Philippians 1:18-21

1:18 What is the result? Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is being proclaimed, and in this I rejoice.

Yes, ¹  and I will continue to rejoice, 1:19 for I know that this will turn out for my deliverance ²  through your prayers and the help of the Spirit of Jesus Christ. 1:20 My confident hope ³  is that I will in no way be ashamed ⁴  but that with complete boldness, even now as always, Christ will be exalted in my body, whether I live or die. ⁵  1:21 For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.

Psalms 16:11

16:11 You lead me in ⁶  the path of life; ⁷ 

I experience absolute joy in your presence; ⁸ 

you always give me sheer delight. ⁹ 

Psalms 17:15

17:15 As for me, because I am innocent I will see your face; ¹⁰ 

when I awake you will reveal yourself to me. ¹¹ 

Psalms 73:24-26

73:24 You guide ¹²  me by your wise advice,

and then you will lead me to a position of honor. ¹³ 

73:25 Whom do I have in heaven but you?

I desire no one but you on earth. ¹⁴ 

73:26 My flesh and my heart may grow weak, ¹⁵ 

but God always ¹⁶  protects my heart and gives me stability. ¹⁷ 

Proverbs 15:24

15:24 The path of life is upward ¹⁸  for the wise person, ¹⁹ 

to ²⁰  keep him from going downward to Sheol. ²¹ 

Matthew 6:19-21

Lasting Treasure

6:19 “Do not accumulate for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth ²²  and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. 6:20 But accumulate for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. 6:21 For where your ²³  treasure ²⁴  is, there your heart will be also.

Matthew 19:21

19:21 Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be perfect, go sell your possessions and give the money ²⁵  to the poor, and you will have treasure ²⁶  in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Luke 12:21

12:21 So it is with the one who stores up riches for himself, ²⁷  but is not rich toward God.”

Luke 12:32-34

12:32 “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father is well pleased ²⁸  to give you the kingdom. 12:33 Sell your possessions ²⁹  and give to the poor. ³⁰  Provide yourselves purses that do not wear out – a treasure in heaven ³¹  that never decreases, ³²  where no thief approaches and no moth ³³  destroys. 12:34 For where your treasure ³⁴  is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 14:14

14:14 Then ³⁵  you will be blessed, ³⁶  because they cannot repay you, for you will be repaid ³⁷  at the resurrection of the righteous.”

Luke 14:2

14:2 There ³⁸  right ³⁹  in front of him was a man suffering from dropsy. ⁴⁰ 

Colossians 4:18

4:18 I, Paul, write this greeting by my own hand. ⁴¹  Remember my chains. ⁴²  Grace be with you. ⁴³ 

Colossians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ⁴⁴  an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and Timothy our brother,

Colossians 1:8

1:8 who also told us of your love in the Spirit.

Ephesians 2:6

2:6 and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus,

Ephesians 2:19

2:19 So then you are no longer foreigners and noncitizens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household,

Colossians 1:5

1:5 Your faith and love have arisen ⁴⁵  from the hope laid up ⁴⁶  for you in heaven, which you have heard about in the message of truth, the gospel ⁴⁷ 

Colossians 3:1-3

Exhortations to Seek the Things Above

3:1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 3:2 Keep thinking about things above, not things on the earth, 3:3 for you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

Hebrews 10:34-35

10:34 For in fact you shared the sufferings of those in prison, ⁴⁸  and you accepted the confiscation of your belongings with joy, because you knew that you certainly ⁴⁹  had a better and lasting possession. 10:35 So do not throw away your confidence, because it ⁵⁰  has great reward.

Hebrews 10:1

Concluding Exposition: Old and New Sacrifices Contrasted

10:1 For the law possesses a shadow of the good things to come but not the reality itself, and is therefore completely unable, by the same sacrifices offered continually, year after year, to perfect those who come to worship. ⁵¹ 

Hebrews 1:3-4

1:3 The Son is ⁵²  the radiance of his glory and the representation of his essence, and he sustains all things by his powerful word, ⁵³  and so when he had accomplished cleansing for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high. ⁵⁴  1:4 Thus he became ⁵⁵  so far better than the angels as ⁵⁶  he has inherited a name superior to theirs.

[1:18]  ¹ tn Or “But.” The conjunction ἀλλά (alla) may be emphatic or contrastive. If the former, the idea may be that Paul will continue rejoicing because of the proclamation of the gospel or because of his imminent release from prison (v. 19); if the latter, Paul is now turning his attention solely to this second reason to rejoice, viz., that he will soon be released from prison. In this latter view the clause should be translated, “But I will also rejoice since I know…”

[1:19]  ² tn Or “salvation.” Deliverance from prison (i.e., release) is probably what Paul has in view here, although some take this as a reference to his ultimate release from the body, i.e., dying and being with Christ (v. 23).

[1:20]  ³ tn Grk “according to my eager expectation and hope.” The κατά (kata) phrase is taken as governing the following ὅτι (Joti) clause (“that I will not be ashamed…”); the idea could be expressed more verbally as “I confidently hope that I will not be ashamed…”

[1:20]  ⁴ tn Or possibly, “be intimidated, be put to shame.”

[1:20]  ⁵ tn Grk “whether by life or by death.”

[16:11]  ⁶ tn Heb “cause me to know”; or “cause me to experience.”

[16:11]  ⁷ tn This is a metaphorical way of saying, “you preserve my life.” The phrase “path of life” stands in contrast to death/Sheol in Prov 2:18-19; 5:5-6; 15:24.

[16:11]  ⁸ tn Heb “abundance of joy [is] with your face.” The plural form of the noun שִׂמְחָה (simkhah, “joy”) occurs only here and in Ps 45:15. It may emphasize the degree of joy experienced.

[16:11]  ⁹ tn Heb “delight [is] in your right hand forever.” The plural form of the adjective נָעִים (na’im, “pleasant, delightful”) may here emphasize the degree of delight experienced (see Job 36:11).

[17:15]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “I, in innocence, I will see your face.” To “see” God’s “face” means to have access to his presence and to experience his favor (see Ps 11:7; see also Job 33:26 [where רָאָה (ra’ah), not חָזַה (khazah), is used]). Here, however, the psalmist may be anticipating a mystical experience. See the following note on the word “me.”

[17:15]  ¹¹ tn Heb “I will be satisfied, when I awake, [with] your form.” The noun תְּמוּנָה (tÿmunah) normally carries the nuance “likeness” or “form.” In Job 4:16 it refers to a ghostlike spiritual entity (see v. 15) that revealed itself to Eliphaz during the night. The psalmist may anticipate a mystical encounter with God in which he expects to see a manifestation of God’s presence (i.e., a theophany), perhaps in conjunction with an oracle of deliverance. During the quiet darkness of the night, God examines the psalmist’s inner motives and finds them to be pure (see v. 3). The psalmist is confident that when he awakens, perhaps sometime during the night or in the morning, he will be visited by God and assured of vindication.

[73:24]  ¹² tn The imperfect verbal form here suggests this is the psalmist’s ongoing experience.

[73:24]  ¹³ tn Heb “and afterward [to] glory you will take me.” Some interpreters view this as the psalmist’s confidence in an afterlife in God’s presence and understand כָּבוֹד (cavod) as a metonymic reference to God’s presence in heaven. But this seems unlikely in the present context. The psalmist anticipates a time of vindication, when the wicked are destroyed and he is honored by God for his godly life style. The verb לָקַח (laqakh, “take”) here carries the nuance “lead, guide, conduct,” as in Num 23:14, 27-28; Josh 24:3 and Prov 24:11.

[73:25]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “Who [is there] for me in heaven? And besides you I do not desire [anyone] in the earth.” The psalmist uses a merism (heaven/earth) to emphasize that God is the sole object of his desire and worship in the entire universe.

[73:26]  ¹⁵ tn The Hebrew verb כָלָה (khalah, “to fail; to grow weak”) does not refer here to physical death per se, but to the physical weakness that sometimes precedes death (see Job 33:21; Pss 71:9; 143:7; Prov 5:11).

[73:26]  ¹⁶ tn Or “forever.”

[73:26]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “is the rocky summit of my heart and my portion.” The psalmist compares the Lord to a rocky summit where one could go for protection and to landed property, which was foundational to economic stability in ancient Israel.

[15:24]  ¹⁸ tn There is disagreement over the meaning of the term translated “upward.” The verse is usually taken to mean that “upward” is a reference to physical life and well-being (cf. NCV), and “going down to Sheol” is a reference to physical death, that is, the grave, because the concept of immortality is said not to appear in the book of Proverbs. The proverb then would mean that the wise live long and healthy lives. But W. McKane argues (correctly) that “upwards” in contrast to Sheol, does not fit the ways of describing the worldly pattern of conduct and that it is only intelligible if taken as a reference to immortality (Proverbs [OTL], 480). The translations “upwards” and “downwards” are not found in the LXX. This has led some commentators to speculate that these terms were not found in the original, but were added later, after the idea of immortality became prominent. However, this is mere speculation.

[15:24]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “to the wise [man],” because the form is masculine.

[15:24]  ²⁰ tn The term לְמַעַן (lema’an, “in order to”) introduces a purpose clause; the path leads upward in order to turn the wise away from Sheol.

[15:24]  ²¹ tn Heb “to turn from Sheol downward”; cf. NAB “the nether world below.”

[6:19]  ²² tn The term σής (shs) refers to moths in general. It is specifically the larvae of moths that destroy clothing by eating holes in it (L&N 4.49; BDAG 922 s.v.). See Jas 5:2, which mentions “moth-eaten” clothing.

[6:21]  ²³ tn The pronouns in this verse are singular while the pronouns in vv. 19-20 are plural. The change to singular emphasizes personal responsibility as opposed to corporate responsibility; even if others do not listen, the one who hears Jesus’ commands should obey.

[6:21]  ²⁴ sn Seeking heavenly treasure means serving others and honoring God by doing so.

[19:21]  ²⁵ tn The words “the money” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context.

[19:21]  ²⁶ sn The call for sacrifice comes with a promise of eternal reward: You will have treasure in heaven. Jesus’ call is a test to see how responsive the man is to God’s direction through him. Will he walk the path God’s agent calls him to walk? For a rich person who got it right, see Zacchaeus in Luke 19:1-10.

[12:21]  ²⁷ sn It is selfishness that is rebuked here, in the accumulation of riches for himself. Recall the emphasis on the first person pronouns throughout the parable.

[12:32]  ²⁸ tn Or perhaps, “your Father chooses.”

[12:33]  ²⁹ sn The call to sell your possessions is a call to a lack of attachment to the earth and a generosity as a result.

[12:33]  ³⁰ tn Grk “give alms,” but this term is not in common use today.

[12:33]  ³¹ tn Grk “in the heavens.”

[12:33]  ³² tn Or “an unfailing treasure in heaven,” or “an inexhaustible treasure in heaven.”

[12:33]  ³³ tn The term σής (shs) refers to moths in general. It is specifically the larvae of moths that destroy clothing by eating holes in it (L&N 4.49; BDAG 922 s.v.). See Jas 5:2, which mentions “moth-eaten” clothing.

[12:34]  ³⁴ sn Seeking heavenly treasure means serving others and honoring God by doing so; see Luke 6:35-36.

[14:14]  ³⁵ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate that this follows from the preceding action. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.

[14:14]  ³⁶ sn You will be blessed. God notes and approves of such generosity.

[14:14]  ³⁷ sn The passive verb will be repaid looks at God’s commendation.

[14:2]  ³⁸ tn Grk “And there.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[14:2]  ³⁹ tn Grk “behold.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) at the beginning of this statement adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1). Here it has been translated as “right” in the phrase “right in front of him,” giving a similar effect of vividness in the translation.

[14:2]  ⁴⁰ sn The condition called dropsy involves swollen limbs resulting from the accumulation of fluid in the body’s tissues, especially the legs.

[4:18]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “the greeting by my hand, of Paul.”

[4:18]  ⁴² tn Or “my imprisonment.”

[4:18]  ⁴³ tc Most witnesses, including a few important ones (א² D Ψ 075 0278 Ï lat sy), conclude this letter with ἀμήν (amhn, “amen”). Such a conclusion is routinely added by scribes to NT books because a few of these books originally had such an ending (cf. Rom 16:27; Gal 6:18; Jude 25). A majority of Greek witnesses have the concluding ἀμήν in every NT book except Acts, James, and 3 John (and even in these books, ἀμήν is found in some witnesses). It is thus a predictable variant. Further, the external evidence for the omission is quite compelling (א* A B C F G 048 6 33 81 1739* 1881 sa). The strongly preferred reading is therefore the omission of ἀμήν.

[1:1]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:5]  ⁴⁵ tn Col 1:3-8 form one long sentence in the Greek text and have been divided at the end of v. 4 and v. 6 and within v. 6 for clarity, in keeping with the tendency in contemporary English toward shorter sentences. Thus the phrase “Your faith and love have arisen from the hope” is literally “because of the hope.” The perfect tense “have arisen” was chosen in the English to reflect the fact that the recipients of the letter had acquired this hope at conversion in the past, but that it still remains and motivates them to trust in Christ and to love one another.

[1:5]  ⁴⁶ tn BDAG 113 s.v. ἀπόκειμαι 2 renders ἀποκειμένην (apokeimenhn) with the expression “reserved” in this verse.

[1:5]  ⁴⁷ tn The term “the gospel” (τοῦ εὐαγγελίου, tou euangeliou) is in apposition to “the word of truth” (τῷ λόγῳ τῆς ἀληθείας, tw logw th" alhqeia") as indicated in the translation.

[10:34]  ⁴⁸ tc Most witnesses, including some important ones (א D² 1881 Ï), read δεσμοῖς μου (desmoi" mou, “my imprisonment”) here, a reading that is probably due to the widespread belief in the early Christian centuries that Paul was the author of Hebrews (cf. Phil 1:7; Col 4:18). It may have been generated by the reading δεσμοῖς without the μου (so Ì⁴⁶ Ψ 104 pc), the force of which is so ambiguous (lit., “you shared the sufferings with the bonds”) as to be virtually nonsensical. Most likely, δεσμοῖς resulted when a scribe made an error in copying δεσμίοις (desmioi"), a reading which makes excellent sense (“[of] those in prison”) and is strongly supported by early and significant witnesses of the Alexandrian and Western texttypes (A D* H 6 33 81 1739 lat sy co). Thus, δεσμίοις best explains the rise of the other readings on both internal and external grounds and is strongly preferred.

[10:34]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “you yourselves.”

[10:35]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “which,” but showing the reason.

[10:1]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “those who approach.”

[1:3]  ⁵² tn Grk “who being…and sustaining.” Heb 1:1-4 form one skillfully composed sentence in Greek, but it must be broken into shorter segments to correspond to contemporary English usage, which does not allow for sentences of this length and complexity.

[1:3]  ⁵³ tn Grk “by the word of his power.”

[1:3]  ⁵⁴ sn An allusion to Ps 110:1, quoted often in Hebrews.

[1:4]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “having become.” This is part of the same sentence that extends from v. 1 through v. 4 in the Greek text.

[1:4]  ⁵⁶ tn Most modern English translations attempt to make the comparison somewhat smoother by treating “name” as if it were the subject of the second element: “as the name he has inherited is superior to theirs” (cf. NAB, NIV, NRSV, CEV). However, the Son is the subject of both the first and second elements: “he became so far better”; “he has inherited a name.” The present translation maintains this parallelism even though it results in a somewhat more awkward rendering.