Acts 11:18

11:18 When they heard this, ¹  they ceased their objections ²  and praised ³  God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance ⁴  that leads to life even to the Gentiles.” ⁵ 

Acts 13:48

13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice ⁶  and praise ⁷  the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life ⁸  believed.

Acts 13:52

13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy ⁹  and with the Holy Spirit.

Isaiah 60:4-5

60:4 Look all around you! ¹⁰ 

They all gather and come to you –

your sons come from far away

and your daughters are escorted by guardians.

60:5 Then you will look and smile, ¹¹ 

you will be excited and your heart will swell with pride. ¹² 

For the riches of distant lands ¹³  will belong to you

and the wealth of nations will come to you.

Isaiah 66:12-14

66:12 For this is what the Lord says:

“Look, I am ready to extend to her prosperity that will flow like a river,

the riches of nations will flow into her like a stream that floods its banks. ¹⁴ 

You will nurse from her breast ¹⁵  and be carried at her side;

you will play on her knees.

66:13 As a mother consoles a child, ¹⁶ 

so I will console you,

and you will be consoled over Jerusalem.”

66:14 When you see this, you will be happy, ¹⁷ 

and you will be revived. ¹⁸ 

The Lord will reveal his power to his servants

and his anger to his enemies. ¹⁹ 

Luke 15:5-10

15:5 Then ²⁰  when he has found it, he places it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 15:6 Returning ²¹  home, he calls together ²²  his ²³  friends and neighbors, telling them, ‘Rejoice with me, because I have found my sheep that was lost.’ 15:7 I tell you, in the same way there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner ²⁴  who repents than over ninety-nine righteous people ²⁵  who have no need to repent. ²⁶ 

15:8 “Or what woman, if she has ten silver coins ²⁷  and loses ²⁸  one of them, ²⁹  does not light a lamp, sweep ³⁰  the house, and search thoroughly until she finds it? 15:9 Then ³¹  when she has found it, she calls together her ³²  friends and neighbors, saying, ‘Rejoice ³³  with me, for I have found the coin ³⁴  that I had lost.’ 15:10 In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of God’s angels ³⁵  over one sinner who repents.”

Luke 15:23-24

15:23 Bring ³⁶  the fattened calf ³⁷  and kill it! Let us eat ³⁸  and celebrate, 15:24 because this son of mine was dead, and is alive again – he was lost and is found!’ ³⁹  So ⁴⁰  they began to celebrate.

Luke 15:32

15:32 It was appropriate ⁴¹  to celebrate and be glad, for your brother ⁴²  was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.’” ⁴³ 

[11:18]  ¹ tn Grk “these things.”

[11:18]  ² tn Or “became silent,” but this would create an apparent contradiction with the subsequent action of praising God. The point, in context, is that they ceased objecting to what Peter had done.

[11:18]  ³ tn Or “glorified.”

[11:18]  ⁴ sn Here the summary phrase for responding to the gospel is the repentance that leads to life. Note how the presence of life is tied to the presence of the Spirit (cf. John 4:7-42; 7:37-39).

[11:18]  ⁵ sn In the Greek text the phrase even to the Gentiles is in an emphatic position.

[13:48]  ⁶ tn The imperfect verb ἔχαιρον (ecairon) and the following ἐδόξαζον (edoxazon) are translated as ingressive imperfects.

[13:48]  ⁷ tn Or “glorify.” Although “honor” is given by BDAG 258 s.v. δοξάζω as a translation, it would be misleading here, because the meaning is “to honor in the sense of attributing worth to something,” while in contemporary English usage one speaks of “honoring” a contract in the sense of keeping its stipulations. It is not a synonym for “obey” in this context (“obey the word of the Lord”), but that is how many English readers would understand it.

[13:48]  ⁸ sn Note the contrast to v. 46 in regard to eternal life.

[13:52]  ⁹ sn The citizens of Pisidian Antioch were not discouraged by the persecution, but instead were filled with joy.

[60:4]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “Lift up around your eyes and see!”

[60:5]  ¹¹ tn Or “shine,” or “be radiant” (NAB, NASB, NIV, NRSV).

[60:5]  ¹² tn Heb “and it will tremble and be wide, your heart.”

[60:5]  ¹³ tn Heb “the wealth of the sea,” i.e., wealth that is transported from distant lands via the sea.

[66:12]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Look, I am ready to extend to her like a river prosperity [or “peace”], and like an overflowing stream, the riches of nations.”

[66:12]  ¹⁵ tn The words “from her breast” are supplied in the translation for clarification (see v. 11).

[66:13]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “like a man whose mother comforts him.”

[66:14]  ¹⁷ tn “and you will see and your heart will be happy.”

[66:14]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “and your bones like grass will sprout.”

[66:14]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and the hand of the Lord will be made known to his servants, and anger to his enemies.”

[15:5]  ²⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[15:6]  ²¹ tn Grk “And coming into his…” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[15:6]  ²² sn A touch of drama may be present, as the term calls together can mean a formal celebration (1 Kgs 1:9-10).

[15:6]  ²³ tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215). It occurs before “neighbors” as well (“his friends and his neighbors”) but has not been translated the second time because of English style.

[15:7]  ²⁴ sn There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents. The pursuit of the sinner is a priority in spite of the presence of others who are doing well (see also Luke 5:32; 19:10). The theme of repentance, a major Lukan theme, is again emphasized.

[15:7]  ²⁵ tn Here δικαίοις (dikaioi") is an adjective functioning substantivally and has been translated “righteous people.”

[15:7]  ²⁶ tn Or “who do not need to repent”; Grk “who do not have need of repentance.”

[15:8]  ²⁷ sn This silver coin is a drachma, equal to a denarius, that is, a day’s pay for the average laborer.

[15:8]  ²⁸ tn Grk “What woman who has ten silver coins, if she loses.” The initial participle ἔχουσα (ecousa) has been translated as a finite verb parallel to ἀπολέσῃ (apolesh) in the conditional clause to improve the English style.

[15:8]  ²⁹ tn Grk “one coin.”

[15:8]  ³⁰ tn Grk “and sweep,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[15:9]  ³¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[15:9]  ³² tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[15:9]  ³³ sn Rejoice. Besides the theme of pursuing the lost, the other theme of the parable is the joy of finding them.

[15:9]  ³⁴ tn Grk “drachma.”

[15:10]  ³⁵ sn The whole of heaven is said to rejoice. Joy in the presence of God’s angels is a way of referring to God’s joy as well without having to name him explicitly. Contemporary Judaism tended to refer to God indirectly where possible out of reverence or respect for the divine name.

[15:23]  ³⁶ tn Grk “And bring.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[15:23]  ³⁷ tn Or “the prize calf” (L&N 65.8). See also L&N 44.2, “grain-fattened.” Such a calf was usually reserved for religious celebrations.

[15:23]  ³⁸ tn The participle φαγόντες (fagontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[15:24]  ³⁹ sn This statement links the parable to the theme of 15:6, 9.

[15:24]  ⁴⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the result of the father’s remarks in the preceding verses.

[15:32]  ⁴¹ tn Or “necessary.”

[15:32]  ⁴² sn By referring to him as your brother, the father reminded the older brother that the younger brother was part of the family.

[15:32]  ⁴³ sn The theme he was lost and is found is repeated from v. 24. The conclusion is open-ended. The reader is left to ponder with the older son (who pictures the scribes and Pharisees) what the response will be. The parable does not reveal the ultimate response of the older brother. Jesus argued that sinners should be pursued and received back warmly when they returned.