Paragraph 20:25–31
20:25a–c
Now I know that none of you among whom I have preached the kingdom will see my face again: The clause among whom I have preached the kingdom is more information about the people that Paul spoke to. It interrupts the clause none of you…will see my face again. The extra information is last in the Greek. You may want to:
• Put the extra information last. For example:
Now I know that none of you will ever see me again, you whom I have traveled among preaching the kingdom
• Put the extra information first. For example:
I have gone about among all of you, preaching the Kingdom of God. And now I know that none of you will ever see me again. (Good News Translation)
• Put the extra information in the middle, as the Berean Standard Bible does.
20:25a
Now: Here the word Now introduces a new topic. Here it is not a time word. Introduce this new topic in a way that is natural in your language.
There are three words here in the Greek: “and now, look.” The word “and” is a general connecting word. It is often not translated in English when at the beginning of a sentence. The word “look” is used to get the attention of the listeners. Paul has something important to say in the following verses. For example:
And now, behold, (Revised Standard Version)
-or-
Now, listen/hey,
20:25b
preached the kingdom:
This phrase refers to preaching about the kingdom of God. It is similar in meaning to “testifying to the good news” (20:24d).
In Greek this clause has a phrase that means “gone around.” It refers to traveling around from place to place. Paul lived in Ephesus for almost three years and during that time went to other villages and towns and preached. Although the Berean Standard Bible leaves this phrase untranslated, some ways to translate it are:
traveled about/around preaching the kingdom
-or-
went here and there preaching the kingdom
-or-
went to various places to preach the kingdom
preached: The Greek word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as preached refers to publicly telling people something important. The word should not only refer to what a preacher does in church. Some other ways to translate preached are:
announced
-or-
proclaimed
-or-
told people
kingdom: Here this word refers to the kingdom of God. For example:
the kingdom of God (New Century Version)
The phrase “kingdom of God” refers to God’s activity of ruling and caring for his people as their king. It does not refer to a land or country that he rules over. It refers to the relationship that he has with his people. He leads, protects, and cares for them. They obey, trust, and submit to him as their king.
Some ways to translate this are:
• As a noun. For example:
⌊God’s⌋ rule/reign
-or-
⌊God’s⌋ kingship
-or-
⌊God’s⌋ chieftaincy
• Using a verb. For example:
the way ⌊God⌋ rules ⌊his people⌋
-or-
the way ⌊God⌋ cares for ⌊his people⌋ as king
See how you translated the phrase “kingdom of God” at 1:3 or 19:8.
20:25c
see my face again: The Berean Standard Bible translates the Greek literally as see my face again. Here face is an idiom referring to the whole person, not just the face.
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