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March 7th, 2026

3/7/2026

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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