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March 28th, 2026

3/28/2026

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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