The Skeptics Annotated Bible (826 page)

7 But which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?

(17.7)
“Which of you, having a servant plowing or feeding cattle, will say unto him by and by, when he is come from the field, Go and sit down to meat?”

8
And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?

(17.8)
“And will not rather say unto him, Make ready wherewith I may sup, and gird thyself, and serve me, till I have eaten and drunken; and afterward thou shalt eat and drink?”

9
Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.

(17.9)
“Doth he thank that servant because he did the things that were commanded him? I trow not.”

10 So likewise ye, when ye shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.

11 And it came to pass, as he went to Jerusalem, that he passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee.

(17.12-14) Jesus heals ten lepers.

12 And as he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers, which stood afar off:

(17.12)
“As he entered into a certain village, there met him ten men that were lepers.”

13
And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.

(17.13)
“And they lifted up their voices, and said, Jesus, Master, have mercy on us.”

14 And
when he saw them, he said
unto them,
Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And
it came to pass, that
, as they went, they were cleansed.

(17.14)
“When he saw them, he said … Go shew yourselves unto the priests. And … as they went, they were cleansed.”

15 And one of them, when he saw that he was healed, turned back, and with a loud voice glorified God,

16 And fell down on his face at his feet, giving him thanks: and he was a Samaritan.

17 And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine?

18 There are not found that returned to give glory to God, save this stranger.

19 And he said unto him, Arise, go thy way: thy faith hath made thee whole.

20 And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation:

21 Neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the
kingdom of God is within you.

(17.21)
“The kingdom of God is within you.”
That has a nice sound to it, but I don’t know what it means.

22 And he said unto the disciples, The days will come, when ye shall desire to see one of the days of the Son of man, and ye shall not see it.

23 And they shall say to you, See here; or, see there: go not after them, nor follow them.

24 For
as the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.

(17.24) “As the lightning, that lighteneth out of the one part under heaven, shineth unto the other part under heaven; so shall also the Son of man be in his day.” There will be nothing subtle about Jesus’ return. It will be like lightning that flashes from one end of the heaven to the other. Like the Wicked Witch of the West writing “Surrender Dorothy” in the sky. Like that.

25 But first must he suffer many things, and be rejected of this generation.

26 And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

27 They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage,
until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

(17.27)
“Until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.”
Jesus believed the story of Noah’s ark. He thought it really happened and had no problem with the idea of God drowning everything and everybody.

28 Likewise also as it was in the days of Lot; they did eat, they drank, they bought, they sold, they planted, they builded;

(17.29-32) Jesus also believes the story about Sodom’s destruction. He says, “even thus shall it be in the day the son of man is revealed.” This tells us about Jesus’ knowledge of science and history, and his sense of justice.