Luke 8:22-56

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

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

It’s preface is Jesus’ response to those who informed Him that his mother and brothers desired to see Him: “My mother and my brothers are those who hear (ἀκούοντες, a present participle of ἀκούω) the word of God and do (ποιοῦντες, a present participle of ποιέω) it.”1

One2 day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke3 and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. He said to them, “Where is4 your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?”

Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes,5 which is opposite6 Galilee. When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him7 a man from the city who had8 demons. For a long time9 he had worn no clothes,10 and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound11 with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon12 into the desert.) Jesus then asked him,13 “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,”14 for many demons had entered him. And they begged15 him not to command them to depart into the abyss. Now a large herd of pigs was feeding16 there on the hillside, and they begged17 him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons came out of the man and entered18 the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned.

When the herdsmen saw what had happened,19 they fled and20 told it in the city and in the country. Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone,21 sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes22 asked23 him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged24 that he might be with him, but Jesus25 sent him away, saying, “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him.

Now26 when Jesus returned,27 the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him [Table]. And there came a man named Jairus,28 who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians,29 she could not be healed by30 anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter31 said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!”32 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out33 from me.” And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared34 in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter,35 your faith has made you well; go in peace.”

While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.”36 But Jesus on hearing this answered him,37 “Do not fear; only believe,38 and she will be well.” And when he came39 to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him,40 except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not41 dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But42 taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.”43 And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened.44

The assignment this time was to determine the Source of Sorrow (SOS), Empowering Grace (EMP), Call to Action (CTA) and Road to Christ (RTC) for each story. And then determine the same for the entire passage by the overlap of the individual stories.

On a Boat in a Storm

Jesus’ question—Where (ποῦ) is your faith?45—hints at the Source of Sorrow here. The verb εστιν (is) does not occur in the NET parallel Greek text or NA28, the critical text, but only in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text, the received text. As I considered the phrase without a verb its tone changed from an accusation—“where did your faith go”—to a gentle reminder—“where your faith? in your own seamanship or in God?”

Luke seems to have described a different storm at a later time than that described by Matthew. I’m assuming here that Matthew and Levi were the same person:

Matthew 9:9-13 (ESV)

Mark 2:13-17 (ESV)

Luke 5:27-32 (ESV)

As Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew46 sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

And as Jesus reclined at table in the house, behold, many tax collectors and sinners came and were reclining with Jesus and his disciples. And when the Pharisees saw this, they said47 to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he48 heard it, he said,49 “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy,50 and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but51 sinners.”52

He went out again beside the sea, and all the crowd was coming to him, and he was teaching them. And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.

And as53 he reclined at table54 in his house, many tax collectors and sinners were reclining with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed55 him. And the scribes of the Pharisees,56 when they saw that he was eating57 with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why58 does he eat59 with tax collectors and sinners?” And when Jesus heard it, he said to them,60 “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.”61

After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me.” And leaving everything,62 he rose and followed63 him.

And Levi64 made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them. And the Pharisees and their scribes grumbled at his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors65 and sinners?” And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but66 those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.”

The similarities are striking but the differences are also telling. Only Luke recorded that Levi (Matthew) was leaving everything67 (καταλιπὼν πάντα). And only Matthew recorded Jesus’ command to his and Matthew’s accusers: Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’68 These nuances make me quite comfortable with the idea that Matthew/Levi was Matthew the apostle and the author of the Gospel according to Matthew.

Matthew 10:1-4 (ESV)

Mark 3:13-19 (ESV)

Luke 6:12-16 (ESV)

And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these: first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew69 the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus;70 Simon the Zealot,71 and Judas Iscariot,72 who betrayed him.

And he went up on the mountain and called to him those whom he desired, and they came to him. And he appointed twelve (whom he also named apostles73) so that they might be with him and he might send them out to preach and have authority74 to cast out demons. He appointed the twelve:75 Simon (to whom he gave the name Peter); James the son of Zebedee and John the brother of James (to whom he gave the name Boanerges, that is, Sons of Thunder); Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew,76 and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Zealot,77 and Judas Iscariot,78 who betrayed him.

In these days he went out79 to the mountain to pray, and all night he continued in prayer to God. And when day came, he called his disciples and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother, and80 James and John, and81 Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew,82 and Thomas, and83 James the son84 of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot, and85 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot,86 who87 became a traitor.

Only Matthew differentiated himself as the tax collector88 ( τελώνης). A table outlining these events follows.

Matthew

Mark

Luke

Stilling of a Storm (8:23-27)
Healing the Gadarene Demoniacs (8:28-34)
The Call of Matthew (9:9-13) The Call of Levi (2:13-17) The Call of Levi (5:27-32)
Sending Out the 12 Apostles (10:1-4) Appointing the 12 Apostles (3:13-19) Choosing the 12 Apostles (6:12-16)
Stilling of a Storm (4:35-41) Stilling of a Storm (8:22-25)
Healing of a Demoniac (5:1-20) Healing of a Demoniac (8:26-39)

The storm described in Luke was clearly after these events, while the storm described by Matthew occurred before them. This has become considerably more important to me than completing this assignment. Why?

In an expository sermon, the homiletical outline is worded in principles derived from and supported by features of the text in its context. The preacher demonstrates how the text supports these principles and then applies them to the contemporary context of the listeners.89

…the finest expositors begin preparing each sermon by asking themselves the following question: What may I, with the authority of God’s Word, require of you as a result of what we discern this text means?90

I don’t do this for myself studying God’s Word. I won’t do it to anyone else. I’ve already acknowledged that at my best I receive the 2nd person imperatives of Scripture—you must—“as fair warnings: what God who works in [me], both to will and to work for his good pleasure91 is doing,”92 because of who He is in his faithfulness. At my best I recognize that I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.93 So, I’ll consider the advantages for knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom [He has] sent94 implicit in understanding the storms recorded by Matthew and Luke as two separate events.

The disciples began hearing and doing Jesus’ word: “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out.95 The storm caused them some question or doubt. It reminds me of Jesus’ parable (Mark 4:3-9 ESV):

Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.96 And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds97 came and devoured it. Other98 seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately99 it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose,100 it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away. Other seed fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked it, and it yielded no grain. And other101 seeds fell into good soil and produced grain, growing up and increasing102 and yielding thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold.” And he said,103 “He who has104 ears to hear, let him hear.”

Jesus explained the parable to his disciples (Mark 4:14-20 ESV):

The sower sows the word. And these are the ones along the path, where the word is sown: when they hear, Satan immediately comes and takes away the word that is sown in them [Table]. And these are the ones105 sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately106 receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately107 they fall away. And others108 are the ones sown among thorns. They are109 those who hear the word, but the cares of the110 world and the deceitfulness of riches and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. But those that were sown on the good soil are the ones who hear the word and accept it and bear fruit, thirtyfold and sixtyfold and a hundredfold [Table].

I only recall hearing this preached in one of two ways: Either as a fait accompli, too bad, so sad, most people spend eternity in the lake of fire. Or, with an implicit application that the soil, those who hear the word, should improve themselves somehow. The latter isn’t completely off the mark if one understands that God’s soil enrichment program is Himself, through faith in Jesus Christ, in the person of his own indwelling Holy Spirit. I don’t recall ever hearing that said in a sermon, but I have an exceptionally strong religious bias against sitting down with God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit and following Him through the Bible.

Whether I see the impact of these storms as tribulation or persecution, or the cares of the world, one advantage to understanding them as two separate events is that I see Jesus working to improve the soil that is his disciples. I might even see some development in the contrast between the storm Matthew recounted and the one here in Luke’s Gospel account. A gentle reminder—“where your faith?”—is not the same as Why are you “timid, fearful, cowardly, fainthearted; miserable, wretched, worthless; deserving pity, deserving contempt?”111 And they were afraid, Luke wrote, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey (ὑπακούουσιν, a form of ὑπακούω) him?”112

Luke and the Holy Spirit chose some interesting words here. The Greek word translated they were afraid was φοβηθέντες, a participle of φοβέω. It was the same word the rabbis chose to describe the people at Sinai (Exodus 20) in the Septuagint.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Exodus 20:15 (Tanakh)

Exodus 20:18 (NET)

Exodus 20:18 (NETS)

Exodus 20:18 (Elpenor English)

And all the people perceived the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the horn, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled (וַיָּנֻ֔עוּ), and stood afar off. All the people were seeing the thundering and the lightning, and heard the sound of the horn, and saw the mountain smoking—and when the people saw it they trembled with fear (nûaʿ, וינעו) and kept their distance. And the people were perceiving the sound and the flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking. Now all the people were afraid (φοβηθέντες) and stood at a distance. And all the people perceived the thundering, and the flashes, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and all the people feared (φοβηθέντες) and stood afar off,

The Greek word translated they marveled was ἐθαύμασαν, a 3rd person plural form of θαυμάζω. It was the same word the rabbis chose to describe the kings who encountered God as defender of Zion.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Psalm 48:2-5 (Tanakh/KJV)

Psalm 48:2-5 (NET)

Psalm 47:3-6 (NETS)

Psalm 47:3-6 (Elpenor English)

Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. It is lofty and pleasing to look at, a source of joy to the whole earth. Mount Zion resembles the peaks of Zaphon; it is the city of the great king. since he planted it well, for the enjoyment of the whole earth, Mountains of Sion, the slopes of the north, the city of the great King— The city of the great King is well planted [on] the mountains of Sion, with the joy of the whole earth, [on] the sides of the north.
God is known in her palaces for a refuge. God is in its fortresses; he reveals himself as its defender. within its bastions God is known, when he supports it, God is known in her palaces, when he undertakes to help her.
For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. For look, the kings assemble; they advance together. because, look, the kings assembled; they came together. For, behold the kings of the earth were assembled, they came together.
They saw it, and so they marvelled (תָּמָ֑הוּ); they were troubled, and hasted away. As soon as they see, they are shocked (tāmah, תמהו); they are terrified, they quickly retreat. They, when they saw it so, were astounded (ἐθαύμασαν); they were troubled; they were shaken; They saw, and so they wondered (ἐθαύμασαν): they were troubled, they were moved.

Though Jesus’ disciples may not have been ready intellectually to acknowledge Him as God in human flesh, they had already begun to respond to Him as others in the past had responded to their encounters with the living God, according to Luke’s and the Holy Spirit’s word choices. And still, I admit, I’m not exactly sure what Jesus expected from his disciples. What does faith look like when one encounters a life-threatening circumstance following the Lord?

Luke was apparently a fellow passenger and eye-witness to Paul’s faith in the storm they encountered on their way to Rome (Acts 27:21-26 ESV).

Since113 they had been without food for a long time, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me (Acts 27:9, 10) and not have set sail from Crete and incurred this injury and loss. Yet now114 I urge you to take heart, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. For this very night there stood before me115 an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I worship, and he said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar. And behold, God has granted you all those who sail with you.’ So take heart, men, for I have faith in God that it will be exactly as I have been told. But we must run aground on some island.”

The most likely Scriptural precedent for the disciples’ peril in the storms was the story of Jonah fleeing from the Lord.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Jonah 1:4-6 (Tanakh)

Jonah 1:4-6 (NET)

Jonah 1:4-6 (NETS)

Jonah 1:4-6 (Elpenor English)

But HaShem hurled a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. But the Lord hurled a powerful wind on the sea. Such a violent tempest arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break up! And the Lord aroused a wind in the sea, and a great surge came upon the sea, and the ship was in danger of breaking up. And the Lord raised up a wind on the sea; and there was a great storm on the sea, and the ship was in danger of being broken.
And the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god; and they cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it unto them. But Jonah was gone down into the innermost parts of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. The sailors were so afraid that each cried out to his own god and they flung the ship’s cargo overboard to make the ship lighter. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold below deck, had lain down, and was sound asleep. And the mariners were afraid and cried out, each to their god. And they heaved the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to be lightened from them. But Jonas went down into the hold of the ship and was sleeping and snoring. And the sailors were alarmed, and cried every one to his god, and cast out the wares that were in the ship into the sea, that it might be lightened of them. But Jonas was gone down into the hold of the ship, and was asleep, and snored.
So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him: ‘What meanest thou that thou sleepest? arise, call upon thy G-d, if so be that G-d will think upon us, that we perish not.’ The ship’s captain approached him and said, “What are you doing asleep? Get up! Cry out to your god! Perhaps your god might take notice of us so that we might not die!” And the captain came to him and said to him, “Why are you snoring? Get up, invoke your god in order that the god might deliver us and we not perish.” And the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, Why snorest thou? arise, and call upon thy God, that God may save us, and we perish not.

Mark seems to have patterned his retelling of a story of Jesus’ disciples in a storm after the story of Jonah, recasting Jonah as Jesus and the shipmaster as Jesus’ frightened disciples (Mark 4:38 ESV):

But [Jesus] was in116 the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke117 him and said to him, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”

The sequencing of events seems to place Mark’s account of a storm at roughly the same time as Luke’s account rather than Matthew’s, but Jesus’ responses recorded in Mark seem to collapse the two (or more) events into one (Mark 4:40 ESV):

He said to them, “Why are you so118 afraid? Have you still no119 faith?”

A table comparing these responses in Greek and English translation follows:

Mark 4:40 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 8:26 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 4:40 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:25 (NET Parallel Greek)

τί δειλοί ἐστε τί δειλοί ἐστε οὔπω ἔχετε πίστιν ποῦ πίστις ὑμῶν

Mark 4:40 (ESV)

Matthew 8:26 (ESV)

Mark 4:40 (ESV)

Luke 8:25 (ESV)

Why are you so afraid? Why are you afraid Have you still no faith? Where is your faith?

The development I think I see in Luke’s account compared to Matthew’s vanishes in Mark’s account. And the point is well-taken. I’m a fan now. I want Jesus’ disciples to improve. I don’t want the Lord’s time and effort patiently teaching them to be wasted. But I also know that self-improvement fades to insignificance in the face of death and resurrection. I know that the main difference between Paul in Acts and Peter or John in Matthew or Luke is God Himself, through faith in Jesus Christ, in the person of his own indwelling Holy Spirit. Paul confessed (Galatians 2:19-21 NET):

For through…law (διὰ νόμου) I died to the law so that I may live to God. I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I now live in the body, I live because of the faithfulness of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside God’s grace, because if righteousness could come through…law (εἰ γὰρ διὰ νόμου δικαιοσύνη), then Christ died for nothing!

Plundering the Strong Man’s Goods

Accepting Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts of a storm as two separate events helps me see that Jesus, led by the Spirit, set out across the Sea of Galilee on two separate occasions to rescue men possessed by demons, and then He left again back across the sea.

Matthew 8:28 (ESV)

Luke 8:26, 27 (ESV)

And when he came to the other side, to the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him, coming out of the tombs, so fierce that no one could pass that way [Table].

Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs.

Matthew 9:1 (ESV)

Luke 8:40 (ESV)

And getting into a boat he crossed over and came to his own city [Table].

Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him [Table].

Freeing demon-possessed men doesn’t exhaust the meaning of plundering a strong man’s goods. All of us need his rescue from our father the devil. It does, however, present a vivid and dramatic demonstration.

Matthew 12:28, 29 (ESV)

Mark 3:27 (ESV)

Luke 11:20-22 (ESV)

But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder120 his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house [Table].

But no one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house [Table].

But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you [Table]. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe; but when one stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divides his spoil [Table].

And it leads me to the conclusion that there was more to these storms than, “The collision of warm water and moist warm air with cooler air, leading to condensation and storm clouds.”121 Satan was able to conjure a windstorm to kill Job’s children (Job 1:18b, 19 ESV):

“Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their oldest brother’s house [Table], and behold, a great wind came across the wilderness and struck the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young people, and they are dead, and I alone have escaped to tell you” [Table].

But Satan did nothing to Job without the Lord’s permission (Job 1:12 ESV [Table]):

And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that [Job] has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

Given that, the words recorded in Jonah are also true of the storms endured by Jesus’ disciples (Jonah 1:4a ESV):

But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea…

What about the storm Luke and Paul encountered on their way to Rome? What about the storm named Helene? I worked at a conference in Orlando last week, but my own experience of Helene is scarcely worth mentioning.

On the last day of the conference I was drenched in a brief downpour as we loaded the company van so one of the owners could get ahead of the storm on her way to Philadelphia. Being drenched, working in the heat in Orlando, is probably best described as a refreshing shower. I changed into shorts but wore the same shirt I was drenched in to dinner that evening. And being drenched caused my employer to tell me to take everyone back to the hotel in an Uber on the company card.

The next morning I flew out of Orlando about four hours earlier than originally planned, landed uneventfully in St. Louis, met briefly with friends and then drove home to Desloge under partly cloudy conditions. For the next day or so I studied Luke’s Gospel account with a gentle rain pattering on the porch outside my open sliding door. Others had different experiences. Many died.

“Here’s how Hurricane Helene brought ‘biblical devastation’ to western North Carolina in a near ‘worst-case scenario’” a CBS News headline online read.122 “CBS News has confirmed that at least 162 people across several states were killed by Helene. Buncombe County alone has reported more than 50 deaths, including a 7-year-old who was swept away by floodwaters with his grandparents.” Li Cohen, the credited author, explained the words “biblical devastation” in her headline.

In Buncombe County, home to Asheville, Emergency Services Assistant Director Ryan Cole told the Citizen-Times that “catastrophic devastation” didn’t accurately describe the impact the deluge had.
“It would go a little bit further and say we have biblical devastation through the county,” Cole said. “We’ve had biblical flooding here and it has been extremely significant.”

CBS News is a commercial enterprise. It makes sense, I suppose, that the implicit application in Ms. Cohen’s article, for those who have ears to hear, is to buy electric vehicles. And I suppose that I, flying to and from Orlando and driving to and from my home in an ordinary vehicle, am one of those to blame for the death of “a 7-year-old who was swept away by floodwaters with his grandparents,” according to Ms. Cohen’s informant

As unprecedented as Helene’s impact on the region was, there is a chance it won’t be the last.

“The rapid intensification of Helene over the Gulf, the amount of moisture available in its surrounding environment, and its manifestation as locally heavy — and in some cases, historically unheard of — rainfall amounts are all known side effects of a warmer atmosphere,” the [North Carolina State climate] office said.

Last year was already the warmest humans had ever recorded and 2024 has seen countless heat records. The continued use of fossil fuels releases greenhouse gases that are trapping heat within the atmosphere, increasing average temperatures that fuel extreme weather events like Helene.

As I sit here now grappling with my own reactions to our different experiences of Helene, the first explanation that comes to mind is geographical. Missouri wasn’t particularly harmed by this storm. I was never in any real danger in Orlando. I suspected that while I was still there. Having lived in Kissimmee I told my sister, alarmed for my safety by news reports, that “most hurricanes in the Orlando area are windy rainstorms with a really good press agent.”

As I consider that “7-year-old who was swept away by floodwaters with his grandparents,” I hear my religious beliefs screaming like some angry child: “If those dead people didn’t go to the right church, or do the right things, or believe or say the right things about Jesus, they will burn in the lake of fire for all eternity!” But even in the midst of that cacophany, I hear Jesus’ calm voice (Luke 20:38 ESV):

Now (δὲ) he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.

These were not just words Jesus spoke. This is the confidence Jesus lived. Consider his response to those mourning Jairus’ dead daughter (Luke 8:52-55 ESV):

And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” And her spirit returned, and she got up at once.

It is the same calm voice who said (Matthew 11:27-30 ESV):

All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses (βούληται, a form of βούλομαι) to reveal him. Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls [Table]. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

Again, these are more than mere words. His welcome was apparent in almost everything He did (Luke 8:40-42a ESV).

Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him [Table]. And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus’ feet, he implored him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying.

The very next words in Luke’s Gospel account are: As Jesus went123 And that same calm voice said (John 6:44, 45 ESV):

No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him. And I will raise him up on the last day [Table]. It is written in the Prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’ Everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to me[Table]

This is the backstory as it were, what was actually going on within the woman who was healed by touching Jesus’ garment, and how she was drawn to Jesus (Luke 8:42b-44 ESV).

As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians, she could not be healed by anyone. She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased.

Jesus was aware that something had happened between God and someone—for I perceive that power has gone out from me124—but He seems to have been uncertain who that someone was until she confessed (Luke 8:47, 48 ESV).

And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well (σέσωκεν, a form of σώζω); go in peace.”

Mark elaborated some about this woman (Mark 5:27, 28 ESV):

She had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If125 I touch even his garments, I will be made well (σωθήσομαι, another form of σώζω).”

But this elaboration seems to focus my attention too much on the circumstance of her faith—She had heard the reports about Jesus—and its content—If I touch even his garments—rather than the object and source of her faith; namely, Jesus Christ and the only true God who, according to Jesus, drew her to Him. This drawing leads me back again to that same calm voice (John 12:31, 32 ESV):

Now (νῦν) is the judgment of this world; now (νῦν) will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.

Hearing his calm voice, with his steady hand on the tiller of my life, I have hope that though I didn’t know that “7-year-old who was swept away by floodwaters” or “his grandparents,” there is yet a time when we may meet (not because I know their faith but because I know the faithfulness of my God) and we will share a common story much like Paul outlined for Titus (Titus 3:3-7 ESV).

For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved (ἔσωσεν, another form of σώζω) us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit [Table], whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life [Table].

The postscript to Luke 8:22-56 is (Luke 9:1, 2 ESV):

And he called the twelve together126 and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal.127

According to a note (32) in the NET, Jesus quoted from Hosea 6:6 in Matthew 9:13. A table comparing the Greek of Jesus’ quotation with that of the Septuagint follows.

Matthew 9:13b (NET Parallel Greek)

Hosea 6:6a (Septuagint BLB) Table

Hosea 6:6a (Septuagint Elpenor)

ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν

Matthew 9:13b (NET)

Hosea 6:6a (NETS)

Hosea 6:6a (English Elpenor)

I want mercy and not sacrifice I want mercy and not sacrifice I will [have] mercy rather than sacrifice

Tables comparing Exodus 20:18 (20:15); Psalm 48:2; 48:3; 48:4; 48:5; Jonah 1:4; 1:5 and 1:6 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and comparing the Greek of Exodus 20:18; Psalm 48:2 (47:3); 48:3 (47:4); 48:4 (47:5); 48:5 (47:6); Jonah 1:4; 1:5 and 1:6 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Luke 8:22; 8:24-27; 8:29-35; 8:37, 38; 8:41; 8:43; 8:45-52; 8:54; Matthew 9:9; 9:11-13; Mark 2:15-17; Luke 5:28-31; Matthew 10:3, 4; Mark 3:14-16; 3:18, 19; Luke 6:12; 6:14-16; Mark 4:3-6; 4:8-9; 4:16-19; Acts 27:21-23; Mark 4:38; 4:40; 5:28 and Luke 9:1, 2 in the KJV and NET follow.

Exodus 20:15 (Tanakh)

Exodus 20:18 (KJV)

Exodus 20:18 (NET)

And all the people perceived the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the voice of the horn, and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled, and stood afar off. And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off. All the people were seeing the thundering and the lightning, and heard the sound of the horn, and saw the mountain smoking—and when the people saw it they trembled with fear and kept their distance.

Exodus 20:18 (BLB Septuagint)

Exodus 20:18 (Elpenor Septuagint)

καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἑώρα τὴν φωνὴν καὶ τὰς λαμπάδας καὶ τὴν φωνὴν τῆς σάλπιγγος καὶ τὸ ὄρος τὸ καπνίζον φοβηθέντες δὲ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἔστησαν μακρόθεν Καὶ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἑώρα τὴν φωνὴν καὶ τὰς λαμπάδας καὶ τὴν φωνὴν τῆς σάλπιγγος καὶ τὸ ὄρος τὸ καπνίζον· φοβηθέντες δὲ πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἔστησαν μακρόθεν

Exodus 20:18 (NETS)

Exodus 20:18 (Elpenor English)

And the people were perceiving the sound and the flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking. Now all the people were afraid and stood at a distance. And all the people perceived the thundering, and the flashes, and the voice of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking; and all the people feared and stood afar off,

Psalm 48:2 (Tanakh)

Psalm 48:2 (KJV)

Psalm 48:2 (NET)

Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King. It is lofty and pleasing to look at, a source of joy to the whole earth. Mount Zion resembles the peaks of Zaphon; it is the city of the great king.

Psalm 48:2 (BLB Septuagint)

Psalm 47:3 (Elpenor Septuagint)

εὖ ῥιζῶν ἀγαλλιάματι πάσης τῆς γῆς ὄρη Σιων τὰ πλευρὰ τοῦ βορρᾶ ἡ πόλις τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ μεγάλου εὐρίζῳ ἀγαλλιάματι πάσης τῆς γῆς. ὄρη Σιών, τὰ πλευρὰ τοῦ Βορρᾶ, ἡ πόλις τοῦ βασιλέως τοῦ μεγάλου

Psalm 47:3 (NETS)

Psalm 47:3 (Elpenor English)

since he planted it well, for the enjoyment of the whole earth, Mountains of Sion, the slopes of the north, the city of the great King— The city of the great King is well planted [on] the mountains of Sion, with the joy of the whole earth, [on] the sides of the north.

Psalm 48:3 (Tanakh)

Psalm 48:3 (KJV)

Psalm 48:3 (NET)

God is known in her palaces for a refuge. God is known in her palaces for a refuge. God is in its fortresses; he reveals himself as its defender.

Psalm 48:3 (BLB Septuagint)

Psalm 47:4 (Elpenor Septuagint)

ὁ θεὸς ἐν ταῖς βάρεσιν αὐτῆς γινώσκεται ὅταν ἀντιλαμβάνηται αὐτῆς ὁ Θεὸς ἐν τοῖς βάρεσιν αὐτῆς γινώσκεται, ὅταν ἀντιλαμβάνηται αὐτῆς

Psalm 47:4 (NETS)

47:4 (Elpenor English)

within its bastions God is known, when he supports it, God is known in her palaces, when he undertakes to help her.

Psalm 48:4 (Tanakh)

Psalm 48:4 (KJV)

Psalm 48:4 (NET)

For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. For, lo, the kings were assembled, they passed by together. For look, the kings assemble; they advance together.

Psalm 48:4 (BLB Septuagint)

Psalm 47:5 (Elpenor Septuagint)

ὅτι ἰδοὺ οἱ βασιλεῖς συνήχθησαν ἤλθοσαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό ὅτι ἰδοὺ οἱ βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς συνήχθησαν, ἤλθοσαν ἐπὶ τὸ αὐτό

Psalm 47:5 (NETS)

Psalm 47:5 (Elpenor English)

because, look, the kings assembled; they came together. For, behold the kings of the earth were assembled, they came together.

Psalm 48:5 (Tanakh)

Psalm 48:5 (KJV)

Psalm 48:5 (NET)

They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. They saw it, and so they marvelled; they were troubled, and hasted away. As soon as they see, they are shocked; they are terrified, they quickly retreat.

Psalm 48:5 (BLB Septuagint)

Psalm 47:6 (Elpenor Septuagint)

αὐτοὶ ἰδόντες οὕτως ἐθαύμασαν ἐταράχθησαν ἐσαλεύθησαν αὐτοὶ ἰδόντες οὕτως ἐθαύμασαν, ἐταράχθησαν, ἐσαλεύθησαν

Psalm 47:6 (NETS)

Psalm 47:6 (Elpenor English)

They, when they saw it so, were astounded; they were troubled; they were shaken; They saw, and so they wondered: they were troubled, they were moved.

Jonah 1:4 (Tanakh)

Jonah 1:4 (KJV)

Jonah 1:4 (NET)

But HaShem hurled a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. But the LORD sent out a great wind into the sea, and there was a mighty tempest in the sea, so that the ship was like to be broken. But the Lord hurled a powerful wind on the sea. Such a violent tempest arose on the sea that the ship threatened to break up!

Jonah 1:4 (BLB Septuagint)

Jonah 1:4 (Elpenor Septuagint)

καὶ κύριος ἐξήγειρεν πνεῦμα εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ ἐγένετο κλύδων μέγας ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ καὶ τὸ πλοῖον ἐκινδύνευεν συντριβῆναι καὶ Κύριος ἐξήγειρε πνεῦμα μέγα εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν, καὶ ἐγένετο κλύδων μέγας ἐν τῇ θαλάσσῃ, καὶ τὸ πλοῖον ἐκινδύνευε τοῦ συντριβῆναι

Jonah 1:4 (NETS)

Jonah 1:4 (Elpenor English)

And the Lord aroused a wind in the sea, and a great surge came upon the sea, and the ship was in danger of breaking up. And the Lord raised up a wind on the sea; and there was a great storm on the sea, and the ship was in danger of being broken.

Jonah 1:5 (Tanakh)

Jonah 1:5 (KJV)

Jonah 1:5 (NET)

And the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god; and they cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it unto them. But Jonah was gone down into the innermost parts of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. Then the mariners were afraid, and cried every man unto his god, and cast forth the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to lighten it of them. But Jonah was gone down into the sides of the ship; and he lay, and was fast asleep. The sailors were so afraid that each cried out to his own god and they flung the ship’s cargo overboard to make the ship lighter. Jonah, meanwhile, had gone down into the hold below deck, had lain down, and was sound asleep.

Jonah 1:5 (BLB Septuagint)

Jonah 1:5 (Elpenor Septuagint)

καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν οἱ ναυτικοὶ καὶ ἀνεβόων ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν θεὸν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐκβολὴν ἐποιήσαντο τῶν σκευῶν τῶν ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν τοῦ κουφισθῆναι ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν Ιωνας δὲ κατέβη εἰς τὴν κοίλην τοῦ πλοίου καὶ ἐκάθευδεν καὶ ἔρρεγχεν καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν οἱ ναυτικοὶ καὶ ἀνεβόησαν ἕκαστος πρὸς τὸν θεὸν αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐκβολὴν ἐποιήσαντο τῶν σκευῶν τῶν ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ εἰς τὴν θάλασσαν τοῦ κουφισθῆναι ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν. ᾿Ιωνᾶς δὲ κατέβη εἰς τὴν κοίλην τοῦ πλοίου καὶ ἐκάθευδε καὶ ἔρρεγχε

Jonah 1:5 (NETS)

Jonah 1:5 (Elpenor English)

And the mariners were afraid and cried out, each to their god. And they heaved the wares that were in the ship into the sea, to be lightened from them. But Jonas went down into the hold of the ship and was sleeping and snoring. And the sailors were alarmed, and cried every one to his god, and cast out the wares that were in the ship into the sea, that it might be lightened of them. But Jonas was gone down into the hold of the ship, and was asleep, and snored.

Jonah 1:6 (Tanakh)

Jonah 1:6 (KJV)

Jonah 1:6 (NET)

So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him: ‘What meanest thou that thou sleepest? arise, call upon thy G-d, if so be that G-d will think upon us, that we perish not.’ So the shipmaster came to him, and said unto him, What meanest thou, O sleeper? arise, call upon thy God, if so be that God will think upon us, that we perish not. The ship’s captain approached him and said, “What are you doing asleep? Get up! Cry out to your god! Perhaps your god might take notice of us so that we might not die!”

Jonah 1:6 (BLB Septuagint)

Jonah 1:6 (Elpenor Septuagint)

καὶ προσῆλθεν πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ πρωρεὺς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ τί σὺ ῥέγχεις ἀνάστα καὶ ἐπικαλοῦ τὸν θεόν σου ὅπως διασώσῃ ὁ θεὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ μὴ ἀπολώμεθα καὶ προσῆλθε πρὸς αὐτὸν ὁ πρωρεὺς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ· τί σὺ ῥέγχεις; ἀνάστα καὶ ἐπικαλοῦ τὸν Θεόν σου, ὅπως διασώσῃ ὁ Θεὸς ἡμᾶς καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀπολώμεθα

Jonah 1:6 (NETS)

Jonah 1:6 (Elpenor English)

And the captain came to him and said to him, “Why are you snoring? Get up, invoke your god in order that the god might deliver us and we not perish.” And the shipmaster came to him, and said to him, Why snorest οὐ thou? arise, and call upon thy God, that God may save us, and we perish not.

Luke 8:22 (NET)

Luke 8:22 (KJV)

One day Jesus got into a boat with his disciples and said to them, “Let’s go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, Now it came to pass on a certain day, that he went into a ship with his disciples: and he said unto them, Let us go over unto the other side of the lake. And they launched forth.

Luke 8:22 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:22 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:22 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν μιᾷ τῶν ἡμερῶν καὶ αὐτὸς ἐνέβη εἰς πλοῖον καὶ οἱ μαθηταὶ αὐτοῦ καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· διέλθωμεν εἰς τὸ πέραν τῆς λίμνης, καὶ ἀνήχθησαν και εγενετο εν μια των ημερων και αυτος ενεβη εις πλοιον και οι μαθηται αυτου και ειπεν προς αυτους διελθωμεν εις το περαν της λιμνης και ανηχθησαν και εγενετο εν μια των ημερων και αυτος ενεβη εις πλοιον και οι μαθηται αυτου και ειπεν προς αυτους διελθωμεν εις το περαν της λιμνης και ανηχθησαν

Luke 8:24-27 (NET)

Luke 8:24-27 (KJV)

They came and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are about to die!” So he got up and rebuked the wind and the raging waves; they died down, and it was calm. And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Master, master, we perish. Then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water: and they ceased, and there was a calm.

Luke 8:24 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:24 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:24 (Byzantine Majority Text)

προσελθόντες δὲ διήγειραν αὐτὸν λέγοντες· ἐπιστάτα ἐπιστάτα, ἀπολλύμεθα. ὁ δὲ διεγερθεὶς ἐπετίμησεν τῷ ἀνέμῳ καὶ τῷ κλύδωνι τοῦ ὕδατος· καὶ ἐπαύσαντο καὶ ἐγένετο γαλήνη προσελθοντες δε διηγειραν αυτον λεγοντες επιστατα επιστατα απολλυμεθα ο δε εγερθεις επετιμησεν τω ανεμω και τω κλυδωνι του υδατος και επαυσαντο και εγενετο γαληνη προσελθοντες δε διηγειραν αυτον λεγοντες επιστατα επιστατα απολλυμεθα ο δε εγερθεις επετιμησεν τω ανεμω και τω κλυδωνι του υδατος και επαυσαντο και εγενετο γαληνη
Then he said to them, “Where is your faith?” But they were afraid and amazed, saying to one another, “Who then is this? He commands even the winds and the water, and they obey him!” And he said unto them, Where is your faith? And they being afraid wondered, saying one to another, What manner of man is this! for he commandeth even the winds and water, and they obey him.

Luke 8:25 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:25 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:25 (Byzantine Majority Text)

εἶπεν δὲ αὐτοῖς· ποῦ ἡ πίστις ὑμῶν; φοβηθέντες δὲ ἐθαύμασαν λέγοντες πρὸς ἀλλήλους· τίς ἄρα οὗτος ἐστιν ὅτι καὶ τοῖς ἀνέμοις ἐπιτάσσει καὶ τῷ ὕδατι, καὶ ὑπακούουσιν αὐτῷ ειπεν δε αυτοις που εστιν η πιστις υμων φοβηθεντες δε εθαυμασαν λεγοντες προς αλληλους τις αρα ουτος εστιν οτι και τοις ανεμοις επιτασσει και τω υδατι και υπακουουσιν αυτω ειπεν δε αυτοις που εστιν η πιστις υμων φοβηθεντες δε εθαυμασαν λεγοντες προς αλληλους τις αρα ουτος εστιν οτι και τοις ανεμοις επιτασσει και τω υδατι και υπακουουσιν αυτω
So they sailed over to the region of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. And they arrived at the country of the Gadarenes, which is over against Galilee.

Luke 8:26 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:26 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:26 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Καὶ κατέπλευσαν εἰς τὴν χώραν τῶν Γερασηνῶν, ἥτις ἐστὶν ἀντιπέρα τῆς Γαλιλαίας και κατεπλευσαν εις την χωραν των γαδαρηνων ητις εστιν αντιπεραν της γαλιλαιας και κατεπλευσαν εις την χωραν των γαδαρηνων ητις εστιν αντιπεραν της γαλιλαιας
As Jesus stepped ashore, a certain man from the town met him who was possessed by demons. For a long time this man had worn no clothes and had not lived in a house, but among the tombs. And when he went forth to land, there met him out of the city a certain man, which had devils long time, and ware no clothes, neither abode in any house, but in the tombs.

Luke 8:27 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:27 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:27 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ἐξελθόντι δὲ αὐτῷ ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν ὑπήντησεν ἀνήρ τις ἐκ τῆς πόλεως ἔχων δαιμόνια καὶ χρόνῳ ἱκανῷ οὐκ ἐνεδύσατο ἱμάτιον καὶ ἐν οἰκίᾳ οὐκ ἔμενεν ἀλλ᾿ ἐν τοῖς μνήμασιν εξελθοντι δε αυτω επι την γην υπηντησεν αυτω ανηρ τις εκ της πολεως ος ειχεν δαιμονια εκ χρονων ικανων και ιματιον ουκ ενεδιδυσκετο και εν οικια ουκ εμενεν αλλ εν τοις μνημασιν εξελθοντι δε αυτω επι την γην υπηντησεν αυτω ανηρ τις εκ της πολεως ος ειχεν δαιμονια εκ χρονων ικανων και ιματιον ουκ ενεδιδυσκετο και εν οικια ουκ εμενεν αλλ εν τοις μνημασιν

Luke 8:29-35 (NET)

Luke 8:29-35 (KJV)

For Jesus had started commanding the evil spirit to come out of the man. (For it had seized him many times, so he would be bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard. But he would break the restraints and be driven by the demon into deserted places.) (For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For oftentimes it had caught him: and he was kept bound with chains and in fetters; and he brake the bands, and was driven of the devil into the wilderness.)

Luke 8:29 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:29 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:29 (Byzantine Majority Text)

|παρήγγελλεν| γὰρ τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἀκαθάρτῳ ἐξελθεῖν ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου. (πολλοῖς γὰρ χρόνοις συνηρπάκει αὐτὸν καὶ ἐδεσμεύετο ἁλύσεσιν καὶ πέδαις φυλασσόμενος καὶ διαρρήσσων τὰ δεσμὰ ἠλαύνετο |ὑπὸ| τοῦ δαιμονίου εἰς τὰς ἐρήμους) παρηγγελλεν γαρ τω πνευματι τω ακαθαρτω εξελθειν απο του ανθρωπου πολλοις γαρ χρονοις συνηρπακει αυτον και εδεσμειτο αλυσεσιν και πεδαις φυλασσομενος και διαρρησσων τα δεσμα ηλαυνετο υπο του δαιμονος εις τας ερημους παρηγγειλεν γαρ τω πνευματι τω ακαθαρτω εξελθειν απο του ανθρωπου πολλοις γαρ χρονοις συνηρπακει αυτον και εδεσμειτο αλυσεσιν και πεδαις φυλασσομενος και διαρρησσων τα δεσμα ηλαυνετο υπο του δαιμονος εις τας ερημους
Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” He said, “Legion,” because many demons had entered him. And Jesus asked him, saying, What is thy name? And he said, Legion: because many devils were entered into him.

Luke 8:30 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:30 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:30 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ἐπηρώτησεν δὲ αὐτὸν ὁ Ἰησοῦς· τί σοι ὄνομα ἐστιν; ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· λεγιών, ὅτι εἰσῆλθεν δαιμόνια πολλὰ εἰς αὐτόν επηρωτησεν δε αυτον ο ιησους λεγων τι σοι εστιν ονομα ο δε ειπεν λεγεων οτι δαιμονια πολλα εισηλθεν εις αυτον επηρωτησεν δε αυτον ο ιησους λεγων τι σοι εστιν ονομα ο δε ειπεν λεγεων οτι δαιμονια πολλα εισηλθεν εις αυτον
And they began to beg him not to order them to depart into the abyss. And they besought him that he would not command them to go out into the deep.

Luke 8:31 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:31 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:31 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ παρεκάλουν αὐτὸν ἵνα μὴ ἐπιτάξῃ αὐτοῖς εἰς τὴν ἄβυσσον ἀπελθεῖν και παρεκαλει αυτον ινα μη επιταξη αυτοις εις την αβυσσον απελθειν και παρεκαλει αυτον ινα μη επιταξη αυτοις εις την αβυσσον απελθειν
Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and the demonic spirits begged Jesus to let them go into them. He gave them permission. And there was there an herd of many swine feeding on the mountain: and they besought him that he would suffer them to enter into them. And he suffered them.

Luke 8:32 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:32 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:32 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ἦν δὲ ἐκεῖ ἀγέλη χοίρων ἱκανῶν βοσκομένη ἐν τῷ ὄρει· καὶ παρεκάλεσαν αὐτὸν ἵνα ἐπιτρέψῃ αὐτοῖς εἰς ἐκείνους εἰσελθεῖν· καὶ ἐπέτρεψεν αὐτοῖς ην δε εκει αγελη χοιρων ικανων βοσκομενων εν τω ορει και παρεκαλουν αυτον ινα επιτρεψη αυτοις εις εκεινους εισελθειν και επετρεψεν αυτοις ην δε εκει αγελη χοιρων ικανων βοσκομενων εν τω ορει και παρεκαλουν αυτον ινα επιτρεψη αυτοις εις εκεινους εισελθειν και επετρεψεν αυτοις
So the demons came out of the man and went into the pigs, and the herd of pigs rushed down the steep slope into the lake and drowned. Then went the devils out of the man, and entered into the swine: and the herd ran violently down a steep place into the lake, and were choked.

Luke 8:33 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:33 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:33 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ἐξελθόντα δὲ τὰ δαιμόνια ἀπὸ τοῦ ἀνθρώπου εἰσῆλθον εἰς τοὺς χοίρους, καὶ ὥρμησεν ἡ ἀγέλη κατὰ τοῦ κρημνοῦ εἰς τὴν λίμνην καὶ ἀπεπνίγη εξελθοντα δε τα δαιμονια απο του ανθρωπου εισηλθεν εις τους χοιρους και ωρμησεν η αγελη κατα του κρημνου εις την λιμνην και απεπνιγη εξελθοντα δε τα δαιμονια απο του ανθρωπου εισηλθον εις τους χοιρους και ωρμησεν η αγελη κατα του κρημνου εις την λιμνην και απεπνιγη
When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they ran off and spread the news in the town and countryside. When they that fed them saw what was done, they fled, and went and told it in the city and in the country.

Luke 8:34 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:34 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:34 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ἰδόντες δὲ οἱ βόσκοντες τὸ γεγονὸς ἔφυγον καὶ ἀπήγγειλαν εἰς τὴν πόλιν καὶ εἰς τοὺς ἀγρούς ιδοντες δε οι βοσκοντες το γεγενημενον εφυγον και απελθοντες απηγγειλαν εις την πολιν και εις τους αγρους ιδοντες δε οι βοσκοντες το γεγενημενον εφυγον και απηγγειλαν εις την πολιν και εις τους αγρους
So the people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus. They found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus’ feet, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. Then they went out to see what was done; and came to Jesus, and found the man, out of whom the devils were departed, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind: and they were afraid.

Luke 8:35 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:35 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:35 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ἐξῆλθον δὲ ἰδεῖν τὸ γεγονὸς καὶ ἦλθον πρὸς τὸν Ἰησοῦν καὶ εὗρον καθήμενον τὸν ἄνθρωπον ἀφ᾿ οὗ τὰ δαιμόνια ἐξῆλθεν ἱματισμένον καὶ σωφρονοῦντα παρὰ τοὺς πόδας |τοῦ| Ἰησοῦ, καὶ ἐφοβήθησαν εξηλθον δε ιδειν το γεγονος και ηλθον προς τον ιησουν και ευρον καθημενον τον ανθρωπον αφ ου τα δαιμονια εξεληλυθει ιματισμενον και σωφρονουντα παρα τους ποδας του ιησου και εφοβηθησαν εξηλθον δε ιδειν το γεγονος και ηλθον προς τον ιησουν και ευρον καθημενον τον ανθρωπον αφ ου τα δαιμονια εξεληλυθει ιματισμενον και σωφρονουντα παρα τους ποδας του ιησου και εφοβηθησαν

Luke 8:37, 38 (NET)

Luke 8:37, 38 (KJV)

Then all the people of the Gerasenes and the surrounding region asked Jesus to leave them alone, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and left. Then the whole multitude of the country of the Gadarenes round about besought him to depart from them; for they were taken with great fear: and he went up into the ship, and returned back again.

Luke 8:37 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:37 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:37 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ ἠρώτησεν αὐτὸν ἅπαν τὸ πλῆθος τῆς περιχώρου τῶν Γερασηνῶν ἀπελθεῖν ἀπ᾿ αὐτῶν, ὅτι φόβῳ μεγάλῳ συνείχοντο· αὐτὸς δὲ ἐμβὰς εἰς πλοῖον ὑπέστρεψεν και ηρωτησαν αυτον απαν το πληθος της περιχωρου των γαδαρηνων απελθειν απ αυτων οτι φοβω μεγαλω συνειχοντο αυτος δε εμβας εις το πλοιον υπεστρεψεν και ηρωτησαν αυτον απαν το πληθος της περιχωρου των γαδαρηνων απελθειν απ αυτων οτι φοβω μεγαλω συνειχοντο αυτος δε εμβας εις το πλοιον υπεστρεψεν
The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, Now the man out of whom the devils were departed besought him that he might be with him: but Jesus sent him away, saying,

Luke 8:38 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:38 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:38 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ἐδεῖτο δὲ αὐτοῦ ὁ ἀνὴρ ἀφ᾿ οὗ ἐξεληλύθει τὰ δαιμόνια εἶναι σὺν αὐτῷ· ἀπέλυσεν δὲ αὐτὸν λέγων εδεετο δε αυτου ο ανηρ αφ ου εξεληλυθει τα δαιμονια ειναι συν αυτω απελυσεν δε αυτον ο ιησους λεγων εδεετο δε αυτου ο ανηρ αφ ου εξεληλυθει τα δαιμονια ειναι συν αυτω απελυσεν δε αυτον ο ιησους λεγων

Luke 8:41 (NET)

Luke 8:41 (KJV)

Then a man named Jairus, who was a leader of the synagogue, came up. Falling at Jesus’ feet, he pleaded with him to come to his house, And, behold, there came a man named Jairus, and he was a ruler of the synagogue: and he fell down at Jesus’ feet, and besought him that he would come into his house:

Luke 8:41 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:41 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:41 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ ἰδοὺ ἦλθεν ἀνὴρ ᾧ ὄνομα Ἰάϊρος καὶ οὗτος ἄρχων τῆς συναγωγῆς ὑπῆρχεν, καὶ πεσὼν παρὰ τοὺς πόδας [τοῦ] Ἰησοῦ παρεκάλει αὐτὸν εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν οἶκον αὐτοῦ και ιδου ηλθεν ανηρ ω ονομα ιαειρος και αυτος αρχων της συναγωγης υπηρχεν και πεσων παρα τους ποδας του ιησου παρεκαλει αυτον εισελθειν εις τον οικον αυτου και ιδου ηλθεν ανηρ ω ονομα ιαειρος και αυτος αρχων της συναγωγης υπηρχεν και πεσων παρα τους ποδας του ιησου παρεκαλει αυτον εισελθειν εις τον οικον αυτου

Luke 8:43 (NET)

Luke 8:43 (KJV)

Now a woman was there who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years but could not be healed by anyone. And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

Luke 8:43 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:43 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:43 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Καὶ γυνὴ οὖσα ἐν ρύσει αἵματος ἀπὸ ἐτῶν δώδεκα, ἥτις οὐκ ἴσχυσεν ἀπ᾿ οὐδενὸς θεραπευθῆναι και γυνη ουσα εν ρυσει αιματος απο ετων δωδεκα ητις εις ιατρους προσαναλωσασα ολον τον βιον ουκ ισχυσεν υπ ουδενος θεραπευθηναι και γυνη ουσα εν ρυσει αιματος απο ετων δωδεκα ητις ιατροις προσαναλωσασα ολον τον βιον ουκ ισχυσεν υπ ουδενος θεραπευθηναι

Luke 8:45-52 (NET)

Luke 8:45-52 (KJV)

Then Jesus asked, “Who was it who touched me?” When they all denied it, Peter said, “Master, the crowds are surrounding you and pressing against you!” And Jesus said, Who touched me? When all denied, Peter and they that were with him said, Master, the multitude throng thee and press thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me?

Luke 8:45 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:45 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:45 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Ἰησοῦς· τίς ὁ ἁψάμενος μου; ἀρνουμένων δὲ πάντων εἶπεν ὁ Πέτρος· ἐπιστάτα, οἱ ὄχλοι συνέχουσιν σε καὶ ἀποθλίβουσιν και ειπεν ο ιησους τις ο αψαμενος μου αρνουμενων δε παντων ειπεν ο πετρος και οι μετ αυτου επιστατα οι οχλοι συνεχουσιν σε και αποθλιβουσιν και λεγεις τις ο αψαμενος μου και ειπεν ο ιησους τις ο αψαμενος μου αρνουμενων δε παντων ειπεν ο πετρος και οι μετ αυτου επιστατα οι οχλοι συνεχουσιν σε και αποθλιβουσιν και λεγεις τις ο αψαμενος μου
But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I know that power has gone out from me.” And Jesus said, Somebody hath touched me: for I perceive that virtue is gone out of me.

Luke 8:46 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:46 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:46 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· ἥψατο μού τις, ἐγὼ γὰρ ἔγνων δύναμιν ἐξεληλυθυῖαν ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ ο δε ιησους ειπεν ηψατο μου τις εγω γαρ εγνων δυναμιν εξελθουσαν απ εμου ο δε ιησους ειπεν ηψατο μου τις εγω γαρ εγνων δυναμιν εξελθουσαν απ εμου
When the woman saw that she could not escape notice, she came trembling and fell down before him. In the presence of all the people, she explained why she had touched him and how she had been immediately healed. And when the woman saw that she was not hid, she came trembling, and falling down before him, she declared unto him before all the people for what cause she had touched him, and how she was healed immediately.

Luke 8:47 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:47 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:47 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ἰδοῦσα δὲ ἡ γυνὴ ὅτι οὐκ ἔλαθεν, τρέμουσα ἦλθεν καὶ προσπεσοῦσα αὐτῷ δι᾿ ἣν αἰτίαν ἥψατο αὐτοῦ ἀπήγγειλεν ἐνώπιον παντὸς τοῦ λαοῦ καὶ ὡς ἰάθη παραχρῆμα ιδουσα δε η γυνη οτι ουκ ελαθεν τρεμουσα ηλθεν και προσπεσουσα αυτω δι ην αιτιαν ηψατο αυτου απηγγειλεν αυτω ενωπιον παντος του λαου και ως ιαθη παραχρημα ιδουσα δε η γυνη οτι ουκ ελαθεν τρεμουσα ηλθεν και προσπεσουσα αυτω δι ην αιτιαν ηψατο αυτου απηγγειλεν αυτω ενωπιον παντος του λαου και ως ιαθη παραχρημα
Then he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace.” And he said unto her, Daughter, be of good comfort: thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace.

Luke 8:48 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:48 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:48 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν αὐτῇ· θυγάτηρ, ἡ πίστις σου σέσωκεν σε· πορεύου εἰς εἰρήνην ο δε ειπεν αυτη θαρσει θυγατερ η πιστις σου σεσωκεν σε πορευου εις ειρηνην ο δε ειπεν αυτη θαρσει θυγατερ η πιστις σου σεσωκεν σε πορευου εις ειρηνην
While he was still speaking, someone from the synagogue leader’s house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the teacher any longer.” While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue’s house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.

Luke 8:49 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:49 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:49 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Ἔτι αὐτοῦ λαλοῦντος ἔρχεται τις παρὰ τοῦ ἀρχισυναγώγου λέγων ὅτι τέθνηκεν ἡ θυγάτηρ σου· μηκέτι σκύλλε τὸν διδάσκαλον ετι αυτου λαλουντος ερχεται τις παρα του αρχισυναγωγου λεγων αυτω οτι τεθνηκεν η θυγατηρ σου μη σκυλλε τον διδασκαλον ετι αυτου λαλουντος ερχεται τις παρα του αρχισυναγωγου λεγων αυτω οτι τεθνηκεν η θυγατηρ σου μη σκυλλε τον διδασκαλον
But when Jesus heard this, he told him, “Do not be afraid; just believe, and she will be healed.” But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not: believe only, and she shall be made whole.

Luke 8:50 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:50 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:50 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ὁ δὲ Ἰησοῦς ἀκούσας ἀπεκρίθη αὐτῷ· μὴ φοβοῦ, μόνον πίστευσον, καὶ σωθήσεται ο δε ιησους ακουσας απεκριθη αυτω λεγων μη φοβου μονον πιστευε και σωθησεται ο δε ιησους ακουσας απεκριθη αυτω λεγων μη φοβου μονον πιστευε και σωθησεται
Now when he came to the house, Jesus did not let anyone go in with him except Peter, John, and James, and the child’s father and mother. And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden.

Luke 8:51 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:51 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:51 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ἐλθὼν δὲ εἰς τὴν οἰκίαν οὐκ ἀφῆκεν εἰσελθεῖν τινα σὺν αὐτῷ εἰ μὴ Πέτρον καὶ Ἰωάννην καὶ Ἰάκωβον καὶ τὸν πατέρα τῆς παιδὸς καὶ τὴν μητέρα εισελθων δε εις την οικιαν ουκ αφηκεν εισελθειν ουδενα ει μη πετρον και ιακωβον και ιωαννην και τον πατερα της παιδος και την μητερα ελθων δε εις την οικιαν ουκ αφηκεν εισελθειν ουδενα ει μη πετρον και ιωαννην και ιακωβον και τον πατερα της παιδος και την μητερα
Now they were all wailing and mourning for her, but he said, “Stop your weeping; she is not dead but asleep!” And all wept, and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth.

Luke 8:52 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:52 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:52 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ἔκλαιον δὲ πάντες καὶ ἐκόπτοντο αὐτήν. ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· μὴ κλαίετε, οὐ γὰρ ἀπέθανεν ἀλλὰ καθεύδει εκλαιον δε παντες και εκοπτοντο αυτην ο δε ειπεν μη κλαιετε ουκ απεθανεν αλλα καθευδει εκλαιον δε παντες και εκοπτοντο αυτην ο δε ειπεν μη κλαιετε ουκ απεθανεν αλλα καθευδει

Luke 8:54 (NET)

Luke 8:54 (KJV)

But Jesus gently took her by the hand and said, “Child, get up.” And he put them all out, and took her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise.

Luke 8:54 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 8:54 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 8:54 (Byzantine Majority Text)

αὐτὸς δὲ κρατήσας τῆς χειρὸς αὐτῆς ἐφώνησεν λέγων· ἡ παῖς, ἔγειρε αυτος δε εκβαλων εξω παντας και κρατησας της χειρος αυτης εφωνησεν λεγων η παις εγειρου αυτος δε εκβαλων εξω παντας και κρατησας της χειρος αυτης εφωνησεν λεγων η παις εγειρου

Matthew 9:9 (NET)

Matthew 9:9 (KJV)

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. “Follow me,” he said to him. So he got up and followed him. And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.

Matthew 9:9 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 9:9 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 9:9 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Καὶ παράγων ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἐκεῖθεν εἶδεν ἄνθρωπον καθήμενον ἐπὶ τὸ τελώνιον, Μαθθαῖον λεγόμενον, καὶ λέγει αὐτῷ· ἀκολούθει μοι. καὶ ἀναστὰς ἠκολούθησεν αὐτῷ και παραγων ο ιησους εκειθεν ειδεν ανθρωπον καθημενον επι το τελωνιον ματθαιον λεγομενον και λεγει αυτω ακολουθει μοι και αναστας ηκολουθησεν αυτω και παραγων ο ιησους εκειθεν ειδεν ανθρωπον καθημενον επι το τελωνιον ματθαιον λεγομενον και λεγει αυτω ακολουθει μοι και αναστας ηκολουθησεν αυτω

Matthew 9:11-13 (NET)

Matthew 9:11-13 (KJV)

When the Pharisees saw this they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto his disciples, Why eateth your Master with publicans and sinners?

Matthew 9:11 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 9:11 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 9:11 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ ἰδόντες οἱ Φαρισαῖοι ἔλεγον τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· διὰ τί μετὰ τῶν τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐσθίει ὁ διδάσκαλος ὑμῶν και ιδοντες οι φαρισαιοι ειπον τοις μαθηταις αυτου δια τι μετα των τελωνων και αμαρτωλων εσθιει ο διδασκαλος υμων και ιδοντες οι φαρισαιοι ειπον τοις μαθηταις αυτου δια τι μετα των τελωνων και αμαρτωλων εσθιει ο διδασκαλος υμων
When Jesus heard this he said, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick.

Matthew 9:12 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 9:12 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 9:12 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας εἶπεν· οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλ᾿ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες ο δε ιησους ακουσας ειπεν αυτοις ου χρειαν εχουσιν οι ισχυοντες ιατρου αλλ οι κακως εχοντες ο δε ιησους ακουσας ειπεν αυτοις ου χρειαν εχουσιν οι ισχυοντες ιατρου αλλ οι κακως εχοντες
Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Matthew 9:13 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 9:13 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 9:13 (Byzantine Majority Text)

πορευθέντες δὲ μάθετε τί ἐστιν· ἔλεος θέλω καὶ οὐ θυσίαν· οὐ γὰρ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλούς πορευθεντες δε μαθετε τι εστιν ελεον θελω και ου θυσιαν ου γαρ ηλθον καλεσαι δικαιους αλλ αμαρτωλους εις μετανοιαν πορευθεντες δε μαθετε τι εστιν ελεον θελω και ου θυσιαν ου γαρ ηλθον καλεσαι δικαιους αλλα αμαρτωλους εις μετανοιαν

Mark 2:15-17 (NET)

Mark 2:15-17 (KJV)

As Jesus was having a meal in Levi’s home, many tax collectors and sinners were eating with Jesus and his disciples, for there were many who followed him. And it came to pass, that, as Jesus sat at meat in his house, many publicans and sinners sat also together with Jesus and his disciples: for there were many, and they followed him.

Mark 2:15 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 2:15 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 2:15 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Καὶ γίνεται κατακεῖσθαι αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ πολλοὶ τελῶναι καὶ ἁμαρτωλοὶ συνανέκειντο τῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· ἦσαν γὰρ πολλοὶ καὶ ἠκολούθουν αὐτῷ και εγενετο εν τω κατακεισθαι αυτον εν τη οικια αυτου και πολλοι τελωναι και αμαρτωλοι συνανεκειντο τω ιησου και τοις μαθηταις αυτου ησαν γαρ πολλοι και ηκολουθησαν αυτω και εγενετο εν τω κατακεισθαι αυτον εν τη οικια αυτου και πολλοι τελωναι και αμαρτωλοι συνανεκειντο τω ιησου και τοις μαθηταις αυτου ησαν γαρ πολλοι και ηκολουθησαν αυτω
When the experts in the law and the Pharisees saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, they said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with tax collectors and sinners?” And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners?

Mark 2:16 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 2:16 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 2:16 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς τῶν Φαρισαίων ἰδόντες ὅτι ἐσθίει μετὰ τῶν ἁμαρτωλῶν καὶ τελωνῶν ἔλεγον τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· ὅτι μετὰ τῶν τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐσθίει και οι γραμματεις και οι φαρισαιοι ιδοντες αυτον εσθιοντα μετα των τελωνων και αμαρτωλων ελεγον τοις μαθηταις αυτου τι οτι μετα των τελωνων και αμαρτωλων εσθιει και πινει και οι γραμματεις και οι φαρισαιοι ιδοντες αυτον εσθιοντα μετα των τελωνων και αμαρτωλων ελεγον τοις μαθηταις αυτου τι οτι μετα των τελωνων και αμαρτωλων εσθιει και πινει
When Jesus heard this he said to them, “Those who are healthy don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.” When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, They that are whole have no need of the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.

Mark 2:17 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 2:17 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 2:17 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ ἀκούσας ὁ Ἰησοῦς λέγει αὐτοῖς [ὅτι] οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ἰσχύοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλ᾿ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες· οὐκ ἦλθον καλέσαι δικαίους ἀλλὰ ἁμαρτωλούς και ακουσας ο ιησους λεγει αυτοις ου χρειαν εχουσιν οι ισχυοντες ιατρου αλλ οι κακως εχοντες ουκ ηλθον καλεσαι δικαιους αλλα αμαρτωλους εις μετανοιαν και ακουσας ο ιησους λεγει αυτοις ου χρειαν εχουσιν οι ισχυοντες ιατρου αλλ οι κακως εχοντες ουκ ηλθον καλεσαι δικαιους αλλα αμαρτωλους εις μετανοιαν

Luke 5:28-31 (NET)

Luke 5:28-31 (KJV)

And he got up and followed him, leaving everything behind. And he left all, rose up, and followed him.

Luke 5:28 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 5:28 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 5:28 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ καταλιπὼν πάντα ἀναστὰς ἠκολούθει αὐτῷ και καταλιπων απαντα αναστας ηκολουθησεν αυτω και καταλιπων απαντα αναστας ηκολουθησεν αυτω
Then Levi gave a great banquet in his house for Jesus, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others sitting at the table with them. And Levi made him a great feast in his own house: and there was a great company of publicans and of others that sat down with them.

Luke 5:29 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 5:29 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 5:29 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Καὶ ἐποίησεν δοχὴν μεγάλην Λευὶς αὐτῷ ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἦν ὄχλος πολὺς τελωνῶν καὶ ἄλλων οἳ ἦσαν μετ᾿ αὐτῶν κατακείμενοι και εποιησεν δοχην μεγαλην ο λευις αυτω εν τη οικια αυτου και ην οχλος τελωνων πολυς και αλλων οι ησαν μετ αυτων κατακειμενοι και εποιησεν δοχην μεγαλην λευις αυτω εν τη οικια αυτου και ην οχλος τελωνων πολυς και αλλων οι ησαν μετ αυτων κατακειμενοι
But the Pharisees and their experts in the law complained to his disciples, saying, “Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?” But their scribes and Pharisees murmured against his disciples, saying, Why do ye eat and drink with publicans and sinners?

Luke 5:30 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 5:30 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 5:30 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ ἐγόγγυζον οἱ Φαρισαῖοι καὶ οἱ γραμματεῖς αὐτῶν πρὸς τοὺς μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ λέγοντες· διὰ τί μετὰ τῶν τελωνῶν καὶ ἁμαρτωλῶν ἐσθίετε καὶ πίνετε και εγογγυζον οι γραμματεις αυτων και οι φαρισαιοι προς τους μαθητας αυτου λεγοντες δια τι μετα τελωνων και αμαρτωλων εσθιετε και πινετε και εγογγυζον οι γραμματεις αυτων και οι φαρισαιοι προς τους μαθητας αυτου λεγοντες δια τι μετα των τελωνων και αμαρτωλων εσθιετε και πινετε
Jesus answered them, “Those who are well don’t need a physician, but those who are sick do. And Jesus answering said unto them, They that are whole need not a physician; but they that are sick.

Luke 5:31 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 5:31 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 5:31 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς |ὁ| Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· οὐ χρείαν ἔχουσιν οἱ ὑγιαίνοντες ἰατροῦ ἀλλὰ οἱ κακῶς ἔχοντες και αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν προς αυτους ου χρειαν εχουσιν οι υγιαινοντες ιατρου αλλ οι κακως εχοντες και αποκριθεις ο ιησους ειπεν προς αυτους ου χρειαν εχουσιν οι υγιαινοντες ιατρου αλλ οι κακως εχοντες

Matthew 10:3, 4 (NET)

Matthew 10:3, 4 (KJV)

Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;

Matthew 10:3 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 10:3 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 10:3 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Φίλιππος καὶ Βαρθολομαῖος, Θωμᾶς καὶ Μαθθαῖος ὁ τελώνης, Ἰάκωβος ὁ τοῦ Ἁλφαίου καὶ Θαδδαῖος φιλιππος και βαρθολομαιος θωμας και ματθαιος ο τελωνης ιακωβος ο του αλφαιου και λεββαιος ο επικληθεις θαδδαιος φιλιππος και βαρθολομαιος θωμας και ματθαιος ο τελωνης ιακωβος ο του αλφαιου και λεββαιος ο επικληθεις θαδδαιος
Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

Matthew 10:4 (NET Parallel Greek)

Matthew 10:4 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Matthew 10:4 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Σίμων ὁ Καναναῖος καὶ Ἰούδας Ἰσκαριώτης ὁ καὶ παραδοὺς αὐτόν σιμων ο κανανιτης και ιουδας ισκαριωτης ο και παραδους αυτον σιμων ο κανανιτης και ιουδας ισκαριωτης ο και παραδους αυτον

Mark 3:14-16 (NET)

Mark 3:14-16 (KJV)

He appointed 12 so that they would be with him and he could send them to preach And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,

Mark 3:14 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 3:14 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 3:14 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ ἐποίησεν δώδεκα ([οὓς καὶ ἀποστόλους ὠνόμασεν]), ἵνα ὦσιν μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἵνα ἀποστέλλῃ αὐτοὺς κηρύσσειν και εποιησεν δωδεκα ινα ωσιν μετ αυτου και ινα αποστελλη αυτους κηρυσσειν και εποιησεν δωδεκα ινα ωσιν μετ αυτου και ινα αποστελλη αυτους κηρυσσειν
and to have authority to cast out demons. And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:

Mark 3:15 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 3:15 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 3:15 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ ἔχειν ἐξουσίαν ἐκβάλλειν τὰ δαιμόνια και εχειν εξουσιαν θεραπευειν τας νοσους και εκβαλλειν τα δαιμονια και εχειν εξουσιαν θεραπευειν τας νοσους και εκβαλλειν τα δαιμονια
To Simon he gave the name Peter; And Simon he surnamed Peter;

Mark 3:16 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 3:16 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 3:16 (Byzantine Majority Text)

[καὶ ἐποίησεν τοὺς δώδεκα,] καὶ ἐπέθηκεν ὄνομα τῷ Σίμωνι Πέτρον και επεθηκεν τω σιμωνι ονομα πετρον και επεθηκεν τω σιμωνι ονομα πετρον

Mark 3:18, 19 (NET)

Mark 3:18, 19 (KJV)

and Andrew, Philip, Bartholomew, Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Thaddaeus, Simon the Zealot, And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,

Mark 3:18 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 3:18 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 3:18 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ Ἀνδρέαν καὶ Φίλιππον καὶ Βαρθολομαῖον καὶ Μαθθαῖον καὶ Θωμᾶν καὶ Ἰάκωβον τὸν τοῦ Ἁλφαίου καὶ Θαδδαῖον καὶ Σίμωνα τὸν Καναναῖον και ανδρεαν και φιλιππον και βαρθολομαιον και ματθαιον και θωμαν και ιακωβον τον του αλφαιου και θαδδαιον και σιμωνα τον κανανιτην και ανδρεαν και φιλιππον και βαρθολομαιον και ματθαιον και θωμαν και ιακωβον τον του αλφαιου και θαδδαιον και σιμωνα τον κανανιτην
and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. (20a) Now Jesus went home And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.

Mark 3:19, 20a (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 3:19 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 3:19 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ Ἰούδαν Ἰσκαριώθ, ὃς καὶ παρέδωκεν αὐτόν (20a) Καὶ ἔρχεται εἰς οἶκον· και ιουδαν ισκαριωτην ος και παρεδωκεν αυτον και ερχονται εις οικον και ιουδαν ισκαριωτην ος και παρεδωκεν αυτον και ερχονται εις οικον

Luke 6:12 (NET)

Luke 6:12 (KJV)

Now it was during this time that Jesus went out to the mountain to pray, and he spent all night in prayer to God. And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

Luke 6:12 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 6:12 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 6:12 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Ἐγένετο δὲ ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ταύταις ἐξελθεῖν αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ ὄρος προσεύξασθαι, καὶ ἦν διανυκτερεύων ἐν τῇ προσευχῇ τοῦ θεοῦ εγενετο δε εν ταις ημεραις ταυταις εξηλθεν εις το ορος προσευξασθαι και ην διανυκτερευων εν τη προσευχη του θεου εγενετο δε εν ταις ημεραις ταυταις εξηλθεν εις το ορος προσευξασθαι και ην διανυκτερευων εν τη προσευχη του θεου

Luke 6:14-16 (NET)

Luke 6:14-16 (KJV)

Simon (whom he named Peter), and his brother Andrew; and James, John, Philip, Bartholomew, Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew,

Luke 6:14 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 6:14 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 6:14 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Σίμωνα (ὃν καὶ ὠνόμασεν Πέτρον), καὶ Ἀνδρέαν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ, καὶ Ἰάκωβον καὶ Ἰωάννην καὶ Φίλιππον καὶ Βαρθολομαῖον σιμωνα ον και ωνομασεν πετρον και ανδρεαν τον αδελφον αυτου ιακωβον και ιωαννην φιλιππον και βαρθολομαιον σιμωνα ον και ωνομασεν πετρον και ανδρεαν τον αδελφον αυτου ιακωβον και ιωαννην φιλιππον και βαρθολομαιον
Matthew, Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, Simon who was called the Zealot, Matthew and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes,

Luke 6:15 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 6:15 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 6:15 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ Μαθθαῖον καὶ Θωμᾶν |καὶ| Ἰάκωβον Ἁλφαίου καὶ Σίμωνα τὸν καλούμενον ζηλωτὴν ματθαιον και θωμαν ιακωβον τον του αλφαιου και σιμωνα τον καλουμενον ζηλωτην ματθαιον και θωμαν ιακωβον τον του αλφαιου και σιμωνα τον καλουμενον ζηλωτην
Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor. And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor.

Luke 6:16 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 6:16 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 6:16 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ Ἰούδαν Ἰακώβου καὶ Ἰούδαν Ἰσκαριώθ, ὃς ἐγένετο προδότης ιουδαν ιακωβου και ιουδαν ισκαριωτην ος και εγενετο προδοτης ιουδαν ιακωβου και ιουδαν ισκαριωτην ος και εγενετο προδοτης

Mark 4:3-6 (NET)

Mark 4:3-6 (KJV)

“Listen! A sower went out to sow. Hearken; Behold, there went out a sower to sow:

Mark 4:3 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 4:3 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 4:3 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Ἀκούετε. ἰδοὺ ἐξῆλθεν ὁ σπείρων σπεῖραι ακουετε ιδου εξηλθεν ο σπειρων του σπειραι ακουετε ιδου εξηλθεν ο σπειρων του σπειραι
And as he sowed, some seed fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured it. And it came to pass, as he sowed, some fell by the way side, and the fowls of the air came and devoured it up.

Mark 4:4 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 4:4 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 4:4 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ ἐγένετο ἐν τῷ σπείρειν ὃ μὲν ἔπεσεν παρὰ τὴν ὁδόν, καὶ ἦλθεν τὰ πετεινὰ καὶ κατέφαγεν αὐτό και εγενετο εν τω σπειρειν ο μεν επεσεν παρα την οδον και ηλθεν τα πετεινα του ουρανου και κατεφαγεν αυτο και εγενετο εν τω σπειρειν ο μεν επεσεν παρα την οδον και ηλθεν τα πετεινα και κατεφαγεν αυτο
Other seed fell on rocky ground where it did not have much soil. It sprang up at once because the soil was not deep. And some fell on stony ground, where it had not much earth; and immediately it sprang up, because it had no depth of earth:

Mark 4:5 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 4:5 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 4:5 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ ἄλλο ἔπεσεν ἐπὶ τὸ πετρῶδες ὅπου οὐκ εἶχεν γῆν πολλήν, καὶ εὐθὺς ἐξανέτειλεν διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν βάθος γῆς αλλο δε επεσεν επι το πετρωδες οπου ουκ ειχεν γην πολλην και ευθεως εξανετειλεν δια το μη εχειν βαθος γης αλλο δε επεσεν επι το πετρωδες οπου ουκ ειχεν γην πολλην και ευθεως εξανετειλεν δια το μη εχειν βαθος γης
When the sun came up it was scorched, and because it did not have sufficient root, it withered. But when the sun was up, it was scorched; and because it had no root, it withered away.

Mark 4:6 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 4:6 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 4:6 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ ὅτε ἀνέτειλεν ἥλιος ἐκαυματίσθη καὶ διὰ τὸ μὴ ἔχειν ρίζαν ἐξηράνθη ηλιου δε ανατειλαντος εκαυματισθη και δια το μη εχειν ριζαν εξηρανθη ηλιου δε ανατειλαντος εκαυματισθη και δια το μη εχειν ριζαν εξηρανθη

Mark 4:8, 9 (NET)

Mark 4:8, 9 (KJV)

But other seed fell on good soil and produced grain, sprouting and growing; some yielded thirty times as much, some sixty, and some a hundred times.” And other fell on good ground, and did yield fruit that sprang up and increased; and brought forth, some thirty, and some sixty, and some an hundred.

Mark 4:8 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 4:8 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 4:8 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ ἄλλα ἔπεσεν εἰς τὴν γῆν τὴν καλὴν καὶ ἐδίδου καρπὸν ἀναβαίνοντα καὶ αὐξανόμενα καὶ ἔφερεν |ἓν| τριάκοντα καὶ ἓν ἑξήκοντα καὶ ἓν ἑκατόν και αλλο επεσεν εις την γην την καλην και εδιδου καρπον αναβαινοντα και αυξανοντα και εφερεν εν τριακοντα και εν εξηκοντα και εν εκατον και αλλο επεσεν εις την γην την καλην και εδιδου καρπον αναβαινοντα και αυξανοντα και εφερεν εν τριακοντα και εν εξηκοντα και εν εκατον
And he said, “Whoever has ears to hear had better listen!” And he said unto them, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Mark 4:9 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 4:9 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 4:9 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ ἔλεγεν· ὃς ἔχει ὦτα ἀκούειν ἀκουέτω και ελεγεν αυτοις ο εχων ωτα ακουειν ακουετω και ελεγεν ο εχων ωτα ακουειν ακουετω

Mark 4:16-19 (NET)

Mark 4:16-19 (KJV)

These are the ones sown on rocky ground: As soon as they hear the word, they receive it with joy. And these are they likewise which are sown on stony ground; who, when they have heard the word, immediately receive it with gladness;

Mark 4:16 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 4:16 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 4:16 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ οὗτοι εἰσιν οἱ ἐπὶ τὰ πετρώδη σπειρόμενοι, οἳ ὅταν ἀκούσωσιν τὸν λόγον εὐθὺς μετὰ χαρᾶς λαμβάνουσιν αὐτόν και ουτοι εισιν ομοιως οι επι τα πετρωδη σπειρομενοι οι οταν ακουσωσιν τον λογον ευθεως μετα χαρας λαμβανουσιν αυτον και ουτοι εισιν ομοιως οι επι τα πετρωδη σπειρομενοι οι οταν ακουσωσιν τον λογον ευθεως μετα χαρας λαμβανουσιν αυτον
But they have no root in themselves and do not endure. Then, when trouble or persecution comes because of the word, immediately they fall away. And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word’s sake, immediately they are offended.

Mark 4:17 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 4:17 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 4:17 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ οὐκ ἔχουσιν ρίζαν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς ἀλλὰ πρόσκαιροι εἰσιν, εἶτα γενομένης θλίψεως ἢ διωγμοῦ διὰ τὸν λόγον εὐθὺς σκανδαλίζονται και ουκ εχουσιν ριζαν εν εαυτοις αλλα προσκαιροι εισιν ειτα γενομενης θλιψεως η διωγμου δια τον λογον ευθεως σκανδαλιζονται και ουκ εχουσιν ριζαν εν εαυτοις αλλα προσκαιροι εισιν ειτα γενομενης θλιψεως η διωγμου δια τον λογον ευθεως σκανδαλιζονται
Others are the ones sown among thorns: They are those who hear the word, And these are they which are sown among thorns; such as hear the word,

Mark 4:18 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 4:18 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 4:18 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ ἄλλοι εἰσὶν οἱ εἰς τὰς ἀκάνθας σπειρόμενοι· οὗτοι εἰσιν οἱ τὸν λόγον ἀκούσαντες και ουτοι εισιν οι εις τας ακανθας σπειρομενοι ουτοι εισιν οι τον λογον ακουοντες και ουτοι εισιν οι εις τας ακανθας σπειρομενοι οι τον λογον ακουοντες
but worldly cares, the seductiveness of wealth, and the desire for other things come in and choke the word, and it produces nothing. And the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the lusts of other things entering in, choke the word, and it becometh unfruitful.

Mark 4:19 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 4:19 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 4:19 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ αἱ μέριμναι τοῦ αἰῶνος καὶ ἡ ἀπάτη τοῦ πλούτου καὶ αἱ περὶ τὰ λοιπὰ ἐπιθυμίαι εἰσπορευόμεναι συμπνίγουσιν τὸν λόγον καὶ ἄκαρπος γίνεται και αι μεριμναι του αιωνος τουτου και η απατη του πλουτου και αι περι τα λοιπα επιθυμιαι εισπορευομεναι συμπνιγουσιν τον λογον και ακαρπος γινεται και αι μεριμναι του αιωνος τουτου και η απατη του πλουτου και αι περι τα λοιπα επιθυμιαι εισπορευομεναι συμπνιγουσιν τον λογον και ακαρπος γινεται

Acts 27:21-23 (NET)

Acts 27:21-23 (KJV)

Since many of them had no desire to eat, Paul stood up among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me and not put out to sea from Crete, thus avoiding this damage and loss. But after long abstinence Paul stood forth in the midst of them, and said, Sirs, ye should have hearkened unto me, and not have loosed from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss.

Acts 27:21 (NET Parallel Greek)

Acts 27:21 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Acts 27:21 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Πολλῆς τε ἀσιτίας ὑπαρχούσης τότε σταθεὶς ὁ Παῦλος ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν εἶπεν· ἔδει μέν, ὦ ἄνδρες, πειθαρχήσαντας μοι μὴ ἀνάγεσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς Κρήτης κερδῆσαι τε τὴν ὕβριν ταύτην καὶ τὴν ζημίαν πολλης δε ασιτιας υπαρχουσης τοτε σταθεις ο παυλος εν μεσω αυτων ειπεν εδει μεν ω ανδρες πειθαρχησαντας μοι μη αναγεσθαι απο της κρητης κερδησαι τε την υβριν ταυτην και την ζημιαν πολλης δε ασιτιας υπαρχουσης τοτε σταθεις ο παυλος εν μεσω αυτων ειπεν εδει μεν ω ανδρες πειθαρχησαντας μοι μη αναγεσθαι απο της κρητης κερδησαι τε την υβριν ταυτην και την ζημιαν
And now I advise you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only the ship will be lost. And now I exhort you to be of good cheer: for there shall be no loss of any man’s life among you, but of the ship.

Acts 27:22 (NET Parallel Greek)

Acts 27:22 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Acts 27:22 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ τὰ νῦν παραινῶ ὑμᾶς εὐθυμεῖν· ἀποβολὴ γὰρ ψυχῆς οὐδεμία ἔσται ἐξ ὑμῶν πλὴν τοῦ πλοίου και τανυν παραινω υμας ευθυμειν αποβολη γαρ ψυχης ουδεμια εσται εξ υμων πλην του πλοιου και τα νυν παραινω υμας ευθυμειν αποβολη γαρ ψυχης ουδεμια εσται εξ υμων πλην του πλοιου
For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve came to me For there stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve,

Acts 27:23 (NET Parallel Greek)

Acts 27:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Acts 27:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)

παρέστη γάρ μοι ταύτῃ τῇ νυκτὶ τοῦ θεοῦ, οὗ εἰμι [ἐγώ] ᾧ καὶ λατρεύω, ἄγγελος παρεστη γαρ μοι τη νυκτι ταυτη αγγελος του θεου ου ειμι ω και λατρευω παρεστη γαρ μοι ταυτη τη νυκτι αγγελος του θεου ου ειμι ω και λατρευω

Mark 4:38 (NET)

Mark 4:38 (KJV)

But he was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. They woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?” And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?

Mark 4:38 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 4:38 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 4:38 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ αὐτὸς ἦν ἐν τῇ πρύμνῃ ἐπὶ τὸ προσκεφάλαιον καθεύδων. καὶ ἐγείρουσιν αὐτὸν καὶ λέγουσιν αὐτῷ· διδάσκαλε, οὐ μέλει σοι ὅτι ἀπολλύμεθα και ην αυτος επι τη πρυμνη επι το προσκεφαλαιον καθευδων και διεγειρουσιν αυτον και λεγουσιν αυτω διδασκαλε ου μελει σοι οτι απολλυμεθα και ην αυτος επι τη πρυμνη επι το προσκεφαλαιον καθευδων και διεγειρουσιν αυτον και λεγουσιν αυτω διδασκαλε ου μελει σοι οτι απολλυμεθα

Mark 4:40 (NET)

Mark 4:40 (KJV)

And he said to them, “Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith?” And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?

Mark 4:40 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 4:40 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 4:40 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· τί δειλοί ἐστε; οὔπω ἔχετε πίστιν και ειπεν αυτοις τι δειλοι εστε ουτως πως ουκ εχετε πιστιν και ειπεν αυτοις τι δειλοι εστε ουτως πως ουκ εχετε πιστιν

Mark 5:28 (NET)

Mark 5:28 (KJV)

for she kept saying, “If only I touch his clothes, I will be healed.” For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

Mark 5:28 (NET Parallel Greek)

Mark 5:28 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Mark 5:28 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ἔλεγεν γὰρ ὅτι ἐὰν ἅψωμαι κὰν τῶν ἱματίων αὐτοῦ σωθήσομαι ελεγεν γαρ οτι καν των ιματιων αυτου αψωμαι σωθησομαι ελεγεν γαρ οτι καν των ιματιων αυτου αψωμαι σωθησομαι

Luke 9:1, 2 (NET)

Luke 9:1, 2 (KJV)

After Jesus called the twelve together, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.

Luke 9:1 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 9:1 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 9:1 (Byzantine Majority Text)

Συγκαλεσάμενος δὲ τοὺς δώδεκα ἔδωκεν αὐτοῖς δύναμιν καὶ ἐξουσίαν ἐπὶ πάντα τὰ δαιμόνια καὶ νόσους θεραπεύειν συγκαλεσαμενος δε τους δωδεκα μαθητας αυτου εδωκεν αυτοις δυναμιν και εξουσιαν επι παντα τα δαιμονια και νοσους θεραπευειν συγκαλεσαμενος δε τους δωδεκα εδωκεν αυτοις δυναμιν και εξουσιαν επι παντα τα δαιμονια και νοσους θεραπευειν
and he sent them out to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.

Luke 9:2 (NET Parallel Greek)

Luke 9:2 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Luke 9:2 (Byzantine Majority Text)

καὶ ἀπέστειλεν αὐτοὺς κηρύσσειν τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἰᾶσθαι [τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς] και απεστειλεν αυτους κηρυσσειν την βασιλειαν του θεου και ιασθαι τους ασθενουντας και απεστειλεν αυτους κηρυσσειν την βασιλειαν του θεου και ιασθαι τους ασθενουντας

1 Luke 8:21b (ESV) Table

2 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: Now) at the beginning of this clause, where the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had δὲ.

3 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had διεγερθεὶς, a participle of διεγείρω here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εγερθεις (KJV: he arose), a participle of ἐγείρω.

6 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀντιπέρα, a form of the adverb ἀντιπέραν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αντιπεραν (KJV: over against).

7 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτω following there met. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

8 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ος ειχεν (KJV: which had), a 3rd person singular form of ἔχω in the imperfect tense here, where the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had a present participle ἔχων.

9 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had καὶ here followed by χρόνῳ ἱκανῷ in the dative case, which the translators treated like the beginning of a new clause. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εκ here followed by χρονων ικανων in the genitive case, which the translators treated like a modifier of the previous clause (KJV: which had devils long time).

10 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had καὶ here followed by ιματιον ουκ ενεδιδυσκετο, a form of ἐνδιδύσκω in the imperfect tense, which the translators treated like the beginning of a new clause (KJV: and ware no clothes). The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had οὐκ ἐνεδύσατο ἱμάτιον; ἐνεδύσατο is a form of ἐνδύω in the middle voice and aorist tense.

13 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had λεγων (KJV: saying) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

15 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had παρεκάλουν here, a 3rd person plural form of παρακαλέω, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the singular form παρεκαλει (KJV: they besought).

16 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had βοσκομένη here, a singular participle of βόσκω in the nominative case, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the plural participle βοσκομενων in the genitive case.

18 The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had εἰσῆλθον here, a 3rd person plural form of εἰσέρχομαι, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had the singular εισηλθεν.

19 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had γεγονὸς here, a neuter participle of γίνομαι in the active voice, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the masculine γεγενημενον (KJV: was done) in the middle or passive voice.

20 The Stephanus Textus Receptus had απελθοντες (KJV: went) following fled and. The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

23 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἠρώτησεν here, a singular form of ἐρωτάω, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the plural ηρωτησαν (KJV: besought).

24 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐδεῖτο here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εδεετο (KJV: besought). These appear to be alternate spellings of the same part of speech.

25 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο ιησους (KJV: Jesus) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

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

27 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὑποστρέφειν here, an infinitive form of ὑποστρέφω in the present tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had υποστρεψαι (KJV: was returned) in the aorist tense.

30 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀπ᾿ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had υπ (KJV: of).

31 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και οι μετ αυτου (KJV: and they that were with him) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

32 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και λεγεις τις ο αψαμενος μου (KJV: and sayest thou, Who touched me) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

34 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτω (KJV: unto him) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

35 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had θαρσει (KJV: be of good comfort) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

36 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had μηκέτι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had simply μη (KJV: not).

37 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had λεγων (KJV: saying). The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

38 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had πίστευσον here, an imperative form of πιστεύω in the aorist tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πιστευε in the present tense.

42 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εκβαλων εξω παντας και (KJV: put them all out, and) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

44 Luke 8:22-56 (ESV)

45 Luke 8:25a (ESV)

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

49 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτοις (KJV: unto them) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

50 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the neuter ἔλεος here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the masculine ελεον.

51 The NET parallel Greek text and Byzantine Majority Text had the conjunction ἀλλὰ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and NA28 had ἀλλ’.

52 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εις μετανοιαν (KJV: to repentance) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

53 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had γίνεται here, a form of γίνομαι in the present tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εγενετο (KJV: it came to pass) in the 2nd aorist tense.

54 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εν τω preceding reclined at table (KJV: sat at meat). The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

57 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὅτι ἐσθίει here, a 3rd person singular form of ἐσθίω in the present tense, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτον εσθιοντα (KJV: him eat), a present participle.

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

59 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και πινει (KJV: and drink) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

60 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὅτι (“that”) here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

61 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εις μετανοιαν (KJV: to repentance) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

62 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had πάντα here, a form of πᾶς, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had απαντα (KJV: all), a form of ἅπας.

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

65 The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had the article τῶν preceding tax collectors. The Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

67 Luke 5:28a (ESV)

68 Matthew 9:13b (ESV)

70 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had λεββαιος ο επικληθεις (KJV: Lebbaeus, whose surname was) preceding Thaddeus. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

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

74 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had θεραπευειν τας νοσους και (KJV: to heal sicknesses, and) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

84 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τον του preceding of Aphaeus. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

87 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had καὶ (KJV: also) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

88 Matthew 10:3 (ESV)

89 The Path of Preparation: Four Necessary Steps, #4 Organize: Sequence and Order p. 101; Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 5

90 The Balance: A Generic Framework pp. 74, 75; Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 4, Part 1

91 Philippians 2:13 (ESV)

93 Romans 7:18b (ESV) Table

94 John 17:3b (ESV)

95 Luke 8:22b (ESV)

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

97 The Stephanus Textus Receptus had του ουρανου (KJV: of the air) here. The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

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

99 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the adjective or adverb εὐθὺς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the adverb ευθεως.

101 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the plural adjective ἄλλα here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the singular αλλο.

102 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had αὐξανόμενα here, a participle of αὐξάνω in the passive voice, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυξανοντα (KJV: increased) in the active voice.

103 The Stephanus Textus Receptus had αυτοις (KJV: unto them) here. The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

104 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὃς ἔχει here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο εχων (KJV: He that hath).

105 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ομοιως (KJV: likewise). The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

108 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἄλλοι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουτοι (KJV: these).

112 Luke 8:25b (ESV)

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

118 The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουτως (KJV: so) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

119 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had οὔπω ἔχετε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πως ουκ εχετε (KJV: how is it that ye have no).

121 Bullet point #4 in answer to my question: what causes storms to form?

123 Luke 8:42b (ESV)

124 Luke 8:46b (ESV)

126 The Stephanus Textus Receptus had μαθητας αυτου (KJV: his twelve disciples) following twelve. The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

127 The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had [τοὺς ἀσθενεῖς] (NET: the sick), a form of the adjective ἀσθενής following to heal, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τους ασθενουντας (KJV: the sick), a participle of the verb ἀσθενέω.

Who Am I? Part 14

I came across a YouTube video recently: “5 Bible Passages That Caused Me to Lose My Faith” by Kristi Burke. It was short and to the point. Ms. Burke looked to be about my daughter’s age. My daughter won’t articulate her own deconstruction experience around me. She will only state her preference for the witchcraft/neopagan beliefs and community she espouses now. So, I clicked on the link.

It seems only fair to let Ms. Burke state her own purpose:

Hi, guys, welcome back to my channel, where we deconstruct all of the things we were taught not to question growing up in evangelical, fundamentalist, conservative christian churches.

We have similar backgrounds. But I can’t honestly say that I was “taught not to question.” Why didn’t I talk to anyone about what I was going through at the time?1 I thought I already knew what they would say. Might I have been pleasantly surprised? I don’t know. I didn’t talk to anyone. But nothing is ever quite as simple as what I was taught “growing up in evangelical, fundamentalist, conservative christian churches.”

I had a home with parents and a brother and a sister. I went to school. I had friends (and enemies) at home, at school and at church. I played sports and had friends (and enemies) on various teams. And I knew more or less how to fit in in all of these different environments. The rub came sometime in what is now called my tween years, when I began to recognize that God didn’t create me to be a social chameleon, but one person made in his image in all of these different social environments.

I had a few years of experience by then (which felt like a lifetime at the time) of how adult advice didn’t often pan out when navigating all the different social environments they had placed me in. I “knew” I had to figure it out pretty much on my own. And about that time I also became more self-conscious of my own free will: “I want” (θέλω). What did I want in all of it?

Ms. Burke described her faith prior to encountering the “5 Bible Passages”:

I believed in a god who created all people, gave them free will and that he wanted all people to be saved but he couldn’t violate their free will to save them. And that it was the most loving thing he could do to give people freedom. And within that freedom they could either choose him and go to heaven or they could reject him and go to hell. And that would be entirely their choice.

This was essentially my belief except that Ms. Burke made no mention of Jesus or sin: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners,2 Paul wrote Timothy. I have not come to call the righteous, Jesus said, but sinners to repentance.3 Granted, Ms. Burke’s purpose was not to present a true or even a credible gospel but to “deconstruct all of the things we were taught not to question growing up in evangelical, fundamentalist, conservative christian churches.”

I’m coming fresh from reviewing the story of Eve and the serpent. Her free will led to an attempt to be like God by following the serpent’s advice. Could her free will have led her to reject the serpent’s advice once she saw that the tree was good for food and that it was pleasing for the eyes to look at and it was beautiful to contemplate?4 I don’t think so. All of that desire seems to have determined what she wanted and therefore shaped her free will.

What did Jesus say about his own free will?

Matthew 26:39 (NET) Table

John 10:17, 18 (NET)

Going a little farther, [Jesus] 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 (θέλω), but what you will.” 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 (ἐμαυτοῦ). 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.”

While I have no particular quarrel with translating ἀπ᾿ ἐμαυτοῦ of my own free will, I appreciate the precision of Scripture in Greek. Jesus did not use the verb θέλω here. His own will, what He wanted, was not to die a torturous death. And his ἐμαυτοῦ (NET: my own free will) was an authority (ἐξουσίαν, a form of ἐξουσία) received (ἔλαβον, a form of λαμβάνω) by commandment (ἐντολὴν, a form of ἐντολή) from God his Father.

The writer of Hebrews described Jesus’ purpose in the world (Hebrews 10:4-7 NET):

For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. So when [Christ] came into the world, he said,

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me.

Whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you took no delight in.

Then I said, ‘Here I am: I have come—it is written of me in the scroll of the book—to do your will (θέλημα), O God.’”

The Greek word θέλημα is the noun form of the verb θέλω. Those who believe that salvation is a choice made by a sinner’s free will tend to make the Gospel something that they think might appeal to a sinner’s free will: going to heaven rather than to hell, heaven being a euphemism here for not-hell. The pitch relies on the implication that heaven is where one gets what one wants (i.e., one’s own free will).

Jesus taught us to pray (Matthew 5:10 NET):

…may your kingdom come, may your will (θέλημα σου) be done on earth as it is in heaven.

The implication here is that God’s will is done in heaven. How much would a sinner striving faithfully to pursue a sinner’s free will care for Jesus’ heaven? Jesus said to Nicodemus (John 3:3 NET):

I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God [Table].

The Greek word translated see was ἰδεῖν (a form of εἴδω). It was the same root word Nicodemus used when he said (John 3:2 NET):

Rabbi, we know (οἴδαμεν, another form of εἴδω) that you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs that you do unless God is with him [Table].

In other words, Jesus didn’t threaten Nicodemus with eternal damnation, but commended his partial insight. It helps one to understand why He was so surprised that Nicodemus didn’t actually understand one of these earthly things (John 3:6, 7 NET).

What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’

Not all free will (θέλω) is born of the flesh. Jesus said (John 15:7 NET):

If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want (θέλητε, another form of θέλω), and it will be done for you [Table].

Here, I would assume that as you remain in Jesus and his words remain in you, whatever you want is born of the Spirit. The Greek words translated whatever were ἐὰν. So how did Jesus’ Gospel presentation differ (Matthew 11:28-30 NET)?

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke on you and learn from me because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls [Table]. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.

It doesn’t really matter if people are weary (κοπιῶντες, a form of κοπιάω) and burdened (πεφορτισμένοι, a form of φορτίζω) by their lives lived in sin—foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to various passions and desires, spending [their] lives in evil and envy, hateful and hating one another5—or from their attempts to make themselves righteous by obeying rules. While the invitation is sincere, Jesus also said (John 6:44, 45 NET):

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

These are not as contradictory as they seem in English. The Greek word translated come in the phrase come to me was the adverb δεῦτε, and in the phrase no one can come to me it was the verb ἐλθεῖν (a form of ἔρχομαι). Anyone who believes that salvation is the result of a sinner’s free will is unlikely to believe that they will all be taught by God effectually, but Jesus also said (John 12:31, 32 NET):

Now is the judgment of this world; now the ruler of this world will be driven out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.

Disbelieving Him adversely impacts one’s knowledge of God, but doesn’t change his mind, no matter how many people refuse to take Him at his word: Let God be proven true, and every human being shown up as a liar,6 Paul wrote in response to his own rhetorical question: If some were unfaithful, their unfaithfulness will not nullify God’s faithfulness, will it?7

With that as background I’ll turn to Ms. Burke’s first Bible passage: “Romans 9, which was the starting point of my deconstruction journey,”8 she said. Though she began in verse 16, I’ll start at the beginning of the chapter to gain some context (Romans 9:1-6a NET):

I am telling the truth in Christ (I am not lying!), for my conscience assures me in the Holy Spirit—I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed—cut off from Christ—for the sake of my people, my fellow countrymen [Table], who are Israelites. To them belong the adoption as sons, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the temple worship, and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from them, by human descent, came the Christ, who is God over all, blessed forever! Amen.

It is not as though the word of God had failed.

Here was the perfect opportunity for Paul to explain how God “gave them free will and that he wanted all people to be saved but he couldn’t violate their free will to save them. And that it was the most loving thing he could do to give people freedom. And within that freedom they could either choose him and go to heaven or they could reject him and go to hell. And that would be entirely their choice.”9

Instead, Paul wrote (Romans 9:6b, 7 NET):

For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, nor are all the children Abraham’s true descendants; rather “through Isaac will your descendants be counted” [See Greek Table Comparison].

What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit, Jesus said. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’10 And Paul began here to explain the implications of that difference, contrasting the children of the flesh to the children of God or the children of promise (Romans 9:8-13 NET).

This means it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; rather, the children of promise are counted as descendants. For this is what the promise declared: “About a year from now I will return and Sarah will have a son.” Not only that, but when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our ancestor Isaac—even before they were born or had done anything good or bad11 (so that God’s purpose in election would stand, not by works but by his calling)—it was said12 to her, “The older will serve the younger,” just as it is written: “Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated.”

Those who believe salvation is a choice of a sinner’s free will would be content it seems to let those for whom Paul had great sorrow and unceasing anguish in [his] heart13 hear Jesus say: Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!14 It was, after all, their choice, wasn’t it?

There is no commandment of God granting any authority to sinners to come to Jesus of their own free will, according to Jesus: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him.15 The “most loving thing he could do” is not “to give people freedom”16 to destroy themselves forever. For who are the children of promise that God’s purpose in election would stand, according to Jesus? And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.17

According to a note (5) in the NET Hebrews 10:5b-7 was a quotation from Psalm 40:6-8. A table follows comparing the Greek of Hebrews 10:5b-7 to that of the Septuagint.

Hebrews 10:5b, 6 (NET Parallel Greek)

Psalm 40:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 39:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)

θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλησας, σῶμα δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας οὐκ εὐδόκησας θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλησας ὠτία δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας οὐκ ᾔτησας θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλησας, σῶμα δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι· ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας οὐκ ἐζήτησας

Hebrews 10:5b, 6 (NET)

Psalm 39:7 (NETS)

Psalm 39:7 (English Elpenor)

Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me. Whole burnt offerings and sin-offerings you took no delight in. Sacrifice and offering you did not want, but ears you fashioned for me. Whole burnt offering and one for sin you did not request. Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not; but a body hast thou prepared me: whole-burnt-offering and [sacrifice] for sin thou didst not require.

Hebrews 10:7 (NET Parallel Greek)

Psalm 40:7, 8a (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 39:8, 9a (Septuagint Elpenor)

τότε εἶπον· ἰδοὺ ἥκω, ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ, τοῦ ποιῆσαι ὁ θεὸς τὸ θέλημα σου τότε εἶπον ἰδοὺ ἥκω ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημά σου ὁ θεός μου ἐβουλήθην τότε εἶπον· ἰδοὺ ἥκω, ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημά σου, ὁ Θεός μου, ἐβουλήθην

Hebrews 10:7 (NET)

Psalm 39:8, 9a (NETS)

Psalm 39:8, 9a (English Elpenor)

Then I said, ‘Here I am: I have come—it is written of me in the scroll of the book—to do your will, O God.’” Then I said, “Look, I have come; in a scroll of a book it is written of me. To do your will, O my God, I desired — Then I said, Behold, I come: in the volume of the book it is written concerning me, I desired to do thy will, O my God,

I’m becoming more convinced that the Holy Spirit corrected the false pen of the scribes through the writer of Hebrews.

Masoretic Text

Septuagint

Jeremiah 8:8 (Tanakh/KJV)

Jeremiah 8:8 (NET)

Jeremiah 8:8 (NETS)

Jeremiah 8:8 (English Elpenor)

How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen (עֵ֖ט) of the scribes is in vain (שֶׁ֥קֶר). How can you say, “We are wise! We have the law of the Lord”? The truth is, those who teach it have used their writings to make it say what it does not really mean [Note 24: The lying (šeqer, שקר) pen (ʿēṭ, עט) of the scribes has made (it) into a lie]. How will you say, “We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us?” A false pen (σχοῖνος ψευδὴς) has become of no use to scribes. How will ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? In vain have the scribes used a false pen (σχοῖνος ψευδὴς).

According to a note (21) in the NET Romans 9:9b was a quotation from Genesis 18:10 and 14. Two tables follow comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to that of the Septuagint.

Romans 9:9b (NET Parallel Greek)

Genesis 18:10b (Septuagint BLB) Table

Genesis 18:10b (Septuagint Elpenor)

κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἐλεύσομαι καὶ ἔσται τῇ Σάρρᾳ υἱός κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον εἰς ὥρας καὶ ἕξει υἱὸν Σαρρα γυνή σου κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον εἰς ὥρας, καὶ ἕξει υἱὸν Σάρρα γυνή σου

Romans 9:9b (NET)

Genesis 18:10b (NETS)

Genesis 18:10b (English Elpenor)

About a year from now I will return and Sarah will have a son. I will come to you, when I return, during this season next year, and Sarra your wife shall have a son. I will return and come to thee according to this period seasonably, and Sarrha thy wife shall have a son

Romans 9:9b (NET Parallel Greek)

Genesis 18:14b (Septuagint BLB) Table

Genesis 18:14b (Septuagint Elpenor)

κατὰ τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἐλεύσομαι καὶ ἔσται τῇ Σάρρᾳ υἱός εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἀναστρέψω πρὸς σὲ εἰς ὥρας καὶ ἔσται τῇ Σαρρα υἱός εἰς τὸν καιρὸν τοῦτον ἀναστρέψω πρὸς σὲ εἰς ὥρας· καὶ ἔσται τῇ Σάρρᾳ υἱός

Romans 9:9b (NET)

Genesis 18:14b (NETS)

Genesis 18:14b (English Elpenor)

About a year from now I will return and Sarah will have a son. In this season I will come back to you next year, and Sarra shall have a son. I will return and come to thee according to this period seasonably, and Sarrha thy wife shall have a son

According to a note (27) in the NET Romans 9:12b was a quotation from Genesis 25:23. A table follows comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to that of the Septuagint.

Romans 9:12b (NET Parallel Greek)

Genesis 25:23b (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 25:23b (Septuagint Elpenor)

ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι

Romans 9:12b (NET)

Genesis 25:23b (NETS)

Genesis 25:23b (English Elpenor)

The older will serve the younger the greater shall be subject to the lesser. the elder shall serve the younger.

According to a note (28) in the NET Romans 9:13b was a quotation from Malachi 1:2, 3. A table follows comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation to that of the Septuagint.

Romans 9:13b (NET Parallel Greek)

Malachi 1:2b, 3a (Septuagint BLB)

Malachi 1:2b, 3a (Septuagint Elpenor)

τὸν Ἰακὼβ ἠγάπησα, τὸν δὲ Ἠσαῦ ἐμίσησα ἠγάπησα τὸν Ιακωβ τὸν δὲ Ησαυ ἐμίσησα ἠγάπησα τόν ᾿Ιακώβ, τὸν δὲ ῾Ησαῦ ἐμίσησα

Romans 9:13b (NET)

Malachi 1:2b, 3a (NETS)

Malachi 1:2b, 3a (English Elpenor)

Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated. I loved Iakob, but I hated Esau I loved Jacob, and hated Esau

Tables comparing Psalm 40:6; 40:7; 40:8; Jeremiah 8:8; Genesis 25:23; Malachi 1:2 and 1:3 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET; and tables comparing Psalm 40:6 (39:7); 40:7 (39:8); 40:8 (39:9); Jeremiah 8:8; Genesis 25:23; Malachi 1:2 and 1:3 in the BLB and Elpenor versions of the Septuagint with the English translations from Hebrew and Greek, and a table comparing the Greek of Romans 9:11, 12 the NET and KJV follow.

Psalm 40:6 (Tanakh)

Psalm 40:6 (KJV)

Psalm 40:6 (NET)

Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. Receiving sacrifices and offerings are not your primary concern. You make that quite clear to me. You do not ask for burnt sacrifices and sin offerings.

Psalm 40:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 39:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)

θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλησας ὠτία δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι ὁλοκαύτωμα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας οὐκ ᾔτησας θυσίαν καὶ προσφορὰν οὐκ ἠθέλησας, σῶμα δὲ κατηρτίσω μοι· ὁλοκαυτώματα καὶ περὶ ἁμαρτίας οὐκ ἐζήτησας

Psalm 39:7 (NETS)

Psalm 39:7 (English Elpenor)

Sacrifice and offering you did not want, but ears you fashioned for me. Whole burnt offering and one for sin you did not request. Sacrifice and offering thou wouldest not; but a body hast thou prepared me: whole-burnt-offering and [sacrifice] for sin thou didst not require.

Psalm 40:7 (Tanakh)

Psalm 40:7 (KJV)

Psalm 40:7 (NET)

Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, Then I say, “Look, I come! What is written in the scroll pertains to me.

Psalm 40:7 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 39:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)

τότε εἶπον ἰδοὺ ἥκω ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ τότε εἶπον· ἰδοὺ ἥκω, ἐν κεφαλίδι βιβλίου γέγραπται περὶ ἐμοῦ

Psalm 39:8 (NETS)

Psalm 39:8 (English Elpenor)

Then I said, “Look, I have come; in a scroll of a book it is written of me. Then I said, Behold, I come: in the volume of the book it is written concerning me,

Psalm 40:8 (Tanakh)

Psalm 40:8 (KJV)

Psalm 40:8 (NET)

I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. I want to do what pleases you, my God. Your law dominates my thoughts.”

Psalm 40:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 39:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)

τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημά σου ὁ θεός μου ἐβουλήθην καὶ τὸν νόμον σου ἐν μέσῳ τῆς κοιλίας μου τοῦ ποιῆσαι τὸ θέλημά σου, ὁ Θεός μου, ἐβουλήθην καὶ τὸν νόμον σου ἐν μέσῳ τῆς κοιλίας μου

Psalm 39:9 (NETS)

Psalm 39:9 (English Elpenor)

To do your will, O my God, I desired—and your law, within my belly.” I desired to do thy will, O my God, and thy law in the midst of mine heart.

Jeremiah 8:8 (Tanakh)

Jeremiah 8:8 (KJV)

Jeremiah 8:8 (NET)

How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. How do ye say, We are wise, and the law of the LORD is with us? Lo, certainly in vain made he it; the pen of the scribes is in vain. How can you say, “We are wise! We have the law of the Lord”? The truth is, those who teach it have used their writings to make it say what it does not really mean.

Jeremiah 8:8 (Septuagint BLB)

Jeremiah 8:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)

πῶς ἐρεῖτε ὅτι σοφοί ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς καὶ νόμος κυρίου ἐστὶν μεθ᾽ ἡμῶν εἰς μάτην ἐγενήθη σχοῖνος ψευδὴς γραμματεῦσιν πῶς ἐρεῖτε· ὅτι σοφοί ἐσμεν ἡμεῖς, καὶ νόμος Κυρίου μεθ’ ἡμῶν ἐστιν; εἰς μάτην ἐγενήθη σχοῖνος ψευδὴς γραμματεῦσιν

Jeremiah 8:8 (NETS)

Jeremiah 8:8 (English Elpenor)

How will you say, “We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us?” A false pen has become of no use to scribes. How will ye say, We are wise, and the law of the Lord is with us? In vain have the scribes used a false pen.

Genesis 25:23 (Tanakh)

Genesis 25:23 (KJV)

Genesis 25:23 (NET)

And HaShem said unto her: Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. And the LORD said unto her, Two nations are in thy womb, and two manner of people shall be separated from thy bowels; and the one people shall be stronger than the other people; and the elder shall serve the younger. and the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples will be separated from within you. One people will be stronger than the other, and the older will serve the younger.”

Genesis 25:23 (Septuagint BLB)

Genesis 25:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)

καὶ εἶπεν κύριος αὐτῇ δύο ἔθνη ἐν τῇ γαστρί σού εἰσιν καὶ δύο λαοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας σου διασταλήσονται καὶ λαὸς λαοῦ ὑπερέξει καὶ ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι καὶ εἶπε Κύριος αὐτῇ· δύο ἔθνη ἐν γαστρί σου εἰσί, καὶ δύο λαοὶ ἐκ τῆς κοιλίας σου διασταλήσονται· καὶ λαὸς λαοῦ ὑπερέξει, καὶ ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι

Genesis 25:23 (NETS)

Genesis 25:23 (English Elpenor)

and the Lord said to her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from your uterus shall be divided, and a people shall excel over a people, and the greater shall be subject to the lesser.” And the Lord said to her, There are two nations in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy belly, and one people shall excel the other, and the elder shall serve the younger.

Malachi 1:2 (Tanakh)

Malachi 1:2 (KJV)

Malachi 1:2 (NET)

I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, I have loved you, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the LORD: yet I loved Jacob, I have shown love to you,” says the Lord, but you say, “How have you shown love to us?”

Esau was Jacob’s brother,” the Lord explains, “yet I chose Jacob

Malachi 1:2 (Septuagint BLB)

Malachi 1:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)

ἠγάπησα ὑμᾶς λέγει κύριος καὶ εἴπατε ἐν τίνι ἠγάπησας ἡμᾶς οὐκ ἀδελφὸς ἦν Ησαυ τοῦ Ιακωβ λέγει κύριος καὶ ἠγάπησα τὸν Ιακωβ ᾿Ηγάπησα ὑμᾶς, λέγει Κύριος. καὶ εἴπατε· ἐν τίνι ἠγάπησας ἡμᾶς; οὐκ ἀδελφὸς ἦν ῾Ησαῦ τοῦ ᾿Ιακώβ; λέγει Κύριος, καὶ ἠγάπησα τόν ᾿Ιακώβ

Malachi 1:2 (NETS)

Malachi 1:2 (English Elpenor)

I loved you, says the Lord. And you said, “How did you love us?” Was not Esau Iakob’s brother? says the Lord. And I loved Iakob, I have loved you, saith the Lord. And ye said, Wherein hast thou loved us? Was not Esau Jacob’s brother? saith the Lord: yet I loved Jacob,

Malachi 1:3 (Tanakh)

Malachi 1:3 (KJV)

Malachi 1:3 (NET)

And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. And I hated Esau, and laid his mountains and his heritage waste for the dragons of the wilderness. and rejected Esau. I turned Esau’s mountains into a deserted wasteland and gave his territory to the wild jackals.”

Malachi 1:3 (Septuagint BLB)

Malachi 1:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)

τὸν δὲ Ησαυ ἐμίσησα καὶ ἔταξα τὰ ὅρια αὐτοῦ εἰς ἀφανισμὸν καὶ τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ εἰς δόματα ἐρήμου τὸν δὲ ῾Ησαῦ ἐμίσησα καὶ ἔταξα τὰ ὅρια αὐτοῦ εἰς ἀφανισμὸν καὶ τὴν κληρονομίαν αὐτοῦ εἰς δώματα ἐρήμου

Malachi 1:3 (NETS)

Malachi 1:3 (English Elpenor)

but I hated Esau, and I made his mountains an annihilation and his heritage gifts of the wilderness. and hated Esau and laid waste his borders, and made his heritage as dwellings of the wilderness?

Romans 9:11, 12 (NET)

Romans 9:11, 12 (KJV)

even before they were born or had done anything good or bad (so that God’s purpose in election would stand, not by works but by his calling)— (For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the purpose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that calleth;)

Romans 9:11, 12a (NET Parallel Greek)

Romans 9:11 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Romans 9:11 (Byzantine Majority Text)

μήπω γὰρ γεννηθέντων μηδὲ πραξάντων τι ἀγαθὸν ἢ φαῦλον (ἵνα ἡ κατ᾿ ἐκλογὴν πρόθεσις τοῦ θεοῦ μένῃ (12a) οὐκ ἐξ ἔργων ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τοῦ καλοῦντος) μηπω γαρ γεννηθεντων μηδε πραξαντων τι αγαθον η κακον ινα η κατ εκλογην του θεου προθεσις μενη ουκ εξ εργων αλλ εκ του καλουντος μηπω γαρ γεννηθεντων μηδε πραξαντων τι αγαθον η κακον ινα η κατ εκλογην προθεσις του θεου μενη ουκ εξ εργων αλλ εκ του καλουντος
it was said to her, “The older will serve the younger,” It was said unto her, The elder shall serve the younger.

Romans 9:12b (NET Parallel Greek)

Romans 9:12 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)

Romans 9:12 (Byzantine Majority Text)

ἐρρέθη αὐτῇ ὅτι ὁ μείζων δουλεύσει τῷ ἐλάσσονι ερρηθη αυτη οτι ο μειζων δουλευσει τω ελασσονι ερρηθη αυτη οτι ο μειζων δουλευσει τω ελασσονι

2 1 Timothy 1:15b (NET)

3 Luke 5:32 (NET)

5 Titus 3:3 (NET)

6 Romans 3:4b (NET) Table

7 Romans 3:3 (NET)

9 Ibid.

10 John 3:6, 7 (NET)

13 Romans 9:2 (NET)

14 Matthew 25:41b (NET)

15 John 6:44a (NET) Table

17 John 12:32 (NET)

The Book of Life, Part 1

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John 6:29 (KJV)

John 6:29 (NASB)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

John 6:45 (NET Parallel Greek)

Isaiah 54:13a (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 54:13a (Septuagint Elpenor)

καὶ ἔσονται πάντες διδακτοὶ θεοῦ καὶ πάντας τοὺς υἱούς σου διδακτοὺς θεοῦ καὶ πάντας τοὺς υἱούς σου διδακτοὺς Θεοῦ

John 6:45 (NET)

Isaiah 54:13a (NETS)

Isaiah 54:13a (English Elpenor)

And they will all be taught by God. And I will make all your sons taught by God And [I will cause] all thy sons [to be] taught of God

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

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

Isaiah 54:13 (Tanakh)

Isaiah 54:13 (KJV)

Isaiah 54:13 (NET)

And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. All your children will be followers of the Lord, and your children will enjoy great prosperity.

Isaiah 54:13 (Septuagint BLB)

Isaiah 54:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)

καὶ πάντας τοὺς υἱούς σου διδακτοὺς θεοῦ καὶ ἐν πολλῇ εἰρήνῃ τὰ τέκνα σου καὶ πάντας τοὺς υἱούς σου διδακτοὺς Θεοῦ καὶ ἐν πολλῇ εἰρήνῃ τὰ τέκνα σου

Isaiah 54:13 (NETS)

Isaiah 54:13 (English Elpenor)

And I will make all your sons taught by God and your children to be in great peace. And [I will cause] all thy sons [to be] taught of God, and thy children [to be] in great peace.

Revelation 19:2 (NET)

Revelation 19:2 (KJV)

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

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text

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

Revelation 22:17 (NET)

Revelation 22:17 (KJV)

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

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text

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

Romans 7:23 (NET)

Romans 7:23 (KJV)

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

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text

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

1 Revelation 20:15 (NET)

2 Revelation 20:14 (NET) Table

3 Revelation 19:2a (NET)

4 John 7:24 (ESV) Table

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

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

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

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

12 Revelation 20:14b (NET) Table

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

15 Galatians 5:17 (NET) Table

16 Philippians 2:13 (NET) Table

17 Romans 9:16 (NET) Table

18 Matthew 19:25b (NET) Table

Father, Forgive Them – Part 5

Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.[1]  “That’s me,” I responded as I read that this time.  The Greek word translated enemies was ἐχθρούς (a form of ἐχθρός).  For if while we were enemies (ἐχθροὶ, another form of ἐχθρός), Paul wrote believers in Rome, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, how much more, since we have been reconciled, will we be saved by his life?[2]  But I’d never thought of it this way before.

I had vaguely assumed that making his enemies a footstool referenced Jesus as He treads the wine press of the fierce wrath of God, the Almighty.[3]  As I looked at other quotations of Psalm 110:1 in the New Testament it made a little sense why I had thought that.

NET and Parallel Greek

Matthew 22:44 Mark 12:36b Luke 20:42b, 43 Acts 2:34b, 35

Hebrews 1:13b

The[4] Lord said to my lord,Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under[5] your feet”’? The[6] Lord said[7] to my lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under[8] your feet.”’ The[9] Lord said to my lord, Sit at my right hand, The Lord said to my lord,Sit at my right hand Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?
until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’ until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.”’
εἶπεν κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν σου εἶπεν κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν σου εἶπεν κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου εἶπεν [ὁ] κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου
ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου

There was another allusion to Psalm 110:1 in Hebrews 10:12, 13 (NET):

But when this priest[10] had offered one sacrifice for sins for all time, he sat down at the right hand of God, where he is now waiting until his enemies are made a footstool for his feet.

There are some differences from the Septuagint mostly related to the changes from present to past tense, and from second and first to third person:

Hebrews 10:12b (NET Parallel Greek) Psalm 110:1a (Septuagint BLB) Psalm 109:1a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐκάθισεν ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ θεοῦ κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου
Hebrews 10:13b (NET Parallel Greek) Psalm 110:1b (Septuagint BLB) Psalm 109:1b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἕως τεθῶσιν οἱ ἐχθροὶ αὐτοῦ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου

The noun ὑποπόδιον (footstool) in Hebrews 1:13, and 10:13, Acts 2:35 and Luke 20:43 was replaced by the adverb ὑποκάτω (under) in Matthew 22:44 and Mark 12:36.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ὑποπόδιον in both cases (Table1 and Table2) as did both versions of the Septuagint.

Matthew 22:44 (NET Parallel Greek) Psalm 110:1 (Septuagint BLB) Psalm 109:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν σου εἶπεν ὁ κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου ΕΙΠΕΝ ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου· κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου
Mark 12:36b (NET Parallel Greek) Psalm 110:1 (Septuagint BLB) Psalm 109:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
εἶπεν κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν σου εἶπεν ὁ κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου ΕΙΠΕΝ ὁ Κύριος τῷ Κυρίῳ μου· κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν σου

The Hebrew was הדם (hădôm) and לרגליך (regel), also translated footstool in the Tanakh.

From Hebrew From Greek
Psalm 110:1 (Tanakh) Psalm 110:1 (KJV) Psalm 109:1 (NETS) Psalm 109:1 (Elpenor English)
The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou at my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool. The Lord said to my lord, “Sit on my right until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.” The Lord said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine enemies thy footstool.

According to Strong’s Concordance הדם (hădôm) was “From an unused root meaning to stamp upon.”  Paul alluded to Psalm 8:6 (1 Corinthians 15:24-28 NET; Table):

Then comes the end, when [Jesus] hands over the kingdom to God the Father, when he has brought to an end all rule and all authority and power.  For he must reign until[11] he has put[12] all his enemies under his feet.  The last enemy to be eliminated is death.  For he has put everything in subjection under his feet.  But when it says “everything” has been put in subjection, it is clear that this does not include the one who put everything in subjection to him.  And when all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will be subjected to the one who subjected everything to him, so that God may be all in all.

Though Paul used ὑπὸ here both versions of the Septuagint had ὑποκάτω.  The other differences are accounted for by switching from 2nd to 3rd person and from the genitive to the accusative case.

1 Corinthians 15:27a (NET Parallel Greek) Psalm 8:6b (Septuagint BLB) Psalm 8:7b (Septuagint Elpenor)
πάντα γὰρ ὑπέταξεν ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ σου πάντα ὑπέταξας ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ σου· πάντα ὑπέταξας ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ

Though I didn’t realize it before I did this study, the first verse of Psalm 8 in the Elpenor version of the Septuagint reads: Εἰς τὸ τέλος, ὑπὲρ τῶν ληνῶν· ψαλμὸς τῷ Δαυΐδ (“For the end, concerning the wine-presses, a Psalm of David”).  The writer of Hebrews quoted Psalm 8:6, You put all things under his control,[13] including ὑποκάτω (under).

Hebrews 2:8a (NET Parallel Greek) Psalm 8:6b (Septuagint BLB) Psalm 8:7b (Septuagint Elpenor)
πάντα ὑπέταξας ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ σου πάντα ὑπέταξας ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ σου· πάντα ὑπέταξας ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν αὐτοῦ

Yet this time for some inexplicable reason as I read—Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet—the planet-sized hassock of corpses evaporated back into my imagination as I recognized that Jesus’ planet-sized footstool is made of living people, people like Mary.

Now it was Mary[14] who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and wiped his feet dry with her hair.[15]  I imagine it was just as inexplicable to her that she, a sinner, when she learned[16] that Jesus was dining[17] at the Pharisee’s housebrought an alabaster jar of perfumed oil;[18] weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears.  She wiped them with her hair, kissed them, and anointed them with the perfumed oil.[19]

Jesus explained the inexplicable: No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him…It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by[20] God.’  Everyone[21] who hears[22] and learns from the Father comes to me.[23]  I had misunderstood this as a severe limitation to my whosoever-will-may-come belief.  But the Holy Spirit contrasted it to the difficulty those willful few had finding their own way through the rituals of old covenant religion.  How[24] narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, Jesus summarized, and there are few who find it![25]

Mary[26]…sat[27] at[28] the Lord’s[29] feet and listened to what he said.[30]  And again, Mary[31] took three quarters of a pound of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus[32] about a week before his crucifixion.

I was formerly[33] a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man, the apostle Paul confessed.  But[34] I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly (ἀγνοῶν, a form of ἀγνοέω) in unbelief, and our Lord’s grace was abundant, bringing faith and love in Christ Jesus.[35]  Father, forgive them, Jesus prayed, for they don’t know what they are doing.[36]  The Greek word translated know was οἴδασιν (a form of εἴδω; see).  They didn’t see what they were doing.  They acted ignorantly in unbelief (ἀπιστίᾳ).

When Jesus appeared to Paul (a.k.a. Saul) as a blinding light on the road to Damascus, He said, You are hurting (σκληρόν, a form of σκληρός) yourself by kicking against the goads.[37]  Paul’s religious mind fought so hard against that inexplicable drawing of God—denying what he was taught, heard and learned from the Father so completely—that the risen and ascended Lord Jesus was concerned about the harm he caused himself.  And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, Jesus had promised, will draw all people to myself,[38] even an angry jihadist like Saul.

This should not be forgotten though we may be more aware of what God’s abundant grace bringing faith and love in Christ Jesus made of him: for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort, Paul wrote from experience (Colossians 1:28, 29), for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.[39]

I had begun to hear—Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing—as something more than a limited and local prayer.  I regard it, in fact, as the singularly relevant prayer of a salvation that does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy.[40]  But I was uncertain of God the Father’s answer to that prayer until that day I heard, Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.  His enemies made into his footstool was Jesus’ joy (Hebrews 12:2b NET):

For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat[41] at the right hand of the throne of God.

Tables comparing Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42; 1 Corinthians 15:25; John 11:2; Luke 7:37; John 6:45; Matthew 7:14; Luke 10:39; John 12:3; 1 Timothy 1:13; Acts 26:14; Philippians 2:13 and Hebrews 12:2 in the NET and KJV follow.

Matthew 22:44 (NET) Matthew 22:44 (KJV)
The Lord said to my lord,Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’? The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
εἶπεν κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν σου ειπεν ο κυριος τω κυριω μου καθου εκ δεξιων μου εως αν θω τους εχθρους σου υποποδιον των ποδων σου ειπεν ο κυριος τω κυριω μου καθου εκ δεξιων μου εως αν θω τους εχθρους σου υποποδιον των ποδων σου
Mark 12:36 (NET) Mark 12:36 (KJV)
David himself, by the Holy Spirit, said, ‘The Lord said to my lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
αὐτὸς Δαυὶδ εἶπεν ἐν τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ εἶπεν κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου, ἕως ἂν θῶ τοὺς ἐχθρούς σου ὑποκάτω τῶν ποδῶν σου αυτος γαρ δαβιδ ειπεν εν τω πνευματι τω αγιω ειπεν ο κυριος τω κυριω μου καθου εκ δεξιων μου εως αν θω τους εχθρους σου υποποδιον των ποδων σου αυτος γαρ δαυιδ ειπεν εν πνευματι αγιω λεγει ο κυριος τω κυριω μου καθου εκ δεξιων μου εως αν θω τους εχθρους σου υποποδιον των ποδων σου
Luke 20:42 (NET) Luke 20:42 (KJV)
For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my lord, Sit at my right hand, And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
αὐτὸς γὰρ Δαυὶδ λέγει ἐν βίβλῳ ψαλμῶν εἶπεν κύριος τῷ κυρίῳ μου κάθου ἐκ δεξιῶν μου και αυτος δαβιδ λεγει εν βιβλω ψαλμων ειπεν ο κυριος τω κυριω μου καθου εκ δεξιων μου και αυτος δαυιδ λεγει εν βιβλω ψαλμων ειπεν ο κυριος τω κυριω μου καθου εκ δεξιων μου
1 Corinthians 15:25 (NET) 1 Corinthians 15:25 (KJV)
For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
δεῖ γὰρ αὐτὸν βασιλεύειν ἄχρι οὗ θῇ πάντας τοὺς ἐχθροὺς ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ δει γαρ αυτον βασιλευειν αχρις ου αν θη παντας τους εχθρους υπο τους ποδας αυτου δει γαρ αυτον βασιλευειν αχρις ου αν θη παντας τους εχθρους υπο τους ποδας αυτου
John 11:2 (NET) John 11:2 (KJV)
Now it was Mary who anointed the Lord with perfumed oil and wiped his feet dry with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
ἦν δὲ Μαριὰμ ἡ ἀλείψασα τὸν κύριον μύρῳ καὶ ἐκμάξασα τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ ταῖς θριξὶν αὐτῆς, ἧς ὁ ἀδελφὸς Λάζαρος ἠσθένει ην δε μαρια η αλειψασα τον κυριον μυρω και εκμαξασα τους ποδας αυτου ταις θριξιν αυτης ης ο αδελφος λαζαρος ησθενει ην δε μαρια η αλειψασα τον κυριον μυρω και εκμαξασα τους ποδας αυτου ταις θριξιν αυτης ης ο αδελφος λαζαρος ησθενει
Luke 7:37 (NET) Luke 7:37 (KJV)
Then when a woman of that town, who was a sinner, learned that Jesus was dining at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfumed oil. And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἰδοὺ γυνὴ ἥτις ἦν ἐν τῇ πόλει ἁμαρτωλός, καὶ ἐπιγνοῦσα ὅτι κατάκειται ἐν τῇ οἰκίᾳ τοῦ Φαρισαίου, κομίσασα ἀλάβαστρον μύρου και ιδου γυνη εν τη πολει ητις ην αμαρτωλος επιγνουσα οτι ανακειται εν τη οικια του φαρισαιου κομισασα αλαβαστρον μυρου και ιδου γυνη εν τη πολει ητις ην αμαρτωλος και επιγνουσα οτι ανακειται εν τη οικια του φαρισαιου κομισασα αλαβαστρον μυρου
John 6:45 (NET) John 6:45 (KJV)
It is written in the prophets, ‘And they will all be taught by God.’  Everyone who hears and learns from the Father comes to me. It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God.  Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
ἔστιν γεγραμμένον ἐν τοῖς προφήταις· καὶ ἔσονται πάντες διδακτοὶ θεοῦ· πᾶς ὁ ἀκούσας παρὰ τοῦ πατρὸς καὶ μαθὼν ἔρχεται πρὸς ἐμέ εστιν γεγραμμενον εν τοις προφηταις και εσονται παντες διδακτοι του θεου πας ουν ο ακουσας παρα του πατρος και μαθων ερχεται προς με εστιν γεγραμμενον εν τοις προφηταις και εσονται παντες διδακτοι θεου πας ουν ο ακουων παρα του πατρος και μαθων ερχεται προς με
Matthew 7:14 (NET) Matthew 7:14 (KJV)
How narrow is the gate and difficult the way that leads to life, and there are few who find it! Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
|τί| στενὴ ἡ πύλη καὶ τεθλιμμένη ἡ ὁδὸς ἡ ἀπάγουσα εἰς τὴν ζωὴν καὶ ὀλίγοι εἰσὶν οἱ εὑρίσκοντες αὐτήν οτι στενη η πυλη και τεθλιμμενη η οδος η απαγουσα εις την ζωην και ολιγοι εισιν οι ευρισκοντες αυτην τι στενη η πυλη και τεθλιμμενη η οδος η απαγουσα εις την ζωην και ολιγοι εισιν οι ευρισκοντες αυτην
Luke 10:39 (NET) Luke 10:39 (KJV)
She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to what he said. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ τῇδε ἦν ἀδελφὴ καλουμένη Μαριάμ , [ἣ] καὶ παρακαθεσθεῖσα πρὸς τοὺς πόδας τοῦ κυρίου ἤκουεν τὸν λόγον αὐτοῦ και τηδε ην αδελφη καλουμενη μαρια η και παρακαθισασα παρα τους ποδας του ιησου ηκουεν τον λογον αυτου και τηδε ην αδελφη καλουμενη μαρια η και παρακαθισασα παρα τους ποδας του ιησου ηκουεν τον λογον αυτου
John 12:3 (NET) John 12:3 (KJV)
Then Mary took three quarters of a pound of expensive aromatic oil from pure nard and anointed the feet of Jesus. She then wiped his feet dry with her hair.  (Now the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfumed oil.) Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
Ἡ οὖν Μαριὰμ λαβοῦσα λίτραν μύρου νάρδου πιστικῆς πολυτίμου ἤλειψεν τοὺς πόδας |τοῦ| Ἰησοῦ καὶ ἐξέμαξεν ταῖς θριξὶν αὐτῆς τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ· (ἡ δὲ οἰκία ἐπληρώθη ἐκ τῆς ὀσμῆς τοῦ μύρου.) η ουν μαρια λαβουσα λιτραν μυρου ναρδου πιστικης πολυτιμου ηλειψεν τους ποδας του ιησου και εξεμαξεν ταις θριξιν αυτης τους ποδας αυτου η δε οικια επληρωθη εκ της οσμης του μυρου η ουν μαρια λαβουσα λιτραν μυρου ναρδου πιστικης πολυτιμου ηλειψεν τους ποδας του ιησου και εξεμαξεν ταις θριξιν αυτης τους ποδας αυτου η δε οικια επληρωθη εκ της οσμης του μυρου
1 Timothy 1:13 (NET) 1 Timothy 1:13 (KJV)
even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor, and an arrogant man. But I was treated with mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief, Who was before a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious: but I obtained mercy, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
τὸ πρότερον ὄντα βλάσφημον καὶ διώκτην καὶ ὑβριστήν, ἀλλὰ ἠλεήθην, ὅτι ἀγνοῶν ἐποίησα ἐν ἀπιστίᾳ τον προτερον οντα βλασφημον και διωκτην και υβριστην αλλ ηλεηθην οτι αγνοων εποιησα εν απιστια τον προτερον οντα βλασφημον και διωκτην και υβριστην αλλα ηλεηθην οτι αγνοων εποιησα εν απιστια
Acts 26:14 (NET) Acts 26:14 (KJV)
When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?  You are hurting yourself by kicking against the goads.’ And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
πάντων τε καταπεσόντων ἡμῶν εἰς τὴν γῆν ἤκουσα φωνὴν λέγουσαν πρός με τῇ Ἑβραΐδι διαλέκτῳ· Σαοὺλ Σαούλ, τί με διώκεις; σκληρόν σοι πρὸς κέντρα λακτίζειν παντων δε καταπεσοντων ημων εις την γην ηκουσα φωνην λαλουσαν προς με και λεγουσαν τη εβραιδι διαλεκτω σαουλ σαουλ τι με διωκεις σκληρον σοι προς κεντρα λακτιζειν παντων δε καταπεσοντων ημων εις την γην ηκουσα φωνην λαλουσαν προς με και λεγουσαν τη εβραιδι διαλεκτω σαουλ σαουλ τι με διωκεις σκληρον σοι προς κεντρα λακτιζειν
Philippians 2:13 (NET) Philippians 2:13 (KJV)
for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
θεὸς γάρ ἐστιν ὁ ἐνεργῶν ἐν ὑμῖν καὶ τὸ θέλειν καὶ τὸ ἐνεργεῖν ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐδοκίας ο θεος γαρ εστιν ο ενεργων εν υμιν και το θελειν και το ενεργειν υπερ της ευδοκιας ο θεος γαρ εστιν ο ενεργων εν υμιν και το θελειν και το ενεργειν υπερ της ευδοκιας
Hebrews 12:2 (NET) Hebrews 12:2 (KJV)
keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.  For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus Byzantine Majority Text
ἀφορῶντες εἰς τὸν τῆς πίστεως ἀρχηγὸν καὶ τελειωτὴν Ἰησοῦν, ὃς ἀντὶ τῆς προκειμένης αὐτῷ χαρᾶς ὑπέμεινεν σταυρὸν αἰσχύνης καταφρονήσας ἐν δεξιᾷ τε τοῦ θρόνου τοῦ θεοῦ κεκάθικεν αφορωντες εις τον της πιστεως αρχηγον και τελειωτην ιησουν ος αντι της προκειμενης αυτω χαρας υπεμεινεν σταυρον αισχυνης καταφρονησας εν δεξια τε του θρονου του θεου εκαθισεν αφορωντες εις τον της πιστεως αρχηγον και τελειωτην ιησουν ος αντι της προκειμενης αυτω χαρας υπεμεινεν σταυρον αισχυνης καταφρονησας εν δεξια τε του θρονου του θεου κεκαθικεν

[1] Hebrews 1:13b (NET)

[2] Romans 5:10 (NET)

[3] Revelation 19:15b (NASB) Table

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

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

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

[7] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Stephanus Textus Receptus had εἶπεν here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had λεγει.

[8] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ὑποκάτω here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had υποποδιον (KJV: footstool).

[9] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article ο here.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

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

[11] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἄχρι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αχρις (KJV: till).

[12] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the particle αν preceding has put.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[13] Hebrews 2:8a (NET)

[14] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 Mary was spelled Μαριὰμ, and μαρια in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

[15] John 11:2a (NET)

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

[17] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had κατάκειται here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ανακειται (KJV: sat at meat).

[18] Luke 7:37 (NET)

[19] Luke 7:38b (NET)

[20] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article του (KJV: of) here.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[21] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουν (KJV: therefore) following Everyone.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[22] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Stephanus Textus Receptus had ἀκούσας here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had ακουων.

[23] John 6:44a, 45 (NET) The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἐμέ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had με.

[24] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had τί here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had οτι (KJV: Because).

[25] Matthew 7:14 (NET)

[26] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 Mary was spelled Μαριάμ, and μαρια in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

[27] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had παρακαθεσθεῖσα here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had παρακαθισασα.

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

[29] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had κυρίου here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ιησου.

[30] Luke 10:39b (NET)

[31] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 Mary was spelled Μαριάμ, and μαρια in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

[32] John 12:3a (NET)

[33] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the article τὸ preceding formerly, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τον.

[34] The NET parallel Greek text and Byzantine Majority Text had ἀλλὰ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and NA28 had αλλ.

[35] 1 Timothy 1:13 (NET)

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

[37] Acts 26:14b (NET)

[38] John 12:32 (NET)

[39] Philippians 2:13 (NET) The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article ο preceding God.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[40] Romans 9:16 (NET) Table

[41] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had κεκάθικεν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had εκαθισεν (KJV: is set down).

Romans, Part 88

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Form of κωλύω

Reference KJV

NET

ἐκωλύομεν (εκωλυσαμεν) Mark 9:38 we forbad him, because he followeth not us. we tried to stop him because he was not following us.

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text

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

Form of κωλύω

Reference KJV

NET

ἐκωλύομεν (εκωλυσαμεν) Luke 9:49 we forbad him, because he followeth not with us. we tried to stop him because he is not a disciple along with us.

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text

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

Form of κωλύω

Reference KJV

NET

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

 

Form of πείθω Reference KJV

NET

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

NET Parallel Greek

Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text

Προσεύχεσθε περὶ ἡμῶν· πειθόμεθα γὰρ ὅτι καλὴν συνείδησιν ἔχομεν, ἐν πᾶσιν καλῶς θέλοντες ἀναστρέφεσθαι προσευχεσθε περι ημων πεποιθαμεν γαρ οτι καλην συνειδησιν εχομεν εν πασιν καλως θελοντες αναστρεφεσθαι προσευχεσθε περι ημων πεποιθαμεν γαρ οτι καλην συνειδησιν εχομεν εν πασιν καλως θελοντες αναστρεφεσθαι

Form of πείθω

Reference KJV

NET

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

[1] Romans 15:22 (NET)

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

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

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

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

[6] Luke 6:37 (NET)

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

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

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

[10] 1 Corinthians 4:7 (NET)

[11] Galatians 5:7 (NET)

[12] Matthew 27:20 (NET)

[13] Matthew 27:22 (NET)

[14] Acts 14:19 (NET) Table

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

[16] Acts 19:26 (NET)

[17] Acts 27:11 (NET)

[18] Acts 27:10a (NET)

[19] Acts 27:13b (NET)

[20] Galatians 5:2 (NET)

[21] Galatians 1:6 (NET)

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