεδρὼν ὅπου ἦν κῆπος, εἰς ὃν εἰσῆλθεν αὐτὸς καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ ταυτα ειπων ο ιησους εξηλθεν συν τοις μαθηταις αυτου περαν του χειμαρρου των κεδρων οπου ην κηπος εις ον εισηλθεν αυτος και οι μαθηται αυτου ταυτα ειπων ο ιησους εξηλθεν συν τοις μαθηταις αυτου περαν του χειμαρρου των κεδρων οπου ην κηπος εις ον εισηλθεν αυτος και οι μαθηται αυτου

Luke 22:42 (NET)

Luke 22:42 (KJV)
“Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me.  Yet not my will but yours be done.” Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
λέγων· πάτερ, εἰ βούλει παρένεγκε τοῦτο τὸ ποτήριον ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ· πλὴν μὴ τὸ θέλημα μου ἀλλὰ τὸ σὸν γινέσθω λεγων πατερ ει βουλει παρενεγκειν το ποτηριον τουτο απ εμου πλην μη το θελημα μου αλλα το σον γενεσθω λεγων πατερ ει βουλει παρενεγκειν το ποτηριον τουτο απ εμου πλην μη το θελημα μου αλλα το σον γενεσθω

Mark 14:38 (NET)

Mark 14:38 (KJV)
Stay awake and pray that you will not fall into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Watch ye and pray, lest ye enter into temptation.  The spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
γρηγορεῖτε καὶ προσεύχεσθε, ἵνα μὴ ἔλθητε εἰς πειρασμόν· τὸ μὲν πνεῦμα πρόθυμον ἡ δὲ σὰρξ ἀσθενής γρηγορειτε και προσευχεσθε ινα μη εισελθητε εις πειρασμον το μεν πνευμα προθυμον η δε σαρξ ασθενης γρηγορειτε και προσευχεσθε ινα μη εισελθητε εις πειρασμον το μεν πνευμα προθυμον η δε σαρξ ασθενης

Matthew 26:42 (NET)

Matthew 26:42 (KJV)
He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will must be done.” He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
πάλιν ἐκ δευτέρου ἀπελθὼν προσηύξατο |λέγων|· πάτερ μου, εἰ οὐ δύναται τοῦτο παρελθεῖν ἐὰν μὴ αὐτὸ πίω, γενηθήτω τὸ θέλημα σου παλιν εκ δευτερου απελθων προσηυξατο λεγων πατερ μου ει ου δυναται τουτο το ποτηριον παρελθειν απ εμου εαν μη αυτο πιω γενηθητω το θελημα σου παλιν εκ δευτερου απελθων προσηυξατο λεγων πατερ μου ει ου δυναται τουτο το ποτηριον παρελθειν απ εμου εαν μη αυτο πιω γενηθητω το θελημα σου

James 2:24 (NET)

James 2:24 (KJV)
You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὁρᾶτε ὅτι ἐξ ἔργων δικαιοῦται ἄνθρωπος καὶ οὐκ ἐκ πίστεως μόνον ορατε τοινυν οτι εξ εργων δικαιουται ανθρωπος και ουκ εκ πιστεως μονον ορατε τοινυν οτι εξ εργων δικαιουται ανθρωπος και ουκ εκ πιστεως μονον

Matthew 26:43-45 (NET)

Matthew 26:43-45 (KJV)
He came again and found them sleeping; they could not keep their eyes open. And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἐλθὼν πάλιν εὗρεν αὐτοὺς καθεύδοντας, ἦσαν γὰρ αὐτῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ βεβαρημένοι και ελθων ευρισκει αυτους παλιν καθευδοντας ησαν γαρ αυτων οι οφθαλμοι βεβαρημενοι και ελθων ευρισκει αυτους παλιν καθευδοντας ησαν γαρ αυτων οι οφθαλμοι βεβαρημενοι
So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same thing once more. And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἀφεὶς αὐτοὺς πάλιν ἀπελθὼν προσηύξατο ἐκ τρίτου τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον εἰπὼν πάλιν και αφεις αυτους απελθων παλιν προσηυξατο εκ τριτου τον αυτον λογον ειπων και αφεις αυτους απελθων παλιν προσηυξατο εκ τριτου τον αυτον λογον ειπων
Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is approaching, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
τότε ἔρχεται πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς· καθεύδετε [τὸ] λοιπὸν καὶ ἀναπαύεσθε· ἰδοὺ ἤγγικεν ἡ ὥρα καὶ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται εἰς χεῖρας ἁμαρτωλῶν τοτε ερχεται προς τους μαθητας αυτου και λεγει αυτοις καθευδετε το λοιπον και αναπαυεσθε ιδου ηγγικεν η ωρα και ο υιος του ανθρωπου παραδιδοται εις χειρας αμαρτωλων τοτε ερχεται προς τους μαθητας αυτου και λεγει αυτοις καθευδετε το λοιπον και αναπαυεσθε ιδου ηγγικεν η ωρα και ο υιος του ανθρωπου παραδιδοται εις χειρας αμαρτωλων

Mark 14:40 (NET)

Mark 14:40 (KJV)
When he came again he found them sleeping; they could not keep their eyes open.  And they did not know what to tell him. And when he returned, he found them asleep again, (for their eyes were heavy,) neither wist they what to answer him.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ πάλιν ἐλθὼν εὗρεν αὐτοὺς καθεύδοντας, ἦσαν γὰρ αὐτῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ καταβαρυνόμενοι, καὶ οὐκ ᾔδεισαν τί ἀποκριθῶσιν αὐτῷ και υποστρεψας ευρεν αυτους παλιν καθευδοντας ησαν γαρ οι οφθαλμοι αυτων βεβαρημενοι και ουκ ηδεισαν τι αυτω αποκριθωσιν και υποστρεψας ευρεν αυτους παλιν καθευδοντας ησαν γαρ οι οφθαλμοι αυτων βεβαρημενοι και ουκ ηδεισαν τι αυτω αποκριθωσιν

Mark 9:31 (NET)

Mark 9:31 (KJV)
for he was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man will be betrayed into the hands of men.  They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.” For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἐδίδασκεν γὰρ τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ ἔλεγεν |αὐτοῖς| ὅτι ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου παραδίδοται εἰς χεῖρας ἀνθρώπων, καὶ ἀποκτενοῦσιν αὐτόν, καὶ ἀποκτανθεὶς μετὰ τρεῖς ἡμέρας ἀναστήσεται εδιδασκεν γαρ τους μαθητας αυτου και ελεγεν αυτοις οτι ο υιος του ανθρωπου παραδιδοται εις χειρας ανθρωπων και αποκτενουσιν αυτον και αποκτανθεις τη τριτη ημερα αναστησεται εδιδασκεν γαρ τους μαθητας αυτου και ελεγεν αυτοις οτι ο υιος του ανθρωπου παραδιδοται εις χειρας ανθρωπων και αποκτενουσιν αυτον και αποκτανθεις τη τριτη ημερα αναστησεται

[1] John 8:29b (NET)

[2] John 14:10b (KJV)

[3] Galatians 5:16 (NET)

[4] Hebrews 1:13; Luke 20:43; Acts 2:35 (NET)

[5] John 16:8 (NET)

[6] John 12:32 (NET)

[7] Quoted from “Nietzsche, Grammar & God,” by Timothy T.C. McGhee, on Timothy T. C. McGhee online.

[8] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτου (KJV: his) here.  The NET parallel Geek text and NA28 did not.

[9] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the article τοῦ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had των.

[10] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 Gethsemane was spelled Γεθσημανὶ, and γεθσημανη in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

[11] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 Gethsemane was spelled Γεθσημανὶ, and γεθσημανη in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

[12] The Byzantine Majority Text had ο ιησους here.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

[13] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article τὸν preceding James.  The Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[14] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the article τὸν preceding John.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[15] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μεθ εαυτου.

[16] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἔπιπτεν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had επεσεν (KJV: fell).

[17] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had παρελθάτω here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had παρελθετω.

[18] Matthew 26:39b (NET)

[19] Mark 14:36a (NET)

[20] Mark 14:35b (NET)

[21] Romans 7:24 (NET)

[22] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had παρένεγκε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had παρενεγκειν (KJV: remove).

[23] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἔλθητε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εισελθητε (KJV: ye enter).

[24] If, Rudyard Kipling.  This poem was a favorite admonition of my Dad’s.

[25] John 2:25 (NET)

[26] Hebrews 4:15 (NET)

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

[28] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had απ εμου (KJV: from me) following be taken away (KJV: pass away).  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[29] Matthew 26:54 (NET)

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

[31] James 2:24 (NET)

[32] John 14:10b (KJV)

[33] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had εὗρεν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ευρισκει.

[34] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐλθὼν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had υποστρεψας (KJV: when he returned).

[35] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had καταβαρυνόμενοι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had βεβαρημενοι (KJV: heavy).

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

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

[38] Philippians 4:7 (NET)

[39] Philippians 2:13 (KJV) Table

[40] Matthew 26:2 (NET)

[41] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τη τριτη here, where the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had μετὰ τρεῖς (NET: after three).

[42] Mark 9:31 (KJV)

[43] Matthew 26:54 (NET)

[44] John 3:16 (KJV) Table

[45] Who Am I? Part 11

[46] The Greek is μου here though the parallel English is thy.

Who Am I? Part 11

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In the movie M*A*S*H Major Frank Burns (Robert Duvall) is introduced on his knees at his cot praying aloud.  At sixteen I thought he was some kind of super-Christian.  I wouldn’t have prayed aloud like that at church camp.

When he yelled at Private Boone (Bud Cort) for a lazy and inappropriate response to a direct order, it was uncomfortable, but it didn’t diminish Major Burns in my estimation.  After all, what does it mean to be “under authority” if not that those in authority over you berate you as they see fit?  I didn’t particularly like it but I was used to it.  It didn’t really change my opinion of those who berated me.

When Major Burns succumbed to his lust for Major Houlihan (Sally Kellerman), it was disappointing, but God punished him immediately.  Radar O’Reilly (Gary Burghoff) slipped a microphone into the tent where Major Burns and Major Houlihan carried on their tryst.  Audio of it was broadcast live to the entire 4077th camp.

And know that your sin will find you out[1] [Table below].  You who tell others not to commit adultery, do you commit adultery?[2]

When Major Burns was sent home in a straitjacket and I was left alone at the MASH camp in Korea (actually, I was on a date) I was at a loss to figure out what this, my first R-rated, movie was actually about.  I had been a do-it-yourself-Christian for over ten years by then.

Jesus may have died to forgive my sins but it was up to me to trust and obey.  C.H. Spurgeon did a fair job of describing my faith in a sermon presented, not as doctrine he believed but, as his characterization of an “Arminian” theory of redemption:

Christ, when He died, did not die with an intent to save any particular person…Christ’s death does not in itself secure, beyond doubt, the salvation of any one man living…Christ died to make the salvation of all men possible…any man who pleases may attain unto eternal life…if man’s will would not give way and voluntarily surrender to grace, then Christ’s atonement would be unavailing….

Though I didn’t realize it at the time I worshiped my own free will.  I didn’t carve or cast a statue, fall prostrate before it and bring it offerings.  I wasn’t a sculptor.  But I thought free will as a concept was fair.

I lifted the following diagram from a site online.

The Throne Diagram

This diagram (or one like it) was the essence of my religious education.  The explanation reads as follows: “The circle is your life.  The seat is a throne.  The throne stands for whatever is lord of your life.  S is for self.  The cross is Jesus.  The other things in the circle represent whatever is important to you.”

Everyone begins at letter A.  The goal is to work through to letter C.  The steps are spelled out in some detail on Cru.org online:[3]

We must surrender, or yield, the throne to Christ….By faith we must recognize that Christ assumed control of our lives upon our invitation….We receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith.  How then do we allow Him to control our lives moment by moment?

Did I receive the Lord Jesus Christ by faith at sixteen?  Certainly not by the faith (πίστις) that is an aspect of the fruit of his Spirit (John 16:12-16).  I didn’t know of such a faith and would have considered it cheating.  By faith meant trust and obey, acts (continuous acts) of my free will: “We must surrender…we must recognize…We receive…we allow” or God is powerless, except to punish.

I didn’t realize I was worshiping my free will.  I certainly can’t recall what I might have meant at the time by free will if I had.  I thought I was doing, more or less, what I was supposed to be doing, except, of course, when I wasn’t.  So, what is free will?

As I approach it now I have a fairly clear idea what the translators of the NET think about it.  Jesus said (John 10:18 NET):

No one takes [my life] away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will.  I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again.  This commandment I received from my Father.

Here the Greek words ἀπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ were translated of my own free will.  This ἐμαυτοῦ was derived from an authority (ἐξουσίαν, a form of ἐξουσία) derived from a commandment (ἐντολὴν, a form of ἐντολή) Jesus received (ἔλαβον, a form of λαμβάνω) from his Father.  Jesus’ saying is very important to me.  I can describe it best as a contrast to me.

Nail me to a cross and I will stay there until you pry me down, whether dead or alive will depend on how long you leave me nailed there.  Jesus endured the cross.  The Greek word translated endured was ὑπέμεινεν (a form of ὑπομένω): “to remain, stay behind (while others leave); to remain (instead of fleeing).”  Jesus remained on the cross when He had other options.  At any moment throughout that ordeal He could have exercised his authority received by the commandment of His Father, and of his own free will, said, “Enough of this,” and stepped down from the cross.

In the past I’ve added, “and been none the worse for wear.”  I see it a little differently now: He would not be obedient to the point of death, nor the firstborn from the dead and He would be uniquely alone: I tell you the solemn truth, He said, unless a kernel of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains by itself alone.  But if it dies, it produces much grain.[4]

At sixteen I didn’t study the Bible, didn’t know I was worshiping my own free will, but I wonder if I could have accepted an authority received from a commandment of God my free will.  Recently, I’ve described free will as an ability to ignore and disobey God.  That might be an authority derived from a commandment: I don’t know but I don’t cease to exist the moment I think or do anything contrary to God’s word or will.

I looked at the other examples of ἀπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ to see if of my own free will would stand up to scrutiny as a translation.  The very first example called my understanding of Jesus’ free will into question (John 5:26, 27, 30):

For just as the Father has life in himself, thus he has granted the Son to have life in himself, and he has granted the Son authority to execute judgment because he is the Son of Man.

I can do nothing on my own initiative.  Just as I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just because I do not seek my own will, but the will of the one who sent me [Table].

I can do nothing of my own free will (ἀπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ), seems to hold up, despite its shock value: Jesus said this after having been granted (ἔδωκεν, a form of δίδωμι)…authority (ἐξουσίαν, a form of ἐξουσία) to execute (ποιεῖν, a form of ποιέω) judgment (κρίσιν, a form of κρίσις).

I’m willing to hear an authority (ἐξουσίαν) granted (ἔδωκεν) as roughly equivalent to an authority (ἐξουσίαν) received (ἔλαβον) by a commandment (ἐντολὴν), though that authority is not exercised here of Jesus’ own free will: Just as I hear (ἀκούω), I judge (κρίνω), and my judgment (κρίσις) is just (δικαία, a form of δίκαιος).  Jesus didn’t leave me to guess why such judgment is just: I do not seek (ζητῶ, a form of ζητέω) my own will (θέλημα), but the will (θέλημα) of the one who sent me.

So is there something peculiar about judgment (κρίσιν, κρίσις) that placed special constraints on Jesus’ authority (ἐξουσίαν) to judge of his own free will?  Or did I carry it too far before?  Could Jesus, being Jesus, being who He is, actually of his own free will have stepped down from the cross?  Or did He, as Jesus, seek…the will (θέλημα) of the one (KJV: Father) who sent Him?

The next occurrence of ἀπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ sheds some more light on Jesus’ attitude (John 7:16-18 NET):

So[5] Jesus replied, “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me [Table].  If anyone wants to do God’s will, he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority.  The person who speaks on his own authority desires to receive honor for himself; the one who desires the honor of the one who sent him is a man of integrity, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

Here ἀπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ was translated from my own authority, despite the lack of any form of ἐξουσία in the text.  I don’t have any quarrel with it but think “of my own free will” was still possible as long as I don’t assume that Jesus’ teaching was contrary to his own free will.  The point is his own free will was not the source of his teaching: My teaching is not from me (ἐμὴ, a form of ἐμός; literally: mine).

The person who speaks on his own authority (ἀφ᾿ ἑαυτοῦ) desires (ζητεῖ, a form of ζητέω; literally: seeks) to receive honor (δόξαν, a form of δόξα; KJV: glory) for himself.  Again, Jesus contrasted this one to Himself, One who seeks the glory of the One who sent Him.  It seems less and less likely that Jesus would have exercised his authority to utilize his free will to come down from the cross.

The next occurrence of ἀπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ was translated on my own initiative (John 7:28, 29 NET):

Then Jesus, while teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “You both know me and know where I come from!  And I have not come on my own initiative, but the one who sent me is true.  You do not know him, but[6] I know him because I have come from him and he sent me.”

Again, I have not come of my own free will, holds up as long as I don’t assume that He came against his own free will.  This pattern continues: When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing on my own initiative (ἀπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ), but I speak just what the Father[7] taught me.[8]  And, If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here.  I have not come on my own initiative (ἀπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ), but he sent me [Table].[9]  And finally, Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me?  The words that I say[10] to you, I do not speak on my own initiative (ἀπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ), but the Father residing in me performs[11] his[12] miraculous deeds.[13]

To translate ἔργα (a form of ἔργον) miraculous deeds here and in the following verses might divert one’s attention away from one of the clearest statements of Jesus’ faith, how He lived as a man on this earth: the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.[14]  I live by the faith (πίστει, a form of πίστις) of the Son of God,[15] Paul wrote.

So, though Jesus had the authority to come down from the cross of his own free will, He didn’t do it because the Father that dwelleth in [Him]…doeth the works.  I didn’t know any of this at sixteen.  My knowledge of God was based on hearsay and whatever I had reasoned out through trial and error, which wasn’t particularly helpful since I was asking the wrong questions and misunderstanding the answers.

God’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control is so meaningful to me now, I search for some inkling of the fruit of the Spirit in my past.  The closest I come is the vague memory of a belief that God would help me.  By age sixteen I had over ten years of empirical evidence that God didn’t help me do anything I wanted to do.  (Even after my prodigal years the fruit of the Spirit so-called was a list of attitudes I was expected to conjure and maintain out of my own gratitude for being saved from an eternity in the lake of fire.)

At sixteen I was trying to trust and obey as continuous acts of my own free will and figure out how to abdicate the throne of my life to Christ.  God had one role in my life: to punish me for sin.  By seventeen or eighteen, after He had “failed” at that, I was left alone to figure out what this life was actually about (or so I thought). 

Tables comparing Numbers 32:23 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing Numbers 32:23 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing John 7:29; 8:28 and 14:10 in the NET and KJV follow. 

Numbers 32:23 (Tanakh)

 Numbers 32:23 (KJV)

Numbers 32:23 (NET)
But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against HaShem; and know ye your sin which will find you. But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out. “But if you do not do this, then look, you will have sinned against the Lord.  And know that your sin will find you out.

Numbers 32:23 (Septuagint BLB)

Numbers 32:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ποιήσητε οὕτως ἁμαρτήσεσθε ἔναντι κυρίου καὶ γνώσεσθε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ὑμῶν ὅταν ὑμᾶς καταλάβῃ τὰ κακά ἐὰν δὲ μὴ ποιήσητε οὕτως, ἁμαρτήσεσθε ἔναντι Κυρίου καὶ γνώσεσθε τὴν ἁμαρτίαν ὑμῶν, ὅταν ὑμᾶς καταλάβῃ τὰ κακά

Numbers 32:23 (NETS)

Numbers 32:23 (English Elpenor)
But if you will not do so, you will sin against the Lord, and you will know your sin when misfortunes overtake you. But if ye will not do so, ye will sin against the Lord; and ye shall know your sin, when afflictions shall come upon you.

John 7:29 (NET)

John 7:29 (KJV)
but I know him because I have come from him and he sent me.” But I know him: for I am from him, and he hath sent me.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἐγὼ οἶδα αὐτόν, ὅτι παρ᾿ αὐτοῦ εἰμι κακεῖνος με ἀπέστειλεν εγω δε οιδα αυτον οτι παρ αυτου ειμι κακεινος με απεστειλεν εγω οιδα αυτον οτι παρ αυτου ειμι κακεινος με απεστειλεν

John 8:28 (NET)

John 8:28 (KJV)
Then Jesus said, “When you lift up the Son of Man, then you will know that I am he, and I do nothing on my own initiative, but I speak just what the Father taught me. Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
εἶπεν οὖν [αὐτοῖς] ὁ Ἰησοῦς· ὅταν ὑψώσητε τὸν υἱὸν τοῦ ἀνθρώπου, τότε γνώσεσθε ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι, καὶ ἀπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ ποιῶ οὐδέν, ἀλλὰ καθὼς ἐδίδαξεν με ὁ πατὴρ ταῦτα λαλῶ ειπεν ουν αυτοις ο ιησους οταν υψωσητε τον υιον του ανθρωπου τοτε γνωσεσθε οτι εγω ειμι και απ εμαυτου ποιω ουδεν αλλα καθως εδιδαξεν με ο πατηρ μου ταυτα λαλω ειπεν ουν αυτοις ο ιησους οταν υψωσητε τον υιον του ανθρωπου τοτε γνωσεσθε οτι εγω ειμι και απ εμαυτου ποιω ουδεν αλλα καθως εδιδαξεν με ο πατηρ μου ταυτα λαλω

John 14:10 (NET)

John 14:10 (KJV)
Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me?  The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father residing in me performs his miraculous deeds. Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
οὐ πιστεύεις ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρὶ καὶ ὁ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοί ἐστιν; τὰ ρήματα ἃ ἐγὼ λέγω ὑμῖν ἀπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ οὐ λαλῶ, ὁ δὲ πατὴρ ἐν ἐμοὶ μένων ποιεῖ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ ου πιστευεις οτι εγω εν τω πατρι και ο πατηρ εν εμοι εστιν τα ρηματα α εγω λαλω υμιν απ εμαυτου ου λαλω ο δε πατηρ ο εν εμοι μενων αυτος ποιει τα εργα ου πιστευεις οτι εγω εν τω πατρι και ο πατηρ εν εμοι εστιν τα ρηματα α εγω λαλω υμιν απ εμαυτου ου λαλω ο δε πατηρ ο εν εμοι μενων αυτος ποιει τα εργα

[1] Numbers 32:23b (NET)

[2] Romans 2:22a (NET)

[3] “The Christ-Controlled Life,” by Bill Bright

[4] John 12:24 (NET)

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

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

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

[8] John 8:28 (NET)

[9] John 8:42 (NET)

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

[11] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτος (KJV: he) preceding performs (KJV: doeth).  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[12] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had αὐτοῦ following deeds.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[13] John 14:10 (NET)

[14] John 14:10b (KJV)

[15] Galatians 2:20b (KJV)

Who Am I? Part 7

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In another essay I presented his Jewish and Roman trials as a kind of ultimate tempting of the flesh of Adam and an ultimate proving of the Holy Spirit which descended…in bodily form like a dove[1] upon Jesus the Christ or Messiah.  I characterized those trials as a time “when sinners, Jerusalem, the whole world, perhaps even the created cosmos were in extreme danger of falling into the hands of an angry God.”  I want to continue with his crucifixion.

Nail me to a cross and I’m stuck there but Jesus said (John 10:17, 18 NET):

This is why the Father loves me – because I lay down my life, so that I may take it back again.  No one takes it away from me, but I lay it down of my own free will.[2]  I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it back again.  This commandment I received from my Father.

It says to me that at any moment throughout his ordeal of ultimate humiliation Jesus, yehôvâh in the flesh of Adam,[3] could have decided that enough was enough, sat down at the right hand of his Father in heaven and been none the worse for wear—personally.

As they led him away, Luke recorded in his Gospel narrative, they seized Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country.  They placed the cross on his back and made him carry it behind Jesus.[4]  Matthew and Mark recorded the same incident.  I might have assumed that He was too holy to carry his own cross except that John recalled Jesus carrying his own cross (John 19:16, 17 NET).  Apparently the One who said, If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me,[5] was too weak to carry his all the way to his crucifixion.

Two other (ἕτεροι, a form of ἕτερος) criminals (κακοῦργοι, a form of κακοῦργος) were also led away to be executed with him.[6]  Isaiah had prophesied, he was numbered with the transgressors,[7] though he had done no violence, neither was any deceit in his mouth.[8]  But with the words ἕτεροι κακοῦργοι δύο Luke captured (See: ἕτεροι; Luke 11:15, 16) the social reality of Jesus as one of three criminals condemned to death by the duly authorized governor of Judea.  His punishment was neither cruel nor unusual under the prevailing standards of their socially constructed reality.

A great number of the people followed him (Luke 23:27-31 NET):

…among them women who were mourning and wailing for him.  But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.  For this is certain: The days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore children, and the breasts that never nursed!’  Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’  For if such things are done when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”) and offered Jesus wine mixed with gall to drink.  But after tasting it, he would not drink it.[9]  There they crucified him along with two others, one on each side, with Jesus in the middle.[10]  But Jesus said, “Father, forgive (ἄφες, a form of ἀφίημι) them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”[11]

Jesus, naked[12] on the cross, looked down as the soldiers who crucified Him took his clothes and made four shares, one for each soldier, and the tunic remained. (Now the tunic was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece.)  So the soldiers said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but throw dice to see who will get it.”  This took place to fulfill the scripture that says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they threw dice.”  So the soldiers did these things.[13]  David (1 Samuel 16:1 – 1 Kings 2:11) had prophesied, they look and stare upon me.  They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.[14]

Then they sat down and kept guard over him there.[15]  It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.[16]  That would be the second morning since the night of his arrest with little or no sleep for Jesus.  The people also stood there watching, but the rulers ridiculed him, saying, “He saved others.  Let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, his chosen one!”  The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!”[17]

Pilate also had a notice written and fastened to the cross, which read: “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.”[18]  Thus many of the Jewish residents of Jerusalem read this notice, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the notice was written in Aramaic (Ἑβραϊστί; literally, in Hebrew; NET note 67), Latin, and Greek.  Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am king of the Jews.’”  Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”[19]

Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha!  You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself and come down from the cross!”  In the same way even the chief priests – together with the experts in the law – were mocking him among themselves: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself!  Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, that we may see and believe!”[20]  He trusts in God – let God, if he wants to, deliver him now because he said, ‘I am God’s Son’!”  The robbers who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him.[21]  One of the criminals who was hanging there railed at him, saying, “Aren’t you the Christ?  Save yourself and us!”[22]

This is the point in the story where I wished Jesus would come down from the cross as more than twelve legions of angels came screaming out of the sky to the tune of Wagner’s Ride of the Valkyries to kill everyone who mocked Him.  Actually it is the ideal of the Sicarii—walking up to an “enemy” (anyone who disagrees with my “truth”) plunging a long knife into him several times and melting away again into the crowd—that appeals to the sin in my flesh more than the straight-up warfare of the Zealots.  Cowardice prevented me from ever actualizing the murderous intentions of my heart.  And until the moment that sentence formed in my mind I hadn’t thanked God for that fear.  All this may help explain why years of imitating the Pharisees felt like a step toward godliness to me.

But the other [criminal] rebuked him [the former criminal], saying, “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.”  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.”  And Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise”[23] as a door of hope opened (Hosea 2:14-17 Tanakh).

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

As confessions go, And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did is nothing compared to Achan’s confession (Joshua 7:19-25 Tanakh)

And Joshua said unto Achan, My son, give, I pray thee, glory to the LORD God of Israel, and make confession unto him; and tell me now what thou hast done; hide it not from me (Table).

And Achan answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, and thus and thus have I done (Table): When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it (Table).

So Joshua sent messengers, and they ran unto the tent; and, behold, it was hid in his tent, and the silver under it.

And they took them out of the midst of the tent, and brought them unto Joshua, and unto all the children of Israel, and laid them out before the LORD.

And Joshua, and all Israel with him, took Achan the son of Zerah, and the silver, and the garment, and the wedge of gold, and his sons, and his daughters, and his oxen, and his asses, and his sheep, and his tent, and all that he had: and they brought them unto the valley of Achor (Table).

And Joshua said, Why hast thou troubled us? the LORD shall trouble thee this day.  And all Israel stoned him with stones, and burned them with fire, after they had stoned them with stones (Table).

I wonder now whether Achan and his sons and his daughters, after suffering the punishment of criminals, face an implacable Judge or a merciful Savior, not because of the merits of Achan’s confession but because of the merits of that Savior: But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.[24]

Now standing beside Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, look, here is your son!”  He then said to his disciple, “Look, here is your mother!”  From that very time the disciple took her into his own home.[25]

Now from noon until three, darkness came over all the land.  At about three o’clock Jesus shouted with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?”[26] that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”[27]  After six hours on the cross Jesus lamented his loneliness even as He affirmed his confidence in the Scripture, written for his comfort (Psalm 22:6-18) for the very moment He prayed it (Psalm 22:1, 23, 24 Tanakh):

My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, and from the words of my roaring?…Ye that fear the LORD, praise him; all ye the seed of Jacob, glorify him; and fear him, all ye the seed of Israel.  For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted; neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him, he heard.

When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.”  Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink.  But the rest said, “Leave him alone!  Let’s see if Elijah will come to save him.”[28]  After this Jesus, realizing that by this time everything was completed, said (in order to fulfill the scripture [Psalm 22:15]), “I am thirsty!”  A jar full of sour wine was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop and lifted it to his mouth.  When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed!”[29]  David had already spoken for Jesus’ failing breath (Psalm 22:25-31 Tanakh):

My praise shall be of thee in the great congregation: I will pay my vows before them that fear him.  The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.  All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.   For the kingdom is the LORD’s: and he is the governor among the nations.  All they that be fat upon earth shall eat and worship: all they that go down to the dust shall bow before him: and none can keep alive his own soul.  A seed shall serve him; it shall be accounted to the Lord for a generation. They shall come, and shall declare his righteousness unto a people that shall be born, that he hath done this.

The temple curtain was torn in two.  Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”  And after he said this he breathed his last.[30]  The earth shook and the rocks were split apart.  And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised.  (They came out of the tombs after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.)[31]

Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”[32]  And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.[33] 

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me? Jesus asked.  The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father residing in me performs his miraculous deeds.[34]  And in the letter to the Hebrews we are encouraged: Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up.[35]  I tell you the solemn truth, Jesus promised, the person who believes in me will perform the miraculous deeds that I am doing, and will perform greater deeds than these, because I am going to the Father.[36]  For, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.[37]

The Gospel harmony I made to write this essay follows.

The Crucifixion
Matthew Mark Luke

John
So they took Jesus, and carrying his own cross…

 John 19:16b, 17a
As they were going out, they found a man from Cyrene named Simon, whom they forced to carry his cross.

Matthew 27:32

 The soldiers forced a passerby to carry his cross, Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country…

Mark 15:21a

 As they led him away, they seized Simon of Cyrene, who was coming in from the country.  They placed the cross on his back and made him carry it behind Jesus.

Luke 23:26
(he was the father of Alexander and Rufus).

Mark 15:21b
A great number of the people followed him, among them women who were mourning and wailing for him.  But Jesus turned to them and said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.  For this is certain: The days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore children, and the breasts that never nursed!’  Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us!’  For if such things are done when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Luke 23:27-31
Two other criminals were also led away to be executed with him.

Luke 23:32
They came to a place called Golgotha (which means “Place of the Skull”)…

Matthew 27:33

 They brought Jesus to a place called Golgotha (which is translated, “Place of the Skull”).

Mark 15:22

 So when they came to the place that is called “The Skull” …

Luke 23:33a

 …he went out to the place called “The Place of the Skull” (called in Aramaic Golgotha).

John 19:17b
…and offered Jesus wine mixed with gall to drink.  But after tasting it, he would not drink it.

Matthew 27:34

 They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it.

Mark 15:23
When they had crucified him…

Matthew 27:35a

 Then they crucified him…

Mark 15:24a

 …they crucified him there…

Luke 23:33b

 There they crucified him…

John 19:18a
…along with the criminals, one on his right and one on his left.

Luke 23:33c

 …along with two others, one on each side, with Jesus in the middle.

John 19:18b
[But Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.”]

Luke 23:34a
…they divided his clothes by throwing dice.

Matthew 27:35b

 …and divided his clothes, throwing dice for them, to decide what each would take.

Mark 15:24b

 Then they threw dice to divide his clothes.

Luke 23:34b
Then they sat down and kept guard over him there.

Matthew 27:36
It was nine o’clock in the morning when they crucified him.

Mark 15:25

The people also stood there watching, but the rulers ridiculed him, saying, “He saved others.  Let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, his chosen one!”  The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine, and saying, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself!”

Luke 23:35-37
Above his head they put the charge against him, which read: “This is Jesus, the king of the Jews.”

Matthew 27:37

 The inscription of the charge against him read, “The king of the Jews.”

Mark 15:26

 There was also an inscription over him, “This is the king of the Jews.”

Luke 23:38

 Pilate also had a notice written and fastened to the cross, which read: “Jesus the Nazarene, the king of the Jews.”

John 19:19
Thus many of the Jewish residents of Jerusalem read this notice, because the place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the notice was written in Aramaic, Latin, and Greek. Then the chief priests of the Jews said to Pilate, “Do not write, ‘The king of the Jews,’ but rather, ‘This man said, I am king of the Jews.’”  Pilate answered, “What I have written, I have written.”

John 19:20-22
Now when the soldiers crucified Jesus, they took his clothes and made four shares, one for each soldier, and the tunic remained. (Now the tunic was seamless, woven from top to bottom as a single piece.)  So the soldiers said to one another, “Let’s not tear it, but throw dice to see who will get it.” This took place to fulfill the scripture that says, “They divided my garments among them, and for my clothing they threw dice.”  So the soldiers did these things.

John 19:23, 24
Then two outlaws were crucified with him, one on his right and one on his left.  Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads  and saying, “You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself!  If you are God’s Son, come down from the cross!”  In the same way even the chief priests – together with the experts in the law and elders – were mocking him: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself!  He is the king of Israel!  If he comes down now from the cross, we will believe in him!

Matthew 27:38-42

 And they crucified two outlaws with him, one on his right and one on his left.  Those who passed by defamed him, shaking their heads and saying, “Aha! You who can destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself and come down from the cross!”  In the same way even the chief priests – together with the experts in the law – were mocking him among themselves: “He saved others, but he cannot save himself!  Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, that we may see and believe!”

Mark 15:27-32a
He trusts in God – let God, if he wants to, deliver him now because he said, ‘I am God’s Son’!”

Matthew 27:43
The robbers who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him.

Matthew 27:44

 Those who were crucified with him also spoke abusively to him.

Mark 15:32b
One of the criminals who was hanging there railed at him, saying, “Aren’t you the Christ?  Save yourself and us!”  But the other rebuked him, saying, “Don’t you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?  And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing wrong.”  Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come in your kingdom.”  And Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Luke 23:39-43
Now standing beside Jesus’ cross were his mother, his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.  So when Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing there, he said to his mother, “Woman, look, here is your son!”  He then said to his disciple, “Look, here is your mother!”  From that very time the disciple took her into his own home.

John 19:25-27
Now from noon until three, darkness came over all the land.

Matthew 27:45

 Now when it was noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon.

Mark 15:33

 It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, because the sun’s light failed.

Luke 23:44, 45a
At about three o’clock Jesus shouted with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” When some of the bystanders heard it, they said, “This man is calling for Elijah.”  Immediately one of them ran and got a sponge, filled it with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink.  But the rest said, “Leave him alone!  Let’s see if Elijah will come to save him.”

Matthew 27:46-49

 Around three o’clock Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”  When some of the bystanders heard it they said, “Listen, he is calling for Elijah!”  Then someone ran, filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a stick, and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Leave him alone!  Let’s see if Elijah will come to take him down!”

Mark 15:34-36
After this Jesus, realizing that by this time everything was completed, said (in order to fulfill the scripture), “I am thirsty!”  A jar full of sour wine was there, so they put a sponge soaked in sour wine on a branch of hyssop and lifted it to his mouth.  When he had received the sour wine, Jesus said, “It is completed!”

John 19:28-30a
Then Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and gave up his spirit.  Just then the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom.

Matthew 27:50, 51a

 But Jesus cried out with a loud voice and breathed his last.  And the temple curtain was torn in two, from top to bottom.

Mark 15:37, 38

 The temple curtain was torn in two.  Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!”  And after he said this he breathed his last.

Luke 23:45, 46

 

 

 Then he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.

John 19:30b
The earth shook and the rocks were split apart.  And tombs were opened, and the bodies of many saints who had died were raised.  (They came out of the tombs after his resurrection and went into the holy city and appeared to many people.)

Matthew 27:51b-53
Now when the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and what took place, they were extremely terrified and said, “Truly this one was God’s Son!”

Matthew 27:54

 Now when the centurion, who stood in front of him, saw how he died, he said, “Truly this man was God’s Son!”

Mark 15:39

 Now when the centurion saw what had happened, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent!”

Luke 23:47
And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts.

Luke 23:48
Many women who had followed Jesus from Galilee and given him support were also there, watching from a distance.

Matthew 27:55

 There were also women, watching from a distance.

Mark 15:40a

 And all those who knew Jesus stood at a distance, and the women who had followed him from Galilee saw these things.

Luke 23:49
Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James and Joseph, and the mother of the sons of Zebedee.

Matthew 27:56

 Among them were Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome.  When he was in Galilee, they had followed him and given him support.  Many other women who had come up with him to Jerusalem were there too.

Mark 15:40b, 41

[1] Luke 3:22a (NET)

[2] The words free will were added by the translators to the Greek word ἐμαυτοῦ translated my own.

[3] Romans, Part 55; My Reasons and My Reason, Part 5; Romans, Part 38; Fear – Genesis, Part 6; Who Am I? Part 2

[4] Luke 23:26 (NET)

[5] Matthew 16:24 (NET)

[6] Luke 23:32 (NET)

[7] Isaiah 53:12b (Tanakh)

[8] Isaiah 53:9b (Tanakh)

[9] Matthew 27:33, 34 (NET)  David Mathis offers the following explanation in his blog post “The Wine Jesus Drank” on desiringGod.

[10] John 19:18 (NET)

[11] Luke 23:34a (NET) Table

[12] Stephen Ray, “Was Jesus Crucified Naked?,” Defender’s of the Catholic Faith

[13] John 19:23, 24 (NET)

[14] Psalm 22:17b, 18 (Tanakh)

[15] Matthew 27:36 (NET)

[16] Mark 15:25 (NET)

[17] Luke 23:35-37 (NET)

[18] Though it differs slightly from the synoptic Gospels I’m going with John’s account because he, the disciple whom [Jesus] loved, was actually there (John 19:25-27) near enough to read it.

[19] John 19:19-22 (NET)

[20] Mark 15:29-32a (NET)

[21] Matthew 27:43, 44 (NET)

[22] Luke 23:39 (NET)

[23] Luke 23:40-43 (NET)

[24] 1 John 1:9 (NET)

[25] John 19:25-27 (NET)

[26] I had thought and written that this was Aramaic.  E. A. Knapp in his article “Did the Messiah Speak Aramaic or Hebrew? (part 2)” on Torah Class online disputes that.

[27] Matthew 27:45, 46 (NET) Table

[28] Matthew 27:47-49 (NET)

[29] John 19:28-30a (NET)

[30] Luke 23:45b, 46 (NET)

[31] Matthew 27:51b-53 (NET)

[32] Mark 15:39 (NET)

[33] Luke 23:48 (NET)

[34] John 14:10 (NET)

[35] Hebrews 12:3 (NET)

[36] John 14:12 (NET)

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

Who Am I? Part 6

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I wrote:

It’s axiomatic to me that Jesus didn’t utilize his own godliness, but trusted the Holy Spirit that descended like a dove from heaven, and…remained on him.[11]  Otherwise, Jesus’ invitation and command, Follow me,[12] is little more than a cruel joke.

And:

As I’ve written before it is axiomatic to me that the way Jesus loved us was through that same love He received from the Holy Spirit that descended like a dove from heaven, and…remained on him.[43]  He prayed as much to his Father if one has ears to hear: I made known your name to them, and I will continue to make it known, so that the love (ἀγάπη) you have loved (ἠγάπησας, a form of ἀγαπάω) me with may be in them, and I may be in them.[44]

And:

As I’ve written before,[20] it is axiomatic to me that Jesus’ holiness was from the Holy Spirit rather than his own divine nature.  Otherwise, his command and invitation, Follow me, would be meaningless to sinful human beings.

In the movie Casper there is a comic bit when Casper (voiced by Malachi Pearson), a friendly ghost, gets excited to show Kat (Christina Ricci), a living girl, a secret laboratory.  He takes her by the hand and leads her into a place she can’t follow—through a wall.  In the beginning that’s almost all I meant by my “axiom.”  Jesus wasn’t commanding us to follow Him somewhere we couldn’t go.  In fact, before He began to make appearances through walls behind locked doors He said plainly, Where I am going, you cannot follow me now, but you will follow later.[1]

Over time though my “axiom” has come to mean so much more: When I am anything less than Christlike I no longer think: “Oh, He is God and I am not.”  Instead, I know that I am living according to the flesh (Romans 8:5-11), that I’ve fallen away from grace.  One would think I would know better by now but apparently I do not.  It alerts me that it is time to stop relying on myself and get back to trusting Jesus, relying on his Spirit.  But that weight deserves something weightier than an axiom.  Jesus said (John 14:10 NET):

Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father is in me?  The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my own initiative, but the Father residing in me performs his miraculous deeds (ἔργα, a form of ἔργον).

Translating ἔργα miraculous deeds isn’t wrong.  Now when John heard in prison about the ἔργα Christ had done[2] Jesus described those deeds this way: The blind see, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have good news proclaimed to them.[3]  This is a list of miraculous deeds including the act of proclaiming good news (εὐαγγελίζονται, a form of εὐαγγελίζω) and the good news (εὐαγγέλιον) which was proclaimed.  None of it happens apart from the Holy Spirit.  For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does, and will show him greater deeds (ἔργα, a form of ἔργον) than these, so that you will be amazed.  For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes.[4]  Now as Jesus was passing by, he saw a man who had been blind from birth (John 9:1-7 NET).

His disciples asked him, “Rabbi, who committed the sin that caused him to be born blind, this man or his parents?”  Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but he was born blind so that the acts (ἔργα, a form of ἔργον) of God may be revealed through what happens to him.  We must perform (ἐργάζεσθαι, a form of ἐργάζομαι) the deeds (ἔργα, a form of ἔργον) of the one who sent me as long as it is daytime.  Night is coming when no one can work (ἐργάζεσθαι, a form of ἐργάζομαι).  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”  Having said this, he spat on the ground and made some mud with the saliva. He smeared the mud on the blind man’s eyes and said to him, “Go wash in the pool of Siloam” (which is translated “sent”).  So the blind man went away and washed, and came back seeing.

But the adjective miraculous shouldn’t blind us to the less showy ἔργα the Holy Spirit residing (μένων, a form of μένω) in believers performs (ποιεῖ, a form of ποιέω) all the time:

It was after eleven Sunday night.  I had to get up early to catch a flight Monday morning.  My neighbor was listening to some speed metal.  The bass vibrated my bed.  I had every right to be angry, didn’t I?  I, as a composer, had given up music because it kept me too connected to the sensuality of the world.  (Never mind that I wasn’t that good at performing or composing music.)  As I lay there beginning to simmer a self-righteous snit, that still small voice reminded me that Monday was Memorial Day, a holiday for my neighbor.  All I really needed to do that day was get up, get to the airport and fly to my destination.  After that I’d be off, too.  All the while the Holy Spirit’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control washed away my self-righteous anger like a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.  And to top it off, the very moment He won that skirmish with the dead and dying flesh in my body the song ended, my neighbor turned off his stereo and went to bed, just so I didn’t miss the point (Matthew 5:15, 16; John 3:20, 21 NET).

People do not light a lamp and put it under a basket but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before people, so that they can see your good (καλὰ, a form of καλός) deeds (ἔργα, a form of ἔργον) and give honor to your Father in heaven.

For everyone who does evil deeds (φαῦλα, a form of φαῦλος) hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds (ἔργα, a form of ἔργον) will not be exposed.  But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds (ἔργα, a form of ἔργον) have been done in God.

When I live according to the flesh I become a puffed-up weakling, Satan’s fool.  When Jesus was overcome by the flesh of Adam He was still God: He cursed the fig tree and it withered and died (Matthew 21:18-22; Mark 11:12-14, 20-25).  I find it difficult to understand Jonathan Edwards’ portrayal of God to his congregation in his famous sermon “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” in the light of Paul’s letter to believers in Rome (Romans 8:31b-39 NET):

If God is for us, who can be against us?  Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all – how will he not also, along with him, freely give us all things?  Who will bring any charge against God’s elect?  It is God who justifies.  Who is the one who will condemn?  Christ is the one who died (and more than that, he was raised), who is at the right hand of God, and who also is interceding for us.  Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will trouble, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?  As it is written, “For your sake we encounter death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”  No, in all these things we have complete victory through him who loved us!  For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor heavenly rulers, nor things that are present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in creation will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Still, I do see a time when sinners, Jerusalem, the whole world, perhaps even the created cosmos were in extreme danger of falling into the hands of an angry God.  Jesus was no demigod: half-man, half-god, super-man, inferior god.  He is fully man and fully God.  As a human being I might wonder if it is worse to suffer abuse or watch as my son is abused.  But God the Father did not partake (μετέσχεν, a form of μετέχω) of the blood and flesh of humanity, the weak link in this chain.  The arresting officers tied Jesus up (John 18:12), tempting the flesh of Adam to resist.  If I succumbed to the flesh and cursed officers arresting me I would just make them angrier with my foul noise.  But Jesus is also God.  If He had succumbed to the flesh of Adam and cursed the arresting officers they would have withered and died.

Jesus was questioned first by Annas (a former high priest himself) the father-in-law of Caiaphas the high priest.  When Jesus answered, one of the high priest’s officers who stood nearby struck him on the face (John 18:22).  Then Annas sent him, still tied up, to Caiaphas the high priest.[5]  The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death.[6]   The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”[7] 

“I am,” said Jesus, “and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”[8]  So they accused Him of blasphemy and condemned Him to death (Matthew 26:65, 66; Mark 14:64).  They spat on Him (Matthew 26:67), blindfolded him (Mark 14:65) and played a guessing game, saying, “Prophesy for us, you Christ!  Who hit you?”[9]  Now the men who were holding Jesus under guard began to mock him and beat him,[10] following their leaders, oblivious to the potential harm they risked to themselves or the entire created cosmos.

After Jesus instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ[11] he began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law.[12]  When it was early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to execute him.[13]  They led Jesus away to their council and said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.”[14]  Caiaphas had given them the key to getting Jesus to accuse Himself: If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, since he cannot deny himself.[15]  Then the whole group of them rose up and brought Jesus before Pilate.[16]

They did not go into the governor’s residence so they would not be ceremonially defiled, but could eat the Passover meal.[17]  So Pilate came out to them but said, “Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him according to your own law!”  The Jewish leaders replied, “We cannot legally put anyone to death.”[18]  They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation (Matthew 23), forbidding us to pay the tribute tax to Caesar (Matthew 22:15-22) and claiming that he himself is Christ, a king.”[19]

Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.[20]  But with two lies and their own belief that the Christ would be a political/military revolutionary who would overthrow Pilate and his Roman overlords, the chief priests with the elders and the experts in the law and the whole Sanhedrin[21] transmuted their (false) charge of blasphemy into a Roman capital crime.

Privately, Jesus comforted Pilate: My kingdom is not from this world.  If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities.[22]  Publicly, when he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he did not respond.[23]  Pilate had found no basis for an accusation against (Luke 23:4; John 18:38b) Jesus, but he did see a possible way out (John 18:39, 40 NET):

“But it is your custom that I release one prisoner for you at the Passover.  So do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?”  Then they shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!”  (Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.)

John wrote of Jesus, yehôvâh become human flesh: He came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him.[24]  In fact, they persisted in saying, “He incites the people by teaching throughout all Judea.  It started in Galilee and ended up here!”[25]  Galilee was Herod’s jurisdiction, so Pilate sent Jesus to Herod.  The chief priests and the experts in the law were there, vehemently accusing him.  Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him.  Then, dressing him in elegant clothes, Herod sent him back to Pilate.[26]  Then Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, and said to them (Luke 23:13-16 NET):

“You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people.  When I examined him before you, I did not find this man guilty of anything you accused him of doing.  Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us.  Look, he has done nothing deserving death.  I will therefore have him flogged and release him.”

I’ll finish this essay with a Gospel harmony to capture some of the drama.

Matthew Mark Luke

John
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged severely.  The soldiers braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a purple robe.  They came up to him again and again and said, “Hail, king of the Jews!”  And they struck him repeatedly in the face.

John 19:1-3
Again Pilate went out and said to the Jewish leaders, “Look, I am bringing him out to you, so that you may know that I find no reason for an accusation against him.”

John 19:4
Then the crowd came up and began to ask Pilate to release a prisoner for them, as was his custom.

Mark 15:8
So after they had assembled, Pilate said to them…

Matthew 27:17a

 So Pilate asked them…

Mark 15:9a
“Whom do you want me to release for you, Jesus Barabbas or Jesus who is called the Christ?”

Matthew 27:17b
“Do you want me to release the king of the Jews for you?”

Mark 15:9b
(For he knew that they had handed him over because of envy.)

Matthew 27:18

 (For he knew that the chief priests had handed him over because of envy.)

Mark 15:10
As he was sitting on the judgment seat, his wife sent a message to him: “Have nothing to do with that innocent man; I have suffered greatly as a result of a dream about him today.”

Matthew 27:19
But the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas…

Matthew 27:20a

 But the chief priests stirred up the crowd to have him release Barabbas instead.

Mark 15:11
…and to have Jesus killed.

Matthew 27:20b
So Jesus came outside, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe.  Pilate said to them, “Look, here is the man!”

When the chief priests and their officers saw him, they shouted out, “Crucify him!  Crucify him!”  Pilate said, “You take him and crucify him!  Certainly I find no reason for an accusation against him!”  The Jewish leaders replied, “We have a law, and according to our law he ought to die, because he claimed to be the Son of God!”

When Pilate heard what they said, he was more afraid than ever…

John 19:5-8
But they all shouted out together, “Take this man away!   Release Barabbas for us!”  (This was a man who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection started in the city, and for murder.)

Luke 23:18, 19
…and he went back into the governor’s residence and said to Jesus, “Where do you come from?”  But Jesus gave him no answer.  So Pilate said, “Do you refuse to speak to me?  Don’t you know I have the authority to release you, and to crucify you?” Jesus replied, “You would have no authority over me at all, unless it was given to you from above.  Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of greater sin.”  From this point on, Pilate tried to release him.

John 19:9-12a
Pilate addressed them once again because he wanted to release Jesus.

Luke 23:20
The governor asked them,  “Which of the two do you want me to release for you?”  And they said, “Barabbas!”

Matthew 27:21
Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?”  They all said, “Crucify him!”  He asked, “Why?  What wrong has he done?”

Matthew 27:22-23a

 So Pilate spoke to them again, “Then what do you want me to do with the one you call king of the Jews?”

They shouted back, “Crucify him!”  Pilate asked them, “Why?  What has he done wrong?”

Mark 15:12-14a
But the Jewish leaders shouted out, “If you release this man, you are no friend of Caesar!  Everyone who claims to be a king opposes Caesar!”  When Pilate heard these words he brought Jesus outside and sat down on the judgment seat in the place called “The Stone Pavement” (Gabbatha in Aramaic).  (Now it was the day of preparation for the Passover, about noon.)  Pilate said to the Jewish leaders, “Look, here is your king!”

John 19:12b-14
But they kept on shouting, “Crucify, crucify him!”  A third time he said to them, “Why?  What wrong has he done?  I have found him guilty of no crime deserving death.  I will therefore flog him and release him.”

Luke 23:21, 22
Then they shouted out, “Away with him!  Away with him!  Crucify him!”  Pilate asked, “Shall I crucify your king?”  The high priests replied, “We have no king except Caesar!”

John 19:15
But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!”

Matthew 27:23b

 But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!”

Mark 15:14b

 But they were insistent, demanding with loud shouts that he be crucified.

Luke 23:23a
And their shouts prevailed.

Luke 23:23b
When Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but that instead a riot was starting, he took some water, washed his hands before the crowd and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood.  You take care of it yourselves!”  In reply all the people said, “Let his blood be on us and on our children!”

Matthew 27:24, 25
So Pilate decided that their demand should be granted.

Luke 23:24
Because he wanted to satisfy the crowd…

Mark 15:15a
Then he released Barabbas for them.

Matthew 27:26a

 …Pilate released Barabbas for them.

Mark 15:15b

 

 He released the man they asked for, who had been thrown in prison for insurrection and murder.

Luke 23:25a
But after he had Jesus flogged…

Matthew 27:26b

 Then, after he had Jesus flogged…

Mark 15:15c
…he handed him over to be crucified.

Matthew 27:26c

 …he handed him over to be crucified.

Mark 15:15d

 But he handed Jesus over to their will.

Luke 23:25b

 Then Pilate handed him over to them to be crucified.

John 19:16a
Then the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the governor’s residence and gathered the whole cohort around him.  They stripped him and put a scarlet robe around him, and after braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on his head.

Matthew 27:27-29

 So the soldiers led him into the palace (that is, the governor’s residence) and called together the whole cohort.  They put a purple cloak on him and after braiding a crown of thorns, they put it on him.

Mark 15:16, 17
They began to salute him: “Hail, king of the Jews!”   Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him.

Mark 15:18, 19a
They put a staff in his right hand…

Matthew 27:29b
..and kneeling down before him, they mocked him: “Hail, king of the Jews!”

Matthew 27:29c

 Then they knelt down and paid homage to him.

Mark 15:19b
They spat on him and took the staff and struck him repeatedly on the head.

Matthew 27:30
When they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes back on him. Then they led him away to crucify him.

Matthew 27:31

 When they had finished mocking him, they stripped him of the purple cloak and put his own clothes back on him.  Then they led him away to crucify him.

Mark 15:20

 

None of Jesus’ accusers, persecutors or tormentors withered and died.  As He told his disciples, the Father residing in me performs his miraculous deeds.[27]  I’ll continue this in another essay. The rest of the Gospel harmony I used to write this essay follows.

 

Matthew Mark Luke John
Then they arrested Jesus…

Luke 22:54a

 Then the squad of soldiers with their commanding officer and the officers of the Jewish leaders arrested Jesus…

John 18:12a
…and tied him up.  They brought him first to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year.  (Now it was Caiaphas who had advised the Jewish leaders that it was to their advantage that one man die for the people.)

John 18:12b-14
While this [John 18:15-18] was happening, the high priest [Annas had been high priest before his son-in-law] questioned Jesus about his disciples and about his teaching.  Jesus replied, “I have spoken publicly to the world.  I always taught in the synagogues and in the temple courts, where all the Jewish people assemble together.  I have said nothing in secret.  Why do you ask me?  Ask those who heard what I said.  They know what I said.”  When Jesus had said this, one of the high priest’s officers who stood nearby struck him on the face and said, “Is that the way you answer the high priest?”  Jesus replied, “If I have said something wrong, confirm what is wrong.  But if I spoke correctly, why strike me?”

John 18:19-23
Now the ones who had arrested Jesus led him to Caiaphas, the high priest, in whose house the experts in the law and the elders had gathered.

Matthew 26:57

 Then they led Jesus to the high priest, and all the chief priests and elders and experts in the law came together.

Mark 14:53

 …led him away, and brought him into the high priest’s house.

Luke 22:54b

 Then Annas sent him, still tied up, to Caiaphas the high priest.

John 18:24
But Peter was following him from a distance, all the way to the high priest’s courtyard.

Matthew 26:58a

 And Peter had followed him from a distance, up to the high priest’s courtyard.

Mark 14:54a

 But Peter was following at a distance.

Luke 22:54c
After going in, he sat with the guards to see the outcome.

Matthew 26:58b

 He was sitting with the guards and warming himself by the fire.

Mark 14:54b

 When they had made a fire in the middle of the courtyard and sat down together, Peter sat down among them.

Luke 22:55

 Meanwhile Simon Peter was standing in the courtyard warming himself.

John 18:25a
The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death.  But they did not find anything, though many false witnesses came forward.  Finally two came forward and declared, “This man said, ‘I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days.’”

Matthew 26:59-61

 The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were looking for evidence against Jesus so that they could put him to death, but they did not find anything.  Many gave false testimony against him, but their testimony did not agree.  Some stood up and gave this false testimony against him:  “We heard him say, ‘I will destroy this temple made with hands and in three days build another not made with hands.’”

Mark 14:55-58
Yet even on this point their testimony did not agree.

Mark 14:59
So the high priest stood up and said to him, “Have you no answer?  What is this that they are testifying against you?””

But Jesus was silent.

Matthew 26:62, 63a

 Then the high priest stood up before them and asked Jesus, “Have you no answer?  What is this that they are testifying against you?”

But he was silent and did not answer.

Mark 14:60, 61a
The high priest said to him, “I charge you under oath by the living God, tell us if you are the Christ, the Son of God.”  Jesus said to him, “You have said it yourself.

Matthew 26:63b-64a

 Again the high priest questioned him, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed One?”

Mark 14:61b
“I am,” said Jesus…

Mark 14:62a
But I tell you, from now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming on the clouds of heaven.”  Then the high priest tore his clothes and declared, “He has blasphemed!  Why do we still need witnesses?  Now you have heard the blasphemy!  What is your verdict?”  They answered, “He is guilty and deserves death.”  Then they spat in his face…

Matthew 26:63b-67a

 …“and you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the Power and coming with the clouds of heaven.”  Then the high priest tore his clothes and said, “Why do we still need witnesses?  You have heard the blasphemy!  What is your verdict?”  They all condemned him as deserving death.  Then some began to spit on him…

Mark 14:62b-65a
…and to blindfold him…

Mark 14:65b
…and struck him with their fists.  And some slapped him, saying, “Prophesy for us, you Christ!  Who hit you?”

Matthew 26:67b-68

 …and to strike him with their fists, saying, “Prophesy!”

Mark 14:65c
The guards also took him and beat him.

Matthew 14:65d

 Now the men who were holding Jesus under guard began to mock him and beat him.

Luke 22:63
They blindfolded him and asked him repeatedly, “Prophesy!  Who hit you?”  They also said many other things against him, reviling him.

Luke 22:64, 65
When it was early in the morning, all the chief priests and the elders of the people plotted against Jesus to execute him.

Matthew 27:1

 Early in the morning, after forming a plan…

Mark 15:1a

 When day came, the council of the elders of the people gathered together, both the chief priests and the experts in the law.

Luke 22:66a
Then they led Jesus away to their council and said, “If you are the Christ, tell us.”  But he said to them, “If I tell you, you will not believe, and if I ask you, you will not answer.  But from now on the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God.”  So they all said, “Are you the Son of God, then?”  He answered them, “You say that I am.”  Then they said, “Why do we need further testimony?   We have heard it ourselves from his own lips!”

Luke 22:66b-71
They tied him up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate the governor.

Matthew 27:2

 …the chief priests with the elders and the experts in the law and the whole Sanhedrin tied Jesus up, led him away, and handed him over to Pilate.

Mark 15:1b

 

 Then the whole group of them rose up and brought Jesus before Pilate.

Luke 23:1

 Then they brought Jesus from Caiaphas to the Roman governor’s residence.  (Now it was very early morning.)

John 18:28a

 
They did not go into the governor’s residence so they would not be ceremonially defiled, but could eat the Passover meal.

John 18:28b
So Pilate came outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?”  They replied, “If this man were not a criminal, we would not have handed him over to you.”

Pilate told them, “Take him yourselves and pass judgment on him according to your own law!”  The Jewish leaders replied, “We cannot legally put anyone to death.”  (This happened to fulfill the word Jesus had spoken when he indicated what kind of death he was going to die.)

John 18:29-32
They began to accuse him, saying, “We found this man subverting our nation, forbidding us to pay the tribute tax to Caesar and claiming that he himself is Christ, a king.”

Luke 23:2
Then Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Matthew 27:11a

 So Pilate asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Mark 15:2a

 

 

 So Pilate asked Jesus, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

Luke 23:3a

 So Pilate went back into the governor’s residence, summoned Jesus, and asked him, “Are you the king of the Jews?”

John 18:33
Jesus replied, “Are you saying this on your own initiative, or have others told you about me?”  Pilate answered, “I am not a Jew, am I?  Your own people and your chief priests handed you over to me.  What have you done?”

Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not from this world.  If my kingdom were from this world, my servants would be fighting to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish authorities.  But as it is, my kingdom is not from here.”  Then Pilate said, “So you are a king!”

John 18:34-37a
Jesus said, “You say so.”

Matthew 27:11b

 He replied, “You say so.”

Mark 15:2b

 He replied, “You say so.”

Luke 23:3b

 Jesus replied, “You say that I am a king.

John 18:37b
For this reason I was born, and for this reason I came into the world – to testify to the truth.  Everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice.”  Pilate asked, “What is truth?”

When he had said this he went back outside to the Jewish leaders…

John 18:37c, 38a
Then Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, “I find no basis for an accusation against this man.”

Luke 23:4

 …and announced, “I find no basis for an accusation against him.

John 18:38b
But when he was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he did not respond.  Then Pilate said to him, “Don’t you hear how many charges they are bringing against you?”  But he did not answer even one accusation, so that the governor was quite amazed.

Matthew 27:12-14

 Then the chief priests began to accuse him repeatedly.  So Pilate asked him again, “Have you nothing to say?  See how many charges they are bringing against you!”  But Jesus made no further reply, so that Pilate was amazed.

Mark 15:3-5
During the feast the governor was accustomed to release one prisoner to the crowd, whomever they wanted.  At that time they had in custody a notorious prisoner named Jesus Barabbas.

Matthew 27:15, 16

 During the feast it was customary to release one prisoner to the people, whomever they requested.  A man named Barabbas was imprisoned with rebels who had committed murder during an insurrection.

Mark 15:6, 7
But it is your custom that I release one prisoner for you at the Passover.  So do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?”  Then they shouted back, “Not this man, but Barabbas!”  (Now Barabbas was a revolutionary.)

John 18:39, 40
But they persisted in saying, “He incites the people by teaching throughout all Judea.  It started in Galilee and ended up here!”

Now when Pilate heard this, he asked whether the man was a Galilean.  When he learned that he was from Herod’s jurisdiction, he sent him over to Herod, who also happened to be in Jerusalem at that time.  When Herod saw Jesus, he was very glad, for he had long desired to see him, because he had heard about him and was hoping to see him perform some miraculous sign.  So Herod questioned him at considerable length; Jesus gave him no answer.  The chief priests and the experts in the law were there, vehemently accusing him.  Even Herod with his soldiers treated him with contempt and mocked him.  Then, dressing him in elegant clothes, Herod sent him back to Pilate.  That very day Herod and Pilate became friends with each other, for prior to this they had been enemies.

Luke 23:5-12
Then Pilate called together the chief priests, the rulers, and the people, and said to them, “You brought me this man as one who was misleading the people.  When I examined him before you, I did not find this man guilty of anything you accused him of doing.  Neither did Herod, for he sent him back to us.  Look, he has done nothing deserving death.  I will therefore have him flogged and release him.”

Luke 23:13-16
Then Pilate took Jesus and had him flogged severely.  The soldiers braided a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they clothed him in a purple robe.  They came up to him again and again and said, “Hail, king of the Jews!”  And they struck him repeatedly in the face.

John 19:1-3

[1] John 13:36b (NET)

[2] Matthew 11:2a (NET)

[3] Matthew 11:5 (NET)

[4] John 5:20, 21 (NET)

[5] John 18:24 (NET)

[6] Matthew 26:59 (NET)

[7] Matthew 26:63b (NET)

[8] Mark 14:62 (NET)

[9] Matthew 26:68 (NET)

[10] Luke 22:63 (NET)

[11] Matthew 16:20 (NET)

[12] Matthew 16:21 (NET)

[13] Matthew 27:1 (NET)

[14] Luke 22:66b, 67a (NET)

[15] 2 Timothy 2:13 (NET)

[16] Luke 23:1 (NET)

[17] John 18:28b (NET)

[18] John 18:31 (NET)

[19] Luke 23:2 (NET)

[20] 1 Timothy 1:15 (NET)

[21] Mark 15:1 (NET)

[22] John 18:36a (NET)

[23] Matthew 27:12 (NET)

[24] John 1:11 (NET)

[25] Luke 23:5 (NET)

[26] Luke 23:10, 11 (NET)

[27] John 14:10b (NET)