REPORT ON THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE REVISED NEW TESTAMENT AS AN INCLUSIVE LANGUAGE TRANSLATION The revised New Testament of the New American Bible, given an Imprimatur in 1986 by Cardinal Hickey, is an inclusive language translation. Indeed, when it was published in March 1987, this trend-setting version was praised by Ms. magazine for its efforts in this regard. The preface states clearly that the revision maintained the threefold purpose of the 1970 edition: to provide a version suitable for liturgical proclamation, for private reading, and for purposes of study. To accomplish this, its primary aim was to produce a version as accurate and faithful to the meaning of the Greek original as possible, yet one that reflected contemporary American usage and was readily understandable to ordinary educated people. The level of language consciously aimed at was one appropriate for liturgical proclamation with dignity. The editors carefully addressed the sensitive problem of discrimination in language, including anti-Jewish expressions in the New Testament and of language that discriminates against various minorities, especially women. Since the overriding concern of this revision was fidelity to original text, when the meaning of the Greek is inclusive of both sexes, the translation reproduces such inclusivity insofar as this is possible in normal English usage, without resort to inelegant circumlocutions or neologisms that would offend against the dignity of the language. The generic use of man is generally avoided, though it is retained in cases where no fully satisfactory equivalent could be found. Since English does not possess a gender-inclusive third personal pronoun in the singular, this translation continues to use the masculine resumptive pronoun after everyone or anyone, in the traditional way, where this cannot be avoided without infidelity to the meaning. The translation of the Greek word adelphos, particularly in the plural form adelphoi, posed an especially delicate problem. While the term literally means brothers or other male blood relatives, even in profane Greek the plural can designate two persons, one of either sex, who were born of the same parents. It was adopted by the early Christians to designate, in a figurative sense, the members of the Christian community, who were conscious of a new familial relationship to one another by reason of their adoption as children of God. They are consequently addressed as adelphoi. This has traditionally been rendered into English by brothers or, more archaically, brethren. There has never been any doubt that this designation includes all members of the Christian community, both male and female. Given the absence in English of a corresponding term that explicitly includes both sexes, this translation retains the usage of brothers, with the inclusive meaning that has been traditionally attached to it in this biblical context. Since the New Testament is the product of a particular time and culture, the views expressed in it and the language in which they are expressed reflect a particular cultural conditioning, which sometimes makes them quite different from contemporary ideas and concerns. Therefore, discriminatory language is eliminated insofar as possible whenever it is unfaithful to the meaning of the New Testament, but the text is never altered in order to adjust it to contemporary concerns. The translation does not introduce any changes, expansions, additions to, or subtractions from the text of Scripture. It further retains the traditional biblical ways of speaking about God and about Christ, including the use of masculine nouns and pronouns. It was envisioned that in adapting this translation for the lectionary the two editors assigned that task would supply incipits where needed to provide the context of the reading, occasionally substitute proper nouns for pronouns if clarity required it, and introduce some additional changes in the direction of inclusive language, such as brothers and sisters at the beginning of a reading as the translation of adelphoi. A comparison of the 1986 edition with the 1970 version of the New Testament shows how inclusive the revised translation is. This may be illustrated by the following list of examples culled from the various books of the New Testament. This is a representative selection of changes made in the direction of inclusive language. The first version of each quotation is from the 1970 edition, the second from the 1986 revision. The Gospel according to Matthew "Not on bread alone is man to live." "One does not live by bread alone." (4:4; sim. Luke 4:4) "Men do not light a lamp." "Nor do they light a lamp." (5:15) "Your light must shine before men." "Your light must shine before others." (5:16) "You have heard the commandment imposed on your forefathers." "You have heard that it was said to your ancestors." (5:21, etc.) "Any man who uses abusive language toward his brother. . . ." "And whoever says to his brother,'Raqa'. . . ." (5:22) "This will prove that you are sons of your heavenly Father." ". . . that you may be children of your heavenly Father." (5:45; cf. Luke 10:35) "No man can serve two masters." "No one can serve two masters." (6:24) "Whoever acknowledges me before men I will acknowledge before my Father in heaven. Whoever disowns me before men. . . ." "Everyone who acknowledges me before others I will acknowledge before my heavenly Father. But whoever denies me before others. . . ." (10:32-33; sim. Luke 12:8-9) "He who will not take up his cross and come after me is not worthy of me. He who seeks only himself brings himself to ruin, whereas he who brings himself to nought for me discovers who he is." "And whoever does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." (10:38-39) "He who welcomes you welcomes me," etc. "Whoever receives you receives me," etc. (10:40-41) ". . . cripples walk, . . . dead men are raised to life." ". . . the lame walk, . . . the dead are raised." (11:5) "Blest is the man who finds no stumbling block in me." "And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me." (11:6; sim. Luke 7:23) "I solemnly assure you, history has not known a man born of woman greater than John the Baptizer." "Amen, I say to you, among those born of women there has been none greater than John the Baptist." (11:11; sim. Luke 7:28) "A good man produces good from his store of goodness; an evil man produces evil from his evil store." "A good person brings forth good out of a store of goodness, but an evil person brings forth evil out of a store of evil." (12:35; sim. Luke 6:45) "To the man who has, more will be given until he grows rich; the man who has not, will lose what little he has." "To anyone who has, more will be given and he will grow rich; from anyone who has not, even what he has will be taken away." (13:12; sim. Luke 8:18) "The seed along the path is the man who hears the message about God's reign. . . ." "The seed sown on the path is the one who hears the word of the kingdom. . . ." (13:19) "The reign of God is like a buried treasure which a man found in a field. . . ." "The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure buried in a field, which a person finds. . . ." (13:44) "It is not what goes into a man's mouth that makes him impure. . . ." "It is not what enters one's mouth that defiles that person. . . ." (15:10; sim. Mark 7:18) "If a man wishes to come after me, he must deny his very self," etc. "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself," etc. (16:24-26; sim. Mark 8:34-37; Luke 9:25-26) "Do the kings of the world take tax or toll from their sons, or from foreigners?" "From whom do the kings of the earth take tolls or census tax? From their subjects or from foreigners?" (17:25) "Therefore, let no man separate what God has joined." "Therefore, what God has joined together, no human being must separate." (19:6; Mark 10:9) "I assure you, only with difficulty will a rich man enter into the kingdom of God," etc. "Amen, I say to you, it will be hard for one who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven," etc. (19:23-26; sim. Luke 18:25-27) "If a man swears by the temple . . . ," etc. "If one swears by the temple . . . ," etc. (23:18-22) "The man who holds out to the end, however, is the one who will see salvation." "But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved." (24:13; sim. Mark 13;13) "If a man is on the roof terrace. . . . If a man is in the field. . . ." "A person on the housetop . . . , a person in the field. . ." (24:17-18; sim. Mark 13:15-16; Luke 17:31) The Gospel according to Mark (in addition to passages paralleled in Matthew) "I give you my word, every sin will be forgiven mankind and all the blasphemies men utter." "Amen, I say to you, all sins and all blasphemies that people utter will be forgiven them." (3:28; cf. Matt 12:31) "Let him who has ears to hear me, hear!" "Whoever has ears to hear ought to hear." (4:9,23) "No man who performs a miracle using my name can at the same time speak ill of me," etc. "There is no one who performs a mighty deed in my name who can at the same time speak ill of me," etc. (9:39-41) "Tell me, was John's baptism of divine origin or merely from men?" "Was John's baptism of heavenly or of human origin?" (11:30; sim. Luke 20:4; cp. Matt 21:25) The Gospel according to Luke (in addition to passages paralleled in Matthew and/or Mark) "Let the man with two coats give to him who has none. The man who has food should do the same." "Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise." (3:11) "When a man takes what is yours, do not demand it back." "From the one who takes what is yours, do not demand it back." (6:30) "You will rightly be called sons of the Most High." "You will be called children of the Most High." (6:35; cf. Matt 5:45) "Can a blind man act as guide to a blind man?" "Can a blind person guide a blind person?" (6:39; cf. Matt 15:14) "What comparison can I use for the men of today?" "To what shall I compare the people of this generation?" (7:31; cf. Matt 11:16) "Two men owed money to a certain money-lender." "Two people were in debt to a certain creditor." (7:41) "A man may be wealthy, but his possessions do not guarantee him life." "Though one may be rich, one's life does not consist of possessions." (12:15) "When much has been given a man, much will be required of him. More will be asked of a man to whom more has been entrusted." "Much will be required of the person entrusted with much, and still more will be demanded of the person entrusted with more." (12:48) "I tell you, on that night there will be two men in one bed; one will be taken and the other left." "I tell you, on that night there will be two people in one bed; one will be taken, the other left." (17:34) "The man who falls on that stone will be smashed to pieces." "Everyone who falls on that stone will be dashed to pieces." (20:18) The Gospel according to John "Whatever came to be in him, found life, life for the light of men." "What came to be through him was life, and this life was the light of the human race." (1:3) "[Jesus] needed no one to give him testimony about human nature. He was well aware of what was in man's heart." "[He] did not need anyone to testify about human nature. He himself understood it well." (2:25) "No man can perform signs and wonders such as you perform unless God is with him." "No one can do these signs that you are doing unless God is with him." (3:2) "How can a man be born again once he is old?" "How can a person once grown old be born again?" (3:4) ". . . so that all men may honor the Son." ". . . so that all may honor the Son." (5:23) "The man who hears my word . . . has eternal life." "Whoever hears my word . . . has eternal life." (5:24) "He who believes has eternal life." "Whoever believes has eternal life." (6:47) "This is the bread that comes down from heaven for a man to eat and never die." "This is the bread that comes down from heaven so that one may eat it and not die." (6:50) "He who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has life eternal." "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life." (6:54) "The man who feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me, and I in him." "Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him." (6:56) "The man who feeds on this bread shall live forever." "Whoever eats this bread will live forever." (6:57) "Any man who chooses to do his will will know about this doctrine." "Whoever chooses to do his will shall know whether my teaching is from God." (7:17) "If a man goes walking by day he does not stumble." "If one walks during the day he does not stumble." (11:9) "The man who loves his life loses it, while the man who hates his life in this world preserves it to life eternal." "Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life." (12:25) "And I--once I am lifted up from earth--will draw all men to myself." "And when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw everyone to myself." (12:32) "The man who walks in the dark does not know where he is going." "Whoever walks in the dark does not know where he is going." (12:35) "The man who has bathed has no need to wash [except for his feet]." "Whoever has bathed has no need except to have his feet washed." (12:10) "A man who does not live in me is like a withered, rejected branch." "Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither." (15:6) "If you forgive men's sins, they are forgiven them." "Whose sins you forgive are forgiven them." (20:23) The Acts of the Apostles "O Lord, you read the hearts of men." "You, Lord, who know the hearts of all. . . ." (1:24) "By what power or in whose name have men of your stripe done this?" "By what power or by what name have you done this?" (4:7) "There is no other name in the whole world given to men by which we are to be saved." "Nor is there any other name under heaven given to the human race by which we are to be saved." (4:12) "When famine and great trial came upon Egypt and Canaan, our fathers could find no sustenance." "Then a famine and great affliction struck all Egypt and Canaan, and our ancestors could find no food." (7:11, etc.) "Rather, the man of any nation who fears God and acts uprightly is acceptable to him." "Rather, in every nation whoever fears him and acts uprightly is acceptable to him." (10:35) "This is the message he has sent to the sons of Israel." "You know the word that he sent to the Israelites." (10:36) "Therefore I solemnly declare this day that I take the blame for no man's conscience." "And so I solemnly declare to you this day that I am not responsible for the blood of any of you." (20:26) "Before all men you are to be his witness." "For you will be his witness before all." (22:15) "I have the same hope in God as these men have." "I have the same hope in God as they themselves have." (24:15) "Let me ask why you . . . should find it hard to believe that God raises dead men to life." "Why is it thought unbelievable among you that God raises the dead?" (26:8) The Letter to the Romans "The just man shall live by faith." "The one who is righteous by faith shall live." (1:17; Gal 3:11; Heb 10:38) "The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against the irreligious and perverse spirit of men who, in this perversity of theirs, hinder the truth." "The wrath of God is indeed being revealed from heaven against every impiety and wickedness of those who suppress the truth by their wickedness." (1:18) "Therefore these men are inexcusable." "As a result, they have no excuse." (1:20) "One sees in them men without conscience, without loyalty, without affection, without pity." "They are senseless, faithless, heartless, ruthless." (1:31) "We know that God's judgment on men who do such things is just." "We know that the judgment of God on those who do such things is true." (2:2) ". . . when he will repay every man for what he has done." ". . . who will repay everyone according to his works." (2:6) "All men have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. All men are now undeservedly justified by the gift of God." "All have sinned and are deprived of the glory of God. They are justified freely by his grace." (3:24) "For we hold that a man is justified by faith apart from observance of the law." "For we consider that a person is justified by faith apart from works of the law." (3:28) "Now, when a man works, his wages are not regarded as a favor but as his due. But when a man does nothing, yet believes . . . ." "A worker's wage is credited not as a gift, but as something due. But when one does not work, yet believes. . . ." (4:4-5) "At the appointed time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for us godless men." "For Christ, while we were still helpless, yet died at the appointed time for the ungodly." (5:6) "A man who is dead has been freed from sin." "For a dead person has been absolved from sin." (6:7) "Are you not aware, my brothers (I am speaking to men who know what law is), that the law has power over a man only so long as he lives?" "Are you unaware, brothers (for I am speaking to people who know the law), that the law has jurisdiction over one as long as one lives?" (7:1) "As a consequence, the man who opposes authority rebels against the ordinance of God." "Therefore, whoever resists authority opposes what God has appointed." (13:2) "A man of sound faith knows he can eat anything. . . . The man who will eat anything must not ridicule him who abstains from certain foods; the man who abstains must not sit in judgment on him who eats." "One person believes that one may eat anything. . . . The one who eats must not despise the one who abstains, and the one who abstains must not pass judgment on the one who eats." (14:2-3) The First Letter to the Corinthians "Where is the wise man to be found?" "Where is the wise one?" (1:20) "For God's folly is wiser than men, and his weakness more powerful than men." "For the foolishess of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength." (1:25) "Not many of you are wise, as men account wisdom." "Not many of you were wise by human standards." (1:26) ". . . so that mankind can do no boasting before God." ". . . so that no human being might boast before God." (1:29) "As a consequence, your faith rests not on the wisdom of men but on the power of God." ". . . so that your faith might rest not on human wisdom but on the power of God." (2:5) "Who, for example, knows a man's innermost self but the man's own spirit within him?" "Among human beings, who knows what pertains to a person except the spirit of the person that is within?" (2:11) "The natural man does not accept what is taught by the Spirit of God. . . . The spiritual man, on the other hand. . . ." "Now the natural person does not accept what pertains to the Spirit of God. . . . The spiritual person, however. . . ." (2:14-15) "Brothers, the trouble was that I could not talk to you as spiritual men but only as men of flesh." "Brothers, I could not talk to you as spiritual people, but as fleshly people." (3:1) "And is not your behavior that of ordinary men?" "Are you not . . . behaving in an ordinary human way?" (3:3) "If the building a man has raised . . . ; if a man's building burns. . . ." "If the work stands that someone built. . . . But if someone's work is burned up. . . ." (3:14-15) "Let there be no boasting about men." "So let no one boast about human beings." (3:21) "If a man thinks he knows something, that means he has never really known it as he ought. But if anyone loves God, that man is known by him." "If anyone supposes he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. But if one loves God, one is known by him." (8:2-3) "You know that while all the runners in the stadium take part in the race, the award goes to one man." "Do you not know that the runners in the stadium all run in the race, but only one wins the prize? (9:24) "I do not run like a man who loses sight of the finish line." "Thus I do not run aimlessly." (9:26) "No test has been sent you that does not come to all men." "No trial has come to you but what is human." (10:13) "No man should seek his own interest but rather that of his neighbor." "No one should seek his own advantage, but that of his neighbor." (10:24) "Why should my liberty be restricted by another man's conscience?" "For why should my freedom be determined by someone else's conscience?" (10:29) "If our hopes in Christ are limited to this life only, we are the most pitiable of men." "If for this life only we have hoped in Christ, we are the most pitiable people of all." (15:19) "Earthly men are like the man of earth, heavenly men are like the man of heaven." "As was the earthly one, so also are the earthly, and as is the heavenly one, so also are the heavenly." (15:48) The Second Letter to the Corinthians "We proclaim the truth openly and commend ourselves to every man's conscience before God." "By the open declaration of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God." (4:2) "Standing in awe of the Lord we try to persuade men." "Therefore, since we know the fear of the Lord, we try to persuade others." (5:11) "God, in Christ, was reconciling the world to himself, not counting men's transgressions against them." "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting their trespasses against them." (5:19) "Men of Corinth, we have spoken to you frankly." "We have spoken frankly to you, Corinthians." (6:11) "Let him who would boast, boast in the Lord. It is not the man who recommends himself who is approved but the man whom the Lord recommends." "Whoever boasts, should boast in the Lord. For it is not the one who recommends himself who is approved, but the one whom the Lord recommends." (10:17-18) The Letter to the Galatians "Paul, an apostle sent, not by men or by any man." "Paul, an apostle not from human beings nor through a human being." (1:1) "Whom would you say I am trying to please at this point--men or God? Is this how I seek to ingratiate myself with men? If I were trying to win man's approval, I would surely not be serving Christ." "Am I now currying favor with human beings or God? Or am I seeking to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a slave of Christ." (1:10-11) "Nevertheless, knowing that a man is not justified by legal observance but by faith in Jesus Christ. . . ." "We who know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. . . ." (2:16) "You cannot add anything to a man's will or set it aside once it is legally validated." "No one can annul or amend even a human will once ratified." (3:15) "You are no longer a slave but a son! And the fact that you are a son makes you an heir, by God's design." "So you are no longer a slave but a child, and if a child then also an heir, through God." (4:7) "Each man should look to his own conduct." "Each one must examine his own work." (6:4) "The man instructed in the word should share all he has with his instructor." "One who is being instructed in the word should share all good things with his instructor." (6:6) "A man will reap only what he sows." "A person will reap only what he sows." (6:7) "While we have the opportunity, let us do good to all men." "While we have the opportunity, let us do good to all." (6:10) "Henceforth, let no man trouble me." "From now on, let no one make troubles for me." (6:17) The Letter to the Ephesians ". . . the mystery of Christ, unknown to men in former ages." ". . . the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to human beings in other generations." (3:5) "Never let evil talk pass your lips; say only the good things men need to hear." "No foul language should come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for needed edification." (4:29) "Keep careful watch over your conduct. Do not act like fools, but like thoughtful men." "Watch carefully then how you live, not as foolish persons but as wise." (5:15) "Wives should be submissive to their husbands." "Wives should be subordinate to their husbands." (5:22; sim. Col 4:18) "Do not render service for appearance only and to please men. . . . Give your service willingly, doing it for the Lord rather than man." ". . . not only when being watched, as currying favor, . . . willingly serving the Lord and not human beings." (6:6) The Letter to the Colossians "This is the Christ we proclaim while we admonish all men and teach them in the full measure of wisdom, hoping to make every man complete in Christ." "It is he whom we proclaim, admonishing everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone perfect in Christ." (1:28) "While these make a certain show of wisdom in their affected piety, humility, and bodily austerity, their chief effect is that they indulge men's pride." "While they have a semblance of wisdom in rigor of devotion and self-abasement and severity to the body, they are of no value against gratification of the flesh." (2:23) "Put on a new man, one who grows in knowledge as he is formed anew in the image of his Creator." "Put on the new self, which is being renewed, for knowledge, in the image of its creator." (3:10) The First Letter to the Thessalonians "Having met the test imposed on us by God, as men entrusted with the good tidings, we speak like those who strive to please God, 'the tester of our hearts,' rather than men." "But as we were entrusted with the gospel, that is how we speak, not as trying to please human beings, but rather God who judges our hearts." (2:4) "In receiving his message from us you took it, not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God." "In receiving the word of God from hearing us, you received not a human word but, as it truly is, the word of God." (2:13) "As regards brotherly love, there is no need for me to write you." "On the subject of mutual charity you have no need for anyone to write you." (4:9) The Second Letter to the Thessalonians "Pray that we may be delivered from confused and evil men. For not every man has faith." ". . . and that we may be delivered from perverse and wicked people, for not all have faith." (3:2) The First Letter to Timothy "A woman must learn in silence and be completely submissive." "A woman must receive instruction silently and under complete control." (2:11) "Some men's sins are flagrant and cry out for judgment now, while other men's sins will appear only later." "Some people's sins are public, preceding them to judgment; but other people are followed by their sins." (5:24) ". . . a sick man in his passion for polemics and controversy . . . the bickering of men with twisted minds who have lost all sense of truth. Such men value religion only as a means of personal gain." ". . . and has a morbid disposition for arguments . . . and mutual friction among people with corrupted minds, who are deprived of the truth, supposing religion to be a means of gain." (6:4-5) The Letter to the Hebrews "Indeed, it was fitting that when bringing many sons to glory God. . . ." "For it was fitting that he . . . in bringing many children to glory. . . ." (2:10) "Now, since the children are men of blood and flesh. . . ." "Now since the children share in blood and flesh. . . ." (2:14) "Strive for peace with all men. . . . See to it that no man falls away from the grace of God." "Strive for peace with everyone. . . . See to it that no one be deprived of the grace of God." (12:14-15) The Letter of James "Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for a man's anger does not fulfill God's justice." "Everyone should be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath, for the wrath of a man does not accomplish the righteousness of God." (1:19-20) The First Letter of Peter "You must silence the ignorant talk of foolish men by your good behavior. Live as free men. . . . You must esteem the person of every man. Foster love for the brothers." ". . . you may silence the ignorance of foolish people. Be free. . . . Give honor to all, love the community." (2:15-17) "And if the just man is saved only with difficulty, what is to become of the godless and the sinner?" "And if the righteous one is barely saved, where will the godless and the sinner appear?" (4:18) The Second Letter of Peter "Any man who lacks these qualities is shortsighted to the point of blindness." "Anyone who lacks them is blind and shortsighted." (1:9) "Prophecy has never been put forward by man's willing it. It is rather that men impelled by the Holy Spirit have spoken under God's influence." "For no prophecy ever came through human will, but rather human beings moved by the holy Spirit spoke under the influence of God." (1:21) "The Lord, indeed, knows how to rescue devout men from trial." "Then the Lord knows how to rescue the devout from trial." (2:9) "These men pour abuse on things of which they are ignorant." "But these people . . . revile things that they do not understand." (2:12) "When men have fled a polluted world by recognizing the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. . . ." "For if they, having escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and savior Jesus Christ. . . ." (2:20) "The present heavens and earth are reserved by God's word for fire; they are kept for the day of judgment, the day when godless men will be destroyed." "The present heavens and earth have been reserved by the same word for fire, kept for the day of judgment and of destruction of the godless." (3:7) "Since everything is to be destroyed in this way, what sort of men must you not be!" "Since everything is to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be?" (3:11) The First Letter of John "The man who claims, 'I have known him,' without keeping his commandments, is a liar," etc. "Whoever says, 'I know him,' but does not keep his commandments is a liar," etc. (2:4; sim. 6,9,10,11,17) "The man who remains in him does not sin. The man who sins has not seen him or known him," etc. "No one who remains in him sins; no one who sins has seen him or known him," etc. (3:6; sim. 7,8,14) The Second Letter of John "Many deceitful men have gone out into the world, men who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh." "Many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh." (7) The Third Letter of John "Therefore, we owe it to such men to support them and thus to have our share in the work of truth." "Therefore, we ought to support such persons, so that we may be co-workers in the truth." (8) The Book of Revelation "I know you cannot tolerate wicked men." "I know . . . that you cannot tolerate the wicked." (2:2) "Let him who has ears heed the Spirit's word to the churches!" "Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches." (2:7,11,17,29; 3:6,13,22; sim. 13:9) "The locusts were commanded to do no harm to the grass in the land or to any plant or tree but only to those men who had not the seal of God on their foreheads." "They were told not to harm the grass of the earth or any plant or any tree, but only those people who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads." (9:4) "During that time these men will seek death but will not find it." "During that time these people will seek death but will not find it." (9:6) "That part of mankind which escaped the plagues did not repent of the idols they had made." "The rest of the human race, who were not killed by these plagues, did not repent of the works of their hands." (9:20; sim. 9:15, etc.) "Men from every people and race, language and nation. . . ." "Those from every people, tribe, tongue, and nation. . . ." (11:9) "It forced all men . . . to accept a stamped image on their right hand or their forehead." "It forced all the people . . . to be given a stamped image on their right hands or their foreheads." (13:16) "Such was its violence that there has never been one like it in all the time men have lived on the earth." "It was such a violent earthquake that there has never been one like it since the human race began on earth." (16:18) "The Spirit and the Bride say, 'Come!' Let him who hears answer, 'Come!' Let him who is thirsty come forward." "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come.' Let the hearer say, 'Come.' Let the one who thirsts come forward." (22:17)