Wednesday, January 29, 2020

Misquoting JESUS

In Mark chapter 14 during CHRIST's horrific suffering in Gethsemane we find the following incident.

JESUS finds Peter, James (Jacob), and John sleeping and asks them why they could not even stay awake for one hour. 99% of Bibles have JESUS saying the following in verse 38:

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.
The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."

(New International Version)


*The King James version substitutes "ready" for "willing" but the basic meaning is the same.


The problem with this verse is that JESUS only states the first part about watching and praying.

The Joseph Smith Translation, aka the Inspired Version, has the verse like this:

"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation.

And they said unto him, the spirit truly is ready, but the flesh is weak."

Peter, Jacob, and John make the second statement. We also get a modifier for "truly" to emphasize it.


The statement is true regardless of who said it, but it creates more tension if the apostles said it.

Why? Because it sounds like an excuse and one that fits the prophetic nature of JESUS' earlier statement about all of them abandoning Him that very night. It makes the apostles look understandable but flawed all at the same time.

If these three knuckleheads could fall asleep while CHRIST is working out the Infinite Atonement for all who repent, then there is hope for all of us!

All of this leads to Peter's thrice denial of GOD the Son and the end of chapter 14.

Joseph Smith added the following the last verse to more fully describe Peter's emotional state after realizing his emphatic denial of his GOD. Most versions have Peter weeping. The NETBible (netbible.com) states "And he broke down and wept" for the last verse in Mark 14.

Mark 14:82 JST

And he went out, and fell upon his face, and wept bitterly.


* Why the LDS church would stick with the King James Version of the Bible used to baffle me. Now it makes perfect sense. In their goal of serving Mammon, they are OK with using what is universally regarded as the worst possible major translation of the Bible. Who cares about truth when you can make Billions of dollars of your members hard earned cash?