Luke's Gospel: Word Come Alive

By Martin Manser

Are you so familiar with the Bible text of your preferred version that it no longer speaks to you powerfully? Do you want to explore the message of the New Testament? Then this fresh, expanded translation of the New Testament ("Word Come Alive") is for you. Respected Bible editor Martin Manser has included helpful phrases and background in italics within the text. The result is an insightful translation that expresses the original in contemporary, natural English which will encourage you to respond to the good news of Jesus.

Sample text:

Luke 2:1-7
At that time, Emperor Augustus issued an executive order that a census should be taken of the whole known world. The census was conducted so that the people who were registered would have to pay taxes. This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria. So everyone was required to go back to their own home town to be registered.

Joseph therefore also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee and travelled a long way to the little village of Bethlehem (David's home town) in Judea, because he came from David's family line. Joseph went with Mary to be registered there. Mary was legally promised in marriage to him and she was expecting a child. While they were there, she went into labour. She gave birth to a son, her first child, with the rights of the firstborn son. She wrapped him in long strips of cloth and placed him gently in a feeding trough used by cattle, because there was no room that provided shelter. The Son of God was born in the most humble circumstances.

Luke 15:25-32
'But the elder son was out working in the field, and as he came close to home, he could hear music and dancing as he caught the smell of roast veal wafting through the air. He called one of the servants and demanded to know what was going on. The servant told him, "Your brother's come home, and your father has killed the fattened calf because he's got him back safe and sound."

'But the elder son resented his father's extravagant love and that he had forgiven the younger son so easily. The elder son became angry at the fuss being made of the younger son and refused to go in and join the party. So his father went out, came alongside him and kept on urging him to come in. But full of smug contempt, he answered his father, "Look, I feel I've been unfairly treated! After all, I've been slaving my guts out dutifully for you for so many years. I've been careful enough to have never once disobeyed any of your orders. Yet during all that time you've never rewarded me by giving me what I deserve. You've never even given me a young goat so that I could celebrate with my friends. But when this precious son of yours turns up out of the blue, after using up your inheritance on prostitutes, you kill the fattened calf for him!"

'Then the father responded tenderly to the elder brother, "My dear son, you are always with me. You've been with me all the time. Everything I have is yours. All the privileges of being my son have always been yours to enjoy. But we had to celebrate and be full of joy, because it is your brother – my son – who was dead and is now alive again. He was lost but now has been found."'

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: May 18, 2020
• ISBN: 9781098315177

Martin Manser

Martin Manser is a professional writer and researcher. He is responsible for ‘The Penguin Wordmaster’ and ‘The Guinness Book of Words’.

Book preview

Word Come Alive is an expanded translation (paraphrase) of the New Testament of the Bible. www.wordcomealive.net

Luke’s Gospel

Copyright © Martin Manser 2020

Martin Manser’s website: www.martinmanser.co.uk

Front cover by Tony Cantale

ISBN 9781098315177

For permissions to quote this text, see website www.wordcomealive.net

Text in italics is used for the explanations included to make the meaning more immediately understandable in this contemporary English version.

Martin Manser and his reviewers have worked from and checked this text against United Bible Societies’ 4th edition/26th and 27th editions of Novum Testamentum Graece [Greek New Testament] (Nestle-Aland) and other English translations.

Reviewers

Gervais Angel, formerly New Testament Greek Examiner for the Church of England and tutor in New Testament Greek at Trinity College, Bristol, England.

Dr. Pieter Lalleman, Tutor in Biblical Studies at Spurgeon’s College, London, England.

Contents

Luke 1

Luke 2

Luke 3

Luke 4

Luke 5

Luke 6

Luke 7

Luke 8

Luke 9

Luke 10

Luke 11

Luke 12

Luke 13

Luke 14

Luke 15

Luke 16

Luke 17

Luke 18

Luke 19

Luke 20

Luke 21

Luke 22

Luke 23

Luke 24

Luke 1

Introduction

<1>Many people have already tried to draw up an accurate, carefully organised report of the significant events that have been going on among us as the fulfilment of God’s promises. These events concern Jesus. You can be sure that he really existed because <2>those earlier reports were based directly on reliable eyewitness accounts from the start of Jesus’ ministry. These eyewitnesses were also servants of the word, ministers who declared the good news of Jesus. <3>Since this is so, it seemed good to me also to delve carefully and thoroughly into everything that has happened right from the beginning of Jesus’ family background. As a result, honourable Theophilus, I have written a well-ordered report for you. <4>My aim throughout is that you may be persuaded of the truth of what you have already been taught. I want you to be strengthened in your faith and certain about the reliability of the good news of Jesus.

The birth of John the Baptist foretold

<5>In the days of King Herod of Judea (Herod the Great), there lived a priest called Zechariah. He belonged to Abijah’s group of priests. His wife, Elizabeth, was a descendant of Aaron. <6>Both of their lives were marked by a devout integrity in God’s sight: they followed all the Lord’s commands and laws consistently. <7>But sadly, Zechariah and Elizabeth didn’t have any children, because Elizabeth could not conceive. Both of them were old, past the usual child-bearing years. Nevertheless they remained faithful to God.

<8>One day it was the turn of Zechariah’s group of priests to be on duty to serve God. <9>Zechariah himself was chosen by lot, as was the custom of the priests. God chose him to go into the Holy Place in the Lord’s temple in Jerusalem and burn incense at one of the two daily sacrifices in the sanctuary. This incredible privilege came only once in a priest’s life. <10>When the time came for the incense to be burnt, all the people were gathered outside in the court praying.

<11>Then an angel of the Lord appeared to Zechariah. The angel stood at the right-hand side of the altar where the incense was burnt. <12>When Zechariah saw the angel, he was scared and was overcome with awe and terror. <13>But the angel said to him, ‘Don’t be afraid, Zechariah, because your prayer has been heard. God will answer your prayers. You and your wife Elizabeth are going to have a son. You will give him the name John. <14>He will be a joy and delight to you. Many other people will also be thrilled at his birth, <15>because he will be great and important in the Lord’s sight. He will lead a disciplined life that is wholly dedicated to special service for the Lord. He will never drink any kind of wine or alcohol. In contrast, he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even while he is still in his mother’s womb. <16>He will have an effective ministry as a prophet. He will declare God’s message powerfully and turn many of the people of Israel back to the Lord their God. <17>His ministry will herald a new era of God’s activity. He will go before the Lord in the spirit, power and authority of the prophet Elijah. He will turn the hearts of parents to their children. He will restore relationships in families. He will also cause disobedient people to make wise decisions and do what is right. In short, he will prepare a people who are fully geared up for the coming of the Lord.’

<18>But Zechariah had his doubts and asked the angel, ‘How can I be sure of this? Give me a sign to confirm what you’re saying. I’m asking this because I’m old and my wife is too old to have children.’

<19>The angel answered him, ‘I am the angel Gabriel. I have the privilege of standing in God’s presence. I was sent as God’s messenger to speak to you and to declare this good news to you. <20>Look, here is a sign for you. [The angel gently rebuked Zechariah for his unbelief.] You will be silent and unable to speak until the day this happens, because you haven’t believed my words, which will surely be fulfilled at the proper time.’

<21>Meanwhile the people outside kept waiting … and waiting for Zechariah. They wondered why he was such a long time in the temple. <22>When he eventually came out of the sanctuary, he could not speak to them. They realised he had seen a vision in the temple, because he kept making signs to them and he remained unable to speak.

<23>When his term of service as a priest came to an end, Zechariah went home. <24>A while later, his wife Elizabeth became pregnant and she stayed by herself at home for five months. She praised God saying, <25>‘The Lord has been good to me in these days. He has looked on me with favour. He has taken away the shame I felt among people that I couldn’t have any children.’

The birth of Jesus foretold

<26>When Elizabeth was six months’ pregnant, God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee. <27>Gabriel appeared to a virgin, a young unmarried woman, who was legally promised in marriage to a man called Joseph, who was descended from King David. The young woman’s name was Mary. <28>The angel went to her and said, ‘Hello, Mary! You have found favour with God!’ He has lavished his love on you. The Lord is with you!’

<29>Mary was puzzled and upset by what the angel said. She wondered and tried to work out the meaning of the angel’s greeting. <30>But the angel said to her, ‘Don’t be afraid, Mary, because you have found favour with God! You are privileged to receive God’s love. <31>You will become pregnant. You will give birth to a son, whom you will call Jesus. <32>He will be great and important. He will be called the unique Son of the Most High God. The Lord God will make him a king like his ancestor David. He is the long-awaited Messiah. <33>He will reign over Jacob’s descendants for ever. He will be the King of Israel, and his sovereign reign will never end but will last for ever.’

<34>Mary was startled and asked the angel, ‘Will you explain how this will happen since I am a virgin? I’ve never had sexual relations with a man.’

<35>The angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come on you and the power of the Most High God will settle on you and cover you. Your conceiving Jesus will take place miraculously in you by the power of the Holy Spirit. So the child that you will give birth to will be called holy, the Son of God. God himself is going to step into the world. <36>Look! Here is a sign that confirms what I’m saying is true. Even your aunt Elizabeth is expecting a son in her old age. She who was considered childless is in fact six months’ pregnant. <37>I assure you of this, because nothing is impossible with God’s power. God is surely able to fulfil all that he has promised.’

<38>Mary responded, ‘I am here, the servant of the Lord. May your word to me be fulfilled. My response is that I humbly submit to your message.’ Then the angel left her.

Mary visits her aunt Elizabeth

<39>In those days, Mary set out and went quickly to a town about 100 miles away in the hill country of Judea, <40>where she entered Zechariah’s home and greeted her aunt Elizabeth. <41>When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby responded by leaping in her (Elizabeth’s) womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. <42>She shouted out words of prophecy, ‘You are most privileged and blessed among women, and blessed is the child you will give birth to! <43>But how come I’m honoured in this way? Why am I so favoured that the mother of my Lord, the baby inside you, should come to me? <44>As soon as I heard your greeting, the baby in my womb jumped for joy. <45>Happy and fortunate is she who has trusted that the promises the Lord spoke to her will be fulfilled!’

Mary: ‘My soul celebrates the Lord!’

<46>And Mary spoke out loud,

‘My soul celebrates the goodness of the Lord in my life.

<47>I am thankful and take delight in God my Saviour,

<48>because he has looked with tenderness on his servant’s humble status.

Surely from now on all generations will call me blessed,

<49>because the Powerful One has done wonderful things for me.

The Lord’s name is gloriously holy.

<50>The Lord’s kind, faithful and loving mercy reaches out to all those who fear him – who have reverence for him – throughout every generation.

<51>The Lord has brought about a dramatic reversal of fortunes. He has acted with powerful authority,

scattering those who are proud and arrogant in their deepest thoughts.

<52>The Lord has toppled rulers from their high positions of authority,

but he has lifted up people who are humble and needy.

<53>The Lord has filled up hungry people, nourishing them with good,

but he has sent wealthy people away empty-handed.

<54>The Lord has helped the people of Israel who serve him,

and he has always remembered his kind, faithful and loving mercy

<55>to Abraham and his offspring for ever,

even as he promised our ancestors that he would fulfil his covenant.’

<56>Mary stayed with Elizabeth for about three months and then returned home.

John the Baptist is born

<57>When the time came for Elizabeth to have her baby, she gave birth to a son. <58>Her neighbours and relatives heard that the Lord had displayed his kind, faithful and loving mercy to her, and they shared her joy.

<59>On the eighth day after the baby was born, it was time to circumcise him. Elizabeth’s neighbours and relatives were going to give him the name Zechariah, the same name as his father, <60>but his mother disagreed and said, ‘No way! His name is John.’

<61>They were shocked at this unexpected suggestion and said to her, ‘No one in your family is called by that name.’

<62>Then they made signs to Zechariah, his father, asking him what name he wanted to call the baby. <63>Zechariah made signs and asked for a writing tablet and they were all amazed when he wrote, ‘His name is John.’

<64>Immediately Zechariah’s mouth was opened and his tongue set free. After nine months’ silence, he began to speak again, joyfully praising God. <65>All the people living around them were filled with awe at what God had done. People in the whole hill country of Judea kept discussing all the events that had happened. <66>Everyone who heard about them was deeply moved and thought about them long and hard, asking, ‘What will become of this child?’