Sunday, January 20, 2008

Much Loved Verses in JOHN 21

One of my favorite scenes in the Gospel of John is the one with the resurrected Christ having breakfast with the Apostles on the beach. It was right after they went fishing, so the guys had fresh fish to go with their top o' the morning bread.

Right after that seaside breakfast, Master Jesus asked Simon Peter if he truly loved Him (NIV New Testament, John 21:15-17)... For me, this brief Q&A was one of the Bible's most memorable conversations.

Here are other N.T. versions that have interesting variations to the Jesus-Peter dialogue:

Weymouth's New Testament

B'rit Hadashah (The Complete Jewish Bible)

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized

Young's Literal Translation

The Darby Translation

Worlwide English New Testament

Living New Testament

A Non-Ecclesiastical New Testament

Hebrew Names Version

World English Bible NT

The Bible in Basic English NT

Thursday, January 10, 2008

For in the beginning was The WORD

This is an excerpt from M.A. Prost’s English translation of Nonnos’ (of Panopolis) paraphrase of the Gospel of John…

Ere Time, ere Space, ere Speech dwelt the Archaic Word,

GOD's like in Age and Nature, motherless, this Son,

The self-born Word, GOD's Spawn, Light come from light,

Inseparate, interminable and enthroned

5) Conseated with GOD on GOD's sempiternal Chair:

The Word was GOD's best Offspring. Who from the Beginning

Compiled with GOD, the Universal Architect,

(Himself far older than the World); and All that is,

Inert and breathing, all through Him arose. And naught,

10) But through this Workman's Word, was made, which is. In Him,

Innate, was every Life, His Light was Food aplenty

For short-lived Man. The Earth-sustaining Light of Glory

Flamed bolts into the murky Heav'ns above, and Lo,

The Darkness Grasped it not. From out a bosky Lair,

15) Where Bees do suck, came one, a lonely Citizen

Of rocky Crags, a Mountain roaming Wanderer,

And Herald of the baptized firstborn One; his Name

Was John, a godly Rouser of the Crowd. He came

As Messenger, as steadfast Speaker, as Reproach

20) To mortal Man, so that, by one loud Herald's Cry

All might have Faith in Him, the Parent of the World.

Tho' not himself that Intellectual Light, he was

The GOD-filled Mouth unfolding now to all who came,

Forerunner, bringing secret, hidden Light to light,

25) A speaking Witness to the ones receiving GOD.

The Word, first-born, together with His Father, was

True LIGHT, first-born, the LIGHT who purified all Men

Illumining, with spiritual Beams, Men's Nature,

Now come to Earth. He, in the unpersuaded World,

30) Was unforeseen: the boundless World was made through Him,

But did not know the Word, the foreign Vagabond.

He was among His own: His own, insensate, mad,

No Honor showed Him, as a Guest. But those, steadfast

And sane, whoever did receive Him, those without

35) A straying Mind, to all he gave one heavenly Prize:

To be named Children of the everlasting GOD,

(Not as in Nature, born through Labor in a Bed,

(The Products of Men's Will, or Offspring of the Flesh

(Begot of Love upon the bridal Marriage Couch)

40) But Children born of GOD, the unbegotten Getter.

The Self-accomplished Word became enfleshed, and GOD

And Man, First-born and Last-born, by some secret Rite

Together yoked in holy Human-seeming Shape.

45) And GOD dwelt in the family of Men, and His Repute

We saw through our own human Eyes: it was the Glory

Of the first-gotten Son from the most high Begetter;

So Grace and Truth of the Begotten is brought nearer.

Concerning the Flesh-wearing Word pledged holy John,

50) The early Messenger, with Prophet's Voice: "Behold:

"The One is here, of Whom I spoke with honest Words;

"He came before me, Who came after me, He was

"The Earliest before me; so that we, His Own,

"Belonging to Him, might be lifted up, and from

55) "His Fullness, later Grace upon first Grace be laid;

"E'en as the Book of the entire Natural Law,

"By Moses writ, was laid upon the Hebrew Crowd,

"Just so, the Grace of Christ, and Truth, come to the World."

The Self-producing Deity has ne'er been spied

60) By any Person, Face to FACE, but John told plain

By Story how that well known Unique ONE was kept

In comfort in the wondrous Lap of Father GOD,

Companion of the Parent WHO may not be seen.

So, trusty John the Herald gave a true Report:

The tale of a Witness with ambrosial Voice.

(John 1: 1-18)

M.A. Prost’s translation of the Gospel of John is presently a work in progress.

Thursday, January 03, 2008

The War in Iraq

Do we need another war?

My meditation this morning...

"Woe to me that I dwell in Meshek,
that I live among the tents of Kedar!

Too long have I lived
among those who hate peace.

I am for peace;
but when I speak, they are for war."

(Psalms 120: 5-7)


Take it from the Psalmist!