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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 Just because we have an Old Testament, it does not mean that we call it the 'Outdated Testament'.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!

January 10th, 2026

1/10/2026

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The transition has been made from Christmas to Epiphany. One of the titles for this Sunday is the First Sunday after Epiphany, with the word “Epiphany” seen as a fancy English word (based on a Greek word) for “manifestation” or “appearance”. And Jesus began to be revealed for his public ministry in his special baptism by John the Baptist. Therefore the title of “The Baptism of our Lord” is usually seen as the most familiar title for this Sunday. And since this year, with it being year A, we are looking mainly at the Gospel according to Matthew, and so the Gospel text for this Sunday is Matthew 3:13-17.

It took a little while to explain where we currently are when it comes to the church year, and it will also take a little while to explain the purpose of these writings, where we currently are when it comes to looking at a part of the bible. These writings are designed to help you take a closer look at the scriptures, and it is also suggested that you also use your own bible or a study bible, mainly because with the writings of this website, a part of the scriptures is given in a unique translation, and it is a translation that you might find a bit unusual.

For the last three years in the writings on this website, we have been going through the three similar Gospel accounts, usually taking a small section at a time, not skipping anything, and sometimes that happens in the appointed texts for the Sunday. And a very unique, extremely literal translation is given to each section. And sometimes there are comments about that section. This year we have been going through the Gospel according to John, and it is significantly different from the others. We are still going through the account in much the same way as the others, having a unique and literal translation.

The writing of last week went through the entire text of what is typically called chapter three of the Gospel according to John. It was a long text, and the purpose of studying such a long text was to study a short text for this week. We will be looking at the beginning of what is typically called chapter four of the Gospel according to John.
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Much could be said about literally ANY verse of the bible. Much has already been said about a LOT of bible verses. What has unfortunately happened because of the division of the bible into chapters and verses is that a clearer view of the literary structure of the text is not so easily seen. When you are reading one of the books of the bible, and the chapter numbers keep getting higher, you get the idea that you are going farther and farther away from the beginning of the book. With that kind of structure, you may be reminded of who wrote the words of the text. But what is the literary structure of the text you are currently reading? Where are some of the more important points that the writer wants to get across? It may be hinted at in the beginning. But it is probably somewhere near the end. But what is the progression leading up to that point? Because of the structure of chapter and verses, the literary structure of a work may not be very obvious.

Within the Gospel according to John, the clear designation of a first and second sign by the writer may point to the text as a type of blessing. In much the same way as a pastor has two hands and may raise them up at the end of a service to give a blessing, and in much the same way as the picture of an open hand shows that good things may be given out, Jesus did these two miracles, and some good things come from them.

The miracle designated as a first sign was at the beginning of what is called chapter two, and Jesus essentially turned water into wine. But Jesus did the whole thing in a very secretive way. And it was a very good thing. And it was extremely good wine! And the text says that his disciples believed in him.

The miracle designated as the second sign was at the end of what is called chapter four, and Jesus healed an official’s son, from a long distance away this time. And a similar result occurred, that the official and all his house believed. Again, something good happens as a result.

Sometimes what is in the middle of things is important in terms of its literary structure. As the head of a man is in the middle of the two hands that are lifted up, the middle is a very important thing in that case. And what is in the middle of those two signs will be given below.

This writing is finally to the point where the extremely literal translation of the text is given. If you are familiar with that designation of “extremely literal” in the writings of this website, you may skip the rest of this paragraph. For this extremely literal translation, 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. Something important to point out is that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. (The exception to this is that there are a couple of words that are second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated.) In general, the verbs appear slightly earlier in the sentence than we have in English. The verbs are in such a special form that they do not need the subject before them in the sentence, as we usually have in English. And generally speaking, the earlier in the sentence, the more important the word is. And although the following did not happen within the translation this time, the words in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS and help make the connection between the gospel account and its particular living creature. (For the Gospel according to John it is the eagle.) And although it should be somewhat obvious, it should be mentioned that a word which is repeated is important.

So, as was promised, what follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of what is between the two signs of the Gospel according to John (John 4:1-3):

Therefore,  as  he-knew,  the-One  [Jesus/Lord]  that  they-heard,  the  Pharisees,  that  Jesus,  more  disciples  he-is-making  and  he-is-baptizing  than  John,  although  Jesus  himself  not  he-was-baptizing,  but-on-the-contrary,  the  disciples  of-him;  he-left  the  Judea,  and  he-came-away  again  into  the  Galilee.

Usually brackets are not used within the translation. They exist when there is a difference in the text with the ancient manuscripts. In this case, some of the manuscripts have just “the-One”, some have “the-One, Jesus,” and some have “the-One, Lord.” The writings of this website will not go into great detail regarding such a thing. Such a difference does not happen too often, and when it does, the meaning of the sentence is not changed. In the example above, the One, the Jesus, and the Lord is basically the same person. It is clear that this is talking about the One who came down, who was named Jesus, and who is the Lord over something very important.

It was said about that this is in the middle between the two signs. How much is this in the middle? One of the benefits of such a literal translation is that it helps to point out the number of words that a text possesses. The basis of such a translation is a book called the Novum Testamentum Graece (or “New Testament, Greek”). You might say that is a popular book among people who are concerned about what the Bible has to say, and it is currently in the 28th edition. That text gives the following answer to the centrality of the above text.

Between the word “signs” in John 2:11 and the word “the-One” in John 4:1 there are nine-hundred-and-twenty-five words (925).  And between the word “the-One, Lord” and the word “sign” in John 4:54 there are nine-hundred-and-twenty-one words (921). Those two numbers are especially close, especially when one takes into account that a total of ELEVEN other words are also in brackets in the current 28th edition of the Greek New Testament, six before the middle and five after. It should also be noted that all of these other words are very insignificant differences.

To give an idea of the insignificance, here are the words that are unsure: His (when referring to brothers in 2:12), the (when referring to the name of Nicodemus in 3:4), that (when referring to what John had said; this could also indicate quotation marks), above all he-is (at the end of 3:31); the (when referring to name of Joseph in 4:5), the woman (when referring to “she” in 4:11), in (when referring to “that hour” in 4:53), now (when talking about the sign at 4:54).

One interesting thing is the use of the word “Lord” in the rest of the Gospel according to John. The more frequent use of “Lord” is usually after the death and resurrection of Jesus, and the word appears within that context in this account at John 20:20. It is interesting that the other occurrences in this Gospel account are significant and seem to possess a commonality in terms of “sacred acts”.

The above text is closely related to baptism. In John 6:23 the text says that the Lord had given thanks, but the Greek word is “eucharist”, and so, a hint is given that connects the reader or listener to the special supper Jesus starts in the other accounts. It is sometimes is called “Holy Communion” or “The Lord’s Supper”. The title “Lord” also appears at John 11:2, and the title is connected to anointing.

When looking at the Gospel according to John, some have wondered why there was not too much space devoted to the so-called “Last Supper” that appears in the other gospel accounts. But if the previous accounts already had that emphasis, why not have a slightly different emphasis of the same thing within a slightly different account? As was mentioned in previous writings, the living creature connected to this account is the eagle, and the eagle has a much larger perspective than those on the ground.
Yes, much more could be said about just a small text. But that is enough for now. And, as of now, we have a very big Savior. And we have a wonderfully big Bible to point us to that huge and beautiful Savior.

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January 3rd, 2026

1/3/2026

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The title for this Sunday is the Second Sunday after Christmas. And although this is considered year A and, for the most part, we have a look at the Gospel according to Matthew, the appointed Gospel Reading for this Sunday is Luke 2:40-52, and it is that reading for all three years.

Whatever Sunday of the church year, the writings of this website have gone through the three similar Gospel accounts these last three years, and this year we are going through the significantly different Gospel according to John. But we are doing that in much the same way as before, usually taking a small section at a time, not skipping anything, and presenting each section with a particularly unique, EXTREMELY literal translation of the text.

If you are familiar with what that means, you may skip the rest of this paragraph. Such a translation is designed to work well with another more familiar translation or study bible you might have. For this EXTREMELY literal translation, 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 (you may note that the word “phylactery” below is close to the word for “guard”, as in a prison). Something important to point out is that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. (The exception to this is that there are a couple of words that are second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated.) In general, the verbs appear slightly earlier in the sentence than we have in English. The verbs are in such a special form that they do not need the subject before them in the sentence, as we usually have in English. And generally speaking, the earlier in the sentence, the more important the word is. And although the following does not happen too often within the translation this time, the words in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS and help make the connection between the gospel account and its particular living creature. (For the Gospel according to John it is the eagle. In this case the eagle is able to see an important question that is put toward Jesus.) And although it should be somewhat obvious, it should be mentioned that a word which is repeated is important. And speaking of repetition, it was just mentioned in the previous text that Jesus does not “entrust” himself to anyone, but in this text he will talk about people “believing” in him. It is basically the same word, but it goes in a different direction.

Since the current topic at this point is believing, the point may be given at this time that the verse that starts out with “For God so loved” is probably one of the most well-known passages of the Bible, and it is within the translation below. Its context may be quite unfamiliar to many. And at the very end of the translation below, there is a repetition of a couple of the main points of that well-known verse. Salvation is an important topic, and it is not surprising when that subject is repeated.

It should also be said that at the beginning of what is called chapter two, Jesus gave his first sign, a special title for a miracle, and many details regarding that sign were given. Later, in what is called verse twenty-three of that same chapter, more signs are referenced, and these do not have any details. When Jesus heals the official’s son at the very end of what is called chapter four, that is termed the SECOND sign. Can the writer count correctly? Of course he can! There are some signs that are not counted. But it may be said that the signs specifically designated as the first and second ones have a special purpose. And the translation given this week will be slightly longer than normal, and the text given will take the reader up to the middle point between those two important signs. And that particular text will be covered next time.

So, as was promised, what follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of what could be called the third chapter, an EXTREMELY long text this time (John 3:1-36):

Now  he-was  a-man  out-of  the  Pharisees,  Nicodemus,  name  to-him,  a-ruler  of-the  Jews;  this-one  he-came  toward  him  of-the-night,  and  he-said  to-him,  “Rabbi,  we-know  that  from  God  you-have-come,  a-teacher,  for  no-one  he-is-able  these,  the  signs,  to-do  which  you,  you-are-doing,  if  not  he-is  the  God  with  him.”

He-answered,  Jesus,  and  he-said  to-him,  “Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  if  not  anyone  is-born  again,  not  he-is-able  to-see  the  kingdom  of-the  God.”
HE-SAYS  toward  him,  the  Nicodemus,  “How  is-he-able,  a-man,  to-be-born,  old  being?  Not  is-he-able  into  the  womb  of-the  mother  of-him,  deuteron  to-come-into  and  to-be-born?”

Jesus  answered,  “Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  if  not  anyone  is-born  out-of  water  and  Spirit,  not  he-is-able  to-come-into,  into  the  kingdom  of-the  God.  The-thing  having-been-born  out-of  the  flesh,  flesh  it-is,  and  the-thing  having-been-born  out-of  the  Spirit,  Spirit  it-is.  Do-not  marvel  because  I-said  to-you,  ‘It-is-necessary,  you,  to-be-born  again’;  the  spirit  where  it-wishes,  it-blows;  and  the  sound  of-it  you-hear,  but-on-the-contrary,  not  you-know  from-where  it-comes,  and  where  it-is-going,  thus  it-is  every,  the-one  having-been-born  out-of  the  Spirit.”

He-answered,  Nicodemus,  and  he-said  to-him,  “How  is-it-possible,  these-things  to-happen?”

He-answered,  Jesus,  and  he-said  to-him,  “You,  you-are  the  teacher  of-the  Israel,  and  these-things  not  you-know?  Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you  that  the-thing  we-know,  we-speak,  and  the-thing  we-have-seen,  we-witness,  and  the  witness  of-us,  not  you-receive.  If  the  earthly-things  I-said  to-you,  and  not  you-believe,  how,  if  I-say  to-you  the  heavenly-things,  will-you-believe?  And  no-one  has-gone-up  into  the  heaven,  if  not  the-one,  out-of  the  heaven,  having-come-down,  the  Son  of-the  Man.  And  as  Moses  lifted-up  the  serpent  in the  wilderness,  so  to-be-lifted-up,  it-is-necessary,  the  Son  of-the  Man,  in-order-that  every,  the  one  believing  in  him,  he-may-have  life  eternal.”
“For  thus  he-loved,  the  God,  the  cosmos,  so-that  the  Son,  the  only-begotten,  he-gave,  in-order-that  every,  the  one  believing  into  him,  not  he-may-perish,  but-on-the-contrary,  he-may-have  life  eternal.  For  not  he-sent-out,  the  God,  the  Son,  into  the  cosmos  in-order-that  he-might-judge  the  cosmos,  but-on-the-contrary,  in-order-that  it-might-be-saved,  the  cosmos,  through  him.  The-one  believing  into  him,  not  is-he-judged;  now  the-one  not  believing,  already  he-has-been-judged,  because  not  he-has-believed  into  the  name  of-the  only-begotten  Son  of-the  God.  Now  this  is  the  judgment,  that  the  Light  has-come  into  the  world,  and  they-loved,  the  men,  rather  the  darkness  than  the  Light;  for  it-was  of-them,  evil,  the  works.  For  everyone  who,  foul-things  practicing,  he-hates  the  Light,  and  not  he-comes  toward  the  Light,  in-order-that  not  he-may-be-convicted,  the  works  of-him.  Now  the-one  doing  the  Truth,  he-comes  toward  the  Light,  in-order-that  it-may-be-manifested  of-him  the  works  that  in  God,  it-is  having-been-worked.”

After  these-things  he-came,  the  Jesus,  and  the  disciples  of-him,  into  the  Judean  land,  and  there  he-was-wearing-thoroughly  with  them,  and  he-was-baptizing.  Now  he-was  also,  the  John,  baptizing  in  Ainon,  near  the  Salim,  because  waters,  many,  was  there,  and  they-were-coming-along,  and  they-were-being-baptized;  for  not-yet  he-was  having-been-thrown  into  the  phylactery,  the  John.

Therefore  it-happened,  a-seeking  out-of  the  disciples  of-John  with  a-Jew  concerning  catharsis.  And  they-came  toward  the  John,  and  they-said  to-him,  “Rabbi,  he-who  was  with  you  across  the  Jordan,  to-whom  you,  you-have-born-witness,  behold,  this-man,  he-baptizes,  and  all,  they-are-coming  toward  him.”
He-answered,  John,  and  he-said,  “Not  is-he-able,  a-man,  to-receive  not-even  one-thing,  if  not  it-is  having-been-given  to-him  out-of  the  heaven.  Yourselves,  you,  to-me,  you-bear-witness  that  I-said,  ‘Not  I-am,  I,  the  Christ,  but-on-the-contrary,  that  having-been-sent-out,  I-am  in-front-of  that-one.’  The-one  having  the  bride,  a-bridegroom  he-is,  now  the  friend  of-the  bridegroom,  the-one  standing  and  hearing  him,  with-joy  he-rejoices  because-of  the  voice  of-the  bridegroom.  Therefore,  this,  the  joy,  the  my,  it-has-been-fulfilled.  That-one  it-is-necessary  to-increase,  now  me,  to-decrease.”
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“The-one  from-above,  coming  above  all,  he-is;  the-one  being  out-of  the  earth,  out-of  the  earth  he-is,  and  out-of  the  earth  he-talks.  The-one  out-of  the  heaven,  coming  above  all  he-is.  What  he-has-seen  and  he-heard,  this  he-witnesses,  and  the  witness  of-him,  no-one receives.  The-one  having-received  of-him  the  witness,  he-sealed,  that  the  God,  true  he-is.  For  the-one-whom  he-sent-out,  the  God,  the  messages  of-the  God  he-talks,  for  not  out-of  measure  he-gives,  the  Spirit.  The  Father  loves  the  Son,  and  all-things  he-has-given  in  the  hand  of-him.  The-one  believing  into  the  Son,  he-has  life  eternal;  now  the-one  disobeying  the  Son,  not  he-will-see  life,  but-on-the-contrary,  the  wrath  of-the  God,  it-remains  upon  him.” 
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December 27th, 2025

12/27/2025

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Because of the significant holiday this past Thursday, the title for this Sunday is the First Sunday after Christmas. This year the appointed Gospel Reading for this Sunday is Matthew 2:13-23. This is the only year it is not Luke 2:22-40, when Jesus is presented in the temple. With the current writings of this website, we are going through the Gospel according to John, a small section at a time, not skipping anything, and presenting each section with a particularly unique EXTREMELY literal translation of the text.

If you are familiar with what that means, you may skip this paragraph and the next one. The reasoning behind such a translation is that it reminds the person reading this that this is important information, and some of the information may not be too clear. And it may have been that way with some of the first people to read the so-called “Bible” when it first came out. Having some help may be helpful. (With my Sunday schedule, I am not able to lead a Bible study on Sunday morning, and this website is meant to help take the place of such a thing. Members can, therefore, contact me at other times with questions or thoughts regarding the text.)

Here are the details regarding this EXTREMELY literal translation: The words with hyphens occur when more than one English word is used to describe a single word of the ancient Greek. And possibly the most difficult thing to deal with is that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. In general, the verbs appear slightly earlier in the sentence than we have in English. The verbs are in such a special form that they do not need the subject before them in the sentence, as we have in English. And generally speaking, the earlier in the sentence, the more important the word is. But sometimes the last word could be important as well. And although it should be somewhat obvious, it should be mentioned that a word which is repeated is important. And although there are no examples of historical presents with this small section of scripture (the last section had a LOT of them), it should also be mentioned that the verbs in capital letters are designed to show something more than just a “vividness”. These special verbs of this account may be connected to the living creature of the LORD’s throne, the eagle (see Ezekiel 1).

This is the text after Jesus had completed his first “sign”. (And I do not think it a coincidence that the Jews below are talking about wanting to see a sign.) As promised, what follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of John 2:12-25:

After  this  he-went-down  into  Capernaum,  he,  and  the  mother  of-him,  and  the  brothers  of-him,  and  the  disciples  of-him,  and  there  they-remained,  not  many  days.  And  near  was  the  Pascha  of-the  Jews,  and  he-went-up  into  Jerusalem,  the  Jesus. 

 And  he-found  in  the  temple,  the-ones  selling  oxen  and  sheep  and  doves,  and  the  coin-changers  sitting.  And  having-made a-lash  out-of  ropes,  all  he-threw-out,  out-of  the  temple,  both  the  sheep  and  the  oxen,  and  of-the  money-changers,  he-poured-out  the  coins,  and  the  tables  he-over-turned,  and  to-the-ones,  the  doves  selling,  he-said,  “Take  these-things  from-here;  not  do-make  the  house  of-the  Father  of-me  a-house  of-emporium.”

They-remembered,  the  disciples  of-him,  that  having-been-written  it-is,  “The  zeal  of-the  house  of-you,  it-will-eat-up  me.”

Therefore,  they-answered,  the  Jews,  and  they-said  to-him,  “What  sign  do-you-show  to-us,  that  these-things  you-are-doing?”

He-answered,  Jesus,  and  he-said  to-them,  “Destroy  the  temple,  this,  and  in  tris  days,  I-will-raise  it.”

Therefore,  they-said,  the  Jews,  “In-forty  and  hex  years  it-was-built,  the  temple,  this,  and  you,  in  tris  days,  you-will-raise  it?”  Now  that-one  was-speaking  about  the  temple  of-the  body  of-him.  Therefore,  when  he-was-raised  out-of  dead-ones,  they-remembered,  the  disciples  of-him,  that  this  he-was-saying,  and  they-believed  the  Graph  and  the  word  which  he-said,  the  Jesus.
​
Now  as  he-was  in  the  Jerusalem,  in  the  Pascha  in  the  Feast,  many  believed  into  the  name  of-him,  beholding  of-him  the  signs  which  he-was-doing.  Now  he,  Jesus,  not  did-he-believe  himself  to-them,  because  the  him,  to-know  everyone,  and  that  no  need  he-had  in-order-that  anyone  should-witness  concerning  the  man;  for  he,  he-knew  what  was  in  the  man.
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December 20th, 2025

12/20/2025

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The season of Advent continues on for one more Sunday. And so this Sunday’s title is the Fourth Sunday in Advent. The Gospel Reading for this Sunday is a great text, Matthew 1:18-25. It is a great text because many biblical books at their start often give a hint as to what to expect structurally, and it seems like this happens in this text. At the middle and the end of this text is the name Jesus, and that gives a structure as to what is important as the sermons and the actions of Jesus are laid out within this book. In the middle of this Gospel account, Jesus starts to go to Jerusalem to die and rise, and he does just that at the end. And, surprisingly, this structure also fits with Jesus’ coming in the “middle” of time and at the end of time. And it should be no surprise that ANY coming of Jesus is important.

If you have been recently reading the writings of this website, you would know that we are currently going through the very different Gospel according to John. With the last writing, we finished what is usually called the first chapter of that Gospel account.

On the other hand, if you are unfamiliar with the writings of this website, there are some things that should be mentioned.  First of all, it should be said that this is an EXTREMELY literal translation. Such a translation may be seen as a type of first step, to get an idea of what is important in the words which have been laid out within the text.

When it comes to the text, words are definitely important. And so, to help with that emphasis, the words with the hyphens occur when more than one English word was used to help translate a single Greek word, the language of the New Testament. And when it comes to words, it should also be said that the order of words is also important. Generally speaking, the verbs appear early within the sentence, and any words before that may receive a special emphasis. One more thing to note is regarding the so-called “historical presents” (when a past-tense verb is expected, but a present one is given), that they are given in all capital letters. They are meant to all work together to bring glory to Jesus and, ultimately, to God, the Father Almighty.

In conclusion, it should be said that since this translation is an unusual one, it will probably be helpful to have another bible translation or a study bible nearby, to help you with your study of God’s Word.

There are many different translations of the text, even into the one language of English. As promised, what follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of John 2:1-11:

And  in-the  day,  the  third,  a-wedding  happened  in  Cana  of-the  Galilee,  and  she-was,  the  mother  of-the  Jesus,  there;  now  they-were-called,  both  the  Jesus  and  the  disciples  of-him,  into  the  wedding.  And  having-failed  wine,  SHE-SAYS, the  mother  of-the  Jesus,  toward  him,  “Wine  not  they-have.”

And  HE-SAYS  to-her,  the  Jesus,  “What  to-me  and  to-you,  woman?  Not-yet  it-is-come,  the  hour  of-me.”

SHE-SAYS,  the  mother  of-him,  to-the  deacons,  “The  what  ever  he-says  to-you,  do.”  Now  they-are  there,  stone  hydrias,  hex,  according-to  the  catharsis  of-the  Jews,  lying,  containing  each  measures,  duo  or  trice.

HE-SAYS  to-them,  the  Jesus,  “Fill  the  hydrias  of-water.”  And  they-filled  them,  up-to  top.  And  HE-SAYS  to-them,  “Draw  presently  and  carry  to-the  master-of-the-feast.”  Now  the-ones  carried.

Now  as  he-tasted,  the  master-of-the-feast,  the  water,  wine  having-become,  and  not  he-knew  from-where  it-is,  now  the  deacons  knew,  the-ones  having-drawn  the  water,  HE-CALLS  the  bridegroom,  the  master-of-the-feast,  and  HE-SAYS  to-him,  “Every  man,  first  the  good  wine  sets,  and  when  they-become-drunk,  the  lesser;  you,  you-have-kept  the  good  wine  until  presently.” ​

This  he-did,  beginning  of-the  signs,  the  Jesus,  in  Cana  of-the  Galilee,  and  he-manifested  the  glory  of-him,  and   they-believed  into  him,  the  disciples  of-him.
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December 13th, 2025

12/13/2025

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The season of Advent continues on. This Sunday’s title is the Third Sunday in Advent. The Gospel Reading for this Sunday is Matthew 11:2-15.

Now if you have been recently reading the writings of this website, you would know that we are currently going through the Gospel according to John, and you almost assuredly know that the Gospel according to John is a significantly different Gospel account when compared to the other three. And it should be no surprise that much has been said and written about that difference. In terms of a living creature, the Gospel according to John is connected to the eagle, and an eagle is a significantly different creature, especially when compared with those who are normally on the earth.

For the past two weeks, with the writings of this website we have been looking at a biblical text from what has been called the first chapter of that account. Chapter divisions have been added relatively recently, but they may be helpful when looking at a small part of the entire account. This final section of chapter sets up Jesus to have followers, and that characteristic sets the situation up for the next events, the so-called ‘signs’ surrounding Jesus’ ministry. Much could also be said about such a thing. But we should not get too far ahead.

If you are unfamiliar with the writings of this website, some important things should be stated. Most important is that the following biblical text will be given in what could be called an EXTREMELY literal translation, so it may be helpful to have another translation or a study bible nearby.

The frequent hyphens within the text below are designed to point out when more than one English word is connected to one word in the language of the New Testament, the ancient Greek. Also important to note is that the order which the words appear below is the order in which they are given in the Greek. And regarding that point, it may be helpful to note that with the Greek language, the important words tend to be at the forefront of the sentence.

One more thing to note is that the verbs in capital letters below are called ‘historical presents’, and they may be connected to the LIVING creature of the EAGLE as part of the LORD’s throne (see Ezekiel 1). There will be a significant number of those historical presents in the text this time. You might say that the eagle sees a lot of small things happening, and when you add them up, together they make some significant and God-related events.

There are many ways in which words can be translated into other languages. As promised, what follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of John 1:35-51:

In-the  next-day,  again,  he-stood,  the  John,  and  out-of  the  disciples  of-him,  two,  and  having-looked-at  the  Jesus  walking,  HE-SAYS,  “Behold,  the  Lamb  of-the  God.”  And  they-heard,  the  two  disciples  of-him  speaking,  and  they-followed  the  Jesus.

Now  having-turned,  the  Jesus,  and  having-examined  them  following,  HE-SAYS  to-them,  “What  are-you-seeking?”

Now  the-ones  said  to-him,  “Rabbi  (which  it-says,  being-translated,  ‘teacher’),  where  are-you-remaining?”

HE-SAYS  to-them,  “Come  and  you-will-see.”  Therefore  they-came,  and  they-saw  where  he-is-remaining,  and  alongside  him,  they-remained  the  day,  that;  hour  was  about  tenth.

It-was  Andrew,  the  brother  of-Simon  Peter,  one  out-of  the  two,  the-ones  having-heard  alongside  John  and  having-followed  him;  HE-FINDS  this-one  first,  the  brother,  the  own,  Simon,  and  HE-SAYS  to-him,  “We-have-found  the  Messiah  (which  is  being-translated  ‘Christ’).”

He-led  him  toward  the  Jesus.  Having-looked-at  him,  the  Jesus,  he-said,  “You,  you-are  Simon,  the  son  of  John;  you,  you-will-be-called  Cephas  (which  is-interpreted  ‘Peter’).”

In-the  next-day  he-wanted  to-come-out  into  the  Galilee,  and  HE-FINDS  Philip.  And  HE-SAYS  to-him,  the  Jesus,  “Follow  me.”


Now  he-was,  the  Philip,  from  Bethsaida,  out-of  the  city  of-Andrew  and  Peter.  HE-FINDS,  Philip,  the  Nathanael,  and  HE-SAYS  to-him,  “The-one-of-whom  he-wrote,  Moses,  in  the  Law  and  the  Prophets,  we-have-found,  Jesus,  son  of-the  Joseph,  the-one  from  Nazareth.”

And   he-said  to-him,  Nathanael,  “Out-of  Nazareth,  is-it-possible,  anything  good  to-be?”

HE-SAYS  to-him,  the  Philip,  “Come  and  see.”

He-saw,  Jesus,  the  Nathanael,  coming  toward  him,  and  HE-SAYS  concerning  him,  “Behold,  truly,  an-Israelite  in  whom  decoy,  not  is.”

HE-SAYS  to-him,  Nathanael,  “From-where  me,  do-you-know?”

He-answered,  Jesus,  and  he-said  to-him,  “Before  the  you,  Philip,  to-call,  being  under  the  fig-tree,  I-saw  you.”

He-answered  him,  Nathanael,  “Rabbi,  you,  you-are  the  Son  of-the  God;  you,  king,  you-are,  of-the  Israel.”
​
He-answered,  Jesus,  and  he-said  to-him,  “Because  I-said  to-you  that  I-saw  you  underneath  the  fig-tree,  do-you-believe?  Greater  than-these-things  you-will-see.”  And  HE-SAYS  to-him,  “Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  you-will-see  the  heaven  having-been-opened  and  the  angels  of-the  God  going-up  and  going-down  upon  the  Son  of-the  Man.”
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December 6th, 2025

12/6/2025

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The season of Advent continues. This Sunday’s title is the Second Sunday in Advent. And although this year the Gospel Readings are basically focusing on the Gospel according to Matthew (with this week’s Gospel Reading being Matthew 3:1-12), the writings of this website are currently going through the significantly different Gospel according to John.

If you are unfamiliar with the writings of this website, it should be said that a part of the biblical text will be given in an EXTREMELY literal translation. What does this mean? The frequent hyphens are designed to point out when more than one English word is connected to one word in the language of the New Testament, the ancient Greek. Also important to note is that the order which the words appear below is the order in which they are given in the Greek. And regarding that point, it may be helpful to note that the important words tend to be at the forefront of the sentence. And hopefully it is obvious that words that are repeated are important. One more thing to note is that the verbs in capital letters are called ‘historical presents’, and they may be connected to the LIVING creature of the EAGLE as part of the LORD’s throne (see Ezekiel 1). A throne is how a king shows his glory, his significance, his importance, and these verbs may show that as well, especially when it comes to the LORD of all heaven and earth, the One with an especially larger perspective. To sum it all up, it may be helpful to have another translation or study bible nearby.

There are an EXTREMELY huge number of ways in which words can be translated into other languages. What follows is an extremely literal translation of John 1:19-34 (and you may check out some of the website writings of 2023 if you are interested in the translation of the Gospel according to Matthew): 

And  this  is  the  witness  of-the  John,  when  they-sent-out  toward  him,  the  Jews  out-of  Jerusalem,  priests  and  Levites,  that  they-might-question  him,  “You,  who  are-you?”

And  he-confessed,  and  not  he-denied,  and  he-confessed,  “I,  not,  I-am  the  Christ.”

And  they-questioned  him,  “What  therefore?  You,  Elias,  are-you?”

And  HE-SAYS  “Not  I-am.”

“The  Prophet,  are-you,  you?”

And  he-answered,  “No.”

Therefore,  they-said  to-him,  “Who  are-you,  that  an-answer  we-may-give  to-the-ones  having-sent  us;  what  are-you-saying  about  yourself?”

He-replied,  “I,  a-voice  of-one-shouting  in  the  wilderness,  ‘Making-straight  the  way  of-the-Lord,’  as  he-said,  Esaias,  the  prophet.” 

And  the-ones-having-been-sent-out  were  from  the  Pharisees.  And  they-questioned  him,  and  they-said  to-him,  “Therefore,  why  are-you-baptizing  if  you,  not,  are  the  Christ,  and-not  Elias,  and-not  the  Prophet?”

He-answered  them,  the  John,  saying,  “I,  I-baptize  in  water,  among  you  stands  he-whom  you,  not  you-know,  the-one  after  me  coming,  of-whom  not  I-am,  I,  worthy,  that  I-should-loosen  of-him,  the  strap  of-the  sandal.”  These-things  in  Bethany,  they-happened,  beyond  the  Jordan,  where  he-was,  the  John,  baptizing.

On-the  next-day  HE-SEES  the  Jesus  coming  toward  him,  and  HE-SAYS,  “Behold,  the  Lamb  of-the  God,  the-One  taking-away  the  sin  of-the  world.  This  is-he  on-behalf-of  whom  I,  I-said,  ‘After  me  he-comes  a-man  who  before  me  he-has-become,  because  first  of-me  he-was.’  And-I,  not,  I-knew  him,  but-on-the-contrary,  that  he-might-be-manifested  to-the  Israel,  on-account-of  this,  I-came,  I,  in  water  baptizing.”

And  he-witnessed,  John,  saying,  “I-have-beheld  the  Spirit  coming-down  as  a-dove,  out-of  heaven,  and  it-remained  upon  him.  And-I,  not  I-knew  him,  but-on-the-contrary,  the-one  having-sent-me  to-baptize  in  water,  that-one  to-me  he-said,  'Upon  whom  ever  you-see  the  Spirit  coming-down  and  remaining  upon  him,  this,  he-is  the-one  baptizing  in  Spirit,  Holy.'  And-I,  I-have-seen,  and  I-have-witnessed  that  this  is  the  Son  of-the  God.”
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November 29th, 2025

11/29/2025

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We are at the beginning of a new church year. The title for this Sunday is the First Sunday in Advent. If you have been reading the writings of this website for a while, you may have noticed that the last three years were spent looking at the entirety of the first three gospel accounts, namely, the Gospel according to Matthew, Mark, and Luke. Whereas the appointed readings for the Sundays select various parts of the appointed Gospel account for that year, and even the Gospel account could switch, for example, on Christmas Eve, and the second chapter of the Gospel according to Luke is the focus for a short while. The first Sunday in Advent, with the text being Matthew 21:1-11, also focuses on Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, and this is not exactly a text that follows the chronology of Jesus’ life.
​
With some readings jumping around and skipping some words, it has been the focus of these writings to lay out in sections in an orderly way the three similar accounts. It should be said very prominently that these texts were given in the form of an EXTREMELY literal translation, mainly in an effort to encourage the reader to study the text in a translation that he or she is more familiar with, having a bible nearby. (The point could be made at this time that the author is currently a pastor serving two small congregations, and since the two services are both on Sunday morning, I am not able to lead a Sunday morning bible study at either congregation, and this writing is meant to take the place of what is lacking at this time.)

Given that the three similar (sometimes called ‘synoptic’) gospel accounts have been laid out for the past three years in the way that was described above, taking a section and giving a unique translation, it was the decision of this writer to do much the same thing this year, but to look at the Gospel according to John.

It is this writer’s intention that the name of the Sunday will be given, along with the appointed Gospel Reading. That information may be helpful to the reader and may connect the reader even more strongly to the local congregation that focuses on the Word. Whatever the situation, it is hard to go wrong with the Word of God.

And speaking of the Word, that happens to be prominent at the start of the Gospel according to John. And certainly much could be written since this account is significantly different from the other three accounts. EXTREMELY much could be written! Perhaps it could be best stated most briefly in the following way:

The four gospel accounts, for many centuries, have been connected to the four living creatures of Yahweh’s throne. These creatures were given in the following order in the first chapter of Ezekiel: Man, lion, ox, and eagle. The first three are similar in that they are usually on the ground. The eagle, on the other hand, can fly high overhead. And often the perspective of the Gospel according to John is one with a much broader perspective.

With that in mind, it may be most helpful to have some of the first words of that special account, the Gospel according to John. Again, these words are a VERY literal translation of the text. If this is the first time with these writings, a couple things should be mentioned.

The hyphens below connect the words in English that are given in only one word in the language of the New Testament, ancient Greek. And the words are given in the order that they appear within the text. Generally either the verbs or the most important words are given first. Certainly exceptions occur. But it may be helpful to see the original order of the text. And other orderings are certainly allowed, so as to help the understanding in other languages.

One more thing to mention is that the so-called ‘historical presents’ will be noted by capital letters. These are verbs that have the expectation of a past tense, but they are given in the present. These verbs COULD be connected to the LIVING creature of the eagle. And a note could be made here that the New American Standard translation usually has an asterisk after the historical presents of the text, although the translation is still in the past.

So, as promised, what follows is a ‘special’ (starting-point) translation of John 1:1-18:

In  beginning  was  the  Word, and  the  Word  was  toward  the  God,  and  God  was  the  Word.  This-one  was  in  beginning  toward  the  God.  All-things  through  him  became,  and  without  him  became  not  one  which  has-become.  In  him  life  was,  and  the  life  was  the  light  of-the  humans.  And  the  light  in  the  darkness  shines,  and  the  darkness,  it  not  overtook. 

It-became  a-human,  having-been-sent-out  from  God,  name  to-him  John;  this-one  came  into  witness,  that  he-might-witness  concerning  the  light,  that  all  might-believe  through  him.  Not  he-was  that,  the  light,  but-on-the-contrary,  that  he-might-witness  concerning  the  light. 
​
It-was  the  light,  the  true,  which  enlightens  every  human,  coming  into  the  world.  In  the  world  he-was,  and  the  world  through  him  it-became,  and  the  world,  him  not  it-knew.  Into  the  own-things  he-came,  and  the  own-ones,  him  not  they-received.  Now  as-many-as  received  him,  he  gave  to-them  authority,  children  of-God  to-become,  to-the-ones  believing  into  the  name  of-him,  who  not  out-of  bloods,  nor  out-of  will-of  flesh,  nor  out-of  will  of-a-man,  but-on-the-contrary,  out-of  God  they-were-born.
And  the  Word,  flesh  he-became,  and  he-tabernacled  in  us,  and  we-beheld  the  glory  of-him,  glory  as  of-an-only-begotten  from  Father,  full  of-grace  and  truth.  John  HE-WITNESSES  concerning  him,  and  he-has-cried-out  saying,  “This-one  he-was  of-whom  I-said,  ‘The-one  after  me,  coming  before  me  he-has-become,  because  first  of-me  he-was.’”  Because  out-of  the  fullness  of-him,  we  all,  we-received,  and  grace  anti  grace;  because  the  law  through  Moses  it-was-given,  the  grace  and  the  truth  through  Jesus  Christ  it-became.  God  no-one  has-viewed,  ever;  only-begotten  God,  the-one  being  into  the  bosom  of-the  Father,  that-one  exegeted.    
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November 22nd, 2025

11/22/2025

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We are at the end of the church year. The title of this Sunday is, therefore, very appropriate: The Last Sunday in the Church Year. The Gospel Reading for this Sunday is Luke 23:27-43. You might say that, while the text has an ending for some people, it is also a beginning for the Lord’s people.

As this past year went on, with these website writings we went through the Gospel according to Luke, a section at a time, not skipping over any parts, and this past Sunday we looked at the topic of “historical presents” that occurred within this account. These are the verbs that were expected to be in the past tense, but they appear in the text in the present.

The previous writing of this website laid out that the historical presents of the Gospel according to Luke will be examined in this week’s writing. In this writing, each will be given some of its context, and the verse which contains the historical present will be given in an EXTREMELY literal translation. The historical present verb will be in capital letters. You may wish to look up the verse in another translation or a study bible, to help you understand the text. (And a note should be made that the New American Standard Bible typically has an asterisk after the historical presents; you may want to look at that translation.)

Here are the historical presents in the Gospel according to Luke:

The first one is Luke 7:40 and has to do with SIMON, THE PHARISEE.

Jesus is at the house of Simon, the Pharisee. When a person is in the house of another, that other person who is the homeowner has the authority. In this verse, Jesus asks for permission to point out some faults, some of the things that were lacking with Simon’s hospitality, the kindliness that was usually given to guests. Jesus asks for permission to point out those things, and Simon receives it. It is interesting that Simon calls Jesus a teacher, but the other guests who are there, after Jesus says all he wants to say about the woman who washed his feet, they ask this question (v. 49): “Who is this, who also forgives sins?”

So here is an extremely literal translation of that verse with the historical present:
And having-answered, the Jesus said toward him, “Simon, I-have to-you, something to-say.”

Now the-one, “Teacher, say,” HE-REPLIES.

The second one is Luke 8:49 and has to do with THE SYNAGOGUE RULER.
Jesus had just healed a woman with a flow of blood for twelve years. And she wanted to be hidden at first, but she eventually started talking and admitting that she had been healed. And Jesus’ response to her was this: “Daughter, the faith of you has saved you. Go into peace.” What follows is one of the interruptions that happen within this account, and Jesus is the one who is interrupted this time. To interrupt someone while they are talking takes some authority. Jesus obviously has it. And the person who interrupts the conversation this time also has it, since he is from the house of a synagogue ruler. And obviously there is some authority with that position. Jesus was headed to that house to heal the daughter of that synagogue ruler.

Here is an extremely literal translation of that verse:

Still he speaking, HE-COMES, someone from the arch-synagogue saying, “She-has-died, the daughter of-you; no-more trouble the teacher.”

The third one is Luke 9:33 and has to do with PETER, THE DISCIPLE.
Peter, James, and John were all with Jesus on the “mountain-top” event of the transfiguration. Peter’s name appears again during that account, not only the first on the list, but the group is described as “Peter and the ones with him (verse 32)….” As Moses and Elijah were leaving, Peter gives this “great” idea. He is easily seen as the leader of the disciples at this time. And it is a type of leadership that does not point to himself, and that is a good thing.

Here is another extremely literal translation, this time of Luke 9:33:

And it-happened in the to-separate-themselves, they from him, he-said, the Peter, toward the Jesus, “Overseer, good it-is for-us here to-be, and let-us-make tents, three, one for-you, one for-Moses, and one for-Elias,” not knowing what HE-SAYS.

The fourth one is Luke 11:37 and has to do with A PHARISEE.
Jesus is at a Pharisee’s house another time; this time we are not given the Pharisee’s name. This time the historical present is given when the request is made by the Pharisee to have Jesus come to his house. Jesus was saying a LOT of words before this. And his popularity was increasing. It is interesting that Jesus talks about the importance of the eyes and what is seen. He also mentions the “sign of Jonah”, a reference to his coming out of the tomb after three days. He also talks about the wisdom of Solomon, which was greatly appreciated by many. And similar things happened with Jesus. And his popularity grew tremendously. While Jesus is talking about all these things, he is again interrupted, and this also points to someone who has authority. It could also be noted that the Pharisee sees that Jesus does not wash before the meal, and Jesus starts saying “Woe” to the Pharisees and others. The intensity within this account is about to increase.

Here is an extremely literal translation of that verse with the historical present, Luke 11:37:

Now in the to-speak, HE-ASKS him, a-Pharisee, that he-would-dine beside him; now having-come-into, he-reclined.

The fifth one is Luke 11:45 and has to do with ONE OF THE LAWYERS.
This historical present is extremely close to the previous one. Jesus started his “Woes”, and he is going to get some feedback, this time from the lawyers. This grouping of “lawyers” has been mentioned already with some negativity (see Luke 7:30 and 10:25).
It should be noted that after these “Woes” have finished, at the end of the chapter, the two groups of the scribes and the Pharisees are terribly angry with Jesus, and they will try to “draw out” some words from him, and they will also try to “catch” him in what he says. That certainly implies some power on the power of those two groups. The intensity is certainly increasing as Jesus heads toward Jerusalem (see Luke 9:51).

Here is one example of an extremely literal translation of Luke 11:45:

Now having-answered, a-certain-one of-the lawyers, HE-SAYS to-him, “Teacher, these-things saying, also us you-insult.”

The sixth one is Luke 13:8 and has to do with A VINEYARD-WORKER (IN A PARABLE).
Now the historical present will be used in a few parables. But the people who speak these parables will also have some authority and a leadership role. In this parable of the vine that is not producing fruit, the owner has just insisted that a vine which is not producing fruit should be cut down, since it is using up the ground.

Here is an extremely literal translation of the beginning of the worker’s response, Luke 13:8:

“Now the-one, having-answered, HE-SAYS to-him, ‘Lord, leave it also this the year, until when I-may-dig round it and may-throw manure….’”

The seventh one is Luke 16:7 and has to do with THE WISE STEWARD (IN A PARABLE).
The steward will act wisely, prudently, since he had the authority to get what was owed his master, and he used that to his own advantage.

What follows is an extremely literal translation of Luke 16:7, a discussion between the steward and someone who owed his master a LOT of wheat:

“Thereupon to-another he-said, ‘Now you, how-much you-owe?’

Now the-one said, ‘A-hundred cors of-wheat.’

HE-SAYS to-him, ‘Take of-you the writing and write eighty.’

The eighth one is Luke 16:29 and has to do with THE WORDS OF ABRAHAM (IN A STORY BY JESUS).

You may have noted that this was not called a parable. The details of the rich man in hell and Abraham in heaven are too great to say that this is just a comparison as to what happens in reality. It seems EXTREMELY real. And obviously Abraham has a significant amount of authority.

Here is an extremely literal translation of Abraham’s second response to the rich man. The first time the rich man had asked for Abraham to send Lazarus to give the rich man just a few drops of water, but that did not happen. In the second response, the rich man’s idea was to send Lazarus to warn his brothers. Here is Luke 1:29:

“Now HE-SAYS, Abraham, ‘They have Moses and the prophets; let-them-hear them.’”

The ninth one is Luke 17:37 and has to do with THE DISCIPLES.
In the past Jesus had been asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come (Luke 17:20), and that brings up a talk that Jesus had with his disciples about the coming of the Kingdom of God. He talks about two people being together, and only one being taken. And the disciples respond in the historical present, with some authority. Other disciples may not have the same authority that would prompt an answer by Jesus.

Here is an extremely literal translation of Luke 17:37, the response of the disciples to Jesus’ previous comment; included is a reference to a dead body, and eagles (or vultures) gathering around it (eagles are sometimes seen around dead carcasses as well):

And having-answered THEY-SAY to-him, “Where, Lord?”

Now the-one said to-them, “Where the body, there also the eagles will-be-gathered-together.”

The tenth one is Luke 19:22 and has to do with A WELL-BORN MAN TO THE “LAZY” SERVANT (IN A PARABLE).
In this parable, two previous servants had done the work they were to do, and the final one, the one who took the money, and because he feared his master, he did not do anything with it. And the verse begins the master’s response to that servant.

Here is an extremely literal translation of Luke 19:22:

“HE-SAYS to-him, ‘Out-of the mouth of-you I-will-judge you, evil slave. You-knew that I, a-man, austere, I-am, taking what not I-placed, and reaping what not I-sowed.’”

The eleventh one is Luke 24:12 and has to do with THE ACTION OF PETER WITH THE NOW-EMPTY TOMB OF JESUS.
It should be noted that some ancient manuscripts do not have this verse. That should not take away its importance or its validity. Much could be said about the differences between the four gospel accounts. They do work together in a very upbuilding way. And we have already noted the authority that Peter has, and that will be seen in the Book of Acts as well.

Here is an extremely literal translation of that final verse in this account of the historical present:

Now the Peter, having-risen-up, he-ran upon the tomb, and having-bent-over, HE-SEES the cloths only, and he-came-back toward himself, marveling the-thing having-happened.​

You made it to the VERY end. Congratulations! And it is the end of the church year as well. This next year, the plan is to look at the Gospel according to John, in much the way as was done this year.
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November 15th, 2025

11/15/2025

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If you read last week’s writing, I would like to say THANKS again for making it that far. That was the last installment of the text of the Gospel according to Luke. The entire account was divided up into sections, given a week at a time, and given in the order in which they were first given, not skipping over any parts as the lectionary does, as the church year continues.

It should also be said that the style of translation given in that account was also hopefully helpful to its readers. There are a LOT of ways in which a biblical text may be translated, from literal to paraphrase. And hopefully the EXTREMELY literal translation of the text was at least a little bit helpful.

The church year is coming to an end as well. There are two more Sundays in the church year. This Sunday is called the Twenty-Third Sunday after Pentecost. The appointed Gospel Reading is Luke 21:5-28, with the option of also including verses 29-36. And it should be no surprise that the text references an end, particularly the end of the temple in Jerusalem.

It may be helpful to go back and list some of the so-called “historical presents” that occurred within this account. The Gospel according to Luke has, by far, the fewest historical presents of the four accounts. When something is described that happened in the past, one would expect it to be described in the past tense. It would make sense if the text said, “He said some words.” A lot of the things that Jesus did happened a long time ago. But it may be a bit confusing to read the following: “He says some words.” Is the man still talking? In a way, when we are talking about Jesus, you could say, “Yes.”

What does this do? First of all, it is something significantly different. It is something special. People are somewhat familiar with reading what happened in the past. That is typically called “history,” and people typically do not like it. This is different. The Bible is different. Jesus is different. Jesus is still alive. Jesus is still doing things.

What is said about Jesus in the Apostles’ Creed? Perhaps you noticed a present tense within that as well, that he “sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty.” That is in the present tense, although he did a lot of things in the past. And he is not sitting down and relaxing after a tough job. He is sitting and ruling with God the Father Almighty.

How does that sitting and ruling show itself now? That certainly gets at the heart of the matter. If God wanted to be obvious with his power, he could certainly do that. But if he wanted to be obvious with his love, then his rule happens in a different way.

The Bible can sometimes be very specific about such a thing. In the book of Ezekiel, in the very first chapter, there is a vision of the LORD’s throne. And the throne is described as being four LIVING creatures. They are given in this order in verse 10: man, lion, ox, and eagle. These fit quite well with the four Gospel Accounts, that of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

Why are they described as LIVING creatures? The throne shows the glory, the weight, the ramifications of the person sitting upon that throne. And these ramifications are seen in the historical PRESENTS of each Gospel account. And they are significantly different. Each has its own special strengths. Most of them are connected to Jesus, but all of them are connected to something good about his love, and that is the way he rules.
This type of ruling also happened in the Old Testament. Sometimes God was like a man in the Old Testament. Sometimes he was also like a lion, an ox, and an eagle. And in these ways God showed his love, along with his significance and his ramifications.


In the Gospel according to Matthew, the connection is to a man, and the historical presents are most often connected to speaking, but there are some other human actions as well. In the Gospel according to Mark, the connection is to a lion, and the historical presents are most often connected to actions. Jesus fights against evil. And the intensity of the actions is increased with the historical presents. In the Gospel according to John, the connection is to an eagle, and the historical present are very frequent and are often connected to small details that are going on within the text, both in words and in actions. This may be seen as the “eagle eye” at work.


In the Gospel according to Luke, the connection is to an ox, and it is probably the most unfamiliar of the creatures. With the advent of the farm machinery, there is very little use for an ox. In comparison to the others, an ox has the strength of the lion, but has the friendliness of the man. The tame ox can get along with a large variety of other animals and people.


There is another word in the language of the Old Testament for a wild ox, and that is NOT the word that is used in Ezekiel. And it also is not a popular animal to own. It is one thing to try to tame a wild cat or dog. Could you imagine trying to tame a wild ox?
​

Now an ox is a very strong creature, and it can do the powerful jobs where strength is needed. Its significance is such that it was usually the first animal listed when it came to listing the possessions of a person or family. (You may note that in the Tenth Commandment, it is listed before the donkey and before anything else that belongs to the neighbor; it should also be noted that when the four living creatures are listed again in Ezekiel 10:14, since the ox is the first creature mentioned, so that it would not be so confusing, it is given the description of a “cherub”.)


It will be relatively easy to list the historical presents that are found within the Gospel according to Luke. Since it is such a short number, a bit more of their context will be given, and it will be stated on how much variety is given with these occurrences.


It may be helpful to remember that all of these historical presents occur after one of the significant turning points in the text, when Jesus is called “Lord” by the writer of this account. I do not consider it a coincidence that the first time this happened is when a son dies, and the mother is told by “the Lord” not to cry, the text says that Jesus had compassion, and he raises the son from the dead (7:13ff). This title “Lord” is the same title that was given to God in the Old Testament. And he is certainly LORD, but he does not always show that with his power. It may be said that God shows his lordship particularly when it comes to his LOVE. And he certainly shows that to a wide variety of people. And that is certainly seen in the Book of Acts, and that book is certainly connected to the Gospel according to Luke.


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November 8th, 2025

11/8/2025

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We are getting closer to The End in many ways. Hopefully it is obvious that The Last Day is getting closer every day. The church year is also coming to an end. This Sunday is typically called the Twenty-Second Sunday after Pentecost, with the number getting bigger every Sunday. And very soon the Sunday will be called the Last Sunday in the Church Year. The Gospel Reading for this Sunday is Luke 20:27-40, and Jesus is having interactions with the various religious groups in Jerusalem, right before his death. But that is also a wonderful beginning for God’s special people.

With the writings of this website, we are getting EXTREMELY close to the end of the Gospel according to Luke, taking a section in the order in which it was given, not skipping any parts. Last week’s writing looked at the unique text of Jesus on the way to Emmaus with a couple of his followers. 

It may be helpful to repeat the last section of the text of last week’s writing, since it is closely connected to this week’s writing. Those two followers of Jesus, after recognizing him when he broke the bread, made it all the way back to Jerusalem to tell the disciples. And the start of the new text this week is an interruption by Jesus as what happened was being told. (We could also talk about interruptions for a while.)

Before that section is given, if this is your first experience with these writings, it may be helpful to note several things. First of all, it should be stated that what follows could be called an EXTREMELY literal translation of the text. At times it may be difficult to understand. Hopefully it will still be helpful for you. It is recommended that you also use a study bible or at least another translation of this section of scripture.

The words below essentially appear in the order in which they appear in the language of the New Testament, ancient Greek. This is helpful to remember that the verbs are important, and they are often first. When other words come before them, they are also important to the writer.  Repetition is also a commonly used emphasis.

The hyphens below are meant to show how many English words are in a single Greek word. And the English words that are sometimes chosen are designed to show how often the Greek words are somewhat similar to the English. And some of the words in English were chosen to show how rare some of the words in Greek were. After all, this account was written by a doctor, and a doctor often uses a lot of rare words. 

And speaking of rare things, it may be helpful to remind the reader that the four Gospel Accounts have extremely different perspectives when it comes to the resurrection appearances. These accounts are not meant to be a huge history lesson. A brief yet helpful thing that could be stated is that the Gospel according to Luke is EXTREMELY connected to the book of the Acts of the Apostles. And Jesus gets his job done. 

One more thing should be noted, that the verb in capital letters is called an historical present, where a verb is expected in the past, yet it is given in the present. In a way, the job of Jesus continues to get done. Without further comment, what follows is Luke 24:33-53:

[And  having-risen-up,  the-same,  in-the  hour,  they-returned  into  Jerusalem,  and  they-found,  having-been-collected  the  eleven,  and  the-ones  with  them,  saying,  “Indeed  he-was-raised,  the  Lord,  and  he-appeared  to-Simon.”  And  they,  they-were-exegeting  the-things  in  the  way,  and  how  he-was-known  to-them  in  the  breaking  of-the  bread.]

Now  these-things,  they  speaking,  he,  he-stood  in  midst of-them,  and  HE-SAYS  to-them,  “Peace  to-you.”  Now  having-been-terrified  and  afraid  having-been,  they-were-thinking  a-spirit  to-behold.  And  he-said  to-them,  “Why  having-been-disturbed  are-you?  And  on-account-of  what  dialogues,  they-are-coming-up  in  the  cardiac  of-you?  See  the  hands  of-me  and  the  feet  of-me,  that  I,  I-am  he.  Touch  me  and  see,  that  a-spirit,  flesh  and  osteo  not  it-has,  as  me  you-behold,  having.  And  this  having-said,  he-showed  to-them  the  hands  and  the  feet.  Now  still  disbelieving  they,  from  the  joy  and  marveling,  he-said  to-them,  “Have-you  anything  edible  in-this-place?”  Now  the-ones  gave-over  to-him  of-fish  of-a-broiled  part.  And  having-taken  in-front-of  them,  he-ate.

Now  he-said  toward  them,  “These,  the  words  of-me  which  I-spoke  toward  you,  still  being  with  you,  that  it-is-necessary  to-be-fulfilled  all  the-things  having-been-written  in  the  Law  of-Moses  and  the  Prophets  and  Psalms  concerning  me.”  Then  he-opened-up  of-them  the  mind  of-the  to-understand  the  Scriptures.  

And  he-said  to-them,  “Thus  it-has-been-written,  to-suffer,  the  Christ,  and  to-rise-again  from  dead-ones  on-the  third  day,  and  to-be-proclaimed  upon  the  name  of-him,  repentance  into  forgiveness  of-sins  into  all  the  nations,  having-begun  from  Jerusalem.  You,  witnesses  of-these-things.  And  behold,  I,  I-am-sending-out  the  promise  of-the  Father  of-me  upon  you;  now  you,  you-sit  in  the  city  until  which  you-are-clothed  out-of  height,  dynamite.

Now  he-led-out  them,  out  until  toward  Bethany,  and  having-lifted-up  the  hands  of-him,  he-eulogized  them.  And  it-happened  in  the  to-bless  him,  them,  he-separated  from  them,  and  he-was-being-carried-up  into  the  heaven.  And  they,  having-worshipped  him,  they-returned  into  Jerusalem  with  joy,  great,  and  they-were  through  all  in  the  temple,  blessing  the  God.

Thank you for making it to the end. Actually it is just the beginning.
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