John 15:16

15:16 You did not choose me, but I chose you ¹  and appointed you to go and bear ²  fruit, fruit that remains, ³  so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he will give you.

Acts 1:24-25

1:24 Then they prayed, ⁴  “Lord, you know the hearts of all. Show us which one of these two you have chosen 1:25 to assume the task ⁵  of this service ⁶  and apostleship from which Judas turned aside ⁷  to go to his own place.” ⁸ 

Galatians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ⁹  an apostle (not from men, nor by human agency, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead)

Galatians 1:15-20

1:15 But when the one ¹⁰  who set me apart from birth ¹¹  and called me by his grace was pleased 1:16 to reveal his Son in ¹²  me so that I could preach him ¹³  among the Gentiles, I did not go to ask advice from ¹⁴  any human being, ¹⁵  1:17 nor did I go up to Jerusalem ¹⁶  to see those who were apostles before me, but right away I departed to Arabia, ¹⁷  and then returned to Damascus.

1:18 Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem ¹⁸  to visit Cephas ¹⁹  and get information from him, ²⁰  and I stayed with him fifteen days. 1:19 But I saw none of the other apostles ²¹  except James the Lord’s brother. 1:20 I assure you ²²  that, before God, I am not lying about what I am writing to you! ²³ 

[15:16]  ¹ sn You did not choose me, but I chose you. If the disciples are now elevated in status from slaves to friends, they are friends who have been chosen by Jesus, rather than the opposite way round. Again this is true of all Christians, not just the twelve, and the theme that Christians are “chosen” by God appears frequently in other NT texts (e.g., Rom 8:33; Eph 1:4ff.; Col 3:12; and 1 Pet 2:4). Putting this together with the comments on 15:14 one may ask whether the author sees any special significance at all for the twelve. Jesus said in John 6:70 and 13:18 that he chose them, and 15:27 makes clear that Jesus in the immediate context is addressing those who have been with him from the beginning. In the Fourth Gospel the twelve, as the most intimate and most committed followers of Jesus, are presented as the models for all Christians, both in terms of their election and in terms of their mission.

[15:16]  ² tn Or “and yield.”

[15:16]  ³ sn The purpose for which the disciples were appointed (“commissioned”) is to go and bear fruit, fruit that remains. The introduction of the idea of “going” at this point suggests that the fruit is something more than just character qualities in the disciples’ own lives, but rather involves fruit in the lives of others, i.e., Christian converts. There is a mission involved (cf. John 4:36). The idea that their fruit is permanent, however, relates back to vv. 7-8, as does the reference to asking the Father in Jesus’ name. It appears that as the imagery of the vine and the branches develops, the “fruit” which the branches produce shifts in emphasis from qualities in the disciples’ own lives in John 15:2, 4, 5 to the idea of a mission which affects the lives of others in John 15:16. The point of transition would be the reference to fruit in 15:8.

[1:24]  ⁴ tn Grk “And praying, they said.” 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.

[1:25]  ⁵ tn Grk “to take the place.”

[1:25]  ⁶ tn Or “of this ministry.”

[1:25]  ⁷ tn Or “the task of this service and apostleship which Judas ceased to perform.”

[1:25]  ⁸ sn To go to his own place. This may well be a euphemism for Judas’ judged fate. He separated himself from them, and thus separated he would remain.

[1:1]  ⁹ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:15]  ¹⁰ tc ‡ Several important witnesses have ὁ θεός (Jo qeos) after εὐδόκησεν (eudokhsen; so א A D Ψ 0278 33 1739 1881 Ï co) while the shorter reading is supported by Ì⁴⁶ B F G 629 1505 pc lat. There is hardly any reason why scribes would omit the words (although the Beatty papyrus and the Western text do at times omit words and phrases), but several reasons why scribes would add the words (especially the need to clarify). The confluence of witnesses for the shorter reading (including a few fathers and versions) adds strong support for its authenticity. It is also in keeping with Paul’s style to refrain from mentioning God by name as a rhetorical device (cf. ExSyn 437 [although this section deals with passive constructions, the principle is the same]). NA²⁷ includes the words in brackets, indicating some doubts as to their authenticity.

[1:15]  ¹¹ tn Grk “from my mother’s womb.”

[1:16]  ¹² tn Or “to me”; the Greek preposition ἐν (en) can mean either, depending on the context.

[1:16]  ¹³ tn This pronoun refers to “his Son,” mentioned earlier in the verse.

[1:16]  ¹⁴ tn Or “I did not consult with.” For the translation “I did not go to ask advice from” see L&N 33.175.

[1:16]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “from flesh and blood.”

[1:17]  ¹⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:17]  ¹⁷ sn As a geographical region Arabia included the territory west of Mesopotamia, east and south of Syria and Palestine, extending to the isthmus of Suez. During the Roman occupation, some independent kingdoms arose like that of the Nabateans south of Damascus, and these could be called simply Arabia. In light of the proximity to Damascus, this may well be the territory Paul says he visited here. See also C. W. Briggs, “The Apostle Paul in Arabia,” Biblical World 41 (1913): 255-59.

[1:18]  ¹⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:18]  ¹⁹ sn Cephas. This individual is generally identified with the Apostle Peter (L&N 93.211).

[1:18]  ²⁰ tn Although often translated “to get acquainted with Cephas,” this could give the impression of merely a social call. L&N 34.52 has “to visit, with the purpose of obtaining information” for the meaning of ἱστορέω (Jistorew), particularly in this verse.

[1:19]  ²¹ tn Grk “But another of the apostles I did not see, except…” with “another” in emphatic position in the Greek text. Paul is determined to make the point that his contacts with the original twelve apostles and other leaders of the Jerusalem church were limited, thus asserting his independence from them.

[1:20]  ²² tn Grk “behold.”

[1:20]  ²³ tn Grk “What things I am writing to you, behold, before God [that] I am not lying.”