September 5th, 2026

Things continue on, and the number of Sundays after Pentecost continues to increase. With the three-year series, this Sunday’s title is the Fifteenth Sunday after Pentecost, but the Gospel Reading makes a significant jump from last week’s reading. The entirety of chapter seventeen was skipped at this point in time. This week’s text is Matthew 18:1-20. (Chapter seventeen does include the transfiguration of Jesus, so part of that chapter is for another time in the church year.)

With the writings of this website, we have currently been going through the Gospel according to John. It may be said that it is a significantly different Gospel account at times when compared to the other three, but it is also one with Jesus on the cross, and it may be said that literally Jesus on the cross is the heart of the good news. We are EXTREMELY far along in that Gospel account, and with this writing Jesus is finally on that cross.

It should also be mentioned that with these writings we have been going through all four Gospel accounts with a unique translation called an EXTREMELY literal translation. If you are familiar with this style of translation, you may wish to skip the next two paragraphs.

The first significant thing to mention regarding the description of this type of translation is that the chapter and verse numbers will not be included within the text itself. Both numbers were added quite later after the text was written, and they are certainly useful when someone is searching for a particular text, but the structure they imply is not always helpful. This pair of numerical designations makes the very beginning of the text important. There is always a first verse, and there is not always a thirtieth verse. With this structure, the focus tends to be on the beginning of the writing. The act of writing those verses is probably not the most important thing that the writer wants to get across to the reader. The biblical writers basically wanted the readers to focus on God and not on themselves. The words are much more important than the numbers, and often those words lead the reader near the middle and/or the end of the text in some way, to give to the reader some structure to all the words being read.
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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 it should also be noted that some of the words chosen below are meant to point out the close connection that often occurs between the English and Greek languages. (And it happens more often than we think!) It is also important to mention that the order of the words below is also the same order that is in the ancient Greek. This may help to show the important words, especially when another word besides the verb is first in the sentence or phrase. Sometimes this emphasis will be shown with a “(!)”. The exception to this translation order is that there are just a small number of words (like “therefore” and “now”) that are usually second in a sentence that are meant to be first when translated. And although it should be obvious, it should be said that repetition of words should be noted as another type of emphasis. One more thing to mention is that the verbs in capital letters are called HISTORICAL PRESENTS.  Historical presents are somewhat frequent within all the Gospel accounts, but they are especially frequent in the Gospel according to John. An historical present is when a verb in a past tense is expected, but a verb in the present tense is given. More details regarding the historical presents have been explained elsewhere in these writings, so it may be helpful to read some of the other writings of this website. With all of the above things to consider, it will probably be very helpful to have another translation or a study bible nearby as you read the text below.

What follows is an EXTREMELY literal translation of the second part of the what has been called the nineteenth chapter of the Gospel according to John (19:16b-30; the “b” indicates that only the second half of the verse is in this section; this point was chosen because of the period/full stop—which was also added later—is the last one before Jesus is crucified). The Son of God is on the cross. This is an important place. And the words contain some important and valuable gifts.

Therefore,  they-took-along  the  Jesus;  and  carrying  for-himself  the  cross,  he-came-out  into  the  being-called  “Cranium  Place,”  which  is-called  in-Hebraist  “Golgotha”,  where  him(!)  they-crucified,  and  with  him  others,  two,  on-this-side  and  on-this-side,  now  middle,  the  Jesus.  Now  he-graphed  also  a-title,  the  Pilate,  and  he-placed-it  upon  the  cross;  now  it-was  having-been-written:  “JESUS,  THE  NAZARENE,  THE  KING  OF-THE  JEWS”.  Therefore  this,  the  title,  many  read,  of-the  Jews,  because  near  it-was,  the  place,  to-the  city,  where  he-was-crucified,  the  Jesus;  and  it-was  having-been-written  in-Hebraist,  Romanist,  Hellenist.  Therefore  they-were-saying  to-the  Pilate,  the  archpriests  of-the  Jews,  “Do-not  graph,  ‘The  king  of-the  Jews,’  but-on-the-contrary,  that  ‘that-man  said,  “King  I-am  of-the  Jews.”’”

He-answered,  the  Pilate,  “What  I-have-graphed,  I-have-graphed.”

Therefore  the  soldiers,  when  they-crucified  the  Jesus,  the-took  the  garments  of-him,  and  they-made  four  parts,  to-each  soldier  a-part,  and  the  tunic.  Now  it-was,  the  tunic,  seamless,  out-of  the  top,  woven  through  the-whole.  Therefore  they-said  toward  one-another,  “Do-not  let-us-schism  it,  but-on-the-contrary,  let-us-cast-lots  about  it,  whose  it-will-be;  in-order-that  the  graph  might-be-fulfilled,  the  saying,  “They-divided-up  the  garments  of-me  to-themselves,  and  over  the  garment  of-me  they-threw  a  lot.”  Therefore,  the,  on-the  one-hand,  soldiers,  these-things,  they-did. 
On-the-other-hand,  they-stood  alongside  the  cross  of-the  Jesus,  the  mother  of-him  and  the  sister  of-the  mother  of-him,  Maria,  the-one  of-Clopas  and  Maria  the  Magdalene.  Therefore  Jesus,  having-seen  the  mother  and  the  disciple  standing-by  whom  he-agaped,  HE-SAYS  to-the  mother,  “Woman,  behold  the  son  of-you.”  Then  HE-SAYS  to-the  disciple,  “Behold,  the  mother  of-you.”  And  from  that,  the  hour,  he-took,  the  disciple,  her,  into  the  own.

After  this,  knowing,  the  Jesus,  that  already  all-things  it-has-been-finished,  in-order-that  it-might-be-fulfilled,  the  graphay,  HE-SAYS,  “I-thirst.”  A-vessel  was-set  of-vinegar,  full;  therefore  a-sponge,  full  of-the  vinegar,  a-hyssop  having-put-around,  they-brought-it-to,  of-him,  the  mouth.  Therefore  when  he-took  the  vinegar,  the  Jesus  said, “It-has-been-finished,”  and  having-inclined  the head,  he-gave-over  the  spirit.