Tag Archives: Revelation 21:6

Atonement, Part 11

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This is a continuation of yehôvâh’s (יהוה) instruction to Moses: They[1] are to eat those things by which atonement (kâphar, כפר; Septuagint: ἡγιάσθησαν, a form of ἁγιάζω) was made to consecrate and to set them apart, but no one else may eat them, for they are holy.[2]  I’ll continue to consider forms of χρίω in the New Testament.

The author of Hebrews continued to contrast Jesus to angels: And he says of the angels, “He makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire”…[3]  This was a verbatim quote from the Elpenor version of the Septuagint only.

Hebrews 1:7b (NET parallel Greek)

 Psalm 104:4 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 103:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πῦρ φλέγον ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα

I won’t spend much time here since the psalm is not about angels but yehôvâh.  It is interesting, however, that the NET and KJV, more importantly the three versions of the Greek New Testament I have surveyed, agree here.

Hebrews 1:7 (NET)

Hebrews 1:7 (KJV)
And he says of the angels, “He makes his angels spirits and his ministers a flame of fire,” And of the angels he saith, Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ πρὸς μὲν τοὺς ἀγγέλους λέγει ὁ ποιῶν τοὺς ἀγγέλους αὐτοῦ πνεύματα καὶ τοὺς λειτουργοὺς αὐτοῦ πυρὸς φλόγα και προς μεν τους αγγελους λεγει ο ποιων τους αγγελους αυτου πνευματα και τους λειτουργους αυτου πυρος φλογα και προς μεν τους αγγελους λεγει ο ποιων τους αγγελους αυτου πνευματα και τους λειτουργους αυτου πυρος φλογα

The translations from Hebrew of the Tanakh and KJV, and from Greek of the Elpenor also agree.  But πῦρ φλέγον in the BLB version of the Septuagint, as opposed to πυρὸς φλόγα in the Elpenor and the New Testament, inspired a subtle shift in the translation of the NETS.

From Hebrew

From Greek
Psalm 104:4 (Tanakh) Psalm 104:4 (KJV) Psalm 103:4 (NETS)

Psalm 103:4 (Elpenor)
Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire: He who makes spirits his messengers, and flaming fire his ministers. Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flaming fire.

That shift continued in the NET, making it virtually impossible for an English reader to recognize any mention of angels in the Psalm: He makes the winds his messengers, and the flaming fire his attendant.[4]  This sounds more like tornadoes and hurricanes speak for God while warehouse and forest fires serve Him.

The author of Hebrews continued: but of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and[5] a[6] righteous scepter[7] is the[8] scepter of your kingdom.  You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.  So God, your God, has anointed (ἔχρισεν, a form of χρίω) you over your companions with the oil of rejoicing.”[9]  The first part of this quotation—Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom—was not verbatim from either version of the Septuagint.

Hebrews 1:8b (NET parallel Greek) Psalm 45:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 44:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ὁ θρόνος σου ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα |τοῦ αἰῶνος|, καὶ ἡ ράβδος τῆς εὐθύτητος ράβδος τῆς βασιλείας |σου| ὁ θρόνος σου ὁ θεός εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου ὁ θρόνος σου, ὁ Θεός, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος, ράβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου

The relatively inconsequential differences—a conjunction, two additional articles and one missing article—are exactly the same differences (Table1 below) I found relative to the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.  Comparing either of them to both versions of the Septuagint yields another verbatim quote.

Hebrews 1:8b (Stephanus Textus Receptus) Psalm 45:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 44:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ο θρονος σου ο θεος εις τον αιωνα του αιωνος ραβδος ευθυτητος η ραβδος της βασιλειας σου ὁ θρόνος σου ὁ θεός εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου ὁ θρόνος σου, ὁ Θεός, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος, ράβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου

Hebrews 1:8b (Byzantine Majority Text)

 Psalm 45:6 (Septuagint BLB)

Psalm 44:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ο θρονος σου ο θεος εις τον αιωνα του αιωνος ραβδος ευθυτητος η ραβδος της βασιλειας σου ὁ θρόνος σου ὁ θεός εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος ῥάβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου ὁ θρόνος σου, ὁ Θεός, εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα τοῦ αἰῶνος, ράβδος εὐθύτητος ἡ ῥάβδος τῆς βασιλείας σου

I will spend some time on the first seven verses of this psalm.

Psalm 45:1 (Tanakh)

Psalm 44:2 (NETS)
My heart is inditing a good matter: I speak of the things which I have made touching the king: my tongue is the pen of a ready writer. My heart erupted with a goodly theme; it is I that address my works to the king; my tongue is a pen of a swift scribe.

The Hebrew word translated of the things which I have made was מעשׁי (maʽăśeh, Septuagint: ἔργα).  This psalm is presumed to have been written by the Korahites.  Though Korahites fought with David this psalm was not the work of sycophants flattering their king but a work of prophets revealing the One who was to come, the Son of God, the son of David (2 Samuel 7:12-16), the Rock who saved (yeshûʽâh, ישעתו) Israel.

Psalm 45:2 (Tanakh)

Psalm 44:3 (NETS)
Thou art fairer (yâphâh, יפיפית) than the children of men: grace (chên, חן) is poured into thy lips: therefore God hath blessed thee for ever. Youthful in beauty (ὡραῖος) you are, beyond the sons of men; grace (χάρις) was poured on your lips; therefore God blessed you forever.

The Spirit is the one who gives life, Jesus said, human nature is of no help!  The words that I have spoken[10] to you are spirit and are life.[11]  If I keep this in mind I’m not thrown off by translations like fairer and youthful in beauty applied to Him, but remain focused on the Spirit and the life in his words: As it is written, “How timely (ὡραῖοι, another form of ὡραῖος) is the arrival of those who proclaim[12] the good news.”[13]  For[14] we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift (χάριν, a form of χάρις) after another (χάριτος, another form of χάρις).  For the law was given through Moses,[15] but grace (χάρις) and truth came about through Jesus Christ.[16]

Psalm 45:3 (Tanakh)

Psalm 44:4 (NETS)
Gird thy sword (chereb, חרבך) upon thy thigh, O most mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. Gird your sword (ῥομφαίαν, a form of ῥομφαία) on your thigh, O powerful one, in your bloom and beauty,

In John’s vision on Patmos a sharp double-edged sword (ρομφαία) extended out of [Jesus’] mouth.[17]  He identified Himself as the one who has the sharp double-edged sword (ρομφαίαν, a form of ρομφαία).[18]  Though the psalmists enjoined Him to Gird thy sword upon the thigh, in the manner of kings they knew, Jesus said He would make war against those [who follow the teaching of Balaam or the teaching of the Nicolaitans] with the sword (ρομφαίᾳ) of my mouth.[19]  Death and Hades…were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill its population with the sword (ρομφαίᾳ),[20] but John never saw a sword in Jesus’ hand: From his mouth extends a sharp sword[21] (ρομφαία), so that with it he can strike[22] the nations.[23]  Jesus’ words, the sword that extended from his mouth, have the power to kill the flesh of those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image (Revelation 19:19-21 NET).

Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to do battle[24] with the one who rode the horse and with his army.  Now the beast was seized, and along with[25] him[26] the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf – signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.  Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning[27] with sulfur.[28]  The others were killed by the sword (ρομφαίᾳ) that extended[29] from the mouth of the one who rode the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh (σαρκῶν, a form of σάρξ).

Those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image were not thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur.  I’ve assumed that they will be because an angel declaring in a loud voice, presumably prior to anyone worshipping the beast or taking his mark, said (Revelation 14:9-11 NET):

If anyone worships the beast and his image, and takes the mark on his forehead or his hand, that person will also drink of the wine of God’s anger that has been mixed undiluted in the cup of his wrath, and he will be tortured (βασανισθήσεται, a form of βασανίζω) with fire and sulfur in front of the[30] holy angels and in front of the Lamb.  And the smoke from their torture (βασανισμοῦ, a form of βασανισμός) will go up forever and ever, and those who worship the beast and his image will have no rest day or night, along with anyone who receives the mark of his name.

They will be tortured with fire and sulfur in front of the holy angels and in front of the Lamb.  The devil…was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too.[31]  Those who worship the beast and his image will have no rest day or night, along with anyone who receives the mark of his name.  The devil, the beast and the false prophet will be tormented (βασανισθήσονται, another form of βασανισμός) in the lake of fire and sulfur day and night forever and ever.[32]  The smoke from their [e.g., those who worship the beast or receive his mark] torture (βασανισμοῦ, a form of βασανισμός) will go up forever and ever.

Though the words are quite evocative it is never stated explicitly that those who worship the beast or receive his mark are cast into the lake of fire and sulfur.  Even when the time comes that one might expect it, the criteria for being thrown into the lake of fire has changed: If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire.[33]  I don’t belabor this point to encourage anyone to worship the beast or take his mark, but to leave room for the mercy of God and to respect the power of Jesus’ preaching, the sharp sword that extends from his mouth.  This will become clearer, perhaps, in the next verse of the psalm.

Psalm 45:4 (Tanakh)

Psalm 44:5 (NETS)
And in thy majesty ride prosperously because of truth and meekness and righteousness; and thy right hand shall teach thee terrible things. And draw, and prosper, and become king for the sake of truth and meekness and righteousness, and your right hand will guide you marvelously.

The Hebrew word translated truth was אמת (ʼemeth), ἀληθείας (a form of ἀλήθεια) in Greek in the Septuagint.  We saw his glory, John testified about Jesus, the glory of the one and only, full of grace and truth (ἀληθείας, a form of ἀλήθεια), who came from the Father.[34]  Set them apart in the truth[35] (ἀληθείᾳ), Jesus prayed for his disciples, your word is truth (ἀλήθεια).[36]  And, I am the way, and the truth (ἀλήθεια), and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.[37]

The Hebrew word translated righteousness was צדק (tsedeq), δικαιοσύνης (a form of δικαιοσύνη) in Greek in the Septuagint.  Jesus was conscientious to fulfill all righteousness (δικαιοσύνην, another form of δικαιοσύνη).[38]  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (δικαιοσύνην, another form of δικαιοσύνη), He promised his hearers, for they will be satisfied.[39]  But above all, He exhorts those with ears to hear, pursue his kingdom[40] and righteousness (δικαιοσύνην, another form of δικαιοσύνη).[41]  For I tell you, unless your righteousness (δικαιοσύνη) goes beyond that of the experts in the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.[42]

For no one is declared righteous (δικαιωθήσεται, a form of δικαιόω) before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.  But now apart from the law the righteousness (δικαιοσύνη) of God (which is attested by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed – namely, the righteousness (δικαιοσύνη) of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all[43] who believe.[44]  Those who believe are filled with the fruit[45] of righteousness (δικαιοσύνης, a form of δικαιοσύνη) that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God.[46]  God’s servants commend themselves to others by purity, by knowledge, by patience, by benevolence, by the Holy Spirit, by genuine love, by truthful (ἀληθείας, a form of ἀλήθεια) teaching, by the power of God, with weapons of righteousness (δικαιοσύνης, a form of δικαιοσύνη) both for the right hand and for the left.[47]  Chief among these weapons of righteousness is the sword (μάχαιραν, a form of μάχαιρα) of the Spirit, which is the word of God.[48]  John recounted his vision (Revelation 19:11-13 NET):

Then I saw heaven opened[49] and here came a white horse!  The one riding it was called “Faithful” (πιστὸς) and “True,” (ἀληθινός) and with justice (δικαιοσύνῃ) he judges and goes to war.  His eyes are like a fiery flame and there are many diadem crowns on his head.  He has[50] a name written that no one knows except himself.  He is dressed in clothing dipped in blood, and he is called[51] the Word of God.

In the midst of all this martial imagery is the word meekness.  It was וענוה (ʽanvâh) in Hebrew, translated πρᾳότητος (a form of πρᾳότης) in Greek in the Septuagint.  It was also spelled πραΰτης.  Paul wrote of the meekness[52] (πραΰτητος, a form of πραΰτης) and gentleness of Christ.[53]  And apparently (2 Corinthians 10), the meekness and gentleness of Christ in him was so pronounced a feature of his own character in person that his letters shocked some in Corinth as being of a different character.  This πραΰτης, translated gentleness, is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of righteousness (Galatians 5:22, 23 NET):

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

I’ve quoted this often but stopped before, Against such things there is no law.  No more, since I’m becoming more and more aware how eagerly the religious mind desires to be the arbiter of these things, throwing up reasons against them, debating if not outright denying, the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control rising up within me from that fountain of water springing up to eternal life.[54]  I’ve found myself unarmed and defenseless against its arguments because I haven’t drilled this truth deeply enough into my being: Against such things there is no law.  Against such things there is no law.

Brothers and sisters, Paul wrote believers in Galatia, if a person is discovered in some sin, you who are spiritual restore such a person in a spirit of gentleness[55] (πραΰτητος, a form of πραΰτης).[56]  I hear this as the Holy Spirit’s definitive answer to Paul’s rhetorical question: Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline or with love and a spirit of gentleness (πραΰτητος, a form of πραΰτης)?[57] even as I hear Paul’s rhetorical question as definitive of what a spirit of gentleness is not.

Pay close attention to yourselves, Paul continued, so that you are not tempted too.  Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill[58] the law of Christ.  For if anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.  Let each one examine his own work.  Then he can take pride in himself and not compare himself with someone else.  For each one will carry his own load.[59]

This πραΰτης is at the very heart of what it means to live worthily of the calling with which [we] have been called (Ephesians 4:1b-6 NET):

with all humility and gentleness[60] (πραΰτητος, a form of πραΰτης), with patience, bearing with one another in love, making every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  There is one body and one Spirit, just as you too were called to the one hope of your calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.[61]

And this, not because it is one of Paul’s laws but because meekness or gentleness is the very nature of the firstborn of this new species of humanity, the one called the Word of God, Jesus our Savior.  It is the work of God to instill this within us who have turned in faith to Him.  And it should never be forgotten, especially in the midst of martial imagery.  Though I copied and pasted וענוה (ʽanvâh) from the parallel Hebrew text of the NET online, there was a note (15) explaining why meekness or gentleness does not appear in the NET translation of Psalm 45:4.

I’ll pick this up in another essay.  Tables of Hebrews 1:8; John 6:63; John 1:16, 17; Revelation 2:16; Revelation 6:8; Revelation 19:15; 19:19-21; Revelation 14:9, 10; John 17:17; Matthew 6:33; Romans 3:22; Philippians 1:11; Revelation 19:11-13; 2 Corinthians 10:1; John 4:14; Galatians 6:1, 2; 1 Corinthians 4:21; Ephesians 4:2 and 4:6 comparing the NET and KJV follow.

Hebrews 1:8 (NET)

Hebrews 1:8 (KJV)
but of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, and a righteous scepter is the scepter of your kingdom. But unto the Son he saith, Thy throne, O God, is for ever and ever: a sceptre of righteousness is the sceptre of thy kingdom.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
πρὸς δὲ τὸν υἱόν ὁ θρόνος σου ὁ θεὸς εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα |τοῦ αἰῶνος|, καὶ ἡ ράβδος τῆς εὐθύτητος ράβδος τῆς βασιλείας |σου|. προς δε τον υιον ο θρονος σου ο θεος εις τον αιωνα του αιωνος ραβδος ευθυτητος η ραβδος της βασιλειας σου προς δε τον υιον ο θρονος σου ο θεος εις τον αιωνα του αιωνος ραβδος ευθυτητος η ραβδος της βασιλειας σου

John 6:63 (NET)

John 6:63 (KJV)
The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help!  The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
τὸ πνεῦμα ἐστιν τὸ ζῳοποιοῦν, ἡ σὰρξ οὐκ ὠφελεῖ οὐδέν· τὰ ρήματα ἃ ἐγὼ λελάληκα ὑμῖν πνεῦμα ἐστιν καὶ ζωή ἐστιν το πνευμα εστιν το ζωοποιουν η σαρξ ουκ ωφελει ουδεν τα ρηματα α εγω λαλω υμιν πνευμα εστιν και ζωη εστιν το πνευμα εστιν το ζωοποιουν η σαρξ ουκ ωφελει ουδεν τα ρηματα α εγω λαλω υμιν πνευμα εστιν και ζωη εστιν

John 1:16, 17 (NET)

John 1:16, 17 (KJV)
For we have all received from his fullness one gracious gift after another. And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὅτι ἐκ τοῦ πληρώματος αὐτοῦ ἡμεῖς πάντες ἐλάβομεν καὶ χάριν ἀντὶ χάριτος και εκ του πληρωματος αυτου ημεις παντες ελαβομεν και χαριν αντι χαριτος και εκ του πληρωματος αυτου ημεις παντες ελαβομεν και χαριν αντι χαριτος
For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came about through Jesus Christ. For the law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὅτι ὁ νόμος διὰ Μωϋσέως ἐδόθη, ἡ χάρις καὶ ἡ ἀλήθεια διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ ἐγένετο οτι ο νομος δια μωσεως εδοθη η χαρις και η αληθεια δια ιησου χριστου εγενετο οτι ο νομος δια μωσεως εδοθη η χαρις και η αληθεια δια ιησου χριστου εγενετο
Revelation 2:16 (NET)

Revelation 2:16 (KJV)
Therefore, repent!  If not, I will come against you quickly and make war against those people with the sword of my mouth. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
μετανόησον οὖν εἰ δὲ μή, ἔρχομαι σοι ταχὺ καὶ πολεμήσω μετ᾿ αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ ρομφαίᾳ τοῦ στόματος μου μετανοησον ει δε μη ερχομαι σοι ταχυ και πολεμησω μετ αυτων εν τη ρομφαια του στοματος μου μετανοησον ουν ει δε μη ερχομαι σοι ταχυ και πολεμησω μετ αυτων εν τη ρομφαια του στοματος μου

Revelation 6:8 (NET)

Revelation 6:8 (KJV)
So I looked and here came a pale green horse!  The name of the one who rode it was Death, and Hades followed right behind.  They were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill its population with the sword, famine, and disease, and by the wild animals of the earth. And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him.  And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ εἶδον, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἵππος χλωρός, καὶ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπάνω |αὐτοῦ| ὄνομα αὐτῷ [ὁ] θάνατος, καὶ ὁ ᾅδης ἠκολούθει μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐδόθη αὐτοῖς ἐξουσία ἐπὶ τὸ τέταρτον τῆς γῆς ἀποκτεῖναι ἐν ρομφαίᾳ καὶ ἐν λιμῷ καὶ ἐν θανάτῳ καὶ ὑπὸ τῶν θηρίων τῆς γῆς και ειδον και ιδου ιππος χλωρος και ο καθημενος επανω αυτου ονομα αυτω ο θανατος και ο αδης ακολουθει μετ αυτου και εδοθη αυτοις εξουσια αποκτειναι επι το τεταρτον της γης εν ρομφαια και εν λιμω και εν θανατω και υπο των θηριων της γης και ιδου ιππος χλωρος και ο καθημενος επανω αυτου ονομα αυτω ο θανατος και ο αδης ηκολουθει αυτω και εδοθη αυτω εξουσια επι το τεταρτον της γης αποκτειναι εν ρομφαια και εν λιμω και εν θανατω και υπο των θηριων της γης

Revelation 19:15 (NET)

Revelation 19:15 (KJV)
From his mouth extends a sharp sword, so that with it he can strike the nations.  He will rule them with an iron rod, and he stomps the winepress of the furious wrath of God, the All-Powerful. And out of his mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron: and he treadeth the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
NET Parallel Greek Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ ἐκπορεύεται ρομφαία ὀξεῖα, ἵνα ἐν αὐτῇ πατάξῃ τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ αὐτὸς ποιμανεῖ αὐτοὺς ἐν ράβδῳ σιδηρᾷ, καὶ αὐτὸς πατεῖ τὴν ληνὸν τοῦ οἴνου τοῦ θυμοῦ τῆς ὀργῆς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ παντοκράτορος και εκ του στοματος αυτου εκπορευεται ρομφαια οξεια ινα εν αυτη πατασση τα εθνη και αυτος ποιμανει αυτους εν ραβδω σιδηρα και αυτος πατει την ληνον του οινου του θυμου και της οργης του θεου του παντοκρατορος και εκ του στοματος αυτου εκπορευεται ρομφαια διστομος οξεια ινα εν αυτη παταξη τα εθνη και αυτος ποιμανει αυτους εν ραβδω σιδηρα και αυτος πατει την ληνον του οινου του θυμου της οργης του θεου του παντοκρατορος
Revelation 19:19-21 (NET)

Revelation 19: 19-21 (KJV)
Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies assembled to do battle with the one who rode the horse and with his army. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against him that sat on the horse, and against his army.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ εἶδον τὸ θηρίον καὶ τοὺς βασιλεῖς τῆς γῆς καὶ τὰ στρατεύματα αὐτῶν συνηγμένα ποιῆσαι τὸν πόλεμον μετὰ τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ ἵππου καὶ μετὰ τοῦ στρατεύματος αὐτοῦ και ειδον το θηριον και τους βασιλεις της γης και τα στρατευματα αυτων συνηγμενα ποιησαι πολεμον μετα του καθημενου επι του ιππου και μετα του στρατευματος αυτου και ειδον το θηριον και τους βασιλεις της γης και τα στρατευματα αυτων συνηγμενα ποιησαι πολεμον μετα του καθημενου επι του ιππου και μετα του στρατευματος αυτου
Now the beast was seized, and along with him the false prophet who had performed the signs on his behalf – signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image.  Both of them were thrown alive into the lake of fire burning with sulfur. And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstone.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ ἐπιάσθη τὸ θηρίον καὶ μετ᾿ αὐτοῦ ὁ ψευδοπροφήτης ὁ ποιήσας τὰ σημεῖα ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ, ἐν οἷς ἐπλάνησεν τοὺς λαβόντας τὸ χάραγμα τοῦ θηρίου καὶ τοὺς προσκυνοῦντας τῇ εἰκόνι αὐτοῦ· ζῶντες ἐβλήθησαν οἱ δύο εἰς τὴν λίμνην τοῦ πυρὸς τῆς καιομένης ἐν θείῳ και επιασθη το θηριον και μετα τουτου ο ψευδοπροφητης ο ποιησας τα σημεια ενωπιον αυτου εν οις επλανησεν τους λαβοντας το χαραγμα του θηριου και τους προσκυνουντας τη εικονι αυτου ζωντες εβληθησαν οι δυο εις την λιμνην του πυρος την καιομενην εν τω θειω και επιασθη το θηριον και ο μετ αυτου ψευδοπροφητης ο ποιησας τα σημεια ενωπιον αυτου εν οις επλανησεν τους λαβοντας το χαραγμα του θηριου και τους προσκυνουντας τη εικονι αυτου ζωντες εβληθησαν οι δυο εις την λιμνην του πυρος την καιομενην εν θειω
The others were killed by the sword that extended from the mouth of the one who rode the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves with their flesh. And the remnant were slain with the sword of him that sat upon the horse, which sword proceeded out of his mouth: and all the fowls were filled with their flesh.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ οἱ λοιποὶ ἀπεκτάνθησαν ἐν τῇ ρομφαίᾳ τοῦ καθημένου ἐπὶ τοῦ ἵππου τῇ ἐξελθούσῃ ἐκ τοῦ στόματος αὐτοῦ, καὶ πάντα τὰ ὄρνεα ἐχορτάσθησαν ἐκ τῶν σαρκῶν αὐτῶν και οι λοιποι απεκτανθησαν εν τη ρομφαια του καθημενου επι του ιππου τη εκπορευομενη εκ του στοματος αυτου και παντα τα ορνεα εχορτασθησαν εκ των σαρκων αυτων και οι λοιποι απεκτανθησαν εν τη ρομφαια του καθημενου επι του ιππου τη εξελθουση εκ του στοματος αυτου και παντα τα ορνεα εχορτασθησαν εκ των σαρκων αυτων

Revelation 14:9, 10 (NET)

Revelation 14:9, 10 (KJV)
A third angel followed the first two, declaring in a loud voice: “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and takes the mark on his forehead or his hand, And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand,

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ ἄλλος ἄγγελος τρίτος ἠκολούθησεν αὐτοῖς λέγων ἐν φωνῇ μεγάλῃ· εἴ τις προσκυνεῖ τὸ θηρίον καὶ τὴν εἰκόνα αὐτοῦ καὶ λαμβάνει χάραγμα ἐπὶ τοῦ μετώπου αὐτοῦ ἢ ἐπὶ τὴν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ, και τριτος αγγελος ηκολουθησεν αυτοις λεγων εν φωνη μεγαλη ει τις το θηριον προσκυνει και την εικονα αυτου και λαμβανει χαραγμα επι του μετωπου αυτου η επι την χειρα αυτου και αλλος αγγελος τριτος ηκολουθησεν αυτοις λεγων εν φωνη μεγαλη ει τις προσκυνει το θηριον και την εικονα αυτου και λαμβανει χαραγμα επι του μετωπου αυτου η επι την χειρα αυτου
that person will also drink of the wine of God’s anger that has been mixed undiluted in the cup of his wrath, and he will be tortured with fire and sulfur in front of the holy angels and in front of the Lamb. The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ αὐτὸς πίεται ἐκ τοῦ οἴνου τοῦ θυμοῦ τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ κεκερασμένου ἀκράτου ἐν τῷ ποτηρίῳ τῆς ὀργῆς αὐτοῦ καὶ βασανισθήσεται ἐν πυρὶ καὶ θείῳ ἐνώπιον ἀγγέλων ἁγίων καὶ ἐνώπιον τοῦ ἀρνίου και αυτος πιεται εκ του οινου του θυμου του θεου του κεκερασμενου ακρατου εν τω ποτηριω της οργης αυτου και βασανισθησεται εν πυρι και θειω ενωπιον των αγιων αγγελων και ενωπιον του αρνιου και αυτος πιεται εκ του οινου του θυμου του θεου του κεκερασμενου ακρατου εν τω ποτηριω της οργης αυτου και βασανισθησεται εν πυρι και θειω ενωπιον των αγιων αγγελων και ενωπιον του αρνιου

John 17:17 (NET)

John 17:17 (KJV)
Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ἁγίασον αὐτοὺς ἐν τῇ ἀληθείᾳ· ὁ λόγος ὁ σὸς ἀλήθεια ἐστιν αγιασον αυτους εν τη αληθεια σου ο λογος ο σος αληθεια εστιν αγιασον αυτους εν τη αληθεια σου ο λογος ο σος αληθεια εστιν

Matthew 6:33 (NET)

Matthew 6:33 (KJV)
But above all pursue his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ζητεῖτε δὲ πρῶτον τὴν βασιλείαν  καὶ τὴν δικαιοσύνην αὐτοῦ, καὶ ταῦτα πάντα προστεθήσεται ὑμῖν ζητειτε δε πρωτον την βασιλειαν του θεου και την δικαιοσυνην αυτου και ταυτα παντα προστεθησεται υμιν ζητειτε δε πρωτον την βασιλειαν του θεου και την δικαιοσυνην αυτου και ταυτα παντα προστεθησεται υμιν

Romans 3:22 (NET)

Romans 3:22 (KJV)
namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe.  For there is no distinction, Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
δικαιοσύνη δὲ θεοῦ διὰ πίστεως |Ἰησοῦ| Χριστοῦ εἰς πάντας τοὺς πιστεύοντας. οὐ γάρ ἐστιν διαστολή δικαιοσυνη δε θεου δια πιστεως ιησου χριστου εις παντας και επι παντας τους πιστευοντας ου γαρ εστιν διαστολη δικαιοσυνη δε θεου δια πιστεως ιησου χριστου εις παντας και επι παντας τους πιστευοντας ου γαρ εστιν διαστολη
Philippians 1:11 (NET)

Philippians 1:11 (KJV)
filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ to the glory and praise of God. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
πεπληρωμένοι καρπὸν δικαιοσύνης τὸν διὰ Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ εἰς δόξαν καὶ ἔπαινον θεοῦ πεπληρωμενοι καρπων δικαιοσυνης των δια ιησου χριστου εις δοξαν και επαινον θεου πεπληρωμενοι καρπων δικαιοσυνης των δια ιησου χριστου εις δοξαν και επαινον θεου

Revelation 19:11-13 (NET)

Revelation 19:11-13 (KJV)
Then I saw heaven opened and here came a white horse!  The one riding it was called “Faithful” and “True,” and with justice he judges and goes to war. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ εἶδον τὸν οὐρανὸν ἠνεῳγμένον, καὶ ἰδοὺ ἵππος λευκός καὶ ὁ καθήμενος ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν  [καλούμενος] |πιστὸς| καὶ ἀληθινός, καὶ ἐν δικαιοσύνῃ κρίνει καὶ πολεμεῖ και ειδον τον ουρανον ανεωγμενον και ιδου ιππος λευκος και ο καθημενος επ αυτον καλουμενος πιστος και αληθινος και εν δικαιοσυνη κρινει και πολεμει και ειδον τον ουρανον ανεωγμενον και ιδου ιππος λευκος και ο καθημενος επ αυτον καλουμενος πιστος και αληθινος και εν δικαιοσυνη κρινει και πολεμει
His eyes are like a fiery flame and there are many diadem crowns on his head. He has a name written that no one knows except himself. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns; and he had a name written, that no man knew, but he himself.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
οἱ δὲ ὀφθαλμοὶ αὐτοῦ [ὡς] φλὸξ πυρός, καὶ ἐπὶ τὴν κεφαλὴν αὐτοῦ διαδήματα πολλά, ἔχων ὄνομα γεγραμμένον ὃ οὐδεὶς οἶδεν εἰ μὴ αὐτός οι δε οφθαλμοι αυτου ως φλοξ πυρος και επι την κεφαλην αυτου διαδηματα πολλα εχων ονομα γεγραμμενον ο ουδεις οιδεν ει μη αυτος οι δε οφθαλμοι αυτου φλοξ πυρος και επι την κεφαλην αυτου διαδηματα πολλα εχων ονοματα γεγραμμενα και ονομα γεγραμμενον ο ουδεις οιδεν ει μη αυτος
He is dressed in clothing dipped in blood, and he is called the Word of God. And he was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called The Word of God.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ περιβεβλημένος ἱμάτιον |βεβαμμένον| αἵματι, καὶ κέκληται τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ και περιβεβλημενος ιματιον βεβαμμενον αιματι και καλειται το ονομα αυτου ο λογος του θεου και περιβεβλημενος ιματιον βεβαμμενον αιματι και καλειται το ονομα αυτου ο λογος του θεου
2 Corinthians 10:1 (NET)

2 Corinthians 10:1 (KJV)
Now I, Paul, appeal to you personally by the meekness and gentleness of Christ (I who am meek when present among you, but am full of courage toward you when away!) – Now I Paul myself beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of Christ, who in presence am base among you, but being absent am bold toward you:

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Αὐτὸς δὲ ἐγὼ Παῦλος παρακαλῶ ὑμᾶς διὰ τῆς πραΰτητος καὶ ἐπιεικείας τοῦ Χριστοῦ (ὃς κατὰ πρόσωπον μὲν ταπεινὸς ἐν ὑμῖν, ἀπὼν δὲ θαρρῶ εἰς ὑμᾶς) αυτος δε εγω παυλος παρακαλω υμας δια της πραοτητος και επιεικειας του χριστου ος κατα προσωπον μεν ταπεινος εν υμιν απων δε θαρρω εις υμας αυτος δε εγω παυλος παρακαλω υμας δια της πραοτητος και επιεικειας του χριστου ος κατα προσωπον μεν ταπεινος εν υμιν απων δε θαρρω εις υμας

John 4:14 (NET)

John 4:14 (KJV)
But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.” But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
ὃς δ᾿ ἂν πίῃ ἐκ τοῦ ὕδατος οὗ ἐγὼ δώσω αὐτῷ, οὐ μὴ διψήσει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ἀλλὰ τὸ ὕδωρ ὃ δώσω αὐτῷ γενήσεται ἐν αὐτῷ πηγὴ ὕδατος ἁλλομένου εἰς ζωὴν αἰώνιον ος δ αν πιη εκ του υδατος ου εγω δωσω αυτω ου μη διψηση εις τον αιωνα αλλα το υδωρ ο δωσω αυτω γενησεται εν αυτω πηγη υδατος αλλομενου εις ζωην αιωνιον ος δ αν πιη εκ του υδατος ου εγω δωσω αυτω ου μη διψηση εις τον αιωνα αλλα το υδωρ ο δωσω αυτω γενησεται εν αυτω πηγη υδατος αλλομενου εις ζωην αιωνιον

Galatians 6:1, 2 (NET)

Galatians 6:1, 2 (KJV)
Brothers and sisters, if a person is discovered in some sin, 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. Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Ἀδελφοί, ἐὰν καὶ προλημφθῇ ἄνθρωπος ἔν τινι παραπτώματι, ὑμεῖς οἱ πνευματικοὶ καταρτίζετε τὸν τοιοῦτον ἐν πνεύματι πραΰτητος, σκοπῶν σεαυτὸν μὴ καὶ σὺ πειρασθῇς αδελφοι εαν και προληφθη ανθρωπος εν τινι παραπτωματι υμεις οι πνευματικοι καταρτιζετε τον τοιουτον εν πνευματι πραοτητος σκοπων σεαυτον μη και συ πειρασθης αδελφοι εαν και προληφθη ανθρωπος εν τινι παραπτωματι υμεις οι πνευματικοι καταρτιζετε τον τοιουτον εν πνευματι πραοτητος σκοπων σεαυτον μη και συ πειρασθης
Carry one another’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
Ἀλλήλων τὰ βάρη βαστάζετε καὶ οὕτως |ἀναπληρώσετε| τὸν νόμον τοῦ Χριστοῦ αλληλων τα βαρη βασταζετε και ουτως αναπληρωσατε τον νομον του χριστου αλληλων τα βαρη βασταζετε και ουτως αναπληρωσατε τον νομον του χριστου

1 Corinthians 4:21 (NET)

1 Corinthians 4:21 (KJV)
What do you want?  Shall I come to you with a rod of discipline or with love and a spirit of gentleness? What will ye? shall I come unto you with a rod, or in love, and in the spirit of meekness?

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
τί θέλετε; ἐν ράβδῳ ἔλθω πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἢ ἐν ἀγάπῃ πνεύματι τε πραΰτητος τι θελετε εν ραβδω ελθω προς υμας η εν αγαπη πνευματι τε πραοτητος τι θελετε εν ραβδω ελθω προς υμας η εν αγαπη πνευματι τε πραοτητος

Ephesians 4:2 (NET)

Ephesians 4:2 (KJV)
with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
μετὰ πάσης ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ πραΰτητος, μετὰ μακροθυμίας, ἀνεχόμενοι ἀλλήλων ἐν ἀγάπῃ μετα πασης ταπεινοφροσυνης και πραοτητος μετα μακροθυμιας ανεχομενοι αλληλων εν αγαπη μετα πασης ταπεινοφροσυνης και πραοτητος μετα μακροθυμιας ανεχομενοι αλληλων εν αγαπη

Ephesians 4:6 (NET)

Ephesians 4:6 (KJV)
one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. One God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

NET Parallel Greek

 Stephanus Textus Receptus

Byzantine Majority Text
εἷς θεὸς καὶ πατὴρ πάντων, ὁ ἐπὶ πάντων καὶ διὰ πάντων καὶ ἐν πᾶσιν εις θεος και πατηρ παντων ο επι παντων και δια παντων και εν πασιν υμιν εις θεος και πατηρ παντων ο επι παντων και δια παντων και εν πασιν ημιν

[1] Aaron and his sons (Exodus 28:43 NET)

[2] Exodus 29:33 (NET)

[3] Hebrews 1:7 (NET)

[4] Psalm 104:4 (NET)

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

[6] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had τῆς preceding righteous.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[7] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἡ preceding scepter.  The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[8] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ἡ preceding scepter.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[9] Hebrews 1:8, 9 (NET)

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

[11] John 6:63 (NET)

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

[13] Romans 10:15b (NET) Table

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

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

[16] John 1:16, 17 (NET)

[17] Revelation 1:16b (NET)

[18] Revelation 2:12b (NET)

[19] Revelation 2:16b (NET)

[20] Revelation 6:8b (NET)

[21] The Byzantine Majority Text described this sword as διστομος here.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

[22] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had πατάξῃ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had πατασση (KJV: should smite).

[23] Revelation 19:15a (NET)

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

[25] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had μετ᾿ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had μετα.

[26] The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had αὐτοῦ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had τουτου.

[27] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had τῆς καιομένης here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had την καιομενην.

[28] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article τω preceding sulfur.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

[29] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had εκπορευομενη (KJV: proceeded) here, where the NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Byzantine Majority Text had ἐξελθούσῃ.

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

[31] Revelation 20:10a (NET)

[32] Revelation 20:10b (NET)

[33] Revelation 20:15 (NET)

[34] John 1:14b (NET)

[35] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had σου following truth (KJV: thy truth).  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[36] John 17:17 (NET)

[37] John 14:6 (NET)

[38] Matthew 3:15 (NET) See Matthew 3:13-17

[39] Matthew 5:6 (NET)

[40] The Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA28 had τοῦ θεοῦ (KJV: of God) following kingdom.  The NET parallel Greek text did not.

[41] Matthew 6:33a (NET) See Matthew 6:25-34

[42] Matthew 5:20 (NET)

[43] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και επι παντας (KJV: and upon all them) following all.  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 did not.

[44] Romans 3:20-22a (NET)

[45] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had the singular καρπὸν accompanied by the singular article τὸν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had the plural καρπων (KJV: fruits) accompanied by the plural article των.

[46] Philippians 1:11 (NET)

[47] 2 Corinthians 6:6, 7 (NET)

[48] Ephesians 6:17b (NET)

[49] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἠνεῳγμένον here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ανεωγμενον.

[50] The Byzantine Majority Text had ονοματα γεγραμμενα και (“names written and”) following He has.  The NET parallel Greek text, NA28 and Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

[51] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had κέκληται here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had καλειται.

[52] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 meekness was spelled πραΰτητος, and πραοτητος in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

[53] 2 Corinthians 10:1a (NET)

[54] John 4:14b (NET)

[55] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 gentleness was spelled πραΰτητος, and πραοτητος in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

[56] Galatians 6:1 (NET)

[57] 1 Corinthians 4:21b (NET) In the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 gentleness was spelled πραΰτητος, and πραοτητος in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

[58] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had ἀναπληρώσετε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had αναπληρωσατε (KJV: fulfil).

[59] Galatians 6:1b-5 (NET)

[60] In the NET parallel Greek text and NA28 gentleness was spelled πραΰτητος, and πραοτητος in the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text.

[61] The Stephanus Textus Receptus had υμιν following all (KJV: you all), where the Byzantine Majority Text had ημιν (us).  The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had neither.

The Angels Will Gather

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But I have a few things against you,[1] Jesus told John to write to the angel of the church in Pergamum.[2]  The word translated angel is ἀγγέλῳ (a form of ἄγγελος).  Below is a table of its forms and occurrences.

Form of ἄγγελος

 Total Occurrences Revelation Occurrences

URL
ἀγγέλῳ 9 8 http://biblehub.com/greek/angelo__32.htm
ἀγγέλων 31 7 http://biblehub.com/greek/angelo_n_32.htm
ἄγγελοι 23 8 http://biblehub.com/greek/angeloi_32.htm
ἀγγέλοις 9 3 http://biblehub.com/greek/angelois_32.htm
ἄγγελόν 22 11 http://biblehub.com/greek/angelon_32.htm
ἄγγελος 48 17 http://biblehub.com/greek/angelos_32.htm
ἀγγέλου 14 8 http://biblehub.com/greek/angelou_32.htm
ἀγγέλους 20 5 http://biblehub.com/greek/angelous_32.htm
Total 176 67

It means messenger and was translated messenger when the translators were reasonably sure the messenger was a human being (ἀγγέλων – Luke 7:24; ἄγγελον – Matthew 11:10, Mark 1:2, Luke 7:27; ἀγγέλους – Luke 9:52).  Paul euphemistically called a thorn in the flesh…a messenger (ἄγγελος – 2 Corinthians 12:7) of Satan.

To this list I would add: 1) Before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels (ἀγγέλων – 1 Timothy 5:21) because of its association with the word translated elect (ἐκλεκτῶν, a form of ἐκλεκτός); 2) seen by angels (ἀγγέλοις – 1 Timothy 3:16 because human messengers proclaimed [Jesus] among Gentiles; 3) you welcomed me as though I were an angel of God (ἄγγελον – Galatians 4:14) because Paul referred to himself, a human being, as a messenger of God; and 4) I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you (ἄγγελον – Revelation 22:16) because the word translated you (ὑμῖν) is plural ἄγγελον meant John as opposed to the angel who spoke to John.

There are seven more occurrences of forms of ἄγγελος that seem equivocal to me.  Three of them are further confounded by two occurrences in Stephen’s defense (Acts 7:35, 38 NET):

This same Moses they had rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge?’  God sent as both ruler and deliverer through the hand of the angel (ἀγγέλου) who appeared to him in the bush.

This is the man who was in the congregation in the wilderness with the angel (ἀγγέλου) who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, and he received living oracles to give to you.

The angel (Septuagint: ἄγγελος) of the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה) appeared to [Moses] in a flame of fire from within a bush.[3]  When the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה) saw that he had turned aside to look, God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) called to him from within the bush and said…[4]  “I am the God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהי) of your father, the God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהי) of Abraham, the God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהי) of Isaac, and the God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהי) of Jacob.”  Then Moses hid his face, because he was afraid to look at God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym).[5]  “Go and bring together the elders of Israel and tell them, ‘The Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה), the God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהי) of your fathers, appeared to me…”[6]

God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהים) spoke all these words: “I, the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה), am your God (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהיך), who brought you from the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery” [Table].[7]  “Moses alone may come near the Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה), but the others must not come near, nor may the people go up with him.”[8]  The Lord (yehôvâh, יהוה) spoke to Moses: “Go quickly, descend, because your people, whom you brought up from the land of Egypt, have acted corruptly [Table].  They have quickly turned aside from the way that I commanded them – they have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it and sacrificed to it and said, ‘These are your gods (ʼĕlôhı̂ym, אלהיך), O Israel, which brought you up from the land of Egypt’” [Table].[9]  Clearly, the messenger of yehôvâh in the burning bush and on Mount Sinai was yehôvâh Himself, though first century Jews may have been reluctant to acknowledge it.[10]

So when Stephen said—You received the law by decrees given by angels (ἀγγέλων), but you did not obey it[11]—was it a pious fiction for Jewish sensibilities or a prophetic revelation?  What about when the Holy Spirit included Stephen’s statement in the New Testament?  Why then was the law given? Paul asked rhetorically.  It was added because of transgressions, until the arrival of the descendant to whom the promise had been made.  It was administered (διαταγεὶς, a form of διατάσσω) through angels (ἀγγέλων) by an intermediary.[12]  For if the message spoken through angels (ἀγγέλων) proved to be so firm that every violation or disobedience received its just penalty, how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?  It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him, while God confirmed their witness with signs and wonders and various miracles and gifts of the Holy Spirit distributed according to his will.[13]

Are these human messengers—prophets and priests—oblique references to yehôvâh Himself or beings of another order of creation—angels?

Depart from me, you accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels (ἀγγέλοις)![14]  All who were sitting in the council looked intently at Stephen and saw his face was like the face of an angel (ἀγγέλου).[15]  For man did not come from woman, but woman from man.  Neither was man created for the sake of woman, but woman for man.  For this reason a woman should have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels (ἀγγέλους).[16]  Do not neglect hospitality, because through it some have entertained angels (ἀγγέλους) without knowing it.[17]  Though I categorize these as equivocal I’m certainly leaning toward a higher order of being.  There are seven more occurrences I would have listed as equivocal and probably would have considered them more likely to be human until I began this study.

But I have a few things against you,[18] Jesus told John to write to the angel of the church in Pergamum.[19]  The Greek word translated you is σοῦ (a form of σύ), the second person singular as is the verb translated have (ἔχεις, a form of ἔχω) in the next sentence: You have some people there who follow the teaching of Balaam, who instructed Balak to put a stumbling block before the people of Israel so they would eat (φαγεῖν, a form of φάγω) food sacrificed to idols (εἰδωλόθυτα, a form of εἰδωλόθυτον) and commit sexual immorality (πορνεῦσαι, a form of πορνεύω).[20]

Jesus continued with his message to the angel of the church in Pergamum: Therefore, repent[21] (μετανόησον, a form of μετανοέω)!  Once again the verb μετανόησον is second person singular.  If not, I will come against you (σοι, another form of σύ) quickly and make war against those people with the sword of my mouth.[22]

But I have this against you,[23] Jesus told John to write to the angel of the church in Thyatira.[24]  The Greek word translated you is σοῦ (a form of σύ), the second person singular as is the verb translated tolerate (ἀφεῖς, a form of ἀφίημι) in the next sentence: You tolerate that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and by her teaching deceives my servants to commit sexual immorality (πορνεῦσαι, a form of πορνεύω) and to eat (φαγεῖν, a form of φάγω) food sacrificed to idols (εἰδωλόθυτα, a form of εἰδωλόθυτον).[25]

The criticism was directed at the angels; the threat to make war against those who followed the teaching of Balaam with his words, the censure of illness toward those who committed adultery with Jezebel, and death to those who followed her teaching: Look!  I am throwing her onto a bed of violent illness, and those who commit adultery (μοιχεύοντας, a form of μοιχεύω) with her into terrible suffering, unless they repent of her deeds.  Furthermore, I will strike her followers with a deadly disease, and then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts.[26]  And this, after He had given her time to repent, but she [was] not willing to repent of her sexual immorality (πορνείας, a form of πορνεία).[27]

I will repay (δώσω, a form of δίδωμι) each one of you (ὑμῖν) what your (ὑμῶν) deeds deserve.[28]  Here the words translated you and your are plural.  But to the rest of you (ὑμῖν) in Thyatira, all who do not hold to this teaching (who have not learned the so-called “deep secrets of Satan”), to you I say: I do not put any additional burden on you (ὑμᾶς; plural).  However, hold on to what you have until I come.[29]

Do not accept an accusation against an elder, Paul wrote Timothy, unless it can be confirmed by two or three witnesses.  Those guilty of sin must be rebuked before all, as a warning to the rest.[30]  Not rebuking Jezebel publicly (before other elders) seems like the most obvious[31] failure if Jesus criticized an authoritarian human messenger for tolerating Jezebel (literally, “left” her to do what she did: Matthew 13:36; Matthew 26:44; Mark 8:13; Mark 13:34).  But since Jesus’ prescription—I am throwing her onto a bed of violent illness—is somewhat beyond the purview of a human messenger, I consider an angelic being here and make the connection to Jesus’ parable (Matthew 13:24-30 NET).

“The kingdom of heaven is like a person who sowed good seed in his field.  But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away.  When the plants sprouted and bore grain, then the weeds also appeared.  So the slaves (δοῦλοι, a form of δοῦλος) of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, didn’t you sow good seed in your field?  Then where did the weeds come from?’  He said, ‘An enemy has done this.’  So the slaves replied,[32] ‘Do you want us to go and gather them?’ [Table]  But he said, ‘No, since in gathering the weeds you may uproot the wheat with them.  Let both grow together until the harvest.  At harvest time I will tell the reapers, “First collect the weeds and tie them in bundles to be burned, but then gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

Jesus explained the parable to his disciples (Matthew 13:37-39 NET):

“The one who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man.  The field is the world and the good seed are the people of the kingdom.  The weeds are the people of the evil one, and the enemy who sows them is the devil.  The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels (ἄγγελοι).”

Here the ἄγγελοι are distinguished from the human δοῦλοι as higher beings capable of making distinctions that human messengers could not, and should not, make—No, since in gathering the weeds you may uproot the wheat with them.  The Son of Man will send his angels (ἀγγέλους), and they will gather from his kingdom everything that causes sin as well as all lawbreakers.[33]  This sounds precisely like the function Jesus criticized the angel (ἀγγέλῳ) of the church in Thyatira for not fulfilling sooner regarding Jezebel and her followers.  It prompts me to reconsider whether all seven of these angels are higher order beings—angels.

[1] Revelation 2:14a (NET)

[2] Revelation 2:12a (NET)

[3] Exodus 3:2a (NET)

[4] Exodus 3:4a (NET)

[5] Exodus 3:6 (NET) Table

[6] Exodus 3:16a (NET)

[7] Exodus 20:1, 2 (NET)

[8] Exodus 24:2 (NET)

[9] Exodus 32:7, 8 (NET)

[10] NET note 97

[11] Acts 7:53 (NET)

[12] Galatians 3:19 (NET)

[13] Hebrews 2:2-4 (NET)

[14] Matthew 25:41b (NET)

[15] Acts 6:15 (NET)

[16] 1 Corinthians 11:8-10 (NET)

[17] Hebrews 13:2 (NET)

[18] Revelation 2:14a (NET)

[19] Revelation 2:12a (NET)

[20] Revelation 2:14b (NET)  I have written about what was written to the angel of the church in Ephesus as if the Greek words translated you and their verbs were plural.  They are also singular.  I may have a lot of rethinking to do.

[21] Revelation 2:16a (NET)

[22] Revelation 2:16b (NET)

[23] Revelation 2:20a (NET)

[24] Revelation 2:18a (NET)

[25] Revelation 2:20b (NET)

[26] Revelation 2:22, 23a (NET)

[27] Revelation 2:21 (NET)

[28] Revelation 2:23b (NET)

[29] Revelation 2:24, 25 (NET)

[30] 1 Timothy 5:19, 20 (NET)

[31] Paul’s own actions described in 1 Corinthians 5:1-5 are more obvious perhaps, but I’ll consider that in its own essay.

[32] The NET parallel Greek text and NA28 had λέγουσιν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ειπον (KJV: said).

[33] Matthew 13:41 (NET)

Fear – Exodus, Part 9

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Now when Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand – when he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone while he talked with him.  When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, the skin of his face shone; and they were afraid (yârêʼ)[1] to approach him.[2]  The Greek word ἐφοβήθησαν (a form of φοβέω)[3] was chosen for this fear in the Septuagint.  This word occurs in the phrase ἐφοβήθησαν φόβον[4] μέγαν[5] in Mark’s gospel and was translated, They were overwhelmed by fear.[6]

Jesus and his disciples were crossing the Sea of Galilee in a boat.  Now a great windstorm developed and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was nearly swamped.[7]  Jesus was asleep in the stern.  His disciples woke him up and said to him, “Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?”  So he got up and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Be quiet! Calm down!”  Then the wind stopped, and it was dead calm.[8]

I thought Jesus rebuked them then.  “Why are you cowardly?” He said according to Mark’s account (which I assume was Peter’s account and Mark served as chronicler, if not his scribe).  Do you still not have faith?”[9]  In Matthew’s account Jesus’ rebuke—“Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?”[10]—came even before He calmed the storm.  (Matthew/Levi hadn’t been called yet, according to Matthew.[11])  Of course, the text doesn’t actually say that Jesus rebuked them.

He rebuked (ἐπετίμησεν, a form of ἐπιτιμάω)[12] the wind (the cause[13] of the problem, if you will), and said (εἶπεν, a form of ῥέω)[14] to the sea as He said (εἶπεν) to his disciples.  Matthew recorded what He said (λέγει, a form of λέγω)[15] to his disciples, and how He rebuked (ἐπετίμησεν) the winds and the sea.  But when I believed that my faith was the work that made me worthy of heaven—Why are you cowardly?  Do you still not have faith? and Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?—stung like rebuke.  My opinion began to change, however, after I began to believe that 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,[16] and that credited righteousness[17] was a functional,[18] rather than merely a formal,[19] righteousness.

My original opinion about Jesus’ rebuke was rendered absurd when I began to believe that even faith did not come out of or out from me: For by grace you are saved through faith (πίστεως, a form of πίστις),[20] and this is not from yourselves (καὶ[21] τοῦτο[22] οὐκ[23] ἐξ[24] ὑμῶν[25]), it is the gift of God.[26]  I heard the argument that this (τοῦτο, literally these) cannot refer back to faith (πίστεως) because τοῦτο “is neuter plural and ‘Faith’ [πίστεως] is feminine.”[27]  And I certainly tried to live by its consequences: “God bestows grace on those who faithfully obey His truth (Romans 6:15-18).  Man’s obedient faith does not cancel grace.  The fact is that an obedient faith allows initial grace (Acts 2:38) and permits continual grace (1 John 1:7).”[28]  My faith proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was never up to the task.  On the other hand, “Grace is feminine…And even Salvation (as a noun) is feminine.”[29]  So τοῦτο (literally these) refers to none of them or all three of them.

Though now it seems somewhat redundant and unnecessary to say that God’s grace is not from yourselves, there was a time when I needed to hear that his grace was not from works, so that no one can boast.[30]  Though now it seems somewhat redundant and unnecessary to say that God’s salvation is not from yourselves, there was a time when I needed to hear that his salvation was not from works, so that no one can boast.  Likewise there was a time when I reached the end of MY faith and needed to hear that even faith is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; it is not from works, so that no one can boast.[31]  It is Christ’s faithfulness, not mine, the fruit of his Spirit.

And notice how easily these lofty requirements are fulfilled when the faithfulness in question is Christ’s rather than mine: “God bestows grace on those who faithfully obey His truth.  [Christ’s] obedient faith does not cancel grace.  The fact is that an obedient faith allows initial grace and permits continual grace.”  I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.[32]  And, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness (πίστις), gentleness, and self-control.[33]

I’m not thinking here of the works of the flesh,[34] but that desire of the flesh that is most perniciously opposed to the Spirit[35] even after its works are largely under his control; namely, the desire to be accepted by God as righteous by my own works on my own terms.  But woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites, Jesus said to men who pursued that kind of righteousness.  You keep locking people out of the kingdom of heaven!  For you neither enter nor permit those trying to enter to go in.[36]  I know Paul didn’t explicitly say that this is a desire of the flesh in his letter to the Galatians, so I may be giving the flesh more credit than it deserves.  Perhaps the desire to be right is nothing more than a perversion or short-circuiting of a God-given hunger and thirst for righteousness.[37]  Regardless, the fruit and the glory are God’s, not mine.

The Greek word for this “obedient faith” in the New Testament is ὑπακοή.  At the beginning and the end of his letter to the Romans Paul went out of his way to make it clear that he did not mean “my own works by my own righteousness,” in fact, he called it faith’s obedience (Romans 1:5; 16:25-27 NET):

Through him we have received grace and our apostleship to bring about the obedience of faith (ὑπακοὴν[38] πίστεως) among all the Gentiles on behalf of his name.

Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that had been kept secret for long ages, but now is disclosed, and through the prophetic scriptures has been made known to all the nations, according to the command of the eternal God [κατ᾿[39] ἐπιταγὴν[40] τοῦ[41] αἰωνίου[42] θεοῦ[43]] to bring about the obedience of faith [εἰς[44] ὑπακοὴν πίστεως] – to the only wise God, through Jesus Christ, be glory forever!   Amen.

While it is correct to translate ὑπακοή obedience relative to the Greek language, when Paul used ὑπακοή, even alone, relative to the Gospel he did not refer to “my own works by my own righteousness” any more than his use of the word θεοῦ referred to Zeus, Hera, Apollo or Aphrodite.  So I have to ask, how harshly did the Lord Jesus criticize his disciples for not demonstrating the faith He had not yet given them?  And look, I am sending you what my Father promised, Jesus told his Apostles after his resurrection.  But stay in the city until you have been clothed with power from on high.[45]

Jesus’ disciples knew, or suspected, that He was the Messiah, or Christ.  That’s why they followed Him, according to John’s Gospel account.  Andrew, the brother of Simon Peter, was one of the two disciples who heard what John [the Baptist] said and followed Jesus.  He first found his own brother Simon and told him, “We have found the Messiah (Μεσσίαν, a form of Μεσσίας)!”[46] (which is translated Christ [χριστός]).[47]  Philip found Nathanael and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also wrote about – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”[48]

Up to that time a messiah (Hebrew: mâshı̂yach, maw-shee’-akh) was simply a man anointed by God for a specific purpose.  Though incredulous at first that anything good could come out of Nazareth,[49] when he met Jesus, Nathaniel revealed some of his expectation regarding this particular anointed one at this particular time in Israel’s history, Rabbi, you are the Son of God (υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ); you are the king of Israel![50]  I’m not sure what Nathaniel meant by υἱὸς τοῦ θεοῦ.  I don’t think he recognized yet that Jesus was Yahweh in human flesh.  I do think it is that particular lack of faith to which Jesus referred when He said, Why are you cowardly?  Do you still not have faith? or Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?  I’m just not so sure any more that it was a rebuke.

The word translated cowardly in both Mark’s and Matthew’s accounts is δειλοί, a form of δειλός.[51]  Online in a section labeled HELPSTM Word-studies it reads, “deilós is always used negatively in the NT and stands in contrast to the positive fear which can be expressed by 5401 /phóbos [φόβος] (‘fear,’ see Phil 2:12).”[52]  Actually δειλός only occurs three or perhaps four times in the New Testament.  The fourth was rejected by the writer(s) of this particular definition: So since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us give thanks, and through this let us offer worship pleasing to God in devotion and awe (δέους, possibly another form of δειλός).[53]  This is quite similar to Philippians 2:12 (NET): So then, my dear friends, just as you have always obeyed, not only in my presence but even more in my absence, continue working out your salvation with awe (φόβου, a form of φόβος)[54] and reverence…

In a section labeled “Forms and Transliterations” at the bottom of the web-page in the Bible Hub δέους is listed along with δειλοί: “δειλοι, δειλοί, δειλοις, δειλοίς, δειλοῖς, δειλός, δεους, δέους.”  It is a form of δέος (δειλός is from δέος in Strong’s) according to the Greek Word Study Tool,[55] but it is a form of αἰδώς[56] according to Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance.  The NET online Bible jumps to αἰδώς if I click on awe in English.  If I click on δέους in Greek the busy signal spins perpetually.  If δέους actually is another form of δειλός, Jesus’ saying might have been translated, Why are you [awestruck]?

The problem is, the one time δειλοῖς (another form of δειλός) occurs in the New Testament it is first in the list of the damned: But to the cowards (δειλοῖς), unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur.  That is the second death.[57]  And so Thayer’s Greek Lexicon reads, “δειλός, δείλη, δειλόν (δείδω to fear), timid, fearful: Matthew 8:28 [actually, Matthew 8:26]; Mark 4:40; in Revelation 21:8 of Christians who through cowardice give way under persecutions and apostatize. (From Homer down.)”[58]

Before I get too carried away by the idea that the Lord Jesus used δειλός in the same way that Homer used it, I’ll look more deeply into the context in Revelation.  But that kind of confusion could explain why Peter believed that Jesus wanted him to die[59] defending Him with a sword in the garden of Gethsemane.

The damned in Revelation were contrasted to one who conquers: The one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω)[60] will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be my son.[61]  The one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) will in no way be harmed by the second death.[62]  The one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) I will make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never depart from it.  I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God (the new Jerusalem that comes down out of heaven from my God), and my new name as well.[63]

And to the one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) and who continues in my deeds (τὰ ἔργα[64] μου[65]) until the end, I will give him authority over the nations…[66]  The one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) will be dressed like [the few individuals in Sardis who have not stained their clothes][67] in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will declare his name before my Father and before his angels.[68]  I have not found your deeds complete (σου |τὰ| ἔργα πεπληρωμένα[69]) in the sight of my God,[70] the Lord complained against most in Sardis.  Wake up then, and strengthen what remains,[71] He said, remember what (πῶς)[72] you received (εἴληφας, a form of λαμβάνω)[73] and heard, and obey it, and repent.[74]

Ordinarily, εἴληφας, a form of λαμβάνω, means to take.[75]  Of course, coupled with πῶς which means how, in what way (translated what), the translation received makes more sense.  How could anyone take from the Lord except to receive what He has given?  What do you have that you did not receive (ἔλαβες, another form of λαμβάνω)?  And if you received (ἔλαβες) it, why do you boast as though you did (λαβών, another form of λαμβάνω) not?[76]

Translated as remember what you received I think of the Holy Spirit and all the righteousness, both fruit and gifts, that flows from Him: the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.[77]  And we have different gifts according to the grace given to us.  If the gift is prophecy, that individual must use it in proportion to his faith.  If it is service, he must serve; if it is teaching, he must teach; if it is exhortation, he must exhort; if it is contributing, he must do so with sincerity; if it is leadership, he must do so with diligence; if it is showing mercy, he must do so with cheerfulness.[78]

On the other hand if I think of it translated as remember what you [took], I am reminded of the law: You shall not take (Septuagint, λήμψῃ,[79] another form of λαμβάνω) the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold guiltless anyone who takes (Septuagint, λαμβάνοντα,[80] another form of λαμβάνω) his name in vain.[81]  Most in Sardis had not continued in Christ’s deeds, τὰ ἔργα μου (literally, my works, these works of mine).  They had not come into the light, so that it may be plainly evident that [their] deeds have been done in [or, by] God.[82]  They relied on their own works.  I have not found your deeds complete (ἔργα πεπληρωμένα [a form of πληρόω, fulfilled]) in the sight of my God, Jesus said.  He came to fulfill his works in and through us who believe (Matthew 5:17 NET):

Do not think that I have come to abolish (καταλῦσαι, a form of καταλύω)[83] the law or the prophets.  I have not come to abolish (καταλῦσαι, a form of καταλύω) these things but to fulfill (πληρῶσαι, a form of πληρόω) them.

One of the things the one who conquers will inherit[84] is a promise: To the one who is thirsty (διψῶντι, a form of διψάω)[85] I will give water free of charge from the spring of the water of life.[86]  The translators admitted (NET note 13) that they added the word water because it “is implied.  Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.”  So the text reads, To the one who is thirsty I will give free of charge from the spring of the water of life.  The implied direct object in this case is not water but righteousness: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst (διψῶντες, another form of διψάω) for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.[87]

Everyone who drinks some of this water will be thirsty (διψήσει, another form of διψάω) again, Jesus, pointing at a well, told a Samaritan woman.  But whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty (διψήσει, another form of διψάω) again, but the water that I will give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up to eternal life.[88]  So the way that righteousness, the will of God, is achieved in heaven is through free access to God’s Holy Spirit, not an occasional spurt of righteousness, but a spring or fountain springing up to eternal life, which is not so much a timeless time or place as an eternal way of life.  And so it is on earth: may your will be done (γενηθήτω, a form of γίνομαι, literally become)[89] on earth as it is in heaven.[90]

And so it was with our Lord and Savior: I will grant the one who conquers (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) permission to sit with me on my throne, just as I too conquered (ἐνίκησα, a form of νικάω) and sat down with my Father on his throne.[91]  For everyone who has been fathered by God conquers (νικᾷ, a form of νικάω) the world.  This is the conquering power that has conquered (νικήσασα, a form of νικάω) the world: our faith.  Now who is the person who has conquered (νικῶν, a form of νικάω) the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?[92]  If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God.  And we have come to know and to believe the love [the fruit of his Spirit] that God has in us.  God is love, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him [Table].[93]

With that in mind I want to reconsider the story of Jesus calming the wind and the waves.  I’ll use my imagination along with a psalm to get into the scene a little deeper.  When a great windstorm developed and the waves first began breaking into the boat,[94] though the other disciples may have been immediately afraid, I imagine Peter, Andrew, James and John took it in stride, for they were fishermen (Psalm 107:23-25 NET).

Some traveled on the sea in ships, and carried cargo over the vast waters.  They witnessed the acts of the Lord, his amazing feats on the deep water.  He gave the order for a windstorm, and it stirred up the waves of the sea.

As Peter gave orders to man the sail, ropes or oars, I imagine he smiled to himself that Jesus could sleep through it all.  Obviously, the Messiah wasn’t worried that He might drown in a storm on the Sea of Galilee (Psalm 107:26a NET Table).

They reached up to the sky, then dropped into the depths.

That’s an apt description of a boat riding out a storm fairly successfully.  But in the midst of an inland lake, the longer the wind blows, the more confused the waves become as they bounce back from every shore.  In the dark with no clue where the next wave would come from, it became almost impossible to head into the waves, so that the boat was nearly swamped.[95]  As the level of the water rose inside the boat, I imagine Peter’s amusement gave way to dismay, that the Messiah could sleep through it all (Psalm 107:26b-28a NET).

The sailors’ strength left them because the danger was so great [Table].  They swayed and staggered like a drunk, and all their skill proved ineffective.  They cried out to the Lord in their distress…

Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?[96] Peter roused Jesus from his slumber.  I imagine that it was Peter, telling on himself through Mark (Psalm 107:28b, 29 NET).

…he delivered them from their troubles.  He calmed the storm, and the waves grew silent.

Granted, there are more appropriate ways to cry out to the Lord at the end of one’s own faith.  I’ve certainly said worse than—Teacher, don’t you care that we are about to die?—but the Lord’s love is not easily angered or resentful.[97]  And with time in, living at the edge of my faith, his peace and patience work out more appropriate prayers for salvation in me.  My point in all this is that Jesus was not concerned with the fear his disciples felt during the storm.  They responded more or less appropriately to that fear according to the Scripture.

Hear how the words—Why are you cowardly?  Do you still not have faith?—sound, if they were spoken quietly with a smile and a wink as Jesus headed back to bed, rather than an imperious scowl.  Granted, the order of events in Matthew’s Gospel account lends more credence to that imperious scowl, but then in Matthew the phrase you people of little faith[98] is one word, ὀλιγόπιστοι (a form of ὀλιγόπιστος).[99]  Knowing that, it sounds more like a pet name or a term of endearment than a curse, or even a rebuke.

Where the disciples were in danger of diverging from Scripture was after Jesus calmed the storm, after He revealed that this particular Messiah was in fact Yahweh (Psalms 65:5-7; 89:8, 9; 93:3, 4 NET), who spoke to the wind and the waves and, Even the wind and sea obey him![100]  The sailors [in the psalm] rejoiced because the waves grew quiet, and he led them to the harbor they desired.[101]  Jesus disciples were overwhelmed by fear (ἐφοβήθησαν φόβον μέγαν).[102]

So, when Aaron and all the Israelites…were afraid (Septuagint, ἐφοβήθησαν, a form of φοβέω) to approach [Moses] because the skin of his face shone,[103] they were not frightened by a strange sight.  They had seen stranger sights.  They were frightened by the implication of Moses’ shining face, that Moses was becoming like Yahweh.  The fear of becoming like God, if it is not faced, could keep one from conquering, from inheriting, and from hearing the Lord say, I will be his God and he will be my son.[104]

So that fear fully deserves its place first in the list of the damned.  Aaron and all the Israelites faced that fear, however, and drew near to Moses anyway.  Jesus’ Apostles, except for Judas Iscariot, faced it and overcame by faith in Him, because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world.[105]

[2] Exodus 34:29, 30 (NET)

[4] a form of φόβος

[5] a form of μέγας

[7] Mark 4:37 (NET)

[8] Mark 4:38, 39 (NET)

[9] Mark 4:40 (NET)

[10] Matthew 8:26 (NET)

[11] Matthew 9:9 (NET) As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. “Follow me,” he said to him.  And he got up and followed him.

[13] Now a great windstorm (λαῖλαψ μεγάλη [another form of μέγας]) developed and the waves, careening back and forth between the shores of the lake called the Sea of Galilee, were the result.

[15] Matthew 8:26 (NET)

[16] 2 Peter 1:3 (NET)

[17] Romans 4

[22] a form of οὗτος

[25] a form of σύ; of you

[26] Ephesians 2:8 (NET)

[30] Ephesians 2:9 (NET)

[31] Ephesians 2:8, 9 (NET)

[32] Galatians 5:16 (NET)

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

[36] Matthew 23:13 (NET)

[38] a form of ὑπακοή

[40] a form of ἐπιταγή

[41] a form of ὁ

[42] a form of αἰώνιος, of eternal

[43] a form of θεός, of God

[45] Luke 24:49 (NET) Table

[47] John 1:40, 41 (NET)

[48] John 1:45 (NET)

[49] John 1:46 (NET)

[50] John 1:49 (NET)

[53] Hebrews 12:28 (NET)

[57] Revelation 21:8 (NET)

[59] The Soul

[61] Revelation 21:7 (NET)

[62] Revelation 2:11b (NET)

[63] Revelation 3:12 (NET)

[64] a form of ἔργον

[65] a form of ἐγώ

[66] Revelation 2:26 (NET)

[68] Revelation 3:5 (NET)

[69] a form of πληρόω

[70] Revelation 3:2b (NET)

[71] Revelation 3:2a (NET)

[74] Revelation 3:3a (NET)

[75] Revelation 11:17b (NET) …you have taken (εἴληφας) your great power and begun to reign.

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

[78] Romans 12:6-8 (NET)

[79] http://www.ericlevy.com/lxx/?Book=Gen&Chapter=24  Point to the word with the mouse to see a popup translation; then point to “search” in the popup to see another popup with the root form of the word.

[81] Exodus 20:7 (NET) Table

[82] John 3:21 (NET)

[86] Revelation 21:6 (NET)

[87] Matthew 5:6 (NET)

[88] John 4:13, 14 (NET)

[90] Matthew 6:10 (NET) Table

[91] Revelation 3:21 (NET)

[92] 1 John 5:4, 5 (NET)

[93] 1 John 4:15, 16 (NET)

[94] Mark 4:37a (NET)

[95] Mark 4:37b (NET)

[96] Mark 4:38 (NET)

[97] 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NET)

[98] Matthew 8:26 (NET)

[100] Mark 4:41 (NET)

[101] Psalm 107:30 (NET)

[102] Mark 4:41 (NET)

[103] Exodus 34:29, 30 (NET)

[104] Revelation 21:7 (NET)

[105] 1 John 5:4 (NET)