What is Paul's Handkerchief?

Paul's Handkerchief is Bible study with a difference — going word-by-word through Scripture to reclaim the Ancient Near East context, romance, and mystery that modern translations often leave behind.

What is the cover-to-cover Bible Challenge?

Few people who start reading the Bible ever finish it. The cover-to-cover challenge is for those ready to break that cycle — reading the entire Bible at their own pace, backed by community and tools built to make finishing not just possible, but inevitable. You will also get a certificate to celebrate your achievement.

Bible Cafe isn't just Bible study — it's a personal, intimate conversation with Him. Think less classroom, more kitchen table. It combines the original Coffee with Jesus experience with activities like quizzes, crosswords, journaling and more, all designed to let the Word shape your heart, not just your head.

What is the F.O.G. Bible Project?

Most English Bibles can't carry the full weight of what's in the original Hebrew and Greek. The F.O.G. Bible Project exists to change that — three new translations built publicly (a Study Bible, a Reader's Bible, and F.O.G.F. for younger readers), plus a word-by-word renewal of Strong's Concordance restoring the depths most translations leave behind. It is Jean Paul's lifelong work, unfolding in public — and you're invited in.

Jean Paul Joseph is the lead editor of the F.O.G. Bible Project. He works from a personal encounter with Jesus first, then draws on the scholarship of respected Jewish and Christian scholars — because the church was Jewish before it was anything else, and those roots change everything about how you read Scripture.

How do I get started?

Create your account, pick a Bible translation and a reading style that fits you, and you're in. From there, the app tracks your progress and helps keep you showing up — day after day, chapter after chapter.

How do I earn the most XP?

Every day has three primary stamps to earn the immersion bonus. This is the best way to earn XP if competing in the leaderboards. The Bible reading stamp is awarded when you read at least one chapter of Scripture. The Coffee with Jesus stamp is awarded after enjoying a Coffee with Jesus, and the evening devotional stamp is awarded when completing a Memory Verse, a Quiz, or a Crossword after 5PM. You get the immersion bonus of 555 XP when collecting all three stamps in a single day.

Do I have to complete all 5 activites to get immersion bonus?

No. If you complete one activity before 5PM and another after 5PM, alongside a coffee with Jesus you will earn the immersion bonus for the day.

How do XP and ranks work?

Every activity earns you XP, which advances you through seven Hebrew ranks: Talmid, Mechoker, Maskil, Sofer, Moreh, Chacham, and Zaken — each one named from a biblical word for going deeper into the Word. Beyond Zaken, five gem tiers await: Pearl, Emerald, Ruby, Sapphire, and Diamond. These will be added as profile gems once achieved.

What is the 6-Track Bible reading plan?

The 6-Track system is designed for reading up to six chapters a day across different sections of Scripture simultaneously. It's an adaptation of Professor Grant Horner's method, designed to keep you in multiple parts of the Bible at once to see more biblical connections as you read. It's ideally meant for reading six chapters a day to complete one full cycle of the Bible every eight months. However three chapters a day is also an excellent option to consider.

How do I earn my Certificate of Completion?

You will receive your certificate once marking the final chapter of your cover-to-cover Bible Challenge as read. The certificate is generated automatically and added to your profile. Free members receive a digital copy; and patrons receive an archival quality certificate mailed to their door. Ready for framing. You receive a certificate every time you finish the Bible on this website.

How does patronage work?

A one-time gift of any amount earns you the Giver badge plus a trial window of RabbAI — 3 months, or 12 months at $50 or more. An active monthly gift of any amount earns you the Patron badge and keeps your RabbAI access going for as long as the gift continues. If a monthly gift ever pauses or ends, the Patron badge steps back down to Giver — the green Giver badge never goes away, because it remembers that you gave. Give $50 and you will receive a certificate mailed to your door upon completing the cover-to-cover Bible challenge. Give $100 to sponsor a verse or page of your choice on this website. Givers and patrons also receive access to additional site features like file uploads in journal entries and access to RabbAI insights.

Matthew 12:7 Overview & Translations

Translations

KJVPrimary

King James Version

But if ye had known what this meaneth, I will have mercy, and not sacrifice, ye would not have condemned the guiltless.

F.O.G.Secondary

The F.O.G

"And if you had understood what this means — I desire covenant-love and not sacrifice — you would not have condemned the guiltless."

F.O.G.M.

F.O.G Message

"And if you had understood the meaning of these words — I desire mercy, not sacrifice — you would not have condemned the innocent."

BSB

Berean Standard Bible

If only you had known the meaning of ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the innocent.

Footnotes

ἔλεος renders the Hebrew חֶסֶד (hesed) from Hosea 6:6 — the word denotes not mere compassion but covenantal loyalty, the bond-love of a committed relationship. FOG uses "covenant-love" to honour that full weight; FOG Message uses the traditional "mercy," which captures the compassion dimension but softens the relational-covenantal core.

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Resources

Read Matthew 12:7 in the Bible

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