NOTE: You will notice that much of the book of Luke was written as poetry, for this is apparently how Jesus spoke many of his parables, and Luke in particular told of these parables. As the result, we have attempted to restore the rhythm of his words as closely as possible to the original poetic style, while attempting to maintain their exact meanings. And to those who would object, claiming that exact words are more important that style, we ask: Then why did Jesus put so much effort into style? The answer is obvious; He wanted at least some of his words to be remembered and quoted as parables or proverbs. Also; this unique teaching style tends to indicate that Jesus was the Lord who spoke the words of God (Jehovah) to many of the ancient Prophets, since most of those messages were also originally transmitted in poetry.

Chapter 1

¹ Since many others have already taken on the job of putting together a statement of the facts of the things we believe ² as they were given to us by those who were eyewitnesses from the earliest [times] and by caretakers of the message, ³ it seemed good for me to trace everything accurately from the start, then write it down for you in the order that it happened, mighty TheoPhilus, ⁴ so you can feel confident about the things you've been taught by word of mouth.

⁵ In the days of King Herod of Judea, there was a Priest named ZechariAh, who was of the division of AbiJah. He had a wife named EliSabet, who was a descendant of Aaron. ⁶ Both of them were found righteous by God, because they obeyed all the Commandments and requirements of Jehovah. ⁷ However, they never had a child, because they were both well up in years, and EliSabet was sterile.

⁸ Now, it was while he was assigned as the Priest before God in his division of Priests that ⁹ (following the custom of the Priesthood) [ZechariAh] was chosen by lot to offer incense when he went into the Holy Place of Jehovah. ¹⁰ [At the time], there was a large crowd of people praying outside during the hour that the incense was being offered, ¹¹ and it was then that Jehovah's messenger appeared to him, to the right of the incense altar.

¹² Well, ZechariAh was very disturbed and frightened by what he saw. ¹³ However, the messenger said to him, 'Don't be afraid ZechariAh, because the things that you begged for in prayer have been favorably heard. Your wife EliSabet will give birth to a son for you, and you should call his name John (YoAnAin). ¹⁴ You'll be happy and you'll dance with joy… in fact, many people will rejoice at his birth, ¹⁵ because he will be great in the eyes of Jehovah. He may not drink any wine or liquor at all, and he will be filled with [God's] Holy Breath while he's still in his mother's womb; ¹⁶ he will turn many sons of IsraEl back to Jehovah, their God; ¹⁷ He will travel in front of him in the power and spirit of EliJah; and he will prepare a people for the Lord by turning the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the [hearts] of those who don't obey to righteous good sense.'

¹⁸ But ZechariAh asked the messenger, 'How can I be sure of this? After all, I'm old and my wife is well up in years.'

¹⁹ Then the messenger replied, 'I am GabriEl – he who stands before God – and I was sent to bring this good news to you. ²⁰ But, because you didn't believe these words (which will come true right on time), {Look!} you will be silent and won't able to talk until the day that these things happen.'

²¹ Meanwhile, the people [outside] were waiting for ZechariAh and they started wondering why he was taking so long in the Holy Place. ²² However, when he came out, he couldn't speak, and they realized that he had just seen something unusual. He gestured signs to them, but he couldn't talk. ²³ Then, after the period of his assigned [Temple] service, he went back home.

²⁴ After that, EliSabet his wife became pregnant, and she hid herself for five months saying, ²⁵ 'This is Jehovah's Will, so people won't laugh at me.'

²⁶ It was in her sixth month that the Messenger GabriEl was sent from God to a city in Galilee named NazarEth, ²⁷ to a virgin who was engaged to a man named JoSeph (of the house of [King] David). This virgin's name was Mary. ²⁸ And when he came to her, he said, 'Rejoice you most cared-for person, because Jehovah is with you!'

²⁹ Now, those words really bothered her, because she wondered just what type of greeting that was.

³⁰ Then the messenger told her, 'Don't be afraid, Mary, because you've found favor with God. ³¹ {Look!} You will conceive in your belly and give birth to a son whom you are to name Jesus. ³² He will be great and be called the Son of the Most High; and Jehovah God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. ³³ He will rule over the house of Jacob through the ages, and there will be no end to his Kingdom.'

³⁴ Then Mary asked the messenger, 'How can this be possible, since I haven't had sex with a man?'

³⁵ And the messenger replied, 'The Holy Breath of God will come over you and the Power of the Most High will be a shadow over you. So, what will be born will be called Holy… God's Son. ³⁶ {Look!} Why, your relative EliSabet is also pregnant with a son in her old age. And this is the sixth month for this so-called infertile woman, ³⁷ because nothing is impossible unless God says it's so.'

³⁸ Then Mary said, '{Look!} I'm Jehovah's slave girl! May the thing you said happen to me!' And at that, the messenger left her.

³⁹ So Mary got up and quickly traveled to a city of Judea in the hill country, where she ⁴⁰ entered the home of ZechariAh, and greeted EliSabet.

⁴¹ Well, just as EliSabet heard Mary's greeting, the baby in her womb jumped. Then EliSabet was filled with the Holy Breath [of God], ⁴² and she shouted aloud, 'You're a blest woman, and the fruit of your womb is blest! ⁴³ So, how is it that the mother of my Lord comes to me? ⁴⁴ Look! When I heard the sound of your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. ⁴⁵ The woman who believes will be blest; for, all things which have been spoken to her by the Lord will come true.'

⁴⁶ Then Mary said:

'I glorify Jehovah with my life,
⁴⁷ And over my God and my Savior,
My body cries out in joy,
⁴⁸ Because He looked down on His lowly slave girl.

'{Look!} By all generations I'll be called blest,
⁴⁹ For the Powerful One did great things for me…
And His Name is so Holy.

⁵⁰ 'For generations He has shown mercy
To all of those fearing Him,
⁵¹ But with His mighty arm He will scatter,
Those who think in their hearts that they're better.

⁵² 'Emperors He's removed from their thrones,
And He's put the humble in charge.
⁵³ He's filled the hungry with good things,
And sent the rich away empty.

⁵⁴ 'He came to the aid of IsraEl, His boy,
And recalled to his mind [His great] mercy.
⁵⁵ This He explained to our fathers…
To AbraHam and his seed through the age.'

⁵⁶ So Mary stayed there with EliSabet for about three months, and then she went back home.

⁵⁷ Well, it soon came time for EliSabet to deliver her baby, and she had a son. ⁵⁸ So, when her neighbors and relatives heard how Jehovah had shown such magnificent mercy toward her, they were overjoyed also.

⁵⁹ Then, when they went to circumcise the boy (on the eighth day), they were going to name him after his father, ZechariAh. ⁶⁰ But his mother said, 'Absolutely not! He'll be called John.'

⁶¹ However, [the neighbors] said, 'That isn't the name of any of your relatives,' ⁶² and they nodded to the father, asking what he wanted to call it.

⁶³ He then asked for a tablet and wrote, 'His name is John.' And this caused them to wonder.

⁶⁴ Then, suddenly he opened his mouth, his tongue came loose, and he started speaking and praising God.

⁶⁵ This frightened everyone in the neighborhood. And these things were talked about throughout all the hills of Judea. ⁶⁶ Everyone who heard of it made a note in their hearts, wondering, 'Just what will this boy [grow up to] be, because the hand of Jehovah is with him?'

⁶⁷ Then ZechariAh, [the boy's] father, was filled with [God's] Holy Breath and he prophesied:

⁶⁸ 'Praise Jehovah, IsraEl's God,
For He looked down and set His people free.
⁶⁹ He raised the horn of salvation for us,
In the house of David his servant,
⁷⁰ Just as He said through the mouths of the holy,
In the age of the Prophets,
⁷¹ To save us from our enemy's hands,
And from the hands of all those who hate us.

⁷² '[He] has been kind to our fathers,
And remembered the Holy Agreement [that He made],
⁷³ In the oath that He swore unto AbraHam our father,
⁷⁴ To save us from our enemy's hands,
And to draw us to serve Him in most holy ways;
⁷⁵ To loyally stand there before Him,
In righteousness for [the rest of] our days.

⁷⁶ 'But as for you, little boy;
A Prophet of the Most High you will be called.
You will go in front of the Lord,
To make preparations for his ways;
⁷⁷ To tell his people how [they can] be saved,
By forgiving their sins, ⁷⁸ through God's tender mercies,
Who will look on us from above,
As though it were a new day,
⁷⁹ That will shine on those in the darkness,
And those who sit in the shadow of death,
And to straighten [the path for] our feet,
In the ways [that are leading to] peace.'

⁸⁰ Well, the little boy grew and kept getting stronger in the Breath [of God], and he lived in the desert until the day that he showed himself to IsraEl.

Chapter 2

¹ Back in those days, Caesar Augustus had decreed that everyone on earth had to be registered, ² and this first registration took place when QuiRinius was the governor of Syria. ³ So, everyone had to return to his hometown to be registered. ⁴ And as the result, JoSeph had to travel from NazarEth in Galilee to David's city of BethLehem in Judea (because he was from the house and family of David) ⁵ to be registered with Mary, whom he married as he promised, and who was pregnant. ⁶ And it was while they were there that it came time for her to have her baby. ⁷ So she gave birth to her first son and wrapped him tightly in a cloth, then laid him in a feed trough (because there wasn't any room for them in the lodge).

⁸ At that time, there were some shepherds staying outdoors in the surrounding countryside, keeping watch over their flocks at night. ⁹ Then Jehovah's messenger appeared, standing over them with [His] Glory shining around them (which frightened them). ¹⁰ But the messenger told them, 'Don't be afraid. Look! I'm bringing you good news of great joy for everyone. ¹¹ Because, a Savior – the chosen Lord – was born to you today in David's city. ¹² And this is the sign to look for: You'll find an infant wrapped tightly in a cloth and lying in a feed trough.'

¹³ Then suddenly, a large heavenly army appeared with the messenger, praising God and saying:
¹⁴ 'Glory to God in the heights,
And peace on the earth,
To men [with whom He is] pleased.'

¹⁵ So, after the messengers [of God] went back into the sky, the shepherds said to each other, 'Let's go to BethLehem and see this thing that Jehovah has revealed to us.' ¹⁶ And at that, they went quickly and found Mary and JoSeph, and the infant lying in the feed trough. ¹⁷ Then, when they saw this, they explained the things that they were told about the little boy.

¹⁸ Well, all those who heard of it were amazed by the things the shepherds told them, ¹⁹ and Mary started preserving all these words, drawing conclusions in her heart. ²⁰ So, the shepherds went on glorifying and praising God for all the things that they saw and heard, [telling things] just as it had been told to them.

²¹ Now, after eight days, it came time to circumcise him, and it was then that he was given the name Jesus (gr. YaySous, heb. YehoShua), the name that [God's] messenger said he should be called before he was conceived in [Mary's] womb).

²² Then, at the end of the [forty] days of purification that were required by the Law of Moses, they took him to JeruSalem to present him to Jehovah, ²³ exactly as it was written in Jehovah's Law, 'Every male that opens a womb must be called holy to Jehovah.' ²⁴ Then they offered the sacrifice that was specified in Jehovah's Law, a pair of turtle doves or two young pigeons.

²⁵ {Look!} There was a man in JeruSalem named SimeOn. He was a righteous and devout person who had been awaiting IsraEl's comforter, and [God's] Holy Breath was with him. ²⁶ So it had been divinely shown to him by the Holy Breath that he wouldn't die before he saw the Anointed of Jehovah. ²⁷ And it was because [God's] Breath was leading him that he then entered the Temple.

Well, while the parents were bringing the boy Jesus in to do what the Law customarily required, ²⁸ [SimeOn] took him in his arms and praised God saying:
²⁹ 'Now, O Sovereign Lord,
You can set Your slave free in peace as You said,
³⁰ For my eyes have seen the one who will save;
³¹ The one You provided for all men to see;
³² A light of revelation to all nations,
And a glory to IsraEl, Your people.'

³³ Well, [Jesus'] father and mother were amazed by all the things that were being said about him.

³⁴ SimeOn also blest them, but he told his mother Mary:
'Look! This one is headed toward a fall.
For, on behalf of IsraEl's many he will stand,
As a sign to be slandered.
³⁵ With a long sword your soul will be pierced,
To reveal what many think in their hearts.'

³⁶ There was also the Prophetess AnNa, a daughter of the tribe of Asher. This woman was well up in years and had only been married for seven years from her virginity. ³⁷ She was now an eighty-four-year-old widow who was always at the Temple, worshiping day and night, fasting, and praying. ³⁸ And in that same hour, she stood up and gave thanks to God and talked about [the child] to all those who were awaiting JeruSalem's release by ransom.

³⁹ Then, after [JoSeph and Mary] did everything that Jehovah's Law required, they went back to their home in NazarEth of Galilee. ⁴⁰ So, the little boy grew, became strong, and was filled with wisdom; and God continued to show favor upon him.

⁴¹ Well, his parents went to JeruSalem for the Festival of the Passover each year. ⁴² And when he was twelve years old, they again followed the custom of going to the festival. ⁴³ Then, after the festival days were over and they were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in JeruSalem, but his parents didn't notice it. ⁴⁴ So, assuming that he was somewhere in the company of the people traveling together, they were a day's journey away before they finally started searching for him among their relatives and friends. ⁴⁵ But when they couldn't find him, they returned to JeruSalem to look for him.

⁴⁶ Well after three days, they found him in the Temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, listening to them and asking questions… ⁴⁷ and his understanding and answers amazed everyone who heard him.

⁴⁸ Now, when [JoSeph and Mary] saw him, they were shocked. And his mother asked, 'Child; Why did you treat us this way? Here your father and I have been worried to death searching for you!'

⁴⁹ But he replied, 'Why did you have to search for me? Didn't you know that I had to be in the House of my Father?' ⁵⁰ However, they really didn't understand what he was telling them.

⁵¹ Then he returned home to NazarEth with them and he always obeyed them, as his mother carefully kept all these things that were said in her heart. ⁵² So, Jesus continued to progress in wisdom, physical growth, and in the favor of God and men.

Chapter 3

¹ It was in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea and Herod was district ruler of Galilee (but Philip his brother was district ruler of the countries of Ituraea and Trachonitis), and Lysanias was district ruler of Abilene, ² in the days of High Priests AnNas and CaiAphas, that God's Words came to John, the son of ZechariAh, [while he was] in the desert.

³ So he traveled throughout all the country around the Jordan preaching a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins, ⁴ just as it was written about him in the book of the Prophet IsaiAh:
'Listen! Someone is shouting in the desert,
Prepare the way of the Lord.
Make [all] his roads straight.
⁵ Fill every gully, and level each mountain and hill.
Straighten the curves and smooth-out the rough spots,
⁶ So all flesh will then see,
What God has provided to save them.'

⁷ And as he saw the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, he said: 'Children of vipers; Who has scared you into running from the coming rage? ⁸ Produce the type of fruit that shows you're ready for repentance. And don't say of yourselves, AbraHam is our father, because I tell you that God has the power to raise children of AbraHam from these stones! ⁹ Why, the ax is now lying at the roots of the trees, and every tree that doesn't produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire!'

¹⁰ So the crowds asked him, 'Then, what should we do?'

¹¹ And he answered:
'He with two pairs of underclothes,
Should share them with the man who has none,
And those who have something to eat,
Should do the very same thing.'

¹² Why, even tax collectors came to be baptized. And they asked him, 'Teacher, what should we do?'

¹³ And he replied, 'Just collect a fair tax.'

¹⁴ Then, when those in the military asked him, 'What should we do?' he said:
'Don't harass or falsely accuse.
Be happy with just your provisions.'

¹⁵ And because the people were looking for [the Messiah], everyone was wondering in their hearts about John, 'Could he be the Anointed One?'

¹⁶ But John answered them all, saying:
'My part is to baptize in water.
But, someone that's greater is coming,
Whose sandals I'm unfit to untie.
And with Breath and fire he'll baptize you people.

¹⁷ 'His shovel is now in his hand,
To completely clean up his threshing floor,
And to bring the wheat into his storehouse.
But he'll burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.'

¹⁸ Yes, he said many encouraging things as he preached the good news to the people.

¹⁹ However, Herod (the district ruler) had been scolded [by John], because of Herodias (his brother's wife), and because of all the other bad things he had done. ²⁰ Then Herod added to this [badness] by locking John in prison.

²¹ Well, it was after all the [other] people had been baptized that Jesus was also baptized. And as he was praying, the sky opened up ²² and the Holy Breath came down upon him in the shape of a dove. Then a voice came from the sky [that said], 'You are My loved Son; I approve of you.'

²³ It was when he was about thirty years old that Jesus came into his power, being the son (as the opinion was) of JoSeph, of Heli, ²⁴ of MatThat, of Levi, of Melchi, of JanNai, of JoSeph, ²⁵ of MatTathias, of Amos, of Nahum, of Esli, of NagGai, ²⁶ of MaAth, of MatTathias, of Semein, of JoSech, of Joda, ²⁷ of JoAnan, of Rhesa, of ZerubBabel, of ShealtiEl, of Neri, ²⁸ of Melchi, of Addi, of Cosam, of ElMadam, of Er, ²⁹ of JoShua, of EliEzer, of JoRim, of MatThat, of Levi, ³⁰ of Symeon, of Judas, of JoSeph, of JoNam, of EliAkim, ³¹ of Melea, of MenNa, of MatTatha, of Nathan, of David, ³² of Jesse, of Obed, of Boaz, of Salmon, of NahShon, ³³ of AmiNadab, of Arni, of HezRon, of Perez, of Judah, ³⁴ of Jacob, of IsaAc, of AbraHam, of Terah, of Nahor, ³⁵ of Serug, of Reu, of Peleg, of Eber, of SheLah, ³⁶ of Cainan, of ArPachShad, of Shem, of Noah, of Lamech, ³⁷ of MethuSelah, of Enoch, of Jared, of MaHalaleEl, of Cainan, ³⁸ of Enosh, of Seth, of Adam, of God.

Chapter 4

¹ Now, Jesus was filled with the Holy Breath, so he left the Jordan, and [God's] Breath led him into the desert, ² where he was tempted by the Slanderer for forty days. And he didn't eat anything during that entire period, so by the end he was very hungry. ³ Then the Slanderer said to him, 'If you're a son of God, tell this stone to become a loaf of bread!'

⁴ But Jesus answered, 'It's written, Man doesn't live by just bread alone.'

⁵ So [the Slanderer] took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the earth in an instant of time, ⁶ and he said, 'I will give you power over all of these and the glory of them, because they've been given to me and I can give them to whomever I wish. ⁷ They will all be yours if you'll just bow to the ground before me.'

⁸ But Jesus answered, 'It's written; Before the Lord God should you only bow down; and Him alone should you serve.'

⁹ Then [the Slanderer] took him into JeruSalem and put him on a high battle tower of the Temple, and said, 'If you're a son of God, jump down from here, ¹⁰ because it's written:
He'll order His messengers to protect you,
¹¹ And they'll lift you up on their hands,
So you won't bump your foot on a stone.'

¹² But Jesus replied, 'It is said, You shouldn't put Jehovah your God to the test.'

¹³ So after the Slanderer finished his tempting, he went away until the designated time.

¹⁴ Then the Power of [God's] Breath moved Jesus to return to Galilee, and his fame spread throughout all that area. ¹⁵ He also started teaching in the synagogues, where he was honored by everyone.

¹⁶ Well, when he got to Nazara (where he was brought up); as was his custom on the Sabbath, he went into the synagogue and stood up to read. ¹⁷ There he was handed the scroll of the Prophet IsaiAh. So he opened it and found the place where it said:
¹⁸ 'Jehovah's Breath is upon me,
For He chose me to teach good news to the poor;
He sent me to preach freedom to the captives,
And regaining of sight to the blind;
To remove all the pressures from the people,
¹⁹ And to preach the year of [God's] favor.'

²⁰ Then he rolled up the scroll, handed it back to the attendant, and sat down – as everyone in the synagogue stared at him. ²¹ And he said, 'Today, this scripture that you just heard, has been fulfilled!'

²² Then, everyone started saying good things about him and marveling at the gracious words that were coming from his mouth. And they were asking, 'Isn't this JoSeph's son?'

²³ So he said, 'You would undoubtedly like to apply the words to me, Heal yourself, doctor! Do all the things that we heard you did in CapharNaum here in your own hometown!'

²⁴ Then he said, 'I tell you the truth; No Prophet is accepted in his hometown. ²⁵ Now, it's a fact that there were many widows in IsraEl back in the days of EliJah, when the skies were closed up for three-and-a-half years, causing a terrible famine in the land. ²⁶ But EliJah wasn't sent to any of them; only to a widow in the land of Sidon. ²⁷ And there were also many lepers in IsraEl during the time of the Prophet EliSha; but the only one who was cleansed was NaAman, a Syrian.'

²⁸ Well, all those who heard him say this in the synagogue then became very angry, ²⁹ so they got up and pushed him outside the city to the edge of the mountain that the city was built on, to throw him down headfirst. ³⁰ But he just walked through their midst and continued on his way.

³¹ Next, he went to CapharNaum, a city in Galilee, where he also taught on the Sabbath; ³² and [people] were amazed by his way of teaching, because he spoke with authority.

³³ Now, there was a man in the synagogue [who was possessed by] an unclean demon. And [the man] shouted aloud, ³⁴ 'Ah! What dealings do we have with you, Jesus… you Nazarene? Did you come here to destroy us? I know exactly who you are; [You're] the Holy One of God!'

³⁵ But Jesus scolded it saying, 'Muzzle it and come out of him.' So, the demon threw the man down in their midst, then it left without hurting him.

³⁶ At this, everyone was astonished and started speaking to each other and asking, 'What kind of talk is this? He gives orders to unclean spirits with authority and power, and out they come!' ³⁷ So, the news about him echoed everywhere throughout that entire region.

³⁸ Then after he left that synagogue, he went to Simon's house. Here Simon's mother-in-law was ill with a high fever, and they asked him to help her. ³⁹ So he stood over her, scolded the fever, and it left her. Then she got right up and started serving him.

⁴⁰ Well, at sunset, all those who had people that were sick with various infirmities, brought them to him. So he laid his hands on each one and cured them. ⁴¹ Demons also came out of many of them, shouting, 'You're the Son of God!' But, because they knew that he was the Anointed One, he scolded them and wouldn't allow them to speak.

⁴² Then the next day, he went out and walked to an isolated place. But the crowds started searching for him and they finally got out to where he was, and tried to keep him from leaving. ⁴³ But he told them, 'I have to preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to other cities, for that's why I was sent.'

⁴⁴ So thereafter, he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

Chapter 5

¹ There was an occasion when people were crowded very close to [Jesus] and listening to the Word of God, while he was standing beside Lake GenNesaret. ² So, he noticed two boats that were docked at the lakeside, where the fishermen had gotten out and were washing off their nets. ³ Well, [Jesus] got into one of the boats that belonged to Simon, and asked him to pull out a little way from land. Then he sat down and started teaching the crowds from the boat. ⁴ And when he finished talking, he said to Simon, 'Now, pull out to where it's deep and let down your nets for a catch.'

⁵ But Simon replied, 'Instructor; We've worked all night long and didn't catch anything. However, because you asked, I'll lower the nets.'

⁶ Well, when they did this, they netted a huge number of fish. In fact, their nets started to rip, ⁷ so they waved to their partners in another boat to come help them. And when they got there, they filled both boats to the point where they were about to sink!

⁸ And at seeing this, Simon Peter fell down at Jesus' knees and said, 'Get away from me, because I'm a sinful man, O Lord!' ⁹ [He said this] because, when they brought in so many fish, Simon and those who were with him were amazed and overwhelmed… ¹⁰ as were his partners James and John (Zebedee's sons).

But Jesus said to Simon, 'Quit being afraid… from now on you're going to catch living men!' ¹¹ So, they brought their boats back to land and just walked away from everything to follow him.

¹² On another occasion, while he was in one of the cities, {Look!} there was a man who was full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell to his face and begged, 'Lord; If you just want to, you can make me clean!'

¹³ So [Jesus] reached out his hand, touched him, and said, 'I want to… be clean.' And immediately, the leprosy left him. ¹⁴ Then he ordered the man not to tell anyone, saying, 'Go and show yourself to the Priests and give an offering for your cleansing as a witness to them, just as Moses commanded.'

¹⁵ But word about him kept spreading, and huge crowds would assemble to listen and to be cured of their illnesses. ¹⁶ So he retreated to the deserts to pray.

¹⁷ Well, several days later (as he was teaching), some Pharisees and teachers of the Law were [sitting among the crowd]; and people had come from every village of Galilee and Judea, as well as from JeruSalem, because [Jesus] was healing by the power of Jehovah. ¹⁸ Then {Look!} some men carried a paralyzed man to him who was lying on a cot. And they were looking for a way to bring the man to [Jesus], ¹⁹ because they couldn't find a way through the crowd. So, they climbed onto the roof and lowered the little cot through the tiles, down in front of Jesus. ²⁰ And when he saw their faith, he said, 'Man; Your sins are forgiven!'

²¹ Well at that, the scribes and Pharisees started asking each other, 'Who is this that talks so blasphemously? Who can forgive sins other than God?'

²² But Jesus recognized what they were thinking and asked, 'What are you concluding in your hearts? ²³ Which is easier to say, Your sins are forgiven, or, Get up and walk? ²⁴ But, just so you will know that the Son of Man has been given the power to forgive sins on the earth,' he then said to the paralyzed man, 'I tell you; Get up, pick up your little cot, and go home!'

²⁵ Then the man immediately stood up before them all, picked up the [cot] that he had been lying on, and went home, glorifying God. ²⁶ Well, everyone was delighted and they started glorifying God. But they were also frightened and said, 'We've seen some very strange things today!'

²⁷ After that, [Jesus] went out and noticed a tax collector named [Matthew] Levi sitting in the tax office, and said, 'Be my follower.' ²⁸ Well, [Levi] got up, left everything behind, and started following him.

²⁹ Then Levi held a big reception feast for [Jesus] in his home, and there was a large crowd of tax collectors and others who were reclining with them at the meal. ³⁰ And at this, the Pharisees and their scribes began complaining to the disciples, asking, 'Why do you eat and drink with tax collectors and sinners?'

³¹ And Jesus replied, 'Those who are healthy don't need a doctor; only the sick do. ³² So, I came to call sinners to repentance, not righteous people.'

³³ Then later on, they said, 'John's disciples and those of the Pharisees fast frequently to make requests [of God]. But your [disciples] just go on eating and drinking!'

³⁴ And Jesus replied, 'Friends of the bridegroom can't be expected to fast while the groom is with them, can they? ³⁵ But the days will surely come when the groom will be taken away; and in those days they will fast.'

³⁶ Then he gave them an illustration:
'No one cuts a patch from new clothes
And sews it in to fix old clothes;
For if they do, the patch will rip out…
And besides; the new patch won't match the old.

³⁷ 'They don't put new wine in old wineskins.
For if they do, the new wine will burst the old skins,
Breaking the skins and spilling the wine.
³⁸ So, new wine is put in new wineskins.
³⁹ And all who have tasted old wine,
Don't want the new anyhow,
For they say, The old [wine] is better!'

Chapter 6

¹ Now, [Jesus] happened to be walking through grain fields on a Sabbath, and his disciples were picking the grain, rubbing it in their hands, and eating it. ² Well, some of the Pharisees asked, 'Why are you doing something that isn't legal on the Sabbath?'

³ But Jesus said, 'Haven't you ever read how David did the same thing when he and his men got hungry… ⁴ how he went into the Temple of God and ate the presentation bread, sharing some with his men… something that isn't legal for anyone to eat other than the Priests?' ⁵ Then he added, 'The Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath!'

⁶ On another Sabbath, he again went into the synagogue and started teaching. And a man was there whose right hand was withered, ⁷ so the scribes and Pharisees were watching [Jesus] closely to see if he would cure on the Sabbath (so they could find something to accuse him of). ⁸ However, [Jesus] knew what they were thinking, and he said to the man with the withered hand: 'Get up and stand in the center.' So [the man] stood up. ⁹ Then Jesus said, 'Let me ask; Is it legal to do good or bad, or to save a life or destroy it on the Sabbath?'

¹⁰ Then (after looking around at everyone) he said to the man, 'Stretch out your hand' (which he did), and his hand was healed! ¹¹ Well, [the scribes and Pharisees] absolutely went out of their minds and started talking to each other about what they could do to Jesus.

¹² It was around this same time that he went up a mountain to pray, spending the whole night in prayer to God. ¹³ Then the next day, he called his disciples to him and chose twelve whoM he started calling Apostles. ¹⁴ These were Simon (whom he also named Peter), his brother Andrew, James, John, Philip, BarTholomew ([NathaniEl]), ¹⁵ Matthew, Thomas, James [the son] of AlphaEus, Simon (who is called the zealous one), ¹⁶ Judas ([ThadDaeus]) [the son] of James, and Judas IsCariot (who turned traitor).

¹⁷ Then, after they came down [the mountain], he found a level spot where a large group of his disciples and a huge crowd of people from Judea, JeruSalem, and the seaside areas of Tyre and Sidon came to listen to him and to be healed of their illnesses. ¹⁸ And there (as people who were bothered by unclean spirits were being healed) ¹⁹ the whole crowd was trying to touch him; so, power flowed from him, and he healed them all.

²⁰ Then he looked at his disciples and said:

'[You who] are poor are blest,
For the Kingdom of God is yours.
²¹ [You who] are hungry are blest,
For you will find satisfaction.
[You who] are crying are blest,
For, you will [soon be found] laughing.

²² 'You are blest whenever men hate you,
And do not wish to be with you;
Or when they say bad things about you,
And call you wicked for the Son of Man's sake.

²³ 'On that day, be happy, and jump for joy!
For {Look!} your reward in the heavens is great.
Why, these are the very same things,
That their fathers used to do to the Prophets.

²⁴ 'But, woe to you who are rich,
For you now have all that you want.
²⁵ Woe to you with full [stomachs],
Because you will go hungry.
Woe to you who are laughing,
Because you'll cry and you'll mourn.
²⁶ And woe when all say nice things about you,
For their fathers did that for false prophets.

²⁷ 'I tell all of you who will listen:
All your enemies you must love,
And do good to all those who hate you.
²⁸ Praise all those who would curse you,
And pray for those who insult you.

²⁹ 'If someone hits you on the cheek,
Offer the other one also.
And if someone should take all your clothes,
Offer him also your underwear.

³⁰ 'Give to each one who asks,
And don't ask them to pay you back.
³¹ All you'd have men do for you,
Is how you should treat them.

³² 'If you love just those who love you,
What kind of favor have you done?
Even sinners love those who love them.
³³ And if you only do good things
For those who do good things to you,
What kind of favor is that?
For, even sinners will do the same thing.
³⁴ And if you should lend without interest,
To those you expect to repay you,
What kind of favor is that?
For, even sinners lend to sinners without interest,
When they are expecting repayment.

³⁵ 'So, love your enemies and do what is good,
And lend without hope of return,
Then a great reward you'll receive…
You'll be the sons of the Most High.
For, to the ungrateful and wicked He's kind,
³⁶ So, show mercy as your Father shows mercy.

³⁷ 'Don't judge [others] and you won't be judged.
Don't condemn and you won't be condemned.
[Set others] free and you will be free.

³⁸ 'Give, and others will give back to you…
They'll give you a generous portion,
That's overflowing and tightly packed down.
For, the amount that you measure [to others],
Is the amount that they'll measure to you.

³⁹ Then he gave them some illustrations:

'Can one blind man guide another? [No, for] both will fall into a pit, will they not?

⁴⁰ 'A disciple isn't over his teacher, but those who learn well will be like their teachers.'

⁴¹ 'Why look for a straw in your brother's eye,
When you can't see the rafter that's in your own?
⁴² For, how can you say to your brother,
Let me remove that [chaff] from your eye,
When you can't see the rafter in your eye?
Hypocrite! First remove the rafter from your eye,
And then you'll be able to see clearly,
How to take the [chaff] from your brother's eye.

⁴³ 'A good tree doesn't give rotten fruit,
And a rotten tree won't produce what is good.
⁴⁴ So, all trees are known by their fruit.
You don't pick figs from the briers,
Nor cut grapes from thorn bushes.
⁴⁵ So, a man who is good brings good things,
From the good treasures he's stored in his heart.
But the wicked bring bad from their badness,
For your mouths speak of things that fill your hearts.

⁴⁶ 'So, why do you call me and say, Lord, Lord,
When you don't do the things that I say?

⁴⁷ 'He who comes to me and listens and does it,
⁴⁸ Is like a man who was building a house,
And dug deep to lay its foundation on bedrock.
So, when a flood came and the river washed against it,
His house wasn't shaken, for it was well built.

⁴⁹ 'But he who hears and doesn't do [what I say],
Is like a man who built his house,
On the ground without a foundation.
So, the river [overflowed] and washed against it,
And it collapsed right away in great damage.'

Chapter 7

¹ Well, when he finished saying all these things within earshot of the people, he entered CapharNaum. ² And there was a centurion [in that city] who had a valued servant that was sick and near death. ³ So, when he heard about Jesus, he sent some Judean elders to ask him to come and save his slave's life. ⁴ Then they quickly went to Jesus and begged him, saying, '[The centurion] is worthy of your doing this for him, ⁵ because he loves our nation and he built a synagogue for us!'

⁶ So Jesus went off with them, but he wasn't very far from the house when the centurion sent his friends to say, 'Sir, don't bother [to come here], because I'm unfit to have you come under my roof. ⁷ It's because I didn't consider myself worthy that I didn't come to you myself. So, just say the word and let my servant be healed. ⁸ You see, I'm also a man of power, [because I have] soldiers under me. And if I say to this one, Be on your way, he's on his way; and to another, Come, he comes; and to my slave, Do this, he does it.'

⁹ Well, when Jesus heard this, he was amazed. So he turned to the crowd that was following him and said, 'I tell you; I haven't found so great a faith even in IsraEl!'

¹⁰ Then, when they returned to the house, [the elders] who had been sent found the slave in good health.

¹¹ And soon afterward, he traveled with his disciples and a large crowd to a city called Nain. ¹² And as he was approaching the city gate, {Look!} there was a dead man being carried out, who was the only son his mother had, and she was a widow (a large crowd from the city was also with her). ¹³ So, when the Lord saw her, he was moved with pity and said, 'Stop crying.' ¹⁴ Then he went up and touched the open casket, and the pallbearers stopped. And he said, 'Young man; I tell you to get up!'

¹⁵ Well at that, the dead man sat straight up and started talking. Then [Jesus] gave him to his mother. ¹⁶ However, everyone was frightened and started glorifying God, saying, 'A great Prophet has been raised among us,' and 'God has started paying attention to His people!'

¹⁷ So, news about him was spread throughout all of Judea and the surrounding countryside.

¹⁸ Now, John's disciples were reporting to him (John) about everything that had been happening. ¹⁹ So, John called two of his disciples and sent them to the Lord to ask, 'Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect another?'

²⁰ And when they got to [Jesus], the men said, 'John the Baptist sent us to ask if you're the Anointed One, or if we're to expect someone else.'

²¹ Well, during that hour, he cured many who were sick, plagued, or had wicked spirits, and he granted many blind people the gift of vision. ²² Then he answered, 'Now go your way and report what you saw and heard to John. [Tell him that] the blind are seeing, the lame are walking, lepers are being cleansed, the deaf are hearing, the dead are being raised, and the poor are being told the good news… ²³ so, he who doesn't stumble over me is blest.'

²⁴ Well, after John's messengers left, he asked the crowd about John:
'What did you go to the desert to see…
Reeds being blown in the wind?
²⁵ Yes, what did you go out to see,
A man who is dressed in soft clothes?

'Why, those who dress and live well,
Are those who are dwelling in mansions.
²⁶ So, what did you go out to see… a Prophet?
Yes, and I tell you; Much more than a Prophet!
²⁷ This is he about whom it was written:
Look! I'm sending My messenger ahead,
Who'll prepare the way before you.

²⁸ 'I tell you this:
Of those who from women are born,
None are greater than John,
But a person who is least in the Kingdom of God,
Will be greater than he.'

²⁹ Well, when all the common people and the tax collectors heard this, they spoke of God's righteousness, because they had been baptized with John's baptism. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and those who were trained in the Law disregarded this counsel from God, because [John] hadn't baptized them.

³¹ [So, Jesus said:]
'To whom should I compare this generation…
Who are they really like?
³² They're like children who sit in the markets,
And shout at each other and say:
We played the flute, but you didn't dance.
We wailed, but you didn't cry.

³³ 'For, when John the Baptist arrived,
He didn't feast or drink wine,
So you said that he has a demon.
³⁴ But the Son of Man came eating and drinking,
So you say, Look; he's a glutton,
And he drinks too much wine…
He's a friend to tax collectors and sinners!
³⁵ But wisdom's proven righteous by its results.'

³⁶ One of the Pharisees [named Simon] kept asking [Jesus] to dine with him. So he went to the house of the Pharisee and reclined at the table. ³⁷ And {Look!} a woman of the city (a known sinner) learned that he was reclining for a meal in the house of the Pharisee, so she brought an alabaster jar of perfumed ointment. ³⁸ Then, sitting behind him at his feet, she wept and wet his feet with her tears, then she wiped them dry with her hair. She also kissed his feet tenderly and greased them with the perfumed ointment.

³⁹ Well, when the Pharisee who invited him saw this, he thought to himself, 'If this man was a Prophet, he'd know who, and just what kind of woman it is that's touching him… she's a sinner!'

⁴⁰ Then Jesus said, 'Simon, I have something to tell you.'

And [Simon] replied, 'Go ahead and tell it, Teacher!'

⁴¹ 'Two men each owed money to a certain lender; one was in debt for five hundred silver coins and the other for fifty. ⁴² Well, when they didn't have anything to pay him back, he freely forgave them both. So, which will love him more?'

⁴³ Then Simon answered, 'I guess it's the one who he forgave the most.'

And [Jesus] said, 'You judged correctly.'

⁴⁴ Then he turned to the woman, and asked Simon, 'Do you see this woman? When I entered your house, you didn't give me any water for my feet; but this woman wet my feet with her tears and wiped them dry with her hair. ⁴⁵ Nor did you greet me with a kiss; but from the time that I entered, this woman has been tenderly kissing my feet. ⁴⁶ You didn't grease my head with oil; but this woman greased my feet with perfumed ointment. ⁴⁷ So I tell you; Although she has many sins, they are forgiven, because she showed a lot of love. He who hasn't been forgiven over much, doesn't love much.'

⁴⁸ Then he told her, 'Your sins are forgiven.'

⁴⁹ Well at that, those who were reclining at the table with him started wondering within themselves: 'Just who is this man who even forgives sins?'

⁵⁰ But he said to the woman, 'Your faith has saved you. Go your own way in peace.'

Chapter 8

¹ Shortly thereafter, [Jesus] started traveling from city to city and village to village with the twelve, preaching and telling about the good news of the Kingdom of God.

² Now, [traveling with him] were some women whom [he had] cured of wicked spirits and illnesses. There was Mary (who is called the Magdalean), from whom seven demons had come out; ³ Joanna, the wife of Chuza (Herod's top aid); Susanna, and many others, who were serving his needs from the things they had.

⁴ Well, when a large crowd had gathered (along with those who had traveled with him from city to city), he spoke to them using this illustration:
⁵ 'A farmer went out to plant seeds.
And as he was planting,
Some fell by the road and were walked on,
And the birds of the sky came and ate them.

⁶ 'Others fell among rocks,
Which dried up after they sprouted,
Because there was little water.

⁷ 'Still others fell among thorns,
And the thorns grew up and choked them.

⁸ Yet, others fell on the good soil and sprouted,
Producing fruit a hundred times more.

And as he told them this, he shouted: 'Let he who has ears to hear, listen!'

⁹ Well, his disciples asked him what this illustration meant. ¹⁰ So he said, 'You've been allowed to understand the mystery of the Kingdom of God. But as for the rest, [all they hear is the] illustrations. So when they look, they look in vain, and when they hear, they don't understand.

¹¹ 'Now, the illustration means this: The seed is the Word of God. ¹² Those beside the road are those who hear, but the Slanderer comes and takes the Word from their hearts in order to prevent them from believing and being saved.

¹³ 'Those that fall on the rocks, are those who hear and welcome the Word with joy; but because they don't have any roots, they only believe for a season. And when seasons of testing come along, they pull away.

¹⁴ 'As for those who fall among thorns; These are the ones who have heard, but because of their daily concerns, such as [seeking] wealth and the pleasures of living, are choked out and fail to produce.

¹⁵ 'But [those that fall] on the good soil have good and pure hearts; and after hearing the word, they remember and continue to bear fruit.

¹⁶ 'No one who lights a lamp,
Will cover it up with a pot,
Or hide it under a bed.
They put it on a lampstand instead,
So those who step in can see light.

¹⁷ 'So, there's nothing that's hidden that will not be shown,
Or anything covered that will not be known,
And then brought out into the open.

¹⁸ 'So pay attention to the way that you hear,
For, to he who has, more will be given.
But, for he who has not,
What he thinks he has will be taken from him.'

¹⁹ Now, [Jesus'] mother and brothers came to see him, but they were unable to reach him because of the crowd. ²⁰ However, someone reported to him, 'Your mother and brothers are standing outside; [they] want to see you.'

²¹ But he replied, 'My mother and brothers are these who hear the Word of God and obey it.'

²² Well, some days later, [Jesus] and his disciples got into a boat; and he told them, 'Let's cross to the other side of the lake.' So they took off, ²³ and as they were sailing, he fell asleep.

Now, a violent windstorm came down on the lake and the boat started taking on water, so they were in a dangerous position. ²⁴ Then [the disciples] went and woke him, saying, 'Instructor; instructor; We're about to drown!'

And when he awoke, he scolded the wind and the raging water, and they calmed down, becoming very peaceful. ²⁵ And he asked, 'Where's your faith?'

Well, they were frightened and awestruck [by this], and they were asking each other, 'Who really is this? Why, he even orders the wind and waves and they obey him!'

²⁶ Then they sailed to the country of the GeraSenes, which is on the shore opposite Galilee. ²⁷ But as he stepped out on land, a demonized man from the city came to meet him who hadn't worn clothing for some time, and he didn't live in a house, but [stayed] among the tombs.

²⁸ Well, when he saw Jesus, he screamed and fell down in front of him and shouted, 'What dealings do I have with you Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torment me!' ²⁹ ([He said this, because Jesus] had ordered the unclean spirit to come out of the man.)

[This man had been] arrested repeatedly, bound with chains and leg irons, and put under guard. But he would break the chains, and the demons forced him to [live in] such isolated places.

³⁰ So Jesus asked him, 'What's your name?'

And he replied, 'Legion' (because many demons had entered him). ³¹ And they kept begging him not to order them to go away into the abyss.

³² Now, a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the mountain, so they begged [Jesus] to allow them to go into [the pigs], and he gave them permission. ³³ Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the whole herd ran down a steep drop-off into the lake and drowned.

³⁴ Well, when the herders saw what had happened, they ran and reported it throughout the city and countryside. ³⁵ Then the people came out to see what had happened, and when they got to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had come out, wearing clothes and in his right mind, sitting at Jesus' feet; and they were frightened. ³⁶ And those who saw all that had happened, told them how the demon-possessed man had been cured. ³⁷ So, the huge number who came from the surrounding area asked [Jesus] to leave them, because they were so frightened. Then he stepped into the boat to return.

³⁸ However, the man from whom the demons had come out started begging to go with [Jesus]. But he sent the man away, saying, ³⁹ 'Go back home and tell the things that God did for you.' So he went away and proclaimed the things that Jesus had done throughout the whole city.

⁴⁰ Well, a crowd was waiting when Jesus got back, because they were all expecting him. ⁴¹ But {Look!} a man named JaIrus (who was a presiding officer of the synagogue) came to him and fell at Jesus' feet, begging him to come to his home, ⁴² because he had an only daughter (who was about twelve years old) that was dying.

Well, as he went there, the people were crowded around him. ⁴³ And a woman who had [been experiencing] a blood flow for twelve years (and whom no one had been able to cure) ⁴⁴ came up behind him and touched the fringe of his robe; and her flow of blood stopped instantly.

⁴⁵ Then Jesus asked, 'Who touched me?'

Well, everyone denied it. And then Peter said, 'Instructor; The crowds are all around you and pushing against you!'

⁴⁶ But Jesus said, 'Someone touched me, because I noticed the power leaving me.'

⁴⁷ So, seeing that [what she did] didn't go unnoticed, the woman came up trembling, fell down in front of him, and told everyone why she touched him and how she was healed instantly. ⁴⁸ Then he said to her, 'Daughter, your faith has saved you. Go your way in peace.'

⁴⁹ Well, as he was still talking, someone came up beside the presiding officer of the synagogue and told him, 'Your daughter has died, so don't bother the teacher anymore.'

⁵⁰ But when he heard this, Jesus told him, 'Don't be afraid; just have faith and she'll be saved.'

⁵¹ Well, when he got to the house, he wouldn't let anyone go inside with him, except Peter, John, James, and the girl's father and mother. ⁵² There the people were all crying and beating themselves in grief over her, so he said, 'Stop crying! She didn't die, she's just sleeping.'

⁵³ But then they all started laughing at him, because they knew she was dead. ⁵⁴ However, he took her by the hand and called her, saying, 'Girl, get up!' ⁵⁵ Then her breath returned and she stood right up, and he told them to give her something to eat.

⁵⁶ Well, her parents were beside themselves [with joy], but he instructed them not to tell anyone [exactly] what had happened.

Chapter 9

¹ He then called the twelve together and gave them power and authority over all the demons and to cure illnesses, ² and he sent them off to preach the Kingdom of God and to heal. ³ He told them: 'Don't carry anything with you… not a staff, or a food pouch, or bread, or silver… not even two pairs of underwear. ⁴ But wherever you enter a home, lodge there and go out [to preach]. ⁵ And wherever people fail to welcome you, shake the dust off your feet as you are leaving that city, as a witness against them.'

⁶ So, they left and traveled throughout all the villages, telling the good news and curing people everywhere.

⁷ Now, Herod (the district ruler) had heard about everything that was happening and he was bothered by doubt. [This is] because, some were saying that John had been raised from the dead, ⁸ others were saying that EliJah had appeared, and still others said that one of the ancient Prophets had arisen.

⁹ Then Herod said, 'I beheaded John. So, just who is this that I'm hearing such things about?' And he looked for an opportunity to see [Jesus].

¹⁰ Well, when the Apostles returned, they told [Jesus] about everything that they did. Then he took them along to a private spot near a city called BethSaida. ¹¹ But the crowds learned of it and followed him. So he welcomed them kindly and started talking to them about the Kingdom of God, and he healed those who needed a cure.

¹² Well, the day was ending, and the twelve came and said to him, 'Dismiss the crowd so they can go into the villages and the surrounding countryside to find provisions and a place to rest, because we're in an isolated spot.'

¹³ But he said, 'You give them something to eat.'

And they replied, 'We don't have anything other than five loaves [of bread] and two fish… unless we go out and buy food for all these people.' ¹⁴ Well, the crowd included about five thousand men. But he told his disciples, 'Have them recline as they do at meals, in rows of about fifty each.'

¹⁵ So [the Apostles] did this and had everyone recline on the ground. ¹⁶ Then he took the five [loaves of] bread and the two fish, looked up to the heavens and spoke a blessing over them; then he broke them up and gave them to the disciples to set before the crowd. ¹⁷ So, everyone ate and was satisfied; and [afterward] they picked up twelve baskets of leftovers!

¹⁸ Then later, as he was praying in a quiet spot, his disciples came to him and he asked them, 'Who are the crowds saying that I am?

¹⁹ And they answered, 'John the Baptist, or EliJah… yet others say you're one of the ancient Prophets who has been raised.'

²⁰ Then he asked, 'You though; Who do you say that I am?'

And Peter replied, '[You're] the Anointed One of God.'

²¹ And at that, he firmly instructed them not to tell this to anyone, ²² and said, 'The Son of Man must suffer many things… he will be rejected by the elders, Chief Priests, and scribes, and then he will be killed. But on the third day he will awaken.'

²³ Then he told everyone, 'If someone wants to follow me, let him forego all the things that he wants, then pick up his impaling pole each day, and just keep following me. ²⁴ For, those who wish to save their lives will lose them, but those who lose their lives for my sake will save them. ²⁵ Why, what good does it do for a man, if he gains the whole world but loses his life or is injured?

²⁶ 'If anyone is ashamed of me and what I say, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory (and that of the Father and His holy messengers). ²⁷ But I tell you the truth; Some standing here will not taste death until they see the Kingdom of God!'

²⁸ And it happened just as he said; for about eight days later, he took Peter, John, and James along, and they went up the mountain to pray. ²⁹ Then it happened: While he was praying, his face changed and his clothes started to glow. ³⁰ Also, {Look!} there were two men talking to him… Moses and EliJah… ³¹ they were recognizable! And they started talking about the departure that [Jesus] was about to fulfill in JeruSalem.

³² Now, Peter and the others were very sleepy. But when they saw his glory and the two men standing with him, they were wide-awake. ³³ And through the separation that was between them, Peter said to Jesus, 'Instructor; It's good for us to be here, so let us erect three temporary structures… one for you, one for Moses, and one for EliJah' (but he really didn't know what he was saying).

³⁴ And just as he said that, a cloud formed and started to cover them. Then [Moses and EliJah] disappeared into the cloud, which frightened [the Apostles]. ³⁵ And a voice came from the cloud that said, 'This is My Son, the one whom I've chosen… Listen to him!'

³⁶ And as the voice occurred, Jesus was found alone. But back then, they didn't say anything… they didn't tell anyone about the things that they saw.

³⁷ The next day, after coming down the mountain, a huge crowd met him. ³⁸ And {Look!} a man shouted from the crowd, 'Teacher! I beg you to take a look at my son, because he's the only one that I have! ³⁹ Look; a spirit comes over him and he screams. Then it throws him into convulsions and he foams [at the mouth]. It stops after that, but it leaves him bruised. ⁴⁰ I begged your disciples to throw it out, but they couldn't!'

⁴¹ Then Jesus said: 'O faithless and twisted generation; How much longer do I have to stay with you and put up with you? Bring your son over here!' ⁴² However, just as [the son] was approaching, the demon threw him to the ground and forced him into a violent convulsion.

Then Jesus scolded the unclean spirit, healed the boy, and gave him back to his father… and everyone was astonished by the majestic Power of God.

⁴³ Now, his disciples were stunned by the things that [Jesus] was doing, but he said to them, ⁴⁴ 'Let these words live in your ears: The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men!' ⁴⁵ However, they still didn't understand what he was saying; for in fact, it was hidden from them so they couldn't understand, and they were afraid to ask him any more.

⁴⁶ Then they started wondering which of them would be the greatest. ⁴⁷ But Jesus knew what they were thinking in their hearts, so he took a little boy and sat him down next to him. ⁴⁸ And then he said to them, 'Whoever welcomes this young child in my name, is welcoming me. And whoever welcomes me also welcomes Him who sent me. So, he who acts as the least one among you is the greatest.'

⁴⁹ Then John said, 'Instructor, we saw a man casting out demons by using your name, and we tried to stop him, because he isn't one of us.'

⁵⁰ But Jesus said to him, 'Don't try to stop him, because, those who aren't against you are for you!'

⁵¹ Now, since the number of days (before he was going to be taken) were almost fulfilled, he became firm in his resolve to go to JeruSalem. ⁵² So he sent messengers ahead of him, and they entered a Samaritan village in order to prepare [for his arrival]. ⁵³ But he wasn't welcomed there, because he was headed toward JeruSalem. ⁵⁴ And when the Disciples James and John [heard about] this, they asked, 'Lord, do you want us to call fire down from the sky to wipe them out?' ⁵⁵ But he turned [to them] and reprimanded them. ⁵⁶ So they traveled on to another village.

⁵⁷ It was as they were traveling along the road that someone said to him, 'I'll follow you wherever you go!'

⁵⁸ And Jesus replied, 'Foxes have burrows, and [birds] in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.'

⁵⁹ Then he said to someone else, 'Become my follower.'

But the man replied, 'First let me go and bury my father.'

⁶⁰ And [Jesus] told him, 'Let the dead bury their dead, but you go out and preach the Kingdom of God!'

⁶¹ Then another one said, 'I'll follow you Lord. But first, let me say goodbye to those in my home.'

⁶² And Jesus answered, 'No man who puts his hands to a plow and looks back, is well suited for the Kingdom of God.'

Chapter 10

¹ Well, after that, the Lord appointed seventy (two?) others whom he sent out ahead of him in pairs (two by two), into every city and place that he was about to go. ² And he told them, 'There's a huge harvest, but there aren't enough workers. So, beg the Master of the harvest to force more workers to do the harvesting. ³ Get going! But look; I'm sending you as lambs among wolves.

⁴ 'Don't carry a bag of money, a food pouch, or sandals. And don't [stop to] greet people along the road. ⁵ As you enter a house you must say, May this house have peace. ⁶ And if a son of peace is there, your peace will rest upon him; but if not, it will return to you. ⁷ So stay in that house and eat and drink the things they provide, because a worker deserves his reward… don't keep moving from one home to another.

⁸ 'Whenever you enter a city and they welcome you, eat whatever they put before you. ⁹ Then, cure their sick and tell them, The Kingdom of God is near! ¹⁰ But, whenever you enter a city and they fail to welcome you, go into its main streets and say, ¹¹ We're wiping off the dust that got stuck on our feet in this city, and giving it all back to you!

'Remember this: The Kingdom of God is near! ¹² I tell you; It will be easier for Sodom to endure [the Judgment] day than for that city.

¹³ 'Woe to you Chorazin, and woe to you BethSaida, because; if the powerful things that happened in you also happened in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented and been sitting in sackcloth and ashes a long time ago. ¹⁴ So, it will be easier for Tyre and Sidon to endure the Judgment than for you.

¹⁵ 'And you, O CapharNaum; Will you be lifted into the heavens? [No]! You will go down to your grave!

¹⁶ 'Whoever listens to you is also listening to me, but whoever ignores you is also ignoring me… and whoever ignores me also ignores Him that sent me.'

¹⁷ Well, when the seventy who were sent out in pairs returned, they joyfully said, 'Lord, even the demons obeyed us when we used your name!'

¹⁸ Then he said to them: 'I saw the Opposer falling like lightning from the sky. ¹⁹ Look! I've given you the authority to step on serpents, scorpions, and on the power of the enemy… and nothing will harm you! ²⁰ However, don't be happy because [evil] spirits obeyed you; be happy because your names have been written in the heavens!'

²¹ Then, at that time, the Holy Breath [of God] caused him to shout joyfully, 'I praise You publicly Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because You hid these things from the wise and understanding, but You've uncovered them to babies. Yes Father; That's why this clear reasoning was approved by You.

²² 'My Father has given me everything! No one knows the Son but the Father, [and no one knows] the Father but the Son (and those to whom the Son wants to reveal Him).'

²³ Then with that, he turned to his disciples and said privately, 'The eyes that see the things you're seeing are blest, ²⁴ because, I tell you that many prophets and kings wanted to see the things you're looking at and didn't see them… and to hear the things you're hearing, but didn't hear them.'

²⁵ Then, {Look!} a man who knew the Law very well stood up, and to test [Jesus], he asked, 'Teacher, what must I do to inherit age-long life?'

²⁶ And [Jesus] replied, 'What is written in the Law… what have you read?'

²⁷ So he answered, 'You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart, life, strength, and mind, and your neighbor as yourself.'

²⁸ And [Jesus] replied, 'That's the right answer. Keep on doing that and you'll live.'

²⁹ But [the man] wanted to show how righteous he was, so he asked Jesus, 'Just who is my neighbor?'

³⁰ And Jesus said, 'A man was traveling from JeruSalem to JeriCho, when he was jumped by some robbers. They stripped him, beat him up, and left him for dead. ³¹ But, by coincidence, a Priest was traveling the same road. And when he saw [the injured man], he passed on the opposite side. ³² Likewise, when a Levite reached that place and saw him, he passed on the opposite side.

³³ 'But when a Samaritan came along and saw him, he was moved with pity. ³⁴ So he got down and poured oil and wine on his wounds, and bandaged them. Then he put him up on his own animal, and brought him to an inn and cared for him. ³⁵ Then the next day, he took out two silver coins, and gave them to the innkeeper and said, Take care of him and I'll pay you for all that you spend beyond this, when I come back this way.

³⁶ 'Now, which of the three seems to have made himself a neighbor to the man who was jumped by the robbers?'

³⁷ And the [young man] answered, 'The one who showed mercy to him.'

Then Jesus said, 'Go your way and do the same thing.'

³⁸ Now, as they were traveling along, they entered a certain village, and there was a woman named Martha there who welcomed him into her home. ³⁹ This woman had a sister named Mary, who sat down at the feet of the Lord and kept listening to what he was saying. ⁴⁰ But Martha was distracted, because she was busy preparing [a meal]. So she came to him and said, 'Lord, doesn't it bother you that my sister has left me to do all the preparing by myself? Tell her to give me a hand!'

⁴¹ But the Lord replied: 'Martha, Martha; You're worried and upset about [preparing] many things. ⁴² All we need is just a few things… or just one. So Mary chose the best part… something that they can't take away.'

Chapter 11

¹ Now, he was in a certain place praying; and when he finished, one of his disciples said to him, 'Lord, teach us how to pray… as John taught his disciples.'

² Then he said, 'When you pray, say: Father, May Your Name be made Holy, and may Your Kingdom come. ³ Give us the bread that we need for today. ⁴ Forgive us for our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us, and don't bring us into temptation.'

⁵ Then he asked, 'Which of you has a friend that you could go to at midnight and say, Friend, loan me three loaves [of bread], ⁶ because another friend of mine has come a long way and I don't have anything [to feed him]. ⁷ For, he would answer from inside: Don't cause trouble. The door is already locked, and my kids are in bed with me, so I can't get up and give you anything.

⁸ 'I tell you; Although he won't get up to give him anything because he's a friend, he will get up and give him the things he needs if [his friend] continues to bother him. ⁹ So, keep asking and it will be given to you; keep searching and you will find it; keep knocking and it will be opened to you. ¹⁰ For, all who ask will receive; all who keep searching will find; and [the door] will be opened to all who keep knocking.

¹¹ 'Which father among you would hand his son a snake when he asks for a fish? ¹² Or if he asks for an egg, would you hand him a scorpion? ¹³ Now, if you in your wicked condition know to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Father in heaven give Holy Breath to all those who ask Him!'

¹⁴ [Jesus] once threw out a demon that caused a man to be unable to talk. And after the demon came out, the man spoke, which amazed the crowds. ¹⁵ But some of them said, 'He throws out the demons with the help of BeElZebub, the ruler of the demons.'

¹⁶ Then, others tried to tempt him by asking him to give them a sign from heaven. ¹⁷ But, knowing what they were imagining, he said, 'All kingdoms that are divided are destroyed, and a house that's [divided] will fall. ¹⁸ So, if the Opposer is divided against himself, how will his kingdom be able to stand?

'Now, you say that I'm casting out demons with BeElZebub's help. ¹⁹ But if I'm casting out demons with BeElZebub's power, then whom do your sons use to cast them out? This is why they will judge you. ²⁰ For, if I'm [really] casting out demons by the finger of God, then you've been overrun by the Kingdom of God.

²¹ 'When a strong, well-armed man guards his mansion, all of his things will be safe. ²² But if someone who's stronger should come and beat him, and take away the weapons he trusted, they will divide up the loot.

²³ 'Now, whoever isn't with me is against me, and those who don't gather to me will be scattered.

²⁴ 'When an unclean spirit comes out of a man,
It travels through [many] dry places,
In search of a [good] place to rest.
And when it doesn't find one it says:
I'll go back to the house I moved out of.

²⁵ 'And when it finds it swept clean and arranged,
²⁶ It returns with seven more spirits,
That are even more wicked than he;
And after they get back inside,
They'll all continue to live there.
So the end result for that man,
Is worse for him than it was at the start.'

²⁷ Now, as he was saying these things, a woman in the crowd shouted, 'Happy is the womb that carried you and the breasts that you sucked!'

²⁸ But he answered, 'No, happy are those who hear the Word of God and obey it!'

²⁹ And as a crowd was starting to form, he said, 'This is a wicked generation, because it looks for signs. However, no sign will be given it except the sign of Jonah. ³⁰ For, as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so the Son of Man will be [a sign] to this generation.

³¹ 'The Queen of the South will be raised in the Judgment,
Along with the men of this generation,
And she will thereafter condemn it.
For, she came from the ends of the earth,
To listen to Solomon's wisdom.
But look; Something more than Solomon is here!

³² 'Nineveh's men will be raised in the Judgment,
Along with this generation,
And they will also condemn it,
For, they repented after they were preached to by Jonah.
But look; Something more than Jonah is here!

³³ 'No one lights a lamp and then hides it,
Or puts it under a basket.
They set it up on a lampstand instead,
So people can see where they're going.

³⁴ 'The lamp of the body is your eye,
And when you keep your eye simple,
Your whole body will be bright.
But when it's wicked, your body is dark.

³⁵ 'So, be sure that your light isn't dark,
³⁶ For, if your whole body is bright,
With absolutely no dark parts,
It'll be a bright lamp to light your way.'

³⁷ Well, after he said this, a Pharisee asked [Jesus] to eat with him; so he went in and reclined at the table. ³⁸ However, the Pharisee was surprised to see that he didn't wash up before dinner. ³⁹ But the Lord told him: 'You Pharisees like to wash the outsides of dishes and cups, while wickedness and stolen things are on their insides. ⁴⁰ Unreasonable people; Didn't He who made the outsides also make the insides? ⁴¹ However, if you give gifts to the needy, then {Look!} everything about you is clean… and not just the outsides.

⁴² 'But, Woe to you Pharisees, for you offer your mint and your rue along with your vegetables when you tithe; yet, you overlook justice and love of God… you do all that you're obliged to do, but you bypass all the rest.

⁴³ 'Woe to you Pharisees; for you love the synagogue's front seats and all the greetings in the markets. ⁴⁴ Yes, woe to you, for you're like hidden graves, which men unwittingly walk on.'

⁴⁵ Well, in reply, one who was trained in the Law said, 'Teacher; When you say things like this, you're insulting us!'

⁴⁶ But [Jesus] replied:
'Woe also to you who are trained in the Law,
For you pile loads upon men,
So high that they cannot be carried;
But you wouldn't touch them with a finger!

⁴⁷ 'Yes, woe to you; because you build tombs for the Prophets,
Which were killed by your fathers!
⁴⁸ [So against yourselves] you bear witness,
Since you approve of these very things,
That were done by your fathers,
When they murdered those very same Prophets…
Those whose tombs you now build.

⁴⁹ 'It's for this, that thus says the Wisdom of God:
I'll send them Apostles and Prophets;
But they'll persecute some and kill others.
⁵⁰ So, the blood of all of the Prophets,
That's been spilled since the system was founded,
Will be laid upon this generation…
⁵¹ From the blood of Abel to the blood of ZechariAh,
Who was murdered between the [Temple] and Altar.
Yes, I tell you: Upon this generation It'll all be required.

⁵² 'Woe to you who are trained in the Law,
For you've picked up the key to [great] knowledge,
Yet you've failed to enter [the door];
Then you block the way for all those
Who are trying to enter!'

⁵³ Then he left that place.

Well, the scribes and Pharisees always tried hard to pin him down, constantly asking him questions about things, ⁵⁴ because they were lying in wait, trying to catch him in something he might say.

Chapter 12

¹ A crowd had gathered, and there were so many thousands there that they were literally stepping on each other. Then [Jesus warned] his disciples, 'Watch out for the fermentation of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. For:
² There's nothing hidden that will not be shown,
And no secret that will not be known.
³ So, the things that you say in the darkness,
Will be all heard in the light;
And what you whisper in private rooms,
Will be preached from the housetops.

⁴ 'I tell you this, all my friends;
Don't fear those who can kill the body,
But can do no more than that.
⁵ Let me show you whom you should fear:
Fear Him who after the killing [the body],
Is allowed to throw you into the garbage…
Yes, He's the one you should fear!

⁶ 'Five sparrows sell for just two small coins… do they not?
Yet, by the eyes of God they're not overlooked.
⁷ Why, the hairs of your head are all numbered.
So don't be afraid; for, more than many sparrows is your value.

⁸ 'I tell you this:
For all who'll admit before men,
That they are united with me,
The Son of Man will also admit,
My unity with him before angels.
⁹ But, whoever denies knowing me before men,
Before angels, I'll also deny knowing him.

¹⁰ 'Those who speak a word against the Son of Man,
Will be forgiven [for the things that they've said],
But those who blaspheme [God's] Holy Breath…
These will not be forgiven.

¹¹ 'When they bring you before synagogues,
Or authorities and government officials,
Don't worry about what you must do,
Or what you will say in defense,
¹² For, you will be taught what to say,
By [God's] Holy Breath at that time.'

¹³ Then, someone in the crowd said, 'Teacher; Tell my brother to share his inheritance with me!'

¹⁴ And [Jesus] asked, 'Man; Who appointed me as the judge or arbitrator between you?'
¹⁵ Then he said,
'Keep your eyes open and guard against greed,
For, life doesn't come from owning many things.'

¹⁶ And then he gave them this illustration:
'A rich man's fields produced [a good harvest];
¹⁷ So he started to think within himself;
What shall I do; for, now there's not enough room,
To store away all my crops?
¹⁸ And he said, Ah, I will do this:
I'll tear down my barns and build larger,
And that's where I'll put all my wheat,
As well as my other good things.
¹⁹ Then I will say to myself:
Self, you now have many good things,
Saved up [to last] many years.
So, you can just take it easy…
Eat, drink, and enjoy!
²⁰ But God said: O foolish man; tonight they're demanding your life;
So, who will these things then belong to?

²¹ 'And that's what happens to a man,
Who stores away treasures for himself,
But fails to gain wealth with God.'

²² Then he said to his disciples:
'This is why I have told you,
Not to worry for your lives and what you will eat,
Or about your bodies and what you will wear.
²³ For, your life is worth more than food,
And your body is worth [more] than clothes.
²⁴ Why, the ravens don't plant seeds or harvest,
And they have no barns or storage sheds…
Because, by God they are fed.
And how much more are you worth than just birds?

²⁵ 'Who through worry adds a smidgen to his life?
²⁶ So if [worry] is unable fix little things,
Then why be concerned about all the rest?

²⁷ 'Also, notice how lilies grow,
For, they don't work or make cloth.
But I tell you that Solomon in all of his glory,
Wasn't dressed as [well as] one of these.
²⁸ So, if God so well clothes the plants in the fields,
That are here today and thrown into an oven tomorrow,
How much more would He rather clothe you… you with so little faith?

²⁹ 'Therefore, stop searching for things to eat and drink,
And don't wonder about what you must do,
³⁰ For these are the things that the nations chase after.
Why, your Father knows that you need all these things.
³¹ So, just keep seeking His Kingdom,
And you'll receive all the rest.

³² 'Don't be afraid, little flock,
For your Father has agreed to give you the Kingdom.
³³ So, sell the things that you own,
And give to those who're in need.
Make purses for yourselves that don't wear out…
Never-failing treasures in the heavens,
Where no thieves or moths can consume it.
³⁴ For, wherever your treasures may be,
Is where your hearts will be also.

³⁵ 'So, wrap on your sashes and light up your lamps,
³⁶ And act like men who await the return,
Of their master from his wedding;
So that when he arrives and starts knocking,
They can open [the doors] right away.

³⁷ 'For, blest are those slaves who are watching,
When their master arrives!
I tell you the truth; He will put on his apron,
And make them recline at the table;
And then he'll come there and serve them!
³⁸ If during the second watch he should arrive,
Or even if it's during the third,
[That slave] will be blest,
If he's found doing these things!

³⁹ 'Recognize this:
If the master of the house would have known,
[The time] when the thief arrive,
He would have been keeping watch,
And not let his house be broken into.
⁴⁰ So, you must also keep ready!
For the Son of Man will arrive,
At an hour you consider unlikely.'

⁴¹ Then Peter asked, 'Lord, are you giving this illustration to just us, or to everyone?'

⁴² And the Lord said,
'Who is the faithful manager of the house…
The sensible one who's been assigned by his master,
Over all of his faithful friends,
And to provide their meals at the right times?
⁴³ For, this slave will be blest if he's found doing so,
When his master arrives!
⁴⁴ I tell you the truth… he'll put him in charge of all that he owns!
⁴⁵ But if that slave should say in his heart,
My master's delayed in returning,
And starts beating those male and female servants,
Then he feasts, and drinks, and gets drunk;
⁴⁶ His master will arrive on a day and an hour,
That he has not been expected,
And he'll whip him and assign him among the unfaithful.

⁴⁷ 'The slave who knows what his master expects,
And doesn't prepare or do what he wants,
Will be lashed with a whip many times.
⁴⁸ But he who does not understand,
And does things for which he deserves to be whipped,
Will be beaten with [just a] few [strokes].
For, from those to whom much is given,
Much will be expected of them.
And of he who's put in charge over much,
More abundance will be required.'

⁴⁹ 'I came to start a fire on the earth,
So, what more could I wish for,
Than to see it already lit?

⁵⁰ I have a baptism that I must endure,
And I'm under great pressure 'til the day that it's done.

⁵¹ 'Did you think that I came to bring peace to the earth?
I tell you; No, I've come to bring a division!
⁵² For, now there'll be five in a house,
Who are divided three against two,
And two against three.
⁵³ A Father will be divided against his own son,
And a son [will be] against his own father;
A mother [will be] against her own daughter,
And a daughter [will be] against her own mother…
Mother-in-law against daughter-in-law,
And daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.'

⁵⁴ Then he told the crowd,
'When you see a cloud arising in the west,
You say that a storm is approaching… and it happens.
⁵⁵ Then, when the wind blows in from the south,
You say, 'There'll be a heat wave"… and it happens.
⁵⁶ Hypocrites! You know how to read the earth and the sky,
So, why can't you read the [signs of the] times?

⁵⁷ 'Why not judge for yourselves in righteous ways?
⁵⁸ When taking a case before a ruler,
Try to solve the problem as you're on the way,
So he doesn't drag you before a judge,
Who will hand you over to the bailiff,
Who will then throw you into a jail.
⁵⁹ I tell you; You will not be set free,
Until you've paid your last cent.'

Chapter 13

¹ Well, at the time, some who were there were telling him [the story] about certain Galileans whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices. ² Then [Jesus] asked, 'Do you think those Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered these things? ³ No! I tell you that: If you do not repent, you too will all be destroyed! ⁴ Or those eighteen whom the tower at SiloAm fell on and killed; Do you think they were worse sinners than all others who live in JeruSalem? ⁵ No! I tell you that: If you do not repent, you'll all be destroyed that same way!'

⁶ Then he gave this illustration,
'A man had a fig tree in his vineyard,
And when he came looking for fruit,
He did not find any there.
⁷ Then he said to the man who cared for the vineyard,
For three years I've come looking for fruit on this tree,
And so far, I have found none…
So, cut it down; for, why should it waste all this space?

⁸ 'But [the vinedresser] replied,
Master; Leave it alone for just one more year,
While I cultivate and fertilize it.
⁹ Then, it may make fruit in the future…
But if not, I'll then cut it down.'

¹⁰ Now, he was teaching in one of the synagogues on the Sabbath, ¹¹ where {Look!} there was a woman who had been very weak for eighteen years. She was bent over double and was unable to straighten herself. ¹² And when he saw this, Jesus called her and said, 'Woman, you're now free from this weakness.' ¹³ Then he laid his hands on her and she straightened up instantly and started glorifying God.

¹⁴ But the chief of the synagogue resented this, because Jesus has performed the cure on the Sabbath. So he said to the crowd: 'There are SIX DAYS when work should be done. Come to be cured on THOSE DAYS, not on the Sabbath!'

¹⁵ However, the Lord replied, 'Hypocrites, don't you untie your bulls or burros from their stalls and lead them out to drink on the Sabbath? ¹⁶ Why, this is a daughter of AbraHam, and the Opposer has held her tied {Look!} for some eighteen years! Wasn't it appropriate for her to be untied from this type of bondage on the Sabbath?'

¹⁷ Well, after he said that, all who opposed him were ashamed, while the crowd started rejoicing over all the glorious things he did.

¹⁸ Then he went on to say:
'What will the Kingdom of God be like…
To what can it be compared?
¹⁹ It's like the seed of the mustard,
Which a man had planted in his garden.
It grew and became like a tree,
In whose branches birds of the sky came to roost.'

²⁰ And once again, he said:
'To what should I compare the Kingdom of God?
²¹ It's like a little fermentation
That a woman hid in three large measures of flour,
Until the mass rose and was filled with [the yeast].'

²² Well, he traveled through city after city and village after village teaching, as he continued on his way to JeruSalem.

²³ Then someone asked: 'Lord, will only a few be saved?'

And he said to them: ²⁴ 'Struggle to get through the narrow door,
For I tell you that many will try to get in,
But they just won't have enough strength.

²⁵ For, after the master gets up and locks the door;
If you're outside knocking and shouting,
Saying, Lord, open to us!
He'll reply, I don't know where you're from!
²⁶ And if you should say,
Why, we ate and drank before you,
And you taught us in our main streets, ²⁷ he'll reply,
I don't know where you're from.
Go away, you who do what's unrighteous!

²⁸ 'This is where there'll be crying and the grinding of teeth:
When you see AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob,
And all the Prophets in the Kingdom of God,
But you have been thrown on the outside.
²⁹ They'll come from the east, west, north, and the south,
And recline at the table in the Kingdom of God.
³⁰ But, {Look!} those who are last will be first,
And the first will be last.'

³¹ Well, it was in that very hour that some Pharisees came and said to him, 'You'd better get out of here and go, because Herod wants to kill you!'

³² But he replied, 'Go tell that old fox: {Look!} I'm casting out demons and healing today and tomorrow, and I'll be finished on the following day. ³³ However, I'll travel on today, tomorrow, and the next day, because destroying a Prophet outside of JeruSalem isn't allowed.

³⁴ 'O JeruSalem, JeruSalem, you killer of Prophets,
And stoner of those sent to you;
How often I wanted to gather your young,
As a hen gathers her chicks in her wings…
But that's not what you have wanted.

³⁵ 'Look! Your house has been taken from you!
I say that you will not see me again,
Until you proclaim:
Praise he who comes in the Name of the Lord!'

Chapter 14

¹ There was a time when [Jesus] went to eat a meal at the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees on a Sabbath… and they were all watching him very closely. ² Then {Look!} a man came to him who had [a fluid-buildup condition called] dropsy. ³ So Jesus asked those who had studied the Law and the Pharisees, 'Is it legal to cure on the Sabbath or not?' ⁴ But they wouldn't answer.

So, he took hold of [the man], healed him, and then sent him on. ⁵ And thereafter he asked, 'If your son or your bull were to fall into a well on the Sabbath, which of you wouldn't immediately pull him out?'

⁶ And they were unable to come up with a reply.

⁷ Then, after noticing how the guests were choosing the best spots at the table, he gave them this illustration:
⁸ 'Should you be invited to a wedding reception,
Don't go and recline in the best place.
For, if someone more honored has also been asked,
⁹ The host must then come and say:
Let this man sit in that spot…
Then you'll be shamed and sent to the very least place.

¹⁰ 'So, whenever you are invited,
Go and recline in the very last spot.
And when the host arrives, he'll then say:
Friend, [please] choose a spot that's much better!
Then, before all the guests you'll be honored.

¹¹ So, those promoting themselves will be humbled,
And the humble will be promoted.'

¹² Then he said to the man who invited him:
'When you spread a dinner or a supper,
Don't call your friends and your brothers,
Or your relatives and your rich neighbors,
For, you'll be repaid when they invite you.

¹³ 'But, whenever you hold a banquet,
Invite the crippled and poor,
As well as the lame and the blind.
¹⁴ Then you will [surely] be blest,
For they have nothing with which to repay you,
And in the resurrection of the righteous you'll get your reward.'

¹⁵ Well, when one of the guests heard this, he said to [Jesus], 'Those who eat bread in the Kingdom of God are blest!'

¹⁶ And [Jesus] replied, 'There was a man who prepared a large supper,
And he invited many to come there and dine.
¹⁷ So he sent his slave out when the meal was prepared,
To tell all those who'd been invited,
Come on, for all is now ready!

¹⁸ 'But, each came up with a reason.
Said the first:
I must go to look at a field that I bought.
Please allow me to be excused.

¹⁹ 'And another said this:
I just bought five pairs of oxen,
And I must go to inspect them.
Please allow me to be excused.

²⁰ 'Still another said this:
I have just gotten married,
So I'm unable to come now.

²¹ 'Well, when the slave returned and reported these things,
The master of the house became angry,
And this is what he told his slave:
Go quickly to the main streets and alleys,
And bring the crippled and poor,
As well as the blind and the lame.

²² 'And later, the slave told his master:
I've done all that you ordered,
But there is still plenty of room!

²³ 'So, the master then said to him:
Go out to the roads and backyards,
And make them come, so my house will be filled!
²⁴ For I tell you that none of the ones I invited,
Will have a taste of my supper.'

²⁵ Now, there was a large crowd traveling with him. So he turned and said to them, ²⁶ 'Unless those who come to me care less for their fathers, mothers, wives, children, brothers, and sisters – yes even for their own lives – they cannot become my disciples, ²⁷ nor can anyone follow me who's unwilling to carry this own impaling pole.

²⁸ 'Which of you who would build a tower,
Wouldn't first sit down to figure the costs,
So you'd have enough to complete it?
²⁹ For, you might just lay the foundation,
Then be unable to finish the job,
And all who see it will make fun of you, ³⁰ saying:
This man started the project,
But he couldn't complete it!

³¹ 'Or, what king, when he's marching [to battle] another,
Doesn't first sit down and ask his advisors,
If his ten thousand troops can possibly beat
The one who approaches with twenty thousand?

³² 'And if he's unable to do that;
While [his enemy] is still far away,
He'll send his ambassadors to sue for peace.

³³ 'So, you must be sure!
For, none who refuse to give all they own,
Qualifies to be my disciple!

³⁴ 'Salt is good;
But if salt should lose all its strength,
What value will it have to season your food?
³⁵ It'll be no good for soil or manure,
So people will throw it away…
Let those with hearing ears now listen!'

Chapter 15

¹ Well, all the tax collectors and sinners kept coming to [Jesus] to listen to him. ² And as the result, the Pharisees and scribes were mumbling, 'This man welcomes sinners… and he even eats with them!'

³ So he gave them this illustration:
⁴ 'Which of you who owns a hundred sheep,
And then loses just one,
Wouldn't leave the ninety-nine in the fields,
And search for the lost until it was found?
⁵ He will rejoice when he he finds it, and lift it up on his shoulders,
⁶ Then, when he gets home, he'll call his friends and neighbors and say,
Come, rejoice along with me,
For I've found my sheep that was lost!

⁷ 'So I tell you:
There is more rejoicing in heaven,
Over one sinner who has repented,
Than over ninety-nine of the righteous,
Who have no need of repentance.

⁸ 'Or when a woman with ten silver coins,
Finds that she has lost one,
She lights a lamp and carefully sweeps her whole house…
She searches until she has found it.
⁹ And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors and says:
Rejoice with me, for I've found the silver coin that I lost!

¹⁰ 'So I tell you; There's joy among the messengers of God
Over the repentance of each sinner.'

¹¹ Then he said,
'There was a man who had [fathered] two sons.
¹² And the youngest of them came and told him,
Father, give me my share of what I'll inherit!
So he divided with him what he had.
¹³ And it wasn't many days later,
That the younger son collected his things,
And traveled to a far away land,
Where he squandered all that he had.

¹⁴ 'Well, after he'd spent [all his money],
A famine came to that land,
Putting him in a bad situation.
¹⁵ So, he worked for a citizen of that country,
Who sent him to his fields to herd pigs.
¹⁶ Why, he even wished to eat those carob pods,
That he was feeding the swine,
For, people would give him nothing at all.

¹⁷ 'Then, when he came to his senses,
He asked this of himself:
How many of my father's hired hands have much bread,
While I'm about to die here from a famine?
¹⁸ So, I'll get up and go to my father and say:
Father, I've sinned against heaven and you.
¹⁹ To be called your son, I'm unworthy,
So, make me as one of your hired hands.

²⁰ 'Then he got up and returned to his father.

'But while he was yet far way,
His father saw him and felt pity.
Then he ran and fell on his neck,
And he tenderly kissed him.
²¹ And the son said: Father, I've sinned against heaven and you.
So, I'm not worthy to be called your son,
Just make me as one of your hired hands.

²² 'But the father then told his slaves:
Quick! Bring a robe out and put it on him…
Bring the very best one!
Put a ring on his hand and shoes on his feet.
²³ Then slaughter the calf that we've fed with wheat,
And let's hold [a feast] and have a good time!
²⁴ For, my son who was dead is alive!
He was lost and now he is found!

'So, then they started to celebrate.

²⁵ 'Now, the older son was out in the fields,
And as he returned and got near the house,
He heard [the sounds] of dancing and a band.
²⁶ So he called to one of the servants and asked,
Tell me what's going on here!

²⁷ 'And [the servant] replied:
Its because your brother has returned,
That your father slaughtered the wheat-fed calf,
For, [your brother] has returned in good health!

²⁸ 'Then [the son] became angry and refused to go in.
So his father came out in order to beg him.
²⁹ But this is what he said to his father:
I've slaved for you all these years,
And I've never once broken your rules.
Yet, you've never given me just a young goat,
To enjoy with all of my friends.
³⁰ Then, as soon as this son arrives,
Who spent all he had upon whores,
For him you slaughter the wheat-fed calf!

³¹ 'But [the father] replied:
Child, with me you've always been near,
And all that I have is also yours.
³² But, we had to celebrate and rejoice,
Because your brother who was once dead,
Has now come back to life… he who was lost is now found!'

Chapter 16

¹ Then [Jesus] went on to tell his disciples, 'There was a rich man who had a house manager that was accused of mishandling his belongings. ² So, [the rich man] called him and asked, What is this that I'm hearing about you? Turn in your things, for you'll no longer manage [my] house!

³ 'Then the [man] thought to himself, Now, what should I do, since my master is taking away my position? I don't have the strength to do digging, and I'm too ashamed to go begging. ⁴ Ah! I know what I'll do after I lose my job… something to cause people to welcome me into their homes!

⁵ 'So, he called in all who owed debts to his master, and then he asked the first one: How much do you owe my master?

⁶ 'He replied, Nine hundred gallons of olive oil.

'Then he told him, Here, take your contract; Sit down and quickly write four hundred and fifty.

⁷ 'He also asked the next, So, how much do you owe?

'And he replied, Thirty-six thousand quarts of wheat.

'Then he told him, Take your contract and write twenty-nine thousand.

⁸ 'Well, although he was unrighteous, his master spoke in praise of [that man], for he showed very good sense. You see, the sons of this age have more sense when it comes to dealing with this generation than do the sons of the light.

⁹ 'So, I'm telling you to make friends for yourselves with unrighteous wealth, then when all else fails, they'll welcome you into their tents through the ages.

¹⁰ 'He who is faithful in small things, is also faithful in much; while he who's unrighteous in small things, is also unrighteous in much. ¹¹ So, if you've not proven yourself faithful with the unrighteous wealth [of this system], who will entrust you with true things? ¹² And if you haven't proven yourself faithful with things belonging to others, which of us will give you what's ours?

¹³ 'No house servant can slave for two masters; he'll either dislike the one and love the other, or he'll stick to the one and despise the other. So, you can't slave for God and for wealth.'

¹⁴ Now, the Pharisees (who loved silver) were listening to these things, and they were looking at him with contempt. ¹⁵ So he said to them:
'You claim to be righteous before men,
But God knows [what's in] your hearts.
For, things that are important to men,
Are disgusting in the eyes of [our] God.

¹⁶ 'Until John, there was the Law and the Prophets.
But since then, the Kingdom of God is the good news,
And all are trying to squeeze themselves in it.
¹⁷ But it's easier for heaven and earth to pass away,
Than for just a piece of a letter of the Law,
To [pass away before being] fulfilled.

¹⁸ 'So, he who releases his wife,
And marries another, commits adultery.
And he who marries a woman who's released,
Is also [guilty] of adultery.

¹⁹ 'A rich man once dressed in purple and linen,
And indulged himself in luxury each day.
²⁰ And there was a poor man named Lazarus,
Who used to be put at his gate.

'He was covered with sores,
²¹ And wanted to eat of the things,
That were dropped from the table of the rich man…
And dogs came to lick all his sores.

²² 'The poor man eventually died,
And [God's] messengers carried him off
To the favored (bosom) position of AbraHam.

'Then the rich man died and also was buried.
²³ And from the place of the dead raised his eyes,
And in his torment he saw,
AbraHam off in the distance,
And Lazarus lying before him.

²⁴ 'So, [the rich man] called out and said,
Father AbraHam; [Please] have mercy on me!
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger,
In water to cool off my tongue,
For I am in pain in these flames!

²⁵ 'But AbraHam then replied:
Child; Remember that you had the good things in life,
But Lazarus [received just] the bad.
Now he is here [getting my] comfort,
While you are there in [great] pain.

²⁶ 'An abyss has been placed here between us,
So those who are here can't go there,
Nor can people cross over from there to us.

²⁷ 'So, he said:
Then I ask you; Please father!
Send him to the house of my father,
²⁸ For I have five other brothers…
Give a thorough witness to them,
So they don't end up in this tormenting place!

²⁹ 'But AbraHam said:
They have Moses and the Prophets…
[Your brothers] should listen to them!

³⁰ 'Then he said:
No indeed, O AbraHam my father;
For, if someone should come from the dead, they'd repent.

³¹ 'But he replied:
If they won't listen to the Prophets or Moses,
They will not be persuaded,
Should someone arise from the dead!'

Chapter 17

¹ Then he said to his disciples, 'It's unavoidable that traps will be set. However, woe to those who set them! ² It would be better if a millstone were hung 'round his neck, and he was thrown into the sea, than to stumble one of these least ones. ³ So, pay attention to yourselves.

'If your brother should sin [against you], go to him and discuss it. And if he repents, then forgive him. ⁴ Even if he sins seven times every day; If he returns seven times to say I repent, then you should also forgive him.'

⁵ And at that, the Apostles said to the Lord, 'Give us more faith!'

⁶ And the Lord answered, 'If you had faith of just a mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree: Pull out of the ground, and then plant yourself in the sea; And it would likely obey you.

⁷ 'Which of you who has a slave, who after he's been plowing or tending a flock, would tell him when he returns, Come here and recline at the table? ⁸ It's more likely that you'd tell him this: Prepare my supper, then put on an apron and serve me, until I'm done eating and drinking, then you may get food and drink for yourself.

⁹ 'You won't be grateful to that slave, because he did what he was assigned… will you? ¹⁰ So you too… after you've done all you're assigned, say: We are just worthless slaves… We just did what we should have done.'

¹¹ Well, as [Jesus] was on his way to JeruSalem, he traveled through the midst of Samaria and then into Galilee. ¹² And as he entered a certain village, ten men with leprosy -- ¹³ shouted, 'Jesus! Instructor! Have mercy on us!'

¹⁴ And when [Jesus] saw them, he said, 'Go and present yourselves to the Priests.'

Then, as they were leaving, they were [each] made clean. ¹⁵ However, one of them, when he realized that he had been healed, came back glorifying God in a loud voice. ¹⁶ Then he fell to his face at [Jesus'] feet, thanking him (this one was a Samaritan).

¹⁷ So Jesus asked, 'Weren't there ten who were cleansed? So, where are the other nine? ¹⁸ Was this man of another race the only one who returned to glorify God?'

¹⁹ Then he told him, 'Get up and go, for your faith has saved you!'

²⁰ Then the Pharisees asked [Jesus] when the Kingdom of God was coming. And he answered, 'The coming of the Kingdom of God,
Will not be easily noticed.
²¹ For, people will not be saying,
Look, it's here, or, it's there!
Since, {Look!} the Kingdom of God is within you!'

²² Then he said to the disciples, 'The time will come when you'll wish you could see
Just one of the Son of Man's days.
But then you'll not be able to see it.

²³ 'People will say, Look here, or see there!
But don't go out or chase after them.
²⁴ For the Son of Man will be like the lightning,
That flashes from part of the sky to the other.
²⁵ But [first] he must suffer many things,
And be rejected by this generation.

²⁶ 'As it happened in Noah's day,
Is how it will be in the Son of Man's day.
²⁷ For, they were eating and drinking,
Marrying and getting married,
'Til the day that Noah entered the chest,
And the Downpour came, bringing destruction on all.

²⁸ 'And the same thing happened in Lot's day;
They were eating and drinking,
Buying, selling, planting, and building,
²⁹ To the day that Lot [fled from] Sodom.
Then fire and sulfur rained from the sky,
Bringing destruction on all.
³⁰ That is how it will be on the day,
When the Son of Man is revealed.

³¹ 'On that day, the man on his roof
Must not go down into his house,
To retrieve the things that he owns.
And the man who's out in the field,
Shouldn't return for the things left behind.
³² For, remember [what happened to] Lot's wife.

³³ 'Those saving their lives will then lose it,
But those who lose it will keep it alive.

³⁴ 'I tell you; In that night there'll be two in one bed;
One will be taken and the other left behind.
³⁵ Two will be grinding at [the same] mill;
One will be taken and the other left behind.' ³⁶ ––

³⁷ So they asked him, 'Where [will this happen] Lord?'

And he replied, 'The vultures will gather at the carcass.'

Chapter 18

¹ Then he gave them an illustration to show why they should keep praying and not give up. ² He said:
'There was a judge in a city,
Who had no fear of God,
And who could not be shamed before men.

³ 'But a widow in that city kept coming and saying:
I want justice from he whom I [sued in your] court.

⁴ 'Well, at first he did nothing at all,
But thereafter he started to think:
Although I do not fear God,
Nor can any man shame me;
⁵ Since this widow keeps coming and creating more work,
I'll be sure that she receives justice,
So she doesn't pester me to death.'

⁶ Then the Lord concluded;
'Did you hear what was said by this unrighteous judge?
⁷ Won't God who is patient give justice
To His elected who call to Him both day and night?
⁸ I tell you: He will bring speedy justice!

'But, when the Son of Man returns,
Will he find the faith on earth?'

⁹ Then he told this illustration to some who trusted in themselves, believeing they alone were righteous and that all others were just nothing:
¹⁰ 'Two men went up to the Temple to pray;
A Pharisee and a tax collector.
¹¹ The Pharisee stood up and said,
These things about himself in his prayer:
I thank You O God, for I am not like the rest,
Who are robbers, unrighteous, and adulterers…
Or like that tax collector [over there].
¹² I fast two times every week,
And contribute a tenth of all I receive.

¹³ 'But the tax collector, who stood some distance,
Wouldn't raise his eyes up toward heaven.
He just beat on himself as he said:
O God, don't be angry with this sinner!

¹⁴ 'I tell you; This man returned home the more righteous one.
For, those promoting themselves will be humbled,
And the humble will be those promoted.'

¹⁵ Now, people started bringing their young children for [Jesus] to touch them. But when the disciples saw this, they scolded them. ¹⁶ However, Jesus called [the children] to him saying, 'Let the young children come to me… don't try to stop them! Because, the Kingdom of God is for people like this. ¹⁷ I tell you the truth; Whoever doesn't welcome the Kingdom of God like a child, won't enter it at all.'

¹⁸ Then a certain ruler asked him: 'Good teacher; What must I do to inherit age-long life?'

¹⁹ And Jesus asked him: 'Why do you call me good? No one is good except One… The God! ²⁰ You know the Commandments: Don't commit adultery, don't murder, don't steal, don't provide false testimony, honor your father and mother.'

²¹ Then [the ruler] said, 'I've guarded these [things] since I was young!'

²² And Jesus said, 'But there's still one thing that you lack. Sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you'll have treasures in heaven. Then come be my follower.'

²³ Well, when he heard this, [the ruler] became very sad, because he was extremely rich.

²⁴ So Jesus looked at him and said,
'How hard it will be for those who are rich,
To make their way to the Kingdom of God!
²⁵ It would be easier to thread a rope through a needle,
Than for a rich man to enter God's Kingdom.'

²⁶ Well, those who heard this asked, 'So then; Who can possibly be saved?'

²⁷ And he answered, 'Things that are impossible for men are possible with God.'

²⁸ But Peter said, 'Look, we've left everything and followed you!'

²⁹ And [Jesus] said to them, 'I tell you the truth;
There is no one who's left a house or a wife,
Or brothers, parents, or children,
For the sake of the Kingdom of God,
³⁰ Who won't receive much more in this time,
And life in the age that is coming.'

³¹ Then he took the twelve aside and said to them, 'Look! We're going up to JeruSalem, and everything that the Prophets wrote about the Son of Man will now be fulfilled. ³² He'll be handed over to the nations and made fun of; he'll be treated shamefully and spit on; ³³ and after flaying him with a whip, they will kill him. Then on the third day, he'll be resurrected.'

³⁴ However, they just didn't get the meaning of any of these things, because what he said was hidden from them and they couldn't understand it.

³⁵ Now, as he was approaching JeriCho, there was a blind man who was sitting alongside the road begging. ³⁶ Well, as he heard a crowd moving past, he asked what was happening. ³⁷ And they replied, 'Jesus the Nazarene is coming!'

³⁸ So he started shouting, 'Jesus! Son of David! Have mercy on me!'

³⁹ And those who were walking ahead warned him to keep quiet. But he just shouted louder, 'Son of David, have mercy on me!'

⁴⁰ Then Jesus stopped and gave orders to have him brought over. And when he got there, [Jesus] asked, ⁴¹ 'What do you want me to do for you?'

And he answered, 'Lord, let me see again!'

⁴² So Jesus said, 'Then, see again… for your faith has saved you!' ⁴³ And instantly his sight returned and he started following [Jesus], glorifying God. The people also praised God when they saw this.

Chapter 19

¹ Then, as [Jesus] was traveling through JeriCho, ² {Look!} there was a rich man called ZacChaeUs (who was the chief tax collector) ³ that wanted to see who this Jesus was; but he couldn't, due to the crowd, because he was too short. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed a fig-mulberry tree to see him, because, that's the direction [Jesus] was headed.

⁵ Now, when Jesus reached that spot, he looked up and said, 'ZacChaeUs, hurry and get down from there, because I'll be staying at your house today.'

⁶ So he hurried and got down, rejoicing that he could welcome him as his guest. ⁷ But when [the crowds] saw this, they all started grumbling, 'He's going to spend the night at the home of a man who's a sinner!'

⁸ But ZacChaeUs stood up and said to the Lord, 'Lord, I will give half of my belongings to the poor; and whatever I got from anyone by extortion and false accusations, I'll repay four times over.'

⁹ Then Jesus said, 'Today salvation has come to this house! [You see], he's also is a son of AbraHam! ¹⁰ This is why the Son of Man came; to search for and to save what was lost.'

¹¹ Well, while they were listening to these things, he told them another illustration, because he was getting close to JeruSalem, and they all thought that the Kingdom of God was going to instantly arrive. ¹² So he said:
'A certain man of noble birth,
Traveled to a far-away land,
To be appointed as king.
And [before he left], ¹³ he called ten of his slaves,
And gave them each a large silver coin,
Saying, Do business [with this] until I return.

¹⁴ 'However, He was hated by some of his subjects,
Who sent ambassadors to say,
We don't want him to rule over us!

¹⁵ 'Well, when he returned
(After being appointed as king),
He summoned the slaves to whom he'd entrusted his silver,
To find out how much they'd gained.

¹⁶ 'So, the first one came up and said,
Lord, your coin earned ten silver coins!

¹⁷ 'So, he said: Well-done, good [faithful] slave!
And because you proved faithful in small things,
I appoint you over ten cities.

¹⁸ 'Then the second [slave] came up and said,
Lord, your coin earned five silver coins!

¹⁹ So, he said to this one:
You'll be over five cities.

²⁰ 'But the other came up and said:
Lord here's the silver coin [that you gave me],
For, I wrapped in a bandanna…
²¹ I was afraid, for you're a harsh man,
Who picks up what he hasn't put down,
And harvests where he doesn't plant.

²² 'Then [the master] replied: O wicked slave;
I judge you from [the words that came] from your mouth,
For, you knew that I'm a harsh man,
Who picks up what he doesn't put down,
And harvests what he doesn't plant?
²³ So, why didn't you put my coin in a bank,
So that interest would likely be added to it?

²⁴ 'With that, he said to those standing by:
Remove from him the silver coin,
And give it to he who has ten silver coins!

²⁵ 'And they said:
But Lord, he already has ten!

²⁶ 'I tell you this: More will be given to all those who have,
But, what they have will be taken away
From those who have none.
²⁷ Now, bring here those enemies of mine…
Those who didn't want me to be their king,
And slaughter them all here before me.'

²⁸ So, after he said these things, he started leading the way on his trip up to JeruSalem. ²⁹ And when he got close to BethPhage and BethAny, to the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of the disciples ahead, ³⁰ saying, 'Go to that village opposite us, and when you enter, you'll find a colt tied that no one has ridden before. Untie it and bring it here. ³¹ And if anyone asks why you're untying it, just tell him that the Lord needs it.'

³² So, those who were sent ahead found things just as he said they would be. ³³ And as they were untying the colt, the owners asked, 'Why are you untying the colt?'

³⁴ And they replied, 'The Lord needs it.' ³⁵ Then they led it to Jesus, threw their robes over the colt, and set Jesus on [top of it]. ³⁶ And as he traveled along, they kept spreading their robes over the road.

³⁷ Then, as soon as he got close to the road that comes down the Mount of Olives [into JeruSalem], the huge crowds of disciples started rejoicing and praising God, shouting about all the powerful things they had seen, ³⁸ saying, 'Praise he who comes as King in Jehovah's Name! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest places!'

³⁹ However, some of the Pharisees among the crowd came up and said, 'Teacher! Scold your disciples!'

⁴⁰ But he replied, 'I tell you this: If they remained silent, these stones would be doing the shouting!'

⁴¹ And when he got close, he looked at the city and shed tears over it, ⁴² saying,
'If you knew this today… the things that [would lead you to peace…
But now they've been hidden from your eyes.
⁴³ For, the days are coming when your enemies will arrive,
And build around you a fort of pointed stakes.
They will completely surround you…
Then they'll come at you in force from all sides,
⁴⁴ And toss you and your children to the ground.
They won't leave a stone on a stone,
Because you've failed to recognize,
The time of your being inspected.'

⁴⁵ Then he went into the Temple and started throwing out the vendors, ⁴⁶ saying to them, 'It's written, My house will be a house of prayer, but you've made it a den of thieves!'

⁴⁷ [Well, after that], he taught in the Temple every day. But the Chief Priests, scribes, and prominent people were looking to destroy him. ⁴⁸ Yet, they couldn't come up with a reason, because all the people were staying and listening to him.

Chapter 20

¹ One day, while he was teaching the people in the Temple and preaching the Good News, the Chief Priests, scribes, and elders came up ² to him and asked, 'Tell us; Where did you get the authority to do these things… who gave you that authority?'

³ So he replied, 'Let me also ask you a question and you tell me: ⁴ Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?'

⁵ Then they got together and reasoned among themselves, saying, 'If we say, From heaven, he'll ask, Then why didn't you believe him? ⁶ But if we say, From men, all the people will stone us; because they believe that John was a Prophet.' ⁷ So they replied that they didn't know where it came from.

⁸ And Jesus said, 'Then I'm not telling you where I got the authority to do these things.'

⁹ Next, he told the people this illustration:
'A man once planted a vineyard,
And contracted it out to some farmers,
Then he traveled abroad for a long time.

¹⁰ 'Well, when the [harvest] came due,
He sent a slave to the farmers,
To ask for some fruit of the vineyard.
But the farmers then had [the slave] whipped,
And sent him away empty-handed.

¹¹ 'Then, [the man] did the same thing again…
But he sent a different slave.
Him they whipped and dishonored,
And sent him away empty-handed.

¹² 'Then he sent a third one to them,
Whom they harmed and threw out.

¹³ 'At this, the vineyard's owner asked himself,
What now should I do?
Ah! I'll send my dearly-loved son.
For, I'm sure that they will respect him.

¹⁴ 'And when the farmers saw him [approach],
They discussed it and then they decided:
This is the heir, so let's kill him,
And his inheritance will then become ours!
¹⁵ So, they threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.

'Now, what do you think the vineyard's owner will do?
¹⁶ He'll come and destroy those [bad] farmers,
And entrust the vineyard to others.'

Well, when they heard this, the [Pharisees] said, 'Never may that happen!'

¹⁷ But he looked at them and said, 'Then, what is the meaning of the thing that was written, which says:
The stone that the builders rejected,
Became the chief cornerstone,
¹⁸ Then all will be broken who fall on that stone,
And it will smash all whom it falls on?'

¹⁹ Well, the scribes and Chief Priests looked for ways to grab him then, for they recognized that his illustration was about them; but they were afraid of the people.

²⁰ So then, watching him closely, they sent men pretending to be righteous in order to trick him into saying something that would give them a reason to turn him over to the government and the power of the governor. ²¹ And they asked him, 'Teacher, we know that what you say and teach is right, and that you aren't swayed by a man's appearance. For, you truthfully teach the way of God! ²² So, should we pay taxes to Caesar or not?'

²³ Well, recognizing what they were up to, he said, ²⁴ 'Show me a coin; Whose image and inscription is on it?'

And they said, 'Caesar's.'

²⁵ Then he answered, 'Well now; Pay back Caesar's things to Caesar, but [pay] Gods things to God.'

²⁶ So, they weren't able to catch him in anything that he said in front of the people. They were just amazed by his answers and said nothing.

²⁷ However, some of the Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came up and asked, ²⁸ 'Teacher; Moses wrote that if a man's brother dies leaving his wife childless, his brother should take the brother's wife and sire offspring for him. ²⁹ Now, let's say there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died childless. ³⁰ So the second and ³¹ then the third took her, and the same thing happened to all seven… they all died without children. ³² Finally, the woman also died. ³³ So, whose wife will she be in the resurrection, since all seven had her as their wife?'

³⁴ And Jesus replied, 'The sons of this age marry and are married, ³⁵ but those who have been found worthy of that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor do they get married; ³⁶ nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels, because they are sons of God, since they're sons of the resurrection.

³⁷ 'Why, Moses showed that the dead will be raised. For, when [he was] at the thorn bush, he called Jehovah the God of AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob. ³⁸ So, He isn't a God of the dead, but [the God] of the living; because to Him, they're all living!'

³⁹ Then some of the scribes said, 'Teacher, that was a fine answer.' ⁴⁰ And they didn't have the courage to ask him anything more after that.

⁴¹ So [Jesus] asked them, 'Why do they say that the Anointed One is David's son? ⁴² For, David himself says in the scroll of the Psalms:
Jehovah said to my Lord;
Sit here at My right [hand],
⁴³ 'Til I set your enemies as a stool for your feet.
⁴⁴ Now, if David called him Lord, then how can he be his son?'

⁴⁵ And as all the people were listening, he said to the disciples: ⁴⁶ 'Watch out for the scribes who like to walk around in robes, to be greeted in the markets, to have the front seats in the synagogues, and to have the most prominent places at the suppers. ⁴⁷ For, they swallow down the homes of the widows, and hide their intentions by saying long prayers. Thus, these will receive a heavier judgment.'

Chapter 21

¹ Well, as he looked up, he saw the rich dropping their gifts into the [Temple] treasury chests. ² Then he saw a poor widow drop in two small copper coins. ³ And he said, 'I tell you the truth; Although this widow is poor, she dropped in more than they all did. ⁴ Because, they dropped in gifts from their surplus, but this needy person dropped in her whole means of living!'

⁵ Then, as certain ones were discussing the Temple – how fine its stonework was and how nicely it was adorned – ⁶ he said, 'Concerning these things that you're looking at; The days are coming when there won't be a stone left on top of a stone here that won't be thrown down.'

⁷ Then they asked him: 'Teacher, when will these things happen… what will be the sign when they're about to happen?'

⁸ And he replied:
'Watch out so that you aren't misled,
For many will come in my name;
They will say, I am he,
And The time has arrived;
But you should not go after them.

⁹ 'When you hear of wars and disorders,
Do not be terrified,
Because such things must happen first.
But the end doesn't come right away.'

¹⁰ Then he told them:
'Nation will be roused against nation,
And kingdom [will rise] against kingdom.
¹¹ There'll be great natural disasters;
And famines and plagues in many places,
As well as fearful sights and great signs in the sky.

¹² 'But, before that [day] comes to be,
People will grab you and persecute you,
Then to synagogues and prisons they'll hand you up…
Before kings and governors they'll drag you,
On account of my name.
¹³ And this will serve as your sign!

¹⁴ 'Resolve not to plan your defense,
¹⁵ Since I'll give you a mouth and the wisdom,
Which no one who lies about you,
Will be able to resist or contradict.

¹⁶ 'But even your parents, and brothers…
Your family and friends will betray you,
And they will even kill some of you;
¹⁷ All will dislike you because of my name.
¹⁸ Yet, not a hair on your head will be harmed,
¹⁹ And by your endurance you'll gain your lives!

²⁰ 'When around JeruSalem you see armies encamped,
Know that her destruction is near.
²¹ Then those in Judea should escape to the mountains;
And those in her midst should then flee.
Those in the [fields] must not enter her,
²² For, those will be the days of vengeance [upon her],
And for fulfilling all the things that were written.

²³ 'Woe to those who are pregnant,
And those nursing babies in those days,
For, there'll be great need in the land,
As well as great wrath on these people.
²⁴ They will be cut down with swords,
Or carried to the nations as captives.
And JeruSalem will be trampled by the nations,
Until the times of the nations are filled.

²⁵ 'There will be signs in the sun, moon, and stars.
On the earth, the nations will be under pressure,
And confused by the roaring and rolling of the seas.
²⁶ Men will be fainting out of fear,
And anticipation of what's coming upon [his] habitation.
For the powers of the skies will be shaken.

²⁷ 'And then they will see the Son of Man,
Coming in a cloud with great power and glory.
²⁸ But as these things start to happen,
Stand erect and raise your heads,
For, your release is at hand!'

²⁹ Then he gave them this illustration:
'Look at the fig tree and all the other trees;
³⁰ For, when they start putting out buds,
You can see for yourselves that summer is near.
³¹ Thus, when you see these things start to happen,
Know that the Kingdom of God is at hand.

³² 'I tell you the truth;
This generation will not pass away
Until all these things are fulfilled…
³³ The earth and sky will both pass away,
But my words will not pass away!

³⁴ 'So, pay attention to yourselves,
That your hearts don't get heavy from overeating,
[Or with] getting drunk and the worries of life,
And that day comes suddenly upon you;
³⁵ For, it will come like a snare upon all,
Who sit on the face of the whole earth.

³⁶ 'So, keep watch at all times,
Begging for the power to escape,
All these things that are soon to occur,
And you may stand before the Son of Man.'

³⁷ Well, [Jesus] taught in the Temple during the daytime, and during the night he would go and camp on the hill called the Mount of Olives. ³⁸ Then all the people would come to the Temple early each morning to listen to him.

Chapter 22

¹ Now, the Festival of Passover was getting near, ² and the Chief Priests and scribes were looking for a way to get rid of him, but they were afraid of the people. ³ Then the Opposer entered Judas (the one called IsCariot, who was one of the twelve), ⁴ so he went off and talked to the Chief Priests and [Temple] captains about ways to betray [Jesus] to them.

⁵ Well, they were delighted, and they agreed to pay him in silver coins, ⁶ which he accepted. Then he started looking for opportunities to betray [Jesus] when there wasn't a crowd around.

⁷ Then the day of No Fermentation finally arrived when the Passover was to be sacrificed, ⁸ so [Jesus] sent Peter and John ahead of him, saying, 'Go get the Passover ready for us to eat.'

⁹ And they asked, 'Where do you want us to prepare it?'

¹⁰ He answered, '{Look!} When you go into the city, a man carrying a clay jar of water will meet you. Follow him into the house that he enters. ¹¹ Then say to the master of the house, The Teacher asks, 'Where is the guest room where I can eat the Passover with my disciples?' ¹² And he will show you a large furnished upstairs room. Prepare it there.'

¹³ So they left and found things just as he said, and they prepared the Passover.

¹⁴ Then, when it was time, he reclined at the table with the Apostles. ¹⁵ And he told them, 'I really wanted to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. ¹⁶ Because I say to you; I won't eat it again until it's fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.'

¹⁷ Then, accepting a cup, he gave thanks and said, 'Take this and pass it among yourselves. ¹⁸ Because, I tell you; From now on I definitely won't drink from the product of the vine again until the Kingdom of God has arrived.'

¹⁹ Then he took a loaf [of bread], gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them saying, 'This is my body which is being handed over for you. Keep doing this in memory of me.' ²⁰ And he did the same thing with the cup after supper, saying, 'This cup is the New Sacred Agreement of my blood, which is being poured out on your behalf. ²¹ But look… the hand of my betrayer is with me here at this table! ²² Because, the Son (who is for a fact from men) is going the way that was marked out for him… yet, woe to the man through whom he's betrayed!'

²³ So, they started trying to figure out among themselves which of them would really be the one who was going to do this.

²⁴ However, there was also an argument that broke out among them over which one seemed to be the greatest. ²⁵ So he said to them:
'Kings of the nations act like masters,
And the powerful wish to be called benefactors.
²⁶ But you should not be that way.
For, the greatest should act like the youngest,
And the one taking the lead as the servant.

²⁷ 'For, which is truly the greatest…
He who reclines at the table,
Or he who is doing the serving?
Isn't it he who reclines at the table?
Yet, I am the one who is acting as the servant among you.

²⁸ 'You're those who stayed with me through my trials,
²⁹ So I'm making this promise to you,
As my Father made a promise to me for a Kingdom:
³⁰ In my Kingdom, you'll eat and drink at my table
And upon thrones you will sit,
To judge IsraEl's twelve tribes.

³¹ 'Simon, Simon; Look! The Opposer has demanded to have each of you so [he can] sift you like wheat! ³² But I've pleaded with [God] on your behalf, so that your faith doesn't give out, and that when you have returned you will strengthen your brothers.'

³³ Then [Peter] said to him, 'Lord, I'm ready to go with you to prison and to death!'

³⁴ But he replied, 'I tell you this Peter; A rooster won't make any sound today until you've denied knowing me three times.'

³⁵ Then he told them, 'When I sent you out without a money bag, food pouch, or sandals, you didn't need anything, did you?'

And they replied, 'No!'

³⁶ Then he said, 'But now; Whoever has a moneybag must carry it along, as well as a pouch for his food. And he who doesn't have a sword should sell his cape and buy one. ³⁷ For I tell you that this which was written about me must now be fulfilled: And he was also numbered among the lawless. Yes, this reference will be fulfilled in me.'

³⁸ Then they said, 'Look, Lord; Here are two swords!'

And He said, 'That's enough.'

³⁹ Then he left [the city], and went to the Mount of Olives as usual; and the disciples followed along. ⁴⁰ And when he got there, he told them, 'Now, pray that you won't be tempted!'

⁴¹ Then he walked away from them about a stones throw, bent down and started to pray, ⁴² saying, 'Father; If you wish, let this cup pass from me. However, may Your will, not mine, take place.'

⁴³ Then he saw a messenger from heaven who strengthened him. ⁴⁴ Yet, he was still in agony, so he prayed even harder; and his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground.

⁴⁵ Then, after the prayer, he got up and returned to the disciples and found them sleeping (because of their grief). ⁴⁶ So he asked, 'Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you aren't tempted!'

⁴⁷ But while he was still talking, {Look!} there was a mob coming, and one of the twelve (called Judas) was leading them. Then he came up to Jesus to kiss him. ⁴⁸ But Jesus asked, 'Judas; Do you betray the Son of Man with a kiss?'

⁴⁹ And when those who were around him saw what was about to happen, they asked, 'Lord, shall we fight them off with the swords?' ⁵⁰ And one of them struck the Chief Priest's slave, taking off his right ear.

⁵¹ Then Jesus said, 'It has gone far enough;' and he touched the ear and healed him.

⁵² Thereafter, Jesus asked the Chief Priests, Temple captains, and elders who came for him, 'Are you coming with swords and clubs [as though I were] a robber? ⁵³ Why, I was with you in the Temple every day, and you didn't try to grab me then… but this is your hour and the power of darkness.'

⁵⁴ So they arrested him and led him off, taking him to the house of the High Priest, as Peter was following at a distance. ⁵⁵ Then they lit a fire in the middle of the courtyard as they all sat down together; and Peter sat down among them. ⁵⁶ That's when a servant girl noticed him sitting in the light of the fire. She looked at him hard, and said, 'He was also with him!'

⁵⁷ But [Peter] denied it, saying, 'I don't know him, woman!'

⁵⁸ And a little while later, someone else saw him and said, 'You're one of them too!'

But Peter said, 'Man, I'm not!'

⁵⁹ Then, after standing around for another hour, someone started insisting, saying, 'It's a fact; This one was with him, because he's a Galilean also!'

⁶⁰ But Peter said, 'Man, I don't know what you're talking about!' And just as he was speaking, a rooster crowed.

⁶¹ Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter, and Peter remembered the words that the Lord said to him, 'Before a rooster crows today, you will deny knowing me three times.' ⁶² And he went outside and cried bitterly.

⁶³ Now, the men who had [Jesus] in custody started making fun of him, and they whipped him. ⁶⁴ Then they covered [his head] and said, 'Prophesy! Who's disciplining you?' ⁶⁵ And they kept saying all sorts of slanderous things about him.

⁶⁶ Well, as it became day, the people's body of elders assembled with the Chief Priests and scribes, and they brought him before the Jewish High Court, saying, ⁶⁷ 'If you're the Anointed One, tell us!'

But he answered, 'If I told you, you wouldn't even start to believe it. ⁶⁸ And if I asked you any questions, you wouldn't answer at all. ⁶⁹ But from now on, the Son of Man will be sitting at the powerful right hand of God!'

⁷⁰ Well at this, they all asked, 'So, are you the Son of God?'

And he said, 'You are saying that I am!'

⁷¹ And they said, 'Why do we need any more witnesses? We've heard it all from his own mouth!'

Chapter 23

¹ So, the whole assembly got up and took [Jesus] to Pilate. ² And there they accused him, saying, 'We found this man trying to undermine the principles of our nation by forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar, and by saying that he's the Anointed One… a king!'

³ So Pilate asked him, 'Are you the king of the Jews?'

And he replied, 'You're the one who is saying this.'

⁴ Then Pilate told the Chief Priests and the crowds, 'I can't find anything wrong with this man.'

⁵ But they insisted, saying, 'He has been stirring up the people -- throughout all of Judea… [and that's the reason why] he came here from Galilee!'

⁶ Well, on hearing that, Pilate asked whether the man was a Galilean. ⁷ And after learning that he was from Herod's realm, he sent him on to Herod (who was also in JeruSalem [for the Festival]).

⁸ Well, when Herod saw Jesus, he was overjoyed, because he'd been wanting to see him for a long time, since he'd heard so much about [Jesus], and he hoped to see him perform some sign. ⁹ So he asked many questions, but [Jesus] wouldn't answer. ¹⁰ [And all the while], the Chief Priests and scribes kept getting up and accusing him.

¹¹ But, not knowing what to make of him, Herod and his troops made fun of him by dressing him in bright clothes, then they sent him back to Pilate. ¹² And it was because of this, that Herod and Pilate became friends that day, since they really hadn't liked each other before that.

¹³ So, Pilate then assembled the Chief Priests, the rulers, and the people, ¹⁴ and told them: 'You brought this man to me as someone who was inciting the people to revolt. And look, I've examined him in front of you and I can't find any basis for the charges you're bringing against him. ¹⁵ In fact, Herod didn't either, because he returned him to us. Look! He's done nothing deserving of death, ¹⁶ so I'll discipline him and release him.' ¹⁷ ––

¹⁸ But with that, the entire crowd started shouting, 'Hang him up! Release BarAbbas to us!' ¹⁹ ([BarAbbas] was in prison because of [his involvement in] a revolt in the city and for murder.)

²⁰ Well, Pilate called out to them once again, because he wanted to release Jesus. ²¹ But they started yelling, 'Impale him! Impale him!'

²² So he asked them a third time: 'Why… what bad thing did he do? I haven't found anything he's done to deserve death, so I'll discipline him and let him go!'

²³ But they started shouting impatiently, demanding to have him hung on a pole, and their voices began to win out. ²⁴ So, Pilate decided to give in, ²⁵ and he released [BarAbbas] (who was in prison for rebellion and murder) to meet their demands, but he did what they wanted [him to do] to Jesus.

²⁶ Now, as they were leading him away, they grabbed Simon (a Cyrenian who was coming in from the fields) and laid the impaling pole on him, so that he could carry it behind Jesus.

²⁷ Well, a huge crowd of people, including many women, followed behind, beating themselves in grief and wailing over him. ²⁸ Then Jesus turned to the women and said, 'Daughters of JeruSalem; Stop crying for me… cry for yourselves and for your children! ²⁹ Because, {Look!} the days are coming when people will say:
Those without any children;
Yes, those whose wombs have not given birth,
And whose breasts didn't nurse are the blest ones!

³⁰ 'Then they'll say to the mountains, Come fall on us!
And to the hills, Come cover us over!
³¹ For, if they'd do these things when the tree is still moist,
What will happen after it's withered?'

³² Two criminals were also being led out to be impaled with [Jesus], ³³ and when they got to the place that was referred to as 'The Skull,' they hung him and the criminals on poles there (one on his right and the other on his left).

³⁴ --- Well, [the soldiers] threw dice to divide his clothes [among them], ³⁵ as the people just stood there watching.

But their rulers were angrily looking on and saying, 'He saved others, so let him save himself if he's the Anointed One of God, the Messiah!'

³⁶ Even the soldiers made fun of him, coming up and offering him soured wine ³⁷ and saying, 'If you're the king of the Jews, save yourself!'

³⁸ There was also an inscription above him [that said], 'This is the king of the Jews.'

³⁹ Then, one of the criminals who was hanging there started speaking badly to him, saying, 'Aren't you the Anointed One? So, save yourself… and us!'

⁴⁰ But the other scolded him saying, 'Aren't you at all afraid of God, since you've received the same judgment? ⁴¹ And that's only right, because we're getting what we deserve in full for the bad things we've done. But he didn't do anything wrong!'

⁴² Then he said, 'Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.'

⁴³ And [Jesus] replied, 'I tell you this today; You will be with me in Paradise.'

⁴⁴ Well, it was already about the sixth hour, and the whole land was covered by a darkness [that lasted] until the ninth hour, ⁴⁵ because the sunlight had failed. Then the Temple curtain split down the middle, ⁴⁶ and Jesus called out in a loud voice, 'Father, I leave my breath in Your hands.' And after saying that, he died.

⁴⁷ And when the centurion saw what had happened, he glorified God and said, 'This truly was a righteous man!'

⁴⁸ Well, all the crowds who came to watch this spectacle (when they saw the things that had happened) started beating themselves [in grief] once again. ⁴⁹ And meanwhile, all who knew him, and the women who had followed him from Galilee, were standing at a distance and watching these things.

⁵⁰ Then {Look!} a man named JoSeph (from AriMathea, a city in Judea), who was a good and righteous man, and one of the Council members ⁵¹ that didn't go along with what they said or did, and who was also awaiting the Kingdom of God, ⁵² went to Pilate and asked for Jesus' body. ⁵³ So he took it down, wrapped it in fine linen, and laid it in a tomb that no one had been laid in before, which was carved into the rock.

⁵⁴ Well, it was the day of Preparation, and the evening light was fading into the Sabbath. ⁵⁵ So the women who had come from Galilee with him, followed along to look at the tomb and to see how his body was laid out. ⁵⁶ Then they went back to prepare spices and perfumed ointments… but of course, they followed the Commandments and rested on the Sabbath.

Chapter 24

¹ It was on the first day of the week, at early dawn, that they went to the tomb carrying the spices they had prepared. ² But they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, ³ and when they entered, they couldn't find the Lord Jesus' body.

⁴ And as they stood there confused, {Look!} two men in glowing clothes appeared beside them. ⁵ This frightened them and they hung their heads to the ground. Then [the men] asked, 'Why are you looking for the living among the dead? ⁶ He isn't here; he got up! Don't you remember? When he spoke to you in Galilee, ⁷ he said; The Son of Man must be betrayed into the hands of sinful men and be hung on a pole, then [he will be] resurrected on the third day.'

⁸ So, that's when they remembered what he said, ⁹ and they left the tomb to report all these things to the eleven and all the others.

¹⁰ It was Mary of Magdala, Joanna, Mary (the [mother] of James), and the rest of the women who told the Apostles these things. ¹¹ However, what they said sounded like nonsense, and [the Apostles] didn't believe them.

¹² Then Peter got up and ran to the tomb. And when he leaned in, all he saw was the wrappings. So he left, wondering just what had happened.

¹³ {Look!} That very same day, two of them were on their way to a village named EmMaus, about seven miles from JeruSalem, ¹⁴ and they were discussing all the things that had happened. ¹⁵ Now, as they were talking and reasoning, Jesus himself came up and started walking along with them, ¹⁶ but their eyes refused to recognize him. ¹⁷ So he asked, 'What is the subject that you're debating as you're walking along?'

Then they stopped and looked very sad. ¹⁸ And the one named CleoPas answered, 'Are you living alone in JeruSalem, so that you don't know what has happened over the past few days?'

¹⁹ And [Jesus] asked, 'What things?'

They replied, 'The things [that happened to] Jesus the Nazarene… a Prophet who came with powerful words and deeds before God and all the people! ²⁰ Then, how our Chief Priests and rulers gave him over to be sentenced to death and hung on a pole. ²¹ But we were hoping that he was the one who was going to free IsraEl… it has been three days since these things happened!

²² 'Then, some women among us shocked us. For, they went to the tomb early [this morning] ²³ and couldn't find his body. So they came back saying that they had a vision of messengers [from God] who say that he's still alive! ²⁴ Then, some from among us went to the tomb and found it just as the women said… they didn't see him.'

²⁵ So [Jesus] said to them, 'O senseless ones whose hearts are slow when it comes to believing all the things that the Prophets said; ²⁶ Wasn't it necessary for the Anointed One to suffer these things and then enter into his glory?'

²⁷ So, starting from Moses and the Prophets, he explained all the scriptures that talked about him.

²⁸ Well, when they reached the village that they were traveling to, he acted as though he was going on. ²⁹ But they pressured him, saying, 'Stay with us, because it's getting late and most of the day is already gone!'

So, he stayed with them. ³⁰ And as he reclined with them at a meal, he took the loaf, spoke a blessing over it, broke it, and started handing it to them. ³¹ And at that, their eyes were fully opened and they recognized him… then he disappeared. ³² And they said to each other, 'Weren't our hearts burning as he talked to us along the road, completely explaining the Scriptures to us?'

³³ So they got up right away and returned to JeruSalem. And there they found the eleven with the rest that had gathered, ³⁴ who told them: 'The Lord was in fact raised, and he appeared to Simon!'

³⁵ Then they also told what had happened [to them] on the road and how he became recognizable by breaking the loaf.

³⁶ Well, while they were still talking about these things, there he stood in their midst, saying, 'May you have peace.' ³⁷ But this frightened and terrified them, because they thought they were seeing a [wicked] spirit.

³⁸ So he said to them, 'Why are you so worried, and what kind of ideas are your hearts coming up with? ³⁹ See… my hands and my feet. It's me! Touch me and look, because a spirit doesn't have flesh and bones as you see that I have!' ⁴⁰ And as he said this, he showed them his hands and his feet.

⁴¹ But because they still didn't believe (due to the joy and confusion), he asked, 'Do you have something to eat?'

⁴² So they handed him a piece of broiled fish, ⁴³ and he took it and ate it in front of them.

⁴⁴ Then he said to them, 'These are the things that I told you while I was still with you; for everything that was written about me in the Law of Moses, in the Prophets, and in the Psalms had to be fulfilled.' ⁴⁵ Then he opened their minds to understand the meanings of the Scriptures completely.

⁴⁶ And he said to them, 'It was written that the Anointed One would suffer this way and rise from the dead on the third day. ⁴⁷ Then, in his name, [the message of] repentance for forgiveness of sins is to be preached in all the nations, starting from JeruSalem. ⁴⁸ Now, you are to be the witnesses of these things.

⁴⁹ 'And look; I'm sending you [something] that was promised by my Father. So, stay in the city until you're clothed with the power from above.'

⁵⁰ And with that, he led them out on the road to BethAny, and then he lifted his hands and blest them. ⁵¹ And as he was blessing them, he was taken away from them into the sky. ⁵² Then they bowed low to him, and they returned to JeruSalem joyfully. ⁵³ [And after that], they were in the Temple continuously, praising God.

Notes

Blest or Happy?

There is quite a debate as to whether the Greek word makarios found in many places throughout the Bible should be translated as blessed or happy.

Notice that we have chosen to translate it as blest, which is an older spelling of the word blessed, to get rid the affected pronunciation that was likely introduced by early preachers (bless-ed).

According to Zodhiates' Complete Word Study Dictionary, the word should never translated as happy, because happy is derived from the words happen, happening, or happenstance (luck). His reasoning (which we agree with) is that, when someone suffers for the sake of righteous principles, his/her reward isn't just happiness (which can come from any source of good luck or fortune), but rather, it is a joy that comes from gaining a better relationship with God.

In other words, there is no exact word in English to use here, but blest seems to be a closer alternative than happy.

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No Marriage in the Resurrection?

At Matthew 22:30 Jesus said, 'In the resurrection, men won't marry nor will women be given in marriage, but they are like the messengers in heaven.'

This scripture is often quoted to show that those who are resurrected won't marry (as Jesus said). However, does this apply to all those whom the Bible says will be raised? We can't say for sure, but notice what Luke's parallel account says (Luke 20:34-36): 'The sons of this age marry and are married. But those who have been found worthy of that age and the resurrection from the dead don't marry, nor do they get married; neither can they die anymore, because they are equal to [God's] messengers and they are sons of God, since they are sons of the resurrection.'

As you can see, it appears as though Luke's account quotes Jesus as speaking specifically of immortal 'God's sons' (gr. uioi eisin Theou – sons are/of God) not marrying in the resurrection. So, was he then just referring to only those who are raised in the 'first resurrection?' It is difficult to tell, because, no matter how you interpret Jesus' words in any of the three parallel Bible accounts, the answers are still unclear.

Notice that the question the Sadducees had asked was just about the resurrection in general. So, was Jesus just avoiding mention of the 'resurrection of the unrighteous,' sidestepping the question in order to avoid a common pitfall that the Sadducees had successfully used in past arguments, or was he saying that there would be no marrying in any form of the resurrection? Again, we simply don't know.

Yet, there may be another explanation for the meaning of what Jesus said. Notice how the words are laid out in Mark 12:24-27: 'Then Jesus answered, This is why you are so misled. You don't understand the Scriptures or the power of God! When the dead are resurrected, they won't marry or be married, they are as the messengers in heaven. As for the dead who are raised, didn't you read in the book of Moses – in the story about the thorn bush – how God said to him, I am the God of AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob? He isn't a God of the dead, but of the living. Yes, you are very misled.'

So, could Jesus have been saying that only those who are dead in God's eyes won't marry, but those whom He considers among the living will marry? That sounds logical. However, such a conclusion would seem to be contradicted by Jesus' words, 'neither can they die anymore, because they are equal to [God's] messengers and they are sons of God, because they are sons of the resurrection.'

And all of this raises the question: 'Will children be born after the Battle of Armageddon?' If you believe that the prophecy found in Isaiah 65 is talking about the same period, then yes. For at Isaiah 65:23, we were told, 'And My elected won't labor for nothing, nor will they produce children for a curse, for their seed will be blest by God, as well as even their children.' So, what Jesus really meant when he replied to the Sadducees is still unclear and open to interpretation.

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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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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.

Brothers and Sisters of Jesus

There are many places in the Scriptures that speak of Jesus' brothers and sisters, and Acts 1:14 is one of those places. Were these Jesus' fleshly brothers, or was the writer (Luke) referring to 'spiritual' brothers?

The context provides the answer. The fact that Jesus' brothers are mentioned here in addition to his Apostles, disciples, and his mother (Mary), indicates that these were fleshly brothers (other children of Mary).

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Soul

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 thereafter crept into the Christian religions. Please see the Wikipedia definition 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. Therefore, the later 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. For 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 or His person.

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 or soul). Rather, be afraid of him who can destroy both the person (soul) 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 in this instance, 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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Hades

The Greek word Hades (the Greeks pronounced it hah-dess) has been translated both as Hell (which many today think of as a place of torture) and as the Grave in other Bible versions (such as the King James). Since one word can't mean two very different things, which translation is correct?

Hades (like the English word Hell) actually means the place of the dead. However, as pagan Greek philosophy started to develop and creep into Christianity, the later-day Greek view of Hades (a place of torture) was applied to it. Was this a correct application?

An insight into how the ancient Hebrews and the early Christians understood the word can be gained from looking at how it was applied in the Greek Septuagint translation of the Ancient Scriptures of IsraEl (the 'Old Testament' Bible of Jesus' day). There, the Hebrew word Sheol is translated into Greek as Hades in every instance; yet in each case, these are obvious references to the grave (the place of the dead), not to a place of conscious torture (see Ecclesiastes 9:5, 10).

Another revealing application of the word Hades is found at Revelation the 20:13. It says there, 'The sea (gr. he thalassa) gave up its dead, death and the grave (gr. thanatos kai ho hades) gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things that they did.'

So, notice that those who die at sea are differentiated from those who are buried in graves (Hades) and in other places (thanatos). Therefore, Hades is better translated as grave, and even better translated as the place of the dead.

In the book of Job, another word that is used once in the Christian-era Scriptures and often translated as Hell, is found twice. That Greek word is Tartarus, which refers to the place where evil gods or angels are sent. For more information on this and other words that are translated as Hell, see the linked document, Is There a Burning Hell?

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Garbage Dump

The Greek word Gehenna is often translated Hell Fire. Yet, the word simply means the Valley (heb. ga) of Hinnom. The Valley of Hinnom (also referred to as 'the Valley of the Sons of Hinnom') was a garbage dump that was located along one of JeruSalem's outer walls. It was a beautiful park before JeruSalem's conquest by Babylon, but it was defiled when apostate Jews offered their children as sacrifices on an altar to the God Moloch there (see 2 Chronicles 28:3). Then, after the repatriation to JeruSalem, the valley was used in a disrespectful way.

As a garbage dump, it was customary to keep the garbage burning to reduce the stench and to limit vermin, so sulfur and brimstone were frequently poured into the dump to keep the fires burning hot. This is why Jesus, when using the term, spoke of the fire as not being put out. Also, because worms (maggots) bred along the edges of the dump, he could say that the worms don't die there. But there is no indication that he was really talking about humans.

The only cases where humans were actually thrown into Gehenna provides an insight into what Jesus was talking about when he referred to people going there: The dead bodies of particularly vile criminals were thrown into Gehenna's fires whenever the population felt that they were undeserving of a decent burial.

As you read the Scriptures, you will notice the importance that Hebrews placed on being 'laid to rest with their ancestors.' So, when Jesus spoke of people being thrown into Gehenna, he was obviously referring to unrepentant sinners being thrown into the 'garbage dump.' In other words, in the eyes of God they were unworthy of a resurrection. This same fate (of no resurrection) is implied by the death of the wicked Queen JezeBel, whose body was eaten by dogs.

Such an outcome for the willfully wicked is also referred to in Matthew's account as the fire of the age. Why was that term used? Because fire destroys, and this destruction is for the ages.

For more information, see the linked document, 'Is there a Burning Hell?'

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Hate or Dislike?

The Greek word meso means middle (as in the English term, meso soprano). However, it is often 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 as dislike (or the equivalent) herein, when it refers to the emotion.

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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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Eating with Unwashed Hands?

At Matthew 15:2, we read of how Jesus' Apostles (and likely Jesus himself) had simply failed to wash their hands before eating, and the Pharisees were objecting to this.

Now, it is often been preached that what the Pharisees were objecting to, was that they hadn't performed a 'ritual washing' (to the elbows). Yet, the words in the parallel account at Mark 7:2 clearly shows that this isn't what the Pharisees had accused them of. Notice how this verse reads: 'Kai idontes tinas ton matheton autou hoti koinais chersin taut estin aniptois esthiousin tous artous,' or, and having/seen some of disciples of/him as/great with/unclean hands this being unwashed eating the bread.'

Note that their hands were described as being 'koinais,' (meaning 'unclean' or 'dirty) and as 'aniptois' (unwashed). So their hands were simply dirty and unwashed, and no ritual washing is indicated.

It is a fact that the people of the southern Province of Judea believed in washing their hands vigorously (scrubbing) before eating a meal. And yes, it was a religious thing, which was based on the rabbinic teaching that they should be a clean people. But that wasn't the end of the matter; they also (as part of the 'ritual') rinsed the vegetables that they brought from the market and washed their dishes (see verses 3 and 4). However, such actions apparently weren't as strictly followed by Galileans in that ancient world (Jesus and eleven of his Apostles were from Galilee). And as proof that our conclusions about this are correct, notice what Jesus went on to say about the matter, as found at Matthew 15:20, 'Eating with unwashed hands doesn't dirty a man.'

Of course, Jesus wasn't really condoning or promoting eating without washing one's hands. For, as the Son of God, he surely knew that disease and infection could be spread that way. But, what he was more concerned with here, is a far more important matter: What the Pharisees were doing was taking Bible principles (such as cleanliness) and turning them into laws – which Jesus went on to point out that the Pharisees were also doing to promote disregard for parents.

Unfortunately, we see some of these same rules and laws being preached in 'Christian' religions today.

For more information, see the linked document God's Laws and Principles.

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The Kingdom

The word Kingdom is translated from the Greek word basileia, which refers to the realm of a king (basil).

A common misconception about the Kingdom of God, is that it isn't real… that it's just a state of mind. This conclusion is based on Jesus' words found at Luke 17:21, which say (in Greek), he basileia tou Theou entos hymon estin (the Kingdom of the God in you is). And we have quite literally translated this verse as, 'for God's Kingdom is within you.' However, some object to our translating his words this way, because, notice that (at Luke 17:20) Jesus said this in reply to a question which was raised by the Pharisees; and he probably didn't think that the Kingdom was in their hearts (although some Pharisees did become his followers).

So, what did Jesus really mean? Well, some religions have concluded he was saying that: He, the king of that Kingdom, was there in their midst, and that the hope of becoming kings in that Kingdom was being offered to them. But it's also true that real Christians ever since that time have believed and acted as members of that Kingdom in their hearts. So, the Kingdom of God was truly within some of them… but this doesn't necessarily mean (as some religions have concluded) that the Kingdom won't come at some actual future time and become the realm of the kingship of Jesus and his faithful followers.

Notice, for example, Jesus' own words found at Luke 22:16, where he told his disciples (concerning the fermentation-free bread), 'Because I say to you; I won't eat it again until it's fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.' So, he was clearly saying that the Kingdom was to be a future thing, and thus is was not just an existing frame of mind.

Also notice that; Since it appears as though he and his elected ones will rule from heaven, the place from which they will rule could be called 'the Kingdom of Heaven.' However, the term, the Kingdom of Heaven appears to refer to the rule from heaven, and not to the place where those who are ruled will all live. We draw this conclusion from Jesus' words as found at Matthew 8:11, where it is recorded that he said: 'Many from the sunrise and sunset will come and recline [at the table] with AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven.'

Although those words would seem to confirm the thought that faithful ones such as AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob would rule from heaven; realize that AbraHam, IsaAc, and Jacob weren't really in heaven at the time when Jesus said that. This is confirmed by what Jesus said (at John 3:13), 'No one has gone to heaven other than he who came from heaven, the Son of Man.' And while not being dogmatic on this point, we understand that the ancient patriarchs were never promised life in heaven (for more information, see the linked document The Hereafter)

So, Matthew 8:10-12 must be referring to AbraHam and his descendants living under the rule of a heavenly Kingdom government. These faithful ones don't appear to qualify to be rulers in heaven themselves, because they weren't 'born again' to receive the value of a spiritual life, nor were they part of the 'Sacred Agreement for a Kingdom' (Luke 22:29) that Jesus had made with his Apostles just prior to his arrest and execution.

Notice again, how Jesus showed that the Kingdom of God hadn't already arrived at the time he was speaking; for we are told at Luke 19:11, 'While they were listening to these things, he told them another illustration, because he was getting close to JeruSalem, and they all thought that the Kingdom of God was about to happen instantly.' So, although the Kingdom of God (or as Matthew describes it, 'The Kingdom of Heaven') may have been in their hearts, there was still to be an actual Kingdom rulership over IsraEl and the earth.

Then Jesus told the parable about the Kingdom (in Luke 19:12-27)) of a man who (like himself) made a long trip to a distant land to receive kingship. So, this parable shows that there was to be a long period between the time when Jesus would leave on his journey (to receive kingship in heaven), and the time when he would return to reward his faithful slaves.

Therefore, there is a definite time for this Kingdom to start its rule, and this is made clear by the words of Revelation 12:10, where we read: 'Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, This is the moment when the salvation, the power, the Kingdom of our God, and the authorization of His Anointed begin. Because, the one who has been accusing our brothers has been thrown down… he who has been complaining about them day and night in front of our God!'

So, when the Opposer and his messengers are expelled from heaven, God's Kingdom begins there.

Then, what IS the Kingdom? The term appears to refer to a coming rulership of the earth from the heavens by Jesus and his elected, who will rule on the earth, for John wrote at at Revelation 5:9, 10, that a heavenly group sang this song to him about Jesus:
'You bought people for God with your blood,
From every tribe, language, ethnicity, and country.
Then you made them rulers and Priests to our God,
And they'll rule as kings on (gr. epi) the earth.'

Then at Revelation 2:26 it's recorded that Jesus promised: 'I'll give he who conquers and obeys whatever I tell him to do down to the end, power over the nations.' And again (at Revelation 3:21) Jesus promised: 'Then I'll allow the one who conquers to sit down with me on my throne, just as my Father has allowed me to sit on His throne, because I have conquered.'

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

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Paradise

At Luke 23:43, one of the criminals who was hung next to Jesus when he was impaled, expressed belief in Jesus and asked Jesus to remember him when he got into his Kingdom. Jesus words, 'Amen, soi ego semeron met emou ese en to paradeiso' (Amen, to/you I/say today with me you will be in the paradise), have been translated 'I tell you that, today you will be with me in paradise.'

The inference created by punctuating Jesus' words that way, is that this person would be in 'paradise' with Jesus on that same day. However, Jesus wasn't even resurrected until two days later. In addition, the word paradeiso really means a garden or park (a place on earth); because, paradeiso is the same word that was used to describe the 'Paradise of Delights in the land of Edem' (Garden of Eden) in the Greek Septuagint.

Recognize that this criminal had never been baptized and had done nothing else to that point to be found worthy of being appointed a king in heaven. So, Jesus' words should obviously have been translated as; 'I'm telling you this today; You will be with me in Paradise.' In other words, Jesus was telling him on that day that he would be resurrected in the paradise garden (here on earth), when Jesus begins his rule as king over the earth.

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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, and a wily person who does things just to serve his own interests. It was applied to the Evil One, because of his opposition to God. And so, to keep from misleading people into thinking of Satan 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, and bolos means throw (it's where we get the English words ball and bowl). So, Devil means one who throws through, which amounts to being a slanderer (using the Greek colloquialism), so that's the way it's translated herein.

· Lucifer: Lucifer is commonly thought of as another name for the Biblical Opposer. However, this word doesn't appear as a name in most translations of the Bible. It does appear once in the King James Version, at Isaiah 14:12, in which the King of Babylon is referred to as Lucifer, Son of the Morning. However, the original Hebrew words were: Helel ben Shahar or, Day/star, son/of the/dawn. So, there is no direct link in the Bible between the entity known in Hebrew as Satan to Lucifer. Changing the description day star son of the dawn into a name (Lucifer) was done by Augustine, when he was translating the text in IsaiAh from the original Hebrew into Latin.

· BeelZebub: There are eight references in the Bible to this Hebrew noun, 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 spirit sons (messengers or angels 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).

The idea (which some religions have promoted) that the Slanderer isn't real, but only a state of mind, creates some conundrums. For example:

· When Jesus was being tempted in the desert, was he simply struggling with the bad within himself rather than against a real, evil personality? If so, we would have to conclude that there was bad in Jesus.

· Is the battle in heaven that is spoken of at Revelation the Twelfth Chapter to be just figurative, and not a real war against the Opposer and his messengers? If so, then in what sense would 'the Opposer' and his 'messengers' lose the battle and be confined to the earth? Also, why would this entity, if just 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 (as spoken of in 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), where 'a slanderer' had urged King David to take a census of Israel. 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) when the Bible was first translated into Greek. But the text seems to imply that a slanderer, not the Slanderer, had come to David. So, we don't really know if the text implies that the Evil One came to him personally, if it was just an evil spirit that came over or to him, or if some bad human had urged David to defy God and take a census of IsraEl.

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Minister or Servant?

For centuries, the proper translation of the Greek word diakonos has bothered people who wish to create levels of authority within the Christian Congregation. So, to add extra weight to this office, diakonos has been translated into many different titles (rather than just descriptions of a duty) in attempts to blur what it really means in English, just a servant. Words such as 'deacon' (from diakonos), minister, and even the redundancy 'ministerial servant' have been employed. However, what the qualified men who handled the work and odd jobs that were necessary in running the day-to-day affairs of a Christian gathering were called in the First Century, was just servants.

A later position of responsibility that was spoken of by Paul was the appointment of 'elders' or 'overseers' in the emerging Christian congregations. Elders likely had to be males, and their job was to shepherd and teach in the congregations. However, elders were also just servants – that is, servants with a small 's.' For, following Jesus' instructions found at Matthew 23:8-11, all Christians were to be considered as equals; so the taking of titles and the assigning of leaders was contrary to the instructions of Jesus. For, notice what Jesus actually said there: 'But not you! Don't [have people] call you rabbi, for you have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. So, don't address anyone on earth as Father, because there's just One who is your Father, the Heavenly One. Nor should you be called leaders, for you have but one Leader, the Anointed One. However, the greatest among you must be your servant. For, whoever promotes himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be promoted.'

The Scriptures also show that these servants in the congregation were then responsible to meet high standards of conduct and reputation. And although Paul didn't mention it specifically, they were expected to be able to make wise decisions and to show signs of having God's Breath. Notice that these were the qualifications for all who served in the Christian Congregation, since the first requirements to be considered as congregational servants (found at Acts 6:3) were: 'males (gr. andras) … among you who are filled with wisdom and the Breath [of God].'

For more information, see the linked document, Arrangement of the First Christian Churches.

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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 aren't righteous. On the other hand, the irreverent are those who know of God and simply choose to disobey Him; and apparently, this is the reason why they are found unworthy of a resurrection. For more information, see the linked document What is Righteousness?

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Stumble or Trap?

The Greek word scandalon means the trip lever of a trap. And while it is often translated as stumble, the meaning has more to do with stumbling into a trap.

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Did Jesus Have Fleshly Brothers and Sisters?

Yes, Luke 8:18-21 makes this very clear. In this case, Jesus was apparently indoors speaking, as his mother (Mary) and his brothers (James, JoSeph, Simon, and Judas) stood outside waiting to talk to him. When he was told that his mother and brothers were outside, he said, 'My mother and my brothers are these who hear the word of God and obey it.'

Obviously, Mary and Jesus' fleshly brothers weren't his followers yet, or he would never have excluded their relationship in that way.

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Prayer

James wrote (at James 5:16), 'So, admit your sins to each other and pray that each one of you will be healed, because prayer has a lot of power when it's working through a righteous man.'

From these words, we learn to never underestimate the powers of righteousness and prayer. Then, if you continue reading that account (verses 17, 18), you will find the wonderful example that James used to prove his point… where he spoke of what the Prophet EliJah was able to accomplish through the power of prayer.

Why doesn't prayer always work? As James pointed out; the more righteous the person really is, the more likely it is that his/her prayers will be answered. Also, as Jesus taught us in 'the Lord's Prayer,' God's Will is involved. In other words; What a person is asking for can't be out of harmony with God's purposes and direction.

For example: In the past, certain prominent religious leaders have declared 'Holy Years,' when all Christians were asked to pray for world peace. Yet, Jesus told us (at Matthew 24:7) that the signs of when he would be 'near' are, 'Nation will rise against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there will be famines and shakings in many places.'

So, it appears as though it is God's will for the world not to be granted peace, since great wars must happen before the promised end; and as the result, prayers for world peace have just gone unheeded by God. Therefore, it would seem to be a far better and more positive action on the part of such religious leaders to just tell their members not to go to war. For, prayers work much better whenever you work in harmony with (not against) what you're asking for.

This puts us in mind of a faithless sign that was posted outside o local church during a recent time of turmoil: 'Pray for peace, but prepare for war.'

In Matthew the Sixth Chapter, Jesus set out some important guidelines regarding prayer. Noteworthy are his words found at Matthew 6:6: 'When you pray, go into your private room and after shutting the door, pray to your Father in secret. Then your Father who watches secretly will repay you.'

This instruction specifically covers prayers that are said in public places (whether said silently or aloud), which draw attention to ones self; because praying in public draws attention to the piety of the one who is praying. For example, we often note devout people praying openly (and sometimes audibly) in public restaurants, thanking God for their food. But note that; when we do this to be seen by others, Jesus says that such conspicuousness is our total reward from God. In other words, our prayer won't be answered, because or reward is our open display of piety.

Another important warning against improper prayers is found in Jesus' words at Matthew 6:7, 'When praying, don't babble the same expressions repeatedly (gr. de me battalogesete – not you multiply words) as people of the nations do, because they think that by [repeating] them they will be heard.'

Repeating memorized prayers have been the staple of pagan religions throughout the millennia. However, Jesus indicates here that expressions which come from the heart are what God approves of. And in view of this; obviously, what is called the Lord's or the Our Father Prayer (at Matthew 6:9, 10) wasn't suggested by Jesus as something to be memorized and then spoken to God. Rather, he was simply listing important subjects for prayer. These included:

· Clearing God's Name of any accusations made by the Slanderer

· The coming of the Kingdom

· The fulfillment of God's purposes regarding heaven and earth

· Asking for God to provide our daily needs

· Asking for the forgiving of our sins (with the reminder that we also need to forgive others)

· Asking for protection against the Wicked One.

You will notice that this Prayer of Jesus, as translated here, doesn't end with the words, 'For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the glory forever. Amen.' Why not? Because, examination of ancient Bible texts reveals that these words, which are found in some other Bibles, were added hundreds of years after Matthew wrote this book. And if you think about it, those words don't make sense anyhow. Why? Well, why would Jesus say 'For thine is the Kingdom,' when he had just said to pray for 'your (or thy) Kingdom to come?' And notice from the context that Jesus wasn't really praying; rather, he was teaching his disciples what to pray for. So, saying amen would have been inappropriate. In fact, if you search the Christian Era Scriptures, you won't find the Hebrew word Amen said at the end of any prayer (although it was likely said in affirmation of public prayers).

You can see the actual setting in which Jesus spoke the words of this prayer in the parallel account that is found at Luke 11:1-4. Notice there, that Jesus wasn't actually praying, but he was teaching his disciples how to pray (what to ask for) in reply to their request. And as Luke recorded it, the familiar concluding words mentioned above are simply missing. You can see that it says, 'Now, he was in a certain place praying; and when he had finished, one of his disciples said to him, Lord, teach us how to pray… as John taught his disciples. Then he said, When you pray, say: Father, May Your Name be made Holy, and may Your Kingdom come. Give us the bread that we need for today. And forgive us for our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us, and don't bring us into temptation.'

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Resurrection of the Righteous

The English word resurrection comes from the Greek word, anastasia (that's right, the female name Anastasia means resurrection), which could also be translated as, 'stand again.'

At Luke 14:14, Jesus spoke of 'the resurrection of the righteous.' What was he referring to here? Well, Paul spoke of the same thing at Acts 24:15, where he said, 'I have this hope in God … that there is going to be a resurrection of the righteous and the unrighteous.'

And at John 5:28, 29, Jesus said, 'Don't be surprised at this, because the hour is coming when everyone in the tombs will hear his voice and come out; those who did good things to a resurrection of life and those who practiced what was really bad, to a resurrection of judgment.'

So from the above, it appears as though there is a hope of a resurrection of all, except those whom the Bible refers to as having been condemned to 'the garbage dump' or 'the lake of fire.'

For more information, refer to the document, The Resurrection.

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Salt

At Matthew 5:13, it is recorded that Jesus said:
'You are the salt of the earth,
But if salt should lose all its strength,
In what will it then taste salty?
It will be strong in nothing at all,
And thrown outside to be walked on.'

What is the point of this parable? From the parallel account in Luke, we learn that Jesus was talking to his followers about the responsibilities that come with being his disciples. And his point was that anyone who chooses to become his disciple and then changes his mind, is as worthless as salt that has no taste.

When (if ever) does salt lose its taste? Well, what most of us think of when we speak of salt, is common table salt (sodium chloride). However, as any chemistry student knows, there are several different types of salt, most of which have no salty flavor. And often, when salt is found in or on the ground in desert areas, the salt that is collected is actually a combination of sodium chloride and other salts (such as borax).

Where mixed salts are used to flavor foods, high humidity can leach the sodium chloride from the mixture, leaving a tasteless salt that people have no use for, so 'it is thrown outside to be walked on.' And being 'thrown outside' is the fate of Christians who are called by God, but who later decide that they don't wish to pay the costs of being a disciple of Jesus.

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The Rich Man and Lazarus

This parable of Jesus has been quoted for centuries in attempts to prove the existence of a Hell Fire. However, was this what Jesus was explaining there?

Notice the context: At Luke 16:14-16 we read, 'Now, the Pharisees (who loved silver) were listening to these things and were looking at him with contempt. So he said to them, 'You are the ones who claim to be righteous in front of men, but God knows your hearts. Things that are considered important by men are disgusting in God's eyes.'

With the above words in mind, notice the next two points that Jesus makes:

First (at Luke 16:16-18) he condemned the Pharisees by saying that 'anyone who divorces his wife and marries another is guilty of adultery' – so much for righteousness, because divorce was common among them.

Then (at Luke 16:19-31) Jesus tells the story of a 'rich man' (like the Pharisees) and a 'beggar' (like the common people) who both 'died,' and of the outcome for each of them.

How were the Pharisees like the rich man? Well, not only were many of them materially rich, but they were also considered 'spiritually rich' by the common people. However, with the death of Jesus, this condition was to be changed, for they would no longer be viewed as the spiritual leaders of God's people.

Jesus also spoke of a 'poor man' class that he named Lazarus (a common Jewish name at the time). This man also 'died.'

Notice that Lazarus hadn't really done anything righteous; all Jesus tells us is that he was extremely poor. However, Jesus says that he was 'carried off into the favored (bosom) position of AbraHam (not heaven).'

Realize that this lowly, begging condition of Lazarus is similar to what the common people of IsraEl (such as Jesus' disciples) were in spiritually, prior to that time. But Jesus was to change all of that after his death, by elevating common people (spiritual beggars) to a favored position, when he offered them the opportunity to become kings in God's Kingdom.

So, the second point that Jesus made (and which the Pharisees doubtlessly, at least partially understood) is that; because they had failed to learn from the Law and the Prophets, their high position was being taken from them and given to common people.

So, this isn't a tale that describes the torture of Hell Fire, it was a verbal picture (or parable) that served as a warning to the Pharisees. For more information, see the linked document, Is There a Burning Hell?

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The Lesson of the Poor Widow

The real import of Jesus' observation about the widow who he says contributed more to the Temple treasury than all the others, is often distorted in its application. We usually hear this account told as the story of 'the Widow's Mite,' and it's used to show that people can have God's blessings even when they are unable to do much in serving Him (due to advanced age and/or poor circumstances). And while that is true, there is a large difference between what the widow did here and what people usually do in their public service to God.

Notice that this story isn't about serving God in a public way. Rather, it has to do with a very private act; contributing financially and secretly to support His place of worship. In this case, only Jesus (and God) knew what she did and what her circumstances were. However, when it comes to our serving God, many others usually know what we are doing, and many expect praise for that.

The true lesson of this story is, however: Do what you know is right, and then trust in God (who looks on in secret) to provide blessings and the things you need. For, this is the story of a private act of trust in God. Notice that this widow contributed 'her whole means of living.' So she did what she believed was right, and she was trusting in God with her whole heart to provide even her next meal.

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The Day of 'the Lord'

Throughout the Bible, we find references to 'the Day of Jehovah,' and 'the Day of the Lord' (Jesus). Are both of these references to the same time, and if so, how do we know?

There is no conflict between the two Days; in fact, they appear to be the same. Notice what we are told in the Revelation, when it is speaking of the beginning of that Day (at Revelation 12:10), 'Now it has come to pass; the salvation, the power, the Kingdom of our God, and the empowerment of His Anointed One!'

As you can see, the purposes of that Day are tied together. For, the establishment of God's Kingdom (with the battle in heaven and the ouster of the Opposer and his messengers) and the empowerment for Jesus (the Lord) to begin his rule, appear to begin at the same time.

So, does the Lord's Day begin when the things spoken of in the Revelation start to happen? It appears to be so, because it starts out with John's words (at Revelation 1:10), 'Through the Breath [of God] I found myself in the Lord's Day.'

What are some of the features of that Day? Well, they appear to start with the ouster of the Opposer and his messengers from heaven (See Revelation 12), which is followed by the destruction of 'The Great Babylon' (See Revelation 17, 18). Then in rapid succession there comes the 'marriage of the Lamb,' the Battle of Armageddon, tossing the Opposer and his messengers into the abyss, and the resurrection (see Revelation 19, 20). And finally, the Opposer is released for a short time, which precipitates the battle against Gog of Magog , and is thereafter followed by the descent of 'New JeruSalem' to the earth and the making of the 'new earth and sky' (see Revelation 21).

Also, in the prophecy found at Joel 2:1-12, 'the Day of the Lord' appears to start with the destruction of JeruSalem by worldly armies, and this is followed by the destruction of the worldly armies (see Joel Chapter Three). Then, in between these two events, we read of the marvelous outpouring of God's Breath upon His faithful servants (Joel 2:28-32).

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Bless or Praise?

This is a tough one, and we won't say that our position on the translation of this word can't be changed. The Greek word that we are struggling with is eulogetos. The first part of the word eu, is Greek for good. The last part of the word, logetos, means words (or expressions). So, a literal translation of eulogetos is good words. And our question is: Is this all that a blessing amounts to?

Yes, we know that eulogetos has been translated as bless, blest, and blessing in other Bibles. So why rock the boat? Because these translators have simply found too many errors in a lot of commonly-accepted renderings. And here, for example, if eulogetos is properly translated as blessing each time (which carries the English nuance, 'causing good things to happen'), then, how can humans 'bless God?' We do know that we can praise God, however.

Eulogetos is the word that we derive the English word eulogy from… that is, the kind words that are said of the deceased at a funeral. Such words are never said as a blessing (it's a bit late for that); they are said in praise of the deceased individual. However, there are definitely places where eulogetos can't be translated as praise or praising.

So, perhaps the real meaning is (or is at least is similar to) praise. And when praises come from God, this means blessings to humans.

This isn't the same word that we have rendered as blest in other portions of this translation (for an example, see Matthew 5:5). The word in question there is makarios, which is rendered as happy in certain other Bibles. However, we believe that blest is the proper way to translate that Greek word.

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Ark or Chest?

What is an ark? Why, everyone has heard of Noah's ark, haven't they? But, just what is an ark? Ark is an ancient English word, the meaning of which has mostly been lost in history. However, it is often used to translate the Greek word kiboton (kee/boat/on). And, because most people don't understand the meaning of the English word, they usually don't know what it's talking about, and any concept that they might have of what it looked like may come from pictures in children's storybooks that show a large boat with all sorts of animals looking out the windows.

An ark is simply a box or chest. If you carefully examine the description of the measurements that God gave to Noah, you will see that He told Noah to build a three-story wooden box that was about 'five-hundred feet long, eighty feet wide, and fifty feet tall.' It was rectangular (not boat shaped); it had a roof, at least one window, and a door. It didn't have to be a 'boat' that could navigate, because, all it had to do was float. Nor did the animals look out the window(s); they were kept in stalls.

We also find the word kiboton used to describe the sacred box known as 'the Ark of the Covenant' (gr. kiboton marturion – chest/of Testimony), but which we have more accurately translated as 'Chest of Proofs,' since that sacred Chest held such proofs of God's miracles as the manna, the flowering rod of Aaron, and the tablets of the Ten Commandments.

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Luke

Notice that the Bible book of Luke starts out by addressing the same man as does the book of Acts; someone with the Greek name (or title) TheoPhilus. So, we have good reason to believe that the person who wrote the book of Acts also wrote Luke (and about the same time), 'the beloved Physician,' Luke.

Who was Luke?

The Bible doesn't tell us much about him, other than he was a regular traveling companion of Paul. Notice that; throughout the book of Acts he writes that 'we' did this or that. So, Luke was likely someone who was also assigned to preach to Gentiles. And although there is no record of him being an eye-witness to the events of the life of Jesus, that isn't true of the events recorded in the book of Acts, because the accounts show that he lived most of it, especially the journeys of Paul. And because he ended Acts with the imprisonment of Paul in Rome, we have to assume that he did all his writing about the year 62-C.E., which is almost thirty years after Jesus' death.

Luke was quite a chronicler, since (according to his own words), the book of Luke in particular was a compilation of things he had researched. And something that only a translator would notice, is that quite a bit of Luke's Gospel is borrowed from Matthew's, although it doesn't follow in the same chronological order. There is nothing wrong with him quoting Matthew, because he admits that his was a compiled account, and Matthew's writing was just one of his sources (see the link, Augustinian Hypothesis)

Also, if you look at his writing style (Luke's writing is flowery and educated, and his greetings can go on for paragraphs), you can see that he likely wrote some of the epistles that are attributed to Paul. For, it appears as though Paul may have told him what to write (because Paul himself had very poor vision), and Luke, on occasion, served as Paul's secretary.

The reason why Luke prepared the book bearing his name, was to set matters straight when it came to all the stories that were being told about Jesus at that late date. For, notice what he wrote at Luke 1:1-3: 'Since many others have already taken on the job of putting together a statement of the facts of the things we believe as they were given to us by those who were eyewitnesses from long ago, and by caretakers of the message; it seemed good for me to trace everything accurately from the start, then write them to you in the order they happened, mighty Theophilus, so you can feel confident about the things you've been taught by word of mouth.'

There are a number of places where Luke's Gospel disagrees with Matthew's Gospel. However, that is simply to be expected when several people tell the same story from different points of view.

Also, many of the things that Jesus said and did are shown as happening in a different order than in Matthew. And this could be:

· Because Jesus said and did similar things on other occasions

· Because someone remembered them as happening on other occasions

· Because one of the writers (likely Matthew) was more concerned with the subject than the chronology.

Is Luke's Gospel more accurate than Matthew's Gospel? Well, he did have a second look at what Matthew wrote, which usually provides an edge when it comes to accuracy. And the extensive use of the poetry of Jesus' words in Luke's account does seem to indicate a better recollection of things exactly as he said them.

In addition; the book of Luke appears to have been written in Greek, whereas the book of Matthew (in particular) was written in Hebrew or Aramaic, and was translated into Greek early in the 2^nd Century, where errors were made and spurious words started to be introduced. And Luke's account doesn't appear to have been as 'messed with' as do the books of Matthew and Mark, where many changes and additions can be documented. So, wherever major difference between the accounts are found, we have learned to defer to and trust the words of Luke.

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Hypocrite

Hypocrite is a Greek word that is just spelled a little differently than it is in English (hypocritai). However, we give the English word a nuance that isn't implied in Greek. The first part of the Greek word, hypo, means under, and the second part, critai, means judge (it's what we get critical and criticize from). So in the Bible, a hypocrite is a 'lesser judge,' or one who is very judgmental of the actions or conduct and others. This differs from the meaning in English, which is: Someone who doesn't follow his own advice.

The Scribes and Pharisees were referred to as Hypocrites in the Bible, because they condemned the actions of others. And like anyone who tends to be critical of others, they likely failed in the same ways in which they condemned others… and that would make them also fit the English definition. However, the Bible meaning is 'judgmental.'

Being too judgmental is a very serious flaw, which is common to those who think they are very righteous. It is reported that the Pharisees especially thought of themselves as being more righteous than others, and it was their opinion that they would be the only ones to be found righteous. Notice what Jesus said would happen to those who are judgmental (Matthew 7:1): 'Don't judge [others], so you won't be judged. For, the [rules] that you use to judge others, are the rules that will be used to judge you; and the standards you are setting for them, are the standards that they'll set for you.'

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Demons

2 Peter 2:4 speaks of 'messengers' or 'angels' who were put into 'Tartarus' for bad acts they committed during the time of Noah. Genesis 6:3 speaks of these as 'sons of God' (gr. uioi tou Theou) and it tells of their coming to earth to marry 'the daughters of men' (gr. thygateras ton anthropon). However, these 'sons of God' don't appear to be quite the same as the 'messengers' who are to be thrown out of heaven during 'the Lord's Day,' mentioned at Revelation 12:7-9. Since the 'sons of God' who came to earth and assumed human bodies in Noah's day couldn't be destroyed by the downpour (flood) and they had forsaken heaven, they were apparently put into a prison-like state here on the earth, where they are no longer able to roam. This group is specifically referred to as the demons in the Bible.

It is interesting that; except among modern materialistic and scientific societies, demons are recognized as real throughout the world by almost all of its religions. And such universal acknowledgement by diverse peoples with no cultural ties, is one of the strongest arguments for their existence.

Demon is a Greek word that seems to be derived from diameno, which means, fixed in one place. From other Bible accounts about demons, it appears as though this 'fixing in one place' means that they must be associated with either living or non-living things, which is referred to as 'possession.'

At Acts 17:18 the Epicureans and Stoic Philosophers of Greece asked about Paul's teaching a 'foreign demon.' And although most translations render his words as 'foreign god,' they truly said 'demon' (gr. daimonion). This is also true of Paul's reply found at Acts 17:22, 'Men of Athens; I see that you have a greater fear of the demons than do others.'

The reason why this term was used is obvious: The many pagan idols and Gods of Athens, although made of metal and stone, had the backing of demons. And the people recognized the power that was given to these lifeless objects through 'possession' by their gods.

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Mary from Magdala

Much has been said and written about this woman, with no basis, because the only record of her is in the Bible, and it tells us very little. What we do know, is that her name wasn't Magdalene, as most Bibles indicate, because surnames were seldom used in Bible times. Rather, her name was just Mary, and she was referred to as the Magdalean to differentiate her from other Marys who were also Jesus' disciples (there are six Marys mentioned in the Bible). This term may have referred to her coming from the town of Magdala or Magadan, which was on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee about halfway between CapharNaum and Tiberias.

Jesus expelled seven demons from this Mary, and that is likely why she was so devoted to serving him. We find the first mention of her in the second year of Jesus' preaching, as he and his Apostles were traveling from city to city proclaiming the good news of the Kingdom. There the Bible tells us that she and several other faithful women traveled among the crowd of Jesus' disciples, serving the needs of Jesus and his Apostles from their possessions. And finally, she was also among the large crowd of people who traveled with Jesus from Galilee to JeruSalem and witnessed his death on the pole… followed by seeing him in his resurrected form. Thereafter, there is no mention of her in the book of Acts.

Could she have possibly been Jesus' wife, as some have claimed? No, for the busy nomadic life of Jesus would have made him a poor provider and husband. And after Jesus' death, she isn't mentioned by Paul, James, John, Peter, or Jude… which would be strange if she had held such an important position in his life.

Actually, if Jesus had taken Mary as a wife, he would have disqualified himself for his high position before God, for notice what was to be true of him (Hebrews 3:1): 'Let's consider this Apostle and High Priest whom we confess, Jesus.'

As God's Highest Priest, Jesus could have never chosen Mary (with her reputed unsavory past) as his wife, for notice God's own requirements for His Priests (Leviticus 21:10-14): 'And the Priest who is the chief one among his brothers … may only take a wife who is a virgin and from his own tribe… not a widow, a divorcee, someone who has been violated, or a whore. He may only take a virgin from his own people as a wife.'

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Why Capitals in Bible Names?

You have likely noticed that we are putting some of the letters in Bible names in capital letters. For example, we've started spelling such names as Jonathan as JoNathan, Isaiah as IsaiAh, and Eliezer as EliEzer. Why? Well, partly to help with the correct pronunciations of the names, and partly to show some translating consistency.

Of course, the common English pronunciation of Jonathan (for example) is Jon-uh-thun. But did you know that the first part of the name (Io in Greek, Ieho in Hebrew) refers to the name Jehovah, and the second part of the Name (Nathan) means Gift? So, the name was originally pronounced closer to Ye-hoh-nuh-thahn.

In the case of names that end with an iah, as in Isaiah, the last part of the name often includes the name of God. Isaiah, for example, means Salvation [of] JehovAH, and it was originally pronounced Ee-sai-Yah. Yet, there are other names (such as EliJah), where the IEs have been changed to Js.

So, why have translators substituted a capital 'J' for the letters 'Ie' in both of the above cases? Well, there is an inconsistency here, because there was no letter 'J' in Hebrew or Greek alphabets. However, the letters were changed to coincide with the common English pronunciations of these names. Unfortunately though, this process wasn't followed consistently by ancient translators; so while some names are spelled with a J, many others are still spelled with an Ie or Iah.

Another important word in names that we usually capitalize is 'El' (from the Hebrew Elohe, or God). So EliEzer (which people commonly pronounce Eelai-eezer and means God [has] Helped), should actually be pronounced Elee-ehzer. The same is true for the letters Ai, especially in the names of cities, because Ai in Hebrew refers to the word city. So, AiLam (for example) probably meant the City of Lam.

Similar words, such as Bel (as in BelShazzar), Baal, and Beel, refer to 'the Lord' or 'the God.' Also, the prefixes 'Ben' and 'Bar' mean 'the son of.' 'Beth' means 'the house of,' 'Beer' refers to a 'well,' 'Is' or 'Ish' means 'Man,' etc.

Does this mean that we have put all the capitals in the right places? No, for we make no claim to Hebrew scholarship (all our translating here has been from Greek). So, what we are trying to do is provide a better understanding to how these names were pronounced by First-Century Christians.

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Getting Saved

Although the term 'getting saved' is used throughout the Bible, we gain a real sense of the meaning of this term from Acts 16:29, 30, which tells of a Greek jailer (someone who was unfamiliar with Christianity and its terms) who asked Paul and Silas, 'Lords, what must I to do to get saved?' And they replied, 'Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and your household will be saved.'

The question that naturally come to mind here is, what the jailer thought that he and his family were going to be saved from. For, going back to the Ancient Scriptures of IsraEl (O.T.), the only mention of salvation appears to have been in connection with being saved through the destruction of IsraEl or Jerusalem. However, this man and his family didn't live anywhere near Jerusalem, so they weren't in danger of being destroyed when that city was conquered by the Romans in 70-C.E. Therefore, it doesn't seem likely that he was talking about a physical salvation from a coming destruction.

Among modern Christians, however, the term 'salvation' has come to mean 'being saved from damnation.' And something like that must have been what the man was referring to, since there was no indication that he and his family were in immanent danger from another source. Yet, the question and the answer he was given are still a bit philosophical, since we really don't know what was going through the man's mind when he asked it.

However, is simple 'belief in Jesus' all that is required for 'salvation from damnation?' In this case, there was a lot more that the jailer needed to understand, because, as a virtual pagan, there was a world of things for him to learn about monotheism, Christian conduct, the resurrection, and of God's Kingdom. So, much more than just belief in Jesus would actually have been required for them to be saved. This is why the account continues with the words, 'Then they told him and all those in his house about the Word of God.'

Unfortunately, many who call themselves Christians today are actually in the the same condition as that jailer, before Paul and Silas 'told him and all those in his house about the Word of God.' For, many still don't understand Christian living (Jesus' instructions on morality and love, for example); so, notice what Jesus himself said at Matthew 7:22, 23, 'In that day, many will say to me, Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in your name, cast out demons in your name, and perform many great works in your name? Then I'll admit to them: I never knew you! Get away from me you lawbreakers!'

Therefore, it appears as though more than simple belief is required. For, to keep from being a 'lawbreaker' and in order to be 'known' by Jesus, a person must believe in him and in everything that he taught, including understanding his instructions on how to live a life as one of his followers.

And who will actually be saved? Jesus answered this question himself when he said what was recorded at Matthew 24:13, 'But he who endures to the end will be saved.' So, in order for that jailer and his family to continue in a 'saved' condition, they had to follow a faithful course to the end of their lives.

Thus, from the above, we must conclude that; while belief in Jesus is required for salvation, knowledge of how to live a Christian life is also required. And to continue in this saved condition, one must maintain a clean relationship with God until 'the end.' That is, until the end of their lives, or until the coming of Jesus.

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Why Didn't Jesus Allow the Demonized Man Follow Him?

In the account found at Luke 8:26-39, Jesus encountered a man who was possessed by many demons, which Jesus drove from him and sent into a nearby herd of pigs. And as Jesus was leaving, the man asked Jesus if he could come with him, or if he could become one of Jesus' disciples. However, Jesus told him no, and to just return to his town and tell the people what had happened. These actions of Jesus may seem strange, because he had never declined an offer for someone to become a disciple, nor did he want people spreading the news about his miracles. Why did he react so differently in this case?

Well, notice that this land was outside the borders of IsraEl, in a Greek settlement called the DecaPolis (Ten Cities), near one city that may have been called Geras (since it was called the land of the Gerasenes). So, the man was likely a gentile, for he lived in a gentile land (notice that they were herders of pigs, which were unclean animals to the Jews). And since Jesus' commission from God was to go to the Jews and the related Samaritans, this gentile would have been an inappropriate disciple in the land of IsraEl.

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The Unforgivable Sin

At Matthew 12:32, Jesus said, 'If someone speaks against the Son of Man, it will be forgiven; but if someone speaks against [God's] Holy Breath, he won't be forgiven… no, not in this age or in the one to come.'

What type of sin is this?

If you look at the surrounding context of the verse, you'll see that the local religious leaders had just accused Jesus of using BeelZebub's power to do his wonderful deeds of healing the sick and lame, and throwing out demons. However, despite the fact that they had been witnesses of powers that could only come from God's Breath, they were attributing these miracles to the Slanderer. And that was in fact, blaspheming the Breath of God. Therefore, Jesus was telling them that if they didn't repent, they would be found guilty of a sin that would never be forgiven.

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Eating Jesus' Flesh and Drinking His Blood

At Jesus' 'Last Supper,' which fell on the first day of the Jewish celebration of the Passover, he instituted a ritual that he told his Apostles to continue to do in memory of him and of his death. At Luke 22:19, 20, we read: 'Then he took a loaf [of bread], gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them saying, This is my body, which is being handed over for you. Keep doing this in memory of me. And he did the same thing with the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new Sacred Agreement of my blood, which is being poured out for you.'

Notice that he didn't say this means; he said this is (gr. tauto estin). However, contrary to the beliefs of some (that these emblems actually become flesh and blood), they appear to have been just symbols. So, partaking of Jesus' 'flesh and blood' likely symbolizes that those who do so are expressing their desire to become a party to the 'New Sacred Agreement,' which he had just inaugurated.

Speaking ahead of time concerning this ritual, Jesus said (at John 6:53-56), 'I tell you the truth; If you don't eat the flesh of the Son of Man or drink his blood, you won't live. For, if you chew my flesh and drink my blood, you'll have life within yourself, and then I'll resurrect you on the Last Day, because, my flesh is truly food and my blood is truly a drink. Those who chew on my flesh and drink my blood will stay in me and I [will stay] in them.'

It is isn't surprising that these words of Jesus were considered disgusting to most Jews that he was speaking to, for their dietary regulations (from the Law) forbade drinking any blood or eating unclean (human?) flesh. As the result, many of Jesus' disciples stopped following him at that time. So surely, Jesus said this to test and cull out those who believed in his miracles, but wouldn't understand his death and resurrection. However, Jesus' Apostles stayed, because, as Peter said (in verses 68, 69), 'Lord, whom should we go off to? You say the words of age-long life, and we have known and believed that you're the Holy One of God!'

When should this Memorial of Jesus' Death be observed? The fact that it was instituted on the Passover, gives us a clue. This Jewish Observance was held annually on the night of the full moon closest to the Spring Equinox in JeruSalem. And what the Jews were celebrating was symbolic of Jesus' death, namely, the saving of the IsraElite 'firstborn' when God's messenger brought the last plague upon Egypt (which resulted in God's people being set free). For more information, see the linked document, The Passover and the Lord's Evening Meal.

Who should partake of the symbolic bread and wine at that time? The Scriptures say, those who want 'age-long life' and who wish to be resurrected 'on the Last Day.'

For more information, see the linked document, 'The New Covenant.'

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Lottery or Lot

To many, the thought of choosing by lot (possibly by rolling dice or using some other form of lottery) sounds immoral and quite like gambling. However, in the Bible, that was the correct way to show the selection or choice of God. In fact, the word for inherit (kleronomesousi), means to receive by lot or lottery.

The reason why this method was used by the ancient faithful, was because they wished to allow God's hand in the decision, rather than trusting in the viewpoints or opinions of men. And there is good reason to believe that this method of choosing did in fact result in the manifestation of God's hand. For example, consider how John the Baptist's father (ZechariAh) was chosen by lot to serve in the Holy Place at the exact time for him to be told by a messenger of God about the upcoming birth of his son and of his son's responsibilities concerning the Messiah (Luke 1:8, 9). Also, consider the fact that Matthias was chosen by lottery to replace unfaithful Judas as one of the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb.

The good sense of letting things be decided by apparent chance can be found in the wise words of Solomon at Proverbs 18:18, where he said, 'Choosing by lottery ends a dispute, and it defines the boundaries of rulers.'

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Messengers of God

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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Seismos

The Greek words seismos and seismoi are usually thought of as meaning earthquake and earthquakes, for the modern study of earthquakes is called seismology. Therefore, when Jesus was speaking about the signs of his being near, and he said one of the signs would be seismoi (Matthew 24:7), most have assumed that this referred just to a greater frequency of earthquakes.

However, the Greek word seismos appears to actually refer to a shaking or disturbance, which doesn't necessarily imply just earthquakes. For, Matthew used the word (at Matthew 8:24) to describe an agitated sea when Jesus was on a boat with his disciples. Then at 2 Kings 2:11, when the Prophet EliJah was taken into the sky in a flaming chariot, the word that was used to describe the storm that took him, was once again seismos. So, Jesus' use of the word at Matthew 24:7 implies more than just earthquakes. It could be speaking of any natural disasters, such as those brought by earthquakes, high winds, floods, or tsunamis.

It has also been recently brought to our attention that seismos could be translated as turmoil or unrest. So, could Jesus have implied even more than natural disasters in that single word? This is probably so.

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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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Adultery

According to The Complete WordStudy Dictionary, the true meaning of Matthew 5:32 (as well as similar verses in Mark and Luke) is often misconstrued due to poor translating. For, most Bibles render the words there as reading, 'But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery.'

As you can see, the implication is that any divorced woman, regardless of whether she is actually innocent of committing adultery, is deemed an adulteress when she is divorced. And anyone who thereafter marries her is then termed an adulterer. However, the dictionary mentioned above points out that these conclusions are incorrect, for they fail to recognize the subject of the sentence, which is the need to provide a rejected wife with a certificate of divorce. And when such a certificate is not given upon dismissal, it implies that she has been an adulteress. And thereafter, anyone who marries her is assumed to be an adulterer.

Actually, according to the Old Law, marrying a legally-divorced woman was allowed, and neither person was styled as an adulterer or adulteress; and if such a thing were true, it certainly would have been mentioned in that detailed list of God's Laws (see Deuteronomy 24:3-6).

Notice that the Greek word often translated as divorcing, is apoluon, which simply means to loose or unbind, and it doesn't necessarily imply a legal (certificated) divorce.

Please note the following definitions:

· Fornication (gr. porneia, pronounced Por-neh-ee-ah) means, 'that which is sold,' and it refers to the types of illicit services that are sold by (male and female) prostitutes. So, it covers a wide range of lewd acts that one may engage in outside the marriage arrangement (but not masturbation).

· Adultery (gr. moicheia, pronounced moh-ee-keh-ee-ah) refers to an act of unfaithfulness or betrayal (not necessarily fornication).

Moicheia is a Greek word, not a Christian word. And in a male-dominated society, it was generally used to describe an unfaithful wife. However, Jesus expanded the term to include husbands who were unfaithful to their wives, and to those men who would marry someone else's unfaithful wife.

So, what Jesus appears to be saying at Matthew 5:32 (and we're not being dogmatic here), is that legal (certificated) divorce (though not God's way) is the end of a marriage contract. Thus, if the faithful but legally released wife chooses to remarry, being given a divorce certificate frees her from the social stigma of being called an adulteress.

While admitting that our view of these scriptures may be wrong (and we don't wish to mislead), the problem we have with the customary translation of these verses (and the reason why we have done further research on the meanings of these words) is that such an apparent law is the only one that we are aware of in the Bible, which identifies the victim (a faithful wife who has been unfairly released) as a sinner.

For More information, see the linked document Christian Morality.

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Cosmos, Arrangement, 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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The Gospel Message

What is the message of the Gospel or 'Good News' that (immediately prior to his ascension into heaven) Jesus said was to be preached throughout the entire inhabited earth before 'the end' comes? According to Matthew's account, it is 'the Kingdom' (see Matthew 24:14). And because most modern religions base their beliefs on what is written just in the book of Matthew, ignoring the Gospels of Mark and Luke, they teach that preaching the message of 'the Kingdom' should be the foremost. However, note that Luke's account of the same words (as found at Luke 24:47) quote Jesus as saying, 'Then, in his name, [the message of] repentance for forgiveness of sins is to be preached in all the nations, starting from JeruSalem.' Which is correct?

As we have pointed out several times in our Notes in the book of Matthew, it appears as though that book is one of the most corrupted of the Bible texts, because the current available Greek versions of Matthew's writing were likely translated from the original Hebrew or Aramaic sometime early in the Second Century C.E., after the great 'turning away' that was foretold by Paul in 2 Thessalonians 2:3 had occurred. And either at that time or sometime later, much of the text seems to have been corrupted by the contemporary beliefs. Although it could be true that Jesus said both things (as many claim), it is still interesting that Luke (whom the majority of Bible scholars agree wrote most accurately) records Jesus as saying something else entirely.

Also, consider what the message of John the Baptist (who was sent to 'prepare the way' for the coming of Jesus) was to be (Luke 1:16, 17): 'He will turn many sons of IsraEl back to Jehovah, their God; He will travel in front of him in the power and spirit of EliJah, and he will prepare a people for the Lord by turning the hearts of fathers back to their children, and the [hearts] of those who don't obey to righteous good sense.' In other words, his was to be a message of repentance and the need to return to righteous ways (which we so badly need today). And almost all Bible commentators agree that a similar work must be done before the modern coming of Jesus. Also see Mark 1:4.

So, are we saying that the 'Good News of the Kingdom' should not be preached? Obviously not, for that was the message of Jesus, and it is a good message of hope. However, using the questionable words of Matthew 24:14 to overshadow Jesus' instructions to preach 'repentance for forgiveness of sins' in order to prepare the way for his return or coming, seems an inappropriate choice in an age where faithlessness, immorality, dishonesty, and lack of love have become so rampant. Also, see the linked document, Christian Forgiveness and Repentance.

But, hasn't John's message already been preached? John the Baptist seems to have been quite successful in preparing the people for the first coming of Jesus. But just look around. Does the world look like it has repented and is ready for the second coming? Judge for yourselves.

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Galilee or Judea?

At Luke 4:44, we have written that Jesus preached in the synagogues of Galilee. However, many other Bibles say that Jesus preached in the synagogues of Judea. Which is correct? It depends on which Greek text you use as a reference. The Wescott/Hort text, which we have used for much of this Bible, says he preached in Judea, while several other texts (such as the Tischendorf) say that he preached in Galilee. We have chosen to go with the later rendering, because at the time, he was preaching in Galilee. Actually, Jesus did little preaching in Judea until the later days of his life on earth, because the Judeans were always looking to kill him (see John 11:8).

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