FUNCTIONAL FAITH
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The Pioneer Translation Rendering

Matthew 27:50–54

The Temple Curtain Torn

50Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and released his spirit.

The verb *aphiēmi* means "to release" or "let go" — rendered here as "released" rather than the conventional "gave up" or "yielded," preserving the active, intentional force of the word. *Pneuma* is translated "spirit" in keeping with the source text. The clause is direct and unadorned, as in the Greek.

51And look — the curtain of the temple was torn from top to bottom into two, and the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

The Greek *ἐσχίσθη* (from *schizō*) means to tear or split forcibly — translated here as "torn" for the curtain and "split" for the rocks, preserving the violence of the action in both instances. *Ἀπʼ ἄνωθεν ἕως κάτω* literally means "from above down to below," rendered "from top to bottom" in plain English. *Ναοῦ* refers specifically to the inner sanctuary or temple building itself, not the broader temple complex.

54The centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus, seeing the earthquake and the things that had happened, were terrified, saying: "Truly this man was God's Son."

The Greek *θεοῦ υἱὸς* ("God's Son") lacks a definite article, which is significant — it reads "a son of God" or "God's Son" rather than "the Son of God." The PT renders it "God's Son" to preserve this anarthrous construction without over-defining it. The verb *ἐφοβήθησαν σφόδρα* means they were frightened to an extreme degree — "terrified" captures this force better than a mild "feared greatly."

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50

When Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, He yielded up His spirit.

But Jesus cried out again loudly, and gave up his spirit.

51

At that moment the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth quaked, and the rocks were split.

And at once the curtain of the sanctuary was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split,

52

The tombs broke open, and the bodies of many saints who had fallen asleep were raised.

the tombs opened, and many of the saints who had fallen asleep rose

53

After Jesus’ resurrection, when they had come out of the tombs, they entered the holy city and appeared to many people.

and left their tombs and after his resurrection went into the holy city and showed themselves to many people.

54

When the centurion and those with him who were guarding Jesus saw the earthquake and all that had happened, they were terrified and said, “Truly this was the Son of God.”

And the captain and the men with him who were watching Jesus, when they saw the earthquake and all that was happening, were dreadfully frightened and said, “He surely must have been a son of God!”

Functional Faith Reading

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Sources

SBL Greek New Testament (SBLGNT)License

The Greek New Testament: SBL Edition

Copyright 2010 Society of Biblical Literature and Logos Bible Software.

Licensed CC BY 4.0.

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