Luke 9:2

9:2 and he sent ¹  them out to proclaim ²  the kingdom of God ³  and to heal the sick. ⁴ 

Luke 12:31

12:31 Instead, pursue ⁵  his ⁶  kingdom, ⁷  and these things will be given to you as well.

Luke 13:20

13:20 Again ⁸  he said, “To what should I compare the kingdom of God? ⁹ 

Luke 21:10

Persecution of Disciples

21:10 Then he said to them, “Nation will rise up in arms ¹⁰  against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

Luke 22:29

22:29 Thus ¹¹  I grant ¹²  to you a kingdom, ¹³  just as my Father granted to me,

Luke 23:42

23:42 Then ¹⁴  he said, “Jesus, remember me ¹⁵  when you come in ¹⁶  your kingdom.”

Luke 12:32

12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased ¹⁷  to give you the kingdom.

Luke 18:25

18:25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle ¹⁸  than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Luke 19:12

19:12 Therefore he said, “A nobleman ¹⁹  went to a distant country to receive ²⁰  for himself a kingdom and then return. ²¹ 

Luke 4:43

4:43 But Jesus ²²  said to them, “I must ²³  proclaim the good news of the kingdom ²⁴  of God to the other towns ²⁵  too, for that is what I was sent ²⁶  to do.” ²⁷ 

Luke 8:1

Jesus’ Ministry and the Help of Women

8:1 Some time ²⁸  afterward ²⁹  he went on through towns ³⁰  and villages, preaching and proclaiming the good news ³¹  of the kingdom of God. ³²  The ³³  twelve were with him,

Luke 9:27

9:27 But I tell you most certainly, ³⁴  there are some standing here who will not ³⁵  experience ³⁶  death before they see the kingdom of God.” ³⁷ 

Luke 9:60

9:60 But Jesus ³⁸  said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, ³⁹  but as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God.” ⁴⁰ 

Luke 18:17

18:17 I tell you the truth, ⁴¹  whoever does not receive ⁴²  the kingdom of God like a child ⁴³  will never ⁴⁴  enter it.”

Luke 18:24

18:24 When Jesus noticed this, ⁴⁵  he said, “How hard ⁴⁶  it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! ⁴⁷ 

Luke 23:51

23:51 (He ⁴⁸  had not consented ⁴⁹  to their plan and action.) He ⁵⁰  was from the Judean town ⁵¹  of Arimathea, and was looking forward to ⁵²  the kingdom of God. ⁵³ 

Luke 19:15

19:15 When ⁵⁴  he returned after receiving the kingdom, he summoned ⁵⁵  these slaves to whom he had given the money. He wanted ⁵⁶  to know how much they had earned ⁵⁷  by trading.

[9:2]  ¹ sn “To send out” is often a term of divine commission in Luke: 1:19; 4:18, 43; 7:27; 9:48; 10:1, 16; 11:49; 13:34; 24:49.

[9:2]  ² tn Or “to preach.”

[9:2]  ³ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[9:2]  ⁴ sn As Jesus’ own ministry (Luke 4:16-44) involved both word (to proclaim) and deed (to heal) so also would that of the disciples.

[12:31]  ⁵ tn Grk “seek,” but in the sense of the previous verses.

[12:31]  ⁶ tc Most mss (Ì⁴⁵ A D¹ Q W Θ 070 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat sy) read τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou, “of God”) instead of αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”; found in א B D* L Ψ 579 892 pc co). But such a clarifying reading is suspect. αὐτοῦ is superior on both internal and external grounds. Ì⁷⁵ includes neither and as such would support the translation above since the article alone can often be translated as a possessive pronoun.

[12:31]  ⁷ sn His (that is, God’s) kingdom is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[13:20]  ⁹ tn Grk “And again.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[13:20]  ¹⁰ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[21:10]  ¹³ tn For the translation “rise up in arms” see L&N 55.2.

[22:29]  ¹⁷ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “thus” to indicate the implied result of the disciples’ perseverance with Jesus.

[22:29]  ¹⁸ sn With the statement “I grant to you a kingdom” Jesus gave the disciples authority over the kingdom, as God had given him such authority. The present tense looks at authority given presently, though the major manifestation of its presence is yet to come as the next verse shows.

[22:29]  ¹⁹ tn Or “I give you the right to rule” (cf. CEV). For this translation of διατίθεμαι βασιλείαν (diatiqemai basileian) see L&N 37.105.

[23:42]  ²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[23:42]  ²² sn Jesus, remember me is a statement of faith from the cross, as Jesus saves another even while he himself is dying. This man’s faith had shown itself when he rebuked the other thief. He hoped to be with Jesus sometime in the future in the kingdom.

[23:42]  ²³ tc ‡ The alternate readings of some mss make the reference to Jesus’ coming clearer. “Into your kingdom” – with εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν (ei" thn basileian), read by Ì⁷⁵ B L – is a reference to his entering into God’s presence at the right hand. “In your kingdom” – with ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ (en th basileia), read by א A C*^,2 W Θ Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat sy – looks at his return. It could be argued that the reading with εἰς is more in keeping with Luke’s theology elsewhere, but the contrast with Jesus’ reply, “Today,” slightly favors the reading “in your kingdom.” Codex Bezae (D), in place of this short interchange between the criminal and Jesus, reads “Then he turned to the Lord and said to him, ‘Remember me in the day of your coming.’ Then the Lord said in reply to [him], ‘Take courage; today you will be with me in paradise.’” This reading emphasizes the future aspect of the coming of Christ; it has virtually no support in any other mss.

[12:32]  ²⁵ tn Or perhaps, “your Father chooses.”

[18:25]  ²⁹ sn The eye of a needle refers to a sewing needle, one of the smallest items one might deal with on a regular basis, in contrast to the biggest animal of the region. (The gate in Jerusalem known as “The Needle’s Eye” was built during the middle ages and was not in existence in Jesus’ day.) Jesus is saying rhetorically that this is impossible, unless God (v. 27) intervenes.

[19:12]  ³³ tn Grk “a man of noble birth” or “a man of noble status” (L&N 87.27).

[19:12]  ³⁴ sn Note that the receiving of the kingdom takes place in the far country. This suggests that those in the far country recognize and acknowledge the king when his own citizens did not want him as king (v. 14; cf. John 1:11-12).

[19:12]  ³⁵ sn The background to this story about the nobleman who went…to receive for himself a kingdom had some parallels in the area’s recent history: Archelaus was appointed ethnarch of Judea, Samaria, and Idumea in 4 b.c., but the people did not like him. Herod the Great also made a similar journey to Rome where he was crowned King of Judea in 40 b.c., although he was not able to claim his kingdom until 37 b.c.

[4:43]  ³⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:43]  ³⁸ tn Here δεῖ (dei, “it is necessary”) indicates divine commission (cf. Luke 2:49).

[4:43]  ³⁹ sn The good news of the kingdom, the kingdom of the rule of God through the Messiah, is the topic of Jesus’ preaching.

[4:43]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “cities.”

[4:43]  ⁴¹ sn Jesus was sent by God for this purpose. This is the language of divine commission.

[4:43]  ⁴² tn Grk “because for this purpose I was sent.”

[8:1]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “And it happened that some time.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[8:1]  ⁴² tn Καθεξῆς (Kaqexh") is a general temporal term and need not mean “soon afterward”; see Luke 1:3; Acts 3:24; 11:4; 18:23 and L&N 61.1.

[8:1]  ⁴³ tn Or “cities.”

[8:1]  ⁴⁴ sn The combination of preaching and proclaiming the good news is a bit emphatic, stressing Jesus’ teaching ministry on the rule of God.

[8:1]  ⁴⁵ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[8:1]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “And the.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[9:27]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “I tell you truly” (λέγω δὲ ὑμῖν ἀληθῶς, legw de Jumin alhqw").

[9:27]  ⁴⁶ tn The Greek negative here (οὐ μή, ou mh) is the strongest possible.

[9:27]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “will not taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).

[9:27]  ⁴⁸ sn The meaning of the statement that some will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God is clear at one level, harder at another. Jesus predicts some will experience the kingdom before they die. When does this happen? (1) An initial fulfillment is the next event, the transfiguration. (2) It is also possible in Luke’s understanding that all but Judas experience the initial fulfillment of the coming of God’s presence and rule in the work of Acts 2. In either case, the “kingdom of God” referred to here would be the initial rather than the final phase.

[9:60]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:60]  ⁵⁰ sn There are several options for the meaning of Jesus’ reply Leave the dead to bury their own dead: (1) Recent research suggests that burial customs in the vicinity of Jerusalem from about 20 b.c. to a.d. 70 involved a reinterment of the bones a year after the initial burial, once the flesh had rotted away. At that point the son would have placed his father’s bones in a special box known as an ossuary to be set into the wall of the tomb. Thus Jesus could well be rebuking the man for wanting to wait around for as much as a year before making a commitment to follow him. In 1st century Jewish culture, to have followed Jesus rather than burying one’s father would have seriously dishonored one’s father (cf. Tobit 4:3-4). (2) The remark is an idiom (possibly a proverbial saying) that means, “The matter in question is not the real issue,” in which case Jesus was making a wordplay on the wording of the man’s (literal) request (see L&N 33.137). (3) This remark could be a figurative reference to various kinds of people, meaning, “Let the spiritually dead bury the dead.” (4) It could also be literal and designed to shock the hearer by the surprise of the contrast. Whichever option is preferred, it is clear that the most important priority is to preach the gospel (proclaim the kingdom of God).

[9:60]  ⁵¹ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[18:17]  ⁵³ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[18:17]  ⁵⁴ sn On receive see John 1:12.

[18:17]  ⁵⁵ sn The point of the comparison receive the kingdom of God like a child has more to do with a child’s trusting spirit and willingness to be dependent and receive from others than any inherent humility the child might possess.

[18:17]  ⁵⁶ tn The negation in Greek used here (οὐ μή, ou mh) is very strong.

[18:24]  ⁵⁷ tc ‡ The phrase περίλυπον γενόμενον (perilupon genomenon, “[When Jesus saw him] becoming sad”) is found in the majority of mss (A [D] W Θ Ψ 078 ˹³ 33^vid Ï latt sy), and it is not unknown in Lukan style to repeat a word or phrase in adjacent passages (TCGNT 143). However, the phrase is lacking in some significant mss (א B L ˹ 579 1241 2542 co). The shorter reading is nevertheless difficult to explain if it is not original: It is possible that these witnesses omitted this phrase out of perceived redundancy from the preceding verse, although intentional omissions, especially by several and varied witnesses, are generally unlikely. NA²⁷ places the words in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity.

[18:24]  ⁵⁸ sn For the rich it is hard for wealth not to be the point of focus, as the contrast in vv. 28-30 will show, and for rich people to trust God. Wealth was not an automatic sign of blessing as far as Jesus was concerned.

[18:24]  ⁵⁹ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[23:51]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “This one.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation at this point.

[23:51]  ⁶² tc Several mss (א C D L Δ Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 [579] 892 1424 2542 al) read the present participle συγκατατιθέμενος (sunkatatiqemeno") instead of the perfect participle συγκατατεθειμένος (sunkatateqeimeno"). The present participle could be taken to mean that Joseph had decided that the execution was now a mistake. The perfect means that he did not agree with it from the start. The perfect participle, however, has better support externally (Ì⁷⁵ A B W Θ 33 Ï), and is thus the preferred reading.

[23:51]  ⁶³ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation at this point.

[23:51]  ⁶⁴ tn Or “Judean city”; Grk “from Arimathea, a city of the Jews.” Here the expression “of the Jews” (᾿Iουδαίων, Ioudaiwn) is used in an adjectival sense to specify a location (cf. BDAG 478 s.v. ᾿Iουδαῖος 2.c) and so has been translated “Judean.”

[23:51]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “waiting for.”

[23:51]  ⁶⁶ sn Though some dispute that Joseph of Arimathea was a disciple of Jesus, this remark that he was looking forward to the kingdom of God, the affirmation of his character at the end of v. 50, and his actions regarding Jesus’ burial all suggest otherwise.

[19:15]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “And it happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[19:15]  ⁶⁶ tn Grk “he said for these slaves to be called to him.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one and simplified to “he summoned.”

[19:15]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “in order that he might know” (a continuation of the preceding sentence). Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation by supplying the pronoun “he” as subject and the verb “wanted” to convey the idea of purpose.

[19:15]  ⁶⁸ sn The Greek verb earned refers to profit from engaging in commerce and trade (L&N 57.195). This is an examination of stewardship.