NL-Day027 Genesis 44-45; Job 27; 1 Peter 1

GENESIS 44-45:
Yesterday we heard of Joseph's brothers on their first and second trips to Egypt. [GNT only: Regarding my comment in yesterday’s podcast about Joseph giving wine without limit, it is likely that He was showing the normal generosity of a wealthy host. I very much doubt that under these circumstances his brothers would have allowed themselves to become drunk.] We pick up the story, still in Joseph's palace on the second trip.

JOB 27:
In the NLT, this chapter is the 2nd chapter of Job’s six-chapter-long speech. But in the GNT Zophar interrupts and carries on through chapter 28.

FIRST PETER 1:
In the last chapter of Mark’s Gospel, we read about the resurrection of Jesus. Since Mark very likely wrote his gospel based on Peter's information, it seems fitting that we move to Peter's two letters now. Evidently Peter spent the last decade of his life in Rome, where he was martyred around the year 64. Mark (whom Peter fondly refers to as ‘his son’ in chapter 5) was with him in Rome when this was written. Silas— whom we will hear of later in Acts, was the secretary for writing this letter. Scholars do not doubt that this letter is from Peter.

For those who want to delve deeper in studying this short letter, I encourage you to search out and mark every occurrence of these repeated words: trials/suffering, hope, joy, grace, and glory.

You will note that whenever the NLT has written ‘Jesus Christ’, I read it as ‘Christ Jesus’. Most English Bible translations simply follow the order that the Greek has, which sometimes has ‘Christ Jesus’ and other times ‘Jesus Christ’. In Greek it doesn’t matter which order is used. However for English, it does matter which order is used. Now, I realize that saying ‘Jesus Christ’ sounds natural to our ears, but it is not really grammatical. English puts titles first. Let me give an example using ‘Doctor Jones’. If I say, “Jones Doctor is going to Egypt next week,” then everyone will say that that ordering is unnatural. I stubbornly insist that it would be better for English speakers to use the grammatical order, ‘Christ Jesus’, because that makes it clear that ‘Christ’ is His title, not His last name. The title of Christ— by the way, comes from Greek and means the same as Messiah, which comes from Hebrew. Both terms mean ‘the anointed one’.

NLT Translation notes:
Job 27:13 [You say//0], “This is what the wicked will receive from God;
[I also added ‘You say” to verses 16, 18, and 22.]
14 They may have many children, [(you say,)]
but the children will die in war or starve to death.
16 “Evil people [(you say)] may have piles of money
and may store away mounds of clothing.
20 Terror[s] overwhelm[0/s] them like a flood,  [(you say,)]
and they are blown away in the storms of the night.
====
1 This letter is from Peter, an apostle of [Christ Jesus*//Jesus Christ].   [and this change will be made everywhere.]
[*Even though the Greek has the order as 'Jesus Christ' and that order sounds natural to our ears, it is not grammatical. This is shown if I put some other title and name in that order. If I say, “Obama President is going to Egypt next week,” then everyone will say that that ordering is unnatural. We never say, “Obama President” but “President Obama...” By using the grammatical order for “Christ Jesus” it makes it clear that a title is being used. The title of Christ, by the way, means the same as the same title from the Hebrew language, Messiah. Both terms mean 'the anointed one'.]
5 And through your [fully believing//faith]* in Christ, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see.
[*As I have discussed in other footnotes before, the word 'faith' in English has developed many meanings, and because of that it makes the meaning unclear to use the word ‘faith’ in Bible translations in English. In Greek, 'faith' and 'believe' are just the verb and noun form of the same word.]
7 These trials will [prove//show] that [you truly believe//your faith is genuine]. [Your believing//It] is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your [believing//faith] is far more precious than mere gold. So when [you continue strong in your believing in spite of many trials//your faith remains strong through many trials], it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when [Christ Jesus//Jesus Christ] is revealed to the whole world.
8 You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you [fully believe in//trust] him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.
9 The reward for [believing in//trusting] him will be the salvation of your souls.
[It greatly damages the cohesion of a passage when the translators sometimes translate the same Greek word as ‘believe’ and the noun form as ‘faith’. Now the NLT translators went even further by using ‘trust’ instead of ‘believe’. I urge us to use ‘believe/fully believe’ everywhere, so we can see the cohesion that centers on this term. One might say that the New Testament writers were harping on it! If people are afraid of the error of easy-believism, then I wouldn’t mind using the word ‘trust’ everywhere. But my main point is, let the cohesion be seen.]
14 So you must live as God’s obedient children. Don’t slip back into your old ways of living to satisfy your own desires. [Back then you didn’t know any better.//You didn’t know any better then.]
16 For [God says in//0] the Scriptures say, “You must be holy because I am holy.”
21 Through Christ you have come to [believe//trust] in God. You believe that God raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. [The result is that you fully believe//And you have placed your faith] and hope in God. [moved to the front→ because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory.]
25 But the word of the Lord remains forever.” And [included in the word of the Lord that remains forever //that word] is the Good News that was preached to you!

 

Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.