The Living Bible (533 page)
Authors: Inc. Tyndale House Publishers
Tags: #BIBLES / Other Translations / Text
3:13
glamor,
literally, “deceitfulness.”
5:5
honored you,
literally, “begotten you.” Probably the reference is to the day of Christ’s resurrection.
5:7
premature,
implied. Christ’s longing was to live until he could die on the cross for all mankind. There is a strong case to be made that Satan’s great desire was that Christ should die prematurely, before the mighty work at the cross could be performed. Christ’s body, being human, was frail and weak like ours (except that his was sinless). He had said just a few moments before, “My soul is exceeding sorrowful
unto death.”
And can a human body live long under such pressure of spirit as he underwent in the Garden, that caused sweating of great drops of blood? But God graciously heard and answered his anguished cry in Gethsemane (“Let this cup pass from me”) and preserved him from seemingly imminent and premature death: for an angel was sent to strengthen him so that he could live to accomplish God’s perfect will at the cross. But some readers may prefer the explanation that Christ’s plea was that he be saved
out from death
at the resurrection.
6:2
spiritual gifts,
literally, “the laying on of hands.”
6:20
from his position as our High Priest,
literally, “having become our High Priest.”
7:3
Melchizedek had no father or mother.
No one can be sure whether this means that Melchizedek was Christ appearing to Abraham in human form or simply that there is no
record
of who Melchizedek’s father and mother were, no
record
of his birth or death.
9:18
as proof of Christ’s death,
implied.
10:4
The blood of bulls and goats merely covered over the sins, taking them out of sight for hundreds of years until Jesus Christ came to die on the cross. There he gave his own blood which forever took those sins away.
11:3
things that can’t be seen.
Perhaps the reference is to atoms, electrons, etc.
11:5
God had said,
implied.
13:13
that is . . . willing to be despised,
implied.
1:18
And it was a happy day for him when,
literally, “Of his own free will.”
3:1-2
don’t be too eager to tell others their faults,
literally, “not many [of you] should become masters [teachers].”
5:9
Let him do whatever criticizing must be done,
implied.
2:2-3
An alternative paraphrase of these verses could read: “If you have tasted the Lord’s goodness and kindness, cry for more, as a baby cries for milk. Eat God’s Word—read it, think about it—and grow strong in the Lord and be saved.”
2:5
you who are acceptable to him because of Jesus Christ,
implied.
3:6
offending your husbands,
implied.
3:21
In baptism we show that we have been saved from death and doom by the resurrection of Christ,
or “Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you through the resurrection.”
4:3
other terrible sins,
literally, “lawless idolatries.”
4:6
killed by the flood,
implied; see 3:19-20.
4:8
love makes up for many of your faults,
or “love overlooks each other’s many faults.”
4:14
the Spirit of God will come upon you with great glory,
or “the glory of the Spirit of God is being seen in you.”
5:13
The church here in Rome,
literally, “She who is at Babylon is likewise chosen”; but Babylon was the Christian nickname for Rome, and the “she” is thought by many to be Peter’s wife to whom reference is made in Matthew 8:14; 1 Corinthians 9:5, etc. Others believe this verse should read: “Your sister church here in Babylon salutes you, and so does my son Mark.”
2:10
the Glorious Ones,
or “the glories of the unseen world.”
2:12
the terrifying powers . . . they know so little about,
literally, “the things they do not understand.”
will be destroyed along with all the demons and powers of hell,
implied; literally, “will be destroyed in the same destruction with them.”
3:13
where there will be only goodness,
literally, “wherein righteousness dwells.”
1:9
confess our sins to him,
implied; literally, “confess our sins.”
Christ died to wash away our sins,
literally, “he is . . . just.”
2:2
he is the forgiveness for our sins,
or “he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins.”
3:20
the Lord will surely feel it even more,
or perhaps “the Lord will be merciful anyway”; literally, “God is greater than our heart.”
5:6-8
as he was facing death,
literally, “This is he who came by water and blood,” see Matthew 3:16-17; Luke 9:31, 35; John 12:27-28, 32-33. Other interpretations of this verse are equally possible.
as he faced death,
literally, “not by water only, but by water and blood.”
and the voice before he died,
literally, “the Spirit, and the water, and the blood.”
that Jesus Christ is the Son of God,
implied.
5:17
that one that ends in death.
Commentators differ widely in their thoughts about what sin this is and whether it causes physical death or spiritual death. Blasphemy against the Holy Spirit results in spiritual death (Mark 3:29), but can a Christian ever sin in such a way? Impenitence at the Communion Table sometimes ends in physical death (1 Corinthians 11:30). And Hebrews 6:4-8 speaks of the terrible end of those who fall away.
1:6
turned to a life of sin,
or “abandoned their original rank and left their proper home.”
1:1
This book unveils . . . the life of Jesus Christ,
literally, “This is the revelation of [concerning, or from] Jesus Christ.”
1:4
in Turkey,
literally, “in Asia.”
the sevenfold Spirit,
literally, “the seven Spirits.” But see Isaiah 11:2, where various aspects of the Holy Spirit are described, and Zechariah 4:2-6, giving probability to the paraphrase; see also 2:7.
1:5
He was the first to rise from death, to die no more,
literally, “He was the firstborn from the dead.” Others (Lazarus, etc.) rose to die again. As used here the expression therefore implies “to die no more.”
1:7
and those who pierced him.
John saw this happen with his own eyes—the piercing of Jesus—and never forgot the horror of it.
1:8
I am the A and the Z,
literally, “I am Alpha and Omega.” These are the first and last letters of the Greek alphabet.
is coming again,
literally, “who comes” or “who is to come.”
1:11
in Turkey,
literally, “in Asia.”
1:13
like Jesus, who called himself the Son of Man,
literally, “like unto a Son of Man.” John recognizes him from having lived with him for three years, and from seeing him in glory at the Transfiguration.
1:14
His hair was white as wool or snow,
literally, “His head—the hair—was white like wool.”
1:16
in his mouth,
literally, “came out from his mouth.”
1:20
leaders,
literally, “angels.” Some expositors (Origen, Jerome, etc.) believe from this that an angelic being is appointed by God to oversee each local church.
2:1
leader,
literally, “angel” and so also in 2:8; 2:12; 2:18; 3:1; 3:7; 3:14.
from him who walks among the churches,
literally, “from him who holds the seven stars in his right hand and walks among the golden candlesticks.”
2:6
Nicolaitans,
which, when translated from Greek to Hebrew, becomes
Balaamites,
who were followers of the man who induced the Israelites to fall by lust. (See 2:14 and Numbers 31:15-16.)
2:10
an unending, glorious future,
implied.
2:15
Balaam,
literally, “Nicolaitans,” Greek form of “Balaamites.”
2:22
along with all her immoral followers,
literally, “together with all those who commit adultery with her.”
3:1
the sevenfold Spirit,
see note on 1:4.
3:8
you have tried to obey,
literally, “you have kept my word.”
3:9
those supporting the causes of Satan while claiming to be mine,
literally, “those who say they are Jews but are not.”
3:10
I will protect you from the time of Great Tribulation and temptation,
or “I will keep you from failing in the hour of testing.” The inference is not clear in the Greek as to whether this means “kept from” or “kept through” the coming horror.
3:11
soon,
or “suddenly,” “unexpectedly.”
3:14
from the one who stands firm,
literally, “from the Amen.”
of all that is or was or evermore shall be,
implied.
4:5
the sevenfold Spirit of God,
literally, “the seven spirits of God.” But see Zechariah 4:2-6 where the lamps are equated with the one Spirit; also in 5:6.
5:4
with disappointment,
implied.
5:9
singing,
literally, “saying,” or “said”; also in vv. 11-12.
