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 2:27

2:27 In fact he became so ill that he nearly died. ¹  But God showed mercy to him – and not to him only, but also to me – so that I would not have grief on top of grief.

Philippians 1:19-20

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 

Matthew 25:36-40

25:36 I was naked and you gave me clothing, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me.’ 25:37 Then the righteous will answer him, ⁶  ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 25:38 When ⁷  did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or naked and clothe you? 25:39 When ⁸  did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ 25:40 And the king will answer them, ⁹  ‘I tell you the truth, ¹⁰  just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers or sisters ¹¹  of mine, you did it for me.’

Acts 20:24

20:24 But I do not consider my life ¹²  worth anything ¹³  to myself, so that ¹⁴  I may finish my task ¹⁵  and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news ¹⁶  of God’s grace.

Romans 16:4

16:4 who risked their own necks for my life. Not only I, but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.

Romans 16:2

16:2 so that you may welcome her in the Lord in a way worthy of the saints and provide her with whatever help she may need from you, for she has been a great help to many, including me.

Colossians 1:15

The Supremacy of Christ

1:15 ¹⁷ He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn ¹⁸  over all creation, ¹⁹ 

Revelation 12:11

12:11 But ²⁰  they overcame him

by the blood of the Lamb

and by the word of their testimony,

and they did not love their lives ²¹  so much that they were afraid to die.

[2:27]  ¹ tn Grk “For he became ill to the point of death.”

[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.”

[25:37]  ⁶ tn Grk “answer him, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[25:38]  ⁷ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:39]  ⁸ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[25:40]  ⁹ tn Grk “answering, the king will say to them.” This is somewhat redundant and has been simplified in the translation.

[25:40]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[25:40]  ¹¹ tn Grk “brothers,” but the Greek word may be used for “brothers and sisters” (cf. BDAG 18 s.v. ἀδελφός 1, where considerable nonbiblical evidence for the plural ἀδελφοί [adelfoi] meaning “brothers and sisters” is cited). In this context Jesus is ultimately speaking of his “followers” (whether men or women, adults or children), but the familial connotation of “brothers and sisters” is also important to retain here.

[20:24]  ¹² tn Grk “soul.”

[20:24]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ 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]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ tn Or “to the gospel.”

[1:15]  ¹⁷ sn This passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.

[1:15]  ¹⁸ tn The Greek term πρωτότοκος (prwtotokos) could refer either to first in order of time, such as a first born child, or it could refer to one who is preeminent in rank. M. J. Harris, Colossians and Philemon (EGGNT), 43, expresses the meaning of the word well: “The ‘firstborn’ was either the eldest child in a family or a person of preeminent rank. The use of this term to describe the Davidic king in Ps 88:28 LXX (=Ps 89:27 EVV), ‘I will also appoint him my firstborn (πρωτότοκον), the most exalted of the kings of the earth,’ indicates that it can denote supremacy in rank as well as priority in time. But whether the πρωτό- element in the word denotes time, rank, or both, the significance of the -τοκος element as indicating birth or origin (from τίκτω, give birth to) has been virtually lost except in ref. to lit. birth.” In Col 1:15 the emphasis is on the priority of Jesus’ rank as over and above creation (cf. 1:16 and the “for” clause referring to Jesus as Creator).

[1:15]  ¹⁹ tn The genitive construction πάσης κτίσεως (pash" ktisew") is a genitive of subordination and is therefore translated as “over all creation.” See ExSyn 103-4.

[12:11]  ²⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast.

[12:11]  ²¹ sn They did not love their lives. See Matt 16:25; Luke 17:33; John 12:25.