18:18 Now 1 a certain ruler 2 asked him, “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 3
1 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the transition to a new topic.
2 sn Only Luke states this man is a ruler (cf. the parallels in Matt 19:16-22 and Mark 10:17-22, where the questioner is described only as “someone”). He is probably a civic leader of some kind, a leader in the society.
3 sn The rich man wanted to know what he must do to inherit eternal life, but Jesus had just finished teaching that eternal life was not earned but simply received (18:17). See the similar question about inheriting eternal life in Luke 10:25.