Bible verses about "joking" | JMNT

¹² Now before all things (= above all; but especially; or: before all mankind), my brothers, do not be in the habit of promising by swearing [to, or, by] either the heaven (or: atmosphere; sky), nor the earth (or: land), nor any other oath. But let your affirmation continually be, "Yes, " and the negative, "No, " to the intent that you may not fall under a process of judging (or: fall by an act of separating for a decision, or by scrutinizing, or by discriminating).

¹⁵ Make haste, with earnest endeavor and diligence, to place yourself alongside as an approved and qualified workman, in and by God (or: to hand yourself over to and for God, as a tried and approved workman), one without cause for shame, consistently cutting a straight and direct [path {cf Prov. 3:6 and 11:5, LXX} in, to, or with] the Word of the Truth (or: habitually cutting an upright and erect [line through] the Word of Truth; continually cutting with the message of reality in a straight direction; constantly making a straight cut {or: wound} with the speech of this Reality; also: = dealing straightforwardly with the discourse of Reality; or: repeatedly dividing and marking out straight [boundaries] by the Reason which is Truth).

³³ Stop being led astray (or: Do not continue being deceived and caused to wander)! “Worthless associations, conversations or interminglings in a crowd (or: Companionships of corrupt quality [note: this can refer to sexual encounters]; Bad company or communication) habitually and progressively corrupt, decay, spoil and ruin useful habits, kind customs and profitable characters.” [note: a quote from a play by the poet Menander]

¹² "Then further, because the lawlessness is to be multiplied and increased, the majority of the people's love (or: the love of many folks; = acceptance from the masses) will be progressively caused to blow cold (or: will continue cooling off from the Breath blowing on it).

¹ Keep on becoming (or: Progressively come to be), then, imitators (those made exactly alike so as to portray, express and represent by means of imitation) of God, as beloved (or: like loveable) children, ² and keep on walking (walking around; = progressively living and maintaining your life) within, and in union with, Love, according as the Christ also loves (or: to the same level and commensurately as the Anointed One loved) you, and gives (or: gave) Himself over (or: up; alongside) in our behalf (over us and our [situation]; [other MSS: you]): a bearing toward and a bringingto be face to face, and then an offering (or: sacrifice) by (or: in; with; to; for) God (or: an approach [present], even a sacrifice by God) [turning] into a fragrant odor (sweet smell). ³ But all sexual vice (prostitution; fornication; sexual acts contrary to custom) and uncleanness (impurity), or greed (desiring or having more than one's due; gaining and having advantage over others), let it continuously not even be named among (or: within) you folks according as it is constantly appropriate (proper; conspicuously suitable and befitting) for set-apart people (or: holy and sacred folks). ⁴ And obscenity (ugliness; indecency; indecorum; shamefulness; baseness), even stupid (moronic; foolish) speaking (talking) or coarse joking (vulgar talking; insinuation; wittiness; quickness in making repartee; making a good turn), which things it has not been proper or fitting to have come up but rather (in preference), giving of thanks (or: conversation marked by grace, gratitude and favor in well-being). ⁵ For this you people constantly know (or: perceive), habitually recognizing by experience, that every practicer of sexual vice (or: male prostitute; paramour), or unclean (impure [in character]; morally indecent) person, or greedy (covetous; desiring advantage or more than one's due) one who is (or: continues being) an idolater, is not now holding enjoyment ofan inheritance (does not currently continue having use of an allotted gift from someone who has died) within the Christ's and God's reign or sphere of sovereign activity (or: kingdom; [p46: within the reign of God]). ⁶ Let no one keep on deceiving (or: seducing) you by empty words (or: messages; reasons; thoughts; ideas), for because of these things, God's inherent fervor (natural impulse and disposition; intrinsic teeming desire and swelling passion; or: anger; indignation) is continuously coming upon [note: cf John 3:36] the sons of The Disobedience (the incompliance; or: = folks having the quality of not being convinced or being disobedient and stubborn). ⁷ Stop, therefore, becoming (or: Therefore you folks are not to continuously come to be) their joint partakers (their joint members or partners; ones sharing together with them), ⁸ for you folks were once existing being darkness (dimness; obscurity; gloom; shadiness), yet (or: but) now [you are] light, within and in union with [the] Lord [= Christ or Yahweh]. ⁹ Be constantly walking about (= Habitually conduct yourselves) as children of Light (born ones from light) for the fruit of the Light [other MSS: Spirit] [is] in union with (or: [exists] within the midst of) all Goodness (virtue; beneficence), Justice (fair and equitable dealing in rightwised relationships which accord with the Way pointed out; also = covenant participation) and Truth (or: Reality) ¹⁰ repeatedly testing so as to prove (or: approve) what is (or: continually exists being) fully pleasing and compatible (happily acceptable; well pleasing; good pleasure) to (or: for; in; with) the Lord [= Christ or Yahweh]. ¹¹ And do not continually participate together (involve yourselves in joint communion or community; or: Stop having fellowship together) in unfruitful acts (works; deeds; performances) of the Darkness (dimness in the shadows; gloom and obscurity; [comment: = the ignorance; = the lack of light; may refer to past religious acts]), but rather even be continually questioning and cross-examining to expose (unmasking and making facts known), refute and reprove to bring conviction (= bring light to them), ¹² for you see, it is obscene (base; ugly; indecent; shameful) to habitually even be speaking of the things [which] secretly (or: in a hidden manner) may be coming into existence (be occurring; be being birthed) by them. ¹³ Now everything (or: the whole), while being continuously exposed to show fact, beingrefuted and/or reproved unto conviction, is by the light being continuouslymanifested (clearly displayed, made apparent and shown for what it is), ¹⁴ for you see, all that is continuously being manifested (clearly displayed, made apparent and is progressively shown for what it is) is, and continually exists being, light.Wherefore Heis now saying, "Let the sleeper (the person continuously down and being fast asleep) be waking up, continue rousing, and then stand up (arise) from out of the midst of the dead ones, and the Christ will continue shining upon you (enlightening you)!" ¹⁵ Be continuously observing exactly (or: accurately), then, brothers (= fellow believers; members of the Family), how you habitually walk about [or, with other MSS: Be continually observing, then, how accurately you are conducting yourselves]: not as unwise folks, but rather as wise ones, ¹⁶ making it a habit [to be] intensively buying-out for yourselves (as at a market, exhausting the supply; redeeming; reclaiming) the season (fitting situation; opportunity; fertile moment), because the days (= present times) are of a bad quality (or: a gush of misery; unsound; harmful; or: in a sorry plight; or: toilsome). ¹⁷ On account of this, stop becoming (or: Do not continually come to be) foolish ones (folks not having common sense; people without reflection or intelligence; imprudent ones; thoughtless and inattentive folks), but rather, be constantly understanding (sending your perceptions together to comprehend) what [is] the will (result of the resolve; determination of what shall be done; design; effect of the purpose) of the Lord (= Christ or Yahweh; [other MSS: God; Christ]). ¹⁸ And stop being made drunk (or: Do not be continuously made intoxicated) by wine, within which exists the disposition of one having no hope of safety (unsavingness; dissipation and ill health; desperation), but rather be continuously or repeatedly filled full in spirit (within [the] Spirit; within the midst of [the] Breath-effect; in the sphere of attitude; in union with [the] Breath), ¹⁹ continuously speaking (making vocal utterances) to (or: among) yourselves in psalms and hymns (or: songs of praise; festive songs) and spiritual odes (songs; chants), continually singing and playing stringed instruments (making music; psalming; sharply touching or plucking [the strings or chords]) in (or: by; with; or: for) your hearts to (or: for; by; with: in) the Lord [= Christ, or, Yahweh], ²⁰ constantly giving thanks (expressing gratitude; or: speaking of the well-being that is in grace and favor) to God, even [the] Father [p46 & others: to the Father, even God] at all times (or: always; = on all occasions) concerning all things (or: for everything; or: over all mankind), within the midst of and in union with the Name of our Lord, Jesus Christ [= the Messiah], ²¹ while continually setting and arranging yourselves under (placing yourselves in humble alignment; subordinating yourselves; being submissive) so as to support one another, in respect for Christ (or: in union with the reverence which is an Anointing; within Christ's fear; in reverence pertaining to, and the source of which is [the] Anointed One [other MSS: God]). ²² Wives (or: Women) [are] to (or: with) their own husbands (or: adult males), as to (or: with) the Lord (or: the Owner; or: = Christ, or, Yahweh) [note: this reading follows p46, B, Clement, Origen, other church fathers & other MSS, and is the reading in Westcott and Hort, Panin, Nestle-Aland, Tasker, and is bracketed by Griesbach; however, the following reading is also in Clement, Origen, other church fathers and MSS, as well as in Aleph and A: Wives, be by habit humbly aligned and placed subordinate so as to be supportive to your own husbands, as to (or: in; by; for) the Lord], ²³ because a husband exists being a head of (or: is a source with reference to) the wife as also (or: even as) the Christ [is] Head (or: Source) of the called-out community (the ecclesia; the summoned-out assembly); He Himself is (continually exists being) [the] Savior (Deliverer; Rescuer; Restorer to health and wholeness) of the Body. ²⁴ But, just as the called-out community (summoned-forth assembly) continuously humbly aligns and places itself under for (or, as a passive: is normally subjected in support to) the Christ, thus also the wives to (or: for; with) the husbands, in everything (or: within all; among all mankind). ²⁵ O husbands, be constantly loving [your] wives (or: Men, continue loving the women), accordingly and correspondingly as the Christ also loved (or: to the degree that, and commensurately as, the Anointed One loves) the called-out community, and gave Himself up (or: commits and gives Himself over) in behalf of (for the sake of; over [the situation of]) her, ²⁶ to the end that He may set her apart (separate her; consecrate and make her holy), cleansing (purging) [her] by the bath of the Water [that is] within a result of a flow (or: in union with a gush-effect; or: in the midst of aspoken word, a declaration, or an utterance), ²⁷ so that He Himself could place beside Himself (or: should present to and make to stand alongside in Himself) the glorious (held in high esteem; in-glorious-array) called-out community, continuously having neither spot (or: stain), nor wrinkle, nor any of such things, but to the contrary, to the end that she may continuously exist being set-apart (holy; different from the ordinary and profane) and flawless (unblemished; or: unblamable). ²⁸ Thus (or: In like manner; In this way) the husbands also are continuouslyindebted (thus: obligated) to constantly love their wives as their own bodies (= persons).The one constantly loving his own wife continues loving himself, ²⁹ or you see, no one ever yet (at any time) hated (or: hates) his own flesh (= his body and interior self) but rather continually intensively nourishes (feeds and supports) and warms (cherishes; comforts) it, according as also the Christ [does] the called-out community, ³⁰ because we are (we exist continuously being) members of His Body. ³¹ Answering this (or: In the place facing this [situation or reality]), "a man will continue leaving behind his father and mother, and he will be progressively glued (welded) to his wife, and the two will continue being [made] into one flesh (= one physical unit as though being one body)." [Gen. 2:4] ³² This secret (or: mystery) is great (= important), but I am speaking unto (or: into; with a view to) Christ, even (or: and; as well as) unto (or: into) the called-out community (or: the called-out person; or: the summoned-forth assembly). ³³ Moreover, you men also, individually, each one thus (in this way) be continually loving his own wife (or: woman) as (or: as she were) himself, andso the result will be that the wife would continually have deep respect for (or: may habitually stand in reverential awe of; can normally be fearing with a healthy respect for) the husband (or: adult man).

²⁹ Do not continue allowing every rotten word (or: putrefied idea; bad quality message) to be proceeding (or: issuing) out of your mouth, but rather if anything [is] good (profitable; virtuous; [having] quality), [speak it] toward house-construction (building [up]; edification) which pertains to the need, to the end that it may impart (or: give) grace and favor to those listening and hearing.

³⁶ "Now I continue saying to you folks that [for] every ineffective and unproductive (idle and unemployed; thus: unprofitable) effect of a gush or result of some flow (or: thing spoken; saying; declaration) which people will be speaking, they will continue giving back (rendering) an account (a word; a thought; an idea) concerning it, within a day of separating and deciding (or: judging).

⁴ And obscenity (ugliness; indecency; indecorum; shamefulness; baseness), even stupid (moronic; foolish) speaking (talking) or coarse joking (vulgar talking; insinuation; wittiness; quickness in making repartee; making a good turn), which things it has not been proper or fitting to have come up but rather (in preference), giving of thanks (or: conversation marked by grace, gratitude and favor in well-being).