Luke 14:7-11

On Seeking Seats of Honor

14:7 Then ¹  when Jesus ²  noticed how the guests ³  chose the places of honor, ⁴  he told them a parable. He said to them, 14:8 “When you are invited by someone to a wedding feast, ⁵  do not take ⁶  the place of honor, because a person more distinguished than you may have been invited by your host. ⁷  14:9 So ⁸  the host who invited both of you will come and say to you, ‘Give this man your place.’ Then, ashamed, ⁹  you will begin to move to the least important ¹⁰  place. 14:10 But when you are invited, go and take the least important place, so that when your host ¹¹  approaches he will say to you, ‘Friend, move up here to a better place.’ ¹²  Then you will be honored in the presence of all who share the meal with you. 14:11 For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but ¹³  the one who humbles ¹⁴  himself will be exalted.”

Luke 18:14

18:14 I tell you that this man went down to his home justified ¹⁵  rather than the Pharisee. ¹⁶  For everyone who exalts ¹⁷  himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Romans 12:10

12:10 Be devoted to one another with mutual love, showing eagerness in honoring one another.

Romans 12:1

Consecration of the Believer’s Life

12:1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, ¹⁸  by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God ¹⁹  – which is your reasonable service.

Colossians 1:9

Paul’s Prayer for the Growth of the Church

1:9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, ²⁰  have not ceased praying for you and asking God ²¹  to fill ²²  you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Ephesians 4:2

4:2 with all humility and gentleness, ²³  with patience, bearing with ²⁴  one another in love,

Ephesians 5:21

5:21 and submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. ²⁵ 

Ephesians 5:1

Live in Love

5:1 Therefore, be ²⁶  imitators of God as dearly loved children

Ephesians 5:5

5:5 For you can be confident of this one thing: ²⁷  that no person who is immoral, impure, or greedy (such a person is an idolater) has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.

[14:7]  ¹ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[14:7]  ² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:7]  ³ tn Grk “those who were invited.”

[14:7]  ⁴ tn Or “the best places.” The “places of honor” at the meal would be those closest to the host.

[14:8]  ⁵ tn Or “banquet.” This may not refer only to a wedding feast, because this term can have broader sense (note the usage in Esth 2:18; 9:22 LXX). However, this difference does not affect the point of the parable.

[14:8]  ⁶ tn Grk “do not recline in the place of honor.” 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.

[14:8]  ⁷ tn Grk “by him”; the referent (the host) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:9]  ⁸ tn Grk “host, and.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate this action is a result of the situation described in the previous verse. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[14:9]  ⁹ tn Or “then in disgrace”; Grk “with shame.” In this culture avoiding shame was important.

[14:9]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “lowest place” (also in the repetition of the phrase in the next verse).

[14:10]  ¹¹ tn Grk “the one who invited you.”

[14:10]  ¹² tn Grk “Go up higher.” This means to move to a more important place.

[14:11]  ¹³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context, which involves the reversal of expected roles.

[14:11]  ¹⁴ sn The point of the statement the one who humbles himself will be exalted is humility and the reversal imagery used to underline it is common: Luke 1:52-53; 6:21; 10:15; 18:14.

[18:14]  ¹⁵ sn The prayer that was heard and honored was the one given with humility; in a surprising reversal it was the tax collector who went down to his home justified.

[18:14]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “the other”; the referent (the Pharisee, v. 10) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:14]  ¹⁷ sn Everyone who exalts himself. See Luke 14:11. Jesus often called for humility and condemned those who sought honor.

[12:1]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.

[12:1]  ¹⁹ 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.

[1:9]  ²⁰ tn Or “heard about it”; Grk “heard.” There is no direct object stated in the Greek (direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context). A direct object is expected by an English reader, however, so most translations supply one. Here, however, it is not entirely clear what the author “heard”: a number of translations supply “it” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV; NAB “this”), but this could refer back either to (1) “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8, or (2) “your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints” (v. 4). In light of this uncertainty, other translations supply “about you” (TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). This is preferred by the present translation since, while it does not resolve the ambiguity entirely, it does make it less easy for the English reader to limit the reference only to “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8.

[1:9]  ²¹ tn The term “God” does not appear in the Greek text, but the following reference to “the knowledge of his will” makes it clear that “God” is in view as the object of the “praying and asking,” and should therefore be included in the English translation for clarity.

[1:9]  ²² tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as substantival, indicating the content of the prayer and asking. The idea of purpose may also be present in this clause.

[4:2]  ²³ tn Or “meekness.” The word is often used in Hellenistic Greek of the merciful execution of justice on behalf of those who have no voice by those who are in a position of authority (Matt 11:29; 21:5).

[4:2]  ²⁴ tn Or “putting up with”; or “forbearing.”

[5:21]  ²⁵ sn Eph 5:19-21. In Eph 5:18 the author gives the command to be filled by means of the Holy Spirit. In 5:19-21 there follows five participles: (1) speaking; (2) singing; (3) making music; (4) giving thanks; (5) submitting. These participles have been variously interpreted, but perhaps the two most likely interpretations are (1) the participles indicate the means by which one is filled by the Spirit; (2) the participles indicate the result of being filled by the Spirit. The fact that the participles are present tense and follow the command (i.e., “be filled”) would tend to support both of these options. But it seems out of Paul’s character to reduce the filling of the Spirit to a formula of some kind. To the extent that this is true, it is unlikely then that the author is here stating the means for being filled by the Spirit. Because it is in keeping with Pauline theology and has good grammatical support, it is better to take the participles as indicating certain results of being filled by the Spirit. See ExSyn 639.

[5:1]  ²⁶ tn Or “become.”

[5:5]  ²⁷ tn Grk “be knowing this.” See also 2 Pet 1:20 for a similar phrase: τοῦτο πρῶτον γινώσκοντες (touto prwton ginwskonte").