Luke 18:34

18:34 But ¹  the twelve ²  understood none of these things. This ³  saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp ⁴  what Jesus meant. ⁵ 

John 12:16

12:16 (His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened, ⁶  but when Jesus was glorified, ⁷  then they remembered that these things were written about him and that these things had happened ⁸  to him.) ⁹ 

Acts 1:7

1:7 He told them, “You are not permitted to know ¹⁰  the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority.

Acts 1:1

Jesus Ascends to Heaven

1:1 I wrote ¹¹  the former ¹²  account, ¹³  Theophilus, ¹⁴  about all that Jesus began to do and teach

Acts 1:11

1:11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here ¹⁵  looking up into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven ¹⁶  will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.”

[18:34]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast.

[18:34]  ² tn Grk “they”; the referent (the twelve, v. 31) has been specified in the context for clarity.

[18:34]  ³ tn Grk “And this.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[18:34]  ⁴ sn This failure of the Twelve to grasp what Jesus meant probably does not mean that they did not understand linguistically what Jesus said, but that they could not comprehend how this could happen to him, if he was really God’s agent. The saying being hidden probably refers to God’s sovereign timing.

[18:34]  ⁵ tn Grk “the things having been said.” The active agent, Jesus, has been specified for clarity, and “said” has been translated as “meant” to indicate that comprehension of the significance is really in view here.

[12:16]  ⁶ tn Or “did not understand these things at first”; Grk “formerly.”

[12:16]  ⁷ sn When Jesus was glorified, that is, glorified through his resurrection, exaltation, and return to the Father. Jesus’ glorification is consistently portrayed this way in the Gospel of John.

[12:16]  ⁸ tn Grk “and that they had done these things,” though the referent is probably indefinite and not referring to the disciples; as such, the best rendering is as a passive (see ExSyn 402-3; R. E. Brown, John [AB], 1:458).

[12:16]  ⁹ sn The comment His disciples did not understand these things when they first happened (a parenthetical note by the author) informs the reader that Jesus’ disciples did not at first associate the prophecy from Zechariah with the events as they happened. This came with the later (postresurrection) insight which the Holy Spirit would provide after Jesus’ resurrection and return to the Father. Note the similarity with John 2:22, which follows another allusion to a prophecy in Zechariah (14:21).

[1:7]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “It is not for you to know.”

[1:1]  ¹¹ tn Or “produced,” Grk “made.”

[1:1]  ¹² tn Or “first.” The translation “former” is preferred because “first” could imply to the modern English reader that the author means that his previous account was the first one to be written down. The Greek term πρῶτος (prwtos) does not necessarily mean “first” in an absolute sense, but can refer to the first in a set or series. That is what is intended here – the first account (known as the Gospel of Luke) as compared to the second one (known as Acts).

[1:1]  ¹³ tn The Greek word λόγος (logos) is sometimes translated “book” (NRSV, NIV) or “treatise” (KJV). A formal, systematic treatment of a subject is implied, but the word “book” may be too specific and slightly misleading to the modern reader, so “account” has been used.

[1:1]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “O Theophilus,” but the usage of the vocative in Acts with ὦ (w) is unemphatic, following more the classical idiom (see ExSyn 69).

[1:11]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ 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.