Lukas 8:15

8:15 But as for the seed that landed on good soil, these are the ones who, after hearing ¹  the word, cling to it ²  with an honest and good ³  heart, and bear fruit with steadfast endurance. ⁴ 

Matius 7:21-26

Judgment of Pretenders

7:21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ ⁵  will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. 7:22 On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do ⁶  many powerful deeds?’ 7:23 Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’ ⁷ 

Hearing and Doing

7:24 “Everyone ⁸  who hears these words of mine and does them is like ⁹  a wise man ¹⁰  who built his house on rock. 7:25 The rain fell, the flood ¹¹  came, and the winds beat against that house, but it did not collapse because it had been founded on rock. 7:26 Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand.

Matius 17:5

17:5 While he was still speaking, a ¹²  bright cloud ¹³  overshadowed ¹⁴  them, and a voice from the cloud said, ¹⁵  “This is my one dear Son, ¹⁶  in whom I take great delight. Listen to him!” ¹⁷ 

Yohanes 6:28-29

6:28 So then they said to him, “What must we do to accomplish the deeds ¹⁸  God requires?” ¹⁹  6:29 Jesus replied, ²⁰  “This is the deed ²¹  God requires ²²  – to believe in the one whom he ²³  sent.”

Yohanes 13:17

13:17 If you understand ²⁴  these things, you will be blessed if you do them.

Yakobus 1:22

1:22 But be sure you live out the message and do not merely listen to it and so deceive yourselves.

Yakobus 1:1

Salutation

1:1 From James, ²⁵  a slave ²⁶  of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes dispersed abroad. ²⁷  Greetings!

Yohanes 2:1

Turning Water into Wine

2:1 Now on the third day there was a wedding at Cana ²⁸  in Galilee. ²⁹  Jesus’ mother ³⁰  was there,

Yohanes 3:22

Further Testimony About Jesus by John the Baptist

3:22 After this, ³¹  Jesus and his disciples came into Judean territory, and there he spent time with them and was baptizing.

Yohanes 3:1

Conversation with Nicodemus

3:1 Now a certain man, a Pharisee ³²  named Nicodemus, who was a member of the Jewish ruling council, ³³ 

Yohanes 3:23

3:23 John ³⁴  was also baptizing at Aenon near Salim, ³⁵  because water was plentiful there, and people were coming ³⁶  to him ³⁷  and being baptized.

Yohanes 3:3

3:3 Jesus replied, ³⁸  “I tell you the solemn truth, ³⁹  unless a person is born from above, ⁴⁰  he cannot see the kingdom of God.” ⁴¹ 

Yohanes 1:11

1:11 He came to what was his own, ⁴²  but ⁴³  his own people ⁴⁴  did not receive him. ⁴⁵ 

[8:15]  ¹ tn The aorist participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally, reflecting action antecedent (prior to) that of the main verb.

[8:15]  ² sn There is a tenacity that is a part of spiritual fruitfulness.

[8:15]  ³ sn In an ancient context, the qualifier good described the ethical person who possessed integrity. Here it is integrity concerning God’s revelation through Jesus.

[8:15]  ⁴ sn Given the pressures noted in the previous soils, bearing fruit takes time (steadfast endurance), just as it does for the farmer. See Jas 1:2-4.

[7:21]  ⁵ sn The double use of the vocative is normally used in situations of high emotion or emphasis. Even an emphatic confession without action means little.

[7:22]  ⁶ tn Grk “and in your name do.” This phrase was not repeated here in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[7:23]  ⁷ tn Grk “workers of lawlessness.”

[7:24]  ⁸ tn Grk “Therefore everyone.” Here οὖν (oun) has not been translated.

[7:24]  ⁹ tn Grk “will be like.” The same phrase occurs in v. 26.

[7:24]  ¹⁰ tn Here and in v. 26 the Greek text reads ἀνήρ (anhr), while the parallel account in Luke 6:47-49 uses ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") in vv. 48 and 49.

[7:25]  ¹¹ tn Grk “the rivers.”

[17:5]  ¹² tn Grk “behold, a.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated here or in the following clause because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).

[17:5]  ¹³ sn This cloud is the cloud of God’s presence and the voice is his as well.

[17:5]  ¹⁴ tn Or “surrounded.”

[17:5]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “behold, a voice from the cloud, saying.” This is an incomplete sentence in Greek which portrays intensity and emotion. The participle λέγουσα (legousa) was translated as a finite verb in keeping with English style.

[17:5]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “my beloved Son,” or “my Son, the beloved [one].” The force of ἀγαπητός (agaphtos) is often “pertaining to one who is the only one of his or her class, but at the same time is particularly loved and cherished” (L&N 58.53; cf. also BDAG 7 s.v. 1).

[17:5]  ¹⁷ sn The expression listen to him comes from Deut 18:15 and makes two points: 1) Jesus is a prophet like Moses, a leader-prophet, and 2) they have much yet to learn from him.

[6:28]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “the works.”

[6:28]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “What must we do to work the works of God?”

[6:29]  ²⁰ tn Grk “answered and said to them.”

[6:29]  ²¹ tn Grk “the work.”

[6:29]  ²² tn Grk “This is the work of God.”

[6:29]  ²³ tn Grk “that one” (i.e., God).

[13:17]  ²⁴ tn Grk “If you know.”

[1:1]  ²⁵ 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]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ 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.

[2:1]  ²⁸ map For location see Map1 C3; Map2 D2; Map3 C5.

[2:1]  ²⁹ sn Cana in Galilee was not a very well-known place. It is mentioned only here, in 4:46, and 21:2, and nowhere else in the NT. Josephus (Life 16 [86]) says he once had his quarters there. The probable location is present day Khirbet Cana, 8 mi (14 km) north of Nazareth, or Khirbet Kenna, 4 mi (7 km) northeast of Nazareth.

[2:1]  ³⁰ tn Grk “in Galilee, and Jesus’ mother.”

[3:22]  ³¹ tn This section is related loosely to the preceding by μετὰ ταῦτα (meta tauta). This constitutes an indefinite temporal reference; the intervening time is not specified.

[3:1]  ³² sn See the note on Pharisees in 1:24.

[3:1]  ³³ tn Grk “a ruler of the Jews” (denoting a member of the Sanhedrin, the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[3:23]  ³⁴ sn John refers to John the Baptist.

[3:23]  ³⁵ tn The precise locations of Αἰνών (Ainwn) and Σαλείμ (Saleim) are unknown. Three possibilities are suggested: (1) In Perea, which is in Transjordan (cf. 1:28). Perea is just across the river from Judea. (2) In the northern Jordan Valley, on the west bank some 8 miles [13 km] south of Scythopolis. But with the Jordan River so close, the reference to abundant water (3:23) seems superfluous. (3) Thus Samaria has been suggested. 4 miles (6.6 km) east of Shechem is a town called Salim, and 8 miles (13 km) northeast of Salim lies modern Ainun. In the general vicinity are many springs. Because of the meanings of the names (Αἰνών = “springs” in Aramaic and Σαλείμ = Salem, “peace”) some have attempted to allegorize here that John the Baptist is near salvation. Obviously there is no need for this. It is far more probable that the author has in mind real places, even if their locations cannot be determined with certainty.

[3:23]  ³⁶ tn Or “people were continually coming.”

[3:23]  ³⁷ tn The words “to him” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[3:3]  ³⁸ tn Grk “answered and said to him.”

[3:3]  ³⁹ tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”

[3:3]  ⁴⁰ tn The word ἄνωθεν (anwqen) has a double meaning, either “again” (in which case it is synonymous with παλίν [palin]) or “from above” (BDAG 92 s.v. ἄνωθεν). This is a favorite technique of the author of the Fourth Gospel, and it is lost in almost all translations at this point. John uses the word 5 times, in 3:3, 7; 3:31; 19:11 and 23. In the latter 3 cases the context makes clear that it means “from above.” Here (3:3, 7) it could mean either, but the primary meaning intended by Jesus is “from above.” Nicodemus apparently understood it the other way, which explains his reply, “How can a man be born when he is old? He can’t enter his mother’s womb a second time and be born, can he?” The author uses the technique of the “misunderstood question” often to bring out a particularly important point: Jesus says something which is misunderstood by the disciples or (as here) someone else, which then gives Jesus the opportunity to explain more fully and in more detail what he really meant.

[3:3]  sn Or born again. The Greek word ἄνωθεν (anwqen) can mean both “again” and “from above,” giving rise to Nicodemus’ misunderstanding about a second physical birth (v. 4).

[3:3]  ⁴¹ sn What does Jesus’ statement about not being able to see the kingdom of God mean within the framework of John’s Gospel? John uses the word kingdom (βασιλεία, basileia) only 5 times (3:3, 5; 18:36 [3x]). Only here is it qualified with the phrase of God. The fact that John does not stress the concept of the kingdom of God does not mean it is absent from his theology, however. Remember the messianic implications found in John 2, both the wedding and miracle at Cana and the cleansing of the temple. For Nicodemus, the term must surely have brought to mind the messianic kingdom which Messiah was supposed to bring. But Nicodemus had missed precisely this point about who Jesus was. It was the Messiah himself with whom Nicodemus was speaking. Whatever Nicodemus understood, it is clear that the point is this: He misunderstood Jesus’ words. He over-literalized them, and thought Jesus was talking about repeated physical birth, when he was in fact referring to new spiritual birth.

[1:11]  ⁴² tn Grk “to his own things.”

[1:11]  ⁴³ tn Grk “and,” but in context this is an adversative use of καί (kai) and is thus translated “but.”

[1:11]  ⁴⁴ tn “People” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[1:11]  ⁴⁵ sn His own people did not receive him. There is a subtle irony here: When the λόγος (logos) came into the world, he came to his own (τὰ ἴδια, ta idia, literally “his own things”) and his own people (οἱ ἴδιοι, Joi idioi), who should have known and received him, but they did not. This time John does not say that “his own” did not know him, but that they did not receive him (παρέλαβον, parelabon). The idea is one not of mere recognition, but of acceptance and welcome.