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A Sabbath Day's Journey

By: Rev. Paul Landgraf
What is a Sabbath day's journey? First of all, it is a Jewish expression. We measure distances in meters or yards. The Jews had a certain distance that they could walk on Saturday before it would be considered work. So their synagogues that they went to on Saturday could not be very far away. The word appears only in Acts 1:12 and indicates a distance of about three-quarters of a mile.

With that in mind, I think it is important to remember the origins of Christianity. Just because we have an Old Testament, it does not mean that we call it the 'Outdated Testament'. Much of the Old Testament has a literary structure that we are not aware of because of our modern emphasis on chapter and verse divisions. Within many of these blogs, I try to get the reader to see a bigger picture, a larger perspective that often includes the Old Testament and the environment that was present when the New Testament was seeing the Light of the day.

Second, a Sabbath day's journey is intentionally short. These 'journeys' with a text, almost always one of the three readings for that Sunday, are deliberately brief discussions. This blog was never designed to be a comprehensive look at any text. Sometimes a specific word is studied in detail. But, as a whole, a blog entry, by itself, is meant to be quite brief.

Finally, since the term 'Sabbath day's journey' appears in Acts, it is meant to appeal to a wide variety of people. This blog is meant for those who cannot come on Sunday mornings. And it is also for those who do come on Sunday mornings but would also like a further study of the text. It is also for those who live somewhere else in the world (besides Drake and Freedom, Missouri, USA) and would simply like a further study of the text. It was meant to get these different groups of people to start thinking about the biblical texts. Part of the reason for this blog is that I am not able to have a bible class on Sunday mornings with either congregation, and so, to have a blog like this seemed like a good idea. I hope it is helpful for you, in whatever situation you may be.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. And thank you for taking the time to read this!

April 4th, 2026

4/4/2026

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The season of Easter obviously begins with Easter Sunday. When dealing with the “official title”, the Resurrection of our Lord, there are many options of different texts, and these come at different times of the day. There is the Vigil of Easter, Easter Sunrise, Easter Day, and Easter Evening (which also has the option of being called Easter Monday, since in the creation account of Genesis the evening was connected to what is in our minds as the day after). The main service of Easter Day has three different options for the Gospel account, depending on which year it is, and this follows the three similar Gospel accounts. And since this year is year A, the reading is from the Gospel according to Matthew (28:1-10).

With the writings of this website, we are currently going through the Gospel according to John, the significantly different Gospel account, and we approaching the middle of that account. The tension between Jesus and the religious leaders of the day is increasing. The last part of the text from last week contained an attempt to stone Jesus, to kill him. In response to that, he did not simply snap his fingers and turn his enemies into dust. He is headed toward the cross, to be “lifted up” in a very special way.

Currently we are dealing with what is called chapter nine of the text. Each of these writings takes a section of the text in the original language of the account, and it translates that part of the text in an EXTREMELY literal way. If you are familiar with the translations of this writing, you may skip the following paragraph which describes such a translation.

The first thing to mention regarding the description of this EXTREMELY literal translation is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. They were added much later after the document was written. It should also be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And some of the words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that sometimes occurs between the English and Greek languages. It is also important to mention that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words (like “therefore” and “now”) that are usually second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. It should be said that repetition of words is sometimes frequent and should be noted as an emphasis. One more thing to mention is that the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS. That is when a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. These have been explained elsewhere, and it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website. It may also be helpful to have another translation nearby as you read the text below.

What follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of the first section of what is known as the ninth chapter of the Gospel according to John (9:1-12):

And  passing-along,  he-saw  an-anthropoid,  blind  out-of  birth.  And  they-questioned  him,  the  disciples  of-him  saying,  “Rabbi,  who  sinned,  this-man  or  the  parents  of-him,  that  blind  he-would-be-born?”

He-answered,  Jesus,  “Neither  this-man  sinned,  nor  the  parents  of-him,  but-on-the-contrary,  in-order-that  it-might-be-manifested,  the  works  of-the  God  in  him.  For-us  it-is-necessary  to-work  the  works  of-the  One-having-sent  me  while  day  it-is.  It-is-coming,  night,  when  no-one  is-able  to-work.  When  in  the  cosmos  being,  light  I-am  of-the  cosmos.”

These-things  having-said,  he-spat  on-the-ground,  and  he-made  clay  out-of  the  spittle,  and  he-christened-upon  him  the  clay,  upon  the  eyes,  and  he-said  to-him,  “Go-away,  wash  into  the  swimming-place  of-the  Siloam  (which  is-translated,  “having-been-sent-out”).  Therefore  he-came-away,  and  he-washed,  and  he-came  seeing.

Therefore  the  neighbors  and  the-ones  beholding  him,  the  formerly,  that  a-beggar  he-was,  they-were-saying,  “Not  this-man  is  the-one  sitting  and  begging?”  Others  were-saying  that  this  is-he.  Others  were-saying,  “No,  but-on-the-contrary,  like  to-him  he-is.”  That-one  was-saying  that  I,  I-am.   

Therefore  they-were-saying  to-him,  “Therefore  how  were-they-opened,  of-you  the  eyes?”

He-answered,  that-one,  “The  anthropoid,  the-one  being-called  Jesus,  clay  he-made,  and  he-christened-upon,  of-me  the  eyes,  and  he-said  to-me,  ‘Go  into  the  Siloam  and  wash.’  Therefore  having-come-away  and  having-washed,  I-saw-again.”

And  they-said  to-him,  “Where  is  that-one?”
​

HE-SAYS,  “Not  I-do-know.”
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March 28th, 2026

3/28/2026

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The season of Lent continues on into Holy Week. This Sunday is known as Palm Sunday / Sunday of the Passion. There are actually two Gospel Readings, one that deals with Palm Sunday and one that deals with the Passion of Jesus. The first one is quite short (John 12:12-19), and the second one is huge (Matthew 26:1-27:66; since this year is the A Series, it focuses on the Gospel according to Matthew). It should also be noted that there are two alternative and shorter readings, that of Matthew 27:11-66 and John 12:20-43.

With the writings of this website, in the past three years we went through the first three Gospel accounts, and this past year we have been going through the ENTIRE Gospel according to John, a section at a time. No verses have been skipped. And there is certainly no need to stand during ANY part of the reading of this Gospel account.

Currently we are dealing with what is called chapter eight of the text. Within that chapter, there were initially some enemies of Jesus, but after hearing Jesus’ words, the text relates that many have been turned around. The last part of the last reading had the statement that MANY Jews BELIEVED in Jesus. That is a significant turnaround. Now there will also be some positive things that in this reading turn around and become negative. SPOILER ALERT!

If you are familiar with the translations of this writing, you may skip this and the following paragraph. Because of the EXTREMELY literal translation, a study bible or at least another translation would be helpful to have nearby.

The first thing to mention regarding the description of this EXTREMELY literal translation is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. Hopefully that is not too great of an inconvenience. It should also be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And some of the words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that sometimes occurs between the English and Greek languages. It is also important to mention that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words (like “therefore” and “now”) that are usually second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. It should be said that repetition of words is somewhat frequent in the text below and should be noted as an emphasis. One more thing to mention is that the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS. That is when a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. These have been explained elsewhere, and it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website.

What follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of John 8:31-59:

Therefore  he-was-saying,  the  Jesus,  toward  the  having-believed  him  Jews,  “If  you,  you-remain  in  the  word,  the  my,  truly  disciples  of-me  you-are,  and  you-will-know  the  truth,  and  the  truth  will-liberate  you.”

They-answered  toward  him,  “Sperm  of-Abraham  we-are,  and  to-no-one  we-have-been-enslaved,  ever;  how  you,  do-you-say  that  liberated  you-will-become?”

He-answered  them,  the  Jesus,  “Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you  that  every  the-one  doing  the  sin,  a-slave  he-is  of-the  sin.  Now  the  slave,  not  does-he-remain  in  the  house  into  the  age;  the  son  remains  into  the  age.  Therefore  if  the  Son,  you,  he-liberates,  indeed  liberated  you-will-be.  I-know  that  sperm  of-Abraham  you-are;  but-on-the-contrary,  you-are-seeking,  me  to-kill,  because  the  word,  the  my,  not  it-finds-room  in  you.  The-thing  I,  I-have-seen  from  the  Father  I-am-speaking,  therefore  you  also,  what  you-have-heard  from  the  father,  you-do.”

They-answered,  and  they-said  to-him,  “The  father  of-us,  Abraham  he-is.”

HE-SAYS  to-them,  the  Jesus,  “If  children  of-the  Abraham  you-are,  the  works  of-the  Abraham  you-would-do.  Now  presently  you-are-seeking,  me  to-kill,  an-anthropoid  who  the  truth  to-you  I-have-spoken,  which  I-heard  from  the  God;  this  Abraham  not  he-did.  You,  you-are-doing  the  works  of-the  father  of-you.”

Therefore  they-said  to-him,  “We,  out-of  fornication,  not  we-have-been-born;  one  father  we-have,  the  God.”

He-said  to-them,  the  Jesus,  “If  the  God,  Father  of-you  he-was,  you-have-loved,  would,  me;  for  I,  out-of  the  God,  I-came-out,  and  I-am-present;  for  not  from  myself  I-have-come,  but-on-the-contrary,  that-one,  me,  he-sent-out.  On-account-of  what,  the  speech,  the  my,  not  do-you-know?  Because  not  you-are-able  to-hear  the  word,  the  my.  You,  out-of  the  father,  the  diabolical-one  you-are,  and  the  desires  of-the  father  of-you,  you-want  to-do.  That-one,  an-anthropoid-killer  he-was  from-the  beginning,  and  in  the  truth,  not  he-was-standing,  because  not  is  truth  in  him.  When  he-speaks  the  pseudo,  out-of  the  own-things  he-speaks,  because  a-pseudo-one  he-is  and  the  father  of-it.  Now  I,  because  the  truth  I-am-saying,  not  do-you-believe  me.  Who  out-of  you  he-convicts  me  concerning  sin?  If  truth  I-am-saying,  on-account-of  what  you,  not  do-you-believe  me?  The-one  being  out-of  the  God,  the  messages  of-the  God  he-hears;  on-account-of  this  you,  not  do-you-hear,  because  out-of  the  God,  not  you-are.”
​

They-answered,  the  Jews,  and  they-said  to-him,  “Not  well  do-we-say,  we,  that  a-Samaritan  you-are,  you;  and  a-demon  you-have?”

He-answered,  Jesus,  “I,  a-demon,  not  do-I-have,  but-on-the-contrary,  I-honor  the  Father  of-me,  and  you,  you-dishonor  me.  Now  I,  not  do-I-seek  the  glory  of-me;  he-is  the-one  seeking  and  judging.  Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  if  anyone,  the  my  word  he-is-keeping,  death  certainly  not  he-will-behold  into  the  age.”

Therefore  they-said  to-him,  the  Jews,  “Presently  we-have-known  that  a-demon  you-have.  Abraham  died  and  the  prophets,  and  you,  you-are-saying,  ‘If  anyone,  the  word  of-me,  he-is-keeping,  certainly  not  he-will-taste  of  death  into  the  age.’  Not  you  greater,  you-are  of-the  father  of-us,  Abraham,  who  he-died?  And  the  prophets  died.  Whom  yourself  do-you-make?”
He-answered,  Jesus,  “If  I,  I-glorify  myself,  the  glory  of-me,  nothing  it-is;  he-is,  the  Father  of-me,  the-one  glorifying  me;  whom  you,  you-say  that  God  of-us  he-is,  and  not  you-have-known  him;  now  I,  I-know  him.  And-if  I-say  that  not  I-know  him,  I-will-be  like  you,  a-pseudo-one;  but-on-the-contrary,  I-know  him,  and  the  word  of-him  I-keep.  Abraham,  the  father  of-you,  he-exulted  that  he-would-see  the  day,  the  my;  and  he-saw,  and  he-rejoiced.”

Therefore,  they-said,  the  Jews,  toward  him,  “Fifty  years  not-yet  you-have,  and  Abraham  you-have-seen?”

He-said  to-them,  Jesus,  “Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  before  Abraham  to-become,  I,  I-am.”  Therefore  they-lifted-up  stones  in-order-that  they-might-throw  upon  him;  now  Jesus  was-hidden,  and  he-came-out,  out-of  the  temple.

ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT! The plan was not for Jesus to die under a pile of rocks. He was lifted up on a cross. That is a significant difference. And that is a significant death. And it was for us and for our salvation.
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March 21st, 2026

3/21/2026

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The season of Lent continues on for a little while longer. This Sunday is called the “Fifth Sunday in Lent”. After that it is Holy Week, an EXTREMELY special time. And it may be said that the Gospel Reading for this Sunday is also particularly special, with the text being John 11:1-45, the resurrection of Lazarus, a man who was dead for four days. And with this already lengthy text, there is also the option of adding verses 46-53. It should be mentioned that there is also another option of a shorter text, only verses 17-27 and 38-53 of that same chapter. Either way, the progression continues, and Jesus is closer to the cross.

With the writings of this website, we have been going through that same, special Gospel account, the Gospel according to John, and an EXTREMELY literal translation has been laid out with each writing, and no verses have been skipped. And we are currently going through what is called the eighth chapter of that account. There have been some enemies of Jesus, but sometimes things turn around, and some now have a positive attitude toward Jesus. There are also some positive things that turn into something that is negative. The following text has a positive ending, and hopefully you will enjoy it. But heads up; in a little while a negative thing will show itself.

If you are familiar with the translations of this writing, you may skip this and the following three paragraphs. The translation below may be described as EXTREMELY literal, and because of that, it may be EXTREMELY helpful to have another translation of the text nearby or perhaps a study bible.

The first thing to mention regarding the description of being EXTREMELY literal is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. The numbers may sometimes be a distraction when dealing with the progression of the text. And they tend to point the reader toward the beginning of the work when the writer is usually wanting the reader to look toward the ending.

It should also be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And the particular words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that often occurs between the English and Greek languages. (It may be said that an exception to this is the Greek word for “witness”. This word sounds very similar to the word “martyr”, but the meaning of the two words is significantly different. That is why the translation below still uses the word “witness”.) 

It is also important to mention is that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words (like “therefore” and “now”) that are usually second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. It should be said that repetition of words is frequent in the text below and should be noted as an emphasis. One more thing to mention is that, although there is no occurrence of the following in the text below, the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS. That is when a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. These have been explained elsewhere, and it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website.

What follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of John 8:12-30:

Therefore  again,  to-them  he-spoke,  the  Jesus,  saying,  “I,  I-am  the  light  of-the  cosmos.  The-one  following  me,  certainly  not  he-will-walk-around  in  the  darkness,  but-on-the-contrary,  he-will-have  the  light  of-the  life.”

Therefore  they-said  to-him,  the  Pharisees,  “You,  concerning  yourself,  you-are-witnessing;  the  witness  of-you,  not  it-is  true.”

He-answered,  Jesus,  and  he-said  to-them,  “And-if  I,  I-witness  concerning  myself,  true  is  the  witness  of-me,  because  I-know  from-where  I-came  and  where  I-go-away;  now  you,  not  you-do-know  from-where  I-come  or  where  I-go-away.  You,  according  to-the  flesh,  you-judge;  I,  not  I-judge   no-one.  Now  even  if  I-judge,  I;  the  judgment,  the  my,  true  it-is,  because  alone  not  I-am,  but-on-the-contrary,  I  and  the-one  having-sent  me.  Now  also  in  the  Law,  the  your,  it-has-been-written  that  of-two  anthropoids,  the  witness  true  it-is.  I,  I-am  the-one  witnessing  concerning  myself,  and  he-witnesses  concerning  me,  the-one  having-sent  me,  Father.”
Therefore  they-were-saying  to-him,  “Where  is  the  Father  of-you?”

He-answered,  Jesus,  “Neither  me  you-know,  nor  the  Father  of-me;  if  me,  you-knew,  also  the  Father  of-me,  would  you-have-known.”  These,  the  sayings,  he-was-speaking  in  the  treasury,  teaching  in  the  temple;  and  no-one  seized  him,  because  not-yet  it-had-come,  the  hour  of-him.

Therefore  he-said  again  to-them,  “I,  I-go-away,  and  you-will-seek  me,  and  in  the  sin  of-you  you-will-die;  where  I,  I-go-away,  you,  not  you-are-able  to-come.”

Therefore  they-were-saying,  the  Jews,  “Not  he-will-kill  himself,  because  he-says,  ‘Where  I,  I-go-away,  you,  not  you-are-able  to-come’?”

And  he-was-saying  to-them,  “You,  out-of  the-things  below,  you-are;  I  out-of  the-things  above,  I-am;  you,  out-of  this,  the  world,  you-are;  I,  not  I-am  out-of  the  world,  this.  Therefore  I-said  to-you  that  you-will-die  in  the  sins  of-you;  for  if  not  you-believe  that  I,  I-am,  you-will-die  in  the  sins  of-you.”

Therefore  they-were-saying  to-him,  “You,  who  are-you?”

He-said  to-them,  the  Jesus,  “In-the  beginning,  the  why,  indeed,  I-am-talking  to-you?  Many-things  I-have  concerning  you  to-speak  and  to-judge,  but-on-the-contrary,  the-one  having-sent  me,  true  he-is,  and-I,  the-things  I-heard  concerning  him,  these-things  I-am-talking  into  the  cosmos.” 
​ 
Not  did-they-know  that  the  Father,  to-them  he-was-speaking-of.  Therefore  he-said  to-them,  the  Jesus,  “When  you-will-lift-up  the  Son  of-the  Man,  then  you-will-know  that  I,  I-am,  and  from  myself  I-do  nothing,  but-on-the-contrary,  just-as  he-taught  me,  the  Father,  these-things  I-am-speaking.  And  the-one  having-sent  me,  with  me  he-is;  not  did-he-leave  me  mono,  because  I,  the-things  pleasing  to-him,  I-am-doing  always.”  These-things  he  speaking,  many  believed  into  him.
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March 14th, 2026

3/14/2026

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It may certainly be said that the season of Lent continues on, with this Sunday having the title of the Fourth Sunday in Lent. There are two options with the Gospel Reading for this Sunday. The longer but simpler option is John 9:1-41, and the other option is 9:1-7, 13-17, and 34-39.

It also may be said that we are over halfway through the season of Lent. And it also may be said with some certainty that sometimes a halfway point is not so obvious. With the writings of this website, we have been going through the same Gospel account, the Gospel according to John, and an EXTREMELY literal translation has been laid out with each writing, and no verses have been skipped. And it may be said that we are approaching the middle of the book.

Currently we have been going through what is usually called the seventh chapter of that account. And if you are familiar with the layout of that account, it is somewhat in the middle of the first part of that account, as Jesus makes his way to Jerusalem for that final Passover. And if John 12:50 is the literary middle of the entire book (and this point will be discussed in the future, God willing), John 7:52 is somewhat past the middle of the first part of the book. As was said above, the middle is sometimes not so obvious.

The following may be said with some certainty, that in what is called chapter five, Jesus healed on the Sabbath a man who was lame because of some sin that he did (see John 5:14), where in chapter nine, Jesus also healed, also on a Sabbath, a man who was born blind, but not because of his sin or the sin of his parents (see John 9:3). This so-called seventh chapter is in the midst of those two extremes. (And I do not consider it a coincidence that Jesus, at the end of the reading below, says to the woman to sin no longer.)

If you have read the last two writings of this website, you would be familiar with the festival that was going on at the time. It was the Feast of Tabernacles, when Israel would remember that their ancestors lived in tents for a long time. And those two writings reflected what happened in the middle of the Feast and at the end of that Feast.

The point was made, and it bears repeating, that the middle and end points are significant, especially when the original text did not have chapter and verse divisions to help move a person along with the text. The main problem that was stated with the chapter and verse divisions is that they help point us back to the beginning of the entire work, and then along with that often comes an emphasis on its author and that author’s particular situation. A better emphasis would be at the end of the text, and with the midpoint being a good time to reflect on how far things have progressed within the text. The writer may have not wanted any type of emphasis to be made upon himself! In other words, the middle and end of what has been laid out for us are important points.

The above may be helpful as we look to the next part of the text of the Gospel according to John. Last week’s writing ended at John 7:52, and what follows is important, yet it is important in a different way than the rest of the text. Much could be said, but the comments will be shortened in an effort to be helpful.

You may have a bible handy. If so, please look up John 7:53-8:11 and see what is said regarding this text, probably at the bottom of the page. It is probably mentioned that these verses do not appear in many of the old manuscripts. That is certainly true. And certainly much could be said regarding that point.

Hopefully these shortened comments may be helpful. And a comparison of this text to the longer ending of the Gospel according to Mark may also be helpful. If you are familiar with that Gospel account, what is usually called the older ending is very unique. The women leave the tomb, actually they are running, and they are in trembling and in ecstasy, but in a negative way, and the text says that they did not say anything to anyone, because they were afraid. And that text ends there. But there is also a longer ending to the Gospel according to Mark, designated as chapter 16:9-20. Again, to be brief, because the vocabulary of this ending is significantly different from the words used throughout that account, this text has been considered to be written by someone other than Mark. And it is usually considered to be written later.

It should not be seen as a coincidence that the same things could be said of this text from the Gospel according to John. That may be seen a little bit in the translation, but a commentary may be more helpful in pointing out some of these things.

Just a few more points may be helpful regarding this additional text in the Gospel according to John, as well as the additional text in the Gospel according to Mark. First of all, it should be noted that with a more Hebrew ordering of these Gospel accounts, it is appropriate to have a longer ending of the Gospel according to Mark, as well as the text below.

What is a more Hebrew ordering of these four Gospel accounts is that the actual disciples are first, with the secretaries being second, with the longer account being first. With that ordering, the accounts go this way: The Gospel according to Matthew, John, Luke, and Mark. In essence, the second and the fourth accounts switch places. And it seems very appropriate to have a longer ending of the Gospel according to Mark that would not be so abrupt, leaving the reader and listener hanging. This is helpful to show how the four accounts can work together. It should also be said that the recent invention of the codex (a fancy word for “book”), the comparison between accounts may be done more easily than if the accounts were on four scrolls, and they would have to be unrolled at various places to compare the similar readings.

One more thing could be mentioned regarding these two additions to the text. With the ordering of the more Jewish accounts, the additions happen in two significant places. With the special ordering of Matthew, John, Luke, and Mark, an approximate middle of the text as a whole is within the Gospel according to John, especially since the Gospel according to Mark is  the shortest of the four. So a significant addition is made near the middle and at the end. Again, it may be said that the middle and end are important parts.

Another point that could be made in connection with those two readings is that they are surprisingly similar in size. There are several words in brackets (five in Mark and one in John), unsure as to their presence with these special manuscripts, but the number of the words in the Greek of the most recent edition of Nestle-Aland of the text of John 7:53-8:11 is one-hundred and sixty-nine (169), where the number of Greek words of Mark 16:9-20 is one-hundred and seventy-one (171).

With such evidence, it points toward a solution that the issue is not whether or not this reading is older or younger, but that these additions give a more Hebrew emphasis, and the early Christian-Jewish culture would appreciate these endings. It could also be said that the text below adds a day to the last day of that Feast that was described above, and the Hebrews are known to add a day to the seven days, and so eight is a number with which they closely connect.

Before the other points are made regarding the translation, one final point to be made is that this is a literary solution rather than a chronological one. The chronology of a document can be distracting or even frustrating, especially if that document has something that deals with ETERNAL salvation. Eternity is significantly more important than a moment in history, unless of course you are focusing on the crucified Jesus.

Finally, if you are familiar with the translations of this writing, you may skip this and the following paragraph. The translation below may be described as EXTREMELY literal, and because of that, it may be EXTREMELY helpful to have another translation of the text nearby or perhaps a study bible.

The first thing to mention regarding the description of being EXTREMELY literal is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. It should also be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And the particular words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that often occurs between the English and Greek languages. Also important to mention is that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words that are usually second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. One more thing to mention is that the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS, where a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. These have been explained elsewhere, and it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website.

What follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of John 7:53-8:11 (a text that is not in some translations; and some of the words may not be in some manuscripts):

And  they-traveled,  each-one,  into  the  house  of-him.  Now  Jesus  traveled  into  the  Mount  of-the  Olives.

Now  of-dawn,  again  he-happened-along  into  the  temple,  and  all  the  people  was-coming  toward  him,  and  having-sat,  he-was-teaching  them. 

Now  THEY-LEAD,  the  Grammatists  and  the  Pharisees,  a-woman  upon  adultery  having-been-caught,  and  having-stood  her  in-midst,  THEY-SAY  to-him,  “Teacher,  this,  the  woman,  has-been-caught  upon  the-act,  committing-adultery;  now  in  the  Law  to-us,  Moses  enjoined  the  such-ones  to-stone;  therefore  you,  what  do-you-say?”  Now  this,  they-were-saying,  tempting  him,  in-order-that  they-might-have  to-complain-against  him.

Now  the  Jesus,  down  having-bent,  with-the  finger  he-was-writing-down  into  the  ground.  Now  as  they-were-remaining-upon,  questioning  him,  he-stood-up,  and  he-said  to-them,  “The-one  sinless  of-you,  first,  upon  her,  let-him-throw  a-stone.”  And  again,  having-bent-down,  he-was-writing  into  the  ground.

Now  the-ones  having-heard,  they-were-coming-out,  one  according-to  one,  having-begun  from  the  presbyters,  and  he-was-left-down,  mono,  and  the  woman  in  the-midst  being.  Now  having-stood-up,  the  Jesus,  he-said  to-her,  “Woman,  where  are-they?  No-one  you,  condemned?”
​

Now  the-one  said,  “No-one,  Lord.”

Now  he-said,  the  Jesus,  “Neither  I,  you,  I-condemn.  Travel,  and  from  the  now,  no-longer  sin.”

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March 7th, 2026

3/7/2026

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The season of Lent continues on, with this Sunday having the title of the Third Sunday in Lent. And this week’s Gospel Reading continues with the Gospel according to John. In contrast to last week’s reading of chapter three and Jesus’ conversation with Nicodemus, this week’s reading in chapter four Jesus has a conversation with a woman at a well in Samaria, one who was married five times. Such an interesting—and huge—spectrum of people! And the Gospel Reading is John 4:5-26, with the option of also having verses 27 through 30, and then also 39 through 42.

With the writings of this website, most recently we have been going through the Gospel according to John. We have been translating them a little bit at a time, in the order in which they were originally laid out, not skipping any parts. And we are currently going through what is usually called the seventh chapter of that account.

It was mentioned in last week’s writing that the chapter divisions were added centuries after the texts were written and that many of the chapter beginnings have a definite point of division, a time where the reader and/or listener can take a break (if desired). In this Gospel account, the Jewish holidays and festivals are mentioned, and they supply a progression through the entire account. The account basically starts at Passover, and it also ends at another Passover. Passover time is in the Spring, extremely near to the festival of Easter.

The first part of the seventh chapter mentioned that Jesus, in the middle of the Feast, went up into the temple (see John 7:14). In the translated section below, the start of the text relates that Jesus is going to do something special on the last and final day of the Feast. Having something important in the middle and at the end is significant. (And you may note that Nicodemus comes up in the text below as well!)

To relate all the times that something important happens in the middle and at the end would take a long time to relate. Two points may be made at this point in time. First of all, it may be said that having an important point at the middle and at the end is a good structure. People usually know very easily that they are at the beginning of something new. And it may be helpful for them to know when they are at a halfway point. And, as things often go this way in movies, TV shows, and many other things, the endings are important as well. A second thing that could be said is that the divisions of chapter and verse tend to focus the reader on the very beginning of the text, whereas a halfway point in a Gospel account may be in chapter fifteen, nine, eleven, or ten, or a good ending point may be in chapter twenty-eight, sixteen, twenty-four, or twenty-one, but all of those points may not always be automatically obvious, and the ENTIRE text may be considered to be VERY important.

If you are familiar with the translations of this writing, you may skip this and the following paragraph. The translation below may be described as EXTREMELY literal, and because of that, it may be EXTREMELY helpful to have another translation of the text nearby or perhaps a study bible.

The first thing to mention regarding the description of being EXTREMELY literal is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. Hopefully that will not be a problem. It should also be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And the particular words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that often occurs between the English and Greek languages. Also important to mention is that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words that are usually second (but sometimes fourth!) in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. One more thing to mention is that the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS, where a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. These have been explained elsewhere, and it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website.

What follows is what was promised, an EXTREMELY literal translation of John 7:37-52:
Now  in  the  eschaton  day,  the  mega  of-the  Feast,  he-stood,  the  Jesus,  and  he-cried-out,  saying,  “If  a-certain-one  is-thirsty,  let-him-come  toward  me  and  let-him-drink.  The-one  believing  into  me,  just-as  it-said,  the  Graph,  ‘Rivers  out-of  the  belly  of-him,  they-will-flow,  hydro  of-living.’”  Now  this  he-said  concerning  the  Spirit,  of-whom  they-were-about  to-receive,  the-ones  having-believed  into  him;  for  not-yet  he-was,  the-Spirit,  because  Jesus  not-yet  he-was-glorified.

Therefore,  out-of  the  crowd,  having-heard  the  words,  these,  they-were-saying,  “This-man  is  truly  the  Prophet.”  Others  were-saying,  “This-man  is  the  Christ;”  Now  the-ones  were-saying,  “For  not  out-of  the  Galilee,  the  Christ  comes?  Not  the  Graph  did-say  that  out-of  the  sperm  of-David,  and  from  Bethlehem,  the  village  where  he-was,  David;  he-comes,  the  Christ?”  Therefore  a-schism  happened  in  the  crowd  because-of  him;  now  some,  they-were-wanting,  out-of  them,  to-arrest  him,  but-on-the-contrary,  no-one  threw-upon,  upon  him,  the  hands.

Therefore  they-came,  the  assistants  toward  the  chief-priests  and  Pharisees,  and  they-said  to-them,  those:  “On-account-of  why,  not  did-you-bring  him?”

The  assistants  answered,  “Never  he-spoke  thus,  an-anthropoid.”

Therefore  they-answered  them,  the  Pharisees,  “Not  also  you,  you-have-been-deceived?  Not  anyone  out-of  the  rulers  did-believe  into  him,  or  out-of  the  Pharisees?  But-on-the-contrary,  the  crowd,  this,  the-one  not  knowing  the  Law,  cursed  they-are.”

HE-SAYS,  Nicodemus,  toward  them,  the-one  having-come  toward  him,  the  proteron,  one  being  out-of  them,  “Does-not  the  Law  of-us,  it-judges  the  anthropoid  if  not  it-hears  proton  from  him,  and  it-knows  what  he-does?”
​

They-answered,  and  they-said  to-him,  “Not  also  you,  out-of  the  Galilee,  you-are?  Search  and  see  that  out-of  the  Galilee,  a-prophet  not  he-arises.”
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March 01st, 2026

3/1/2026

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The season of Lent continues on, with this Sunday having the title of the Second Sunday in Lent. And this year, with it being year A in the three-year series, the Gospel Readings usually come from the Gospel according to Matthew, but at this time of the year the rest of the Lenten season will focus on the Gospel according to John, with this week’s text being John 3:1-17, a  text that contains that well-known verse of John 3:16.
With the writings of this website, we have been going through the four gospel accounts, translating them a little bit at a time, in the order in which they were originally laid out. And currently we have been going through the Gospel according to John, and we are currently starting what is usually called the seventh chapter of that account.

The chapter divisions of the text were added to the accounts centuries before the verse divisions were added. Many of the beginnings of the chapters have a definite division point, and that can also be said of chapter seven. At the beginning of this chapter is the Feast of Tabernacles, and that is usually in the Fall of the year. This Gospel account follows the Jewish holidays and festivals, and in a few chapters it will be winter time (and Hanukah). It may be said that such a liturgical structure is better than the numbering of chapters, since with this progression, it is the end that is the focus. When the chapter numbers simply increase, the focus somewhat automatically becomes the beginning and how far away the reader is from that. Certainly the beginnings are important, but the endings are even more important. Christmas leads us to Easter, although Christmas is usually the more popular holiday.

If you are familiar with the translations of this writing, you may skip this and the following paragraph. The translation below may be described as EXTREMELY literal, and because of that, it may be helpful to have another translation of the text nearby or perhaps a study bible.

The first thing to mention regarding the description of being EXTREMELY literal is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. Hopefully that will not be a problem. It should also be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And the particular words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that often occurs between the English and Greek languages. Also important to mention is that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words that are usually second (or sometimes third; in one place of the text below it is fourth!) in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. One more thing to mention is that the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS, where a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. These have been explained elsewhere, and it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website.

What follows is what was promised, an EXTREMELY literal translation of John 7:1-36:
And  after  these-things,  he-was-walking-around,  the  Jesus,  in  the  Galilee,  for  not  he-was-wanting  in  the  Judea  to-walk-around,  because  they-were-seeking  him,  the  Jews,  to-kill.  Now  it-was-near,  the  Feast  of-the  Jews,  the  Setting-up-of-tents.  Therefore  they-said  toward  him,  the  brothers  of-him,  “Pass-on  from-here  and  go-away  into  the  Judea,  in-order-that  also  the  disciples  of-you,  they-will-behold  of-you,  the  works  which  you-are-doing,  for  no-one,  anything  in  crypto,  he-does,  and  he-seeks  himself,  in  open  to-be.  If  these-things  you-do,  manifest  yourself  to-the  cosmos.”  For  not,  the  brothers  of-him,  they-were-believing  into  him.

Therefore  HE-SAYS  to-them,  the  Jesus,  “The  appointed-time,  the  my,  not-yet  it-is-arrived,  now  the  appointed-time,  the  yours,  always  it-is  ready.  Not  it-is-able,  the  cosmos,  to-hate  you,  now  me  it-hates,  because  I,  I-martyr  concerning  it,  that  the  works  of-it,  evil  they-are.  You,  you-go-up  into  the  Feast;  I,  not  I-am-going-up  into  the  Feast,  this,  because  the  my  appointed-time,  not-yet  it-has-been-fulfilled.”  Now  these-things  having-said,  he,  he-remained  in  the  Galilee.

Now  as  they-went-up,  the  brothers  of-him,  into  the  Feast,  then  also  he,  he-went-up,  not  manifest,  but-on-the-contrary,  as  in  crypto.  Therefore  the  Jews,  they-were-seeking  him  in  the  Feast,  and  they-were-saying,  “Where  is  that-man?”  And  grumbling  concerning  him,  there-was  much  in  the  crowds.  On-the-one-hand,  the-ones,  they-were-saying,  “A-good-man  he-is.”  On-the-other-hand,  others,  they-were-saying,  “No,  but-on-the-contrary,  he-is-leading-astray  the  crowd.”  No-one,  however,  openly  he-was-speaking  concerning  him,  on-account-of  the  fear  of-the  Jews.

Now  already,  the  Feast,  being-in-middle,  he-went-up,  Jesus,  into  the  Temple,  and  he-was-teaching.  Therefore  they-were-marveling,  the  Jews,  saying,  “How  this-man,  grammar  he-knows,  not  having-learned?”

Therefore  he-answered  them,  the  Jesus,  and  he-said,  “The  my  teaching,  not  it-is  mine,  but-on-the-contrary,  of-the  one-having-sent  me.  If  anyone  wishes,  the  will  of-him  to-do,  he-will-know  concerning  the  teaching,  whether  out-of  the  God  it-is,  or  I,  from  myself,  I-am-speaking.  The-one  from  himself,  speaking  the  glory,  the  idiot,  he-seeks;  now  the-one  seeking  the  glory  of-the-one  having-sent  him,  this-man,  true  he-is,  and  unrighteousness  in  him,  not  there-is.  Did-not  Moses,  he-has-given  to-you  the  Law?  And  no-one  out-of  you,  he-is-doing  the  Law.  Why  me,  you-are-seeking  to-kill?”

They  answered,  the  crowd,  “A-demon  you-have;  who,  you,  he-is-seeking  to-kill?”
He-answered,  Jesus,  and  he-said  to-them,  “One  ergon  I-did,  and  all  you-are-marveling.  On-account-of  this,  Moses  has-given  to-you  the  circumcision,  not  that  out-of  the  Moses  it-is,  but-on-the-contrary,  out-of  the  fathers,  and  in  a-Sabbath  you-circumcise  an-anthropoid.  If  circumcision,  he-receives,  an-anthropoid,  in  a-Sabbath,  in-order-that  not  it-is-loosed,  the  Law  of-Moses,  with-me  are-you-angry,  because  a-whole  anthropoid,  healthy  I-made  in  a-Sabbath?  Do-not  judge  according-to  sight,  but-on-the-contrary,  the  righteous  judgment,  judge.”

Therefore  they-were-saying,  some  out-of  the  Jerusalemites,  “Yes-not  this-man  is  whom  they-are-seeking  to-kill?  And  look,  openly  he-is-speaking,  and  nothing  to-him  they-are-saying.  Not-perhaps  truly  they-knew,  the  rulers,  that  this-man  is  the  Christ?  But-on-the-contrary,  this-man  we-know  from-where  he-is;  now  the  Christ,  when  he-comes,  no-one  knows  from-where  he-is.”

Therefore  he-cried-out  in  the  temple,  teaching,  the  Jesus,  and  saying,  “Both-me  you-know  and  you-know  from-where  I-am;  and  from  myself  not  I-have-come,  but-on-the-contrary,  he-is  true,  the-One  having-sent  me,  whom  you,  not  you-know.  I,  I-know  him,  because  from  him  I-am  also-that-one,  me  he-sent-out.”  Therefore  they-were-seeking,  him  to-arrest,  and  no-one  threw-upon,  upon  him,  the  hand,  because  not-yet  it-had-come,  the  hour  of-him.

Now  out-of  the  crowd,  many  believed  into  him,  and  they-were-saying,  “The  Christ,  when  he-comes,  not  more  signs  will-he-do,  being  this-man  did?”  They-heard,  the  Pharisees,  the  crowd  grumbling  concerning  him,  these-things,  and  they-sent-out,  the  archpriests  and  the  Pharisees,  assistants,  in-order-that  they-might-arrest  him.

Therefore  he-said,  the  Jesus,  “Still  a-time,  a-little,  with  you  I-am,  and  I-am-going-away  toward  the-one  having-sent  me.  You-will-seek  me,  and  not  you-will-find  me,  and  where  I-am,  I,  you,  not  are-you-able  to-come.”
​

Therefore  they-said,  the  Jews,  toward  themselves,  “Where  this-man  is-about  to-journey,  that  we,  not  we-will-find  him?  Not  into  the  diaspora  of-the  Hellenists  is-he-about  to-journey,  and  to-teach  the  Hellenists?  What  is  the  word,  this,  which  he-said:  ‘You-will-seek  me  and  not  you-will-find  me,  and  where  I-am,  I,  you,  not  you-are-able  to-come’?”
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February 21st, 2026

2/21/2026

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e are in a new season. This Sunday’s title is the First Sunday in Lent. The tradition is that the Gospel Reading for this Sunday covers the temptation of Jesus at the beginning of his public ministry. Since this is year A in the three-year series, that Reading is from the Gospel according to Matthew, and the text is Matthew 4:1-11. And this same text happens to be the Gospel Reading for the One-Year Lectionary.

With last week’s Gospel Reading from chapter seventeen, to this week’s Reading being chapter four, to next week’s Reading being from the Gospel according to John, there are significant jumps in this set of lectionary readings. Within the writings of this website, we have been going through the four gospel accounts, taking a little at a time, in the order in which they were typically laid out. And these writings are currently going through the Gospel according to John, and we are currently on what is typically called the sixth chapter of that account.

It may be helpful to note a more specific context to that chapter. At the beginning of this chapter, Jesus fed five thousand men, along with many women and children, and that gave him a lot of notoriety among the people. Jesus, in his words after the miracle, is in the process of trying to get them to not so much focus solely on himself and the miracle, nor upon Moses, but to focus on Jesus’ Father, the One in heaven.

Near the beginning of his talk before the following section, Jesus described himself as the “Bread of life”. At the end, he talked about people believing in him, and that by believing in him, they would have eternal life. And the very last point of Jesus is that he would raise those people on the very last day—it was called the “eschaton” day in the translation. After that point, the grumbling started that will be in this week’s text. And the text itself helps a bit by pointing out the reason for the grumbling. It will also point to the important points that Jesus just gave. Often it is good to repeat important things.

If you are familiar with the translations of this writing, you may skip this and the following paragraph. But it may be helpful to repeat what has been said in the past. The translation below may be described as EXTREMELY literal, and because of that, it may be helpful to have another translation of the text nearby or perhaps a study bible.

The first thing to mention regarding the description of being EXTREMELY literal is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. These numbers were added later and may be distracting from the overall message of the text. It should also be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And the particular words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that sometimes occurs between the English and Greek languages. Also important to mention is that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words that are usually second (or sometimes third) in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. One more thing to mention is that, although this does not happen in the text below, the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS, where a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. These have been explained elsewhere, and here again it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website.

What follows is what was promised, an EXTREMELY literal translation of John 6:41-71 [It could also be noted that the second paragraph has the Father first, the verb second, and subject noun third, and the “d.o.” was added to signify that the Father is the direct object in this case; and that particular order also gives emphasis to the Father]:

Therefore  they-were-grumbling,  the  Jews,  concerning  him,  because  he-said,  “I,  I-am  the  bread,  the-one  having-come-down  out-of  the  heaven,”  and  they-were-saying,  “Not  this-one  is  Jesus,  the  son  of-Joseph,  of-whom  we,  we-know  the  father  and  the  mother?  How  now  he-says  that,  ‘Out-of  the  heaven  I-have-come-down’?

He-answered,  Jesus,  and  he-said  to-them,  “Do-not  grumble  among  one-another.  No-one  is-able  to-come  toward  me  if  not  the  Father,  the-one  having-sent  me,  he-drags  him,  and-I,  I-will-raise-up  him  in  the  eschaton  day.  It-is  having-been-written  in  the  prophets:  ‘And  they-shall-be  all  taught  of-God.’  Every  the-one  having-heard  from  the  Father  and  one-having-learned,  he-comes  toward  me.  Not  that  the  Father[d.o.],  he-has-seen,  anyone,  if  not  the-one  being  from  the  God,  this-one  has-seen  the  Father.  Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  the-one  believing  has  life  eternal.  I,  I-am  the  bread  of-the  life.  The  fathers  of-you,  they-ate  in  the  desert  the  manna,  and  they-died;  this-one  is  the  bread,  the-one  out-of  the  heaven,  coming-down,  in-order-that  anyone,  out-of  it  he-may-eat  and  not  he-may-die.  I,  I-am  the  bread,  the  living,  the-one  out-of  the  heaven,  having-come-down.  If  anyone  eats  out-of  this,  the  bread,  he-will-live  into  the  age;  and  now  the  bread  which  I,  I-will-give,  the  flesh  of-me,  it-is,  on-behalf-of  the,  of-the  world,  life.”

Therefore  they-were-fighting  toward  one-another,  the  Jews,  saying,  “How  is-he-able,  this-one,  to-us  to-give  the  flesh  to-eat?”

Therefore  he-said  to-them,  the  Jesus,  “Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  if  not  you-eat  the  flesh  of-the  Son  of-the  Man  and  drink  of-him  the  blood,  not  you-have  life  in  yourselves.  The-one  munching  of-me  the  flesh  and  drinking  of-me  the  blood,  he-has  life  eternal,  and-I,  I-will-raise-up  him  in-the  eschaton  day.  For  the  flesh  of-me,  true  it-is  food,  and  the  blood  of-me,  true  it-is  drink.  The-one  munching  of-me  the  flesh  and  drinking  of-me  the  blood,  in  me  he-remains,  and-I  in  him.  Just-as  he-sent-out  me,  the  living  Father,  and-I,  I-live  on-account-of  the  Father,  and  the-one  munching  me,  and-that-one  will-live  on-account-of  me.  This  is  the  bread,  the-one  out-of  heaven,  having-come-down,  not  just-as  they-ate,  the  fathers,  and  they-died;  the-one  munching  this,  the  bread,  he-will-live  into  the  age.”

These-things  he-said  in  a-synagogue,  teaching  in  Capernaum.  Therefore  many,  having-heard  out-of  the  disciples  of-him,  they-said,  “Hard  it-is,  the  word,  this;  who  is-able  it  to-hear?”

Now  fully-knowing,  the  Jesus,  in  himself  that  they-are-grumbling  concerning  this,  the  disciples  of-him,  he-said  to-them,  “This,  you,  it-scandalizes?  Therefore  if  you-behold  the  Son  of-the  Man  going-up  where  he-was,  the  formerly?  The  Spirit  is  the-one  doing-life,  the  flesh  not  profits  no-thing;  the  sayings  which  I,  I-have-spoken  to-you,  spirit  it-is,  and  life  it-is.  But-on-the-contrary,  there-are  out-of  you,  some  who  not  they-do-believe.”  For  he-fully-knew  out-of  beginning,  the  Jesus,  who  are  the-ones  not  believing,  and  who  he-is,  the-one  betraying  him.  And  he-was-saying,  “On-account-of  this,  I-have-told  to-you  that  no-one  is-able  to-come  toward  me,  if  not  it-is  having-been-given  to-him  out-of  the  Father.”

Out-of  this,  many  out-of  of-the  disciples  of-him,  they-came-away,  into  the  behind,  and  no-longer  with  him,  they-were-walking-around.  Therefore  he-said,  the  Jesus,  to-the  twelve,  “Not  also  you,  you-want  to-go-away?”

He-answered  him,  Simon  Peter,  “Lord,  toward  whom  shall-we-come-away?  Sayings  of-life  eternal  you-have.  And  we,  we-have-believed  and  we-have-known  that  you,  you-are  the  Holy-One  of-the  God.”

He-answered  them,  the  Jesus,  “Not  I,  you,  the  twelve,  I-have-selected,  and  out-of  you,  one  a-diabolos  he-is?”  Now  he-was-speaking-of  the  Judas  of-Simon  Iscariot;  for  this-one  was-about  to-betray  him,  one  out-of  the  twelve.

This has been said many times, but it could be repeated here also. There are many, many ways in which words could be translated. And one often finds in a language that some important things have more than one word attached to them. This happened above with the verb to eat. (There are also two different words for knowing.) Since there were two different verbs for eating, one was just described as eating, but the other as “munching”. In other words, there is an audible eating. Whether or not this is polite is another matter. And it may be said that this type of eating may have added to the grumbling of the Jews. That grumbling certainly was audible. And certainly all of this may get many Christians thinking about the Lord’s Supper.
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It may be noted that Jesus, only in this Gospel account, repeats himself in a special way when he says, “Amen, amen.” It may also be noted that you find Jesus repeating himself with other points in the text above. And he does that in the other accounts as well. That is fine. Sometimes we do not get the point right away.  Amen, amen to that.
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February 14th, 2026

2/14/2026

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We are nearing the end of the Epiphany season. This Sunday, the last Sunday after the Epiphany, is traditionally known as Transfiguration Sunday. It is as simple as that. But certainly the action of Jesus being transfigured is incredibly complex. Like many other things, it is to be taken by faith. In other words, it is to be seen as a gift. This is especially appropriate since this miracle is closely connected to Jesus’ predictions of what is going to happen very soon in Jerusalem.

The Gospel Reading for this Sunday is Matthew 17:1-9. Certainly there is a jump from last week’s reading being from the sixth chapter. Very soon the readings will jump to the Gospel according to John, and then very soon they will also jump to the Passion account in the last chapters of the Gospel according to Matthew. This is also fine. The central topic is a sure and certain One. The details are just that.

In the writings of this website, we are handling some of those details. In the last three years we went through the three similar Gospel accounts, and this year we are going through the Gospel according to John, a significantly different account. Some of these differences may be more obvious than others. And many of them have already been mentioned. These writings have been archived to give the reader an opportunity to see some of those differences.

The rest of this week’s writing will focus on the next section in what is commonly known as the sixth chapter of the Gospel according to John. The section from last week ended with a reference to Jesus as Lord, and the comment was made that the miracle of Jesus feeding the five thousand was summarized by the verb that he “gave thanks”. Certainly Jesus gave thanks for the little food that he received. And certainly five thousand men (and many others) were fed because of that food. But the word to give thanks is, in Greek, the word for Eucharist, the word for the Lord’s Supper, the Sacrament of the Altar.

After a connection within the Gospel according to Matthew and the Father, then the Gospel according to Mark to the Son, then the Gospel according to Luke and the Holy Spirit, why not a connection to the Sacraments in the Gospel according to John? These are special, holy things of God that reach out to his people living today and deliver some great gifts.

Now if you have been reading these writings in the past, and if you are familiar with the type of translation that is below, you may skip this and the following paragraph. The translation below may be described as EXTREMELY literal. It is designed to help the reader give a new perspective on a text, and it is one that may work well with another translation of the bible or study bible nearby.

The first thing to mention regarding the description of being EXTREMELY literal is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. These numbers were added later and may be distracting from the overall message of the text. It should also be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And the particular words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that sometimes occurs between the English and Greek languages. Also important to mention is that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words that are usually second (or sometimes third) in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. One more thing to mention is that, although this does not happen in the text below, the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS, where a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. These have been explained elsewhere, and here again it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website.

What follows is what was promised, an EXTREMELY literal translation of John 6:24-40.
Therefore  when  it-saw,  the  crowd,  that  Jesus,  not  is  there,  nor  the  disciples  of-him,  they-stepped-in,  they,  into  the  small-boats,  and  they-came  into  Capernaum,  seeking  the  Jesus.  And  having-found  him  across  the  sea,  they-said  to-him,  “Rabbi,  when  here  did-you-come?”

He-answered  them,  the  Jesus,  and  he-said,  “Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  you-are-seeking  me,  not  because  you-saw  signs,  but-on-the-contrary,  because  you-ate  out-of  the  breads,  and  you-were-satisfied.  Work  not  the  food,  the  perishing,  but-on-the-contrary,  for-the  food,  the  remaining  into  life  eternal,  which  the  Son  of-the  Man,  to-you  he-will-give;  for  this,  the  Father,  he-sealed,  the  God.”

Therefore  they-said  toward  him,  “What  may-we-do  that  we-way-work  the  works  of-the  God?”

He-answered,  the  Jesus,  and  he-said  to-them,  “This  is  the  work  of-the  God,  in-order-that  you-may-believe  into  he-whom  he-sent-out,  that-one.”

Therefore  they-said  to-him,  “Therefore  what  are-you-doing,  you,  a-sign,  in-order-that  we-may-see  and  we-may-believe  you?  What  are-you-working?  The  fathers  of-us,  the  manna,  they-ate  in  the  desert,  just-as  it-is  having-been-written,  ‘Bread  out-of  the  heaven,  he-gave  them  to-eat.’”

Therefore  he-said  to-them,  the  Jesus,  “Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  not  Moses  has-given  to-you  the  bread  out-of  the  heaven,  but-on-the-contrary,  the  Father  of-me,  he-gives  to-you  the  bread  out-of  the  heaven,  the  true.  For  the  bread  of-the  God,  it-is  the-one  coming-down  out-of  the  heaven  and  life  giving  to-the  world.”

Therefore  they-said  toward  him,  “Lord,  always  give  to-us  the  bread,  this.”

He-said  to-them,  the  Jesus,  “I,  I-am  the  bread  of-the  life;  the-one  coming  toward  me,  certainly  not  he-hungers,  and  the-one  believing  into  me,  certainly  not  he-will-thirst,  never.  But-on-the-contrary,  I-said  to-you  that  both  you-have-seen  me,  and  not  you-do-believe.  All  which  he-has-given  to-me,  the  Father,  toward  me  he-will-come,  and  the-one  coming  toward  me,  certainly  not  I-will-throw-out,  outside,  because  I-have-come-down  from  the  heaven,  not  in-order-that  I-may-do  the  will,  the  my,  but-on-the-contrary,  the  will  of-the-one  having-sent  me.  Now  this  is  the  will  of-the-one  having-sent  me,  in-order-that  all  which  he-has-given  to-me,  not  I-shall-lose  out-of  it,  but-on-the-contrary,  I-raise-up  it  in  the  eschaton  day.  For  this  is  the  will  of-the  Father  of-me,  in-order-that  all  who  beholding  the  Son  and  believing  into  him,  he-may-have  life  eternal,  and  I-raise-up  him,  I,  in  the  eschaton  day.”
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February 7th, 2026

2/7/2026

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The season of Epiphany continues, and this Sunday is the Fifth Sunday after the Epiphany. And this year being Series A, this Sunday’s Gospel Reading is from the Gospel according to Matthew (5:13-20), and the reading continues on, following immediately after last week’s text.

In the Gospel Reading of the previous week, Jesus went up on a mountain and sat down. With the writings of this website, we are currently going through the Gospel according to John, and we are now currently in what is usually called the sixth chapter of that account. And in this text as well, Jesus is also described as going up a mountain and sitting down. Repetition is certainly helpful when dealing with sinful and easily distracted human beings.

We also are not skipping over any of the text of the Gospel according to John, but we are taking a short section each week, one right after the previous text. And the goal is to get to the end of this account before the end of the church year in November.

If you have been to this website in the past and are familiar with the type of translation that is below, you may skip this and the following paragraph. It should be said, first of all, that there are VERY numerous ways to translate. The translation below may be described as EXTREMELY literal. It is designed to help the reader give a new perspective on a text, and it is one that may work well with another translation of the bible or study bible that the reader also uses.

The first thing to mention regarding the description of being “extremely” literal is that, other than in the introduction, the verse numbers will not be included. These were added later and may be somewhat distracting from the overall message of the text. Secondly, it should be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And the particular words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that sometimes occurs between the English and Greek languages. Hopefully that is not too confusing as well. Also important to mention is that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words (such as “therefore”, “for”, and “now”) that are usually second or third in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. One more thing to mention is that the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS, and in the Gospel according to John, they basically remind us that some small things are very important to God. It may also be said that the living creature that is connected to this Gospel account is the eagle, and the eagle can see the small but important things rather easily.

What follows is what was promised, an EXTREMELY literal translation of John 6:1-23. This chapter is one of the longer chapters, and a lot of things are going on here. This particular section of this chapter will end with something special, that Jesus is called the Lord once again. When the beginning of chapter four was being discussed, the title was connected to baptism. The text below connected that special title with some special food that is being received.

Although many have pointed out that the Gospel according to John does not have the institution of the Lord’s Supper within it, one should not think of the Passover being described as “near” to be a coincidence when an amazing gift will soon be discussed. Eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood is truly an incredible gift. Here is the translation:

After  these-things,  he-came-away,  the  Jesus,  to-the-other-side-of  the  Sea  of-the  Galilee,  of-the  Tiberias.  Now  it-was-following  him,  a-crowd,  a-great-one,  because  they-were-beholding  the  signs  which  he-was-doing  upon  the  without-strength-ones.  Now  he-came-up  into  the  mountain,  Jesus,  and  there  he-was-sitting  with  the  disciples  of-him.
Now  It-was  near,  the  Pascha,  the  Feast  of-the  Jews.  Therefore,  having-lifted-up  the  eyes,  the  Jesus,  and  having-beheld  that  a-great  crowd  is-coming  toward  him,  HE-SAYS  toward  Philip,  “From-where  may-we-agora  breads,  in-order-that  they-may-eat,  these?”  Now  this  he-was-saying,  testing  him;  for  he,  he-knew  what  he-was-about  to-do.

He-answered  him,  the  Philip,  “Of-two-hundred  denarii,  breads  not  they-are-enough  for-them,  in-order-that  each,  a-little,  it  he-may-receive.”

HE-SAYS  to-him,  one  out-of  the  disciples  of-him,  Andreas,  the  brother  of-Simon  Peter,  “He-is  a-lad  here  who  he-has  five  breads,  barley,  and  duo  fish;  but-on-the-contrary,  these,  what  is-it  into  so-many?”

He-said,  the  Jesus,  “Make  the  people  to-recline.”  Now  It-was  grass,  great,  in  the  place.  Therefore,  they-reclined,  the  men,  the  arithmetic  as  five-thousand.  Therefore,  he-took  the  breads,  the  Jesus,  and  having-eucharistic,  he-gave-out  to-the-ones  reclining,  likewise  also  out-of  the  fishes,  as-much-as  they-were-wanting.  Now  as  they-were-filled-in,  HE-SAYS  to-the  disciples  of-him,  “Synagogue  the  having-overflowed  fragments,  in-order-that  not  anything  is-lost.” 

Therefore,  they-synagogued,  and  they-filled  twelve  [Jewish-]baskets  of-fragments  out-of  the  five  breads  of-the  barley  which  they-overflowed  to-the-ones  having-eaten.  Therefore,  the  people,  having-seen  the-thing  he-did,  a-sign,  they-were-saying  that,  “This  is  truly  the  Prophet,  the-one  coming  into  the  world.”  Therefore,  Jesus,  knowing  that  they-were-about  to-come  and  to-seize  him  in-order-that  they-might-make  a-king,  he-withdrew  again  into  the  mountain,  himself,  mono. 

Now  as  evening  happened,  they-went-down,  the  disciples  of-him,  upon  the  sea,  and  having-embarked  into  a-boat,  they-were-coming  to-the-other-side-of  the  sea,  into  Capernaum.  And  darkness  already  it-had-happened,  and  not-yet  he-had-come  toward  them,  the  Jesus;  and  the  sea,  a-wind,  mega,  blowing,  it-was-raised-thoroughly.

Therefore,  having-rowed  as  stadia,  twenty  five  or  thirty,  THEY-BEHOLD  the  Jesus,  walking-around  upon  the  sea,  and  near  the  boat  happening,  and  they-feared.  Now  the-one  HE-SAYS  to-them,  “I,  I-am;  not  do-fear.”  Therefore  they-were-wanting  to-take  him  into  the  boat,  and  immediately  it-happened,  the  boat,  upon  the  land  into  which  they-were-going.

On-the  succeeding,  the  crowd,  the-one  having-stood  the-other-side-of  the  sea,  they-saw  that  small-boat,  another,  not  was  there,  if  not  one,  and  that  not  he-did-come-into-with  the  disciples  of-him,  the  Jesus,  into  the  boat,  but-on-the-contrary,  mono,  the  disciples  of-him,  they-came-away;  other  it-came,  small-boats,  out-of  Tiberias,  near  the  place  where  they-ate  the  bread,  having-eucharistic,  the  Lord.

If you have read the writing until this point, it should first of all be said that congratulations are in order. Just one more thing that could also be said is that you may have noticed that the word “Jewish” was added to the word “basket” in the above translation. (Congratulations are also in order if you caught that addition.)

Like so many other things in a particular culture, something that is very common may have more than one word to describe it. The words of “car” and “automobile” are an example for our culture. And think of how helpful it was to have a basket to transport things, no matter the culture to which it was connected. The last thing that could be said is that the so-called feeding of the FOUR thousand had baskets connected to Gentiles rather than Jews. That may be something to keep in mind when going over these accounts again.
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january 31st, 2026

1/31/2026

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The season of Epiphany continues on. This Sunday is the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany. This year being Series A, this Sunday’s Gospel Reading is from the Gospel according to Matthew (5:1-12). With the writings of this website, we are currently going through the Gospel according to John. And in this week’s writings, we will finish what is currently understood to be chapter five of that Gospel account.

Jesus is talking with people because he commanded a lame man to carry something on the Sabbath, and he got into a little bit of trouble because of that, because some of the Jews had strict rules regarding what a person could and could not do on the Sabbath, a day of “rest”. Jesus is showing his authority before the people who are hearing these words, and even those who are hearing these words today. And in the text below there are various witnesses who will testify to that authority in Jesus.
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If you have been to this website in the past and are familiar with the type of translation that is below, you may skip this and the following paragraph. The translation below may be described as EXTREMELY literal. It is designed to help the reader give a new perspective on a text, one that may work well with the translation of the bible or study bible that the reader also uses.
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The first thing to mention is that, other than in the introduction, the verse numbers will not be included. Hopefully that does not make it too difficult to study. Secondly, it should be noted that the words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And the words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that sometimes occurs between the English and Greek languages. Hopefully that is not too confusing. Also important to mention is that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence. The exception to this is that there are a couple of words that are usually second or third in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. And it should also be mentioned that repeated words are important words. Now although this particular type of verb does not happen within the following few verses, one more thing that could be mentioned is that the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS, and in the Gospel according to John they basically remind us that small things are important to God. (The living creature that is connected to this Gospel account is the eagle, and the eagle can see the small but important things rather easily.)

There are EXTREMELY many ways to translate some words. With all of that for an introduction, what follows is what was promised, an EXTREMELY literal translation of John 5:24-47:

[Jesus  said  to-them,] “Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you  that  the-one,  the  word  of-me  hearing  and  believing,  the-one  having-sent  me,  he-has  life  eternal,  and  into  judgment,  not  he-comes,  but-on-the-contrary,  he-has-passed-over  out-of  the  death  into  the  life.  Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you  that  it-is-coming,  an-hour,  and  now  it-is,  when  the  dead  will-hear  the  ‘phone’  of-the  Son  of-the  God,  and  the-ones  hearing  will-live.

For  just-as  the  Father  has  life  in  himself,  thus  also  to-the  Son,  he-gave  life  to-have  in  himself;  and  authority  he-gave  to-him,  judgment  to-do,  because  Son  of-man  he-is.  Not  do-marvel  at-this,  because  it-is-coming,  an-hour,  in  which  all  the-ones  in  the  tombs,  they-will-hear  the  ‘phone’  of-him,  and  they-will-come-out,  the-ones,  the  good-things  having-done,  into  a-resurrection  of-life,  now  the-ones,  the  evil-things  having-done,  into  a-resurrection  of-judgment.  Not  am-I-able,  I,  to-do  from  myself  nothing;  just-as  I-hear,  I-judge,  and  the  judgment,  the  my,  righteous  it-is,  because  not  I-seek  the  will,  the  my,  but-on-the-contrary,  the  will  of-the-one  having-sent  me.

If  I,  I-witness  concerning  myself,  the  witness  of-me,  not  it-is  true;  another  it-is  the-one  witnessing  concerning  me,  and  I-know  that  true  is  the  witness  which  he-witnesses  concerning  me.  You,  you-have-sent-out  toward  John,  and  he-has-witnessed  to-the  truth.  Now  I,  not  from  man,  the  witness  I-receive,  but-on-the-contrary,  these-things  I-am-saying  in-order-that  you,  you-may-be-saved.  That-man,  he-was  the  lamp,  the  burning  and  shining,  now  you,  you-wanted  to-exult  toward  an-hour  in  the  light  of-him.

Now  I,  I-have  the  witness  greater  of-the  John;  for  the  works  which  he-has-given  to-me,  the  Father,  in-order-that  I-may-finish  them;  them,  the  works  which  I-am-doing,  it-witnesses  concerning  me,  that  the  Father,  me  he-has-sent-out.  And  the-one  having-sent  me,  Father,  that-one,  has-witnessed  concerning  me.  Neither  ‘phone’  of-him,  never  you-have-heard,  nor  form  of-him  you-have-seen,  and  the  word  of-him,  not  you-have  in  you   remaining,  because  he-who  he-sent-out,  that-one,  this-one  you,  not  do-you-believe. 

You-search  the  graphs,  because  you,  you-think  in  them,  life  eternal  to-have,  and  those  are  the-ones  witnessing  concerning  me;  and  not  do-you-want  to-come  toward  me,  in-order-that  life  you-may-have.  Glory  from  men,  not  I-receive,  but-on-the-contrary,  I-have-known  you,  that  the  agape  of-the  God,  not  you-have  in  yourselves.  I,  I-have-come  in  the  name  of-the  Father  of-me,  and  not  you-did-receive  me;  if  another  comes  in  the  name,  the  own,  that-one  you-will-receive.
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How  are-you-able,  you,  to-believe,  glory  from  one-another  receiving,  and  the  glory,  the  from  the  mono  God,  not  do-you-seek?  Not  do-you-think  that  I,  I-will-accuse  you  toward  the  Father?  He-is  the-one  accusing  you,  Moses,  into  whom  you,  you-have-hoped.  For  if  you-believed  Moses,  you-would-have-believed  in  me;  for  concerning  me,  that-one  he-wrote.  Now  if  of-the  that-one,  'grammar',  not  you-do-believe,  how  of-the,  my  words,  you-will-believe?”
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