Matthew 3:10

3:10 Even now the ax is laid at ¹  the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

Matthew 7:21

Judgment of Pretenders

7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ ²  will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven.

Matthew 18:5

18:5 And whoever welcomes ³  a child like this in my name welcomes me.

Mark 10:15

10:15 I tell you the truth, ⁴  whoever does not receive ⁵  the kingdom of God like a child ⁶  will never ⁷  enter it.”

Mark 10:25

10:25 It is easier for a camel ⁸  to go through the eye of a needle ⁹  than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

Luke 18:17

18:17 I tell you the truth, ¹⁰  whoever does not receive ¹¹  the kingdom of God like a child ¹²  will never ¹³  enter it.”

Luke 18:24-25

18:24 When Jesus noticed this, ¹⁴  he said, “How hard ¹⁵  it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God! ¹⁶  18:25 In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle ¹⁷  than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”

John 3:3-5

3:3 Jesus replied, ¹⁸  “I tell you the solemn truth, ¹⁹  unless a person is born from above, ²⁰  he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ²¹  3:4 Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter his mother’s womb and be born a second time, can he?” ²² 

3:5 Jesus answered, “I tell you the solemn truth, ²³  unless a person is born of water and spirit, ²⁴  he cannot enter the kingdom of God.

Hebrews 12:14

Do Not Reject God’s Warning

12:14 Pursue peace with everyone, and holiness, ²⁵  for without it no one will see the Lord.

Revelation 21:27

21:27 but ²⁶  nothing ritually unclean ²⁷  will ever enter into it, nor anyone who does what is detestable ²⁸  or practices falsehood, ²⁹  but only those whose names ³⁰  are written in the Lamb’s book of life.

[3:10]  ¹ sn Laid at the root. That is, placed and aimed, ready to begin cutting.

[7:21]  ² 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.

[18:5]  ³ tn This verb, δέχομαι (decomai), is a term of hospitality (L&N 34.53).

[10:15]  ⁴ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[10:15]  ⁵ sn On receive see John 1:12.

[10:15]  ⁶ 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.

[10:15]  ⁷ tn The negation in Greek (οὐ μή, ou mh) is very strong here.

[10:25]  ⁸ tc A few witnesses (˹³ 28 579 pc) read κάμιλον (kamilon, “rope”) for κάμηλον (kamhlon, “camel”), either through accidental misreading of the text or intentionally so as to soften Jesus’ words.

[10:25]  ⁹ sn The referent of the eye of a needle is a sewing needle. (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 was speaking rhetorically to point out that apart from God’s intervention, salvation is impossible (v. 27).

[18:17]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[18:17]  ¹¹ sn On receive see John 1:12.

[18:17]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ tn The negation in Greek used here (οὐ μή, ou mh) is very strong.

[18:24]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ 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.

[18:25]  ¹⁷ 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.

[3:3]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[3:3]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[3:3]  ²⁰ tn The word ἄνωθεν (anwqen) has a double meaning, either “again” (in which case it is synonymous with παλίν [palin]) or “from above” (BDAG 92 s.v. ἄνωθεν). This is a favorite technique of the author of the Fourth Gospel, and it is lost in almost all translations at this point. John uses the word 5 times, in 3:3, 7; 3:31; 19:11 and 23. In the latter 3 cases the context makes clear that it means “from above.” Here (3:3, 7) it could mean either, but the primary meaning intended by Jesus is “from above.” Nicodemus apparently understood it the other way, which explains his reply, “How can a man be born when he is old? He can’t enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” The author uses the technique of the “misunderstood question” often to bring out a particularly important point: Jesus says something which is misunderstood by the disciples or (as here) someone else, which then gives Jesus the opportunity to explain more fully and in more detail what he really meant.

[3:3]  ²¹ sn What does Jesus’ statement about not being able to see the kingdom of God mean within the framework of John’s Gospel? John uses the word kingdom (βασιλεία, basileia) only 5 times (3:3, 5; 18:36 [3x]). Only here is it qualified with the phrase of God. The fact that John does not stress the concept of the kingdom of God does not mean it is absent from his theology, however. Remember the messianic implications found in John 2, both the wedding and miracle at Cana and the cleansing of the temple. For Nicodemus, the term must surely have brought to mind the messianic kingdom which Messiah was supposed to bring. But Nicodemus had missed precisely this point about who Jesus was. It was the Messiah himself with whom Nicodemus was speaking. Whatever Nicodemus understood, it is clear that the point is this: He misunderstood Jesus’ words. He over-literalized them, and thought Jesus was talking about repeated physical birth, when he was in fact referring to new spiritual birth.

[3:4]  ²² tn The grammatical structure of the question in Greek presupposes a negative reply.

[3:5]  ²³ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[3:5]  ²⁴ tn Or “born of water and wind” (the same Greek word, πνεύματος [pneumatos], may be translated either “spirit/Spirit” or “wind”).

[12:14]  ²⁵ sn The references to peace and holiness show the close connection between this paragraph and the previous one. The pathway toward “holiness” and the need for it is cited in Heb 12:10 and 14. More importantly Prov 4:26-27 sets up the transition from one paragraph to the next: It urges people to stay on godly paths (Prov 4:26, quoted here in v. 13) and promises that God will lead them in peace if they do so (Prov 4:27 [LXX], quoted in v. 14).

[21:27]  ²⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[21:27]  ²⁷ tn Here BDAG 552 s.v. κοινός 2 states, “pert. to being of little value because of being common, common, ordinary, profane…b. specifically, of that which is ceremonially impure: Rv 21:27.”

[21:27]  ²⁸ tn Or “what is abhorrent”; Grk “who practices abominations.”

[21:27]  ²⁹ tn Grk “practicing abomination or falsehood.” Because of the way βδέλυγμα (bdelugma) has been translated (“does what is detestable”) it was necessary to repeat the idea from the participle ποιῶν (poiwn, “practices”) before the term “falsehood.” On this term, BDAG 1097 s.v. ψεῦδος states, “ποιεῖν ψεῦδος practice (the things that go with) falsehood Rv 21:27; 22:15.” Cf. Rev 3:9.

[21:27]  ³⁰ tn Grk “those who are written”; the word “names” is implied.