Hebrews 2:1-3

Warning Against Drifting Away

2:1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2:2 For if the message spoken through angels ¹  proved to be so firm that every violation ²  or disobedience received its just penalty, 2:3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him,

Hebrews 12:15

12:15 See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, that no one be like a bitter root springing up ³  and causing trouble, and through him many become defiled.

Matthew 24:4

24:4 Jesus answered them, ⁴  “Watch out ⁵  that no one misleads you.

Mark 13:9

Persecution of Disciples

13:9 “You must watch out for yourselves. You will be handed over ⁶  to councils ⁷  and beaten in the synagogues. ⁸  You will stand before governors and kings ⁹  because of me, as a witness to them.

Mark 13:23

13:23 Be careful! I have told you everything ahead of time.

Mark 13:33

13:33 Watch out! Stay alert! ¹⁰  For you do not know when the time will come.

Luke 21:8

21:8 He ¹¹  said, “Watch out ¹²  that you are not misled. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ ¹³  and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them!

Romans 11:21

11:21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, perhaps he will not spare you.

Romans 11:1

Israel’s Rejection not Complete nor Final

11:1 So I ask, God has not rejected his people, has he? Absolutely not! For I too am an Israelite, a descendant of Abraham, from the tribe of Benjamin.

Colossians 1:12

1:12 giving thanks to the Father who has qualified you to share ¹⁴  in the saints’ ¹⁵  inheritance in the light.

¹ sn The message spoken through angels refers to the OT law, which according to Jewish tradition was mediated to Moses through angels (cf. Deut 33:2; Ps 68:17-18; Acts 7:38, 53; Gal 3:19; and Jub. 1:27, 29; Josephus, Ant. 15.5.3 [15.136]).

² tn Grk “through angels became valid and every violation.”

¹ tn Grk “that there not be any root of bitterness,” but referring figuratively to a person who causes trouble (as in Deut 29:17 [LXX] from which this is quoted).

¹ tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

² tn Or “Be on guard.”

¹ tn Grk “They will hand you over.” “They” is an indefinite plural, referring to people in general. The parallel in Matt 10:17 makes this explicit.

² 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.

³ sn See the note on synagogue in 1:21.

⁴ sn These statements look at persecution both from a Jewish context as the mention of councils and synagogues suggests, and from a Gentile one as the reference to governors and kings suggests. Some fulfillment of Jewish persecution can be seen in Acts.

¹ tc The vast majority of witnesses (א A C L W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï lat sy co) have καὶ προσεύχεσθε after ἀγρυπνεῖτε (agrupneite kai proseucesqe, “stay alert and pray”). This may be a motivated reading, influenced by the similar command in Mark 14:38 where προσεύχεσθε is solidly attested, and more generally from the parallel in Luke 21:36 (though δέομαι [deomai, “ask”] is used there). As B. M. Metzger notes, it is a predictable variant that scribes would have been likely to produce independently of each other (TCGNT 95). The words are not found in B D 2427 a c {d} k. Although the external evidence for the shorter reading is slender, it probably better accounts for the longer reading than vice versa.

¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

² tn Or “Be on guard.”

³ tn That is, “I am the Messiah.”

¹ tn BDAG 473 s.v. ἱκανόω states, “τινὰ εἴς τι someone for someth. Col 1:12.” The point of the text is that God has qualified the saints for a “share” or “portion” in the inheritance of the saints.

² tn Grk “the inheritance of the saints.” The genitive noun τῶν ἁγίων (twn Jagiwn) is a possessive genitive: “the saints’ inheritance.”