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June 27th, 2026

6/27/2026

This Sunday’s title is the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost. And the pattern continues. With the Gospel Reading, this year being the “A Series”, we are currently going through the Gospel according to Matthew, and the reading is Matthew 10:34-42. And Jesus continues the talk to his disciples. And he has some important things to say as his disciples go out to do his work. This is, after all, an ETERNAL life and death situation.
With the writings of this website, we have been going through the Gospel according to John, and that account has a much larger perspective than the other three. And we are much farther along in that account, getting closer to Jesus’ arrest in Gethsemane. We are taking a little bit of that account at a time, in the order in which it has been laid out, and we are not skipping any parts.

It should be mentioned that we are going through that Gospel account with a unique translation called an EXTREMELY literal translation. If you are familiar with this style of translation, then you may skip the next two paragraphs.

The first significant thing to mention regarding the description of this type of translation is that the chapter and verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. Both numbers were added quite later after the text was written, and they are certainly useful when someone is searching for a particular text, but the structure they imply is not always helpful. This pair of numerical designations tend to focus the reader on the very beginning of the text, where the writer started, and that is usually not be the most important thing that the writer wants to get across to the reader. The writers basically wanted the readers to focus on God and not on themselves. The words are much more important than the numbers, and often those words lead the reader near the middle and/or the end of the text in some way, to give to the reader some structure to all the words being read. (Those two places are often important, and they can remind the reader of the layout of the tabernacle/temple; near the middle was the place of sacrifice, and that allowed one to go farther on to a place of great and wonderful significance.)

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 often occurs between the English and Greek languages. (This can help to make the Greek language a bit easier to learn.) 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 or phrase. Sometimes this emphasis will be shown with a “(!)”. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words (like “therefore”, “now”) that are usually second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. And although it should be obvious, it should be said that repetition of words should be noted as another type of emphasis. One more thing to mention is that the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS.  An historical present is when a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. More detail regarding the historical present has been explained elsewhere in these writings, and it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website. With all of the above things to consider, it will probably be helpful to have another translation or a study bible nearby as you read the text below.

Before the text is given, it would be good to mention that this is one of the few places where Jesus is talking at the beginning of a chapter, and “Jesus said” will not be at the beginning of the text. This also happened back at the start of chapter ten. And it will happen again at the start of both chapter fifteen and sixteen. Jesus is doing a lot of talking as he approaches the crucifixion. If you have a study bible that has the words of Jesus in red, you will notice that Jesus is essentially talking until the start of chapter eighteen. To talk for four chapters is significant. And the plan is to discuss that at another time.

What follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of what is the first part of the what has been called the fourteenth chapter of the Gospel according to John (14:1-14); and as was mentioned above, Jesus is talking here:

“Do-not  let-be-troubled  of-you,  the  cardiac;  believe  into  the  God,  and  into  me  believe.  In  the  house(!)  of-the  Father  of-me,  abodes,  many,  there-are;  now  if  not,  I-would-have-said  ever  to-you,  that  I-am-traveling  to-prepare  a-place  for-you;  and  if  I-travel  and  I-prepare  a-place  for-you,  again  I-am-coming,  and  I-will-take-along  you  toward  myself,  in-order-that,  where  I-am,  I,  also  you,  you-may-be.  And  where  I,  I-am-going-away,  you  fully-know  the  way.

HE-SAYS  to-him,  Thomas,  “Lord,  not  we-fully-know  where  you-are-going-away;  how  are-we-able  the  way  to-fully-know?”

HE-SAYS  to-him,  the  Jesus,  “I,  I-am  the  way  and  the  truth  and  the  life;  no-one  comes  toward  the  Father,  if  not  through  me.  If  you-had-known  me,  also  the  Father  of-me  you-will-know;  and  from  presently  you-know  him,  and  you-have-seen  him.”

HE-SAYS  to-him,  Philip,  “Lord,  show  to-us  the  Father,  and  it-suffices  for-us.”

HE-SAYS  to-him,  the  Jesus,  “So-much  chrono  with  you  I-am,  and   not  you-have-known  me,  Philip?  The-one  having-seen  me,  he-has-seen  the  Father;  how  you,  you-say,  ‘Show  to-us  the  Father’?  Not  do-you-believe  that  I,  in  the  Father,  and  the  Father  in  me  he-is?  The  messages  which  I,  I-am-saying  to-you  from  myself,  not  I-do-speak;  now  the  Father  in  me  remaining,  he-does  the  ergon  of-him.  Believe  me  that  I  in  the  Father  and  the  Father  in  me;  now  if  not,  on-account-of  the  ergons  themselves,  believe.  Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  the-one  believing  into  me,  the  ergons  which  I,  I-am-doing,  that-one-also  will-do,  and  greater-than  these  he-will-do,  because  I,  toward  the  Father,  I-am-traveling;  and  the  what  ever  you-ask  in  the  name  of-me,  this  I-will-do,  in-order-that  he-may-be-glorified,  the  Father  in  the  Son.  If  anything(!)  you-ask  me  in  the  name  of-me,  I,  I-will-do.”

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June 20th, 2026

6/20/2026

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This Sunday’s title is the Fourth Sunday after Pentecost, and similar things certainly continue. With the Gospel Reading, this year being the “A Series”, we are going through the Gospel according to Matthew, the first of three somewhat similar accounts of Jesus. And you might say that the Gospel Reading for this Sunday continues after last week’s reading (of Matthew 9:35-10:8, with the option of also including verses 9-20). This week’s reading is Matthew 10:5a, 21-33. Jesus continues talking to his disciples. And he has some important things to say as his disciples go out to do his work.

With the writings of this website, we have been going through the Gospel according to John, certainly the dissimilar Gospel account. And we are farther along in that account, getting closer to Jesus’ arrest in Gethsemane. We are taking a little bit of that account at a time, in the order in which it has been laid out, and we are not skipping any parts. But we also reserve the right to repeat the things that are important. (After all, this happens frequently when it comes to God’s words.)

While mentioning the topic of repeating ourselves, it should be mentioned that we are going through that Gospel account with a unique translation called an EXTREMELY literal translation. If you are familiar with this style of translation, then you may skip the next four paragraphs.

The first significant thing to mention regarding the description of this type of translation is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. Both the chapter numbers and verse numbers were added quite later after the text was written, and they are certainly useful when someone is searching for a particular text, but the structure they imply is not always helpful. These numerical designations tend to focus the reader on the very beginning of the text, where the writer started, and that is usually not be the most important thing that the writer wants the reader to remember. The writers basically wanted the readers to focus on God and not on themselves. And the words are much more important than the numbers, and often those words lead the reader near the middle and/or the end of the text in some way. (After all, you might say that Jesus came the first time in the middle of time, and Jesus will come again at the end of time. That gives some structure to our lives, and to the text as well.)

Jesus says his “Amen, amen” near the beginning and ending of the section of the text below. It seems that what Jesus adds to those two instances distance him from his disciples, and it helps point to Jesus as true Savior. We should trust no other person, and that certainly includes ourselves.

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 often occurs between the English and Greek languages. (Hopefully that is helpful and not confusing.) 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 or phrase. Sometimes this emphasis is shown with a “(!)”. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words (like “therefore”, “now”) that are usually second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. And although it should be obvious, it should be said that repetition of words should be noted as another type of emphasis. One more thing to mention is that the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS.  An historical present is when a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. In this section of the Gospel account, it is a very unique thing that this section contains the instances within this account of the historical present of the verb “to answer”. You might say that the answers that Jesus GIVES are always important for his followers. And Jesus keeps on giving.

More detail regarding the historical present has been explained elsewhere in these writings, and it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website. With all of the above things to consider, it will probably be helpful to have another translation or a study bible nearby as you read the text below.

What follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of what is the second and final part of the what has been called the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel according to John (13:21-38).

These-things  having-said,  the  Jesus  was-troubled  in-the  spirit,  and  he-martyred,  and  he-said,  “Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you  that  one  out-of  you,  he-will-hand-over  me.”  They-were-looking  into  one-another,  the  disciples,  being-perplexed  about  whom  he-is-speaking.

He-was  reclining,  one  out-of  the  disciples  of-him,  in  the  bosom  of-the  Jesus,  whom  he-agaped,  the  Jesus.  Therefore  HE-NODS  to-this-one,  Simon  Petros,  to  inquire  who,  --  it-was  about  whom  he-is-speaking.

Therefore,  having-fallen-back,  that-one,  thus  upon  the  chest  of-the  Jesus,  HE-SAYS  to-him,  “Lord,  who  is-it?"

HE-ANSWERS,  the  Jesus, “That-one  he-is  to-whom  I,  I-will-dip  the  morsel,  and  I-will-give  to-him.”  Therefore  having-dipped  the  morsel,  HE-TAKES  and  HE-GIVES  to-Judas  of-Simon  Iscariot.

And  after  the  morsel,  then  he-came-into,  into  that-one,  the  Satan.  Therefore  HE-SAYS  to-him,  the  Jesus,  “What  you-are-doing,  do  quickly.”  Now  this,  no-one  knew  of-the-ones  reclining,  toward  what  he-said  to-him;  for  some  were-thinking,  since  the  moneybag  he-had,  Judas,  that  HE-SAYS  to-him,  the  Jesus,  “Agora  of-what  we-need,  we-have  into  the  Feast,”  or  to-the  poor,  in-order-that  something  he-should-give.  Therefore  having-taken  the  morsel,  that-one,  he-came-out  immediately;  now  it-was  night.

Therefore  when  he-came-out,  HE-SAYS,  Jesus,  “Presently  he-was-glorified,  the  Son  of-the  Man,  and  the  God  is-glorified  in  him;  if  the  God  is-glorified  in-him,  both  the  God  will-glorify  him  in  him,  and  immediately  he-will-glorify  him.  Children,  still  a-micron  with  you  I-am;  you-will-seek  me,  and  just-as  I-said  to-the  Jews  that  where  I,  I-am-going-away,  you,  not  you-are-able  to-come,  also  to-you  I-am-saying  just-now.  A-commandment(!),  a-new-one,  I-am-giving  to-you,  in-order-that  you-agape  one-another,  just-as  I-agaped  you,  in-order-that  also  you,  you-agape  one-another.  In  this  they-will-know,  all,  that  my  disciples  you-are,  if  agape  you-have  in  one-another.”

HE-SAYS  to-him,  Simon  Petros,  “Lord,  where  are-you-going-away?”

He-answered  him,  Jesus,  “Where  I-go-away,  not  you-are-able,  me  presently  to-follow,  now  you-will-follow  hysteron.”

HE-SAYS  to-him,  the  Petros,  “Lord,  on-account-of  what,  not  I-am-able,  you  to-follow  yet?  The  psyche  of-me  on-behalf-of  you  I-will-place.”

HE-ANSWERS  Jesus,  “The  psyche  of-you  on-behalf-of  me  you-will-place?  Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  certainly  not  a-rooster  phones  until  which  you-deny  me  thrice.”

Thank you for making it to the end. And you are right in thinking that a rooster cannot phone anyone. Hopefully you understood it to be the verb “to call” or “to crow”.

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June 13th, 2026

6/13/2026

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This Sunday’s title is the Third Sunday after Pentecost, and similar things continue. This year, being the “A Series”, we are going through the Gospel according to Matthew, the first of three somewhat similar accounts of Jesus. The Gospel Reading for this Sunday is Matthew 9:35-10:8, with the option of also including verses 9-20.

With the writings of this website, we have been going through the Gospel according to John, a significantly different Gospel account. We are taking a little bit at a time, in the order in which it has been laid out, and we are not skipping any parts. And we are also hoping that, by the end of the church year, we would be close to finishing a very special translation of that Gospel account. We are currently calling that special translation an EXTREMELY literal translation. And we are currently in what is called chapter twelve of that Gospel account. If you are familiar with this style of translation, then you may bypass the next two paragraphs.

The first significant thing to mention regarding the description of this type of translation is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. Both the chapter numbers and verse numbers were added quite later after the text was written, and they are certainly helpful when someone is searching for a particular text, but the structure they imply is not always helpful. These numerical designations tend to focus the reader on the very beginning of the text, where the writer started, and that is usually not the most important thing that the writer wants the reader to remember. The writers basically wanted the readers to focus on Jesus and not themselves. And the words are much more important than the numbers, and often those words lead the reader near the middle and/or the end of the text in some way. (Jesus says his “Amen, amen” near the middle and end of his last words of the text below. This helps to give a structure to his words and points to Someone very important.)

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 often occurs between the English and Greek languages. (Hopefully that is not too distracting.) 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 or phrase. Sometimes this emphasis is shown with a “(!)”. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words (like “therefore”, “now”) that are usually second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. And although it should be obvious, it should be said that repetition of words should be noted as another type of emphasis. One more thing to mention is that the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS. In this section of the Gospel account, they are becoming much more frequent.  That is when a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. This special characteristic of some of the verbs has been explained elsewhere in these writings, and it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website. With all of the above things to consider, it will probably be helpful to have another translation or a study bible nearby as you read the text below.

So what follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of what is essentially the second half of the Gospel according to John, where Jesus is getting close to his death and resurrection. This is the first part of the what has been called the thirteenth chapter of the Gospel according to John (13:1-20).

Now  pro  the  Feast  of-the  Pascha,  having-known,  the  Jesus,  that  it-came  of-him,  the  hour,  in-order-that  he-should-remove  out-of  the  cosmos,  this,  toward  the  Father,  having-agape  the  own-ones,  the  in  the  cosmos,  into  telos  he-agape  them.  And  supper  happening,  the  diabolos  already  having-thrown  into  the  cardiac  in-order-that  he-should-give-over  him,  Judas  of-Simon  Iscariot,  having-known  that  all  he-gave  to-him,  the  Father,  into  the  hands,  and  that  from  God  he-came-out,  and  toward  the  God  he-is-going-away,  HE-RISES  out-of  the  supper,  and  he-places  the  garments,  and  having-taken  a-towel,  he-tied-around  himself;  then  HE-THROWS  water  into  the  basin,  and  he-began  to-wash  the  feet  of-the  disciples  and  to-wipe-off  with  the  towel  with-which  he-was  having-been-tied-around.

Therefore  HE-COMES  toward  Simon  Peter;  HE-SAYS  to-him,  “Lord,  you(!)  of-me  you-wash  the  feet?”

He-answered,  Jesus,  and  he-said  to-him,  “What  I,  I-am-doing,  you(!)  not  you-know  yet,  now  you-will-know  after  these-things.”

HE-SAYS  to-him,  Peter,  “Certainly  not  you-will-wash  of-me  the  feet  into  the  age.”
He-answered,  Jesus,  him,  “If  not  I-wash  you,  not  you-have  part  with  me.”

HE-SAYS  to-him,  Simon  Peter,  “Lord,  not  the  feet  of-me  mono,  but-on-the-contrary,  also  the  hands  and  the  head.”

HE-SAYS  to-him,  the  Jesus,  “The-one  having-been-bathed,  not  he-has  a-need,  if  not  the  feet  to-wash,  but-on-the-contrary,  he-is  catharsis,  whole;  and  you,  catharsis  you-are,  but-on-the-contrary,  not  all.”  For  he-knew  the-one  giving-over  him;  on-account  of-this  he-said  that  not  all  catharsis  you-are.

Therefore  when  he-washed  the  feet  of-them,  and  he-took  the  garments  of-him,  and  he-reclined  again,  he-said  to-them,  “Do-you-know  what  I-have-done  to-you?  You,  you-call  me  ‘The Teacher’  and  ‘The Lord’,  and  well  you-say,  for  I-am.  Therefore  if  I,  I-washed  of-you  the  feet,  the  Lord  and  the  Teacher,  also  you,  you-ought,  of-one-another  to-wash  the  feet.  For  an-example(!)  I-gave  to-you  in-order-that  as  I,  I-did  to-you,  also  you,  you-may-do.  Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  not  is  a-slave  greater-than  the  lord  of-him,  nor  an-apostle  greater-than  the-one  sending  him.  If  these-things  you-know,  blessed  are-you  if  you-do  them.  Not  about  all  of-you  I-am-saying;  I,  I-know  whom  I-spoke-out,  but-on-the-contrary,  in-order-that  the  graph  might-be-fulfilled,  “The-one  chewing  of-me  the  bread,  he-lifted-against,  against  me,  the  heel  of-him.”  Since  now  I-am-saying  to-you  pro  the  to-happen,  in-order-that  you-may-believe  when  it-happens  that  I,  I-am.  Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  the-one  receiving  the  someone  I-am-sending,  me  he-receives,  now  the  me,  the-one-receiving,  he-receives  the-one  having-sent  me.”

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June 6th, 2026

6/6/2026

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This Sunday’s title is the Second Sunday after Pentecost, and that type of title will continue for a significant amount of time. And since this year we are going through the so-called “A Series”, we will also be looking at the Gospel according to Matthew for a significant amount of time. The Gospel Reading for this Sunday is Matthew 9:9-13. From this point on in time, until the end of the church year, a section of the Gospel according to Matthew will usually be taken, some parts may be skipped, and the church year will end when the reading gets somewhat near the end of that Gospel account (at chapter twenty-five).

Within the writings of this website, we have been going through the Gospel according to John for a significant amount of time. We are taking a little bit at a time, in the order in which it has been laid out, and we are not skipping any parts. We are also hoping that, by the end of the church year, we would be close to finishing a special translation of that Gospel account.

We are translating that text in a very unique way, what we are currently calling an EXTREMELY literal translation. And we are currently in what is called chapter twelve of that Gospel account. If you are familiar with this style of translation, then you may bypass the next two paragraphs.

The first significant thing to mention regarding the description of this type of translation is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. Both the chapter numbers and verse numbers were added quite later after the text was written, and they are certainly helpful when someone is searching for a particular text, but the structure they imply is not always helpful. These numerical designations tend to focus the reader on the very beginning of the text, where the writer started, and that is usually not be the most important thing that the writer wants the reader to remember. The writers basically wanted the readers to focus on Jesus and not themselves. And the words are much more important than the numbers, and often those words lead the reader near the middle and/or the end of the text in some way.

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 often occurs between the English and Greek languages. (A point could be made in this regard that the meanings of words can change over the centuries.) 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 or phrase. Sometimes this emphasis is shown with a “(!)”. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words (like “therefore”, “now”) that are usually second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. And although it should be obvious, it should be said that repetition of words should be noted as another type of emphasis. One more thing to mention is that, although this does not occur 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. This special characteristic of some of the verbs has been explained elsewhere in these writings, and it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website. With all of the above things to consider, it will probably be helpful to have another translation or a study bible nearby as you read the text below.

It is not a coincidence that commentaries end at John 12:50. This is a significant point. There are some significant events before this verse. In this Gospel account, before Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem, he had recently raised Lazarus from the dead. It was laid out in the text that this miracle resulted in a conspiracy to kill Jesus … and Lazarus as well! Jesus is anointed by Mary, and he enters Jerusalem.  At that point the Pharisees said to each other that the world had gone after him (12:19). And this point is further attested in that Greeks are asking to see Jesus (12:21). In response to that request, Jesus predicts both his death and his glorification, his being lifted up on a cross (12:32). His being lifted up is something that was mentioned very early in the account (3:14). Some significant things are being brought together as Jesus comes to his cross.

So what follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of the last part of what has been called the twelfth chapter of the Gospel according to John (12:37-50). And since we are getting near Jesus’ death and resurrection, and at the end of this reading is a very important combination of words that will be discussed:

Now  so-many(!),  he,  signs  having-done  in-front-of  them,  not  they-were-believing  into  him,  in-order-that  the  word  of-Isaiah,  the  prophet,  it-might-be-fulfilled,  which  he-said,  “Lord,  who  believed  the  report  of-us?  And  the  arm  of-the-Lord,  to-whom  was-it-apocalypsed?”  On-account-of  this,  not  they-were-able  to-believe,  because  again  he-said,  Isaiah,  “He-has-blinded  of-them  the  eyes,  and  he-hardened  of-them  the  cardiac,  in-order-that  not  they-might-see  with-the  eyes,  and  they-might-understand  with-the  cardiac,  and  they-might-turn,  and  I-will-cure  them.”  These-things(!)  he-said,  Isaiah,  because  he-saw  the  doxa  of-him,  and  he-spoke  concerning  him.  Nevertheless  however,  even  out-of  the  rulers,  many  believed  into  him,  but-on-the-contrary,  on-account-of  the  Pharisees,  not  they-were-confessing,  in-order-that  not  out-of-synagogue  they-might-become,  for  they-agaped  the  doxa  of-the  anthropoid  more  than  the  doxa  of-the  God.

Now  Jesus(!),  he-cried-out,  and  he-said,  “The-one  believing  into  me,  not  he-believes  into  me,  but-on-the-contrary,  into  the-one  having-sent  me;  and  the-one  beholding  me,  he-beholds  the-one  having-sent  me.  I(!),  a-light  into  the  cosmos,  I-have-come,  in-order-that  every  the-one  believing  into  me,  in  the  darkness  not  he-may-remain.  And  if  anyone  of-me  he-hears  the  sayings,  and  not  he-guards,  I,  not  do-judge  him,  for  not  I-came  in-order-that  I-might-judge  the  cosmos,  but-on-the-contrary,  in-order-that  I-might-save  the  cosmos.  The  one  setting-aside  me  and  not  receiving  the  sayings  of-me,  he-has  the-one  judging  him.  The  word  which  I-spoke,  that  it-will-judge  him  in  the  eschaton  day.  Because  I,  out-of  myself  not  did-I-speak,  but-on-the-contrary,  the-one  having-sent  me,  Father,  he  to-me,  a-commandment  it-has-been-given,  what  I-may-say  and  what  may-I-speak.  And  I-know  that  the  commandment  of-him,  life  eternal  it-is;  therefore  what-things  I,  I-am-speaking,  even-as  he-has-said  to-me,  the  Father,  thus  I-am-speaking.

With such a significant person as One who is both God and Man, and at such a significant turning point in the life of Jesus, it is not at all inappropriate to ask this question: Why are there four Gospel accounts? To have just one account would make the life of Jesus like a history lesson. Four accounts mean that Jesus was AND STILL IS important. It is like having four people sitting around someone EXTREMELY important and each one giving his or her perspective. And it is not every day that the true God comes down and becomes a true man as well.

When it comes to the structure of the Gospel according to John, there is a definite progression of Jesus toward Jerusalem, and during that journey there is a structure that follows the Jewish festivals of the year, from Passover in the spring to Hanukah in the winter. And then obviously it comes back to that special spring when Jesus is doing Passover and his crucifixion.

The Jewish influence on Jesus is obviously significant. That may be seen in the Old Testament. And what may also be seen as a Jewish influence is the similarity of this Gospel account to what is called a “Word of Exhortation”. It is a special type of sermon, given at the synagogue. A word of exhortation was given by St. Paul when he was at Pisidian Antioch, in a synagogue. (See Acts 13:15 and what follows for that particular sermon.) Another writing that has been termed a word of exhortation is what is known as the Epistle of the Hebrews. (See Hebrews 13:22 for that title.)

All three “words of exhortations” have “thus … he has said” at some point. It is in Acts 13:34 and Hebrews 4:4. And that combination also appears here in the last few words above. Why would that be?

It would be good to consider the bigger context. The Gospel according to John does not appear in manuscripts separately from the other accounts. The four are there, almost always in the usual order that is most familiar to everyone. The only other significant order is that of a more Jewish one, with the disciples first and the secretaries second, in the order in which the longer one is before the shorter one. This order is essentially Matthew, John, Luke, Mark, and this is where the longer ending of Mark is found. It seems as though the four accounts were meant to be together.

Paper, actually papyrus, was expensive back then, and so it was a commitment to have all the accounts together.

The first three accounts are so similar that they have been called the “synoptic” accounts, those of a similar perspective. But they do have some important differences that are significant. And it is not too much a stretch to think of the Gospel according to Matthew as emphasizing the Father, the Gospel according to Mark emphasizing the Son, and the Gospel according to Luke, with the connection to Acts, as emphasizing the Holy Spirit.

In a word of exhortation, the person speaking is saying something important, then the point is made that something should be done, or more specifically, what should NOT be done, in light of what was said. The first part of such a “word” has already been put forward, that of, “thus he has said”. The second part is “therefore, do not”. This appears in Acts 13:40 and Hebrews 10:35. The word “therefore” is abundant in the Gospel according to John, but not with the word “do not” (and it could be noted at this point that “do not” is actually one word in the Greek language).

The Gospel according to John may be seen as a partial word of exhortation. To have Jesus say some things is good. Are they commands? Not too often. Looking at these Gospel accounts as a whole, they certainly emphasize what the Christ has done for his followers, even for his present-day followers.

More will be said about this as the study gets to the end. But the writer continues to emphasize the talking of Jesus. And he definitely was an important person. And he had some important words to say. And those words make a BIG difference.

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