Isaiah 8:20
Context8:20 Then you must recall the Lord’s instructions and the prophetic testimony of what would happen. 1 Certainly they say such things because their minds are spiritually darkened. 2
Matthew 7:15-20
Context7:15 “Watch out for false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are voracious wolves. 3 7:16 You will recognize them by their fruit. Grapes are not gathered 4 from thorns or figs from thistles, are they? 5 7:17 In the same way, every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad 6 tree bears bad fruit. 7:18 A good tree is not able to bear bad fruit, nor a bad tree to bear good fruit. 7:19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 7:20 So then, you will recognize them by their fruit.
Mark 7:14-16
Context7:14 Then 7 he called the crowd again and said to them, “Listen to me, everyone, and understand. 7:15 There is nothing outside of a person that can defile him by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a person that defiles him.”
7:16 [[EMPTY]] 8Luke 12:57
Context12:57 “And 9 why don’t you judge for yourselves what is right?
Acts 17:11
Context17:11 These Jews 10 were more open-minded 11 than those in Thessalonica, 12 for they eagerly 13 received 14 the message, examining 15 the scriptures carefully every day 16 to see if these things were so.
Romans 12:2
Context12:2 Do not be conformed 17 to this present world, 18 but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve 19 what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:1
Context12:1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, 20 by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God 21 – which is your reasonable service.
Colossians 2:11
Context2:11 In him you also were circumcised – not, however, 22 with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal 23 of the fleshly body, 24 that is, 25 through the circumcision done by Christ.
Colossians 2:14-15
Context2:14 He has destroyed 26 what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness 27 expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. 2:15 Disarming 28 the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross. 29
Colossians 1:28
Context1:28 We proclaim him by instructing 30 and teaching 31 all people 32 with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature 33 in Christ.
Ephesians 5:10
Context5:10 trying to learn 34 what is pleasing to the Lord.
Philippians 1:10
Context1:10 so that you can decide what is best, and thus be sincere and blameless for the day of Christ,
Philippians 1:1
Context1:1 From Paul 35 and Timothy, slaves 36 of Christ Jesus, to all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, 37 with the overseers 38 and deacons.
Philippians 4:1
Context4:1 So then, my brothers and sisters, 39 dear friends whom I long to see, my joy and crown, stand in the Lord in this way, my dear friends!
Revelation 2:2
Context2:2 ‘I know your works as well as your 40 labor and steadfast endurance, and that you cannot tolerate 41 evil. You have even put to the test 42 those who refer to themselves as apostles (but are not), and have discovered that they are false.
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[8:20] 1 tn Heb “to [the] instruction and to [the] testimony.” The words “then you must recall” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons. In the Hebrew text vv. 19-20a are one long sentence, reading literally, “When they say to you…, to the instruction and to the testimony.” On the identity of the “instruction” and “testimony” see the notes at v. 16.
[8:20] 2 tn Heb “If they do not speak according to this word, [it is] because it has no light of dawn.” The literal translation suggests that “this word” refers to the instruction/testimony. However, it is likely that אִם־לֹא (’im-lo’) is asseverative here, as in 5:9. In this case “this word” refers to the quotation recorded in v. 19. For a discussion of the problem see J. N. Oswalt, Isaiah (NICOT), 230, n. 9. The singular pronoun in the second half of the verse is collective, referring back to the nation (see v. 19b).
[7:15] 3 sn Sheep’s clothing…voracious wolves. Jesus uses a metaphor here to point out that these false prophets appear to be one thing, but in reality they are something quite different and dangerous.
[7:16] 4 tn Grk “They do not gather.” This has been simplified to the passive voice in the translation since the subject “they” is not specified further in the context.
[7:16] 5 sn The statement illustrates the principle: That which cannot produce fruit does not produce fruit.
[7:17] 6 tn Grk “rotten.” The word σαπρός, modifying “tree” in both v. 17 and 18, can also mean “diseased” (L&N 65.28).
[7:14] 7 tn Grk “And.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.
[7:16] 8 tc Most later
[12:57] 9 tn Jesus calls for some personal reflection. However, this unit probably does connect to the previous one – thus the translation of δέ (de) here as “And” – to make a good spiritual assessment, thus calling for application to the spiritual, rather than personal, realm.
[17:11] 10 tn Grk “These”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue at Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[17:11] 11 tn Or “more willing to learn.” L&N 27.48 and BDAG 404 s.v. εὐγενής 2 both use the term “open-minded” here. The point is that they were more receptive to Paul’s message.
[17:11] 12 sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).
[17:11] 13 tn Or “willingly,” “readily”; Grk “with all eagerness.”
[17:11] 14 tn Grk “who received.” Here the relative pronoun (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“they”) preceded by a semicolon, which is less awkward in contemporary English than a relative clause at this point.
[17:11] 15 tn This verb (BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 1) refers to careful examination.
[17:11] 16 tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.
[12:2] 17 tn Although συσχηματίζεσθε (suschmatizesqe) could be either a passive or middle, the passive is more likely since it would otherwise have to be a direct middle (“conform yourselves”) and, as such, would be quite rare for NT Greek. It is very telling that being “conformed” to the present world is viewed as a passive notion, for it may suggest that it happens, in part, subconsciously. At the same time, the passive could well be a “permissive passive,” suggesting that there may be some consciousness of the conformity taking place. Most likely, it is a combination of both.
[12:2] 18 tn Grk “to this age.”
[12:2] 19 sn The verb translated test and approve (δοκιμάζω, dokimazw) carries the sense of “test with a positive outcome,” “test so as to approve.”
[12:1] 20 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.
[12:1] 21 tn The participle and two adjectives “alive, holy, and pleasing to God” are taken as predicates in relation to “sacrifice,” making the exhortation more emphatic. See ExSyn 618-19.
[2:11] 22 tn The terms “however” and “but” in this sentence were supplied in order to emphasize the contrast.
[2:11] 23 tn The articular noun τῇ ἀπεκδύσει (th apekdusei) is a noun which ends in -σις (-sis) and therefore denotes action, i.e., “removal.” Since the head noun is a verbal noun, the following genitive τοῦ σώματος (tou swmatos) is understood as an objective genitive, receiving the action of the head noun.
[2:11] 24 tn Grk “in the removal of the body of flesh.” The genitive τῆς σαρκός (th" sarko") has been translated as an attributive genitive, “fleshly body.”
[2:11] 25 tn The second prepositional phrase beginning with ἐν τῇ περιτομῇ (en th peritomh) is parallel to the prepositional phrase ἐν τῇ ἀπεκδύσει (en th apekdusei) and gives a further explanation of it. The words “that is” were supplied to bring out this force in the translation.
[2:14] 26 tn The participle ἐξαλείψας (exaleiyas) is a temporal adverbial participle of contemporaneous time related to the previous verb συνεζωοποίησεν (sunezwopoihsen), but has been translated as a finite verb because of the complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences. For the meaning “destroy” see BDAG 344-45 s.v. ἐξαλείφω 2.
[2:14] 27 tn On the translation of χειρόγραφον (ceirografon), see BDAG 1083 s.v. which refers to it as “a certificate of indebtedness.”
[2:15] 28 tn See BDAG 100 s.v. ἀπεκδύομαι 2.
[2:15] 29 tn The antecedent of the Greek pronoun αὐτῷ (autw) could either be “Christ” or the “cross.” There are several reasons for choosing “the cross” as the antecedent for αὐτῷ in verse 15: (1) The nearest antecedent is τῷ σταυρῷ (tw staurw) in v. 14; (2) the idea of ἐδειγμάτισεν ἐν παρρησία (edeigmatisen en parrhsia, “made a public disgrace”) seems to be more in keeping with the idea of the cross; (3) a reference to Christ seems to miss the irony involved in the idea of triumph – the whole point is that where one would expect defeat, there came the victory; (4) if Christ is the subject of the participles in v. 15 then almost certainly the cross is the referent for αὐτῷ. Thus the best solution is to see αὐτῷ as a reference to the cross and the preposition ἐν (en) indicating “means” (i.e., by means of the cross) or possibly (though less likely) location (on the cross).
[1:28] 30 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] 31 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] 32 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] 33 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.
[5:10] 34 tn BDAG 255 s.v. δοκιμάζω 1 translates δοκιμάζοντες (dokimazonte") in Eph 5:10 as “try to learn.”
[1:1] 35 tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
[1:1] 36 tn Traditionally, “servants” or “bondservants.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
[1:1] 37 map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.
[1:1] 38 sn The overseers (or “church leaders,” L&N 53.71) is another term for the same official position of leadership as the “elder.” This is seen in the interchange of the two terms in Titus 1:6-7 and in Acts 20:17, 28, as well as in the parallels between Titus 1:6-7 and 1 Tim 3:1-7.
[4:1] 39 tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:12.
[2:2] 40 tn Although the first possessive pronoun σου (sou) is connected to τὰ ἔργα (ta erga) and the second σου is connected to ὑπομονήν (Jupomonhn), semantically κόπον (kopon) is also to be understood as belonging to the Ephesian church. The translation reflects this.
[2:2] 41 tn The translation “tolerate” seems to capture the sense of βαστάσαι (bastasai) here. BDAG 171 s.v. βαστάζω 2.b.β says, “bear, endure…κακούς Rv 2:2.…bear patiently, put up with: weaknesses of the weak Ro 15:1; cf. IPol 1:2; evil Rv 2:3.”
[2:2] 42 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the participle was broken off from the previous sentence and translated as an indicative verb beginning a new sentence here in the translation.