Luke 16:29-31

16:29 But Abraham said, ¹  ‘They have Moses and the prophets; they must respond to ²  them.’ 16:30 Then ³  the rich man ⁴  said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone from the dead ⁵  goes to them, they will repent.’ 16:31 He ⁶  replied to him, ‘If they do not respond to ⁷  Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead.’” ⁸ 

John 5:39

5:39 You study the scriptures thoroughly ⁹  because you think in them you possess eternal life, ¹⁰  and it is these same scriptures ¹¹  that testify about me,

John 5:46-47

5:46 If ¹²  you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. 5:47 But if you do not believe what Moses ¹³  wrote, how will you believe my words?”

Acts 17:11-12

17:11 These Jews ¹⁴  were more open-minded ¹⁵  than those in Thessalonica, ¹⁶  for they eagerly ¹⁷  received ¹⁸  the message, examining ¹⁹  the scriptures carefully every day ²⁰  to see if these things were so. 17:12 Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few ²¹  prominent ²²  Greek women and men.

Acts 17:2

17:2 Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, ²³  as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed ²⁴  them from the scriptures,

Acts 3:15

3:15 You killed ²⁵  the Originator ²⁶  of life, whom God raised ²⁷  from the dead. To this fact we are witnesses! ²⁸ 

Acts 3:1

Peter and John Heal a Lame Man at the Temple

3:1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time ²⁹  for prayer, ³⁰  at three o’clock in the afternoon. ³¹ 

Acts 1:10-12

1:10 As ³²  they were still staring into the sky while he was going, suddenly ³³  two men in white clothing stood near them 1:11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here ³⁴  looking up into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven ³⁵  will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.”

A Replacement for Judas is Chosen

1:12 Then they returned to Jerusalem ³⁶  from the mountain ³⁷  called the Mount of Olives ³⁸  (which is near Jerusalem, a Sabbath day’s journey ³⁹  away).

Acts 1:2

1:2 until the day he was taken up to heaven, ⁴⁰  after he had given orders ⁴¹  by ⁴²  the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen.

Acts 1:19

1:19 This ⁴³  became known to all who lived in Jerusalem, so that in their own language ⁴⁴  they called that field ⁴⁵  Hakeldama, that is, “Field of Blood.”)

Revelation 19:10

19:10 So ⁴⁶  I threw myself down ⁴⁷  at his feet to worship him, but ⁴⁸  he said, “Do not do this! ⁴⁹  I am only ⁵⁰  a fellow servant ⁵¹  with you and your brothers ⁵²  who hold to the testimony about ⁵³  Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony about Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.”

[16:29]  ¹ tn Grk “says.” This is one of the few times Luke uses the historical present.

[16:29]  ² tn Or “obey”; Grk “hear.” This recalls the many OT texts calling for a righteous heart to respond to people in need (Deut 14:28-29; Isa 3:14-15; Amos 2:6-8; Mic 2:1-2; Zech 7:9-10).

[16:30]  ³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[16:30]  ⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the rich man, v. 19) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:30]  ⁵ sn If someone from the dead goes to them. The irony and joy of the story is that what is denied the rich man’s brothers, a word of warning from beyond the grave, is given to the reader of the Gospel in this exchange.

[16:31]  ⁶ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[16:31]  ⁷ tn Or “obey”; Grk “hear.” See the note on the phrase “respond to” in v. 29.

[16:31]  ⁸ sn The concluding statement of the parable, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead, provides a hint that even Jesus’ resurrection will not help some to respond. The message of God should be good enough. Scripture is the sign to be heeded.

[5:39]  ⁹ tn Or “Study the scriptures thoroughly” (an imperative). For the meaning of the verb see G. Delling, TDNT 2:655-57.

[5:39]  ¹⁰ sn In them you possess eternal life. Note the following examples from the rabbinic tractate Pirqe Avot (“The Sayings of the Fathers”): Pirqe Avot 2:8, “He who has acquired the words of the law has acquired for himself the life of the world to come”; Pirqe Avot 6:7, “Great is the law for it gives to those who practice it life in this world and in the world to come.”

[5:39]  ¹¹ tn The words “same scriptures” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the referent (“these”).

[5:46]  ¹² tn Grk “For if.”

[5:47]  ¹³ tn Grk “that one” (“he”); the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:11]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “These”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue at Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:11]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

[17:11]  ¹⁷ tn Or “willingly,” “readily”; Grk “with all eagerness.”

[17:11]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ tn This verb (BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 1) refers to careful examination.

[17:11]  ²⁰ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[17:12]  ²¹ tn Grk “not a few”; this use of negation could be misleading to the modern English reader, however, and so has been translated as “quite a few” (which is the actual meaning of the expression).

[17:12]  ²² tn Or “respected.”

[17:2]  ²³ tn Grk “he went in to them”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:2]  ²⁴ tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 17:2. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.

[3:15]  ²⁵ tn Or “You put to death.”

[3:15]  ²⁶ tn Or “Founder,” “founding Leader.”

[3:15]  ²⁷ sn Whom God raised. God is the main actor here, as he testifies to Jesus and vindicates him.

[3:15]  ²⁸ tn Grk “whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the words “to this fact” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.

[3:1]  ²⁹ tn Grk “hour.”

[3:1]  ³⁰ sn Going up to the temple at the time for prayer. The earliest Christians, being of Jewish roots, were still participating in the institutions of Judaism at this point. Their faith in Christ did not make them non-Jewish in their practices.

[3:1]  ³¹ tn Grk “at the ninth hour.” This is calculated from sunrise (Josephus, Ant. 14.4.3 [14.65]; Dan 9:21).

[1:10]  ³² tn Grk “And as.” 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.

[1:10]  ³³ tn Grk “behold.”

[1:11]  ³⁴ tn The word “here” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[1:11]  ³⁵ tc Codex Bezae (D) and several other witnesses lack the words εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν (ei" ton ouranon, “into heaven”) here, most likely by way of accidental deletion. In any event, it is hardly correct to suppose that the Western text has intentionally suppressed references to the ascension of Christ here, for the phrase is solidly attested in the final clause of the verse.

[1:12]  ³⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[1:12]  ³⁷ tn Or “from the hill.” The Greek term ὄρος (oros) refers to a relatively high elevation of land in contrast with βουνός (bounos, “hill”).

[1:12]  ³⁸ sn The Mount of Olives is the traditional name for this mountain, also called Olivet. The Mount of Olives is really a ridge running north to south about 1.8 mi (3 km) long, east of Jerusalem across the Kidron Valley. Its central elevation is about 100 ft (30 m) higher than Jerusalem. It was named for the large number of olive trees which grew on it.

[1:12]  ³⁹ sn The phrase a Sabbath day’s journey refers to the distance the rabbis permitted a person to travel on the Sabbath without breaking the Sabbath, specified in tractate Sotah 5:3 of the Mishnah as 2,000 cubits (a cubit was about 18 inches). In this case the distance was about half a mile (1 km).

[1:2]  ⁴⁰ tn The words “to heaven” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied from v. 11. Several modern translations (NIV, NRSV) supply the words “to heaven” after “taken up” to specify the destination explicitly mentioned later in 1:11.

[1:2]  ⁴¹ tn Or “commands.” Although some modern translations render ἐντειλάμενος (enteilameno") as “instructions” (NIV, NRSV), the word implies authority or official sanction (G. Schrenk, TDNT 2:545), so that a word like “orders” conveys the idea more effectively. The action of the temporal participle is antecedent (prior) to the action of the verb it modifies (“taken up”).

[1:2]  ⁴² tn Or “through.”

[1:19]  ⁴³ tn Grk “And this.” 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.

[1:19]  ⁴⁴ sn Their own language refers to Aramaic, the primary language spoken in Palestine in Jesus’ day.

[1:19]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “that field was called.” The passive voice has been converted to active in the translation in keeping with contemporary English style.

[19:10]  ⁴⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the implied result of the angel’s announcement.

[19:10]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “I fell down at his feet.” BDAG 815 s.v. πίπτω 1.b.α.ב. has “fall down, throw oneself to the ground as a sign of devotion or humility, before high-ranking persons or divine beings.”

[19:10]  ⁴⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[19:10]  ⁴⁹ tn On the elliptical expression ὅρα μή (Jora mh) BDAG 720 s.v. ὁράω B.2 states: “Elliptically…ὅρα μή (sc. ποιήσῃς) watch out! don’t do that! Rv 19:10; 22:9.”

[19:10]  ⁵⁰ tn The lowliness of a slave is emphasized in the Greek text with the emphatic position of σύνδουλος (sundoulo"). The use of “only” helps to bring this nuance out in English.

[19:10]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “fellow slave.” See the note on the word “servants” in v. 2.

[19:10]  ⁵² tn The Greek term “brother” literally refers to family relationships, but here it is used in a broader sense to connote familial relationships within the family of God (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.a).

[19:10]  ⁵³ tn The genitive ᾿Ιησοῦ (Ihsou) has been translated as an objective genitive here. A subjective genitive, also possible, would produce the meaning “who hold to what Jesus testifies.”