Matthew 25:11-12

25:11 Later, ¹  the other virgins came too, saying, ‘Lord, lord! Let us in!’ ²  25:12 But he replied, ³  ‘I tell you the truth, ⁴  I do not know you!’

Hosea 8:2-3

8:2 Israel cries out to me,

“My God, we acknowledge you!”

8:3 But Israel has rejected what is morally good;

so an enemy will pursue him.

Luke 6:46

6:46 “Why ⁵  do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ ⁶  and don’t do what I tell you? ⁷ 

Luke 13:25

13:25 Once ⁸  the head of the house ⁹  gets up ¹⁰  and shuts the door, then you will stand outside and start to knock on the door and beg him, ‘Lord, ¹¹  let us in!’ ¹²  But he will answer you, ¹³  ‘I don’t know where you come from.’ ¹⁴ 

Acts 19:13-20

19:13 But some itinerant ¹⁵  Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name ¹⁶  of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by ¹⁷  evil spirits, saying, “I sternly warn ¹⁸  you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 19:14 (Now seven sons of a man named ¹⁹  Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.) ²⁰  19:15 But the evil spirit replied to them, ²¹  “I know about Jesus ²²  and I am acquainted with ²³  Paul, but who are you?” ²⁴  19:16 Then the man who was possessed by ²⁵  the evil spirit jumped on ²⁶  them and beat them all into submission. ²⁷  He prevailed ²⁸  against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded. 19:17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, ²⁹  both Jews and Greeks; fear came over ³⁰  them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised. ³¹  19:18 Many of those who had believed came forward, ³²  confessing and making their deeds known. ³³  19:19 Large numbers ³⁴  of those who had practiced magic ³⁵  collected their books ³⁶  and burned them up in the presence of everyone. ³⁷  When ³⁸  the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins. ³⁹  19:20 In this way the word of the Lord ⁴⁰  continued to grow in power ⁴¹  and to prevail. ⁴² 

Romans 2:13

2:13 For it is not those who hear the law who are righteous before God, but those who do the law will be declared righteous. ⁴³ 

Titus 1:16

1:16 They profess to know God but with their deeds they deny him, since they are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good deed.

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 2:20-26

2:20 But would you like evidence, ⁴⁴  you empty fellow, ⁴⁵  that faith without works is useless? ⁴⁶  2:21 Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? 2:22 You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works. 2:23 And the scripture was fulfilled that says, “Now Abraham believed God and it was counted to him for righteousness,” ⁴⁷  and he was called God’s friend. ⁴⁸  2:24 You see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 2:25 And similarly, was not Rahab the prostitute also justified by works when she welcomed the messengers and sent them out by another way? 2:26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

[25:11]  ¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:11]  ² tn Grk “Open to us.”

[25:12]  ³ tn Grk “But answering, he said.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[25:12]  ⁴ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[6:46]  ⁵ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[6:46]  ⁶ tn The double use of the vocative is normally used in situations of high emotion or emphasis. Even an emphatic confession without action means little.

[6:46]  ⁷ sn Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and don’t do what I tell you? Respect is not a matter of mere words, but is reflected in obedient action. This short saying, which is much simpler than its more developed conceptual parallel in Matt 7:21-23, serves in this form to simply warn and issue a call to hear and obey, as the last parable also does in vv. 47-49.

[13:25]  ⁸ tn The syntactical relationship between vv. 24-25 is disputed. The question turns on whether v. 25 is connected to v. 24 or not. A lack of a clear connective makes an independent idea more likely. However, one must then determine what the beginning of the sentence connects to. Though it makes for slightly awkward English, the translation has opted to connect it to “he will answer” so that this functions, in effect, as an apodosis. One could end the sentence after “us” and begin a new sentence with “He will answer” to make simpler sentences, although the connection between the two sentences is thereby less clear. The point of the passage, however, is clear. Once the door is shut, because one failed to come in through the narrow way, it is closed permanently. The moral: Do not be too late in deciding to respond.

[13:25]  ⁹ tn Or “the master of the household.”

[13:25]  ¹⁰ tn Or “rises,” or “stands up.”

[13:25]  ¹¹ tn Or “Sir.”

[13:25]  ¹² tn Grk “Open to us.”

[13:25]  ¹³ tn Grk “and answering, he will say to you.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “he will answer you.”

[13:25]  ¹⁴ sn For the imagery behind the statement “I do not know where you come from,” see Ps 138:6; Isa 63:16; Jer 1:5; Hos 5:3.

[19:13]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “some Jewish exorcists who traveled about.” The adjectival participle περιερχομένων (periercomenwn) has been translated as “itinerant.”

[19:13]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “to name the name.”

[19:13]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “who had.” Here ἔχω (ecw) is used of demon possession, a common usage according to BDAG 421 s.v. ἔχω 7.a.α.

[19:13]  ¹⁸ sn The expression I sternly warn you means “I charge you as under oath.”

[19:14]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “a certain Sceva.”

[19:14]  ²⁰ sn Within the sequence of the narrative, this amounts to a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:15]  ²¹ tn Grk “answered and said to them.” The expression, redundant in English, has been simplified to “replied.”

[19:15]  ²² tn Grk “Jesus I know about.” Here ᾿Ιησοῦν (Ihsoun) is in emphatic position in Greek, but placing the object first is not normal in contemporary English style.

[19:15]  ²³ tn BDAG 380 s.v. ἐπίσταμαι 2 has “know, be acquainted with τινά…τὸν Παῦλον Ac 19:15.” Here the translation “be acquainted with” was used to differentiate from the previous phrase which has γινώσκω (ginwskw).

[19:15]  ²⁴ sn But who are you? This account shows how the power of Paul was so distinct that parallel claims to access that power were denied. In fact, such manipulation, by those who did not know Jesus, was judged (v. 16). The indirect way in which the exorcists made the appeal shows their distance from Jesus.

[19:16]  ²⁵ tn Grk “in whom the evil spirit was.”

[19:16]  ²⁶ tn Grk “the man in whom the evil spirit was, jumping on them.” The participle ἐφαλόμενος (efalomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. L&N 15.239 has “ἐφαλόμενος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς ‘the man jumped on them’ Ac 19:16.”

[19:16]  ²⁷ tn Grk “and beating them all into submission.” The participle κατακυριεύσας (katakurieusa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. According to W. Foerster, TDNT 3:1098, the word means “the exercise of dominion against someone, i.e., to one’s own advantage.” These exorcists were shown to be powerless in comparison to Jesus who was working through Paul.

[19:16]  ²⁸ tn BDAG 484 s.v. ἰσχύω 3 has “win out, prevail…κατά τινος over, against someone Ac 19:16.”

[19:17]  ²⁹ map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[19:17]  ³⁰ tn Grk “fell on.” BDAG 377 s.v. ἐπιπίπτω 2 has “φόβος ἐ. ἐπί τινα fear came upon someone…Ac 19:17.”

[19:17]  ³¹ tn Or “exalted.”

[19:18]  ³² tn Grk “came”; the word “forward” is supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning and to conform to the contemporary English idiom.

[19:18]  ³³ tn Or “confessing and disclosing their deeds.” BDAG 59 s.v. ἀναγγέλλω 2 has “W. ἐξομολογεῖσθαι: ἀ. τὰς πράξεις αὐτο'ν make their deeds known Ac 19:18.”

[19:19]  ³⁴ tn BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 4.a has “many, quite a few” for ἱκανοί (Jikanoi) in this verse.

[19:19]  ³⁵ tn On this term see BDAG 800 s.v. περίεργος 2.

[19:19]  ³⁶ tn Or “scrolls.”

[19:19]  ³⁷ tn Or “burned them up publicly.” L&N 14.66 has “‘they brought their books together and burned them up in the presence of everyone’ Ac 19:19.”

[19:19]  ³⁸ tn Grk “and when.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[19:19]  ³⁹ tn Or “fifty thousand silver drachmas” (about $10,000 US dollars). BDAG 128 s.v. ἀργύριον 2.c states, “ἀργυρίου μυριάδας πέντε 50,000 (Attic silver) drachmas Ac 19:19.” Another way to express the value would be in sheep: One drachma could buy one sheep. So this many drachmas could purchase a huge flock of sheep. A drachma also equals a denarius, or a day’s wage for the average worker. So this amount would be equal to 50,000 work days or in excess of 8,300 weeks of labor (the weeks are calculated at six working days because of the Jewish cultural context). The impact of Christianity on the Ephesian economy was considerable (note in regard to this the concerns expressed in 19:26-27).

[19:20]  ⁴⁰ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[19:20]  ⁴¹ tn The imperfect verb ηὔξανεν (huxanen) has been translated as a progressive imperfect, as has the following verb ἴσχυεν (iscuen).

[19:20]  ⁴² sn The word of the Lord…to prevail. Luke portrays the impact of Christianity in terms of the Lord’s transforming power in the lives of individuals.

[2:13]  ⁴³ tn The Greek sentence expresses this contrast more succinctly than is possible in English. Grk “For not the hearers of the law are righteous before God, but the doers of the law will be declared righteous.”

[2:20]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “do you want to know.”

[2:20]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “O empty man.” Here the singular vocative ἄνθρωπε (anqrwpe, “man”) means “person” or even “fellow.” Cf. BDAG 82 s.v. ἄνθρωπος 8 which views this as an instance of rhetorical address in a letter; the pejorative sense is also discussed under the previous heading (7).

[2:20]  ⁴⁶ tc Most witnesses, including several important ones (א A C² P Ψ 33 Ï sy bo), have νεκρά (nekra, “dead”) here, while Ì⁷⁴ reads κενή (kenh, “empty”). Both variants are most likely secondary, derived from ἀργή (argh, “useless”). The reading of the majority is probably an assimilation to the statements in vv. 17 and 26, while Ì⁷⁴’s reading picks up on κενέ (kene) earlier in the verse. The external evidence (B C* 323 945 1739 sa) for ἀργή is sufficient for authenticity; coupled with the strong internal evidence for the reading (if νεκρά were original, how would ἀργή have arisen here and not in vv. 17 or 26?), it is strongly preferred.

[2:23]  ⁴⁷ sn A quotation from Gen 15:6.

[2:23]  ⁴⁸ sn An allusion to 2 Chr 20:7; Isa 41:8; 51:2; Dan 3:35 (LXX), in which Abraham is called God’s “beloved.”