Luke 15:18-21

15:18 I will get up and go to my father and say to him, “Father, I have sinned ¹  against heaven ²  and against ³  you. 15:19 I am no longer worthy to be called your son; treat me ⁴  like one of your hired workers.”’ 15:20 So ⁵  he got up and went to his father. But while he was still a long way from home ⁶  his father saw him, and his heart went out to him; ⁷  he ran and hugged ⁸  his son ⁹  and kissed him. 15:21 Then ¹⁰  his son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven ¹¹  and against you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’ ¹² 

Luke 23:40-43

23:40 But the other rebuked him, saying, ¹³  “Don’t ¹⁴  you fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? ¹⁵  23:41 And we rightly so, for we are getting what we deserve for what we did, but this man has done nothing ¹⁶  wrong.” 23:42 Then ¹⁷  he said, “Jesus, remember me ¹⁸  when you come in ¹⁹  your kingdom.” 23:43 And Jesus ²⁰  said to him, “I tell you the truth, ²¹  today ²²  you will be with me in paradise.” ²³ 

Luke 23:2

23:2 They ²⁴  began to accuse ²⁵  him, saying, “We found this man subverting ²⁶  our nation, forbidding ²⁷  us to pay the tribute tax ²⁸  to Caesar ²⁹  and claiming that he himself is Christ, ³⁰  a king.”

Luke 1:12-13

1:12 And Zechariah, visibly shaken when he saw the angel, ³¹  was seized with fear. ³²  1:13 But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, ³³  and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son; you ³⁴  will name him John. ³⁵ 

Luke 1:19

1:19 The ³⁶  angel answered him, “I am Gabriel, who stands ³⁷  in the presence of God, and I was sent to speak to you and to bring ³⁸  you this good news.

Luke 1:23

1:23 When his time of service was over, ³⁹  he went to his home.

Psalms 106:6

106:6 We have sinned like ⁴⁰  our ancestors; ⁴¹ 

we have done wrong, we have done evil.

Isaiah 1:18

1:18 ⁴² Come, let’s consider your options,” ⁴³  says the Lord.

“Though your sins have stained you like the color red,

you can become ⁴⁴  white like snow;

though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet,

you can become ⁴⁵  white like wool. ⁴⁶ 

Isaiah 64:5-6

64:5 You assist ⁴⁷  those who delight in doing what is right, ⁴⁸ 

who observe your commandments. ⁴⁹ 

Look, you were angry because we violated them continually.

How then can we be saved? ⁵⁰ 

64:6 We are all like one who is unclean,

all our so-called righteous acts are like a menstrual rag in your sight. ⁵¹ 

We all wither like a leaf;

our sins carry us away like the wind.

Matthew 9:13

9:13 Go and learn what this saying means: ‘I want mercy and not sacrifice.’ ⁵²  For I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

Romans 5:8

5:8 But God demonstrates his own love for us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Romans 5:20-21

5:20 Now the law came in ⁵³  so that the transgression ⁵⁴  may increase, but where sin increased, grace multiplied all the more, 5:21 so that just as sin reigned in death, so also grace will reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Romans 5:1

The Expectation of Justification

5:1 ⁵⁵ Therefore, since we have been declared righteous by faith, we have ⁵⁶  peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Romans 1:15

1:15 Thus I am eager ⁵⁷  also to preach the gospel to you who are in Rome. ⁵⁸ 

Romans 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ⁵⁹  a slave ⁶⁰  of Christ Jesus, ⁶¹  called to be an apostle, ⁶²  set apart for the gospel of God. ⁶³ 

Romans 1:8-10

Paul’s Desire to Visit Rome

1:8 First of all, ⁶⁴  I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the whole world. 1:9 For God, whom I serve in my spirit by preaching the gospel ⁶⁵  of his Son, is my witness that ⁶⁶  I continually remember you 1:10 and I always ask ⁶⁷  in my prayers, if perhaps now at last I may succeed in visiting you according to the will of God. ⁶⁸ 

[15:18]  ¹ sn In the confession “I have sinned” there is a recognition of wrong that pictures the penitent coming home and “being found.”

[15:18]  ² sn The phrase against heaven is a circumlocution for God.

[15:18]  ³ tn According to BDAG 342 s.v. ἐνωπιον 4.a, “in relation to ἁμαρτάνειν ἐ. τινος sin against someone Lk 15:18, 21 (cf. Jdth 5:17; 1 Km 7:6; 20:1).”

[15:19]  ⁴ tn Or “make me.” Here is a sign of total humility.

[15:20]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the son’s decision to return home. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style generally does not.

[15:20]  ⁶ tn Grk “a long way off from [home].” The word “home” is implied (L&N 85.16).

[15:20]  ⁷ tn Or “felt great affection for him,” “felt great pity for him.”

[15:20]  ⁸ tn Grk “he fell on his neck,” an idiom for showing special affection for someone by throwing one’s arms around them. The picture is of the father hanging on the son’s neck in welcome.

[15:20]  ⁹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (the son) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:21]  ¹⁰ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[15:21]  ¹¹ sn The phrase against heaven is a circumlocution for God. 1st century Judaism tended to minimize use of the divine name out of reverence.

[15:21]  ¹² sn The younger son launches into his confession just as he had planned. See vv. 18-19.

[23:40]  ¹³ tn Grk “But answering, the other rebuking him, said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[23:40]  ¹⁴ tn The particle used here (οὐδέ, oude), which expects a positive reply, makes this a rebuke – “You should fear God and not speak!”

[23:40]  ¹⁵ tn The words “of condemnation” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[23:41]  ¹⁶ sn This man has done nothing wrong is yet another declaration that Jesus was innocent of any crime.

[23:42]  ¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[23:42]  ¹⁸ sn Jesus, remember me is a statement of faith from the cross, as Jesus saves another even while he himself is dying. This man’s faith had shown itself when he rebuked the other thief. He hoped to be with Jesus sometime in the future in the kingdom.

[23:42]  ¹⁹ tc ‡ The alternate readings of some mss make the reference to Jesus’ coming clearer. “Into your kingdom” – with εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν (ei" thn basileian), read by Ì⁷⁵ B L – is a reference to his entering into God’s presence at the right hand. “In your kingdom” – with ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ (en th basileia), read by א A C*^,2 W Θ Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat sy – looks at his return. It could be argued that the reading with εἰς is more in keeping with Luke’s theology elsewhere, but the contrast with Jesus’ reply, “Today,” slightly favors the reading “in your kingdom.” Codex Bezae (D), in place of this short interchange between the criminal and Jesus, reads “Then he turned to the Lord and said to him, ‘Remember me in the day of your coming.’ Then the Lord said in reply to [him], ‘Take courage; today you will be with me in paradise.’” This reading emphasizes the future aspect of the coming of Christ; it has virtually no support in any other mss.

[23:43]  ²⁰ tn Grk “he.”

[23:43]  ²¹ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[23:43]  ²² sn Jesus gives more than the criminal asked for, because the blessing will come today, not in the future. He will be among the righteous. See the note on today in 2:11.

[23:43]  ²³ sn In the NT, paradise is mentioned three times. Here it refers to the abode of the righteous dead. In Rev 2:7 it refers to the restoration of Edenic paradise predicted in Isa 51:3 and Ezek 36:35. In 2 Cor 12:4 it probably refers to the “third heaven” (2 Cor 12:2) as the place where God dwells.

[23:2]  ²⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[23:2]  ²⁵ sn They began to accuse him. There were three charges: (1) disturbing Jewish peace; (2) fomenting rebellion through advocating not paying taxes (a lie – 20:20-26); and (3) claiming to be a political threat to Rome, by claiming to be a king, an allusion to Jesus’ messianic claims. The second and third charges were a direct challenge to Roman authority. Pilate would be forced to do something about them.

[23:2]  ²⁶ tn On the use of the term διαστρέφω (diastrefw) here, see L&N 31.71 and 88.264.

[23:2]  ²⁷ tn Grk “and forbidding.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated to suggest to the English reader that this and the following charge are specifics, while the previous charge was a summary one. See the note on the word “misleading” earlier in this verse.

[23:2]  ²⁸ tn This was a “poll tax.” L&N 57.182 states this was “a payment made by the people of one nation to another, with the implication that this is a symbol of submission and dependence – ‘tribute tax.’”

[23:2]  ²⁹ tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[23:2]  ³⁰ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[1:12]  ³¹ tn The words “the angel” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[1:12]  ³² tn Or “and he was afraid”; Grk “fear fell upon him.” Fear is common when supernatural agents appear (1:29-30, 65; 2:9; 5:8-10; 9:34; 24:38; Exod 15:16; Judg 6:22-23; 13:6, 22; 2 Sam 6:9).

[1:13]  ³³ tn The passive means that the prayer was heard by God.

[1:13]  ³⁴ tn Grk “a son, and you”; καί (kai) has not been translated. Instead a semicolon is used in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[1:13]  ³⁵ tn Grk “you will call his name John.” The future tense here functions like a command (see ExSyn 569-70). This same construction occurs in v. 31.

[1:19]  ³⁶ tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[1:19]  ³⁷ tn Grk “the one who is standing before God.”

[1:19]  ³⁸ tn Grk “to announce these things of good news to you.”

[1:23]  ³⁹ tn Grk “And it happened that as the days of his service were ended.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[106:6]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “with.”

[106:6]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “fathers” (also in v. 7).

[1:18]  ⁴² sn The Lord concludes his case against Israel by offering them the opportunity to be forgiven and by setting before them the alternatives of renewed blessing (as a reward for repentance) and final judgment (as punishment for persistence in sin).

[1:18]  ⁴³ tn Traditionally, “let us reason together,” but the context suggests a judicial nuance. The Lord is giving the nation its options for the future.

[1:18]  ⁴⁴ tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.

[1:18]  ⁴⁵ tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.

[1:18]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “though your sins are like red, they will become white like snow; though they are red like scarlet, they will be like wool.” The point is not that the sins will be covered up, though still retained. The metaphorical language must be allowed some flexibility and should not be pressed into a rigid literalistic mold. The people’s sins will be removed and replaced by ethical purity. The sins that are now as obvious as the color red will be washed away and the ones who are sinful will be transformed.

[64:5]  ⁴⁷ tn Heb “meet [with kindness].”

[64:5]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “the one who rejoices and does righteousness.”

[64:5]  ⁴⁹ tn Heb “in your ways they remember you.”

[64:5]  ⁵⁰ tc The Hebrew text reads literally, “look, you were angry and we sinned against them continually [or perhaps, “in ancient times”] and we were delivered.” The statement makes little sense as it stands. The first vav [ו] consecutive (“and we sinned”) must introduce an explanatory clause here (see Num 1:48 and Isa 39:1 for other examples of this relatively rare use of the vav [ו] consecutive). The final verb (if rendered positively) makes no sense in this context – God’s anger at their sin resulted in judgment, not deliverance. One of the alternatives involves an emendation to וַנִּרְשָׁע (vannirsha’, “and we were evil”; LXX, NRSV, TEV). The Vulgate and the Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a support the MT reading. One can either accept an emendation or cast the statement as a question (as above).

[64:6]  ⁵¹ tn Heb “and like a garment of menstruation [are] all our righteous acts”; KJV, NIV “filthy rags”; ASV “a polluted garment.”

[9:13]  ⁵² sn A quotation from Hos 6:6 (see also Matt 12:7).

[5:20]  ⁵³ tn Grk “slipped in.”

[5:20]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “trespass.”

[5:1]  ⁵⁵ sn Many interpreters see Rom 5:1 as beginning the second major division of the letter.

[5:1]  ⁵⁶ tc A number of important witnesses have the subjunctive ἔχωμεν (ecwmen, “let us have”) instead of ἔχομεν (ecomen, “we have”) in v. 1. Included in the subjunctive’s support are א* A B* C D K L 33 81 630 1175 1739* pm lat bo. But the indicative is not without its supporters: א¹ B² F G P Ψ 0220^vid 104 365 1241 1505 1506 1739^c 1881 2464 pm. If the problem were to be solved on an external basis only, the subjunctive would be preferred. Because of this, the “A” rating on behalf of the indicative in the UBS⁴ appears overly confident. Nevertheless, the indicative is probably correct. First, the earliest witness to Rom 5:1 has the indicative (0220^vid, third century). Second, the first set of correctors is sometimes, if not often, of equal importance with the original hand. Hence, א¹ might be given equal value with א*. Third, there is a good cross-section of witnesses for the indicative: Alexandrian (in 0220^vid, probably א¹ 1241 1506 1881 al), Western (in F G), and Byzantine (noted in NA²⁷ as pm). Thus, although the external evidence is strongly in favor of the subjunctive, the indicative is represented well enough that its ancestry could easily go back to the original. Turning to the internal evidence, the indicative gains much ground. (1) The variant may have been produced via an error of hearing (since omicron and omega were pronounced alike in ancient Greek). This, of course, does not indicate which reading was original – just that an error of hearing may have produced one of them. In light of the indecisiveness of the transcriptional evidence, intrinsic evidence could play a much larger role. This is indeed the case here. (2) The indicative fits well with the overall argument of the book to this point. Up until now, Paul has been establishing the “indicatives of the faith.” There is only one imperative (used rhetorically) and only one hortatory subjunctive (and this in a quotation within a diatribe) up till this point, while from ch. 6 on there are sixty-one imperatives and seven hortatory subjunctives. Clearly, an exhortation would be out of place in ch. 5. (3) Paul presupposes that the audience has peace with God (via reconciliation) in 5:10. This seems to assume the indicative in v. 1. (4) As C. E. B. Cranfield notes, “it would surely be strange for Paul, in such a carefully argued writing as this, to exhort his readers to enjoy or to guard a peace which he has not yet explicitly shown to be possessed by them” (Romans [ICC], 1:257). (5) The notion that εἰρήνην ἔχωμεν (eirhnhn ecwmen) can even naturally mean “enjoy peace” is problematic (ExSyn 464), yet those who embrace the subjunctive have to give the verb some such force. Thus, although the external evidence is stronger in support of the subjunctive, the internal evidence points to the indicative. Although a decision is difficult, ἔχομεν appears to be the authentic reading.

[1:15]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “willing, ready”; Grk “so my eagerness [is] to preach…” The word πρόθυμος (proqumo", “eager, willing”) is used only elsewhere in the NT in Matt 26:41 = Mark 14:38: “the spirit indeed is willing (πρόθυμος), but the flesh is weak.”

[1:15]  ⁵⁸ map For location see JP4 A1.

[1:1]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ⁶⁰ tn Traditionally, “servant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  ⁶¹ tc Many important mss, as well as several others (̲⁶ א A G Ψ 33 1739 1881 Ï), have a reversed order of these words and read “Jesus Christ” rather than “Christ Jesus” (̹⁰ B 81 pc). The meaning is not affected in either case, but the reading “Christ Jesus” is preferred as slightly more difficult and thus more likely the original (a scribe who found it would be prone to change it to the more common expression). At the same time, Paul is fond of the order “Christ Jesus,” especially in certain letters such as Romans, Galatians, and Philippians. As well, the later Pauline letters almost uniformly use this order in the salutations. A decision is difficult, but “Christ Jesus” is slightly preferred.

[1:1]  ⁶² tn Grk “a called apostle.”

[1:1]  ⁶³ tn The genitive in the phrase εὐαγγέλιον θεοῦ (euangelion qeou, “the gospel of God”) could be translated as (1) a subjective genitive (“the gospel which God brings”) or (2) an objective genitive (“the gospel about 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, an interplay between the two concepts is intended: The gospel which God brings is in fact the gospel about himself. However, in view of God’s action in v. 2 concerning this gospel, a subjective genitive notion (“the gospel which God brings”) is slightly preferred.

[1:8]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “First.” Paul never mentions a second point, so J. B. Phillips translated “I must begin by telling you….”

[1:9]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “whom I serve in my spirit in the gospel.”

[1:9]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “as.”

[1:10]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “remember you, always asking.”

[1:10]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “succeed in coming to you in the will of God.”