Matthew 18:6

18:6 “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, ¹  it would be better for him to have a huge millstone ²  hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea. ³ 

Acts 20:24

20:24 But I do not consider my life ⁴  worth anything ⁵  to myself, so that ⁶  I may finish my task ⁷  and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news ⁸  of God’s grace.

Philippians 1:20-23

1:20 My confident hope ⁹  is that I will in no way be ashamed ¹⁰  but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether I live or die. ¹¹  1:21 For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain. 1:22 Now if I am to go on living in the body, ¹²  this will mean productive work ¹³  for me, yet I don’t know which I prefer: ¹⁴  1:23 I feel torn between the two, ¹⁵  because I have a desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far,

¹ tn The Greek term σκανδαλίζω (skandalizw), translated here “causes to sin” can also be translated “offends” or “causes to stumble.”

² tn Grk “the millstone of a donkey.” This refers to a large flat stone turned by a donkey in the process of grinding grain (BDAG 661 s.v. μύλος 2; L&N 7.68-69). The same term is used in the parallel account in Mark 9:42.

³ tn The term translated “open” here (πελάγει, pelagei) refers to the open sea as opposed to a stretch of water near a coastline (BDAG 794 s.v. πέλαγος). A similar English expression would be “the high seas.”

⁴ tn Grk “soul.”

⁵ tn Or “I do not consider my life worth a single word.” According to BDAG 599 s.v. λόγος 1.a.α, “In the textually uncertain pass. Ac 20:24 the text as it stands in N., οὐδενὸς λόγου (v.l. λόγον) ποιοῦμαι τὴν ψυχὴν τιμίαν, may well mean: I do not consider my life worth a single word (cp. λόγου ἄξιον [ἄξιος 1a] and our ‘worth mention’).”

⁶ tn BDAG 1106 s.v. ὡς 9 describes this use as “a final particle, expressing intention/purpose, with a view to, in order to.”

⁷ tn Grk “course.” See L&N 42.26, “(a figurative extension of meaning of δρόμος ‘race’) a task or function involving continuity, serious, effort, and possibly obligation – ‘task, mission’…Ac 20:24.” On this Pauline theme see also Phil 1:19-26; Col 1:24; 2 Tim 4:6-7.

⁸ tn Or “to the gospel.”

⁹ tn Grk “according to my eager expectation and hope.” The κατά (kata) phrase is taken as governing the following ὅτι (Joti) clause (“that I will not be ashamed…”); the idea could be expressed more verbally as “I confidently hope that I will not be ashamed…”

¹⁰ tn Or possibly, “be intimidated, be put to shame.”

¹¹ tn Grk “whether by life or by death.”

¹² tn Grk “flesh.”

¹³ tn Grk “fruit of work”; the genitive ἔργου (ergou) is taken as an attributed genitive in which the head noun, καρπός (karpos), functions attributively (cf. ExSyn 89-91).

¹⁴ tn Grk “what I shall prefer.” The Greek verb αἱρέω (Jairew) could also mean “choose,” but in this context such a translation is problematic for it suggests that Paul could perhaps choose suicide (cf. L&N 30.86).

¹⁵ tn Grk “I am hard-pressed between the two.” Cf. L&N 30.18.