Matthew 13:25

13:25 But while everyone was sleeping, an enemy came and sowed weeds ¹  among the wheat and went away.

Acts 15:24

15:24 Since we have heard that some have gone out from among us with no orders from us and have confused ²  you, upsetting ³  your minds ⁴  by what they said, ⁵ 

Galatians 2:4

2:4 Now this matter arose ⁶  because of the false brothers with false pretenses ⁷  who slipped in unnoticed to spy on ⁸  our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, to make us slaves. ⁹ 

Ephesians 4:14

4:14 So ¹⁰  we are no longer to be children, tossed back and forth by waves and carried about by every wind of teaching by the trickery of people who craftily carry out their deceitful schemes. ¹¹ 

Ephesians 4:2

4:2 with all humility and gentleness, ¹²  with patience, bearing with ¹³  one another in love,

Ephesians 3:6

3:6 namely, that through the gospel ¹⁴  the Gentiles are fellow heirs, fellow members ¹⁵  of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 3:2

3:2 if indeed ¹⁶  you have heard of the stewardship ¹⁷  of God’s grace that was given to me for you,

Ephesians 2:1-2

New Life Individually

2:1 And although you were ¹⁸  dead ¹⁹  in your transgressions and sins, 2:2 in which ²⁰  you formerly lived ²¹  according to this world’s present path, ²²  according to the ruler of the kingdom ²³  of the air, the ruler of ²⁴  the spirit ²⁵  that is now energizing ²⁶  the sons of disobedience, ²⁷ 

[13:25]  ¹ tn Grk “sowed darnel.” The Greek term ζιζάνιον (zizanion) refers to an especially undesirable weed that looks like wheat but has poisonous seeds (L&N 3.30).

[15:24]  ² tn Here BDAG 990-91 s.v. ταράσσω 2 states, “Of mental confusion caused by false teachings ταρ. τινά Ac 15:24 (w. λόγοις foll.).”

[15:24]  ³ tn BDAG 71 s.v. ἀνασκευάζω describes this verb with a figurative meaning: “to cause inward distress, upset, unsettle.”

[15:24]  ⁴ tn Grk “souls.”

[15:24]  ⁵ tn Grk “by words”; L&N 25.231 translates the phrase “they troubled and upset you by what they said.”

[2:4]  ⁶ tn No subject and verb are expressed in vv. 4-5, but the phrase “Now this matter arose,” implied from v. 3, was supplied to make a complete English sentence.

[2:4]  ⁷ tn The adjective παρεισάκτους (pareisaktou"), which relates to someone joining a group with false motives or false pretenses, applies to the “false brothers.” Although the expression “false brothers with false pretenses” is somewhat redundant, it captures the emphatic force of Paul’s expression, which labels both these “brothers” as false (ψευδαδέλφους, yeudadelfou") as well as their motives. See L&N 34.29 for more information.

[2:4]  ⁸ tn The verb translated here as “spy on” (κατασκοπέω, kataskopew) can have a neutral nuance, but here the connotation is certainly negative (so F. F. Bruce, Galatians [NIGTC], 112-13, and E. Burton, Galatians [ICC], 83).

[2:4]  ⁹ tn Grk “in order that they might enslave us.” The ἵνα (Jina) clause with the subjunctive verb καταδουλώσουσιν (katadoulwsousin) has been translated as an English infinitival clause.

[4:14]  ¹⁰ tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[4:14]  ¹¹ tn While the sense of the passage is clear enough, translation in English is somewhat difficult. The Greek says: “by the trickery of men, by craftiness with the scheme of deceit.” The point is that the author is concerned about Christians growing into maturity. He is fearful that certain kinds of very cunning people, who are skilled at deceitful scheming, should come in and teach false doctrines which would in turn stunt the growth of the believers.

[4:2]  ¹² tn Or “meekness.” The word is often used in Hellenistic Greek of the merciful execution of justice on behalf of those who have no voice by those who are in a position of authority (Matt 11:29; 21:5).

[4:2]  ¹³ tn Or “putting up with”; or “forbearing.”

[3:6]  ¹⁴ sn The phrase through the gospel is placed last in the sentence in Greek for emphasis. It has been moved forward for clarity.

[3:6]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “and fellow members.”

[3:2]  ¹⁶ sn If indeed. The author is not doubting whether his audience has heard, but is rather using provocative language (if indeed) to engage his audience in thinking about the magnificence of God’s grace. However, in English translation, the apodosis (“then”-clause) does not come until v. 13, leaving the protasis (“if”-clause) dangling. Eph 3:2-7 constitute one sentence in Greek.

[3:2]  ¹⁷ tn Or “administration,” “dispensation,” “commission.”

[2:1]  ¹⁸ tn The adverbial participle “being” (ὄντας, ontas) is taken concessively.

[2:1]  ¹⁹ sn Chapter 2 starts off with a participle, although you were dead, that is left dangling. The syntax in Greek for vv. 1-3 constitutes one incomplete sentence, though it seems to have been done intentionally. The dangling participle leaves the readers in suspense while they wait for the solution (in v. 4) to their spiritual dilemma.

[2:2]  ²⁰ sn The relative pronoun which is feminine as is sins, indicating that sins is the antecedent.

[2:2]  ²¹ tn Grk “walked.”

[2:2]  ²² tn Or possibly “Aeon.”

[2:2]  ²³ tn Grk “domain, [place of] authority.”

[2:2]  ²⁴ tn Grk “of” (but see the note on the word “spirit” later in this verse).

[2:2]  ²⁵ sn The ruler of the kingdom of the air is also the ruler of the spirit that is now energizing the sons of disobedience. Although several translations regard the ruler to be the same as the spirit, this is unlikely since the cases in Greek are different (ruler is accusative and spirit is genitive). To get around this, some have suggested that the genitive for spirit is a genitive of apposition. However, the semantics of the genitive of apposition are against such an interpretation (cf. ExSyn 100).

[2:2]  ²⁶ tn Grk “working in.”

[2:2]  ²⁷ sn Sons of disobedience is a Semitic idiom that means “people characterized by disobedience.” However, it also contains a subtle allusion to vv. 4-10: Some of those sons of disobedience have become sons of God.