Read the Bible with me!

[boatsnguitars]

So, here's the idea: I'll post a few chapters of the NT (starting with Matthew) and we can comment, then I'll post the next few chapters until we are all done reading the Bible. Sound fun? I've kept it out of the "safe space" so anyone can comment and critique. After this, we can all claim to have read the Bible (which I suspect many here haven't - you know who you are).

So, to start I will introduce the Gospel according to someone who claims it's according to Matthew by pasting a brief description from Early Christian Writings:
https://www.earlychristianwritings.com/matthew.html

Information on Gospel of Matthew
It is the near-universal position of scholarship that the Gospel of Matthew is dependent upon the Gospel of Mark. This position is accepted whether one subscribes to the dominant Two-Source Hypothesis or instead prefers the Farrer-Goulder hypothesis.

It is also the consensus position that the evangelist was not the apostle Matthew. Such an idea is based on the second century statements of Papias and Irenaeus. As quoted by Eusebius in Hist. Eccl. 3.39, Papias states: "Matthew put together the oracles [of the Lord] in the Hebrew language, and each one interpreted them as best he could." In Adv. Haer. 3.1.1, Irenaeus says: "Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome and laying the foundations of the church." We know that Irenaeus had read Papias, and it is most likely that Irenaeus was guided by the statement he found there. That statement in Papias itself is considered to be unfounded because the Gospel of Matthew was written in Greek and relied largely upon Mark, not the author's first-hand experience.

Herman N. Ridderbos writes (Matthew, p. 7):

This means, however, that we can no longer accept the traditional view of Matthew's authorship. At least two things forbid us to do so. First, the tradition maintains that Matthew authored an Aramaic writing, while the standpoint I have adopted does not allow us to regard our Greek text as a translation of an Aramaic original. Second, it is extremely doubtful that an eyewitness like the apostle Matthew would have made such extensive use of material as a comparison of the two Gospels indicates. Mark, after all, did not even belong to the circle of the apostles. Indeed Matthew's Gospel surpasses those of the other synoptic writers neither in vividness of presentation nor in detail, as we would expect in an eyewitness report, yet neither Mark nor Luke had been among those who had followed Jesus from the beginning of His public ministry.

J. C. Fenton argues (The Gospel of Saint Matthew, p. 12):

It is usually thought that Mark's Gospel was written about A.D. 65 and that the author of it was neither one of the apostles nor an eyewitness of the majority of the events recorded in his Gospel. Matthew was therefore dependent on the writing of such a man for the production of his book. What Matthew has done, in fact, is to produce a second and enlarged edition of Mark. Moreover, the changes which he makes in Mark's way of telling the story are not those corrections which an eyewitness might make in the account of one who was not an eyewitness. Thus, whereas in Mark's Gospel we may be only one remove from eyewitnesses, in Matthew's Gospel we are at one remove further still.

Francis Write Beare notes (The Gospel according to Matthew, p. 7):

But the dependence of the book upon documentary sources is so great as to forbid us to look upon it as the work of any immediate disciple of Jesus. Apart from that, there are clear indications that it is a product of the second or third Christian generation. The traditional name of Matthew is retained in modern discussion only for convenience.

The author is an anonymous Jewish-Christian. Eduard Schweizer writes (The Good News according to Matthew, p. 16):

The Jewish background is plain. Jewish customs are familiar to everyone (see the discussion of 15:5), the debate about the law is a central question (see the discussion of 5:17-20), and the Sabbath is still observed (see the discussion of 24:20). The dispute with the Pharisees serves primarily as a warning to the community (see the introduction to chapters 24-25); but a reference to leading representatives of the Synagogue is not far below the surface. Above all, the method of learned interpretation of the Law, which "looses" and "binds," was still central for Matthew and his community (see the discussion of 16:19; 18:18). Preservation of sayings, such as 23:2-3, which support the continued authority of Pharisaic teaching, and above all the special emphasis placed on the requirement not to offend those who still think in legalistic terms (see the discussion of 17:24-27), shows that dialogue with the Jewish Synagogue had not broken off. On the other hand, a saying like 27:25 shows that the Christian community had conclusively split with the Synagogues, even though hope for the conversion of Jews was not yet totally dead.

Schweizer joins most scholars in favor of a Syrian provenance for the Gospel of Matthew (op. cit., pp. 15-16):

As the place of origin, Syria is still the most likely possibility. On the one hand, an association with Palestinian Judaism and its interpretation of the Law is clearly discernable; on the other hand, a full recognition of the gentile world and the admission of pagans into the post-Easter community are accepted facts. The destruction of Jerusalem plays some role; but it was not experienced firsthand, and the exodus of Christians from Jerusalem is perceptible only in the tradition borrowed from Mark, not in Matthew himself. . . But Syria is suggested by the major role assigned to Peter, esepcially his authoritative interpretation of Jesus' commands as referring to new situations (see the discussion of 16:9); for according to Acts 12:17 Peter had left Jerusalem. He was certainly in Syrian Antioch, as we know from Galatians 2:1 ff.

Larry Swain has summarized the evidence by which we locate Matthew in Antioch (e-mail correspondence):

Patristic testimony re: Jerusalem, while deemed incorrect has a negative value of demonstrating that noone thought Matthew came from anywhere else except the East.
It is doubtful that it would have been accepted so early and so widely unless one of the larger, more important churches sponsored it. Since Rome, Ephesus, Alexandria, and Jerusalem all have very important reasons against them, that leaves Antioch.
Peter's status in Matthew accords with his standing in Antioch, said to be the first bishop there. Not a strong argument on its own, but it fits the pattern.
Antioch had both a large Jewish population as well as being the site of the earliest Gentile missions, Matthew more than the other gospels reflects this duality.
Only in Antioch did the official stater equal 2 didrachmae, Matt 17.24-7.
The two texts which seem to refer to Matthean tradition (in the one case to the text of Matthew in the other case possibly to the text, but more likely to M material) are the letters of Ignatius, bishop of Antioch and the Didache whose provenance is also Syria or northern Palestine thus placing Matthew fairly firmly in those areas at the end of the first century.
We know that in the third century there was a school in Antioch which claimed to go back to ancient times which had several OT textual traditions available, if the tradition is true, then this accords with both the Matthean citations of the OT as well as the "Matthean School" tradition; particularly since members of this Antioch school are said to have known Hebrew and Greek, which again points out a strong parallel with the author of Matthew.
There are some strong similarities between the Lucianic text of the Hebrew Bible and Matthew's citations of OT texts in some instances. Lucian lived and worked in Antioch and is believed to have worked with an Ur-Lucianic text, i. e. one of the above mentioned OT traditions to which author Matthew had access.
One of the concerns within the Matthean text is a conservative approach to the Torah which again accords well with Antioch as well as Palestine
The text also seems to be concerned to react against some of the material coming out of Yavneh, which again places it in an area which Yavneh had some influence, thus northern Palestine and Syria, and Antioch.
The community described in Matthew has usually been understood as a wealthy one, which rules out Palestine after the war of 70.
To set the terminus ad quem, Ignatius of Antioch and other early writers show dependence on the Gospel of Matthew. Dependence on Mark sets a terminus a quo for the dating of Matthew, which should be assumed to have been written at least a decade after the gospel upon which it relies. Several indications in the text also confirm that Matthew was written c. 80 CE or later.

J.C. Fenton summarizes the evidence for the dating of Matthew as follows (op. cit., p. 11):

The earliest surviving writings which quote this Gospel are probably the letters of Ignatius, the Bishop of Antioch, who, while being taken as prisoner from the East to Rome about A.D. 110, wrote to various churches in Asia in Asia Minor and to the church at Rome. Ignatius refers to the star which appeared at the time of the birth of Jesus, the answer of Jesus to John the Baptist, when he was baptized, and several sayings of Jesus which are recorded only in this Gospel (12:33, 15:13, 19:12). It seems almost certain that Ignatius, and possibly the recipients of his letters also, knew this Gospel, and thus that it was written before A.D. 110. But how long before?

Here we cannot be so certain. But it is possible that we can find evidence that Matthew was writing after the war between the Romans and the Jews which ended in the destruction of the temple at Jerusalem in A.D. 70. See, for example, 22:7: The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city; and compare also 21:41, 27:25. Similarly, Matthew's Gospel contains a strongly anti-Jewish note running through it, from the teaching not to do as the hypocrites do in Chapter 6, to the Woes on the scribes and Pharisees in Chapter 23; and this may point to a date after c. A.D. 85 when the Christians were excluded from the Jewish synagogues. It is worth noting here that Matthew often speaks of their synagogues (4:23, 9:35, 10:17, 12:9, 13:54), as if to distinguish Christian meetings and meeting places from those of the Jews, from which the Christians had now been turned out.

Beare offers the following to date the Gospel of Matthew (op. cit., pp. 7-8):

It is generally agreed that it was written after the fall of Jerusalem to the armies of Titus (AD 70), and the widespread acquaintance with it which is exhibited in all the Christian literature of the second century makes it difficult to place its composition any later than the opening decade of that century. If the Sermon on the Mount can be regarded in any sense as 'the Christian answer to Jamnia. . . a kind of Christian mishnaic counterpart to the formulation taking place there' (Davies, Setting, p. 315), this would indicate a date a few years before or after the turn of the century.

Concerning the knowledge of the fall of Jerusalem that the author evinces, Schweizer writes concerning Matthew 22:7 (op. cit., p. 418):

The wrath of the host is mentioned by both evangelists, but it is impossible to conceive of the king coming with his army not only to slay those who had been invited but to burn down their city (not "cities"), and doing all this while the feast stands ready for the newly invited. The parable deals with ordinary citizens, who buy fields and use oxen, not with men who rule entire cities. After his punishment, furthermore, the verdict of the king in verse 8 is pointless. Verses 6-7 are thus clearly an interpolation in the narrative, which earlier passed directly from verse 5 to the wrath of the king (beginning of vs. 7), and then to verse 8. Here the events of A.D. 70 - the taking and burning of Jerusalem by Roman armies - have colored the language of the parable.

There is one final piece of evidence that may establish the terminus a quo for the Gospel of Matthew. In Matthew 23:35, Jesus is made to say, "That upon you may come all the righteous blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel unto the blood of Zacharias son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar." In the parallel verse of Luke 11:51, the reference is to the Zechariah (son of Jehoiada) whose murder is recounted in 2 Chr 24:20-22, which is the last murder recounted in the Old Testament and which also caught the eye of the rabbinic writers for being such. Q theorists consider the Lucan form to be primary (Kloppenborg, Excavating Q, pp. 81-2); the author of Matthew has understood the identification to refer to one Zechariah, son of Barachias. The murder of this individual occurred in 67 or 68 and is described in Josephus, Jewish Wars 4.335. Unfortunately, it is also possible that this refers to the OT prophet of the same name.

There is widespread agreement that Ignatius betrays knowledge of Mt 3:15 in Smyrn. 1:1. This example of certain dependence is offered by Wolf-Dietrich Kohler, Georg Werner Kummel, Clayton N. Jefford, and the Biblia Patristica. Of this, Massaux writes (The Influence of the Gospel of Saint Matthew on Christian Literature before Saint Irenaeus, v. 1, p. 89):

. . . (τον χυριον ημων) . . . βεβαπτισμενον υπο Ιωαννου, ινα πληρωθη πασα διχαιοσνη υπ αυτου.

. . . Our Lord was . . . baptized by John in order that all due observance might be fulfilled by him; . . .

Undoubtedly, this passage recalls Mt. 3:15: Christ responds to the Baptist who is astonished to see him come to him in order to be baptized: αφεσ αρτι ουτως γαρ πρεπον εστιν ημιν πληρωσαι πασαν διχαιοσυνην.

Of all the evangelists, only Mt. furnishes this motive for the baptism of Jesus: it is fitting to fulfill all righteousness. The same words of Ignatius are found in Mt. The use of the phrase ινα πληρωθη πασα διχαιοσυνη corresponds so typically to the character of the first gospel, where διχαιοσυνη plays such an important role that it would be unreasonable to refer to another writing.

Moreover, the apocryphal gospels give a totally different motive for the baptism of Jesus. So it is that, according to Jerome, the Gospel according to the Hebrews notes a certain reticence on the part of Jesus to be baptized, since he is not a sinner. In the Gospel according to the Ebionites, the sequence of words is different, and the word διχαιοσυνη is missing. The Predicatio Pauli, on the other hand, mentions that, urged by his mother and almost against his will, Christ allowed himself to be baptized. Let me add finally then, when Eph. 18:2 states that the motive for Christ's baptism is the purification of the water by his Passion, Ignatius himself confirms my point of view. Indeed, if he did [not] show a literary dependence on Mt. in the text which I am analyzing, I do not see why he would give here a different motive from the one he states in Eph. 18:2.

Ignatius also shows knowledge of Mt 10:16 in Polyc. 2:2. Massaux argues (op. cit., pp. 90-91):

Φρονιμος γινου ως οφις εν απασιν χαι αχεραιος εις αει ως η περιστερα.

In all things be wise as the serpent and at all times be as simple as the dove.

Only one single text in the entire New Testament, Mt. 10:16, uses these two comparisons and joins them as does Ignatius of Antioch: γινεσθε ουν φρονιμοι Ως οι οφεις χαι αχεραιοι ως αι περιστεραι.

All of Mt.'s terms are present in the text of Ignatius, who merely changed the Matthean phrase to the singular as the context demanded - he is writing to Polycarp - and inserted εν απασιν in the first clause and εις αει in the second.

The passage is lacking in Lk. 10:3, which is parallel to Mt.'s narrative in which the metaphor is inserted.

There are two passages in Ignatius that show knowledge of Mt 15:13, and these are Trall. 11:1 and Phld. 3:1. Massaux states (op. cit., p. 88): "Of the evangelists, only Mt. recalls this saying of Christ. I find here, as I did in Ignatius, the word φυτεια related to the Father."

Other passages in which there are allusions to Matthew in the letters of Ignatius are: Eph. 5:2 (Mt 18:19-20), 6:1 (Mt 10:40; 21:33-41), 10:3 (Mt 13:25), 11:1 (Mt 3:7), 14:2 (Mt 12:33), 15:1 (Mt 23:8), 16:2 (Mt 3:12), 17:1 (Mt 26:6-13), 19 (Mt 2:2, 9); Magn. 5:2 (Mt 22:19), 8:2 (Mt 5:11-12), 9:1 (Mt 27:52); Trall. 9:1 (Mt 11:19); Rom 9:3 (Mt 10:41-42, 18:5); Phld. 2:1-2 (Mt 7:15), 6:1 (Mt 23:27), 7:2 (Mt 16:17), Sm. proem (Mt 12:18), 6:1 (Mt 19:12), 6:2 (Mt 6:28); Pol. 1:1 (Mt 7:25), 1:2-3 (Mt 8:17).

Thus, Kummel argues to date the Gospel of Matthew in the last two decades of the first century (Introduction to the New Testament, pp. 119-120): "Even if, indeed, Mk and Mt originated in different regions, precisely in his reworking of Mk Mt shows so clear a development of community relationships and theological reflection (see, e.g., 18:15 ff and 28:19) that a date of writing shortly after Mk seems less likely than a time between 80 and 100. A date of origin after 100 is excluded by Mt's having been used by Ignatius."

[boatsnguitars]

The Gospel According to St. Matthew

1:1The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

1:2Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judah and his brethren; 1:3and Judah begat Perez and Zerah of Tamar; and Perez begat Hezron; and Hezron begat Ram; 1:4and Ram begat Amminadab; and Amminadab begat Nahshon; and Nahshon begat Salmon; 1:5and Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab; and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse; 1:6and Jesse begat David the king.

And David begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Uriah; 1:7and Solomon begat Rehoboam; and Rehoboam begat Abijah; and Abijah begat Asa; 1:8and Asa begat Jehoshaphat; and Jehoshaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Uzziah; 1:9and Uzziah begat Jotham; and Jotham begat Ahaz; and Ahaz begat Hezekiah; 1:10and Hezekiah begat Manasseh; and Manasseh begat Amon; and Amon begat Josiah; 1:11and Josiah begat Jechoniah and his brethren, at the time of the carrying away to Babylon.

1:12And after the carrying away to Babylon, Jechoniah begat Shealtiel; and Shealtiel begat Zerubbabel; 1:13and Zerubbabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor; 1:14and Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; 1:15and Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob; 1:16and Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

1:17So all the generations from Abraham unto David are fourteen generations; and from David unto the carrying away to Babylon fourteen generations; and from the carrying away to Babylon unto the Christ fourteen generations.

1:18Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found with child of the Holy Spirit. 1:19And Joseph her husband, being a righteous man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily. 1:20But when he thought on these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. 1:21And she shall bring forth a son; and thou shalt call his name JESUS; for it is he that shall save his people from their sins. 1:22Now all this is come to pass, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying,

1:23Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son,

And they shall call his name Immanuel;

which is, being interpreted, God with us. 1:24And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took unto him his wife; 1:25and knew her not till she had brought forth a son: and he called his name JESUS.

2:1Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, Wise-men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, 2:2Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we saw his star in the east, and are come to worship him. 2:3And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. 2:4And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ should be born. 2:5And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written through the prophet,

2:6And thou Bethlehem, land of Judah,

Art in no wise least among the princes of Judah:

For out of thee shall come forth a governor,

Who shall be shepherd of my people Israel.

2:7Then Herod privily called the Wise-men, and learned of them exactly what time the star appeared. 2:8And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search out exactly concerning the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word, that I also may come and worship him. 2:9And they, having heard the king, went their way; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was. 2:10And when they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. 2:11And they came into the house and saw the young child with Mary his mother; and they fell down and worshipped him; and opening their treasures they offered unto him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. 2:12And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.

2:13Now when they were departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I tell thee: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 2:14And he arose and took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt; 2:15and was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt did I call my son.

2:16Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the Wise-men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the male children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the borders thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had exactly learned of the Wise-men. 2:17Then was fulfilled that which was spoken through Jeremiah the prophet, saying,

2:18A voice was heard in Ramah,

Weeping and great mourning,

Rachel weeping for her children;

And she would not be comforted, because they are not.

2:19But when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeareth in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, 2:20Arise and take the young child and his mother, and go into the land of Israel: for they are dead that sought the young child's life. 2:21And he arose and took the young child and his mother, and came into the land of Israel. 2:22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judaea in the room of his father Herod, he was afraid to go thither; and being warned of God in a dream, he withdrew into the parts of Galilee, 2:23and came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophets, that he should be called a Nazarene.

3:1And in those days cometh John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, saying, 3:2Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. 3:3For this is he that was spoken of through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

The voice of one crying in the wilderness,

Make ye ready the way of the Lord,

Make his paths straight.

3:4Now John himself had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 3:5Then went out unto him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about the Jordan; 3:6and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 3:7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 3:8Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: 3:9and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 3:10And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 3:11I indeed baptize you in water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you in the Holy Spirit and in fire: 3:12whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly cleanse his threshing-floor; and he will gather his wheat into the garner, but the chaff he will burn up with unquenchable fire.

3:13Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 3:14But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? 3:15But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffereth him. 3:16And Jesus when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him; 3:17and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

[Tcg]

[Replying to boatsnguitars in post #1]

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[boatsnguitars]

So, folks, I didn't realize the Bible belonged in "Random Ramblings". That's on me.

[Tcg]

So, folks, I didn't realize the Bible belonged in "Random Ramblings". That's on me.

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[boatsnguitars]

4:1Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. 4:2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered. 4:3And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread. 4:4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. 4:5Then the devil taketh him into the holy city; and he set him on the pinnacle of the temple, 4:6and saith unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written,

He shall give his angels charge concerning thee:

and,

On their hands they shall bear thee up,

Lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone.

4:7Jesus said unto him, Again it is written, Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God. 4:8Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; 4:9and he said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. 4:10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. 4:11Then the devil leaveth him; and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

4:12Now when he heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee; 4:13and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali: 4:14that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,

4:15The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,

Toward the sea, beyond the Jordan,

Galilee of the Gentiles,

4:16The people that sat in darkness

Saw a great light,

And to them that sat in the region and shadow of death,

To them did light spring up.

4:17From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

4:18And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers. 4:19And he saith unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men. 4:20And they straightway left the nets, and followed him. 4:21And going on from thence he saw two other brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. 4:22And they straightway left the boat and their father, and followed him.

4:23And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people. 4:24And the report of him went forth into all Syria: and they brought unto him all that were sick, holden with divers diseases and torments, possessed with demons, and epileptic, and palsied; and he healed them. 4:25And there followed him great multitudes from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judaea and from beyond the Jordan.

5:1And seeing the multitudes, he went up into the mountain: and when he had sat down, his disciples came unto him: 5:2and he opened his mouth and taught them, saying,

5:3Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

5:4Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

5:5Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

5:6Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

5:7Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

5:8Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

5:9Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God.

5:10Blessed are they that have been persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 5:11Blessed are ye when men shall reproach you, and persecute you, and say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 5:12Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets that were before you.

5:13Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost its savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out and trodden under foot of men. 5:14Ye are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hid. 5:15Neither do men light a lamp, and put it under the bushel, but on the stand; and it shineth unto all that are in the house. 5:16Even so let your light shine before men; that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

5:17Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil. 5:18For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished. 5:19Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 5:20For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.

5:21Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 5:22but I say unto you, that every one who is angry with his brother shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; and whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire. 5:23If therefore thou art offering thy gift at the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, 5:24leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 5:25Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art with him in the way; lest haply the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 5:26Verily I say unto thee, thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou have paid the last farthing.

5:27Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt not commit adultery: 5:28but I say unto you, that every one that looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 5:29And if thy right eye causeth thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body be cast into hell. 5:30And if thy right hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not thy whole body go into hell. 5:31It was said also, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: 5:32but I say unto you, that every one that putteth away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, maketh her an adulteress: and whosoever shall marry her when she is put away committeth adultery.

5:33Again, ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: 5:34but I say unto you, swear not at all; neither by the heaven, for it is the throne of God; 5:35nor by the earth, for it is the footstool of his feet; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. 5:36Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, for thou canst not make one hair white or black. 5:37But let your speech be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: and whatsoever is more than these is of the evil one.

5:38Ye have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: 5:39but I say unto you, resist not him that is evil: but whosoever smiteth thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 5:40And if any man would go to law with thee, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 5:41And whosoever shall compel thee to go one mile, go with him two. 5:42Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.

5:43Ye have heard that it was said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: 5:44but I say unto you, love your enemies, and pray for them that persecute you; 5:45that ye may be sons of your Father who is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and the unjust. 5:46For if ye love them that love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 5:47And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the Gentiles the same? 5:48Ye therefore shall be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

[boatsnguitars]

My comment on this section: It is bizarre to read this as an American. There is nothing American about these words from Jesus. Divorce, reconciliation with your enemy, mercy, peacemakers, killing, masturbation, etc. It is very clear that Evangelical Americans are as far as you can get from the original words of Jesus with actually saying it expressly.

[boatsnguitars]

6:1Take heed that ye do not your righteousness before men, to be seen of them: else ye have no reward with your Father who is in heaven. 6:2When therefore thou doest alms, sound not a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. 6:3But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth: 6:4that thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee.

6:5And when ye pray, ye shall not be as the hypocrites: for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. 6:6But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thine inner chamber, and having shut thy door, pray to thy Father who is in secret, and thy Father who seeth in secret shall recompense thee. 6:7And in praying use not vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. 6:8Be not therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him. 6:9After this manner therefore pray ye. Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. 6:10Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so on earth. 6:11Give us this day our daily bread. 6:12And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 6:13And bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. 6:14For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 6:15But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

6:16Moreover when ye fast, be not, as the hypocrites, of a sad countenance: for they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen of men to fast. Verily I say unto you, They have received their reward. 6:17But thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; 6:18that thou be not seen of men to fast, but of thy Father who is in secret: and thy Father, who seeth in secret, shall recompense thee.

6:19Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal: 6:20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth consume, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: 6:21for where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also. 6:22The lamp of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. 6:23But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness! 6:24No man can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. 6:25Therefore I say unto you, be not anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than the food, and the body than the raiment? 6:26Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they? 6:27And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit unto the measure of his life? 6:28And why are ye anxious concerning raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 6:29yet I say unto you, that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 6:30But if God doth so clothe the grass of the field, which to-day is, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 6:31Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 6:32For after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. 6:33But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. 6:34Be not therefore anxious for the morrow: for the morrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

7:1Judge not, that ye be not judged. 7:2For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured unto you. 7:3And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? 7:4Or how wilt thou say to thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye; and lo, the beam is in thine own eye? 7:5Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye.

7:6Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest haply they trample them under their feet, and turn and rend you.

7:7Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 7:8for every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. 7:9Or what man is there of you, who, if his son shall ask him for a loaf, will give him a stone; 7:10or if he shall ask for a fish, will give him a serpent? 7:11If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father who is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? 7:12All things therefore whatsoever ye would that men should do unto you, even so do ye also unto them: for this is the law and the prophets.

7:13Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. 7:14For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it.

7:15Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves. 7:16By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 7:17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but the corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 7:18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 7:19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 7:20Therefore by their fruits ye shall know them. 7:21Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. 7:22Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? 7:23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

7:24Every one therefore that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, shall be likened unto a wise man, who built his house upon the rock: 7:25and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and if fell not: for it was founded upon the rock. 7:26And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand: 7:27and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and smote upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall thereof.

7:28And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished these words, the multitudes were astonished at his teaching: 7:29for he taught them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

8:1And when he was come down from the mountain, great multitudes followed him. 8:2And behold, there came to him a leper and worshipped him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. 8:3And he stretched forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will; be thou made clean. And straightway his leprosy was cleansed. 8:4And Jesus saith unto him, See thou tell no man; but go, show thyself to the priest, and offer the gift that Moses commanded, for a testimony unto them.

8:5And when he was entered into Capernaum, there came unto him a centurion, beseeching him, 8:6and saying, Lord, my servant lieth in the house sick of the palsy, grievously tormented. 8:7And he saith unto him, I will come and heal him. 8:8And the centurion answered and said, Lord, I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roof; but only say the word, and my servant shall be healed. 8:9For I also am a man under authority, having under myself soldiers: and I say to this one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 8:10And when Jesus heard it, he marvelled, and said to them that followed, Verily I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel. 8:11And I say unto you, that many shall come from the east and the west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven: 8:12but the sons of the kingdom shall be cast forth into the outer darkness: there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. 8:13And Jesus said unto the centurion, Go thy way; as thou hast believed, so be it done unto thee. And the servant was healed in that hour.

8:14And when Jesus was come into Peter's house, he saw his wife's mother lying sick of a fever. 8:15And he touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she arose, and ministered unto him. 8:16And when even was come, they brought unto him many possessed with demons: and he cast out the spirits with a word, and healed all that were sick: 8:17that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying: Himself took our infirmities, and bare our diseases.

8:18Now when Jesus saw great multitudes about him, he gave commandments to depart unto the other side. 8:19And there came a scribe, and said unto him, Teacher, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. 8:20And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the heaven have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head. 8:21And another of the disciples said unto him, Lord, suffer me first to go and bury my father. 8:22But Jesus saith unto him, Follow me; and leave the dead to bury their own dead.

8:23And when he was entered into a boat, his disciples followed him. 8:24And behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the boat was covered with the waves: but he was asleep. 8:25And they came to him, and awoke him, saying, Save, Lord; we perish. 8:26And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm. 8:27And the men marvelled, saying, What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him?

8:28And when he was come to the other side into the country of the Gadarenes, there met him two possessed with demons, coming forth out of the tombs, exceeding fierce, so that no man could pass by that way. 8:29And behold, they cried out, saying, What have we to do with thee, thou Son of God? art thou come hither to torment us before the time? 8:30Now there was afar off from them a herd of many swine feeding. 8:31And the demons besought him, saying, If thou cast us out, send us away into the herd of swine. 8:32And he said unto them, Go. And they came out, and went into the swine: and behold, the whole herd rushed down the steep into the sea, and perished in the waters. 8:33And they that fed them fled, and went away into the city, and told everything, and what was befallen to them that were possessed with demons. 8:34And behold, all the city came out to meet Jesus: and when they saw him, they besought him that he would depart from their borders.

[Data]

My comment on this section: It is bizarre to read this as an American. There is nothing American about these words from Jesus. Divorce, reconciliation with your enemy, mercy, peacemakers, killing, masturbation, etc. It is very clear that Evangelical Americans are as far as you can get from the original words of Jesus with actually saying it expressly.

I really like the idea of your doing this! I just hate the way you're doing it - now hear me out! You're working too hard - maybe. I think. You've heard of the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB)? Forget about the "Christian" perspective, it's a scam. Leave out the scholar commentary, it's based on apostate tradition, nearly as bad as the "Christian." In fact, the Christian perspective is half-heartedly influenced by the "scholars" or HA! Church Fathers. Give us your perspective, and that of your contemporaries. Let's evaluate the SAB here! Yaaay! This is the perfect place to do that. Sod the quasi formality of so-called "debate." And you needn't start at the end, the so-called "New Testament." How about starting at the beginning? If you do that, here, I'm in. I would actually enjoy that.

C'mon, boatsy, PLEASE?! Pretty, pretty, pretty, please?!

I think we'de enjoy it. Huh? C'mon.

[boatsnguitars]

My comment on this section: It is bizarre to read this as an American. There is nothing American about these words from Jesus. Divorce, reconciliation with your enemy, mercy, peacemakers, killing, masturbation, etc. It is very clear that Evangelical Americans are as far as you can get from the original words of Jesus with actually saying it expressly.

I really like the idea of your doing this! I just hate the way you're doing it - now hear me out! You're working too hard - maybe. I think. You've heard of the Skeptic's Annotated Bible (SAB)? Forget about the "Christian" perspective, it's a scam. Leave out the scholar commentary, it's based on apostate tradition, nearly as bad as the "Christian." In fact, the Christian perspective is half-heartedly influenced by the "scholars" or HA! Church Fathers. Give us your perspective, and that of your contemporaries. Let's evaluate the SAB here! Yaaay! This is the perfect place to do that. Sod the quasi formality of so-called "debate." And you needn't start at the end, the so-called "New Testament." How about starting at the beginning? If you do that, here, I'm in. I would actually enjoy that.

C'mon, boatsy, PLEASE?! Pretty, pretty, pretty, please?!

I think we'de enjoy it. Huh? C'mon.

I won't stop you from doing a thread on the OT. Do the Satanic Bible, do the Bacon Bible, the Klingon Bible, the LolCat Bible, The Pidgin English Bible, the Word on the Street Bible, the Aussie Bible, the Hippie Bible.. I will not stop you!