FUNDAMENTAL
 
NEW TESTAMENT TEXTS 
in the
CHRISTIAN
CONTEMPLATIVE
TRADITION

 

 Christ the Good Shepherd, sarc., Praetexta Catacomb, 390s.


 

[1]   MARK 9 (The Lord’s Transfiguration)

 



Transfiguration, 6th c. St. Catherine's, Sinai


2 AND after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James and John, and led them up a high mountain apart by themselves; and he was transfigured before them, 3 and his garments became glistening, intensely white, as no fuller on earth could bleach them. Καὶ μετὰ ἡμέρας ἓξ παραλαμβάνει ὁ Ἰησοῦς τὸν Πέτρον καὶ τὸν Ἰάκωβον καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην͵ καὶ ἀναφέρει αὐτοὺς εἰς ὄρος ὑψηλὸν κατ΄ ἰδίαν μόνους. καὶ μετεμορφώθη ἔμπροσθεν αὐτῶν͵ 3 καὶ τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ ἐγένετο στίλβοντα λευκὰ λίαν οἷα γναφεὺς ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς οὐ δύναται οὕτως λευκᾶναι.
4 And there appeared to them Elijah with Moses; and they were talking to Jesus. 4 καὶ ὤφθη αὐτοῖς Ἠλίας σὺν Μωϋσεῖ͵ καὶ ἦσαν συλλαλοῦντες τῷ Ἰησοῦ.
 5 And Peter said to Jesus, “Master, it is well that we are here; let us make three booths, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” 6 For he did not know what to say, for they were exceedingly afraid.  5 καὶ ἀποκριθεὶς ὁ Πέτρος λέγει τῷ Ἰησοῦ͵ Ραββί͵ καλόν ἐστιν ἡμᾶς ὧδε εἶναι͵ καὶ ποιήσωμεν τρεῖς σκηνάς͵ σοὶ μίαν καὶ Μωϋσεῖ μίαν καὶ Ἠλίᾳ μίαν. 6 οὐ γὰρ ᾔδει τί ἀποκριθῇ͵ ἔκφοβοι γὰρ ἐγένοντο.

7 And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” 8 And suddenly looking around they no longer saw any one with them but Jesus only.

7 καὶ ἐγένετο νεφέλη ἐπισκιάζουσα αὐτοῖς͵ καὶ ἐγένετο φωνὴ ἐκ τῆς νεφέλης͵ Οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός͵ ἀκούετε αὐτοῦ. 8 ῃ καὶ ἐξάπινα περιβλεψάμενοι οὐκέτι οὐδένα εἶδον ἀλλὰ τὸν Ἰησοῦν μόνον μεθ΄ ἑαυτῶν.

 


 

[2]   2COR. 3:12-18 (Our Transfiguration)

 


12 SINCE we have such a hope, we are very bold, 13 not like Moses, who put a veil over his face so that the Israelites might not see the end of the fading splendor. 14 But their minds were hardened; for to this day, when they read the old covenant, that same veil remains unlifted, because only through Christ is it taken away.  Ἔχοντες οὖν τοιαύτην ἐλπίδα πολλῇ παρρησίᾳ χρώμεθα͵ 13 καὶ οὐ καθάπερ Μωϋσῆς ἐτίθει κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτοῦ͵ πρὸς τὸ μὴ ἀτενίσαι τοὺς υἱοὺς Ἰσραὴλ εἰς τὸ τέλος τοῦ καταργουμένου. 14 ἀλλὰ ἐπω ρώθη τὰ νοήματα αὐτῶν. ἄχρι γὰρ τῆς σήμερον ἡμέρας τὸ αὐτὸ κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τῇ ἀναγνώσει τῆς παλαιᾶς δια θήκης μένει μὴ ἀνακαλυπτόμενον͵ ὅτι ἐν Χριστῷ κα ταργεῖται·
15 Yes, to this day whenever Moses is read a veil lies over their minds; 16 but when a man turns to the Lord the veil is removed. 15 ἀλλ΄ ἕως σήμερον ἡνίκα ἂν ἀναγινώσκη ται Μωϋσῆς κάλυμμα ἐπὶ τὴν καρδίαν αὐτῶν κεῖται· 16 ἡνίκα δὲ ἐὰν ἐπιστρέψῃ πρὸς κύριον͵ περιαιρεῖται τὸ κάλυμμα.ῃ

17 NOW the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18 And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being changed [transfigured] into his likeness from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

 17 ὁ δὲ κύριος τὸ πνεῦμά ἐστιν· οὗ δὲ τὸ πνεῦμα κυρίου͵ ἐλευθερία. 18 ἡμεῖς δὲ πάντες ἀνακεκα λυμμένῳ προσώπῳ τὴν δόξαν κυρίου κατοπτριζόμενοι τὴν αὐτὴν εἰκόνα μεταμορφούμεθα ἀπὸ δόξης εἰς δόξαν͵ καθάπερ ἀπὸ κυρίου πνεύματος.

 

 

[3] REVELATION 21:2-4 (The New Beginning

 

 

AND I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband; 3 and I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

2 καὶ τὴν πόλιν τὴν ἁγίαν Ἰερουσαλὴμ καινὴν εἶδον καταβαίνουσαν ἐκ τοῦ οὐρανοῦ ἀπὸ τοῦ θεοῦ͵ ἡτοιμασμένην ὡς νύμφην κεκοσμημένην τῷ ἀνδρὶ αὐτῆς. 3 καὶ ἤκουσα φωνῆς μεγάλης ἐκ τοῦ θρόνου λεγούσης͵

“Behold, the dwelling of God is with men. He will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself will be with them; 4 he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain any more, for the former things have passed away.” Ἰδοὺ ἡ σκηνὴῃ τοῦ θεοῦ μετὰ τῶν ἀνθρώπων͵ καὶ σκηνώσει μετ΄ αὐτῶν͵ καὶ αὐτοὶ λαοὶ αὐτοῦ ἔσονται͵ καὶῃ αὐτὸς ὁ θεὸς μετ΄ αὐτῶν ἔσται͵ [αὐτῶν θεός͵] 4 καὶ ἐξαλείψει πᾶν δάκρυονῃ ἐκ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν αὐτῶν͵ καὶ ὁ θάνατος οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι͵ οὔτε πένθος οὔτε κραυγὴ οὔτε πόνος οὐκ ἔσται ἔτι· [ὅτι] τὰ πρῶτα ἀπῆλθαν.

 


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