God’s Chosen Ones - A Poem by the Apostle Paul

So as God’s chosen ones,

Holy and beloved,

Put on a heart of compassion,

Kindness,

Humility,

Gentleness,

And patience,

Bearing with one another and,

If one has a complaint against another,

Forgiving each other,

As the Lord forgave you,

So you also must forgive,

And over all these virtues put on love,

Which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Colossians 3:12-14 Paraphrased

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

The Peace of God – A Poem by the Apostle Paul

Finally, brothers…

Whatever is true,

Whatever is honorable,

Whatever is right,

Whatever is pure,

Whatever is lovely,

Whatever is gracious,

If there is any excellence,

If there is anything worthy of praise,

Think about these things,

And the peace of God,

Which passes all understanding,

Will guard your hearts,

And your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7-8 Paraphrased

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

If – A Poem by the Apostle Paul

If there is any encouragement in Christ,

If there is any consolation of love,

If there is any fellowship of the Spirit,

If any affection and compassion,

Make my joy complete…

By being of the same mind,

Having the same love,

Being one in spirit and purpose.

Philippians 2:1-2

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

Grow Up – A Poem by the Apostle Paul

We are no longer to be children,

Tossed here and there by waves,

And carried about by every wind of doctrine,

By the cunning of men,

By their craftiness in deceitful scheming.

But speaking the truth in love,

We are to grow up in all aspects into him,

Who is the head, into Christ,

From whom the whole body,

Being joined and held together

By what every joint supplies,

According to the proper working of each part,

Causes the growth of the body,

And builds itself up in love.

Ephesians 4:14-16

Paul says “according to the proper working of each part” which means that we aren’t supposed to close our eyes since the proper work of the eyes is to see. He also says that we are to “speak the truth in Love.” If we put both of these concepts together then we are supposed to keep our eyes open and when see things that aren’t “building us up in love,” then we are to speak the truth in love since we have a mouth and it is supposed to speak. Therefore it is not the proper work of the body of Christ to keep our eyes shut to evil and sin. Nor is it the proper work of the body of Christ to keep our mouths closed and to not speak the truth about these things. For if our eyes are shut and our mouths are closed then we are like those who are already dead, but since we are alive we should speak about what we see.

I had a dream last night and I saw a person clothed like Saint Peter. He was in the driver’s seat but he fell and he chose to close his eyes and he chose to close his mouth. If those who “lead” the church refuse to see and refuse to speak the truth about what they see then we will not grow and the church will stop being built.  

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

Our Struggle – A Poem by the Apostle Paul

For our struggle is not against flesh and blood -

But against the rulers,

Against the powers,

Against the world forces of this darkness,

Against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places.

Therefore take up the full armor of God,

Stand firm therefore,

Having girded your loins with truth,

And having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

And having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace,

In all this, taking up the shield of faith,

With which you can extinguish all [the] flaming arrows of the evil one,

And take the helmet of salvation,

And the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God.

Ephesians 6:12-17 Paraphrased

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

One for All – A Poem by the Apostle Paul

There is one body,

And one Spirit,

Just as you were called to the one hope,

That belongs to your call,

One Lord,

One faith,

One baptism,

One God and Father of all,

Who is over all,

And through all,

And in all.

Ephesians 4:4-6

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

A Poem about You by the Apostle Paul

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens,

But you are fellow citizens with the saints,

And are members of God’s household,

Having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets,

Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone,

In whom the whole building is joined together,

And rises to become a holy temple in the Lord,

In whom you also are being built together,

Into a dwelling of God in the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:19-22

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

A Poem about Mary by the Angel Gabriel

In Luke 1:30, there is a word play in Hebrew between “Miriam” and the word for “favored” which form a pun. 

And the angel [Gabriel] said to her,

“Do not be afraid, Mary {Miriam (מִרְיָם) Miryam},

for you have found favor {Favored (מַרְאֶ֖ה) Mar-’eh}

with God.”

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

A Poem by the Prophet Isaiah

There is a word play in Isaiah 7:14 between “Behold, a virgin” and “Immanuel.” The Hebrew word for “Immanuel” can be formed from the letters in the Hebrew term for “Behold, a virgin.” In fact, you could say that “Immanuel” is inside of “Behold, a virgin” just like a son is inside his mother after he is conceived. 

“Therefore the Lord himself shall give

you a sign; Behold, a virgin (הָעַלְמָ֗ה הִנֵּ֣ה) “Hinneh Halmah”

shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall

his name Immanuel (עִמָּ֥נוּ אֵֽל) “Ammanuel.”

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

A Prayer for You by the Apostle Paul

I pray…

That the eyes

Of your heart

May be enlightened…

So that you may know

What is the hope

To which he has called you…

What are the riches

Of his glorious inheritance

In the saints…

And what is the immeasurable greatness

Of his power

In us who believe!

Ephesians 1:18-19 Paraphrased

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

Whatever a Man Sows – A Poem by the Apostle Paul

For whatever a man sows,

He will also reap.

For the one who sows to his own flesh,

Will from the flesh reap corruption.

But the one who sows to the Spirit,

Will from the Spirit reap eternal life!

Galatians 6:7-8 Paraphrased

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

Finally, Brothers, Farewell – A Poem by the Apostle Paul

Listen to my appeal -

Aim for perfection,

Be of one mind,

Live in peace,

Greet one another with a holy kiss,

And the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,

And the love of God,

And the fellowship of the Holy Spirit,

Will be with you all!

2Corinthians 13:11-13 Paraphrased

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

A Poem on Eternity by the Apostle Paul

We look not at the things which are seen,

But at the things which are unseen,

For the things which are seen are temporary,

But the things which are unseen are eternal.

For we know…

If the earthly tent we live in is destroyed,

We have a building from God,

A house not made with hands -

Eternal in the heavens.

2Corinthians 04:18-05:01

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

For Jesus’ Sake – A Poem by the Apostle Paul

We are…

Hard pressed,

but not crushed…

Perplexed,

but not in despair…

Persecuted,

but not forsaken…

Struck down,

but not destroyed!

(2Corinthians 04:08-09, 11 ~ Paraphrased)

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

A Love Poem by the Apostle John

Beloved, let us love one another,

For love is of God,

And everyone who loves –

Is born of God,

And knows God.

He who does not love,

Does not know God,

For God is love.

Paraphrase of 1John 4:7-8

J. Clontz – Editor of the Comprehensive New Testament

The Apostle Paul’s Letter of Recommendation

You yourselves are our letter,

Written in our hearts,

Known and read by all men.

You show that you are a letter from Christ,

Delivered by us,

Written not with ink,

But with the Spirit of the living God,

Not on tablets of stone,

But on tablets of fleshly hearts.

Paraphrase of 2Corinthians 3:1-3

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

The Resurrection of the Dead – A Prose Poem by the Apostle Paul

It is sown a perishable body,

It is raised imperishable.

It is sown in dishonor,

It is raised in glory.

It is sown in weakness,

It is raised in power.

It is sown a natural body,

It is raised a spiritual body.

The first man was from the earth, of dust,

The second man is from heaven.

As was the man of dust,

So are those who are of the dust.

As is the man of heaven,

So also are those who are of heaven.

Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust,

We shall also bear the image of the man of heaven.

For this perishable must put on the imperishable,

And this mortal must put on immortality!

Paraphrase of 1Corinthians 15:42-54

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

A Very Tiny Gospel According to the Apostle Paul

Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you:

Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,

He was buried,

He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures,

He appeared to Cephas,

Then to the twelve,

After that he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time,

Then he appeared to James,

Then to all the apostles.

And last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared to me also.

Paraphrase of 1Corinthians 15:1-8

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

Love – A Poem by the Apostle Paul

Love is patient,

Love is kind,

Love is not jealous,

Love is not boastful,

Love is not arrogant,

Love is not rude,

Love does not seek its own,

Love is not provoked,

Love keeps no record of wrongs,

Love does not rejoice in evil,

Love rejoices with the truth,

Love bears all things,

Love believes all things,

Love hopes all things,

Love endures all things,

Love never fails!

Paraphrase of 1Corinthians 13:4-8a

J. Clontz – Editor of The Comprehensive New Testament

The WORD

John 1:1-2 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. 

[Psalm 119:89 “For ever, O Lord, thy WORD is firmly fixed in the heavens”],

John 1:3 All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made.

[Psalm 33:6 “By the WORD of the Lord were the heavens made…”] 

John 1:4a In him was life,

[Psalm 119:107 “I am sorely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to thy WORD!”]

John 1:4b and the life was the light of men.

[Psalm 119:105 “Thy WORD is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”] 

John 1:5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

[Psalm 119:130 “The unfolding of thy WORD gives light; it imparts understanding to the simple.”]

J. Clontz – Editor of the Comprehensive New Testament

Jesus Knew When He Would Die

Genesis 2:16-17 symbolizes Jesus knowing that he would die the day when he ate the Passover meal with his apostles. Once he ate that meal he would seal his fate to die on the cross within twenty four hours. The Jewish “day” starts after sundown. Jesus had the last supper with the apostles after sundown and was crucified and died before sundown the next day. The Passover meal is the only meal mandated to be eaten by the Law of Moses. The Law of Moses imparts the knowledge of good and evil -

Romans 3:20 “Therefore no flesh will be justified in his sight by works of the law, for through the law comes knowledge of sin.” 7:7 What shall we say, then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! Indeed, I would not have known what sin was except through the law. For I would not have known what coveting really was if the law had not said, “You shall not covet.” 8 But sin, finding opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all kinds of covetous desire. For apart from the law sin lies dead. 9 I was once alive apart from the law, but when the commandment came, sin sprang to life 10 and I died. The very commandment which was to bring life I found to be death to me. 11 For sin, finding opportunity in the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me.”

Since the Passover meal is the only meal mandated by the Law of Moses, then Jesus eating the Passover meal (the Last Supper) is foreshadowed by the man eating the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

Genesis 2:16 “And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, of every tree of the garden you may freely eat: 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat of it: for in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die.”

J. Clontz – Editor of the Comprehensive New Testament

The work of an Apostle – A Prose Poem by the Apostle Paul

When we are reviled, we bless.

When we are persecuted, we endure.

When we are slandered, we speak kindly.

1Corinthians 4:12

J. Clontz – Editor of the Comprehensive New Testament

Wisdom – a Prose Poem by the Apostle Paul

We speak a wisdom among the mature,

A wisdom not of this age,

Nor of the rulers of this age.

We speak of God’s secret wisdom,

A wisdom that has been hidden,

Which God destined for our glory before the ages.

None of the rulers of this age understood it,

For if they had,

They would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Paraphrase of 1Corinthians 2:6-8

J. Clontz – Editor of the Comprehensive New Testament

Pay all of them their dues – A Prose Poem by the Apostle Paul

Taxes to whom taxes are due,

Revenue to whom revenue is due,

Respect to whom respect is due,

Honor to whom honor is due.

Romans 13:7

J. Clontz – Editor of the Comprehensive New Testament