LIT_Glossary

Please note: I neither imply nor give anyone permission to use either a part or the whole of any of my intellectual work presented at this web site, or any other web site, without expressly written and signed permission from the author and translator, Hal Dekker.

The Purpose of the LIT Glossary

I'm a commoner of the working class, and so I understand the common street-level cultural idioms of the working class, which colloquialisms are abundant in koine Greek new covenant-based writings of God's Word. Even though those middle eastern idioms and colloquialisms were popular two thousand years ago on the other side of the planet, most all of them are in common use today, in one form or another, and many times identical to how they were used long ago. You may be surprised at how many of those colorful ancient idioms you may use, and that most of them come from before the time of Christ, and many come from the Hebrew language.

In the LIT, contrary to virtually all other "translations", I allow all of the ancient cultural idioms/colloquialisms to flow out of the Greek directly into English. In the LIT I quote the ancient authors/writers. My formally equivalent quote translation methodology is one of the reasons why there is a need for this glossary, to explain the author's/writer's idioms/colloquialisms. From my own experience I believe when hundreds of cultural idioms are allowed to flow through into an English translation, the cumulative result is to broaden the scope of understanding of the reader of many spiritual concepts inherent in those idioms.

Clarity of the meanings of the idioms allows more depth of understanding of God's Word. When one can "see' more in God's Word, then one can learn more, then one can understand more, then one can believe more, which belief is the precious jewel for which we are digging in all of God's Word. In the LIT Glossary you'll see many more idiomatic terms, and be exposed to much more ancient middle eastern cultural colloquialisms than in any other research work I've found available. Middle eastern idioms and colloquialisms are colorful grammatical mechanisms the God chose to use in His Word, to explain the spiritual realities and truths He designed to bring mortalkind to wholeness/salvation.

Unlike many authors of lexicons, I can find an abundance of examples of common English slang, street talk and figures of speech to correspond with almost all of the cultural idioms present in the new covenant writings. This is because much of the English we speak today, both "polished" academic-like and street-level, comes from the Greek language. I believe the writers of lexicons, as a rule, have sworn on their dead grandma's grave that they will not allow any common English street talk to become associated with God's Word in their work. Well they should get a clue, it's already too late! It's already in there, in the ancient texts of God's Word, by God's own design!

The bandwidth of colorful communication inherent in the original Hebrew and Greek languages traditionally has been severely constricted in translation through the over abundant use of almost-equivalent "synonyms". Most all translators and translation committees have decided for us that we would much rather see almost-equivalent "synonyms", so we'll kind of miss the point and not get our precious feelings hurt by rude and blunt street talk. But isn't the whole purpose of the translation process to reveal into another language what God has actually said, and not to cut out portions and paste in our own theological opinions through egomaniacal paraphrasing, and usage of almost-equivalent "synonyms"?

Problems And Challenges To An English Translator

Most all of the koine, or common language Greek words and idioms do have English common language equivalents, to which most of the highly educated academic-like translators and Bible publishing authorities will not capitulate. They pretend that straight-talking, plain-talking, i.e., street-talking doesn't exist in God's Word, because they are themselves above such nomenclature and its associated street-talk terminology, and so by God it shall have no place in any of their translations. They know very well that God chose the common language purposely, to communicate with the sinning masses of mortalkind, because it communicates best with us. Isn't that the truth? Why do you suppose that straight forward, point blank, direct to the point communications styles are so offensive to many people? Could it be because those communication styles leave little wiggle room for respondents to obfuscate or be ambiguous? Isn't that exactly what sin nature-based mortals hate perhaps the most, straight, direct talk which cuts off the ring from using it to dance around?

Therefore the goal of this glossary is by no means to simply regurgitate what dozens of concordances and commentaries state in their respectable English-style definitions and explanations, but to expose and present the common-level street talk and their associated meanings which were popular among the common-level "sinners" of their time, in their culture. The definitions I present in this glossary I fully intend to make true to the best concordant definitions, but by no means limit those definitions by sterilizing them of any association with guttural or slang characteristics which were legitimately a part of the usage of the original words or idioms.

Overcoming Traditional Translation Hurdles

This glossary is not intended to reproduce everything you can already read in Moulton's Analytical Greek Lexicon Revised, or Vine's, or anyone else's lexicon, but to supplement those references with definitions and explanations of words and cultural idioms not easily explained, or not traditionally referenced in most popular reference materials. Additionally, this glossary is intended to expose the reader to those politically incorrect, guttural, slang, and inappropriate words and idioms that translators have traditionally tended to cover up, and/or obliterate with overly discreet English wording. Additionally, this glossary is intended to explain to the reader why parts of my translation deviate from traditionally used and overly stereotyped wording such as salvation, adoption, forgiveness, power, etc..

Many scriptural words, and their associated meanings and ideas, have been skewed to some extent over the centuries through their incorrect, and repeatedly incorrect usage in oral presentation, i.e., preaching and teaching. Very often scriptural words and idioms have a narrower or broader meaning than they are allowed in modern, westernized Christianity. Many words and idioms, over time, have been erroneously redefined through their narrow scope of usage in various foreign cultural settings much different from the one out of which they came.

Preachers and teachers of European and western cultures have struggled with explaining middle eastern idioms and cultural customs which can't be matched up identical, one for one, in their own cultures, in their own time in history. The various struggles to make language idioms and cultural issues mentioned in the Bible applicable in foreign cultures have resulted in causing their meanings to deviate from little to full spectrum. The most important quality control mechanism over the preservation of God's Word, Truth, which has now become more or less lost, is control over the specific level of meaning of a scriptural word or idiom.

So many dump trucks full of theological opinion, guesswork, suppositions and soap opera-like drama stuff has been thrown up and out of people's ego-maniacal gutters that now every subject matter in God's Word sits in a house of skewed mirrors. Which version of the "truth" is true? Hardly no one can determine the actual specific truth in the ancient texts of God's Word from all of the mortal-made or demon spirit-made close counterfeits, unless they go back to the ancient texts themselves to verify and substantiate it, which virtually no one is doing! But everyone is much more than happy to spend endless hours arguing over all of the close counterfeits, their plausibility. But what really trumps all of that confusion is the relentless efforts of those with mortal-made, infallible theological agendas, to get them "translated" into Bible translations through the use of systematic "paraphrasing" and creative "synonyming". This is why there are so many "translations" as they are called.

In modern "Christianity" Truths in God's Word no longer have any definite and exact specificity. Paraphrasing and word-smithing has been developed now to accommodate the twisting and perversion of almost any Truth/subject matter in God's Word into meaning something else entirely. Pick your denomination, if you believe you can choose wisely.

Literal Interlinear Translation Glossary

I'll be continually adding to this glossary over the next few years as I continue to work through translating the new covenant texts.

Word Definition Key

Strong's # - English word or phrase (root word of the inflected spelling of the word in the Greek text, part of speech) - definition(s)

Part of Speech Key

adj.        =    adjective

conj.      =    conjunction

verb      =    verb

inf.         =    verb, infinitive

noun     =     noun

part.      =    verb, participle

particle =    particle

prep.     =    preposition

pron.     =    pronoun / pronominal

GLOSSARY OF FIGURES, IDIOMS AND COLLOQUIALISMS USED IN THE UBS4 TEXT

62 - unlettered (agrammatoi, adj.) - As to the meaning of this term, two possibilities are generally considered; 1) in Acts 4:13 Peter and John were recognized as not credentialed and/or certified by any hallowed halls of academia, and therefore unauthorized to teach; 2) they were considered as uneducated Galilean fisherman who may not have been able to write. Personally I believe the first definition represents the state of mind of those false religious leaders. Jesus was considered unlettered as well (John 7:15), by some Judeans. However, Jesus Christ and his disciples and apostles were, and still are, God's students and His graduates.

The current trend among many unhallowed halls of academia is the same today, to passive aggressively hold the things of the God up to their own theological standards of approval, as if God and His son Jesus Christ and his disciples need their approval and certification. Countless mortal-made egomaniacal halls of academia all believe that their own theological points of view are infallible, and all others are twisted disparaging versions of their own truth, of which they alone have "cornered the market". This fairly defines all of "Christian" denominationalism, which is supposedly the posterity of the first century church.

The true individual followers and disciples of Jesus Christ, both then and now, and all through time, absolutely do not consider themselves infallible, but simply as students constantly learning, and always willing to learn more. But on the other hand, virtually all "Christian" denominations, as guided and led by their own "experts" and "scholars", consider their own denominations as the only true form of Christianity! The current world-wide versions of what is supposed to be Christianity, and what is being marketed as Christianity, is a splintered falling down house divided against itself. If you disagree with any of them, unlike the example of Jesus Christ and his disciples, they will steal, kill and destroy you (John 10:9) to protect their own "flocks"!

63 - piping in the field (agrauleō, verb) - In the text agraulountes is a dual compound of the words agros, meaning a field, and auleō, meaning to pipe, to play a pipe.

The following picture is of a Jewish shepherd boy playing a flute. It was taken in between 1898 and 1946. This photograph was taken by the American Colony in Jerusalem, led by Horatio Spafford.

Curt Sachs, in his wonderful work titled The History of Musical Instruments, offers from his studies some history of the ancient Hebrew flute:

"THE UGAB is one of the two first instruments mentioned in the Bible. Jubal, Lamech's son, so says Genesis 4:21, was 'the father of all such as handle the harp and organ (KJV).' The Hebrew text has the words kinnor and 'ugâb. This latter term is extremely rare; it occurs in two other books only, Job 21:12 and 30:31, and the 150th Psalm. These belong in the most recent sections of the Old Testament, while the first one is among the earliest.

In all these passages the word refers to an instrument contrasting with stringed instruments, but no detailed information is given. Etymology is not helpful either; at best, 'ugâb may be related to 'agâb, 'was in love.' If this is true, the interpretation 'flute' is indicated, as among wind instruments flutes were the most closely connected with love charm.

Several translators have interpreted 'ugâb as pan-pipes. This is certainly incorrect; the first evidence of pan-pipes in the Near East are almost two thousand years later than the epoch described in the Genesis. A further reason is linguistic. The Hebrew language had a more suitable word to express the clear sound of so small an instrument - the verb šriqá, 'he whistled.' The dark color of the word 'ugâb more probably reflects the hollow, oo-like timbre of a long, wide, vertical flute. This instrument, usually played by shepherds, must be supposed to have existed in Palestine, as it existed in Mesopotamia, Egypt and ancient Arabia. If originally 'ugâb was a vertical flute, the term might have become a general one later on, just as the term ma·t in Egyptian signified a vertical flute at first, and later all pipes, including oboes and clarinets." (Sachs, Curt. The History of Musical Instruments. New York. W. W. Norton & Company Inc., 1940)

204 - an angle tip (akrogōniaios, adj.) - This is a dual compound of the words akron, meaning the extreme part of something, such as the tip of something, and gōnia, an angle. Akrogōniaios is used twice in the texts (Eph. 2:20; 1 Pet. 2:6). I believe its usages are references to a bob on the end of a plumb line, and specifically the perfectly pointed tip of the bob on the end of a plumb line, such as is prophesied by Amos in 7:7-8. I take the plumb line as being the angle, and the bob as being the tip of the angle.

The following is a picture of an ancient Egyptian plumb bob made of Diorite, with a brass ring

The "line" portion of a plumb line, which line can be quite long, shows the perfectly vertical angle from which all the various horizontal plane measurements are to be made. The bob portion of a plumb line, the "head", being on the lower end of the line, its perfectly pointed tip must remain pointing exactly at a specific mark (i.e., God's Word) on the foundation, in order for the line to remain perfectly vertical, and thusly all horizontal plane measurements taken from it to begin from the same vertical axis.

The following is a photograph of a collection of limestone plumb bobs at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. These plumb bobs date back to the 19th or 20th dynasty, about 1295-1070 B.C., and were excavated and discovered in the Memphite region by the Egyptian Expedition of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In practical application, a plumb line insures that a tower, for example, is built straight up. As each layer of stone is laid, beginning with the first layer upon the foundation, and measuring horizontally outward from the plumb line to the desired distance, a perfect circular wall can be built upwards, one layer of stone at a time. In this way, the wall being built all the way around the plumb line can form a perfect circle, and the tower can be built straight up, which straightness insures the strength and integrity of the stone wall, and subsequently the tower which it forms!

I believe this is substantiated through a clearer understanding of the verse references in the NT about the "domed-roof house", "the angle tip", "the head of an angle", and the "tent of David", and tracing those references back into the OT writings. Christ Jesus, and apostles Paul and Peter use these terms in their references to, and quotes of, OT prophets and writers. These new testament references help us to understand those OT prophecies, which when placed side by side and examined very carefully show the various veiled OT prophecies of the coming one body of Christ, the true "tent" of the God, made with His own "hand".

Many translators have translated this word as "corner" in most of its occurrences, which I believe is not only very misleading, but wrong! Every stone, in order to be a "corner stone" must obviously have an angle cut into, or onto it. But that doesn't necessarily mean that in every stone in which an angle is cut, or every stone which is cut into an angle, is a corner stone. The word "corner" does not appear in the Greek texts of the NT writings. Where it has been translated as "corner" is based upon the appearance of the word gōnia, which simply means an angle, no more and no less.

In the holy writings, the purpose for the use of an angle of some kind is absolutely not inherent in the meaning of the word itself, but must be found in the immediate, local, and remote contexts in which its usage appears, and especially across all of its contextual usages in which contexts the subject matter is very similar, if not identical. Anyone who does word studies of the words in the Hebrew or Greek texts of the Bible, and especially word studies of the morphologies of those words, should have determined for themselves this obvious requirement in "straightly cutting" God's Word (2 Tim. 2:15), and especially translators, if they are paying attention to contextual subject matter, as is required, to say the least.

Please see my work, God's Prophetic Holy place ("Tent"), a "Domed-roof House"!

281 - truly (amēn, adverb) - See 3303, men.

293 - a throw-around net (amphiballō, common noun) - In the west this kind of net is called a Cast Net, or a Throw Net. This is a net which is small enough for a man to throw into the water by himself, usually no more that 12 feet in diameter. This net has a draw string which is pulled to close the net after it has sank to a proper depth, hopefully around a school of fish. At the proper time the draw string is pulled to close the net at the bottom, and then to drag the net to the boat of shoreline. Here's an informative web site. http://www.castnetworld.com/index.html

357 - cause yourselves to word-up (analogizomai, verb) - Used in Hebrews 12:3, I believe this idiom means to remember, or to look it up for one's self, and pay particular attention to the words of the prophet, the ones written quoting the God speaking of child-training His own children (Prov. 3:11-12). The writer challenges his listeners to cause themselves to remember, or look it up for themselves, the words of the prophet, quoting God about Him child-training His own children! The writer implies his listeners need to be child-trained as well!

Therefore, the listeners should not only cause themselves to remember and "word-up" in their own minds the meanings of each and every word of which God spoke, but cause themselves to be child-trained as well!

372 - a time of resting up (anapausis, noun) - To take a break from activity. To stop or slow down and rest. To take a pause from anything laborious.

373 - to rest up (anapauō, verb) - This word implies a temporary cessation of activity. This idiom is very similar, if not identical, in meaning to the English idiom rest up, which we would tell someone if we wished that they would get some rest. It similar to our English idiom wait up also, which may imply a shorter duration of time of pause than rest up. However, Jesus may have said this metaphorically (Mat. 11:28) to imply another kind of "refreshment" for the body and soul, perhaps a refreshment through the gift of holy Spirit becoming energized within us. The ancients had a like idiom, resting down, which Bullinger says, "implies a final rest, as No. 1 (anapausō) does a temporary pause."

377 - to fall up, fall up, fell up (anapiptō, verb) - An idiom meaning to take an orderly position with others, especially a position in a line or row. It is very similar to our English military idiom, the command to "fall in", into position. Anapiptō is used eleven times in the Textus Receptus, and always in the context of people eating together. The KJV often translates it as sit down, sat down, etc. However, anapiptō means more than simply sitting down, it means to sit down in an orderly position, especially as in a row or line. In Mark 6:40, in the record of Jesus feeding the crowd with five loaves and two fishes, he ordered the crowd to sit down (anapiptō) in rows (prasiai, i.e., row by row), in rows of hundreds (hekaton) and in rows of fifties (pentēkonta). In John 6:10, after Jesus washed the feet of his disciples he fell up back into an orderly position among them where they were sitting or laying, and eating.

390 - turn up, to turn up, he turned up, we turned up, etc. (anastrephō, verb) - Identical to our English idiom, to become present, as in, to turn up at an event, or to show up. He turned up to play football. His name turns up in the newspaper occasionally. It means to be found also, as in, he turned up the missing papers. In 2 Cor. 1:12 the KJV says, we had our conversation, which is completely erroneous because they ignored the idiom. The text says, BUT, in [the] grace of God we turned up in the cosmos, and more abundantly toward you! This is Paul's boast about the benefit he and those with him are to the believers in Corinth, because they were found, i.e. they turned up not only in the cosmos, but more specifically the area of Corinth, to the benefit of the Corinthians. In Eph. 2:3, apostle Paul states that in time past he and the believers in Ephesus turned up [in the cosmos] in the lusts of the flesh, doing the desires of the flesh and of the thoughts. Apostle Peter uses this same idiom in 1 Pet. 1:17, that when we are praying to the Father, being in His presence, that we turn up, i.e., show up, come into His presence in fear, at the time of our side-housing with the Father. A similar English idiom is turn out, as in, The circus drew a big turn out last night.

402 - make up space, they made up space (anechōrēō, verb) - Very close in meaning to our English idiom, to make room. Example: to make room or space in a closet to store something. It is used in God's Word in the sense of to put space between you and something else. In Matthew 2:12 the Magi received admonishments in a dream, not to go back and bow up (i.e., suck up) to Herod. And so they left visiting the Christ child and made up space (between them and Herod) traveling back into their own country through a different way. In Matthew 9:24, when Jesus went into the crowded house to heal a man's little girl, he told them to make up space, i.e., get out of the house. This verb is used most often in a contextual sense of urgency to make space.

433 - are being upcoming (anēkō, verb) - Identical to our modern idiom of propriety, becoming. Of a lady we may say, "It is not becoming of a lady to swear." Or we may say of a gentleman, "It is not becoming of a gentleman to be impolite, discourteous, or uncaring."

436 - to stand opposed (anthistēmi, verb) - This means to take an offensive stand to oppose. In Eph. 6:13, apostle Paul commands the believing disciples to stand opposed to the evil one, meaning the devil, since we are not to wrestle against flesh and blood (Eph. 6:12). Unfortunately, the 1611 KJV, the KJV, Darby, Rotherham’s, Berry ’s, RSV, and may other translations use the English word withstand to translate the Greek text antistēnai. This is a serious problem, because our English word withstand implies a passive and/or a defensive posture, the ability to lay there and take it when it hits you. But antistēnai, from anti, lit. opposite, and histēmi, lit., to stand, by its very nature, implies an offensive posture, to take action; first to stand up, and then to kepp on standing opposed (Gk., anti, i.e., opposite of it and face to face with it). All through the holy writings the holy Spirit is always saying, “Having stood, go and do such and such...”. In God’s Word, the idea of standing is very commonly used in the sense of preparing to take deliberate action to do something. It is not defensive at all, but offensive. antistēnai is a verb which describes not reactive action, but proactive aggressive action. In the context, both the use of pros in Eph. 6:11-12, motion toward a goal, and antistēnai, to stand opposite of and face to face with, to stand opposed, clearly describes an offensive posture in joining into battle with the evil powers of darkness.

456 - I shall build up a domed-roof house (anoikodomeō, verb) - The two usages of this very important word are used in Acts 15:16-17, in which Luke quotes James quoting the prophecy of Amos, in Amos 9:11-12. The domed-roof house can be tracked throughout the new testament writings using many Greek words in the texts, but especially Strong's numbers 456, 2026, 3618, 3619, and 4925 as well.

The verb anoikodomeō is a compound of three words: ana, meaning up, oikos meaning house, and dōma meaning a rooftop or roof. Given the context of Acts 15:16-17 and of Amos 9:11-12 of God building something, and that the word anoikodomeō is a verb in the indicative mood, future tense, active voice, in the first person, and singular, a literal translation of it would be I shall build up a rooftop house. And so now you may ask me why do I translate it as I shall build up a domed-roof house? My answer is because there is sometimes much more which goes into the meaning of a word, any word in any passage, than simply its morphology and part of speech, such as whether a word is used in an idiom or a figure of speech. The contexts, contexts, and more contexts of how a word is used elsewhere means very much about how a word is defined by its author/writer, and thusly how it should be translated.

For example: What we, a reader of God's Word, should notice as we read and study ALL of the usages of a specific word, in ALL of the contexts in which it is used, is how often is a word, specifically anoikodomeō in this example, used by its author/writer objectively versus subjectively?

In Acts 15:16-17 and in Amos 9:11-12 is God talking about building an objective literal tent/tabernacle of some kind, one which is made out of some kind of material, and/or stone, and/or wood, and/or metal, etc.? Or is God talking about a subjective, metaphorical "tent/tabernacle" of some kind, some kind of a "tent/tabernacle" which is absolutely not made or built with human hands, one absolutely not built using common building materials used by mortal kind (Acts 17:24)?

According to Amos 9:11-12 and Acts 15:16-17, and ALL of these other associated words (see below), and in MANY of their verses and contexts, God is absolutely not talking about a human-built tent/tabernacle/temple of some kind in which He desires to home-down! BUT, the God, and/or the messenger/writer of the text is talking about the head of an individual believer, and specifically the believer's mind inside his or her own head/skull as His desired homing-down Holy Place.

The following is a list, by Strong's number, of scripture references which substantiate and corroborate God's prophetic true "tent", His Holy Place in which He has always desired to home-down. The OT references are those mentioned in the NT references. In essence, these related OT prophecies are prophecies of the coming one body of Christ, which full knowledge and understanding of it was kept secret by God in order to insure the completion of His plan for the redemption of mortal kind through the shed blood of His first born son, Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 2:8, 4-10).

Apostle Paul refers to this subject, the veiled and hidden OT prophecies of the coming one body of Christ, as a mystery (Rom. 11:25, 16:25-26; 1 Cor. 2:7; Eph. 3:1-, 6:19; Col. 1:24-29, 4:3-4). But now that we have God our Father's revelation of His plan, which was revealed through Christ Jesus to apostle Paul, and subsequently to us in Paul's writings, we can now trace this subject back into the OT (Prov. 25:2). There anyone, who asks God the Father to teach him, can discover those gems of great prophetic Truth!

In the following examples, a believer is one who has believed upon the precious name of Jesus, in his shed blood and all that the God has caused it to mean for a believer's personal wholeness/salvation, which salvation comes through receiving the new birth above in the God the Father's seed, receiving a baptism in God's gift of holy Spirit from Christ Jesus.

456, anoikodomeō, I shall build up a domed-roof house, used 2 times out of 2 usages to refer to the God's new homing-down Holy Place in the head/mind of a believer, individually and/or collectively (Amos 7:7-8, 9:11-12; Acts 15:16);

886, acheiropoiētos, not hands-made, used 3 times out of 3 usages to refer to the God's new homing-down Holy Place in the head/mind of a believer, individually and/or collectively (Mark 14:58; 2 Cor. 5:1; Col. 2:11);

1774, enoikeō, in-housed, used 3 times out of 5 usages to refer to the God's new homing-down Holy Place in the head/mind of a believer, individually and/or collectively (Rom. 8:11; 2 Cor. 6:16; 2 Tim. 1:14);

2026, epoikodomeō, a domed-roof house built over, used 7 times out of 7 usages to refer to the God's new homing-down Holy Place in the head/mind of a believer, individually and/or collectively (1 Cor. 3:10, 12, 14; Eph. 2:20; Col. 2:7; Jude 1:20);

2730, katoikēo, to home-down, used 5 times out of 47 usages to refer to the God's new homing-down Holy Place in the head/mind of a believer, individually and/or collectively (Acts 7:48; Acts 17:24; Eph. 3:17; Col. 1:19; Col. 2:9);

2732, katoikētērion, a homing-down place, used 1 time out of 2 usages to refer to the God's new homing-down Holy Place in the head/mind of a believer, individually and/or collectively (Eph. 2:22);

3438, monē, a place of stay, used 2 times out of 2 usages to refer to God's new homing-down Holy Place in the head/mind of a believer, individually and/or collectively (John 14:2, 23);

3485, naos, a Holy Place, used 23 times out of 46 usages to refer to the God's new homing-down Holy Place in the head/mind of a believer, individually and/or collectively (John 2:19, 21; 1 Cor. 3:16-17, 6:19; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21; Rev. 3:12, 7:15, 11:1-2, 19, 14:15, 17, 15:5-6, 8, 16:1, 17, *21:22);

3611, oikeō, to homestead, used 3 times out of 9 usages to refer to the God's new homing-down Holy Place in the head/mind of a believer, individually and/or collectively (Rom. 8:9, 11; 1 Cor. 3:16);

3614, oikia, a house, used 11 times out of 95 usages to refer to the God's new homing-down Holy Place in the head/mind of a believer, individually and/or collectively (Mat. 7:24-27; Luke 6:48-49; John 8:35, 14:2; 2 Cor. 5:1);

3618, oikodomēō, to build a domed-roof house, used 29 times out of 41 usages to refer to the God's new homing-down Holy Place in the head/mind of a believer, individually and/or collectively (Mat. 7:24, 26, 16:18, 21:33, 23:29, 26:61, 27:40; Mark 12:1, 14:58, 15:29; Luke 6:48-49, 12:18, 14:28, 30; Acts 7:49, 9:31, 20:32; Rom. 15:20; 1 Cor. 8:1, 10, 10:23, 14:4, 17; Gal. 2:18; 1 Thes. 5:11; 1 Pet. 2:5);

3619, oikodomē, [the building of] a domed-roof house/houses, used 15 times out of 18 usages to refer to the God's new homing-down Holy Place in the head/mind of a believer, individually and/or collectively (Rom. 14:19, 15:2; 1 Cor. 3:9, 14:3, 5, 12, 26; 2 Cor. 5:1, 10:8, 12:19, 13:10; Eph. 2:21, 4:12, 16, 29);

3624, oikos, a house, used 33 times out of 114 usages to refer to the God's new homing-down Holy Place in the head/mind of a believer, individually and/or collectively (Mat. 10:6, 12:44, 15:24, 21:13, 23:38; Mark 11:17; Luke 12:39, 14:23, 15:6, 16:4, 18:14, 19:5, 9, 46; John 2:16-17; 1 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 3:6, 8:10, 10:21; 1 Pet. 2:5, 4:17);

4633, skēnē, a tent, used 6 out of 25 times to refer to the God's new homing-down Holy Place in the head/mind of a believer, individually and/or collectively (Acts 15:16; Heb. 8:2, 9:11; Rev. 13:6, 15:5, 21:3);

4925, sunoikodomeō, are being built together [into] a domed-roof house, used only 1 time to refer to the God's new homing-down Holy Place in the head/mind of a believer, individually and/or collectively (Eph. 2:22);

5499, cheiropoiētos, hands-made, used 5 times out of 6 usages to refer to the God's new homing-down Holy Place in the head/mind of a believer, individually and/or collectively (Mark 14:58; Acts 7:48, 17:24; Heb. 9:11, 24).

In ALL of these passages I believe God is talking about a Holy Place to home-down which He Himself has built for Himself, which place is in the heart/mind and body of each and every individual believer who has believed upon the precious name of Jesus (1 Cor. 3:16; 6:19; John 2:21; Acts 7:48, 17:24), and who has received God the Father's gracious gift of Himself, His gift of holy Spirit, through a baptism in it by Christ Jesus (Mat. 3:11). The prophesied Holy Place of the God is collectively in the one body of Christ, and particularly in each and every member of Christ's one body, the one Holy Place absolutely not built with human hands, but literally built by He Himself, for Himself!

One reason why I translate anoikodomeō as God saying "I shall build up a domed-roof house" is that I believe He is speaking of His "house" as being the one body of Christ, and thereby each and every member in particular! It's simply a fact, human beings have heads on their shoulders shaped like domes, in which the God homes-down and makes His Holy Place collectively, in the one body of Christ collectively, and particularly in each one who has believed upon the precious name of Jesus and who has subsequently received Jesus' baptism in God's gift of holy Spirit, God's gift of Himself!

Believers build their own "house" as well, with the knowledge of God's Word.

Another reason why I translate anoikodomeō this way is that each and every individual's head/skull/brain and mind in it are metaphorically referred as a house by Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ refers to our head, our skull and the grey matter in it, our own mind in our own head, as a house which we ourselves build up with the knowledge of God's Word (Mat. 7:24-27; Luke 6:47-49), and subsequently our BELIEF in God's Word (Rom. 10:17). In our own head, in our own hairy "tent", our own domed-roof house, WE are responsible to build it up with the knowledge of God's Word and belief in God's Word. The God promises to teach His children the knowledge and understanding of His Word (John 2:27, 6:45, 16:13; 1 John 5:6; 1 Thes. 4:9; Php. 3:15), which knowledge, understanding and belief cleanses our minds/hearts (Eph. 5:26) to receive God's Spirit into us as His Holy Place, in which He desires to home-down!

The place called "The Skull"

Yet another reason why I translate anoikodomeō this way is because I find it very antithetical that Jesus Christ died at the place called "The skull" (Mat. 27:33; Mark 15:22; John 19:17), who's shed blood made it possible for both the God our heavenly Father, and Christ Jesus His first-born son, to come and home-down in the skull/head/mind of each and every individual believer who has believed upon the precious name of Jesus, and has been baptized in God's gift of Himself, His holy Spirit! Do you think that "little coincidence", Jesus shedding his blood at the place called "The Skull" might be designed purposely to give us a clue of some kind? Jesus' shed blood was shed upon the place called "The Skull" so that our own individual/personal skull/head/mind could be cleansed, so that our heavenly Father and His first-born son, Christ Jesus, could both move in and home-down?

The place called "The Skull", the place of death where the devil, Satan, murdered Jesus, God's only-begotten son at that time (before the day of Pentecost), Jesus being His first-born son, that place is now an antitype to you, all who have believed and still do believe upon the precious name of Jesus, Jesus Christ whom the Father stood up out of dead ones, and who shall stand you up also!

If it is now, and has been, the God's prophetic desire to home-down in His creation of mankind, they being His Holy Place, then I suppose that this has always been His desire. I suppose that at least this purpose, and perhaps others, is the reason in the beginning for the creation and existence of mankind! I believe this is why Adam and Eve were formed, made and created in the beginning, to be His Holy Place in which to home-down. I believe the God intended to home down in them, and to home down in all of their posterity collectively, as His Holy Place, until the time of their sin. I believe this is the reason the devil accosted Eve, to steal mankind for himself as his own homing-down place, which he did (Eph. 2:1-3)!

Mortals in ancient times, as now, loved the uppermost rooms and seats as their occupancy, which supposedly indicated their higher social status above others. In Mat. 23:1-7 Jesus speaks of the so-called "first citizens", the scribes and the Pharisees who considered themselves as higher class citizens than others. See also Mark 12:38-40; Luke 11:39-54. Although the world treats those who believe upon the name of Jesus as morons (1 Cor. 1:23-31), and the lowest of citizens (John 15:17-25), God our heavenly Father is making believers into a domed-roof house in the heavens (2 Cor. 5:1). This is no simple lean-to made of rubbish alongside the railroad tracks, but a top of the line, first class Spirit-based house, one as high up as high can get!

We don't boast this of ourselves, that we have made our own place to stay above others, but God has made into His true "tent", the one he has made with His own "hand". And we can boast about what God has made us to become in Christ Jesus, which boasting glorifies God. Though we are workers together with God (2 Cor. 6:1), the domed-roof house, which is the one body of Christ, the prophetic Holy Place desired of God, is made without hands (2 Cor. 5:1). It is God, through His grace, who has chosen to home-down in those who believe His Word.

More to come about this great truth! See pegged - 4078.

472 - to hold opposite (antechō, verb) - To stick with something, to be in agreement with it, to have confidence in it, to hold to it and stand by it.

478 - have you stood down opposition (antikathistēmi, verb) - While speaking, or preaching, or teaching, or practicing God's Word, and then confronted with opposition against God's Word, a disciple is to stand for, and to keep on standing for God's Word, agonizing toward the sin of those who are opposed to the experiential knowledge of the truth of God's Word. In Heb. 12, 12:4, this is the writer's issue in his argument with his fellow Judeans, with those who are refusing to spiritually grow up, to stand up into their own personal discipleship to Christ Jesus.

496 - fall in opposition (antipiptete, verb) - To find one's self on the opposing side in a conflict. In Acts 7:51 Stephen said the children of Israel are always doing the opposite of what God desires them to do; as the fathers of them always opposed God, they do also (Acts 6:8 - Acts 8:2).

499 - opposite types (antitupos, adj.) - Both apostles Paul and Peter use this idiom once each, of its only two occurrences in the new covenant writings.

First see 5179, tupos, for what is a type in holy scripture, and how they are used by the ancient writers.

Heb. 9:24 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) Christ (Christos) absolutely not (ou) entered in (eisēlthen) into (eis) hands-made (cheiropoiēta) holy places (hagia), opposite types⁴⁹⁹ (antitupa) of the (tōn) true (alēthinōn) [holy places], ...

The scriptural holy places made with human hands, the Exodus tabernacle in the wilderness, and the temples in Jerusalem, were opposite types of the true Holy Place, His "tent" where the God desires to home down (Acts 7:47-50; 17:24; Heb. 8:2).

See my study titled, "God's Prophetic Holy Place ("Tent"), a "Domed-roof House"

669 - an apothegm (apophtheggomai, verb) - In the context of the holy scriptures, the word apothegm is always used to refer to an enunciated truth of God's Word, and especially to those truths most closely related to the evangelism of the purpose for which Jesus Christ was sent into the cosmos by his heaven Father, the God.

746 - beginning ones (archē, common noun) - I believe these are angels/messengers which the God produced in the beginning, subsequent to Jesus Christ's production in the beginning as the first produced one (Gk., prōtotokos) (Col. 1:15). In the UBS4 eclectic text there are approximately 58 usages of this word, which sometimes means simply beginning. But in some contexts it is used to refer to the beginning ones, angels/messengers of the heavenly host, both of those who are still in their habits (Gk., oikētērion), an outward covering of some kind, and those who left their original habits and entered into the cosmos and caused calamities of some kinds in times past through to the present time, ones which are now being watchfully kept under everlasting bonds of gloom while they await a great day of the judgment of them (Jude 1:4-11).

From an examination of all 58 usages of archē in the UBS4 text I see it is used in reference to at least 14 various kinds of beginnings.

1. Archē used in reference to the beginning of the present heavens and earth which now exist: Mat. 19:4, 8, 24:21; Mark 10:6, 13:19; John 1:1-2, 8:44; Col. 2:10; Heb. 1:10; 2 Pet. 3:4; 1 John 1:1, 2:7, 13-14, 24, 3:8, 11; 2 John 1:5-6.

2. Archē used as a beginning of pains: Mat. 24:8; Mark 13:8.

3. Archē used as the beginning of the evangelism of Jesus Christ, a son of God: Mark 1:1; Luke 1:2; John 6:64, 8:25, 15:27, 16:4; Heb. 2:3.

4. Archē used in reference to Jesus Christ as the beginning one: John 8:25; Col. 1:18; Rev. 3:14, 21:6, 22:13.

5. Archē used in reference to beginning ones which were angels/messengers which have since become demon spirits (Jude 1:4-11); demon spirits who are now living in and possessing mortal beings to influence them to do evil, as they lived in and possessed the religious leaders of Israel in the time of Jesus Christ's earthly ministry (John 8:44): Luke 12:11, 20:20; Rom. 8:38; 1 Cor. 15:24; Eph. 1:21, 3:10, 6:12; Col. 1:16, 2:15; Tit. 3:1; Jude 1:6.

6. Archē used in reference to the beginning of Jesus' signs which he did in Cana of Galilee: John 2:11.

7. Archē used in reference to beginning ones, angels/messengers which the God produced in the beginning subsequent to Jesus Christ's production in the beginning as the one first produced of all of creation (Gk., prōtotokos) (Col. 1:15): Acts 10:11, 11:5.

8. Archē used in reference to the beginning of the outpouring of the gift of holy Spirit from Jesus Christ on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), which began the gathering of the ekklesia, the called out ones, the one body of Christ: Acts 11:15.

9. Archē used in reference to a point in time early in the beginning of the life of Saul (apostle Paul): Acts 26:4.

10. Archē used in reference to the beginning of apostle Paul's evangelism of the name of Jesus Christ: Php. 4:15.

11. Archē used in reference to the beginning ones receiving salvation through the gift of holy Spirit given to them at the beginning of the age of the grace of the God, which age began on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2): 2 Thes. 2:13.

12. Archē used in reference to the beginning of our understanding of Jesus Christ, and of our heavenly Father's salvation of us through His son, Jesus Christ: Heb. 3:14.

13. Archē used in reference to the elements of the beginning of the utterances of the God of our salvation through His son, Jesus Christ: Heb. 5:12, 6:1.

14. Archē used in reference to a beginning of days from a physical birth: Heb. 7:3.

1090 - landscaped (geōrgeō, verb) - In Hebrews 6:7 landscaped apparently had a much broader meaning than that which we in Western English ascribe to it today. In our culture its modern meaning is to redesign the looks of the the landscape around buildings in cities for primarily aesthetic and drainage reasons. But contextually, especially because of the author's use of the term botanēn, commonly used referring to feed for animals, which is produced from landscaping the land, geōrgeō appears to mean working and farming the land to produce crops to feed both people and animals.

1147 - finger (daktulos, common noun) - In Mat. 23:4 Christ Jesus mentions the writers and the Pharisees who bundle weighty loads, and things difficult to carry, and they put them upon the shoulders of the mortal's to carry, while they themselves will not use a finger to move them. This is very similar, if not identical, to our modern western idiom of not lifting a finger to help. In Luke 11:46 Jesus addresses the lawyers as well for doing the same thing to people. I believe the "loads" Jesus spoke of were mental and physical burdens manufactured out of ego-maniacal mortal-made religion, which resulted in bondage, bondage based upon lies and deceit.

1351 - double-worded (dilogos, adj.) - This idiom is used one time by apostle Paul is his letter to Timothy, 1 Tim. 3:8. I take it to mean being self-contradictory, saying one thing one minute, and saying something the next minute which appears to be contradictory to what was said before. The opposite to being double-worded is to speak with enunciation, Gk. epō, used about 977 times in the new covenant texts. When Jesus Christ spoke, and especially when he taught, he very often enunciated.

To enunciate something involves HOW both sentences, and its words, are stated. Enunciation, according to how it is used in the ancient texts, regarding sentences, means to say something through the use of simple and direct statements, and saying them in a systematic way. Regarding how individual words are spoken, according to how it is used in the ancient texts, enunciation means to pronounce a word clearly, distinctly, and articulately, so that the meaning of a word can be obviously and definitely expressed. Through the use of enunciation a listener is entirely cut off from using an excuse that they didn't hear or understand something from a fault on the part of the speaker. Scriptural enunciation places the responsibility to hear and understand something entirely in the hands of the listener's communications skills. Enunciation, when used properly as a teaching and communications tool, ensures there can be no possible misunderstanding or confusion over what is said and meant by both the words making up a sentence, and the overall meaning of the sentence as well. See 2036.

Some Western English idioms which have approximately the same meaning may be, double-tongued, and to talk out of both sides of one's mouth. In Paul's usage of double-worded in 1 Tim. 3:8 he may imply deliberate and/or casual deceit on the part of a double-worded speaker, since he does use the word reputable (Gk. semnos), a character description, in the immediate context of the verse.

1437 - if perhaps (ean, conj.) - In John 15:6, 7, 10 the question Jesus suggests is whether a disciple of him desires to continue to remain a disciple of him. This is represented by the conjunction in the Greek text, ean, from combining ei, a particle of condition, and an, a particle of uncertainty. Whether the present condition of a disciple's discipleship continues, is uncertain, because it is determined by the disciple's own free will desire. If a disciple desires to continue to stay "in to" Jesus, then the thing for which he or she keeps on desiring shall come to pass for them, provided further conditional requirements are met concerning the thing itself, as to whether the thing asked for is according to God's Will.

1503 - has become iconized (eoiken, verb) - A figure of speech meaning to be only a symbol of something, but absolutely not the real things itself. A bottle of Coca Cola has a bottle cap on it upon which is printed the words "Coca Cola". But that doesn't mean you can drink the bottle cap! The bottle cap with the printing on it serves as only and icon of the liquid coca cola inside of the bottle, which liquid can be drank. As used in James 1:23, a slave of God, a disciple of Christ Jesus, seeing himself in a mirror and contemplating who and what the God has made him to become in Christ Jesus, who after walking away later forgets who and what he was becomes only an icon of a slave of God and a disciple of Christ Jesus, forgetting to believe God's Word, pray for needs, ask to receive, and do good works which benefit others. He has become only an icon of a real slave of God and disciple of Christ Jesus. He has become like only a labeled bottle cap, which can help no one's thirst to be quenched, not even his own.

1592 - they kept on snooting him out (ekmuktērizō, verb) - An idiom meaning to be snooty, haughty, mocking and snobbish; a scornful act of aloof contempt intended to treat another with disdain; similar to turning up one's nose at someone. The idiom is used twice by Luke, 16:14, 23:35.

1605 - they were knocked out, kept on being knocked out, etc. (exeplēssonto, verb) - An idiom and/or hyperbolic colloquialism Matthew, Mark and Luke use. In Mat. 7 when Jesus was teaching the people they "kept on being knocked out" (verse 28) in their minds because they heard the straight, unadulterated Word of God like they had never heard it before. God's Word, when it is not paraphrased and watered down, has a way of shocking people. From all the other contextual usages, truth that had such a shocking impact on the hearers was idiomatically said to knock them out, because in their minds they were absolutely unable to readily understand the meaning, and/or grasp the depth of its meaning, and/or it flatly contradicted their previously held ideas. The idiom is that the knowledge and understanding of their conscious mind was so inadequate to comprehend the new truth that it is like they were unconscious, the new shocking truth didn't register at all with whatever they had heard or knew before. The idiom has come down to modern Western English in much of its ancient form, in the phrases, "well, knock me out", or, she's a knock out!" The idiom doesn't imply unbelief or belief of the truth on the part of the crowds hearing it. Some, like the common people, believed Jesus, but some people, like the writers, Pharisees and Sadducees, the first citizens, didn't.

1834 - led out, leading out, etc. (exēgeomai, verb) - Exēgeomai is used six times in holy scripture, and is apparently an idiom somewhat similar to a combination of our Western idioms, to lead off and to lay out. Its contextual definition includes the telling of every minute detail of events which occurred, in the order in which things happened during those events (Acts 21:19). Jesus Christ led out God (John 1:18), because the Father, the God, was IN Jesus Christ, working IN and THROUGH him as His agent (See John 8:28, 14:10-11, 28; 2 Cor. 5:18-19). The holy scriptures clearly state that the God, who is the Father, is a separate and distinct being from Jesus Christ, God being a spirit-based being (John 4:24; 1 Cor. 15:40-44), and Jesus Christ being a soul-based being (Luke 24:39; 1 Tim. 2:5) until after his ascension (Acts 2:33). The God, who is the Father, who is a separate and distinct being from Jesus Christ, was IN Jesus Christ, working IN and THROUGH him. See also Jesus Christ as being an icon of God (Col. 1:14-15). He was a a reflection off from the glory of God, and a characterization of the understanding of God also (Heb. 1:3). This is how Jesus Christ led out God.

2013 - to hit upon, has hit upon, he hit upon, they hit upon (epetuchen, verb) - In the record in Hebrews 6:14, the writer tells us that after God gave a very great promise to Abraham, recorded in Gen. 22:17-18, to eulogize him, and to make his seed as full as the stars in the heaven, etc., that Abraham having been patient for the promise to come to pass, he finally "hit upon" it. Apostle Peter in 2 Pet. 1:4, speaking of the surpassing intrinsic value of God's Word, says that the God "has gifted us with great and highly esteemed (Gk. timia) promises". Apostle Peter uses this word, timia, in reference to the highly esteemed value of gold (1 Pet. 1:7), of Jesus' shed blood (1 Pet. 1:19), of Jesus Christ as a chosen out stone (1 Pet. 2:4-7) for the building of God's own domed-roof house, which he built with His own hand, and to the highly esteemed value of belief in God's Word in the hearts of believers! And so I see the writer's use of the idiom, "he hit upon" as an allusion to perhaps a miner, who after long and patient digging finally "hits upon" the place where the highly esteemed gold, silver, precious stones, whatever, has been deposited. This ancient idiom has been passed down to us as well, in our idiom "he hit it rich"! We can see that when Abraham finally began to receive God's great and precious promise into his life, with Isaac, then Jacob, and so on, that Abraham truly became richly eulogized, and the seed of his belly was growing very full. This idiom is used in Rom. 11:7, Heb. 6:15, 11:33, and James 4:2 also.

2026 - a domed-roof house having been built over (epoikodomeō, verb) - See 3618.

2124 - welcoming (eulabeia, common noun) - A dual compound (eu-labeia) meaning to be well-taken, i.e., to be welcomed (verb), or welcoming (noun). In Heb. 5:7, the writer speaking of the Christ, who while in the days of his flesh was completing his earthly ministry, he often prayed to his heavenly Father for the things he needed, which prayers were welcomed by the heavenly Father, as evidenced by the fact that they were answered; evidenced by both the God working IN and THROUGH Jesus instrumentally as His agent, and that He stood up Christ Jesus out of dead ones!

In Heb. 12:25-29 the writer implores believers not to turn away from hearing God's Word, which would obviously send a message to our heavenly Father that he is not welcome in their lives. We are not only to be welcoming, but to be begging of Him to come into our lives (Heb. 12:29)! I believe this is the most common reason for believers not receiving prayers answered. Believers limit the amount of permeation of God's Word into their lives through thinking and believing that loving God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength (Mark 12:30; Deut. 6:4-6) is constituted through simply sitting in a pew somewhere for a couple of hours once a week, and allowing themselves to be spoon-fed with some watered-down and tainted surface-level generalities of God's Word, which have been twisted into half-truths by mortal-made, liberal theology-driven "Christianity"! True Christianity means discipleship to the heavenly Father and His son Christ Jesus. And discipleship means first becoming a master of the knowledge of God's Word; and then, secondly, practicing that knowledge 24/7 through practical application in one's life, welcoming and begging the heavenly father into their lives, through prayer. Discipleship is practiced through total devotion, 24/7, of one's life to the heavenly Father and his son Christ Jesus.

The scriptural evidence repeatedly shows that prayers which are welcomed by our heavenly Father are those which are made by those who are well-pleasing (Rom. 12:1, 14:18; 2 Cor. 5:9; Col. 3:20), and well-approved in His sight (Mat. 3:17, 17:5; Mark 1:11; Luke 3:22; 1 Cor. 10:5; Heb. 10:38; 2 Pet. 1:17). The God desires His children to be well-pleasing in His sight, and then He shall welcome our prayers to Him through answering them. Since were are in a covenant relationship with our heavenly Father through Jesus Christ's shed blood, we are required to continually, and robustly, welcome Him and His Word, with ALL of our heart, soul, mind and strength, into our lives. This is the kind of welcoming Jesus Christ gave his heavenly Father, which is a clear example all believers can follow.

2316 - a god (theos, common noun) - The Greek texts clearly show that many considered Jesus Christ to be a god, including his disciples and apostles (John 1:1, "a god"; John 20:28, "my god") but not the most high (Gk. hupsistos) God, who Jesus says is his heavenly Father (John 20:17). It's superfluous to designate one god as being in a higher position than another god if there are no other gods against which to compare.

According to the hierarchy chart in God's Word of the relationship of the gods to one another, mentioned in God's Word, at the top is God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father being the most high God (Mark 5:7; Heb. 7:1; Gen. 14:18-22; Isa. 44:8; Dan. 2:47). On the next level down, and to the right of God the Father is His son Jesus Christ (John 20:17; Luke 22:69). On the third level down and lower are other gods; some of which God the Father has chosen to designate as "gods"; such as Moses (Ex. 7:1), and other mortals referred to by the God as gods (John 10:34-35; ). Additionally, God's Word refers to false gods (Isa. 44:15; Gal. 4:8), mortals who declare themselves to be gods (Eze. 28:2). Apostle Paul was referred to by others as a god (Acts 14:11). On the rock bottom level on the hierarchy chart of gods, according to God's Word, is the devil, Satan, to whom apostle Paul referred to as, "the (ho) god (theos) of the (tou) age (aion) of this (toutou)" (2 Cor. 4:4).

Although apostles John and Thomas referred to Jesus Christ as a god, Jesus Christ and apostle Paul made it clear that concerning worship, the God we are to worship is the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 8:4-6), the one most high God to whom Jesus prayed and gave thanks, and to whom Jesus taught his disciples and followers, and through God's Word he teaches us also to whom to pray and to give thanks (Mat. 6:9, John 20:17).

We can obviously see several levels of gods as they are mentioned in God's Word, but there are yet other references to "gods" in God's Word. Recognizing that God's Word refers to other kinds of gods is not polytheism, but simply observation, simply recognizing what is said in God's Word. Worshipping any other god as the most high god other than the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, whose Father is the most high god, is idolatry according to God's Word, which worship breaks the first commandment (Mat. 22:36-38; Ex. 20:1-3). If anyone may wish to reconcile their mortal-made theological concept of polytheism with God's Word, perhaps a good place for them to start is with what Jesus said, recorded in John 5:23, where Jesus said we are to keep on highly esteeming, (Gk. timōsi) him as (not in place of) we may keep on highly esteeming (Gk. timōsi) the Father; because the Father has given all judgment to the son.

In John 1:1 the apostle John uses four obvious grammatical tools in sentence structure, which all lock in place together to identify that the Word was a god. The words in green are in the nominative case which identifies the subject of the verse.

John 1:1a (LIT/UBS4) In (en) [the] beginning (archē) there was being (ēn) the (ho) Word (logos);

John 1:1b and (kai) the (ho) Word (logos) was being (ēn) toward (pros) the (ton) God (theon);

John 1:1c and (kai) a god (theos) was being (ēn) the (ho) Word (logos) .

1) John's use of the nominative case to identify his subject: The Word, ho logos, in the first and second clauses is not the God, ton theon, in the second clause, because ton theon is not in the nominative case as is the subject, the Word. John immediately, deliberately, grammatically and clearly distinguishes that the Word is not the (ton) God (theon), through the use of the nominative case. John makes it perfectly clear that ton theon is not the same God as theos, who is a god. One is not the other, that the Word (nominative case) is not the God (accusative case). Since theos in the third clause is in the nominative case, and theon in the second clause is absolutely not in the nominative case, but the accusative case, this grammatically and exactly distinguishes each god John references as being a separate and distinct god from one another; theos, a god is being the subject, the Word, and theon is not being the subject.

The nominative case is commonly used in sentences with compound subjects, to identify all of the nouns and pronominal adjectives which represent the one and the same subject.

2) John’s use of the preposition pros: This shows further that the Word and the God, ton theon, are separate and distinct entities, absolutely not one in the same. The Father is absolutely not standing beside himself, which is an erroneous supposition / opinion of the Trinity theory, one of hundreds. This use of pros is huge also in determining what John meant. It’s so big that we trip over it with our eyes; we can't miss it in the verse. We can’t simply turn our heads and hold our hands over our eyes and say, “Oops, I didn’t see pros in the text!”; too late, it's there. The Word was toward the God. The preposition pros is very often used in the sense of the preposition para, which means alongside.

3) John's distinction between ton theon and theos: Since the God, ton theon in the second clause is absolutely not in the nominative case, and a god, theos, in the third clause is in the nominative case, these two words absolutely cannot refer to one and the same entity / being. Again, apostle John deliberately, grammatically and clearly distinguishes between two distinct beings, the Word, the subject, which he says was a god, and the God in the second clause which is still in the accusative case.

4) John's non-articulated theos: The word for a god, theos, in the third clause is not articulated, i.e., preceded by a definite article the (Gk. ho and other forms), which use of an article is very often to indicate a proper noun. Additionally, since theos in the third clause is not in the accusative case but in the nominative case (subject), it may well be considered an indefinite noun; again, this is huge. John is not accidentally writing here.

These four huge grammatical indicators in apostle John's verse symphonize together as a grammatical opera, to describe exactly what he meant. What they collectively declare is the difference between a general, non-specific reference and a very distinct and specific reference using multi-layers of dramatic grammatical accuracy to strengthen and draw close attention to this truth. John is not simply suggesting that the Word is not the God, he’s emphatically stating it, using a combination of at least four grammatical structures. These four very obvious points in what John says, and how he says it, lock-in for me what John meant, that the Word was absolutely not the God, BUT, the Word was a god, who was toward (pros) the God. John is simultaneously and emphatically stating two things, that the Word is absolutely not the God, BUT, the Word was a god which was toward the God!

2647 - loosen down (kataluō, verb) - In it's first usage in Matthew 5:16 it is used in the sense of to bring down, i.e., annul the requirements of the law. In Matthew 24:2 it is used in the sense of dismantling and leveling down the house-buildings, the structures of the whole temple complex, until there is not one stone left upon another, which is the sense in which it is used most often. In Luke 9:12 it is used in the sense of the people in the crowd attending to their personal needs, to relax themselves. In general, and in most occurrences, it means to bring down, undo, to loosen up something until it falls down. In English we have related idioms, such as, "it shall be your undoing"; or speaking of an adversary or enemy, "we shall divide and conquer, and bring them down". The idiom is used in this sense in Acts 5:39.

2673 - idled down (katērgētai, verb) - When something is revolving or spinning and then it becomes idle, it has stopped revolving or spinning. The speed at which an object revolves or spins is measured in revolutions per minute (RPM). As the RPM of a spinning object increases, it's RPM is said to go up. As an object's RPM decreases it is said to go down. When an object has stopped spinning altogether, it is said to have become idle. Now think of a cart rolling along on a road and its wheels spinning. The faster the cart goes the faster the wheels spin. If the cart gradually came to a stop the RPM of it's wheels would slow down and spin slower and slower until they stopped spinning altogether and became idle. Now imagine upon this cart is your inheritance from a relative, a chest full of valuables, and the cart is on its way to you. If the wheels idle down and the cart stops, will the chest full of valuables on board ever get to you? No, not unless the cart starts rolling on its way to you again. Now wouldn't you be concerned about exactly what factors may keep the cart rolling, or may cause the cart to stop rolling? Of course you would be concerned. You would want whatever was making that cart roll toward you to keep on making it roll, right?

In Romans 4:14 it is a mortal's belief in the Father God and what He has said and promised that keeps His inheritance rolling along the way to you. If you increase your believing, you increase the RPM of the wheels of the cart, making it roll along faster toward you. If you decrease your believing you decrease the RPM of the wheels of the cart, making it roll along slower. If you quit believing altogether, you idle down the RPM of the wheels of the cart and it quits rolling toward you altogether. If you never started believing, the cart never started rolling toward you. Before the old covenant of law was made by God with Israel, God made a promise to Abraam that his seed would inherit the cosmos, the entire heavens and earth, at some time in the future, because of Abraam's belief in God's Word. During the old covenant period the law was a schoolmaster to Israel, intended to teach Israel how to believe in God's Word as Abraam believed. After the old covenant period, now in the new covenant period, belief in God's Word about His son Jesus Christ is the belief that appropriates the power to inherit the cosmos, along with eternal life, according to God's promise and further revelation of it through apostle Paul. (In the old covenant writings the "chest" was the Ark of the Covenant. In the new covenant writings the "chest" is baptism in the gift of holy Spirit from Christ Jesus, The Promise of the Father, the new birth above.) Belief in God's Word starts the cart rolling toward us carrying the Father's inheritance for us, and keeps the cart rolling toward us.

In Eph. 2:15 apostle Paul tells us that the Law was idled down and the injunctions (commandments) of the law became dogmas (doctrines no longer in effect), as the Judean religious leaders kept on trying to keep the children of Israel obedient to the law. As the law was idled down, so was idled down the penalty for breaking the law, death.

2705 - loved down (katephileō, verb) - A compound of the preposition kata, meaning down, prefixed to the verb phileō, meaning to love. From studies of many contextual usages of verbs prefixed with the preposition kata, one can see that it is used to emphasize a more extensive, thorough or complete action of the verb. In the context of Luke 15:20 the father was so happy to see his son again that he loved him down extensively, or thoroughly, or completely. The context of the story reveals all of the things (verses 22-23) the father did to indicate the extent of his love for his son who he thought was dead, who has returned alive.

2772 - clippings (kermata, noun) - Zodhiates says, "kérma; gen. kérmatos, neut. noun from keírō G2751, to shear or cut off. A small piece of money, so-called because, in the ancient world, coins were frequently clipped off larger metal pieces to transact business." (AMG's Complete Word Study Dictionaries - The Complete Word Study Dictionary – New Testament.)

Apparently, worshippers coming into the temple area had certain large denominations of coinage which needed to be broken down into smaller change so they could purchase various things necessary to engage in the worship ceremonies. For this they went to the money changers, who charged a small fee for their services. Through the process of making change for customers the money changers would clip off a piece or pieces of a silver coin, supposedly clipping off a piece of a certain weight, which would decrease the weight of the coin, and thusly the value of that silver coin being used to make change.

The implication in the text is that the money changers would clip off too much weight of a coin, and the silver coin they returned to the customer was now a little under weight than it should be. Thusly through the practice of routinely cutting off too much weight from silver coins and then giving back to their customers too little change from what they were supposed to receive, the dishonest sellers could enhance their profits through "nickel and diming" those who needed their services. The over or under weighted clippings were used to dishonestly take more than their agreed upon small fee. If the money changers used scales, then obviously some of the weights were either over or under weighted to make the clippings or the clipped coins, respectively, appear to be of the proper weight and thusly the proper value. If this was a practice which all of the money changers engaged in, then all of the worshippers had little choice but to deal with them.

2774 - head cost (kephalaion, noun) - A young, strong, multi-skilled slave, especially a highly skilled slave at certain trades, had a higher cost on the market than other slaves. The value placed upon a slaves head was the value for which it was believed the slave would sell if put up for sale. Under Roman law, a slave could become a freeman, a libertus, if his master simply decided to free him, or required the slave to pay the cost for what the owner believed the slave could be sold for on the market, whether the slave owner was the Roman state or a private owner. In Acts 22:28 the tribune told apostle Paul that he acquired/purchased his own freedom from slavery, or Roman citizenship, depending upon from which angle one may wish to view the issue, with "much head-cost".

Kephalaion is used twice in the holy scriptures, Acts 22:28 and Heb. 8:1. In Acts 22:28 Luke's use of kephalaion seems obvious. But in Heb. 8:1 the reader must decide for himself exactly what is the writer's intended meaning of his use of a reference to a head-cost. I believe it is a specific reference to the price Jesus Christ paid, his shed blood and death, it being our "head-cost", the high cost to free all those from slavery to sin and death who believe upon Jesus' name. I've read the work of some "experts" and "scholars" who believe the writer of Hebrews is using kephalaion in only a casual idiomatic sense, as if saying, "The great sum of all the things being said is this: ...". This suggestion causes me to wonder just how spiritually blind are some of these so-called "experts" and "scholars" who are writing and selling books about the things of God to support themselves, since right in the immediate context, Heb. 8:1-3, the writer is talking about chief sacrificial priests of the liturgy bringing offerings and sacrifices toward God, and then immediately referencing Jesus Christ!

2894 - coffers (kophinos, common noun) - In the ancient Middle Eastern culture this was simply a small woven basket. This is an apparent etymological origin of our modern word, and for coffin.

3303 - [it is] true (men, particle) - Amēn, men - Truly, True,

Men - An Exclamatory Interjection

Strong believes men (Strong's # 3303) is a primary particle, "Often compounded with other particles in an intensive or asseverative sense." Vine believes that men is "...a conjunctive particle, usually related to an adversative conjunction or particle... Frequently it is untranslatable..." Thayer believes men is a particle of affirmation: 'truly, certainly, surely, indeed' ..." Zodhiates believes men is "a conjunction implying affirmation or concession." Zodhiates goes on to give much more helpful analysis from his own personal studies than the other lexical writers.

Contrary to a belief that, "men is often untranslatable", I believe every word used by the ancient writers, and that every iōta and keraia (Mat. 5:3) had a vital and definite purpose for its use, if the writers were truly carried along by holy Spirit working in them as they wrote (2 Pet. 1:20-21).

From my own personal studies and close examination of all of about 193 usages of men, I believe men is a Hellenized form of the Hebrew word amēn (Strong's # Heb. 0543, Gk. 281), and therefore men is used as a particle of affirmation, but not as an adverb as amēn is used, but as an adjective. I see men used most often, and by all of the ancient writers of the NT texts, as a simple exclamatory interjection.

Amēn is a Hebrew word commonly used in the Greek texts as an adverb, meaning “truly", most often to modify the word legō, e.g., "I say truly", i.e., "without deceit", which is how it is very often quoted by the writers of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John of how Jesus Christ often idiomatically spoke. Amēn is used by apostle Paul often as well, and in much the same way, but with the elliptical omission of the verb lego being obviously implicit.

Men - A Tool Of Argumentation As Well

In addition to using men as simple exclamatory interjections, both Christ Jesus and apostle Paul used men in a series of exclamatory interjections which formed a multi-premised complex argument to a proposition which was given. Only Zodhiates mentions, and very lightly, the use of men in relation to propositions, in his lexical work.

Hebrews 12:3-12 - The writer of Hebrews, who I believe is apostle Paul, shows us a great example of the use of men in a series of exclamatory interjections, which serve as a series of premises of an argument to support a proposition/conclusion.

The Issue

In Heb. 12:3-6 the writer states a situation in which certain believers among the children of Israel were being apprehensive in rising up to their calling as disciples of Jesus Christ, "hiding out" their spiritual gift in them and failing to use it to oppose sin, to oppose sin right up to the point of it possibly costing them their own bloodshed.

The writer implies that unless those who have been called choose not "hide out", but to stand against sin, they cannot go forth in their own spiritual growth, thusly causing the Father, the LORD, to child-train them into demonstrating more disciple-like, son-like, behavior as sons of God should demonstrate.

On account of their apprehension to engage themselves in spiritual competition and battle against sin, to demonstrate their calling as both disciples of Jesus Christ and certainly as sons of God, the writer states the truth of their need of child-training by their heavenly Father, about which child-training those certain believers were apprehensive also.

The Proposition

In Heb. 12:7-8 the writer proposes that unless these certain believers who are "hiding out" become engaged and allow themselves to participate in their growth as disciples of Jesus Christ, and behave themselves especially as sons of God are supposed to behave, then child-training from their heavenly Father is necessary, and they are to endure it; or else, you are illegitimate ones, and absolutely not sons?

Heb 12:7 (LIT/UBS4) Endure (hupomenete) into (eis) child-training (paideian);

the (ho) God (theos) brings you toward (humin prospheretai) [Him] as (hōs) sons (huiois).

Because (gar) which (tis) son (huios) [is there] whom (hon) [the] Father (patēr) absolutely does not (ou) child-train (paideuei)!?

Heb. 12:8 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) if (ei) you are (este) apart from (chōris) child-training (paideias), of which (hēs) all (pantes) have become (gegonasin) partners (metochoi), then (ara) you are (este) illegitimate ones (nothoi), and (kai) absolutely not (ouch) sons (huioi)!

The Argument

In Heb. 12:9-11, the next three verses, each verse functions as a premise of an argument in support of the proposition in Heb. 12:7-8, explaining WHY child-training is called for and needed, and WHAT are the mutual benefits of the child-training of them.

First Premise

Heb. 12:9 (LIT/UBS4) Next (eita), [it is] true (men), we have had (eichomen) child-trainers (paideutas), the (tous) fathers (pateras) of the (tēs) flesh (sarkos) of us (hēmōn), and (kai) we were being caused to be respectful (enetrepometha)!

But (de) shall we absolutely not (ou) [be] much (polu) more (mallon) in submission (hupotagēsometha) to the (tō) Father (patri) of the (tōn) spirits (pneumatōn), and (kai) we shall live (zēsomen)!?

Second Premise

Heb. 12:10 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar), [it is] true (men), the ones (hoi) toward (pros) a little (oligas) [number of] days (hēmeras) were child-training (epaideuon) [us] down (kata) the thing (to) being concluded (dokoun) [to be mutually beneficial] to them (autois)!

But (de) the (ho) [child-training of us] over (epi) the thing (to) being mutually beneficial (sumpheron) [was] into (eis) the (to) [child-training of us] to take together with (metalabein) [them] of the (tēs) holiness (hagiotētos) of Him (autou).

Third Premise

Heb. 12:11 (LIT/UBS4) But (de), [it is] true (men), any (pasa) child-training (paideia) toward (pros) the (to) present (paron) [time] is concluded (dokei) to absolutely not be (ou einai) a joy (charas), BUT (alla), a grief (lupēs)!

But (de) later (husteron) [it] gives away (apodidōsin) [the] peaceful (eirēnikon) produce (karpon) of righteousness (dikaiosunēs) to the ones (tois) having been trained (gegumnasmenois) through (di’) her (autēs);

The use of men is most often not in multiples as in this example, but in single exclamatory interjections, in a sentence forming a singular-premised argument to a simple proposition. I believe this example serves well to show the main purpose of the writers in their use of men, in argumentation.

I have seen no English translation which recognizes and reproduces the Hebrews writer's proposition and premises of an argument here in Heb. 12:4-11, or notice that men is used regularly, and virtually always, as an exclamatory interjection. [It is] true (men), that it's highly unfortunate for readers of God's word that men, which is used so obviously in the Greek texts of the Bible as an adjective of exclamatory interjection, appears to be either unknown or ignored in preparation of most all English translations.

3332 - he lifted it (metairō, verb) - This may be an idiom similar in meaning to our Western idiom to hoof it, meaning to go on foot. The gospel writer Matthew uses this idiom twice, Mat. 13:53 and Mat. 19:1. In the contexts the idiom appears to emphasize Jesus' determination to keep on the move to carry out his ministry, rather than how he kept moving. Try to imagine most all travel being done at a much slower pace in those days, on the back of an animal, or mostly on foot, rather as it is in our modern age in which we have a selection of multiple forms of high speed personal and mass transportion vehicles.

3439 - an only genus (monogenēs, pron. adj.) - A compound of two words from 3441 (monos, adj.) and 1085 (genos, noun). Monos is best translated as only or alone, and genos is best transliterated as genus. A genus is a "major category in the classification of animals, plants, etc., ranking above a species and below a family: it can include one species or many similar species..." (Webster's New World Dictionary & Thesaurus). For example:

I. Kingdom Animal Vegetable

II. Sub-Kingdom Vertebrata Phanerogamia

III. Class Mammalia Dicotyledon

IV. Order Carnivora Primate Rosiflorae

V. Family Canine Hominidae Rosaciae

VI. Genus Dog Homo "man" Rose

VII. Species Spaniel Homo Sapien "wise" Tea-rose

Words out of any context have general meanings based upon their roots and any affixes to them. But words used in contexts can be given more precise meanings, based upon how those words are used in any given context, which contextual meanings reflect their common colloquial or idiomatic usages.

From examining all 47 usages of monos in the UBS4, it is clear that it's range of nuances of meaning are limited to primarily only or alone.

From examining the contextual usages of all 21 occurrences of genos in the UBS4, it is clear that its common colloquial usage varies across 7 different "kinds" of genos:

1. Genus of fishes used 1 time (Mat. 13:47)

2. Genus of demon spirits used 2 times (Mat. 17:21, Mark 9:29) Jesus' use of genos in reference to demon spirits, together with the additional contextual facts, reveals that their are various genus of demon spirits.

3. Genus of nationality used 8 times (Mark 7:26, Acts 4:36, Acts 7:19, Acts 18:2, Acts 18:24, 2 Cor. 11:26, Gal. 1:14, Phil. 3:5)

4. Genus of specific human bloodline used 4 times (Acts 4:6, Acts 7:13, Acts 13:26, Rev. 22:16)

5. Genus of birth in God's Spirit used 3 times (Acts 17:28-29, 1 Pet. 2:9)

6. Genus of tongues/languages used 2 times (1 Cor. 12:10, 12:28)

7. Genus of sounds used 1 time (1 Cor. 14:10)

As we can see from the two charts, there can be much variety within the Genus level of classification. Understanding exactly what is the meaning of genos, as I've shown, gives us the foundational knowledge and understanding we need to further rightly cut God's Word (2 Tim. 2:15) to discover and understand the meaning of the 9 usages of monogenēs in the new covenant texts.

1. In Luke 7:12 monogenēs is used to describe the woman's one and only ("only", KJV) son of maternal birth, of bloodline descent (usage 4 above).

2. In Luke 8:42 monogenēs is used to describe Jairus' one and only ("one only", KJV) daughter of paternal birth, of bloodline descent (usage 4 above).

3. In Luke 9:38 monogenēs is used to describe the man's one and only ("only child", KJV) son of paternal birth, of bloodline descent (usage 4 above).

4. In John 1:14 monogenēs is used to describe God the Father's one and only ("of the only begotten", KJV) son of paternal birth, of spiritual descent (usage 5 above), AND of maternal birth and bloodline descent (Mat. 1:25; Rom. 1:3; Gal. 3;16), (usage 4 above). Up until the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, was God's only paternally birthed son. But since that day God the Father has given birth to many, many more sons (Rom. 8:29; John 3:5-6; Rom. 8:14-17; Rom. 9:8; 1 Pet. 1:23; 1 John 3:9). Jesus can't be referred to as a firstborn of God unless there are more which are going to be paternally born of God the Father (Heb. 12:23).

5. In John 1:18 monogenēs is used again to describe God the Father's one and only ("the only begotten", KJV) son of paternal birth, of spiritual descent (usage 5 above).

6. In John 3:16 monogenēs is used again to describe God the Father's one and only ("only begotten", KJV) son of paternal birth, of spiritual descent (usage 5 above).

7. In John 3:18 monogenēs is used again to describe God the Father's one and only ("only begotten", KJV) son of paternal birth, of spiritual descent (usage 5 above).

8. In Hebrews 11:17 monogenēs is used to describe Abraham's one and only ("his only begotten", KJV) son of paternal birth, of bloodline descent (usage 4 above).

9. In 1 John 4:9 monogenēs is used again to describe God the Father's one and only ("only begotten", KJV) son of paternal birth, of spiritual descent (usage 5 above).

As we can see, 4 usages of monogenēs are used to describe various individual's paternal and maternal birth of their one and only child of bloodline descent. Apostle John uses monogenēs 5 times to make the point that Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, had a beginning spiritually when God gave spiritual birth to him some time before the beginning of God's creation, and then subsequently the Word was made flesh through a physical, maternal and bloodline birth in the flesh through Mariam his fleshly mother who was of the bloodline of David, of the tribe of Judah, of the bloodline of Abraham.

3559 - mind-setting (nouthesia, common noun) - Describes the act of helping a fellow believer set their mind right with the sound teaching of God's Word. This is a reference to doctrine, reproof and correction, which is to be done in brotherly love and all humility and piety. Likewise as a clock is set to the correct time, we are to disciple ourselves to constantly keep setting our minds to God's Word. (See 1 Cor. 10:11; Eph. 6:4; Titus 3:10)

3618 - to build a domed-roof house (oikodomēō, verb) - See 456 - I shall build up a domed-roof house.

3619 - a domed-roof house (oikodomē, noun) - See 456 - I shall build up a domed-roof house.

3874 - a calling alongside (paraklēsis, common noun) - Paraklēsis is used about 29 times in the texts. It has a much broader meaning than any of the specific ways it has been translated in the KJV, and most all other English translations. The KJV has limited its meaning by translating its meaning as consolation 14 times, exhortation 8 times, comfort 6 times, and entreaty 1 time. Paraklēsis certainly can mean any one of these things, but its meaning is broader, and not restricted to simply one or another of these things in any context. The contexts in God's Word in which the about 29 usages of Paraklēsis appear define for us the much broader meaning this word had for the writers and characters of the new testament texts.

Paraklēsis literally refers to the act of having been called out to by another for the purpose of coming alongside together with them, toward the goal of producing a mutually beneficial result. It means a coming together. We often refer to our vocation as our calling, in which sense paraklēsis is used scripturally also.

In the koine Greek language, this dual compound word was commonly used in the middle eastern culture, about 2,000 years ago, on the opposite side of the planet from the western hemisphere, to describe the common everyday social occurrence of people simply coming together to work out and resolve issues there may be between them. On account of their geographical, geopolitical, chronological, philosophical, and religious differences from other ethnic groups around them, and many other unique factors of space and time which affected their social customs and culture, not to mention inspiration of the holy Spirit over them, the writers and characters of the new testament books of the Bible thought, spoke and wrote differently than we do in the western hemisphere, 2,000 years later, where we all speak perfect English! Right? This is how the one true God, through His son Christ Jesus, calls us out toward Him, as He always has called everyone throughout time, with straight out, forth coming, enunciated talk that gets right to the point, quick. He calls us alongside to Him through His Word He sent. Then we either decide to learn it, accept it and believe it, or complain about it, argue about it, and go away in a huff because we couldn't have it our way!

In all accept one usage of paraklēsis, Acts 4:36, the contextual purpose for calling another alongside was to share, preach, and teach God's Word to others, in the hope that ministering to them may result in their salvation/wholeness. This general, basic meaning, encompassing both purpose and result, is foundational and inherent in all of the usages of paraklēsis in the texts.

But in addition to this general basic meaning, some contexts describe more specific circumstantial conditions which lend more insight into the purposes and results of one calling out to another for them to come alongside. Based upon my own studies of all the usages of paraklēsis in its various contexts I've made several groupings of similar purposes and results.

1) - to repair a rift, such as was the desire of a few in Israel during the time of Jesus' earthly ministry who were waiting for the God to once again show His benevolence toward the children of Israel (Luke 2:25; Heb. 13:22).

2) - to warn those who are preserving/creating a rift, those who are primarily interested in personal monetary gain and the false security that it may provide, who are trading off short and long term salvation/wholeness for short term personal monetary gain (Luke 6:24; Heb. 13:22).

3) - to produce salvation/wholeness, the new birth above, baptism in God's gift of holy Spirit through Christ Jesus (Acts 9:31, 13:15-41; 2 Cor. 1:6; 2 Cor. 7:7; 1 Thes. 2:3; 1 Tim. 4:13).

4) - to inform, consol and comfort, reassure, emotionally strengthen, give hope, and so on (Acts 15:31; Rom. 12:8, 15:4; 1 Cor. 14:3; 2 Cor. 1:3-7; 2 Cor. 7:4, 7, 13, 8:17; 1 Thes. 2:3; 2 Thes. 2:16; 1 Tim. 4:13; Phm. 1:7; Heb. 6:18, 13:22).

5) - to produce like-mindedness in knowledge and/or unity of purpose among the believers, in thought, word, and actions (Rom. 15:5; 2 Cor. 8:4, 17; Phil. 2:1; 1 Tim. 4:13; Heb. 13:22).

3900 - side-falls (paraptōma, common noun) - What we think is what we say and do. Therefore controlling our thinking to stay focused upon the standards of God's Word is the heart of our discipleship to Christ Jesus. Where we "walk" in our minds, our domed-roof houses, is where we'll walk in the flesh. In the thoughts of our minds, when we wander off or away from the way of the truth of God's Word, we stumble in our discipleship, and we fall off the side of the path (John 11:9-10; 2 Pet. 2:20-22). When this happens we must get back to taking control of the thoughts of our minds (2 Cor. 10:5; 1 Pet. 1:13), we must get back to attentively hearing God's Word (1 Pet. 1:14), and thereby get back on the path, the way of holiness and righteousness (John 14:6), and get back to walking in the light (Rom. 6:4, 8:4; Gal. 5:16, 25; Eph. 4:1, 5:15).

The general pervasive idea of the desired mind set of a disciple of Christ Jesus, as portrayed throughout God's Word, is to keep one's footsteps, i.e., thoughts, placed accurately along the trusted path of righteousness, i.e., the truth of God's Word, in one's own personal behavior (Mark 7:5). In God's Word "miss-steps" of thoughts, words and actions, off to either side of the way, the truth, and the life, are referred to as wandering (planaō, Strong's #4105), which results in personal calamity, which is called a side-fall.

A virtually exact English idiom equivalent, which may have descended from this ancient Middle Eastern idiom, is a downfall, which is said to have happened to someone who has made a miss-step or mistake in their personal behavior. Whether a side-fall or a downfall, either is considered a departure from a previous higher level of respect and/or honor, to a lower level of respect and/or honor. An associated English idiom, used to describe what has happened to one who has arrived at a level of respect and/or honor which is so low that it is considered as far down as it may be possible to fall, is they have hit bottom.

In Matthew 6:14 Jesus advises that it is best to forgive others of their side-falls against us before we go to the Father with an offering of praise and thanksgiving and a prayer of need to Him, in order that He may forgive our side-falls and His grace may be granted toward us. In my opinion, in virtually all the records where Jesus did healings, and then said for them to "Rise up and walk", he referred to more than simply walking physically, but to their personal behavior going forward, to "walk" in their minds on the path of righteousness, to subsequently not habitually sin in their personal walk of behavior, which mental discipline shall reduce future side-falls.

3975 - is thickened (pachunō, verb) - In Matthew 13:15 Jesus, while preaching to crowds on the shoreline, refers to a prophecy of Isaiah (Isa. 6:9-10. See John 12:40, Acts 28:26-27 also) about a people who's collective "is thickened". I take this to be a figure of speech similar to our modern one in which we refer to a person's head as having become thick, i.e., they have become thick-headed, unable to think and comprehend. In Jesus' parable, the ones who are thick-hearted can't "hear" or "see" God's Word. Even though they may hear the sound of words being spoken, and/or they may see signs, miracles and wonders being done, they can't comprehend their meanings and subsequently put them together in their minds to understand their spiritual concepts and truths.

4018 - a throw-around (peribolaion, noun) - An article of clothing of some kind which is thrown around one's self to keep one clean and/or dry, and/or warm. See 1 Cor. 11:15 and Heb. 1:12.

4078 - pegged (pēgnumi, verb) - This word means to drive pins, pegs, or stakes into the ground, which is commonly done to set up a tent. The following is an excerpt from chapter 2 of my work titled God's Prophetic Holy Place ("Tent"), a "Domed-roof House".

In Heb. 8:2 the writer of Hebrews (Apostle Paul?) uses the word "tent" (Gk. skēnēs) in reference to a tabernacle, a temple, a holy place of some kind in which the God was supposed to dwell, according to Judeo-Christian oral tradition. But the writer refers to the true "tent" of the LORD God, the one which is "pegged" into place by the LORD, the God Himself, and absolutely not by a mortal. The writer uses the emphatic particle of negation, ouk, to dramatically slam this very important truth into the reader's minds that the true "tent" of the God, not the tabernacle (lit., tent of meeting) in the wilderness in the exodus (Exod. 33:7-11), not Solomon's, Zerubbabel's, or Herod's temples which were in Jerusalem, or any other 'house of Yehweh" or "house of Elohim" mentioned in the holy writings, was ever the true "tent" of the LORD God, because they were all made, built, set up, put in place, with the hands of mortals.

In Acts 2:23 the lawless ones of the children of Israel, Jesus referred to them as their father being the devil (John 8:44), through their skillful use of the Roman occupation to do their dirty work for them, they literally pegged (Gk. prospēxantes) Jesus Christ to the stake/peg (Gk. stauros) upon which his blood was poured out and he died, which stake was stuck/pegged into the ground. The same staking/pegging of Jesus Christ which killed him, through which he sacrificed his blood for us, was the same staking/pegging which the LORD God used to give those who believe upon Jesus' name, life, and to raise up His own true "tent' in which He truly NOW homes-down (Gk. katoikei)! because when He raised up Jesus out of the dead ones He raised us up with him, with the one who is the first-produced one out of the dead ones (Col. 1:18; Rev. 1:5; Rom. 8:11; 1 Cor. 6:14; 2 Cor. 4:14; Eph. 2:6).

I believe the literal act of "pegging" which the LORD God does is His act of giving His gift of holy Spirit, which he gave to Jesus Christ very shortly after his water baptism through John, the baptist. He giving His gift of holy Spirit is how He builds His "tent" with His own "hands". And now, the ascended and glorified Christ Jesus acting on his Father's behalf as His agent, as a "hand" of God so to speak, he pours out his Father's gift of holy Spirit, baptizing those in it who believe upon Jesus' name (Mat. 3:11).

Here's a brief outline of the prophetic holy writings, of how some of the OT and NT writings should be put together to clearly show exactly WHAT and WHERE is the "tent" which the LORD God "pegged" for Himself, the one in which He foretold He desired to dwell, the one which he made with His own "hands", in which He NOW homes down:

In the record in Exod. 15:1-21, in the words of the song Moses and the children of Israel sang to thank God for His deliverance of them through the Red sea, are the prophetic words describing God's future plan for the children of Israel:

Exod. 15:17 (YLT) Thou dost bring them in, And dost plant them In a mountain of Thine inheritance, A fixed place for Thy dwelling Thou hast made, O Jehovah; A sanctuary, O Lord, Thy hands have established;

Isaiah 66:1 (YLT) Thus said Jehovah: The heavens are My throne, And the earth My footstool, Where is this—the house that ye build for Me? And where is this—the place—My rest?

Isaiah 66:2 (YLT) And all these My hand hath made, And all these things are, An affirmation of Jehovah! And unto this one I look attentively, Unto the humble and bruised in spirit, And who is trembling at My word.

Disciple Stephen witnesses this magnificent truth which Isaiah spoke, witnessing to that it was part of the evangelism of Jesus Christ (), the word of reconciliation () which Jesus Christ and the apostles and disciples both preached and taught.

Acts 7:47 (LIT/UBS4) But Solomon built a domed-roof house³⁶¹⁸ (ōkodomēsen), a house for Him.

Acts 7:48 (LIT/UBS4) BUT, the highest one absolutely does not home-down (ouch katoikei) in hands-made places (cheiropoiētois)!

Down as the prophet says,

Acts 7:49 (LIT/UBS4) ‘The heaven [is] for me a throne.

But the land [is] a footstool of the feet of me.

Which house (oikon); shall you build domed-roof houses³⁶¹⁸ (oikodomēsete) for me?’ says [the] LORD.

Or, ‘What [is] a place of the pause of me?

Acts 7:50 (LIT/UBS4) Did absolutely not the hand of me make all these things?’

Apostle Paul witnesses the same magnificent truth, that the LORD God absolutely does not, and has absolutely not ever, dwelled in tabernacles or temples of any kind, made with mortal's hands. He has used them only to meet with His people. That's all!

Acts 17:24 (LIT/UBS4) The God, the one having made (poiēsas) the cosmos and all the things in it, [the things] of heaven and of land being subordinate (huparchōn) to this one, [the] LORD absolutely does not home-down (ouk katoikei) in hands-made (cheiropoiētois) holy places (naois)!

Jesus Christ preached and taught how he was going to raise up the true "tent" of the LORD God, which is also referred to prophetically as the "tent of David", through his own self-sacrifice of his own blood.

John 2:18 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore the Judeans judged away, and enunciated to him, “What sign do you point out to us that you do these things?”

John 2:19 (LIT/UBS4) Jesus was caused to judge away, and he enunciated to them, “Loosen this, the Holy Place, and in three days I shall arouse it!”

John 2:20 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore the Judeans enunciated, “This, the Holy Place, was built a domed-roof house³⁶¹⁸ [in] forty and six years, and you shall arouse it in three days?”

John 2:21 (LIT/UBS4) But that one was speaking about the Holy Place of the body of him.

John 2:22 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore when he was aroused out of dead ones the disciples of him remembered this that he was saying.

And they believed the writing, and the Word which the Jesus enunciated.

When Christ Jesus was present the first time, during his presence in which he shed his blood, he literally was the heir to the thrown of David, being a son of David, his "father" in the flesh (Luke 1:32; John 7:42; Rom. 1:3; 2 Tim. 2:8; Rev. 5:5, 22:16). At that time and thereafter he is and still is the king of the Judeans, and he has been the high sacrificial priest of all of those who have believed, and who shall believe upon his name (Heb. 8:1-2).

Additional facts and truth from the holy writings tell us that the LORD God's "tent" is going to be the very same one as the "tent of David" which has "fallen down", which falling down came to pass when the heir to the throne of David, Jesus Christ, was murdered. See my study, Jesus' Genealogy published at my website. The beginning of the setting up of the "tent" of the LORD God, the "tent of David", began with the pegging/staking of Jesus Christ. The actual raising up of the "tent of David" occurred WHEN the God raised Jesus up out of dead ones! And the facts and truth of the holy writings tell us that the LORD God's "tent" is still being built, one believer at a time, each time a believer believes upon the name of Jesus and receives a baptism above in God's gift of holy Spirit from and through Christ Jesus!

Amos 9:11 (YLT) In that day I raise the tabernacle of David, that is fallen, And I have repaired their breaches, And its ruins I do raise up, And I have built it up as in days of old.

Amos 9:12 So that they possess the remnant of Edom, And all the nations on whom My name is called, An affirmation of Jehovah—doer of this.

In Acts 15 Apostle James comments on Amos' prophecy, making it crystal clear, as recorded by Luke in the book of Acts, 15:13-17, that this prophecy of Amos 9:11-12 HAS ALREADY COME TO PASS before the time of Jame's speaking of it; it having come to pass as recorded in Acts 10 with apostle Peter's visit to Cornelius and his household, ones of of another ethnic group, i.e., gentiles, to bring the knowledge of salvation through belief in the name of Jesus Christ to them. Acts 10 records the event which for the first time brought in believers from an ethnic group other than the children of Israel, into being part of the building of God's "tent".

The building of God's "tent", i.e., a "domed-roof house", certainly IS the context here in Acts 15:7-20, recorded about two thousand years ago, as much as some "Christian leaders" refuse to believe that the LORD God has ALREADY raised up His "tent' of homing down, the true "tent', the one ABSOLUTELY NOT made with mortal's hands, but the "tent" which the LORD God made/raised up, and is still making/raising it up, with His own "hands"!

Acts 15:13 (LIT/UBS4) But with the [passing of the time] of them to be hushed, James was caused to make a decision (apekrithē), saying, “Males, brothers, hear me!

Acts 15:14 (LIT/UBS4) Simeon led out¹⁸³⁴ first, down as the God caused Himself to scope in upon (epeskepsato) [them] to take out of ethnic groups (ethnōn) a people for the name of Him.

Acts 15:15 (LIT/UBS4) And to this the words of the prophets symphonize (sumphōnousin), down as it has been written:

Acts 15:16 (LIT/UBS4) “With [the passing of] these things I shall turn up³⁹⁰, and I shall build up a domed-roof house⁴⁵⁶ (anoikodomēsō), the tent (skēnēn) of David, the one having fallen (peptōkuian).

And of the things of her having been dug down I shall build up a domed-roof house⁴⁵⁶ (anoikodomēsō), and I shall build her straight up (anorthōsō autēn);

Acts 15:17 (LIT/UBS4) so that perhaps the ones remaining down of the mortals, all the ethnic groups also upon whom the name of me has been called aloud upon them, they may seek out (ekzētēsōsin) the LORD,” says [the] LORD doing these things,

Acts 15:18 (LIT/UBS4) things known (gnōsta) from (ap’) [the] age (aiōnos).

In John 10 Jesus Christ certainly recognized the meaning of Amos' prophecy:

John 10:16 (LIT/UBS4) And I have others, sheep which are absolutely not out of the courtyard of this!

It is necessary (dei) [for] me (me) to lead (agagein) those ones also (kakeina).

And (kai) the (tēs) sound (phōnēs) of me (mou) they shall hear (akousousin).

And (kai) they shall cause themselves to become (genēsontai) one (mia) flock (poimnē), [having] one (heis) shepherd (poimēn).

Since the day of Pentecost all those, no matter which ethnic group, who BELIEVE upon Jesus' name become his sheep (John 10:26). All those who are Jesus' sheep hear his voice, and he knows them, and they follow him (John 10:27). Jesus and his "sheep" are the "tent" of the LORD God. They are the ones upon which the LORD God had His "eye", as prophesied and recorded in Isaiah 66:2.

Heb. 8:1 (LIT/UBS4) But [the] head cost²⁷⁷⁴ (kephalaion) over the things being said [is this]:

We have a chief sacrificial priest like this, one who sat down in (en) right (dexia) of the throne of the magnificence (megalōsunēs) in the heavens;

Heb. 8:2 (LIT/UBS4) a liturgist (leitourgos) of the holy things, and of the tent (skēnēs), the true one (alēthinēs), which the LORD pegged⁴⁰⁷⁸ (epēxen), absolutely not (ouk) a mortal (anthrōpos)! (See

Heb. 9:11 (LIT/UBS4) But Christ having caused himself to become alongside (paragenomenos) a chief sacrificial priest (archiereus) of the good things having caused themselves to come to pass (genomenōn), through the greater and completed (teleioteras) tent (skēnēs), one absolutely not (ou) hand-made (cheiropoiētou), (this (taut’) [completed tent] is (estin) absolutely not (ou) of this (tautēs), the (tēs) [present] creation (ktiseōs)),

Heb 9:12 (LIT/UBS4) but absolutely not (oude) through (di’) blood of he-goats and of young offspring, but through (dia) the blood of his own he entered in once upon a time (ephapax) into (eis) the (ta) holy places (hagia), he having caused himself to find (heuramenos) ageless (aiōnian) redemption (lutrōsin)!

Many have interpreted this verse to mean that it refers to Jesus physically walking into the "holy place" in the temple in Jerusalem. But that is absolutely not how the "holy place" is qualified in the context of this passage by the writer! This reference, Heb. 9:11-12, is to the prophesied "tent" of the LORD God, which was the "holy place" into which Jesus Christ entered! The writer of Hebrews is absolutely not talking about a physical "tent", a physical "holy place" of some kind that exists somewhere, or ever existed in the present creation! The writer is still talking about the "tent" he mentioned back in Heb. 8:2, the one which the LORD "pegged", a "tent" which is absolutely not "pegged" by a mortal man. The "tent" into which Jesus Christ "entered into" is a "tent" which cannot be built by human hands!

In these two verses the writer of Hebrews tells us THAT the man Jesus Christ entered in into the "tent", the holy place, and HOW the man Jesus Christ entered in into that holy place; he entered in (instrumental method) into the prophesied "tent" of God through (dia), or by way of, the sacrifice of himself, through the shedding of his own blood. The writer of this passage, Heb. chapters 8-9, clearly states that he is talking about the prophesied "tent" which is ABSOLUTELY NOT (please notice the emphatic particle of negation, ou) hand-made, which we have learned from other passages means the hands of mortal men did not and cannot build it because it is not of the present creation, and the LORD God says He is going to build it with His own "hands". (Exod. 15:17; Heb. 8:2).

These verses show definitively that although Jesus Christ was a mortal man, the LORD God did the "pegging". These verses show how the God instrumentally used the first-produced (Gk. prōtotokos) thing He created out of all of His creation (Col. 1:15), the Word which "became flesh (sarx) and tented (eskēnōsen) among (en) us (hēmin) (John 1:14), to "peg" His prophesied His true place to stay, His true "tent", which is not made with human hands, but with God's own "hand".

When did the LORD God first "move in" to His own prophesied "tent"? I believe it was immediately after Jesus' water baptism by John the baptist, when the Spirit of God, as if it was a dove, came down upon Jesus (Mat. 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22). I believe also that was day when Jesus Christ became spiritually 'begotten" by his Father, the God, since that was when Jesus received into him the God's paternal seed (1 Pet. 1:23; Rom. 8:15-17), God's gift of holy Spirit.

I believe just as Jesus Christ received sonship with his heavenly Father, the God, likewise all those who believe God's Word about Jesus Christ, and who thusly believe upon Jesus' name receive sonship as well, through receiving God's Spirit into themselves as Jesus did. This is the record in God's Word of how all, including Jesus Christ himself, become paternal sons of the God, through receiving the new birth above, a baptism in God's gift of holy Spirit, the gift of Himself!

According to apostle Paul, in his letter to the believers in the Colosse area, the God moved into His prophesied "tent" completely!

Col. 1:19 (LIT/UBS4) because (hoti) all (pan) the (to) fulness (plērōma) [of the God] well-approved (eudokēsen) to home-down (katoikēsai) in (en) him (autō); (See Col. 2:9; Eph. 3:16-19)

Col. 1:20 (LIT/UBS4) and (kai) through (di’) him (autou) to reconcile (apokatallaxai) all the things (ta panta) into (eis) Himself (auton), making peace (eirēnopoiēsas) through (di’) him (autou);

[making peace] through (dia) the (tou) blood (haimatos) of the (tou) stake (staurou) of him (autou), whether (eite) the things (ta) [are] upon (epi) the (tēs) land (gēs), whether (eite) the things (ta) [are] in (en) the (tois) heavens (ouranois)! (See Luke 5:17; John 3:2, 5:19-20, 8:16, 29, 9:33, 10:38, 14:10-11, 28; Acts 10:38; 2 Cor. 5:18-19; Eph. 4:6; Col. 1:19-20)

Col. 2:9 (LIT/UBS4) Because in him homes-down (katoikei) all the fullness (plērōma) of the godliness (theotētos) [of God] bodily (sōmatikōs)! (See Col. 1:19; Eph. 3:16-19)

The LORD God was living in His 'tent" completely, in his entirety, while He was reconciling us to Himself, so we could come into His own "tent" with Him!

4274 - a precursor (prodromos, pronominal adj.) - From 4253 pro, meaning before or pre, and 1408 dromos, meaning a course. I believe the pronominal adjective prodromos is best literally translated using the Latin-based noun precursor, meaning one who goes before or first. The entire meaning of the word prodromos, like many other words, is not entirely inherent within the word itself, but the meaning of the word must be ascertained given the immediate context in which the word is used.

In the context of Heb. 6:20 the meaning of prodromos is one who shows a course ahead for others to follow, that one being Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ caused himself to become a sacrificial priest after the order of Melchisedec through the sacrifice of himself, thereby qualifying him to enter in into the inner-most holy place of God's "tent", the "house" of God (Heb. 7:24-27, 10:1-23). Christ Jesus then made all those who believe upon his name to become sacrificial priests as well (1 Pet. 2:1-10) after the order of Melchisedec, through giving them a new birth above, baptizing them in the Father's gift of holy Spirit, thusly causing them to become parts of Christ Jesus' one body. All those in Christ Jesus' one body, they now being living "stones", they are now being built into God's Spirit-based "house", and they are sacrificial priests. And thusly they are qualified as well to enter in after Christ Jesus, into the most holy place in God the Father's "tent", since they are parts of the "tent", the "house", to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God (1 Pet. 2:5). The one body of Christ is being built into the homing-down place of the God, in one Spirit (Eph. 2:13-22)!

4335 - utterances toward [God] (proseuchē, common noun) - See 4336.

4336 - utter toward [God] (proseuchomai, verb) - A term referencing personal prayer to our heavenly Father through speaking in tongues. It is also used of praying with our understanding. For a few noun references to speaking in tongues see Luke 19:46; Rom. 15:30; Eph. 6:18. For a few verb references to speaking in tongues see Rom. 8:25-26; 1 Cor. 14:13-15, Eph. 6:18; Jude 1:20. In the new covenant writings there are about 37 usages of the noun, and about 87 usages of the verb. The reader of God's Word needs to determine for himself/herself which references are those which refer to speaking in tongues.

4362 - having pegged (prospēgnumi, verb) - In Acts 2:23 apostle Peter recalls a vivid account of the staking and death of Jesus Christ, announcing to all in Jerusalem, on the day of Pentecost, that by the hand of lawless ones among them they annihilated their own Christ. See 4078 - pegged, for its description and the associated anti-type.

4475 - a rodding, roddings (rhapisma, common noun) - To beat with a rod. See Mark 14:65, John 18:22, 19:3.

4483 - shall we word (rheō, verb) - To put something into words to explain it. In our own culture when challenged to explain something apparently difficult or complicated, we might rhetorically say, "How shall I word this?", which I believe is our modern version of the very same idiom.

In Rom. 3:5, apostle Paul asks the rhetorical question about the obvious disparity between our unrighteousness before our repentance and salvation, compared to God's righteousness. Arguing as a mortal for a moment, Paul asks how can God accept our unrighteousness alongside of His own righteousness; and is God unrighteous to demonstrate His anger over unrighteousness? Down through verse 20 of the same chapter Paul explains very well, using carefully chosen words, WHY God's anger over unrighteousness is not unrighteous, but rather righteous. Through this Paul sets up his next explanation of how great is our salvation for which God made provision through His own son, Jesus Christ. God's provision for our salvation and righteousness through Jesus Christ is both rather righteous and gracious, through who's shed blood, and our own belief upon Jesus' name, our heavenly Father has made us as righteous as Himself (2 Cor. 5:21)!

4521 - sabbath days (sabbaton, common noun) - I believe many scholars and translators fail to recognize and understand that this word, sabbaton, being in the plural, as such is a reference to a complete seven day weekly cycle, which weekly cycle ends with a sabbath day, it being the seventh day of the cycle. I believe sabbaton is a reference to the seven day weekly cycle as a whole, but it is in the plural because it references the plurality of days which are within the whole seven day weekly cycle.

At the time of Jesus Christ's earthly ministry the children of Israel were following a seven day weekly cycle, each seventh day of that cycle being a sabbath day. The six days prior to the seventh day sabbath day belonged to that particular coming seventh day as part of its cycle. A sabbath day was the seventh day, the ending day, and the most important day of that seven day weekly cycle.

In Mat. 28:1 and Mark 16:2 we can see how a day of a seven day cycle is commonly referenced in an ordinal manner, being referenced by a number for its position in the series of the six days leading up to the seventh day. In both records we see a reference to the first day of the "sabbath days", which indicates also both the completion of a previous seven-day cycle, and the beginning of a new seven day cycle.

Mat. 28:1 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) late evening (opse) of [the] sabbath days⁴⁵²¹ (sabbatōn), the (tē) dawning (epiphōskousē) into (eis) first (mian) [day] of [the] sabbath days⁴⁵²¹ (sabbatōn), Mariam (Mariam), the (hē) Magdalene (Magdalēnē), and (kai) the (hē) other (allē) Mariam (Maria) came (ēlthen) to observe (theōrēsai) the (ton) sepulcher (taphon).

In Mat. 28:1, the phrase translated as "of [the] sabbath days" is a reference to their seven day weekly cycle. I believe the phrase "but late evening of the sabbath days" refers to the ending of the seventh day of a previous seven day weekly cycle, which day would be a Saturday; while "the dawning into first [day] of [the] sabbath days" refers to the beginning of the next seven day weekly cycle, and refers specifically to the first day of that weekly cycle, which would be a Sunday according to our modern calendar.

Mark speaks of this seven-day cycle in the same idiomatic manner as Matthew.

Mark 16:2 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) very greatly (lian) early (prōi) the (tē) first (mia) [day] of the (tōn) sabbath days⁴⁵²¹ (sabbatōn), they cause themselves to come (erchontai) upon (epi) the (to) memorial (mnēmeion), the (tou) sun (hēliou) having rose up (anateilantos).

According to our modern, western method of naming the days of the week, at the time of Jesus' earthly ministry the seventh day, the sabbath day, of the children of Israel's seven-day weekly cycle was always on a Saturday (with the exception of special high days which were considered sabbaths as well), and the first day of their weekly cycle always began with Sunday. Their weekly sabbath cycles started with Sunday, the first day of the "sabbath days", and ended on Saturday, the seventh day of the "sabbath days", the seventh day being the sabbath day itself, the most important day of the weekly cycle.

In Acts 16:13 we can see Luke's reference to the seventh day itself, the sabbath day, being mentioned articulately through his use of the article.

Acts 16:13 (LIT/UBS4) And (te) the (tē) day (hēmera) of the (tōn) sabbath days⁴⁵²¹ (sabbatōn) we went out (exēlthomen), outside (exō) of the (tēs) gate (pulēs), alongside (para) a river (potamon) where (hou) we decided (enomizomen) [there] to be (einai) utterance toward (proseuchēn) [God].

And (kai) having sat down (kathisantes) we were speaking (elaloumen) to the (tais) females (gunaixin) having come together (sunelthousais).

Luke says, "the day of the sabbath days", explicitly in regard to the importance of the seventh day in the seven-day weekly cycle. Of the seven days of the weekly cycle the seventh day, the sabbath day, was the most import day. It was 'the day" of all of the days of the weekly cycle.

At that time in history their twenty-four hour daily cycle, which we call a "day", began at what we know as our 6 PM in the evening. And so the first twelve-hour period of their daily cycle was, for the most part, dark; while the second twelve-hour period of their daily cycle was, for the most part, light.

In the holy scriptures, in the Greek texts of the NT, we can see that in the culture of those people they made a clear distinction about their twenty-four hour periods as having two, more or less equal parts. The NT writers use two common words, describing two twelve-hour periods of their twenty-four hour daily cycle. The first twelve-hour period from 6 PM to 6 AM, which was mostly dark (depending somewhat upon the time of the year) was commonly referred to as night (Gk., nux; Mat. 4:2, Mark 13:35). The second twelve-hour period from 6 AM to 6 PM, which was mostly light (depending somewhat upon the time of the year) was commonly referred to as day (Gk., hēmera; Mat. 12:40, Acts 2:15).

In Acts 2:15 Luke's record of what Apostle Peter said helps us understand a little more about how they commonly spoke about specific times of both their night and day twelve-hour periods. Apostle Peter spoke of what is our 9 AM as their "third hour of the 'day'". Since their "day" period began at 6 AM, three hours later would be 9 AM. Therefore their sixth-hour of the "day" would be 12 PM, and their ninth-hour of the "day" would be 3 PM, which time of "day", shortly thereafter, Jesus Christ died (Mt. 27:46-50).

In Mark 13:35 Jesus Christ mentions the various four watches into which night was divided. This division was based upon the times during a night when Roman soldiers and guards commonly would try to stay up and try to stay alert, watching for any occurrences of undesirable activity and alert others of its presence.

First watch, the late evening (Gk., opse) watch;

second watch, the midnight (Gk., mesonuktion) watch;

third watch, the cock-sound (Gk., alektorophōnia) watch;

fourth watch, the early (Gk., prōi) watch.

James M. Freeman, in his book titled, "Manner and Customs of the Bible", describes the four nightly watches:

"After the Jews became subject to the Roman power they adopted the Roman method of dividing the watches. These watches were four: the first being from sunset to three hours later; the second from this time to midnight; the third from midnight to three hours before sunrise; and the fourth from this time until sunrise."

See also Mat. 14:25, 24:43; Mark 6:48; Luke 12:38 for references to watches.

4698 - spleens (splanchnon, noun) - Apparently the ancient idiomatic meaning of splanchnon referenced a collection of internal organs including the spleen, but not simply the spleen individually, since our bodies hold only one spleen and splanchnon is always in the plural in the text. In Luke 1:78, Php. 2:1, Col. 3:12 and 1 John 3:17 the idiom attributes the emotion, attitude and subjective response of mercy to the spleens, which may be its general and primary figurative meaning. In Philemon 1:7 and 20 apostle Paul speaks of spleens as the source of one's energy and determination, which need to be "refreshed", as though they were the source of his strength and ability to show forth the grace of God given to him (v20), and to the spleens of the holy ones needing refreshing as well (v7). Splanchnon is used 11 times in the text. The meanings in the contexts, taken as a whole, imply that showing mercy, or any grace of God which comes forth out of the spleens, requires strength, and is physically and mentally draining. A close common idiom in our English cultures may be seen in the use of our word gut, such as in, "I haven't the guts to go through with it", or "He sure has guts", or "I can feel it in my guts", or "My gut feeling tells me that...", and so on.

"Bowels" is a translation used in modern versions to refer to intestines and other entrails (Acts 1:18). In the KJV "bowels" is also used to refer to the sexual reproductive system (2 Sam. 16:11; Ps. 71:6) and, figuratively, to strong emotions (Job 30:27), especially love (Song 5:4) and compassion (Col. 3:12). Both Hebrew and Greek picture the entrails as the center of human emotions and excitement." ²

4925 - are being built together [into] a domed-roof house (sunoikodomeō, verb) - See 3618.

4982 - made/make whole (sōsō, verb) - This verb is used generally in the sense of restoring someone or something back into it's original or intended condition of health and wholeness. It is used in the sense of keeping whole a mortal from sickness, disease or loss of life, and in making whole a person, where their physical and/or mental health is restored from sickness, disease, and demonic possession. The word is used in the sense also of adding a new part to the makeup of a mortal's being; adding the gift of holy Spirit into a mortal's being through the new birth above, to a sin nature-based mortal's precondition of possessing only a body and soul (1 Thes. 5:23). This becomes the most prevalent meaning of most all the usages of sōsō in the book of Acts and subsequent new covenant writings.

A sin nature-based mortal without the Spirit from above apostle Paul refers to as a soul-based mortal, and as being in the flesh (Rom. 7:5, 8:1-17; 1 Cor. 2:14). Flesh and blood alone, without the addition of the holy Spirit in a mortal, cannot inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 15:50). According to God's Word, their is a foundational requirement any mortal must fulfill to receive anything from God, especially to be made whole, and that requirement is to BELIEVE God's Word (Heb. 11:6), because without belief it is impossible to please God. It is belief in God's Word in the heart of a mortal, and thereby it is through that belief a mortal can become righteous in God's eyes. Therefore, to be kept whole or be made whole by God requires belief that God is willing, able and desires to keep or make you whole, which He is always (3 John 1:2).

In the immediate context of the abundance of usages of sōsō in the new covenant writings, it is made plainly clear that belief is required to receive wholeness, whether to be kept whole or to be made whole from physical diseases and illnesses, or to be made whole spiritually from eternal destruction, through receiving the new birth above, the gift of holy Spirit.

In Mark 5:22-24, one of the leaders of the synagogue name Jairus, confessing with his mouth what he believes in his heart, and acting upon his belief by coming to Jesus, receives his little daughter made whole (sōthē).

In Mat. 9 and Mark 5, about a female who was hemorrhaging blood for twelve years, she believed in her heart that God wanted her to be healed, and that Jesus Christ was God's provision for her healing, and that if she stated and acted (Mark 5:28) upon that belief she would be healed and become whole again. In Mat. 9:22 Jesus said, "Have courage daughter, the belief of you has made whole (sesōken) you."

In Mat. 14 Jesus had to stretch out his hand to Peter to keep him whole (sōson), i.e., to preserve his life from possibly drowning, because Peter's level of belief was too little (oligopiste, i.e. one of little belief) to sustain him walking upon the water to Jesus.

In Mat. 8:10 the centurion had so much (tosautēn) belief (pistin) for his child (Gk. pais) to receive healing.

In Mat. 15:21-28, a Cannanite gentile woman demonstrates great (megalē) belief (pistis) to Jesus (Mat. 15:22) to receive healing for her daughter.

In Mark 10 a blind man has enough belief to be made whole (sesōken) and receive his eye sight (Mark 10:46-52).

In Mat. 27, in a record where Jesus is hanging upon the stake, the chief priests stroll by and mock him through saying, "[He] made whole (esōsen) others; himself [he is] absolutely not inherently powered to keep whole (sōsai)!" (Mat. 27:42).

In Mat. 1:21, in a dream, a messenger prophesied to Joseph that through holy Spirit a child has been engendered in Mariam, a child who shall make whole (sōsei) the people of him, i.e., those among the seed of Abraham who shall believe in the name of Jesus (Rom. 10:9-10).

In Luke 6:9 Jesus states that the opposite of being made whole (esōsen), which opposite is the default ongoing sinful condition of mortalkind, is loss (apolesai, verb, Strong's # 622, to lose, or to destroy). Jesus most often uses this word to imply the concept of gain versus loss. This is a much deeper concept than one's mere destruction, since it reflects the heart of the issue over the value of the booty for which spiritual warfare is fought, over a believer's eternal gain versus eternal loss; eternal life and being a full-sharer with Christ of God's inheritance, or nothing!

In Luke 8:12, Jesus, in his parable, describes how that after mortals have heard God's Word that the devil comes and takes up God's Word out of their hearts so that they may not be able to believe, and therefore may not be able to be made whole (sōthōsin). I believe this verse refers to being made or kept whole from destruction through either receiving physical and mental healing and/or receiving the new birth above, the gift of holy Spirit, the new birth above.

In Luke 8:26-39 Jesus delivers a mortal from possession by demon spirits and he is made whole (esōthē) (Luke 8:36).

See also Luke 8:50, 9:56, 17:19, 18:26; John 3:17, 5:34, 10:9, 12:47; Acts 2;21, 2:40 (keep yourselves whole from defilement), 2:47 (receive the new birth above, holy Spirit), 4:12, 11:14, 16:30-31; Rom. 5:10, 10:9-10; 1 Cor. 1:21; Eph. 2:8; 1 Tim. 2:4; 2 Tim. 4:18; Titus 3:5; James 1:21, 5:15.

5187 - having become a cloud of smoke (tuphoō, verb) - A derogatory idiom referring to the veracity of what one is saying as being highly questionable; the "cloud of smoke" being a huge gathering of unsubstantiated and unverified assertions "floating around in the air", having no authoritative source for their truthfulness.

This idiom is used three times by apostle Paul in his letter to Timothy, 1 Tim. 3:6, 6:4; 2 Tim. 3:4. In 1 Tim. 3:6 apostle Paul, speaking about the qualifications for an overseer, uses it to equate the quality of what a neophyte disciple may speak, someone who is very zealous for the truth, but who does not yet have enough accurate knowledge of the holy scriptures, and experience in discipleship to God and his son Christ Jesus in their spiritual walk, to speak comprehensively and thusly authoritatively about these things.

This idiom is very similar to our Western idiom used in regard to someone who doesn't know what they are talking about, in reference to them as just blowing smoke. Apostle Paul defines this idiom in its other two usages. Like the vast majority of ancient Middle Eastern idioms, this one too is lost in virtually all English translations, being substituted with hopelessly inadequate paraphrases and "synonyms".

5179 - a type, types, an imprint (tupos, noun) - Tupos appears to be used in two related ways:

Tupos is used in the sense of something written as being a very close copy of an authentic original, as an original writing might be reproduced into several copies, for which sense I translate tupos as an imprint. Tupos is used metaphorically also, to qualify objective things as examples, models or patterns which represent true spiritual realities, spiritual things, ideas and concepts.

"Tupos, anything produced by repeated blows, hence, a mark or impression made by a hard substance on one of softer material; then, a model, pattern, exemplar in the widest sense."³E. W. Bullinger

5268 - a meek one, a son of a yoked-under one (hupozugion, noun) - In Mat. 21:5 Matthew records that Jesus chose to ride into Jerusalem on a foal, "a son of a yoked-under one", which fulfills the prophecy of Zech. 9:9. If Zech. 9:9 is about Jesus riding into Jerusalem to be staked, and to shed his blood so the prophesied "promise of the Father" (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:16-21) prophecy could literally be fulfilled and come to pass, i.e., the building of the one body of Christ, of God's true place to stay, His true "tent" made without human hands, then what do you think the rest of Zech. 9 might be about?

This verse is fudged in virtually all English translations of the Bible, to remove the wording "a son of a yoked-under one" from appearing to readers, which absence thusly obliterates the explicit metaphorical parallel diminution present in the text between Jesus and the foal. Why did Jesus chose to ride into Jerusalem on the back of a foal? And why would the theological cartels which produce English translations desire that to be fudged out of God's Word?

If Jesus Christ was God, then how could he be a son of a yoked-under one, i.e., a Son of Man (Gk. ho huios tou anthropou), literally meaning "the son of the mortal", i.e., Adam. The "yoke of bondage" was the Mosaic Law (Acts 15:10; Gal. 5:1-4), which the God imposed upon mortalkind on account of the posterity of Adam being in bondage and slavery to sin and death (Rom. 5:12-13). The law allowed the God to deliver some measure of deliverance from the ravages of sin on mortalkind until the arrival of the promised messiah, Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ became manifested and born in the flesh, as the Son of a Mortal, more specifically as a son of Israel. Jesus became a son of mortalkind, which became yoked-under to the devil, and to sin and death through Adam's sin. Although Jesus came in the flesh as a son of a yoked-under one, Adam, he was still the rightful heir to the throne of David as the king of Israel. But while in the flesh he voluntarily denied his own heir to the throne of David, to the throne of Israel, and denying his own kingship he died so that no longer death would be king over all mortalkind, (Rom. 5:14), BUT, that all of mortalkind could become kings (Rom. 5:6-17)!

Along with Rom. 5:6-17, Gal. 4:1-5 and Php. 2:3-6 give us much more of the answer to the question as to WHY Jesus Chose to ride into Jerusalem on "a son of a yoked-under one", he himself being a son of a yoked-under one, a son of Adam, and of David (1 Cor. 15:21; Please see Jesus' fleshly genealogy through his mother, Mariam, in Mat. 1:1-16). According to all of the Greek texts I've seen, apostle Paul in 1 Cor. 15:21, 45-47, and in many other records, says that Jesus Christ was a mortal man!

Since according to Trinitarian theology Jesus Christ is a person of a supposed "godhead", and supposedly co-equal in ALL things to the other two persons of the godhead, maybe this is why the Trinitarian theology-based "translators" and translation committees were compelled to obliterate the wording in God's Word, "a son of a yoked-under one".

I believe they believed that if they simply quoted the ancient writers, this quote along with all of the others which have been fudged, would simply be too challenging to the plausibility and believability of the Trinitarian theology in the eyes of the readers; because this passage would, along with many others, draw too much attention to Jesus' humanity, mortality and weaknesses (Heb. 2:18, 4:15; James 1:13; John 5:19, 10:38, 14:10, 28).

5419 - phrase (phrazō, verb) - In Mat. 15:15 Peter, a disciple in this record at that time, was asking Jesus to break down the explanation to them of his parable into parts for them, so they could more easily understand the inherent meanings of its parts, and so then its overall meaning.

5479 - a joy and [a reason for] jumping for joy (chara, common noun), (agalliasis, noun, 20) - In Luke 1:14 the messenger Gabriel, speaking to Elizabeth about the birth of John the Baptist, implies that he (John) shall be "[a reason for] jumping for joy", i.e., a reason to have joy and a reason for dancing, because he shall be great in the sight of the Lord (God).

5678 - a harold (rekkēd_lah, common noun) - Apparently a word borrowed from an unknown source. One who makes known a mystery, or a secret.

absolutely not (ou, part., 3756) - A particle of absolute negation. Much more emphatic than mē, another common particle of negation. I always translate ou as absolutely not, and then use an exclamation point at the end of the sentence to communicate the emphatic meaning of ou.

alongside (para, prep., 3844) - Beside or alongside. It is very common in the Greek text for prepositions describing spatial relationships between or among objects, to be used to describe social, professional and/or spiritually assigned relationships also between or among people. Spatially, Para defines the relationship between two or more objects as being side by side, in close proximity. Para is commonly used in the text spatially to describe the location to which something is assigned after it no longer is cooperative or useful. In our English culture when we have something before us such as a tool of some kind which we are using, when we are finished using it, or no longer can use it because it is broken or unfit for the task at hand, we set it aside and move on to using the appropriate tool which is fit for the task. This concept is commonly expressed in God's Word. For example in Romans 1:24, 26, 28 God gave them alongside (the impious and unjust mortals) because he couldn't work with them. God set them aside and quit trying to work with them because they refused to cooperate. The reasons why he set them aside are given in the verses. After God has given mortals alongside, i.e., set them aside for reasons such as are given in Romans 1, they are no longer under His hand of protection, and vulnerable to the devil to lose even their mortal life (John 10:9).

another kind (heteros, adj., 2087) - Heteros means another of a different kind generically. A closely associated word in meaning is allos, which means another numerically. As apostle Paul says in Gal. 1:6-7, he wondered why the believers in Galatia were so quickly transferred to following an "evangelism" of another kind generically (heteros), which could only be a false evangelism since there is only one true evangelism of our Lord Jesus Christ. Since there is only one true evangelism, any other so-called "evangelism" by necessity could only be another generically, because there is no such thing as a second, third or fourth true evangelism. There's only one true evangelism, which Paul says he preached and taught. I have made the distinction between heteros and allos explicit in my translation so the reader is signaled to think more deeply into the meaning meant by the author. There are no other "evangelisms", including any and all theological theories, which can claim to be the true evangelism, or part of the true evangelism, which apostle Paul taught. If apostle Paul didn't specifically and plainly preach and teach it then it is not the true evangelism which Paul preached and taught, which he received by revelation from Jesus Christ (Gal. 1:12).

aroused (egeirō, verb, 1453) - Depending upon the context where used, it means to wake up and become alert, either literally or figuratively, from either death, or sleep, or from resting. In general it means to get up and get moving.

be drawn over (epispaomai, verb, 1986) - This is a reference to surgical operation where a circumcised male has his foreskin (prepuce) replaced. See 1 Macc. 1:15; Josephus, Ant. XII, V. I. Thayer says:"...there had been Jews who, in order to conceal from heathen persecutors or scoffers the external sign of their nationality, sought artificially to compel nature to reproduce the prepuce, by extending or drawing forward with an iron instrument the remnant of it still left, so as to cover the glans." —Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon

bear through (diapherō, verb, 1308) - It is used in several shades of meaning, but the general idea is to have stamina, to have the ability to keep on going, to keep on producing. A good English idiom, which is virtually identical to some of its shades of meaning, is "to bear through it under pressure." In English we may commonly say, "to bear up under pressure" as well. In Mark 11:16 is used of bearing (carrying) a vessel through the sacred place. In Luke 12:24, if God feeds the crows that absolutely do not sow nor reap, that absolutely do not have a storage area or apothecary, how much more shall God help those who believe to bear through than the birds? In 1 Cor. 15:41, stars differ in how much of the light from each one bears through the heavens to become visible upon earth. In Gal. 4:1, an heir, speaking of a son of God who is still an infant, cannot bear through as much as a slave.

beat [it] (ekopsasthe, verb, 2875) - This is an idiom meaning to show grief through slowly beating the chest over the heart while the funeral dirges (hymns) are sung. In Matthew 11:17 it is written that Jesus spoke to the crowds and gave them a characterization of themselves as children at play, singing a funeral dirge, and then complaining that some of the other children who are playing with them are not correctly showing grief by beating their chests as they sang. In the ancient Middle East, in a funeral procession it was customary, while walking, to slowly beat the chest as the funeral dirges were sung, as an outward display of being cut to the heart with grief at the loss of the loved one. The children of Israel who were complaining about John the Baptist and Jesus Christ were like those foolish children who were playing, only imitating very solemn spiritual occasions in real life, but not understanding the seriousness of those situations about which they were "playing". The children of Israel didn't understand the seriousness of their situation in bondage to sin and death, while complaining about John the Baptist having a demon, and Jesus Christ being a gluten and a drinker, and a friend of tax collectors and sinners. The children of Israel were truly the demon-possessed ones, the glutens and drinkers, the sinners, the ones in bondage to sin and death, who, like immature children, were playing at being righteous, but not going about becoming righteous correctly through believing God's Word.

beat forward (prokoptō, verb, 4298) - To advance or proceed forward or toward something, such as a goal, while facing opposition along the way.

In Luke's record in Luke 2:43-52, after Joseph and Jesus' mother left Jerusalem supposing Jesus was in the caravan, and not finding him, they went back to Jerusalem, where after three days they found him in the temple hearing the teachers and enquiring of them. Luke records this event in Jesus' life as a notable occasion in which Jesus beat forward (verse 52; KJV - increased) in acquiring wisdom and physical maturity.

In Rom. 13:12 the night has beat forward (KJV - far spent) but the day has come near, therefore may we put away the works of darkness and drop into (idiom - to become clothed in) the weapons of the light.

In Gal. 1:14 apostle Paul gives us some insight into his former religious and political goal in life, which was to beat forward (KJV - profited), as if in a competitive race, above and beyond many of his contemporaries in his nation, being more abundantly zealous of his ancestral traditions.

In 2 Tim. 2:14-16, apostle Paul warns Timothy about becoming engaged in word-wars with others who are speaking empty words (lit. empty sounds), as in meaningless sounds, whose words are over the threshold and out of bounds of the truth of the knowledge of God's Word, which empty sounds beat forward toward encouraging/producing more ungodliness.

See also 2 Tim. 3:9, KJV - they shall proceed; 2 Tim. 3:13, KJV - shall wax.

became alongside (paregenonto, verb, 3854) - An ancient way of saying came near, but not just near, right beside it. In Mat. 2:1, the Magi traveled from the east, from the area now known as Iraq, to Jerusalem. After their long journey they finally became alongside of Jerusalem, and then entered into (eis) Jerusalem.

beg (deomai, verb, 1189) - Deomai is used not only literally, but as an idiom, having an intensified meaning as the meaning of the word ask. It is used idiomatically in Acts 8:34, by the eunuch who was over all the royal treasure of Egypt. When the eunuch said to Philip, "I beg of you [to know] the..." the use of the idiom indicates the intense seriousness on the part of the eunuch to come to know what was the meaning of what the prophet Isaiah said. In English we have a similar idiom, "I beg of you...", which can possibly be interpreted, depending upon how it is said, as a gesture of begging, but to simply say it is not generally considered to be proper begging.

being drafted (rhipizō, verb, 4494) - An idiom used in James 1:6. A squall is a brief violent windstorm. On the ocean, when a ship is caught in a squall, the drafts of air coming at it blow the ship off course and make it difficult to navigate and steer the ship in the intended direction. James gives us this mental picture as an example to what happens to us when we don't rely upon God's Word as the Truth we should use in our decision-making. When we try to steer our life using any information other than God's Word we come into a squall and the drafts of lies and deception coming at us blow our minds off course from making the right decision.

being squalled (anemizō, verb, 416) - An idiom used in James 1:6. A squall is a brief violent windstorm. On the ocean, when a ship is caught in a squall, the drafts of air coming at it blow the ship off course and make it difficult to navigate and steer the ship in the intended direction. James gives us this mental picture as an example to what happens to us when we don't rely upon God's Word as the Truth we should use in our decision-making. When we try to steer our life using any information other than God's Word we come into a squall and the drafts of lies and deception coming at us blow our minds off course from making the right decision.

bitterness alongside (parapikrasmos, noun, 3894) - In Hebrews 3:15, in the record in Hebrews 3, it is written that the children of Israel became bitter alongside of the God, during their exodus out of the slavery and bondage of Egypt. Because of their own unbelief the children of Israel became bitter toward God while wandering through the wilderness, as God tried to help them believe in Him and help them come in to the land of Canaan, the promised land flowing with milk and honey. The children of Israel were so bitchy, that God could hardly stand them. Their bitterness toward God was the result of their own unbelief toward Him. They chose to blame God for their 40-year long wandering in the wilderness rather than take accountability for their own unbelief in Him, ignoring all the signs and miracles He did before their eyes. I have no doubt that the devil was trying to influence them negatively every step of their way. The ground opened up and swallowed some of the children of Israel who allowed their minds to get too far out into unbelief, doubt, worry and fear, i.e., to become demon-possessed (Deuteronomy 11:6; Psalm 106:17).

born ones (teknia, noun, 5040) - Teknia, from its root teknon, gives prominence to the idea of birth, of being born. Teknon emphasizes the fact of birth, the cause of existence. One exists because her or she was first born. Teknon is akin to tiktō, which means "to beget, bear". Translating teknia as "child, little child, young child" ignores the inherent reference in teknon to the cause of existence, birth. There are two births mentioned in God's Word; the first birth of a mortal out of their mother's belly, and the second birth which is that birth above from baptism in the gift of holy Spirit from Christ Jesus. See the record of Jesus teaching this to Nicodemus in John 3. When teknon, teknia, etc. are used in the text it is up to the reader to mull over in his or her mind which of the two births, or both, are referenced by the usage of the word. In my opinion it is definitely not up to the translator to decide for the reader to remove the reference to birth in the text and replace it with a remote English "synonym" which does not preserve the specific reference to the birth event. Translating teknia as 'born ones' allows the reader a clearer opportunity, as I believe the holy Spirit intended, to co-mingle thoughts of ones own new birth above in the gift of holy Spirit, or lack thereof, with the subject matter in the context.

but (de, conj., 1161; alla, conj., 235) - De is a primary particle used as a conjunction. There are two words in the Greek text often translated as but; they are de and alla. Both are considered as adversative conjunctions, but there is a big difference between how they're used. Strong's defines de as "adversative and continuative", continuative meaning it marks additional sequels of explanation. De is a mild adversative conjunction, used about 2,870 times in the texts in the new covenant writings, often times not used to point of adversity between two things, but simply diversity between things, and/or continuation. De is often used to append another line of thought to a premise already stated. Sometimes multiple uses of de can create large run-on sentences, through which translators must keep track of which pronouns refer back to which nouns. Run-on sentences are common in the koine Greek new covenant writings, especially in apostle Paul's letters.

An example of how de used to express diversity: In English we would say, "This is John, and this is Sharon, and this is Michael, and this is Katherine, and this is Mark, and this ..." and so on. But in the Greek it could be said thusly, "But (de) this is John; but (de) this is Sharon; but (de) this is Michael; but (de) this is Katherine; but (de) this is Mark; but (de) this ..." and so on, using de similar to how we would use and. The Greek uses and (kai) like English does also. So you can see why I say de is often used as a diversative conjunction, because it is most often used to mark out diversity between clauses, and not necessarily adversity. So when you see de in the text, don't always expect to see adversity between things, but mostly continuation and diversity. In Matthew 1, beginning with the first usage of de, the word translated as and in English, is almost exclusively the word de in the text, throughout the entire chapter, which clearly shows its common, diversitive nature of usage;

Matthew 1:2 (LIT/UBS4) Abraham (Abraam) generated (egennēsen) the (ton) Isaac (Isaak);

but (de) Isaac (Isaak) generated (egennēsen) the (ton) Jacob (Iakōb);

but (de) Jacob (Iakōb) generated (egennēsen) the (ton) Judan (Ioudan) and (kai) the (tous) brothers (adelphous) of him (autou);

Matthew 1:3 (LIT/UBS4) but (de) Judah (Ioudas) generated (egennēsen) the (ton) Phares (phares) and (kai) the (ton) Zara (zara) out (ek) of the (tēs) Thamar (thamar);

but (de) Phares (phares) generated (egennēsen) the (ton) Esrom (esrōm);

but (de) Esrom (esrōm) generated (egennēsen) the (ton) Aram (aram );

Now alla is a strong adversative conjunction, used about 637 times. It is so strong in its usage to point out adversity that in my translations I capitalize every letter of its English equivalent, as "BUT". Alla is used to almost shout out the adversity to get our attention so we don't miss the point, because the point BUT (alla) makes after the premise is so opposite the premise. Therefore, the adversity in every context in God's Word where alla is used, is very important to know, among all of the other important things in the context to know. For example, here's alla's first usage in the gospel writings:

Mat. 4:4 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) [Jesus] having been caused to make a decision (apokritheis), he enunciated (eipen), “It has been written (gegraptai), ‘The (ho) mortal (anthrōpos) shall absolutely not cause himself to live (ouk zēsetai) upon (ep) bread (artō) alone (monō), BUT (all’), upon (epi) every (panti) individual word (rhēmati) going out (ekporeuomenō) through (dia) a mouth (stomatos) of God (theou)!’”

In Matthew 4:4 Matthew records what Jesus said should be our True daily bread, which is, "every individual word going out through [the] mouth of God!" So, judging from the usage of the word all (a variation of alla) in the text, do you think Jesus is trying to make an emphatic point? Absolutely yes! Jesus could have said what he said in such a meek and unemphatic way to cause Matthew to use the word de instead, when he recorded what Jesus said. But Matthew used all’, meaning BUT, to show Jesus said it with emphatic gusto! This is why I capitalize the rendering of alla as BUT in English, and finish the sentence with an exclamation point, to be sure the reader notices that there is an emphatic adversity being exclaimed in the text. Notice the usage of the emphatic particle of negation, ouk, instead of its weaker associated word, mē. If in the text the missing ellipsis were supplied, "BUT, [the mortal shall live] upon ...", the verb shall live with its future tense would be in the imperative mood, making it a command of Jesus Christ, meaning it must be done, no ifs, ands or buts about it; mortals must live upon every individual word going out of the mouth of God. Grammatically, the fact that the ellipsis is missing is a figure of speech of omission, which employment adds even more emphasis to what Jesus said.

So how important must it be for mortals to live by every individual word going out of the mouth of God? Maybe even important enough to be an issue of salvation? If Jesus is getting ready to die so all who believe may live, now and in eternity, then I would say the usage of alla, BUT, in this verse is fairly important. Most all 637 usages of alla in the new covenant writings are within contexts of subject matters which are just this important.

Now you see how different in meaning de is from alla. Virtually all English translations give the reader no clue to the usage of alla in the text versus the usage of de, and thusly the reader misses completely the intended strong, emphatic, exclamatory emphasis God meant the reader to see and understand. In Matthew 4:4, the emphatic usage of the particle of negation ouk, together with the usage of the very emphatic conjunction alla, together with the emphasis from the usage of the figure of speech for the missing ellipsis "the mortal shall live", together with its future verb tense in the imperative mood, grammatically screams out to the reader not to miss the meaning of this, what Jesus Christ has said!

calling alongside (paraklēsis, noun, 3874) - One's mission, occupation, profession, trade, vocation etc.. Refers generally to someone's or something's purpose in life, and/or purpose in the cosmos. In its first usage in Luke 2:25, Simeon, a righteous and pious one, was receiving to him the calling of Israel, which was to receive God's holy Spirit, which God had purposed for all Israel to receive. In this record, one individual among the children of Israel was receiving God's holy Spirit, Simeon. It's important to note that the holy Spirit was upon Simeon. Simeon did not receive the new birth above in God's Spirit at this time because the new birth above was not yet made available to mortalkind. Jesus Christ had not yet shed his blood and been buried, raised up from the dead and ascended into heaven. This had to first be accomplished before mortalkind's redemption could be completed, of which God officially reckoned to have been made complete at least by the day of Pentecost (Acts 2) when the outpouring of the gift of holy Spirit began to be made available to mortalkind, and mortals began to receive the new birth above in God's Spirit (John 3), the "baptism" in the gift of holy Spirit administered by Christ Jesus.

This calling which God had planned for the children of Israel, for them to receive His Spirit, apostle Paul describes in Acts 13:15-52. Under the time of the old covenant of the law, of which technically the Gospel period is, albeit a transitional period of law in preparation for God's grace, God's Spirit was in someone in a reckoned/measured capacity based upon their belief in their heart of God and His Word (Rom. 4:3). Those records show that God could withdraw His Spirit from them at any time.

In Luke 6:24 Jesus Christ annunciates to the ones among the children of Israel who are rich that they are holding away from (Gk. apechete) their calling, choosing to be rich here on earth instead. In our Western English culture we have an idiomatic saying very similar to this, when we may say, "he missed his calling", in reference to someone admirably demonstrating a talent or skill which is outside of their chosen occupation, profession, trade, vocation, etc..

cast about (periballō, verb, 4016) - An idiom meaning to cast or throw clothes around themselves. Equivalent English idioms are, to throw on a pair of jeans, or, to thrown together something. In Matthew 6:31, within a record of Jesus teaching his disciples not to be distracted from spiritual understanding through physical needs, not to become distracted with considering what to wear. As we well know, the world is all about outward appearance, and striving to look one's best externally is a huge part of our modern 'showbiz' culture. Our children, from the time they enter school, seem to be steeped in the notion of "looking the part", as though wearing the "correct" or socially, i.e., worldly acceptable attire shall equip them to become better actors on the stage of life, thusly earning them more and better social rewards for their acting ability. Jesus' disciples were not to be overly concerned about making fashion statements and outward appearance, all show and no go, but about keeping their mind undistracted from worldly distractions to stay better tuned into the knowledge and understanding of God's Word to please Him, so their behavior would be more acceptable and pleasing to their Father, who looks not upon one's outward appearance, but upon one's inward condition of a believing heart upon His Word. The allusion in Matthew 6:31 is to eat and drink God's Word which was made flesh, Jesus Christ (John 1:14, 6:53), and for Jesus' disciples to "put on" Christ as their fashion statement (Gal. 3:27; Eph. 4:24; Col. 3:10, 12, 14).

coccuse (kokkinos, adj., 2847) - Thayer explains the word, "... (from κοκκος a kernel, the grain or berry of the ilex coccifera; these berries are the clusters of eggs of a female insect, the kermes ((cf. English “carmine, crimson”)), and when collected and pulverized produce a red which was used in dyeing" —Thayer's Greek-English Lexicon

Vine's explains the word:

"... is derived from kokkos, used of the "berries" (clusters of the eggs of an insect) collected from the ilex coccifera; the color, however, is obtained from the cochineal insect, which attaches itself to the leaves and twigs of the coccifera oak; another species is raised on the leaves of the cactus ficus. The Arabic name for this insect is qirmiz, whence the word "crimson." It is used (a) of "scarlet" wool, Heb. 9:19; cp., in connection with the cleansing of a leper, Lev. 14:4, 6, "scarlet;" with the offering of the red heifer, Num. 19:6; (b) of the robe put on Christ by the soldiers, Matt. 27:28; (c) of the "beast" seen in symbolic vision in Rev. 17:3, "scarlet-colored;" (d) of the clothing of the "woman" as seen sitting on the "beast," Rev. 17:4; (e) of part of the merchandise of Babylon, Rev. 18:12; (f) figuratively, of the glory of the city itself, Rev. 18:16; the neuter is used in the last three instances." —Vine's Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words

come down opposite (katantaō, verb, 2658) - A less common idiom in the text (used about 13 times), used only by apostles Luke and Paul, meaning "to arrive at", or "to come to". It is used objectively (Acts 16:1) and subjectively (Eph. 4:13) "to arrive at a goal". The usages in the text imply that the one coming and arriving hopes to be (Eph. 4:13) or is now (Acts 16:1) directly opposite, standing next to, and face to face with the goal or objective.

cosmos (kosmos, noun, 2889) - It refers to the order, which are the heavens and earth, and the orderly arrangement of them and all therein. The kosmos is obviously huge, therefore the reader must determine from the immediate, local and/or remote contexts whether the whole or particular parts are referenced. In its first usage in the new covenant (Mat. 4:8) Matthew tells us that the kosmou contains kingdoms which exhibit glory (doxan). It is generally believed that the kingdoms of the kosmou which the devil showed to Jesus were terrestrial. However there is no evidence in the text to exclude the celestial portion of the kosmos in this verse. Within the kosmos the particular abode of mortalkind with which God is always dealing, is the planet earth. Therefore world is a popular translation, but in my opinion not broad enough in its equivalency to reflect the true meaning of kosmos in its entirety which may be meant in John 12:31; 16:28; 17:5; 17:24; 18:36,37; Acts 17:24; Rom. 1:20; 4:13; 5:12; 1 Cor. 2:12; 3:22; and others. Therefore I translate kosmos as cosmos, and justifiably leave it to the reader with the Spirit of Truth working in him or her to interpret how much of the cosmos, heavens and/or earth, is meant through the context of the passage.

crowded in (enochleō, verb, 1776) - to literally or figurative restrict one's freedom of motion, movement, and/or ability to function. It is used in Luke 6:18 to describe the physical and/or mental and/or emotional effects which the demon spirits produced in the ones which were sick, who were coming to Jesus to touch him and become healed of their sicknesses. It is used in the same sense in which our English idiom is used, when we may say, "Don't crowd me!", or "Don't crowd me in!"

cube (kubeia, noun, 2940) - This refers to a die (dice, plural) still commonly used today in children's games and in gambling. Paul's reference in Eph. 4:14 is to believers who risk or gamble their spiritual growth, and very life, on teachings of shrewd mortals, false teachers, who are demonically spiritually influenced. Mortals who do not substantiate and verify with God's Word what they hear taught, are in essence rolling the dice with their own spiritual growth and maturity, and thusly can remain spiritual infants their entire lives listening to false teachers. The other obvious allusion Paul makes with cube is that those mortals who do not substantiate and verify with God's Word what they hear taught, are only playing at discipleship and spiritual growth and maturity, they're only playing games, in which case they make themselves losers. The method of the Wanderer, the devil, is to entice and allure mortals with words which sound good, but which are lies. Those who practice the method of the Wanderer use God's Word deceitfully, through twisting its meanings, through taking passages of it out of their context and suggesting alternate meanings than those given in the scope of the context. The solution to the elimination of the rolling of the dice with our spiritual growth and maturity is given in 2 Tim. 2:15; you make haste to rightly cut God's Word for yourself!

cut down into two (dichazō, verb, 1369; kata, prep., 2596) - In Matthew 10:34-37 Jesus refers to the very ancient idiom of a tree being a type to the bloodline of a family, a "family tree". A family's lineage can be looked at as a tree with branches and sprouts, with each sprout being the birth of a son. Those sons marry and likewise produce sons, which are more sprouts on the family tree. As offspring continues to produce more offspring the sprouts gradually grow into branches themselves. To this very day all nationalities are familiar with this concept. Jesus' allusion was to cutting off branches and sprouts from the old family tree, a sin nature-corrupted "tree". However, in the immediate context Jesus doesn't say into what tree the twigs which are cut off shall be grafted. If they are cut off from the old family tree, into what new tree shall they be grafted? Apostle Paul addresses this part of the Great Mystery in Romans 11.

Jesus refers to this ancient idiom in some of his other teachings as well. In Matthew 15:13 Jesus referred to the Pharisees as "plants", plants which his Father God has not "planted", i.e., they have not received God's seed (spora, 1 Pet. 1:23) planted within them, they have not received the new birth above in God's Spirit (Rom. 8:9-16; 1 Cor. 3:16). Jesus taught about this new birth above in his teaching to Nicodemus (John 3). Apostle Peter preached to the Judeans in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:14) that the twelve disciple's baptism in the gift of holy Spirit, which they had just witnessed with their own eyes and heard with their ears, was the beginning of the coming to pass of the Joel 2:28-32 Great Mystery prophecy which began the dispensation of time wherein God's Spirit (Gk., spora) can now become planted within a mortal through their belief upon the name of Jesus (Rom. 10:9-10), thus making them new creations (2 Cor. 5:17; Gal. 6:15). Now Jesus himself is the root of the new family tree, the family of God, and all those who become implanted with God's Spirit in them become true, through spiritual new birth above, sons and daughters of God. Before Jesus Christ made the new birth above in God's Spirit available to mortalkind, through his shed blood, death and resurrection, the children of Israel, under the Law dispensation, could only be adopted children of God.

In several of Jesus' teachings he refers to mortals as trees, and the works mortals do as either good or bad fruit (Mat. 3:10, 7:17-19, 12:33; Luke 6:43-44). In Mat. 21:19-20 and in Mark 11:12-14, 19-22, the fig tree is an allusion to a mortal who does not bring forth good "fruit" acceptable unto God the Father. Jesus says that acceptable "fruit" is belief in God (See Heb. 1:6). In Luke 3:9 any tree which does not bring forth good "fruit" is cut down and thrown in the fire. This idiom of trees representing mortals is even more abundant in the old covenant writings. Start with a word search on the words tree, branch, etc.

cut off

cuts me off (kōluō, verb, 2967) - An idiom referring to something blocking the way to stop something from getting through. This is a common idiom in our English as well.

dares away (apotolmaō, verb, 662) - Another 'away' idiom. In Romans 10:20 apostle Paul, referencing a quote of Isaiah, says, "But Isaiah dares away and says...", apparently to be understood in the sense that Isaiah dared to provoke the anger of the Israelite leadership with his prophecy alluding to Israel's rejection of God, and God's subsequent move to make His son Jesus Christ known to other ethnic groups, to give them the opportunity to believe upon the name of Jesus. There are many 'away' idioms used in the Greek texts, which are used very similarly if not identically to the way we use them to this day in our Western English language culture. Some of the koine Greek 'away' idioms are: apagō, brought away; apechō, hold away; apodēmeō, going or went away; apodidōmi, give away; apothnēskō, die away; apokrinomai, judge away; apokekruptō, hid away; apologeomai, explain away; apolouō, bathe away; apoluō, send away; aponizō, washed away; apopiptō, fell away; apoplanaō, wandered away; and many more.

The Greek 'away' idioms appear to be dynamically and freely constructed at will by the one speaking by simply taking the preposition apo and prefixing it to a verb as desired. In our Western English culture also it is acceptable to take almost any verb and combine it with the word 'away' into a verb phrase, such as the following which are commonly used in our own culture: bang away; blow away; break away; carry away; cart away; cast away; clear away; die away; draw away; eat away; explain away; fade away; fall away; fire away; fritter away; get away; give away; go away; hammer away; lay away; pass away; piss away; plug away; put away; run away; send away; shy away; slip away; sock away; spirit away; square away; squirrel away; stow away; take away; tear away; throw away; tuck away; turn away; walk away; waste away; wear away; whale away; while away; and many more.

dialoguing (dialogismos, verb, 1260) - Means discussing or communicating. In the UBS 4th Edition it is used 15 times, given the emendation for the one usage in John 11:50. The verb is used 7 times to refer to people talking to themselves in their own hearts (Mark 2:6, 2:8 (2); Luke 1:29, 3:15, 5:22, 12:17).

diastole (diastolē, noun, 1293) - Diastolē is used 3 times (Rom. 3:22; 10:12; 1 Cor. 14:7) in the new covenant writings by apostle Paul. The medical term is first used in Romans 3:22 in reference to a comparison between God's selection for favor between Judeans and Hellens, who are all under sin (v. 9), and therefore all are in need of redemption. In our modern Western culture diastolē is the source of our English adjective diastolic, a medical term used to describe the alternation between the filling of heart chambers with blood, and the pumping action between the vales of the human heart:

"The usual rhythmic dilatation of the heart, esp. of the ventricles, following each contraction (systole), during which the heart muscle relaxes and the chambers fill with blood (Webster's New World Dictionary & Thesaurus)."

"Normal postsystolic dilation of the heart cavities, during which they fill with blood; diastole of the atria precedes that of the ventricles; diastole of either chamber alternates rhythmically with systole or contraction of that chamber (Stedman's Electronic medical Dictionary)."

I believe since Paul chose not to use the word diairesis (differences, in reference to diversity between like things), or diakrinō (to judge through, i.e., to determine the meaning of or between things), but he chose to use the medical term diastolē, that Paul desires to put the emphasis on the idea of alternation; that God is not fickle over whom He chooses to favor as His "chosen" people, first selecting one people to give to them His Spirit, the Judeans, and then abandoning them to choose another people to give to them His Spirit, the Hellens. Paul is presenting the idea that God is absolutely not alternating between the Judeans and the Hellens (gentiles) in showing His favor, and not abandoning the Judeans on account of their rejection of His son. Yes, the Judeans rejected God's son, Jesus Christ as their promised messiah, but on account of their rejection of the Christ, God the Father is not subsequently rejecting them to show favor to the Hellens (gentiles). God the father is simply extending the scope of His chosen people to now include ALL mortalkind on the face of the earth to whom He desires to show favor through His son Jesus Christ, and to give to them His Spirit, because ALL mortalkind is in sin, and He desires ALL mortalkind to be redeemed back to Him as His children (Acts 2:21; Rom. 10:13; 1 Tim. 2:4).

die away (apothnēskō, verb, 599) - See dares away.

displace (atheteō, verb, 114) - This means to be removed from consideration. Two close infinitive synonyms are to replace or to remove. In many contexts it is used in the sense of something being removed and something else being put in its place; to reject the truth of God's Word for mortal's lies (Mark 7:9, 30); to reject the witness of a believer, which is the same as rejecting Jesus Christ, which is the same as rejecting God the Father (Luke 10:16); God shall displace the false understanding of the so-called "intellectuals" (1 Cor. 1:19); Believers are not to displace (reject, ignore, etc.) the grace of God or else Jesus Christ has died for them in vain (Gal. 2:21)!

double-souled (dipsuchos, adj., 1374) - An idiom used in James 1:8 in the context of a believer's ability to believe God's Word to receive a promise from God the Father, in this case wisdom, by requesting it. It is equivalent to our idiom of being double-minded, i.e., not being able to make up our mind. James says God the Father is willing to give a believer the wisdom for which they ask, if they ask in belief of God's Word, without doubting. James in 1:6 says a believer needs to ask, believing it is God's will for them to receive wisdom from Him, and not start "judging through", i.e., start thinking of various reasons why God the Father may not answer your request, because of this sin or that sin, or something, thinking that you are not worthy. Jesus Christ said the same thing, ask, seek and knock (Mat. 7:7). God the Father is waiting for us to ask. Listen, Jesus shed his blood for your release from the penalty for your sin, and the God the Father says He'll remember them no more (Heb. 8:12)! Jesus shed his blood so that you can be more than a conqueror (Rom. 8:37) in all things in your life, so that you can do all things through Christ who has strengthened (inherently empowered) us (Php. 4:13), including making a request to the Father for wisdom which we all need, Which James says He shall give it to us if we ask and believe.

Look, if we had more of God's wisdom it may help us to cut down on our "sin time", right? Why shouldn't the Father agree to that? So we need to quit judging through all of the reasons why we are such worthless worms and see ourselves as Jesus Christ has made us to become, sons of God, more than conquerors who can do all things, and quit judging through it, which does nothing more than usher in doubt, worry and fear, which defeats believing. Look, God's Word says He wants us to have wisdom. God said it, that settles it! Ask your heavenly Father for wisdom and then thank Him in the name of Jesus Christ. Quit over-thinking it. The Father desires us to have wisdom. That settles it. Jesus' shed blood guarantees it for us! And nothing can change the Father's desire for us (Rom. 8:38-39). Listen, God our Father answers the prayers of sinners. If He had to wait for us to become sin-free by our own initiatives, not one prayer would ever get answered because we can never become 100% sin-free. But that sin can be forgiven, through Jesus' shed blood, which makes us as good as sin-free in the Father's eyes, which is exactly why He can and He desires to answer our prayers, if we only ask and believe He has the desire and ability to answer our prayers. It's that simple! For more on double-souled, see James 4:8; 1 John 3:18-24; Heb. 11:6.

down (kata, prep. 2596) - The preposition kata occurs about 480 times throughout the Greek texts as a preposition. It is used commonly meaning both a literal direction, "down", and used metaphorically as meaning a subjective path or way. When used idiomatically, that is metaphorically and subjectively, kata is used with a meaning as we ascribe to the word via, meaning, by way of. It’s in this sense of “via”, or “by way of” in which kata is commonly and idiomatically used in the texts, in the Greek language. The context is critical in determining whether kata should be understood as literally meaning “down”, or figuratively/colloquially/idiomatically in the sense of “via” or “by way of”. Certainly kata used idiomatically could be translated as “via” or “by way of”. But the Greek texts literally say the preposition kata, using it idiomatically. If a disciple of Jesus Christ wishes to actually see in a literal translation WHAT the author/writer actually said, and HOW they actually said it, which has very much to do with what is meant, then the reader needs to put forth a little effort and work to learn and understand a few things about the ancient Greek language, like idioms. If a so-called disciple of Jesus Christ doesn’t wish to put forth the work and effort, since he or she wasn’t born 2,000 years ago speaking Middle Eastern Greek, then let that be somewhat of a benchmark of a measurement as to how much does a disciple love God and His Word, to love it enough to want to get back to what it literally says with no walls of mortal-made paraphrases of theological theories watering down and diluting the Truth.

The idiomatic use of kata has survived over the centuries and comes down to us in our modern Western English in the forms of, down town, down home, down yonder, down the street, down to earth, down one’s alley, down on one’s luck, down on bigotry, having a particular skill down cold, he came down with a cold, and so on, where the direction is often not literal, and the destination is often not objective.

down everything (kata, prep., 2596; panta, pron. adj., 3956) - In Acts 17:22, again we see the preposition down (kata) used in a prepositional phrase, to which it brings its idea of spatial relationship between two or more things. In this usage of down (kata) the relationships between things mentioned, 'everything', is not geographic or objective, but subjective, applied to issues of life and existence. Most translators translate kata as 'according to', which ignores the idiom, but some times suffices. Oftentimes down is the desired direction in which to go or the destination in which to arrive, as in traveling down to Jerusalem. Other times down is not the desired direction or destination, as in being judged down, unworthy of salvation and eternal life (Mat. 16:16). Whether the nature of down, the direction and/or destination is good or bad is always determined by the context in which it is used.

The Athenians had a god for everything in life. No matter what the issue in life, the Athenians had an alter to a god which specialized in that area, to which prayer could be made. Just imagine yourself walking down (kata) a corridor or row lined with alters to these false gods, towering over you. You would walk down (kata) the rows past alters to gods for everything (panta) needful in life. I believe this is the conceptual idea behind the idiom of down everything as used by Apostle Paul in Acts 17:22. The idiom of applying the preposition down (kata) to a subject, to imply going down through all the facets of that subject as though they were given in a row or list, is a very common idiom construction in God's Word.

The Athenians had groups and rows, and pantheons of alters to false gods: Aphrodite, a goddess of love, desire and beauty; Apollo, the god of music; Ares, the god of war; Artemis, a goddess of hunting, chastity and childbirth; Athena, a fierce and brave protector, a goddess of the city, handicrafts, inventions, agriculture, wisdom, reason and purity; Demeter, the goddess of fertility, corn, grain and harvest; Dionysus, god of wine; Hades, god of the underworld and wealth; Hephaestus, god of fire and forge, and the patron god of smiths and weavers; Hera, queen of heaven and protector of maidenhood and marriage; Hermes, the speedy messenger, god of thieves, commerce, musical invention, sports; Hestia, goddess of the hearth and home; Persephone, queen of the underworld; Poseidon, god of the sea and seafaring; Zeus, supreme ruler of all gods, god of sky and rain. Asclepius, god of healing; Gaea, another earth goddess; Hyperion, Titan of light; Metis, a Titaness of wisdom and knowledge; Mnemosyne, Titan of memory; Phoebe, Titan of the Moon; Prometheus, Titan of forethought; Themis, Titan of justice and order; Uranus, principle god of the sky; Eris, goddess of discord; Hebe, goddess of youth; Nemises, god of vengence; Pan, god of goatherds and shepherds; Thanatos, god of death; and on and on.

down-strengthen (katischusousin, verb, 2729) - To reduce its strength. In Mat. 16:18 Jesus speaks of building his assembly, which later, after his death and resurrection, he gives apostle Paul revelation to make known that it is his one body (Rom. 12:4-5; 1 Cor. 10:17, 12:12-13; Eph. 2:16, 4:4), made up of those who who have believed upon his name and have received the new birth above (John 3), baptism in the gift of holy Spirit from Jesus Christ (Mat. 3:11). Jesus says that the "gates of a grave", i.e. "death", shall not be able to reduce the strength of his assembly, implying that death shall not be able to hold them in the grave from becoming alive and resurrected to remain a part of his assembly, his one body.

down-talkers (katalalous, pron. adj., 2637) - Refers to people who impugn other's integrity and/or character; people who talk others down, people who abase others, i.e., "tear" others down, speak ill of others (Rom. 1:30). A demonstration of this can be seen in almost any political debate, where almost any kind of verbal tool, lies, miss-characterizations, insinuation and innuendo are used to talk-down, or as is the English idiom, cut down the opponent.

down to the belief of you (kata, prep., 2596) - Another common subjective usage of the idiom down. When you get right down to it, do you believe or do you not believe? Did the blind men have a true belief in their hearts to get down to? (Mat. 9:29) Jesus asked them if they believed he could heal them. They confessed with their mouth that they believed he could. Yes, they had belief upon the name of Jesus down in their hearts.

drinking the blood of me (pinōn, part., 4095) - Used in John 6:54; see gnawing at the flesh of me. In John 6:54, drinking is a metaphor for breathing in the holy Spirit, and blood is used as a type for holy Spirit. Blood is the element in the physical body which gives it life (Lev. 11:11-14). However, the blood of mortals became corrupted with sin upon Adam and Eve's disobedience to God the Father, and that sin began the process of death within them. That which can remove the corruption in the blood is the holy Spirit, the baptism in the holy Spirit from Jesus Christ. The gift of holy Spirit is the power that can change death unto life. Jesus Christ gives the new birth above, baptism in the gift of holy Spirit (Mat. 3:11), because the life of the Spirit of God is in him (John 1:4, 11:25, 14:6; 2 Cor. 4:10-11; 1 John 1:2, 5:11), and those that believe and confess his name receive the gift of the holy Spirit from him, the power of life, i.e., Christ in you (Col. 1:27).

echo down (katēchēsō, verb, 2727) - An equivalent idiom in Western culture would be the use of the term to flag down a taxi or a cop, i.e., get their attention for some reason. Using the voice to echo God's Word back, i.e. down to others, to get their attention. The very common idiom of using down spatially suggests the voice echoes from the speaker's present location all the way to and reaching down to the destination where the others may hear it; i.e., down the street, down the block, downtown, etc. as Westerners say in our culture where the idiom is somewhat preserved. In 1 Cor. 14:19 Paul wishes to eulogize or give thanks in the presence of other believers, using words which are intelligible to the hearers, as opposed to the unintelligible gibberish sound of tongues left uninterpreted to those who do not know the tongues (languages).

elephantine (elephantinos, adj., 1661) - Vincent says,"Only here in the New Testament. References to ivory are frequent in the Old Testament. The navy of Tarshish brought ivory to Solomon with apes and peacocks (1 Kings 10:22). His great throne was made of it (1 Kings 10:18). Ahab's ivory palace (1 Kings 22:39) was probably a house with ivory panels. "Ivory palaces" are mentioned in Psalm 45:8, and "houses of ivory" in Amos 3:15. The Assyrians carried on a great trade in this article. On the obelisk in the British Museum the captives or tribute-bearers are represented as carrying tusks. The Egyptians early made use of it in decoration, bringing it mostly from Ethiopia, where, according to Pliny, ivory was so plentiful that the natives made of it door-posts and fences, and stalls for their cattle. In the early ages of Greece ivory was frequently employed for ornamental purposes, for the trappings of horses, the handles of kegs, and the bosses of shields. Homer represents an Asiatic woman staining ivory with purple to form trappings for horses, and describes the reins of chariot-horses as adorned with ivory. The statue of Jupiter by Phidias was of ivory and gold." —Vincent's Word Studies in the New Testament

energizings (energēma, noun, 1755) - Bullinger said: “energēma, a work wrought in us and by us².” I don't agree with Bullinger 100%. That energēma is a work wrought in us can be verified by its usage in 1 Cor. 12:10a:

1 Cor. 12:10a (LIT/UBS4) But (de) to another (allō) energizings (energēmata) of works of inherent power (dunameōn).

But, as far as the work in us being wrought by us, in 1 Cor. 12:6 apostle Paul states that the energizing, the work wrought in us is not by us, or through our own agency, but by God working in us. Yes, we must believe God’s Word to become eligible to receive God’s energizing of the gift of His Spirit within us, but it is God energizing His Spirit within us; it is God's prerogative.

1 Cor. 12:6 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) there are (eisin) divisions (diaireseis) of energizings (energēmatōn), but (de) the (ho) same (autos) God (theos) who (ho) [is] energizing (energōn) all (panta) the (ta) [energizings] in (en) all (pasin). (See Rom. 8:8-11; Eph. 1:19; Phil. 2:13; Col. 1:27-29; 1 Thes. 2:13)

Here in 1 Cor. 12:6 apostle Paul has clearly stated that the energizings in us are performed by God, not by us; and moreover, according to 1 Cor. 1:2, that they are performed in the ekklesia, the one body of Christ, within each and every one of the ones having been made holy (Gk. hēgiasmenois) in Christ Jesus; who are the called (Gk. klētois) the holy ones (Gk. hagiois). This is stated again by Paul in Philippians;

Php. 2:13 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) God (theos) is (estin) the one (ho) energizing (energōn) in (en) you (humin), both (kai) the (to) [energizing] to desire (thelein) and (kai) the (to) [energizing] to be energized (energein), over (huper) the (tēs) good expectation (eudokias) [of Him]. (See 1 Cor. 12:6, Eph. 1:19; Col. 1:27-29, 1 Thes. 2:13)

energizing (energeia, noun, 1753) - Bullinger said: “Another synonymous word, not translated “power” is energeia, energy, power in action, effectual operation²;” Yes, but who's energy is it in us which is being energized into action? Is it the weak energy of our own flesh, or the inherent power of God's Spirit within us which comes into manifestation? This is a huge distinction which needs to be fully known, understood and then believed by a disciple of Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians we can see again the holy Spirit’s point blank Truth, that energeia refers to God’s spiritual power within a believer being energized by God Himself.

Eph. 1:19 (LIT/UBS4) and (kai) what (ti) [is] the (to) overthrowing (huperballon) greatness (megethos) of the (tēs) work of inherent power (dunamēs) of Him (autou) into (eis) us (hēmas), the ones (tous) believing (pisteuontas), down (kata) to the (tēn) energizing (energeian) of the (tou) power (kratous) of the (tēs) strength (ischous) of Him (autou)

Eph. 3:7 (LIT/UBS4) of which (hou) I was caused to become (egenēthēn) a minister (diakonos), down (kata) the (tēn) gift (dōrean) of the (tēs) grace (charitos) of the (tou) God (theou), of the (tēs) [grace] having been given (dotheisan) to me (moi) down (kata) to the (tēn) energizing (energeian) of the (tēs) work of inherent power (dunameōs) of Him (autou);

So far, from the immediate, local and remote associated contexts of energēma and energeia we can plainly see that the work of inherent power of which Paul speaks, “the gift of the grace of the God”, is the new birth above (John 3), the baptism in the gift of holy Spirit from Christ Jesus, as John the Baptist preached and taught (Mat. 3:11), and as apostle Peter preaches and teaches in his letters (1 Pet. 1:23), and upon which apostle Paul elaborates more fully in his letter in Rom. 8.

Eph. 4:16 (LIT/UBS4) out (ek) of whom (hou) all (pan) the (to) body (sōma), being jointed together (sunarmologoumenon) and (kai) being made to come together (sumbibazomenon) through (dia) the (tēs) supply (epichorēgias) of every (pasēs) joint (haphēs), down (kat’) [the] energizing (energeian) in (en) measure (metrō) of each (hekastou) single (henos) part (merous), makes (poieitai) the (tēn) growth (auxēsin) of the (tou) body (sōmatos) of itself (heautou) into (eis) [the building] of a domed-roof house³⁶¹⁹ (oikodomēn), in (en) love (agapē).

In Eph. 4:16 we see that the energizing of the gift in each believer is by God, and the subsequent house-building of the body of Christ is triggered by our free will choice to love.

Php. 3:21 (LIT/UBS4) [It is God] who (hos) shall transform (metaschēmatisei) the (to) body (sōma) of the (tēs) humbling (tapeinōseōs) of us (hēmōn) to a form together with (summorphon) the (tō) body (sōmati) of the (tēs) glory (doxēs) of Him (autou), down (kata) the (tēn) energizing (energeian) of the (tou) inherent power (dunasthai) [of] Him (auton), and (kai) the (ta) [energizing of] all things (panta) to be in submission (hupotaxai) to Him (autō). (See Ro. 6:4, 8:11)

Col. 1:29 (LIT/UBS4) into (eis) which (ho) I labor (kopiō) also (kai), causing myself to agonize (agōnizomenos) down (kata) the (tēn) energizing (energeian) of Him (autou), the (tēn) [energizing] being energized (energoumenēn) in (en) to me (emoi), in (en) inherent power (dunamei).

Col. 2:12 (LIT/UBS4) having been buried together with (suntaphentes) him (autō) in (en) the (tō) baptism (baptismō), in (en) which (ho) you also were aroused together with (sunēgerthēte kai) [him] through (dia) the (tēs) belief (pisteōs) of the (tēs) energizing (energeias) of the (tou) God (theou), of the (tou) [energizing] having aroused (egeirantos) him (auton) out (ek) of the (tōn) dead (nekrōn).

The last two occurrences of the noun energeia, 2 Th. 2:9,11, I believe should be read with a little more context around them;

2 Th. 2:8 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) then (tote) shall be revealed (apokalupsthēsetai) the (ho) lawless one (anomos), whom (hon) the (ho) Lord (kurios) Jesus (Iēsous), the (tō) Spirit (pneumati) of the (tou) mouth (stomatos) of him (autou), shall seize up (anelei).

And (kai) he shall idle down (katargēsei) the (tē) epiphany (epiphaneia) of the (tēs) presence (parousias) of him (autou);

shall seize up - To capture or apprehend violently, as opposed to lambano which simply means to take.

he shall idle down – As an automobile engine which has its ignition switch turned off, the engine suddenly idles all the way down to a complete stop, and puts out no more energy.

2 Th. 2:9 (LIT/UBS4) of whose (hou) presence (parousia) is (estin) the (hē) energizing down (kat energeian) of the (tou) Satan (satana) in (en) every (pasē) inherent power (dunamei), and (kai) [in] signs (sēmeiois) and (kai) [in] wonders (terasin) of falsehood (pseudous),

energizing down – Satan’s energy, his inherent power to do false signs and wonders is going to be taken away from him violently. Christ Jesus is going to do this to Satan when Jesus becomes present.

2 Th. 2:10 (LIT/UBS4) and (kai) in (en) every (pasē) deception (apatē) of unrighteousness (adikias) for the ones (tois) being destroyed (apollumenois) opposite (anti) the (tēn) love (agapēn) of the (tēs) truth (alētheias), of which (hōn) they absolutely did not (ouk) subjectively receive (edexanto) into (eis) them (autous) to be made whole (sōthēnai)!

opposite the love of the Truth – The false signs and wonders and the truth of God’s Word were face to face, opposite from one another, as the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Satan) and the Tree of Life (Christ) were in the garden in Genesis. God’s Word, the Truth, is always the opposite choice from choosing lies. All they needed to do in their minds was to turn themselves around 180° from believing the lies to loving and believing the Truth. The two choices Adam and eve had in the garden are the same two choices all mortals have today, and have always had available to them.

of which [they] absolutely did not subjectively receive into them – God’s Word, the Truth, didn’t get passed their ears to penetrate into their minds. They were focusing upon the false, the lying signs and wonders. Without the knowledge of God’s Word, the Truth, they had nothing to which to compare the false signs and wonders, to determine if they were really of God.

to be made whole – The ones Satan was destroying with his false signs and wonders, refused to receive into their minds and hearts the Truth, the knowledge of God’s Word, subsequently through which they forfeited the new birth above in God’s Spirit, the baptism in the gift of holy Spirit from Christ Jesus (Mat. 3:11; John 3; Rom. 8; 1 pet. 1:23); remaining as incomplete beings of only body and soul, as opposed to complete, i.e., whole beings of body, soul and Spirit (1 Th. 5:23).

2 Th. 2:11 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) through (dia) this (touto) the (ho) God (theos) sends (pempei) to them (autois) [the] energizing (energeian) of a wanderer (planēs), into (eis) the (to) [energizing] of them (autous) to believe (pisteusai) the (tō) falsehood (pseudei),

of a wanderer – A common Greek idiom to describe one who is spiritually lost and can’t find the Truth of God’s Word. A term given to the devil, Satan and demon spirits as well (Eph. 4:14; 1 John 4:6; 2 John 1:7).

Summary:

God’s initial work of inherent power in us is His giving to us as a gift, His Spirit, the new birth above (John 3), the baptism in the gift of holy Spirit from Christ Jesus (Mat. 3:11; Rom. 8; 1 Pet. 1:23). Then when we learn the knowledge of God’s Word, Truth, and believe it and love, as Jesus commanded us, then God or His son Jesus Christ on the Father’s behalf, energizes God’s Spirit within us to will and to do of His good pleasure (Php. 2:13).

Footnotes:

1. Hal Dekker, www.BelieversHomePage.com, Literal Idiomatic Translation (LIT)

E. W. Bullinger, A Critical Lexicon And Concordance To The English And Greek New Testament, 1999, Kregel Publications, p 593.

enunciate (eipon, verb, 4483) - To enunciate means to announce and express formally and distinctly in a systematic way (Webster's). Enunciate (epō) has a distinct meaning different from legō, to say, literally to construct a sentence through laying one word after another, or laleō, to speak, meaning simply to employ the organ of utterance. Enunciation uses specific communication techniques which emphasize HOW something is said.

This can be seen through examining the contexts of all 26 usages in God's Word. In John 6 Jesus used an enunciated style of speaking while teaching in a synagogue in Capernaum.

eulogizing down (kateulogei, verb, 2095 and 3056) - Again the use of the spatial preposition down suggesting Jesus' eulogizing was toward the end of reaching a goal of completion, down signifying the destination at which to arrive. In this case the objective was to help the little children as well as the parents arrive into the kingdom of God. No doubt Jesus chose words very carefully out of God's Word, to speak to the young mothers to encourage them to raise their children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord God (Mark 10:16). The words Jesus spoke which were no doubt prophecy, either foretelling or simply forth-telling, or both, the passage doesn't say, together with the laying on of the hands, indicates that Jesus was compelling the mothers to sanctify their children to the work of God the Father. In verse 13 of Mark 10, note that the original text states that [they], presumably the mothers, brought their little children to Jesus hoping that their children would touch Jesus. The mothers wanted their children to come into physical contact with Jesus to receive something from him, although there is no indication in the immediate context that the children were sick and needed healing.

fall out (ekpiptō, verb, 1601) - Is a verb commonly used to refer to something objective literally falling out of something else, or something objectively falling out of its normal place or position, or objectively of something becoming abandoned; or subjectively/idiomatically as in something falling out of order. Used as an idiom it is very similar to our modern English idiom we use when we say, "we didn't anticipate how great the fall out would be". In our English idiom the noun phrase fall out generally refers to negative and unplanned for circumstances, occurrences and/or conditions as a result of something going wrong. This is very similar in meaning to this Greek idiom which is based upon the verb usage.

In some Greek texts the verb is used in Mark 13:25 of the stars falling out of their normal courses in the heaven. In Acts 12:7 the verb is used of the bonds literally falling out [or off] of Peter's hands while in prison. In Acts 27:17 Luke uses the verb referring to the ship falling out of its planned course and drifting into the Syrtis (Gk. lit. quicksands), an area off the North African coast, perhaps the area now known as the Gulf of Sidra, an area known for its shallow water shoals, with hidden rocks, sandbanks and quicksand. Paul uses the term again in Acts 27:26, referring to their ship which will fall out i.e., run aground upon a certain island, about which a messenger gave him revelation. It is used again in Luke 27:29 for the ship to fall out down jagged places where it would become a shipwreck, and in verse 32 of the soldiers cutting off the ropes of the skiff to allow it fall out into the sea and become abandoned.

In Rom. 9:6 Paul uses the verb in reference to God's Word falling out, being abandoned by Israel. But Paul argues that not all those of "Israel" are Israelites by fleshly lineage, but are Israelites based upon their belief in God's promise to Abraham, which belief the believers in Rome (to whom his letter is addresses) have apprehended, which makes the Rome believers true "Israelites" according to God's promise to Abraham. So then, even though the "children of Israel" rejected their own messiah, and thereby rejected the one true God and Father of the Lord Jesus Christ, thereby rejecting God's Word, God's Word hasn't fallen out and become abandoned in the world entirely, as though God's Word has become shipwrecked, since it is being believed by believers in Rome, many of which are absolutely not of the fleshly lineage of the forefather's of the children of Israel. God's righteousness is reckoned to a believer absolutely not based upon a mortal's fleshly lineage, but based upon a believer's belief in God's Word and God's son Jesus Christ.

fed up (anetraphō, verb, 397) - To be fed with food until full, until filled up.

field folding (agrauleō, verb, 63) - Keeping the sheep in the fields overnight. This is more hazardous than bringing them in to fold in fenced-in pens overnight. Folding sheep in the field overnight is more dangerous to the sheep because it prolongs their exposure to predators, like coyotes, wild dogs, mountain lions and bears, through a period of darkness, which predators use to their advantage. The shepherd must be vigilant throughout the night as well as during the day, to watch the sheepfold very closely for any threats from predators.

first ones (prōtoi, pronominal adj., 4413) - A contracted superlative of pro (4253), indicating a position ranked in front of all other positions, i.e., first in rank, order, time or place of importance. Used in Mark 10:31 to indicate a mortal's social position in the social pecking order. Example's of this used in Western Culture would be the president's airplane, Air Force One, or the president's wife, the first lady, etc.. Mortals with wealth, power and position were/are considered to have high social status, and were/are considered first class citizens, or first citizens in the class hierarchy, first on the list of Who's Who, as opposed to last on the list, if on the list at all. This social idiom is still alive and well over almost the entire globe, and always has been, and in our Western culture it is definitely alive as evidenced by continued racial and social status rhetoric. Mortals with wealth, power and position have "means" to get things done, as opposed to poor groups in society who have no representation at the "movers and shakers" table, whose voices are to faint to be heard from outside the walls in the streets.

In Mark 10:30 Jesus makes the point to Peter that it is possible someone may follow him who has a hundred houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields, a mortal with wealth, power, position and social status, i.e., a first citizen, but their chances of getting into the kingdom of God are slim to none. In my opinion, because of lack of understanding of this social class idiom, this verse has been sorely mistranslated in every "translation" or translation. Translators completely ignore the first three words in the verse, ean mē labē, "if perhaps may not [someone] take", a conditional subjunctive hypothetical which conditions the verse into an interrogative statement. Jesus' enlightenment to Peter is that it is possible that someone, a follower could be a first citizen and still make it into the kingdom of God, but many who are first shall be last in the kingdom of God, if make it at all (see Mark 10:25).

first ones (archē, noun, 746) - Archē is used with two distinct meanings in the texts. One of those meanings is in reference to a member or members of religious, political and/or social organizations, and members of the heavenly host, and their power and authority to influence, alter, shape, begin and/or end their associated affairs. Archē is used commonly by only Luke and Paul. Usages with this meaning: Luke 12:11; Luke 20:20; Acts 10:11; Acts 11:5; 1 Cor. 15:24; Rom. 8:38; Eph. 1:21; Eph. 3:10; Eph. 6:12; Col. 1:16; Col. 2:10; Col. 2:15; Titus 3:1. All other usages of archē are in reference to the beginning or beginnings of certain periods of time, which periods are defined in the immediate and local contexts of it's usages.

first ones (archontōn, noun, 758) - See first also. Another example of this idiom is in 1 Cor. 2 in verses 6, 8. In Matthew 9:18 first one (archōn heis) is used. In Matthew 9:34 and 12:24 the Pharisees and the writers said that Jesus casts out demons because he was in (Gk. en) to the first one (Gk. archonti) of the demons, which is Satan. Therefore this idiom is used to refer to both the first ones among mortals, as well as the first ones among demon spirits. The authorities, the ones in positions of power, socially, politically, religiously, etc., were all referred to as archontōn, first ones.

This very popular ancient idiom has come down through the ages to us today, in various forms. It is an idiom virtually identical to our modern Western idiom first citizen. The US president's wife is referred to as the First Lady. On a merchant ship the officer in rank immediately below the captain is the first officer. We have another closely related idiom, first and foremost. This Western idiom virtually defines the meaning of archontōn. Another modern Western idiom very closely related to this is one in which we use the cardinal numeral one, as in Air Force One; which means of all of the airplanes in the United States, in civilian, commercial, and/or governmental use, the presidents airplane ranks the highest in importance.

foregazing (prooraō, verb, 4308) - To foresee in the mind's eye. From pro and horao. Horao implies more than a glimpse or a glance, but a continued stare or gaze at something. In Acts 2:25-28 apostle Peter, in his day of Pentecost preaching, is quoting King David from Psalm 16:8-11, who says that through all the things he, David, experienced in his life, "I was foregazing at the Lord in sight of me, through everything..."; David, in his mind, foresaw the Lord, Jesus Christ, as being in his presence, at his right hand. See well-minded and tabernacle down.

fully borne [in mind] (plērophoreō, verb, 4135) - An idiom identical to our English idiom to bare in mind, meaning to be constantly mindful of something, always remembering something; and thereby to temper what is said or done with what is being kept in mind.

In Luke 1:1- Luke fully bore in mind all of the issues about Christianity about which he wrote in his gospel addressed to Theophilus.

In Rom. 4:17-22 apostle Paul says Abraham, the father of all of those who believe, fully bore in mind the God the Father's promise to him to be the father of all of those who believe, and that what the God had promised He was inherently powered to do.

In Rom. 14:5-6 apostle Paul teaches us to fully bear in mind how others may esteem the significance of certain days, and how other may esteem certain foods, that it is not our place to judge one another over these issues; but rather our place is to have the knowledge of God's Word to be accountable to the God the Father and ourselves about our own selves, over what we allow in our own lives to be pleasing to the Father.

In 2 Tim. 4:1-5 apostle Paul instructs Timothy to fully bear in mind his ministry; to be sober in all things, to suffer evil, and do the work of an evangelist, especially in regards to reproving, epitomizing and comforting others among the ekklesia; and to do it in all patience and according to God's Word.

In 2 Tim. 4:17 apostle Paul says that with the Lord's help, with him standing alongside of him, Paul was able to preach God's Word to the extent that it was fully borne in the minds of those who heard it. In order for it to be fully borne it must have been fully taught, completely taught; not simply a part of it, but Paul, who was given the Ministry of Reconciliation as well as we (2 Cor. 5:18) preached the whole Word of Reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:19), every part of it so that it could be completely put together and understood in the minds of those who heard it.

Apostle Paul taught the fullness of the subject of the Word of Reconciliation, so that the full load, the complete subject matter of it, could be and was borne/kept in the minds of those who heard it, as it was in his own mind. Wow! How fantastically he must have taught it. You wouldn't catch me falling asleep and falling out of a window. How fantastic would it be for the full Word of Reconciliation to be preached and taught somewhere today! How fantastic would it be simply to find someone who wanted to hear it; someone who had enough desire, patience and mental ability to be able to comprehend it. Most people can't fight off the boredom enough to stay awake for even an hour during Sunday morning service!

Who loves God the Father enough, and his son Jesus Christ enough, to desire enough to learn the full knowledge of the subject of the Word of Reconciliation? Corporately the children of Israel didn't care to hear it (Mat. 13:15). But many other ethnic groups did. With knowledge comes the responsibility for it, and hereby we know who are the actors and who are the true believers upon the name of Jesus Christ. Apostle Paul taught the complete, full Word of Reconciliation to those of other nations and languages. If someone spends their whole life going to church on Sunday and then dies without having learned the full knowledge of the Word of Reconciliation, that is a witness to their own acting and false belief. They never were a believer, only a social clubber, a "Sunday Christian" caring a Bible for appearances. It's no one's fault but their own. Absolutely no one can say that the God is a piker, that He wasn't willing to teach them through His holy Spirit in them (Mat. 7:7; John 6:45; James 1:5-6)!

Now, in order for us to rise up to the level of the bar as true disciples of Jesus Christ, shouldn't we, who consider ourselves spiritual, fully bear in our minds the whole Word of Reconciliation, since we've been given the Ministry of Reconciliation as well as apostle Paul who committed it to us (2 Cor. 5:18)?

genus (genos, noun, 1085) - Apparently genus was used to refer to people of a different nation and/or race (Mark 7:26; Acts 4:6; Acts 4:36; Acts 7:13; Acts 7:19; Acts 13:26; Acts 18:2; Acts 18:24; 1 Cor. 12:10; 1 Cor. 12:28; Rev. 22:16); and to the genus of God (Acts 17:28-29); and to various genus of demon spirits (Mat. 17:21; Mark 9:29; ); and to various genus of sounds in the cosmos (1 Cor. 14:10); and to a chosen genus, a kingly priesthood, a holy ethnic people (1 Peter 2:9), which may be another perspective reference to the genus of God.

get underway (hupagō, verb, 5217) - to get going, get moving, advance, make progress. To begin to go, and to go from one place to another. This is one of Jesus' characteristic sayings (Mark 10:52).

give alongside (paradidōmi, verb, 3860) - Equivalent to our English, to hand over, or to turn over, from one to another. For one to give something to another, so that control of the item is transferred from one to another. In Matthew 26:23, Jesus said “The one having dipped in the hand in to the bowl with me, this one shall give me alongside".

given therapy (therapeuō, verb, 2323) - There are two words used in the new covenant Greek texts writings which both mean to heal, ioamai and therapeuō. The notable difference between them is that therapeuō puts an emphasis upon the aspect of serving another to help them. The texts says Jesus healed many. But when the text uses the word therapeuō the writer is highlighting the aspect that they, Jesus and his apostles and disciples went out and served others; they gave of themselves to serve others. Another notable aspect about the usage of therapeuō in some contexts is that after an initial healing by Jesus of a believer's paralysis or lameness, the texts says that AFTER they were healed they were additionally given therapy, as in the record in Acts 8:7 and other places, which shows that additional therapy was needed in some cases of healing where muscle atrophy was present, for which therapy is still used to this day. Some who were lame and healed could get up and walk immediately, as in Acts 3:1-8, while yet others who were lame, and those who had been healed of paralysis, could not walk immediately after the cause was healed, but needed additional therapy, as in Acts 8:7.

gnawing at the flesh of me (trōgōn, part., 5176) - This phrase is a figure of speech, Metaphor, where gnawing is put for knowing up, i.e., reading, and studying, and learning and understanding God's Word about His son Jesus Christ (John 6:54). This is a very old cultural idiom (Jer. 15:16), where taking something into the mind (as opposed to the mouth) to know and understand it, is as 'eating it up'. This is a somewhat common figure of speech used in our modern English as well. Jesus' flesh was marred for believer's physical healing (1 Cor. 11:24; 1 Pet. 2:24); and his blood was shed to annul the penalty for our sin (Mat. 26:26). Two things we are to do about Jesus Christ; "gnaw" at his flesh, and "drink" his blood. In John 6:54 drinking is another metaphor used identically as gnawing. To drink his blood means to to drink in the gift of holy Spirit in which he shall baptize all those who believe upon his name. Jesus blood, living water and the gift of holy Spirit are all types to one another in God's Word.

having been thrown (metaballō, verb, 3328) - An idiom, or hyperbolic colloquial usage virtually identical in meaning to our English idioms, "being knocked for a loop" and "being thrown for a loop". Luke uses this idiom in Acts 28:6 to describe the very unexpected surprise of the natives of the island of Melita, that Paul, after his shipwreck there, didn't fall down dead after being bitten by a snake.

having taken down (katalabomenoi, verb, 2638) - To make a mental note (Acts 4:13).

he has become a cloud of smoke (tuphoō, verb, 5187) - This idiom is used three times in the texts and they are all by apostle Paul in his letters to Timothy (1 Tim. 3:6, 6:4, 2 Tim. 3:4). The subject is Paul warning Timothy about those who may come along and teach something other the wholesome words of our Lord Jesus Christ, teaching lies and confusion, thusly blaspheming the God's name. This idiom is preserved in our Western English idiom when we refer to a smoke-filled room, where a person or group is presenting a sales pitches of some kind and/or marketing spin which has been carefully word-smithed with the intention of talking others in or out of something, which words are said to fill the room with "smoke" so the true issues can't be clearly distinguished.

he having borne it fully (plērophoreō, verb, 4135) - In Romans 4:21 apostle Paul tells us how Abraham kept God's promise in his mind. Abraham didn't judge through God's promise to him until finally arriving at doubt and unbelief about (v. 20), but bore it fully in his mind, pondering it and thinking it through fully, until finally Abraham came to the point of believing God's promise to him was true. Abraham dwelling upon and pondering in his mind God's promise to him, brought him to arriving at BELIEVING it. Why did Abraham finally arrive at believing God's Word was true? Because, he logically concluded that what the God has promised to him, THE GOD WAS INHERENTLY POWERFUL ENOUGH TO DO IT (v.21)! First of all, God would not have promised anything to Abraham if it was not God's will to do it. And then secondly, Abraham BELIEVED that the God was powerful enough to do it. So then, if God has the will to do it, AND THE POWER to do it, then why not believe God's Word? Now you go find a promise in God's about a need in your life. This idiom which has come down to us over the centuries is virtually identical to as it was two thousand years ago, when we say, "keep this in mind", or , "please bear this in mind". Abraham fully bore God's promise to him in his mind, thinking it over, thinking it through, until he finally arrived at the point of BELIEVING it.

hold down (katechō, verb, 2722) - Equivalent English idioms would be, "hold down a job", or "Hold on for dear life." The essence of the meaning of this idiom is in the sense of holding something down so that it absolutely doesn't get away from you. It's used in the sense of being faithful to keep on doing something. In all 19 usages in the new covenant writings it is used in the sense of holding on to something stubbornly, with determination, not to let it get away. In Hebrews 3:14, the writer, speaking to believing disciples, says that they have become partners with Christ, and that they should hold down the beginning of their understanding of him until its completion, i.e., hold on steadfastly to their position of discipleship under Christ until their discipleship is complete. They were to hold down their position under him as he being their teacher and they being his learners, his disciples. But they were to hold down their knowledge and understanding (hupostaseōs) also of him, who Jesus was, the Christ. They were to fellowship with God the Father and Jesus Christ daily in order that their hearts would not become hardened to sins, and they might go back to being casual, habitual sinners without giving their sinful ways even a first thought. The daily fellowship would strengthen their ability to hold down their partnership with Christ, from the beginning of their partnership/discipleship through to the goal of (mechri) the completion of it. The literal and practical application of this is to meditate upon God's Word daily, through all daily activities and experiences (2 Cor. 10:5). In 1 Cor. 15:2 the Corinthian believers were to hold down the word which apostle Paul made known to them, through which they are kept whole (sōzesthe).

hold toward (prosechō, verb, 4337) - An idiom meaning to keep close together with one another. In Luke 17:3-4 Jesus commands his disciples to stay closely knit together with one another. They were to be especially tolerant and forgiving of one another as they carried out the work of their master. In verse three "brother" refers to another disciple of Jesus. Jesus disciples were to consider and call one another "brother" (Mat. 23:8). Jesus said that whoever does the will of the Father of him is as a brother to him (Mat. 12:50; Mark 3:35). So in a broad sense, "hold together" means that the "brothers" were to stick together closely, like family. The teaching that everyone in the world is your 'brother" is a humanistic lie, and entirely non-biblical. Biblically, according to God's Word, and specifically according to Jesus Christ, a "brother" is one who does God the Father's will habitually and consistently. Biblically, those who do not do God's will, are evil, and are enemies. There is no middle ground whatsoever since all mortals sin, but only some, those who have called upon the name of JESUS, 'brothers', have God's forgiveness, even if perhaps they may continue to sin.

idolized down (kateidōlon, adj., 2712) - Recorded in Acts 17:16, when Apostle Paul was in Athens, he observed the whole city was full of idols. Many of our English idioms retain the use of the preposition down (kata); down to Chicago, down around Detroit, down home, down yonder, down town, get down, let's get down to it, down South, etc.. In "koine" English we would say "There were many idols down around Athens". The English idiom of down around is identical to one of the ways the preposition down (kata) was often used in the koine Greek. The koine Greek often uses down (kata) in the sense of geographic locations, as in Acts 17:16. Down can be used in reference to either a definite distant location or the distance up to and including the distant location, which could be in any direction from the present location. This is very similar to our modern English idioms which employ down. English often employs the idiom of down with the direction of South, and up with North. In Greek usage, down can be in any direction from the present location. Apostle Paul's usage of down in Acts 17:16 (idolized down) means that the whole city throughout, and all around, was saturated, loaded down with idols and idolatry.

in opposite (enanti, adverb, 1725) - In Acts 8:21 this idiom is used by apostle Peter to describe to Simon the magician what he needs to do in his heart, which is come to repentance and beg God for forgiveness for the thought of his heart, as if he was in opposite, i.e., directly in front of and face to face with God Himself. The idiom describes a communication which is totally honest and from one's heart, as if being communicated face to face, i.e., very intimately to God, in His very presence. See come down opposite also.

in to me (en, prep., 1722) - In John 15:7, if perhaps a disciple desires to continue to be a disciple of Jesus, through meeting all the requirements Jesus says in the context of John 15 and elsewhere, then that disciple stays "in to him", Jesus Christ, as a slip stays grafted in to the vine. See John 15:1-10, where Jesus carefully and clearly explains this idiom. According to the immediate context in John 15, the idiom in to me can be defined as watchfully keeping all of the Father's and Jesus' commands. To watchfully keep (John 15:10) all the Father's and Jesus' commands and bring produce (John 15:2), through necessity requires that Jesus' disciples control what they think, say and do, to be the same things as what the Father and Jesus say his disciples are to think, say and do. Therefore thinking, saying and doing all the things the Father and His son Jesus say we are to think, say and do, is staying and being in to him. The idiom in to me is seen in many similar phrases throughout God's Word, such as, in me, in Christ, in him, and so on (Rom. 8:1, 9:1, 12:5; 1 Cor. 1:2, 1:30, many more). In a sentence, staying in him means staying within the boundaries of his will; thinking and saying and doing the injunctions of the Father and His son Jesus Christ. Staying in him can be tantamount to staying in fellowship with the Father and Jesus Christ. Staying in him can also mean keeping our new covenant responsibilities, doing the work we've been called to do according to our part of his one body.

in Christ (en, prep., 1722) - See in to me.

inherent power - See inherently powered.

inherently powered (dunamai, verb, 1410) - Inherent power is the power inherently resident in something. In Mat. 3:9 God is inherently powered to arouse born ones of Abraham out of stones. In Mat. 8:2 the leper believed that Jesus was inherently powered to wash down the leper from his leprosy. In Mat. 9:28 the blind ones believed that Jesus was inherently powered to heal them of their blindness. In Mat. 17:14-21 Jesus' disciples were not yet inherently powered to cast a demon spirit out of a lunatic because of their lack of belief, prayer and fasting. In Mark 2:1-6, in Capernaum, some were not inherently powered to carry a paralytic to Jesus because of the crowd, and so they removed part of the roof of the house to let him down to Jesus. In Mark 6:1-6, Jesus, in his own father-land, was not inherently powered to do any inherently powered work there (except to a few desperate ones, putting upon them his hands), because of their unbelief. In John 3, Jesus teaches Nicodemus that no mortal is inherently powered to see the Kingdom of God unless he is generated above (Verse3), i.e., born above in God's gift of holy Spirit (verse 5). In John 5:44 Jesus asks;

John 5:44 (LIT/UBS4) How are you inherently powered to believe, taking glory beside one another, and [you] absolutely do not seek the glory, the [glory] beside the only God?

In John 10:29, absolutely no one (Gk., oudeis, very emphatic), which must include the devil, Satan, is inherently powered to snatch out of the Father's hand all those who believe upon Jesus, who are his sheep, who hear his voice and follow him. In Rom. 8:5-9 apostle Paul says that those who have not received God's Spirit in them have thoughts about being the things of the flesh, which thoughts are enemies of God, and therefore they are not inherently powered to please God; but those who have received God's Spirit in them have thoughts about being the things of the Spirit, and therefore they please God. In 1 Cor. 2:14 the soul-based (psuchikos) mortal (yet in the flesh, see Rom. 8), who has the spirit of the cosmos, who seeks to be taught mortalkind's wisdom about God (verse 13), is absolutely not inherently powered to experientially know the things of the Spirit of God. In 1 Cor. 12:3 apostle Paul says that absolutely no one in inherently powered to enunciate "Lord Jesus" if they do not have the holy Spirit. In 1 Cor. 15:50 apostle Paul says that flesh and blood can absolutely not inherently power itself to inherit the Kingdom of God. In Eph. 6:10-18 apostle Paul teaches that the holy ones (disciples of Jesus Christ) are to take up the panoply (full set of armor) of God to become inherently empowered to stand against the methods of the devil; to stand against evil, and to have throws (wrestling maneuvers) to use toward the spirit-based ones of evil in heavenly places. In 2 Tim. 3:1-7 apostle Paul teaches us that in the last days shall come chaotic times, when mortals shall be doing many evil things, one of which is always being discipled (learning) and not at any time becoming inherently powered to come into an experiential knowledge of Truth.

injunction (entolē, noun, 1785) - Virtually all translations translate entol as the English word command, which is a somewhat close synonym, but much too narrow in scope to reflect the breadth of meaning in the Greek, and especially the way entolē is used contextually within God's Word in relationship to His covenant promises. An entolē, or an injunction (Latin injunctio) is the result of things being enjoined (verb entellomai) together. An injunction in it's etymological meaning refers to the result of two our more things being joined together, as in an agreement joined into between two parties. The meaning of the word injunction has morphed over the centuries into ambiguity, becoming synonymous with command, sanction, writ, advice, behest, direction, law, limitation etc.. But the Greek meaning of entolē, that which has been enjoined, along with the biblical contexts in which it is used, clearly call for the exclusion of these modern synonyms as plainly inadequate. All the "commands" God and His son Jesus Christ give in God's Word are in respect to keeping or breaking covenant responsibilities in which the two parties, God and mortalkind, have joined into together. What specifically makes the word command unfit to use to translate entolē is that it does not reflect in any way the concept of enjoinment, especially to the joining of God and mortalkind into a covenant contract in Jesus shed blood. Whereas, the word injunction reflects the concept of keeping stipulations of a mutual covenant in which the two parties have joined into together. A covenant speaks of mutual responsibilities of each party toward the other. Each party is held responsible to the other through mutual agreement to enter into the covenant together, to keep the stipulations given within the covenant contract toward one another. Common in covenants and contracts, if one party doesn't keep their responsibilities toward the other party, the other party is not held liable to keep their covenant responsibilities reciprocally. This idea of two parties joined together into mutual responsibilities toward one another is not inherent in the word command, but is naturally inherent in the word injunction, which is why I translate entolē as an injuction throughout my translations of the new covenant writings. I believe the use of the word injunction, while breaking translation tradition which may seem sacred to some, is absolutely true to the Greek text, and especially true to the meaning intended by the holy Spirit.

is it being outside [of the law] (exestin, verb, 1832) - In many of it occurrences this to be verb is used as an interrogative to question whether something which is done on a sabbath day is done within the Mosaic law, or done outside of the Mosaic law, and therefore contrary to the law, over which Israel's religious leaders held themselves to be the judges, juries, and executioners.

According to the Mosaic law, there were some things which were required by the law to be done on sabbath days, such as the ritual cleansings, etc. But there were some rules and regulations of both the law and mortal-made religious injunctions which were not acceptable and were out of bounds to do on a sabbath day. For example: a sabbath's days journey, in relation to cease doing labor on the sabbath and rest according to the law, was the distance which was acceptable for a person to walk without breaking the law.

"The Eastern text [Acts 1:12] reads, 'separated from the city by seven furlongs.' In this case, a Sabbath journey means a short distance, because the Jews walked only short distances on the Sabbath Day. The distance was determined by the authorities so that the Sabbath might not be broken. Walking is considered a leisurely act, and is not regarded as work when one does not go on an errand on the Sabbath Day. In the olden days, walking on the Sabbath Day was prohibited beyond the limits of the tabernacle. During the time of Jesus the length of walk was from the Temple grounds to the valley of Kedron" (George Lamsa, 'New Testament Commentary', A. J. Holman Company, 1945, pg. 10-11).

In Luke 6:9, in the record of Jesus healing the man with the withered hand, Jesus inquires of some of the Pharisees which were present, that on a sabbath day which alternative is being outside of the law to do; either 1) to do good, or 2) to do evil; either 1), to make whole a soul, or 2) to destroy a soul? In this record in the text, and in all other records of the word's 32 usages, the idea of this idiom is to inquire or to state whether something done by an individual (who is many times Jesus himself) is being outside of the law, or within the law, it being agreeable with the law to do, whether done on a sabbath day or any other day.

Over many years the religious leaders of the children of Israel added many of their own mortal-made injunctions, ones they created out of their own soap opera theological imaginations, which abundance of them put and kept the people in heavy bondage and slavery to their own religious leadership! This gave their leadership ultimate control over every aspect of the people's lives.

This sounds demonic and devilish doesn't it? Of course it does! Jesus told those religious leaders that their father was the devil (John 8:44)! These are the same religious leaders and writers who were in control of many of the ancient Hebrew texts of God's Word, which they not only heavily misinterpreted, but which, over much time, they obliterated the accuracy of many portions of most all of the texts, especially meddling with many of the occurrences of God's names. However, the oral traditions are by far much more corrupted than the texts themselves. Most all modern English translations do that dirty job for the devil; in rendering both the ancient Hebrew and Greek texts into English.

is lifted (airō, verb, 142) - See was lifted.

judged down (katakrithēsetai, verb, 2632) - This is the fate of all unbelievers (Mark 16:16). The destination to which the direction leads is the place where all mortalkind shall go who are unrepentant toward the Father and His son Jesus Christ. Perhaps in the context of Mark 16:16 the direction is toward the final destination of all those unrepentant, the Lake of Fire (Rev. 19:20; 20:10, 14-15; 21:8).

judge through (diakrinō, verb, 1252) - The idiom is first used in Mat. 16:3 by Jesus in response to the Pharisees and Saducees who came to him to ask him to show them a sign from heaven. They could judge through, i.e., discern the meaning of the changing conditions of the sky to conclude what kind of weather was coming next, but they couldn't understand the prophecies in God's Word to know what events were prophesied to occur next; they didn't know that the son of God was to arrive, and what prophesies he was to fulfill. In Rom. 4:20 it is used of Abraam who didn't judge through in doubt of God's promise. Here the idiom implies a process of internal mental rationalization within the boundaries of one's own limited knowledge and understanding, to verify to one's self the veracity of God's promise, which power and knowledge of that power is completely outside of the one's knowledge and understanding. Abraam realized this, and rather than embark on a useless mental process to fathom God's immense power and ability, which he couldn't, and therefore it would lead him to doubt the promise, he chose simply to believe God's Word based upon his experience receiving the promise. In Acts 10:20 Peter has a similar opportunity to believe God's promise through his experience of the vision, to judge through nothing, but believe. In 1 Cor. 11:29-31 what we can judge through is the correspondence between our own spiritual walk with the knowledge of Jesus broken body and shed blood, and how we should be walking with this knowledge, according to God's Word. The general lesson in God's Word for us concerning this idiom of Judging through, is to not let our own lack of knowledge and understanding cause us to doubt. We don't know it all, but God's Word gives us enough to believe that He shall be our sufficiency in all things.

judged up, judging up (anakrinō, verb, 350) - A verb idiom where the preposition up (ana) is appended to the verb krino (to judge) to give the action of the verb a sense of being done all the way to the point of completion. In English we use the preposition up similarly in our idioms, to eat it up, or to give it up, or to get liquored up, using up to give the action of the verb a sense of being done to completion. Eat it up means to eat it until nothing remains to be eaten; until what is being eaten is completely gone. Likewise, to judge it up means to gather into mind or recall into mind all the necessary information needed to come to a verified, substantiated, etc., final conclusion about the matter at hand. The idiom is first used in Luke 23:14, in the record where Pilate examined (KJV), i.e., judged up Jesus to come to the conclusion that there was insufficient evidence to substantiate the claims by the chief priests that Jesus had done things worthy of death. This verb idiom is used 16 times in the new covenant writings. It is used in Acts 17:11 also, about the Berean believers who, after hearing God's Word taught, judged up for themselves through verifying what was taught with the holy writings to verify that the things they heard taught about Jesus were true. This idiom is used in 1 Corinthians 14:24 also in the record of apostle Paul's hypothetical scenario, where if believers are prophesying and there comes one in among them who is an unbeliever, that their prophesying under influence of the holy Spirit shall cause them to speak the things which the unbeliever needs to hear to cause him to repent. This indicates that it is actually the one holy Spirit which is at work in all of the ones prophesying, who has judged up the heart of the unbeliever, and gives the words to the believers to speak in their prophesies which reach the heart of the unbeliever and cause him to repent and believe. This is how the manifestation of prophesy is supposed to work within the assembly (ekklesia) of believers. This is how prophecy becomes a sign to believers of the power of the holy Spirit at work, because the unbeliever hears the prophecies, then repents and believes. The unbeliever turning from death unto life is the sign produced by the believer's manifestations of prophecy, a sign which believers are hoping to see when they gather together into an assembly.

Kingdom of Heaven/God - The belief that the Kingdom of Heaven/God, about which Jesus spoke and the writers wrote in the evangelism writings (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), is literally the one body of Christ, about which apostle Paul was given revelation from Jesus Christ, may be my own unique belief. One of the keys of knowledge which led me to this belief is the use of heis in the holy writings. Theologically speaking, when a certain theology says that all of these elements in group A are "one" in entity/purpose, and all of these elements of Group B are "one" in entity/purpose, but yet I find plainly in the holy writings that the elements of the theologically supposed groups A and B are "one" in entity/purpose, then I must, holding to the authority of the ancient writings over mortal-made theological theories, discount the group A and B theological supposition, i.e., throw it out the window, and go with the preaching and teaching of the holy writings that there are no groups A and B, but that they are literally all one body, one group, one entity/purpose. If I am to be faulted by some for my belief, then my fault lies in my study and adherence to the ancient writings as opposed my my study and adherence to mortal-made theologies, and patronage to those designers and institutions which hold them in higher esteem than the knowledge of God's Word handed down to us by God's holy apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors and teachers ().

The kingdom of Heaven/God, as articulated by Jesus Christ and his writers, is absolutely not a locative place at some special time in the future. But the Kingdom of Heaven/God began/came into existence when the time of the law and the prophets ended, according to Jesus Christ, with the coming and preaching of John the Baptist (Luke 16:16). The kingdom of Heaven/God is not a place or location which is "here" (Gk. hōde) or "there" (Gk. ekei), "Because (gar) behold (idou), the (hē) Kingdom (basileia) of the (tou) God (theou) is (estin) within (entos) you (humōn)!" (Luke 17:20-21).

Concerning the Kingdom of Heaven/God the time of its fulfillment is now; now, since the preaching of John the Baptist began; now, between the promised messiah's, Jesus Christ's, first and second comings; now, during the period referred to by some as the period of the grace of God.

many spleened (polusplagchnos, adj., 4184) - An idiom meaning one is able to show love, grace and mercy over and over again. The spleen, although being an actual organ in our physical body, was attributed as being the internal source of love, grace and mercy toward others. In our modern world our heart is referred to figuratively as the source of our love, grace and mercy toward others. See spleen.

messenger or messengers (angelos, noun, 32) - In the KJV angelos is translated as angel 179 times, and as messenger only 7 times. But I believe whenever possible we must allow the contextual usage to help define the writer's intended explicit meaning of the words chosen to write. Simply looking in a concordance to see how various translators translated a word tells us only their opinions of how they translated a word into English, driven most always by theological persuasion. But allowing God's Word to have the overruling authority of a word's meaning, based upon how a word is used repeatedly in its given contexts, allows a translator to actually quote the writer's intended meaning of a word, and there is no need for theological interpretation on the part of a translator. I believe tradition has mistakenly taught, either directly or indirectly that he meaning of the English word "angel" is simply a kind of heavenly being created by the God the Father to be used for His purposes. That's a half-truth on account of that it is way too narrow in meaning compared to the various actual uses of the term angelos in the ancient Greek texts.

In all 186 usages of angelos in the Textus Receptus it means one who is sent to deliver a message. As we can see the critical meaning of the word describes a function that is performed. Angelos is not a title like the words king, lord, prince, captain, lieutenant, master, sir, ambassador, and so on. Angelos is NOT a title meaning heavenly being. Angelos is a term which describes a function being performed, describing the action of a verb taking place, like the terms runner, welder, plumber, driver, writer, speaker and so on, which words describe the action of running, welding, plumbing, driving, writing and speaking. Angelos describes the action of delivering a message, which is why I translate it as messenger in the LIT, in every one of its usages.

Another reason why I translate angelos as messenger is because the term is applied to mortal, soul-based beings as well, not to simply to heavenly, spirit-based beings. In Mat. 1:20 angelos is used by the writer Matthew to refer to the heavenly being which, in a vision, came to Joseph, Mariam's husband, to deliver the message from the LORD that he should not be fearful to take Mariam to himself to be his wife, because the child having been generated in her is "out of holy Spirit". Yes, this is how angelos is used in the majority of its usages, to refer to a heavenly being delivering a message. BUT, angelos is used to refer to mortal beings delivering messages also, ones who have been sent to deliver messages to other mortals.

In Mat. 11:10 Jesus Christ, speaking of John the Baptist, quotes the prophecy of Malachi, in Mal. 3:1a:

Mat. 11:10 Behold, I send the messenger of me before [the] face of you, who shall schematize down the way of you in front of you..."

Jesus refers to John the Baptist as Jesus' own messenger, "the messenger of me". In other various passages in the new testament writings they say that John the Baptist was sent to introduce the prophesied and promised messiah to the children of Israel. And that he would bring a new covenant which the God the Father wished to make with mortalkind (Jer. 31:31-34; Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:17-21).

But when we look at Mal. 3:1 we see not not only the prophesy of the coming John the Baptist, referred to simply as a messenger, but we see another messenger mentioned as well in his prophecy,

Mal. 3:1a (LIT) Behold, I am sending a messenger of me; and he shall clear the way [of you] before [you].

Mal. 3:1b (LIT) And suddenly, the Lord whom you seek, shall come to his temple, [who is] the messenger of the covenant, whom you are desiring. Behold, he shall come, says Yehovah of hosts!

I can see how Mal. 3:1a speaks of John the Baptist, through corresponding the new covenant revelation, which has subsequently been revealed to us, back to Malachi's prophecy in 3:1a. But what Jesus said in Mat. 11:10 is silent about what Malachi meant in 3:1b. But I believe there is another new covenant revelation which corresponds back to Mal. 3:1b, which is given to us in Rev. 19:10 and 22:6-16.

Rev. 19:10 (LIT/UBS4) And I fell in front of the feet of him to bow toward (proskunēsai) him. And [it] says to me, “Do not gaze (hora) [at me]! I am a slave together with you, and of the brothers of you, of the [brothers] holding the witness of Jesus, (because the Witness of Jesus is the Spirit of the prophecy). Bow toward (proskunēson) the God!”

Who is speaking in this verse, the one who refused to allow the apostle John to bow toward him, but said to him, "Do not gaze [at me]! Bow toward the God!"? Whoever is speaking to John considers itself to be a slave of the God together with apostle John, and of the brothers of John, the brothers who are holding the witness of Jesus. Apostle Paul, speaking of Jesus Christ, says in his letter to the believers in Philippi:

Php. 2:7 (LIT/UBS4) BUT, having taken a form of a slave in a likeness of mortals, he emptied himself! And having become [a slave], he having found [himself in] a scheme as a mortal,

Paul says Jesus Christ voluntarily took the form of a slave to his Father the God; a slave in the likeness of mortals.

Brothers in Rev. 19:10 must not mean brothers in the sense of fellow children of Israel, or brothers after the flesh. Brothers here must mean as Jesus described in Mat. 12:49-50:

Mat. 12:49 (LIT/UBS4) And having stretched out the hand of him over the disciples of him, he enunciated, “Behold, the mother of me and the brothers of me!

Mat. 12:50 (LIT/UBS4) Because perhaps anyone who may do the desire of the Father of me, the one in [the] heavens, he is a brother of me, and a sister, and a mother.”

In Rev. 22:8-9 apostle John attempts to bow toward this messenger again, and again receives the same treatment and explanation.

Rev. 22:8 (LIT/UBS4) And I, John, [am] the one hearing and looking at these things. And when I heard and looked, I fell in front to bow toward the feet of the messenger, of the one pointing out (deiknuontos) to me these things.

Rev. 22:9 (LIT/UBS4) And he says to me, “Do not gaze [at me]! I am a slave together with you, and of the brothers of you, of the prophets, and of the ones watching the words of the little scroll of this. Bow toward the God!”

This messenger speaking to apostle John says again that he is a brother of the ones watching the words of the little scroll, i.e., of the ones doing the desire of the Father, as Jesus said in Mat. 12:50. Could this messenger be Christ Jesus himself, the messenger apostle John speaks of in Rev. 22:8, the messenger Malachi speaks of in 3:1b?

What does the opening verse, Rev. 1:1, of the scroll of Revelation of Jesus Christ say about who is giving apostle John this revelation?

Rev. 1:1 (LIT/UBS4) A revelation of Jesus Christ which the God gave to him to point out (deixai) to the slaves of him things which [are] necessary to come to pass in acceleration. And He [the God] signified [it] having sent [it] through the messenger (angelou) of Him to the slave (doulō) of him, John (iōannē);

A revelation of Jesus Christ - Jesus Christ is making known this revelation, and he is making it known to apostle John.

which the God gave to him - The God gave this revelation to His son Jesus Christ.

to point out to the slaves of him - Slaves of who? In the new covenant writings slaves is used in reference to both slaves of the God the Father, and slaves of Jesus Christ. Here in John's account of the revelation he received from Jesus Christ, John's references to slaves are always slaves of the God (Rev. 7:3, 10:7, 11:18, 15:3, 19:2, 5, 22:3, 6), with the apparent exception of this first verse which reference to slaves appears to me to refer to those of Jesus Christ.

And He signified [it] - I believe the one who gave the revelation to Jesus Christ is the one who signified it, who is the God the Father.

having sent [it] through the messenger of Him - I believe the one who gave the revelation to Jesus Christ, is the same one who signified it, and is the same one who sent it, who is the God the Father. Here the God the Father refers to His son, Jesus Christ, as His messenger. This revelation which was given to Jesus Christ from the God was sent THROUGH His messenger Jesus Christ to Jesus' slave John.

to the slave of him - John is the slave of him, Jesus, through whom the God gave, signified and sent it.

To me, this scriptural evidence establishes who is the second messenger in Malachi 3:1b. In Malachi 3:1a Jesus said John the Baptist was the messenger of him (Mat. 11:10). In Rev. 22:8 John says he bowed toward the feet of the messerger who was speaking to him. This messenger is defined in John 1:1 as the God the Father's messenger, Jesus Christ, to whom that revelation was given and signified, and through whom it was sent to Jesus' slave, John.

This evidence in God's Word identifies for me who is the second messenger mentioned in Malichi's prophecy in 3:1b, as being the ascended Christ Jesus himself. In Malachi 3:1a the first messenger mentioned is John the Baptist, Jesus' messenger; and in Mal. 3:1b the second messenger mentioned is the ascended Christ Jesus himself, the messenger of his Father, who is the highest God.

Mal. 3:1a (LIT) Behold, I am sending a messenger of me; and he shall clear the way [of you] before [you].

Mal. 3:1b (LIT) And suddenly, the Lord whom you seek, shall come to his temple, [who is] the messenger of the covenant, whom you are desiring.

Behold, he shall come, says YHWH of hosts!

And suddenly - When Jesus Christ, the promised messiah, finally arrived, the religious leaders refused to believe it, and they led the children of Israel in their unbelief as well, actually threatening anyone who spoke as though they believed, or said they believed it.

the Lord whom you seek - There were many of the children of Israel who were actually looking forward to and expecting the coming of the promised messiah, as Jesus' messenger, John the Baptist, was announcing and preaching.

shall come to his temple - I believe this is the new "temple" made without hands (Mat. 26:61; Mark 14:58; John 2:19-21), the one body of Christ, the new holy place of the God (1 Cor. 3:16-17, 6:15-20; 2 Cor. 6:16; Eph. 2:21; Rev. 7:13-17, 21:22).

the messenger of the covenant - Please see Rom. 11:26-27; Heb. 12:24, 13:20, Heb. chapters 8-13. This is the new covenant in Jesus Christ's shed blood, which new covenant was prophesied to come (Heb. 10:16-17; Jer. 31:31-34).

I believe this shows that a messenger, Gk. angelos, is not simply a heavenly being, but its usage throughout God's Word refers to both heavenly and mortal beings, and even to Jesus Christ himself, as I've shown here, who is the greatest messenger of all time, being the Word of God, and being the messenger of the new covenant in his shed blood. I believe this demonstrates also that when we read God's Word, especially in passages where up until now we may have thought that some other angel or messenger was speaking, that it could possibly be God's Word speaking, before it was made flesh, as in Mal. 3:1, or the ascended Word made flesh speaking, Christ Jesus speaking, as he occasionally does throughout John's record of the revelation of Jesus Christ, as I've shown here in Rev. 19:10 and 22:9. We must NOT jump to conclusions about WHO or WHAT is the messenger about which we are reading, but allow the contexts, immediate, local and remote, as I've shown, to define for us WHO or WHAT is this messenger.

method of the Wanderer (planēs, noun, 4106) - In Eph. 4:14, apostle Paul, speaking to the believers in Ephesus, called them alongside not to remain as infants spiritually, but to grow up into the fullness of the maturity of Jesus Christ through not allowing themselves to be victims of the method of the Wanderer. Wanderer (planēs), with the definite article, I believe is a reference to the devil. In 1 John 4:6, apostle John gives us some practical knowledge of discerning of spirits (1 Cor. 12:10), through discerning between those mortals who recognize, hear and agree with God's Word when we speak it, and those who do not. Those who do not recognize, hear and agree with God's Word, what's plainly written, chapter and verse, are of the spirit of the Wanderer, the devil, of the spirit of the antichrist (1 John 4:3). Therefore, the method of the Wanderer, the method of the devil, and the method of the antichrist, practically speaking, are all one and the same method, i.e., the method of using lies and deception. The Sadducees, Pharisees and scribes all practiced the method of the Wanderer, who's father, Jesus said, was the devil (John 8:43-44).

middle wall (mesotoichon, noun, 3320) - Within the temple area in Jerusalem, before its destruction by the Romans in about 70 AD, the temple area was divided into several areas. Upon entering the temple area through the massive double and triple stone archways, the Huldah gates, worshippers would come into the court of the gentiles. This court was as far as gentiles could enter into the temple area, and it was partitioned or fenced off by a large wall separating it from the next inner court, the court of the women. Passing through the court of the women toward the center of the temple area, next were the huge stone archways leading into the court of Israel, into which only males were allowed to enter. And so between the huge Huldah gates leading into the temple area and the huge stone archways leading into the court of Israel, were the courts of the gentiles and women, separated by only a middle wall between them, else they would both together form one huge court. Upon the walls near the entrances into the court of the women were warnings to the gentiles that they were forbidden to enter into the court of the women. This middle wall between the courts kept the gentiles (the uncircumcision) out from mixing with the children of Israel (the circumcision) within. Apostle Paul refers to this middle wall between the courts of the gentiles and women in Eph. 2:14, 11-22. See side-housers.

money-cutters (kermatistēs, noun, 2773) - In John 2:13-17 is a record of Jesus Christ purging the temple area of dishonesty and thievery. Many of both the local Judeans, and the Judeans of the Dispersion who lived outside of Judea who were returning to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover feast, needed their foreign and large denomination coinage broken down into smaller half shekel amounts to pay the temple tax of a half shekel per person, and to buy sacrifices for the alter. Apparently many/most/all of the money-cutters were charging an interest/usury fee to convert or "cut" large foreign and local denominations down into smaller value coinage. The word used in the text suggests that the money-cutters were literally cutting up into smaller pieces large foreign denominated silver and gold coins, and then accepting the weights of one or more smaller pieces (with a little extra weight for the interest/usury fee) as an equivalent to the annual temple tax of a half shekel, which was given in exchange for those small pieces of large foreign silver and gold coinage. These smaller pieces of foreign large denominated coins could then be either traded or melted down for any purpose, including producing more coinage.

From the record in Mat. 21:12-13 Jesus opposed the dishonesty and thievery of those who were selling and buying in the temple area, charging them with making the house of prayer into a "cave of robbers". In Mark 11:15-18 Mark gives us more information, including that Jesus would not allow anyone to carry vessels through the temple area, while accusing them of making it into a cave of robbers. In John 2:13-17 John gives us additional information, including that Jesus made a whip out of small ropes which he used to throw everyone out the temple area, along with the sheep and the bovine. And he poured out the clippings/cuttings of the coin-dealers (Gk. kollubistēs), upturning their four-legged stools. According to the text, the word all (Gk. pantas) in verse 15 applies to the sheep and the bovine which Jesus threw out of the sacred place. Jesus threw out all of them. Apparently Jesus didn't use the whip to throw out any people, as is commonly but erroneously believed.

numbed down (katenarkaō, verb, 2655) - In 2 Cor. 12:13 apostle Paul explains that perhaps the reason for the assembly of believers, in the area of Corinth, becoming inferior in their spiritual growth and walk in the Spirit was on account of him becoming numb to their spiritual needs, i.e., insensitive and less caring of them; for which neglect he blames himself as being unrighteous in his duty as an apostle, to support them. Affixing the preposition down (Gk. kata) to a word, in this case the verb narkao, adds the idea of completeness and/or thoroughness in the action of the verb. Essentially, Paul is saying that he was completely numb toward the Corinthians in his apostolic duties, as a parent has duties toward their children (verse 14).

of breath (anapsuxeōs, noun, 403) - The AV, Darby, Rotherham and Young's Literal Translation all translate anapsuxeōs as "of refreshing", which dynamic equivalency is a little too general based upon the idiomatic meaning inherent within the word, of catching your breath. "of refreshing" is negligent in that it leaves out the mention of "breath", the very meaning of the word (Gk., ana, up + psucho, to breathe, to breathe up). Anapsuxeōs literally means to catch up on your breathing, as if you have been running and running and have run out of breath and must now stop to catch up on breathing. In Acts 3:19-20 Peter implies that those who are un-repentant toward God, who are still living being affected by their sin which hasn't yet been forgiven, are figuratively and/or literally being run out of breath by the affects produced in their lives from those sins (Acts 5:1-5; James 1:13-15). I take Peter's figurative usage of "breath" as meaning the knowledge of God's Word, the Word of life. Peter gives us a great promise from God, that those who repent shall receive from the face of God "times of catching up on their breath". Whatever these particular times of catching up on are breath are, from God, we know, as opposed to us being dead from lack of "breath", that they shall be to meet our specific needs and cause our lives to become much more abundant (John 10:9-10). God shall give us His knowledge and wisdom whenever we need it.

of equal value (axios, adj. 514) - The contextual idiomatic meaning of axia is equality. The word is used to question an assumed state of equality between things when it becomes apparent from a subjective comparison of things that there is no longer, or never was, a level of equality between them. With axia a normal state of equality is assumed between the things being associated and compared. Any apparent deviation from a state of equality in the things being compared is assumed to be indicative of falsehood.

In its first usage, Mat. 3:8, John the Baptist tells the Pharisees and Sadducees to, "(LIT/UBS4) make produce of equal value of the repentance" when the the Pharisees and Sadducees came out to see John the Baptist water baptizing. People were receiving a water baptism from him as a sign of their own repentance toward God. A dramatic public confession of their sin and subsequent water baptism from John was done to indicate their own personal dramatic denunciation and turning away from their sinful ways to accept and follow the ways of their heavenly Father, the one true God. Public repentance toward God under John's water baptism was a statement of their acceptance of the one true God as being their heavenly Father.

John tells the Pharisees and Sadducees that if they were truly coming out to express their repentance in their hearts toward God from their evil ways, and to accept Him as their heavenly Father, that the produce of them, referring to them figuratively as being fruit trees, that the "fruit" of their lips absolutely did not match in equality with the assumption which could be implied by their presence at his water baptism. Contrary to their presence, they did not come to be water baptized in a baptism of repentance (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; Acts 13:24, 19:4). John the Baptist says that if Abraham truly was their father that the "fruit" of their lips would be beautiful, i.e., something other than lying and deceit. Jesus told the Pharisees that their father was the devil (John 8:44), and like the devil, they being his children, that they lie and murder as well.

John indicates that the true level of the repentance in the hearts of the Pharisees and Sadducees could be measured by the quality of the "fruit" of their lips. Jesus taught this as well (Mat. 7:15-20). Ultimately the "fruit" of their lips was always rotten. On the outside they looked like servants and ministers of God, but what came out of their mouth was not equal to what should be coming out of their mouths if they truly were servants and ministers of God, and truly were repenting to the one true God and accepting Him as their heavenly Father.

The second usage of axia is in Mat. 10:10, where Matthew quotes Jesus as saying, "the worker is of equal value of the nourishment of him." In Mat. chapter 10:5- Jesus is teaching his chosen twelve disciples a practical lesson in their discipleship to him on how to believe and depend upon God for their daily needs. Jesus' twelve disciples were to go out to the children of Israel to find those who were willing to here them teach them God's Word, as Jesus had taught them. They were not to go out to any other ethnic group other than the children of Israel.

They were to go out and give gratuitously. They were to give therapy to those who were weak/sick, arouse dead ones, cleanse lepers, and throw out little demons. In response, from those, or the families of those who had received their gratuitous giving, they would receive back their necessities, or the means to acquire their necessities, such as food and clothing. Jesus said that their value to the community would be at least as valuable as the value of those necessary things they received back from those they helped. Apostle Paul as well taught this idiomatic lesson to the believers in the area of Corinth (1 Cor. 9:9; Deut. 25:4), and to Timothy (1 Tim. 5:18).

The third usage of axia is in Mat. 10:11, in the same context of its second usage, in which Jesus says, "(LIT/UBS4) But perhaps into which city or town you may enter into, verify out who in her is of equal value, and there stay until perhaps you may go out." The most valuable thing Jesus' twelve disciples were giving away gratuitously was the knowledge and understanding of God's Word which Jesus had been teaching them. So who is of equal value to receive not only therapy for their weakness/sickness, arouse dead ones, cleansing of their leprosy, and the throwing out of little demons, and especially the knowledge and understanding of God's Word?

What do the texts say?

Mat. 7:6 (LIT/UBS4) "Neither (mē) give (dōte) the (to) holy things (hagion) to the (tois) dogs (kusin),

but nor (mēdē) throw (balēte) the (tous) pearls (margaritas) of you (humōn) in front (emprosthen) of the (tōn) young swine (choirōn)."

Mat. 13:58 (LIT/UBS4) And (kai) he did absolutely not (ouk epoiēsen) many (pollas) inherently powered works (dunameis) there (ekei) through (dia) the (tēn) unbelief (apistian) of them (autōn)!

Heb. 11:6 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) apart from (chōris) belief (pisteōs) [he was] inherently unpowered (adunaton) to be well-pleasing (euarestēsai) [to the God].

According to Jesus' own words, those who do not believe God's Word which he went around teaching were rejecting not only the God his Father, but they were rejecting Jesus as well; on which account Jesus refers to them as "dogs" and "young swine".

Jesus Christ, and God His Father's Spirit in him were looking for those who would believe God's Word. And the belief of those would make them of equal value to receive the things for which Jesus was sending out his twelve disciples to do for their community. Apostle Paul explains to the believers in the area of Galatia the requirement of belief in one's heart to receive anything from the God the Father.

Gal. 3:2 (LIT/UBS4) Only (monon) this (touto) I desire (thelō) to learn (mathein) from (aph’) you (humōn):

Out (ex) of works (ergōn) of law (nomou) you have taken (elabete) the (to) Spirit (pneuma), or (ē) out (ex) of belief (pisteōs) of a thing heard (akoēs)?

Gal. 3:3 (LIT/UBS4) Thusly (houtōs) you are (este) unperceptive ones (anoētoi);

having started in (enarxamenoi) Spirit (pneumati), now (nun) you are completed in (epiteleisthe) [the] flesh (sarki)?

Gal. 3:4 (LIT/UBS4) So many things (tosauta) you have suffered (epathete);

if (ei) purposely (eikē) [then], indeed (ge) purposely (eikē) [now] also (kai)?

Gal. 3:5 (LIT/UBS4) Therefore (oun), the one (ho) choreographing (epichorēgōn) to you (humin) the (to) Spirit (pneuma), and (kai) energizing (energōn) inherently powered works (dunameis) among (en) you (humin), [is it] out (ex) of works (ergōn) of law (nomou) or (ē) out (ex) of belief (pisteōs) of a thing heard (akoēs)?

Gal. 3:6 (LIT/UBS4) Down as (kathōs) Abraham (Abraam) believed (episteusen) the (tō) God (theō), and (kai) it was reckoned (elogisthē) to him (autō) into (eis) righteousness (dikaiosunēn),

Gal. 3:7 (LIT/UBS4) so (ara) you know (ginōskete), that (hoti) the ones (hoi) out (ek) of belief (pisteōs), these ones (houtoi), are (eisin) sons (huioi) of Abraham (Abraam).

Gal. 3:8 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (hē) writing (graphē) having foregazed (proidousa) that (hoti) out (ek) of belief (pisteōs) [of them] the (ho) God (theos) is making righteous (dikaioi) the (ta) ethnic groups (ethnē), it evangelized itself before (proeuēngelisato) to the (tō) Abraham (Abraam), that (hoti), “In (en) you (soi) all (panta) the (ta) ethnic groups (ethnē) shall be caused to be in a eulogy (eneulogēthēsontai)!” (See Gal. 3:8; Acts 3:25)

Gal. 3:9 (LIT/UBS4) And so (hōste) the ones (hoi), out (ek) of belief (pisteōs) [of them], are eulogized (eulogountai) together with (sun) the (tō) believable (pistō) Abraham (Abraam).

Gal. 3:10 (LIT/UBS4) Because (gar) as many as (hosoi) are (eisin) out (ex) of works (ergōn) of law (nomou) are (eisin) under (hupo) a curse (kataran).

Because (gar) it has been written (gegraptai) that (hoti), “Accursed (epikataratos) [is] anyone (pas) who (pas) absolutely does not stay in (ouk emmenei) all (pasin) the things (tois) having been written (gegrammenois) in (en) the (tō) book (bibliō) of the (tou) law (nomou), of the (tou) [law] to do (poiēsai) them (auta)!”

Gal. 3:11 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) that (hoti) in (en) law (nomō) absolutely not one (oudeis) is made righteous (dikaioutai) alongside (para) to the (tō) God (theō) is obvious (dēlon);

because (hoti) the (ho) righteous one (dikaios) shall cause himself to live (zēsetai) out (ek) of belief (pisteōs)!

Gal. 3:12 (LIT/UBS4) But (de) the (ho) law (nomos) is (estin) absolutely not (ouk) out (ek) of belief (pisteōs)!

BUT (all’), the one (ho) having done (poiēsas) them (auta) shall cause himself to live (zēsetai) in (en) them (autois)!

Gal. 3:13 (LIT/UBS4) Christ (christos) bought (exēgorasen) us (hēmas) out (ek) of the (tēs) curse (kataras) of the (tou) law (nomou), having caused himself to become (genomenos) a curse (katara) over (huper) us (hemon);

because (hoti) it has been written (gegraptai), "Accursed (epikataratos) [is] anyone (pas), the one (ho) hanging (kremamenos) upon (epi) a timber (xulou);"

Gal. 3:14 (LIT/UBS4) in order that (hina) in (en) Christ (christō) Jesus (Iēsou) the (hē) eulogy (eulogia) of the (tou) Abraham (Abraam) into (eis) the (ta) ethnic groups (ethnē) may cause itself to come to pass (genētai);

in order that (hina) we may take (labōmen) the (tēn) promise (epangelian) of the (tou) Spirit (pneumatos) through (dia) the (tēs) belief (pisteōs).

And so as we can see, what makes anyone of equal value to receive the things of God, especially His Word, is the belief of them in their hearts. Because the belief of them in their hearts is what makes/made them righteous, and thereby what makes/made them eligible to receive.

of risings (anatolōn, noun, 395) - Refers to the place where the Sun rises, the Eastern horizon.

of standing down (apokatastasis, noun, 605) - An idiom meaning to cease and desist, to no longer be active and affective, to stand down from. I believe this idiom is preserved in our Western culture as a military term, meaning to go off duty, as when soldiers are ordered by their commanders to stand down from active fighting. Bullinger defines the word as meaning a "re-establishment from a state of ruin." However, I believe the word's meaning has a little different shade of meaning, given the old covenant prophecies to which it relates (Acts 3:22-28; Deut. 18:15-19; Acts 4:18, 21, 25-27), and in consideration of apostle Paul's revelations (1 Cor. 1:28; 1 Cor. 2:6; 1 Cor. 15:24-28; 2 Thes. 2:8; Heb. 2:8, 14). I believe Peter's usage of apokatastasis refers to the things in this world which are causing its ruin, as coming or being brought to a halt, i.e., their standing down, ultimately they being forced to stand down. In Acts 3:21, and through chapters 3 and 4, I believe apostle Peter's references are to principalities, powers, and people in this world, like the children of Israel who had the Romans murder Christ Jesus for them, who fight against God. Peter's usage of apokatastasis is in reference to bringing an end to the ruin, the stealing, killing and destroying (John 10:9) going on upon the earth; to the eventual forcing of it to stand down, which is a necessary step which must come before the establishment of the new heavens and earth. Many, perhaps most of the Judeans to whom Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, Israel corporately, were still fighting against God, and were not standing down. They weren't accepting God's Word about the coming messiah, and they didn't recognize and accept JESUS as that messiah/Christ. They had him murdered. Apostle Peter is practically begging them, while warning them at the same time, to stand down from fighting against God. The children of Israel have the same opportunity as any other people, powers or authorities upon the face of the earth; either stand down and turn to God and His son Jesus Christ, or become put under his feet.

one (heis, numeral, 1520) - Arguably, perhaps the most important use of the word heis in the holy writings is its use under the subject matter of the Great Mystery, the one body of Christ; also referred to as the mystery of the kingdom of God (Mark 4:11), the mystery of his (Christ's) desire (Eph. 1:9), the mystery of the Christ (Eph. 3:4, Col. 4:3), the mystery of the evangelism (Eph. 6:19), the mystery of God, of Christ (Col. 2:2), the mystery of the belief (1 Tim. 3:9), the mystery of the piety (1 Tim. 3:16), the mystery of the God (Rev. 10:7). Collectively, these mysteries are referred to by Jesus Christ as the mysteries (plural) of the Kingdom (singular) of the Heavens (plural) (Mat. 13:11); and also the mysteries of the Kingdom of the God (Luke 8:10).

one breathing (empneō, verb, 1709) - In Acts 9:1 Luke records that apostle Paul, Saul before his conversion, was "yet still one breathing of threat and of murder" against the believers of the way. We in our English culture have an idiom which is very similar to this, breathing down someone's neck, used to describe the actions of someone who is threatening and closely pursuing someone.

one of another leaf (allophulō, pron. adj., 246) - This ancient idiom is used in Acts 10:28 specifically to refer to a person not of the seed of Abraham, an ethnic alien (gentile). In nature, trees are often identified by their physical appearance, size, color, bark, shape of bow, but especially the size, shape, color and pattern of their leaf or needles. A species of fir tree is commonly identified by the configuration of it's needles, the length and cluster of them. Hardwoods and their species are often identified similarly, by the size, shape, color and pattern of it's leaf. Among mortals, language, dialect, social customs, customs of attire and uniforms are all outward appearances which give clues to another's homeland and ethnic background. In an ancient Hebraism and in figures of speech used in God's Word, in both old and new covenant writings, God's Word utilizes trees as found in nature to be symbolic of mortals and spirit-based beings, good and evil. Generally speaking, this lends the growth and reproductive characteristics of a tree to mortals. In Genesis, in the record of the recreation (Gen. 1:11, 12, 29; 2:9) (which was necessary after the fall of Lucifer and 1/3 of the heavenly host of spirit-based beings which fell with him), trees were intended to be a benefit to mortalkind. They were to bring forth fruit, to be a source of food to help sustain and build the quality of a mortal's soul and bodily life. Jesus referred to this in his parables and similes (Mat. 3:10; chaps. 7, 12, 13, 21, 24, etc.), in which a tree is symbolic of a mortal who has the opportunity to love his fellow mortals and bring forth good works (fruit) which would be beneficial to them. The Psalmist said, "And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water" (Psa. 1:3). Believing followers and disciples of our Lord Jesus Christ are yet of another leaf, being neither Judean nor gentile but of the one body of Christ, and are to be identified by their love for their fellow mortals, saved and unsaved, and good works (fruit) done for fellow mortals to benefit their lives. In the record in Genesis of the garden, I believe the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil (Gen. 2:17) was the spirit being Satan, and the Tree of Life (Gen. 3:22) was the Spirit being of Christ, before he was given a mortal body to shed necessary perfect blood and become the redeemer of the entire cosmos. Cognitive and emotional states of mortals or spirit beings are associated with trees also; if one needed wisdom or was willing to impart advice and/or wisdom, he or it, whether mortal or spirit being, would sit under an Oak tree (Jude 6:11, 19; 1 Kings 13:14).

ones being brought about (peripherō, verb, 4064) - In Eph. 4:14 apostle Paul uses several genre of references to describe the characteristics of mortals struggling to find and believe God's Word, and to stay on course with their discipleship and spiritual growth. Two of those terms are related to the genre of seafaring, ones surging, and ones being brought about to every wind. These two phrases describe both vertical and horizontal motion respectively, of a ship on the sea. A ship on the sea can be brought about to a new course and heading through positioning the rudder, positioning the sails, and the force of wind pushing upon the ship. Paul's reference is to the wind, which is completely out of the control of the sailors. A ship's course and heading can be maintained no matter from which the direction the wind blows, through positioning the rudder and sails, given the wind does not become too strong and the seas become too rough. In Paul's day sailors relied upon the wind as the source of power to propel their ships. But the direction of the wind, and its intensity, can change at anytime. Without a firm hand on the wheel to control the position of the rudder, and careful positioning of the sails, the wind can blow a ship into any direction to which it blows, and carry the sailors away into oblivion. Paul's reference to wind is figurative, and it represents the false logic and lies of false teachers under the influence of demonic, spiritual influence, attributed to the reference to the Wanderer, a title of the devil. A ship in this case is a type to any mortal being. The sea is a type to the life through which we walk. The rudder of the ship is a type to the knowledge and beliefs in a mortal's heart which steer a mortal on their course. Winds of lies can affect the beliefs within a mortal's heart, and thereby affect the course and heading a mortal sets for himself. A heading one sets for himself which is based upon truth, God's Word (John 17:17), will cause a mortal to steer their ship in the right direction toward a safe harbor, to pick up a load of abundance of life, prosperity and peace, into fellowship with God the Father and His son Jesus Christ.

ones not holding down [anything] (katechō, verb, 2722) - An idiom very similar to our Western English idiom when we speak of someone who, "can't hold down a job". The ancient idea is of holding something down so it can't get away. Paul uses this idiom in 1 Cor. 7:30 in reference to those who, in a time coming in the future when things shall become very difficult upon the earth, of those value the buying and selling of goods to make money over the value of the business of God's Word, that they may be as ones not holding down [anything], i.e., busted, bankrupt, broke, in the poor house. That of everything upon which they can get their hands that they cannot hold it down from getting away from them, leaving them with nothing. Paul uses this same idiom in a positive sense in 2 Cor. 6:10, about believers, who, as having nothing, are ones holding down all things.

ones surging (kludōnizomai, verb, 2831) - In Eph. 4:14 apostle Paul uses several genre of references to describe the characteristics of mortals struggling to find and believe God's Word, and to stay on course with their discipleship and spiritual growth. Two of those terms are related to the genre of seafaring, ones surging, and ones being brought about to every wind. These two phrases describe both vertical and horizontal motion respectively, of a ship on the sea. Surges, or swells as they are often called, are huge waves which travel through the sea. As a surge travels under the ship the ship is raised up to the top of the surge. As the surge passes by the ship it is then lowered down into the hollow between the surges, leaving the ones on the ship to view two large walls of water on either side of them. If one is navigating by physical sight of land, surges like these can make it difficult to steer the ship in the desired heading. I believe Paul's allusion is to spiritual unrest and confusion from lack of spiritual control in life's situations. Water is sometimes used in God's Word as a type to death, the grave, demonic influence, evil, and even holy Spirit and life (Psalm 1:3; John 4:10-11, 7:38). In the context of Eph. 4:14, the connotation is to demonic, spiritual influence, attributed to the reference to the Wanderer, a title of the devil. Those who steer their ships based upon their belief of the truth in God's Word, ones whose minds are stayed upon God's Word, sail through calm seas in life (Isa. 26:3).

opposite from (apenanti, prep., 561) - Apenanti is used six times in the Greek texts. Five of those usages are references to proximity, meaning opposite from, or across from, but very nearby in proximity. One usage is in the sense of opposition, to be contrary (Acts 17:7). In its five proximity references it is used as a reference to something being very close to another, as if both are facing one another. In Acts 3:16 the lame mortal was from opposite the rest of the people of Israel. It's an idiomatic way of stating that he was right in front of their faces when he was healed through believing upon the name of JESUS. The miracle healing occurred before their very eyes. The believing of the lame mortal served to magnify the unbelief of all those around him, who were supposedly "whole". They were not "whole" because they had unbelief. BELIEF in their hearts upon the name of JESUS was the main thing they were all missing. The term as used by Peter served as a conviction for their unbelief. Although the apenanti is used in Acts 3:16 if reference to physical proximity, its usage serves to point out moral opposition, the utter lack of belief by all the others, perhaps a reference to Israel corporately, to believe upon the name of JESUS. The lame mortal's belief (which made him a whole being, with body, soul and Spirit) was contrary or opposite (anti) of their unbelief. Their unbelief caused them to remain soul-based mortals, as apostle Paul characterizes those who have not received the gift of holy Spirit (1 Cor. 2:14), the new birth above in God's Spirit. This record in Acts 3, as well as several other records, shows that it is spiritually normal, for one who has a physical infirmity, to receive physical healing at the same time they receive the new birth above in God's Spirit.

over (huper, prep., 5228) - It is very common in the Greek text for prepositions describing spatial relationships between or among objects, to be used to describe social, professional and/or spiritually assigned relationships between or among people. Over is often used in the sense of taking or having care over, praying over or having charge over something.

over the threshold (bebēlos, adj., 952) - In 1 Tim. 4:7 apostle Paul gives leadership advice to Timothy, advising him on what is proper dialogue and conduct concerning one's piety toward the God the Father. Paul uses an idiom describing crossing a subjective boundary, and idiom similar to if not identical with our Western English idiom of crossing the line, describing someone's behavior as being out of bounds with the guidelines given in God's Word. Timothy was not to engage in or allow dialogue and/or discussion about old women's myths or anything else which crosses the threshold, the line drawn in God's Word of exactly what is expected of one's pious conduct in the Father's sight.

over-manifestors (huperēphanous, pron. adj., 5244) - People who are loud, arrogant and flamboyant. A common characteristic of those who belittle or destroy others (Rom. 1:30). People who like to attract attention to themselves through their over-the-top behavior; being over showy, over gaudy, over animated, etc..

over-thoughted (huperphronein, inf., 5252) - To have an abundance of thoughts. In Rom. 12:3 it is used in the sense of worrying about whether other parts of the body are doing their duties, as opposed to a part of the body staying focused upon doing the things pertaining their part of the body for which God has given them belief to do them.

overthrowing (huperballō, verb, 5235) - Meaning, beyond what is expected. In Eph. 2:6-8 it is used to characterize the richness of the love and grace of God the Father. The love and grace of God always supplies our sufficiency according to our prayers for our needs and wants, beyond what we ask for or think we'll receive.

para-insertions (parembolē, noun, 3925) - A military term used by Paul? in Heb. 11:34 to refer to invading forces from another kingdom or land. The children of Israel considered the Roman forces to be para-insertions. Luke uses the term to refer to the headquarters, barracks, camp, etc. of the invading forces (Acts 21:37, 22:24, 23:10, 16, 32).

pause down (katapausin, noun, 2663) - This is somewhat similar to the English idiom rest up, but according to Bullinger, implies a more final rest, as a rest taken at the completion of something. See pause up.

peelings (lepides, noun, 3013) - In Acts 9:18 I recognize an ellipsis, evils, which is supplied from the immediate context. According to the well known Aramaic scholar George Lamsa, I believe Luke presents to us, in this verse, an Aramaic idiom, meaning that when Saul received the baptism in God's gift of holy Spirit from Christ Jesus when Ananias laid his hands upon Saul, Paul then recognized that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised messiah; and he no longer saw the followers of the way of Jesus Christ as evil. The text says that what fell straightaway from Paul's eyes were "as peelings" (hōs lepides), but not literal peelings.

Lamsa explains this idiom:

"A man who is full of hatred and revenge is often called blind. Spiritual blindness sometimes causes physical blindness. Aramaic-speaking people often say, 'his eyes have darkened so that he cannot see,' which means that he is misled by false ideas, hatred and anger."

In this idiom I believe "eyes" are a metaphor for the eyes of one's understanding, what one knows and believes in his heart. Saul, in his heart, was believing lies about Jesus Christ and his followers, which lies were evil (John 8:44). I believe what "fell" from Saul's "eyes" were the evil lies of false religion, of false God's Word, the mortal-made traditions and dogmas which were blinding Saul's heart from seeing the Truth of God's Word, and from recognizing that Jesus Christ was the promised messiah, the son of the God.

perplexed out (exaporeomai, verb, 1820) - Another "out" idiom. In 2 Cor. 1:8 apostle Paul and Timothy, and others with them, were completely drained of their own ability to carry on the work of the ministry, to move it forward. The challenges and the mental pressure against them to spread the evangelism of Jesus Christ was so great that in their own minds they were "maxed out", as we would say according to one of our own similar Western English "out" idioms, to find the inherent strength to overcome their own uncertainty over the next steps to take to move the ministry forward. They had become so depleted of their own inherent power to do anything that they despaired even of their own lives. This mental pressure against them from the diabolical one began in Asia. Apostle Paul boasts and glorifies God who gave them the inner strength to overcome their sufferings, and gave them deliverance from death.

plagues (plēgē, common noun, 4127) - In most all English translations the Greek word plēgē is translated as plague or plagues. In our modern usage the word plague usually means the spread of a disease of some kind. The meaning of the word is somewhat limited to meaning a disease, and then the spreading o fit. But the ancient meaning of this word, as understood by those who wrote the ancient scrolls of our modern bibles, was much broader in its meaning. To them a plague was a blow being struck. For example, if a person was beaten and robbed, he has been plagued, he has been beaten. Hitting or striking something is plaguing something. And so in my Literal Idiomatic Translation when you read the words plague, plagues, or plagued, it simply means a blow being struck. For example: In Luke 10:30 Luke records Jesus' parable of a certain man coming down from Jerusalem into Jericho, while on the road was beaten and robbed. The Greek text says literally, "...and having put upon him plagues, ..." literally means the man was struck and beaten with the fists, clubs, rods, or something. he was plagued. A plagues can refer to a disease, but not always. The context must be read carefully to determined the writer's meaning with his use of the word plēgē. In Acts 16:23 Luke records when Paul and Barnabas were in Philippi, they were dragged before the civil authorities and beaten, i.e., plagued according to the text. The AV, Darby and Rotherham translations, and many others, translate plēgē as stripes, causing the reader to believe that Paul and Barnabas were whipped. In those translations stripes is simply the translator's own personal opinion and private interpretation. The Greek text simply is not that specific as to HOW Paul and Barnabas were beaten. They could have been whipped, or beaten with rods which was very common, or beaten some other way. The text is simply not that specific. Therefore, when you may read the words plague, plagues or plagued, as I translate plēgē in my LIT translation, it means no more or no less than blows being struck. HOW those blows were struck, or with WHAT instrument those blows were struck must be determined by the context, and not by the word plēgē itself.

pragmatisms (pragmateia, noun, 4230) - In 2 Tim. 2:4 apostle Paul gives Timothy an injunction to absolutely not become entangled in all of life's little rules, the endless mortal-made social and political correctness rules about how to do everything properly, which many times run contrary to how a believing disciple of Jesus Christ must walk according to God's Word, to be and remain pleasing in the Father's sight. The God the Father's Word is the rule book by which disciples of Jesus Christ must compete in this life against the adversary the devil. The God the Father's book of rules trumps mortal-kind's book of rules for those disciples of Jesus Christ who care about being and remaining pleasing in the Father's sight. Only through competing lawfully in life's spiritual competition, competing by following God's book of rules can a spiritual athlete be guaranteed of being presented the wreath of victory.

procurement (porismos, noun, 4200) - The acquiring of physical wealth and possessions.

provisioned out (ekkomizō, verb, 1580) - Another "out" idiom. In Luke 7:12, of the only usage of this word in all the new covenant writings, its usage here seems peculiar and stands out, since bastazō, as used in verse 14, meaning to carry or bare, is always used when the simple meaning of to carry something is intended. But in verse 12, exekomizeto has much more depth of meaning than bastazō. In verse 12, exekomizeto, since one of its roots is komizō, meaning to provide for, in this context refers to the whole process of preparation for burial. The body of the widow's only genus son was being prepared for the funeral and burial. Using a comparable Western English idiom we may say that the body was being "outfitted". The text, exekomizeto, I believe means not simply "carried out", but refers to the whole pre-burial process, that the body was being provisioned out or outfitted for burial. In our Western English culture the preparation for the burial of one deceased usually, but not always, may include the following preparations: the body may be embalmed, the facial expression is positioned to make it look as though it is relaxed and sleeping, the hair is washed and styled, make up is applied to make the skin look naturally toned, the body is dressed in its burial garments, the head and arms of the body are positioned correctly, decorative furnishings are done to the body such as jewelry, flowers, and any pictures which may possibly be used in the funeral are placed, near, on or in the casket, and any items which are to be buried with the body are placed in the casket. This is perhaps the most difficult period of the grieving process, preparing the body of a loved one who may never be seen again, dressing them in their favorite clothes and personal furnishings, and saying the last goodbyes.

Its obvious in the text that at the time Jesus approaches the widow she and her supporters are already at a gate of the city, on their way to the place of burial. The text implies that the widow may have had another child or children, but that they were not of her own body, of her own genus as this son was, but perhaps adopted. The obvious parallel I see in this record is with John 3:16; and the "sitting up" (verse 15) out of death of this widows only genus son is a parallel to God's only genus son, Jesus Christ, being "stood up" out of dead ones (John 1:14; John 1:18; John 3:16; John 3:18; 1 John 4:9). Additionally, I see part of the parallel meaning of exekomizeto is reflected from the pain and anguish the widow must have felt over the loss of her only genus son, to the pain and anguish God the Father must have felt as He watch is only genus son being rejected and murdered by His other adopted children of Israel. The widow's only genus son was provisioned out for death. But how well shall God's sons be provisioned out for life when he stands them up out of dead ones?

read up (anaginōskō, verb, 314) - Literally, know up. It is almost identical to our English idiom, to read up on something, to become knowledgeable about it. It is an often used idiom of Jesus, who uses it fourteen times in the books of Matthew and Mark. It is used by Luke, John, Philip, Paul and James as well. Jesus used it exclusively of reading up on God's Word, to become knowledgeable of it; many times in the context of accosting the Judean religious leaders for their magnificent ignorance of God's Word.

reclined (klinō, verb, 2827) - In Heb. 11:34 the idiom is used to emphasize that he children of Israel were successful in repelling the invading forces of other kingdoms. They caused the invaders to recline, i.e., lie down dead.

recline out (ekklinō, verb, 1578) - A Hebraism meaning to get on the recliner and lay back, relax, and do nothing. In Romans 3:12 apostle Paul refers to an old covenant prophesy (Psalm 14; Psalm 53) in which mortals are described as being on their recliners, who while upon their recliners have all become so lazy and useless that there is not even one single mortal seeking after God and His Word, and putting it together to know, understand, believe and do His Word. This is a metaphor to the height of laziness and slothfulness. The reference made in the old covenant prophecy in Psalm 14 and Psalm 53 is about mortals, who after being out all day doing evil, come home to their recliners which serve as metaphorical nightcaps, as types to graves, which shall become their just rewards for their devilish and corrupt works.

In the ancient Middle East there was a piece of furniture known as a recliner. They were in many shapes and sizes as our are now. It was a sort of bed-like furnishing, somewhat elevated above the level of the floor, which was padded and made comfortable to sit or lay upon. Slaves may have had only a small little makeshift kind of recliner, or bed, made of anything handy to make it a little softer than the bare floor, while wealthy people had very extravagantly designed ultra-comfortable recliners. As you may imagine, the recliners were used while eating, resting and sleeping, exactly as how we use ours today. In our modern society what may first come to mind is a Lazy-Boy style of recliner (which I have) in which we sit; and then when we throw the lever up out pops the leg rest, and the back rest can fold back and down converting the chair almost into a sort of bed. Yes, we love our recliners! Some even have heating and message units built into them. There is nothing better to come home to, after working hard all day, than our Lazy-Boy recliners, which are strategically placed in front of the television. I eat occasionally in my recliner, just like mortalkind has always done since the beginning of time. I even fall asleep in it occasionally. Apostle Paul, quoting Psalm 14 and 53, says, ALL have got on their recliners, reclined out, and have become useless! Paul cautions the Roman converts, and us, those following Jesus Christ, that we should not allow our "recliners" to draw us away from seeking after God and His Word, the knowledge, wisdom, understanding and belief of it, to put it together in our minds so that it compels us to seek after God and do good works according to his Word.

reckoning beside (paralogizomai, verb, 3884) - Used in James 1:22, "... reckoning beside yourselves." An idiom very similar to our English idiom we use when we say someone is beside himself, as being in a state of agitation or excitement, even to the extent of not thinking clearly. James usage is in the sense of one not thinking clearly, where one's decision, determination or logical conclusion is in error.

report down

reported down (kataggellō, verb, 2605) - Here's another of the very common "down" idioms, but an idiom with the preposition kata (down) prefixed to the base aggelos (to report, declare, etc.), i.e., to report down. In Romans 1:8 the idea is that the message of the Roman believer's belief in the name of Jesus travels down through all parts of the cosmos, i.e., creation. Wherever Apostle Paul and other apostles travel they mention it. It is very common in the Greek text for prepositions describing spatial relationships between or among objects, to be used to describe both social and professional relationships between or among people. The koine Greek often uses down (kata) in the sense of geographic locations. Down can be used in reference to either a definite distant location or the distance up to and including the distant location, which could be in any direction from the present location. This is very similar to our modern English idioms which employ down geographically; down to Chicago, down around Detroit, down home, down yonder, down town, down South, etc.. Apostle Paul has been given the evangelism to speak. He brings it with him to Athens. Therefore he is reporting down to them. When we speak God's Word, the news is literally coming down from the top! Down is commonly used also in the sense of finality, in the sense of getting down to the conclusion, or as we would say in English, getting down to the bottom line of it, i.e., getting down to it.

river-wear (potamophorētos, adj., 4216) - An idiom in rev. 12:15 meaning to wear a river like a garment. In Western English we have idioms very similar to this, such as sportswear, clothing designed and intended to be worn while engaging in sports. Apparently the adversary intended for the woman to wear a flooding river as river-wear, while engaging in drowning.

rubbing through (dietribō, verb, 1304) - A common idiom used by Luke in Acts, and it is used once in the gospel of John, to refer to having close, personal social contact with others. In the texts it is used in the sense that as Jesus, Paul and Barnabas, and others were going through certain cities and regions they rubbed with the disciples as they went through. The purpose of rubbing with the disciples was to make them stedfast in their souls in their belief of God's Word (Acts 14:22). It is virtually identical in meaning to our English idioms of rubbing shoulders with, or rubbing elbows with others. As we in English would say, they went through the cities and regions rubbing elbows and shoulders with the disciples. It is also related to our English idiom of being rubbed the wrong way, as Herod was in Acts 12:19, and as he rubbed others the wrong way, as he came down from Judaea into Caesarea, as he rubbed through searching for Peter, to kill him. The rubbing Herod did consisted of close, personal interrogations of others to try and find Peter. This idiom is used 9 times in the UBS4: John 3:22; Acts 12:19; 14:3; 14:28; 15:35; 16:12; 20:6; 25:6; 25:14.

rubbing through alongside (diaparatribē, verb, 3859) - Same as "rubbing through" above, with the addition of the preposition para, meaning beside or alongside, suggesting very close contact and communication. IN 1 Tim. 6:3-5 apostle Paul is giving Timothy some leadership advice, warning Timothy of blasphemers who may come blaspheming the name of the God through teaching something of another kind than the words the Lord Jesus Christ has taught. Paul warned Timothy of anyone who has become a cloud of smoke, suggesting they teach lies resulting in confusion, because they haven't been able to put together not one thing, i.e., connect the dots of the things in God's Word so that it all comes together and fits together for them. Paul warned Timothy about those who have become mentally sick over their love for debate and word wars, which produce nothing other than envy, rivalries, blasphemies and suspicions; Paul warned Timothy about ones like these who go about rubbing through alongside others, establishing close contact and communication with others in order to speak their own blasphemies to them, defrauding others of the Truth, thusly thoroughly spoiling the minds of others as they have thoroughly spoiled their own minds. This Eastern idiomatic idea of "rubbing through" is very similar to our Western English idiom of "rubbing elbows with" or "rubbing shoulders with" which describe mixing and socializing with others.

sawed through (diapriō, verb, 1282) - An idiom meaning to be severely, mentally and emotionally distressed to the greatest extent possible. It is akin to our English idiom cut up. Dieprionto is used twice, in Acts 5:33 and 7:54. In Acts 5:33, after Peter and the other apostle's miraculous release from prison, they were found in the temple preaching "all the individual words of the life of this" as the messenger had commanded them. Again Peter and the apostles were arrested, and this time brought before the council of seventy and the chief priest. When the chief priest implied that the responsibility for Jesus' shed blood was not upon he and the council (Acts 5:28), Peter spoke words of Truth, God's Word, which again cut them down and cut them up, to the extent that they became sawed through, through 1, indicting them for Jesus' murder (Acts 5:30), and 2, indicting them for hindering the spread of the knowledge of the outpouring of the gift of holy Spirit, "which the God gave to the ones being ruled by persuasion to Him." Peter's individual words were like daggers, and had the effect of sawing them in two, the chief priest and the entire council of seventy members, putting the blame for both Peter's charges directly upon them all, where it belonged. Peter's words could not have been any more blunt, harsh and convicting, which elicited the anger of any and all demon spirits within the chief priest and council, especially the demon spirits of murder, which now became active to murder Peter and the apostles (Acts 5:33).

In Acts 7:54, in the record of Stephen's stoning (Acts 6:8-8:2), the idiom is used again to describe the effect Stephen had upon them through speaking to them Truth, God's Word, which sawed them through. Stephen was as bold, blunt, harsh and convicting with his words as Peter and the other apostles were with theirs, which is why the demon spirits of murder within the chief priest, council members, and others once again became active to murder, to murder Stephen this time.

A Spiritual Test

If you would like to test any religious "Christian" person today, as to whether they may be an antichrist and have a demon spirit within them from which you can elicit a reaction, just start speaking, preaching and teaching the Truth in God's Word on the subject matter of the new birth above (John 3) in God's paternal holy Spirit (1 Pet. 1:23; Rom 8), which was first made available and poured out on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), that it is the salvation Jesus Christ came to make available to mortalkind, to all those who believe upon his name, the name of JESUS; and then see who becomes irritated at you for what you are saying, and if they become verbally abusive toward you and eventually sawed through. I wouldn't push them to the point to where they become sawed through, because then they will desire you to be dead. But if you want to check in your denomination, among all the supposed "Christians" you hang with, who are the wolves in sheep's clothing and who are true brothers and sisters in Christ, start talking about the new birth above in God's Spirit and see who becomes agitated, angry, verbally offensive/abusive, etc.. It works every time. Don't be surprised if you elicit a reaction from several people simultaneously. The longer you persist the greater and stronger will become their reaction. As you persist, slowly more and more demon spirits will come out of hiding and begin to make their presence known to you through their own agitation at the Truth, and especially the name of Jesus Christ. Then you shall absolutely know who you are dealing with, as both Peter and Stephen flushed out the identities of the ones with which they were dealing. This is called trying or testing the spirits. Those with God's Spirit in them will stand with you. The ones who you may have thought may have been born above, when they back down to the pressure, these are the ones Jesus referred to as having hearts like "stony places" (Mat. 13:20-21). They have no "root" in them because they do not have Christ in them (Col. 1:27), who is the "vine" which has the "root" (John 15:4-7).

I have found that there are several large "Christian" organizations on both sides which are purveyors of Pelagianism, the denial of the work of the holy Spirit in salvation, the new birth above in the gift of holy Spirit. These denominations are absolutely fanatical about their doctrine that it is water baptism which saves a person, and not the baptism in the gift of holy Spirit from Christ Jesus, as John the Baptist preached was the coming "baptism" we should look for (Mat. 3:11), and what apostles Peter and Paul preached and taught as well. Leaders in these denominations turn into verbally abusive antichrists before your very eyes, every time. They can't keep their composure very long at all, but will become severely mentally and emotionally distressed with you. They will not simply disagree with you, they will vigorously, verbally attack and abuse you almost immediately, which is absolutely indicative of antichrist demon spirit activity at work within their minds and bodies. I invite you to do this little test on anyone from any denomination. When anyone almost instantly comes back at you, not with simply disagreement, but with an egomaniacal, over-the-top, verbal aggression and abuse, for you speaking, or preaching, or teaching, or BELIEVING that baptism in the gift of holy Spirit from Christ Jesus is the true salvation God sent Christ to make available to us, that'll be your first clue as to who and what you're dealing with. Remember, Jesus said you'll know them by their "fruit", i.e., the fruit of their lips, the words they speak (Mat. 7:15-23; Heb. 13:15).

scoping it over (episkopeō, verb, 1983) - An idiom based upon the word skopeō, meaning to watch from a distance. When something is watched from a distance the broad view or broad scope of it, together with its surrounding environment, can be seen. In Heb. 12:14-15 the writer exhorts us to get a good broad scope of the meaning of sanctification in God's Word. We are to look it over, look through the subject matter of it in God's Word, scope it over carefully to be sure we know and understand all of the important elements in the subject matter of sanctification, which is the process through which we are made holy and righteous in the Father's eyes. The subject matter of Hebrews 12 is our child-training by our heavenly Father who loves us, the God, which goal of that child-training is to bring us into complete sanctification. If Jesus suffered the stake to shed his blood for our redemption from the penalty of sin, then can't we suffer a little child-training from our heavenly Father who loves us, who wishes to bring us into complete sanctification, so that His fullness may dwell in us also as it did in His son Jesus Christ (Col. 1:19; Eph. 3:19)? This is the broad scope of the subject of sanctification in God's Word, over which the writer of Hebrews says we are to scope it over.

shall lead through (diēgeomai, verb, 1334) - An idiom meaning to relate or teach thoroughly by leading them through the subject matter step by step. In Acts 8:33 the idiom is used in a quote of Isaiah as it is being read by the eunuch. In Acts 8:33 two things are referred to as lifted, i.e., stolen: Jesus' fair judgment by the religious leaders and subsequently by the Roman occupation, and secondly the knowledge of how "the life" of him was stolen from the land. The knowledge and understanding of the life of Jesus Christ, beginning with the knowledge and understanding of all the prophecies concerning the coming of the promised messiah (his virgin birth for example), the signs of his coming which the people were to look for, the prophecies the coming messiah would fulfill when he came (the blind see, the lame are healed, etc.), so that the people could see and recognize the coming messiah when he came. As Acts 8:33 quotes Isaiah as prophesying, who in Jesus' generation is teaching anyone all these things? Who is leading people through the knowledge and understanding of all this, leading them through this subject matter step by step, helping them to see, know, understand and BELIEVE God's Word about the coming messiah, Jesus Christ? The answer to Isaiah's prophetic interrogative in Acts 8:33b is, only John the Baptist, who they killed to shut his mouth, and Jesus Christ, who they killed to shut his mouth, and the apostles, who they killed to shut their mouths. Jesus Christ referred to the religious leaders of his generation as the children of their father the devil (John 8:44).

Today, in our generation, who is leading people through this knowledge to help them get the understanding of it and the subsequent BELIEF of God's Word about the coming messiah, Jesus Christ, AND what he came to do, which was to make available to mortalkind, through his shed blood, the new birth above in God's Spirit, the baptism in the gift of holy Spirit, God's paternal Spirit, from Christ Jesus? Who's making this knowledge known today? In which "church" on which corner is this knowledge and subject matter being opened up to the congregations, and the people are being led through it step by step to know and understand and BELIEVE it to receive the new birth above in God's paternal Spirit (Joel 2:28-30; John 3; Acts 2; Rom. 8; 1 Cor. 12; Col. 1:27; 1 Pet. 1:24)?

shed light (ephē, verb, 5346) - From examining the usages of this idiom I believe it is similar to our English idiom, to come up with a bright idea, but a little different in that it means to come out with a bright idea, to announce a bright idea. It's also used very often in the sense of repartee, in the sense of coming out with an exclamation or an answer which is apparently clever, and/or very apropos to the current situation. We have a common English idiom, to shed light upon a subject, i.e., expose the mystery, explain it plainly so that it can be clearly known and understood. This word is used by Luke, recording the developments in Paul's examination Acts 22:28, and elsewhere. The word is used 15 times by Matthew, at least 32 times by Luke, and other usages by Mark, John and Paul total 58 usages in the new covenant writings, indicating it was a fairly common idiom. It is certainly very common today in our western English culture.

side-housers (paroikos, adj., 3941) - See middle wall first. Ones who are dwelling in a foreign land, a land outside of their original home land. Within the court of the gentiles in the temple area, backed up to the backside of the huge main temple area wall, were little "porches", areas underneath a roof which was held up by pillars. These areas were immediately adjacent to the court of the Gentiles, and was used by them primarily to meet, socialize and worship. In the old covenant writings the temple was known as beth Yahweh or beth Elohim, "house of the Yahweh" or "house of God". The temple was known as the House of God. Thusly, those Gentiles who met in the Court of the Gentiles, off to the sides in the little porches, were known as side-housers. In Acts Stephen uses the term twice, while explaining to the council and false witnesses against him, why the word which he speaks is not blasphemy. He uses the term for Abraham's seed which would become a side-houser in another's land (Acts 7:6), and again for Moses, who fleeing Egypt became a side-houser in the land of Madian (Acts 7:29). In my opinion, the allusion is the same for Abraham and Moses, that they, as side-housers, perhaps may not have had all the same rights and privileges in foreign lands as natural citizens, like the Gentiles who did not have all the same rights and privileges in the temple as did the children of Israel. Apostle Paul uses the term in Eph. 2:19, rendered "foreigners" in the KJV. Apostle Peter uses the term in 1 Pet. 2:11, rendered "strangers" in the KJV.

sound (phōnē, noun, 5456) - A sound of any kind. "Sound" is often used in the text to refer to the unique meaning which the sound represents. In battle horns are blown to produce various sounds which signal various events which are to begin to take place; attention, charge, retreat, mourning for the dead, etc.

speak out (eklegō, verb, 1586) - An idiom meaning to select out, to pick out, to call out through calling one's name aloud, as Jesus did when he selected his first twelve disciples (Luke 6:13; John 6:70, 13:18, 15:16-19; Eph. 1:4; James 2:5).

stamped (sphragizō, verb, 4972) - This is the process of putting an identifying mark on something. The stamped mark identifies the very close association between the thing stamped and the one stamping it, and especially the identity, power and authority of the one stamping it.

stay upon

stayed upon

to stay upon (epimenō, verb, 1961) - A common idiom used 18 times. It is equivalent to our English idiom, to stay at it, to keep on doing something. In Acts 12:15, apostle Peter, after the messenger sprung him from jail (a watch-post as they called it), he went to the house of Mariam, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where he stayed upon knocking at the gate, until they would finally answer and open the gate. We are to keep on knocking upon the door of God's Word (Mat. 7:7); God opens the "door" much more quickly.

tabernacle down (kataskēnoō, verb, 2681) - An idiom meaning to settle down, both literally and figuratively; physically and/or mentally; to be comfortable and at peace as if at home. In Acts 2:26 apostle Peter used this word while quoting king David in Psalm 16:8-11. David was well-minded, very joyful and at peace in his life through the renewed mind process of foregazing at the Lord, the coming messiah Jesus Christ, who he, in his mind's eye, always foresaw at his right hand, the hand of blessing and strength, so that he would not be "shaken" in his life, in the things he went through and experienced; and his mind was at peace and very joyful also for the reason of his hope that his flesh would be resurrected from death and the grave. See foregazing and well-minded also.

take alongside (paralambanō, verb, 3880) - Used in a variety of ways of receiving someone or something. In Mat. 1:20, the first usage of the word, it is used of Joseph accepting Mariam to be with him as his wife. In all of its usages it implies cooperation between the one giving, and/or the thing given, and the one receiving, i.e. taking. In Mat. 2:12 it is used of Joseph taking special care of the young child and Mariam to keep them close to him as he escorts them to safety. I Mat. 4:5 it is used of the devil taking Jesus into the holy city to try him. In 1 Cor. 11:23 it is used also of taking and/or receiving something subjectively from another, knowledge and understanding from Jesus Christ.

take/took it down (katalambanō, verb, 2638) - To take a hold of something and then to move or remove it; to gain control over it and then to control it. In Mark 9:14 a dumb spirit taketh (KJV) a son. In John 1:5 the darkness absolutely cannot take hold of the Light and remove it. This is why greater is he in believers than he in the cosmos (1 John 4:4; Col. 1:27). In John 8:3 the scribes and Pharisees brought to Jesus a woman taken (KJV) in adultery. In Acts 4:13 katalambanō is used figuratively in the sense of taking down a mental note for remembrance and future reference. When Annas the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were with them perceived (KJV) that the apostles Peter and John were without diplomas and idiots, they wondered and experientially knew that they were with them that were with Jesus. Katalambanō is used figuratively elsewhere as well, as is determined by the context.

take together (sullambanō, verb, 4815) - In Luke 1:31 the messenger Gabriel told Mariam, the mother of Jesus Christ, that "you shall take together in belly", i.e., you shall become pregnant with a child. The idiom is very similar to our many English "take" idioms, especially like our take effect idiom, as used in applying medications; "has the medication taken affect yet?", and in expressing the condition of someone who has been taken ill. But take together, used in Luke 1:36 as well, expresses both the affect (take) and the effect produced (together), i.e., "she has taken together a son".

take up (anaireō, verb, 337) - A common idiom meaning to kill. It is similar to our English idiom, to take out, or to take down, often used to mean to destroy or kill an enemy or opponent.

The heart of us has been widened around - "Our hearts are enlarged" means "we are relieved." That is to say, we have done our duty and told you the truth." ¹

The mouth of us has been opened toward you - "Our mouth is open" is an Eastern saying which means "we have told you everything." When people speak plainly and try to tell everything it is said of them that "they have a large mouth." ¹

they crowd off (apothlibō, verb, 598) - Used in Luke 8:45, an idiom very similar to our English idiom, "to feed off"; the adverb "off" being used to express the source or cause of the crowding. This verb describes how difficult it may have been for the woman with the issue of blood to work or force her way into the crowd to get in that close to Jesus, close enough to touch him.

think down upon (kataphroneis, verb, 2706) - Virtually identical to our English idiom, to look down upon. To esteem of little or no value, hold in low regard, if in any regard at all. (Rom. 2:4; 1 Cor. 11:22).

thought-deceivers (phrenapatai, noun, 5423) - Used one time in Titus 1:10. Those who deceive, deceive you with their thoughts, which are lies. They are sculptors at erroneous lines of thinking, false logic, designed to lead to erroneous conclusions and beliefs. They mislead you into thinking and believing lies instead of leading you into thinking and believing God's Word which is Truth. They often use God's Word out of context, and they do not rightly divide (KJV, 2 Tim. 2:15) it. Those who are unappointable ones, empty talkers, ones whose mouths need to be covered, who upturn whole houses with their lies (see context).

throw (palē, noun, 3823) - In Ephesians 6:12 I believe apostle Paul refers to what is called in wrestling, a throw, a procedure or maneuver to throw (verb) an opponent to the floor or out of the ring, based upon the root of the word pallo, meaning to vibrate, which is another form for ballō, meaning to throw.

throwdown of the cosmos (katabolēs, noun, 2602) - The root meaning of katabolēs comes from its root word, the verb form kataballō meaning to throw down. Most all translations translate katabolēs as foundation.

thrown (ballō, verb, 906; metaballō, verb, 3328) - i.e., having been thrown. In Acts 28:6 those who were watching Apostle Paul after he was bitten by a poisonous snake, observed nothing atypical became of the bite to him. This threw them in their minds, and caused them to change from considering him to be a murderer to considering him to be a god. In English we use the same idiom when we say, "it threw me", or, "it threw me for a loop", or, "it threw me off", referring to when a calamitous surprise comes our way, or a surprising and/or unexpected mental realization about which we immediately lack full comprehension. Matthew records this apparent common idiom as well (Mat. 8:6, 14, 9:2).

to be cut into (enkoptō, verb, 1465) - In the Biblical ancient Middle East male social stigma and bigotry against women and things feminine was much greater than it is in our modern Western society. In Peter's reference to this in 1 Pet. 3:7, he teaches that dishonorable heavy-handedness against women and feminism is a source of displeasure in the God the Father's eyes, and that it will cause the Father to cut into your list of prayers and cut out some of them from being answered. The implication here is that if it is displeasing to the Father to see a husband mistreating his wife, in regards to that holy institution of the one body of Christ, he being the head over the church, to see a husband not loving his wife, not cleansing her in the bath of the water of the Word, not loving his female as the body of himself (Eph. 5:21-30), that there are other reasons as well why the Father may withhold answering some of our prayers; such as treating people differently based upon their face value (1 Pet. 1:17); or becoming hardened in one's heart to start esteeming corruptible things such as silver and gold above the esteemed value of the blood of Christ which has redeemed us from the penalty of our sins (1 Pet. 1:18); or not putting away every malicious thing, like talking "fish bait", i.e., saying things which "stink" according to God's Word; or being a hypocrite (an actor), being envious and striving with others, being condescending and insulting to others; and not desiring the "milk" of the Word so that we may grow into the "meat" of the Word (1 Pet. 2:1-2). To insure our heavenly Father does not cut into our prayer lists to cut some out, but that He'll answer ALL of them, see also John 15:7; James 4:1-3; Mat. 6:30-33; John 8:29; Heb. 11:1, 5-6; Rom. 15:1; 1 John 3:18-22; Heb. 13:15-16.

to cut off (kōluō, verb, 2967) - A common idiom used 23 times. It's used by Jesus in Mat. 19:14, Mark 9:39 (KJV, forbid) and elsewhere, apostle John in Mark 9:38 (KJV, we forbade), apostle Peter in Acts 10:47 (KJV, to refuse), 11:17 (KJV, withstand), and usages by various others. This idiom is very similar, if not identical, to our modern idiom meaning to stop something from happening; The child's allowance was cut off, or, The new heretical sect was cut off from the church, or, The volcanic debris cut off the ship from entering into the harbor.

to have seen (eidon, verb, 1492) - A verb very commonly used to refer to objective vision, the ability of one's eye to see objects. However it is used subjectively and therefore idiomatically by apostle Paul in 1 Thes. 4:4, in the sense of seeing the need to take care of and getting done one's own personal business, similar to our English idiom, to see to it. Apostle Paul, speaking to the male believers in the area of Thessalonica, preaches/teaches to them that before they get to the point of suffering from the lust to have a sexual encounter with the wife of another brother in Christ, to literally displace him in the sexual act of intercourse, but that God desires "for each of you to have seen to acquiring the vessel of his own", to finding his own wife, so as not to become an adulterer, but so that he can remain "in holiness and esteemed value", as a son of God, walking in truth.

to oil out (exaleiphō, verb, 1813) - An idiomatic reference based upon the practice of kings keeping royal books of records of those who have said and done notable things, whether good or bad. A reference to this is made in Esther 6:1- concerning Mordecai. Based upon the record in Esther, not only the person's name was recorded in the royal book of records, but the notable things which that person had said or done were recorded in the records as well, which were the reasons for their name appearing in the book of records. Based upon the accompanying information recorded in the royal books of records, those whose names were recorded therein were rewarded accordingly, receiving from the king either a reward or a punishment for those notable things which they have said or done. In all five of the idiom's usages there is a figurative allusion to God's royal books of records. In Rev. 3:5 among the royal books of records is one called the "Book of the Life". There is a reference as to how these books shall be used, in John's apocalyptic writing, in Rev. 20:11-15. In Rev. 21:27, the Book of Life belongs to the "Lamb", who has maintained its records. No doubt his record-keeping is accurate.

In Acts 3:19, the idioms first usage, the allusion is to God keeping a royal book of records within which he has recorded the names of all those who have sinned against Him, including the sins which they have done, and in this record, including the sin of murder of His son Jesus Christ. Based upon related remote contexts, the idiom is used to mean their sin shall not only be excused, but forgotten as well, since the record of it and those who did those sins shall be "oiled out" of the royal books of records; "and of the sins of them, no, absolutely not may I remember them any longer!" (Heb. 8:8-12; Jer. 31:31-34)." In Acts 3:19, specifically the records of their sins are oiled out, putting the emphasis upon the rewards for their sins being removed. Although their name would be removed also, the emphasis is put upon the removal of the records of their sins. Then, since there no longer remains a record of sins, there remains no basis for the imputation of reward/punishment for those sins.

In the idiom itself I believe the "oil" is a figurative reference to God's Word, specifically the name of JESUS Christ, which represents all the associated benefits of spiritual, mental, physical healing and prosperity promised by the Father, the "Promise of the Father", which benefits are received by those who BELIEVE upon that name. Belief in God's Word is always required to receive anything from God the Father (see Heb. 11, and all the many other records which speak of the requirement of belief in one's heart).

In Col. 2:14 the reference is to information contained within the royal books of record which shall be "oiled out", which information is the written ordinances of the old covenant law itself. Every bit of the old covenant law shall be removed out of the royal books of record. The result of this is that there is no longer any law to break, and therefore there is no basis for the imputation of reward or punishment for not keeping the ordinances of the law (Mat. 5:17-18; John 1:17; John 7:19; Acts 13:39; Rom. 3:20-21; 4:13-16; 5:13; 8:2; 10:4; Gal. 2:16; Gal. 3; 5:14, 18; Eph. 2:15). This "oiling out" of the Mosaic law is the literal death of sin (Rom. 7:8).

In Rev. 3:5 Jesus Christ says, of anyone who has conquered (Gk. nikaō) death, "and no, absolutely not shall I oil out the name of him out of the book of the life...". The reference here causes me to think of how we use a typing correction fluid which whites-out the typed or written error. At the moment we believed upon the name of JESUS, and all that it represents for us, at that moment we received the new birth above in God's paternal Spirit, referred to also as God's seed (Gk. spora) (John 3; 1 Pet. 1:23). From that moment on believers have God's gift of His paternal Spirit in them, or as it is called also, the Spirit of Christ (Rom. 8:9), which apostle Paul refers to also as "Christ in you" (Col. 1:27). That is when we have overcome/conquered death, at the moment we believed upon the name of JESUS and received the new birth above in God's paternal Spirit. Because Jesus Christ conquered death, he conquered it for all those in his one body as well (John 5:24; Rom. 5:17-21; Rom. 6:9; Rom. 8:2; 2 Cor. 1:10; 1 John 3:14; Rev. 2:11). And also, greater is the [Spirit of God] in us than the [spirit of antichrist] which is in the world (1 John 4:4). And all things are now put under our feet, because we have become parts of Christ's one body, and all things are under his feet (Eph. 1:22). And we have been made to become more than conquerors through Him, God, who has loved us (Rom. 8:37). This is why at the moment we believed we became part of the ones who have overcome, conquered death!

In Rev. 7:17 and 20:24 I believe these are references to God causing us to realize the greatness of our inheritance in Christ, the riches of our inheritance, which realization is idiomatically referred to as an "anointing" with the "oil" of gladness, as mentioned in Heb. 1:9. Our tears shall be "oiled out" with an "anointing" with the "oil" of gladness, which "oil" I believe is God's Word. Heb. 1:9 and Rev. 7:17 and 20:24 speak of the believers receiving a special revelation from God which shall "anoint" them with gladness (Gk. agalliasis, which literally means to jump for joy). Whatever God's special revelation is for us at that time, it shall not only "oil out" our tears, but it shall quite literally cause us to jump for joy! What a wonderful time for which to look forward.

to seek up (anazēteō, verb, 327) - An idiom virtually identical in meaning to our modern idiom, To look up someone. "Look me up next time your in town." This idiom is used twice in scripture, by Luke, in Luke 2:44 and Acts 11:25.

to straighten down (kateuthunō, verb, 2720) - A very valuable teaching could be built upon only the three occurrences of this word. It occurs in Luke 1:79, to straighten down our "feet" (podas), in 1 Thes. 3:11, that God the Father and the Lord Jesus may straighten down the way (hodon) of apostle Paul and company to bring God's Word to the Thessalonian believers, and in 2 Thes. 3:5, that the Lord may straighten down the hearts of the Thessalonian believers, into the love of God and into the endurance of Christ. The context of all three figurative usages suggest making a choice, based upon believing God's Word, to do that which is "straight" (euthus) in God's sight as opposed to that which is "crooked" (skolios). 1) Feet - an idiom for double-mindedness, or dual-thoughtedness (James 1:8, 4:8). We have two "feet", the right foot (the side of blessing), and the left foot (the side of cursing). One "foot" would walk us into blessing and the other "foot" into cursing, each desiring to go their own separate ways. God's Word has shined down light to us to straighten down our "feet", so they can see to both walk together in the same direction as a single "foot", not into darkness, and especially not into the shadow of death, but into the light. 2) Way - there are many ways in this cosmos, among which believers must choose to walk. But there is only one way to walk which is pleasing in the sight of God, and that is to make the choice to walk righteously, according to God's Word (Gen. 18:19). Following and walking according to God's Word straightens down our way before us, making our walk safer and more beneficial, to both God and us. 3) Hearts - When believers believe God's Word and put it into their hearts, it straightens down their hearts into the love of God, and into the endurance of Christ. The "heart" is a figure of speech put for the mind. God's Word straightens down the mind, i.e., it strengthens the mind to have whole, sound thoughts, to base decisions upon, and to make decisions out of love, which decisions subsequently lead to smart and wise decision-making, and to having the endurance of Christ (1 Thes. 1:3-4).

toward (pros, prep., 4314) - It is very common in the Greek text for prepositions describing spatial relationships between or among objects to be used to describe both social and professional relationships between or among people. Toward is used mostly in the sense of going or moving toward or to something. In many usages our English preposition to could be easily substituted for toward in the translation. But this is not true in all instances.

turn under (hupostrephō, verb, 5290) - to return, to turn back.

unsubordinate ones (anupotaktoi, adj., 506) - Used four times in the text, in 1 Tim. 1:9; Titus 1:6, 1:10; Heb. 2:8. Those who will not put themselves under submission to God the Father, His son Jesus Christ, or any holy mortals of God. Ones who will not disciple themselves to God's Word. They are lawless, thought-deceivers, false believers, and liars. They will not allow themselves to be subordinate to any agenda other than their own, and therefore they are entirely unreliable and untrustworthy. Their description within the text fulfills the criteria for them to be wolves in sheep's clothing.

under (hupo, prep., 5259) - It is very common in the Greek text for prepositions describing spatial relationships between or among objects, to be used to describe social, professional and/or spiritually assigned relationships between or among people. Hupo very often refers to a subordinate social, employment or military position in relation to a superior position, as commonly portrayed in a hierarchy chart which portrays an employee reporting structure. Hupo is almost always used in the sense like that of a military structure, the chain of command, one is under the authority of another, etc.. But the usage of hupo in the text doesn't necessarily imply a military context. But this is how hupo is most commonly used, whether the context is of a social, employment or military nature. The pervasive implication is that the person, place or thing is under authority of another person, place or thing,and is obedient to that person, place or thing.

In 1 Corinthians 14:24 hupo (under) expresses a subordinate relationship of an unbeliever's own personal thoughts, words and actions compared to the higher (huper) or superior standards of God's Word, which may be prophesied by a group of believers called out to speak God's Word. God's Word is always superior to mortalkind's word, because God's Word is Truth (John 17:17), since God is not false (apseudēs) (Titus 1:2); whereas lying is common among mortals (Ephesians 4:25), hence the commandment (Exodus 20:16; Deuteronomy 5:20). In 2 Peter 1:21 mortals of God were carried along under holy Spirit as they spoke God's Word. This means they were speaking under God's authority, and God's gift of holy Spirit was manifesting itself within them to guide them in exactly what they were to speak. They were under the authority of the holy Spirit, and they were obedient to it, to speak what God gave them to speak.

utter toward (proseuchomai, verb, 4336) -

wander / wandering (planaō, verb, 4105) - A common idiom used to describe any thought, word or action which was not acceptable, not up to the standards, not in keeping with the injunctions, etc.. Wandering is used in the sense of straying off the correct path as in the examples in 1 John 1:8; 2:26; 3:7 and elsewhere.

was lifted (airō, verb, 142) - To pick up and lift something. A common verb used 102 times. It is used occasionally in the text as an idiomatic expression meaning to steal something, as in Acts 8:33, where Isaiah's prophecy is quoted, as it is being read by the eunuch, in which it is used twice; first in reference to the coming messiah's right to a fair trial being lifted, i.e., stolen from the coming redeemer. This expression, to lift something, is still commonly used today as an English idiom, but more as a slang usage. It is used a second time in Acts 8:33 to refer to the knowledge and understanding of "the life" of Jesus Christ, the prophecies and his fulfillment of them, which was lifted, which would be stolen from the people according to Isaiah's prophecy. For this aspect see shall lead through. Jesus said in John 10:10 that the "thief", the devil, comes only to steal from people, kill (to sacrifice people) and to destroy people. Jesus Christ ought to know better than anyone, since the knowledge and understanding of his life and what it means to mortalkind, the new birth above in God's paternal Spirit (John 3), was lifted from the people of the land in his generation.

Jesus uses airō idiomatically in Luke 11:52, in his statement concerning the actions of the lawyers, the ones who are supposed to be experts at the law, the ones most able to help others to keep the law, the ones who should know how to keep the law themselves much better than most others, the ones from whom perhaps a higher standard of conduct should be expected. Jesus accused them of lifting, i.e., stealing the "key of knowledge", referring to the knowledge and understanding of all the prophecies of the prophets concerning the promised messiah, the coming redeemer, Jesus Christ himself. Jesus accused them for hiding and thusly stealing that knowledge from the people, thereby keeping the people ignorant of knowing what to expect and what to look for as the signs that the coming messiah has arrived, and the precious knowledge of the prophecies he was to fulfill. The religious leaders consistently killed all the prophets, throughout their generations, to shut their mouths from making the knowledge known, and the lawyers were willing participants in this, therefore making them accessories to all those crimes, for doing their part to keep the people ignorant of all the prophet's prophecies, the knowledge and understanding of them. Jesus referred to them as the children of their father the devil (John 8:44)!

Today, in this age of God's Grace, in most all "Christian" denominations the knowledge and understanding of all those prophecies is still kept hidden, especially those prophecies associated with Joel 2:28-30, concerning the new birth above in God's paternal Spirit, the baptism in the gift of holy Spirit from Christ Jesus, which he was sent and came to do through making it available to mortalkind through his shed blood, as John the Baptist preached and taught as well (Mat. 3:11). The knowledge of this Joel prophecy and its associated prophecies, and its fulfillment beginning on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2), is the key of knowledge which the devil wants to be kept hidden, to be kept stolen from the people most of all! This knowledge was given to apostle Paul by Jesus Christ, and can be found in the new covenant writings under the title of the Great Mystery. Go into any "church" denomination today and start talking about the new birth above in God's Spirit (John 3; Rom. 8; 1 Cor. 12; 1 Pet. 1:24) and see how many of their religious leaders want you out of there immediately! Nothing has changed! Most of the religious leaders of our time are exactly like the religious leaders in Jesus' time, phonies, whose father is the devil. See shall lead through also.

was opposite under (hupantaō, verb, 5221) - Used 5 times; in Mat. 8:28, Luke 8:27, John 11:20, 30, 12:18. To meet with someone and immediately then place ones self in subordination to that one. The word indicates one showing great respect to another. In John 11:20, 30, when Jesus came into Judea to meet with Martha and Mariam over the death of Lazarus, as Jesus came Martha met him first, before Jesus entered into the village, who then immediately put herself into subordination to him, putting herself under his authority. In verse 28, after Martha returned from her meeting with Jesus, she referred to Jesus Christ as the "Teacher", indicating her high respect for him. In verse 27, in response to Jesus' question to her, she responded, "I have believed that you are the Christ, the Son of the God, the one coming into the cosmos!”

Trinitarians may note that Martha did not say that she believed that Jesus Christ was the God. In fact, she said just the opposite in verse 22, "I have seen that perhaps as many things as you may request of the God, the God shall give [it] to you! Martha makes the correct distinction between Jesus' Father, who is the God (1 Cor. 8:6), and Jesus Christ who is His son. If Jesus Christ was the God he would not have needed to request anything from his Father, since Jesus would already have it. In addition, Martha would have been meeting with and seeing the God, about whom apostle John says, "Absolutely not one (oudeis), ever at any time (pōpote), has observed (tetheatai) God (theon)!"

watch (tēreō, verb, 5083) - This idiom is used in the sense of keeping a close eye on the goal in order to obtain it. Sometimes people say to us, "You better watch yourself", when we are preparing to go into an unsafe situation, meaning we had better pay especially close attention to our every move and step to make sure we don't get our self into an unsafe circumstance. In 1 John 2:3-5 watch is used to refer to keeping a close eye upon God's Word, to know, believe and do it. In our English we use this idiom as well, in almost its exact ancient form, but not as extensively. In English we would say, "you better watch it", or, 'you better watch what you're doing", to someone as a warning or caution that they're words or actions may be starting to get out of bounds, or that they are already out of bounds and need to recognize and get back to the expected or acceptable behavior. For believers, not staying within the boundaries of God's Word, to know, believe, think, say and do God's Word, is considered wandering out of bounds spiritually, like a sheep wandering from the fold.

watch post, a watch post (phulakē, noun, 5438) - A Jail or prison; a facility for holding law-breakers where the law enforcement authorities can keep a watch on them, keep them under confinement and under control. Apostle peter mentions a watch post of another kind, a watch post which holds demon spirits within in, which had to do with the flood in the days of Noah (1 Pet. 3:19-20).

well-minded (euphrainō, verb, 2165) - To be (middle or passive voice) in a good frame of mind. The contexts of its usages suggest a state of mind which is care-free from doubt, worry, fear, etc. In Acts 2:25-28 apostle Peter, in his day of Pentecost preaching, is quoting King David from Psalm 16:8-11, who says that through all the things he, David, experienced in his life, "I was foregazing at the Lord in sight of me, through everything..."; David, in his mind, foresaw the Lord, Jesus Christ, as being in his presence, at his right hand. David practice the presence of the Lord. This is renewed mind thinking (Rom. 12:2) and a characteristic and practice of those with a measure of spiritual maturity. David says he was foregazing (Gk. prooraō) at the Lord Jesus Christ. The Greek implies more than a simple glance, but a continued gaze or stare. Obviously the Lord Jesus Christ hadn't yet physically come as the messiah, but David knew and understood the prophesies of his coming; and David must have understood a little about the coming messiah's ministry and finished work, to know about the resurrection. David in his mind foregazed at Jesus Christ, at his right hand, the hand of blessing and strength, through which David would not be "shaken" through any of the things he would experience in his life; and who would raise him up again out of death and the grave. I believe this is how believers, in the one body of Christ, should spiritually walk now. Why should believers have fear of loss, or of being "shaken", or even of death if Jesus Christ has already conquered it all for us? However, we are not to be careless with our lives because the Father desires living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1). We are to walk in the renewed mind as living sacrifices (Rom. 12:1-2), well-minded of the Lord Jesus Christ at our right hand and we at his, and his victory over everything, which is our victory over everything, including death! See foregazing and tabernacle down.

well taken (eulabeia, noun, 2124) - In Hebrews 5:7 the writer speaks of the prayers of need and other suitable things which Jesus Christ said and did, which were well-taken by the God the Father. The things Jesus said and did were always in alignment and harmony with the Father's will (John 4:34, 5:30, 6:38-40). In our Western English culture we use the identical idiom when speaking about some others reaction to a troubling thing we may have said or done, when we say, "he took it well". If anything we can think, say, or do is to be taken well by the God the Father, then it must be according to His stated will in His Word, and based upon our BELIEF of His Word, absolutely not upon mortal-made theological theories and philosophies; because apart from belief of exactly what the God has said, no one is inherently powered to please Him (Heb. 11:6).

wholeness (sōtēria, noun, 4991) -

witness through (diamarturomai, verb, 1263) - An idiom very similar to our English idiom, which means to get through to someone, to the end that their eyes of understanding become enlightened; i.e., English, Am I getting through to you. Jesus, in a parable to the Pharisees, used this idiom in Luke 16:28; a certain rich man, in a place or torment, asks Abraham to send Lazarus to the house of his father so that Lazarus, who was a beggar full of sores, but who is now in the bosom of Abraham, at rest and at peace, could witness through to his five brothers, to get the witness of God's Word through their ears and into their heads, to the end that their eyes of understanding become enlightened, that 'it is better to be a beggar full of sores and finally rest in peace than to be a rich man living in luxury all your life and finally go to a place of torment', so that the rich man's brothers don't come to the same fate as the rich man.

On the day of Pentecost, recorded in Acts 2, apostle Peter witnessed through to all those who were present that day, to try to get it through their ears and into their heads (Acts 2:22, "hear", in the imperative mood, a command) what it was which they have all just seen and heard, which was the outpouring of the gift of God's holy Spirit, which was prophesied by Joel 2:28-30 (Acts 2:16-21). Luke sums up apostle Peter's efforts that day to get God's Word through to them, by quoting Peter as saying, "Be made whole from the generation of the crookedness of this", i.e., the crookedness of this generation, the generation which corporately as a nation, refused to see and hear God's son, the promised coming messiah, as he was present before their very eyes speaking God's Word and doing signs, miracles and wonders, fulfilling all the ancient prophecies about him, of which they were kept ignorant by their religious leaders (Luke 11:52).

In Acts 8:25 Philip, with apostle Peter's and John's additional help, witnessed through to the Samaritan believers, finally getting the evangelism of Jesus Christ through their ears and into their heads to the extent that their eyes of understanding became enlightened with God's Word, so that the belief in their hearts upon the name of JESUS rose to the point that they were able to receive new birth above (John 3), the baptism in the gift of holy Spirit from Christ Jesus.

word, worded (rheō, verb, 26) - An idiom very similar to our English idiom we use when we say, "I've never heard it worded like that," or, "May I have a word with you". In either culture, the ancient Middle Eastern or our modern one, the idiom draws our attention to the particular words spoken, and causes the hearer to question as to why those particular words were chosen to convey the thought, notion or concept. The idiom is used to place an emphasis upon the meanings of the words and the thought or thoughts they convey through their particular use. In Luke 17:21, rheō is used by Jesus Christ to place and emphasis upon the fact that the Kingdom of the God is not to be mistakenly understood as a physical location, not "here" or "there", but as a spiritual realization within the mind of a believer. This is a huge Truth which must be understood about the Kingdom of the God.

wording-up (analogia, noun, 356) - Another "up" idiom meaning to get filled up with God's Word. This noun appears one time in the new covenant writings, and is used by apostle Paul in Romans 12:6 about a believer manifesting prophecy, one of the gracious things of God as described by Paul here in his letter to the Roman believers. God's Word cannot be spoken, or prophesied, if not first the one speaking has their mind filled with God's Word, i.e., has something to speak. Getting our minds filled up, i.e., worded-up with God's Word, builds and fills our minds up with precious belief, because belief comes through "hearing" God's Word (Rom. 10:17). Our precious belief comes from our wording-up our minds in the knowledge of God's Word. How can a believer believe what God says if he doesn't know what God says? Likewise, how can a believer speak forth God's Word if he doesn't know it?

Apostle Paul states that those who prophesy should be those believers who build up or word-up their belief in God's Word through building up their knowledge of God's Word in their minds, i.e., wording-up their minds with God's Word. The Biblical usage and meaning of prophecy is not simply foretelling of future events, but primarily simply speaking forth the knowledge of God's Word which has already been revealed and already known by the one speaking. This is the meaning of prophecy in its majority of usages.

Therefore it's simply a logical conclusion that the more knowledge of God's Word which a believer has built up, or worded-up in his mind, the greater shall be his belief in God's Word, and therefore the greater shall be his ability to speak forth God's Word with belief, conviction and authority, which is how it should be spoken (Mat. 7:29). This sets the level of the bar, or bench mark, for those who wish to speak in the assembly of called out believers, as being believers who are dedicated to being workman in God's Word, diligently seeking the knowledge and understanding of God's Word, to build up their belief, to word-up on God's Word in their minds (2 Tim. 2:15). Those who have not dedicated their lives to becoming workman of God's Word, and who have not already devoted a considerable number of years building the knowledge, understanding and belief in God's Word in their minds, have no business whatsoever presuming to speak for God in the presence of others, in the presence of unbelievers or believers.

word-up (analogizomai, verb, 367) - This is the verb form of the noun form given above. This noun appears one time in the new covenant writings, and is used by the writer (Paul?) of Hebrews in 12:3 as a reference to filling up our minds with the knowledge of God's Word about Jesus Christ's sacrifice of himself for us, about him enduring the antilogy of the unbelieving sinners against him. We are to have in our minds, the minds of those called into the Ministry of Reconciliation, the accurate and complete knowledge of what and how Jesus endured throughout his ministry, being opposed by those who were opposed to the God and His Word.

work-arounders (periergos, adj., 4021) - In 1 Tim. 5:13 apostle Paul is giving Timothy leadership advice about the social disorder of some who's discipleship to Jesus Christ has not yet matured; ones who take up idle practices, going around from house to house of believers discovering other's personal business, and then without their specific approval babbling about that information to other's. Paul refers to them as work-arounders. They don't care about other's right to privacy, and work around other's reluctance to make public their own "laundry", by babbling it about for them without their permission, without concern for other's privacy and lives.

1. Lamsa, George. New testament Commentary. Philadelphia: A. J. Holman, 1945, p. 303.

2. Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary. Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers, 2003, p. 233.

3. A Critical Lexicon And Concordance To The English And Greek New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 1908, 1999, p. 265.