Acts 15:11

15:11 On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through ¹  the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are.” ² 

Romans 1:12

1:12 that is, that we may be mutually comforted by one another’s faith, ³  both yours and mine.

Romans 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ⁴  a slave ⁵  of Christ Jesus, ⁶  called to be an apostle, ⁷  set apart for the gospel of God. ⁸ 

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, ⁹  have not ceased praying for you and asking God ¹⁰  to fill ¹¹  you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Hebrews 11:1-40

People Commended for Their Faith

11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. 11:2 For by it the people of old ¹²  received God’s commendation. ¹³  11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds ¹⁴  were set in order at God’s command, ¹⁵  so that the visible has its origin in the invisible. ¹⁶  11:4 By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, and through his faith ¹⁷  he was commended as righteous, because God commended him for his offerings. And through his faith ¹⁸  he still speaks, though he is dead. 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death, and he was not to be found because God took him up. For before his removal he had been commended as having pleased God. 11:6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 11:7 By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard ¹⁹  constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

11:8 By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place he would later receive as an inheritance, and he went out without understanding where he was going. 11:9 By faith he lived as a foreigner ²⁰  in the promised land as though it were a foreign country, living in tents with Isaac and Jacob, who were fellow heirs ²¹  of the same promise. 11:10 For he was looking forward to the city with firm foundations, ²²  whose architect and builder is God. 11:11 By faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and he was too old, ²³  he received the ability to procreate, ²⁴  because he regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy. 11:12 So in fact children ²⁵  were fathered by one man – and this one as good as dead – like the number of stars in the sky and like the innumerable grains of sand ²⁶  on the seashore. ²⁷  11:13 These all died in faith without receiving the things promised, ²⁸  but they saw them in the distance and welcomed them and acknowledged that they were strangers and foreigners ²⁹  on the earth. 11:14 For those who speak in such a way make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. 11:15 In fact, if they had been thinking of the land that they had left, they would have had opportunity to return. 11:16 But as it is, ³⁰  they aspire to a better land, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore, God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. 11:17 By faith Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac. He had received the promises, ³¹  yet he was ready to offer up ³²  his only son. 11:18 God had told him, “Through Isaac descendants will carry on your name,” ³³  11:19 and he reasoned ³⁴  that God could even raise him from the dead, and in a sense ³⁵  he received him back from there. 11:20 By faith also Isaac blessed Jacob and Esau concerning the future. 11:21 By faith Jacob, as he was dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph and worshiped as he leaned on his staff. ³⁶  11:22 By faith Joseph, at the end of his life, ³⁷  mentioned the exodus of the sons of Israel ³⁸  and gave instructions about his burial. ³⁹ 

11:23 By faith, when Moses was born, his parents hid him ⁴⁰  for three months, because they saw the child was beautiful and they were not afraid of the king’s edict. 11:24 By faith, when he grew up, Moses refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, 11:25 choosing rather to be ill-treated with the people of God than to enjoy sin’s fleeting pleasure. 11:26 He regarded abuse suffered for Christ ⁴¹  to be greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for his eyes were fixed on ⁴²  the reward. 11:27 By faith he left Egypt without fearing the king’s anger, for he persevered as though he could see the one who is invisible. 11:28 By faith he kept the Passover and the sprinkling of the blood, ⁴³  so that the one who destroyed the firstborn would not touch them. 11:29 By faith they crossed the Red Sea as if on dry ground, but when the Egyptians tried it, they were swallowed up. 11:30 By faith the walls of Jericho ⁴⁴  fell after the people marched around them ⁴⁵  for seven days. 11:31 By faith Rahab the prostitute escaped the destruction of ⁴⁶  the disobedient, because she welcomed the spies in peace.

11:32 And what more shall I say? For time will fail me if I tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets. 11:33 Through faith they conquered kingdoms, administered justice, ⁴⁷  gained what was promised, ⁴⁸  shut the mouths of lions, 11:34 quenched raging fire, ⁴⁹  escaped the edge of the sword, gained strength in weakness, ⁵⁰  became mighty in battle, put foreign armies to flight, 11:35 and women received back their dead raised to life. ⁵¹  But others were tortured, not accepting release, to obtain resurrection to a better life. ⁵²  11:36 And others experienced mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment. 11:37 They were stoned, sawed apart, ⁵³  murdered with the sword; they went about in sheepskins and goatskins; they were destitute, afflicted, ill-treated 11:38 (the world was not worthy of them); they wandered in deserts and mountains and caves and openings in the earth. 11:39 And these all were commended ⁵⁴  for their faith, yet they did not receive what was promised. ⁵⁵  11:40 For God had provided something better for us, so that they would be made perfect together with us. ⁵⁶ 

Hebrews 11:2

11:2 For by it the people of old ⁵⁷  received God’s commendation. ⁵⁸ 

Hebrews 1:1

Introduction: God Has Spoken Fully and Finally in His Son

1:1 After God spoke long ago ⁵⁹  in various portions ⁶⁰  and in various ways ⁶¹  to our ancestors ⁶²  through the prophets,

[15:11]  ¹ tn Or “by.”

[15:11]  ² tn Or “Jesus, just as they are.” BDAG 1016-17 s.v. τρόπος 1 translates καθ᾿ ὃν τρόπον (kaq’ Jon tropon) here as “in the same way as.”

[1:12]  ³ tn Grk “that is, to be comforted together with you through the faith in one another.”

[1:1]  ⁴ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ⁵ tn Traditionally, “servant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  ⁶ tc Many important mss, as well as several others (̲⁶ א A G Ψ 33 1739 1881 Ï), have a reversed order of these words and read “Jesus Christ” rather than “Christ Jesus” (̹⁰ B 81 pc). The meaning is not affected in either case, but the reading “Christ Jesus” is preferred as slightly more difficult and thus more likely the original (a scribe who found it would be prone to change it to the more common expression). At the same time, Paul is fond of the order “Christ Jesus,” especially in certain letters such as Romans, Galatians, and Philippians. As well, the later Pauline letters almost uniformly use this order in the salutations. A decision is difficult, but “Christ Jesus” is slightly preferred.

[1:1]  ⁷ tn Grk “a called apostle.”

[1:1]  ⁸ tn The genitive in the phrase εὐαγγέλιον θεοῦ (euangelion qeou, “the gospel of God”) could be translated as (1) a subjective genitive (“the gospel which God brings”) or (2) an objective genitive (“the gospel about God”). Either is grammatically possible. This is possibly an instance of a plenary genitive (see ExSyn 119-21; M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek, §§36-39). If so, an interplay between the two concepts is intended: The gospel which God brings is in fact the gospel about himself. However, in view of God’s action in v. 2 concerning this gospel, a subjective genitive notion (“the gospel which God brings”) is slightly preferred.

[1:9]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ 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.

[11:2]  ¹² tn Or “the elders,” “the ancients.”

[11:2]  ¹³ tn Grk “were attested,” “received commendation”; and Heb 11:4-6 shows this to be from God.

[11:3]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “ages.” The temporal (ages) came to be used of the spatial (what exists in those time periods). See Heb 1:2 for same usage.

[11:3]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “by God’s word.”

[11:3]  ¹⁶ sn The Greek phrasing emphasizes this point by negating the opposite: “so that what is seen did not come into being from things that are visible.”

[11:4]  ¹⁷ tn Or “through his sacrifice”; Grk “through which.”

[11:4]  ¹⁸ tn Or “through his sacrifice”; Grk “through it.”

[11:7]  ¹⁹ tn Cf. BDAG 407 s.v. εὐλαβέομαι 2, “out of reverent regard (for God’s command).”

[11:9]  ²⁰ tn Or “settled as a resident alien.”

[11:9]  ²¹ tn Or “heirs with him.”

[11:10]  ²² tn Grk “that has foundations.”

[11:11]  ²³ tn Grk “past the time of maturity.”

[11:11]  ²⁴ tn Grk “power to deposit seed.” Though it is not as likely, some construe this phrase to mean “power to conceive seed,” making the whole verse about Sarah: “by faith, even though Sarah herself was barren and too old, she received ability to conceive, because she regarded the one who had given the promise to be trustworthy.”

[11:12]  ²⁵ tn Grk “these”; in the translation the referent (children) has been specified for clarity.

[11:12]  ²⁶ tn Grk a collective “the sand.”

[11:12]  ²⁷ sn An allusion to Gen 22:17 (which itself goes back to Gen 15:5).

[11:13]  ²⁸ tn Grk “the promises,” referring to the things God promised, not to the pledges themselves.

[11:13]  ²⁹ tn Or “sojourners.”

[11:16]  ³⁰ tn Grk “now.”

[11:17]  ³¹ tn Here “received the promises” refers to the pledges themselves, not to the things God promised.

[11:17]  ³² tn Grk “he was offering up.” The tense of this verb indicates the attempt or readiness to sacrifice Isaac without the actual completion of the deed.

[11:18]  ³³ tn Grk “in Isaac seed will be named for you.”

[11:19]  ³⁴ tn Grk “having reasoned,” continuing the ideas of v. 17.

[11:19]  ³⁵ tn Grk “in/by a symbol.”

[11:21]  ³⁶ tn Grk “worshiped on the top of his staff,” a quotation from Gen 47:31 (LXX).

[11:22]  ³⁷ tn Grk “coming to an end,” “dying.”

[11:22]  ³⁸ sn Joseph’s prophecy about the exodus of the sons of Israel is found in Gen 50:24.

[11:22]  ³⁹ tn Grk “about his bones,” which refers by metonymy to the disposition of his bones, i.e., his burial.

[11:23]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “Moses, when he was born, was hidden by his parents.”

[11:26]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “the abuse [or ‘reproach’] of Christ.”

[11:26]  ⁴² tn Grk “he was looking away to.”

[11:28]  ⁴³ tn Grk “the pouring out of the blood.”

[11:30]  ⁴⁴ map For location see Map5 B2; Map6 E1; Map7 E1; Map8 E3; Map10 A2; Map11 A1.

[11:30]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “after they had been encircled.”

[11:31]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “did not perish together with.”

[11:33]  ⁴⁷ tn This probably refers to the righteous rule of David and others. But it could be more general and mean “did what was righteous.”

[11:33]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “obtained promises,” referring to the things God promised, not to the pledges themselves.

[11:34]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “quenched the power of fire.”

[11:34]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “recovered from sickness.”

[11:35]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “received back their dead from resurrection.”

[11:35]  ⁵² tn Grk “to obtain a better resurrection.”

[11:37]  ⁵³ tc The reading ἐπρίσθησαν (ejprisqhsan, “they were sawed apart”) is found in some important witnesses (Ì⁴⁶ [D* twice reads ἐπίρσθησαν, “they were burned”?] pc sy^p sa Or^pt Eus). Other mss have ἐπειράσθησαν (ejpeirasqhsan, “they were tempted”), either before “sawed apart” ([א] L P [048] 33 81 326 1505 pc sy^h), after “sawed apart” (Ì^13vid A D¹ Ψ 1739 1881 Ï lat bo Or^pt), or altogether in place of “sawed apart” (0150 vg^mss Cl). Since the two words ἐπρίσθησαν and ἐπειράσθησαν are so much alike in sight and sound, and since the position of “they were tempted” varies in the mss, it seems best to say that ἐπειράσθησαν is an accidental corruption of ἐπρίσθησαν or an intentional change to a more common word (the root of ἐπρίσθησαν [πρίζω, prizw] occurs only here in the NT, while the root of ἐπειράσθησαν [πειράζω, peirazw] occurs 38 times). The best reading here seems to be “sawed apart” without any addition before or after. (See TCGNT 603-4, for a discussion of emendations that scholars have proposed for this difficult problem.)

[11:39]  ⁵⁴ sn The expression these all were commended forms an inclusio with Heb 11:2: The chapter begins and ends with references to commendation for faith.

[11:39]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “the promise,” referring to the thing God promised, not to the pledge itself.

[11:40]  ⁵⁶ tn The Greek phrasing emphasizes this point by negating the opposite: “so that they would not be made perfect without us.”

[11:2]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “the elders,” “the ancients.”

[11:2]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “were attested,” “received commendation”; and Heb 11:4-6 shows this to be from God.

[1:1]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “spoke formerly.”

[1:1]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “parts.” The idea is that God’s previous revelation came in many parts and was therefore fragmentary or partial (L&N 63.19), in comparison with the final and complete revelation contained in God’s Son. However, some interpret πολυμερῶς (polumerw") in Heb 1:1 to mean “on many different occasions” and would thus translate “many times” (L&N 67.11). This is the option followed by the NIV: “at many times and in various ways.” Finally, this word is also understood to refer to the different manners in which something may be done, and would then be translated “in many different ways” (L&N 89.81). In this last case, the two words πολυμερῶς and πολυτρόπως (polutropw") mutually reinforce one another (“in many and various ways,” NRSV).

[1:1]  ⁶¹ tn These two phrases are emphasized in Greek by being placed at the beginning of the sentence and by alliteration.

[1:1]  ⁶² tn Grk “to the fathers.”