Paradidomi
Paradidomi
The men who wrote the KJV
wrote well but not inerrably.
“Betray” was not “paradidomi.”
He only said, “deliver me.”
The word “betray” should not have been
a gospel word or found therein.
Though one's described in all but one,
the word's not used by God's own son.
Against Him, “heel was lifted up.”
He said it once at their last sup.
Not once before, not once again,
not with “betray” He named the sin.
He washed the heel, and it was clean.
So after that, don't call it mean.
He said to him that he'd “deliver.”
It was God's plan for his life's Giver.
"Paradidomi" (PAIR-UH-DID-UH-MEE) is a transliteration of the Greek word that is translated "betray" in English translations of the Gospels. "Betray," however, is a mistranslation. The Gospel writers meant "deliver" or "hand over," and they intended no connotation of an act of treachery in their use of the word.
Consider these exchanges between Jesus and Peter:
Jesus: All of you will be offended in me.
Peter: I will never be offended in you.
Jesus: You will deny me three times.
Peter: I will never deny you.
Jesus: One of you will "betray" me.
Peter: Is it I?
Clearly, the word Jesus spoke did not connote for Peter an act of treachery. Jesus only said, "One of you will deliver me," or "One of you will hand me over."
For the interested, see the book by William Klassen, "Judas, Betrayer or Friend of Jesus?," Chapter 3 Section II. "Judas 'Handed Jesus Over': The Word paradidomi."
Judas became a traitor to Jesus when he went to the chief priests and made a covenant to hand Jesus over to them, after the devil put it into his heart. That is the trespass against Jesus to which Jesus referred, "[He] has lifted up his heel against me." Jesus responded to that trespass by washing the heel of offense. In the end, Judas glorified Jesus when he handed him over to the chief priests, after Jesus put it into his heart. Judas did not betray Jesus with a kiss; he served him with a kiss. Judas overcame Satan, who entered into him after Jesus identified him as the one who should deliver him, and who was opposed to those things which Jesus said should happen at Jerusalem.
Copyright © Gary Hughes | Year Posted 2016
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