Acts 11:23

11:23 When ¹  he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain true ²  to the Lord with devoted hearts, ³ 

Acts 14:22

14:22 They strengthened ⁴  the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue ⁵  in the faith, saying, “We must enter the kingdom ⁶  of God through many persecutions.” ⁷ 

Acts 19:8

Paul Continues to Minister at Ephesus

19:8 So Paul ⁸  entered ⁹  the synagogue ¹⁰  and spoke out fearlessly ¹¹  for three months, addressing ¹²  and convincing ¹³  them about the kingdom of God. ¹⁴ 

Acts 28:23

28:23 They set ¹⁵  a day to meet with him, ¹⁶  and they came to him where he was staying ¹⁷  in even greater numbers. ¹⁸  From morning until evening he explained things ¹⁹  to them, ²⁰  testifying ²¹  about the kingdom of God ²²  and trying to convince ²³  them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets.

John 8:31-32

Abraham’s Children and the Devil’s Children

8:31 Then Jesus said to those Judeans ²⁴  who had believed him, “If you continue to follow my teaching, ²⁵  you are really ²⁶  my disciples 8:32 and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” ²⁷ 

John 15:5-10

15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains ²⁸  in me – and I in him – bears ²⁹  much fruit, ³⁰  because apart from me you can accomplish ³¹  nothing. 15:6 If anyone does not remain ³²  in me, he is thrown out like a branch, and dries up; and such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire, ³³  and are burned up. ³⁴  15:7 If you remain ³⁵  in me and my words remain ³⁶  in you, ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. ³⁷  15:8 My Father is honored ³⁸  by this, that ³⁹  you bear ⁴⁰  much fruit and show that you are ⁴¹  my disciples.

15:9 “Just as the Father has loved me, I have also loved you; remain ⁴²  in my love. 15:10 If you obey ⁴³  my commandments, you will remain ⁴⁴  in my love, just as I have obeyed ⁴⁵  my Father’s commandments and remain ⁴⁶  in his love.

John 15:2

15:2 He takes away ⁴⁷  every branch that does not bear ⁴⁸  fruit in me. He ⁴⁹  prunes ⁵⁰  every branch that bears ⁵¹  fruit so that it will bear more fruit.

Colossians 1:11

1:11 being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might for the display of ⁵²  all patience and steadfastness, joyfully

Colossians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ⁵³  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Galatians 5:1

Freedom of the Believer

5:1 For freedom ⁵⁴  Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke ⁵⁵  of slavery.

Philippians 3:16

3:16 Nevertheless, let us live up to the standard ⁵⁶  that we have already attained. ⁵⁷ 

Philippians 4:1

Christian Practices

4:1 So then, my brothers and sisters, ⁵⁸  dear friends whom I long to see, my joy and crown, stand in the Lord in this way, my dear friends!

Colossians 1:23

1:23 if indeed you remain in the faith, established and firm, ⁵⁹  without shifting ⁶⁰  from the hope of the gospel that you heard. This gospel has also been preached in all creation under heaven, and I, Paul, have become its servant.

Colossians 1:28

1:28 We proclaim him by instructing ⁶¹  and teaching ⁶²  all people ⁶³  with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature ⁶⁴  in Christ.

Colossians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ⁶⁵  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Colossians 3:3-5

3:3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 3:4 When Christ (who is your ⁶⁶  life) appears, then you too will be revealed in glory with him. 3:5 So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth: ⁶⁷  sexual immorality, impurity, shameful passion, ⁶⁸  evil desire, and greed which is idolatry.

Hebrews 6:11-12

6:11 But we passionately want each of you to demonstrate the same eagerness for the fulfillment of your hope until the end, 6:12 so that you may not be sluggish, ⁶⁹  but imitators of those who through faith and perseverance inherit the promises.

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 ⁷⁰  and causing trouble, and through him many become defiled.

Hebrews 12:2

12:2 keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. ⁷¹ 

Hebrews 3:14

3:14 For we have become partners with Christ, if in fact we hold our initial confidence ⁷²  firm until the end.

Hebrews 3:17-18

3:17 And against whom was God ⁷³  provoked for forty years? Was it not those who sinned, whose dead bodies fell in the wilderness? ⁷⁴  3:18 And to whom did he swear they would never enter into his rest, except those who were disobedient?

Hebrews 3:1

Jesus and Moses

3:1 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, ⁷⁵  partners in a heavenly calling, take note of Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess, ⁷⁶ 

Hebrews 2:1-2

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 ⁷⁷  proved to be so firm that every violation ⁷⁸  or disobedience received its just penalty,

Hebrews 1:9

1:9 You have loved righteousness and hated lawlessness.

So God, your God, has anointed you over your companions ⁷⁹  with the oil of rejoicing.” ⁸⁰ 

[11:23]  ¹ tn Grk “Antioch, who when.” The relative pronoun was omitted and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[11:23]  ² tn BDAG 883 s.v. προσμένω 1.a.β has “remain true to the Lord” for προσμένειν (prosmenein) in this verse.

[11:23]  ³ tn Grk “with purpose of heart”; BDAG 869 s.v. πρόθεσις 2.a translates this phrase “purpose of heart, i.e. devotion” here.

[14:22]  ⁴ tn Grk “to Antioch, strengthening.” Due to the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was started here. This participle (ἐπιστηρίζοντες, episthrizonte") and the following one (παρακαλοῦντες, parakalounte") have been translated as finite verbs connected by the coordinating conjunction “and.”

[14:22]  ⁵ sn And encouraged them to continue. The exhortations are like those noted in Acts 11:23; 13:43. An example of such a speech is found in Acts 20:18-35. Christianity is now characterized as “the faith.”

[14:22]  ⁶ sn This reference to the kingdom of God clearly refers to its future arrival.

[14:22]  ⁷ tn Or “sufferings.”

[19:8]  ⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:8]  ⁹ tn Grk “So entering the synagogue, he spoke out fearlessly.” The participle εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:8]  ¹⁰ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[19:8]  ¹¹ tn Or “boldly.”

[19:8]  ¹² tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 19:8. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.

[19:8]  ¹³ tn Or “addressing them persuasively.” The two participles διαλεγόμενος and πείθων (dialegomeno" and peiqwn) can be understood as a hendiadys (so NIV, NRSV), thus, “addressing them persuasively.”

[19:8]  ¹⁴ sn To talk about Jesus as the Christ who has come is to talk about the kingdom of God. This is yet another summary of the message like that in 18:28.

[28:23]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “Having set.” The participle ταξάμενοι (taxamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[28:23]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “Having set a day with him”; the words “to meet” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[28:23]  ¹⁷ tn Or “came to him in his rented quarters.”

[28:23]  ¹⁸ tn BDAG 848 s.v. πολύς 1.b.β.ב states, “(even) more πλείονες in even greater numbers Ac 28:23.”

[28:23]  ¹⁹ tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[28:23]  ²⁰ tn Grk “to whom he explained.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation.

[28:23]  ²¹ tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 1 has “to make a solemn declaration about the truth of someth. testify of, bear witness to (orig. under oath)…God’s kingdom 28:23.”

[28:23]  ²² sn Testifying about the kingdom of God. The topic is important. Paul’s preaching was about the rule of God and his promise in Jesus. Paul’s text was the Jewish scriptures.

[28:23]  ²³ tn Or “persuade.”

[8:31]  ²⁴ tn Grk “to the Jews.” In NT usage the term ᾿Ιουδαῖοι (Ioudaioi) may refer to the entire Jewish people, the residents of Jerusalem and surrounding territory (i.e., “Judeans”), the authorities in Jerusalem, or merely those who were hostile to Jesus. (For further information see R. G. Bratcher, “‘The Jews’ in the Gospel of John,” BT 26 [1975]: 401-9; also BDAG 479 s.v. ᾿Ιουδαῖος 2.e.) Here the phrase refers to the Jewish people in Jerusalem who had been listening to Jesus’ teaching in the temple and had believed his claim to be the Messiah, hence, “those Judeans who had believed him.” The term “Judeans” is preferred here to the more general “people” because the debate concerns descent from Abraham (v. 33).

[8:31]  ²⁵ tn Grk “If you continue in my word.”

[8:31]  ²⁶ tn Or “truly.”

[8:32]  ²⁷ tn Or “the truth will release you.” The translation “set you free” or “release you” (unlike the more traditional “make you free”) conveys more the idea that the hearers were currently in a state of slavery from which they needed to be freed. The following context supports precisely this idea.

[15:5]  ²⁸ tn Or “resides.”

[15:5]  ²⁹ tn Or “yields.”

[15:5]  ³⁰ tn Grk “in him, this one bears much fruit.” The pronoun “this one” has been omitted from the translation because it is redundant according to contemporary English style.

[15:5]  ³¹ tn Or “do.”

[15:6]  ³² tn Or “reside.”

[15:6]  ³³ sn Such branches are gathered up and thrown into the fire. The author does not tell who it is who does the gathering and throwing into the fire. Although some claim that realized eschatology is so prevalent in the Fourth Gospel that no references to final eschatology appear at all, the fate of these branches seems to point to the opposite. The imagery is almost certainly that of eschatological judgment, and recalls some of the OT vine imagery which involves divine rejection and judgment of disobedient Israel (Ezek 15:4-6, 19:12).

[15:6]  ³⁴ tn Grk “they gather them up and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”

[15:7]  ³⁵ tn Or “reside.”

[15:7]  ³⁶ tn Or “reside.”

[15:7]  ³⁷ sn Once again Jesus promises the disciples ask whatever you want, and it will be done for you. This recalls 14:13-14, where the disciples were promised that if they asked anything in Jesus’ name it would be done for them. The two thoughts are really quite similar, since here it is conditioned on the disciples’ remaining in Jesus and his words remaining in them. The first phrase relates to the genuineness of their relationship with Jesus. The second phrase relates to their obedience. When both of these qualifications are met, the disciples would in fact be asking in Jesus’ name and therefore according to his will.

[15:8]  ³⁸ tn Grk “glorified.”

[15:8]  ³⁹ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause is best taken as substantival in apposition to ἐν τούτῳ (en toutw) at the beginning of the verse. The Father is glorified when the disciples bring forth abundant fruit. Just as Jesus has done the works which he has seen his Father doing (5:19-29) so also will his disciples.

[15:8]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “yield.”

[15:8]  ⁴¹ tc Most mss (א A Ψ Ë¹³ 33 Ï) read the future indicative γενήσεσθε (genhsesqe; perhaps best rendered as “[and show that] you will become”), while some early and good witnesses (Ì^66vid B D L Θ 0250 1 565 al) have the aorist subjunctive γένησθε (genhsqe; “[and show that] you are”). The original reading is difficult to determine because the external evidence is fairly evenly divided. On the basis of the external evidence alone the first reading has some credibility because of א and 33, but it is not enough to overthrow the Alexandrian and Western witnesses for the aorist. Some who accept the future indicative see a consecutive (or resultative) sequence between φέρητε (ferhte) in the ἵνα (Jina) clause and γενήσεσθε, so that the disciples’ bearing much fruit results in their becoming disciples. This alleviates the problem of reading a future indicative within a ἵνα clause (a grammatical solecism that is virtually unattested in Attic Greek), although such infrequently occurs in the NT, particularly in the Apocalypse (cf. Gal 2:4; Rev 3:9; 6:4, 11; 8:3; 9:4, 5, 20; 13:12; 14:13; 22:14; even here, however, the Byzantine mss, with א occasionally by their side, almost always change the future indicative to an aorist subjunctive). It seems more likely, however, that the second verb (regardless of whether it is read as aorist or future) is to be understood as coordinate in meaning with the previous verb φέρητε (So M. Zerwick, Biblical Greek §342). Thus the two actions are really one and the same: Bearing fruit and being Jesus’ disciple are not two different actions, but a single action. The first is the outward sign or proof of the second – in bearing fruit the disciples show themselves to be disciples indeed (cf. 15:5). Thus the translation followed here is, “that you bear much fruit and show that you are my disciples.” As far as the textual reading is concerned, it appears somewhat preferable to accept the aorist subjunctive reading (γένησθε) on the basis of better external testimony.

[15:9]  ⁴² tn Or “reside.”

[15:10]  ⁴³ tn Or “keep.”

[15:10]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “reside.”

[15:10]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “kept.”

[15:10]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “reside.”

[15:2]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “He cuts off.”

[15:2]  ⁴⁸ tn Or “does not yield.”

[15:2]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “And he”; the conjunction καί (kai, “and”) has been omitted in the translation in keeping with the tendency in contemporary English style to use shorter sentences.

[15:2]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “trims”; Grk “cleanses” (a wordplay with “clean” in v. 3). Καθαίρει (kaqairei) is not the word one would have expected here, but it provides the transition from the vine imagery to the disciples – there is a wordplay (not reproducible in English) between αἴρει (airei) and καθαίρει in this verse. While the purpose of the Father in cleansing his people is clear, the precise means by which he does so is not immediately obvious. This will become clearer, however, in the following verse.

[15:2]  ⁵¹ tn Or “that yields.”

[1:11]  ⁵² tn The expression “for the display of” is an attempt to convey in English the force of the Greek preposition εἰς (eis) in this context.

[1:1]  ⁵³ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[5:1]  ⁵⁴ tn Translating the dative as “For freedom” shows the purpose for Christ setting us free; however, it is also possible to take the phrase in the sense of means or instrument (“with [or by] freedom”), referring to the freedom mentioned in 4:31 and implied throughout the letter.

[5:1]  ⁵⁵ sn Here the yoke figuratively represents the burdensome nature of slavery.

[3:16]  ⁵⁶ tc Although κανόνι (kanoni, “standard, rule”) is found in most witnesses, though in various locations in this verse (א² D² Ψ 075 Ï), it is almost surely a motivated reading, for it clarifies the cryptic τῷ αὐτῷ (tw autw, “the same”). Both the fact that the word floats, and that there are other variants which accomplish greater clarity by other means, strongly suggests the secondary nature of any of the longer readings here. Further, the shortest text has excellent and early support in Ì^16,46 א* A B I^vid 6 33 1739 co, rendering it decidedly the preferred reading. The translation adds “standard” because of English requirements, not because of textual basis.

[3:16]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “Nevertheless, to what we have attained, to the same hold fast.”

[4:1]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:12.

[1:23]  ⁵⁹ tn BDAG 276 s.v. ἑδραῖος suggests “firm, steadfast.”

[1:23]  ⁶⁰ tn BDAG 639 s.v. μετακινέω suggests “without shifting from the hope” here.

[1:28]  ⁶¹ tn Or “admonishing,” or “warning.” BDAG 679 s.v. νουθετέω states, “to counsel about avoidance or cessation of an improper course of conduct,, admonish, warn, instruct.” After the participle νουθετοῦντες (nouqetounte", “instructing”) the words πάντα ἄνθρωπον (panta anqrwpon, “all men”) occur in the Greek text, but since the same phrase appears again after διδάσκοντες (didaskontes) it was omitted in translation to avoid redundancy in English.

[1:28]  ⁶² tn The two participles “instructing” (νουθετοῦντες, nouqetounte") and “teaching” (διδάσκοντες, didaskonte") are translated as participles of means (“by”) related to the finite verb “we proclaim” (καταγγέλλομεν, katangellomen).

[1:28]  ⁶³ tn Here ἄνθρωπον (anqrwpon) is twice translated as a generic (“people” and “person”) since both men and women are clearly intended in this context.

[1:28]  ⁶⁴ tn Since Paul’s focus is on the present experience of the Colossians, “mature” is a better translation of τέλειον (teleion) than “perfect,” since the latter implies a future, eschatological focus.

[1:1]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[3:4]  ⁶⁶ tc Certain mss (B^[*^] D¹ H 0278 1739 Ï sy sa) read ἡμῶν (Jhmwn, “our”), while others (Ì⁴⁶ א C D* F G P Ψ 075 33 81 1881 al latt bo) read ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”). Internally, it is possible that the second person pronoun arose through scribal conformity to the second person pronoun used previously in v. 3 (i.e., ὑμῶν) and following in v. 4 (ὑμεῖς, Jumeis). But in terms of external criteria, the second person pronoun has superior ms support (though there is an Alexandrian split) and ἡμῶν may have arisen through accident (error of sight) or scribal attempt to universalize the statement since all Christians have Jesus as their life. See TCGNT 557.

[3:5]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “the members which are on the earth.” See BDAG 628 s.v. μέλος 1, “put to death whatever in you is worldly.”

[3:5]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “lust.”

[6:12]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “dull.”

[12:15]  ⁷⁰ 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).

[12:2]  ⁷¹ sn An allusion to Ps 110:1.

[3:14]  ⁷² tn Grk “the beginning of the confidence.”

[3:17]  ⁷³ tn Grk “he”; in the translation the referent (God) has been specified for clarity.

[3:17]  ⁷⁴ sn An allusion to God’s judgment pronounced in Num 14:29, 32.

[3:1]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 2:11.

[3:1]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “of our confession.”

[2:2]  ⁷⁷ 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]).

[2:2]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “through angels became valid and every violation.”

[1:9]  ⁷⁹ sn God…has anointed you over your companions. God’s anointing gives the son a superior position and authority over his fellows.

[1:9]  ⁸⁰ sn A quotation from Ps 45:6-7.