Matius 11:25

Jesus’ Invitation

11:25 At that time Jesus said, ¹  “I praise ²  you, Father, Lord ³  of heaven and earth, because ⁴  you have hidden these things from the wise ⁵  and intelligent, and revealed them to little children.

Matius 13:11-12

13:11 He replied, ⁶  “You have been given ⁷  the opportunity to know ⁸  the secrets ⁹  of the kingdom of heaven, but they have not. 13:12 For whoever has will be given more, and will have an abundance. But whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. ¹⁰ 

Matius 13:16

13:16 “But your eyes are blessed ¹¹  because they see, and your ears because they hear.

Matius 16:17

16:17 And Jesus answered him, ¹²  “You are blessed, Simon son of Jonah, because flesh and blood ¹³  did not reveal this to you, but my Father in heaven!

Lukas 8:10

8:10 He ¹⁴  said, “You have been given ¹⁵  the opportunity to know ¹⁶  the secrets ¹⁷  of the kingdom of God, ¹⁸  but for others they are in parables, so that although they see they may not see, and although they hear they may not understand. ¹⁹ 

Lukas 10:21-24

10:21 On that same occasion ²⁰  Jesus ²¹  rejoiced ²²  in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise ²³  you, Father, Lord ²⁴  of heaven and earth, because ²⁵  you have hidden these things from the wise ²⁶  and intelligent, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will. ²⁷  10:22 All things have been given to me by my Father. ²⁸  No one knows who the Son is except the Father, or who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son decides ²⁹  to reveal him.”

10:23 Then ³⁰  Jesus ³¹  turned ³²  to his ³³  disciples and said privately, “Blessed ³⁴  are the eyes that see what you see! 10:24 For I tell you that many prophets and kings longed to see ³⁵  what you see but did not see it, and to hear what you hear but did not hear it.”

Lukas 10:1

The Mission of the Seventy-Two

10:1 After this ³⁶  the Lord appointed seventy-two ³⁷  others and sent them on ahead of him two by two into every town ³⁸  and place where he himself was about to go.

Kolose 4:7

Personal Greetings and Instructions

4:7 Tychicus, a dear brother, faithful minister, and fellow slave ³⁹  in the Lord, will tell you all the news about me. ⁴⁰ 

Kolose 4:2

Exhortation to Pray for the Success of Paul’s Mission

4:2 Be devoted to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.

Kolose 4:6

4:6 Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you should answer everyone.

Efesus 1:9

1:9 He did this when he revealed ⁴¹  to us the secret ⁴²  of his will, according to his good pleasure that he set forth ⁴³  in Christ, ⁴⁴ 

Efesus 2:4-10

2:4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of his great love with which he loved us, 2:5 even though we were dead in transgressions, made us alive together with Christ – by grace you are saved! ⁴⁵  – 2:6 and he raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 2:7 to demonstrate in the coming ages ⁴⁶  the surpassing wealth of his grace in kindness toward ⁴⁷  us in Christ Jesus. 2:8 For by grace you are saved ⁴⁸  through faith, ⁴⁹  and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God; 2:9 it is not from ⁵⁰  works, so that no one can boast. ⁵¹  2:10 For we are his workmanship, having been created in Christ Jesus for good works that God prepared beforehand so we may do them. ⁵² 

Titus 3:3-7

3:3 For we too were once foolish, disobedient, misled, enslaved to various passions and desires, spending our lives in evil and envy, hateful and hating one another. 3:4 ⁵³  But “when the kindness of God our Savior and his love for mankind appeared, 3:5 he saved us not by works of righteousness that we have done but on the basis of his mercy, through the washing of the new birth and the renewing of the Holy Spirit, 3:6 whom he poured out on us in full measure ⁵⁴  through Jesus Christ our Savior. 3:7 And so, ⁵⁵  since we have been justified by his grace, we become heirs with the confident expectation of eternal life.” ⁵⁶ 

Yakobus 1:16-18

1:16 Do not be led astray, my dear brothers and sisters. ⁵⁷  1:17 All generous giving and every perfect gift ⁵⁸  is from above, coming down ⁵⁹  from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or the slightest hint of change. ⁶⁰  1:18 By his sovereign plan he gave us birth ⁶¹  through the message of truth, that we would be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

Yakobus 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From James, ⁶²  a slave ⁶³  of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. ⁶⁴  Greetings!

Yohanes 5:20

5:20 For the Father loves the Son and shows him everything he does, and will show him greater deeds than these, so that you will be amazed.

[11:25]  ¹ tn Grk “At that time, answering, Jesus said.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation.

[11:25]  ² tn Or “thank.”

[11:25]  ³ sn The title Lord is an important name for God, showing his sovereignty, but it is interesting that it comes next to a reference to the Father, a term indicative of God’s care. The two concepts are often related in the NT; see Eph 1:3-6.

[11:25]  ⁴ tn Or “that.”

[11:25]  ⁵ sn See 1 Cor 1:26-31.

[13:11]  ⁶ tn Grk “And answering, he said to them.” This construction is somewhat redundant in English and has been simplified in the translation. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[13:11]  ⁷ tn This is an example of a “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437-38).

[13:11]  ⁸ tn Grk “to you it has been given to know.” The dative pronoun occurs first, in emphatic position in the Greek text, although this position is awkward in contemporary English.

[13:11]  ⁹ tn Grk “the mysteries.”

[13:11]  sn The key term secrets (μυστήριον, musthrion) can mean either (1) a new revelation or (2) a revealing interpretation of existing revelation as in Dan 2:17-23, 27-30. Jesus seems to be explaining how current events develop old promises, since the NT consistently links the events of Jesus’ ministry and message with old promises (Rom 1:1-4; Heb 1:1-2). The traditional translation of this word, “mystery,” is misleading to the modern English reader because it suggests a secret which people have tried to uncover but which they have failed to understand (L&N 28.77).

[13:12]  ¹⁰ sn What he has will be taken from him. The meaning is that the one who accepts Jesus’ teaching concerning his person and the kingdom will receive a share in the kingdom now and even more in the future, but for the one who rejects Jesus’ words, the opportunity that that person presently possesses with respect to the kingdom will someday be taken away forever.

[13:16]  ¹¹ sn This beatitude highlights the great honor bestowed on the disciples to share in this salvation.

[16:17]  ¹² tn Grk “answering, Jesus said to him.” The participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqeis) is redundant, but the syntax of this phrase has been modified for clarity.

[16:17]  ¹³ tn The expression “flesh and blood” could refer to “any human being” (so TEV, NLT; cf. NIV “man”), but it could also refer to Peter himself (i.e., his own intuition; cf. CEV “You didn’t discover this on your own”). Because of the ambiguity of the referent, the phrase “flesh and blood” has been retained in the translation.

[8:10]  ¹⁴ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[8:10]  ¹⁵ tn This is an example of a so-called “divine passive,” with God understood to be the source of the revelation (see ExSyn 437-38).

[8:10]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “it has been given to you to know.” The dative pronoun occurs first, in emphatic position in the Greek text, although this position is awkward in contemporary English.

[8:10]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “the mysteries.”

[8:10]  sn The key term secrets (μυστήριον, musthrion) can mean either (1) a new revelation or (2) a revealing interpretation of existing revelation as in Dan 2:17-23, 27-30. Jesus seems to be explaining how current events develop old promises, since the NT consistently links the events of Jesus’ ministry and message with old promises (Rom 1:1-4; Heb 1:1-2). The traditional translation of this word, “mystery,” is misleading to the modern English reader because this English word suggests a secret which people have tried to uncover but which they have failed to understand (L&N 28.77).

[8:10]  ¹⁸ sn The kingdom of God is a major theme of Jesus. It is a realm in which Jesus rules and to which those who trust him belong. See Luke 6:20; 11:20; 17:20-21.

[8:10]  ¹⁹ sn A quotation from Isa 6:9. Thus parables both conceal or reveal depending on whether one is open to hearing what they teach.

[10:21]  ²⁰ tn Grk “In that same hour” (L&N 67.1).

[10:21]  ²¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:21]  ²² sn Jesus rejoiced. The account of the mission in 10:1-24 ends with several remarks about joy.

[10:21]  ²³ tn Or “thank.”

[10:21]  ²⁴ sn The title Lord is an important name for God, showing his sovereignty, but it is interesting that it comes next to a reference to the Father, a term indicative of God’s care. The two concepts are often related in the NT; see Eph 1:3-6.

[10:21]  ²⁵ tn Or “that.”

[10:21]  ²⁶ sn See 1 Cor 1:26-31.

[10:21]  ²⁷ tn Grk “for (to do) thus was well pleasing before you,” BDAG 325 s.v. ἔμπροσθεν 1.δ; speaking of something taking place “before” God is a reverential way of avoiding direct connection of the action to him.

[10:22]  ²⁸ sn This verse has been noted for its conceptual similarity to teaching in John’s Gospel (10:15; 17:2). The authority of the Son and the Father are totally intertwined.

[10:22]  ²⁹ tn Or “wishes”; or “intends”; or “plans” (cf. BDAG 182 s.v. βούλομαι 2.b). Here it is the Son who has sovereignty.

[10:23]  ³⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the implied sequence of events within the narrative.

[10:23]  ³¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:23]  ³² tn Grk “turning to the disciples, he said.” The participle στραφείς (strafei") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:23]  ³³ tn Grk “the”; in context the article is used as a possessive pronoun (ExSyn 215).

[10:23]  ³⁴ sn This beatitude highlights the great honor bestowed on the disciples to share in this salvation, as v. 20 also noted. See also Luke 2:30.

[10:24]  ³⁵ sn This is what past prophets and kings had wanted very much to see, yet the fulfillment had come to the disciples. This remark is like 1 Pet 1:10-12 or Heb 1:1-2.

[10:1]  ³⁶ tn Grk “And after these things.” Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[10:1]  ³⁷ tc There is a difficult textual problem here and in v. 17, where the number is either “seventy” (א A C L W Θ Ξ Ψ Ë^1,13 Ï and several church fathers and early versions) or “seventy-two” (Ì⁷⁵ B D 0181 pc lat as well as other versions and fathers). The more difficult reading is “seventy-two,” since scribes would be prone to assimilate this passage to several OT passages that refer to groups of seventy people (Num 11:13-17; Deut 10:22; Judg 8:30; 2 Kgs 10:1 et al.); this reading also has slightly better ms support. “Seventy” could be the preferred reading if scribes drew from the tradition of the number of translators of the LXX, which the Letter of Aristeas puts at seventy-two (TCGNT 127), although this is far less likely. All things considered, “seventy-two” is a much more difficult reading and accounts for the rise of the other. Only Luke notes a second larger mission like the one in 9:1-6.

[10:1]  ³⁸ tn Or “city.”

[4:7]  ³⁹ tn See the note on “fellow slave” in 1:7.

[4:7]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “all things according to me.”

[1:9]  ⁴¹ tn Or “He did this by revealing”; Grk “making known, revealing.” Verse 9 begins with a participle dependent on “lavished” in v. 8; the adverbial participle could be understood as temporal (“when he revealed”), which would be contemporaneous to the action of the finite verb “lavished,” or as means (“by revealing”). The participle has been translated here with the temporal nuance to allow for means to also be a possible interpretation. If the translation focused instead upon means, the temporal nuance would be lost as the time frame for the action of the participle would become indistinct.

[1:9]  ⁴² tn Or “mystery.” In the NT μυστήριον (musthrion) refers to a divine secret previously undisclosed.

[1:9]  ⁴³ tn Or “purposed,” “publicly displayed.” Cf. Rom 3:25.

[1:9]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “in him”; the referent (Christ) has been specified in the translation for the sake of clarity.

[1:9]  sn In Christ. KJV has “in himself” as though the antecedent were God the Father. Although possible, the notion of the verb set forth (Greek προτίθημι, protiqhmi) implies a plan that is carried out in history (cf. Rom 1:13; 3:25) and thus more likely refers to Christ.

[2:5]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “by grace you have been saved.” The perfect tense in Greek connotes both completed action (“you have been saved”) and continuing results (“you are saved”).

[2:7]  ⁴⁶ tn Or possibly “to the Aeons who are about to come.”

[2:7]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “upon.”

[2:8]  ⁴⁸ tn See note on the same expression in v. 5.

[2:8]  ⁴⁹ tc The feminine article is found before πίστεως (pistews, “faith”) in the Byzantine text as well as in A Ψ 1881 pc. Perhaps for some scribes the article was intended to imply creedal fidelity as a necessary condition of salvation (“you are saved through the faith”), although elsewhere in the corpus Paulinum the phrase διὰ τῆς πίστεως (dia th" pistew") is used for the act of believing rather than the content of faith (cf. Rom 3:30, 31; Gal 3:14; Eph 3:17; Col 2:12). On the other side, strong representatives of the Alexandrian and Western texts (א B D* F G P 0278 6 33 1739 al bo) lack the article. Hence, both text-critically and exegetically, the meaning of the text here is most likely “saved through faith” as opposed to “saved through the faith.” Regarding the textual problem, the lack of the article is the preferred reading.

[2:9]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “not as a result of.”

[2:9]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “lest anyone should boast.”

[2:10]  ⁵² tn Grk “so that we might walk in them” (or “by them”).

[2:10]  sn So that we may do them. Before the devil began to control our walk in sin and among sinful people, God had already planned good works for us to do.

[3:4]  ⁵³ tn Verses 4-7 are set as poetry in NA²⁶/NA²⁷. These verses probably constitute the referent of the expression “this saying” in v. 8.

[3:6]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “on us richly.”

[3:7]  ⁵⁵ tn This is the conclusion of a single, skillfully composed sentence in Greek encompassing Titus 3:4-7. Showing the goal of God’s merciful salvation, v. 7 begins literally, “in order that, being justified…we might become heirs…”

[3:7]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”

[1:16]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:2.

[1:17]  ⁵⁸ tn The first phrase refers to the action of giving and the second to what is given.

[1:17]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “All generous giving and every perfect gift from above is coming down.”

[1:17]  ⁶⁰ tn Grk “variation or shadow of turning” (referring to the motions of heavenly bodies causing variations of light and darkness).

[1:18]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “Having willed, he gave us birth.”

[1:1]  ⁶² tn Grk “James.” The word “From” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[1:1]  ⁶³ tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” 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.). 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]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “to the twelve tribes in the Diaspora.” The Greek term διασπορά (diaspora, “dispersion”) refers to Jews not living in Palestine but “dispersed” or scattered among the Gentiles.