Chapter 1

¹ Paul (who was appointed an Apostle not by a man nor through a man, but through Jesus the Anointed One and God the Father, who raised [Jesus] from the dead) ² and all the brothers with me, to the congregations of Galatia: ³ May you receive loving care and peace from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus the Anointed One; ⁴ he who gave himself for our sins to save us from this wicked age, because that was the will of our God and Father, ⁵ to whom be the glory into the ages of ages. May it be.

⁶ I’m amazed that you’re so quickly making the change from He who called you by the loving care of the Anointed One, to a different type of good news. ⁷ It really isn’t another [good news], it’s just that certain ones among you are causing problems and trying to change the good news about the Anointed One. ⁸ However, if we or a messenger from heaven were to come preaching something to you as good news other than the good news that we’ve already preached to you; Let him be cursed! ⁹ Let me say it again. Whoever preaches good news to you other than what you’ve already believed; Let him be cursed!

¹⁰ Who do you think I’m trying to persuade, men or God? Am I trying to please men? If I were trying to please men I wouldn’t be slaving for the Anointed One. ¹¹ So, I want you to understand this, brothers: The good news that I preached as good news didn’t come from men, ¹² because I didn’t get it from men, nor did anyone teach it [to me]. [It came] through a revelation from Jesus the Anointed One.

¹³ Of course, you’ve heard about the way that I used to act [while I was involved] in Judaism. I fanatically persecuted the congregation of God and tried to destroy it. ¹⁴ Why, I was more advanced in Judaism than many others of my own age and race, and I was far more zealous for the traditions of my ancestors. ¹⁵ But when the God who took me from my mother’s womb called [me] through His loving care ¹⁶ to reveal his Son through me so I could preach the good news about him to the nations; I didn’t look for the advice of flesh and blood, ¹⁷ nor did I go to Jerusalem… to those who became Apostles before me. Rather, I went off to Arabia, and then I returned to Damascus. ¹⁸ Why, I didn’t go up to Jerusalem until three years later, where I visited Cephas (Peter) and stayed with him for fifteen days. ¹⁹ However, I didn’t see any of the rest of the Apostles, just the Lord’s brother, James.

²⁰ Look! I’m not lying to you about any of the things that I’m writing in the sight of God!

²¹ After that, I traveled to the provinces of Syria and Cilicia. ²² But the congregations (in union with the Anointed One) of Judea wouldn’t have recognized my face. ²³ All they heard about me was; ‘The man who used to persecute us is now preaching the good news about the same faith that he once tried to destroy.’ ²⁴ So, they glorified God because of me.

Chapter 2

¹ Then after fourteen years, I finally went to Jerusalem again, taking BarNabas and Titus along with me. ² But the reason why I went was because of a revelation [that I received]. I also told the prominent ones who were there about the good news that I’m preaching to the nations, but I did this privately for fear that somehow I was (or had been) wasting my time.

³ Now Titus, who was with me, was a Greek; yet, they didn’t force him to be circumcised! ⁴ But there were also some false brothers who were brought in that looked down on the freedom we have in the Anointed Jesus. And they wanted to make us their slaves… ⁵ but we wouldn’t give in to them even for an instant, so that the truth of the good news might reach to you!

⁶ Now, when it comes to those who seemed to be important (whatever they used to be makes no difference to me, because God doesn’t go by what a man appears to be on the outside); they didn’t show me anything new. ⁷ In fact, it was just the opposite; for, when they saw that I had been entrusted with the good news to the uncircumcised, as Peter was for those who are circumcised ⁸ (because, the one who gave Peter the powers of an Apostleship to the circumcised, also gave me such powers for those of the nations)… ⁹ yes, when they came to know the loving care that was shown to me; James, Cephas, and John (the ones who seemed to be pillars) gave BarNabas and I their approval to go to the nations, while they would go to the circumcised. ¹⁰ However, [we were told] to remember the poor, and I’ve tried hard to do that.

¹¹ Then, when Cephas (Peter) came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because I knew that he was wrong. ¹² Because, before certain men who came from James arrived, he used to eat with people of the nations. But after they arrived, he stopped associating [with them] and [started acting like a Jew], in fear of those who were circumcised. ¹³ As the result, all the rest of the Jews also joined in this performance. Why, they influenced even BarNabas in this hypocrisy!

¹⁴ But when I saw that they weren’t following the path of the truth of the good news, I asked Cephas there in front of everyone: ‘If you’re a Jew who lives as people of the nations do, not as Jews do, then why are you forcing those of the nations to become like Jews? ¹⁵ We who are natural Jews (not sinners from the nations) ¹⁶ know that a man isn’t called righteous because of following the Law, but through faith in the Anointed Jesus. Why, even we had to put faith in the Anointed Jesus, so we could be called righteous by our faith in him… [and this didn't come] by following the Law! For, no flesh will be called righteous because of following the Law!

¹⁷ ‘Now, if we are found to be sinners while we’re trying to be called righteous by means of the Anointed One, is the Anointed One a servant of sin? May that never happen! ¹⁸ However, if I build the things back up again that I once tore down, I prove that I’m a sinner!

¹⁹ ‘Now, as for me; I died to the Law so that I could become alive to God. ²⁰ I was hung on a pole along with the Anointed One, so it’s no longer me that’s alive, but the Anointed One who is living in me. As the result; the life that I’m now living in the flesh is being lived for the Son of God, who loved me and handed himself over for me. ²¹ I’m not pushing the loving care of God aside! Why, if righteousness comes through the Law, the Anointed One died [for nothing].’

Chapter 3

¹ O foolish Galatians; Who has cast an evil spell over you? Yes, you whose eyes have seen what was written about Jesus the Anointed One being impaled! ² I just want to ask you one thing: Did you receive the Breath because of obeying the Law, or because you had faith in the things that [you] heard?

³ Are you so foolish? Did you start out in the Spirit (Breath) just to end up in the flesh? ⁴ Did you go through so much suffering for no reason? If there really wasn’t any reason for it, ⁵ then, did the One who gave you His Breath and who performs powerful works through you do it because you’re obeying the Law, or because you had faith in the things that you heard?

⁶ Remember that AbraHam put faith in Jehovah, and that’s why he was considered righteous.⁷ So, don’t you know that those who have faith are the sons of AbraHam? ⁸ Why, God gave the good news to AbraHam because He saw ahead of time that He would be calling people of the nations righteous due to their faith. For He said, ‘All the nations will be blest because of you.’ ⁹ So, those who have faith are being blest along with faithful AbraHam!

¹⁰ Now, all those who are under the Law are under a curse, because it’s written, ‘Everyone is cursed that doesn’t follow and do everything that is written in the scroll of the Law.’ ¹¹ So, it’s obvious that no one is called righteous before God because of obeying the Law… for, ‘the righteous one will live because of his faith.’

¹² Now, the Laws don’t have much to do with faith, because, ‘he who obeys them must live by them.’ ¹³ However, the Anointed One bought our freedom from the Law’s curse by becoming a curse on our behalf. As it is written, ‘Every man who is hung on a tree is cursed.’ ¹⁴ So the reason why this happened was so that the blessing of AbraHam could come through Jesus the Anointed One, and the nations could receive the promised Breath… which [we received] because of our faith!

¹⁵ Brothers, allow me to explain this in human terms: Nobody can change or destroy a valid contract between men. ¹⁶ And the promises were given to ‘AbraHam and his seed.’ It doesn’t say, ‘to his seeds,’ as though there were many of them, but just one, ‘to your seed,’ who is the Anointed One!

¹⁷ So, let me also say this about that Sacred Agreement which God agreed to: The Law (which came some four hundred and thirty years later) didn’t destroy [the Agreement with AbraHam], so its promise hasn’t been done away with. ¹⁸ However, if the inheritance comes from the Law, it doesn’t come from the promise anymore… yet God kindly gave it to AbraHam because of the promise.

¹⁹ Then, why [do we have] the Law? It was added to show us what sin was, until the seed (about whom the promise was given) arrived… and [heavenly] messengers entrusted this into the hands of a go-between (mediator). ²⁰ Now, there’s no need for a go-between when only one person is involved, and God is just one.

²¹ So, does the Law override God’s promise [to AbraHam]? May that never happen! For, if the Law had been provided to give [people] life, then righteousness would come through following the Law. ²² However, those scriptures [wrapped] everyone up in sin, so that the promise may be given to believers through their faith in Jesus the Anointed One.

²³ [You see], before faith arrived, we were all locked up together and guarded by the Law, until [the time when] the things of faith would be revealed. ²⁴ And [until then], the Law kept reminding us of [the need for] the Anointed One, so that we could be called righteous because of our faith. ²⁵ But now that the faith has arrived, we don’t need a reminder anymore!

²⁶ The fact is; you’re all sons of God because of your faith in the Anointed Jesus. ²⁷ And all who were baptized into the Anointed One have put on the Anointed One. ²⁸ So, there aren’t any Jews or Greeks, slaves or freemen, males or females; because you’re all one in the Anointed Jesus. ²⁹ And if you’re [part] of the Anointed One; according to that promise, you’re really AbraHam's descendants and his heirs!

Chapter 4

¹ Now, let me say this: As long as the heir is a baby, he isn’t any different from a slave. For, although he’s the master over everything, ² he’s still under those who are in charge and [he’s] under the household manager until a day comes that is selected by his father.

³ And that’s how it was with us. When we were [spiritual] babies, we were slaves to the rules of this system of things. ⁴ But when the time arrived, God sent his Son (who came through a woman and was under the Law) ⁵ so he could buy those who were under the Law and adopt us as sons.

⁶ Now, because you’re [His] sons, God has sent the spirit of His Son into our hearts, where it calls out, ‘Papa… Father!’ ⁷ So, you’re no longer slaves, but sons. And if you are sons, you are also heirs through God!

⁸ Back when you didn’t know God, you were slaves to those who really aren’t gods. ⁹ But now that you’ve come to know God – or rather, now that God has come to know you – why are you returning to those weak and sorry rules… why do you want to become their slave again? ¹⁰ For you are observing days, and months, and seasons, and years; ¹¹ and I’m afraid that all the work I’ve done on your behalf has been wasted!

¹² Brothers, I beg you; Become like me, because I used to be just like you! You’ve never done me any wrong. ¹³ Why, you knew that I had a severe fleshly weakness when I preached the good news to you the first time. ¹⁴ And although this problem must have created difficulties for you, you didn’t treat it with contempt or spit on it in disgust. You received me like a messenger from God… like the Anointed Jesus.

¹⁵ So, where’s that happiness you [once] had? Why, I can testify to the fact that if it had been possible, you would have taken out your eyes and given them to me! ¹⁶ But, have I now become your enemy because I’m telling you the truth?

¹⁷ [There are those who are] zealously chasing after you for bad reasons… they want to snip you off and make you their zealous followers. ¹⁸ And it’s good for you to always be zealously chased after (and not just when I’m with you)… as long as it’s for a good purpose.

¹⁹ O my little children; I’m enduring childbirth pains again until the Anointed One becomes strong in you. ²⁰ I wish that I could be there with you right now and talk in a different tone of voice, because I just don’t know how to help you!

²¹ Those of you who want to be under Law, tell me this: Don’t you hear the Law? ²² It was written that AbraHam had two sons, one by the servant girl and the other by the free woman. ²³ The one who came through the servant girl was born in the flesh, but the other ([who came] through the free woman) [was born] because of a promise. ²⁴ Now, this story is symbolic. The two [women] symbolize two sacred agreements. One (like Hagar) came from Mount Sinai and bears children into slavery; ²⁵ so this Hagar means Sinai (a mountain in Arabia), and she symbolizes JeruSalem today, who is in slavery with her children. ²⁶ But the JeruSalem above is free, and she’s our mother. ²⁷ For it’s written: ‘Be happy, you childless woman who hasn’t given birth. Break out [in song] and shout aloud, O you woman who has never known the pains of childbirth; because the barren woman has more children than she who has the husband.’

²⁸ Brothers, we are children of the promise, as Isaac was. ²⁹ And just as the one who was born in the flesh started persecuting the one who was born through the Breath; that’s what’s happening now! ³⁰ So, what do the Scriptures say? ‘Drive out the servant girl and her son, because the son of the servant girl will never be an heir with the son of the free woman!’

³¹ So brothers, we aren’t the children of a servant girl, but of the free woman!

Chapter 5

¹ Why, the Anointed One set us free so we can be free! So, stand up and don’t allow yourselves to be put under the yoke of slavery again!

² Look! I (Paul) am telling you that if you get circumcised, the Anointed One won’t be of any use to you! ³ And I again testify to every man who gets circumcised, that he’s obligated to obey the whole Law thereafter.

⁴ Those of you who are trying to be called righteous by the Law have voided the Anointed One and have fallen from his loving care. ⁵ However, we of the Spirit are eagerly awaiting the (hoped-for) righteousness that comes from faith. ⁶ Because, circumcision doesn’t have any value, nor does uncircumcision, when [it comes to] the Anointed Jesus. The only thing that does [have value] is faith that is motivated by love!

⁷ You were running so well; so who’s trying to keep you from obeying the truth? ⁸ Such an idea isn’t coming from the One who is calling you; ⁹ but ‘a little yeast ferments the whole ball [of dough].’

¹⁰ I’m confident that you who are in the Lord wouldn’t have thought anything else; but the one who is causing all this agitation will have to face up to his judgment, no matter who he may be!

¹¹ Brothers; if I were preaching circumcision, then why would I be persecuted? If that were true, the impaling pole wouldn’t be a trap anymore! ¹² Oh, I wish that those who are stirring you up would cut on themselves!

¹³ You were called to be free, brothers! So don’t use this freedom to serve your flesh; [use it] to slave for each other in love. ¹⁴ Because, the entire Law is fulfilled in the words: ‘You must love your neighbor as yourself.’ ¹⁵ However, if you keep on snapping at each other and chewing each other up, be careful that you don’t swallow each other down!

¹⁶ I tell you this: If you keep walking by Spirit, you won’t do anything that your flesh desires. ¹⁷ For, what the flesh wants is at odds with what the Spirit wants, and the Spirit is at odds with the flesh… they are in opposition to each other, so you don’t do the things that you may like to do! ¹⁸ And if you are being led by Spirit, then you aren’t under the Law!

¹⁹ Now, the things that the flesh does are known. They include sexual immorality, uncleanness, unseemly acts, ²⁰ worshiping idols, involvement in the occult, hatred, quarreling, jealousy, anger, selfishness, divisions, sects, ²¹ envying, getting drunk, wild partying, and things like that. I’m warning you now as I’ve warned you before, that those who do such things won’t inherit God’s Kingdom.

²² However, the fruitage of [God’s] Breath is love, joy, peace, patience, caring, goodness, faith, ²³ reasonableness, and self-control… and there are no laws against such things. ²⁴ But those who belong to the Anointed Jesus have hung their flesh on the pole, along with its passions and desires. ²⁵ So if we’re living by [God’s] Breath, then let’s walk in the Breath… ²⁶ don’t be conceited, and [don’t] challenge or envy one another!

Chapter 6

¹ Brothers, if anyone is ever caught up in doing bad things, those of you who have the Breath should try to restore that person in a reasonable way, as you keep an eye on yourselves so you aren’t tempted also. ² Carry each other’s loads, and you’ll fulfill the law of the Anointed One. ³ Because; if anyone thinks he’s something when he’s nothing, he’s just fooling himself. ⁴ So, let each one prove [the value] of what he’s doing to himself first, and then he can brag to himself, not to other people. ⁵ For, each one has to carry his own load.

⁶ Also; May those who teach the Word share all the good things that they have with those whom they’re teaching.

⁷ Now, don’t make any mistake when it comes to this: You can’t mock God! Because, whatever a person is planting is what he’s going to harvest. ⁸ So, if he’s planting [the desires] of his own flesh, he will harvest decay from the flesh. And if he’s planting things that have to do with [God’s] Breath, he’ll harvest age-long life. ⁹ So, let’s not misbehave… let’s keep on doing what’s right until that time comes, because we’ll harvest what we deserve if we don’t tire out. ¹⁰ Until then, may we do good things for everyone… and especially toward those who are related to us in the Faith.

¹¹ Look at these large letters that I wrote with my own hand!

¹² All those who are trying to impress you in the flesh are urging you to be circumcised, so that they won’t be persecuted over the impaling pole of the Anointed Jesus. ¹³ And these [same ones] who want you to be circumcised not only fail to obey the Law themselves, but they also want you to be circumcised so that they can have a reason to brag over your flesh!

¹⁴ May I never find myself bragging, except over the impaling pole of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One; for it’s through him that I’ve hung the world on the pole, as I’ve done to myself when it comes to this system of things.

¹⁵ Why, circumcision isn’t anything, nor is uncircumcision; Rather, [what matters is being] a new creation!

¹⁶ May peace and mercy be on everyone who walks in line with this rule, and upon the IsraEl of God.

¹⁷ Finally, let no one undermine my work, because I have the brand of Jesus on my body.

¹⁸ May the loving care of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One be with you brothers. May it be.

Notes

Spiritism, Druggery, or Involvement in the Occult?

The Greek word that we have translated as, involvement in the occult, at Galatians 5:20, is pharmakia. This word has been translated many ways over the years, to fit particular religious 'hot buttons.' Some have applied it to forbid spiritism and others have applied it to forbid the use of illicit drugs (due to the 'pharmacy' connection). However, the word refers specifically to the use of 'magic potions' that are supplied by mystics, such as witches and the like. And some connection to modern-day (prescribed and patent) medicines as sold in drug stores could be implied. However, the difference is that modern medicines aren't claimed to have 'magical' or 'occult' powers.

The particular Greek/English interlinear Bible that we used when preparing this version, translated pharmakia as druggery. However, the nuance that druggery implies in American English simply isn't correct. It suggests the misuse (abuse) of mind-altering drugs… and that isn't the primary meaning of pharmakia. While mind-altering drugs would likely have played a role in ancient potions, the corrupt act mentioned here clearly refers to any involvement in occult practices and contact with the demons.

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Fornication or Sexual Immorality?

The Greek word porneia means more than just copulation between individuals who aren't married to each other. The term literally means that which is sold (by prostitutes). So, it includes all types of sexual acts that might be sold by prostitutes; and it applies to such actions between those (whether male or female) who are not married to each other, even when there may be no exchange of money, because, wherever we find the word porneia in the Bible, the Hebrew Law shows that it involves any intimate relations between unmarried persons.

Therefore, because the English word fornication carries the nuance of just copulation between unmarried persons, we have used the broader term sexual immorality in this Bible to indicate the full range of meaning.

For more information, see the linked document Christian Morality.

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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 Corinthians 15:53, where it mentions resurrected ones as clothing themselves with immortality, and at 1 Timothy 6:16, where Paul speaks of Jesus alone as having 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, which is used throughout the Bible in various conjugated forms and is often translated as eternal and forever, 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 or era.

Where the singular form (aionos) is used, this appears to mean a period such as a lifetime, generation, or era. And where the plural form of the word (aiōnōn) is used, it refers to a longer time… at least multiple generations. Also, where the term ages of the ages is used (such as at Ephesians 3:21), which is usually said in reference to The 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: 'Tell us; When will these things happen… what will be the signs when you are to arrive and this age will come to its conclusion?' Notice that aionos is also translated as world here in many Bibles, such as the KJ, and as system of things in other Bibles, such as the NWT. However, if the Apostles had meant any of those things, they would have used the Greek word cosmos (world or arrangement), not aionos.

You can see that 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 in JeruSalem would be destroyed, because that's what Jesus was explaining to them.

Yet, there are instances when some forms of the word could imply forever, such as when we find it in the form aiōniŏn. This is an adjective in the singular case, which, when combined with the Greek word zoe (in its various forms) is usually translated in other Bibles as everlasting life. However, that isn't a totally-accurate description.

In the past, we had tried to reconcile the words zoe aiōniŏn as meaning, life in the age. However, the word age in this instance would not be an adjective, so we have recently chosen, in most cases where we find this word combination, to translate them more accurately as age-long life, which we will agree could mean everlasting life.

For more information, see the linked Scriptural Commentary, Does the Bible Promise Everlasting Life?

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False Brothers

At Galatians 2:4, Paul wrote about problems that he had with 'false brothers' (gr. pseudo adelphoi) whom he had to deal with on his second visit to JeruSalem. These may have been the same ones that he mentioned at 2 Corinthians 11:26, when he was talking about the many dangers that he had faced as an Apostle… and this was apparently one of the most treacherous of obstacles.

That such men were likely considered to be in good standing by others, is substantiated by the fact that they met Paul in the presence of what appeared to be the heads of the congregation in JeruSalem, specifically James, Peter, and John. And the fact that there were such ones who looked down on and opposed Paul, is discussed under the Wikipedia topic, Ebionites.

What was so treacherous about these men that Paul would list this encounter along with being stoned, beaten, and left for dead? He wrote that they 'looked down on the freedom we have in the Anointed Jesus. And they wanted to make us their slaves…'

In other words, they were accusing Paul and trying to override the commission that he had directly received from Jesus in a vision. So, they were in fact, resisting and opposing God's Holy Breath.

So clearly, some in the First Century congregation in JeruSalem didn't like Paul or the work he was doing, and they were giving him orders on how he should conduct himself, to whom he should preach, how he should preach, and what he should say. For, they would have loved to bring an end to Paul's commission to preach to people of the nations. So, their obvious lack of love for Paul and their high regard for their own opinions (which were pro-Judaism) led to disqualifying them as Paul's 'brothers,' although there is no mention of their being corrected by anyone at the time. In fact, it was due to his trying to please them by by observing Jewish cleansing rituals that led to Paul's arrest and being sent to Rome.

Note that they had actually accused Paul teaching an 'apostasy,' just before his arrest and eventual deportation (see Acts 21:21). It is interesting that this is the only Bible record of a Christian ever being accused of such a thing.

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Cross or Pole?

The Greek word stauros simply means pole. So, regardless of popular tradition and doctrine, there is no mention of a pole with a cross piece (cross) in the original Bible. Also, the Greek word staurotheto (which is translated crucified or hung on a cross) is translated as impaled (put on a pole or stake) here, because that's what it means.

Does this mean that Jesus didn't die on a cross? Not necessarily, for there is a lot of historical evidence which indicates that he did (see the link Dispute about Jesus' Execution Method). Yet, whether the Romans used just an upright pole or one with a cross beam as a means of torture and execution is really unimportant. If one views such a thing as an object of worship (which many do), then this is condemned in the Bible as idolatry… and they are also missing the point. For, what should be held as sacred to us is the one who gave his life on our behalf, not the disgusting object of his execution.

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Amen

Amen is a Hebrew word that was never really translated into English; it was just Anglicized. In Greek it is pronounced, ah-main. The reason why it was never translated is that ancient scholars were afraid to change this supposed 'magical' word that ensures God will listen to the prayer. However, there is no record in the Bible of anyone ending prayers with amen, although it was likely said. And the fact that others who were present said amen at the end of prayers to show that they agree, is indicated by Paul's words at 1 Corinthians 14:16.

In addition, amen isn't said in the Bible just at the end of prayers. Paul used the word frequently in his writings to affirm that what he was writing was, or would be, true. And that's the literal meaning of amen as it is rendered here, 'may it be so.'

Then, should Christians end their prayers with the word amen, or with the phrase, may it be? It really makes no difference. In fact, neither really has to be said for God to hear the prayer, or for Him to understand that it is concluded.

The problem with saying amen is that most people really don't know what it means today. They think of it as just a word that you end prayers with. However, saying amen (or may it be) at the conclusion of a prayer indicates that the one praying assumes the things that were asked are as good as done… and he or she should also believe that.

In several places, we have left the word amen unchanged, for example, at Revelation 3:14, where Jesus was referred to symbolically as 'the Amen,' or, the 'he who causes things to be.'

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Undeserved Kindness or Caring?

The Greek word caris is where we derive the English words care and caring. Old English Bible translations have rendered caris as grace. But the nuance that grace implies (smooth and flowing) totally distorts the meaning of this term in contemporary American English.

Most Bible dictionaries prefer to see caris translated as undeserved kindness. However, this phrase, which may or may not make some minor technical difference in the meaning, adds wordiness, which distracts from the ease of reading. So you will find it translated as care, loving care, caring, or kindness herein, depending on the setting.

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Wicked Zeal

At Psalm 37:8 we read, 'Stop being angry and abandon your rage. Don't allow zeal to make you act wicked' (yes, we know, the word should be wickedly, but this is poetic license). However, those words could also be translated as, 'Do not allow jealously to cause you to act wickedly,' because the Greek word zelos can either be translated as zealous or as jealous, depending on the circumstances, for both words mean the same thing. Yet, the two words imply different things in English.

Zeal is usually thought of as something good… something that all Christians should have, as in zeal for God and righteousness. And jealously is thought of as something bad… as wanting something that belongs to someone else. Yet, God may be spoken of as being jealous over His Name and His position as God, so jealously isn't always a bad thing. And we can have zeal for things that are ours and we are proud of (which is not bad), and be jealous for things that belong to others (which is bad). So, the same Greek word (zelos) may be correctly translated as zeal in one place, and as jealously in another, depending on the context.

Then, is it proper for a man to be jealous of his wife, or for a wife to be jealous of her husband? No, we should never be jealous of each other, but rather, for each other. We shouldn't want what the other has, but we should have a burning zeal for each other. So, if one has good reason to worry about losing the love of the other, that is zeal. However, if such concern is baseless, that is wicked suspicion, not jealously.

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The 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:

· Because Christ has almost totally lost its meaning to most Bible readers today, and most have come to believe that 'Christ' was Jesus' last name. It wasn't.

· Because Christ is a 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 (anointing) 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 whom God chose to be kings or priests 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 Saul, David, and Solomon were Christs, for you can't have it both ways. As an example; look at the words that David spoke about Saul, as found at 1 Samuel 24:6 LXX): 'Kai eipin David pros tous andras autou: Medamos moi para kiriou ei poieso to hrema touto to kyrio mou to christo kyriou epenegkai cheira mou ep auton hoti christos kyriou estin autos,' or 'Said David to the men of/his: By/no/means of/me from the/Lord if I/should/do this thing to my/Lord to/the Christ (Anointed) of/the/Lord to/raise my/hand against him, for the/Christ (Anointed) of/the/Lord this is.'

So as you can see; if Christos should be translated as Christ, then unrighteous King Saul was also Christ. However, almost all Bibles translate christos as anointed in this case (one of many instances).

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 on the earth' (Revelation 5:10).

Notice what can be learned from a proper understanding of the Greek words by looking at Matthew 24:24. For there, many Bibles say that Jesus foretold the coming of false Christs and false prophets. But 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. For more information, see the linked document, False Anointed and False Prophets.

Another example of the poor use of the title Christ (implying Jesus) by Bible translators can be found at 1 Peter 1:10, 11, which reads in this Bible: 'When it comes to salvation, the Prophets looked and searched for this loving-care that's being shown to you. They tried, through the spirit of anointing that was in them, to determine the exact time and circumstances of the sufferings of the Anointed One and of his being glorified, which they knew about even back then.'

Other Bible say that it was the Spirit of Christ that was in the ancient Prophets. However, as we pointed out above, Jesus didn't become the Christ or the Anointed until after his baptism.

So, what Peter was saying in those verses, is that those ancient Prophets tried through the power of God's Breath which had anointed them to be Prophets, to determine the time and circumstances of the glorification of Jesus. For, if you check the wording of those verses in Greek, you'll see that there is no definite article preceding the first christou (anointed), which would be required if it was saying that the Spirit of the Christ (or the Anointed One) was in them.

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Who Wrote Paul's Letters?

We find the entire flap about who wrote Paul's letters – by scholars and critics alike – funny. For, much has been made of the fact that the writing styles of Paul's letters vary so much, it is improbable that he wrote them all; and he obviously didn't, as the words of Romans 16:22 testify, 'I, Tertius, who wrote this letter, greet you in [the] Lord.'

Paul, as several of his letters indicate, had very poor eyesight (see Galatians 4:13-15). Why? Was this caused by the brightness of his vision of Jesus, as some say? Well, it could have been, but we doubt it. Remember that there were no eyeglasses at the time when Paul wrote, he was likely over forty years old, and many of us who are beyond that age couldn't see to write letters today if it weren't for our eyeglasses. And there are several other natural causes for poor eyesight – other than miraculous visions.

A further indication of Paul's poor eyesight is found at Galatians 6:11, where he wrote, 'Look at these large letters that I wrote with my own hand!' This can indicate that; either Paul wrote the book of Galatians by himself, or that he had written just those few words of the letter. However, the mentioning of 'large letters' shows that he could barely see his own handwriting. That he could have written this letter himself is seen by the relatively short and less 'flowery' introductory words (Galatians 1:1-5).

Obviously, a man named Tertius wrote the letter to the Romans for Paul. Then, if you look at the headings or conclusions of other letters, you'll find references to those who likely did the writing. For example, First Corinthians starts with the words, 'Paul … and Sosthenes our brother.' Then Second Corinthians starts out the same way, 'Paul … and our brother Timothy.'

So, there are obviously different writing styles in Paul's letters, because (as the letters themselves indicate), different people did the writing. This may be quite a revelation to critics and college professors, but they obviously haven't actually read the letters.

For more information, see the attached link, The Bible's Internal Proofs of Its Authentic History.

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Adopted Sons

Throughout the Christian Era Scriptures, we read of the hope that some have of being adopted as sons of God and ruling with Jesus. When does this 'choosing' actually happen; what are its results; and how does one know that he/she has been so adopted by God?

Well, notice Paul's words at Romans 8:15, 'You didn't receive His Breath to make you slaves to fear again, for when you received it, it adopted you as His sons… so by this Breath we can call out, Papa! Father!' From this, we can see that such individuals first receive God's Breath, and then it 'adopts' them as God's sons. And, as was true in the days of the Apostles, receiving God's Breath appears to have manifested itself in some visible way.

Also, this adoption appears to impart the value of a spiritual life to the individual. For, notice that Paul also referred to such individuals as a 'new creation' at Galatians 6:15, 'However, a new creation [is something].'

And, once a person has received this adoption, he/she is said to become joint 'heirs' with Jesus. As Romans 8:17 says, 'So, if we are [His] children, we are also [His] heirs. Yes, heirs of God and heirs with the Anointed One.'

Heirs of what? You will find this discussed in the linked document, God's Promise of an Inheritance.

Are there any special requirements for receiving spiritual adoption? Notice that Paul adds at Romans 8:17, 'However, we have to suffer together so we can also be glorified together.'

Now, history tells us that suffering a violent death or being greatly persecuted for their faith was true of all the Apostles, and many (if not all) the rest of the adopted sons from the First Century through the middle ages. So, is such violent physical suffering required for all who have this hope? Well, consider what Revelation 6:11 says, 'Then they were each given a white robe and they were told to take it easy just a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow slaves and brothers was filled (who were going to be killed, as they were).'

However, nobody can say for sure that all who are adopted as sons must suffer greatly, for the 'choosing' and its qualifications are in the hands of God.

It appears as though the choosing and adoption of sons of God doesn't necessarily happen at the time of their baptism. For example, in the case of the first gentile converts to Christianity (Cornelius and his family), such selection happened even before baptism, because, that's when God's Breath manifested itself. So, 'baptism in the Holy Breath' happens whenever God selects such individuals, which doesn't necessarily come at baptism. This was also true of those baptized individuals who received God's Breath on Pentecost of 33-C.E.

However, Galatians 3:26, 27, says, 'The fact is; you're all sons of God because of your faith in the Anointed Jesus.'

So, it appears as though 'becoming one' with Jesus and becoming 'sons of God' occurs to all who demonstrate their faith when they are baptized. However, whether this refers to water baptism or baptism by God's Breath, isn't made clear here.

And although the sons of God receive the value of spiritual life when God selects them, their actual adoption comes upon the death of their fleshly bodies. Paul points this out at Romans 8:23, 24, 'And it isn't alone, since even we who have received the first fruitage of [God's] Breath groan within ourselves as we anticipate being accepted as [His] sons… awaiting the ransom release of our bodies. Yes, this is the hope that's saving us!'

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The Woman and Her Seed

One of the marvels of John's writings is that he ties the Bible's first prophecies and words into the Bible's last written books (John, 1 John, 2 John, 3 John, and Revelation). For example, the words that are written in Revelation the Twelfth Chapter about the 'woman' and her 'seed,' and the 'dragon' and his 'seed,' shows the thrilling conclusion to a Bible 'mystery (gr. mysterion),' which was anticipated for some 4,000 years prior to John's writing. In fact, at Romans 16:25 it is referred to as, 'the revelation of the mystery that has been kept quietly for the ages.'

The prophecy that the Revelation is explaining, is the first one found in the Bible. For, at Genesis 3:15, God said to the Snake (the Slanderer), 'I'll create hatred between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed. He will watch for your head, and you will watch for his heel.'

Then, here in the Revelation, the four characters of Genesis 3:15 are identified. They are:

· The 'snake' (or dragon), who is the Slanderer

· The Slanderer's 'seed,' who are (in part) the Slanderer's messengers

· The 'woman' who gives birth to the seed, and appears to be God's faithful heavenly organization (the 'JeruSalem Above')

· The 'woman's seed' (which was 'born' when the Slanderer was thrown out of heaven), is God's entire Kingdom arrangement – Jesus and his 'chosen ones.'

For more information, see the linked document, The 'Seed' – God's Kingdom.

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Messengers

Most Bible translations render the Greek word aggelos (pronounced ahn-gel-ose – with a hard g) as angel wherever it is found. However, aggelos is just the Greek word for messenger. True, in most cases where the Bible speaks of angels, it is referring to spirit messengers from God. However, this may not be the meaning in every instance, and always translating it as angel may distort what was meant.

For example, consider the words at Acts 12:15, where Peter had just been released from prison and came to the door of some faithful Christians. Here the housemaid told the people inside that Peter was outside. And according to many other Bibles, they thought that it was 'his angel' at the door. However, this rendering doesn't sound reasonable, for it would have been unusual for Christians to assume that an angel from God (who looked like Peter) was standing and knocking at their door. Rather, the rendering we have used herein makes more sense, 'So they said, It's his messenger.'

Another good example of why aggelos shouldn't always be translated as angel can be found at Genesis 32:3, which reads in Greek, 'Apasteile de Iakob aggelous emprosthen autou pros Hesau ton adelphon autou' or, 'Sent of Jacob angels(?) ahead of/him toward Esau the brother of/him.' Here Jacob was obviously sending human messengers to his brother, not heavenly ones (angels).

And consider the words at Numbers 20:14, where we read that Moses sent messengers (gr. aggelous – messengers, plural) from Cades to the king of Edom.' Then in verse 16, it says that 'Jehovah … heard our voice and sent His messenger (gr. aggelon – messenger, singular) who brought us out of Egypt.'

Obviously, the same word (with only conjugated variations) is used there to speak of two different types of messengers… those who were human and the one who was sent from heaven by God. And in this case, most Bibles translate the first instance as messengers, but the second as angel. We have not chosen to make this distinction, however, for the readers should be able to discern from the context which ones are human and which ones are spirit by themselves. And when there is some question, each person should keep an open mind.

Consider the words of Haggai 1:13, where we read: 'Then the Messenger (or angel) of Jehovah, Haggai, one of the messengers (or angels) of Jehovah, said to the people: Jehovah says, I am with you!'

Yet, Haggai was just a man, not a spirit. So, there may be other cases in the Bible where some translations have presumptuously written angel, when the one that God sent was a human messenger!

Also consider that; Translating aggelos as messenger when it is truly speaking of a spirit from God, helps to provide readers a better, deeper understanding of the actual role that such sons of God play in His dealings with mankind… and that the term angel isn't a type of creature or a heavenly rank (as most think), but an assignment that may even be temporary. It also helps us to understand why the Bible never speaks of female or baby angels (because dead men, dead women, and dead babies don't become angels, since heavenly spirits are direct creations by God).

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Breath

The Greek word pneuma (as in pneumonia, a breathing disease) means breath or wind – the movement of air. In other Bible translations, this word is often translated as spirit or ghost, as in Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. However, spirit is just a shortened form of the Latin word spiritu, which just means breath in Latin. And ghost conveys another meaning altogether.

In the Bible, the most common use of the word pneuma is to convey the idea of a force that can't be seen, such as breath or wind. And the problem with translating it as spirit or ghost, is that those words have been given religious meanings that aren't implied by the Greek texts.

Therefore, to prevent confusion, the Greek word pneuma is frequently translated as breath herein. However, there are exceptions, as in instances where the Bible refers to demons as 'spirits.' Translating pneuma as breath in these cases, although correct, might just be confusing. There are also places where we have left pneuma translated as spirit, when the word implies a person's tendency (or spirit). And, since the nuance implied by the word spirit in the English language (an unseen power) is correct, we recently changed back to translating pneuma as spirit in several places, when referring to God's Holy Spirit. However, recognize that pneuma is often best defined by calling it [God's] Holy Breath. For an example, see the Note Worshiping God In Spirit and Truth.

Another important use of the word pneuma is in the phrase, 'Breath of Life.' This phrase appears to mean more than just breathing, for it seems to refer to the entire mechanics of life itself. It's the unseen force of life for all creatures… it's what makes each cell alive. However, nowhere does the Bible describe the 'pneuma' as immortal, nor is it the same as the soul (a breathing thing), so it can (figuratively) 'return to God' at death,' because all hope of future life depends on God and His promise of a resurrection.

Note in particular how the term Breath is used at Job 27:3, where Job spoke of God's Breath or Spirit. For there he asked, 'Does the Breath of the Divine One remain in my nose?' As you can see from his application of this word, pneuma obviously referred to God's Breath, not to a person or to an unseen force. He was talking about that which comes from God and which caused him (Job) to breathe… the Breath of Life.

It is interesting that at Genesis 6:3, God said concerning the wicked people on earth before the Downpour: 'I won't allow My Breath to stay with these men through the age, for they are fleshly.' In Greek that reads, 'Ou me katameine to pneuma mou en tois anthropois toutoiseis ton aiona, dia ai einai autous sarka,' or, 'Not not should stay the Breath Mine with these men the age through, their being flesh.'

While the words Breath Mine (pneuma mou) here can refer to God's Holy Breath, it seems more likely that He is referring to the breath of life that He gave to Adam. So it appears as though what God was saying here, is that the breath of life (of the people of that age) would be removed prematurely. However, since God referred to it as 'My Breath,' there may be a link implied between God's Holy Breath and the breath of life.
For more information, see the linked document, 'The Powers of God's Holy Spirit.'

However, when Jesus died (as the words recorded at John 19:30 say), 'he hung his head and gave up the breath' (gr. kai klinas ten kephalen paredoken to pneuma, or, and inclined his head giving/up the breath). In this case, the obvious reference is to 'the breath of life,' or that force which gave him life as a human.

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430 Years?

Paul wrote at Galatians 3:17, 'So, let me also say this about that Sacred Agreement which God agreed to: The Law (which came some four hundred and thirty years later) didn’t destroy [the Agreement with AbraHam], so its promise hasn’t been done away with.'

If you do some research, you'll find that this 430-year period has been discussed extensively by commentators. And the conclusion that most have reached is that there was only 430 years from the time when God made the agreement with AbraHam until He gave the Law to Moses. So, most have concluded that IsraEl was in captivity in Egypt for just a little over 200 years… which is illogical and physically impossible, since the Bible tells us that there were only seventy-five people in the family of IsaAc when they entered Egypt (see Genesis 46:24, 25) and they left with over a million! This wrong conclusion has led to the miscalculation of important Bible dates, such as the time of the Downpour and the creation of Adam.

For a fact, it does appear as though Paul wrote that there was only 430 years between the time when God made His Sacred Agreement with AbraHam and the IsraElite's exodus from Egypt. However, notice what was said about this same period at Exodus 12:40: 'Now, although it had been four hundred and thirty years that the children of IsraEl had stayed in the land of Egypt and in the land of CanaAn, the whole army of Jehovah left the land of Egypt that night.' So, as you can see, the Exodus account tells us that this 430-year period started when the children of IsraEl left the house of Laban in MesoPotamia and returned to the land of CanaAn.

Then, how much of that time was actually spent in Egypt? Going back to the promise that God gave to AbraHam, we read (at Genesis 15:13), 'For Abram was told: You must know this for a fact; Your seed will have to live as aliens in a foreign land (where they'll be slaves who are treated badly and humbled) for four hundred years.' So, we must assume that the period of their stay in Egypt had to be four-hundred years.

But, did this 400-year period start when Jacob and his family entered Egypt, or when JoSeph arrived there some 10 years earlier (as other commentators have suggested)? Notice that in Genesis 30:22-25, we find JoSeph being born in MesoPotamia just before his father Jacob decided to return to his homeland, and his brother BenJamin being born shortly after that return. Also, the account in Genesis indicates that JoSeph was a young man when he was carried off to Egypt. So, it appears as though he was about 20 when that happened, and he was about 30 when his family moved to Egypt. So, the 400 years clearly started when IsraEl and his family entered Egypt, for it appears as though the period from their return to the land of CanaAn to their going down into Egypt was 30 years, as determined by the age of Joseph.

Then, as you can calculate from Genesis 47:9, Jacob was already 100 years old when he made the trek from MesoPotamia. We read that he and his brother were born to IsaAc when IsaAc was 60 years old (see Genesis 25:26), and IsaAc was born to AbraHam when he was 100 years old (see Genesis 21:5). Therefore, our calculations show the period from God's making the Agreement with Abraham (about 2141-B.C.E) to the giving of the Law (about 1555-B.C.E.) was more than 591 years.

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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've been praised by my Father, inherit the Kingdom that's been prepared for you from the founding of the arrangement.'

In Greek, the words we have translated as founding of the arrangement are katabole kosmou. You may recognize that the English word cosmos is a derivative of kosmou. And cosmos is the word that modern peoples usually use when referring to the universe today. So, why have we translated it as arrangement, and what is meant by the term, founding of the arrangement?

Actually, the closest English meaning of Greek word kosmos is arrangement. For example, when Paul urged Christian women to dress modestly, he used the word kosmos to describe well-arranged clothing. However, in other Bibles kosmos is usually translated as world.

Although it has been said that the word world doesn't appear at all in the Hebrew texts of the Ancient Scriptures of IsraEl (OT), the word kosmos does appear there several times in the Greek Septuagint. The reason why some say that world (or kosmos) doesn't appear there, is because the equivalent Hebrew word (te·vel) is often 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 kosmos appears several times, it is usually translated as world… as in the world of Noah, the light of the world, the field is the world, etc. However, there are some fifteen definitions given to the word world in English dictionaries, and most don't carry the same meaning as the Greek word. So, world is a poor choice when translating kosmos. For example: kosmos never seems to apply to the earth (which is how we often think of it). Rather, it often applies to the arrangement or situation of human society… system of things might be a better word choice.

Actually, two different Greek words are often translated as world in the Septuagint, kosmos and oichonomeo; and oichonomeo does appear to refer to the earth, because it means the habitation, or, the place where [man] dwells. So the Greek text clearly delineates the two meanings, which are both commonly translated as world in other Bibles.

Notice how the word kosmos was used by Paul at Romans 5:12, 'Sin entered the arrangement (kosmos) through one man, and this sin resulted in death. So, death spread to all men and everyone has sinned.'

Thus, 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 for 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 (or kosmos) in a negative context, and that it (the current set of negative circumstances) will soon be done away with.

Yet, the Scriptures also indicate that the present worldly arrangement or system of things began after the Downpour of Noah's day, and that Noah had inherited the arrangement 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 arrangement (or 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 arrangement. Yet, He guarded Noah (who was a preacher of righteousness) along with seven others, when He brought a downpour on a system (kosmos or world) of godless people.'

So, apparently there have been at least two different worlds or arrangements; the one that Noah inherited and which started before the Downpour, followed by the second arrangement or system of things that we are now living in, which will also be destroyed. For, we read at 1 John 2:17, 'The system (kosmos) with all its desires is passing away, but he who does God's Will lives for the age.' And Romans 4:13 says, 'AbraHam and his seed weren't given the promise of inheriting the arrangement because of the Law, but because of his righteousness, which came from his faith!'

Thus (from the above), we may conclude that: What Jesus said about the Kingdom having been prepared for the sheep since the founding of the arrangement could 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.

However, the words of Revelation 13:8 could indicated that a third world began with the death of Jesus. For, there it says concerning him: 'he who had been slaughtered from the founding of the arrangement' (gr. esphagmenou apo kataboles kosmou or, who/was/slaughtered from foundation – or down-throw – cosmos). Therefore, we could be living in an entirely new world, arrangement, or system of things since the time of Jesus' death. And if so, then what Jesus may have been foretelling at Matthew 25:34, is that people would start being selected as 'Kingdom inheritors' after his death, or after the latest 'founding (or down-throwing) of the world.'

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