Isaiah 65:1

The Lord Will Distinguish Between Sinners and the Godly

65:1 “I made myself available to those who did not ask for me;

I appeared to those who did not look for me.

I said, ‘Here I am! Here I am!’

to a nation that did not invoke my name.

Matthew 4:18-21

The Call of the Disciples

4:18 As he was walking by the Sea of Galilee he saw two brothers, Simon (called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea (for they were fishermen). 4:19 He said to them, “Follow me, and I will turn you into fishers of people.” 4:20 They left their nets immediately and followed him. 4:21 Going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in a boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. Then 10  he called them.

Matthew 9:9

The Call of Matthew; Eating with Sinners

9:9 As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax booth. 11  “Follow me,” he said to him. And he got up and followed him.

Luke 19:10

19:10 For the Son of Man came 12  to seek and to save the lost.”

Philippians 3:12

Keep Going Forward

3:12 Not that I have already attained this – that is, I have not already been perfected – but I strive to lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus also laid hold of me. 13 

Philippians 3:1

True and False Righteousness

3:1 Finally, my brothers and sisters, 14  rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.

Philippians 4:19

4:19 And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches 15  in Christ Jesus.

tn Heb “I allowed myself to be sought by those who did not ask.”

tn Heb “I allowed myself to be found by those who did not seek.”

tn Heb “call out in”; NASB, NIV, NRSV “call on.”

tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

tn The two phrases in this verse placed in parentheses are explanatory comments by the author, parenthetical in nature.

tn The Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos) is used here in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, thus “people.”

tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

sn The expression followed him pictures discipleship, which means that to learn from Jesus is to follow him as the guiding priority of one’s life.

tn Or “their boat.” The phrase ἐν τῷ πλοίῳ (en tw ploiw) can either refer to a generic boat, some boat (as it seems to do here); or it can refer to “their” boat, implying possession. Mark assumes a certain preunderstanding on the part of his readers about the first four disciples and hence the translation “their boat” is justified (cf. also v. 20 in which the “hired men” indicates that Zebedee’s family owned the boats), while Matthew does not.

10 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

11 tn While “tax office” is sometimes given as a translation for τελώνιον (telwnion, so L&N 57.183), this could give the modern reader a false impression of an indoor office with all its associated furnishings.

12 sn The Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost is Jesus’ mission succinctly defined. See Luke 15:1-32.

13 tn Grk “that for which I also was laid hold of by Christ Jesus.” The passive has been translated as active in keeping with contemporary English style.

14 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:12.

15 tn Or “according to the riches of his glory.” The phrase “of his glory” is treated as an attributive genitive in the translation.