Matthew 9:28

9:28 When 1  he went into the house, the blind men came to him. Jesus 2  said to them, “Do you believe that I am able to do this?” They said to him, “Yes, Lord.”

Matthew 18:6

18:6 “But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, 3  it would be better for him to have a huge millstone 4  hung around his neck and to be drowned in the open sea. 5 

Matthew 21:25

21:25 Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from people?” 6  They discussed this among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’

Matthew 24:26

24:26 So then, if someone 7  says to you, ‘Look, he is in the wilderness,’ 8  do not go out, or ‘Look, he is in the inner rooms,’ do not believe him.

1 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

2 tn Grk “to him, and Jesus.” This is a continuation of the previous sentence in Greek, but a new sentence was started here in the translation.

3 tn The Greek term σκανδαλίζω (skandalizw), translated here “causes to sin” can also be translated “offends” or “causes to stumble.”

4 tn Grk “the millstone of a donkey.” This refers to a large flat stone turned by a donkey in the process of grinding grain (BDAG 661 s.v. μύλος 2; L&N 7.68-69). The same term is used in the parallel account in Mark 9:42.

sn The punishment of drowning with a heavy weight attached is extremely gruesome and reflects Jesus’ views concerning those who cause others who believe in him to sin.

5 tn The term translated “open” here (πελάγει, pelagei) refers to the open sea as opposed to a stretch of water near a coastline (BDAG 794 s.v. πέλαγος). A similar English expression would be “the high seas.”

6 tn The plural Greek term ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) is used here (and in v. 26) in a generic sense, referring to both men and women (cf. NAB, NRSV, “of human origin”; TEV, “from human beings”; NLT, “merely human”).

sn The question is whether John’s ministry was of divine or human origin.

7 tn Grk “they say.” The third person plural is used here as an indefinite and translated “someone” (ExSyn 402).

8 tn Or “in the desert.”