Luke

12:1-12

The teachings of Messiah, 9:51-19:44

2. The kingdom and power, 11:1-12:34

v] Information for evangelists

In introducing this episode, Luke provides a general setting, presumably outside the home of the Pharisee who had invited Jesus for a meal. The crowd has increased somewhat, but Luke tells us that Jesus focuses his instructions on the disciples. Luke presents Jesus' instructions as a series of linked independent sayings on the subject of mission / evangelism. Heading the instructions is a warning about the constant danger of self-righteous legalism, v1, a heresy with the potential of undermining the mission of the children of the kingdom.

Kingdom business requires that Jesus be oJmologew, "publicly acknowledge" before the world without uJpokrisiV, "hypocrisy".

i] Context: See 11:1-13. Information for evangelists serves as the fifth episode in a series of six covering the topic The Kingdom and Power, 11:1-12:34. In these episodes we see the disciples interacting with the power of the Spirit realised in the dawning of the new age of the kingdom. Each part of this six-layered Lukan sandwich provides a lesson on discipleship - first on prayer, then on overcoming the powers of darkness, then bathing in the enlightening power of the Word of God, then the danger of self-righteous legalism, and now facing the difficulties of evangelism.

ii] Structure: Information for evangelists:

iii] Interpretation:

iv] Synoptics :

Information for evangelists, 1-12: i] Setting, v1a. Luke provides a setting for us which is thematically appropriate for the subject of mission. Presumably the crowed has gathered outside of the home of the Pharisee who had invited Jesus for a meal. The crowd has enlarged somewhat; "there were so many people that they were trampling on each other", Barclay.

en oi| "meanwhile" - in = during which. The preposition en is temporal, and with the dative relative pronoun takes the sense "meanwhile."

episunacqeiswn (episunagw) gen. aor. pas. part. "when ..... had gathered" - [the countless thousands of the crowd] having gathered together. The genitive participle and its genitive subject, "countless thousands", forms a genitive absolute construction, temporal, as NIV. The genitive tou oclou, "crowd", is adjectival, partitive.

wJste + inf. "so that" - that [to trample on one another]. This construction serves to introduce a consecutive clause expressing result; "with the result that they were trampling on each other's toes"

legein (legw) pres. inf. "[Jesus began] to speak - [he began] to say. The infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the verb "to begin."

ptoV + acc. "to" - toward [the disciples of him]. Luke's particular use of this preposition to introduce an indirect object, rather than a dative.

ii] Instructions / sayings, v1b-12. Saying #1. The danger of hypocrisy. At first glance, the topic of this saying seems to have nothing to do whatsoever with the subject of mission. For this reason, some translators link 12:1-3 with the proceeding Woes on self-righteousness legalism, eg., Phillips. For some, the warning is more transitional than anything; "Having denounced the glaring inconsistency of the Pharisees' behaviour, Jesus' warning against imitating their hypocrisy makes a fitting conclusion", Stein. None-the-less, it seems likely that the warning is linked to mission, and likely tops the list in importance (prwton, "Above all, ..."), When Mark, in 8:15, records the Lord's warning concerning the "leaven of the Pharisees", he doesn't define what it means, but Luke explains that it means "hypocrisy", but hypocrisy in what sense? Bock suggests imitating the Pharisees "double life"; Marshall, their "outlook on life"; and Evans, their "deliberate dissimulation." Yet, maybe "hypocrisy" encapsulates the whole self-righteous legalism of the Pharisees, in which case, of "first" importance, disciples are reminded that they are preachers / communicators of grace rather than law; gospelisers, not moralisers.

prwton "first" - first. The NIV, as with most translations, agrees with Marshall, Nolland, Bock, .... who argue that this adverbial adjective modifies legein, "to say"; "he began saying primarily to his disciples", Berkeley, ie., what Jesus had to say at this point has relevance only for his disciples. This is true, but "first" may well modify prosecete, "to be on guard, to beware"; "Above all, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees (that is, of their hypocrisy)", Torrey.

eautoiV dat. pro. "-" - [you beware, take guard, pay attention to] yourselves. Zerwick classifies this reflective pronoun as a dative of disadvantage; "for your own sake". Culy opts for a dative complement, ie., a dative of direct object after the proV prefix verb "to pay attention to."

apo + gen. "-" - from [the leaven of (belonging to) the pharisees, which is hypocrisy]. Here expressing separation; "away from." The relative clause introduced by hJtiV serves to explain / specify "yeast".

Saying #2. The truth of the gospel will out, v2-3. The sense of this double saying is "truth will out", Fitzmyer, but what does this mean? Fitzmyer opts for a personal sense; "what is said or done in secret is not hid from God." Most commentators follow suit; Stein suggests that hypocrisy will inevitably be exposed and judged, so also Caird, Danker, Black, Bock, Geldenhuys, ...... Ellis, given the context of instruction for mission, suggests two possibilities: "the dynamic effect even of a secret telling of the gospel", or the post resurrection witness of the disciples as compared with the veiled nature of Jesus' pre-resurrection ministry; he opts for the second sense. As Evans notes, "in Matt.10:26 the reference is to a message that is of necessity concealed in the present, but is so only in order to be brought out into the open, cf., Mk.4:1-32." In the context of the messianic secret, the gospel was not only limited to the house of Israel at this point in time, but due to Israel's rejection of the message, it was veiled in riddles / parables: "so seeing they may not see", Lk.8:10. Yet, "truth will out", such that in the new age of the kingdom, the message of God's sovereign grace in Jesus Christ is a message for all the world to hear.

de "-" - but/and. Transitional, introducing the next linked saying.

sugkekalummenon (sugkaluptw) perf. mid. part. "[there is nothing] concealed" - [there is nothing] having been concealed [which will not be revealed]. The NIV treats the participle as the predicate of the verb to-be; "there is nothing covered up that will not be uncovered." Thompson opts for a periphrastic perfect construction; "Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed", ESV.

krupton "[or] hidden" - [and there is nothing] hidden [which will not be made known]. Predicate of an assumed verb to-be; "or secret that shall not be brought to light", Berkeley.

anq w|n. "-" - instead of which. This construction, the preposition anti with the genitive relative pronoun, expresses a weakened causal sense, "for", or consecutive sense, "so, so then, accordingly, therefore". Peterson, so also Marshall, suggests "therefore" as the most likely intended sense. Possibly: "This is the same as saying that .......", Junkins.

en + dat. "in [the dark]" - [whatever you said] in [the dark will be heard in the light of day]. Local, expressing sphere / context, circumstance.

proV + acc. "in [the ear]" - [and what you spoke] toward [the ear in the inner room you will proclaim]. This preposition expresses movement toward, so prompting the NIV translation "whispered in the ear." "That which you used to whisper into each other's ears in secret places will be proclaimed aloud from the housetops", Cassirer.

epi + gen. "from" - upon [the roof, housetop]. Spatial, "on, upon". The sense of the prepositional phrase is "publicly", Peterson.

Saying #3. Fear nothing but divine judgment, v4-5. Luke now records a saying which warns disciples not to be debilitated by fear; "the trepidation indigenous of situations of life imperilment", Green. So, probably not in the context of pharisaic "dissembling", Geldenhuys, but at the pointy end of communicating the gospel to godless humanity in face of the constant threat of persecution. Instead of fearing corrupted humanity, a disciple should fear the one who "has the authority to cast into hell". Some have understood this as a reference to Satan, but it is obviously a reference to God. Matthew, in his record of the saying, Matt.10:28, is somewhat sharper on the issue of judgment, in that a disciple ought to fear the one who can destroy both body and soul in hell.

de "-" - but/and. Transitional, introducing the next linked saying.

toiV filoiV dat. adj. "[my] friends" - [i say to you] the friends [of me]. The adjective serves as a substantive, dative in apposition to the dative of indirect object uJmin, "you". Only used here and in the gospel of John.

apo + gen. "of" - from. Here expressing separation, "away from", the idea of turning away from a person one is afraid of, so Plummer.

twn apokteinontwn (apokteinw) gen. pres. part. "those who kill" - the ones killing [the body]. The participle serves as a substantive.

meta + acc. "after [that]" - [and] after [these things]. Temporal use of the preposition; "do not fear those who kill the body, and who, after these things (after having done all this), are not able ....."

mh econtwn (ecw) gen. pres. part. "can [do]" - not having = not being able [to do to you]. The participle serves as a substantive, genitive in agreement with "the ones killing", "do not fear those who kill ...... and ..... who do not have to do = who are not able to do anything more" When the verb ecw, "to have", is followed by an infinitive it will often take the sense "to be able", in which case, the infinitive is complementary, completing the sense of the participle "having" = "being able."

perissoteron comp. adj. "more" - [certain = anything] more, further [than these things]. The comparative adjective serves as a substantive, accusative object of the infinitive "to do." "And after that, can do nothing further", Cassirer.

uJmin dat. pro. "you" - [but/and i will show someone] to you. Dative of indirect object.

fobhqhte aor. pas. subj. "you should fear" - [who] should you fear. The deliberative subjunctive with the interrogative pronoun tina introduces an indirect question.

ton .... econta (exw) pres. part. "who .... has" - [fear] the one ........ having. The participle serves as a substantive, accusative direct object of the verb "to fear."

meta to + inf. "after [your body has been killed]" - after the [to kill the body]. This construction, the preposition meta + the articular infinitive, introduces a temporal clause, antecedent time. The construction is indefinite with no subject supplied, so Luke may have in mind death by human hands, as NIV; "after death", HCSB. A translation with God, or Satan (very unlikely), as the subject, follows Matthew's record of the saying, eg., Barclay, "fear the one who has the power first to kill you and then to throw you into hell."

embalein (em ballw) aor. inf. "to throw" - [authority] to throw [into gehenna (Valley of Hinnom) = hell. yes i say to you, fear this one]. The infinitive is probably epexegetic, specifying the "authority" in mind; "Be afraid of him who ...... has the power / authority to cast you into hell." "Now that is the person who really can be scary", Junkins.

Saying #4. God is concerned for his little children, v6-7. In like manner to Matthew, Luke attaches this double saying on God's concern for believers to the double saying on "What to fear", namely, the judgment of God, cf., Matt.10:29-31. Luke has made the point that a ministry of gospel communication brings with it troubles, troubles we should not fear. Now he seems to make the point that fear is dissipated with an awareness of God's omniscience (his all-knowing). God's knowledge of the destiny of sparrows and the hairs of our head, and that believers "are of more value than many sparrows", can imply a promise of protection, cf., 2Sam.14:11, so Evans; that "God knows and rules over every aspect of our lives", Stein. Yet, it is more likely that this saying serves as a word of "encouragement", Ellis, a statement of concern, rather than providential care - God takes an interest in his creation, especially in the lives of his children, even in the most insignificant of matters. The saying is about "fatherly concern", Marshall, rather than "sovereign care", Thompson; an intimate concern which, when understood, encourages a disciple in the face of opposition / persecution. So, the saying "does not present God as saviour ....., ie., as one who rescues people from danger", Green, rather, it makes the point that "disciples do not stand alone in the situations in which their allegiance to the Son of Man is under challenge", Nolland.

ouci "[Are] not" - [are] not [five sparrows sold]. This negation is used in a question expecting a positive answer. Matthew has two as (a small Roman copper coin, // a farthing) for one sparrow. The rhythmic 5, 2, 1 is either down to Jesus, Luke or oral transmission.

assariwn (on) gen. "pennies" - of [two] farthings? The genitive is adjectival, idiomatic / of price.

ex (ek) + gen. "[one] of [them]" - [and yet not one] from [them]. This preposition is used in place of a partitive genitive.

epilelhsmenon (epilanqanomai) perf. mid. part. "is forgotten" - has been forgotten, overlooked. The perfect participle with the present tense of the verb to-be, forms a periphrastic perfect construction, probably expressing durative action; "Yet not a one of them ever is forgotten by God", Junkins.

enwpion + gen. "by" - before [god]. Spatial, but used in the OT sense of "before the face of God", which respectfully establishes a distance between creature and creator. So here, not forgotten "as far as God is concerned"; "Not one of them escapes God's notice", Cassirer.

alla "indeed" - but [and = also]. Contrastive, "introducing a clause which contrasts with, and goes beyond, the preceding clause", TH; "and not only this, but also ...", Thompson. An emphatic "indeed" for alla kai, as NIV, makes the point well.

thV kefalhV (h) gen. "of [your] head" - [the hairs] of the head [of you have all been counted]. The genitive is adjectival, partitive.

strouqiwn (on) gen. "than [many] sparrows" - [do not fear, you are better = worth more] of [many] sparrows. The genitive is ablative, of comparison, as NIV; "you are of more value than many sparrows", ESV.

Saying #8. Jesus acknowledges those who testify for him, v8-9. Again, Luke aligns this double saying with Matthew, and presumably does so again in the context of mission, cf., Matt.10:32-33 - note a similar saying in 9:26. Luke has Jesus acknowledging the disciple before "the angels of God" (the heavenly assembly???), whereas for Matthew, it is before "the Father in heaven" - ditto for denial, v9. The saying can apply to a number of life situations, such as confessing, professing allegiance to Jesus in a courtroom situation within the context of State sponsored persecution. Yet, if we accept that Luke's context is mission, then oJmologew here refers to "an emphatic declaration, often in public"* of the gospel; "to testify, profess, confess, acknowledge, ....", Jesus' person and word. So, communicating the gospel in a godless world has its challenges, but a disciple is encouraged in this task with the knowledge that their efforts are personally acknowledged by Jesus.

o}V an + subj. "whoever" - [i say to you, all] whoever. Introducing an indefinite relative clause which in this instance, is conditional; "whoever acknowledges ...... then the Son of Man also ....." The presence of paV, "all", makes the construction emphatic, "all whoever". Zerwick classifies the nominal phrase paV o}V as a pendent nominative resumed by autw/, "him", "the Son of Man also will acknowledge him before the angels."

en + dat. "[me]" - [confesses, testifies, acknowledges] in [me]. Local, expressing association, although Culy classifies it as adverbial, reference / respect. The use of the preposition here is regarded as a Semitism.

emprosqen + gen. "before [others]" - before [men]. Local, expressing space / place, "in the presence of."

tou anqrwpou (oV) gen. "[the Son] of man" - [and = also the son] of man [will confess him before the angels (belonging to) of god]. The genitive is adjectival, relational; See oJ uiJoV tou anqrwpou, 5:24. Luke's reference to "the angels of God" is likely to be deferential, serving to indirectly address God, so maintaining a respectful distance, and thus equal to Matthew's "my Father which is in heaven." Such deference is likely to be a produce of oral transmission

oJ .. arnhsamenoV (arneomai) aor. mid. part. "whoever disowns [me]" - [but/and] the one having denied [me before men will be denied before the angels of god]. The participle serves as a substantive, nominative subject of the verb "to deny." The indefinite sense of v8 probably carries over, as NIV, as does the conditional sense of the clause. Culy notes the rhetorical function of this construction in both v8 and 9, arguing that it produces an exhortation roughly equivalent to "Acknowledge me before people; Don't deny me before people." It is improper to conclude that a denial of Jesus before others results in a "disowning" by Jesus and thus, "the loss of life", Stein, (what about Peter?). Green agrees, but only in the terms of "a life of denial" eg., Judas (so you can't be a believer who keeps their counsel to themselves?). Our interpretation of this saying should begin with the proposition that a personal acknowledgment of / faith in Jesus saves, and resist the temptation to move beyond the proposition that a public acknowledgment of Jesus is publicly acknowledged in heaven.

Saying #6. The rejection of the gospel is unpardonable, v10. Luke now adds a saying which is used by both Matthew and Mark in the context of a defiant rejection of Jesus' messianic credentials by the religious authorities, and this in the face of the most evident of messianic signs, namely, exorcism. If we take blasphemy against the Holy Spirit to mean an ongoing rejection of Jesus and his word, then it seems likely that Luke uses the saying to clarify the previous saying. A disciple may only rarely arneomai, "deny" Jesus openly before others, but will often do little to make him known, particularly in a circumstance that could be personally counterproductive. Yet, silence, even a word eiV, "against", Jesus is forgivable for the child of faith, but ongoing rejection (unfaith) is unforgivable. When it comes to denying Jesus, there is only one sin that cannot be forgiven, namely, the determined rejection of Jesus and his message of salvation, the gospel.

paV adj. "everyone" - all = everyone [who will say a word]. The adjective serves as a substantive modified by the relative clause introduced by o}V, "who", and, as a nominative pendens, is picked up again by the resumptive pronoun autw/ "him".

eiV + acc. "against" - into [the son of man]. Here expressing disadvantage, as NIV. "To speak into someone" takes "a hostile sense", Thompson. Used in the LXX for cursing someone.

autw/ dat. pro. "[will be forgiven]" - [it (a word spoken against Jesus) will be forgiven] to him. Dative of direct object after the verb to forgive / interest, advantage, "for him."

tw/ .... blasfhmhsanti (blasfhmew) dat. aor. part. "who blasphemes" - [but/and] to the one having blasphemed [into = against the holy spirit, it (the blasphemy) will not be forgiven]. The participle serves as a substantive, dative of interest, disadvantage. The meaning of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is long contested. Bock nicely lists the main contenders for us:

Saying #7. The guiding presence of the Spirit, v11-12. A similar saying is found in Mark 13:11 and Matthew 10:19, and Luke also reworks the saying 21:12,14-15. Note how "the Holy Spirit" is the link word with the previous saying, as was "the Son of Man" with the one before that. Although the Spirit's empowering, as a general principle, applies to those who testify / proclaim the gospel, the specific context of the saying concerns disciples who are "handed over (bring forcibly)" for trial in religious and secular courts. Disciples are not to be "anxious", for the Spirit will "instruct" them what to say (in Matthew and Luke the Spirit speaks for the disciple). In Luke / Acts, the ministry of the Spirit is primarily involved with proclamation, such that references to being filled, baptised, receiving the Spirit, are usually associated with utterance; "they were filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly", Acts 4:31. So, rather than being debilitated by fear, a disciples must strive to acknowledge Jesus, even in the most difficult of circumstances. In this task we are not alone; the Holy Spirit will be there right beside us, even guiding the words we say.

de "-" - but/and. Transitional, indicating a step to a new saying.

oJtan + subj. "when" - when [they may forcibly bring you]. This construction, the temporal conjunction oJtan + subj., introduces an indefinite temporal clause, referring to a singular event of unknown time. "When you are brought to trial in the Jewish meeting places or before rulers or officials", CEV.

epi + acc. "before" - upon [the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities]. Spatial, here with the sense of "up to, against", so "before". Religious and secular persecution ending up in legal proceedings before religious and secular courts.

pw:V h] tiv + subj. "how" - [do not be anxious] how or what [you should defend yourself, or what you should say]. The interrogatives pw:V and tiv with the deliberative subjunctives, introduce an indirect question / dependent statement, expressing what they should not be anxious about. "Do not give anxious thought to the wording and the lines of your defence", Rieu.

gar "for" - because [the holy spirit will teach you]. Introducing a causal clause explaining why it is unnecessary to be anxious about what to say.

en + dat. "at" - in [same hour]. Temporal use of the preposition; "At that time", CEV.

eipein (legw) aor. inf. "[what you should] say" - [what things] to say [is necessary]. The relative clause, introduced by the relative pronoun a}, serves as the object of the verb "to teach"; "the Holy Spirit will teach you ..... what you ought to say", ESV. Taking a} as a substantive, "what things", it serves as the accusative subject of the infinitive, with the infinitive serving as the subject of the impersonal verb "it is necessary." This traditional classification is now disputed, so Culy classifies the infinitive as complementary; See grayai, 1:3.

Luke Introduction

Exegetical Commentaries

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