Romans 8:28-30

8:28 And we know that all things work together ¹  for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose, 8:29 because those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that his Son ²  would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. ³  8:30 And those he predestined, he also called; and those he called, he also justified; and those he justified, he also glorified.

Romans 9:24

9:24 even us, whom he has called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Romans 9:1

Israel’s Rejection Considered

9:1 ⁴ I am telling the truth in Christ (I am not lying!), for my conscience assures me ⁵  in the Holy Spirit –

Colossians 1:9

Paul’s Prayer for the Growth of the Church

1:9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, ⁶  have not ceased praying for you and asking God ⁷  to fill ⁸  you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Galatians 1:6

Occasion of the Letter

1:6 I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one ⁹  who called you by the grace of Christ ¹⁰  and are following ¹¹  a different ¹²  gospel –

Galatians 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From Paul, ¹³  an apostle (not from men, nor by human agency, but by Jesus Christ and God the Father who raised him from the dead)

Galatians 2:12

2:12 Until ¹⁴  certain people came from James, he had been eating with the Gentiles. But when they arrived, he stopped doing this ¹⁵  and separated himself ¹⁶  because he was afraid of those who were pro-circumcision. ¹⁷ 

Galatians 2:2

2:2 I went there ¹⁸  because of ¹⁹  a revelation and presented ²⁰  to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so ²¹  only in a private meeting with the influential people, ²²  to make sure that I was not running – or had not run ²³  – in vain.

Galatians 2:14

2:14 But when I saw that they were not behaving consistently with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas ²⁴  in front of them all, “If you, although you are a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you try to force ²⁵  the Gentiles to live like Jews?”

Galatians 2:2

2:2 I went there ²⁶  because of ²⁷  a revelation and presented ²⁸  to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. But I did so ²⁹  only in a private meeting with the influential people, ³⁰  to make sure that I was not running – or had not run ³¹  – in vain.

Galatians 1:9

1:9 As we have said before, and now I say again, if any one is preaching to you a gospel contrary to what you received, let him be condemned to hell! ³² 

Hebrews 3:1

Jesus and Moses

3:1 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, ³³  partners in a heavenly calling, take note of Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess, ³⁴ 

Hebrews 3:1

Jesus and Moses

3:1 Therefore, holy brothers and sisters, ³⁵  partners in a heavenly calling, take note of Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess, ³⁶ 

Hebrews 2:9

2:9 but we see Jesus, who was made lower than the angels for a little while, ³⁷  now crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, ³⁸  so that by God’s grace he would experience ³⁹  death on behalf of everyone.

Hebrews 2:1-2

Warning Against Drifting Away

2:1 Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away. 2:2 For if the message spoken through angels ⁴⁰  proved to be so firm that every violation ⁴¹  or disobedience received its just penalty,

Hebrews 1:10

1:10 And,

“You founded the earth in the beginning, Lord, ⁴² 

and the heavens are the works of your hands.

Revelation 17:14

17:14 They will make war with the Lamb, but the Lamb will conquer them, because he is Lord of lords and King of kings, and those accompanying ⁴³  the Lamb are the called, chosen, and faithful.”

[8:28]  ¹ tc ὁ θεός (Jo qeos, “God”) is found after the verb συνεργεῖ (sunergei, “work”) in v. 28 by Ì⁴⁶ A B 81 sa; the shorter reading is found in א C D F G Ψ 33 1739 1881 Ï latt sy bo. Although the inclusion is supported by a significant early papyrus, the alliance of significant Alexandrian and Western witnesses favors the shorter reading. As well, the longer reading is evidently motivated by a need for clarification. Since ὁ θεός is textually suspect, it is better to read the text without it. This leaves two good translational options: either “he works all things together for good” or “all things work together for good.” In the first instance the subject is embedded in the verb and “God” is clearly implied (as in v. 29). In the second instance, πάντα (panta) becomes the subject of an intransitive verb. In either case, “What is expressed is a truly biblical confidence in the sovereignty of God” (C. E. B. Cranfield, Romans [ICC], 1:427).

[8:29]  ² tn Grk “he”; the referent (God’s Son) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:29]  ³ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.

[9:1]  ³ sn Rom 9:1–11:36. These three chapters are among the most difficult and disputed in Paul’s Letter to the Romans. One area of difficulty is the relationship between Israel and the church, especially concerning the nature and extent of Israel’s election. Many different models have been constructed to express this relationship. For a representative survey, see M. Barth, The People of God (JSNTSup), 22-27. The literary genre of these three chapters has been frequently identified as a diatribe, a philosophical discussion or conversation evolved by the Cynic and Stoic schools of philosophy as a means of popularizing their ideas (E. Käsemann, Romans, 261 and 267). But other recent scholars have challenged the idea that Rom 9–11 is characterized by diatribe. Scholars like R. Scroggs and E. E. Ellis have instead identified the material in question as midrash. For a summary and discussion of the rabbinic connections, see W. R. Stegner, “Romans 9.6-29 – A Midrash,” JSNT 22 (1984): 37-52.

[9:1]  ⁴ tn Or “my conscience bears witness to me.”

[1:9]  ⁴ tn Or “heard about it”; Grk “heard.” There is no direct object stated in the Greek (direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context). A direct object is expected by an English reader, however, so most translations supply one. Here, however, it is not entirely clear what the author “heard”: a number of translations supply “it” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV; NAB “this”), but this could refer back either to (1) “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8, or (2) “your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints” (v. 4). In light of this uncertainty, other translations supply “about you” (TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). This is preferred by the present translation since, while it does not resolve the ambiguity entirely, it does make it less easy for the English reader to limit the reference only to “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8.

[1:9]  ⁵ tn The term “God” does not appear in the Greek text, but the following reference to “the knowledge of his will” makes it clear that “God” is in view as the object of the “praying and asking,” and should therefore be included in the English translation for clarity.

[1:9]  ⁶ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as substantival, indicating the content of the prayer and asking. The idea of purpose may also be present in this clause.

[1:6]  ⁵ sn The one who called you is a reference to God the Father (note the mention of Christ in the following prepositional phrase and the mention of God the Father in 1:1).

[1:6]  ⁶ tc Although the majority of witnesses, including some of the most important ones (Ì⁵¹ א A B F^c Ψ 33 1739 1881 Ï f vg sy^p bo), read “by the grace of Christ” (χάριτι Χριστοῦ, cariti Cristou) here, this reading is not without variables. Besides alternate readings such as χάριτι ᾿Ιησοῦ Χριστοῦ (cariti Ihsou Cristou, “by the grace of Jesus Christ”; D 326 1241^s pc sy^h**) and χάριτι θεοῦ (cariti qeou, “by the grace of God”; 327 pc Thret^lem), a few mss (Ì^46vid F* G H^vid ar b Tert Cyp Ambst Pel) have simply χάριτι with no modifier. Internally, the reading that seems best to explain the rise of the others is the shortest reading, χάριτι. Indeed, the fact that three different adjuncts are found in the mss seems to be a natural expansion on the simple “grace.” At the same time, the witnesses for the shortest reading are not particularly impressive, being that they largely represent one textual strand (Western), and a less-than-reliable one at that. Further, nowhere else in the corpus Paulinum do we see the construction χάρις (cari", “grace”) followed by Χριστοῦ without some other name (such as κυρίου [kuriou, “Lord”] or ᾿Ιησοῦ). The construction χάρις θεοῦ is likewise frequent in Paul. Thus, upon closer inspection it seems that the original wording here was χάριτι Χριστοῦ (for it is difficult to explain how this particular reading could have arisen from the simple χάριτι, in light of Paul’s normal idioms), with the other readings intentionally or accidentally arising from it.

[1:6]  ⁷ tn Grk “deserting [turning away] to” a different gospel, implying the idea of “following.”

[1:6]  ⁸ tn Grk “another.”

[1:1]  ⁶ tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[2:12]  ⁷ tn The conjunction γάρ has not been translated here.

[2:12]  ⁸ tn Grk “he drew back.” If ἑαυτόν (Jeauton) goes with both ὑπέστελλεν (Jupestellen) and ἀφώριζεν (afwrizen) rather than only the latter, the meaning would be “he drew himself back” (see BDAG 1041 s.v. ὑποστέλλω 1.a).

[2:12]  ⁹ tn Or “and held himself aloof.”

[2:12]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “the [ones] of the circumcision,” that is, the group of Jewish Christians who insisted on circumcision of Gentiles before they could become Christians.

[2:2]  ⁸ tn Grk “I went up”; one always spoke idiomatically of going “up” to Jerusalem.

[2:2]  ⁹ tn Or “in accordance with.” According to BDAG 512 s.v. κατά B.5.a.δ, “Oft. the norm is at the same time the reason, so that in accordance with and because of are merged…Instead of ‘in accordance w.’ κ. can mean simply because of, as a result of, on the basis of…κ. ἀποκάλυψιν Gal 2:2.”

[2:2]  ¹⁰ tn Or “set before them.”

[2:2]  ¹¹ tn Grk “Gentiles, but only privately…to make sure.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started with “But” and the words “I did so,” an implied repetition from the previous clause, were supplied to make a complete English sentence.

[2:2]  ¹² tn L&N 87.42 has “important persons, influential persons, prominent persons” for οἱ δοκοῦντες and translates this phrase in Gal 2:2 as “in a private meeting with the prominent persons.” The “prominent people” referred to here are the leaders of the Jerusalem church.

[2:2]  ¹³ tn Here the first verb (τρέχω, trecw, “was not running”) is present subjunctive, while the second (ἔδραμον, edramon, “had not run”) is aorist indicative.

[2:14]  ⁹ sn Cephas. This individual is generally identified with the Apostle Peter (L&N 93.211).

[2:14]  ¹⁰ tn Here ἀναγκάζεις (anankazei") has been translated as a conative present (see ExSyn 534).

[2:2]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “I went up”; one always spoke idiomatically of going “up” to Jerusalem.

[2:2]  ¹¹ tn Or “in accordance with.” According to BDAG 512 s.v. κατά B.5.a.δ, “Oft. the norm is at the same time the reason, so that in accordance with and because of are merged…Instead of ‘in accordance w.’ κ. can mean simply because of, as a result of, on the basis of…κ. ἀποκάλυψιν Gal 2:2.”

[2:2]  ¹² tn Or “set before them.”

[2:2]  ¹³ tn Grk “Gentiles, but only privately…to make sure.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started with “But” and the words “I did so,” an implied repetition from the previous clause, were supplied to make a complete English sentence.

[2:2]  ¹⁴ tn L&N 87.42 has “important persons, influential persons, prominent persons” for οἱ δοκοῦντες and translates this phrase in Gal 2:2 as “in a private meeting with the prominent persons.” The “prominent people” referred to here are the leaders of the Jerusalem church.

[2:2]  ¹⁵ tn Here the first verb (τρέχω, trecw, “was not running”) is present subjunctive, while the second (ἔδραμον, edramon, “had not run”) is aorist indicative.

[1:9]  ¹¹ tn See the note on this phrase in the previous verse.

[3:1]  ¹² tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 2:11.

[3:1]  ¹³ tn Grk “of our confession.”

[3:1]  ¹³ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 2:11.

[3:1]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “of our confession.”

[2:9]  ¹⁴ tn Or “who was made a little lower than the angels.”

[2:9]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “because of the suffering of death.”

[2:9]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “would taste.” Here the Greek verb does not mean “sample a small amount” (as a typical English reader might infer from the word “taste”), but “experience something cognitively or emotionally; come to know something” (cf. BDAG 195 s.v. γεύομαι 2).

[2:2]  ¹⁵ sn The message spoken through angels refers to the OT law, which according to Jewish tradition was mediated to Moses through angels (cf. Deut 33:2; Ps 68:17-18; Acts 7:38, 53; Gal 3:19; and Jub. 1:27, 29; Josephus, Ant. 15.5.3 [15.136]).

[2:2]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “through angels became valid and every violation.”

[1:10]  ¹⁶ sn You founded the earth…your years will never run out. In its original setting Ps 102:25-27 refers to the work of God in creation, but here in Hebrews 1:10-12 the writer employs it in reference to Christ, the Lord, making a strong argument for the essential deity of the Son.

[17:14]  ¹⁷ tn See BDAG 636 s.v. μετά A.2.a.α.