Monday, April 21, 2008

Coptic John 3:31-36

The Father loves the Son

31.pentaFei ebol Hn tpe FHiJn ouon nim. petSoop ebol Hm pkaH ou ebol Hm pkaH pe auw eFSaJe ebol Hm pkaH. pentaFei de ebol Hn tpe***
The one who came from above/Heaven is above everyone. The one being from the earth is one from the earth, and he is speaking from the earth. But the one who came from above/Heaven,***

32.pentaFnau eroF auw aFsotmeF Frmntre mmoF auw mmn laau Ji nteFmntmntre
that which he saw and heard, about it he testifies, and no one receives his testimony.

33.pentaFJi de nteFmntmntre aFsfragize mmoF Je oume pe pnoute
But the one who received his testimony has affirmed/marked with his seal that God is true.

34.penta pnoute gar tnnoouF eFJw nnSaJe Je mpnoute nere pnoute gar T an mpepneuma Hn ouSi
For the one whom God sent speaks the words of God, for God was not giving the spirit by measure/was not measuring out the spirit.

35.peiwt me mpShre auw aFT nka nim eHrai eteFCiJ
The Father loves the Son and gave everything into his hand.

36.petpisteue epShre ountaF mmau mpwnH Sa eneH pete nFpisteue**** de an epShre nFnanau an epwnH alla torgh mpnoute naCw eHrai eJwF
The one who actively believes in the Son has life forever, but the one who is not actively believing**** in the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God will remain upon him.

Notes:
*** The Sahidic Coptic text omits the second instance of "is above everyone" found in some Greek texts here, but is absent from the early witnesses Sinaiticus, Bezae and p75 (Bodmer)

****The Greek text has "the one who is disobeying the Son," but the Greek word may also signify "refusing to believe." (Complete Biblical Library: Greek-English Lexicon, Alpha-Gamma; BDAG page 99)