Luke 3:4-6

3:4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet,

“The voice ¹  of one shouting in the wilderness: ² 

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make ³  his paths straight.

3:5 Every valley will be filled, ⁴ 

and every mountain and hill will be brought low,

and the crooked will be made straight,

and the rough ways will be made smooth,

3:6 and all humanity ⁵  will see the salvation of God.’” ⁶ 

Luke 9:1-5

The Sending of the Twelve Apostles

9:1 After ⁷  Jesus ⁸  called ⁹  the twelve ¹⁰  together, he gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure ¹¹  diseases, 9:2 and he sent ¹²  them out to proclaim ¹³  the kingdom of God ¹⁴  and to heal the sick. ¹⁵  9:3 He ¹⁶  said to them, “Take nothing for your ¹⁷  journey – no staff, ¹⁸  no bag, ¹⁹  no bread, no money, and do not take an extra tunic. ²⁰  9:4 Whatever ²¹  house you enter, stay there ²²  until you leave the area. ²³  9:5 Wherever ²⁴  they do not receive you, ²⁵  as you leave that town, ²⁶  shake the dust off ²⁷  your feet as a testimony against them.”

Luke 10:1-12

The Mission of the Seventy-Two

10:1 After this ²⁸  the Lord appointed seventy-two ²⁹  others and sent them on ahead of him two by two into every town ³⁰  and place where he himself was about to go. 10:2 He ³¹  said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Therefore ask the Lord of the harvest ³²  to send out ³³  workers into his harvest. 10:3 Go! I ³⁴  am sending you out like lambs ³⁵  surrounded by wolves. ³⁶  10:4 Do not carry ³⁷  a money bag, ³⁸  a traveler’s bag, ³⁹  or sandals, and greet no one on the road. ⁴⁰  10:5 Whenever ⁴¹  you enter a house, ⁴²  first say, ‘May peace ⁴³  be on this house!’ 10:6 And if a peace-loving person ⁴⁴  is there, your peace will remain on him, but if not, it will return to you. ⁴⁵  10:7 Stay ⁴⁶  in that same house, eating and drinking what they give you, ⁴⁷  for the worker deserves his pay. ⁴⁸  Do not move around from house to house. 10:8 Whenever ⁴⁹  you enter a town ⁵⁰  and the people ⁵¹  welcome you, eat what is set before you. 10:9 Heal ⁵²  the sick in that town ⁵³  and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God ⁵⁴  has come upon ⁵⁵  you!’ 10:10 But whenever ⁵⁶  you enter a town ⁵⁷  and the people ⁵⁸  do not welcome ⁵⁹  you, go into its streets ⁶⁰  and say, 10:11 ‘Even the dust of your town ⁶¹  that clings to our feet we wipe off ⁶²  against you. ⁶³  Nevertheless know this: The kingdom of God has come.’ ⁶⁴  10:12 I tell you, it will be more bearable on that day for Sodom ⁶⁵  than for that town! ⁶⁶ 

Proverbs 9:1-5

The Consequences of Accepting Wisdom or Folly ⁶⁷ 

9:1 Wisdom has built her house;

she has carved out its seven pillars. ⁶⁸ 

9:2 She has prepared her meat, ⁶⁹  she has mixed her wine;

she also has arranged her table. ⁷⁰ 

9:3 She has sent out her female servants;

she calls out on the highest places ⁷¹  of the city.

9:4 “Whoever is naive, let him turn in here,”

she says ⁷²  to those ⁷³  who lack understanding. ⁷⁴ 

9:5 “Come, eat ⁷⁵  some of my food,

and drink some of the wine I have mixed. ⁷⁶ 

Matthew 3:1-12

The Ministry of John the Baptist

3:1 In those days John the Baptist came into the wilderness ⁷⁷  of Judea proclaiming, 3:2 “Repent, ⁷⁸  for the kingdom of heaven is near.” 3:3 For he is the one about whom Isaiah the prophet had spoken: ⁷⁹ 

“The voice ⁸⁰  of one shouting in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make ⁸¹  his paths straight.’” ⁸² 

3:4 Now John wore clothing made from camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his diet consisted of locusts and wild honey. ⁸³  3:5 Then people from Jerusalem, ⁸⁴  as well as all Judea and all the region around the Jordan, were going out to him, 3:6 and he was baptizing them ⁸⁵  in the Jordan River as they confessed their sins.

3:7 But when he saw many Pharisees ⁸⁶  and Sadducees ⁸⁷  coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 3:8 Therefore produce fruit ⁸⁸  that proves your ⁸⁹  repentance, 3:9 and don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones! 3:10 Even now the ax is laid at ⁹⁰  the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

3:11 “I baptize you with water, for repentance, but the one coming after me is more powerful than I am – I am not worthy ⁹¹  to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ⁹²  3:12 His winnowing fork ⁹³  is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, ⁹⁴  but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire.” ⁹⁵ 

Matthew 10:1-4

Sending Out the Twelve Apostles

10:1 Jesus ⁹⁶  called his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean spirits ⁹⁷  so they could cast them out and heal every kind of disease and sickness. ⁹⁸  10:2 Now these are the names of the twelve apostles: ⁹⁹  first, Simon ¹⁰⁰  (called Peter), and Andrew his brother; James son of Zebedee and John his brother; 10:3 Philip and Bartholomew; ¹⁰¹  Thomas ¹⁰²  and Matthew the tax collector; ¹⁰³  James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; ¹⁰⁴  10:4 Simon the Zealot ¹⁰⁵  and Judas Iscariot, ¹⁰⁶  who betrayed him. ¹⁰⁷ 

Acts 2:38-39

2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized ¹⁰⁸  in the name of Jesus Christ ¹⁰⁹  for ¹¹⁰  the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ¹¹¹  2:39 For the promise ¹¹²  is for you and your children, and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call to himself.”

Acts 3:24-26

3:24 And all the prophets, from Samuel and those who followed him, have spoken about and announced ¹¹³  these days. 3:25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, ¹¹⁴  saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants ¹¹⁵  all the nations ¹¹⁶  of the earth will be blessed.’ ¹¹⁷  3:26 God raised up ¹¹⁸  his servant and sent him first to you, to bless you by turning ¹¹⁹  each one of you from your iniquities.” ¹²⁰ 

Acts 13:26

13:26 Brothers, ¹²¹  descendants ¹²²  of Abraham’s family, ¹²³  and those Gentiles among you who fear God, ¹²⁴  the message ¹²⁵  of this salvation has been sent to us.

Acts 13:38-39

13:38 Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through this one ¹²⁶  forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 13:39 and by this one ¹²⁷  everyone who believes is justified ¹²⁸  from everything from which the law of Moses could not justify ¹²⁹  you. ¹³⁰ 

[3:4]  ¹ tn Or “A voice.”

[3:4]  ² tn Or “desert.” The syntactic position of the phrase “in the wilderness” is unclear in both Luke and the LXX. The MT favors taking it with “Prepare a way,” while the LXX takes it with “a voice shouting.” If the former, the meaning would be that such preparation should be done “in the wilderness.” If the latter, the meaning would be that the place from where John’s ministry went forth was “in the wilderness.” There are Jewish materials that support both renderings: 1QS 8:14 and 9.19-20 support the MT while certain rabbinic texts favor the LXX (see D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 1:290-91). While it is not absolutely necessary that a call in the wilderness led to a response in the wilderness, it is not unlikely that such would be the case. Thus, in the final analysis, the net effect between the two choices may be minimal. In any case, a majority of commentators and translations take “in the wilderness” with “The voice of one shouting” (D. L. Bock; R. H. Stein, Luke [NAC], 129; I. H. Marshall, Luke [NIGTC], 136; NIV, NRSV, NKJV, NLT, NASB, REB).

[3:4]  ³ tn This call to “make paths straight” in this context is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance as the verb ποιέω (poiew) reappears in vv. 8, 10, 11, 12, 14.

[3:5]  ⁴ sn The figurative language of this verse speaks of the whole creation preparing for the arrival of a major figure, so all obstacles to his approach are removed.

[3:6]  ⁵ tn Grk “all flesh.”

[3:6]  ⁶ sn A quotation from Isa 40:3-5. Though all the synoptic gospels use this citation from Isaiah, only Luke cites the material of vv. 5-6. His goal may well be to get to the declaration of v. 6, where all humanity (i.e., all nations) see God’s salvation (see also Luke 24:47).

[9:1]  ⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[9:1]  ⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:1]  ⁹ tn An aorist participle preceding an aorist main verb may indicate either contemporaneous (simultaneous) action (“When he called… he gave”) or antecedent (prior) action (“After he called… he gave”). The participle συγκαλεσάμενος (sunkalesameno") has been translated here as indicating antecedent action.

[9:1]  ¹⁰ tc Some mss add ἀποστόλους (apostolou", “apostles”; א C* L Θ Ψ 070 0291 ˹³ 33 579 892 1241 1424 2542 pc lat) or μαθητὰς αὐτοῦ (maqhta" autou, “his disciples”; C³ al it) here, but such clarifying notes are clearly secondary.

[9:1]  ¹¹ sn Note how Luke distinguishes between exorcisms (authority over all demons) and diseases here.

[9:2]  ¹² sn “To send out” is often a term of divine commission in Luke: 1:19; 4:18, 43; 7:27; 9:48; 10:1, 16; 11:49; 13:34; 24:49.

[9:2]  ¹³ tn Or “to preach.”

[9:2]  ¹⁴ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[9:2]  ¹⁵ sn As Jesus’ own ministry (Luke 4:16-44) involved both word (to proclaim) and deed (to heal) so also would that of the disciples.

[9:3]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “And he.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[9:3]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[9:3]  ¹⁸ sn Mark 6:8 allows one staff. It might be that Luke’s summary (cf. Matt 10:9-10) means not taking an extra staff or that the expression is merely rhetorical for “traveling light” which has been rendered in two slightly different ways.

[9:3]  ¹⁹ tn Or “no traveler’s bag”; or possibly “no beggar’s bag” (L&N 6.145; BDAG 811 s.v. πήρα).

[9:3]  ²⁰ tn Grk “have two tunics.” See the note on the word “tunics” in 3:11.

[9:4]  ²¹ tn Grk “And whatever.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[9:4]  ²² sn Jesus telling his disciples to stay there in one house contrasts with the practice of religious philosophers in the ancient world who went from house to house begging.

[9:4]  ²³ tn Grk “and depart from there.” The literal wording could be easily misunderstood; the meaning is that the disciples were not to move from house to house in the same town or locality, but remain at the same house as long as they were in that place.

[9:5]  ²⁴ tn Grk “And wherever.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[9:5]  ²⁵ tn Grk “all those who do not receive you.”

[9:5]  ²⁶ tn Or “city.”

[9:5]  ²⁷ sn To shake the dust off represented shaking off the uncleanness from one’s feet; see Luke 10:11; Acts 13:51; 18:6. It was a sign of rejection.

[10:1]  ²⁸ tn Grk “And after these things.” Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:1]  ²⁹ tc There is a difficult textual problem here and in v. 17, where the number is either “seventy” (א A C L W Θ Ξ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï and several church fathers and early versions) or “seventy-two” (Ì⁷⁵ B D 0181 pc lat as well as other versions and fathers). The more difficult reading is “seventy-two,” since scribes would be prone to assimilate this passage to several OT passages that refer to groups of seventy people (Num 11:13-17; Deut 10:22; Judg 8:30; 2 Kgs 10:1 et al.); this reading also has slightly better ms support. “Seventy” could be the preferred reading if scribes drew from the tradition of the number of translators of the LXX, which the Letter of Aristeas puts at seventy-two (TCGNT 127), although this is far less likely. All things considered, “seventy-two” is a much more difficult reading and accounts for the rise of the other. Only Luke notes a second larger mission like the one in 9:1-6.

[10:1]  ³⁰ tn Or “city.”

[10:2]  ³¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:2]  ³² sn The phrase Lord of the harvest recognizes God’s sovereignty over the harvest process.

[10:2]  ³³ tn Grk “to thrust out.”

[10:3]  ³⁴ tn Grk “Behold I.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[10:3]  ³⁵ sn On the imagery of lambs see Isa 40:11, Ezek 34:11-31, and John 10:1-18.

[10:3]  ³⁶ sn This imagery of wolves is found in intertestamental Judaism as well; see Pss. Sol. 8:23.

[10:4]  ³⁷ sn On the command Do not carry see Luke 9:3. The travel instructions communicate a note of urgency and stand in contrast to philosophical teachers, who often took a bag. There is no ostentation in this ministry.

[10:4]  ³⁸ tn Traditionally, “a purse.”

[10:4]  ³⁹ tn Or possibly “a beggar’s bag” (L&N 6.145; BDAG 811 s.v. πήρα).

[10:4]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “no one along the way.”

[10:5]  ⁴¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:5]  ⁴² tn Grk “Into whatever house you enter.” This acts as a distributive, meaning every house they enter; this is expressed more naturally in English as “whenever you enter a house.”

[10:5]  ⁴³ sn The statement ‘May peace be on this house!’ is really a benediction, asking for God’s blessing. The requested shalom (peace) is understood as coming from God.

[10:6]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “a son of peace,” a Hebrew idiom for a person of a certain class or kind, as specified by the following genitive construction (in this case, “of peace”). Such constructions are discussed further in L&N 9.4. Here the expression refers to someone who responds positively to the disciples’ message, like “wisdom’s child” in Luke 7:30.

[10:6]  ⁴⁵ sn The response to these messengers determines how God’s blessing is bestowed – if they are not welcomed with peace, their blessing will return to them. Jesus shows just how important their mission is by this remark.

[10:7]  ⁴⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:7]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “eating and drinking the things from them” (an idiom for what the people in the house provide the guests).

[10:7]  ⁴⁸ sn On the phrase the worker deserves his pay see 1 Tim 5:18 and 1 Cor 9:14.

[10:8]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “And whatever town you enter,” but this is more often expressed in English as “whenever you enter a town.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[10:8]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “city.” Jesus now speaks of the town as a whole, as he will in vv. 10-12.

[10:8]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “and they”; the referent (the people who live in the town) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:9]  ⁵² tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[10:9]  ⁵³ tn Grk “in it”; the referent (that town) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:9]  ⁵⁴ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[10:9]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “come near to you,” suggesting the approach (but not arrival) of the kingdom. But the combination of the perfect tense of ἐγγίζω (engizw) with the preposition ἐπί (epi) most likely suggests that the sense is “has come upon” (see BDAG 270 s.v. ἐγγίζω 2; W. R. Hutton, “The Kingdom of God Has Come,” ExpTim 64 [Dec 1952]: 89-91; and D. L. Bock, Luke [BECNT], 2:1000; cf. also NAB “is at hand for you”). These passages argue that a key element of the kingdom is its ability to overcome the power of Satan and those elements in the creation that oppose humanity. Confirmation of this understanding comes in v. 18 and in Luke 11:14-23, especially the parable of vv. 21-23.

[10:10]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “whatever town you enter,” but this is more often expressed in English as “whenever you enter a town.”

[10:10]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “city.”

[10:10]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “and they”; the referent (the people who live in the town) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:10]  ⁵⁹ sn More discussion takes place concerning rejection (the people do not welcome you), as these verses lead into the condemnation of certain towns for their rejection of God’s kingdom.

[10:10]  ⁶⁰ tn The term πλατεῖα (plateia) refers to the “broad street,” so this refers to the main roads of the town.

[10:11]  ⁶¹ tn Or “city.”

[10:11]  ⁶² sn See Luke 9:5, where the verb is different but the meaning is the same. This was a sign of rejection.

[10:11]  ⁶³ tn Here ὑμῖν (Jumin) has been translated as a dative of disadvantage.

[10:11]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “has come near.” As in v. 9 (see above), the combination of ἐγγίζω (engizw) with the preposition ἐπί (epi) is decisive in showing that the sense is “has come” (see BDAG 270 s.v. ἐγγίζω 2, and W. R. Hutton, “The Kingdom of God Has Come,” ExpTim 64 [Dec 1952]: 89-91).

[10:12]  ⁶⁵ sn The allusion to Sodom, the most wicked of OT cities from Gen 19:1-29, shows that to reject the current message is even more serious than the worst sins of the old era and will result in more severe punishment. The noun Sodom is in emphatic position in the Greek text.

[10:12]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “city.”

[9:1]  ⁶⁷ sn Chapter 9 forms the conclusion of the lengthy introduction to the book. Both wisdom and folly will make their final appeals; and both appeal to the simpletons. Wisdom offers life with no mention of pleasure; folly offers pleasure with no mention of death. The first twelve verses concern accepting wisdom: the invitation of wisdom (1-6), the description of the responses (7-11), and the consequence (12). Verses 13-18 concern accepting folly: the invitation (13-17) and the consequence (18).

[9:1]  ⁶⁸ sn Wisdom is personified as a wise woman. She has prepared a house and established it on seven pillars. This is a reference to the habitable world (e.g., 8:31). For the equation of the house and the world, e.g., 8:29; Job 38:6; and Psalm 104:5 (also G. Boström, Proverbiastudien [LUÅ], 1-14). The “seven pillars” have been variously interpreted, but since seven is a number for completeness and sacredness, the idea seems to be that wisdom produced a perfect world.

[9:2]  ⁶⁹ tn Heb “she has killed her killing.” Cf. KJV “hath killed her beasts”; NAB “has dressed her meat”; NASB “has prepared her food.”

[9:2]  ⁷⁰ sn Wisdom has prepared a sumptuous banquet in this house and sends out her maids to call the simple to come and eat (M. Lichtenstein, “The Banquet Motif in Keret and in Proverbs 9,” JANESCU 1 [1968/69]: 19-31). The figures of meat and wine represent the good teaching of wisdom that will be palatable and profitable (implied comparisons). Compare Isaiah 55:1-2 and John 6:51, 55 for similar uses of the figures. The idea of mixing wine could refer to the practice of mixing wine with spices or with water (as the LXX text assumes; e.g., Prov 23:30; Isa 5:22). Mixed wine was the most intoxicating; thus, her wisdom is attractive. All the imagery lets the simple know that what wisdom has to offer is marvelous.

[9:3]  ⁷¹ tn The text uses two synonymous terms in construct to express the superlative degree.

[9:4]  ⁷² tn Heb “lacking of heart she says to him.” The pronominal suffix is a resumptive pronoun, meaning, “she says to the lacking of heart.”

[9:4]  ⁷³ tn Heb “him.”

[9:4]  ⁷⁴ tn Heb “heart”; cf. NIV “to those who lack judgment.”

[9:5]  ⁷⁵ tn The construction features a cognate accusative (verb and noun from same root). The preposition בּ (bet) has the partitive use “some” (GKC 380 §119.m).

[9:5]  ⁷⁶ tn The final verb actually stands in a relative clause although the relative pronoun is not present; it modifies “wine.”

[3:1]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “desert.”

[3:2]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “and saying, ‘Repent.’” The participle λέγων (legwn) at the beginning of v. 2 is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[3:3]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “was spoken of by Isaiah the prophet, saying.” The participle λέγοντος (legonto") is redundant and has not been translated. The passive construction has also been rendered as active in the translation for the sake of English style.

[3:3]  ⁸⁰ tn Or “A voice.”

[3:3]  ⁸¹ sn This call to “make paths straight” in this context is probably an allusion to preparation through repentance.

[3:3]  ⁸² sn A quotation from Isa 40:3.

[3:4]  ⁸³ sn John’s lifestyle was in stark contrast to many of the religious leaders of Jerusalem who lived in relative ease and luxury. While his clothing and diet were indicative of someone who lived in the desert, they also depicted him in his role as God’s prophet (cf. Zech 13:4); his appearance is similar to the Prophet Elijah (2 Kgs 1:8). Locusts and wild honey were a common diet in desert regions, and locusts (dried insects) are listed in Lev 11:22 among the “clean” foods.

[3:5]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “Then Jerusalem.”

[3:6]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “they were being baptized by him.” The passive construction has been rendered as active in the translation for the sake of English style.

[3:7]  ⁸⁶ sn Pharisees were members of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.

[3:7]  ⁸⁷ sn The Sadducees controlled the official political structures of Judaism at this time, being the majority members of the Sanhedrin. They were known as extremely strict on law and order issues (Josephus, J. W. 2.8.2 [2.119], 2.8.14 [2.164-166]; Ant. 13.5.9 [13.171-173], 13.10.6 [13.293-298], 18.1.2 [18.11], 18.1.4 [18.16-17], 20.9.1 [20.199]; Life 2 [10-11]). See also Matt 16:1-12; 22:23-34; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-38; Acts 5:17; 23:6-8.

[3:8]  ⁸⁸ sn Fruit worthy of repentance refers to the deeds that indicate a change of attitude (heart) on the part of John’s hearers.

[3:8]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “fruit worthy of.”

[3:10]  ⁹⁰ sn Laid at the root. That is, placed and aimed, ready to begin cutting.

[3:11]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “of whom I am not worthy.”

[3:11]  ⁹² sn With the Holy Spirit and fire. There are differing interpretations for this phrase regarding the number of baptisms and their nature. (1) Some see one baptism here, and this can be divided further into two options. (a) The baptism of the Holy Spirit and fire could refer to the cleansing, purifying work of the Spirit in the individual believer through salvation and sanctification, or (b) it could refer to two different results of Christ’s ministry: Some accept Christ and are baptized with the Holy Spirit, but some reject him and receive judgment. (2) Other interpreters see two baptisms here: The baptism of the Holy Spirit refers to the salvation Jesus brings at his first advent, in which believers receive the Holy Spirit, and the baptism of fire refers to the judgment Jesus will bring upon the world at his second coming. One must take into account both the image of fire and whether individual or corporate baptism is in view. A decision is not easy on either issue. The image of fire is used to refer to both eternal judgment (e.g., Matt 25:41) and the power of the Lord’s presence to purge and cleanse his people (e.g., Isa 4:4-5). The pouring out of the Spirit at Pentecost, a fulfillment of this prophecy no matter which interpretation is taken, had both individual and corporate dimensions. It is possible that since Holy Spirit and fire are governed by a single preposition in Greek, the one-baptism view may be more likely, but this is not certain. Simply put, there is no consensus view in scholarship at this time on the best interpretation of this passage.

[3:12]  ⁹³ sn A winnowing fork was a pitchfork-like tool used to toss threshed grain in the air so that the wind blew away the chaff, leaving the grain to fall to the ground. The note of purging is highlighted by the use of imagery involving sifting though threshed grain for the useful kernels.

[3:12]  ⁹⁴ tn Or “granary,” “barn” (referring to a building used to store a farm’s produce rather than a building to house livestock).

[3:12]  ⁹⁵ sn The image of fire that cannot be extinguished is from the OT: Job 20:26; Isa 34:8-10; 66:24.

[10:1]  ⁹⁶ tn Grk “And he.”

[10:1]  ⁹⁷ sn Unclean spirits refers to evil spirits.

[10:1]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “and every [kind of] sickness.” Here “every” was not repeated in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[10:2]  ⁹⁹ sn The term apostles is rare in the gospels, found only here, Mark 3:14, and six more times in Luke (6:13; 9:10; 11:49; 17:5; 22:14; 24:10).

[10:2]  ¹⁰⁰ sn In the various lists of the twelve, Simon (that is, Peter) is always mentioned first (see also Mark 3:16-19; Luke 6:13-16; Acts 1:13) and the first four are always the same, though not in the same order after Peter.

[10:3]  ¹⁰¹ sn Bartholomew (meaning “son of Tolmai” in Aramaic) could be another name for Nathanael mentioned in John 1:45.

[10:3]  ¹⁰² sn This is the “doubting Thomas” of John 20:24-29.

[10:3]  ¹⁰³ sn See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.

[10:3]  ¹⁰⁴ tc Witnesses differ on the identification of the last disciple mentioned in v. 3: He is called Λεββαῖος (Lebbaio", “Lebbaeus”) in D, Judas Zelotes in it, and not present in sy^s. The Byzantine text, along with a few others (C^[*^],2 L W Θ Ë¹ 33 Ï), conflates earlier readings by calling him “Lebbaeus, who was called Thaddaeus,” while codex 13 pc conflate by way of transposition (“Thaddaeus, who was called Lebbaeus”). But excellent witnesses of the earliest texttypes (א B ˹³ 892 pc lat co) call him merely Θαδδαῖος (Qaddaio", “Thaddaeus”), a reading which, because of this support, is most likely correct.

[10:4]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Grk “the Cananean,” but according to both BDAG 507 s.v. Καναναῖος and L&N 11.88, this term has no relation at all to the geographical terms for Cana or Canaan, but is derived from the Aramaic term for “enthusiast, zealot” (see Luke 6:15; Acts 1:13), possibly because of an earlier affiliation with the party of the Zealots. He may not have been technically a member of the particular Jewish nationalistic party known as “Zealots” (since according to some scholars this party had not been organized at that time), but simply someone who was zealous for Jewish independence from Rome, in which case the term would refer to his temperament.

[10:4]  ¹⁰⁶ sn There is some debate about what the name Iscariot means. It probably alludes to a region in Judea and thus might make Judas the only non-Galilean in the group. Several explanations for the name Iscariot have been proposed, but it is probably transliterated Hebrew with the meaning “man of Kerioth” (there are at least two villages that had that name). For further discussion see D. L. Bock, Luke (BECNT), 1:546; also D. A. Carson, John, 304.

[10:4]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “who even betrayed him.”

[2:38]  ¹⁰⁸ 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]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[2:38]  ¹¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹¹ tn Here the genitive τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος (tou Jagiou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the gift consists of the Holy Spirit.

[2:39]  ¹¹² sn The promise refers to the promise of the Holy Spirit that Jesus received from the Father in 2:33 and which he now pours out on others. The promise consists of the Holy Spirit (see note in 2:33). Jesus is the active mediator of God’s blessing.

[3:24]  ¹¹³ tn Or “proclaimed.”

[3:25]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[3:25]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “in your offspring”; Grk “in your seed.”

[3:25]  ¹¹⁶ tn Or “families.” The Greek word πατριά (patria) can indicate persons of succeeding generations who are related by birth (“lineage,” “family”) but it can also indicate a relatively large unit of people who make up a sociopolitical group and who share a presumed biological descent. In many contexts πατριά is very similar to ἔθνος (eqnos) and λαός (laos). In light of the context of the OT quotation, it is better to translate πατριά as “nations” here.

[3:25]  ¹¹⁷ sn A quotation from Gen 22:18.

[3:26]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “God raising up his servant, sent him.” The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Some translations (e.g., NIV, NRSV) render this participle as temporal (“when God raised up his servant”).

[3:26]  ¹¹⁹ sn The picture of turning is again seen as the appropriate response to the message. See v. 19 above. In v. 19 it was “turning to,” here it is “turning away from.” The direction of the two metaphors is important.

[3:26]  ¹²⁰ tn For the translation of plural πονηρία (ponhria) as “iniquities,” see G. Harder, TDNT 6:565. The plural is important, since for Luke turning to Jesus means turning away from sins, not just the sin of rejecting Jesus.

[13:26]  ¹²¹ tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.

[13:26]  ¹²² tn Grk “sons”

[13:26]  ¹²³ tn Or “race.”

[13:26]  ¹²⁴ tn Grk “and those among you who fear God,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44. Note how Paul includes God-fearing Gentiles as recipients of this promise.

[13:26]  ¹²⁵ tn Grk “word.”

[13:38]  ¹²⁶ tn That is, Jesus. This pronoun is in emphatic position in the Greek text. Following this phrase in the Greek text is the pronoun ὑμῖν (Jumin, “to you”), so that the emphasis for the audience is that “through Jesus to you” these promises have come.

[13:39]  ¹²⁷ sn This one refers here to Jesus.

[13:39]  ¹²⁸ tn Or “is freed.” The translation of δικαιωθῆναι (dikaiwqhnai) and δικαιοῦται (dikaioutai) in Acts 13:38-39 is difficult. BDAG 249 s.v. δικαιόω 3 categorizes δικαιωθῆναι in 13:38 (Greek text) under the meaning “make free/pure” but categorizes δικαιοῦται in Acts 13:39 as “be found in the right, be free of charges” (BDAG 249 s.v. δικαιόω 2.b.β). In the interest of consistency both verbs are rendered as “justified” in this translation.

[13:39]  ¹²⁹ tn Or “could not free.”

[13:39]  ¹³⁰ tn Grk “from everything from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.” The passive construction has been converted to an active one in the translation, with “by the law of Moses” becoming the subject of the final clause. The words “from everything from which the law of Moses could not justify you” are part of v. 38 in the Greek text, but due to English style and word order must be placed in v. 39 in the translation.