Matthew 5:39-42

5:39 But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. ¹  But whoever strikes you on the ²  right cheek, turn the other to him as well. 5:40 And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, ³  give him your coat also. 5:41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, ⁴  go with him two. 5:42 Give to the one who asks you, ⁵  and do not reject ⁶  the one who wants to borrow from you.

Matthew 6:25

Do Not Worry

6:25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry ⁷  about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Isn’t there more to life than food and more to the body than clothing?

Matthew 6:34

6:34 So then, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Today has enough trouble of its own. ⁸ 

Luke 6:29-35

6:29 To the person who strikes you on the cheek, ⁹  offer the other as well, ¹⁰  and from the person who takes away your coat, ¹¹  do not withhold your tunic ¹²  either. ¹³  6:30 Give to everyone who asks you, ¹⁴  and do not ask for your possessions ¹⁵  back ¹⁶  from the person who takes them away. 6:31 Treat others ¹⁷  in the same way that you would want them to treat you. ¹⁸ 

6:32 “If ¹⁹  you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners ²⁰  love those who love them. ²¹  6:33 And ²²  if you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? Even ²³  sinners ²⁴  do the same. 6:34 And if you lend to those from whom you hope to be repaid, ²⁵  what credit is that to you? Even sinners ²⁶  lend to sinners, so that they may be repaid in full. ²⁷  6:35 But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing back. ²⁸  Then ²⁹  your reward will be great, and you will be sons ³⁰  of the Most High, ³¹  because he is kind to ungrateful and evil people. ³² 

Luke 12:22-30

Exhortation Not to Worry

12:22 Then ³³  Jesus ³⁴  said to his ³⁵  disciples, “Therefore I tell you, do not worry ³⁶  about your ³⁷  life, what you will eat, or about your ³⁸  body, what you will wear. 12:23 For there is more to life than food, and more to the body than clothing. 12:24 Consider the ravens: ³⁹  They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn, yet God feeds ⁴⁰  them. How much more valuable are you than the birds! 12:25 And which of you by worrying ⁴¹  can add an hour to his life? ⁴²  12:26 So if ⁴³  you cannot do such a very little thing as this, why do you worry about ⁴⁴  the rest? 12:27 Consider how the flowers ⁴⁵  grow; they do not work ⁴⁶  or spin. Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his glory was clothed like one of these! 12:28 And if ⁴⁷  this is how God clothes the wild grass, ⁴⁸  which is here ⁴⁹  today and tomorrow is tossed into the fire to heat the oven, ⁵⁰  how much more ⁵¹  will he clothe you, you people of little faith! 12:29 So ⁵²  do not be overly concerned about ⁵³  what you will eat and what you will drink, and do not worry about such things. ⁵⁴  12:30 For all the nations of the world pursue ⁵⁵  these things, and your Father knows that you need them.

Luke 21:34

Be Ready!

21:34 “But be on your guard ⁵⁶  so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and the worries of this life, and that day close down upon you suddenly like a trap. ⁵⁷ 

Luke 21:1

The Widow’s Offering

21:1 Jesus ⁵⁸  looked up ⁵⁹  and saw the rich putting their gifts into the offering box. ⁶⁰ 

Colossians 1:7

1:7 You learned the gospel ⁶¹  from Epaphras, our dear fellow slave ⁶²  – a ⁶³  faithful minister of Christ on our ⁶⁴  behalf –

Colossians 1:29

1:29 Toward this goal ⁶⁵  I also labor, struggling according to his power that powerfully ⁶⁶  works in me.

Colossians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ⁶⁷  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Colossians 1:13

1:13 He delivered us from the power of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of the Son he loves, ⁶⁸ 

Colossians 1:25

1:25 I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship ⁶⁹  from God – given to me for you – in order to complete ⁷⁰  the word of God,

Titus 3:2

3:2 They must not slander ⁷¹  anyone, but be peaceable, gentle, showing complete courtesy to all people.

Hebrews 13:5-6

13:5 Your conduct must be free from the love of money and you must be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you and I will never abandon you.” ⁷²  13:6 So we can say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper, and ⁷³  I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” ⁷⁴ 

Hebrews 13:1

Final Exhortations

13:1 Brotherly love must continue.

Hebrews 1:11

1:11 They will perish, but you continue.

And they will all grow old like a garment,

[5:39]  ¹ tn The articular πονηρός (ponhro", “the evildoer”) cannot be translated simply as “evil” for then the command would be “do not resist evil.” Every instance of this construction in Matthew is most likely personified, referring either to an evildoer (13:49) or, more often, “the evil one” (as in 5:37; 6:13; 13:19, 38).

[5:39]  ² tc ‡ Many mss (B D K L Δ Θ Ë¹³ 565 579 700 1424 pm) have σου (sou) here (“your right cheek”), but many others lack the pronoun (א W ˹ 33 892 1241 pm). The pronoun was probably added by way of clarification. NA²⁷ has σου in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.

[5:40]  ³ tn Or “shirt” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, citwn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a “tunic” was any more than they would be familiar with a “chiton.” On the other hand, attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “Shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.

[5:41]  ⁴ sn If anyone forces you to go one mile. In NT times Roman soldiers had the authority to press civilians into service to carry loads for them.

[5:42]  ⁵ sn Jesus advocates a generosity and a desire to meet those in dire need with the command give to the one who asks you. This may allude to begging; giving alms was viewed highly in the ancient world (Matt 6:1-4; Deut 15:7-11).

[5:42]  ⁶ tn Grk “do not turn away from.”

[6:25]  ⁷ tn Or “do not be anxious,” and so throughout the rest of this paragraph.

[6:34]  ⁸ tn Grk “Sufficient for the day is its evil.”

[6:29]  ⁹ sn The phrase strikes you on the cheek probably pictures public rejection, like the act that indicated expulsion from the synagogue.

[6:29]  ¹⁰ sn This command to offer the other cheek as well is often misunderstood. It means that there is risk involved in reaching out to people with God’s hope. But if one is struck down in rejection, the disciple is to continue reaching out.

[6:29]  ¹¹ tn Or “cloak.”

[6:29]  ¹² tn See the note on the word “tunics” in 3:11.

[6:29]  ¹³ sn The command do not withhold your tunic either is again an image of continually being totally at risk as one tries to keep contact with those who are hostile to what Jesus and his disciples offer.

[6:30]  ¹⁴ sn Jesus advocates a generosity and a desire to meet those in dire need with the command give to everyone who asks you. This may allude to begging; giving alms was viewed highly in the ancient world (Matt 6:1-4; Deut 15:7-11).

[6:30]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “your things,” sometimes translated “what is yours” or “what belongs to you.”

[6:30]  ¹⁶ sn Do not ask for your possessions back… is an example of showing forgiveness. Paul’s remarks in 1 Cor 6:7 may reflect this principle.

[6:31]  ¹⁷ tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), referring to both males and females.

[6:31]  ¹⁸ sn Jesus’ teaching as reflected in the phrase treat others in the same way you would want them to treat you, known generally as the Golden Rule, is not completely unique in the ancient world, but it is stated here in its most emphatic, selfless form.

[6:32]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “And if.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style. This is a first class condition, but the next two conditional clauses are third class conditions, so that stylistic variation is probably at work.

[6:32]  ²⁰ sn Here the term sinners may refer to people who had no concern for observing the details of the Mosaic law; these were often treated as social outcasts. See L&N 88.295.

[6:32]  ²¹ sn Jesus’ point in the statement even sinners love those who love them is that disciples are to go farther than sinners do. The examples replay vv. 29-30.

[6:33]  ²² tc ‡ Three key mss (Ì⁷⁵ א* B) have “for” here, but it is unlikely that it was present originally. The addition of conjunctions, especially to the beginning of a clause, are typically suspect because they fit the pattern of Koine tendencies toward greater explicitness. NA²⁷ has the word in brackets, indicating doubts as to its authenticity.

[6:33]  ²³ tc Most mss (A D L Θ Ξ Ψ Ë¹³ 33 Ï lat) include γάρ (gar, “for”) following καί (kai, here translated “even”), but a few important mss (א B W 700 892* 1241 pc) lack the conjunction. The inclusion of the conjunction seems to be motivated by clarity and should probably be considered inauthentic.

[6:33]  ²⁴ sn See the note on the word sinners in v. 32.

[6:34]  ²⁵ tn Grk “to receive”; but in context the repayment of the amount lent is implied. Jesus was noting that utilitarian motives are the way of the world.

[6:34]  ²⁶ sn See the note on the word sinners in v. 32.

[6:34]  ²⁷ tn Grk “to receive as much again.”

[6:35]  ²⁸ tn Or “in return.”

[6:35]  ²⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the outcome or result. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started in the translation at this point.

[6:35]  ³⁰ sn The character of these actions reflects the grace and kindness of God, bearing witness to a “line of descent” or relationship of the individual to God (sons of the Most High). There is to be a unique kind of ethic at work with disciples. Jesus refers specifically to sons here because in the ancient world sons had special privileges which were rarely accorded to daughters. However, Jesus is most likely addressing both men and women in this context, so women too would receive these same privileges.

[6:35]  ³¹ sn That is, “sons of God.”

[6:35]  ³² tn Or “to the ungrateful and immoral.” The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[12:22]  ³³ tn Here δέ (de) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative. Jesus’ remarks to the disciples are an application of the point made in the previous parable.

[12:22]  ³⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:22]  ³⁵ tc αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) is lacking in Ì^45vid,75 B 1241 c e. Although the addition of clarifying pronouns is a known scribal alteration, in this case it is probably better to view the dropping of the pronoun as the alteration in light of its minimal attestation.

[12:22]  ³⁶ tn Or “do not be anxious.”

[12:22]  ³⁷ tc Most mss (Ì⁴⁵ Ψ 070 ˹³ 33 Ï) supply the pronoun ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) here, although several important and early witnesses omit it (Ì⁷⁵ א A B D L Q W Θ Ë¹ 700 2542 al lat). Externally, the shorter reading is superior. Internally, the pronoun looks to be a scribal clarification. In context the article can be translated as a possessive pronoun anyway (ExSyn 215), as it has been done for this translation.

[12:22]  ³⁸ tc Some mss (B 070 ˹³ 33 1424 al) supply the pronoun ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) here, although the witnesses for the omission are early, important, and varied (Ì^45vid,75 א A D L Q W Θ Ψ Ë¹ Ï lat). See previous tc note for more discussion.

[12:24]  ³⁹ tn Or “crows.” Crows and ravens belong to the same family of birds. English uses “crow” as a general word for the family. Palestine has several indigenous members of the crow family.

[12:24]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “God gives them food to eat.” L&N 23.6 has both “to provide food for” and “to give food to someone to eat.”

[12:25]  ⁴¹ tn Or “by being anxious.”

[12:25]  ⁴² tn Or “a cubit to his height.” A cubit (πῆχυς, phcu") can measure length (normally about 45 cm or 18 inches) or time (a small unit, “hour” is usually used [BDAG 812 s.v.] although “day” has been suggested [L&N 67.151]). The term ἡλικία (Jhlikia) is ambiguous in the same way as πῆχυς. Most scholars take the term to describe age or length of life here, although a few refer it to bodily stature (see BDAG 435-36 s.v. 1.a for discussion). Worry about length of life seems a more natural figure than worry about height. However, the point either way is clear: Worrying adds nothing to life span or height.

[12:26]  ⁴³ tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text.

[12:26]  ⁴⁴ tn Or “why are you anxious for.”

[12:27]  ⁴⁵ tn Traditionally, “lilies.” According to L&N 3.32, “Though traditionally κρίνον has been regarded as a type of lily, scholars have suggested several other possible types of flowers, including an anemone, a poppy, a gladiolus, and a rather inconspicuous type of daisy.” In view of the uncertainty, the more generic “flowers” has been used in the translation.

[12:27]  ⁴⁶ tn Traditionally, “toil.” Although it might be argued that “work hard” would be a more precise translation of κοπιάω (kopiaw) here, the line in English scans better in terms of cadence with a single syllable.

[12:28]  ⁴⁷ tn This is a first class condition in the Greek text.

[12:28]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “grass in the field.”

[12:28]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “which is in the field today.”

[12:28]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “into the oven.” The expanded translation “into the fire to heat the oven” has been used to avoid misunderstanding; most items put into modern ovens are put there to be baked, not burned.

[12:28]  ⁵¹ sn The phrase how much more is a typical form of rabbinic argumentation, from the lesser to the greater. If God cares for the little things, surely he will care for the more important things.

[12:29]  ⁵² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate a conclusion drawn from the previous illustrations.

[12:29]  ⁵³ tn Grk “do not seek,” but this could be misunderstood to mean that people should make no attempt to obtain their food. The translation “do not be overly concerned” attempts to reflect the force of the original.

[12:29]  ⁵⁴ tn The words “about such things” have been supplied to qualify the meaning; the phrase relates to obtaining food and drink mentioned in the previous clause.

[12:30]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “seek.”

[21:34]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “watch out for yourselves.”

[21:34]  ⁵⁷ sn Or like a thief, see Luke 12:39-40. The metaphor of a trap is a vivid one. Most modern English translations traditionally place the words “like a trap” at the end of v. 34, completing the metaphor. In the Greek text (and in the NRSV and REB) the words “like a trap” are placed at the beginning of v. 35. This does not affect the meaning.

[21:1]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “He”; the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[21:1]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “looking up, he saw.” The participle ἀναβλέψας (anableya") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:1]  ⁶⁰ tn On the term γαζοφυλάκιον (gazofulakion), often translated “treasury,” see BDAG 186 s.v., which states, “For Mk 12:41, 43; Lk 21:1 the mng. contribution box or receptacle is attractive. Acc. to Mishnah, Shekalim 6, 5 there were in the temple 13 such receptacles in the form of trumpets. But even in these passages the general sense of ‘treasury’ is prob., for the contributions would go [into] the treasury via the receptacles.” Based upon the extra-biblical evidence (see sn following), however, the translation opts to refer to the actual receptacles and not the treasury itself.

[1:7]  ⁶¹ tn Or “learned it.” The Greek text simply has “you learned” without the reference to “the gospel,” but “the gospel” is supplied to clarify the sense of the clause. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[1:7]  ⁶² tn The Greek word translated “fellow slave” is σύνδουλος (sundoulo"); the σύν- prefix here denotes association. Though δοῦλος is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.

[1:7]  ⁶³ tn The Greek text has “who (ὅς, Jos) is a faithful minister.” The above translation conveys the antecedent of the relative pronoun quite well and avoids the redundancy with the following substantival participle of v. 8, namely, “who told” (ὁ δηλώσας, Jo dhlwsa").

[1:7]  ⁶⁴ tc ‡ Judging by the superior witnesses for the first person pronoun ἡμῶν (Jhmwn, “us”; Ì⁴⁶ א* A B D* F G 326* 1505 al) vs. the second person pronoun ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “you”; found in א² C D¹ Ψ 075 33 1739 1881 Ï lat sy co), ἡμῶν should be regarded as original. Although it is possible that ἡμῶν was an early alteration of ὑμῶν (either unintentionally, as dittography, since it comes seventeen letters after the previous ἡμῶν; or intentionally, to conform to the surrounding first person pronouns), this supposition is difficult to maintain in light of the varied and valuable witnesses for this reading. Further, the second person is both embedded in the verb ἐμάθετε (emaqete) and is explicit in v. 8 (ὑμῶν). Hence, the motivation to change to the first person pronoun is counterbalanced by such evidence. The second person pronoun may have been introduced unintentionally via homoioarcton with the ὑπέρ (Juper) that immediately precedes it. As well, the second person reading is somewhat harder for it seems to address Epaphras’ role only in relation to Paul and his colleagues, rather than in relation to the Colossians. Nevertheless, the decision must be based ultimately on external evidence (because the internal evidence can be variously interpreted), and this strongly supports ἡμῶν.

[1:29]  ⁶⁵ tn The Greek phrase εἴς ὅ (eis Jo, “toward which”) implies “movement toward a goal” and has been rendered by the English phrase “Toward this goal.”

[1:29]  ⁶⁶ tn The prepositional phrase ἐν δυνάμει (en dunamei) seems to be functioning adverbially, related to the participle, and has therefore been translated “powerfully.”

[1:1]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:13]  ⁶⁸ tn Here αὐτοῦ (autou) has been translated as a subjective genitive (“he loves”).

[1:25]  ⁶⁹ tn BDAG 697 s.v. οἰκονομία 1.b renders the term here as “divine office.”

[1:25]  ⁷⁰ tn See BDAG 828 s.v. πληρόω 3. The idea here seems to be that the apostle wants to “complete the word of God” in that he wants to preach it to every person in the known world (cf. Rom 15:19). See P. T. O’Brien, Colossians, Philemon (WBC), 82.

[3:2]  ⁷¹ tn Or “discredit,” “damage the reputation of.”

[13:5]  ⁷² sn A quotation from Deut 31:6, 8.

[13:6]  ⁷³ tc Some important mss (א* C* P 0285^vid 33 1175 1739 pc lat) lack καί (kai), but because the omission conforms to the wording of Ps 118:6 (117:6 LXX), it is suspect.

[13:6]  ⁷⁴ sn A quotation from Ps 118:6.