Section 1:9–20
John introduced the revelation
In this section, John told the seven churches that he was exiled on the island of Patmos because he had preached about Jesus. The people in the seven churches had also suffered for the sake of Jesus. So John indicated that they all shared in that suffering. He explained where he was and why he was there. He then began to tell his vision of Jesus and what Jesus revealed to him.
Other examples of headings for this section are:
Preliminary vision (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
John told/described his first vision
-or-
Introduction to what God revealed to John
Paragraph 1:9–11
1:9a–e
This verse is one long sentence. In some languages it is more natural to use shorter sentences. For example:
I, John, ⌊am⌋ your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus. ⌊One day,⌋ I was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus.
1:9a
I, John: John included his name here to clearly say who was speaking, because in the previous verse God referred to himself with the pronoun “I.” Reintroduce John in a way that is natural in your language. For example:
I, John, ⌊speak/write to you.⌋ I,…
-or-
I ⌊am⌋ John,…
your brother: Here the word brother indicates that John was also a believer, like believers in the churches. Using the word brother indicates that he had a close relationship with his readers.
In some languages a literal translation would wrongly indicate a literal brother. If that is true in your language, you may need to:
• Explain the meaning in your translation. For example:
your brother ⌊in Christ⌋
• Use a different word or phrase. For example:
your fellow believer
-or-
a follower together with all of you (Contemporary English Version)
partner: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as partner refers to someone who shares something with someone else. Here John and the believers shared faith in Jesus. They also shared in suffering for Jesus’ sake, and in being part of God’s kingdom, and in enduring (1:9b). Other ways to translate the Greek word are:
companion (New International Version)
-or-
⌊one⌋ who shares with
1:9b
in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance: This phrase indicates that John and his readers shared in three things. They shared in tribulation, they shared in the kingdom, and they shared in perseverance. The three abstract nouns tribulation, kingdom, and perseverance can all be translated as verbs, since they refer to something that John and his readers did together. They all suffered, they all lived in God’s kingdom, and they all endured patiently.
In the Greek, these three things are closely connected in the grammar. So some English versions interpret the grammar to indicate that the terms modify each other rather than refer to three separate actions. For example:
in patiently enduring the suffering that comes to those who belong to his Kingdom (Good News Translation)
However, in some languages it is more natural to translate them as three separate actions. See examples in the Display.
tribulation: The word tribulation refers to the trouble and pain that people endure. Other ways to translate this word are:
suffering (New International Version)
-or-
hardships (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
we(incl.) all suffer troubles
kingdom: The word kingdom refers to God ruling over his people. John and his readers were companions in the kingdom because they all belonged to God’s kingdom. They all acknowledged God as their king, and they all lived under God’s rule. John and his readers shared in the blessings of the kingdom and its work.
In some languages it is necessary or more natural to add a verb here. For example:
⌊we
(incl.) all belong to⌋ God’s kingdom
-or-
together ⌊we follow⌋ God as king
-or-
⌊all of us live⌋ under God’s rule
perseverance: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as perseverance refers to continuing to follow God even though facing hardships or opposition. Other ways to translate the Greek word are:
patient endurance (New International Version)
-or-
patience to continue (New Century Version)
-or-
we(incl.) all patiently endure
-or-
how we patiently endure ⌊difficulties/suffering/persecution⌋
1:9c
that are in Jesus: The Greek phrase that the Berean Standard Bible translates as that are in Jesus probably applies to the whole phrase “your brother and partner in the tribulation and kingdom and perseverance” (1:9a–b). All those things are true or occur in a relationship with Jesus. John and his readers had a relationship with Jesus, so they suffered for the same reasons, shared in the kingdom of God, and patiently endured troubles for the same reasons.
Your translation of this phrase should refer to those shared experiences. Other ways to translate it are:
as we (incl.) are all in Jesus
-or-
as we follow Jesus together
General Comment on 1:9a–c
In some languages it is more natural to put the phrase “in Jesus” in a different place. For example:
9a I John, your brother, who share with you 9c in Jesus 9b the tribulation and the kingdom and the patient endurance (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
9a I am John, your brother, and 9c as a follower of Jesus 9a I am your partner 9b in patiently enduring the suffering that comes to those who belong to his Kingdom (Good News Translation)
1:9d
was on the island of Patmos: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as was can also be translated as “came to be.” John did not plan to be on Patmos. It happened because God planned it. The Greek grammar does not indicate whether or not John was still on Patmos when he wrote Revelation after receiving these visions.
1:9e probably implies that the Roman authorities exiled John to Patmos. So some English versions use a passive clause. The passive clause in English implies that John did not go to the island voluntarily. For example:
I was sent to Patmos Island (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
I was put on the island of Patmos (Good News Translation)
But the verb was probably indicates that, for this letter, it was not important to John whether or not he was exiled.
the island of Patmos: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as of is literally “being called.” It indicates that Patmos was the name of the island. Other ways to translate this phrase are:
the island called Patmos (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Patmos Island (Contemporary English Version)
island: An island is land that is completely surrounded by water. Patmos is in the Aegean Sea. It is about 50 kilometers (30 miles) from the mainland, which was the Roman province of Asia. Patmos is about 12 kilometers (8 miles) long from the northern end to the southern end. It is about 3 kilometers (2 miles) wide at its widest place.
1:9e
because of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus: This clause indicates that someone, probably Roman authorities, put John on Patmos (as punishment) because he preached the word of God and my testimony about Jesus. The Roman emperor insisted that everyone worship him as a god. Those who believed in Jesus refused to do that. The Roman authorities probably exiled John to Patmos because he was preaching about believing in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.
There is no subject or verb in this phrase. John was probably talking about himself and what he did. In some languages it is more natural to make the subject and verb/verbs explicit. For example:
because ⌊I proclaimed⌋ the word of God and the testimony of Jesus
-or-
because I had preached God’s word and the message about Jesus (New Century Version)
-or-
because ⌊I had declared⌋ God’s word and told/testified about Jesus
of the word of God and my testimony about Jesus: Here the phrase refers to an earlier time when John was still in the province of Asia. John used the same phrase in 1:2 to connect to that verse, but he implies a connected-but-different meaning. Here it refers more generally to the Scriptures and the gospel about Jesus. John preached the gospel in Asia. Other ways to translate it are:
of the Word of God and of witness to Jesus (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
for preaching the word of God and for my testimony about Jesus (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
of God’s word and the testimony about Jesus (God’s Word)
my testimony about Jesus: In Greek this phrase is literally “the testimony of Jesus” (as in the English Standard Version). The word “of” has several meanings. There are two ways to interpret this phrase:
(1) The testimony is about Jesus. For example:
the testimony about Jesus (God’s Word)
(2) Jesus gave the testimony. For example:
the truth that Jesus revealed (Good News Translation)
Many English versions translate this literally as “of.” It is not possible to tell which interpretation they follow. You may also translate this phrase so that it allows both interpretations. But some languages must choose one of the interpretations. If that is true in your language, follow interpretation (1). Other ways to translate this phrase are:
I…had told about Jesus (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
I had…borne witness to Jesus (Phillips’ New Testament in Modern English)
testimony: The word testimony means “the words spoken about what one saw or heard.” The word testimony is often used when the person speaking is expected to be truthful and accurate (as in a court of law). Other ways to translate this word are:
witness (New Jerusalem Bible)
-or-
message of what they saw and heard
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