Acts 18:27
New English Translation
27 When Apollos[a] wanted to cross over to Achaia,[b] the brothers encouraged[c] him[d] and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he[e] assisted greatly those who had believed by grace,
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- Acts 18:27 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Apollos) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
- Acts 18:27 sn To cross over to Achaia. Achaia was organized by the Romans as a separate province of Greece in 27 b.c. and was located across the Aegean Sea from Ephesus. The city of Corinth was in Achaia.
- Acts 18:27 tn Grk “encouraging [him], the brothers wrote.” The participle προτρεψάμενοι (protrepsamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. This was the typical letter of commendation from the Ephesians to the Achaeans.
- Acts 18:27 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
- Acts 18:27 tn Grk “who, when he arrived.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) was replaced with the pronoun “he” and a new sentence begun in the translation.
2 Corinthians 3:1
New English Translation
A Living Letter
3 Are we beginning to commend ourselves again? We don’t need letters of recommendation to you or from you as some other people do, do we?[a]
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- 2 Corinthians 3:1 tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply (“No, we do not”) which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ at the end, “do we?”
2 Corinthians 4:2
New English Translation
2 But we have rejected[a] shameful hidden deeds,[b] not behaving[c] with deceptiveness[d] or distorting the word of God, but by open proclamation of the truth we commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience before God.
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- 2 Corinthians 4:2 tn L&N 13.156; the word can also mean “to assert opposition to,” thus here “we have denounced” (L&N 33.220).
- 2 Corinthians 4:2 tn Grk “the hidden things [deeds] of shame”; here αἰσχύνης (aischunēs) has been translated as an attributive genitive.
- 2 Corinthians 4:2 tn Or “not conducting ourselves”; Grk “not walking” (a common NT idiom for conduct, way of life, or behavior).
- 2 Corinthians 4:2 tn Or “craftiness.”
2 Corinthians 5:12
New English Translation
12 We are not trying to commend[a] ourselves to you again, but are giving you an opportunity to be proud of us,[b] so that you may be able to answer those who take pride[c] in outward appearance[d] and not in what is in the heart.
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- 2 Corinthians 5:12 tn The present tense of συνιστάνομεν (sunistanomen) has been translated as a conative present.
- 2 Corinthians 5:12 tn Or “to boast about us.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:12 tn Or “who boast.”
- 2 Corinthians 5:12 tn Or “in what is seen.”
2 Corinthians 10:12
New English Translation
Paul’s Mission
12 For we would not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some of those who recommend themselves. But when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.[a]
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- 2 Corinthians 10:12 tn Or “they are unintelligent.”
2 Corinthians 12:11
New English Translation
The Signs of an Apostle
11 I have become a fool. You yourselves forced me to do it, for I should have been commended by you. For I lack nothing in comparison[a] to those “super-apostles,” even though I am nothing.
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- 2 Corinthians 12:11 tn Or “I am in no way inferior.”
3 John 9-10
New English Translation
Diotrephes the Troublemaker
9 I wrote something to the church,[a] but Diotrephes,[b] who loves to be first among them, does not acknowledge us.[c] 10 Therefore, if I come,[d] I will call attention to the deeds he is doing[e]—the bringing of unjustified charges against us with evil words! And not being content with that, he not only refuses to welcome the brothers himself, but hinders the people who want to do so and throws them out of the church!
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- 3 John 1:9 sn The church mentioned here, which the author says he may visit (3 John 10) is not the same as the one mentioned in 3 John 6, to which the author apparently belongs (or of which he is in charge). But what is the relationship of this church in v. 9 to Gaius, to whom the letter is addressed? It is sometimes suggested that Gaius belongs to this church, but that seems unlikely, because the author uses a third person pronoun to refer to the other members of the church (among them). If Gaius were one of these it would have been much more natural to use a second person pronoun: “Diotrephes, who loves to be first among you.” Thus it seems probable that Gaius belongs to (or is in charge of) one local church while Diotrephes is in another, a church known to Gaius but to which he does not belong.
- 3 John 1:9 sn Diotrephes appears to be an influential person (perhaps the leader) in a local church known to Gaius, but to which Gaius himself does not belong. The description of Diotrephes as one who loves to be first suggests he is arrogant, and his behavior displays this: He refuses to acknowledge the written communication mentioned by the author at the beginning of v. 9 (and thus did not recognize the author’s apostolic authority), and furthermore (v. 10) refuses to show any hospitality to the traveling missionaries (welcome the brothers) already mentioned by the author. It has been suggested that the description “loves to be first” only indicates that Diotrephes sought prominence or position in this church, and had not yet attained any real authority. But his actions here suggest otherwise: He is able to refuse or ignore the author’s previous written instructions (v. 9), and he is able to have other people put out of the church for showing hospitality to the traveling missionaries (v. 10).
- 3 John 1:9 tn Since the verb ἐπιδέχομαι (epidechomai) can mean “receive into one’s presence” (BDAG 370 s.v. 1; it is used with this meaning in the next verse) it has been suggested that the author himself attempted a previous visit to Diotrephes’ church but was turned away. There is nothing in the context to suggest an unsuccessful prior visit by the author, however; in 3 John 9 he explicitly indicates a prior written communication which Diotrephes apparently ignored or suppressed. The verb ἐπιδέχομαι can also mean “accept” in the sense of “acknowledge someone’s authority” (BDAG 370 s.v. 2) and such a meaning better fits the context here: Diotrephes has not accepted but instead rejected the authority of the author to intervene in the situation of the traveling missionaries (perhaps because Diotrephes believed the author had no local jurisdiction in the matter).
- 3 John 1:10 tn The third-class condition (ἐὰν ἔλθω, ean elthō) seems to be used by the author to indicate real uncertainty on his part as to whether he will visit Diotrephes’ church or not.
- 3 John 1:10 sn Because Diotrephes did not recognize the authority of the author, the author will expose his behavior for what it is (call attention to the deeds he is doing) if he comes for a visit. These are the charges the author will make against Diotrephes before the church: (1) Diotrephes is engaged in spreading unjustified charges against the author with evil words; (2) Diotrephes refuses to welcome the brothers (the traveling missionaries) himself; (3) Diotrephes hinders the others in the church who wish to help the missionaries; and (4) Diotrephes expels from the church (throws them out) people who aid the missionaries. (Diotrephes himself may not have had supreme authority in the local church to expel these people, but may have been responsible for instigating collective action against them.)
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