Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Part 10

Posted on November 6, 2023 by admin

This is a continuation of my intent to become much more familiar with the Greek translation of יְהֹוָ֨ה (Yᵊhōvâ) and יֱהֹוִה֙ (yᵊhōvâ) in the Septuagint.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 3:11 (Tanakh/KJV)	Genesis 3:11 (NET)	Genesis 3:11 (NETS)	Genesis 3:11 (English Elpenor)
And He said (וַיֹּ֕אמֶר): ‘Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?’	And the Lord God said (‘āmar, ויאמר), “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”	And he said (καὶ εἶπεν) to him, “Who told you that you are naked, unless you have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, of this one alone, not to eat from it?”	And God said (καὶ εἶπεν…ὁ Θεός) to him, Who told thee that thou wast naked, unless thou hast eaten of the tree concerning which I charged thee of it alone not to eat?

Here the Hebrew verb וַיֹּ֕אמֶר (‘āmar) was translated And He said (Tanakh, KJV) or And the Lord God said (NET). A note (28) in the NET explained:

Heb “and he said.” The referent (the Lord God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

It goes a long way to explaining the different translations in the Septuagint: καὶ εἶπεν (BLB), And he said (NETS), or καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Θεὸς (Elpenor), And God said (English Elpenor). But why did He ask this misleading question in the first place? Why didn’t He just come straight out with it, right here in the beginning?

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Isaiah 46:9b, 10 (Tanakh/KJV)	Isaiah 46:9b, 10 (NET)	Isaiah 46:9b, 10 (NETS)	Isaiah 46:9b, 10 (English Elpenor)
I am God (אֵל֙), and there is none else; I am God (אֱלֹהִ֖ים), and there is none like me [Table],	I am God (‘ēl, אל), I have no peer; I am God (‘ĕlōhîm, אלהים), and there is none like me,	I am God (ὁ θεός), and there is no other besides me [Table],	I am God (ὁ Θεός), and there is none other beside me,
Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure (חֶפְצִ֖י) [Table]:	who announces the end from the beginning and reveals beforehand what has not yet occurred; who says, ‘My plan will be realized, I will accomplish what I desire (ḥēp̄eṣ, חפצי);’	declaring the last things first, before they happen, and at once they came to pass, and I said, “My whole plan shall stand, and I will do all the things I have planned (βεβούλευμαι)” [Table],	telling beforehand the latter events before they come to pass, and they are accomplished together: and I said, all my counsel shall stand, and I will do all things that I have planned (βεβούλευμαι):

It has taken the better part of a lifetime for me to recognize that these declarative statements, of which I am so fond, are remedial education for dullards. This is the take-home message I was expected to understand from the first two chapters of Genesis, and probably would have if not for a heart and mind dominated by sin, that innate drive to do my own thing even if, especially if, God disapproves.

Paul’s confession comes readily to mind (Romans 7:7b, 8a NET):

I would not have known sin except through the law. For indeed I would not have known what it means to desire something belonging to someone else if the law had not said, “Do not covet.” But sin, seizing the opportunity through the commandment, produced in me all kinds of wrong desires.

The “educated” minds I fawned over when I was younger would have me believe that God was not unique, knowledgeable or determined to accomplish all his pleasure until Isaiah declared Him so sometime after his alleged prophecies came to pass, because “God” was the creation of lying Jews. But what happens if I assume that the Creator of the heavens and the earth¹ was already unique, knowledgeable and determined to accomplish all his pleasure in the beginning? What might I understand if I don’t assume that He was ignorant of what had transpired, guessing by some form of reasoning and in need of Adam’s confirmation that He had guessed correctly?

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 3:12 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:12 (NET)	Genesis 3:12 (NETS)	Genesis 3:12 (English Elpenor)
And the man said: ‘The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.’	The man said, “The woman whom you gave me, she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.”	And Adam said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”	And Adam said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me– she gave me of the tree and I ate.

With my mind cleansed of the idea that God was ignorant, guessing at what had transpired and seeking Adam’s confirmation, buttressed by the knowledge that He was already unique, knowledgeable and determined to accomplish all his pleasure, I assume that Adam’s response was what God wanted to achieve when He asked the question. A table comparing Adam’s answer to the narrator’s description of what had transpired follows.

Adam

Narrator

The woman whom you gave me,

The Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion for him who corresponds to him” [Table]…So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep, and while he was asleep, he took part of the man’s side and closed up the place with flesh [Table]. Then the Lord God made a woman from the part he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man [Table].

Genesis 2:18, 21, 22 (NET)

she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.

Genesis 3:12 (NET)

She also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate it [Table].

Genesis 3:6b (NET)

The Lord God asked Eve a similar question.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 3:13 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:13 (NET)	Genesis 3:13 (NETS)	Genesis 3:13 (English Elpenor)
And HaShem (יְהֹוָ֧ה) G-d (אֱלֹהִ֛ים) said unto the woman: ‘What is this thou hast done?’ And the woman said: ‘The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.’	So the Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, יהוה) God (‘ĕlōhîm, אלהים) said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman replied, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.”	And God (κύριος ὁ θεὸς) said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The snake tricked me, and I ate.”	And the Lord (Κύριος) God (ὁ Θεὸς) said to the woman, Why hast thou done this? And the woman said, The serpent deceived me and I ate.

Here the narrator called God יְהֹוָ֧ה (Yᵊhōvâ) in the Masoretic text which was corroborated by Κύριος in both versions of the Septuagint, though the NETS translation God might indicate the existence of another version without Κύριος. A table comparing Eve’s answer to the narrator’s description of what had transpired follows.

Eve

Narrator

The serpent tricked me,

The serpent said to the woman, “Surely you will not die [Table], for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil” [Table].

Genesis 3:4, 5 (NET)

and I ate.

Genesis 3:13b (NET)

When the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate it [Table].

Genesis 3:6a (NET)

Both Adam and Eve responded to God’s questions with true answers accurately restating events as related by the narrator of Genesis. The Lord God asked the serpent no questions.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Genesis 3:14, 15 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:14, 15 (NET)	Genesis 3:14, 15 (NETS)	Genesis 3:14, 15 (English Elpenor)
And HaShem (יְהֹוָ֨ה) G-d (אֱלֹהִ֥ים) said unto the serpent: ‘Because thou hast done this, cursed (אָר֤וּר) art thou from among all cattle, and from among all beasts of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.	The Lord (Yᵊhōvâ, יהוה) God (‘ĕlōhîm, אלהים) said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed (‘ārar, ארור) are you above all the cattle and all the living creatures of the field! On your belly you will crawl and dust you will eat all the days of your life.	And the Lord (κύριος) God (ὁ θεὸς) said to the snake, “Because you have done this, cursed (ἐπικατάρατος) are you from all the domestic animals and from the wild animals of the earth; upon your chest and belly you shall go, and earth you shall eat all the days of your life.	And the Lord (Κύριος) God (ὁ Θεὸς) said to the serpent, Because thou hast done this thou art cursed (ἐπικατάρατος) above all cattle and all the brutes of the earth, on thy breast and belly thou shalt go, and thou shalt eat earth all the days of thy life.
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; they shall bruise (יְשֽׁוּפְךָ֣) thy head, and thou shalt bruise (תְּשׁוּפֶ֥נּוּ) their heel.’	And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; he will strike (šûp̄, ישופך) your head, and you will strike (šûp̄, תשופנו) his heel.”	And I will put enmity between you and between the woman and between your offspring and between her offspring; he will watch (τηρήσει) your head, and you will watch (τηρήσεις) his heel.”	And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed, he shall watch against (τηρήσει) thy head, and thou shalt watch against (τηρήσεις) his heel.

Here again the narrator called God יְהֹוָ֨ה (Yᵊhōvâ) in the Masoretic text. It was corroborated by Κύριος in both Greek versions of the Septuagint and Lord in both English translations. Though the Lord God asked the serpent no questions, Rashi described the serpent’s answer to the question: “Why have you done this?”

Now the serpent was cunning: What is the connection of this matter here? Scripture should have juxtaposed (below verse 21): “And He made for Adam and for his wife shirts of skin, and He dressed them.” But it teaches you as a result of what plan the serpent thrust himself upon them. He saw them naked and engaging in intercourse before everyone’s eyes, and he desired her. — [from Gen. Rabbah 18:6]²

And I shall place hatred: You intended that the man should die when he would eat first, and you would marry Eve, and you came to Eve first only because women are easily enticed, and they know how to entice their husbands. Therefore, “I shall place hatred.”³

So, according to Rashi Eve’s nudity stirred-up lust and a murderous plot in the serpent’s heart: the serpent coveted Adam’s wife. If God had clothed Eve properly and given her a shelter for “engaging in intercourse” away from “everyone’s eyes” perhaps none of this would have happened. But I wonder why Rashi assumed that the serpent wanted Eve rather than Adam. All this conjecture leads away from the point:

God questioned Adam: Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?⁴ Adam answered truthfully relative to the narration of Genesis. The Lord God questioned Eve: What is this you have done?⁵ She didn’t deny Adam’s answer but added her own perspective truthfully relative to the narration of Genesis. The Lord God asked the serpent no questions at all. Was He unfair? Did He curse the serpent on Eve’s word alone? No, He didn’t need anyone to tell Him what He already knew.

I’m reminded of Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (John 4:14, 15 NET):

But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty⁶ again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life” [Table]. The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come⁷ here to draw water.”

The Samaritan woman was already drinking out of Jesus’ hand, so to speak. But rather than explaining straightforwardly that the fountain of water springing up to eternal life He spoke of was the Holy Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit, as I would have preferred, Jesus’ mind took an abrupt turn (John 4:16 NET):

He⁸ said to her, “Go call your husband (τὸν ἄνδρα |σου|) and come back here.”

The Samaritan woman might have obeyed Jesus and run to fetch her man: ἄνδρα, a form of ἀνήρ means man as well as husband. But she seemed to grasp his meaning (John 4:17, 18 NET):

The woman replied,⁹ “I have no husband (ἄνδρα).” Jesus said to her, “Right you are when you said, ‘I have no husband (ἄνδρα),’ for you have had five husbands (ἄνδρας), and the man you are living with now is not your husband (ἀνήρ). This you said truthfully (ἀληθὲς, a form of ἀληθής)!”

The Greek word translated man above was the masculine ὃν rather than the feminine ἥν. I would have known nothing of this woman’s past except for Jesus’ word, which she corroborated when she called, not her husband but, the whole town to Jesus: Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did.¹⁰ Jesus remained focused on truth (John 4:23, 24 NET):

But¹¹ a time is coming—and now is here—when the true (ἀληθινοὶ, a form of ἀληθινός) worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth (ἀληθείᾳ), for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers. God is spirit, and the people who worship him must worship in spirit and truth (ἀληθείᾳ).

The Father seeks (ζητεῖ, a form of ζητέω) such people to be his worshipers, those who will worship the Father in spirit and truth.¹² This is quite moving: For the Son of Man came to seek (ζητῆσαι, another form of ζητέω) and to save the lost (τὸ ἀπολωλός).¹³ Is that why the Lord God questioned Adam and Eve? He sought them as worshipers after they disobeyed Him? To read Jesus’ out-of-his-way effort, to find something truthful in the Samaritan woman He sought, back into the Lord God’s questions to Adam and Eve seems difficult.

Neither the narrator nor the Lord God called Adam’s or Eve’s responses truthful. I’m the one comparing them to the narration and declaring them true. Perhaps it’s safer to say, that I hear Jesus’ personality in the Lord God’s questions. I tell you the solemn truth, Jesus said, the Son can do nothing on his own initiative, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, the Son does likewise.¹⁴ And, I always do those things that please him.¹⁵ This seems like one of those places He saw the Father doing and did likewise.

What I call the Old Testament was written uniquely for, and primarily to, that 12-year-old boy who grew into the man I know as Jesus Christ. And it is his understanding of the Scriptures that I want to know. He is the One who proved Paul’s saying true: live by the Spirit and you will not carry out (οὐ μὴ τελέσητε ¹⁶) the desires of the flesh.¹⁷ He found a loving Father in the pages of Scripture: One who gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life;¹⁸ One who did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him;¹⁹ One who does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance;²⁰ One who gave all authority in heaven and on earth²¹ to his Son that his Son will draw all people to²² Himself. Now this is eternal life, the Son prayed to his Father, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.²³

I’ll pick this up in another essay.

Tables comparing Genesis 3:11; 3:12; 3:13; 3:14 and 3:15 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET; and tables comparing Genesis 3:11; 3:12; 3:13; 3:14 and 3:15 in the BLB and Elpenor versions of the Septuagint with the English translations from Hebrew and Greek, and tables comparing the Greek of John 4:15; 4:16; 4:17 and 4:23 the NET and KJV follow.

Genesis 3:11 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:11 (KJV)	Genesis 3:11 (NET)
And He said: ‘Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?’	And he said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?	And the Lord God said, “Who told you that you were naked? Did you eat from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?”

Genesis 3:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 3:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ τίς ἀνήγγειλέν σοι ὅτι γυμνὸς εἶ μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου οὗ ἐνετειλάμην σοι τούτου μόνου μὴ φαγεῖν ἀπ᾽ αὐτοῦ ἔφαγες	καὶ εἶπεν αὐτῷ ὁ Θεός· τίς ἀνήγγειλέ σοι ὅτι γυμνὸς εἶ, εἰ μὴ ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου, οὗ ἐνετειλάμην σοι τούτου μόνου μὴ φαγεῖν, ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ ἔφαγες
Genesis 3:11 (NETS)	Genesis 3:11 (English Elpenor)
And he said to him, “Who told you that you are naked, unless you have eaten from the tree of which I commanded you, of this one alone, not to eat from it?”	And God said to him, Who told thee that thou wast naked, unless thou hast eaten of the tree concerning which I charged thee of it alone not to eat?

Genesis 3:12 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:12 (KJV)	Genesis 3:12 (NET)
And the man said: ‘The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.’	And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.	The man said, “The woman whom you gave me, she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.”

Genesis 3:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 3:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν ὁ Αδαμ ἡ γυνή ἣν ἔδωκας μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ αὕτη μοι ἔδωκεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου καὶ ἔφαγον	καὶ εἶπεν ὁ ᾿Αδάμ· ἡ γυνή, ἣν ἔδωκας μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ, αὕτη μοι ἔδωκεν ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου, καὶ ἔφαγον
Genesis 3:12 (NETS)	Genesis 3:12 (English Elpenor)
And Adam said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate.”	And Adam said, The woman whom thou gavest to be with me– she gave me of the tree and I ate.

Genesis 3:13 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:13 (KJV)	Genesis 3:13 (NET)
And HaShem G-d said unto the woman: ‘What is this thou hast done?’ And the woman said: ‘The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.’	And the LORD God said unto the woman, What is this that thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.	So the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman replied, “The serpent tricked me, and I ate.”

Genesis 3:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 3:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῇ γυναικί τί τοῦτο ἐποίησας καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή ὁ ὄφις ἠπάτησέν με καὶ ἔφαγον	καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῇ γυναικί· τί τοῦτο ἐποίησας; καὶ εἶπεν ἡ γυνή· ὁ ὄφις ἠπάτησέ με, καὶ ἔφαγον
Genesis 3:13 (NETS)	Genesis 3:13 (English Elpenor)
And God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The snake tricked me, and I ate.”	And the Lord God said to the woman, Why hast thou done this? And the woman said, The serpent deceived me and I ate.

Genesis 3:14 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:14 (KJV)	Genesis 3:14 (NET)
And HaShem G-d said unto the serpent: ‘Because thou hast done this, cursed art thou from among all cattle, and from among all beasts of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.	And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:	The Lord God said to the serpent, “Because you have done this, cursed are you above all the cattle and all the living creatures of the field! On your belly you will crawl and dust you will eat all the days of your life.

Genesis 3:14 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 3:14 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἶπεν κύριος ὁ θεὸς τῷ ὄφει ὅτι ἐποίησας τοῦτο ἐπικατάρατος σὺ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν κτηνῶν καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν θηρίων τῆς γῆς ἐπὶ τῷ στήθει σου καὶ τῇ κοιλίᾳ πορεύσῃ καὶ γῆν φάγῃ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς σου	καὶ εἶπε Κύριος ὁ Θεὸς τῷ ὄφει· ὅτι ἐποίησας τοῦτο, ἐπικατάρατος σὺ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν κτηνῶν καὶ ἀπὸ πάντων τῶν θηρίων τῶν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς· ἐπὶ τῷ στήθει σου καὶ τῇ κοιλίᾳ πορεύσῃ καὶ γῆν φαγῇ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας τῆς ζωῆς σου.
Genesis 3:14 (NETS)	Genesis 3:14 (English Elpenor)
And the Lord God said to the snake, “Because you have done this, cursed are you from all the domestic animals and from the wild animals of the earth; upon your chest and belly you shall go, and earth you shall eat all the days of your life.	And the Lord God said to the serpent, Because thou hast done this thou art cursed above all cattle and all the brutes of the earth, on thy breast and belly thou shalt go, and thou shalt eat earth all the days of thy life.

Genesis 3:15 (Tanakh)	Genesis 3:15 (KJV)	Genesis 3:15 (NET)
And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; they shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise their heel.’	And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.	And I will put hostility between you and the woman and between your offspring and her offspring; he will strike your head, and you will strike his heel.”

Genesis 3:15 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 3:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἔχθραν θήσω ἀνὰ μέσον σου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματός σου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτῆς αὐτός σου τηρήσει κεφαλήν καὶ σὺ τηρήσεις αὐτοῦ πτέρναν	καὶ ἔχθραν θήσω ἀνὰ μέσον σοῦ καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τῆς γυναικὸς καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματός σου καὶ ἀνὰ μέσον τοῦ σπέρματος αὐτῆς· αὐτός σου τηρήσει κεφαλήν, καὶ σὺ τηρήσεις αὐτοῦ πτέρναν
Genesis 3:15 (NETS)	Genesis 3:15 (English Elpenor)
And I will put enmity between you and between the woman and between your offspring and between her offspring; he will watch your head, and you will watch his heel.”	And I will put enmity between thee and the woman and between thy seed and her seed, he shall watch against thy head, and thou shalt watch against his heel.

John 4:15 (NET)	John 4:15 (KJV)
The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”	The woman saith unto him, Sir, give me this water, that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw.

John 4:15 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 4:15 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 4:15 (Byzantine Majority Text)
λέγει πρὸς αὐτὸν ἡ γυνή· κύριε, δός μοι τοῦτο τὸ ὕδωρ, ἵνα μὴ διψῶ μηδὲ διέρχωμαι ἐνθάδε ἀντλεῖν	λεγει προς αυτον η γυνη κυριε δος μοι τουτο το υδωρ ινα μη διψω μηδε ερχωμαι ενθαδε αντλειν	λεγει προς αυτον η γυνη κυριε δος μοι τουτο το υδωρ ινα μη διψω μηδε ερχομαι ενθαδε αντλειν

John 4:16 (NET)	John 4:16 (KJV)
He said to her, “Go call your husband and come back here.”	Jesus saith unto her, Go, call thy husband, and come hither.

John 4:16 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 4:16 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 4:16 (Byzantine Majority Text)
λέγει αὐτῇ· ὕπαγε φώνησον τὸν ἄνδρα \|σου\| καὶ ἐλθὲ ἐνθάδε	λεγει αυτη ο ιησους υπαγε φωνησον τον ανδρα σου και ελθε ενθαδε	λεγει αυτη ο ιησους υπαγε φωνησον τον ανδρα σου και ελθε ενθαδε

John 4:17 (NET)	John 4:17 (KJV)
The woman replied, “I have no husband.” Jesus said to her, “Right you are when you said, ‘I have no husband,’	The woman answered and said, I have no husband. Jesus said unto her, Thou hast well said, I have no husband:

John 4:17 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 4:17 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 4:17 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀπεκρίθη ἡ γυνὴ καὶ εἶπεν \|αὐτῷ\|· οὐκ ἔχω ἄνδρα. λέγει αὐτῇ ὁ Ἰησοῦς· καλῶς εἶπας ὅτι ἄνδρα οὐκ ἔχω·	απεκριθη η γυνη και ειπεν ουκ εχω ανδρα λεγει αυτη ο ιησους καλως ειπας οτι ανδρα ουκ εχω	απεκριθη η γυνη και ειπεν ουκ εχω ανδρα λεγει αυτη ο ιησους καλως ειπας οτι ανδρα ουκ εχω

John 4:23 (NET)	John 4:23 (KJV)
But a time is coming—and now is here—when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father seeks such people to be his worshipers.	But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.

John 4:23 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 4:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 4:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀλλὰ ἔρχεται ὥρα καὶ νῦν ἐστιν, ὅτε οἱ ἀληθινοὶ προσκυνηταὶ προσκυνήσουσιν τῷ πατρὶ ἐν πνεύματι καὶ ἀληθείᾳ· καὶ γὰρ ὁ πατὴρ τοιούτους ζητεῖ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας αὐτόν	αλλ ερχεται ωρα και νυν εστιν οτε οι αληθινοι προσκυνηται προσκυνησουσιν τω πατρι εν πνευματι και αληθεια και γαρ ο πατηρ τοιουτους ζητει τους προσκυνουντας αυτον	αλλ ερχεται ωρα και νυν εστιν οτε οι αληθινοι προσκυνηται προσκυνησουσιν τω πατρι εν πνευματι και αληθεια και γαρ ο πατηρ τοιουτους ζητει τους προσκυνουντας αυτον

Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Part 11

Keep Yourselves from Idols, Part 1

¹ Gensis 1:1b (NET) Table

² From Rashi’s commentary to Genesis 3:1 (Tanakh), chabad.org

³ From Rashi’s commentary to Genesis 3:15 (Tanakh), chabad.org

⁴ Genesis 3:11 (NET)

⁵ Genesis 3:13a (NET)

⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had διψήσει here in the future tense and indicative mood, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had διψήσῃ (KJV: shall…thirst) in the aorist tense and subjunctive mood. Since the negation is οὐ μὴ here, διψήσῃ is the stronger of the two: the subjunctive of emphatic negation.

⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had διέρχωμαι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ερχωμαι (KJV: come).

⁸ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο ιησους (KJV: Jesus) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had αὐτῷ (“to him”) here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

¹⁰ John 4:29a (NET)

¹¹ The NET parallel Greek text had ἀλλὰ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA²⁸ had ἀλλ’.

¹² John 4:23b (NET)

¹³ Luke 19:10 (NET)

¹⁴ John 5:19 (NET) Table

¹⁵ John 8:29b (NET) Table

¹⁶ This is a subjunctive of emphatic negation: “However, when this combination [οὐ µή (ou mē)] is attached to an Aorist Subjunctive, what occurs is what has been termed the Subjunctive of Emphatic Negation. As was pointed out above, the Subjunctive Mood indicates the probability of an event, and the Aorist Tense emphasizes an action as simply occurring, without any specific reference to time, apart from the use of an adverbial modifier (e.g., that which would describe when, where, how much, or how often). Thus, when you have οὐ µή (ou mē) in combination with the Aorist Subjunctive, what occurs is the absolute and unequivocal denial of the probability of an event EVER OCCURING at any moment or time in the future.” From “EMPHATIC NEGATIONS IN BIBLICAL GREEK” on the BLB Blog online.

¹⁷ Galatians 5:16 (NET)

¹⁸ John 3:16 (NET) Table

¹⁹ John 3:17 (NET) Table

²⁰ 2 Peter 3:9b (NET) Table

²¹ Matthew 28:18b (NET) Table

²² John 12:32b (NET)

²³ John 17:3 (NET)

Who Am I? Part 13

Posted on February 8, 2021 by admin

I returned to the same church I had left, believing they were right and I was wrong. I resurrected my god of punishment, more or less, and resolved to be a do-it-yourself-Christian with renewed vigor. I began to worship my own free will again, though I would have denied it if anyone had told me. I only recognize two things different from before my prodigal years.

First, I was done with sin. I would never have said that aloud. I’m not sure I ever thought it through. It certainly wasn’t true yet in any practical sense. But I had returned with real adult sins to my credit and I was sick and tired of it. I can trace that very clearly back to my prodigal years.

Second, I wanted to study the Bible. It wasn’t like before when there were times that I wanted to study the Bible because I was a studious person. Trying to study the Bible always cured me of my “studious person” desire. After my prodigal years I caught myself reading and studying the Bible when I didn’t particularly want to read or study the Bible. I trace that back to God’s answer to a prayer:

“If you’re really out there, I really want to know you.”

It wasn’t a prayer of great faith. “If you’re really out there,” doesn’t score very high on any faith-o-meter. It was little more than a flicker of “hope” that “God might still be there waiting for any who might perchance call upon Him.”^[1] And yet it was the prayer that was answered.

It was a prayer of my own free will in some sense. No one held a gun to my head to force me to walk to the kitchen and look out at the sky. No one beat or tortured me until I said the words. But when I consider the actual words I prayed I find it more difficult to believe that they were the result of my own free will.

My prayer was a conditional statement. It would be several years before I went back to school, took Logic 101 and understood that the only condition I placed upon God was his existence. There was no list of personal goals, plans, hopes, dreams, other conditions that God must meet to obtain my loyalty or, in this prayer, my desire (my will) to know Him.

Once I returned to the church and the people I grew up among many if not all of my conditions returned, but even that didn’t alter my new desire to read and study the Bible. Even when it wasn’t always exactly my desire, I caught myself doing it anyway. And I was several years from understanding that I had prayed for eternal life as Jesus’ defined it. Where did the words of this prayer come from?

I’m going to consider a passage from John’s first letter about knowing God. It’s not too hard to imagine that these words were somewhere in my memory from somewhere in my past. I’ll begin at his discussion of love and eternal life (1 John 3:14, 15 NET):

We know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love (ἀγαπῶμεν, a form of ἀγαπάω) our fellow Christians. The one who does not love^[2] (ἀγαπῶν, another form of ἀγαπάω) remains in death. Everyone who hates his fellow Christian is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.^[3]

As a do-it-yourself-Christian I assumed I should love other Christians (KJV: the brethren) in my own strength to prove that I was one, too. I understood that Everyone who hates his fellow Christian is a murderer, and you know that no murderer will go to heaven. John, however, was thinking here of ζωὴν αἰώνιον (eternal life) as something potentially residing (μένουσαν, a form of μένω) in one, rather than as a place one might go. This is much more like Jesus’ understanding of αἰώνιος ζωὴ (John 17:3 NET):

Now this is eternal life (αἰώνιος ζωὴ)—that they know (γινώσκωσιν, a form of γινώσκω) you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you sent.

The Greek word translated know in the phrase We know was not the same as γινώσκωσιν above. Rather, it was οἴδαμεν (a form of εἴδω), to know by seeing or experiencing. John was not describing a rule to obey in my own strength so much as a sign to recognize that I had crossed over from death to life.

The second definition of ἀγαπάω in the Koine Greek Lexicon online is “to accept the authority of (someone), display respect for (someone).” Though “believing” my fellow Christians “were right and I was wrong” would eventually become somewhat problematic, I probably should have recognized, or would have benefitted from recognizing, this insight as at least the beginning of the love of God stirring within me, an aspect of the fruit of the Holy Spirit residing in me.

I have argued alternatively that fellow Christians was too restrictive or not restrictive enough a translation of τοὺς ἀδελφούς (KJV: the brethren). Regardless, it doesn’t alter Jesus’ teaching (Matthew 5:43-45 NET):

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love (ἀγαπήσεις, another form of ἀγαπάω) your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love (ἀγαπᾶτε, another form of ἀγαπάω) your enemy and pray for those who persecute you [Table], so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous [Table].

As a rule to obey in my own strength, loving my enemies seems daunting if not even a little stupid. But to be like my Father in heaven, loving with the love that flows from his Spirit dwelling within me, is completely doable despite the how-to-do-that being a little tricky to learn. John was explicitly clear about the quality of this love (1 John 3:16 NET):

We have come to know love (ἀγάπην, a form of ἀγάπη) by this: that Jesus laid down his life for us; thus we ought to lay down^[4] our lives for our fellow Christians.

The Greek word translated We have come to know is ἐγνώκαμεν (another form of γινώσκω), like that they know (γινώσκωσιν, a form of γινώσκω) you, the only true God… So I have everything Jesus said and did in the Gospel narratives to define this love as well as the Holy Spirit’s verbal definition given through Paul (1 Corinthians 13:1-13 NET):

If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but I do not have love (ἀγάπην, a form of ἀγάπη), I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove^[5] mountains, but do not have love (ἀγάπην, a form of ἀγάπη), I am nothing. If I give away everything I own, and if I give over my body in order to boast, but do not have love (ἀγάπην, a form of ἀγάπη), I receive no benefit [Table].

Love (ἀγάπη) is patient, love (ἀγάπη) is kind, it is not envious. Love (ἀγάπη) does not brag, it is not puffed up. It is not rude, it is not self-serving, it is not easily angered or resentful. It is not glad about injustice, but rejoices in the truth. It bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

Love (ἀγάπη) never ends. But if there are prophecies, they will be set aside; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be set aside [Table]. For^[6] we know in part, and we prophesy in part, but when what is perfect comes,^[7] the partial will be set aside. When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. But when I became an adult, I set aside childish ways. For now we see in a mirror indirectly, but then we will see face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, just as I have been fully known. And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love (ἀγάπη). But the greatest of these is love (ἀγάπη).

John continued (1 John 3:17 NET):

But whoever has the world’s possessions and sees his fellow Christian in need and shuts off his compassion against him, how can the love (ἀγάπη) of God reside in such a person?

It was exceptionally childish of me as a do-it-yourself-Christian to think that I could love like God by turning Paul’s definition of love into rules I would obey in my own strength. John was fairly clear here, writing about the love of God that might reside (μένει, another form of μένω) in a person (much like eternal life). Here one does not manufacture the love but possibly shuts off (κλείσῃ, a form of κλείω) his compassion. I wonder if I should consider his (αὐτοῦ, a form of αὐτός) here as a reference to God.

John continued (1 John 3:18-20 NET):

Little children,^[8] let us not love (ἀγαπῶμεν, a form of ἀγαπάω) with word or with tongue but in deed and truth. And by this we will know^[9] that we are of the truth and will convince our conscience^[10] in his presence, that if our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience and knows all things.

As a child I had adapted my understanding of the meaning of my elders’ words to better accommodate what they actually did. As a do-it-yourself-Christian I understood word (λόγῳ, a form of λόγος) and tongue (γλώσσῃ, a form of γλῶσσα) as faith, and deed (ἔργῳ, a form of ἔργον) and truth (ἀληθείᾳ) as my own works. So, by our own works we will know (γνωσόμεθα, a form of γινώσκω) that we are of the truth (ἀληθείας, a form of ἀλήθεια) and will convince our conscience in his presence. The only sense I could make of the next verse then was that God would forgive us for not loving like God in our own strength.

The idea that we would actually love like God in his strength by his Holy Spirit eluded me, as did what I misconstrued as the goal of Christian faith and obedience—to get God to do what we want—since I failed so miserably to love like God in my own strength (1 John 3:21, 22 NET):

Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us,^[11] we have confidence in the presence of God, and whatever we ask we receive from^[12] him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing to him.

And the one who sent me is with me, Jesus said. He^[13] has not left me alone because I always do those things that please him.^[14] The Greek words translated those things that please here and the things that are pleasing above were τὰ ἀρεστὰ. This connection was troubling since Jesus seemed to credit his perfect obedience with the fact that the Father has not left me alone. But it became enlightening as well as I began to suspect that God had not left me alone even during my prodigal years when I had claimed to be an atheist. I searched for some reason to explain it since I was unpersuadable that I’m so much more adorable than Jesus.

John continued (1 John 3:23, 24 NET):

Now this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love (ἀγαπῶμεν, a form of ἀγαπάω) one another, just as he gave us the commandment. And the person who keeps his commandments resides in God, and God in him. Now by this we know (γινώσκομεν, another form of γινώσκω) that God resides in us: by the Spirit he has given us.

Over time it became harder and harder to believe that my faith and obedience caused me to reside in God and He in me. Slowly, I began to suspect that the Holy Spirit He had given me was God residing in me and the cause of my residing in Him. My faith and obedience, such as they were, were the result of his presence, and signs that it was so. For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen.^[15]

Tables comparing 1 John 3:14, 15; 3:16; 1 Corinthians 13:2; 13:9, 10; 1 John 3:18, 19; 3:21, 22 and John 8:29 in the NET and KJV follow.

1 John 3:14, 15 (NET)	1 John 3:14, 15 (KJV)
We know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love our fellow Christians. The one who does not love remains in death.	We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἡμεῖς οἴδαμεν ὅτι μεταβεβήκαμεν ἐκ τοῦ θανάτου εἰς τὴν ζωήν, ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τοὺς ἀδελφούς· ὁ μὴ ἀγαπῶν μένει ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ	ημεις οιδαμεν οτι μεταβεβηκαμεν εκ του θανατου εις την ζωην οτι αγαπωμεν τους αδελφους ο μη αγαπων τον αδελφον μενει εν τω θανατω	ημεις οιδαμεν οτι μεταβεβηκαμεν εκ του θανατου εις την ζωην οτι αγαπωμεν τους αδελφους ο μη αγαπων τον αδελφον μενει εν τω θανατω

Everyone who hates his fellow Christian is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life residing in him.

Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer: and ye know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
πᾶς ὁ μισῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ἀνθρωποκτόνος ἐστίν, καὶ οἴδατε ὅτι πᾶς ἀνθρωποκτόνος οὐκ ἔχει ζωὴν αἰώνιον ἐν αὐτῷ μένουσαν	πας ο μισων τον αδελφον αυτου ανθρωποκτονος εστιν και οιδατε οτι πας ανθρωποκτονος ουκ εχει ζωην αιωνιον εν αυτω μενουσαν	πας ο μισων τον αδελφον αυτου ανθρωποκτονος εστιν και οιδατε οτι πας ανθρωποκτονος ουκ εχει ζωην αιωνιον εν εαυτω μενουσαν

1 John 3:16 (NET)	1 John 3:16 (KJV)
We have come to know love by this: that Jesus laid down his life for us; thus we ought to lay down our lives for our fellow Christians.	Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἐν τούτῳ ἐγνώκαμεν τὴν ἀγάπην, ὅτι ἐκεῖνος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ ἔθηκεν· καὶ ἡμεῖς ὀφείλομεν ὑπὲρ τῶν ἀδελφῶν τὰς ψυχὰς θεῖναι	εν τουτω εγνωκαμεν την αγαπην οτι εκεινος υπερ ημων την ψυχην αυτου εθηκεν και ημεις οφειλομεν υπερ των αδελφων τας ψυχας τιθεναι	εν τουτω εγνωκαμεν την αγαπην οτι εκεινος υπερ ημων την ψυχην αυτου εθηκεν και ημεις οφειλομεν υπερ των αδελφων τας ψυχας τιθεναι

1 Corinthians 13:2 (NET)	1 Corinthians 13:2 (KJV)
And if I have prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith so that I can remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.	And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
\|καὶ ἐὰν\| ἔχω προφητείαν καὶ εἰδῶ τὰ μυστήρια πάντα καὶ πᾶσαν τὴν γνῶσιν \|καὶ ἐὰν\| ἔχω πᾶσαν τὴν πίστιν ὥστε ὄρη \|μεθιστάναι\|, ἀγάπην δὲ μὴ ἔχω, οὐθέν εἰμι.	και εαν εχω προφητειαν και ειδω τα μυστηρια παντα και πασαν την γνωσιν και εαν εχω πασαν την πιστιν ωστε ορη μεθιστανειν αγαπην δε μη εχω ουθεν ειμι	και εαν εχω προφητειαν και ειδω τα μυστηρια παντα και πασαν την γνωσιν και εαν εχω πασαν την πιστιν ωστε ορη μεθιστανειν αγαπην δε μη εχω ουθεν ειμι

1 Corinthians 13:9, 10 (NET)	1 Corinthians 13:9, 10 (KJV)
For we know in part, and we prophesy in part,	For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἐκ μέρους γὰρ γινώσκομεν καὶ ἐκ μέρους προφητεύομεν	εκ μερους γαρ γινωσκομεν και εκ μερους προφητευομεν	εκ μερους δε γινωσκομεν και εκ μερους προφητευομεν

but when what is perfect comes, the partial will be set aside.

But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὅταν δὲ ἔλθῃ τὸ τέλειον, τὸ ἐκ μέρους καταργηθήσεται	οταν δε ελθη το τελειον τοτε το εκ μερους καταργηθησεται	οταν δε ελθη το τελειον τοτε το εκ μερους καταργηθησεται

1 John 3:18, 19 (NET)	1 John 3:18, 19 (KJV)
Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth.	My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Τεκνία, μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ ἀλλὰ ἐν ἔργῳ καὶ ἀληθείᾳ	τεκνια μου μη αγαπωμεν λογω μηδε γλωσση αλλ εργω και αληθεια	τεκνια μου μη αγαπωμεν λογω μηδε τη γλωσση αλλ εν εργω και αληθεια

And by this we will know that we are of the truth and will convince our conscience in his presence,

And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
[Καὶ] ἐν τούτῳ γνωσόμεθα ὅτι ἐκ τῆς ἀληθείας ἐσμέν, καὶ ἔμπροσθεν αὐτοῦ πείσομεν τὴν καρδίαν ἡμῶν	και εν τουτω γινωσκομεν οτι εκ της αληθειας εσμεν και εμπροσθεν αυτου πεισομεν τας καρδιας ημων	και εν τουτω γινωσκομεν οτι εκ της αληθειας εσμεν και εμπροσθεν αυτου πεισομεν τας καρδιας ημων

1 John 3:21, 22 (NET)	1 John 3:21, 22 (KJV)
Dear friends, if our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God,	Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ἀγαπητοί, ἐὰν ἡ καρδία [ἡμῶν] μὴ καταγινώσκῃ, παρρησίαν ἔχομεν πρὸς τὸν θεόν	αγαπητοι εαν η καρδια ημων μη καταγινωσκη ημων παρρησιαν εχομεν προς τον θεον	αγαπητοι εαν η καρδια ημων μη καταγινωσκη ημων παρρησιαν εχομεν προς τον θεον

and whatever we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing to him.

And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ὃ ἐὰν αἰτῶμεν λαμβάνομεν ἀπ᾿ αὐτοῦ, ὅτι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ τηροῦμεν καὶ τὰ ἀρεστὰ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ ποιοῦμεν	και ο εαν αιτωμεν λαμβανομεν παρ αυτου οτι τας εντολας αυτου τηρουμεν και τα αρεστα ενωπιον αυτου ποιουμεν	και ο εαν αιτωμεν λαμβανομεν παρ αυτου οτι τας εντολας αυτου τηρουμεν και τα αρεστα ενωπιον αυτου ποιουμεν

John 8:29 (NET)	John 8:29 (KJV)
And the one who sent me is with me. He has not left me alone because I always do those things that please him.	And he that sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ὁ πέμψας με μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἐστιν· οὐκ ἀφῆκεν με μόνον, ὅτι ἐγὼ τὰ ἀρεστὰ αὐτῷ ποιῶ πάντοτε	και ο πεμψας με μετ εμου εστιν ουκ αφηκεν με μονον ο πατηρ οτι εγω τα αρεστα αυτω ποιω παντοτε	και ο πεμψας με μετ εμου εστιν ουκ αφηκεν με μονον ο πατηρ οτι εγω τα αρεστα αυτω ποιω παντοτε

Who Am I? Part 14

Back to Psalm 22, Part 7

Back to To Make Holy, Part 9

Back to Father, Son and Holy Spirit – Part 10

^[1] Who Am I?, Part 3^[2] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τον αδελφον (KJV: the brethren) following love (KJV: loveth). The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[3] The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had αὐτῷ here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had εαυτω.

^[4] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had θεῖναι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τιθεναι.

^[5] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had μεθιστάναι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μεθιστανειν (KJV: that I could remove).

^[6] The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had γὰρ here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had δε.

^[7] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τοτε (KJV: then) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[8] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had μου (KJV: My) following Little children. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[9] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had γνωσόμεθα here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had γινωσκομεν (KJV: we know).

^[10] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τὴν καρδίαν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τας καρδιας (KJV: our hearts).

^[11] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ημων here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[12] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀπ᾿ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had παρ (KJV: of).

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

^[14] John 8:29 (NET)

^[15] Romans 11:36 (NET)

Who Am I? Part 12

Posted on January 26, 2021 by admin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Matthew 26:36-39a (NET)	Mark 14:32-35 (NET)	Luke 22:39-41 (NET)	John 18:1 (NET)
			When he had said these things (John 13:31-17:26),
Then Jesus went with them	Then they went	Then Jesus went out and made his way, as he customarily did, to the Mount of Olives, and the^[8] disciples followed him.	Jesus went out with his disciples
			across the^[9] Kidron Valley. There was an orchard there,
to a place called Gethsemane,^[10]	to a place called Gethsemane,^[11]
		When he came to the place,
			and he and his disciples went into it.
and he said to the disciples,	and Jesus said to his disciples,	he said to them,
“Sit here while I go over there and pray.”	“Sit here while I pray.”
		“Pray that you will not fall into temptation.”
He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and he became anguished and distressed. Then he^[12] said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with me.”	He took Peter, James,^[13] and John^[14] with him,^[15] and became very troubled and distressed. He said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Remain here and stay alert.”
Going a little farther, he threw himself down with his face to the ground and prayed,	Going a little farther, he threw^[16] himself to the ground and prayed	He went away from them about a stone’s throw, knelt down, and prayed,
	that if it were possible the hour would pass from him.

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

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

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

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

Matthew 26:39b (NET)	Mark 14:36 (NET)	Luke 22:42 (NET)
	He said,
“My Father, if possible,	“Abba, Father, all things are possible for you.
		“Father, if you are willing,
let this cup pass from me! Yet not what I will, but what you will.”	Take this cup away from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.”	take this cup away^[22] from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.”

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

Matthew 26:39c (NET)	Mark 14:36c (NET)
Yet not what I will, but what you will.	Yet not what I will, but what you will.
Matthew 26:39c (NET Parallel Greek)	Mark 14:36c (NET Parallel Greek)
πλὴν οὐχ ὡς ἐγὼ θέλω ἀλλ᾿ ὡς σύ	ἀλλ᾿ οὐ τί ἐγὼ θέλω ἀλλὰ τί σύ

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

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

Matthew 26:40, 41 (NET)	Mark 14:37, 38 (NET)
Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He said to Peter,	Then he came and found them sleeping, and said to Peter,
	“Simon, are you sleeping?
“So, couldn’t you stay awake with me for one hour? Stay awake and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”	Couldn’t you stay awake for one hour? Stay awake and pray that you will not fall^[23] into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

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

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

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

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

Matthew 26:42 (NET)	Mark 14:39 (NET)	Luke 22:43 ,44 (NET)
He went away a second time and prayed,	He went away again and prayed the same thing.
		Then an angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And in his anguish he prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.
“My Father, if this cup^[27] cannot be taken away^[28] unless I drink it, your will must be done.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The scene of Jesus’ anguish in prayer continued:

Matthew 26:43-46 (NET)	Mark 14:40-42 (NET)	Luke 22:45, 46 (NET)
		When he got up from prayer,
He came again and found^[33] them sleeping;	When he came^[34] again he found them sleeping;	he came to the disciples and found them sleeping,
		exhausted from grief.
they could not keep their eyes open.	they could not keep their eyes open.^[35]
.	And they did not know what to tell him.
		So he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you will not fall into temptation!”
So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same thing once more.^[36]
Then he came to the^[37] disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?	He came a third time and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?
	Enough of that!
Look, the hour is approaching, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us go. Look! My betrayer is approaching!”	The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us go. Look! My betrayer is approaching!”

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

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

Willpower

The Indwelling Spirit of God

If you can force your heart and nerve and sinew

To serve your turn long after they are gone,

And so hold on when there is nothing in you

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

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

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

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

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

Matthew 26:45b, 46 (NET)	Mark 14:41b, 42 (NET)
Look, the hour is approaching, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners…My betrayer is approaching!”	The hour has come. Look, the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners…My betrayer is approaching!”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Isaiah 55:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 55:10 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὡς γὰρ ἐὰν καταβῇ ὑετὸς ἢ χιὼν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποστραφῇ ἕως ἂν μεθύσῃ τὴν γῆν καὶ ἐκτέκῃ καὶ ἐκβλαστήσῃ καὶ δῷ σπέρμα τῷ σπείροντι καὶ ἄρτον εἰς βρῶσιν	ὡς γὰρ ἂν καταβῇ ὁ ὑετὸς ἢ χιὼν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ οὐ μὴ ἀποστραφῇ, ἕως ἂν μεθύσῃ τὴν γῆν, καὶ ἐκτέκῃ καὶ ἐκβλαστήσῃ καὶ δῷ σπέρμα τῷ σπείραντι καὶ ἄρτον εἰς βρῶσιν
Isaiah 55:10 (NETS)	Isaiah 55:10 (English Elpenor)
For as rain or snow comes down from heaven and will not return until it has soaked the earth and brought forth and blossomed and given seed to the sower and bread for food,	For as rain shall come down, or snow, from heaven, and shall not return until it have saturated the earth, and it bring forth, and bud, and give seed to the sower, and bread for food:

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

Isaiah 55:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Isaiah 55:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὕτως ἔσται τὸ ῥῆμά μου ὃ ἐὰν ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου οὐ μὴ ἀποστραφῇ ἕως ἂν συντελεσθῇ ὅσα ἠθέλησα καὶ εὐοδώσω τὰς ὁδούς σου καὶ τὰ ἐντάλματά μου	οὕτως ἔσται τὸ ῥῆμά μου, ὃ ἐὰν ἐξέλθῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόματός μου, οὐ μὴ ἀποστραφῇ, ἕως ἂν τελεσθῇ ὅσα ἂν ἠθέλησα καὶ εὐοδώσω τὰς ὁδούς μου καὶ τὰ ἐντάλματά μου
Isaiah 55:11 (NETS)	Isaiah 55:11 (English Elpenor)
so shall my word be, whatever goes out from my mouth; it shall not return until whatever I have willed is fulfilled, and I will prosper your ways and my commandments.	so shall my word be, whatever shall proceed out of my mouth, it shall by no means turn back, until all the things which I willed shall have been accomplished; and I will make thy ways prosperous, and [will effect] my commands.

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

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

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

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
τότε λέγει αὐτοῖς· περίλυπος ἐστιν ἡ ψυχή μου ἕως θανάτου· μείνατε ὧδε καὶ γρηγορεῖτε μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ	τοτε λεγει αυτοις περιλυπος εστιν η ψυχη μου εως θανατου μεινατε ωδε και γρηγορειτε μετ εμου	τοτε λεγει αυτοις ο ιησους περιλυπος εστιν η ψυχη μου εως θανατου μεινατε ωδε και γρηγορειτε μετ εμου

Going a little farther, he threw himself down with his face to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if possible, let this cup pass from me! Yet not what I will, but what you will.”

And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.

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

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

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ ἔρχονται εἰς χωρίον οὗ τὸ ὄνομα Γεθσημανὶ καὶ λέγει τοῖς μαθηταῖς αὐτοῦ· καθίσατε ὧδε ἕως προσεύξωμαι	και ερχονται εις χωριον ου το ονομα γεθσημανη και λεγει τοις μαθηταις αυτου καθισατε ωδε εως προσευξωμαι	και ερχονται εις χωριον ου το ονομα γεθσημανη και λεγει τοις μαθηταις αυτου καθισατε ωδε εως προσευξωμαι

He took Peter, James, and John with him, and became very troubled and distressed.

And he taketh with him Peter and James and John, and began to be sore amazed, and to be very heavy;

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἐλθὼν πάλιν εὗρεν αὐτοὺς καθεύδοντας, ἦσαν γὰρ αὐτῶν οἱ ὀφθαλμοὶ βεβαρημένοι	και ελθων ευρισκει αυτους παλιν καθευδοντας ησαν γαρ αυτων οι οφθαλμοι βεβαρημενοι	και ελθων ευρισκει αυτους παλιν καθευδοντας ησαν γαρ αυτων οι οφθαλμοι βεβαρημενοι

So leaving them again, he went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same thing once more.

And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἀφεὶς αὐτοὺς πάλιν ἀπελθὼν προσηύξατο ἐκ τρίτου τὸν αὐτὸν λόγον εἰπὼν πάλιν	και αφεις αυτους απελθων παλιν προσηυξατο εκ τριτου τον αυτον λογον ειπων	και αφεις αυτους απελθων παλιν προσηυξατο εκ τριτου τον αυτον λογον ειπων

Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Look, the hour is approaching, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.

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

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

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

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

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