Romans 2:19 Cross References - JMNT

¹⁹ [and] likewise (or: besides) you have confidence in yourself (or: you have persuaded yourself) to be a guide or an escort of blind folks on the way or in the path; a light within [the] darkness (obscurity of the shadow areas; dimness of the gloom), 20. a trainer (instructor; corrector; discipliner; educator) of senseless ones (folks without will, heart or guts; imprudent ones; foolish ones); a teacher of infants (ones not yet able to speak), while habitually having (or: holding) the outward form (rough sketch; outline; framework; semblance) of the experiential knowledge and of the truth (or: reality) within, or in union with, the Law (= Torah)...

¹⁶ The people continuously sitting within the midst of darkness (the gloomy dimness of the shadow that lacked the light of the Day) saw a great Light. And on (or: to; for; in) those constantly sitting within [the] province (or: region) and shadow of death, Light arises on (or: rose to and among; dawned for or in) them." [Isa. 8:23-9:1]

¹⁴ "You folks, yourselves, exist being (are) the light of the ordered System (the world of culture, religion, politics, government and secular society; = the human sociological realm). A city located up on a mountain (or: situated on top of a mountain range) continues unable to be hidden or concealed.

²³ "Yet if your eye should continue being in a bad condition (or: wicked; perhaps = diseased or cloudy; may suggest stinginess or being grudging), your whole body will continue being (will continuously exist being) dark (or: in the dark; full of darkness). If, then, the light [which is] within the midst of you is darkness (or: continually exists being dimness and lack of Light), how thick [is] the darkness (or: how great and extensive [will be] the obscurity and gloom of that area of shadows)!

¹⁴ "Abandon them at once! (other choices: Divorce them; Let them flow away; Leave them; Leave them [alone]; Send them away; Let them go!) They exist being blind guides of the Path (or: blind leaders of the Way). Now if a blind person should ever lead or guide [another] blind person, both people will proceed to be falling into a pit!"

¹⁶ "It will be a tragic fate for you, blind guides of the way and leaders on the path, folks who are constantly saying, 'Whoever should lay hold of a sacred object in the Temple (or: swear within, or in union with, the Temple), it is nothing (= it does not matter). Yet whoever should lay hold of the gold of the Temple, as a sacred object (or: swear an oath pertaining to a connection with the gold of the Temple), he continues indebted and is owing [it].' ¹⁷ "[You are] senseless morons (stupid folks), as well as blind ones! For which is greater: the gold, or the Temple which is setting apart and consecrating the gold? ¹⁸ "Further, [you say], 'Whoever grabs hold of the altar as a sacred object (or: Whoever may swear an oath in connection with the altar), it means nothing. Yet, whoever should lay hold of the gift (or: may swear an oath in connection with the offering) which is on top of it, he continues indebted and is owing [it].' ¹⁹ "Senseless morons and blind ones! You see, which one [is] more important (greater): the gift (offering), or the altar which is constantly setting the gift (the offering) apart and consecrating [it]? ²⁰ "Therefore, the person laying hold of the altar for a religious purpose (or: swearing an oath in conjunction with the altar), continues holding onto it (or: swearing in relation to it) as well as in union with all the things which are on top of it. ²¹ "Also, the person holding onto something in the Temple, or swearing in union with it, continues to hold onto it – or swearing in its midst – and also to, and in union with, the one making His home down in (dwelling in; inhabiting) it. ²² "Further, the one taking hold of something within heaven (or: in union with the atmosphere, sky or outer space), or swearing in its midst, continues to hold onto, and is swearing in the presence of, God's throne, as well as the One constantly sitting on top of it. [comment: the term heaven refers figuratively to the Temple; the ark was "God's throne"] ²³ "O the tragic fate by (or: for; with) you folks – scholars, theologians and experts in the Scriptures and [the] Pharisees – [you] under-discerning folks who live by close inspection of minor details [see 6:3, above]: [it is] that you habitually give away a tenth (or: tithe back) from the mint and the dill and the cummin, and yet you abandon and let flow away the weightier (= more important) matters of the Law [= Torah]: the justice (equity; fairly evaluated decisions), the mercy, and the trust (the faith; the faithfulness and the fidelity; the reliance and the reliability; the confidence). Now these things it continued being binding and necessary [for you] to do and perform – and not to abandon (send away; set aside) those things! ²⁴ "Blind 'guides and leaders' of the way: constantly filtering and straining [out] the gnat, yet habitually gulping (drinking; swallowing) down a camel! ²⁵ "How tragic is the fate in you people – scribes (scholars, etc.) and Pharisees: overly-critical interpreters [see 6:2, above]! For you folks are habitually cleansing the outside of the cup and of the fine side dish – yet inside they continuously contain a full load from snatching (plunder; pillage; = the fruits of forceful greed) and lack of strength (or: self-indulgence). ²⁶ "Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and of the fine side dish – so that its outside can also come to be (be birthed) clean!

¹⁵ "Truly (or: It is so; Count on it; Amen), I am now saying to you folks, Whoever may not welcome and receive as in one's arms the kingdom of God (or: God's reign and actions) as a little or young child, can under no circumstances (or: may in no [other] way) enter into it."

⁷⁹ "to at once ‘shine upon the people continuously sitting within the midst of darkness the realm of the shadow and obscurity; dimness and gloom’ [Isa. 9:1] – even within death's shadow; to cause our feet to be fully straight and to [walk] in correspondence to straightness, into the path (way; road) of peace [= shalom]."

⁴⁶ Then the subordinate officials, after consideration, replied, "Never (Not even once) did a human (a person; a man) speak thus (like this; in this way)!" ⁴⁷ The Pharisees then pointedly questioned them, "Have not you men also been led astray (or: been deceived)? ⁴⁸ "Not anyone from out of the rulers (chiefs; leaders) or from out of the Pharisees put trust, confidence or belief into him, do they? ⁴⁹ "But this crowd, which is having no habitual, experiential or intimate knowledge of the Law, continues being those under a curse (are those upon whom a curse rests)." [comment: they said this because they viewed the "crowd" as people who did not keep the Law]

³⁴ They decisively replied, and said to him, "You yourself were wholly born within sins [idiom = You bastard!] – and are YOU now teaching us?" And so they cast him out (threw him outside).

⁴⁰ And so those from out of the Pharisees – being with Him – heard these things, and said to Him, "We ourselves are not also blind ones, are we?" ⁴¹ Jesus says to them, "If you men had been and were continuing being blind ones, you were not holding and would not be having sin (error; a miss of the goal; failure). Yet now you continue saying that, 'We are continuously seeing and habitually observing.' Your error (sin; failure; miss of the target) continues remaining (is habitually dwelling; constantly abides).

¹⁸ "'to open back up their eyes again; to turn [their eyes; or: them] back: away from darkness (a realm of the shadow; dimness and obscurity) into Light, even from the authority and privilege of the adversary (or: that is, from the right which comes from out being the opponent), and upon God; to receive a flowing away of deviations and a release from failures, mistakes and occasions of missing the goal (or: a forgiveness of sins) and an allotted inheritance among and in union with the folks having been – and now remaining – set apart in, with and for faith which [leads] into Me (or: centered within the people now made holy by trust [which is] by the One [having come] into the midst of Me; or: within those having been consecrated for loyalty, sanctified with faith and now set apart to trusting conviction [that has brought them] unto Me).'

¹⁸ Let no one continue to be completely cheating, tricking, deceiving or deluding himself: if anyone among you folks habitually imagines (thinks; supposes; presumes) [himself] to be wise (to exist being a clever one) within this age (this era; this period of time), let him come to be (or: birth himself) stupid (dull; foolish; a fool) – to the end that he can come to be (or: may birth himself) wise.

¹⁰ We [are] stupid folks (fools; ones led by nonsense) because of Christ, yet you folks [are] sensible and intelligent ones (ones with understanding) within and in union with Christ; we [are] weak ones, yet you people [are] strong ones; you [are] folks in glory and illustrious reputation, yet we [are] dishonored and unvalued ones.

¹ Now concerning [foods] that were offered in sacrifice to idols, we have seen and know that we all continue having insight and knowledge (gnosis) gained by personal experience. [note: this may have been a quotation from their letter to Paul] The (or: This) knowledge (gnosis) keeps on puffing [you; us] up, but The Love (agape: urge toward unambiguous, participating, accepting reunion) progressively edifies and builds up the house! ² If anyone continues imagining (supposing; presuming) to have come to know anything through his experience, he not as yet knows according as it continues binding and necessary [for him] to personally know (or: he does not yet have insight to the level as he ought to have insight).

¹⁵ so that you folks may come to be blameless ones (those without defect), even unmixed (unblended; artless and sincere) children of God – unblemished (flawless) people in the midst of a crooked and distorted (as having been misshaped on the potter's wheel) generation (or: a twisted family which has been altered and turned in different ways so as to be dislocated), within which (or: among whom) you folks are continuously shining (giving light; or: appearing; made visible by light) as illuminators (causes of light; or: luminaries) within [the] ordered System (world of secular culture, religion, economics and government),

¹⁷ Because your are habitually saying, "I am rich and have acquired wealth and continuously have need of nothing, " and you have not seen to know (or: are not aware) that you continue being wretched (or: miserable; in hardship) and pitiful and poor and blind and naked, ¹⁸ I continue advising you [singular] to buy from Me gold having been refined (set ablaze) forth from out of fire, to the end that you may become rich; and white garments, to the end that you may clothe yourself and the shame (disgrace) of your nakedness may not be manifested (brought to light; caused to appear); and eye-salve to anoint (rub in) your eyes, to the end that you may be continuously observing (or: progressively seeing).'