Isaiah 8:14-15

8:14 He will become a sanctuary, ¹ 

but a stone that makes a person trip,

and a rock that makes one stumble –

to the two houses of Israel. ² 

He will become ³  a trap and a snare

to the residents of Jerusalem. ⁴ 

8:15 Many will stumble over the stone and the rock, ⁵ 

and will fall and be seriously injured,

and will be ensnared and captured.”

Matthew 11:6

11:6 Blessed is anyone ⁶  who takes no offense at me.”

Matthew 13:57

13:57 And so they took offense at him. But Jesus said to them, “A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own house.”

Luke 2:34

2:34 Then ⁷  Simeon blessed them and said to his mother Mary, “Listen carefully: ⁸  This child ⁹  is destined to be the cause of the falling and rising ¹⁰  of many in Israel and to be a sign that will be rejected. ¹¹ 

John 6:53-66

6:53 Jesus said to them, “I tell you the solemn truth, ¹²  unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, ¹³  you have no life ¹⁴  in yourselves. 6:54 The one who eats ¹⁵  my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. ¹⁶  6:55 For my flesh is true ¹⁷  food, and my blood is true ¹⁸  drink. 6:56 The one who eats ¹⁹  my flesh and drinks my blood resides in me, and I in him. ²⁰  6:57 Just as the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so the one who consumes ²¹  me will live because of me. 6:58 This ²²  is the bread that came down from heaven; it is not like the bread your ancestors ²³  ate, but then later died. ²⁴  The one who eats ²⁵  this bread will live forever.”

Many Followers Depart

6:59 Jesus ²⁶  said these things while he was teaching in the synagogue ²⁷  in Capernaum. ²⁸  6:60 Then many of his disciples, when they heard these things, ²⁹  said, “This is a difficult ³⁰  saying! ³¹  Who can understand it?” ³²  6:61 When Jesus was aware ³³  that his disciples were complaining ³⁴  about this, he said to them, “Does this cause you to be offended? ³⁵  6:62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascending where he was before? ³⁶  6:63 The Spirit is the one who gives life; human nature is of no help! ³⁷  The words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life. ³⁸  6:64 But there are some of you who do not believe.” (For Jesus had already known from the beginning who those were who did not believe, and who it was who would betray him.) ³⁹  6:65 So Jesus added, ⁴⁰  “Because of this I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has allowed him to come.” ⁴¹ 

Peter’s Confession

6:66 After this many of his disciples quit following him ⁴²  and did not accompany him ⁴³  any longer.

Romans 9:32-33

9:32 Why not? Because they pursued ⁴⁴  it not by faith but (as if it were possible) by works. ⁴⁵  They stumbled over the stumbling stone, ⁴⁶  9:33 just as it is written,

“Look, I am laying in Zion a stone that will cause people to stumble

and a rock that will make them fall, ⁴⁷ 

yet the one who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ⁴⁸ 

Galatians 5:11

5:11 Now, brothers and sisters, ⁴⁹  if I am still preaching circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? ⁵⁰  In that case the offense of the cross ⁵¹  has been removed. ⁵² 

Galatians 5:1

Freedom of the Believer

5:1 For freedom ⁵³  Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to the yoke ⁵⁴  of slavery.

Galatians 2:8

2:8 (for he who empowered ⁵⁵  Peter for his apostleship ⁵⁶  to the circumcised ⁵⁷  also empowered me for my apostleship to the Gentiles) ⁵⁸ 

[8:14]  ¹ tn Because the metaphor of protection (“sanctuary”) does not fit the negative mood that follows in vv. 14b-15, some contend that מִקְדָּשׁ (miqdash, “sanctuary”) is probably a corruption of an original מוֹקֵשׁ (moqesh, “snare”), a word that appears in the next line (cf. NAB and H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:355-56). If the MT reading is retained (as in the above translation), the fact that Yahweh is a sanctuary wraps up the point of v. 13 and stands in contrast to God’s treatment of those who rebel against him (the rest of v. 14).

[8:14]  ² sn The two “houses” of Israel (= the patriarch Jacob) are the northern kingdom of Israel and the southern kingdom of Judah.

[8:14]  ³ tn These words are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. וְהָיָה (vÿhayah, “and he will be”) does double duty in the parallel structure of the verse.

[8:14]  ⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[8:15]  ⁵ tn Heb “over them” (so NASB); NCV “over this rock.”

[11:6]  ⁶ tn Grk “whoever.”

[2:34]  ⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[2:34]  ⁸ tn Grk “behold.”

[2:34]  ⁹ tn Grk “this one”; the referent (the child) is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[2:34]  ¹⁰ sn The phrase the falling and rising of many emphasizes that Jesus will bring division in the nation, as some will be judged (falling) and others blessed (rising) because of how they respond to him. The language is like Isa 8:14-15 and conceptually like Isa 28:13-16. Here is the first hint that Jesus’ coming will be accompanied with some difficulties.

[2:34]  ¹¹ tn Grk “and for a sign of contradiction.”

[6:53]  ¹² tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[6:53]  ¹³ sn Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood. These words are at the heart of the discourse on the Bread of Life, and have created great misunderstanding among interpreters. Anyone who is inclined toward a sacramental viewpoint will almost certainly want to take these words as a reference to the sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, or the Eucharist, because of the reference to eating and drinking. But this does not automatically follow: By anyone’s definition there must be a symbolic element to the eating which Jesus speaks of in the discourse, and once this is admitted, it is better to understand it here, as in the previous references in the passage, to a personal receiving of (or appropriation of) Christ and his work.

[6:53]  ¹⁴ tn That is, “no eternal life” (as opposed to physical life).

[6:54]  ¹⁵ tn Or “who chews”; Grk ὁ τρώγων (Jo trwgwn). The alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. 54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. 57) may simply reflect a preference for one form over the other on the author’s part, rather than an attempt to express a slightly more graphic meaning. If there is a difference, however, the word used here (τρώγω) is the more graphic and vivid of the two (“gnaw” or “chew”).

[6:54]  ¹⁶ sn Notice that here the result (has eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day) is produced by eating (Jesus’) flesh and drinking his blood. Compare John 6:40 where the same result is produced by “looking on the Son and believing in him.” This suggests that the phrase here (eats my flesh and drinks my blood) is to be understood by the phrase in 6:40 (looks on the Son and believes in him).

[6:55]  ¹⁷ tn Or “real.”

[6:55]  ¹⁸ tn Or “real.”

[6:56]  ¹⁹ tn Or “who chews.” On the alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. 54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. 57) see the note on “eats” in v. 54.

[6:56]  ²⁰ sn Resides in me, and I in him. Note how in John 6:54 eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood produces eternal life and the promise of resurrection at the last day. Here the same process of eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood leads to a relationship of mutual indwelling (resides in me, and I in him). This suggests strongly that for the author (and for Jesus) the concepts of ‘possessing eternal life’ and of ‘residing in Jesus’ are virtually interchangeable.

[6:57]  ²¹ tn Or “who chews”; Grk “who eats.” Here the translation “consumes” is more appropriate than simply “eats,” because it is the internalization of Jesus by the individual that is in view. On the alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. 54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. 57) see the note on “eats” in v. 54.

[6:58]  ²² tn Or “This one.”

[6:58]  ²³ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[6:58]  ²⁴ tn Grk “This is the bread that came down from heaven, not just like your ancestors ate and died.” The cryptic Greek expression has been filled out in the translation for clarity.

[6:58]  ²⁵ tn Or “who chews.” On the alternation between ἐσθίω (esqiw, “eat,” v. 53) and τρώγω (trwgw, “eats,” vv. 54, 56, 58; “consumes,” v. 57) see the note on “eats” in v. 54.

[6:59]  ²⁶ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:59]  ²⁷ sn A synagogue was a place for Jewish prayer and worship, with recognized leadership (cf. Luke 8:41). Though the origin of the synagogue is not entirely clear, it seems to have arisen in the postexilic community during the intertestamental period. A town could establish a synagogue if there were at least ten men. In normative Judaism of the NT period, the OT scripture was read and discussed in the synagogue by the men who were present (see the Mishnah, m. Megillah 3-4; m. Berakhot 2).

[6:59]  ²⁸ map For location see Map1 D2; Map2 C3; Map3 B2.

[6:60]  ²⁹ tn The words “these things” are not present in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, and must be supplied for the English reader.

[6:60]  ³⁰ tn Or “hard,” “demanding.”

[6:60]  ³¹ tn Or “teaching”; Grk “word.”

[6:60]  ³² tn Or “obey it”; Grk “hear it.” The Greek word ἀκούω (akouw) could imply hearing with obedience here, in the sense of “obey.” It could also point to the acceptance of what Jesus had just said, (i.e., “who can accept what he said?” However, since the context contains several replies by those in the crowd of hearers that suggest uncertainty or confusion over the meaning of what Jesus had said (6:42; 6:52), the meaning “understand” is preferred here.

[6:61]  ³³ tn Grk “When Jesus knew within himself.”

[6:61]  ³⁴ tn Or “were grumbling.”

[6:61]  ³⁵ tn Or “Does this cause you to no longer believe?” (Grk “cause you to stumble?”)

[6:62]  ³⁶ tn Or “he was formerly?”

[6:63]  ³⁷ tn Grk “the flesh counts for nothing.”

[6:63]  ³⁸ tn Or “are spirit-giving and life-producing.”

[6:64]  ³⁹ sn This is a parenthetical comment by the author.

[6:65]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “And he said”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:65]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “unless it has been permitted to him by the Father.”

[6:66]  ⁴² tn Grk “many of his disciples went back to what lay behind.”

[6:66]  ⁴³ tn Grk “were not walking with him.”

[9:32]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “Why? Because not by faith but as though by works.” The verb (“they pursued [it]”) is to be supplied from the preceding verse for the sake of English style; yet a certain literary power is seen in Paul’s laconic style.

[9:32]  ⁴⁵ tc Most mss, especially the later ones (א² D Ψ 33 Ï sy), read νόμου (nomou, “of the law”) here, echoing Paul’s usage in Rom 3:20, 28 and elsewhere. The qualifying phrase is lacking in א* A B F G 6 629 630 1739 1881 pc lat co. The longer reading thus is weaker externally and internally, being motivated apparently by a need to clarify.

[9:32]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “the stone of stumbling.”

[9:33]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense.”

[9:33]  ⁴⁸ sn A quotation from Isa 28:16; 8:14.

[5:11]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:11.

[5:11]  ⁵⁰ sn That is, if Paul still teaches observance of the Mosaic law (preaches circumcision), why is he still being persecuted by his opponents, who insist that Gentile converts to Christianity must observe the Mosaic law?

[5:11]  ⁵¹ sn The offense of the cross refers to the offense to Jews caused by preaching Christ crucified.

[5:11]  ⁵² tn Or “nullified.”

[5:1]  ⁵³ 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]  ⁵⁴ sn Here the yoke figuratively represents the burdensome nature of slavery.

[2:8]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “worked through”; the same word is also used in relation to Paul later in this verse.

[2:8]  ⁵⁶ tn Or “his ministry as an apostle.”

[2:8]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “to the circumcision,” i.e., the Jewish people.

[2:8]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “also empowered me to the Gentiles.”