Random Acts of Roller

Hello! You made it! Day 21! Woo Hoo!

We are finishing our adventure in the book of John and our survey of 21 English Language Versions of the Bible. Most of the versions we have looked at have tried to be accurate in translation and also understandable to the contemporary English reader. Today’s version, the Contemporary English Version by the virtue of it’s name should certainly fit that definition.

John 3:16 in the CEV God loved the people of this world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who has faith in him will have eternal life and never really die.

John Chapter 21 in the CEV

Jesus Appears to Seven Disciples

1 Jesus later appeared to his disciples along the shore of Lake Tiberias. ² Simon Peter, Thomas the Twin, Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, and the brothers James and John,^[a] were there, together with two other disciples. ³ Simon Peter said, “I’m going fishing!”

The others said, “We will go with you.” They went out in their boat. But they didn’t catch a thing that night.

⁴ Early the next morning Jesus stood on the shore, but the disciples did not realize who he was. ⁵ Jesus shouted, “Friends, have you caught anything?”

“No!” they answered.

⁶ So he told them, “Let your net down on the right side of your boat, and you will catch some fish.”

They did, and the net was so full of fish that they could not drag it up into the boat.

⁷ Jesus’ favorite disciple told Peter, “It’s the Lord!” When Simon heard that it was the Lord, he put on the clothes that he had taken off while he was working. Then he jumped into the water. ⁸ The boat was only about a hundred yards from shore. So the other disciples stayed in the boat and dragged in the net full of fish.

⁹ When the disciples got out of the boat, they saw some bread and a charcoal fire with fish on it. ¹⁰ Jesus told his disciples, “Bring some of the fish you just caught.” ¹¹ Simon Peter got back into the boat and dragged the net to shore. In it were one hundred fifty-three large fish, but still the net did not rip.

¹² Jesus said, “Come and eat!” But none of the disciples dared ask who he was. They knew he was the Lord. ¹³ Jesus took the bread in his hands and gave some of it to his disciples. He did the same with the fish. ¹⁴ This was the third time that Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from death.

Jesus and Peter

¹⁵ When Jesus and his disciples had finished eating, he asked, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than the others do?”^[b]

Simon Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know I do!”

“Then feed my lambs,” Jesus said.

¹⁶ Jesus asked a second time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter answered, “Yes, Lord, you know I love you!”

“Then take care of my sheep,” Jesus told him.

¹⁷ Jesus asked a third time, “Simon son of John, do you love me?”

Peter was hurt because Jesus had asked him three times if he loved him. So he told Jesus, “Lord, you know everything. You know I love you.”

Jesus replied, “Feed my sheep. ¹⁸ I tell you for certain that when you were a young man, you dressed yourself and went wherever you wanted to go. But when you are old, you will hold out your hands. Then others will wrap your belt around you and lead you where you don’t want to go.”

¹⁹ Jesus said this to tell how Peter would die and bring honor to God. Then he said to Peter, “Follow me!”

Jesus and His Favorite Disciple

²¹ Peter turned and saw Jesus’ favorite disciple following them. He was the same one who had sat next to Jesus at the meal and had asked, “Lord, who is going to betray you?” ²¹ When Peter saw that disciple, he asked Jesus, “Lord, what about him?”

²² Jesus answered, “What is it to you, if I want him to live until I return? You must follow me.” ²³ So the rumor spread among the other disciples that this disciple would not die. But Jesus did not say he would not die. He simply said, “What is it to you, if I want him to live until I return?”

²⁴ This disciple is the one who told all of this. He wrote it, and we know he is telling the truth.

²⁵ Jesus did many other things. If they were all written in books, I don’t suppose there would be room enough in the whole world for all the books.

Observation: Jesus performs a miracle he has performed before so the Disciples can recognize him.

Question: Why does John keep rererring to himself as the disciple who Jesus loved rather than saying I, John.

Application: Jesus knows that I love him, so like Peter he is calling me to follow him.

It’s been a pleasure to spend these 21 days in God’s word with you. I’ll be back in a few days with a wrap up.

Today is the penultimate (2nd to last) day of the challenge. We are in John Chapter 20 and we are in the Revised Geneva Translation. The Geneva Translation you might remember was the Bible available in Shakespeare’s time. The RGT is so far available only in the New Testament and is the only version I have used that does not have a wikipedia page, so the information I’m getting is directly from Bible Gateway, To quote them directly …

the RGT strives to preserve the textual cadence and poetry that is so essential to Elizabethan literature, while at the same time carefully eliminating archaic and potentially distracting 16th Century words, phrases, and punctuation (such as employing the proper use of parentheses and quotation marks). It preserves the Geneva Bible’s pioneering poetic style (i.e. beginning every verse on a new line – which aids tremendously in memorization). 

Bible Gateway Revised Geneva Translation article.

John 3:16 in RGT For God so loves the world, that He has given His only begotten Son; that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

John Chapter 20 in RGT

1 Now, the first of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the sepulcher – early, when it was still dark. And she saw the stone taken away from the tomb.

² Then she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulcher! And we do not know where they have laid Him!”

³ Therefore, Peter went forth, and the other disciple, and they came to the sepulcher.

⁴ So they both ran together. But the other disciple outran Peter and came to the sepulcher first.

⁵ And he stooped down and saw the linen clothes lying. Yet, he did not go in.

⁶ Then came Simon Peter, following him, and went into the sepulcher. And he saw the linen clothes, laying.

⁷ And the facecloth that was upon His head was not laying with the linen clothes but was wrapped together in a place by itself.

⁸ Then the other disciple (who had first come to the sepulcher) went in also. And he saw it and believed.

⁹ For as yet they did not know the Scripture, “That He must rise again from the dead”.

¹⁰ And the disciples went away again to their own home.

¹¹ But Mary stood outside the sepulcher, weeping. And as she wept, she stooped down into the sepulcher

¹² and saw two angels in white, sitting – one at the head and the other at the feet – where the body of Jesus had lain.

¹³ And they said to her, “Woman, why do you weep?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.”

¹⁴ When she had said this, she turned back and saw Jesus, standing. And she didn’t know that it was Jesus.

¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why do you weep? Whom do you seek?” She, supposing that He had been the gardener, said to Him, “Sir, if you have taken Him from here, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.”

¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned, and said to Him, “Rabboni!” (which is to say, “Master”)

¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Do not touch Me. For I am not yet ascended to My Father. But, go to My brothers and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father, and to your Father, and to My God, and your God’.”

¹⁸ Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that He had spoken these things to her.

¹⁹ The evening of the same day (which was the first of the week), when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst, and said to them, “Peace to you.”

²⁰ And when He had said this, He showed them His hands and His side. Then the disciples rejoiced, having seen the Lord.

²¹ Then Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you. As My Father sent Me, so I send you.”

²² And when He had said that, He breathed on them, and said to them, “Receive the Holy Ghost.”

²³ “Whoever’s sins you forgive, they are forgiven them. And whoever’s sins you retain, they are retained.”

²⁴ But Thomas, one of the twelve (called Didymus) was not with them when Jesus came.

²⁵ Therefore, the other disciples said to him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the mark of the nails in His hands and put my finger into the mark of the nails, and put my hand into His side, I will not believe it!”

²⁶ And eight days later, again His disciples were within and Thomas with them. Then Jesus came (when the doors were shut) and stood in their midst, and said, “Peace to you.”

²⁷ Afterward, He said to Thomas, “Put your finger here. And see My hands. And put forth your hand and put it into My side. And do not be unbelieving, but believing.”

²⁸ Then Thomas answered and said to Him, “My Lord, and my God!”

²⁹ Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you believe. Blessed are those who have not seen and have believed.”

³⁰ And Jesus also did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book.

³¹ But these things are written that you might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And that in believing, you might have life, through His Name.

Observation: We see Mary Magdalene again at the beginning of the chapter.

Question: Are there things that John did not write about Jesus that appear no where else in scripture? (vs 30). If so will we ever get the opportunity to know them or are they gone forever?

Application: Verse 21 states that John’s purpose for writing is that we could have life in Christ. Now that I have life in Christ Johm’s purpose should become my purpose.

Good morning. I am putting the chapter out now in the New King James Version(NKJV) and will add in John 3:16 and my observation, question and application as I’m working on a family issue right now.

John Chapter 18 NKJV

Betrayal and Arrest in Gethsemane

18 When Jesus had spoken these words, He went out with His disciples over the Brook Kidron, where there was a garden, which He and His disciples entered. ² And Judas, who betrayed Him, also knew the place; for Jesus often met there with His disciples. ³ Then Judas, having received a detachment of troops,and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees, came there with lanterns, torches, and weapons. ⁴ Jesus therefore, knowing all things that would come upon Him, went forward and said to them, “Whom are you seeking?”

⁵ They answered Him, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

Jesus said to them, “I am He.” And Judas, who betrayed Him, also stood with them. ⁶ Now when He said to them, “I am He,”they drew back and fell to the ground.

⁷ Then He asked them again, “Whom are you seeking?”

And they said, “Jesus of Nazareth.”

⁸ Jesus answered, “I have told you that I am He. Therefore, if you seek Me, let these go their way,” ⁹ that the saying might be fulfilled which He spoke, “Of those whom You gave Me I have lost none.”

¹⁰ Then Simon Peter, having a sword, drew it and struck the high priest’s servant, and cut off his right ear. The servant’s name was Malchus.

¹¹ So Jesus said to Peter, “Put your sword into the sheath. Shall I not drink the cup which My Father has given Me?”

Before the High Priest

¹² Then the detachment of troops and the captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound Him. ¹³ And they led Him away to Annas first, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas who was high priest that year. ¹⁴ Now it was Caiaphas who advised the Jews that it was expedient that one man should die for the people.

Peter Denies Jesus

¹⁵ And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another^]disciple. Now that disciple was known to the high priest, and went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. ¹⁶ But Peter stood at the door outside. Then the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in. ¹⁷ Then the servant girl who kept the door said to Peter, “You are not also one of this Man’s disciples, are you?”

He said, “I am not.”

¹⁸ Now the servants and officers who had made a fire of coals stood there, for it was cold, and they warmed themselves. And Peter stood with them and warmed himself.

Jesus Questioned by the High Priest

¹⁹ The high priest then asked Jesus about His disciples and His doctrine.

²⁰ Jesus answered him, “I spoke openly to the world. I always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where the Jews always meet, and in secret I have said nothing. ²¹ Why do you ask Me? Ask those who have heard Me what I said to them. Indeed they know what I said.”

²² And when He had said these things, one of the officers who stood by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, “Do You answer the high priest like that?”

²³ Jesus answered him, “If I have spoken evil, bear witness of the evil; but if well, why do you strike Me?”

²⁴ Then Annas sent Him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Peter Denies Twice More

²⁵ Now Simon Peter stood and warmed himself. Therefore they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?”

He denied it and said, “I am not!”

²⁶ One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of him whose ear Peter cut off, said, “Did I not see you in the garden with Him?” ²⁷ Peter then denied again; and immediately a rooster crowed.

In Pilate’s Court

²⁸ Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas to the Praetorium, and it was early morning. But they themselves did not go into the Praetorium, lest they should be defiled, but that they might eat the Passover. ²⁹ Pilate then went out to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this Man?”

³⁰ They answered and said to him, “If He were not an evildoer, we would not have delivered Him up to you.”

³¹ Then Pilate said to them, “You take Him and judge Him according to your law.”

Therefore the Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death,” ³² that the saying of Jesus might be fulfilled which He spoke, signifying by what death He would die.

³³ Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?”

³⁴ Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?”

³⁵ Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?”

³⁶ Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.”

³⁷ Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?”

Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

³⁸ Pilate said to Him, “What is truth?” And when he had said this, he went out again to the Jews, and said to them, “I find no fault in Him at all.

Taking the Place of Barabbas

³⁹ “But you have a custom that I should release someone to you at the Passover. Do you therefore want me to release to you the King of the Jews?”

⁴⁰ Then they all cried again, saying, “Not this Man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.