Luke 18:18

The Wealthy Ruler

18:18 Now ¹  a certain ruler ²  asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ³ 

Luke 10:25

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

10:25 Now ⁴  an expert in religious law ⁵  stood up to test Jesus, ⁶  saying, “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” ⁷ 

Luke 18:30

18:30 who will not receive many times more ⁸  in this age ⁹  – and in the age to come, eternal life.” ¹⁰ 

Luke 12:15

12:15 Then ¹¹  he said to them, “Watch out and guard yourself from ¹²  all types of greed, ¹³  because one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.”

Luke 16:25

16:25 But Abraham said, ‘Child, ¹⁴  remember that in your lifetime you received your good things and Lazarus likewise bad things, but now he is comforted here and you are in anguish. ¹⁵ 

[18:18]  ¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.

[18:18]  ² sn Only Luke states this man is a ruler (cf. the parallels in Matt 19:16-22 and Mark 10:17-22, where the questioner is described only as “someone”). He is probably a civic leader of some kind, a leader in the society.

[18:18]  ³ sn The rich man wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life, but Jesus had just finished teaching that eternal life was not earned but simply received (18:17). See the similar question about inheriting eternal life in Luke 10:25.

[10:25]  ⁴ tn Grk “And behold.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic. The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[10:25]  ⁵ tn Traditionally, “a lawyer.” This was an expert in the interpretation of the Mosaic law (see also Luke 7:30, where the same term occurs).

[10:25]  ⁶ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:25]  ⁷ sn The combination of inherit with eternal life asks, in effect, “What must I do to be saved?”

[18:30]  ⁷ sn Jesus reassures his disciples with a promise that (1) much benefit in this life (many times more) and (2) eternal life in the age to come will be given.

[18:30]  ⁸ tn Grk “this time” (καιρός, kairos), but for stylistic reasons this has been translated “this age” here.

[18:30]  ⁹ sn Note that Luke (see also Matt 19:29; Mark 10:30; Luke 10:25) portrays eternal life as something one receives in the age to come, unlike John, who emphasizes the possibility of receiving eternal life in the present (John 5:24).

[12:15]  ¹⁰ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[12:15]  ¹¹ tn See L&N 13.154 for this use of the middle voice of φυλάσσω (fulassw) in this verse.

[12:15]  ¹² tn Or “avarice,” “covetousness.” Note the warning covers more than money and gets at the root attitude – the strong desire to acquire more and more possessions and experiences.

[16:25]  ¹³ tn The Greek term here is τέκνον (teknon), which could be understood as a term of endearment.

[16:25]  ¹⁴ tn Or “in terrible pain” (L&N 24.92). Here is the reversal Jesus mentioned in Luke 6:20-26.