Luke 8:15

8:15 But as for the seed that landed on good soil, these are the ones who, after hearing ¹  the word, cling to it ²  with an honest and good ³  heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance. ⁴ 

Matthew 7:21-26

Judgment of Pretenders

7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ ⁵  will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 7:22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do ⁶  many powerful deeds?’ 7:23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’ ⁷ 

Hearing and Doing

7:24 “Everyone ⁸  who hears these words of mine and does them is like ⁹  a wise man ¹⁰  who built his house on rock. 7:25 The rain fell, the flood ¹¹  came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock. 7:26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

Matthew 17:5

17:5 While he was still speaking, a ¹²  bright cloud ¹³  overshadowed ¹⁴  them, and a voice from the cloud said, ¹⁵  “This is my one dear Son, ¹⁶  in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!” ¹⁷ 

John 6:28-29

6:28 So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds ¹⁸  God requires?” ¹⁹  6:29 Jesus replied, ²⁰  “This is the deed ²¹  God requires ²²  – to believe in the one whom he ²³  sent.”

John 13:17

13:17 If you understand ²⁴  these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

James 1:22

1:22 But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves.

James 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From James, ²⁵  a slave ²⁶  of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. ²⁷  Greetings!

James 2:1

Prejudice and the Law of Love

2:1 My brothers and sisters, ²⁸  do not show prejudice ²⁹  if you possess faith ³⁰  in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. ³¹ 

James 3:1

The Power of the Tongue

3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, ³²  because you know that we will be judged more strictly. ³³ 

James 3:1

The Power of the Tongue

3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, ³⁴  because you know that we will be judged more strictly. ³⁵ 

James 3:1

The Power of the Tongue

3:1 Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers and sisters, ³⁶  because you know that we will be judged more strictly. ³⁷ 

James 3:3

3:3 And if we put bits into the mouths of horses to get them to obey us, then we guide their entire bodies. ³⁸ 

James 1:11

1:11 For the sun rises with its heat and dries up the meadow; the petal of the flower falls off and its beauty is lost forever. ³⁹  So also the rich person in the midst of his pursuits will wither away.

[8:15]  ¹ tn The aorist participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally, reflecting action antecedent (prior to) that of the main verb.

[8:15]  ² sn There is a tenacity that is a part of spiritual fruitfulness.

[8:15]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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.

[7:21]  ⁵ sn The double use of the vocative is normally used in situations of high emotion or emphasis. Even an emphatic confession without action means little.

[7:22]  ⁶ tn Grk “and in your name do.” This phrase was not repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:23]  ⁷ tn Grk “workers of lawlessness.”

[7:24]  ⁸ tn Grk “Therefore everyone.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.

[7:24]  ⁹ tn Grk “will be like.” The same phrase occurs in v. 26.

[7:24]  ¹⁰ tn Here and in v. 26 the Greek text reads ἀνήρ (anhr), while the parallel account in Luke 6:47-49 uses ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") in vv. 48 and 49.

[7:25]  ¹¹ tn Grk “the rivers.”

[17:5]  ¹² tn Grk “behold, a.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated here or in the following clause because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[17:5]  ¹³ sn This cloud is the cloud of God’s presence and the voice is his as well.

[17:5]  ¹⁴ tn Or “surrounded.”

[17:5]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “behold, a voice from the cloud, saying.” This is an incomplete sentence in Greek which portrays intensity and emotion. The participle λέγουσα (legousa) was translated as a finite verb in keeping with English style.

[17:5]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “my beloved Son,” or “my Son, the beloved [one].” The force of ἀγαπητός (agaphtos) is often “pertaining to one who is the only one of his or her class, but at the same time is particularly loved and cherished” (L&N 58.53; cf. also BDAG 7 s.v. 1).

[17:5]  ¹⁷ sn The expression listen to him comes from Deut 18:15 and makes two points: 1) Jesus is a prophet like Moses, a leader-prophet, and 2) they have much yet to learn from him.

[6:28]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “the works.”

[6:28]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “What must we do to work the works of God?”

[6:29]  ²⁰ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[6:29]  ²¹ tn Grk “the work.”

[6:29]  ²² tn Grk “This is the work of God.”

[6:29]  ²³ tn Grk “that one” (i.e., God).

[13:17]  ²⁴ tn Grk “If you know.”

[1:1]  ²⁵ tn Grk “James.” The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ²⁶ tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:1]  ²⁷ tn Grk “to the twelve tribes in the Diaspora.” The Greek term διασπορά (diaspora, “dispersion”) refers to Jews not living in Palestine but “dispersed” or scattered among the Gentiles.

[2:1]  ²⁸ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[2:1]  ²⁹ tn Or “partiality.”

[2:1]  ³⁰ tn Grk “do not have faith with personal prejudice,” with emphasis on the last phrase.

[2:1]  ³¹ tn Grk “our Lord Jesus Christ of glory.” Here δόξης (doxhs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[3:1]  ³² tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[3:1]  ³³ tn Grk “will receive a greater judgment.”

[3:1]  ³⁴ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[3:1]  ³⁵ tn Grk “will receive a greater judgment.”

[3:1]  ³⁶ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[3:1]  ³⁷ tn Grk “will receive a greater judgment.”

[3:3]  ³⁸ tn Grk “their entire body.”

[1:11]  ³⁹ tn Or “perishes,” “is destroyed.”