Luke 24:30-48
Expanded Bible
30 When Jesus ·was at the table [L reclined; C the posture of a formal meal] with them, he took some bread, ·gave thanks [blessed it], ·divided [broke] it, and gave it to them [C Jesus, the guest, functions like the host in a Eucharist-like meal]. 31 And then, ·they were allowed to recognize Jesus [L their eyes were opened]. But when they saw who he was, he disappeared. 32 They said to each other, “·It felt like a fire burning in [L Didn’t our hearts burn within…?] us when Jesus talked to us on the road and ·explained [opened] the Scriptures to us.”
33 So ·the two followers [L they] got up ·at once [L the same hour] and went back to Jerusalem. There they found ·the eleven apostles [L the Eleven] and others gathered. 34 They were saying, “The Lord really has risen from the dead! He showed himself to Simon.”
35 Then ·the two followers [L they] told what had happened on the road and how they recognized Jesus when he ·divided [broke] the bread.
Jesus Appears to His Followers(A)
36 While ·the two followers [they] were telling this, Jesus himself stood right in the middle of them and said, “Peace be with you.”
37 They were ·fearful [startled] and terrified and thought they were seeing a ·ghost [spirit]. 38 But Jesus said, “Why are you ·troubled [frightened]? Why do ·you doubt what you see [L doubts rise in your heart]? 39 Look at my hands and my feet. It is ·I myself [really me]! Touch me and see, because a ·ghost [spirit] does not have ·a living body [L flesh and bones] as you see I have.”
40 After Jesus said this, he showed them his hands and feet. 41 While they still could not believe it because they were happy [joyful] and amazed, Jesus said to them, “Do you have any food here?” 42 They gave him a piece of broiled fish. 43 ·While the followers watched [In their presence; L In front of them], Jesus took the fish and ate it.
44 He said to them, “·Remember [L This is what I said….] when I was with you before? I said that everything written about me must ·happen [be fulfilled]—everything in the law of Moses, the books of the prophets, and the Psalms [C a way of referring to the whole Old Testament; see v. 27].”
45 Then Jesus opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. 46 He said to them, “It is written that the ·Christ [Messiah] would suffer and rise from the dead on the third day 47 and that ·a change of hearts and lives and [L repentance for the] forgiveness of sins would be preached in his name to all nations, starting at Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things.
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John 10:22-25
Expanded Bible
Jesus Is Rejected
22 The time came for the ·Feast of Dedication [C also called Hanukkah or the Feast of Lights, recalling the rededication of the Temple in 164 bc] at Jerusalem. It was winter, 23 and Jesus was walking in the Temple in Solomon’s ·Porch [Portico; Colonnade; C on the eastern side of the Temple area; at a later time Christians gathered there to worship; Acts 3:11; 5:12]. 24 ·Some people [The Jewish leaders; L The Jews] gathered around him and said, “How long will you ·make us wonder [keep us in suspense] about you? If you are the ·Christ [Messiah], tell us plainly.”
25 Jesus answered them, “I told you already, but you did not believe. The ·miracles [L works] I do in my Father’s name ·show who I am [testify/bear witness about me].
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Acts 7:13-15
Expanded Bible
13 When they went there a second time [Gen. 43—45], Joseph ·told his brothers who he was [made himself known to his brothers], and ·the king [L Pharaoh] learned about Joseph’s family. 14 Then Joseph sent messengers to ·invite [summon; call] Jacob, his father, to come to Egypt along with all his relatives (seventy-five persons altogether). 15 So Jacob went down to Egypt, where he and ·his sons [L our fathers] died.
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Ephesians 2:1-10
Expanded Bible
We Now Have Life
2 In the past you were ·spiritually dead [L dead] ·because of [or in] your sins and ·the things you did against God [transgressions]. 2 Yes, in the past you ·lived [walked] ·the way the world lives [L according to the course/ways/age of this world], following the ruler [C Satan] of the ·evil powers that are above the earth [L dominion/authority of the air; C probably demonic forces]. That same spirit is now working in ·those who refuse to obey God [L the children/sons of disobedience]. 3 In the past all of us lived ·like [or among] them, ·trying to please [or giving in to the cravings of] our ·sinful selves [sinful nature; flesh] and doing all the things our ·bodies [flesh] and minds wanted. We ·should have suffered God’s anger because we were sinful by nature [L were by nature children/sons of wrath]. ·We were the same as all other people [L …just like the rest; C of mankind].
4 But ·God’s mercy is great [L God is rich in mercy], and he loved us very much. 5 Though we were spiritually dead because of ·the things we did against God [our transgressions], he ·gave us new life [brought us to life] with Christ. You have been saved by God’s grace. 6 And he raised us up with Christ and gave us a seat with him in the ·heavens [heavenly places/realms]. He did this for those in Christ Jesus 7 so that ·for all future time [L in the ages to come] he could show the ·very great [exceeding; overwhelming] riches of his grace by being kind to us in Christ Jesus. 8 ·I mean that [or For; Because] you have been saved by grace through ·believing [faith]. You did not save yourselves; it was a gift from God. 9 It was not the result of ·your own efforts [works], so ·you cannot [no one can] ·brag about it [boast]. 10 ·God has made us what we are [L For we are his handiwork/workmanship/work of art]. In Christ Jesus, God ·made [created] us to do good works, which God planned in advance for us to live our lives doing.
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Revelation 13:11-18
Expanded Bible
11 Then I saw another beast ·coming up [rising] out of the earth [Dan. 7:17]. It [or He] had two horns like a ·lamb [or ram; Dan. 8:3], but it spoke like a dragon [C acting like a prophetic spokesperson for the dragon (see 16:13); along with the dragon and the first beast, this second beast forms an evil trinity]. 12 This beast ·stands before the first beast and uses the same power the first beast has [or uses all the authority of the first beast on its behalf]. By this ·power [authority] it makes ·everyone living on earth [L the earth and its inhabitants] worship the first beast, who had the ·death wound [fatal/mortal wound; L wound of its death] that was healed. 13 And the second beast ·does great miracles [performs great signs] so that it even makes fire come down from heaven to earth [1 Kin. 18:38; 2 Kin. 1:10, 12] ·while people are watching [L before people]. 14 It ·fools [deceives; tricks] those who live on earth by the ·miracles [signs; C these are counterfeit miracles] it has been given the power to do. It does these ·miracles [signs] ·to serve the first beast [L before/in the presence of the first beast]. The second beast orders [tells] people to make an ·idol [image] to honor the first beast, the one that ·was wounded by the deadly [L has the wound of the] sword but ·sprang to life again [lives]. 15 The second beast was ·given power [or allowed] to give ·life [breath; a spirit] to the idol of the first one so that the idol could speak. And the second beast was ·given power [allowed] to ·command [cause; make] all who will not worship the ·image [idol] of the beast to be killed. 16 The second beast also ·forced [caused; made] all people, small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to have a ·mark [brand; stamp; C to show allegiance to the first beast] on their right hand or on their forehead [compare 7:2–4; 14:1]. 17 [L So that] No one could buy or sell without this mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name [C Greek and Hebrew letters had a numerical equivalent, and so could represent names—a practice known as gematria]. 18 This ·takes [calls for; L is] wisdom [Dan. 12:10]. Let the one who has understanding ·find the meaning of [calculate; figure out] the number [L of the beast], which is the number of a ·person [or man]. Its number is 666[a] [C a symbolic number signifying imperfection and sin; some speculate it represents the name of a Roman emperor, perhaps Nero or Domitian].
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- Revelation 13:18 666 Some Greek copies read “616.”
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