¹ tn Or “as though God were begging.”

² tn Or “we beg you.”

³ tn Or “is all the more.”

⁴ tn The comparative form of this adjective is used here with elative meaning.

⁵ tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.

⁶ tn Or “of his own free will.”

⁷ tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.

⁸ tn Grk “the brother of whom the praise in the gospel [is] throughout all the churches.”

⁹ tn Or “must do.” The words “of you” and “should give” are not in the Greek text, which literally reads, “Each one just as he has decided in his heart.” The missing words are an ellipsis; these or similar phrases must be supplied for the English reader.

¹⁰ tn Or “in his mind.”

¹¹ tn Or “not from regret”; Grk “not out of grief.”

¹² tn Or “not out of a sense of duty”; Grk “from necessity.”

¹³ tn Grk “I fear lest somehow.”

¹⁴ tn Or “the snake.”

¹⁵ tn Or “craftiness.”

¹⁶ tn Or “corrupted,” “seduced.”

¹⁷ tc Although most mss (א² H Ψ 0121 0243 1739 1881 Ï) lack “and pure” (καὶ τῆς ἁγνότητος, kai th" Jagnothto"; Grk “and purity”) several important and early witnesses (Ì⁴⁶ א* B D^[2] F G 33 81 104 pc ar r co) retain these words. Their presence in such mss across such a wide geographical distribution argues for their authenticity. The omission from the majority of mss can be explained by haplography, since the -τητος ending of ἁγνότητος is identical to the ending of ἁπλότητος (Japlothto", “sincerity”) three words back (ἁπλότητος καὶ τῆς ἁγνότητος); further, since the meanings of “sincerity” and “purity” are similar they might seem redundant. A copyist would scarcely notice the omission because Paul’s statement still makes sense without “and from purity.”

¹⁸ tn Or “also masquerade.”

¹⁹ tn Or “their works.”

²⁰ tn In Acts 9:25 the same basket used in Paul’s escape is called a σπυρίς (spuri"), a basket larger than a κόφινος (kofinos). It was very likely made out of rope, so the translation “rope-basket” is used.