Chapter 1

¹ Long ago, God spoke to our fathers through the Prophets in many places and in many ways. ² And in the last part of these days, He speaks to us through a Son who He has made the heir to everything… the one that He used to create the ages. ³ He shines with the same glory, is the exact image of His being, and is responsible for everything that’s said through His power. And after he cleansed us of our sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Great One in the highest places. ⁴ And now He has become so much greater than the [other] messengers [of God] and so different, that he has inherited a [special] name among them.

⁵ For example, to which of His [other] messengers did He ever say, ‘You’re my son. Today I’ve become your Father.’ Or, ‘I will become his Father and he will become My son.’ ⁶ And again, when He brings His firstborn into [man’s] habitation, He says, ‘Let all of God’s messengers bow low before him.’

⁷ When He spoke of His messengers, He said, ‘He makes His messengers spirits and His public servants as flames of fire.’ ⁸ But when He spoke of his Son, [He said], ‘God is your throne into the age of the age, and your king’s scepter is the scepter of righteousness. ⁹ You loved righteousness and hated wickedness. That’s why God (your God) anointed you with the oil of great joy among those who are your companions.’ ¹⁰ And, ‘Long ago, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth, and [you] made the heavens with your hands. ¹¹ But they’ll pass away while you still remain; for like clothes they will grow old. ¹² Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you will wrap them up and repair them. Yes, you’re the one and your years will never expire.’

¹³ And to which one of His messengers did He ever say, ‘Sit here at My right until I set your enemies as a stool at your feet?’ ¹⁴ So, aren’t they all just spirits… public servants who are sent to serve the needs of those who will inherit salvation?

Chapter 2

¹ This is why it’s necessary for us to pay extraordinary attention to the things we’ve heard… so we don’t drift away! ² Because, if these words that were spoken through [God’s] messengers prove true; and the reward for all errors and disobedient acts is going to be strictly enforced; ³ and if we are unconcerned about the salvation that was spoken of by the mouth of the Lord and which was verified for us by those who heard him, then how can we escape such a terrible thing?

⁴ Why, even God Himself joined in this testimony by providing signs, omens, many powerful deeds, and by distributing His Holy Breath as He wished.

⁵ Now, He isn’t making the coming habitation [of man] (the one we’ve been talking about) obedient just for the sake of His messengers. ⁶ For, someone somewhere testified to this fact, when he asked, ‘Just what is man that You should remember him, or the son of man that You should watch over him? ⁷ Why, You made him a little lower than [Your] messengers; You crowned him with glory and honor; and You put him in charge of everything that You made with Your hands, ⁸ then You put everything under his feet.’ So, when [God] puts everything under [our feet], He doesn’t leave anything that [men] aren’t in charge of. However, we don’t see everything obeying us yet.

⁹ Now, look at Jesus; he was made a little lower than [God’s] messengers, and because he suffered and died, he was crowned with glory and honor. So, due to God’s loving care, [Jesus] tasted death for everyone!

¹⁰ It was fitting that [Jesus] – the one for whom and through whom everything exists; this primary leader [who is responsible for] our salvation – should bring many sons to glory and make them perfect through his sufferings. ¹¹ For, the one who makes [others] holy and those who are made holy all come from that one. And that’s why he isn’t ashamed to call them brothers, ¹² saying, ‘I will report Your Name back to my brothers; I will sing praises to You in the midst of the congregation.’ ¹³ And again, ‘I will have trusted in them.’ And again, ‘{Look!} The boys whom Jehovah gave me, and I…’

¹⁴ So, since his ‘boys’ share in his blood and flesh, he shares [with them] in the same way, so that; through his death he can finish off the one who has the power [to bring] death, the Slanderer, ¹⁵ and to set all of those free who have spent their lives as slaves to the fear of death.

¹⁶ So, [when he came], he really didn’t take on [the shape] of one of [God’s] messengers somewhere, but he took [the shape of] Abraham’s seed. ¹⁷ For, he was obligated to become like his brothers in every way, so he could become a merciful and faithful High Priest before God and offer a sacrifice to cover peoples’ sins. ¹⁸ And it’s because he suffered and was tempted that he is able to help those who are being tempted.

Chapter 3

¹ Therefore, holy brothers among the calling of heavenly partakers; Let’s consider this Apostle and High Priest whom we confess, Jesus. ² He was faithful to the One who made him, just as Moses was within His whole House. ³ However, [Jesus] was considered to be worthy of greater glory than Moses, because he who builds the house receives more honor there. ⁴ Of course, every house is built by someone, but He who builds all things is God.

⁵ Now, Moses was truly a faithful subordinate within His whole House, [for he served] as a witness to things that hadn’t been explained. ⁶ But the Anointed One is a Son [that is] over His House, and we are that House… as long as we continue in our [work of] speaking openly and boasting about our hope to the end.

⁷ It’s because of this, that [God’s] Holy Breath says, ‘If you should hear His voice today, ⁸ don’t harden your hearts as happened in the bitter day of testing in the desert. ⁹ For, that’s when your fathers tested Me to prove [My power]… yet they’d been watching what I was doing for forty years! ¹⁰ This is the reason why I became so disgusted with that generation and said, Their hearts are always wandering, and they’ve never understood My ways. ¹¹ So, in My anger I swore, They will never enter My rest.’

¹² Therefore, watch out brothers, that none of your hearts ever become wicked and unbelieving, and then cause you to pull away from the Living God! ¹³ Encourage each other every day – including today – so that none of you will become hardened and be tempted to sin. ¹⁴ For, we are sharers in the Anointed One as long as we hang onto this position that we’ve started with until the end. ¹⁵ That’s why it was said, ‘If you should hear His Voice today, ⁸ don’t harden your hearts as happened in the bitter day of testing in the desert.’

¹⁶ Now, just who was it that heard and caused this bitterness? Wasn’t it all those who left Egypt under Moses? ¹⁷ And just who was it that He became disgusted with for forty years? Wasn’t it those who had sinned and whose carcasses fell in the desert? ¹⁸ And who was it that He said wouldn’t enter His Rest… if not those who disobeyed? ¹⁹ So, we can see that they couldn’t enter [His Rest] due to their lack of faith!

Chapter 4

¹ Therefore, we should [all] fear that some of us might be left behind when it comes to the promise of entering His rest, ² because we’ve had the good news preached to us, just as they did. Yet, they failed to benefit from hearing those words, because the faith of those who heard and believed didn’t rub off on them! ³ However, those of us who have believed will enter His Rest. And although He said, ‘So, in my anger I swore that they’ll never enter My Rest,’ His work [has actually been finished] since the founding of the world!

⁴ Why, in one place He said this about the seventh day: ‘God rested from all His works on the seventh day.’ ⁵ And here [He said], ‘They will never enter My rest.’ ⁶ So, we must conclude that some will enter it! However, those to whom this good news was first given didn’t enter it because of their disobedience. ⁷ Then He mentioned a particular day, ‘today,’ in David’s [psalm]. And later on, He said (as I mentioned before), ‘If you should hear His voice today, ⁸ don’t harden your hearts.’

⁸ Now, if Joshua had already led them to this place of rest, [God] wouldn’t have spoken of another day later on. ⁹ So, there’s still a Sabbath for the people of God to observe. ¹⁰ And those who enter His rest must also rest from the things they’re doing, just as God rested from [the things] He [was doing].

¹¹ Therefore, let’s do everything that we can to enter that rest, so no one will fail because of disobedience. ¹² For, the word of God is alive and at work, and it’s sharper than any two-edged sword. Why, it cuts so fine that it can separate the breath from the breather, as well as his joints and marrow! So, it becomes the judge of the thoughts and desires of [our] hearts. ¹³ Why, nothing in creation is invisible to His eyes… everything is naked and open before He who sent us His Word!

¹⁴ So, in view of the fact that we have such a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens – Jesus the Son of God – let’s keep talking about him! ¹⁵ And we don’t have a High Priest who can’t sympathize with our weaknesses; we have one who has been tested in every way… just like us! However, [he didn’t] sin. ¹⁶ So, let’s approach his throne of loving care and speak freely, so we can receive his mercy, loving care, and aid, when we need it.

Chapter 5

¹ Now, all High Priests are selected from among men, and then they’re appointed over men and assigned to the things of God… the offering of gifts and sacrifices for sins. ² So, they feel a kinship with those who don’t understand and who make mistakes, since they’re surrounded by their own weaknesses. ³ And this is why they have to make offerings not only for the sins of the people, but also for themselves! ⁴ But no man can take this honor on himself; he can only be called to it by God, as Aaron was. ⁵ Likewise, the Anointed One didn’t glorify himself to the position of High Priest. That was done by the One who said to him, ‘You’re My Son… today I have generated you!’ ⁶ And as He said in another place, ‘You’re a Priest through the age in the order of MelchiZedek.’

⁷ Now, during the time that he was here in the flesh, [Jesus] begged and pleaded with the One who was able to save him from death, calling out with tears; and he was drawn close and listened to because of his faithfulness. ⁸ And although he was the Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered. ⁹ Then, after his [training] was finished, he became the one who brings salvation in the age to all those who obey him. ¹⁰ Thus, God made him a High Priest in the line of MelchiZedek.

¹¹ Now, we have much to say about him that will be hard to explain, since you’ve become so slow in your hearing. ¹² For, although you ought to be teachers in view of the time, you now need someone to go back and teach you the basics of God’s Word again… you’ve become people who need milk, not solid food! ¹³ Those who live on milk are babies who are unfamiliar with righteous teachings, ¹⁴ while the adults eat solid food and have trained their senses to recognize the difference between right and wrong.

Chapter 6

¹ So, now that we’ve gone beyond the basics of the Anointed One, may we be carried on toward maturity. Let’s not go back and lay a new foundation on such matters as repenting over bad deeds, having faith in God, ² or learning about baptisms, [spiritual] appointments, and the resurrection of the dead, or the judgments on this age. ³ Yes, we can [go beyond the basics], if God allows it.

⁴ You see; it’s impossible for those who have once and for all been enlightened, tasted the heavenly gift, been partakers in [God’s] Holy Breath, ⁵ and savored the Word of God, His power, and the age to come, ⁶ to be revived and make them repent once they’ve fallen away. This is because they would have to hang the Son of God back up on the pole again and make him a public spectacle.

⁷ Why, when the ground drinks in all the rain that falls on it, it gives birth to green plants, which are then cultivated by those who hope to receive their blessings from God. ⁸ However, if it just produces thorns and thistles, that ground will be rejected and almost cursed… and in the end, burned off!

⁹ Now, although we’ve been saying all of this; When it comes to you, loved ones; we believe that there will be better things and salvation, ¹⁰ because God isn’t unrighteous, so He won’t forget the things that you’ve done, the love that you’ve shown for His Name, or how you’ve served the needs of the Holy Ones (and [how you] keep on doing so). ¹¹ But, what we want is for each of you to show a real zeal when it comes to carrying out that which we hope for, all the way to completion… ¹² we don’t want you to become lazy! Rather, we want you to imitate those who, through faith and patience, will inherit the promises.

¹³ For [example]; When God gave his promise to Abraham (and because He couldn’t swear by anyone greater, He swore by Himself), ¹⁴ He said: ‘When it comes to blessings, I will bless you. And when it comes to growth, I will make you grow.’ ¹⁵ Then, by being patient, [Abraham] received what he was promised.

¹⁶ Now, men always swear by the greater one. And whenever there’s a disagreement, this is what ensures the thing that was promised. ¹⁷ So, when God wanted to show the heirs of the promise how unchangeable His words are, He agreed with an oath. ¹⁸ [And He did this], so that through two unchangeable things about which God cannot lie, we who are fleeing would have a strong incentive to grab onto the hope that He has laid before us. ¹⁹ This is the sure and stable anchor for our lives, since it goes behind the [Temple’s] inner curtain ²⁰ where Jesus entered earlier on our behalf (through the line of MelchiZedek), as the High Priest into the age.

Chapter 7

¹ For, this MelchiZedek (a king of Salem and a Priest of the Most High God) was the one who met Abraham as he returned from the slaughter of the kings. Then Abraham blest him ² and gave him a Tenth of everything [he had captured].

First, [MelchiZedek] translates as King of Righteousness. And then, as the king of Salem, he’s also the King of Peace. ³ And because there are no genealogical records of him, he was [virtually] without a father or mother; so there was no beginning or end to his life. So, as the Son of God, [Jesus] remains a Priest until [everything is] completed.

⁴ Now, do you see how great this man was, to whom [our] family head Abraham gave a tenth of the best things from his booty?

⁵ Yes, it’s true that the sons of Levi were [also] made Priests, and they were commanded by the Law to collect a tithe from the people (who were their brothers, because they all came from the loins of Abraham). ⁶ But this man, whose genealogy we can’t trace, took ten percent from Abraham himself! Then he blest the one who had been given the promise!

⁷ Now, you can’t argue the fact that the lesser one is always blest by the greater. ⁸ And in this first case, those who received the tithe were dying. But in the second case, it is someone whom we agree is [still] living. ⁹ So we can say that Levi paid the tithe through Abraham, ¹⁰ because he was in the loins of his forefather when MelchiZedek met him!

¹¹ So, if perfection came through the Levite Priesthood (which was possible for people under the Law), why would we need another Priest to come in the line of MelchiZedek… someone who isn’t of the line of Aaron? ¹² This is because, the Priesthood is being changed, and as the result, there must be a change in the Law! ¹³ For, this man that we are talking about was a member of another tribe… one from which no one has ever served at the Altar! ¹⁴ Why, we all recognize that our Lord came out of Judah, a tribe that Moses never spoke of as Priests! ¹⁵ And this makes it even more obvious that a new Priest has arisen who is like MelchiZedek, ¹⁶ because he didn’t become [a Priest] by the Law of human commandments, but by the power of a life that can’t be destroyed! ¹⁷ And in witness to this fact it was said: ‘You’re a Priest into the age in the line of MelchiZedek.’

¹⁸ So, the earlier commandments have obviously been set aside, because they were weak and they didn’t do any good, ¹⁹ since the Law didn’t make anything perfect. All it did was lead us to a better hope that’s [now] drawing us closer to God.

²⁰ [This Law] also came about without a sworn oath… ²¹ so there were those who became Priests without a sworn oath! And no one else has had an oath sworn about him by He who said, ‘Jehovah has sworn (and He won’t change His mind): You’re a Priest through the age.’ ²² So, Jesus has become the promise of a better Sacred Agreement.

²³ Now, [under the old Agreement], many became Priests, because death prevented them from continuing [in that position]. ²⁴ However, he remains through the age, so he unmistakably has the Priesthood; ²⁵ and he’s able to save those who approach God through him, because he will always be alive to plead on their behalf!

²⁶ He’s the best High Priest for us, because he’s loyal, righteous, and pure. He was also removed from among the sinners and put higher than the sky. ²⁷ And unlike former High Priests who had to offer sacrifices daily (first for their own sins and then for those of the people), he did this just once when he offered himself!

²⁸ You see; The Law appointed men as High Priests who had weaknesses. But the promise that came with a sworn oath (and which supersedes the Law) appointed a Son who is perfect into the age.

Chapter 8

¹ So, the point I’m making is this: We already have such a High Priest, and he’s sitting at the right hand of the throne of Majesty in the heavens, ² where He’s handling Priestly duties at the Most Holy in the real Tent that was built by Jehovah, not by men.

³ Now, every High Priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices… so it was necessary for him to have something to offer also. ⁴ But he likely wouldn’t be a Priest if he was here on the earth, since there are already those who are appointed by the Law to offer the gifts. ⁵ However, when they handle their Priestly duties, what they’re doing is following a pattern, which is just a shadow of how these sacred duties are being handled in the heavens!

It’s the same as when Moses was about to finish the [Sacred] Tent. For, he was given a divine warning then, which said, ‘Be sure to assemble everything by the pattern you were shown on the mountain.’ ⁶ But now, [Jesus] has received a much better Priestly assignment, for he’s also the mediator of a better Sacred Agreement, which was legally established on better promises.

⁷ Now, if there weren’t problems with the first [Agreement], there wouldn’t have been any reason to search for a second. ⁸ However, He did find a problem with the people, because He said, ‘{Look!} The time is coming, says Jehovah, when I will make a new Sacred Agreement with the House of Israel and with the House of Judah. ⁹ This won’t be like the Agreement that I made with their ancestors at the time that I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt… because they didn’t keep their side of it. As the result, I stopped caring for them, says Jehovah. ¹⁰ This is the Agreement that I’m going to make with the House of Israel at that time, says Jehovah: I’ll put my laws in their minds and write them in their hearts. I will become their God and they will be My people. ¹¹ Then, citizens of the land won’t have to teach their brothers about Jehovah, because they will all know Me, from the least to the greatest of them. ¹² And I will be merciful toward their unrighteousness, and I’ll forget their sins.’

¹³ So, when He spoke of a New Sacred Agreement, He made the old one obsolete. And now, that which was made obsolete is growing old and is about to disappear!

Chapter 9

¹ That first [Agreement] set out the righteous requirements for service in a worldly Most Holy. ² There was this first Tent where the [sacred] lampstand and the table for the showbread were kept that was called the Holy Place. ³ Then behind this curtain was a second Tent that was called the Most Holy. ⁴ This contained a golden incense holder and the Chest of the Sacred Agreement, which was completely overlaid with gold; and it held the golden jar of manna, Aaron’s staff that grew buds, and the [Sacred] Tablets of the Agreement. ⁵ Then over it, there were the glorious cherubs that cast a shadow on the cover. So, now it is time to discuss some of the details of these things.

⁶ After these things were constructed, the Priests would continuously enter the first Tent to perform their sacred duties, ⁷ but the second [compartment] was only entered once a year, and just by the High Priest. However, even he couldn’t enter it without blood, which he had to offer both for himself and for the sins of the peoples’ ignorance.

⁸ Now, the Holy Breath makes it clear that the entrance to the Most Holy couldn’t be seen while the first Tent was standing… ⁹ and this is a parable of the time that we’re now living in. So, with this parable in mind, [recognize that] the gifts and sacrifices which are offered can’t make the conscience of the one who is serving perfect, ¹⁰ for that whole thing has to do with food, drink, and types of cleansing, which were fleshly, legal requirements [that would last] until the time came when all of this would be thoroughly layed down and straightened out.

¹¹ Well, when the Anointed One came as the High Priest of good things (through the greater and more perfect Tent that he didn’t create and which wasn’t made by [human] hands), ¹² he didn’t enter the Most Holy with the blood of goats and young bulls; [he entered] the Holies with his own blood, having found a single ageless ransom!

¹³ Now, if the blood of goats and bulls, or the ashes of a heifer that are sprinkled on those who’ve become unclean can make their flesh holy and clean, ¹⁴ how much more so will [this be done by] the blood of the Anointed One! For, he offered himself to God as an ageless, unblemished spirit, to cleanse our consciences of the deeds of the dying, so we can worship the living God.

¹⁵ And he is the mediator of this New Sacred Agreement, for [his] death paid the ransom to release those who were under the first Agreement from their errors, so that those who have been called could receive the promised inheritance of the age! ¹⁶ For, whenever there’s [any sort of an] agreement, death is part of the bargain for the one who agrees to it, ¹⁷ because an agreement that lasts until death is something that has been proven. However, it isn’t as strong while the one who made the agreement is still alive.

¹⁸ Therefore, that first [Sacred Agreement] had to be made with blood. ¹⁹ And after Moses explained all the Commandments of the Law to the people, he took the blood of young bulls and goats, mixed it with water, and then [he] used scarlet wool and hyssop to sprinkle the scroll and all the people. ²⁰ And he said, ‘This is the blood of the Sacred Agreement that God made with you.’ ²¹ And thereafter, he sprinkled the blood on the Tent and over all the things that were used for worship. ²² Yes, according to the Law, almost everything is made clean by blood. And unless blood is spilled, there is no forgiving.

²³ That’s why it was necessary for the heavenly things that are symbolized by all of this to be cleansed that way. However, heavenly things require better sacrifices. ²⁴ So, the Anointed One didn’t enter a Most Holy that was made with hands (which is just a copy of the real thing), he actually entered heaven itself to stand in front of God for us!

²⁵ Nor does he have to offer himself often, as does the High Priest who enters the Most Holy each year with blood that isn’t his own. ²⁶ Otherwise, he would have suffered many times since the founding of the world. But now he has displayed himself at the end of the age and offered himself in order to do away with sins just once, through his sacrifice.

²⁷ And in the same way that men must die just once (which is followed by a judgment), ²⁸ the Anointed One was also offered just once, to carry the sins of many. So, the next time he’s seen by those who are so eagerly awaiting him, they will be free from sin and ready for salvation.

Chapter 10

¹ So, since the Law isn’t the reality, but just a shadow of good things to come, the sacrifices that are offered annually will never make the one who brings them perfect. ² Why, if that were true, they wouldn’t have to be offered anymore. And if those who are worshiping this way had been made clean once and for all time, they wouldn’t even think about sinning. ³ However, these sacrifices remind us of our sins year after year, ⁴ because the blood of bulls and goats can’t take away sins.

⁵ It was because of this, that, when he came into the world he said, ‘You didn’t want sacrifices and offerings, but You prepared a body for me. ⁶ Nor did You approve of burnt offerings and sin offerings.’ ⁷ Then he said, ‘Look, I’ve come to do Your Will, O God, just as it was written about me in the front of the book!’

⁸ Now, after first saying, ‘You didn’t want or approve of sacrifices and offerings, or burnt offerings and sin offerings’ (which are being offered in observance of the Law), he then said, ‘Look, I’ve come to do Your Will.’ So, he removed the first to establish the second! ¹⁰ And it’s because of this Will that we’ve been made holy… it’s through that single offering of the body of Jesus the Anointed One!

¹¹ Now, all the Priests take their stations each day in Temple service. And there they offer the same sacrifices repeatedly; yet they can never take sins away completely. ¹² However, he offered one sacrifice for sins through the ages, and then he sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ where he’s awaiting [the time when] his enemies will be set as a stool for his feet. ¹⁴ So, he gave this single offering that made the Holy Ones perfect.

¹⁵ Why, the Holy Breath [of God] testifies to us about this, for first it said, ¹⁶ ‘This is the Sacred Agreement that I will make with them in those days, says Jehovah: I will put my laws in their hearts and I’ll write them in their minds.’ ¹⁷ [Then it says,] ‘I will be merciful whenever they do things that aren’t right, and I’ll forget their sins.’ ¹⁸ And when such things are forgotten, there isn’t any more need for sin offerings!

¹⁹ So brothers; We can obviously say that we have an access into the Most Holy through the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ for he has worked out a way through the curtain for us… a sacrificial but living way, through his flesh. ²¹ And since we now have such a great Priest over the House of God, ²² let’s approach with honest hearts and complete faith, having rinsed a wicked conscience from our hearts and having washed our bodies in clean water.

²³ So, let’s hang onto the confession of our hope and not give up, because the One who gave us the promise is faithful. ²⁴ And let’s keep reminding ourselves to help each other to grow in love and good deeds.

²⁵ And don’t stop meeting together (as some have made it their custom), but [continue to] encourage each other… and [do this] even more so as you see the Day getting closer.

²⁶ Why, if we choose to follow a sinful course after coming to an accurate knowledge of the truth, there are no more sacrifices left for sins. ²⁷ All [that’s left] is the fear and anticipation of judgment, and the roaring of the fiery zeal that’s going to consume those who oppose us.

²⁸ Now, if anyone rejected the Law of Moses and two or three testified against him, he was to die without compassion. ²⁹ So, how much more worthy of punishment do you think someone will be who tramples on the Son of God; or who considers the blood of the Sacred Agreement that made him holy as something unclean; or who has outraged the loving care of the Breath [of God] by treating it with contempt? ³⁰ For, we know the One who said, ‘Vengeance belongs to Me… I will repay!’ And again, ‘Jehovah will judge His people.’ ³¹ So, it’s a fearsome thing to fall into the hands of the Living God!

³² I want you to think back to the days, just after you came to an understanding and were enduring so much suffering, what a hard fight it was. ³³ Why, sometimes it was just like being on a stage where you were insulted and persecuted, along with [many] others who shared your experience. ³⁴ Back then, you were so sympathetic toward those who were in prison. And when [all] the things you owned were taken away, you were joyful, because you knew that you had something better and longer lasting!

³⁵ So, don’t throw away your willingness to speak out, because you’ve paid too much to earn it! ³⁶ You need to endure, so that after you’ve done God’s will, you can walk off with [the prize] that you were promised!

³⁷ For, it’s just a little while longer until the one who is coming will be here, and he won’t be late! ³⁸ ‘But My righteous one will live because of his faith,’ and, ‘If he gives up, My soul finds no pleasure in him.’

³⁹ Now, we’re not the type that gives up just to be destroyed; [we’re] the type that has the faith that will save our lives!

Chapter 11

¹ [This is the definition of] faith: It’s when [you] expect the things that you’re hoping for, and [you’re] convinced of things you haven’t [really] seen. ² And we can testify [that such] faith [existed among the] men [of ancient times].

³ When it comes to faith, we’re reminded (and have come to believe) that the things God has promised down through the ages couldn’t be seen. Yet we can see them now, because they’ve already happened!

⁴ Why, it was because of his faith that Abel offered a greater sacrifice to God than Cain did. And due to this, the One who witnessed his righteousness and the One who saw the gifts that he offered, was God. As the result, although [Abel] is dead, he still speaks.

⁵ It was because of his faith that Enoch was transported, so he wouldn’t see death… he couldn’t be found, because God transported him. However, before he was transported, it was testified to that he had pleased God well.

⁶ You see, it’s impossible to please Him well without faith. Because, whoever wants to come to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who are eagerly searching for Him.

⁷ It was because of his faith that Noah (after being given a divine warning of things he hadn’t seen yet) trusted in God and built a chest to save his family. And due to this righteous faith, he condemned the world and became its heir.

⁸ It was because of his faith that Abraham obeyed when he was called, and he traveled to a place that he was going to receive as an inheritance. Yet, as he was leaving, he didn’t even know where he was going! ⁹ Then he faithfully lived as an alien in a foreign land, which was the very land that he was promised. He lived there in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were [fellow] heirs of that same promise, ¹⁰ because he was laying the foundations of a city that would be created and watched over by God.

¹¹ It was because of [her] faith that Sarah received the power to conceive a seed when she was too old to do so, since she had high regard for and faith in the One who made the promise. ¹² So, from [this woman] who was sexually dead, came a huge number… like the stars of the sky or the grains of sand on the seashore… innumerable!

¹³ All of these died faithful, and although they didn’t receive what was promised, they saw it and welcomed it from a distance, as they publicly admitted that they were strangers and aliens in the land.

¹⁴ Now, when people say things such as this, they prove that they’re looking for a home. ¹⁵ And if they ever started longing for the place they left, they probably would have gone back. ¹⁶ However, they were reaching out for something better… something that belongs to heaven. As the result, God isn’t ashamed of them, nor [is He ashamed] to be called their God. In fact, He created a city for them!

¹⁷ Abraham’s faith was tested over Isaac, for he brought his only son as an offering. Yet, this was the one about whom the promise had been made… ¹⁸ the one of whom it was said, ‘Your seed will come through Isaac!’ ¹⁹ But [Abraham] figured that God was able to raise him from the dead. And in effect, that’s where he got him from.

²⁰ It was also because of his faith that Isaac blest Jacob and Esau concerning future things. ²¹ And it was because of his faith that Jacob blest each of the sons of Joseph before he died, and bowed low as he leaned on his cane. ²² Then Joseph, when he was getting close to his end, showed his faith when he talked about the exodus of the sons of Israel, and when he gave instructions regarding his bones.

²³ The parents of Moses showed faith when they hid him for three months after his birth, because they saw that the young child was beautiful, and they weren’t afraid of the king’s decree. ²⁴ Then after he became great, Moses showed his faith by refusing to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter… ²⁵ he chose to be treated badly with the people of God, rather than spending his time enjoying sinful pleasures, ²⁶ because he considered the insults of being the anointed as far more valuable than the treasures of Egypt… he was looking to the future for his reward!

²⁷ So, his faith then moved him to leave Egypt… and he wasn’t afraid of the king’s anger. He stuck to the Invisible One with all his might, as though he could actually see Him. ²⁸ Then in faith, he celebrated the Passover and splashed the blood, so the destroyer wouldn’t touch their firstborn.

²⁹ It took faith to pass through the Red Sea as though it were dry land; for when the Egyptians tried that, it swallowed them down. ³⁰ And it was because of faith that the walls of Jericho fell after they had been circled for seven days. ³¹ Then, it was because of her faith (when she peacefully welcomed the spies [into her home]) that RaHab the prostitute didn’t die along with those who disobeyed.

³² What more can I say? I don’t have enough time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson, JephThah, David, or of SamuEl and the Prophets. ³³ Yet, by their faith they defeated kingdoms in war, did righteous things, received the promises, fenced off the mouths of lions, ³⁴ overcame the force of fire, and escaped the edge of the sword. Nor [can I tell] of the weak ones who were made powerful and became mighty in war, and then drove off foreign armies.

³⁵ Women received their dead by resurrection; others were beaten with rods; and in order to receive a better resurrection, they wouldn’t allow a ransom to be paid on their behalf. ³⁶ Yes, others were mocked and tried with whips… and even more than that, [they were] put in shackles and in prisons! ³⁷ They were tried, stoned, sawed in half, and they were slaughtered with swords… they dressed themselves in sheepskins and goatskins as they were in need, in a lot of trouble, and treated badly.

³⁸ The world didn’t deserve them, but they were forced to wander the deserts, mountains, caves, and peepholes of the earth. ³⁹ And although their faith testifies about all of them, they never received what they were promised. ⁴⁰ Yet, because God saw something better in us, they won’t be brought to perfection without us.

Chapter 12

¹ So, since we have such a great cloud of witnesses lying around us, we should each get rid of the things that are weighing us down and any sins that are standing in our way. Then, let’s run the difficult course that’s ahead of us with endurance, ² as we look forward in faith to our supreme leader, our goal, Jesus.

Why, in return for the joy that he had before him, [Jesus] endured the shame of the impaling pole and thought nothing of it… then he sat down to the right of the Throne of God. ³ So, pay close attention to his example and how he was able to endure all of that at the hands of sinners (who just condemned themselves), so you don’t tire out and give up on your lives!

⁴ Why, so far, none of you has had to struggle against sin to the point of bleeding. ⁵ And you’ve forgotten the encouragement that was given to you as [His] sons, that said, ‘My son; Don’t treat the discipline of Jehovah lightly, and don’t try to avoid being corrected by Him. ⁶ For, Jehovah disciplines those whom He Loves and He whips those whom He accepts as His sons.’

⁷ Why, the only reason you’ve made it this far, is because of discipline; and this proves that God is treating you as sons! After all, which son doesn’t his father discipline? ⁸ So, if you’ve never been disciplined [by God], you aren’t one of us… you’re bastards, not sons!

⁹ We all had fleshly fathers who used to discipline us, and we respected them. So, shouldn’t we obey the Father who gave us His Breath even more… so we can live? ¹⁰ For a brief period [in our lives, our fathers] used to discipline us over things that seemed right to them. However, we’re being brought [before Him] to be partakers of His Holiness!

¹¹ And while it’s true that discipline doesn’t make us joyful when we receive it (it makes us sad); later on, those who learn from it harvest the fruit of peace and righteousness. ¹² So, straighten up your drooping arms, firm up those shaky knees, ¹³ and make sure that the tracks you’re making with your feet are straight… be healed rather than lame!

¹⁴ Try to make peace with everyone and to become holy, because without that, no one can see the Lord. ¹⁵ Make sure that none of you are falling short of God’s loving care, and that no bitter roots sprout up to create trouble and make many of you unclean. ¹⁶ [Of course, I’m talking about people] who are immoral or worldly, like Esau, who gave away his rights as the firstborn for a single meal. ¹⁷ Remember that he changed his mind later on and wanted to inherit the blessing, but despite the fact that he tearfully tried to reclaim it, he was rejected.

¹⁸ Now, [this mountain] that you’ve approached can’t be felt, nor is any fire burning there… or darkness, or fog, or storms. ¹⁹ There’s no sound of a trumpet blowing, or of a voice speaking [from the heavens]… a voice that the people begged not to have to listen to, ²⁰ and which they couldn’t bear when they heard it say so clearly, ‘If even some wild animal touches this mountain, it must be stoned!’ ²¹ Why, it was such a frightening scene that even Moses admitted, ‘I’m terrified and shaking!’

²² So, what you’ve approached is Mount Zion; the City of the Living God. It’s Heavenly Jerusalem, where there are millions of [God’s] messengers ²³ attending a convention… the gathering of the firstborn whose names have been written in the heavens… and God is the judge over them all. [You’ve approached] the unseen force of those who are righteous and who have been made perfect; ²⁴ and [you’ve approached] Jesus, the mediator of a New Sacred Agreement, whose sacrificial blood speaks out better than Abel’s.

²⁵ Therefore, be sure that you aren’t also found as begging not to have to listen to the One who is speaking. For, those who begged not to listen to the One who gave that divine warning here on the earth had to listen to it anyhow! So, how much more should we refuse to turn away from the One who’s speaking to us from the heavens!

²⁶ Why, back then, His voice just shook the ground! But now He has promised, ‘Next time, I’ll not only shake the ground, [I’ll also shake] the sky!’ ²⁷ And when He spoke of the next time, He implied that the only things which are going to be shaken are the things that were made… yes, they will be done away with; but the things that aren’t shaken will remain.

²⁸ So, in view of the fact that we’re going to receive a Kingdom that can’t be shaken, let’s show how much we care! For, that’s how we can please God in our worship to Him, [doing so] in awe and deep respect, ²⁹ because our God is a consuming fire.

Chapter 13

¹ So, love your brothers… ² and don’t forget to care about people who you don’t know! For, it was because they did this, that some unknowingly showed hospitality to [God’s] messengers! ³ And don’t forget those who are in prison… act as though you’re locked up with them! Also, [don’t forget] those who are being persecuted… [act as though it’s happening to] your own bodies!

⁴ May each of your marriages be kept honorable and your beds be kept clean, because God will judge the sexually immoral and the adulterers.

⁵ Live your lives free from the love of money… be satisfied with the things you have, because He promised, ‘I won’t forget you and I’ll never let you down.’ ⁶ So, let’s be courageous and say, ‘I won’t be afraid, because the Lord is my helper… so what can men do to me?’

⁷ Listen to those who are taking the lead among you and speaking to you about the Word of God. Then, as you see the results of their conduct, imitate their faith.

⁸ [Remember that] Jesus the Anointed One is the same yesterday, today, and through the ages; ⁹ so, don’t allow yourselves to be carried off by strange teachings. It’s best for [your] hearts to be made strong through [God’s] loving care… not by the things that you eat, which are of no benefit at all to those who are walking [in The Way].

¹⁰ Why, we have an Altar that those who serve God at His Tent aren’t authorized to eat from. ¹¹ For, in the same way that the bodies of those animals whose blood is taken into the Most Holy by the High Priest as a sin offering are burned up outside the camp, ¹² Jesus also suffered outside the gate to make people holy with his blood. ¹³ So, let’s go to him outside the camp bearing all the bad things that were said about him, ¹⁴ because the city that’s here [today] isn’t going to survive!

Since we’re searching for the one who is coming, ¹⁵ let’s always offer sacrifices of praise (the fruit of our lips) to God, through [Jesus], as we keep talking about his name. ¹⁶ And don’t forget to do good things and to share whatever you have with others, because, these are the types of sacrifices which are pleasing to God.

¹⁷ Also, obey and submit to those who are taking the lead among you, because they’re responsible for watching over your lives! May they do this with joy, not with groaning, since that would be hazardous to you.

¹⁸ Also, keep praying for us. We feel that our consciences are clear, since we’ve acted properly in everything. ¹⁹ I especially want to encourage you to do this, so that I can be returned to you a bit sooner.

²⁰ Now, may the God of peace who raised the great Shepherd of the sheep from the dead with the blood of a Sacred Agreement that lasts through the age (our Lord Jesus), ²¹ use everything that’s good to make any adjustments that are necessary for you to do His Will.

To He who acts within us (through Jesus the Anointed One) so as to accomplish everything that He sees to be good, be the glory into the ages of ages… may it be.

²² Now, I urge you brothers to live up to these words of encouragement, although I really haven’t written much.

²³ By the way, I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released, and if he gets here soon, I’ll come to see you.

²⁴ Give my greetings to all those who are taking the lead among you and to all the Holy Ones.

Those in Italy send you their greetings.

Notes

Soul

The Greek word psyche (as in psychology) has been translated many ways, including soul, life, etc. However, psyche actually means something that breathes. It is used in the Bible to describe both breathing animals and breathing humans. So by definition, a soul cannot leave the body, because a soul is what the living body (whether human or animal) is (see Genesis 2:7).

In ancient Greece, philosophers eventually added another meaning to psyche: The inner person (as opposed to the person that others see and come to know). And with time, the pagan religion of Greece started to teach that this inner person is its own entity and can never die (is immortal). Over the centuries, this pagan Greek doctrine thereafter crept into the Christian religions. Please see the link Soul for more history of the word.

However, such Greek philosophical thought never influenced Jesus and his Apostles. So, they consistently used psyche to indicate a living person or animal. Therefore, the later teaching that the soul is immortal stands in direct conflict with Jesus’ promise of a resurrection, because, if a person is immortal (can never die) he/she can never be resurrected (brought back to life).

In addition, the teaching of the immortality of the human soul is totally without support from the Bible. For the word immortal(ity) (Gr: athanasia or undying) is only mentioned in the Bible in two places, and it isn’t used with or applied to the word soul in either case. Both of these scriptures show that immortality is only given by God as a reward for righteousness. And as Ezekiel 18:4 says, ‘The person (gr. psyche or ‘soul’) that is sinning will die (gr. apothaneitai).’

Of course, there are places in the Bible where the word soul means more than just a living, fleshly body. For example, God is recorded to have spoken of ‘My Soul’ in several places. Obviously, God is much more than just a ‘soul’ as most people think of that term, and He surely wasn’t talking about His having a human body. So we must conclude that what He was referring to is His life.

Then there are Jesus’ words found at Matthew 10:28, which read, ‘Don’t be afraid of those who kill the body but can’t kill the person (psyche or soul). Rather, be afraid of him who can destroy both the person (soul) and the body in the garbage dump.’ Here, Jesus is using the word psyche (soul) to refer to the value of life that remains with God until the resurrection. And he obviously isn’t referring the soul as immortal in this instance, because he says God will destroy (gr. apolesai) the [unrighteous] soul or person.

Unfortunately, no single word can be used to translate psyche in every possible Bible application, so various terms are used herein, depending on the circumstances, but always in an attempt to harmonize with the meaning.

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Forever, Long Ago, or The Age?

Two words imply infinite states in the Bible; one is the Greek word athanasia (undying), which is only found in two places, 1 Corinthians 15:53, where it mentions resurrected ones as clothing themselves with immortality, and at 1 Timothy 6:16, where Paul speaks of Jesus as having received it. The other Greek word is aidios, which is used at Romans 1:20 to describe God’s Power and Might as eternal, and at Jude 6 when speaking of the perpetual state of gloomy darkness that rebellious angels have been confined to.

However, the Greek word aionos (pronounced ai-on-oss), which is used throughout the Bible and is often translated as forever and everlasting, is what the English word eon is derived from. It means an indefinite period, and there is no exact English word to translate it. The best equivalents are age(s) or era(s).

Where the plural form of the word (aionion) is used, it refers to a long time… at least multiple generations. However, where the singular form is used (aionos), this appears to mean a much shorter period, such as a lifetime, generation, or era. And where the term ages of the ages is used (such as at Ephesians 3:21), which is usually said in reference to The God, we would assume that this truly means forever.

It is noteworthy that aionos is the word that is used in the Greek Septuagint in place of the Hebrew word ohlam, which is also translated as forever and time indefinite in popular versions of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel. So, this one word (aionos) is translated as forever, everlasting, eternal, system of things, time indefinite, [end of] the world, long ago, from of old, etc. Obviously, something is very wrong here, because the word can’t mean a period having a definite end in one place and infinity in another.

Take for example, the unique way that aionos is used in the question that Jesus’ Apostles asked him, which is found at Matthew 24:3: ‘Tell us; When will these things happen… what will be the signs when you are to arrive and this age will come to its conclusion?’ You can see that the word aionos obviously doesn’t mean forever, everlasting, or eternal in this case, nor did it mean world or system of things. It simply meant the age or, the time before the end would come. And for them, that meant the age when God’s Temple at Jerusalem would be destroyed, because that’s what Jesus had just told them.

The word aionos (which we have translated as age here) is also translated as world (KJ) and as system of things (NW) in other Bibles. However, if the Apostles had meant any of those words, they would have used the Greek word cosmos (world or system of things), not aionos.

The ancient Hebrews viewed everything (and rightly so) as having a beginning and an end. For that reason, you will only find three places in the Bible where words are used that imply no end, and none that imply no beginning. An interesting possible insight on the reason for this can be found at Hebrews 1:10-12, which says: ‘Long ago, O Lord, you laid the foundation of the earth and your hands made the heavens. They will destroy themselves, but you will remain. They will grow old just like clothes do. Then, as [you would do to] a robe, you will wrap them up and repair them like clothes. Yes, you are the one, and your years will never expire.’

So, notice; The Bible shows that even our universe will eventually end and need to be ‘wrapped up and repaired,’ which agrees with the conclusions of modern science.

The problem with most Bible translations is that; when they encounter the word aionos in all its different tenses, they interpret it according to accepted doctrine, not according to the way that Jesus and his disciples used it. So, the common renderings forever, eternal, and everlasting are used even when the word is in its singular forms (aioni, aiona, aionos, aionion, aionian, aionios, aioniou), and this totally distorts the meaning of the text.

Take for example, the scripture at John 5:24, where Jesus said, ‘I tell you the truth; He who hears what I say and believes in the One that sent me, will have life in this age… he won’t have to be judged, for he has crossed over from death to life!’

Most Bibles translate Jesus as saying that those who believe in the One who sent him will have everlasting life (or the equivalent). However, the words that Jesus used there were, zoe aionos (life age – singular), not zoe aionion (life ages – plural).

Notice how Jesus explained the meaning of these words with his next statement, ‘He won’t have to be judged, for has crossed over from death to life.’

So, what Jesus was saying here, wasn’t that they would have everlasting life, but that they in their current lifetime would be considered among the living, not among the dead (see Revelation 20:12).

This doesn’t necessarily mean that they won’t live forever… it’s just that Jesus wasn’t really saying that. What we find (from consideration of the evidence found in the bulk of Jesus’ words about life) is that he never taught the hope of ‘life eternal,’ ‘everlasting life,’ or ‘immortality,’ in those specific words. However, the concept is still there. What he taught was that righteous people will receive ‘life in the age,’ or be considered worthy of (possibly everlasting) life by God during their current lifetimes… that their names would be written in ‘the scroll of life,’ and that they would not have to be judged, but will have already ‘crossed over from death to life,’ as Jesus said at John 5:24.

Yes, we know that this is a difficult concept to understand, but it’s what Jesus actually said.

For more information, select the linked documents, The Hereafter and Does the Bible Promise Everlasting Life?

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The Meaning of the Footstool

Paul wrote (at Hebrews 1:13), ‘And to which one of his messengers did He ever say, Sit here on my right until I put your enemies on a stool at your feet?’

Throughout the entire First Chapter of Hebrews, Paul was quoting scriptures that referred to Jesus, which told of his earlier position as a messenger of God in the heavens. There he was emphasizing Jesus’ superiority to the other messengers, because (as Hebrews 1:6 points out), Jesus was God’s ‘firstborn son.’ And in this list of quotations concerning him, Paul cited David’s words from Psalm 110:1 (Psalm 109:1 LXX), where Jehovah said to Jesus (David’s Lord), ‘Sit on my right until I set your enemies as a stool at your feet.’

Just what was God saying here, and when would this prophecy be fulfilled?

The explanation and fulfillment of this prophecy is vividly described in Revelation the Twelfth Chapter. The Revelation was (as Revelation 1:10 says) a description of things that would happen in ‘the Lord’s Day.’ So, all of the things written there describe that ‘Day,’ which was still a future event at the time of John’s writing.

That ‘Day’ is apparently the same period that was described by Jesus (in Matthew 24 and 25), in his reply to the question his disciples asked, ‘Tell us; what will be the signs of when you are near?’ We say this, because there are several similar events mentioned in both prophecies.

Revelation 12:7-9 says, ‘Next, war broke out in heaven. MichaEl and his messengers went to war with the dragon, and the dragon and his messengers fought back; but he lost and could no longer stay in heaven. So, the huge dragon was thrown out. He is the first snake (the one who is called the Slanderer and Opposer) who is misleading the whole habitation [of man]. He was thrown down to the earth along with his messengers.’

Since this war in heaven was to happen in ‘the Lord’s Day, we must assume that the Slanderer and many of his heavenly followers still have access to heaven (they’re not in any ‘Hell’) until the beginning of the Lord’s Day, when they lose the battle there and are thrown down to the earth. Then, to give us some reference to the time that this happens, the account goes on to say (at Revelation 12:12), ‘This is why the heavens and those who live there should be joyful! But woe to the earth and to the sea, because the Slanderer has come down to you in a rage, knowing that he has little time.’

So, according to the prophecy, the period after the heavenly war would be marked by a special time of ‘woe’ for the earth – likely a time of world wars, famines, plagues, and natural disasters, as foretold by Jesus at Matthew – and since this is a heavenly war (which results in Jesus’ enemies being thrown down to the earth), it is obviously what the scriptures at Psalm 110:1 and Hebrews 1:13 have reference to. And Isaiah 66:1 quotes God as saying, ‘The heavens are my throne and the earth is my footstool.’

Therefore, from the above, we must assume that after Jesus’ resurrection, he went to a position of favor at the right of God’s throne, from which position he has acted as the head of the Christian Congregation since his ascension to heaven. However, when the events of Jesus’ prophecy in Matthew 24 start to be fulfilled, his enemies are thrown down from heaven and ‘put at his footstool’ (the earth).

And notice what the account at Revelation 12:10 says happens in heaven at that time: ‘This is the moment when the salvation, the power, the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Anointed One begins. Because, he who has been accusing our brothers has been thrown down… the one who has been complaining about them day and night before our God!’

So, it appears as though this is the time (when his enemies are placed as a stool for his feet), that Jesus starts ruling as king in his Kingdom.

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The Ransom

Throughout the Bible, we read of ‘the ransom’ (gr. lytron) that Jesus paid. Exactly what does this term refer to?

At Matthew 20:28, Jesus said, ‘This is how the Son of Man came, not to be served, but to serve and to give his living body as a ransom for many.’

Romans 5:12, 14 says, ‘Sin entered this world through one man and this sin resulted in death. So, death spread to all men because everyone has sinned. However, death reigned from [the time of] Adam down to Moses, even over those who didn’t sin in the same way that Adam did. And [Adam] was a prototype of the one who would come.

1 Corinthians 15:21, 22 says, ‘Since death came through a man, resurrection from the dead also comes through a man. And as all are dying because of Adam, all will be made alive in the Anointed One.’

So from the above, we must conclude that Adam lost the hope of ‘life’ for himself and all his descendants, because of his sin in Eden. However, Jesus came and paid the ‘ransom price’ to God, to redeem us from the sin of Adam, so that we could once again have the hope of ‘life in the age’ and a resurrection of the living.

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Men or Boys?

The Greek word for men is anthropois, and the Greek word for boys is paidia. The word used at Hebrews 2:13, 14 was paidia.

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Fornication or Sexual Immorality?

The Greek word porneia means much more than copulation between individuals who aren’t married to each other. The term literally means that which is sold (by prostitutes). So, it includes all the types of services that might be sold by a prostitute, not just copulation. However, this includes such actions between unmarried ‘consenting adults,’ although there may be no exchange of money, because, where porneia is found in the Greek Septuagint, the Hebrew Law shows that it involves intimate relations between unmarried persons.

Because the English word fornication carries the nuance of just copulation between unmarried persons, we have used the broader term sexual immorality here to indicate the full range of the term.

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Bless or Praise?

This is a tough one, and we won’t say that our position on the translation of this word can’t be changed. The Greek word that we are struggling with is eulogetos. The first part of the word eu, is Greek for good. The last part of the word, logetos, means words (or expressions). So, a literal translation of eulogetos is good words. And our question is: Is this all that a blessing amounts to?

Yes, we know that this word has been translated as bless, blest, and blessing in other Bibles. So why rock the boat? Because these translators have simply found too many errors in many commonly-accepted renderings. And here, for example, if eulogetos is properly translated as blessing each time (which carries the English nuance, ‘causing good things to happen’), then, how can humans ‘bless God?’ We do know that we can praise God, however.

Eulogetos is the word that we derive the English word eulogy from… that is, the kind words that are said of the deceased at a funeral. Such words are never said as a blessing, (it’s a bit late for that); they are said in praise of the deceased individual. However, there are definitely places where eulogetos can’t be translated as praise or praising.

So, perhaps the real meaning is (or is at least is similar to) praise. And when praises come from God, this means blessings to humans.

This isn’t the same word that we have rendered as blest in other portions of this translation (for an example, see Matthew 5:5). The word in question there is makarios, which is rendered as happy in certain other Bibles. However, we believe that blest is the proper way to translate that Greek word.

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Ark or Chest?

What is an ark? Why, everyone knows of Noah’s ark, and of the Ark of the Covenant… don’t they? Yes, most people do. But, just what is an ark? Ark is an ancient English word, the meaning of which has mostly been long lost in history. However, it is often used to translate the Greek word kiboton (kee/boat/on). And, because most people don’t understand the meaning of the English word, they don't know what it’s talking about, and any concept that they might have of what it looked like may come from pictures in children’s storybooks that show a large boat or with all sorts of animals looking out the windows.

An ark is simply a box or chest. If you carefully examine the description of the measurements that God gave to Noah, you will see that He told Noah to build a three-story wooden box that was about ‘five-hundred feet long, eighty feet wide, and fifty feet tall.’ It was rectangular (not boat shaped); it had a roof, at least one window, and a door. It didn’t have to be a ‘boat’ that could navigate, because, all it had to do was float. Nor did the animals look out the window(s); they were kept in stalls.

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Amen

Amen is a Hebrew word that was never really translated into English; it was just Anglicized. In Greek it is pronounced, ah-main. The reason why it was never translated is that ancient scholars were afraid to change this supposed ‘magical’ word that ensures God will listen to the prayer. However, there is no record in the Bible of anyone ending prayers with amen, although it was likely said. And the fact that others who were present said amen at the end of prayers to show that they agree, is indicated by Paul’s words at 1 Corinthians 14:6.

In addition, amen isn’t said in the Bible just at the end of a prayer. Paul used the word frequently in his writings to affirm that what he was writing was, or would be, true. And that’s the literal meaning of amen as it is rendered here, ‘may it be.’

So, should Christians end their prayers with the word amen, or with the phrase, may it be? It really makes no difference. In fact, neither really has to be said for God to hear the prayer, or for Him to understand that it is concluded.

The problem with saying amen is that most people really don’t know what it means today. They think of it as just a word that you end prayers with. However, saying amen (or may it be) at the conclusion of a prayer indicates that the one praying assumes the things that were asked are as good as done… and he or she should also believe that.

In several places, we have left the word amen unchanged, for example, at Revelation 3:14, where Jesus was referred to symbolically as ‘the Amen,’ or, the ‘he who causes things to be.’

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Undeserved Kindness or Caring?

The Greek word caris is where we derive the English words care and caring. Old English Bible translations have rendered caris as grace. But the nuance that grace implies (smooth and flowing) totally distorts the meaning of this term in contemporary American English.

Most Bible dictionaries prefer to see caris translated as undeserved kindness. However, this phrase, which may or may not make some minor technical difference in the meaning, adds wordiness, which distracts from the ease of reading. So you will find it translated as care, loving care, caring, or kindness herein, depending on the setting.

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Cosmos or World?

In Jesus’ discussion about the sheep and goats found at Matthew 25:34, he said, ‘Then the king will tell those on his right, Come, you who’ve been praised by my Father, inherit the Kingdom that’s been prepared for you from the founding of the world.’

In Greek, the words we have translated as founding of the world are katabole cosmou, or down-throw arrangement. You may recognize that the English word cosmos is a derivative of cosmou. And cosmos (which we pronounce as cas-mose, but the Greeks pronounces as caus-moss) is the word that modern peoples usually use when referring to the universe today (thank you Mr. Sagan). So, why have we translated it as world, and what is meant by the term, founding of the world?

Actually, cosmos is used many times in the Bible and in many different ways. For example, when Paul urged Christian women to dress modestly, he used the word cosmos to describe well-arranged clothing; and arrangement is probably the closest English equivalent of the word. So, it isn’t always translated as world in any Bible.

And although it has been said that the word world doesn’t appear at all in the Hebrew texts of the Ancient Scriptures of Israel (Old Testament), it really does appear there several times in the Greek Septuagint. And the reason why they say that world doesn’t appear there, is because the equivalent Hebrew word is translated (in different Bibles and in different places) as arrangement, ornamentation, honor, delight, universe, earth, army, etc.

Yet, in the Christian Era Scriptures (NT), where cosmos appears several times, it is usually translated as world… such as the world of Noah, the light of the world, the field is the world, etc. So, the term doesn’t seem to apply to the earth, but rather to the arrangement of human society on the earth.

Actually, two different Greek words are often translated as world in the Septuagint, cosmos and oichonomeo; and oichonomeo does appear to refer to the earth, because it means the habitation, or, the place where [man] dwells. So the Septuagint (OT) clearly delineates these two words (that are both commonly translated as world).

But notice how the word cosmos was used by Paul at Romans 5:12, ‘Sin entered the world (cosmos) through one man, and this sin resulted in death. So, death spread to all men and everyone has sinned.’

Thus, it seems likely that the arrangement we call ‘the world’ started around the time of Adam’s sin in Paradise, when man created for himself and all life on earth a new arrangement or set of circumstances (which was something other than what God had planned). We have come to this conclusion based on the many scriptures that refer to the world in a negative context, and the fact that it (the current set of negative circumstances) will soon be done away with.

Yet, the Scriptures also indicate that the present world (arrangement) began after the Downpour of Noah’s day, and Noah inherited the world prior to that time. For, notice what we are told at Hebrews 11:7 ‘Because of his faith, Noah (after being given a divine warning of things he hadn’t seen yet) trusted in God and built a large chest to save his family. And due to this righteous faith, he condemned the world and became its heir.’

Also notice what was said at 2 Peter 2:4, 5, ‘Why, God didn’t spare the messengers who sinned, but by threw them into the dark pits of Tartarus, where they are awaiting His justice. And He didn’t spare the first world. Yet, He guarded Noah (who was a preacher of righteousness) along with seven others, when He brought a downpour on a world of godless people.’

So, apparently there have been two different worlds or arrangements; the one that Noah inherited that started before the Downpour, and the second one that we are now living in, and which the righteous will inherit at its destruction. For, we read at 1 John 2:17, ‘And the world with all its desires is passing away, but the one who does what God wants remains through the age.’ And Romans 4:13 says, ‘Abraham and his seed weren’t given the promise of inheriting the world because of the Law, but because of his righteousness, which came from his faith!’

Thus (from the above), we have concluded that: What Jesus said about the Kingdom having been prepared for the sheep since the founding of the world, must mean that the Kingdom was God’s plan for the righteous since at least the time of the Downpour, and possibly since the time of Adam’s sin in Paradise.

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Breath

The Greek word pneuma (as in pneumonia, a breathing disease) means breath or wind – the movement of air. In other Bible translations, this word is often translated as spirit or ghost, as in Holy Spirit or Holy Ghost. However, spirit is just a shortened form of the Latin word spiritu, which just means breath in Latin. And ghost conveys another meaning altogether.

The most common use of the word pneuma in the Bible is to imply an unseen force (such as breath or wind). And the problem with translating it as spirit or ghost is that many people have started believing that the unseen force that is called [God’s] Holy Breath herein, is another God-like person and part of a Divine ‘Trinity.’ This can’t be true, because the only scripture that can be used to support this theory (that is, where the Father, the Son, and the Holy Breath’ are spoken of together) is found at Matthew 28:19, which appears to be spurious (See the Note in Matthew). All other scriptures that are used to prove the Trinity theory fail to mention the Holy Breath as part of that group. And the King James wording of 1 John 5:7 (which was used for years to attempt to prove the Trinity) is also spurious (something that was added to the Bible). So, there are no actual Bible references that mention God’s Holy Breath along with the Father and the Son.

Therefore, to prevent confusion, the Greek word pneuma is frequently translated as breath herein. However, there are exceptions, as in instances where the Bible refers to demons as ‘spirits.’ Translating pneuma as breath in these cases, although correct, might just be confusing. There are also places where we have left pneuma translated as spirit, when the word implies a person's tendency (or spirit). And, since the nuance implied by the word spirit in the English language (an unseen power) is correct, we recently changed back to translating pneuma as spirit in several places, when referring to God’s Holy Spirit. However, recognize that pneuma is often best defined by calling it [God’s] Holy Breath. For an example, see the Note Worshiping God In Spirit and Truth.

Another important use of the word pneuma is in the phrase, ‘Breath of Life.’ This phrase appears to mean more than just breathing, for it seems to refer to the entire mechanics of life itself. It’s the unseen force of life for all creatures… it’s what makes each cell alive. However, nowhere does the Bible describe the ‘pneuma’ as immortal, nor is it the same as the soul (a breathing thing), so it can (figuratively) ‘return to God’ at death,’ because all hope of future life depends on God and His promise of a resurrection.

Note in particular how the term Breath is used at Job 27:3, where Job spoke of God’s Breath or Spirit. For there he asked, ‘Does the Breath of the Divine One remain in my nose?’ As you can see from his application of this word, pneuma obviously referred to God’s Breath, not to a person or to an unseen force. He was talking about that which comes from God and which caused him (Job) to breathe… the Breath of Life.

It is interesting that at Genesis 6:3 God says, ‘I won’t allow My Breath to stay with these men through the age, for they are fleshly.’ In Greek that reads, ‘Ou me katameine to pneuma mou en tois anthropois toutoiseis ton aiona, dia ai einai autous sarka,’ or, ‘Not not should stay the Breath Mine with these men the age through, their being flesh.’

While the words Breath Mine (pneuma mou) here can refer to God’s Holy Breath, it seems more likely that He is referring to the breath of life that He gave to Adam. So it appears as though; what God was saying here is that the breath of life (of the people of that age) would be removed prematurely. However, since God referred to it as ‘My Breath,’ there may be a link implied between God’s Holy Breath and the breath of life.
For more information, see the linked document, ‘The Powers of God’s Holy Spirit.’

However, when Jesus died (as the words recorded at John 19:30 say), ‘he hung his head and gave up the breath’ (gr. kai klinas ten kephalen paredoken to pneuma, or, and inclined his head giving/up the breath). In this case, the obvious reference is to ‘the breath of life,’ or that force which gave him life as a human.

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When Men are In Charge of the Earth

At Genesis 1:28, God gave men the following commission, ‘Reproduce, multiply, fill the earth and control it. Rule over the fish of the seas, the winged creatures of the skies, all the herding animals of the ground, all the slithering animals that crawl on the ground, and the whole earth.’

The implications of this scripture are staggering, if you just think about it. However, the first humans (Adam and Eve) apparently relinquished this privilege when they sinned and submitted to the Slanderer, effectively handing this commission over to him. For, notice what the Slanderer later said to Jesus (as recorded at Luke 4:6), ‘I will give you power over all of these [worldly governments] and the glory of them, because they have been given to me and I can give them to whomever I wish.’

So, for about six thousand years, men lost their commission to rule over the earth and its creatures. However, after the Slanderer and his messengers lose the war in heaven, and Jesus and his ‘chosen ones’ become kings over the earth, the power that the Slanderer has over this earth will no longer be his, but that power then falls back into the hands of men. For, Paul wrote (at Hebrews 2:8), ‘So, when [God] puts everything under [his feet], He doesn’t leave anything that [men] aren’t in charge of. However, we don’t see everything obeying us yet.’

Now, as Paul wrote, ‘We don’t see everything obeying us yet.’ Nor do we see this world in general responding to Jesus’ righteous rule. In fact, conditions in the world appear to be deteriorating, as they reflect the power of the Slanderer and his messengers in the last throws of evil acts before their destruction.

So, we may now be living (or be close to living) in that period, which was described by Jesus in what many people call ‘the Lord’s Prayer’ (Matthew 6:9, 10), where he taught us to pray, ‘May everything that delights you happen on the earth as in heaven.’ For, what delights God happens in heaven, with the ouster of the Slanderer and his messengers, as the earth awaits the final battle of Armageddon.

Thereafter, we can scarcely imagine what powers will be returned to man, when the full commission that God gave to us over this earth and its creatures is restored. With no opposition, and with each man and woman endowed with a full measure of the power of God’s Breath, the blessings to this earth and its creatures are virtually limitless.

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Eating Jesus’ Flesh

At Jesus’ ‘Last Supper,’ which fell on the first day of the Jewish celebration of the Passover, he instituted a ritual that he told his Apostles to continue to do in memory of him and of his death. At Luke 22:19, 20, we read: ‘Then he took a loaf [of bread], gave thanks, broke it, and gave it to them saying, This is my body, which is being handed over for you. Keep doing this in memory of me. And he did the same thing with the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new Sacred Agreement of my blood, which is being poured out for you.’

Notice that he didn’t say this means; he said this is (gr. tauto estin). However, contrary to the beliefs of some (that these emblems actually become flesh and blood), they were appear to be just symbols. So, partaking of Jesus’ ‘flesh and blood’ likely symbolizes that those who do so are expressing their desire to become a party to the ‘New Sacred Agreement.’

Speaking ahead of time of this ritual, Jesus said (at John 6:53-56): ‘I tell you the truth, if you don’t eat the flesh of the Son of Man or drink his blood, you won’t live. For, if you chew my flesh and drink my blood, you’ll have life within yourself, and then I’ll resurrect you on the Last Day, because, my flesh is truly food and my blood is truly a drink. Those who chew on my flesh and drink my blood will stay in me and I [will stay] in them.’

It is interesting that these words of Jesus were considered disgusting to most Jews that he was speaking to, for their dietary regulations (from the Law) forbade drinking any blood or eating unclean (human?) flesh. As the result, many of Jesus’ disciples stopped following him at that time. So surely, Jesus said this to test and cull out those who believed in his miracles, but wouldn’t understand his death and resurrection. However, Jesus’ Apostles stayed, because, as Peter said, ‘Lord, who should we go off to? You say the words of life in the age, and we have known and believed that you’re the Holy One of God!’

When should this Memorial of Jesus’ Death be observed? The fact that it was instituted on the Passover, gives us a clue. This Jewish Observance was held annually on the night of the new moon closest to the Spring Equinox in Jerusalem. And what the Jews were celebrating was symbolic of Jesus’ death, namely, the saving of the Israelite ‘firstborn’ when God’s messenger brought the last plague on Egypt (which resulted in God’s people being set free). For more information, see the linked document, The Passover and the Lord’s Evening Meal.

Who should partake of the symbolic bread and wine at that time? The Scriptures say, those who want ‘life in the age’ and who wish to be resurrected ‘on the Last Day.’

For more information, see the linked document, ‘The New Covenant.’

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The Day of the Lord

Throughout the Bible, we find references to ‘the Day of Jehovah,’ and ‘the Day of the Lord.’ Are both of these references to the same time, and if so, how do we know?

There is no conflict between the two Days; in fact, they appear to be the same. Notice what we are told in the Revelation, when it is speaking of the beginning of that Day (at Revelation 12:10), ‘This is the moment when the salvation, the power, the Kingdom of our God, and the authorization of his Anointed One began.’

As you can see, the purposes of that Day are tied together. For, the establishment of God’s Kingdom (with the battle in heaven and the ouster of the Opposer and his messengers) and the authorization for Jesus (the Lord) to rule appear to begin at the same time.

So, does the Lord’s Day begin when the things spoken of in the Revelation start to happen? It appears to be so, because it starts out with John’s words (at Revelation 1:10), ‘Through the Breath [of God] I found myself in the Lord’s Day.’

What are some of the features of that Day? Well, they appear to start with the ouster of the Opposer and his messengers from heaven (See Revelation 12), which is followed by the destruction of ‘The Great Babylon’ (See Revelation 17, 18). Then in rapid succession there comes the ‘marriage of the Lamb’ (acceptance of the rest of the Anointed ones to heaven?), the Battle of Armageddon, the abyssing of the Opposer and his messengers, and the resurrection (see Revelation 19, 20). And finally, the Opposer is released for a short time, which precipitates the battle against Gog of Magog , and which is thereafter followed by the descent of ‘New Jerusalem’ to the earth, and the making of the ‘new earth and sky’ (see Revelation 21).

Also, in the prophecy found at Joel 2:1-12, ‘the Day of the Lord’ appears to start with the destruction of Jerusalem by worldly armies (the destruction of The Great Babylon?), and this is followed by the destruction of the worldly armies (see Joel Chapter Three). And in between these two events, we read of the marvelous outpouring of God’s Breath upon His faithful servants (Joel 2:28-32).

Peter wrote in length about this period, and at 2 Peter 3:7 he wrote: ‘What’s [now] in store for the earth and skies is fire, which [will come] during the Judgment Day, when godless men will be destroyed.’ And although many misinterpret these words as describing just the destruction of the wicked at Armageddon, the context shows that he was looking at a much longer period of time, the total ‘Lord’s Day’ or ‘Judgment Day’… the ‘thousand-year’ period spoken of at Revelation Chapter Twenty. For, what he said about the burning of the earth and sky and of the ‘new earth and sky’ corresponds exactly with the end of the thousand years and the promises found at Revelation 21:1.

So, from the periods described in the Revelation; near the end of Jesus’ thousand-year reign, there will be a judgment of the wicked (those who join with Gog of Magog) and they will be destroyed. Then there will be a ‘new earth and a new sky.’ What does that really mean? Perhaps we’ll all have to live to see it to be sure.

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Kingdom

The word Kingdom is translated from the Greek word basileia, which refers to the realm of a king (basil).

A common misconception about this Kingdom is that it isn’t real… that it’s just a state of mind. This conclusion is based on Jesus’ words found at Luke 17:21, which say (in Greek), he basileia tou Theou entos hymon estin (the Kingdom of the God in you is). And we have quite literally translated this verse as, ‘for God’s Kingdom is within you.’ However, some object to our translating his words this way, because, notice that (at Luke 17:20) Jesus said this in reply to a question which was raised by the Pharisees; and he probably didn’t think that the Kingdom was in their hearts (although some Pharisees did become his followers).

So, what did Jesus mean? Well, some religions have concluded he was saying that: He, the king of that Kingdom, was there in their midst, and that the hope of becoming kings in that Kingdom was being offered to them. But it’s also true that real Christians ever since that time have believed and acted as members of that Kingdom in their hearts. So, the Kingdom of God was truly within some of them… but this doesn’t necessarily mean (as other religions have concluded) that the Kingdom won’t come at some actual future time and become the realm of the kingship of Jesus and his faithful followers.

Notice, for example, Jesus’ own words found at Luke 22:16, where he told his disciples (concerning the fermentation-free bread), ‘Because I say to you; I won’t eat it again until it’s fulfilled in the Kingdom of God.’ So, he was clearly saying that the Kingdom was yet a future thing, and not just an existing frame of mind.

Also notice that; Since it appears as though he and his elected ones will rule from heaven, the place from which they will rule is appropriately called ‘the Kingdom of Heaven.’ However, the term, the Kingdom of Heaven appears to refer to the rule from heaven and not to the place where those who are ruled will all live. We draw this conclusion from Jesus’ words as found at Matthew 8:11, where it is recorded that he said: ‘Many from the sunrise and sunset will come and recline [at the table] with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the Kingdom of Heaven.’

Although those words would seem to confirm the thought that faithful ones such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would rule from heaven; realize that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob weren’t really in heaven at the time when Jesus said that. This is confirmed by what Jesus said (at John 3:13), ‘No one has gone to heaven other than he who came from heaven, the Son of Man.’ And while not being dogmatic on this point, we understand that the ancient patriarchs were never promised life in heaven (for more information, see the linked document The Hereafter)

So, Matthew 8:10-12 must be referring to Abraham and his descendants living under the rule of a heavenly Kingdom government. These faithful ones don’t appear to qualify to be rulers in heaven themselves, because they weren’t ‘born again’ to receive the value of a spiritual life, nor were they part of the ‘Sacred Agreement for a Kingdom’ (Luke 22:29) that Jesus had made with his Apostles just prior to his arrest and execution.

Notice again, how Jesus showed that the Kingdom of God hadn’t already arrived at the time he was speaking; for we are told at Luke 19:11, ‘While they were listening to these things, he told them another illustration, because he was getting close to Jerusalem, and they all thought that the Kingdom of God was about to happen instantly.’ So, although the Kingdom of God (or as Matthew describes it, ‘The Kingdom of Heaven’) may have been in their hearts, there was still to be an actual Kingdom rulership over Israel and the earth.

Then Jesus told the parable about the Kingdom (in Luke 19:12-27)) of a man who (like himself) made a long trip to a distant land to receive kingship. So, this parable shows that there was to be a long period between the time when Jesus would leave on his journey (to receive kingship in heaven), and the time when he would return to reward his faithful slaves.

Therefore, there is a definite time for this Kingdom to start its rule, and this is made clear by the words of Revelation 12:10, where we read: ‘Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say, This is the moment when the salvation, the power, the Kingdom of our God, and the authorization of His Anointed begin. Because, the one who has been accusing our brothers has been thrown down… he who has been complaining about them day and night in front of our God!’

So, when the Opposer and his messengers are expelled from heaven, God’s Kingdom begins there.

Then, what IS the Kingdom? The term appears to refer to a coming rulership of the earth from the heavens by Jesus and his elected, who will rule on the earth, for John wrote at at Revelation 5:9, 10, that a heavenly group sang this song to him about Jesus:
‘You bought people for God with your blood,
From every tribe, language, ethnicity, and country.
Then you made them rulers and Priests to our God,
And they’ll rule as kings on the earth.’

Then at Revelation 2:26 it’s recorded that Jesus promised: ‘I’ll give he who conquers and obeys whatever I tell him to do down to the end, power over the nations.’ And again (at Revelation 3:21) Jesus promised: ‘Then I’ll allow the one who conquers to sit down with me on my throne, just as my Father has allowed me to sit on His throne, because I have conquered.’

For more information, see the linked document, The ‘Seed’ – God’s Kingdom.

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The Milk of God’s Word

At Hebrew 5:12, 13, Paul was scolding the Christians in Jerusalem and Judea for their flagging interest in God’s word. He said, ‘And although you ought to be teachers in view of the time, you need someone to go back and teach you the basics of God’s Word again. You’ve become people who need milk, not solid food. For, those who live on milk are babies and they are unfamiliar with teachings that are righteousness.’

What is this ‘milk’ that Paul warned the Hebrew Christians about? He tells us at Hebrews 6:1, 2: ‘So, now that we’ve gone beyond the basics of the Anointed One, may we be carried on toward maturity. Let’s not go back and lay a new foundation on such matters as:

· Repenting over bad deeds

· Having faith in God

Or learning about:

· Baptisms

· [Spiritual] appointments

· The resurrection of the dead

· The judgments on this age.’

Yet, these are the very same things that almost all religions spend their time discussing, preaching, writing about, and arguing with each other today.

How many sermons have you heard or articles and books have you read recently where Christians are being ‘reminded’ not to get involved in ‘bad deeds,’ and they must have ‘faith in God’ and His greatness? Too many, we are sure.

But if we go beyond that, to Paul’s next considerations (baptisms, spiritual appointments, the resurrection of the dead, and the judgments on this age), we enter the area that most Christians today consider advanced spiritual food and refer to as a ‘great spiritual banquet.’ Yet, Paul called it milk, and he considered such things the wet-nursing of those who are spiritual babies.

Paul’s words are a major condemnation of those religious leaders and organizations that consider such topics important, because it reflects their own lack of spiritual growth and their inability to feed the flocks entrusted to their care.

So, is it wrong for Christians to become disgusted with spiritual pabulum… shouldn’t we appreciate any spiritual food that we receive? As Paul said (at Hebrews 5:14), ‘But those who are grownups eat solid food and they’ve trained their senses to recognize the differences between right and wrong.’

What did he consider the ‘meat’ of God’s word? Well, read the rest of the book of Hebrews and see if you can follow it. Also, see the linked document What Is Truth?

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The Anointed

Notice that in this Bible translation, 2 Corinthians 1:21, 22 (for example) says, ‘The One who guarantees that we all belong to the Anointed One, and He who anointed us, is God.’

So, why didn’t these translators just go ahead and render the word (Anointed) as Christ – as countless other translators have done? For two reasons:

· Because Christ has almost totally lost its meaning to most Bible readers today, and most have come to believe that ‘Christ’ was part of Jesus’ name. It wasn’t.

· Because Christ is a word that was made up by early Bible translators and is only used in that form when they think that the Bible was speaking of Jesus. In other places it is correctly translated as anointed.

If you look at the above verse in Greek, you’ll see that it reads, ‘Ho de bebaion hemas syn hymin eis Christon kai chrisas hemas Theos,’ or, ‘The of stabilizing us with you into Anointed and anointing us God.’

You will notice here that Christon (Christ or Anointed) and chrisas (anointed) are both derived from the same root word, which by the way, is Greek for olive oil. Why olive oil? Because, that substance was traditionally poured over the heads of those who God chose to be kings over Israel. For example, David and Solomon were both anointed (oil was poured over their heads) in proof of the fact that they had been chosen by God to be kings over Israel.

So, the word means anointed. But if you prefer the word Christ, then Saul, David, and Solomon were Christs, for you can’t have it both ways. As an example, look at the words that David spoke about Saul, as found at 1 Samuel 24:6 LXX): ‘Kai eipin David pros tous andras autou: Medamos moi para kiriou ei poieso to hrema touto to kyrio mou to christo kyriou epenegkai cheira mou ep auton hoti christos kyriou estin autos,’ or ‘Said David to the men of/his: By/no/means of/me from the/Lord if I/should/do this thing to my/Lord to/the Christ (Anointed) of/the/Lord to/raise my/hand against him, for the/Christ (Anointed) of/the/Lord this is.’ So as you can see; if Christos should be translated as Christ, then unrighteous King Saul was also Christ. However, almost all Bibles translate christos as anointed in this case (one of many instances).

Such a physical anointing with oil appeared to picture receiving God’s Holy Breath, which happened to Jesus at his baptism, to 120 of Jesus’ disciples at Pentecost of 33-C.E., and to other First-century Christians. So Jesus didn’t really become the Christon (Christ, Anointed, or Chosen One) until he was anointed with Holy Breath at his baptism (when the ‘dove’ came down on him).

If you understand this nuance, you get the true meaning of the word Christ (Anointed) as it applies to Jesus; it means that he was the one who God chose to be king over His people. Also, Paul was telling the Christians in Corinth that they too would be anointed… become ‘christs.’ For, when they were ‘anointed’ and sealed in their hearts by God’s Holy Breath, they were selected to be ‘kings on the earth’ (Revelation 5:10).

Notice what can be learned from a proper understanding of the Greek words by looking at Matthew 24:24. For there, many Bibles say that Jesus foretold the coming of false Christs and false prophets. But what he actually said was, ‘Because false anointed ones and false prophets (gr. pseudo christon kai pseudo prophetai) will arise and they will perform great signs and omens to mislead (if possible) even the elected.’

So, Jesus wasn't necessarily saying that people would come claiming to be him, but people would come falsely claiming to be the anointed and prophets.

Another example of the poor use of the title Christ (implying Jesus) by Bible translators can be found at First Peter 1:10, 11, which reads in this Bible: ‘When it comes to salvation, the Prophets looked and searched for this loving-care that’s being shown to you. They tried, through the spirit of anointing that was in them, to determine the exact time and circumstances of the sufferings of the Anointed One and of his being glorified, which they knew about even back then.’ Other Bible say that it was the Spirit of Christ that was in the ancient Prophets. However, as we pointed out above, Jesus didn't become the Christ or the Anointed until after his baptism.

So, what Peter was saying in those verses, is that those ancient Prophets tried through the power of God’s Breath which had anointed them to be Prophets, to determine the time and circumstances of the glorification of Jesus. For, if you check the wording of those verses in Greek, you’ll see that there is no definite article preceding the first christou (anointed), which would be required if it was saying that the Spirit of Jesus was in them.

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Messengers

Most Bible translations render the Greek word aggelos (pronounced ahn-gel-ose – with a hard g) as angel wherever it is found. However, aggelos is just the Greek word for messenger. True, in most cases where the Bible speaks of angels, it is referring to spirit messengers from God. However, this may not be the meaning in every instance, and always translating it as angel may distort what was said in certain instances.

For example, consider the words at Acts 12:15, where Peter had just been released from prison and had appeared at the door of some faithful Christians. In Greek, the latter part of this verse reads, ‘oi de elegon Ho aggelos estin autou’ and is often translated as, ‘They began to say, It is his angel.’

This rendering doesn’t sound reasonable, for it would have been unusual for Christians to assume that an angel from God (who looked like Peter) was standing and knocking at their door. Rather, the rendering we have used herein makes more sense, ‘So they said, It’s his messenger.’

Another good example of why aggelos shouldn’t always be translated as angel can be found at Genesis 32:3, which reads in Greek, ‘Apasteile de Iakob aggelous emprosthen autou pros Hesau ton adelphon autou’ or, ‘Sent of Jacob angels ahead of him toward Esau the brother of him.’ Here Jacob was obviously sending human messengers to his brother, not heavenly ones (angels).

And consider the words at Numbers 20:14, where we read that Moses sent messengers (gr. aggelous – messengers, plural) from Cades to the king of Edom.’ Then in verse 16, it says that ‘Jehovah … heard our voice and sent His messenger (gr. aggelon – messenger, singular) who brought us out of Egypt.’

Obviously, although the same word (with only conjugated variations) is used to speak of two different types of messengers here… those who are human and those who were sent from heaven by God. As the result, most Bibles translate the first instance as messengers, but the second as angel. We have not chosen to make this distinction, and we have rendered the word as messenger or messengers in each instance, because this proper translation of the word provides readers a better look at what position these heavenly sons of God held. For, angel isn’t a heavenly rank, it’s a duty.

Also, consider the words of Haggai 1:13, where we read: ‘Then the Messenger (or angel) of Jehovah, Haggai, one of the messengers (or angels) of Jehovah, said to the people: Jehovah says, I am with you!’

Yet, Haggai was just a man, not a spirit.

Translating aggelos as messenger (when it truly means an ‘angel’) helps to provide readers a better, deeper understanding of the actual role that such spiritual sons of God play in His dealings with mankind. And it helps us to understand why the Bible never speaks of female or baby angels.

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Who Wrote Hebrews?

As with almost every other Bible book, critics are quick to question the authorship of Hebrews. For, while the writing of this epistle (letter) has traditionally been attributed to Paul, they claim that the writing style isn’t consistent with other writings attributed to Paul. And it’s a fact that this letter and its style is quite different from his other letters, for Hebrews doesn’t start out with the opening greetings, which are traditional to his other epistles. So, did Paul write this book or not?

If you simply look at the closing greetings and salutations, you can see that the letter could only have been written by Paul. For, the stated location of the writing, Italy (see 13:24), and mention of the safety of Paul’s trustworthy traveling companion, Timothy (13:23), prove that the writer had to be Paul, ‘the Apostle to the nations,’ who had been taken to Rome and likely lived in that area until his death as a martyr.

So, why is the writing style different? For two reasons:
1. Content – It was a strong letter (and probably his last) that was written to the congregation of Christian ‘pillars’ in Jerusalem (the home of most of the other Apostles), where the congregation had grown spiritually weak (see 5:11-14).
2. Circumstances – Due to his extremely poor eye sight (see the Note Who Wrote the Epistles?), Paul clearly had to use his traveling companions (men such as Luke, BarNabas, Titus, Sosthenes, Timothy, and others) to actually do the writing, and they were allowed considerable latitude in the word choices and phrasing.

But, regardless of who it was that actually wrote Hebrews (under Paul’s direction), Hebrews stands out as his most masterful work.

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