january 31st, 2026

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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