23:23 Acquire 2 truth and do not sell it –
wisdom, and discipline, and understanding.
17:6 “I have revealed 9 your name to the men 10 you gave me out of the world. They belonged to you, 11 and you gave them to me, and they have obeyed 12 your word.
17:1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, he looked upward 13 to heaven 14 and said, “Father, the time 15 has come. Glorify your Son, so that your 16 Son may glorify you –
1 sn That good thing (Grk “the good deposit”) refers to the truth of the gospel committed to Timothy (cf. 1 Tim 6:20).
2 tn Heb “buy” (so KJV, NASB, NIV, NLT); CEV “Invest in truth.”
3 tn The aorist participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally, reflecting action antecedent (prior to) that of the main verb.
4 sn There is a tenacity that is a part of spiritual fruitfulness.
5 sn In an ancient context, the qualifier good described the ethical person who possessed integrity. Here it is integrity concerning God’s revelation through Jesus.
6 sn Given the pressures noted in the previous soils, bearing fruit takes time (steadfast endurance), just as it does for the farmer. See Jas 1:2-4.
7 tn Grk “said.”
8 sn This is another reference to hearing and doing the word of God, which here describes Jesus’ teaching; see Luke 8:21.
9 tn Or “made known,” “disclosed.”
10 tn Here “men” is retained as a translation for ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") rather than the more generic “people” because in context it specifically refers to the eleven men Jesus had chosen as apostles (Judas had already departed, John 13:30). If one understands the referent here to be the broader group of Jesus’ followers that included both men and women, a translation like “to the people” should be used here instead.
11 tn Grk “Yours they were.”
12 tn Or “have kept.”
13 tn Grk “he raised his eyes” (an idiom).
14 tn Or “to the sky.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven” depending on the context.
15 tn Grk “the hour.”
16 tc The better witnesses (א B C* W 0109 0301) have “the Son” (ὁ υἱός, Jo Juios) here, while the majority (C3 L Ψ Ë13 33 Ï) read “your Son also” (καὶ ὁ υἱὸς σου, kai Jo Juio" sou), or “your Son” (ὁ υἱὸς σου; A D Θ 0250 1 579 pc lat sy); the second corrector of C has καὶ ὁ υἱός (“the Son also”). The longer readings appear to be predictable scribal expansions and as such should be considered secondary.
17 tn Grk “I have given.”
18 tn Grk “to shut it,” but English would leave the direct object understood in this case.
19 tn This translation is based on connecting the ὅτι (Joti) clause with the οἶδα (oida) at the beginning of the verse, giving the content of what is known (see also 3:1, 3:15 for parallels). Because of the intervening clause that is virtually parenthetical (see the note on the word “shut” earlier in this verse), the words “I know that” from the beginning of the verse had to be repeated to make this connection clear for the English reader. However, the ὅτι could be understood as introducing a causal subordinate clause instead and thus translated, “because you have.”
20 tn Or “little power.”
21 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.
22 tn Grk “and having kept.” The participle ἐτήρησας (ethrhsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. For the translation of τηρέω (threw) as “obey” see L&N 36.19. This is the same word that is used in 3:10 (there translated “kept”) where there is a play on words.
23 tn Or “obey.” For the translation of τηρέω (threw) as “obey” see L&N 36.19. In the Greek there is a wordplay: “because you have kept my word…I will keep you,” though the meaning of τηρέω is different each time.
24 tn The Greek term λόγον (logon) is understood here in the sense of admonition or encouragement.
25 tn Or “to persevere.” Here ὑπομονῆς (Jupomonhs) has been translated as a genitive of reference/respect related to τὸν λόγον (ton logon).