Bible verses about "reality" | JMNT

¹ Now faith continuously exists being (or: trust with loyal conviction is) a standing-under (a substructure; a basis; = the ground on which to build; that which underlies the apparent, and thus is the substance, essence or real nature) of things being habitually expected and anticipated [p13 reads: is a standing-away from things being presently hoped for]; an evidence from a test which proves concerning effects of practices (or: an evidence-based proof of the results of matters, actions or deeds) [that are] not presently seen or normally being observed. [note: Karen Armstrong, in The Case for God, has suggested that pistis not only involves trust and loyalty, but also engagement and commitment. Paul Tillich saw faith as "the state of being grasped by the Spiritual Presence and opened to the transcendent unity of unambiguous life." (Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, p. 131)]

¹⁶ "For thus God loves the world (the universe; the ordered arrangement; the organized system [of life and society]; or: = all mankind), so that He gives His uniquely-born [with other MSS: the only-begotten] Son, (or, reading wste as an adverb: You see, in this manner God loves the sum total of created beings as being the Son: He gives the Only-begotten One; or: reading wV te: For you see, [it is] in this way [that] God loves the aggregate of humanity – even as it were His Son: He gives the uniquely-born One), to the end that all (or: everyone) – the one habitually believing, putting confidence and trusting into Him – would not lose or destroy himself, or cause himself to fall into ruin, but rather can continuously have (or: would habitually possess and hold) eonian life (age-durative life with qualities derived from the Age [of the Messiah]; living existence of and for the ages). [note 1): I have here given the “fact” sense of the aorist tense of the verbs “love” and “give” rather than the simple past tense. The statement by Jesus is a “timeless” fact of God; it signifies that the object of His love and His gift (that object being the cosmos, the universe, the world of men and created beings) is in view as a whole, and both the love and the gift are presented as fact, as one complete whole (punctiliar) which exists apart from any sense of time (i.e., coming from the realm or sphere of the “eternal,” or, “the Being of God;” note 2): Paul Tillich defines "love" (agape): the whole being's drive and movement toward reunion with another, to overcome existential separation; an ecstatic manifestation of the Spiritual Presence; acceptance of the object of love without restriction, in spite of the estranged, profanized and demonized state of the object; – Systematic Theology III, pp 134-138] ¹⁷ "For God does not send forth His [other MSS: the] Son as an Emissary, or Representative, into the world (or: System; aggregate of humanity) to the end that He should continuously separate and make decisions about the world (or: would at some point sift and judge the System, or the aggregate of humanity), but to the contrary, to the end that the world would be delivered (or: that the System could be healed and made whole; that the ordered arrangement should be restored to health; that the aggregate of mankind may be saved – rescued and re-established in its original state): through Him!

⁶ Who will progressively award in each person (or: give back to each one; pay for each one) down from (in line with; in accord to; to the level of) his works (actions; deeds):

¹⁹ Or, have you folks not seen so as to know that your body (or: the body of you folks) is a temple of the set-apart spirit (or: a sanctuary belonging to the Holy Spirit; a holy place and a holy of holies which pertains to the Sacred Breath; or: that the body, which is you folks, exists being a divine habitation which has the qualities and characteristics of the Holy Attitude) – within the midst of you (or: in union with you folks; or: among you people) – which you people constantly hold and progressively possess from God? And further, you are not folks belonging to yourselves (or: Also then, you people do not exist from yourselves), ²⁰ for you people were bought, as at a marketplace: [there was] value and honor involved in the price (or: [you are] of value) (or: = for you were bought and paid for; or: for from a valuable price you folks were bought at market). By all means then, glorify God (bring a good reputation to God; manifest that which calls forth praise to God) within your body (or: within the midst of the body which you folks are)!

¹¹ Folks that are loved (Beloved ones): I am presently calling you alongside to encourage, aid, comfort and admonish you, as resident aliens (exiles; sojourners; one dwelling beside citizens in a foreign country) and temporary residents (expatriates; strangers) to continually hold yourselves away from the fleshly over-desires (passions; full-rushing upon things), which things are constantly warring (doing military service; battling) down against the soul (the inner self and being),

⁹ Yet you folks [are] "a picked-out (selected; chosen) offspring (family; kin; lineage; race; species; breed) [Isa. 43:20; Deut. 7:6], a royal (kingly; palace) priesthood [Ex. 19:6; Isa. 61:6], a set-apart (holy; different) multitude (company; nation; body of people living together; swarm; association; ethnic group; caste; [Ex. 19:6; note: implies a sacred life]), a people constructed into an encirclement (made into a surrounding structure; set as a perimeter; made into a performance about [Him]; formed around as an acquisition; gathered into a surrounding [flock])" [Isa. 43:21; Ex. 19:5] – so that you may tell forth the message of (or: out-message; publish; declare abroad) the excellencies and qualities of nobleness (virtues of braveness, courage, good character, quality, self-restraint, magnificence, benevolence, reliability) of and from the One calling you out of darkness (gloomy dimness; the realm of shadows and obscurity) into the midst of His wonderful (marvelous; amazing) light [p72 reads: into the wonderful Light],

²⁰ For you see, from [the] creation (framing; founding of order out of chaos; settling) of [the] ordered System (cosmos; universe; or: world of culture, religion and government) His invisible things (unseen [qualities and attributes]) – both His imperceptible (unobservable, but effecting-all) power, ability and capacity, as well as divinity (Godship; God-state) – are habitually seen down the line (or: are normally correspondingly perceived), being continually apprehended (grasped by the mind; mentally conceived) in the results and by the effects of things which are made or done, in order for them to be continuously defenseless (without an excuse),

⁸ In conclusion (or: Finally; or: What [is] left), brothers (= fellow believers; [my] family), as much as is true (or: as many things as are genuine and real), as many as [are] awe-inspiring (serious; respectable; noble; dignified by holiness), as much as [is] rightwised (put right; fair, equitable; just; in right relationship within the Way pointed out), as many as [are] pure and innocent, as much as [is] affection-inducing (friendly; directed toward what is liked; lovable or lovely; agreeable; well-regarded; winsome; engendering fondness; attractive; kindly disposed; loveable), as many as [are] well-spoken-of (commendable; reputable; of good report; the effect of fair speaking; renowned), if [there is] any excellence and nobleness (virtues of braveness, courage, good character, quality, self-restraint, magnificence, benevolence, reliability) [in them] and if [there is] any praise applied (expression of high evaluation; honor paid; approval or applause) [to them], be habitually thinking about these things in a logical way (repeatedly make these things the focus of careful consideration and analysis; continuously take these things into account)!

¹² For the Word of God (or: God's thought, idea and message; or: the expressed Logos from God; or: the Word which is God) [is] living (or: alive), and active (working; operative; energetic; at work; productive) and more cutting above every two-mouthed sword, even passing through (penetrating) as far as a dividing (or: parting; partitioning) of soul and spirit (or: of inner self-life and breath-effect), both of joints and marrows, even able to discern (separate; judge; decide) concerning thoughts (ponderings; reflections; in-rushings; passions) and intentions (notions; purposes) of a heart (= core of the being).

¹⁴ But a soulish person (a human which is dominated by, or living focused on, his breath [= the present transient life], or by those things which characterize the soul [emotions; will; intellect; physical life; internal welfare; the self; the ego]) does not normally accept (or: habitually get or welcomingly receive the offer of) the things of God's Breath-effect (or: which have the character and quality of the Spirit of God; pertaining to God's spirit and attitude), for they are stupidity to him (foolishness for him; nonsense in him), and he continues unable and habitually has no power to intimately and experientially know [them] or get insight, because they continue being sifted and held up for close spiritual examination (are normally evaluated spiritually above; are constantly brought back for spiritual separation and attitudinal discernment; are progressively re-evaluated through means of the Breath-effect and comparison to the Attitude; or: are pneumatically discerned).