Matthew 25:13

25:13 Therefore stay alert, because you do not know the day or the hour. ¹ 

Matthew 26:38-41

26:38 Then he said to them, “My soul is deeply grieved, even to the point of death. Remain here and stay awake with me.” 26:39 Going a little farther, he threw himself down with his face to the ground and prayed, ²  “My Father, if possible, ³  let this cup ⁴  pass from me! Yet not what I will, but what you will.” 26:40 Then he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. He ⁵  said to Peter, “So, couldn’t you stay awake with me for one hour? 26:41 Stay awake and pray that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Mark 13:33-37

13:33 Watch out! Stay alert! ⁶  For you do not know when the time will come. 13:34 It is like a man going on a journey. He left his house and put his slaves ⁷  in charge, assigning ⁸  to each his work, and commanded the doorkeeper to stay alert. 13:35 Stay alert, then, because you do not know when the owner of the house will return – whether during evening, at midnight, when the rooster crows, or at dawn – 13:36 or else he might find you asleep when he returns suddenly. 13:37 What I say to you I say to everyone: Stay alert!”

Luke 12:35-40

Call to Faithful Stewardship

12:35 “Get dressed for service ⁹  and keep your lamps burning; ¹⁰  12:36 be like people ¹¹  waiting for their master to come back from the wedding celebration, ¹²  so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 12:37 Blessed are those slaves ¹³  whom their master finds alert ¹⁴  when he returns! I tell you the truth, ¹⁵  he will dress himself to serve, ¹⁶  have them take their place at the table, ¹⁷  and will come ¹⁸  and wait on them! ¹⁹  12:38 Even if he comes in the second or third watch of the night ²⁰  and finds them alert, ²¹  blessed are those slaves! ²²  12:39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief ²³  was coming, he would not have let ²⁴  his house be broken into. 12:40 You also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” ²⁵ 

Luke 21:36

21:36 But stay alert at all times, ²⁶  praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that must ²⁷  happen, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Romans 13:11

Motivation to Godly Conduct

13:11 And do this ²⁸  because we know ²⁹  the time, that it is already the hour for us to awake from sleep, for our salvation is now nearer than when we became believers.

Romans 13:1

Submission to Civil Government

13:1 Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except by God’s appointment, ³⁰  and the authorities that exist have been instituted by God.

Colossians 1:13

1:13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, ³¹ 

Colossians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ³²  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Colossians 1:6

1:6 that has come to you. Just as in the entire world this gospel ³³  is bearing fruit and growing, so it has also been bearing fruit and growing ³⁴  among you from the first day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.

Colossians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ³⁵  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Colossians 4:7

Personal Greetings and Instructions

4:7 Tychicus, a dear brother, faithful minister, and fellow slave ³⁶  in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. ³⁷ 

Colossians 1:8

1:8 who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Revelation 3:2-3

3:2 Wake up then, and strengthen what remains that was about ³⁸  to die, because I have not found your deeds complete ³⁹  in the sight ⁴⁰  of my God. 3:3 Therefore, remember what you received and heard, ⁴¹  and obey it, ⁴²  and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never ⁴³  know at what hour I will come against ⁴⁴  you.

Revelation 16:15

16:15 (Look! I will come like a thief!

Blessed is the one who stays alert and does not lose ⁴⁵  his clothes so that he will not have to walk around naked and his shameful condition ⁴⁶  be seen.) ⁴⁷ 

[25:13]  ¹ tc Most later mss (C³ ˹³ 1424^c Ï) also read here “in which the Son of Man is coming” (ἐν ᾗ ὁ υἱὸς τοῦ ἀνθρώπου ἔρχεται, en |h Jo Juio" tou anqrwpou ercetai), reproducing almost verbatim the last line of Matt 24:44. The longer reading thus appears to be an explanatory expansion and should not be considered authentic. The earlier and better witnesses ({̳⁵ א A B C* D L W Δ Θ Ë¹ 33 565 892 1424* lat co}) lack this phrase.

[26:39]  ² tn Grk “ground, praying and saying.” Here the participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[26:39]  ³ tn Grk “if it is possible.”

[26:39]  ⁴ sn This cup alludes to the wrath of God that Jesus would experience (in the form of suffering and death) for us. See Ps 11:6; 75:8-9; Isa 51:17, 19, 22 for this figure.

[26:40]  ⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated.

[13:33]  ⁶ tc The vast majority of witnesses (א A C L W Θ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï lat sy co) have καὶ προσεύχεσθε after ἀγρυπνεῖτε (agrupneite kai proseucesqe, “stay alert and pray”). This may be a motivated reading, influenced by the similar command in Mark 14:38 where προσεύχεσθε is solidly attested, and more generally from the parallel in Luke 21:36 (though δέομαι [deomai, “ask”] is used there). As B. M. Metzger notes, it is a predictable variant that scribes would have been likely to produce independently of each other (TCGNT 95). The words are not found in B D 2427 a c {d} k. Although the external evidence for the shorter reading is slender, it probably better accounts for the longer reading than vice versa.

[13:34]  ⁷ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 10:44.

[13:34]  ⁸ tn Grk “giving.”

[12:35]  ⁹ tn Grk “Let your loins be girded,” an idiom referring to the practice of tucking the ends of the long cloak (outer garment) into the belt to shorten it in preparation for activities like running, etc.

[12:35]  ¹⁰ sn Keep your lamps burning means to be ready at all times.

[12:36]  ¹¹ tn That is, like slaves (who are mentioned later, vv. 37-38), although the term ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") is used here. Since in this context it appears generic rather than gender-specific, the translation “people” is employed.

[12:36]  ¹² sn An ancient wedding celebration could last for days (Tob 11:18).

[12:37]  ¹³ tn See the note on the word “slave” in 7:2.

[12:37]  ¹⁴ tn Or “watching”; Grk “awake,” but in context this is not just being awake but alert and looking out.

[12:37]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[12:37]  ¹⁶ tn See v. 35 (same verb).

[12:37]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “have them recline at table,” as 1st century middle eastern meals were not eaten while sitting at a table, but while reclining on one’s side on the floor with the head closest to the low table and the feet farthest away.

[12:37]  ¹⁸ tn The participle παρελθών (parelqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[12:37]  ¹⁹ sn He…will come and wait on them is a reversal of expectation, but shows that what Jesus asks for he is willing to do as well; see John 13:5 and 15:18-27, although those instances merely foreshadow what is in view here.

[12:38]  ²⁰ sn The second or third watch of the night would be between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. on a Roman schedule and 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. on a Jewish schedule. Luke uses the four-watch schedule of the Romans in Acts 12:4, so that is more probable here. Regardless of the precise times of the watches, however, it is clear that the late-night watches when a person is least alert are in view here.

[12:38]  ²¹ tn Grk “finds (them) thus”; but this has been clarified in the translation by referring to the status (“alert”) mentioned in v. 37.

[12:38]  ²² tn Grk “blessed are they”; the referent (the watchful slaves, v. 37) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:39]  ²³ sn On Jesus pictured as a returning thief, see 1 Thess 5:2, 4; 2 Pet 3:10; Rev 3:3; 16:15.

[12:39]  ²⁴ tc Most mss (א¹ A B L Q W Θ Ψ 070 Ë^1,13 33 Ï lat sy^p,h sa^ms bo) read “he would have watched and not let” here, but this looks like an assimilation to Matt 24:43. The alliance of two important and early mss along with a few others (Ì⁷⁵ א* [D] e i sy^s,c sa^mss), coupled with much stronger internal evidence, suggests that the shorter reading is authentic.

[12:40]  ²⁵ sn Jesus made clear that his coming could not be timed, and suggested it might take some time – so long, in fact, that some would not be looking for him any longer (at an hour when you do not expect him).

[21:36]  ²⁶ sn The call to be alert at all times is a call to remain faithful in looking for the Lord’s return.

[21:36]  ²⁷ tn For the translation of μέλλω (mellw) as “must,” see L&N 71.36.

[13:11]  ²⁸ tn Grk “and this,” probably referring to the command to love (13:8-10); hence, “do” is implied from the previous verses.

[13:11]  ²⁹ tn The participle εἰδότες (eidotes) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[13:1]  ³⁰ tn Grk “by God.”

[1:13]  ³¹ tn Here αὐτοῦ (autou) has been translated as a subjective genitive (“he loves”).

[1:1]  ³² tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:6]  ³³ 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]  ³⁴ 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.

[1:1]  ³⁵ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[4:7]  ³⁶ tn See the note on “fellow slave” in 1:7.

[4:7]  ³⁷ tn Grk “all things according to me.”

[3:2]  ³⁸ tn The verb ἔμελλον (emellon) is in the imperfect tense.

[3:2]  ³⁹ tn The perfect passive participle has been translated as an intensive (resultative) perfect here.

[3:2]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “in the judgment.” BDAG 342 s.v. ἐνώπιον 3 states, “in the opinion/judgment of…As a rule…of θεός or κύριος; so after…πεπληρωμένος Rv 3:2.”

[3:3]  ⁴¹ tn The expression πῶς εἴληφας καὶ ἤκουσας (pw" eilhfa" kai hkousa") probably refers to the initial instruction in the Christian life they had received and been taught; this included doctrine and ethical teaching.

[3:3]  ⁴² tn Grk “keep it,” in the sense of obeying what they had initially been taught.

[3:3]  ⁴³ tn The negation here is with οὐ μή (ou mh, the strongest possible form of negation in Koine Greek).

[3:3]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “come on.”

[16:15]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “and keeps.” BDAG 1002 s.v. τηρέω 2.c states “of holding on to someth. so as not to give it up or lose it…τὰ ἱμάτια αὐτοῦ Rv 16:15 (or else he will have to go naked).”

[16:15]  ⁴⁶ tn On the translation of ἀσχημοσύνη (aschmosunh) as “shameful condition” see L&N 25.202. The indefinite third person plural (“and they see”) has been translated as a passive here.

[16:15]  ⁴⁷ sn These lines are parenthetical, forming an aside to the narrative. The speaker here is the Lord Jesus Christ himself rather than the narrator. Many interpreters have seen this verse as so abrupt that it could not be an original part of the work, but the author has used such asides before (1:7; 14:13) and the suddenness here (on the eve of Armageddon) is completely parallel to Jesus’ warning in Mark 13:15-16 and parallels.