January 11th, 2025

We are now into the season of Epiphany. Where did the time go? This Sunday has the title of the First Sunday after the Epiphany. Since that rarely used word “epiphany” means a revelation or manifestation, it would make sense that the first Sunday of Epiphany looks at the start of Jesus’ public ministry, the act of his baptism. It certainly was a special thing, and that one action makes a huge difference even in today’s quite complicated world. And the most often used title for this Sunday fits quite well with the purpose of the season, “The Baptism of Our Lord”.

That action of Jesus’ baptism will be the last few verses of the section that is translated below. To help with the understanding of the text, how it is constructed, and to whom it ultimately points, it is given in what could be called a very literal translation. This means that a word in the Greek language (the language of the New Testament) may be translated into English into more than one word, but the hyphens are used to indicate that. It could also be said that this is a word-for-word(s) translation. Hopefully it is helpful to you.

To be honest, it may be helpful to look at other translations of the text, a study bible, or even a commentary on the text, to help you with the understanding. The writer of this Gospel account used a lot of words that the other writers did not use. Some more details regarding such a text may be helpful, especially if one is unfamiliar with the following verses.

Each of this website writings takes a small but significant part of the scriptures, and we have most recently started looking at the Gospel according to Luke. So, enough of an introduction, and what follows could be called a very literal translation of the section of Luke 3:1-22 (but please do not forget that there are still many other ways this text could be very literally translated):

Now  in  year  fifteenth  of-the  leadership  of-Tiberius  Kaiser,  leading  Pontius  Pilate  of-the  Judea,  and  tetrarch-being  of-the  Galilee  Herod,  now  Philip,  of-the  brother  of-him,  tetrarch-being  of-the  Ituraea  and  Trachonitis  land,  and  Lusanius  of-the  Abilene,  tetrarch-being,  upon  archpriest  Anna  and  Caiaphas,  it-happened,  a-word  of-God  upon  John,  the  of-Zachariah  son,  in  the  desert.

And  he-came  into  all  the  surrounding-area  of-the  Jordan,  proclaiming  a-baptism  of-repentance  into  forgiveness  of-sins,  as  it-had-been-written  in  a-bible  of-words  of-Isaiah,  the  prophet:  “A-voice  of-yelling  in  the  desert:  ‘Prepare  the  way  of-Lord,  straight  make  the  paths  of-him;  all  ravine  will-be-filled  and  all  mountain  and  hill  will-be-brought-low  and  it-will-be  the  crooked,  into  straight,  and  the  rough  into  ways,  smooth;  and  it-will-see  all  flesh,  the  salvation  of-the  God.’”

Therefore  he-was-saying  to-the  going-out  crowds  to-be-baptized  by  him,  “Offspring  of-vipers,  who  showed  to-you  to-flee  from  the  about-to-be  wrath?  Therefore,  make  fruits  worthy  of-the  repentance,  and  do-not  begin  to-say   in  yourselves,  ‘Father,  we-have,  the  Abraham,’  for  I-am-saying  to-you  that  he-is-able  the  God,  out-of  the  stones,  these,  to-raise  children  to  Abraham.  Now  already  also,  the  axe  toward  the  root  of-the  trees  it-lies;  therefore  all  tree  not  making  fruit,  good,  it-is-cut-off,  and  into  fire  it-is-thrown.”

And  they-were-questioning  him,  the  crowds,  saying,  “Therefore,  what  shall-we-do?”
Now  having-answered,  he-was-saying  to-them,  “The-one  having  two  tunics,  let-him-give-over  to-the-one  not  having,  and  the-one  having  foods,  likewise  let-him-do.”

Now  they-came  also  tax-collectors  to-be-baptized,  and  they-said  toward  him,  “Teacher,  what  shall-we-do?”

Now  the-one  said  toward  them,  “Nothing  more  than  the-thing  having-been-thoroughly-arranged  for-you  you-do.”

Now  they-were-questioning  him  also,  the-ones-soldiering,  saying,  “What  shall-we-do  also  we?”

And  he-said  to-them,  “No-one  shake-thoroughly  nor  accuse-falsely,  and  be-satisfied  with-the  pay  of-you.”

Now  expecting  the  people  and  dialoguing  all  in  the  hearts  of-them  concerning  the  John,  perhaps  he  he-might-be  the  Christ,  he-answered,  saying  to-all,  the  John,  “I  on-the-one-hand  with-water  I-baptize  you;  on-the-other-hand,  he-is-coming  the-one  stronger  than-I,  of-whom  not  I-am  worthy  to-loosen  the  strap  of-the  sandals  of-him;  he,  you,  he-will-baptize  in  Spirit,  Holy,  and  fire.  Of-whom  the  winnowing-fork  in  the  hand  of-him  to-clean-thoroughly  the  threshing-floor  of-him  and  to-synagogue  the  wheat  into  the  barn  of-him,  now  the  chaff  he-will-burn-up  with-fire  asbestos.”

Therefore,  many-things  on-the-one-hand,  and  different-things  exhorting,  he-evangelized  the  people;  on-the-other-hand,  the  Herod,  the  tetrarch,  being-exposed  by  him  about  Herodias,  the  wife  of-the  brother  of-him,  and  about  all-things  which  he-did,  evil,  the  Herod,  he-added  also  this  upon  all,  and he-shut-up  the  John  in  prison.​

Now  it-happened  in  the  to-be-baptized  all  the  people,  and  Jesus,  having-been-baptized  and  praying,  to-be-opened  the  heaven,  and  to-come-down  the  Spirit,  the  Holy,  in-a-bodily  form  as  a-dove  upon  him,  and  a-voice  out-of  heaven  to-happen,  “You,  you-are  the  Son  of-me,  the  loved-one;  in  you  I-was-thought-well-of.”