The Book of Life, Part 2

Posted on May 25, 2022 by admin

To the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: “This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who holds the seven¹ spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a reputation² (ὄνομα) that you are alive, but in reality you are dead.³

This angel (ἀγγέλῳ) may be the human messenger of God to the Sardis Church. This message is addressed to a singular you: your (σου) deeds, you have (ἔχεις). It is probably most prudent for human messengers to assume it is addressed to them and for members of their congregations to assume it is addressed to them as individuals. It is worth noting that ὄνομα was used here in the sense of reputation, that for which one is known, falsely in this particular instance.

But⁴ you have (ἔχεις) a few individuals (ὀνόματα, a form of ὄνομα) in⁵ Sardis who have not stained their clothes, and they will walk with me dressed in white because they are worthy.⁶

Here, however, I would assume that you have (ἔχεις) referred to the church in Sardis as a singular collective. And here, also, ὀνόματα, a plural form of ὄνομα was translated individuals, names understood as persons. The pertinent verse for a consideration of the book of life follows (Revelation 3:5 NET).

The one who conquers (νικῶν) will be dressed like them⁷ [i.e., the names in Sardis who have not stained their clothes] in white clothing, and I will never erase his name (ὄνομα) from the book of life (τῆς βίβλου τῆς ζωῆς), but will declare⁸ his name (ὄνομα) before my Father and before his angels.

This is an encouraging promise: Jesus (Revelation 1:12-18) will never (οὐ μὴ) erase (ἐξαλείψω) [the] name [of t]he one who conquers…from the book of life. This is called the subjunctive of emphatic negation,⁹ though ἐξαλείψω in this particular occurrence is in the future tense and indicative mood. It harmonizes perfectly with the Lord’s wish…for all come to repentance.¹⁰ The implication, however, that one who does not conquer may not be so blessed, coupled with the statement—If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire¹¹—leaves a different impression.

This is as good a place as any to point out that name (ὄνομα) is not found in Revelation 20:15 in the Greek texts [see Table below] but was added by the translators. If I consider the different usages of ὄνομα in the previous passage, I begin to wonder if Jesus will declare the personal name of the one who conquers…before my Father and before his angels, or the reputation of the one who conquers. Likewise, is it the personal name of the one who conquers He will never erase…from the book of life? Or is it the reputation of the one who conquers that He will never erase…from the book of life?

I have thought that the book of life lists the names of those who will not be thrown into the lake of fire. Perhaps it contains the true reputation or character of the one who conquers instead. If I limited myself to considering only Revelation 3:1-5, I would assume that the one who conquers completes his or her deeds in the sight of Jesus’¹² God,¹³ remembers what he or she has received and heard, obeys it, and repents,¹⁴ and doesn’t dribble food or drink on his or her clothing.

A little familiarity with Isaiah, however, persuades me that stained…clothes has more to do with sin than with sloppy eating or drinking (Isaiah 1:18 ESV Table):

Come now, let us reason together, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ is fairly explicit about those whose place will be in the lake of fire (Revelation 21:8 NET):

But as for the¹⁵ cowards, unbelievers,¹⁶ detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells,¹⁷ idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second¹⁸ death.¹⁹

So, I tend to add not being or doing these things to the list of requirements that defines the one who conquers. Without discounting any of these achievements, I recognize from many other statements in the Bible that the path to these achievements is not through my adherence to rules. That would be hypocrisy, the work of an actor.

I suspect that this sort of do-it-yourself religion was the reason Jesus told John to write to the angel of the church in Sardis,²⁰ I have not found your deeds complete (πεπληρωμένα, a form of πληρόω) in the sight of my God.²¹ Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill (πληρῶσαι, another form of πληρόω) them,²² Jesus promised.

The path to all of these achievements is through Jesus Christ (John 14:5-7 NET):

Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How²³ can we know the way?” Jesus replied, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you have known²⁴ me, you will know²⁵ my Father too. And from now on you do know him and have seen him.”

All of these achievements are the work of God through Our Lord Jesus Christ (John 3:3, 5-8 NET):

Jesus replied, “I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God [Table]…I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God [Table]. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’ The wind blows wherever it will, and you hear the sound it makes, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

When asked, “What should we do, brothers?” Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”²⁶

Paul wrote (Galatians 5:16-18 NET):

But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want [Table]. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

And again (Romans 8:1-4 NET):

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death [Table]. For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled (πληρωθῇ, another form of πληρόω) in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

I admit that here and now I think of the sin he condemned (κατέκρινεν, a form of κατακρίνω) in my flesh as imprisoned there. The coward and unbeliever imprisoned in my flesh don’t prevent me from trusting Jesus or receiving his faith in God’s word. The detestable person imprisoned in my flesh doesn’t prevent Him from sharing his holiness with me. The murderer imprisoned in my flesh is not free to go on a killing spree. The sexual predator imprisoned in my flesh is restrained from victimizing women, men, girls, boys and animals, or making a religious rite of victimizing them. The magical thinking idol worshiper imprisoned in my flesh cannot stop me from hearing the Word of God, nor can the liar imprisoned there dissuade me from the truth of his word.

Still, the ultimate destination of all this sin he condemned in my flesh is the lake of fire²⁷ along with Death and Hades,²⁸ the place of the dead. It’s a very hopeful thing that when Jesus raises me up at²⁹ the last day³⁰ I’ll no longer be burdened with all this sinful residue. While I can appreciate in a hypothetical sense that those who define themselves by, or take pride in, the sin he condemned in their flesh may not perceive things quite this way, I see no reason to despair over the persistence of human sinfulness while I trust in the persistence of the One who does not wish for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.³¹I’m willing to continue, expecting the book of life to be something more than a list of personal names (ὀνοματογραφία) of those who will not be thrown into the lake of fire.³²

Thus far the Greek words translated the book were τῇ βίβλῳ (Revelation 20:15) and τῆς βίβλου (Revelation 3:5), forms of βίβλος. Now I’ll consider an occurrence of τὸ βιβλίον (Revelation 17:8 NET).

The³³ beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss and then go to destruction. The inhabitants of the earth—all those whose names³⁴ have not been written in (ἐπὶ) the book of life (τὸ βιβλίον τῆς ζωῆς) since the foundation of the world—will be astounded³⁵ when they see that³⁶ the beast was, and is not, but is to come.³⁷

The words all those appear to have been added by the translators. They have no counterpart in the Greek text. So, The inhabitants of the earth…whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world—will be astounded. If I understand the singular τὸ ὄνομα (translated: names) as reputation or character, then I can assume it is the reputation or character of the one who conquers which has been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world and that those who do net yet possess this character, those who have not yet lived this reputation, those who have not yet received God’s salvation in Jesus Christ, will be astounded.

The alternative, that the names, τα ονοματα, are personal names implies that there are inhabitants of the earth for whom God never cared but predestined to be thrown into the lake of fire since the foundation of the world. Since that would make the Lord’s wish..for all to come to repentance³⁸ not merely sentimental but a bald-faced lie, I will continue to consider that it is the reputation or character of the one who conquers which has been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world.

I’ll pick this up in another essay. The table mentioned above follows:

A note (41) in the NET reads: “The word ‘name’ is not in the Greek text, but is implied.”

Revelation 20:15 (NET)	Revelation 20:15 (KJV)
If anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown into the lake of fire.	And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
καὶ εἴ τις οὐχ εὑρέθη ἐν τῇ βίβλῳ τῆς ζωῆς γεγραμμένος, ἐβλήθη εἰς τὴν λίμνην τοῦ πυρός	και ει τις ουχ ευρεθη εν τη βιβλω της ζωης γεγραμμενος εβληθη εις την λιμνην του πυρος	και ει τις ουχ ευρεθη εν τω βιβλιω της ζωης γεγραμμενος εβληθη εις την λιμνην του πυρος

Tables comparing Revelation 3:1; 3:4; 3:5; 3:2; 3:3; 21:8; John 14:5; 14:7 and Revelation 17:8 in the NET and KJV follow.

Revelation 3:1 (NET)	Revelation 3:1 (KJV)
“To the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: “This is the solemn pronouncement of the one who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a reputation that you are alive, but in reality you are dead.	And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Καὶ τῷ ἀγγέλῳ τῆς ἐν Σάρδεσιν ἐκκλησίας γράψον· Τάδε λέγει ὁ ἔχων τὰ ἑπτὰ πνεύματα τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ τοὺς ἑπτὰ ἀστέρας· οἶδα σου τὰ ἔργα ὅτι ὄνομα ἔχεις ὅτι ζῇς, καὶ νεκρὸς εἶ	και τω αγγελω της εν σαρδεσιν εκκλησιας γραψον ταδε λεγει ο εχων τα πνευματα του θεου και τους επτα αστερας οιδα σου τα εργα οτι το ονομα εχεις οτι ζης και νεκρος ει	και τω αγγελω της εν σαρδεσιν εκκλησιας γραψον ταδε λεγει ο εχων τα επτα πνευματα του θεου και τους επτα αστερας οιδα σου τα εργα οτι ονομα εχεις οτι ζης και νεκρος ει

Revelation 3:4 (NET)	Revelation 3:4 (KJV)
But you have a few individuals in Sardis who have not stained their clothes, and they will walk with me dressed in white because they are worthy.	Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white: for they are worthy.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
ἀλλὰ ἔχεις ὀλίγα ὀνόματα ἐν Σάρδεσιν ἃ οὐκ ἐμόλυναν τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτῶν, καὶ περιπατήσουσιν μετ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἐν λευκοῖς, ὅτι ἄξιοι εἰσιν	εχεις ολιγα ονοματα και εν σαρδεσιν α ουκ εμολυναν τα ιματια αυτων και περιπατησουσιν μετ εμου εν λευκοις οτι αξιοι εισιν	αλλ ολιγα εχεις ονοματα εν σαρδεσιν α ουκ εμολυναν τα ιματια αυτων και περιπατησουσιν μετ εμου εν λευκοις οτι αξιοι εισιν

Revelation 3:5 (NET)	Revelation 3:5 (KJV)
The one who conquers will be dressed like them in white clothing, and I will never erase his name from the book of life, but will declare his name before my Father and before his angels.	He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Ὁ νικῶν οὕτως περιβαλεῖται ἐν ἱματίοις λευκοῖς καὶ οὐ μὴ ἐξαλείψω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐκ τῆς βίβλου τῆς ζωῆς καὶ ὁμολογήσω τὸ ὄνομα αὐτοῦ ἐνώπιον τοῦ πατρός μου καὶ ἐνώπιον τῶν ἀγγέλων αὐτοῦ	ο νικων ουτος περιβαλειται εν ιματιοις λευκοις και ου μη εξαλειψω το ονομα αυτου εκ της βιβλου της ζωης και εξομολογησομαι το ονομα αυτου ενωπιον του πατρος μου και ενωπιον των αγγελων αυτου	ο νικων ουτος περιβαλειται εν ιματιοις λευκοις και ου μη εξαλειψω το ονομα αυτου εκ της βιβλου της ζωης και ομολογησω το ονομα αυτου ενωπιον του πατρος μου και ενωπιον των αγγελων αυτου

Revelation 3:2 (NET)	Revelation 3:2 (KJV)
Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was about to die, because I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God.	Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die: for I have not found thy works perfect before God.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
γίνου γρηγορῶν καὶ στήρισον τὰ λοιπὰ ἃ ἔμελλον ἀποθανεῖν, οὐ γὰρ εὕρηκα σου \|τὰ\| ἔργα πεπληρωμένα ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ μου	γινου γρηγορων και στηριξον τα λοιπα α μελλει αποθανειν ου γαρ ευρηκα σου τα εργα πεπληρωμενα ενωπιον του θεου	γινου γρηγορων και στηρισον τα λοιπα α εμελλες αποβαλλειν ου γαρ ευρηκα σου τα εργα πεπληρωμενα ενωπιον του θεου μου

Revelation 3:3 (NET)	Revelation 3:3 (KJV)
Therefore, remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you.	Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
μνημόνευε οὖν πῶς εἴληφας καὶ ἤκουσας καὶ τήρει καὶ μετανόησον. ἐὰν οὖν μὴ γρηγορήσῃς, ἥξω ὡς κλέπτης, καὶ οὐ μὴ γνῷς ποίαν ὥραν ἥξω ἐπὶ σέ	μνημονευε ουν πως ειληφας και ηκουσας και τηρει και μετανοησον εαν ουν μη γρηγορησης ηξω επι σε ως κλεπτης και ου μη γνως ποιαν ωραν ηξω επι σε	μνημονευε ουν πως ειληφας και ηκουσας και τηρει και μετανοησον εαν ουν μη γρηγορησης ηξω επι σε ως κλεπτης και ου μη γνως ποιαν ωραν ηξω επι σε

Revelation 21:8 (NET)	Revelation 21:8 (KJV)
But as for the cowards, unbelievers, detestable persons, murderers, the sexually immoral, and those who practice magic spells, idol worshipers, and all those who lie, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. That is the second death.	But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
τοῖς δὲ δειλοῖς καὶ ἀπίστοις καὶ ἐβδελυγμένοις καὶ φονεῦσιν καὶ πόρνοις καὶ φαρμάκοις καὶ εἰδωλολάτραις καὶ πᾶσιν τοῖς ψευδέσιν τὸ μέρος αὐτῶν ἐν τῇ λίμνῃ τῇ καιομένῃ πυρὶ καὶ θείῳ, ὅ ἐστιν ὁ θάνατος ὁ δεύτερος	δειλοις δε και απιστοις και εβδελυγμενοις και φονευσιν και πορνοις και φαρμακευσιν και ειδωλολατραις και πασιν τοις ψευδεσιν το μερος αυτων εν τη λιμνη τη καιομενη πυρι και θειω ο εστιν δευτερος θανατος	τοις δε δειλοις και απιστοις και αμαρτωλοις και εβδελυγμενοις και φονευσιν και πορνοις και φαρμακοις και ειδωλολατραις και πασιν τοις ψευδεσιν το μερος αυτων εν τη λιμνη τη καιομενη πυρι και θειω ο εστιν ο θανατος ο δευτερος

John 14:5 (NET)	John 14:5 (KJV)
Thomas said, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going. How can we know the way?”	Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way?

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Λέγει αὐτῷ Θωμᾶς· κύριε, οὐκ οἴδαμεν ποῦ ὑπάγεις· πῶς \|δυνάμεθα\| τὴν ὁδὸν \|εἰδέναι\|	λεγει αυτω θωμας κυριε ουκ οιδαμεν που υπαγεις και πως δυναμεθα την οδον ειδεναι	λεγει αυτω θωμας κυριε ουκ οιδαμεν που υπαγεις και πως δυναμεθα την οδον ειδεναι

John 14:7 (NET)	John 14:7 (KJV)
If you have known me, you will know my Father too. And from now on you do know him and have seen him.”	If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
εἰ \|ἐγνώκατε\| με, καὶ τὸν πατέρα μου \|γνώσεσθε. καὶ\| ἀπ᾿ ἄρτι γινώσκετε αὐτὸν καὶ ἑωράκατε \|αὐτόν\|	ει εγνωκειτε με και τον πατερα μου εγνωκειτε αν και απ αρτι γινωσκετε αυτον και εωρακατε αυτον	ει εγνωκειτε με και τον πατερα μου εγνωκειτε αν και απ αρτι γινωσκετε αυτον και εωρακατε αυτον

Revelation 17:8 (NET)	Revelation 17:8 (KJV)
The beast you saw was, and is not, but is about to come up from the abyss and then go to destruction. The inhabitants of the earth—all those whose names have not been written in the book of life since the foundation of the world—will be astounded when they see that the beast was, and is not, but is to come.	The beast that thou sawest was, and is not; and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition: and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder, whose names were not written in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
Τὸ θηρίον ὃ εἶδες ἦν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν καὶ μέλλει ἀναβαίνειν ἐκ τῆς ἀβύσσου καὶ εἰς ἀπώλειαν ὑπάγει, καὶ θαυμασθήσονται οἱ κατοικοῦντες ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, ὧν οὐ γέγραπται τὸ ὄνομα ἐπὶ τὸ βιβλίον τῆς ζωῆς ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου, βλεπόντων τὸ θηρίον ὅτι ἦν καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν καὶ παρέσται	θηριον ο ειδες ην και ουκ εστιν και μελλει αναβαινειν εκ της αβυσσου και εις απωλειαν υπαγειν και θαυμασονται οι κατοικουντες επι της γης ων ου γεγραπται τα ονοματα επι το βιβλιον της ζωης απο καταβολης κοσμου βλεποντες το θηριον ο τι ην και ουκ εστιν καιπερ εστιν	το θηριον ο ειδες ην και ουκ εστιν και μελλει αναβαινειν εκ της αβυσσου και εις απωλειαν υπαγειν και θαυμασονται οι κατοικουντες επι της γης ων ου γεγραπται τα ονοματα επι το βιβλιον της ζωης απο καταβολης κοσμου βλεποντων οτι ην το θηριον και ουκ εστιν και παρεσται

The Book of Life, Part 3

Back to Who Am I? Part 16

¹ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had ἑπτὰ here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

² The Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article το preceding reputation (KJV: name). The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

³ Revelation 3:1 (NET)

⁴ The NET parallel Greek text had ἀλλὰ here, where the NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had ἀλλ’. The Stephanus Textus Receptus had neither.

⁵ The Stephanus Textus Receptus had και (KJV: even) preceding in. The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

⁶ Revelation 3:4 (NET)

⁷ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had οὕτως here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ουτος (KJV: the same).

⁸ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had ὁμολογήσω here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had εξομολογησομαι (KJV: I will confess).

⁹ Subjunctive of Emphatic Negation

a) This is a way to strongly deny that something will happen. It is the strongest way to negate something in Greek.

b) It is formed by using a double negative (ou mh) with an aorist subjunctive verb (or possibly future indicative). While ou plus the indicative denies a certainty, ou mh plus the subjunctive denies even the potentiality.

c) It is translated “certainly not” or “never”, with the English future tense

¹⁰ 2 Peter 3:9b (NET) Table

¹¹ Revelation 20:15 (NET)

¹² The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had μου here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus did not (KJV: God).

¹³ Revelation 3:2b

¹⁴ Revelation 3:3a

¹⁵ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had the article τοῖς here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

¹⁶ The Byzantine Majority Text had και αμαρτωλοις (“and sinners”) following unbelievers. The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

¹⁷ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had φαρμάκοις here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had φαρμακευσιν (KJV: sorcerers).

¹⁸ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had the article ὁ preceding second. The Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

¹⁹ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had the article ὁ preceding death. The Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

²⁰ Revelation 3:1a (NET)

²¹ Revelation 3:2b (NET)

²² Matthew 5:17 (NET)

²³ The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had και (KJV: and) preceding how. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

²⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐγνώκατε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εγνωκειτε (KJV: ye had known).

²⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had γνώσεσθε here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had εγνωκειτε αν (KJV: ye should have known).

²⁶ Acts 2:37b, 38 (NET) Table

²⁷ Revelation 21:8

²⁸ Revelation 20:14 Table

²⁹ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἐν here. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

³⁰ John 6:40b (NET)

³¹ 2 Peter 3:9b (NET) Table

³² Revelation 20:15 (NET)

³³ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had the article Τὸ preceding beast. The Stephanus Textus Receptus did not.

³⁴ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had τὸ ὄνομα here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had τα ονοματα.

³⁵ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had θαυμασθήσονται here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had θαυμασονται (KJV: shall wonder).

³⁶ The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ὅτι here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο τι.

A note (23) in the NET reads: Some translations take the ὅτι (hoti) here as causal: “because he was, and is not, but is to come” (so NIV, NRSV), but it is much more likely that the subject of the ὅτι clause has been assimilated into the main clause: “when they see the beast, that he was…” = “when they see that the beast was” (so BDAG 732 s.v. ὅτι 1.f, where Rev 17:8 is listed).

³⁷ The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Byzantine Majority Text had παρέσται here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus had καιπερ εστιν (KJV: and yet is).

³⁸ 2 Peter 3:9b (NET) Table

Language

Posted on May 6, 2021 by admin

I visit my mother in hospice every morning. When she still spoke to me she asked me to pray that she could “get out of here.” I told her I didn’t think that I could care for her at her home. She said that wasn’t what she meant. I didn’t answer her. Later that same visit she sang:

I am the resurrection and the life,

He that believeth in me tho’ He were deade,

Yet shall He live,

Yet shall he live,

And whosoever liveth and believeth in me

shall never, never die.^[1]

I recalled the context of these words: Lazarus, Martha’s brother, had died (John 11:21-27 NET):

Martha^[2] said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.^[3] But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will grant you.”

Jesus replied, “Your brother will come back to life again.”

Martha^[4] said, “I know that he will come back to life again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, and the one who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

She replied, “Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world.”

I’ve understood Martha’s answer to Jesus’ question as a very diplomatic and reverent, “No.” Granted, Jesus had used the subjunctive of emphatic negation οὐ μὴ ἀποθάνῃ, will never die (NET), shall never die (KJV). She had most likely washed and prepared Lazarus’ body. She probably supervised his burial four days earlier. Jesus was talking crazy talk. It had its impact on me.

From then on I have believed everyday that she who lives and believes in Jesus will never die. And everyday I pray that my mother can be absent from the body, and…present with the Lord.^[5] Almost everyday since, she has been quietly absent from her body and, I trust, present with the Lord. She sings hymns and choruses aloud from time to time.

Once she woke and wanted to sit up to sketch. She used to sketch all of the time, any time she sat down. But she drifted off again before I could find a pencil or paper. Another time I asked her if she really wanted to sketch. She told me where her sketch pad and pencils were at home. She has them now.

Mostly, I read while I sit with her. A friend asked me to read “From Dawn to Decadence: 1500 to the Present, 500 Years of Western Cultural Life” by Jacques Barzun. My friend lent me his own copy to seal the deal. It’s 800 pages but I’m working my way through it slowly.

Considering the development of prose Mr. Barzun wrote:^[6]

One 17C[entury] creation that was neither Baroque nor a pretended imitation of the ancients was its prose….

The modern languages took a much longer time to develop a prose worthy of the name than to find poetic meters that suited their idiom….In early modern times [writers] were hampered by their virtually native mastery of Latin: it spoiled the vernacular syntax. Thanks to its case endings, Latin leaves the writer free to throw the makings of his sentence into one spot or another without changing the sense. That cannot be done when meaning depends on the right sequence and right linking of words.

I’ve heard, and seen to a certain extent, a similar assessment of Greek. But I find it difficult to believe. Todd Engstrom‘s article on Academia.edu—“A Prepositional Phrase’s Contribution to the πίστις Χριστοῦ Debate in Romans 3:28”—caught my ear.

We will focus on the placement of the prepositional phrase χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου (“apart from works of law”) in Romans 3:28. How does it contribute to the πίστις Χριστοῦ (“faith of Christ”) debate? By having the prepositional phrase χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου (“apart from works of law”) modify the noun ἄνθρωπος (“man”), it bolsters the subjective genitive interpretation of πίστις Χριστοῦ (“faithfulness of Christ”).^[7]

Generally, I avoid academic arguments these days. As Jesus’ understanding of eternal life (John 17:3) has taken root and grown in me the desire to judge others’ “eternal destination” by their verbiage has weakened. But a paper about Greek word placement contributing to the meaning of the text was irresistible. Mr. Engstrom continued:

When we place the prepositional phrase χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου (“apart from works of law”) to modify the noun ἄνθρωπος (“man”), we get ἄνθρωπος χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου (“a man apart from works of law”). Since “works of law” refers to the works required by the Law, we can interpret this as “a man apart from the deeds required by the Law.”^[8]

So Mr. Engstrom’s English translation of Romans 3:28 became, “For we consider a man apart from works required by the law to be declared righteous by faithfulness [Table].”^[9] All in all I have no problem with this translation. The word faithfulness would have bothered me in the past.

When I thought faithfulness was my efforts to obey my parents, the rules of my religion, the teaching of Jesus, the laws of my city, county, state or nation, the law of God and, finally, Paul’s definition of love recast as rules for me to obey, it would have bothered me a lot. Mr. Engstrom was very careful, however, to stress that this is Christ’s faithfulness. And now I know that faithfulness (πίστις) is one aspect of the fruit of the Spirit.

Mr. Engstrom, however, didn’t mean exactly what his English translation said:

Who is this man apart from the deeds required by the Law? He is a Gentile.^[10]

I’ll translate that back into Greek: λογιζόμεθα γὰρ δικαιοῦσθαι πίστει ἔθνος (“For we consider a Gentile to be declared righteous by faithfulness”). It’s true enough. But would it have gnawed at me as χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου (apart from the works of the law) had done? Or would I have remained more content with my act? If χωρὶς ἔργων νόμου is removed from Romans 3:28, my go to verse would become Galatians 2:16.

Mr. Engstrom had reworked that one, too, in a different paper.

With the adjectival use of ἐξ ἔργων νόμου, Paul’s thesis actually reads:

15 We are Jews by nature and not Gentile sinners; 16 knowing that a man from works of law is not declared righteous, except through the faith of Jesus Christ, and we have believed in Christ Jesus, so that we may be declared righteous from the faith of Christ and not from works of the law, because out of the works of the law every flesh will not be declared righteous.^[11]

Here even I could see that he had done a pretty good job of unraveling ἐὰν μὴ (except; literally: “if not”). The translators of both the NET and KJV [Table] have rendered ἐὰν μὴ but. I thought my knowledge of Greek was insufficient to understand it, which it was: I thought that linking a prepositional phrase to the word it followed was verboten in Greek, at least unnecessary.

This time, however, I didn’t want to translate ἄνθρωπος ἐξ ἔργων νόμου (“a man from works of law”) a Jew. Perhaps the categories Jew and Gentile were fixed and more watertight in the first century than they are today, perhaps not. But I am a Gentile who grew up in a Christian home and a Christian church and became “a man from works of law.” God’s law was about the last law I came to, but Paul’s insistence that God’s law could not make me righteous eventually made me suspicious of all the other laws and rules I lived by. It prompted me to seek out the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe [Table].^[12]

So how’s that going? Better. Of course, if I measured my performance against some absolute standard—all Jesus, all of the time; I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me^[13]—I’d probably conclude that I suck at this. But as I wrote that, it occurred to me that I may have objective and subjective reversed.

I first wrote “objective standard”; “absolute standard” was an edit. What I was thinking of originally as objective was my impression of the time spent alone with God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. One guess who is the weak link in that chain. I’ve tried to talk about this with someone who knows me. I rejected her response out of hand and haven’t spoken of it since, because she began to tell me how wonderful I am.

I took that as a psychological attempt to make me feel better about myself. I don’t want to feel better about myself. I want to become the righteousness of God.^[14] Of course, if I actually perceived that I had become the righteousness of God I would feel much better about myself, and that, knowing me, would become the biggest stumbling block of all. The Greek reads: γενώμεθα δικαιοσύνη θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ (“become the righteousness of God in Him”).

If I take my friend’s assessment as more objective than mine, however, I must confess that outwardly at least more of Christ shows through me than all the sin I see in me alone with God, subjectively. For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled (πληρωθῇ, a form of πληρόω) in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.^[15]

But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh.^[16] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law [Table].^[17] Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment (πλήρωμα) of the law.^[18]

Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill (πληρῶσαι, another form of πληρόω) them.^[19]

Tables comparing John 11:21 and 11:24 in the NET and KJV follow.

John 11:21 (NET)	John 11:21 (KJV)
Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.	Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
εἶπεν οὖν ἡ Μάρθα πρὸς \|τὸν\| Ἰησοῦν· κύριε, εἰ ἦς ὧδε οὐκ ἂν ἀπέθανεν ὁ ἀδελφός μου	ειπεν ουν η μαρθα προς τον ιησουν κυριε ει ης ωδε ο αδελφος μου ουκ αν ετεθνηκει	ειπεν ουν μαρθα προς τον ιησουν κυριε ει ης ωδε ο αδελφος μου ουκ αν ετεθνηκει

John 11:24 (NET)	John 11:24 (KJV)
Martha said, “I know that he will come back to life again in the resurrection at the last day.”	Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
λέγει αὐτῷ ἡ Μάρθα· οἶδα ὅτι ἀναστήσεται ἐν τῇ ἀναστάσει ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ἡμέρᾳ	λεγει αυτω μαρθα οιδα οτι αναστησεται εν τη αναστασει εν τη εσχατη ημερα	λεγει αυτω μαρθα οιδα οτι αναστησεται εν τη αναστασει εν τη εσχατη ημερα

Back to Funeral, Part 1

Back to The New Covenant, Part 2

Back to Nothing True, Part 1

Back to Who Am I? Part 16

^[1] “I am the resurrection”

^[2] The NET parallel Greek text, NA²⁸ and Stephanus Textus Receptus had the article ἡ preceding Martha. The Byzantine Majority Text did not.

^[3] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had ἀπέθανεν here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ετεθνηκει (KJV: had…died)

^[4] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had the article ἡ preceding Martha. The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text did not.

^[5] 2 Corinthians 5:8 (KJV)

^[6] Jacques Barzun, From Dawn to Decadence: 1500 to the Present, 500 Years of Western Cultural Life, p. 363

^[7] Todd Engstrom, “A Prepositional Phrase’s Contribution to the πίστις Χριστοῦ Debate in Romans 3:28,” pp. 6, 7

^[8] Ibid., pp. 75, 76

^[9] Ibid., p. 78

^[10] Ibid., p. 76

^[11] Todd A. Engstrom, “Is the prepositional phrase έξ έργων νόμου used adverbially or adjectivally in Galatians 2:16?,” p. 33

^[12] Romans 3:22a (NET)

^[13] Galatians 2:20a (NET)

^[14] 2 Corinthians 5:21b (NET)

^[15] Romans 8:3, 4 (NET)

^[16] Galatians 5:16 (NET) The Greek is καὶ ἐπιθυμίαν σαρκὸς οὐ μὴ τελέσητε (“and the desires of the flesh you never complete”).

^[17] Galatians 5:22, 23 (NET)

^[18] Romans 13:10 (NET)

^[19] Matthew 5:17 (NET)

A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 6

Posted on April 18, 2021 by admin

I intend to consider another description of cities of refuge to fortify the conviction that Genesis 9:5, 6 was God’s description of his own attitude and behavior toward murderers post-flood. He knew his own heart, his own judgments. There was no need for the detail and specificity found later in the law when that duty and authority was actually delegated to human beings. But first I want to consider something gleaned from the previous essay.

If I killed someone unintentionally in ancient Israel, fled to a city of refuge, was found not guilty of murder by the community and lived in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest, I would have kept the law. Likewise, if I murdered someone intentionally in ancient Israel, fled to a city of refuge, was found guilty of murder by the community, was handed over to the avenger of blood and executed, I would have kept the law. But would anyone declare me righteous before God? Or have I simply been brought to the knowledge of sin through the law?

Paul wrote (Romans 3:19, 20 NET):

Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For no one is declared righteous (δικαιωθήσεται, a form of δικαιόω) before him by the works of the law, for through the law comes the knowledge of sin.

A note (22) in the NET claimed that no one is declared righteous before him was an allusion to Psalm 143:2.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Psalm 143:2 (Tanakh)	Psalm 143:2 (NET)	Psalm 142:2 (NETS)	Psalm 142:2 (English Elpenor)
And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified (יִצְדַּ֖ק).	Do not sit in judgment on your servant, for no one alive is innocent (ṣāḏaq, יצדק) before you.	And do not enter into judgment with your slave, because no one living will be counted righteous (δικαιωθήσεται) before you.	And enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no [man] living be justified (δικαιωθήσεται).

My purpose in this thread is to understand the Old Testament as Jesus understood it: Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must all be born from above.’^[1] He seemed legitimately surprised by Nicodemus’ ignorance: Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things?^[2] John described what it meant to be born from above (John 1:11-13):

[Jesus] came to what was his own, but his own people did not receive him. But to all who have received him—those who believe in his name—he has given the right to become God’s children—children not born by human parents or by human desire or a husband’s decision, but by God.

Paul described some of the results of being born from above (Romans 8:5-14 NET):

God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled (πληρωθῇ, a form of πληρόω) in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit. For the outlook of the flesh is death, but the outlook of the Spirit is life and peace, because the outlook of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, nor is it able to do so. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but^[3] in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him [Table]. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is your life because of righteousness. Moreover if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through his Spirit who lives in you [Table].

So then, brothers and sisters, we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh (for if you live according to the flesh, you will die), but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.

And Paul continued (Galatians 5:14-24 NET):

For the whole law can be summed up in a single commandment, namely, “You must love your neighbor as yourself.” However, if you continually bite and devour one another, beware that you are not consumed by one another [Table]. But I say, live by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want [Table]. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, depravity, idolatry, sorcery, hostilities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish rivalries, dissensions, factions, envying, murder, drunkenness, carousing, and similar things. I am warning you, as I had warned you before: Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God [Table]!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness,^[4] and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

Love does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law:^[5] You shall not murder.^[6] It was easy to see how God’s own love springing up to eternal life from his Holy Spirit residing in me could keep me from intentional killing. How the fruit of his Spirit restrained unintentional killing took a bit longer to comprehend. God’s love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control springing up to eternal life also impacts how I work. When I am led by the Holy Spirit I am much less likely to shove someone impatiently or toss something without looking to see where it might land.

I began then to think of OSHA regulations as an attempt to legislate the fruit of the Holy Spirit. My religious mind did the same thing when I turned Paul’s definition of love (ἀγάπη) into rules I tried to obey in my own strength, before I believed that the fruit of the Spirit is the righteousness given by God (Romans 3:21-24 NET).

But now apart from the law the righteousness of God (although it is attested by the law and the prophets) has been disclosed—namely, the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction [Table], for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. But they are justified (δικαιούμενοι, another form of δικαιόω) freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus.

Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets, Jesus said. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill (πληρῶσαι, another form of πληρόω) them.^[7]

The next description of cities of refuge is found in Deuteronomy.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 19:1-3 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:1-3 (NET)	Deuteronomy 19:1-3 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:1-3 (English Elpenor)
When HaShem thy G-d shall cut off the nations, whose land HaShem thy G-d giveth thee, and thou dost succeed them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses;	When the Lord your God destroys the nations whose land he is about to give you and you dispossess them and settle in their cities and houses,	Now if the Lord your God annihilates the nations whose land your God is giving you and you dispossess them and live in their cities and in their houses,	And when the Lord thy God shall have destroyed the nations, which God gives thee, [even] the land, and ye shall inherit them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses,
thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which HaShem thy GOD giveth thee to possess it.	you must set apart for yourselves three cities in the middle of your land that the Lord your God is giving you as a possession.	you shall set apart three cities for yourself in the midst of your land that the Lord your God is giving you.	thou shalt separate for thyself three cities in the midst of thy land, which the Lord thy God gives thee.
Thou shalt prepare (תָּכִ֣ין) thee the way, and divide the borders of thy land, which HaShem thy G-d causeth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee thither.	You shall build (kûn, תכין) a roadway and divide into thirds the whole extent of your land that the Lord your God is providing as your inheritance; anyone who kills another person should flee to the closest of these cities.	Calculate (στόχασαί) for yourself the distance, and you shall divide into three regions your land that the Lord your God apportions you, and there shall be a refuge there for every murderer.	Take a survey (στόχασαί) of thy way, and thou shalt divide the coasts of thy land, which the Lord thy God apportions to thee, into three parts, and there shall be there a refuge for every manslayer.

It is interesting to note that though the NET translators understood תָּכִ֣ין (kûn) as a road building project, the rabbis who translated the Septuagint understood it as στόχασαί (a form of στοχάζω), a calculation of distance or a survey. Six cities of refuge were still the plan but were predicated on Israel’s faith and obedience.

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 19:8, 9 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:8, 9 (NET)	Deuteronomy 19:8, 9 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:8, 9 (English Elpenor)
And if HaShem thy G-d enlarge thy border, as He hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which He promised to give unto thy fathers–	If the Lord your God enlarges your borders as he promised your ancestors and gives you all the land he pledged to them,	But if the Lord your God enlarges your borders, as he swore to your fathers, and he gives you all the land that he said he would give your fathers,	And if the Lord shall enlarge thy borders, as he sware to thy fathers, and the Lord shall give to thee all the land which he said he would give to thy fathers;
if thou shalt keep all this commandment to do it, which I command thee this day, to love HaShem thy G-d, and to walk ever in His ways—then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three;	and then you are careful to observe all these commandments I am giving you today (namely, to love the Lord your God and to always walk in his ways), then you must add three more cities to these three.	—if you give heed to do all these commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God and to walk in all his ways all the days—then you shall add for yourself three more cities to these three,	if thou shalt hearken to do all these commands, which I charge thee this day, to love the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways continually; thou shalt add for thyself yet three cities to these three.

The law specified again who the cities of refuge were for:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 19:4-7 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:4-7 (NET)	Deuteronomy 19:4-7 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:4-7 (English Elpenor)
And this is the case of the manslayer, that shall flee thither and live: whoso killeth his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in time past;	Now this is the law pertaining to one who flees there in order to live, if he has accidentally killed another without hating him at the time of the accident.	Now this is the ordinance for a murderer who flees there and shall live: He who strikes his neighbor unintentionally and did not hate him before yesterday or before the third day,	And this shall be the ordinance of the manslayer, who shall flee thither, and shall live, whosoever shall have smitten his neighbour ignorantly, whereas he hated him not in times past.
as when a man goeth into the forest with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of these cities and live;	Suppose he goes with someone else to the forest to cut wood and when he raises the ax to cut the tree, the ax head flies loose from the handle and strikes his fellow worker so hard that he dies. The person responsible may then flee to one of these cities to save himself.	and he who goes into the forest with his neighbor to gather wood and his hand is knocked aside when he cuts the wood with the ax, and the iron slips from the wood and happens to strike his neighbor, and he dies, this one shall flee to one of these cities and live,	And whosoever shall enter with his neighbour into the thicket, to gather wood, if the hand of him that cuts wood with the axe should be violently shaken, and the axe head falling off from the handle should light on his neighbour, and he should die, he shall flee to one of these cities, and live.
lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and smite him mortally; whereas he was not deserving of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.	Otherwise the blood avenger will chase after the killer in the heat of his anger, eventually overtake him, [NET note 14: “and overtake him, for the road is long”] and kill him, though this is not a capital case since he did not hate him at the time of the accident.	lest the avenger of blood pursue after the murderer, because his heart is hot, and overtake him—if the road was rather long—and he strike his soul, and he dies, and to this one there is not a death sentence, since he did not hate him before yesterday and before the third day.	Lest the avenger of blood pursue after the slayer, because his heart is hot, and overtake him, if the way be too long, and slay him, though there is to this man no sentence of death, because he hated him not in time past.
Wherefore I command thee, saying: ‘Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.’	Therefore, I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities.	Therefore I command you this thing, saying: You shall set apart three cities for yourself.	Therefore I charge thee, saying, Thou shalt separate for thyself three cities.

Likewise, the law specified who should not be allowed to remain in a city of refuge:

Masoretic Text		Septuagint
Deuteronomy 19:11-13 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:11-13 (NET)	Deuteronomy 19:11-13 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:11-13 (English Elpenor)
But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die; and he flee into one of these cities;	However, suppose a person hates someone else and stalks him, attacks him, kills him, and then flees to one of these cities.	But if there be a person hating his neighbor and he lies in wait for him and attacks him and strikes his life and he dies and flees into one of these cities,	But if there should be in thee a man hating his neighbour, and he should lay wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him, that he die, and he should flee to one of these cities,
then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.	The elders of his own city must send for him and remove him from there to deliver him over to the blood avenger to die.	then the council of elders of his city shall send and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, and he shall die.	then shall the elders of his city send, and take him thence, and they shall deliver him into the hands of the avengers of blood, and he shall die.
Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the blood of the innocent from Israel, that it may go well with thee.	You must not pity him, but purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.	Your eye shall not be sparing toward him, and you shall cleanse the innocent blood from Israel, and it shall be well with you.	Thine eye shall not spare him; so shalt thou purge innocent blood from Israel, and it shall be well with thee.

I’ll finish this example and consider one more example in another essay.

A comparison/contrast of the Greek of Romans 3:20a and Psalm 143:2b (142:2b) in the Septuagint follows:

Romans 3:20a (NET Parallel Greek)	Psalm 143:2b (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 142:2b (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ δικαιωθήσεται πᾶσα σὰρξ ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ	οὐ δικαιωθήσεται ἐνώπιόν σου πᾶς ζῶν	οὐ δικαιωθήσεται ἐνώπιόν σου πᾶς ζῶν
Romans 3:20a (NET)	Psalm 142:2b (NETS)	Psalm 142:2b (English Elpenor)
no one is declared righteous before him	no one living will be counted righteous before you.	in thy sight shall no [man] living be justified.

Tables comparing Psalm 143:2; Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 19:1; 19:2; 19:3; 19:8; 19:9; 19:4; 19:5; 19:6; 19:7; 19:11; 19:12 and 19:13 in the Tanakh, KJV and NET, and tables comparing the Greek of Psalm 143:2 (142:2); Exodus 20:13 (20:15); Deuteronomy 19:1; 19:2; 19:3; 19:8; 19:19; 19:4; 19:5; 19:6; 19:7; 19:11; 19:12 and 19:13 in the Septuagint (BLB and Elpenor), and a table comparing Galatians 5:23 in the NET and KJV follow.

Psalm 143:2 (Tanakh)	Psalm 143:2 (KJV)	Psalm 143:2 (NET)
And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.	And enter not into judgment with thy servant: for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.	Do not sit in judgment on your servant, for no one alive is innocent before you.

Psalm 143:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Psalm 142:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ μὴ εἰσέλθῃς εἰς κρίσιν μετὰ τοῦ δούλου σου ὅτι οὐ δικαιωθήσεται ἐνώπιόν σου πᾶς ζῶν	καὶ μὴ εἰσέλθῃς εἰς κρίσιν μετὰ τοῦ δούλου σου, ὅτι οὐ δικαιωθήσεται ἐνώπιόν σου πᾶς ζῶν
Psalm 142:2 (NETS)	Psalm 142:2 (English Elpenor)
And do not enter into judgment with your slave, because no one living will be counted righteous before you.	And enter not into judgment with thy servant, for in thy sight shall no [man] living be justified.

Exodus 20:13 (Tanakh)	Exodus 20:13 (KJV)	Exodus 20:13 (NET)
Thou shalt not murder; Thou shalt not commit adultery; Thou shalt not steal; Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.	Thou shalt not kill.	“You shall not murder.

Exodus 20:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Exodus 20:15 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ φονεύσεις	οὐ φονεύσεις
Exodus 20:15 (NETS)	Exodus 20:15 (English Elpenor)
You shall not murder.	Thou shalt not kill.

Deuteronomy 19:1 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:1 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 19:1 (NET)
When HaShem thy G-d shall cut off the nations, whose land HaShem thy G-d giveth thee, and thou dost succeed them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses;	When the LORD thy God hath cut off the nations, whose land the LORD thy God giveth thee, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their cities, and in their houses;	When the Lord your God destroys the nations whose land he is about to give you and you dispossess them and settle in their cities and houses,

Deuteronomy 19:1 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 19:1 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ἀφανίσῃ κύριος ὁ θεός σου τὰ ἔθνη ἃ ὁ θεός σου δίδωσίν σοι τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν καὶ κατακληρονομήσητε αὐτοὺς καὶ κατοικήσητε ἐν ταῗς πόλεσιν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν τοῗς οἴκοις αὐτῶν	ΕΑΝ δὲ ἀφανίσῃ Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου τὰ ἔθνη, ἃ ὁ Θεὸς δίδωσί σοι τὴν γῆν αὐτῶν, καὶ κατακληρονομήσητε αὐτοὺς καὶ κατοικήσετε ἐν ταῖς πόλεσιν αὐτῶν καὶ ἐν τοῖς οἴκοις αὐτῶν
Deuteronomy 19:1 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:1 (English Elpenor)
Now if the Lord your God annihilates the nations whose land your God is giving you and you dispossess them and live in their cities and in their houses,	And when the Lord thy God shall have destroyed the nations, which God gives thee, [even] the land, and ye shall inherit them, and dwell in their cities, and in their houses,

Deuteronomy 19:2 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:2 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 19:2 (NET)
thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which HaShem thy GOD giveth thee to possess it.	Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to possess it.	you must set apart for yourselves three cities in the middle of your land that the Lord your God is giving you as a possession.

Deuteronomy 19:2 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 19:2 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τρεῗς πόλεις διαστελεῗς σεαυτῷ ἐν μέσῳ τῆς γῆς σου ἧς κύριος ὁ θεός σου δίδωσίν σοι	τρεῖς πόλεις διαστελεῖς σεαυτῷ ἐν μέσῳ τῆς γῆς σου, ἧς Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου δίδωσί σοι
Deuteronomy 19:2 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:2 (English Elpenor)
you shall set apart three cities for yourself in the midst of your land that the Lord your God is giving you.	thou shalt separate for thyself three cities in the midst of thy land, which the Lord thy God gives thee.

Deuteronomy 19:3 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:3 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 19:3 (NET)
Thou shalt prepare thee the way, and divide the borders of thy land, which HaShem thy G-d causeth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every manslayer may flee thither.	Thou shalt prepare thee a way, and divide the coasts of thy land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee to inherit, into three parts, that every slayer may flee thither.	You shall build a roadway and divide into thirds the whole extent of your land that the Lord your God is providing as your inheritance; anyone who kills another person should flee to the closest of these cities.

Deuteronomy 19:3 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 19:3 (Septuagint Elpenor)
στόχασαί σοι τὴν ὁδὸν καὶ τριμεριεῗς τὰ ὅρια τῆς γῆς σου ἣν καταμερίζει σοι κύριος ὁ θεός σου καὶ ἔσται καταφυγὴ ἐκεῗ παντὶ φονευτῇ	στόχασαί σοι τὴν ὁδὸν καὶ τριμεριεῖς τὰ ὅρια τῆς γῆς σου, ἣν καταμερίζει σοι Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου, καὶ ἔσται ἐκεῖ καταφυγὴ παντὶ φονευτῇ
Deuteronomy 19:3 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:3 (English Elpenor)
Calculate for yourself the distance, and you shall divide into three regions your land that the Lord your God apportions you, and there shall be a refuge there for every murderer.	Take a survey of thy way, and thou shalt divide the coasts of thy land, which the Lord thy God apportions to thee, into three parts, and there shall be there a refuge for every manslayer.

Deuteronomy 19:8 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:8 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 19:8 (NET)
And if HaShem thy G-d enlarge thy border, as He hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which He promised to give unto thy fathers–	And if Jehovah thy God enlarge thy border, as he hath sworn unto thy fathers, and give thee all the land which he promised to give unto thy fathers;	If the Lord your God enlarges your borders as he promised your ancestors and gives you all the land he pledged to them,

Deuteronomy 19:8 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 19:8 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ ἐμπλατύνῃ κύριος ὁ θεός σου τὰ ὅριά σου ὃν τρόπον ὤμοσεν τοῗς πατράσιν σου καὶ δῷ σοι κύριος πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν ἣν εἶπεν δοῦναι τοῗς πατράσιν σου	ἐὰν δὲ ἐμπλατύνῃ Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου τὰ ὅριά σου, ὃν τρόπον ὤμοσε τοῖς πατράσι σου, καὶ δῷ σοι Κύριος πᾶσαν τὴν γῆν, ἣν εἶπε δοῦναι τοῖς πατράσι σου,
Deuteronomy 19:8 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:8 (English Elpenor)
But if the Lord your God enlarges your borders, as he swore to your fathers, and he gives you all the land that he said he would give your fathers,	And if the Lord shall enlarge thy borders, as he sware to thy fathers, and the Lord shall give to thee all the land which he said he would give to thy fathers;

Deuteronomy 19:9 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:9 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 19:9 (NET)
if thou shalt keep all this commandment to do it, which I command thee this day, to love HaShem thy G-d, and to walk ever in His ways–then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three;	If thou shalt keep all these commandments to do them, which I command thee this day, to love the LORD thy God, and to walk ever in his ways; then shalt thou add three cities more for thee, beside these three:	and then you are careful to observe all these commandments I am giving you today (namely, to love the Lord your God and to always walk in his ways), then you must add three more cities to these three.

Deuteronomy 19:9 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 19:9 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν ἀκούσῃς ποιεῗν πάσας τὰς ἐντολὰς ταύτας ἃς ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαί σοι σήμερον ἀγαπᾶν κύριον τὸν θεόν σου πορεύεσθαι ἐν πάσαις ταῗς ὁδοῗς αὐτοῦ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας καὶ προσθήσεις σεαυτῷ ἔτι τρεῗς πόλεις πρὸς τὰς τρεῗς ταύτας	ἐὰν ἀκούσῃς ποιεῖν πάσας τὰς ἐντολὰς ταύτας, ἃς ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαί σοι σήμερον, ἀγαπᾶν Κύριον τὸν Θεόν σου, πορεύεσθαι ἐν πάσαις ταῖς ὁδοῖς αὐτοῦ πάσας τὰς ἡμέρας, προσθήσεις σεαυτῷ ἔτι τρεῖς πόλεις πρὸς τὰς τρεῖς ταύτας,
Deuteronomy 19:9 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:9 (English Elpenor)
—if you give heed to do all these commandments that I command you today, to love the Lord your God and to walk in all his ways all the days—then you shall add for yourself three more cities to these three,	if thou shalt hearken to do all these commands, which I charge thee this day, to love the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways continually; thou shalt add for thyself yet three cities to these three.

Deuteronomy 19:4 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:4 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 19:4 (NET)
And this is the case of the manslayer, that shall flee thither and live: whoso killeth his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in time past;	And this is the case of the slayer, which shall flee thither, that he may live: Whoso killeth his neighbour ignorantly, whom he hated not in time past;	Now this is the law pertaining to one who flees there in order to live, if he has accidentally killed another without hating him at the time of the accident.

Deuteronomy 19:4 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 19:4 (Septuagint Elpenor)
τοῦτο δὲ ἔσται τὸ πρόσταγμα τοῦ φονευτοῦ ὃς ἂν φύγῃ ἐκεῗ καὶ ζήσεται ὃς ἂν πατάξῃ τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ ἀκουσίως καὶ οὗτος οὐ μισῶν αὐτὸν πρὸ τῆς ἐχθὲς καὶ πρὸ τῆς τρίτης	τοῦτο δὲ ἔσται τὸ πρόσταγμα τοῦ φονευτοῦ, ὃς ἂν φύγῃ ἐκεῖ καὶ ζήσεται· ὃς ἂν πατάξῃ τὸν πλησίον αὐτοῦ οὐκ εἰδὼς καὶ οὗτος οὐ μισῶν αὐτὸν πρὸ τῆς χθὲς καὶ τρίτης
Deuteronomy 19:4 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:4 (English Elpenor)
Now this is the ordinance for a murderer who flees there and shall live: He who strikes his neighbor unintentionally and did not hate him before yesterday or before the third day,	And this shall be the ordinance of the manslayer, who shall flee thither, and shall live, whosoever shall have smitten his neighbour ignorantly, whereas he hated him not in times past.

Deuteronomy 19:5 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:5 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 19:5 (NET)
as when a man goeth into the forest with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of these cities and live;	As when a man goeth into the wood with his neighbour to hew wood, and his hand fetcheth a stroke with the axe to cut down the tree, and the head slippeth from the helve, and lighteth upon his neighbour, that he die; he shall flee unto one of those cities, and live:	Suppose he goes with someone else to the forest to cut wood and when he raises the ax to cut the tree, the ax head flies loose from the handle and strikes his fellow worker so hard that he dies. The person responsible may then flee to one of these cities to save himself.

Deuteronomy 19:5 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 19:5 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ὃς ἂν εἰσέλθῃ μετὰ τοῦ πλησίον εἰς τὸν δρυμὸν συναγαγεῗν ξύλα καὶ ἐκκρουσθῇ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ τῇ ἀξίνῃ κόπτοντος τὸ ξύλον καὶ ἐκπεσὸν τὸ σιδήριον ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου τύχῃ τοῦ πλησίον καὶ ἀποθάνῃ οὗτος καταφεύξεται εἰς μίαν τῶν πόλεων τούτων καὶ ζήσεται	καὶ ὃς ἐὰν εἰσέλθῃ μετὰ τοῦ πλησίον εἰς τὸν δρυμὸν συναγαγεῖν ξύλα, καὶ ἐκκρουσθῇ ἡ χεὶρ αὐτοῦ τῇ ἀξίνῃ κόπτοντος τὸ ξύλον, καὶ ἐκπεσὸν τὸ σιδήριον ἀπὸ τοῦ ξύλου τύχῃ τοῦ πλησίον, καὶ ἀποθάνῃ, οὗτος καταφεύξεται εἰς μίαν τῶν πόλεων τούτων καὶ ζήσεται
Deuteronomy 19:5 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:5 (English Elpenor)
and he who goes into the forest with his neighbor to gather wood and his hand is knocked aside when he cuts the wood with the ax, and the iron slips from the wood and happens to strike his neighbor, and he dies, this one shall flee to one of these cities and live,	And whosoever shall enter with his neighbour into the thicket, to gather wood, if the hand of him that cuts wood with the axe should be violently shaken, and the axe head falling off from the handle should light on his neighbour, and he should die, he shall flee to one of these cities, and live.

Deuteronomy 19:6 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:6 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 19:6 (NET)
lest the avenger of blood pursue the manslayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and smite him mortally; whereas he was not deserving of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.	Lest the avenger of the blood pursue the slayer, while his heart is hot, and overtake him, because the way is long, and slay him; whereas he was not worthy of death, inasmuch as he hated him not in time past.	Otherwise the blood avenger will chase after the killer in the heat of his anger, eventually overtake him, and kill him, though this is not a capital case since he did not hate him at the time of the accident.

Deuteronomy 19:6 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 19:6 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἵνα μὴ διώξας ὁ ἀγχιστεύων τοῦ αἵματος ὀπίσω τοῦ φονεύσαντος ὅτι παρατεθέρμανται τῇ καρδίᾳ καὶ καταλάβῃ αὐτόν ἐὰν μακροτέρα ᾖ ἡ ὁδός καὶ πατάξῃ αὐτοῦ τὴν ψυχήν καὶ ἀποθάνῃ καὶ τούτῳ οὐκ ἔστιν κρίσις θανάτου ὅτι οὐ μισῶν ἦν αὐτὸν πρὸ τῆς ἐχθὲς καὶ πρὸ τῆς τρίτης	ἵνα μὴ διώξας ὁ ἀγχιστεύων τοῦ αἵματος ὀπίσω τοῦ φονεύσαντος, ὅτι παρατεθέρμανται τῇ καρδίᾳ, καὶ καταλάβῃ αὐτόν, ἐὰν μακροτέρα ᾖ ἡ ὁδός, καὶ πατάξῃ αὐτοῦ ψυχήν, καὶ ἀποθάνῃ, καὶ τούτῳ οὐκ ἔστι κρίσις θανάτου, ὅτι οὐ μισῶν ἦν αὐτὸν πρὸ τῆς χθές, οὐδὲ πρὸ τῆς τρίτης
Deuteronomy 19:6 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:6 (English Elpenor)
lest the avenger of blood pursue after the murderer, because his heart is hot, and overtake him—if the road was rather long—and he strike his soul, and he dies, and to this one there is not a death sentence, since he did not hate him before yesterday and before the third day.	Lest the avenger of blood pursue after the slayer, because his heart is hot, and overtake him, if the way be too long, and slay him, though there is to this man no sentence of death, because he hated him not in time past.

Deuteronomy 19:7 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:7 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 19:7 (NET)
Wherefore I command thee, saying: ‘Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.’	Wherefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt separate three cities for thee.	Therefore, I am commanding you to set apart for yourselves three cities.

Deuteronomy 19:7 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 19:7 (Septuagint Elpenor)
διὰ τοῦτο ἐγώ σοι ἐντέλλομαι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο λέγων τρεῗς πόλεις διαστελεῗς σεαυτῷ	διὰ τοῦτο ἐγώ σοι ἐντέλλομαι τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο λέγων· τρεῖς πόλεις διαστελεῖς σεαυτῷ
Deuteronomy 19:7 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:7 (English Elpenor)
Therefore I command you this thing, saying: You shall set apart three cities for yourself.	Therefore I charge thee, saying, Thou shalt separate for thyself three cities.

Deuteronomy 19:11 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:11 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 19:11 (NET)
But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die; and he flee into one of these cities;	But if any man hate his neighbour, and lie in wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him mortally that he die, and fleeth into one of these cities:	However, suppose a person hates someone else and stalks him, attacks him, kills him, and then flees to one of these cities.

Deuteronomy 19:11 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 19:11 (Septuagint Elpenor)
ἐὰν δὲ γένηται ἄνθρωπος μισῶν τὸν πλησίον καὶ ἐνεδρεύσῃ αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπαναστῇ ἐπ᾽ αὐτὸν καὶ πατάξῃ αὐτοῦ ψυχήν καὶ ἀπεθάνῃ καὶ φύγῃ εἰς μίαν τῶν πόλεων τούτων	ἐὰ^[8] δὲ γένηται ἐν σοὶ ἄνθρωπος μισῶν τὸν πλησίον καὶ ἐνεδρεύσῃ αὐτὸν καὶ ἐπαναστῇ ἐπ᾿ αὐτὸν καὶ πατάξῃ αὐτοῦ ψυχήν, καὶ ἀποθάνῃ, καὶ φύγῃ εἰς μίαν τῶν πόλεων τούτων
Deuteronomy 19:11 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:11 (English Elpenor)
But if there be a person hating his neighbor and he lies in wait for him and attacks him and strikes his life and he dies and flees into one of these cities,	But if there should be in thee a man hating his neighbour, and he should lay wait for him, and rise up against him, and smite him, that he die, and he should flee to one of these cities,

Deuteronomy 19:12 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:12 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 19:12 (NET)
then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.	Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.	The elders of his own city must send for him and remove him from there to deliver him over to the blood avenger to die.

Deuteronomy 19:12 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 19:12 (Septuagint Elpenor)
καὶ ἀποστελοῦσιν ἡ γερουσία τῆς πόλεως αὐτοῦ καὶ λήμψονται αὐτὸν ἐκεῗθεν καὶ παραδώσουσιν αὐτὸν εἰς χεῗρας τῷ ἀγχιστεύοντι τοῦ αἵματος καὶ ἀποθανεῗται	καὶ ἀποστελοῦσιν ἡ γερουσία τῆς πόλεως αὐτοῦ καὶ λήψονται αὐτὸν ἐκεῖθεν καὶ παραδώσουσιν αὐτὸν εἰς χεῖρας τῶν ἀγχιστευόντων τοῦ αἵματος, καὶ ἀποθανεῖται
Deuteronomy 19:12 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:12 (English Elpenor)
then the council of elders of his city shall send and take him from there and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, and he shall die.	then shall the elders of his city send, and take him thence, and they shall deliver him into the hands of the avengers of blood, and he shall die.

Deuteronomy 19:13 (Tanakh)	Deuteronomy 19:13 (KJV)	Deuteronomy 19:13 (NET)
Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the blood of the innocent from Israel, that it may go well with thee.	Thine eye shall not pity him, but thou shalt put away the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, that it may go well with thee.	You must not pity him, but purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.

Deuteronomy 19:13 (Septuagint BLB)	Deuteronomy 19:13 (Septuagint Elpenor)
οὐ φείσεται ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἐπ᾽ αὐτῷ καὶ καθαριεῗς τὸ αἷμα τὸ ἀναίτιον ἐξ Ισραηλ καὶ εὖ σοι ἔσται	οὐ φείσεται ὁ ὀφθαλμός σου ἐπ᾿ αὐτῷ καὶ καθαριεῖς τὸ αἷμα τὸ ἀναίτιον ἐξ ᾿Ισραήλ, καὶ εὖ σοι ἔσται
Deuteronomy 19:13 (NETS)	Deuteronomy 19:13 (English Elpenor)
Your eye shall not be sparing toward him, and you shall cleanse the innocent blood from Israel, and it shall be well with you.	Thine eye shall not spare him; so shalt thou purge innocent blood from Israel, and it shall be well with thee.

Galatians 5:23 (NET)	Galatians 5:23 (KJV)
gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.	Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

NET Parallel Greek	Stephanus Textus Receptus	Byzantine Majority Text
πραΰτης ἐγκράτεια· κατὰ τῶν τοιούτων οὐκ ἔστιν νόμος	πραοτης εγκρατεια κατα των τοιουτων ουκ εστιν νομος	πραοτης εγκρατεια κατα των τοιουτων ουκ εστιν νομος

A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 7

Back to Romans, Part 15

Back to A Monotonous Cycle Revisited, Part 1

Back to Paul’s OT Quotes – Romans 3:20

Back to Language

Back to Peter’s Second Gospel Proclamation, Part 3

Back to Funeral, Part 3

Back to Westworld, Part 4

Back to The New Covenant, Part 2

Back to The Book of Life, Part 1

Back to The New Covenant, Part 3

Back to The Lost Son of Perdition, Part 9

Back to Christianity, Part 10

Back to Christianity, Part 13

^[1] John 3:7 (NET)

^[2] John 3:10 (NET) Table

^[3] The NET parallel Greek text had ἀλλὰ here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus, Byzantine Majority Text and NA²⁸ had ἀλλ’.

^[4] The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ had πραΰτης here, where the Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had πραοτης (KJV: Meekness).

^[5] Romans 13:10 (NET)

^[6] Exodus 20:13 (NET)

^[7] Matthew 5:17 (NET)

^[8] This may be a typo in the Elpenor Septuagint.

My Deeds, Part 3

Posted on March 7, 2018 by admin

There is a table representing my unstudied view of the relationship of the clauses of Revelation 2:26-29. I’m considering the clause, who continues in my deeds until the end, because it tugs the hardest at me to return to my own works. I’ve begun to try to understand τὰ ἔργα μου, translated my deeds, with a study of τηρῶν (a form of τηρέω), translated who continues. The most basic understanding of τηρῶν is: Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose (τηρῶν, a form of τηρέω) his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked…^[1] It means to keep, not to lose or discard.

To review, the NET translation of John 14:21 confirms both my initial belief and practice, that obeying Jesus’ commands was the path to loving Him, knowing Him and being loved by Him and his Father. Refining the translation obeys to keeps lowers the standard a bit but doesn’t alter the order of events, that Jesus and his Father loved me because I first loved Jesus (by keeping his commandments, not losing or discarding them). But this argument was preceded by another, outlined below:

If you love Me…

John 14:15a (NASB)

…you will keep (τηρήσετε, another form of τηρέω) My commandments.

John 14:15b (NASB)

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; that is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it does not see Him or know Him, but you know Him because He abides (μένει, a form of μένω; present tense) with you and will be (ἔσται, a form of εἰμί; future tense) in you.

John 14:16, 17 (NASB)

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…

Galatians 5:22, 23a (NASB)

I have not come to abolish [the law or the prophets] but to fulfill them.

Matthew 5:17b (NET)

…love is the fulfillment of the law.

Romans 13:10b (NET)

He who has My commandments and keeps (τηρῶν, a form of τηρέω) them…

John 14:21a (NASB)

…is the one who loves Me…

John 14:21b (NASB)

I will love Jesus and keep his commandments by the Holy Spirit who abides with me and will be in me. If I concede to the old man (Ephesians 4:22-24; Colossians 3:9-11), fighting for its own survival by attempting to lose or discard Jesus’ commandments, though it may not alter God’s love for me, I have ceased to love Him with the love that is the fruit of his Spirit, the love that is the fulfillment of the law, no matter what I tell myself and no matter how much emotion I feel for Him.

In this essay I’ll consider John’s explanation, And the person who keeps (τηρῶν, a form of τηρέω) his commandments resides in God, and God in him,^[2] but I’ll back up first to take a run at it (1 John 2:28, 29 NET):

And now, little children, remain (μένετε, a form of μένω) in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink away from him in shame when he comes back. If you know that he is righteous, you also know that everyone who practices (ποιῶν, a form of ποιέω) righteousness has been fathered by him.

The Greek word translated fathered was γεγέννηται (a form of γεννάω). John didn’t leave us wondering what he meant by it: Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been fathered (γεγέννηται, a form of γεννάω) by God…^[3] He had a unique understanding of the word μένετε as one of the twelve Jesus sent out with the following instruction (I’ve included Luke 10:7 though it was addressed to the seventy-two others Jesus appointed and sent on ahead of Him).

Mark 6:10 (NET)	Luke 9:4 (NET)	Luke 10:7 (NET)
[Jesus] said to them, “Wherever you enter a house, stay (μένετε, a form of μένω) there until you leave the area.”	Whatever house you enter, stay (μένετε, a form of μένω) there until you leave the area.	Stay (μένετε, a form of μένω) in that same house, eating and drinking what they give you, for the worker deserves his pay. Do not move around from house to house.

I understand what it means to stay in a house, to not move around from place to place. But what does it mean to stay in God? A few verses prior to this John wrote (1 John 2:24 NET):

As for you, what you have heard from the beginning must remain (μενέτω, another form of μένω) in you. If what you heard from the beginning remains (μείνῃ, another form of μένω) in you, you also will remain (μενεῖτε, another form of μένω) in the Son and in the Father.

So I remain in the Son and in the Father if Jesus’ teaching remains in me. Here is Jesus’ teaching on the subject (John 15:4, 5a NET):

Remain (μείνατε, another form of μένω) in me, and I will remain in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains (μένῃ, another form of μένω) in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain (μένητε, another form of μένω) in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains (μένων, another form of μένω) in me – and I in him – bears much fruit…

In other words, remaining in Jesus (and his Father) by remaining in the teaching I have heard from the beginning of my new life in Christ (assuming that teaching was the Gospel of Christ) brings forth the fruit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that is the fulfillment of the law. Jesus continued, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing.^[4] I don’t think He meant that I couldn’t become a hypocrite, an actor playing at righteousness more or less skillfully. Jesus warned, unless your righteousness goes beyond that of the experts in the law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.^[5] But I can’t do the righteousness that fulfills the law apart from remaining in Jesus by remaining in his teaching.

Jesus continued teaching his disciples (John 15:6 NET):

If anyone does not remain (μένῃ, another form of μένω) in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, and are burned up.

He listed some impediments either to hearing in the beginning or to what was heard from the beginning remaining (Luke 8:11-15 NET):

Now the parable means this: The seed is the word of God (ὁ λόγος τοῦ θεοῦ). Those along the path are the ones who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. Those on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in a time of testing fall away (ἀφίστανται, a form of ἀφίστημι). As for the seed that fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked (συμπνίγονται, a form of συμπνίγω) by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. But as for the seed that landed on good soil, these are the ones who, after hearing the word, cling (κατέχουσιν, a form of κατέχω) to it with an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance.

If you remain (μείνητε, another form of μένω) in me and my words remain (μείνῃ, another form of μένω) in you, Jesus continued, ask whatever you want, and it will be done (γενήσεται, a form of γίνομαι) for you. My Father is honored by this, that you bear much fruit and show that you are (γένησθε, another form of γίνομαι) my disciples.^[6] The words if and whatever are the same Greek word ἐὰν. I understand this request as related to, and bracketed by, bearing fruit. I’m unsure about translating ἐὰν whatever. In my case it led to unbelief while—ask [if] you want, and it will be done (or, become) for you—has led to some faith-confirming results. Jesus continued (John 15:9, 10 NET):

Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain (μείνατε, another form of μένω) in my love. If you obey (τηρήσητε, another form of τηρέω) my commandments, you will remain (μενεῖτε, another form of μένω) in my love, just as I have obeyed (τετήρηκα, another form of τηρέω) my Father’s commandments and remain (μένω) in his love.

This is how I understood this passage even when the Bible I read translated τηρήσητε keep and τετήρηκα kept. “Jesus promises to love the disciples if they obey his commandments,” reads the sermon notes for John 15:9-17 on Sermon Writer online. Here, and other places like it, I turned from being led by the Holy Spirit, especially if my behavior was too embarrassing too often to confess any longer, to take charge of my own righteousness in my own strength.

See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called God’s children,^[7] John continued. The note (1) in the NET reads:

The ἵνα (Jina) clause is best understood (1) as epexegetical (or explanatory), clarifying the love (ἀγάπην, agapen) that the Father has given to believers. Although it is possible (2) to regard the ἵνα as indicating result, the use of ποταπήν (potapen, “what sort of”) to modify ἀγάπην suggests that the idea of “love” will be qualified further in the following context, and this qualification is provided by the epexegetical ἵνα clause.

I think option (2) is the better understanding. The sort of love the Father has given to us is not the Father’s feeling for us, but a very practical gift: It is the love that is patient, the love that is kind, the love that bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.^[8] This love may be shared in. It is the fruit of his Spirit, the fulfillment of the law. This love may be remained in or may be left behind. If I leave God’s love behind to run ahead in my own strength God’s love has not and does not change. If I do not remain in his love I strive way too hard to become a highly-skilled hypocrite rather than receiving the love he has given us. He gave us this sort of love in order that we should be called God’s children. Paul concurred with John (Romans 5:5b; 7:6b; 8:3, 4, 14 NET):

…the love of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us…

…so that we may serve in the new life of the Spirit and not under the old written code.

For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

For all who are led by the Spirit of God are the sons of God.

“To remain in Jesus’ love,” the entry in SermonWriter reads, “suggests being immersed in Jesus’ love—surrounded by Jesus’ love—comforted by Jesus’ love—empowered by Jesus’ love. Imagine a swimming pool filled, not with water, but with Jesus’ love.” All analogies have their problems but this one isn’t too bad. Ordinarily one tries not to drown in a swimming pool. A pool of Jesus’ love is really only threatening to the old man (Ephesians 4:25-5:5; Colossians 3:12-17). The believer lives and breathes in its environs, in fact, only in its environs. This pool travels with the believer, but the believer can leave the pool. A believer leaving the pool of God’s love does not change God’s love at all. Leaving only changes the believer’s access to, and appreciation of, God’s love. Jesus’ and John’s point was, don’t get out of God’s love.

Here is John again (1 John 3:1-10 NET):

(See what sort of love the Father has given to us: that we should be called God’s children – and indeed we are! For this reason the world does not know us: because it did not know him. Dear friends, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet been revealed. We know that whenever it is revealed we will be like him, because we will see him just as he is. And everyone who has this hope focused on him purifies himself, just as Jesus is pure).

Everyone who practices (ποιῶν, a form of ποιέω) sin also practices (ποιεῖ, another form of ποιέω) lawlessness; indeed, sin is lawlessness. And you know that Jesus was revealed to take away (ἄρῃ, a form of αἴρω) sins, and in him there is no sin. Everyone who resides (μένων, another form of μένω) in him does not sin; everyone who sins has neither seen him nor known him. Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices (ποιῶν, a form of ποιέω) righteousness is righteous, just as Jesus is righteous. The one who practices (ποιῶν, a form of ποιέω) sin is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was revealed: to destroy the works of the devil. Everyone who has been fathered (γεγεννημένος, another form of γεννάω) by God does not practice (ποιεῖ, another form of ποιέω) sin, because God’s seed resides (μένει, another form of μένω) in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered (γεγέννηται, a form of γεννάω) by God. By this the children of God and the children of the devil are revealed: Everyone who does not practice (ποιῶν, a form of ποιέω) righteousness – the one who does not love his fellow Christian (ἀδελφὸν, a form of ἀδελφός) – is not of God.

Now if I do what I do (ποιῶ, another form of ποιέω) not want, Paul wrote believers in Rome, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me.^[9] It is better to greet John’s and Paul’s explanations with faith than with fear or mockery. But the Spirit of God relentlessly dragged me back when my default position was to “chuck this whole religion thing.” He was kind and patient when my default position became do-it-myself sanctification, when I said in so many words, “I can’t trust You with something as important as MY righteousness.” Jaco Gericke had a very different testimony. I rationalize this difference with Paul’s conclusion: So then, God has mercy on whom he chooses to have mercy, and he hardens whom he chooses to harden.^[10] Others rationalize it as individual free will.

When I was young righteousness was a matter of good habits developed through willpower because Jesus had saved me. Now I can see this as a childish misunderstanding of potentially good teaching. But at the time I saw Jesus’ salvation only as a reason, why I should do righteousness, never as a cause, how I could do righteousness. My willpower proved to be unequal to the task. I am weak-willed vis-à-vis righteousness. So I tend to minimize the effect of my will and magnify the effect of God’s mercy. Now that I understand that Jesus’ salvation causes righteousness I have replaced willpower with the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Of course, I still don’t recognize any habit in me toward the good apart from that daily infusion of his love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

On the other hand, I proved to be quite willful, stubborn, rebellious and stiff-necked regarding my sin. So I tend to see free will as more useful, or more conducive, to sinning. I don’t tend to argue the point because I can see how one who had more success than I did could regard willpower as helpful in the pursuit of righteousness. Still, I keep my mind open to the possibility that the preachers of free will may have taken more credit for that righteousness than they deserve.

Little children, John continued, let us not love with word or with tongue but in deed and truth.^[11] As Jesus tried to teach me about the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe,^[12] I got tripped up here quite often. I thought, especially if my performance was less than perfect when I had attempted to trust Him, that his teaching was not his teaching but me playing word games, loving with word (λόγῳ, a form of λόγος) or with tongue (γλώσσῃ, a form of γλῶσσα). “No, you really have to do it,” I heard many times from my elders if I tried to share what I thought I had been learning. How I ever thought that obeying rules in my own strength might become loving in deed (ἔργῳ, a form of ἔργον) and truth (ἀληθείᾳ, a form of ἀλήθεια), I can’t explain apart from being willful, stubborn, rebellious and stiff-necked. Now I assume that loving with word or with tongue corresponds to my hypocrisy, while loving in deed and truth corresponds to being led by his Holy Spirit.

John continued (1 John 3:19-24 NET):

And by this we will know that we are of the truth (ἀληθείας, another form of ἀλήθεια) and will convince our conscience in his presence, that if (ἐὰν) our conscience condemns us, that God is greater than our conscience and knows all things. Dear friends, if (ἐὰν) our conscience does not condemn us, we have confidence in the presence of God, and whatever (ἐὰν; or if) we ask we receive from him, because we keep his commandments and do the things that are pleasing to him. Now this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love one another, just as he gave us the commandment. And the person who keeps his commandments resides (μένει, another form of μένω) in God, and God in him. Now by this we know that God resides (μένει, another form of μένω) in us: by the Spirit he has given us.

I want to conclude this essay by addressing one of the statements in the entry in Sermon Writer directly:

The emphasis is love. Love begins with the Father and flows through the Son to the disciples (v. 9). It is contingent on obedience…Jesus promises to love the disciples if they obey his commandments.

The demonstrably false statement—“Jesus promises to love the disciples if they obey his commandments”—mischaracterizes God’s love and remaining in his love. First, consider Jesus’ teaching on the nature of the Father’s love (Matthew 5:43-48 NET):

You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor’ and ‘hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, love your enemy and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be like your Father in heaven, since he causes the sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Even the tax collectors do the same, don’t they? And if you only greet your brothers, what more do you do? Even the Gentiles do the same, don’t they? So then, be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Jesus’ love for me is not equivalent to, or contingent upon, my remaining in his love. Jesus loves me because God is love and Jesus remains in his Father’s love. If and only if I remain in his love I will bear the fruit of his Spirit, the love which is the fulfillment of the law, and obey him thereby. It is not that his love, or even remaining in his love, is contingent upon some open-ended obedience of mine but that my obedience is contingent upon his love and my remaining in his love.

Here the misdirection of translating forms of τηρέω with forms of obey becomes evident. To keep Jesus’ commandments, not to lose or discard them, has much more in common with his words remaining in us than it does with any form of obey. Even as I write this I hear the quibble in my head: “But you have obeyed: you have remained in his love by clinging to his teaching.” I write this quibble off to the religious mind.

I acknowledged the religious mind as nothing more than the carnal mind or the outlook of the flesh, but the term still serves a useful purpose for me. I expect the carnal mind or the outlook of the flesh to be focused directly on sin. The pretense of the religious mind is its focus on righteousness, albeit a righteousness of its own derived from the law with a keen desire to justify itself by law. Consider Jesus’ teaching on the subject (Luke 17:10 NET):

“So you too, when you have done everything you were commanded to do, should say, ‘We are slaves undeserving of special praise; we have only done what was our duty.’”

As I’ve written before, we have this attitude not because we are in some wretched social condition but because our deeds have been done in (or, by) God^[13]…for the one bringing forth (ἐνεργῶν, a form of ἐνεργέω) in you both the desire (θέλειν, a form of θέλω) and the effort (ἐνεργεῖν, another form of ἐνεργέω) – for the sake of his good pleasure – is God.^[14]

Back to Father, Forgive Them, Part 3

Back to To Make Holy, Part 5

Back to Atonement, Part 3

^[1] Revelation 16:15b (NET)

^[2] 1 John 3:24a (NET)

^[3] 1 John 5:1a (NET)

^[4] John 15:5b (NET)

^[5] Matthew 5:20 (NET)

^[6] John 15:7, 8 (NET) Table

^[7] 1 John 3:1a (NET)

^[8] 1 Corinthians 13:7 (NET)

^[9] Romans 7:20 (NET)

^[10] Romans 9:18 (NET)

^[11] 1 John 3:18 (NET)

^[12] Romans 3:22a (NET)

^[13] John 3:21b (NET)

^[14] Philippians 2:13 (NET)

Sowing to the Flesh, Part 2

Posted on May 10, 2017 by admin

We religious folk of a Christian persuasion are fixated on life and death, heaven and hell. Jesus was fixated on fulfilling the Scriptures. How then would the scriptures that say it must happen this way be fulfilled?^[1] (πληρωθῶσιν, a form of πληρόω) He asked rhetorically when Peter took up arms to defend Him. Up to that moment Jesus’ disciples were willing to follow Him, even to death. But upon his insistence to submit quietly to death to fulfill the Scriptures they fled.

I do not know the man!^[2] Peter declared.

Jesus was not the Messiah his religion taught him to expect. Even after his resurrection Jesus’ disciples wanted Him to conform to their religious image: Lord, is this the time when you are restoring the kingdom to Israel?^[3] they asked. Tracey R. Rich expressed both a modern and an ancient understanding of this in two very succinct paragraphs.^[4]

Jews do not believe that Jesus was the mashiach. Assuming that he existed, and assuming that the Christian scriptures are accurate in describing him (both matters that are debatable), he simply did not fulfill the mission of the mashiach as it is described in the biblical passages cited above [Isaiah 2:2-4; 11:2-5, 10, 11-12; 42:1; Jeremiah 23:5, 8; 30:3; 33:15, 18; Hosea 3:4-5; Micah 4:2-3; Zephaniah 3:13; Zechariah 14:9]. Jesus did not do any of the things that the scriptures said the messiah would do.

On the contrary, another Jew born about a century later came far closer to fulfilling the messianic ideal than Jesus did. His name was Shimeon ben Kosiba, known as Bar Kokhba (son of a star), and he was a charismatic, brilliant, but brutal warlord. Rabbi Akiba, one of the greatest scholars in Jewish history, believed that Bar Kokhba was the mashiach. Bar Kokhba fought a war against the Roman Empire, catching the Tenth Legion by surprise and retaking Jerusalem. He resumed sacrifices at the site of the Temple and made plans to rebuild the Temple. He established a provisional government and began to issue coins in its name. This is what the Jewish people were looking for in a mashiach; Jesus clearly does not fit into this mold. Ultimately, however, the Roman Empire crushed his revolt and killed Bar Kokhba. After his death, all acknowledged that he was not the mashiach.

Rather than frustration with his disciples’ failure to know Him Jesus exhibited supreme confidence in his own Holy Spirit (John 16:12-14): You are not permitted to know the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority, He said. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts of the earth.^[5]

Enter through the narrow gate, Jesus said, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to destruction (ἀπώλειαν, a form of ἀπώλεια), and there are many who enter through it. But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it.^[6] What happens if I approach this with Jesus’ fixation rather than my own? Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets, He said. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill (πληρῶσαι, another form of πληρόω) them.^[7] What if ἀπώλειαν meant a destruction of corruption—being completely severed from the righteousness Jesus has provided us here and now through his death and resurrection and the power of his Holy Spirit—rather than an eternal sojourn in a lake of fire?

Instead of an immutable prophecy of his relative failure to accomplish his Father’s mission—For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him^[8]—we have Jesus’ warning that the church will do a less than stellar job of imparting the Gospel of his grace. But this understanding is only evident back in context (Matthew 7:11-16a NET):

If you then, although you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! [Luke was explicit that these good gifts are the Holy Spirit.] In everything, treat others as you would want them to treat you, for this fulfills (ἐστιν, a form of ἐστί; literally, is) the law and the prophets. Enter through the narrow gate, because the gate is wide and the way is spacious that leads to [corruption] (ἀπώλειαν, a form of ἀπώλεια), and there are many who enter through it. But the gate is narrow and the way is difficult that leads to life, and there are few who find it. Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. You will recognize them by their fruit.

None of this is to wag my finger at pastors, priests and Bible teachers, but to appreciate Jesus’ saying: Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God!^[9] I feel terribly inept at explaining what it’s like to live by the Spirit. I stumbled over progressive sanctification. The knowledge enshrined in churches as doctrine, however, was not the issue. A table of quotes from Presbyterian, Baptist and Christian & Missionary Alliance perspectives on progressive sanctification follows.

Progressive Sanctification
Presbyterian	Baptist	C&MA
“Sanctification is the work of God’s free grace, whereby we are renewed in the whole man after the image of God, and are enabled more and more to die unto sin, and live unto righteousness.”	What God has begun in regeneration He will work to continue without interruption throughout the believer’s life.	All Christians understand first the first reality: that Christ’s blood has atoned for their sins and they no longer need to fear eternal separation from God. But most Christians do not understand or experience the second reality—the fullness of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
“The Lord Jesus has undertaken everything that His people’s souls require; not only to deliver them from the guilt of their sins by His atoning death, but from the dominion of their sins by placing in their hearts the Holy Spirit; not only to justify them, but to sanctify them.”	It involves our availability to the Holy Spirit, our separation from sin, and our growth in the likeness of Christ. Every Christian is a sanctified person, belonging to Christ, and therefore should keep from immorality (1 Cor. 6:13-14; 2 Cor. 7:1). We are involved in a lifetime struggle against sin and a moment-by-moment submission to the Holy Spirit for victory.	The New Testament clearly teaches that there are two kinds of Christians. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-4, Paul talks about Christians who are “spiritual” and contrasts them with those who are “worldly,” or “carnal.” In Romans 7 and 8, the comparison is between those believers who are self-propelled and those who are Spirit driven. In Ephesians 5:18, he implies that some are “filled” and some are “not filled.”
The Lord has given to us His Spirit, and by Him communicates His own life to the justified believer. Holiness is divinely wrought within Christians. Christ enables us to walk in holiness.	It [to “present your bodies a living sacrifice”] is a choice we make as believers. No one else can make that choice for us. It is self-determined and is repeated often.	The opportunity to experience the two realities of sanctification is available to every believer. The path to the Spirit-filled life requires taking faith-filled risks, which always involves change.
As we look at Christ we are changed into the image of Christ, by the work of the Spirit of God.	The Holy Spirit indwells the believer for the purpose of enabling us to overcome sin and conform us to the likeness of Christ. When we “walk by the Spirit” we do not carry out the deeds of the flesh, but produce “the fruit of the Spirit” (Gal. 5:16, 22).	Surrender We can’t make ourselves holy any more than we can make ourselves saved—we become holy only by realizing that we haven’t got what it takes to be holy (Romans 6:11; Romans 12:1-2). Accept Christ is our Sanctifier in the same way that He is our Savior (Colossians 2:6; Galatians 2:20). Abide We maintain a continuous relationship with Jesus through obedience to His Word (John 15:1-11).
	Our dependence upon the Holy Spirit is not something that is attained once for all, but is the result of a daily struggle and a constantly renewed commitment. God will not give up on His goal of making you become like Christ. He will not give up on you until the day He presents you complete, perfect, and mature to the Father in heaven.

These were my religious influences growing up. I have nothing but minor quibbles over words (obedience, for instance) with any of these statements individually and appreciate all of them together. I even checked the Catholic catechism. Sanctification was a subcategory of justification there rather than a separate topic but still I have no serious objection to anything in it. Oddly enough, I found words closer to my own misunderstanding in the Catholic catechism under the heading III. MERIT, line 2010:

Since the initiative belongs to God in the order of grace, no one can merit the initial grace of forgiveness and justification, at the beginning of conversion. Moved by the Holy Spirit and by charity, we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed for our sanctification, for the increase of grace and charity, and for the attainment of eternal life. Even temporal goods like health and friendship can be merited in accordance with God’s wisdom. These graces and goods are the object of Christian prayer. Prayer attends to the grace we need for meritorious actions.

In my misunderstanding I thought positional sanctification was God’s work in Christ and progressive sanctification^[10] was up to me to accomplish. I grew up in a Catholic neighborhood but I never read the catechism. Besides, line 2011 is fairly clear on this:

The charity of Christ is the source in us of all our merits before God. Grace, by uniting us to Christ in active love, ensures the supernatural quality of our acts and consequently their merit before God and before men. The saints have always had a lively awareness that their merits were pure grace.

The charity of Christ is ἀγάπη in the New Testament, the love that is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit, the love that is the fulfillment of the law. The relative failure of the church to impart the Gospel of grace was not a lack of knowledge. So is it in the execution, the way that knowledge is imparted? Here I’m reminded of an observation that made little sense to me until this very moment: Churchmen liked me better when I was striving on my own to keep rules than when I began to try to live by the Spirit.

My use of churchmen requires some explanation. I don’t necessarily mean clergy. And I don’t mean men exclusively. The best explanation I can imagine is a profile. Churchmen aren’t believers in the sense that they have any awareness of a crisis moment that marks a difference in their lives between unbelief and belief. They are probably the children or grandchildren of believers. Christianity seems natural to them and they have never strayed far from it. But fitting a profile doesn’t necessarily mean that one did the “crime.” The “crime” in this case is too facile an identification with the local church in which one takes a leading role: “My church is the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through my church.” But the real crime was that I idolized churchmen and coveted their status.

Churches as institutions have their own agendas. I fit into those agendas better when I obey their rules. In other words, churchmen are institutionally biased to favor compliant hypocrites, actors. This is not to say that they are necessarily hypocrites themselves. It is to say that they have little experience with any struggle to live by the Spirit. Their instruction to those of us who do have trouble takes the form of platitudes—”sin is just bad habits which can be overcome by good habits“—techniques for inculcating said good habits and rules to prohibit bad ones, as opposed to faith in Jesus by his Holy Spirit.

Rules are neat and orderly. Living by the Spirit is messy: When you come together, each one has a song, has a lesson, has a revelation, has a tongue, has an interpretation.^[11] Churchmen (I will say for the sake of argument) decided long ago that we should sit silently in neat rows, stand when we were told to stand, sing what we were told to sing and listen to the lesson the church wanted us to hear. My church allowed revelations, I suppose, during testimony time. (I thought testimonies were about all the good things God did for people who were good and “obedient,” you know, churchmen.) Tongues and interpretations? Forget about it!

And, frankly, I intend all of this more as a metaphor for imparting the Gospel of grace. I don’t really care how a church service is organized as much as I care whether someone who doesn’t know how to be led by the Spirit of God can learn that there. And here I return to Martin Luther.

He lived in a created cosmos where it is hard… to enter the kingdom of God. He grew up in a religious system partially corrupted by false teachers and false prophets. (The alternative—Jesus killed all the false teachers and false prophets and sent them to hell before they had any influence on anyone else—is untenable to me.) Martin Luther, by the Holy Spirit, recognized some of the corrupting influences that plagued him and wrote to correct them. But was Martin Luther perfect and totally free of error himself?

The Luther/Graebner commentary on the fruit of the Spirit^[12] follows:

The Apostle does not speak of the works of the Spirit as he spoke of the works of the flesh, but he attaches to these Christian virtues a better name. He calls them the fruits of the Spirit.

LOVE

It would have been enough to mention only the single fruit of love, for love embraces all the fruits of the Spirit. In I Corinthians 13, Paul attributes to love all the fruits of the Spirit: “Charity suffereth long, and is kind,” etc. Here he lets love stand by itself among other fruits of the Spirit to remind the Christians to love one another, “in honor preferring one another,” to esteem others more than themselves because they have Christ and the Holy Ghost within them.

JOY

Joy means sweet thoughts of Christ, melodious hymns and psalms, praises and thanksgiving, with which Christians instruct, inspire, and refresh themselves. God does not like doubt and dejection. He hates dreary doctrine, gloomy and melancholy thought. God likes cheerful hearts. He did not send His Son to fill us with sadness, but to gladden our hearts. For this reason the prophets, apostles, and Christ Himself urge, yes, command us to rejoice and be glad. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy king cometh unto thee.” (Zech. 9:9.) In the Psalms we are repeatedly told to be “joyful in the Lord.” Paul says: “Rejoice in the Lord always.” Christ says: “Rejoice, for your names are written in heaven.”

PEACE

Peace towards God and men. Christians are to be peaceful and quiet. Not argumentative, not hateful, but thoughtful and patient. There can be no peace without longsuffering, and therefore Paul lists this virtue next.

LONGSUFFERING

Longsuffering is that quality which enables a person to bear adversity, injury, reproach, and makes them patient to wait for the improvement of those who have done him wrong. When the devil finds that he cannot overcome certain persons by force he tries to overcome them in the long run. He knows that we are weak and cannot stand anything long. Therefore he repeats his temptation time and again until he succeeds. To withstand his continued assaults we must be longsuffering and patiently wait for the devil to get tired of his game.

GENTLENESS

Gentleness in conduct and life. True followers of the Gospel must not be sharp and bitter, but gentle, mild, courteous, and soft-spoken, which should encourage others to seek their company. Gentleness can overlook other people’s faults and cover them up. Gentleness is always glad to give in to others. Gentleness can get along with forward and difficult persons, according to the old pagan saying: “You must know the manners of your friends, but you must not hate them.” Such a gentle person was our Savior Jesus Christ, as the Gospel portrays Him. Of Peter it is recorded that he wept whenever he remembered the sweet gentleness of Christ in His daily contact with people. Gentleness is an excellent virtue and very useful in every walk of life.

GOODNESS

A person is good when he is willing to help others in their need.

FAITH

In listing faith among the fruits of the Spirit, Paul obviously does not mean faith in Christ, but faith in men. Such faith is not suspicious of people but believes the best. Naturally the possessor of such faith will be deceived, but he lets it pass. He is ready to believe all men, but he will not trust all men. Where this virtue is lacking men are suspicious, forward, and wayward and will believe nothing nor yield to anybody. No matter how well a person says or does anything, they will find fault with it, and if you do not humor them you can never please them. It is quite impossible to get along with them. Such faith in people therefore, is quite necessary. What kind of life would this be if one person could not believe another person?

MEEKNESS

A person is meek when he is not quick to get angry. Many things occur in daily life to provoke a person’s anger, but the Christian gets over his anger by meekness.

TEMPERANCE

Christians are to lead sober and chaste lives. They should not be adulterers, fornicators, or sensualists. They should not be quarrelers or drunkards. In the first and second chapters of the Epistle to Titus, the Apostle admonishes bishops, young women, and married folks to be chaste and pure.

Is there anything here that indicated that the Holy Spirit produces this fruit in us, or does it read like a list of ideals to pursue or rules to obey? I see two things that may hint at the Holy Spirit’s involvement: 1) “There can be no peace without longsuffering” and, 2) “the Christian gets over his anger by meekness.” While I appreciate the connection of the fruit of the Spirit and the definition of love in 1 Corinthians 13, nothing here would have turned me from viewing that definition as a list of rules to obey to prove I was a Christian. In fact, the explanation given for “a walk in the Spirit”^[13] seems both mystical and works oriented to me:

They crucify the flesh with its evil desires and lusts by fasting and exercise and, above all, by a walk in the Spirit. To resist the flesh in this manner is to nail it to the Cross. Although the flesh is still alive it cannot very well act upon its desires because it is bound and nailed to the Cross.

Granted, failing at the effort to love like Jesus by turning Paul’s definition of love into rules, prompted me to look for something else—something like the fruit of the Spirit. But I wonder about Martin Luther.

If Theodore Graebner’s translation carries anything of Luther’s own thinking on the fruit of the Spirit, this alone could account for the pridefulness on which Joe Heschmeyer commented. If Luther let go of the rule-based righteousness of the monastery yet didn’t fully embrace the righteousness of God in the fruit of the Spirit as he fought for his life to believe in justification by “faith alone” against a stronger adversary than any of us know as the Roman Catholic Church—both pridefulness and a general lack of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control make sense to me.

Every boy growing up in my church knew that “sowing to the flesh” meant viewing pornography. While that may well be an example of “sowing to the flesh” in one area of human life, rejecting the righteousness of God (Romans 3:21, 22) that is given new every morning—the love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control that flows from his Holy Spirit—to do it somehow on one’s own is sowing to the flesh in every area of human life (Galatians 6:7-8 NET).

Do not be deceived. God will not be made a fool. For a person will reap what he sows, because the person who sows to his own flesh will reap corruption (φθοράν, a form of φθορά) from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

Luther/Graebner commented^[14] literally if superficially^[15] on this:

This simile of sowing and reaping also refers to the proper support of ministers. “He that soweth to the Spirit,” i.e., he that honors the ministers of God is doing a spiritual thing and will reap everlasting life. “He that soweth to the flesh,” i.e., he that has nothing left for the ministers of God, but only thinks of himself, that person will reap of the flesh corruption, not only in this life but also in the life to come. The Apostle wants to stir up his readers to be generous to their pastors.

While sharing all good things with the one who teaches^[16] the word is a good thing (Galatins 6:9, 10) that flows from the goodness (ἀγαθωσύνη) of the fruit of the Holy Spirit, bribing one’s teacher will not help anyone live righteously here and now—unless one is also led by the Spirit of God. Here I’ll turn to Peter to explain Paul (Acts 8:17-20 NET):

Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans, and they received the Holy Spirit.

Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, saying, “Give me this power too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish (ἀπώλειαν, a form of ἀπώλεια) with you, because you thought you could acquire God’s gift with money!”

If your teacher is not even trying to teach you how to be led by the Spirit of God, find another to share all good things with the one who teaches. Better yet, cry out to Jesus and study the Scriptures with Him. He loves the Scriptures. He died, rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and will return again to make them so.

Conclusion

Back to Paul’s Religious Mind Revisited, Part 6

Back to Who Am I? Part 6

Back to Romans, Part 88

Back to Father, Forgive Them – Part 2

Back to To Make Holy, Part 4

Back to My Deeds, Part 3

Back to Atonement, Part 7

Back to Atonement, Part 9

Back to Romans, Part 91

Back to Father, Forgive Them – Part 6

Back to Hannah’s Prayer, Part 6

Back to Isaiah 53:10-12, Part 1

Back to Funeral, Part 2

^[1] Matthew 26:54 (NET)

^[2] Matthew 26:72b (NET) Table

^[3] Acts 1:6b (NET) Table

^[4] Tracey R. Rich, Mashiach: The Messiah, Judaism 101

^[5] Acts 1:7, 8 (NET) Table

^[6] Matthew 7:13, 14 (NET)

^[7] Matthew 5:17 (NET)

^[8] John 3:17 (NET)

^[9] Mark 10:24b (NET)

^[10] Some think that progressive sanctification is so tainted with self-righteousness that it is heresy. I’m sensitive to this criticism, having lived and breathed that heresy, but will wait to consider it in another essay.

^[11] 1 Corinthians 14:26b (NET)

^[12] Commentary on Galatians 5:22, 23

^[13] Commentary on Galatians 5:24

^[14] Commentary on Galatians 6:8

^[15] Therefore they will eat from the fruit of their way, and they will be stuffed full of their own counsel (Proverbs 1:31 NET). The one who sows iniquity will reap trouble (Proverbs 22:8a NET)… But you have plowed wickedness; you have reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of deception. Because you have depended on your chariots; you have relied on your many warriors (Hosea 10:13 NET). See: Is “you reap what you sow” biblical?

^[16] Galatians 6:6 (NET)

Romans, Part 72

Posted on March 27, 2016 by admin

In this essay I continue to consider Contribute (κοινωνοῦντες, a form of κοινωνέω) to the needs of the saints, pursue hospitality.^[1] But I’m looking at the dark side of contributing (or, sharing in), specifically (2 John 1:9-11 NET):

Everyone who goes on ahead and does not remain in the teaching of Christ does not have God. The one who remains in this teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your house and do not give him any greeting, because the person who gives him a greeting shares (κοινωνεῖ, another form of κοινωνέω) in his evil deeds.

My religious mind hears evil deeds in English as some sin, preferably one to which it is not particularly prone—molesting young boys, for instance—and fixates on that as the meaning of evil deeds. In Greek, however—κοινωνεῖ τοῖς ἔργοις (a form of ἔργον) αὐτοῦ τοῖς πονηροῖς (a form of πονηρός)—is just as likely to mean “shares (or, contributes to) his works full of labours, annoyances, and hardships.” This is the more likely meaning, in fact, in reference to the New Testament ἐκκλησία. Religious people tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them.^[2] Jesus said (Matthew 11:28-30 NET):

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (ἀναπαύσω, a form of ἀναπαύω). Take my yoke on you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest (ἀνάπαυσιν, a form of ἀνάπαυσις) for your souls (ψυχαῖς, a form of ψυχή). For my yoke is easy to bear, and my load is not hard to carry.

As I continue to distinguish the teaching of Christ from that of religious people I consider Love the Lord your God…with all your soul^[3] (ψυχῆς, another form of ψυχή). After Jesus’ Father revealed (Matthew 16:16, 17 NET) to Peter that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of the living God, and after Jesus instructed his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Christ^[4] (Matthew 16:21-27 NET):

From that time on Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, and on the third day be raised. So Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him: “God forbid, Lord! This must not happen to you!” But he turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me, because you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but on man’s.” Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If anyone wants to become my follower, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life (ψυχὴν, another form of ψυχή) will lose it, but whoever loses his life (ψυχὴν, another form of ψυχή) for my sake will find it. For what does it benefit a person if he gains the whole world but forfeits his life (ψυχὴν, another form of ψυχή)? Or what can a person give in exchange for his life (ψυχῆς, another form of ψυχή)? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done.

Granted, there is a lot packed into this passage. First to love y^ehôvâh with all your soul (or, life), is to become a follower of Jesus, y^ehôvâh incarnate, made human flesh as a man. If anyone wants to become my follower, Jesus said, he must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. I’ll consider deny himself as it is demonstrated here. It was revealed to Peter that Jesus was the Christ, the Messiah. Peter thought he knew who the Messiah was and what He had come to do.

When the Messiah said that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests, and experts in the law, and be killed, Peter said, This must not happen to you. I assume that Peter didn’t even hear the part about being raised on the third day or his response would have revealed a different confusion. All Peter heard was that the Messiah he and his people longed for would suffer at the hands of his religious leaders and be killed.

When Jesus called Peter Satan, He did not mean that Satan is the true representative of man’s interests. He meant that Peter’s words appealed to that fleshly part of Jesus’ own humanity as Satan had tried to do in the wilderness (Matthew 4:1-11, Mark 1:12, 13, Luke 4:1-13 NET). Peter accepted Jesus’ rebuke, picked himself up and followed all the way to what he perceived was a last stand (John 11:7-16 NET; cf verse 16) in the garden of Gethsemane (John 18:10, 11, Matthew 26:51-54, Mark 14:47, Luke 22:49-51 NET), without ever fully understanding what Jesus’ meant until after the resurrection.

Like Peter, I thought I knew what Jesus’ final statement meant: For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will reward each person according to what he has done. Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm, Paul warned Timothy. The Lord will repay him in keeping with his deeds. You be on guard against him too, because he vehemently opposed our words.^[5]

The Lord will repay him in keeping with his deeds, is an allusion to Psalm 28:4 according to a note (19) in the NET. A comparison of the Greek texts follows.

Paul (NET)	Parallel Greek	David (NETS)	Septuagint
Alexander the coppersmith did me a great deal of harm. 2 Timothy 4:14a	Ἀλέξανδρος ὁ χαλκεὺς πολλά μοι κακὰ ἐνεδείξατο 2 Timothy 4:14a
The Lord will repay him in keeping with his deeds. 2 Timothy 4:14b	ἀποδώσει αὐτῷ ὁ κύριος κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ 2 Timothy 4:14b	Give them according to their works, Psalm 28:4a	δὸς αὐτοῖς κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν Psalm 28:4a
		and according to the wickedness of their practices; Psalm 28:4b	καὶ κατὰ τὴν πονηρίαν τῶν ἐπιτηδευμάτων^[6] αὐτῶν Psalm 28:4b
		according to the works of their hands give them; Psalm 28:4c	κατὰ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν δὸς αὐτοῖς Psalm 28:4c
		render them their due reward. Psalm 28:4d	ἀπόδος τὸ ἀνταπόδομα αὐτῶν αὐτοῖς Psalm 28:4d

“He’s making a list / And checking it twice / Gonna find out Who’s naughty and nice…He sees you when you’re sleeping / He knows when you’re awake / He knows if you’ve been bad or good / So be good for goodness sake!”^[7] No, my parents never tricked me into believing in Santa Claus. They didn’t even trick me into believing that Jesus was born on December 25^th. Christmas was the arbitrary season the Church chose to celebrate Jesus’ birth. I made this connection to being repaid in keeping with my deeds, thinking, I suppose, that parents made Santa Claus in Jesus’ image. But children were never good for goodness’ sake. They wanted presents, rewards, rather than a lump of coal.

This was essentially my understanding of good works. They had nothing to do with salvation except that I should want to do them because Jesus did a “good work” for me, dying for my sins. Good works were done primarily for rewards. No one knew what these rewards might be but no one wanted to be left out when everyone else was receiving rewards for their good works. As I got older, good works merited good things happening to or for me here and now, while bad works merited the opposite, karma, in a word. Fear is the key motivation, whether fear of social embarrassment or literal harm.

And again Paul wrote, But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed! He will reward each one according to his works.^[8] According to a note (16) in the NET this is a quotation from Psalm 62:12 and Proverbs 24:12. The Greek texts are compared below.

Paul (NET)

Parallel Greek

David (NETS)

Septuagint

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed!

Romans 2:5

κατὰ δὲ τὴν σκληρότητα σου καὶ ἀμετανόητον καρδίαν θησαυρίζεις σεαυτῷ ὀργὴν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ ὀργῆς καὶ ἀποκαλύψεως δικαιοκρισίας τοῦ θεοῦ

Romans 2:5

And to you, O Lord, belongs mercy,

Psalm 62:12a

ὅτι τὸ κράτος τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ σοί κύριε τὸ ἔλεος

Psalm 62:12a

He will reward each one according to his works:

Romans 2:6

ὃς ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ

Romans 2:6

because you will repay to each according to his works.

Psalm 62:12b

ὅτι σὺ ἀποδώσεις ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ

Psalm 62:12b

Mercy above is ἔλεος in the Septuagint. Later in the same letter to the Romans Paul recalled the long name (Exodus 33:19 NET) of y^ehôvâh: I will have mercy (ἐλεήσω, a form of ἐλεέω) on whom I have mercy (ἐλεῶ, another form of ἐλεέω), and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy (ἐλεῶντος, another form of ἐλεέω).^[9] For God has consigned all people to disobedience so that he may show mercy (ἐλεήσῃ, another form of ἐλεέω) to them all.^[10] “Go and learn what this saying means,” Jesus said to religious people, “‘I want mercy (ἔλεος) and not sacrifice.’ For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”^[11] And, “If you had known what this means: ‘I want mercy (ἔλεος) and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.”^[12]

Paul (NET)

Parallel Greek

Solomon (NETS)

Septuagint

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath for yourselves in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed!

Romans 2:5

If you say: “I do not know this person,” be aware that the Lord is familiar with the heart of everyone, and he who formed breath for all, he knows everything,

Proverbs 24:12a [Table]

ἐὰν δὲ εἴπῃς οὐκ οἶδα τοῦτον γίνωσκε ὅτι κύριος καρδίας πάντων γινώσκει καὶ ὁ πλάσας πνοὴν πᾶσιν αὐτὸς οἶδεν πάντα

Proverbs 24:12a

He will reward each one according to his works:

Romans 2:6

ὃς ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ

Romans 2:6

he who will render to each according to his deeds.

Proverbs 24:12b [Table]

ὃς ἀποδίδωσιν ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτοῦ

Proverbs 24:12b

Here, though the familiar fear-of-the-Lord usage is evident, Solomon’s purpose was that His son Rehoboam as a prince and eventually king of Israel would, “Rescue them who are led to death, and buy back those who are to be slaughtered; do not delay!”^[13] In each of these verses the Greek phrase translated according to his deeds (or, works) is κατὰ τὰ ἔργα (a form of ἔργον) αὐτοῦ (according to their works is κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν). But Jesus made a minor change when speaking this way to his disciples, to those who followed Him, who loved y^ehôvâh with all their soul or life: ἀποδώσει ἑκάστῳ κατὰ τὴν πρᾶξιν (a form of πρᾶξις) αὐτοῦ. Jesus’ followers will be rewarded according to their practice as opposed to their works.

Do they live by the Spirit (πνεύματι περιπατεῖτε)? Are they led by the Spirit (πνεύματι ἄγεσθε) or by the flesh? Their works of the flesh (τὰ ἔργα τῆς σαρκός) as isolated incidents are already forgiven, condemned in the flesh. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me.^[14] Of course, if they practice the works of the flesh they were never Jesus’ followers to begin with: Those who practice (πράσσοντες, a form of πράσσω) such things will not inherit the kingdom of God!^[15]

The hope for Jesus’ followers is the Sabbath rest…for the people of God: For the one who enters God’s rest (κατάπαυσιν, a form of κατάπαυσις) has also rested (κατέπαυσεν, a form of καταπαύω) from his works (ἔργων, another form of ἔργον), just as God did from his own works. Thus we must make every effort (Σπουδάσωμεν, a form of σπουδάζω) to enter that rest (κατάπαυσιν, a form of κατάπαυσις), so that no one may fall by following the same pattern of disobedience (ἀπειθείας, a form of ἀπείθεια).^[16] But the one who practices (ποιῶν, a form of ποιέω) the truth, Jesus said of his followers, comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds (ἔργα, a form of ἔργον) have been done in [or, by] God^[17] (ὅτι ἐν θεῷ ἐστιν εἰργασμένα [a form of ἐργάζομαι]).

Finally, Jesus felt no need to motivate his followers with fear. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love. We love because he loved us first.^[18] Do not leave Jerusalem, He told them after his resurrection, but wait there for what my Father promised, which you heard about from me. For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.^[19] And the fruit of the Spirit is love (ἀγάπη), joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.^[20]

Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets, Jesus cautioned. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill (πληρῶσαι, a form of πληρόω) them.^[21] Love (ἀγάπη) does no wrong to a neighbor. Therefore love (ἀγάπη) is the fulfillment (πλήρωμα) of the law.^[22] And whoever does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me, Jesus said. Whoever finds his life (ψυχὴν, another form of ψυχή) will lose it, and whoever loses his life (ψυχὴν, another form of ψυχή) because of me will find it.^[23]

For we did not follow cleverly concocted fables when we made known to you the power and return of our Lord Jesus Christ, Peter offered, no, we were eyewitnesses of his grandeur.^[24] But in the light of these details even those who reject the Gospel as cleverly concocted fables need to pause to appreciate just how cleverly concocted the details are. Maybe it’s not the devil in the details.

I began this essay with an oblique reference to pedophile priests. My point is simply this: I don’t believe that Catholic priests who molested children were trusting in their deaths to sin (Romans 6:3-14 NET) through faith in Jesus’ crucifixion as they molested those children. They weren’t believing their resurrection to new life (Romans 7:4-6 NET) through Jesus’ resurrection. They weren’t walking or living by his Spirit (Romans 8:1-11 NET), depending on his daily infusion of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:13-6:5 NET). I believe they relied on their own abilities as Catholic priests to live up to centuries of Catholic rules governing the behavior of Catholic priests. That is molestation (or an eruption of any other sin) looking for a time and a place to happen, because it is the practice which plays to sin’s strength: the power of sin is the law.^[25]

Romans, Part 73

^[1] Romans 12:13 (NET)

^[2] Matthew 23:4 (NET)

^[3] Mark 12:30a (NET)

^[4] Matthew 16:20 (NET)

^[5] 2 Timothy 4:14, 15 (NET)

^[6] http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=e)pithdeuma%2Ftwn&la=greek&prior=tw=n

^[7] http://www.41051.com/xmaslyrics/santatown.html

^[8] Romans 2:5, 6 (NET)

^[9] Romans 9:15, 16 (NET)

^[10] Romans 11:32 (NET)

^[11] Matthew 9:13 (NET)

^[12] Matthew 12:7 (NET)

^[13] Proverbs 24:11 (NETS)

^[14] Romans 7:20 (NET)

^[15] Galatians 5:21b (NET)

^[16] Hebrews 4:10, 11 (NET)

^[17] John 3:21 (NET)

^[18] 1 John 4:18, 19 (NET)

^[19] Acts 1:4, 5 (NET)

^[20] Galatians 5:22-24 (NET)

^[21] Matthew 5:17 (NET)

^[22] Romans 13:10 (NET)

^[23] Matthew 10:38, 39 (NET)

^[24] 2 Peter 1:16 (NET)

^[25] 1 Corinthians 15:56b (NET)

Romans, Part 53

Posted on July 23, 2014 by admin

So, how can I view—Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord^[1]—as a definition of love (ἀγάπη) rather than as rules? Again, I’ve constructed the following table to help.

The Fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5:22, 23 (NET)	love (ἀγάπη)
Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have also obtained access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and we rejoice in the hope of God’s glory. Not only this, but we also rejoice in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint, because the love (ἀγάπη) of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.^[2]		Love (ἀγάπη) does no wrong (κακὸν, a form of κακός) to a neighbor. Therefore love (ἀγάπη) is the fulfillment of the law.^[3] Knowledge puffs up, but love (ἀγάπη) builds up.^[4]
Love (ἀγάπη) is… 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NET)	…not self-serving (οὐ ζητεῖ τὰ ἑαυτῆς; literally, “not seek itself”)… 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NET)
If someone owns a hundred sheep and one of them goes astray, will he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go look for (ζητεῖ, a form of ζητέω) the one that went astray?^[5] But above all pursue (ζητεῖτε, another form of ζητέω) his kingdom and righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.^[6]
This Love Without Hypocrisy… Romans 12:9-21 (NET)	Do not lag in zeal (σπουδῇ, a form of σπουδή), be enthusiastic (ζέοντες, a form of ζέω) in spirit… Romans 12:11a (NET)	…serve (δουλεύοντες, a form of δουλεύω) the Lord. Romans 12:11b (NET)
But as you excel in everything – in faith, in speech, in knowledge, and in all eagerness (σπουδῇ) and in the love from us that is in you – make sure that you excel in this act of kindness too.^[7]	Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus. He was an eloquent speaker, well-versed in the scriptures. He had been instructed in the way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm (ζέων, another form of ζέω) he spoke and taught accurately the facts about Jesus (KJV: the Lord), although he knew only the baptism of John.^[8]	Slaves, obey your human masters with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart as to Christ, not like those who do their work only when someone is watching – as people-pleasers – but as slaves of Christ doing the will of God from the heart. Obey with enthusiasm (εὐνοίας, a form of εὔνοια), as though serving (δουλεύοντες) the Lord and not people, because you know that each person, whether slave or free, if he does something good (ἀγαθόν, a form of ἀγαθός), this will be rewarded by the Lord.^[9]

In the previous essay it seemed to make intuitive sense to place cling to what is good^[10]under that aspect of the fruit of the Spirit translated goodness. Here it may seem like begging the question ^[11] to simply place—Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord—under love. In one sense love (ἀγάπη) is the master key that can stand for all aspects of the fruit of the Spirit. I think John used ἀγάπη that way often, but I want to follow Paul’s thinking here.

Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith (πίστεως, a form of πίστις), he wrote. By our own faith? I think not, for πίστις ^[12] is an aspect of the fruit of the Spirit. Since we have been declared righteous by faith we have peace (εἰρήνην, a form of εἰρήνη) with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.^[13] Again, peace (εἰρήνη) is an aspect of the fruit of his Spirit. Through our Lord Jesus Christ we have also obtained access by faith (πίστει, another form of πίστις) into this grace (χάριν, a form of χάρις) in which we stand. And by grace, though Paul may mean more, I think he cannot mean less than the credited righteousness of God, this very fruit of God’s Holy Spirit. And we rejoice in the hope of our glory! But that’s not what Paul wrote. And we rejoice (καυχώμεθα, a form of καυχάομαι) in the hope of God’s glory.^[14]

Though the NET translators chose rejoice for καυχώμεθα here and in the next verse, boast is a more obvious meaning. I say again, let no one think that I am a fool. But if you do, then at least accept me as a fool, so that I too may boast (καυχήσωμαι, another form of καυχάομαι) a little. What I am saying with this boastful (καυχήσεως, a form of καύχησις) confidence I do not say the way the Lord would. Instead it is, as it were, foolishness. Since many are boasting (καυχῶνται, another form of καυχάομαι) according to human standards, I too will boast (καυχήσομαι, another form of καυχάομαι).^[15] By the way, according to human standards is κατὰ σάρκα in Greek, according to the flesh (NKJV).

It gives me the sense that Paul meant we boast in the hope of God’s glory. We boast in the hope that God will be glorified by the lives we live in the flesh (not according to the flesh), crucified with Christ (it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me),^[16] living by the Spirit,^[17] not by the works of the flesh.^[18] Translated that way we might be less likely to gloss over it and boast in the hope of our own glory. Not only this, Paul continued, but we also rejoice (καυχώμεθα, a form of καυχάομαι; or, boast) in sufferings.^[19] So where does Paul get off writing this wacko stuff?

If I must boast (καυχᾶσθαι, another form of καυχάομαι), I will boast (καυχήσομαι, another form of καυχάομαι) about the things that show my weakness (ἀσθενείας, a form of ἀσθένεια).^[20] There was method to Paul’s madness. For the Lord said to him, “My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (ἀσθενείᾳ).” So then, Paul concluded, I will boast (καυχήσομαι) most gladly about my weaknesses (ἀσθενείαις), so that the power of Christ may reside in me.^[21] And in Romans we find a similar method to his madness: we also rejoice (or, boast) in sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope.^[22] And here I get a beautiful glimmer of an understanding why the NET translators chose rejoice over boast.

We don’t rejoice or boast in our own suffering because of a rational understanding: knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance, character, and character, hope. We can only rejoice or boast in our own suffering because we are filled with the joy (χαρὰ) of God, another aspect of the fruit of his Spirit. And rejoice hearkens back to that fact better than boast ever could. I am confident they chose rejoice for this reason because of a note on the next verse.

And hope does not disappoint, Paul concluded, because the love (ἀγάπη) of God has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us.^[23] The note in the NET reads: “The phrase ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ θεοῦ (…‘the love of God’) could be interpreted as either an objective genitive (‘our love for God’), subjective genitive (‘God’s love for us’), or both (M. Zerwick’s ‘general’ genitive [Biblical Greek,§§36-39]; D. B. Wallace’s ‘plenary’ genitive [ExSyn 119-21]). The immediate context, which discusses what God has done for believers, favors a subjective genitive, but the fact that this love is poured out within the hearts of believers implies that it may be the source for believers’ love for God; consequently an objective genitive cannot be ruled out. It is possible that both these ideas are meant in the text and that this is a plenary genitive: ‘The love that comes from God and that produces our love for God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us’ (ExSyn 121).”

Here is one place I can say with confidence the NET translators really got what Paul was saying. This love (ἀγάπη), which has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us, does no wrong (κακὸν) to a neighbor. Therefore love (ἀγάπη) is the fulfillment (πλήρωμα) of the law.^[24] Pouring this love out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us is what Jesus meant when He said: Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill (πληρῶσαι, a form of πληρόω, the verb from which the noun πλήρωμα is derived) them.^[25]

I want to spend some time with κακὸν (a form of κακός) since this ἀγάπη does (or, works) no wrong (or, harm) to a neighbor. The first time κακὸν occurs in the New Testament was from the mouth of the Roman governor. Pilate said to them, “Then what should I do with Jesus who is called the Christ?” They all said, “Crucify him!” He asked, “Why? What wrong (κακὸν) has he done?” But they shouted more insistently, “Crucify him!”^[26] Though Pilate found no κακὸν in Him under Roman law the chief priests and elders of Israel had accused Him of many things: “Don’t you hear how many charges they are bringing against you?”^[27] Pilate asked. When Jesus was accused by the chief priests and the elders, he did not respond.^[28]

Now, with 20-20 hindsight I can see Jesus consciously fulfilling Scripture: He was treated harshly and afflicted, but he did not even open his mouth. Like a lamb led to the slaughtering block, like a sheep silent before her shearers, he did not even open his mouth.^[29] At the time in the moment, however, He appeared obstinate, belligerent and disdainful of authority. Consider his teaching (Matthew 23:1-12 NET).

Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, “The experts in the law and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat. Therefore pay attention to what they tell you and do it. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they teach. They tie up heavy loads, hard to carry, and put them on men’s shoulders, but they themselves are not willing even to lift a finger to move them. They do all their deeds to be seen by people, for they make their phylacteries wide and their tassels long. They love the place of honor at banquets and the best seats in the synagogues and elaborate greetings in the marketplaces, and to have people call them ‘Rabbi.’ But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ for you have one Teacher and you are all brothers. And call no one your ‘father’ on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Nor are you to be called ‘teacher,’ for you have one teacher, the Christ. The greatest among you will be your servant. And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

Even here there is a very rough edge that is disdainful of human authority. More to the point, perhaps, Jesus did nothing that would inhibit his progress toward the cross. My commandment (ἐντολὴ, a form of ἐντολή) is this, He also said, to love (ἀγαπᾶτε, a form of ἀγαπάω) one another just as I have loved (ἠγάπησα, another form of ἀγαπάω) you. No one has greater love (ἀγάπην, a form of ἀγάπη) than this – that one lays down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command (ἐντέλλομαι) you.^[30] Hanging on the cross, after thirty plus years of human experience, eating it, drinking it, pissing and shitting it, Jesus prayed what I consider the real prayer of salvation: Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.^[31]

My point here, I suppose, is that the love that does (or, works) no wrong (or, harm) to a neighbor may not always appear to all the people all the time to be doing or working no wrong or harm to a neighbor. By his own admission Jesus’ death on a cross was not his will but his Father’s.^[32] Like most human beings Jesus wanted to live; whoever is among the living has hope; a live dog is better than a dead lion.^[33] Perhaps I’ve overstated the case. Jesus was not suicidal as He hung on the cross.

I want to follow this just a bit farther (Luke 16:25 NET).

Abraham said, ‘Child, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things (ἀγαθά, another form of ἀγαθός) and Lazarus likewise bad things (κακά, another form of κακός), but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish.’

When I considered this in the light of the gospel I gleaned from my religion,^[34] Abraham’s words seemed like karmic nonsense. But in the light of the knowledge of God I’m compelled to reconsider. God is love (ἀγάπη).^[35] Love (ἀγάπη) does no wrong (κακὸν, a form of κακός) to a neighbor.^[36] (And this is οὐκ the absolute negation, modifying ἐργάζεται [a form of ἐργάζομαι] apparently not κακὸν.) So while I might be intellectually stimulated to wonder what role God’s love played in Lazarus’ life, the Holy Spirit reminds me that Knowledge puffs up, but love (ἀγάπη) builds up.^[37] All in all it is simpler then to assume that God’s love was revealed after Lazarus’ death. This is in accord with Jesus’ knowledge of God: he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live before him.^[38] And it is prudent to accept that I do not dictate when God reveals his love to anyone (or, in anyone for that matter).

I’ll continue looking into—Do not lag in zeal, be enthusiastic in spirit, serve the Lord—as a definition of love rather than as rules in the next essay.

Romans, Part 54

Back to To Make Holy, Part 1

Back to The Lost Son of Perdition, Part 8

^[1] Romans 12:11 (NET) Table

^[2] Romans 5:1-5 (NET)

^[3] Romans 13:10 (NET)

^[4] 1 Corinthians 8:1b (NET)

^[5] Matthew 18:12b (NET)

^[6] Matthew 6:33 (NET)

^[7] 2 Corinthians 8:7 (NET)

^[8] Acts 18:24, 25 (NET) Table

^[9] Ephesians 6:5-8 (NET)

^[10] Romans 12:9b (NET)

^[11] Fallacy: Begging the Question

^[12] Galatians 5:22 (NET) translated faithfulness

^[13] Romans 5:1 (NET)

^[14] Romans 5:2 (NET)

^[15] 2 Corinthians 11:16-18 (NET)

^[16] Galatians 2:20 (NET)

^[17] Galatians 5:16 (NET)

^[18] Galatians 5:19 (NET)

^[19] Romans 5:3a (NET)

^[20] 2 Corinthians 11:30 (NET)

^[21] 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NET)

^[22] Romans 5:3, 4 (NET)

^[23] Romans 5:5 (NET)

^[24] Romans 13:10 (NET)

^[25] Matthew 5:17 (NET)

^[26] Matthew 27:22, 23 (NET)

^[27] Matthew 27:13 (NET)

^[28] Matthew 27:12 (NET)

^[29] Isaiah 53:7 (NET)

^[30] John 15:12-14 (NET)

^[31] Luke 23:34a (NET) Table

^[32] Luke 22:42 (NET)

^[33] Ecclesiastes 9:4 (NET)

^[34] “Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ before you die or burn in hell for all eternity.”

^[35] 1 John 4:8, 16 (NET) Table

^[36] Romans 13:10a (NET)

^[37] 1 Corinthians 8:1b (NET)

^[38] Luke 20:38 (NET)

Fear – Exodus, Part 9

Posted on November 29, 2013 by admin

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

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

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

He rebuked (ἐπετίμησεν, a form of ἐπιτιμάω)^[12] the wind (the cause^[13] of the problem, if you will), and said (εἶπεν, a form of ῥέω)^[14] to the sea as He said (εἶπεν) to his disciples. Matthew recorded what He said (λέγει, a form of λέγω)^[15] to his disciples, and how He rebuked (ἐπετίμησεν) the winds and the sea. But when I believed that my faith was the work that made me worthy of heaven—Why are you cowardly? Do you still not have faith? and Why are you cowardly, you people of little faith?—stung like rebuke. My opinion began to change, however, after I began to believe that his divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence,^[16] and that credited righteousness^[17] was a functional,^[18] rather than merely a formal,^[19] righteousness.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Fear – Leviticus

Back to Torture, Part 1

Back to Cobwebs

Back to The Lost Son of Perdition, Part 1

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

^[4] a form of φόβος

^[5] a form of μέγας

^[6] Mark 4:41 (NET)

^[7] Mark 4:37 (NET)

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

^[9] Mark 4:40 (NET)

^[10] Matthew 8:26 (NET)

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

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

^[15] Matthew 8:26 (NET)

^[16] 2 Peter 1:3 (NET)

^[17] Romans 4

^[18] Romans, Part 18

^[19] Who Am I? Part 3

^[22] a form of οὗτος

^[25] a form of σύ; of you

^[26] Ephesians 2:8 (NET)

^[27] http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/ephesians-2-8.html

^[28] http://www.bible.ca/ef/expository-ephesians-2-8-10.htm

^[29] http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/gills-exposition-of-the-bible/ephesians-2-8.html

^[30] Ephesians 2:9 (NET)

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

^[32] Galatians 5:16 (NET)

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

^[34] Galatians 5:19-21 (NET)

^[35] Galatians 5:17 (NET)

^[36] Matthew 23:13 (NET)

^[37] Matthew 5:6 (NET)

^[38] a form of ὑπακοή

^[40] a form of ἐπιταγή

^[41] a form of ὁ

^[42] a form of αἰώνιος, of eternal

^[43] a form of θεός, of God

^[45] Luke 24:49 (NET) Table

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

^[48] John 1:45 (NET)

^[49] John 1:46 (NET)

^[50] John 1:49 (NET)

^[52] http://biblesuite.com/greek/1169.htm

^[53] Hebrews 12:28 (NET)

^[55] http://www.perseus.tufts.edu/hopper/morph?l=de%2Fous&la=greek&prior=p

^[57] Revelation 21:8 (NET)

^[58] http://biblesuite.com/greek/1169.htm

^[59] The Soul

^[61] Revelation 21:7 (NET)

^[62] Revelation 2:11b (NET)

^[63] Revelation 3:12 (NET)

^[64] a form of ἔργον

^[65] a form of ἐγώ

^[66] Revelation 2:26 (NET)

^[67] Revelation 3:4 (NET)

^[68] Revelation 3:5 (NET)

^[69] a form of πληρόω

^[70] Revelation 3:2b (NET)

^[71] Revelation 3:2a (NET)

^[74] Revelation 3:3a (NET)

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

^[76] 1 Corinthians 4:7b (NET)

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

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

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

^[80] http://perseus.uchicago.edu/perseus-cgi/morph.pl?id=4430627&prev=true&lang=greek

^[81] Exodus 20:7 (NET) Table

^[82] John 3:21 (NET)

^[84] Revelation 21:7 (NET)

^[86] Revelation 21:6 (NET)

^[87] Matthew 5:6 (NET)

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

^[90] Matthew 6:10 (NET) Table

^[91] Revelation 3:21 (NET)

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

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

^[94] Mark 4:37a (NET)

^[95] Mark 4:37b (NET)

^[96] Mark 4:38 (NET)

^[97] 1 Corinthians 13:5 (NET)

^[98] Matthew 8:26 (NET)

^[100] Mark 4:41 (NET)

^[101] Psalm 107:30 (NET)

^[102] Mark 4:41 (NET)

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

^[104] Revelation 21:7 (NET)

^[105] 1 John 5:4 (NET)

Son of God – 1 John, Part 3

Posted on July 27, 2013 by admin

Dear friends, John wrote to fellow believers, let us love (ἀγαπῶμεν, a form of ἀγαπάω)^[1] one another, because love (ἀγάπη)^[2] is from God, and everyone who loves (ἀγαπῶν, another form of ἀγαπάω) has been fathered (γεγέννηται, a form of γεννάω)^[3] by God and knows (γινώσκει, a form of γινώσκω)^[4] God.^[5] John used the word ἀγαπῶμεν over and over again in his letters to describe this love (ἀγάπη).

For this is the gospel message that you have heard from the beginning: that we should love (ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους) one another…^[6] We know that we have crossed over from death to life because we love (ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τοὺς ἀδελφούς) our fellow Christians.^[7] Little children, let us not love (μὴ ἀγαπῶμεν λόγῳ μηδὲ τῇ γλώσσῃ) with word or with tongue but in deed and truth.^[8] Now this is his commandment: that we believe in the name of his Son Jesus Christ and love (καὶ ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους) one another, just as he gave us the commandment.^[9] No one has seen God at any time. If we love (ἐὰν ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους) one another, God resides in us, and his love (ἀγάπη) is perfected in us.^[10] We love (ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν) because he loved (ἠγάπησεν, another form of ἀγαπάω) us first.^[11] By this we know that we love (ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τὰ τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ) the children of God: whenever we love (ὅταν τὸν θεὸν ἀγαπῶμεν καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ποιῶμεν) God and obey his commandments.^[12] But now I ask you, lady (not as if I were writing a new commandment to you, but the one we have had from the beginning), that we love (ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους)^[13] one another.^[14]

This love (ἀγάπη) is from God,^[15] not from us. It is the love (ἀγάπη) that does no wrong to a neighbor, and the love (ἀγάπη) that is the fulfillment of the law.^[16] It is the love (ἀγάπη) that is patient, the love (ἀγάπη) that is kind, and the love (ἀγάπη) that does not brag.^[17] It is the love (ἀγάπη) that never ends as opposed to prophecies, tongues and knowledge that will be set aside.^[18] It is one of the three that remain along with faith and hope, but the greatest of these is love (ἀγάπη).^[19] It is the love (ἀγάπη) of Christ^[20] that controls (συνέχει, a form of συνέχω)^[21] us,^[22] and it is the love that holds the preeminent place in the fruit of his Spirit: But the fruit of the Spirit is love (ἀγάπη), joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.^[23]

John emphasized, everyone who loves has been fathered (γεγέννηται, a form of γεννάω) by God and knows (γινώσκει, a form of γινώσκω) God.^[24] The person who does not love (ἀγαπῶν, another form of ἀγαπάω) me, Jesus said, does not obey (τηρεῖ, a form of τηρέω)^[25] my words. And the word you hear is not mine, but the Father’s who sent me.^[26] And Paul wrote, the one who loves (ἀγαπῶν, another form of ἀγαπάω) his neighbor has fulfilled the law.^[27]

This love is the natural (e.g., super-natural) state of those born (γεννηθῇ, another form of γεννάω) from above,^[28] born (γεννηθῇ) of water and spirit,^[29] not born (ἐγεννήθησαν, another form of γεννάω) by human parents (οὐκ ἐξ αἱμάτων, literally, “not out of blood”) or by human desire (οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος σαρκὸς, literally, “neither out from the will of the flesh”) or a husband’s decision (οὐδὲ ἐκ θελήματος ἀνδρὸς, literally, “neither out from the will of a husband”), but by God (ἀλλ᾿ ἐκ θεοῦ ἐγεννήθησαν, literally, “but out from God born”).^[30]

If you know (εἰδῆτε, a form of εἴδω)^[31] that he is righteous, John wrote, you also know (γινώσκετε, another form of γινώσκω) that everyone who practices righteousness has been fathered (γεγέννηται) by him.^[32] Everyone who has been fathered (γεγεννημένος, another form of γεννάω) by God does not practice sin, because God’s seed resides in him, and thus he is not able to sin, because he has been fathered (γεγέννηται) by God.^[33] Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been fathered (γεγέννηται, a form of γεννάω) by God…^[34]

I am the good shepherd, Jesus said. I know (γινώσκω) my own and my own know (γινώσκουσι, another form of γινώσκω) me – just as the Father knows (γινώσκει, another form of γινώσκω) me and I know (γινώσκω) the Father – and I lay down my life for the sheep.^[35] And John added, The person who does not love (ἀγαπῶν, another form of ἀγαπάω) does not know (ἔγνω, another form of γινώσκω) God, because God is love (ἀγάπη).^[36] The point here is not for me to act like a hypocrite and turn Paul’s definition of ἀγάπη into a list of rules I strive to obey to con people into believing that I have been fathered by God. The point is for me to believe Him and receive all that He has given to me in Christ.

By this the love (ἀγάπη) of God is revealed in us: that God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him. In this is love (ἀγάπη): not that we have loved (ἠγαπήκαμεν, another form of ἀγαπάω) God, but that he loved (ἠγάπησεν, another form of ἀγαπάω) us and sent his Son to be the atoning sacrifice for our sins.^[37]

Dear friends (Ἀγαπητοί, a form of ἀγαπητός),^[38] John continued, if God so loved (ἠγάπησεν, another form of ἀγαπάω) us, then we also ought to love (ἀγαπᾶν, another form of ἀγαπάω) one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love (ἀγαπῶμεν, another form of ἀγαπάω) one another, God resides in us, and his love (ἀγάπη) is perfected in us.^[39] Once again, lest I stray into hypocrisy believing that this ἀγάπη originates with me so that I may prove that God resides in me, John made it plain. By this we know (γινώσκομεν, another form of γινώσκω) that we reside in God and he in us: in that he has given us of his Spirit,^[40] both gifts and fruit. And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent the Son to be the Savior of the world,^[41] i.e., through his ἀγάπη (God has sent his one and only Son into the world so that we may live through him).

Then John connected knowing and believing this ἀγάπη with confessing that Jesus is the Son of God: If anyone confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God resides in him and he in God. And we have come to know (ἐγνώκαμεν, another form of γινώσκω) and to believe (πεπιστεύκαμεν, a form of πιστεύω)^[42] the love (ἀγάπην, another form of ἀγάπη) that God has in us [Table].^[43] I began this study of the Son of God because I was curious ^[44] how Peter, James and John followed through on Jesus’ command to tell (after his resurrection)^[45] about the vision when a voice from the cloud said, “This is my one dear Son, in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!”^[46]

Peter obeyed Jesus’ command to the letter. He recounted the story of the transfiguration.^[47] But John wrote more in the spirit of Jesus’ command about the Son of God and all that meant. From the very beginning of his ministry Paul proclaimed that Jesus was the Son of God: For several days [Paul]^[48] was with the disciples in Damascus, and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, saying, “This man is the Son of God.”^[49] And the writings of John and Paul most vividly portray the truth, And we have come to know and to believe the love that God has in us. I can’t say much about Peter’s knowledge or faith, but his writing did not convey this same knowledge and faith in God’s love.

You have not seen him, Peter wrote, but you love (ἀγαπᾶτε, a form of ἀγαπάω) him. You do not see him now but you believe in him, and so you rejoice with an indescribable and glorious joy, because you are attaining the goal of your faith – the salvation of your souls.^[50] This sounds like my feeling for Jesus rather than his ἀγάπη in us. You have purified your souls by obeying the truth, Peter continued, in order to show sincere mutual love (φιλαδελφίαν, a form of φιλαδελφία). So love (ἀγαπήσατε, a form of ἀγαπάω) one another earnestly from a pure heart.^[51] This sounds like our love for each other. Perhaps brotherly affection and ἀγάπη were essentially interchangeable in the Greek language when Peter wrote. But this usage doesn’t indicate any appreciation for the meaning that Paul ascribed to the ἀγάπη from God, or that John carried forward in his Gospel and letters.

Peter continued to make brotherly affection equivalent to ἀγάπη. Honor all people, love (ἀγαπᾶτε, a form of ἀγαπάω) the family of believers, fear God, honor the king.^[52] Above all keep your love (ἀγάπην, a form of ἀγάπη) for one another fervent, because love (ἀγάπη) covers a multitude of sins.^[53] The love in this quotation of Proverbs 10:12 was φιλία^[54] in the Septuagint not ἀγάπη. And Peter used ἀγάπη to describe a religious rite: Greet one another with a loving (ἀγάπης, a form of ἀγάπη) kiss.^[55]

He did grant some ascendency to ἀγάπη over φιλαδελφίᾳ (brotherly affection) when he wrote, make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection (φιλαδελφίαν, a form of φιλαδελφίᾳ); to brotherly affection (φιλαδελφίᾳ), unselfish love (ἀγάπην, a form of ἀγάπη).^[56] But while I was busy adding all of these things to my faith I failed to understand that God’s divine power has bestowed on us everything necessary for life and godliness through the rich knowledge of the one who called us by his own glory and excellence.^[57] Or I thought the rich knowledge of the one who called us and the key to this life and godliness was the law.

In other words I mistook the knowledge of sin^[58] for the knowledge of God,^[59] that intimate form of knowing alluded to in Romans 7:4, God is ἀγάπη,^[60] ἀγάπη is from God,^[61] and ἀγάπη is the fulfillment (πλήρωμα;^[62] fulfilling KJV) of the law.^[63] Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets, Jesus said. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill (πληρῶσαι, a form of πληρόω)^[64] them.^[65] Apart from Paul’s and John’s writings I never would have understood that this ἀγάπη from God was the fruit of the Spirit, and, in a word, the credited righteousness of God.

God is love, John wrote, and the one who resides in love resides in God, and God resides in him [Table]. By this love is perfected with us, so that we may have confidence in the day of judgment, because just as Jesus is, so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love. We love because he loved us first.^[66] For this is the love of God: that we keep his commandments. And his commandments do not weigh us down, because everyone who has been fathered by God conquers the world. This is the conquering power that has conquered the world: our faith [i.e., in Him, yes, and in this love (ἀγάπην, another form of ἀγάπη) that God has in us]. Now who is the person who has conquered the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?^[67]

If we accept the testimony of men, John continued, the testimony of God is greater [referring, I think, to the vision of the transfiguration], because this is the testimony of God that he has testified concerning his Son. (The one who believes in the Son of God has the testimony in himself; the one who does not believe God has made him a liar, because he has not believed in the testimony that God has testified concerning his Son.)^[68] And this is the testimony… And here, I think, John made the ἀγάπη from God functionally equivalent^[69] to the life that is eternal (Love never ends).^[70] God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The one who has the Son has this eternal life; the one who does not have the Son of God does not have this eternal life. I have written these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life.^[71]

And finally having received this ἀγάπη from God (Give us today our daily bread^[72]): We know that everyone fathered by God does not sin, but God protects the one he has fathered, and the evil one (πονηρὸς, a form of πονηρός)^[73] cannot touch him. [And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one (πονηροῦ, another form of πονηρός).^[74]] We know that we are from God, and the whole world lies in the power of the evil one (πονηρῷ, another form of πονηρός). And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us insight to know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This one is the true God and eternal life. Little children, guard yourselves from idols.^[75]

It takes a religious mind to be in close proximity to this ἀγάπη from God and yet reject it for the self-aggrandizing vindication of religious works. For ignoring the righteousness that comes from God, and seeking instead to establish their own righteousness, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.^[76] I’ve been there, and I’ve done that.

I now regard all things as liabilities compared to the far greater value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things – indeed, I regard them as dung! – that I may gain Christ, and be found in him, not because I have my own righteousness derived from the law, but because I have the righteousness that comes by way of Christ’s faithfulness – a righteousness from God that is in fact based on Christ’s faithfulness. My aim is to know him, to experience the power of his resurrection, to share in his sufferings, and to be like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.^[77]

Back to Everyone Fathered by God Does Not Sin

Back to Romans, Part 46

Back to The Righteousness of God

Back to Fear – Exodus, Part 9

Back to Torture, Part 2

Back to Fear – Deuteronomy, Part 3

Back to Conclusion

Back to To Make Holy, Part 5

Back to Christianity, Part 8

^[5] 1 John 4:7 (NET)

^[6] 1 John 3:11 (NET)

^[7] 1 John 3:14 (NET)

^[8] 1 John 3:18 (NET)

^[9] 1 John 3:23 (NET)

^[10] 1 John 4:12 (NET)

^[11] 1 John 4:19 (NET)

^[12] 1 John 5:2 (NET)

^[13] Why was “should” inserted into 1 John 3:11 (NET)? …that we should love one another… (ἵνα ἀγαπῶμεν ἀλλήλους). 1 John 4:19 (NET) We love because he loved us first (ἡμεῖς ἀγαπῶμεν, ὅτι αὐτὸς πρῶτος ἠγάπησεν ἡμᾶς). 1 John 5:2 (NET) By this we know that we love the children of God: whenever we love God and obey his commandments (ἐν τούτῳ γινώσκομεν ὅτι ἀγαπῶμεν τὰ τέκνα τοῦ θεοῦ, ὅταν τὸν θεὸν ἀγαπῶμεν καὶ τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ ποιῶμεν).

^[14] 2 John 1:5 (NET)

^[15] 1 John 4:7 (NET)

^[16] Romans 13:10 (NET)

^[17] 1 Corinthians 13:4 (NET)

^[18] 1 Corinthians 13:8 (NET)

^[19] 1 Corinthians 13:13 (NET)

^[20] NET note: “The phrase ἡ ἀγάπη τοῦ Χριστοῦ (Jh agaph tou Cristou, “the love of Christ”) could be translated as either objective genitive (‘our love for Christ’) or subjective genitive (‘Christ’s love for us’). Either is grammatically possible, but with the reference to Christ’s death for all in the following clauses, a subjective genitive (‘Christ’s love for us’) is more likely.”

^[22] 2 Corinthians 5:14 (NET)

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

^[24] 1 John 4:7 (NET)

^[26] John 14:24 (NET)

^[27] Romans 13:8 (NET)

^[28] John 3:3 (NET)

^[29] John 3:5 (NET)

^[30] John 1:13 (NET)

^[32] 1 John 2:29 (NET)

^[33] 1 John 3:9 (NET)

^[34] 1 John 5:1a (NET)

^[35] John 10:14, 15 (NET)

^[36] 1 John 4:8 (NET)

^[37] 1 John 4:9, 10 (NET)

^[39] 1 John 4:11, 12 (NET)

^[40] 1 John 4:13 (NET)

^[41] 1 John 4:14 (NET)

^[43] 1 John 4:15, 16a (NET)

^[44] Fear – Genesis, Part 6

^[45] Matthew 17:9 (NET)

^[46] Matthew 17:5 (NET)

^[47] 2 Peter 1:16-18

^[48] The Stephanus Textus Receptus and Byzantine Majority Text had ο σαυλος (KJV: Saul) nere. The NET parallel Greek text and NA²⁸ did not.

^[49] Acts 9:19b, 20 (NET) Table

^[50] 1 Peter 1:8, 9 (NET)

^[51] 1 Peter 1:22 (NET)

^[52] 1 Peter 2:17 (NET)

^[53] 1 Peter 4:8 (NET) Table

^[55] 1 Peter 5:14a (NET)

^[56] 2 Peter 1:5-7 (NET)

^[57] 2 Peter 1:3 (NET)

^[58] Romans 3:20 (NET)

^[59] 2 Corinthians 10:3-5; 2 Peter 1:2 (NET)

^[60] 1 John 4:8, 16 (NET)

^[61] 1 John 4:7 (NET); love comes from God (CEV, GWT, ISVNT, TEV, TMSG); love has its origin in God (MSNT), Greek: ὅτι ἡ ἀγάπη ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστιν (“because this love [1) out of, from, by, away from] the God is”)

^[63] Romans 13:10 (NET)

^[65] Matthew 5:17 (NET)

^[66] 1 John 4:16b-19 (NET)

^[67] 1 John 5:3-5 (NET)

^[68] 1 John 5:9, 10 (NET)

^[69] Son of God – 1 John, Part 1

^[70] 1 Corinthians 13:8 (NET) Romans, Part 44

^[71] 1 John 5:11-13 (NET)

^[72] Matthew 6:11 (NET)

^[74] Matthew 6:13 (NET)

^[75] 1 John 5:18-21 (NET) Table (v. 18)

^[76] Romans 10:3 (NET)

^[77] Philippians 3:8-11 (NET)

Romans, Part 29

Posted on October 19, 2012 by admin

There is therefore now no condemnation (κατάκριμα)^[1] for those who are in Christ Jesus (ἐν Χριστῷ Ἰησοῦ),^[2] Paul continued. I want to list some of the things that are true for those in Christ Jesus:

In Christ Jesus…
1) …born of water and spirit…What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit.	John 3:5, 6 (NET)
2) …the flesh has desires that are opposed to the Spirit, and the Spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh, for these are in opposition to each other, so that you cannot do what you want.	Galatians 5:17 (NET)
3) I delight in the law of God in my inner being.	Romans 7:22 (NET)
4) I know that nothing good lives…in my flesh.	Romans 7:18a (NET)
5) I want to do the good, but I cannot do it.	Romans 7:18b (NET)
6) I do not do the good I want, but I do the very evil I do not want!	Romans 7:19 (NET)
7) Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer me doing it but sin that lives in me.	Romans 7:20 (NET)
8) So then, with the mind I myself serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin.	Romans 7:25b (NKJV)
9) There is therefore now no condemnation…	Romans 8:1a (NET)

For the law of the life-giving Spirit in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death.^[3] All of this was achieved by God. For God achieved what the law could not do because it was weakened through the flesh. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and concerning sin, he condemned (κατέκρινεν, a form of κατακρίνω)^[4] sin in the flesh…^[5]

Only God knows how much sin is condemned in my flesh. I have a general sense that while I’m preoccupied (and frustrated) with the opposition of the flesh that keeps me from the perfection I want (and think I should demonstrate by the righteousness of God through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ)^[6] less and less of the sin (that is the desire of the flesh) sees the light of day. It is not expressed in the world. It is confined, trapped, condemned in dead and dying flesh.

I am the resurrection and the life, Jesus said. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies, and the one who lives and believes in me will never die.^[7] This was a difficult saying for Martha to believe, many years before Paul wrote to the Romans. Jesus asked her, Do you believe this?^[8] Martha’s answer was a model of tactful diplomacy, Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God who comes into the world.^[9]

Jesus knew Martha’s brother was sick, but deliberately waited two more days until he died.^[10] Our friend, He told his disciples, has fallen asleep. But I am going there to awaken him.^[11] His disciples were not eager to return to Judea. Rabbi, they said, the Jewish leaders were just now trying to stone you to death! [Jesus had claimed to be Yahweh, John 8:58, 59 NET] Are you going there again?^[12] Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.^[13] So Jesus told them plainly that he was dead, and said, I am glad for your sake that I was not there, so that you may believe.^[14]

Jesus had deliberately contrived this situation as an object lesson for his disciples, but then Mary, Martha’s sister, came and fell at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died:”^[15]

When Jesus saw her weeping, and the people who had come with her weeping, he was intensely moved in spirit and greatly distressed. He asked, “Where have you laid him?” They replied, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept.^[16]

It was a profound moment. Only He knows how many people He killed as Yahweh, sinners, yes, but people. He planned the death of Martha’s and Mary’s brother. He knew what He intended to do in the next few moments. And yet He wept. To say that Yahweh was not empathetic with human death would be false. I’m particularly affected by the implications of Genesis 18, that before the omniscient, omnipresent Yahweh decided to destroy Sodom and Gomorrah he took physical form and walked its streets. But there is something even more affecting about Yahweh, born of the flesh of Adam as Jesus, standing before the tomb of a friend weeping human tears from human eyes.

Take away the stone,^[17] Jesus said. Martha, ever the proper hostess, protested, Lord, by this time the body will have a bad smell, because he has been buried four days.^[18] Jesus responded (John 11:40-44 NET):

“Didn’t I tell you that if you believe, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you that you have listened to me. I knew that you always listen to me, but I said this for the sake of the crowd standing around here, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he shouted in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The one who had died came out, his feet and hands tied up with strips of cloth, and a cloth wrapped around his face. Jesus said to them, “Unwrap him and let him go.”

Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord^[19]…who will rescue me from this body of death.^[20] The ultimate condemnation of sin in the flesh is the death of the body. The one who believes in me will live even if he dies,^[21] Jesus promised everyone born of the flesh and of the Spirit. To those who already consider themselves dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus,^[22] who accept their new identities, with the mind [they themselves] serve the law of God, but with the flesh the law of sin,^[23] Jesus promised, the one who lives and believes in me will never die.^[24] To them the well-deserved demise of the body of death is a welcome relief, not a cause of apprehension.

Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, [Jesus] likewise shared in their humanity, so that through death he could destroy the one who holds the power of death (that is, the devil), and set free those who were held in slavery all their lives by their fear of death,^[25] is the way the writer of Hebrews put it. Paul concluded, so that the righteous requirement of the law may be fulfilled (πληρωθῇ, a form of πληρόω)^[26] in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.^[27] The righteous requirement of the law is fulfilled by the righteousness of God [apart from the law^[28]] through the faithfulness of Jesus Christ for all who believe,^[29] the love that is the fulfillment (πλήρωμα)^[30] of the law,^[31] the fruit of the Spirit^[32] of God, in other words, to walk according…to the Spirit. As Jesus said, Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish these things but to fulfill (πληρῶσαι, another form of πληρόω) them.^[33]

Paul continued (Romans 8:5-11 NET):

For those who live according to the flesh have their outlook shaped by the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their outlook shaped by the things of the Spirit. For the outlook of the flesh is death, but the outlook of the Spirit is life and peace, because the outlook of the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to the law of God, nor is it able to do so. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit is your life because of righteousness. Moreover if the Spirit of the one who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through his Spirit who lives in you.

Peter’s Way?

Romans, Part 30

Back to Romans, Part 31

Back to Romans, Part 32

Back to Romans, Part 35

Back to Son of God – John, Part 5

Back to Saving Demons, Part 1

Back to Romans, Part 45

^[2] Romans 8:1 (NET)

^[3] Romans 8:2 (NET)

^[5] Romans 8:3 (NET)

^[6] Romans 3:22 (NET)