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^a Traditionally, ‘apostle.’ The word means ‘someone who is sent to carry out a purpose’ and while it became used in a particular way in the church, it was not an inherently religious word in the Greek language.

^b ‘Christ’ is from the Greek christos, which means ‘applied with oil’ or ‘anointed.’ It translates the Hebrew meshiah, with the same meaning. A prophet or priest applying oil to someone was a symbolic act representing the appointment of the divinely chosen king of Israel.

^c Traditionally, ‘God’s will.’ The word thelema means ‘desire’ or ‘intention’ or ‘what is wanted’ and is used of humans and God and can be as inconsequential as ‘the intention to leave’ or as weighty as ‘the intention to liberate the world.’ It was not a theological term for an unassailable and inevitably satisfied divine will.

^d The word adelphos, literally means ‘brother’ or ‘sibling.’ It was also frequently used to refer to ‘cousin’ or ‘relative,’ and even for members of the same ideological or ethnic group. With Jesus’ insistence on a radically inclusive understanding of God’s instruction, it is always pushing further than what already seems to be the most wide-sweeping view people hold. In the New Testament letters, it comes to be used of anyone who has joined the Christ community, regardless of gender.

^e Traditionally, ‘church’ or ‘assembly,’ the word ekklesia is about a community of people called from within a larger society to respond to the needs of that society, such as a neighborhood association.

^f Traditionally, ‘the holy ones’ or ‘the saints’

^g Traditionally, ‘grace’

^h Traditionally, ‘Lord.’ The Greek word kurios, when applied to Jesus, can be translated in several ways, including ‘sir,’ ‘master,’ or ‘sovereign.’ Rendering it as “Lord” reflects the feudal, patriarchal, and imperial assumptions embedded in early English translations, which often reinforced hierarchical power structures. In both Greco-Roman and American history, kurios and “lord” were titles used for slaveowners. As Dr. Wilda C. Gafney notes, “Lord is a slavery word,” and when used without theological and historical framing, it risks reinscribing the very systems of domination that Jesus came to upend (A Women’s Lectionary for the Whole Church: Year A, Introduction). In the Roman imperial context, kurios was also a title for Caesar—as was soter (‘savior’ or ‘liberator’). The New Testament’s application of kurios to Jesus is thus not only theological but also politically subversive. The Christ of the Christian scriptures is not an overlord but a radically different kind of sovereign—one who liberates through justice, solidarity, and self-giving love. Rendering kurios as “Liberating Sovereign” preserves the subversive edge of the title while resisting the hierarchical and enslaver connotations embedded in the English word “Lord.”

ⁱ The Greek word oiktirmos is often translated as “mercy” or “compassion,” but its connotations are deeply embodied and emotional, evoking visceral, nurturing care. In both Greek and Hebrew (compare rachamim, from the root for “womb”), this kind of compassion is portrayed as arising from deep within, like the tender love a mother feels for her child. Rendering oiktirmos as “motherly tenderness” highlights the embodied, relational, and nurturing dimension of God’s character. See Rev. Dr. Wilda C. Gafney’s words on this in A Women's Lectionary for the Whole Church, Year W (Louisville: Westminster John Knox, 2021), Psalm 103 commentary, where she notes that rachamim, rooted in rechem (“womb”), expresses a maternal, embodied tenderness reflective of God’s character.

^j The Greek word thlipsis is commonly translated as “affliction,” “tribulation,” or “trouble.” However, its core meaning involves pressure, distress, or crushing hardship, rooted in external forces rather than internal suffering. In the context of the early Jesus communities, thlipsis frequently referred to persecution, marginalization, and systemic injustice under empire.

^k Or ‘afflicted’ or ‘experiencing hardship’

^l The phrase “function with endurance” renders the Greek combination of energeitai ("is at work" or "functions") and hypomone ("endurance" or "perseverance"). Many translations smooth this into something like “patient endurance” or “produces endurance,” but the underlying sense involves an active, ongoing process—not passive waiting. The verb energeo conveys energy, activity, or operation, while hypomone implies resilient, faithful persistence in the face of suffering. Together, they describe a sustained, embodied practice of endurance that’s not merely internal but lived out through ongoing faithfulness and mutual support.

^m Literally, ‘sufferings’

ⁿ The Greek word sunkuoinonoi combines sun ("with" or "together") and koinonos ("sharer," "partner," or "participant"). It implies a deep, mutual sharing—not just of experiences, but of solidarity and embodied participation. Rendering it as "coparticipants" emphasizes the reciprocal and communal nature of both suffering and comfort within the Body of Christ.

^o Or ‘genuineness’

^p The Greek adjective sarkike (often translated “fleshly” or “according to the flesh”) is rendered here as “self-serving” to reflect Paul’s contrast between two ways of navigating the world: one shaped by God’s generosity and sincerity, and another grounded in self-preservation instincts that disregard or abuse others.

^q The words “dose of” is added for readability in English. The Greek simply says “a second generosity.”

^r Traditionally, “according to the flesh.”

^s The Greek word amen was a response that signifies confirmation, agreement, or validation.

^t Traditionally, ‘Spirit.’ The Greek word pneuma could be used to refer to ‘wind,’ ‘breath,’ or an animating energy within people, thought to be perceptible in the breath. Hebrew and Latin also use the same word for all these concepts. In scripture, it typically calls back the image to Genesis 1 and 2: “the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters” (Genesis 1:2 NASB) and “the Lord God formed the human from the topsoil of the fertile land and blew life’s breath into [its] nostrils. The human came to life.” (Genesis 2:7 CEB). In this case, it refers to the breath that animates someone with the quality of gentleness that comes from God, including the breath involved in speaking to people, which is often in view when “a spirit” is discussed, whether positively or negatively.

^u The Greek word often translated “faith” here is pistis, which can carry a range of meanings depending on context, including trust, faithfulness, or commitment. In this verse, the emphasis is not on intellectual belief but on relational steadfastness.