Ephesians 2:10

2:10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them. ¹ 

Ephesians 2:1

New Life Individually

2:1 And although you were ²  dead ³  in your transgressions and sins,

Ephesians 4:7

4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.

Ephesians 4:2

4:2 with all humility and gentleness, ⁴  with patience, bearing with ⁵  one another in love,

Ephesians 1:9

1:9 He did this when he revealed ⁶  to us the secret ⁷  of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth ⁸  in Christ, ⁹ 

Titus 2:11-14

2:11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people. ¹⁰  2:12 It trains us ¹¹  to reject godless ways ¹²  and worldly desires and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 2:13 as we wait for the happy fulfillment of our hope in the glorious appearing ¹³  of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. ¹⁴  2:14 He ¹⁵  gave himself for us to set us free from every kind of lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are truly his, ¹⁶  who are eager to do good. ¹⁷ 

Hebrews 12:14

Do Not Reject God’s Warning

12:14 Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, ¹⁸  for without it no one will see the Lord.

Hebrews 12:1

The Lord’s Discipline

12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, ¹⁹  we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us,

Hebrews 1:14

1:14 Are they not all ministering spirits, sent out to serve those ²⁰  who will inherit salvation?

Hebrews 1:1

Introduction: God Has Spoken Fully and Finally in His Son

1:1 After God spoke long ago ²¹  in various portions ²²  and in various ways ²³  to our ancestors ²⁴  through the prophets,

Hebrews 1:1

Introduction: God Has Spoken Fully and Finally in His Son

1:1 After God spoke long ago ²⁵  in various portions ²⁶  and in various ways ²⁷  to our ancestors ²⁸  through the prophets,

Hebrews 2:9-10

2:9 but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, ²⁹  now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, ³⁰  so that by God’s grace he would experience ³¹  death on behalf of everyone. 2:10 For it was fitting for him, for whom and through whom all things exist, ³²  in bringing many sons to glory, to make the pioneer ³³  of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

[2:10]  ¹ tn Grk “so that we might walk in them” (or “by them”).

[2:1]  ² tn The adverbial participle “being” (ὄντας, ontas) is taken concessively.

[2:1]  ³ sn Chapter 2 starts off with a participle, although you were dead, that is left dangling. The syntax in Greek for vv. 1-3 constitutes one incomplete sentence, though it seems to have been done intentionally. The dangling participle leaves the readers in suspense while they wait for the solution (in v. 4) to their spiritual dilemma.

[4:2]  ⁴ tn Or “meekness.” The word is often used in Hellenistic Greek of the merciful execution of justice on behalf of those who have no voice by those who are in a position of authority (Matt 11:29; 21:5).

[4:2]  ⁵ tn Or “putting up with”; or “forbearing.”

[1:9]  ⁶ tn Or “He did this by revealing”; Grk “making known, revealing.” Verse 9 begins with a participle dependent on “lavished” in v. 8; the adverbial participle could be understood as temporal (“when he revealed”), which would be contemporaneous to the action of the finite verb “lavished,” or as means (“by revealing”). The participle has been translated here with the temporal nuance to allow for means to also be a possible interpretation. If the translation focused instead upon means, the temporal nuance would be lost as the time frame for the action of the participle would become indistinct.

[1:9]  ⁷ tn Or “mystery.” In the NT μυστήριον (musthrion) refers to a divine secret previously undisclosed.

[1:9]  ⁸ tn Or “purposed,” “publicly displayed.” Cf. Rom 3:25.

[1:9]  ⁹ tn Grk “in him”; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[2:11]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “all men”; but ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpois) is generic here, referring to both men and women.

[2:12]  ¹¹ tn Grk “training us” (as a continuation of the previous clause). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 12 by translating the participle παιδεύουσα (paideuousa) as a finite verb and supplying the pronoun “it” as subject.

[2:12]  ¹² tn Grk “ungodliness.”

[2:13]  ¹³ tn Grk “the blessed hope and glorious appearing.”

[2:13]  ¹⁴ tn The terms “God and Savior” both refer to the same person, Jesus Christ. This is one of the clearest statements in the NT concerning the deity of Christ. The construction in Greek is known as the Granville Sharp rule, named after the English philanthropist-linguist who first clearly articulated the rule in 1798. Sharp pointed out that in the construction article-noun-καί-noun (where καί [kai] = “and”), when two nouns are singular, personal, and common (i.e., not proper names), they always had the same referent. Illustrations such as “the friend and brother,” “the God and Father,” etc. abound in the NT to prove Sharp’s point. The only issue is whether terms such as “God” and “Savior” could be considered common nouns as opposed to proper names. Sharp and others who followed (such as T. F. Middleton in his masterful The Doctrine of the Greek Article) demonstrated that a proper name in Greek was one that could not be pluralized. Since both “God” (θεός, qeos) and “savior” (σωτήρ, swthr) were occasionally found in the plural, they did not constitute proper names, and hence, do fit Sharp’s rule. Although there have been 200 years of attempts to dislodge Sharp’s rule, all attempts have been futile. Sharp’s rule stands vindicated after all the dust has settled. For more information on Sharp’s rule see ExSyn 270-78, esp. 276. See also 2 Pet 1:1 and Jude 4.

[2:14]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “who” (as a continuation of the previous clause).

[2:14]  ¹⁶ tn Or “a people who are his very own.”

[2:14]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “for good works.”

[12:14]  ¹⁸ sn The references to peace and holiness show the close connection between this paragraph and the previous one. The pathway toward “holiness” and the need for it is cited in Heb 12:10 and 14. More importantly Prov 4:26-27 sets up the transition from one paragraph to the next: It urges people to stay on godly paths (Prov 4:26, quoted here in v. 13) and promises that God will lead them in peace if they do so (Prov 4:27 [LXX], quoted in v. 14).

[12:1]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “having such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us.”

[1:14]  ²⁰ tn Grk “sent for service for the sake of those.”

[1:1]  ²¹ tn Or “spoke formerly.”

[1:1]  ²² 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]  ²³ tn These two phrases are emphasized in Greek by being placed at the beginning of the sentence and by alliteration.

[1:1]  ²⁴ tn Grk “to the fathers.”

[1:1]  ²⁵ tn Or “spoke formerly.”

[1:1]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ tn These two phrases are emphasized in Greek by being placed at the beginning of the sentence and by alliteration.

[1:1]  ²⁸ tn Grk “to the fathers.”

[2:9]  ²⁹ tn Or “who was made a little lower than the angels.”

[2:9]  ³⁰ tn Grk “because of the suffering of death.”

[2:9]  ³¹ tn Grk “would taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).

[2:10]  ³² tn Grk “for whom are all things and through whom are all things.”

[2:10]  ³³ sn The Greek word translated pioneer is used of a “prince” or leader, the representative head of a family. It also carries nuances of “trailblazer,” one who breaks through to new ground for those who follow him. It is used some thirty-five times in the Greek OT and four times in the NT, always of Christ (Acts 3:15; 5:31; Heb 2:10; 12:2).