Kisah Para Rasul 9:1--23:11

The Conversion of Saul

9:1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats ¹  to murder ²  the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest 9:2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues ³  in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, ⁴  either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners ⁵  to Jerusalem. ⁶  9:3 As he was going along, approaching ⁷  Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed ⁸  around him. 9:4 He ⁹  fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, ¹⁰  why are you persecuting me?” ¹¹  9:5 So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! 9:6 But stand up ¹²  and enter the city and you will be told ¹³  what you must do.” 9:7 (Now the men ¹⁴  who were traveling with him stood there speechless, ¹⁵  because they heard the voice but saw no one.) ¹⁶  9:8 So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, ¹⁷  he could see nothing. ¹⁸  Leading him by the hand, his companions ¹⁹  brought him into Damascus. 9:9 For ²⁰  three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank anything. ²¹ 

9:10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The ²²  Lord ²³  said to him in a vision, “Ananias,” and he replied, “Here I am, ²⁴  Lord.” 9:11 Then the Lord told him, “Get up and go to the street called ‘Straight,’ ²⁵  and at Judas’ house look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. For he is praying, 9:12 and he has seen in a vision ²⁶  a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he may see again.” 9:13 But Ananias replied, ²⁷  “Lord, I have heard from many people ²⁸  about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, 9:14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison ²⁹  all who call on your name!” ³⁰  9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrument ³¹  to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel. ³²  9:16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” ³³  9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, placed ³⁴  his hands on Saul ³⁵  and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here, ³⁶  has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ³⁷  9:18 Immediately ³⁸  something like scales ³⁹  fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He ⁴⁰  got up and was baptized, 9:19 and after taking some food, his strength returned.

For several days ⁴¹  he was with the disciples in Damascus, 9:20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, ⁴²  saying, “This man is the Son of God.” ⁴³  9:21 All ⁴⁴  who heard him were amazed and were saying, “Is this not ⁴⁵  the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging ⁴⁶  those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners ⁴⁷  to the chief priests?” 9:22 But Saul became more and more capable, ⁴⁸  and was causing consternation ⁴⁹  among the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving ⁵⁰  that Jesus ⁵¹  is the Christ. ⁵² 

Saul’s Escape from Damascus

9:23 Now after some days had passed, the Jews plotted ⁵³  together to kill him, 9:24 but Saul learned of their plot against him. ⁵⁴  They were also watching ⁵⁵  the city gates ⁵⁶  day and night so that they could kill him. 9:25 But his disciples took him at night and let him down through an opening ⁵⁷  in the wall by lowering him in a basket. ⁵⁸ 

Saul Returns to Jerusalem

9:26 When he arrived in Jerusalem, ⁵⁹  he attempted to associate ⁶⁰  with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe ⁶¹  that he was a disciple. 9:27 But Barnabas took ⁶²  Saul, ⁶³  brought ⁶⁴  him to the apostles, and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, that ⁶⁵  the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly ⁶⁶  in the name of Jesus. 9:28 So he was staying with them, associating openly with them ⁶⁷  in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. 9:29 He was speaking and debating ⁶⁸  with the Greek-speaking Jews, ⁶⁹  but they were trying to kill him. 9:30 When the brothers found out about this, they brought him down to Caesarea ⁷⁰  and sent him away to Tarsus.

9:31 Then ⁷¹  the church throughout Judea, Galilee, ⁷²  and Samaria experienced ⁷³  peace and thus was strengthened. ⁷⁴  Living ⁷⁵  in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the church ⁷⁶  increased in numbers.

Peter Heals Aeneas

9:32 Now ⁷⁷  as Peter was traveling around from place to place, ⁷⁸  he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda. ⁷⁹  9:33 He found there a man named Aeneas who had been confined to a mattress for eight years because ⁸⁰  he was paralyzed. 9:34 Peter ⁸¹  said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ ⁸²  heals you. Get up and make your own bed!” ⁸³  And immediately he got up. 9:35 All ⁸⁴  those who lived in Lydda ⁸⁵  and Sharon ⁸⁶  saw him, and they ⁸⁷  turned ⁸⁸  to the Lord.

Peter Raises Dorcas

9:36 Now in Joppa ⁸⁹  there was a disciple named Tabitha (which in translation means ⁹⁰  Dorcas). ⁹¹  She was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity. ⁹²  9:37 At that time ⁹³  she became sick ⁹⁴  and died. When they had washed ⁹⁵  her body, ⁹⁶  they placed it in an upstairs room. 9:38 Because Lydda ⁹⁷  was near Joppa, when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Come to us without delay.” ⁹⁸  9:39 So Peter got up and went with them, and ⁹⁹  when he arrived ¹⁰⁰  they brought him to the upper room. All ¹⁰¹  the widows stood beside him, crying and showing him ¹⁰²  the tunics ¹⁰³  and other clothing ¹⁰⁴  Dorcas used to make ¹⁰⁵  while she was with them. 9:40 But Peter sent them all outside, ¹⁰⁶  knelt down, ¹⁰⁷  and prayed. Turning ¹⁰⁸  to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ¹⁰⁹  9:41 He gave ¹¹⁰  her his hand and helped her get up. Then he called ¹¹¹  the saints and widows and presented her alive. 9:42 This became known throughout all ¹¹²  Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ¹¹³  9:43 So ¹¹⁴  Peter ¹¹⁵  stayed many days in Joppa with a man named ¹¹⁶  Simon, a tanner. ¹¹⁷ 

Peter Visits Cornelius

10:1 Now there was a man in Caesarea ¹¹⁸  named Cornelius, a centurion ¹¹⁹  of what was known as the Italian Cohort. ¹²⁰  10:2 He ¹²¹  was a devout, God-fearing man, ¹²²  as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people ¹²³  and prayed to God regularly. 10:3 About three o’clock one afternoon ¹²⁴  he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God ¹²⁵  who came in ¹²⁶  and said to him, “Cornelius.” 10:4 Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius ¹²⁷  replied, ¹²⁸  “What is it, Lord?” The angel ¹²⁹  said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity ¹³⁰  have gone up as a memorial ¹³¹  before God. 10:5 Now ¹³²  send men to Joppa ¹³³  and summon a man named Simon, ¹³⁴  who is called Peter. 10:6 This man is staying as a guest with a man named Simon, a tanner, ¹³⁵  whose house is by the sea.” 10:7 When the angel who had spoken to him departed, Cornelius ¹³⁶  called two of his personal servants ¹³⁷  and a devout soldier from among those who served him, ¹³⁸  10:8 and when he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

10:9 About noon ¹³⁹  the next day, while they were on their way and approaching ¹⁴⁰  the city, Peter went up on the roof ¹⁴¹  to pray. 10:10 He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, a trance came over him. ¹⁴²  10:11 He ¹⁴³  saw heaven ¹⁴⁴  opened ¹⁴⁵  and an object something like a large sheet ¹⁴⁶  descending, ¹⁴⁷  being let down to earth ¹⁴⁸  by its four corners. 10:12 In it ¹⁴⁹  were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles ¹⁵⁰  of the earth and wild birds. ¹⁵¹  10:13 Then ¹⁵²  a voice said ¹⁵³  to him, “Get up, Peter; slaughter ¹⁵⁴  and eat!” 10:14 But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and ritually unclean!” ¹⁵⁵  10:15 The voice ¹⁵⁶  spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not consider ¹⁵⁷  ritually unclean!” ¹⁵⁸  10:16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven. ¹⁵⁹ 

10:17 Now while Peter was puzzling over ¹⁶⁰  what the vision he had seen could signify, the men sent by Cornelius had learned where Simon’s house was ¹⁶¹  and approached ¹⁶²  the gate. 10:18 They ¹⁶³  called out to ask if Simon, known as Peter, ¹⁶⁴  was staying there as a guest. 10:19 While Peter was still thinking seriously about ¹⁶⁵  the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look! Three men are looking for you. 10:20 But get up, ¹⁶⁶  go down, and accompany them without hesitation, ¹⁶⁷  because I have sent them.” 10:21 So Peter went down ¹⁶⁸  to the men and said, “Here I am, ¹⁶⁹  the person you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 10:22 They said, “Cornelius the centurion, ¹⁷⁰  a righteous ¹⁷¹  and God-fearing man, well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, ¹⁷²  was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message ¹⁷³  from you.” 10:23 So Peter ¹⁷⁴  invited them in and entertained them as guests.

On the next day he got up and set out ¹⁷⁵  with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa ¹⁷⁶  accompanied him. 10:24 The following day ¹⁷⁷  he entered Caesarea. ¹⁷⁸  Now Cornelius was waiting anxiously ¹⁷⁹  for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 10:25 So when ¹⁸⁰  Peter came in, Cornelius met ¹⁸¹  him, fell ¹⁸²  at his feet, and worshiped ¹⁸³  him. 10:26 But Peter helped him up, ¹⁸⁴  saying, “Stand up. I too am a mere mortal.” ¹⁸⁵  10:27 Peter ¹⁸⁶  continued talking with him as he went in, and he found many people gathered together. ¹⁸⁷  10:28 He said to them, “You know that ¹⁸⁸  it is unlawful ¹⁸⁹  for a Jew ¹⁹⁰  to associate with or visit a Gentile, ¹⁹¹  yet God has shown me that I should call no person ¹⁹²  defiled or ritually unclean. ¹⁹³  10:29 Therefore when you sent for me, ¹⁹⁴  I came without any objection. Now may I ask why ¹⁹⁵  you sent for me?” 10:30 Cornelius ¹⁹⁶  replied, ¹⁹⁷  “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock in the afternoon, ¹⁹⁸  I was praying in my house, and suddenly ¹⁹⁹  a man in shining clothing stood before me 10:31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of charity ²⁰⁰  have been remembered before God. ²⁰¹  10:32 Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner, ²⁰²  by the sea.’ 10:33 Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come. ²⁰³  So now we are all here in the presence of God ²⁰⁴  to listen ²⁰⁵  to everything the Lord has commanded you to say to us.” ²⁰⁶ 

10:34 Then Peter started speaking: ²⁰⁷  “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people, ²⁰⁸  10:35 but in every nation ²⁰⁹  the person who fears him ²¹⁰  and does what is right ²¹¹  is welcomed before him. 10:36 You know ²¹²  the message ²¹³  he sent to the people ²¹⁴  of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace ²¹⁵  through ²¹⁶  Jesus Christ ²¹⁷  (he is Lord ²¹⁸  of all) – 10:37 you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced: ²¹⁹  10:38 with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, ²²⁰  that ²²¹  God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He ²²²  went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, ²²³  because God was with him. ²²⁴  10:39 We ²²⁵  are witnesses of all the things he did both in Judea ²²⁶  and in Jerusalem. ²²⁷  They ²²⁸  killed him by hanging him on a tree, ²²⁹  10:40 but ²³⁰  God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen, ²³¹  10:41 not by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen, ²³²  who ate and drank ²³³  with him after he rose from the dead. 10:42 He ²³⁴  commanded us to preach to the people and to warn ²³⁵  them ²³⁶  that he is the one ²³⁷  appointed ²³⁸  by God as judge ²³⁹  of the living and the dead. 10:43 About him all the prophets testify, ²⁴⁰  that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins ²⁴¹  through his name.”

The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit

10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on ²⁴²  all those who heard the message. ²⁴³  10:45 The ²⁴⁴  circumcised believers ²⁴⁵  who had accompanied Peter were greatly astonished ²⁴⁶  that ²⁴⁷  the gift of the Holy Spirit ²⁴⁸  had been poured out ²⁴⁹  even on the Gentiles, 10:46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising ²⁵⁰  God. Then Peter said, 10:47 “No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, ²⁵¹  can he?” ²⁵²  10:48 So he gave orders to have them baptized ²⁵³  in the name of Jesus Christ. ²⁵⁴  Then they asked him to stay for several days.

Peter Defends His Actions to the Jerusalem Church

11:1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted ²⁵⁵  the word of God. ²⁵⁶  11:2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, ²⁵⁷  the circumcised believers ²⁵⁸  took issue with ²⁵⁹  him, 11:3 saying, “You went to ²⁶⁰  uncircumcised men and shared a meal with ²⁶¹  them.” 11:4 But Peter began and explained it to them point by point, ²⁶²  saying, 11:5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, ²⁶³  an object something like a large sheet descending, ²⁶⁴  being let down from heaven ²⁶⁵  by its four corners, and it came to me. 11:6 As I stared ²⁶⁶  I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, ²⁶⁷  and wild birds. ²⁶⁸  11:7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; slaughter ²⁶⁹  and eat!’ 11:8 But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord, for nothing defiled or ritually unclean ²⁷⁰  has ever entered my mouth!’ 11:9 But the voice replied a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not consider ²⁷¹  ritually unclean!’ 11:10 This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up to heaven again. 11:11 At that very moment, ²⁷²  three men sent to me from Caesarea ²⁷³  approached ²⁷⁴  the house where we were staying. ²⁷⁵  11:12 The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers ²⁷⁶  also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 11:13 He informed us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, 11:14 who will speak a message ²⁷⁷  to you by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ 11:15 Then as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on ²⁷⁸  them just as he did ²⁷⁹  on us at the beginning. ²⁸⁰  11:16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, ²⁸¹  as he used to say, ²⁸²  ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ²⁸³  11:17 Therefore if God ²⁸⁴  gave them the same gift ²⁸⁵  as he also gave us after believing ²⁸⁶  in the Lord Jesus Christ, ²⁸⁷  who was I to hinder ²⁸⁸  God?” 11:18 When they heard this, ²⁸⁹  they ceased their objections ²⁹⁰  and praised ²⁹¹  God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance ²⁹²  that leads to life even to the Gentiles.” ²⁹³ 

Activity in the Church at Antioch

11:19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen ²⁹⁴  went as far as ²⁹⁵  Phoenicia, ²⁹⁶  Cyprus, ²⁹⁷  and Antioch, ²⁹⁸  speaking the message ²⁹⁹  to no one but Jews. 11:20 But there were some men from Cyprus ³⁰⁰  and Cyrene ³⁰¹  among them who came ³⁰²  to Antioch ³⁰³  and began to speak to the Greeks ³⁰⁴  too, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus. 11:21 The ³⁰⁵  hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed ³⁰⁶  turned ³⁰⁷  to the Lord. 11:22 A report ³⁰⁸  about them came to the attention ³⁰⁹  of the church in Jerusalem, ³¹⁰  and they sent Barnabas ³¹¹  to Antioch. ³¹²  11:23 When ³¹³  he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain true ³¹⁴  to the Lord with devoted hearts, ³¹⁵  11:24 because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and a significant number of people ³¹⁶  were brought to the Lord. 11:25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to look for Saul, 11:26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. ³¹⁷  So ³¹⁸  for a whole year Barnabas and Saul ³¹⁹  met with the church and taught a significant number of people. ³²⁰  Now it was in Antioch ³²¹  that the disciples were first called Christians. ³²² 

Famine Relief for Judea

11:27 At that time ³²³  some ³²⁴  prophets ³²⁵  came down ³²⁶  from Jerusalem ³²⁷  to Antioch. ³²⁸  11:28 One of them, named Agabus, got up ³²⁹  and predicted ³³⁰  by the Spirit that a severe ³³¹  famine ³³²  was about to come over the whole inhabited world. ³³³  (This ³³⁴  took place during the reign of Claudius.) ³³⁵  11:29 So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability, ³³⁶  decided ³³⁷  to send relief ³³⁸  to the brothers living in Judea. 11:30 They did so, ³³⁹  sending their financial aid ³⁴⁰  to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

James is Killed and Peter Imprisoned

12:1 About that time King Herod ³⁴¹  laid hands on ³⁴²  some from the church to harm them. ³⁴³  12:2 He had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword. ³⁴⁴  12:3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, ³⁴⁵  he proceeded to arrest Peter too. (This took place during the feast of Unleavened Bread.) ³⁴⁶  12:4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads ³⁴⁷  of soldiers to guard him. Herod ³⁴⁸  planned ³⁴⁹  to bring him out for public trial ³⁵⁰  after the Passover. 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly ³⁵¹  praying to God for him. ³⁵²  12:6 On that very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial, ³⁵³  Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while ³⁵⁴  guards in front of the door were keeping watch ³⁵⁵  over the prison. 12:7 Suddenly ³⁵⁶  an angel of the Lord ³⁵⁷  appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck ³⁵⁸  Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s ³⁵⁹  wrists. ³⁶⁰  12:8 The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt ³⁶¹  and put on your sandals.” Peter ³⁶²  did so. Then the angel ³⁶³  said to him, “Put on your cloak ³⁶⁴  and follow me.” 12:9 Peter ³⁶⁵  went out ³⁶⁶  and followed him; ³⁶⁷  he did not realize that what was happening through the angel was real, ³⁶⁸  but thought he was seeing a vision. 12:10 After they had passed the first and second guards, ³⁶⁹  they came to the iron ³⁷⁰  gate leading into the city. It ³⁷¹  opened for them by itself, ³⁷²  and they went outside and walked down one narrow street, ³⁷³  when at once the angel left him. 12:11 When ³⁷⁴  Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued ³⁷⁵  me from the hand ³⁷⁶  of Herod ³⁷⁷  and from everything the Jewish people ³⁷⁸  were expecting to happen.”

12:12 When Peter ³⁷⁹  realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, ³⁸⁰  where many people had gathered together and were praying. 12:13 When he knocked at the door of the outer gate, a slave girl named Rhoda answered. ³⁸¹  12:14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she did not open the gate, but ran back in and told ³⁸²  them ³⁸³  that Peter was standing at the gate. 12:15 But they said to her, “You’ve lost your mind!” ³⁸⁴  But she kept insisting that it was Peter, ³⁸⁵  and they kept saying, ³⁸⁶  “It is his angel!” ³⁸⁷  12:16 Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door ³⁸⁸  and saw him, they were greatly astonished. ³⁸⁹  12:17 He motioned to them ³⁹⁰  with his hand to be quiet and then related ³⁹¹  how the Lord had brought ³⁹²  him out of the prison. He said, “Tell James and the brothers these things,” and then he left and went to another place. ³⁹³ 

12:18 At daybreak ³⁹⁴  there was great consternation ³⁹⁵  among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 12:19 When Herod ³⁹⁶  had searched ³⁹⁷  for him and did not find him, he questioned ³⁹⁸  the guards and commanded that they be led away to execution. ³⁹⁹  Then ⁴⁰⁰  Herod ⁴⁰¹  went down from Judea to Caesarea ⁴⁰²  and stayed there.

12:20 Now Herod ⁴⁰³  was having an angry quarrel ⁴⁰⁴  with the people of Tyre ⁴⁰⁵  and Sidon. ⁴⁰⁶  So they joined together ⁴⁰⁷  and presented themselves before him. And after convincing ⁴⁰⁸  Blastus, the king’s personal assistant, ⁴⁰⁹  to help them, ⁴¹⁰  they asked for peace, ⁴¹¹  because their country’s food supply was provided by the king’s country. 12:21 On a day determined in advance, Herod ⁴¹²  put on his royal robes, ⁴¹³  sat down on the judgment seat, ⁴¹⁴  and made a speech ⁴¹⁵  to them. 12:22 But the crowd ⁴¹⁶  began to shout, ⁴¹⁷  “The voice of a god, ⁴¹⁸  and not of a man!” 12:23 Immediately an angel of the Lord ⁴¹⁹  struck ⁴²⁰  Herod ⁴²¹  down because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died. ⁴²²  12:24 But the word of God ⁴²³  kept on increasing ⁴²⁴  and multiplying.

12:25 So Barnabas and Saul returned to ⁴²⁵  Jerusalem ⁴²⁶  when they had completed ⁴²⁷  their mission, ⁴²⁸  bringing along with them John Mark. ⁴²⁹ 

The Church at Antioch Commissions Barnabas and Saul

13:1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: ⁴³⁰  Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, ⁴³¹  Lucius the Cyrenian, ⁴³²  Manaen (a close friend of Herod ⁴³³  the tetrarch ⁴³⁴  from childhood ⁴³⁵ ) and Saul. 13:2 While they were serving ⁴³⁶  the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart ⁴³⁷  for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 13:3 Then, after they had fasted ⁴³⁸  and ⁴³⁹  prayed and placed their hands ⁴⁴⁰  on them, they sent them off.

Paul and Barnabas Preach in Cyprus

13:4 So Barnabas and Saul, ⁴⁴¹  sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, ⁴⁴²  and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁴⁴³  13:5 When ⁴⁴⁴  they arrived ⁴⁴⁵  in Salamis, ⁴⁴⁶  they began to proclaim ⁴⁴⁷  the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. ⁴⁴⁸  (Now they also had John ⁴⁴⁹  as their assistant.) ⁴⁵⁰  13:6 When they had crossed over ⁴⁵¹  the whole island as far as Paphos, ⁴⁵²  they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus, ⁴⁵³  13:7 who was with the proconsul ⁴⁵⁴  Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The proconsul ⁴⁵⁵  summoned ⁴⁵⁶  Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear ⁴⁵⁷  the word of God. 13:8 But the magician Elymas ⁴⁵⁸  (for that is the way his name is translated) ⁴⁵⁹  opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul ⁴⁶⁰  away from the faith. 13:9 But Saul (also known as Paul), ⁴⁶¹  filled with the Holy Spirit, ⁴⁶²  stared straight ⁴⁶³  at him 13:10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing, ⁴⁶⁴  you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness – will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? ⁴⁶⁵  13:11 Now ⁴⁶⁶  look, the hand of the Lord is against ⁴⁶⁷  you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time!” Immediately mistiness ⁴⁶⁸  and darkness came over ⁴⁶⁹  him, and he went around seeking people ⁴⁷⁰  to lead him by the hand. 13:12 Then when the proconsul ⁴⁷¹  saw what had happened, he believed, ⁴⁷²  because he was greatly astounded ⁴⁷³  at the teaching about ⁴⁷⁴  the Lord.

Paul and Barnabas at Pisidian Antioch

13:13 Then Paul and his companions put out to sea ⁴⁷⁵  from Paphos ⁴⁷⁶  and came to Perga ⁴⁷⁷  in Pamphylia, ⁴⁷⁸  but John ⁴⁷⁹  left them and returned to Jerusalem. ⁴⁸⁰  13:14 Moving on from ⁴⁸¹  Perga, ⁴⁸²  they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, ⁴⁸³  and on the Sabbath day they went into ⁴⁸⁴  the synagogue ⁴⁸⁵  and sat down. 13:15 After the reading from the law and the prophets, ⁴⁸⁶  the leaders of the synagogue ⁴⁸⁷  sent them a message, ⁴⁸⁸  saying, “Brothers, ⁴⁸⁹  if you have any message ⁴⁹⁰  of exhortation ⁴⁹¹  for the people, speak it.” ⁴⁹²  13:16 So Paul stood up, ⁴⁹³  gestured ⁴⁹⁴  with his hand and said,

“Men of Israel, ⁴⁹⁵  and you Gentiles who fear God, ⁴⁹⁶  listen: 13:17 The God of this people Israel ⁴⁹⁷  chose our ancestors ⁴⁹⁸  and made the people great ⁴⁹⁹  during their stay as foreigners ⁵⁰⁰  in the country ⁵⁰¹  of Egypt, and with uplifted arm ⁵⁰²  he led them out of it. 13:18 For ⁵⁰³  a period of about forty years he put up with ⁵⁰⁴  them in the wilderness. ⁵⁰⁵  13:19 After ⁵⁰⁶  he had destroyed ⁵⁰⁷  seven nations ⁵⁰⁸  in the land of Canaan, he gave his people their land as an inheritance. ⁵⁰⁹  13:20 All this took ⁵¹⁰  about four hundred fifty years. After this ⁵¹¹  he gave them judges until the time of ⁵¹²  Samuel the prophet. 13:21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled ⁵¹³  forty years. 13:22 After removing him, God ⁵¹⁴  raised up ⁵¹⁵  David their king. He testified about him: ⁵¹⁶  ‘I have found David ⁵¹⁷  the son of Jesse to be a man after my heart, ⁵¹⁸  who will accomplish everything I want him to do.’ ⁵¹⁹  13:23 From the descendants ⁵²⁰  of this man ⁵²¹  God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised. ⁵²²  13:24 Before ⁵²³  Jesus ⁵²⁴  arrived, John ⁵²⁵  had proclaimed a baptism for repentance ⁵²⁶  to all the people of Israel. 13:25 But while John was completing his mission, ⁵²⁷  he said repeatedly, ⁵²⁸  ‘What do you think I am? I am not he. But look, one is coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet!’ ⁵²⁹  13:26 Brothers, ⁵³⁰  descendants ⁵³¹  of Abraham’s family, ⁵³²  and those Gentiles among you who fear God, ⁵³³  the message ⁵³⁴  of this salvation has been sent to us. 13:27 For the people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize ⁵³⁵  him, ⁵³⁶  and they fulfilled the sayings ⁵³⁷  of the prophets that are read every Sabbath by condemning ⁵³⁸  him. ⁵³⁹  13:28 Though ⁵⁴⁰  they found ⁵⁴¹  no basis ⁵⁴²  for a death sentence, ⁵⁴³  they asked Pilate to have him executed. 13:29 When they had accomplished ⁵⁴⁴  everything that was written ⁵⁴⁵  about him, they took him down ⁵⁴⁶  from the cross ⁵⁴⁷  and placed him ⁵⁴⁸  in a tomb. 13:30 But God raised ⁵⁴⁹  him from the dead, 13:31 and ⁵⁵⁰  for many days he appeared to those who had accompanied ⁵⁵¹  him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These ⁵⁵²  are now his witnesses to the people. 13:32 And we proclaim to you the good news about the promise to our ancestors, ⁵⁵³  13:33 that this promise ⁵⁵⁴  God has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising ⁵⁵⁵  Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son; ⁵⁵⁶  today I have fathered you.’ ⁵⁵⁷  13:34 But regarding the fact that he has raised Jesus ⁵⁵⁸  from the dead, never ⁵⁵⁹  again to be ⁵⁶⁰  in a state of decay, God ⁵⁶¹  has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you ⁵⁶²  the holy and trustworthy promises ⁵⁶³  made to David.’ ⁵⁶⁴  13:35 Therefore he also says in another psalm, ⁵⁶⁵  ‘You will not permit your Holy One ⁵⁶⁶  to experience ⁵⁶⁷  decay.’ ⁵⁶⁸  13:36 For David, after he had served ⁵⁶⁹  God’s purpose in his own generation, died, ⁵⁷⁰  was buried with his ancestors, ⁵⁷¹  and experienced ⁵⁷²  decay, 13:37 but the one ⁵⁷³  whom God raised up did not experience ⁵⁷⁴  decay. 13:38 Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through this one ⁵⁷⁵  forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 13:39 and by this one ⁵⁷⁶  everyone who believes is justified ⁵⁷⁷  from everything from which the law of Moses could not justify ⁵⁷⁸  you. ⁵⁷⁹  13:40 Watch out, ⁵⁸⁰  then, that what is spoken about by ⁵⁸¹  the prophets does not happen to you:

13:41 ‘Look, you scoffers; be amazed and perish! ⁵⁸² 

For I am doing a work in your days,

a work you would never believe, even if someone tells you.’” ⁵⁸³ 

13:42 As Paul and Barnabas ⁵⁸⁴  were going out, ⁵⁸⁵  the people ⁵⁸⁶  were urging ⁵⁸⁷  them to speak about these things ⁵⁸⁸  on the next Sabbath. 13:43 When the meeting of the synagogue ⁵⁸⁹  had broken up, ⁵⁹⁰  many of the Jews and God-fearing proselytes ⁵⁹¹  followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and were persuading ⁵⁹²  them ⁵⁹³  to continue ⁵⁹⁴  in the grace of God.

13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city assembled together to hear the word of the Lord. ⁵⁹⁵  13:45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, ⁵⁹⁶  and they began to contradict ⁵⁹⁷  what Paul was saying ⁵⁹⁸  by reviling him. ⁵⁹⁹  13:46 Both Paul and Barnabas replied courageously, ⁶⁰⁰  “It was necessary to speak the word of God ⁶⁰¹  to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy ⁶⁰²  of eternal life, we ⁶⁰³  are turning to the Gentiles. ⁶⁰⁴  13:47 For this ⁶⁰⁵  is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointed ⁶⁰⁶  you to be a light ⁶⁰⁷  for the Gentiles, to bring salvation ⁶⁰⁸  to the ends of the earth.’” ⁶⁰⁹  13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice ⁶¹⁰  and praise ⁶¹¹  the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life ⁶¹²  believed. 13:49 So the word of the Lord was spreading ⁶¹³  through the entire region. 13:50 But the Jews incited ⁶¹⁴  the God-fearing women of high social standing and the prominent men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out ⁶¹⁵  of their region. 13:51 So after they shook ⁶¹⁶  the dust off their feet ⁶¹⁷  in protest against them, they went to Iconium. ⁶¹⁸  13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy ⁶¹⁹  and with the Holy Spirit.

Paul and Barnabas at Iconium

14:1 The same thing happened in Iconium ⁶²⁰  when Paul and Barnabas ⁶²¹  went into the Jewish synagogue ⁶²²  and spoke in such a way that a large group ⁶²³  of both Jews and Greeks believed. 14:2 But the Jews who refused to believe ⁶²⁴  stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds ⁶²⁵  against the brothers. 14:3 So they stayed there ⁶²⁶  for a considerable time, speaking out courageously for the Lord, who testified ⁶²⁷  to the message ⁶²⁸  of his grace, granting miraculous signs ⁶²⁹  and wonders to be performed through their hands. 14:4 But the population ⁶³⁰  of the city was divided; some ⁶³¹  sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. 14:5 When both the Gentiles and the Jews (together with their rulers) made ⁶³²  an attempt to mistreat ⁶³³  them and stone them, ⁶³⁴  14:6 Paul and Barnabas ⁶³⁵  learned about it ⁶³⁶  and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra ⁶³⁷  and Derbe ⁶³⁸  and the surrounding region. 14:7 There ⁶³⁹  they continued to proclaim ⁶⁴⁰  the good news.

Paul and Barnabas at Lystra

14:8 In ⁶⁴¹  Lystra ⁶⁴²  sat a man who could not use his feet, ⁶⁴³  lame from birth, ⁶⁴⁴  who had never walked. 14:9 This man was listening to Paul as he was speaking. When Paul ⁶⁴⁵  stared ⁶⁴⁶  intently at him and saw he had faith to be healed, 14:10 he said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” ⁶⁴⁷  And the man ⁶⁴⁸  leaped up and began walking. ⁶⁴⁹  14:11 So when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted ⁶⁵⁰  in the Lycaonian language, ⁶⁵¹  “The gods have come down to us in human form!” ⁶⁵²  14:12 They began to call ⁶⁵³  Barnabas Zeus ⁶⁵⁴  and Paul Hermes, ⁶⁵⁵  because he was the chief speaker. 14:13 The priest of the temple ⁶⁵⁶  of Zeus, ⁶⁵⁷  located just outside the city, brought bulls ⁶⁵⁸  and garlands ⁶⁵⁹  to the city gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifices to them. ⁶⁶⁰  14:14 But when the apostles ⁶⁶¹  Barnabas and Paul heard about ⁶⁶²  it, they tore ⁶⁶³  their clothes and rushed out ⁶⁶⁴  into the crowd, shouting, ⁶⁶⁵  14:15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men, with human natures ⁶⁶⁶  just like you! We are proclaiming the good news to you, so that you should turn ⁶⁶⁷  from these worthless ⁶⁶⁸  things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, ⁶⁶⁹  the sea, and everything that is in them. 14:16 In ⁶⁷⁰  past ⁶⁷¹  generations he allowed all the nations ⁶⁷²  to go their own ways, 14:17 yet he did not leave himself without a witness by doing good, ⁶⁷³  by giving you rain from heaven ⁶⁷⁴  and fruitful seasons, satisfying you ⁶⁷⁵  with food and your hearts with joy.” ⁶⁷⁶  14:18 Even by saying ⁶⁷⁷  these things, they scarcely persuaded ⁶⁷⁸  the crowds not to offer sacrifice to them.

14:19 But Jews came from Antioch ⁶⁷⁹  and Iconium, ⁶⁸⁰  and after winning ⁶⁸¹  the crowds over, they stoned ⁶⁸²  Paul and dragged him out of the city, presuming him to be dead. 14:20 But after the disciples had surrounded him, he got up and went back ⁶⁸³  into the city. On ⁶⁸⁴  the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. ⁶⁸⁵ 

Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch in Syria

14:21 After they had proclaimed the good news in that city and made many disciples, they returned to Lystra, ⁶⁸⁶  to Iconium, ⁶⁸⁷  and to Antioch. ⁶⁸⁸  14:22 They strengthened ⁶⁸⁹  the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue ⁶⁹⁰  in the faith, saying, “We must enter the kingdom ⁶⁹¹  of God through many persecutions.” ⁶⁹²  14:23 When they had appointed elders ⁶⁹³  for them in the various churches, ⁶⁹⁴  with prayer and fasting ⁶⁹⁵  they entrusted them to the protection ⁶⁹⁶  of the Lord in whom they had believed. 14:24 Then they passed through ⁶⁹⁷  Pisidia and came into Pamphylia, ⁶⁹⁸  14:25 and when they had spoken the word ⁶⁹⁹  in Perga, ⁷⁰⁰  they went down to Attalia. ⁷⁰¹  14:26 From there they sailed back to Antioch, ⁷⁰²  where they had been commended ⁷⁰³  to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. ⁷⁰⁴  14:27 When they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported ⁷⁰⁵  all the things God ⁷⁰⁶  had done with them, and that he had opened a door ⁷⁰⁷  of faith for the Gentiles. 14:28 So they spent ⁷⁰⁸  considerable ⁷⁰⁹  time with the disciples.

The Jerusalem Council

15:1 Now some men came down from Judea ⁷¹⁰  and began to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised ⁷¹¹  according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 15:2 When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate ⁷¹²  with them, the church ⁷¹³  appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with ⁷¹⁴  the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ⁷¹⁵  about this point of disagreement. ⁷¹⁶  15:3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia ⁷¹⁷  and Samaria, they were relating at length ⁷¹⁸  the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy ⁷¹⁹  to all the brothers. 15:4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received ⁷²⁰  by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported ⁷²¹  all the things God had done with them. ⁷²²  15:5 But some from the religious party of the Pharisees ⁷²³  who had believed stood up and said, “It is necessary ⁷²⁴  to circumcise the Gentiles ⁷²⁵  and to order them to observe ⁷²⁶  the law of Moses.”

15:6 Both the apostles and the elders met together to deliberate ⁷²⁷  about this matter. 15:7 After there had been much debate, ⁷²⁸  Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that some time ago ⁷²⁹  God chose ⁷³⁰  me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message ⁷³¹  of the gospel ⁷³²  and believe. ⁷³³  15:8 And God, who knows the heart, ⁷³⁴  has testified ⁷³⁵  to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ⁷³⁶  15:9 and he made no distinction ⁷³⁷  between them and us, cleansing ⁷³⁸  their hearts by faith. 15:10 So now why are you putting God to the test ⁷³⁹  by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke ⁷⁴⁰  that neither our ancestors ⁷⁴¹  nor we have been able to bear? 15:11 On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through ⁷⁴²  the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are.” ⁷⁴³ 

15:12 The whole group kept quiet ⁷⁴⁴  and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs ⁷⁴⁵  and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 15:13 After they stopped speaking, ⁷⁴⁶  James replied, ⁷⁴⁷  “Brothers, listen to me. 15:14 Simeon ⁷⁴⁸  has explained ⁷⁴⁹  how God first concerned himself ⁷⁵⁰  to select ⁷⁵¹  from among the Gentiles ⁷⁵²  a people for his name. 15:15 The ⁷⁵³  words of the prophets agree ⁷⁵⁴  with this, as it is written,

15:16 ‘After this ⁷⁵⁵  I ⁷⁵⁶  will return,

and I will rebuild the fallen tent ⁷⁵⁷  of David;

I will rebuild its ruins and restore ⁷⁵⁸  it,

15:17 so that the rest of humanity ⁷⁵⁹  may seek the Lord,

namely, ⁷⁶⁰  all the Gentiles ⁷⁶¹  I have called to be my own,’ ⁷⁶²  says the Lord, ⁷⁶³  who makes these things 15:18 known ⁷⁶⁴  from long ago. ⁷⁶⁵ 

15:19 “Therefore I conclude ⁷⁶⁶  that we should not cause extra difficulty ⁷⁶⁷  for those among the Gentiles ⁷⁶⁸  who are turning to God, 15:20 but that we should write them a letter ⁷⁶⁹  telling them to abstain ⁷⁷⁰  from things defiled ⁷⁷¹  by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled ⁷⁷²  and from blood. 15:21 For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, ⁷⁷³  because he is read aloud ⁷⁷⁴  in the synagogues ⁷⁷⁵  every Sabbath.”

15:22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided ⁷⁷⁶  to send men chosen from among them, Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, ⁷⁷⁷  leaders among the brothers, to Antioch ⁷⁷⁸  with Paul and Barnabas. 15:23 They sent this letter with them: ⁷⁷⁹ 

From the apostles ⁷⁸⁰  and elders, your brothers, ⁷⁸¹  to the Gentile brothers and sisters ⁷⁸²  in Antioch, ⁷⁸³  Syria, ⁷⁸⁴  and Cilicia, greetings! 15:24 Since we have heard that some have gone out from among us with no orders from us and have confused ⁷⁸⁵  you, upsetting ⁷⁸⁶  your minds ⁷⁸⁷  by what they said, ⁷⁸⁸  15:25 we have unanimously ⁷⁸⁹  decided ⁷⁹⁰  to choose men to send to you along with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, 15:26 who ⁷⁹¹  have risked their lives ⁷⁹²  for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁷⁹³  15:27 Therefore we are sending ⁷⁹⁴  Judas and Silas ⁷⁹⁵  who will tell you these things themselves in person. ⁷⁹⁶  15:28 For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us ⁷⁹⁷  not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules: ⁷⁹⁸  15:29 that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols ⁷⁹⁹  and from blood and from what has been strangled ⁸⁰⁰  and from sexual immorality. ⁸⁰¹  If you keep yourselves from doing these things, ⁸⁰²  you will do well. Farewell. ⁸⁰³ 

15:30 So when they were dismissed, ⁸⁰⁴  they went down to Antioch, ⁸⁰⁵  and after gathering the entire group ⁸⁰⁶  together, they delivered the letter. 15:31 When they read it aloud, ⁸⁰⁷  the people ⁸⁰⁸  rejoiced at its encouragement. ⁸⁰⁹  15:32 Both Judas and Silas, who were prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a long speech. ⁸¹⁰  15:33 After ⁸¹¹  they had spent some time there, ⁸¹²  they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 15:34 [[EMPTY]] ⁸¹³  15:35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, ⁸¹⁴  teaching and proclaiming (along with many others) ⁸¹⁵  the word of the Lord. ⁸¹⁶ 

Paul and Barnabas Part Company

15:36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return ⁸¹⁷  and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord ⁸¹⁸  to see how they are doing.” ⁸¹⁹  15:37 Barnabas wanted to bring John called Mark along with them too, 15:38 but Paul insisted ⁸²⁰  that they should not take along this one who had left them in Pamphylia ⁸²¹  and had not accompanied them in the work. 15:39 They had ⁸²²  a sharp disagreement, ⁸²³  so that they parted company. Barnabas took along ⁸²⁴  Mark and sailed away to Cyprus, ⁸²⁵  15:40 but Paul chose Silas and set out, commended ⁸²⁶  to the grace of the Lord by the brothers and sisters. ⁸²⁷  15:41 He passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening ⁸²⁸  the churches.

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16:1 He also came to Derbe ⁸²⁹  and to Lystra. ⁸³⁰  A disciple ⁸³¹  named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, ⁸³²  but whose father was a Greek. ⁸³³  16:2 The brothers in Lystra ⁸³⁴  and Iconium ⁸³⁵  spoke well ⁸³⁶  of him. ⁸³⁷  16:3 Paul wanted Timothy ⁸³⁸  to accompany him, and he took ⁸³⁹  him and circumcised ⁸⁴⁰  him because of the Jews who were in those places, ⁸⁴¹  for they all knew that his father was Greek. ⁸⁴²  16:4 As they went through the towns, ⁸⁴³  they passed on ⁸⁴⁴  the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ⁸⁴⁵  for the Gentile believers ⁸⁴⁶  to obey. ⁸⁴⁷  16:5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day. ⁸⁴⁸ 

Paul’s Vision of the Macedonian Man

16:6 They went through the region of Phrygia ⁸⁴⁹  and Galatia, ⁸⁵⁰  having been prevented ⁸⁵¹  by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message ⁸⁵²  in the province of Asia. ⁸⁵³  16:7 When they came to ⁸⁵⁴  Mysia, ⁸⁵⁵  they attempted to go into Bithynia, ⁸⁵⁶  but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow ⁸⁵⁷  them to do this, ⁸⁵⁸  16:8 so they passed through ⁸⁵⁹  Mysia ⁸⁶⁰  and went down to Troas. ⁸⁶¹  16:9 A ⁸⁶²  vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there ⁸⁶³  urging him, ⁸⁶⁴  “Come over ⁸⁶⁵  to Macedonia ⁸⁶⁶  and help us!” 16:10 After Paul ⁸⁶⁷  saw the vision, we attempted ⁸⁶⁸  immediately to go over to Macedonia, ⁸⁶⁹  concluding that God had called ⁸⁷⁰  us to proclaim the good news to them.

Arrival at Philippi

16:11 We put out to sea ⁸⁷¹  from Troas ⁸⁷²  and sailed a straight course ⁸⁷³  to Samothrace, ⁸⁷⁴  the next day to Neapolis, ⁸⁷⁵  16:12 and from there to Philippi, ⁸⁷⁶  which is a leading city of that district ⁸⁷⁷  of Macedonia, ⁸⁷⁸  a Roman colony. ⁸⁷⁹  We stayed in this city for some days. 16:13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down ⁸⁸⁰  and began to speak ⁸⁸¹  to the women ⁸⁸²  who had assembled there. ⁸⁸³  16:14 A ⁸⁸⁴  woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth ⁸⁸⁵  from the city of Thyatira, ⁸⁸⁶  a God-fearing woman, listened to us. ⁸⁸⁷  The Lord opened her heart to respond ⁸⁸⁸  to what Paul was saying. 16:15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, ⁸⁸⁹  “If ⁸⁹⁰  you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, ⁸⁹¹  come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded ⁸⁹²  us.

Paul and Silas Are Thrown Into Prison

16:16 Now ⁸⁹³  as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. ⁸⁹⁴  She ⁸⁹⁵  brought her owners ⁸⁹⁶  a great profit by fortune-telling. ⁸⁹⁷  16:17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, ⁸⁹⁸  “These men are servants ⁸⁹⁹  of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way ⁹⁰⁰  of salvation.” ⁹⁰¹  16:18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed, ⁹⁰²  and turned ⁹⁰³  and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ ⁹⁰⁴  to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once. ⁹⁰⁵  16:19 But when her owners ⁹⁰⁶  saw their hope of profit ⁹⁰⁷  was gone, they seized ⁹⁰⁸  Paul and Silas and dragged ⁹⁰⁹  them into the marketplace before the authorities. 16:20 When ⁹¹⁰  they had brought them ⁹¹¹  before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion. ⁹¹²  They are ⁹¹³  Jews 16:21 and are advocating ⁹¹⁴  customs that are not lawful for us to accept ⁹¹⁵  or practice, ⁹¹⁶  since we are ⁹¹⁷  Romans.”

16:22 The crowd joined the attack ⁹¹⁸  against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes ⁹¹⁹  off Paul and Silas ⁹²⁰  and ordered them to be beaten with rods. ⁹²¹  16:23 After they had beaten them severely, ⁹²²  they threw them into prison and commanded ⁹²³  the jailer to guard them securely. 16:24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell ⁹²⁴  and fastened their feet in the stocks. ⁹²⁵ 

16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying ⁹²⁶  and singing hymns to God, ⁹²⁷  and the rest of ⁹²⁸  the prisoners were listening to them. 16:26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds ⁹²⁹  of all the prisoners came loose. 16:27 When the jailer woke up ⁹³⁰  and saw the doors of the prison standing open, ⁹³¹  he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, ⁹³²  because he assumed ⁹³³  the prisoners had escaped. 16:28 But Paul called out loudly, ⁹³⁴  “Do not harm yourself, ⁹³⁵  for we are all here!” 16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer ⁹³⁶  rushed in and fell down ⁹³⁷  trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. 16:30 Then he brought them outside ⁹³⁸  and asked, “Sirs, what must ⁹³⁹  I do to be saved?” 16:31 They replied, ⁹⁴⁰  “Believe ⁹⁴¹  in the Lord Jesus ⁹⁴²  and you will be saved, you and your household.” 16:32 Then ⁹⁴³  they spoke the word of the Lord ⁹⁴⁴  to him, along with all those who were in his house. 16:33 At ⁹⁴⁵  that hour of the night he took them ⁹⁴⁶  and washed their wounds; ⁹⁴⁷  then ⁹⁴⁸  he and all his family ⁹⁴⁹  were baptized right away. ⁹⁵⁰  16:34 The jailer ⁹⁵¹  brought them into his house and set food ⁹⁵²  before them, and he rejoiced greatly ⁹⁵³  that he had come to believe ⁹⁵⁴  in God, together with his entire household. ⁹⁵⁵  16:35 At daybreak ⁹⁵⁶  the magistrates ⁹⁵⁷  sent their police officers, ⁹⁵⁸  saying, “Release those men.” 16:36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, ⁹⁵⁹  “The magistrates have sent orders ⁹⁶⁰  to release you. So come out now and go in peace.” ⁹⁶¹  16:37 But Paul said to the police officers, ⁹⁶²  “They had us beaten in public ⁹⁶³  without a proper trial ⁹⁶⁴  – even though we are Roman citizens ⁹⁶⁵  – and they threw us ⁹⁶⁶  in prison. And now they want to send us away ⁹⁶⁷  secretly? Absolutely not! They ⁹⁶⁸  themselves must come and escort us out!” ⁹⁶⁹  16:38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas ⁹⁷⁰  were Roman citizens ⁹⁷¹  16:39 and came ⁹⁷²  and apologized to them. After ⁹⁷³  they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly ⁹⁷⁴  to leave the city. 16:40 When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia’s house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then ⁹⁷⁵  departed.

Paul and Silas at Thessalonica

17:1 After they traveled through ⁹⁷⁶  Amphipolis ⁹⁷⁷  and Apollonia, ⁹⁷⁸  they came to Thessalonica, ⁹⁷⁹  where there was a Jewish synagogue. ⁹⁸⁰  17:2 Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, ⁹⁸¹  as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed ⁹⁸²  them from the scriptures, 17:3 explaining and demonstrating ⁹⁸³  that the Christ ⁹⁸⁴  had to suffer and to rise from the dead, ⁹⁸⁵  saying, ⁹⁸⁶  “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” ⁹⁸⁷  17:4 Some of them were persuaded ⁹⁸⁸  and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group ⁹⁸⁹  of God-fearing Greeks ⁹⁹⁰  and quite a few ⁹⁹¹  prominent women. 17:5 But the Jews became jealous, ⁹⁹²  and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, ⁹⁹³  they formed a mob ⁹⁹⁴  and set the city in an uproar. ⁹⁹⁵  They attacked Jason’s house, ⁹⁹⁶  trying to find Paul and Silas ⁹⁹⁷  to bring them out to the assembly. ⁹⁹⁸  17:6 When they did not find them, they dragged ⁹⁹⁹  Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, ¹⁰⁰⁰  screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble ¹⁰⁰¹  throughout the world ¹⁰⁰²  have come here too, 17:7 and ¹⁰⁰³  Jason has welcomed them as guests! They ¹⁰⁰⁴  are all acting against Caesar’s ¹⁰⁰⁵  decrees, saying there is another king named ¹⁰⁰⁶  Jesus!” ¹⁰⁰⁷  17:8 They caused confusion among ¹⁰⁰⁸  the crowd and the city officials ¹⁰⁰⁹  who heard these things. 17:9 After ¹⁰¹⁰  the city officials ¹⁰¹¹  had received bail ¹⁰¹²  from Jason and the others, they released them.

Paul and Silas at Berea

17:10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea ¹⁰¹³  at once, during the night. When they arrived, ¹⁰¹⁴  they went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹⁰¹⁵  17:11 These Jews ¹⁰¹⁶  were more open-minded ¹⁰¹⁷  than those in Thessalonica, ¹⁰¹⁸  for they eagerly ¹⁰¹⁹  received ¹⁰²⁰  the message, examining ¹⁰²¹  the scriptures carefully every day ¹⁰²²  to see if these things were so. 17:12 Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few ¹⁰²³  prominent ¹⁰²⁴  Greek women and men. 17:13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica ¹⁰²⁵  heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God ¹⁰²⁶  in Berea, ¹⁰²⁷  they came there too, inciting ¹⁰²⁸  and disturbing ¹⁰²⁹  the crowds. 17:14 Then the brothers sent Paul away to the coast ¹⁰³⁰  at once, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. ¹⁰³¹  17:15 Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens, ¹⁰³²  and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. ¹⁰³³ 

Paul at Athens

17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, ¹⁰³⁴  his spirit was greatly upset ¹⁰³⁵  because he saw ¹⁰³⁶  the city was full of idols. 17:17 So he was addressing ¹⁰³⁷  the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles ¹⁰³⁸  in the synagogue, ¹⁰³⁹  and in the marketplace every day ¹⁰⁴⁰  those who happened to be there. 17:18 Also some of the Epicurean ¹⁰⁴¹  and Stoic ¹⁰⁴²  philosophers were conversing ¹⁰⁴³  with him, and some were asking, ¹⁰⁴⁴  “What does this foolish babbler ¹⁰⁴⁵  want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” ¹⁰⁴⁶  (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) ¹⁰⁴⁷  17:19 So they took Paul and ¹⁰⁴⁸  brought him to the Areopagus, ¹⁰⁴⁹  saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? 17:20 For you are bringing some surprising things ¹⁰⁵⁰  to our ears, so we want to know what they ¹⁰⁵¹  mean.” 17:21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time ¹⁰⁵²  in nothing else than telling ¹⁰⁵³  or listening to something new.) ¹⁰⁵⁴ 

17:22 So Paul stood ¹⁰⁵⁵  before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious ¹⁰⁵⁶  in all respects. ¹⁰⁵⁷  17:23 For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, ¹⁰⁵⁸  I even found an altar with this inscription: ¹⁰⁵⁹  ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, ¹⁰⁶⁰  this I proclaim to you. 17:24 The God who made the world and everything in it, ¹⁰⁶¹  who is ¹⁰⁶²  Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, ¹⁰⁶³  17:25 nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, ¹⁰⁶⁴  because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. ¹⁰⁶⁵  17:26 From one man ¹⁰⁶⁶  he made every nation of the human race ¹⁰⁶⁷  to inhabit the entire earth, ¹⁰⁶⁸  determining their set times ¹⁰⁶⁹  and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, ¹⁰⁷⁰  17:27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around ¹⁰⁷¹  for him and find him, ¹⁰⁷²  though he is ¹⁰⁷³  not far from each one of us. 17:28 For in him we live and move about ¹⁰⁷⁴  and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ ¹⁰⁷⁵  17:29 So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity ¹⁰⁷⁶  is like gold or silver or stone, an image ¹⁰⁷⁷  made by human ¹⁰⁷⁸  skill ¹⁰⁷⁹  and imagination. ¹⁰⁸⁰  17:30 Therefore, although God has overlooked ¹⁰⁸¹  such times of ignorance, ¹⁰⁸²  he now commands all people ¹⁰⁸³  everywhere to repent, ¹⁰⁸⁴  17:31 because he has set ¹⁰⁸⁵  a day on which he is going to judge the world ¹⁰⁸⁶  in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, ¹⁰⁸⁷  having provided proof to everyone by raising ¹⁰⁸⁸  him from the dead.”

17:32 Now when they heard about ¹⁰⁸⁹  the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff, ¹⁰⁹⁰  but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 17:33 So Paul left the Areopagus. ¹⁰⁹¹  17:34 But some people ¹⁰⁹²  joined him ¹⁰⁹³  and believed. Among them ¹⁰⁹⁴  were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, ¹⁰⁹⁵  a woman ¹⁰⁹⁶  named Damaris, and others with them.

Paul at Corinth

18:1 After this ¹⁰⁹⁷  Paul ¹⁰⁹⁸  departed from ¹⁰⁹⁹  Athens ¹¹⁰⁰  and went to Corinth. ¹¹⁰¹  18:2 There he ¹¹⁰²  found ¹¹⁰³  a Jew named Aquila, ¹¹⁰⁴  a native of Pontus, ¹¹⁰⁵  who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius ¹¹⁰⁶  had ordered all the Jews to depart from ¹¹⁰⁷  Rome. ¹¹⁰⁸  Paul approached ¹¹⁰⁹  them, 18:3 and because he worked at the same trade, he stayed with them and worked with them ¹¹¹⁰  (for they were tentmakers ¹¹¹¹  by trade). ¹¹¹²  18:4 He addressed ¹¹¹³  both Jews and Greeks in the synagogue ¹¹¹⁴  every Sabbath, attempting to persuade ¹¹¹⁵  them.

18:5 Now when Silas and Timothy arrived ¹¹¹⁶  from Macedonia, ¹¹¹⁷  Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming ¹¹¹⁸  the word, testifying ¹¹¹⁹  to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. ¹¹²⁰  18:6 When they opposed him ¹¹²¹  and reviled him, ¹¹²²  he protested by shaking out his clothes ¹¹²³  and said to them, “Your blood ¹¹²⁴  be on your own heads! I am guiltless! ¹¹²⁵  From now on I will go to the Gentiles!” 18:7 Then Paul ¹¹²⁶  left ¹¹²⁷  the synagogue ¹¹²⁸  and went to the house of a person named Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God, ¹¹²⁹  whose house was next door to the synagogue. 18:8 Crispus, the president of the synagogue, ¹¹³⁰  believed in the Lord together with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard about it ¹¹³¹  believed and were baptized. 18:9 The Lord said to Paul by a vision ¹¹³²  in the night, ¹¹³³  “Do not be afraid, ¹¹³⁴  but speak and do not be silent, 18:10 because I am with you, and no one will assault ¹¹³⁵  you to harm ¹¹³⁶  you, because I have many people in this city.” 18:11 So he stayed there ¹¹³⁷  a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. ¹¹³⁸ 

Paul Before the Proconsul Gallio

18:12 Now while Gallio ¹¹³⁹  was proconsul ¹¹⁴⁰  of Achaia, ¹¹⁴¹  the Jews attacked Paul together ¹¹⁴²  and brought him before the judgment seat, ¹¹⁴³  18:13 saying, “This man is persuading ¹¹⁴⁴  people to worship God in a way contrary to ¹¹⁴⁵  the law!” 18:14 But just as Paul was about to speak, ¹¹⁴⁶  Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or serious piece of villainy, ¹¹⁴⁷  I would have been justified in accepting the complaint ¹¹⁴⁸  of you Jews, ¹¹⁴⁹  18:15 but since it concerns points of disagreement ¹¹⁵⁰  about words and names and your own law, settle ¹¹⁵¹  it yourselves. I will not be ¹¹⁵²  a judge of these things!” 18:16 Then he had them forced away ¹¹⁵³  from the judgment seat. ¹¹⁵⁴  18:17 So they all seized Sosthenes, the president of the synagogue, ¹¹⁵⁵  and began to beat ¹¹⁵⁶  him in front of the judgment seat. ¹¹⁵⁷  Yet none of these things were of any concern ¹¹⁵⁸  to Gallio.

Paul Returns to Antioch in Syria

18:18 Paul, after staying ¹¹⁵⁹  many more days in Corinth, ¹¹⁶⁰  said farewell to ¹¹⁶¹  the brothers and sailed away to Syria accompanied by ¹¹⁶²  Priscilla and Aquila. ¹¹⁶³  He ¹¹⁶⁴  had his hair cut off ¹¹⁶⁵  at Cenchrea ¹¹⁶⁶  because he had made a vow. ¹¹⁶⁷  18:19 When they reached Ephesus, ¹¹⁶⁸  Paul ¹¹⁶⁹  left Priscilla and Aquila ¹¹⁷⁰  behind there, but he himself went ¹¹⁷¹  into the synagogue ¹¹⁷²  and addressed ¹¹⁷³  the Jews. 18:20 When they asked him to stay longer, he would not consent, ¹¹⁷⁴  18:21 but said farewell to ¹¹⁷⁵  them and added, ¹¹⁷⁶  “I will come back ¹¹⁷⁷  to you again if God wills.” ¹¹⁷⁸  Then ¹¹⁷⁹  he set sail from Ephesus, 18:22 and when he arrived ¹¹⁸⁰  at Caesarea, ¹¹⁸¹  he went up and greeted ¹¹⁸²  the church at Jerusalem ¹¹⁸³  and then went down to Antioch. ¹¹⁸⁴  18:23 After he spent ¹¹⁸⁵  some time there, Paul left and went through the region of Galatia ¹¹⁸⁶  and Phrygia, ¹¹⁸⁷  strengthening all the disciples.

Apollos Begins His Ministry

18:24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus. ¹¹⁸⁸  He was an eloquent speaker, ¹¹⁸⁹  well-versed ¹¹⁹⁰  in the scriptures. 18:25 He had been instructed in ¹¹⁹¹  the way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm ¹¹⁹²  he spoke and taught accurately the facts ¹¹⁹³  about Jesus, although he knew ¹¹⁹⁴  only the baptism of John. 18:26 He began to speak out fearlessly ¹¹⁹⁵  in the synagogue, ¹¹⁹⁶  but when Priscilla and Aquila ¹¹⁹⁷  heard him, they took him aside ¹¹⁹⁸  and explained the way of God to him more accurately. 18:27 When Apollos ¹¹⁹⁹  wanted to cross over to Achaia, ¹²⁰⁰  the brothers encouraged ¹²⁰¹  him ¹²⁰²  and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he ¹²⁰³  assisted greatly those who had believed by grace, 18:28 for he refuted the Jews vigorously ¹²⁰⁴  in public debate, ¹²⁰⁵  demonstrating from the scriptures that the Christ ¹²⁰⁶  was Jesus. ¹²⁰⁷ 

Disciples of John the Baptist at Ephesus

19:1 While ¹²⁰⁸  Apollos was in Corinth, ¹²⁰⁹  Paul went through the inland ¹²¹⁰  regions ¹²¹¹  and came to Ephesus. ¹²¹²  He ¹²¹³  found some disciples there ¹²¹⁴  19:2 and said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” ¹²¹⁵  They replied, ¹²¹⁶  “No, we have not even ¹²¹⁷  heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 19:3 So Paul ¹²¹⁸  said, “Into what then were you baptized?” “Into John’s baptism,” they replied. ¹²¹⁹  19:4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, ¹²²⁰  that is, in Jesus.” 19:5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus, 19:6 and when Paul placed ¹²²¹  his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came ¹²²²  upon them, and they began to speak ¹²²³  in tongues and to prophesy. ¹²²⁴  19:7 (Now there were about twelve men in all.) ¹²²⁵ 

Paul Continues to Minister at Ephesus

19:8 So Paul ¹²²⁶  entered ¹²²⁷  the synagogue ¹²²⁸  and spoke out fearlessly ¹²²⁹  for three months, addressing ¹²³⁰  and convincing ¹²³¹  them about the kingdom of God. ¹²³²  19:9 But when ¹²³³  some were stubborn ¹²³⁴  and refused to believe, reviling ¹²³⁵  the Way ¹²³⁶  before the congregation, he left ¹²³⁷  them and took the disciples with him, ¹²³⁸  addressing ¹²³⁹  them every day ¹²⁴⁰  in the lecture hall ¹²⁴¹  of Tyrannus. 19:10 This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia, ¹²⁴²  both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. ¹²⁴³ 

The Seven Sons of Sceva

19:11 God was performing extraordinary ¹²⁴⁴  miracles by Paul’s hands, 19:12 so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body ¹²⁴⁵  were brought ¹²⁴⁶  to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. ¹²⁴⁷  19:13 But some itinerant ¹²⁴⁸  Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name ¹²⁴⁹  of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by ¹²⁵⁰  evil spirits, saying, “I sternly warn ¹²⁵¹  you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 19:14 (Now seven sons of a man named ¹²⁵²  Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.) ¹²⁵³  19:15 But the evil spirit replied to them, ¹²⁵⁴  “I know about Jesus ¹²⁵⁵  and I am acquainted with ¹²⁵⁶  Paul, but who are you?” ¹²⁵⁷  19:16 Then the man who was possessed by ¹²⁵⁸  the evil spirit jumped on ¹²⁵⁹  them and beat them all into submission. ¹²⁶⁰  He prevailed ¹²⁶¹  against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded. 19:17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, ¹²⁶²  both Jews and Greeks; fear came over ¹²⁶³  them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised. ¹²⁶⁴  19:18 Many of those who had believed came forward, ¹²⁶⁵  confessing and making their deeds known. ¹²⁶⁶  19:19 Large numbers ¹²⁶⁷  of those who had practiced magic ¹²⁶⁸  collected their books ¹²⁶⁹  and burned them up in the presence of everyone. ¹²⁷⁰  When ¹²⁷¹  the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins. ¹²⁷²  19:20 In this way the word of the Lord ¹²⁷³  continued to grow in power ¹²⁷⁴  and to prevail. ¹²⁷⁵ 

A Riot in Ephesus

19:21 Now after all these things had taken place, ¹²⁷⁶  Paul resolved ¹²⁷⁷  to go to Jerusalem, ¹²⁷⁸  passing through Macedonia ¹²⁷⁹  and Achaia. ¹²⁸⁰  He said, ¹²⁸¹  “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” ¹²⁸²  19:22 So after sending ¹²⁸³  two of his assistants, ¹²⁸⁴  Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, ¹²⁸⁵  he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia. ¹²⁸⁶ 

19:23 At ¹²⁸⁷  that time ¹²⁸⁸  a great disturbance ¹²⁸⁹  took place concerning the Way. ¹²⁹⁰  19:24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines ¹²⁹¹  of Artemis, ¹²⁹²  brought a great deal ¹²⁹³  of business ¹²⁹⁴  to the craftsmen. 19:25 He gathered ¹²⁹⁵  these ¹²⁹⁶  together, along with the workmen in similar trades, ¹²⁹⁷  and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity ¹²⁹⁸  comes from this business. 19:26 And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded ¹²⁹⁹  and turned away ¹³⁰⁰  a large crowd, ¹³⁰¹  not only in Ephesus ¹³⁰²  but in practically all of the province of Asia, ¹³⁰³  by saying ¹³⁰⁴  that gods made by hands are not gods at all. ¹³⁰⁵  19:27 There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute, ¹³⁰⁶  but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis ¹³⁰⁷  will be regarded as nothing, ¹³⁰⁸  and she whom all the province of Asia ¹³⁰⁹  and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness.” ¹³¹⁰ 

19:28 When ¹³¹¹  they heard ¹³¹²  this they became enraged ¹³¹³  and began to shout, ¹³¹⁴  “Great is Artemis ¹³¹⁵  of the Ephesians!” 19:29 The ¹³¹⁶  city was filled with the uproar, ¹³¹⁷  and the crowd ¹³¹⁸  rushed to the theater ¹³¹⁹  together, ¹³²⁰  dragging with them Gaius and Aristarchus, the Macedonians who were Paul’s traveling companions. 19:30 But when Paul wanted to enter the public assembly, ¹³²¹  the disciples would not let him. 19:31 Even some of the provincial authorities ¹³²²  who were his friends sent ¹³²³  a message ¹³²⁴  to him, urging him not to venture ¹³²⁵  into the theater. 19:32 So then some were shouting one thing, some another, for the assembly was in confusion, and most of them did not know why they had met together. ¹³²⁶  19:33 Some of the crowd concluded ¹³²⁷  it was about ¹³²⁸  Alexander because the Jews had pushed him to the front. ¹³²⁹  Alexander, gesturing ¹³³⁰  with his hand, was wanting to make a defense ¹³³¹  before the public assembly. ¹³³²  19:34 But when they recognized ¹³³³  that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison, ¹³³⁴  “Great is Artemis ¹³³⁵  of the Ephesians!” for about two hours. ¹³³⁶  19:35 After the city secretary ¹³³⁷  quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what person ¹³³⁸  is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper ¹³³⁹  of the temple of the great Artemis ¹³⁴⁰  and of her image that fell from heaven? ¹³⁴¹  19:36 So because these facts ¹³⁴²  are indisputable, ¹³⁴³  you must keep quiet ¹³⁴⁴  and not do anything reckless. ¹³⁴⁵  19:37 For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers ¹³⁴⁶  nor blasphemers of our goddess. ¹³⁴⁷  19:38 If then Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint ¹³⁴⁸  against someone, the courts are open ¹³⁴⁹  and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another there. ¹³⁵⁰  19:39 But if you want anything in addition, ¹³⁵¹  it will have to be settled ¹³⁵²  in a legal assembly. ¹³⁵³  19:40 For ¹³⁵⁴  we are in danger of being charged with rioting ¹³⁵⁵  today, since there is no cause we can give to explain ¹³⁵⁶  this disorderly gathering.” ¹³⁵⁷  19:41 After ¹³⁵⁸  he had said ¹³⁵⁹  this, ¹³⁶⁰  he dismissed the assembly. ¹³⁶¹ 

Paul Travels Through Macedonia and Greece

20:1 After the disturbance had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging ¹³⁶²  them and saying farewell, ¹³⁶³  he left to go to Macedonia. ¹³⁶⁴  20:2 After he had gone through those regions ¹³⁶⁵  and spoken many words of encouragement ¹³⁶⁶  to the believers there, ¹³⁶⁷  he came to Greece, ¹³⁶⁸  20:3 where he stayed ¹³⁶⁹  for three months. Because the Jews had made ¹³⁷⁰  a plot ¹³⁷¹  against him as he was intending ¹³⁷²  to sail ¹³⁷³  for Syria, he decided ¹³⁷⁴  to return through Macedonia. ¹³⁷⁵  20:4 Paul ¹³⁷⁶  was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, ¹³⁷⁷  Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, ¹³⁷⁸  Gaius ¹³⁷⁹  from Derbe, ¹³⁸⁰  and Timothy, as well as Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. ¹³⁸¹  20:5 These had gone on ahead ¹³⁸²  and were waiting for us in Troas. ¹³⁸³  20:6 We ¹³⁸⁴  sailed away from Philippi ¹³⁸⁵  after the days of Unleavened Bread, ¹³⁸⁶  and within five days ¹³⁸⁷  we came to the others ¹³⁸⁸  in Troas, ¹³⁸⁹  where we stayed for seven days. 20:7 On the first day ¹³⁹⁰  of the week, when we met ¹³⁹¹  to break bread, Paul began to speak ¹³⁹²  to the people, and because he intended ¹³⁹³  to leave the next day, he extended ¹³⁹⁴  his message until midnight. 20:8 (Now there were many lamps ¹³⁹⁵  in the upstairs room where we were meeting.) ¹³⁹⁶  20:9 A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, ¹³⁹⁷  was sinking ¹³⁹⁸  into a deep sleep while Paul continued to speak ¹³⁹⁹  for a long time. Fast asleep, ¹⁴⁰⁰  he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 20:10 But Paul went down, ¹⁴⁰¹  threw himself ¹⁴⁰²  on the young man, ¹⁴⁰³  put his arms around him, ¹⁴⁰⁴  and said, “Do not be distressed, for he is still alive!” ¹⁴⁰⁵  20:11 Then Paul ¹⁴⁰⁶  went back upstairs, ¹⁴⁰⁷  and after he had broken bread and eaten, he talked with them ¹⁴⁰⁸  a long time, until dawn. Then he left. 20:12 They took the boy home alive and were greatly ¹⁴⁰⁹  comforted.

The Voyage to Miletus

20:13 We went on ahead ¹⁴¹⁰  to the ship and put out to sea ¹⁴¹¹  for Assos, ¹⁴¹²  intending ¹⁴¹³  to take Paul aboard there, for he had arranged it this way. ¹⁴¹⁴  He ¹⁴¹⁵  himself was intending ¹⁴¹⁶  to go there by land. ¹⁴¹⁷  20:14 When he met us in Assos, ¹⁴¹⁸  we took him aboard ¹⁴¹⁹  and went to Mitylene. ¹⁴²⁰  20:15 We set sail ¹⁴²¹  from there, and on the following day we arrived off Chios. ¹⁴²²  The next day we approached ¹⁴²³  Samos, ¹⁴²⁴  and the day after that we arrived at Miletus. ¹⁴²⁵  20:16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus ¹⁴²⁶  so as not to spend time ¹⁴²⁷  in the province of Asia, ¹⁴²⁸  for he was hurrying ¹⁴²⁹  to arrive in Jerusalem, ¹⁴³⁰  if possible, ¹⁴³¹  by the day of Pentecost. 20:17 From Miletus ¹⁴³²  he sent a message ¹⁴³³  to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him. ¹⁴³⁴ 

20:18 When they arrived, he said to them, “You yourselves know how I lived ¹⁴³⁵  the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot ¹⁴³⁶  in the province of Asia, ¹⁴³⁷  20:19 serving the Lord with all humility ¹⁴³⁸  and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots ¹⁴³⁹  of the Jews. 20:20 You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming ¹⁴⁴⁰  to you anything that would be helpful, ¹⁴⁴¹  and from teaching you publicly ¹⁴⁴²  and from house to house, 20:21 testifying ¹⁴⁴³  to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. ¹⁴⁴⁴  20:22 And now, ¹⁴⁴⁵  compelled ¹⁴⁴⁶  by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem ¹⁴⁴⁷  without knowing what will happen to me there, ¹⁴⁴⁸  20:23 except ¹⁴⁴⁹  that the Holy Spirit warns ¹⁴⁵⁰  me in town after town ¹⁴⁵¹  that ¹⁴⁵²  imprisonment ¹⁴⁵³  and persecutions ¹⁴⁵⁴  are waiting for me. 20:24 But I do not consider my life ¹⁴⁵⁵  worth anything ¹⁴⁵⁶  to myself, so that ¹⁴⁵⁷  I may finish my task ¹⁴⁵⁸  and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news ¹⁴⁵⁹  of God’s grace.

20:25 “And now ¹⁴⁶⁰  I know that none ¹⁴⁶¹  of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom ¹⁴⁶²  will see me ¹⁴⁶³  again. 20:26 Therefore I declare ¹⁴⁶⁴  to you today that I am innocent ¹⁴⁶⁵  of the blood of you all. ¹⁴⁶⁶  20:27 For I did not hold back from ¹⁴⁶⁷  announcing ¹⁴⁶⁸  to you the whole purpose ¹⁴⁶⁹  of God. 20:28 Watch out for ¹⁴⁷⁰  yourselves and for all the flock of which ¹⁴⁷¹  the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, ¹⁴⁷²  to shepherd the church of God ¹⁴⁷³  that he obtained ¹⁴⁷⁴  with the blood of his own Son. ¹⁴⁷⁵  20:29 I know that after I am gone ¹⁴⁷⁶  fierce wolves ¹⁴⁷⁷  will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 20:30 Even from among your own group ¹⁴⁷⁸  men ¹⁴⁷⁹  will arise, teaching perversions of the truth ¹⁴⁸⁰  to draw the disciples away after them. 20:31 Therefore be alert, ¹⁴⁸¹  remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning ¹⁴⁸²  each one of you with tears. 20:32 And now I entrust ¹⁴⁸³  you to God and to the message ¹⁴⁸⁴  of his grace. This message ¹⁴⁸⁵  is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 20:33 I have desired ¹⁴⁸⁶  no one’s silver or gold or clothing. 20:34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine ¹⁴⁸⁷  provided for my needs and the needs of those who were with me. 20:35 By all these things, ¹⁴⁸⁸  I have shown you that by working in this way we must help ¹⁴⁸⁹  the weak, ¹⁴⁹⁰  and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” ¹⁴⁹¹ 

20:36 When ¹⁴⁹²  he had said these things, he knelt down ¹⁴⁹³  with them all and prayed. 20:37 They all began to weep loudly, ¹⁴⁹⁴  and hugged ¹⁴⁹⁵  Paul and kissed him, ¹⁴⁹⁶  20:38 especially saddened ¹⁴⁹⁷  by what ¹⁴⁹⁸  he had said, that they were not going to see him ¹⁴⁹⁹  again. Then they accompanied ¹⁵⁰⁰  him to the ship.

Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem

21:1 After ¹⁵⁰¹  we ¹⁵⁰²  tore ourselves away ¹⁵⁰³  from them, we put out to sea, ¹⁵⁰⁴  and sailing a straight course, ¹⁵⁰⁵  we came to Cos, ¹⁵⁰⁶  on the next day to Rhodes, ¹⁵⁰⁷  and from there to Patara. ¹⁵⁰⁸  21:2 We found ¹⁵⁰⁹  a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, ¹⁵¹⁰  went aboard, ¹⁵¹¹  and put out to sea. ¹⁵¹²  21:3 After we sighted Cyprus ¹⁵¹³  and left it behind on our port side, ¹⁵¹⁴  we sailed on to Syria and put in ¹⁵¹⁵  at Tyre, ¹⁵¹⁶  because the ship was to unload its cargo there. 21:4 After we located ¹⁵¹⁷  the disciples, we stayed there ¹⁵¹⁸  seven days. They repeatedly told ¹⁵¹⁹  Paul through the Spirit ¹⁵²⁰  not to set foot ¹⁵²¹  in Jerusalem. ¹⁵²²  21:5 When ¹⁵²³  our time was over, ¹⁵²⁴  we left and went on our way. All of them, with their wives and children, accompanied ¹⁵²⁵  us outside of the city. After ¹⁵²⁶  kneeling down on the beach and praying, ¹⁵²⁷  21:6 we said farewell ¹⁵²⁸  to one another. ¹⁵²⁹  Then ¹⁵³⁰  we went aboard the ship, and they returned to their own homes. ¹⁵³¹  21:7 We continued the voyage from Tyre ¹⁵³²  and arrived at Ptolemais, ¹⁵³³  and when we had greeted the brothers, we stayed with them for one day. 21:8 On the next day we left ¹⁵³⁴  and came to Caesarea, ¹⁵³⁵  and entered ¹⁵³⁶  the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, ¹⁵³⁷  and stayed with him. 21:9 (He had four unmarried ¹⁵³⁸  daughters who prophesied.) ¹⁵³⁹ 

21:10 While we remained there for a number of days, ¹⁵⁴⁰  a prophet named Agabus ¹⁵⁴¹  came down from Judea. 21:11 He came ¹⁵⁴²  to us, took ¹⁵⁴³  Paul’s belt, ¹⁵⁴⁴  tied ¹⁵⁴⁵  his own hands and feet with it, ¹⁵⁴⁶  and said, “The Holy Spirit says this: ‘This is the way the Jews in Jerusalem will tie up the man whose belt this is, and will hand him over ¹⁵⁴⁷  to the Gentiles.’” 21:12 When we heard this, both we and the local people ¹⁵⁴⁸  begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 21:13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking ¹⁵⁴⁹  my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up, ¹⁵⁵⁰  but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 21:14 Because he could not be persuaded, ¹⁵⁵¹  we said no more except, ¹⁵⁵²  “The Lord’s will be done.” ¹⁵⁵³ 

21:15 After these days we got ready ¹⁵⁵⁴  and started up ¹⁵⁵⁵  to Jerusalem. 21:16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea ¹⁵⁵⁶  came along with us too, and brought us to the house ¹⁵⁵⁷  of Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple from the earliest times, ¹⁵⁵⁸  with whom we were to stay. 21:17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. ¹⁵⁵⁹  21:18 The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were there. ¹⁵⁶⁰  21:19 When Paul ¹⁵⁶¹  had greeted them, he began to explain ¹⁵⁶²  in detail ¹⁵⁶³  what God ¹⁵⁶⁴  had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 21:20 When they heard this, they praised ¹⁵⁶⁵  God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews ¹⁵⁶⁶  there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers ¹⁵⁶⁷  of the law. ¹⁵⁶⁸  21:21 They have been informed about you – that you teach all the Jews now living ¹⁵⁶⁹  among the Gentiles to abandon ¹⁵⁷⁰  Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children ¹⁵⁷¹  or live ¹⁵⁷²  according to our customs. 21:22 What then should we do? They will no doubt ¹⁵⁷³  hear that you have come. 21:23 So do what ¹⁵⁷⁴  we tell you: We have four men ¹⁵⁷⁵  who have taken ¹⁵⁷⁶  a vow; ¹⁵⁷⁷  21:24 take them and purify ¹⁵⁷⁸  yourself along with them and pay their expenses, ¹⁵⁷⁹  so that they may have their heads shaved. ¹⁵⁸⁰  Then ¹⁵⁸¹  everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told ¹⁵⁸²  about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with ¹⁵⁸³  the law. ¹⁵⁸⁴  21:25 But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided ¹⁵⁸⁵  that they should avoid ¹⁵⁸⁶  meat that has been sacrificed to idols ¹⁵⁸⁷  and blood and what has been strangled ¹⁵⁸⁸  and sexual immorality.” 21:26 Then Paul took the men the next day, ¹⁵⁸⁹  and after he had purified himself ¹⁵⁹⁰  along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice ¹⁵⁹¹  of the completion of the days of purification, ¹⁵⁹²  when ¹⁵⁹³  the sacrifice would be offered for each ¹⁵⁹⁴  of them. 21:27 When the seven days were almost over, ¹⁵⁹⁵  the Jews from the province of Asia ¹⁵⁹⁶  who had seen him in the temple area ¹⁵⁹⁷  stirred up the whole crowd ¹⁵⁹⁸  and seized ¹⁵⁹⁹  him, 21:28 shouting, “Men of Israel, ¹⁶⁰⁰  help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, ¹⁶⁰¹  and this sanctuary! ¹⁶⁰²  Furthermore ¹⁶⁰³  he has brought Greeks into the inner courts of the temple ¹⁶⁰⁴  and made this holy place ritually unclean!” ¹⁶⁰⁵  21:29 (For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him previously, and ¹⁶⁰⁶  they assumed Paul had brought him into the inner temple courts.) ¹⁶⁰⁷  21:30 The whole city was stirred up, ¹⁶⁰⁸  and the people rushed together. ¹⁶⁰⁹  They seized ¹⁶¹⁰  Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts, ¹⁶¹¹  and immediately the doors were shut. 21:31 While they were trying ¹⁶¹²  to kill him, a report ¹⁶¹³  was sent up ¹⁶¹⁴  to the commanding officer ¹⁶¹⁵  of the cohort ¹⁶¹⁶  that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ¹⁶¹⁷  21:32 He ¹⁶¹⁸  immediately took ¹⁶¹⁹  soldiers and centurions ¹⁶²⁰  and ran down to the crowd. ¹⁶²¹  When they saw ¹⁶²²  the commanding officer ¹⁶²³  and the soldiers, they stopped beating ¹⁶²⁴  Paul. 21:33 Then the commanding officer ¹⁶²⁵  came up and arrested ¹⁶²⁶  him and ordered him to be tied up with two chains; ¹⁶²⁷  he ¹⁶²⁸  then asked who he was and what ¹⁶²⁹  he had done. 21:34 But some in the crowd shouted one thing, and others something else, ¹⁶³⁰  and when the commanding officer ¹⁶³¹  was unable ¹⁶³²  to find out the truth ¹⁶³³  because of the disturbance, ¹⁶³⁴  he ordered Paul ¹⁶³⁵  to be brought into the barracks. ¹⁶³⁶  21:35 When he came to the steps, Paul ¹⁶³⁷  had to be carried ¹⁶³⁸  by the soldiers because of the violence ¹⁶³⁹  of the mob, 21:36 for a crowd of people ¹⁶⁴⁰  followed them, ¹⁶⁴¹  screaming, “Away with him!” 21:37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, ¹⁶⁴²  he said ¹⁶⁴³  to the commanding officer, ¹⁶⁴⁴  “May I say ¹⁶⁴⁵  something to you?” The officer ¹⁶⁴⁶  replied, ¹⁶⁴⁷  “Do you know Greek? ¹⁶⁴⁸  21:38 Then you’re not that Egyptian who started a rebellion ¹⁶⁴⁹  and led the four thousand men of the ‘Assassins’ ¹⁶⁵⁰  into the wilderness ¹⁶⁵¹  some time ago?” ¹⁶⁵²  21:39 Paul answered, ¹⁶⁵³  “I am a Jew ¹⁶⁵⁴  from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. ¹⁶⁵⁵  Please ¹⁶⁵⁶  allow me to speak to the people.” 21:40 When the commanding officer ¹⁶⁵⁷  had given him permission, ¹⁶⁵⁸  Paul stood ¹⁶⁵⁹  on the steps and gestured ¹⁶⁶⁰  to the people with his hand. When they had become silent, ¹⁶⁶¹  he addressed ¹⁶⁶²  them in Aramaic, ¹⁶⁶³ 

Paul’s Defense

22:1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense ¹⁶⁶⁴  that I now ¹⁶⁶⁵  make to you.” 22:2 (When they heard ¹⁶⁶⁶  that he was addressing ¹⁶⁶⁷  them in Aramaic, ¹⁶⁶⁸  they became even ¹⁶⁶⁹  quieter.) ¹⁶⁷⁰  Then ¹⁶⁷¹  Paul said, 22:3 “I am a Jew, ¹⁶⁷²  born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up ¹⁶⁷³  in this city, educated with strictness ¹⁶⁷⁴  under ¹⁶⁷⁵  Gamaliel ¹⁶⁷⁶  according to the law of our ancestors, ¹⁶⁷⁷  and was ¹⁶⁷⁸  zealous ¹⁶⁷⁹  for God just as all of you are today. 22:4 I ¹⁶⁸⁰  persecuted this Way ¹⁶⁸¹  even to the point of death, ¹⁶⁸²  tying up ¹⁶⁸³  both men and women and putting ¹⁶⁸⁴  them in prison, 22:5 as both the high priest and the whole council of elders ¹⁶⁸⁵  can testify about me. From them ¹⁶⁸⁶  I also received ¹⁶⁸⁷  letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way ¹⁶⁸⁸  to make arrests there and bring ¹⁶⁸⁹  the prisoners ¹⁶⁹⁰  to Jerusalem ¹⁶⁹¹  to be punished. 22:6 As ¹⁶⁹²  I was en route and near Damascus, ¹⁶⁹³  about noon a very bright ¹⁶⁹⁴  light from heaven ¹⁶⁹⁵  suddenly flashed ¹⁶⁹⁶  around me. 22:7 Then I ¹⁶⁹⁷  fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’ 22:8 I answered, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ He said to me, ‘I am Jesus the Nazarene, whom you are persecuting.’ 22:9 Those who were with me saw the light, but did not understand ¹⁶⁹⁸  the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 22:10 So I asked, ¹⁶⁹⁹  ‘What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up ¹⁷⁰⁰  and go to Damascus; there you will be told about everything ¹⁷⁰¹  that you have been designated ¹⁷⁰²  to do.’ 22:11 Since I could not see because of ¹⁷⁰³  the brilliance ¹⁷⁰⁴  of that light, I came to Damascus led by the hand of ¹⁷⁰⁵  those who were with me. 22:12 A man named Ananias, ¹⁷⁰⁶  a devout man according to the law, ¹⁷⁰⁷  well spoken of by all the Jews who live there, ¹⁷⁰⁸  22:13 came ¹⁷⁰⁹  to me and stood beside me ¹⁷¹⁰  and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ ¹⁷¹¹  And at that very moment ¹⁷¹²  I looked up and saw him. ¹⁷¹³  22:14 Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors ¹⁷¹⁴  has already chosen ¹⁷¹⁵  you to know his will, to see ¹⁷¹⁶  the Righteous One, ¹⁷¹⁷  and to hear a command ¹⁷¹⁸  from his mouth, 22:15 because you will be his witness ¹⁷¹⁹  to all people ¹⁷²⁰  of what you have seen and heard. 22:16 And now what are you waiting for? ¹⁷²¹  Get up, ¹⁷²²  be baptized, and have your sins washed away, ¹⁷²³  calling on his name.’ ¹⁷²⁴  22:17 When ¹⁷²⁵  I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance ¹⁷²⁶  22:18 and saw the Lord ¹⁷²⁷  saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 22:19 I replied, ¹⁷²⁸  ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those in the various synagogues ¹⁷²⁹  who believed in you. 22:20 And when the blood of your witness ¹⁷³⁰  Stephen was shed, ¹⁷³¹  I myself was standing nearby, approving, ¹⁷³²  and guarding the cloaks ¹⁷³³  of those who were killing him.’ ¹⁷³⁴  22:21 Then ¹⁷³⁵  he said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

The Roman Commander Questions Paul

22:22 The crowd ¹⁷³⁶  was listening to him until he said this. ¹⁷³⁷  Then ¹⁷³⁸  they raised their voices and shouted, ¹⁷³⁹  “Away with this man ¹⁷⁴⁰  from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live!” ¹⁷⁴¹  22:23 While they were screaming ¹⁷⁴²  and throwing off their cloaks ¹⁷⁴³  and tossing dust ¹⁷⁴⁴  in the air, 22:24 the commanding officer ¹⁷⁴⁵  ordered Paul ¹⁷⁴⁶  to be brought back into the barracks. ¹⁷⁴⁷  He told them ¹⁷⁴⁸  to interrogate Paul ¹⁷⁴⁹  by beating him with a lash ¹⁷⁵⁰  so that he could find out the reason the crowd ¹⁷⁵¹  was shouting at Paul ¹⁷⁵²  in this way. 22:25 When they had stretched him out for the lash, ¹⁷⁵³  Paul said to the centurion ¹⁷⁵⁴  standing nearby, “Is it legal for you to lash a man who is a Roman citizen ¹⁷⁵⁵  without a proper trial?” ¹⁷⁵⁶  22:26 When the centurion ¹⁷⁵⁷  heard this, ¹⁷⁵⁸  he went to the commanding officer ¹⁷⁵⁹  and reported it, ¹⁷⁶⁰  saying, “What are you about to do? ¹⁷⁶¹  For this man is a Roman citizen.” ¹⁷⁶²  22:27 So the commanding officer ¹⁷⁶³  came and asked ¹⁷⁶⁴  Paul, ¹⁷⁶⁵  “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” ¹⁷⁶⁶  He replied, ¹⁷⁶⁷  “Yes.” 22:28 The commanding officer ¹⁷⁶⁸  answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” ¹⁷⁶⁹  “But I was even ¹⁷⁷⁰  born a citizen,” ¹⁷⁷¹  Paul replied. ¹⁷⁷²  22:29 Then those who were about to interrogate him stayed away ¹⁷⁷³  from him, and the commanding officer ¹⁷⁷⁴  was frightened when he realized that Paul ¹⁷⁷⁵  was ¹⁷⁷⁶  a Roman citizen ¹⁷⁷⁷  and that he had had him tied up. ¹⁷⁷⁸ 

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

22:30 The next day, because the commanding officer ¹⁷⁷⁹  wanted to know the true reason ¹⁷⁸⁰  Paul ¹⁷⁸¹  was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council ¹⁷⁸²  to assemble. He then brought ¹⁷⁸³  Paul down and had him stand before them.

23:1 Paul looked directly ¹⁷⁸⁴  at the council ¹⁷⁸⁵  and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience ¹⁷⁸⁶  before God to this day.” 23:2 At that ¹⁷⁸⁷  the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near ¹⁷⁸⁸  Paul ¹⁷⁸⁹  to strike ¹⁷⁹⁰  him on the mouth. 23:3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! ¹⁷⁹¹  Do ¹⁷⁹²  you sit there judging me according to the law, ¹⁷⁹³  and in violation of the law ¹⁷⁹⁴  you order me to be struck?” 23:4 Those standing near him ¹⁷⁹⁵  said, “Do you dare insult ¹⁷⁹⁶  God’s high priest?” 23:5 Paul replied, ¹⁷⁹⁷  “I did not realize, ¹⁷⁹⁸  brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.’” ¹⁷⁹⁹ 

23:6 Then when Paul noticed ¹⁸⁰⁰  that part of them were Sadducees ¹⁸⁰¹  and the others Pharisees, ¹⁸⁰²  he shouted out in the council, ¹⁸⁰³  “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection ¹⁸⁰⁴  of the dead!” 23:7 When he said this, ¹⁸⁰⁵  an argument ¹⁸⁰⁶  began ¹⁸⁰⁷  between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided. 23:8 (For the Sadducees say there is no resurrection, or angel, or spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.) ¹⁸⁰⁸  23:9 There was a great commotion, ¹⁸⁰⁹  and some experts in the law ¹⁸¹⁰  from the party of the Pharisees stood up ¹⁸¹¹  and protested strongly, ¹⁸¹²  “We find nothing wrong ¹⁸¹³  with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 23:10 When the argument became ¹⁸¹⁴  so great the commanding officer ¹⁸¹⁵  feared that they would tear Paul to pieces, ¹⁸¹⁶  he ordered the detachment ¹⁸¹⁷  to go down, take him away from them by force, ¹⁸¹⁸  and bring him into the barracks. ¹⁸¹⁹ 

23:11 The following night the Lord ¹⁸²⁰  stood near ¹⁸²¹  Paul ¹⁸²²  and said, “Have courage, ¹⁸²³  for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, ¹⁸²⁴  so you must also testify in Rome.” ¹⁸²⁵ 

[9:1]  ¹ tn Or “Saul, making dire threats.”

[9:1]  ² tn The expression “breathing out threats and murder” is an idiomatic expression for “making threats to murder” (see L&N 33.293). Although the two terms “threats” and “murder” are syntactically coordinate, the second is semantically subordinate to the first. In other words, the content of the threats is to murder the disciples.

[9:2]  ³ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[9:2]  ⁴ sn The expression “the way” in ancient religious literature refers at times to “the whole way of life fr. a moral and spiritual viewpoint” (BDAG 692 s.v. ὁδός 3.c), and it has been so used of Christianity and its teachings in the book of Acts (see also 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). It is a variation of Judaism’s idea of two ways, the true and the false, where “the Way” is the true one (1 En. 91:18; 2 En. 30:15).

[9:2]  ⁵ tn Grk “bring them bound”; the translation “bring someone as prisoner” for δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά (dedemenon agein tina) is given by BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b.

[9:2]  ⁶ sn From Damascus to Jerusalem was a six-day journey. Christianity had now expanded into Syria.

[9:2]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[9:3]  ⁷ tn Grk “As he was going along, it happened that when he was approaching.” The phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[9:3]  ⁸ tn Or “shone” (BDAG 799 s.v. περιαστράπτω). The light was more brilliant than the sun according to Acts 26:13.

[9:4]  ⁹ tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[9:4]  ¹⁰ tn The double vocative suggests emotion.

[9:4]  ¹¹ sn Persecuting me. To persecute the church is to persecute Jesus.

[9:6]  ¹² tn Or “But arise.”

[9:6]  ¹³ tn Literally a passive construction, “it will be told to you.” This has been converted to another form of passive construction in the translation.

[9:7]  ¹⁴ tn The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which is used only rarely in a generic sense of both men and women. In the historical setting here, Paul’s traveling companions were almost certainly all males.

[9:7]  ¹⁵ tn That is, unable to speak because of fear or amazement. See BDAG 335 s.v. ἐνεός.

[9:7]  ¹⁶ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Acts 22:9 appears to indicate that they saw the light but did not hear a voice. They were “witnesses” that something happened.

[9:8]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “his eyes being open,” a genitive absolute construction that has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[9:8]  ¹⁸ sn He could see nothing. This sign of blindness, which was temporary until v. 18, is like the sign of deafness experienced by Zechariah in Luke 1. It allowed some time for Saul (Paul) to reflect on what had happened without distractions.

[9:8]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Saul’s companions) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:9]  ²⁰ tn Grk “And for.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[9:9]  ²¹ tn The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader. The fasting might indicate an initial realization of Luke 5:33-39. Fasting was usually accompanied by reflective thought.

[9:10]  ²² tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[9:10]  ²³ sn The Lord is directing all the events leading to the expansion of the gospel as he works on both sides of the meeting between Paul and Ananias. “The Lord” here refers to Jesus (see v. 17).

[9:10]  ²⁴ tn Grk “behold, I,” but this construction often means “here is/there is” (cf. BDAG 468 s.v. ἰδού 2).

[9:11]  ²⁵ sn The noting of the detail of the locale, ironically called ‘Straight’ Street, shows how directive and specific the Lord was.

[9:12]  ²⁶ tc ‡ The words ἐν ὀράματι (en oramati, “in a vision”) are not found in some of the earliest and best mss (Ì⁷⁴ א A 81 pc lat sa bo), but are implied from the context. The phrase is included, although sometimes in a different order with ἄνδρα (andra, “man”) or omitting ἄνδρα altogether, by B C E Ψ 33 1175 1739 Ï. The order of words in NA²⁷, ἄνδρα ἐν ὁράματι, is supported only by B C 1175. Generally speaking, when there are three or more variants, with one an omission and the others involving rearrangements, the longer readings are later scribal additions. Further, the reading looks like a clarifying note, for an earlier vision is explicitly mentioned in v. 10. On the other hand, it is possible that some scribes deleted the words because of perceived repetition, though this is unlikely since it is a different vision two verses back. It is also possible that some scribes could have confused ὁράματι with ὀνόματι (onomati, “name”); TCGNT 319 notes that several mss place ονόματι before ᾿Ανανίαν (Ananian, “Ananias”) while a few others drop ὀνόματι altogether. The Sahidic mss are among those that drop the word, however, and they also lack ἐν ὁράματι; all that is left is one version and father that drops ὀνόματι. Perhaps the best argument for the authenticity of the phrase is that B C 1175 preserve a rare, distinctively Lukan word order, but this is not nearly as harsh or unusual as what Luke does elsewhere. A decision is difficult in this case, but on balance the omission of the phrase seems to be authentic. The words are nevertheless added in the translation because of contextual considerations. NA²⁷ places the words in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity.

[9:12]  sn Apparently while in Damascus Paul had a subsequent vision in the midst of his blindness, fulfilling the prediction in 9:6.

[9:13]  ²⁷ sn Ananias replied. Past events might have suggested to Ananias that this was not good counsel, but like Peter in Acts 10, Ananias’ intuitions were wrong.

[9:13]  ²⁸ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[9:14]  ²⁹ tn Grk “to bind.”

[9:14]  ³⁰ sn The expression “those who call on your name” is a frequent description of believers (Acts 2:21; 1 Cor 1:2; Rom 10:13).

[9:15]  ³¹ tn Or “tool.”

[9:15]  ³² tn Grk “the sons of Israel.” In Acts, Paul is a minister to all nations, including Israel (Rom 1:16-17).

[9:16]  ³³ tn Or “because of my name.” BDAG 1031 s.v. ὑπέρ 2 lists Acts 9:16 as an example of ὑπέρ (Juper) used to indicate “the moving cause or reason, because of, for the sake of, for.”

[9:17]  ³⁴ tn Grk “and placing his hands on Saul, he said.” The participle ἐπιθείς (epiqei") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. For the same reason καί (kai) has not been translated before the participle.

[9:17]  ³⁵ tn Grk “on him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:17]  ³⁶ tn Grk “on the road in which you came,” but the relative clause makes for awkward English style, so it was translated as a temporal clause (“as you came here”).

[9:17]  ³⁷ sn Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Here someone who is not an apostle (Ananias) commissions another person with the Spirit.

[9:18]  ³⁸ tn Grk “And immediately.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[9:18]  ³⁹ tn The comparison to “scales” suggests a crusty covering which peeled away (cf. BDAG 592 s.v. λεπίς 2).

[9:18]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence was started, with “and” placed before the final element of the previous clause as required by English style.

[9:19]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “It happened that for several days.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[9:20]  ⁴² sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[9:20]  ⁴³ tn The ὅτι (Joti) is understood to introduce direct (“This man is the Son of God”) rather than indirect discourse (“that this man is the Son of God”) because the pronoun οὗτος (Jouto") combined with the present tense verb ἐστιν (estin) suggests the contents of what was proclaimed are a direct (albeit summarized) quotation.

[9:20]  sn This is the only use of the title Son of God in Acts. The book prefers to allow a variety of descriptions to present Jesus.

[9:21]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “And all.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[9:21]  ⁴⁵ tn The Greek interrogative particle used in this verse (οὐχ, ouc) expects a positive reply. They all knew about Saul’s persecutions.

[9:21]  ⁴⁶ tn Normally, “destroying,” but compare 4 Macc 4:23; 11:4 and MM 529 s.v. πορθέω for examples from Koine papyri. See also BDAG 853 s.v. πορθέω.

[9:21]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “bring them bound”; the translation “bring someone as prisoner” for δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά (dedemenon agein tina) is given by BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b.

[9:22]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “was becoming stronger,” but this could be understood in a physical sense, while the text refers to Saul’s growing ability to demonstrate to fellow Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. The translation “to become capable” for ἐνδυναμόω (endunamow) is given in L&N 74.7, with this specific verse as an example.

[9:22]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “was confounding.” For the translation “to cause consternation” for συγχέω (suncew) see L&N 25.221.

[9:22]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “by showing for certain.”

[9:22]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “that this one”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:22]  ⁵² tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” Note again the variation in the titles used.

[9:22]  sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.

[9:23]  ⁵³ sn Fitting the pattern emphasized earlier with Stephen and his speech in Acts 7, some Jews plotted to kill God’s messenger (cf. Luke 11:53-54).

[9:24]  ⁵⁴ tn The words “against him” are implied, as suggested by L&N 30.71.

[9:24]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “guarding.” This is a negative term in Luke-Acts (Luke 6:7; 14:1; 20:20).

[9:24]  ⁵⁶ tn The word πύλη (pulh) may refer to a house door or gate, or to the large gates used in a palace, temple, or city wall. Here the context clearly indicates a reference to the latter, so the translation “city gates” is used.

[9:25]  ⁵⁷ tn The opening in the wall is not specifically mentioned here, but the parallel account in 2 Cor 11:33 mentions a “window” or “opening” (θυρίς, quris) in the city wall through which Paul was lowered. One alternative to introducing mention of the opening is to translate Acts 9:25 “they let him down over the wall,” as suggested in L&N 7.61. This option is not employed by many translations, however, because for the English reader it creates an (apparent) contradiction between Acts 9:25 and 2 Cor 11:33. In reality the account here is simply more general, omitting the detail about the window.

[9:25]  ⁵⁸ tn On the term for “basket” used here, see BDAG 940 s.v. σπυρίς.

[9:26]  ⁵⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[9:26]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “join.”

[9:26]  ⁶¹ tn The participle πιστεύοντες (pisteuonte") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[9:27]  ⁶² tn Grk “taking Saul, brought him.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενος (epilabomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[9:27]  ⁶³ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:27]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “and brought,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[9:27]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “and that,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[9:27]  ⁶⁶ tn On this verb which is used 7 times in Acts, see BDAG 782 s.v. παρρησιάζομαι 1. See also v. 28.

[9:28]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “he was with them going in and going out in Jerusalem.” The expression “going in and going out” is probably best taken as an idiom for association without hindrance. Some modern translations (NASB, NIV) translate the phrase “moving about freely in Jerusalem,” although the NRSV retains the literal “he went in and out among them in Jerusalem.”

[9:29]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “arguing.” BDAG 954 s.v. συζητέω 2 gives “dispute, debate, argue…τινί ‘w. someone’” for συνεζήτει (sunezhtei).

[9:29]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “the Hellenists,” but this descriptive term is largely unknown to the modern English reader. The translation “Greek-speaking Jews” attempts to convey something of who these were, but it was more than a matter of language spoken; it involved a degree of adoption of Greek culture as well.

[9:30]  ⁷⁰ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine, south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.

[9:30]  map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[9:31]  ⁷¹ tn Or “Therefore.” This verse is another summary text in Acts (cf. 2:41-47; 4:32-37; 5:12-16; 6:7).

[9:31]  ⁷² tn Grk “and Galilee,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[9:31]  ⁷³ tn Grk “had.”

[9:31]  ⁷⁴ tn Or “Built up.” The participle οἰκοδομουμένη (oikodomoumenh) has been translated as a participle of result related to εἶχεν (eicen). It could also be understood as adverbial to ἐπληθύνετο (eplhquneto): “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced peace. Strengthened and living in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.” Although some scholars do not regard the participle of result as a legitimate category, it is actually fairly common (see ExSyn 637-39).

[9:31]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “And living.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[9:31]  ⁷⁶ tn Grk “it”; the referent (the church) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:32]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “Now it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[9:32]  ⁷⁸ tn Grk “As Peter was going through all [the places],” which is somewhat awkward in English. The meaning is best expressed by a phrase like “going around from place to place” or “traveling around from place to place.”

[9:32]  ⁷⁹ sn Lydda was a city northwest of Jerusalem on the way to Joppa. It was about 10.5 miles (17 km) southeast of Joppa.

[9:33]  ⁸⁰ tn Since the participle κατακείμενον (katakeimenon), an adjectival participle modifying Αἰνέαν (Ainean), has been translated into English as a relative clause (“who had been confined to a mattress”), it would be awkward to follow with a second relative clause (Grk “who was paralyzed”). Furthermore, the relative pronoun here has virtually a causal force, giving the reason for confinement to the mattress, so it is best translated “because.”

[9:34]  ⁸¹ tn Grk “And Peter.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[9:34]  ⁸² tc ‡ Several variants occur at this juncture. Some of the earliest and best witnesses (Ì⁷⁴ א B* C Ψ 33^vid Did^pt) read “Jesus Christ” (᾿Ιησοῦς Χριστός, Ihsou" Cristo"); others ([A] 36 1175 it) have “the Lord Jesus Christ” (ὁ κύριος ᾿Ιησοῦς Χριστός, Jo kurio" Ihsou" Cristo"); a few read simply ὁ Χριστός (614 1241 1505); the majority of mss (B² E 1739 Ï Did^pt) have “Jesus the Christ” ( ᾿Ιησοῦς ὁ Χριστός). Although the pedigree of this last reading is relatively weak, it draws strength from the fact that (a) the other readings are much more natural and thus more predictable, and (b) there are several variants for this text. It seems hardly likely that scribes would intentionally change a more common expression into a title that is used nowhere else in the NT (although 1 John 2:22; 5:1 come close with “Jesus is the Christ”), nor would they unintentionally change a frequently used designation into an unusual one. Thus, in spite of the external evidence (which is nevertheless sufficient to argue for authenticity), ᾿Ιησοῦς ὁ Χριστός is the reading that best explains the rise of the others.

[9:34]  tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[9:34]  ⁸³ tn The translation “make your own bed” for στρῶσον σεαυτῷ (strwson seautw) is given by BDAG 949 s.v. στρωννύω 1. Naturally this involves some adaptation, since a pallet or mat would not be ‘made up’ in the sense that a modern bed would be. The idea may be closer to “straighten” or “rearrange,” and the NIV’s “take care of your mat” attempts to reflect this, although this too probably conveys a slightly different idea to the modern English reader.

[9:35]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “And all.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[9:35]  ⁸⁵ sn Lydda was a city northwest of Jerusalem on the way to Joppa.

[9:35]  ⁸⁶ sn Sharon refers to the plain of Sharon, a region along the coast of Palestine.

[9:35]  ⁸⁷ tn Repetition of the pronoun “they” as subject of ἐπέστρεψαν (epestreyan) is not strictly necessary in English, but emphasizes slightly the resultative nature of the final clause: They turned to the Lord as a result of seeing Aeneas after he was healed.

[9:35]  ⁸⁸ sn They turned. To “turn” is a good summary term for the response to the gospel.

[9:36]  ⁸⁹ sn Joppa was a seaport on the Philistine coast, in the same location as modern Jaffa. “Though Joppa never became a major seaport, it was of some importance as a logistical base and an outlet to the Mediterranean” (A. F. Rainey, ISBE 2:1118-19).

[9:36]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “which being translated is called.” In English this would normally be expressed “which is translated as” or “which in translation means.” The second option is given by L&N 33.145.

[9:36]  ⁹¹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Dorcas is the Greek translation of the Aramaic name Tabitha. Dorcas in Greek means “gazelle” or “deer.”

[9:36]  ⁹² tn Or “and helping the poor.” Grk “She was full of good deeds and acts of charity which she was continually doing.” Since it is somewhat redundant in English to say “she was full of good deeds…which she was continually doing,” the translation has been simplified to “she was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity.” The imperfect verb ἐποίει (epoiei) has been translated as a progressive imperfect (“was continually doing”).

[9:37]  ⁹³ tn Grk “It happened that in those days.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[9:37]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “becoming sick, she died.” The participle ἀσθενήσασαν (asqenhsasan) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[9:37]  ⁹⁵ tn The participle λούσαντες (lousante") is taken temporally.

[9:37]  ⁹⁶ tn Grk “washed her,” but the reference is to her corpse.

[9:38]  ⁹⁷ sn Lydda was a city northwest of Jerusalem on the way to Joppa.

[9:38]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “Do not delay to come to us.” It is somewhat smoother to say in English, “Come to us without delay.”

[9:39]  ⁹⁹ tn Grk “who.” The relative clause makes for awkward English style here, so the following clause was made coordinate with the conjunction “and” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun.

[9:39]  ¹⁰⁰ tn The participle παραγενόμενον (paragenomenon) is taken temporally.

[9:39]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “and all.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[9:39]  ¹⁰² tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[9:39]  ¹⁰³ tn Or “shirts” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, citwn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a ‘tunic’ was any more than they would be familiar with a ‘chiton.’ On the other hand attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.

[9:39]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “and garments,” referring here to other types of clothing besides the tunics just mentioned.

[9:39]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The verb ἐποίει (epoiei) has been translated as a customary imperfect.

[9:40]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “Peter, sending them all outside, knelt down.” The participle ἐκβαλών (ekbalwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[9:40]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “and kneeling down,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more. Instead the “and” is placed before the verb προσηύξατο (proshuxato, “and prayed”). The participle θείς (qeis) is taken as a participle of attendant circumstance.

[9:40]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Grk “and turning.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[9:40]  ¹⁰⁹ sn She sat up. This event is told much like Luke 8:49-56 and Mark 5:35-43. Peter’s ministry mirrored that of Jesus.

[9:41]  ¹¹⁰ tn Grk “Giving her his hand, he helped her.” The participle δούς (dous) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[9:41]  ¹¹¹ tn Grk “Then calling the saints…he presented her.” The participle φωνήσας (fwnhsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style; it could also be taken temporally (“After he called”).

[9:42]  ¹¹² tn Or “known all over.” BDAG 511 s.v. κατά A.1.c. has “became known throughout all Joppa” for γνωστὸν γενέσθαι καθ᾿ ὅλης ᾿Ιόππης (gnwston genesqai kaq’ {olh" Iopph").

[9:42]  ¹¹³ sn This became known…many believed in the Lord. This is a “sign” miracle that pictures how the Lord can give life.

[9:43]  ¹¹⁴ tn Grk “So it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[9:43]  ¹¹⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:43]  ¹¹⁶ tn Grk “with a certain Simon.”

[9:43]  ¹¹⁷ tn Or “with a certain Simon Berseus.” Although most modern English translations treat βυρσεῖ (bursei) as Simon’s profession (“Simon the tanner”), it is possible that the word is actually Simon’s surname (“Simon Berseus” or “Simon Tanner”). BDAG 185 s.v. βυρσεύς regards it as a surname. See also MM 118.

[10:1]  ¹¹⁸ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). It was known as “Caesarea by the sea” (BDAG 499 s.v. Καισάρεια 2). Largely Gentile, it was a center of Roman administration and the location of many of Herod the Great’s building projects (Josephus, Ant. 15.9.6 [15.331-341]).

[10:1]  map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:1]  ¹¹⁹ sn A centurion was a noncommissioned officer in the Roman army or one of the auxiliary territorial armies, commanding a centuria of (nominally) 100 men. The responsibilities of centurions were broadly similar to modern junior officers, but there was a wide gap in social status between them and officers, and relatively few were promoted beyond the rank of senior centurion. The Roman troops stationed in Judea were auxiliaries, who would normally be rewarded with Roman citizenship after 25 years of service. Some of the centurions may have served originally in the Roman legions (regular army) and thus gained their citizenship at enlistment. Others may have inherited it, like Paul.

[10:1]  ¹²⁰ sn A cohort was a Roman military unit of about 600 soldiers, one-tenth of a legion (BDAG 936 s.v. σπεῖρα). The Italian Cohort has been identified as cohors II Italica which is known to have been stationed in Syria in a.d. 88.

[10:2]  ¹²¹ tn In the Greek text this represents a continuation of the previous sentence. Because of the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.

[10:2]  ¹²² sn The description of Cornelius as a devout, God-fearing man probably means that he belonged to the category called “God-fearers,” Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 43-44, and Sir 11:17; 27:11; 39:27.

[10:2]  ¹²³ tn Or “gave many gifts to the poor.” This was known as “giving alms,” or acts of mercy (Sir 7:10; BDAG 315-16 s.v. ἐλεημοσύνη).

[10:3]  ¹²⁴ tn Grk “at about the ninth hour of the day.” This would be the time for afternoon prayer.

[10:3]  ¹²⁵ tn Or “the angel of God.” Linguistically, “angel of God” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of God” or “the angel of God” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.

[10:3]  ¹²⁶ tn The participles εἰσελθόντα (eiselqonta) and εἰπόντα (eiponta) are accusative, and thus best taken as adjectival participles modifying ἄγγελον (angelon): “an angel who came in and said.”

[10:4]  ¹²⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Cornelius) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:4]  ¹²⁸ tn Grk “said,” but in response to the angel’s address, “replied” is better English style.

[10:4]  ¹²⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:4]  ¹³⁰ tn Or “your gifts to the needy.”

[10:4]  ¹³¹ sn The language used in the expression gone up as a memorial before God parallels what one would say of acceptable sacrifices (Ps 141:2; Sir 35:6; 50:16).

[10:5]  ¹³² tn Grk “And now.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:5]  ¹³³ sn Joppa was a seaport on the Philistine coast, in the same location as modern Jaffa.

[10:5]  ¹³⁴ tn Grk “a certain Simon.”

[10:6]  ¹³⁵ tn Or “with a certain Simon Berseus.” Although most modern English translations treat βυρσεῖ (bursei) as Simon’s profession (“Simon the tanner”), it is possible that the word is actually Simon’s surname (“Simon Berseus” or “Simon Tanner”). BDAG 185 s.v. βυρσεύς regards it as a surname. See also MM 118.

[10:7]  ¹³⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Cornelius) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:7]  ¹³⁷ tn Or “domestic servants.” The Greek word here is οἰκέτης (oiketh"), which technically refers to a member of the household, but usually means a household servant (slave) or personal servant rather than a field laborer.

[10:7]  ¹³⁸ tn The meaning of the genitive participle προσκαρτερούντων (proskarterountwn) could either be “a soldier from the ranks of those who served him” (referring to his entire command) or “a soldier from among his personal staff” (referring to a group of soldiers who were his personal attendants). The translation “from among those who served him” is general enough to cover either possibility.

[10:9]  ¹³⁹ tn Grk “about the sixth hour.”

[10:9]  ¹⁴⁰ tn The participles ὁδοιπορούντων (Jodoiporountwn, “while they were on their way”) and ἐγγιζόντων (engizontwn, “approaching”) have been translated as temporal participles.

[10:9]  ¹⁴¹ sn Went up on the roof. Most of the roofs in the NT were flat roofs made of pounded dirt, sometimes mixed with lime or stones, supported by heavy wooden beams. They generally had an easy means of access, either a sturdy wooden ladder or stone stairway, sometimes on the outside of the house.

[10:10]  ¹⁴² tn The traditional translation, “he fell into a trance,” is somewhat idiomatic; it is based on the textual variant ἐπέπεσεν (epepesen, “he fell”) found in the Byzantine text but almost certainly not original.

[10:11]  ¹⁴³ tn Grk “And he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[10:11]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Or “the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[10:11]  ¹⁴⁵ tn On the heavens “opening,” see Matt 3:16; Luke 3:21; Rev 19:11 (cf. BDAG 84 s.v. ἀνοίγω 2). This is the language of a vision or a revelatory act of God.

[10:11]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Or “a large linen cloth” (the term was used for the sail of a ship; BDAG 693 s.v. ὀθόνη).

[10:11]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Or “coming down.”

[10:11]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Or “to the ground.”

[10:12]  ¹⁴⁹ tn Grk “in which.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “it,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.

[10:12]  ¹⁵⁰ tn Or “snakes.” Grk “creeping things.” According to L&N 4.51, in most biblical contexts the term (due to the influence of Hebrew classifications such as Gen 1:25-26, 30) included small four-footed animals like rats, mice, frogs, toads, salamanders, and lizards. In this context, however, where “creeping things” are contrasted with “four-footed animals,” the English word “reptiles,” which primarily but not exclusively designates snakes, is probably more appropriate. See also Gen 6:20, as well as the law making such creatures unclean food in Lev 11:2-47.

[10:12]  ¹⁵¹ tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).

[10:13]  ¹⁵² tn Grk “And there came.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[10:13]  ¹⁵³ tn Grk “a voice to him”; the word “said” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[10:13]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Or “kill.” Traditionally θῦσον (quson) is translated “kill,” but in the case of animals intended for food, “slaughter” is more appropriate.

[10:14]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Possibly there is a subtle distinction in meaning between κοινός (koinos) and ἀκάθαρτος (akaqarto") here, but according to L&N 53.39 it is difficult to determine precise differences in meaning based on existing contexts.

[10:14]  sn Peter insisted he would not violate the law by eating anything defiled and ritually unclean. These food laws were one of the practices that distinguished Jews from their Gentile neighbors. The practice made table fellowship with Gentiles awkward. For an example of Jewish attitudes to this, see Dan 1:8-16; 1 Macc 1:41-64; Letter of Aristeas 142; Tacitus, History 5.5.

[10:15]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Grk “And the voice.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:15]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Or “declare.”

[10:15]  ¹⁵⁸ sn For the significance of this vision see Mark 7:14-23; Rom 14:14; Eph 2:11-22. God directed this change in practice.

[10:16]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Or “into the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[10:17]  ¹⁶⁰ tn Or “was greatly confused over.” The term means to be perplexed or at a loss (BDAG 235 s.v. διαπορέω).

[10:17]  ¹⁶¹ tn Grk “having learned.” The participle διερωτήσαντες (dierwthsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:17]  ¹⁶² tn BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 1 has “ἐπί τι approach or stand by someth. (Sir 41:24) Ac 10:17.”

[10:17]  sn As Peter puzzled over the meaning of the vision, the messengers from Cornelius approached the gate. God’s direction here had a sense of explanatory timing.

[10:18]  ¹⁶³ tn Grk “and.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun by supplying the pronoun “they” as the subject of the following verb.

[10:18]  ¹⁶⁴ tn Grk “Simon, the one called Peter.” This qualification was necessary because the owner of the house was also named Simon (Acts 9:43).

[10:19]  ¹⁶⁵ tn The translation “think seriously about” for διενθυμέομαι (dienqumeomai) is given in L&N 30.2. Peter was “pondering” the vision (BDAG 244 s.v.).

[10:20]  ¹⁶⁶ tn Grk “But getting up, go down.” The participle ἀναστάς (anastas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:20]  ¹⁶⁷ tn The term means “without doubting” or “without deliberation.” It is a term of conscience and discernment. In effect, Peter is to listen to them rather than hesitate (BDAG 231 s.v. διακρίνω 6).

[10:21]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Grk “Peter going down to the men, said.” The participle καταβάς (katabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:21]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Grk “Behold, it is I whom you seek,” or “Behold, I am the one you seek.” “Here I am” is used to translate ἰδοὺ ἐγώ εἰμι (idou egw eimi).

[10:22]  ¹⁷⁰ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[10:22]  ¹⁷¹ tn Or “just.”

[10:22]  ¹⁷² tn The phrase τοῦ ἔθνους τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων (tou eqnou" twn Ioudaiwn) is virtually a technical term for the Jewish nation (1 Macc 10:25; 11:30, 33; Josephus, Ant. 14.10.22 [14.248]). “All the Jewish people,” while another possible translation of the Greek phrase, does not convey the technical sense of a reference to the nation in English.

[10:22]  sn The long introduction of Cornelius by his messengers is an attempt to commend this Gentile to his Jewish counterpart, which would normally be important to do in the culture of the time.

[10:22]  ¹⁷³ tn Grk “hear words.”

[10:23]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:23]  sn When Peter entertained them as guests, he performed a culturally significant act denoting acceptance.

[10:23]  ¹⁷⁵ tn Or “went forth.”

[10:23]  ¹⁷⁶ sn Some of the brothers from Joppa. As v. 45 makes clear, there were Jewish Christians in this group of witnesses.

[10:24]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Grk “On the next day,” but since this phrase has already occurred in v. 23, it would be redundant in English to use it again here.

[10:24]  ¹⁷⁸ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi).

[10:24]  map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:24]  ¹⁷⁹ tn Normally προσδοκάω (prosdokaw) means “to wait with apprehension or anxiety for something,” often with the implication of impending danger or trouble (L&N 25.228), but in this context the anxiety Cornelius would have felt came from the importance of the forthcoming message as announced by the angel.

[10:25]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Grk “So it happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[10:25]  ¹⁸¹ tn Grk “meeting him.” The participle συναντήσας (sunanthsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:25]  ¹⁸² tn Grk “falling at his feet, worshiped.” The participle πεσών (peswn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:25]  ¹⁸³ sn When Cornelius worshiped Peter, it showed his piety and his respect for Peter, but it was an act based on ignorance, as Peter’s remark in v. 26 indicates.

[10:26]  ¹⁸⁴ tn BDAG 271 s.v. ἐγείρω 3 has “raise, help to rise….Stretched out Ac 10:26.”

[10:26]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Although it is certainly true that Peter was a “man,” here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") has been translated as “mere mortal” because the emphasis in context is not on Peter’s maleness, but his humanity. Contrary to what Cornelius thought, Peter was not a god or an angelic being, but a mere mortal.

[10:27]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:27]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Or “many people assembled.”

[10:28]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Here ὡς (Jws) is used like ὅτι (Joti) to introduce indirect discourse (cf. BDAG 1105 s.v. ὡς 5).

[10:28]  ¹⁸⁹ tn This term is used of wanton or callously lawless acts (BDAG 24 s.v. ἀθέμιτος).

[10:28]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Grk “a Jewish man” (ἀνδρὶ ᾿Ιουδαίῳ, andri Ioudaiw).

[10:28]  ¹⁹¹ tn Grk “a foreigner,” but in this context, “a non-Jew,” that is, a Gentile. This term speaks of intimate association (BDAG 556 s.v. κολλάω 2.b.α). On this Jewish view, see John 18:28, where a visit to a Gentile residence makes a Jewish person unclean.

[10:28]  ¹⁹² tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo").

[10:28]  ¹⁹³ tn Possibly there is a subtle distinction in meaning between κοινός (koinos) and ἀκάθαρτος (akaqartos) here, but according to L&N 53.39 it is difficult to determine precise differences in meaning based on existing contexts.

[10:28]  sn God has shown me…unclean. Peter sees the significance of his vision as not about food, but about open fellowship between Jewish Christians and Gentiles.

[10:29]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Grk “Therefore when I was sent for.” The passive participle μεταπεμφθείς (metapemfqei") has been taken temporally and converted to an active construction which is less awkward in English.

[10:29]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Grk “ask for what reason.”

[10:30]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Grk “And Cornelius.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:30]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Grk “said.”

[10:30]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Grk “at the ninth hour.” Again, this is the hour of afternoon prayer.

[10:30]  ¹⁹⁹ tn Grk “and behold.” The interjection ἰδού (idou) is difficult at times to translate into English. Here it has been translated as “suddenly” to convey the force of Cornelius’ account of the angel’s appearance.

[10:31]  ²⁰⁰ tn Or “your gifts to the needy.”

[10:31]  ²⁰¹ sn This statement is a paraphrase rather than an exact quotation of Acts 10:4.

[10:32]  ²⁰² tn Or “with a certain Simon Berseus.” Although most modern English translations treat βυρσεῖ (bursei) as Simon’s profession (“Simon the tanner”), it is possible that the word is actually Simon’s surname (“Simon Berseus” or “Simon Tanner”). BDAG 185 s.v. βυρσεύς regards it as a surname.

[10:33]  ²⁰³ tn Grk “you have done well by coming.” The idiom καλῶς ποιεῖν (kalw" poiein) is translated “be kind enough to do someth.” by BDAG 505-6 s.v. καλῶς 4.a. The participle παραγενόμενος (paragenomeno") has been translated as an English infinitive due to the nature of the English idiom (“kind enough to” + infinitive).

[10:33]  ²⁰⁴ tn The translation “we are here in the presence of God” for ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ πάρεσμεν (enwpion tou qeou paresmen) is given by BDAG 773 s.v. πάρειμι 1.a.

[10:33]  ²⁰⁵ tn Or “to hear everything.”

[10:33]  ²⁰⁶ tn The words “to say to us” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Cornelius knows Peter is God’s representative, bringing God’s message.

[10:34]  ²⁰⁷ tn Grk “Opening his mouth Peter said” (a Semitic idiom for beginning to speak in a somewhat formal manner). The participle ἀνοίξας (anoixa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:34]  ²⁰⁸ tn Grk “God is not one who is a respecter of persons,” that is, “God is not one to show partiality” (cf. BDAG 887 s.v. προσωπολήμπτης). L&N 88.239 translates this verse “I realize that God does not show favoritism (in dealing with people).” The underlying Hebrew idiom includes the personal element (“respecter of persons”) so the phrase “in dealing with people” is included in the present translation. It fits very well with the following context and serves to emphasize the relational component of God’s lack of partiality. The latter is a major theme in the NT: Rom 2:11; Eph 2:11-22; Col 3:25; Jas 2:1; 1 Pet 1:17. This was the lesson of Peter’s vision.

[10:35]  ²⁰⁹ sn See Luke 24:47.

[10:35]  ²¹⁰ tn Or “shows reverence for him.”

[10:35]  ²¹¹ tn Grk “works righteousness”; the translation “does what is right” for this phrase in this verse is given by L&N 25.85.

[10:35]  sn Note how faith and response are linked here by the phrase and does what is right.

[10:36]  ²¹² tn The subject and verb (“you know”) do not actually occur until the following verse, but have been repeated here because of the requirements of English word order.

[10:36]  ²¹³ tn Grk “the word.”

[10:36]  ²¹⁴ tn Grk “to the sons.”

[10:36]  ²¹⁵ sn Peace is a key OT concept: Isa 52:7; Nah 1:15; also for Luke: Luke 1:79; 2:14; Acts 9:31. See also the similar phrase in Eph 2:17.

[10:36]  ²¹⁶ tn Or “by.”

[10:36]  ²¹⁷ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[10:36]  ²¹⁸ sn He is Lord of all. Though a parenthetical remark, this is the theological key to the speech. Jesus is Lord of all, so the gospel can go to all. The rest of the speech proclaims Jesus’ authority.

[10:37]  ²¹⁹ tn Or “proclaimed.”

[10:38]  ²²⁰ sn The somewhat awkward naming of Jesus as from Nazareth here is actually emphatic. He is the key subject of these key events.

[10:38]  ²²¹ tn Or “how.” The use of ὡς (Jws) as an equivalent to ὅτι (Joti) to introduce indirect or even direct discourse is well documented. BDAG 1105 s.v. ὡς 5 lists Acts 10:28 in this category.

[10:38]  ²²² tn Grk “power, who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[10:38]  ²²³ tn The translation “healing all who were oppressed by the devil” is given in L&N 22.22.

[10:38]  sn All who were oppressed by the devil. Note how healing is tied to the cosmic battle present in creation. Christ’s power overcomes the devil and his forces, which seek to destroy humanity.

[10:38]  ²²⁴ sn See Acts 7:9.

[10:39]  ²²⁵ tn Grk “And we.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:39]  ²²⁶ tn Grk “the land of the Jews,” but this is similar to the phrase used as the name of the province of Judea in 1 Macc 8:3 (see BDAG 1093-94 s.v. χώρα 2.b).

[10:39]  ²²⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:39]  ²²⁸ tn Grk “in Jerusalem, whom they killed.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “him” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[10:39]  ²²⁹ tn Or “by crucifying him” (“hang on a tree” is by the time of the 1st century an idiom for crucifixion). The allusion is to the judgment against Jesus as a rebellious figure, appealing to the language of Deut 21:23. The Jewish leadership has badly “misjudged” Jesus.

[10:40]  ²³⁰ tn The conjunction “but” is not in the Greek text, but the contrast is clearly implied in the context. This is technically asyndeton, or lack of a connective, in Greek.

[10:40]  ²³¹ tn Grk “and granted that he should become visible.” The literal Greek idiom is somewhat awkward in English. L&N 24.22 offers the translation “caused him to be seen” for this verse.

[10:41]  ²³² tn Or “the witnesses God had previously chosen.” See Acts 1:8.

[10:41]  ²³³ sn Ate and drank. See Luke 24:35-49.

[10:42]  ²³⁴ tn Grk “and he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:42]  ²³⁵ tn The verb διαμαρτύρομαι (diamarturomai) can mean “warn,” and such a meaning is highly probable in this context where a reference to the judgment of both the living and the dead is present. The more general meaning “to testify solemnly” does not capture this nuance.

[10:42]  ²³⁶ tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[10:42]  ²³⁷ tn Grk “that this one is the one,” but this is awkward in English and has been simplified to “that he is the one.”

[10:42]  ²³⁸ tn Or “designated.” BDAG 723 s.v. ὁρίζω 2.b has “the one appointed by God as judge” for this phrase.

[10:42]  ²³⁹ sn Jesus has divine authority as judge over the living and the dead: Acts 17:26-31; Rom 14:9; 1 Thess 5:9-10; 1 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5.

[10:43]  ²⁴⁰ tn Or “All the prophets testify about him.” Although modern English translations tend to place “about him” after “testify” (so NIV, NRSV) the phrase “about him” has been left at the beginning of v. 43 for emphatic reasons.

[10:43]  ²⁴¹ sn Forgiveness of sins. See Luke 24:47; also Acts 14:23; 19:4; 9:42; 11:17; 16:31. The gospel is present in the prophetic promise, Rom 1:1-7. The message is in continuity with the ancient hope.

[10:44]  ²⁴² tn Or “came down on.” God now acted to confirm the point of Peter’s speech.

[10:44]  ²⁴³ tn Or “word.”

[10:45]  ²⁴⁴ tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[10:45]  ²⁴⁵ tn Or “The Jewish Christians”; Grk “The believers from the circumcision.”

[10:45]  ²⁴⁶ sn The Jewish Christians who were with Peter were greatly astonished because they thought the promise of the Spirit would be limited only to those of Israel. God’s plan was taking on fresh dimensions even as it was a reflection of what the prophets had promised.

[10:45]  ²⁴⁷ tn Or “because.”

[10:45]  ²⁴⁸ tn That is, the gift consisting of the Holy Spirit. Here τοῦ πνεύματος (tou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the gift consists of the Spirit.

[10:45]  ²⁴⁹ sn The gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out. Compare the account in Acts 2, especially 2:33. Note also Joel 2:17-21 and Acts 11:15-18.

[10:46]  ²⁵⁰ tn Or “extolling,” “magnifying.”

[10:47]  ²⁵¹ tn Grk “just as also we.” The auxiliary verb in English must be supplied. This could be either “have” (NIV, NRSV) or “did” (NASB). “Did” is preferred here because the comparison Peter is making concerns not just the fact of the present possession of the Spirit (“they received the Spirit we now possess”), but the manner in which the Gentiles in Cornelius’ house received the Spirit (“they received the Spirit in the same manner we did [on the day of Pentecost]”).

[10:47]  ²⁵² tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ question, “can he?” The question is rhetorical. Peter was saying these Gentiles should be baptized since God had confirmed they were his.

[10:48]  ²⁵³ tn The Greek construction (passive infinitive with accusative subject) could be translated either “he ordered them to be baptized” or “he ordered that they be baptized,” but the implication in English in either case is that Peter was giving orders to the Gentiles in Cornelius’ house, telling them to get baptized. It is much more likely in the context that Peter was ordering those Jewish Christians who accompanied him to baptize the new Gentile converts. They would doubtless have still had misgivings even after witnessing the outpouring of the Spirit and hearing the tongues. It took Peter’s apostolic authority (“ordered”) to convince them to perform the baptisms.

[10:48]  ²⁵⁴ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” Jesus’ right to judge as the provider of forgiveness is highlighted here.

[11:1]  ²⁵⁵ tn See BDAG 221 s.v. δέχομαι 5 for this translation of ἐδέξαντο (edexanto) here.

[11:1]  ²⁵⁶ tn Here the phrase “word of God” is another way to describe the gospel (note the preceding verb ἐδέξαντο, edexanto, “accepted”). The phrase could also be translated “the word [message] from God.”

[11:2]  ²⁵⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:2]  ²⁵⁸ tn Or “the Jewish Christians”; Grk “those of the circumcision.” Within the larger group of Christians were some whose loyalties ran along ethnic-religious lines.

[11:2]  ²⁵⁹ tn Or “believers disputed with,” “believers criticized” (BDAG 231 s.v. διακρίνω 5.b).

[11:3]  ²⁶⁰ tn Or “You were a guest in the home of” (according to L&N 23.12).

[11:3]  ²⁶¹ tn Or “and ate with.” It was table fellowship and the possibility of eating unclean food that disturbed them.

[11:4]  ²⁶² tn Or “to them in logical sequence,” “to them in order.” BDAG 490 s.v. καθεξῆς has “explain to someone point by point” for this phrase. This is the same term used in Luke 1:3.

[11:5]  ²⁶³ tn This term describes a supernatural vision and reflects a clear distinction from something imagined (BDAG 718 s.v. ὅραμα 1). Peter repeated the story virtually word for word through v. 13. The repetition with this degree of detail shows the event’s importance.

[11:5]  ²⁶⁴ tn Or “coming down.”

[11:5]  ²⁶⁵ tn Or “the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[11:6]  ²⁶⁶ tn Grk “Staring I looked into it.” The participle ἀτενίσας (atenisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[11:6]  ²⁶⁷ tn Or “snakes.” Grk “creeping things.” According to L&N 4.51, in most biblical contexts the term (due to the influence of Hebrew classifications such as Gen 1:25-26, 30) included small four-footed animals like rats, mice, frogs, toads, salamanders, and lizards. In this context, however, where “creeping things” are contrasted with “four-footed animals,” the English word “reptiles,” which primarily but not exclusively designates snakes, is probably more appropriate.

[11:6]  ²⁶⁸ tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).

[11:7]  ²⁶⁹ tn Or “kill.” Traditionally θῦσον (quson) is translated “kill,” but in the case of animals intended for food, “slaughter” is more appropriate.

[11:8]  ²⁷⁰ tn Possibly there is a subtle distinction in meaning between κοινός (koinos) and ἀκάθαρτος (akaqartos) here, but according to L&N 53.39 it is difficult to determine precise differences in meaning based on existing contexts. The sentiment Peter expressed is like Ezek 4:14.

[11:9]  ²⁷¹ tn Or “declare.” The wording matches Acts 10:15.

[11:11]  ²⁷² tn Grk “And behold.”

[11:11]  ²⁷³ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.

[11:11]  map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:11]  ²⁷⁴ tn See BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 1 for this meaning for ἐπέστησαν (epesthsan) here.

[11:11]  ²⁷⁵ tn The word “staying” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[11:12]  ²⁷⁶ sn Six witnesses is three times more than what would normally be required. They could confirm the events were not misrepresented by Peter.

[11:14]  ²⁷⁷ tn Grk “words” (ῥήματα, rJhmata), but in this context the overall message is meant rather than the individual words.

[11:15]  ²⁷⁸ tn Or “came down on.”

[11:15]  ²⁷⁹ tn The words “he did” are not in the Greek text but are implied. They form an ellipsis which must be supplied for the modern English reader. Some modern translations supply “it” rather than “he” because the gender of πνεῦμα (pneuma) in Greek is neuter, but there are sufficient NT contexts that use masculine pronouns to refer to the Spirit to justify the use of a masculine pronoun here in the translation.

[11:15]  ²⁸⁰ sn At the beginning is an allusion to Acts 2 and Pentecost. The beginning is a way to refer to the start of the period of the realization of Jesus’ promise in Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8. Peter was arguing that God gave Gentiles the same benefits he gave the Jews at the start of their mission.

[11:16]  ²⁸¹ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; here and in Luke 22:61, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[11:16]  ²⁸² tn The imperfect verb ἔλεγεν (elegen) is taken as a customary imperfect.

[11:16]  ²⁸³ sn John…Spirit. This remark repeats Acts 1:5.

[11:17]  ²⁸⁴ tc Codex Bezae (D) and {a few other Western witnesses} here lack ὁ θεός (Jo qeo", “God”), perhaps because these scribes considered the Holy Spirit to be the gift of Christ rather than the gift of God; thus leaving the subject implicit would naturally draw the reader back to v. 16 to see the Lord Jesus as the bestower of the Spirit.

[11:17]  ²⁸⁵ sn That is, the same gift of the Holy Spirit.

[11:17]  ²⁸⁶ tn Or “gave us when we believed”; or “gave us after we believed”; or “gave us who believed”; or “gave them when they believed the same gift as he also gave us.” The aorist dative plural participle πιστεύσασιν (pisteusasin) can be understood in several different ways: (1) It could modify ἡμῖν (Jhmin, “us”) or αὐτοῖς (autois, “them”). Proximity (it immediately follows ἡμῖν) would suggest that it belongs with ἡμῖν, so the last option (“gave them when they believed the same gift he also gave us”) is less likely. (2) The participle could be either adverbial or adjectival, modifying ἡμῖν. This decision is primarily a contextual one. The point Peter made is not whether or not the Gentiles believed, since both groups (“us” and “they”) had believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. The point was whether or not the Gentiles received the Spirit when they believed, just as Jewish Christians had received the Spirit on the day of Pentecost when they believed. Translated as an adjectival participle, πιστεύσασιν only affirms the fact of belief, however, and raises somewhat of a theological problem if one realizes, “Would God have given the Gentiles the Spirit if they had not believed?” (In other words, belief in itself is a theological prerequisite for receiving the Spirit. As such, in the case of the Gentiles, it is assumed.) Thus in context it makes more sense to understand the participle πιστεύσασιν as adverbial, related to the time of belief in connection with the giving of the Spirit. (3) The participle πιστεύσασιν as a temporal participle can refer to action antecedent to the action of the main verb ἔδωκεν (edwken) or contemporaneous with it. Logically, at least, the gift of the Spirit followed belief in the case of the original Christians, who had believed before the day of Pentecost. In the case of Cornelius and his household, belief and the reception of the Spirit were virtually simultaneous. One can argue that Peter is “summarizing” the experience of Jewish Christians, and therefore the actions of belief and reception of the Spirit, while historically separate, have been “telescoped” into one (“gave them the same gift as he gave us when we believed”), but to be technically accurate the participle πιστεύσασιν should be translated “gave them the same gift as he also gave us after we believed.” A number of these problems can be avoided, however, by using a translation in English that maintains some of the ambiguity of the Greek original. Thus “if God gave them the same gift as he also gave us after believing” is used, where the phrase “after believing” can refer either to “them” or to “us,” or both.

[11:17]  ²⁸⁷ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[11:17]  ²⁸⁸ tn Or “prevent,” “forbid” (BDAG 580 s.v. κωλύω 1.a). Peter’s point is that he will not stand in the way of God.

[11:18]  ²⁸⁹ tn Grk “these things.”

[11:18]  ²⁹⁰ tn Or “became silent,” but this would create an apparent contradiction with the subsequent action of praising God. The point, in context, is that they ceased objecting to what Peter had done.

[11:18]  ²⁹¹ tn Or “glorified.”

[11:18]  ²⁹² sn Here the summary phrase for responding to the gospel is the repentance that leads to life. Note how the presence of life is tied to the presence of the Spirit (cf. John 4:7-42; 7:37-39).

[11:18]  ²⁹³ sn In the Greek text the phrase even to the Gentiles is in an emphatic position.

[11:19]  ²⁹⁴ sn The phrase over Stephen means in connection with Stephen’s death. See Acts 8:1b-3.

[11:19]  ²⁹⁵ tn Or “finally reached.” The translations “went as far as” and “finally reached” for διῆλθον (dihlqon) in this verse are given in L&N 15.17.

[11:19]  ²⁹⁶ sn Phoenicia was an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine.

[11:19]  ²⁹⁷ tn Grk “and Cyprus,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[11:19]  sn Cyprus was a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[11:19]  ²⁹⁸ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). This was probably the third largest city in the Greco-Roman world (Alexandria in Egypt was the second largest, and Rome the largest) and was the seat of government in Syria. Five miles away was a major temple to Artemis, Apollo, and Astarte, major pagan deities.

[11:19]  map For location see JP1 F2; JP2 F2; JP3 F2; JP4 F2.

[11:19]  ²⁹⁹ tn Grk “word.”

[11:20]  ³⁰⁰ sn Cyprus was a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[11:20]  ³⁰¹ sn Cyrene was a city on the northern African coast west of Egypt.

[11:20]  ³⁰² tn Grk “among them, coming to Antioch began to speak.” The participle ἐλθόντες (elqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[11:20]  ³⁰³ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.

[11:20]  ³⁰⁴ sn The statement that some men from Cyprus and Cyrene…began to speak to the Greeks shows that Peter’s experience of reaching out to the Gentiles was not unique.

[11:21]  ³⁰⁵ tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[11:21]  ³⁰⁶ tn The participle πιστεύσας (pisteusa") is articular and thus cannot be adverbial. It is adjectival, modifying ἀριθμός (ariqmo"), but has been translated into English as a relative clause (“who believed”).

[11:21]  ³⁰⁷ sn Again, the expression turned is a summary term for responding to the gospel.

[11:22]  ³⁰⁸ tn Grk “Word.”

[11:22]  ³⁰⁹ tn Grk “was heard in the ears,” an idiom. L&N 24.67 states that the idiom means “to hear in secret” (which it certainly does in Matt 10:27), but secrecy does not seem to be part of the context here, and there is no particular reason to suggest the report was made in secret.

[11:22]  ³¹⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:22]  ³¹¹ tc ‡ Most mss read the infinitive “to travel” after “Barnabas.” διελθεῖν (dielqein) is found before ἕως (Jews) in D E Ψ 33 Ï and some versional mss. It is lacking in Ì⁷⁴ א A B 81 1739 pc and some versional mss. Although the infinitive with ἕως fits Lukan style, it has the appearance of a scribal clarification. The infinitive has the earmarks of a Western expansion on the text and thus is unlikely to be original. NA²⁷ has the infinitive in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.

[11:22]  ³¹² sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19. Again the Jerusalem church exercised an oversight role.

[11:23]  ³¹³ tn Grk “Antioch, who when.” The relative pronoun was omitted and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[11:23]  ³¹⁴ tn BDAG 883 s.v. προσμένω 1.a.β has “remain true to the Lord” for προσμένειν (prosmenein) in this verse.

[11:23]  sn He…encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord. The call to faithfulness is frequent in Acts (2:40; 14:22; 15:32; 16:39; 20:1-2).

[11:23]  ³¹⁵ tn Grk “with purpose of heart”; BDAG 869 s.v. πρόθεσις 2.a translates this phrase “purpose of heart, i.e. devotion” here.

[11:24]  ³¹⁶ tn Grk “a significant crowd.”

[11:26]  ³¹⁷ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.

[11:26]  ³¹⁸ tn Grk “So it happened that” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[11:26]  ³¹⁹ tn Grk “year they”; the referents (Barnabas and Saul) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:26]  ³²⁰ tn Grk “a significant crowd.”

[11:26]  ³²¹ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.

[11:26]  ³²² sn The term Christians appears only here, in Acts 26:28, and 1 Pet 4:16 in the NT.

[11:27]  ³²³ tn Grk “In these days,” but the dative generally indicates a specific time.

[11:27]  ³²⁴ tn The word “some” is not in the Greek text, but is usually used in English when an unspecified number is mentioned.

[11:27]  ³²⁵ sn Prophets are mentioned only here and in 13:1 and 21:10 in Acts.

[11:27]  ³²⁶ sn Came down from Jerusalem. Antioch in Syria lies due north of Jerusalem. In Western languages it is common to speak of north as “up” and south as “down,” but the NT maintains the Hebrew idiom which speaks of any direction away from Jerusalem as down (since Mount Zion was thought of in terms of altitude).

[11:27]  ³²⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:27]  ³²⁸ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.

[11:27]  map For location see JP1 F2; JP2 F2; JP3 F2; JP4 F2

[11:28]  ³²⁹ tn Grk “getting up, predicted.” The participle ἀναστάς (anasta") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[11:28]  ³³⁰ tn Or “made clear”; Grk “indicated beforehand” (BDAG 920 s.v. σημαίνω 2).

[11:28]  ³³¹ tn Grk “great.”

[11:28]  ³³² sn This famine is one of the firmly fixed dates in Acts. It took place from a.d. 45-48. The events described in chap. 11 of Acts occurred during the early part of that period.

[11:28]  ³³³ tn Or “whole Roman Empire.” While the word οἰκουμένη (oikoumenh) does occasionally refer specifically to the Roman Empire, BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουνένη 2 does not list this passage (only Acts 24:5 and 17:6).

[11:28]  ³³⁴ tn Grk “world, which.” The relative pronoun (“which”) was replaced by the demonstrative pronoun “this” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[11:28]  ³³⁵ sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author. Claudius was the Roman emperor Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, known as Claudius, who ruled from a.d. 41-54.

[11:29]  ³³⁶ tn So BDAG 410 s.v. εὐπορέω.

[11:29]  ³³⁷ tn Or “determined,” “resolved.”

[11:29]  ³³⁸ tn Grk “to send [something] for a ministry,” but today it is common to speak of sending relief for victims of natural disasters.

[11:29]  sn The financial relief reflects the oneness of the church, meeting the needs of another (even racially distinct) community. Jerusalem, having ministered to them, now received ministry back. A later collection from Greece is noted in Rom 15:25-27, but it reflects the same spirit as this gift.

[11:30]  ³³⁹ tn Grk “Judea, which they did.” The relative pronoun was omitted and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[11:30]  ³⁴⁰ tn The words “their financial aid” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[12:1]  ³⁴¹ sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great). His mediocre career is summarized in Josephus, Ant. 18-19. This event took place in a.d. 42 or 43.

[12:1]  ³⁴² tn Or “King Herod had some from the church arrested.”

[12:1]  ³⁴³ tn Or “to cause them injury.”

[12:2]  ³⁴⁴ sn The expression executed with a sword probably refers to a beheading. James was the first known apostolic martyr (Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. 2.9.1-3). On James, not the Lord’s brother, see Luke 5:10; 6:14. This death ended a short period of peace noted in Acts 9:31 after the persecution mentioned in 8:1-3.

[12:3]  ³⁴⁵ tn This could be a reference to the Jewish people (so CEV) or to the Jewish leaders (so NLT). The statement in v. 4 that Herod intended to bring Peter “out to the people” (i.e., for a public trial) may suggest the former is somewhat more likely.

[12:3]  ³⁴⁶ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[12:4]  ³⁴⁷ sn Four squads of soldiers. Each squad was a detachment of four soldiers.

[12:4]  ³⁴⁸ tn Grk “guard him, planning to bring him out.” The Greek construction continues with a participle (βουλόμενος, boulomeno") and an infinitive (ἀναγαγεῖν, anagagein), but this creates an awkward and lengthy sentence in English. Thus a reference to Herod was introduced as subject and the participle translated as a finite verb (“Herod planned”).

[12:4]  ³⁴⁹ tn Or “intended”; Grk “wanted.”

[12:4]  ³⁵⁰ tn Grk “to bring him out to the people,” but in this context a public trial (with certain condemnation as the result) is doubtless what Herod planned. L&N 15.176 translates this phrase “planning to bring him up for a public trial after the Passover.”

[12:5]  ³⁵¹ tn Or “constantly.” This term also appears in Luke 22:14 and Acts 26:7.

[12:5]  ³⁵² tn Grk “but earnest prayer was being made by the church to God for him.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to follow English style, and the somewhat awkward passive “prayer was being made” has been changed to the simpler active verb “were praying.” Luke portrays what follows as an answer to prayer.

[12:6]  ³⁵³ tn Grk “was going to bring him out,” but the upcoming trial is implied. See Acts 12:4.

[12:6]  ³⁵⁴ tn Grk “two chains, and.” Logically it makes better sense to translate this as a temporal clause, although technically it is a coordinate clause in Greek.

[12:6]  ³⁵⁵ tn Or “were guarding.”

[12:7]  ³⁵⁶ tn Grk “And behold.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here. The interjection ἰδού (idou), often difficult to translate into English, expresses the suddenness of the angel’s appearance.

[12:7]  ³⁵⁷ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.

[12:7]  ³⁵⁸ tn Grk “striking the side of Peter, he awoke him saying.” The term refers to a push or a light tap (BDAG 786 s.v. πατάσσω 1.a). The participle πατάξας (pataxa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[12:7]  ³⁵⁹ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:7]  ³⁶⁰ tn Grk “the hands,” but the wrist was considered a part of the hand.

[12:8]  ³⁶¹ tn While ζώννυμι (zwnnumi) sometimes means “to dress,” referring to the fastening of the belt or sash as the final act of getting dressed, in this context it probably does mean “put on your belt” since in the conditions of a prison Peter had probably not changed into a different set of clothes to sleep. More likely he had merely removed his belt or sash, which the angel now told him to replace. The translation “put on your belt” is given by L&N 49.14 for this verse. The archaic English “girdle” for the sash or belt has an entirely different meaning today.

[12:8]  ³⁶² tn Grk “He”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:8]  ³⁶³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:8]  ³⁶⁴ tn Or “outer garment.”

[12:9]  ³⁶⁵ tn Grk “And going out he followed.”

[12:9]  ³⁶⁶ tn Grk “Peter going out followed him.” The participle ἐξελθών (exelqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[12:9]  ³⁶⁷ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[12:9]  ³⁶⁸ tn Grk “what was done through the angel was a reality” (see BDAG 43 s.v. ἀληθής 3).

[12:10]  ³⁶⁹ tn Or perhaps, “guard posts.”

[12:10]  ³⁷⁰ sn The iron gate shows how important security was here. This door was more secure than one made of wood (which would be usual).

[12:10]  ³⁷¹ tn Grk “which.” The relative pronoun (“which”) was replaced by the pronoun “it,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[12:10]  ³⁷² tn The Greek term here, αὐτομάτη (automath), indicates something that happens without visible cause (BDAG 152 s.v. αὐτόματος).

[12:10]  ³⁷³ tn Or “lane,” “alley” (BDAG 907 s.v. ῥύμη).

[12:11]  ³⁷⁴ tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[12:11]  ³⁷⁵ tn Or “delivered.”

[12:11]  ³⁷⁶ sn Here the hand of Herod is a metaphor for Herod’s power or control.

[12:11]  ³⁷⁷ sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).

[12:11]  ³⁷⁸ sn Luke characterizes the opposition here as the Jewish people, including their leadership (see 12:3).

[12:12]  ³⁷⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:12]  ³⁸⁰ tn Grk “John who was also called Mark.”

[12:12]  sn John Mark becomes a key figure in Acts 12:25; 13:5, 13; 15:37-39.

[12:13]  ³⁸¹ tn Or “responded.”

[12:14]  ³⁸² tn Or “informed.”

[12:14]  ³⁸³ tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[12:15]  ³⁸⁴ sn “You’ve lost your mind!” Such a response to the miraculous is not unusual in Luke-Acts. See Luke 24:11; Acts 26:25. The term μαίνομαι (mainomai) can have the idea of being “raving mad” or “totally irrational” (BDAG 610 s.v.). It is a strong expression.

[12:15]  ³⁸⁵ tn Grk “she kept insisting that the situation was thus” (cf. BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.a). Most translations supply a less awkward English phrase like “it was so”; the force of her insistence, however, is that “it was Peter,” which was the point under dispute.

[12:15]  ³⁸⁶ tn The two imperfect tense verbs, διϊσχυρίζετο (diiscurizeto) and ἔλεγον (elegon), are both taken iteratively. The picture is thus virtually a shouting match between Rhoda and the rest of the believers.

[12:15]  ³⁸⁷ sn The assumption made by those inside, “It is his angel,” seems to allude to the idea of an attending angel (cf. Gen 48:16 LXX; Matt 18:10; Test. Jacob 1:10).

[12:16]  ³⁸⁸ tn The words “the door” are not in the Greek text, but are implied (see Acts 12:13).

[12:16]  ³⁸⁹ sn That they were greatly astonished is a common response in Luke-Acts to God’s work (Luke 8:56; Acts 2:7, 12; 8:13; 9:21; 10:45).

[12:17]  ³⁹⁰ tn Or “He gave them a signal.” Grk “Giving them a signal…he related to them.” The participle κατασείσας (kataseisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[12:17]  ³⁹¹ tc ‡ Most mss, including some of the most important ones (B D E Ψ Ï sy), read αὐτοῖς (autoi", “to them”) here, while some excellent and early witnesses (Ì^45vid,74vid א A 33 81 945 1739 pc) lack the pronoun. Although it is possible that the pronoun was deleted because it was seen as superfluous, it is also possible that it was added as a natural expansion on the text, strengthening the connection between Peter and his listeners. Although a decision is difficult, the shorter reading is slightly preferred. NA²⁷ puts the pronoun in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.

[12:17]  ³⁹² tn Or “led.”

[12:17]  ³⁹³ sn He…went to another place. This is Peter’s last appearance in Acts with the exception of the Jerusalem council in Acts 15.

[12:18]  ³⁹⁴ tn BDAG 436 s.v. ἡμέρα 1.a has “day is breaking” for ἡμέρα γίνεται (Jhmera ginetai) in this verse.

[12:18]  ³⁹⁵ tn Grk “no little consternation.” The translation given for τάραχος (taraco") in this verse by BDAG 991 s.v. τάραχος 1 is “mental agitation.” The situation indicated by the Greek word is described in L&N 25.243 as “a state of acute distress and great anxiety, with the additional possible implications of dismay and confusion – ‘great distress, extreme anxiety.’” The English word “consternation” is preferred here because it conveys precisely such a situation of anxiety mixed with fear. The reason for this anxiety is explained in the following verse.

[12:19]  ³⁹⁶ sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).

[12:19]  ³⁹⁷ tn Or “had instigated a search” (Herod would have ordered the search rather than conducting it himself).

[12:19]  ³⁹⁸ tn “Questioned” is used to translate ἀνακρίνας (anakrina") here because a possible translation offered by BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω for this verse is “examined,” which could be understood to mean Herod inspected the guards rather than questioned them. The translation used by the NIV, “cross-examined,” also avoids this possible misunderstanding.

[12:19]  ³⁹⁹ tn The meaning “led away to execution” for ἀπαχθῆναι (apacqhnai) in this verse is given by BDAG 95 s.v. ἀπάγω 2.c. Although an explicit reference to execution is lacking here, it is what would usually occur in such a case (Acts 16:27; 27:42; Code of Justinian 9.4.4). “Led away to torture” is a less likely option (Pliny the Younger, Letters 10, 96, 8).

[12:19]  ⁴⁰⁰ tn Grk “and,” but the sequence of events is better expressed in English by “then.” A new sentence is begun in the translation because of the length of the sentence in Greek, which exceeds normal English sentence length.

[12:19]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Since Herod has been the subject of the preceding material, and the circumstances of his death are the subject of the following verses (20-23), it is best to understand Herod as the subject here. This is especially true since according to Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 [19.343-352], Herod Agrippa I died at Caesarea in a.d. 44, and vv. 20-23 here describe his death. Thus the end of v. 19 provides Luke’s transition to explain how Herod got from Jerusalem to Caesarea where he died. In spite of all this evidence, the NRSV translates this phrase “Then Peter went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there,” understanding the referent to be Peter rather than Herod Agrippa I.

[12:19]  sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great), who died at Caesarea in a.d. 44 according to Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 [19.343-352].

[12:19]  ⁴⁰² sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.

[12:19]  map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[12:20]  ⁴⁰³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:20]  sn Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).

[12:20]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn Or “was extremely angry.” L&N 33.453 gives the meaning “be angry and quarrel, quarrel angrily” here. However, in L&N 88.180 the alternative “to be violently angry, to be furious” is given. The term is used only once in the NT (BDAG 461 s.v. θυμομαχέω).

[12:20]  ⁴⁰⁵ sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia.

[12:20]  map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[12:20]  ⁴⁰⁶ sn Sidon was an ancient Phoenician royal city on the coast between Berytus (Beirut) and Tyre (BDAG 923 s.v. Σιδών).

[12:20]  map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[12:20]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn Or “with one accord.”

[12:20]  ⁴⁰⁸ tn Or “persuading.”

[12:20]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn On the term translated “personal assistant” BDAG 554 s.v. κοιτῶν states, “used as part of a title: ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ κοιτῶνος the one in charge of the bed-chamber, the chamberlain.” This individual was not just a domestic servant or butler, but a highly respected person who had considerable responsibility for the king’s living quarters and personal affairs. The English word “chamberlain” corresponds very closely to this meaning but is not in common use today. The term “personal assistant,” while it might convey more business associations than management of personal affairs, nevertheless communicates the concept well in contemporary English.

[12:20]  ⁴¹⁰ tn The words “to help them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[12:20]  ⁴¹¹ tn Or “for a reconciliation.” There were grave political risks in having Herod angry at them. The detail shows the ruler’s power.

[12:21]  ⁴¹² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:21]  sn Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).

[12:21]  ⁴¹³ tn Or “apparel.” On Herod’s robes see Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 (19.344), summarized in the note at the end of v. 23.

[12:21]  ⁴¹⁴ tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “speaker’s platform” for this verse, and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“rostrum,” NASB; “platform,” NRSV), since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here.

[12:21]  sn The judgment seat (βῆμα, bhma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and sometimes furnished with a seat, used by officials in addressing an assembly or making pronouncements, often on judicial matters. The judgment seat was a familiar item in Greco-Roman culture, often located in the agora, the public square or marketplace in the center of a city.

[12:21]  ⁴¹⁵ tn Or “delivered a public address.”

[12:22]  ⁴¹⁶ tn The translation “crowd” is given by BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος; the word often means a gathering of citizens to conduct public business. Here it is simply the group of people gathered to hear the king’s speech.

[12:22]  ⁴¹⁷ tn The imperfect verb ἐπεφώνει (epefwnei) is taken ingressively in the sequence of events. Presumably the king had started his speech when the crowd began shouting.

[12:22]  ⁴¹⁸ sn The voice of a god. Contrast the response of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14:13-15.

[12:23]  ⁴¹⁹ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.

[12:23]  ⁴²⁰ sn On being struck…down by an angel, see Acts 23:3; 1 Sam 25:28; 2 Sam 12:15; 2 Kgs 19:35; 2 Chr 13:20; 2 Macc 9:5.

[12:23]  ⁴²¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:23]  ⁴²² sn He was eaten by worms and died. Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 (19.343-352), states that Herod Agrippa I died at Caesarea in a.d. 44. The account by Josephus, while not identical to Luke’s account, is similar in many respects: On the second day of a festival, Herod Agrippa appeared in the theater with a robe made of silver. When it sparkled in the sun, the people cried out flatteries and declared him to be a god. The king, carried away by the flattery, saw an owl (an omen of death) sitting on a nearby rope, and immediately was struck with severe stomach pains. He was carried off to his house and died five days later. The two accounts can be reconciled without difficulty, since while Luke states that Herod was immediately struck down by an angel, his death could have come several days later. The mention of worms with death adds a humiliating note to the scene. The formerly powerful ruler had been thoroughly reduced to nothing (cf. Jdt 16:17; 2 Macc 9:9; cf. also Josephus, Ant. 17.6.5 [17.168-170], which details the sickness which led to Herod the Great’s death).

[12:24]  ⁴²³ sn A metonymy for the number of adherents to God’s word.

[12:24]  ⁴²⁴ tn Or “spreading.”

[12:25]  ⁴²⁵ tc There are a number of variants at this point in the text: εἰς (eis, “to”) in א B Ï sa^ms sy^hmg; ἀπό (apo, “from”) in D E Ψ 36 323 453 614 1175 al; ἐξ (ex, “from”) in Ì⁷⁴ A 33 945 1739 al; ἐξ ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν (ex Ierousalhm ei" Antioceian, “from Jerusalem to Antioch”) in {a few later manuscripts and part of the Itala}. A decision on this problem is very difficult, but for several reasons εἰς can be preferred. It is the most difficult reading by far in light of the context, since Paul and Barnabas were going to Jerusalem in 11:30. It is found in better witnesses, א and B being very strong evidence. The other readings, ἐξ and ἀπό, are different from εἰς yet bear essentially the same meaning as each other; this seems to suggest that scribes had problems with εἰς and tried to choose an acceptable revision. If εἰς is the earliest reading, ἀπό may be a clarification of ἐξ, and ἐξ could have arisen through confusion of letters. Or ἐξ and ἀπό could both have independently arisen from εἰς as a more acceptable preposition. Despite such arguments, however, the case for εἰς is not airtight: either ἐξ or ἀπό could be preferred on other lines of reasoning. The reading ἐξ enjoys the earliest support, and εἰς could have arisen through the same confusion of letters mentioned above. The immediate and wider context seems to mitigate against εἰς as the original reading: The aorist participle πληρώσαντες (plhrwsante", “when they had completed”) seems to signal the end of the mission to Jerusalem with the famine relief, so it would make sense in the context for the team to be coming from Jerusalem (to Antioch) rather than to Jerusalem, and 13:1 certainly presents the scene at Antioch. The later addition εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν after ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ in some mss seems to be a clarification in light of 13:1 (notice that some of the mss that read ἐξ add εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν [945 1739], and some that read ἀπό also add εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν [E 323 1175]). Thus, the idea of spatial separation from Jerusalem is strongly implied by the context. This problem is so difficult that some scholars resort to conjectural emendation to determine the original reading. All in all, the reading εἰς should be preferred as original, recognizing that there is a good measure of uncertainty with this solution. For additional discussion, see TCGNT 350-52.

[12:25]  ⁴²⁶ sn That is, from Jerusalem to Antioch (see Acts 11:29-30).

[12:25]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[12:25]  ⁴²⁷ tn Grk “fulfilled.”

[12:25]  ⁴²⁸ tn Grk “ministry” or “service.”

[12:25]  ⁴²⁹ tn Grk “John who was also called Mark.”

[13:1]  ⁴³⁰ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[13:1]  map For location see JP1 F2; JP2 F2; JP3 F2; JP4 F2.

[13:1]  ⁴³¹ sn Simeon may well have been from North Africa, since the Latin loanword Niger refers to someone as “dark-complexioned.”

[13:1]  ⁴³² sn The Cyrenian refers to a native of the city of Cyrene, on the coast of northern Africa west of Egypt.

[13:1]  ⁴³³ sn Herod is generally taken as a reference to Herod Antipas, who governed Galilee from 4 b.c. to a.d. 39, who had John the Baptist beheaded, and who is mentioned a number of times in the gospels.

[13:1]  ⁴³⁴ tn Or “the governor.”

[13:1]  sn A tetrarch was a ruler with rank and authority lower than a king, who ruled only with the approval of the Roman authorities. This was roughly equivalent to being governor of a region. Several times in the NT, Herod tetrarch of Galilee is called a king (Matt 14:9, Mark 6:14-29), reflecting popular usage.

[13:1]  ⁴³⁵ tn Or “(a foster brother of Herod the tetrarch).” The meaning “close friend from childhood” is given by L&N 34.15, but the word can also mean “foster brother” (L&N 10.51). BDAG 976 s.v. σύντροφας states, “pert. to being brought up with someone, either as a foster-brother or as a companion/friend,” which covers both alternatives. Context does not given enough information to be certain which is the case here, although many modern translations prefer the meaning “close friend from childhood.”

[13:2]  ⁴³⁶ tn This term is frequently used in the LXX of the service performed by priests and Levites in the tabernacle (Exod 28:35, 43; 29:30; 30:20; 35:19; 39:26; Num 1:50; 3:6, 31) and the temple (2 Chr 31:2; 35:3; Joel 1:9, 13; 2:17, and many more examples). According to BDAG 591 s.v. λειτουργέω 1.b it is used “of other expression of religious devotion.” Since the previous verse described the prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch, it is probable that the term here describes two of them (Barnabas and Saul) as they were serving in that capacity. Since they were not in Jerusalem where the temple was located, general religious service is referred to here.

[13:2]  ⁴³⁷ tn Or “Appoint.”

[13:3]  ⁴³⁸ tn The three aorist participles νηστεύσαντες (nhsteusante"), προσευξάμενοι (proseuxamenoi), and ἐπιθέντες (epiqente") are translated as temporal participles. Although they could indicate contemporaneous time when used with an aorist main verb, logically here they are antecedent. On fasting and prayer, see Matt 6:5, 16; Luke 2:37; 5:33; Acts 14:23.

[13:3]  ⁴³⁹ tn Normally English style, which uses a coordinating conjunction between only the last two elements of a series of three or more, would call for omission of “and” here. However, since the terms “fasting and prayer” are something of a unit, often linked together, the conjunction has been retained here.

[13:3]  ⁴⁴⁰ sn The placing of hands on Barnabas and Saul (traditionally known as “the laying on of hands”) refers to an act picturing the commission of God and the church for the task at hand.

[13:4]  ⁴⁴¹ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Barnabas and Saul) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:4]  ⁴⁴² sn Seleucia was the port city of Antioch in Syria.

[13:4]  ⁴⁴³ sn Cyprus was a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[13:5]  ⁴⁴⁴ tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[13:5]  ⁴⁴⁵ tn The participle γενόμενοι (genomenoi) is taken temporally.

[13:5]  ⁴⁴⁶ sn Salamis was a city on the southeastern coast of the island of Cyprus. This was a commercial center and a center of Judaism.

[13:5]  ⁴⁴⁷ tn The imperfect verb κατήγγελλον (kathngellon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[13:5]  ⁴⁴⁸ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[13:5]  ⁴⁴⁹ sn John refers here to John Mark (see Acts 12:25).

[13:5]  ⁴⁵⁰ tn The word ὑπηρέτης (Juphreth") usually has the meaning “servant,” but it is doubtful John Mark fulfilled that capacity for Barnabas and Saul. He was more likely an apprentice or assistant to them.

[13:5]  sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[13:6]  ⁴⁵¹ tn Or “had passed through,” “had traveled through.”

[13:6]  ⁴⁵² sn Paphos. A city on the southwestern coast of the island of Cyprus. It was the seat of the Roman proconsul.

[13:6]  ⁴⁵³ sn Named Bar-Jesus. “Jesus” is the Latin form of the name “Joshua.” The Aramaic “bar” means “son of,” so this man was surnamed “son of Joshua.” The scene depicts the conflict between Judaism and the emerging new faith at a cosmic level, much like the Simon Magus incident in Acts 8:9-24. Paul’s ministry looks like Philip’s and Peter’s here.

[13:7]  ⁴⁵⁴ sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.

[13:7]  ⁴⁵⁵ tn Grk “This one”; the referent (the proconsul) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:7]  ⁴⁵⁶ tn Grk “summoning Barnabas and Saul, wanted to hear.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[13:7]  ⁴⁵⁷ sn The proconsul…wanted to hear the word of God. This description of Sergius Paulus portrays him as a sensitive, secular Gentile leader.

[13:8]  ⁴⁵⁸ tn On the debate over what the name “Elymas” means, see BDAG 320 s.v. ᾿Ελύμας. The magician’s behavior is more directly opposed to the faith than Simon Magus’ was.

[13:8]  ⁴⁵⁹ sn A parenthetical note by the author.

[13:8]  ⁴⁶⁰ sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.

[13:9]  ⁴⁶¹ sn A parenthetical note by the author.

[13:9]  ⁴⁶² sn This qualifying clause in the narrative indicates who represented God in the dispute.

[13:9]  ⁴⁶³ tn Or “gazed intently.”

[13:10]  ⁴⁶⁴ tn Or “unscrupulousness.”

[13:10]  ⁴⁶⁵ sn “You who…paths of the Lord?” This rebuke is like ones from the OT prophets: Jer 5:27; Gen 32:11; Prov 10:7; Hos 14:9. Five separate remarks indicate the magician’s failings. The closing rhetorical question of v. 10 (“will you not stop…?”) shows how opposed he is to the way of God.

[13:11]  ⁴⁶⁶ tn Grk “And now.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[13:11]  ⁴⁶⁷ tn Grk “upon,” but in a negative sense.

[13:11]  ⁴⁶⁸ sn The term translated mistiness here appears in the writings of the physician Galen as a medical technical description of a person who is blind. The picture of judgment to darkness is symbolic as well. Whatever power Elymas had, it represented darkness. Magic will again be an issue in Acts 19:18-19. This judgment is like that of Ananias and his wife in Acts 5:1-11.

[13:11]  ⁴⁶⁹ tn Grk “fell on.”

[13:11]  ⁴⁷⁰ tn The noun χειραγωγός (ceiragwgo") is plural, so “people” is used rather than singular “someone.”

[13:12]  ⁴⁷¹ sn See the note on proconsul in v. 8.

[13:12]  ⁴⁷² sn He believed. The faith of the proconsul in the face of Jewish opposition is a theme of the rest of Acts. Paul has indeed become “a light to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:47).

[13:12]  ⁴⁷³ tn The translation “greatly astounded” for ἐκπλησσόμενος (ekplhssomeno") is given by L&N 25.219.

[13:12]  ⁴⁷⁴ tn Grk “of,” but this could give the impression the Lord himself had done the teaching (a subjective genitive) when actually the Lord was the object of the teaching (an objective genitive).

[13:13]  ⁴⁷⁵ tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

[13:13]  ⁴⁷⁶ sn Paphos was a city on the southwestern coast of the island of Cyprus. See Acts 13:6.

[13:13]  ⁴⁷⁷ sn Perga was a city in Pamphylia near the southern coast of Asia Minor. The journey from Paphos to Perga is about 105 mi (175 km).

[13:13]  ⁴⁷⁸ sn Pamphylia was a province in the southern part of Asia Minor.

[13:13]  ⁴⁷⁹ sn That is, John Mark.

[13:13]  ⁴⁸⁰ sn Returned to Jerusalem. John Mark had originally accompanied them from Jerusalem (see Acts 12:25). John Mark’s decision to leave became an issue later for Barnabas and Paul (Acts 15:36-39).

[13:13]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[13:14]  ⁴⁸¹ tn Or “Passing by.”

[13:14]  ⁴⁸² sn Perga was a city in Pamphylia near the southern coast of Asia Minor.

[13:14]  ⁴⁸³ tn Or “at Antioch in Pisidia.”

[13:14]  sn Pisidian Antioch was a city in Pisidia about 100 mi (160 km) north of Perga. It was both a Roman colony and the seat of military and civil authority in S. Galatia. One had to trek over the Taurus Mountains to get there, since the city was 3,600 ft (1,100 m) above sea level.

[13:14]  map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2; JP4 E2.

[13:14]  ⁴⁸⁴ tn Grk “going into the synagogue they sat down.” The participle εἰσελθόντες (eiselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[13:14]  ⁴⁸⁵ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[13:15]  ⁴⁸⁶ sn After the reading from the law and the prophets. In the 1st century Jewish synagogue, it was customary after the reading of the Torah (law) and prophets for men to give exhortation from the scriptures.

[13:15]  ⁴⁸⁷ tn Normally ἀρχισυνάγωγος (arcisunagwgo") refers to the “president of a synagogue” (so BDAG 139 s.v. and L&N 53.93). Since the term is plural here, however, and it would sound strange to the English reader to speak of “the presidents of the synagogue,” the alternative translation “leaders” is used. “Rulers” would also be acceptable, but does not convey quite the same idea.

[13:15]  ⁴⁸⁸ tn Grk “sent to them”; the word “message” is an understood direct object. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[13:15]  ⁴⁸⁹ tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.

[13:15]  ⁴⁹⁰ tn Or “word.”

[13:15]  ⁴⁹¹ tn Or “encouragement.”

[13:15]  ⁴⁹² tn Or “give it.”

[13:16]  ⁴⁹³ tn This participle, ἀναστάς (anasta"), and the following one, κατασείσας (kataseisa"), are both translated as adverbial participles of attendant circumstance.

[13:16]  ⁴⁹⁴ tn Or “motioned.”

[13:16]  ⁴⁹⁵ tn Or “Israelite men,” although this is less natural English. The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context involving an address to a synagogue gathering, it is conceivable that this is a generic usage, although it can also be argued that Paul’s remarks were addressed primarily to the men present, even if women were there.

[13:16]  ⁴⁹⁶ tn Grk “and those who fear God,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44.

[13:17]  ⁴⁹⁷ tn Or “people of Israel.”

[13:17]  ⁴⁹⁸ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[13:17]  sn Note how Paul identifies with his audience by referring to our ancestors. He speaks as a Jew. God’s design in history is the theme of the speech. The speech is like Stephen’s, only here the focus is on a promised Son of David.

[13:17]  ⁴⁹⁹ tn That is, in both numbers and in power. The implication of greatness in both numbers and in power is found in BDAG 1046 s.v. ὑψόω 2.

[13:17]  ⁵⁰⁰ tn Or “as resident aliens.”

[13:17]  ⁵⁰¹ tn Or “land.”

[13:17]  ⁵⁰² sn Here uplifted arm is a metaphor for God’s power by which he delivered the Israelites from Egypt. See Exod 6:1, 6; 32:11; Deut 3:24; 4:34; Ps 136:11-12.

[13:18]  ⁵⁰³ tn Grk “And for.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[13:18]  ⁵⁰⁴ tn For this verb, see BDAG 1017 s.v. τροποφορέω (cf. also Deut 1:31; Exod 16:35; Num 14:34).

[13:18]  ⁵⁰⁵ tn Or “desert.”

[13:19]  ⁵⁰⁶ tn Grk “And after.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[13:19]  ⁵⁰⁷ tn The participle καθελών (kaqelwn) is taken temporally.

[13:19]  ⁵⁰⁸ sn Seven nations. See Deut 7:1.

[13:19]  ⁵⁰⁹ tn Grk “he gave their land as an inheritance.” The words “his people” are supplied to complete an ellipsis specifying the recipients of the land.

[13:20]  ⁵¹⁰ tn The words “all this took” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to make a complete statement in English. There is debate over where this period of 450 years fits and what it includes: (1) It could include the years in Egypt, the conquest of Canaan, and the distribution of the land; (2) some connect it with the following period of the judges. This latter approach seems to conflict with 1 Kgs 6:1; see also Josephus, Ant. 8.3.1 (8.61).

[13:20]  ⁵¹¹ tn Grk “And after these things.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[13:20]  ⁵¹² tn The words “the time of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[13:21]  ⁵¹³ tn The words “who ruled” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. They have been supplied as a clarification for the English reader. See Josephus, Ant. 6.14.9 (6.378).

[13:22]  ⁵¹⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:22]  ⁵¹⁵ sn The expression raised up refers here to making someone king. There is a wordplay here: “raising up” refers to bringing someone onto the scene of history, but it echoes with the parallel to Jesus’ resurrection.

[13:22]  ⁵¹⁶ tn Grk “about whom.” The relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the pronoun “him” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek. The verb εἶπεν (eipen) has not been translated (literally “he said testifying”) because it is redundant when combined with the participle μαρτυρήσας (marturhsa", “testifying”). Instead the construction of verb plus participle has been translated as a single English verb (“testified”).

[13:22]  ⁵¹⁷ sn A quotation from Ps 89:20.

[13:22]  ⁵¹⁸ sn A quotation from 1 Sam 13:14.

[13:22]  ⁵¹⁹ tn Or “who will perform all my will,” “who will carry out all my wishes.”

[13:23]  ⁵²⁰ tn Or “From the offspring”; Grk “From the seed.”

[13:23]  sn From the descendants (Grk “seed”). On the importance of the seed promise involving Abraham, see Gal 3:6-29.

[13:23]  ⁵²¹ sn The phrase this man is in emphatic position in the Greek text.

[13:23]  ⁵²² tn Grk “according to [his] promise.” The comparative clause “just as he promised” is less awkward in English.

[13:23]  sn Just as he promised. Note how Paul describes Israel’s history carefully to David and then leaps forward immediately to Jesus. Paul is expounding the initial realization of Davidic promise as it was delivered in Jesus.

[13:24]  ⁵²³ tn Grk “John having already proclaimed before his coming a baptism…,” a genitive absolute construction which is awkward in English. A new sentence was begun in the translation at this point.

[13:24]  ⁵²⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the context for clarity, since God is mentioned in the preceding context and John the Baptist in the following clause.

[13:24]  ⁵²⁵ sn John refers here to John the Baptist.

[13:24]  ⁵²⁶ tn Grk “a baptism of repentance”; the genitive has been translated as a genitive of purpose.

[13:25]  ⁵²⁷ tn Or “task.”

[13:25]  ⁵²⁸ tn The verb ἔλεγεν (elegen) has been translated as an iterative imperfect, since John undoubtedly said this or something similar on numerous occasions.

[13:25]  ⁵²⁹ tn Literally a relative clause, “of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandals of his feet.” Because of the awkwardness of this construction in English, a new sentence was begun here.

[13:26]  ⁵³⁰ tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.

[13:26]  ⁵³¹ tn Grk “sons”

[13:26]  ⁵³² tn Or “race.”

[13:26]  ⁵³³ tn Grk “and those among you who fear God,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44. Note how Paul includes God-fearing Gentiles as recipients of this promise.

[13:26]  ⁵³⁴ tn Grk “word.”

[13:27]  ⁵³⁵ tn BDAG 12-13 s.v. ἀγνοέω 1.b gives “not to know w. acc. of pers.” as the meaning here, but “recognize” is a better translation in this context because recognition of the true identity of the one they condemned is the issue. See Acts 2:22-24; 4:26-28.

[13:27]  ⁵³⁶ tn Grk “this one.”

[13:27]  ⁵³⁷ tn Usually φωνή (fwnh) means “voice,” but BDAG 1071-72 s.v. φωνή 2.c has “Also of sayings in scripture…Ac 13:27.”

[13:27]  sn They fulfilled the sayings. The people in Jerusalem and the Jewish rulers should have known better, because they had the story read to them weekly in the synagogue.

[13:27]  ⁵³⁸ tn The participle κρίναντες (krinante") is instrumental here.

[13:27]  ⁵³⁹ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[13:28]  ⁵⁴⁰ tn Grk “And though.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[13:28]  ⁵⁴¹ tn The participle εὑρόντες (Jeuronte") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[13:28]  ⁵⁴² sn No basis. Luke insists on Jesus’ innocence again and again in Luke 23:1-25.

[13:28]  ⁵⁴³ tn Grk “no basis for death,” but in this context a sentence of death is clearly indicated.

[13:29]  ⁵⁴⁴ tn Or “carried out.”

[13:29]  ⁵⁴⁵ sn That is, everything that was written in OT scripture.

[13:29]  ⁵⁴⁶ tn Grk “taking him down from the cross, they placed him.” The participle καθελόντες (kaqelonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[13:29]  ⁵⁴⁷ tn Grk “tree,” but frequently figurative for a cross. The allusion is to Deut 21:23. See Acts 5:30; 10:39.

[13:29]  ⁵⁴⁸ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[13:30]  ⁵⁴⁹ sn See the note on the phrase “raised up” in v. 22, which is the same Greek verb used here.

[13:31]  ⁵⁵⁰ tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun (“who”) was replaced by the conjunction “and” and the pronoun “he” at this point to improve the English style.

[13:31]  ⁵⁵¹ sn Those who had accompanied him refers to the disciples, who knew Jesus in ministry. Luke is aware of resurrection appearances in Galilee though he did not relate any of them in Luke 24.

[13:31]  ⁵⁵² tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun (“who”) was replaced by the demonstrative pronoun “these” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek and the awkwardness of two relative clauses (“who for many days appeared” and “who are now his witnesses”) following one another.

[13:32]  ⁵⁵³ tn Or “to our forefathers”; Grk “the fathers.”

[13:33]  ⁵⁵⁴ tn Grk “that this”; the referent (the promise mentioned in the previous verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:33]  sn This promise refers to the promise of a Savior through the seed (descendants) of David that is proclaimed as fulfilled (Rom 1:1-7).

[13:33]  ⁵⁵⁵ tn Or “by resurrecting.” The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") is taken as instrumental here.

[13:33]  sn By raising (i.e., by resurrection) tells how this promise came to be realized, though again the wordplay also points to his presence in history through this event (see the note on “raised up” in v. 22).

[13:33]  ⁵⁵⁶ sn You are my Son. The key to how the quotation is used is the naming of Jesus as “Son” to the Father. The language is that of kingship, as Ps 2 indicates. Here is the promise about what the ultimate Davidic heir would be.

[13:33]  ⁵⁵⁷ tn Grk “I have begotten you.” The traditional translation for γεγέννηκα (gegennhka, “begotten”) is misleading to the modern English reader because it is no longer in common use. Today one speaks of “fathering” a child in much the same way speakers of English formerly spoke of “begetting a child.”

[13:33]  sn A quotation from Ps 2:7.

[13:34]  ⁵⁵⁸ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:34]  ⁵⁵⁹ tn Although μηκέτι (mhketi) can mean “no longer” or “no more,” the latter is more appropriate here, since to translate “no longer” in this context could give the reader the impression that Jesus did experience decay before his resurrection. Since the phrase “no more again to be” is somewhat awkward in English, the simpler phrase “never again to be” was used instead.

[13:34]  ⁵⁶⁰ tn The translation “to be in again” for ὑποστρέφω (Jupostrefw) is given in L&N 13.24.

[13:34]  ⁵⁶¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:34]  ⁵⁶² tn The pronoun “you” is plural here. The promises of David are offered to the people.

[13:34]  ⁵⁶³ tn Or “the trustworthy decrees made by God to David.” The phrase τὰ ὅσια Δαυὶδ τὰ πιστά (ta Josia Dauid ta pista) is “compressed,” that is, in a very compact or condensed form. It could be expanded in several different ways. BDAG 728 s.v. ὅσιος 3 understands it to refer to divine decrees: “I will grant you the sure decrees of God relating to David.” BDAG then states that this quotation from Isa 55:3 is intended to show that the following quotation from Ps 16:10 could not refer to David himself, but must refer to his messianic descendant (Jesus). L&N 33.290 render the phrase “I will give to you the divine promises made to David, promises that can be trusted,” although they also note that τὰ ὅσια in Acts 13:34 can mean “divine decrees” or “decrees made by God.” In contemporary English it is less awkward to translate πιστά as an adjective (“trustworthy”). The concept of “divine decrees,” not very understandable to the modern reader, has been replaced by “promises,” and since God is the implied speaker in the context, it is clear that these promises were made by God.

[13:34]  ⁵⁶⁴ sn A quotation from Isa 55:3. The point of this citation is to make clear that the promise of a Davidic line and blessings are made to the people as well.

[13:35]  ⁵⁶⁵ tn Grk “Therefore he also says in another”; the word “psalm” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[13:35]  ⁵⁶⁶ tn The Greek word translated “Holy One” here (ὅσιόν, {osion) is related to the use of ὅσια (Josia) in v. 34. The link is a wordplay. The Holy One, who does not die, brings the faithful holy blessings of promise to the people.

[13:35]  ⁵⁶⁷ tn Grk “to see,” but the literal translation of the phrase “to see decay” could be misunderstood to mean simply “to look at decay,” while here “see decay” is really figurative for “experience decay.”

[13:35]  ⁵⁶⁸ sn A quotation from Ps 16:10.

[13:36]  ⁵⁶⁹ tn The participle ὑπηρετήσας (Juphrethsa") is taken temporally.

[13:36]  ⁵⁷⁰ tn The verb κοιμάω (koimaw) literally means “sleep,” but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for the death of a believer.

[13:36]  ⁵⁷¹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “was gathered to his fathers” (a Semitic idiom).

[13:36]  ⁵⁷² tn Grk “saw,” but the literal translation of the phrase “saw decay” could be misunderstood to mean simply “looked at decay,” while here “saw decay” is really figurative for “experienced decay.” This remark explains why David cannot fulfill the promise.

[13:37]  ⁵⁷³ sn The one whom God raised up refers to Jesus.

[13:37]  ⁵⁷⁴ tn Grk “see,” but the literal translation of the phrase “did not see decay” could be misunderstood to mean simply “did not look at decay,” while here “did not see decay” is really figurative for “did not experience decay.”

[13:38]  ⁵⁷⁵ tn That is, Jesus. This pronoun is in emphatic position in the Greek text. Following this phrase in the Greek text is the pronoun ὑμῖν (Jumin, “to you”), so that the emphasis for the audience is that “through Jesus to you” these promises have come.

[13:39]  ⁵⁷⁶ sn This one refers here to Jesus.

[13:39]  ⁵⁷⁷ tn Or “is freed.” The translation of δικαιωθῆναι (dikaiwqhnai) and δικαιοῦται (dikaioutai) in Acts 13:38-39 is difficult. BDAG 249 s.v. δικαιόω 3 categorizes δικαιωθῆναι in 13:38 (Greek text) under the meaning “make free/pure” but categorizes δικαιοῦται in Acts 13:39 as “be found in the right, be free of charges” (BDAG 249 s.v. δικαιόω 2.b.β). In the interest of consistency both verbs are rendered as “justified” in this translation.

[13:39]  ⁵⁷⁸ tn Or “could not free.”

[13:39]  ⁵⁷⁹ tn Grk “from everything from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.” The passive construction has been converted to an active one in the translation, with “by the law of Moses” becoming the subject of the final clause. The words “from everything from which the law of Moses could not justify you” are part of v. 38 in the Greek text, but due to English style and word order must be placed in v. 39 in the translation.

[13:40]  ⁵⁸⁰ sn The speech closes with a warning, “Watch out,” that also stresses culpability.

[13:40]  ⁵⁸¹ tn Or “in.”

[13:41]  ⁵⁸² tn Or “and die!”

[13:41]  ⁵⁸³ sn A quotation from Hab 1:5. The irony in the phrase even if someone tells you, of course, is that Paul has now told them. So the call in the warning is to believe or else face the peril of being scoffers whom God will judge. The parallel from Habakkuk is that the nation failed to see how Babylon’s rising to power meant perilous judgment for Israel.

[13:42]  ⁵⁸⁴ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Paul and Barnabas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:42]  ⁵⁸⁵ tn Or “were leaving.” The participle ἐξιόντων (exiontwn) is taken temporally.

[13:42]  ⁵⁸⁶ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:42]  ⁵⁸⁷ tn Or “begging,” “inviting.”

[13:42]  ⁵⁸⁸ tn Or “matters.”

[13:43]  ⁵⁸⁹ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[13:43]  ⁵⁹⁰ tn BDAG 607 s.v. λύω 3 has “λυθείσης τ. συναγωγῆς when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up Ac 13:43.”

[13:43]  ⁵⁹¹ tn Normally the phrase σεβόμενοι τὸν θεόν (sebomenoi ton qeon) refers to Gentiles (“God-fearers”) who believed in God, attended the synagogue, and followed the Mosaic law to some extent, but stopped short of undergoing circumcision. BDAG 918 s.v. σέβω 1.b lists in this category references in Acts 16:14; 18:7; with σεβόμενοι alone, Acts 13:50; 17:4, 17; the phrase is also found in Josephus, Ant. 14.7.2 (14.110). Unique to this particular verse is the combination σεβόμενοι προσηλύτων (sebomenoi proshlutwn). Later rabbinic discussion suggests that to be regarded as a proper proselyte, a Gentile male had to submit to circumcision. If that is the case here, these Gentiles in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch should be regarded as full proselytes who had converted completely to Judaism and undergone circumcision. It is probably more likely, however, that προσηλύτων is used here in a somewhat looser sense (note the use of σεβομένας [sebomena"] alone to refer to women in Acts 13:50) and that these Gentiles were still in the category commonly called “God-fearers” without being full, technical proselytes to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44. Regardless, the point is that many Gentiles, as well as Jews, came to faith.

[13:43]  ⁵⁹² tn This is the meaning given for ἔπειθον (epeiqon) in this verse by BDAG 791 s.v. πείθω 1.b.

[13:43]  ⁵⁹³ tn Grk “who, as they were speaking with them, were persuading them.”

[13:43]  ⁵⁹⁴ tn The verb προμένειν (promenein) is similar in force to the use of μένω (menw, “to reside/remain”) in the Gospel and Epistles of John.

[13:44]  ⁵⁹⁵ tc Most mss (B* C E Ψ Ï sy bo) read θεοῦ (qeou, “of God”) here instead of κυρίου (kuriou, “of the Lord”). Other mss, among them some important early witnesses (Ì⁷⁴ א A B² 33 81 323 945 1175 1739 al sa), read κυρίου. The external evidence favors κυρίου, though not decisively. Internally, the mention of “God” in v. 43, and especially “the word of God” in v. 46, would provide some temptation for scribes to assimilate the wording in v. 44 to these texts.

[13:44]  sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in vv. 48 and 49; Acts 8:25; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[13:45]  ⁵⁹⁶ sn They were filled with jealousy. Their foolish response to the gospel is noted again (see Acts 5:17). The same verb is used in Acts 7:9; 17:5.

[13:45]  ⁵⁹⁷ tn The imperfect verb ἀντέλεγον (antelegon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect in the logical sequence of events: After they were filled with jealousy, the Jewish opponents began to contradict what Paul said.

[13:45]  ⁵⁹⁸ tn Grk “the things being said by Paul.” For smoothness and simplicity of English style, the passive construction has been converted to active voice in the translation.

[13:45]  ⁵⁹⁹ tn The participle βλασφημοῦντες (blasfhmounte") has been regarded as indicating the means of the action of the main verb. It could also be translated as a finite verb (“and reviled him”) in keeping with contemporary English style. The direct object (“him”) is implied rather than expressed and could be impersonal (“it,” referring to what Paul was saying rather than Paul himself), but the verb occurs more often in contexts involving defamation or slander against personal beings (not always God). For a very similar context to this one, compare Acts 18:6. The translation “blaspheme” is not used because in contemporary English its meaning is more narrowly defined and normally refers to blasphemy against God (not what Paul’s opponents were doing here). The modern term “slandering” comes close to what was being done to Paul here.

[13:46]  ⁶⁰⁰ tn Grk “Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out courageously and said.” The redundancy is removed in the translation and the verb “replied” is used in keeping with the logical sequence of events. The theme of boldness reappears: Acts 4:24-30; 9:27-28.

[13:46]  ⁶⁰¹ tn Grk “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken.” For smoothness and simplicity of English style, the passive construction has been converted to active voice in the translation.

[13:46]  ⁶⁰² tn Or “and consider yourselves unworthy.”

[13:46]  ⁶⁰³ tn Grk “behold, we.” In this context ἰδού (idou) is not easily translated into English.

[13:46]  ⁶⁰⁴ sn This turning to the Gentiles would be a shocking rebuke to 1st century Jews who thought they alone were the recipients of the promise.

[13:47]  ⁶⁰⁵ tn Here οὕτως (Joutws) is taken to refer to what follows, the content of the quotation, as given for this verse by BDAG 742 s.v. οὕτω/οὕτως 2.

[13:47]  ⁶⁰⁶ tn BDAG 1004 s.v. τίθημι 3.a has “τιθέναι τινὰ εἴς τι place/appoint someone to or for (to function as) someth….Ac 13:47.” This is a double accusative construction of object (“you”) and complement (“a light”).

[13:47]  ⁶⁰⁷ sn Paul alludes here to the language of the Servant in Isaiah, pointing to Isa 42:6; 49:6. He and Barnabas do the work of the Servant in Isaiah.

[13:47]  ⁶⁰⁸ tn Grk “that you should be for salvation,” but more simply “to bring salvation.”

[13:47]  ⁶⁰⁹ sn An allusion to Isa 42:6 and 49:6. The expression the ends of the earth recalls Luke 3:6 and Acts 1:8. Paul sees himself and Barnabas as carrying out the commission of Luke 24:27. (See 2 Cor 6:2, where servant imagery also appears concerning Paul’s message.)

[13:48]  ⁶¹⁰ tn The imperfect verb ἔχαιρον (ecairon) and the following ἐδόξαζον (edoxazon) are translated as ingressive imperfects.

[13:48]  ⁶¹¹ tn Or “glorify.” Although “honor” is given by BDAG 258 s.v. δοξάζω as a translation, it would be misleading here, because the meaning is “to honor in the sense of attributing worth to something,” while in contemporary English usage one speaks of “honoring” a contract in the sense of keeping its stipulations. It is not a synonym for “obey” in this context (“obey the word of the Lord”), but that is how many English readers would understand it.

[13:48]  ⁶¹² sn Note the contrast to v. 46 in regard to eternal life.

[13:49]  ⁶¹³ tn BDAG 239 s.v. διαφέρω 1 has “spread” for διαφέρετο (diafereto) in connection with a teaching. This is the first summary since Acts 9:31.

[13:50]  ⁶¹⁴ tn For the translation of παρώτρυναν (parwtrunan) as “incited” see BDAG 780 s.v. παροτρύνω.

[13:50]  ⁶¹⁵ tn BDAG 299 s.v. ἐκβάλλω 1 has “throw out.” Once again, many Jews reacted to the message (Acts 5:17, 33; 6:11; 13:45).

[13:51]  ⁶¹⁶ tn The participle ἐκτιναξάμενοι (ektinaxamenoi) is taken temporally. It could also be translated as a participle of attendant circumstance (“So they shook…and went”).

[13:51]  ⁶¹⁷ sn Shaking the dust off their feet was a symbolic gesture commanded by Jesus to his disciples, Matt 10:14; Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5. It shows a group of people as culpable before God.

[13:51]  ⁶¹⁸ sn Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 90 mi (145 km) east southeast of Pisidian Antioch. It was the easternmost city of Phrygia.

[13:52]  ⁶¹⁹ sn The citizens of Pisidian Antioch were not discouraged by the persecution, but instead were filled with joy.

[14:1]  ⁶²⁰ sn Iconium. See the note in 13:51.

[14:1]  ⁶²¹ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Paul and Barnabas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:1]  ⁶²² sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[14:1]  ⁶²³ tn Or “that a large crowd.”

[14:2]  ⁶²⁴ tn Or “who would not believe.”

[14:2]  ⁶²⁵ tn Or “embittered their minds” (Grk “their souls”). BDAG 502 s.v. κακόω 2 has “make angry, embitter τὰς ψυχάς τινων κατά τινος poison the minds of some persons against another Ac 14:2.”

[14:3]  ⁶²⁶ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[14:3]  ⁶²⁷ sn The Lord testified to the message by granting the signs described in the following clause.

[14:3]  ⁶²⁸ tn Grk “word.”

[14:3]  ⁶²⁹ tn Here the context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned.

[14:4]  ⁶³⁰ tn BDAG 825 s.v. πλῆθος 2.b.γ has this translation for πλῆθος (plhqo").

[14:4]  ⁶³¹ tn These clauses are a good example of the contrastive μὲν…δέ (men…de) construction: Some “on the one hand” sided with the Jews, but some “on the other hand” sided with the apostles.

[14:5]  ⁶³² tn Grk “So there came about an attempt” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[14:5]  ⁶³³ tn On this verb see BDAG 1022 s.v. ὑβρίζω.

[14:5]  ⁶³⁴ tn The direct object “them” is repeated after both verbs in the translation for stylistic reasons, although it occurs only after λιθοβολῆσαι (liqobolhsai) in the Greek text.

[14:6]  ⁶³⁵ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Paul and Barnabas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:6]  ⁶³⁶ tn Grk “learning about it, fled.” The participle συνιδόντες (sunidonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. It could also be taken temporally (“when they learned about it”) as long as opening clause of v. 5 is not translated as a temporal clause too, which results in a redundancy.

[14:6]  ⁶³⁷ sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 18 mi (30 km) south of Iconium, a Roman colony that was not on the main roads of Lycaonia. Because of its relative isolation, its local character was able to be preserved.

[14:6]  map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2.

[14:6]  ⁶³⁸ sn Derbe was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) southeast of Lystra.

[14:6]  map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2.

[14:7]  ⁶³⁹ tn Grk “region, and there.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, καί (kai) has not been translated and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[14:7]  ⁶⁴⁰ tn The periphrastic construction εὐαγγελιζόμενοι ἦσαν (euangelizomenoi hsan) has been translated as a progressive imperfect.

[14:8]  ⁶⁴¹ tn Grk “And in.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[14:8]  ⁶⁴² sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 18 mi (30 km) south of Iconium.

[14:8]  map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2.

[14:8]  ⁶⁴³ tn Grk “powerless in his feet,” meaning he was unable to use his feet to walk.

[14:8]  ⁶⁴⁴ tn Grk “lame from his mother’s womb” (an idiom).

[14:8]  sn The description lame from birth makes clear how serious the condition was, and how real it was. This event is very similar to Acts 3:1-10, except here the lame man’s faith is clear from the start.

[14:9]  ⁶⁴⁵ tn Grk “speaking, who.” The relative pronoun has been replaced by the noun “Paul,” and a new sentence begun in the translation because an English relative clause would be very awkward here.

[14:9]  ⁶⁴⁶ tn Or “looked.”

[14:10]  ⁶⁴⁷ tn BDAG 722 s.v. ὀρθός 1.a has “stand upright on your feet.”

[14:10]  ⁶⁴⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:10]  ⁶⁴⁹ tn This verb is imperfect tense in contrast to the previous verb, which is aorist. It has been translated ingressively, since the start of a sequence is in view here.

[14:11]  ⁶⁵⁰ tn Grk “they lifted up their voice” (an idiom).

[14:11]  ⁶⁵¹ tn Grk “in Lycaonian, saying.” The word “language” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[14:11]  ⁶⁵² tn So BDAG 707 s.v. ὁμοιόω 1. However, L&N 64.4 takes the participle ὁμοιωθέντες (Jomoiwqente") as an adjectival participle modifying θεοί (qeoi): “the gods resembling men have come down to us.”

[14:11]  sn The gods have come down to us in human form. Greek culture spoke of “divine men.” In this region there was a story of Zeus and Hermes visiting the area (Ovid, Metamorphoses 8.611-725). The locals failed to acknowledge them, so judgment followed. The present crowd was determined not to make the mistake a second time.

[14:12]  ⁶⁵³ tn The imperfect verb ἐκάλουν (ekaloun) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[14:12]  ⁶⁵⁴ sn Zeus was the chief Greek deity, worshiped throughout the Greco-Roman world (known to the Romans as Jupiter).

[14:12]  ⁶⁵⁵ sn Hermes was a Greek god who (according to Greek mythology) was the messenger of the gods and the god of oratory (equivalent to the Roman god Mercury).

[14:13]  ⁶⁵⁶ tn The words “the temple of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. The translation “the priest of (the temple/shrine of) Zeus located before the city” is given for this phrase by BDAG 426 s.v. Ζεύς.

[14:13]  ⁶⁵⁷ sn See the note on Zeus in the previous verse.

[14:13]  ⁶⁵⁸ tn Or “oxen.”

[14:13]  ⁶⁵⁹ tn Or “wreaths.”

[14:13]  sn Garlands were commonly wreaths of wool with leaves and flowers woven in, worn on a person’s head or woven around a staff. They were an important part of many rituals used to worship pagan gods. Although it was an erroneous reaction, the priest’s reaction shows how all acknowledged their power and access to God.

[14:13]  ⁶⁶⁰ tn The words “to them” are not in the Greek text, but are clearly implied by the response of Paul and Barnabas in the following verse.

[14:14]  ⁶⁶¹ sn The apostles Barnabas and Paul. This is one of only two places where Luke calls Paul an apostle, and the description here is shared with Barnabas. This is a nontechnical use here, referring to a commissioned messenger.

[14:14]  ⁶⁶² tn The participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") is taken temporally.

[14:14]  ⁶⁶³ tn Grk “tearing their clothes they rushed out.” The participle διαρρήξαντες (diarrhxante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. This action is a Jewish response to blasphemy (m. Sanhedrin 7.5; Jdt 14:16-17).

[14:14]  ⁶⁶⁴ tn So BDAG 307 s.v. ἐκπηδάω 1, “rush (lit. ‘leap’) out…εἰς τὸν ὄχλον into the crowd Ac 14:14.”

[14:14]  ⁶⁶⁵ tn Grk “shouting and saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes, in v. 15) has not been translated because it is redundant.

[14:14]  sn What follows is one of two speeches in Acts to a purely pagan audience (Acts 17 in Athens is the other). So Paul focused on God as Creator, a common link.

[14:15]  ⁶⁶⁶ tn Grk “with the same kinds of feelings,” L&N 25.32. BDAG 706 s.v. ὁμοιοπαθής translates the phrase “with the same nature τινί as someone.” In the immediate context, the contrast is between human and divine nature, and the point is that Paul and Barnabas are mere mortals, not gods.

[14:15]  ⁶⁶⁷ tn Grk “in order that you should turn,” with ἐπιστρέφειν (epistrefein) as an infinitive of purpose, but this is somewhat awkward contemporary English. To translate the infinitive construction “proclaim the good news, that you should turn,” which is much smoother English, could give the impression that the infinitive clause is actually the content of the good news, which it is not. The somewhat less formal “to get you to turn” would work, but might convey to some readers manipulativeness on the part of the apostles. Thus “proclaim the good news, so that you should turn,” is used, to convey that the purpose of the proclamation of good news is the response by the hearers. The emphasis here is like 1 Thess 1:9-10.

[14:15]  ⁶⁶⁸ tn Or “useless,” “futile.” The reference is to idols and idolatry, worshiping the creation over the Creator (Rom 1:18-32). See also 1 Kgs 16:2, 13, 26; 2 Kgs 17:15; Jer 2:5; 8:19; 3 Macc 6:11.

[14:15]  ⁶⁶⁹ tn Grk “and the earth, and the sea,” but καί (kai) has not been translated before “the earth” and “the sea” since contemporary English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[14:16]  ⁶⁷⁰ tn Grk “them, who in.” The relative pronoun (“who”) was replaced by the pronoun “he” (“In past generations he”) and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek and the awkwardness of two relative clauses (“who made the heaven” and “who in past generations”) following one another.

[14:16]  ⁶⁷¹ tn On this term see BDAG 780 s.v. παροίχομαι. The word is a NT hapax legomenon.

[14:16]  ⁶⁷² tn Or “all the Gentiles” (in Greek the word for “nation” and “Gentile” is the same). The plural here alludes to the variety of false religions in the pagan world.

[14:17]  ⁶⁷³ tn The participle ἀγαθουργῶν (agaqourgwn) is regarded as indicating means here, parallel to the following participles διδούς (didou") and ἐμπιπλῶν (empiplwn). This is the easiest way to understand the Greek structure. Semantically, the first participle is a general statement, followed by two participles giving specific examples of doing good.

[14:17]  ⁶⁷⁴ tn Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[14:17]  ⁶⁷⁵ tn Grk “satisfying [filling] your hearts with food and joy.” This is an idiomatic expression; it strikes the English reader as strange to speak of “filling one’s heart with food.” Thus the additional direct object “you” has been supplied, separating the two expressions somewhat: “satisfying you with food and your hearts with joy.”

[14:17]  ⁶⁷⁶ sn God’s general sovereignty and gracious care in the creation are the way Paul introduces the theme of the goodness of God. He was trying to establish monotheism here. It is an OT theme (Gen 8:22; Ps 4:7; 145:15-16; 147:8-9; Isa 25:6; Jer 5:24) which also appears in the NT (Luke 12:22-34).

[14:18]  ⁶⁷⁷ tn The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is regarded as indicating means.

[14:18]  ⁶⁷⁸ tn BDAG 524 s.v. καταπαύω 2.b gives both “restrain” and “dissuade someone fr. someth.,” but “they scarcely dissuaded the crowds from offering sacrifice,” while accurate, is less common in contemporary English than saying “they scarcely persuaded the crowds not to offer sacrifice.” Paganism is portrayed as a powerful reality that is hard to reverse.

[14:19]  ⁶⁷⁹ sn Antioch was a city in Pisidia about 90 mi (145 km) west northwest of Lystra.

[14:19]  map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2; JP4 E2.

[14:19]  ⁶⁸⁰ sn Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 18 mi (30 km) north of Lystra. Note how Jews from other cities were chasing Paul (2 Cor 11:4-6; Gal 2:4-5; Acts 9:16).

[14:19]  ⁶⁸¹ tn The participle πείσαντες (peisante") is taken temporally (BDAG 791 s.v. πείθω 1.c).

[14:19]  ⁶⁸² tn Grk “stoning Paul they dragged him.” The participle λιθάσαντες (liqasante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[14:20]  ⁶⁸³ tn Grk “and entered”; the word “back” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[14:20]  ⁶⁸⁴ tn Grk “And on.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[14:20]  ⁶⁸⁵ sn Derbe was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) southeast of Lystra. This was the easternmost point of the journey.

[14:20]  map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2.

[14:21]  ⁶⁸⁶ sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) northwest of Derbe.

[14:21]  map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2.

[14:21]  ⁶⁸⁷ sn Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 18 mi (30 km) north of Lystra.

[14:21]  ⁶⁸⁸ sn Antioch was a city in Pisidia about 90 mi (145 km) west northwest of Lystra.

[14:21]  map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2; JP4 E2.

[14:22]  ⁶⁸⁹ tn Grk “to Antioch, strengthening.” Due to the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was started here. This participle (ἐπιστηρίζοντες, episthrizonte") and the following one (παρακαλοῦντες, parakalounte") have been translated as finite verbs connected by the coordinating conjunction “and.”

[14:22]  ⁶⁹⁰ sn And encouraged them to continue. The exhortations are like those noted in Acts 11:23; 13:43. An example of such a speech is found in Acts 20:18-35. Christianity is now characterized as “the faith.”

[14:22]  ⁶⁹¹ sn This reference to the kingdom of God clearly refers to its future arrival.

[14:22]  ⁶⁹² tn Or “sufferings.”

[14:23]  ⁶⁹³ sn Appointed elders. See Acts 20:17.

[14:23]  ⁶⁹⁴ tn The preposition κατά (kata) is used here in a distributive sense; see BDAG 512 s.v. κατά B.1.d.

[14:23]  ⁶⁹⁵ tn Literally with a finite verb (προσευξάμενοι, proseuxamenoi) rather than a noun, “praying with fasting,” but the combination “prayer and fasting” is so familiar in English that it is preferable to use it here.

[14:23]  ⁶⁹⁶ tn BDAG 772 s.v. παρατίθημι 3.b has “entrust someone to the care or protection of someone” for this phrase. The reference to persecution or suffering in the context (v. 22) suggests “protection” is a better translation here. This looks at God’s ultimate care for the church.

[14:24]  ⁶⁹⁷ tn Grk “Then passing through Pisidia they came.” The participle διελθόντες (dielqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[14:24]  ⁶⁹⁸ sn Pamphylia was a province along the southern coast of Asia Minor.

[14:25]  ⁶⁹⁹ tn Or “message.”

[14:25]  ⁷⁰⁰ sn Perga was a city in Pamphylia near the southern coast of Asia Minor.

[14:25]  ⁷⁰¹ sn Attalia was a seaport in the province of Pamphylia on the southern coast of Asia Minor, about 12 mi (20 km) southwest of Perga.

[14:26]  ⁷⁰² sn Antioch was the city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia) from which Paul’s first missionary journey began (see Acts 13:1-4). That first missionary journey ends here, after covering some 1,400 mi (2,240 km).

[14:26]  map For location see JP1 F2; JP2 F2; JP3 F2; JP4 F2.

[14:26]  ⁷⁰³ tn Or “committed.” BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 2 gives “commended to the grace of God for the work 14:26” as the meaning for this phrase, although “give over” and “commit” are listed as alternative meanings for this category.

[14:26]  ⁷⁰⁴ tn BDAG 829 s.v. πληρόω 5 has “to bring to completion an activity in which one has been involved from its beginning, complete, finish” as meanings for this category. The ministry to which they were commissioned ends with a note of success.

[14:27]  ⁷⁰⁵ tn Or “announced.”

[14:27]  ⁷⁰⁶ sn Note that God is the subject of the activity. The outcome of this mission is seen as a confirmation of the mission to the Gentiles.

[14:27]  ⁷⁰⁷ sn On the image of opening, or of the door, see 1 Cor 16:9; 2 Cor 2:12; Col 4:3.

[14:28]  ⁷⁰⁸ tn BDAG 238 s.v. διατρίβω gives the meaning as “spend” when followed by an accusative τὸν χρόνον (ton cronon) which is the case here.

[14:28]  ⁷⁰⁹ tn Grk “no little (time)” (an idiom).

[15:1]  ⁷¹⁰ sn That is, they came down from Judea to Antioch in Syria.

[15:1]  ⁷¹¹ tc Codex Bezae (D) and a few other witnesses have “and walk” here (i.e., instead of τῷ ἔθει τῷ Μωϋσέως [tw eqei tw Mwu>sew"] they read καὶ τῷ ἔθει τῷ Μωϋσέως περιπατῆτε [kai tw eqei tw Mwu>sew" peripathte]). This is a decidedly stronger focus on obedience to the Law. As well, D expands vv. 1-5 in various places with the overall effect of being “more sympathetic to the local tradition of the church at Jerusalem” while the Alexandrian witnesses are more sympathetic to Paul (TCGNT 377). Codex D is well known for having a significantly longer text in Acts, but modern scholarship is generally of the opinion that the text of D expands on the original wording of Acts, with a theological viewpoint that especially puts Peter in a more authoritarian light. The expansion in these five verses is in keeping with that motif even though Peter is not explicitly in view.

[15:1]  sn Unless you are circumcised. These teachers from Judea were teaching that Gentiles could not be saved unless they kept the law of Moses in regard to circumcision. Thus according to them a Gentile had first to become a proselyte to Judaism, including circumcision, before one could become a Christian. This party is sometimes known (collectively) as Judaizers. They did not question that Gentiles could come into the community, but disagreed with Paul and Barnabas on what basis they could do so.

[15:2]  ⁷¹² tn Grk “no little argument and debate” (an idiom).

[15:2]  ⁷¹³ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the church, or the rest of the believers at Antioch) has been specified to avoid confusion with the Judaizers mentioned in the preceding clause.

[15:2]  ⁷¹⁴ tn Grk “go up to,” but in this context a meeting is implied.

[15:2]  ⁷¹⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[15:2]  ⁷¹⁶ tn Or “point of controversy.” It is unclear whether this event parallels Gal 2:1-10 or that Gal 2 fits with Acts 11:30. More than likely Gal 2:1-10 is to be related to Acts 11:30.

[15:3]  ⁷¹⁷ sn Phoenicia was an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine in ancient Syria.

[15:3]  ⁷¹⁸ tn L&N 33.201 indicates that ἐκδιηγέομαι (ekdihgeomai) means to provide detailed information in a systematic manner, “to inform, to relate, to tell fully.” “Relating at length” conveys this effectively in the present context.

[15:3]  ⁷¹⁹ tn For ἐποίουν (epoioun) in this verse BDAG 839 s.v. ποιέω 2.c has “they brought joy to the members.”

[15:4]  ⁷²⁰ tn BDAG 761 s.v. παραδέχομαι 2 has “receive, accept” for the meaning here.

[15:4]  ⁷²¹ tn Or “announced.”

[15:4]  ⁷²² tn “They reported all the things God had done with them” – an identical phrase occurs in Acts 14:27. God is always the agent.

[15:5]  ⁷²³ sn See the note on Pharisee in 5:34.

[15:5]  ⁷²⁴ sn The Greek word used here (δεῖ, dei) is a strong term that expresses divine necessity. The claim is that God commanded the circumcision of Gentiles.

[15:5]  ⁷²⁵ tn Grk “them”; the referent (the Gentiles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:5]  ⁷²⁶ tn Or “keep.”

[15:6]  ⁷²⁷ tn The translation for ἰδεῖν (idein) in this verse is given by BDAG 279-80 s.v. εἶδον 3 as “deliberate concerning this matter.” A contemporary idiom would be to “look into” a matter.

[15:7]  ⁷²⁸ tn Or “discussion.” This term is repeated from v. 2.

[15:7]  ⁷²⁹ tn Or “long ago” (an idiom, literally “from ancient days”). According to L&N 67.26, “this reference to Peter having been chosen by God sometime before to bring the gospel to the Gentiles can hardly be regarded as a reference to ancient times, though some persons understand this to mean that God’s decision was made at the beginning of time. The usage of ἀφ᾿ ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων is probably designed to emphasize the established nature of God’s decision for Peter to take the gospel to the Gentiles beginning with the centurion Cornelius. The fact that this was relatively early in the development of the church may also serve to explain the use of the idiom.”

[15:7]  ⁷³⁰ sn God chose. The theme of God’s sovereign choice is an important point, because 1st century Jews believed Israel’s unique position and customs were a reflection of God’s choice.

[15:7]  ⁷³¹ tn Or “word.”

[15:7]  ⁷³² tn Or “of the good news.”

[15:7]  ⁷³³ tn Grk “God chose among you from my mouth the Gentiles to hear the message of the gospel and to believe.” The sense of this sentence in Greek is difficult to render in English. The Greek verb ἐκλέγομαι (eklegomai, “choose”) normally takes a person or thing as a direct object; in this verse the verb has neither clearly stated. The translation understands the phrase “from my mouth,” referring to Peter, as a description of both who God chose and the task to be done. This coupled with the following statement about Gentiles hearing the message of the gospel leads to the more dynamic rendering in the translation.

[15:8]  ⁷³⁴ sn The expression who knows the heart means “who knows what people think.”

[15:8]  ⁷³⁵ tn Or “has borne witness.”

[15:8]  ⁷³⁶ sn By giving them…just as he did to us. The allusion is to the events of Acts 10-11, esp. 10:44-48 and Peter’s remarks in 11:15-18.

[15:9]  ⁷³⁷ tn BDAG 231 s.v. διακρίνω 1.b lists this passage under the meaning “to conclude that there is a difference, make a distinction, differentiate.”

[15:9]  ⁷³⁸ tn Or “purifying.”

[15:10]  ⁷³⁹ tn According to BDAG 793 s.v. πειράζω 2.c, “In Ac 15:10 the πειράζειν τὸν θεόν consists in the fact that after God’s will has been clearly made known through granting of the Spirit to the Gentiles (v. 8), some doubt and make trial to see whether God’s will really becomes operative.” All testing of God in Luke is negative: Luke 4:2; 11:16.

[15:10]  ⁷⁴⁰ sn A yoke is a wooden bar or frame that joins two animals like oxen or horses so that they can pull a wagon, plow, etc. together. Here it is used figuratively of the restriction that some in the early church wanted to place on Gentile converts to Christianity of observing the law of Moses and having males circumcised. The yoke is a decidedly negative image: Matt 23:4, but cf. Matt 11:29-30.

[15:10]  ⁷⁴¹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[15:11]  ⁷⁴² tn Or “by.”

[15:11]  ⁷⁴³ tn Or “Jesus, just as they are.” BDAG 1016-17 s.v. τρόπος 1 translates καθ᾿ ὃν τρόπον (kaq’ Jon tropon) here as “in the same way as.”

[15:11]  sn In the same way as they are. Here is an interesting reversal of the argument. Jews are saved by grace (without law), as Gentiles are.

[15:12]  ⁷⁴⁴ tn BDAG 922 s.v. σιγάω 1.a lists this passage under the meaning “say nothing, keep still, keep silent.”

[15:12]  ⁷⁴⁵ tn Here in connection with τέρατα (terata) the miraculous nature of these signs is indicated.

[15:13]  ⁷⁴⁶ tn BDAG 922 s.v. σιγάω 1.b lists this passage under the meaning “stop speaking, become silent.”

[15:13]  ⁷⁴⁷ tn Grk “answered, saying”; the redundant participle λέγων (legwn) has not been translated.

[15:14]  ⁷⁴⁸ sn Simeon is a form of the apostle Peter’s Aramaic name. James uses Peter’s “Jewish” name here.

[15:14]  ⁷⁴⁹ tn Or “reported,” “described.”

[15:14]  ⁷⁵⁰ tn BDAG 378 s.v. ἐπισκέπτομαι 3 translates this phrase in Acts 15:14, “God concerned himself about winning a people fr. among the nations.”

[15:14]  ⁷⁵¹ tn Grk “to take,” but in the sense of selecting or choosing (accompanied by the preposition ἐκ [ek] plus a genitive specifying the group selected from) see Heb 5:1; also BDAG 584 s.v. λαμβάνω 6.

[15:14]  ⁷⁵² sn In the Greek text the expression “from among the Gentiles” is in emphatic position.

[15:15]  ⁷⁵³ tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[15:15]  ⁷⁵⁴ sn The term agree means “match” or “harmonize with.” James’ point in the introduction argues that many of the OT prophets taught this. He gives one example (which follows).

[15:16]  ⁷⁵⁵ tn Grk “After these things.”

[15:16]  ⁷⁵⁶ sn The first person pronoun I refers to God and his activity. It is God who is doing this.

[15:16]  ⁷⁵⁷ tn Or more generally, “dwelling”; perhaps, “royal tent.” According to BDAG 928 s.v. σκηνή the word can mean “tent” or “hut,” or more generally “lodging” or “dwelling.” In this verse (a quotation from Amos 9:11) BDAG refers this to David’s ruined kingdom; it is possibly an allusion to a king’s tent (a royal tent). God is at work to reestablish David’s line (Acts 2:30-36; 13:32-39).

[15:16]  ⁷⁵⁸ tn BDAG 86 s.v. ἀνορθόω places this verb under the meaning “to build someth. up again after it has fallen, rebuild, restore,” but since ἀνοικοδομέω (anoikodomew, “rebuild”) has occurred twice in this verse already, “restore” is used here.

[15:17]  ⁷⁵⁹ tn Or “so that all other people.” The use of this term follows Amos 9:11 LXX.

[15:17]  ⁷⁶⁰ tn Here καί (kai) introduces an explanatory clause that explains the preceding phrase “the rest of humanity.” The clause introduced by καί (kai) could also be punctuated in English as a parenthesis.

[15:17]  ⁷⁶¹ tn Or “all the nations” (in Greek the word for “nation” and “Gentile” is the same).

[15:17]  sn Note the linkage back to v. 14 through the mention of Gentiles. What Simeon explained is what the OT text says would happen.

[15:17]  ⁷⁶² tn Grk “all the Gentiles on whom my name has been called.” Based on well-attested OT usage, the passive of ἐπικαλέω (epikalew) here indicates God’s ownership (“all the Gentiles who belong to me”) or calling (“all the Gentiles whom I have called to be my own”). See L&N 11.28.

[15:17]  ⁷⁶³ sn A quotation from Amos 9:11-12 LXX. James demonstrated a high degree of cultural sensitivity when he cited a version of the text (the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament) that Gentiles would use.

[15:18]  ⁷⁶⁴ sn Who makes these things known. The remark emphasizes how God’s design of these things reaches back to the time he declared them.

[15:18]  ⁷⁶⁵ sn An allusion to Isa 45:21.

[15:19]  ⁷⁶⁶ tn Or “I have decided,” “I think.” The verb κρίνω (krinw) has a far broader range of meaning than the often-used English verb “judge.” BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 3 places this use in Acts 15:19 in the category “judge, think, consider, look upon” followed by double accusative of object and predicate. However, many modern translations give the impression that a binding decision is being handed down by James: “it is my judgment” (NASB, NIV); “I have reached the decision” (NRSV). L&N 22.25, on the other hand, translate the phrase here “I think that we should not cause extra difficulty for those among the Gentiles.” This gives more the impression of an opinion than a binding decision. The resolution of this lies not so much in the lexical data as in how one conceives James’ role in the leadership of the Jerusalem church, plus the dynamics of the specific situation where the issue of Gentile inclusion in the church was being discussed. The major possibilities are: (1) James is handing down a binding decision to the rest of the church as the one who has ultimate authority to decide this matter; (2) James is offering his own personal opinion in the matter, which is not binding on the church; (3) James is voicing a consensus opinion of all the apostles and elders, although phrasing it as if it were his own; (4) James is making a suggestion to the rest of the leadership as to what course they should follow. In light of the difficulty in reconstructing the historical situation in detail, it is best to use a translation which maintains as many of the various options as possible. For this reason the translation “Therefore I conclude” has been used, leaving open the question whether in reaching this conclusion James is speaking only for himself or for the rest of the leadership.

[15:19]  ⁷⁶⁷ tn Or “trouble.” This term is a NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 775 s.v. παρενοχλέω).

[15:19]  ⁷⁶⁸ tn Or “among the nations” (in Greek the word for “nation” and “Gentile” is the same).

[15:20]  ⁷⁶⁹ tn The translation “to write a letter, to send a letter to” for ἐπιστέλλω (epistellw) is given in L&N 33.49.

[15:20]  ⁷⁷⁰ tn Three of the four prohibitions deal with food (the first, third and fourth) while one prohibition deals with behavior (the second, refraining from sexual immorality). Since these occur in the order they do, the translation “abstain from” is used to cover both sorts of activity (eating food items, immoral behavior).

[15:20]  sn Telling them to abstain. These restrictions are not on matters of salvation, but are given as acts of sensitivity to their Jewish brethren, as v. 21 makes clear. Another example of such sensitivity is seen in 1 Cor 10:14-11:1.

[15:20]  ⁷⁷¹ tn Or “polluted.”

[15:20]  ⁷⁷² sn What has been strangled. That is, to refrain from eating animals that had been killed without having the blood drained from them. According to the Mosaic law (Lev 17:13-14), Jews were forbidden to eat flesh with the blood still in it (note the following provision in Acts 15:20, and from blood).

[15:21]  ⁷⁷³ tn Grk “from generations of old”; the translation “fr. ancient times” is given by BDAG 192 s.v. γενεά 3.b.

[15:21]  ⁷⁷⁴ tn The translation “read aloud” is used to indicate the actual practice; translating as “read” could be misunderstood to mean private, silent reading.

[15:21]  ⁷⁷⁵ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[15:22]  ⁷⁷⁶ tn BDAG 255 s.v. δοκέω 2.b.β lists this verse under the meaning “it seems best to me, I decide, I resolve.”

[15:22]  ⁷⁷⁷ sn Silas. See 2 Cor 1:19; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1 (= Silvanus).

[15:22]  ⁷⁷⁸ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[15:22]  map For location see JP1 F2; JP2 F2; JP3 F2; JP4 F2.

[15:23]  ⁷⁷⁹ tn Grk “writing by their hand” (an idiom for sending a letter).

[15:23]  ⁷⁸⁰ tn Grk “The apostles.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[15:23]  ⁷⁸¹ tn Grk “brothers,” but “your” is supplied to specify the relationship, since without it “brothers” could be understood as vocative in English.

[15:23]  ⁷⁸² tn Grk “to the brothers who are from the Gentiles.”

[15:23]  ⁷⁸³ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[15:23]  ⁷⁸⁴ tn Grk “and Syria,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[15:24]  ⁷⁸⁵ tn Here BDAG 990-91 s.v. ταράσσω 2 states, “Of mental confusion caused by false teachings ταρ. τινά Ac 15:24 (w. λόγοις foll.).”

[15:24]  ⁷⁸⁶ tn BDAG 71 s.v. ἀνασκευάζω describes this verb with a figurative meaning: “to cause inward distress, upset, unsettle.”

[15:24]  ⁷⁸⁷ tn Grk “souls.”

[15:24]  ⁷⁸⁸ tn Grk “by words”; L&N 25.231 translates the phrase “they troubled and upset you by what they said.”

[15:25]  ⁷⁸⁹ tn Grk “having become of one mind, we have decided.” This has been translated “we have unanimously decided” to reduce the awkwardness in English.

[15:25]  ⁷⁹⁰ tn BDAG 255 s.v. δοκέω 2.b.β lists this verse under the meaning “it seems best to me, I decide, I resolve.”

[15:26]  ⁷⁹¹ tn Grk “men who”; but this can be misleading because in English the referent could be understood to be the men sent along with Barnabas and Paul rather than Barnabas and Paul themselves. This option does not exist in the Greek original, however, since ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") is dative and must agree with “Barnabas and Paul,” while ἄνδρας (andra") is accusative. By omitting the word “men” from the translation here, it is clear in English that the phrase refers to the immediately preceding nouns “Barnabas and Paul.”

[15:26]  ⁷⁹² tn Grk “who have risked their souls”; the equivalent English idiom is “risk one’s life.” The descriptions commend Barnabas and Paul as thoroughly trustworthy.

[15:26]  ⁷⁹³ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[15:27]  ⁷⁹⁴ tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.

[15:27]  ⁷⁹⁵ sn Judas and Silas were the “two witnesses” who would vouch for the truth of the recommendation.

[15:27]  ⁷⁹⁶ tn Grk “by means of word” (an idiom for a verbal report).

[15:28]  ⁷⁹⁷ tn This is the same expression translated “decided” in Acts 15:22, 25. BDAG 255 s.v. δοκέω 2.b.β lists “decide” as a possible gloss for this verse, and this translation would be consistent with the translation of the same expression in Acts 15:22, 25. However, the unusually awkward “the Holy Spirit and we have decided” would result. Given this approach, it would be more natural in English to say “We and the Holy Spirit have decided,” but changing the order removes the emphasis the Greek text gives to the Holy Spirit. Thus, although the similarity to the phrases in 15:22, 25 is obscured, it is better to use the alternate translation “it seems best to me” (also given by BDAG): “it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us.” Again the scope of agreement is highlighted.

[15:28]  ⁷⁹⁸ tn L&N 71.39 translates “indispensable (rules)” while BDAG 358 s.v. ἐπάναγκες has “the necessary things.”

[15:29]  ⁷⁹⁹ tn There is no specific semantic component in the Greek word εἰδωλόθυτος that means “meat” (see BDAG 280 s.v. εἰδωλόθυτος; L&N 5.15). The stem –θυτος means “sacrifice” (referring to an animal sacrificially killed) and thereby implies meat.

[15:29]  ⁸⁰⁰ tc Codex Bezae (D) and a few other witnesses lack the restriction “and from what has been strangled” (καὶ πνικτῶν, kai pniktwn), though the words are supported by a wide variety of early and important witnesses otherwise and should be considered authentic.

[15:29]  sn What has been strangled. That is, to refrain from eating animals that had been killed without having the blood drained from them. According to the Mosaic law (Lev 17:13-14), Jews were forbidden to eat flesh with the blood still in it (note the preceding provision in this verse, and from blood).

[15:29]  ⁸⁰¹ tc Codex Bezae (D) as well as 323 614 945 1739 1891 sa and other witnesses have after “sexual immorality” the following statement: “And whatever you do not want to happen to yourselves, do not do to another/others.” By adding this negative form of the Golden Rule, these witnesses effectively change the Apostolic Decree from what might be regarded as ceremonial restrictions into more ethical demands. The issues here are quite complicated, and beyond the scope of this brief note. Suffice it to say that D and its allies here are almost surely an expansion and alteration of the original text of Acts. For an excellent discussion of the exegetical and textual issues, see TCGNT 379-83.

[15:29]  ⁸⁰² tn Grk “from which things keeping yourselves.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (ὧν, |wn) has been replaced by a pronoun (“these things”) and a new English sentence begun. The participle διατηροῦντες (diathrounte") has been translated as a conditional adverbial participle (“if you keep yourselves”). See further L&N 13.153.

[15:29]  ⁸⁰³ tn The phrase ἔρρωσθε (errwsqe) may be understood as a stock device indicating a letter is complete (“good-bye,” L&N 33.24) or as a sincere wish that the persons involved may fare well (“may you fare well,” L&N 23.133).

[15:30]  ⁸⁰⁴ tn Or “sent away.”

[15:30]  ⁸⁰⁵ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[15:30]  ⁸⁰⁶ tn Or “congregation” (referring to the group of believers).

[15:31]  ⁸⁰⁷ tn Grk “read it.” The translation “read aloud” is used to indicate the actual practice of public reading; translating as “read” could be misunderstood to mean private, silent, or individual reading.

[15:31]  ⁸⁰⁸ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:31]  ⁸⁰⁹ tn Or “at its encouraging message.”

[15:32]  ⁸¹⁰ tn Here λόγου (logou) is singular. BDAG 599-600 s.v. λόγος 1.a.β has “in a long speech” for this phrase.

[15:33]  ⁸¹¹ tn Grk “And after.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[15:33]  ⁸¹² tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[15:34]  ⁸¹³ tc A few mss add 15:34 “But Silas decided to stay there.” Verse 34 is lacking in Ì⁷⁴ א A B E Ψ Ï bo. It is included in a shorter form, with a few minor variations, by (C) 33 36 323 453 614 (945) 1175 1739 1891 al sa, and in a longer form (“But Silas decided to stay with them, and only Judas departed”) by D l. The verse is almost certainly not a part of the original text of Acts, but was added to harmonize with the statement about Silas in v. 40. The present translation follows NA²⁷ in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.

[15:35]  ⁸¹⁴ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[15:35]  ⁸¹⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[15:35]  ⁸¹⁶ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in v. 36; Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[15:36]  ⁸¹⁷ tn Grk “Returning let us visit.” The participle ἐπιστρέψαντες (epistreyante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[15:36]  ⁸¹⁸ tn See the note on the phrase “word of the Lord” in v. 35.

[15:36]  ⁸¹⁹ tn BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.b has “how they are” for this phrase.

[15:38]  ⁸²⁰ tn BDAG 94 s.v. ἀξιόω 2.a has “he insisted (impf.) that they should not take him along” for this phrase.

[15:38]  ⁸²¹ sn Pamphylia was a province in the southern part of Asia Minor. See Acts 13:13, where it was mentioned previously.

[15:39]  ⁸²² tn Grk “There happened a sharp disagreement.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[15:39]  ⁸²³ tn BDAG 780 s.v. παροξυσμός 2 has “sharp disagreement” here; L&N 33.451 has “sharp argument, sharp difference of opinion.”

[15:39]  ⁸²⁴ tn Grk “taking along Mark sailed.” The participle παραλαβόντα (paralabonta) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[15:39]  ⁸²⁵ sn Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[15:40]  ⁸²⁶ tn Or “committed.” BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 2 gives “be commended by someone to the grace of the Lord” as the meaning for this phrase, although “give over” and “commit” are listed as alternatives for this category.

[15:40]  ⁸²⁷ tn Grk “by the brothers.” Here it it is highly probable that the entire congregation is in view, not just men, so the translation “brothers and sisters” has been used for the plural ἀδελφῶν (adelfwn),.

[15:41]  ⁸²⁸ sn Strengthening. See Acts 14:22; 15:32; 18:23.

[16:1]  ⁸²⁹ sn Derbe was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) southeast of Lystra. It was about 90 mi (145 km) from Tarsus.

[16:1]  map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2.

[16:1]  ⁸³⁰ sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 25 mi (40 km) south of Iconium.

[16:1]  map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2.

[16:1]  ⁸³¹ tn Grk “And behold, a disciple.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.

[16:1]  ⁸³² tn L&N 31.103 translates this phrase “the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer.”

[16:1]  ⁸³³ sn His father was a Greek. Timothy was the offspring of a mixed marriage between a Jewish woman (see 2 Tim 1:5) and a Gentile man. On mixed marriages in Judaism, see Neh 13:23-27; Ezra 9:1-10:44; Mal 2:10-16; Jub. 30:7-17; m. Qiddushin 3.12; m. Yevamot 7.5.

[16:2]  ⁸³⁴ sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 25 mi (40 km) south of Iconium.

[16:2]  ⁸³⁵ sn Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 110 mi (175 km) east of Pisidian Antioch.

[16:2]  ⁸³⁶ tn For this sense of μαρτυρέω (marturew), see BDAG 618 s.v. 2.b.

[16:2]  ⁸³⁷ tn Grk “who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who was a believer…who was well spoken of”) and the awkwardness of the passive verb (“was well spoken of”), the relative pronoun at the beginning of 16:2 (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“him”) and the construction converted from passive to active at the same time a new sentence was started in the translation.

[16:3]  ⁸³⁸ tn Grk “this one”; the referent (Timothy) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:3]  ⁸³⁹ tn Grk “and taking him he circumcised him.” The participle λαβών (labwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Paul’s cultural sensitivity showed in his action here. He did not want Timothy’s lack of circumcision to become an issue (1 Cor 9:15-23).

[16:3]  ⁸⁴⁰ tn The verb περιέτεμεν (perietemen) here may be understood as causative (cf. ExSyn 411-12) if Paul did not personally perform the circumcision.

[16:3]  ⁸⁴¹ tn Or “who lived in the area.”

[16:3]  ⁸⁴² tn The anarthrous predicate nominative has been translated as qualitative (“Greek”) rather than indefinite (“a Greek”).

[16:3]  sn His father was Greek. Under Jewish law at least as early as the 2nd century, a person was considered Jewish if his or her mother was Jewish. It is not certain whether such a law was in effect in the 1st century, but even if it was, Timothy would not have been accepted as fully Jewish because he was not circumcised.

[16:4]  ⁸⁴³ tn Or “cities.”

[16:4]  ⁸⁴⁴ tn BDAG 762-63 s.v. παραδίδωμι 3 has “they handed down to them the decisions to observe Ac 16:4.”

[16:4]  ⁸⁴⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[16:4]  ⁸⁴⁶ tn Grk “for them”; the referent (Gentile believers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:4]  ⁸⁴⁷ tn Or “observe” or “follow.”

[16:5]  ⁸⁴⁸ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.

[16:6]  ⁸⁴⁹ sn Phrygia was a district in central Asia Minor west of Pisidia.

[16:6]  ⁸⁵⁰ sn Galatia refers to either (1) the region of the old kingdom of Galatia in the central part of Asia Minor (North Galatia), or (2) the Roman province of Galatia, whose principal cities in the 1st century were Ancyra and Pisidian Antioch (South Galatia). The exact extent and meaning of this area has been a subject of considerable controversy in modern NT studies.

[16:6]  ⁸⁵¹ tn Or “forbidden.”

[16:6]  ⁸⁵² tn Or “word.”

[16:6]  ⁸⁵³ tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[16:7]  ⁸⁵⁴ tn BDAG 511 s.v. κατά B.1.b has “to Mysia” here.

[16:7]  ⁸⁵⁵ sn Mysia was a province in northwest Asia Minor.

[16:7]  ⁸⁵⁶ sn Bithynia was a province in northern Asia Minor northeast of Mysia.

[16:7]  ⁸⁵⁷ tn Or “permit”; see BDAG 269 s.v. ἐάω 1.

[16:7]  ⁸⁵⁸ tn The words “do this” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons, since English handles ellipses differently than Greek.

[16:8]  ⁸⁵⁹ tn Although the normal meaning for παρέρχομαι (parercomai) is “pass by, go by,” it would be difficult to get to Troas from where Paul and his companions were without going through rather than around Mysia. BDAG 776 s.v. παρέρχομαι 6 list some nonbiblical examples of the meaning “go through, pass through,” and give that meaning for the usage here.

[16:8]  ⁸⁶⁰ sn Mysia was a province in northwest Asia Minor.

[16:8]  ⁸⁶¹ sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor, near ancient Troy.

[16:9]  ⁸⁶² tn Grk “And a.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[16:9]  ⁸⁶³ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[16:9]  ⁸⁶⁴ tn The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

[16:9]  ⁸⁶⁵ tn Grk “Coming over.” The participle διαβάς (diabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:9]  ⁸⁶⁶ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[16:10]  ⁸⁶⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:10]  ⁸⁶⁸ tn Grk “sought.”

[16:10]  ⁸⁶⁹ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[16:10]  ⁸⁷⁰ tn Or “summoned.”

[16:11]  ⁸⁷¹ tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

[16:11]  ⁸⁷² sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. See v. 8.

[16:11]  ⁸⁷³ tn BDAG 406 s.v. εὐθυδρομέω has “of a ship run a straight course” here; L&N 54.3 has “to sail a straight course, sail straight to.”

[16:11]  ⁸⁷⁴ sn Samothrace is an island in the northern part of the Aegean Sea.

[16:11]  ⁸⁷⁵ sn Neapolis was a seaport on the southern coast of Macedonia. It was 10 mi (16 km) from Philippi.

[16:12]  ⁸⁷⁶ map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[16:12]  ⁸⁷⁷ tc ‡ Or perhaps, “a city in the first district” (there are a number of textual variants). L&N 1.85 follow the text of UBS⁴ and NA²⁷ here: “In Ac 16:12…the Greek New Testament published by the United Bible Societies has adopted a conjectural emendation, since the more traditional text, πρώτη τῆς μερίδος, literally ‘first of the district,’ is not only misleading in meaning but does not reflect the historical fact that Philippi was a city in one of the four districts of Macedonia but was not a capital city.” The original text is probably πρώτη τῆς μερίδος (prwth th" merido", “first of that district”) as found in Ì⁷⁴ א A C Ψ 33^vid 36 81 323 945 1175 1891 pc. This has traditionally been translated to give the impression that Philippi was the capital city of the district, but it does not necessarily have to be translated this way. The translation of the article before μερίδος as “that” acknowledges that there were other districts in the province of Macedonia.

[16:12]  ⁸⁷⁸ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[16:12]  ⁸⁷⁹ sn A Roman colony was a city whose residents were regarded as Roman citizens, since such cities were originally colonized by citizens of Rome. From Troas to Philippi was 130 mi (208 km).

[16:13]  ⁸⁸⁰ tn Grk “and sitting down we began to speak.” The participle καθίσαντες (kaqisante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:13]  ⁸⁸¹ tn The imperfect verb ἐλαλοῦμεν (elaloumen) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[16:13]  ⁸⁸² sn To the women. Apparently there were not enough Jews present in Philippi to have a synagogue (ten men would have been required to have one).

[16:13]  ⁸⁸³ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[16:14]  ⁸⁸⁴ tn Grk “And a.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[16:14]  ⁸⁸⁵ tn On the term translated “a dealer in purple cloth” see BDAG 855 s.v. πορφυρόπωλις.

[16:14]  ⁸⁸⁶ sn Thyatira was a city in the province of Lydia in Asia Minor.

[16:14]  ⁸⁸⁷ tn The words “to us” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[16:14]  ⁸⁸⁸ tn Although BDAG 880 s.v. προσέχω 2.b gives the meaning “pay attention to” here, this could be misunderstood by the modern English reader to mean merely listening intently. The following context, however, indicates that Lydia responded positively to Paul’s message, so the verb here was translated “to respond.”

[16:14]  sn Lydia is one of several significant women in Acts (see 17:4, 12, 34; 18:20).

[16:15]  ⁸⁸⁹ tn Grk “urged us, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[16:15]  ⁸⁹⁰ tn This is a first class condition in Greek, with the statement presented as real or true for the sake of the argument.

[16:15]  ⁸⁹¹ tn Or “faithful to the Lord.” BDAG 821 s.v. πίστος 2 states concerning this verse, “Of one who confesses the Christian faith believing or a believer in the Lord, in Christ, in God πιστ. τῷ κυρίῳ Ac 16:15.” L&N 11.17 has “one who is included among the faithful followers of Christ – ‘believer, Christian, follower.’”

[16:15]  ⁸⁹² tn Although BDAG 759 s.v. παραβιάζομαι has “urge strongly, prevail upon,” in contemporary English “persuade” is a more frequently used synonym for “prevail upon.”

[16:16]  ⁸⁹³ tn Grk “Now it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[16:16]  ⁸⁹⁴ tn Or “who had a spirit of divination”; Grk “who had a spirit of Python.” According to BDAG 896-97 s.v. πύθων, originally Πύθων (Puqwn) was the name of the serpent or dragon that guarded the Delphic oracle. According to Greek mythology, it lived at the foot of Mount Parnassus and was killed by Apollo. From this, the word came to designate a person who was thought to have a spirit of divination. Pagan generals, for example, might consult someone like this. So her presence here suggests a supernatural encounter involving Paul and her “spirit.” W. Foerster, TDNT 6:920, connects the term with ventriloquism but states: “We must assume, however, that for this girl, as for those mentioned by Origen…, the art of ventriloquism was inseparably connected with a (supposed or authentic) gift of soothsaying.” It should also be noted that if the girl in question here were only a ventriloquist, the exorcism performed by Paul in v. 18 would not have been effective.

[16:16]  ⁸⁹⁵ tn Grk “who.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who had a spirit…who brought her owners a great profit”) the relative pronoun here (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“she”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[16:16]  ⁸⁹⁶ tn Or “masters.”

[16:16]  ⁸⁹⁷ tn On this term see BDAG 616 s.v. μαντεύομαι. It was used of those who gave oracles.

[16:17]  ⁸⁹⁸ tn Grk “crying out, saying”; the participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in English and has not been translated. The imperfect verb ἔκραζεν (ekrazen) has been translated as a progressive imperfect.

[16:17]  ⁸⁹⁹ tn Grk “slaves.” See the note on the word “servants” in 2:18. The translation “servants” was used here because in this context there appears to be more emphasis on the activity of Paul and his companions (“proclaiming to you the way of salvation”) than on their status as “slaves of the Most High God.”

[16:17]  ⁹⁰⁰ tn Or “a way.” The grammar of this phrase is a bit ambiguous. The phrase in Greek is ὁδὸν σωτηρίας (Jodon swthria"). Neither the head noun nor the genitive noun has the article; this is in keeping with Apollonius’ Canon (see ExSyn 239-40). Since both nouns are anarthrous, this construction also fits Apollonius’ Corollary (see ExSyn 250-54); since the genitive noun is abstract it is most naturally qualitative, so the head noun could either be definite or indefinite without being unusual as far as the grammar is concerned. Luke’s usage of ὁδός elsewhere is indecisive as far as this passage is concerned. However, when one looks at the historical background it is clear that (1) the woman is shut up (via exorcism) not because her testimony is false but because of its source (analogous to Jesus’ treatment of demons perhaps), and (b) “the way” is a par excellence description of the new faith throughout Acts. It thus seems that at least in Luke’s presentation “the way of salvation” is the preferred translation.

[16:17]  ⁹⁰¹ sn Proclaiming to you the way of salvation. The remarks were an ironic recognition of Paul’s authority, but he did not desire such a witness, possibly for fear of confusion. Her expression the Most High God might have been understood as Zeus by the audience.

[16:18]  ⁹⁰² tn Grk “becoming greatly annoyed.” The participle διαπονηθείς (diaponhqei") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. The aorist has been translated as an ingressive aorist (entry into a state or condition). See BDAG 235 s.v. διαπονέομαι.

[16:18]  ⁹⁰³ tn Grk “and turning.” The participle ἐπιστρέψας (epistreya") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:18]  ⁹⁰⁴ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[16:18]  ⁹⁰⁵ tn BDAG 1102-3 s.v. ὥρα 2.c has “at that very time, at once, instantly” for the usage in this verse.

[16:19]  ⁹⁰⁶ tn Or “masters.”

[16:19]  ⁹⁰⁷ tn On this use of ἐργασία (ergasia), see BDAG 390 s.v. 4. It is often the case that destructive practices and commerce are closely tied together.

[16:19]  ⁹⁰⁸ tn Grk “was gone, seizing.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενοι (epilabomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:19]  ⁹⁰⁹ tn On the term ἕλκω ({elkw) see BDAG 318 s.v. 1.

[16:20]  ⁹¹⁰ tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[16:20]  ⁹¹¹ tn Grk “having brought them.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενοι (epilabomenoi) has been taken temporally. It is also possible in English to translate this participle as a finite verb: “they brought them before the magistrates and said.”

[16:20]  ⁹¹² tn BDAG 309 s.v. ἐκταράσσω has “agitate, cause trouble to, throw into confusion” for the meaning of this verb.

[16:20]  ⁹¹³ tn Grk “being Jews, and they are proclaiming.” The participle ὑπάρχοντες (Juparconte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:21]  ⁹¹⁴ tn Grk “proclaiming,” but in relation to customs, “advocating” is a closer approximation to the meaning.

[16:21]  ⁹¹⁵ tn Or “acknowledge.”

[16:21]  ⁹¹⁶ sn Customs that are not lawful for us to accept or practice. Ironically, the charges are similar to those made against Jesus in Luke 23:2, where Jews argued he was “twisting” their customs. The charge has three elements: (1) a racial element (Jewish); (2) a social element (unlawful); and (3) a traditional element (not their customs).

[16:21]  ⁹¹⁷ tn Grk “we being Romans.” The participle οὖσιν (ousin) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[16:22]  ⁹¹⁸ tn L&N 39.50 has “the crowd joined the attack against them” for συνεπέστη (sunepesth) in this verse.

[16:22]  ⁹¹⁹ tn Grk “tearing the clothes off them, the magistrates ordered.” The participle περιρήξαντες (perirhxante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Although it may be possible to understand the aorist active participle περιρήξαντες in a causative sense (“the magistrates caused the clothes to be torn off Paul and Silas”) in the mob scene that was taking place, it is also possible that the magistrates themselves actively participated. This act was done to prepare them for a public flogging (2 Cor 11:25; 1 Thess 2:2).

[16:22]  ⁹²⁰ tn Grk “off them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:22]  ⁹²¹ tn The infinitive ῥαβδίζειν (rJabdizein) means “to beat with rods or sticks” (as opposed to fists or clubs, BDAG 902 s.v. ῥαβδίζω).

[16:23]  ⁹²² tn Grk “Having inflicted many blows on them.” The participle ἐπιθέντες (epiqente") has been taken temporally. BDAG 384 s.v. ἐπιτίθημι 1.a.β has “inflict blows upon someone” for this expression, but in this context it is simpler to translate in English as “they had beaten them severely.”

[16:23]  ⁹²³ tn Grk “commanding.” The participle παραγγείλαντες (parangeilante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:24]  ⁹²⁴ tn Or “prison.”

[16:24]  ⁹²⁵ tn L&N 6.21 has “stocks” for εἰς τὸ ξύλον (ei" to xulon) here, as does BDAG 685 s.v. ξύλον 2.b. However, it is also possible (as mentioned in L&N 18.12) that this does not mean “stocks” but a block of wood (a log or wooden column) in the prison to which prisoners’ feet were chained or tied. Such a possibility is suggested by v. 26, where the “bonds” (“chains”?) of the prisoners loosened.

[16:25]  ⁹²⁶ tn Grk “praying, were singing.” The participle προσευχόμενοι (proseucomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:25]  ⁹²⁷ sn Praying and singing hymns to God. Tertullian said, “The legs feel nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven” (To the Martyrs 2; cf. Rom 5:3; Jas 1:2; 1 Pet 5:6). The presence of God means the potential to be free (cf. v. 26).

[16:25]  ⁹²⁸ tn The words “the rest of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[16:26]  ⁹²⁹ tn Or perhaps, “chains.” The translation of τὰ δεσμά (ta desma) is to some extent affected by the understanding of ξύλον (xulon, “stocks”) in v. 24. It is possible (as mentioned in L&N 18.12) that this does not mean “stocks” but a block of wood (a log or wooden column) in the prison to which prisoners’ feet were chained or tied.

[16:27]  ⁹³⁰ tn L&N 23.75 has “had awakened” here. It is more in keeping with contemporary English style, however, to keep the two verbal ideas parallel in terms of tense (“when the jailer woke up and saw”) although logically the second action is subsequent to the first.

[16:27]  ⁹³¹ tn The additional semantic component “standing” is supplied (“standing open”) to convey a stative nuance in English.

[16:27]  ⁹³² sn Was about to kill himself. The jailer’s penalty for failing to guard the prisoners would have been death, so he contemplated saving the leaders the trouble (see Acts 12:19; 27:42).

[16:27]  ⁹³³ tn Or “thought.”

[16:28]  ⁹³⁴ tn Grk “But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying.” The dative phrase μεγάλῃ φωνῇ (megalh fwnh) has been simplified as an English adverb (“loudly”), and the participle λέγων (legwn) has not been translated since it is redundant in English.

[16:28]  ⁹³⁵ sn Do not harm yourself. Again the irony is that Paul is the agent through whom the jailer is spared.

[16:29]  ⁹³⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:29]  ⁹³⁷ tn Or “and prostrated himself.”

[16:29]  sn Fell down. The earthquake and the freeing of the prisoners showed that God’s power was present. Such power could only be recognized. The open doors opened the jailer’s heart.

[16:30]  ⁹³⁸ tn Grk “And bringing them outside, he asked.” The participle προαγαγών (proagagwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun by supplying the conjunction “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[16:30]  ⁹³⁹ tn The Greek term (δεῖ, dei) is used by Luke to represent divine necessity.

[16:31]  ⁹⁴⁰ tn Grk “said.”

[16:31]  ⁹⁴¹ sn Here the summary term of response is a call to believe. In this context it refers to trusting the sovereign God’s power to deliver, which events had just pictured for the jailer.

[16:31]  ⁹⁴² tc The majority of mss add Χριστόν (Criston, “Christ”) here (C D E Ψ 1739 Ï sy sa), but the best and earliest witnesses read simply τὸν κύριον ᾿Ιησοῦν (ton kurion Ihsoun, “the Lord Jesus”; Ì^74vid א A B 33 81 pc bo). The addition of “Christ” to “Lord Jesus” is an obviously motivated reading. Thus on both external and internal grounds, the shorter reading is strongly preferred.

[16:32]  ⁹⁴³ tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the continuity with the preceding verse. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style does not.

[16:32]  ⁹⁴⁴ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[16:33]  ⁹⁴⁵ tn Grk “And at.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[16:33]  ⁹⁴⁶ tn Grk “taking them…he washed.” The participle παραλαβών (paralabwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:33]  ⁹⁴⁷ tn On this phrase BDAG 603 s.v. λούω 1 gives a literal translation as “by washing he freed them from the effects of the blows.”

[16:33]  ⁹⁴⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[16:33]  ⁹⁴⁹ sn All his family. It was often the case in the ancient world that conversion of the father led to the conversion of all those in the household.

[16:33]  ⁹⁵⁰ tn Or “immediately.”

[16:34]  ⁹⁵¹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:34]  ⁹⁵² tn Grk “placed [food] on the table” (a figurative expression). Since the actual word for food is not specified, it would also be possible to translate “set a meal before them,” but since this is taking place in the middle of the night, the preparations necessary for a full meal would probably not have been made. More likely Paul and Silas were given whatever was on hand that needed little or no preparation.

[16:34]  ⁹⁵³ tn Or “he was overjoyed.”

[16:34]  ⁹⁵⁴ tn The translation “come to believe” reflects more of the resultative nuance of the perfect tense here.

[16:34]  ⁹⁵⁵ tn The phrase “together with his entire household” is placed at the end of the English sentence so that it refers to both the rejoicing and the belief. A formal equivalence translation would have “and he rejoiced greatly with his entire household that he had come to believe in God,” but the reference to the entire household being baptized in v. 33 presumes that all in the household believed.

[16:35]  ⁹⁵⁶ tn The translation “day is breaking” for ἡμέρα γίνεται (Jhmera ginetai) in this verse is given by BDAG 436 s.v. ἡμέρα 1.a.

[16:35]  ⁹⁵⁷ tn On the term translated “magistrates,” see BDAG 947-48 s.v. στρατηγός 1. These city leaders were properly called duoviri, but were popularly known as praetors (στρατηγοί, strathgoi). They were the chief officials of Philippi. The text leaves the impression that they came to the decision to release Paul and Silas independently. God was at work everywhere.

[16:35]  ⁹⁵⁸ tn On the term ῥαβδοῦχος (rJabdouco") see BDAG 902 s.v. The term was used of the Roman lictor and roughly corresponds to contemporary English “constable, policeman.”

[16:36]  ⁹⁵⁹ tn The word “saying” is not in the Greek text, but is implied; it is necessary in English because the content of what the jailer said to Paul and Silas is not the exact message related to him by the police officers, but is a summary with his own additions.

[16:36]  ⁹⁶⁰ tn The word “orders” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[16:36]  ⁹⁶¹ tn Grk “So coming out now go in peace.” The participle ἐξελθόντες (exelqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:37]  ⁹⁶² tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the police officers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:37]  ⁹⁶³ tn Grk “Having us beaten in public.” The participle δείραντες (deirante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:37]  ⁹⁶⁴ tn Or “in public, uncondemned.” BDAG 35 s.v. ἀκατάκριτος has “uncondemned, without due process” for this usage.

[16:37]  ⁹⁶⁵ tn The participle ὑπάρχοντας (Juparconta") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[16:37]  ⁹⁶⁶ tn The word “us” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[16:37]  ⁹⁶⁷ tn L&N 28.71 has “send us away secretly” for this verse.

[16:37]  ⁹⁶⁸ tn Grk “But they.”

[16:37]  ⁹⁶⁹ sn They themselves must come and escort us out! Paul was asking for the injustice he and Silas suffered to be symbolically righted. It was a way of publicly taking their actions off the record and showing the apostles’ innocence, a major public statement. Note the apology given in v. 39.

[16:38]  ⁹⁷⁰ tn Grk “heard they”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:38]  ⁹⁷¹ sn Roman citizens. This fact was disturbing to the officials because due process was a right for a Roman citizen, well established in Roman law. To flog a Roman citizen was considered an abomination. Such punishment was reserved for noncitizens.

[16:39]  ⁹⁷² tn Grk “and coming, they apologized.” The participle ἐλθόντες (elqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:39]  ⁹⁷³ tn Grk “and after.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[16:39]  ⁹⁷⁴ tn The verb ἐρώτων (erwtwn) has been translated as an iterative imperfect; the English adverb “repeatedly” brings out the iterative force in the translation.

[16:40]  ⁹⁷⁵ tn “Then” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the logical sequence in the translation.

[17:1]  ⁹⁷⁶ tn BDAG 250 s.v. διοδεύω 1 has “go, travel through” for this verse.

[17:1]  ⁹⁷⁷ sn Amphipolis. The capital city of the southeastern district of Macedonia (BDAG 55 s.v. ᾿Αμφίπολις). It was a military post. From Philippi this was about 33 mi (53 km).

[17:1]  ⁹⁷⁸ sn Apollonia was a city in Macedonia about 27 mi (43 km) west southwest of Amphipolis.

[17:1]  ⁹⁷⁹ sn Thessalonica (modern Salonica) was a city in Macedonia about 33 mi (53 km) west of Apollonia. It was the capital of Macedonia. The road they traveled over was called the Via Egnatia. It is likely they rode horses, given their condition in Philippi. The implication of v. 1 is that the two previously mentioned cities lacked a synagogue.

[17:1]  map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[17:1]  ⁹⁸⁰ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:2]  ⁹⁸¹ tn Grk “he went in to them”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:2]  ⁹⁸² tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 17:2. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.

[17:3]  ⁹⁸³ tn BDAG 772 s.v. παρατίθημι 2.b has “demonstrate, point out” here.

[17:3]  ⁹⁸⁴ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[17:3]  sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.

[17:3]  ⁹⁸⁵ sn The Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead. These two points (suffering and resurrection) would have been among the more controversial aspects of Paul’s messianic preaching. The term translated “had to” (δεῖ, dei) shows how divine design and scripture corresponded here.

[17:3]  ⁹⁸⁶ tn The Greek words used here (καὶ ὅτι, kai {oti, “and that”) mark the switch from indirect to direct discourse. Contemporary English requires the use of an introductory verb of speaking or saying to make this transition.

[17:3]  ⁹⁸⁷ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[17:3]  sn See the note on Christ in 2:31. The identification of the Messiah with Jesus indicates Paul was proclaiming the fulfillment of messianic promise.

[17:4]  ⁹⁸⁸ tn Or “convinced.”

[17:4]  ⁹⁸⁹ tn Or “a large crowd.”

[17:4]  ⁹⁹⁰ tn Or “of devout Greeks,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44. Luke frequently mentions such people (Acts 13:43, 50; 16:14; 17:17; 18:7).

[17:4]  ⁹⁹¹ tn Grk “not a few”; this use of negation could be misleading to the modern English reader, however, and so has been translated as “quite a few” (which is the actual meaning of the expression).

[17:5]  ⁹⁹² tn Grk “becoming jealous.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. So elsewhere in Acts (5:17; 7:9; 13:45).

[17:5]  ⁹⁹³ tn Literally ἀγοραῖος (agoraio") refers to the crowd in the marketplace, although BDAG 14-15 s.v. ἀγοραῖος 1 gives the meaning, by extension, as “rabble.” Such a description is certainly appropriate in this context. L&N 15.127 translates the phrase “worthless men from the streets.”

[17:5]  ⁹⁹⁴ tn On this term, which is a NT hapax legomenon, see BDAG 745 s.v. ὀχλοποιέω.

[17:5]  ⁹⁹⁵ tn BDAG 458 s.v. θορυβέω 1 has “set the city in an uproar, start a riot in the city” for the meaning of ἐθορύβουν (eqoruboun) in this verse.

[17:5]  ⁹⁹⁶ sn The attack took place at Jason’s house because this was probably the location of the new house church.

[17:5]  ⁹⁹⁷ tn Grk “them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:5]  ⁹⁹⁸ tn BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2 has “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly προάγειν εἰς τὸν δ. Ac 17:5.”

[17:6]  ⁹⁹⁹ tn See BDAG 977-78 s.v. σύρω on this verb. It was used in everyday speech of dragging in fish by a net, or dragging away someone’s (presumably) dead body (Paul in Acts 14:19).

[17:6]  ¹⁰⁰⁰ tn L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarch") as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit – ‘city official’” (see also BDAG 845 s.v.).

[17:6]  ¹⁰⁰¹ tn Or “rebellion.” BDAG 72 s.v. ἀναστατόω has “disturb, trouble, upset,” but in light of the references in the following verse to political insurrection, “stirred up rebellion” would also be appropriate.

[17:6]  ¹⁰⁰² tn Or “the empire.” This was a way of referring to the Roman empire (BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουμένη 2.b).

[17:6]  sn Throughout the world. Note how some of those present had knowledge of what had happened elsewhere. Word about Paul and his companions and their message was spreading.

[17:7]  ¹⁰⁰³ tn Grk “whom.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who have stirred up trouble…whom Jason has welcomed”) the relative pronoun here (“whom”) has been replaced by the conjunction “and,” creating a clause that is grammatically coordinate but logically subordinate in the translation.

[17:7]  ¹⁰⁰⁴ tn Grk “and they.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[17:7]  ¹⁰⁰⁵ tn Or “the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[17:7]  ¹⁰⁰⁶ tn The word “named” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity.

[17:7]  ¹⁰⁰⁷ sn Acting…saying…Jesus. The charges are serious, involving sedition (Luke 23:2). If the political charges were true, Rome would have to react.

[17:8]  ¹⁰⁰⁸ tn Grk “They troubled the crowd and the city officials”; but this could be understood to mean “they bothered” or “they annoyed.” In reality the Jewish instigators managed to instill doubt and confusion into both the mob and the officials by their false charges of treason. Verse 8 suggests the charges raised again Paul, Silas, Jason, and the others were false.

[17:8]  ¹⁰⁰⁹ tn L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarch") as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit – ‘city official.’”

[17:9]  ¹⁰¹⁰ tn Grk “And after.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[17:9]  ¹⁰¹¹ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the city officials) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:9]  ¹⁰¹² tn That is, “a payment” or “a pledge of security” (BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 1) for which “bail” is the most common contemporary English equivalent.

[17:10]  ¹⁰¹³ sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) west of Thessalonica.

[17:10]  map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[17:10]  ¹⁰¹⁴ tn Grk “who arriving there, went to.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (οἵτινες, Joitine") has been left untranslated and a new English sentence begun. The participle παραγενόμενοι (paragenomenoi) has been taken temporally.

[17:10]  ¹⁰¹⁵ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:11]  ¹⁰¹⁶ tn Grk “These”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue at Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:11]  ¹⁰¹⁷ tn Or “more willing to learn.” L&N 27.48 and BDAG 404 s.v. εὐγενής 2 both use the term “open-minded” here. The point is that they were more receptive to Paul’s message.

[17:11]  ¹⁰¹⁸ sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

[17:11]  map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[17:11]  ¹⁰¹⁹ tn Or “willingly,” “readily”; Grk “with all eagerness.”

[17:11]  ¹⁰²⁰ tn Grk “who received.” Here the relative pronoun (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“they”) preceded by a semicolon, which is less awkward in contemporary English than a relative clause at this point.

[17:11]  ¹⁰²¹ tn This verb (BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 1) refers to careful examination.

[17:11]  ¹⁰²² tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[17:12]  ¹⁰²³ tn Grk “not a few”; this use of negation could be misleading to the modern English reader, however, and so has been translated as “quite a few” (which is the actual meaning of the expression).

[17:12]  ¹⁰²⁴ tn Or “respected.”

[17:13]  ¹⁰²⁵ sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

[17:13]  ¹⁰²⁶ tn Grk “that the word of God had also been proclaimed by Paul.” This passive construction has been converted to an active one in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:13]  ¹⁰²⁷ sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) from Thessalonica.

[17:13]  ¹⁰²⁸ tn BDAG 911 s.v. σαλεύω 2 has “incite” for σαλεύοντες (saleuonte") in Acts 17:13.

[17:13]  sn Inciting. Ironically, it was the Jews who were disturbing the peace, not the Christians.

[17:13]  ¹⁰²⁹ tn Or “stirring up” (BDAG 990-91 s.v. ταράσσω 2). The point is the agitation of the crowds.

[17:14]  ¹⁰³⁰ tn Grk “to the sea.” Here ἕως ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν ({ew" epi thn qalassan) must mean “to the edge of the sea,” that is, “to the coast.” Since there is no mention of Paul taking a ship to Athens, he presumably traveled overland. The journey would have been about 340 mi (550 km).

[17:14]  ¹⁰³¹ tn Grk “remained there”; the referent (Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:15]  ¹⁰³² map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[17:15]  ¹⁰³³ sn They left. See 1 Thess 3:1-2, which shows they went from here to Thessalonica.

[17:16]  ¹⁰³⁴ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[17:16]  ¹⁰³⁵ tn Grk “greatly upset within him,” but the words “within him” were not included in the translation because they are redundant in English. See L&N 88.189. The term could also be rendered “infuriated.”

[17:16]  sn His spirit was greatly upset. See Rom 1:18-32 for Paul’s feelings about idolatry. Yet he addressed both Jews and Gentiles with tact and reserve.

[17:16]  ¹⁰³⁶ tn Or “when he saw.” The participle θεωροῦντος (qewrounto") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle; it could also be translated as temporal.

[17:17]  ¹⁰³⁷ tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 17:17. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.

[17:17]  ¹⁰³⁸ tn Or “and the devout,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44, and the note on the phrase “God-fearing Greeks” in 17:4.

[17:17]  ¹⁰³⁹ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:17]  ¹⁰⁴⁰ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[17:18]  ¹⁰⁴¹ sn An Epicurean was a follower of the philosophy of Epicurus, who founded a school in Athens about 300 b.c. Although the Epicureans saw the aim of life as pleasure, they were not strictly hedonists, because they defined pleasure as the absence of pain. Along with this, they desired the avoidance of trouble and freedom from annoyances. They saw organized religion as evil, especially the belief that the gods punished evildoers in an afterlife. In keeping with this, they were unable to accept Paul’s teaching about the resurrection.

[17:18]  ¹⁰⁴² sn A Stoic was a follower of the philosophy founded by Zeno (342-270 b.c.), a Phoenician who came to Athens and modified the philosophical system of the Cynics he found there. The Stoics rejected the Epicurean ideal of pleasure, stressing virtue instead. The Stoics emphasized responsibility for voluntary actions and believed risks were worth taking, but thought the actual attainment of virtue was difficult. They also believed in providence.

[17:18]  ¹⁰⁴³ tn BDAG 956 s.v. συμβάλλω 1 has “converse, confer” here.

[17:18]  ¹⁰⁴⁴ tn Grk “saying.”

[17:18]  ¹⁰⁴⁵ tn Or “ignorant show-off.” The traditional English translation of σπερμολόγος (spermologo") is given in L&N 33.381 as “foolish babbler.” However, an alternate view is presented in L&N 27.19, “(a figurative extension of meaning of a term based on the practice of birds in picking up seeds) one who acquires bits and pieces of relatively extraneous information and proceeds to pass them off with pretense and show – ‘ignorant show-off, charlatan.’” A similar view is given in BDAG 937 s.v. σπερμολόγος: “in pejorative imagery of persons whose communication lacks sophistication and seems to pick up scraps of information here and there scrapmonger, scavenger…Engl. synonyms include ‘gossip’, ‘babbler’, chatterer’; but these terms miss the imagery of unsystematic gathering.”

[17:18]  ¹⁰⁴⁶ tn The meaning of this phrase is not clear. Literally it reads “strange deities” (see BDAG 210 s.v. δαιμόνιον 1). The note of not being customary is important. In the ancient world what was new was suspicious. The plural δαιμονίων (daimoniwn, “deities”) shows the audience grappling with Paul’s teaching that God was working through Jesus.

[17:18]  ¹⁰⁴⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[17:19]  ¹⁰⁴⁸ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:19]  ¹⁰⁴⁹ tn Or “to the council of the Areopagus.” See also the term in v. 22.

[17:19]  sn The Areopagus has been traditionally understood as reference to a rocky hill near the Acropolis in Athens, although this place may well have been located in the marketplace at the foot of the hill (L&N 93.412; BDAG 129 s.v. ῎Αρειος πάγος). This term does not refer so much to the place, however, as to the advisory council of Athens known as the Areopagus, which dealt with ethical, cultural, and religious matters, including the supervision of education and controlling the many visiting lecturers. Thus it could be translated the council of the Areopagus. See also the term in v. 22.

[17:20]  ¹⁰⁵⁰ tn BDAG 684 s.v. ξενίζω 2 translates the substantival participle ξενίζοντα (xenizonta) as “astonishing things Ac 17:20.”

[17:20]  ¹⁰⁵¹ tn Grk “these things”; but since the referent (“surprising things”) is so close, the repetition of “these things” sounds redundant in English, so the pronoun “they” was substituted in the translation.

[17:21]  ¹⁰⁵² tn The imperfect verb ηὐκαίρουν (hukairoun) has been translated as a customary or habitual imperfect.

[17:21]  ¹⁰⁵³ tn BDAG 406-7 s.v. εὐκαιρέω has “used to spend their time in nothing else than telling Ac 17:21.”

[17:21]  ¹⁰⁵⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The reference to newness may be pejorative.

[17:22]  ¹⁰⁵⁵ tn Grk “standing…said.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[17:22]  ¹⁰⁵⁶ tn The term δεισιδαιμονεστέρους (deisidaimonesterou") is difficult. On the one hand it can have the positive sense of “devout,” but on the other hand it can have the negative sense of “superstitious” (BDAG 216 s.v. δεισιδαίμων). As part of a laudatory introduction (the technical rhetorical term for this introduction was capatatio), the term is probably positive here. It may well be a “backhanded” compliment, playing on the ambiguity.

[17:22]  ¹⁰⁵⁷ tn BDAG 513 s.v. κατά B.6 translates the phrase κατὰ πάντα (kata panta) as “in all respects.”

[17:23]  ¹⁰⁵⁸ tn Or “your sanctuaries.” L&N 53.54 gives “sanctuary” (place of worship) as an alternate meaning for the word σεβάσματα (sebasmata).

[17:23]  ¹⁰⁵⁹ tn Grk “on which was written,” but since it would have been carved in stone, it is more common to speak of an “inscription” in English. To simplify the English the relative construction with a passive verb (“on which was inscribed”) was translated as a prepositional phrase with a substantive (“inscription”).

[17:23]  ¹⁰⁶⁰ tn BDAG 13 s.v. ἀγνοέω 1.b has “Abs. ὅ ἀγνοοῦντες εὐσεβεῖτε what you worship without knowing it (on the subject matter Maximus Tyr. 11, 5e: all sorts of philosophers ἴσασιν οὐκ ἑκόντες καὶ λέγουσιν ἄκοντες sc. τὸ θεῖον = they know and name God without intending to do so) Ac 17:23.” Paul, in typical Jewish Christian style, informs them of the true God, of whom their idols are an ignorant reflection.

[17:24]  ¹⁰⁶¹ tn Grk “all the things that are in it.” The speech starts with God as Creator, like 14:15.

[17:24]  ¹⁰⁶² tn Or “because he is.” The participle ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) could be either adjectival, modifying οὗτος (Joutos, “who is Lord…”) or adverbial of cause (“because he is Lord…”). Since the participle διδούς (didou") in v. 25 appears to be clearly causal in force, it is preferable to understand ὑπάρχων as adjectival in this context.

[17:24]  ¹⁰⁶³ sn On the statement does not live in temples made by human hands compare Acts 7:48. This has implications for idols as well. God cannot be represented by them or, as the following clause also suggests, served by human hands.

[17:25]  ¹⁰⁶⁴ tn L&N 57.45 has “nor does he need anything more that people can supply by working for him.”

[17:25]  ¹⁰⁶⁵ tn Grk “he himself gives to all [people] life and breath and all things.”

[17:26]  ¹⁰⁶⁶ sn The one man refers to Adam (the word “man” is understood).

[17:26]  ¹⁰⁶⁷ tn Or “mankind.” BDAG 276 s.v. ἔθνος 1 has “every nation of humankind Ac 17:26.”

[17:26]  ¹⁰⁶⁸ tn Grk “to live over all the face of the earth.”

[17:26]  ¹⁰⁶⁹ tn BDAG 884-85 s.v. προστάσσω has “(οἱ) προστεταγμένοι καιροί (the) fixed times Ac 17:26” here, but since the following phrase is also translated “fixed limits,” this would seem redundant in English, so the word “set” has been used instead.

[17:26]  ¹⁰⁷⁰ tn Grk “the boundaries of their habitation.” L&N 80.5 has “fixed limits of the places where they would live” for this phrase.

[17:27]  ¹⁰⁷¹ tn See BDAG 1097-98 s.v. ψηλαφάω, which lists “touch, handle” and “to feel around for, grope for” as possible meanings.

[17:27]  ¹⁰⁷² sn Perhaps grope around for him and find him. The pagans’ struggle to know God is the point here. Conscience alone is not good enough.

[17:27]  ¹⁰⁷³ tn The participle ὑπάρχοντα (Juparconta) has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[17:28]  ¹⁰⁷⁴ tn According to L&N 15.1, “A strictly literal translation of κινέω in Ac 17:28 might imply merely moving from one place to another. The meaning, however, is generalized movement and activity; therefore, it may be possible to translate κινούμεθα as ‘we come and go’ or ‘we move about’’ or even ‘we do what we do.’”

[17:28]  ¹⁰⁷⁵ sn This quotation is from Aratus (ca. 310-245 b.c.), Phaenomena 5. Paul asserted a general relationship and accountability to God for all humanity.

[17:29]  ¹⁰⁷⁶ tn Or “the divine being.” BDAG 446 s.v. θεῖος 1.b has “divine being, divinity” here.

[17:29]  ¹⁰⁷⁷ tn Or “a likeness.” Again idolatry is directly attacked as an affront to God and a devaluation of him.

[17:29]  ¹⁰⁷⁸ tn Grk “by the skill and imagination of man,” but ἀνθρώπου (anqrwpou) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[17:29]  ¹⁰⁷⁹ tn Or “craftsmanship” (cf. BDAG 1001 s.v. τέχνη).

[17:29]  ¹⁰⁸⁰ tn Or “thought.” BDAG 336 s.v. ἐνθύμησις has “thought, reflection, idea” as the category of meaning here, but in terms of creativity (as in the context) the imaginative faculty is in view.

[17:30]  ¹⁰⁸¹ tn Or “has deliberately paid no attention to.”

[17:30]  ¹⁰⁸² tn Or “times when people did not know.”

[17:30]  ¹⁰⁸³ tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).

[17:30]  ¹⁰⁸⁴ sn He now commands all people everywhere to repent. God was now asking all mankind to turn to him. No nation or race was excluded.

[17:31]  ¹⁰⁸⁵ tn Or “fixed.”

[17:31]  ¹⁰⁸⁶ sn The world refers to the whole inhabited earth.

[17:31]  ¹⁰⁸⁷ tn Or “appointed.” BDAG 723 s.v. ὁρίζω 2.b has “of persons appoint, designate, declare: God judges the world ἐν ἀνδρὶ ᾧ ὥρισεν through a man whom he has appointed Ac 17:31.”

[17:31]  sn A man whom he designated. Jesus is put in the position of eschatological judge. As judge of the living and the dead, he possesses divine authority (Acts 10:42).

[17:31]  ¹⁰⁸⁸ tn The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") indicates means here.

[17:32]  ¹⁰⁸⁹ tn The participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally.

[17:32]  ¹⁰⁹⁰ tn L&N 33.408 has “some scoffed (at him) Ac 17:32” for ἐχλεύαζον (ecleuazon) here; the imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect (“began to scoff”).

[17:33]  ¹⁰⁹¹ tn Grk “left out of their midst”; the referent (the Areopagus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:34]  ¹⁰⁹² tn Although the Greek word here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which normally refers to males, husbands, etc., in this particular context it must have a generic force similar to that of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), since “a woman named Damaris” is mentioned specifically as being part of this group (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. ἀνήρ 1.a).

[17:34]  ¹⁰⁹³ tn Grk “joining him, believed.” The participle κολληθέντες (kollhqente") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. On the use of this verb in Acts, see 5:13; 8:29; 9:26; 10:28.

[17:34]  ¹⁰⁹⁴ tn Grk “among whom.” Due to the length of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been translated as a third person plural pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[17:34]  ¹⁰⁹⁵ tn Grk “the Areopagite” (a member of the council of the Areopagus). The noun “Areopagite” is not in common usage today in English. It is clearer to use a descriptive phrase “a member of the Areopagus” (L&N 11.82). However, this phrase alone can be misleading in English: “Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, and a woman named Damaris” could be understood to refer to three people (Dionysius, an unnamed member of the Areopagus, and Damaris) rather than only two. Converting the descriptive phrase to a relative clause in English (“who was a member of the Areopagus”) removes the ambiguity.

[17:34]  ¹⁰⁹⁶ tn Grk “and a woman”; but this καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[18:1]  ¹⁰⁹⁷ tn Grk “After these things.”

[18:1]  ¹⁰⁹⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:1]  ¹⁰⁹⁹ tn Or “Paul left.”

[18:1]  ¹¹⁰⁰ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[18:1]  ¹¹⁰¹ sn Corinth was the capital city of the senatorial province of Achaia and the seat of the Roman proconsul. It was located 55 mi (88 km) west of Athens. Corinth was a major rival to Athens and was the largest city in Greece at the time.

[18:1]  map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[18:2]  ¹¹⁰² tn Grk “And he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here. The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[18:2]  ¹¹⁰³ tn Grk “finding.” The participle εὑρών (Jeurwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:2]  ¹¹⁰⁴ sn On Aquila and his wife Priscilla see also Acts 18:18, 26; Rom 16:3-4; 1 Cor 16:19; 2 Tim 4:19. In the NT “Priscilla” and “Prisca” are the same person. This author uses the full name Priscilla, while Paul uses the diminutive form Prisca.

[18:2]  ¹¹⁰⁵ sn Pontus was a region in the northeastern part of Asia Minor. It was a Roman province.

[18:2]  ¹¹⁰⁶ sn Claudius refers to the Roman emperor Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, known as Claudius, who ruled from a.d. 41-54. The edict expelling the Jews from Rome was issued in a.d. 49 (Suetonius, Claudius 25.4).

[18:2]  ¹¹⁰⁷ tn Or “to leave.”

[18:2]  ¹¹⁰⁸ map For location see JP4 A1.

[18:2]  ¹¹⁰⁹ tn Or “went to.”

[18:3]  ¹¹¹⁰ tn The prepositional phrase “with them” occurs only once in the Greek text, but since it occurs between the two finite verbs (ἔμενεν, emenen, and ἠργάζετο, hrgazeto) it relates (by implication) to both of them.

[18:3]  ¹¹¹¹ tn On the term translated “tentmakers,” see BDAG 928-29 s.v. σκνηοποιός. Paul apparently manufactured tents. In contrast to the Cynic philosophers, Paul at times labored to support himself (see also v. 5).

[18:3]  ¹¹¹² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:4]  ¹¹¹³ tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 18:4. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.

[18:4]  ¹¹¹⁴ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:4]  ¹¹¹⁵ tn Grk “Addressing in the synagogue every Sabbath, he was attempting to persuade both Jews and Greeks.” Because in English the verb “address” is not used absolutely but normally has an object specified, the direct objects of the verb ἔπειθεν (epeiqen) have been moved forward as the objects of the English verb “addressed,” and the pronoun “them” repeated in the translation as the object of ἔπειθεν. The verb ἔπειθεν has been translated as a conative imperfect.

[18:5]  ¹¹¹⁶ tn Grk “came down.”

[18:5]  ¹¹¹⁷ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[18:5]  ¹¹¹⁸ tn BDAG 971 s.v. συνέχω 6 states, “συνείχετο τῷ λόγῳ (Paul) was wholly absorbed in preaching Ac 18:5…in contrast to the activity cited in vs. 3.” The imperfect συνείχετο (suneiceto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect (“became wholly absorbed…”), stressing the change in Paul’s activity once Silas and Timothy arrived. At this point Paul apparently began to work less and preach more.

[18:5]  ¹¹¹⁹ tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 2 has “testify of, bear witness to solemnly (orig. under oath)…W. acc. and inf. foll. Ac 18:5.”

[18:5]  ¹¹²⁰ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[18:5]  sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.

[18:6]  ¹¹²¹ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[18:6]  ¹¹²² tn The participle βλασφημούντων (blasfhmountwn) has been taken temporally. The direct object (“him”) is implied rather than expressed and could be impersonal (“it,” referring to what Paul was saying rather than Paul himself), but the verb occurs more often in contexts involving defamation or slander against personal beings (not always God). For a very similar context to this one, compare Acts 13:45. The translation “blaspheme” is not used because in contemporary English its meaning is more narrowly defined and normally refers to blasphemy against God (not what Paul’s opponents were doing here). What they were doing was more like slander or defamation of character.

[18:6]  ¹¹²³ tn Grk “shaking out his clothes, he said to them.” L&N 16:8 translates Acts 18:6 “when they opposed him and said evil things about him, he protested by shaking the dust from his clothes.” The addition of the verb “protested by” in the translation is necessary to clarify for the modern reader that this is a symbolic action. It is similar but not identical to the phrase in Acts 13:51, where the dust from the feet is shaken off. The participle ἐκτιναξάμενος (ektinaxameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:6]  sn He protested by shaking out his clothes. A symbolic action of protest, similar but not identical to the practice of shaking the dust off one’s feet (see Acts 13:51). The two symbolic actions are related, however, since what is shaken off here is the dust raised by the feet and settling in the clothes. The meaning is, “I am done with you! You are accountable to God.”

[18:6]  ¹¹²⁴ sn Your blood be on your own heads! By invoking this epithet Paul declared himself not responsible for their actions in rejecting Jesus whom Paul preached (cf. Ezek 33:4; 3:6-21; Matt 23:35; 27:25).

[18:6]  ¹¹²⁵ tn Or “innocent.” BDAG 489 s.v. καθαρός 3.a has “guiltless Ac 18:6.”

[18:7]  ¹¹²⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:7]  ¹¹²⁷ tn Grk “Then leaving from there he went.” The participle μεταβάς (metabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:7]  ¹¹²⁸ tn Grk “from there”; the referent (the synagogue) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:7]  ¹¹²⁹ tn Grk “a worshiper of God.” The clarifying phrase “a Gentile” has been supplied for clarity, and is indicated by the context, since Paul had parted company with the Jews in the previous verse. The participle σεβομένου (sebomenou) is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44.

[18:7]  sn Here yet another Gentile is presented as responsive to Paul’s message in Acts.

[18:8]  ¹¹³⁰ tn That is, “the official in charge of the synagogue”; ἀρχισυνάγωγος (arcisunagwgo") refers to the “leader/president of a synagogue” (so BDAG 139 s.v. and L&N 53.93).

[18:8]  ¹¹³¹ tn Or “who heard him,” or “who heard Paul.” The ambiguity here results from the tendency of Greek to omit direct objects, which must be supplied from the context. The problem is that no less than three different ones may be supplied here: (1) “him,” referring to Crispus, but this is not likely because there is no indication in the context that Crispus began to speak out about the Lord; this is certainly possible and even likely, but more than the text here affirms; (2) “Paul,” who had been speaking in the synagogue and presumably, now that he had moved to Titius Justus’ house, continued speaking to the Gentiles; or (3) “about it,” that is, the Corinthians who heard about Crispus’ conversion became believers. In the immediate context this last is most probable, since the two incidents are juxtaposed. Other, less obvious direct objects could also be supplied, such as “heard the word of God,” “heard the word of the Lord,” etc., but none of these are obvious in the immediate context.

[18:9]  ¹¹³² sn Frequently in Acts such a vision will tell the reader where events are headed. See Acts 10:9-16 and 16:9-10 for other accounts of visions.

[18:9]  ¹¹³³ tn BDAG 682 s.v. νύξ 1.c has “W. prep. ἐν ν. at night, in the night…Ac 18:9.”

[18:9]  ¹¹³⁴ tn The present imperative here (with negation) is used (as it normally is) of a general condition (BDF §335).

[18:10]  ¹¹³⁵ tn BDAG 384 s.v. ἐπιτίθημι 2 has “to set upon, attack, lay a hand on” here, but “assault” is a contemporary English equivalent very close to the meaning of the original.

[18:10]  ¹¹³⁶ tn Or “injure.”

[18:11]  ¹¹³⁷ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[18:11]  ¹¹³⁸ tn See BDAG 326-27 s.v. ἐν 1.d. However, it is also possible that ἐν (en) followed by the dative here stands for the ordinary dative (“to them”).

[18:12]  ¹¹³⁹ sn Gallio was proconsul of Achaia from a.d. 51-52. This date is one of the firmly established dates in Acts. Lucius Junius Gallio was the son of the rhetorician Seneca and the brother of Seneca the philosopher. The date of Gallio’s rule is established from an inscription (W. Dittenberger, ed., Sylloge Inscriptionum Graecarum 2.3 no. 8). Thus the event mentioned here is probably to be dated July-October a.d. 51.

[18:12]  ¹¹⁴⁰ sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.

[18:12]  ¹¹⁴¹ sn Achaia was a Roman province created in 146 b.c. that included the most important parts of Greece (Attica, Boeotia, and the Peloponnesus).

[18:12]  ¹¹⁴² tn Grk “with one accord.”

[18:12]  ¹¹⁴³ tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “tribunal” for this verse and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“court,” NIV; “tribunal,” NRSV), there is no need for an alternative translation here since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time.

[18:12]  sn The judgment seat (βῆμα, bhma) was a raised platform mounted by steps and sometimes furnished with a seat, used by officials in addressing an assembly or making pronouncements, often on judicial matters. The judgment seat was a familiar item in Greco-Roman culture, often located in the agora, the public square or marketplace in the center of a city. So this was a very public event.

[18:13]  ¹¹⁴⁴ tn Or “inciting.”

[18:13]  ¹¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “worship God contrary to.” BDAG 758 s.v. παρά C.6 has “against, contrary to” for Acts 18:13. The words “in a way” are not in the Greek text, but are a necessary clarification to prevent the misunderstanding in the English translation that worshiping God was in itself contrary to the law. What is under dispute is the manner in which God was being worshiped, that is, whether Gentiles were being required to follow all aspects of the Mosaic law, including male circumcision. There is a hint of creating public chaos or disturbing Jewish custom here since Jews were the ones making the complaint. Luke often portrays the dispute between Christians and Jews as within Judaism.

[18:14]  ¹¹⁴⁶ tn Grk “about to open his mouth” (an idiom).

[18:14]  ¹¹⁴⁷ tn BDAG 902 s.v. ῥᾳδιούργημα states, “From the sense ‘prank, knavery, roguish trick, slick deed’ it is but a short step to that of a serious misdeed, crime, villainy…a serious piece of villainy Ac 18:14 (w. ἀδίκημα).”

[18:14]  ¹¹⁴⁸ tn According to BDAG 78 s.v. ἀνέχω 3 this is a legal technical term: “Legal t.t. κατὰ λόγον ἂν ἀνεσχόμην ὑμῶν I would have been justified in accepting your complaint Ac 18:14.”

[18:14]  ¹¹⁴⁹ tn Grk “accepting your complaint, O Jews.”

[18:15]  ¹¹⁵⁰ tn Or “dispute.”

[18:15]  ¹¹⁵¹ tn Grk “see to it” (an idiom).

[18:15]  ¹¹⁵² tn Or “I am not willing to be.” Gallio would not adjudicate their religious dispute.

[18:16]  ¹¹⁵³ tn Grk “driven away,” but this could result in a misunderstanding in English (“driven” as in a cart or wagon?). “Forced away” conveys the idea; Gallio rejected their complaint. In contemporary English terminology the case was “thrown out of court.” The verb ἀπήλασεν (aphlasen) has been translated as a causative since Gallio probably did not perform this action in person, but ordered his aides or officers to remove the plaintiffs.

[18:16]  ¹¹⁵⁴ sn See the note on the term judgment seat in 18:12.

[18:17]  ¹¹⁵⁵ tn That is, “the official in charge of the synagogue”; ἀρχισυνάγωγος (arcisunagwgo") refers to the “leader/president of a synagogue” (so BDAG 139 s.v. and L&N 53.93).

[18:17]  sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:17]  ¹¹⁵⁶ tn The imperfect verb ἔτυπτον (etupton) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[18:17]  ¹¹⁵⁷ sn See the note on the term judgment seat in 18:12.

[18:17]  ¹¹⁵⁸ tn L&N 25.223 has “‘none of these things were of any concern to Gallio’ Ac 18:17.”

[18:17]  sn Rome was officially indifferent to such disputes. Gallio understood how sensitive some Jews would be about his meddling in their affairs. This is similar to the way Pilate dealt with Jesus. In the end, he let the Jewish leadership and people make the judgment against Jesus.

[18:18]  ¹¹⁵⁹ tn The participle προσμείνας (prosmeina") is taken temporally.

[18:18]  ¹¹⁶⁰ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[18:18]  ¹¹⁶¹ tn Or “Corinth, took leave of.” Grk “saying farewell to”; the participle ἀποταξάμενος (apotaxameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:18]  ¹¹⁶² tn Grk “Syria, and with him.”

[18:18]  ¹¹⁶³ sn See the note on Aquila in 18:2.

[18:18]  ¹¹⁶⁴ tn Or “Aquila, who.” The relationship of the participle κειράμενος (keirameno") is difficult to determine. Traditionally it is taken to refer to Paul, meaning that Paul had his hair cut off because of the vow. However, due to the proximity of the noun ᾿Ακύλας (Akula") and the reversal of the normal order (Aquila and Priscilla, Acts 17:34), the participle is taken as adjectival referring to Aquila by H. Greeven, TDNT 2:777, n. 11. The later references to Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 21:23) do not resolve the problem, because the cutting of Paul’s own hair, while it may be implied, is not specifically mentioned in connection with the completion of the vows made by the other four.

[18:18]  ¹¹⁶⁵ tn The word “off” is supplied in the translation to indicate that this was not a normal haircut, but the shaving of the head connected with taking the vow (see Acts 21:24).

[18:18]  ¹¹⁶⁶ tn That is, “before he sailed from Cenchrea.”

[18:18]  sn Cenchrea was one of the seaports for the city of Corinth, on the eastern side of the Isthmus of Corinth, on the Aegean Sea. It was 7 mi (11 km) east of Corinth.

[18:18]  ¹¹⁶⁷ sn He had made a vow. It is debated whether this vow is a private vow of thanksgiving or the Nazirite vow, because it is not clear whether the Nazirite vow could be taken outside Jerusalem. Some have cited the Mishnah (m. Nazir 3:6, 5:4) to argue that the shaving of the hair can occur outside Jerusalem, and Josephus, J. W. 2.15.1 (2.313) is sometimes suggested as a parallel, but these references are not clear. H. Greeven, TDNT 2:777, is certain that this refers to the Nazirite vow. Regardless, it is clear that Paul reflected his pious dependence on God.

[18:19]  ¹¹⁶⁸ sn Ephesus was an influential city in Asia Minor. It was the location of the famous temple of Artemis. In 334 b.c. control of the city had passed to Alexander the Great, who contributed a large sum to the building of a new and more elaborate temple of Artemis, which became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and lasted until destroyed by the Goths in a.d. 263. This major port city would be reached from Corinth by ship. It was 250 mi (400 km) east of Corinth by sea.

[18:19]  map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[18:19]  ¹¹⁶⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:19]  ¹¹⁷⁰ tn Grk “left them”; the referents (Priscilla and Aquila) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:19]  ¹¹⁷¹ tn Grk “going”; the participle εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:19]  ¹¹⁷² sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:19]  ¹¹⁷³ tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 18:19. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.

[18:20]  ¹¹⁷⁴ sn He would not consent. Paul probably refused because he wanted to reach Jerusalem for the festival season before the seas became impassable during the winter.

[18:21]  ¹¹⁷⁵ tn Or “but took leave of.”

[18:21]  ¹¹⁷⁶ tn Grk “and saying”; the participle εἰπών (eipwn) has been translated as “added” rather than “said” to avoid redundancy with the previous “said farewell.” The participle εἰπών has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:21]  ¹¹⁷⁷ tn Or “will return.”

[18:21]  ¹¹⁷⁸ tn The participle θέλοντος (qelontos), a genitive absolute construction, has been translated as a conditional adverbial participle. Again Paul acts in dependence on God.

[18:21]  ¹¹⁷⁹ tn A new sentence was begun here in the translation due to the length of the sentence in Greek and the requirements of contemporary English style, which generally uses shorter sentences.

[18:22]  ¹¹⁸⁰ tn BDAG 531 s.v. κατέρχομαι 2 states, “arrive, put in, nautical t.t. of ships and those who sail in them, who ‘come down’ fr. the ‘high seas’…εἴς τι at someth. a harbor Ac 18:22; 21:3; 27:5.”

[18:22]  ¹¹⁸¹ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1. This was a sea voyage of 620 mi (990 km).

[18:22]  map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[18:22]  ¹¹⁸² tn Grk “going up and greeting.” The participles ἀναβάς (anabas) and ἀσπασάμενος (aspasameno") are translated as finite verbs due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:22]  ¹¹⁸³ tn The words “at Jerusalem” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the participle ἀναβάς (anabas). The expression “go up” refers almost exclusively to the direction of Jerusalem, while the corresponding “go down” (κατέβη, katebh) refers to directions away from Jerusalem. Both expressions are based on a Hebrew idiom. Assuming Jerusalem is meant, this is another indication of keeping that key church informed. If Jerusalem is not referred to here, then Caesarea is in view. Paul was trying to honor a vow, which also implies a visit to Jerusalem.

[18:22]  map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[18:22]  ¹¹⁸⁴ sn Went down to Antioch. The city of Antioch in Syria lies due north of Jerusalem. In Western languages it is common to speak of north as “up” and south as “down,” but the NT maintains the Hebrew idiom which speaks of any direction away from Jerusalem as down (since Mount Zion was thought of in terms of altitude). This marks the end of the second missionary journey which began in Acts 15:36. From Caesarea to Antioch is a journey of 280 mi (450 km).

[18:22]  map For location see JP1 F2; JP2 F2; JP3 F2; JP4 F2.

[18:23]  ¹¹⁸⁵ tn Grk “Having spent”; the participle ποιήσας (poihsas) is taken temporally.

[18:23]  ¹¹⁸⁶ sn Galatia refers to either (1) the region of the old kingdom of Galatia in the central part of Asia Minor, or (2) the Roman province of Galatia, whose principal cities in the 1st century were Ancyra and Pisidian Antioch. The exact extent and meaning of this area has been a subject of considerable controversy in modern NT studies.

[18:23]  ¹¹⁸⁷ sn Phrygia was a district in central Asia Minor west of Pisidia. See Acts 16:6.

[18:24]  ¹¹⁸⁸ map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[18:24]  ¹¹⁸⁹ tn Or “was a learned man.” In this verse λόγιος (logios) can refer to someone who was an attractive and convincing speaker, a rhetorician (L&N 33.32), or it can refer to the person who has acquired a large part of the intellectual heritage of a given culture (“learned” or “cultured,” L&N 27.20, see also BDAG 598 s.v. λόγιος which lists both meanings as possible here). The description of Apollos’ fervent speaking in the following verses, as well as implications from 1 Cor 1-4, where Paul apparently compares his style and speaking ability with that of Apollos, suggests that eloquent speaking ability or formal rhetorical skill are in view here. This clause has been moved from its order in the Greek text (Grk “a certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus, who was powerful in the scriptures”) and paired with the last element (“powerful in the scriptures”) due to the demands of clarity and contemporary English style.

[18:24]  ¹¹⁹⁰ tn Grk “powerful.” BDAG 264 s.v. δυνατός 1.b has “in the Scriptures = well-versed 18:24.”

[18:25]  ¹¹⁹¹ tn Or “had been taught.”

[18:25]  ¹¹⁹² tn Grk “and boiling in spirit” (an idiom for great eagerness or enthusiasm; BDAG 426 s.v. ζέω).

[18:25]  ¹¹⁹³ tn Grk “the things.”

[18:25]  ¹¹⁹⁴ tn Grk “knowing”; the participle ἐπιστάμενος (epistameno") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[18:26]  ¹¹⁹⁵ tn Or “boldly.” This is a frequent term in Acts (9:27-28; 13:46; 14:3; 19:8; 26:26).

[18:26]  ¹¹⁹⁶ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:26]  ¹¹⁹⁷ sn Priscilla and Aquila. This key couple, of which Priscilla was an important enough figure to be mentioned by name, instructed Apollos about the most recent work of God. See also the note on Aquila in 18:2.

[18:26]  ¹¹⁹⁸ tn BDAG 883 s.v. προσλαμβάνω 3 has “take aside, mid. τινά someone…So prob. also Ac 18:26: Priscilla and Aquila take Apollos aside to teach him undisturbed.”

[18:27]  ¹¹⁹⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Apollos) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:27]  ¹²⁰⁰ sn To cross over to Achaia. Achaia was organized by the Romans as a separate province in 27 b.c. and was located across the Aegean Sea from Ephesus. The city of Corinth was in Achaia.

[18:27]  ¹²⁰¹ tn Grk “encouraging [him], the brothers wrote.” The participle προτρεψάμενοι (protreyamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. This was the typical letter of commendation from the Ephesians to the Achaeans.

[18:27]  ¹²⁰² tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[18:27]  ¹²⁰³ tn Grk “who, when he arrived.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) was replaced with the pronoun “he” and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[18:28]  ¹²⁰⁴ tn Or “vehemently.” BDAG 414 s.v. εὐτόνως has “vigorously, vehemently…εὐ. διακατελέγχεσθαί τινι refute someone vigorously Ac 18:28.”

[18:28]  ¹²⁰⁵ tn L&N 33.442 translates the phrase τοῖς ᾿Ιουδαίοις διακατηλέγχετο δημοσίᾳ (toi" Ioudaioi" diakathlenceto dhmosia) as “he defeated the Jews in public debate.” On this use of the term δημόσιος (dhmosio") see BDAG 223 s.v. 2.

[18:28]  ¹²⁰⁶ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” Again the issue is identifying the Christ as Jesus (see 5:42; 8:5; 9:22; 18:5).

[18:28]  sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.

[18:28]  ¹²⁰⁷ tn Although many English translations have here “that Jesus was the Christ,” in the case of two accusatives following a copulative infinitive, the first would normally be the subject and the second the predicate nominative. Additionally, the first accusative here (τὸν χριστόν, ton criston) has the article, a further indication that it should be regarded as subject of the infinitive.

[19:1]  ¹²⁰⁸ tn Grk “It happened that while.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[19:1]  ¹²⁰⁹ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[19:1]  ¹²¹⁰ tn Or “interior.”

[19:1]  ¹²¹¹ tn BDAG 92 s.v. ἀνωτερικός has “upper τὰ ἀ. μέρη the upper (i.e. inland) country, the interior Ac 19:1.”

[19:1]  ¹²¹² map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[19:1]  ¹²¹³ tn Grk “and found.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the sequencing with the following verse the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[19:1]  ¹²¹⁴ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[19:2]  ¹²¹⁵ tn The participle πιστεύσαντες (pisteusante") is taken temporally.

[19:2]  ¹²¹⁶ tn Grk “they [said] to him” (the word “said” is implied in the Greek text).

[19:2]  ¹²¹⁷ tn This use of ἀλλά (alla) is ascensive and involves an ellipsis (BDAG 45 s.v. ἀλλά 3): “No, [not only did we not receive the Spirit,] but also we have not heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” However, this is lengthy and somewhat awkward in English, and the ascensive meaning can be much more easily represented by including the word “even” after the negation. Apparently these disciples were unaware of the provision of the Spirit that is represented in baptism. The language sounds like they did not know about a Holy Spirit, but this seems to be only linguistic shorthand for not knowing about the Spirit’s presence (Luke 3:15-18). The situation is parallel to that of Apollos. Apollos and these disciples represent those who “complete” their transition to messianic faith as Jews.

[19:3]  ¹²¹⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:3]  ¹²¹⁹ tn Grk “they said.”

[19:4]  ¹²²⁰ sn These disciples may have had their contact with John early on in the Baptist’s ministry before Jesus had emerged. This is the fifth time Luke links John the Baptist and Jesus (Acts 1:5; 11:16; 13:25; 18:25).

[19:6]  ¹²²¹ tn Or “laid.”

[19:6]  ¹²²² sn The coming of the Holy Spirit here is another case where the Spirit comes and prophesy results in Acts (see Acts 2). Paul’s action parallels that of Peter (Acts 8) and not just with Gentiles.

[19:6]  ¹²²³ tn The imperfect verb ἐλάλουν (elaloun) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[19:6]  ¹²²⁴ tn The imperfect verb ἐπροφήτευον (eprofhteuon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[19:7]  ¹²²⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:8]  ¹²²⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:8]  ¹²²⁷ tn Grk “So entering the synagogue, he spoke out fearlessly.” The participle εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:8]  ¹²²⁸ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[19:8]  ¹²²⁹ tn Or “boldly.”

[19:8]  ¹²³⁰ tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 19:8. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.

[19:8]  ¹²³¹ tn Or “addressing them persuasively.” The two participles διαλεγόμενος and πείθων (dialegomeno" and peiqwn) can be understood as a hendiadys (so NIV, NRSV), thus, “addressing them persuasively.”

[19:8]  ¹²³² sn To talk about Jesus as the Christ who has come is to talk about the kingdom of God. This is yet another summary of the message like that in 18:28.

[19:9]  ¹²³³ tn BDAG 1105-6 s.v. ὡς 8.b lists this use as a temporal conjunction.

[19:9]  ¹²³⁴ tn Or “some became hardened.” See BDAG 930 s.v. σκληρύνω b and Acts 7:51-53.

[19:9]  ¹²³⁵ tn Or “speaking evil of.” BDAG 500 s.v. κακολογέω has “speak evil of, revile, insult…τὶ someth. τὴν ὁδόν the Way (i.e. Christian way of life) Ac 19:9.”

[19:9]  ¹²³⁶ sn The Way refers to the Christian movement (Christianity). Luke frequently refers to it as “the Way” (Acts 9:2; 18:25-26; 19:23; 22:4; 24:14, 22).

[19:9]  ¹²³⁷ tn Grk “leaving them, he took.” The participle ἀποστάς (apostas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:9]  ¹²³⁸ tn The words “with him” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[19:9]  ¹²³⁹ tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 19:9. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.

[19:9]  ¹²⁴⁰ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[19:9]  ¹²⁴¹ tn The “lecture hall” was a place where teachers and pupils met. The term is a NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 982 s.v. σχολή). L&N 7.14 notes, “it is better to use a translation such as ‘lecture hall’ rather than ‘school,’ since one does not wish to give the impression of the typical classroom situation characteristic of present-day schools.”

[19:10]  ¹²⁴² tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[19:10]  sn The expression all who lived in the province of Asia is good Semitic hyperbole (see Col 1:7, “all the world”). The message was now available to the region.

[19:10]  ¹²⁴³ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[19:11]  ¹²⁴⁴ tn BDAG 1019 s.v. τυγχάνω 2.d states, “δυνάμεις οὐ τὰς τυχούσας extraordinary miracles Ac 19:11.”

[19:12]  ¹²⁴⁵ tn Or “skin” (the outer surface of the body).

[19:12]  ¹²⁴⁶ tn Or “were taken.” It might be that as word went out into the region that since the sick could not come to Paul, healing was brought to them this way. The “handkerchiefs” are probably face cloths for wiping perspiration (see BDAG 934 s.v. σουδάριον) while the “aprons” might be material worn by workmen (BDAG 923-24 s.v. σιμικίνθιον).

[19:12]  ¹²⁴⁷ tn The words “of them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[19:13]  ¹²⁴⁸ tn Grk “some Jewish exorcists who traveled about.” The adjectival participle περιερχομένων (periercomenwn) has been translated as “itinerant.”

[19:13]  ¹²⁴⁹ tn Grk “to name the name.”

[19:13]  ¹²⁵⁰ tn Grk “who had.” Here ἔχω (ecw) is used of demon possession, a common usage according to BDAG 421 s.v. ἔχω 7.a.α.

[19:13]  ¹²⁵¹ sn The expression I sternly warn you means “I charge you as under oath.”

[19:14]  ¹²⁵² tn Grk “a certain Sceva.”

[19:14]  ¹²⁵³ sn Within the sequence of the narrative, this amounts to a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:15]  ¹²⁵⁴ tn Grk “answered and said to them.” The expression, redundant in English, has been simplified to “replied.”

[19:15]  ¹²⁵⁵ tn Grk “Jesus I know about.” Here ᾿Ιησοῦν (Ihsoun) is in emphatic position in Greek, but placing the object first is not normal in contemporary English style.

[19:15]  ¹²⁵⁶ tn BDAG 380 s.v. ἐπίσταμαι 2 has “know, be acquainted with τινά…τὸν Παῦλον Ac 19:15.” Here the translation “be acquainted with” was used to differentiate from the previous phrase which has γινώσκω (ginwskw).

[19:15]  ¹²⁵⁷ sn But who are you? This account shows how the power of Paul was so distinct that parallel claims to access that power were denied. In fact, such manipulation, by those who did not know Jesus, was judged (v. 16). The indirect way in which the exorcists made the appeal shows their distance from Jesus.

[19:16]  ¹²⁵⁸ tn Grk “in whom the evil spirit was.”

[19:16]  ¹²⁵⁹ tn Grk “the man in whom the evil spirit was, jumping on them.” The participle ἐφαλόμενος (efalomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. L&N 15.239 has “ἐφαλόμενος ὁ ἄνθρωπος ἐπ᾿ αὐτούς ‘the man jumped on them’ Ac 19:16.”

[19:16]  ¹²⁶⁰ tn Grk “and beating them all into submission.” The participle κατακυριεύσας (katakurieusa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. According to W. Foerster, TDNT 3:1098, the word means “the exercise of dominion against someone, i.e., to one’s own advantage.” These exorcists were shown to be powerless in comparison to Jesus who was working through Paul.

[19:16]  ¹²⁶¹ tn BDAG 484 s.v. ἰσχύω 3 has “win out, prevail…κατά τινος over, against someone Ac 19:16.”

[19:17]  ¹²⁶² map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[19:17]  ¹²⁶³ tn Grk “fell on.” BDAG 377 s.v. ἐπιπίπτω 2 has “φόβος ἐ. ἐπί τινα fear came upon someone…Ac 19:17.”

[19:17]  ¹²⁶⁴ tn Or “exalted.”

[19:18]  ¹²⁶⁵ tn Grk “came”; the word “forward” is supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning and to conform to the contemporary English idiom.

[19:18]  ¹²⁶⁶ tn Or “confessing and disclosing their deeds.” BDAG 59 s.v. ἀναγγέλλω 2 has “W. ἐξομολογεῖσθαι: ἀ. τὰς πράξεις αὐτο'ν make their deeds known Ac 19:18.”

[19:18]  sn Making their deeds known. Ephesus was a major pagan religious center with much syncretistic “magical” practice. Coming to Jesus changed the lives and attitudes of these believers, creating a social impact.

[19:19]  ¹²⁶⁷ tn BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 4.a has “many, quite a few” for ἱκανοί (Jikanoi) in this verse.

[19:19]  ¹²⁶⁸ tn On this term see BDAG 800 s.v. περίεργος 2.

[19:19]  ¹²⁶⁹ tn Or “scrolls.”

[19:19]  ¹²⁷⁰ tn Or “burned them up publicly.” L&N 14.66 has “‘they brought their books together and burned them up in the presence of everyone’ Ac 19:19.”

[19:19]  ¹²⁷¹ tn Grk “and when.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[19:19]  ¹²⁷² tn Or “fifty thousand silver drachmas” (about $10,000 US dollars). BDAG 128 s.v. ἀργύριον 2.c states, “ἀργυρίου μυριάδας πέντε 50,000 (Attic silver) drachmas Ac 19:19.” Another way to express the value would be in sheep: One drachma could buy one sheep. So this many drachmas could purchase a huge flock of sheep. A drachma also equals a denarius, or a day’s wage for the average worker. So this amount would be equal to 50,000 work days or in excess of 8,300 weeks of labor (the weeks are calculated at six working days because of the Jewish cultural context). The impact of Christianity on the Ephesian economy was considerable (note in regard to this the concerns expressed in 19:26-27).

[19:20]  ¹²⁷³ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[19:20]  ¹²⁷⁴ tn The imperfect verb ηὔξανεν (huxanen) has been translated as a progressive imperfect, as has the following verb ἴσχυεν (iscuen).

[19:20]  ¹²⁷⁵ sn The word of the Lord…to prevail. Luke portrays the impact of Christianity in terms of the Lord’s transforming power in the lives of individuals.

[19:21]  ¹²⁷⁶ tn Grk “all these things had been fulfilled.”

[19:21]  ¹²⁷⁷ tn Grk “Paul purposed in [his] spirit” (an idiom). According to BDAG 1003 s.v. τίθημι 1.b.ε the entire idiom means “to resolve” (or “decide”): “ἔθετο ὁ Παῦλος ἐν τῷ πνεύματι w. inf. foll. Paul resolved 19:21.”

[19:21]  ¹²⁷⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[19:21]  ¹²⁷⁹ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[19:21]  ¹²⁸⁰ sn Achaia was the Roman province of Achaia located across the Aegean Sea from Ephesus. Its principal city was Corinth.

[19:21]  ¹²⁸¹ tn Grk “Achaia, saying.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the awkwardness in English of having two participial clauses following one another (“passing through…saying”), the participle εἰπών (eipwn) has been translated as a finite verb and a new sentence begun here in the translation.

[19:21]  ¹²⁸² sn This is the first time Paul mentions Rome. He realized the message of Christianity could impact that society even at its heights.

[19:21]  map For location see JP4 A1.

[19:22]  ¹²⁸³ tn The aorist participle ἀποστείλας (aposteila") has been taken temporally reflecting action antecedent to that of the main verb (ἐπέσχεν, epescen).

[19:22]  ¹²⁸⁴ tn Grk “two of those who ministered to him.”

[19:22]  ¹²⁸⁵ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[19:22]  ¹²⁸⁶ tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[19:23]  ¹²⁸⁷ tn Grk “There happened at that time.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Instead the verb “took place” has been supplied in the translation.

[19:23]  ¹²⁸⁸ tn BDAG 512 s.v. κατά B.2.a, “in definite indications of time…Of the past: κ. ἐκεῖνον τὸν καιρόν at that time, then…Ac 12:1; 19:23.”

[19:23]  ¹²⁸⁹ tn Grk “no little disturbance” (an idiom; see BDAG 991 s.v. τάραχος 2).

[19:23]  ¹²⁹⁰ sn The Way refers to the Christian movement (Christianity).

[19:24]  ¹²⁹¹ tn BDAG 665 s.v. ναός 1.a states, “Specif. of temples: of replicas of the temple of Artemis at Ephesus 19:24…but here, near ἱερόν vs. 27…ναός can be understood in the more restricted sense shrine, where the image of the goddess stood.”

[19:24]  ¹²⁹² sn Artemis was the name of a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus.

[19:24]  ¹²⁹³ tn Grk “brought not a little business” (an idiom).

[19:24]  ¹²⁹⁴ sn A great deal of business. The charge that Christianity brought economic and/or social upheaval was made a number of times in Acts: 16:20-21; 17:6-7; 18:13.

[19:25]  ¹²⁹⁵ tn Grk “gathering.” The participle συναθροίσας (sunaqroisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:25]  ¹²⁹⁶ tn Grk “whom”; because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced with a pronoun (“these”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[19:25]  ¹²⁹⁷ sn Workmen in similar trades. In effect, Demetrius gathered the Ephesian chamber of commerce together to hear about the threat to their prosperity.

[19:25]  ¹²⁹⁸ tn Another possible meaning is “that this business is an easy way for us to earn a living.”

[19:26]  ¹²⁹⁹ tn Grk “persuading.” The participle πείσας (peisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:26]  ¹³⁰⁰ tn Or “misled.”

[19:26]  ¹³⁰¹ tn BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 3.a has “of pers. ὄχλος a large crowd…Ac 11:24, 26; 19:26.”

[19:26]  ¹³⁰² map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[19:26]  ¹³⁰³ tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 22.

[19:26]  ¹³⁰⁴ tn The participle λέγων (legwn) has been regarded as indicating instrumentality.

[19:26]  ¹³⁰⁵ tn The words “at all” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[19:26]  sn Gods made by hands are not gods at all. Paul preached against paganism’s idolatry. Here is a one-line summary of a speech like that in Acts 17:22-31.

[19:27]  ¹³⁰⁶ tn Or “come under public criticism.” BDAG 101 s.v. ἀπελεγμός has “come into disrepute Ac 19:27.”

[19:27]  ¹³⁰⁷ sn Artemis was the name of a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus.

[19:27]  ¹³⁰⁸ tn BDAG 597 s.v. λογίζομαι 1.b has “εἰς οὐθὲν λογισθῆναι be looked upon as nothing…Ac 19:27.”

[19:27]  ¹³⁰⁹ tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 22.

[19:27]  ¹³¹⁰ tn Or “her magnificence.” BDAG 488 s.v. καθαιρέω 2.b has “καθαιρεῖσθαι τῆς μεγαλειότητος αὐτῆς suffer the loss of her magnificence Ac 19:27”; L&N 13.38 has “‘and to have her greatness done away with’ Ac 19:27.”

[19:27]  sn Suffer the loss of her greatness. It is important to appreciate that money alone was not the issue, even for the pagan Ephesians. The issue was ultimately the dishonor of their goddess to whom they were devoted in worship. The battle was a “cosmic” one between deities.

[19:28]  ¹³¹¹ tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[19:28]  ¹³¹² tn Grk “And hearing.” The participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally.

[19:28]  ¹³¹³ tn Grk “they became filled with rage” (an idiom). The reaction of the Ephesians here is like that of the Jews earlier, though Luke referred to “zeal” or “jealousy” in the former case (Acts 7:54).

[19:28]  ¹³¹⁴ tn Grk “and began shouting, saying.” The imperfect verb ἔκραζον (ekrazon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect. The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[19:28]  ¹³¹⁵ sn Artemis was a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus.

[19:29]  ¹³¹⁶ tn Grk “And the.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[19:29]  ¹³¹⁷ tn L&N 39.43 has “‘the uproar spread throughout the whole city’ (literally ‘the city was filled with uproar’) Ac 19:29.” BDAG 954 s.v. σύγχυσις has “confusion, tumult.”

[19:29]  ¹³¹⁸ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:29]  ¹³¹⁹ sn To the theater. This location made the event a public spectacle. The Grand Theater in Ephesus (still standing today) stood facing down the main thoroughfare of the city toward the docks. It had a seating capacity of 25,000.

[19:29]  ¹³²⁰ tn Grk “to the theater with one accord.”

[19:30]  ¹³²¹ tn Or “enter the crowd.” According to BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2, “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly…εἰσελθεῖν εἰς τὸν δ. go into the assembly 19:30.”

[19:31]  ¹³²² tn Grk “Asiarchs” (high-ranking officials of the province of Asia).

[19:31]  ¹³²³ tn Grk “sending”; the participle πέμψαντες (pemyante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:31]  ¹³²⁴ tn The words “a message” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[19:31]  ¹³²⁵ tn BDAG 242-43 s.v. δίδωμι 11 has “to cause (oneself) to go, go, venture somewhere (cp. our older ‘betake oneself’)…Ac 19:31.” The desire of these sympathetic authorities was surely to protect Paul’s life. The detail indicates how dangerous things had become.

[19:32]  ¹³²⁶ tn Or “had assembled.”

[19:33]  ¹³²⁷ tn Or “Some of the crowd gave instructions to.”

[19:33]  ¹³²⁸ tn The words “it was about” are not in the Greek text but are implied; ᾿Αλέξανδρον (Alexandron) is taken to be an accusative of general reference.

[19:33]  ¹³²⁹ tn BDAG 865 s.v. προβάλλω 1 has “to cause to come forward, put forward…τινά someone…push someone forward to speak in the theater…Ac 19:33.”

[19:33]  ¹³³⁰ tn Or “motioning.”

[19:33]  ¹³³¹ sn The nature of Alexander’s defense is not clear. It appears he was going to explain, as a Jew, that the problem was not caused by Jews, but by those of “the Way.” However, he never got a chance to speak.

[19:33]  ¹³³² tn Or “before the crowd.” According to BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2, “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly…ἀπολογεῖσθαι τῷ δ. make a defense before the assembly vs. 33.”

[19:34]  ¹³³³ tn Grk “But recognizing.” The participle ἐπιγνόντες (epignonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:34]  ¹³³⁴ tn Grk “[they shouted] with one voice from all of them” (an idiom).

[19:34]  ¹³³⁵ sn Artemis was a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus, 1.25 mi (2 km) northeast of the Grand Theater. Dimensions were 418 ft by 239 ft (125 m by 72 m) for the platform; the temple proper was 377 ft by 180 ft (113 m by 54 m). The roof was supported by 117 columns, each 60 ft (18 m) high by 6 ft (1.8 m) in diameter. The Emperor Justinian of Byzantium later took these columns for use in construction of the Hagia Sophia, where they still exist (in modern day Istanbul).

[19:34]  ¹³³⁶ sn They all shouted…for about two hours. The extent of the tumult shows the racial and social tensions of a cosmopolitan city like Ephesus, indicating what the Christians in such locations had to face.

[19:35]  ¹³³⁷ tn Or “clerk.” The “scribe” (γραμματεύς, grammateu") was the keeper of the city’s records.

[19:35]  ¹³³⁸ tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo").

[19:35]  ¹³³⁹ tn See BDAG 670 s.v. νεωκόρος. The city is described as the “warden” or “guardian” of the goddess and her temple.

[19:35]  ¹³⁴⁰ sn Artemis was a Greek goddess worshiped particularly in Asia Minor, whose temple, one of the seven wonders of the ancient world, was located just outside the city of Ephesus.

[19:35]  ¹³⁴¹ tn Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[19:35]  sn The expression fell from heaven adds a note of apologetic about the heavenly origin of the goddess. The city’s identity and well-being was wrapped up with this connection, in their view. Many interpreters view her image that fell from heaven as a stone meteorite regarded as a sacred object.

[19:36]  ¹³⁴² tn Grk “these things.”

[19:36]  ¹³⁴³ tn The genitive absolute construction with the participle ὄντων (ontwn) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle. On the term translated “indisputable” see BDAG 68-69 s.v. ἀναντίρρητος which has “not to be contradicted, undeniable.”

[19:36]  ¹³⁴⁴ tn Grk “it is necessary that you be quiet.”

[19:36]  ¹³⁴⁵ tn L&N 88.98 has “pertaining to impetuous and reckless behavior – ‘reckless, impetuous.’…‘so then, you must calm down and not do anything reckless’ Ac 19:36.” The city secretary was asking that order be restored.

[19:37]  ¹³⁴⁶ tn Or perhaps, “desecrators of temples.”

[19:37]  ¹³⁴⁷ sn Nor blasphemers of our goddess. There was no formal crime with which Paul could be charged. He had the right to his religion as long as he did not act physically against the temple. Since no overt act had taken place, the official wanted the community to maintain the status quo on these religious matters. The remarks suggest Paul was innocent of any civil crime.

[19:38]  ¹³⁴⁸ tn BDAG 600 s.v. λόγος 1.a.ε has “ἔχειν πρός τινα λόγον have a complaint against someone…19:38.”

[19:38]  ¹³⁴⁹ tn L&N 56.1 has ‘if Demetrius and his workers have an accusation against someone, the courts are open’ Ac 19:38.”

[19:38]  ¹³⁵⁰ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied. The official’s request is that the legal system be respected.

[19:39]  ¹³⁵¹ tn Or “anything more than this.”

[19:39]  ¹³⁵² tn Or “resolved.”

[19:39]  ¹³⁵³ tn Or “in a legal meeting of the citizens.” L&N 30.81 has “ἐν τῇ ἐννόμῳ ἐκκλησίᾳ ἐπιλυθήσεται ‘it will have to be settled in a legal meeting of the citizens’ Ac 19:39.” This meeting took place three times a year.

[19:40]  ¹³⁵⁴ tn Grk “For indeed.” The ascensive force of καί (kai) would be awkward to translate here.

[19:40]  ¹³⁵⁵ tn The term translated “rioting” refers to a revolt or uprising (BDAG 940 s.v. στάσις 2, 3). This would threaten Roman rule and invite Roman intervention.

[19:40]  ¹³⁵⁶ tn Or “to account for.” Grk “since there is no cause concerning which we can give account concerning this disorderly gathering.” The complexity of the Greek relative clause (“which”) and the multiple prepositions (“concerning”) have been simplified in the translation consistent with contemporary English style.

[19:40]  ¹³⁵⁷ tn Or “commotion.” BDAG 979 s.v. συστροφή 1 gives the meaning “a tumultuous gathering of people, disorderly/seditious gathering or commotion…Ac 19:40.”

[19:41]  ¹³⁵⁸ tn Grk “And after.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[19:41]  ¹³⁵⁹ tn Grk “And saying.” The participle εἰπών (eipwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:41]  ¹³⁶⁰ tn Grk “these things.”

[19:41]  ¹³⁶¹ sn Verse 41 in the English text is included as part of verse 40 in the standard critical editions of the Greek NT.

[20:1]  ¹³⁶² tn Or “exhorting.”

[20:1]  ¹³⁶³ tn Or “and taking leave of them.”

[20:1]  ¹³⁶⁴ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[20:2]  ¹³⁶⁵ tn BDAG 633 s.v. μέρος 1.b.γ gives the meanings “the parts (of a geographical area), region, district,” but the use of “district” in this context probably implies too much specificity.

[20:2]  ¹³⁶⁶ tn Grk “and encouraging them with many words.” The participle παρακαλέσας (parakalesa", “encouraging”) has been translated by the phrase “spoken…words of encouragement” because the formal equivalent is awkward in contemporary English.

[20:2]  ¹³⁶⁷ tn Grk “[to] them”; the referent (the believers there) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:2]  ¹³⁶⁸ tn In popular usage the term translated “Greece” here could also refer to the Roman province officially known as Achaia (BDAG 318 s.v. ῾Ελλάς).

[20:3]  ¹³⁶⁹ tn BDAG 841 s.v. ποιέω 5.c, “w. an acc. of time spend, stay.”

[20:3]  ¹³⁷⁰ tn The participle βενομένης (benomenh") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle. L&N 30.71 has “ἐπιβουλῆς αὐτῷ ὑπὸ τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων ‘because the Jews had made a plot against him’ Ac 20:3.”

[20:3]  ¹³⁷¹ sn This plot is one of several noted by Luke (Acts 9:20; 20:19; 23:30).

[20:3]  ¹³⁷² tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”

[20:3]  ¹³⁷³ tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4 gives “put out to sea” here (as a nautical technical term). However, since the English expression “put out to sea” could be understood to mean Paul was already aboard the ship (which is not clear from the context), the simpler expression “sail” is used at this point in the translation.

[20:3]  ¹³⁷⁴ tn BDAG 199 s.v. γίνομαι 7 has “ἐγένετο γνώμης he decided Ac 20:3.”

[20:3]  ¹³⁷⁵ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[20:4]  ¹³⁷⁶ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:4]  ¹³⁷⁷ sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) from Thessalonica.

[20:4]  map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[20:4]  ¹³⁷⁸ tn Grk “of the Thessalonians.”

[20:4]  map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[20:4]  ¹³⁷⁹ tn Grk “and Gaius,” but this καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[20:4]  ¹³⁸⁰ sn Derbe was a city in Lycaonia about 30 mi (50 km) southeast of Lystra.

[20:4]  map For location see JP1 E2; JP2 E2; JP3 E2.

[20:4]  ¹³⁸¹ tn Grk “the Asians Tychicus and Trophimus.” In the NT “Asia” always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[20:5]  ¹³⁸² tn Grk “These, having gone on ahead, were waiting.” The participle προελθόντες (proelqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:5]  ¹³⁸³ sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor.

[20:6]  ¹³⁸⁴ sn This marks the beginning of another “we” section in Acts. These have been traditionally understood to mean that Luke was in the company of Paul for this part of the journey.

[20:6]  ¹³⁸⁵ map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[20:6]  ¹³⁸⁶ sn The days of Unleavened Bread refer to the week following Passover. Originally an agricultural festival commemorating the beginning of harvest, it was celebrated for seven days beginning on the fifteenth day of the month Nisan (March-April). It was later combined with Passover (Exod 12:1-20; Ezek 45:21-24; Matt 26:17; Luke 22:1).

[20:6]  ¹³⁸⁷ tn BDAG 160 s.v. ἄχρι 1.a.α has “ἄ. ἡμερῶν πέντε within five days Ac 20:6.”

[20:6]  ¹³⁸⁸ tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the others mentioned in v. 4) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:6]  ¹³⁸⁹ sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. From Philippi to Troas was about 125 mi (200 km).

[20:7]  ¹³⁹⁰ sn On the first day. This is the first mention of a Sunday gathering (1 Cor 16:2).

[20:7]  ¹³⁹¹ tn Or “assembled.”

[20:7]  ¹³⁹² tn The verb διαλέγομαι (dialegomai) is frequently used of Paul addressing Jews in the synagogue. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21. In the context of a Christian gathering, it is preferable to translate διελέγετο (dielegeto) simply as “speak” here. The imperfect verb διελέγετο has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[20:7]  ¹³⁹³ tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”

[20:7]  ¹³⁹⁴ tn Or “prolonged.”

[20:8]  ¹³⁹⁵ tn More commonly λαμπάς (lampa") means “torch,” but here according to BDAG 585 s.v. λαμπάς 2, “lamp…w. a wick and space for oil.”

[20:8]  ¹³⁹⁶ sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author.

[20:9]  ¹³⁹⁷ tn This window was probably a simple opening in the wall (see also BDAG 462 s.v. θυρίς).

[20:9]  ¹³⁹⁸ tn Grk “sinking into a deep sleep.” BDAG 529 s.v. καταφέρω 3 has “ὕπνῳ βαθεῖ sink into a deep sleep…Ac 20:9a.” The participle καταφερόμενος (kataferomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:9]  ¹³⁹⁹ tn The participle διαλεγομένου (dialegomenou) has been taken temporally.

[20:9]  ¹⁴⁰⁰ tn BDAG 529 s.v. καταφέρω 3 has “κατενεχθεὶς ἀπὸ τοῦ ὔπνου overwhelmed by sleep vs. 9b,” but this expression is less common in contemporary English than phrases like “fast asleep” or “sound asleep.”

[20:10]  ¹⁴⁰¹ tn Grk “going down.” The participle καταβάς (katabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:10]  ¹⁴⁰² tn BDAG 377 s.v. ἐπιπίπτω 1.b has “ἐπέπεσεν αὐτῷ he threw himself upon him Ac 20:10.”

[20:10]  ¹⁴⁰³ tn Grk “on him”; the referent (the young man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:10]  ¹⁴⁰⁴ tn BDAG 959 s.v. συμπεριλαμβάνω has “to throw one’s arms around, embrace w. acc. to be supplied Ac 20:10.” However, “embraced the young man” might be taken (out of context) to have erotic implications, while “threw his arms around him” would be somewhat redundant since “threw” has been used in the previous phrase.

[20:10]  ¹⁴⁰⁵ tn Grk “for his life is in him” (an idiom).

[20:11]  ¹⁴⁰⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:11]  ¹⁴⁰⁷ tn Grk “going back upstairs.” The participle ἀναβάς (anabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:11]  ¹⁴⁰⁸ tn Grk “talking with them.” The participle ὁμιλήσας (Jomilhsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:12]  ¹⁴⁰⁹ tn Grk “were not to a moderate degree” (an idiom). L&N 78.11 states: “μετρίως: a moderate degree of some activity or state – ‘moderately, to a moderate extent.’ ἤγαγον δὲ τὸν παῖδα ζῶντα, καὶ παρεκλήθησαν οὐ μετρίωθς ‘they took the young man home alive and were greatly comforted’ Ac 20:12. In Ac 20:12 the phrase οὐ μετρίως, literally ‘not to a moderate degree,’ is equivalent to a strong positive statement, namely, ‘greatly’ or ‘to a great extent.’”

[20:13]  ¹⁴¹⁰ tn Grk “going on ahead.” The participle προελθόντες (proelqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:13]  ¹⁴¹¹ tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

[20:13]  ¹⁴¹² sn Assos was a city of Mysia about 24 mi (40 km) southeast of Troas.

[20:13]  ¹⁴¹³ tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”

[20:13]  ¹⁴¹⁴ tn Or “for he told us to do this.” Grk “for having arranged it this way, he.” The participle διατεταγμένος (diatetagmeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. BDAG 237 s.v. διατάσσω 1 has “οὕτως διατεταγμένος ἦν he had arranged it so Ac 20:13.” L&N 15.224 has “‘he told us to do this.”

[20:13]  ¹⁴¹⁵ tn A new sentence was begun here in the translation because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence; in Greek this is part of the preceding sentence beginning “We went on ahead.”

[20:13]  ¹⁴¹⁶ tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”

[20:13]  ¹⁴¹⁷ tn Or “there on foot.”

[20:14]  ¹⁴¹⁸ sn Assos was a city of Mysia about 24 mi (40 km) southeast of Troas.

[20:14]  ¹⁴¹⁹ tn Grk “taking him aboard, we.” The participle ἀναλαβόντες (analabonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:14]  ¹⁴²⁰ sn Mitylene was the most important city on the island of Lesbos in the Aegean Sea. It was about 44 mi (70 km) from Assos.

[20:15]  ¹⁴²¹ tn Grk “setting sail from there.” The participle ἀποπλεύσαντες (apopleusante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:15]  ¹⁴²² tn Or “offshore from Chios.”

[20:15]  sn Chios was an island in the Aegean Sea off the western coast of Asia Minor with a city of the same name.

[20:15]  ¹⁴²³ tn Or “crossed over to,” “arrived at.” L&N 54.12 has “παραβάλλω: (a technical, nautical term) to sail up to or near – ‘to approach, to arrive at, to sail to.’ παρεβάλομεν εἰς Σάμον ‘we approached Samos’ or ‘we arrived at Samos’ Ac 20:15.”

[20:15]  ¹⁴²⁴ sn Samos is an island in the Aegean Sea off the western coast of Asia Minor.

[20:15]  ¹⁴²⁵ sn Miletus was a seaport on the western coast of Asia Minor about 40 mi (70 km) south of Ephesus. From Mitylene to Miletus was about 125 mi (200 km).

[20:16]  ¹⁴²⁶ map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[20:16]  ¹⁴²⁷ tn Grk “so that he might not have to spend time.” L&N 67.79 has “ὅπως μὴ γένηται αὐτῷ χρονοτριβῆσαι ἐν τῇ ᾿Ασίᾳ ‘so as not to spend any time in the province of Asia’ Ac 20:16.”

[20:16]  ¹⁴²⁸ tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[20:16]  ¹⁴²⁹ tn Or “was eager.”

[20:16]  ¹⁴³⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[20:16]  ¹⁴³¹ tn Grk “if it could be to him” (an idiom).

[20:17]  ¹⁴³² sn Miletus was a seaport on the western coast of Asia Minor about 45 mi (72 km) south of Ephesus.

[20:17]  ¹⁴³³ tn The words “a message” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[20:17]  ¹⁴³⁴ tn The words “to him” are not in the Greek text but are implied. L&N 33.311 has for the verb μετακαλέομαι (metakaleomai) “to summon someone, with considerable insistence and authority – ‘to summon, to tell to come.’”

[20:18]  ¹⁴³⁵ tn Grk “You yourselves know, from the first day I set foot in Asia, how I was with you the whole time.” This could be understood to mean “how I stayed with you the whole time,” but the following verses make it clear that Paul’s lifestyle while with the Ephesians is in view here. Thus the translation “how I lived the whole time I was with you” makes this clear.

[20:18]  ¹⁴³⁶ tn Or “I arrived.” BDAG 367 s.v. ἐπιβαίνω 2, “set foot in…εἰς τ. ᾿Ασίαν set foot in Asia Ac 20:18.” However, L&N 15.83 removes the idiom: “you know that since the first day that I came to Asia.”

[20:18]  ¹⁴³⁷ tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 16.

[20:19]  ¹⁴³⁸ sn On humility see 2 Cor 10:1; 11:7; 1 Thess 2:6; Col 3:12; Eph 4:2; Phil 2:3-11.

[20:19]  ¹⁴³⁹ sn These plots are mentioned in Acts 9:24; 20:13.

[20:20]  ¹⁴⁴⁰ tn Or “declaring.”

[20:20]  ¹⁴⁴¹ tn Or “profitable.” BDAG 960 s.v. συμφέρω 2.b.α has “τὰ συμφέροντα what advances your best interests or what is good for you Ac 20:20,” but the broader meaning (s.v. 2, “to be advantageous, help, confer a benefit, be profitable/useful”) is equally possible in this context.

[20:20]  ¹⁴⁴² tn Or “openly.”

[20:21]  ¹⁴⁴³ tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 1 has “testify of, bear witness to (orig. under oath)…of repentance to Judeans and Hellenes Ac 20:21.”

[20:21]  ¹⁴⁴⁴ tc Several mss, including some of the more important ones (Ì⁷⁴ א Α C [D] E 33 36 323 945 1175 1241 1505 1739 pm and a number of versions), read Χριστόν (Criston, “Christ”) at the end of this verse. This word is lacking in B H L P Ψ 614 pm. Although the inclusion is supported by many earlier and better mss, internal evidence is on the side of the omission: In Acts, both “Lord Jesus” and “Lord Jesus Christ” occur, though between 16:31 and the end of the book “Lord Jesus Christ” appears only in 28:31, perhaps as a kind of climactic assertion. Thus, the shorter reading is to be preferred.

[20:21]  sn Repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. Note the twofold description of the message. It is a turning to God involving faith in Jesus Christ.

[20:22]  ¹⁴⁴⁵ tn Grk “And now, behold.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.

[20:22]  ¹⁴⁴⁶ tn Grk “bound.”

[20:22]  ¹⁴⁴⁷ sn This journey to Jerusalem suggests a parallel between Paul and Jesus, since the “Jerusalem journey” motif figures so prominently in Luke’s Gospel (9:51-19:44).

[20:22]  ¹⁴⁴⁸ tn BDAG 965 s.v. συναντάω 2 has τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ συναντήσοντα ἐμοὶ μὴ εἰδώς without knowing what will happen to me there Ac 20:22.”

[20:23]  ¹⁴⁴⁹ tn BDAG 826 s.v. πλήν 1.d has “πλὴν ὅτι except that…Ac 20:23.”

[20:23]  ¹⁴⁵⁰ tn The verb διαμαρτύρομαι (diamarturomai) can mean “warn” (BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 2 has “solemnly urge, exhort, warn…w. dat. of pers. addressed”), and this meaning better fits the context here, although BDAG categorizes Acts 20:23 under the meaning “testify of, bear witness to” (s.v. 1).

[20:23]  ¹⁴⁵¹ tn The Greek text here reads κατὰ πόλιν (kata polin).

[20:23]  ¹⁴⁵² tn Grk “saying that,” but the participle λέγον (legon) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[20:23]  ¹⁴⁵³ tn Grk “bonds.”

[20:23]  ¹⁴⁵⁴ tn Or “troubles,” “suffering.” See Acts 19:21; 21:4, 11.

[20:24]  ¹⁴⁵⁵ tn Grk “soul.”

[20:24]  ¹⁴⁵⁶ tn Or “I do not consider my life worth a single word.” According to BDAG 599 s.v. λόγος 1.a.α, “In the textually uncertain pass. Ac 20:24 the text as it stands in N., οὐδενὸς λόγου (v.l. λόγον) ποιοῦμαι τὴν ψυχὴν τιμίαν, may well mean: I do not consider my life worth a single word (cp. λόγου ἄξιον [ἄξιος 1a] and our ‘worth mention’).”

[20:24]  ¹⁴⁵⁷ tn BDAG 1106 s.v. ὡς 9 describes this use as “a final particle, expressing intention/purpose, with a view to, in order to.”

[20:24]  ¹⁴⁵⁸ tn Grk “course.” See L&N 42.26, “(a figurative extension of meaning of δρόμος ‘race’) a task or function involving continuity, serious, effort, and possibly obligation – ‘task, mission’…Ac 20:24.” On this Pauline theme see also Phil 1:19-26; Col 1:24; 2 Tim 4:6-7.

[20:24]  ¹⁴⁵⁹ tn Or “to the gospel.”

[20:25]  ¹⁴⁶⁰ tn Grk “And now, behold.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.

[20:25]  ¹⁴⁶¹ tn Grk “all of you…will not see.” Greek handles its negation somewhat differently from English, and the translation follows English grammatical conventions.

[20:25]  ¹⁴⁶² sn Note how Paul’s usage of the expression proclaiming the kingdom is associated with (and intertwined with) his testifying to the good news of God’s grace in v. 24. For Paul the two concepts were interrelated.

[20:25]  ¹⁴⁶³ tn Grk “will see my face” (an idiom for seeing someone in person).

[20:26]  ¹⁴⁶⁴ tn Or “testify.”

[20:26]  ¹⁴⁶⁵ tn Grk “clean, pure,” thus “guiltless” (BDAG 489 s.v. καθαρός 3.a).

[20:26]  sn I am innocent. Paul had a clear conscience, since he had faithfully carried out his responsibility of announcing to (the Ephesians) the whole purpose of God.

[20:26]  ¹⁴⁶⁶ tn That is, “that if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible” (an idiom). According to L&N 33.223, the meaning of the phrase “that I am innocent of the blood of all of you” is “that if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible.” However, due to the length of this phrase and its familiarity to many modern English readers, the translation was kept closer to formal equivalence in this case. The word “you” is not in the Greek text, but is implied; Paul is addressing the Ephesian congregation (in the person of its elders) in both v. 25 and 27.

[20:27]  ¹⁴⁶⁷ tn Or “did not avoid.” BDAG 1041 s.v. ὑποστέλλω 2.b has “shrink from, avoid implying fear…οὐ γὰρ ὑπεστειλάμην τοῦ μὴ ἀναγγεῖλαι I did not shrink from proclaiming Ac 20:27”; L&N 13.160 has “to hold oneself back from doing something, with the implication of some fearful concern – ‘to hold back from, to shrink from, to avoid’…‘for I have not held back from announcing to you the whole purpose of God’ Ac 20:27.”

[20:27]  ¹⁴⁶⁸ tn Or “proclaiming,” “declaring.”

[20:27]  ¹⁴⁶⁹ tn Or “plan.”

[20:28]  ¹⁴⁷⁰ tn Or “Be on your guard for” (cf. v. 29). Paul completed his responsibility to the Ephesians with this warning.

[20:28]  ¹⁴⁷¹ tn Grk “in which.”

[20:28]  ¹⁴⁷² tn Or “guardians.” BDAG 379-80 s.v. ἐπίσκοπος 2 states, “The term was taken over in Christian communities in ref. to one who served as overseer or supervisor, with special interest in guarding the apostolic tradition…Ac 20:28.” This functional term describes the role of the elders (see v. 17). They were to guard and shepherd the congregation.

[20:28]  ¹⁴⁷³ tc The reading “of God” (τοῦ θεοῦ, tou qeou) is found in א B 614 1175 1505 al vg sy; other witnesses have “of the Lord” (τοῦ κυρίου, tou kuriou) here (so Ì⁷⁴ A C* D E Ψ 33 1739 al co), while the majority of the later minuscule mss conflate these two into “of the Lord and God” (τοῦ κυρίου καὶ [τοῦ] θεοῦ, tou kuriou kai [tou] qeou). Although the evidence is evenly balanced between the first two readings, τοῦ θεοῦ is decidedly superior on internal grounds. The final prepositional phrase of this verse, διὰ τοῦ αἵματος τοῦ ἰδίου (dia tou {aimato" tou idiou), could be rendered “through his own blood” or “through the blood of his own.” In the latter translation, the object that “own” modifies must be supplied (see tn below for discussion). But this would not be entirely clear to scribes; those who supposed that ἰδίου modified αἵματος would be prone to alter “God” to “Lord” to avoid the inference that God had blood. In a similar way, later scribes would be prone to conflate the two titles, thereby affirming the deity (with the construction τοῦ κυρίου καὶ θεοῦ following the Granville Sharp rule and referring to a single person [see ExSyn 272, 276-77, 290]) and substitutionary atonement of Christ. For these reasons, τοῦ θεοῦ best explains the rise of the other readings and should be considered authentic.

[20:28]  ¹⁴⁷⁴ tn Or “acquired.”

[20:28]  ¹⁴⁷⁵ tn Or “with his own blood”; Grk “with the blood of his own.” The genitive construction could be taken in two ways: (1) as an attributive genitive (second attributive position) meaning “his own blood”; or (2) as a possessive genitive, “with the blood of his own.” In this case the referent is the Son, and the referent has been specified in the translation for clarity. See further C. F. DeVine, “The Blood of God,” CBQ 9 (1947): 381-408.

[20:28]  sn That he obtained with the blood of his own Son. This is one of only two explicit statements in Luke-Acts highlighting the substitutionary nature of Christ’s death (the other is in Luke 22:19).

[20:29]  ¹⁴⁷⁶ tn Grk “after my departure.”

[20:29]  ¹⁴⁷⁷ tn That is, people like fierce wolves. See BDAG 167-68 s.v. βαρύς 4 on the term translated “fierce.” The battle that will follow would be a savage one.

[20:30]  ¹⁴⁷⁸ tn Grk “from among yourselves.”

[20:30]  ¹⁴⁷⁹ tn The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only rarely is used in a generic sense to refer to both males and females. Since Paul is speaking to the Ephesian elders at this point and there is nothing in the context to suggest women were included in that group (“from among your own group”), it is most likely Paul was not predicting that these false teachers would include women.

[20:30]  ¹⁴⁸⁰ tn Grk “speaking crooked things”; BDAG 237 s.v. διαστρέφω 2 has “λαλεῖν διεστραμμένα teach perversions (of the truth) Ac 20:30.”

[20:30]  sn These perversions of the truth refer to the kinds of threats that would undermine repentance toward God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (cf. v. 21). Instead these false teachers would arise from within the Ephesian congregation (cf. 1 John 2:18-19) and would seek to draw the disciples away after them.

[20:31]  ¹⁴⁸¹ tn Or “be watchful.”

[20:31]  ¹⁴⁸² tn Or “admonishing.”

[20:32]  ¹⁴⁸³ tn Or “commend.” BDAG 772 s.v. παρατίθημι 3.b has “τινά τινι entrust someone to the care or protection of someone…Of divine protection παρέθεντο αὐτοὺς τῷ κυρίῳ Ac 14:23; cp. 20:32.”

[20:32]  ¹⁴⁸⁴ tn Grk “word.”

[20:32]  ¹⁴⁸⁵ tn Grk “the message of his grace, which.” The phrase τῷ δυναμένῳ οἰκοδομῆσαι… (tw dunamenw oikodomhsai…) refers to τῷ λόγω (tw logw), not τῆς χάριτος (ths caritos); in English it could refer to either “the message” or “grace,” but in Greek, because of agreement in gender, the referent can only be “the message.” To make this clear, a new sentence was begun in the translation and the referent “the message” was repeated at the beginning of this new sentence.

[20:33]  ¹⁴⁸⁶ tn Traditionally, “coveted.” BDAG 371 s.v. ἐπιθυμέω 1 has “to have a strong desire to do or secure someth., desire, long for w. gen. of the thing desired…silver, gold, clothing Ac 20:33.” The traditional term “covet” is not in common usage and difficult for many modern English readers to understand. The statement affirms Paul’s integrity. He was not doing this for personal financial gain.

[20:34]  ¹⁴⁸⁷ tn The words “of mine” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify whose hands Paul is referring to.

[20:35]  ¹⁴⁸⁸ sn The expression By all these things means “In everything I did.”

[20:35]  ¹⁴⁸⁹ tn Or “must assist.”

[20:35]  ¹⁴⁹⁰ tn Or “the sick.” See Eph 4:28.

[20:35]  ¹⁴⁹¹ sn The saying is similar to Matt 10:8. Service and generosity should be abundant. Interestingly, these exact words are not found in the gospels. Paul must have known of this saying from some other source.

[20:36]  ¹⁴⁹² tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[20:36]  ¹⁴⁹³ tn Grk “kneeling down…he prayed.” The participle θείς (qeis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:37]  ¹⁴⁹⁴ tn Grk “weeping a great deal,” thus “loudly” (BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός and BDAG 546 s.v. κλαυθμός).

[20:37]  ¹⁴⁹⁵ tn Grk “fell on Paul’s neck” (an idiom, see BDAG 1014 s.v. τράχηλος).

[20:37]  ¹⁴⁹⁶ sn The Ephesians elders kissed Paul as a sign of both affection and farewell. The entire scene shows how much interrelationship Paul had in his ministry and how much he and the Ephesians meant to each other.

[20:38]  ¹⁴⁹⁷ tn Or “pained.”

[20:38]  ¹⁴⁹⁸ tn Grk “by the word that he had said.”

[20:38]  ¹⁴⁹⁹ tn Grk “to see his face” (an idiom for seeing someone in person).

[20:38]  ¹⁵⁰⁰ tn BDAG 873 s.v. προπέμπω 1 has “they accompanied him to the ship Ac 20:38.”

[21:1]  ¹⁵⁰¹ tn Grk “It happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated. Since the action described by the participle ἀποσπασθέντας (apospasqenta", “tearing ourselves away”) is prior to the departure of the ship, it has been translated as antecedent action (“after”).

[21:1]  ¹⁵⁰² sn This marks the beginning of another “we” section in Acts. These have been traditionally understood to mean that Luke was in the company of Paul for this part of the journey.

[21:1]  ¹⁵⁰³ tn BDAG 120 s.v. ἀποσπάω 2.b has “pass. in mid. sense ἀ. ἀπό τινος tear oneself away Ac 21:1”; LSJ 218 gives several illustrations of this verb meaning “to tear or drag away from.”

[21:1]  ¹⁵⁰⁴ tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

[21:1]  ¹⁵⁰⁵ tn BDAG 406 s.v. εὐθυδρομέω has “of a ship run a straight course”; L&N 54.3 has “to sail a straight course, sail straight to.”

[21:1]  ¹⁵⁰⁶ sn Cos was an island in the Aegean Sea.

[21:1]  ¹⁵⁰⁷ sn Rhodes was an island off the southwestern coast of Asia Minor.

[21:1]  ¹⁵⁰⁸ sn Patara was a city in Lycia on the southwestern coast of Asia Minor. The entire journey was about 185 mi (295 km).

[21:2]  ¹⁵⁰⁹ tn Grk “and finding.” The participle εὑρόντες (Jeuronte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun in the translation.

[21:2]  ¹⁵¹⁰ sn Phoenicia was the name of an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine.

[21:2]  ¹⁵¹¹ tn Grk “going aboard, we put out to sea.” The participle ἐπιβάντες (epibante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:2]  ¹⁵¹² tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

[21:3]  ¹⁵¹³ sn Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[21:3]  ¹⁵¹⁴ sn The expression left it behind on our port side here means “sailed past to the south of it” since the ship was sailing east.

[21:3]  ¹⁵¹⁵ tn BDAG 531 s.v. κατέρχομαι 2 states, “arrive, put in, nautical t.t. of ships and those who sail in them, who ‘come down’ fr. the ‘high seas’…ἔις τι at someth. a harbor 18:22; 21:3; 27:5.”

[21:3]  ¹⁵¹⁶ sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia. From Patara to Tyre was about 400 mi (640 km). It required a large cargo ship over 100 ft (30 m) long, and was a four to five day voyage.

[21:3]  map For location see Map1 A2; Map2 G2; Map4 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[21:4]  ¹⁵¹⁷ tn BDAG 78 s.v. ἀνευρίσκω has “look/search for (w. finding presupposed) τινά…τοὺς μαθητάς Ac 21:4.” The English verb “locate,” when used in reference to persons, has the implication of both looking for and finding someone. The participle ἀνευρόντες (aneuronte") has been taken temporally.

[21:4]  ¹⁵¹⁸ tn BDAG 154 s.v. αὐτοῦ states, “deictic adv. designating a position relatively near or far…there…Ac 21:4.”

[21:4]  ¹⁵¹⁹ tn The imperfect verb ἔλεγον (elegon) has been taken iteratively.

[21:4]  ¹⁵²⁰ sn Although they told this to Paul through the Spirit, it appears Paul had a choice here (see v. 14). Therefore this amounted to a warning: There was risk in going to Jerusalem, so he was urged not to go.

[21:4]  ¹⁵²¹ tn BDAG 367 s.v. ἐπιβαίνω places Ac 21:4 under 1, “go up/upon, mount, board…πλοίῳ…Ac 27:2…Abs. go on board, embark…21:1 D, 2. – So perh. also ἐ. εἰς ᾿Ιεροσόλυμα embark for Jerusalem (i.e. to the seaport of Caesarea) vs. 4.” BDAG notes, however, “But this pass. may also belong to 2. to move to an area and be there, set foot in.” Because the message from the disciples to Paul through the Holy Spirit has the character of a warning, the latter meaning has been adopted for this translation.

[21:4]  ¹⁵²² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[21:5]  ¹⁵²³ tn Grk “It happened that when.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[21:5]  ¹⁵²⁴ tn Grk “When our days were over.” L&N 67.71 has “ὅτε δὲ ἐγένετο ἡμᾶς ἐξαρτίσαι τὰς ἡμέρας ‘when we brought that time to an end’ or ‘when our time with them was over’ Ac 21:5.”

[21:5]  ¹⁵²⁵ tn Grk “accompanying.” Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation and the participle προπεμπόντων (propempontwn) translated as a finite verb.

[21:5]  ¹⁵²⁶ tn Grk “city, and after.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[21:5]  ¹⁵²⁷ sn On praying in Acts, see 1:14, 24; 2:47; 4:23; 6:6; 10:2; 12:5, 12; 13:3; 16:25.

[21:6]  ¹⁵²⁸ tn BDAG 98 s.v. ἀπασπάζομαι has “take leave of, say farewell to τινά someone…ἀπησπασάμεθα ἀλλήλους we said farewell to one another Ac 21:6.”

[21:6]  ¹⁵²⁹ sn These words are part of v. 5 in the standard critical Greek text.

[21:6]  ¹⁵³⁰ tn Grk “and.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[21:6]  ¹⁵³¹ tn Grk “to their own”; the word “homes” is implied.

[21:7]  ¹⁵³² sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia.

[21:7]  ¹⁵³³ sn Ptolemais was a seaport on the coast of Palestine about 30 mi (48 km) south of Tyre.

[21:8]  ¹⁵³⁴ tn Grk “On the next day leaving, we came.” The participle ἐξελθόντες (exelqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:8]  ¹⁵³⁵ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1. This was another 40 mi (65 km).

[21:8]  map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[21:8]  ¹⁵³⁶ tn Grk “and entering…we stayed.” The participle εἰσελθόντες (eiselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:8]  ¹⁵³⁷ sn Philip was one of the seven deacons appointed in the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:1-7).

[21:9]  ¹⁵³⁸ tn Grk “virgin.” While the term παρθένος (parqeno") can refer to a woman who has never had sexual relations, the emphasis in this context seems to be on the fact that Philip’s daughters were not married (L&N 9.39).

[21:9]  ¹⁵³⁹ sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author. Luke again noted women who were gifted in the early church (see Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 3.31; 3.39).

[21:10]  ¹⁵⁴⁰ tn BDAG 848 s.v. πολύς 1.b.α has “ἐπὶ ἡμέρας πλείους for a (large) number of days, for many days…Ac 13:31. – 21:10…24:17; 25:14; 27:20.”

[21:10]  ¹⁵⁴¹ sn Agabus also appeared in Acts 11:28. He was from Jerusalem, so the two churches were still in contact with one another.

[21:11]  ¹⁵⁴² tn Grk “And coming.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here. The participle ἐλθών (elqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:11]  ¹⁵⁴³ tn Grk “and taking.” This καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more. The participle ἄρας (aras) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:11]  ¹⁵⁴⁴ sn The belt was a band or sash used to keep money as well as to gird up the tunic (BDAG 431 s.v. ζώνη).

[21:11]  ¹⁵⁴⁵ tn The participle δήσας (dhsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:11]  ¹⁵⁴⁶ tn The words “with it” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[21:11]  ¹⁵⁴⁷ tn Grk “and will deliver him over into the hands of” (a Semitic idiom).

[21:11]  sn The Jews…will tie up…and will hand him over. As later events will show, the Jews in Jerusalem did not personally tie Paul up and hand him over to the Gentiles, but their reaction to him was the cause of his arrest (Acts 21:27-36).

[21:12]  ¹⁵⁴⁸ tn Or “the people there.”

[21:13]  ¹⁵⁴⁹ tn The term translated “breaking” as used by Josephus (Ant. 10.10.4 [10.207]) means to break something into pieces, but in its only NT use (it is a hapax legomenon) it is used figuratively (BDAG 972 s.v. συνθρύπτω).

[21:13]  ¹⁵⁵⁰ tn L&N 18.13 has “to tie objects together – ‘to tie, to tie together, to tie up.’” The verb δέω (dew) is sometimes figurative for imprisonment (L&N 37.114), but it is preferable to translate it literally here in light of v. 11 where Agabus tied himself up with Paul’s belt.

[21:14]  ¹⁵⁵¹ tn The participle πειθομένου (peiqomenou) in this genitive absolute construction has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[21:14]  ¹⁵⁵² tn Grk “we became silent, saying.”

[21:14]  ¹⁵⁵³ sn “The Lord’s will be done.” Since no one knew exactly what would happen, the matter was left in the Lord’s hands.

[21:15]  ¹⁵⁵⁴ tn Or “we made preparations.”

[21:15]  ¹⁵⁵⁵ tn Grk “were going up”; the imperfect verb ἀνεβαίνομεν (anebainomen) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[21:15]  sn In colloquial speech Jerusalem was always said to be “up” from any other location in Palestine. The group probably covered the 65 mi (105 km) in two days using horses. Their arrival in Jerusalem marked the end of Paul’s third missionary journey.

[21:16]  ¹⁵⁵⁶ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.

[21:16]  map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[21:16]  ¹⁵⁵⁷ tn Grk “to Mnason…”; the words “the house of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the verb ξενισθῶμεν (xenisqwmen).

[21:16]  ¹⁵⁵⁸ tn Or perhaps, “Mnason of Cyprus, one of the original disciples.” BDAG 137 s.v. ἀρχαῖος 1 has “ἀ. μαθητής a disciple of long standing (perh. original disc.) Ac 21:16.”

[21:17]  ¹⁵⁵⁹ tn Or “warmly” (see BDAG 144 s.v. ἀσμένως).

[21:18]  ¹⁵⁶⁰ tn BDAG 760 s.v. παραγίνομαι 1 has this use under the broad category of meaning “draw near, come, arrive, be present.”

[21:18]  sn All the elders were there. This meeting shows how the Jerusalem church still regarded Paul and his mission with favor, but also with some concerns because of the rumors circulating about his actions.

[21:19]  ¹⁵⁶¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:19]  ¹⁵⁶² tn Or “to report,” “to describe.” The imperfect verb ἐξηγεῖτο (exhgeito) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[21:19]  ¹⁵⁶³ tn BDAG 293 s.v. εἷς 5.e has “καθ᾿ ἕν one after the other (hence τὸ καθ᾿ ἕν ‘a detailed list’: PLille 11, 8 [III bc]; PTebt. 47, 34; 332, 16) J 21:25. Also καθ᾿ ἕν ἕκαστον…Ac 21:19.”

[21:19]  ¹⁵⁶⁴ sn Note how Paul credited God with the success of his ministry.

[21:20]  ¹⁵⁶⁵ tn Or “glorified.”

[21:20]  ¹⁵⁶⁶ tn Grk “how many thousands there are among the Jews.”

[21:20]  sn How many thousands of Jews. See Acts 2-5 for the accounts of their conversion, esp. 2:41 and 4:4. Estimates of the total number of Jews living in Jerusalem at the time range from 20,000 to 50,000.

[21:20]  ¹⁵⁶⁷ tn Or “are all zealous for the law.” BDAG 427 s.v. ζηλωτής 1.a.β has “of thing…τοῦ νόμου an ardent observer of the law Ac 21:20.”

[21:20]  ¹⁵⁶⁸ sn That is, the law of Moses. These Jewish Christians had remained close to their Jewish practices after becoming believers (1 Cor 7:18-19; Acts 16:3).

[21:21]  ¹⁵⁶⁹ tn BDAG 511 s.v. κατά B.1.a has “τοὺς κ. τὰ ἔθνη ᾿Ιουδαίους the Judeans (dispersed) throughout the nations 21:21.” The Jews in view are not those in Palestine, but those who are scattered throughout the Gentile world.

[21:21]  ¹⁵⁷⁰ tn Or “to forsake,” “to rebel against.” BDAG 120 s.v. ἀποστασία has “ἀποστασίαν διδάσκεις ἀπὸ Μωϋσέως you teach (Judeans) to abandon Moses Ac 21:21.”

[21:21]  sn The charge that Paul was teaching Jews in the Diaspora to abandon Moses was different from the issue faced in Acts 15, where the question was whether Gentiles needed to become like Jews first in order to become Christians. The issue also appears in Acts 24:5-6, 13-21; 25:8.

[21:21]  ¹⁵⁷¹ sn That is, not to circumcise their male children. Biblical references to circumcision always refer to male circumcision.

[21:21]  ¹⁵⁷² tn Grk “or walk.”

[21:22]  ¹⁵⁷³ tn L&N 71.16 has “pertaining to being in every respect certain – ‘certainly, really, doubtless, no doubt.’…‘they will no doubt hear that you have come’ Ac 21:22.”

[21:23]  ¹⁵⁷⁴ tn Grk “do this that.”

[21:23]  ¹⁵⁷⁵ tn Grk “There are four men here.”

[21:23]  ¹⁵⁷⁶ tn L&N 33.469 has “‘there are four men here who have taken a vow’ or ‘we have four men who…’ Ac 21:23.”

[21:23]  ¹⁵⁷⁷ tn On the term for “vow,” see BDAG 416 s.v. εὐχή 2.

[21:24]  ¹⁵⁷⁸ sn That is, undergo ritual cleansing. Paul’s cleansing would be necessary because of his travels in “unclean” Gentile territory. This act would represent a conciliatory gesture. Paul would have supported a “law-free” mission to the Gentiles as an option, but this gesture would represent an attempt to be sensitive to the Jews (1 Cor 9:15-22).

[21:24]  ¹⁵⁷⁹ tn L&N 57.146 has “δαπάνησον ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς ‘pay their expenses’ Ac 21:24.”

[21:24]  ¹⁵⁸⁰ tn The future middle indicative has causative force here. BDAG 686 s.v. ξυράω has “mid. have oneself shaved…τὴν κεφαλήν have one’s head shaved…Ac 21:24.”

[21:24]  sn Having their heads shaved probably involved ending a voluntary Nazirite vow (Num 6:14-15).

[21:24]  ¹⁵⁸¹ tn Grk “and.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[21:24]  ¹⁵⁸² tn The verb here describes a report or some type of information (BDAG 534 s.v. κατηχέω 1).

[21:24]  ¹⁵⁸³ tn Grk “adhere to the keeping of the law.” L&N 41.12 has “στοιχέω: to live in conformity with some presumed standard or set of customs – ‘to live, to behave in accordance with.’”

[21:24]  ¹⁵⁸⁴ sn The law refers to the law of Moses.

[21:25]  ¹⁵⁸⁵ tn L&N 13.154 has “‘having decided that they must keep themselves from food offered to idols, from blood, from an animal that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality’ Ac 21:25.”

[21:25]  sn Having decided refers here to the decision of the Jerusalem council (Acts 15:6-21). Mention of this previous decision reminds the reader that the issue here is somewhat different: It is not whether Gentiles must first become Jews before they can become Christians (as in Acts 15), but whether Jews who become Christians should retain their Jewish practices. Sensitivity to this issue would suggest that Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians might engage in different practices.

[21:25]  ¹⁵⁸⁶ tn This is a different Greek word than the one used in Acts 15:20, 29. BDAG 1068 s.v. φυλάσσω 3 has “to be on one’s guard against, look out for, avoid…w. acc. of pers. or thing avoided…Ac 21:25.” The Greek word used in Acts 15:20, 29 is ἀπέχω (apecw). The difference in meaning, although slight, has been maintained in the translation.

[21:25]  ¹⁵⁸⁷ tn There is no specific semantic component in the Greek word εἰδωλόθυτος that means “meat” (see BDAG 280 s.v. εἰδωλόθυτος; L&N 5.15). The stem –θυτος means “sacrifice” (referring to an animal sacrificially killed) and thereby implies meat.

[21:25]  ¹⁵⁸⁸ sn What has been strangled. That is, to refrain from eating animals that had been killed without having the blood drained from them. According to the Mosaic law (Lev 17:13-14) Jews were forbidden to eat flesh with the blood still in it (note the preceding provision in this verse, and blood).

[21:26]  ¹⁵⁸⁹ tn BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 11.b.β has “temporal, to be next, immediately following…τῇ ἐχομένῃ…on the next day Lk 13:33…Ac 20:15; w. ἡμέρᾳ added…21:26.”

[21:26]  ¹⁵⁹⁰ tn That is, after he had undergone ritual cleansing. The aorist passive participle ἁγνισθείς (Jagnisqei") has been taken temporally of antecedent action.

[21:26]  ¹⁵⁹¹ tn Grk “entered the temple, giving notice.” The participle διαγγέλλων (diangellwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:26]  ¹⁵⁹² sn The days of purification refers to the days of ritual cleansing.

[21:26]  ¹⁵⁹³ tn Grk “until” (BDAG 423 s.v. ἕως 1.b.β.א), but since in English it is somewhat awkward to say “the completion of the days of purification, until the sacrifice would be offered,” the temporal clause was translated “when the sacrifice would be offered.” The point is that the sacrifice would be offered when the days were completed. Paul honored the request of the Jewish Christian leadership completely. As the following verse makes clear, the vow was made for seven days.

[21:26]  ¹⁵⁹⁴ tn Grk “for each one.”

[21:27]  ¹⁵⁹⁵ tn BDAG 975 s.v. συντελέω 4 has “to come to an end of a duration, come to an end, be over…Ac 21:27.”

[21:27]  ¹⁵⁹⁶ tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[21:27]  sn Note how there is a sense of Paul being pursued from a distance. These Jews may well have been from Ephesus, since they recognized Trophimus the Ephesian (v. 29).

[21:27]  ¹⁵⁹⁷ tn Grk “in the temple.” See the note on the word “temple” in v. 28.

[21:27]  ¹⁵⁹⁸ tn Or “threw the whole crowd into consternation.” L&N 25.221 has “συνέχεον πάντα τὸν ὄχλον ‘they threw the whole crowd into consternation’ Ac 21:27. It is also possible to render the expression in Ac 21:27 as ‘they stirred up the whole crowd.’”

[21:27]  ¹⁵⁹⁹ tn Grk “and laid hands on.”

[21:28]  ¹⁶⁰⁰ tn Or “Israelite men,” although this is less natural English. The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context, it is conceivable that this is a generic usage since “the whole crowd” is mentioned in v. 27, although it can also be argued that these remarks were addressed primarily to the men present, even if women were there.

[21:28]  ¹⁶⁰¹ sn The law refers to the law of Moses.

[21:28]  ¹⁶⁰² tn Grk “this place.”

[21:28]  sn This sanctuary refers to the temple. The charges were not new, but were similar to those made against Stephen (Acts 6:14) and Jesus (Luke 23:2).

[21:28]  ¹⁶⁰³ tn BDAG 400 s.v. ἔτι 2.b has “ἔ. δὲ καί furthermore…al. ἔ. τε καί…Lk 14:26; Ac 21:28.” This is a continuation of the same sentence in Greek, but due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.

[21:28]  ¹⁶⁰⁴ tn Grk “into the temple.” The specific reference is to the Court of the Sons of Israel (see the note following the term “unclean” at the end of this verse). To avoid giving the modern reader the impression that they entered the temple building itself, the phrase “the inner courts of the temple” has been used in the translation.

[21:28]  ¹⁶⁰⁵ tn Or “and has defiled this holy place.”

[21:28]  sn Has brought Greeks…unclean. Note how the issue is both religious and ethnic, showing a different attitude by the Jews. A Gentile was not permitted to enter the inner temple precincts (contrast Eph 2:11-22). According to Josephus (Ant. 15.11.5 [15.417]; J. W. 5.5.2 [5.193], cf. 5.5.6 [5.227]), the inner temple courts (the Court of the Women, the Court of the Sons of Israel, and the Court of the Priests) were raised slightly above the level of the Court of the Gentiles and were surrounded by a wall about 5 ft (1.5 m) high. Notices in both Greek and Latin (two of which have been discovered) warned that any Gentiles who ventured into the inner courts would be responsible for their own deaths. See also Philo, Embassy 31 (212). In m. Middot 2:3 this wall was called “soreq” and according to m. Sanhedrin 9:6 the stranger who trespassed beyond the soreq would die by the hand of God.

[21:29]  ¹⁶⁰⁶ tn Grk “whom.”

[21:29]  ¹⁶⁰⁷ tn On the phrase “inner temple courts” see the note on the word “temple” in v. 28.

[21:29]  sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The note explains the cause of the charge and also notes that it was false.

[21:30]  ¹⁶⁰⁸ tn On this term see BDAG 545 s.v. κινέω 2.b.

[21:30]  ¹⁶⁰⁹ tn Or “the people formed a mob.” BDAG 967 s.v. συνδρομή has “formation of a mob by pers. running together, running together…ἐγένετο σ. τοῦ λαοῦ the people rushed together Ac 21:30.”

[21:30]  ¹⁶¹⁰ tn Grk “and seizing.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενοι (epilabomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[21:30]  ¹⁶¹¹ tn Grk “out of the temple.” See the note on the word “temple” in v. 28.

[21:31]  ¹⁶¹² tn Grk “seeking.”

[21:31]  ¹⁶¹³ tn Or “information” (originally concerning a crime; BDAG 1050 s.v. φάσις).

[21:31]  ¹⁶¹⁴ tn Grk “went up”; this verb is used because the report went up to the Antonia Fortress where the Roman garrison was stationed.

[21:31]  ¹⁶¹⁵ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). In Greek the term χιλίαρχος (ciliarco") literally described the “commander of a thousand,” but it was used as the standard translation for the Latin tribunus militum or tribunus militare, the military tribune who commanded a cohort of 600 men.

[21:31]  ¹⁶¹⁶ sn A cohort was a Roman military unit of about 600 soldiers, one-tenth of a legion.

[21:31]  ¹⁶¹⁷ tn BDAG 953 s.v. συγχέω has “Pass. w. act.force be in confusion…ὅλη συγχύννεται ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ 21:31.”

[21:32]  ¹⁶¹⁸ tn Grk “who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, the relative pronoun (“who”) was translated as a pronoun (“he”) and a new sentence was begun here in the translation.

[21:32]  ¹⁶¹⁹ tn Grk “taking…ran down.” The participle κατέδραμεν (katedramen) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:32]  ¹⁶²⁰ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[21:32]  ¹⁶²¹ tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:32]  ¹⁶²² tn Grk “seeing.” The participle ἰδόντες (idonte") has been taken temporally.

[21:32]  ¹⁶²³ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 31.

[21:32]  ¹⁶²⁴ sn The mob stopped beating Paul because they feared the Romans would arrest them for disturbing the peace and for mob violence. They would let the Roman officials take care of the matter from this point on.

[21:33]  ¹⁶²⁵ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 31.

[21:33]  ¹⁶²⁶ tn Grk “seized.”

[21:33]  ¹⁶²⁷ tn The two chains would be something like handcuffs (BDAG 48 s.v. ἅλυσις and compare Acts 28:20).

[21:33]  ¹⁶²⁸ tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been replaced with a semicolon. “Then” has been supplied after “he” to clarify the logical sequence.

[21:33]  ¹⁶²⁹ tn Grk “and what it is”; this has been simplified to “what.”

[21:34]  ¹⁶³⁰ tn L&N 33.77 has “ἄλλοι δὲ ἄλλο τι ἐπεφώνουν ἐν τῷ ὄχλῳ ‘some in the crowd shouted one thing; others, something else’ Ac 21:34.”

[21:34]  ¹⁶³¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the commanding officer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:34]  ¹⁶³² tn This genitive absolute construction has been translated temporally; it could also be taken causally: “and since the commanding officer was unable to find out the truth.”

[21:34]  ¹⁶³³ tn Or “find out what had happened”; Grk “the certainty” (BDAG 147 s.v. ἀσφαλής 2).

[21:34]  ¹⁶³⁴ tn Or “clamor,” “uproar” (BDAG 458 s.v. θόρυβος).

[21:34]  ¹⁶³⁵ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:34]  ¹⁶³⁶ tn Or “the headquarters.” BDAG 775 s.v. παρεμβολή 2 has “barracks/headquarters of the Roman troops in Jerusalem Ac 21:34, 37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32.”

[21:35]  ¹⁶³⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:35]  ¹⁶³⁸ sn Paul had to be carried. Note how the arrest really ended up protecting Paul. The crowd is portrayed as irrational at this point.

[21:35]  ¹⁶³⁹ tn This refers to mob violence (BDAG 175 s.v. βία b).

[21:36]  ¹⁶⁴⁰ tn Grk “the multitude of people.” While πλῆθος (plhqo") is articular, it has been translated “a crowd” since it was probably a subset of the larger mob that gathered in v. 30.

[21:36]  ¹⁶⁴¹ tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[21:37]  ¹⁶⁴² tn Or “the headquarters.” BDAG 775 s.v. παρεμβολή 2 has “barracks/headquarters of the Roman troops in Jerusalem Ac 21:34, 37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32.”

[21:37]  ¹⁶⁴³ tn Grk “says” (a historical present).

[21:37]  ¹⁶⁴⁴ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers) See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 31.

[21:37]  ¹⁶⁴⁵ tn Grk “Is it permitted for me to say” (an idiom).

[21:37]  ¹⁶⁴⁶ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the officer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:37]  ¹⁶⁴⁷ tn Grk “said.”

[21:37]  ¹⁶⁴⁸ sn “Do you know Greek?” Paul as an educated rabbi was bilingual. Paul’s request in Greek allowed the officer to recognize that Paul was not the violent insurrectionist he thought he had arrested (see following verse). The confusion of identities reveals the degree of confusion dominating these events.

[21:38]  ¹⁶⁴⁹ tn L&N 39.41 has “οὐκ ἄρα σὺ εἶ ὁ Αἰγύπτιος ὁ πρὸ τούτων τῶν ἡμερῶν ἀναστατώσας ‘then you are not that Egyptian who some time ago started a rebellion’ Ac 21:38.”

[21:38]  ¹⁶⁵⁰ tn Grk “of the Sicarii.”

[21:38]  sn The term ‘Assassins’ is found several times in the writings of Josephus (J. W. 2.13.3 [2.254-257]; Ant. 20.8.10 [20.186]). It was the name of the most fanatical group among the Jewish nationalists, very hostile to Rome, who did not hesitate to assassinate their political opponents. They were named Sicarii in Latin after their weapon of choice, the short dagger or sicarius which could be easily hidden under one’s clothing. In effect, the officer who arrested Paul had thought he was dealing with a terrorist.

[21:38]  ¹⁶⁵¹ tn Or “desert.”

[21:38]  ¹⁶⁵² tn Grk “before these days.”

[21:39]  ¹⁶⁵³ tn Grk “said.”

[21:39]  ¹⁶⁵⁴ tn Grk “a Jewish man.”

[21:39]  ¹⁶⁵⁵ tn Grk “of a not insignificant city.” The double negative, common in Greek, is awkward in English and has been replaced by a corresponding positive expression (BDAG 142 s.v. ἄσημος 1).

[21:39]  ¹⁶⁵⁶ tn Grk “I beg you.”

[21:40]  ¹⁶⁵⁷ tn The referent (the commanding officer) has been supplied here in the translation for clarity.

[21:40]  ¹⁶⁵⁸ tn Grk “Giving him permission.” The participle ἐπιτρέψαντος (epitreyanto") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:40]  ¹⁶⁵⁹ tn Grk “standing.” The participle ἑστώς (Jestws) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:40]  ¹⁶⁶⁰ tn Or “motioned.”

[21:40]  ¹⁶⁶¹ tn γενομένης (genomenhs) has been taken temporally. BDAG 922 s.v. σιγή has “πολλῆς σιγῆς γενομένης when a great silence had fallen = when they had become silent Ac 21:40.”

[21:40]  ¹⁶⁶² tn Or “spoke out to.” L&N 33.27 has “to address an audience, with possible emphasis upon loudness – ‘to address, to speak out to.’ πολλῆς δέ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ ᾿Εβραίδι διαλέκτῳ ‘when they were quiet, he addressed them in Hebrew’ Ac 21:40.”

[21:40]  ¹⁶⁶³ tn Grk “in the Hebrew dialect, saying.” This refers to the Aramaic spoken in Palestine in the 1st century (BDAG 270 s.v. ῾Εβραΐς). The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[22:1]  ¹⁶⁶⁴ sn Listen to my defense. This is the first of several speeches Paul would make in his own defense: Acts 24:10ff.; 25:8, 16; and 26:1ff. For the use of such a speech (“apologia”) in Greek, see Josephus, Ag. Ap. 2.15 [2.147]; Wis 6:10.

[22:1]  ¹⁶⁶⁵ tn The adverb νυνί (nuni, “now”) is connected with the phrase τῆς πρὸς ὑμᾶς νυνὶ ἀπολογίας (th" pro" Juma" nuni apologia") rather than the verb ἀκούσατε (akousate), and the entire construction (prepositional phrase plus adverb) is in first attributive position and thus translated into English by a relative clause.

[22:2]  ¹⁶⁶⁶ tn ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally.

[22:2]  ¹⁶⁶⁷ tn Or “spoke out to.” L&N 33.27 has “to address an audience, with possible emphasis upon loudness – ‘to address, to speak out to.’ πολλῆς δέ σιγῆς γενομένης προσεφώνησεν τῇ ᾿Εβραίδι διαλέκτῳ ‘when they were quiet, he addressed them in Hebrew’ Ac 21:40.”

[22:2]  ¹⁶⁶⁸ tn Grk “in the Hebrew language.” See the note on “Aramaic” in 21:40.

[22:2]  ¹⁶⁶⁹ tn BDAG 613-14 s.v. μᾶλλον 1 “Abs. μ. can mean to a greater degree (than before), even more, now more than ever Lk 5:15; Jn 5:18; 19:8; Ac 5:14; 22:2; 2 Cor 7:7.”

[22:2]  ¹⁶⁷⁰ tn BDAG 440 s.v. ἡσυχία 2 has “παρέχειν ἡσυχίαν quiet down, give a hearing…Ac 22:2.”

[22:2]  sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author.

[22:2]  ¹⁶⁷¹ tn Grk “and.” Since this represents a continuation of the speech begun in v. 1, καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[22:3]  ¹⁶⁷² tn Grk “a Jewish man.”

[22:3]  ¹⁶⁷³ tn BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατρέφω b has “of mental and spiritual nurture bring up, rear, train…ἀνατεθραμμένος ἐν τ. πόλει ταύτῃ 22:3.”

[22:3]  ¹⁶⁷⁴ tn Or “with precision.” Although often translated “strictly” this can be misunderstood for “solely” in English. BDAG 39 s.v. ἀκρίβεια gives the meaning as “exactness, precision.” To avoid the potential misunderstanding the translation “with strictness” is used, although it is slightly more awkward than “strictly.”

[22:3]  ¹⁶⁷⁵ tn Grk “strictly at the feet of” (an idiom).

[22:3]  ¹⁶⁷⁶ tn Or “brought up in this city under Gamaliel, educated with strictness…” The phrase παρὰ τοὺς πόδας Γαμαλιὴλ (para tou" poda" Gamalihl) could be understood with what precedes or with what follows. The punctuation of NA²⁷ and UBS⁴, which place a comma after ταύτῃ (tauth), has been followed in the translation.

[22:3]  sn Gamaliel was a famous Jewish scholar and teacher mentioned here and in Acts 5:34. He had a grandson of the same name and is referred to as “Gamaliel the Elder” to avoid confusion. He is quoted a number of times in the Mishnah, was given the highest possible title for Jewish teachers, Rabba (cf. John 20:16), and was highly regarded in later rabbinic tradition.

[22:3]  ¹⁶⁷⁷ tn Or “our forefathers.”

[22:3]  ¹⁶⁷⁸ tn Grk “ancestors, being.” The participle ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[22:3]  ¹⁶⁷⁹ tn BDAG 427 s.v. ζηλωτής 1.a.α has “of pers. …ζ. τοῦ θεοῦ one who is loyal to God Ac 22:3.”

[22:4]  ¹⁶⁸⁰ tn Grk “who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) was translated by the first person pronoun (“I”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[22:4]  ¹⁶⁸¹ sn That is, persecuted the Christian movement (Christianity). The Way is also used as a description of the Christian faith in Acts 9:2; 18:25-26; 19:9, 23; 24:14, 22).

[22:4]  ¹⁶⁸² tn BDAG 442-43 s.v. θάνατος 1.a has “διώκειν ἄχρι θανάτου persecute even to death Ac 22:4.”

[22:4]  ¹⁶⁸³ tn Grk “binding.” See Acts 8:3.

[22:4]  ¹⁶⁸⁴ tn BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 1.b has “W. local εἰς…εἰς φυλακήν put in prison Ac 8:3; cp. 22:4.”

[22:5]  ¹⁶⁸⁵ tn That is, the whole Sanhedrin. BDAG 861 s.v. πρεσβυτέριον has “an administrative group concerned with the interests of a specific community, council of elders – a. of the highest Judean council in Jerusalem, in our lit. usu. called συνέδριον…ὁ ἀρχιερεύς καὶ πᾶν τὸ πρ. Ac 22:5.”

[22:5]  ¹⁶⁸⁶ tn Grk “from whom.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was translated by the third person plural pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[22:5]  ¹⁶⁸⁷ tn Grk “receiving.” The participle δεξάμενος (dexameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[22:5]  ¹⁶⁸⁸ tn Grk “letters to the brothers, [and] I was going to Damascus.” Such a translation, however, might be confusing since the term “brother” is frequently used of a fellow Christian. In this context, Paul is speaking about fellow Jews.

[22:5]  ¹⁶⁸⁹ tn Grk “even there and bring…” or “there and even bring…” The ascensive καί (kai) shows that Paul was fervent in his zeal against Christians, but it is difficult to translate for it really belongs with the entire idea of arresting and bringing back the prisoners.

[22:5]  ¹⁶⁹⁰ tn BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b has “δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά bring someone as prisoner…Ac 9:2, 21; 22:5.”

[22:5]  ¹⁶⁹¹ tn Grk “I was going…to bring even those who were there to Jerusalem as prisoners that they might be punished.”

[22:5]  map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[22:6]  ¹⁶⁹² tn Grk “It happened that as.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[22:6]  ¹⁶⁹³ tn Grk “going and nearing Damascus.”

[22:6]  sn En route and near Damascus. This is the first retelling of Paul’s Damascus Road experience in Acts (cf. Acts 9:1-9; the second retelling is in Acts 26:9-20).

[22:6]  ¹⁶⁹⁴ tn BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 3.b has “φῶς a very bright light Ac 22:6.”

[22:6]  ¹⁶⁹⁵ tn Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[22:6]  ¹⁶⁹⁶ tn Or “shone.”

[22:7]  ¹⁶⁹⁷ tn This is a continuation of the same sentence in Greek using the connective τέ (te), but due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence a new sentence was begun in the translation here. To indicate the logical sequence for the modern English reader, τέ was translated as “then.”

[22:9]  ¹⁶⁹⁸ tn Grk “did not hear” (but see Acts 9:7). BDAG 38 s.v. ἀκούω 7 has “W. acc. τὸν νόμον understand the law Gal 4:21; perh. Ac 22:9; 26:14…belong here.” If the word has this sense here, then a metonymy is present, since the lack of effect is put for a failure to appreciate what was heard.

[22:10]  ¹⁶⁹⁹ tn Grk “So I said.”

[22:10]  ¹⁷⁰⁰ tn Grk “Getting up.” The participle ἀναστάς (anasta") is an adverbial participle of attendant circumstance and has been translated as a finite verb.

[22:10]  ¹⁷⁰¹ tn Grk “about all things.”

[22:10]  ¹⁷⁰² tn Or “assigned,” “ordered.” BDAG 991 s.v. τάσσω 2.a has “act. and pass., foll. by acc. w. inf.…περὶ πάντων ὧν τέτακταί σοι ποιῆσαι concerning everything that you have been ordered to do 22:10.” There is an allusion to a divine call and commission here.

[22:11]  ¹⁷⁰³ tn BDAG 106 s.v. ἀπό 5.a has “οὐκ ἐνέβλεπον ἀπὸ τῆς δόξης τοῦ φωτός I could not see because of the brilliance of the light Ac 22:11.”

[22:11]  ¹⁷⁰⁴ tn Or “brightness”; Grk “glory.”

[22:11]  ¹⁷⁰⁵ tn Grk “by” (ὑπό, Jupo), but this would be too awkward in English following the previous “by.”

[22:12]  ¹⁷⁰⁶ tn Grk “a certain Ananias.”

[22:12]  ¹⁷⁰⁷ sn The law refers to the law of Moses.

[22:12]  ¹⁷⁰⁸ tn BDAG 534 s.v. κατοικέω 1.a translates this present participle “ὑπὸ πάντων τῶν (sc. ἐκεῖ) κατοικούντων ᾿Ιουδαίων by all the Jews who live there Ac 22:12.”

[22:13]  ¹⁷⁰⁹ tn Grk “coming.” The participle ἐλθών (elqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[22:13]  ¹⁷¹⁰ tn Grk “coming to me and standing beside [me] said to me.” The participle ἐπιστάς (epistas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[22:13]  ¹⁷¹¹ tn Grk “Brother Saul, look up” (here an idiom for regaining one’s sight). BDAG 59 s.v. ἀναβλέπω places this usage under 1, “look up Ac 22:13a. W. εἰς αὐτόν to show the direction of the glance…22:13b; but perh. this vs. belongs under 2a.” BDAG 59 s.v. 2.a.α states, “of blind persons, who were formerly able to see, regain sight.” The problem for the translator is deciding between the literal and the idiomatic usage and at the same time attempting to retain the wordplay in Acts 22:13: “[Ananias] said to me, ‘Look up!’ and at that very moment I looked up to him.” The assumption of the command is that the effort to look up will be worth it (through the regaining of sight).

[22:13]  ¹⁷¹² tn Grk “hour,” but ὥρα (Jwra) is often used for indefinite short periods of time (so BDAG 1102-3 s.v. ὥρα 2.c: “αὐτῇ τῇ ὥρᾳ at that very time, at once, instantly…Lk 2:38, 24:33; Ac 16:18; 22:13”). A comparison with the account in Acts 9:18 indicates that this is clearly the meaning here.

[22:13]  ¹⁷¹³ tn Grk “I looked up to him.”

[22:14]  ¹⁷¹⁴ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[22:14]  sn The expression God of our ancestors is a description of the God of Israel. The God of promise was at work again.

[22:14]  ¹⁷¹⁵ tn L&N 30.89 has “‘to choose in advance, to select beforehand, to designate in advance’…‘the God of our ancestors has already chosen you to know his will’ Ac 22:14.”

[22:14]  ¹⁷¹⁶ tn Grk “and to see.” This καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[22:14]  ¹⁷¹⁷ sn The Righteous One is a reference to Jesus Christ (Acts 3:14).

[22:14]  ¹⁷¹⁸ tn Or “a solemn declaration”; Grk “a voice.” BDAG 1071-72 s.v. φωνή 2.c states, “that which the voice gives expression to: call, cry, outcry, loud or solemn declaration (… = order, command)…Cp. 22:14; 24:21.”

[22:15]  ¹⁷¹⁹ tn Or “a witness to him.”

[22:15]  sn You will be his witness. See Acts 1:8; 13:31. The following reference to all people stresses all nationalities (Eph 3:7-9; Acts 9:15). Note also v. 21.

[22:15]  ¹⁷²⁰ tn Grk “all men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo").

[22:16]  ¹⁷²¹ tn L&N 67.121 has “to extend time unduly, with the implication of lack of decision – ‘to wait, to delay.’ νῦν τί μέλλεις… ἀναστὰς βάπτισαι ‘what are you waiting for? Get up and be baptized’ Ac 22:16.”

[22:16]  ¹⁷²² tn Grk “getting up.” The participle ἀναστάς (anasta") is an adverbial participle of attendant circumstance and has been translated as a finite verb.

[22:16]  ¹⁷²³ sn The expression have your sins washed away means “have your sins purified” (the washing is figurative).

[22:16]  ¹⁷²⁴ sn The expression calling on his name describes the confession of the believer: Acts 2:17-38, esp. v. 38; Rom 10:12-13; 1 Cor 1:2.

[22:17]  ¹⁷²⁵ tn Grk “It happened to me that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[22:17]  ¹⁷²⁶ tn BDAG 309 s.v. ἔκστασις 2 has “γενέσθαι ἐν ἐκστάσει fall into a trance Ac 22:17.”

[22:18]  ¹⁷²⁷ tn Or “Jesus”; Grk “him.” The referent (the Lord, cf. v. 19) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:19]  ¹⁷²⁸ tn Grk “And I said.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai, in καγώ [kagw]) has not been translated here.

[22:19]  ¹⁷²⁹ tn For the distributive sense of the expression κατὰ τὰς συναγωγάς (kata ta" sunagwga") BDAG 512 s.v. κατά B.1.d has “of places viewed serially, distributive use w. acc.…κατ᾿ οἶκαν from house to house…Ac 2:46b; 5:42…Likew. the pl.…κ. τὰς συναγωγάς 22:19.” See also L&N 37.114.

[22:19]  sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[22:20]  ¹⁷³⁰ sn Now Paul referred to Stephen as your witness, and he himself had also become a witness. The reversal was now complete; the opponent had now become a proponent.

[22:20]  ¹⁷³¹ sn When the blood of your witness Stephen was shed means “when your witness Stephen was murdered.”

[22:20]  ¹⁷³² tn Grk “and approving.” This καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[22:20]  ¹⁷³³ tn Or “outer garments.”

[22:20]  sn The cloaks. The outer garment, or cloak, was taken off and laid aside to leave the arms free (in this case for throwing stones).

[22:20]  ¹⁷³⁴ tn Or “who were putting him to death.” For the translation of ἀναιρούντων (anairountwn) as “putting to death” see BDAG 64 s.v. ἀναιρέω 2.

[22:21]  ¹⁷³⁵ tn Grk “And.” Since this represents a response to Paul’s reply in v. 19, καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[22:22]  ¹⁷³⁶ tn Grk “They were listening”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:22]  ¹⁷³⁷ tn Grk “until this word.”

[22:22]  sn Until he said this. Note it is the mention of Paul’s mission to the Gentiles with its implication of ethnic openness that is so disturbing to the audience.

[22:22]  ¹⁷³⁸ tn Grk “And.” To indicate the logical sequence, καί (kai) has been translated as “then” here.

[22:22]  ¹⁷³⁹ tn Grk “and said.”

[22:22]  ¹⁷⁴⁰ tn Grk “this one.”

[22:22]  ¹⁷⁴¹ tn BDAG 491 s.v. καθήκω has “to be appropriate, come/reach to, be proper/fitting…Usu. impers. καθήκει it comes (to someone)…foll. by acc. and inf….οὐ καθῆκεν αὐτὸν ζῆν he should not be allowed to live Ac 22:22.”

[22:23]  ¹⁷⁴² tn The participle κραυγαζόντων (kraugazontwn) has been translated temporally.

[22:23]  ¹⁷⁴³ tn Or “outer garments.”

[22:23]  sn Their cloaks. The outer garment, or cloak, was taken off and laid aside to leave the arms free (perhaps in this case as preparation for throwing stones).

[22:23]  ¹⁷⁴⁴ sn The crowd’s act of tossing dust in the air indicated they had heard something disturbing and offensive. This may have been a symbolic gesture, indicating Paul’s words deserved to be thrown to the wind, or it may have simply resulted from the fact they had nothing else to throw at him at the moment.

[22:24]  ¹⁷⁴⁵ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). In Greek the term χιλίαρχος (ciliarco") literally described the “commander of a thousand,” but it was used as the standard translation for the Latin tribunus militum or tribunus militare, the military tribune who commanded a cohort of 600 men.

[22:24]  ¹⁷⁴⁶ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:24]  ¹⁷⁴⁷ tn Or “the headquarters.” BDAG 775 s.v. παρεμβολή 2 has “barracks/headquarters of the Roman troops in Jerusalem Ac 21:34, 37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32.”

[22:24]  ¹⁷⁴⁸ tn Grk “into the barracks, saying.” This is a continuation of the same sentence in Greek using the participle εἴπας (eipas), but due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence a new sentence was begun in the translation here. The direct object “them” has been supplied; it is understood in Greek.

[22:24]  ¹⁷⁴⁹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:24]  ¹⁷⁵⁰ sn To interrogate Paul by beating him with a lash. Under the Roman legal system it was customary to use physical torture to extract confessions or other information from prisoners who were not Roman citizens and who were charged with various crimes, especially treason or sedition. The lashing would be done with a whip of leather thongs with pieces of metal or bone attached to the ends.

[22:24]  ¹⁷⁵¹ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:24]  ¹⁷⁵² tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:25]  ¹⁷⁵³ tn Grk “for the thongs” (of which the lash was made). Although often translated as a dative of means (“with thongs”), referring to thongs used to tie the victim to the whipping post, BDAG 474-75 s.v. ἱμάς states that it “is better taken as a dat. of purpose for the thongs, in which case οἱ ἱμάντες = whips (Posidonius: 87 fgm. 5 Jac.; POxy. 1186, 2 τὴν διὰ τῶν ἱμάντων αἰκείαν. – Antiphanes 74, 8, Demosth. 19, 197 and Artem. 1, 70 use the sing. in this way).”

[22:25]  ¹⁷⁵⁴ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[22:25]  ¹⁷⁵⁵ tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:25]  ¹⁷⁵⁶ tn Or “a Roman citizen and uncondemned.” BDAG 35 s.v. ἀκατάκριτος has “uncondemned, without due process” for this usage.

[22:25]  sn The fact that Paul was a Roman citizen protected him from being tortured to extract information; such protections were guaranteed by the Porcian and Julian law codes. In addition, the fact Paul had not been tried exempted him from punishment.

[22:26]  ¹⁷⁵⁷ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[22:26]  ¹⁷⁵⁸ tn The word “this” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[22:26]  ¹⁷⁵⁹ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:26]  ¹⁷⁶⁰ tn The word “it” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[22:26]  ¹⁷⁶¹ tn Or perhaps, “What do you intend to do?” Although BDAG 627 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.α lists this phrase under the category “be about to, be on the point of,” it is possible it belongs under 1.c.γ, “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…τί μέλλεις ποιεῖν; what do you intend to do?”

[22:26]  ¹⁷⁶² tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:27]  ¹⁷⁶³ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:27]  ¹⁷⁶⁴ tn Grk “and said to.”

[22:27]  ¹⁷⁶⁵ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:27]  ¹⁷⁶⁶ tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:27]  ¹⁷⁶⁷ tn Grk “He said.”

[22:28]  ¹⁷⁶⁸ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:28]  ¹⁷⁶⁹ sn Sometimes Roman citizenship was purchased through a bribe (Dio Cassius, Roman History 60.17.4-9). That may well have been the case here.

[22:28]  ¹⁷⁷⁰ tn BDAG 495-96 s.v. καί 2.b has “intensive: even…Ac 5:39; 22:28.”

[22:28]  ¹⁷⁷¹ tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:28]  sn Paul’s reference to being born a citizen suggests he inherited his Roman citizenship from his family.

[22:28]  ¹⁷⁷² tn Grk “Paul said.” This phrase has been placed at the end of the sentence in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:29]  ¹⁷⁷³ tn BDAG 158 s.v. ἀφίστημι 2.b has “keep away…ἀπό τινος… Lk 4:13; Ac 5:38; 2 Cor 12:8…cp. Ac 22:29.” In context, the point would seem to be not that the interrogators departed or withdrew, but that they held back from continuing the flogging.

[22:29]  ¹⁷⁷⁴ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:29]  ¹⁷⁷⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:29]  ¹⁷⁷⁶ tn This is a present tense (ἐστιν, estin) retained in indirect discourse. It must be translated as a past tense in contemporary English.

[22:29]  ¹⁷⁷⁷ tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:29]  ¹⁷⁷⁸ sn Had him tied up. Perhaps a reference to the chains in Acts 21:33, or the preparations for the lashing in Acts 22:25. A trial would now be needed to resolve the matter. The Roman authorities’ hesitation to render a judgment in the case occurs repeatedly: Acts 22:30; 23:28-29; 24:22; 25:20, 26-27. The legal process begun here would take the rest of Acts and will be unresolved at the end. The process itself took four years of Paul’s life.

[22:30]  ¹⁷⁷⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the commanding officer) has been supplied here in the translation for clarity.

[22:30]  ¹⁷⁸⁰ tn Grk “the certainty, why.” BDAG 147 s.v. ἀσφαλής 2 has “τὸ ἀ. the certainty = the truth (in ref. to ferreting out the facts…ἵνα τὸ ἀ. ἐπιγνῶ) γνῶναι 21:34; 22:30.”

[22:30]  ¹⁷⁸¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:30]  ¹⁷⁸² tn Grk “the whole Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[22:30]  ¹⁷⁸³ tn Grk “and bringing.” The participle καταγαγών (katagagwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to clarify the logical sequence.

[23:1]  ¹⁷⁸⁴ tn Grk “Paul, looking directly at the council, said.” The participle ἀτενίσας (atenisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:1]  ¹⁷⁸⁵ tn Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[23:1]  ¹⁷⁸⁶ tn BDAG 846 s.v. πολιτεύομαι 3 has “W. a double dat. συνειδήσει ἀγαθῇ πεπολίτευμαι τῷ θεῷ I have lived my life with a clear conscience before God Ac 23:1.”

[23:2]  ¹⁷⁸⁷ tn Grk “and” (δέ, de); the phrase “at that” has been used in the translation to clarify the cause and effect relationship.

[23:2]  ¹⁷⁸⁸ tn BDAG 778 s.v. παρίστημι/παριστάνω 2.b.α has “οἱ παρεστῶτες αὐτῷ those standing near him Ac 23:2.”

[23:2]  ¹⁷⁸⁹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:2]  ¹⁷⁹⁰ tn Or “hit” (‘strike’ maintains the wordplay with the following verse). The action was probably designed to indicate a rejection of Paul’s claim to a clear conscience in the previous verse.

[23:3]  ¹⁷⁹¹ sn You whitewashed wall. This was an idiom for hypocrisy – just as the wall was painted on the outside but something different on the inside, so this person was not what he appeared or pretended to be (L&N 88.234; see also BDAG 1010 s.v. τοῖχος). Paul was claiming that the man’s response was two-faced (Ezek 13:10-16; Matt 23:27-28). See also Deut 28:22.

[23:3]  ¹⁷⁹² tn Grk “And do.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[23:3]  ¹⁷⁹³ tn The law refers to the law of Moses.

[23:3]  ¹⁷⁹⁴ tn BDAG 769 s.v. παρανομέω has “παρανομῶν κελεύεις in violation of the law you order Ac 23:3.”

[23:3]  sn In violation of the law. Paul was claiming that punishment was given before the examination was complete (m. Sanhedrin 3:6-8). Luke’s noting of this detail shows how quickly the leadership moved to react against Paul.

[23:4]  ¹⁷⁹⁵ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[23:4]  ¹⁷⁹⁶ tn L&N 33.393 has for λοιδορέω (loidorew) “to speak in a highly insulting manner – ‘to slander, to insult strongly, slander, insult.’”

[23:4]  sn Insult God’s high priest. Paul was close to violation of the Mosaic law with his response, as the citation from Exod 22:28 in v. 5 makes clear.

[23:5]  ¹⁷⁹⁷ tn Grk “said.”

[23:5]  ¹⁷⁹⁸ tn Or “know.”

[23:5]  ¹⁷⁹⁹ sn A quotation from Exod 22:28. This text defines a form of blasphemy. Paul, aware of the fact that he came close to crossing the line, backed off out of respect for the law.

[23:6]  ¹⁸⁰⁰ tn BDAG 200 s.v. γινώσκω 4 has “to be aware of someth., perceive, notice, realize”; this is further clarified by section 4.c: “w. ὅτι foll….Ac 23:6.”

[23:6]  ¹⁸⁰¹ sn See the note on Sadducees in 4:1.

[23:6]  ¹⁸⁰² sn See the note on Pharisee in 5:34.

[23:6]  ¹⁸⁰³ tn Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[23:6]  ¹⁸⁰⁴ tn That is, concerning the hope that the dead will be resurrected. Grk “concerning the hope and resurrection.” BDAG 320 s.v. ἐλπίς 1.b.α states, “Of Israel’s messianic hope Ac 23:6 (ἐ. καὶ ἀνάστασις for ἐ. τῆς ἀν. [obj. gen] as 2 Macc 3:29 ἐ. καὶ σωτηρία).” With an objective genitive construction, the resurrection of the dead would be the “object” of the hope.

[23:7]  ¹⁸⁰⁵ tn The participle εἰπόντος (eiponto") has been translated temporally.

[23:7]  ¹⁸⁰⁶ tn Or “a dispute” (BDAG 940 s.v. στάσις 3).

[23:7]  ¹⁸⁰⁷ tn Grk “there came about an argument.” This has been simplified to “an argument began”

[23:8]  ¹⁸⁰⁸ tn BDAG 55 s.v. ἀμφότεροι 2 has “all, even when more than two are involved…Φαρισαῖοι ὁμολογοῦσιν τὰ ἀ. believe in them all 23:8.” On this belief see Josephus, J. W. 2.8.14 (2.163); Ant. 18.1.3 (18.14).

[23:8]  sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[23:9]  ¹⁸⁰⁹ tn Or “clamor” (cf. BDAG 565 s.v. κραυγή 1.a, which has “there arose a loud outcry” here, and Exod 12:30).

[23:9]  ¹⁸¹⁰ tn Or “and some scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 4:5.

[23:9]  ¹⁸¹¹ tn Grk “standing up.” The participle ἀναστάντες (anastante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:9]  ¹⁸¹² tn Grk “protested strongly, saying.” L&N 39.27 has “διαμάχομαι: to fight or contend with, involving severity and thoroughness – ‘to protest strongly, to contend with.’…‘some scribes from the party of the Pharisees protested strongly’ Ac 23:9.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant and has not been translated.

[23:9]  ¹⁸¹³ sn “We find nothing wrong with this man.” Here is another declaration of innocence. These leaders recognized the possibility that Paul might have the right to make his claim.

[23:10]  ¹⁸¹⁴ tn This genitive absolute construction with the participle γινομένης (ginomenhs) has been taken temporally (it could also be translated as causal).

[23:10]  ¹⁸¹⁵ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). In Greek the term χιλίαρχος (ciliarco") literally described the “commander of a thousand,” but it was used as the standard translation for the Latin tribunus militum or tribunus militare, the military tribune who commanded a cohort of 600 men.

[23:10]  ¹⁸¹⁶ tn Grk “that Paul would be torn to pieces by them.” BDAG 236 s.v. διασπάω has “of an angry mob μὴ διασπασθῇ ὁ Παῦλος ὑπ᾿ αὐτῶν that Paul would be torn in pieces by them Ac 23:10.” The passive construction is somewhat awkward in English and has been converted to an equivalent active construction in the translation.

[23:10]  ¹⁸¹⁷ tn Normally this term means “army,” but according to BDAG 947 s.v. στράτευμα, “Of a smaller detachment of soldiers, sing. Ac 23:10, 27.” In the plural it can be translated “troops,” but it is singular here.

[23:10]  ¹⁸¹⁸ tn Or “to go down, grab him out of their midst.”

[23:10]  ¹⁸¹⁹ tn Or “the headquarters.” BDAG 775 s.v. παρεμβολή 2 has “barracks/headquarters of the Roman troops in Jerusalem Ac 21:34, 37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32.”

[23:11]  ¹⁸²⁰ sn The presence of the Lord indicated the vindicating presence and direction of God.

[23:11]  ¹⁸²¹ tn Grk “standing near Paul, said.” The participle ἐπιστάς (epistas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:11]  ¹⁸²² tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:11]  ¹⁸²³ tn Or “Do not be afraid.”

[23:11]  ¹⁸²⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[23:11]  ¹⁸²⁵ sn Like Jesus went to Jerusalem, Paul would now go to Rome. This trip forms the concluding backdrop to Acts. This is the second notice about going to Rome (see Acts 19:21 for the first).

[23:11]  map For location see JP4 A1.