Galatians 3:2

3:2 The only thing I want to learn from you is this: Did you receive the Spirit by doing the works of the law ¹  or by believing what you heard? ² 

Galatians 3:5

3:5 Does God then give ³  you the Spirit and work miracles among you by your doing the works of the law ⁴  or by your believing what you heard? ⁵ 

Galatians 4:6

4:6 And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, who calls ⁶  “Abba! ⁷  Father!”

Isaiah 32:15

32:15 This desolation will continue until new life is poured out on us from heaven. ⁸ 

Then the desert will become an orchard

and the orchard will be considered a forest. ⁹ 

Isaiah 44:3-4

44:3 For I will pour water on the parched ground ¹⁰ 

and cause streams to flow ¹¹  on the dry land.

I will pour my spirit on your offspring

and my blessing on your children.

44:4 They will sprout up like a tree in the grass, ¹² 

like poplars beside channels of water.

Isaiah 59:19-21

59:19 In the west, people respect ¹³  the Lord’s reputation; ¹⁴ 

in the east they recognize his splendor. ¹⁵ 

For he comes like a rushing ¹⁶  stream

driven on by wind sent from the Lord. ¹⁷ 

59:20 “A protector ¹⁸  comes to Zion,

to those in Jacob who repent of their rebellious deeds,” ¹⁹  says the Lord.

59:21 “As for me, this is my promise to ²⁰  them,” says the Lord. “My spirit, who is upon you, and my words, which I have placed in your mouth, will not depart from your mouth or from the mouths of your children and descendants from this time forward,” ²¹  says the Lord.

Jeremiah 31:33

31:33 “But I will make a new covenant with the whole nation of Israel ²²  after I plant them back in the land,” ²³  says the Lord. ²⁴  “I will ²⁵  put my law within them ²⁶  and write it on their hearts and minds. ²⁷  I will be their God and they will be my people. ²⁸ 

Jeremiah 32:40

32:40 I will make a lasting covenant ²⁹  with them that I will never stop doing good to them. ³⁰  I will fill their hearts and minds with respect for me so that ³¹  they will never again turn ³²  away from me.

Ezekiel 11:19

11:19 I will give them one heart and I will put a new spirit within them; ³³  I will remove the hearts of stone from their bodies ³⁴  and I will give them tender hearts, ³⁵ 

Ezekiel 36:26-27

36:26 I will give you a new heart, and I will put a new spirit within you. I will remove the heart of stone ³⁶  from your body and give you a heart of flesh. ³⁷  36:27 I will put my Spirit within you; ³⁸  I will take the initiative and you will obey my statutes ³⁹  and carefully observe my regulations. ⁴⁰ 

Ezekiel 39:29

39:29 I will no longer hide my face from them, when I pour out my Spirit on the house of Israel, ⁴¹  declares the sovereign Lord.”

Joel 2:28-29

An Outpouring of the Spirit

2:28 (3:1) ⁴²  After all of this ⁴³ 

I will pour out my Spirit ⁴⁴  on all kinds of people. ⁴⁵ 

Your sons and daughters will prophesy.

Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; ⁴⁶ 

your young men will see prophetic visions.

2:29 Even on male and female servants

I will pour out my Spirit in those days.

Zechariah 12:10

12:10 “I will pour out on the kingship ⁴⁷  of David and the population of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication so that they will look to me, ⁴⁸  the one they have pierced. They will lament for him as one laments for an only son, and there will be a bitter cry for him like the bitter cry for a firstborn. ⁴⁹ 

Luke 11:13

11:13 If you then, although you are ⁵⁰  evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit ⁵¹  to those who ask him!”

Luke 24:49

24:49 And look, I am sending you ⁵²  what my Father promised. ⁵³  But stay in the city ⁵⁴  until you have been clothed with power ⁵⁵  from on high.”

John 7:39

7:39 (Now he said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive, for the Spirit had not yet been given, ⁵⁶  because Jesus was not yet glorified.) ⁵⁷ 

Acts 1:4-5

1:4 While he was with them, ⁵⁸  he declared, ⁵⁹  “Do not leave Jerusalem, ⁶⁰  but wait there ⁶¹  for what my ⁶²  Father promised, ⁶³  which you heard about from me. ⁶⁴  1:5 For ⁶⁵  John baptized with water, but you ⁶⁶  will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.”

Acts 2:33

2:33 So then, exalted ⁶⁷  to the right hand ⁶⁸  of God, and having received ⁶⁹  the promise of the Holy Spirit ⁷⁰  from the Father, he has poured out ⁷¹  what you both see and hear.

Acts 2:38

2:38 Peter said to them, “Repent, and each one of you be baptized ⁷²  in the name of Jesus Christ ⁷³  for ⁷⁴  the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ⁷⁵ 

Acts 5:32

5:32 And we are witnesses of these events, ⁷⁶  and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey ⁷⁷  him.”

Acts 10:45-47

10:45 The ⁷⁸  circumcised believers ⁷⁹  who had accompanied Peter were greatly astonished ⁸⁰  that ⁸¹  the gift of the Holy Spirit ⁸²  had been poured out ⁸³  even on the Gentiles, 10:46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising ⁸⁴  God. Then Peter said, 10:47 “No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, ⁸⁵  can he?” ⁸⁶ 

Acts 11:15-16

11:15 Then as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on ⁸⁷  them just as he did ⁸⁸  on us at the beginning. ⁸⁹  11:16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, ⁹⁰  as he used to say, ⁹¹  ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ⁹² 

Romans 8:9-16

8:9 You, however, are not in ⁹³  the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. Now if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, this person does not belong to him. 8:10 But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, but ⁹⁴  the Spirit is your life ⁹⁵  because of righteousness. 8:11 Moreover if the Spirit of the one ⁹⁶  who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the one who raised Christ ⁹⁷  from the dead will also make your mortal bodies alive through his Spirit who lives in you. ⁹⁸ 

8:12 So then, ⁹⁹  brothers and sisters, ¹⁰⁰  we are under obligation, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh 8:13 (for if you live according to the flesh, you will ¹⁰¹  die), ¹⁰²  but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body you will live. 8:14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are ¹⁰³  the sons of God. 8:15 For you did not receive the spirit of slavery leading again to fear, ¹⁰⁴  but you received the Spirit of adoption, ¹⁰⁵  by whom ¹⁰⁶  we cry, “Abba, Father.” 8:16 The Spirit himself bears witness to ¹⁰⁷  our spirit that we are God’s children.

Romans 8:26-27

8:26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, ¹⁰⁸  but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. 8:27 And he ¹⁰⁹  who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit ¹¹⁰  intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will.

Romans 8:1

The Believer’s Relationship to the Holy Spirit

8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. ¹¹¹ 

Colossians 1:13

1:13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, ¹¹² 

Colossians 1:2

1:2 to the saints, the faithful ¹¹³  brothers and sisters ¹¹⁴  in Christ, at Colossae. Grace and peace to you ¹¹⁵  from God our Father! ¹¹⁶ 

Colossians 1:22

1:22 but now he has reconciled you ¹¹⁷  by his physical body through death to present you holy, without blemish, and blameless before him –

Ephesians 1:13-14

1:13 And when ¹¹⁸  you heard the word of truth (the gospel of your salvation) – when you believed in Christ ¹¹⁹  – you were marked with the seal ¹²⁰  of the promised Holy Spirit, ¹²¹  1:14 who is the down payment ¹²²  of our inheritance, until the redemption of God’s own possession, ¹²³  to the praise of his glory.

Ephesians 2:18

2:18 so that ¹²⁴  through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.

Ephesians 2:22

2:22 in whom you also are being built together into a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.

Ephesians 3:16

3:16 I pray that ¹²⁵  according to the wealth of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in the inner person,

Ephesians 4:30

4:30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.

Ephesians 4:1

Live in Unity

4:1 I, therefore, the prisoner for the Lord, ¹²⁶  urge you to live ¹²⁷  worthily of the calling with which you have been called, ¹²⁸ 

Ephesians 1:22

1:22 And God ¹²⁹  put ¹³⁰  all things under Christ’s ¹³¹  feet, ¹³²  and he gave him to the church as head over all things. ¹³³ 

Jude 1:19-20

1:19 These people are divisive, ¹³⁴  worldly, ¹³⁵  devoid of the Spirit. ¹³⁶  1:20 But you, dear friends, by building yourselves up in your most holy faith, by praying in the Holy Spirit, ¹³⁷ 

[3:2]  ¹ tn Grk “by [the] works of [the] law,” a reference to observing the Mosaic law.

[3:2]  ² tn Grk “by [the] hearing of faith.”

[3:5]  ³ tn Or “provide.”

[3:5]  ⁴ tn Grk “by [the] works of [the] law” (the same phrase as in v. 2).

[3:5]  ⁵ tn Grk “by [the] hearing of faith” (the same phrase as in v. 2).

[4:6]  ⁶ tn Grk “calling.” The participle is neuter indicating that the Spirit is the one who calls.

[4:6]  ⁷ tn The term “Abba” is the Greek transliteration of the Aramaic אַבָּא (’abba’), literally meaning “my father” but taken over simply as “father,” used in prayer and in the family circle, and later taken over by the early Greek-speaking Christians (BDAG 1 s.v. ἀββα).

[32:15]  ⁸ tn Heb “until a spirit is emptied out on us from on high.” The words “this desolation will continue” are supplied in the translation for clarification and stylistic purposes. The verb עָרָה (’arah), used here in the Niphal, normally means “lay bare, expose.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh, “spirit”) is often understood here as a reference to the divine spirit (cf. 44:3 and NASB, NIV, CEV, NLT), but it appears here without an article (cf. NRSV “a spirit”), pronominal suffix, or a genitive (such as “of the Lord”). The translation assumes that it carries an impersonal nuance “vivacity, vigor” in this context.

[32:15]  ⁹ sn The same statement appears in 29:17b, where, in conjunction with the preceding line, it appears to picture a reversal. Here it seems to depict supernatural growth. The desert will blossom into an orchard, and the trees of the orchard will multiply and grow tall, becoming a forest.

[44:3]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “the thirsty.” Parallelism suggests that dry ground is in view (see “dry land” in the next line.)

[44:3]  ¹¹ tn Heb “and streams”; KJV “floods.” The verb “cause…to flow” is supplied in the second line for clarity and for stylistic reasons.

[44:4]  ¹² tn The Hebrew term בֵין (ven) is usually taken as a preposition, in which case one might translate, “among the grass.” But בֵין is probably the name of a tree (cf. C. R. North, Second Isaiah, 133). If one alters the preposition bet (בְּ) to kaf (כְּ), one can then read, “like a binu-tree.” (The Qumran scroll 1QIsa^a supports this reading.) This forms a nice parallel to “like poplars” in the next line. חָצִיר (khatsir) is functioning as an adverbial accusative of location.

[59:19]  ¹³ tc Heb “fear.” A few medieval Hebrew mss read “see.”

[59:19]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and they fear from the west the name of the Lord.”

[59:19]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “and from the rising of the sun his splendor.”

[59:19]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “narrow”; NAB, NIV, NRSV “pent-up.”

[59:19]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “the wind of the Lord drives it on.” The term רוּחַ (ruakh) could be translated “breath” here (see 30:28).

[59:20]  ¹⁸ tn Or “redeemer.” See the note at 41:14.

[59:20]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “and to those who turn from rebellion in Jacob.”

[59:21]  ²⁰ tn Or “my covenant with” (so many English versions); NCV “my agreement with.”

[59:21]  ²¹ tn Heb “from now and on into the future.”

[31:33]  ²² tn Heb “with the house of Israel.” All commentators agree that the term here refers to both the whole nation which was divided into the house of Israel and the house of Judah in v. 30.

[31:33]  ²³ tn Heb “after those days.” Commentators are generally agreed that this refers to the return from exile and the repopulation of the land referred to in vv. 27-28 and not to something subsequent to the time mentioned in v. 30. This is the sequencing that is also presupposed in other new covenant passages such as Deut 30:1-6; Ezek 11:17-20; 36:24-28.

[31:33]  ²⁴ tn Heb “Oracle of the Lord.”

[31:33]  ²⁵ tn Heb “‘But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after these days:’ says the Lord, ‘I will….’” The sentence has been reworded and restructured to avoid the awkwardness of the original style.

[31:33]  ²⁶ tn Heb “in their inward parts.” The Hebrew word here refers to the seat of the thoughts, emotions, and decisions (Jer 9:8 [9:7 HT]). It is essentially synonymous with “heart” in Hebrew psychological terms.

[31:33]  ²⁷ tn The words “and minds” is not in the text but is supplied in the translation to bring the English psychology more into line with the Hebrew where the “heart” is the center both of knowing/thinking/reflecting and deciding/willing.

[31:33]  ²⁸ sn Compare Jer 24:7; 30:22; 31:1 and see the study note on 30:2.

[32:40]  ²⁹ tn Heb “an everlasting covenant.” For the rationale for the rendering “agreement” and the nature of the biblical covenants see the study note on 11:2.

[32:40]  ³⁰ tn Or “stop being gracious to them” or “stop blessing them with good”; Heb “turn back from them to do good to them.”

[32:40]  ³¹ tn Or “I will make them want to fear and respect me so much that”; Heb “I will put the fear of me in their hearts.” However, as has been noted several times, “heart” in Hebrew is more the center of the volition (and intellect) than the center of emotions as it is in English. Both translations are intended to reflect the difference in psychology.

[32:40]  ³² tn The words “never again” are not in the text but are implicit from the context and are supplied not only by this translation but by a number of others.

[11:19]  ³³ tc The MT reads “you”; many Hebrew mss along with the LXX and other ancient versions read “within them.”

[11:19]  ³⁴ tn Heb “their flesh.”

[11:19]  ³⁵ tn Heb “heart of flesh.”

[36:26]  ³⁶ sn That is, a heart which symbolizes a will that is stubborn and unresponsive (see 1 Sam 25:37). In Rabbinic literature a “stone” was associated with an evil inclination (b. Sukkah 52a).

[36:26]  ³⁷ sn That is, a heart which symbolizes a will that is responsive and obedient to God.

[36:27]  ³⁸ tn Or “in the midst of you.” The word “you” is plural.

[36:27]  ³⁹ tn Heb “and I will do that which in my statutes you will walk.” The awkward syntax (verb “to do, act” + accusative sign + relative clause + prepositional phrase + second person verb) is unique, though Eccl 3:14 contains a similar construction. In the last line of that verse we read that “God acts so that (relative pronoun) they fear before him.” However, unlike Ezek 36:27, the statement has no accusative sign before the relative pronoun.

[36:27]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “and my laws you will guard and you will do them.” Jer 31:31-34 is parallel to this passage.

[39:29]  ⁴¹ sn See Ezek 11:19; 37:14.

[2:28]  ⁴² sn Beginning with 2:28, the verse numbers through 3:21 in the English Bible differ from the verse numbers in the Hebrew text (BHS), with 2:28 ET = 3:1 HT, 2:29 ET = 3:2 HT, 2:30 ET = 3:3 HT, 2:31 ET = 3:4 HT, 2:32 ET = 3:5 HT, 3:1 ET = 4:1 HT, etc., through 3:21 ET = 4:21 HT. Thus Joel in the Hebrew Bible has 4 chapters, the 5 verses of ch. 3 being included at the end of ch. 2 in the English Bible.

[2:28]  ⁴³ tn Heb “Now it will be after this.”

[2:28]  ⁴⁴ sn This passage plays a key role in the apostolic explanation of the coming of the Spirit on the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2:17-21. Peter introduces his quotation of this passage with “this is that spoken by the prophet Joel” (Acts 2:16; cf. the similar pesher formula used at Qumran). The New Testament experience at Pentecost is thus seen in some sense as a fulfillment of this Old Testament passage, even though that experience did not exhaustively fulfill Joel’s words. Some portions of Joel’s prophecy have no precise counterpart in that experience. For example, there is nothing in the experience recorded in Acts 2 that exactly corresponds to the earthly and heavenly signs described in Joel 3:3-4. But inasmuch as the messianic age had already begun and the “last days” had already commenced with the coming of the Messiah (cf. Heb 1:1-2), Peter was able to point to Joel 3:1-5 as a text that was relevant to the advent of Jesus and the bestowal of the Spirit. The equative language that Peter employs (“this is that”) stresses an incipient fulfillment of the Joel passage without precluding or minimizing a yet future and more exhaustive fulfillment in events associated with the return of Christ.

[2:28]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “all flesh.” As a term for humanity, “flesh” suggests the weakness and fragility of human beings as opposed to God who is “spirit.” The word “all” refers not to all human beings without exception (cf. NAB, NASB “all mankind”; NLT “all people”), but to all classes of human beings without distinction (cf. NCV).

[2:28]  ⁴⁶ tn Heb “your old men will dream dreams.”

[12:10]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “dynasty”; Heb “house.”

[12:10]  ⁴⁸ tc Because of the difficulty of the concept of the mortal piercing of God, the subject of this clause, and the shift of pronoun from “me” to “him” in the next, many mss read אַלֵי אֵת אֲשֶׁר (’ale ’et ’asher, “to the one whom,” a reading followed by NAB, NRSV) rather than the MT’s אֵלַי אֵת אֲשֶׁר (’ela ’et ’asher, “to me whom”). The reasons for such alternatives, however, are clear – they are motivated by scribes who found such statements theologically objectionable – and they should be rejected in favor of the more difficult reading (lectio difficilior) of the MT.

[12:10]  ⁴⁹ tn The Hebrew term בְּכוֹר (bÿkhor, “firstborn”), translated usually in the LXX by πρωτότοκος (prwtotokos), has unmistakable messianic overtones as the use of the Greek term in the NT to describe Jesus makes clear (cf. Col 1:15, 18). Thus, the idea of God being pierced sets the stage for the fatal wounding of Jesus, the Messiah and the Son of God (cf. John 19:37; Rev 1:7). Note that some English translations supply “son” from the context (e.g., NIV, TEV, NLT).

[11:13]  ⁵⁰ tn The participle ὑπάρχοντες (Juparconte") has been translated as a concessive participle.

[11:13]  ⁵¹ sn The provision of the Holy Spirit is probably a reference to the wisdom and guidance supplied in response to repeated requests. Some apply it to the general provision of the Spirit, but this would seem to look only at one request in a context that speaks of repeated asking. The teaching as a whole stresses not that God gives everything his children want, but that God gives the good that they need. The parallel account in Matthew (7:11) refers to good things where Luke mentions the Holy Spirit.

[24:49]  ⁵² tn Grk “sending on you.”

[24:49]  ⁵³ tn Grk “the promise of my Father,” with τοῦ πατρός (tou patros) translated as a subjective genitive. This is a reference to the Holy Spirit and looks back to how one could see Messiah had come with the promise of old (Luke 3:15-18). The promise is rooted in Jer 31:31 and Ezek 36:26.

[24:49]  ⁵⁴ sn The city refers to Jerusalem.

[24:49]  ⁵⁵ sn Until you have been clothed with power refers to the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. What the Spirit supplies is enablement. See Luke 12:11-12; 21:12-15. The difference the Spirit makes can be seen in Peter (compare Luke 22:54-62 with Acts 2:14-41).

[7:39]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “for the Spirit was not yet.” Although only B and a handful of other NT mss supply the participle δεδομένον (dedomenon), this is followed in the translation to avoid misunderstanding by the modern English reader that prior to this time the Spirit did not exist. John’s phrase is expressed from a human standpoint and has nothing to do with the preexistence of the third Person of the Godhead. The meaning is that the era of the Holy Spirit had not yet arrived; the Spirit was not as yet at work in a way he later would be because Jesus had not yet returned to his Father. Cf. also Acts 19:2.

[7:39]  ⁵⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[1:4]  ⁵⁸ tn Or “While he was assembling with them,” or “while he was sharing a meal with them.” There are three basic options for translating the verb συναλίζω (sunalizw): (1) “Eat (salt) with, share a meal with”; (2) “bring together, assemble”; (3) “spend the night with, stay with” (see BDAG 964 s.v.). The difficulty with the first option is that it does not fit the context, and this meaning is not found elsewhere. The second option is difficult because of the singular number and the present tense. The third option is based on a spelling variation of συναυλιζόμενος (sunaulizomeno"), which some minuscules actually read here. The difference in meaning between (2) and (3) is not great, but (3) seems to fit the context somewhat better here.

[1:4]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “ordered them”; the command “Do not leave” is not in Greek but is an indirect quotation in the original (see note at end of the verse for explanation).

[1:4]  ⁶⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:4]  ⁶¹ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text (direct objects in Greek were frequently omitted when clear from the context).

[1:4]  ⁶² tn Grk “the,” with the article used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[1:4]  ⁶³ tn Grk “for the promise of the Father.” Jesus is referring to the promised gift of the Holy Spirit (see the following verse).

[1:4]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “While he was with them, he ordered them not to leave Jerusalem, but to wait there for ‘what my Father promised, which you heard about from me.’” This verse moves from indirect to direct discourse. This abrupt change is very awkward, so the entire quotation has been rendered as direct discourse in the translation.

[1:5]  ⁶⁵ tn In the Greek text v. 5 is a continuation of the previous sentence, which is long and complicated. In keeping with the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[1:5]  ⁶⁶ tn The pronoun is plural in Greek.

[2:33]  ⁶⁷ tn The aorist participle ὑψωθείς (Juywqei") could be taken temporally: “So then, after he was exalted…” In the translation the more neutral “exalted” (a shorter form of “having been exalted”) was used to preserve the ambiguity of the original Greek.

[2:33]  ⁶⁸ sn The expression the right hand of God represents supreme power and authority. Its use here sets up the quotation of Ps 110:1 in v. 34.

[2:33]  ⁶⁹ tn The aorist participle λαβών (labwn) could be taken temporally: “So then, after he was exalted…and received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit.” In the translation the more neutral “having received” was used to preserve the ambiguity of the original Greek.

[2:33]  ⁷⁰ tn Here the genitive τοῦ πνεύματος (tou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the promise consists of the Holy Spirit.

[2:33]  ⁷¹ sn The use of the verb poured out looks back to 2:17-18, where the same verb occurs twice.

[2:38]  ⁷² tn The verb is a third person imperative, but the common translation “let each of you be baptized” obscures the imperative force in English, since it sounds more like a permissive (“each of you may be baptized”) to the average English reader.

[2:38]  ⁷³ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[2:38]  ⁷⁴ tn There is debate over the meaning of εἰς in the prepositional phrase εἰς ἄφεσιν τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ὑμῶν (eis afesin twn Jamartiwn Jumwn, “for/because of/with reference to the forgiveness of your sins”). Although a causal sense has been argued, it is difficult to maintain here. ExSyn 369-71 discusses at least four other ways of dealing with the passage: (1) The baptism referred to here is physical only, and εἰς has the meaning of “for” or “unto.” Such a view suggests that salvation is based on works – an idea that runs counter to the theology of Acts, namely: (a) repentance often precedes baptism (cf. Acts 3:19; 26:20), and (b) salvation is entirely a gift of God, not procured via water baptism (Acts 10:43 [cf. v. 47]; 13:38-39, 48; 15:11; 16:30-31; 20:21; 26:18); (2) The baptism referred to here is spiritual only. Although such a view fits well with the theology of Acts, it does not fit well with the obvious meaning of “baptism” in Acts – especially in this text (cf. 2:41); (3) The text should be repunctuated in light of the shift from second person plural to third person singular back to second person plural again. The idea then would be, “Repent for/with reference to your sins, and let each one of you be baptized…” Such a view is an acceptable way of handling εἰς, but its subtlety and awkwardness count against it; (4) Finally, it is possible that to a first-century Jewish audience (as well as to Peter), the idea of baptism might incorporate both the spiritual reality and the physical symbol. That Peter connects both closely in his thinking is clear from other passages such as Acts 10:47 and 11:15-16. If this interpretation is correct, then Acts 2:38 is saying very little about the specific theological relationship between the symbol and the reality, only that historically they were viewed together. One must look in other places for a theological analysis. For further discussion see R. N. Longenecker, “Acts,” EBC 9:283-85; B. Witherington, Acts, 154-55; F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text with Introduction and Commentary, 129-30; BDAG 290 s.v. εἰς 4.f.

[2:38]  ⁷⁵ tn Here the genitive τοῦ ἁγίου πνεύματος (tou Jagiou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the gift consists of the Holy Spirit.

[5:32]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “things.” They are preaching these things even to the hostile leadership.

[5:32]  ⁷⁷ sn Those who obey. The implication, of course, is that the leadership is disobeying God.

[10:45]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:45]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “The Jewish Christians”; Grk “The believers from the circumcision.”

[10:45]  ⁸⁰ sn The Jewish Christians who were with Peter were greatly astonished because they thought the promise of the Spirit would be limited only to those of Israel. God’s plan was taking on fresh dimensions even as it was a reflection of what the prophets had promised.

[10:45]  ⁸¹ tn Or “because.”

[10:45]  ⁸² tn That is, the gift consisting of the Holy Spirit. Here τοῦ πνεύματος (tou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the gift consists of the Spirit.

[10:45]  ⁸³ sn The gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out. Compare the account in Acts 2, especially 2:33. Note also Joel 2:17-21 and Acts 11:15-18.

[10:46]  ⁸⁴ tn Or “extolling,” “magnifying.”

[10:47]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “just as also we.” The auxiliary verb in English must be supplied. This could be either “have” (NIV, NRSV) or “did” (NASB). “Did” is preferred here because the comparison Peter is making concerns not just the fact of the present possession of the Spirit (“they received the Spirit we now possess”), but the manner in which the Gentiles in Cornelius’ house received the Spirit (“they received the Spirit in the same manner we did [on the day of Pentecost]”).

[10:47]  ⁸⁶ tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ question, “can he?” The question is rhetorical. Peter was saying these Gentiles should be baptized since God had confirmed they were his.

[11:15]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “came down on.”

[11:15]  ⁸⁸ tn The words “he did” are not in the Greek text but are implied. They form an ellipsis which must be supplied for the modern English reader. Some modern translations supply “it” rather than “he” because the gender of πνεῦμα (pneuma) in Greek is neuter, but there are sufficient NT contexts that use masculine pronouns to refer to the Spirit to justify the use of a masculine pronoun here in the translation.

[11:15]  ⁸⁹ sn At the beginning is an allusion to Acts 2 and Pentecost. The beginning is a way to refer to the start of the period of the realization of Jesus’ promise in Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8. Peter was arguing that God gave Gentiles the same benefits he gave the Jews at the start of their mission.

[11:16]  ⁹⁰ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; here and in Luke 22:61, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[11:16]  ⁹¹ tn The imperfect verb ἔλεγεν (elegen) is taken as a customary imperfect.

[11:16]  ⁹² sn John…Spirit. This remark repeats Acts 1:5.

[8:9]  ⁹³ tn Or “are not controlled by the flesh but by the Spirit.”

[8:10]  ⁹⁴ tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two clauses more than can be easily expressed in English.

[8:10]  ⁹⁵ tn Or “life-giving.” Grk “the Spirit is life.”

[8:11]  ⁹⁶ sn The one who raised Jesus from the dead refers to God (also in the following clause).

[8:11]  ⁹⁷ tc Several mss read ᾿Ιησοῦν (Ihsoun, “Jesus”) after Χριστόν (Criston, “Christ”; א* A D* 630 1506 1739 1881 pc bo); C 81 104 lat have ᾿Ιησοῦν Χριστόν. The shorter reading is more likely to be original, though, both because of external evidence (א² B D² F G Ψ 33 Ï sa) and internal evidence (scribes were much more likely to add the name “Jesus” if it were lacking than to remove it if it were already present in the text, especially to harmonize with the earlier mention of Jesus in the verse).

[8:11]  ⁹⁸ tc Most mss (B D F G Ψ 33 1739 1881 Ï lat) have διά (dia) followed by the accusative: “because of his Spirit who lives in you.” The genitive “through his Spirit” is supported by א A C⁽*⁾ 81 104 1505 1506 al, and is slightly preferred.

[8:12]  ⁹⁹ tn There is a double connective here that cannot be easily preserved in English: “consequently therefore,” emphasizing the conclusion of what he has been arguing.

[8:12]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.

[8:13]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “are about to, are certainly going to.”

[8:13]  ¹⁰² sn This remark is parenthetical to Paul’s argument.

[8:14]  ¹⁰³ tn Grk “For as many as are being led by the Spirit of God, these are.”

[8:15]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “slavery again to fear.”

[8:15]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The Greek term υἱοθεσία (Juioqesia) was originally a legal technical term for adoption as a son with full rights of inheritance. BDAG 1024 s.v. notes, “a legal t.t. of ‘adoption’ of children, in our lit., i.e. in Paul, only in a transferred sense of a transcendent filial relationship between God and humans (with the legal aspect, not gender specificity, as major semantic component).”

[8:15]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “in that.”

[8:16]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Or possibly “with.” ExSyn 160-61, however, notes the following: “At issue, grammatically, is whether the Spirit testifies alongside of our spirit (dat. of association), or whether he testifies to our spirit (indirect object) that we are God’s children. If the former, the one receiving this testimony is unstated (is it God? or believers?). If the latter, the believer receives the testimony and hence is assured of salvation via the inner witness of the Spirit. The first view has the advantage of a σύν- (sun-) prefixed verb, which might be expected to take an accompanying dat. of association (and is supported by NEB, JB, etc.). But there are three reasons why πνεύματι (pneumati) should not be taken as association: (1) Grammatically, a dat. with a σύν- prefixed verb does not necessarily indicate association. This, of course, does not preclude such here, but this fact at least opens up the alternatives in this text. (2) Lexically, though συμμαρτυρέω (summarturew) originally bore an associative idea, it developed in the direction of merely intensifying μαρτυρέω (marturew). This is surely the case in the only other NT text with a dat. (Rom 9:1). (3) Contextually, a dat. of association does not seem to support Paul’s argument: ‘What standing has our spirit in this matter? Of itself it surely has no right at all to testify to our being sons of God’ [C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:403]. In sum, Rom 8:16 seems to be secure as a text in which the believer’s assurance of salvation is based on the inner witness of the Spirit. The implications of this for one’s soteriology are profound: The objective data, as helpful as they are, cannot by themselves provide assurance of salvation; the believer also needs (and receives) an existential, ongoing encounter with God’s Spirit in order to gain that familial comfort.”

[8:26]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Or “for we do not know what we ought to pray for.”

[8:27]  ¹⁰⁹ sn He refers to God here; Paul has not specifically identified him for the sake of rhetorical power (for by leaving the subject slightly ambiguous, he draws his audience into seeing God’s hand in places where he is not explicitly mentioned).

[8:27]  ¹¹⁰ tn Grk “he,” or “it”; the referent (the Spirit) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:1]  ¹¹¹ tc The earliest and best witnesses of the Alexandrian and Western texts, as well as a few others (א* B D* F G 6 1506 1739 1881 pc co), have no additional words for v. 1. Later scribes (A D¹ Ψ 81 365 629 pc vg) added the words μὴ κατὰ σάρκα περιπατοῦσιν (mh kata sarka peripatousin, “who do not walk according to the flesh”), while even later ones (א² D² 33^vid Ï) added ἀλλὰ κατὰ πνεῦμα (alla kata pneuma, “but [who do walk] according to the Spirit”). Both the external evidence and the internal evidence are compelling for the shortest reading. The scribes were evidently motivated to add such qualifications (interpolated from v. 4) to insulate Paul’s gospel from charges that it was characterized too much by grace. The KJV follows the longest reading found in Ï.

[1:13]  ¹¹² tn Here αὐτοῦ (autou) has been translated as a subjective genitive (“he loves”).

[1:2]  ¹¹³ tn Grk “and faithful.” The construction in Greek (as well as Paul’s style) suggests that the saints are identical to the faithful; hence, the καί (kai) is best left untranslated (cf. Eph 1:1). See ExSyn 281-82.

[1:2]  ¹¹⁴ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” or “fellow Christians” as here (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited).

[1:2]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “Grace to you and peace.”

[1:2]  ¹¹⁶ tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (א A C F G I [P] 075 Ï it bo), read “and the Lord Jesus Christ” at the end of this verse, no doubt to conform the wording to the typical Pauline salutation. However, excellent and early witnesses (B D K L Ψ 33 81 1175 1505 1739 1881 al sa) lack this phrase. Since the omission is inexplicable as arising from the longer reading (otherwise, these mss would surely have deleted the phrase in the rest of the corpus Paulinum), it is surely authentic.

[1:22]  ¹¹⁷ tc Some of the better representatives of the Alexandrian and Western texts have a passive verb here instead of the active ἀποκατήλλαξεν (apokathllaxen, “he has reconciled”): ἀποκατηλλάγητε (apokathllaghte) in (Ì⁴⁶) B, ἀποκατήλλακται [sic] (apokathllaktai) in 33, and ἀποκαταλλαγέντες (apokatallagente") in D* F G. Yet the active verb is strongly supported by א A C D² Ψ 048 075 [0278] 1739 1881 Ï lat sy. Internally, the passive creates an anacoluthon in that it looks back to the accusative ὑμᾶς (Juma", “you”) of v. 21 and leaves the following παραστῆσαι (parasthsai) dangling (“you were reconciled…to present you”). The passive reading is certainly the harder reading. As such, it may well explain the rise of the other readings. At the same time, it is possible that the passive was produced by scribes who wanted some symmetry between the ποτε (pote, “at one time”) of v. 21 and the νυνὶ δέ (nuni de, “but now”) of v. 22: Since a passive periphrastic participle is used in v. 21, there may have a temptation to produce a corresponding passive form in v. 22, handling the ὑμᾶς of v. 21 by way of constructio ad sensum. Since παραστῆσαι occurs ten words later, it may not have been considered in this scribal modification. Further, the Western reading (ἀποκαταλλαγέντες) hardly seems to have arisen from ἀποκατηλλάγητε (contra TCGNT 555). As difficult as this decision is, the preferred reading is the active form because it is superior externally and seems to explain the rise of all forms of the passive readings.

[1:13]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “in whom you also, when…” (continuing the sentence from v. 12).

[1:13]  ¹¹⁹ tn Grk “in whom also having believed.” The relative pronoun “whom” has been replaced in the translation with its antecedent (“Christ”) to improve the clarity.

[1:13]  ¹²⁰ tn Or “you were sealed.”

[1:13]  ¹²¹ tn Grk “the Holy Spirit of promise.” Here ἐπαγγελίας (epangelias, “of promise”) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[1:14]  ¹²² tn Or “first installment,” “pledge,” “deposit.”

[1:14]  ¹²³ tn Grk “the possession.”

[2:18]  ¹²⁴ tn Or “for.” BDAG gives the consecutive ὅτι (Joti) as a possible category of NT usage (BDAG 732 s.v. 5.c).

[3:16]  ¹²⁵ tn Grk “that.” In Greek v. 16 is a subordinate clause to vv. 14-15.

[4:1]  ¹²⁶ tn Grk “prisoner in the Lord.”

[4:1]  ¹²⁷ tn Grk “walk.” The verb “walk” in the NT letters refers to the conduct of one’s life, not to physical walking.

[4:1]  ¹²⁸ sn With which you have been called. The calling refers to the Holy Spirit’s prompting that caused them to believe. The author is thus urging his readers to live a life that conforms to their saved status before God.

[1:22]  ¹²⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:22]  ¹³⁰ tn Grk “subjected.”

[1:22]  ¹³¹ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:22]  ¹³² sn An allusion to Ps 8:6.

[1:22]  ¹³³ tn Grk “and he gave him as head over all things to the church.”

[1:19]  ¹³⁴ tn Grk “these are the ones who cause divisions.”

[1:19]  ¹³⁵ tn Or “natural,” that is, living on the level of instincts, not on a spiritual level (the same word occurs in 1 Cor 2:14 as a description of nonbelievers).

[1:19]  ¹³⁶ tn Grk “not having [the] Spirit.”

[1:20]  ¹³⁷ tn The participles in v. 20 have been variously interpreted. Some treat them imperativally or as attendant circumstance to the imperative in v. 21 (“maintain”): “build yourselves up…pray.” But they do not follow the normal contours of either the imperatival or attendant circumstance participles, rendering this unlikely. A better option is to treat them as the means by which the readers are to maintain themselves in the love of God. This both makes eminently good sense and fits the structural patterns of instrumental participles elsewhere.