Acts 14:27

14:27 When they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported ¹  all the things God ²  had done with them, and that he had opened a door ³  of faith for the Gentiles.

Acts 14:1

Paul and Barnabas at Iconium

14:1 The same thing happened in Iconium ⁴  when Paul and Barnabas ⁵  went into the Jewish synagogue ⁶  and spoke in such a way that a large group ⁷  of both Jews and Greeks believed.

Colossians 1:9

Paul’s Prayer for the Growth of the Church

1:9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, ⁸  have not ceased praying for you and asking God ⁹  to fill ¹⁰  you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Colossians 4:3

4:3 At the same time pray ¹¹  for us too, that ¹²  God may open a door for the message ¹³  so that we may proclaim ¹⁴  the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. ¹⁵ 

Revelation 3:7-8

To the Church in Philadelphia

3:7 “To ¹⁶  the angel of the church in Philadelphia write the following: ¹⁷ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ¹⁸  the Holy One, the True One, who holds the key of David, who opens doors ¹⁹  no one can shut, and shuts doors ²⁰  no one can open: 3:8 ‘I know your deeds. (Look! I have put ²¹  in front of you an open door that no one can shut.) ²²  I know ²³  that you have little strength, ²⁴  but ²⁵  you have obeyed ²⁶  my word and have not denied my name.

[14:27]  ¹ tn Or “announced.”

[14:27]  ² sn Note that God is the subject of the activity. The outcome of this mission is seen as a confirmation of the mission to the Gentiles.

[14:27]  ³ sn On the image of opening, or of the door, see 1 Cor 16:9; 2 Cor 2:12; Col 4:3.

[14:1]  ⁴ sn Iconium. See the note in 13:51.

[14:1]  ⁵ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Paul and Barnabas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:1]  ⁶ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[14:1]  ⁷ tn Or “that a large crowd.”

[1:9]  ⁸ tn Or “heard about it”; Grk “heard.” There is no direct object stated in the Greek (direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context). A direct object is expected by an English reader, however, so most translations supply one. Here, however, it is not entirely clear what the author “heard”: a number of translations supply “it” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV; NAB “this”), but this could refer back either to (1) “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8, or (2) “your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints” (v. 4). In light of this uncertainty, other translations supply “about you” (TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). This is preferred by the present translation since, while it does not resolve the ambiguity entirely, it does make it less easy for the English reader to limit the reference only to “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8.

[1:9]  ⁹ tn The term “God” does not appear in the Greek text, but the following reference to “the knowledge of his will” makes it clear that “God” is in view as the object of the “praying and asking,” and should therefore be included in the English translation for clarity.

[1:9]  ¹⁰ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as substantival, indicating the content of the prayer and asking. The idea of purpose may also be present in this clause.

[4:3]  ¹¹ tn Though προσευχόμενοι (proseucomenoi) is an adverbial participle related to the previous imperative, προσκαρτερεῖτε (proskartereite), it is here translated as an independent clause due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[4:3]  ¹² tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been rendered as substantival here, indicating the content of the prayer rather than the purpose for it. These two ideas are very similar and difficult to differentiate in this passage, but the conjunction ἵνα following a verb of praying is generally regarded as giving the content of the prayer.

[4:3]  ¹³ tn Grk “that God may open for us a door of the word to speak the mystery of Christ.” The construction in Greek is somewhat awkward in this clause. The translation attempts to simplify this structure somewhat and yet communicate exactly what Paul is asking for.

[4:3]  ¹⁴ tn Or “so that we may speak.”

[4:3]  ¹⁵ tn Or “in prison.”

[3:7]  ¹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated due to differences between Greek and English style.

[3:7]  ¹⁷ tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.

[3:7]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” See the note on the phrase “this is the solemn pronouncement of” in 2:1.

[3:7]  ¹⁹ tn The word “door” is not in the Greek text but has been supplied in the translation. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context. Since the following verse does contain the word “door” (θύραν, quran), that word has been supplied as the direct object here.

[3:7]  ²⁰ tn See the note on the word “door” earlier in this verse.

[3:8]  ²¹ tn Grk “I have given.”

[3:8]  ²² tn Grk “to shut it,” but English would leave the direct object understood in this case.

[3:8]  ²³ tn This translation is based on connecting the ὅτι (Joti) clause with the οἶδα (oida) at the beginning of the verse, giving the content of what is known (see also 3:1, 3:15 for parallels). Because of the intervening clause that is virtually parenthetical (see the note on the word “shut” earlier in this verse), the words “I know that” from the beginning of the verse had to be repeated to make this connection clear for the English reader. However, the ὅτι could be understood as introducing a causal subordinate clause instead and thus translated, “because you have.”

[3:8]  ²⁴ tn Or “little power.”

[3:8]  ²⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[3:8]  ²⁶ tn Grk “and having kept.” The participle ἐτήρησας (ethrhsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. For the translation of τηρέω (threw) as “obey” see L&N 36.19. This is the same word that is used in 3:10 (there translated “kept”) where there is a play on words.