7:15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 2
3:2 Beware of the dogs, 9 beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! 10
3:2 Beware of the dogs, 11 beware of the evil workers, beware of those who mutilate the flesh! 12
3:17 Be imitators of me, 13 brothers and sisters, 14 and watch carefully those who are living this way, just as you have us as an example.
1 tn Heb “out of the house of slavery” (so NASB, NRSV).
2 sn Sheep’s clothing…voracious wolves. Jesus uses a metaphor here to point out that these false prophets appear to be one thing, but in reality they are something quite different and dangerous.
3 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
4 sn Councils in this context refers to local judicial bodies attached to the Jewish synagogue. This group would be responsible for meting out justice and discipline within the Jewish community.
5 tn BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”
6 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
7 sn See the note on Pharisees in 3:7.
8 sn See the note on Sadducees in 3:7.
9 sn Dogs is a figurative reference to false teachers whom Paul regards as just as filthy as dogs.
10 tn Grk “beware of the mutilation.”
11 sn Dogs is a figurative reference to false teachers whom Paul regards as just as filthy as dogs.
12 tn Grk “beware of the mutilation.”
13 tn Or “become fellow imitators with me [of Christ].”
14 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:12.