The Great Commandment of the Law

In the 22nd chapter of Matthew, after Christ had silenced the Sadducees, a lawyer who was apparently a Pharisee asked Him a question---apparently in an attempt to trap Him.

"Which is the great commandment of the law?" he asked. The issue in the lawyer's question was the Law of Moses (or the five books written by Moses---the Pentateuch).

The Savior of course knew the Law of Moses and He knew the right answer. He responded by quoting the passage we now know as Deuteronomy 6:5: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This," He said, "is the first and great commandment."

Then Jesus continued: "And the second [great commandment] is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself"---this time quoting part of the scriptural passage we now find in Leviticus 19:18.

But Jesus did not stop there. He not only cited these two commandments and the greatest and second greatest commandments in the Law (i.e., the Law of Moses), but also the most significant message in the writings of the prophets. Said He: "On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets."

When the people at the time of Jesus spoke of "the law and the prophets," they were speaking of the scriptures---the writings of Moses and the prophets that they had available to them.

The scriptures in common use by them were in the Greek Septuagint Old Testament---the scriptural writings that had been translated from Hebrew to Greek in the third century B.C. in Alexandria, Egypt, for use by the Greek-speaking Jews living there during the reign of Ptolemy Philadelphus (284-246 B.C.). The title Septuagint comes from the tradition that it was translated in 70 days by 70 (actually 72) elders sent from Jerusalem. In Old Testament commentaries, the Septuagint is often referred to by the designation LXX.

In addition to the law and the prophets, the scriptures also included what they called the writings. These writings included those parts of the Old Testament that we usually think of as being more literary. These included such works as the Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon, Job, Esther, etc.

Book signing at BYU Education Week

I will be signing books (How Often Would I Have Gathered You) at BYU Campus Education Week on Tuesday from 5 til 7 p.m. in the bookstore. Should be a great experience.

Book review in BYU Magazine

This is a book review by Richard Cracroft that appeared in the Summer 2010 BYU Magazine in the "Book Nook" section:

"In How Often Would I Have Gathered You: Stories from the Old Testament and Related Sources for Latter-day Saints (Edenwood Press; 380 pp.; $29.95), Val D. Greenwood (BS ’62) tells familiar Bible stories masterfully in a simple, straightforward style free of fictionalizing and embellishment and consistent with the Latter-day Saint perspective. Basing the stories on the King James Version, but with modernized language, he arranges them in chronological sequence, beginning with the Grand Council in Heaven (drawn from the Pearl of Great Price) and continuing through the return of the Jews from Babylonian captivity and the rebuilding of the temple at Jerusalem. Greenwood included rich and carefully researched footnotes applying LDS scripture and the Joseph Smith Translation, as well as maps, a pronunciation guide, a chart of the kings, and a bibliography. Although these stories do not replace the scripture, they are exciting and clarifying retellings that bring new life to a scripture often weighed down by confusing language."

The only comment I want to make (except that it is a great review) is that the price is now $21.95 rather than $29.95

May Book Signings

Once again, during the month of May, I will be doing book signings for my book of Old Testament stories in modern English, How Often Would I Have Gathered You, at the Utah Costo stores, from Ogden to Orem. My schedule follows:

Tuesday, May 4, 12 - 6 p.m. Sandy
Thursday, May 6, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Lehi
Friday, May 7, 2 - 6 p.m. West Valley City
Monday, May 10, 2 - 6 p.m. Bountiful
Tuesday, May 11, 12 - 6 p.m. Ogden
Wednesday, May 12, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Salt Lake City
Friday, May 14, 2 - 6 p.m. Lehi
Monday, May 17, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Orem
Tusday, May 18, 12 - 6 p.m. Murray
Wednesday, May 19, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Bountiful
Friday, May 21, 2 p.m - 6 p.m. Salt Lake City
Saturday, May 22, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Sandy
Monday, May 24, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Lehi
Wednesday, May 26, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Murray
Thursday, May 27, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. Bountiful
Friday, May 28, 2 p.m. - 6 p.m. West Valley City
Saturday, May 29, 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. Ogden

Costco is selling the books for $13.99--a great price. So stop by and let me sign a book for you.

March Costco Booksigning Schedule

I am running late, but here is my schedule for booksignings in Utah Costco Stores during March:

Monday, March 1, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. OREM
Tuesday, March 2, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. OGDEN
Wednesday, March 3, 10 a.m. to 6.p.m. SANDY
Thursday, March 4, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. WEST VALLEY
Saturday, March 6, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. MURRAY
Monday, March 8, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. LEHI
Wednesday, March 10, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. SANDY
Thursday, March 11, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. OREM
Monday, March 15, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. SANDY
Wednesday, March 17, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. BOUNTIFUL
Monday, March 22, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. MURRAY
Tuesday, March 23, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. OREM
Wednesday, March 24, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. OGDEN
Saturday, March 27, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. BOUNTIFUL
Monday, March 29, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. BOUNTIFUL
Tuesday, March 30, 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. LEHI
Wednesday, March 31, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. SALT LAKE

COSTCO offers my book at irresistable and unbelievable price of $13.99. This is the place to buy it. They have the book even when I am not there, but it will not be signed.

February Book Signings

I will be doing book signings at Utah Costco Stores in February for my book of Old Testament stories for LDS adults, "How Often Would I Have Gathered You." I am looking forward to this, and I hope you will all stop by and buy.



Following is my schedule:



Tues, Feb 2, 1 - 5 p.m. -- OREM

Wed. Feb 3. 12 - 6 p.m. -- MURRAY

Thur, Feb 4, 12 - 6 p.m. -- WEST VALLEY CITY

Fri, Feb 5, 2 - 6 p.m. -- OREM

Sat, Feb 6, 11 a.m. - 3 p.m. -- MURRAY

Tues, Feb 9, 2 - 6 p.m. -- WEST VALLEY CITY

Wed. Feb 10, 12 - 6 p.m. -- OREM

Thur, Feb 11, 12 - 6 p.m. -- SANDY

Fri, Feb 12, 2 - 6 p.m. -- WEST VALLEY CITY

Fri, Feb 19, 12 - 6 p.m. -- MURRAY

Fri, Feb 26, 12 - 6 p.m. -- WEST VALLEY CITY

Sat, Feb 27, 12 - 6 p.m. -- MURRAY

Author Interview with Val Greenwood

Official Apex Reviews Interview: Val Greenwood (I Will Make of Thee a Great Nation)

Apex Reviews: Thanks for joining us for this interview, Val. We're looking forward to learning more about your book and other efforts.

What inspired you to craft this enlightening, informative anthology on the various stories of the Old Testament?

Val Greenwood: Actually, it was the Old Testament itself. On one of my read-throughs, something clicked inside my head and made me want to do it. I love the Old Testament—and especially its wonderful stories. With that thought, I said to myself: Hey, there are some great stories here that need to be more accessible to the average Christian who doesn’t spend much time reading the Bible and who often gets bogged down when he tries to read it. It is amazing how much of the world around us requires us to have some knowledge of the Bible. Even much of our literature—-if we are to understand it--requires familiarity with the Bible.

As I began, I thought there must be at least 50 or 60 great Old Testament stories that needed to be told in modern, easy-to-understand English so that people could understand and appreciate the Old Testament. I was right--yet still way off the mark. Before I finished, I had 219 must-tell stories.

AR: How were you able to come to such a comprehensive overall understanding of the bible?

VG: It was mostly from just reading and studying the scriptures. As I said before, I love the Old Testament (as well as the New Testament), and I read and study it on a regular basis. I have also had the opportunity to teach the scriptures on a college level. And that is like any subject that one teaches: the teacher always learns far more than the students and thus gets greater benefits and insights.

I also did considerable research while I was putting the book together. When I wasn’t sure of the proper interpretation of a passage, I went to the various Bible commentaries to read what others had to say on the same issue. I also must admit that I had quite a bit of inspiration while I was involved in the writing process. It was not unusual for me to unexpectedly hear a comment or read something that gave me the perspective to answer a question or deal with an issue that I had been pondering.

Incidentally, I make no claim that my understandings are all perfect. I can, even now, see things that I would modify if I were to do it all again.

AR: Why do you think so many people have difficulty understanding biblical stories?

VG: First, I would note that people have trouble understanding the Old Testament because it really is difficult to understand. The King James Version (the Authorized Version, as it is called) was translated into English very early in the Seventeenth Century (it was published in 1611). The English language has changed a great deal since that time, and many expressions and usages common at that time are unfamiliar today. That, however, may not be the biggest problem. The main problem, in my opinion, is in the nature of the prophesying of the Jews?which most of us do not understand at all unless we have studied it. The Jews loved to use symbolic language and literary devices to explain (or, should I say, to obscure) their messages. So, unless one understands the “code,” the message can be missed entirely. Some passages that are loaded with significant meaning appear to have no particular significance because we miss the symbolism. Oh, what would we give for the spirit of prophecy?
There is also much in the Old Testament that is valuable in its own way that is of little interest to the typical Bible reader. The extensive genealogies are one example. Other examples include the details and minutia of the Law of Moses and the all-inclusive information on the division of the Promised Land among the twelve tribes. For many of us, there is much more information than we want.

AR: Have you marketed the book to churches and other religious institutions for inclusion in their educational curriculum?

VG: I have been working on some strategies to do this, but I have found the progress to be relatively slow and more difficult than I expected. There are many institutions that have Internet web sites, which I have used to contact them, and I have also sent many of them copies of the book. I actually have not had many positive responses. The colleges and seminaries are generally not interested because the book is not a scholarly tome (which it was never intended to be), and those who are involved with religious education for lay groups, youth, and children seem to be skeptical?this in spite of all the great book reviews that say I Will Make of Thee a Great Nation is the ideal tool for their purposes. Most of those with extensive educational programs use study materials and books prepared by their own people and are hesitant to use anything written by a man they have never heard of. I am still trying to reach the grass roots, but have not yet found the ideal medium for doing so. Anyway, I had mailed out lots of free books. If I can get enough free books out there, perhaps I can get the word-of-mouth publicity working in my favor.

AR: What kinds of responses have you gotten to the anthology thus far?

VG: I believe I have already answered this question. I can only add that the great response I had hoped for is yet to come. Most people who have seen the book and taken the time to look at it seriously have liked it very much.

AR: What is the main message that you'd like readers to take away from the book?

VG: I have four great messages in mind, but let me share the two top ones with you. The first great message is of the life and mission of the Savior. Types and shadows of his life and his atonement are found everywhere in the people, places, and events of the Old Testament.

The second great message?and this surprises many people?is of God’s love for His children. Though the Old Testament tells of much harshness of judgment, there are also countless examples where God’s love for His (often wayward) children is manifest. And careful examination also shows that much of God’s harshness was also because He loved them.

AR: Please share more with our readers about your publisher, American Book Publishing.

VG: American Book Publishing is a small publisher located in Salt Lake City, Utah. It publishes books in many different genres but will not publish books that use questionable language or that have a questionable moral perspective. I am not aware that ABP has any particular specialty, but is willing to consider any book that appears to have a chance to succeed. ABP is not a religious publisher, so I feel fortunate that the decision makers were willing to take a chance on I Will Make of Thee a Great Nation. The staff is diverse. My editor is in California, the production manager in Pennsylvania, and the designer in Kitchener, Ontario. I have no idea where some of the others are. All communication is by e-mail, and everyone is very professional?all in all very professional in their work and good people to work with.

AR: Prior to penning I Will Make of Thee a Great Nation, you wrote a book about genealogical research entitled The Researcher's Guide to American Genealogy, which has experienced the success of multiple printings. Please share more with us about that endeavor.

VG: Following my graduation from college in 1962, I worked as a professional genealogist for three years and then taught genealogical research on a college level for six years. I was frustrated as a teacher because there was no real textbook for those interested in tracing their American ancestors. It was during this time I decided to write that book. The Researcher’s Guide to American Genealogy was the result. It was finally published in 1973, while I was in law school. It is both a textbook and an all-purpose reference book for genealogists.

I never got to use the book as a textbook myself, but it was an instant success. And it became even more popular during the heyday of Alex Haley’s Roots when it received attention on a national TV talk show. My publisher, Genealogical Publishing Company in Baltimore, was skeptical in the beginning because their specialty was reprints; they had never published any original works. They printed 3,000 copies in the first printing and said they would consider the book a success if they could sell those in five years. That original printing was sold out and they were back at the printer’s within three months. The book is now considered a classic and is still the most widely used textbook in the field. It has been in its third edition since January 2000 and has sold well over 100,000 copies.

AR: What are your future writing/publishing plans?

VG: This is uncertain. Many have urged me to do a book of New Testament stories, but I have not yet decided that I will. The New Testament presents some quite different challenges than the Old Testament. However, I must admit that I am leaning in that direction. How long before I could finish such a book is still an issue.

AR: How can people learn more about you and your ongoing efforts?

VG: There are a couple of good ways for people can learn more about me. They can go to my web site (http://oldtestamentor.com} and read about me there, or they can go to my author page on AuthorsDen (http://www.authorsden.com). There is also a link to AuthorsDen on my website. I am on FaceBook, too, though I don’t go there often.

AR: How can they contact you directly?

VG: The Contact Form on my web site can be used to send me a message or a question. That works well. A person can send me a direct e-mail message at < val@valgreenwood.com >. I can also be reached by telephone at 801-302-8036 or on my cell phone at 801-455-4610. My mailing address is PO Box 1194, Riverton, UT 84065. If someone wants to buy a book or two, they are for sale on my web site and on Amazon.com, or they can be ordered at any bookstore. I am sorry I have no fax machine.

AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?

VG: One thing I would say is that I will be grateful if anyone who reads my book (and who feels so inclined) wants to post a book review on Amazon.com. Also, I hope everyone understands that my object in writing I Will Make of Thee a Great Nation was not to make money. I wrote it because I love the Old Testament and I want to help people appreciate and understand the Old Testament as I do through the medium of its wonderful stories.

AR: Thanks again, Val, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!

The Case for a Book of Old Testament Stories

According to recent polls, Americans’ knowledge of the Bible is woefully lacking. Although Gallup found that 60% of Americans read the Bible occasionally, most cannot name even one author of the four Gospels. Harpers magazine found that 12 percent of Americans thought Joan of Ark was the wife of Noah.

“God helps those who help themselves.” It was Benjamin Franklin who coined the phrase, but three-quarters of Americans believe it comes from the Bible, according to Boston University Professor of religion, Stephen Pothero. His book on religious literacy promotes a fresh effort at biblical education. Even Jay Leno, in his admittedly non-scientific man-on-the-street interviews, found almost no one who had heard of Cain and Able or Sodom and Gomorrah. Several people thought Eve had been created from an apple or that there were twelve commandments. George Gallup once summed up, that America is simultaneously a religious nation and a nation of religious illiterates.

A 2006 study by the Bible Literacy Project concluded that there is universal need for public school training in Bible knowledge. Project author, Dr. M. Wachlin’s, survey of college professors found overwhelming agreement “that a lack of basic Bible literacy hampers students’ ability to understand both classics and contemporary work.” Erosion of Bible literacy “in the last three or four decades has put much of Western literature beyond the reach of many readers”, adds Professor David Jeffrey of Baylor University.

My response to a world woefully lacking in an understanding of the greatest story ever told is my new book, I Will Make Thee a Great Nation. In it, I have arranged 219 stories of the Old Testament in a chronological order in an attempt to make them more accessible to a modern world. It is not my intention, however, that my book and its stories should replace the Bible—but rather that they should be read along with the Bible. The language of my stories is simpler than the cryptic King James English and most of the things that got people bogged down and discouraged have been omitted because they are not essential to the storys’ messages. If the stories, lessons, and faith of the Old Testament are going to be relevant and are to resonate thousands of years after they were written, they must be more palatable and more in tune with the way people read and absorb information in today’s world.

The book signing went well.

It went well, but I missed you. It's a good thing all those other people were there or I would have been pretty lonely and would not have sold any books.

Web site redesign and upgrade

For those who may not be aware, my web site, New View Old Testament, has been redesigned. It is better organized and more visually appealing. Let me know what you think.

Book Signing at BYU Education Week

Stop by and say hello. I will be signing books at BYU Education Week again this year. The signing will be in the BYU Bookstore on Thursday, August 20, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Because the Church will be studying the Old Testament again during 2010, this will be a great opportunity to pick up a copy of my award-winning book, HOW OFTEN WOULD I HAVE GATHERED YOU. It is a collection of more than 200 stories from the Old Testament for adult Latter-day Saints. It is the study aid you need if you want to get all you can out of your Old Testament study.

If you can't make it to the book signing, you can also buy an autographed copy at an LDS bookstore near you or on line at http://newviewoldtestament.com.

Book trailer video

You can see my my new book trailer video at this address. I would appreciate your comments.

The God of the Bible

For the sake of discussion, I would ask those who claim that the three-in-one God without body, parts, and passions of the Nicean (Nicene) and Athenasian Creeds is the God of the Bible to consider and explain the following scriptures. Some of these scriptures seem to suggest that the Father and the Son are two separate beings. Others suggest that they have bodies (in whose image mankind was created). And others suggest that those bodies have parts. Though there is always concern when one takes a scripture out of its context, I believe there is sufficient information in these scriptures to make my point.

Some words are underlined and in blue. This has no relevance to this discussion. They lead to links and references related to those words.

~~~~~~~

· Genesis 1:27: So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

· Genesis 5:1-2: This is the book of the generations of Adam. In the day that God created man, in the likeness of God made he him; Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created.

· ­ Genesis 9:6: Whoso sheddeth man’s blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

· Genesis 32:30: And Jacob called the name of the place Peniel: for I have seen God face to face, and my life is preserved.

· Exodus 24:9-11: Then went up Moses, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel: And they saw the God of Israel: and there was under his feet as it were a paved work of a sapphire stone, and as it were the body of heaven in his clearness. And upon the nobles of the children of Israel he laid not his hand: also they saw God, and did eat and drink.

· Exodus 31:18: And he gave unto Moses, when he had made an end of communing with him upon mount Sinai, two tables of testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God.

· Exodus 33:11: And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.

· Exodus 33:22-23: And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by: And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.

· Numbers 12:7-8: My servant Moses is not so, who is faithful in all mine house. With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the Lord shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

· Matthew 3:16-17: And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

· Matthew 14:23 (Mark 6:46): And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.

· Matthew 17:5: While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them: and behold a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him.

· Matthew 20:20-23: Then came to him the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, worshipping him, and desiring a certain thing of him. And he said unto her, What wilt thou? She saith unto him, Grant that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left, in thy kingdom. But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup tht I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able. And he saith unto them, Ye shall drink indeed of my cup, and be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with: but to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, but it shall be given to them for whom it is prepared of my Father.

· Matthew 26:39-42: And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt. … He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done.

· Matthew 26:63-64: But Jesus held his peace. And the high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.

· Matthew 27:46: And about the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, saying, Eli, Eli, lama sabachthani? that is to say, My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?

· Mark 1:9-11: And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

· Mark 1:35: And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed.

· Luke 6:12: And it came to pass in those days, that he went out into a mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God.

· Luke 9:28, 35: And it came to pass about an eight days after these sayings, he took Peter and John and James, and went up into a mountain to pray... And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son: hear him.

· Luke 10:16: He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me.

· Luke 10:21-22: In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou has hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. All things are delivered to me of my Father: and no man knoweth who the Son is, but the Father; and who the Father is, but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal him.

· Luke 23:46: And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

· Luke 24:39: And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

· John 3:16-18: For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he tht believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

· John 3:34-35: For he whom God has sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

· John 5:17-27: But Jesus answered them, My Father worketh hitherto, and I work. Therefore the Jews sought the more to kill him, because he not only had broken the sabbath, but said also that God was his Father, making himself equal with God. Then answered Jesus and said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, The Son can do nothing of himself, but what he seeth the Father do: for what things soever he doeth, these also doeth the Son likewise. For the Father loveth the Son, and sheweth him all things that himself doeth: and he will shew him greater works than these, that ye may marvel. For as the Father raiseth up the dead, and quickeneth them even so the Son quickeneth whom he will. For the Father judgeth no man, but hath committed all judgment unto the Son: That all men should honour the Son, even as they honour the Father. He that honoureth not the Son honoureth not the Father which hath sent him. Verily, verily, I say uinto you, He that heareth my words, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live. For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself; And hath given him authority to execute judgment also, because he is the Son of man.

· John 5:36-38: But I have greater witness than that of John: for the works which the Father hath given me to finish, the same works that I do, bear witness of me, that the Father hath sent me. And the Father himself, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me. Ye have neither heard his voice at any time, nor seen his shape. And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.

· John 6:44: No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise them up at the last day.

· John 14:18-26: I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings: and the word which ye hear is not mine, but the Father's which sent me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, who the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever i have said unto you.

· John 17:1-26: These words spake Jesus, and lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify thy Son, that thy Son also may glorify thee: As thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him. And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent. I have glorified thee on the earth: I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do. And now, O Father, glorify thou me with thine own self with the glory which I had with thee before the world was. I have manifested thy name unto the men which thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them me; and they have kept thy word. Now they have known that all things whatsoever thou hast given me are of thee. For I have given unto them the words which thou gavest me; and they have received them, and have known surely that I came out from thee, and they have believed that thou didst send me. I pray for them: I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast given me; for they are thine. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine; and I am glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are. While I was with them in the world, I kept them in thy name: those that thou gavest me I have kept, and none of them is lost, but the son of perdition; that the scripture might be fulfilled. And now come I to thee; and these things I speak in the world, that they might have my joy fulfilled in themselves. I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Father, I will that they also, whom thou hast given me, be with me where I am; that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me: for thou lovedst me before the foundation of the world. O righteous Father, the world hath not known thee: but I have known thee, and these have known that thou hast sent me. And I have declared unto them thy name, and will declare it: that the love wherewith thou hast loved me may be in them, and I in them.

. John 20:21,30-31: Then said Jesus to them again, Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book: But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name.

· Acts 7:55-56: But he [Stephen], being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

· 2 Corinthians 4:4: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

· Philippians 2:6: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.

· Colossians 1:15: Who is the image of the invisible God, the first born of every creature:

· Hebrews 1:1-6: God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purgedright hand of the Majesty on high; our sins, sat down on the Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they. For unto which of the angels said he at any time, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee? And again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son? And again, when he bringeth in the firstbegotten into the world, he saith, And let all the angels of God worship him.

· James 3:8-9: But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God.

· 1 John 1:2: Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.

· Revelation 22:3-4: And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him: And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.