Acts 12:5

12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly ¹  praying to God for him. ² 

Isaiah 65:24

65:24 Before they even call out, ³  I will respond;

while they are still speaking, I will hear.

Matthew 18:19-20

18:19 Again, I tell you the truth, ⁴  if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. ⁵  18:20 For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.”

Matthew 18:1

Questions About the Greatest

18:1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”

Matthew 5:14-15

5:14 You are the light of the world. A city located on a hill cannot be hidden. 5:15 People ⁶  do not light a lamp and put it under a basket ⁷  but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all in the house.

¹ tn Or “constantly.” This term also appears in Luke 22:14 and Acts 26:7.

² tn Grk “but earnest prayer was being made by the church to God for him.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to follow English style, and the somewhat awkward passive “prayer was being made” has been changed to the simpler active verb “were praying.” Luke portrays what follows as an answer to prayer.

³ tn The verb that introduces this verse serves as a discourse particle and is untranslated; see note on “in the future” in 2:2.

⁴ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

⁵ tn Grk “if two of you…agree about whatever they ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style, and the pronouns, which change from second person plural to third person plural in the Greek text, have been consistently translated as second person plural.

⁶ tn Grk “Nor do they light.” The plural in Greek is indefinite, referring to people in general.

⁷ tn Or “a bowl”; this refers to any container for dry material of about eight liters (two gallons) capacity. It could be translated “basket, box, bowl” (L&N 6.151).