Lukas 3:12

3:12 Tax collectors ¹  also came to be baptized, and they said to him, “Teacher, what should we do?”

Lukas 7:43

7:43 Simon answered, ²  “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.” ³  Jesus ⁴  said to him, “You have judged rightly.”

Lukas 18:19

18:19 Jesus ⁵  said to him, “Why do you call me good? ⁶  No one is good except God alone.

[3:12]  ¹ sn The tax collectors would bid to collect taxes for the Roman government and then add a surcharge, which they kept. Since tax collectors worked for Rome, they were viewed as traitors to their own people and were not well liked. Yet even they were moved by John’s call.

[7:43]  ² tn Grk “answering, said.” This is redundant in contemporary English and has been simplified to “answered.”

[7:43]  ³ tn Grk “the one to whom he forgave more” (see v. 42).

[7:43]  ⁴ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[18:19]  ⁵ tn Grk “And Jesus.” Here καί (kai) has not been translated because of differences between Greek and English style.

[18:19]  ⁶ sn Jesus’ response, Why do you call me good?, was designed to cause the ruler to stop and think for a moment about who Jesus really was. The following statement No one is good except God alone seems to point the man in the direction of Jesus’ essential nature and the demands which logically follow on the man for having said it.