John 3:18-21

3:18 The one who believes in him is not condemned. ¹  The one who does not believe has been condemned ²  already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only ³  Son of God. 3:19 Now this is the basis for judging: ⁴  that the light has come into the world and people ⁵  loved the darkness rather than the light, because their deeds were evil. 3:20 For everyone who does evil deeds hates the light and does not come to the light, so that their deeds will not be exposed. 3:21 But the one who practices the truth comes to the light, so that it may be plainly evident that his deeds have been done in God. ⁶ 

John 5:40-44

5:40 but you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life.

5:41 “I do not accept ⁷  praise ⁸  from people, ⁹  5:42 but I know you, that you do not have the love of God ¹⁰  within you. 5:43 I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not accept ¹¹  me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept ¹²  him. 5:44 How can you believe, if you accept praise ¹³  from one another and don’t seek the praise ¹⁴  that comes from the only God? ¹⁵ 

John 8:23-24

8:23 Jesus replied, ¹⁶  “You people ¹⁷  are from below; I am from above. You people are from this world; I am not from this world. 8:24 Thus I told you ¹⁸  that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am he, ¹⁹  you will die in your sins.”

John 8:42-47

8:42 Jesus replied, ²⁰  “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come from God and am now here. ²¹  I ²²  have not come on my own initiative, ²³  but he ²⁴  sent me. 8:43 Why don’t you understand what I am saying? It is because you cannot accept ²⁵  my teaching. ²⁶  8:44 You people ²⁷  are from ²⁸  your father the devil, and you want to do what your father desires. ²⁹  He ³⁰  was a murderer from the beginning, and does not uphold the truth, ³¹  because there is no truth in him. Whenever he lies, ³²  he speaks according to his own nature, ³³  because he is a liar and the father of lies. ³⁴  8:45 But because I am telling you ³⁵  the truth, you do not believe me. 8:46 Who among you can prove me guilty ³⁶  of any sin? ³⁷  If I am telling you ³⁸  the truth, why don’t you believe me? 8:47 The one who belongs to ³⁹  God listens and responds ⁴⁰  to God’s words. You don’t listen and respond, ⁴¹  because you don’t belong to God.” ⁴² 

John 12:47-48

12:47 If anyone ⁴³  hears my words and does not obey them, ⁴⁴  I do not judge him. For I have not come to judge the world, but to save the world. ⁴⁵  12:48 The one who rejects me and does not accept ⁴⁶  my words has a judge; ⁴⁷  the word ⁴⁸  I have spoken will judge him at the last day.

John 15:22-25

15:22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. ⁴⁹  But they no longer have any excuse for their sin. 15:23 The one who hates me hates my Father too. 15:24 If I had not performed ⁵⁰  among them the miraculous deeds ⁵¹  that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. ⁵²  But now they have seen the deeds ⁵³  and have hated both me and my Father. ⁵⁴  15:25 Now this happened ⁵⁵  to fulfill the word that is written in their law, ‘They hated me without reason.’ ⁵⁶ 

Mark 16:16

16:16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned.

Acts 2:22-38

2:22 “Men of Israel, ⁵⁷  listen to these words: Jesus the Nazarene, a man clearly attested to you by God with powerful deeds, ⁵⁸  wonders, and miraculous signs ⁵⁹  that God performed among you through him, just as you yourselves know – 2:23 this man, who was handed over by the predetermined plan and foreknowledge of God, you executed ⁶⁰  by nailing him to a cross at the hands of Gentiles. ⁶¹  2:24 But God raised him up, ⁶²  having released ⁶³  him from the pains ⁶⁴  of death, because it was not possible for him to be held in its power. ⁶⁵  2:25 For David says about him,

‘I saw the Lord always in front of me, ⁶⁶ 

for he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken.

2:26 Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced;

my body ⁶⁷  also will live in hope,

2:27 because you will not leave my soul in Hades, ⁶⁸ 

nor permit your Holy One to experience ⁶⁹  decay.

2:28 You have made known to me the paths of life;

you will make me full of joy with your presence.’ ⁷⁰ 

2:29 “Brothers, ⁷¹  I can speak confidently ⁷²  to you about our forefather ⁷³  David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us to this day. 2:30 So then, because ⁷⁴  he was a prophet and knew that God had sworn to him with an oath to seat one of his descendants ⁷⁵  on his throne, ⁷⁶  2:31 David by foreseeing this ⁷⁷  spoke about the resurrection of the Christ, ⁷⁸  that he was neither abandoned to Hades, ⁷⁹  nor did his body ⁸⁰  experience ⁸¹  decay. ⁸²  2:32 This Jesus God raised up, and we are all witnesses of it. ⁸³  2:33 So then, exalted ⁸⁴  to the right hand ⁸⁵  of God, and having received ⁸⁶  the promise of the Holy Spirit ⁸⁷  from the Father, he has poured out ⁸⁸  what you both see and hear. 2:34 For David did not ascend into heaven, but he himself says,

‘The Lord said to my lord,

“Sit ⁸⁹  at my right hand

2:35 until I make your enemies a footstool ⁹⁰  for your feet.”’ ⁹¹ 

2:36 Therefore let all the house of Israel know beyond a doubt ⁹²  that God has made this Jesus whom you crucified ⁹³  both Lord ⁹⁴  and Christ.” ⁹⁵ 

The Response to Peter’s Address

2:37 Now when they heard this, ⁹⁶  they were acutely distressed ⁹⁷  and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “What should we do, brothers?” 2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized ⁹⁸  in the name of Jesus Christ ⁹⁹  for ¹⁰⁰  the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ¹⁰¹ 

Acts 3:14-19

3:14 But you rejected ¹⁰²  the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a man who was a murderer be released to you. 3:15 You killed ¹⁰³  the Originator ¹⁰⁴  of life, whom God raised ¹⁰⁵  from the dead. To this fact we are witnesses! ¹⁰⁶  3:16 And on the basis of faith in Jesus’ ¹⁰⁷  name, ¹⁰⁸  his very name has made this man – whom you see and know – strong. The ¹⁰⁹  faith that is through Jesus ¹¹⁰  has given him this complete health in the presence ¹¹¹  of you all. 3:17 And now, brothers, I know you acted in ignorance, ¹¹²  as your rulers did too. 3:18 But the things God foretold ¹¹³  long ago through ¹¹⁴  all the prophets – that his Christ ¹¹⁵  would suffer – he has fulfilled in this way. 3:19 Therefore repent and turn back so that your sins may be wiped out,

Acts 7:51-54

7:51 “You stubborn ¹¹⁶  people, with uncircumcised ¹¹⁷  hearts and ears! ¹¹⁸  You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors ¹¹⁹  did! 7:52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors ¹²⁰  not persecute? ¹²¹  They ¹²²  killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One, ¹²³  whose betrayers and murderers you have now become! ¹²⁴  7:53 You ¹²⁵  received the law by decrees given by angels, ¹²⁶  but you did not obey ¹²⁷  it.” ¹²⁸ 

Stephen is Killed

7:54 When they heard these things, they became furious ¹²⁹  and ground their teeth ¹³⁰  at him.

Acts 26:9-10

26:9 Of course, ¹³¹  I myself was convinced ¹³²  that it was necessary to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene. 26:10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem: Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons by the authority I received ¹³³  from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote ¹³⁴  against them when they were sentenced to death. ¹³⁵ 

Romans 3:19-20

3:19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under ¹³⁶  the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 3:20 For no one is declared righteous before him ¹³⁷  by the works of the law, ¹³⁸  for through the law comes ¹³⁹  the knowledge of sin.

Romans 7:9

7:9 And I was once alive apart from the law, but with the coming of the commandment sin became alive

Romans 7:1

The Believer’s Relationship to the Law

7:1 Or do you not know, brothers and sisters ¹⁴⁰  (for I am speaking to those who know the law), that the law is lord over a person ¹⁴¹  as long as he lives?

Romans 2:15-16

2:15 They ¹⁴²  show that the work of the law is written ¹⁴³  in their hearts, as their conscience bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or else defend ¹⁴⁴  them, ¹⁴⁵  2:16 on the day when God will judge ¹⁴⁶  the secrets of human hearts, ¹⁴⁷  according to my gospel ¹⁴⁸  through Christ Jesus.

Romans 2:1

The Condemnation of the Moralist

2:1 ¹⁴⁹ Therefore ¹⁵⁰  you are without excuse, ¹⁵¹  whoever you are, ¹⁵²  when you judge someone else. ¹⁵³  For on whatever grounds ¹⁵⁴  you judge another, you condemn yourself, because you who judge practice the same things.

Romans 1:13

1:13 I do not want you to be unaware, ¹⁵⁵  brothers and sisters, ¹⁵⁶  that I often intended to come to you (and was prevented until now), so that I may have some fruit even among you, just as I already have among the rest of the Gentiles. ¹⁵⁷ 

Hebrews 3:12

3:12 See to it, ¹⁵⁸  brothers and sisters, ¹⁵⁹  that none of you has ¹⁶⁰  an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes ¹⁶¹  the living God. ¹⁶² 

Hebrews 10:28-29

10:28 Someone who rejected the law of Moses was put to death ¹⁶³  without mercy on the testimony of two or three witnesses. ¹⁶⁴  10:29 How much greater punishment do you think that person deserves who has contempt for ¹⁶⁵  the Son of God, and profanes ¹⁶⁶  the blood of the covenant that made him holy, ¹⁶⁷  and insults the Spirit of grace?

[3:18]  ¹ tn Grk “judged.”

[3:18]  ² tn Grk “judged.”

[3:18]  ³ tn See the note on the term “one and only” in 3:16.

[3:19]  ⁴ tn Or “this is the reason for God judging,” or “this is how judgment works.”

[3:19]  ⁵ tn Grk “and men,” but in a generic sense, referring to people of both genders (as “everyone” in v. 20 makes clear).

[3:21]  ⁶ sn John 3:16-21 provides an introduction to the (so-called) “realized” eschatology of the Fourth Gospel: Judgment has come; eternal life may be possessed now, in the present life, as well as in the future. The terminology “realized eschatology” was originally coined by E. Haenchen and used by J. Jeremias in discussion with C. H. Dodd, but is now characteristically used to describe Dodd’s own formulation. See L. Goppelt, Theology of the New Testament, 1:54, note 10, and R. E. Brown (John [AB], 1:cxvii-cxviii) for further discussion. Especially important to note is the element of choice portrayed in John’s Gospel. If there is a twofold reaction to Jesus in John’s Gospel, it should be emphasized that that reaction is very much dependent on a person’s choice, a choice that is influenced by his way of life, whether his deeds are wicked or are done in God (John 3:20-21). For John there is virtually no trace of determinism at the surface. Only when one looks beneath the surface does one find statements like “no one can come to me, unless the Father who sent me draws him” (John 6:44).

[5:41]  ⁷ tn Or “I do not receive.”

[5:41]  ⁸ tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).

[5:41]  ⁹ tn Grk “from men,” but in a generic sense; both men and women are implied here.

[5:42]  ¹⁰ tn The genitive in the phrase τὴν ἀγάπην τοῦ θεοῦ (thn agaphn tou qeou, “the love of God”) could be translated as either a subjective genitive (“God’s love”) or an objective genitive (“love for God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, the emphasis would be on the love God gives which in turn produces love for him, but Jesus’ opponents are lacking any such love inside them.

[5:43]  ¹¹ tn Or “you do not receive.”

[5:43]  ¹² tn Or “you will receive.”

[5:44]  ¹³ tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).

[5:44]  ¹⁴ tn Or “honor” (Grk “glory,” in the sense of respect or honor accorded to a person because of their status).

[5:44]  ¹⁵ tc Several early and important witnesses (Ì^66,75 B W a b sa) lack θεοῦ (qeou, “God”) here, thus reading “the only one,” while most of the rest of the tradition, including some important mss, has the name ({א A D L Θ Ψ 33 Ï}). Internally, it could be argued that the name of God was not used here, in keeping with the NT practice of suppressing the name of God at times for rhetorical effect, drawing the reader inexorably to the conclusion that the one being spoken of is God himself. On the other hand, never is ὁ μόνος (Jo mono") used absolutely in the NT (i.e., without a noun or substantive with it), and always the subject of the adjunct is God (cf. Matt 24:36; John 17:3; 1 Tim 6:16). What then is to explain the shorter reading? In uncial script, with θεοῦ written as a nomen sacrum, envisioning accidental omission of the name by way of homoioteleuton requires little imagination, largely because of the succession of words ending in -ου: toumonouqMuou. It is thus preferable to retain the word in the text.

[8:23]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “And he said to them.”

[8:23]  ¹⁷ tn The word “people” is supplied in English to clarify the plural Greek pronoun and verb.

[8:24]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “thus I said to you.”

[8:24]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “unless you believe that I am.” In this context there is an implied predicate nominative (“he”) following the “I am” phrase. What Jesus’ hearers had to acknowledge is that he was who he claimed to be, i.e., the Messiah (cf. 20:31). This view is also reflected in English translations like NIV (“if you do not believe that I am the one I claim to be”), NLT (“unless you believe that I am who I say I am”), and CEV (“if you don’t have faith in me for who I am”). For a different view that takes this “I am” and the one in 8:28 as nonpredicated (i.e., absolute), see R. E. Brown, John (AB), 1:533-38. Such a view refers sees the nonpredicated “I am” as a reference to the divine Name revealed in Exod 3:14, and is reflected in English translations like NAB (“if you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins”) and TEV (“you will die in your sins if you do not believe that ‘I Am Who I Am’”).

[8:42]  ²⁰ tn Grk “Jesus said to them.”

[8:42]  ²¹ tn Or “I came from God and have arrived.”

[8:42]  ²² tn Grk “For I.” Here γάρ (gar) has not been translated.

[8:42]  ²³ tn Grk “from myself.”

[8:42]  ²⁴ tn Grk “that one” (referring to God).

[8:43]  ²⁵ tn Grk “you cannot hear,” but this is not a reference to deafness, but rather hearing in the sense of listening to something and responding to it.

[8:43]  ²⁶ tn Grk “my word.”

[8:44]  ²⁷ tn The word “people” is supplied in the translation to clarify that the Greek pronoun and verb are plural.

[8:44]  ²⁸ tn Many translations read “You are of your father the devil” (KJV, ASV, RSV, NASB) or “You belong to your father, the devil” (NIV), but the Greek preposition ἐκ (ek) emphasizes the idea of source or origin. Jesus said his opponents were the devil’s very offspring (a statement which would certainly infuriate them).

[8:44]  ²⁹ tn Grk “the desires of your father you want to do.”

[8:44]  ³⁰ tn Grk “That one” (referring to the devil).

[8:44]  ³¹ tn Grk “he does not stand in the truth” (in the sense of maintaining, upholding, or accepting the validity of it).

[8:44]  ³² tn Grk “Whenever he speaks the lie.”

[8:44]  ³³ tn Grk “he speaks from his own.”

[8:44]  ³⁴ tn Grk “because he is a liar and the father of it.”

[8:45]  ³⁵ tn Or “because I tell you.”

[8:46]  ³⁶ tn Or “can convict me.”

[8:46]  ³⁷ tn Or “of having sinned”; Grk “of sin.”

[8:46]  ³⁸ tn Or “if I tell you.”

[8:47]  ³⁹ tn Grk “who is of.”

[8:47]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “to God hears” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).

[8:47]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “you do not hear” (in the sense of listening to something and responding to it).

[8:47]  ⁴² tn Grk “you are not of God.”

[12:47]  ⁴³ tn Grk “And if anyone”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been left untranslated here for improved English style.

[12:47]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “guard them,” “keep them.”

[12:47]  ⁴⁵ sn Cf. John 3:17.

[12:48]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “does not receive.”

[12:48]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “has one who judges him.”

[12:48]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “message.”

[15:22]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “they would not have sin” (an idiom).

[15:24]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “If I had not done.”

[15:24]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “the works.”

[15:24]  ⁵² tn Grk “they would not have sin” (an idiom).

[15:24]  ⁵³ tn The words “the deeds” are supplied to clarify from context what was seen. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context.

[15:24]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “But now they have both seen and hated both me and my Father.” It is possible to understand both the “seeing” and the “hating” to refer to both Jesus and the Father, but this has the world “seeing” the Father, which seems alien to the Johannine Jesus. (Some point out John 14:9 as an example, but this is addressed to the disciples, not to the world.) It is more likely that the “seeing” refers to the miraculous deeds mentioned in the first half of the verse. Such an understanding of the first “both – and” construction is apparently supported by BDF §444.3.

[15:25]  ⁵⁵ tn The words “this happened” are not in the Greek text but are supplied to complete an ellipsis.

[15:25]  ⁵⁶ sn A quotation from Ps 35:19 and Ps 69:4. As a technical term law (νόμος, nomos) is usually restricted to the Pentateuch (the first five books of the OT), but here it must have a broader reference, since the quotation is from Ps 35:19 or Ps 69:4. The latter is the more likely source for the quoted words, since it is cited elsewhere in John’s Gospel (2:17 and 19:29, in both instances in contexts associated with Jesus’ suffering and death).

[2:22]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “Israelite men,” although this is less natural English. The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context, it is conceivable that this is a generic usage, although it can also be argued that Peter’s remarks were addressed primarily to the men present, even if women were there.

[2:22]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “miraculous deeds.”

[2:22]  ⁵⁹ tn Again, the context indicates the miraculous nature of these signs, and this is specified in the translation.

[2:23]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “you killed.”

[2:23]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “at the hands of lawless men.” At this point the term ἄνομος (anomo") refers to non-Jews who live outside the Jewish (Mosaic) law, rather than people who broke any or all laws including secular laws. Specifically it is a reference to the Roman soldiers who carried out Jesus’ crucifixion.

[2:24]  ⁶² tn Grk “Whom God raised up.”

[2:24]  ⁶³ tn Or “having freed.”

[2:24]  ⁶⁴ sn The term translated pains is frequently used to describe pains associated with giving birth (see Rev 12:2). So there is irony here in the mixed metaphor.

[2:24]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “for him to be held by it” (in either case, “it” refers to death’s power).

[2:25]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “always before me.”

[2:26]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “my flesh.”

[2:27]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “will not abandon my soul to Hades.” Often “Hades” is the equivalent of the Hebrew term Sheol, the place of the dead.

[2:27]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “to see,” but the literal translation of the phrase “to see decay” could be misunderstood to mean simply “to look at decay,” while here “see decay” is really figurative for “experience decay.”

[2:28]  ⁷⁰ sn A quotation from Ps 16:8-11.

[2:29]  ⁷¹ tn Since this represents a continuation of the address beginning in v.14 and continued in v. 22, “brothers” has been used here rather than a generic expression like “brothers and sisters.”

[2:29]  ⁷² sn Peter’s certainty is based on well-known facts.

[2:29]  ⁷³ tn Or “about our noted ancestor,” “about the patriarch.”

[2:30]  ⁷⁴ tn The participles ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) and εἰδώς (eidw") are translated as causal adverbial participles.

[2:30]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “one from the fruit of his loins.” “Loins” is the traditional translation of ὀσφῦς (osfu"), referring to the male genital organs. A literal rendering like “one who came from his genital organs” would be regarded as too specific and perhaps even vulgar by many contemporary readers. Most modern translations thus render the phrase “one of his descendants.”

[2:30]  ⁷⁶ sn An allusion to Ps 132:11 and 2 Sam 7:12-13, the promise in the Davidic covenant.

[2:31]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “David foreseeing spoke.” The participle προϊδών (proidwn) is taken as indicating means. It could also be translated as a participle of attendant circumstance: “David foresaw [this] and spoke.” The word “this” is supplied in either case as an understood direct object (direct objects in Greek were often omitted, but must be supplied for the modern English reader).

[2:31]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “the Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[2:31]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “abandoned in the world of the dead.” The translation “world of the dead” for Hades is suggested by L&N 1.19. The phrase is an allusion to Ps 16:10.

[2:31]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “flesh.” See vv. 26b-27. The reference to “body” in this verse picks up the reference to “body” in v. 26. The Greek term σάρξ (sarx) in both verses literally means “flesh”; however, the translation “body” stresses the lack of decay of his physical body. The point of the verse is not merely the lack of decay of his flesh alone, but the resurrection of his entire person, as indicated by the previous parallel line “he was not abandoned to Hades.”

[2:31]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “see,” but the literal translation of the phrase “see decay” could be misunderstood to mean simply “look at decay,” while here “see decay” is really figurative for “experience decay.”

[2:31]  ⁸² sn An allusion to Ps 16:10.

[2:32]  ⁸³ tn Or “of him”; Grk “of which [or whom] we are all witnesses” (Acts 1:8).

[2:33]  ⁸⁴ tn The aorist participle ὑψωθείς (Juywqei") could be taken temporally: “So then, after he was exalted…” In the translation the more neutral “exalted” (a shorter form of “having been exalted”) was used to preserve the ambiguity of the original Greek.

[2:33]  ⁸⁵ sn The expression the right hand of God represents supreme power and authority. Its use here sets up the quotation of Ps 110:1 in v. 34.

[2:33]  ⁸⁶ tn The aorist participle λαβών (labwn) could be taken temporally: “So then, after he was exalted…and received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit.” In the translation the more neutral “having received” was used to preserve the ambiguity of the original Greek.

[2:33]  ⁸⁷ tn Here the genitive τοῦ πνεύματος (tou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the promise consists of the Holy Spirit.

[2:33]  ⁸⁸ sn The use of the verb poured out looks back to 2:17-18, where the same verb occurs twice.

[2:34]  ⁸⁹ sn Sit at my right hand. The word “sit” alludes back to the promise of “seating one on his throne” in v. 30.

[2:35]  ⁹⁰ sn The metaphor make your enemies a footstool portrays the complete subjugation of the enemies.

[2:35]  ⁹¹ sn A quotation from Ps 110:1, one of the most often-cited OT passages in the NT, pointing to the exaltation of Jesus.

[2:36]  ⁹² tn Or “know for certain.” This term is in an emphatic position in the clause.

[2:36]  ⁹³ tn Grk “has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.” The clause has been simplified in the translation by replacing the pronoun “him” with the explanatory clause “this Jesus whom you crucified” which comes at the end of the sentence.

[2:36]  ⁹⁴ sn Lord. This looks back to the quotation of Ps 110:1 and the mention of “calling on the Lord” in 2:21. Peter’s point is that the Lord on whom one calls for salvation is Jesus, because he is the one mediating God’s blessing of the Spirit as a sign of the presence of salvation and the last days.

[2:36]  ⁹⁵ tn Or “and Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[2:37]  ⁹⁶ tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[2:37]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “they were pierced to the heart” (an idiom for acute emotional distress).

[2:38]  ⁹⁸ tn The verb is a third person imperative, but the common translation “let each of you be baptized” obscures the imperative force in English, since it sounds more like a permissive (“each of you may be baptized”) to the average English reader.

[2:38]  ⁹⁹ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[2:38]  ¹⁰⁰ tn There is debate over the meaning of εἰς in the prepositional phrase εἰς ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὑμῶν (eis afesin twn Jamartiwn Jumwn, “for/because of/with reference to the forgiveness of your sins”). Although a causal sense has been argued, it is difficult to maintain here. ExSyn 369-71 discusses at least four other ways of dealing with the passage: (1) The baptism referred to here is physical only, and εἰς has the meaning of “for” or “unto.” Such a view suggests that salvation is based on works – an idea that runs counter to the theology of Acts, namely: (a) repentance often precedes baptism (cf. Acts 3:19; 26:20), and (b) salvation is entirely a gift of God, not procured via water baptism (Acts 10:43 [cf. v. 47]; 13:38-39, 48; 15:11; 16:30-31; 20:21; 26:18); (2) The baptism referred to here is spiritual only. Although such a view fits well with the theology of Acts, it does not fit well with the obvious meaning of “baptism” in Acts – especially in this text (cf. 2:41); (3) The text should be repunctuated in light of the shift from second person plural to third person singular back to second person plural again. The idea then would be, “Repent for/with reference to your sins, and let each one of you be baptized…” Such a view is an acceptable way of handling εἰς, but its subtlety and awkwardness count against it; (4) Finally, it is possible that to a first-century Jewish audience (as well as to Peter), the idea of baptism might incorporate both the spiritual reality and the physical symbol. That Peter connects both closely in his thinking is clear from other passages such as Acts 10:47 and 11:15-16. If this interpretation is correct, then Acts 2:38 is saying very little about the specific theological relationship between the symbol and the reality, only that historically they were viewed together. One must look in other places for a theological analysis. For further discussion see R. N. Longenecker, “Acts,” EBC 9:283-85; B. Witherington, Acts, 154-55; F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary, 129-30; BDAG 290 s.v. εἰς 4.f.

[2:38]  ¹⁰¹ tn Here the genitive τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος (tou Jagiou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the gift consists of the Holy Spirit.

[3:14]  ¹⁰² tn Or “denied,” “disowned.”

[3:15]  ¹⁰³ tn Or “You put to death.”

[3:15]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Or “Founder,” “founding Leader.”

[3:15]  ¹⁰⁵ sn Whom God raised. God is the main actor here, as he testifies to Jesus and vindicates him.

[3:15]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the words “to this fact” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.

[3:16]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “in his name”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:16]  ¹⁰⁸ sn Here is another example of appeal to the person by mentioning the name. See the note on the word name in 3:6.

[3:16]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “see and know, and the faith.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation and καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated.

[3:16]  ¹¹⁰ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:16]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “in full view.”

[3:17]  ¹¹² sn The ignorance Peter mentions here does not excuse them from culpability. It was simply a way to say “you did not realize the great mistake you made.”

[3:18]  ¹¹³ sn God foretold. Peter’s topic is the working out of God’s plan and promise through events the scriptures also note.

[3:18]  ¹¹⁴ tn Grk “by the mouth of” (an idiom).

[3:18]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[7:51]  ¹¹⁶ sn Traditionally, “stiff-necked people.” Now the critique begins in earnest.

[7:51]  ¹¹⁷ tn The term ἀπερίτμητοι (aperitmhtoi, “uncircumcised”) is a NT hapax legomenon (occurs only once). See BDAG 101-2 s.v. ἀπερίτμητος and Isa 52:1.

[7:51]  ¹¹⁸ tn Or “You stubborn and obstinate people!” (The phrase “uncircumcised hearts and ears” is another figure for stubbornness.)

[7:51]  ¹¹⁹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:52]  ¹²⁰ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:52]  ¹²¹ sn Which…persecute. The rhetorical question suggests they persecuted them all.

[7:52]  ¹²² tn Grk “And they.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[7:52]  ¹²³ sn The Righteous One is a reference to Jesus Christ.

[7:52]  ¹²⁴ sn Whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. The harsh critique has OT precedent (1 Kgs 19:10-14; Neh 9:26; 2 Chr 36:16).

[7:53]  ¹²⁵ tn Grk “whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, who received the law” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the pronoun “You” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.

[7:53]  ¹²⁶ tn Traditionally, “as ordained by angels,” but εἰς (eis) with the accusative here should be understood as instrumental (a substitute for ἐν [en]); so BDAG 291 s.v. εἰς 9, BDF §206. Thus the phrase literally means “received the law by the decrees [orders] of angels” with the genitive understood as a subjective genitive, that is, the angels gave the decrees.

[7:53]  ¹²⁷ tn The Greek word φυλάσσω (fulassw, traditionally translated “keep”) in this context connotes preservation of and devotion to an object as well as obedience.

[7:53]  ¹²⁸ tn Or “did not obey it.”

[7:54]  ¹²⁹ tn This verb, which also occurs in Acts 5:33, means “cut to the quick” or “deeply infuriated” (BDAG 235 s.v. διαπρίω).

[7:54]  ¹³⁰ tn Or “they gnashed their teeth.” This idiom is a picture of violent rage (BDAG 184 s.v. βρύχω). See also Ps 35:16.

[26:9]  ¹³¹ tn BDAG 737 s.v. οὖν 3 states, “It has been proposed that some traces of older Gk. usage in which οὖν is emphatic, = certainly, really, to be sure etc. (s. L-S-J-M s.v. 1) remain in the pap…and in the NT…indeed, of course Ac 26:9.”

[26:9]  ¹³² tn Grk “I thought to myself.” BDAG 255 s.v. δοκέω 2.a has “ἔδοξα ἐμαυτῷ δεῖν πρᾶξαι = Lat. mihi videbar I was convinced that it was necessary to do Ac 26:9.”

[26:10]  ¹³³ tn Grk “by receiving authority.” The participle λαβών (labwn) has been taken instrumentally.

[26:10]  ¹³⁴ tn Grk “cast down a pebble against them.” L&N 30.103 states, “(an idiom, Grk ‘to bring a pebble against someone,’ a reference to a white or black pebble used in voting for or against someone) to make known one’s choice against someone – ‘to vote against.’ …‘when they were sentenced to death, I also voted against them’ Ac 26:10.”

[26:10]  ¹³⁵ tn Grk “when they were being executed”; but the context supports the sentencing rather than the execution itself (cf. L&N 30.103).

[3:19]  ¹³⁶ tn Grk “in,” “in connection with.”

[3:20]  ¹³⁷ sn An allusion to Ps 143:2.

[3:20]  ¹³⁸ tn Grk “because by the works of the law no flesh is justified before him.” Some recent scholars have understood the phrase ἒργα νόμου (erga nomou, “works of the law”) to refer not to obedience to the Mosaic law generally, but specifically to portions of the law that pertain to things like circumcision and dietary laws which set the Jewish people apart from the other nations (e.g., J. D. G. Dunn, Romans [WBC], 1:155). Other interpreters, like C. E. B. Cranfield (“‘The Works of the Law’ in the Epistle to the Romans,” JSNT 43 [1991]: 89-101) reject this narrow interpretation for a number of reasons, among which the most important are: (1) The second half of v. 20, “for through the law comes the knowledge of sin,” is hard to explain if the phrase “works of the law” is understood in a restricted sense; (2) the plural phrase “works of the law” would have to be understood in a different sense from the singular phrase “the work of the law” in 2:15; (3) similar phrases involving the law in Romans (2:13, 14; 2:25, 26, 27; 7:25; 8:4; and 13:8) which are naturally related to the phrase “works of the law” cannot be taken to refer to circumcision (in fact, in 2:25 circumcision is explicitly contrasted with keeping the law). Those interpreters who reject the “narrow” interpretation of “works of the law” understand the phrase to refer to obedience to the Mosaic law in general.

[3:20]  ¹³⁹ tn Grk “is.”

[7:1]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.

[7:1]  ¹⁴¹ sn Here person refers to a human being.

[2:15]  ¹⁴² tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was converted to a personal pronoun and, because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[2:15]  ¹⁴³ tn Grk “show the work of the law [to be] written,” with the words in brackets implied by the Greek construction.

[2:15]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Or “excuse.”

[2:15]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “their conscience bearing witness and between the thoughts accusing or also defending one another.”

[2:16]  ¹⁴⁶ tn The form of the Greek word is either present or future, but it is best to translate in future because of the context of future judgment.

[2:16]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Grk “of people.”

[2:16]  ¹⁴⁸ sn On my gospel cf. Rom 16:25; 2 Tim 2:8.

[2:1]  ¹⁴⁹ sn Rom 2:1-29 presents unusual difficulties for the interpreter. There have been several major approaches to the chapter and the group(s) it refers to: (1) Rom 2:14 refers to Gentile Christians, not Gentiles who obey the Jewish law. (2) Paul in Rom 2 is presenting a hypothetical viewpoint: If anyone could obey the law, that person would be justified, but no one can. (3) The reference to “the ones who do the law” in 2:13 are those who “do” the law in the right way, on the basis of faith, not according to Jewish legalism. (4) Rom 2:13 only speaks about Christians being judged in the future, along with such texts as Rom 14:10 and 2 Cor 5:10. (5) Paul’s material in Rom 2 is drawn heavily from Diaspora Judaism, so that the treatment of the law presented here cannot be harmonized with other things Paul says about the law elsewhere (E. P. Sanders, Paul, the Law, and the Jewish People, 123); another who sees Rom 2 as an example of Paul’s inconsistency in his treatment of the law is H. Räisänen, Paul and the Law [WUNT], 101-9. (6) The list of blessings and curses in Deut 27–30 provide the background for Rom 2; the Gentiles of 2:14 are Gentile Christians, but the condemnation of Jews in 2:17-24 addresses the failure of Jews as a nation to keep the law as a whole (A. Ito, “Romans 2: A Deuteronomistic Reading,” JSNT 59 [1995]: 21-37).

[2:1]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Some interpreters (e.g., C. K. Barrett, Romans [HNTC], 43) connect the inferential Διό (dio, “therefore”) with 1:32a, treating 1:32b as a parenthetical comment by Paul.

[2:1]  ¹⁵¹ tn That is, “you have nothing to say in your own defense” (so translated by TCNT).

[2:1]  ¹⁵² tn Grk “O man.”

[2:1]  ¹⁵³ tn Grk “Therefore, you are without excuse, O man, everyone [of you] who judges.”

[2:1]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Grk “in/by (that) which.”

[1:13]  ¹⁵⁵ sn The expression “I do not want you to be unaware [Grk ignorant]” also occurs in 1 Cor 10:1; 12:1; 1 Thess 4:13. Paul uses the phrase to signal that he is about to say something very important.

[1:13]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).

[1:13]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Grk “in order that I might have some fruit also among you just as also among the rest of the Gentiles.”

[3:12]  ¹⁵⁸ tn Or “take care.”

[3:12]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 2:11.

[3:12]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Grk “that there not be in any of you.”

[3:12]  ¹⁶¹ tn Or “deserts,” “rebels against.”

[3:12]  ¹⁶² tn Grk “in forsaking the living God.”

[10:28]  ¹⁶³ tn Grk “dies.”

[10:28]  ¹⁶⁴ sn An allusion to Deut 17:6.

[10:29]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Grk “tramples under foot.”

[10:29]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Grk “regarded as common.”

[10:29]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Grk “by which he was made holy.”