Luke 15:32

15:32 It was appropriate ¹  to celebrate and be glad, for your brother ²  was dead, and is alive; he was lost and is found.’” ³ 

Mark 8:22

A Two-stage Healing

8:22 Then ⁴  they came to Bethsaida. They brought a blind man to Jesus ⁵  and asked him to touch him.

John 5:21

5:21 For just as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, ⁶  so also the Son gives life to whomever he wishes. ⁷ 

John 5:24-25

5:24 “I tell you the solemn truth, ⁸  the one who hears ⁹  my message ¹⁰  and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, ¹¹  but has crossed over from death to life. 5:25 I tell you the solemn truth, ¹²  a time ¹³  is coming – and is now here – when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.

John 11:25

11:25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live ¹⁴  even if he dies,

Romans 6:11

6:11 So you too consider yourselves ¹⁵  dead to sin, but ¹⁶  alive to God in Christ Jesus.

Romans 6:13

6:13 and do not present your members to sin as instruments ¹⁷  to be used for unrighteousness, ¹⁸  but present yourselves to God as those who are alive from the dead and your members to God as instruments ¹⁹  to be used for righteousness.

Romans 8:2

8:2 For the law of the life-giving Spirit ²⁰  in Christ Jesus has set you ²¹  free from the law of sin and death.

Romans 8:2

8:2 For the law of the life-giving Spirit ²²  in Christ Jesus has set you ²³  free from the law of sin and death.

Colossians 1:14-15

1:14 in whom we have redemption, ²⁴  the forgiveness of sins.

The Supremacy of Christ

1:15 ²⁵ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn ²⁶  over all creation, ²⁷ 

Ephesians 2:1

New Life Individually

2:1 And although you were ²⁸  dead ²⁹  in your transgressions and sins,

Ephesians 2:5

2:5 even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you are saved! ³⁰  –

Ephesians 5:14

5:14 For everything made evident is light, and for this reason it says: ³¹ 

“Awake, ³²  O sleeper! ³³ 

Rise from the dead,

and Christ will shine on you!” ³⁴ 

Colossians 2:13

2:13 And even though you were dead in your ³⁵  transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless ³⁶  made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions.

Colossians 2:1

2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, ³⁷  and for those in Laodicea, and for those who have not met me face to face. ³⁸ 

Colossians 1:6

1:6 that has come to you. Just as in the entire world this gospel ³⁹  is bearing fruit and growing, so it has also been bearing fruit and growing ⁴⁰  among you from the first day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.

Jude 1:12

1:12 These men are ⁴¹  dangerous reefs ⁴²  at your love feasts, ⁴³  feasting without reverence, ⁴⁴  feeding only themselves. ⁴⁵  They are ⁴⁶  waterless ⁴⁷  clouds, carried along by the winds; autumn trees without fruit ⁴⁸  – twice dead, ⁴⁹  uprooted;

Revelation 3:1

To the Church in Sardis

3:1 “To ⁵⁰  the angel of the church in Sardis write the following: ⁵¹ 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ⁵²  the one who holds ⁵³  the seven spirits of God and the seven stars: ‘I know your deeds, that you have a reputation ⁵⁴  that you are alive, but ⁵⁵  in reality ⁵⁶  you are dead.

[15:32]  ¹ tn Or “necessary.”

[15:32]  ² sn By referring to him as your brother, the father reminded the older brother that the younger brother was part of the family.

[15:32]  ³ sn The theme he was lost and is found is repeated from v. 24. The conclusion is open-ended. The reader is left to ponder with the older son (who pictures the scribes and Pharisees) what the response will be. The parable does not reveal the ultimate response of the older brother. Jesus argued that sinners should be pursued and received back warmly when they returned.

[8:22]  ⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[8:22]  ⁵ tn Grk “to him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:21]  ⁶ tn Grk “and makes them live.”

[5:21]  ⁷ tn Grk “the Son makes whomever he wants to live.”

[5:24]  ⁸ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[5:24]  ⁹ tn Or “obeys.”

[5:24]  ¹⁰ tn Or “word.”

[5:24]  ¹¹ tn Grk “and does not come into judgment.”

[5:25]  ¹² tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[5:25]  ¹³ tn Grk “an hour.”

[11:25]  ¹⁴ tn That is, will come to life.

[6:11]  ¹⁵ tc ‡ Some Alexandrian and Byzantine mss (Ì^94vid א* B C 81 365 1506 1739 1881 pc) have the infinitive “to be” (εἶναι, einai) following “yourselves”. The infinitive is lacking from some mss of the Alexandrian and Western texttypes (Ì^46vid A D*^,c F G 33^vid pc). The infinitive is found elsewhere in the majority of Byzantine mss, suggesting a scribal tendency toward clarification. The lack of infinitive best explains the rise of the other readings. The meaning of the passage is not significantly altered by inclusion or omission, but on internal grounds omission is more likely. NA²⁷ includes the infinitive in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.

[6:11]  ¹⁶ tn Greek emphasizes the contrast between these two clauses more than can be easily expressed in English.

[6:13]  ¹⁷ tn Or “weapons, tools.”

[6:13]  ¹⁸ tn Or “wickedness, injustice.”

[6:13]  ¹⁹ tn Or “weapons, tools.”

[8:2]  ²⁰ tn Grk “for the law of the Spirit of life.”

[8:2]  ²¹ tc Most mss read the first person singular pronoun με (me) here (A D 1739^c 1881 Ï lat sa). The second person singular pronoun σε (se) is superior because of external support (א B {F which reads σαι} G 1506* 1739*) and internal support (it is the harder reading since ch. 7 was narrated in the first person). At the same time, it could have arisen via dittography from the final syllable of the verb preceding it (ἠλευθέρωσεν, hleuqerwsen; “has set free”). But for this to happen in such early and diverse witnesses is unlikely, especially as it depends on various scribes repeatedly overlooking either the nu or the nu-bar at the end of the verb.

[8:2]  ²² tn Grk “for the law of the Spirit of life.”

[8:2]  ²³ tc Most mss read the first person singular pronoun με (me) here (A D 1739^c 1881 Ï lat sa). The second person singular pronoun σε (se) is superior because of external support (א B {F which reads σαι} G 1506* 1739*) and internal support (it is the harder reading since ch. 7 was narrated in the first person). At the same time, it could have arisen via dittography from the final syllable of the verb preceding it (ἠλευθέρωσεν, hleuqerwsen; “has set free”). But for this to happen in such early and diverse witnesses is unlikely, especially as it depends on various scribes repeatedly overlooking either the nu or the nu-bar at the end of the verb.

[1:14]  ²⁴ tc διὰ τοῦ αἵματος αὐτοῦ (dia tou {aimato" autou, “through his blood”) is read at this juncture by several minuscule mss (614 630 1505 2464 al) as well as a few, mostly secondary, versional and patristic witnesses. But the reading was prompted by the parallel in Eph 1:7 where the wording is solid. If these words had been in the original of Colossians, why would scribes omit them here but not in Eph 1:7? Further, the testimony on behalf of the shorter reading is quite overwhelming: {א A B C D F G Ψ 075 0150 6 33 1739 1881 Ï latt co as well as several other versions and fathers}. The conviction that “through his blood” is not authentic in Col 1:14 is as strong as the conviction that these words are authentic in Eph 1:7.

[1:15]  ²⁵ sn This passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.

[1:15]  ²⁶ tn The Greek term πρωτότοκος (prwtotokos) could refer either to first in order of time, such as a first born child, or it could refer to one who is preeminent in rank. M. J. Harris, Colossians and Philemon (EGGNT), 43, expresses the meaning of the word well: “The ‘firstborn’ was either the eldest child in a family or a person of preeminent rank. The use of this term to describe the Davidic king in Ps 88:28 LXX (=Ps 89:27 EVV), ‘I will also appoint him my firstborn (πρωτότοκον), the most exalted of the kings of the earth,’ indicates that it can denote supremacy in rank as well as priority in time. But whether the πρωτό- element in the word denotes time, rank, or both, the significance of the -τοκος element as indicating birth or origin (from τίκτω, give birth to) has been virtually lost except in ref. to lit. birth.” In Col 1:15 the emphasis is on the priority of Jesus’ rank as over and above creation (cf. 1:16 and the “for” clause referring to Jesus as Creator).

[1:15]  ²⁷ tn The genitive construction πάσης κτίσεως (pash" ktisew") is a genitive of subordination and is therefore translated as “over all creation.” See ExSyn 103-4.

[2:1]  ²⁸ tn The adverbial participle “being” (ὄντας, ontas) is taken concessively.

[2:1]  ²⁹ sn Chapter 2 starts off with a participle, although you were dead, that is left dangling. The syntax in Greek for vv. 1-3 constitutes one incomplete sentence, though it seems to have been done intentionally. The dangling participle leaves the readers in suspense while they wait for the solution (in v. 4) to their spiritual dilemma.

[2:5]  ³⁰ tn Or “by grace you have been saved.” The perfect tense in Greek connotes both completed action (“you have been saved”) and continuing results (“you are saved”).

[5:14]  ³¹ sn The following passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.

[5:14]  ³² tn Grk “Rise up.”

[5:14]  ³³ tn The articular nominative participle ὁ καθεύδων (Jo kaqeudwn) is probably functioning as a nominative for vocative. Thus, it has been translated as “O sleeper.”

[5:14]  ³⁴ sn A composite quotation, possibly from Isa 26:19, 51:17, 52:1, and 60:1.

[2:13]  ³⁵ tn The article τοῖς (tois) with παραπτώμασιν (paraptwmasin) is functioning as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[2:13]  ³⁶ tn The word “nevertheless,” though not in the Greek text, was supplied in the translation to bring out the force of the concessive participle ὄντας (ontas).

[2:1]  ³⁷ tn Or “I want you to know how hard I am working for you…”

[2:1]  ³⁸ tn Grk “as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.”

[1:6]  ³⁹ tn Grk “just as in the entire world it is bearing fruit.” The antecedent (“the gospel”) of the implied subject (“it”) of ἐστιν (estin) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[1:6]  ⁴⁰ tn Though the participles are periphrastic with the present tense verb ἐστίν (estin), the presence of the temporal indicator “from the day” in the next clause indicates that this is a present tense that reaches into the past and should be translated as “has been bearing fruit and growing.” For a discussion of this use of the present tense, see ExSyn 519-20.

[1:12]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “these are the men who are.”

[1:12]  ⁴² tn Though σπιλάδες (spilades) is frequently translated “blemishes” or “stains,” such is actually a translation of the Greek word σπίλοι (spiloi). The two words are quite similar, especially in their root or lexical forms (σπιλάς [spila"] and σπίλος [spilos] respectively). Some scholars have suggested that σπιλάδες in this context means the same thing as σπίλοι. But such could be the case only by a stretch of the imagination (see BDAG 938 s.v. σπιλάς for discussion). Others suggest that Jude’s spelling was in error (which also is doubtful). One reason for the tension is that in the parallel passage, 2 Pet 2:13, the term used is indeed σπίλος. And if either Jude used 2 Peter or 2 Peter used Jude, one would expect to see the same word. Jude, however, may have changed the wording for the sake of a subtle wordplay. The word σπιλάς was often used of a mere rock, though it normally was associated with a rock along the shore or one jutting out in the water. Thus, the false teachers would appear as “rocks” – as pillars in the community (cf. Matt 16:18; Gal 2:9), when in reality if a believer got too close to them his faith would get shipwrecked. Some suggest that σπιλάδες here means “hidden rocks.” Though this meaning is attested for the word, it is inappropriate in this context, since these false teachers are anything but hidden. They are dangerous because undiscerning folks get close to them, thinking they are rocks and pillars, when they are really dangerous reefs.

[1:12]  ⁴³ tc Several witnesses (A C^vid 1243 1846 al), influenced by the parallel in 2 Pet 2:13, read ἀπάταις (apatai", “deceptions”) for ἀγάπαις (agapai", “love-feasts”) in v. 12. However, ἀγάπαις has much stronger and earlier support and should therefore be considered original.

[1:12]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “fearlessly.” The term in this context, however, is decidedly negative. The implication is that these false teachers ate the Lord’s Supper without regarding the sanctity of the meal. Cf. 1 Cor 11:17-22.

[1:12]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “shepherding themselves.” The verb ποιμαίνω (poimainw) means “shepherd, nurture [the flock].” But these men, rather than tending to the flock of God, nurture only themselves. They thus fall under the condemnation Paul uttered when writing to the Corinthians: “For when it comes time to eat [the Lord’s Supper,] each one goes ahead with his own meal” (1 Cor 11:21). Above all, the love-feast was intended to be a shared meal in which all ate and all felt welcome.

[1:12]  ⁴⁶ tn “They are” is not in Greek, but resumes the thought begun at the front of v. 12. There is no period before “They are.” English usage requires breaking this into more than one sentence.

[1:12]  ⁴⁷ tn Cf. 2 Pet 2:17. Jude’s emphasis is slightly different (instead of waterless springs, they are waterless clouds).

[1:12]  ⁴⁸ sn The imagery portraying the false teachers as autumn trees without fruit has to do with their lack of productivity. Recall the statement to the same effect by Jesus in Matt 7:16-20, in which false prophets will be known by their fruits. Like waterless clouds full of false hope, these trees do not yield any harvest even though it is expected.

[1:12]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “having died twice.”

[3:1]  ⁵⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated due to differences between Greek and English style.

[3:1]  ⁵¹ tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.

[3:1]  ⁵² tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” See the note on the phrase “this is the solemn pronouncement of” in 2:1.

[3:1]  ⁵³ tn Grk “who has” (cf. 1:16).

[3:1]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “a name.”

[3:1]  ⁵⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[3:1]  ⁵⁶ tn The prepositional phrase “in reality” is supplied in the translation to make explicit the idea that their being alive was only an illusion.