Chapter 1

¹ The message of life has been here since long ago. We’ve heard about it, seen it with our eyes, stared at it, and felt it with our hands. ² Yes, the life was on display. We’ve seen it, we’re testifying to it, and we’re reporting to you.

Ages of life were with the Father and He showed it to us. ³ As the result, we’re reporting what we’ve seen and heard to you, so we can also share in it with you. What’s more, we’re sharing both with the Father and his Son, Jesus the Anointed One, ⁴ and we’re now writing these things down so that our joy can be realized.

⁵ And the message that we heard from Him, which we want to announce to you is: God is light and there isn’t any darkness in Him!

⁶ However, if we say that we’re sharing something with Him and we just keep on walking in the darkness, we’re lying, and we aren’t doing what’s right. ⁷ But if we’re walking in the light (since He’s in the light), we will share with each other, and then the blood of His Son Jesus will cleanse us of all our sins.

⁸ Now, if we say that we don’t have any sins, we’re misleading ourselves and there’s no truth in us. ⁹ But if we admit our sins, He will forgive our sins and wash away all our unrighteousness, because He is faithful and righteous. ¹⁰ So, if we ever say that we haven’t sinned, we’re making Him out to be a liar and His words aren’t in us.

Chapter 2

¹ My little children; I’m writing these things to you to keep you from committing sins. Yet, if anyone does commit a sin, we have someone righteous who represents us to the Father, Jesus the Anointed One. ² He’s the sacrifice that begs forgiveness for our sins… and not just ours, but also for those of the whole world!

³ This is how we can be sure that we’ve come to know him; If we keep on obeying his commandments.

⁴ So, he who says, ‘Now I know him,’ but doesn’t obey his commandments, is a liar and the truth isn’t in him. ⁵ However, God’s love has been made perfect in all those who really do what they’re told to do. So, that’s how we know whether we’re one with him. ⁶ For, whoever says he’s one with [Jesus] is obligated to keep walking in the way that he walked.

⁷ Loved ones; What I’m writing to you about here isn’t a new commandment, it’s an old commandment that you’ve had since the beginning. This old commandment is all the words that you’ve heard so far. ⁸ However, I’m also writing you a new commandment, which is true for him and for you. This is because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

⁹ Now, whoever says he’s in the light and still dislikes his brother, has been in the darkness all along. ¹⁰ For those who love their brothers are in the light, so they don’t have to go stumbling about. ¹¹ However, whoever dislikes his brother is still in darkness… he’s walking around in the dark and doesn’t have any idea where he’s going, because the darkness has left him blind.

¹² I’m writing to those of you who are still boys, because your sins have been forgiven through his name.
¹³ I’m writing to those of you who are fathers, because you’ve come to know the one who is from long ago.
I’m writing to you who are young men, because you’ve conquered the wicked one.

I have written to you who are boys, because you’ve come to know the Father.
¹⁴ I have written to you who are fathers, because you’ve come to know the one who is from long ago.
I’ve written to you who are young men, because you are strong, God’s Word is in you, and you’ve conquered the wicked one.

¹⁵ Don’t love the world or anything in the world. For, if anyone loves the world, there isn’t any love of the Father in him. ¹⁶ Because, everything in the world – fleshly desires, lusting after the things you can see, and trusting that you can provide for yourself – doesn’t come from the Father, it comes from the world. ¹⁷ And the world with all its desires is passing away, but the one who does God’s Will remains through the age.

¹⁸ Young children, it’s the last hour. And just as you’ve heard, the Antichrist is coming. Why, right now there are many Antichrists; and that’s how we know it’s the last hour. ¹⁹ They left us, because they weren’t like us, for if they had been like us, they would still be with us. But [they left], which is proof that they aren’t like us.

²⁰ However, the Holy One has chosen you… but you all know that. ²¹ So, I’m not writing to you because you don’t know the truth, but because you have known it. Lies don’t come from the truth. ²² And who’s a liar? It is those who deny that Jesus is the Anointed One. This is the Antichrist: He who denies both the Father and the Son. ²³ Whoever denies the Son [also denies] the Father... but he who admits [to knowing] the Son also [admits to knowing] the Father.

²⁴ As for you; hang onto the things that you heard long ago. For if the things that you heard long ago stick with you, you will remain in the Son and in the Father. ²⁵ And this is what he has promised us: Life in the age.

²⁶ Now, I’m writing this to you [to warn you] about those who are trying to lead you in the wrong direction. ²⁷ I realize that you don’t need anyone to be teaching you, since the anointing that you received from him is still in you. His anointing is teaching you about everything… it’s true and it doesn’t lie. So, just as it taught you, remain in unity with him.

²⁸ Little children; Stay in unity with him, so that when he is revealed, we can be free to talk (and not be ashamed) when he arrives. ²⁹ If you recognize the fact that he’s righteous, you’ll realize that he has fathered everyone who does righteous things.

Chapter 3

¹ Look at the kind of love that the Father has given us… to be called the children of God (which is what we are). And that’s the reason why the world doesn’t understand us… because they don’t understand Him!

² Loved ones; Although we’re the children of God, we haven’t really been shown what we’ll be yet. What we do know is that when He is revealed, we’ll be just like Him, because we’ll see Him just as He is. ³ And everyone who has been given this hope purifies himself, as [Jesus] is pure. ⁴ However, all those who are sinning are breaking the law, so sin is lawlessness.

⁵ You know that he showed himself [in the flesh] to take away sins, and he isn’t a sinner. ⁶ So, no one who is one with him will keep on sinning, for no one who continues to sin has seen him or come to know him.

⁷ Little children; Don’t allow anyone to mislead you. Only those who do righteous things are righteous in the same way that he’s righteous. ⁸ Those who are sinners come from the Slanderer, because the Slanderer has been sinning since ancient times. That’s the reason why the Son of God was shown [in the flesh]; to eliminate the deeds of the Slanderer.

⁹ No one who has been fathered by God is a sinner, because [God’s] seed is inside him… so he can’t keep sinning, because God has fathered him!

¹⁰ Now, it’s easy to tell the children of God from the children of the Slanderer, because God hasn’t fathered all those who aren’t righteous and those who don’t love their brothers. ¹¹ Why, from the earliest [days] you’ve heard the message that we should love each other. ¹² [We don’t want to be] like Cain, who came from the wicked one and slaughtered his brother. And just why did he slaughter him? Because what his brother did was righteous, but what he did was wicked. ¹³ So brothers; don’t be surprised that the world hates you!

¹⁴ Because we love our brothers, we know that we’ve crossed over from death to life. However, those who don’t love stay dead. ¹⁵ For, whoever dislikes his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer will receive life in the age. ¹⁶ And we know that we are loved, because [Jesus] gave his living body for us. As the result, we owe our very lives to our brothers.

¹⁷ So, how does God’s love stay with a person who has the worldly means to provide, but when he sees that his brother is in need, doesn’t feel pity for him? ¹⁸ Little children; Don’t just love with words and tongues, but in reality, by doing [the things that are needed]; ¹⁹ for that’s how we’ll know that we’ve been fathered by the truth!

Why, when we stand before Him, our hearts must be sure; ²⁰ because if our hearts feel guilty, God is greater than our hearts and He knows everything!

²¹ Loved ones; If our hearts don’t hold anything to condemn us, we can speak freely to God. ²² Then we’ll receive whatever we ask of Him, because we’re obeying His commandments and doing the things that are pleasing in His eyes. ²³ And this is what He has commanded: We must have faith in the name of his Son, Jesus the Anointed One, and [we must] love each other, as He’s told us [before]. ²⁴ For whoever obeys His commandments is one with Him and He’s one with that person! And the way we know that He’s one with us is when He gives us [His] Breath.

Chapter 4

¹ Loved ones; don’t believe everything that is breathed, but prove whether [the things that are] breathed come from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. ² You can tell whether a prophecy is from God by this: Every prophecy that speaks of Jesus the Anointed One as having come in the flesh, comes from God. ³ But any prophecy that doesn’t speak of Jesus, doesn’t come from God… they’re the prophecies of the Antichrist, who you heard would come into the world, and who is already here.

⁴ Little children; You were fathered by God and you’ve conquered them, because [He] who is one with you is greater than the whole world! ⁵ Those who were fathered by this world talk about worldly things and the world listens to them. ⁶ However, God fathered us; so those who know God listen to us. But those who aren’t from God don’t listen to us… and that’s how we can tell the difference between the true prophecies and the false prophecies.

⁷ Loved ones; Keep on loving each other, because love comes from God… and those who love know God, because love comes from God! ⁸ But whoever doesn’t love, doesn’t know God, because God is love!

⁹ God showed His love for us by sending His only-generated Son into this world, so that we could gain life through him. ¹⁰ This really is love, because, [back when] we didn’t love God, He loved us and sent His Son as a sacrifice to cover our sins.

¹¹ Loved ones; If this is how much God loves us, then we’re obligated to love each other. ¹² Why, no one has ever seen God, but as long as we love each other, God is in us, and He’s making His love perfect in us.

¹³ We know that we’re in Him and He’s in us when He gives us His Breath… ¹⁴ and when we’ve seen and testified to the fact that the Father sent His Son as the Savior of the world. ¹⁵ For, whenever anyone admits that Jesus the Anointed One is God’s Son, God is in him and he is in God. ¹⁶ And we’ve come to know and believe in the love that God has for us, because God is love, and whoever keeps on loving is in God and God is in him. ¹⁷ Love is being made perfect in us, so we’ll be able to speak freely in the Judgment Day. Yet, we can be just like Him while we’re still in this world.

¹⁸ There isn’t any fear in love, for perfect love throws fear outside; because fear limits us. So, those who are afraid haven’t been made perfect in love. ¹⁹ And as for us; we love because He loved us first.

²⁰ Now, if anyone says ‘I love God,’ and he still dislikes his brother, he’s a liar, because; if he doesn’t love his brother who he can see, he can’t love God who he hasn’t seen. ²¹ For [God] gave us this commandment: ‘Everyone who loves God should also love his brother!’

Chapter 5

¹ All who believe that Jesus is the Anointed One, have been fathered by God. And everyone who loves the One who fathered him, loves the one who He fathered.

² This is how we show that we love God’s children: By loving God and obeying His commandments. ³ Yes, that’s how you show your love for God, by obeying His commandments… and His commandments aren’t hard to follow. ⁴ Everything that has been fathered by God conquers the world, and the victor that has conquered the world is our faith.

⁵ Who has conquered the world other than those who have faith that Jesus is the Son of God? ⁶ Jesus the Anointed One is the person who came through water and blood (not with just water, but through water and blood). And the Breath [of God] testifies to this, for the Breath is true. ⁷ So, there are three [things] that testify [about him]; ⁸ the Breath [of God], the water, and the blood, and all three agree.

⁹ Now, if we believe the testimony that men provide, then the testimony of God is even greater. And this is what God testified to (as a witness for His son); ¹⁰ that whoever puts faith in the Son of God has the same witness given about him. But whoever doesn’t have faith in God makes Him out a liar, because [such a person] hasn’t trusted the testimony that God Himself testified to about His Son. ¹¹ And this is what He testified to: That God gave us life in the age, and this life is in His Son. ¹² So, whoever has the Son has this life. And whoever doesn’t have God’s Son doesn’t have this life.

¹³ I’m writing all of this to you, so you’ll know that those who have faith in the name of the Son of God [receive] life in the age. ¹⁴ And we trust that no matter what we may ask for ourselves (as long as it’s His will), He hears us. ¹⁵ So, if we know that He hears whatever we ask of Him, we know that we’ll have the things we’re asking for, because we asked Him.

¹⁶ Now, if anyone sees his brother committing a sin that isn’t deadly, he can [speak to God] and give life to the one who is guilty of the sin, as long as it isn’t deadly… but there are deadly sins. When it comes to such sins, I’m telling you not to ask for anything. ¹⁷ Of course, everything that is unrighteous is sin, but there are sins that aren’t deadly.

¹⁸ We know that none of those who have been fathered by God continue to sin, for having God as their Father will protect them, so the Wicked One can’t touch them. ¹⁹ We know that we come from God and that the whole world is lying in [the power of] the wicked [one].

²⁰ We also know that the Son of God came and gave us the ability to recognize the True One. For we’ve become one with the True One through His son, Jesus the Anointed One. He’s the true God, and He’s [our] life in this age.

²¹ Little children; Protect yourselves from idols!

Notes

Age, Eternal, Perpetual, Everlasting, Immortal, or Forever?

Two words imply infinite states in the Bible; one is the Greek word athanasia (undying), which is only found in two places, 1 Corinthians15:53, where it mentions resurrected ones as clothing themselves with immortality, and at 1 Timothy 6:16, where Paul speaks of Jesus as having received it. The other Greek word is aidios, which is used at Romans 1:20 to describe God’s Power and Might as eternal, and at Jude 6 when speaking of the perpetual state of gloomy darkness that rebellious angels have been confined to.

However, the Greek word aionos (pronounced ai-on-oss), which is used throughout the Bible and is often translated as forever and everlasting, is what the English word eon is derived from. It means an indefinite period, and there is no exact English word to translate it. The best equivalents are age(s) or era(s). Where the plural form of the word (ages) is used, it refers to a long time… at least multiple generations. However, where the singular form is used (age or era), this appears to mean a much shorter period, such as a lifetime, generation, or era. And where the term ages of ages is used (such as at Ephesians 3:21), which is usually said in reference to God, we would assume that this truly means forever.

It is noteworthy that aionos is the word that is used in the Greek Septuagint in place of the Hebrew word ohlam, which is also translated as forever and time indefinite in popular versions of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel. So this one word (aionos) is translated as forever, everlasting, eternal, system of things, time indefinite, [end of] the world, long ago, from of old, etc. Obviously, something is very wrong here, because the word can’t mean a period having a definite end in one place and infinity in another.

Take for example, the unique way that aionos is used in the question that Jesus’ Apostles asked him, which is found at Matthew 24:3, ‘What will be the signs when you are near and this age will come to its conclusion?’ You can see that the word aionos obviously doesn’t mean forever, everlasting, or eternal in this case, nor did it mean world or system of things. It simply meant the age or, the time before the end would come. And for them, that meant the age when God’s Temple at Jerusalem would be destroyed, because that’s what Jesus had just told them.

The word aionos (which we have translated as age here) is also translated as world (KJ) and as system of things (NW) in other Bibles. However, if the Apostles had meant any of those words, they would have used the Greek word cosmos, not aionos, for world or system of things.

The ancient Hebrews viewed everything (and rightly so) as having a beginning and an end. For that reason, you will only find three places in the Bible where words are used that imply no end and none that imply no beginning. An interesting possible insight on the reason for this can be found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says: ‘Long ago, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and your hands made the heavens. They will destroy themselves, but you will remain. They will grow old just like clothes do. Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you will wrap them up and repair them like clothes. Yes, you are the one, and your years will never run out.’

The problem with most Bible translations is that when they encounter the word aionos in all its different tenses, they interpret it according to accepted doctrine, not according to the way that Jesus and his disciples used it. So the common renderings forever, eternal, and everlasting are used even when the word is in its singular forms (aioni, aiona, aionos, aionion, aionian, aionios, aioniou), and this totally distorts the meaning of the text.

Take for example, the scripture at John 5:24, where Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth; the one who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me will have life in this age. He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’

Most Bibles translate Jesus as saying that those who believe in the One who sent him will have everlasting life (or the equivalent). However, the words that Jesus used there were, zoe aionos (life age – singular), not zoe aionion (life ages – plural).

Notice how Jesus explained the meaning of these words with his next statement, ‘He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’

So what Jesus was saying here, wasn’t that they would have everlasting life, but that they in their current life would be considered among the living, not among the dead (see Revelation 20:12).

This doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t live forever… it’s just that Jesus wasn’t really saying that. What we find (from consideration of the evidence found in the bulk of Jesus’ words about life) is that he never taught the hope of ‘life eternal,’ ‘everlasting life,’ or ‘immortality,’ in those specific words. However, the concept is still there. What he taught was that righteous people will receive ‘life in the age,’ or be considered worthy of (possibly everlasting) life by God during their current lifetimes… that their names would be written in ‘the scroll of life,’ and that they would not have to be judged, but will have already ‘crossed over from death to life,’ as Jesus said at John 5:24.

Yes, we know that this is a difficult concept to understand, but it’s what Jesus actually said.

For more information, select the linked documents, The Hereafter and Does the Bible Promise Everlasting Life?

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What does In Mean?

The Greek word εν (en) simply means in. However, it is translated as in, one, in union with, and as other words, depending on the context, in most Bibles.

Especially in the book of John do we find the question raised, ‘Was Jesus really the same person as the God?’ This question is raised because the text at John 10:38 literally says, ‘… in order that you should know and you may be knowing that in (en) me the Father and I in (en) the Father.’

However, the text above is often translated as, ‘I and my father are one.’ Is this the true sense of what John wrote? Is Jesus ‘one with’ (the same as) the Father?

That could be a correct translation, but not in the context of the way the book of John was written. For example, notice how John 14:20 reads: ‘εν εκεινη τη ημερα υμεις γνωσεσθε οτι εγω εν τω πατρι μου και υμεις εν εμοι καγω εν υμιν,’ or, ‘In that the day you will know that I in (εν) the Father of me, and you in (εν) me, and I in (εν) you.’

So, if John 10:38 means that Jesus is the same person as his Father, then John 14:20 means that all of Jesus’ followers are the same person and that they are also the same persons as Jesus and his Father. Is this a logical conclusion? No, because it doesn’t harmonize with numerous other scriptures that show his followers to be individuals, but one with (or in unity with) Jesus and God.

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Why was 1 John 5:7 Changed?

In other translations, 1 John 5:7 reads, ‘There are three that bear record in heaven: The Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, and these three are one.’ However, Bible manuscripts that were written prior to the Eleventh Century C.E (A.D.) read quite differently. So, it appears as though someone who wanted to provide scriptural backing to the Trinity doctrine changed this verse about 1,000 years after John penned it.

As you can see from the context of John the Fifth Chapter, the three witness-bearers are the water (baptism), the Breath (Gr. pneuma – the Breath of God), and the (shed) blood (of Jesus). Changing the water, the Breath, and the blood to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost would make the rest of what John wrote illogical; so that rendering is obviously spurious.

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Only-Generated God, Only-Generated Son

The scriptures at John 1:18, where Jesus is referred to by John as the only-generated god (gr. monogenes theos), and at John 3:16 and 1 John 4:9, where he is referred to as the as the only-generated son (gr. uion ton monogene), are very difficult to translate honestly and still make any sense. The Greek word that John used in each instance (and which we have translated as only-generated) is monogenea (mono means only; genea means generated). In the past we have rendered monogenea as only created, and other translators have rendered it only-begotten, only-fathered, only-conceived, etc. However, it appears as though a proper rendering, which might be easier to understand, would require the addition of extra words that are not in those verses.

It is a fact that Jesus was the only son ever born through a woman to God, so that could possibly be what John was referring to in these verses, and it’s what other translators have concluded. However, his being called the only-generated god at John 1:18 brings such a conclusion into doubt, for Jesus clearly wasn’t a god-man when he was on the earth (see the linked document Who Was Jesus?). And for an explanation of why Jesus was called a god, see the linked Note in Exodus; What Is a ‘God?’

Yet, he does appear to be the only creature (son, god, or powerful one) that was directly created by God, for John went on say concerning Jesus at Revelation 3:14, ‘This is what the Amen (the faithful and true witness, the beginning of creation by God) has said …’ In Greek this reads: he arche tes ktiseos tou Theou – or – the beginning creation of/the God. So, there is no doubt that this conclusion (that he is the only son created by God) is correct. And John explained how all other things thereafter came into existence through Jesus at John 1:3, where he wrote: ‘Everything [else] came into existence through him’ (gr. panta di autou egeneto – or – all by him generated).

The problem with translating those verses as saying that Jesus was the only-created, is that we would have to add the parenthetical words (by God), since all other things were also created by Jesus. So, we have chosen instead to faithfully render John’s words as only-generated, and allow this linked Note to explain the apparent true meaning.

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Who are ‘The Dead?’

Revelation 20:12 speaks of the ‘dead’ ‘standing before the throne’ and ‘being judged.’ Since they are able to stand for judgment, in what sense are they dead?

Note that at Matthew 9:60 Jesus said, ‘Let the dead bury their dead.’ And at Romans 8:10, Paul speaks of the body being ‘dead’ because of sin. Then at 1 Corinthians 15:22 he explains that, ‘Because of Adam, all men are dying.’

So the conclusion we must reach is that all men are considered as dead and dying in front of God, due to inherited (and their own) sins. Thus the scriptures in the Revelation Twenty appear to be speaking of living people (some of whom will have already been resurrected) who will stand before God and be judged either to life for the ages, or to the permanent destruction of the ‘lake of fire.’

However, from the promises of Jesus, it does appear that people can be considered no longer dead even before the resurrection. For, notice what is recorded that he said at John 5:24, ‘I tell you the truth: He who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me, has life for the ages. He won’t have to be judged, but has crossed over from death to life.’

And Paul wrote at Romans 5:17, ‘And if (because of that one error) death started its reign through [Adam]; then those who receive His caring and the gift of righteousness during this life will even be more sure to rule as kings through Jesus the Anointed One.’

So, it appears as though a person is considered no longer ‘dead’ as of the time when his/her name is written in ‘the book of life.’ This doesn’t mean that they won’t die, but that they are considered as ‘alive’ in God’s eyes, and they will not be counted among the dead who are raised in the resurrection (for more information, see the linked document, The Resurrection).

This appears to be the meaning of Jesus’ words at Matthew 22:32, which say, ‘Haven’t you read what God told you about the resurrection of the dead, [when he said], I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He isn’t the God of the dead, but of the living.’

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Soul or?

The Greek word psyche (as in psychology) has been translated many ways, including soul, life, etc. However, psyche actually means something that breathes. It is used in the Bible to describe both breathing animals and breathing humans. So by definition, a soul cannot leave the body, because a soul is what the living body (whether human or animal) is (see Genesis 2:7).

In ancient Greece, philosophers eventually added another meaning to psyche: The inner person (as opposed to the person that others see and come to know). And with time, the pagan religion of Greece started to teach that this inner person is its own entity and can never die (is immortal). Over the centuries, this pagan Greek doctrine crept into the Christian religions. Please see the link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul for more history of the word.

However, such Greek philosophical thought never influenced Jesus and his Apostles. So, they consistently used psyche to indicate a living person or animal. The teaching that the soul is immortal stands in direct conflict with Jesus’ promise of a resurrection, because, if a person is immortal (can never die) he/she can never be resurrected (brought back to life).

In addition, the teaching of the immortality of the human soul is totally without support from the Bible. The word immortal(ity) (Gr: athanasia or undying) is only mentioned in the Bible in two places, and it isn’t used with or applied to the word soul in either case. Both of these scriptures show that immortality is only given by God as a reward for righteousness. And as Ezekiel 18:4 says, ‘The person (gr. psyche or ‘soul’) that is sinning will die (gr. apothaneitai).’

Of course, there are places in the Bible where the word soul means more than just a living, fleshly body. For example, God is recorded to have spoken of ‘My Soul’ in several places. Obviously, God is much more than just a ‘soul’ as most people think of that term, and He surely wasn’t talking about His having a human body. So we must conclude that what He was referring to is His life.

Then there are Jesus’ words found at Matthew 10:28, which read, ‘Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the person (psyche). Rather, be afraid of him who can destroy both the person and the body in the garbage dump.’ Here, Jesus is using the word psyche (soul) to refer to the value of life that remains with God until the resurrection. And he obviously isn’t referring the soul as immortal here, because he says God will destroy (gr. apolesai) the [unrighteous] soul or person.

Unfortunately, no single word can be used to translate psyche in every possible Bible application, so various terms are used herein, depending on the circumstances, but always in an attempt to harmonize with the meaning.

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Judgment Day

Throughout the Bible, we read of a Judgment Day. Does this refer to some random time in the future when individuals will meet their own judgment, or to a specific ‘day’ (or period) when all will be judged?

At Matthew 10:15, for example, Jesus spoke of the ‘hemera chriseos’ (Day of Judgment or Crisis) and each of the succeeding references seems to be talking about this same ‘day’ or time. When will that period start? Well, it must be sometime after the ‘great time of difficulty’ (see Matthew 24:21), and following ‘the war of the great day of the Almighty God’ (see Revelation 16:14), because Jesus spoke of people being resurrected when he talked about the Judgment Day.

However, although Psalm 1:1 tells us that the irreverent, impious, or ungodly (gr. asebe) won’t be raised in the Judgment, Paul said (at Acts 24:15) that both the righteous and the unrighteous will be resurrected. So, how can we resolve this discrepancy?

Remember that the word unrighteous doesn’t necessarily refer to those who are deliberately bad, but to those who simply weren’t righteous. On the other hand, the irreverent are those who know of God and simply choose to disobey Him, and apparently, for this reason they are found unworthy of a resurrection. For more information, see the linked document What is Righteousness?
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Satan, Devil, Lucifer, Beelzebub

It is appropriate that the heavenly name of the great Opposer and Slanderer of God is never given in the Bible. However, several terms (and one mistakenly) have been used to describe him. Here is a list of those descriptions:

Satan: This is a Hebrew word meaning, opposer, resistor, a smart person who does things to serve his own interests, and/or a person who can’t be fooled. It was applied to the Evil One because of his opposition to God. To prevent people from thinking of it as a name, it is translated as ‘the Opposer’ herein.

Devil: This is the only Greek word (Diabolos) used in the Bible to describe the evil one. The first part of the word, dia, means through. Bolos means throw (it’s where we get the English words ball and bowl). So, Devil means one who throws through, which implied Slanderer in Greek, so that’s the way it’s translated herein.

Lucifer: The name Lucifer is commonly tied to the Biblical Opposer, however the name doesn’t appear in most versions of the Bible. It does appear once in the King James Bible, at Isaiah 14:12, in which the King of Babylon is referenced as Lucifer, Son of the Morning, which is translated from the Hebrew words Helel ben Shahar – Day Star, Son of the Dawn. This term was used there, because Lucifer is the Latin term for the planet Venus, which is also known as the morning star.
So, there is no direct link in the Bible between the entity known in Hebrew as Satan and the person who was referred to as Lucifer. This was a myth that was created by Augustine after he translated the text in Isaiah from the original Hebrew into Latin.

BeelZebub: There are eight references in the Bible to this Hebrew word, and it does refer to the Slanderer. However, once again, this is not a proper name. It appears to be a title. Beel (like Baal) means Lord, and Zebub appears to refer to flies (the insects). So, BeelZebub likely means Lord of Flies.

Is the Opposer (Slanderer or BeelZebub) a real person? All one has to do is look at the titles he was given above to realize that he is. To deny his existence negates the rest of the Bible. For example, when dealing with Adam’s sin, why did God adhere so closely to a law when other options were available to Him? Why didn’t he just destroy rebellious Adam and create another man?

The fact is, He created men and His messengers with the ability to choose whether to serve Him or not, so none are automatons. And as a man failed in the Paradise of Pleasure, we can assume (and as the Scriptures support) that there were failures (and rebels) in the heavens also. This is the reason why it became necessary to have a law that clearly outlined what rebellion against God constituted, and what the consequences for violating that law would be. It was obviously for the sake of the millions of millions of heavenly spirit (breath) creatures that the issue of rebellion here on the earth had to be resolved by legal means, and in a way that demonstrated the love and loyalty of God’s first-born son, which resulted in the painful need for a ‘ransom’ (Jesus’ death).

And the idea that the Slanderer isn’t real raises other questions. For example, while Jesus was being tempted in the desert, was he simply struggling with the bad inside himself rather than against a real, evil personality? If so, we would have to conclude that there was bad in Jesus.

Also, was the battle in heaven (as spoken of at Revelation the Twelfth Chapter) just figurative and not a real war against the Opposer and his messengers? If so, then there are still ‘evil thoughts’ in heaven prior to that battle. And, in what sense would ‘the Opposer’ and his ‘messengers’ lose the battle and be confined to the earth? Also, why would internal evil be ‘angry’ in knowing that he just has ‘a short period of time left?’

And lastly, when the Opposer entered God’s presence and spoke to Him (Job the First Chapter), could we assume that this inherent evil was found in God? That isn’t likely.

However, there is some question as to the use of the Greek word Diabolos found at 1 Chronicles 21:1 (in the Greek Septuagint). First, since Diabolos is a Greek word and First Chronicles was written in Hebrew, we would assume that Diabolos (Slanderer) was substituted for the Hebrew word Satan (Opposer). But the text seems to imply that a slanderer (or resistor), not the Slanderer, had come to David. And we would have to assume it to be a satan or resistor that came to him. So, we don’t really know if the text implies that the Evil One came to him, if it was just an evil spirit that came over him, or if someone bad had urged David to defy God and take a census of Israel.

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Who are God’s ‘Anointed?’

Notice that in this Bible translation, 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22 (for example) says, ‘The One who guarantees that we all belong to the Anointed One, and He who anointed us, is God.’

So, why didn’t these translators just go ahead and render the word (Anointed) as Christ – as countless other translators have done? For two reasons:

1. Because Christ has almost totally lost its meaning to most Bible readers today, and most have come to believe that ‘Christ’ was part of Jesus’ name. It wasn’t.

2. Because Christ is word that was made up by early Bible translators and is only used in that form when they think that the Bible was speaking of Jesus. In other places it is correctly translated as anointed.

If you look at the above verse in Greek, you’ll see that it reads, ‘Ho de bebaion hemas syn hymin eis Christon kai chrisas hemas Theos,’ or, ‘The of stabilizing us with you into Anointed and anointing us God.’

You will notice here that Christon (Christ or Anointed) and chrisas (anointed) are both derived from the same root word, which by the way, is Greek for olive oil. Why olive oil? Because, that substance was traditionally poured over the heads of those who God chose to be kings over Israel. For example, David and Solomon were both anointed (oil was poured over their heads) in proof of the fact that they had been chosen by God to be kings over Israel.

So, the word means anointed. But if you prefer the word Christ, then David and Solomon were Christs, for you can’t have it both ways.

Such a physical anointing with oil appeared to picture receiving God’s Holy Breath, which happened to Jesus at his baptism, to 120 of Jesus’ disciples at Pentecost of 33-C.E., and to other First-century Christians. So Jesus didn’t really become the Christon (Christ, Anointed, or Chosen One) until he was anointed with Holy Breath at his baptism (when the ‘dove’ came down on him).

If you understand this nuance, you get the true meaning of the word Christ (Anointed) as it applies to Jesus; it means that he was the one who God chose to be king over His people. Also, Paul was telling the Christians in Corinth that they too would be anointed… become ‘christs.’ For when they were ‘anointed’ and sealed in their hearts by God’s Holy Breath, they were selected to be ‘kings over the earth’ (Revelation 5:10).

Also, notice what can be learned from a proper understanding of the Greek words by looking at Matthew 24:24. For what he actually said was, ‘Because false Anointed ones and false prophets (gr. pseudo christon kai pseudo prophetai) will arise and they will perform great signs and omens to mislead (if possible) even the elected.’

So, Jesus wasn't necessarily saying that people would come claiming to be him, but people would come falsely claiming to be the anointed and prophets.

At Exodus 29:29 we find that Aaron and his sons were to be ‘anointed’ as Priests to Jehovah, and that this action would make them ‘holy,’ or clean. It also signified that had been ‘chosen’ to this office by God. And in Leviticus, when we read of the ‘anointed’ Priest, the reference seems to be to the one who had been chosen for the special office of what later became known as the High Priest, which gives credence to our translating Christos as Anointed One, rather than Christ, in the Christian Era Scripture (NT) portion of this Bible. However, at least in the case of Aaron and his sons, fragrant herbs were added to the oil to give it a pleasing odor. This is implied at Exodus 25:7 where the Israelites were asked to donate ‘fragrances for anointing oil.’ And we find the exact formula for the anointing oil at Exodus 30:34, where we read that it was to be made of ‘sixteen pounds of choice myrrh flowers, eight pounds of sweet-smelling cinnamon, eight pounds of sweet-smelling calamus, sixteen pounds of cassia (for the Holy Place), and a gallon of olive oil.’

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Who Are the Antichrists?

Who are the antichrists? As John said here (1 John 2:22), ‘This is the Antichrist: He who denies both the Father and the Son.’

Apparently, by the turn of the Second Century C.E., there were people in the Christian congregation (probably more Judaizers) who were denying that there ever was a Jesus, or possibly denying that he was the Chosen One of God. And as John said (at 1 John 2:23), ‘Whoever denies the Son [also denies] the Father.’

Such denial of Jesus amounted to an unforgivable sin against God’s Holy Breath, because it was God’s Breath that testified to just who Jesus was. So this was a very serious matter. In fact, it was so serious that John told Christians not to even talk to such people – to treat them as though they were dead – because, what they were saying truly condemned them.

Popular modern tradition has it that the antichrist is a single person, group, or entity that would come in the last days. However, notice how this idea is proven false by the words of 1 John 2:18, 19, which read: ‘Why, right now there are many Antichrists; and that’s how we know it’s the last hour. They left us, because they weren’t like us, for if they had been like us, they would still be with us. But [they left], which is proof that they aren’t like us.’

Then John again gave the same identification at 2 John 1:7, where he wrote: ‘Because, many have strayed [back] into the world and won’t admit that Jesus the Anointed One came in the flesh. And these who have strayed are the Antichrists.’

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Who Was John, the Apostle?

John (who wrote the Bible books of John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation) was apparently one of Jesus’ earliest followers. And although many Bible critics and commentators have pointed out that John many not have written the books attributed to him because of language and style, remember that when he did his writing he was almost 100 years old, so like Paul, he likely used others as a secretaries to do the actual writing.

John and his brother James, who were later appointed to be Apostles (or Sent Ones), were Galileans (considered ‘country bumpkins’ by people in Judea) who worked as fishermen for their father in a business that seemed to be co-owned by Peter (Simon).

Although Jesus was particularly fond of John, and some Bible critics often think of John as a laid-back dreamer, Jesus referred to him and his brother as ‘the Sons of Thunder.’ So this common view of John’s passive personality doesn’t seem to be well founded.

It is interesting that John appears to have been known and liked by the Jewish Chief Priest, CaiAphas. For notice what the account at John 18:15, 16 tells us, ‘Now, Simon Peter (and another disciple) followed Jesus. The Chief Priest was familiar with that disciple, so he went into the High Priest’s courtyard along with Jesus, but Peter stood outside at the door. Then the disciple who knew the High Priest went outside and spoke to the doorkeeper, and brought Peter in.’

So, many of the things that happened and were said inside the Chief Priest’s house (as well as in the palaces of Pilate and Herod after Jesus’ arrest) seem to have come to us as the result of John being there and serving as an eyewitness. Therefore, Peter wasn’t the only disciple who stayed with Jesus after his arrest.

So, why was John (a disciple of Jesus) allowed into this important meeting? It appears as though John was a relative of the High Priest, for Acts 4:5, 6 tells us: ‘Then the next day, they held a meeting in Jerusalem that included the rulers, elders, and Scribes, as well as AnNas the Chief Priest, CaiAphas, John, Alexander, and all the rest of the Chief Priest’s relatives.’

It’s a fact that whenever Peter and John were together, as when they stood before the Jewish High Court, Peter did most of the talking. However, this doesn’t appear to have happened because Peter outranked John, or because John was tongue-tied or shy. Rather, it seems that John deferred to Peter because he was older, and a friend and partner of his father. You will notice that later, John, Peter, and James (not John’s brother, who was an early Christian martyr, but James, the half-brother of Jesus and the writer of the book of James) were later referred to by Paul as the ‘pillars’ (or the leaders) of the early Christian Congregation. Thereafter, James served as the spokesman for the three when the matter of circumcising the gentiles had to be decided.

As Jesus prophesied, John lived the longest of all the Apostles, dying at around the age of 100, either by execution or as the result of poor health from his long stay in an ancient prison. And it was shortly before his death that he did all his writing. So, the book of John is quite different in its format from the Gospels of Mark and Luke, which seem to be more based on and influenced by the book of Matthew.

For this reason, the Gospel of John provides us a far greater insight into who Jesus actually was and the things that he thought and did. John was obviously very impressed with the privilege he had of being ‘the loved Apostle’ of the most important individual who ever walked this earth, and of the privilege that he and others would have of becoming ‘one’ with Jesus and his Father in heaven. So, the opening words of the book of John reflect that awe, as he poetically tried to impress us with the full meaning of who Jesus actually was in his pre-human life as ‘the only created’ son of God.

John’s three epistles (letters) were written to congregations to warn of the dangers that they were facing from within. This is because ‘the great turning away’ that Paul foretold was already in progress. For ‘Christians’ were starting to deny that Jesus was the ‘Promised One,’ or perhaps that there ever was a Jesus. So John labeled them as the ‘Antichrists,’ and told Christians not to have anything to do with such individuals.

The book of Revelation that John wrote, recorded a vision of ‘the Lord’s Day,’ which he received from God through Jesus. And although some critics have concluded that this was some sort of hallucination, Revelation provides a fitting climax to the entire Bible by bringing together the four mysterious characters mentioned in the first prophecy in the Bible (at Genesis 3:16): the snake, its seed, the woman, and her seed. Then if fills in all the gray areas as to who each of these individuals prove to be, and it shows the full meaning of the roles they will play in God’s purposes. Far from a hallucination, the Revelation explains in detail what is really happening to us today, what will soon happen, and what the hope there is for all obedient mankind. For more information, see the linked document, The Seed - God’s Kingdom.

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Cosmos or World?

In Jesus’ discussion about the sheep and goats found at Matthew 25:34, he said, ‘Then the king will tell those on his right, Come, you who have been praised by my Father, inherit the Kingdom that has been prepared for you from the founding of the world.’

In Greek, the words we have translated as founding of the world are katabole cosmou, or down-throw arrangement. You may recognize that the English word cosmos is a derivative of cosmou. And cosmos (which we pronounce as cas-mose, but the Greeks pronounces as cas-mas) is the word that modern peoples usually use when referring to the universe today (thank you Mr. Sagan). So, why have we translated it as world, and what is meant by the term, founding of the world?

Actually, cosmos is used many times in the Bible and in many different ways. For example, when Paul urged Christian women to dress modestly, he used the word cosmos to describe well-arranged clothing, and arrangement is probably the closest English meaning of the word. So, it isn’t always translated as world.

And although it has been said that the word world doesn’t appear at all in the Hebrew texts of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (Old Testament), it really does appear there several times in the Greek Septuagint. And the reason why they say that world doesn’t appear there is because the equivalent Hebrew word is translated (in different Bibles and in different places) as arrangement, ornamentation, honor, delight, universe, earth, army, etc.

Yet, in the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), where cosmos appears several times, it is usually translated as world… such as the world of Noah, the light of the world, the field is the world, etc. So, the term doesn’t seem to apply to the earth, but rather to the arrangement of human society on the earth.

Actually, two different Greek words are often translated as world in the Septuagint, cosmos and oichonomeo; and oichonomeo does appear to refer to the earth, because it means the habitation, or, the place where [man] dwells. So the Septuagint (OT) clearly delineates these two words (that are both commonly translated as world).

But notice how the word cosmos was used by Paul at Romans 5:12, ‘Sin entered the world (cosmos) through one man, and this sin resulted in death. So, death spread to all men and everyone has sinned.’

So, it seems likely that the arrangement we call ‘the world’ started around the time of Adam’s sin in Paradise, when man created for himself and all life on earth a new arrangement or set of circumstances (which was something other than what God had planned). We have come to this conclusion based on the many scriptures that refer to the world in a negative context, and the fact that it (the current set of negative circumstances) will soon be done away with.

Yet, the Scriptures also indicate that the present world (arrangement) began after the Downpour of Noah’s day, and Noah inherited the world prior to that time. For, notice what we are told at Hebrews 11:7 ‘Because of his faith, Noah (after being given a divine warning of things he hadn’t seen yet) trusted in God and built a large chest to save his family. And due to this righteous faith, he condemned the world and became its heir.’

Also notice what was said at 2 Peter 2:4, 5, ‘Why, God didn’t spare the messengers who sinned, but by threw them into the dark pits of Tartarus, where they are awaiting His justice. And He didn’t spare the first world. Yet, He guarded Noah (who was a preacher of righteousness) along with seven others, when He brought a downpour on a world of godless people.’

So, apparently there have been two different worlds or arrangements; the one that Noah inherited that started before the Downpour, and the second one that we are now living in, and which the righteous will inherit at its destruction. For we read at 1 John 2:17, ‘And the world with all its desires is passing away, but the one who does what God wants remains through the age.’ And Romans 4:13 says, ‘Abraham and his seed weren’t given the promise of inheriting the world because of the Law; it was because of his righteousness, which came from his faith.’

Thus from the above, we have concluded that what Jesus said about the Kingdom having been prepared for the sheep since the founding of the world must mean that the Kingdom was God’s plan for the righteous since at least the time of the Downpour, and possibly since the time of Adam’s sin in Paradise.

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Hate, Dislike, or Care Less for?

The Greek word meso means middle (as in the English term, meso soprano). It is translated as middle, midst, among, and HATE in other Bibles. Obviously, hate (an extreme emotion) isn’t conveyed by the word middle, which simply means less. For that reason, the word is translated dislike (or the equivalent) is used herein, when it refers to the emotion.

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