Matthew 16:25

16:25 For whoever wants to save his life ¹  will lose it, ²  but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Acts 20:24

20:24 But I do not consider my life ³  worth anything ⁴  to myself, so that ⁵  I may finish my task ⁶  and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news ⁷  of God’s grace.

Acts 21:13

21:13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking ⁸  my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up, ⁹  but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.”

Philippians 2:17

2:17 But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service of your faith, I am glad and rejoice together with all of you.

Philippians 2:30

2:30 since it was because of the work of Christ that he almost died. He risked his life so that he could make up for your inability to serve me. ¹⁰ 

Hebrews 12:1-4

The Lord’s Discipline

12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, ¹¹  we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and run with endurance the race set out for us, 12:2 keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith. For the joy set out for him he endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. ¹²  12:3 Think of him who endured such opposition against himself by sinners, so that you may not grow weary in your souls and give up. 12:4 You have not yet resisted to the point of bloodshed ¹³  in your struggle against sin.

[16:25]  ¹ tn Or “soul” (throughout vv. 25-26).

[16:25]  ² sn The point of the saying whoever wants to save his life will lose it is that if one comes to Jesus then rejection by many will certainly follow. If self-protection is a key motivation, then one will not respond to Jesus and will not be saved. One who is willing to risk rejection will respond and find true life.

[20:24]  ³ tn Grk “soul.”

[20:24]  ⁴ tn Or “I do not consider my life worth a single word.” According to BDAG 599 s.v. λόγος 1.a.α, “In the textually uncertain pass. Ac 20:24 the text as it stands in N., οὐδενὸς λόγου (v.l. λόγον) ποιοῦμαι τὴν ψυχὴν τιμίαν, may well mean: I do not consider my life worth a single word (cp. λόγου ἄξιον [ἄξιος 1a] and our ‘worth mention’).”

[20:24]  ⁵ tn BDAG 1106 s.v. ὡς 9 describes this use as “a final particle, expressing intention/purpose, with a view to, in order to.”

[20:24]  ⁶ tn Grk “course.” See L&N 42.26, “(a figurative extension of meaning of δρόμος ‘race’) a task or function involving continuity, serious, effort, and possibly obligation – ‘task, mission’…Ac 20:24.” On this Pauline theme see also Phil 1:19-26; Col 1:24; 2 Tim 4:6-7.

[20:24]  ⁷ tn Or “to the gospel.”

[21:13]  ⁸ tn The term translated “breaking” as used by Josephus (Ant. 10.10.4 [10.207]) means to break something into pieces, but in its only NT use (it is a hapax legomenon) it is used figuratively (BDAG 972 s.v. συνθρύπτω).

[21:13]  ⁹ tn L&N 18.13 has “to tie objects together – ‘to tie, to tie together, to tie up.’” The verb δέω (dew) is sometimes figurative for imprisonment (L&N 37.114), but it is preferable to translate it literally here in light of v. 11 where Agabus tied himself up with Paul’s belt.

[2:30]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “make up for your lack of service to me.”

[12:1]  ¹¹ tn Grk “having such a great cloud of witnesses surrounding us.”

[12:2]  ¹² sn An allusion to Ps 110:1.

[12:4]  ¹³ tn Grk “until blood.”