1:5a–c
from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth: The three phrases the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth all describe Jesus.
In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate that there are other people named Jesus Christ and only this one is the faithful witness, and so forth. If that is true in your language, translate these words so that they tell more about Jesus Christ. One way to do that is to start a new sentence here. For example:
Jesus Christ. He is the faithful witness. He is the firstborn from the dead, and he rules the kings of the earth.
-or-
Jesus Christ. Jesus is the faithful witness, the first among those raised from the dead. He is the ruler of the kings of the earth. (New Century Version)
1:5a
and from Jesus Christ: The word from refers back to the greeting of “Grace and peace to you” (1:4c). It indicates that John also asked Jesus to give grace and peace.
In some languages it is necessary or more natural to repeat the greeting phrase here. For example:
and ⌊grace and peace to you⌋ from Jesus Christ
-or-
May Jesus Christ also give you grace and peace
See other examples in the General Comment on 1:4c–5c.
faithful: Here the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as faithful refers to being worthy of trust. People can depend on that person. Here the word indicates that Jesus was completely reliable, dependable, and truthful in what he said. Other ways to translate this word are:
dependable
-or-
trustworthy (God’s Word)
-or-
truthful
witness: This word refers to a person who tells what he has seen, heard, or come to know. The Greek word that means witness is closely related to “testifies” (1:2a) and “testimony” (1:2b). Other ways to translate this word are:
testifier
-or-
one who speaks about what he knows
-or-
one who reports/explains
1:5b
the firstborn from the dead: This phrase also describes Jesus. This phrase uses the word firstborn in a figurative way. It indicates that God resurrected Jesus first, before other people.
This phrase also implies that God will resurrect other people later. Jesus has authority over all believers, just like a Jewish firstborn son had the position of authority over his brothers and sisters.
In some languages, a literal translation would not clearly indicate the figurative meaning. If that is true in your language, you may want to:
• Explain the figure of speech in your translation. For example:
the firstborn ⌊in place/position and time⌋ from the dead
-or-
the first person ⌊to return⌋ from the dead ⌊permanently/forever⌋ ⌊and he also has the authority/position of a⌋ firstborn
• Translate the meaning without the figure of speech. For example:
the first to be raised from death (Good News Translation)
-or-
was the first to conquer death (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
the first to rise forever from the dead
-or-
the first one that ⌊God raised⌋ from death
You may then want to explain the literal word in a footnote. An example footnote is:
Literally: “firstborn.” This word indicates that God resurrected Jesus first, before other people. The word also implies that Jesus has authority over all believers, just like a Jewish firstborn son had the position of authority over his brothers and sisters.
1:5c
the ruler of the kings of the earth: This phrase also describes Jesus. It indicates that Jesus rules kings, chiefs, and all other rulers on earth. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
the commander of all the rulers of the world (New Living Translation (1996))
-or-
Jesus rules all the rulers on earth
General Comment on 1:4c–5c
This greeting is complicated. John asked God, the seven spirits, and Jesus to give grace and peace to the believers. He also described God, the seven spirits, and Jesus. In some languages it is more natural to:
• First translate the three descriptions, and then translate what John wanted each one to do. For example:
4d May he who is, and who was, and who is to come, 4e the seven spirits before his throne, 5a and Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, 5b the firstborn from the dead, 5c and the ruler of the kings of the earth 4c give grace and peace to you.
You then would need to combine the verse marking for these verses as “4–5.”
• Translate the first two descriptions as well as “Jesus Christ,” followed by what John wanted each one to do. Then translate the description of Jesus Christ. For example:
4d May he who is, and who was, and who is to come, 4e the seven spirits before his throne, 5a and Jesus Christ, 4c give grace and peace to you. 5a Jesus Christ is the faithful witness, 5b the firstborn from the dead, 5c and the ruler of the kings of the earth
You then would need to combine the verse marking for these verses as “4–5.”
• Repeat the grace and peace blessing for each person/subject. For example:
4c Grace and peace to you 4d from him who is, and who was, and who is to come. 4e ⌊Grace and peace to you⌋ from the seven spirits before his throne. 5a ⌊Grace and peace to you⌋ from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, 5b the firstborn from the dead, 5c and the ruler of the kings of the earth.
-or-
4c–d May he who is, and who was, and who is to come give grace and peace to you. 4e May the seven spirits before his throne ⌊give grace and peace to you⌋ . 5a And may Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, 5b the firstborn from the dead, 5c and the ruler of the kings of the earth ⌊give grace and peace to you⌋ .
-or-
4c I pray that you will be blessed with kindness and peace 4d from God, who is and was and is coming. 4e May you receive kindness and peace from the seven spirits before the throne of God. 5a May kindness and peace be yours from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness. 5b Jesus was the first to conquer death, 5c and he is the ruler of all earthly kings. (Contemporary English Version)
You may need to combine the verse marking for these verses as “4–5.”
Paragraph 1:5d–7
1:5d–6b
1:5d–1:6b is one long sentence. It includes a long description of Jesus (1:5d–1:6a). At the end of the sentence (1:6b), John described glory and power as belonging to Jesus. In some languages it is more natural to use two or more shorter sentences. For example:
5d
⌊Jesus Christ⌋ loves us 5e and has freed us from our sins by his own blood. 6a He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to serve his God and Father. 6b To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.
For an example of how to reorder the information in these clauses, see the General Comment at the end of the notes on 1:6b.
1:5d
To Him: The pronoun Him refers to Jesus as is made clear in 1:5e–6a.
loves: The word loves refers to a strong feeling of affection and concern for a person. It also refers to an attitude of actively seeking the good of another. Your language may have a word or idiom for saying this.
1:5e
has released us from our sins by His blood: There is a textual issue here about the Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as released :
(1) Some Greek manuscripts have freed. For example:
released us from our sins by His blood (Berean Standard Bible, New American Standard Bible)
(2) Some Greek manuscripts have washed. For example:
washed us from our sins in his own blood (King James Version)
It is recommended that you follow option (1). The earliest Greek manuscripts support “freed/released.”
has released us from our sins: This phrase indicates that Jesus has released believers from their sins. They are no longer guilty in God’s eyes and no longer have to suffer God’s anger.
Some commentators suggest that the phrase also refers to believers no longer being under the power of sin. If possible, translate in a way that allows both meanings. For example:
has freed us from our sins ⌊and their power⌋
-or-
released us from our sins (New American Standard Bible)
by His blood: Here the word blood refers figuratively to Jesus’ death. The phrase by His blood indicates that Jesus’ death was the way to free believers from their sins. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
by shedding his blood (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
by his sacrificial death (Good News Translation)
-or-
through his ⌊life/shed⌋ blood
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