April 1, 2008
A Prayer
of Jesus
I thank thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hidden these things from the wise
and understanding and revealed them to babes; yea, Father, for such was thy gracious will

ON COMMANDMENTS
by Sister Michele / April 2008

This is a revised edition of the October 2004 compilation by Brother Ed.
 
In using the FNT translation for this revision, we find new verses utilizing the meaning of our topic word.


Jesus' words are rendered in red.  The topic words are highlighted in purple for your attention.
This compilation utilizes the FNT translation for all verses.  Please visit www.faithfulbible.com for further interest on this translation.
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Copyright © 2004, William Zeitler. All rights reserved. 
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From The Synoptic Gospels

The Greatest Commandment
Matthew 22 Mark 12
[34] But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they were gathered together,
[35] And one of them, [an] expert on the Law, testing him asked,
[36] Teacher, what sort of commandment [is] great in the Law?
[37] So he said to him: You will agape-love the Lord your God in all your heart and in all your psyche-life and in all your mind.
[38] This is the great and first commandment.
[39] The second is like it: You will agape-love your neighbor as yourself.
[40] In these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 		[28] And one of the scribes having come to [him] who heard them debating, having seen that he answered them well, asked him: What sort of commandment [is] first of all?
[29] Jesus answered that: Here is the first:
Be hearing, Israel, [the] Lord your God is one Lord,
[30] and you will agape-love your God from all your heart, and all your psyche-life, and all your mind, and all your strength.

This [is the] first commandment. 

[31] The second [is] like [it, namely] thus:

You will agape-love your neighbor as yourself.
There is no other commandment greater than these.
[32] And the scribe said to him: Very good, teacher, in truth have you said that he is one and there is no other beside him.
[33] And to be agape-loving him from all your strength, and to be agape-loving your neighbor as yourself is greater than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.
[34] And Jesus, having seen that he answered thoughtfully, said to him: You are not far from the kingdom of God.

Divorce
Mark 10
[1] And going up from there he goes to the region of Judea and [the] other side of the Jordan, and again crowds go with him, and as he was accustomed he again was teaching them.
[2] And Pharisees coming out asked him if it is allowed for [a] man to put away his wife, testing him.
[3] But answering he said to them: What did Moses command you?
[4] So they said: Moses tolerated [a] scroll of divorce to write and to put [her] away.
[5] But Jesus said to them, For your hard-heartedness he wrote for you this commandment.
[6] But from the beginning of creation:
He made them male and female.
[7] For this reason [a] man will leave
his father and mother
And be united with his wife
[8] And they will be two into one flesh,
So that no longer are they two but one flesh.
[9] What therefore God has yoked together
Man shall not sunder.

[10] And in the house his disciples again asked him [about] this.
[11] And he says to them; Whoever puts away his wife and marry another, commits adultery upon her.
[12] And whoever having put away her husband marries another, commits adultery.


The Rich Man
Matthew 19 Mark 10 Luke 18
[16] And behold [one] having come to him said: Good teacher, What good [thing] should I do in order that I have eternal zoe-life?
[17] So he said to him: Why do you ask me concerning the good? [Only] one is good. But if you wish to enter into zoe-life, be keeping the commandments.
[18] He says to him: Which? So Jesus said: Do not murder, Do not commit adultery, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness,
[19] Honor father and mother, and agape-love your neighbor as yourself.
[20] The young man says to him: All these have I kept. What do I yet lack?
[21]Jesus said to him: If you wish to be complete, be going, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and Come! Be following me.
[22]But when the young man heard this statement he went away troubled, for he was having many possessions. 		[17] And when he went out into the road, [one] having run up and having knelt before him asked him, Good teacher, what should I do in order that I may inherit eternal zoe-life?
[18] But Jesus said to him: Why do you call me good? No one [is] good except one—God.
[19] You know the commandments: Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not bear false witness, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.
[20] But he said to him: Teacher, these [things] have I observed from childhood.
[21] But Jesus having fixed his gaze on him agape-loved him and said to him: One [thing] you lack. Be going, whatever you have sell and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven, and Come! Be following me.
[22] But having been appalled upon this word, he departed being deeply pained, for he was having many possessions. 		[18] And one of the rulers asked him saying: Good teacher, what having done will I inherit eternal zoe-life?
[19] But Jesus said to him: Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God.
[20]You know the commandments: Do not commit adultery, do not murder, do not steal, do not falsely witness, be honoring your father and mother.
[21] But he said, All these [things] I have kept since youth.
[22] But Jesus answering said to him: Yet one [thing] you lack. Sell all as much as you have and distribute [it] to the poor, and you will have treasure in the heavens, and Come! Be following me.
[23] But when he heard these [things] he was become deeply pained, for he was greatly rich. 

Breaking Human Traditions
Matthew 15 Mark 7
[1] Then came to Jesus from Jerusalem Pharisees and scribes saying:
[2] Why do your disciples transgress the traditions of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.
[3] But answering he said to them: And why do you transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition?
[4] For God said: Honor your father and your mother, and, The [one] speaking evil of father or mother shall be brought to the end by death.
[5] But you say: Whoever should say to his father or mother, That [thing] by which you may have profited by me [is] [a] gift [to God],
[6] he should not honor his father. And you make void the word of God by your tradition.
[7]Hypocrites, well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you when he says:
[8] This people honors me with their lips
But their heart holds off from me afar
[9] Futilely they worship me
Teaching [as] teachings [of] [God ]the commandments of men


word= law, commandment
[1] And the Pharisees and some of the scribes are gathered to him having come from Jerusalem.
[2] And having seen some of his disciples that with defiled hands, that is unwashed, eat bread,
[3] —for the Pharisees and all the Jews, if they not wash to [the] fist their hands, they do not eat, holding the tradition of the elders.
[4] And from the fields, if they should not sprinkle, they do not eat, but indeed many things there are that they have received to be holding, [the] dipping of cups and pitchers and kettles and [dining] couches—
[5]and the Pharisees and the scribes ask him, Why do your disciples not walk according to the tradition of the elders, but with defiled hands eat bread?
[6] But he says to them: Well did Isaiah prophesy concerning you hypocrites, as it is written that:
This people honors me with their lips
But their heart holds off from me afar;
[7] But futilely they worship me
Teaching [as] teachings the commandments of men.


[8] Having left the commandment of God you hold the traditions of men.
[9] And he says to them: Well do you set aside the commandments of God, that you may keep your traditions.
[10] For Moses said: Be honoring your father and your mother, and the [one] speaking evil of father or mother shall be brought to the end by death.
[11] But you say: If [a] man should say to his father or mother: Corban, which is: [a] gift [to God], whatever by me you may have been profited,
[12] You no longer allow him to do anything for his father or mother,
[13] making void the word of God by your traditions that you have handed down, and many such similar [things] you do.

word= law, commandment

Serving
Luke 17

[7] But who among you having [a] slave plowing or shepherding, who when he enter from the field he say to him: Straightway having come by, recline! 
[8] But rather he says to him: Prepare something I may eat, and being girded [about] be serving me until I eat and drink, and after these you eat and drink.
[9] Does he have grace for the slave who did the [things] commanded? 
[10] Thus you also, when you do everything commanded to you, be saying that: We are worthless slaves, what we owe to do we have done.


The Great Commission
Matthew 28
[16] But the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain Jesus designated [to] them.
[17] And when they saw him they worshipped before [him], but some doubted.
[18] And having come Jesus spoke to them saying: All authority in heaven and on [the] earth has been given me.
[19] Having gone therefore, make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the father and the son and the Holy Spirit,
[20] teaching them to observe all that I commanded you. And behold I am with you all the days until the completion of the age.

The Great Banquet
Luke 14
[15] But when one of those laying back with him heard these [things] he said to him: Blessed is he who eats bread in the kingdom of God.
[16] But he said to him: A certain man was doing [a] big dinner, and invited many.
[17] And he sent his slave in the hour of the dinner to say to those invited: Be coming, for already is it prepared.
[18] And they were beginning from one all to be excusing [themselves]. The first said to him, I bought [a] field, and I have necessity having gone to be seeing it; I ask you, Be having me excused.
[19] And another said: I bought five yoke of oxen, and I go to examine them; I ask you, Be having me excused.
[20] And another said: I married [a] wife, and because of this I am unable to come.
[21] And having arrived, the slave reported to his lord these [things]. Then having been angered the master of the house said to his slave: Go swiftly into the streets and alleys of the city, and bring here the poor and crippled and blind and lame.
[22] And the slave said: Lord, what you commanded is come to pass, and yet is there place.
[23] And the Lord said to the slave: Go out into the roads and hedges and compel [them] to come in, that my house be filled.
[24] For I say to you that none of those men invited will taste my dinner.

Rebuking the Unclean Spirit
[14] And having come to the disciples they saw [a] great crowd around them and scribes debating with them.
[15] And straightway all the crowd when they saw him were amazed, and running up were clinging to him.
[16] And he asked them, What do you debate with them?
[17] And one out of the crowd answered him: Teacher, I brought my son to you, having [a] mute spirit,
[18] and whenever he overtakes him, he throws him down, and froths at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wither; and I spoke to your disciples in order that they cast him out, and they had not the strength.
[19] But answering he says to them: O unbelieving generation, until when will I be with you? Until when will I endure you? Be bringing him to me.
[20] And they brought him to him. And when the spirit saw him, straightway he convulsed him, and having thrown [him] on the ground he was rolling, frothing at the mouth.
[21]And he asked his father, How long [a] time is as this come to pass to him? But he said: From childhood.
[22] And often even into fire he threw him and into the waters in order that he should destroy him; but if you are able, help him, having had compassion upon him.
[23] But Jesus said to him: If you are able, everything [is] possible to the [one] believing.
[24]Straightway the father of the child having cried out, with tears was saying: I believe, Be helping my unbelief.

[25] And when Jesus saw that [the] crowd came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit saying: Mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him and no longer may you enter into him.
[26] And having cried out and greatly convulsed, he went out, and he became as dead, so that many said that he died.
[27] But Jesus having laid hold of his hand raised him, and he stood.
[28] And when he entered into the house his disciples privately asked him: Why were we not able to cast it out?
[29] And he said to them: This type is able to come out of no one except by prayer and fasting.


These Least Commandments
Matthew 5
[17] Do not think that I came to destroy the law or the prophets. I came not to destroy but to fulfill.
[18] For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, one dot-of-an-"i" or cross-of-a-"t" will not pass away from the law, until all come to pass.
[19] For whoever sets aside one of these least commandments and so teaches men, he will be called least in the kingdom of the heavens. [But whoever does and teaches [them], this [one] will be called great in the kingdom of the heavens.]
[20] For I say to you that unless your justice abounds more than [that] of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens.

Be Ready
Mark 13
[32] Concerning that day or that hour no one knows, neither the angels in heaven nor the son, except the father.
[33] Be looking, be being alert and be praying, for you know not when is the time.
[34] As [a] man away on [a] journey having left his house and having given to his slaves the authority, [and] to each his work, also commanded the doorkeeper that he should be being watchful.
[35] Be being watchful therefore, for you know not when the lord of the house comes, either late or [at] midnight or [at] the crowing of the cock or early,
[36] lest having come suddenly he find you sleeping.
[37] But what I say to you, I say to all: Be being watchful.

No Slaving to Two Lords
Matthew 6

[24] No one is able to be slaving-to two lords. For either he will hate the one and agape-love the other, or he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot be slaving-to God and Mammon.

be slaving= be owned by, and as a slave do what is commanded

The Parable of the Prodigal Son
Luke 15
[11] But I say to you, a certain man was having two sons.
[12] And the younger of them said to the father: Father, give to me the portion of the wealth falling to me. So he divided to them the living.
[13] And after not many days having gathered everything the younger son journeyed to [a] far country, and there he squandered his wealth zoe-living loosely.
[14] So when he spent all [a] severe famine came to pass against that country, and he began to be in need.
[15] And having gone he joined to one of the citizens of that country and he sent him into his fields to be grazing the pigs.
[16] And he was desiring to fill his belly with pods that the pigs were eating, and no one was giving [anything] to him.
[17] But coming to himself he said: How many servants of my father have abundance of bread, but I am perishing here in [a] famine.
[18] Having arisen I will go to my father and will say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,
[19] no longer am I worthy to be called your son, make me as one [of your] hired-hands.
[20] And having arisen he came to his own father. But while he was being distant afar his father saw him and had compassion, and having run fell upon his neck and kissed him.
[21] But the son said to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you,
[22] But the father said to his slaves: Swiftly bring out the best robe and put it on him, and give [a] ring for his hand and sandals for his feet,
[23]and be bringing the fatted calf, kill [it], and having eaten let us make merry.
[24] For this my son was dead and is alive again, was lost and is found. And he began to be making merry.

[25] Now his elder son was in the field, and as he came he drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dance, 
[26] and calling upon one of the servants he inquired what this might be.
[27] But he said to him that his brother has arrived, and your father killed the fatted calf, for he had received him back sound.
[28] But he was enraged and did not want to enter. So his father having come out called upon him.
[29] But answering he said to the father: Behold so many years I am slaving to you and never transgressed your commandment, and for me you have never given [a] goat that I may make merry with my friends. 
[30] But when this your son who consumed your living with prostitutes came, you killed for him the fatted calf.
[31] But he said to him: Child, you are always with me, and all mine is yours.
[32] But it was necessary to make merry and rejoice, for this your brother was dead and has returned to zoe-life, and was lost and is found.


From The Fourth Gospel
A New Commandment / John 13

[34] [A] new commandment I give to you, that you be agape-loving one another; just as I agape-loved you, be agape-loving one another. 

[35] By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have agape-love for one another.


The Good Shepherd / John 10

[14] I am the good shepherd, and I know mine and mine know me, 
[15] just as the father knows me, and I know the father, and I lay down my psyche-life in behalf of the sheep. 
[16] And I have other sheep that are not of this sheep-pen, and I must lead [these], and they will hear my voice, and they will become one flock, one shepherd. 
[17] Because of this the father agape-loves me, because I lay down my psyche-life, in order that I again receive it. 
[18] No one takes it from me, but I dedicate it myself. I have authority to dedicate it, and I have authority to again receive it; this commandment I received from my father.


Jesus' Final Public Words / John 12
[44] But Jesus cried out and said: The [one] believing in me does not believe in me but [rather] in the [one] having sent me,
[45] and the [one] beholding me beholds the [one] having sent me.
[46] I am light come into the world, in order that everyone believing in me not abide in darkness.
[47] And if anyone hear my words and not guard [them], I do not judge him, for I came not in order that I judge the world, but in order that I save the world.
[48] The [one] setting me aside and not receiving my words has [one] judging him: the word that I spoke—that will judge him in the last day.
[49] Because I have not spoken from myself, but the [one] having sent me, [the] father himself has given to me commandment what I should say and what I should speak.
[50] And I know that his commandment is eternal zoe-life. What therefore I speak, just as the father has spoken to me, thusly I speak.

Teaching on the Holy Spirit / John 14
[15] If you agape-love me, you will keep my commandments.
[16] And I will ask the father and he will give you another advocate, in order that he be with you to eternity—
[17] the spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive, because it does not behold him nor know [him]. You know him, because he dwells with you and will be in you.
[18] I will not leave you orphans, I come to you.
[19] Yet [a] little [while] and the world no longer beholds me, but you behold me, because I zoe-live and you will zoe-live.
[20] In that day you will know that I [am] in my father and you in me and I in you.
[21] The [one] having my commandments and keeping them, that is the [one] agape-loving me; and the [one] agape-loving me will be agape-loved by my father, and I will agape-love him and reveal myself to him.

[22] Judas says to him: not the Iscariot, Lord, and what has happened that you are [about] to reveal yourself to us and not to the world? 
[23] Jesus answered and said to him: If anyone agape-loves me, he will keep my word, and my father will agape-love him, and we will come to him, and we will make our dwelling-place with him. 
[24] The [one] not agape-loving me does not keep to my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but of the father having sent me.
[25] These [things] have I spoken while dwelling with you. 
[26] But the advocate, the Holy Spirit, which the father will send in my name, that [one] will teach you everything and will remind you of everything which I spoke to you.
[27] Peace I leave you, my peace I give you, not just as the world gives do I give to you. Let your heart not be being troubled, neither let it be being cowardly. 
[28] You heard what I said to you: I go, and come [back] to you. If you were agape-loving me, you would have rejoiced that I go to the father, because the father is greater than I. 
[29] And now have I told you before it comes to pass, in order that when it comes to pass, you believe. 
[30] No longer will I speak many [things] with you, for the ruler of the world comes and he has nothing in me, 
[31] but in order that the world know that I agape-love the father, and just as the father commanded me, thus I do. Be arising, let us be going from here.

word=commandment


Keep My Commandments / John 15

[9] Just as the father agape-loved me, I also agape-loved you. Dwell in my agape-love. 
[10] If you keep my commandments you will dwell in my agape-love, just as I have kept my father's commandments and I dwell in [his] agape-love. 
[11] This have I spoken to you that my joy be in you and you joy be made full. 
[12] This is my commandment: that you be agape-loving one another, just as I agape-loved you. 
[13] Greater agape-love no one has than this, that he lay down his psyche-life in his philia-beloveds' behalf. 
[14] You are my philia-beloved, if you are doing what I command you. 
[15] No longer do I say you [are] slaves, because the slave does not know what his lord does; but I have called you philia-beloved, because everything that I heard from my father I made known to you. 
[16] You did not choose me, but I chose you, and dedicated you that you be going and be bearing fruit and your fruit be remaining, in order that whatever you ask the father in my name he give you. 
[17] These [things] I command you, in order that you be agape-loving one another.


Jesus Prays for the Disciples / John 17
[6] I revealed your name to the men whom you gave to me out of the world. They were yours, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word.
[7] Now they know that all, whatsoever you gave to me, is from you;
[8] that the words you gave to me I have given to them, and they received [them] and they knew truly that I came from beside you, and they believed that you sent me.
[9] I ask concerning them, not concerning the world do I ask, but concerning whom you have given me, because they are yours,
[10] and all mine is yours and yours mine, and I have been glorified by them.
[11] And no longer am I in the world, and [yet] they are in the world, and I come to you. Holy father, keep them in your name that you have given to me, in order that they be one just as we [are].
[12] When I was with them, I was keeping them in your name that you have given me, and I guarded [them] and no one of them perished except the son of destruction, in order that the scripture be fulfilled.
[13] But now I come to you, and I speak these [things] in the world in order that they have my joy made full in them.
[14] I have given them your word, and the world hated them, because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
[15] I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the wicked [one].
[16] They are not of the world just as I am not of the world.
[17] Make them holy in the truth; your word is truth.
[18] Just as you sent me into the world, I also sent them into the world.
[19] And in their behalf do I make myself holy, in order that they also be made holy in [the] truth.

kept=to guard, protect; in the case of a commandment—to obey it.
word=commandment

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