1 Korintus 6:1

Lawsuits

6:1 When any of you has a legal dispute with another, does he dare go to court before the unrighteous rather than before the saints?

1 Korintus 6:7

6:7 The fact that you have lawsuits among yourselves demonstrates that you have already been defeated. Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?

Kejadian 13:7-9

13:7 So there were quarrels ¹  between Abram’s herdsmen and Lot’s herdsmen. ²  (Now the Canaanites and the Perizzites were living in the land at that time.) ³ 

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. ⁴  13:9 Is not the whole land before you? Separate yourself now from me. If you go ⁵  to the left, then I’ll go to the right, but if you go to the right, then I’ll go to the left.”

Kejadian 45:24

45:24 Then he sent his brothers on their way and they left. He said to them, “As you travel don’t be overcome with fear.” ⁶ 

Nehemia 5:8-9

5:8 I said to them, “To the extent possible we have bought back our fellow Jews ⁷  who had been sold to the Gentiles. But now you yourselves want to sell your own countrymen, ⁸  so that we can then buy them back!” They were utterly silent, and could find nothing to say.

5:9 Then I ⁹  said, “The thing that you are doing is wrong! ¹⁰  Should you not conduct yourselves ¹¹  in the fear of our God in order to avoid the reproach of the Gentiles who are our enemies?

Mazmur 133:1-3

Psalm 133 ¹² 

A song of ascents, ¹³  by David.

133:1 Look! How good and how pleasant it is

when brothers live together! ¹⁴ 

133:2 It is like fine oil poured on the head

which flows down the beard ¹⁵  –

Aaron’s beard,

and then flows down his garments. ¹⁶ 

133:3 It is like the dew of Hermon, ¹⁷ 

which flows down upon the hills of Zion. ¹⁸ 

Indeed ¹⁹  that is where the Lord has decreed

a blessing will be available – eternal life. ²⁰ 

Kisah Para Rasul 7:26

7:26 The next day Moses ²¹  saw two men ²²  fighting, and tried to make peace between ²³  them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why are you hurting one another?’

Filipi 2:14-15

2:14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 2:15 so that you may be blameless and pure, children of God without blemish though you live in a crooked and perverse society, in which you shine as lights in the world ²⁴ 

Filipi 2:1

Christian Unity and Christ’s Humility

2:1 Therefore, if there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort provided by love, any fellowship in the Spirit, ²⁵  any affection or mercy, ²⁶ 

Yohanes 2:9-11

2:9 When ²⁷  the head steward tasted the water that had been turned to wine, not knowing where it came from ²⁸  (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), he ²⁹  called the bridegroom 2:10 and said to him, “Everyone ³⁰  serves the good wine first, and then the cheaper ³¹  wine when the guests ³²  are drunk. You have kept the good wine until now!” 2:11 Jesus did this as the first of his miraculous signs, ³³  in Cana ³⁴  of Galilee. In this way he revealed ³⁵  his glory, and his disciples believed in him. ³⁶ 

Yohanes 3:11-15

3:11 I tell you the solemn truth, ³⁷  we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but ³⁸  you people ³⁹  do not accept our testimony. ⁴⁰  3:12 If I have told you people ⁴¹  about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? ⁴²  3:13 No one ⁴³  has ascended ⁴⁴  into heaven except the one who descended from heaven – the Son of Man. ⁴⁵  3:14 Just as ⁴⁶  Moses lifted up the serpent ⁴⁷  in the wilderness, ⁴⁸  so must the Son of Man be lifted up, ⁴⁹  3:15 so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” ⁵⁰ 

[13:7]  ¹ tn The Hebrew term רִיב (riv) means “strife, conflict, quarreling.” In later texts it has the meaning of “legal controversy, dispute.” See B. Gemser, “The rîb – or Controversy – Pattern in Hebrew Mentality,” Wisdom in Israel and in the Ancient Near East [VTSup], 120-37.

[13:7]  ² sn Since the quarreling was between the herdsmen, the dispute was no doubt over water and vegetation for the animals.

[13:7]  ³ tn This parenthetical clause, introduced with the vav (ו) disjunctive (translated “now”), again provides critical information. It tells in part why the land cannot sustain these two bedouins, and it also hints of the danger of weakening the family by inner strife.

[13:8]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn The words “you go” have been supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons both times in this verse.

[45:24]  ⁶ tn Heb “do not be stirred up in the way.” The verb means “stir up.” Some understand the Hebrew verb רָגָז (ragaz, “to stir up”) as a reference to quarreling (see Prov 29:9, where it has this connotation), but in Exod 15:14 and other passages it means “to fear.” This might refer to a fear of robbers, but more likely it is an assuring word that they need not be fearful about returning to Egypt. They might have thought that once Jacob was in Egypt, Joseph would take his revenge on them.

[5:8]  ⁷ tn Heb “our brothers, the Jews.”

[5:8]  ⁸ tn Heb “your brothers.”

[5:9]  ⁹ tc The translation reads with the Qere and the ancient versions וָאוֹמַר (va’omar, “and I said”) rather than the MT Kethib, וַיֹּאמֶר (vayyo’mer, “and he said”).

[5:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “not good.” The statement “The thing…is not good” is an example of tapeinosis, a figurative expression which emphasizes the intended point (“The thing…is wrong!”) by negating its opposite.

[5:9]  ¹¹ tn Heb “[should you not] walk.”

[133:1]  ¹² sn Psalm 133. The psalmist affirms the benefits of family unity.

[133:1]  ¹³ sn The precise significance of this title, which appears in Pss 120-134, is unclear. Perhaps worshipers recited these psalms when they ascended the road to Jerusalem to celebrate annual religious festivals. For a discussion of their background see L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 219-21.

[133:1]  ¹⁴ sn This statement refers to the extended family structure of ancient Israel, where brothers would often live in proximity to one another (Deut 25:5), giving the family greater social prominence and security. However, in its later application in the Israelite cult it probably envisions unity within the covenant community. See L. C. Allen, Psalms 101-150 (WBC), 212-15.

[133:2]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “[it is] like the good oil on the head, going down on the beard.”

[133:2]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “which goes down in accordance with his measured things.” The Hebrew phrase מִדּוֹתָיו (middotayv, “his measured things”) refers here to the robes worn by Aaron. HALOT 546 s.v. *מַד derives the form from מַד (midah, “robe”) rather than מִדָּה (middah, “measured thing”). Ugaritic md means “robe” and is pluralized mdt.

[133:3]  ¹⁷ sn Hermon refers to Mount Hermon, located north of Israel.

[133:3]  ¹⁸ sn The hills of Zion are those surrounding Zion (see Pss 87:1; 125:2). The psalmist does not intend to suggest that the dew from Mt. Hermon in the distant north actually flows down upon Zion. His point is that the same kind of heavy dew that replenishes Hermon may also be seen on Zion’s hills. See A. Cohen, Psalms (SoBB), 439. “Dew” here symbolizes divine blessing, as the next line suggests.

[133:3]  ¹⁹ tn Or “for.”

[133:3]  ²⁰ tn Heb “there the Lord has commanded the blessing, life forever.”

[7:26]  ²¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:26]  ²² tn Grk “saw them”; the context makes clear that two individuals were involved (v. 27).

[7:26]  ²³ tn Or “tried to reconcile” (BDAG 964-65 s.v. συναλλάσσω).

[2:15]  ²⁴ tn Or “as stars in the universe.”

[2:1]  ²⁵ tn Or “spiritual fellowship” if πνεύματος (pneumato") is an attributive genitive; or “fellowship brought about by the Spirit” if πνεύματος is a genitive of source or production.

[2:1]  ²⁶ tn Grk “and any affection and mercy.” The Greek idea, however, is best expressed by “or” in English.

[2:9]  ²⁷ tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, δέ (de) has not been translated here.

[2:9]  ²⁸ tn Grk “and he did not know where it came from.”

[2:9]  ²⁹ tn Grk “the head steward”; here the repetition of the phrase is somewhat redundant in English and the pronoun (“he”) is substituted in the translation.

[2:10]  ³⁰ tn Grk “every man” (in a generic sense).

[2:10]  ³¹ tn Or “poorer.”

[2:10]  ³² tn Grk “when they”; the referent (the guests) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[2:11]  ³³ tn This sentence in Greek involves an object-complement construction. The force can be either “Jesus did this as,” or possibly “Jesus made this to be.” The latter translation accents not only Jesus’ power but his sovereignty too. Cf. also 4:54 where the same construction occurs.

[2:11]  ³⁴ map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[2:11]  ³⁵ tn Grk “in Cana of Galilee, and he revealed.”

[2:11]  ³⁶ tn Or “his disciples trusted in him,” or “his disciples put their faith in him.”

[3:11]  ³⁷ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[3:11]  ³⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to show the contrast present in the context.

[3:11]  ³⁹ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied in the translation to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than Nicodemus alone).

[3:11]  ⁴⁰ sn Note the remarkable similarity of Jesus’ testimony to the later testimony of the Apostle John himself in 1 John 1:2: “And we have seen and testify and report to you the eternal life which was with the Father and was revealed to us.” This is only one example of how thoroughly the author’s own thoughts were saturated with the words of Jesus (and also how difficult it is to distinguish the words of Jesus from the words of the author in the Fourth Gospel).

[3:12]  ⁴¹ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied to indicate that the verb is second person plural (referring to more than Nicodemus alone).

[3:12]  ⁴² sn Obviously earthly things and heavenly things are in contrast, but what is the contrast? What are earthly things which Jesus has just spoken to Nicodemus? And through him to others – this is not the first instance of the plural pronoun, see v. 7, you must all. Since Nicodemus began with a plural (we know, v. 2) Jesus continues it, and through Nicodemus addresses a broader audience. It makes most sense to take this as a reference to the things Jesus has just said (and the things he is about to say, vv. 13-15). If this is the case (and it seems the most natural explanation) then earthly things are not necessarily strictly physical things, but are so called because they take place on earth, in contrast to things like v. 16, which take place in heaven. Some have added the suggestion that the things are called earthly because physical analogies (birth, wind, water) are used to describe them. This is possible, but it seems more probable that Jesus calls these things earthly because they happen on earth (even though they are spiritual things). In the context, taking earthly things as referring to the words Jesus has just spoken fits with the fact that Nicodemus did not believe. And he would not after hearing heavenly things either, unless he first believed in the earthly things – which included the necessity of a regenerating work from above, by the Holy Spirit.

[3:13]  ⁴³ tn Grk “And no one.”

[3:13]  ⁴⁴ sn The verb ascended is a perfect tense in Greek (ἀναβέβηκεν, anabebhken) which seems to look at a past, completed event. (This is not as much of a problem for those who take Jesus’ words to end at v. 12, and these words to be a comment by the author, looking back on Jesus’ ascension.) As a saying of Jesus, these words are a bit harder to explain. Note, however, the lexical similarities with 1:51: “ascending,” “descending,” and “son of man.” Here, though, the ascent and descent is accomplished by the Son himself, not the angels as in 1:51. There is no need to limit this saying to Jesus’ ascent following the resurrection, however; the point of the Jacob story (Gen 28), which seems to be the background for 1:51, is the freedom of communication and relationship between God and men (a major theme of John’s Gospel). This communication comes through the angels in Gen 28 (and John 1:51); but here (most appropriately) it comes directly through the Son of Man. Although Jesus could be referring to a prior ascent, after an appearance as the preincarnate Son of Man, more likely he is simply pointing out that no one from earth has ever gone up to heaven and come down again. The Son, who has come down from heaven, is the only one who has been ‘up’ there. In both Jewish intertestamental literature and later rabbinic accounts, Moses is portrayed as ascending to heaven to receive the Torah and descending to distribute it to men (e.g., Targum Ps 68:19.) In contrast to these Jewish legends, the Son is the only one who has ever made the ascent and descent.

[3:13]  ⁴⁵ tc Most witnesses, including a few important ones (A^[*^] Θ Ψ 050 Ë^1,13 Ï latt sy^c,p,h), have at the end of this verse “the one who is in heaven” (ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ, Jo wn en tw ouranw). A few others have variations on this phrase, such as “who was in heaven” (e sy^c), or “the one who is from heaven” (0141 pc sy^s). The witnesses normally considered the best, along with several others, lack the phrase in its entirety (Ì^66,75 א B L T W^s 083 086 33 1241 pc co). On the one hand, if the reading ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ is authentic it may suggest that while Jesus was speaking to Nicodemus he spoke of himself as in heaven even while he was on earth. If that is the case, one could see why variations from this hard saying arose: “who was in heaven,” “the one who is from heaven,” and omission of the clause. At the same time, such a saying could be interpreted (though with difficulty) as part of the narrator’s comments rather than Jesus’ statement to Nicodemus, alleviating the problem. And if v. 13 was viewed in early times as the evangelist’s statement, “the one who is in heaven” could have crept into the text through a marginal note. Other internal evidence suggests that this saying may be authentic. The adjectival participle, ὁ ὤν, is used in the Fourth Gospel more than any other NT book (though the Apocalypse comes in a close second), and frequently with reference to Jesus (1:18; 6:46; 8:47). It may be looking back to the LXX of Exod 3:14 (ἐγώ εἰμι ὁ ὤν). Especially since this exact construction is not necessary to communicate the location of the Son of Man, its presence in many witnesses here may suggest authenticity. Further, John uses the singular of οὐρανός (ourano", “heaven”) in all 18 instances of the word in this Gospel, and all but twice with the article (only 1:32 and 6:58 are anarthrous, and even in the latter there is significant testimony to the article). At the same time, the witnesses that lack this clause are very weighty and must not be discounted. Generally speaking, if other factors are equal, the reading of such mss should be preferred. And internally, it could be argued that ὁ ὤν is the most concise way to speak of the Son of Man in heaven at that time (without the participle the point would be more ambiguous). Further, the articular singular οὐρανός is already used twice in this verse, thus sufficiently prompting scribes to add the same in the longer reading. This combination of factors suggests that ὁ ὢν ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ is not a genuine Johannism. Further intrinsic evidence against the longer reading relates to the evangelist’s purposes: If he intended v. 13 to be his own comments rather than Jesus’ statement, his switch back to Jesus’ words in v. 14 (for the lifting up of the Son of Man is still seen as in the future) seems inexplicable. The reading “who is in heaven” thus seems to be too hard. All things considered, as intriguing as the longer reading is, it seems almost surely to have been a marginal gloss added inadvertently to the text in the process of transmission. For an argument in favor of the longer reading, see David Alan Black, “The Text of John 3:13,” GTJ 6 (1985): 49-66.

[3:13]  sn See the note on the title Son of Man in 1:51.

[3:14]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “And just as.”

[3:14]  ⁴⁷ sn Or the snake, referring to the bronze serpent mentioned in Num 21:9.

[3:14]  ⁴⁸ sn An allusion to Num 21:5-9.

[3:14]  ⁴⁹ sn So must the Son of Man be lifted up. This is ultimately a prediction of Jesus’ crucifixion. Nicodemus could not have understood this, but John’s readers, the audience to whom the Gospel is addressed, certainly could have (compare the wording of John 12:32). In John, being lifted up refers to one continuous action of ascent, beginning with the cross but ending at the right hand of the Father. Step 1 is Jesus’ death; step 2 is his resurrection; and step 3 is the ascension back to heaven. It is the upward swing of the “pendulum” which began with the incarnation, the descent of the Word become flesh from heaven to earth (cf. Paul in Phil 2:5-11). See also the note on the title Son of Man in 1:51.

[3:15]  ⁵⁰ tn This is the first use of the term ζωὴν αἰώνιον (zwhn aiwnion) in the Gospel, although ζωή (zwh) in chap. 1 is to be understood in the same way without the qualifying αἰώνιος (aiwnios).

[3:15]  sn Some interpreters extend the quotation of Jesus’ words through v. 21.