John 1:36-37

1:36 Gazing at Jesus as he walked by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!” ¹  1:37 When John’s ²  two disciples heard him say this, ³  they followed Jesus. ⁴ 

John 1:45

1:45 Philip found Nathanael ⁵  and told him, “We have found the one Moses wrote about in the law, and the prophets also ⁶  wrote about – Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

John 4:28-29

4:28 Then the woman left her water jar, went off into the town and said to the people, ⁷  4:29 “Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Surely he can’t be the Messiah, ⁸  can he?” ⁹ 

John 4:2

4:2 (although Jesus himself was not baptizing, but his disciples were), ¹⁰ 

John 7:9

7:9 When he had said this, he remained in Galilee.

Isaiah 2:3-5

2:3 many peoples will come and say,

“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain,

to the temple of the God of Jacob,

so ¹¹  he can teach us his requirements, ¹² 

and ¹³  we can follow his standards.” ¹⁴ 

For Zion will be the center for moral instruction; ¹⁵ 

the Lord will issue edicts from Jerusalem. ¹⁶ 

2:4 He will judge disputes between nations;

he will settle cases for many peoples.

They will beat their swords into plowshares, ¹⁷ 

and their spears into pruning hooks. ¹⁸ 

Nations will not take up the sword against other nations,

and they will no longer train for war.

2:5 O descendants ¹⁹  of Jacob,

come, let us walk in the Lord’s guiding light. ²⁰ 

Luke 2:17

2:17 When ²¹  they saw him, ²²  they related what they had been told ²³  about this child,

Luke 2:38

2:38 At that moment, ²⁴  she came up to them ²⁵  and began to give thanks to God and to speak ²⁶  about the child ²⁷  to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. ²⁸ 

Acts 13:32-33

13:32 And we proclaim to you the good news about the promise to our ancestors, ²⁹  13:33 that this promise ³⁰  God has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising ³¹  Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son; ³²  today I have fathered you.’ ³³ 

Acts 13:1

The Church at Antioch Commissions Barnabas and Saul

13:1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: ³⁴  Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, ³⁵  Lucius the Cyrenian, ³⁶  Manaen (a close friend of Herod ³⁷  the tetrarch ³⁸  from childhood ³⁹ ) and Saul.

Acts 1:3

1:3 To the same apostles ⁴⁰  also, after his suffering, ⁴¹  he presented himself alive with many convincing proofs. He was seen by them over a forty-day period ⁴²  and spoke about matters concerning the kingdom of God.

[1:36]  ¹ sn This section (1:35-51) is joined to the preceding by the literary expedient of repeating the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus being the Lamb of God (1:36, cf. 1:29). This repeated testimony (1:36) no longer has revelatory value in itself, since it has been given before; its purpose, instead, is to institute a chain reaction which will bring John the Baptist’s disciples to Jesus and make them Jesus’ own disciples.

[1:37]  ² tn Grk “his”; the referent (John) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:37]  ³ tn Grk “And the two disciples heard him speaking.”

[1:37]  ⁴ sn The expression followed Jesus pictures discipleship, which means that to learn from Jesus is to follow him as the guiding priority of one’s life.

[1:45]  ⁵ sn Nathanael is traditionally identified with Bartholomew (although John never describes him as such). He appears here after Philip, while in all lists of the twelve except in Acts 1:13, Bartholomew follows Philip. Also, the Aramaic Bar-tolmai means “son of Tolmai,” the surname; the man almost certainly had another name.

[1:45]  ⁶ tn “Also” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[4:28]  ⁷ tn The term ἄνθρωποι (anqrwpoi) used here can mean either “people” (when used generically) or “men” (though there is a more specific term in Greek for adult males, ανήρ [anhr]). Thus the woman could have been speaking either (1) to all the people or (2) to the male leaders of the city as their representatives. However, most recent English translations regard the former as more likely and render the word “people” here.

[4:29]  ⁸ tn Grk “the Christ” (both Greek “Christ” and Hebrew and Aramaic “Messiah” mean “one who has been anointed”). Although the Greek text reads χριστός (cristos) here, it is more consistent based on 4:25 (where Μεσσίας [Messias] is the lead term and is qualified by χριστός) to translate χριστός as “Messiah” here.

[4:29]  ⁹ tn The use of μήτι (mhti) normally presupposes a negative answer. This should not be taken as an indication that the woman did not believe, however. It may well be an example of “reverse psychology,” designed to gain a hearing for her testimony among those whose doubts about her background would obviate her claims.

[4:2]  ¹⁰ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[2:3]  ¹¹ tn The prefixed verb form with simple vav (ו) introduces a purpose/result clause after the preceding prefixed verb form (probably to be taken as a cohortative; see IBHS 650 §39.2.2a).

[2:3]  ¹² tn Heb “his ways.” In this context God’s “ways” are the standards of moral conduct he decrees that people should live by.

[2:3]  ¹³ tn The cohortative with vav (ו) after the prefixed verb form indicates the ultimate purpose/goal of their action.

[2:3]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “walk in his ways.”

[2:3]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “for out of Zion will go instruction.”

[2:3]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.”

[2:4]  ¹⁷ sn Instead of referring to the large plow as a whole, the plowshare is simply the metal tip which actually breaks the earth and cuts the furrow.

[2:4]  ¹⁸ sn This implement was used to prune the vines, i.e., to cut off extra leaves and young shoots (H. Wildberger, Isaiah, 1:93; M. Klingbeil, NIDOTTE 1:1117-18). It was a short knife with a curved hook at the end sharpened on the inside like a sickle. Breaking weapons and fashioning agricultural implements indicates a transition from fear and stress to peace and security.

[2:5]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “house,” referring to the family line or descendants (likewise in v. 6).

[2:5]  ²⁰ tn Heb “let’s walk in the light of the Lord.” In this context, which speaks of the Lord’s instruction and commands, the “light of the Lord” refers to his moral standards by which he seeks to guide his people. One could paraphrase, “let’s obey the Lord’s commands.”

[2:17]  ²¹ tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[2:17]  ²² tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[2:17]  ²³ tn Grk “the word which had been spoken to them.”

[2:38]  ²⁴ tn Grk “at that very hour.”

[2:38]  ²⁵ tn Grk “And coming up.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. The participle ἐπιστᾶσα (epistasa) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[2:38]  ²⁶ tn The imperfect ἐλάλει (elalei) here looks at a process of declaration, not a single moment. She clearly was led by God to address men and women about the hope Jesus was. The testimony of Luke 1—2 to Jesus has involved all types of people.

[2:38]  ²⁷ tn Grk “him”; the referent (the child) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:38]  ²⁸ tc A few mss (1216 pc) read ᾿Ισραήλ (Israhl, “Israel”) or ἐν τῷ ᾿Ισραήλ (en tw Israhl, “in Israel”), but this reading does not have enough ms support to be considered authentic. More substantial is the reading ἐν ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ (en Ierousalhm, “in Jerusalem”; found in A D L Θ Ψ 0130 ˹³ 33 Ï), though the preposition was almost surely added to clarify (and perhaps alter) the meaning of the original. The simple ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ, without preposition, is found in א B W Ξ 1 565* lat co.

[13:32]  ²⁹ tn Or “to our forefathers”; Grk “the fathers.”

[13:33]  ³⁰ tn Grk “that this”; the referent (the promise mentioned in the previous verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:33]  ³¹ tn Or “by resurrecting.” The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") is taken as instrumental here.

[13:33]  ³² sn You are my Son. The key to how the quotation is used is the naming of Jesus as “Son” to the Father. The language is that of kingship, as Ps 2 indicates. Here is the promise about what the ultimate Davidic heir would be.

[13:33]  ³³ tn Grk “I have begotten you.” The traditional translation for γεγέννηκα (gegennhka, “begotten”) is misleading to the modern English reader because it is no longer in common use. Today one speaks of “fathering” a child in much the same way speakers of English formerly spoke of “begetting a child.”

[13:1]  ³⁴ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[13:1]  ³⁵ sn Simeon may well have been from North Africa, since the Latin loanword Niger refers to someone as “dark-complexioned.”

[13:1]  ³⁶ sn The Cyrenian refers to a native of the city of Cyrene, on the coast of northern Africa west of Egypt.

[13:1]  ³⁷ sn Herod is generally taken as a reference to Herod Antipas, who governed Galilee from 4 b.c. to a.d. 39, who had John the Baptist beheaded, and who is mentioned a number of times in the gospels.

[13:1]  ³⁸ tn Or “the governor.”

[13:1]  ³⁹ tn Or “(a foster brother of Herod the tetrarch).” The meaning “close friend from childhood” is given by L&N 34.15, but the word can also mean “foster brother” (L&N 10.51). BDAG 976 s.v. σύντροφας states, “pert. to being brought up with someone, either as a foster-brother or as a companion/friend,” which covers both alternatives. Context does not given enough information to be certain which is the case here, although many modern translations prefer the meaning “close friend from childhood.”

[1:3]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the apostles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:3]  ⁴¹ sn After his suffering is a reference to Jesus’ crucifixion and the abuse which preceded it.

[1:3]  ⁴² tn Grk “during forty days.” The phrase “over a forty-day period” is used rather than “during forty days” because (as the other NT accounts of Jesus’ appearances make clear) Jesus was not continually visible to the apostles during the forty days, but appeared to them on various occasions.