Luke 8:13-15

8:13 Those ¹  on the rock are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, ²  but ³  in a time of testing ⁴  fall away. ⁵  8:14 As for the seed that ⁶  fell among thorns, these are the ones who hear, but ⁷  as they go on their way they are choked ⁸  by the worries and riches and pleasures of life, ⁹  and their fruit does not mature. ¹⁰  8:15 But as for the seed that landed on good soil, these are the ones who, after hearing ¹¹  the word, cling to it ¹²  with an honest and good ¹³  heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance. ¹⁴ 

Luke 22:32

22:32 but I have prayed for you, Simon, ¹⁵  that your faith may not fail. ¹⁶  When ¹⁷  you have turned back, ¹⁸  strengthen ¹⁹  your brothers.”

Galatians 5:6

5:6 For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision carries any weight – the only thing that matters is faith working through love. ²⁰ 

Hebrews 10:35

10:35 So do not throw away your confidence, because it ²¹  has great reward.

Hebrews 10:39--11:7

10:39 But we are not among those who shrink back and thus perish, but are among those who have faith and preserve their souls. ²² 

People Commended for Their Faith

11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see. 11:2 For by it the people of old ²³  received God’s commendation. ²⁴  11:3 By faith we understand that the worlds ²⁵  were set in order at God’s command, ²⁶  so that the visible has its origin in the invisible. ²⁷  11:4 By faith Abel offered God a greater sacrifice than Cain, and through his faith ²⁸  he was commended as righteous, because God commended him for his offerings. And through his faith ²⁹  he still speaks, though he is dead. 11:5 By faith Enoch was taken up so that he did not see death, and he was not to be found because God took him up. For before his removal he had been commended as having pleased God. 11:6 Now without faith it is impossible to please him, for the one who approaches God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him. 11:7 By faith Noah, when he was warned about things not yet seen, with reverent regard ³⁰  constructed an ark for the deliverance of his family. Through faith he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.

Hebrews 11:1

People Commended for Their Faith

11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for, being convinced of what we do not see.

Hebrews 5:1-5

5:1 For every high priest is taken from among the people ³¹  and appointed ³²  to represent them before God, ³³  to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins. 5:2 He is able to deal compassionately with those who are ignorant and erring, since he also is subject to weakness, 5:3 and for this reason he is obligated to make sin offerings for himself as well as for the people. 5:4 And no one assumes this honor ³⁴  on his own initiative, ³⁵  but only when called to it by God, ³⁶  as in fact Aaron was. 5:5 So also Christ did not glorify himself in becoming high priest, but the one who glorified him was God, ³⁷  who said to him, “You are my Son! Today I have fathered you,” ³⁸ 

[8:13]  ¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[8:13]  ² sn This time of temporary faith represented by the description believe for a while is presented rather tragically in the passage. The seed does not get a chance to do all it can.

[8:13]  ³ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[8:13]  ⁴ tn Traditionally, “temptation.” Such a translation puts the emphasis on temptation to sin rather than testing of faith, which is what the context seems to indicate.

[8:13]  ⁵ sn Fall away. On the idea of falling away and the warnings against it, see 2 Tim 3:1; Heb 3:12; Jer 3:14; Dan 9:9.

[8:14]  ⁶ tn Grk “What”; the referent (the seed) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:14]  ⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[8:14]  ⁸ sn That is, their concern for spiritual things is crowded out by material things.

[8:14]  ⁹ sn On warnings about the dangers of excessive material attachments, described here as the worries and riches and pleasures of life, see Luke 12:12-21; 16:19-31.

[8:14]  ¹⁰ tn The verb τελεσφορέω (telesforew) means “to produce mature or ripe fruit” (L&N 23.203). Once again the seed does not reach its goal.

[8:15]  ¹¹ tn The aorist participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally, reflecting action antecedent (prior to) that of the main verb.

[8:15]  ¹² sn There is a tenacity that is a part of spiritual fruitfulness.

[8:15]  ¹³ sn In an ancient context, the qualifier good described the ethical person who possessed integrity. Here it is integrity concerning God’s revelation through Jesus.

[8:15]  ¹⁴ sn Given the pressures noted in the previous soils, bearing fruit takes time (steadfast endurance), just as it does for the farmer. See Jas 1:2-4.

[22:32]  ¹⁵ sn Here and in the remainder of the verse the second person pronouns are singular, so only Peter is in view. The name “Simon” has been supplied as a form of direct address to make this clear in English.

[22:32]  ¹⁶ sn That your faith may not fail. Note that Peter’s denials are pictured here as lapses, not as a total absence of faith.

[22:32]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “And when.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[22:32]  ¹⁸ tn Or “turned around.”

[22:32]  ¹⁹ sn Strengthen your brothers refers to Peter helping to strengthen their faith. Jesus quite graciously restores Peter “in advance,” even with the knowledge of his approaching denials.

[5:6]  ²⁰ tn Grk “but faith working through love.”

[10:35]  ²¹ tn Grk “which,” but showing the reason.

[10:39]  ²² tn Grk “not…of shrinking back to perdition but of faith to the preservation of the soul.”

[11:2]  ²³ tn Or “the elders,” “the ancients.”

[11:2]  ²⁴ tn Grk “were attested,” “received commendation”; and Heb 11:4-6 shows this to be from God.

[11:3]  ²⁵ tn Grk “ages.” The temporal (ages) came to be used of the spatial (what exists in those time periods). See Heb 1:2 for same usage.

[11:3]  ²⁶ tn Grk “by God’s word.”

[11:3]  ²⁷ sn The Greek phrasing emphasizes this point by negating the opposite: “so that what is seen did not come into being from things that are visible.”

[11:4]  ²⁸ tn Or “through his sacrifice”; Grk “through which.”

[11:4]  ²⁹ tn Or “through his sacrifice”; Grk “through it.”

[11:7]  ³⁰ tn Cf. BDAG 407 s.v. εὐλαβέομαι 2, “out of reverent regard (for God’s command).”

[5:1]  ³¹ tn Grk “from among men,” but since the point in context is shared humanity (rather than shared maleness), the plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) has been translated “people.”

[5:1]  ³² tn Grk “who is taken from among people is appointed.”

[5:1]  ³³ tn Grk “appointed on behalf of people in reference to things relating to God.”

[5:4]  ³⁴ sn Honor refers here to the honor of the high priesthood.

[5:4]  ³⁵ tn Grk “by himself, on his own.”

[5:4]  ³⁶ tn Grk “being called by God.”

[5:5]  ³⁷ tn Grk “the one”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:5]  ³⁸ tn Grk “I have begotten you”; see Heb 1:5.