The Passion Translation New Testament: With Psalms, Proverbs and Song of Songs

by Brian Simmons

16 The dove is a symbol for both meekness and purity. Two gentle animals are pictured at the baptism of Jesus, a dove resting upon a lamb. If you want the presence of the Dove you need to have the nature of the Lamb. The implication is that the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus and never left him.

9Pray like this: ‘Our Beloved Father,g dwelling in the heavenly realms, may the glory of your name be the center on which our lives turn.h 10Manifest your kingdom realm,i and cause your every purpose to be fulfilled on earth, just as it is in heaven. 11We acknowledge you as our Provider of all we need each day.j 12Forgive us the wrongs we have donek as we ourselves release forgiveness to those who have wronged us. 13Rescue us every time we face tribulationl and set us free from evil.m For you are the King who rules with power and glory forever. Amen.’n

j19:12 Three types of “celibates” are mentioned. First, there are those who from birth have grace to remain celibate. Second, sometimes a male was castrated, usually before puberty, which would greatly affect the hormonal changes of a boy becoming an adult. In biblical times, these eunuchs were chosen to be male servants of a king, having been castrated in order to ensure they don’t have sex with the king’s harem. Third, this is a metaphorical class of people (male and female) who are like “spiritual eunuchs,” having been chosen to never use the bride of Christ for their own purposes. Jesus gives us a parable of God’s servants who will lead the church but never harm or use the bride of Christ for their own desires. They will always point the bride to her Bridegroom, Jesus Christ. They have made themselves “eunuchs” and are determined to extend God’s kingdom, not their own. The rare Greek verb for “make themselves eunuchs” can also refer to being “always watchful, sleepless, diligent.” To become a “spiritual eunuch” has nothing to do with sex, but with always watching out for the interests of our King, and not taking for ourselves what only belongs to him in order to serve our own desires.

8 Or “They saw no one with them anymore except Jesus.” There were two mountains in the life of Jesus that focused on his true identity and mission. On this mountain, his face shone as bright as the sun; yet on Mount Calvary, his face was beaten to a pulp. On this mountain, his clothing was glistening white; yet on Mount Calvary, his clothing was taken from him and he was bleeding crimson. On this mountain, he had at his side two of the greatest men ever to live, Moses and Elijah; yet on Mount Calvary, he had at his side two murderers. On this mountain, the glory of God overshadowed him; yet on Mount Calvary, he was alone, forsaken, in the dark. On this mountain, we hear the Father’s voice of commendation; yet on Calvary’s mountain, the Father was silent. How beautiful was Jesus on both mountains!

c10:1 The reason this is important to note is that this places Jesus in the jurisdiction of Herod Antipas, who had John the Baptizer beheaded at the request of his stepdaughter. Now the Pharisees are coming to test Jesus in hopes of setting him up for likewise being put to death by Herod. The Aramaic notes the location as “the crossing place.” This could have been the place where Joshua and the Hebrews crossed the Jordan to enter into the promised land.

10:9 See Deut. 24:1; Matt. 19:3–12. This question in v. 2 was asked in the context of an ongoing debate between two schools of rabbinical thought. The liberal view (Rabbi Hillel’s) said that divorce could be made on any grounds, called “Any Matter” divorce, while the conservative viewpoint (Rabbi Shammai’s) believed that divorce was only legal on the grounds of adultery. Jesus gave them God’s view and used the creation of man and woman in the garden as the standard.

b11:3 Only once in the Gospels do we see Jesus ever needing anything. In this case he needed a donkey. More than one commentator has seen a picture here of how the Lord “needs” every believer to be his representative in the world.

It is clear from Lev. 21:10 that if a high priest tears his robe he is disqualified from his office. Indeed, Caiaphas is now stepping aside and God’s true High Priest is taking his place.

21 Or “from Cyrene,” which is present-day Tripoli, Libya. Cyrene was a Greek colony that had a great number of Jews who had been forced to live there during the reign of Ptolemy Soter (323–285 BC). Church tradition states that Simon’s two sons became powerful missionaries for Jesus Christ. Their mention here might indicate that they were notable among the early Christians. See Rom. 16:13. It is also possible that Simon himself could be linked to the “believers from Cyprus and Cyrene” who were evangelists to the Syrians, mentioned in Acts 11:20. k15:21 Or “the father of two sons,” who, by implication, were with him at that time. Church tradition states that their names were Rufus and Alexander who became missionaries preaching the message of Christ. See Rom. 16:13.

15:38 The veil torn from the top to the bottom proves that it was God who did this, for the veil was very thick, heavy, and nearly sixty feet tall. See Heb. 10:19–22. With the tearing of the veil, the cross of Jesus became the true mercy seat.

ad15:40–41 Or “Joses,” a nickname for Joseph that perhaps could best be translated “Joey.”

af15:43 As translated from the Aramaic. Ramah (formerly Ramathaim Zophim) was the village of Samuel, situated on a hill overlooking Jerusalem. The Greek is “Joseph of Arimathea.” Luke tells us that he was a member of the Sanhedrin. See Luke 23:50–51. It is possible that Joseph may

f16:18 Or “They will pick up snakes and be unharmed, and whatever poison they drink will not hurt them.” Some scholars believe that this sentence contains two Aramaic idioms. To pick up snakes could be a picture of overcoming one’s enemies (“snakes”), and drinking poison may be speaking of dealing with attacks on one’s character (poisonous words). The imagery is from Ps. 91:13.

You are about to read the biography of the wonderful man Jesus Christ. This glorious Gospel was penned by one of his early followers, a physician named Luke. All four Gospels in our New Testament are inspired by God, but Luke’s is unique. I believe that this could be described as the loveliest book ever written. Luke’s pen was anointed by the Holy Spirit and his book is still read today by the lovers of God, because it is the mercy Gospel. It is a book for everybody, for we all need mercy. Luke writes clearly of the humanity of Jesus—as the servant of all and the sacrifice for all. Every barrier is broken down in Luke’s Gospel: between Jew and gentile, men and women, rich and poor. In Luke we see Jesus as the Savior of all who come to him. Luke, being a physician, learned the need to exhibit compassion and mercy toward others. It comes through in every chapter. Luke’s Gospel is perhaps the most compassionate and love-filled account of Jesus’ life ever written. Luke shares Jesus’ teachings on prayer, forgiveness, and our obligation to demonstrate mercy and grace in dealings with others. Luke provides us with rich details of Jesus’ love of children and the forsaken. Luke writes about Jesus’ ministry to women twenty-four times. This was somewhat controversial in the culture of his day. In fact, Luke uses an alternating narrative of one story about a man and the next story about a woman. Luke begins with the story of Zechariah, then moves to Mary. A focus on Simeon, then on An...

i1:8–9 Some have said there were twenty thousand priests in Christ’s time, so that no priest would ever offer incense more than once. This was a once-in-a-lifetime moment for Zechariah. The burning of incense before the Lord was done twice daily, once in the morning and once in the afternoon (Ex. 30:7–8).

4–5 The distance from Nazareth to Bethlehem is about sixty-five miles (105 kilometers) and would have taken a number of days for them to arrive. Bethlehem, or Byt-lehem, means “house of bread,” the prophesied birthplace of Messiah. However, the Hebrew word lechem is a homonym for “fighter” or “warrior.” Jesus was born in “the house of fighters.” Bethlehem is the city of David, who was one of the greatest fighters in the entire Bible. Perhaps this is why the people of Jesus’ day expected him to fight the Romans and free their land from foreign occupation. Jesus fulfilled both aspects of the meaning of Bethlehem in Gethsemane and on the cross, where he fought the “Goliath” of our souls and won, becoming bread for the world.

8 Many scholars believe that these could be the same fields where sacrificial flocks were kept for temple worship. How fitting that these shepherds would hear the announcement of the birth of the Lamb of God. Others believe these fields could have been near the field of Boaz, or the fields where David once watched over the flocks of his father, Jesse.

12 A baby lying in a feeding trough where animals were kept nearby, wrapped in strips of cloths, became a sign of the Man-Savior’s life on earth. He entered the world as a lowly baby, and though he is the mighty God, he lived his life on earth in gentleness before all. The shepherds that night were possibly near Bethlehem at Migdal Eder, “the [watch] tower of the flock.” This would fulfill both the prophecies of Mic. 5:2 and Mic. 4:8, which say, “to you it [he] will come, your dominion [kingdom] from old will arrive.” It was at the lower floor of the watchtower (Migdal Eder) that the birthing of the Passover lambs would take place. Selected ewes that were about to give birth would be brought there. After the birth of the lambs, the priestly shepherds would wrap the lambs in cloth and lay them in a manger lined with soft hay to prevent them from hurting themselves, for Passover lambs must be unblemished with no bruise or broken bone. The miracle sign for these priestly shepherds would be a baby boy lying where the Passover lamb should be—in a manger, wrapped in strips of cloth. It was at the cradle of Jesus Christ that the kingdom from ancient times arrived on earth.

k2:14 As translated from the Aramaic. The Greek is “good will among people” or “good will among people with whom he is pleased.”

y2:36–37 Some Greek manuscripts make her age to be eighty-four. But the most reliable Greek and Aramaic texts state that she had been in the temple for eighty-four years. If so, this would make her at that time to be about one hundred six. God is faithful to those who wait in faith. Both Simeon and Anna were privileged to touch the Christ before they died in faith.

d7:13 The Greek word splanchnizomai denotes the deepest level of compassion. There is no greater word in the Greek language to describe the depth of emotion Jesus felt for this widow over the loss of her son. Splanchnizomai is actually the word for “intestines.” Jesus’ emotions fully identified with her grief and he carried her sorrow.

e8:3 To travel with a rabbi was considered a high honor. Yet it was not permitted in the culture and time of Jesus’ ministry for a woman to be mentored by a rabbi. Jesus elevated women into a place of honor and respect, in spite of the cultural limitations. It was these wealthy women who provided for Jesus’ care. Luke is the one Gospel writer who brings out the many times Jesus honored women. These women would later be present at the crucifixion (Matt. 27:55–56; Mark 15:40–41; Luke 23:49, 55) and at the resurrection (Luke 24:1–11). Mary Magdalene was the first human being to see the risen Christ (John 20:11–18).

s8:43 Translated from the Aramaic text, which states literally “the house of healers.” This phrase is not found in many Greek texts.

t8:44 This was on the corner of the prayer shawl, and the tassel was meant to symbolize all of the commandments and promises of God. The woman was laying hold of a promise for healing.

ae9:59 The text is literally “Allow me first to go and bury my father.” This is an idiom for waiting until his father passed away. He wanted an inheritance in this life as his security.

Don’t Worry 22Jesus taught his disciples, saying, “Listen to me. Never let anxiety enter your hearts. Never worry about any of your needs, such as food or clothing. 23For your life is infinitely more than just the food you eat or the clothing you wear. 24Take the carefree birds as your example. Do you ever see them worry? They neither grow their own food nor put it in a storehouse for later. Yet God takes care of every one of them, feeding each of them out of the abundance of his love and goodness. Isn’t your life more precious to God than a bird? Be carefree in the care of God! 25“Does worry add anything to your life? Can it add one more year, or even one day? 26So if worrying adds nothing, but actually subtracts from your life, why would you worry about God’s care of you? 27“Think about the lilies. They grow and become beautiful, not because they work hard or strive to clothe themselves. Yet not even Solomon, wearing his kingly garments of splendor, could be compared to a field of lilies. 28If God can clothe the fields and meadows with grass and flowers, can he not clothe you as well, O struggling one with so many doubts?g 29I repeat: Don’t let worry enter your life. Live above the anxious cares about your personal needs. 30People everywhere seem to worry about making a living, but your heavenly Father knows your every need and will take care of you. 31As you passionately seek his kingdom, above all else, he will supply your needs. 32So don’t ever be afraid, dearest frie...

e21:20 This was fulfilled in AD 70 when the Roman armies sacked Jerusalem. Some historians estimate that the Romans slaughtered more than one million Jews at that time and took captive up to one hundred thousand to other nations. Jews today still mourn the destruction of the temple on the fast of Tisha B’Av, the ninth day of the fifth month.

h23:26 Or “from Cyrene,” which is present-day Tripoli, Libya.

According to Tertullian, one of the church fathers, John was plunged in burning oil in front of a massive crowd that had filled the Roman Coliseum in order to silence his ministry. But God was not yet finished with his aged apostle. Tertullian reported that John came out of the burning caldron alive and unharmed! This miracle resulted in the mass conversion to Christ of nearly all who witnessed it. John was later banished to the island of Patmos where he wrote the book of the Revelation of Jesus Christ.

There is an interesting possibility that both Jacob (James) and John (sons of Zebedee) were actually cousins of Jesus. By comparing Matt. 27:56 to Mark 15:40–41, we learn that Zebedee’s wife was Salome. And Salome was believed to be the younger sister of Mary, the mother of our Lord Jesus, which would make her sons, Jacob and John, cousins of Jesus.

t1:14 Or “live within us.” This is the fulfillment of Isa. 7:14. The “God with us” is Jesus Christ our Immanuel. He is among us in that he is in human form, and is still in human form within the Trinity eternally. The Greek and Aramaic can be translated “he pitched his tent among us.” John’s wording takes us back into the book of Exodus where: (1) God came down and lived in the tent (tabernacle) in the wilderness (Ex. 25:8). (2) God revealed his glory in the pillar of fire and cloud (Ex. 40:38). (3) God identified himself as the One and Only (“I am Yahweh your God . . . You may have no gods other than me,” [Ex. 20:2; Deut. 6:4]). (4) God proclaimed his wrap-around love (Ex. 34:6).

ad1:19 Or simply, “Jews,” a metonymy for “Jewish leaders.” Obviously, not all Jews opposed John’s ministry. Some estimate that John and his disciples baptized as many as one million people. It is possible that John was a part of the Essene community of devout Jews.

ak1:28 As translated from the Aramaic. This place of crossing is likely where the children of Israel crossed into the promised land when the Jordan River parted and they passed through on dry land. See Josh. 3. This place is a powerful reminder of crossing over into a new day, a new era for Israel. God chose this place for John to baptize.

a2:1 This was a Tuesday as counted by the Hebrew week beginning on Sunday. The “third day” was chosen as the wedding day in ancient Judaism because it is only on the third day of creation that God said “It was good” twice (see Gen. 1:10, 12). Thus, the Jews considered the day twice blessed. Tuesdays were ideal for Jewish weddings, for that gave the guests time to get there after the Sabbath and remain for the multiple days of the wedding feast. The third day is also a picture of the day of resurrection glory, the day Jesus rose from the dead. This miracle is a revelation of moving from death to resurrection life, water to wine.

j4:20 This “nearby mountain” is most likely Mount Gerizim where the Samaritans had a shrine to worship God. However, Jacob’s well lies at the base of Mount Ebal, the mountain that Yahweh told the Levites to curse. See Deut. 27:12–26; Josh. 8:33. Both Gerizim and Ebal are mountains in Samaria.

p4:30 Although unnamed in the biblical account, church tradition identifies the Samaritan woman to be Photini. An internet search of her name will yield many interesting stories about her post-conversion ministry, including her being named as an “apostle” of Jesus and her eventual martyrdom. Regardless of the validity of the extrabiblical references, history records her as the first New Testament evangelist to win a city to Christ. God is faithful to use anyone to reach others when we are honest to tell others that Jesus knows everything we’ve ever done and still loves us.

ac8:48 They are obviously scorning Jesus by calling him “a demon-possessed Samaritan.” The Jews despised their northern cousins, the Samaritans, for their ancestors had come from Assyria and occupied Israel’s lands. The three major groups in Israel at that time were Judeans (Jews), Galileans, and Samaritans. The Jerusalem Jews saw themselves as superior and more faithful to the God of the Hebrews than their northern neighbors. Jesus was a Galilean, having come from Nazareth. But Nazareth was part of the northern region looked down upon by the Jews. The Aramaic can be translated “You’re a crazy Samaritan.”

ae8:56 This refers to the prophetic insight God gave to Abraham about the coming Messiah. Many Hebrew scholars believe this was given to Abraham on the day of “binding.” That is, the day he tied his son, Isaac, to the altar to offer him as a sacrifice. It was then that God showed him a ram that was caught in a thicket nearby to be the substitute for Isaac. See Gal. 3:16; Heb. 11:13, 17–19.

c9:6 John has left us a book of pictures. The picture here is the mingling of spit and clay, a picture of the Christ who is God and man. The saliva comes from the mouth, the spoken Word, God incarnate. The clay is always a picture of man, for our human vessel is a jar of clay. No doubt, the blind man had heard people spit as they walked by him, as a sign of disgust, for in that day they believed blindness was caused by a curse (Deut. 28:28). But this day, as he heard Jesus spit on the ground, it was for his healing.

e10:9 A sheep pen was an enclosure with walls and no roof that would often have the sheep of an entire village kept within. After the sheep were brought in for the night, it was common for the shepherd to sleep at the entrance so he could protect his sheep. Only the shepherds of the sheep would be recognized by that gatekeeper. Jesus is the one who will remain with his flock and keep his sheep living in peace and safety. His teaching (voice) will guard us from the unreliable teachers who want to steal our hearts and bind us to themselves. They steal and rob the affection that belongs only to Jesus, our kind shepherd.

16So Thomas, nicknamed the Twin, remarked to the other disciples, “Let’s go so that we can die with him.”

g13:18 Or “has lifted up his heel against me.” The Greek text preserves the idiom of Ps. 41:9, which speaks of a treacherous betrayal. In the Semitic culture it is the greatest breach of etiquette to sit and eat with a friend and then later betray them. This is why many would never eat with someone they were not on good terms with. See also footnotes on Ps. 41:9.

m13:26 This was culturally an act of cherished friendship and intimacy, to hand over choice bits of food to a friend. This is the love of Christ, to give food to his enemy. It is no wonder Satan entered his heart after Judas ate the bread handed to him by his friend. For how can one accept the gift of true friendship and still hold on to treachery and the spirit of betrayal?

l14:16–17 The Greek word used here is paráklētos, a technical word that could be translated “defense attorney.” It means “one called to stand next to you as a helper.” Various translations have rendered this “Counselor,” “Comforter,” “Advocate,” “Encourager,” “Intercessor,” or “Helper.” However none of these words alone are adequate and fall short in explaining the full meaning. This translation has chosen the word Savior, for it depicts the role of the Holy Spirit to protect, defend, and save us from our self and our enemies and keep us whole and healed. He is the One who guides and defends, comforts and consoles. Keep in mind that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Christ, our Savior. The Aramaic word is paraqleta, which is taken from two root words: (1) praq, “to end, finish, or to save,” and (2) lyta, which means “the curse.” What a beautiful word picture: the Holy Spirit comes to end the work of the curse (of sin) in our lives and to save us from its every effect! Paraqleta means “a redeemer who ends the curse.” (See Strong’s Concordance, Gr. 6561 and 6562; A Compendious Syriac Dictionary, p. 237; and Oraham’s Dictionary, p. 250.)

n14:18 There are three ways Jesus will come to them. He came after his resurrection and appeared numerous times to his disciples. He came in the person of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost to live within them (Rom. 8:9), and he will come in the parousia, known traditionally as the second coming.

ac18:39 Pilate was not a saint. He was considered to be a corrupt and violent leader who would execute people without a trial. (Philo, De Legatione ad Caium, ed. Mangey, ii.590). He stole money from the temple treasury and brought pagan statues into Jerusalem, which caused riots and death to many. It was reported by the church father Eusebius (History Eccl. ii 7) that he was later banished to Vienna in Gaul, where he committed suicide.

a19:1 This leather whip, embedded with sharpened pieces of bone and metal, was known as “the scorpion.” Historians record that many people never survived this cruel flogging. The whips were known to break open the flesh and cut through muscle and sinew all the way to the bone. It was his love for you that enabled him to endure such treatment.

h19:12 In essence, these words were a form of blackmail as the Jewish authorities were reminding Pilate that it would ruin his career if he pardoned Jesus. The term “friend of Caesar” was an honorific title given only to the ruling wealthy class of Romans who would have access to the emperor’s court. Many of these friends of Caesar were senators and members of the Equestrian Order, known also as the Knights. Pilate’s position was a political appointment due to his being a member of this elite class of Romans who took an oath of loyalty to Caesar. They were, in effect, threatening to inform Rome that Pilate was allowing treason in Caesar’s empire. As one historian remarked, “One false move and his appointment would be cancelled and his career finished” (P. Barnett, Jesus and the Rise of Early Christianity: A History of New Testament Times, Illinois: InterVarsity, 1999, p. 147). This overruled Pilate’s desire to set Jesus free. He went on to condemn him to death. To place your career over Jesus is never wise.

p19:25 Many scholars believe that Mary’s sister (Jesus’ aunt) was Salome. This would mean she was the wife of Zebedee and the mother of Jacob (James) and John (the writer of the Gospel of John). Furthermore, that would mean that Jacob (James) and John were cousins of Jesus. See also Matt. 27:56; Mark 15:40.

y19:34 Although unverifiable, church tradition indentifies the soldier to be Longinus, who later converted to Christ. One tradition holds to the belief that he was a Roman centurion suffering from an eye problem or blindness that was instantly healed when a drop of Jesus’ blood fell into his eye. See Christopher Fuhrmann, Policing the Roman Empire: Soldiers, Administration, and Public Order (Oxford University Press, reprint ed., 2014) 231; Malcolm Godwin, The Holy Grail: Its Origins, Secrets & Meaning Revealed (Viking Penguin, 1994), 51.