The Poetry of Jesus: Recognize that many of the sermons and parables of Jesus were spoken poetically in order to be remembered by his followers.
And although the cadence comes through clearly to Bible translators, most have chosen not to write it as poetry, because of the extra effort this requires, and because most Bible readers simply aren't interested in the beauty of his words, but in the content.
However, Jesus spoke and taught beautifully, and you will notice how we have attempted, within the range of accuracy, to render Jesus’ words as he spoke them.

Chapter 1

¹ This is the book of the origins of Jesus the Anointed, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.

² Abraham fathered Isaac. Isaac fathered Jacob. Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers. ³ Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar. Perez fathered Hezron. Hezron fathered Ram. ⁴ Ram fathered AmiNadab. AmiNadab fathered Nashon. Nashon fathered Salmon. ⁵ Salmon fathered Boaz by RaHab. Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth. Obed fathered Jesse. ⁶ Jesse fathered David, the king.

David fathered Solomon by the wife of UriJah. ⁷ Solomon fathered RehoBoam. RehoBoam fathered AbiJah. AbiJah fathered Asa. ⁸ Asa fathered JehoShaphat. JehoShaphat fathered JehoRam. JehoRam fathered UzziJah. ⁹ UzziJah fathered JoTham. JoTham fathered Ahaz. Ahaz fathered HezekiJah. ¹⁰ HezekiJah fathered ManasSeh. ManasSeh fathered Amon. Amon fathered JosiJah. ¹¹ JosiJah fathered JeconiJah and his brothers before the deportation to Babylon.

¹² After the deportation to Babylon, JeconiJah fathered ShealtiEl. ShealtiEl fathered ZerubBabel. ¹³ ZerubBabel fathered AbiUd. AbiUd fathered EliAkim. EliAkim fathered Azor. ¹⁴ Azor fathered Zadok. Zadok fathered Achim. Achim fathered EliUd. ¹⁵ EliUd fathered EliAzar. EliAzar fathered MatThan. MatThan fathered Jacob. ¹⁶ Jacob fathered Joseph the father of Mary, from whom Jesus was born, who is called the Anointed.

¹⁷ So, there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David until the deportation to Babylon, and fourteen generations from the deportation to Babylon to [the coming of] the Anointed.

¹⁸ This is the way that Jesus the Anointed started out: While his mother Mary was promised in marriage to Joseph, she was found to be pregnant by [God’s] Holy Breath before the marriage was consummated. ¹⁹ However, because Joseph her husband was righteous and didn’t want to make [Mary] a public spectacle, he planned to release her secretly.

²⁰ But after he came to that conclusion, {Look!} Jehovah’s messenger appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David; Don’t be afraid to take Mary as your wife, because what has been fathered in her is from [God’s] Holy Breath. ²¹ She will give birth to a son and you will call his name Jesus (Jehovah is Salvation), because he will save his people from their sins.’

²² This whole thing happened so that, what was spoken by Jehovah through the Prophet would be fulfilled:
²³ ‘{Look!} The virgin will become pregnant,
And she will give birth to a son,
And they will name him ImManuEl’ (which translates as, God is with us).

²⁴ Then, after he woke up, Joseph did what Jehovah’s messenger told him to do and took the woman along with him. ²⁵ However, [Joseph] didn’t have sexual relations with her until after she gave birth to a son, who he named Jesus.

Chapter 2

¹ After Jesus was born in BethLehem of Judea in the days of King Herod, {Look!} Magi from the east came to Jerusalem, ² asking, ‘Where is the one who was born king of the Judeans? We saw his star in the east and we came to bow before him.’

³ Well, on hearing about this, King Herod was very disturbed (as was all of Jerusalem). ⁴ Then he gathered all the Chief Priests and the peoples’ scribes and asked them where this Anointed One was to be born. ⁵ And they replied, ‘In BethLehem of Judea, because this is what was written through the Prophet:
⁶ And you, O BethLehem, in the land of Judea,
Are certainly not least among the rulers of Judah.
For a ruler will come out of you,
To shepherd Israel, My people.’

⁷ Then Herod secretly called for those Magi and carefully determined from them when the star had appeared. ⁸ And as he sent them on to BethLehem, he said: ‘Search carefully for the young child; and when you find him, report back to me, so I can go and bow before him also.’

⁹ Then, after listening to what the king had to say, they went on their way. And {Look!} the star that they saw in the east went ahead of them until it stood directly over [the place] where the young child was. ¹⁰ Well, when they saw the star [do this], they were beside themselves with joy. ¹¹ And when they entered the house, they saw the little boy with Mary his mother, and they fell down and bowed before him. Then they opened their treasures and gave the child gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² However, because they had been given a divine warning in a dream that they weren’t to return to Herod, they went back home via another route.

¹³ After they left, {Look!} Jehovah’s messenger appeared to Joseph in a dream saying, ‘Get up! Take the boy and his mother, then hurry to Egypt and stay there until I tell you otherwise, because Herod is going to search for the boy to destroy him!’

¹⁴ So, he got up during the night and took the child and his mother, then they left for Egypt, ¹⁵ where he stayed until Herod died, so the thing that was said by Jehovah through the Prophet was fulfilled, ‘I called my son out of Egypt’.

¹⁶ Well, when Herod saw that the Magi had outwitted him, he was furious. So he sent out [a proclamation] in BethLehem and its districts to have all the boys who were two-years-old and younger to be gathered [for destruction], since that was the period he had determined so carefully from the Magi. ¹⁷ And that’s when the thing spoken through the Prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled, which said,
¹⁸ ‘A voice was heard crying and wailing in RamAh.
It was Rachel crying for her children,
And she wouldn’t take any comfort,
Because they aren’t anymore.’

¹⁹ Well, when Herod died, {Look!} Jehovah’s messenger appeared in a dream to Joseph while he was in Egypt ²⁰ and said, ‘Get up; Take the child and his mother and go [back] to the land of Israel, because those who wanted the child’s life are now dead!’

²¹ So [Joseph] got up, took the child and his mother, and returned to the land of Israel. ²² But when he heard that ArcheLaus had taken over as ruler in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there because of a divine warning that had been given to him in a dream. As the result, he traveled to the territory of Galilee ²³ and started living in a city named Nazareth, so the thing spoken through the Prophets might be fulfilled that said: ‘He will be called a Nazarene.’

Chapter 3

¹ It was in those days that John the Baptist came preaching in the desert of Judea, ² saying, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of the Heavens has drawn near.’ ³ He’s the one that the Prophet IsaiJah spoke about in the words, ‘A voice is calling out in the desert: Prepare the way of the Lord! Make the roads straight before him.’

⁴ John wore clothes made of camel hair; he wore a thick leather belt around his waist; and what he ate was locusts and wild honey.

⁵ Then [people from] Jerusalem, the rest of Judea, and all the area around the Jordan came to him ⁶ to be baptized in the Jordan River, openly admitting their sins.

⁷ Well, when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to the baptism, he said to them, ‘Children of vipers; Who has shown you the need to run from the coming rage? ⁸ Produce the [type of] fruitage that shows you are worthy of repentance. ⁹ And don’t be so bold as to say Abraham is our father. Let me tell you that God can make children of Abraham from these stones! ¹⁰ Why, the ax is already lying at the roots of the trees, and every tree that isn’t producing good fruit is going to be cut down and thrown into the fire!

¹¹ ‘Indeed, I baptize you in water [to show your] repentance. But the one who is coming after me is greater than I am. In fact, I’m unfit to take off his sandals! He will baptize you in fire and Spirit… ¹² he will [take] his shovel in hand and completely clean his threshing floor, then he will gather his wheat into the storehouse and burn the chaff with a fire that can’t be put out!’

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to see John at the Jordan River and to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ But [John] tried to prevent him, saying, ‘I’m the one who should be baptized by you! So, why are you coming to me?’

¹⁵ But Jesus said, ‘Let it be for now. This is the right thing for us to do, so we can fulfill everything that is righteous.’

And at that, [John] no longer tried to stop him.

¹⁶ Well, after being baptized, Jesus came up out of the water. Then {Look!} the heavens opened and [John] saw God’s Breath coming down upon [Jesus] like a dove. ¹⁷ And {Look!} there was a voice that came from the sky, which said, ‘This is my loved Son. I am very pleased with him.’

Chapter 4

¹ Afterward, [God’s] Breath led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the Slanderer. ² And after he had fasted for forty days and forty nights, he was hungry.

³ Then the Tempter came to him and said, ‘If you’re a Son of The God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread!’

⁴ And [Jesus] replied: ‘It is written;
Man doesn’t need just bread to survive,
But all that is said by God’s mouth.’

⁵ Then the Slanderer took him to the Holy City, put him up on one of the Temple’s high battle towers, ⁶ and said: ‘If you’re a Son of God, jump down! Because it’s written,
He’ll assign [His] messengers around you,
And on their hands they will lift you,
So you won’t hit your foot on a stone.’

⁷ But Jesus told him: ‘Again, it is written; You shouldn’t put Jehovah your God to the test.’

⁸ Then, once again, the Slanderer took him along to an unusually high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. ⁹ And he told him: ‘I will give all of these to you, if you’ll just bow down and show me your reverence.’

¹⁰ But Jesus said: ‘Go away Slanderer, because it’s written:
It is Jehovah your God you must worship,
And He’s the only One you must serve.’

¹¹ Then the Slanderer left him, and {Look!} [God’s] messengers came and started serving [Jesus’ needs].

¹² Well, after hearing that John had been arrested, [Jesus] went back to Galilee… ¹³ he moved out of Nazareth and started living in CapharNaoum (which is by the sea in the districts of ZebuLun and NaphTali). ¹⁴ This was done so [the prophecy] that was spoken through the Prophet Isaiah could be fulfilled:
¹⁵ ‘O lands of ZebuLun and NaphTali,
On the road by the sea ‘cross the Jordan (Galilee of the gentiles);
¹⁶ People who were sitting in darkness saw great light;
And the light arose upon those who sat,
In the place of the shadow of death.’

¹⁷ Well, from that time on, Jesus started preaching and saying: ‘Repent, because the Kingdom of the Heavens has drawn near!’

¹⁸ It was while he was walking along by the Sea of Galilee that he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew… fishermen who were casting their nets on the sea. ¹⁹ And he said to them, ‘Follow me and I’ll make you fishers of men!’

²⁰ Well, right away, they dropped their nets and followed him.

²¹ And traveling on from there, he saw two more brothers, James [the son] of ZebediOu, and his brother John. They were in the boat with ZebediOu their father, repairing their nets, when he called them, ²² and they immediately left the boat and their father, and followed him.

²³ Then [Jesus] traveled throughout all of Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom, and curing all the diseases and infirmities that the people had. ²⁴ Why, they had even heard of him throughout the land of Syria, and these [people] also brought their sick to him – those with various diseases and ailments, the demon-possessed, as well as epileptics and paralyzed persons – and he cured them all. ²⁵ As the result, huge crowds of people followed [Jesus] from Galilee, the DecaPolis, Jerusalem and the rest of Judea, and from the other side of the Jordan.

Chapter 5

¹ Well, when [Jesus] saw the crowds, he went up a mountain and sat down, and his disciples came to him. ² Then he opened his mouth and started teaching them, saying:

³ ‘The spiritually impoverished are blest,
For the Kingdom of the Heavens belongs to them.

⁴ ‘The sad are blest,
For, they will find comfort.

⁵ ‘The meek are blest,
For they will inherit the earth.

⁶ ‘Those hungering and thirsting for righteousness are blest,
For they will find satisfaction.

⁷ ‘Those who are merciful are blest,
For mercy they will be shown.

⁸ ‘Those with pure hearts are blest,
For they will come to see God.

⁹ ‘Those who make peace are blest,
For Sons of God they’ll be called.

¹⁰ ‘Those who [must suffer] persecution,
For doing what’s righteous are blest,
For theirs is the Kingdom of the Heavens.

¹¹ ‘You’re blest when people say bad things about you,
And when they persecute you;
[You’re blest] whenever they lie about you,
Or slander you for my sake.
¹² Yes, happily shout and jump for joy,
For, you have great rewards in the heavens,
Since this is the very same way,
That they treated the Prophets before you.

¹³ ‘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.

¹⁴ ‘You are the light of the world.
And as a city cannot be hidden,
On the top of a mountain,
¹⁵ And as lit lamps aren’t put under baskets
(they’re put on lampstands instead;
Where they can shine throughout the house),
¹⁶ So, before men, you should let your light shine,
Then they can see the good deeds [you do],
And give glory to your Father in heaven.

¹⁷ ‘Don’t think that I came to destroy,
The Law or the [words of the] Prophets.
I came to fulfill, not to destroy.
¹⁸ I tell you the truth;
More likely would heaven and earth pass away,
Than for an iota, or a piece of a letter,
To pass from the Law before this should happen.
¹⁹ For, he who breaks the least of Commandments,
And teaches others to do the same,
Will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven.
But all who teach and follow [the Law],
Will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.

²⁰ ‘And I also say this to you;
If you aren’t more righteous than Pharisees and scribes,
You won’t stand a chance in the Kingdom of Heaven.

²¹ ‘You heard it was said long ago,
That [you must] not commit murder;
For, he who murders must answer to the courts.
²² However, I tell you this:
Whoever stays angry with his brother,
Must answer in the [day] of the Judgment;
And he who says his brother is worthless,
Will have to answer to the courts;
And he who [calls his brother] a moron,
Will be sentenced to the garbage-dump fires.

²³ ‘If you bring a gift to [God’s] Altar,
But while you’re on the way you remember,
That your brother holds something against you,
²⁴ Leave your gift at the Altar and go.
First make peace with your brother,
And then return to offer your gift.

²⁵ ‘If someone has a lawsuit against you,
Settle it quickly before going to court.
Then there will be not a chance,
That you’ll fall into the hands of the judge,
And from the judge to the bailiff,
And you end up being thrown into prison.
²⁶ I tell you this for a fact:
If that happens to you,
You won’t be released ‘til you’ve paid your last cent.

²⁷ ‘You’ve also heard that it was said:
You must not commit adultery.
²⁸ But I tell you that he who stares at a woman,
And develops a desire [to have] her,
Has already committed adultery in his heart.

²⁹ ‘If your right eye should be a trap,
Pull it out and throw it away;
For it’s better to lose a piece of yourself,
Than to the garbage lose your body.
³⁰ And if your right hand should be a trap,
Cut it off and throw it away,
For it’s better to lose a piece of yourself,
Than into the garbage lose your body.

³¹ ‘It was said that whoever releases his wife,
Should give her a certificate of rejection.
³² But I say: He who releases his wife,
For reasons other than being unfaithful,
[Marks her] her as an adulteress.
And whoever marries this woman who’s released,
[Is viewed as] committing adultery.

³³ ‘Again, you heard it was said long ago:
You should not swear a false oath;
You must do as you vow before Jehovah.
³⁴ However, I tell you this:
Don’t swear an oath by anything at all!
Don’t swear by heaven, for that is God’s throne;
³⁵ Don’t swear by the earth, for that is His footstool;
Nor should you swear by Jerusalem,
For that’s the city of the great king;
³⁶ And do not swear by your head,
For you can’t turn a hair black or white!
³⁷ Let your yes mean just yes,
And your no mean just no,
For all beyond that is from the wicked one.

³⁸ ‘You’ve heard that it was said:
Eye for eye and tooth for tooth.
³⁹ But I say: Don’t fight a man who is wicked.
If someone slaps you on your right cheek,
Turn the other to him also.
⁴⁰ And if someone should take you to court,
To sue you for your underwear,
Give him the rest of your clothes!
⁴¹ Or if someone forces you to serve for a mile,
Go with him for two miles.
⁴² Give freely to all those who ask,
And don’t turn down those who wish to borrow.

⁴³ ‘You’ve heard that it was said:
You must love your neighbor and your enemies you must dislike.
⁴⁴ But I say: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you.
⁴⁵ For, if you do this,
You’ll prove yourselves sons of your Father in heaven.
Because, upon both the wicked and good,
He allows the sun to arise,
And to the righteous and unrighteous,
He also sends rain.

⁴⁶ ‘If you love just those who love you,
Where then is your reward?
Don’t tax collectors also do that?
⁴⁷ And if you just greet your brothers,
What’s so unusual about that?
Don’t the people of the nations do the same?
⁴⁸ Rather, be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect!’

Chapter 6

¹ ‘Be very careful not to do,
What is righteous before men,
So they can see what you’re doing,
Or you’ll receive no reward,
From your Father in heaven.
² So when you give gifts to the needy,
Don’t blow a trumpet in the synagogue,
Or on the streets as the hypocrites do,
So they can be praised by [other] men.
For, I tell you the truth;
They’re getting their reward in full measure.
³ But when you give gifts to the needy,
Don’t [tell] your left hand what your right hand has done,
⁴ So your gifts to the needy can be given in secret.
Then your Father who watches in secret,
Will be [the One] who repays you.

⁵ ‘And do not pray like the hypocrites do,
For they pray as they stand in synagogues,
And on the corners of main streets,
So they can be seen by other men.
I tell you the truth;
They’re getting their reward in full measure.
⁶ But when you pray, go into your room,
And after shutting the door,
Pray to your Father in secret.
Then you’ll be repaid by your Father,
Who is watching in secret.

⁷ ‘When praying don’t say the same things,
As people of the nations all do,
For they think that by [repeating] they will be heard.
⁸ But do not act as they do,
For your God and Father knows all that you need,
Even before you should ask Him.

⁹ ‘Therefore, you should pray this way:
O our Father in the sky;
May Your Name be treated as Holy;
¹⁰May Your Kingdom [soon] come;
And let Your Will take place on the earth,
As [it has] in the sky.
¹¹ Give us our bread for this day,
¹² And forgive us of all our debts,
As we have forgiven those who owe us.
¹³Help us to not touch what is tempting,
But to separate ourselves from what’s evil.

¹⁴ ‘For, if you overlook the mistakes of [other] men,
Your Father in heaven will overlook yours.
¹⁵ But, if you don’t overlook their mistakes,
Your Father won’t overlook yours.

¹⁶ ‘When you fast, don’t wear a sad face,
As the hypocrites do,
Who contort their faces to show that they fast.
I tell you the truth; they’re getting their reward in full measure.
¹⁷ But, whenever you fast;
Put oil on your head and wash your face,
¹⁸ So to men you don’t look like you’re fasting…
Just to your Father who watches in secret.
Then your Father who watches in secret,
Will be [the One] who repays you.

¹⁹ ‘Stop saving up treasures on earth,
Which are eaten by rust and by moths,
And where thieves can break in and steal them.
²⁰ Rather, store up treasures in heaven,
Where they’ll not be consumed by moths or by rust,
And thieves can’t break in and steal them.
²¹ Because, wherever your treasures may be,
That’s where your heart will be also.

²² ‘The body’s lamp is the eye,
And if [you keep] your eye simple,
Your whole body will be bright.
²³ But if your eye is just wicked,
Your whole body will be dark.
And if the only light within you is dark,
How great that darkness will be!

²⁴ ‘No one can slave for two masters;
You won’t care for one but love the other,
Or you’ll stick with that one, and the other despise…
You can’t slave for God and for wealth!
²⁵ This is why I tell you not to worry,
About your lives and the things that you eat ---
Or about your bodies and what you will wear.
Isn’t [your] life more important than food,
And [your] body more important than clothes?

²⁶ ‘Pay attention to the birds in the sky;
For, they don’t plant seeds or harvest,
Nor do they put things in stores;
Yet, your Father in heaven also feeds them.
And are you not [greater than] they are?
²⁷ So, which of you can through worry,
Add a smidgen to your lives?

²⁸ ‘When it comes to clothes, why [should you] worry?
Learn from the lilies in the fields,
And from the way that they grow.
For, they don’t work or make cloth;
²⁹ But, I tell you this:
Not even Solomon in all of his glory,
Was dressed as well as are they.
³⁰ So, if God so well dresses plants in the fields
(Which are here today and thrown in the oven tomorrow),
Wouldn’t He rather clothe you…
You with so little faith?

³¹ ‘So, never be worried and ask:
What will we eat and drink,
And what will we wear?
³² For, these are the things that the nations chase after.
But your Father in heaven already knows,
That you need all these things.

³³ ‘Put first the Kingdom and righteousness,
Then all these things will be given to you.
³⁴ So about tomorrow don’t worry,
For tomorrow will have its own worries,
And each day will have its own badness.

Chapter 7

¹ ‘Do not judge [others] so you won’t be judged.
² For, the [rules] that you use to judge others,
Are the rules they will use to judge you,
And the standards you are setting for them,
Are the standards that they’ll set for you.

³ ‘Why look for straw in your brother’s eye,
When you can’t see the rafter in yours?
⁴ How can you say to your brother,
Let me remove this straw from your eye,
When {Look!} there’s a rafter in yours?
⁵ Hypocrites! First remove the rafter from your eye,
And then you will clearly see,
How to take straw from your brother’s eye.

⁶ ‘Don’t give holy things to the dogs,
Or throw your pearls before pigs,
So they can’t trample them under their feet,
And then turn around and gore you.

⁷ ‘Keep asking and it will be given.
Keep searching and you will find.
Keep on knocking and it will be opened.
⁸ For, all will receive who keep asking;
All who keep searching will find;
And [the door] will be opened to all who keep knocking.
⁹ For, of which man is this not true;
When his son asks him for bread,
He will not hand him a stone;
¹⁰ Or if he should ask for a fish,
He won’t hand him a snake.
¹¹ So, if you in your wicked condition,
Give good gifts to your children,
How much more will your Father in heaven,
Give good things to those who keep asking?

¹² ‘Whatever you want men to do for you,
So should you do for them.
For a fact; that is [the point] of the Law and the Prophets.

¹³ ‘Go through the gate that is narrow,
For the road to destruction is wide,
And that’s the way that most others go.
¹⁴ But the gate to life is narrow and tight,
And not many will find it.

¹⁵ ‘Beware for false prophets who come dressed as sheep,
For on the inside they’re just hungry wolves.
¹⁶ By their fruitage you’ll recognize them…
For grapes aren’t picked from the briers,
And figs aren’t picked from the thistles, are they?
¹⁷ All good trees give fruit that is good,
But those that are rotten give fruit that is bad.
¹⁸ A good tree won’t bear what is bad,
And the rotten cannot produce what is good.
¹⁹ Trees that don’t bear fruit that is good,
Are cut down and thrown in the fire.
²⁰ Really then; By their fruit you’ll recognize them.

²¹ ‘Not all who say Lord, Lord, to me,
Will get into the Kingdom of Heaven;
Just those doing the will of my Father in heaven.
²² But in that day many will say,
Lord, O Lord; In your name did we not prophesy,
Or in your name cast out demons…
And perform great works in your name?
²³ Then I’ll tell them, I never knew you!
Get away from me you lawbreakers!’

²⁴ ‘Those who hear what I say and then act,
Are like a wise man who built his home,
Upon rock that is firm.
²⁵ So, when rains poured and the floods came…
And the winds beat on that house,
It didn’t fall, for upon rock it was built.
²⁶ But those who hear what I say and don’t act,
Are like the moron who built his house on the sand.
²⁷ Then the rains poured down and the floods came;
And the wind blew and beat on his house,
Until it fell and collapsed.

²⁸ Well, when Jesus finished saying these things, the crowds were awe-struck by his way of teaching. ²⁹ Because, unlike their scribes, he taught with authority.

Chapter 8

¹ Then, when he came down the mountain, large crowds followed him. ² And {Look!} a man with leprosy came up and bowed low saying: ‘Lord, if you just want to, you can make me clean.’

³ And stretching out his hand, he touched him, saying, ‘I want to. Be clean.’ Well, immediately [the man] was wiped clean of his leprosy.

⁴ Then Jesus told him, ‘Don’t tell anyone [about this], but go and show yourself to the Priests and offer the gift that Moses specified, so they can testify to what happened.’

⁵ And when he entered CapharNaoum, a [Roman] Centurion came to him pleading, ⁶ ‘Lord; My [house]boy is so paralyzed that he can’t leave home, and he’s in a lot of pain!’

⁷ And [Jesus] said to him, ‘I’ll cure him when I get there.’

⁸ However, the Centurion said, ‘Sir, I’m unfit to have you enter my house. Just say the word and I know that my boy will be healed. ⁹ You see, I’m also a man who has been given authority, because I have soldiers under me. And if I tell this one, Be on your way, he’s on his way; or to another, Come, he comes; or to my slave, Do this, he does it.’

¹⁰ Well, Jesus was amazed, and he said to those who were following him, ‘I tell you the truth; I haven’t found anyone in Israel with so great a faith. ¹¹ So, I say that many from the sunrise and sunset will come and recline [at the table] with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven. ¹² However, the Sons of the Kingdom will be thrown into the darkness outside, and there they will cry and grind their teeth.’

¹³ Then Jesus said to the Centurion, ‘Go! Let it be just as you have believed.’ And the [house]boy was healed in that very hour.

¹⁴ Well, when he got to Peter’s house, Jesus saw [Peter’s] mother-in-law lying down and burning up with a fever. ¹⁵ So he touched her hand and the fever left her. Then she got up and started serving him.

¹⁶ That evening, people brought him many who were demon-possessed. So, he cast out the spirits with a word and he cured all those who were in poor health, ¹⁷ so that the words spoken through the Prophet IsaiJah might be fulfilled; ‘He took our sicknesses and carried our diseases on himself.’

¹⁸ When Jesus saw that people were starting to crowd around him, he gave orders to leave for the other side [of the Sea of Galilee]. ¹⁹ But then a scribe came up to him and said, ‘Teacher, I’ll follow you wherever you go.’

²⁰ However, Jesus said to him, ‘Foxes have burrows and birds in the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.’

²¹ Then another disciple said to him, ‘Lord; First let me go and bury my father.’

²² But Jesus told him: ‘Keep following me and let the dead bury their own dead.’

²³ Then he stepped into a boat and his disciples followed. ²⁴ However, {Look!} the sea started shaking and waves were crashing over the boat; and at the time, [Jesus] was sleeping. ²⁵ So [the disciples] came and woke him up, saying, ‘Lord, save us, because we’re about to be destroyed!’

²⁶ But [Jesus] asked, ‘Why are you so afraid… you with so little faith?’

Then he got up and scolded the winds and the sea, and a great calm set in. ²⁷ So the [disciples] wondered at this and asked, ‘What kind of person is this? Why, even the wind and sea obey him!’

²⁸ Well, when they got to the other side [of the sea], into the country of the Gadarenes, two demon-possessed men met him [as they were] coming out from among the tombs. They were so unusually fierce that no one else had the courage to pass that way. ²⁹ And {Look!} they shouted, ‘What do you want with us, O Son of God? Did you come here before the appointed time to torment us?’

³⁰ Well, a long way off was a large herd of pigs that were feeding [in a field]. ³¹ So, the demons begged [Jesus], saying, ‘If you throw us out, send us into that herd of pigs!’

³² And [Jesus] said to them, ‘Go on!’

Then they came out and went into the pigs. And {Look!} the entire herd ran down a steep cliff into the sea, where they died in the water.

³³ Well, those who were keeping watch over the pigs in the pasture ran away. And when they got to the city, they told about everything that had happened, including the story of the demon-possessed men. ³⁴ Then {Look!} everyone in the city came out to meet Jesus. But after they saw him, they begged him to cross back [over the sea], away from their districts.

Chapter 9

¹ So, stepping into the boat, he crossed [the sea] and traveled [back] to the town where he was staying. ² And there {Look!} they brought him a paralyzed man lying on a cot. And on seeing such faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, ‘Take courage child; your sins are forgiven.’

³ However, {Look!} some scribes [who overheard this] were thinking to themselves: ‘He’s blaspheming!’

⁴ But Jesus (who knew what they were thinking) said, ‘Why are you thinking such wicked things in your hearts? ⁵ Is it easier to say your sins are forgiven, or just get up and walk? ⁶ I want you to know that the Son of Man has the power to forgive sins here on the earth.’

Then he told the paralytic, ‘Get up, pick up your cot, and go home.’ ⁷ And with that, he got up and went home.

⁸ Well, when the crowds saw this, they were frightened and started praising God who gives such powers to men.

⁹ It was while traveling on from there, that Jesus saw a man named Matthew sitting in the tax office. And he said to him, ‘Be my follower.’ And immediately, [Matthew] stood up and followed him.

¹⁰ Then later, while [Jesus] was reclining at the table in [Matthew’s] home, {Look!} many tax collectors and sinners came in and reclined along with Jesus and his disciples. ¹¹ But on seeing this, the Pharisees asked [Jesus’] disciples, ‘Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?’

¹² Overhearing that, [Jesus] answered, ‘Healthy people don’t need a doctor… only the sick do. ¹³ So, go and learn the meaning of the words, I want mercy, not sacrifice. For, I didn’t come to call the righteous, just the sinners.’

¹⁴ Then some of John’s disciples came to [Jesus] and asked, ‘Why is it that; Although the Pharisees and we fast regularly, your disciples don’t fast?’

¹⁵ And Jesus answered: ‘The bridegroom’s friends don’t have any reason to be sad as long as the bridegroom is with them, do they? But the day is coming when the bridegroom will be taken away from them… and then they will fast.

¹⁶ ‘No one sews a patch of un-shrunk cloth onto old clothes, because its [shrinking] strength would pull the clothes and make the tear worse. ¹⁷ Nor do people put new wine into old wineskins, for if they did, the wineskins would burst, spilling the wine and ruining the wineskins. Therefore, people put new wine into new wineskins, so both things are preserved,’

¹⁸ Well, as he was telling them this, {Look!} a certain ruler came up and bowed low saying, ‘By now my daughter must be dead… but come and lay your hands on her and she will come back to life!’

¹⁹ Then Jesus got up and followed the man, as did his disciples.

²⁰ {Look!} But [on the way], a woman who had suffered from a blood flow for some twelve years came up behind him and touched the fringe on [Jesus’] clothes. ²¹ [She did this] because she kept saying to herself, ‘If I can just touch his clothes I’ll be saved [from this illness].’

²² Well, Jesus turned around and saw her, then said, ‘Take courage daughter; Your faith has saved you.’ And from that hour on, the woman became well.

²³ Then, when he entered the ruler’s house and saw flute players and a wailing crowd, ²⁴ Jesus said, ‘Leave! The little girl didn’t die, she’s just sleeping!’ And they all started to laugh and make fun of him. ²⁵ But after the crowd had been ushered outside, [Jesus] went in, took hold of her hand, and the little girl got up. ²⁶ Well, word of this spread throughout all that area.

²⁷ And as Jesus was leaving there, two blind men started following him, hoarsely shouting, ‘Have pity on us, O Son of David!’

²⁸ And when he went inside the house, these blind men followed him in. So, Jesus asked, ‘Do you really believe that I can do this?’

And they answered, ‘Yes, Lord!’

²⁹ Then he touched their eyes, saying, ‘As you believed, may it happen to you;’ ³⁰ and their eyes were opened. Then Jesus warned them sternly: ‘Make sure that no one hears about this!’ ³¹ But after going outside, they spread the news about what he did throughout all that area.

³² Now, as they were leaving, {Look!} people brought him a man who couldn’t speak, because he was demon possessed. ³³ However, after the demon had been thrown out, the man was able to speak. Well, the crowds were amazed and said, ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.’ ³⁴ But the Pharisees were saying, ‘He throws out demons by the ruler of the demons.’

³⁵ Then Jesus traveled around to all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the Kingdom, and curing every sort of disease and infirmity.

³⁶ But on seeing the crowds, he felt sad for them, because they were scraped and knocked about like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then he said to his disciples, ‘There is in fact a huge harvest, but too few workers. ³⁸ So, beg the Lord of the harvest to send more workers into the field to do His harvesting.’

Chapter 10

¹ Then he called his twelve disciples to him and gave them the power to dominate and throw out unclean spirits, and to cure every sort of disease and infirmity.

² These are the names of the twelve Apostles: First there is Simon (who is called Peter), and Andrew his brother. And there’s James the son of ZebediOu and his brother, John. ³ Then there are Philip, BarTholomew ([NathaniEl]), Thomas, Matthew the tax collector, James the son of Alpheus, ThadDeus ([Judas]), ⁴ Simon the Cananaean, and Judas IsCariot (who [later] betrayed him).

⁵ Jesus sent these twelve out, giving them the orders: ‘Don’t go to the nations and don’t go into Samaritan cities. ⁶ Just go to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. ⁷ [You may each] go your own way, but as you go, preach that the Kingdom of Heaven is near. ⁸ Cure sick people, raise the dead, make lepers clean, and throw out demons… you received free, so give free. ⁹ Don’t get gold, silver, or copper to carry in your waist sashes, ¹⁰ or a food pouch for the trip… or two pairs of underwear, or sandals, or a walking stick… because a worker deserves his food.

¹¹ ‘Whenever you enter a city or village, search for those who are worthy and stay with them until you leave. ¹² When you enter a house, offer the household a greeting of peace. ¹³ And if the house is worthy, let peace come into it. But if it isn’t worthy, let the peace return to you.

¹⁴ ‘Wherever anyone doesn’t take you in or listen to your words; On leaving that house or city, shake the dust off your feet. ¹⁵ I tell you the truth; On the Judgment Day, it will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and GomorRah than for that city.

¹⁶ ‘Look, I’m sending you out as sheep among wolves. So, prove yourselves as cautious as snakes but as innocent as doves. ¹⁷ Watch out for men who will take you to local courts and whip you in their synagogues. ¹⁸ Why, you will be taken before governors and kings for my sake, as a witness to them and to the nations. ¹⁹ However, when they bring you up [for trial]; don’t worry about what to say or how to say it, because what you should say will be given to you at that time… ²⁰ you won’t be the only ones talking; your Father’s Breath will be speaking through you.

²¹ ‘Brothers will betray brothers for death, as fathers will do to their children. Children will rise against parents, and have them put to death… ²² and all will hate you because of my name. But, he who endures to the end will be saved.

²³ ‘When they persecute you in this city, [you should just] run to another. Because, I tell you the truth; You may not call on all of Israel’s cities, before the Son of Man arrives.

²⁴ ‘A disciple isn’t higher than his teacher, nor is a slave over his master. ²⁵ It should be good enough for a disciple, to become just like his teacher, and a slave to become like his master. But, if the people called the master of the house BeelZebub, then how much more [will they say it] of the rest in his home. ²⁶ So, of them don’t be afraid!

‘There’s nothing that’s covered which won’t be uncovered, and there’s no secret that will not be known. ²⁷ What I tell you in the darkness [you must] say in the light. And whatever is whispered in your ear, [you should] preach from the housetops!

²⁸ ‘Don’t fear those who can kill the body, but are unable to kill the person. Rather, fear Him who can destroy, both person and body in the garbage dump.

²⁹ ‘Don’t two sparrows sell for just little? Yet, none of them falls to the ground, without [the knowledge] of your Father. ³⁰ Why, the hairs of your head are all counted, ³¹ so don’t be afraid, because you’re worth more than many sparrows!

³² ‘For all who admit before men that they’re with me, I will admit that I’m with them also, before my Father in the heavens. ³³ But whoever denies knowing me before men, I’ll also deny that I know him, before my Father in the heavens.

³⁴ ‘Don’t think that I came to bring peace on the earth… I didn’t came to bring peace, but the sword! ³⁵ I came to divide a man and his father, a daughter against her own mother, and a bride against her mother-in-law. ³⁶ For a fact; A man’s enemies will be those in his own home! ³⁷ But he who cares less for me, than for his father or mother, isn’t worthy of me. And he who cares less for me, than for his sons or his daughters, isn’t worthy of me. ³⁸ And he who won’t carry his pole, and always follow after me, isn’t worthy of me. ³⁹ For, those who find life will lose it, and those loosing their lives for my sake, will [be the ones who will] find it.

⁴⁰ ‘Those who invite you into [their homes], are also inviting me in. And those who are inviting me [into their homes], also invite Him who sent me. ⁴¹ Those inviting a Prophet because he is a Prophet, will get a Prophet’s reward. And those who invite a righteous man in, because [of his] righteousness, will get the reward of the righteous. ⁴² And whoever gives one of these least ones, so much as a cold cup of water, because he is my disciple; he will not lose his reward… I promise that.’

Chapter 11

¹ Now, when Jesus had finished giving his twelve disciples these instructions, he went out to preach and teach in their cities. ² But John [the Baptist], who was in jail, heard about the things that the Anointed One was doing, so he sent his disciples ³ to ask, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else?’

⁴ In reply, Jesus said to them, ‘Go back and report to John what you are hearing and seeing. ⁵ 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. ⁶ So, he who doesn’t stumble over me is blest.’

⁷ Then, after [John’s disciples] had gone, Jesus asked the crowd about John: ‘What did you go to the desert to see; reeds being blown in the wind? ⁸ Yes, what did you go out to see; a man who was dressed in soft clothes? Those wearing soft clothes live in mansions. ⁹ So really, why did you go… [did you go] to see one who’s a Prophet? Yes! And I tell you; one who’s far more than a Prophet, ¹⁰ for this is he about whom it’s written, {Look!} I’m sending my messenger ahead, to prepare the way that’s before you!

¹¹ ‘I tell you the truth; Of all those born to women, there has never been anyone raised who is greater than John the Baptist. But a person who is the least in the Kingdom of Heaven, is [someone] who is greater than he.

¹² From the time of John [until now], the Kingdom of Heaven was the goal for which men have been reaching… and those who keep reaching will catch it. ¹³ Because, all the Prophets and the Law prophesied about this (until John). ¹⁴ And he’s the EliJah who was [prophesied] to come. ¹⁵ Let those who have ears now listen!

¹⁶ ‘To whom can I compare this generation? You’re like young children who sit in the markets, and then shout at their playmates: ¹⁷ We played the flute, but you didn’t dance. We wailed, but you did not beat yourselves!

¹⁸ ‘When John came; he didn’t eat fine meals and he drank no [wine], so people say that he has demon. ¹⁹ However, because the Son of Man eats good food, and drinks [wine], people say: {Look!} He’s an alchoholic and glutton… a friend of tax collectors and sinners! So, wisdom is proven righteous by the things that it does.’

²⁰ Then he started to scold the cities where he had done most of his powerful deeds, because they hadn’t repented. ²¹ ‘Woe to you ChoraZin, and woe to you O BethSaida; for if the powerful deeds had happened in you, had happened in Tyre and Sidon; they would have repented long ago, [wearing] sackcloth and ashes. ²² That’s why I say that the Judgment Day, will be easier to bear for Tyre and Sidon, than [it will be] for you.

²³ ‘And you O CapharNaoum; Will you be lifted to heaven? You will go into your grave! For if the powerful deeds that happened in you, had also happened in Sodom, it would still be here today. ²⁴ That’s why I say it will be easier to bear, for the land of Sodom on the Judgment Day, than it will be for you,’

²⁵ It was concerning this, that Jesus prayed: ‘I praise you publicly Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for You’ve hidden these things from the smart and the wise, and uncovered them to those who are babes. ²⁶ Yes, Father; This is the way You approved.

²⁷ ‘My Father has given it all to me… and no one knows the Son like his Father, and no one knows the Father but the Son (and anyone to whom the Son should wish to reveal Him).

²⁸ ‘Come to me, all you who work hard, and you who are overburdened, and I will give you refreshment. ²⁹ Learn from me and put on my yoke, for I’m meek and have a gentle heart, and you’ll find refreshment for your lives… ³⁰ my yoke is gentle and my load is light.’

Chapter 12

¹ Well, at the time, Jesus was traveling through the grain fields on the Sabbath; and on the way, his disciples got hungry and started picking the grain and eating it. ² But when the Pharisees saw this, they said, ‘Look! Your disciples are doing what isn’t legal on the Sabbath!’

³ And [Jesus] replied, ‘Haven’t you read what David did when he and his men got hungry; ⁴ how they entered the House of God and ate the show bread… something that wasn’t legal for them to eat, since it was only for the Priests? ⁵ Or, haven’t you read in the Law that the Priests in the Temple can violate the Sabbath and still not be guilty? ⁶ Now, I’m telling you that; Something greater than the Temple is here! ⁷ And if you understood what the words mean, I want mercy, not sacrifice, you probably wouldn’t be condemning these innocent ones, ⁸ because, the Son of Man is the Lord of the Sabbath!’

⁹ Well, after leaving there, he entered their synagogue, ¹⁰ {Look!} where he found a man with a withered hand. So [the Pharisees] asked [Jesus], ‘Is curing on the Sabbath allowed?’ (They said this so they could find something that they could accuse him of doing.)

¹¹ But he answered, ‘Which of you who has a sheep; and if it should fall in a ditch on the Sabbath, wouldn’t go there to lift it out? ¹² Now, how much more is a man worth than a sheep? So, it’s legal to do good on the Sabbath.’

¹³ Then he told the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ So, he stretched it out and it became healthy, just like the other hand.

¹⁴ However, the Pharisees went out and assembled a counsel to destroy him, ¹⁵ and Jesus knew this, so he left that place.

Yet, many followed him and he cured them all. ¹⁶ However, he sternly warned them not to expose him, ¹⁷ so that the words spoken through the Prophet IsaiJah might be fulfilled, which said, ¹⁸ ‘{Look!} My chosen child… My loved one who’s approved by My soul! I will put My Breath in him, and he’ll report My judgments to the nations. ¹⁹ He will not argue or shout, nor will they hear his voice in the main streets. ²⁰ He will not crush a bruised stalk, or extinguish a smoking linen wick, until he brings triumph to justice. ²¹ And nations will hope in his name.’

²² Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and couldn’t speak, and he cured him, so he could both speak and see. ²³ Well, all the crowds were amazed and started asking, ‘Isn’t this the Son of David?’

²⁴ But on hearing that, the Pharisees said, ‘He’s throwing out demons by [the power of] BeelZebub, the ruler of the demons!’

²⁵ And because he knew what they were thinking, [Jesus] said to them, ‘All kingdoms that are divided will fall, and divided cities or houses won’t stand; ²⁶ So, if the Opposer throws out the Opposer, he is just fighting himself, and how can his kingdom then stand? ²⁷ If I use BeelZebub to cast out demons; what do your sons use to cast them out? So this is why they’ll condemn you. ²⁸ However, if I cast out demons by [the power of] God’s Breath, then God’s Kingdom has now overrun you!

²⁹ ‘How can you break into the house of a strong man, and steal his things before tying [him up]? For, only then can his house be sacked. ³⁰ Now, those that aren’t with me are against me, and those not on my side will be scattered.

³¹ ‘So, I’m now telling you this: Men can be forgiven, for all their sins and blasphemies, except for blaspheming [God’s Holy] Breath… that will not be forgiven. ³² If someone should speak against the Son of Man; this can be forgiven. But if someone speaks against [God’s] Holy Breath, he will not be forgiven… no, not in this age or in that to come. ³³ So, declare the tree and its fruit to be good, or make the tree and [all] its fruit rotten; for it’s by their fruit that you recognize trees.

³⁴ ‘Children of vipers; How can you speak good, when you’re so wicked? For, your mouths speak of the things that fill your hearts. ³⁵ A good man speaks from the good treasures [in his heart]; but a wicked man speaks wicked things, because of the wickedness [in his heart]. ³⁶ And I tell you that on the Judgment Day, they will have to answer for the things, which they’ve said to mislead others. ³⁷ Because, either you’ll be found to be righteous, or you’ll be condemned by the things that you say.’

³⁸ Then some of the scribes and Pharisees said to him: ‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from you!’

³⁹ And [Jesus] replied: ‘A wicked and adulterous generation, looks for signs, but they will receive none, other than the sign of JonAh the Prophet. ⁴⁰ For, just as JonAh was there in the belly, of the sea creature three days and three nights, so the Son of Man will then be, in the heart of the earth three days and three nights.

⁴¹ ‘Men of Nineveh will be resurrected, in the Judgment Day with this generation, and they too will condemn it; For they repented at what Jonah preached. But look… something more than Jonah is here!

⁴² ‘The Queen of the South will be resurrected, in the Judgment Day with this generation, and she will also 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!

⁴³ ‘When an unclean spirit leaves a man, it travels through [many] dry places, searching for a place to rest, but finds none. ⁴⁴ Then it says, I’ll just go back to the house that I moved from. And then upon its return; it finds [the house] empty, swept clean, and furnished. ⁴⁵ So, soon it moves back in, but brings along seven more spirits, that are even more wicked than he. And after [they all] get inside him, they will dwell in him also. So as it turns out; The man is worse off than when he started… and that’s how this wicked generation will be.’

⁴⁶ Well, while he was still talking to the crowds, {Look!} his mother and brothers were waiting outside to speak to him. ⁴⁷ So, someone told [Jesus], ‘Look, your mother and brothers are standing outside, and they want to speak with you.’

⁴⁸ But he asked that person, ‘Just who is my mother and who are my brothers?’ ⁴⁹ Then he held out his hand toward his disciples and said, ‘Look… my mother and my brothers, ⁵⁰ because; Those who do the wishes of my Father in heaven, are my brothers, sisters, and mother.’

Chapter 13

¹ And then there was the day when Jesus came out of the house and was sitting by the sea, ² as huge crowds gathered around him. So, he stepped into a boat and sat down, while the crowd stood on the beach. ³ Then he started speaking to them in illustrations, saying, ‘{Look!} A farmer went out to do planting. ⁴ And as he was doing his planting, some [seeds] fell by the side of the road, where birds came up and ate them. ⁵ Others fell among rocks, where there wasn’t much soil, but quickly grew although it was shallow. ⁶ And when the sun rose they were scorched, and they withered because they didn’t root. ⁷ Others fell among briers, which [quickly] grew and choked them out. ⁸ Still others fell on the good soil, and started producing [much] fruit; this one a hundred, that one just sixty, and the other one produced thirty. ⁹ Let he who has ears now listen!’

¹⁰ So, the disciples came and asked, ‘Why are you talking to them in illustrations?’

¹¹ And he replied: ‘You’ve been allowed to understand the mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven, but they haven’t. ¹² For, whoever has, will be given more, and then he will have more than enough. But from those who don’t have, even the things that they own will be taken. ¹³ This is why I speak to them in illustrations; because when they look, they don’t see, and when they listen, they don’t hear or understand the meaning. ¹⁴ The prophecy of Isaiah is being fulfilled in them that says, By listening, you will hear, but not understand, and by looking, you will look, but not see.

¹⁵ ‘The hearts of these people have grown thick, their ears listen heavily, and their eyes are closed, so they’ll never see with their eyes, hear with their ears, or understand with their hearts, then turn around so I can heal them. ¹⁶ However, your eyes are blest, because they can see… as are your ears, because they can hear. ¹⁷ I tell you the truth; Many of the Prophets and righteous men wished to see the things you’re seeing, and didn’t see them; and to hear the things you’re hearing, and didn’t hear them.

¹⁸ ‘So now, listen to the [meaning of the] illustration of the farmer who planted: ¹⁹ Whenever someone hears about the Kingdom, but doesn’t understand it, the wicked one comes and snatches away what has been planted in his heart. This one was planted beside the road.

²⁰ ‘As for the one that was planted among the rocks; He’s the one who hears the word and quickly accepts it with joy. ²¹ But because he has no roots, he’s just here for a short time. For, when hard times or persecution come along because of the Word, he’s immediately trapped.

²² ‘As for the one planted among the thistles; This one hears the word, but the concerns of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke-out the Word and he doesn’t produce fruit.

²³ ‘But, as for the one planted on good soil; He hears the Word, understands it, and actually puts out fruit… this one a hundred, that one sixty, and the other thirty.’

²⁴ He gave them another illustration, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man, who had good seeds planted in his field. ²⁵ But while his men were all sleeping, an enemy came and then scattered, weed [seeds] over the wheat, and then left. ²⁶ So, when the blades sprouted with fruit, the weeds also appeared.

²⁷ ‘Then the master’s slaves came and asked, Lord, weren’t those good seeds [you gave us], for us to plant in your field? So, why are there so many weeds?

²⁸ ‘And he replied, It was an enemy of mine who did this.

‘So, they asked, Then, do you want us to go and pull up [the weeds]?

²⁹ ‘And he replied, No, for as you pull out the weeds, you might uproot the wheat! ³⁰ Just let them all both grow together, until it is time for the harvest. Then I’ll tell the reapers to first collect weeds, into bundles and burn them. Then gather the wheat to my storehouse.’

³¹ He told them another illustration, saying, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is as a mustard seed, that a man had planted in his field. ³² For a fact, it’s the smallest of seeds. But when it grows, it then becomes, the largest among the vegetables, and actually grows [as larges as] a tree; so the birds of the sky can roost in its branches.’

³³ He told them another illustration: ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like fermentation, that a woman hid in three scoops of flour, until it was filled with fermentation.’

³⁴ Jesus said all these things to the crowds in illustrations. It’s a fact that if he wasn’t using illustrations, he wasn’t talking to them. ³⁵ This was done to fulfill what was spoken through the Prophet, which said, ‘I will open my mouth with illustrations. I will talk about things that were hidden, since the founding [of the world].’

³⁶ Then, after dismissing the crowds, he went into the house. And there, his disciples came to him and said, ‘Explain the illustration of the weeds in the field to us.’

³⁷ So [Jesus] said, ‘The one who planted the good seeds is the Son of Man, ³⁸ and the field is the world. As for the good seeds; They are the sons of the Kingdom, but the weeds are the sons of the wicked one, ³⁹ and the enemy who planted them is the Slanderer. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are [God’s] messengers.

⁴⁰ ‘So, just as the weeds are collected and burned in a fire, that’s how it will be at the end of the age. ⁴¹ The Son of Man will send his messengers to collect all the snares and all the lawless people out of his Kingdom, ⁴² and they will be thrown into a flaming furnace, where they will cry and grind [their] teeth. ⁴³ Then the righteous will shine as brightly as the sun in the Kingdom of their Father… Let those with ears listen!

⁴⁴ ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a treasure that a man found and hid in a field; and to [get the treasure], he went and sold everything he had to buy that field.

⁴⁵ ‘Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a traveling merchant who was searching for good pearls, ⁴⁶ and when he found one very valuable pearl, he went away and quickly sold everything he had to buy it.

⁴⁷ ‘Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a net that is dropped into the sea to collect every sort [of sea creature]; ⁴⁸ then when it is full, they haul it onto the beach and sit down to collect the good ones into containers and to throw the bad ones away. ⁴⁹ That’s how it will be at the end of the age; for the messengers will go out and separate the wicked from the righteous, ⁵⁰ and they will throw [the wicked] into a flaming furnace, where they will cry and grind their teeth.’

⁵¹ [He then asked], ‘Did you understand all these things?’

And they answered, ‘Yes.’

⁵² Then he said: ‘So, every instructor (when serving as a disciple of the Kingdom of Heaven) is like a man, a master of his house, who brings both old and new things out of his treasures.’

⁵³ Now, when Jesus had finished explaining these illustrations, he left that area. ⁵⁴ And going to the place where he was raised, he started teaching in their synagogue. However, they were dumbfounded and asked, ‘Where did this man get such wisdom and powers? ⁵⁵ Isn’t he the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother called Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas? ⁵⁶ And his sisters… aren’t they all with us? Where did he get all these things?’

⁵⁷ So, they were trapped by him. But Jesus said, ‘A Prophet isn’t [treated] without honor, except in the area where he was raised and in his own home.’ ⁵⁸ And he didn’t do many powerful deeds there, because of their lack of faith.

Chapter 14

¹ It was about this time that the district ruler, Herod, heard about Jesus. ² And he said to his boys, ‘This is John the Baptist. He was raised from the dead, and this is why he can do such powerful things.’

³ Herod had arrested John and thrown him in prison because of his Brother Philip’s wife. ⁴ For John kept telling him: ‘It’s against the Law for you to have her.’ ⁵ And although [Herod] wanted to kill [John], he was afraid of the masses, because they believed he was a Prophet. ⁶ But during Herod’s birthday party, Herodias’ daughter danced, which pleased Herod so much ⁷ that he promised with an oath to give her anything she asked for. ⁸ So (with her mother’s coaching) she said, ‘Give me the head of John the Baptist on a platter.’

⁹ Well, the king was really saddened by this; but because he had given his word (and because of those who were eating at the table with him), [Herod] gave the command ¹⁰ and sent to have John beheaded in prison. ¹¹ Then, when his head was brought in on a platter, it was given to the young girl, and she took it to her mother.

¹² Later, [John’s] disciples came to get his body and buried him. Then they went back and reported this to Jesus. ¹³ And when Jesus heard about it, he took a boat to a quiet place where he could be alone. But when the crowds heard [where Jesus was going], they followed him on foot from the cities. ¹⁴ So, when he got there, he saw a huge crowd of people. And feeling sorry for them, he cured their sick.

¹⁵ Then that evening, [Jesus’] disciples came to him and said, ‘This is a remote place and it’s really late. Send the crowds away so they can go into the villages and buy something to eat!’

¹⁶ But Jesus replied, ‘They don’t have to go; you give them something to eat!’

¹⁷ However, [the disciples] answered, ‘All we have is five loaves [of bread] and two fish.’

¹⁸ Then he said, ‘Bring them to me.’

¹⁹ Next, he told the crowd to lie down on the grass. Then he took the five loaves and two fish, and looking up to heaven, he spoke a blessing, and then he broke the bread and handed it to the disciples, and the disciples distributed in to the crowds. ²⁰ So, all ate until they were full. And when they picked up the scraps, there were twelve baskets full. ²¹ Yet, almost five thousand men ate, not counting the women and children.

²² Then [Jesus] immediately sent the crowds away and had his disciples take the boat in order to go to the other side [of the sea] ahead of him. ²³ And once the crowds were gone, he went up the mountain to a private spot to pray. And although it was getting dark, he stayed there alone.

²⁴ Well, by then the boat was already a long way from land, and it was fighting the waves, because [a strong] wind was blowing against it. ²⁵ Then, [sometime before sunrise, Jesus] came to them, walking over the sea. ²⁶ And when they saw him walking on the sea, the disciples were terrified and said, ‘It’s a phantom!’ And they screamed in fear.

²⁷ But right away, Jesus told them, ‘Be brave… don’t be afraid, it’s me!’

²⁸ In reply, Peter said, ‘Lord; If it’s you, command me to come to you on top of the water!’

²⁹ So [Jesus] said, ‘Come!’

Then Peter got out of the boat and walked across the water toward Jesus. ³⁰ But he got distracted by the windstorm and became afraid, and then he started to sink and shouted, ‘Lord, save me!’

³¹ Immediately, Jesus reached out his hand and grabbed him, then said, ‘You with so little faith; Why did you start to doubt?’

³² And after they got into the boat, the windstorm subsided. ³³ Then the others in the boat bowed low to him, saying: ‘You really are God’s Son.’

³⁴ Finally, they finished the crossing and came to land in GenNesaret. ³⁵ There the men recognized him and sent word throughout the surrounding countryside, and people brought him all those who weren’t doing well. ³⁶ They all begged to just touch the fringes on his clothes. And everyone who touched them was made completely well.

Chapter 15

¹ Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem, to ask, ² ‘Why do your disciples overstep the traditions of the elders? For example, they don’t wash their hands before they eat bread.’

³ But [Jesus] asked, ‘Why is it that you overstep the Commands of God with your traditions? ⁴ God told you to honor your father and mother, and to have those who speak badly to their fathers or mothers be put to death! ⁵ Yet, you say: You may tell your father and mother that if they get any help from you, it will be a gift. ⁶ So, [what you are really saying] is that they shouldn’t honor their parents at all. And when you do this, you are voiding the Word of God with your traditions. ⁷ You hypocrites! How well Isaiah prophesied about you when he said, ⁸ These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me! ⁹ It’s a waste for them to keep worshiping Me, because they preach the teachings of men as commandments.’

¹⁰ With that, he called the crowds closer and said to them, ‘Listen and understand: ¹¹ It isn’t what goes into his mouth that dirty a man, it’s the things that come out of his mouth that pollute him!’

¹² Then the disciples came up and asked, ‘Don’t you know that the Pharisees were stumbled by what you said?’

¹³ But he replied, ‘Every plant that my heavenly Father didn’t plant will be uprooted. ¹⁴ So, let them go, for they’re blind guides; and if a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.’

¹⁵ Then Peter said, ‘Then explain that illustration to us.’

¹⁶ And [Jesus] asked, ‘Don’t you get the point? ¹⁷ Don’t you realize that whatever you put into your mouth goes into your belly and then into the sewer? ¹⁸ But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart… these are the things that dirty a man. ¹⁹ Because, out of the heart comes wicked thinking, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, thievery, false testimony, and blasphemy. ²⁰ These are the things that pollute a man! But eating with unwashed hands doesn’t dirty a man.’

²¹ Well, on leaving that place, Jesus next traveled up into areas of Tyre and Sidon. ²² And {Look!} a Phoenician woman who was there, came and started shouting, ‘Have mercy on me Lord, O Son of David, for my daughter is badly demonized.’

²³ However, [Jesus] wouldn’t answer her.

Then his disciples asked him to [do something for her], because ‘she keeps following us and shouting at us.’

²⁴ And he answered, ‘I wasn’t sent to [help] any of those, other than just the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’

²⁵ But when the woman came closer, she bowed low to [Jesus] and begged him, ‘Lord, help me!’

²⁶ So he said to her, ‘It isn’t right to take the children’s bread and throw it to the puppies.’

²⁷ But she replied, ‘Yes Lord; But aren’t puppies allowed to eat crumbs that fall from the tables of their masters?’

²⁸ Then Jesus answered, ‘O woman, you have a lot of faith. May it be as you wish.’ And her daughter was healed from that hour on.

²⁹ Well, going cross-country from there, Jesus traveled close to the Sea of Galilee. Here he climbed a mountain and sat down. ³⁰ Then large crowds came to him, bringing along people who were lame, injured, blind, and unable to speak (along with many others). They almost threw them at his feet, and he cured them. ³¹ So the crowds were amazed when they saw the speechless talking, the lame walking, and the blind seeing, and they praised the God of Israel.

³² Finally, Jesus called his disciples to him and said, ‘I feel sorry for the crowds, because they’ve stayed with me for three days and they don’t have anything to eat. I certainly don’t want to send them away hungry, because they might give out on the road!’

³³ However, the disciples asked: ‘Where are we going to get enough bread to satisfy this large a crowd in such a remote location?’

³⁴ And Jesus asked: ‘How many loaves do you have?’

They replied, ‘Seven, and a few little fish.’

³⁵ So, he told the crowd to lie down on the ground. ³⁶ Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and after offering thanks, broke them, gave them to the disciples, and the disciples in turn [gave them] to the crowd, ³⁷ and they all ate and were satisfied. And [afterward], they picked up seven full provision baskets of scraps. ³⁸ Yet, there were four thousand men, plus women and children, who ate!

³⁹ Finally, after sending the crowd away, he got into the boat and traveled to the area of Magadan.

Chapter 16

¹ Here the Pharisees and Sadducees came to [Jesus] and tried to tempt him by asking for a sign from heaven. ² --- ³ --- But he said,
⁴ ‘A wicked and adulterous generation,
Keeps on looking for signs,
But no sign will be given [to them],
Other than the sign of Jonah.’
And he just walked away, leaving them there.

⁵ Then, when the disciples got to the other side [of the sea], they [realized that they] had forgotten to bring along any bread. ⁶ So, when Jesus told them: ‘Keep your eyes open and watch out for the fermentation of the Pharisees and Sadducees,’ ⁷ they said to each other, ‘Why? We didn’t bring any bread along!’

⁸ Well, knowing this, Jesus said, ‘You with so little faith; Why are you talking about not having bread? ⁹ Don’t you get the point… don’t you remember how [we fed] five thousand [with just] five loaves, and how many baskets you picked up; ¹⁰ or how we fed four thousand with the other seven loaves, and how many provision baskets you picked up? ¹¹ So, why do you fail to recognize that I’m not talking to you about bread? [I’m telling you to] watch out for the fermentation of the Pharisees and Sadducees!’

¹² Well, with that, they [finally] realized that he wasn’t telling them to watch out for the fermentation in the bread, but for the teachings of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

¹³ Then, when he went to Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples, ‘Who are people saying the Son of Man is?’

¹⁴ And they replied, ‘Some say you’re John the Baptist, others EliJah, and still others say you are JeremiJah or one of the Prophets.’

¹⁵ And he asked, ‘But, who do you say that I am?’

¹⁶ And Simon Peter answered: ‘You’re the Anointed; the Son of the Living God.’

¹⁷ Then Jesus said to him, ‘You are blest, Simon, son of Jonah, because this wasn’t shown to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in the heavens.

¹⁸ ‘I also tell you this: You are Rock (Peter); but I will build my congregation on this bedrock so that the gates of the grave won’t overpower it. ¹⁹ I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in the heavens. And whatever you set free on the earth will be set free in the heavens.’

²⁰ Then he sternly warned the disciples not to tell anyone that he is the Anointed One. ²¹ And that’s when Jesus (the Anointed) started showing his disciples that he would have to go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at [the hands of] the elders, Chief Priests, and scribes. Then he would be killed, but [he would be] raised on the third day.

²² But Peter took him aside and started scolding him, saying, ‘Be kind to yourself Lord; this isn’t going to happen to you!’

²³Then [Jesus] turned and said to Peter, ‘Get behind me opposer! You’re a trap to me, because you aren’t thinking God’s thoughts, but those of men.’

²⁴ And Jesus said to his disciples, ‘If anyone wants to follow me, let him deny his own needs, pick up his impaling pole, and keep following me. ²⁵ For, whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. ²⁶ Why, what good does it do for a man to gain the whole world if he loses his life? Or what will a man give [to save] his life?

²⁷ ‘Now, the Son of Man is about to go into the glory of his Father and His messengers, and then he will repay each one for the things that they did. ²⁸ I tell you the truth; Some of you who are standing here won’t taste death until you see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom.’

Chapter 17

¹ Then, six days later, Jesus took along Peter, James, and John (the brother of James), and brought them to a private spot on a high mountain, ² where he changed form in front of them… his face became as bright as the sun and his clothes were as white as light. ³ And {Look!} they saw Moses and EliJah talking to [Jesus].

⁴ In reaction, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Lord, it’s good for us to be here! And if you want, I’ll erect three temporary structures; one for you, one for Moses, and one for EliJah.’

⁵ But as he spoke {Look!}, a bright cloud covered them and {Look!} a voice came out of the cloud, saying, This is my loved Son whom I’ve approve… listen to him!

⁶ Well, at hearing this, the disciples were frightened and they fell to their faces. ⁷ Then Jesus came over to them and touched them, saying, ‘Get up; don’t be afraid.’ ⁸ And when they looked up, they saw just Jesus by himself.

⁹ Then, as they walked down the mountain, Jesus came up and warned them saying: ‘Don’t tell anyone what you saw until after the Son of Man has been raised from the dead.’

¹⁰ Thereafter, these disciples asked him, ‘Why do the scribes say that EliJah must come first?’

¹¹ And he told them, ‘EliJah does indeed come, and he restores everything. ¹² However, I tell you that EliJah has already come and they didn’t recognize him, so they did whatever they wanted to him… and this is the same way that the Son of Man is about to suffer at their hands!’

¹³ And it was then that the disciples realized he was talking to them about John the Baptist.

¹⁴ Well, as they were approaching a crowd, a man came up to him, kneeled down, and said, ¹⁵ ‘Lord, have mercy on my son! He has epilepsy and often falls into the fire or into the water. ¹⁶ I brought him to your disciples, but they couldn’t cure him.’

¹⁷ Then Jesus said, ‘O faithless and twisted generation; How much longer must I be with you… how much longer will I have to put up with you? Bring him here to me!’ ¹⁸ So, Jesus scolded the demon and it came out, and the boy was cured from that hour on.

¹⁹ Later on, the disciples came to Jesus while he was alone and asked, ‘Why couldn’t we cast it out?’

²⁰ And he answered, ‘Because of your lack of faith! I tell you the truth; If your faith was the size of a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, Move from here to there, and it would go… nothing would be impossible for you!’

²¹ ——

²² Then, it was while they were all gathered in Galilee that Jesus said to them, ‘The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men ²³ who will kill him… but he will be raised the third day.’ And this made them all very sad.

²⁴ Well, after they arrived in CapharNaoum, the men collecting the double-silver [tax] came to Peter and asked, ‘Doesn’t your teacher pay the double-silver [tax]?’

²⁵ And he replied, ‘Yes.’

However, when he went into the house, Jesus was already ahead of him and asked, ‘What do you think, Simon; Who do the kings of the earth get their duties or head taxes from, their sons or from strangers?’

²⁶ And [Peter] answered, ‘From strangers.’

And Jesus said, ‘Then the sons are really tax-free! ²⁷ But, so that we don’t [become] a trap to them; go to the sea, cast out a hook, and take the first fish you catch. Then, when you open its mouth, you’ll find a coin. Take that and give it to them for both you and me.’

Chapter 18

¹ It was less than an hour later that the disciples came up to Jesus and asked, ‘Which [of us] will be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?’

² Then [Jesus] called a little boy over and stood him in their midst, ³ and said: ‘I tell you the truth; Unless you change your ways and become like little boys, you won’t get into the Kingdom of Heaven! ⁴ But, whoever humbles himself like this little boy is the one who will be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven. ⁵ And whoever welcomes such a little boy in my name, welcomes me. ⁶ But if anyone should set a trap for one of these little ones that believes in me; it would be better for him to have the type of millstone that’s turned by a burro hung around his neck, and then to be dropped into the open sea.

⁷ ‘Woe to this world because of its traps! Of course, traps will be there, but woe to the man who sets them! ⁸ If your hand or your foot traps you, cut it off and throw it away. For it’s better to enter life maimed or lame than to be thrown into the fire of the age with two hands or two feet. ⁹ Also, if your eye is a trap to you, tear it out and throw it away. For it’s better for you to enter life with one eye than to be thrown with two eyes into the fiery garbage dump.

¹⁰ ‘And make sure that you don’t dislike one of these little ones, because I tell you; Their messengers look on the face of my Father in the heavens throughout all time! ¹¹ ——

¹² ‘What do you think… if a man comes to have a hundred sheep and one of them strays, won’t he leave the ninety-nine --- and search for the one that strayed? ¹³ And if he happens to find it, I tell you; he’s happier over that one than over the ninety-nine which didn’t stray! ¹⁴ So, my Father in the heavens doesn’t want even one of these little ones to perish. ¹⁵ Therefore, if your brother should sin, take him aside and discuss it between you and him alone; and if he listens to you, you have gained your brother. ¹⁶ But if he doesn’t listen, bring along one or two others, so that whatever is said can be proven by the mouths of two or three witnesses. ¹⁷ And if he refuses to listen to them, then speak to the congregation. But if he refuses to listen to even the congregation, then let him become as a man of the nations or a tax collector to you.

¹⁸ ‘I tell you the truth; Everything that you make binding on earth will be bound in heaven. And everything that you set free on earth will be set free in heaven. ¹⁹ Again, I tell you truthfully; If two of you agree to anything on earth that you ever need to ask for, it will happen because of my Father in heaven. ²⁰ For, wherever two or three are gathered in my name, I will be there among them.

²¹ Then Peter came up to him and asked, ‘Lord, how many times am I required to forgive my brother when he sins against me… up to seven times?’

²² But Jesus replied, ‘I tell you; Not up to seven times, but up to seventy-seven times! ²³ To illustrate; The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man, a king, who wanted to settle some words with his slaves. ²⁴ So, he started by bringing in one who owed him ten thousand valuable silver coins. ²⁵ But because he couldn’t repay it, the master ordered that he, his wife, his children, and all the things that he owned were to be sold to make the payment. ²⁶ However, the slave fell down, bowing to his face before [the master], begging, Be patient with me and I’ll pay back everything that I owe!

²⁷ Well, moved to pity at this, the master forgave him and freed him from all his debt.

²⁸ ‘But that slave thereafter went out and found one of his fellow slaves who owed him just a hundred small coins. And he grabbed him and started choking him, saying: Pay back everything that you owe me!

²⁹ ‘Well, the fellow slave fell down and started begging him, saying, Be patient with me and I’ll pay you back.

³⁰ ‘However, he wasn’t willing; so he had him thrown in jail until he could pay everything he owed.

³¹ ‘And when all the other slaves saw this, they became very upset; so they went and told their master what had happened. ³² Then his master summoned him and said, Wicked slave; I canceled all that debt for you because you begged me. ³³ So, why didn’t you see the need to show the same type of mercy to your fellow slave that I showed for you? ³⁴ And the master became so furious that he had him taken off to jail until he could repay all that he owed. ³⁵ This is how my heavenly Father will deal with you if you don’t forgive your brothers from your hearts.’

Chapter 19

¹ Well, when Jesus had finished saying these things, he left Galilee and traveled to the Judean border across the Jordan River, ² and huge crowds followed along, and he cured them there. ³ However, the Pharisees came to test him, asking, ‘Is it legal for a man to release his wife on just any sort of grounds?’

⁴ And [Jesus] replied: ‘Didn’t you read that the One who created them long ago made them male and female, ⁵ and said, This is the reason why a man will leave his father and mother and stick to his wife, because the two will be one flesh? ⁶ So, they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore, what God has put together under the same yoke shouldn’t be separated by any man!’

⁷ Then they asked, ‘So, why did Moses say that we could give her a divorce certificate and dismiss her?’

⁸ And he answered: ‘Moses, realizing how hardhearted you are, allowed that you would divorce your wives. But it hasn’t always been that way! ⁹ I tell you that; Whoever divorces his wife (except on the grounds of sexual infidelity) and marries another, is an adulterer!’

¹⁰ Then his disciples said to him, ‘If this is true of a man and his wife, it’s best not to marry!’

¹¹ And he replied, ‘This is something that not every man can do… just those who have the gift. ¹² Because, there are eunuchs who were born that way, eunuchs who were made that way by men, and those who have made themselves eunuchs for the Kingdom of Heaven. Let those who can make room for it, make room for it!’

¹³ Then [people] started bringing their young children to him, so he could lay his hands on them and offer a prayer… but the disciples scolded them. ¹⁴ However, Jesus said: ‘Leave the children alone and don’t stop them from coming to me, because the Kingdom of Heaven is for people like this!’ ¹⁵ And after he laid his hands on them, he traveled on.

¹⁶ Now, {Look!} a person came up and asked, ‘Teacher, what sort of good things must I do to get life in the age?’

¹⁷ And [Jesus] replied, ‘Why do you ask me about doing good things? There’s just One who is truly good. But if you want to enter into life, just obey the Commandments!’

¹⁸ Then [the man] asked, ‘Which ones?’

And Jesus replied: ‘Why, you must not murder; you must not commit adultery; you must not steal; you must not give false testimony; ¹⁹ honor [your] father and mother; and you must love your neighbor as [you love] yourself.’

²⁰ Then the young man said to him, ‘Why, I’ve kept all these things… so what else am I lacking?’

²¹ And Jesus said to him: ‘If you want to be perfect, go sell your belongings and give to the poor; then come be my follower, and you will have treasures in heaven.’

²² But after the young man heard this, he left very sad, because he owned many things.

²³ Then Jesus said to his disciples: ‘I tell you the truth; It will be difficult for a rich man to get into the Kingdom of Heaven. ²⁴ Let me put it this way; It’s easier [to thread] a rope through the eye of a needle than it is for a rich man to get into the Kingdom of God.’

²⁵ Well, the disciples were very surprised at hearing this, and they asked, ‘Then, who can really be saved?’

²⁶ And looking them straight in the face, Jesus said, ‘With men this is impossible, but all things are possible with God.’

²⁷ Then Peter said to him: ‘Look, we’ve left everything and followed you. So, what will we really get?’

²⁸ And Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth; In the rebirth – when the Son of Man sits down on his glorious throne – you who have followed me will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹ And everyone who has left houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or children, or lands for the sake of my name, will receive many times more, and they will inherit life in the age. ³⁰ But, many that are first will be last, and the last will be first.

Chapter 20

¹ ‘For, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a man, the master of his house, who went out very early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. ² And when he agreed with the workers on one silver coin per day, he sent them out to work in his field. ³ But when he went out again (about the third hour), he saw others standing around unemployed in the marketplace. ⁴ So he said, You go into the vineyard also, and I’ll pay you whatever is fair. ⁵ And off they went.

‘Then he went out again about the sixth and the ninth hours and did the same thing. ⁶ And finally (about the eleventh hour), he went out and found more workers standing around, and he asked them, Why have you been standing here all day long unemployed?

⁷ ‘And they answered, Because nobody has hired us.

‘So he said to them: You go into the vineyard also.

⁸ ‘Then that evening, the master of the vineyard said to his man in charge: Call all the workers and pay them their wages. However, proceed from the last to the first.

⁹ ‘Well, [after] the eleventh-hour, the men came in and they were each [paid] a silver coin. ¹⁰ So, when it came time [to pay] the first, they figured that they would be getting more… but they were also paid a [single] silver coin. ¹¹ And as they were receiving it, they started complaining about the master, ¹² saying: These last ones just put in one hour’s work; but you paid them the same as those of us who worked all day long in the burning heat!

¹³ ‘And in reply to one of them, [the master] said: Man, I haven’t done you any wrong! Didn’t we agree on one silver coin? ¹⁴ Take what is yours and go. I paid the last ones the same as you, because I wanted to! ¹⁵ Isn’t it legal for me to do whatever I want with my own things? Or are you looking at things in a wicked way because I am good?

¹⁶ ‘So, the last will be first and the first will be last.’

¹⁷ Then, starting on the road to Jerusalem, Jesus took the twelve disciples off privately and explained this to them: ¹⁸ ‘Look, we’re going up to Jerusalem where the Son of Man will be betrayed to the Chief Priests and scribes, and they will condemn him to death. ¹⁹ Then they will hand him over to the ethnics, who will make fun of him, whip him, and impale him. But on the third day, he will be raised!’

²⁰ Well, afterward, the mother of the sons of ZebediOu came to him with her sons, and she bowed low as if to request something. ²¹ So he asked her, ‘What do you want?’

And she said, ‘Give the word that my two sons will sit, one at your right hand and one on your left, in your Kingdom.’

²² But Jesus replied: ‘You don’t know what you’re asking… can you drink from the cup that I’m about to drink?’

And they answered: ‘We can.’

²³ So he said to them: ‘You will indeed drink my cup! But, sitting at my right hand and left hand isn’t mine to give… it belongs to those for whom my Father has prepared it.’

²⁴ Then, when the ten other [disciples] heard about this, they were irritated at the two brothers. ²⁵ But Jesus called them all to him and said, ‘You know how the rulers of the nations like to be masters over [the people] and subdue them; ²⁶ You shouldn’t be like that! But, whoever wants to be great among you must be your servant, ²⁷ and whoever wants to be first among you must be your slave. ²⁸ Why, this is how the Son of Man came… not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.’

²⁹ Well, as they were leaving Jericho, there was a large crowd following him. ³⁰ And {Look!} when two blind men that were sitting alongside the road heard that Jesus was passing by, they shouted: ‘Lord; Have mercy on us, Son of David!’ ³¹ However, whe the crowd told them to be quiet, they shouted even louder: ‘Lord; Have mercy on us, Son of David!’

³² So Jesus stopped, and then called them over and asked, ‘What do you want me to do for you?’

³³ And they replied: ‘Lord; We want you to open our eyes!’

³⁴ So, moved with pity, Jesus touched their eyes, and immediately they were able to see, and they started following him.

Chapter 21

¹ Well, when they got close to Jerusalem and arrived at BethPhage on the Mount of Olives, Jesus sent two disciples ahead, ² telling them, ‘Go to the village, the one that’s across from us, and you will immediately find a burro that’s tied with its colt. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ And if anyone says anything, just say that the Lord needs them, and he will immediately send them with you.’

⁴ The reason why this happened is so the thing spoken through the Prophet might be fulfilled,
⁵ ‘Tell this to the daughter of Zion
Look! Your King is coming to you!
[He’s] gentle and comes riding the colt of a burro;
The son of an animal that labors.’

⁶ So, the disciples went and did just as Jesus told them. ⁷ They brought the burro and its colt, put a robe [over the back of the colt], and he sat on it. ⁸ And most of the crowd also spread their robes on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ Then, part of the crowd walked ahead of him and those who followed behind were shouting: ‘[God] save the Son of David! Praise the one who comes in Jehovah’s Name… may [God] in the highest places save him!’

¹⁰ Well, when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up [as people asked], ‘Who is this?’

¹¹ But the crowd [that was with Jesus] answered, ‘He’s Jesus, the Prophet from Nazareth of Galilee!’

¹² Then Jesus went into the Temple and threw out all those who were buying and selling there, and he overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the benches of those who were selling doves. ¹³ He told them, ‘It’s written, My house will be called a house of prayer, but you’re making it a den of thieves!’

¹⁴ Then people who were blind and lame came to him in the Temple, and he cured them. ¹⁵ But when the Chief Priests and scribes saw the wonderful things he was doing, and the children who were shouting in the Temple, ‘[God] save the Son of David,’ they became very upset ¹⁶ and said, ‘Do you hear what they’re saying?’

And Jesus replied, ‘Yes! Haven’t you ever read this: You’ve provided praise from the mouths of infants and babies.’ ¹⁷ And leaving them, he walked out of the city and went to BethAny, where he spent the night.

¹⁸ Then on the way back to the city early the next morning, he felt hungry ¹⁹ and he saw a fig tree by the road. But when he walked over to it, he found nothing on it but leaves. So he said: ‘Let no fruit come from you anymore through the rest of the age.’ And the fig tree withered instantly.

²⁰ Well, when the disciples saw this, they wondered, ‘How can a fig tree wither instantly?’

²¹ And Jesus told them: ‘I tell you the truth; If you have faith (and you must not doubt), not only will you do what I did to the fig tree, but you could say to this mountain, Lift up and be thrown into the sea, and it will happen… ²² you will receive anything you ask for in prayer, if you have faith.’

²³ Now, after going into the Temple, the Chief Priests and the peoples’ elders came up to him as he was teaching and asked, ‘Where did you get the authority to do these things… and just who gave you that authority?’

²⁴ In reply, Jesus said: ‘Let me ask you something, and if you answer me, then I’ll tell you where I got the authority to do these things. ²⁵ What was the source of John’s baptizing… did it come from heaven or from men?’

So they started reasoning among themselves and were saying: ‘If we answer, from heaven, he’ll ask us, Then why didn’t you believe him? ²⁶ But if we say from men, we will have the crowd to fear, because they think John was a Prophet.’ ²⁷ So they told Jesus, ‘We don’t know.’

And he told them: ‘Then, I’m not going to tell you where I got the authority to do the things that I’m doing.

²⁸ ‘What do you think? There was a man who had two children. He went to the first one and said, Son, go work in the vineyard today. ²⁹ This one answered, Yes sir! But he didn’t [do it]. ³⁰ Then [the man] went to the second son and said the same thing. But he replied, I don’t want to. Yet, later he felt sorry [for what said] and went out [to work in the vineyard]. ³¹ Now, which of the two did what their father wanted?’

And they replied, ‘The second one.’

Then Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you the truth; Tax collectors and whores are going ahead of you into the Kingdom of God, ³² because John came to you [preaching] the ways of righteousness, but you didn’t believe him. However, tax collectors and whores believed him… and although you saw this, you didn’t feel sorry later and start believing him.

³³ ‘Listen to another illustration: There was a man – the master of his house – who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, built a tower [to protect it], and hired [people to] cultivate it; then he traveled abroad. ³⁴ Well, when the [harvest] season came around, he sent his slaves to the farmers to get the fruit. ³⁵ However, the farmers took his slaves and beat one up, threw stones at the next, and killed the third one. ³⁶ Then he sent other slaves (more than the first), but they did the same to these.

³⁷ ‘Finally, he sent his son to them, saying, They will respect my son.

³⁸ But when they saw the son, the farmers said, This is the heir! Let’s kill him and get his inheritance! ³⁹ So they grabbed him and threw him out of the vineyard, then killed him.

⁴⁰ ‘Now, when the owner of the vineyard arrives, what will he do to those farmers?’

⁴¹ And they replied: ‘Because they’re so bad, he’ll destroy them painfully, and then hire others to cultivate the vineyard who’ll give him the fruit when it’s due.’

⁴² And Jesus said to them, ‘Didn’t you ever read in the Scriptures, The stone that the builders rejected has become the head of the corner… and it’s a wonderful thing in our eyes? ⁴³ This is why I tell you; The Kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that produces its fruit. ⁴⁴ For, the person who falls on this stone will be shattered, and anyone it falls on will be smashed!’

⁴⁵ Now, when the Chief Priests and the Pharisees heard these illustrations, they realized that he was talking about them. ⁴⁶ But, although they were looking to grab him, they were afraid of the masses, because they viewed him as a Prophet.

Chapter 22

¹ Then Jesus gave them another illustration: ² ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like a man… a king, who arranged a wedding banquet for his son. ³ Then he sent his slaves to call those who were invited. However, they didn’t want to come.

⁴ ‘Again he sent other slaves, saying, Tell those I invited that {Look!} the dinner is prepared, bulls and fattened animals have been slaughtered, and everything is ready, so come to the banquet! ⁵ But, nobody paid any attention. One went out to his field, another to his business, ⁶ and the rest grabbed his slaves, abused them, and then killed them.

⁷ ‘This sent the king into a rage, so he sent his army to destroy the murderers and burn their city. ⁸ Then he told his slaves: The marriage feast is indeed ready, but those who I invited weren’t worthy. ⁹ So, go to the roads leading out of the city and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet!

¹⁰ ‘Then the slaves went out to the roads and gathered everyone they could find (both the wicked and the good), and the wedding hall was filled with those reclining at the tables.

¹¹ But, when the king came in to inspect the guests, he saw a man who wasn’t properly dressed for a wedding. ¹² So he asked him, How did you get in here [dressed like that]?

‘Well, the man was speechless. ¹³ Then the king said to his servants, Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside into the darkness. There is where he will cry and grind his teeth. ¹⁴ For, many are the called, but few are the chosen.’

¹⁵ Then the Pharisees all went off to hold a meeting [to discuss ways to] trap [Jesus] in his speech. ¹⁶ So they sent some of their disciples and some of the followers of Herod to ask him, ‘Teacher, we know that you tell the truth, and what you teach about the way of God is right. And we know that you aren’t overly impressed by anyone, because you don’t look at what men seem to be on the outside. ¹⁷ So, tell us what you think; Is it right for us to pay a head tax to Caesar, or not?’

¹⁸ But Jesus (knowing their wickedness) said, ‘Why are you testing me, hypocrites? ¹⁹ Show me the coin that you pay the head tax with.’

So, they brought him a silver coin, ²⁰ and he asked them: ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’

²¹ And they replied: ‘Caesar’s.’

Then he said to them: ‘Give Caesar’s things to Caesar, but God’s things to God.’

²² Well, when they heard that, they were bewildered. So they left him and went away.

²³ It was on that same day that the Sadducees (who don’t believe in a resurrection) approached [Jesus] and asked, ²⁴ ‘Teacher; Moses said that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the wife and sire [children] for his brother. ²⁵ Now, let’s say there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without having [children], leaving his wife to his brother. ²⁶ The same thing happened to the second, and the third, until [she had gone] through all seven. ²⁷ Finally, the woman died. ²⁸ So, to which of the seven will she be married in the resurrection, because they all had her?’

²⁹ And Jesus replied: ‘This is why you’re headed in the wrong direction, for you don’t understand the Scriptures or the power of God. ³⁰ In the resurrection, men won’t marry, nor will women be given in marriage, but they are like the messengers in heaven. ³¹ Haven’t you read what God told you about the resurrection of the dead [when he said], ³² I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He isn’t the God of the dead, but of the living!’

³³ Well, upon hearing that, the crowds were amazed by his teachings.

³⁴ And after the Pharisees heard how he had muzzled the Sadducees, they came to him as a group. ³⁵ And one of them (who was well versed in the Law) asked (to test him), ³⁶ ‘Teacher, which is the greatest Commandment of the Law?’

³⁷ And he replied: You must love Jehovah your God with your whole heart, life, and mind. ³⁸ This is the first and the greatest Commandment. ³⁹ The second, like it, is: You must love your neighbor as yourself. ⁴⁰ These two commandments are the basis of the whole Law and the Prophets.’

⁴¹ Then, while the Pharisees were all there in front of him, Jesus asked, ⁴² ‘What do you believe about the Anointed One… whose son is he?’

And they replied, ‘David’s.’

⁴³ So he said: ‘Then, why did David (through the Breath [of God]) call him Lord, saying, ⁴⁴ Jehovah said to my Lord; Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet? ⁴⁵ So, if David called him Lord, how could he be his son?’

⁴⁶ And nobody was able to say a word in reply to him, nor did anyone dare to ask him any more questions from that day on.

Chapter 23

¹ Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and his disciples, saying, ² ‘The scribes and Pharisees have put themselves in the seat of Moses. ³ So, do everything they tell you to do… yes, do and pay attention! But don’t do what they do, because they talk but they don’t perform. ⁴ They assemble heavy packages and lay them on men’s shoulders, but they aren’t willing to budge them with a finger.

⁵ ‘Everything they do is just done to be seen by men. For they broaden the [scripture-carrying] cases they wear and make the fringes [on their clothes] longer; ⁶ they like the first place at meals and [to sit in] the front seats in the synagogue; ⁷ and they like to be greeted in the markets and to have people call them Rabbi. ⁸ But not you! Don’t [have people] call you rabbi, for you have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. ⁹ So, don’t address anyone on earth as Father, because there’s just One who is your Father, the Heavenly One. ¹⁰ Nor should you be called leaders, for you have but one Leader, the Anointed One. ¹¹ However, the greatest among you must be your servant. ¹² For, whoever promotes himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be promoted.

¹³ ‘Woe to you scribes and Pharisees – hypocrites – because you block out the Kingdom of heaven before men, but you don’t enter it, and you don’t allow others who are on their way to enter it. ¹⁴ —— ¹⁵ Woe to you scribes and Pharisees – hypocrites – because you travel land and sea to make a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of the garbage dump as yourselves!

¹⁶ ‘Woe to you blind guides who say, If anyone swears an oath by the Temple, it’s nothing. But if they swear by the gold in the Temple, the oath is binding. ¹⁷ Morons and blind men! Which is really greater, the gold, or the Temple that makes the gold holy?

¹⁸ ‘You also say, If anyone swears an oath by the Altar, it’s nothing. But if anyone swears by the gift on [the Altar], the oath is binding. ¹⁹ Blind men! Which is really greater, the gift, or the Altar that makes the gift holy? ²⁰ Those who swear an oath by the Altar are swearing by it and by everything that’s on it; ²¹ those who swear an oath by the Temple are swearing by the One who lives there; ²² and those who swear an oath by heaven are swearing by the throne of God and by the One who sits on it!

²³ ‘Woe to you scribes and Pharisees – hypocrites – because [when you tithe], you even contribute a tenth of [your herbs, such as] mint, dill, and cumin; but you ignore the deeper things of the Law, like justice, mercy, and faithfulness. Yes, you should do those things also… in addition to the rest. ²⁴ [You are] blind guides who strain out the weevils but swallow camels!

²⁵ ‘Woe to you scribes and Pharisees – hypocrites – because you clean just the outsides of cups and dishes that are filled with theft and excesses on the inside. ²⁶ Blind Pharisees; First clean the insides of the cups and dishes, and then the outsides can also be clean!

²⁷ ‘Woe to you scribes and Pharisees – hypocrites – because you’re like whitewashed graves that look beautiful on the outside, but are full of dead men’s bones and every sort of filth on the inside… ²⁸ you look like righteous men on the outside, but inside you’re full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

²⁹ ‘Woe to you scribes and Pharisees – hypocrites – because you build places to bury dead Prophets and decorate the tombs of the righteous, ³⁰ then say, If we had lived back in the days of our forefathers, we wouldn’t have shared in [spilling] the blood of the Prophets. ³¹ But when you say this, you testify against yourselves that you are the sons of those who murdered the Prophets… ³² and now, fully measure up to your ancestors!

³³ ‘Snakes and children of vipers; How can you escape the judgment of the garbage dump? ³⁴ Look! I’m sending you Prophets, wise men, and writers, whom you will kill; and you’ll hang some on poles, while you’ll whip others in your synagogues and persecute them from city to city. ³⁵ And then you will become responsible for all the righteous blood that was spilled on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of ZechariJah (the son of BarachiJah), whom you murdered between the Holy Place and the Altar. ³⁶ I tell you the truth; All that [guilt] will be laid on this generation!

³⁷ ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… you killer of Prophets and stoner of those who were sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you didn’t want it. ³⁸ Look! Your house has been taken from you! ³⁹ I tell you the truth; You won’t see me again until you say, Praise him who comes in the Name of the Lord!

Chapter 24

¹ Well, as Jesus was walking along (after leaving the Temple), his disciples came up to him, and they were pointing admiringly toward the Temple buildings. ² Then he said to them: ‘Do you see all these things? I tell you the truth; There won’t be a stone left on top of a stone here that won’t be thrown down.’

³ Then, while he was sitting in a quiet spot on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him and asked, ‘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?’

⁴ And Jesus answered: ‘Watch out that no one misleads you, ⁵ for many will come in my name, saying, I’m the Anointed, and many will stray.

⁶ ‘You will hear of wars and reports about wars, but don’t be frightened, for all of these things must happen… but the end is yet to come. ⁷ For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom [will rise] against kingdom, and there’ll be famines and shakings in many places. ⁸ But all these things are just the start of the birth pains.’

⁹ ‘Then people will deliver you to hard times and they’ll kill you. For, you’ll be hated by all nations because of my name. ¹⁰ Many will be stumbled, they’ll hand each other over, and they’ll even dislike one other. ¹¹ False prophets will come and mislead many, ¹² and because of the increasing lawlessness, the love of most will cool off… ¹³ but he who endures to the end will be saved.

¹⁴ ‘However, this good news of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the earth as a witness to the nations… and then the end will come.

¹⁵ ‘So, when you see the disgusting destroyer (which was spoken of through Daniel the Prophet) standing in the Holy Place (let the reader understand), ¹⁶ those in Judea should flee to the mountains. ¹⁷ The man who is standing on his roof shouldn’t go down to remove things from his house, ¹⁸ and the man who is standing in his field shouldn’t return to get his clothes.

¹⁹ ‘Woe to those who are pregnant and those who are nursing babies in those days… ²⁰ keep praying that your time to run doesn’t come in the winter or on a Sabbath. ²¹ Because, then there will come a difficult time such as hasn’t happened from the beginning until now, nor should ever happen again. ²² And if those days aren’t cut short, no one will be saved. But those days will be shortened, for the sake of the elected.

²³ ‘Then, if any should say, {Look!} Here (or there) is the Anointed, don’t believe it. ²⁴ Because, false anointed and false prophets will arise, and they’ll perform great omens and signs to mislead (if possible) even the elected!

²⁵ ‘Now, I’ve warned you; ²⁶ So, if people should say, Look! He’s there in the desert, don’t go there; or Look! He’s there in the storehouse, don’t believe it. ²⁷ For as lightning flashes ‘cross the sky from the east to the west; that’s how you’ll know the Son of Man is near… ²⁸ the vultures will gather at the carcass.

²⁹ ‘In the days which follow that difficult time, the sun will grow dark and the moon will not light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. ³⁰ Then the Son of Man’s sign will appear in the sky, and all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in grief, when they see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky with great power and glory. ³¹ Then he’ll send his messengers [blowing] loud trumpets, and collect his elected from the four winds… from one end of the sky to the other.

³² ‘Now, learn this point from the story of the fig tree:
When its young branches grow tender,
And it starts putting out leaves,
You know that summer is near.
³³ Likewise, when you see all of these things, know that he’s near… at the doors! ³⁴ I tell you the truth; That generation will not pass away until all these things have happened. ³⁵ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away!

³⁶ ‘No one knows the day or the hour… not the messengers of heaven or the Son (just the Father). ³⁷ For, the same as it was in Noah’s day, is how it will be when the Son of Man is near. ³⁸ Why, [people] in those days (before the downpour) were feeding themselves and drinking, marrying and being taken in marriage, right up to the day when Noah entered the Chest… ³⁹ they were unaware ‘til [the day of] the downpour, and then it swept them all away. That’s how it will also be when the Son of Man is nearby.

⁴⁰ ‘Then two men will be in a field; one will be taken and the other abandoned. ⁴¹ Two --- will be grinding at a mill; one will be taken and the other abandoned. ⁴² So, [you should all] stay awake, for you don't know the day that your Lord will arrive.

⁴³ ‘I want you to recognize this: If the master of the house would have known in what watch the thief would be coming, he would have stayed awake and not allowed his house to be broken into. ⁴⁴ So, prove yourself always ready; for the Son of Man will arrive at a time when he isn’t expected.

⁴⁵ ‘Who really is the faithful and sensible slave that the master has put in charge of his servants to give them their meals at proper times? ⁴⁶ The slave will be blest if he’s found doing so, when his master arrives. ⁴⁷ I tell you the truth; He will put him in charge of all his possessions!

⁴⁸ But if that bad slave should say in his heart, My master is taking his time, ⁴⁹ and he starts beating his fellow slaves, and eating and drinking with the drunkards, ⁵⁰ that slave’s master will arrive on a day and hour that he doesn’t expect. ⁵¹ Then he’ll cut him down, and assign him among the hypocrites… and that’s where he’ll weep and grind his teeth.’

Chapter 25

¹ ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like ten virgins who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom and his bride. ² Five were wise, but five just didn’t care. ³ Those who didn’t care brought their lamps, but they failed to bring any oil, ⁴ while the wise brought jars of oil for their lamps.

⁵ ‘Well, as the bridegroom was taking his time, they all nodded off and went to sleep. ⁶ But in the middle of the night someone shouted, Look, it’s the bridegroom… [let us all] go to meet him!

⁷ ‘Then all the virgins got up and started preparing their lamps. ⁸ But those who didn’t care said to the wise, Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are about to go out!

⁹ ‘However, the wise replied, There probably isn’t enough for us all, so you’d best go to the store to buy your own.

¹⁰ And as they were leaving, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready entered the banquet along with him… then the door was closed.

¹¹ ‘Later, the other virgins arrived and said, Lord! Lord! Open to us!

¹² ‘But in reply he told them: I tell you the truth; I don’t know you.

¹³ ‘So stay awake, for you don’t know the day or the hour!

¹⁴ ‘It’s [the same] as when a man was about to travel abroad, and he called his slaves to entrust his belongings to them. ¹⁵ To one he gave five [silver] coins; to another he gave just two; and to another he gave just one (each according to his ability), and thereafter he traveled abroad. ¹⁶ Immediately, the one who got five, went out and put them to work, gaining five more of the coins. ¹⁷ The same was true of the slave who got two; he gained two more. ¹⁸ But [the slave] who received just one, went and dug a hole in the ground, and it was there that he buried his master’s silver.

¹⁹ ‘Well, after some time, the master of those slaves [finally] returned, and he called for an accounting. ²⁰ So, the one who’d received the five coins came forward, carrying the five more and said: Master, You gave me five coins, and see; I’ve gained you five more!

²¹ ‘Then his master told him: Well done, good and faithful slave! You have been faithful in a few things, so I will appoint you over many… enjoy the favor of your master!

²² ‘Next, the one who received the two coins came forward and said to his master: Master, You gave me two coins, and see; I’ve gained you two more!

²³ ‘And his master said to him: You’ve done well, my good and faithful slave! You were faithful over a few things, so I will appoint you over many… share in the joy of your master!

²⁴ ‘Finally, the [slave] who was given the one coin came up to his master and said: Master, I know that you’re a hard man, reaping where you don’t sow, and harvesting where you don’t plant. ²⁵ And because I was afraid, I hid your coin in the ground. Now, see; I give you what is yours!

²⁶ ‘In reply, his master then said: O you wicked and lazy slave; So you knew that I reap where I don’t sow, and harvest where I don’t plant, do you? ²⁷ Then you should have deposited my silver with the bankers, and when I returned, I would have received what is mine with interest! ²⁸ So, take the coin away, and give it to the one who has ten coins. ²⁹ Because, more will be given to all those who have; and then they will have plenty. But all will be taken from those who don’t have. ³⁰ Now, throw this useless slave in the darkness outside! That’s where he’ll weep and grind his teeth!

³¹ ‘When the Son of Man arrives in his glory, along with all of the messengers, he’ll sit down on his glorious throne ³² and all nations will be led before him. Then he’ll separate the people, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ And he’ll put the sheep on his right, but the goats on his left. ³⁴ Then the king will say to those on his right: Come, you who’ve been praised by my Father; Inherit the Kingdom that’ s been prepared for you since the founding of the world. ³⁵ For, when I was hungry you fed me, and when I was thirsty, you gave me something to drink. When I was a stranger, you took me in, ³⁶ and when I was naked, you clothed me. When I was sick, you looked after me, and when I was in prison, you came to me.

³⁷ ‘Then the righteous will ask, Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and take you in, or naked and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison, and come to your [aid]?

⁴⁰ ‘And the king will say: I tell you the truth; When you did it for the least of my brothers, you also did it for me.’

⁴¹ ‘Then he will say to those on his left: Leave me, O you who’ve been cursed into the fire of the age that was prepared for the Opposer and his messengers. ⁴² For, when I was hungry, you didn’t feed me. When I was thirsty, you gave me nothing to drink. ⁴³ When I was a stranger, you didn’t take me in. When I was naked, you didn’t clothe me. And when I was sick and in prison, you didn’t come to my aid.

⁴⁴ ‘Then they also will ask, Lord, when did we see you hungry, or thirsty, or a stranger; or naked, or sick, or in prison, and not serve your needs?

⁴⁵ ‘And he will answer: I tell you the truth; When you didn’t do it for one of these least ones, you didn’t do it for me.

⁴⁶ ‘Then they’ll leave to be cut off [through] the ages, but the righteous into ages of life.’

Chapter 26

¹ Now, when Jesus had finished saying all these things, he told his disciples: ² ‘You know that the Passover will be here in just two days, and the Son of Man is going to be betrayed and hung on a pole.’

³ Then the Chief Priests and the peoples’ elders gathered in the courtyard of the High Priest (who was called CaiAphas) ⁴ to discuss sneaky ways to grab Jesus and kill him. ⁵ However, they decided not [to do it] at the festival, because that would have created a commotion among the people.

⁶ Well, while Jesus was in BethAny, at the house of Simon the leper, ⁷ a woman carrying an expensive alabaster case of perfumed oil came to him as he lay in a reclined position, and she started pouring it over his head. ⁸ But when the disciples saw that, they were irritated and asked, ‘Why all this waste? ⁹ We could have sold this for a lot [of money] and given it to the poor!’

¹⁰ Being aware of this, Jesus said to them, ‘Why are you bothering this woman? She did a good thing for me! ¹¹ You’ll always have the poor, but you won’t always have me. ¹² When this woman poured the oil on my body, she did it to prepare me for my burial. ¹³ And I tell you the truth; Wherever this good news is preached in the entire world, what this woman did will be told in memory of her.’

¹⁴ Then, one of the twelve (the one called Judas IsCariot) went to the Chief Priests ¹⁵ and asked, ‘What will you give me if I betray him to you?’ And they arranged to give him thirty silver coins. ¹⁶ So from that point on, he kept looking for a good opportunity to betray him.

¹⁷ It was on the first day of No Fermentation that the disciples came to Jesus and asked, ‘Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?’

¹⁸ And he said: ‘Go into the city to (a certain person), and tell him that the Teacher says, My appointed time is near, so I will celebrate the Passover with my disciples in your home.’ ¹⁹ Then the disciples did just as Jesus ordered and got things ready for the Passover.

²⁰ It was that evening, while [Jesus] was reclining at the table ²¹ eating with the twelve disciples, that he said: ‘I tell you the truth; One of you will betray me.’

²² And deeply saddened at this, they all asked him, ‘Lord, it isn’t me, is it?’

²³ And he answered, ‘One who has dipped his hand in this bowl with me will betray me. ²⁴ It’s true; The Son of Man is going to be buried, just as it was written about him. But woe to the one through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for him if he had never been born!’

²⁵ Then Judas (the one who was about to betray him) asked, ‘That isn’t what I am, is it Rabbi?’

And [Jesus] replied, ‘You said it yourself.’

²⁶ Then, as they ate, Jesus took a loaf, and after giving thanks, broke it and gave it to the disciples saying: ‘Take some and eat it, because this is my body.’ ²⁷ He also took a cup [of wine], and after giving thanks, gave it to them saying, ‘All of you drink from it, ²⁸ because this is my blood of the New Sacred Agreement, which will be poured out for many to forgive [their] sins. ²⁹ But I tell you that I definitely won’t drink of this product of the vine anymore, until that day when I will drink it new with you in the Kingdom of my Father.’

³⁰ Finally, after singing songs of praise, they went out to the Mount of Olives.

³¹ [It was there that] Jesus said to them: ‘All of you will be stumbled [by what will happen to] me tonight, because it’s written: I will beat the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered. ³² But after I wake up, I will go ahead of you into Galilee.’

³³ However, Peter said to him: ‘Although all the others may be stumbled, I’ll never be trapped!’

³⁴ Then Jesus said: ‘I tell you the truth; Before a rooster crows tonight, you will have denied knowing me three times.’

³⁵ But Peter said: ‘Even if I have to die with you, I’ll never deny knowing you!’ And all the other disciples said the same thing.

³⁶ Then Jesus went with them to the spot called GethSemane (the Olive Press), and he told his disciples: ‘Sit here while I go over there to pray.’

³⁷ And taking along Peter and the two sons of ZebediOu, he became very sad and deeply disturbed. ³⁸ Then he said to them: ‘My soul is sad to the point of death, so wait here, and stay awake with me.’ ³⁹ And going a little way forward, he fell to his face praying and said, ‘My Father; If it’s possible, let this cup pass from me; however, not my will, but Yours.’

⁴⁰ Then, when he returned to the disciples, he found them sleeping, and he asked Peter, ‘Aren’t you strong enough to stay awake with me for just one hour? ⁴¹ Stay awake and pray that you won’t be put to the test! Indeed, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.’

⁴² So, he went off and prayed a second time, saying: ‘My Father; If this can’t pass and I have to drink it, then may Your will be done.’ ⁴³ And he returned to find them sleeping again, because their eyes were heavy.

⁴⁴ So, he left them and went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. ⁴⁵ Then he came back to the disciples and told them: ‘Here you are resting and sleeping… and look! The time has come when the Son of Man will be handed over to sinners. ⁴⁶ Get up… let’s go! Look! Here comes my betrayer!’

⁴⁷ And while he was still speaking, {Look!} Judas (one of the twelve) came with a large mob of Priests and elders who were all carrying swords and clubs!

⁴⁸ Now, the betrayer gave them a sign to watch for. He said, ‘Whoever I kiss is the one… grab him!’ ⁴⁹ And going straight up to Jesus, he greeted him with the words, ‘Rejoice, Rabbi!’ and kissed him tenderly.

⁵⁰ But Jesus said to him: ‘Man, just why are you here?’

Then [some of the mob] came up, laid their hands on Jesus, and grabbed him. ⁵¹ But {Look!} someone who was there with Jesus reached and unsheathed his sword, and struck the Chief Priest’s slave, taking off his ear. ⁵² Then Jesus said to him, ‘Put your sword away, for all who take the sword will be destroyed by the sword. ⁵³ Don’t you think that I can ask my Father to send more than twelve legions of messengers immediately? ⁵⁴ But if [I did] that, how would the scriptures be fulfilled that say it must happen this way?’

⁵⁵ Then Jesus asked the mob, ‘Have you come with swords and clubs to arrest me like some robber? Why, I used to sit and teach in the Temple each day, and you didn’t choose to grab me then. ⁵⁶ But all this has happened so that the writings of the Prophets can be fulfilled.’

Then all the disciples ran away and left him.

⁵⁷ Thereafter, those who grabbed Jesus took him off to [the house of] CaiAphas the High Priest, where the scribes and the elders had already gathered. ⁵⁸ But Peter followed a long way behind him, until he got to the courtyard of the High Priest. There he went inside and sat with the building supervisory staff to see how everything came out.

⁵⁹ Meanwhile, the Chief Priests and the entire Judean High Court were looking for [someone who would] lie about Jesus, so they could have him put to death. ⁶⁰ However, of all those who came forward, no one was willing to perjure himself. But then, later on, two did come forward ⁶¹ and say: ‘This man said, I can to tear down the Temple of God and build it back in three days.’

⁶² Well, at that, the High Priest stood up and said to [Jesus], ‘Don’t you have an answer? What is it that these people are accusing you of?’

⁶³ But Jesus just kept silent. So the High Priest said to him: ‘By the living God; I put you under oath to tell us whether you’re the Anointed One, the Son of God!’

⁶⁴ And Jesus answered: ‘Why, you have said it yourself! Let me tell you something; From this point on, you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of power and coming on clouds in the sky!’

⁶⁵ Then the High Priest ripped his clothes, shouting: ‘He has blasphemed! What further need do we have of witnesses? See… now you’ve heard the blasphemy! ⁶⁶ What’s your opinion?’

And they answered, ‘Hold him for death!’

⁶⁷ Then they spit in his face and hit him with their fists. Others slapped him in the face, ⁶⁸ saying, ‘Prophesy to us, O Anointed One. Who hit you?’

⁶⁹ Now, while Peter was sitting outside in the courtyard, a servant girl came up and said, ‘You were also with Jesus the Galilean!’

⁷⁰ But he denied it in front of everyone, saying, ‘I don’t know what you’re talking about!’

⁷¹ Then, after he had gone out to the gatehouse, another girl noticed him and said to everyone there, ‘This man was with Jesus the Nazarene!’

⁷² Again he denied it with an oath, saying, ‘I never knew the man!’

⁷³ And a little while later, all those who were standing around came up and said to Peter, ‘Sure, you’re one of them! Why, your accent gives you away!’

⁷⁴ Then he started to curse them and swore: ‘I don’t know the man!’

And immediately a rooster crowed. ⁷⁵ Then Peter remembered Jesus’ words, ‘Before a rooster crows, you’ll deny that you know me three times.’ And he went outside and cried bitterly.

Chapter 27

¹ The next morning, all the Chief Priests and peoples’ elders held a meeting to talk about putting Jesus to death. ² So they bound him and took him to be handed over to Governor Pilate.

³ It was then that Judas (who had betrayed [Jesus]) realized that he was condemned. So, feeling deeply regretful about what he had done, he tried to return the thirty silver pieces to the Chief Priests and elders, ⁴ saying, ‘I sinned when I betrayed righteous blood.’

But they replied: ‘What’s that to us? You’ll see!’ ⁵ So, he threw the silver into the Temple and left, and then he went outside and hung himself.

⁶ But the Chief Priests [picked up] the silver pieces and said, ‘It isn’t legal to put them into the sacred treasury, because they’re the price of blood.’ ⁷ So after discussing it further, they decided to buy a potter’s field as a place to bury strangers. ⁸ And to this day, that field has been called The Field of Blood.

⁹ It was then that the words of the Prophet were fulfilled:
‘And they took the thirty silver pieces,
The price that was put on a man
By some of the sons of Israel,
¹⁰ And used them to pay for the potter’s field,
Just as Jehovah had told me.’

¹¹ Jesus next stood before the governor, who asked him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’

And Jesus replied, ‘You’re saying it yourself.’ ¹² However, when the Chief Priests and elders were accusing him, he didn’t say anything.

¹³ Then Pilate asked, ‘Don’t you hear all the things that they’re saying against you?’

¹⁴ But [Jesus] wouldn’t answer him – not a word – and that really got the governor to wondering.

¹⁵ Now, it was the governor’s custom to release whichever prisoner the crowd wanted during these festivals. ¹⁶ And at that time, they were holding a particularly notorious criminal called BarAbbas. ¹⁷ So, when the people gathered before him, Pilate asked, ‘Which do you want me to release to you, BarAbbas, or Jesus, the so-called Anointed One?’

¹⁸ [Pilate] knew that the only reason they had bound [Jesus] over, was because they were jealous of him. ¹⁹ Also, while he was sitting on his judgment seat, [Pilate’s] wife sent [a message] to him, saying, ‘Don’t have anything to do with that righteous man, because I suffered a lot in a dream today because to him.’

²⁰ But the Chief Priests and elders persuaded the crowd to ask for BarAbbas, and they demanded to have Jesus destroyed. ²¹ So, when the governor asked which of the two they wanted released, they shouted, ‘BarAbbas.’

²² And when Pilate asked, ‘Then, what should I do with Jesus, the so-called Anointed One?’ They all said, ‘Hang him on a pole!’

²³ But he asked, ‘Why? What bad thing did he do?’ But they all kept shouting louder and louder, ‘Hang him on a pole!’

²⁴ Well, when he saw that he wasn’t doing any good and he was just inciting a riot, Pilate got some water and washed his hands in front of the crowd, saying, ‘I’m innocent of this man’s blood… you take the responsibility for this on yourselves!’

²⁵ And all the people said, ‘May we and our children be responsible for his blood!’

²⁶ Then he released BarAbbas to them, but he had Jesus whipped and bound over for impaling.

²⁷ Next, the governor’s soldiers took Jesus into the palace and brought in all the troops. ²⁸ There they took [Jesus’] clothes off, wrapped a scarlet cape around him, ²⁹ braided a crown of thorns and slipped it over his head, and they put a reed in his right hand. Then kneeling down, they made fun of him by shouting the greeting, ‘Rejoice, O you King of the Jews!’ ³⁰ Then they spit on him, and took the reed and started hitting him on the head. ³¹ Finally, after they had tired of their fun, they took off the cape, put his clothes back on, and took him out to be impaled.

³² Then, as they were leading him out, they found a man from Cyrene [Libya], whose name was Simon, and forced him to carry the pole. ³³ And when they got to the place called GolGotha (or Skull Place), ³⁴ they offered [Jesus] some wine mixed with gall to drink. But after he tasted it, he wouldn’t drink it.

³⁵ It was after [they had nailed] him on the pole that [the soldiers] divided his clothes by throwing lots. ³⁶ Then they all just sat around and watched him. ³⁷ They also put a sign over his head that showed the charge against him: ‘This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.’

³⁸ Then two robbers were hung on poles beside him; one on his right and the other on his left.

³⁹ And those that were passing by shouted terrible things at [Jesus], shaking their heads ⁴⁰ and saying: ‘O you who would tear down the Temple and rebuild it in three days; Save yourself… if you’re a son of God, come down off the pole!’

⁴¹ That’s the way the Chief Priests, scribes, and elders also made fun of him, saying: ⁴² ‘He saved others, but he can’t save himself! He’s the King of Israel, so let him get down from the pole and then we’ll believe in him. ⁴³ He has put his trust in God, so let [God] rescue him if He wants. After all, he says: I’m God’s Son.’

⁴⁴ In fact, even the robbers who were hung on poles with him started saying mean things to him.

⁴⁵ Then, from the sixth to the ninth hours, darkness fell over the whole land. ⁴⁶ And about the ninth hour, Jesus called out in a loud voice: ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ That is, ‘My God, my God, why have you let me down?’

⁴⁷ Well, when some of those who were standing around heard this, they thought he was calling for EliJah. ⁴⁸ And immediately, one of them ran and took a sponge, soaked it in vinegar, then lifted it on a reed to give him something to drink. ⁴⁹ But the rest of them said, ‘Leave him alone! Let’s see if EliJah comes to save him!’

Finally, a man took a spear, jabbed it into his side, and blood mixed with water poured out. ⁵⁰ Then Jesus cried out loudly and gave up his breath.

⁵¹ And at that, {Look!} the Temple’s [inner] curtain ripped in half from top to bottom, as the earth shook and rocks split. ⁵² And it is established that tombs were opened and [the bones of] several holy ones (who had fallen asleep) were ejected, and seen ⁵³ after [they were] raised, by many who were entering the Holy City.

⁵⁴ But the army officer and those with him who were watching over Jesus (after they saw the earthquake and the other things that had happened) were really frightened and said: ‘This really was God’s Son!’

⁵⁵ Well, during this entire time, many women stood looking on from a distance… they were those who had traveled with Jesus from Galilee to serve him, ⁵⁶ such as Mary from Magdala, Mary the mother of James and Joses, and the mother of the sons of ZebediOu.

⁵⁷ Then later that afternoon, a rich man from AriMathea named Joseph (who was also a disciple of Jesus) ⁵⁸ went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. So, Pilate commanded that it should be given to him. ⁵⁹ Then Joseph took the body, wrapped it up in good clean linen, ⁶⁰ and laid it in a new tomb, which had just been quarried in the bedrock. Then, after rolling a big stone against the tomb entrance, he left. ⁶¹ But Mary from Magdala and the other Mary just sat there across from the grave.

⁶² Then the next day (after the Preparation), the Chief Priests and Pharisees gathered and came before Pilate, ⁶³ saying, ‘Lord; We remembered that while he was alive, that impostor said: Yet, in three days I will be raised. ⁶⁴ So, order the grave to be made secure until the third day, so his disciples don’t come and steal him, then tell people that he was raised from the dead. For, that would make this last deceit worse than the first!’

⁶⁵ But Pilate replied: ‘You have watchmen; Go make it as secure as you know how.’ ⁶⁶ So, they went and made the grave secure by sealing the stone and posting guards.

Chapter 28

¹ It was after the Sabbaths, in the early morning light of the first day of the week, that Mary of Magdala and the other Mary came to see the grave. ² And {Look!} a great shaking had happened, because Jehovah’s messenger had come down from heaven and rolled away the stone, and he was sitting on top of it… ³ he looked like lightning and his clothes were as white as snow. ⁴ This made the watchmen shake in fear and become as dead men.

⁵ But the messenger said to the women, ‘Don’t be afraid, for I know that you’re looking for Jesus who was impaled. ⁶ He isn’t here, because he was raised… just as he said. Come and see the place where he was lying, ⁷ then hurry and tell his disciples that he was raised from the dead. Why look… he has gone ahead of you into Galilee! {Look!} You’ll see him there, just as I said.’

⁸ So, quickly leaving the tomb (with both fear and great joy), they ran to report this to his disciples. ⁹ Then, {Look!} Jesus met them, greeting them with the word, ‘Rejoice!’ So, they went up to him, caught him by his feet, and bowed low. ¹⁰ And Jesus said, ‘Don’t be afraid! Go and report this to my brothers, so they will go to Galilee… they’ll see me there.’

¹¹ Well, while [the women] were on their way, {Look!} some of the guards went to the city to report everything that had happened to the Chief Priests. ¹² And after holding a conference and meeting with the elders to ask for advice, they [bribed] the soldiers with enough silver, ¹³ and said: ‘Tell the people that his disciples came in the night and stole him while you were sleeping. ¹⁴ And if the governor hears about this, don’t worry; we’ll persuade [him] to set you free.’

¹⁵ So [the guards] took the silver and did as they were instructed. And the story they told has been spread among Judeans everywhere down to this day.

¹⁶ However, the eleven disciples went to Galilee… to the mountain where Jesus had arranged [to meet] them. ¹⁷ And when they saw him, they bowed low… but some were doubtful. ¹⁸ Then, coming toward them, Jesus spoke, saying, ‘All power has been given me in heaven and on earth. ¹⁹ So, go and make disciples in all nations in my name, --- ²⁰ teaching them to obey all the things that I commanded you. And {Look!} I’ll be with you every day until the end of the age.’

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 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 who are raised in the resurrection, regardless of their destiny? 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. They can’t die anymore either, because they are equal to [God’s] messengers and they are [also] sons of God, because they are sons of the resurrection.’

Luke’s account shows that Jesus was referring specifically to ‘God’s sons’ (gr. uioi eisin Theou – sons are of God), which are thought to be those of the heavenly resurrection (the saints). So, the reference in Luke may not refer to an earthly resurrection.

However, the question the Sadducees asked was just about the resurrection (no designation of heavenly or earthly). So, was Jesus sidestepping the question to avoid a common word trap that had been used successfully in Sadducees’ arguments against the resurrection in the past, or was he implying that there would be no marrying in either resurrection? We don’t know, but the common belief at the time (among the Pharisees in particular) was that there would be a heavenly resurrection. So, there was likely no reason for Jesus to talk about an earthly resurrection.

Yet, there may be another explanation of the meaning of what Jesus said, for 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 He considers among the living will marry? Or is it possible that the reverse could be true?

Will children be born after the Battle of Armageddon? If you believe that the prophecy found in Isaiah 65 is talking about that 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.’

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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 as having received it. The other Greek word is aidios, which is used at Romans 1:20 to describe God’s Power and Might as eternal, and at Jude 6 when speaking of the perpetual state of gloomy darkness that rebellious angels have been confined to.

However, the Greek word aionos (pronounced ai-on-oss), which is used throughout the Bible and is often translated as forever and everlasting, is what the English word eon is derived from. It means an indefinite period, and there is no exact English word to translate it. The best equivalents are age(s) or era(s).

Where the plural form of the word (aionion) is used, it refers to a long time… at least multiple generations. However, where the singular form is used (aionos), this appears to mean a much shorter period, such as a lifetime, generation, or era. And 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?’ You can see that the word aionos obviously doesn’t mean forever, everlasting, or eternal in this case, nor did it mean world or system of things. It simply meant the age or, the time before the end would come. And for them, that meant the age when God’s Temple at Jerusalem would be destroyed, because that’s what Jesus had just told them.

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

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

So, notice; The Bible shows that even our universe will eventually end and need to be ‘wrapped up and repaired,’ which agrees with the conclusions of modern science.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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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 link 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.

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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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.

The most common use of the word pneuma in the Bible is to imply an unseen force (such as breath or wind). And the problem with translating it as spirit or ghost is that many people have started believing that the unseen force that is called [God’s] Holy Breath herein, is another God-like person and part of a Divine ‘Trinity.’ This can’t be true, because the only scripture that can be used to support this theory (that is, where the Father, the Son, and the Holy Breath’ are spoken of together) is found at Matthew 28:19, which appears to be spurious (See the Note in Matthew). All other scriptures that are used to prove the Trinity theory fail to mention the Holy Breath as part of that group. And the King James wording of 1 John 5:7 (which was used for years to attempt to prove the Trinity) is also spurious (something that was added to the Bible). So, there are no actual Bible references that mention God’s Holy Breath along with the Father and the Son.

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 says, ‘I won’t allow My Breath to stay with these men through the age, for they are fleshly.’ In Greek that reads, ‘Ou me katameine to pneuma mou en tois anthropois toutoiseis ton aiona, dia ai einai autous sarka,’ or, ‘Not not should stay the Breath Mine with these men the age through, their being flesh.’

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

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

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Hades

The Greek word Hades (they pronounced it hah-des) has been translated both as Hell (which is thought 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 by 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.

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

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Fool, Foolish, or Uncaring?

The Greek word μωραι (pronounced, moe-ra-ai) is often translated foolish or fool in other Bibles. However, μωραι is what the English word moron is derived from. The term moron, as used by Jesus and his Apostles, doesn’t imply to someone who has no comprehension, as the medical term moron does today. Rather, it meant someone who knows right from wrong but just doesn’t care to do what is right.

The ten virgins of Jesus’ parable in Matthew 25 weren’t just ‘foolish’ girls; they knew what to do and didn’t care enough to do it.

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Hate, Dislike, or Care Less for?

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. 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. However, 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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Fornication or Sexual Immorality?

The Greek word porneia means much more than copulation between individuals who aren’t married to each other. The term literally means that which is sold (by prostitutes). So, it includes all the types of services that might be sold by a prostitute, not just copulation. However, this includes such actions between unmarried ‘consenting adults,’ although there may be no exchange of money, because, where porneia is found in the Greek Septuagint, the Hebrew Law shows that it involves intimate relations between unmarried persons.

Because the English word fornication carries the nuance of just copulation between unmarried persons, we have used the broader term sexual immorality here to indicate the full range of the term.

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Eating with Unwashed Hands?

The Greek word (found at Matthew 15:2, 20) aniptois means unwashed or common, so, the account there tells of how the Apostles had simply failed to wash their hands before eating, and the Pharisees were objecting to this. It is often said that the Pharisees were objecting because the Apostles hadn’t performed a ‘ritual washing’ (to the elbows). However, the words clearly indicate that isn’t what the Pharisees had accused them of here.

The people of the southern Province of Judea believed in washing their hands vigorously (scrubbing) before eating a meal. Yes, it was a religious thing, based on a desire to be a clean people. They also rinsed vegetables that they brought from the market and washed their dishes (see Mark 7:2-4). However, these weren’t Galilean customs (Jesus and eleven of his Apostles were from Galilee). And notice Jesus’ conclusion to 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 hands. As the Son of God, he knew that disease and infection could be spread that way. What he was concerned with is a far more important matter. For, what the Pharisees were doing was taking Bible principles (such as cleanliness) and turning them into laws (which the Pharisees were also doing to promote disregard for parents).

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

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Religious Titles

Understand that (at Matthew 23:8-11) Jesus is telling his followers not to take any honorary titles to themselves, for he said: ‘But not you! Don’t [have people] call you rabbi, for you have but one teacher, and you are all brothers. And 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. So, whoever promotes himself will be humbled and whoever humbles himself will be promoted.’

Of course, he wasn’t talking about titles of office such as apostle, elder or servant, just the honorifics that people might use, such as ‘Father’ or ‘Rabbi.’ However, this command has bothered people throughout the centuries, especially those who feel that they deserve such titles. As the result, most have either they tried to find ways to sneak around Jesus’ words, or they have ignored them altogether.

One of the ‘sneaky’ ways that people have used to take honorary titles for themselves is by simply avoiding the use of the specific titles that Jesus mentioned. So, while some Priests keep on having people call themselves ‘Father,’ those in religious orders distorted the meaning of Jesus’ words and had people tack the titles ‘Brother’ or ‘Sister’ onto the fronts of their names.

After the Protestant Reformation, other sneaky tricks to employ honorifics were tried. For example, the honorifics ‘Reverend,’ even ‘Pastor’ have been used for centuries, and those with adequate college degrees like to be called ‘Doctor,’ as a religious title.

This trend of adding titles ahead of names has reached throughout ‘Christian’ society today, to the point where we would be hard-pressed to tell of one group that isn’t in violation of Jesus’ command. If they don’t have other titles for their leaders, they tack ‘Brother’ or ‘Sister’ onto the front of each other’s names.

Is it wrong to give each other ‘titles of respect’ such as Brother or Sister? Notice that Jesus didn’t say that his followers should call each other Brother, but that they are brothers (gr: hymeis adelphoi este). Jesus wasn’t giving a dissertation on which honorifics are bad and which ones are okay; he was showing that Christians are all equals, and that they should share a loving relationship as members of the same family. So, adding a title ahead of a name (whether Brother, Sister, Minister, Bishop, or whatever) also appears to be a dodge to get around the import of Jesus’ words.

Nevertheless, adding the title Brother or Sister before one’s name has become a common practice among most religious groups (as well as among many trade-union and club memberships today). Some people even (presumptuously, arrogantly, and in error grammatically) introduce themselves with the title preceding their own name (‘My name is Brother…’), presuming to have a relationship with new acquaintances and even total strangers.

While it’s true that early Christians lovingly referred to their fellows as my brother (or sister), or our brothers, there is little indication that the term brother was ever commonly applied as an honorific title that people added in front of names in the First Century Congregation. How did that work out among early Christians? Well, the Bible tells us that Paul was just called Paul; Peter was called Peter, etc. Only Jesus was given titles of respect, such as Lord, the Anointed One, etc. Even the title ‘Apostle’ was never added in front of a name in the Bible (as in ‘the Apostle Peter’), but that’s a common practice among many religions, when speaking of the Apostles today.

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Kingdom

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

A common misconception about this Kingdom 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 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 other 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 yet a future thing, and 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 is appropriately 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 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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Judgment Day

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

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

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

Remember that the word unrighteous doesn’t necessarily refer to those who are deliberately bad, but to those who simply weren’t righteous. On the other hand, the irreverent are those who know of God and simply choose to disobey Him, and apparently, 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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Flood or Downpour?

The Greek word that is used throughout the Bible to describe the great flood of Noah’s Day is cataclysmos (it’s where we get the English word cataclysm). However, cataclysmos doesn’t mean flood. Cata means down and clysmos means pour, so the word is correctly translated as Downpour here.

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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?

Did Jesus have fleshly brothers and sisters? Yes he did, for Matthew 12:46-50 makes this very clear. In this case, he was apparently indoors speaking, as his mother (Mary) and his brothers (James, Joseph, Simon, and Judas) stood outside waiting to talk to him. But when he was told that his mother and brothers were outside, he pointed out that his disciples were his true mother and brothers.

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Servants

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

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 the congregations. However, elders were also just servants – that is, servants with a small ‘s.’

The Scriptures show that; In order to qualify as servants in the congregation, men (and possibly women) had 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 servants in the Christian Congregation, for Acts 6:3 says: ‘So, brothers, find seven qualified men 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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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 smart person who does things 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 it as a name, it is translated as ‘the Opposer’ (not Satan), 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 slanderer in Greek, so that’s the way it’s translated herein.

· Lucifer: The name Lucifer is commonly tied to the Biblical Opposer; however, the name doesn’t appear in most versions of the Bible. It does appear once in the King James 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 – Day Star, Son of the Dawn. So, there is no direct link in the Bible between the entity known in Hebrew as Satan and the person who was referred to as Lucifer. This mistranslation was created 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 messengers with the ability to choose whether to serve Him or not, so none are automatons. And as a man failed in the Paradise of Pleasure, we can assume (and as the Scriptures support) that there were failures (and rebels) in the heavens also. This is the reason why it became necessary to have a law that clearly outlined what rebellion against God constituted, and what the consequences for violating that law would be. It was obviously for the sake of the millions of millions of heavenly spirit (breath) creatures that the issue of rebellion here on the earth had to be resolved by legal means, and in a way that demonstrated the love and loyalty of God’s first-born son, which resulted in the painful need for a ‘ransom’ (Jesus’ death).

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

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

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

However, there is some question as to the use of the Greek word Diabolos found at 1 Chronicles 21:1 (in the Greek Septuagint). First, since Diabolos is a Greek word and First Chronicles was written in Hebrew, we would assume that Diabolos (Slanderer) was substituted for the Hebrew word Satan (Opposer). But the text seems to imply that a slanderer (or resistor), not the Slanderer, had come to David. 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 him; or if someone bad had urged David to defy God and take a census of Israel.

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Three Kings

There is more myth than fact to most people’s ideas of just who these men were – and how many there were – that brought gifts to Jesus and his family. As common myth has it (and as all the Christmas songs say), there were ⁽¹⁾three ⁽²⁾kings that brought gifts to Jesus while he was ⁽³⁾in the feed trough (manger) in BethLehem… probably wrong on all three counts. Let’s take a close look at all three beliefs:

1. Go back and re-read Matthew 2:1-12 and you will see that the account doesn’t say how many Priests there were. All we do know is that they brought three gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

2. The Bible doesn’t say they were ‘kings’ or ‘astrologers’ (as some Bibles say). It simply says (in Greek) magoi. Magoi doesn’t mean king; it means a ‘Priest of Babylon.’ Actually, it’s the word that we get the English word ‘magician’ from, so there may be some extended meaning to the term, but that is just speculation. However, others have argued for the use of the word Zoroastrian to translate magoi.

3. Then go back and reread Matthew 2:11. It clearly says that they went to the house (oikian), not the stable. So Jesus wasn’t lying in the manger when they arrived. However, the rest of the account does indicate that this house was in BethLehem (where Joseph had gone to register), so this obviously happened shortly after Jesus’ birth.

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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 and worthy of a resurrection by God. 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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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 never to underestimate the powers of righteousness and prayer. 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 earthquakes in many places.’

So, it appears as though it is God’s will that the world is not to be granted peace. For, 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.

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 before 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 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 a few other Bibles, were added hundreds of years after Matthew wrote this book. And if you think about it, those words don’t make any 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).

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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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Boys

It is interesting that when Matthew spoke of King Herod’s henchmen, he spoke of them as his boys (gr. paisin), as though they were gang members in an old Western movie.

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Caesarea Philippi

While some Bible critics have claimed the Gospel accounts weren’t written for more than a century after Jesus’ death, internal proofs, such as Matthew’s use of this city name, show that this Gospel account had to be written prior to the middle of the First Century. For, archeologists have found that the Romans changed the name of this city, which is located at the northern tip of ‘the Promised Land,’ about 50-C.E. from Caesarea Philippi, to Banas (meaning Baths). Since this fact would have been lost to history just a few years after that date, it proves that the Book of Matthew had to be written shortly after Jesus’ execution and before 50-C.E.

For more information, see the linked document, The Bible’s Internal Proofs of its Authentic History

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Called and Chosen

There seems to be quite a bit of difference between the Bible’s use of the words, called, and chosen, and their implications for the people involved. For, notice what Jesus said (as recorded at Matthew 22:14): ‘Many are the called but few are the chosen (gr. polloi eisin gar cletoi, oligoi de eclectoi).’ And this verse could be possibly even be translated as ‘Many are the nominated but few are the elected.’

These words of Jesus seem to put an end to the notion that everyone who is called by God was foreordained to a favored position before his/her specific birth. Rather, what is implied in this parable, is that there would be people in general (not specific individuals) who would be chosen from among a larger number of those who are ‘called.’ Because, as Jesus makes clear here, not all who are among the called (or the nominated) to this hope are thereafter counted among the chosen (elected). For, why would God call people if He already knew that there was no chance of their being chosen?

Notice how this was stated at Revelation 17:14; for there we are told: ‘Then they will go and fight against the Lamb. But, because he’s the Lord of lords and King of kings, the Lamb and those who are with him (the called, elected, and faithful) will conquer them.’

So, ‘the called’ also have prove faithful in order to become ‘the elected’ who will serve with Jesus.

Yes, that was the point of Jesus’ parable at Matthew 22:1-14, which (as Jesus said) was an illustration concerning ‘the Kingdom of Heaven.’ In that parable, many were initially ‘called’ to the banquet of the King, but they didn’t want to come. The obvious reference here is to the Jews who were invited first to become kings in that Kingdom, but who, for the most part, rejected the invitation.

The king then ordered his slaves to go out into the streets and ‘call’ anyone who wishes to come to the banquet. These words obviously refer to the calling of people of the nations, or the gentiles (gr. tas ethne – the ethnics).

So, is this parable talking about being called to heaven to rule there with Jesus… for isn’t the wedding banquet for God’s son to be held in heaven, and aren’t those who are invited to God’s banquet the bride who will be with Jesus in heaven? We have always thought so, but notice that the guests in this parable aren’t referred to as virgins (as was the case of those mentioned in Revelation 14:1-4). Rather, they are called ‘both the wicked and the good,’ which is a strange way to refer to the ‘Saints.’

Next, as the parable continues, the king noticed a guest who wasn’t properly dressed for a wedding feast (he didn’t have the required qualities). This guest was then bound and thrown back outside (but not killed). So, as you can see, he was called but not chosen. Now, if we were to assume that this banquet is held in heaven… since the man was already there at the feast, we must ask: Was he then kicked out of heaven… and if so, we would also have to ask, Then, why was he taken there to begin with?

Now, we do suspect that there are those who are taken to heaven to rule with Jesus, but if so, they are likely the bride at the wedding feast, not the guests (see Revelation 17:7-9). For, notice what Paul said of himself at Philippians 3:11, ‘… so I can somehow be found worthy of an out-resurrection from the dead’

What was Paul talking about here? It appears as though; when speaking of ‘the out resurrection,’ he was saying that although he had been ‘called,’ he may not have been ‘chosen’ yet for heavenly life. That this is what he was likely talking about, can be seen from what he said at Philippians 3:12, ‘[I’m not saying] that I’ve made it yet, or that I’m already perfect.’ Then he continued with the words (at Philippians 3:14), ‘I’m running toward the goal, the prize of the higher (gr. ano – upward or higher) calling from God, through the Anointed Jesus.’

So, notice that the Bible speaks both of a ‘calling’ and of an ‘upward calling,’ which we assume refers to being called to heaven. And how would Paul know that he had been ‘chosen’ for this lofty reward? It appears as though such a person must first endure incredible suffering for his/her beliefs (as did Jesus), for notice what Paul wrote at Romans 8:17, ‘We have to suffer together so we can also be glorified together.’

Such suffering must be much more than what is typical of the suffering and death of mankind. Does this ‘suffering’ require a dying a martyr’s death? That seems to be the gist of the prophecy at Revelation 6:9-11, which says, ‘When he opened the fifth seal, I saw the lives of those who had been slaughtered because of the Word of God and because of the testimony that they gave, underneath the altar… Then they were each given a white robe and they were told to take it easy just a little while longer, until the full number of their fellow slaves and brothers was filled (who were going to be killed, as they were).’

But, in the case of Jesus’ words found Matthew 22:14 (‘Many are called but few are chosen’), we would have to conclude that God calls many people from among mankind to become His faithful slaves and to thereafter attend the wedding banquet of the Lamb (whether in heaven or earth is not stated), but not all who are called are found worthy.

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Removing the Wicked

In Matthew the Eighteenth Chapter, Jesus spoke of how Jews should deal with each other when one was guilty of harming another, and he outlined three steps that they should take, ending with the words (verse 17), ‘If he refuses to listen even to the congregation, then let him become as a man of the nations, or as a tax collector to you.’

Although many have concluded that Jesus was discussing how to handle such matters within the Christian Congregation, we have to realize that the Christian Congregation hadn’t been formed yet, and that Jesus wasn’t giving these instructions just to Christians. Rather, he was speaking to Jews in general, and referring to what the Bible calls ‘the congregation of Israel.’ So his instructions here, were to be kind to each other and to try to work things out among themselves, rather than taking matters before their religious court (the Sanhedrin).

However, in First Corinthians, Paul laid out some procedural guidelines on how to deal with ‘those called brothers’ in the Christian Congregation who are guilty of serious and un-repented sins. This matter was raised when a brother in Corinth was said to be guilty of ‘taking his father’s wife’ as his own. Such a thing, even if the wife was widowed, was very serious in God’s eyes, for the Old Law shows that it is the same as uncovering the nakedness of one’s father (see Leviticus 18:7, 8). And if this man was having sex with the wife of his living father, that was even worse and creating a public scandal among the Jews. So, Paul’s instructions were for Christians to ‘judge such matters’ and to ‘remove the wicked man from among yourselves.’ What did this entail?

Thereafter, notice that Paul said should be done (at 1 Corinthians 5:11), ‘However, now I’m writing you to quit associating with anyone called a brother who is immoral, greedy, an idol worshiper, an insulter, a drunkard, or an extortionist. Don’t even eat with a person like that!’

You can see that he didn’t say to stop talking to the person, just to not treat the person as a friend who you would eat with. Of course, in those early days of Christianity, most of their congregational meetings were held in private homes (not ‘synagogues’ or public meeting places), so exclusion from the congregation likely meant that the offender was no longer welcome at their (private) meetings.

The total list of offenses that Paul implied qualified for such congregational removal, included:

· Sexually immorality

· Idol worshiping

· Adultery

· Homosexual behavior (gays and men who have sex with men)

· Thievery

· Greed

· Drunkenness

· Insulting

· Extortion.

Then John (the Apostle) gave similar instructions a 2 John 7, when he was talking about people in the Christian Congregation who ‘have strayed [back] into the world and won’t admit that Jesus the Anointed One came in the flesh.’ He referred to them as the ‘AntiChrists,’ and instructed (at 2 John 10, 11), ‘If anyone comes to you and doesn’t bring this teaching (of the Anointed One), don’t welcome him into your homes or even greet him; because, whoever greets him shares in the wicked things he does.’

So, in the case of someone who denies that there was a Jesus (the AntiChrists), such individuals shouldn’t even be greeted on the street. However, these instructions don’t seem to be added to what was said by Jesus and Paul, because the circumstances were different. Also, notice that these added directions from John were penned almost sixty years after what Jesus said on the matter, and about forty years after the writings of Paul. So, as you can see, there were no instructions that forbade talking to errant Christians during most of the First Century.

Would this same action (not to welcome him or even greet him) be taken against anyone who disagrees on other doctrinal matters? No, because; notice what Paul wrote about this at Romans 16: 17, ‘Now, I beg you brothers; keep an eye on those who are creating divisions and setting traps by going against the teachings that you’ve learned. Avoid them.’ So, Paul’s instructions were to ‘keep and eye on’ (gr. scopein) them and to ‘avoid’ them (gr. ecclenete ap auton – incline away from them), not cut them off from the congregation.

Through the years, such expulsions of notorious members from Christian congregations have taken many forms. Catholics, for example, call such removal excommunication. However, they limit these disciplines to just those that offend their Church. Yet, other groups may disfellowship or expel unrepentant sinners for reasons that are closer to those outlined by Paul, while many religions just ignore Paul’s instructions altogether and object to taking any such actions against members who sin in vile and notorious ways.

In certain cases, religious groups have adopted the extreme view that the sanctions recommended by Jesus, Paul, and John are cumulative and that they must take all the actions listed above against those who are guilty of any of the practices listed in those combined verses, including even those who may disagree over doctrinal points (heretics). These religions forbid associating with or even talking to persons who they judge to be violators in matters of business, morality, or doctrines. And even after such wrongdoers have repented, such religions may impose further disciplinary sanctions on them. Of course, these views and actions can’t be supported from Bible texts.

In addition, some religions have gone so far as to ban normal conversations with ones’ own family members when they are guilty of any of the offenses listed above. Is this a correct understanding?

It would seem that whenever there are no clear written Biblical guidelines (as in the case of how to treat erring family members), Christians should turn to basic Scriptural law. And God’s Law requires wives to respect their husbands, husbands to love their wives, children to obey their parents, for everyone to respect their mothers and fathers, and for each one to provide for those who are in their own households. Anything less than that would fit the description that Paul gave of how Godless people would act in ‘the last days’ (at 2 Timothy 3:3), which says, ‘They won’t love their families (gr. astorge) or be willing to agree on anything.’

Such sanctions obviously go beyond Paul’s instructions at First Corinthians the Fifth Chapter, and they stray into conflict with Jesus’ words to the Pharisees as found at Matthew 15:6-9, which say, ‘So, [you are really saying] that [you] shouldn’t honor [your] parents at all. And when you do this, you are nullifying the Word of God with your traditions. You hypocrites! How well Isaiah prophesied about you when he said, These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far away from me! It’s a waste for them to keep worshiping Me, because they preach the teachings of men as commandments.’

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The Ransom

Throughout the Bible, we read of ‘the ransom’ (gr. lytron) that Jesus paid. Exactly what does this term refer to?

At Matthew 20:28, Jesus said, ‘This is how the Son of Man came, not to be served, but to serve and to give his living body as a ransom for many.’

Romans 5:12, 14 says, ‘Sin entered this world through one man and this sin resulted in death. So, death spread to all men because everyone has sinned. However, death reigned from [the time of] Adam down to Moses, even over those who didn’t sin in the same way that Adam did. And [Adam] was a prototype of the one who would come.

1 Corinthians 15:21, 22 says, ‘Since death came through a man, resurrection from the dead also comes through a man. And as all are dying because of Adam, all will be made alive in the Anointed One.’

So from the above, we must conclude that Adam lost the hope of ‘life’ for himself and all his descendants, because of his sin in Eden. However, Jesus came and paid the ‘ransom price’ to God, to redeem us from the sin of Adam, so that we could once again have the hope of ‘life in the age’ and a resurrection of the living.

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Day of the Lord

Throughout the Bible, we find references to ‘the Day of Jehovah,’ and ‘the Day of the Lord.’ 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), ‘This is the moment when the salvation, the power, the Kingdom of our God, and the authorization of his Anointed One began.’

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 authorization for Jesus (the Lord) to 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’ (acceptance of the rest of the Anointed ones to heaven?), the Battle of Armageddon, the abyssing of the Opposer and his messengers, 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 which 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 (the destruction of The Great Babylon?), and this is followed by the destruction of the worldly armies (see Joel Chapter Three). And in between these two events, we read of the marvelous outpouring of God’s Breath upon His faithful servants (Joel 2:28-32).

Peter wrote in length about this period, and at 2 Peter 3:7 he wrote: ‘What’s [now] in store for the earth and skies is fire, which [will come] during the Judgment Day, when godless men will be destroyed.’ And although many misinterpret these words as describing just the destruction of the wicked at Armageddon, the context shows that he was looking at a much longer period of time, the total ‘Lord’s Day’ or ‘Judgment Day’… the ‘thousand-year’ period spoken of at Revelation Chapter Twenty. For, what he said about the burning of the earth and sky and of the ‘new earth and sky’ corresponds exactly with the end of the thousand years and the promises found at Revelation 21:1.

So, from the periods described in the Revelation; near the end of Jesus’ thousand-year reign, there will be a judgment of the wicked (those who join with Gog of Magog) and they will be destroyed. Then there will be a ‘new earth and a new sky.’ What does that really mean? Perhaps we’ll all have to live to see it to be sure.

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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 this word 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 many 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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The Pharisees

During the earthly life of Jesus, no religious group was more castigated by him than the Jewish sect of the Pharisees. The name, Pharisees, literally means ‘the Separated Ones,’ which could refer to their belief that they were separate from (and superior to) the common people of Israel. They also believed that they would be the only ones to be ‘saved’ when God brings retribution on the wicked.

The Pharisees actually set the pattern for many modern-day so-called ‘Christian’ beliefs (although the group predated Jesus), for they also seem to have taught that souls don’t die, and that bad people suffer eternal punishment.

The Pharisees fasted twice each week, they were conscientious about paying the tithes, and they believed in the resurrection. They took pride in their ‘righteousness,’ and they obviously looked down on the common people. They had detailed rules about what could and couldn’t be done on a Sabbath, and because these rules went beyond the spirit of God’s Laws, they hated Jesus when he exposed their foolishness by healing the sick on Sabbath days.

To impress their peers with their righteousness, the Pharisees made the cases that they carried the Scriptures in, larger than normal; and they made the fringes of the bottoms of their robes a little longer than those of the rest of the Jews. They also prayed aloud and fasted in public. Most were relatively well to do, and they enjoyed the privileges of being viewed as ‘holy people.’ So, why was Jesus so opposed to them and their teachings?

In addition to the fact that many of their teachings were out of line with what was written in the Scriptures, the problem was that they were self-righteous and they were constantly turning Bible principles into laws. They told people what they should be doing, and then made up rules to allow themselves exceptions to God’s Laws.

Does any of this sound familiar? A common human failing when people are trying to live righteous lives, is to look down on others who aren’t trying as hard. Another such failing, is when such people take the rules of conscience that they have created for themselves and turn them into laws for others to live by. This is a constant problem among zealous religious groups, because, as Jesus pointed out, such attitudes aren’t pleasing to God.

An example of this bad attitude and the way that it affects religious rule making, is seen in the case where the Pharisees (in particular) objected to the fact that the Apostles (and Jesus, in Luke’s account) failed to wash their hands before eating. Although there is nothing in God’s Law that required washing before eating, the Pharisees had elevated the principle of ‘being a clean people’ into a law, which they used to condemn even the holy. For more information, see the Note ‘Eating With Unwashed Hands?’

As you can see; whenever any person or religious group starts setting out Bible principles as Laws, they step into the shoes of the Pharisees.

See also the document, God’s Laws and Principles.

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Ark or Chest?

What is an ark? Why, everyone knows of Noah’s ark, and of the Ark of the Covenant… don’t they? Yes, most people do. But, just what is an ark? Ark is an ancient English word, the meaning of which has mostly been long 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 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 or 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.

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Difficult Time, Birth Pains, or Tribulation?

Time of Difficulty

The Greek work thlipsis (pronounced: thel/eep/sees) is used several times in the Bible, but it is difficult to find an equivalent word in common American English to translate it. It implies a painful, difficult time, and it was used to describe a woman’s childbirth labor. Tribulation and travail are nice old English words that describe the meaning fairly accurately, but they aren’t the types of words you would read in a newspaper today, so we have tried to use more common words to translate it, depending on the circumstances.

Notice how Jesus applied thlipsis when he was describing the climax of the time when he would be ‘near’ (at Matthew 24:21), ‘Then there will come a difficult time, such hasn’t happened since the world’s beginning until now, nor should ever happen again.’

Actually, Jesus appears to have been quoting a prophecy in the book of Daniel here, as he had just done in verse fifteen. But this time, he is quoting the words found at Daniel 12:1, which read (in the common Bible of his time, LXX), ‘And in that hour, the Highest Messenger MichaEl (he who watches over the sons of your people) will arise, and then a time of difficulty will begin such as has never happened before and will never happen again. [And thereafter], [God] will raise all those whose [names] were written in the scroll.’

So, obviously both scriptures are speaking of this same period.

When will this ‘time of difficulty’ begin? In answer, let’s consider when this period started in the parallel fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy upon the city of Jerusalem. Notice that the period was to begin immediately after the thing described at Matthew 24:15, 16 happened, ‘When you see the disgusting destroyer standing in the Holy Place, then those in Judea should run to the mountains.’

The ‘disgusting destroyer’ was found to be ‘standing in the Holy Place’ when the armies of Rome first camped around Jerusalem. That’s when Christians were told to (and history says they actually did) get out of Jerusalem and hide in the mountains. Then, the ‘difficult time’ started for Jerusalem, as the Roman armies returned and built a fence of pointed stakes around the city, which caused the people to starve. Thereafter, they were slaughtered by the tens of thousands.

So, what parallels will there be when the ‘difficult time’ finally arrives? Well, notice that what happened to Jerusalem was the (God-inspired) action of a great worldly army against an unfaithful religious people. Revelation the Eighteenth Chapter speaks of a similar event when describing a symbolic woman called ‘The Great Babylon.’ There she is spoken of as being destroyed by worldly armies. So, the indication is that the symbolic destruction of Jerusalem and the destruction of The Great Babylon both picture a coming war upon unfaithful ‘Christian’ and possibly Jewish religions by worldly governments, and that is to be preceded by an exceedingly difficult time for those who remain in them.

Is this ‘difficult time’ the same thing as ‘the Battle of Armageddon?’ No, for that battle appears to come against the armies that do the attacking sometime after the great time of difficulty and after they destroy symbolic Jerusalem.

It would be presumptuous for us to try to set out the order in which all these things will happen. However, it is later in Jesus’ account (at Matthew 24:29, 30) that we read: ‘Then the sun will grow dark, the moon won’t put out light, the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of Heaven will shake. Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky and all the tribes of the earth will beat themselves in grief. And they will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds in the sky, with power and great glory.’

So, does the sign of the Son of Man appear in the sky before the great time of difficulty or after it? Although the order of Jesus’ words in Matthew would indicate that it happens before the great signs appear in the heavens, the same prophecy as found in Luke’s account seems to indicate that; in the attack against Jerusalem (in 66-70 C.E.), Jesus would be somehow already present and directing the Roman armies against them. So, whether the great time of difficulty and the Battle of Armageddon come before, during, or after ‘the sign of the Son of Man’ appears in the sky, is unclear.

And finally, Revelation the Seventh Chapter speaks of a huge crowd of people who apparently survive this ‘great time of difficulty.’ Notice that it says (in verses 9, 10) ‘And after all that, I saw {Look!} a crowd so large that no one could count them. They came from all countries, nationalities, ethnic groups, and languages; and they were standing within sight of the throne and within sight of the Lamb. They were all wearing white robes, they carried palm branches in their hands, and they were shouting, We owe our salvation to our God who is sitting on the throne, and to the Lamb!’

Then verse 14 goes on to tell us, ‘These are the ones that have come out of the great time of difficulty (gr. thlipsis).’

So, according to these verses (and history), this faithful group escapes the ‘great time of difficulty’ by fleeing the unfaithful religious institutions (as Christians fled the unfaithful Jewish religion in Jerusalem), which will soon be destroyed by worldly armies. Then the Battle of Armageddon against the kings of the earth and their armies begins.

For more information, see the linked document The Great Tribulation.

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God’s Chosen People

The idea that the Jews are still God’s chosen people and that they will eventually rule over the earth from the City of Jerusalem, is becoming popular among many fundamentalist religions today. However, this concept appears to disregard the promises and teachings of the Bible.

For instance, notice Jesus’ words to the people of that city as found at Matthew 23:37, 38, ‘O Jerusalem, Jerusalem… you killer of Prophets and stoner of those who were sent to you! How often I wanted to gather your children together the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you didn’t want it. Look! Your house has been taken from you!’

So, their ‘house’ (the position of special favor with God) was removed from them due to their repeated rejection of God’s ways and His Prophets, and for murdering His Son.

Notice how Jesus pictures this rejection of the Jews as God’s chosen people in his parable of the king who hired laborers to work in his vineyard (at Matthew 21:33-41). The story ends when the cultivators killed the king’s son. And what was the result? Verse 41 says, ‘Then he will hire others to cultivate the vineyard who will give him the fruit when it’s due.’

In Chapter 22 (verses 1-10) Jesus repeats this theme with the parable of the king who invited guests to a grand meal, but none of those who were invited (the Jews) showed up. In fact, they killed his messengers, and then his son. The account says, ‘So, he sent his army to destroy the murderers and burned their city.’ Then he sent his attendants out to invite ‘others’ to this great feast.

Who are these ‘others?’ Well, out of respect for His Sacred Agreement with Abraham, God continued to offer the opportunity to be ‘kings and Priests’ in the Kingdom exclusively to the Jews (and the related Samaritans) for the next 3-1/2 years. Then the opportunity to become ‘Spiritual Jews’ was offered to the first ‘Gentile’ converts, Cornelius and his family. Thereafter, the Bible speaks of growing numbers of Gentile converts, as Paul was appointed the ‘Apostle to the Nations.’

Also, notice Jesus’ words as found at Matthew 8:12, where he foretold, ‘However, the Sons of the Kingdom will be thrown into the darkness outside. There they will cry and grind their teeth.’ Since the Jews were ‘the sons of the kingdom’ or the sons of the Abrahamic promise, the indication here is that they as a nation were being rejected.

Then in the letters of Paul, we read scripture after scripture that shows these Gentiles were thereafter included in the promise to Abraham, and that they comprised a ‘New Jerusalem.’ Notice what Paul wrote at Romans 2:28, ‘So, a Jew isn’t what you are on the outside, nor is circumcision something that’s outside on the flesh.’

In other words, the faithful Gentiles had become ‘spiritual Jews,’ or the symbolic ‘twelve tribes of Israel.’ So, it was to this ‘new nation’ that all the promises and Sacred Agreements apply, not to the earthly city of Jerusalem, for the earthly city of Jerusalem had been rejected. Why? Well notice what the people in that city replied to Pilate’s question when they were calling for the murder of God’s Son (at Matthew 27: 25), ‘At that, all the people said, ‘May we and our children be responsible for his blood.’ And (at John 19:15), ‘We have no king but Caesar.’
So, the Jews were not only rejected by God, but they verbally rejected God and asked for the blood of Jesus to be on them and their children (all future generations). This is why the prophecies regarding Jerusalem appear to have nothing to do with a literal city in Palestine today.

But, what of Paul’s statement, found at Romans 11:25, 26, ‘Israel was allowed to become calloused until the full number of people from the nations came in. This is how all Israel is going to be saved.’

Doesn’t this mean that the entire nation will eventually be saved? No, for notice what Paul said at Romans 9:6-8 ‘Now, the word of God didn’t fail, because, not all who came from Israel are really Israel, nor are all of Abraham’s seed his children. For [it’s written], That which will be called your seed will come through Isaac. However, [Isaac’s] fleshly children aren’t the children of God. The children of the promise are that seed.’

Then he added at Romans 9:27, ‘Isaiah shouted this, about Israel, Although the sons of Israel may become as many as the sands of the sea, only a few will be saved.’

So, it appears as though Israel will be saved mostly through those ‘ethnics’ who have become Israel by accepting Israel’s God as their God.

And the fact is; Those who believe that all of Israel will be saved also believe that this hope applies just to the Jews (people of Judea). However, ‘all of Israel’ covers all twelve of the tribes that are now scattered and intermarried throughout the nations of the world, whereas the Jews represent just two of the tribes (Judah and BenJamin), plus some of the Priestly tribe of Levi. So, for ‘all of Israel’ to be saved, countless millions – or even billions – who can trace their bloodlines to the other ten tribes of Israel would have to be included in this number, for such pure bloodlines no longer exist – even among the Jews.

But, couldn’t ‘all of Israel’ just refer to the Jews and/or to those who still practice Judaism? Notice what Paul wrote at Romans 9:30-33, ‘So, what can we say? That people of the nations (although they weren’t trying to become righteous) became righteous with the [type of] righteousness that comes from faith, while Israel (who was following a righteous Law) just didn’t make it. And why was that so? Because, [Israel] didn’t look for it in faith, but in the things that they were doing. They tripped over the ‘stumbling stone. As it is written, {Look!} I’m putting a stumbling stone and a rock to trip over in Zion. But he who has faith in Him will never be shamed.’

So, the Jews (those who practice Judaism) can never be considered righteous as long as they continue to trip over the ‘stumbling stone,’ their promised Messiah, Jesus.

For more information, see the linked document, Jerusalem and the Israel of God.

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Heavens or Sky, Earth or Land?

In both the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (OT) and the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), we find all the realm of creation divided into three entities; the heavens (or sky), the earth (the land or ground), and the seas (the waters). Now, in contemporary English, we understand that there is a difference between the heavens and the sky, the earth and the land (or ground), and the seas and waters. However, in both Hebrew and Greek, these fine distinctions that we accept because of our modern technology, can’t be found. So, Genesis 1:1 could literally be translated as, ‘In the beginning, God created the sky and the ground.’

This is accurate, because it was the view of man from the earth. There was the land that he stood on, the sky above him, and the waters or seas over there. There was no technical understanding of the earth as a planet, because men didn’t view the earth as we do today, as a ball in space… it just wasn’t necessary at the time! However, because of these distinctions that we understand so well today, translators must choose the proper words to provide the right nuances in English, in order for readers to grasp the proper meaning of each text.

This is why you’ll find the Greek word ourano translated as both heaven(s) and sky herein, depending on the context. You’ll also find the Greek words ge and ges translated as earth, ground, or land, depending on the context. So, the symbolic words at 2 Peter 3:5, 6, for example, are translated herein as, ‘The thing that they don’t want to understand is this: That the ancient earth and sky were out of the water, but (in obedience to God’s instructions) they stood together between the waters.’ (For an example of the problems created by the wrong use of the words ge and ges, see the linked document Isaiah 24 - Is It Speaking of Armageddon?).

Notice that the ‘earth and sky’ were located ‘between the water.’ So, although other Bibles translated this verse as speaking of the ‘heavens and earth,’ the reference is to the portion of the heavens that are close to the earth… to the sky. Likewise, at Matthew 5:5, where Jesus spoke of the ‘meek’ as inheriting ‘the earth; since he was talking about people receiving an ‘allotment’ on the earth,’ we have chosen to translate ges as earth, not land or ground. However, the words land and ground are equally correct.

And finally, when it comes to the seas (gr. thalassa), there are already distinctions as to different types of waters in the Greek text. For instance, seas are called thalassa and rivers are called potamos (or ‘flowing’). However, notice (in Revelation 20: 13) how the resurrection of the dead is divided between those who died on land and those who were lost in the water, ‘The sea gave up its dead, death and the grave gave up those dead in them, and they were all judged by the things that they did.’

We again find all three of these realms of creation brought together symbolically at Revelation 21:1, where it says, ‘Then I saw a new earth and sky, because the previous earth and sky had disappeared, as did the sea.’

Also, in the case of where EliJah was taken in a celestial chariot, most people think he was taken to (as their Bibles put it) ‘heaven,’ where he went to live with God. This isn’t true, because King JehoRam later received a letter from Elijah (see 2 Chronicles 21:12). So, God had apparently used the celestial chariot to take him into the sky (the proper translation here), where he was then taken to another place here on the earth. For more information on this, see the linked document, The Hereafter.

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Disgusting Destroyer

History shows us that ‘the disgusting destroyer’ (gr. bdelugma tes eremoseos), which Jesus spoke of at Matthew 24:15, proved to be the armies of Rome (with their pagan standards or flags) when they camped around Jerusalem’s walls in 66-C.E. Christians in the city recognized this as the fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy about its imminent destruction, and fled Jerusalem into the nearby mountains. Then, in the year 70-C.E., ‘all these things’ ended when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem.

Since this prophecy of Jesus was compound (it appears to have more that one fulfillment), there must also be a modern ‘disgusting destroyer,’ which will be ‘standing in the Holy Place,’ and which Christians must watch out for. What will that prove to be?

It appears as though (as with the armies of Rome and their standards) modern armies (with their flags) will start an attack against the modern equivalent of Jerusalem, Christian religions, but not finish the battle. That will be a sign to those who are true Christians, to flee these failed institutions, because the armies will soon return for a final destruction.

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Phantom

When Jesus’ disciples saw him coming toward them walking across the water, what did they think they were seeing? The fact is; nobody knows what was going through their minds, although many commentators apparently claim such clairvoyance. However, the Greek word that the disciples used to describe it was phantasma, which is the root of the English word phantom. The meanings that are listed in Bible references to define this Greek word include, vision, apparition, and appearance.

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Salt

At Matthew 5:13 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 be his disciple and then changes his/her 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 (such as was common in Bible lands), 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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Separating the Sheep and the Goats

At Matthew 25:31-33, it is recorded that Jesus said: ‘When the Son of Man arrives in his glory along with all the messengers, he will sit down on his glorious throne, and all nations will be led before him. Then he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. And he’ll put the sheep on his right, but the goats on his left.’

A common misconception about the separating of the sheep and the goats mentioned in these verses, is that it is speaking of Jesus separating the righteous from the unrighteous for what Revelation 16:16 refers to as the Battle of Armageddon. However, that doesn’t appear to be the case here, for no battle is mentioned. And according to Revelation 16:13, 14, that great battle is fought against the kings and armies of this world (for more information, see the document, Armageddon – When?).

Rather, you may notice that these words of Jesus at Matthew 25 seem to be part of a quotation from the prophecy of Ezekiel 34:17 (LXX), which says: ‘And from among you, My sheep; says Jehovah the Lord, {Look!} I’ll separate sheep from the sheep among you, and the rams from the goats.’

Then the Prophecy goes on to say (in verses 20-23): ‘Because of this, says Jehovah the Lord, {Look!} I’ll separate the strong from the weak. For, you pushed them away with your shoulders and sides, and the weak you gored with your horns… you squeezed them out and pushed them aside! So, I will rescue My sheep, and no more will they serve as [your] plunder, for I will judge between ram and ram. I will raise a shepherd for them, and he (My servant David) will tend them… he’ll care for them and be their shepherd.’

So, this prophecy clearly seems to be speaking of the time when Jesus (My servant David) does this separating work, which Jesus spoke of at Matthew 25:31-33. Then, what are some of the other features of this prophecy? Well, notice God’s words that precede the description of the separating work in Ezekiel 34, for in verse 13 we read: ‘Then, from the nations I’ll lead them, and gather them from many regions, then bring them [back] to their land. And on Israel’s mountains I’ll graze them… in the valleys and homes of the land.’

So, the separating of the sheep from the goats doesn’t appear to be a separating of worldly nations, but of those within the lost sheep of Israel… and one could conclude that this is a separating of those who call themselves Christians (for more information on who are considered Judah and Israel, see the linked document Jerusalem and ‘the Israel of God’)

Then notice that the reward for those who are found to be sheep is that they would ‘Inherit the Kingdom that has been prepared for [them] from the founding of the world’ (for more information about the possible meaning of these words, see the linked document God’s Promise of an Inheritance). And the outcome for those found to be ‘goats’ is to be ‘cursed into the fire of the ages that was prepared for the Opposer and his messengers’ (for more information, see the linked document, Is there a Burning Hell?).

What is the basis of the judgment which determines who the ‘sheep’ are and who the ‘goats’ are? As Jesus said, it all depends on how they treat his ‘brothers.’ And just who are Jesus’ brothers? He said (at Matthew 12:49): ‘Whoever does all that my Father in heaven wishes is my brother, sister, and mother.’

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Cosmos or World?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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 all life on earth a new arrangement or set of circumstances (which was something other than what God had planned). We have come to this conclusion based on the many scriptures that refer to the world in a negative context, and the fact that it (the current set of negative circumstances) will soon be done away with.

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

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

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

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

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Camel or Rope?

It has been argued that Jesus’ use of the word camel, at Matthew 19:24, was really a humorous play on words. For, if he was speaking in Aramaic (which many claim he was), the word he used was gâmla, which means both camel and rope. However, in translating his words to Greek from Aramaic, the word camelon was probably selected, which only means camel.

So, if the above assumption is true (that Jesus said gâmla in the Aramaic language), what he was really saying is that it would be easier to ‘thread a rope through the eye of a needle.’ In the context, rope does seem to make more sense than camel, and this amusing play on words (camel/rope) would have helped his listeners to remember the idea of his parable.

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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 Magdelean 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 CapharNaoum 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 thereafter, she isn’t mentioned by Paul, James, Peter, or Jude… which would be strange if she had held such an important position in Jesus’ 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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Spiritually Impoverished

While most people think that; what are called ‘the Beatitudes’ (Jesus’ opening words in the Sermon on the Mount) are quite simple and straight forward, some of the things he said there are very complicated and difficult to translate accurately. A good example is the words found at Matthew 5:3, which we most recently translated as ‘The spiritually impoverished are blest, because the Kingdom of the Heavens belongs to them.’

In the Greek text this reads, ‘Makarioi oi ptochoi to pneumati, hoti auton e Basilea ton ouranon,’ or, ‘Blest the poor/ones to/the breath that of/them is the Kingdom of/the heavens.’ And in Aramaic it reads, ‘Tuwâyhon Lmiskéné Brukh. D-dheelhonee mâlkutha dâshmây-ya,’ or, ‘Blest are they; the people poor in the breath of life. For theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.’

The first translating problem that arises here, is with the word that is translated as breath or spirit (pneumati in Greek). For, both the Greek and Aramaic words used there just mean breath, wind, or unseen force… which is what the Latin word spirit also means. And notice that in the Aramaic text it is referred to as the ‘breath (spirit) of life,’ which seems to be speaking of the life force that God once breathed into Adam. So, much greater things may be implied here than most suspect.

Yet, regardless of the meanings of the words, the question we must next ask is; Why would those who don’t have much ‘spirit’ or ‘breath’ be given the Kingdom of the heavens? Wouldn’t such a great reward require a great depth of spirituality?

Well, while most Bibles render the words ‘ptochoi to pneumati’ as ‘poor in spirit,’ one Bible translates it as ‘conscious of their spiritual need,’ which seems to make some sense to those who think Jesus was speaking of a requirement for life in heaven. However, these words just aren’t in the original text. And we once translated it as ‘those who beg for [God’s] Breath,’ implying that they are poor and begging for more of His Spirit. And this also makes some sense, since the word ptochoi could refer to a beggar or supplicant. However, we no longer think that is what Jesus meant.

After much discussion among our contributors and advisors, we have concluded that our latest rendering (that the ‘spiritually impoverished’ would receive the ‘Kingdom of heaven’) is most likely correct. But if this conclusion is accurate, then, what did Jesus mean?

Well, while most people think of Jesus’ famous sermon as just good words to live by (that’s why they call them Beatitudes, which means Happinesses), he apparently didn’t say them for that reason. Rather, if you read the next verse, for example, you’ll notice that he was actually foretelling a change in opportunities. For it says there, ‘The sad are blest because they will be comforted.’

Now, Jesus wasn’t implying that all sad people would be blest, nor was he saying that all those who are spiritually impoverished would be blest. Rather, he was telling the common people who listened to him that their lives could be changed if they listened to his words and became his followers. And if they did that, their spiritually impoverished condition would be changed to a life of total spirituality (the Kingdom of the heavens), and they would receive comfort for their reasons for sadness.

So, it doesn’t appear as though Jesus was speaking of different types of people and the different rewards they would receive at Matthew 5:1-10, as some have taught. Rather, it seems that Jesus was opening opportunities for people to have a part in that Kingdom, and all ten verses of Matthew Five were an admonishment to the common people to seek the Kingdom of the Heavens, because (as the parable of the rich man and Lazarus teaches us), things were about to change. This didn’t necessarily mean that they had the hope of going to heaven, but that they would receive the benefits of the heavenly Kingdom, and that they would receive an inheritance of land on the earth.

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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 IsaiJah, and Eliezer as EliEzer. Why? Well, partly to help with the correct pronunciations of the names, and partly to show some translating consistency.

We all know that 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. So, why have we substituted a capital ‘J’ for the letters ‘ie’ in both of the above cases? Well, we recognize that there is an inconsistency here, because there was no letter ‘J’ in Hebrew or Greek alphabets. However, we have the choice of changing all names that start with ‘J’ (such as Jesus, John, Jonah, Joshua, Jeremiah, etc.) to start with the letters ‘Ie’, or for consistency, we can change all the ‘Ies’ into ‘Js’, which is what we have done. Realize that several other Hebrew consonants are commonly mispronounced in English, which no one objects to, so this minor deviation should not be objectionable to the thinking.

Does this mean then that we are setting out a new rule for name spelling? Absolutely not, for centuries ago, a Bible translator first established this rule when he spelled the name Eliou (Greek spelling, pronounced ay-lee-ou) and wrote it as EliJah, because this name is regarded as meaning ‘My God is Jehovah.’

Also notice that where a name ends with an iah, as in Jeremiah (Jehovah exalts), we have often spelled it as iJah, because the I would typically be pronounced as a long E, followed by a Y in Hebrew, and writing it without the I (as in JeremJah) misses this nuance. So, we have rendered it as JeremiJah, which is similar to the way it is often pronounced by modern-day Hebrew-speaking Jews, YeremiYah.

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 El-ee-eh-zer. 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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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 a plethora of natural wind and water disasters.

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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Messengers

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

For example, consider the words at Acts 12:15, where Peter had just been released from prison and had appeared at the door of some faithful Christians. In Greek, the latter part of this verse reads, ‘oi de elegon Ho aggelos estin autou’ and is often translated as, ‘They began to say, It is his angel.’

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, although the same word (with only conjugated variations) is used to speak of two different types of messengers here… those who are human and those who were sent from heaven by God. As the result, most Bibles translate the first instance as messengers, but the second as angel. We have not chosen to make this distinction, and we have rendered the word as messenger or messengers in each instance, because this proper translation of the word provides readers a better look at what position these heavenly sons of God held. For, angel isn’t a heavenly rank, it’s a duty.

Also, 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.

Translating aggelos as messenger (when it truly means an ‘angel’) helps to provide readers a better, deeper understanding of the actual role that such spiritual sons of God play in His dealings with mankind. And it helps us to understand why the Bible never speaks of female or baby angels.

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

So, the word means anointed. But if you prefer the word Christ, then 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.

Another example of the poor use of the title Christ (implying Jesus) by Bible translators can be found at First 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 Jesus was in them.

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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 Molech 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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Peter

The teaching that Peter was the first ‘Pope’ or ‘Father’ of the Christian Church, and that he ruled from (and died in) Rome, is a common but unsubstantiated religious supposition.

Notice, for example, what Paul wrote at Galatians 2:9, ‘When they came to know the care that was shown to me, James, Cephas (Peter), and John (the ones who seemed to be pillars) gave BarNabas and I their approval to go to the nations, while they would go to the circumcised.’

So, it is clear from Paul’s words that there was no earthly ‘head of the Christian congregation’ at that time. There were three ‘pillars’ – or those who seemed to be taking the lead – and they were living in Jerusalem (not Rome) at the time.

Also, notice that Peter’s responsibility was not that of being the head of the congregation, but he was spoken of by Paul as being an ‘Apostle (sent one) to the circumcised’ (the Jews), as were James and John. Then, if you read the next few verses in Galatians 2, you will see how Paul thereafter reprimanded Peter for separating himself from Gentile converts, which isn’t something that anyone would do to the ‘infallible’ head of the Christian Church.

However, Peter did travel to visit far away Christian congregations, as both Paul and the book of Acts tell us. But, as ‘the Apostle to the circumcised,’ his home was in Jerusalem and his travel was limited primarily to large Jewish settlements, such as was true of the ancient city of Babylon, which is where he wrote a letter (the book of First Peter). Notice how he ended this letter (at 1 Peter 5:13), ‘I send greetings from the woman who was also chosen along with you, and Mark (my son), from Babylon.’

Now, while the City of Babylon may not have been inhabited by the time of Peter, the city that replaced it (Seleucia) was, and the area was know to be heavily populated by Jews (those to whom Peter was an Apostle).

Also notice that this greeting comes from Peter’s wife, ‘the woman who was also chosen along with you’ (see Matthew 8:14) and from Peter’s close associate, the Gospel writer Mark.

Jesus’ words to Peter, found at Matthew 16:18, 19, don’t indicate that Peter would be the head of his ‘Church.’ For, notice exactly what he said there, ‘I also tell you this: You are Peter, but I will build my congregation on this bedrock so the gates to the grave won’t overpower it. I will give you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven, and whatever you make binding on earth will be bound in the heavens. And whatever you set free on earth will be set free in the heavens.’

In Greek, verse 18 reads, ‘su ei Petros kai epi taute te petra oikodomeso mou ten ecclesian,’ or, ‘you are Bedrock, but on this and bedrock (I will) build my the congregation.’

Notice that Jesus didn’t say, ‘I will build my Church on you,’ he said ‘I will build my congregation on this bedrock.’ What was ‘this bedrock’ that Jesus was referring to? Was it Peter? We find a description of this congregation and its construction at Revelation 21:14, which says, ‘The city wall also had twelve foundation stones, and the names of the twelve Apostles of the Lamb were written on them.’ (This includes Peter.)

So, we can see that Peter was just one of the twelve foundation stones, not the primary foundation or bedrock. Rather, what Jesus appears to be saying (at Matthew 16:18) is that; as Peter’s name meant Bedrock, Jesus’ body (by his death) would serve as the bedrock or foundation of the Christian Congregation (or Church). In other words, the ‘bedrock’ that the Congregation would be built on, was the body of Jesus, not on Peter.

For, notice what Peter himself said at 1 Peter 2:4-6, ‘Approach him (Jesus) as though he were a living block of stone (who for a fact was rejected by men but was chosen as precious by God), [upon whom] you as living blocks are being built into a spiritual house, into a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God, through Jesus the Anointed. For the Scripture says, {Look!} I am laying a block that I selected in Zion, a precious primary cornerstone. Anyone who believes in it will never be ashamed.’

The sentence structure at Matthew 16:18 shows our conclusion to be true; that Jesus was simply using a play on Peter’s name when he spoke of the bedrock that he would build his congregation on. Notice the structure, ‘su ei Petros kai epi taute te petra.’

Use of the word te before petra indicates that petra was used as a parallel to Petros, or that this was a play on words. Te is not a common Bible word. It is what is referred to as an ‘enclitic particle,’ which is often translated as and, but is used to couple parallel thoughts. The Greek word that is normally translated as and, is kai. According to The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the New Testament, ‘te is employed generally when something is subjoined which does not thus directly and necessarily follow.’ So, ‘te’ might be better translated as ‘but.’

There is certainly no indication in any other part of the Bible that Peter ever took the principal lead in governing the Congregation. In fact, when the matter of Gentile circumcision was raised before the governing body in Jerusalem, the decision was given by (Jesus’ half-brother) James, not Peter.

As to Peter’s being given ‘the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven;’ this refers to the leading role that Peter would play in identifying and explaining the outpouring of God’s Holy Breath, first on the Jews at Pentecost (see Acts 2:14-39) and then the acceptance and conversion of the first Gentiles (see Acts Chapter 10). All of this had to do with opening the opportunity to rule (first to Jews, then to Gentiles) in the ‘Kingdom of heaven.’

Where did Peter die? Well, we do know that he died violently for his faith, since that is what Jesus foretold at John 21:18, 19. But, since Peter apparently died before the Roman attack on Jerusalem (66-70 C.E.), he was likely murdered by the Jews in Jerusalem, or possibly in Babylon. There is no Bible (or authenticated historical) record of his ever traveling to or being killed in Rome.

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The Dead

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

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

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

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

And John wrote again at 1 John 3:14 ‘Because we love our brothers, we know that we’ve crossed over from death to life. However, those who don’t love stay dead.’

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

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

Also, this appears to be the meaning of his words as found at John 6:54-56, where he said, ‘For, if you chew my flesh and drink my blood, you will have life within yourselves, and then I’ll resurrect you on the Last Day, because my flesh is truly food and my blood is truly drink. Those who chew on my flesh and drink my blood will stay in me and I [will stay] in them.’

And then consider Jesus’ words to the unrighteous Judeans, as found at John 8:23, 24, where he told them, ‘You come from the things below and I come out of things from above. You are from this world, but I’m not from this world. So, as I told you before; You will die in your sins… if you don’t believe that I’m [the One], you will die in your sins.’

So from those words, we must assume that the unrighteous Judeans would be considered the dead, while those who accepted him were counted among the living.

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What is 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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Judging the Twelve Tribes of Israel

At Matthew 19:27, Peter said to Jesus, ‘Why, we have left everything and followed you. What will we really get?’ And in verse 28, Jesus replied, ‘I tell you the truth; in the rebirth, when the Son of Man sits down on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will sit on twelve thrones to judge the twelve tribes of Israel.’

What was Jesus talking about here?

Following the lead of other written Bible commentaries, we once assumed that Jesus was promising his Apostles the same thing that Paul spoke of at 1 Corinthians 6:2, when he told the congregation at Corinth, Greece, ‘Don’t you know that the Holy Ones will judge the world?’ So, our conclusion was that judging the twelve tribes of Israel meant the same thing as judging the world. However, in our study of the true meaning of the Greek word cosmos, which is usually translated as world in the Christian Era Scriptures, we have found that these two judgments don’t mean the same thing.

It seems obvious to us that any symbolic use of Israel in the Bible refers an arrangement for serving God, although it doesn’t necessarily imply that all the members of this arrangement are righteous. Otherwise, why would they be judged (or condemned)? For example, at Revelation 7:3, 4, we read that ‘the 144,000 slaves of God’ are chosen from among (gr. ek) ‘every tribe of the sons of Israel.’ So, here are faithful individuals who are chosen from among others who are worshiping God, that are called ‘Israel.’

But then, couldn’t Jesus have meant that they were to judge the literal nation of Israel? Well, that isn’t likely, because; although a small portion of that nation can still be identified today (the Jews), the rest of the tribes have become scattered among the nations and millions can no longer be identified. And as the result, there really is no pure ‘twelve tribes of Israel anymore. And as Paul told us at Romans 9:6-8 ‘Now, the God’s word didn’t fail, because, not all who came from Israel are really Israel. Nor are all of Abraham’s seed his children. For [it’s written]: That which will be called your seed will come through Isaac. However, [Isaac’s] fleshly children aren’t the children of God. The children of the promise are that seed.’ For more information, see the linked document, Jerusalem and the Israel of God.

So, judging the twelve tribes of Israel could mean that they are to judge all who claim to be Christians today. While, judging the world clearly refers to passing a negative judgment on – and the condemnation of – the current imperfect arrangement that man and all creation must endure today.

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Salvation

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, which tells of a jailer who was unfamiliar with Christianity and its terms, when he asked Paul and Silas, ‘Lords, what must I to do to get saved?’ That’s when Paul and Silas told him, ‘Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you and your household will be saved.’

However, was simple ‘belief in Jesus’ all that was required for salvation? In this case, there was a lot more that he needed to understand, because, as a virtual pagan (Roman or Greek), 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 was required for salvation. 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 people profess to believe in Jesus today, but they 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.’

So, 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 everything that he taught, including 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 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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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 were appear to be 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.’

Speaking ahead of time of 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 interesting 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, ‘Lord, who should we go off to? You say the words of life in the age, 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 new 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 on 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 ‘life in the age’ and who wish to be resurrected ‘on the Last Day.’

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

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Matthew 25:1

You will notice that we have included the words ‘and the bride’ at the end of Matthew 25:1, because it is included in Aramaic and other ancient texts. And although these words would seem to be a foregone conclusion (that the Lord arrived with his bride), many believe that the virgins in the parable are the bride! Yet, these words, which indicate the bride arrived with the groom, clearly shows that the virgins were not the bride, but that they were simply guests at the wedding banquet.

Now, for a fact, it is possible that these words about the bride arriving with the groom may not have been written by Matthew; but they likely were, so we have included them. For, consider the other facts, such as the number of the virgins (many brides?), and that some were not allowed into the banquet (rejected brides?). These indicate that they are likely not the bride.

Also, recognize that in ancient Hebrew society, it was customary for the man to take the bride from her home (which was the marriage), and then they would go to a wedding banquet where friends and guests were invited. However, no marriage ceremony was performed at the banquet. So, the fact that the virgins were invited to the celebration (not the wedding) shows that they were not the bride. It would seem strange indeed for a man to marry, and thereafter come along the road to invite some of his brides to the party, while not allowing the rest to enter.

Does this conclusion then mean that the hope of the ‘faithful, sensible slave,’ and the ‘three slaves’ of Jesus other parables in Matthew 24, 25 may not be heavenly? Yes it does. For more information, see the linked document The Faithful and Sensible Slave.

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Matthew 28:19

The words found at Matthew 28:19, ‘in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit,’ are not found in the ancient Shem Tob Hebrew manuscript of Matthew, so they are likely spurious (words that were added to the Bible). And this begs the question: Does the Bibles really command that we be baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit?

Many churches use the words found at Matthew 28:19, 20 in most modern Bibles, when baptizing, which say: ‘Go therefore and make disciples of people of all t he nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey all the things that I commanded you.’ (This has been called the Trinity Formula, since it contains the three-person Godhead).

At present, we don’t have any complete Greek manuscripts of Matthew prior to the 4th Century, and all existing Greek and Latin manuscripts written thereafter contain this phrase. However, there is evidence that this reading is a later corruption of the original text.

For example: The early Church historian Eusebius appears to quote from a different manuscript than any we presently have; for, eighteen times (between the years 300 and 336-C.E.) he cited Matthew 28:19, 20 as saying: ‘Go ye and make disciples of all the nations in my name, teaching them to observe all things, whatsoever I commanded you.’

And it’s interesting that the traditional Trinitarian reading of Matthew 28:19 doesn’t appear in Eusebius’ writings until after the Council of Nicaea, when the Trinity began to formally be held as official doctrine. So, evidence strongly indicates that this is a spurious scripture inserted by later Trinitarians, in the same vein as 1 John 5:7-8.

However, this finding may prove to cut both ways for some; for while it breaks apart the only mention in the Bible of the Trinity trio, it does seem to prove what many Trinitarians have said all along; that baptisms should only be done in the name of Jesus. So, since there may be no true mention of baptizing in the Names of the Father and the Holy Spirit, the only other instructions in the Bible on how to baptize people say:

• Acts 2:38, ‘Repent, and each of you get baptized in the name of Jesus the Anointed One, so your sins can be forgiven. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Breath.
• Acts 8:15, 16, ‘They went [to the Samaritans] and prayed for them to receive the Holy Breath, because it hadn’t come to any of them yet, although they had been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.’
• Acts 10:48, ‘So he commanded that they should be baptized in the name of Jesus the Anointed One.’
• Acts 19:5, ‘When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.’

Also, notice the Description that Luke gave of the parting words of Jesus, as found at Luke 24:47. ‘Then, in his (Jesus’) name, [the message of] repentance for forgiveness of sins is to be preached in all the nations, starting from Jerusalem.’ So, as you can see, the Trinitarian formula isn’t found there either, which it surely would have been, if this was the true formula for baptism. For, why would Luke have missed such a critical detail if it was in fact said by Jesus?

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The Missing Ancestor of Jesus

If you’ve ever taken the time to count them, you’ll notice that there seems to be a generation missing in the genealogy of Jesus in most Bibles, for we read at Matthew 1:17, ‘So, there were fourteen generations from Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David until the deportation to Babylon, and fourteen generations from the deportation to Babylon to [the coming of] the Anointed One.’ Yet, the list after the deportation to Babylon, shows only thirteen names. What accounts for this?

Well, a study of the Aramaic text indicates that Joseph the son of Jacob wasn’t Mary’s husband, but her father, which makes fourteen generations. Yes, she did marry a man who was also named Joseph, but apparently he isn’t mentioned in the text at Matthew 1:16. You will notice that Mary’s husband Joseph was not the son of Jacob, but of Heli (see Luke 3:3).

Then why does the genealogy of Luke’s account differ? Because he lists the family line of Joseph, Mary’s husband, while Matthew is discussing the genealogy of Mary.

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Jesus’ Last Words (Contributed)

According to the Greek text, Jesus’ last words at Matthew 27:46 were, ‘Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani?’ That is, ‘My God, my God, why have you let me down?’ These words have long bothered many Christians, because they imply that his Father disappointed Jesus. However, a study of ancient Aramaic texts reveals that Jesus may have been saying something quite different, which was lost in translation.

Aramaic scholars say that Matthew didn’t actually translate his gospel into Greek, because he wrote to the people who spoke the language he was writing, Aramaic. And it seems probable that the man who translated Matthew into Greek (they say his name was Zorba) mixed the Hebrew words with Aramaic when he translated them into Greek.

They point out that sabachthani is not the same as the Hebrew word that is used in the prophecy at Psalm 22:1, for there it uses the word sjebaqtani. And if Jesus had said forsaken, he would have said, ‘Eli, Eli, lema azab-thani?’ So they claim that Jesus really said, ‘My God, my God, why have you spared me?’ The point being, that Jesus was willing to suffer even more, but God in His mercy cut short his misery. However, others say that it actually means, ‘My God, my God, for this I was kept,’ or, ‘this was my destiny… for this I was born.’

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What Was the Dip or Sop of the Last Supper?

The Bible tells us that Jesus and his Apostles ate yeast-free bread during his Last Supper, and that they dipped the bread into something that was in a bowl (or bowels) that ancient Bibles referred to as a sop. Exactly what was this sop… was it a gravy?

Actually, it was likely a mixture of olive oil, herbs, and salt, which has been a favorite dipping sauce for bread through countless generations (try it sometime if you are unfamiliar with it). We know that it likely wasn’t gravy or meat sauce, because the lamb was to be sacrificed and eaten on the following night (see the link, The Passover and the Lord’s Evening Meal), and meat wasn’t normally eaten with every meal in ancient times. However, the Bible does tell us that part of the Passover celebration involved the eating of bitter herbs and bread (along with the wine), and surely salt and olive oil were used to add flavor and to soften the hard bread.

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Matthew 27:9

At Matthew 27:9, the Greek text says that Jeremiah prophesied the words about the thirty pieces of silver and the potter’s field. However, this isn’t accurate, because those words were actually written by the Prophet Zechariah (see Zechariah 11:12, 13). So, some error in the Greek text of Matthew is apparent. However, in the Aramaic text, we find no name given for the Prophet who wrote the words; it just says ‘the Prophet.’ Therefore, we have gone with the Aramaic wording of this verse, and suspect that the Aramaic texts are more accurate than the existing Greek texts in the proper rendering of the book of Matthew (see the link Aramaic Peshitta).

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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.

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. So, 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.

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The Lord’s (Our Father) Prayer

You will note that we have made several changes to the Lord’s (Our Father) Prayer. Here are the reasons:

• Understand that in Hebrew and Greek (as in several other languages) there is no word for heaven, there is just the word for sky. So, where the singular-case Greek word ouranou is found, we have usually translated it as sky. However, where the plural-case word ouranon is used (indicating something greater than just the sky), we have usually translated it as heavens. The closest Greek word for heaven would be naos (dwelling place of the Gods), which was used by John in several instances. However, naos was not the word that was used here.
• Bible students have long had a problem with the words of verse thirteen, for they imply that God is responsible for leading us into temptation. However, as we have pointed out in previous Notes; we have concluded that the book of Matthew (in particular) was originally written in Aramaic, and was thereafter translated into Greek sometime in the Second Century, where several errors were introduced. Therefore, in this text (as in others) we have deferred to the wording of the Aramaic text, which makes more sense theologically.
• Since the words for thine is the Kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever; amen are not found in the most ancient available texts of Matthew, we have decided that they are spurious and omitted them.

However, although the Authorized King James Version of the Bible is actually translated wrong in many places, due to the lack of access to the most ancient texts, we do applaud the efforts of its translators to restore the original beauty and poetic context to these and other verses, which we have attempted to do also.

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