Article August 22, 1936 Issue

Bible Notes

"God sent not his Son ... to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved" (John 3:17)—The word translated "condemn" means literally "judge," and need not imply condemnation. So Goodspeed has "pass judgment"; and Weymouth (fifth edition), "judge"; thought Moffatt prefers, "pass sentence." It may be noted that the word here translated "saved" is the same which is elsewhere rendered "made whole" (cf. Luke 8:48) by the King James translators, and "cured" by Goodspeed. So in John 3:17 we could translate: "that the world might be healed through him."

"Thou art the Christ" (Matt. 16:16)—It may be noted that the Greek word "Christos" (Christ) is synonymous with the Hebrew term "mashiach" (Messiah), for both may be literally translated "anointed." Since in the New Testament "Christ Jesus" (Anointed one, Saviour) is hailed as "Kind" (John 1:49), as "priest" (Hebr. 5:6) and as "Prophet" (John 7:40), it may be recalled that in the Old Testament it was customary to set apart kings, such as Saul and David (cf. I Sam. 16:13; 24:10), and certain outstanding priests, such as Aaron and his sons (Exod. 28:41), by the ceremony of literal anointing; while the prophetic writer of Isaiah 61:1 announces: "The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings." In short, Christ Jesus was the "Anointed One" in a triple sense—as king, as priest, and as prophet.

"Bar-Jona" (Matt. 16:17)—The prefix "Bar-" means "Son of," and is the Aramaic equivalent of the Hebrew "Ben-." "Jona" appears to be an abbreviated form of "Johannes" (John) the name given to Peter's father in John 1:42 (cf. Allen: Commentary on St. Matthew, p. 175f.).

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