I remember being in my room as a child, listening to the Harry Simeone Chorale’s The Little Drummer Boy with the train whistles sounding off just down the road; at the same time while listening, I remember dreaming of doing so much in my life: where I would live; what I would do with myself; how much I would accomplish in my life. GOD has blessed me so much all these years: allowing me to accomplish some of those dreams, but most of them GOD wisely changed for HIS own will to be done in my life. Many of those dreams have never been realized, and many days I live my life trying to do what I believe GOD wants me to do, only to learn GOD is saying “No” to me or “Just wait.” This website is a meager attempt at one of those childhood dreams that wanted to try to serve GOD, and I am sure this attempt will either be made better as time goes along or either GOD will say “No” to it also; only time will tell. LORD willing I would love to expand this to the whole New Testament, if GOD allows me to live long enough before I cannot do it any more or before CHRIST returns.
All I have done here is an attempt to help anyone I can help, including myself, come closer to GOD. I am a layman and not a scholar, and I do not claim to have any special insight. I have tried to pray about and study what others have learned and thus taught, and I have tried to transfer this learning to others. Thus all of these works are my meager attempt to help all of us who are not scholars try to have a better sense of what GOD’s word is saying to us. Sometimes some people who claim to have insight to GOD’s word behave as the Gnostics, as if they have the “secret” knowledge that the rest of us commoners do not and cannot have. I truly believe that GOD’s word is for all; that is why I have put all this out there for everyone, again as weak attempt as it is.
We all fail GOD; I am forever thankful to GOD for offering HIS ONLY SON as a forever sin offering for my sins, and for the whole world’s. Because of this sacrifice, I want to love GOD, and as JESUS said in several places, thus I want to keep HIS will. So in looking at GOD’s word in trying to discover how GOD wants me to live, I try not to hold anything back. Even though I don’t hold back when it comes to GOD’s word, that does not mean that we are all as strong as we should be in keeping HIS word. So in trying to say what GOD’s word is telling us, I try to say what I see GOD is saying, but I leave it up to each of us to always remember that GOD is the GOD of the weak and tells us to forgive one another an infinite number of times (70 times 7).
Now I do not have an advanced degree in Biblical Languages, such as Greek or Hebrew; I just have an undergraduate degree in Greek and Hebrew. I do not consider myself a scholar. Then you may ask, “Why a translation?” This is to help me in my studies; it is not to be used in services, but for studying purposes only alongside thmain translations. The main translations are for daily Bible readings and for religious services. I am constantly looking at this translation trying to make it better. I have tried to make it readable, but not lose being able to see the Greek from the English translation. If you have any valid suggestions, please send them to me along with proof (language-wise—Greek or English).
Please use this translation only in your studies, along with the expanded interlinear. We are all trying to come closer to GOD; HIS own word brings us closer to HIMSELF. This idea is why I am putting these works out there, for anyone who might get something out of them that might help him or her come closer to GOD. If only one person were to find them helpful, then it has been worth it.
One last item to mention, which you may have already noticed: any time a name of ONE of the TRINITY or even a pronoun referring to ONE of the TRINITY has every letter capitalized out of respect to GOD. Devout Muslims will not place anything on top of the Quran (Koran) out of respect to their belief of the Quran being the word of their god; I have tried in my life to have that same respect for GOD, HIS name, and HIS word, thus the capitalization of these words.
I have created this, what I am calling an “expanded interlinear,” so that all of us can see other possible translations and to help the student understand. I have tried to make it color coordinated, so that the other possible translations are of the same font color and above the word for which they are other possible ways to translate. Again, I am very much open to hearing where I have messed up, especially if you are a Biblical Greek scholar, along with proof.
Examples:
Not specifically in the Greek: bluish color: made an (1:1).
Alternate or additional translation or meaning: greenish or redish color:
(ambassador, lit- one sent out) (MESSIAH, THE ANOINTED ONE) (because of, through)
1 Paul, made an apostle of CHRIST JESUS by the
(desire) (lit- the)
will of GOD, and Timothy our brother, 1:1
Some ancient manuscripts have an alternative reading: yellowish color: (the top line is similar to red or green above)
(changed states completely)
(many ancient manuscripts have “you were reconciled”)
22 but now HE has reconciled you completely 1:22
Because participles can be translated different ways, I have enclosed their translation between asterisks:
*when we are praying* for you, 1:3
This commentary is an attempt to connect GOD’s word to some of the problems and arguments in the 21st century church in the US. I am a fan of the “old fashioned” commentaries which went verse by verse. While I am aware that the New Testament was not written with the verse and chapter divisions and that everything written was written for a purpose, I believe the verses make up the whole. Thus by looking at the verses, verse by verse, we can piece together the overall idea of the whole, all the verses. I have tried to make it deep, but not too deep, where as to not miss where the rubber meets the road. Again, I am always open to valid thoughts and ideas. I hope this can be of help in drawing closer to GOD.