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A Sabbath Day's Journey

By: Rev. Paul Landgraf
What is a Sabbath day's journey? First of all, it is a Jewish expression. We measure distances in meters or yards. The Jews had a certain distance that they could walk on Saturday before it would be considered work. So their synagogues that they went to on Saturday could not be very far away. The word appears only in Acts 1:12 and indicates a distance of about three-quarters of a mile.

With that in mind, I think it is important to remember the origins of Christianity. Just because we have an Old Testament, it does not mean that we call it the 'Outdated Testament'. Much of the Old Testament has a literary structure that we are not aware of because of our modern emphasis on chapter and verse divisions. Within many of these blogs, I try to get the reader to see a bigger picture, a larger perspective that often includes the Old Testament and the environment that was present when the New Testament was seeing the Light of the day.

Second, a Sabbath day's journey is intentionally short. These 'journeys' with a text, almost always one of the three readings for that Sunday, are deliberately brief discussions. This blog was never designed to be a comprehensive look at any text. Sometimes a specific word is studied in detail. But, as a whole, a blog entry, by itself, is meant to be quite brief.

Finally, since the term 'Sabbath day's journey' appears in Acts, it is meant to appeal to a wide variety of people. This blog is meant for those who cannot come on Sunday mornings. And it is also for those who do come on Sunday mornings but would also like a further study of the text. It is also for those who live somewhere else in the world (besides Drake and Freedom, Missouri, USA) and would simply like a further study of the text. It was meant to get these different groups of people to start thinking about the biblical texts. Part of the reason for this blog is that I am not able to have a bible class on Sunday mornings with either congregation, and so, to have a blog like this seemed like a good idea. I hope it is helpful for you, in whatever situation you may be.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated. And thank you for taking the time to read this!

May 02nd, 2026

5/2/2026

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The season of Easter continues on, and the title for this Sunday is the Fifth Sunday of Easter. We are also getting closer to that special day named simply “Ascension”. It is also special since that wonderful celebration is on a Thursday. The Gospel Reading for this Sunday continues on in that special account, the Gospel according to John (14:1-14). It is somewhat unusual that this reading is getting closer to the Gospel Reading for the next Sunday, the very same chapter, but the next few verses.

The writings of this website are also currently going through the Gospel according to John, and last week’s writing was closer to the Gospel Reading of the previous Sunday, the Fourth Sunday of Easter, in the section of that account normally called chapter ten. With the writings of this website, we translate a little bit of the text at a time, in the order in which it appears in the text, without skipping any parts. We will be dealing with what is typically called chapter eleven of that account, and that chapter deals with the resurrection of Lazarus. And it is translated in an EXTREMELY literal fashion. And that type of translation will be defined in the next two paragraphs.

Now if you are very familiar with this style of translation, you may bypass this paragraph and the next one. 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. Hopefully that is not too bothersome. 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 their structure that they give is not always helpful. They may even be somewhat distracting from the message. It is the words and not the numbers that are truly 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 sometimes occurs between the English and Greek languages. It may also be said that the meaning of some words often depends heavily upon the context. 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 verb is usually first in Greek. 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 sometimes frequent 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. 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 this in mind, it may also 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 some of what could be called the first part of the eleventh chapter of the Gospel according to John (11:1-16). That eleventh chapter is basically dedicated to the resurrection of Lazarus. It may also be said that a significant amount of space is given to this miracle of Jesus. It should be noted that some critics of Christianity may think that, because this is not included in the other accounts, it did not really happen; after all, it is significant for a person to be dead for four days, and then to come back to life. That is an EXTREMELY significant event. That is even longer than Jesus was in the tomb! Why is it not mentioned elsewhere? The issue rests with what is deemed significant. If the problem with humanity would simply be a lack of good information, then more information is helpful. But sinful humanity is dealing with a much more serious issue. This world is a sinful world; help is desperately needed. And a savior, one who rescues, the God-man Jesus arrives on the scene. (One more thing to note is that there is are mentions of two different types of love in the text below. There is the brotherly love, a love that is used in name of the city of Philadelphia, and then there is the special type of love, the love that God had to give his Son in John 3:16, that type of love you may have heard before; it is agape, and it is phonetically spelled ah-gah’-pay.)

Now  it-was  a-certain-man  being-without-strength,  Lazarus  from  Bethany,  out-of  the  village  of-Maria  and  Martha,  of- the  sister  of-her.  Now  it-was  Maria,  the-one  having-anointed  the  Lord  with-ointment  and  having-wiped-off  the  feet  of-him  with-the  hairs  of-her,  of-whom  the  brother  Lazarus  was-without-strength.  Therefore  they-sent-out,  the  sisters,  toward  him  saying,  “Lord,  see,  he-whom  you-brotherly-love,  he-is-without-strength.”

Now  having-heard,  the  Jesus  said,  “This,  the  without-strength,  not  it-is  toward  death,  but-on-the-contrary,  for-the-sake-of  the  glory  of-the  God,  in-order-that  he-may-be-glorified,  the  Son  of-the  God,  through  it.”

Now  he-agaped,  the  Jesus,  the  Martha  and  the  sister  of-her,  and  the  Lazarus.  Therefore  when  he-heard  that  he-is-without-strength,  then  indeed  he-remained  in  which  he-was,  place,  duo  days;  thereupon  after  this  HE-SAYS  to-the  disciples, “Let-us-lead  into  the  Judea  again.”

THEY-SAY  to-him,  the  disciples,  “Rabbi,  presently  they-were-seeking  you,  to-stone,  the  Jews,  and  again  you-are-going-away  there?”

He-answered,  Jesus,  “Not  twelve  hours  are-there  of-the  day?  If  anyone  walks-around  in  the  day,  not  does-he-stumble,  because  the  light  of-the  world,  this,  he-sees.  Now  if  anyone  walks-around  in  the  night,  he-stumbles,  because  the  light  not  is  in  him.”  These-things  he-said,  and  after  this  HE-SAYS  to-them,  “Lazarus,  the  friend  of-us  has-fallen-asleep,  but-on-the-contrary,  I-am-traveling  in-order-that  I-may-awaken  him.”

Therefore  they-said,  the  disciples,  to-him,  “Lord,  if  he-has-fallen-asleep,  he-will-be-saved.”  Now  he-had-spoken,  the  Jesus,  concerning  the  death  of-him,  now  these-men  thought  that  concerning  the  sleep  of-the  slumber  he-says. 

Therefore  then  he-said  to-them,  the  Jesus,  plainly,  “Lazarus  died,  and  I-rejoice  for-the-sake-of  you,  in-order-that  you-may-believe,  that  not  I-was  there;  but-on-the-contrary,  let-us-lead  toward  him.”

Therefore  he-said,  Thomas,  the-one  being-called  Twin,  to-the  fellow-disciples,  “Let-us-lead  also  we,  in-order-that  we-may-die  with  him.”​

One more thing could be mentioned. This is the third time in this Gospel account that the special title “Lord” is used by the writer to describe Jesus. (Not included are the times that Jesus is called the Lord by someone in the event.) It is interesting that the first time, in what is known as chapter four and verse one, that was a connection to baptism. And the next time is what is known as chapter six and verse twenty-three, that was a connection to eating Jesus’ body and drinking his blood. And this time there is a connection to an anointing. These are all special actions which point us to a very special Lord, the Lord of heaven and earth, and not just words.
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April 25th, 2026

4/25/2026

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The season of Easter continues on for a total of fifty days. And we are near the middle of that season. This Sunday has the title of the Fourth Sunday of Easter, and it also has the title of Good Shepherd Sunday. The picture of Jesus as a good shepherd is within a few places of the four gospel accounts, but it is probably the most clearly given in the Gospel according to John. And the Gospel Reading for this Sunday is John 10:1-10.
​
The writings of this website are currently going through the Gospel according to John, and last week’s writing dealt with that text of Jesus saying that he is the good shepherd. And we are close to being halfway through that Gospel account. We translate a little bit of the text at a time, in the order in which it appears in the text. And it is translated in an EXTREMELY literal fashion. The purpose of all of this is to have something from God’s Word to study on a regular basis. And by the end of the church year, at the month of November, the plan is to be close to the end of that Gospel account.

It should be noted that the text below has the Feast of Dedication indicated at its beginning. One could say that this festival is literally at the end of the year for the Jew. The structure of this Gospel account definitely followed the Jewish year, and a number of the prominent festivals were mentioned. At the beginning of the account, the Passover was mentioned, and that happened near the beginning of the year, in the spring. And if you have any familiarity with the life of Jesus, you know that the Passover is mentioned at the end of the account as well. Such a progression is a good reminder that another structure besides chapter and verse divisions may be helpful in understanding both the text and its context.

One more thing to note concerning the text below is that when the Jews lift up stones, in an attempt to kill Jesus, this is described as happening “again”, and it happened all the way back at the end of chapter eight. The feast there was called The Feast of Tabernacles, and it happened in autumn. There are definitely hints of a progression in this Gospel account, and the end is definitely amazing.

Now if you are very familiar with this style of translation, you may bypass the lines before the text which describe such a translation. The first thing to mention regarding the description of this type of translation is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. Hopefully that is not too bothersome. 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 their structure that they give is not always helpful. The chapter and verse numbers remind the reader of the distance from the very beginning of the work, and the writer probably wanted the reader to focus on something else besides his act of writing the book. A MUCH better focus is Jesus.

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 may also be said that the meaning of some words often depends heavily on the context (this may be seen below, somewhat close to the end, with the verb “to squeeze”, that within the context of a society, its meaning is “to seize”). 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 verb is usually first in Greek. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words (like “therefore” and “now”; in the text below it is also “on the one hand” and “but on the other hand”) that are usually second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. It should be said that repetition of words is sometimes frequent and should be noted as an emphasis. One more thing to mention is that, although this does not happen 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 this in mind, it may also 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 some of what is commonly known as the final part of the tenth chapter of the Gospel according to John (10:22-42):

It-happened  then,  the  dedications  in  the  Jerusalems;  winter  it-was.  And  he-was-walking-around,  the  Jesus,  in  the  temple,  in  the  stoa  of-the  Solomon.  Therefore  they-encircled  him,  the  Jews,  and  they-were-saying  to-him,  “Until  when  the  psyche  of-us  you-take-up?  If  you,  you-are  the  Christ,  tell  us  plainly.”

He-answered  them,  the  Jesus,  “I-said  to-you,  and  not  do-you-believe;  the  works  which  I,  I-am-doing  in  the  name  of-the  Father  of-me,  these  are-martyrs  concerning  me;  but-on-the-contrary,  you,  not  do-you-believe,  because  not  you-are  out-of  the  sheep,  the  my.  The  sheep,  the  my,  the  phone  of-me  they-hear;  and-I,  I-know  them,  and  they-follow  me,  and-I,  I-give  to-them  life  eternal,  and  certainly  not  they-will-perish  into  the  age,  and  not  he-will-seize  anyone,  them,  out-of  the  hand  of-me.  The  Father  of-me,  the-one  he-has-given  to-me,  than-all  greater  it-is,  and  no-one  is-able  to-seize  out-of  the  hand  of-the  Father.  I  and  the  Father,  one  we-are.”  They-lifted  again  stones,  the  Jews,  in-order-that  they-might-stone  him. 

He-answered  them,  the  Jesus,  “Many  works,  good-ones,  I-showed  to-you,  out-of  the  Father;  because-of  which  of-them,  work,  me  are-you-stoning?”

They-answered  him,  the  Jews,  “Concerning  a-good  work,  not  are-we-stoning  you,  but-on-the-contrary,  concerning  blasphemy,  and  because  you,  a-man  being,  you-are-making  yourself  God.”

He-answered  them,  the  Jesus,  “Not  is-it  having-been-written  in  the  Law  of-you  that  ‘I,  I-said,  “gods  you-are”’?  If  those  he-said  ‘gods’,  toward  whom  the  word  of-the  God  it-happened,  and  not  it-is-able  to-be-destroyed,  the  graph,  whom  the  Father  sanctified  and  sent-out  into  the  cosmos,  you,  you-say  that  ‘you-are-blaspheming,’  because  I-said  ‘Son  of-the  God  I-am’?  If  not  I-am-doing  the  works  of-the  Father  of-me,  not  do-believe  me;  now  if  I-do,  even-if  me,  not  you-do-believe,  the  works  believe,  in-order-that  you-know  and  you-are-knowing  that  in  me,  the  Father,  and-I  in  the  Father.”  Therefore  they-were-seeking  him,  again,  to-squeeze;  and  he-came-out,  out-of  the  hand  of-them.

And  he-went-away  again  across  the  Jordan,  into  the  place  where  he-was,  John,  the  first  baptizing,  and  he-was-remaining  there.  And  many,  they-came  toward  him,  and  they-were-saying  that  John,  on-the-one-hand,  a-sign  he-did  none,  but-on-the-other-hand,  all-things  as-much-as  he-said,  John,  concerning  this-one,  true  it-was.  And  many  believed  into  him  there.

The two uses of the word “know” near the end of the second-last paragraph may have been a bit confusing. But that is the way with some languages. It may help to picture the first one, “you-know”, as a starting point, and the second one, “you-are-knowing”, as an action that continues on. The timing is not so important in the ancient Greek language; time is EXTREMELY important in the modern era. In the above text, the type of action becomes more the focus. And the focus, once again, is to be Jesus.
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April 18th, 2026

4/18/2026

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The season of Easter continues on, and this Sunday has the title of the Third Sunday of Easter. And this time Gospel Reading is from the Gospel according to Luke (24:13-35). If this were the C-Series, the text would have continued on in the Gospel according to John, but this year is the A-Series, and usually the text is from the Gospel according to Matthew. But the Easter Season is VERY special, and so the text from the Gospel according to Luke has to do with the special appearance of Jesus to his followers on “The Way” to Emmaus.

With the writings of this website we are currently going through the Gospel according to John, the significantly different Gospel account, and God willing, we will continue to translate a small part at a time, until we get to the very end of the account. We have translated the other three Gospel accounts within the writings of this website, and they are available to look at if desired.

As was mentioned above, the Gospel according to John is significantly different from the other three accounts, and that issue is usually answered in an historical way, that the writer found out what was in the other accounts and wanted to include things that were not included but thought to be important. Or it has also been said by some that the writer wrote that account very early. Either way, the chronology of the thing in question is within the realm of history.

It may also be clearly stated that an historical problem is not a significant problem. Its solution has to do with intelligence. Sin, on the other hand, is a much more serious problem. Sin has to do with intelligence, emotions, and basically everything that has to do with the sinful self. And the four gospel accounts may be seen more as a theological focus than the historical one. Other writings of this website may be helpful to see that emphasis.

As to the part of the Gospel according to John that will be given below, several things could be mentioned. First of all, it should be noted that currently we are going through the rest of what is usually called the ninth chapter of the Gospel according to John. In that chapter, Jesus healed a man who was born blind, and he did that significant work on the Sabbath day, and that is usually to be considered as a day of rest, not of one working miracles.

Some see Jesus as bad, and some see him as good. That was described in the last section of last week’s text as a schism, and that word will also be used in the text below near the very end. As was mentioned in last week’s writing, it will all come down to Jesus. He has the literally perfect answer to the issue of sin.

The text below will start with the fact that the enemies of Jesus threw the man out. He simply told what happened, and that Jesus did it, and that was enough for them. People can be very difficult to deal with if they consider themselves being right and good.

One thing that could also be mentioned within this introduction to the text is that the second schism is within a different chapter. This is one of those rare occurrences where a chapter division is placed within a discussion between Jesus and a group of people. Usually a chapter division has a new start to some point in the life of Jesus. That is certainly not the case here. But the section given below will try to put the entire discussion together, to help see the progression within the text.

As was mentioned in the last writing, there are countless ways to translate. Each of these writings will be a unique translation of the original language of the text. It may be called an EXTREMELY literal translation. If you are already familiar with the translations of this writing, you may skip the following paragraph which describes such a translation.

The first thing to mention regarding the description of this type of translation is that the verse or chapter numbers will not be included within the text itself. Although the chapter numbers were added before the verse numbers, they were both added much later after the document was written. 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. (An example of this is again the use of the word “phone”; hopefully that is not bothersome to the reader; also the translation chosen for “worship” this time is to “kiss toward”; hopefully that is also not bothersome.) 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 sometimes frequent and should be noted as an emphasis. One more thing to mention is that, although this does not happen 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. It may also be helpful to have another translation nearby as you read the text below.

What follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of some of what is known as the ninth and tenth chapters of the Gospel according to John (9:35-10:21):

He-heard,  Jesus,  that  they-threw-out  him,  outside,  and  having-found  him,  he-said,  “You,  do-you-believe  into  the  Son  of-the  Man?”

He-answered,  that-one,  and  he-said,  “And  who  is-he,  Lord,  in-order-that  I-may-believe  into  him?”

He-said  to-him,  the  Jesus,  “Both  you-have-seen  him,  and  the-one  talking  with  you,  that-one  he-is.”

Now  the-one  responded,  “I-believe,  Lord.”  And  he-kissed-toward  him.”

And  he-said,  the  Jesus,  “Into  judgment  I,  into  the  cosmos,  this,  I-came,  in-order-that  the-ones  not  seeing,  they-may-see,  and  the-ones  seeing,  blind  they-may-become.”

They-heard,  out-of  the  Pharisees,  these-things,  the-ones  with  him  being,  and  they-said  to-him,  “Not  also  we,  blind,  are-we?”

He-said  to-them,  the  Jesus,  “If  blind  you-were,  not  would  you-have-had  sin;  now  presently  you-say  that  ‘We-see,’  the  sin  of-you,  it-remains.”

“Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you,  the-one  not  coming-into  through  the  door,  into  the  pen  of-the  sheep,  but-on-the-contrary,  going-up  by-another-way,  that-one  a-klepto  he-is  and  a-robber;  now  the-one  entering-into  through  the  door,  shepherd  he-is  of-the  sheep.  To-this-one  the  doorkeeper  opens,  and  the  sheep,  the  phone  of-him  they-hear,  and  the  own  sheep  he-phones  according-to  name,  and  he-leads-out  them.  When  the  own,  all  he-throws-out,  in-front-of  them  he-travels,  and  the  sheep,  him  they-follow,  because  they-know  the  phone  of-him;  now  a-belonging-to-another,  certainly  not  they-will-follow,  but-on-the-contrary,  they-will-flee  away-from  him,  because  not  they-know  of-the  belonging-to-another,  the  voice.”

This,  the  allegory,  he-said   to-them,  the  Jesus.  Now  those-men  not  they-knew  what-things  they-were,  which  he-was-speaking  to-them. 

Therefore  he-said  again,  the  Jesus,  “Amen,  amen,  I-am-saying  to-you  that  I,  I-am,  the  door  of-the  sheep.  All  as-many-as  came  before  me,  kleptos  they-are  and  robbers;  but-on-the-contrary,  not  they-did-hear,  them,  the  sheep.  I,  I-am  the  door;  through  me,  if  anyone  he-comes-into,  he-will-be-saved,  and  he-will-go-in,  and  he-will-go-out,  and  pasture  he-will-find.  The  klepto  not  he-comes,  if  not  in-order-that  he-may-klepto,  and  he-may-kill,  and  he-may-destroy;  I,  I-came  in-order-that  life  they-may-have,  and  abundantly  they-may-have.”
“I,  I-am  the  shepherd,  the  good.  The  shepherd,  the  good,  the  psyche  of-him  he-lays-down  on-behalf-of  the  sheep;  the  hireling  and  not  one-being  a-shepherd,  of-whom  not  is  the  sheep  his-own,  he-beholds  the  wolf  coming,  and  he-leaves  the  sheep,  and  he-flees,  and  the  wolf  seizes  them,  and  he-scatters,  because  a-hireling  he-is  and  not  it-matters  to-him  concerning  the  sheep.”
“I,  I-am  the  shepherd,  the  good,  and  I-know  the  mine,  and  they-know  me,  the  mine.  Just-as  he-knows  me,  the  Father,  and-I  know  the  Father,  and  the  psyche  of-me  I-lay-down  on-behalf-of  the  sheep.  And  other  sheep  I-have  which  not  are  out-of  the  fold,  this;  also-those  it-is-necessary,  me  to-bring,  and  the  phone  of-me  they-will-hear,  and  there-will-become  one  flock,  one  shepherd.  On-account-of  this,  me,  the  Father  loves,  because  I,  I-lay-down  the  psyche  of-me,  in-order-that  again  I-may-take  it.  No-one  takes  it  from  me,  but-on-the-contrary  I,  I-lay-down  it  from  myself.  Authority  I-have  to-place  it,  and  authority  I-have  again  to-take  it;  this,  the  commandment  I-received  from  the  Father  of-me.”​

A-schism  again,  it-happened  in  the  Jews  on-account-of  the  words,  these.  Now  they-were-saying,  many  out-of  them,  “A-demon  he-has,  and  he-raves;  why  him,  do-you-hear?”  Others  were-saying,  “These,  the  words,  not  are  of-one-demon-possessed;  not  a-demon  is-he-able  of-blind-ones,  eyes  to-open?”
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April 11th, 2026

4/11/2026

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The season of Easter continues. And it may be said that this Sunday is not known as the First Sunday after Easter. It is the Second Sunday OF Easter. The Easter event is a different one than just a looking back on what happened in the past. The death and resurrection of the Son of Man and Son of God is an incredibly different context for human life, even life two thousand years later. We are a different people. We have a different perspective. We have a different God than the ones that the world makes up.
For this Sunday though, no matter what year it is of the three-year series, the Gospel Reading is the same, John 20:19-31. That does not happen too often. And it is, of course, very appropriate for this Sunday.

With the writings of this website, we are currently going through the Gospel according to John, the significantly different Gospel account, and we approaching the middle of that account. Last week’s writing was the very first part of what is usually known as the ninth chapter of that account. Jesus just healed a man who was blind from birth. And since he did it on the Sabbath day, a day considered to be a day of rest, he is going to get in a little trouble with the Jewish leaders. Previously he was in trouble with some already. And the tension continues to climb.

There will be a schism described in the text below. And this will help to point out the critical dividing point. Another schism will happen later in the next chapter. It will all come down to Jesus.

There are countless ways to translate something from another language into English. Each of these writings will be a unique translation of the text. It may be called an EXTREMELY literal translation. If you are already familiar with the translations of this writing, you may skip the following paragraph which describes such a translation.

The first thing to mention regarding the description of this type of translation is that the verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. They were added much later after the document was written. 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 sometimes frequent 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. In the last section of the text that was given last time, this use of the historical present was used when relating the last words said by the man who was healed, that he did not know where Jesus was. 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. It may also be helpful to have another translation nearby as you read the text below.

What follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of some of what is known as the ninth chapter of the Gospel according to John (9:13-34):

THEY-LEAD  him  toward  the  Pharisees,  the-one  then  blind.  Now  it-was  a-Sabbath  in  which  day,  the  clay  he-made,  the  Jesus,  and  he-opened  of-him  the  eyes.  Therefore  again  they-were-questioning  him,  also  the  Pharisees,  how  he-saw-again.  Now  the-one  said  to-them,  “Clay  he-put-on  of-me,  upon  the  eyes,  and  I-washed-myself,  and  I-see.”

Therefore  they-were-saying,  out-of  the  Pharisees,  some,  “Not  is  this-one  from  God,  the  anthropoid,  because  the  Sabbath  not  he-keeps.”

Now  others,  they-were-saying,  “How  is-it-possible  an-anthropoid,  a-sinner,  such  signs  to-do?”  And  a-schism  there-was  in  them.

Therefore  THEY-SAY to-the  blind-man  again,  “What  you,  do-you-say  about  him,  because  he-opened  of-you  the  eyes?”  Now  the-one  said  that  a-prophet  he-is.

Therefore  not  they-believed,  the  Jews,  about  him,  that  he-was  blind  and  he-saw-again,  until  which  they-phoned  the  parents  of-him,  the  one-having-seen-again,  and  they-questioned  them  saying,  “This  is  the  son  of-you,  whom  you,  you-say,  that  blind  he-was-born?  Therefore  how  he-sees  now?”

Therefore  they-answered,  the  parents  of-him,  and  they-said,  “We-know  that  this-one,  he-is  the  son  of-us,  and  that  blind  he-was-born;  now  how,  presently,  he-sees,  not  we-know,  or  who  opened  of-him  the  eyes,  we  not,  we-know;  him  you-question;  age  he-has;  he,  about  himself  he-will-talk.”  These-things  they-said,  the  parents  of-him,  because  they-were-fearing  the  Jews;  for  already  they-had-agreed,  the  Jews,  that  if  anyone,  him,  he-should-homologize  Christ,  from-synagogue  he-would-become.  On-account-of  this,  the  parents  of-him  said  that  age  he-has,  him  you-question.

Therefore  they-phoned  the  anthropoid  from  deuteron,  who  was  blind,  and  they-said  to-him,  “Give  doxa  to-the  God.  We,  we-know  that  this,  the  anthropoid,  sinful  he-is.”

Therefore  he-answered,  that-one,  “If  sinful  he-is,  not  I-know;  one-thing  I-know,  that  blind  being,  presently  I-see.”

Therefore  they-said  to-him,  “What  did-he-do  to-you?  How  he-opened  of-you  the  eyes?”

He-answered  them,  “I-said  to-you  already  and  not  you-heard;  why  again  do-you-wish  to-hear?  Not  also  you,  you-want  of-him,  disciples  to-become?”

And  they-reviled  him,  and  they-said,  “You,  a-disciple  you-are  of-that-man;  now  we,  of-the  Moses,  we-are  disciples.  We,  we-know  that  to-Moses  he-has-spoken,  the  God;  now  this-man,  not  we-know  from-where  he-is.”

He-answered,  the  anthropoid,  and  he-said  to-them,  “For  in  this,  the  marvelous-thing  it-is,  that  you,  not  you-do-know  from-where  he-is,  and  he-opened  of-me  the  eyes.  We-know  that  to-sinners  the  God,  not  he-does-hear,  but-on-the-contrary,  if  anyone  God-fearing  he-is,  and  the  will  of-him  he-does,  this-man  he-hears.  From  the  age,  not  it-was-heard  that  he-opened,  anyone,  eyes  of-a-blind-one,  one-having-been-born.  If  not  he-was  this-man,  from  God,  not  he-would-be-able  to-do  nothing.”

They-answered,  and  they-said  to-him,  “In  sins  you,  you-were-born,  wholly,  and  you,  you-are-teaching  us?”  And   they-threw-out  him,  outside.

Obviously they did not use a telephone to call people. But the Greek word does sound like the word for “phone”. Hopefully it was not too distracting from the main point of the text. ​

Jesus certainly has power. As God he has all power. If God came to earth, how would that look? The Gospel according to John gives us some unique examples, and they are something we would not expect. And the account continues to surprise.
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April 4th, 2026

4/4/2026

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The season of Easter obviously begins with Easter Sunday. When dealing with the “official title”, the Resurrection of our Lord, there are many options of different texts, and these come at different times of the day. There is the Vigil of Easter, Easter Sunrise, Easter Day, and Easter Evening (which also has the option of being called Easter Monday, since in the creation account of Genesis the evening was connected to what is in our minds as the day after). The main service of Easter Day has three different options for the Gospel account, depending on which year it is, and this follows the three similar Gospel accounts. And since this year is year A, the reading is from the Gospel according to Matthew (28:1-10).

With the writings of this website, we are currently going through the Gospel according to John, the significantly different Gospel account, and we approaching the middle of that account. The tension between Jesus and the religious leaders of the day is increasing. The last part of the text from last week contained an attempt to stone Jesus, to kill him. In response to that, he did not simply snap his fingers and turn his enemies into dust. He is headed toward the cross, to be “lifted up” in a very special way.

Currently we are dealing with what is called chapter nine of the text. Each of these writings takes a section of the text in the original language of the account, and it translates that part of the text in an EXTREMELY literal way. If you are familiar with the translations of this writing, you may skip the following paragraph which describes such a translation.

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. They were added much later after the document was written. 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 sometimes frequent 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. It may also be helpful to have another translation nearby as you read the text below.

What follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of the first section of what is known as the ninth chapter of the Gospel according to John (9:1-12):

And  passing-along,  he-saw  an-anthropoid,  blind  out-of  birth.  And  they-questioned  him,  the  disciples  of-him  saying,  “Rabbi,  who  sinned,  this-man  or  the  parents  of-him,  that  blind  he-would-be-born?”

He-answered,  Jesus,  “Neither  this-man  sinned,  nor  the  parents  of-him,  but-on-the-contrary,  in-order-that  it-might-be-manifested,  the  works  of-the  God  in  him.  For-us  it-is-necessary  to-work  the  works  of-the  One-having-sent  me  while  day  it-is.  It-is-coming,  night,  when  no-one  is-able  to-work.  When  in  the  cosmos  being,  light  I-am  of-the  cosmos.”

These-things  having-said,  he-spat  on-the-ground,  and  he-made  clay  out-of  the  spittle,  and  he-christened-upon  him  the  clay,  upon  the  eyes,  and  he-said  to-him,  “Go-away,  wash  into  the  swimming-place  of-the  Siloam  (which  is-translated,  “having-been-sent-out”).  Therefore  he-came-away,  and  he-washed,  and  he-came  seeing.

Therefore  the  neighbors  and  the-ones  beholding  him,  the  formerly,  that  a-beggar  he-was,  they-were-saying,  “Not  this-man  is  the-one  sitting  and  begging?”  Others  were-saying  that  this  is-he.  Others  were-saying,  “No,  but-on-the-contrary,  like  to-him  he-is.”  That-one  was-saying  that  I,  I-am.   

Therefore  they-were-saying  to-him,  “Therefore  how  were-they-opened,  of-you  the  eyes?”

He-answered,  that-one,  “The  anthropoid,  the-one  being-called  Jesus,  clay  he-made,  and  he-christened-upon,  of-me  the  eyes,  and  he-said  to-me,  ‘Go  into  the  Siloam  and  wash.’  Therefore  having-come-away  and  having-washed,  I-saw-again.”

And  they-said  to-him,  “Where  is  that-one?”
​
HE-SAYS,  “Not  I-do-know.”
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March 28th, 2026

3/28/2026

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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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