October 4th, 2025

The season of Pentecost continues on, we are getting closer to the end of the church year. This Sunday is commonly known as the “Seventeenth Sunday after Pentecost”. The Gospel Reading for this Sunday goes to the next chapter in the Gospel according to Luke, but there are no verses in between the previous reading and this one. The Gospel Reading for this week is Luke 17:1-10.

With the writings of this website, we also are not skipping any verses within the text. These writings are currently going through the Gospel according to Luke, and we are getting close to the end of the work. Currently we are translating what is typically called chapter twenty-two.

Jesus is getting very close to the end of his life. He is at the Mount of Olives and is about to get arrested. Perhaps you are very familiar with these events. But the way they are translated may seem a bit unusual. The text below could be called an EXTREMELY literal translation of the text.

The order of the words in the translation below is the order in which they appear within the Greek, the language of the New Testament. In that language the verb usually is very near the front of the sentence, and when another part of the sentence is before that, a clear emphasis is to be understood. (You may see this emphasis in the dialogue that Peter has with the people around him as he denies that he knows Jesus.)

What is also a bit unusual with this translation is that the hyphens are below to show how many English words are in a single Greek word. And the English words that are often chosen are designed to show how often the Greek words are somewhat similar to the English. And some of the words in English were chosen to show how rare some of the words in Greek were. (After all, doctors like Luke have been known to know some rare words.) With such a translation it is recommended that the text is studied with the help of another translation or a study bible.

So hopefully you know that, at this point in Jesus’ ministry, things are not going too well. But there is still some good news. After all, that is an important part of what the word Gospel means. And here is a unique translation of what could be called the third part of chapter twenty-two of the Gospel according to Luke (22:39-62):​

And  having-come-out,  he-traveled,  according-to  the  ethos,  into  the  mountain  of-the  olives;  now  they-followed  him,  also  the  disciples.  Now  having-happened  upon  the  place,  he-said  to-them,  “Pray  not  to-come-into,  into  temptation.”  And  he,  he-was-withdrawn  from  them,  about  of-a-stone,  a-throw,  and  having-placed  the  knees,  he-was-praying,  saying,  “Father,  if  you-are-wanting,  take-away  this,  the  cup,  from  me,  nevertheless  not  the  will  of-me,  but-on-the-contrary,  the  of-you,  let-it-happen.”

Now  he-appeared  to-him,  an-angel  from  heaven,  strengthening  him.  And  having-happened  in  agony,  more-earnestly  he-was-praying;  and  it-happened,  the  sweat  of-him,  like  drops  of-blood  going-down  upon  the  ground.
And  having-risen-up  from  the  prayer,  having-come  toward  the  disciples,  he-found,  sleeping,  them,  from  the  sadness,  and  he-said  to-them,  “Why  are-you-sleeping?  Having-risen-up,  pray,  in-order-that  not  you-come-into,  into  temptation.”  Still  he  speaking,  behold,  a-crowd,  and  the-one  being-called  Judas,  one  of-the  twelve,  he-was-coming-before  them,  and  he-drew-near  to  Jesus  to-kiss  him.  Now  Jesus  said  to-him,  “Judas,  with-a-kiss  the  Son  of-the  Man,  you-are-handing-over?”

Now  having-seen  the-ones  around  him,  the-thing  going-to-be,  they-said,  “Lord,  if  we-shall-strike  with  a-sword?”  And  he-struck,  one,  a-certain  out-of  them,  of-the  archpriest,  the  slave,  and  he-took-off  the  ear  of-him,  the  right.
Now  having-answered,  the  Jesus  said,  “Allow  until  this.”  And  having-touched  the  ear,  he-healed  him.  Now  he-said,  Jesus,  toward  the  having-happened-along  upon  him,  archpriests  and  strategists  of-the  temple  and  presbyters,  “As  upon  a-robber  you-came-out  with  swords  and  clubs?  According-to  day,  being  I  with  you  in  the  temple,  not  you-stretched-out  the  hands  upon  me;  but-on-the-contrary  this  is  of-you,  the  hour,  and  the  authority  of-the  darkness.”
Now  having-taken-with  him,  they-led  and  they-led-into,  into  the  house  of-the  archpriest;  now  the  Peter  was-following  a-macro-distance.  Now  having-kindled-around  a-fire  in  the-midst  of-the  courtyard,  and  having-sat-down-together,  he-was-sitting,  the  Peter,  in-the-midst  of-them. 

Now  having-seen  him,  a-maidservant,  a-certain-one,  sitting  toward  the  light,  and  having-stared-at  him,  she-said,  “And  this-one  with  him,  he-was.”

Now  the-one  denied,  saying,  “Not  I-know  him,  woman.”

And  after  a-short,  another,  having-seen  him,  he-replied,  “And  you,  from  them,  you-are.”

Now  the  Peter  replied,  “Man,  not  I-am.”

Now  having-stood-apart  about  an-hour,  one,  another,  a-certain-one,  was-strongly-asserting  saying,  “Upon  a-truth,  also  this-one  with  him  he-was,  for  also  a-Galilean  he-is.”

Now  he-said,  the  Peter,  “Man,  not  I-know  what  you-are-saying.”  And  instantly,  still  speaking  he,  it-sounded,  a-rooster.  And  having-turned,  the  Lord  looked-in-at  the  Peter,  and  he-remembered,  the  Peter,  the  message  of-the  Lord,  as  he-said  to-him  that  before  a-rooster  sounded  today,  you-will-deny  me  thrice.  And  having-come-out,  outside,  he-wept  bitterly.

Jesus gets it right this time. He gets it right every time. And the message of his life, death, and resurrection for us is truly good news, the Gospel.