Amsal 13:10

13:10 With pride ¹  comes only ²  contention,

but wisdom is with the well-advised. ³ 

Amsal 14:29

14:29 The one who is slow to anger has great understanding,

but the one who has a quick temper ⁴  exalts ⁵  folly.

Amsal 15:1

15:1 A gentle response ⁶  turns away anger,

but a harsh word ⁷  stirs up wrath. ⁸ 

Amsal 16:32

16:32 Better to be slow to anger ⁹  than to be a mighty warrior,

and one who controls his temper ¹⁰  is better than ¹¹  one who captures a city. ¹² 

Amsal 19:11

19:11 A person’s wisdom ¹³  makes him slow to anger, ¹⁴ 

and it is his glory ¹⁵  to overlook ¹⁶  an offense.

Amsal 20:3

20:3 It is an honor for a person ¹⁷  to cease ¹⁸  from strife,

but every fool quarrels. ¹⁹ 

Amsal 25:8

25:8 Do not go out hastily to litigation, ²⁰ 

or ²¹  what will you do afterward

when your neighbor puts you to shame?

Kejadian 13:8-9

13:8 Abram said to Lot, “Let there be no quarreling between me and you, and between my herdsmen and your herdsmen, for we are close relatives. ²²  13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself now from me. If you go ²³  to the left, then I’ll go to the right, but if you go to the right, then I’ll go to the left.”

Yudas 1:1-3

Salutation

1:1 From Jude, ²⁴  a slave ²⁵  of Jesus Christ and brother of James, ²⁶  to those who are called, wrapped in the love of ²⁷  God the Father and kept for ²⁸  Jesus Christ. 1:2 May mercy, peace, and love be lavished on you! ²⁹ 

Condemnation of the False Teachers

1:3 Dear friends, although I have been eager to write to you ³⁰  about our common salvation, I now feel compelled ³¹  instead to write to encourage ³²  you to contend earnestly ³³  for the faith ³⁴  that was once for all ³⁵  entrusted to the saints. ³⁶ 

Pengkhotbah 7:8-9

7:8 The end of a matter ³⁷  is better than its beginning;

likewise, patience ³⁸  is better than pride. ³⁹ 

7:9 Do not let yourself be quickly provoked, ⁴⁰ 

for anger resides in the lap ⁴¹  of fools.

Matius 5:39-41

5:39 But I say to you, do not resist the evildoer. ⁴²  But whoever strikes you on the ⁴³  right cheek, turn the other to him as well. 5:40 And if someone wants to sue you and to take your tunic, ⁴⁴  give him your coat also. 5:41 And if anyone forces you to go one mile, ⁴⁵  go with him two.

Kisah Para Rasul 6:1-5

The Appointment of the First Seven Deacons

6:1 Now in those ⁴⁶  days, when the disciples were growing in number, ⁴⁷  a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews ⁴⁸  against the native Hebraic Jews, ⁴⁹  because their widows ⁵⁰  were being overlooked ⁵¹  in the daily distribution of food. ⁵²  6:2 So the twelve ⁵³  called ⁵⁴  the whole group ⁵⁵  of the disciples together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to wait on tables. ⁵⁶  6:3 But carefully select from among you, brothers, ⁵⁷  seven ⁵⁸  men who are well-attested, ⁵⁹  full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge ⁶⁰  of this necessary task. ⁶¹  6:4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 6:5 The ⁶²  proposal pleased the entire group, so ⁶³  they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, with ⁶⁴  Philip, ⁶⁵  Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a Gentile convert to Judaism ⁶⁶  from Antioch. ⁶⁷ 

Kisah Para Rasul 15:2-21

15:2 When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate ⁶⁸  with them, the church ⁶⁹  appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with ⁷⁰  the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ⁷¹  about this point of disagreement. ⁷²  15:3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia ⁷³  and Samaria, they were relating at length ⁷⁴  the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy ⁷⁵  to all the brothers. 15:4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received ⁷⁶  by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported ⁷⁷  all the things God had done with them. ⁷⁸  15:5 But some from the religious party of the Pharisees ⁷⁹  who had believed stood up and said, “It is necessary ⁸⁰  to circumcise the Gentiles ⁸¹  and to order them to observe ⁸²  the law of Moses.”

15:6 Both the apostles and the elders met together to deliberate ⁸³  about this matter. 15:7 After there had been much debate, ⁸⁴  Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that some time ago ⁸⁵  God chose ⁸⁶  me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message ⁸⁷  of the gospel ⁸⁸  and believe. ⁸⁹  15:8 And God, who knows the heart, ⁹⁰  has testified ⁹¹  to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ⁹²  15:9 and he made no distinction ⁹³  between them and us, cleansing ⁹⁴  their hearts by faith. 15:10 So now why are you putting God to the test ⁹⁵  by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke ⁹⁶  that neither our ancestors ⁹⁷  nor we have been able to bear? 15:11 On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through ⁹⁸  the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are.” ⁹⁹ 

15:12 The whole group kept quiet ¹⁰⁰  and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs ¹⁰¹  and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 15:13 After they stopped speaking, ¹⁰²  James replied, ¹⁰³  “Brothers, listen to me. 15:14 Simeon ¹⁰⁴  has explained ¹⁰⁵  how God first concerned himself ¹⁰⁶  to select ¹⁰⁷  from among the Gentiles ¹⁰⁸  a people for his name. 15:15 The ¹⁰⁹  words of the prophets agree ¹¹⁰  with this, as it is written,

15:16 ‘After this ¹¹¹  I ¹¹²  will return,

and I will rebuild the fallen tent ¹¹³  of David;

I will rebuild its ruins and restore ¹¹⁴  it,

15:17 so that the rest of humanity ¹¹⁵  may seek the Lord,

namely, ¹¹⁶  all the Gentiles ¹¹⁷  I have called to be my own,’ ¹¹⁸  says the Lord, ¹¹⁹  who makes these things 15:18 known ¹²⁰  from long ago. ¹²¹ 

15:19 “Therefore I conclude ¹²²  that we should not cause extra difficulty ¹²³  for those among the Gentiles ¹²⁴  who are turning to God, 15:20 but that we should write them a letter ¹²⁵  telling them to abstain ¹²⁶  from things defiled ¹²⁷  by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled ¹²⁸  and from blood. 15:21 For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, ¹²⁹  because he is read aloud ¹³⁰  in the synagogues ¹³¹  every Sabbath.”

Roma 12:18

12:18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all people. ¹³² 

Roma 12:1

Consecration of the Believer’s Life

12:1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, ¹³³  by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God ¹³⁴  – which is your reasonable service.

Roma 4:11

4:11 And he received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised, ¹³⁵  so that he would become ¹³⁶  the father of all those who believe but have never been circumcised, ¹³⁷  that they too could have righteousness credited to them.

Roma 4:2

4:2 For if Abraham was declared righteous ¹³⁸  by the works of the law, he has something to boast about – but not before God.

Titus 2:1

Conduct Consistent with Sound Teaching

2:1 But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with ¹³⁹  sound teaching.

Titus 2:1

Conduct Consistent with Sound Teaching

2:1 But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with ¹⁴⁰  sound teaching.

Yakobus 3:14-18

3:14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfishness in your hearts, do not boast and tell lies against the truth. 3:15 Such ¹⁴¹  wisdom does not come ¹⁴²  from above but is earthly, natural, ¹⁴³  demonic. 3:16 For where there is jealousy and selfishness, there is disorder and every evil practice. 3:17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, accommodating, ¹⁴⁴  full of mercy and good fruit, ¹⁴⁵  impartial, and not hypocritical. ¹⁴⁶  3:18 And the fruit that consists of righteousness ¹⁴⁷  is planted ¹⁴⁸  in peace among ¹⁴⁹  those who make peace.

[13:10]  ¹ sn The parallelism suggests pride here means contempt for the opinions of others. The wise listen to advice rather than argue out of stubborn pride.

[13:10]  ² tn The particle רַק (raq, “only”) modifies the noun “contention” – only contention can come from such a person.

[13:10]  ³ tn The Niphal of יָעַץ (ya’ats, “to advise; to counsel”) means “to consult together; to take counsel.” It means being well-advised, receiving advice or consultation (cf. NCV “those who take advice are wise”).

[14:29]  ⁴ tn Heb “hasty of spirit” (so KJV, ASV); NRSV, NLT “a hasty temper.” One who has a quick temper or a short fuse will be evident to everyone, due to his rash actions.

[14:29]  ⁵ sn The participle “exalts” (מֵרִים, merim) means that this person brings folly to a full measure, lifts it up, brings it to the full notice of everybody.

[15:1]  ⁶ tn Heb “soft answer.” The adjective רַּךְ (rakh, “soft; tender; gentle”; BDB 940 s.v.) is more than a mild response; it is conciliatory, an answer that restores good temper and reasonableness (W. McKane, Proverbs [OTL], 477). Gideon illustrates this kind of answer (Judg 8:1-3) that brings peace.

[15:1]  ⁷ tn Heb “word of harshness”; KJV “grievous words.” The noun עֶצֶב (’etsev, “pain, hurt”) functions as an attributive genitive. The term עֶצֶב refers to something that causes pain (BDB 780 s.v. I עֶצֶב). For example, Jephthah’s harsh answer led to war (Judg 12:1-6).

[15:1]  ⁸ tn Heb “raises anger.” A common response to painful words is to let one’s temper flare up.

[16:32]  ⁹ tn One who is “slow to anger” is a patient person (cf. NAB, NIV, NLT). This is explained further in the parallel line by the description of “one who rules his spirit” (וּמֹשֵׁל בְּרוּחוֹ, umoshel bÿrukho), meaning “controls his temper.” This means the person has the emotions under control and will not “fly off the handle” quickly.

[16:32]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “who rules his spirit” (so NASB).

[16:32]  ¹¹ tn The phrase “is better than” does not appear in this line in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the parallelism.

[16:32]  ¹² sn The saying would have had greater impact when military prowess was held in high regard. It is harder, and therefore better, to control one’s passions than to do some great exploit on the battlefield.

[19:11]  ¹³ tn Or “prudence,” the successful use of wisdom in discretion. Cf. NAB, NRSV, NLT “good sense.”

[19:11]  ¹⁴ tn The Hiphil perfect of אָרַךְ (’arakh, “to be long”) means “to make long; to prolong.” Patience and slowness to anger lead to forgiveness of sins.

[19:11]  ¹⁵ sn “Glory” signifies the idea of beauty or adornment. D. Kidner explains that such patience “brings out here the glowing colours of a virtue which in practice may look drably unassertive” (Proverbs [TOTC], 133).

[19:11]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “to pass over” (so KJV, ASV); NCV, TEV “ignore.” The infinitive construct עֲבֹר (’avor) functions as the formal subject of the sentence. This clause provides the cause, whereas the former gave the effect – if one can pass over an offense there will be no anger.

[19:11]  sn W. McKane says, “The virtue which is indicated here is more than a forgiving temper; it includes also the ability to shrug off insults and the absence of a brooding hypersensitivity…. It contains elements of toughness and self-discipline; it is the capacity to stifle a hot, emotional rejoinder and to sleep on an insult” (Proverbs [OTL], 530).

[20:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “man.”

[20:3]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “cessation” (שֶׁבֶת, shevet); NAB “to shun strife”; NRSV “refrain from strife.”

[20:3]  sn One cannot avoid conflict altogether; but the proverb is instructing that at the first sign of conflict the honorable thing to do is to find a way to end it.

[20:3]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “breaks out.” The Hitpael of the verb גָּלַע (gala’, “to expose; to lay bare”) means “to break out; to disclose oneself,” and so the idea of flaring up in a quarrel is clear. But there are also cognate connections to the idea of “showing the teeth; snarling” and so quarreling viciously.

[25:8]  ²⁰ tn Heb “do not go out hastily to strive”; the verb “to strive” means dispute in the legal context. The last clause of v. 7, “what your eyes have seen,” does fit very well with the initial clause of v. 8. It would then say: What you see, do not take hastily to court, but if the case was not valid, he would end up in disgrace.

[25:8]  sn The Hebrew verb רִיב (riv) is often used in legal contexts; here the warning is not to go to court hastily lest it turn out badly.

[25:8]  ²¹ tn The clause begins with פֶּן (pen, “lest”) which seems a bit out of place in this line. C. H. Toy suggests changing it to כִּי (ki, “for”) to make a better connection, instead of supplying an ellipsis: “lest it be said what…” (Proverbs [ICC], 461).

[13:8]  ²² tn Heb “men, brothers [are] we.” Here “brothers” describes the closeness of the relationship, but could be misunderstood if taken literally, since Abram was Lot’s uncle.

[13:9]  ²³ tn The words “you go” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons both times in this verse.

[1:1]  ²⁴ tn Grk “Judas,” traditionally “Jude” in English versions to distinguish him from the one who betrayed Jesus. The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ²⁵ tn Though δοῦλος (doulos) 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.). At the same time, perhaps “servant” is apt in that the δοῦλος of Jesus Christ took on that role voluntarily, unlike a slave. 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.

[1:1]  sn Undoubtedly the background for the concept of being the Lord’s slave or servant is to be found in the Old Testament scriptures. For a Jew this concept did not connote drudgery, but honor and privilege. It was used of national Israel at times (Isa 43:10), but was especially associated with famous OT personalities, including such great men as Moses (Josh 14:7), David (Ps 89:3; cf. 2 Sam 7:5, 8) and Elijah (2 Kgs 10:10); all these men were “servants (or slaves) of the Lord.”

[1:1]  ²⁶ sn Although Jude was half-brother of Jesus, he humbly associates himself with James, his full brother. By first calling himself a slave of Jesus Christ, it is evident that he wants no one to place stock in his physical connections. At the same time, he must identify himself further: Since Jude was a common name in the 1st century (two of Jesus’ disciples were so named, including his betrayer), more information was needed, that is to say, brother of James.

[1:1]  ²⁷ tn Grk “loved in.” The perfect passive participle suggests that the audience’s relationship to God is not recent; the preposition ἐν (en) before πατρί (patri) could be taken as sphere or instrument (agency is unlikely, however). Another possible translation would be “dear to God.”

[1:1]  ²⁸ tn Or “by.” Datives of agency are quite rare in the NT (and other ancient Greek), almost always found with a perfect verb. Although this text qualifies, in light of the well-worn idiom of τηρέω (threw) in eschatological contexts, in which God or Christ keeps the believer safe until the parousia (cf. 1 Thess 5:23; 1 Pet 1:4; Rev 3:10; other terms meaning “to guard,” “to keep” are also found in similar eschatological contexts [cf. 2 Thess 3:3; 2 Tim 1:12; 1 Pet 1:5; Jude 24]), it is probably better to understand this verse as having such an eschatological tinge. It is at the same time possible that Jude’s language was intentionally ambiguous, implying both ideas (“kept by Jesus Christ [so that they might be] kept for Jesus Christ”). Elsewhere he displays a certain fondness for wordplays; this may be a hint of things to come.

[1:2]  ²⁹ tn Grk “may mercy and peace and love be multiplied to you.”

[1:3]  ³⁰ tn Grk “while being quite diligent to write to you,” or “while making all haste to write to you.” Two issues are at stake: (1) whether σπουδή (spoudh) here means diligence, eagerness, or haste; (2) whether ποιούμενος γράφειν (poioumeno" grafein) is to be taken conatively (“I was about to write”) or progressively (“I was writing”). Without knowing more of the background, it is difficult to tell which option is to be preferred.

[1:3]  ³¹ tn Grk “I had the necessity.” The term ἀνάγκη (anankh, “necessity”) often connotes urgency or distress. In this context, Jude is indicating that the more comprehensive treatment about the faith shared between himself and his readers was not nearly as urgent as the letter he found it now necessary to write.

[1:3]  ³² tn Grk “encouraging.” Παρακαλῶν (parakalwn) is most likely a telic participle. In keeping with other participles of purpose, it is present tense and occurs after the main verb.

[1:3]  ³³ tn the verb ἐπαγωνίζομαι (epagwnizomai) is an intensive form of ἀγωνίζομαι (agwnizomai). As such, the notion of struggling, fighting, contending, etc. is heightened.

[1:3]  ³⁴ tn Τῇ πίστει (th pistei) here is taken as a dative of advantage (“on behalf of the faith”). Though rare (see BDAG 820 s.v. 3), it is not unexampled and must have this meaning here.

[1:3]  sn The term “faith” has a variety of meanings in the NT. Here, the faith refers to the doctrinal content embraced by believers rather than the act of believing. Rather than discuss the points of agreement that Jude would have with these believers, because of the urgency of the present situation he must assume that these believers were well grounded and press on to encourage them to fight for this common belief.

[1:3]  ³⁵ sn The adverb once for all (ἅπαξ, Japax) seems to indicate that the doctrinal convictions of the early church had been substantially codified. That is to say, Jude could appeal to written documents of the Christian faith in his arguments with the false teachers. Most likely, these documents were the letters of Paul and perhaps one or more gospels. First and Second Peter may also have been among the documents Jude has in mind (see also the note on the phrase entrusted to the saints in this verse).

[1:3]  ³⁶ sn I now feel compelled instead…saints. Apparently news of some crisis has reached Jude, prompting him to write a different letter than what he had originally planned. A plausible scenario (assuming authenticity of 2 Peter or at least that there are authentic Petrine snippets in it) is that after Peter’s death, Jude intended to write to the same Gentile readers that Peter had written to (essentially, Paul’s churches). Jude starts by affirming that the gospel the Gentiles had received from Paul was the same as the one the Jewish Christians had received from the other apostles (our common salvation). But in the midst of writing this letter, Jude felt that the present crisis deserved another, shorter piece. The crisis, as the letter reveals, is that the false teachers whom Peter prophesied have now infiltrated the church. The letter of Jude is thus an ad hoc letter, intended to confirm the truth of Peter’s letter and encourage the saints to ground their faith in the written documents of the nascent church, rather than listen to the twisted gospel of the false teachers. In large measure, the letter of Jude illustrates the necessity of clinging to the authority of scripture as opposed to those who claim to be prophets.

[7:8]  ³⁷ tn The term דָבָר (davar) denotes “matter; thing” here rather than “speech; word,” as the parallelism with “patience” suggests. The term was misunderstood as “speech; word” by the Vulgate (so also Douay).

[7:8]  ³⁸ tn Heb “the patient of spirit.”

[7:8]  ³⁹ tn Heb “the proud of spirit.”

[7:9]  ⁴⁰ tn Heb “Do not be hasty in your spirit to become angry.”

[7:9]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “bosom.”

[5:39]  ⁴² 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]  ⁴³ 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]  ⁴⁴ 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]  ⁴⁵ 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.

[6:1]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “these.” The translation uses “those” for stylistic reasons.

[6:1]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “were multiplying.”

[6:1]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “the Hellenists,” but this descriptive term is largely unknown to the modern English reader. The translation “Greek-speaking Jews” attempts to convey something of who these were, but it was more than a matter of language spoken; it involved a degree of adoption of Greek culture as well.

[6:1]  sn The Greek-speaking Jews were the Hellenists, Jews who to a greater or lesser extent had adopted Greek thought, customs, and lifestyle, as well as the Greek language. The city of Alexandria in Egypt was a focal point for them, but they were scattered throughout the Roman Empire.

[6:1]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “against the Hebrews,” but as with “Hellenists” this needs further explanation for the modern reader.

[6:1]  ⁵⁰ sn The care of widows is a major biblical theme: Deut 10:18; 16:11, 14; 24:17, 19-21; 26:12-13; 27:19; Isa 1:17-23; Jer 7:6; Mal 3:5.

[6:1]  ⁵¹ tn Or “neglected.”

[6:1]  ⁵² tn Grk “in the daily serving.”

[6:1]  sn The daily distribution of food. The early church saw it as a responsibility to meet the basic needs of people in their group.

[6:2]  ⁵³ sn The twelve refers to the twelve apostles.

[6:2]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “calling the whole group…together, said.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενοι (proskalesamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[6:2]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “the multitude.”

[6:2]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “to serve tables.”

[6:3]  ⁵⁷ tn It is not clear from a historical standpoint (but it is unlikely) that women would have been involved in the selection process too. For this reason the translation “brothers” has been retained, rather than “brothers and sisters” (used in contexts where both male and female believers are clearly addressed).

[6:3]  ⁵⁸ sn Seven. Jewish town councils often had seven members (Josephus, Ant. 4.18.14 [4.214]).

[6:3]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “are of good reputation” (BDAG 618 s.v. μαρτυρέω 2.b).

[6:3]  ⁶⁰ tn The translation “put in charge” is given by BDAG 492 s.v. καθίστημι 2.

[6:3]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “of this need”; translated “necessary work” or “needed task” by L&N 42.22.

[6:5]  ⁶² tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[6:5]  ⁶³ tn The translation “so” has been used to indicate the logical sequence in English.

[6:5]  ⁶⁴ tn “With” is smoother English style for an addition like this. Because of differences between Greek and English style, καί (kai), which occurs between each name in the list, has not been translated except preceding the last element.

[6:5]  ⁶⁵ sn Philip. Note how many of the names in this list are Greek. This suggests that Hellenists were chosen to solve the problem they had been so sensitive about fixing (cf. 6:1).

[6:5]  ⁶⁶ tn Or “a proselyte.”

[6:5]  ⁶⁷ map For location see JP1 F2; JP2 F2; JP3 F2; JP4 F2.

[15:2]  ⁶⁸ tn Grk “no little argument and debate” (an idiom).

[15:2]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the church, or the rest of the believers at Antioch) has been specified to avoid confusion with the Judaizers mentioned in the preceding clause.

[15:2]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “go up to,” but in this context a meeting is implied.

[15:2]  ⁷¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[15:2]  ⁷² tn Or “point of controversy.” It is unclear whether this event parallels Gal 2:1-10 or that Gal 2 fits with Acts 11:30. More than likely Gal 2:1-10 is to be related to Acts 11:30.

[15:3]  ⁷³ sn Phoenicia was an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine in ancient Syria.

[15:3]  ⁷⁴ tn L&N 33.201 indicates that ἐκδιηγέομαι (ekdihgeomai) means to provide detailed information in a systematic manner, “to inform, to relate, to tell fully.” “Relating at length” conveys this effectively in the present context.

[15:3]  ⁷⁵ tn For ἐποίουν (epoioun) in this verse BDAG 839 s.v. ποιέω 2.c has “they brought joy to the members.”

[15:4]  ⁷⁶ tn BDAG 761 s.v. παραδέχομαι 2 has “receive, accept” for the meaning here.

[15:4]  ⁷⁷ tn Or “announced.”

[15:4]  ⁷⁸ tn “They reported all the things God had done with them” – an identical phrase occurs in Acts 14:27. God is always the agent.

[15:5]  ⁷⁹ sn See the note on Pharisee in 5:34.

[15:5]  ⁸⁰ sn The Greek word used here (δεῖ, dei) is a strong term that expresses divine necessity. The claim is that God commanded the circumcision of Gentiles.

[15:5]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “them”; the referent (the Gentiles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:5]  ⁸² tn Or “keep.”

[15:6]  ⁸³ tn The translation for ἰδεῖν (idein) in this verse is given by BDAG 279-80 s.v. εἶδον 3 as “deliberate concerning this matter.” A contemporary idiom would be to “look into” a matter.

[15:7]  ⁸⁴ tn Or “discussion.” This term is repeated from v. 2.

[15:7]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “long ago” (an idiom, literally “from ancient days”). According to L&N 67.26, “this reference to Peter having been chosen by God sometime before to bring the gospel to the Gentiles can hardly be regarded as a reference to ancient times, though some persons understand this to mean that God’s decision was made at the beginning of time. The usage of ἀφ᾿ ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων is probably designed to emphasize the established nature of God’s decision for Peter to take the gospel to the Gentiles beginning with the centurion Cornelius. The fact that this was relatively early in the development of the church may also serve to explain the use of the idiom.”

[15:7]  ⁸⁶ sn God chose. The theme of God’s sovereign choice is an important point, because 1st century Jews believed Israel’s unique position and customs were a reflection of God’s choice.

[15:7]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “word.”

[15:7]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “of the good news.”

[15:7]  ⁸⁹ tn Grk “God chose among you from my mouth the Gentiles to hear the message of the gospel and to believe.” The sense of this sentence in Greek is difficult to render in English. The Greek verb ἐκλέγομαι (eklegomai, “choose”) normally takes a person or thing as a direct object; in this verse the verb has neither clearly stated. The translation understands the phrase “from my mouth,” referring to Peter, as a description of both who God chose and the task to be done. This coupled with the following statement about Gentiles hearing the message of the gospel leads to the more dynamic rendering in the translation.

[15:8]  ⁹⁰ sn The expression who knows the heart means “who knows what people think.”

[15:8]  ⁹¹ tn Or “has borne witness.”

[15:8]  ⁹² sn By giving them…just as he did to us. The allusion is to the events of Acts 10-11, esp. 10:44-48 and Peter’s remarks in 11:15-18.

[15:9]  ⁹³ tn BDAG 231 s.v. διακρίνω 1.b lists this passage under the meaning “to conclude that there is a difference, make a distinction, differentiate.”

[15:9]  ⁹⁴ tn Or “purifying.”

[15:10]  ⁹⁵ tn According to BDAG 793 s.v. πειράζω 2.c, “In Ac 15:10 the πειράζειν τὸν θεόν consists in the fact that after God’s will has been clearly made known through granting of the Spirit to the Gentiles (v. 8), some doubt and make trial to see whether God’s will really becomes operative.” All testing of God in Luke is negative: Luke 4:2; 11:16.

[15:10]  ⁹⁶ sn A yoke is a wooden bar or frame that joins two animals like oxen or horses so that they can pull a wagon, plow, etc. together. Here it is used figuratively of the restriction that some in the early church wanted to place on Gentile converts to Christianity of observing the law of Moses and having males circumcised. The yoke is a decidedly negative image: Matt 23:4, but cf. Matt 11:29-30.

[15:10]  ⁹⁷ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[15:11]  ⁹⁸ tn Or “by.”

[15:11]  ⁹⁹ tn Or “Jesus, just as they are.” BDAG 1016-17 s.v. τρόπος 1 translates καθ᾿ ὃν τρόπον (kaq’ Jon tropon) here as “in the same way as.”

[15:11]  sn In the same way as they are. Here is an interesting reversal of the argument. Jews are saved by grace (without law), as Gentiles are.

[15:12]  ¹⁰⁰ tn BDAG 922 s.v. σιγάω 1.a lists this passage under the meaning “say nothing, keep still, keep silent.”

[15:12]  ¹⁰¹ tn Here in connection with τέρατα (terata) the miraculous nature of these signs is indicated.

[15:13]  ¹⁰² tn BDAG 922 s.v. σιγάω 1.b lists this passage under the meaning “stop speaking, become silent.”

[15:13]  ¹⁰³ tn Grk “answered, saying”; the redundant participle λέγων (legwn) has not been translated.

[15:14]  ¹⁰⁴ sn Simeon is a form of the apostle Peter’s Aramaic name. James uses Peter’s “Jewish” name here.

[15:14]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Or “reported,” “described.”

[15:14]  ¹⁰⁶ tn BDAG 378 s.v. ἐπισκέπτομαι 3 translates this phrase in Acts 15:14, “God concerned himself about winning a people fr. among the nations.”

[15:14]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “to take,” but in the sense of selecting or choosing (accompanied by the preposition ἐκ [ek] plus a genitive specifying the group selected from) see Heb 5:1; also BDAG 584 s.v. λαμβάνω 6.

[15:14]  ¹⁰⁸ sn In the Greek text the expression “from among the Gentiles” is in emphatic position.

[15:15]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[15:15]  ¹¹⁰ sn The term agree means “match” or “harmonize with.” James’ point in the introduction argues that many of the OT prophets taught this. He gives one example (which follows).

[15:16]  ¹¹¹ tn Grk “After these things.”

[15:16]  ¹¹² sn The first person pronoun I refers to God and his activity. It is God who is doing this.

[15:16]  ¹¹³ tn Or more generally, “dwelling”; perhaps, “royal tent.” According to BDAG 928 s.v. σκηνή the word can mean “tent” or “hut,” or more generally “lodging” or “dwelling.” In this verse (a quotation from Amos 9:11) BDAG refers this to David’s ruined kingdom; it is possibly an allusion to a king’s tent (a royal tent). God is at work to reestablish David’s line (Acts 2:30-36; 13:32-39).

[15:16]  ¹¹⁴ tn BDAG 86 s.v. ἀνορθόω places this verb under the meaning “to build someth. up again after it has fallen, rebuild, restore,” but since ἀνοικοδομέω (anoikodomew, “rebuild”) has occurred twice in this verse already, “restore” is used here.

[15:17]  ¹¹⁵ tn Or “so that all other people.” The use of this term follows Amos 9:11 LXX.

[15:17]  ¹¹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) introduces an explanatory clause that explains the preceding phrase “the rest of humanity.” The clause introduced by καί (kai) could also be punctuated in English as a parenthesis.

[15:17]  ¹¹⁷ tn Or “all the nations” (in Greek the word for “nation” and “Gentile” is the same).

[15:17]  sn Note the linkage back to v. 14 through the mention of Gentiles. What Simeon explained is what the OT text says would happen.

[15:17]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “all the Gentiles on whom my name has been called.” Based on well-attested OT usage, the passive of ἐπικαλέω (epikalew) here indicates God’s ownership (“all the Gentiles who belong to me”) or calling (“all the Gentiles whom I have called to be my own”). See L&N 11.28.

[15:17]  ¹¹⁹ sn A quotation from Amos 9:11-12 LXX. James demonstrated a high degree of cultural sensitivity when he cited a version of the text (the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament) that Gentiles would use.

[15:18]  ¹²⁰ sn Who makes these things known. The remark emphasizes how God’s design of these things reaches back to the time he declared them.

[15:18]  ¹²¹ sn An allusion to Isa 45:21.

[15:19]  ¹²² tn Or “I have decided,” “I think.” The verb κρίνω (krinw) has a far broader range of meaning than the often-used English verb “judge.” BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 3 places this use in Acts 15:19 in the category “judge, think, consider, look upon” followed by double accusative of object and predicate. However, many modern translations give the impression that a binding decision is being handed down by James: “it is my judgment” (NASB, NIV); “I have reached the decision” (NRSV). L&N 22.25, on the other hand, translate the phrase here “I think that we should not cause extra difficulty for those among the Gentiles.” This gives more the impression of an opinion than a binding decision. The resolution of this lies not so much in the lexical data as in how one conceives James’ role in the leadership of the Jerusalem church, plus the dynamics of the specific situation where the issue of Gentile inclusion in the church was being discussed. The major possibilities are: (1) James is handing down a binding decision to the rest of the church as the one who has ultimate authority to decide this matter; (2) James is offering his own personal opinion in the matter, which is not binding on the church; (3) James is voicing a consensus opinion of all the apostles and elders, although phrasing it as if it were his own; (4) James is making a suggestion to the rest of the leadership as to what course they should follow. In light of the difficulty in reconstructing the historical situation in detail, it is best to use a translation which maintains as many of the various options as possible. For this reason the translation “Therefore I conclude” has been used, leaving open the question whether in reaching this conclusion James is speaking only for himself or for the rest of the leadership.

[15:19]  ¹²³ tn Or “trouble.” This term is a NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 775 s.v. παρενοχλέω).

[15:19]  ¹²⁴ tn Or “among the nations” (in Greek the word for “nation” and “Gentile” is the same).

[15:20]  ¹²⁵ tn The translation “to write a letter, to send a letter to” for ἐπιστέλλω (epistellw) is given in L&N 33.49.

[15:20]  ¹²⁶ tn Three of the four prohibitions deal with food (the first, third and fourth) while one prohibition deals with behavior (the second, refraining from sexual immorality). Since these occur in the order they do, the translation “abstain from” is used to cover both sorts of activity (eating food items, immoral behavior).

[15:20]  sn Telling them to abstain. These restrictions are not on matters of salvation, but are given as acts of sensitivity to their Jewish brethren, as v. 21 makes clear. Another example of such sensitivity is seen in 1 Cor 10:14-11:1.

[15:20]  ¹²⁷ tn Or “polluted.”

[15:20]  ¹²⁸ sn What has been strangled. That is, to refrain from eating animals that had been killed without having the blood drained from them. According to the Mosaic law (Lev 17:13-14), Jews were forbidden to eat flesh with the blood still in it (note the following provision in Acts 15:20, and from blood).

[15:21]  ¹²⁹ tn Grk “from generations of old”; the translation “fr. ancient times” is given by BDAG 192 s.v. γενεά 3.b.

[15:21]  ¹³⁰ tn The translation “read aloud” is used to indicate the actual practice; translating as “read” could be misunderstood to mean private, silent reading.

[15:21]  ¹³¹ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[12:18]  ¹³² tn Here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used as a generic and refers to both men and women.

[12:1]  ¹³³ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.

[12:1]  ¹³⁴ tn The participle and two adjectives “alive, holy, and pleasing to God” are taken as predicates in relation to “sacrifice,” making the exhortation more emphatic. See ExSyn 618-19.

[12:1]  sn Taken as predicate adjectives, the terms alive, holy, and pleasing are showing how unusual is the sacrifice that believers can now offer, for OT sacrifices were dead. As has often been quipped about this text, “The problem with living sacrifices is that they keep crawling off the altar.”

[4:11]  ¹³⁵ tn Grk “of the faith, the one [existing] in uncircumcision.”

[4:11]  ¹³⁶ tn Grk “that he might be,” giving the purpose of v. 11a.

[4:11]  ¹³⁷ tn Grk “through uncircumcision.”

[4:2]  ¹³⁸ tn Or “was justified.”

[2:1]  ¹³⁹ tn Grk “say what is fitting for sound teaching” (introducing the behavior called for in this chapter.).

[2:1]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Grk “say what is fitting for sound teaching” (introducing the behavior called for in this chapter.).

[3:15]  ¹⁴¹ tn Grk “This.”

[3:15]  ¹⁴² tn Grk “come down”; “descend.”

[3:15]  ¹⁴³ tn Grk “soulish,” which describes life apart from God, characteristic of earthly human life as opposed to what is spiritual. Cf. 1 Cor 2:14; 15:44-46; Jude 19.

[3:17]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Or “willing to yield,” “open to persuasion.”

[3:17]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “fruits.” The plural Greek term καρπούς has been translated with the collective singular “fruit.”

[3:17]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Or “sincere.”

[3:18]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Grk “the fruit of righteousness,” meaning righteous living as a fruit, as the thing produced.

[3:18]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Grk “is sown.”

[3:18]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Or “for,” or possibly “by.”