Exploration, Part 9

Posted on March 11, 2025 by admin

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Exploration, Part 10

Back to 3 John

¹ Galatians 5:1a (EXP1) Table

² John 14:16, 17a (ESV) Table

³ John 14:26 (ESV) Table

⁴ John 14:18 (ESV)

⁵ John 14:23b (ESV) Table

⁶ Galatians 5:1b (EXP1) Table

⁷ John 4:14b (ESV) Table

⁸ 1 Corinthians 6:17 (ESV)

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

¹⁰ Philippians 2:12b, 13 (ESV)

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

¹² Galatians 5:22a (ESV)

¹³ Romans 13:10b (ESV)

¹⁴ Ephesians 4:24b (ESV)

¹⁵ 1 Corinthians 6:17 (ESV)

¹⁶ Galatians 2:20 (NET)

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

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

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

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

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

²² Ibid.

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

²⁴ Romans 9:31b, 32a (ESV)

²⁵ Matthew 6:5 (ESV) Table

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

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

²⁸ Matthew 6:5a (ESV) Table

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

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

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

³² Matthew 6:5b (ESV) Table

³³ Matthew 6:6b (ESV) Table

³⁴ 1 Corinthians 6:17b (ESV)

³⁵ Galatians 2:20, 21 (ESV)

³⁶ John 3:21 (ESV)

³⁷ Romans 7:6 (ESV)

³⁸ John 1:13b (ESV)

³⁹ Galatians 5:22, 23 (ESV)

⁴⁰ Sirach 4:9, 10 (English Elpenor)

⁴¹ Luke 6:35 (ESV) Table

⁴² John 17:22b, 23 (ESV)

⁴³ Galatians 5:1 (EXP1) Table

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

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

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

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

⁴⁸ Galatians 5:1 (EXP1) Table

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

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

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

⁵² Ephesians 4:24 (ESV)

Exploration, Part 8

Posted on February 21, 2025 by admin

Describing the results of the freedom for which Christ has set us free,¹ Paul contrasted the works of the flesh² (τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκός) of your former way of life to the new life in Christ: the fruit of the Spirit³ (ὁ καρπὸς τοῦ πνεύματος), e.g., the Spirit’s “fruit, result, outcome, product, offspring; produce, crop, harvest; advantage, gain, profit” (Galatians 5:22, 23 ESV):

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

In the aftermath of the night I didn’t kill my wife, I turned Paul’s description of God’s love into a script that I attempted to act out. That “script” became the defining rules of conduct for my new character, the part I would play from then on forever. I didn’t recognize this as hypocrisy because I was sincerely trying to do better, and I didn’t believe the fruit of the Spirit was the Spirit’s fruit.

Though I hadn’t thought about it quite as formally as I had about Paul’s description of God’s love, I believed instinctively almost that the fruit of the Spirit was more rules for me to obey:

Thou shalt exhibit the fruit of the Spirit: Thou shalt love (See 1 Corinthians 13 for specific details). Thou shalt exhibit joy. Thou shalt live in peace. Thou shalt demonstrate patience. Thou shalt show kindness. Thou shalt demonstrate goodness. Thou shalt exhibit faithfulness. Thou shalt show gentleness. Thou shalt exhibit self-control. Against such things there is no law (e.g., such things are the law).

[Hypocrisy] “embodies a purposeful intent, which stems from a deep-seated core of evil” [e.g., the old man], the conclusion of the entry “Hypocrite” on bibleone.net online reads. The corruption of the old man’s deceitful desires includes the desire to have a righteousness of my own that comes from the law⁴ as well as the feeling that I am actively engaged in the pursuit of righteousness when I do so, despite the actual situation being that I was severed from Christ⁵ and had turned away from the kingdom of God and his righteousness⁶ (τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ; e.g., not “my own righteousness”).

There was an additional criteria to meet, however, in the conclusion of “Hypocrite” on bibleone.net online:

More than this, it suggests a determined effort to enforce a standard of conduct upon others, which conduct the enforcer knowingly and deliberately refuses to apply to himself–hence, action born of full knowledge and evil intent…It is the condition of a person who is controlled by the sin nature to the end-desire of having power over other human beings by imposing on them a set of rules, which he himself intentionally disregards.

I failed to meet that criteria (which, by the way, I don’t regard as necessary to Jesus’ intent). But it is curious. As legalistic as I was with myself, I don’t recall preaching Paul to my wife. Perhaps it is selective memory, but if I had harped on the married woman is bound by law to her husband while he is living,⁷ I think I would remember. My mother was bound by law (δέδεται νόμῳ) to a husband for whom she no longer felt any affection or respect, and with whom she no longer lived—my father. She was miserable. He was miserable. We all suffered to various degrees. I suppose, I didn’t actually want a wife who was bound by law to me.

It’s a shame I didn’t apply that learning to my relationship to God sooner (Matthew 7:12; John 14:15 NASB).

“Therefore, however you want people to treat you, so treat them, for this is the Law and the Prophets [Table].
“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

It is possible that I followed the golden rule with my wife to some extent. It didn’t occur to me to follow it with the Lord. And I didn’t hear If you love Me, you will keep My commandments as Jesus’ promise. I heard another rule: how to love Jesus.

I didn’t yet study the New Testament in Greek. Though I had begun to use a concordance to track the word usage of select Greek and Hebrew words through the Bible, I didn’t bother to learn that you will keep was τηρήσετε, a form of the verb τηρέω in the future tense and indicative mood. I didn’t yet understand that the “indicative mood is a statement of fact or an actual occurrence from the writer’s or speaker’s perspective.”⁸ I hadn’t taken a college course in formal logic yet: I didn’t understand that my attempt to keep his commandments as rules I obeyed wouldn’t necessarily prove my love for Him, but was a logical fallacy called “affirming the consequent.”

John wrote (1 John 4:19-21 NASB):

We love,⁹ because He first loved us. If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for the one who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot¹⁰ love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from Him, that the one who loves God should love his brother also.

I didn’t know yet that the Greek word translated should love was ἀγαπᾷ, a form of ἀγαπάω in the indicative mood, another statement of fact. The commandment (τὴν ἐντολὴν) we have from him is apparently of the—And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light¹¹—variety. But I thought John meant that since Jesus died for my sins, I should have an emotional response that resulted in love for God and others. Or, even if I lacked that emotional response or it was too weak or inconsistent to produce that result, love was the law.

Even as I attempted to love like God by obeying rules, I continued to read the Bible in English translation. I began to wonder if, perhaps, God’s love—with which He first loved us (αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς)—was not all finished at the cross of Christ (John 14:15-26 NASB).

“If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

“And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not behold (θεωρεῖ, a form of θεωρέω) Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides with you, and will be in you [Table]. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. “After a little while the world will behold (θεωρεῖ, a form of θεωρέω) Me no more; but you will behold (θεωρεῖτε, another from of θεωρέω) Me; because I live, you shall live¹² also. “In that day you shall know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I¹³ in you. “He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me; and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him, and will disclose Myself to him.” Judas (not Iscariot) said to Him, “Lord, what then has happened that You are going to disclose Yourself to us, and not to the world?” Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him, and make Our abode with him [Table]. “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine, but the Father’s who sent Me.

“These things I have spoken to you, while abiding with you. “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you [Table].

Jesus didn’t seem to think that God’s love was finished at the cross, but would continue—not from some distant heavenly abode—but from within us. I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you, Jesus promised after promising that his Father will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever…the Spirit of truth.¹⁴ And speaking of his Father’s love for the one who loves Jesus (he will keep [τηρήσει, a form of τηρέω in the future tense and indicative mood] My word), He said, We will come to him, and make Our abode with him.¹⁵

Paul wrote (1 Corinthians 6:19, 20 NASB):

Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body [Table].

The words your and you are plural. While I wouldn’t suggest that the collective body is excluded somehow, these words were penned in response to the potential and prescribed actions of an individual (1 Corinthians 6:16-18 NASB):

Or do you not know that the one who joins himself (ὁ κολλώμενος) to a harlot is one body with her? For He says, “THE TWO WILL BECOME ONE FLESH.” But the one who joins himself (ὁ δὲ κολλώμενος) to the Lord is one spirit with Him. Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body.

Truths began to align in perspicuous form:

We love, because He first loved us.¹⁶
If you love [Jesus], you will keep [his] commandments.¹⁷
If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word.¹⁸

Even without a college course in formal logic, statements 2 and 3 sounded like conditional promises to me. Would Jesus make even a conditional promise predicated on my weak and wavering emotions of love and gratitude?

One advantage of treating Paul’s description of God’s love as rules to obey was that it kept the depth and detail of his description of love ever before me. It seemed like an awful lot to ask of the human emotions of affection and gratitude. Another advantage was that even my laws derived from Paul’s description of God’s love functioned like the law [that] was [my] “servant whose office it was to take” me “to school,” the school of hard knocks.¹⁹ My act, based on my rules derived from Paul’s description of God’s love, wasn’t working out all that well. Though doing “incrementally better” seemed positive relative to my former actions, “incrementally better” was a very long way from the righteousness described by “my new law.”

Why didn’t I just give up? Well, I did from time to time. That didn’t seem to matter all that much. Despite my best efforts to do otherwise, I was working out my own salvation with fear and trembling, for it [was] God who [worked] in [me], both to will and to work for his good pleasure.²⁰ And it is God who continues to work in me, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. I wasn’t entirely oblivious to his working. It just seemed so on again, off again.

I wanted his working to be on again more often than off again, but I wasn’t yet recognizing that on-again-off-again phenomena as evidence of the conflict of the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth²¹ and the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit.²² I thought it had more to do with the mercurial nature of god (e.g., the false god of my imagination). But He was working on that, too.

He made sure that I would be renewed in the spirit of [my] mind,²³ providing both a hunger for, and a growing satisfaction with, his Word—the Lord Jesus Christ—through the written words of the Bible. I began to suspect that the love with which He first loved us²⁴ meant something more than my emotional response to the Lord’s death on my behalf. But the fruit of the Spirit is love²⁵ and walk by the Spirit²⁶ seemed like tantalizing clues to that “something more.”

My wife had moved out. My friend John had moved in to help with expenses. I was back at the church where I had become an atheist, believing that they “were right and I was wrong.” John attended a different church. We studied the Bible individually and together.

We thought and spoke to one another in theological jargon. We knew that salvation was divided into three parts: justification, sanctification and glorification. We knew that justification and glorification were works of God in Christ, received through faith. We also “knew” that sanctification was by our own works (James 2:19-24 NASB):

You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless?²⁷ Was not Abraham our father justified (ἐδικαιώθη, a form of δικαιόω) by works, when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; and the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “AND ABRAHAM BELIEVED GOD, AND IT WAS RECKONED TO HIM AS RIGHTEOUSNESS,”²⁸ and he was called the friend of God. You see that a man is justified (δικαιοῦται, another form of δικαιόω) by works, and not by faith alone [Table].

Granted, there is no mention of sanctification here, yet the principle of adding my works to faith in Jesus Christ seemed thoroughly established. And the idea that sanctification was the place where my works came into play in my salvation seemed to accord well with the teaching of two different non-Lutheran, non-Catholic churches—John’s and mine. About this time, though John remained faithful to the KJV, I switched from studying the NASB to the NIV out of deference to a mentor who was discipling me (James 2:19-24 NIV):

You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that—and shudder.

You foolish person, do you want evidence that faith without deeds is useless? Was not our father Abraham considered righteous for what he did when he offered his son Isaac on the altar? You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did. And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness,” and he was called God’s friend. You see that a person is considered righteous by what they do and not by faith alone [Table].

Translating both ἐδικαιώθη and δικαιοῦται considered righteous sealed the deal for me. Who would be considered righteous but the one who did righteousness? And sanctification was the only part of salvation left to add my works of righteousness to faith. So, sanctification was by my works. Jesus seemed totally on board with that (Luke 18:18-24 NIV).

A certain ruler asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?”

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “No one is good—except God alone. You know the commandments: ‘You shall not commit adultery, you shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”²⁹

“All these I have kept³⁰ since I was a boy,”³¹ he said.

When Jesus heard this,³² he said to him, “You still lack one thing. Sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven.³³ Then come, follow me.”

When he heard this, he became³⁴ very sad, because he was very wealthy. Jesus looked at him³⁵ and said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter³⁶ the kingdom of God!

This exchange was a treasure trove when I searched the Bible for rules to obey. Even if I allowed that come, follow me was an allusion to faith, the ratio of my works added to my faith seemed roughly equivalent to Peter’s admonition to make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.³⁷ Even my Dad quoted: “pray as if everything depends on God, and work as if everything depends on you.”³⁸

The only fly in the ointment was Paul (Galatians 5:4 NIV):

You who are trying to be justified (δικαιοῦσθε, another form of δικαιόω; “considered righteous”?) by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace [Table].

Only Paul seemed uncompromising on this point. Jesus was uncompromising in what seemed like the opposite direction (Matthew 5:48 NIV):

Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect [Table].

How could both statements be true? I might have given up right then and there, except that I had moments—all too brief moments—when love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control flowed into me as if from an external source. And that love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control seemed to dominate (cause?) my actions. It was on-again-off-again, more off-again than on-again at that time. But it made me wonder if the fruit of the Spirit might, perhaps, just possibly, maybe, have more to do with God than with me (but that would be cheating, wouldn’t it?).

I still thought the on-again-off-again nature of my experience of the fruit of the Spirit was due to the mercurial nature of god (e.g., the false god of my imagination), but this time I recognized that it might be in response to me. I even began to use the words—the old man and the new man—to rationalize that phenomena, though I still recognized them only as a kind of shorthand for my works before Christ and what my works should be after Christ. The almighty I decided which works were manifest. They were still my works accomplished by my will according to my obedience.

I had not yet quit my factory job to study to prepare for writing the “Tripartite Rationality Index.” I had not yet come to terms with my unexamined faith “that faith was opposed to reason as reason was opposed to faith.”³⁹ And I had not even begun to recognize my antipathy to faith.

Yet after that amazing time [e.g., studying to write the “Tripartite Rationality Index”] I was still disgruntled. Writing this has forced me to ask myself why. The answer that comes to me is that I was not actually as open-minded as I like to remember the story. I was trying to find a rational alternative to faith (i.e., that arrived at the same conclusions but required no faith). My best effort was indistinguishable from faith. In other words, I had failed. So as the Lord and I did our postmortem on those years, I said the time was better than I had expected (recalling my parents and hitting a baseball), but that I was still inclined to wish for never having been born.⁴⁰

It would be many years before I learned that, according to the Koine Greek Lexicon online, the verb of being ἔσεσθε, translated be in the phrase Be perfect, was a form of εἰμί in the future tense and indicative mood: “The indicative mood is a statement of fact or an actual occurrence from the writer’s or speaker’s perspective.” In other words, Jesus promised: “You will be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect [Table].”

The confusion that resulted from my experience—that I did “incrementally better” as an actor attempting to love like God by obeying rules of love as the “choices” made by my new character—is no longer an issue. Of course, an actor attempting to imitate God does “incrementally better” than one slavishly obeying the dictates of the old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires.⁴¹ Some actors are better than others. But a righteousness of one’s own achieved by obeying rules as an actor plays a part is not the righteousness of God…revealed [in the gospel⁴²] from faith for faith;⁴³ it is certainly not the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness [that causes one to] reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.⁴⁴ Though hypocrisy is not the unforgivable sin, it is an attempt to be justified by law and a falling away from grace.⁴⁵

But God’s love wasn’t finished at the cross. Jesus continued to draw us to Himself. His Holy Spirit energized John and me to study Paul’s writings in enough detail to begin to perceive the difference between God’s gift of righteousness and our own achievements of righteousness by our own efforts.

According to a note (14) in the NET, Paul quoted from Genesis 2:24 in 1 Corinthians 6:16. A table comparing the Greek of that quotation with that of the Septuagint follows.

1 Corinthians 6:16b (NET Parallel Greek)	Genesis 2:24b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Genesis 2:24b (Septuagint Elpenor)
Ἔσονται…οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν	ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν	ἔσονται οἱ δύο εἰς σάρκα μίαν
1 Corinthians 6:16b (NET)	Genesis 2:24b (NETS)	Genesis 2:24b (English Elpenor)
The two will become one flesh	the two will become one flesh	they two shall be one flesh

Tables comparing 1 John 4:19, 20; John 14:19, 20; James 2:20 and Luke 18:20-24 in the KJV and NET follow.

1 John 4:19, 20 (NET)	1 John 4:19, 20 (KJV)
We love because he loved us first.	We love him, because he first loved us.

1 John 4:19 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 John 4:19 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 John 4:19 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν, ὅτι αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς	ημεις αγαπωμεν αυτον οτι αυτος πρωτος ηγαπησεν ημας	ημεις αγαπωμεν αυτον οτι αυτος πρωτος ηγαπησεν ημας

If anyone says “I love God” and yet hates his fellow Christian, he is a liar because the one who does not love his fellow Christian whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.

If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

1 John 4:20 (NET Parallel Greek)	1 John 4:20 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	1 John 4:20 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐάν τις εἴπῃ ὅτι ἀγαπῶ τὸν θεὸν καὶ τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ μισῇ, ψεύστης ἐστίν· ὁ γὰρ μὴ ἀγαπῶν τὸν ἀδελφὸν αὐτοῦ ὃν ἑώρακεν, τὸν θεὸν ὃν οὐχ ἑώρακεν οὐ δύναται ἀγαπᾶν	εαν τις ειπη οτι αγαπω τον θεον και τον αδελφον αυτου μιση ψευστης εστιν ο γαρ μη αγαπων τον αδελφον αυτου ον εωρακεν τον θεον ον ουχ εωρακεν πως δυναται αγαπαν	εαν τις ειπη οτι αγαπω τον θεον και τον αδελφον αυτου μιση ψευστης εστιν ο γαρ μη αγαπων τον αδελφον αυτου ον εωρακεν τον θεον ον ουχ εωρακεν πως δυναται αγαπαν

John 14:19, 20 (NET)	John 14:19, 20 (KJV)
In a little while the world will not see me any longer, but you will see me; because I live, you will live too.	Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

John 14:19 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 14:19 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 14:19 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἔτι μικρὸν καὶ ὁ κόσμος με οὐκέτι θεωρεῖ, ὑμεῖς δὲ θεωρεῖτε με, ὅτι ἐγὼ ζῶ καὶ ὑμεῖς ζήσετε	ετι μικρον και ο κοσμος με ουκ ετι θεωρει υμεις δε θεωρειτε με οτι εγω ζω και υμεις ζησεσθε	ετι μικρον και ο κοσμος με ουκετι θεωρει υμεις δε θεωρειτε με οτι εγω ζω και υμεις ζησεσθε

You will know at that time that I am in my Father and you are in me and I am in you.

At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you.

John 14:20 (NET Parallel Greek)	John 14:20 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	John 14:20 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ γνώσεσθε \|ὑμεῖς\| ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρί μου καὶ ὑμεῖς ἐν ἐμοὶ καγὼ ἐν ὑμῖν	εν εκεινη τη ημερα γνωσεσθε υμεις οτι εγω εν τω πατρι μου και υμεις εν εμοι καγω εν υμιν	εν εκεινη τη ημερα γνωσεσθε υμεις οτι εγω εν τω πατρι μου και υμεις εν εμοι και εγω εν υμιν

James 2:20 (NET)	James 2:20 (KJV)
But would you like evidence, you empty fellow, that faith without works is useless?	But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

James 2:20 (NET Parallel Greek)	James 2:20 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	James 2:20 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Θέλεις δὲ γνῶναι, ὦ ἄνθρωπε κενέ, ὅτι ἡ πίστις χωρὶς τῶν ἔργων ἀργή ἐστιν	θελεις δε γνωναι ω ανθρωπε κενε οτι η πιστις χωρις των εργων νεκρα εστιν	θελεις δε γνωναι ω ανθρωπε κενε οτι η πιστις χωρις των εργων νεκρα εστιν

Luke 18:20-24 (NET)	Luke 18:20-24 (KJV)
You know the commandments: ‘Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother.’”	Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honour thy father and thy mother.

Luke 18:20 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 18:20 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 18:20 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τὰς ἐντολὰς οἶδας· μὴ μοιχεύσῃς, μὴ φονεύσῃς, μὴ κλέψῃς, μὴ ψευδομαρτυρήσῃς, τίμα τὸν πατέρα σου καὶ τὴν μητέρα	τας εντολας οιδας μη μοιχευσης μη φονευσης μη κλεψης μη ψευδομαρτυρησης τιμα τον πατερα σου και την μητερα σου	τας εντολας οιδας μη μοιχευσης μη φονευσης μη κλεψης μη ψευδομαρτυρησης τιμα τον πατερα σου και την μητερα σου

The man replied, “I have wholeheartedly obeyed all these laws since my youth.”

And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up.

Luke 18:21 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 18:21 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 18:21 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὁ δὲ εἶπεν· ταῦτα πάντα ἐφύλαξα ἐκ νεότητος	ο δε ειπεν ταυτα παντα εφυλαξαμην εκ νεοτητος μου	ο δε ειπεν ταυτα παντα εφυλαξαμην εκ νεοτητος μου

When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me.

Luke 18:22 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 18:22 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 18:22 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· ἔτι ἕν σοι λείπει· πάντα ὅσα ἔχεις πώλησον καὶ διάδος πτωχοῖς, καὶ ἕξεις θησαυρὸν ἐν [τοῖς] οὐρανοῖς, καὶ δεῦρο ἀκολούθει μοι	ακουσας δε ταυτα ο ιησους ειπεν αυτω ετι εν σοι λειπει παντα οσα εχεις πωλησον και διαδος πτωχοις και εξεις θησαυρον εν ουρανω και δευρο ακολουθει μοι	ακουσας δε ταυτα ο ιησους ειπεν αυτω ετι εν σοι λειπει παντα οσα εχεις πωλησον και διαδος πτωχοις και εξεις θησαυρον εν ουρανω και δευρο ακολουθει μοι

But when the man heard this, he became very sad, for he was extremely wealthy.

And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich.

Luke 18:23 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 18:23 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 18:23 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὁ δὲ ἀκούσας ταῦτα περίλυπος ἐγενήθη· ἦν γὰρ πλούσιος σφόδρα	ο δε ακουσας ταυτα περιλυπος εγενετο ην γαρ πλουσιος σφοδρα	ο δε ακουσας ταυτα περιλυπος εγενετο ην γαρ πλουσιος σφοδρα

When Jesus noticed this, he said, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!

And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!

Luke 18:24 (NET Parallel Greek)	Luke 18:24 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Luke 18:24 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἰδὼν δὲ αὐτὸν \|ὁ\| Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν· πῶς δυσκόλως οἱ τὰ χρήματα ἔχοντες εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν τοῦ θεοῦ εἰσπορεύονται	ιδων δε αυτον ο ιησους περιλυπον γενομενον ειπεν πως δυσκολως οι τα χρηματα εχοντες εισελευσονται εις την βασιλειαν του θεου	ιδων δε αυτον ο ιησους περιλυπον γενομενον ειπεν πως δυσκολως οι τα χρηματα εχοντες εισελευσονται εις την βασιλειαν του θεου

Exploration, Part 9

¹ Galatians 5:1a (ESV) Table

² Galatians 5:19 (ESV) Table

³ Galatians 5:22 (ESV)

⁴ Philippians 3:9b (ESV)

⁵ Galatians 5:4a (ESV) Table

⁶ Matthew 6:33b (ESV) Table

⁷ Romans 7:2 (NASB)

⁸ From Verbal Moods: Indicative Mood, Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions) on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

⁹ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αυτον (KJV: him) following love. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁰ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the negative particle οὐ preceding δύναται, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the interrogative adverb πως (KJV: how can).

¹¹ Genesis 1:3 (ESV) Table

¹² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ζήσετε here, a form of the verb ζάω in the active voice, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ζησεσθε in the middle voice.

¹³ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had καγὼ here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had και εγω.

¹⁴ John 14:16b, 17a (NASB) Table

¹⁵ John 14:23b (NASB) Table

¹⁶ 1 John 4:19 (NASB)

¹⁷ John 14:15 (NASB)

¹⁸ John 14:23b (NASB) Table

¹⁹ Exploration, Part 7

²⁰ Philippians 2:12b, 13 (ESV) Table

²¹ Ephesians 4:24b (NASB)

²² Ephesians 4:22b (NASB)

²³ Ephesians 4:23b (NASB)

²⁴ 1 John 4:19 (NASB)

²⁵ Galatians 5:22a (NASB)

²⁶ Galatians 5:16a (NASB)

²⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀργή here, a form of ἀργός, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had νεκρα (KJV: dead), a form of νεκρός.

²⁸ See Romans, Part 18 for a table comparing the Greek of James’ quotation with that of the Septuagint.

²⁹ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the pronoun σου (KJV: thy) following mother. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

³⁰ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐφύλαξα here, a 1^st person singular form of φυλάσσω in the active voice, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εφυλαξαμην (KJV: have I kept) in the middle voice.

³¹ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the pronoun μου following the noun νεοτητος (KJV: my youth). The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

³² The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the pronoun ταυτα (KJV: these things) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

³³ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the plural [τοῖς] οὐρανοῖς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the singular ουρανω.

³⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐγενήθη here, in the passive voice, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εγενετο (KJV: he was) in the middle voice.

³⁵ The Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA²⁸ had περίλυπον γενόμενον (KJV: [that he] was very sorrowful) here. The NET parallel Greek text did not.

³⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εἰσπορεύονται here, a form of εἰσπορεύομαι in the present tense and middle/passive voice, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εισελευσονται (KJV: shall they…enter), a form of εἰσέρχομαι in the future tense and middle voice.

³⁷ 2 Peter 1:5b-7 (NIV)

³⁸ From “Work as if Everything Depends on God” by Jim Manney on IgnatianSpirituality.com online.

³⁹ David’s Forgiveness, Part 2

⁴⁰ You Must Be Gentle, Part 3

⁴¹ Ephesians 4:22b (ESV) I consider as a case in point the differences between Boyd “Bible” Swan (Shia LaBeouf) in the movie Fury and any other character Shia LaBeouf has played. “LeBoeuf would say, ‘So the day after I got the job [in Fury], I joined the US National Guard. I was baptised – accepted Christ in my heart – tattooed my surrender and became a chaplain’s assistant to Captain Yates for the 41st Infantry. I spent a month living on a forward operating base.’” From “The Extreme Way Shia LeBeouf Prepared for ‘Fury’,” on TheThings online.

⁴² Romans 1:17a (NET)

⁴³ Romans 1:17a (ESV)

⁴⁴ Romans 5:17b (ESV)

⁴⁵ Galatians 5:4 Table

Exploration, Part 2

Posted on November 13, 2024 by admin

Paul continued to address the more intimate and pervasive issues of how one believes and how one obeys (Galatians 5:5, 6 ESV).

For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.

This was placed in direct contrast to you who would be justified by the law (Galatians 5:4 ESV).

You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace [Table].

The Greek of Galatians 5:5 was: ἡμεῖς γὰρ, “For we,” πνεύματι, through the Spirit. This word string begins with we, ἡμεῖς, and for was not a translator’s choice to help describe πνεύματι, a form of πνεῦμα in the dative case, but the conjunction and logical connector γὰρ. This is a different situation from the translation For freedom in verse 1.

Next came ἐκ πίστεως, by faith: “For we through the Spirit, by faith.” Paul used both πνεύματι and πίστεως elsewhere in this same letter (Galatians 3:1-7 ESV):

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified [Table]. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit (τὸ πνεῦμα) by works of the law or by hearing with faith (πίστεως)? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit (πνεύματι), are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed¹ it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit (τὸ πνεῦμα) to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith (πίστεως)—just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?

Know then that it is those of faith (ἐκ πίστεως) who are the sons of Abraham.

The next words in this word string were ἐλπίδα δικαιοσύνης, the hope of righteousness, ἀπεκδεχόμεθα, “ourselves eagerly await”—“For we through the Spirit, by faith, the hope of righteousness ourselves eagerly await.” It’s not exactly what my religious mind expected to hear, but then, my religious mind is much more accustomed to being perfected by the flesh. It wants to be justified by the law (e.g., it’s own compliance to rules), rather than through the Spirit, by faith.

The verb ἀπεκδεχόμεθα is a middle/passive form of ἀπεκδέχομαι: “to expect fully, to look for eagerly, to wait for eagerly.” The translators added ourselves to we to highlight the middle voice. Paul chose ἀπεκδεχόμεθα on two other occasions in reference to the redemption of our bodies and the return of the Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 8:22-25; Philippians 3:17-21 ESV).

For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit (τοῦ πνεύματος, another form of πνεῦμα), groan inwardly as we wait eagerly (ἀπεκδεχόμενοι, a participle of ἀπεκδέχομαι) for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. Now hope that is seen is not hope. For who hopes for what he sees? [Table] But if we hope for what we do not see, we await for it (ἀπεκδεχόμεθα, a form of ἀπεκδέχομαι) with patience.

Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us [Table]. For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await (ἀπεκδεχόμεθα, a form of ἀπεκδέχομαι) a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself [Table].

So what is this righteousness (δικαιοσύνης, a form of δικαιοσύνη) that is our hope as we ourselves eagerly wait?

For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness (δικαιοσύνην, another form of δικαιοσύνη) [Table]. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness (δικαιοσύνης, another form of δικαιοσύνη) that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness (δικαιοσύνην, another form of δικαιοσύνη) would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised [Table].²

For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness (δικαιοσύνης, another form of δικαιοσύνη) reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.³

Now the law came in to increase the trespass, but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, grace also might reign through righteousness (δικαιοσύνης, another form of δικαιοσύνη) leading to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.⁴

Who are we who ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of [this] righteousness? We are those whom Christ has set free for freedom (Galatians 5:1 EXP1):

For our freedom Christ has us set free; therefore you stand firm and cannot entangle yourselves in a yoke of slavery again.

Now I’ve gone and done it. I’ve quoted what appears to be my own translation of Galatians 5:1. And that requires some explanation because I don’t know Greek well enough to translate the New Testament from Greek into English. I may not know English well enough to translate the New Testament from Greek into English. So, I would not attempt to translate the New Testament from Greek into English on my own. None of that seems to matter, however, when I sit down to study the Bible with God the Father, God the Son, through God the Holy Spirit. He gives me the courage and the patience to understand his word in Greek. But since I still think, and write, primarily in English, the end result is something not unlike an English translation of the Greek text.

The ESV translation of Galatians 5:1 is not like Romans 11:32 (ESV):

For God has consigned all to disobedience, that he may have mercy on all.

Once I understand that he may have mercy is ἐλεήσῃ, a 3^rd person singular form of ἐλεέω in the subjunctive mood, once I realize “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,”⁵ and recognize ἵνα (ESV: that) as the clue that this is a purpose or result clause, I can still read and quote the ESV. I no longer understand it in English. I understand the English words as pointers to the underlying Greek, and understand it in Greek: “…so that He has mercy on all.”

I may question the value of an English translation which is written for people who already know the underlying Greek. I may wonder why it was not fully translated into English. But I understand the conventions and can make footnotes for others who may not understand them. There is no need to eschew the ESV translation of Romans 11:32. But Galatians 5:1 is another matter altogether. The translators made deliberate and unnecessary choices to force Paul to present the English reader with two rules to obey, the old way of the written code⁶ (Galatians 5:1 ESV):

For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

The laws of Paul are all too easy to dismiss—especially in this context.

Let me see if I’ve got this straight, Paul. You’re telling me, a Gentile, in effect to ignore God’s laws delivered to Moses regarding circumcision, and obey your rules instead? Get a life, man!

Once I hear two better promises of the new covenant instead—therefore you stand firm and cannot entangle yourselves in a yoke of slavery again—there is no going back. For [my] freedom Christ has [me] set free! Unlike the laws of Paul, all too easy to dismiss, two better promises heard with faith invade my soul with the power of God for (εἰς) salvation:⁷ for it is God who works in [me], both to will and to work for his good pleasure.⁸ His Spirit causes me to stand firm and won’t allow me to entangle myself in a yoke of slavery again. Thus, by his grace I serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code⁹ (Galatians 5:1b ESV):

…stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.

Compliant children are as likely to comply with bad teaching as good. These better promises—therefore you stand firm and cannot entangle yourselves in a yoke of slavery again—appear to have been inoperative in the foolish Galatians to whom Paul wrote because Christ was not yet formed (μορφωθῇ, a form of μορφόω) in them, rendering them susceptible to law teaching (Galatians 4:17-19 ESV).

They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. It is always good to be made much of¹⁰ for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, my little children,¹¹ for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until¹² Christ is formed in you! [Table]

So, I’ll quote Galatians 5:1 (EXP1) from now on, but I don’t expect you to trust me. The rationale for the translation, For our freedom Christ has us set free, was mostly explained elsewhere. Here, I’ll add that: For freedom Christ has set us free accounts for the accusative case of ἡμᾶς but ignores the actual placement of the word in the word string; For our freedom Christ has set free captures more of the sense of the word placement but implies the genitive case; For our freedom Christ has us set free captures both the meaning of the accusative case and the implication of the word placement but implies two pronouns rather than one in the original Greek text. I’m most willing to accept that compromise.

The translation therefore you stand firm was mostly explained elsewhere. Here I’ll add: In the critical text the conjunction οὖν (therefore) actually follows the verb στήκετε (you stand firm), but the implication is that both clauses joined by the conjunction καὶ (and) are related to (i.e., both promises are the logical and actual result of) For our freedom Christ has us set free. So, that’s where I placed therefore.

The translation and cannot entangle yourselves in a yoke of slavery again was mostly explained elsewhere. Here I’ll add: I swapped the position of the verb ἐνέχεσθε (entangle yourselves in) with the adverb πάλιν. An imperative verb in the middle/passive voice is a tricky concept for me to grasp. By placing the verb directly after the negative particle μὴ, I could put the weight of the imperative mood on the negative particle (cannot) while retaining the flavor of the middle/passive voice without compromise (ESV: do not submit). The adverb πάλιν (again) makes a satisfying punctuation mark at the end of these promises.

These are our current choices for Galatians 5:1, the Lord’s and mine. I say current because our choices are always limited by my current ability to understand Him. It is more customary to call them my choices, but here in this context it seems important to highlight that I would not have arrived at these particular choices without Him, and my ability to understand Him will not improve apart from Him. You are welcome to try and do better.

Paul continued: ἐν γὰρ Χριστῷ |Ἰησοῦ|, For in Christ Jesus.¹³ What follows these words is a further description of that path of righteousness ἐν Χριστῷ (in Christ) that Paul distinguished from ἐν νόμῳ (by the law).¹⁴

First, οὔτε περιτομή τι ἰσχύει οὔτε ἀκροβυστία, neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, though “neither circumcision counts for anything nor uncircumcision” would be closer to the actual word order. Translating ἰσχύει, a form of ἰσχύω, counts for isn’t wrong. One of the meanings of ἰσχύω listed in the Koine Greek Lexicon online is: “to have meaning, be valid,” a figurative understanding of power or strength. In this context of standing firm and not being entangled again in a yoke of slavery, however, “anyone empowers” is a more apt understanding of τι ἰσχύει: “neither circumcision anyone empowers nor uncircumcision.” The ἐν νόμῳ (by the law) option was negated: neither circumcision nor uncircumcision empowers anyone or makes anyone stronger.

Only the ἐν Χριστῷ (in Christ) option stands: ἀλλὰ πίστις δι᾿ ἀγάπης ἐνεργουμένη, but only faith working through love. Here again, the literal word order is: “but faith through love working.” This is the deepest darkest kernel of the human soul: Are my actions actualized by laws, rules, applications, customs, traditions that I obey, or by my God-given faith in Jesus Christ through the outworking of his own love? Only the Holy Spirit knows for sure moment by moment. Only He can enlighten me and lead me away from my fleshly inclinations to justify myself by laws, rules, applications, customs and traditions, and into the freedom of full dependence on God my Savior through Jesus Christ my Lord.

Paul had already written to the foolish Galatians (Galatians 3:10-14 ESV):

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written,¹⁵ “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by¹⁶ all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one¹⁷ who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for¹⁸ it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

You were running well,¹⁹ Paul continued. The foolish Galatians had already been living this way! Previously, their actions were actualized by their God-given faith in Jesus Christ through the outworking of his own love. In fact, I might translate Ἐτρέχετε καλῶς as “you were running beautifully.” The Koine Greek Lexicon online lists the definitions of the adverb καλῶς as follows: “well, beautifully; fitly, appropriately, splendidly, in the right way; commendably, free from objection; beneficially, acceptably, honourably; rightly, correctly, skilfully, expertly; in a manner meeting the speaker’s approval; quite right!, well said!, true enough!; fortunately; in an aesthetically or artistically pleasing manner and conducive to pleasure.” Who hindered²⁰ you from obeying the truth?²¹

What truth? only faith working through love is the ἐν Χριστῷ (in Christ) option that empowers anyone or makes anyone stronger. The Greek word translated obeying was πείθεσθαι, an infinitive form of πείθω in the middle/passive voice: “to be persuaded, be convinced, come to believe, believe, trust; to be confident, sure; to obey, follow, rely.” I’ll let the reader decide which was most likely Paul’s meaning in this context, since he stated it explicitly in the very next verse: This persuasion is not from him who calls you.²²

The Greek word translated persuasion was πεισμονὴ: “persuasion, credulity, gullible.” One cannot simply assume that translators had time or opportunity to think deeply about every word. It’s a good practice to check as the Lord leads. As Paul wrote, A little leaven leavens the whole lump.²³ Admittedly, I’m taking this proverb in the more negative sense of teaching that is not of the Lord. But their could be another meaning here, if the teaching were the truth. At any rate, Paul’s conclusion despite all that was stacked against the foolish Galatians—the world, the flesh and the devil—was: I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is.²⁴ In fact, the word order is more like: “I have confidence for you in the Lord,” ἐγὼ πέποιθα εἰς ὑμᾶς ἐν κυρίῳ. How? Why?

But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.²⁵

For our freedom Christ has us set free; therefore you stand firm and cannot entangle yourselves in a yoke of slavery again.²⁶

As Paul wrote elsewhere, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure [Table].²⁷ Brothers, join in imitating me, and keep your eyes on those who walk according to the example you have in us.²⁸ I’ll pick this up in another essay.

According to a note (13) in the NET, Paul quoted from Genesis 15:6 in Galatians 3:6. A table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation with that of the Septuagint follows.

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

According to a note (21) in the NET, Paul quoted from Deuteronomy 27:26 in Galatians 3:10. A table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation with that of the Septuagint follows.

Galatians 3:10b (NET Parallel Greek)	Deuteronomy 27:26a (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 27:26a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὃς οὐκ ἐμμένει πᾶσιν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά	ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ὃς οὐκ ἐμμενεῖ ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς λόγοις τοῦ νόμου τούτου τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτούς	ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ὃς οὐκ ἐμμενεῖ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λόγοις τοῦ νόμου τούτου ποιῆσαι αὐτούς
Galatians 3:10b (NET)	Deuteronomy 27:26a (NETS)	Deuteronomy 27:26a (English Elpenor)
“Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law.”	“Cursed be any person who does not remain in all the words of this law to do them.”	Cursed is every man that continues not in all the words of this law to do them:

According to a note (22) in the NET, Paul quoted from Habakkuk 2:4 in Galatians 3:11. A table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation with that of the Septuagint follows.

Galatians 3:11b (NET Parallel Greek)	Habakkuk 2:4b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Habakkuk 2:4b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεως ζήσεται	ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεώς μου ζήσεται	ὁ δὲ δίκαιος ἐκ πίστεώς μου ζήσεται
Galatians 3:11b (NET)	Habakkuk 2:4b (NETS)	Habakkuk 2:4b (English Elpenor)
the righteous one will live by faith	But the just shall live by my faith.	but the just shall live by my faith.

According to a note (25) in the NET, Paul quoted from Leviticus 18:5 in Galatians 3:12. A table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation with that of the Septuagint follows.

Galatians 3:12b (NET Parallel Greek)	Leviticus 18:5b (Septuagint BLB) Table	Leviticus 18:5b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ ποιήσας αὐτὰ ζήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς	ποιήσετε αὐτά ἃ ποιήσας ἄνθρωπος ζήσεται ἐν αὐτοῗς	ποιήσετε αὐτά, ἃ ποιήσας αὐτά ἄνθρωπος ζήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς
Galatians 3:12b (NET)	Leviticus 18:5b (NETS)	Leviticus 18:5b (English Elpenor)
the one who does the works of the law will live by them.	you shall do them; as for the things a person does, he shall live by them	do them; which if a man do, he shall live in them

According to a note (27) in the NET, Paul quoted from Deuteronomy 21:23 in Galatians 3:13. A table comparing the Greek of Paul’s quotation with that of the Septuagint follows.

Galatians 3:13b (NET Parallel Greek)	Deuteronomy 21:23b (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 21:23b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὁ κρεμάμενος ἐπὶ ξύλου	κεκατηραμένος ὑπὸ θεοῦ πᾶς κρεμάμενος ἐπὶ ξύλου	κεκατηραμένος ὑπὸ Θεοῦ πᾶς κρεμάμενος ἐπὶ ξύλου
Galatians 3:13b (NET)	Deuteronomy 21:23b (NETS)	Deuteronomy 21:23b (English Elpenor)
“Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”	anyone hanging on a tree is cursed by a god	every one that is hanged on a tree is cursed of God

Tables comparing Deuteronomy 27:26 and 21:23 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Deuteronomy 27:26 and 21:23 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and tables comparing Galatians 3:4; 4:18; 3:10; 3:12, 13; 5:7 and 5:10 in the KJV and NET follow.

Deuteronomy 27:26 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 27:26 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 27:26 (NET)
Cursed be he that confirmeth not the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say: Amen.’	Cursed be he that confirmeth not all the words of this law to do them. And all the people shall say, Amen.	Cursed is the one who refuses to keep the words of this law.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Deuteronomy 27:26 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 27:26 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ὃς οὐκ ἐμμενεῖ ἐν πᾶσιν τοῖς λόγοις τοῦ νόμου τούτου τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτούς καὶ ἐροῦσιν πᾶς ὁ λαός γένοιτο	ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ὃς οὐκ ἐμμενεῖ ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς λόγοις τοῦ νόμου τούτου ποιῆσαι αὐτούς· καὶ ἐροῦσι πᾶς ὁ λαός· γένοιτο
Deuteronomy 27:26 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 27:26 (English Elpenor)
“Cursed be any person who does not remain in all the words of this law to do them.” And all the people shall say, “May it be!”	Cursed is every man that continues not in all the words of this law to do them: and all the people shall say, So be it.

Deuteronomy 21:23 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 21:23 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 21:23 (NET)
his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt surely bury him the same day; for he that is hanged is a reproach unto G-d; that thou defile not thy land which HaShem thy G-d giveth thee for an inheritance.	His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.	his body must not remain all night on the tree; instead you must make certain you bury him that same day, for the one who is left exposed on a tree is cursed by God. You must not defile your land that the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance.

Deuteronomy 21:23 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 21:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐκ ἐπικοιμηθήσεται τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου ἀλλὰ ταφῇ θάψετε αὐτὸν ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ ὅτι κεκατηραμένος ὑπὸ θεοῦ πᾶς κρεμάμενος ἐπὶ ξύλου καὶ οὐ μιανεῖτε τὴν γῆν ἣν κύριος ὁ θεός σου δίδωσίν σοι ἐν κλήρῳ	οὐ κοιμηθήσεται τὸ σῶμα αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ τοῦ ξύλου, ἀλλὰ ταφῇ θάψετε αὐτὸ ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, ὅτι κεκατηραμένος ὑπὸ Θεοῦ πᾶς κρεμάμενος ἐπὶ ξύλου· καὶ οὐ μὴ μιανεῖτε τὴν γῆν, ἣν Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου δίδωσί σοι ἐν κλήρῳ
Deuteronomy 21:23 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 21:23 (English Elpenor)
his body shall not sleep upon the tree, but with burial you shall bury him that same day, for anyone hanging on a tree is cursed by a god. And you shall not defile the land that the Lord your God is giving you as an allotment.	his body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but ye shall by all means bury it in that day; for every one that is hanged on a tree is cursed of God; and ye shall by no means defile the land which the Lord thy God gives thee for an inheritance.

Galatians 3:4 (NET)	Galatians 3:4 (KJV)
Have you suffered so many things for nothing?—if indeed it was for nothing.	Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.

Galatians 3:4 (NET Parallel Greek)	Galatians 3:4 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Galatians 3:4 (Byzantine Majority Text)
τοσαῦτα ἐπάθετε εἰκῇ; εἴ γε καὶ εἰκῇ	τοσαυτα επαθετε εικη ειγε και εικη	τοσαυτα επαθετε εικη ειγε και εικη

Galatians 4:18 (NET)	Galatians 4:18 (KJV)
However, it is good to be sought eagerly for a good purpose at all times, and not only when I am present with you.	But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing, and not only when I am present with you.

Galatians 4:18 (NET Parallel Greek)	Galatians 4:18 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Galatians 4:18 (Byzantine Majority Text)
καλὸν δὲ ζηλοῦσθαι ἐν καλῷ πάντοτε καὶ μὴ μόνον ἐν τῷ παρεῖναι με πρὸς ὑμᾶς	καλον δε το ζηλουσθαι εν καλω παντοτε και μη μονον εν τω παρειναι με προς υμας	καλον δε το ζηλουσθαι εν καλω παντοτε και μη μονον εν τω παρειναι με προς υμας

Galatians 3:10 (NET)	Galatians 3:10 (KJV)
For all who rely on doing the works of the law are under a curse because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not keep on doing everything written in the book of the law.”	For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.

Galatians 3:10 (NET Parallel Greek)	Galatians 3:10 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Galatians 3:10 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ὅσοι γὰρ ἐξ ἔργων νόμου εἰσίν, ὑπὸ κατάραν εἰσίν· γέγραπται γὰρ ὅτι ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὃς οὐκ ἐμμένει πᾶσιν τοῖς γεγραμμένοις ἐν τῷ βιβλίῳ τοῦ νόμου τοῦ ποιῆσαι αὐτά	οσοι γαρ εξ εργων νομου εισιν υπο καταραν εισιν γεγραπται γαρ επικαταρατος πας ος ουκ εμμενει εν πασιν τοις γεγραμμενοις εν τω βιβλιω του νομου του ποιησαι αυτα	οσοι γαρ εξ εργων νομου εισιν υπο καταραν εισιν γεγραπται γαρ επικαταρατος πας ος ουκ εμμενει εν πασιν τοις γεγραμμενοις εν τω βιβλιω του νομου του ποιησαι αυτα

Galatians 3:12, 13 (NET)	Galatians 3:12, 13 (KJV)
But the law is not based on faith, but the one who does the works of the law will live by them.	And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.

Galatians 3:12 (NET Parallel Greek)	Galatians 3:12 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Galatians 3:12 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ὁ δὲ νόμος οὐκ ἔστιν ἐκ πίστεως, ἀλλ᾿ ὁ ποιήσας αὐτὰ ζήσεται ἐν αὐτοῖς	ο δε νομος ουκ εστιν εκ πιστεως αλλ ο ποιησας αυτα ανθρωπος ζησεται εν αυτοις	ο δε νομος ουκ εστιν εκ πιστεως αλλ ο ποιησας αυτα ανθρωπος ζησεται εν αυτοις

Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us (because it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”)

Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:

Galatians 3:13 (NET Parallel Greek)	Galatians 3:13 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Galatians 3:13 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Χριστὸς ἡμᾶς ἐξηγόρασεν ἐκ τῆς κατάρας τοῦ νόμου γενόμενος ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν κατάρα (ὅτι γέγραπται· ἐπικατάρατος πᾶς ὁ κρεμάμενος ἐπὶ ξύλου)	χριστος ημας εξηγορασεν εκ της καταρας του νομου γενομενος υπερ ημων καταρα γεγραπται γαρ επικαταρατος πας ο κρεμαμενος επι ξυλου	χριστος ημας εξηγορασεν εκ της καταρας του νομου γενομενος υπερ ημων καταρα γεγραπται γαρ επικαταρατος πας ο κρεμαμενος επι ξυλου

Galatians 5:7 (NET)	Galatians 5:7 (KJV)
You were running well; who prevented you from obeying the truth?	Ye did run well; who did hinder you that ye should not obey the truth?

Galatians 5:7 (NET Parallel Greek)	Galatians 5:7 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Galatians 5:7 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ἐτρέχετε καλῶς· τίς ὑμᾶς ἐνέκοψεν [τῇ] ἀληθείᾳ μὴ πείθεσθαι	ετρεχετε καλως τις υμας ανεκοψεν τη αληθεια μη πειθεσθαι	ετρεχετε καλως τις υμας ενεκοψεν τη αληθεια μη πειθεσθαι

Galatians 5:10 (NET)	Galatians 5:10 (KJV)
I am confident in the Lord that you will accept no other view. But the one who is confusing you will pay the penalty, whoever he may be.	I have confidence in you through the Lord, that ye will be none otherwise minded: but he that troubleth you shall bear his judgment, whosoever he be.

Galatians 5:10 (NET Parallel Greek)	Galatians 5:10 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Galatians 5:10 (Byzantine Majority Text)
ἐγὼ πέποιθα εἰς ὑμᾶς ἐν κυρίῳ ὅτι οὐδὲν ἄλλο φρονήσετε· ὁ δὲ ταράσσων ὑμᾶς βαστάσει τὸ κρίμα, ὅστις ἐὰν ᾖ	εγω πεποιθα εις υμας εν κυριω οτι ουδεν αλλο φρονησετε ο δε ταρασσων υμας βαστασει το κριμα οστις αν η	εγω πεποιθα εις υμας εν κυριω οτι ουδεν αλλο φρονησετε ο δε ταρασσων υμας βαστασει το κριμα οστις αν η

Exploration, Part 3

Back to Exploration, Part 4

Back to Exploration, Part 5

Back to Exploration, Part 6

Back to Exploration, Part 9

¹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had εἴ γε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειγε (KJV: if it be).

² Romans 4:9b-12 (ESV)

³ Romans 5:17 (ESV)

⁴ Romans 5:20, 21 (ESV)

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

⁶ Romans 7:6b (ESV)

⁷ Romans 1:16b (ESV) Table

⁸ Philippians 2:13 (ESV) Table

⁹ Romans 7:6b (ESV)

¹⁰ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article το preceding to be made much of (NET: to be sought eagerly; KJV: to be zealously affected). The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹¹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τέκνα here, a form of τέκνον, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τεκνια, a form of τεκνίον.

¹² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had μέχρις here, a form of μέχρι, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αχρις.

¹³ Galatians 5:6a (ESV)

¹⁴ Galatians 5:4b (ESV) Table

¹⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὅτι (“that”) following for it is written. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

¹⁶ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εν (KJV: in) preceding all things. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁷ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ανθρωπος (KJV: man) in this clause. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁸ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὅτι (NET: because) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had γαρ (KJV: for).

¹⁹ Galatians 5:7a (ESV)

²⁰ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had ἐνέκοψεν here, a form of ἐγκόπτω, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had ανεκοψεν (KJV: did hinder), a form of ἀνακόπτω.

²¹ Galatians 5:7b (ESV)

²² Galatians 5:8 (ESV)

²³ Galatians 5:9 (ESV)

²⁴ Galatians 5:10 (ESV) The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὅστις ἐὰν ᾖ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had οστις αν η (KJV: whosoever he be).

²⁵ Hebrews 8:6 (ESV) Table

²⁶ Galatians 5:1 (EXP1) Table

²⁷ Philippians 2:12b, 13 (ESV)

²⁸ Philippians 3:17 (ESV) Table

Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 4, Part 2

Posted on August 8, 2024 by admin

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

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

Exercises

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 4, Part 3

¹ Galatians 4:4b (ESV)

² 2 Corinthians 3:7a (ESV) Table

³ 2 Corinthians 3:9a (ESV) Table

⁴ Romans 3:20b (ESV)

⁵ Matthew 5:3a (ESV)

⁶ Matthew 5:3b (ESV)

⁷ Matthew 5:4a (ESV)

⁸ Matthew 5:4b (ESV)

⁹ Matthew 5:5a (ESV)

¹⁰ Matthew 5:5b (ESV)

¹¹ Psalm 37:11 (ESV)

¹² Psalm 25:9 (ESV)

¹³ Psalm 34:2 (ESV)

¹⁴ Psalm 76:9 (ESV)

¹⁵ Psalm 147:6 (ESV)

¹⁶ Psalm 149:4 (ESV)

¹⁷ Romans 7:18b (ESV) Table

¹⁸ Matthew 5:6a (ESV)

¹⁹ Matthew 5:6b (ESV)

²⁰ Philippians 3:9b (NET)

²¹ Luke 4:14b (ESV)

²² Galatians 5:16b (ESV)

²³ Romans 13:10b (ESV)

²⁴ Galatians 5:22b, 23a (ESV)

²⁵ Galatians 5:23b (ESV) Table

²⁶ Matthew 5:7 (ESV)

²⁷ Romans 7:18b (ESV) Table

²⁸ Philippians 2:12b, 13 (ESV)

²⁹ Romans 9:16 (ESV) Table

³⁰ Matthew 5:7a (ESV)

³¹ Matthew 5:7b (ESV)

³² Matthew 5:8 (ESV)

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

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

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

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

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

³⁸ Matthew 24:30b (ESV)

³⁹ Matthew 5:8b (ESV)

⁴⁰ 1 Timothy 1:5 (ESV)

⁴¹ 2 Timothy 2:22 (ESV)

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

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

⁴⁴ 2 Timothy 2:22a (ESV)

⁴⁵ Matthew 5:8a (ESV)

⁴⁶ Matthew 5:8b (ESV)

⁴⁷ Matthew 5:9 (ESV)

⁴⁸ John 1:10-13 (ESV)

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

⁵⁰ Matthew 5:25, 26 (ESV)

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

⁵² Matthew 5:9a (ESV)

⁵³ Matthew 5:9b (ESV)

⁵⁴ Matthew 5:10a (ESV)

⁵⁵ Matthew 5:10b (ESV)

⁵⁶ Matthew 5:11 (ESV) Table

⁵⁷ Matthew 5:12a (ESV)

⁵⁸ Philippians 2:13b (ESV) Table

⁵⁹ Matthew 5:12b (ESV)

⁶⁰ Matthew 5:12c (ESV)

⁶¹ Matthew 5:13a (ESV)

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

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

⁶⁴ Matthew 5:13b (ESV)

⁶⁵ Matthew 5:14a (ESV)

⁶⁶ Matthew 5:14b, 15 (ESV)

⁶⁷ Matthew 5:16a (ESV)

⁶⁸ Matthew 5:16b (ESV)

⁶⁹ Philippians 2:13b (ESV) Table

⁷⁰ Matthew 5:17a (ESV)

⁷¹ Matthew 5:17b (ESV)

⁷² John 3:21b (ESV)

⁷³ Matthew 5:18 (ESV)

⁷⁴ Matthew 5:19, 20 (ESV)

⁷⁵ Galatians 5:16b (ESV)

⁷⁶ Luke 4:14b (ESV)

⁷⁷ Romans 13:10b (ESV)

⁷⁸ Galatians 5:22b, 23a (ESV)

⁷⁹ Matthew 5:21 (ESV)

⁸⁰ Matthew 5:22 (ESV) Table

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

⁸² Genesis 4:9b (ESV) Table

⁸³ Romans 14:13 (ESV)

⁸⁴ Philippians 3:9b (ESV)

⁸⁵ Matthew 5:27 (ESV) Table

⁸⁶ Matthew 5:28 (ESV) Table

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

⁸⁸ Romans 8:3a (ESV)

⁸⁹ Romans 7:18b (ESV) Table

⁹⁰ Philippians 3:9b (NET)

⁹¹ Matthew 5:33, 34a (ESV)

⁹² Luke 4:14b (ESV)

⁹³ Matthew 5:45b (ESV) Table

Keep Yourselves From Idols, Part 2

Posted on May 28, 2024 by admin

I mentioned in another essay how difficult it is for me to recognize when I’m worshiping an idol. This essay will be somewhat exploratory because I suspect that there is an idol in here somewhere. I’m just not entirely sure where as I begin.

In a Bible study on the book of James my Pastor quoted from Ephesians (Ephesians 2:8-10 ESV):

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

Sometime later, as we shared a meal, I said that it was nice to hear those verses without the customary caveat. He didn’t know what I was talking about. I explained that this and faith were different genders in Greek, and so faith was excluded from the phrase not your own doing. He had never heard such a thing and pulled up the verses on his phone. I admitted I didn’t really believe it any more in any practical way but that I had heard it all my life, and that it still came to mind whenever I considered Ephesians 2:8.

He said it didn’t make any sense: yes, τοῦτο, translated this (ESV), is neuter and πίστεως, translated faith (ESV), is feminine, but so is χάριτι, translated grace (ESV). I said I should probably look more deeply into it. So, here I go.

First, χάριτι in the text was actually Τῇ…χάριτι, translated by grace (ESV) because both words are in the dative case. The example cited in GREEK NOUNS (Shorter Definitions) was, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.¹ Here τῇ προσευχῇ and τῇ δεήσει were translated by prayer and [by] supplication respectively because all are in the dative case.

The Greek words translated faith were πίστεως in the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸, and της πιστεως in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.² My Pastor was right: If πίστεως is excluded from this (τοῦτο) is not your own doing,³ because πίστεως is feminine and τοῦτο is neuter, then Τῇ…χάριτι should be excluded for the same reason. In other words, both grace and faith would be your own doing (ἐξ ὑμῶν); literally, “out from you.”

In another essay I wrote: “I’m not qualified to engage that argument,” thinking, I suppose, that it was too esoteric for my current knowledge of Koine Greek. But now it appears that I was just too lazy to engage the text. My reasons for including grace in the clause this is not your own doing have nothing to do with the genders of Τῇ…χάριτι and τοῦτο, but with many other passages of Scripture and a not insignificant amount of personal experience. I cannot exclude faith solely on the basis of the gender of πίστεως and της.

Are there other Scriptures that persuade me that faith is of my own doing? I’ll begin with a New Testament survey of πίστεως ⁴ (Acts 11:19-24 ESV).

Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen (Acts 8:1-3) traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord [Table]. The report of this came to the ears of the church in⁵ Jerusalem,⁶ and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose [Table], for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord.

The Greek words translated who believed in—and a great number who believed turned to the Lord⁷—were ὁ πιστεύσας in the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸, and simply πιστευσας in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text (KJV: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord). Adding ὁ to πιστεύσας (a participle of the verb πιστεύω) leaves the possibility open that some who believed had not yet turned (ἐπέστρεψεν, a form of ἐπιστρέφω) to the Lord (Matthew 13:18-23; Luke 8:11-15).

What interests me more in this context is: And the hand of the Lord was with them:⁸ καὶ ἦν χεὶρ κυρίου μετ᾿ αὐτῶν. The pronoun αὐτῶν is masculine, feminine and neuter, and most likely⁹ refers back to the Hellenists (τοὺς Ἑλληνιστὰς) and forward to a great number who believed: πολύς τε ἀριθμὸς ὁ πιστεύσας. In other words, the hand of the Lord is cited preceding the faith of a great number of the Hellenists. Was Luke simply being polite to the Lord when the actual situation was that the faith of a great number of the Hellenists was of their own doing?

When [Barnabas] came and saw the grace (τὴν χάριν) of God, he was glad.¹⁰ What was the grace of God that Barnabas saw (ἰδὼν, a form of εἴδω)? he exhorted [the great number of the Hellenists who believed] to remain faithful (προσμένειν, an infinitive form of προσμένω) to the Lord with steadfast purpose.¹¹ It sounds as if Luke attributed their faith to the grace of God. Was he puffing God up with false praise when the actual situation was that the faith of a great number of the Hellenists was of their own doing?

The text continued: for [Barnabas] was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith.¹² The Greek word translated faith here was πίστεως, a form of the noun πίστις. Being full of the Holy Spirit (πλήρης πνεύματος ἁγίου) precedes being full of faith. This makes sense since πίστις, translated faithfulness (ESV), is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law¹³…the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law [Table].¹⁴

Since I am making so much of the word order, should I assume that Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit and of faith because he was a good man (ἦν ἀνὴρ ἀγαθὸς)? I’ve made that assumption before. It’s not false unless I’m thinking causatively: goodness (ἀγαθωσύνη) is another aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. So I assume now that Luke and the Holy Spirit used full of the Holy Spirit and of faith to clarify their intended meaning: for he was a good man.¹⁵ And a great many people were added to the Lord.¹⁶

This is not my experience. I don’t see a great many people…added to the Lord in my immediate vicinity. I won’t blame the hand of the Lord. That leaves: I am not a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. I’ll own that and continue to Do [my] best to present [myself] to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.¹⁷ But If I rejected that diagnosis, would I blame those who are dead in…trespasses and sins for their lack of faith in Christ?

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins [Table] in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind [Table].¹⁸

So, blaming them would depend, I suppose, on who I credit for making me alive together with Christ.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace (τῆς χάριτος αὐτοῦ) in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus [Table].¹⁹

Approached in this way it becomes quite telling that my faith and my works are absent here: This is about God’s mercy, God’s great love, God made us alive together with Christ (συνεζωοποίησεν τῷ Χριστῷ) by God’s grace, God raised us up with him (συνήγειρεν, a form of συνεγείρω) and seated us with him (συνεκάθισεν, a form of συγκαθίζω) in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. Why? For his own purpose: so that in the coming ages he might show (ἐνδείξηται, a form of ἐνδείκνυμι) the immeasurable riches of his grace.

There is nothing uncertain about so that…he might show: ἐνδείξηται is a subjunctive form of ἐνδείκνυμι in a purpose clause: “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.”²⁰ The only uncertainty here is why English translators persist in their refusal to translate Greek verbs in the subjunctive mood in purpose or result clauses into English. But when does/did all of this happen?

The verbs συνεζωοποίησεν, συνήγειρεν, συνεκάθισεν and even ἐνδείξηται are in the aorist tense and συνεζωοποίησεν, συνήγειρεν and συνεκάθισεν are in the indicative mood:

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

For example: “God…made us alive together with Christ.” Eph 2:5

“He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Christ Jesus.” Phil 1:6²¹

When I begin to perceive any of this as true corresponds to when I received the Holy Spirit. When I as a five-year-old child prayed a sinner’s prayer to Jesus to escape from burning in hell for all eternity, nothing happened except that I believed I didn’t need to fear hell.²² When I as a twenty-something atheist stoner prayed, “If you’re really out there, I really want to know you,”²³ the Holy Spirit invaded my ψυχή: “soul, life, creature, living being, physical life, life-force; corpse, dead person; an individual person.”

I didn’t think much of the Gospel then. Been there, done that, I thought. The Gospel just didn’t work out for me. This time I was going to do it right. The objective truth of the Bible was irrelevant to me. Its truth was like that of a contract. There were things for me to do and things God would do in exchange. He knew what the contract I held in my hand said, and so could I.²⁴

In no objective sense did I as a twenty-something atheist stoner turn in faith to Jesus Christ. I was more like a bibliolater standing before the Bible as Israel stood before Mount Sinai, saying, All that the LORD has spoken [I] will do.²⁵ I didn’t keep my promise. He certainly knew I couldn’t keep my promise. Why did He give me his own Holy Spirit then and not when I was five?

I want to pause here to compile a brief dossier on Barnabas (Acts 4:33-37; 9:26-31; 11:22, 25, 26 ESV):

And with great power the apostles were giving their testimony to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was upon them all. There was not a needy person among them, for as many as were owners of lands or houses sold them and brought the proceeds of what was sold and laid it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to each as any had need. Thus Joseph, who was also called by the apostles Barnabas (which means son of encouragement), a Levite, a native of Cyprus, sold a field that belonged to him and brought the money and laid it at the apostles’ feet [Table].

And when [Paul, aka Saul] had come to Jerusalem, he attempted to join the disciples. And they were all afraid of him, for they did not believe that he was a disciple [Table]. But Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles and declared to them how on the road he had seen the Lord, who spoke to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. So he went in and out among them at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him [Table]. And when the brothers learned this, they brought him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus.

So the church throughout all Judea and Galilee and Samaria had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied [Table].

The report of this (Acts 11:19-21) came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.

So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul [aka Paul], and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians [Table].

The people who tried to lead the five-year-old me to the Lord, led me to atheism instead. It was certainly not their intent, just a fact. The twenty-something bibliolater me went back to the same church of the very same people, believing they were right and I was wrong. The difference? I was about twenty years older, but more to the point, I had been given the indwelling Holy Spirit of God. When I heard teaching or preaching the Holy Spirit brought other Scriptures to my mind. Sometimes those Scriptures agreed with what was taught or preached. That was a good day. Sometimes they did not. But I was studying the Bible on my own with the Holy Spirit, the Father and his Son. Eventually, Paul’s writings, writings that may never have been written (Acts 13:1-3) if Barnabas had not gone to Tarsus to look for Saul and brought him to Antioch, led me to Jesus. It is impossible for me to credit all of this to my faith or my effort, though I cannot imagine it transpiring apart from both.

The solution I return to over and over is:

Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed (ὑπηκούσατε , a form of ὑπακούω) so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation (τὴν ἑαυτῶν σωτηρίαν κατεργάζεσθε) with fear and trembling, for it is God who works (ὁ ἐνεργῶν) in you, both to will (τὸ θέλειν) and to work (τὸ ἐνεργεῖν) for his good pleasure (τῆς εὐδοκίας) [Table].²⁶

I’ll pick this up in another essay. A table comparing Acts 11:22 in the NET and KJV follows.

Acts 11:22 (NET)	Acts 11:22 (KJV)
A report about them came to the attention of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.	Then tidings of these things came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem: and they sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch.

Acts 11:22 (NET Parallel Greek)	Acts 11:22 (Stephanus Textus Receptus)	Acts 11:22 (Byzantine Majority Text)
Ἠκούσθη δὲ ὁ λόγος εἰς τὰ ὦτα τῆς ἐκκλησίας τῆς οὔσης ἐν Ἰερουσαλὴμ περὶ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐξαπέστειλαν Βαρναβᾶν ἕως Ἀντιοχείας	ηκουσθη δε ο λογος εις τα ωτα της εκκλησιας της εν ιεροσολυμοις περι αυτων και εξαπεστειλαν βαρναβαν διελθειν εως αντιοχειας	ηκουσθη δε ο λογος εις τα ωτα της εκκλησιας της εν ιεροσολυμοις περι αυτων και εξαπεστειλαν βαρναβαν διελθειν εως αντιοχειας

Keep Yourselves From Idols, Part 3

¹ Philippians 4:6 (ESV)

² For a brief discussion of these textural differences see αὐτοῦ and ἑαυτοῦ, Part 2 .

³ Ephesians 2:8b (ESV) Table

⁴ I’ll return to consider Acts 6:5 in another essay.

⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τῆς οὔσης ἐν (“that was in”) here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had της εν.

⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had Ἰερουσαλὴμ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ιεροσολυμοις in the dative case.

⁷ Acts 11:21b (ESV) Table

⁸ Acts 11:21a (ESV) Table

⁹ Perhaps I should say, “is in closest proximity to.” I can’t eliminate the possibility that αὐτῶν also refers to some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke…preaching the Lord Jesus (Acts 11:20 ESV), but then the hand of the Lord seems more laissez faire, not opposed to them, rather than the cause of what transpired.

¹⁰ Acts 11:23a (ESV) Table

¹¹ Acts 11:23b (ESV) Table

¹² Acts 11:24 (ESV)

¹³ Galatians 5:18 (ESV)

¹⁴ Galatians 5:22, 23 (ESV)

¹⁵ Acts 11:24a (ESV)

¹⁶ Acts 11:24b (ESV)

¹⁷ 2 Timothy 2:15 (ESV)

¹⁸ Ephesians 2:1-3 (ESV)

¹⁹ Ephesians 2:4-7 (ESV)

²⁰ From “Verbal Moods: Subjunctive Mood,” Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions), on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

²¹ From “Verb Tenses: Aorist Tense,” Greek Verbs (Shorter Definitions), on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek online.

²² You Must Be Gentle, Part 3

²³ αὐτοῦ and ἑαυτοῦ, Part 1

²⁴ Who Am I? Part 3

²⁵ Exodus 19:8b (ESV) Table

²⁶ Philippians 2:12, 13 (ESV)

Hannah’s Prayer, Part 2

Posted on May 29, 2019 by admin

Hannah’s prayer continued:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
1 Samuel 2:3 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 2:3 (NET)	1 Reigns 2:3 (NETS)	1 Kings 2:3 (Elpenor English)
Multiply not exceeding proud talk; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth; for HaShem is a G-d of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.	Don’t keep speaking so arrogantly. Proud talk should not come out of your mouth! For the Lord is a God who knows; he evaluates what people do.	“Boast not, and speak not lofty things; let not big talking come from your mouth, because the Lord is a god of knowledge, and a god who prepares his own ways.	Boast not, and utter not high things; let not high-sounding words come out of your mouth, for the Lord [is] a God of knowledge, and God prepares his own designs.

In another essay I wrote, “From now on I’ll include the text of the KJV since differences might be very instructive.” Here (Table1 below) I have that difference but it will take someone with more knowledge of Hebrew than I have to evaluate the relative merits of translating not (ʼal, אַל) multiply (râbâh, תַּרְבּ֚וּ) no more. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply (râbâh, ורבו), and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply (râbâh, ירב) in the earth.^[1] Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more (râbâh, מרבה; Tanakh: many) feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.^[2]

To my ear the more of more feet is different conceptually from that of no more, but I won’t quibble about it. The difference in the translation of the Septuagint brings me some clarity. Rather than not multiply, the rabbis chose (Table2 below) not (μὴ) boast (καυχᾶσθε). It occurs to me, since not boast is so “on-the-nose,” that the translators thought not multiply in Hebrew was too idiomatic for Greek.

To throw up is a common idiom in American English. But translating the words throw and up literally into another language won’t necessarily conjure an image in the hearer’s mind of someone kneeling before a toilet, vomiting into it. Perhaps the KJV translators thought not multiply was too idiomatic for an English translation, too. The phrase no more, while less “on-the-nose” than not boast, still retains some of the flavor of not multiply. All of this attention to detail has me wondering if Hannah’s words—my mouth is enlarged over mine enemies^[3]—should be understood as confession rather than as a model of rejoicing to be emulated.

What really exercised me here (Table2 below) was and God prepares his own designs (NETS: “ways”). I was immediately reminded of, For we are his creative work, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we can do them.^[4] At first blush the translation from Hebrew—and by Him actions are weighed (Tanakh, KJV)—seemed completely different. I made a table of all occurrences of עללות (ʽălı̂ylâh) in the Old Testament, the Hebrew word translated actions (Tanakh, KJV), along with its Greek translation in the Septuagint.

Reference	NET Parallel Hebrew	Chabad.org	Tanakh	NET	Septuagint (BLB)	Septuagint (Elpenor)
Deuteronomy 22:14	עלילת (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִילֹ֣ת	wanton charges	impropriety	προφασιστικοὺς	προφασιστικοὺς
Deuteronomy 22:17	עלילת (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִילֹ֨ת	wanton charges	impropriety	προφασιστικοὺς	προφασιστικοὺς
1 Samuel 2:3	עללות (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִלֽוֹת	actions	what people do	ἐπιτηδεύματα	ἐπιτηδεύματα
1 Chronicles 16:8	עלילתיו (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִילֹתָֽיו	deeds	accomplishments	ἐπιτηδεύματα	ἐπιτηδεύματα
Psalm 9:11 (12)	עלילותיו (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִֽילוֹתָֽיו	doings	what he has done	ἐπιτηδεύματα	ἐπιτηδεύματα
Psalm 14:1 (13:1)	עלילה (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲ֜לִילָ֗ה	works	deeds	ἐπιτηδεύμασιν	ἐπιτηδεύμασιν
Psalm 66:5 (65:5)	עלילה (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲ֜לִילָ֗ה	doing	acts	βουλαῗς	βουλαῖς
Psalm 77:12 (77:13; 76:13)	ובעלילותיך (ʽălı̂ylâh)	וּבַֽעֲלִ֖ילוֹתֶ֣יךָ	doings	deeds	ἐπιτηδεύμασίν	ἐπιτηδεύμασί
Psalm 78:11 (77:11)	עלילותיו (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִֽילוֹתָ֑יו	works	what he had done	εὐεργεσιῶν	εὐεργεσιῶν
Psalm 99:8 (98:8)	עלילותם (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִֽילוֹתָֽם	inventions	sinful deeds	ἐπιτηδεύματα	ἐπιτηδεύματα
Psalm 103:7 (102:7)	עלילותיו (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִֽילוֹתָיו	acts	deeds	θελήματα	θελήματα
Psalm 105:1 (104:1)	עלילותיו (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִֽילוֹתָֽיו	deeds	accomplishments	ἔργα	ἔργα
Psalm 141:4	עללות (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִל֨וֹת	works	activities	προφάσεις	προφάσεις
Isaiah 12:4	עלילתיו (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִֽילֹתָ֑יו	doings	mighty acts	ἔνδοξα	ἔνδοξα
Ezekiel 14:22	עלילותם (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִֽילוֹתָ֑ם	doings	deeds	ἐνθυμήματα	ἐνθυμήματα
Ezekiel 14:23	עלילותם (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִֽילוֹתָ֑ם	doings	deeds	ἐνθυμήματα	ἐνθυμήματα
Ezekiel 20:43	עלילותיכם (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִיל֣וֹתֵיכֶ֔ם	doings	deeds	ἐπιτηδεύματα	ἐπιτηδεύματα
Ezekiel 20:44	וכעלילותיכם (ʽălı̂ylâh)	וְכַֽעֲלִילֽוֹתֵיכֶ֚ם	doings	deeds	ἐπιτηδεύματα	ἐπιτηδεύματα
Ezekiel 21:24 (21:29)	עלילותיכם (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִילֽוֹתֵיכֶ֑ם	doings	actions	ἐπιτηδεύμασιν	ἐπιτηδεύμασιν
Ezekiel 24:14	וכעלילותיך (ʽălı̂ylâh)	וְכַֽעֲלִֽילוֹתַ֙יִךְ֙	doings	deeds	ἐνθυμήματά	ἐνθυμήματά
Ezekiel 36:17	ובעלילותם (ʽălı̂ylâh)	וּבַֽעֲלִֽילוֹתָ֑ם	doings	deeds	εἰδώλοις	εἰδώλοις
Ezekiel 36:19	וכעלילותם (ʽălı̂ylâh)	וְכַֽעֲלִילוֹתָ֖ם	doings	deeds	ἁμαρτίαν	ἁμαρτίαν
Zephaniah 3:7	עלילותם (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִילוֹתָֽם	doings	did	ἐπιφυλλὶς	ἐπιφυλλὶς
Zephaniah 3:11	עלילתיך (ʽălı̂ylâh)	עֲלִ֣ילֹתַ֔יִךְ	doings	actions (footnote 38)	ἐπιτηδευμάτων	ἐπιτηδευμάτων

This exercise persuaded me that the Greek was not that different from the Hebrew. The real issue was whether the actions, designs or ways God weighed, evaluates or prepares are his or mine/Israel’s. While the Septuagint committed to his own, the NET claimed he evaluates what people do. This contrast made me realize how noncommittal the translation of the Tanakh and KJV actually were: and by Him actions are weighed.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Ezekiel 36:16,17 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 36:16, 17 (NET)	Ezekiel 36:16, 17 (NETS)	Ezekiel 36:16, 17 (Elpenor English)
Moreover the word of the LORD (יְהֹוָ֖ה) came unto me, saying,	The Lord’s (y^ehôvâh, יהוה) message came to me:	And a word of the Lord came to me, saying:	And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,
Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.	“Son of man, when the house of Israel was living on their own land, they defiled it by their behavior and their deeds. In my sight their behavior was like the uncleanness of a woman having her monthly period.	Son of man, the house of Israel lived on their land, and they defiled it with their way and with their idols and with their unclean acts; their way became before me like the uncleanness of a woman sitting apart.	Son of man, the house of Israel dwelt upon their land, and defiled it by their way, and with their idols, and with their uncleannesses; and their way was before me like the uncleanness of a removed woman.

Here the LORD (y^ehôvâh, יְהֹוָ֖ה) clearly evaluated what the people of Israel did. Then He responded appropriately:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Ezekiel 36:18, 19 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 36:18, 19 (NET)	Ezekiel 36:18, 19 (NETS)	Ezekiel 36:19, 19 (Elpenor English)
Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it:	So I poured my anger on them because of the blood they shed on the land and because of the idols with which they defiled it.	And I poured out my wrath upon them	So I poured out my wrath upon them:
And I scattered them among the heathen (בַּגּוֹיִ֔ם), and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.	I scattered them among the nations (gôy, בגוים); they were dispersed throughout foreign countries. In accordance with their behavior and their deeds I judged them.	And scattered them into the nations (ἔθνη, a form of ἔθνος) and winnowed them into the countries; in accordance with their way and their sin I judged them.	and I dispersed them among the nations (ἔθνη), and utterly scattered them through the countries: I judged them according to their way and according to their sin.

In other words, if they wanted to behave like the heathen, He gave them the opportunity to experience the heathen firsthand. But He also evaluated the consequences of his own actions:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Ezekiel 36:20, 21 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 36:20, 21 (NET)	Ezekiel 36:20, 21 (NETS)	Ezekiel 36:20, 21 (Elpenor English)
And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.	But when they arrived in the nations where they went, they profaned my holy name. It was said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, yet they have departed from his land.’	And they came into the nations, there where they entered, and they profaned my holy name when it was said of them, “These are a people of the Lord, and they have gone out of his land.”	And they went in among the nations, among which they went, and they profaned my holy name, while it was said of them, These are the people of the Lord, and they came forth out of his land.
But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.	I was concerned for my holy reputation which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they went.	And I considered them because of my holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the nations, there where they entered.	but I spared them for the sake of my holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the nations, among whom they went.

When he had pity for his holy name, He responded appropriately again:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Ezekiel 36:22, 23 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 36:22, 23 (NET)	Ezekiel 36:22, 23 (NETS)	Ezekiel 36:22, 23 (Elpenor English)
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.	“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake that I am about to act, O house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy reputation which you profaned among the nations where you went.	Therefore, say to the house of Israel, This is what the Lord says: I do not act for you, O house of Israel, but rather on account of my holy name, which you profaned among the nations, there where you entered.	Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord; I do not this, O house of Israel, for your sakes, but because of my holy name, which ye have profaned among the nations, among whom ye went.
And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.	I will magnify my great name that has been profaned among the nations, that you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I magnify myself among you in their sight.	And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the nations, which you profaned in their midst, and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, when I am hallowed among you before their eyes.	And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the nations, which ye profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, when I am sanctified among you before their eyes.

How does the Lord (ʼădônây, אֲדֹנָ֣י) God (y^ehôvih, יֱהֹוִ֔ה) sanctify his great name, when [He] shall be sanctified in [Israel] before [the heathen’s] eyes?

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Ezekiel 36:27 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 36:22, 23 (NET)	Ezekiel 36:22, 23 (NETS)	Ezekiel 36:22, 23 (Elpenor English)
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.	I will put my Spirit within you; I will take the initiative and you will obey my statutes and carefully observe my regulations.	And I will give my spirit in you and will act so that you walk in my statutes and keep my judgments and perform them.	And I will put my Spirit in you, and will cause you to walk in mine ordinances, and to keep my judgments, and do [them].

“Therefore,” Peter concluded in Jerusalem on Pentecost, “let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified both Lord and Christ” (Acts 2:36-39 NET Table).

Now when they heard this, they were acutely distressed and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “What should we do, brothers?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”

Should a heathen such as I am (but for the grace of God) trust in his own ability to be righteous and risk profaning God’s great name again? So then, my dear friends, Paul wrote believers in Philippi, just as you have always obeyed (ὑπηκούσατε, a form of ὑπακούω), not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe (φόβου, a form of φόβος) and reverence (τρόμου, a form of τρόμος), for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.^[5]

Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying (Matthew 22:1-14 NET):

“The kingdom of heaven can be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to summon those who had been invited to the banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Look! The feast I have prepared^[6] for you is ready. My oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”’ But they were indifferent and went away, one^[7] to his farm, another^[8] to^[9] his business. The rest seized his slaves, insolently mistreated them, and killed them. The^[10] king^[11] was furious! He sent his soldiers, and they put those murderers to death and set their city on fire. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but the ones who had been invited were not worthy. So go into the main streets and invite everyone^[12] you find to the wedding banquet.’ And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all they^[13] found, both bad (πονηρούς, a form of πονηρός) and good (ἀγαθούς, a form of ἀγαθός), and the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the wedding guests, he saw a man there who was not wearing (ἐνδεδυμένον, a form of ἐνδύω) wedding clothes (ἔνδυμα). And he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without wedding clothes (ἔνδυμα)?’ But he had nothing to say. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot and^[14] throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Paul described the wedding clothes provided by the bridegroom’s father: You were taught with reference to your former way of life to lay aside the old man who is being corrupted in accordance with deceitful desires, to be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and to put on (ἐνδύσασθαι, another form of ἐνδύω) the new man who has been created in God’s image – in righteousness and holiness that comes from truth.^[15] And again, But now, put off all such things as anger, rage, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth. Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices and have been clothed (ἐνδυσάμενοι, another form of ἐνδύω) with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it. Here there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all and in all.^[16]

So while the translations of the Tanakh and KJV—and by Him actions (e.g., the actions of God and people) are weighed—are probably more accurate to the Hebrew, I am grateful to the Christians^[17] who translated the Septuagint. It seems that both ways (NETS) and designs (Elpenor) were more discretionary than obligatory translations of ἐπιτηδεύματα.

Reference	Septuagint (BLB)	NETS	Septuagint (Elphenor)	Septuagint (English Elpenor)
1 Samuel 2:3	ἐπιτηδεύματα	ways	ἐπιτηδεύματα	designs
1 Chronicles (Supplements) 16:8	ἐπιτηδεύματα	practices	ἐπιτηδεύματα	designs
Psalm 99:8 (98:8)	ἐπιτηδεύματα	practices	ἐπιτηδεύματα	devices
Ezekiel 20:43	ἐπιτηδεύματα	practices	ἐπιτηδεύματα	devices
Ezekiel 20:44	ἐπιτηδεύματα	practices	ἐπιτηδεύματα	devices

Still, those translations got this heathen—one of the bad people gathered to the wedding feast after the invited guests declined their invitations—thinking much more deeply about Hannah’s prayer than he might have otherwise.

Tables comparing 1 Samuel 2:3; Genesis 1:22; Leviticus 11:42; Ezekiel 36:16; 36:17; 36:18; 36:19; 36:20; 36:21; 36:22; 36:23 and 36:27 in the Tanakh and NET, and tables comparing 1 Samuel (Reigns, Kings) 2:3; Genesis 1:22; Leviticus 11:42; Ezekiel 36:16; 36:17; 36:18; 36:19; 36:20; 36:21; 36:22; 36:23 and 36:27 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow. Following those are tables comparing Matthew 22:4, 5; 22:7; 22:9, 10 and 22:13 in the NET and KJV.

1 Samuel 2:3 (Tanakh)	1 Samuel 2:3 (KJV)	1 Samuel 2:3 (NET)
Multiply not exceeding proud talk; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth; for HaShem is a G-d of knowledge, and by Him actions are weighed.	Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the LORD is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.	Don’t keep speaking so arrogantly. Proud talk should not come out of your mouth! For the Lord is a God who knows; he evaluates what people do.

1 Samuel 2:3 (Septuagint BLB)	1 Kings 2:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
μὴ καυχᾶσθε καὶ μὴ λαλεῗτε ὑψηλά μὴ ἐξελθάτω μεγαλορρημοσύνη ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν ὅτι θεὸς γνώσεων κύριος καὶ θεὸς ἑτοιμάζων ἐπιτηδεύματα αὐτοῦ	μὴ καυχᾶσθε, καὶ μὴ λαλεῖτε ὑψηλά, μὴ ἐξελθέτω μεγαλορρημοσύνη ἐκ τοῦ στόματος ὑμῶν, ὅτι Θεὸς γνώσεων Κύριος καὶ Θεὸς ἑτοιμάζων ἐπιτηδεύματα αὐτοῦ
1 Reigns 2:3 (NETS)	1 Kings 2:3 (English Elpenor)
“Boast not, and speak not lofty things; let not big talking come from your mouth, because the Lord is a god of knowledge, and a god who prepares his own ways.	Boast not, and utter not high things; let not high-sounding words come out of your mouth, for the Lord [is] a God of knowledge, and God prepares his own designs.

Genesis 1:22 (Tanakh)	Genesis 1:22 (KJV)	Genesis 1:22 (NET)
And G-d blessed them, saying: ‘Be fruitful, and multiply (וּרְב֗וּ), and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply (יִ֥רֶב) in the earth’.	And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply (ורבו), and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply (ירב) in the earth.	God blessed them and said, “Be fruitful and multiply (ורבו) and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds multiply (ירב) on the earth.”

Genesis 1:22 (Septuagint BLB)	Genesis 1:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ηὐλόγησεν αὐτὰ ὁ θεὸς λέγων αὐξάνεσθε καὶ πληθύνεσθε καὶ πληρώσατε τὰ ὕδατα ἐν ταῗς θαλάσσαις καὶ τὰ πετεινὰ πληθυνέσθωσαν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς	καὶ εὐλόγησεν αὐτὰ ὁ Θεός, λέγων· αὐξάνεσθε καὶ πληθύνεσθε καὶ πληρώσατε τὰ ὕδατα ἐν ταῖς θαλάσσαις, καὶ τὰ πετεινὰ πληθυνέσθωσαν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς
Genesis 1:22 (NETS)	Genesis 1:22 (English Elpenor)
And God blessed them, saying, “Increase, and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.	And God blessed them saying, Increase and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let the creatures that fly be multiplied on the earth.

Leviticus 11:42 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 11:42 (KJV)	Leviticus 11:42 (NET)
Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all fours, or whatsoever hath many (מַרְבֵּ֣ה) feet, even all swarming things that swarm upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are a detestable thing.	Whatsoever goeth upon the belly, and whatsoever goeth upon all four, or whatsoever hath more (מרבה) feet among all creeping things that creep upon the earth, them ye shall not eat; for they are an abomination.	You must not eat anything that crawls on its belly or anything that walks on all fours or on any number (מרבה) of legs of all the swarming things that swarm on the land, because they are detestable.

Leviticus 11:42 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 11:42 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ πᾶς ὁ πορευόμενος ἐπὶ κοιλίας καὶ πᾶς ὁ πορευόμενος ἐπὶ τέσσαρα διὰ παντός ὃ πολυπληθεῗ ποσὶν ἐν πᾶσιν τοῗς ἑρπετοῗς τοῗς ἕρπουσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς οὐ φάγεσθε αὐτό ὅτι βδέλυγμα ὑμῗν ἐστιν	καὶ πᾶς ὁ πορευόμενος ἐπὶ κοιλίας καὶ πᾶς ὁ πορευόμενος ἐπὶ τέσσαρα διαπαντός, ὃ πολυπληθεῖ ποσὶν ἐν πᾶσι τοῖς ἑρπετοῖς τοῖς ἕρπουσιν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, οὐ φάγεσθε αὐτό, ὅτι βδέλυγμα ὑμῖν ἐστι
Leviticus 11:42 (NETS)	Leviticus 11:42 (English Elpenor)
And whatever moves on its belly and whatever moves on four legs at all times, whatever has many feet among all the creeping things that creep upon the earth, you shall not eat it, for it is an abomination to you.	And God blessed them saying, Increase and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let the creatures that fly be multiplied on the earth.

Ezekiel 36:16 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 36:16 (KJV)	Ezekiel 36:16 (NET)
Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,	Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,	The Lord’s message came to me:

Ezekiel 36:16 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 36:16 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος κυρίου πρός με λέγων	Καὶ ἐγένετο λόγος Κυρίου πρός με λέγων
Ezekiel 36:16 (NETS)	Ezekiel 36:16 (English Elpenor)
And a word of the Lord came to me, saying:	And the word of the Lord came to me, saying,

Ezekiel 36:17 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 36:17 (KJV)	Ezekiel 36:17 (NET)
Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.	Son of man, when the house of Israel dwelt in their own land, they defiled it by their own way and by their doings: their way was before me as the uncleanness of a removed woman.	“Son of man, when the house of Israel was living on their own land, they defiled it by their behavior and their deeds. In my sight their behavior was like the uncleanness of a woman having her monthly period.

Ezekiel 36:17 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 36:17 (Septuagint Elpenor)
υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου οἶκος Ισραηλ κατῴκησεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς αὐτῶν καὶ ἐμίαναν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν τοῗς εἰδώλοις αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν ταῗς ἀκαθαρσίαις αὐτῶν κατὰ τὴν ἀκαθαρσίαν τῆς ἀποκαθημένης ἐγενήθη ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτῶν πρὸ προσώπου μου	υἱὲ ἀνθρώπου, οἶκος ᾿Ισραὴλ κατῴκησεν ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς αὐτῶν καὶ ἐμίαναν αὐτὴν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν τοῖς εἰδώλοις αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν ταῖς ἀκαθαρσίαις αὐτῶν· κατὰ τὴν ἀκαθαρσίαν τῆς ἀποκαθημένης ἐγενήθη ἡ ὁδὸς αὐτῶν πρὸ προσώπου μου
Ezekiel 36:17 (NETS)	Ezekiel 36:17 (English Elpenor)
Son of man, the house of Israel lived on their land, and they defiled it with their way and with their idols and with their unclean acts; their way became before me like the uncleanness of a woman sitting apart.	Son of man, the house of Israel dwelt upon their land, and defiled it by their way, and with their idols, and with their uncleannesses; and their way was before me like the uncleanness of a removed woman.

Ezekiel 36:18 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 36:18 (KJV)	Ezekiel 36:18 (NET)
Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it:	Wherefore I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols wherewith they had polluted it:	So I poured my anger on them because of the blood they shed on the land and because of the idols with which they defiled it.

Ezekiel 36:18 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 36:18 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐξέχεα τὸν θυμόν μου ἐπ᾽ αὐτοὺς	καὶ ἐξέχεα τὸν θυμόν μου ἐπ’ αὐτοὺς
Ezekiel 36:18 (NETS)	Ezekiel 36:18 (English Elpenor)
And I poured out my wrath upon them	So I poured out my wrath upon them:

Ezekiel 36:19 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 36:19 (KJV)	Ezekiel 36:19 (NET)
And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.	And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries: according to their way and according to their doings I judged them.	I scattered them among the nations; they were dispersed throughout foreign countries. In accordance with their behavior and their deeds I judged them.

Ezekiel 36:19 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 36:19 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ διέσπειρα αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰ ἔθνη καὶ ἐλίκμησα αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰς χώρας κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτῶν καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αὐτῶν ἔκρινα αὐτούς	καὶ διέσπειρα αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰ ἔθνη καὶ ἐλίκμησα αὐτοὺς εἰς τὰς χώρας· κατὰ τὴν ὁδὸν αὐτῶν καὶ κατὰ τὴν ἁμαρτίαν αὐτῶν ἔκρινα αὐτούς
Ezekiel 36:19 (NETS)	Ezekiel 36:19 (English Elpenor)
And scattered them into the nations and winnowed them into the countries; in accordance with their way and their sin I judged them.	and I dispersed them among the nations, and utterly scattered them through the countries: I judged them according to their way and according to their sin.

Ezekiel 36:20 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 36:20 (KJV)	Ezekiel 36:20 (NET)
And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.	And when they entered unto the heathen, whither they went, they profaned my holy name, when they said to them, These are the people of the LORD, and are gone forth out of his land.	But when they arrived in the nations where they went, they profaned my holy name. It was said of them, ‘These are the people of the Lord, yet they have departed from his land.’

Ezekiel 36:20 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 36:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ εἰσήλθοσαν εἰς τὰ ἔθνη οὗ εἰσήλθοσαν ἐκεῗ καὶ ἐβεβήλωσαν τὸ ὄνομά μου τὸ ἅγιον ἐν τῷ λέγεσθαι αὐτούς λαὸς κυρίου οὗτοι καὶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς αὐτοῦ ἐξεληλύθασιν	καὶ εἰσήλθοσαν εἰς τὰ ἔθνη, οὗ εἰσήλθοσαν ἐκεῖ, καὶ ἐβεβήλωσαν τὸ ὄνομά μου τὸ ἅγιον ἐν τῷ λέγεσθαι αὐτούς· λαὸς Κυρίου οὗτοι καὶ ἐκ τῆς γῆς αὐτοῦ ἐξεληλύθασι
Ezekiel 36:20 (NETS)	Ezekiel 36:20 (English Elpenor)
And they came into the nations, there where they entered, and they profaned my holy name when it was said of them, “These are a people of the Lord, and they have gone out of his land.”	And they went in among the nations, among which they went, and they profaned my holy name, while it was said of them, These are the people of the Lord, and they came forth out of his land.

Ezekiel 36:21 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 36:21 (KJV)	Ezekiel 36:21 (NET)
But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.	But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.	I was concerned for my holy reputation which the house of Israel profaned among the nations where they went.

Ezekiel 36:21 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 36:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἐφεισάμην αὐτῶν διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου τὸ ἅγιον ὃ ἐβεβήλωσαν οἶκος Ισραηλ ἐν τοῗς ἔθνεσιν οὗ εἰσήλθοσαν ἐκεῗ	καὶ ἐφεισάμην αὐτῶν διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου τὸ ἅγιον, ὃ ἐβεβήλωσαν οἶκος ᾿Ισραὴλ ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, οὗ εἰσήλθοσαν ἐκεῖ
Ezekiel 36:21 (NETS)	Ezekiel 36:21 (English Elpenor)
And I considered them because of my holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the nations, there where they entered.	but I spared them for the sake of my holy name, which the house of Israel profaned among the nations, among whom they went.

Ezekiel 36:22 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 36:22 (KJV)	Ezekiel 36:22 (NET)
Therefore say unto the house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.	Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.	“Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: It is not for your sake that I am about to act, O house of Israel, but for the sake of my holy reputation which you profaned among the nations where you went.

Ezekiel 36:22 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 36:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
διὰ τοῦτο εἰπὸν τῷ οἴκῳ Ισραηλ τάδε λέγει κύριος οὐχ ὑμῗν ἐγὼ ποιῶ οἶκος Ισραηλ ἀλλ᾽ ἢ διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου τὸ ἅγιον ὃ ἐβεβηλώσατε ἐν τοῗς ἔθνεσιν οὗ εἰσήλθετε ἐκεῗ	διὰ τοῦτο εἰπὸν τῷ οἴκῳ ᾿Ισραήλ· τάδε λέγει Κύριος· οὐχ ὑμῖν ἐγὼ ποιῶ, οἶκος ᾿Ισραήλ, ἀλλ’ ἢ διὰ τὸ ὄνομά μου τὸ ἅγιον, ὃ ἐβεβηλώσατε ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, οὗ εἰσήλθετε ἐκε
Ezekiel 36:22 (NETS)	Ezekiel 36:22 (English Elpenor)
Therefore, say to the house of Israel, This is what the Lord says: I do not act for you, O house of Israel, but rather on account of my holy name, which you profaned among the nations, there where you entered.	Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord; I do not this, O house of Israel, for your sakes, but because of my holy name, which ye have profaned among the nations, among whom ye went.

Ezekiel 36:23 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 36:23 (KJV)	Ezekiel 36:23 (NET)
And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.	And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.	I will magnify my great name that has been profaned among the nations, that you have profaned among them. The nations will know that I am the Lord, declares the Sovereign Lord, when I magnify myself among you in their sight.

Ezekiel 36:23 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 36:23 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἁγιάσω τὸ ὄνομά μου τὸ μέγα τὸ βεβηλωθὲν ἐν τοῗς ἔθνεσιν ὃ ἐβεβηλώσατε ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν καὶ γνώσονται τὰ ἔθνη ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι κύριος ἐν τῷ ἁγιασθῆναί με ἐν ὑμῗν κατ᾽ ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν	καὶ ἁγιάσω τὸ ὄνομά μου τὸ μέγα τὸ βεβηλωθὲν ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν, ὃ ἐβεβηλώσατε ἐν μέσῳ αὐτῶν, καὶ γνώσονται τὰ ἔθνη ὅτι ἐγώ εἰμι Κύριος ἐν τῷ ἁγιασθῆναί με ἐν ὑμῖν κατ’ ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν
Ezekiel 36:23 (NETS)	Ezekiel 36:23 (English Elpenor)
And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the nations, which you profaned in their midst, and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, when I am hallowed among you before their eyes.	And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the nations, which ye profaned in the midst of them; and the nations shall know that I am the Lord, when I am sanctified among you before their eyes.

Ezekiel 36:27 (Tanakh)	Ezekiel 36:27 (KJV)	Ezekiel 36:27 (NET)
And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.	And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.	I will put my Spirit within you; I will take the initiative and you will obey my statutes and carefully observe my regulations.

Ezekiel 36:27 (Septuagint BLB)	Ezekiel 36:27 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ τὸ πνεῦμά μου δώσω ἐν ὑμῗν καὶ ποιήσω ἵνα ἐν τοῗς δικαιώμασίν μου πορεύησθε καὶ τὰ κρίματά μου φυλάξησθε καὶ ποιήσητε	καὶ τὸ πνεῦμά μου δώσω ἐν ὑμῖν καὶ ποιήσω ἵνα ἐν τοῖς δικαιώμασί μου πορεύησθε, καὶ τὰ κρίματά μου φυλάξησθε καὶ ποιήσητε
Ezekiel 36:27 (NETS)	Ezekiel 36:27 (English Elpenor)
And I will give my spirit in you and will act so that you walk in my statutes and keep my judgments and perform them.	And I will put my Spirit in you, and will cause you to walk in mine ordinances, and to keep my judgments, and do [them].

Matthew 22:4, 5 (NET)	Matthew 22:4, 5 (KJV)
Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited, “Look! The feast I have prepared for you is ready. My oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.”’	Again, he sent forth other servants, saying, Tell them which are bidden, Behold, I have prepared my dinner: my oxen and my fatlings are killed, and all things are ready: come unto the marriage.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
πάλιν ἀπέστειλεν ἄλλους δούλους λέγων· εἴπατε τοῖς κεκλημένοις· ἰδοὺ τὸ ἄριστον μου ἡτοίμακα, οἱ ταῦροι μου καὶ τὰ σιτιστὰ τεθυμένα καὶ πάντα ἕτοιμα· δεῦτε εἰς τοὺς γάμους	παλιν απεστειλεν αλλους δουλους λεγων ειπατε τοις κεκλημενοις ιδου το αριστον μου ητοιμασα οι ταυροι μου και τα σιτιστα τεθυμενα και παντα ετοιμα δευτε εις τους γαμους	παλιν απεστειλεν αλλους δουλους λεγων ειπατε τοις κεκλημενοις ιδου το αριστον μου ητοιμασα οι ταυροι μου και τα σιτιστα τεθυμενα και παντα ετοιμα δευτε εις τους γαμους

But they were indifferent and went away, one to his farm, another to his business.

But they made light of it, and went their ways, one to his farm, another to his merchandise:

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
οἱ δὲ ἀμελήσαντες ἀπῆλθον, ὃς μὲν εἰς τὸν ἴδιον ἀγρόν, ὃς δὲ ἐπὶ τὴν ἐμπορίαν αὐτοῦ	οι δε αμελησαντες απηλθον ο μεν εις τον ιδιον αγρον ο δε εις την εμποριαν αυτου	οι δε αμελησαντες απηλθον ο μεν εις τον ιδιον αγρον ο δε εις την εμποριαν αυτου

Matthew 22:7 (NET)	Matthew 22:7 (KJV)
The king was furious! He sent his soldiers, and they put those murderers to death and set their city on fire.	But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὁ δὲ βασιλεὺς ὠργίσθη καὶ πέμψας τὰ στρατεύματα αὐτοῦ ἀπώλεσεν τοὺς φονεῖς ἐκείνους καὶ τὴν πόλιν αὐτῶν ἐνέπρησεν	ακουσας δε ο βασιλευς ωργισθη και πεμψας τα στρατευματα αυτου απωλεσεν τους φονεις εκεινους και την πολιν αυτων ενεπρησεν	και ακουσας ο βασιλευς εκεινος ωργισθη και πεμψας τα στρατευματα αυτου απωλεσεν τους φονεις εκεινους και την πολιν αυτων ενεπρησεν

Matthew 22:9, 10 (NET)	Matthew 22:9, 10 (KJV)
So go into the main streets and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’	Go ye therefore into the highways, and as many as ye shall find, bid to the marriage.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
πορεύεσθε οὖν ἐπὶ τὰς διεξόδους τῶν ὁδῶν καὶ ὅσους ἐὰν εὕρητε καλέσατε εἰς τοὺς γάμους	πορευεσθε ουν επι τας διεξοδους των οδων και οσους αν ευρητε καλεσατε εις τους γαμους	πορευεσθε ουν επι τας διεξοδους των οδων και οσους αν ευρητε καλεσατε εις τους γαμους

And those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all they found, both bad and good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.

So those servants went out into the highways, and gathered together all as many as they found, both bad and good: and the wedding was furnished with guests.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἐξελθόντες οἱ δοῦλοι ἐκεῖνοι εἰς τὰς ὁδοὺς συνήγαγον πάντας οὓς εὗρον, πονηρούς τε καὶ ἀγαθούς· καὶ ἐπλήσθη ὁ \|γάμος\| ἀνακειμένων	και εξελθοντες οι δουλοι εκεινοι εις τας οδους συνηγαγον παντας οσους ευρον πονηρους τε και αγαθους και επλησθη ο γαμος ανακειμενων	και εξελθοντες οι δουλοι εκεινοι εις τας οδους συνηγαγον παντας οσους ευρον πονηρους τε και αγαθους και επλησθη ο γαμος ανακειμενων

Matthew 22:13 (NET)	Matthew 22:13 (KJV)
Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Tie him up hand and foot and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth!’	Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and take him away, and cast him into outer darkness; there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
τότε ὁ βασιλεὺς εἶπεν τοῖς διακόνοις· δήσαντες αὐτοῦ πόδας καὶ χεῖρας ἐκβάλετε αὐτὸν εἰς τὸ σκότος τὸ ἐξώτερον· ἐκεῖ ἔσται ὁ κλαυθμὸς καὶ ὁ βρυγμὸς τῶν ὀδόντων	τοτε ειπεν ο βασιλευς τοις διακονοις δησαντες αυτου ποδας και χειρας αρατε αυτον και εκβαλετε εις το σκοτος το εξωτερον εκει εσται ο κλαυθμος και ο βρυγμος των οδοντων	τοτε ειπεν ο βασιλευς τοις διακονοις δησαντες αυτου ποδας και χειρας αρατε αυτον και εκβαλετε εις το σκοτος το εξωτερον εκει εσται ο κλαυθμος και ο βρυγμος των οδοντων

Hannah’s Prayer, Part 3

Back to A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 1

Back to Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – Part 4

Back to Westworld, Part 2

^[1] Genesis 1:22 (KJV)

^[2] Leviticus 11:42 (KJV)

^[3] 1 Samuel 2:1b (Tanakh)

^[4] Ephesians 2:10 (NET) The Greek word translated prepares in 1 Reigns and Kings (Samuel) 2:3 (NETS, English Elpenor) was ἑτοιμάζων (a form of ἑτοιμάζω), a part of the compound word προητοίμασεν (a form of προετοιμάζω) translated prepared beforehand in Ephesians 2:10 (NET).

^[5] Philippians 2:12, 13 (NET) Table

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

^[7] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the masculine ὃς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had, I assume, the neuter ο rather than the article ο.

^[8] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the masculine ὃς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had, I assume, the neuter ο rather than the article ο.

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

^[10] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had ακουσας δε (KJV: But when the king heard thereof) here, where the Byzantine Majority Text had και ακουσας, and the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had simply δὲ (untranslated in the NET).

^[11] The Byzantine Majority Text had εκεινος following king. The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

^[12] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὅσους ἐὰν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had οσους αν (KJV: as many as)

^[13] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had οὓς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had οσους (KJV: all…they).

^[14] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αρατε and και (KJV: take him away, and) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[15] Ephesians 4:22-24 (NET)

^[16] Colossians 3:8-11 (NET)

^[17] Bernard A. Taylor translated 1 Samuel in the NETS, and the Elpenor version of the Septuagint is the Old Testament of the Greek Orthodox Church.

Cobwebs

Posted on May 27, 2018 by admin

I think I can finally wipe some sticky filaments of ideas from my face and roll them up into something like a little cotton candy ball:

I have dual citizenship in the rarefied and pampered world of resort hotels, both as a guest and as a servant working along with those who make the resort conference experience what it is. As a servant I’m expected to express love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. And since I’m never a paying guest, the fruit of the Holy Spirit maintains my dual citizenship in this world.

I frequent the backrooms and service corridors of venues often enough to know that sometimes the expression of these “virtues” is less than genuine. In other words, it’s the work of actors, hypocrites. But then I walk out again into a ballroom where a keynote speaker extols the value of some aspect of the fruit of the Holy Spirit for effective servant-leadership. Of course, no one calls it the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Hotel management and keynote speakers alike expect servants and effective leaders to generate love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control out from themselves, on their own, or with tips and techniques that have been developed and written about in books for sale in the lobby. None offers a fountain of water springing up to eternal life,^[1] though all seem to recognize that even an actor’s imitation of the fruit of the Holy Spirit is what makes resort life viable.

A friend called a while back seeking my opinion on the idea that Jesus was an alien lifted up by some sort of tractor beam into a spacecraft hidden in the clouds. I get it, I suppose. If Jesus is a magical being from another planet no one can expect us to be anything like Him.

Believing that God has provided us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence,^[2] does pose an immediate and insistent question: Why am I not more like Him? My go-to answer is that my faith in, measured as a function of my reliance upon, his supply is not all it might be. But that really chafes since I claim to believe that this faith, or faithfulness, is also supplied through his Holy Spirit.

In April this year, working almost every day, I began to earn my two-month-long Christmas vacation. If I wasn’t working I was driving to the next show. I put a little over 6,000 miles on my company vehicle. While driving I listened to some sermons on the radio. One in particular rang “true” and familiar, similar to sermons I had heard before. The gist was: “God has supplied everything you need for salvation in Jesus Christ. All he requires from you is faith and obedience.”

In the past I resolved the irrationality of these statements by assuming that everything didn’t mean everything. So I set out to supply my own faith and my own obedience by hearing and obeying rules.

May grace and peace be lavished on you, Peter wrote, as you grow in the rich knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord! I can pray this because his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence.^[3] The Greek word translated everything was πάντα (a form of πᾶς). The definition of πᾶς in the NET contains an excerpt from a sermon by C.H. Spurgeon:

…”the whole world has gone after him” Did all the world go after Christ? “then went all Judea, and were baptized of him in Jordan.” Was all Judea, or all Jerusalem, baptized in Jordan? “Ye are of God, little children”, and the whole world lieth in the wicked one”. Does the whole world there mean everybody? The words “world” and “all” are used in some seven or eight senses in Scripture, and it is very rarely the “all” means all persons, taken individually. The words are generally used to signify that Christ has redeemed some of all sorts — some Jews, some Gentiles, some rich, some poor, and has not restricted His redemption to either Jew or Gentile … (C.H. Spurgeon from a sermon on Particular Redemption)

I grew up in the same religious milieu as the translators of the NET. I, too, thought God had bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness except faith and obedience. What was that everything? After all, that seems to be Spurgeon’s point, to look for the limitations implicit in the text. In my case everything was a second chance^[4] to become the best Pharisee I could be, another opportunity to have my own righteousness derived from the law.^[5] But at what point does this obsessive caution in interpretation reduce forms of πᾶς from the pen of the New Testament writers to the written equivalent of uh or uhm?

So did Peter mean everything? Well, even he had a long list of things for me to add to my faith in God through Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:5-11 NET):

For this very reason, make every effort to add (ἐπιχορηγήσατε, a form of ἐπιχορηγέω) to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love. For if these things are really yours and are continually increasing, they will keep you from becoming ineffective and unproductive in your pursuit of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately. But concerning the one who lacks such things – he is blind. That is to say, he is nearsighted, since he has forgotten about the cleansing of his past sins. Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to be sure of your calling and election. For by doing this you will never stumble into sin. For thus an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be richly provided (ἐπιχορηγηθήσεται, another form of ἐπιχορηγέω) for you.

According to the Koine Greek Lexicon ἐπιχορηγήσατε is an aorist active imperative 2^nd person plural verb. The primary definition in the lexicon is “to furnish, provide for (at one’s own expense).” So I can’t fault the translators here. And I find no discrepancy in the Greek texts.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ αὐτὸ τοῦτο δὲ σπουδὴν πᾶσαν παρεισενέγκαντες ἐπιχορηγήσατε ἐν τῇ πίστει ὑμῶν τὴν ἀρετήν, ἐν δὲ τῇ ἀρετῇ τὴν γνῶσιν	και αυτο τουτο δε σπουδην πασαν παρεισενεγκαντες επιχορηγησατε εν τη πιστει υμων την αρετην εν δε τη αρετη την γνωσιν	και αυτο τουτο δε σπουδην πασαν παρεισενεγκαντες επιχορηγησατε εν τη πιστει υμων την αρετην εν δε τη αρετη την γνωσιν

Granted, Peter may have admonished me to add these things in or by (ἐν) my faith rather than to it. Faith here is πίστει (a form of πίστις), a noun in the dative case which “may also indicate the means by which something is done.”^[6] But in English translation I’m left with the disconcerting conclusion that the Holy Spirit wanted to wear me out striving to obey Peter until my ears were opened to hear Paul and then, at last, Jesus (Matthew 11:25-30 NET):

At that time Jesus said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides (βούληται, a form of βούλομαι) to reveal him. 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. For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.”

In another essay I referenced John Piper’s essay “A Whole World Hangs on a Word” without any reference to opposing views. So I typed “faith is not a gift Ephesians 2” into Google to consider some. Wayne Jackson’s essay “Is Faith the Gift of Ephesians 2:8?” on Christian Courier was top of the list.

My purpose here is not to pick on Wayne Jackson. He had a particular point of contention with followers of John Calvin. My own relationship with John Calvin ended abruptly at Chapter 13 of the Institutes when the paperback copy of the book dented the wall of my apartment. Something about his discussion of the “essence” of God so early in his book irritated me, and I’ve never looked back (except for today to recall how far I’d gotten). Now, of course, if he meant God is love, my apologies to John Calvin and my landlord. If not, it still seems pretentious to me. Admittedly, I was reading in English translation with little appreciation for how problematic that might be.

What Wayne Jackson has done for me is to remind me how arguments against faith as a gift of God’s grace go. Below is a table quoting two paragraphs from his essay under the heading: “God’s Sovereignty Does Not Negate Man’s Free Will.”

…since God is a Being of absolute truth (Dt. 32:4; “faithfulness,” ASV), he cannot do that which would violate his own nature, e.g., practice lying. It thus is impossible for God to lie (Num. 23:19; Tit. 1:2; Heb. 6:18). The Lord’s sovereignty is not compromised by his inability to lie. His sovereignty is limited, however, by his own holy nature.

Similarly, if it is the case that the Almighty granted man the ability to exercise free will, then the divine requirement that this free will be exercised responsibly (requiring obedience) is not a violation of Heaven’s sovereignty; rather, it is an example of the exercise thereof.

I didn’t quote these paragraphs to engage Mr. Jackson in philosophical debate but simply to highlight the contrast between them: One is stated with confidence, conviction and Bible references, the other (quite honestly, I think) is more speculative in nature with no Bible references. I am well aware that something inhibits and impedes my expression of Christ-likeness, but is there any practical value to calling it free will over, say, the old human or sin in my flesh?

I realize that those who promote free will do so more positively, as the proximate cause of both faith and obedience. If anyone wants (θέλῃ, a form of θέλω) to do God’s will (θέλημα), he will know about my teaching, whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority.^[7] Notice what Jesus did not say: If anyone wants to do God’s will, he will succeed thereby. My failure to accomplish God’s will in my own strength was part of the confirmation that it was, in fact, God’s will rather than my own. Jesus’ own attitude was not my will (θέλημα) but yours be done.^[8] But I don’t want to invalidate Mr. Jackson’s point entirely because Jesus’ called those who are weary and burdened.

I worked the hardest to will myself into doing God’s will when I turned Paul’s definition of love into rules I repeated as a mantra so as to obey them. The highest achievement of that effort was that I didn’t murder my wife in her sleep. It’s not much of a righteousness résumé but it is still a world removed from “I murdered my wife in her sleep.” Perhaps I should patent this technique, so to speak, by writing it in a book as a kind of crisis intervention for those who are considering taking high-powered weapons to school to murder their classmates.

But the moment I consider how to market such a book to the young men I imagine them to be is also the moment I wonder if I haven’t overindulged my will even in this. Some life-changing work had already been accomplished in me that I even cared enough to treat Paul’s definition of love as rules to obey. And life-changing is a very poor way to characterize what Paul wrote the Ephesians (Ephesians 2:1-10 NET Table):

And although you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you formerly lived according to this world’s present path, according to the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing (ἐνεργοῦντος, a form of ἐνεργέω) the sons of disobedience (ἀπειθείας, a form of ἀπείθεια), among whom all of us also formerly lived out our lives in the cravings of our flesh, indulging the desires of the flesh and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath even as the rest…

But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you are saved! – and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, to demonstrate in the coming ages the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast. For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them.

Love is patient, but did I by my will alone believe it to be true and obey it more or less as a commandment—thou shalt be patient—with a wife who wanted to divorce me? Love is kind, but did I by my will alone believe it to be true and obey it more or less as a commandment—thou shalt be kind—when her daily existence rejecting me was like a knife twisting in my heart?

Or was God, the Father, according to the wealth of his glory granting me to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person, that Christ was dwelling in my heart through faith, so that, because I had been rooted and grounded in love, I would be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and thus to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that I could be filled up to all the fullness of God^[9] because I had a pastor who taught and prayed this prayer?

Is that what was really happening as I invented a rather stupid rationalization about turning definitions into rules to obey in my own strength? Yeah, I think so. As Paul wrote believers in Philippi, continue working out your salvation with awe (φόβου, a form of φόβος) and reverence (τρόμου, a form of τρόμος), for the one bringing forth (ἐνεργῶν, another form of ἐνεργέω) in you both the desire (θέλειν, another form of θέλω) and the effort (ἐνεργεῖν, another form of ἐνεργέω) – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.^[10]

But I’m not sure I could have gotten from there to here without that rationalization and its utter refutation by my persistent sinful behavior. And I’m certain I couldn’t have gotten here apart from the overwhelming power of the indwelling Holy Spirit who has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence. And here is no way station from which to backslide but an excellent place from which to strive toward the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus,^[11] not in my own strength but in the faith and obedience that flow from his Holy Spirit, that fountain of water springing up to eternal life that Jesus promised the Samaritan woman^[12] at Jacob’s well (John 4:4-42).

Back to Forgiven or Passed Over? Part 6

Back to Atonement, Part 2

Back to Psalm 22, Part 2

Back to Who Am I? Part 11

Back to Who Am I? Part 13

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

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

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

^[4] Who Am I? Part 3; Jesus the Leg-breaker, Part 1; Romans, Part 55

^[5] Philippians 3:9 (NET)

^[6] See Dative Case on Resources for Learning New Testament Greek

^[7] John 7:17 (NET)

^[8] Luke 22:42b (NET)

^[9] Ephesians 3:16-19 (NET)

^[10] Philippians 2:12b, 13 (NET)

^[11] Philippians 3:14b (NET)

^[12] My Reasons and My Reason, Part 6; Fear – Exodus, Part 9

Romans, Part 12

Posted on August 15, 2012 by admin

For circumcision has its value (ὠφελεῖ, a form of ὠφελέω) if you practice (πράσσῃς, a form of πράσσω) the law (νόμον, a form of νόμος), but if you break (παραβάτης) the law (νόμου, another form of νόμος), your circumcision has become uncircumcision.¹ I began here in the last essay and went on to John 7 to contrast Jesus to his adversaries, even his mother and brothers, to try to refine my understanding of the difference between those who hear (ἀκροατής) and those who do (ποιητής) the law. I want to do that some more in this essay after covering more of what Paul said in Romans 2:26-29 (NET).

Therefore if the uncircumcised man obeys the righteous requirements of the law, will not² his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision? And will not the physically uncircumcised man who keeps the law judge you who, despite the written code and circumcision, transgress (παραβάτην, a form of παραβάτης) the law? For a person is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision something that is outward in the flesh, but someone is a Jew who is one inwardly, and circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit and not by the written code. This person’s praise is not from people but from God.

Those who do (ποιητής) the law are like the Jew who is one inwardly, his circumcision is of the heart by the Spirit, his praise is from God. The ὑποκριτής, the actor, needs a human audience. Jesus said, Thus whenever you do charitable giving, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites (ὑποκριταὶ, a form of ὑποκριτής) do in synagogues and on streets so that people will praise them.³ Whenever you pray,⁴ do not be⁵ like⁶ the hypocrites (ὑποκριταὶ, a form of ὑποκριτής), because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see⁷ them.⁸ When you fast, do not look sullen like⁹ the hypocrites (ὑποκριταὶ, a form of ὑποκριτής), for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting.¹⁰

And this circumcision that is of the heart by the Spirit is so much more than doing it again with feeling. Actors have deep feelings. The Pharisees were passionate about wanting to kill Jesus, but were they passionate because they cared so deeply for God’s honor or because Jesus upstaged them? It is a terrible thing to upstage an actor.

After his brothers had gone up to the feast, then Jesus himself also went up, not openly but¹¹ in secret.¹² Midway through the feast He began teaching in the temple courts. Then¹³ the Jewish leaders were astonished and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?”¹⁴ In other words, he wasn’t instructed by the Jewish leaders. Jesus replied, My teaching (διδαχή) is not from me, but from the one who sent me. If anyone wants (θέλῃ, a form of θέλω) to do (ποιεῖν, a form of ποιέω) God’s will (θέλημα), he will know (γνώσεται, a form of γινώσκω) about my teaching (διδαχῆς, another form of διδαχή), whether it is from God or whether I speak from my own authority.¹⁵

I’m going to say for the sake of argument that the above statement is true. I should believe it. I claim to believe Jesus. It says that since his hearers did not know about his teaching, whether it was from God or whether He spoke from his own authority, Jesus was convinced that they did not want to do God’s will. They were those who hear (ἀκροατής) the law by definition. Their heart wasn’t in it, not by the Spirit but by the written code. They were actors (ὑποκριταὶ, a form of ὑποκριτής), hypocrites.

But wanting to do God’s will is a fairly high prerequisite to knowing about his teaching. It touches me deeply how faith helps me overcome that deficit. I may not want to do God’s will—yet—but through the faith that Jesus’ teaching comes from God and is his will I can work backwards, as it were. More to the point, He can work me backwards to the desire for God’s will. As Paul wrote, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, for the one bringing forth in you both the desire (θέλειν, another form of θέλω) and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God [Table].¹⁶

For some good reasons I’ve thought of hypocrisy as boasting about the law but not actually doing it. I want to consider something else Paul wrote: Beware of the dogs, beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh (e.g., get circumcised to make themselves righteous)! For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God,¹⁷ exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials…¹⁸ Then Paul described his past as Saul the hypocrite this way: If someone thinks he has good reasons to put confidence in human credentials, I have more: I was circumcised on the eighth day, from the people of Israel and the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews. I lived according to the law as a Pharisee. In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless [Table].¹⁹

As I considered that Paul had the audacity to write such a thing, and that the Holy Spirit had the audacity to put that writing in Holy Scripture, I had to amend my thoughts and feelings about hearers (ἀκροαταὶ, a form of ἀκροατής) and hypocrites (ὑποκριταὶ, a form of ὑποκριτής) relative to doers or poets (ποιηταὶ, a form of ποιητής). The ἀκροαταὶ and the ὑποκριταὶ may not commit adultery, but the ποιηταὶ love their wives. And I don’t mean that they have warm fuzzy feelings for their wives when their wives make them feel good. I mean love (1 Corinthians 13:4-8a NET).

Love is patient, love is kind, it is not envious. Love 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 never ends [Table].

The ἀκροαταὶ and the ὑποκριταὶ may not steal, but the ποιηταὶ love their neighbors as themselves. The ἀκροαταὶ and the ὑποκριταὶ may not kill, but the ποιηταὶ love their enemies so that [they] may be like [their] 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.²⁰ I have begun, but I have only begun to scratch the surface of what it means to be a ποιητής (poet, doer) of the law.

I performed one miracle and you are all amazed, Jesus said to the ἀκροαταὶ and the ὑποκριταὶ around Him. However, because Moses²¹ gave you the practice of circumcision (not that it came from Moses,²² but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child on the Sabbath. But if a male child is circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses²³ is not broken, why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath? Do not judge (κρίνετε, a form of κρίνω) according to external appearance, but judge²⁴ (κρίνετε, a form of κρίνω) with proper (δικαίαν, a form of δίκαιος) judgment (κρίσιν, a form of κρίσις).²⁵

So Jesus, speaking to hearers and actors rather than doers or poets of the law, said, Do not judge me (or by extension, God) according to external appearance, but judge me with proper (that is righteous) judgment. Slowly, it seems, I learn that lesson.

Addendum: January 1, 2021
I was struck by the Greek word κατατομήν (a form of κατατομή), translated of those who mutilate the flesh (NET) and of the concision (KJV) as I worked through this again. There is a very interesting answer to the question “What is the meaning of ‘katatomē’ in Philippians 3:2?” on the Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange online. But concision has me rethinking my rather glib explanation: those who “get circumcised to make themselves righteous.”

Is it the act itself done for this reason that Paul cautioned against rather than the men who do this act or recommend that one do this act for this reason? Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all! (Galatians 5:2 NET) It definitely has me thinking about how far reaching this warning could be, how many religious acts it may pertain to. Therefore we must progress beyond the elementary instructions about Christ and move on to maturity, not laying this foundation again: repentance from dead works and faith in God… (Hebrews 6:1 NET)

Tables comparing Romans 2:26; Matthew 6:5; 6:16; John 7:10; 7:15, 16; Philippians 3:3 and John 7:21-24 in the NET and KJV follow.

Romans 2:26 (NET)	Romans 2:26 (KJV)
Therefore if the uncircumcised man obeys the righteous requirements of the law, will not his uncircumcision be regarded as circumcision?	Therefore if the uncircumcision keep the righteousness of the law, shall not his uncircumcision be counted for circumcision?

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἐὰν οὖν ἡ ἀκροβυστία τὰ δικαιώματα τοῦ νόμου φυλάσσῃ, οὐχ ἡ ἀκροβυστία αὐτοῦ εἰς περιτομὴν λογισθήσεται	εαν ουν η ακροβυστια τα δικαιωματα του νομου φυλασση ουχι η ακροβυστια αυτου εις περιτομην λογισθησεται	εαν ουν η ακροβυστια τα δικαιωματα του νομου φυλασση ουχι η ακροβυστια αυτου εις περιτομην λογισθησεται

Matthew 6:5 (NET)	Matthew 6:5 (KJV)
“Whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites because they love to pray while standing in synagogues and on street corners so that people can see them. Truly I say to you, they have their reward!	And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ ὅταν προσεύχησθε, οὐκ ἔσεσθε ὡς οἱ ὑποκριταί, ὅτι φιλοῦσιν ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς καὶ ἐν ταῖς γωνίαις τῶν πλατειῶν ἑστῶτες προσεύχεσθαι, ὅπως φανῶσιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπέχουσιν τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν	και οταν προσευχη ουκ εση ωσπερ οι υποκριται οτι φιλουσιν εν ταις συναγωγαις και εν ταις γωνιαις των πλατειων εστωτες προσευχεσθαι οπως αν φανωσιν τοις ανθρωποις αμην λεγω υμιν οτι απεχουσιν τον μισθον αυτων	και οταν προσευχη ουκ εση ωσπερ οι υποκριται οτι φιλουσιν εν ταις συναγωγαις και εν ταις γωνιαις των πλατειων εστωτες προσευχεσθαι οπως αν φανωσιν τοις ανθρωποις αμην λεγω υμιν οτι απεχουσιν τον μισθον αυτων

Matthew 6:16 (NET)	Matthew 6:16 (KJV)
“When you fast, do not look sullen like the hypocrites, for they make their faces unattractive so that people will see them fasting. I tell you the truth, they have their reward!	Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ὅταν δὲ νηστεύητε, μὴ γίνεσθε ὡς οἱ ὑποκριταὶ σκυθρωποί, ἀφανίζουσιν γὰρ τὰ πρόσωπα αὐτῶν ὅπως φανῶσιν τοῖς ἀνθρώποις νηστεύοντες· ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, ἀπέχουσιν τὸν μισθὸν αὐτῶν	οταν δε νηστευητε μη γινεσθε ωσπερ οι υποκριται σκυθρωποι αφανιζουσιν γαρ τα προσωπα αυτων οπως φανωσιν τοις ανθρωποις νηστευοντες αμην λεγω υμιν οτι απεχουσιν τον μισθον αυτων	οταν δε νηστευητε μη γινεσθε ωσπερ οι υποκριται σκυθρωποι αφανιζουσιν γαρ τα προσωπα αυτων οπως φανωσιν τοις ανθρωποις νηστευοντες αμην λεγω υμιν οτι απεχουσιν τον μισθον αυτων

John 7:10 (NET)	John 7:10 (KJV)
But when his brothers had gone up to the feast, then Jesus himself also went up, not openly but in secret.	But when his brethren were gone up, then went he also up unto the feast, not openly, but as it were in secret.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ὡς δὲ ἀνέβησαν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ εἰς τὴν ἑορτήν, τότε καὶ αὐτὸς ἀνέβη οὐ φανερῶς ἀλλὰ [ὡς] ἐν κρυπτῷ	ως δε ανεβησαν οι αδελφοι αυτου τοτε και αυτος ανεβη εις την εορτην ου φανερως αλλ ως εν κρυπτω	ως δε ανεβησαν οι αδελφοι αυτου τοτε και αυτος ανεβη εις την εορτην ου φανερως αλλ ως εν κρυπτω

John 7:15, 16 (NET)	John 7:15, 16 (KJV)
Then the Jewish leaders were astonished and said, “How does this man know so much when he has never had formal instruction?”	And the Jews marvelled, saying, How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἐθαύμαζον οὖν οἱ Ἰουδαῖοι λέγοντες· πῶς οὗτος γράμματα οἶδεν μὴ μεμαθηκώς	και εθαυμαζον οι ιουδαιοι λεγοντες πως ουτος γραμματα οιδεν μη μεμαθηκως	και εθαυμαζον οι ιουδαιοι λεγοντες πως ουτος γραμματα οιδεν μη μεμαθηκως

So Jesus replied, “My teaching is not from me, but from the one who sent me.

Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἀπεκρίθη οὖν αὐτοῖς [ὁ] Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν· ἡ ἐμὴ διδαχὴ οὐκ ἔστιν ἐμὴ ἀλλὰ τοῦ πέμψαντος με	απεκριθη αυτοις ο ιησους και ειπεν η εμη διδαχη ουκ εστιν εμη αλλα του πεμψαντος με	απεκριθη ουν αυτοις ο ιησους και ειπεν η εμη διδαχη ουκ εστιν εμη αλλα του πεμψαντος με

Philippians 3:3 (NET)	Philippians 3:3 (KJV)
For we are the circumcision, the ones who worship by the Spirit of God, exult in Christ Jesus, and do not rely on human credentials	For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἡμεῖς γάρ ἐσμεν ἡ περιτομή, οἱ πνεύματι θεοῦ λατρεύοντες καὶ καυχώμενοι ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐν σαρκὶ πεποιθότες,	ημεις γαρ εσμεν η περιτομη οι πνευματι θεω λατρευοντες και καυχωμενοι εν χριστω ιησου και ουκ εν σαρκι πεποιθοτες	ημεις γαρ εσμεν η περιτομη οι πνευματι θεου λατρευοντες και καυχωμενοι εν χριστω ιησου και ουκ εν σαρκι πεποιθοτες

John 7:21-24 (NET)	John 7:21-23 (KJV)
Jesus replied, “I performed one miracle and you are all amazed.	Jesus answered and said unto them, I have done one work, and ye all marvel.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς καὶ εἶπεν αὐτοῖς· ἓν ἔργον ἐποίησα καὶ πάντες θαυμάζετε	απεκριθη ο ιησους και ειπεν αυτοις εν εργον εποιησα και παντες θαυμαζετε	απεκριθη ιησους και ειπεν αυτοις εν εργον εποιησα και παντες θαυμαζετε

However, because Moses gave you the practice of circumcision (not that it came from Moses, but from the forefathers), you circumcise a male child on the Sabbath.

Moses therefore gave unto you circumcision; (not because it is of Moses, but of the fathers;) and ye on the sabbath day circumcise a man.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
διὰ τοῦτο Μωϋσῆς δέδωκεν ὑμῖν τὴν περιτομήν (οὐχ ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ Μωϋσέως ἐστὶν ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ τῶν πατέρων), καὶ \|ἐν\| σαββάτῳ περιτέμνετε ἄνθρωπον	δια τουτο μωσης δεδωκεν υμιν την περιτομην ουχ οτι εκ του μωσεως εστιν αλλ εκ των πατερων και εν σαββατω περιτεμνετε ανθρωπον	δια τουτο μωσης δεδωκεν υμιν την περιτομην ουχ οτι εκ του μωσεως εστιν αλλ εκ των πατερων και εν σαββατω περιτεμνετε ανθρωπον

But if a male child is circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses is not broken, why are you angry with me because I made a man completely well on the Sabbath?

If a man on the sabbath day receive circumcision, that the law of Moses should not be broken; are ye angry at me, because I have made a man every whit whole on the sabbath day?

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
εἰ περιτομὴν λαμβάνει ἄνθρωπος ἐν σαββάτῳ ἵνα μὴ λυθῇ ὁ νόμος Μωϋσέως, ἐμοὶ χολᾶτε ὅτι ὅλον ἄνθρωπον ὑγιῆ ἐποίησα ἐν σαββάτῳ	ει περιτομην λαμβανει ανθρωπος εν σαββατω ινα μη λυθη ο νομος μωσεως εμοι χολατε οτι ολον ανθρωπον υγιη εποιησα εν σαββατω	ει περιτομην λαμβανει ανθρωπος εν σαββατω ινα μη λυθη ο νομος μωσεως εμοι χολατε οτι ολον ανθρωπον υγιη εποιησα εν σαββατω

Do not judge according to external appearance, but judge with proper judgment.”

Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
μὴ κρίνετε κατ᾿ ὄψιν, ἀλλὰ τὴν δικαίαν κρίσιν κρίνετε	μη κρινετε κατ οψιν αλλα την δικαιαν κρισιν κρινατε	μη κρινετε κατ οψιν αλλα την δικαιαν κρισιν κρινατε

Romans, Part 13

Back to Romans, Part 49

Back to Torture, Part 2

Back to Romans, Part 79

Back to To Make Holy, Part 4

Back to Forgiven or Passed Over? Part 6

Back to Who Am I? Part 4

Back to Paul’s Religious Mind Revisited, Part 7

Back to Forgiven or Passed Over? Part 1

Back to Hypocrisy

Back to Romans, Part 42

Back to Romans, Part 86

Back to Who Am I? Part 11

Back to The Book of Life, Part 1

Back to Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 4, Part 3

Back to Exploration, Part 3

Back to Exploration, Part 9

¹ Romans 2:25 (NET)

² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had οὐχ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzanitine Majority Text had ουχι.

³ Matthew 6:2a (NET)

⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had προσεύχησθε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzanitine Majority Text had προσευχη (KJV: thou prayest).

⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἔσεσθε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzanitine Majority Text had εση.

⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὡς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzanitine Majority Text had ωσπερ (KJV: as).

⁷ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzanitine Majority Text had αν (KJV: they may) preceding see (KJV: be seen). The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁸ Matthew 6:5a (NET)

⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὡς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzanitine Majority Text had ωσπερ (KJV: as).

¹⁰ Matthew 6:16a (NET)

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

¹² John 7:10 (NET)

¹³ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had οὖν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzanitine Majority Text had και (KJV: And).

¹⁴ John 7:15 (NET)

¹⁵ John 7:16, 17 (NET)

¹⁶ Philippians 2:12b, 13 (NET)

¹⁷ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had θεοῦ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had θεω.

¹⁸ Philippians 3:2, 3 (NET)

¹⁹ Philippians 3:4-6 (NET)

²⁰ Matthew 5:45 (NET) Table

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

²² In the NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ Moses was spelled Μωϋσέως, and μωσεως in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

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

²⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had κρίνετε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had κρινατε.

²⁵ John 7:21-24 (NET)

Jedidiah, Part 5

Posted on July 11, 2012 by admin

David’s song continued: Create for me a pure heart, O God! Renew a resolute spirit within me! Do not reject me! Do not take your Holy Spirit away from me! ¹ Whatever Daivid’s understanding of making sins as white as snow, he apparently grasped that creating a pure heart and renewing a resolute spirit was the work of the Holy Spirit rather than his own. David continued: Let me again experience the joy of your deliverance! Sustain me by giving me the desire to obey! ²

It was both surprising and encouraging to find this man after Jesus’ own heart in the Old Testament who would say, amen, to Paul’s saying, continue working out your salvation with awe and reverence, for the one bringing forth in you both the desire and the effort – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.³ There is however a New Testament corollary to the concept of making sins as white as snow: And we know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose…⁴

For all things to work together for good for me, the effect of other people’s sins on my life must be neutralized. One might say, though their sins are like red, they must be made white as snow in their effect upon me, though they are red like scarlet, they must be made like wool. Here, on this side of the equation, Jesus provided all kinds of instruction for his followers to be part of the process of gathering with Him rather than scattering.⁵ First and foremost among these is, forgive: if you have anything against anyone, forgive (ἀφίετε, a form of ἀφίημι) him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive (ἀφῇ, another form of ἀφίημι) you your sins (παραπτώματα, a form of παράπτωμα).⁶ This is quite frankly the fastest way to mute the effect of others’ sins on my life. If God is for us, who can be against us?⁷

If I thought of this as law instead of love, then I tried to puff up some phony forgiveness like a tea kettle or a “little engine that could,” or else God wouldn’t forgive me my sins. But when I thought of this is as love rather than law, I realized I could take from the Lord’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control that flows like a stream of living water through me, and—knowing that no one is less deserving of forgiveness than I—share the overflow of that mercy, grace and forgiveness and the gift of righteousness as freely with another as I have received it myself.

You have heard that it was said, “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth,” the Lord Jesus quoted the limits on retribution He had placed in the law He gave to Moses. But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. But whoever strikes you on⁸ the⁹ right cheek, turn the other to him as well. And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, give him your coat also. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two.¹⁰ Follow me,¹¹ Jesus said. He wants his followers to join Him in blunting the effectiveness of sin, not as sin eaters per se, but more like sin shock absorbers. This is the limit, from here the shit stops rolling down hill.

Give¹² to the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow¹³ from you, Jesus continued. You have heard that it was said, “Love your neighbor” and “hate your enemy.” But I say to you, love 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.¹⁴

This reminds me of the movie 300. First the phalanx absorbs the shock of sin’s assault, then comes the push back. And David continued: Then I will teach rebels your merciful ways, and sinners will turn to you.¹⁵ This teaching is not didactic but a loving demonstration of the very mercy that is its object. Paul picked up on the militant spirit of overcoming, or conquering, evil with good (Romans 12:9-21 NET).

Love (ἀγάπη) must be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil, cling to what is good (ἀγαθῷ, a form of ἀγαθός). Be devoted to one another with mutual love (φιλόστοργοι, a form of φιλόστοργος), showing eagerness in honoring one another. Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord.¹⁶ Rejoice (χαίροντες, a form of χαίρω) in hope (ἐλπίδι, a form of ἐλπίς), endure (ὑπομένοντες, a form of ὑπομένω) in suffering (θλίψει, a form of θλίψις), persist in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality. Bless those who persecute you, bless and do not curse. Rejoice (χαίρειν, another form of χαίρω) with those who rejoice (χαιρόντων, another form of χαίρω),¹⁷ weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty but associate with the lowly. Do not be conceited. Do not repay anyone evil for evil; consider what is good before all people. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. Do not avenge yourselves, dear friends, but give place to God’s wrath, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay,” says the Lord. Rather,¹⁸ if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals¹⁹ on his head. Do not be overcome (νικῶ, a form of νικάω) by evil, but overcome (νίκα, another form of νικάω) evil with good (ἀγαθῷ, a form of ἀγαθός).

I couldn’t help but notice how similar these instructions are to the love that fulfills the law (1 Corinthians 13:4-7 NET).

Love (ἀγάπη) is patient (μακροθυμεῖ, a form of μακροθυμέω), love is kind, it is not envious. Love 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 (πιστεύει, a form of πιστεύω) all things, hopes (ἐλπίζει, a form of ἐλπίζω) all things, endures (ὑπομένει, another form of ὑπομένω) all things.

None of this, however, originates with me. All of it comes from drinking and continuing to drink from that river of living water²⁰ which is the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22, 23 NET Table).

But the fruit of the Spirit is love (ἀγάπη), joy (χαρά), peace, patience (μακροθυμία), kindness, goodness (ἀγαθωσύνη), faithfulness (πίστις), gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Addendum: February 2, 2020
Tables comparing the NET parallel Greek of Jesus’ quotation from Exodus or Leviticus with the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow:

Matthew 5:38b (NET Parallel Greek)	Exodus 21:24a (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 21:24a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ καὶ ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος	ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος	ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ, ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος
Matthew 5:38b (NET)	Exodus 21:24a (NETS)	Exodus 21:24a (English Elpenor)
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.	eye for eye, tooth for tooth,	eye for eye, tooth for tooth,

Matthew 5:38b (NET Parallel Greek)	Leviticus 24:20b (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 24:20b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ καὶ ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος	ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος	ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ, ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος
Matthew 5:38b (NET)	Leviticus 24:20b (NETS)	Leviticus 24:20b (English Elpenor)
An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.	eye for eye, tooth for tooth;	eye for eye, tooth for tooth:

A table comparing the NET parallel Greek of Jesus’ quotation from Leviticus (Table) with the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follows:

Matthew 5:43b (NET Parallel Greek)	Leviticus 19:18b (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 19:18b (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου	ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου	ἀγαπήσεις τὸν πλησίον σου
Matthew 5:43b (NET)	Leviticus 19:18b (NETS)	Leviticus 19:18b (English Elpenor)
Love your neighbor	you shall love your neighbor	thou shalt love thy neighbour

It seems possible to me that Paul, given his own proclivity toward vengeance (Acts 9:1-9; 1 Corinthians 5:1-13; 1 Timothy 1:18-20; 1 Timothy 1:12-14), shared a personal word from the Lord with believers in Rome, but a table comparing the NET parallel Greek as an allusion to Deuteronomy in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follows:

Romans 12:19b (NET Parallel Greek)	Deuteronomy 32:35a (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 32:35a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐμοὶ ἐκδίκησις, ἐγὼ ἀνταποδώσω	ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐκδικήσεως ἀνταποδώσω	ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐκδικήσεως ἀνταποδώσω
Romans 12:19b (NET)	Deuteronomy 32:35a (NETS)	Deuteronomy 32:35a (English Elpenor)
Vengeance is mine, I will repay	In a day of vengeance, I will repay,	In the day of vengeance I will recompense,

A table comparing the NET parallel Greek of Paul’s quotation from Proverbs with the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follows:

Romans 12:20b (NET Parallel Greek)	Proverbs 25:21, 22a (Septuagint BLB)	Proverbs 25:21, 22a (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, ψώμιζε αὐτόν· ἐὰν διψᾷ, πότιζε αὐτόν· τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ	ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου τρέφε αὐτόν ἐὰν διψᾷ πότιζε αὐτόν τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ	ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, ψώμιζε αὐτόν, ἐὰν διψᾷ, πότιζε αὐτόν τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ
Romans 12:20b (NET)	Proverbs 25:21, 22a (NETS)	Proverbs 25:21, 22a (English Elpenor)
if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head.	If your enemy is hungry, nourish him; if he is thirsty, give him to drink. For by doing this you will heap coals of fire on his head,	If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head,

Tables comparing Psalm 51:10; Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Psalm 51:13; Deuteronomy 32:35; Proverbs 25:21 and 25:22 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing Psalm 51:10 (50:12); Exodus 21:24; Leviticus 24:20; Psalm 51:13 (50:15); Deuteronomy 32:35; Proverbs 25:21 and 25:22 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor) follow. Following those are tables comparing Matthew 5:39; 5:42; Romans 12:11; 12:15 and 12:20 in the NET and KJV.

Psalm 51:10 (Tanakh)	Psalm 51:10 (KJV)	Psalm 51:10 (NET)
Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.	Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.	Create for me a pure heart, O God. Renew a resolute spirit within me.

Psalm 51:10 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 50:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καρδίαν καθαρὰν κτίσον ἐν ἐμοί ὁ θεός καὶ πνεῦμα εὐθὲς ἐγκαίνισον ἐν τοῗς ἐγκάτοις μου	καρδίαν καθαρὰν κτίσον ἐν ἐμοί, ὁ Θεός, καὶ πνεῦμα εὐθὲς ἐγκαίνισον ἐν τοῖς ἐγκάτοις μου
Psalm 50:12 (NETS)	Psalm 50:12 (English Elpenor)
A clean heart create in me, O God, and an upright spirit renew wthin me.	Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit in my inward parts.

Exodus 21:24 (Tanakh)	Exodus 21:24 (KJV)	Exodus 21:24 (NET)
eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,	Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,	eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

Exodus 21:24 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 21:24 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος χεῗρα ἀντὶ χειρός πόδα ἀντὶ ποδός	ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ, ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος, χεῖρα ἀντὶ χειρός, πόδα ἀντὶ ποδός
Exodus 21:24 (NETS)	Exodus 21:24 (English Elpenor)
eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,	eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,

Leviticus 24:20 (Tanakh)	Leviticus 24:20 (KJV)	Leviticus 24:20 (NET)
breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he hath maimed a man, so shall it be rendered unto him.	breach for breach, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as he hath caused a blemish in a man, so shall it be rendered unto him.	fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth—just as he inflicts an injury on another person that same injury must be inflicted on him.

Leviticus 24:20 (Septuagint BLB)	Leviticus 24:20 (Septuagint Elpenor)
σύντριμμα ἀντὶ συντρίμματος ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος καθότι ἂν δῷ μῶμον τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ οὕτως δοθήσεται αὐτῷ	σύντριμμα ἀντὶ συντρίμματος, ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ, ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος, καθότι ἂν δῷ μῶμον τῷ ἀνθρώπῳ, οὕτω δοθήσεται αὐτῷ
Leviticus 24:20 (NETS)	Leviticus 24:20 (English Elpenor)
fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; as one gives a blemish to a person, so shall it be given to him.	bruise for bruise, eye for eye, tooth for tooth: as any one may inflict a blemish on a man, so shall it be rendered to him.

Psalm 51:13 (Tanakh)	Psalm 51:13 (KJV)	Psalm 51:13 (NET)
Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.	Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; And sinners shall be converted unto thee.	Then I will teach rebels your merciful ways, and sinners will turn to you.

Psalm 51:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 50:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
διδάξω ἀνόμους τὰς ὁδούς σου καὶ ἀσεβεῗς ἐπὶ σὲ ἐπιστρέψουσιν	διδάξω ἀνόμους τὰς ὁδούς σου, καὶ ἀσεβεῖς ἐπὶ σὲ ἐπιστρέψουσι
Psalm 50:15 (NETS)	Psalm 50:15 (English Elpenor)
I will teach lawless one your ways, and impious ones will return to you.	[Then] will I teach transgressors thy ways; and ungodly men shall turn to thee.

Deuteronomy 32:35 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 32:35 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 32:35 (NET)
Vengeance is Mine, and recompense, against the time when their foot shall slip; for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that are to come upon them shall make haste.	To me belongeth vengeance, and recompence; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.	I will get revenge and pay them back at the time their foot slips; for the day of their disaster is near, and the impending judgment is rushing upon them!”

Deuteronomy 32:35 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 32:35 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐκδικήσεως ἀνταποδώσω ἐν καιρῷ ὅταν σφαλῇ ὁ ποὺς αὐτῶν ὅτι ἐγγὺς ἡμέρα ἀπωλείας αὐτῶν καὶ πάρεστιν ἕτοιμα ὑμῗν	ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ἐκδικήσεως ἀνταποδώσω, ἐν καιρῷ, ὅταν σφαλῇ ὁ ποῦς αὐτῶν, ὅτι ἐγγὺς ἡμέρα ἀπωλείας αὐτοῖς, καὶ πάρεστιν ἕτοιμα ὑμῖν
Deuteronomy 32:35 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 32:35 (English Elpenor)
In a day of vengeance, I will repay, in a time when their foot slips, because near is the day of their destruction and things prepared for you are at hand.	In the day of vengeance I will recompense, whensoever their foot shall be tripped up; for the day of their destruction [is] near to them, and the judgments at hand are close upon you.

Proverbs 25:21 (Tanakh)	Proverbs 25:21 (KJV)	Proverbs 25:21 (NET)
If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:	If thine enemy be hungry, give him bread to eat; and if he be thirsty, give him water to drink:	If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

Proverbs 25:21 (Septuagint BLB)	Proverbs 25:21 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου τρέφε αὐτόν ἐὰν διψᾷ πότιζε αὐτόν	ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, ψώμιζε αὐτόν, ἐὰν διψᾷ, πότιζε αὐτόν
Proverbs 25:21 (NETS)	Proverbs 25:21 (English Elpenor)
If your enemy is hungry, nourish him; if he is thirsty, give him to drink.	If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink;

Proverbs 25:22 (Tanakh)	Proverbs 25:22 (KJV)	Proverbs 25:22 (NET)
For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.	For thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the LORD shall reward thee.	for you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you.

Proverbs 25:22 (Septuagint BLB)	Proverbs 25:22 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ ὁ δὲ κύριος ἀνταποδώσει σοι ἀγαθά	τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ, ὁ δὲ Κύριος ἀνταποδώσει σοι ἀγαθά
Proverbs 25:22 (NETS)	Proverbs 25:22 (English Elpenor)
For by doing this you will heap coals of fire on his head, and the Lord will reward you with good things.	for so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head, and the Lord shall reward thee [with] good.

Matthew 5:39 (NET)	Matthew 5:39 (KJV)
But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. But whoever strikes you on the right cheek, turn the other to him as well.	But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἐγὼ δὲ λέγω ὑμῖν μὴ ἀντιστῆναι τῷ πονηρῷ· ἀλλ᾿ ὅστις σε ραπίζει εἰς τὴν δεξιὰν σιαγόνα, στρέψον αὐτῷ καὶ τὴν ἄλλην	εγω δε λεγω υμιν μη αντιστηναι τω πονηρω αλλ οστις σε ραπισει επι την δεξιαν σου σιαγονα στρεψον αυτω και την αλλην	εγω δε λεγω υμιν μη αντιστηναι τω πονηρω αλλ οστις σε ραπισει επι την δεξιαν σου σιαγονα στρεψον αυτω και την αλλην

Matthew 5:42 (NET)	Matthew 5:42 (KJV)
Give to the one who asks you, and do not reject the one who wants to borrow from you.	Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
τῷ αἰτοῦντι σε δός, καὶ τὸν θέλοντα ἀπὸ σοῦ δανίσασθαι μὴ ἀποστραφῇς	τω αιτουντι σε διδου και τον θελοντα απο σου δανεισασθαι μη αποστραφης	τω αιτουντι σε διδου και τον θελοντα απο σου δανεισασθαι μη αποστραφης

Romans 12:11 (NET)	Romans 12:11 (KJV)
Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord.	Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
τῇ σπουδῇ μὴ ὀκνηροί, τῷ πνεύματι ζέοντες, τῷ κυρίῳ δουλεύοντες	τη σπουδη μη οκνηροι τω πνευματι ζεοντες τω καιρω δουλευοντες	τη σπουδη μη οκνηροι τω πνευματι ζεοντες τω κυριω δουλευοντες

Romans 12:15 (NET)	Romans 12:15 (KJV)
Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.	Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
χαίρειν μετὰ χαιρόντων, κλαίειν μετὰ κλαιόντων	χαιρειν μετα χαιροντων και κλαιειν μετα κλαιοντων	χαιρειν μετα χαιροντων και κλαιειν μετα κλαιοντων

Romans 12:20 (NET)	Romans 12:20 (KJV)
Rather, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him a drink; for in doing this you will be heaping burning coals on his head.	Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἀλλὰ ἐὰν πεινᾷ ὁ ἐχθρός σου, ψώμιζε αὐτόν· ἐὰν διψᾷ, πότιζε αὐτόν· τοῦτο γὰρ ποιῶν ἄνθρακας πυρὸς σωρεύσεις ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ	εαν ουν πεινα ο εχθρος σου ψωμιζε αυτον εαν διψα ποτιζε αυτον τουτο γαρ ποιων ανθρακας πυρος σωρευσεις επι την κεφαλην αυτου	εαν ουν πεινα ο εχθρος σου ψωμιζε αυτον εαν διψα ποτιζε αυτον τουτο γαρ ποιων ανθρακας πυρος σωρευσεις επι την κεφαλην αυτου

Jedidiah, Part 6

Paul’s OT Quotes – Romans 12:19-20

Back to The Jerusalem Council

Back to David’s Forgiveness, Part 2

Back to Romans, Part 13

Back to David’s Forgiveness, Part 8

Back to The Life

Back to Justice, Vengeance and Punishment

Back to Fear – Genesis, Part 8

Back to Fear – Leviticus

Back to Torture, Part 2

Back to Conclusion

Back to Forgiven or Passed Over? Part 6

Back to Romans, Part 67

Back to David’s Forgiveness, Part 6

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 11

Back to David’s Forgiveness, Part 9

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 5

Back to Romans, Part 47

Back to Romans, Part 48

Back to Romans, Part 53

Back to Romans, Part 54

Back to Romans, Part 55

Back to Romans, Part 56

Back to Romans, Part 57

Back to Romans, Part 58

Back to Romans, Part 59

Back to Romans, Part 76

Back to Paul’s Religious Mind Revisited, Part 2

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 16

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 7

Back to Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 4, Part 2

Back to Exploration, Part 7

¹ Psalm 51:10, 11 (NET) Table

² Psalm 51:12 (NET) Table

³ Philippians 2:12b, 13 (NET) Table

⁴ Romans 8:28 (NET)

⁵ Matthew 12:30b; Luke 11:23b (NET)

⁶ Mark 11:25 (NET) Table

⁷ Romans 8:31b (NET)

⁸ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ραπίζει εἰς here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ραπισει επι (KJV: shall smite thee on).

⁹ The Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA²⁸ had σου (KJV: thy) here. The NET parallel Greek text did not.

¹⁰ Matthew 5:38-41 (NET)

¹¹ Matthew 8:22; 9:9; 16:24; 19:21; Mark 2:14; 8:34; 10:21; Luke 5:27; 9:23; 9:59; 18:22; John 1:43; 12:26; 21:19 (NET)

¹² The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had δός here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had διδου.

¹³ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had δανίσασθαι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had δανεισασθαι.

¹⁴ Matthew 5:42-45 (NET)

¹⁵ Psalm 51:13 (NET)

¹⁶ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had κυρίῳ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had καιρω. This is so far afield I suspect it may be a typo in this version of the Stephanus Textus Receptus.

¹⁷ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: and) following rejoice. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

¹⁸ The NET parallel Greek text had ἀλλὰ here, where the NA²⁸ had ἀλλ’. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουν (KJV: Therefore).

¹⁹ The note on Proverbs 25:22a in the NET reads as follows: “The imagery of the ‘burning coals’ represents pangs of conscience, more readily effected by kindness than by violence. These coals produce the sharp pain of contrition through regret (e.g., 18:19; 20:22; 24:17; Gen 42-45; 1 Sam 24:18-20; Rom 12:20). The coals then would be an implied comparison with a searing conscience.”

²⁰ John 4:10; 7:37-39

Is Sin Less Than Sin? Part 2

Posted on June 24, 2012 by admin

I’ll continue the survey of Galatians to understand the relationship of sin (παράπτωμα) to sin (ἁμαρτία). Paul hinted at the attitude, activity and the content of the faith of those who were so quickly deserting (μετατίθεσθε, a form of μετατίθημι) the one who called [them] by the grace of Christ and [were] following a different gospel¹ in a series of questions (Galatians 3:1-5 NET).

You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you?² Before your eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed as crucified!³ The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law or by believing (πίστεως, a form of πίστις) 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)? 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 (πίστεως, a form of πίστις) what you heard?

Here is the same information in a table:

Gospel

I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are following a different gospel – not that there really is another gospel, but there are some who are disturbing you and wanting to distort the gospel of Christ.

Galatians 1:6, 7 (NET)

Before your eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed as crucified!

Galatians 3:1 (NET)

Attitude

…you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law…

Galatians 3:2 (NET)

…you receive the Spirit…by believing (πίστεως, a form of πίστις) what you heard…

Galatians 3:2 (NET)

Activity

…you [are] now trying to finish by human effort (σαρκὶ, a form of σάρξ)…

Galatians 3:3 (NET)

…you began with the Spirit…

Galatians 3:3 (NET)

Faith

God then give[s] you the Spirit and work[s] miracles among you by your doing the works of the law…

Galatians 3:5 (NET)

God then give[s] you the Spirit and work[s] miracles among you by…your believing (πίστεως, a form of πίστις) what you heard.

Galatians 3:5 (NET)

If someone is as enamored with this different gospel (not that there really is another gospel) as I was, a question comes to mind: “Well, what am I supposed to do?” Paul answered that question like this (Galatians 5:16-18 NET Table):

But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh (σαρκὸς, another form of σάρξ). For the flesh (σάρξ) has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh (σαρκός, another form of σάρξ), for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under (ὑπό) the law.

Paul then contrasted the capabilities of the flesh (σάρξ) to that of the Holy Spirit. I’ve put that contrast into a table similar to the one above.

Galatians 1:6, 7 (NET)

Before your eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed as crucified!

Galatians 3:1 (NET)

Now the works of the flesh (σαρκός, another form of σάρξ) are obvious: sexual immorality (πορνεία), impurity, depravity, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things.

Galatians 5:19-21a (NET) Table

But the fruit of the Spirit is love (ἀγάπη), joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (πίστις), gentleness, and self-control.

Galatians 5:22-23a (NET) Table

I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!

Galatians 5:21b (NET)

Against such things there is no law.

Galatians 5:23b (NET)

It takes some faithfulness (πίστις) from the Holy Spirit to believe (πίστις) that He will supply all of this, especially in the face of an eruption of sin when the temptation is strongest to take back the reins, as it were. Paul dealt with that more thoroughly in Romans 6 and 7, but there is some insight here as well (Galatians 2:17-21 NET Table).

But if while seeking to be justified in Christ we ourselves have also been found to be sinners, is Christ then one who encourages sin? Absolutely not! But if I build up again those things I once destroyed, I demonstrate that I [old man]⁴ am one who breaks God’s law. For through the law I [old man] died to the law so that I [new man]⁵ may live to God. I [old man] have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I [old man] who live, but Christ lives in me. So the life I [new man] now live in the body, I [new man] live because of the faithfulness (πίστει, another form of πίστις) of the Son of God, who loved me [new man] and gave himself for me [new man]. I [new man] do not set aside God’s grace, because if righteousness could come through the law, then Christ died for nothing!

Paul continued this thought later (Galatians 5:2, 3 NET):

Listen! I, Paul, tell you that if you let yourselves be circumcised, Christ will be of no benefit to you at all! And I testify again to every man who lets himself be circumcised that he is obligated (ὀφειλέτης) to obey (ποιῆσαι, a form of ποιέω) the whole law.

Here regarding the law James mirrored Paul (James 2:10 NET):

For the one who obeys⁶ (τηρήσῃ, a form of τηρέω) the whole law but fails⁷ (πταίσῃ, a form of πταίω) in one point has become guilty of all of it.

So the one who sets out to obey part of the law (you let yourselves be circumcised according to the law) is obligated to obey the whole, and the one who fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. One who believes these two statements are true searches diligently for another option. Paul continued (Galatians 5:4-6 NET):

You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law have been alienated from Christ;⁸ 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 (πίστις) working (ἐνεργουμένη, a form of ἐνεργέω) through love (ἀγάπης, a form of ἀγάπη).

Both the faith and the love Paul mentioned above are aspects of the fruit of the Spirit, supplied by God to those who believe. Truth be told the working (ἐνεργουμένη, a form of ἐνεργέω) is from God also: continue working out (κατεργάζεσθε, a form of κατεργάζομαι) your salvation with awe and reverence, for the one bringing forth (ἐνεργῶν, another form of ἐνεργέω) in you both the desire (θέλειν, a form of θέλω) and the effort (ἐνεργεῖν, another form of ἐνεργέω) – for the sake of his good pleasure (εὐδοκίας, a form of εὐδοκία) – is God.⁹ As Jesus said, Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased (εὐδόκησεν, a form of εὐδοκέω) to give you the kingdom.¹⁰

And just in case I think that Paul was a special case, that his crucifixion with Christ was a unique event (Galatians 5:24-6:1 NET Table):

Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also behave in accordance with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, being jealous of one another. Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin (παραπτώματι, a form of παράπτωμα), you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness. Pay close attention to yourselves, so that you are not tempted too.

This letter is about deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ, trying to be declared righteous by the law, being alienated from Christ, falling away from grace. In context then there is nothing to indicate that Paul shifted gears and began to write about some unspecified παράπτωμα that was of lesser consequence than ἁμαρτία.

Addendum: June 4, 2019
Tables comparing Galatians 3:1; James 2:10 and Galatians 5:4 in the NET and KJV follow.

Galatians 3:1 (NET)	Galatians 3:1 (KJV)
You foolish Galatians! Who has cast a spell on you? Before your eyes Jesus Christ was vividly portrayed as crucified!	O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ὦ ἀνόητοι Γαλάται, τίς ὑμᾶς ἐβάσκανεν, οἷς κατ᾿ ὀφθαλμοὺς Ἰησοῦς Χριστὸς προεγράφη ἐσταυρωμένος	ω ανοητοι γαλαται τις υμας εβασκανεν τη αληθεια μη πειθεσθαι οις κατ οφθαλμους ιησους χριστος προεγραφη εν υμιν εσταυρωμενος	ω ανοητοι γαλαται τις υμας εβασκανεν τη αληθεια μη πειθεσθαι οις κατ οφθαλμους ιησους χριστος προεγραφη εν υμιν εσταυρωμενος

James 2:10 (NET)	James 2:10 (KJV)
For the one who obeys the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.	For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ὅστις γὰρ ὅλον τὸν νόμον τηρήσῃ πταίσῃ δὲ ἐν ἑνί, γέγονεν πάντων ἔνοχος	οστις γαρ ολον τον νομον τηρησει πταισει δε εν ενι γεγονεν παντων ενοχος	οστις γαρ ολον τον νομον τηρησει πταισει δε εν ενι γεγονεν παντων ενοχος

Galatians 5:4 (NET)	Galatians 5:4 (KJV)
You who are trying to be declared righteous by the law have been alienated from Christ; you have fallen away from grace!	Christ is become of no effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law; ye are fallen from grace.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
κατηργήθητε ἀπὸ Χριστοῦ, οἵτινες ἐν νόμῳ δικαιοῦσθε, τῆς χάριτος ἐξεπέσατε	κατηργηθητε απο του χριστου οιτινες εν νομω δικαιουσθε της χαριτος εξεπεσατε	κατηργηθητε απο του χριστου οιτινες εν νομω δικαιουσθε της χαριτος εξεπεσατε

Is Sin Less Than Sin? Part 3

Back to Saul and Barnabas, Part 3

Back to The Will of God – Jesus, Part 1

Back to Fear – Genesis, Part 7

Back to Prayer

Back to Paul’s Religious Mind Revisited – Part 2

Back to My Reasons and My Reason, Part 4

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 7

Back to Is Sin Less Than Sin, Part 4

Back to Romans, Part 31

Back to Romans, Part 75

Back to My Deeds, Part 1

Back to Romans, Part 88

Back to Forgiven or Passed Over? Part 5

Back to A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 1

Back to A Shadow of the Good Things, Part 2

Back to The Book of Life, Part 3

Back to Christianity, Part 14

Back to Exploration, Part 1

Back to Exploration, Part 2

Back to Exploration, Part 3

Back to Exploration, Part 4

Back to Exploration, Part 5

Back to Exploration, Part 7

Back to Exploration, Part 8

¹ Galatians 1:6 (NET)

² The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τη αληθεια μη πειθεσθαι (KJV: that ye should not obey the truth) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

³ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εν υμιν (KJV: among you) here. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁴ Romans 6:6, 7 (NET) We know that our old man was crucified with him so that the body of sin would no longer dominate us, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. (For someone who has died has been freed from sin.)

⁵ Colossians 3:9, 10 (NET) Do not lie to one another since you have put off the old man with its practices and have been clothed with the new man that is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one who created it.

⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τηρήσῃ here, aorist tense in the subjunctive mood, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τηρησει (KJV: shall keep), future tense in the indicative mood.

⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had πταίσῃ here, aorist tense in the subjunctive mood, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πταισει (KJV: offend), future tense in the indicative mood.

⁸ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the article του preceding Christ. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

⁹ Philippians 2:12b, 13 (NET) Table

¹⁰ Luke 12:32 (NET)

The Gospel and the Religious Mind

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

Tag Archives: Philippians 2:12-13

Exploration, Part 9

Exploration, Part 8

Exploration, Part 2

Christ-Centered Preaching, Chapter 4, Part 2

Keep Yourselves From Idols, Part 2

Hannah’s Prayer, Part 2

Cobwebs

Romans, Part 12

Jedidiah, Part 5

Is Sin Less Than Sin? Part 2