Kisah Para Rasul 13:4--28:31

Paul and Barnabas Preach in Cyprus

13:4 So Barnabas and Saul, ¹  sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, ²  and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ³  13:5 When ⁴  they arrived ⁵  in Salamis, ⁶  they began to proclaim ⁷  the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. ⁸  (Now they also had John ⁹  as their assistant.) ¹⁰  13:6 When they had crossed over ¹¹  the whole island as far as Paphos, ¹²  they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus, ¹³  13:7 who was with the proconsul ¹⁴  Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The proconsul ¹⁵  summoned ¹⁶  Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear ¹⁷  the word of God. 13:8 But the magician Elymas ¹⁸  (for that is the way his name is translated) ¹⁹  opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul ²⁰  away from the faith. 13:9 But Saul (also known as Paul), ²¹  filled with the Holy Spirit, ²²  stared straight ²³  at him 13:10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing, ²⁴  you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness – will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? ²⁵  13:11 Now ²⁶  look, the hand of the Lord is against ²⁷  you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time!” Immediately mistiness ²⁸  and darkness came over ²⁹  him, and he went around seeking people ³⁰  to lead him by the hand. 13:12 Then when the proconsul ³¹  saw what had happened, he believed, ³²  because he was greatly astounded ³³  at the teaching about ³⁴  the Lord.

Paul and Barnabas at Pisidian Antioch

13:13 Then Paul and his companions put out to sea ³⁵  from Paphos ³⁶  and came to Perga ³⁷  in Pamphylia, ³⁸  but John ³⁹  left them and returned to Jerusalem. ⁴⁰  13:14 Moving on from ⁴¹  Perga, ⁴²  they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, ⁴³  and on the Sabbath day they went into ⁴⁴  the synagogue ⁴⁵  and sat down. 13:15 After the reading from the law and the prophets, ⁴⁶  the leaders of the synagogue ⁴⁷  sent them a message, ⁴⁸  saying, “Brothers, ⁴⁹  if you have any message ⁵⁰  of exhortation ⁵¹  for the people, speak it.” ⁵²  13:16 So Paul stood up, ⁵³  gestured ⁵⁴  with his hand and said,

“Men of Israel, ⁵⁵  and you Gentiles who fear God, ⁵⁶  listen: 13:17 The God of this people Israel ⁵⁷  chose our ancestors ⁵⁸  and made the people great ⁵⁹  during their stay as foreigners ⁶⁰  in the country ⁶¹  of Egypt, and with uplifted arm ⁶²  he led them out of it. 13:18 For ⁶³  a period of about forty years he put up with ⁶⁴  them in the wilderness. ⁶⁵  13:19 After ⁶⁶  he had destroyed ⁶⁷  seven nations ⁶⁸  in the land of Canaan, he gave his people their land as an inheritance. ⁶⁹  13:20 All this took ⁷⁰  about four hundred fifty years. After this ⁷¹  he gave them judges until the time of ⁷²  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 ⁷³  forty years. 13:22 After removing him, God ⁷⁴  raised up ⁷⁵  David their king. He testified about him: ⁷⁶  ‘I have found David ⁷⁷  the son of Jesse to be a man after my heart, ⁷⁸  who will accomplish everything I want him to do.’ ⁷⁹  13:23 From the descendants ⁸⁰  of this man ⁸¹  God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised. ⁸²  13:24 Before ⁸³  Jesus ⁸⁴  arrived, John ⁸⁵  had proclaimed a baptism for repentance ⁸⁶  to all the people of Israel. 13:25 But while John was completing his mission, ⁸⁷  he said repeatedly, ⁸⁸  ‘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!’ ⁸⁹  13:26 Brothers, ⁹⁰  descendants ⁹¹  of Abraham’s family, ⁹²  and those Gentiles among you who fear God, ⁹³  the message ⁹⁴  of this salvation has been sent to us. 13:27 For the people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize ⁹⁵  him, ⁹⁶  and they fulfilled the sayings ⁹⁷  of the prophets that are read every Sabbath by condemning ⁹⁸  him. ⁹⁹  13:28 Though ¹⁰⁰  they found ¹⁰¹  no basis ¹⁰²  for a death sentence, ¹⁰³  they asked Pilate to have him executed. 13:29 When they had accomplished ¹⁰⁴  everything that was written ¹⁰⁵  about him, they took him down ¹⁰⁶  from the cross ¹⁰⁷  and placed him ¹⁰⁸  in a tomb. 13:30 But God raised ¹⁰⁹  him from the dead, 13:31 and ¹¹⁰  for many days he appeared to those who had accompanied ¹¹¹  him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These ¹¹²  are now his witnesses to the people. 13:32 And we proclaim to you the good news about the promise to our ancestors, ¹¹³  13:33 that this promise ¹¹⁴  God has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising ¹¹⁵  Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son; ¹¹⁶  today I have fathered you.’ ¹¹⁷  13:34 But regarding the fact that he has raised Jesus ¹¹⁸  from the dead, never ¹¹⁹  again to be ¹²⁰  in a state of decay, God ¹²¹  has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you ¹²²  the holy and trustworthy promises ¹²³  made to David.’ ¹²⁴  13:35 Therefore he also says in another psalm, ¹²⁵  ‘You will not permit your Holy One ¹²⁶  to experience ¹²⁷  decay.’ ¹²⁸  13:36 For David, after he had served ¹²⁹  God’s purpose in his own generation, died, ¹³⁰  was buried with his ancestors, ¹³¹  and experienced ¹³²  decay, 13:37 but the one ¹³³  whom God raised up did not experience ¹³⁴  decay. 13:38 Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through this one ¹³⁵  forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 13:39 and by this one ¹³⁶  everyone who believes is justified ¹³⁷  from everything from which the law of Moses could not justify ¹³⁸  you. ¹³⁹  13:40 Watch out, ¹⁴⁰  then, that what is spoken about by ¹⁴¹  the prophets does not happen to you:

13:41 ‘Look, you scoffers; be amazed and perish! ¹⁴² 

For I am doing a work in your days,

a work you would never believe, even if someone tells you.’” ¹⁴³ 

13:42 As Paul and Barnabas ¹⁴⁴  were going out, ¹⁴⁵  the people ¹⁴⁶  were urging ¹⁴⁷  them to speak about these things ¹⁴⁸  on the next Sabbath. 13:43 When the meeting of the synagogue ¹⁴⁹  had broken up, ¹⁵⁰  many of the Jews and God-fearing proselytes ¹⁵¹  followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and were persuading ¹⁵²  them ¹⁵³  to continue ¹⁵⁴  in the grace of God.

13:44 On the next Sabbath almost the whole city assembled together to hear the word of the Lord. ¹⁵⁵  13:45 But when the Jews saw the crowds, they were filled with jealousy, ¹⁵⁶  and they began to contradict ¹⁵⁷  what Paul was saying ¹⁵⁸  by reviling him. ¹⁵⁹  13:46 Both Paul and Barnabas replied courageously, ¹⁶⁰  “It was necessary to speak the word of God ¹⁶¹  to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy ¹⁶²  of eternal life, we ¹⁶³  are turning to the Gentiles. ¹⁶⁴  13:47 For this ¹⁶⁵  is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointed ¹⁶⁶  you to be a light ¹⁶⁷  for the Gentiles, to bring salvation ¹⁶⁸  to the ends of the earth.’” ¹⁶⁹  13:48 When the Gentiles heard this, they began to rejoice ¹⁷⁰  and praise ¹⁷¹  the word of the Lord, and all who had been appointed for eternal life ¹⁷²  believed. 13:49 So the word of the Lord was spreading ¹⁷³  through the entire region. 13:50 But the Jews incited ¹⁷⁴  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 ¹⁷⁵  of their region. 13:51 So after they shook ¹⁷⁶  the dust off their feet ¹⁷⁷  in protest against them, they went to Iconium. ¹⁷⁸  13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy ¹⁷⁹  and with the Holy Spirit.

Paul and Barnabas at Iconium

14:1 The same thing happened in Iconium ¹⁸⁰  when Paul and Barnabas ¹⁸¹  went into the Jewish synagogue ¹⁸²  and spoke in such a way that a large group ¹⁸³  of both Jews and Greeks believed. 14:2 But the Jews who refused to believe ¹⁸⁴  stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds ¹⁸⁵  against the brothers. 14:3 So they stayed there ¹⁸⁶  for a considerable time, speaking out courageously for the Lord, who testified ¹⁸⁷  to the message ¹⁸⁸  of his grace, granting miraculous signs ¹⁸⁹  and wonders to be performed through their hands. 14:4 But the population ¹⁹⁰  of the city was divided; some ¹⁹¹  sided with the Jews, and some with the apostles. 14:5 When both the Gentiles and the Jews (together with their rulers) made ¹⁹²  an attempt to mistreat ¹⁹³  them and stone them, ¹⁹⁴  14:6 Paul and Barnabas ¹⁹⁵  learned about it ¹⁹⁶  and fled to the Lycaonian cities of Lystra ¹⁹⁷  and Derbe ¹⁹⁸  and the surrounding region. 14:7 There ¹⁹⁹  they continued to proclaim ²⁰⁰  the good news.

Paul and Barnabas at Lystra

14:8 In ²⁰¹  Lystra ²⁰²  sat a man who could not use his feet, ²⁰³  lame from birth, ²⁰⁴  who had never walked. 14:9 This man was listening to Paul as he was speaking. When Paul ²⁰⁵  stared ²⁰⁶  intently at him and saw he had faith to be healed, 14:10 he said with a loud voice, “Stand upright on your feet.” ²⁰⁷  And the man ²⁰⁸  leaped up and began walking. ²⁰⁹  14:11 So when the crowds saw what Paul had done, they shouted ²¹⁰  in the Lycaonian language, ²¹¹  “The gods have come down to us in human form!” ²¹²  14:12 They began to call ²¹³  Barnabas Zeus ²¹⁴  and Paul Hermes, ²¹⁵  because he was the chief speaker. 14:13 The priest of the temple ²¹⁶  of Zeus, ²¹⁷  located just outside the city, brought bulls ²¹⁸  and garlands ²¹⁹  to the city gates; he and the crowds wanted to offer sacrifices to them. ²²⁰  14:14 But when the apostles ²²¹  Barnabas and Paul heard about ²²²  it, they tore ²²³  their clothes and rushed out ²²⁴  into the crowd, shouting, ²²⁵  14:15 “Men, why are you doing these things? We too are men, with human natures ²²⁶  just like you! We are proclaiming the good news to you, so that you should turn ²²⁷  from these worthless ²²⁸  things to the living God, who made the heaven, the earth, ²²⁹  the sea, and everything that is in them. 14:16 In ²³⁰  past ²³¹  generations he allowed all the nations ²³²  to go their own ways, 14:17 yet he did not leave himself without a witness by doing good, ²³³  by giving you rain from heaven ²³⁴  and fruitful seasons, satisfying you ²³⁵  with food and your hearts with joy.” ²³⁶  14:18 Even by saying ²³⁷  these things, they scarcely persuaded ²³⁸  the crowds not to offer sacrifice to them.

14:19 But Jews came from Antioch ²³⁹  and Iconium, ²⁴⁰  and after winning ²⁴¹  the crowds over, they stoned ²⁴²  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 ²⁴³  into the city. On ²⁴⁴  the next day he left with Barnabas for Derbe. ²⁴⁵ 

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, ²⁴⁶  to Iconium, ²⁴⁷  and to Antioch. ²⁴⁸  14:22 They strengthened ²⁴⁹  the souls of the disciples and encouraged them to continue ²⁵⁰  in the faith, saying, “We must enter the kingdom ²⁵¹  of God through many persecutions.” ²⁵²  14:23 When they had appointed elders ²⁵³  for them in the various churches, ²⁵⁴  with prayer and fasting ²⁵⁵  they entrusted them to the protection ²⁵⁶  of the Lord in whom they had believed. 14:24 Then they passed through ²⁵⁷  Pisidia and came into Pamphylia, ²⁵⁸  14:25 and when they had spoken the word ²⁵⁹  in Perga, ²⁶⁰  they went down to Attalia. ²⁶¹  14:26 From there they sailed back to Antioch, ²⁶²  where they had been commended ²⁶³  to the grace of God for the work they had now completed. ²⁶⁴  14:27 When they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported ²⁶⁵  all the things God ²⁶⁶  had done with them, and that he had opened a door ²⁶⁷  of faith for the Gentiles. 14:28 So they spent ²⁶⁸  considerable ²⁶⁹  time with the disciples.

The Jerusalem Council

15:1 Now some men came down from Judea ²⁷⁰  and began to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised ²⁷¹  according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 15:2 When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate ²⁷²  with them, the church ²⁷³  appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with ²⁷⁴  the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ²⁷⁵  about this point of disagreement. ²⁷⁶  15:3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia ²⁷⁷  and Samaria, they were relating at length ²⁷⁸  the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy ²⁷⁹  to all the brothers. 15:4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received ²⁸⁰  by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported ²⁸¹  all the things God had done with them. ²⁸²  15:5 But some from the religious party of the Pharisees ²⁸³  who had believed stood up and said, “It is necessary ²⁸⁴  to circumcise the Gentiles ²⁸⁵  and to order them to observe ²⁸⁶  the law of Moses.”

15:6 Both the apostles and the elders met together to deliberate ²⁸⁷  about this matter. 15:7 After there had been much debate, ²⁸⁸  Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that some time ago ²⁸⁹  God chose ²⁹⁰  me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message ²⁹¹  of the gospel ²⁹²  and believe. ²⁹³  15:8 And God, who knows the heart, ²⁹⁴  has testified ²⁹⁵  to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, ²⁹⁶  15:9 and he made no distinction ²⁹⁷  between them and us, cleansing ²⁹⁸  their hearts by faith. 15:10 So now why are you putting God to the test ²⁹⁹  by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke ³⁰⁰  that neither our ancestors ³⁰¹  nor we have been able to bear? 15:11 On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through ³⁰²  the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are.” ³⁰³ 

15:12 The whole group kept quiet ³⁰⁴  and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs ³⁰⁵  and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 15:13 After they stopped speaking, ³⁰⁶  James replied, ³⁰⁷  “Brothers, listen to me. 15:14 Simeon ³⁰⁸  has explained ³⁰⁹  how God first concerned himself ³¹⁰  to select ³¹¹  from among the Gentiles ³¹²  a people for his name. 15:15 The ³¹³  words of the prophets agree ³¹⁴  with this, as it is written,

15:16 ‘After this ³¹⁵  I ³¹⁶  will return,

and I will rebuild the fallen tent ³¹⁷  of David;

I will rebuild its ruins and restore ³¹⁸  it,

15:17 so that the rest of humanity ³¹⁹  may seek the Lord,

namely, ³²⁰  all the Gentiles ³²¹  I have called to be my own,’ ³²²  says the Lord, ³²³  who makes these things 15:18 known ³²⁴  from long ago. ³²⁵ 

15:19 “Therefore I conclude ³²⁶  that we should not cause extra difficulty ³²⁷  for those among the Gentiles ³²⁸  who are turning to God, 15:20 but that we should write them a letter ³²⁹  telling them to abstain ³³⁰  from things defiled ³³¹  by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled ³³²  and from blood. 15:21 For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, ³³³  because he is read aloud ³³⁴  in the synagogues ³³⁵  every Sabbath.”

15:22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided ³³⁶  to send men chosen from among them, Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, ³³⁷  leaders among the brothers, to Antioch ³³⁸  with Paul and Barnabas. 15:23 They sent this letter with them: ³³⁹ 

From the apostles ³⁴⁰  and elders, your brothers, ³⁴¹  to the Gentile brothers and sisters ³⁴²  in Antioch, ³⁴³  Syria, ³⁴⁴  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 ³⁴⁵  you, upsetting ³⁴⁶  your minds ³⁴⁷  by what they said, ³⁴⁸  15:25 we have unanimously ³⁴⁹  decided ³⁵⁰  to choose men to send to you along with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, 15:26 who ³⁵¹  have risked their lives ³⁵²  for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. ³⁵³  15:27 Therefore we are sending ³⁵⁴  Judas and Silas ³⁵⁵  who will tell you these things themselves in person. ³⁵⁶  15:28 For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us ³⁵⁷  not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules: ³⁵⁸  15:29 that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols ³⁵⁹  and from blood and from what has been strangled ³⁶⁰  and from sexual immorality. ³⁶¹  If you keep yourselves from doing these things, ³⁶²  you will do well. Farewell. ³⁶³ 

15:30 So when they were dismissed, ³⁶⁴  they went down to Antioch, ³⁶⁵  and after gathering the entire group ³⁶⁶  together, they delivered the letter. 15:31 When they read it aloud, ³⁶⁷  the people ³⁶⁸  rejoiced at its encouragement. ³⁶⁹  15:32 Both Judas and Silas, who were prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a long speech. ³⁷⁰  15:33 After ³⁷¹  they had spent some time there, ³⁷²  they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 15:34 [[EMPTY]] ³⁷³  15:35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, ³⁷⁴  teaching and proclaiming (along with many others) ³⁷⁵  the word of the Lord. ³⁷⁶ 

Paul and Barnabas Part Company

15:36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return ³⁷⁷  and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord ³⁷⁸  to see how they are doing.” ³⁷⁹  15:37 Barnabas wanted to bring John called Mark along with them too, 15:38 but Paul insisted ³⁸⁰  that they should not take along this one who had left them in Pamphylia ³⁸¹  and had not accompanied them in the work. 15:39 They had ³⁸²  a sharp disagreement, ³⁸³  so that they parted company. Barnabas took along ³⁸⁴  Mark and sailed away to Cyprus, ³⁸⁵  15:40 but Paul chose Silas and set out, commended ³⁸⁶  to the grace of the Lord by the brothers and sisters. ³⁸⁷  15:41 He passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening ³⁸⁸  the churches.

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16:1 He also came to Derbe ³⁸⁹  and to Lystra. ³⁹⁰  A disciple ³⁹¹  named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, ³⁹²  but whose father was a Greek. ³⁹³  16:2 The brothers in Lystra ³⁹⁴  and Iconium ³⁹⁵  spoke well ³⁹⁶  of him. ³⁹⁷  16:3 Paul wanted Timothy ³⁹⁸  to accompany him, and he took ³⁹⁹  him and circumcised ⁴⁰⁰  him because of the Jews who were in those places, ⁴⁰¹  for they all knew that his father was Greek. ⁴⁰²  16:4 As they went through the towns, ⁴⁰³  they passed on ⁴⁰⁴  the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ⁴⁰⁵  for the Gentile believers ⁴⁰⁶  to obey. ⁴⁰⁷  16:5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day. ⁴⁰⁸ 

Paul’s Vision of the Macedonian Man

16:6 They went through the region of Phrygia ⁴⁰⁹  and Galatia, ⁴¹⁰  having been prevented ⁴¹¹  by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message ⁴¹²  in the province of Asia. ⁴¹³  16:7 When they came to ⁴¹⁴  Mysia, ⁴¹⁵  they attempted to go into Bithynia, ⁴¹⁶  but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow ⁴¹⁷  them to do this, ⁴¹⁸  16:8 so they passed through ⁴¹⁹  Mysia ⁴²⁰  and went down to Troas. ⁴²¹  16:9 A ⁴²²  vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there ⁴²³  urging him, ⁴²⁴  “Come over ⁴²⁵  to Macedonia ⁴²⁶  and help us!” 16:10 After Paul ⁴²⁷  saw the vision, we attempted ⁴²⁸  immediately to go over to Macedonia, ⁴²⁹  concluding that God had called ⁴³⁰  us to proclaim the good news to them.

Arrival at Philippi

16:11 We put out to sea ⁴³¹  from Troas ⁴³²  and sailed a straight course ⁴³³  to Samothrace, ⁴³⁴  the next day to Neapolis, ⁴³⁵  16:12 and from there to Philippi, ⁴³⁶  which is a leading city of that district ⁴³⁷  of Macedonia, ⁴³⁸  a Roman colony. ⁴³⁹  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 ⁴⁴⁰  and began to speak ⁴⁴¹  to the women ⁴⁴²  who had assembled there. ⁴⁴³  16:14 A ⁴⁴⁴  woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth ⁴⁴⁵  from the city of Thyatira, ⁴⁴⁶  a God-fearing woman, listened to us. ⁴⁴⁷  The Lord opened her heart to respond ⁴⁴⁸  to what Paul was saying. 16:15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, ⁴⁴⁹  “If ⁴⁵⁰  you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, ⁴⁵¹  come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded ⁴⁵²  us.

Paul and Silas Are Thrown Into Prison

16:16 Now ⁴⁵³  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. ⁴⁵⁴  She ⁴⁵⁵  brought her owners ⁴⁵⁶  a great profit by fortune-telling. ⁴⁵⁷  16:17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, ⁴⁵⁸  “These men are servants ⁴⁵⁹  of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way ⁴⁶⁰  of salvation.” ⁴⁶¹  16:18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed, ⁴⁶²  and turned ⁴⁶³  and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ ⁴⁶⁴  to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once. ⁴⁶⁵  16:19 But when her owners ⁴⁶⁶  saw their hope of profit ⁴⁶⁷  was gone, they seized ⁴⁶⁸  Paul and Silas and dragged ⁴⁶⁹  them into the marketplace before the authorities. 16:20 When ⁴⁷⁰  they had brought them ⁴⁷¹  before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion. ⁴⁷²  They are ⁴⁷³  Jews 16:21 and are advocating ⁴⁷⁴  customs that are not lawful for us to accept ⁴⁷⁵  or practice, ⁴⁷⁶  since we are ⁴⁷⁷  Romans.”

16:22 The crowd joined the attack ⁴⁷⁸  against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes ⁴⁷⁹  off Paul and Silas ⁴⁸⁰  and ordered them to be beaten with rods. ⁴⁸¹  16:23 After they had beaten them severely, ⁴⁸²  they threw them into prison and commanded ⁴⁸³  the jailer to guard them securely. 16:24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell ⁴⁸⁴  and fastened their feet in the stocks. ⁴⁸⁵ 

16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying ⁴⁸⁶  and singing hymns to God, ⁴⁸⁷  and the rest of ⁴⁸⁸  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 ⁴⁸⁹  of all the prisoners came loose. 16:27 When the jailer woke up ⁴⁹⁰  and saw the doors of the prison standing open, ⁴⁹¹  he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, ⁴⁹²  because he assumed ⁴⁹³  the prisoners had escaped. 16:28 But Paul called out loudly, ⁴⁹⁴  “Do not harm yourself, ⁴⁹⁵  for we are all here!” 16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer ⁴⁹⁶  rushed in and fell down ⁴⁹⁷  trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. 16:30 Then he brought them outside ⁴⁹⁸  and asked, “Sirs, what must ⁴⁹⁹  I do to be saved?” 16:31 They replied, ⁵⁰⁰  “Believe ⁵⁰¹  in the Lord Jesus ⁵⁰²  and you will be saved, you and your household.” 16:32 Then ⁵⁰³  they spoke the word of the Lord ⁵⁰⁴  to him, along with all those who were in his house. 16:33 At ⁵⁰⁵  that hour of the night he took them ⁵⁰⁶  and washed their wounds; ⁵⁰⁷  then ⁵⁰⁸  he and all his family ⁵⁰⁹  were baptized right away. ⁵¹⁰  16:34 The jailer ⁵¹¹  brought them into his house and set food ⁵¹²  before them, and he rejoiced greatly ⁵¹³  that he had come to believe ⁵¹⁴  in God, together with his entire household. ⁵¹⁵  16:35 At daybreak ⁵¹⁶  the magistrates ⁵¹⁷  sent their police officers, ⁵¹⁸  saying, “Release those men.” 16:36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, ⁵¹⁹  “The magistrates have sent orders ⁵²⁰  to release you. So come out now and go in peace.” ⁵²¹  16:37 But Paul said to the police officers, ⁵²²  “They had us beaten in public ⁵²³  without a proper trial ⁵²⁴  – even though we are Roman citizens ⁵²⁵  – and they threw us ⁵²⁶  in prison. And now they want to send us away ⁵²⁷  secretly? Absolutely not! They ⁵²⁸  themselves must come and escort us out!” ⁵²⁹  16:38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas ⁵³⁰  were Roman citizens ⁵³¹  16:39 and came ⁵³²  and apologized to them. After ⁵³³  they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly ⁵³⁴  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 ⁵³⁵  departed.

Paul and Silas at Thessalonica

17:1 After they traveled through ⁵³⁶  Amphipolis ⁵³⁷  and Apollonia, ⁵³⁸  they came to Thessalonica, ⁵³⁹  where there was a Jewish synagogue. ⁵⁴⁰  17:2 Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, ⁵⁴¹  as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed ⁵⁴²  them from the scriptures, 17:3 explaining and demonstrating ⁵⁴³  that the Christ ⁵⁴⁴  had to suffer and to rise from the dead, ⁵⁴⁵  saying, ⁵⁴⁶  “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” ⁵⁴⁷  17:4 Some of them were persuaded ⁵⁴⁸  and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group ⁵⁴⁹  of God-fearing Greeks ⁵⁵⁰  and quite a few ⁵⁵¹  prominent women. 17:5 But the Jews became jealous, ⁵⁵²  and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, ⁵⁵³  they formed a mob ⁵⁵⁴  and set the city in an uproar. ⁵⁵⁵  They attacked Jason’s house, ⁵⁵⁶  trying to find Paul and Silas ⁵⁵⁷  to bring them out to the assembly. ⁵⁵⁸  17:6 When they did not find them, they dragged ⁵⁵⁹  Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, ⁵⁶⁰  screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble ⁵⁶¹  throughout the world ⁵⁶²  have come here too, 17:7 and ⁵⁶³  Jason has welcomed them as guests! They ⁵⁶⁴  are all acting against Caesar’s ⁵⁶⁵  decrees, saying there is another king named ⁵⁶⁶  Jesus!” ⁵⁶⁷  17:8 They caused confusion among ⁵⁶⁸  the crowd and the city officials ⁵⁶⁹  who heard these things. 17:9 After ⁵⁷⁰  the city officials ⁵⁷¹  had received bail ⁵⁷²  from Jason and the others, they released them.

Paul and Silas at Berea

17:10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea ⁵⁷³  at once, during the night. When they arrived, ⁵⁷⁴  they went to the Jewish synagogue. ⁵⁷⁵  17:11 These Jews ⁵⁷⁶  were more open-minded ⁵⁷⁷  than those in Thessalonica, ⁵⁷⁸  for they eagerly ⁵⁷⁹  received ⁵⁸⁰  the message, examining ⁵⁸¹  the scriptures carefully every day ⁵⁸²  to see if these things were so. 17:12 Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few ⁵⁸³  prominent ⁵⁸⁴  Greek women and men. 17:13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica ⁵⁸⁵  heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God ⁵⁸⁶  in Berea, ⁵⁸⁷  they came there too, inciting ⁵⁸⁸  and disturbing ⁵⁸⁹  the crowds. 17:14 Then the brothers sent Paul away to the coast ⁵⁹⁰  at once, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. ⁵⁹¹  17:15 Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens, ⁵⁹²  and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. ⁵⁹³ 

Paul at Athens

17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, ⁵⁹⁴  his spirit was greatly upset ⁵⁹⁵  because he saw ⁵⁹⁶  the city was full of idols. 17:17 So he was addressing ⁵⁹⁷  the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles ⁵⁹⁸  in the synagogue, ⁵⁹⁹  and in the marketplace every day ⁶⁰⁰  those who happened to be there. 17:18 Also some of the Epicurean ⁶⁰¹  and Stoic ⁶⁰²  philosophers were conversing ⁶⁰³  with him, and some were asking, ⁶⁰⁴  “What does this foolish babbler ⁶⁰⁵  want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” ⁶⁰⁶  (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) ⁶⁰⁷  17:19 So they took Paul and ⁶⁰⁸  brought him to the Areopagus, ⁶⁰⁹  saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? 17:20 For you are bringing some surprising things ⁶¹⁰  to our ears, so we want to know what they ⁶¹¹  mean.” 17:21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time ⁶¹²  in nothing else than telling ⁶¹³  or listening to something new.) ⁶¹⁴ 

17:22 So Paul stood ⁶¹⁵  before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious ⁶¹⁶  in all respects. ⁶¹⁷  17:23 For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, ⁶¹⁸  I even found an altar with this inscription: ⁶¹⁹  ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, ⁶²⁰  this I proclaim to you. 17:24 The God who made the world and everything in it, ⁶²¹  who is ⁶²²  Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, ⁶²³  17:25 nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, ⁶²⁴  because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. ⁶²⁵  17:26 From one man ⁶²⁶  he made every nation of the human race ⁶²⁷  to inhabit the entire earth, ⁶²⁸  determining their set times ⁶²⁹  and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, ⁶³⁰  17:27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around ⁶³¹  for him and find him, ⁶³²  though he is ⁶³³  not far from each one of us. 17:28 For in him we live and move about ⁶³⁴  and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ ⁶³⁵  17:29 So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity ⁶³⁶  is like gold or silver or stone, an image ⁶³⁷  made by human ⁶³⁸  skill ⁶³⁹  and imagination. ⁶⁴⁰  17:30 Therefore, although God has overlooked ⁶⁴¹  such times of ignorance, ⁶⁴²  he now commands all people ⁶⁴³  everywhere to repent, ⁶⁴⁴  17:31 because he has set ⁶⁴⁵  a day on which he is going to judge the world ⁶⁴⁶  in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, ⁶⁴⁷  having provided proof to everyone by raising ⁶⁴⁸  him from the dead.”

17:32 Now when they heard about ⁶⁴⁹  the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff, ⁶⁵⁰  but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 17:33 So Paul left the Areopagus. ⁶⁵¹  17:34 But some people ⁶⁵²  joined him ⁶⁵³  and believed. Among them ⁶⁵⁴  were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, ⁶⁵⁵  a woman ⁶⁵⁶  named Damaris, and others with them.

Paul at Corinth

18:1 After this ⁶⁵⁷  Paul ⁶⁵⁸  departed from ⁶⁵⁹  Athens ⁶⁶⁰  and went to Corinth. ⁶⁶¹  18:2 There he ⁶⁶²  found ⁶⁶³  a Jew named Aquila, ⁶⁶⁴  a native of Pontus, ⁶⁶⁵  who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius ⁶⁶⁶  had ordered all the Jews to depart from ⁶⁶⁷  Rome. ⁶⁶⁸  Paul approached ⁶⁶⁹  them, 18:3 and because he worked at the same trade, he stayed with them and worked with them ⁶⁷⁰  (for they were tentmakers ⁶⁷¹  by trade). ⁶⁷²  18:4 He addressed ⁶⁷³  both Jews and Greeks in the synagogue ⁶⁷⁴  every Sabbath, attempting to persuade ⁶⁷⁵  them.

18:5 Now when Silas and Timothy arrived ⁶⁷⁶  from Macedonia, ⁶⁷⁷  Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming ⁶⁷⁸  the word, testifying ⁶⁷⁹  to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. ⁶⁸⁰  18:6 When they opposed him ⁶⁸¹  and reviled him, ⁶⁸²  he protested by shaking out his clothes ⁶⁸³  and said to them, “Your blood ⁶⁸⁴  be on your own heads! I am guiltless! ⁶⁸⁵  From now on I will go to the Gentiles!” 18:7 Then Paul ⁶⁸⁶  left ⁶⁸⁷  the synagogue ⁶⁸⁸  and went to the house of a person named Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God, ⁶⁸⁹  whose house was next door to the synagogue. 18:8 Crispus, the president of the synagogue, ⁶⁹⁰  believed in the Lord together with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard about it ⁶⁹¹  believed and were baptized. 18:9 The Lord said to Paul by a vision ⁶⁹²  in the night, ⁶⁹³  “Do not be afraid, ⁶⁹⁴  but speak and do not be silent, 18:10 because I am with you, and no one will assault ⁶⁹⁵  you to harm ⁶⁹⁶  you, because I have many people in this city.” 18:11 So he stayed there ⁶⁹⁷  a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. ⁶⁹⁸ 

Paul Before the Proconsul Gallio

18:12 Now while Gallio ⁶⁹⁹  was proconsul ⁷⁰⁰  of Achaia, ⁷⁰¹  the Jews attacked Paul together ⁷⁰²  and brought him before the judgment seat, ⁷⁰³  18:13 saying, “This man is persuading ⁷⁰⁴  people to worship God in a way contrary to ⁷⁰⁵  the law!” 18:14 But just as Paul was about to speak, ⁷⁰⁶  Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or serious piece of villainy, ⁷⁰⁷  I would have been justified in accepting the complaint ⁷⁰⁸  of you Jews, ⁷⁰⁹  18:15 but since it concerns points of disagreement ⁷¹⁰  about words and names and your own law, settle ⁷¹¹  it yourselves. I will not be ⁷¹²  a judge of these things!” 18:16 Then he had them forced away ⁷¹³  from the judgment seat. ⁷¹⁴  18:17 So they all seized Sosthenes, the president of the synagogue, ⁷¹⁵  and began to beat ⁷¹⁶  him in front of the judgment seat. ⁷¹⁷  Yet none of these things were of any concern ⁷¹⁸  to Gallio.

Paul Returns to Antioch in Syria

18:18 Paul, after staying ⁷¹⁹  many more days in Corinth, ⁷²⁰  said farewell to ⁷²¹  the brothers and sailed away to Syria accompanied by ⁷²²  Priscilla and Aquila. ⁷²³  He ⁷²⁴  had his hair cut off ⁷²⁵  at Cenchrea ⁷²⁶  because he had made a vow. ⁷²⁷  18:19 When they reached Ephesus, ⁷²⁸  Paul ⁷²⁹  left Priscilla and Aquila ⁷³⁰  behind there, but he himself went ⁷³¹  into the synagogue ⁷³²  and addressed ⁷³³  the Jews. 18:20 When they asked him to stay longer, he would not consent, ⁷³⁴  18:21 but said farewell to ⁷³⁵  them and added, ⁷³⁶  “I will come back ⁷³⁷  to you again if God wills.” ⁷³⁸  Then ⁷³⁹  he set sail from Ephesus, 18:22 and when he arrived ⁷⁴⁰  at Caesarea, ⁷⁴¹  he went up and greeted ⁷⁴²  the church at Jerusalem ⁷⁴³  and then went down to Antioch. ⁷⁴⁴  18:23 After he spent ⁷⁴⁵  some time there, Paul left and went through the region of Galatia ⁷⁴⁶  and Phrygia, ⁷⁴⁷  strengthening all the disciples.

Apollos Begins His Ministry

18:24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus. ⁷⁴⁸  He was an eloquent speaker, ⁷⁴⁹  well-versed ⁷⁵⁰  in the scriptures. 18:25 He had been instructed in ⁷⁵¹  the way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm ⁷⁵²  he spoke and taught accurately the facts ⁷⁵³  about Jesus, although he knew ⁷⁵⁴  only the baptism of John. 18:26 He began to speak out fearlessly ⁷⁵⁵  in the synagogue, ⁷⁵⁶  but when Priscilla and Aquila ⁷⁵⁷  heard him, they took him aside ⁷⁵⁸  and explained the way of God to him more accurately. 18:27 When Apollos ⁷⁵⁹  wanted to cross over to Achaia, ⁷⁶⁰  the brothers encouraged ⁷⁶¹  him ⁷⁶²  and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he ⁷⁶³  assisted greatly those who had believed by grace, 18:28 for he refuted the Jews vigorously ⁷⁶⁴  in public debate, ⁷⁶⁵  demonstrating from the scriptures that the Christ ⁷⁶⁶  was Jesus. ⁷⁶⁷ 

Disciples of John the Baptist at Ephesus

19:1 While ⁷⁶⁸  Apollos was in Corinth, ⁷⁶⁹  Paul went through the inland ⁷⁷⁰  regions ⁷⁷¹  and came to Ephesus. ⁷⁷²  He ⁷⁷³  found some disciples there ⁷⁷⁴  19:2 and said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” ⁷⁷⁵  They replied, ⁷⁷⁶  “No, we have not even ⁷⁷⁷  heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” 19:3 So Paul ⁷⁷⁸  said, “Into what then were you baptized?” “Into John’s baptism,” they replied. ⁷⁷⁹  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, ⁷⁸⁰  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 ⁷⁸¹  his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came ⁷⁸²  upon them, and they began to speak ⁷⁸³  in tongues and to prophesy. ⁷⁸⁴  19:7 (Now there were about twelve men in all.) ⁷⁸⁵ 

Paul Continues to Minister at Ephesus

19:8 So Paul ⁷⁸⁶  entered ⁷⁸⁷  the synagogue ⁷⁸⁸  and spoke out fearlessly ⁷⁸⁹  for three months, addressing ⁷⁹⁰  and convincing ⁷⁹¹  them about the kingdom of God. ⁷⁹²  19:9 But when ⁷⁹³  some were stubborn ⁷⁹⁴  and refused to believe, reviling ⁷⁹⁵  the Way ⁷⁹⁶  before the congregation, he left ⁷⁹⁷  them and took the disciples with him, ⁷⁹⁸  addressing ⁷⁹⁹  them every day ⁸⁰⁰  in the lecture hall ⁸⁰¹  of Tyrannus. 19:10 This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia, ⁸⁰²  both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. ⁸⁰³ 

The Seven Sons of Sceva

19:11 God was performing extraordinary ⁸⁰⁴  miracles by Paul’s hands, 19:12 so that when even handkerchiefs or aprons that had touched his body ⁸⁰⁵  were brought ⁸⁰⁶  to the sick, their diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them. ⁸⁰⁷  19:13 But some itinerant ⁸⁰⁸  Jewish exorcists tried to invoke the name ⁸⁰⁹  of the Lord Jesus over those who were possessed by ⁸¹⁰  evil spirits, saying, “I sternly warn ⁸¹¹  you by Jesus whom Paul preaches.” 19:14 (Now seven sons of a man named ⁸¹²  Sceva, a Jewish high priest, were doing this.) ⁸¹³  19:15 But the evil spirit replied to them, ⁸¹⁴  “I know about Jesus ⁸¹⁵  and I am acquainted with ⁸¹⁶  Paul, but who are you?” ⁸¹⁷  19:16 Then the man who was possessed by ⁸¹⁸  the evil spirit jumped on ⁸¹⁹  them and beat them all into submission. ⁸²⁰  He prevailed ⁸²¹  against them so that they fled from that house naked and wounded. 19:17 This became known to all who lived in Ephesus, ⁸²²  both Jews and Greeks; fear came over ⁸²³  them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised. ⁸²⁴  19:18 Many of those who had believed came forward, ⁸²⁵  confessing and making their deeds known. ⁸²⁶  19:19 Large numbers ⁸²⁷  of those who had practiced magic ⁸²⁸  collected their books ⁸²⁹  and burned them up in the presence of everyone. ⁸³⁰  When ⁸³¹  the value of the books was added up, it was found to total fifty thousand silver coins. ⁸³²  19:20 In this way the word of the Lord ⁸³³  continued to grow in power ⁸³⁴  and to prevail. ⁸³⁵ 

A Riot in Ephesus

19:21 Now after all these things had taken place, ⁸³⁶  Paul resolved ⁸³⁷  to go to Jerusalem, ⁸³⁸  passing through Macedonia ⁸³⁹  and Achaia. ⁸⁴⁰  He said, ⁸⁴¹  “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” ⁸⁴²  19:22 So after sending ⁸⁴³  two of his assistants, ⁸⁴⁴  Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia, ⁸⁴⁵  he himself stayed on for a while in the province of Asia. ⁸⁴⁶ 

19:23 At ⁸⁴⁷  that time ⁸⁴⁸  a great disturbance ⁸⁴⁹  took place concerning the Way. ⁸⁵⁰  19:24 For a man named Demetrius, a silversmith who made silver shrines ⁸⁵¹  of Artemis, ⁸⁵²  brought a great deal ⁸⁵³  of business ⁸⁵⁴  to the craftsmen. 19:25 He gathered ⁸⁵⁵  these ⁸⁵⁶  together, along with the workmen in similar trades, ⁸⁵⁷  and said, “Men, you know that our prosperity ⁸⁵⁸  comes from this business. 19:26 And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded ⁸⁵⁹  and turned away ⁸⁶⁰  a large crowd, ⁸⁶¹  not only in Ephesus ⁸⁶²  but in practically all of the province of Asia, ⁸⁶³  by saying ⁸⁶⁴  that gods made by hands are not gods at all. ⁸⁶⁵  19:27 There is danger not only that this business of ours will come into disrepute, ⁸⁶⁶  but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis ⁸⁶⁷  will be regarded as nothing, ⁸⁶⁸  and she whom all the province of Asia ⁸⁶⁹  and the world worship will suffer the loss of her greatness.” ⁸⁷⁰ 

19:28 When ⁸⁷¹  they heard ⁸⁷²  this they became enraged ⁸⁷³  and began to shout, ⁸⁷⁴  “Great is Artemis ⁸⁷⁵  of the Ephesians!” 19:29 The ⁸⁷⁶  city was filled with the uproar, ⁸⁷⁷  and the crowd ⁸⁷⁸  rushed to the theater ⁸⁷⁹  together, ⁸⁸⁰  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, ⁸⁸¹  the disciples would not let him. 19:31 Even some of the provincial authorities ⁸⁸²  who were his friends sent ⁸⁸³  a message ⁸⁸⁴  to him, urging him not to venture ⁸⁸⁵  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. ⁸⁸⁶  19:33 Some of the crowd concluded ⁸⁸⁷  it was about ⁸⁸⁸  Alexander because the Jews had pushed him to the front. ⁸⁸⁹  Alexander, gesturing ⁸⁹⁰  with his hand, was wanting to make a defense ⁸⁹¹  before the public assembly. ⁸⁹²  19:34 But when they recognized ⁸⁹³  that he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison, ⁸⁹⁴  “Great is Artemis ⁸⁹⁵  of the Ephesians!” for about two hours. ⁸⁹⁶  19:35 After the city secretary ⁸⁹⁷  quieted the crowd, he said, “Men of Ephesus, what person ⁸⁹⁸  is there who does not know that the city of the Ephesians is the keeper ⁸⁹⁹  of the temple of the great Artemis ⁹⁰⁰  and of her image that fell from heaven? ⁹⁰¹  19:36 So because these facts ⁹⁰²  are indisputable, ⁹⁰³  you must keep quiet ⁹⁰⁴  and not do anything reckless. ⁹⁰⁵  19:37 For you have brought these men here who are neither temple robbers ⁹⁰⁶  nor blasphemers of our goddess. ⁹⁰⁷  19:38 If then Demetrius and the craftsmen who are with him have a complaint ⁹⁰⁸  against someone, the courts are open ⁹⁰⁹  and there are proconsuls; let them bring charges against one another there. ⁹¹⁰  19:39 But if you want anything in addition, ⁹¹¹  it will have to be settled ⁹¹²  in a legal assembly. ⁹¹³  19:40 For ⁹¹⁴  we are in danger of being charged with rioting ⁹¹⁵  today, since there is no cause we can give to explain ⁹¹⁶  this disorderly gathering.” ⁹¹⁷  19:41 After ⁹¹⁸  he had said ⁹¹⁹  this, ⁹²⁰  he dismissed the assembly. ⁹²¹ 

Paul Travels Through Macedonia and Greece

20:1 After the disturbance had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging ⁹²²  them and saying farewell, ⁹²³  he left to go to Macedonia. ⁹²⁴  20:2 After he had gone through those regions ⁹²⁵  and spoken many words of encouragement ⁹²⁶  to the believers there, ⁹²⁷  he came to Greece, ⁹²⁸  20:3 where he stayed ⁹²⁹  for three months. Because the Jews had made ⁹³⁰  a plot ⁹³¹  against him as he was intending ⁹³²  to sail ⁹³³  for Syria, he decided ⁹³⁴  to return through Macedonia. ⁹³⁵  20:4 Paul ⁹³⁶  was accompanied by Sopater son of Pyrrhus from Berea, ⁹³⁷  Aristarchus and Secundus from Thessalonica, ⁹³⁸  Gaius ⁹³⁹  from Derbe, ⁹⁴⁰  and Timothy, as well as Tychicus and Trophimus from the province of Asia. ⁹⁴¹  20:5 These had gone on ahead ⁹⁴²  and were waiting for us in Troas. ⁹⁴³  20:6 We ⁹⁴⁴  sailed away from Philippi ⁹⁴⁵  after the days of Unleavened Bread, ⁹⁴⁶  and within five days ⁹⁴⁷  we came to the others ⁹⁴⁸  in Troas, ⁹⁴⁹  where we stayed for seven days. 20:7 On the first day ⁹⁵⁰  of the week, when we met ⁹⁵¹  to break bread, Paul began to speak ⁹⁵²  to the people, and because he intended ⁹⁵³  to leave the next day, he extended ⁹⁵⁴  his message until midnight. 20:8 (Now there were many lamps ⁹⁵⁵  in the upstairs room where we were meeting.) ⁹⁵⁶  20:9 A young man named Eutychus, who was sitting in the window, ⁹⁵⁷  was sinking ⁹⁵⁸  into a deep sleep while Paul continued to speak ⁹⁵⁹  for a long time. Fast asleep, ⁹⁶⁰  he fell down from the third story and was picked up dead. 20:10 But Paul went down, ⁹⁶¹  threw himself ⁹⁶²  on the young man, ⁹⁶³  put his arms around him, ⁹⁶⁴  and said, “Do not be distressed, for he is still alive!” ⁹⁶⁵  20:11 Then Paul ⁹⁶⁶  went back upstairs, ⁹⁶⁷  and after he had broken bread and eaten, he talked with them ⁹⁶⁸  a long time, until dawn. Then he left. 20:12 They took the boy home alive and were greatly ⁹⁶⁹  comforted.

The Voyage to Miletus

20:13 We went on ahead ⁹⁷⁰  to the ship and put out to sea ⁹⁷¹  for Assos, ⁹⁷²  intending ⁹⁷³  to take Paul aboard there, for he had arranged it this way. ⁹⁷⁴  He ⁹⁷⁵  himself was intending ⁹⁷⁶  to go there by land. ⁹⁷⁷  20:14 When he met us in Assos, ⁹⁷⁸  we took him aboard ⁹⁷⁹  and went to Mitylene. ⁹⁸⁰  20:15 We set sail ⁹⁸¹  from there, and on the following day we arrived off Chios. ⁹⁸²  The next day we approached ⁹⁸³  Samos, ⁹⁸⁴  and the day after that we arrived at Miletus. ⁹⁸⁵  20:16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus ⁹⁸⁶  so as not to spend time ⁹⁸⁷  in the province of Asia, ⁹⁸⁸  for he was hurrying ⁹⁸⁹  to arrive in Jerusalem, ⁹⁹⁰  if possible, ⁹⁹¹  by the day of Pentecost. 20:17 From Miletus ⁹⁹²  he sent a message ⁹⁹³  to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him. ⁹⁹⁴ 

20:18 When they arrived, he said to them, “You yourselves know how I lived ⁹⁹⁵  the whole time I was with you, from the first day I set foot ⁹⁹⁶  in the province of Asia, ⁹⁹⁷  20:19 serving the Lord with all humility ⁹⁹⁸  and with tears, and with the trials that happened to me because of the plots ⁹⁹⁹  of the Jews. 20:20 You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming ¹⁰⁰⁰  to you anything that would be helpful, ¹⁰⁰¹  and from teaching you publicly ¹⁰⁰²  and from house to house, 20:21 testifying ¹⁰⁰³  to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. ¹⁰⁰⁴  20:22 And now, ¹⁰⁰⁵  compelled ¹⁰⁰⁶  by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem ¹⁰⁰⁷  without knowing what will happen to me there, ¹⁰⁰⁸  20:23 except ¹⁰⁰⁹  that the Holy Spirit warns ¹⁰¹⁰  me in town after town ¹⁰¹¹  that ¹⁰¹²  imprisonment ¹⁰¹³  and persecutions ¹⁰¹⁴  are waiting for me. 20:24 But I do not consider my life ¹⁰¹⁵  worth anything ¹⁰¹⁶  to myself, so that ¹⁰¹⁷  I may finish my task ¹⁰¹⁸  and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news ¹⁰¹⁹  of God’s grace.

20:25 “And now ¹⁰²⁰  I know that none ¹⁰²¹  of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom ¹⁰²²  will see me ¹⁰²³  again. 20:26 Therefore I declare ¹⁰²⁴  to you today that I am innocent ¹⁰²⁵  of the blood of you all. ¹⁰²⁶  20:27 For I did not hold back from ¹⁰²⁷  announcing ¹⁰²⁸  to you the whole purpose ¹⁰²⁹  of God. 20:28 Watch out for ¹⁰³⁰  yourselves and for all the flock of which ¹⁰³¹  the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, ¹⁰³²  to shepherd the church of God ¹⁰³³  that he obtained ¹⁰³⁴  with the blood of his own Son. ¹⁰³⁵  20:29 I know that after I am gone ¹⁰³⁶  fierce wolves ¹⁰³⁷  will come in among you, not sparing the flock. 20:30 Even from among your own group ¹⁰³⁸  men ¹⁰³⁹  will arise, teaching perversions of the truth ¹⁰⁴⁰  to draw the disciples away after them. 20:31 Therefore be alert, ¹⁰⁴¹  remembering that night and day for three years I did not stop warning ¹⁰⁴²  each one of you with tears. 20:32 And now I entrust ¹⁰⁴³  you to God and to the message ¹⁰⁴⁴  of his grace. This message ¹⁰⁴⁵  is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified. 20:33 I have desired ¹⁰⁴⁶  no one’s silver or gold or clothing. 20:34 You yourselves know that these hands of mine ¹⁰⁴⁷  provided for my needs and the needs of those who were with me. 20:35 By all these things, ¹⁰⁴⁸  I have shown you that by working in this way we must help ¹⁰⁴⁹  the weak, ¹⁰⁵⁰  and remember the words of the Lord Jesus that he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’” ¹⁰⁵¹ 

20:36 When ¹⁰⁵²  he had said these things, he knelt down ¹⁰⁵³  with them all and prayed. 20:37 They all began to weep loudly, ¹⁰⁵⁴  and hugged ¹⁰⁵⁵  Paul and kissed him, ¹⁰⁵⁶  20:38 especially saddened ¹⁰⁵⁷  by what ¹⁰⁵⁸  he had said, that they were not going to see him ¹⁰⁵⁹  again. Then they accompanied ¹⁰⁶⁰  him to the ship.

Paul’s Journey to Jerusalem

21:1 After ¹⁰⁶¹  we ¹⁰⁶²  tore ourselves away ¹⁰⁶³  from them, we put out to sea, ¹⁰⁶⁴  and sailing a straight course, ¹⁰⁶⁵  we came to Cos, ¹⁰⁶⁶  on the next day to Rhodes, ¹⁰⁶⁷  and from there to Patara. ¹⁰⁶⁸  21:2 We found ¹⁰⁶⁹  a ship crossing over to Phoenicia, ¹⁰⁷⁰  went aboard, ¹⁰⁷¹  and put out to sea. ¹⁰⁷²  21:3 After we sighted Cyprus ¹⁰⁷³  and left it behind on our port side, ¹⁰⁷⁴  we sailed on to Syria and put in ¹⁰⁷⁵  at Tyre, ¹⁰⁷⁶  because the ship was to unload its cargo there. 21:4 After we located ¹⁰⁷⁷  the disciples, we stayed there ¹⁰⁷⁸  seven days. They repeatedly told ¹⁰⁷⁹  Paul through the Spirit ¹⁰⁸⁰  not to set foot ¹⁰⁸¹  in Jerusalem. ¹⁰⁸²  21:5 When ¹⁰⁸³  our time was over, ¹⁰⁸⁴  we left and went on our way. All of them, with their wives and children, accompanied ¹⁰⁸⁵  us outside of the city. After ¹⁰⁸⁶  kneeling down on the beach and praying, ¹⁰⁸⁷  21:6 we said farewell ¹⁰⁸⁸  to one another. ¹⁰⁸⁹  Then ¹⁰⁹⁰  we went aboard the ship, and they returned to their own homes. ¹⁰⁹¹  21:7 We continued the voyage from Tyre ¹⁰⁹²  and arrived at Ptolemais, ¹⁰⁹³  and when we had greeted the brothers, we stayed with them for one day. 21:8 On the next day we left ¹⁰⁹⁴  and came to Caesarea, ¹⁰⁹⁵  and entered ¹⁰⁹⁶  the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, ¹⁰⁹⁷  and stayed with him. 21:9 (He had four unmarried ¹⁰⁹⁸  daughters who prophesied.) ¹⁰⁹⁹ 

21:10 While we remained there for a number of days, ¹¹⁰⁰  a prophet named Agabus ¹¹⁰¹  came down from Judea. 21:11 He came ¹¹⁰²  to us, took ¹¹⁰³  Paul’s belt, ¹¹⁰⁴  tied ¹¹⁰⁵  his own hands and feet with it, ¹¹⁰⁶  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 ¹¹⁰⁷  to the Gentiles.’” 21:12 When we heard this, both we and the local people ¹¹⁰⁸  begged him not to go up to Jerusalem. 21:13 Then Paul replied, “What are you doing, weeping and breaking ¹¹⁰⁹  my heart? For I am ready not only to be tied up, ¹¹¹⁰  but even to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.” 21:14 Because he could not be persuaded, ¹¹¹¹  we said no more except, ¹¹¹²  “The Lord’s will be done.” ¹¹¹³ 

21:15 After these days we got ready ¹¹¹⁴  and started up ¹¹¹⁵  to Jerusalem. 21:16 Some of the disciples from Caesarea ¹¹¹⁶  came along with us too, and brought us to the house ¹¹¹⁷  of Mnason of Cyprus, a disciple from the earliest times, ¹¹¹⁸  with whom we were to stay. 21:17 When we arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers welcomed us gladly. ¹¹¹⁹  21:18 The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were there. ¹¹²⁰  21:19 When Paul ¹¹²¹  had greeted them, he began to explain ¹¹²²  in detail ¹¹²³  what God ¹¹²⁴  had done among the Gentiles through his ministry. 21:20 When they heard this, they praised ¹¹²⁵  God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews ¹¹²⁶  there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers ¹¹²⁷  of the law. ¹¹²⁸  21:21 They have been informed about you – that you teach all the Jews now living ¹¹²⁹  among the Gentiles to abandon ¹¹³⁰  Moses, telling them not to circumcise their children ¹¹³¹  or live ¹¹³²  according to our customs. 21:22 What then should we do? They will no doubt ¹¹³³  hear that you have come. 21:23 So do what ¹¹³⁴  we tell you: We have four men ¹¹³⁵  who have taken ¹¹³⁶  a vow; ¹¹³⁷  21:24 take them and purify ¹¹³⁸  yourself along with them and pay their expenses, ¹¹³⁹  so that they may have their heads shaved. ¹¹⁴⁰  Then ¹¹⁴¹  everyone will know there is nothing in what they have been told ¹¹⁴²  about you, but that you yourself live in conformity with ¹¹⁴³  the law. ¹¹⁴⁴  21:25 But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided ¹¹⁴⁵  that they should avoid ¹¹⁴⁶  meat that has been sacrificed to idols ¹¹⁴⁷  and blood and what has been strangled ¹¹⁴⁸  and sexual immorality.” 21:26 Then Paul took the men the next day, ¹¹⁴⁹  and after he had purified himself ¹¹⁵⁰  along with them, he went to the temple and gave notice ¹¹⁵¹  of the completion of the days of purification, ¹¹⁵²  when ¹¹⁵³  the sacrifice would be offered for each ¹¹⁵⁴  of them. 21:27 When the seven days were almost over, ¹¹⁵⁵  the Jews from the province of Asia ¹¹⁵⁶  who had seen him in the temple area ¹¹⁵⁷  stirred up the whole crowd ¹¹⁵⁸  and seized ¹¹⁵⁹  him, 21:28 shouting, “Men of Israel, ¹¹⁶⁰  help! This is the man who teaches everyone everywhere against our people, our law, ¹¹⁶¹  and this sanctuary! ¹¹⁶²  Furthermore ¹¹⁶³  he has brought Greeks into the inner courts of the temple ¹¹⁶⁴  and made this holy place ritually unclean!” ¹¹⁶⁵  21:29 (For they had seen Trophimus the Ephesian in the city with him previously, and ¹¹⁶⁶  they assumed Paul had brought him into the inner temple courts.) ¹¹⁶⁷  21:30 The whole city was stirred up, ¹¹⁶⁸  and the people rushed together. ¹¹⁶⁹  They seized ¹¹⁷⁰  Paul and dragged him out of the temple courts, ¹¹⁷¹  and immediately the doors were shut. 21:31 While they were trying ¹¹⁷²  to kill him, a report ¹¹⁷³  was sent up ¹¹⁷⁴  to the commanding officer ¹¹⁷⁵  of the cohort ¹¹⁷⁶  that all Jerusalem was in confusion. ¹¹⁷⁷  21:32 He ¹¹⁷⁸  immediately took ¹¹⁷⁹  soldiers and centurions ¹¹⁸⁰  and ran down to the crowd. ¹¹⁸¹  When they saw ¹¹⁸²  the commanding officer ¹¹⁸³  and the soldiers, they stopped beating ¹¹⁸⁴  Paul. 21:33 Then the commanding officer ¹¹⁸⁵  came up and arrested ¹¹⁸⁶  him and ordered him to be tied up with two chains; ¹¹⁸⁷  he ¹¹⁸⁸  then asked who he was and what ¹¹⁸⁹  he had done. 21:34 But some in the crowd shouted one thing, and others something else, ¹¹⁹⁰  and when the commanding officer ¹¹⁹¹  was unable ¹¹⁹²  to find out the truth ¹¹⁹³  because of the disturbance, ¹¹⁹⁴  he ordered Paul ¹¹⁹⁵  to be brought into the barracks. ¹¹⁹⁶  21:35 When he came to the steps, Paul ¹¹⁹⁷  had to be carried ¹¹⁹⁸  by the soldiers because of the violence ¹¹⁹⁹  of the mob, 21:36 for a crowd of people ¹²⁰⁰  followed them, ¹²⁰¹  screaming, “Away with him!” 21:37 As Paul was about to be brought into the barracks, ¹²⁰²  he said ¹²⁰³  to the commanding officer, ¹²⁰⁴  “May I say ¹²⁰⁵  something to you?” The officer ¹²⁰⁶  replied, ¹²⁰⁷  “Do you know Greek? ¹²⁰⁸  21:38 Then you’re not that Egyptian who started a rebellion ¹²⁰⁹  and led the four thousand men of the ‘Assassins’ ¹²¹⁰  into the wilderness ¹²¹¹  some time ago?” ¹²¹²  21:39 Paul answered, ¹²¹³  “I am a Jew ¹²¹⁴  from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. ¹²¹⁵  Please ¹²¹⁶  allow me to speak to the people.” 21:40 When the commanding officer ¹²¹⁷  had given him permission, ¹²¹⁸  Paul stood ¹²¹⁹  on the steps and gestured ¹²²⁰  to the people with his hand. When they had become silent, ¹²²¹  he addressed ¹²²²  them in Aramaic, ¹²²³ 

Paul’s Defense

22:1 “Brothers and fathers, listen to my defense ¹²²⁴  that I now ¹²²⁵  make to you.” 22:2 (When they heard ¹²²⁶  that he was addressing ¹²²⁷  them in Aramaic, ¹²²⁸  they became even ¹²²⁹  quieter.) ¹²³⁰  Then ¹²³¹  Paul said, 22:3 “I am a Jew, ¹²³²  born in Tarsus in Cilicia, but brought up ¹²³³  in this city, educated with strictness ¹²³⁴  under ¹²³⁵  Gamaliel ¹²³⁶  according to the law of our ancestors, ¹²³⁷  and was ¹²³⁸  zealous ¹²³⁹  for God just as all of you are today. 22:4 I ¹²⁴⁰  persecuted this Way ¹²⁴¹  even to the point of death, ¹²⁴²  tying up ¹²⁴³  both men and women and putting ¹²⁴⁴  them in prison, 22:5 as both the high priest and the whole council of elders ¹²⁴⁵  can testify about me. From them ¹²⁴⁶  I also received ¹²⁴⁷  letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I was on my way ¹²⁴⁸  to make arrests there and bring ¹²⁴⁹  the prisoners ¹²⁵⁰  to Jerusalem ¹²⁵¹  to be punished. 22:6 As ¹²⁵²  I was en route and near Damascus, ¹²⁵³  about noon a very bright ¹²⁵⁴  light from heaven ¹²⁵⁵  suddenly flashed ¹²⁵⁶  around me. 22:7 Then I ¹²⁵⁷  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 ¹²⁵⁸  the voice of the one who was speaking to me. 22:10 So I asked, ¹²⁵⁹  ‘What should I do, Lord?’ The Lord said to me, ‘Get up ¹²⁶⁰  and go to Damascus; there you will be told about everything ¹²⁶¹  that you have been designated ¹²⁶²  to do.’ 22:11 Since I could not see because of ¹²⁶³  the brilliance ¹²⁶⁴  of that light, I came to Damascus led by the hand of ¹²⁶⁵  those who were with me. 22:12 A man named Ananias, ¹²⁶⁶  a devout man according to the law, ¹²⁶⁷  well spoken of by all the Jews who live there, ¹²⁶⁸  22:13 came ¹²⁶⁹  to me and stood beside me ¹²⁷⁰  and said to me, ‘Brother Saul, regain your sight!’ ¹²⁷¹  And at that very moment ¹²⁷²  I looked up and saw him. ¹²⁷³  22:14 Then he said, ‘The God of our ancestors ¹²⁷⁴  has already chosen ¹²⁷⁵  you to know his will, to see ¹²⁷⁶  the Righteous One, ¹²⁷⁷  and to hear a command ¹²⁷⁸  from his mouth, 22:15 because you will be his witness ¹²⁷⁹  to all people ¹²⁸⁰  of what you have seen and heard. 22:16 And now what are you waiting for? ¹²⁸¹  Get up, ¹²⁸²  be baptized, and have your sins washed away, ¹²⁸³  calling on his name.’ ¹²⁸⁴  22:17 When ¹²⁸⁵  I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple, I fell into a trance ¹²⁸⁶  22:18 and saw the Lord ¹²⁸⁷  saying to me, ‘Hurry and get out of Jerusalem quickly, because they will not accept your testimony about me.’ 22:19 I replied, ¹²⁸⁸  ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those in the various synagogues ¹²⁸⁹  who believed in you. 22:20 And when the blood of your witness ¹²⁹⁰  Stephen was shed, ¹²⁹¹  I myself was standing nearby, approving, ¹²⁹²  and guarding the cloaks ¹²⁹³  of those who were killing him.’ ¹²⁹⁴  22:21 Then ¹²⁹⁵  he said to me, ‘Go, because I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’”

The Roman Commander Questions Paul

22:22 The crowd ¹²⁹⁶  was listening to him until he said this. ¹²⁹⁷  Then ¹²⁹⁸  they raised their voices and shouted, ¹²⁹⁹  “Away with this man ¹³⁰⁰  from the earth! For he should not be allowed to live!” ¹³⁰¹  22:23 While they were screaming ¹³⁰²  and throwing off their cloaks ¹³⁰³  and tossing dust ¹³⁰⁴  in the air, 22:24 the commanding officer ¹³⁰⁵  ordered Paul ¹³⁰⁶  to be brought back into the barracks. ¹³⁰⁷  He told them ¹³⁰⁸  to interrogate Paul ¹³⁰⁹  by beating him with a lash ¹³¹⁰  so that he could find out the reason the crowd ¹³¹¹  was shouting at Paul ¹³¹²  in this way. 22:25 When they had stretched him out for the lash, ¹³¹³  Paul said to the centurion ¹³¹⁴  standing nearby, “Is it legal for you to lash a man who is a Roman citizen ¹³¹⁵  without a proper trial?” ¹³¹⁶  22:26 When the centurion ¹³¹⁷  heard this, ¹³¹⁸  he went to the commanding officer ¹³¹⁹  and reported it, ¹³²⁰  saying, “What are you about to do? ¹³²¹  For this man is a Roman citizen.” ¹³²²  22:27 So the commanding officer ¹³²³  came and asked ¹³²⁴  Paul, ¹³²⁵  “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” ¹³²⁶  He replied, ¹³²⁷  “Yes.” 22:28 The commanding officer ¹³²⁸  answered, “I acquired this citizenship with a large sum of money.” ¹³²⁹  “But I was even ¹³³⁰  born a citizen,” ¹³³¹  Paul replied. ¹³³²  22:29 Then those who were about to interrogate him stayed away ¹³³³  from him, and the commanding officer ¹³³⁴  was frightened when he realized that Paul ¹³³⁵  was ¹³³⁶  a Roman citizen ¹³³⁷  and that he had had him tied up. ¹³³⁸ 

Paul Before the Sanhedrin

22:30 The next day, because the commanding officer ¹³³⁹  wanted to know the true reason ¹³⁴⁰  Paul ¹³⁴¹  was being accused by the Jews, he released him and ordered the chief priests and the whole council ¹³⁴²  to assemble. He then brought ¹³⁴³  Paul down and had him stand before them.

23:1 Paul looked directly ¹³⁴⁴  at the council ¹³⁴⁵  and said, “Brothers, I have lived my life with a clear conscience ¹³⁴⁶  before God to this day.” 23:2 At that ¹³⁴⁷  the high priest Ananias ordered those standing near ¹³⁴⁸  Paul ¹³⁴⁹  to strike ¹³⁵⁰  him on the mouth. 23:3 Then Paul said to him, “God is going to strike you, you whitewashed wall! ¹³⁵¹  Do ¹³⁵²  you sit there judging me according to the law, ¹³⁵³  and in violation of the law ¹³⁵⁴  you order me to be struck?” 23:4 Those standing near him ¹³⁵⁵  said, “Do you dare insult ¹³⁵⁶  God’s high priest?” 23:5 Paul replied, ¹³⁵⁷  “I did not realize, ¹³⁵⁸  brothers, that he was the high priest, for it is written, ‘You must not speak evil about a ruler of your people.’” ¹³⁵⁹ 

23:6 Then when Paul noticed ¹³⁶⁰  that part of them were Sadducees ¹³⁶¹  and the others Pharisees, ¹³⁶²  he shouted out in the council, ¹³⁶³  “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection ¹³⁶⁴  of the dead!” 23:7 When he said this, ¹³⁶⁵  an argument ¹³⁶⁶  began ¹³⁶⁷  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.) ¹³⁶⁸  23:9 There was a great commotion, ¹³⁶⁹  and some experts in the law ¹³⁷⁰  from the party of the Pharisees stood up ¹³⁷¹  and protested strongly, ¹³⁷²  “We find nothing wrong ¹³⁷³  with this man. What if a spirit or an angel has spoken to him?” 23:10 When the argument became ¹³⁷⁴  so great the commanding officer ¹³⁷⁵  feared that they would tear Paul to pieces, ¹³⁷⁶  he ordered the detachment ¹³⁷⁷  to go down, take him away from them by force, ¹³⁷⁸  and bring him into the barracks. ¹³⁷⁹ 

23:11 The following night the Lord ¹³⁸⁰  stood near ¹³⁸¹  Paul ¹³⁸²  and said, “Have courage, ¹³⁸³  for just as you have testified about me in Jerusalem, ¹³⁸⁴  so you must also testify in Rome.” ¹³⁸⁵ 

The Plot to Kill Paul

23:12 When morning came, ¹³⁸⁶  the Jews formed ¹³⁸⁷  a conspiracy ¹³⁸⁸  and bound themselves with an oath ¹³⁸⁹  not to eat or drink anything ¹³⁹⁰  until they had killed Paul. 23:13 There were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy. ¹³⁹¹  23:14 They ¹³⁹²  went ¹³⁹³  to the chief priests ¹³⁹⁴  and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath ¹³⁹⁵  not to partake ¹³⁹⁶  of anything until we have killed Paul. 23:15 So now you and the council ¹³⁹⁷  request the commanding officer ¹³⁹⁸  to bring him down to you, as if you were going to determine ¹³⁹⁹  his case ¹⁴⁰⁰  by conducting a more thorough inquiry. ¹⁴⁰¹  We are ready to kill him ¹⁴⁰²  before he comes near this place.” ¹⁴⁰³ 

23:16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush, ¹⁴⁰⁴  he came and entered ¹⁴⁰⁵  the barracks ¹⁴⁰⁶  and told Paul. 23:17 Paul called ¹⁴⁰⁷  one of the centurions ¹⁴⁰⁸  and said, “Take this young man to the commanding officer, ¹⁴⁰⁹  for he has something to report to him.” 23:18 So the centurion ¹⁴¹⁰  took him and brought him to the commanding officer ¹⁴¹¹  and said, “The prisoner Paul called ¹⁴¹²  me and asked me to bring this young man to you because he has something to tell you.” 23:19 The commanding officer ¹⁴¹³  took him by the hand, withdrew privately, and asked, “What is it that you want ¹⁴¹⁴  to report to me?” 23:20 He replied, ¹⁴¹⁵  “The Jews have agreed to ask you to bring Paul down to the council ¹⁴¹⁶  tomorrow, as if they were going to inquire more thoroughly about him. 23:21 So do not let them persuade you to do this, ¹⁴¹⁷  because more than forty of them ¹⁴¹⁸  are lying in ambush ¹⁴¹⁹  for him. They ¹⁴²⁰  have bound themselves with an oath ¹⁴²¹  not to eat or drink anything ¹⁴²²  until they have killed him, and now they are ready, waiting for you to agree to their request.” ¹⁴²³  23:22 Then the commanding officer ¹⁴²⁴  sent the young man away, directing him, ¹⁴²⁵  “Tell no one that you have reported ¹⁴²⁶  these things to me.” 23:23 Then ¹⁴²⁷  he summoned ¹⁴²⁸  two of the centurions ¹⁴²⁹  and said, “Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Caesarea ¹⁴³⁰  along with seventy horsemen ¹⁴³¹  and two hundred spearmen ¹⁴³²  by ¹⁴³³  nine o’clock tonight, ¹⁴³⁴  23:24 and provide mounts for Paul to ride ¹⁴³⁵  so that he may be brought safely to Felix ¹⁴³⁶  the governor.” ¹⁴³⁷  23:25 He wrote ¹⁴³⁸  a letter that went like this: ¹⁴³⁹ 

23:26 Claudius Lysias to His Excellency Governor ¹⁴⁴⁰  Felix, ¹⁴⁴¹  greetings. 23:27 This man was seized ¹⁴⁴²  by the Jews and they were about to kill him, ¹⁴⁴³  when I came up ¹⁴⁴⁴  with the detachment ¹⁴⁴⁵  and rescued him, because I had learned that he was ¹⁴⁴⁶  a Roman citizen. ¹⁴⁴⁷  23:28 Since I wanted to know ¹⁴⁴⁸  what charge they were accusing him of, ¹⁴⁴⁹  I brought him down to their council. ¹⁴⁵⁰  23:29 I found he ¹⁴⁵¹  was accused with reference to controversial questions ¹⁴⁵²  about their law, but no charge against him deserved death or imprisonment. ¹⁴⁵³  23:30 When I was informed ¹⁴⁵⁴  there would be a plot ¹⁴⁵⁵  against this man, I sent him to you at once, also ordering his accusers to state their charges ¹⁴⁵⁶  against him before you.

23:31 So the soldiers, in accordance with their orders, ¹⁴⁵⁷  took ¹⁴⁵⁸  Paul and brought him to Antipatris ¹⁴⁵⁹  during the night. 23:32 The next day they let ¹⁴⁶⁰  the horsemen ¹⁴⁶¹  go on with him, and they returned to the barracks. ¹⁴⁶²  23:33 When the horsemen ¹⁴⁶³  came to Caesarea ¹⁴⁶⁴  and delivered the letter to the governor, they also presented ¹⁴⁶⁵  Paul to him. 23:34 When the governor ¹⁴⁶⁶  had read ¹⁴⁶⁷  the letter, ¹⁴⁶⁸  he asked ¹⁴⁶⁹  what province he was from. ¹⁴⁷⁰  When he learned ¹⁴⁷¹  that he was from Cilicia, ¹⁴⁷²  23:35 he said, “I will give you a hearing ¹⁴⁷³  when your accusers arrive too.” Then ¹⁴⁷⁴  he ordered that Paul ¹⁴⁷⁵  be kept under guard in Herod’s palace. ¹⁴⁷⁶ 

The Accusations Against Paul

24:1 After five days the high priest Ananias ¹⁴⁷⁷  came down with some elders and an attorney ¹⁴⁷⁸  named ¹⁴⁷⁹  Tertullus, and they ¹⁴⁸⁰  brought formal charges ¹⁴⁸¹  against Paul to the governor. 24:2 When Paul ¹⁴⁸²  had been summoned, Tertullus began to accuse him, ¹⁴⁸³  saying, “We have experienced a lengthy time ¹⁴⁸⁴  of peace through your rule, ¹⁴⁸⁵  and reforms ¹⁴⁸⁶  are being made in this nation ¹⁴⁸⁷  through your foresight. ¹⁴⁸⁸  24:3 Most excellent Felix, ¹⁴⁸⁹  we acknowledge this everywhere and in every way ¹⁴⁹⁰  with all gratitude. ¹⁴⁹¹  24:4 But so that I may not delay ¹⁴⁹²  you any further, I beg ¹⁴⁹³  you to hear us briefly ¹⁴⁹⁴  with your customary graciousness. ¹⁴⁹⁵  24:5 For we have found ¹⁴⁹⁶  this man to be a troublemaker, ¹⁴⁹⁷  one who stirs up riots ¹⁴⁹⁸  among all the Jews throughout the world, and a ringleader ¹⁴⁹⁹  of the sect of the Nazarenes. ¹⁵⁰⁰  24:6 He ¹⁵⁰¹  even tried to desecrate ¹⁵⁰²  the temple, so we arrested ¹⁵⁰³  him. 24:7 [[EMPTY]] ¹⁵⁰⁴  24:8 When you examine ¹⁵⁰⁵  him yourself, you will be able to learn from him ¹⁵⁰⁶  about all these things we are accusing him of doing.” ¹⁵⁰⁷  24:9 The Jews also joined in the verbal attack, ¹⁵⁰⁸  claiming ¹⁵⁰⁹  that these things were true.

Paul’s Defense Before Felix

24:10 When the governor gestured for him to speak, Paul replied, “Because I know ¹⁵¹⁰  that you have been a judge over this nation for many years, I confidently make my defense. ¹⁵¹¹  24:11 As you can verify ¹⁵¹²  for yourself, not more than twelve days ago ¹⁵¹³  I went up to Jerusalem ¹⁵¹⁴  to worship. 24:12 They did not find me arguing ¹⁵¹⁵  with anyone or stirring up a crowd ¹⁵¹⁶  in the temple courts ¹⁵¹⁷  or in the synagogues ¹⁵¹⁸  or throughout the city, ¹⁵¹⁹  24:13 nor can they prove ¹⁵²⁰  to you the things ¹⁵²¹  they are accusing me of doing. ¹⁵²²  24:14 But I confess this to you, that I worship ¹⁵²³  the God of our ancestors ¹⁵²⁴  according to the Way (which they call a sect), believing everything that is according to the law ¹⁵²⁵  and that is written in the prophets. 24:15 I have ¹⁵²⁶  a hope in God (a hope ¹⁵²⁷  that ¹⁵²⁸  these men ¹⁵²⁹  themselves accept too) that there is going to be a resurrection of both the righteous and the unrighteous. ¹⁵³⁰  24:16 This is the reason ¹⁵³¹  I do my best to always ¹⁵³²  have a clear ¹⁵³³  conscience toward God and toward people. ¹⁵³⁴  24:17 After several years ¹⁵³⁵  I came to bring to my people gifts for the poor ¹⁵³⁶  and to present offerings, ¹⁵³⁷  24:18 which I was doing when they found me in the temple, ritually purified, ¹⁵³⁸  without a crowd or a disturbance. ¹⁵³⁹  24:19 But there are some Jews from the province of Asia ¹⁵⁴⁰  who should be here before you and bring charges, ¹⁵⁴¹  if they have anything against me. 24:20 Or these men here ¹⁵⁴²  should tell what crime ¹⁵⁴³  they found me guilty of ¹⁵⁴⁴  when I stood before the council, ¹⁵⁴⁵  24:21 other than ¹⁵⁴⁶  this one thing ¹⁵⁴⁷  I shouted out while I stood before ¹⁵⁴⁸  them: ‘I am on trial before you today concerning the resurrection of the dead.’” ¹⁵⁴⁹ 

24:22 Then Felix, ¹⁵⁵⁰  who understood the facts ¹⁵⁵¹  concerning the Way ¹⁵⁵²  more accurately, ¹⁵⁵³  adjourned their hearing, ¹⁵⁵⁴  saying, “When Lysias the commanding officer comes down, I will decide your case.” ¹⁵⁵⁵  24:23 He ordered the centurion ¹⁵⁵⁶  to guard Paul, ¹⁵⁵⁷  but to let him have some freedom, ¹⁵⁵⁸  and not to prevent any of his friends ¹⁵⁵⁹  from meeting his needs. ¹⁵⁶⁰ 

Paul Speaks Repeatedly to Felix

24:24 Some days later, when Felix ¹⁵⁶¹  arrived with his wife Drusilla, ¹⁵⁶²  who was Jewish, he sent for Paul and heard him speak ¹⁵⁶³  about faith in Christ Jesus. ¹⁵⁶⁴  24:25 While Paul ¹⁵⁶⁵  was discussing ¹⁵⁶⁶  righteousness, self-control, ¹⁵⁶⁷  and the coming judgment, Felix ¹⁵⁶⁸  became ¹⁵⁶⁹  frightened and said, “Go away for now, and when I have an opportunity, ¹⁵⁷⁰  I will send for you.” 24:26 At the same time he was also hoping that Paul would give him money, ¹⁵⁷¹  and for this reason he sent for Paul ¹⁵⁷²  as often as possible ¹⁵⁷³  and talked ¹⁵⁷⁴  with him. 24:27 After two years ¹⁵⁷⁵  had passed, Porcius Festus ¹⁵⁷⁶  succeeded Felix, ¹⁵⁷⁷  and because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. ¹⁵⁷⁸ 

Paul Appeals to Caesar

25:1 Now ¹⁵⁷⁹  three days after Festus ¹⁵⁸⁰  arrived in the province, he went up to Jerusalem ¹⁵⁸¹  from Caesarea. ¹⁵⁸²  25:2 So the chief priests and the most prominent men ¹⁵⁸³  of the Jews brought formal charges ¹⁵⁸⁴  against Paul to him. 25:3 Requesting him to do them a favor against Paul, ¹⁵⁸⁵  they urged Festus ¹⁵⁸⁶  to summon him to Jerusalem, planning an ambush ¹⁵⁸⁷  to kill him along the way. 25:4 Then Festus ¹⁵⁸⁸  replied that Paul was being kept at Caesarea, ¹⁵⁸⁹  and he himself intended to go there ¹⁵⁹⁰  shortly. 25:5 “So,” he said, “let your leaders ¹⁵⁹¹  go down there ¹⁵⁹²  with me, and if this man has done anything wrong, ¹⁵⁹³  they may bring charges ¹⁵⁹⁴  against him.”

25:6 After Festus ¹⁵⁹⁵  had stayed ¹⁵⁹⁶  not more than eight or ten days among them, he went down to Caesarea, ¹⁵⁹⁷  and the next day he sat ¹⁵⁹⁸  on the judgment seat ¹⁵⁹⁹  and ordered Paul to be brought. 25:7 When he arrived, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him, ¹⁶⁰⁰  bringing many serious ¹⁶⁰¹  charges that they were not able to prove. ¹⁶⁰²  25:8 Paul said in his defense, ¹⁶⁰³  “I have committed no offense ¹⁶⁰⁴  against the Jewish law ¹⁶⁰⁵  or against the temple or against Caesar.” ¹⁶⁰⁶  25:9 But Festus, ¹⁶⁰⁷  wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried ¹⁶⁰⁸  before me there on these charges?” ¹⁶⁰⁹  25:10 Paul replied, ¹⁶¹⁰  “I am standing before Caesar’s ¹⁶¹¹  judgment seat, ¹⁶¹²  where I should be tried. ¹⁶¹³  I have done nothing wrong ¹⁶¹⁴  to the Jews, as you also know very well. ¹⁶¹⁵  25:11 If then I am in the wrong ¹⁶¹⁶  and have done anything that deserves death, I am not trying to escape dying, ¹⁶¹⁷  but if not one of their charges against me is true, ¹⁶¹⁸  no one can hand me over to them. ¹⁶¹⁹  I appeal to Caesar!” ¹⁶²⁰  25:12 Then, after conferring with his council, ¹⁶²¹  Festus ¹⁶²²  replied, “You have appealed to Caesar; ¹⁶²³  to Caesar ¹⁶²⁴  you will go!” ¹⁶²⁵ 

Festus Asks King Agrippa for Advice

25:13 After several days had passed, King Agrippa ¹⁶²⁶  and Bernice arrived at Caesarea ¹⁶²⁷  to pay their respects ¹⁶²⁸  to Festus. ¹⁶²⁹  25:14 While ¹⁶³⁰  they were staying there many days, Festus ¹⁶³¹  explained Paul’s case to the king to get his opinion, ¹⁶³²  saying, “There is a man left here as a prisoner by Felix. 25:15 When I was in Jerusalem, ¹⁶³³  the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed ¹⁶³⁴  me about him, ¹⁶³⁵  asking for a sentence of condemnation ¹⁶³⁶  against him. 25:16 I answered them ¹⁶³⁷  that it was not the custom of the Romans to hand over anyone ¹⁶³⁸  before the accused had met his accusers face to face ¹⁶³⁹  and had been given ¹⁶⁴⁰  an opportunity to make a defense against the accusation. ¹⁶⁴¹  25:17 So after they came back here with me, ¹⁶⁴²  I did not postpone the case, ¹⁶⁴³  but the next day I sat ¹⁶⁴⁴  on the judgment seat ¹⁶⁴⁵  and ordered the man to be brought. 25:18 When his accusers stood up, they did not charge ¹⁶⁴⁶  him with any of the evil deeds I had suspected. ¹⁶⁴⁷  25:19 Rather they had several points of disagreement ¹⁶⁴⁸  with him about their own religion ¹⁶⁴⁹  and about a man named Jesus ¹⁶⁵⁰  who was dead, whom Paul claimed ¹⁶⁵¹  to be alive. 25:20 Because I was at a loss ¹⁶⁵²  how I could investigate these matters, ¹⁶⁵³  I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried ¹⁶⁵⁴  there on these charges. ¹⁶⁵⁵  25:21 But when Paul appealed to be kept in custody for the decision of His Majesty the Emperor, ¹⁶⁵⁶  I ordered him to be kept under guard until I could send him to Caesar.” ¹⁶⁵⁷  25:22 Agrippa ¹⁶⁵⁸  said to Festus, ¹⁶⁵⁹  “I would also like to hear the man myself.” “Tomorrow,” he replied, ¹⁶⁶⁰  “you will hear him.”

Paul Before King Agrippa and Bernice

25:23 So the next day Agrippa ¹⁶⁶¹  and Bernice came with great pomp ¹⁶⁶²  and entered the audience hall, ¹⁶⁶³  along with the senior military officers ¹⁶⁶⁴  and the prominent men of the city. When Festus ¹⁶⁶⁵  gave the order, ¹⁶⁶⁶  Paul was brought in. 25:24 Then Festus ¹⁶⁶⁷  said, “King Agrippa, ¹⁶⁶⁸  and all you who are present here with us, you see this man about whom the entire Jewish populace ¹⁶⁶⁹  petitioned ¹⁶⁷⁰  me both in Jerusalem ¹⁶⁷¹  and here, ¹⁶⁷²  shouting loudly ¹⁶⁷³  that he ought not to live any longer. 25:25 But I found that he had done nothing that deserved death, ¹⁶⁷⁴  and when he appealed ¹⁶⁷⁵  to His Majesty the Emperor, ¹⁶⁷⁶  I decided to send him. ¹⁶⁷⁷  25:26 But I have nothing definite ¹⁶⁷⁸  to write to my lord ¹⁶⁷⁹  about him. ¹⁶⁸⁰  Therefore I have brought him before you all, and especially before you, King Agrippa, ¹⁶⁸¹  so that after this preliminary hearing ¹⁶⁸²  I may have something to write. 25:27 For it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without clearly indicating ¹⁶⁸³  the charges against him.”

Paul Offers His Defense

26:1 So Agrippa ¹⁶⁸⁴  said to Paul, “You have permission ¹⁶⁸⁵  to speak for yourself.” Then Paul held out his hand ¹⁶⁸⁶  and began his defense: ¹⁶⁸⁷ 

26:2 “Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, ¹⁶⁸⁸  I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today, 26:3 because you are especially ¹⁶⁸⁹  familiar with all the customs and controversial issues ¹⁶⁹⁰  of the Jews. Therefore I ask ¹⁶⁹¹  you to listen to me patiently. 26:4 Now all the Jews know the way I lived ¹⁶⁹²  from my youth, spending my life from the beginning among my own people ¹⁶⁹³  and in Jerusalem. ¹⁶⁹⁴  26:5 They know, ¹⁶⁹⁵  because they have known ¹⁶⁹⁶  me from time past, ¹⁶⁹⁷  if they are willing to testify, that according to the strictest party ¹⁶⁹⁸  of our religion, I lived as a Pharisee. ¹⁶⁹⁹  26:6 And now I stand here on trial ¹⁷⁰⁰  because of my hope in the promise made by God to our ancestors, ¹⁷⁰¹  26:7 a promise ¹⁷⁰²  that our twelve tribes hope to attain as they earnestly serve God ¹⁷⁰³  night and day. Concerning this hope the Jews are accusing me, ¹⁷⁰⁴  Your Majesty! ¹⁷⁰⁵  26:8 Why do you people ¹⁷⁰⁶  think ¹⁷⁰⁷  it is unbelievable ¹⁷⁰⁸  that ¹⁷⁰⁹  God raises the dead? 26:9 Of course, ¹⁷¹⁰  I myself was convinced ¹⁷¹¹  that it was necessary to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene. 26:10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem: Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons by the authority I received ¹⁷¹²  from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote ¹⁷¹³  against them when they were sentenced to death. ¹⁷¹⁴  26:11 I punished ¹⁷¹⁵  them often in all the synagogues ¹⁷¹⁶  and tried to force ¹⁷¹⁷  them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enraged ¹⁷¹⁸  at them, I went to persecute ¹⁷¹⁹  them even in foreign cities.

26:12 “While doing this very thing, ¹⁷²⁰  as I was going ¹⁷²¹  to Damascus with authority and complete power ¹⁷²²  from the chief priests, 26:13 about noon along the road, Your Majesty, ¹⁷²³  I saw a light from heaven, ¹⁷²⁴  brighter than the sun, shining everywhere around ¹⁷²⁵  me and those traveling with me. 26:14 When we had all fallen to the ground, I heard a voice saying to me in Aramaic, ¹⁷²⁶  ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me? You are hurting yourself ¹⁷²⁷  by kicking against the goads.’ ¹⁷²⁸  26:15 So I said, ‘Who are you, Lord?’ And the Lord replied, ¹⁷²⁹  ‘I am Jesus whom you are persecuting. 26:16 But get up and stand on your feet, for I have appeared to you for this reason, to designate you in advance ¹⁷³⁰  as a servant and witness ¹⁷³¹  to the things ¹⁷³²  you have seen ¹⁷³³  and to the things in which I will appear to you. 26:17 I will rescue ¹⁷³⁴  you from your own people ¹⁷³⁵  and from the Gentiles, to whom ¹⁷³⁶  I am sending you 26:18 to open their eyes so that they turn ¹⁷³⁷  from darkness to light and from the power ¹⁷³⁸  of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share ¹⁷³⁹  among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

26:19 “Therefore, King Agrippa, ¹⁷⁴⁰  I was not disobedient ¹⁷⁴¹  to the heavenly ¹⁷⁴²  vision, 26:20 but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, ¹⁷⁴³  and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, ¹⁷⁴⁴  performing deeds consistent with ¹⁷⁴⁵  repentance. 26:21 For this reason the Jews seized me in the temple courts ¹⁷⁴⁶  and were trying to kill me. 26:22 I have experienced ¹⁷⁴⁷  help from God to this day, and so I stand testifying to both small and great, saying nothing except ¹⁷⁴⁸  what the prophets and Moses said ¹⁷⁴⁹  was going to happen: 26:23 that ¹⁷⁵⁰  the Christ ¹⁷⁵¹  was to suffer and be the first to rise from the dead, to proclaim light both to our people ¹⁷⁵²  and to the Gentiles.” ¹⁷⁵³ 

26:24 As Paul ¹⁷⁵⁴  was saying these things in his defense, Festus ¹⁷⁵⁵  exclaimed loudly, “You have lost your mind, ¹⁷⁵⁶  Paul! Your great learning is driving you insane!” 26:25 But Paul replied, ¹⁷⁵⁷  “I have not lost my mind, most excellent Festus, ¹⁷⁵⁸  but am speaking ¹⁷⁵⁹  true and rational ¹⁷⁶⁰  words. 26:26 For the king knows about these things, and I am speaking freely ¹⁷⁶¹  to him, ¹⁷⁶²  because I cannot believe ¹⁷⁶³  that any of these things has escaped his notice, ¹⁷⁶⁴  for this was not done in a corner. ¹⁷⁶⁵  26:27 Do you believe the prophets, ¹⁷⁶⁶  King Agrippa? ¹⁷⁶⁷  I know that you believe.” 26:28 Agrippa ¹⁷⁶⁸  said to Paul, “In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?” ¹⁷⁶⁹  26:29 Paul replied, “I pray to God that whether in a short or a long time ¹⁷⁷⁰  not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains.” ¹⁷⁷¹ 

26:30 So the king got up, and with him the governor and Bernice and those sitting with them, 26:31 and as they were leaving they said to one another, ¹⁷⁷²  “This man is not doing anything deserving ¹⁷⁷³  death or imprisonment.” 26:32 Agrippa ¹⁷⁷⁴  said to Festus, ¹⁷⁷⁵  “This man could have been released ¹⁷⁷⁶  if he had not appealed to Caesar.” ¹⁷⁷⁷ 

Paul and Company Sail for Rome

27:1 When it was decided we ¹⁷⁷⁸  would sail to Italy, ¹⁷⁷⁹  they handed over Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion ¹⁷⁸⁰  of the Augustan Cohort ¹⁷⁸¹  named Julius. 27:2 We went on board ¹⁷⁸²  a ship from Adramyttium ¹⁷⁸³  that was about to sail to various ports ¹⁷⁸⁴  along the coast of the province of Asia ¹⁷⁸⁵  and put out to sea, ¹⁷⁸⁶  accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian ¹⁷⁸⁷  from Thessalonica. ¹⁷⁸⁸  27:3 The next day we put in ¹⁷⁸⁹  at Sidon, ¹⁷⁹⁰  and Julius, treating Paul kindly, ¹⁷⁹¹  allowed him to go to his friends so they could provide him with what he needed. ¹⁷⁹²  27:4 From there we put out to sea ¹⁷⁹³  and sailed under the lee ¹⁷⁹⁴  of Cyprus because the winds were against us. 27:5 After we had sailed across the open sea ¹⁷⁹⁵  off Cilicia and Pamphylia, ¹⁷⁹⁶  we put in ¹⁷⁹⁷  at Myra ¹⁷⁹⁸  in Lycia. ¹⁷⁹⁹  27:6 There the centurion ¹⁸⁰⁰  found ¹⁸⁰¹  a ship from Alexandria ¹⁸⁰²  sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it. 27:7 We sailed slowly ¹⁸⁰³  for many days and arrived with difficulty off Cnidus. ¹⁸⁰⁴  Because the wind prevented us from going any farther, ¹⁸⁰⁵  we sailed under the lee ¹⁸⁰⁶  of Crete off Salmone. ¹⁸⁰⁷  27:8 With difficulty we sailed along the coast ¹⁸⁰⁸  of Crete ¹⁸⁰⁹  and came to a place called Fair Havens that was near the town of Lasea. ¹⁸¹⁰ 

Caught in a Violent Storm

27:9 Since considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous ¹⁸¹¹  because the fast ¹⁸¹²  was already over, ¹⁸¹³  Paul advised them, ¹⁸¹⁴  27:10 “Men, I can see the voyage is going to end ¹⁸¹⁵  in disaster ¹⁸¹⁶  and great loss not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” ¹⁸¹⁷  27:11 But the centurion ¹⁸¹⁸  was more convinced ¹⁸¹⁹  by the captain ¹⁸²⁰  and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said. ¹⁸²¹  27:12 Because the harbor was not suitable to spend the winter in, the majority decided ¹⁸²²  to put out to sea ¹⁸²³  from there. They hoped that ¹⁸²⁴  somehow they could reach ¹⁸²⁵  Phoenix, ¹⁸²⁶  a harbor of Crete facing ¹⁸²⁷  southwest and northwest, and spend the winter there. 27:13 When a gentle south wind sprang up, they thought ¹⁸²⁸  they could carry out ¹⁸²⁹  their purpose, so they weighed anchor ¹⁸³⁰  and sailed close along the coast ¹⁸³¹  of Crete. 27:14 Not long after this, a hurricane-force ¹⁸³²  wind called the northeaster ¹⁸³³  blew down from the island. ¹⁸³⁴  27:15 When the ship was caught in it ¹⁸³⁵  and could not head into ¹⁸³⁶  the wind, we gave way to it and were driven ¹⁸³⁷  along. 27:16 As we ran under the lee of ¹⁸³⁸  a small island called Cauda, ¹⁸³⁹  we were able with difficulty to get the ship’s boat ¹⁸⁴⁰  under control. 27:17 After the crew ¹⁸⁴¹  had hoisted it aboard, ¹⁸⁴²  they used supports ¹⁸⁴³  to undergird the ship. Fearing they would run aground ¹⁸⁴⁴  on the Syrtis, ¹⁸⁴⁵  they lowered the sea anchor, ¹⁸⁴⁶  thus letting themselves be driven along. 27:18 The next day, because we were violently battered by the storm, ¹⁸⁴⁷  they began throwing the cargo overboard, ¹⁸⁴⁸  27:19 and on the third day they threw the ship’s gear ¹⁸⁴⁹  overboard with their own hands. 27:20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and a violent ¹⁸⁵⁰  storm continued to batter us, ¹⁸⁵¹  we finally abandoned all hope of being saved. ¹⁸⁵² 

27:21 Since many of them had no desire to eat, ¹⁸⁵³  Paul ¹⁸⁵⁴  stood up ¹⁸⁵⁵  among them and said, “Men, you should have listened to me ¹⁸⁵⁶  and not put out to sea ¹⁸⁵⁷  from Crete, thus avoiding ¹⁸⁵⁸  this damage and loss. 27:22 And now I advise ¹⁸⁵⁹  you to keep up your courage, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only the ship will be lost. ¹⁸⁶⁰  27:23 For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong ¹⁸⁶¹  and whom I serve ¹⁸⁶²  came to me ¹⁸⁶³  27:24 and said, ¹⁸⁶⁴  ‘Do not be afraid, Paul! You must stand before ¹⁸⁶⁵  Caesar, ¹⁸⁶⁶  and God has graciously granted you the safety ¹⁸⁶⁷  of all who are sailing with you.’ 27:25 Therefore keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God ¹⁸⁶⁸  that it will be just as I have been told. 27:26 But we must ¹⁸⁶⁹  run aground on some island.”

27:27 When the fourteenth night had come, while we were being driven ¹⁸⁷⁰  across the Adriatic Sea, ¹⁸⁷¹  about midnight the sailors suspected they were approaching some land. ¹⁸⁷²  27:28 They took soundings ¹⁸⁷³  and found the water was twenty fathoms ¹⁸⁷⁴  deep; when they had sailed a little farther ¹⁸⁷⁵  they took soundings again and found it was fifteen fathoms ¹⁸⁷⁶  deep. 27:29 Because they were afraid ¹⁸⁷⁷  that we would run aground on the rocky coast, ¹⁸⁷⁸  they threw out ¹⁸⁷⁹  four anchors from the stern and wished ¹⁸⁸⁰  for day to appear. ¹⁸⁸¹  27:30 Then when the sailors tried to escape from the ship and were lowering the ship’s boat into the sea, pretending ¹⁸⁸²  that they were going to put out anchors from the bow, 27:31 Paul said to the centurion ¹⁸⁸³  and the soldiers, “Unless these men stay with the ship, you ¹⁸⁸⁴  cannot be saved.” 27:32 Then the soldiers cut the ropes ¹⁸⁸⁵  of the ship’s boat and let it drift away. ¹⁸⁸⁶ 

27:33 As day was about to dawn, ¹⁸⁸⁷  Paul urged them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day you have been in suspense ¹⁸⁸⁸  and have gone ¹⁸⁸⁹  without food; you have eaten nothing. ¹⁸⁹⁰  27:34 Therefore I urge you to take some food, for this is important ¹⁸⁹¹  for your survival. ¹⁸⁹²  For not one of you will lose a hair from his head.” 27:35 After he said this, Paul ¹⁸⁹³  took bread ¹⁸⁹⁴  and gave thanks to God in front of them all, ¹⁸⁹⁵  broke ¹⁸⁹⁶  it, and began to eat. 27:36 So all of them were encouraged and took food themselves. 27:37 (We were in all two hundred seventy-six ¹⁸⁹⁷  persons on the ship.) ¹⁸⁹⁸  27:38 When they had eaten enough to be satisfied, ¹⁸⁹⁹  they lightened the ship by throwing the wheat ¹⁹⁰⁰  into the sea.

Paul is Shipwrecked

27:39 When day came, they did not recognize the land, but they noticed ¹⁹⁰¹  a bay ¹⁹⁰²  with a beach, ¹⁹⁰³  where they decided to run the ship aground if they could. 27:40 So they slipped ¹⁹⁰⁴  the anchors ¹⁹⁰⁵  and left them in the sea, at the same time loosening the linkage ¹⁹⁰⁶  that bound the steering oars ¹⁹⁰⁷  together. Then they hoisted ¹⁹⁰⁸  the foresail ¹⁹⁰⁹  to the wind and steered toward ¹⁹¹⁰  the beach. 27:41 But they encountered a patch of crosscurrents ¹⁹¹¹  and ran the ship aground; the bow stuck fast and could not be moved, but the stern was being broken up by the force ¹⁹¹²  of the waves. 27:42 Now the soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners ¹⁹¹³  so that none of them would escape by swimming away. ¹⁹¹⁴  27:43 But the centurion, ¹⁹¹⁵  wanting to save Paul’s life, ¹⁹¹⁶  prevented them from carrying out their plan. He ordered those who could swim to jump overboard first and get to land, ¹⁹¹⁷  27:44 and the rest were to follow, ¹⁹¹⁸  some on planks ¹⁹¹⁹  and some on pieces of the ship. ¹⁹²⁰  And in this way ¹⁹²¹  all were brought safely to land.

Paul on Malta

28:1 After we had safely reached shore, ¹⁹²²  we learned that the island was called Malta. ¹⁹²³  28:2 The local inhabitants ¹⁹²⁴  showed us extraordinary ¹⁹²⁵  kindness, for they built a fire and welcomed us all because it had started to rain ¹⁹²⁶  and was cold. 28:3 When Paul had gathered a bundle of brushwood ¹⁹²⁷  and was putting it on the fire, a viper came out because of the heat and fastened itself on his hand. 28:4 When the local people ¹⁹²⁸  saw the creature hanging from Paul’s ¹⁹²⁹  hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer! Although he has escaped from the sea, Justice herself ¹⁹³⁰  has not allowed him to live!” ¹⁹³¹  28:5 However, ¹⁹³²  Paul ¹⁹³³  shook ¹⁹³⁴  the creature off into the fire and suffered no harm. 28:6 But they were expecting that he was going to swell up ¹⁹³⁵  or suddenly drop dead. So after they had waited ¹⁹³⁶  a long time and had seen ¹⁹³⁷  nothing unusual happen ¹⁹³⁸  to him, they changed their minds ¹⁹³⁹  and said he was a god. ¹⁹⁴⁰ 

28:7 Now in the region around that place ¹⁹⁴¹  were fields belonging to the chief official ¹⁹⁴²  of the island, named Publius, who welcomed us and entertained us hospitably as guests for three days. 28:8 The father ¹⁹⁴³  of Publius lay sick in bed, suffering from fever and dysentery. Paul went in to see him ¹⁹⁴⁴  and after praying, placed ¹⁹⁴⁵  his hands on him and healed ¹⁹⁴⁶  him. 28:9 After this had happened, many of the people on the island who were sick ¹⁹⁴⁷  also came and were healed. ¹⁹⁴⁸  28:10 They also bestowed many honors, ¹⁹⁴⁹  and when we were preparing to sail, ¹⁹⁵⁰  they gave ¹⁹⁵¹  us all the supplies we needed. ¹⁹⁵² 

Paul Finally Reaches Rome

28:11 After three months we put out to sea ¹⁹⁵³  in an Alexandrian ship that had wintered at the island and had the “Heavenly Twins” ¹⁹⁵⁴  as its figurehead. ¹⁹⁵⁵  28:12 We put in ¹⁹⁵⁶  at Syracuse ¹⁹⁵⁷  and stayed there three days. 28:13 From there we cast off ¹⁹⁵⁸  and arrived at Rhegium, ¹⁹⁵⁹  and after one day a south wind sprang up ¹⁹⁶⁰  and on the second day we came to Puteoli. ¹⁹⁶¹  28:14 There ¹⁹⁶²  we found ¹⁹⁶³  some brothers ¹⁹⁶⁴  and were invited to stay with them seven days. And in this way we came to Rome. ¹⁹⁶⁵  28:15 The brothers from there, ¹⁹⁶⁶  when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius ¹⁹⁶⁷  and Three Taverns ¹⁹⁶⁸  to meet us. When he saw them, ¹⁹⁶⁹  Paul thanked God and took courage. 28:16 When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live ¹⁹⁷⁰  by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.

Paul Addresses the Jewish Community in Rome

28:17 After three days ¹⁹⁷¹  Paul ¹⁹⁷²  called the local Jewish leaders ¹⁹⁷³  together. When they had assembled, he said to them, “Brothers, ¹⁹⁷⁴  although I had done ¹⁹⁷⁵  nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors, ¹⁹⁷⁶  from Jerusalem ¹⁹⁷⁷  I was handed over as a prisoner to the Romans. ¹⁹⁷⁸  28:18 When ¹⁹⁷⁹  they had heard my case, ¹⁹⁸⁰  they wanted to release me, ¹⁹⁸¹  because there was no basis for a death sentence ¹⁹⁸²  against me. 28:19 But when the Jews objected, ¹⁹⁸³  I was forced to appeal to Caesar ¹⁹⁸⁴  – not that I had some charge to bring ¹⁹⁸⁵  against my own people. ¹⁹⁸⁶  28:20 So for this reason I have asked to see you and speak with you, for I am bound with this chain because of the hope of Israel.” ¹⁹⁸⁷  28:21 They replied, ¹⁹⁸⁸  “We have received no letters from Judea about you, nor have any of the brothers come from there ¹⁹⁸⁹  and reported or said anything bad about you. 28:22 But we would like to hear from you what you think, for regarding this sect we know ¹⁹⁹⁰  that people ¹⁹⁹¹  everywhere speak against ¹⁹⁹²  it.”

28:23 They set ¹⁹⁹³  a day to meet with him, ¹⁹⁹⁴  and they came to him where he was staying ¹⁹⁹⁵  in even greater numbers. ¹⁹⁹⁶  From morning until evening he explained things ¹⁹⁹⁷  to them, ¹⁹⁹⁸  testifying ¹⁹⁹⁹  about the kingdom of God ²⁰⁰⁰  and trying to convince ²⁰⁰¹  them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets. 28:24 Some were convinced ²⁰⁰²  by what he said, ²⁰⁰³  but others refused ²⁰⁰⁴  to believe. 28:25 So they began to leave, ²⁰⁰⁵  unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors ²⁰⁰⁶  through the prophet Isaiah 28:26 when he said,

‘Go to this people and say,

“You will keep on hearing, ²⁰⁰⁷  but will never understand,

and you will keep on looking, ²⁰⁰⁸  but will never perceive.

28:27 For the heart of this people has become dull, ²⁰⁰⁹ 

and their ears are hard of hearing, ²⁰¹⁰ 

and they have closed their eyes,

so that they would not see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their heart

and turn, ²⁰¹¹  and I would heal them.”’ ²⁰¹² 

28:28 “Therefore be advised ²⁰¹³  that this salvation from God ²⁰¹⁴  has been sent to the Gentiles; ²⁰¹⁵  they ²⁰¹⁶  will listen!”

28:29 [[EMPTY]] ²⁰¹⁷ 

28:30 Paul ²⁰¹⁸  lived ²⁰¹⁹  there two whole years in his own rented quarters ²⁰²⁰  and welcomed ²⁰²¹  all who came to him, 28:31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ ²⁰²²  with complete boldness ²⁰²³  and without restriction. ²⁰²⁴ 

[13:4]  ¹ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Barnabas and Saul) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:4]  ² sn Seleucia was the port city of Antioch in Syria.

[13:4]  ³ sn Cyprus was a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[13:5]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ tn The participle γενόμενοι (genomenoi) is taken temporally.

[13:5]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn The imperfect verb κατήγγελλον (kathngellon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[13:5]  ⁸ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[13:5]  ⁹ sn John refers here to John Mark (see Acts 12:25).

[13:5]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ tn Or “had passed through,” “had traveled through.”

[13:6]  ¹² sn Paphos. A city on the southwestern coast of the island of Cyprus. It was the seat of the Roman proconsul.

[13:6]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.

[13:7]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “This one”; the referent (the proconsul) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:7]  ¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁷ 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]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ sn A parenthetical note by the author.

[13:8]  ²⁰ sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.

[13:9]  ²¹ sn A parenthetical note by the author.

[13:9]  ²² sn This qualifying clause in the narrative indicates who represented God in the dispute.

[13:9]  ²³ tn Or “gazed intently.”

[13:10]  ²⁴ tn Or “unscrupulousness.”

[13:10]  ²⁵ 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]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ tn Grk “upon,” but in a negative sense.

[13:11]  ²⁸ 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]  ²⁹ tn Grk “fell on.”

[13:11]  ³⁰ tn The noun χειραγωγός (ceiragwgo") is plural, so “people” is used rather than singular “someone.”

[13:12]  ³¹ sn See the note on proconsul in v. 8.

[13:12]  ³² 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]  ³³ tn The translation “greatly astounded” for ἐκπλησσόμενος (ekplhssomeno") is given by L&N 25.219.

[13:12]  ³⁴ 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]  ³⁵ 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]  ³⁶ sn Paphos was a city on the southwestern coast of the island of Cyprus. See Acts 13:6.

[13:13]  ³⁷ 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]  ³⁸ sn Pamphylia was a province in the southern part of Asia Minor.

[13:13]  ³⁹ sn That is, John Mark.

[13:13]  ⁴⁰ 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]  ⁴¹ tn Or “Passing by.”

[13:14]  ⁴² sn Perga was a city in Pamphylia near the southern coast of Asia Minor.

[13:14]  ⁴³ 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]  ⁴⁴ 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]  ⁴⁵ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[13:15]  ⁴⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷ 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]  ⁴⁸ 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]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.

[13:15]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “word.”

[13:15]  ⁵¹ tn Or “encouragement.”

[13:15]  ⁵² tn Or “give it.”

[13:16]  ⁵³ tn This participle, ἀναστάς (anasta"), and the following one, κατασείσας (kataseisa"), are both translated as adverbial participles of attendant circumstance.

[13:16]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “motioned.”

[13:16]  ⁵⁵ 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]  ⁵⁶ 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]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “people of Israel.”

[13:17]  ⁵⁸ 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]  ⁵⁹ 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]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “as resident aliens.”

[13:17]  ⁶¹ tn Or “land.”

[13:17]  ⁶² 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]  ⁶³ 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]  ⁶⁴ tn For this verb, see BDAG 1017 s.v. τροποφορέω (cf. also Deut 1:31; Exod 16:35; Num 14:34).

[13:18]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “desert.”

[13:19]  ⁶⁶ 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]  ⁶⁷ tn The participle καθελών (kaqelwn) is taken temporally.

[13:19]  ⁶⁸ sn Seven nations. See Deut 7:1.

[13:19]  ⁶⁹ 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]  ⁷⁰ 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]  ⁷¹ 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]  ⁷² tn The words “the time of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[13:21]  ⁷³ 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]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:22]  ⁷⁵ 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]  ⁷⁶ 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]  ⁷⁷ sn A quotation from Ps 89:20.

[13:22]  ⁷⁸ sn A quotation from 1 Sam 13:14.

[13:22]  ⁷⁹ tn Or “who will perform all my will,” “who will carry out all my wishes.”

[13:23]  ⁸⁰ 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]  ⁸¹ sn The phrase this man is in emphatic position in the Greek text.

[13:23]  ⁸² 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]  ⁸³ 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]  ⁸⁴ 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]  ⁸⁵ sn John refers here to John the Baptist.

[13:24]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “a baptism of repentance”; the genitive has been translated as a genitive of purpose.

[13:25]  ⁸⁷ tn Or “task.”

[13:25]  ⁸⁸ 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]  ⁸⁹ 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]  ⁹⁰ tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.

[13:26]  ⁹¹ tn Grk “sons”

[13:26]  ⁹² tn Or “race.”

[13:26]  ⁹³ 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]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “word.”

[13:27]  ⁹⁵ 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]  ⁹⁶ tn Grk “this one.”

[13:27]  ⁹⁷ 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]  ⁹⁸ tn The participle κρίναντες (krinante") is instrumental here.

[13:27]  ⁹⁹ 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]  ¹⁰⁰ 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]  ¹⁰¹ tn The participle εὑρόντες (Jeuronte") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[13:28]  ¹⁰² sn No basis. Luke insists on Jesus’ innocence again and again in Luke 23:1-25.

[13:28]  ¹⁰³ tn Grk “no basis for death,” but in this context a sentence of death is clearly indicated.

[13:29]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Or “carried out.”

[13:29]  ¹⁰⁵ sn That is, everything that was written in OT scripture.

[13:29]  ¹⁰⁶ 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]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “tree,” but frequently figurative for a cross. The allusion is to Deut 21:23. See Acts 5:30; 10:39.

[13:29]  ¹⁰⁸ 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]  ¹⁰⁹ sn See the note on the phrase “raised up” in v. 22, which is the same Greek verb used here.

[13:31]  ¹¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹¹ 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]  ¹¹² 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]  ¹¹³ tn Or “to our forefathers”; Grk “the fathers.”

[13:33]  ¹¹⁴ 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]  ¹¹⁵ 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]  ¹¹⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁷ 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]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:34]  ¹¹⁹ 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]  ¹²⁰ tn The translation “to be in again” for ὑποστρέφω (Jupostrefw) is given in L&N 13.24.

[13:34]  ¹²¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:34]  ¹²² tn The pronoun “you” is plural here. The promises of David are offered to the people.

[13:34]  ¹²³ 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]  ¹²⁴ 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]  ¹²⁵ tn Grk “Therefore he also says in another”; the word “psalm” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[13:35]  ¹²⁶ 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]  ¹²⁷ 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]  ¹²⁸ sn A quotation from Ps 16:10.

[13:36]  ¹²⁹ tn The participle ὑπηρετήσας (Juphrethsa") is taken temporally.

[13:36]  ¹³⁰ 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]  ¹³¹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “was gathered to his fathers” (a Semitic idiom).

[13:36]  ¹³² 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]  ¹³³ sn The one whom God raised up refers to Jesus.

[13:37]  ¹³⁴ 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]  ¹³⁵ 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]  ¹³⁶ sn This one refers here to Jesus.

[13:39]  ¹³⁷ 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]  ¹³⁸ tn Or “could not free.”

[13:39]  ¹³⁹ 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]  ¹⁴⁰ sn The speech closes with a warning, “Watch out,” that also stresses culpability.

[13:40]  ¹⁴¹ tn Or “in.”

[13:41]  ¹⁴² tn Or “and die!”

[13:41]  ¹⁴³ 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]  ¹⁴⁴ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Paul and Barnabas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:42]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Or “were leaving.” The participle ἐξιόντων (exiontwn) is taken temporally.

[13:42]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:42]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Or “begging,” “inviting.”

[13:42]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Or “matters.”

[13:43]  ¹⁴⁹ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[13:43]  ¹⁵⁰ 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]  ¹⁵¹ 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]  ¹⁵² tn This is the meaning given for ἔπειθον (epeiqon) in this verse by BDAG 791 s.v. πείθω 1.b.

[13:43]  ¹⁵³ tn Grk “who, as they were speaking with them, were persuading them.”

[13:43]  ¹⁵⁴ 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]  ¹⁵⁵ 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]  ¹⁵⁶ 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]  ¹⁵⁷ 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]  ¹⁵⁸ 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]  ¹⁵⁹ 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]  ¹⁶⁰ 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]  ¹⁶¹ 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]  ¹⁶² tn Or “and consider yourselves unworthy.”

[13:46]  ¹⁶³ tn Grk “behold, we.” In this context ἰδού (idou) is not easily translated into English.

[13:46]  ¹⁶⁴ 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]  ¹⁶⁵ 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]  ¹⁶⁶ 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]  ¹⁶⁷ 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]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Grk “that you should be for salvation,” but more simply “to bring salvation.”

[13:47]  ¹⁶⁹ 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]  ¹⁷⁰ tn The imperfect verb ἔχαιρον (ecairon) and the following ἐδόξαζον (edoxazon) are translated as ingressive imperfects.

[13:48]  ¹⁷¹ 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]  ¹⁷² sn Note the contrast to v. 46 in regard to eternal life.

[13:49]  ¹⁷³ 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]  ¹⁷⁴ tn For the translation of παρώτρυναν (parwtrunan) as “incited” see BDAG 780 s.v. παροτρύνω.

[13:50]  ¹⁷⁵ 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]  ¹⁷⁶ 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]  ¹⁷⁷ 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]  ¹⁷⁸ 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]  ¹⁷⁹ sn The citizens of Pisidian Antioch were not discouraged by the persecution, but instead were filled with joy.

[14:1]  ¹⁸⁰ sn Iconium. See the note in 13:51.

[14:1]  ¹⁸¹ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Paul and Barnabas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:1]  ¹⁸² sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[14:1]  ¹⁸³ tn Or “that a large crowd.”

[14:2]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Or “who would not believe.”

[14:2]  ¹⁸⁵ 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]  ¹⁸⁶ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[14:3]  ¹⁸⁷ sn The Lord testified to the message by granting the signs described in the following clause.

[14:3]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Grk “word.”

[14:3]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Here the context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned.

[14:4]  ¹⁹⁰ tn BDAG 825 s.v. πλῆθος 2.b.γ has this translation for πλῆθος (plhqo").

[14:4]  ¹⁹¹ 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]  ¹⁹² 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]  ¹⁹³ tn On this verb see BDAG 1022 s.v. ὑβρίζω.

[14:5]  ¹⁹⁴ 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]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Paul and Barnabas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:6]  ¹⁹⁶ 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]  ¹⁹⁷ 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]  ¹⁹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹⁹ 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]  ²⁰⁰ tn The periphrastic construction εὐαγγελιζόμενοι ἦσαν (euangelizomenoi hsan) has been translated as a progressive imperfect.

[14:8]  ²⁰¹ 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]  ²⁰² 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]  ²⁰³ tn Grk “powerless in his feet,” meaning he was unable to use his feet to walk.

[14:8]  ²⁰⁴ 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]  ²⁰⁵ 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]  ²⁰⁶ tn Or “looked.”

[14:10]  ²⁰⁷ tn BDAG 722 s.v. ὀρθός 1.a has “stand upright on your feet.”

[14:10]  ²⁰⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[14:10]  ²⁰⁹ 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]  ²¹⁰ tn Grk “they lifted up their voice” (an idiom).

[14:11]  ²¹¹ 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]  ²¹² 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]  ²¹³ tn The imperfect verb ἐκάλουν (ekaloun) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[14:12]  ²¹⁴ sn Zeus was the chief Greek deity, worshiped throughout the Greco-Roman world (known to the Romans as Jupiter).

[14:12]  ²¹⁵ 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]  ²¹⁶ 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]  ²¹⁷ sn See the note on Zeus in the previous verse.

[14:13]  ²¹⁸ tn Or “oxen.”

[14:13]  ²¹⁹ 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]  ²²⁰ 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]  ²²¹ 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]  ²²² tn The participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") is taken temporally.

[14:14]  ²²³ 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]  ²²⁴ tn So BDAG 307 s.v. ἐκπηδάω 1, “rush (lit. ‘leap’) out…εἰς τὸν ὄχλον into the crowd Ac 14:14.”

[14:14]  ²²⁵ 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]  ²²⁶ 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]  ²²⁷ 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]  ²²⁸ 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]  ²²⁹ 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]  ²³⁰ 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]  ²³¹ tn On this term see BDAG 780 s.v. παροίχομαι. The word is a NT hapax legomenon.

[14:16]  ²³² 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]  ²³³ 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]  ²³⁴ tn Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[14:17]  ²³⁵ 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]  ²³⁶ 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]  ²³⁷ tn The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is regarded as indicating means.

[14:18]  ²³⁸ 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]  ²³⁹ 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]  ²⁴⁰ 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]  ²⁴¹ tn The participle πείσαντες (peisante") is taken temporally (BDAG 791 s.v. πείθω 1.c).

[14:19]  ²⁴² 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]  ²⁴³ tn Grk “and entered”; the word “back” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[14:20]  ²⁴⁴ 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]  ²⁴⁵ 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]  ²⁴⁶ 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]  ²⁴⁷ sn Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 18 mi (30 km) north of Lystra.

[14:21]  ²⁴⁸ 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]  ²⁴⁹ 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]  ²⁵⁰ 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]  ²⁵¹ sn This reference to the kingdom of God clearly refers to its future arrival.

[14:22]  ²⁵² tn Or “sufferings.”

[14:23]  ²⁵³ sn Appointed elders. See Acts 20:17.

[14:23]  ²⁵⁴ tn The preposition κατά (kata) is used here in a distributive sense; see BDAG 512 s.v. κατά B.1.d.

[14:23]  ²⁵⁵ 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]  ²⁵⁶ 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]  ²⁵⁷ 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]  ²⁵⁸ sn Pamphylia was a province along the southern coast of Asia Minor.

[14:25]  ²⁵⁹ tn Or “message.”

[14:25]  ²⁶⁰ sn Perga was a city in Pamphylia near the southern coast of Asia Minor.

[14:25]  ²⁶¹ 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]  ²⁶² 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]  ²⁶³ 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]  ²⁶⁴ 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]  ²⁶⁵ tn Or “announced.”

[14:27]  ²⁶⁶ 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]  ²⁶⁷ sn On the image of opening, or of the door, see 1 Cor 16:9; 2 Cor 2:12; Col 4:3.

[14:28]  ²⁶⁸ 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]  ²⁶⁹ tn Grk “no little (time)” (an idiom).

[15:1]  ²⁷⁰ sn That is, they came down from Judea to Antioch in Syria.

[15:1]  ²⁷¹ 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]  ²⁷² tn Grk “no little argument and debate” (an idiom).

[15:2]  ²⁷³ 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]  ²⁷⁴ tn Grk “go up to,” but in this context a meeting is implied.

[15:2]  ²⁷⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[15:2]  ²⁷⁶ 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]  ²⁷⁷ sn Phoenicia was an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine in ancient Syria.

[15:3]  ²⁷⁸ 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]  ²⁷⁹ tn For ἐποίουν (epoioun) in this verse BDAG 839 s.v. ποιέω 2.c has “they brought joy to the members.”

[15:4]  ²⁸⁰ tn BDAG 761 s.v. παραδέχομαι 2 has “receive, accept” for the meaning here.

[15:4]  ²⁸¹ tn Or “announced.”

[15:4]  ²⁸² 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]  ²⁸³ sn See the note on Pharisee in 5:34.

[15:5]  ²⁸⁴ 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]  ²⁸⁵ tn Grk “them”; the referent (the Gentiles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:5]  ²⁸⁶ tn Or “keep.”

[15:6]  ²⁸⁷ 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]  ²⁸⁸ tn Or “discussion.” This term is repeated from v. 2.

[15:7]  ²⁸⁹ 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]  ²⁹⁰ 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]  ²⁹¹ tn Or “word.”

[15:7]  ²⁹² tn Or “of the good news.”

[15:7]  ²⁹³ 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]  ²⁹⁴ sn The expression who knows the heart means “who knows what people think.”

[15:8]  ²⁹⁵ tn Or “has borne witness.”

[15:8]  ²⁹⁶ 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]  ²⁹⁷ 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]  ²⁹⁸ tn Or “purifying.”

[15:10]  ²⁹⁹ 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]  ³⁰⁰ 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]  ³⁰¹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[15:11]  ³⁰² tn Or “by.”

[15:11]  ³⁰³ 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]  ³⁰⁴ tn BDAG 922 s.v. σιγάω 1.a lists this passage under the meaning “say nothing, keep still, keep silent.”

[15:12]  ³⁰⁵ tn Here in connection with τέρατα (terata) the miraculous nature of these signs is indicated.

[15:13]  ³⁰⁶ tn BDAG 922 s.v. σιγάω 1.b lists this passage under the meaning “stop speaking, become silent.”

[15:13]  ³⁰⁷ tn Grk “answered, saying”; the redundant participle λέγων (legwn) has not been translated.

[15:14]  ³⁰⁸ sn Simeon is a form of the apostle Peter’s Aramaic name. James uses Peter’s “Jewish” name here.

[15:14]  ³⁰⁹ tn Or “reported,” “described.”

[15:14]  ³¹⁰ 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]  ³¹¹ 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]  ³¹² sn In the Greek text the expression “from among the Gentiles” is in emphatic position.

[15:15]  ³¹³ 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]  ³¹⁴ 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]  ³¹⁵ tn Grk “After these things.”

[15:16]  ³¹⁶ sn The first person pronoun I refers to God and his activity. It is God who is doing this.

[15:16]  ³¹⁷ 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]  ³¹⁸ 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]  ³¹⁹ tn Or “so that all other people.” The use of this term follows Amos 9:11 LXX.

[15:17]  ³²⁰ 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]  ³²¹ 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]  ³²² 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]  ³²³ 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]  ³²⁴ 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]  ³²⁵ sn An allusion to Isa 45:21.

[15:19]  ³²⁶ 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]  ³²⁷ tn Or “trouble.” This term is a NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 775 s.v. παρενοχλέω).

[15:19]  ³²⁸ tn Or “among the nations” (in Greek the word for “nation” and “Gentile” is the same).

[15:20]  ³²⁹ tn The translation “to write a letter, to send a letter to” for ἐπιστέλλω (epistellw) is given in L&N 33.49.

[15:20]  ³³⁰ 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]  ³³¹ tn Or “polluted.”

[15:20]  ³³² 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]  ³³³ tn Grk “from generations of old”; the translation “fr. ancient times” is given by BDAG 192 s.v. γενεά 3.b.

[15:21]  ³³⁴ 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]  ³³⁵ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[15:22]  ³³⁶ 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]  ³³⁷ sn Silas. See 2 Cor 1:19; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1 (= Silvanus).

[15:22]  ³³⁸ 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]  ³³⁹ tn Grk “writing by their hand” (an idiom for sending a letter).

[15:23]  ³⁴⁰ 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]  ³⁴¹ tn Grk “brothers,” but “your” is supplied to specify the relationship, since without it “brothers” could be understood as vocative in English.

[15:23]  ³⁴² tn Grk “to the brothers who are from the Gentiles.”

[15:23]  ³⁴³ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[15:23]  ³⁴⁴ 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]  ³⁴⁵ 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]  ³⁴⁶ tn BDAG 71 s.v. ἀνασκευάζω describes this verb with a figurative meaning: “to cause inward distress, upset, unsettle.”

[15:24]  ³⁴⁷ tn Grk “souls.”

[15:24]  ³⁴⁸ tn Grk “by words”; L&N 25.231 translates the phrase “they troubled and upset you by what they said.”

[15:25]  ³⁴⁹ 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]  ³⁵⁰ 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]  ³⁵¹ 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]  ³⁵² 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]  ³⁵³ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[15:27]  ³⁵⁴ tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.

[15:27]  ³⁵⁵ sn Judas and Silas were the “two witnesses” who would vouch for the truth of the recommendation.

[15:27]  ³⁵⁶ tn Grk “by means of word” (an idiom for a verbal report).

[15:28]  ³⁵⁷ 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]  ³⁵⁸ tn L&N 71.39 translates “indispensable (rules)” while BDAG 358 s.v. ἐπάναγκες has “the necessary things.”

[15:29]  ³⁵⁹ 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]  ³⁶⁰ 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]  ³⁶¹ 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]  ³⁶² 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]  ³⁶³ 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]  ³⁶⁴ tn Or “sent away.”

[15:30]  ³⁶⁵ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[15:30]  ³⁶⁶ tn Or “congregation” (referring to the group of believers).

[15:31]  ³⁶⁷ 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]  ³⁶⁸ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:31]  ³⁶⁹ tn Or “at its encouraging message.”

[15:32]  ³⁷⁰ 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]  ³⁷¹ 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]  ³⁷² tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[15:34]  ³⁷³ 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]  ³⁷⁴ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[15:35]  ³⁷⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[15:35]  ³⁷⁶ 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]  ³⁷⁷ 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]  ³⁷⁸ tn See the note on the phrase “word of the Lord” in v. 35.

[15:36]  ³⁷⁹ tn BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.b has “how they are” for this phrase.

[15:38]  ³⁸⁰ tn BDAG 94 s.v. ἀξιόω 2.a has “he insisted (impf.) that they should not take him along” for this phrase.

[15:38]  ³⁸¹ sn Pamphylia was a province in the southern part of Asia Minor. See Acts 13:13, where it was mentioned previously.

[15:39]  ³⁸² 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]  ³⁸³ tn BDAG 780 s.v. παροξυσμός 2 has “sharp disagreement” here; L&N 33.451 has “sharp argument, sharp difference of opinion.”

[15:39]  ³⁸⁴ 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]  ³⁸⁵ sn Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[15:40]  ³⁸⁶ 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]  ³⁸⁷ 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]  ³⁸⁸ sn Strengthening. See Acts 14:22; 15:32; 18:23.

[16:1]  ³⁸⁹ 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]  ³⁹⁰ 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]  ³⁹¹ tn Grk “And behold, a disciple.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.

[16:1]  ³⁹² tn L&N 31.103 translates this phrase “the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer.”

[16:1]  ³⁹³ 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]  ³⁹⁴ sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 25 mi (40 km) south of Iconium.

[16:2]  ³⁹⁵ sn Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 110 mi (175 km) east of Pisidian Antioch.

[16:2]  ³⁹⁶ tn For this sense of μαρτυρέω (marturew), see BDAG 618 s.v. 2.b.

[16:2]  ³⁹⁷ 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]  ³⁹⁸ tn Grk “this one”; the referent (Timothy) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:3]  ³⁹⁹ 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]  ⁴⁰⁰ 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]  ⁴⁰¹ tn Or “who lived in the area.”

[16:3]  ⁴⁰² 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]  ⁴⁰³ tn Or “cities.”

[16:4]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn BDAG 762-63 s.v. παραδίδωμι 3 has “they handed down to them the decisions to observe Ac 16:4.”

[16:4]  ⁴⁰⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[16:4]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn Grk “for them”; the referent (Gentile believers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:4]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn Or “observe” or “follow.”

[16:5]  ⁴⁰⁸ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.

[16:6]  ⁴⁰⁹ sn Phrygia was a district in central Asia Minor west of Pisidia.

[16:6]  ⁴¹⁰ 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]  ⁴¹¹ tn Or “forbidden.”

[16:6]  ⁴¹² tn Or “word.”

[16:6]  ⁴¹³ 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]  ⁴¹⁴ tn BDAG 511 s.v. κατά B.1.b has “to Mysia” here.

[16:7]  ⁴¹⁵ sn Mysia was a province in northwest Asia Minor.

[16:7]  ⁴¹⁶ sn Bithynia was a province in northern Asia Minor northeast of Mysia.

[16:7]  ⁴¹⁷ tn Or “permit”; see BDAG 269 s.v. ἐάω 1.

[16:7]  ⁴¹⁸ 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]  ⁴¹⁹ 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]  ⁴²⁰ sn Mysia was a province in northwest Asia Minor.

[16:8]  ⁴²¹ sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor, near ancient Troy.

[16:9]  ⁴²² 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]  ⁴²³ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[16:9]  ⁴²⁴ tn The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

[16:9]  ⁴²⁵ tn Grk “Coming over.” The participle διαβάς (diabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:9]  ⁴²⁶ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[16:10]  ⁴²⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:10]  ⁴²⁸ tn Grk “sought.”

[16:10]  ⁴²⁹ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[16:10]  ⁴³⁰ tn Or “summoned.”

[16:11]  ⁴³¹ 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]  ⁴³² sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. See v. 8.

[16:11]  ⁴³³ 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]  ⁴³⁴ sn Samothrace is an island in the northern part of the Aegean Sea.

[16:11]  ⁴³⁵ sn Neapolis was a seaport on the southern coast of Macedonia. It was 10 mi (16 km) from Philippi.

[16:12]  ⁴³⁶ map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[16:12]  ⁴³⁷ 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]  ⁴³⁸ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[16:12]  ⁴³⁹ 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]  ⁴⁴⁰ 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]  ⁴⁴¹ tn The imperfect verb ἐλαλοῦμεν (elaloumen) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[16:13]  ⁴⁴² 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]  ⁴⁴³ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[16:14]  ⁴⁴⁴ 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]  ⁴⁴⁵ tn On the term translated “a dealer in purple cloth” see BDAG 855 s.v. πορφυρόπωλις.

[16:14]  ⁴⁴⁶ sn Thyatira was a city in the province of Lydia in Asia Minor.

[16:14]  ⁴⁴⁷ 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]  ⁴⁴⁸ 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]  ⁴⁴⁹ tn Grk “urged us, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[16:15]  ⁴⁵⁰ 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]  ⁴⁵¹ 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]  ⁴⁵² 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]  ⁴⁵³ 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]  ⁴⁵⁴ 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]  ⁴⁵⁵ 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]  ⁴⁵⁶ tn Or “masters.”

[16:16]  ⁴⁵⁷ tn On this term see BDAG 616 s.v. μαντεύομαι. It was used of those who gave oracles.

[16:17]  ⁴⁵⁸ 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]  ⁴⁵⁹ 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]  ⁴⁶⁰ 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]  ⁴⁶¹ 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]  ⁴⁶² 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]  ⁴⁶³ tn Grk “and turning.” The participle ἐπιστρέψας (epistreya") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:18]  ⁴⁶⁴ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[16:18]  ⁴⁶⁵ 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]  ⁴⁶⁶ tn Or “masters.”

[16:19]  ⁴⁶⁷ 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]  ⁴⁶⁸ 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]  ⁴⁶⁹ tn On the term ἕλκω ({elkw) see BDAG 318 s.v. 1.

[16:20]  ⁴⁷⁰ 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]  ⁴⁷¹ 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]  ⁴⁷² tn BDAG 309 s.v. ἐκταράσσω has “agitate, cause trouble to, throw into confusion” for the meaning of this verb.

[16:20]  ⁴⁷³ 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]  ⁴⁷⁴ tn Grk “proclaiming,” but in relation to customs, “advocating” is a closer approximation to the meaning.

[16:21]  ⁴⁷⁵ tn Or “acknowledge.”

[16:21]  ⁴⁷⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷⁷ tn Grk “we being Romans.” The participle οὖσιν (ousin) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[16:22]  ⁴⁷⁸ tn L&N 39.50 has “the crowd joined the attack against them” for συνεπέστη (sunepesth) in this verse.

[16:22]  ⁴⁷⁹ 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]  ⁴⁸⁰ tn Grk “off them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:22]  ⁴⁸¹ 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]  ⁴⁸² 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]  ⁴⁸³ tn Grk “commanding.” The participle παραγγείλαντες (parangeilante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:24]  ⁴⁸⁴ tn Or “prison.”

[16:24]  ⁴⁸⁵ 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]  ⁴⁸⁶ 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]  ⁴⁸⁷ 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]  ⁴⁸⁸ tn The words “the rest of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[16:26]  ⁴⁸⁹ 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]  ⁴⁹⁰ 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]  ⁴⁹¹ tn The additional semantic component “standing” is supplied (“standing open”) to convey a stative nuance in English.

[16:27]  ⁴⁹² 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]  ⁴⁹³ tn Or “thought.”

[16:28]  ⁴⁹⁴ 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]  ⁴⁹⁵ sn Do not harm yourself. Again the irony is that Paul is the agent through whom the jailer is spared.

[16:29]  ⁴⁹⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:29]  ⁴⁹⁷ 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]  ⁴⁹⁸ 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]  ⁴⁹⁹ tn The Greek term (δεῖ, dei) is used by Luke to represent divine necessity.

[16:31]  ⁵⁰⁰ tn Grk “said.”

[16:31]  ⁵⁰¹ 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]  ⁵⁰² 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]  ⁵⁰³ 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]  ⁵⁰⁴ 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]  ⁵⁰⁵ 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]  ⁵⁰⁶ 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]  ⁵⁰⁷ 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]  ⁵⁰⁸ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[16:33]  ⁵⁰⁹ 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]  ⁵¹⁰ tn Or “immediately.”

[16:34]  ⁵¹¹ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:34]  ⁵¹² 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]  ⁵¹³ tn Or “he was overjoyed.”

[16:34]  ⁵¹⁴ tn The translation “come to believe” reflects more of the resultative nuance of the perfect tense here.

[16:34]  ⁵¹⁵ 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]  ⁵¹⁶ 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]  ⁵¹⁷ 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]  ⁵¹⁸ 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]  ⁵¹⁹ 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]  ⁵²⁰ 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]  ⁵²¹ 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]  ⁵²² tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the police officers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:37]  ⁵²³ 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]  ⁵²⁴ tn Or “in public, uncondemned.” BDAG 35 s.v. ἀκατάκριτος has “uncondemned, without due process” for this usage.

[16:37]  ⁵²⁵ tn The participle ὑπάρχοντας (Juparconta") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[16:37]  ⁵²⁶ 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]  ⁵²⁷ tn L&N 28.71 has “send us away secretly” for this verse.

[16:37]  ⁵²⁸ tn Grk “But they.”

[16:37]  ⁵²⁹ 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]  ⁵³⁰ tn Grk “heard they”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:38]  ⁵³¹ 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]  ⁵³² 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]  ⁵³³ 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]  ⁵³⁴ 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]  ⁵³⁵ tn “Then” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the logical sequence in the translation.

[17:1]  ⁵³⁶ tn BDAG 250 s.v. διοδεύω 1 has “go, travel through” for this verse.

[17:1]  ⁵³⁷ 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]  ⁵³⁸ sn Apollonia was a city in Macedonia about 27 mi (43 km) west southwest of Amphipolis.

[17:1]  ⁵³⁹ 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]  ⁵⁴⁰ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:2]  ⁵⁴¹ tn Grk “he went in to them”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:2]  ⁵⁴² 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]  ⁵⁴³ tn BDAG 772 s.v. παρατίθημι 2.b has “demonstrate, point out” here.

[17:3]  ⁵⁴⁴ 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]  ⁵⁴⁵ 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]  ⁵⁴⁶ 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]  ⁵⁴⁷ 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]  ⁵⁴⁸ tn Or “convinced.”

[17:4]  ⁵⁴⁹ tn Or “a large crowd.”

[17:4]  ⁵⁵⁰ 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]  ⁵⁵¹ 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]  ⁵⁵² 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]  ⁵⁵³ 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]  ⁵⁵⁴ tn On this term, which is a NT hapax legomenon, see BDAG 745 s.v. ὀχλοποιέω.

[17:5]  ⁵⁵⁵ 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]  ⁵⁵⁶ sn The attack took place at Jason’s house because this was probably the location of the new house church.

[17:5]  ⁵⁵⁷ tn Grk “them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:5]  ⁵⁵⁸ 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]  ⁵⁵⁹ 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]  ⁵⁶⁰ 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]  ⁵⁶¹ 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]  ⁵⁶² 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]  ⁵⁶³ 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]  ⁵⁶⁴ 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]  ⁵⁶⁵ tn Or “the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[17:7]  ⁵⁶⁶ tn The word “named” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity.

[17:7]  ⁵⁶⁷ 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]  ⁵⁶⁸ 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]  ⁵⁶⁹ 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]  ⁵⁷⁰ 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]  ⁵⁷¹ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the city officials) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:9]  ⁵⁷² 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]  ⁵⁷³ 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]  ⁵⁷⁴ 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]  ⁵⁷⁵ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:11]  ⁵⁷⁶ tn Grk “These”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue at Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:11]  ⁵⁷⁷ 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]  ⁵⁷⁸ 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]  ⁵⁷⁹ tn Or “willingly,” “readily”; Grk “with all eagerness.”

[17:11]  ⁵⁸⁰ 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]  ⁵⁸¹ tn This verb (BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 1) refers to careful examination.

[17:11]  ⁵⁸² tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[17:12]  ⁵⁸³ 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]  ⁵⁸⁴ tn Or “respected.”

[17:13]  ⁵⁸⁵ sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

[17:13]  ⁵⁸⁶ 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]  ⁵⁸⁷ 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]  ⁵⁸⁸ 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]  ⁵⁸⁹ tn Or “stirring up” (BDAG 990-91 s.v. ταράσσω 2). The point is the agitation of the crowds.

[17:14]  ⁵⁹⁰ 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]  ⁵⁹¹ tn Grk “remained there”; the referent (Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:15]  ⁵⁹² map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[17:15]  ⁵⁹³ sn They left. See 1 Thess 3:1-2, which shows they went from here to Thessalonica.

[17:16]  ⁵⁹⁴ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[17:16]  ⁵⁹⁵ 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]  ⁵⁹⁶ 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]  ⁵⁹⁷ 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]  ⁵⁹⁸ 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]  ⁵⁹⁹ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:17]  ⁶⁰⁰ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[17:18]  ⁶⁰¹ 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]  ⁶⁰² 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]  ⁶⁰³ tn BDAG 956 s.v. συμβάλλω 1 has “converse, confer” here.

[17:18]  ⁶⁰⁴ tn Grk “saying.”

[17:18]  ⁶⁰⁵ 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]  ⁶⁰⁶ 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]  ⁶⁰⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[17:19]  ⁶⁰⁸ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:19]  ⁶⁰⁹ 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]  ⁶¹⁰ tn BDAG 684 s.v. ξενίζω 2 translates the substantival participle ξενίζοντα (xenizonta) as “astonishing things Ac 17:20.”

[17:20]  ⁶¹¹ 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]  ⁶¹² tn The imperfect verb ηὐκαίρουν (hukairoun) has been translated as a customary or habitual imperfect.

[17:21]  ⁶¹³ tn BDAG 406-7 s.v. εὐκαιρέω has “used to spend their time in nothing else than telling Ac 17:21.”

[17:21]  ⁶¹⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The reference to newness may be pejorative.

[17:22]  ⁶¹⁵ tn Grk “standing…said.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[17:22]  ⁶¹⁶ 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]  ⁶¹⁷ tn BDAG 513 s.v. κατά B.6 translates the phrase κατὰ πάντα (kata panta) as “in all respects.”

[17:23]  ⁶¹⁸ tn Or “your sanctuaries.” L&N 53.54 gives “sanctuary” (place of worship) as an alternate meaning for the word σεβάσματα (sebasmata).

[17:23]  ⁶¹⁹ 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]  ⁶²⁰ 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]  ⁶²¹ tn Grk “all the things that are in it.” The speech starts with God as Creator, like 14:15.

[17:24]  ⁶²² 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]  ⁶²³ 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]  ⁶²⁴ tn L&N 57.45 has “nor does he need anything more that people can supply by working for him.”

[17:25]  ⁶²⁵ tn Grk “he himself gives to all [people] life and breath and all things.”

[17:26]  ⁶²⁶ sn The one man refers to Adam (the word “man” is understood).

[17:26]  ⁶²⁷ tn Or “mankind.” BDAG 276 s.v. ἔθνος 1 has “every nation of humankind Ac 17:26.”

[17:26]  ⁶²⁸ tn Grk “to live over all the face of the earth.”

[17:26]  ⁶²⁹ 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]  ⁶³⁰ 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]  ⁶³¹ tn See BDAG 1097-98 s.v. ψηλαφάω, which lists “touch, handle” and “to feel around for, grope for” as possible meanings.

[17:27]  ⁶³² 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]  ⁶³³ tn The participle ὑπάρχοντα (Juparconta) has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[17:28]  ⁶³⁴ 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]  ⁶³⁵ 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]  ⁶³⁶ tn Or “the divine being.” BDAG 446 s.v. θεῖος 1.b has “divine being, divinity” here.

[17:29]  ⁶³⁷ tn Or “a likeness.” Again idolatry is directly attacked as an affront to God and a devaluation of him.

[17:29]  ⁶³⁸ tn Grk “by the skill and imagination of man,” but ἀνθρώπου (anqrwpou) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[17:29]  ⁶³⁹ tn Or “craftsmanship” (cf. BDAG 1001 s.v. τέχνη).

[17:29]  ⁶⁴⁰ 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]  ⁶⁴¹ tn Or “has deliberately paid no attention to.”

[17:30]  ⁶⁴² tn Or “times when people did not know.”

[17:30]  ⁶⁴³ tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).

[17:30]  ⁶⁴⁴ 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]  ⁶⁴⁵ tn Or “fixed.”

[17:31]  ⁶⁴⁶ sn The world refers to the whole inhabited earth.

[17:31]  ⁶⁴⁷ 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]  ⁶⁴⁸ tn The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") indicates means here.

[17:32]  ⁶⁴⁹ tn The participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally.

[17:32]  ⁶⁵⁰ 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]  ⁶⁵¹ tn Grk “left out of their midst”; the referent (the Areopagus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:34]  ⁶⁵² 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]  ⁶⁵³ 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]  ⁶⁵⁴ 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]  ⁶⁵⁵ 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]  ⁶⁵⁶ 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]  ⁶⁵⁷ tn Grk “After these things.”

[18:1]  ⁶⁵⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:1]  ⁶⁵⁹ tn Or “Paul left.”

[18:1]  ⁶⁶⁰ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[18:1]  ⁶⁶¹ 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]  ⁶⁶² 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]  ⁶⁶³ tn Grk “finding.” The participle εὑρών (Jeurwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:2]  ⁶⁶⁴ 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]  ⁶⁶⁵ sn Pontus was a region in the northeastern part of Asia Minor. It was a Roman province.

[18:2]  ⁶⁶⁶ 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]  ⁶⁶⁷ tn Or “to leave.”

[18:2]  ⁶⁶⁸ map For location see JP4 A1.

[18:2]  ⁶⁶⁹ tn Or “went to.”

[18:3]  ⁶⁷⁰ 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]  ⁶⁷¹ 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]  ⁶⁷² sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:4]  ⁶⁷³ 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]  ⁶⁷⁴ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:4]  ⁶⁷⁵ 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]  ⁶⁷⁶ tn Grk “came down.”

[18:5]  ⁶⁷⁷ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[18:5]  ⁶⁷⁸ 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]  ⁶⁷⁹ 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]  ⁶⁸⁰ 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]  ⁶⁸¹ 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]  ⁶⁸² 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]  ⁶⁸³ 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]  ⁶⁸⁴ 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]  ⁶⁸⁵ tn Or “innocent.” BDAG 489 s.v. καθαρός 3.a has “guiltless Ac 18:6.”

[18:7]  ⁶⁸⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:7]  ⁶⁸⁷ 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]  ⁶⁸⁸ tn Grk “from there”; the referent (the synagogue) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:7]  ⁶⁸⁹ 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]  ⁶⁹⁰ 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]  ⁶⁹¹ 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]  ⁶⁹² 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]  ⁶⁹³ tn BDAG 682 s.v. νύξ 1.c has “W. prep. ἐν ν. at night, in the night…Ac 18:9.”

[18:9]  ⁶⁹⁴ tn The present imperative here (with negation) is used (as it normally is) of a general condition (BDF §335).

[18:10]  ⁶⁹⁵ 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]  ⁶⁹⁶ tn Or “injure.”

[18:11]  ⁶⁹⁷ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[18:11]  ⁶⁹⁸ 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]  ⁶⁹⁹ 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]  ⁷⁰⁰ sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.

[18:12]  ⁷⁰¹ 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]  ⁷⁰² tn Grk “with one accord.”

[18:12]  ⁷⁰³ 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]  ⁷⁰⁴ tn Or “inciting.”

[18:13]  ⁷⁰⁵ 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]  ⁷⁰⁶ tn Grk “about to open his mouth” (an idiom).

[18:14]  ⁷⁰⁷ 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]  ⁷⁰⁸ 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]  ⁷⁰⁹ tn Grk “accepting your complaint, O Jews.”

[18:15]  ⁷¹⁰ tn Or “dispute.”

[18:15]  ⁷¹¹ tn Grk “see to it” (an idiom).

[18:15]  ⁷¹² tn Or “I am not willing to be.” Gallio would not adjudicate their religious dispute.

[18:16]  ⁷¹³ 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]  ⁷¹⁴ sn See the note on the term judgment seat in 18:12.

[18:17]  ⁷¹⁵ 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]  ⁷¹⁶ tn The imperfect verb ἔτυπτον (etupton) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[18:17]  ⁷¹⁷ sn See the note on the term judgment seat in 18:12.

[18:17]  ⁷¹⁸ 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]  ⁷¹⁹ tn The participle προσμείνας (prosmeina") is taken temporally.

[18:18]  ⁷²⁰ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[18:18]  ⁷²¹ 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]  ⁷²² tn Grk “Syria, and with him.”

[18:18]  ⁷²³ sn See the note on Aquila in 18:2.

[18:18]  ⁷²⁴ 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]  ⁷²⁵ 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]  ⁷²⁶ 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]  ⁷²⁷ 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]  ⁷²⁸ 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]  ⁷²⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:19]  ⁷³⁰ tn Grk “left them”; the referents (Priscilla and Aquila) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:19]  ⁷³¹ tn Grk “going”; the participle εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:19]  ⁷³² sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:19]  ⁷³³ 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]  ⁷³⁴ 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]  ⁷³⁵ tn Or “but took leave of.”

[18:21]  ⁷³⁶ 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]  ⁷³⁷ tn Or “will return.”

[18:21]  ⁷³⁸ 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]  ⁷³⁹ 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]  ⁷⁴⁰ 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]  ⁷⁴¹ 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]  ⁷⁴² 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]  ⁷⁴³ 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]  ⁷⁴⁴ 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]  ⁷⁴⁵ tn Grk “Having spent”; the participle ποιήσας (poihsas) is taken temporally.

[18:23]  ⁷⁴⁶ 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]  ⁷⁴⁷ sn Phrygia was a district in central Asia Minor west of Pisidia. See Acts 16:6.

[18:24]  ⁷⁴⁸ map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[18:24]  ⁷⁴⁹ 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]  ⁷⁵⁰ tn Grk “powerful.” BDAG 264 s.v. δυνατός 1.b has “in the Scriptures = well-versed 18:24.”

[18:25]  ⁷⁵¹ tn Or “had been taught.”

[18:25]  ⁷⁵² tn Grk “and boiling in spirit” (an idiom for great eagerness or enthusiasm; BDAG 426 s.v. ζέω).

[18:25]  ⁷⁵³ tn Grk “the things.”

[18:25]  ⁷⁵⁴ tn Grk “knowing”; the participle ἐπιστάμενος (epistameno") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[18:26]  ⁷⁵⁵ tn Or “boldly.” This is a frequent term in Acts (9:27-28; 13:46; 14:3; 19:8; 26:26).

[18:26]  ⁷⁵⁶ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:26]  ⁷⁵⁷ 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]  ⁷⁵⁸ 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]  ⁷⁵⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Apollos) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:27]  ⁷⁶⁰ 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]  ⁷⁶¹ 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]  ⁷⁶² 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]  ⁷⁶³ 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]  ⁷⁶⁴ tn Or “vehemently.” BDAG 414 s.v. εὐτόνως has “vigorously, vehemently…εὐ. διακατελέγχεσθαί τινι refute someone vigorously Ac 18:28.”

[18:28]  ⁷⁶⁵ 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]  ⁷⁶⁶ 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]  ⁷⁶⁷ 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]  ⁷⁶⁸ 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]  ⁷⁶⁹ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[19:1]  ⁷⁷⁰ tn Or “interior.”

[19:1]  ⁷⁷¹ tn BDAG 92 s.v. ἀνωτερικός has “upper τὰ ἀ. μέρη the upper (i.e. inland) country, the interior Ac 19:1.”

[19:1]  ⁷⁷² map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[19:1]  ⁷⁷³ 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]  ⁷⁷⁴ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[19:2]  ⁷⁷⁵ tn The participle πιστεύσαντες (pisteusante") is taken temporally.

[19:2]  ⁷⁷⁶ tn Grk “they [said] to him” (the word “said” is implied in the Greek text).

[19:2]  ⁷⁷⁷ 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]  ⁷⁷⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:3]  ⁷⁷⁹ tn Grk “they said.”

[19:4]  ⁷⁸⁰ 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]  ⁷⁸¹ tn Or “laid.”

[19:6]  ⁷⁸² 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]  ⁷⁸³ tn The imperfect verb ἐλάλουν (elaloun) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[19:6]  ⁷⁸⁴ tn The imperfect verb ἐπροφήτευον (eprofhteuon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[19:7]  ⁷⁸⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:8]  ⁷⁸⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:8]  ⁷⁸⁷ 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]  ⁷⁸⁸ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[19:8]  ⁷⁸⁹ tn Or “boldly.”

[19:8]  ⁷⁹⁰ 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]  ⁷⁹¹ 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]  ⁷⁹² 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]  ⁷⁹³ tn BDAG 1105-6 s.v. ὡς 8.b lists this use as a temporal conjunction.

[19:9]  ⁷⁹⁴ tn Or “some became hardened.” See BDAG 930 s.v. σκληρύνω b and Acts 7:51-53.

[19:9]  ⁷⁹⁵ 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]  ⁷⁹⁶ 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]  ⁷⁹⁷ 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]  ⁷⁹⁸ tn The words “with him” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[19:9]  ⁷⁹⁹ 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]  ⁸⁰⁰ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[19:9]  ⁸⁰¹ 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]  ⁸⁰² 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]  ⁸⁰³ 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]  ⁸⁰⁴ tn BDAG 1019 s.v. τυγχάνω 2.d states, “δυνάμεις οὐ τὰς τυχούσας extraordinary miracles Ac 19:11.”

[19:12]  ⁸⁰⁵ tn Or “skin” (the outer surface of the body).

[19:12]  ⁸⁰⁶ 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]  ⁸⁰⁷ tn The words “of them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[19:13]  ⁸⁰⁸ tn Grk “some Jewish exorcists who traveled about.” The adjectival participle περιερχομένων (periercomenwn) has been translated as “itinerant.”

[19:13]  ⁸⁰⁹ tn Grk “to name the name.”

[19:13]  ⁸¹⁰ 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]  ⁸¹¹ sn The expression I sternly warn you means “I charge you as under oath.”

[19:14]  ⁸¹² tn Grk “a certain Sceva.”

[19:14]  ⁸¹³ sn Within the sequence of the narrative, this amounts to a parenthetical note by the author.

[19:15]  ⁸¹⁴ tn Grk “answered and said to them.” The expression, redundant in English, has been simplified to “replied.”

[19:15]  ⁸¹⁵ 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]  ⁸¹⁶ 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]  ⁸¹⁷ 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]  ⁸¹⁸ tn Grk “in whom the evil spirit was.”

[19:16]  ⁸¹⁹ 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]  ⁸²⁰ 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]  ⁸²¹ tn BDAG 484 s.v. ἰσχύω 3 has “win out, prevail…κατά τινος over, against someone Ac 19:16.”

[19:17]  ⁸²² map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[19:17]  ⁸²³ tn Grk “fell on.” BDAG 377 s.v. ἐπιπίπτω 2 has “φόβος ἐ. ἐπί τινα fear came upon someone…Ac 19:17.”

[19:17]  ⁸²⁴ tn Or “exalted.”

[19:18]  ⁸²⁵ 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]  ⁸²⁶ 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]  ⁸²⁷ tn BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 4.a has “many, quite a few” for ἱκανοί (Jikanoi) in this verse.

[19:19]  ⁸²⁸ tn On this term see BDAG 800 s.v. περίεργος 2.

[19:19]  ⁸²⁹ tn Or “scrolls.”

[19:19]  ⁸³⁰ 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]  ⁸³¹ 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]  ⁸³² 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]  ⁸³³ 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]  ⁸³⁴ tn The imperfect verb ηὔξανεν (huxanen) has been translated as a progressive imperfect, as has the following verb ἴσχυεν (iscuen).

[19:20]  ⁸³⁵ 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]  ⁸³⁶ tn Grk “all these things had been fulfilled.”

[19:21]  ⁸³⁷ 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]  ⁸³⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[19:21]  ⁸³⁹ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[19:21]  ⁸⁴⁰ sn Achaia was the Roman province of Achaia located across the Aegean Sea from Ephesus. Its principal city was Corinth.

[19:21]  ⁸⁴¹ 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]  ⁸⁴² 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]  ⁸⁴³ tn The aorist participle ἀποστείλας (aposteila") has been taken temporally reflecting action antecedent to that of the main verb (ἐπέσχεν, epescen).

[19:22]  ⁸⁴⁴ tn Grk “two of those who ministered to him.”

[19:22]  ⁸⁴⁵ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[19:22]  ⁸⁴⁶ 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]  ⁸⁴⁷ 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]  ⁸⁴⁸ 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]  ⁸⁴⁹ tn Grk “no little disturbance” (an idiom; see BDAG 991 s.v. τάραχος 2).

[19:23]  ⁸⁵⁰ sn The Way refers to the Christian movement (Christianity).

[19:24]  ⁸⁵¹ 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]  ⁸⁵² 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]  ⁸⁵³ tn Grk “brought not a little business” (an idiom).

[19:24]  ⁸⁵⁴ 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]  ⁸⁵⁵ tn Grk “gathering.” The participle συναθροίσας (sunaqroisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:25]  ⁸⁵⁶ 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]  ⁸⁵⁷ 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]  ⁸⁵⁸ tn Another possible meaning is “that this business is an easy way for us to earn a living.”

[19:26]  ⁸⁵⁹ tn Grk “persuading.” The participle πείσας (peisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:26]  ⁸⁶⁰ tn Or “misled.”

[19:26]  ⁸⁶¹ tn BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 3.a has “of pers. ὄχλος a large crowd…Ac 11:24, 26; 19:26.”

[19:26]  ⁸⁶² map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[19:26]  ⁸⁶³ tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 22.

[19:26]  ⁸⁶⁴ tn The participle λέγων (legwn) has been regarded as indicating instrumentality.

[19:26]  ⁸⁶⁵ 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]  ⁸⁶⁶ tn Or “come under public criticism.” BDAG 101 s.v. ἀπελεγμός has “come into disrepute Ac 19:27.”

[19:27]  ⁸⁶⁷ 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]  ⁸⁶⁸ tn BDAG 597 s.v. λογίζομαι 1.b has “εἰς οὐθὲν λογισθῆναι be looked upon as nothing…Ac 19:27.”

[19:27]  ⁸⁶⁹ tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 22.

[19:27]  ⁸⁷⁰ 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]  ⁸⁷¹ 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]  ⁸⁷² tn Grk “And hearing.” The participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally.

[19:28]  ⁸⁷³ 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]  ⁸⁷⁴ 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]  ⁸⁷⁵ 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]  ⁸⁷⁶ 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]  ⁸⁷⁷ 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]  ⁸⁷⁸ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:29]  ⁸⁷⁹ 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]  ⁸⁸⁰ tn Grk “to the theater with one accord.”

[19:30]  ⁸⁸¹ 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]  ⁸⁸² tn Grk “Asiarchs” (high-ranking officials of the province of Asia).

[19:31]  ⁸⁸³ tn Grk “sending”; the participle πέμψαντες (pemyante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:31]  ⁸⁸⁴ 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]  ⁸⁸⁵ 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]  ⁸⁸⁶ tn Or “had assembled.”

[19:33]  ⁸⁸⁷ tn Or “Some of the crowd gave instructions to.”

[19:33]  ⁸⁸⁸ 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]  ⁸⁸⁹ 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]  ⁸⁹⁰ tn Or “motioning.”

[19:33]  ⁸⁹¹ 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]  ⁸⁹² 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]  ⁸⁹³ tn Grk “But recognizing.” The participle ἐπιγνόντες (epignonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:34]  ⁸⁹⁴ tn Grk “[they shouted] with one voice from all of them” (an idiom).

[19:34]  ⁸⁹⁵ 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]  ⁸⁹⁶ 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]  ⁸⁹⁷ tn Or “clerk.” The “scribe” (γραμματεύς, grammateu") was the keeper of the city’s records.

[19:35]  ⁸⁹⁸ tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo").

[19:35]  ⁸⁹⁹ tn See BDAG 670 s.v. νεωκόρος. The city is described as the “warden” or “guardian” of the goddess and her temple.

[19:35]  ⁹⁰⁰ 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]  ⁹⁰¹ 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]  ⁹⁰² tn Grk “these things.”

[19:36]  ⁹⁰³ 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]  ⁹⁰⁴ tn Grk “it is necessary that you be quiet.”

[19:36]  ⁹⁰⁵ 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]  ⁹⁰⁶ tn Or perhaps, “desecrators of temples.”

[19:37]  ⁹⁰⁷ 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]  ⁹⁰⁸ tn BDAG 600 s.v. λόγος 1.a.ε has “ἔχειν πρός τινα λόγον have a complaint against someone…19:38.”

[19:38]  ⁹⁰⁹ 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]  ⁹¹⁰ 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]  ⁹¹¹ tn Or “anything more than this.”

[19:39]  ⁹¹² tn Or “resolved.”

[19:39]  ⁹¹³ 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]  ⁹¹⁴ tn Grk “For indeed.” The ascensive force of καί (kai) would be awkward to translate here.

[19:40]  ⁹¹⁵ 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]  ⁹¹⁶ 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]  ⁹¹⁷ 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]  ⁹¹⁸ 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]  ⁹¹⁹ tn Grk “And saying.” The participle εἰπών (eipwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:41]  ⁹²⁰ tn Grk “these things.”

[19:41]  ⁹²¹ 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]  ⁹²² tn Or “exhorting.”

[20:1]  ⁹²³ tn Or “and taking leave of them.”

[20:1]  ⁹²⁴ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[20:2]  ⁹²⁵ 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]  ⁹²⁶ 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]  ⁹²⁷ tn Grk “[to] them”; the referent (the believers there) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:2]  ⁹²⁸ 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]  ⁹²⁹ tn BDAG 841 s.v. ποιέω 5.c, “w. an acc. of time spend, stay.”

[20:3]  ⁹³⁰ 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]  ⁹³¹ sn This plot is one of several noted by Luke (Acts 9:20; 20:19; 23:30).

[20:3]  ⁹³² 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]  ⁹³³ 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]  ⁹³⁴ tn BDAG 199 s.v. γίνομαι 7 has “ἐγένετο γνώμης he decided Ac 20:3.”

[20:3]  ⁹³⁵ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[20:4]  ⁹³⁶ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:4]  ⁹³⁷ 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]  ⁹³⁸ tn Grk “of the Thessalonians.”

[20:4]  map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[20:4]  ⁹³⁹ 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]  ⁹⁴⁰ 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]  ⁹⁴¹ 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]  ⁹⁴² 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]  ⁹⁴³ sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor.

[20:6]  ⁹⁴⁴ 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]  ⁹⁴⁵ map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[20:6]  ⁹⁴⁶ 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]  ⁹⁴⁷ tn BDAG 160 s.v. ἄχρι 1.a.α has “ἄ. ἡμερῶν πέντε within five days Ac 20:6.”

[20:6]  ⁹⁴⁸ tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the others mentioned in v. 4) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:6]  ⁹⁴⁹ 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]  ⁹⁵⁰ sn On the first day. This is the first mention of a Sunday gathering (1 Cor 16:2).

[20:7]  ⁹⁵¹ tn Or “assembled.”

[20:7]  ⁹⁵² 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]  ⁹⁵³ 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]  ⁹⁵⁴ tn Or “prolonged.”

[20:8]  ⁹⁵⁵ 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]  ⁹⁵⁶ sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author.

[20:9]  ⁹⁵⁷ tn This window was probably a simple opening in the wall (see also BDAG 462 s.v. θυρίς).

[20:9]  ⁹⁵⁸ 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]  ⁹⁵⁹ tn The participle διαλεγομένου (dialegomenou) has been taken temporally.

[20:9]  ⁹⁶⁰ 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]  ⁹⁶¹ tn Grk “going down.” The participle καταβάς (katabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[20:10]  ⁹⁶² tn BDAG 377 s.v. ἐπιπίπτω 1.b has “ἐπέπεσεν αὐτῷ he threw himself upon him Ac 20:10.”

[20:10]  ⁹⁶³ tn Grk “on him”; the referent (the young man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:10]  ⁹⁶⁴ 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]  ⁹⁶⁵ tn Grk “for his life is in him” (an idiom).

[20:11]  ⁹⁶⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[20:11]  ⁹⁶⁷ 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]  ⁹⁶⁸ 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]  ⁹⁶⁹ 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]  ⁹⁷⁰ 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]  ⁹⁷¹ 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]  ⁹⁷² sn Assos was a city of Mysia about 24 mi (40 km) southeast of Troas.

[20:13]  ⁹⁷³ 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]  ⁹⁷⁴ 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]  ⁹⁷⁵ 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]  ⁹⁷⁶ 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]  ⁹⁷⁷ tn Or “there on foot.”

[20:14]  ⁹⁷⁸ sn Assos was a city of Mysia about 24 mi (40 km) southeast of Troas.

[20:14]  ⁹⁷⁹ 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]  ⁹⁸⁰ 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]  ⁹⁸¹ 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]  ⁹⁸² 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]  ⁹⁸³ 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]  ⁹⁸⁴ sn Samos is an island in the Aegean Sea off the western coast of Asia Minor.

[20:15]  ⁹⁸⁵ 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]  ⁹⁸⁶ map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[20:16]  ⁹⁸⁷ 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]  ⁹⁸⁸ 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]  ⁹⁸⁹ tn Or “was eager.”

[20:16]  ⁹⁹⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[20:16]  ⁹⁹¹ tn Grk “if it could be to him” (an idiom).

[20:17]  ⁹⁹² sn Miletus was a seaport on the western coast of Asia Minor about 45 mi (72 km) south of Ephesus.

[20:17]  ⁹⁹³ 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]  ⁹⁹⁴ 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]  ⁹⁹⁵ 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]  ⁹⁹⁶ 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]  ⁹⁹⁷ tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 16.

[20:19]  ⁹⁹⁸ 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]  ⁹⁹⁹ sn These plots are mentioned in Acts 9:24; 20:13.

[20:20]  ¹⁰⁰⁰ tn Or “declaring.”

[20:20]  ¹⁰⁰¹ 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]  ¹⁰⁰² tn Or “openly.”

[20:21]  ¹⁰⁰³ 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]  ¹⁰⁰⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁰⁵ tn Grk “And now, behold.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.

[20:22]  ¹⁰⁰⁶ tn Grk “bound.”

[20:22]  ¹⁰⁰⁷ 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]  ¹⁰⁰⁸ 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]  ¹⁰⁰⁹ tn BDAG 826 s.v. πλήν 1.d has “πλὴν ὅτι except that…Ac 20:23.”

[20:23]  ¹⁰¹⁰ 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]  ¹⁰¹¹ tn The Greek text here reads κατὰ πόλιν (kata polin).

[20:23]  ¹⁰¹² tn Grk “saying that,” but the participle λέγον (legon) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[20:23]  ¹⁰¹³ tn Grk “bonds.”

[20:23]  ¹⁰¹⁴ tn Or “troubles,” “suffering.” See Acts 19:21; 21:4, 11.

[20:24]  ¹⁰¹⁵ tn Grk “soul.”

[20:24]  ¹⁰¹⁶ 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]  ¹⁰¹⁷ 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]  ¹⁰¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁰¹⁹ tn Or “to the gospel.”

[20:25]  ¹⁰²⁰ tn Grk “And now, behold.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.

[20:25]  ¹⁰²¹ 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]  ¹⁰²² 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]  ¹⁰²³ tn Grk “will see my face” (an idiom for seeing someone in person).

[20:26]  ¹⁰²⁴ tn Or “testify.”

[20:26]  ¹⁰²⁵ 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]  ¹⁰²⁶ 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]  ¹⁰²⁷ 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]  ¹⁰²⁸ tn Or “proclaiming,” “declaring.”

[20:27]  ¹⁰²⁹ tn Or “plan.”

[20:28]  ¹⁰³⁰ tn Or “Be on your guard for” (cf. v. 29). Paul completed his responsibility to the Ephesians with this warning.

[20:28]  ¹⁰³¹ tn Grk “in which.”

[20:28]  ¹⁰³² 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]  ¹⁰³³ 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]  ¹⁰³⁴ tn Or “acquired.”

[20:28]  ¹⁰³⁵ 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]  ¹⁰³⁶ tn Grk “after my departure.”

[20:29]  ¹⁰³⁷ 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]  ¹⁰³⁸ tn Grk “from among yourselves.”

[20:30]  ¹⁰³⁹ 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]  ¹⁰⁴⁰ 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]  ¹⁰⁴¹ tn Or “be watchful.”

[20:31]  ¹⁰⁴² tn Or “admonishing.”

[20:32]  ¹⁰⁴³ 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]  ¹⁰⁴⁴ tn Grk “word.”

[20:32]  ¹⁰⁴⁵ 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]  ¹⁰⁴⁶ 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]  ¹⁰⁴⁷ tn The words “of mine” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify whose hands Paul is referring to.

[20:35]  ¹⁰⁴⁸ sn The expression By all these things means “In everything I did.”

[20:35]  ¹⁰⁴⁹ tn Or “must assist.”

[20:35]  ¹⁰⁵⁰ tn Or “the sick.” See Eph 4:28.

[20:35]  ¹⁰⁵¹ 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]  ¹⁰⁵² 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]  ¹⁰⁵³ 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]  ¹⁰⁵⁴ tn Grk “weeping a great deal,” thus “loudly” (BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός and BDAG 546 s.v. κλαυθμός).

[20:37]  ¹⁰⁵⁵ tn Grk “fell on Paul’s neck” (an idiom, see BDAG 1014 s.v. τράχηλος).

[20:37]  ¹⁰⁵⁶ 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]  ¹⁰⁵⁷ tn Or “pained.”

[20:38]  ¹⁰⁵⁸ tn Grk “by the word that he had said.”

[20:38]  ¹⁰⁵⁹ tn Grk “to see his face” (an idiom for seeing someone in person).

[20:38]  ¹⁰⁶⁰ tn BDAG 873 s.v. προπέμπω 1 has “they accompanied him to the ship Ac 20:38.”

[21:1]  ¹⁰⁶¹ 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]  ¹⁰⁶² 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]  ¹⁰⁶³ 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]  ¹⁰⁶⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁶⁵ 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]  ¹⁰⁶⁶ sn Cos was an island in the Aegean Sea.

[21:1]  ¹⁰⁶⁷ sn Rhodes was an island off the southwestern coast of Asia Minor.

[21:1]  ¹⁰⁶⁸ 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]  ¹⁰⁶⁹ 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]  ¹⁰⁷⁰ sn Phoenicia was the name of an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine.

[21:2]  ¹⁰⁷¹ 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]  ¹⁰⁷² 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]  ¹⁰⁷³ sn Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[21:3]  ¹⁰⁷⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁷⁵ 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]  ¹⁰⁷⁶ 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]  ¹⁰⁷⁷ 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]  ¹⁰⁷⁸ tn BDAG 154 s.v. αὐτοῦ states, “deictic adv. designating a position relatively near or far…there…Ac 21:4.”

[21:4]  ¹⁰⁷⁹ tn The imperfect verb ἔλεγον (elegon) has been taken iteratively.

[21:4]  ¹⁰⁸⁰ 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]  ¹⁰⁸¹ 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]  ¹⁰⁸² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[21:5]  ¹⁰⁸³ 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]  ¹⁰⁸⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁸⁵ 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]  ¹⁰⁸⁶ 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]  ¹⁰⁸⁷ 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]  ¹⁰⁸⁸ 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]  ¹⁰⁸⁹ sn These words are part of v. 5 in the standard critical Greek text.

[21:6]  ¹⁰⁹⁰ 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]  ¹⁰⁹¹ tn Grk “to their own”; the word “homes” is implied.

[21:7]  ¹⁰⁹² sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia.

[21:7]  ¹⁰⁹³ sn Ptolemais was a seaport on the coast of Palestine about 30 mi (48 km) south of Tyre.

[21:8]  ¹⁰⁹⁴ 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]  ¹⁰⁹⁵ 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]  ¹⁰⁹⁶ 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]  ¹⁰⁹⁷ sn Philip was one of the seven deacons appointed in the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:1-7).

[21:9]  ¹⁰⁹⁸ 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]  ¹⁰⁹⁹ 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]  ¹¹⁰⁰ 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]  ¹¹⁰¹ 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]  ¹¹⁰² 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]  ¹¹⁰³ 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]  ¹¹⁰⁴ 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]  ¹¹⁰⁵ tn The participle δήσας (dhsas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:11]  ¹¹⁰⁶ tn The words “with it” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[21:11]  ¹¹⁰⁷ 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]  ¹¹⁰⁸ tn Or “the people there.”

[21:13]  ¹¹⁰⁹ 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]  ¹¹¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹¹¹ tn The participle πειθομένου (peiqomenou) in this genitive absolute construction has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[21:14]  ¹¹¹² tn Grk “we became silent, saying.”

[21:14]  ¹¹¹³ 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]  ¹¹¹⁴ tn Or “we made preparations.”

[21:15]  ¹¹¹⁵ 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]  ¹¹¹⁶ 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]  ¹¹¹⁷ 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]  ¹¹¹⁸ 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]  ¹¹¹⁹ tn Or “warmly” (see BDAG 144 s.v. ἀσμένως).

[21:18]  ¹¹²⁰ 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]  ¹¹²¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:19]  ¹¹²² tn Or “to report,” “to describe.” The imperfect verb ἐξηγεῖτο (exhgeito) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[21:19]  ¹¹²³ 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]  ¹¹²⁴ sn Note how Paul credited God with the success of his ministry.

[21:20]  ¹¹²⁵ tn Or “glorified.”

[21:20]  ¹¹²⁶ 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]  ¹¹²⁷ 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]  ¹¹²⁸ 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]  ¹¹²⁹ 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]  ¹¹³⁰ 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]  ¹¹³¹ sn That is, not to circumcise their male children. Biblical references to circumcision always refer to male circumcision.

[21:21]  ¹¹³² tn Grk “or walk.”

[21:22]  ¹¹³³ 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]  ¹¹³⁴ tn Grk “do this that.”

[21:23]  ¹¹³⁵ tn Grk “There are four men here.”

[21:23]  ¹¹³⁶ 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]  ¹¹³⁷ tn On the term for “vow,” see BDAG 416 s.v. εὐχή 2.

[21:24]  ¹¹³⁸ 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]  ¹¹³⁹ tn L&N 57.146 has “δαπάνησον ἐπ᾿ αὐτοῖς ‘pay their expenses’ Ac 21:24.”

[21:24]  ¹¹⁴⁰ 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]  ¹¹⁴¹ 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]  ¹¹⁴² tn The verb here describes a report or some type of information (BDAG 534 s.v. κατηχέω 1).

[21:24]  ¹¹⁴³ 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]  ¹¹⁴⁴ sn The law refers to the law of Moses.

[21:25]  ¹¹⁴⁵ 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]  ¹¹⁴⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁴⁷ 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]  ¹¹⁴⁸ 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]  ¹¹⁴⁹ 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]  ¹¹⁵⁰ tn That is, after he had undergone ritual cleansing. The aorist passive participle ἁγνισθείς (Jagnisqei") has been taken temporally of antecedent action.

[21:26]  ¹¹⁵¹ 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]  ¹¹⁵² sn The days of purification refers to the days of ritual cleansing.

[21:26]  ¹¹⁵³ 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]  ¹¹⁵⁴ tn Grk “for each one.”

[21:27]  ¹¹⁵⁵ 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]  ¹¹⁵⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁵⁷ tn Grk “in the temple.” See the note on the word “temple” in v. 28.

[21:27]  ¹¹⁵⁸ 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]  ¹¹⁵⁹ tn Grk “and laid hands on.”

[21:28]  ¹¹⁶⁰ 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]  ¹¹⁶¹ sn The law refers to the law of Moses.

[21:28]  ¹¹⁶² 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]  ¹¹⁶³ 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]  ¹¹⁶⁴ 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]  ¹¹⁶⁵ 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]  ¹¹⁶⁶ tn Grk “whom.”

[21:29]  ¹¹⁶⁷ 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]  ¹¹⁶⁸ tn On this term see BDAG 545 s.v. κινέω 2.b.

[21:30]  ¹¹⁶⁹ 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]  ¹¹⁷⁰ 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]  ¹¹⁷¹ tn Grk “out of the temple.” See the note on the word “temple” in v. 28.

[21:31]  ¹¹⁷² tn Grk “seeking.”

[21:31]  ¹¹⁷³ tn Or “information” (originally concerning a crime; BDAG 1050 s.v. φάσις).

[21:31]  ¹¹⁷⁴ 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]  ¹¹⁷⁵ 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]  ¹¹⁷⁶ sn A cohort was a Roman military unit of about 600 soldiers, one-tenth of a legion.

[21:31]  ¹¹⁷⁷ tn BDAG 953 s.v. συγχέω has “Pass. w. act.force be in confusion…ὅλη συγχύννεται ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ 21:31.”

[21:32]  ¹¹⁷⁸ 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]  ¹¹⁷⁹ 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]  ¹¹⁸⁰ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[21:32]  ¹¹⁸¹ tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:32]  ¹¹⁸² tn Grk “seeing.” The participle ἰδόντες (idonte") has been taken temporally.

[21:32]  ¹¹⁸³ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 31.

[21:32]  ¹¹⁸⁴ 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]  ¹¹⁸⁵ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 31.

[21:33]  ¹¹⁸⁶ tn Grk “seized.”

[21:33]  ¹¹⁸⁷ tn The two chains would be something like handcuffs (BDAG 48 s.v. ἅλυσις and compare Acts 28:20).

[21:33]  ¹¹⁸⁸ 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]  ¹¹⁸⁹ tn Grk “and what it is”; this has been simplified to “what.”

[21:34]  ¹¹⁹⁰ 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]  ¹¹⁹¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the commanding officer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:34]  ¹¹⁹² 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]  ¹¹⁹³ tn Or “find out what had happened”; Grk “the certainty” (BDAG 147 s.v. ἀσφαλής 2).

[21:34]  ¹¹⁹⁴ tn Or “clamor,” “uproar” (BDAG 458 s.v. θόρυβος).

[21:34]  ¹¹⁹⁵ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:34]  ¹¹⁹⁶ 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]  ¹¹⁹⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:35]  ¹¹⁹⁸ 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]  ¹¹⁹⁹ tn This refers to mob violence (BDAG 175 s.v. βία b).

[21:36]  ¹²⁰⁰ 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]  ¹²⁰¹ 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]  ¹²⁰² 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]  ¹²⁰³ tn Grk “says” (a historical present).

[21:37]  ¹²⁰⁴ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers) See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 31.

[21:37]  ¹²⁰⁵ tn Grk “Is it permitted for me to say” (an idiom).

[21:37]  ¹²⁰⁶ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the officer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:37]  ¹²⁰⁷ tn Grk “said.”

[21:37]  ¹²⁰⁸ 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]  ¹²⁰⁹ 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]  ¹²¹⁰ 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]  ¹²¹¹ tn Or “desert.”

[21:38]  ¹²¹² tn Grk “before these days.”

[21:39]  ¹²¹³ tn Grk “said.”

[21:39]  ¹²¹⁴ tn Grk “a Jewish man.”

[21:39]  ¹²¹⁵ 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]  ¹²¹⁶ tn Grk “I beg you.”

[21:40]  ¹²¹⁷ tn The referent (the commanding officer) has been supplied here in the translation for clarity.

[21:40]  ¹²¹⁸ 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]  ¹²¹⁹ tn Grk “standing.” The participle ἑστώς (Jestws) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:40]  ¹²²⁰ tn Or “motioned.”

[21:40]  ¹²²¹ 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]  ¹²²² 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]  ¹²²³ 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]  ¹²²⁴ 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]  ¹²²⁵ 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]  ¹²²⁶ tn ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally.

[22:2]  ¹²²⁷ 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]  ¹²²⁸ tn Grk “in the Hebrew language.” See the note on “Aramaic” in 21:40.

[22:2]  ¹²²⁹ 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]  ¹²³⁰ 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]  ¹²³¹ 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]  ¹²³² tn Grk “a Jewish man.”

[22:3]  ¹²³³ 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]  ¹²³⁴ 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]  ¹²³⁵ tn Grk “strictly at the feet of” (an idiom).

[22:3]  ¹²³⁶ 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]  ¹²³⁷ tn Or “our forefathers.”

[22:3]  ¹²³⁸ tn Grk “ancestors, being.” The participle ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[22:3]  ¹²³⁹ 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]  ¹²⁴⁰ 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]  ¹²⁴¹ 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]  ¹²⁴² tn BDAG 442-43 s.v. θάνατος 1.a has “διώκειν ἄχρι θανάτου persecute even to death Ac 22:4.”

[22:4]  ¹²⁴³ tn Grk “binding.” See Acts 8:3.

[22:4]  ¹²⁴⁴ 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]  ¹²⁴⁵ 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]  ¹²⁴⁶ 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]  ¹²⁴⁷ tn Grk “receiving.” The participle δεξάμενος (dexameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[22:5]  ¹²⁴⁸ 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]  ¹²⁴⁹ 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]  ¹²⁵⁰ tn BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b has “δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά bring someone as prisoner…Ac 9:2, 21; 22:5.”

[22:5]  ¹²⁵¹ 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]  ¹²⁵² 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]  ¹²⁵³ 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]  ¹²⁵⁴ tn BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 3.b has “φῶς a very bright light Ac 22:6.”

[22:6]  ¹²⁵⁵ tn Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[22:6]  ¹²⁵⁶ tn Or “shone.”

[22:7]  ¹²⁵⁷ 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]  ¹²⁵⁸ 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]  ¹²⁵⁹ tn Grk “So I said.”

[22:10]  ¹²⁶⁰ 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]  ¹²⁶¹ tn Grk “about all things.”

[22:10]  ¹²⁶² 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]  ¹²⁶³ 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]  ¹²⁶⁴ tn Or “brightness”; Grk “glory.”

[22:11]  ¹²⁶⁵ tn Grk “by” (ὑπό, Jupo), but this would be too awkward in English following the previous “by.”

[22:12]  ¹²⁶⁶ tn Grk “a certain Ananias.”

[22:12]  ¹²⁶⁷ sn The law refers to the law of Moses.

[22:12]  ¹²⁶⁸ 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]  ¹²⁶⁹ tn Grk “coming.” The participle ἐλθών (elqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[22:13]  ¹²⁷⁰ 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]  ¹²⁷¹ 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]  ¹²⁷² 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]  ¹²⁷³ tn Grk “I looked up to him.”

[22:14]  ¹²⁷⁴ 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]  ¹²⁷⁵ 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]  ¹²⁷⁶ 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]  ¹²⁷⁷ sn The Righteous One is a reference to Jesus Christ (Acts 3:14).

[22:14]  ¹²⁷⁸ 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]  ¹²⁷⁹ 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]  ¹²⁸⁰ tn Grk “all men,” but this is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo").

[22:16]  ¹²⁸¹ 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]  ¹²⁸² 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]  ¹²⁸³ sn The expression have your sins washed away means “have your sins purified” (the washing is figurative).

[22:16]  ¹²⁸⁴ 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]  ¹²⁸⁵ 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]  ¹²⁸⁶ tn BDAG 309 s.v. ἔκστασις 2 has “γενέσθαι ἐν ἐκστάσει fall into a trance Ac 22:17.”

[22:18]  ¹²⁸⁷ tn Or “Jesus”; Grk “him.” The referent (the Lord, cf. v. 19) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:19]  ¹²⁸⁸ 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]  ¹²⁸⁹ 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]  ¹²⁹⁰ 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]  ¹²⁹¹ sn When the blood of your witness Stephen was shed means “when your witness Stephen was murdered.”

[22:20]  ¹²⁹² 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]  ¹²⁹³ 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]  ¹²⁹⁴ 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]  ¹²⁹⁵ 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]  ¹²⁹⁶ tn Grk “They were listening”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:22]  ¹²⁹⁷ 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]  ¹²⁹⁸ tn Grk “And.” To indicate the logical sequence, καί (kai) has been translated as “then” here.

[22:22]  ¹²⁹⁹ tn Grk “and said.”

[22:22]  ¹³⁰⁰ tn Grk “this one.”

[22:22]  ¹³⁰¹ 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]  ¹³⁰² tn The participle κραυγαζόντων (kraugazontwn) has been translated temporally.

[22:23]  ¹³⁰³ 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]  ¹³⁰⁴ 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]  ¹³⁰⁵ 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]  ¹³⁰⁶ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:24]  ¹³⁰⁷ 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]  ¹³⁰⁸ 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]  ¹³⁰⁹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:24]  ¹³¹⁰ 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]  ¹³¹¹ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the crowd) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:24]  ¹³¹² tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:25]  ¹³¹³ 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]  ¹³¹⁴ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[22:25]  ¹³¹⁵ tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:25]  ¹³¹⁶ 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]  ¹³¹⁷ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[22:26]  ¹³¹⁸ 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]  ¹³¹⁹ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:26]  ¹³²⁰ 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]  ¹³²¹ 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]  ¹³²² tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:27]  ¹³²³ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:27]  ¹³²⁴ tn Grk “and said to.”

[22:27]  ¹³²⁵ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:27]  ¹³²⁶ tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:27]  ¹³²⁷ tn Grk “He said.”

[22:28]  ¹³²⁸ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:28]  ¹³²⁹ 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]  ¹³³⁰ tn BDAG 495-96 s.v. καί 2.b has “intensive: even…Ac 5:39; 22:28.”

[22:28]  ¹³³¹ 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]  ¹³³² tn Grk “Paul said.” This phrase has been placed at the end of the sentence in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:29]  ¹³³³ 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]  ¹³³⁴ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 24.

[22:29]  ¹³³⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:29]  ¹³³⁶ 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]  ¹³³⁷ tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[22:29]  ¹³³⁸ 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]  ¹³³⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the commanding officer) has been supplied here in the translation for clarity.

[22:30]  ¹³⁴⁰ 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]  ¹³⁴¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[22:30]  ¹³⁴² tn Grk “the whole Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[22:30]  ¹³⁴³ 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]  ¹³⁴⁴ 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]  ¹³⁴⁵ tn Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[23:1]  ¹³⁴⁶ 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]  ¹³⁴⁷ tn Grk “and” (δέ, de); the phrase “at that” has been used in the translation to clarify the cause and effect relationship.

[23:2]  ¹³⁴⁸ tn BDAG 778 s.v. παρίστημι/παριστάνω 2.b.α has “οἱ παρεστῶτες αὐτῷ those standing near him Ac 23:2.”

[23:2]  ¹³⁴⁹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:2]  ¹³⁵⁰ 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]  ¹³⁵¹ 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]  ¹³⁵² 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]  ¹³⁵³ tn The law refers to the law of Moses.

[23:3]  ¹³⁵⁴ 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]  ¹³⁵⁵ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[23:4]  ¹³⁵⁶ 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]  ¹³⁵⁷ tn Grk “said.”

[23:5]  ¹³⁵⁸ tn Or “know.”

[23:5]  ¹³⁵⁹ 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]  ¹³⁶⁰ 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]  ¹³⁶¹ sn See the note on Sadducees in 4:1.

[23:6]  ¹³⁶² sn See the note on Pharisee in 5:34.

[23:6]  ¹³⁶³ tn Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[23:6]  ¹³⁶⁴ 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]  ¹³⁶⁵ tn The participle εἰπόντος (eiponto") has been translated temporally.

[23:7]  ¹³⁶⁶ tn Or “a dispute” (BDAG 940 s.v. στάσις 3).

[23:7]  ¹³⁶⁷ tn Grk “there came about an argument.” This has been simplified to “an argument began”

[23:8]  ¹³⁶⁸ 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]  ¹³⁶⁹ 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]  ¹³⁷⁰ tn Or “and some scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 4:5.

[23:9]  ¹³⁷¹ tn Grk “standing up.” The participle ἀναστάντες (anastante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:9]  ¹³⁷² 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]  ¹³⁷³ 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]  ¹³⁷⁴ tn This genitive absolute construction with the participle γινομένης (ginomenhs) has been taken temporally (it could also be translated as causal).

[23:10]  ¹³⁷⁵ 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]  ¹³⁷⁶ 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]  ¹³⁷⁷ 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]  ¹³⁷⁸ tn Or “to go down, grab him out of their midst.”

[23:10]  ¹³⁷⁹ 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]  ¹³⁸⁰ sn The presence of the Lord indicated the vindicating presence and direction of God.

[23:11]  ¹³⁸¹ 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]  ¹³⁸² tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:11]  ¹³⁸³ tn Or “Do not be afraid.”

[23:11]  ¹³⁸⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[23:11]  ¹³⁸⁵ 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.

[23:12]  ¹³⁸⁶ tn Grk “when it was day.”

[23:12]  ¹³⁸⁷ tn Grk “forming a conspiracy, bound.” The participle ποιήσαντες (poihsantes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:12]  ¹³⁸⁸ tn L&N 30.72 has ‘some Jews formed a conspiracy’ Ac 23:12”; BDAG 979 s.v. συστροφή 1 has “Judeans came together in a mob 23:12. But in the last pass. the word may also mean – 2. the product of a clandestine gathering, plot, conspiracy” (see also Amos 7:10; Ps 63:3).

[23:12]  ¹³⁸⁹ tn Or “bound themselves under a curse.” BDAG 63 s.v. ἀναθεματίζω 1 has “trans. put under a curse τινά someone…pleonastically ἀναθέματι ἀ. ἑαυτόν Ac 23:14…ἀ. ἑαυτόν vss. 12, 21, 13 v.l.” On such oaths see m. Shevi’it 3:1-5. The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[23:12]  ¹³⁹⁰ 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.

[23:13]  ¹³⁹¹ tn L&N 30.73 defines συνωμοσία (sunwmosia) as “a plan for taking secret action someone or some institution, with the implication of an oath binding the conspirators – ‘conspiracy, plot.’ …‘there were more than forty of them who formed this conspiracy’ Ac 23:13.”

[23:14]  ¹³⁹² tn Grk “who.” 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.

[23:14]  ¹³⁹³ tn Grk “going.” The participle προσελθόντες (proselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:14]  ¹³⁹⁴ sn They went to the chief priests. The fact that the high priest knew of this plot and did nothing shows the Jewish leadership would even become accomplices to murder to stop Paul. They would not allow Roman justice to take its course. Paul’s charge in v. 3 of superficially following the law is thus shown to be true.

[23:14]  ¹³⁹⁵ tn Or “bound ourselves under a curse.” BDAG 63 s.v. ἀναθεματίζω 1 has “trans. put under a curse τινά someone…pleonastically ἀναθέματι ἀ. ἑαυτόν Ac 23:14…ἀ. ἑαυτόν vss. 12, 21, 13 v.l.” The pleonastic use ἀναθέματι ἀνεθεματίσαμεν (literally “we have cursed ourselves with a curse”) probably serves as an intensifier following Semitic usage, and is represented in the translation by the word “solemn.” On such oaths see m. Nedarim 3:1, 3.

[23:14]  ¹³⁹⁶ tn This included both food and drink (γεύομαι [geuomai] is used of water turned to wine in John 2:9).

[23:15]  ¹³⁹⁷ tn Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[23:15]  ¹³⁹⁸ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 10.

[23:15]  ¹³⁹⁹ tn Or “decide.” BDAG 227 s.v. διαγινώσκω has “ἀκριβέστερον τὰ περὶ αὐτοῦ to make a more thorough examination of his case Ac 23:15.”

[23:15]  ¹⁴⁰⁰ tn Grk “determine the things about him.”

[23:15]  ¹⁴⁰¹ tn The expression “more thorough inquiry” reflects the comparative form of ἀκριβέστερον (akribesteron).

[23:15]  ¹⁴⁰² sn “We are ready to kill him.” Now those Jews involved in the conspiracy, along with the leaders as accomplices, are going to break one of the ten commandments.

[23:15]  ¹⁴⁰³ tn The words “this place” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[23:16]  ¹⁴⁰⁴ tn Or “plot” (BDAG 334 s.v. ἐνέδρα).

[23:16]  ¹⁴⁰⁵ tn Grk “coming and entering…, he told.” The participles παραγενόμενος (paragenomeno") and εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) have been translated as finite verbs due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:16]  ¹⁴⁰⁶ 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.”

[23:17]  ¹⁴⁰⁷ tn Grk “calling…Paul said.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:17]  ¹⁴⁰⁸ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[23:17]  ¹⁴⁰⁹ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 10.

[23:18]  ¹⁴¹⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the centurion) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:18]  ¹⁴¹¹ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 10.

[23:18]  ¹⁴¹² tn Grk “calling.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:19]  ¹⁴¹³ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 10.

[23:19]  ¹⁴¹⁴ tn Grk “you have,” but the expression “have to report” in English could be understood to mean “must report” rather than “possess to report.” For this reason the nearly equivalent expression “want to report,” which is not subject to misunderstanding, was used in the translation.

[23:20]  ¹⁴¹⁵ tn Grk “He said.”

[23:20]  ¹⁴¹⁶ tn Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[23:21]  ¹⁴¹⁷ tn Grk “do not be persuaded by them.” The passive construction μὴ πεισθῇς αὐτοῖς (mh peisqh" autoi") has been converted to an active construction in the translation, and the phrase “to do this” supplied to indicate more clearly the object of their persuasion.

[23:21]  ¹⁴¹⁸ tn Grk “forty men of them.” In the expression ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρες (ex autwn andre") “men” is somewhat redundant and has not been included in the English translation.

[23:21]  ¹⁴¹⁹ tn Grk “are lying in wait for him” (BDAG 334 s.v. ἐνεδρεύω); see also v. 16.

[23:21]  ¹⁴²⁰ tn Grk “for him, who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) was translated by the third person plural pronoun (“they”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[23:21]  ¹⁴²¹ tn Or “bound themselves under a curse.” BDAG 63 s.v. ἀναθεματίζω 1 has “trans. put under a curse τινά someone… ἀ. ἑαυτόν vss. 12, 21, 13 v.l.”

[23:21]  ¹⁴²² 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.

[23:21]  ¹⁴²³ tn Grk “waiting for your approval,” “waiting for your agreement.” Since it would be possible to misunderstand the literal translation “waiting for your approval” to mean that the Jews were waiting for the commander’s approval to carry out their plot or to kill Paul (as if he were to be an accomplice to their plot), the object of the commander’s approval (their request to bring Paul to the council) has been specified in the translation as “their request.”

[23:22]  ¹⁴²⁴ tn Grk “the chiliarch” (an officer in command of a thousand soldiers). See note on the term “commanding officer” in v. 10.

[23:22]  ¹⁴²⁵ tn BDAG 760 s.v. παραγγέλλω has “to make an announcement about someth. that must be done, give orders, command, instruct, direct of all kinds of persons in authority, worldly rulers, Jesus, the apostles…παραγγέλλειν w. an inf. and μή comes to mean forbid to do someth.: π. τινί w. aor. inf. Lk 5:14; 8:56; without the dat., which is easily supplied fr. the context Ac 23:22.” However, if the direct discourse which follows is to be retained in the translation, a different translation must be used since it is awkward to introduce direct discourse with the verb to forbid. Thus the alternative to direct was used.

[23:22]  ¹⁴²⁶ tn On this verb, see BDAG 325-26 s.v. ἐμφανίζω 2. The term was frequently used of an official report to authorities. In modern terms, this was a police tip.

[23:23]  ¹⁴²⁷ tn Grk “And.” Since this represents a response to the reported ambush, καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[23:23]  ¹⁴²⁸ tn Grk “summoning…he said.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:23]  ¹⁴²⁹ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[23:23]  ¹⁴³⁰ 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 journey of about 65 mi (just over 100 km).

[23:23]  map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[23:23]  ¹⁴³¹ tn Or “cavalrymen.”

[23:23]  ¹⁴³² tn A military technical term of uncertain meaning. BDAG 217 s.v. δεξιολάβος states, “a word of uncertain mng., military t.t., acc. to Joannes Lydus…and Theophyl. Sim., Hist. 4, 1 a light-armed soldier, perh. bowman, slinger; acc. to a scholion in CMatthaei p. 342 body-guard….Spearman Goodspd., NRSV; ‘security officer’, GDKilpatrick, JTS 14, ’63, 393f.”

[23:23]  sn Two hundred soldiers…along with seventy horsemen and two hundred spearmen. The resulting force assembled to guard Paul was almost a full cohort. The Roman commander was taking no chances, but was sending the issue up the chain of command to the procurator to decide.

[23:23]  ¹⁴³³ tn Grk “from.”

[23:23]  ¹⁴³⁴ tn Grk “from the third hour of the night.”

[23:24]  ¹⁴³⁵ tn Grk “provide mounts to put Paul on.”

[23:24]  sn Mounts for Paul to ride. The fact they were riding horses indicates they wanted everyone to move as quickly as possible.

[23:24]  ¹⁴³⁶ sn Felix the governor was Antonius Felix, a freedman of Antonia, mother of the Emperor Claudius. He was the brother of Pallas and became procurator of Palestine in a.d. 52/53. His administration was notorious for its corruption, cynicism, and cruelty. According to the historian Tacitus (History 5.9) Felix “reveled in cruelty and lust, and wielded the power of a king with the mind of a slave.”

[23:24]  ¹⁴³⁷ tn Grk “Felix the procurator.” The official Roman title has been translated as “governor” (BDAG 433 s.v. ἡγεμών 2).

[23:25]  ¹⁴³⁸ tn Grk “writing.” Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun here in the translation, supplying “he” (referring to the commanding officer, Claudius Lysias) as subject. The participle γράψας (grayas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:25]  ¹⁴³⁹ tn Grk “having this form,” “having this content.” L&N 33.48 has “γράψσς ἐπιστολὴν ἔχουσαν τὸν τύπον τοῦτον ‘then he wrote a letter that went like this’ Ac 23:25. It is also possible to understand ἐπιστολή in Ac 23:25 not as a content or message, but as an object (see 6.63).”

[23:26]  ¹⁴⁴⁰ tn Grk “Procurator.” The official Roman title has been translated as “governor” (BDAG 433 s.v. ἡγεμών 2).

[23:26]  ¹⁴⁴¹ sn Governor Felix. See the note on Felix in v. 24.

[23:27]  ¹⁴⁴² tn The participle συλλημφθέντα (sullhmfqenta) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. The remark reviews events of Acts 21:27-40.

[23:27]  ¹⁴⁴³ tn Grk “and was about to be killed by them.” The passive construction has been converted to an active one in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[23:27]  ¹⁴⁴⁴ tn Or “approached.”

[23:27]  ¹⁴⁴⁵ 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.

[23:27]  ¹⁴⁴⁶ tn In Greek this is a present tense retained in indirect discourse.

[23:27]  ¹⁴⁴⁷ tn The word “citizen” is supplied here for emphasis and clarity.

[23:27]  sn The letter written by the Roman commander Claudius Lysias was somewhat self-serving. He made it sound as if the rescue of a Roman citizen had been a conscious act on his part. In fact, he had made the discovery of Paul’s Roman citizenship somewhat later. See Acts 21:37-39 and 22:24-29.

[23:28]  ¹⁴⁴⁸ tn Or “determine.”

[23:28]  ¹⁴⁴⁹ tn Grk “to know the charge on account of which they were accusing him.” This has been simplified to eliminate the prepositional phrase and relative pronoun δι᾿ ἣν (di’ }hn) similar to L&N 27.8 which has “‘I wanted to find out what they were accusing him of, so I took him down to their Council’ Ac 23:28.”

[23:28]  ¹⁴⁵⁰ tn Grk “their Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[23:29]  ¹⁴⁵¹ tn Grk “whom I found.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been changed to a personal pronoun (“he”) and a new sentence begun in the translation at this point.

[23:29]  ¹⁴⁵² tn BDAG 428 s.v. ζήτημα states, “in our lit. only in Ac, w. the mng. it still has in Mod. Gk. (controversial) question, issue, argument…Ac 15:2; 26:3. ζ. περί τινος questions about someth.…18:15; 25:19. – In 23:29, since περί had already been used, the subj. of the discussion is added in the gen. ζ. τοῦ νόμου αὐτῶν.”

[23:29]  sn With reference to controversial questions. Note how the “neutral” Roman authorities saw the issue. This was a religious rather than a civil dispute. See Acts 18:15.

[23:29]  ¹⁴⁵³ tn Grk “but having no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.” BDAG 273-74 s.v. ἔγκλημα 1 has “legal t.t.…ἔ. ἄξιον θανάτου ἢ δεσμῶν a charge deserving death or imprisonment 23:29.”

[23:29]  sn Despite the official assessment that no charge against him deserved death or imprisonment, there was no effort to release Paul.

[23:30]  ¹⁴⁵⁴ tn Grk “It being revealed to me.” The participle μηνυθείσης (mhnuqeish") has been taken temporally.

[23:30]  ¹⁴⁵⁵ tn The term translated “plot” here is a different one than the one in Acts 23:16 (see BDAG 368 s.v. ἐπιβουλή).

[23:30]  ¹⁴⁵⁶ tn Grk “the things against him.” This could be rendered as “accusations,” “grievances,” or “charges,” but since “ordered his accusers to state their accusations” sounds redundant in English, “charges” was used instead.

[23:31]  ¹⁴⁵⁷ tn BDAG 237-38 s.v. διατάσσω 2 has “κατὰ τὸ δ. αὐτοῖς in accordance w. their orders…Ac 23:31.”

[23:31]  ¹⁴⁵⁸ tn Grk “taking.” The participle ἀναλαβόντες (analabonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:31]  ¹⁴⁵⁹ sn Antipatris was a city in Judea about 35 mi (55 km) northwest of Jerusalem (about halfway to Caesarea). It was mentioned several times by Josephus (Ant. 13.15.1 [13.390]; J. W. 1.4.7 [1.99]).

[23:32]  ¹⁴⁶⁰ tn Grk “letting.” The participle ἐάσαντες (easante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:32]  ¹⁴⁶¹ tn Or “cavalrymen.”

[23:32]  ¹⁴⁶² 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.”

[23:33]  ¹⁴⁶³ tn Grk “who, coming to Caesarea.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek construction, a new sentence was begun here in the translation. The relative pronoun (“who”) has been replaced with the referent (the horsemen) in the translation for clarity.

[23:33]  ¹⁴⁶⁴ 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. It was about 30 mi (50 km) from Antipatris.

[23:33]  ¹⁴⁶⁵ tn BDAG 778 s.v. παρίστημι/παριστάνω 1.b has “present, represent – α. lit. τινά τινι someone to someone παρέστησαν τὸν Παῦλον αὐτῷ Ac 23:33.”

[23:34]  ¹⁴⁶⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the governor) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:34]  ¹⁴⁶⁷ tn Grk “having read.” The participle ἀναγνούς (anagnou") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:34]  ¹⁴⁶⁸ tn The words “the letter” are not in the Greek text but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[23:34]  ¹⁴⁶⁹ tn Grk “and asking.” The participle ἐπερωτήσας (eperwthsa") has been translated as a finite verb and καί (kai) left untranslated due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:34]  ¹⁴⁷⁰ sn Governor Felix asked what province he was from to determine whether he had legal jurisdiction over Paul. He could have sent him to his home province for trial, but decided to hear the case himself.

[23:34]  ¹⁴⁷¹ tn Grk “and learning.” The participle πυθόμενος (puqomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:34]  ¹⁴⁷² sn Cilicia was a province in northeastern Asia Minor.

[23:35]  ¹⁴⁷³ tn Or “I will hear your case.” BDAG 231 s.v. διακούω has “as legal t.t. give someone an opportunity to be heard in court, give someone (τινός) a hearing Ac 23:35”; L&N 56.13 has “to give a judicial hearing in a legal matter – ‘to hear a case, to provide a legal hearing, to hear a case in court.’”

[23:35]  ¹⁴⁷⁴ tn Grk “ordering.” The participle κελεύσας (keleusas) has been translated as a finite verb and a new sentence begun here due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence. “Then” has also been supplied to indicate the logical and temporal sequence.

[23:35]  ¹⁴⁷⁵ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[23:35]  ¹⁴⁷⁶ sn Herod’s palace (Grk “Herod’s praetorium”) was the palace built in Caesarea by Herod the Great. See Josephus, Ant. 15.9.6 (15.331). These events belong to the period of a.d. 56-57.

[24:1]  ¹⁴⁷⁷ sn Ananias was in office from a.d. 47-59.

[24:1]  ¹⁴⁷⁸ tn The term refers to a professional advocate (BDAG 905 s.v. ῥήτωρ).

[24:1]  ¹⁴⁷⁹ tn Grk “an attorney, a certain Tertullus.”

[24:1]  ¹⁴⁸⁰ tn Grk “who” (plural). Because in English the relative pronoun “who” could be understood to refer only to the attorney Tertullus and not to the entire group, it has been replaced with the third person plural pronoun “they.” “And” has been supplied to provide the connection to the preceding clause.

[24:1]  ¹⁴⁸¹ tn BDAG 326 s.v. ἐμφανίζω 3 has “ἐ. τινὶ κατά τινος bring formal charges against someone…Ac 24:1; 25:2.”

[24:2]  ¹⁴⁸² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[24:2]  ¹⁴⁸³ tn Or “began to bring charges, saying.”

[24:2]  ¹⁴⁸⁴ tn Grk “experienced much peace.”

[24:2]  ¹⁴⁸⁵ tn Grk “through you” (“rule” is implied).

[24:2]  ¹⁴⁸⁶ tn This term is used only once in the NT (a hapax legomenon). It refers to improvements in internal administration (BDAG 251 s.v. διόρθωμα).

[24:2]  ¹⁴⁸⁷ tn Or “being made for this people.”

[24:2]  ¹⁴⁸⁸ sn References to peaceful rule, reforms, and the governor’s foresight in the opening address by Tertullus represent an attempt to praise the governor and thus make him favorable to the case. Actual descriptions of his rule portray him as inept (Tacitus, Annals 12.54; Josephus, J. W. 2.13.2-7 [2.253-270]).

[24:3]  ¹⁴⁸⁹ sn Most excellent Felix. See the note on Felix in 23:24.

[24:3]  ¹⁴⁹⁰ tn Grk “in every way and everywhere.”

[24:3]  ¹⁴⁹¹ tn Or “with complete thankfulness.” BDAG 416 s.v. εὐχαριστία 1 has “μετὰ πάσης εὐ.…with all gratitude Ac 24:3.” L&N 31.26 has “‘we acknowledge this anywhere and everywhere with complete thankfulness’ Ac 24:3.”

[24:4]  ¹⁴⁹² tn Or “may not weary.” BDAG 274 s.v. ἐγκόπτω states, “ἵνα μὴ ἐπὶ πλεῖόν σε ἐγκόπτω Ac 24:4 is understood by Syr. and Armen. versions to mean in order not to weary you any further; cp. ἔγκοπος weary Diog. L. 4, 50; LXX; and ἔγκοπον ποιεῖν to weary Job 19:2; Is 43:23. But impose on is also prob.; detain NRSV.”

[24:4]  ¹⁴⁹³ tn Or “request.”

[24:4]  ¹⁴⁹⁴ tn This term is another NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 976 s.v. συντόμως 2). Tertullus was asking for a brief hearing, and implying to the governor that he would speak briefly and to the point.

[24:4]  ¹⁴⁹⁵ tn BDAG 371 s.v. ἐπιείκεια has “τῇ σῇ ἐ. with your (customary) indulgence Ac 24:4.”

[24:5]  ¹⁴⁹⁶ tn Grk “For having found.” The participle εὑρόντες (Jeurontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[24:5]  ¹⁴⁹⁷ tn L&N 22.6 has “(a figurative extension of meaning of λοιμός ‘plague,’ 23.158) one who causes all sorts of trouble – ‘troublemaker, pest.’ … ‘for we have found this man to be a troublemaker” Ac 24:5.”

[24:5]  ¹⁴⁹⁸ tn Or “dissensions.” While BDAG 940 s.v. στάσις 3 translates this phrase “κινεῖν στάσεις (v.l. στάσιν) τισί create dissension among certain people Ac 24:5,” it is better on the basis of the actual results of Paul’s ministry to categorize this usage under section 2, “uprising, riot, revolt, rebellion” (cf. the use in Acts 19:40).

[24:5]  ¹⁴⁹⁹ tn This term is yet another NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 894 s.v. πρωτοστάτης).

[24:5]  sn A ringleader. Tertullus’ basic argument was that Paul was a major disturber of the public peace. To ignore this the governor would be shunning his duty to preserve the peace and going against the pattern of his rule. In effect, Tertullus claimed that Paul was seditious (a claim the governor could not afford to ignore).

[24:5]  ¹⁵⁰⁰ sn The sect of the Nazarenes is a designation for followers of Jesus the Nazarene, that is, Christians.

[24:6]  ¹⁵⁰¹ tn Grk “who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) was replaced by the third person singular pronoun (“he”) and a new sentence begun here in the translation.

[24:6]  ¹⁵⁰² tn Or “profane” (BDAG 173 s.v. βεβηλόω). The term was also used of profaning the Sabbath.

[24:6]  ¹⁵⁰³ tn Or “seized.” Grk “whom also we arrested.” Because of the awkwardness of a relative clause in English at this point, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the pronoun “him” as object of the verb.

[24:7]  ¹⁵⁰⁴ tc Some later mss include some material at the end of v. 6, all of 24:7, and some material at the beginning of v. 8: “and we wanted to judge him according to our law. 24:7 But Lysias the commanding officer came and took him out of our hands with a great deal of violence, 24:8 ordering those who accused him to come before you.” Acts 24:6b, 7, and 8a are lacking in Ì⁷⁴ א A B H L P 049 81 1175 1241 pm and a few versional witnesses. They are included (with a few minor variations) in E Ψ 33 323 614 945 1505 1739 pm and a few versional witnesses. This verse (and parts of verses) is most likely not a part of the original text of Acts, for not only is it lacking from the better witnesses, there is no easy explanation as to how such could be missing from them. The present translation follows NA²⁷ in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.

[24:8]  ¹⁵⁰⁵ tn Or “question.”

[24:8]  ¹⁵⁰⁶ tn Grk “From whom when you examine him yourself, you will be able to learn…” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the third person singular pronoun (“him”) and a new sentence begun at the beginning of v. 8 in the translation.

[24:8]  ¹⁵⁰⁷ tn Grk “about all these things of which we are accusing him.” This has been simplified to eliminate the relative pronoun (“of which”) in the translation.

[24:9]  ¹⁵⁰⁸ tn Grk “joined in the attack,” but the adjective “verbal” has been supplied to clarify that this was not another physical assault on Paul. The verb is another NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 969 s.v. συνεπιτίθημι).

[24:9]  ¹⁵⁰⁹ tn Or “asserting” (BDAG 1050 s.v. φάσκω).

[24:10]  ¹⁵¹⁰ tn Grk “knowing.” The participle ἐπιστάμενος (epistamenos) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[24:10]  ¹⁵¹¹ sn “Because…defense.” Paul also paid an indirect compliment to the governor, implying that he would be fair in his judgment.

[24:11]  ¹⁵¹² tn BDAG 369 s.v. ἐπιγινώσκω 2.c has “notice, perceive, learn of, ascertain…Also as legal t.t. ascertain (2 Macc 14:9) τὶ Ac 23:28; cp. 24:8. W. ὅτι foll. Ac 24:11.” “Verify” is an English synonym for “ascertain.”

[24:11]  ¹⁵¹³ tn Grk “it is not more than twelve days from when.” This has been simplified to “not more than twelve days ago.”

[24:11]  sn Part of Paul’s defense is that he would not have had time to organize a revolt, since he had arrived in Jerusalem not more than twelve days ago.

[24:11]  ¹⁵¹⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[24:12]  ¹⁵¹⁵ tn Or “disputing,” “conducting a heated discussion.”

[24:12]  ¹⁵¹⁶ tn BDAG 381 s.v. ἐπίστασις 2 has “ἐ. ποιεῖν ὄχλου to cause a crowd to gather Ac 24:12.” Roman authorities would not allow a mob to gather and threaten the peace, and anyone suspected of instigating a mob would certainly be arrested.

[24:12]  ¹⁵¹⁷ tn Grk “in the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.

[24:12]  ¹⁵¹⁸ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[24:12]  ¹⁵¹⁹ sn A second part of Paul’s defense is that he did nothing while he was in Jerusalem to cause unrest, neither arguing nor stirring up a crowd in the temple courts or in the synagogues or throughout the city.

[24:13]  ¹⁵²⁰ tn BDAG 778 s.v. παρίστημι/παριστάνω 1.f has “οὐδὲ παραστῆσαι δύνανταί σοι περὶ ὧν νυνὶ κατηγοροῦσίν μου nor can they prove to you the accusations they are now making against me Ac 24:13.”

[24:13]  sn Nor can they prove. This is a formal legal claim that Paul’s opponents lacked proof of any wrongdoing. They had no witness who could justify the arrest at the temple.

[24:13]  ¹⁵²¹ tn The words “the things” 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.

[24:13]  ¹⁵²² tn Grk “nor can they prove to you [the things] about which they are now accusing me.” This has been simplified to eliminate the relative pronoun (“which”) in the translation.

[24:14]  ¹⁵²³ tn Or “serve.”

[24:14]  ¹⁵²⁴ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[24:14]  ¹⁵²⁵ sn That is, the law of Moses. Paul was claiming that he legitimately worshiped the God of Israel. He was arguing that this amounted to a religious dispute rather than a political one, so that the Roman authorities need not concern themselves with it.

[24:15]  ¹⁵²⁶ tn Grk “having.” The participle ἔχων (ecwn) has been translated as a finite verb and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence.

[24:15]  ¹⁵²⁷ sn This mention of Paul’s hope sets up his appeal to the resurrection of the dead. At this point Paul was ignoring the internal Jewish dispute between the Pharisees (to which he had belonged) and the Sadducees (who denied there would be a resurrection of the dead).

[24:15]  ¹⁵²⁸ tn Grk “a hope in God (which these [men] themselves accept too).” Because the antecedent of the relative pronoun “which” is somewhat unclear in English, the words “a hope” have been repeated at the beginning of the parenthesis for clarity.

[24:15]  ¹⁵²⁹ tn Grk “that they”; the referent (these men, Paul’s accusers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:15]  ¹⁵³⁰ tn Or “the unjust.”

[24:15]  sn This is the only mention of the resurrection of the unrighteous in Acts. The idea parallels the idea of Jesus as the judge of both the living and the dead (Acts 10:42; 17:31).

[24:16]  ¹⁵³¹ tn BDAG 329 s.v. ἐν 9.a, “ἐν τούτῳ πιστεύομεν this is the reason why we believe Jn 16:30; cp. Ac 24:16.”

[24:16]  ¹⁵³² tn BDAG 224 s.v. διά 2.a, “διὰ παντός…always, continually, constantly…Ac 2:25 (Ps 15:8); 10:2; 24:16.” However, the positioning of the adverb “always” in the English translation is difficult; the position used is one of the least awkward.

[24:16]  ¹⁵³³ tn BDAG 125 s.v. ἀπρόσκοπος 1 has “ἀ. συνείδησις a clear conscience Ac 24:16.”

[24:16]  ¹⁵³⁴ tn Grk “men,” but this is a generic use (Paul does not have only males in view).

[24:17]  ¹⁵³⁵ tn BDAG 401 s.v. ἔτος has “δι᾿ ἐ. πλειόνων after several years 24:17.”

[24:17]  ¹⁵³⁶ tn Grk “to bring alms,” but the term “alms” is not in common use today, so the closest modern equivalent, “gifts for the poor,” is used instead.

[24:17]  ¹⁵³⁷ tn Or “sacrifices.” BDAG 887 s.v. προσφορά 1 has “προσφοράς ποιεῖν have sacrifices made Ac 24:17,” but this may be overly specific. It is not clear from the immediate context whether the offering of sacrificial animals (so BDAG assumes) or offerings of some other sort (such as financial gifts) are in view. The combination with ἐλεημοσύνας (elehmosuna") in the preceding clause may suggest monetary offerings. Some have suggested this is an allusion to the payments made by Paul on behalf of the four other men mentioned in Acts 21:23-26, but the text here seems to suggest something Paul had planned to do before he came, while the decision to pay for the expenses of the men in 21:23ff. was made at the suggestion of the Jerusalem leadership after he arrived. In either case, Paul was portraying himself as a pious worshiper of his God.

[24:18]  ¹⁵³⁸ sn Ritually purified. Paul’s claim here is that he was honoring the holiness of God by being sensitive to issues of ritual purity. Not only was he not guilty of the charges against him, but he was thoroughly devout.

[24:18]  ¹⁵³⁹ tn BDAG 458 s.v. θόρυβος 3.b has “μετὰ θορύβου…with a disturbance Ac 24:18.”

[24:19]  ¹⁵⁴⁰ 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.

[24:19]  ¹⁵⁴¹ tn BDAG 533 s.v. κατηγορέω 1 states, “nearly always as legal t.t.: bring charges in court.” L&N 33.427 states for κατηγορέω (kathgorew), “to bring serious charges or accusations against someone, with the possible connotation of a legal or court context – ‘to accuse, to bring charges.’”

[24:19]  sn Who should be here…and bring charges. Paul was asking, where were those who brought about his arrest and claimed he broke the law? His accusers were not really present. This subtle point raised the issue of injustice.

[24:20]  ¹⁵⁴² tn Grk “these [men] themselves.”

[24:20]  ¹⁵⁴³ tn Or “unrighteous act.”

[24:20]  ¹⁵⁴⁴ tn The words “me guilty of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. L&N 88.23 has “αὐτοὶ οὗτοι εἰπάτωσαν τί εὗρον ἀδίκημα στάντος μου ‘let these men themselves tell what unrighteous act they found me guilty of’ Ac 24:20.”

[24:20]  ¹⁵⁴⁵ tn Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[24:21]  ¹⁵⁴⁶ tn BDAG 433 s.v. ἤ 2.c has “οὐδὲν ἕτερον ἤ nothing else than…Ac 17:21. τί…ἤ what other…than…24:21.”

[24:21]  ¹⁵⁴⁷ tn Grk “one utterance.”

[24:21]  ¹⁵⁴⁸ tn Cf. BDAG 327 s.v. ἐν 1.e, which has “before, in the presence of, etc.”

[24:21]  ¹⁵⁴⁹ sn The resurrection of the dead. Paul’s point was, what crime was there in holding this religious belief?

[24:22]  ¹⁵⁵⁰ sn See the note on Antonius Felix in 23:24.

[24:22]  ¹⁵⁵¹ tn Grk “the things.”

[24:22]  ¹⁵⁵² tn That is, concerning Christianity.

[24:22]  ¹⁵⁵³ tn BDAG 39 s.v. ἀκριβῶς has “Comp. ἀκριβέστερον more exactly…ἀ. ἐκτίθεσθαι explain more exactly Ac 18:26, cp. 23:15, 20; also more accurately…24:22.” Felix knew more about the Christian movement than what the Jewish leaders had told him.

[24:22]  ¹⁵⁵⁴ tn L&N 56.18 s.v. ἀναβάλλω has “to adjourn a court proceeding until a later time – ‘to adjourn a hearing, to stop a hearing and put it off until later.’…‘then Felix, who was well informed about the Way, adjourned their hearing’ Ac 24:22.”

[24:22]  ¹⁵⁵⁵ tn BDAG 227 s.v. διαγινώσκω 2 states, “to make a judicial decision, decide/hear (a case)…τὰ καθ᾿ ὑμᾶς decide your case Ac 24:22.”

[24:23]  ¹⁵⁵⁶ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[24:23]  ¹⁵⁵⁷ tn Grk “that he was to be guarded.” The passive construction (τηρεῖσθαι, threisqai) has been converted to an active one in parallel with the following clauses, and the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:23]  ¹⁵⁵⁸ tn BDAG 77 s.v. ἄνεσις 1 states, “lit. relaxation of custodial control, some liberty, ἀ. ἔχειν have some freedom Ac 24:23.”

[24:23]  ¹⁵⁵⁹ tn Grk “any of his own” (this could also refer to relatives).

[24:23]  ¹⁵⁶⁰ tn Grk “from serving him.”

[24:24]  ¹⁵⁶¹ sn See the note on Antonius Felix in 23:24.

[24:24]  ¹⁵⁶² sn It is possible that Drusilla, being Jewish, was the source of Felix’s knowledge about the new movement called Christianity. The youngest daughter of Herod Agrippa I and sister of Agrippa II, she would have been close to 20 years old at the time. She had married the king of a small region in Syria but divorced him at the age of 16 to marry Felix. This was her second marriage and Felix’s third (Josephus, Ant. 19.9.1 [19.354], 20.7.2 [20.141-144]). As a member of Herod’s family, she probably knew about the Way.

[24:24]  ¹⁵⁶³ tn The word “speak” is implied; BDAG 32 s.v. ἀκούω 1.c has “ἤκουσεν αὐτοῦ περὶ τῆς…πίστεως he heard him speak about faith Ac 24:24.”

[24:24]  ¹⁵⁶⁴ tn Or “Messiah Jesus”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[24:25]  ¹⁵⁶⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:25]  ¹⁵⁶⁶ tn Or “speaking about.”

[24:25]  ¹⁵⁶⁷ tn Grk “and self-control.” 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.

[24:25]  sn The topic of self-control was appropriate in view of the personal history of both Felix and Drusilla (see the note on “Drusilla” in the previous verse), and might well account for Felix’s anxiety.

[24:25]  ¹⁵⁶⁸ sn See the note on Felix in 23:26.

[24:25]  ¹⁵⁶⁹ tn Grk “becoming.” The participle γενόμενος (genomenos) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[24:25]  ¹⁵⁷⁰ tn Or “when I find time.” BDAG 639 s.v. μεταλαμβάνω 2 has “καιρὸν μ. have an opportunity = find time…Ac 24:25.”

[24:26]  ¹⁵⁷¹ tn Grk “he was hoping that money would be given to him by Paul.” To simplify the translation, the passive construction has been converted to an active one.

[24:26]  sn Would give him money. That is, would offer him a bribe in exchange for his release. Such practices were fairly common among Roman officials of the period (Josephus, Ant. 2.12.3 [2.272-274]).

[24:26]  ¹⁵⁷² tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:26]  ¹⁵⁷³ tn “As often as possible” reflects the comparative form of the adjective πυκνός (puknos); see BDAG 897 s.v. πυκνός, which has “Neut. of the comp. πυκνότερον as adv. more often, more frequently and in an elative sense very often, quite frequently…also as often as possible…Ac 24:26.”

[24:26]  ¹⁵⁷⁴ tn On this term, which could mean “conferred with him,” see BDAG 705 s.v. ὁμιλέω.

[24:27]  ¹⁵⁷⁵ tn Grk “After a two-year period.”

[24:27]  ¹⁵⁷⁶ sn Porcius Festus was the procurator of Palestine who succeeded Felix; neither the beginning nor the end of his rule (at his death) can be determined with certainty, although he appears to have died in office after about two years. Nero recalled Felix in a.d. 57 or 58, and Festus was appointed to his vacant office in a.d. 57, 58, or 59. According to Josephus (Ant. 20.8.9-10 [20.182-188]; J. W. 2.14.1 [2.271-272]), his administration was better than that of his predecessor Felix or his successor Albinus, but Luke in Acts portrays him in a less favorable light: He was willing to sacrifice Paul to court Jewish favor by taking him to Jerusalem for trial (v. 9), regardless of Paul’s guilt or innocence. The one characteristic for which Festus was noted is that he dealt harshly with those who disturbed the peace.

[24:27]  ¹⁵⁷⁷ tn Grk “Felix received as successor Porcius Festus.”

[24:27]  sn See the note on Felix in 23:26.

[24:27]  ¹⁵⁷⁸ tn Grk “left Paul imprisoned.”

[24:27]  sn Felix left Paul in prison. Luke makes the point that politics got in the way of justice here; keeping Paul in prison was a political favor to the Jews.

[25:1]  ¹⁵⁷⁹ tn BDAG 736-37 s.v. οὖν 2.b states, “οὖν serves to indicate a transition to someth. new…now, then, well…Ac 25:1.”

[25:1]  ¹⁵⁸⁰ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[25:1]  ¹⁵⁸¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[25:1]  ¹⁵⁸² 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 journey of 65 mi (just over 100 km).

[25:1]  map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[25:2]  ¹⁵⁸³ tn BDAG 893-94 s.v. πρῶτος 2.a.β has “οἱ πρῶτοι the most prominent men, the leading men w. gen. of the place…or of a group…οἱ πρ. τοῦ λαοῦ…Lk 19:47; cp. Ac 25:2; 28:17.”

[25:2]  ¹⁵⁸⁴ tn BDAG 326 s.v. ἐμφανίζω 3 has “ἐ. τινὶ κατά τινος bring formal charges against someone…Ac 24:1; 25:2.”

[25:2]  sn Note how quickly the Jewish leadership went after Paul: They brought formal charges against him within three days of Festus’ arrival in the province.

[25:3]  ¹⁵⁸⁵ tn Grk “Requesting a favor against him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation, the understood direct object of “requesting” has been supplied, and the phrase “to do them” supplied for clarity.

[25:3]  ¹⁵⁸⁶ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Festus) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The words “they urged him” are in v. 2 in the Greek text.

[25:3]  ¹⁵⁸⁷ sn Planning an ambush. The Jewish leadership had not forgotten the original plan of several years ago (see 23:16). They did not trust the Roman legal process, but preferred to take matters into their own hands.

[25:4]  ¹⁵⁸⁸ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[25:4]  ¹⁵⁸⁹ 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.

[25:4]  ¹⁵⁹⁰ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[25:5]  ¹⁵⁹¹ tn Grk “let those who are influential among you” (i.e., the powerful).

[25:5]  ¹⁵⁹² tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[25:5]  ¹⁵⁹³ tn Grk “and if there is anything wrong with this man,” but this could be misunderstood in English to mean a moral or physical defect, while the issue in context is the commission of some crime, something legally improper (BDAG 149 s.v. ἄτοπος 2).

[25:5]  ¹⁵⁹⁴ tn BDAG 533 s.v. κατηγορέω 1 states, “nearly always as legal t.t.: bring charges in court.” L&N 33.427 states for κατηγορέω, “to bring serious charges or accusations against someone, with the possible connotation of a legal or court context – ‘to accuse, to bring charges.”

[25:6]  ¹⁵⁹⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Festus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[25:6]  ¹⁵⁹⁶ tn Grk “Having stayed.” The participle διατρίψας (diatriya") has been taken temporally.

[25:6]  ¹⁵⁹⁷ 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.

[25:6]  map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[25:6]  ¹⁵⁹⁸ tn Grk “sitting down…he ordered.” The participle καθίσας (kaqisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[25:6]  ¹⁵⁹⁹ 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), since the bhma was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here.

[25:6]  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.

[25:7]  ¹⁶⁰⁰ tn BDAG 801 s.v. περιίστημι 1.a has “περιέστησαν αὐτὸν οἱ ᾿Ιουδαῖοι the Judeans stood around him 25:7.”

[25:7]  ¹⁶⁰¹ tn Grk “many and serious.” The term βαρύς (barus) refers to weighty or serious charges (BDAG 167 s.v. 1).

[25:7]  ¹⁶⁰² tn The term ἀποδείκνυμι (apodeiknumi) in a legal context refers to legal proof (4 Macc 1:8; BDAG 108 s.v. 3).

[25:8]  ¹⁶⁰³ tn Grk “Paul saying in his defense”; the participle ἀπολογουμένου (apologoumenou) could be taken temporally (“when Paul said…”), but due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the participle was translated as a finite verb and a new sentence begun here in the translation. BDAG 116-17 s.v. ἀπολογέομαι has “W. ὅτι foll. τοῦ Παύλου ἀπολογουμένου, ὅτι when Paul said in his defense (direct quot. foll.) Ac 25:8.”

[25:8]  ¹⁶⁰⁴ tn Grk “I have sinned…in nothing.”

[25:8]  ¹⁶⁰⁵ tn Grk “against the law of the Jews.” Here τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[25:8]  sn The Jewish law refers to the law of Moses.

[25:8]  ¹⁶⁰⁶ tn Or “against the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[25:8]  sn Paul’s threefold claim to be innocent with respect to the law…the temple and Caesar argues that he has not disturbed the peace at any level. This was the standard charge made against early Christians (Luke 23:2; Acts 17:6-7). The charges here are emphatically denied, with the Greek conjunction oute repeated before each charge.

[25:9]  ¹⁶⁰⁷ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[25:9]  ¹⁶⁰⁸ tn Or “stand trial.”

[25:9]  ¹⁶⁰⁹ tn Grk “concerning these things.”

[25:10]  ¹⁶¹⁰ tn Grk “said.”

[25:10]  ¹⁶¹¹ tn Or “before the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[25:10]  ¹⁶¹² 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), since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here. Here of course Paul’s reference to “Caesar’s judgment seat” is a form of metonymy; since Festus is Caesar’s representative, Festus’ judgment seat represents Caesar’s own.

[25:10]  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.

[25:10]  ¹⁶¹³ tn That is, tried by an imperial representative and subject to Roman law.

[25:10]  ¹⁶¹⁴ sn “I have done nothing wrong.” Here is yet another declaration of total innocence on Paul’s part.

[25:10]  ¹⁶¹⁵ tn BDAG 506 s.v. καλῶς 7 states, “comp. κάλλιον (for the superl., as Galen, Protr. 8 p. 24, 19J.=p. 10, 31 Kaibel; s. B-D-F §244, 2) ὡς καί σὺ κ. ἐπιγινώσκεις as also you know very well Ac 25:10.”

[25:11]  ¹⁶¹⁶ tn BDAG 20 s.v. ἀδικέω 1.b has “intr. be in the wrong (Ex 2:13) εἰ ἀδικῶ Ac 25:11.”

[25:11]  ¹⁶¹⁷ tn BDAG 764 s.v. παραιτέομαι 2.b.β, “οὐ παραιτοῦμαι τὸ ἀποθανεῖν I am not trying to escape death Ac 25:11 (cp. Jos., Vi. 141).” To avoid redundancy in the translation, the English gerund “dying” is used to translate the Greek infinitive ἀποθανεῖν (apoqanein).

[25:11]  ¹⁶¹⁸ tn Or “but if there is nothing to their charges against me.” Both “if” clauses in this verse are first class conditions. Paul stated the options without prejudice, assuming in turn the reality of each for the sake of the argument.

[25:11]  ¹⁶¹⁹ sn That is, no one can hand me over to them lawfully. Paul was aware of the dangers of a return to Jerusalem.

[25:11]  ¹⁶²⁰ tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[25:11]  sn The appeal to Caesar was known as the provocatio ad Caesarem. It was a Roman citizen’s right to ask for a direct judgment by the emperor (Pliny the Younger, Letters 10.96). It was one of the oldest rights of Roman citizens.

[25:12]  ¹⁶²¹ tn That is, with his advisers.

[25:12]  ¹⁶²² sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[25:12]  ¹⁶²³ tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[25:12]  ¹⁶²⁴ tn Or “to the emperor.”

[25:12]  ¹⁶²⁵ sn “To Caesar you will go!” In all probability Festus was pleased to send Paul on to Rome and get this political problem out of his court.

[25:13]  ¹⁶²⁶ sn King Agrippa was Herod Agrippa II (a.d. 27-92/93), son of Herod Agrippa I (see Acts 12:1). He ruled over parts of Palestine from a.d. 53 until his death. His sister Bernice was widowed when her second husband, Herod King of Chalcis, died in a.d. 48. From then she lived with her brother. In an attempt to quiet rumors of an incestuous relationship between them, she resolved to marry Polemo of Cilicia, but she soon left him and returned to Herod Agrippa II. Their incestuous relationship became the gossip of Rome according to Josephus (Ant. 20.7.3 [20.145-147]). The visit of Agrippa and Bernice gave Festus the opportunity to get some internal Jewish advice. Herod Agrippa II was a trusted adviser because he was known to be very loyal to Rome (Josephus, J. W. 2.16.4 [2.345-401]).

[25:13]  ¹⁶²⁷ 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.

[25:13]  map For location see Map2 C1; Map4 B3; Map5 F2; Map7 A1; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[25:13]  ¹⁶²⁸ tn BDAG 144 s.v. ἀσπάζομαι 1.b states, “Of official visits pay one’s respects to…Ac 25:13.”

[25:13]  ¹⁶²⁹ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[25:14]  ¹⁶³⁰ tn BDAG 1105-6 s.v. ὡς 8.b states, “w. pres. or impf. while, when, as long as…Ac 1:10; 7:23; 9:23; 10:17; 13:25; 19:9; 21:27; 25:14.”

[25:14]  ¹⁶³¹ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[25:14]  ¹⁶³² tn Grk “Festus laid Paul’s case before the king for consideration.” BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατίθημι 2 states, “otherw. only mid. to lay someth. before someone for consideration, declare, communicate, refer w. the added idea that the pers. to whom a thing is ref. is asked for his opinion lay someth. before someone for consideration…Ac 25:14.”

[25:15]  ¹⁶³³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[25:15]  ¹⁶³⁴ tn BDAG 326 s.v. ἐμφανίζω 3 has “to convey a formal report about a judicial matter, present evidence, bring charges…ἐ. περί τινος concerning someone 25:15.”

[25:15]  ¹⁶³⁵ tn Grk “about whom.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced with a personal pronoun (“him”) and a new sentence started in the translation at the beginning of v. 15 (where the phrase περὶ οὗ [peri Jou] occurs in the Greek text).

[25:15]  ¹⁶³⁶ tn BDAG 516 s.v. καταδίκη states, “condemnation, sentence of condemnation, conviction, guilty verdict…αἰτεῖσθαι κατά τινος κ. ask for a conviction of someone Ac 25:15.”

[25:16]  ¹⁶³⁷ tn Grk “to whom I answered.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced with a personal pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence started in the translation at the beginning of v. 16.

[25:16]  sn “I answered them.” In the answer that follows, Festus is portrayed in a more positive light, being sensitive to justice and Roman law.

[25:16]  ¹⁶³⁸ tn Grk “any man.” This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpos).

[25:16]  ¹⁶³⁹ tn Or “has met his accusers in person.”

[25:16]  ¹⁶⁴⁰ tn Grk “and receives.”

[25:16]  ¹⁶⁴¹ tn Or “indictment” (a legal technical term). BDAG 273-74 s.v. ἔγκλημα 1 states, “legal t.t.…ἀπολογία περὶ τοῦ ἐ. defense against the accusation Ac 25:16.” L&N 56.6 defines ἔγκλημα (enklhma) as “(a technical, legal term) a formal indictment or accusation brought against someone – ‘indictment, accusation, case.’ …‘and might receive an opportunity for a defense against the indictment’ Ac 25:16.”

[25:17]  ¹⁶⁴² tn BDAG 969-70 s.v. συνέρχομαι 2 states, “συνελθόντων ἐνθάδε prob. means (because of συνκαταβάντες 25:5) they came back here with (me) 25:17.”

[25:17]  ¹⁶⁴³ tn BDAG 59 s.v. ἀναβολή states, “‘delay’…legal t.t. postponement…ἀ. μηδεμίαν ποιησάμενος I did not postpone the matter Ac 25:17.” “Case” has been supplied instead of “matter” since it is more specific to the context. The participle ποιησάμενος (poihsameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[25:17]  ¹⁶⁴⁴ tn Grk “sitting…I ordered.” The participle καθίσας (kaqisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[25:17]  ¹⁶⁴⁵ 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), since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here.

[25:17]  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.

[25:18]  ¹⁶⁴⁶ tn Grk “they brought no charge of any of the evil deeds.” BDAG 31 s.v. αἰτία 3.b has “αἰτίαν φέρειν…bring an accusation Ac 25:18.” Since κατήγοροι (kathgoroi, “accusers”) in the previous clause is somewhat redundant with this, “charge” was used instead.

[25:18]  ¹⁶⁴⁷ tn Or “I was expecting.”

[25:19]  ¹⁶⁴⁸ tn Grk “several controversial issues.” BDAG 428 s.v. ζήτημα states, “in our lit. only in Ac, w. the mng. it still has in Mod. Gk. (controversial) question, issue, argument…Ac 15:2; 26:3. ζ. περί τινος questions about someth.…18:15; 25:19.”

[25:19]  ¹⁶⁴⁹ tn On this term see BDAG 216 s.v. δεισιδαιμονία 2. It is a broad term for religion.

[25:19]  sn About their own religion. Festus made it clear that in his view as a neutral figure (and as one Luke had noted was disposed to help the Jews), he saw no guilt in Paul. The issue was a simple religious dispute.

[25:19]  ¹⁶⁵⁰ tn Grk “a certain Jesus.”

[25:19]  ¹⁶⁵¹ tn Or “asserted.”

[25:20]  ¹⁶⁵² tn Or “Because I was undecided.” Grk “Being at a loss.” The participle ἀπορούμενος (aporoumeno") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[25:20]  ¹⁶⁵³ tn L&N 27.34 states, “ἀπορούμενος δὲ ἐγὼ τὴν περὶ τούτων ζήτησιν ‘I was undecided about how I could get information on these matters’ Ac 25:20. The clause ‘about how I could get information on these matters’ may also be rendered as ‘about how I should try to find out about these matters’ or ‘about how I could learn about these matters.’”

[25:20]  ¹⁶⁵⁴ tn Or “stand trial.”

[25:20]  ¹⁶⁵⁵ tn Grk “on these things.”

[25:21]  ¹⁶⁵⁶ tn A designation of the Roman emperor (in this case, Nero). BDAG 917 s.v. σεβαστός states, “ὁ Σεβαστός His Majesty the Emperor Ac 25:21, 25 (of Nero).” It was a translation into Greek of the Latin “Augustus.”

[25:21]  ¹⁶⁵⁷ tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[25:22]  ¹⁶⁵⁸ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[25:22]  ¹⁶⁵⁹ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[25:22]  ¹⁶⁶⁰ tn Grk “said.”

[25:23]  ¹⁶⁶¹ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[25:23]  ¹⁶⁶² tn Or “great pageantry” (BDAG 1049 s.v. φαντασία; the term is a NT hapax legomenon).

[25:23]  sn Agrippa and Bernice came with great pomp. The “royals” were getting their look at Paul. Everyone who was anyone would have been there.

[25:23]  ¹⁶⁶³ tn Or “auditorium.” “Auditorium” may suggest to the modern English reader a theater where performances are held. Here it is the large hall where a king or governor would hold audiences. Paul once spoke of himself as a “spectacle” to the world (1 Cor 4:8-13).

[25:23]  ¹⁶⁶⁴ tn Grk “the chiliarchs” (officers 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.

[25:23]  ¹⁶⁶⁵ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[25:23]  ¹⁶⁶⁶ tn Grk “and Festus ordering, Paul was brought in.” 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. The participle κελεύσαντος (keleusanto") has been taken temporally.

[25:24]  ¹⁶⁶⁷ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[25:24]  ¹⁶⁶⁸ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[25:24]  ¹⁶⁶⁹ tn Probably best understood as rhetorical hyperbole. BDAG 825 s.v. πλῆθος 2.b.γ states, “people, populace, population…τὸ πλῆθος the populace…ἅπαν τὸ πλ. τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων Ac 25:24.” However, the actions of the leadership are seen by Luke as representing the actions of the entire nation, so the remark is not inaccurate.

[25:24]  ¹⁶⁷⁰ tn Or “appealed to” (BDAG 341 s.v. ἐντυγχάνω 1.a).

[25:24]  ¹⁶⁷¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[25:24]  ¹⁶⁷² sn Here means “here in Caesarea.”

[25:24]  ¹⁶⁷³ tn Or “screaming.”

[25:25]  ¹⁶⁷⁴ sn He had done nothing that deserved death. Festus’ opinion of Paul’s guilt is like Pilate’s of Jesus (Luke 23:4, 14, 22).

[25:25]  ¹⁶⁷⁵ tn The participle ἐπικαλεσαμένου (epikalesamenou) has been taken temporally. It could also be translated as causal: “and because he appealed…”

[25:25]  ¹⁶⁷⁶ tn A designation of the Roman emperor (in this case, Nero). BDAG 917 s.v. σεβαστός states, “ὁ Σεβαστός His Majesty the Emperor Ac 25:21, 25 (of Nero).”

[25:25]  ¹⁶⁷⁷ 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.

[25:26]  ¹⁶⁷⁸ sn There is irony here. How can Festus write anything definite about Paul, if he is guilty of nothing.

[25:26]  ¹⁶⁷⁹ sn To my lord means “to His Majesty the Emperor.”

[25:26]  ¹⁶⁸⁰ tn Grk “about whom I have nothing definite…” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced with a personal pronoun (“him”) and a new sentence begun in the translation at the beginning of v. 26.

[25:26]  ¹⁶⁸¹ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[25:26]  ¹⁶⁸² tn Or “investigation.” BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνάκρισις has “a judicial hearing, investigation, hearing, esp. preliminary hearing…τῆς ἀ. γενομένης Ac 25:26.” This is technical legal language.

[25:27]  ¹⁶⁸³ tn L&N 33.153 s.v. σημαίνω, “to cause something to be both specific and clear – ‘to indicate clearly, to make clear’… ‘for it seems unreasonable to me to send a prisoner without clearly indicating the charges against him’ Ac 25:27.”

[25:27]  sn Without clearly indicating the charges against him. Again the point is made by Festus himself that there is difficulty even in articulating a charge against Paul.

[26:1]  ¹⁶⁸⁴ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:1]  ¹⁶⁸⁵ tn Grk “It is permitted for you.”

[26:1]  ¹⁶⁸⁶ tn Or “extended his hand” (a speaker’s gesture).

[26:1]  ¹⁶⁸⁷ tn Or “and began to speak in his own defense.”

[26:2]  ¹⁶⁸⁸ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:3]  ¹⁶⁸⁹ tn BDAG 613 s.v. μάλιστα 1 states, “μ. γνώστην ὄντα σε since you are outstandingly familiar Ac 26:3.”

[26:3]  ¹⁶⁹⁰ tn Grk “several controversial issues.” BDAG 428 s.v. ζήτημα states, “in our lit. only in Ac, w. the mng. it still has in Mod. Gk. (controversial) question, issue, argument…Ac 15:2; 26:3. ζ. περί τινος questions about someth.…18:15; 25:19.”

[26:3]  ¹⁶⁹¹ tn BDAG 218 s.v. δέομαι states, “In our lit. only w. the mng. to ask for something pleadingly, ask, request,” and then in section a.α states, “w. inf. foll.…Ac 26:3.”

[26:4]  ¹⁶⁹² tn Grk “my manner of life.”

[26:4]  ¹⁶⁹³ tn Or “nation.”

[26:4]  ¹⁶⁹⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[26:5]  ¹⁶⁹⁵ tn These words are repeated from v. 4 (“all the Jews know”). Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, it was necessary to begin a new sentence at the beginning of v. 5 in the translation, but for this to make sense, the main verb ἵσασι ({isasi) has to be repeated to connect with the ὅτι (Joti) clause (indirect discourse) in v. 5.

[26:5]  ¹⁶⁹⁶ tn Grk “having known me from time past.” The participle προγινώσκοντες (proginwskonte") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[26:5]  ¹⁶⁹⁷ tn BDAG 866 s.v. προγινώσκω 2 has “Know from time past…προγινώσκοντές με ἄνωθεν Ac 26:5.” L&N 28.6 states, “‘they have already known me beforehand, if they are willing to testify’ Ac 26:5.”

[26:5]  ¹⁶⁹⁸ tn That is, strictest religious party. “Party” alone is used in the translation because “the strictest religious party of our religion” would be redundant.

[26:5]  ¹⁶⁹⁹ sn See the note on Pharisee in 5:34.

[26:6]  ¹⁷⁰⁰ tn BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.a.α has “κρίνεσθαι ἐπί τινι be on trial because of a thing Ac 26:6.”

[26:6]  ¹⁷⁰¹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[26:7]  ¹⁷⁰² tn Grk “to which [promise] our twelve tribes…” The antecedent of the relative pronoun (the promise in v. 6) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:7]  ¹⁷⁰³ tn Or “earnestly worship.” The object of this service, God, is omitted but implied: BDAG 587 s.v. λατρεύω states, “Without the dat. of the one to whom service is given: ἐν ἐκτενείᾳ νύκτα κ. ἡμέραν λ. serve (God) earnestly night and day Ac 26:7.” Although clear from the context in Greek, “God” must be supplied as the recipient of the service for the modern English reader.

[26:7]  ¹⁷⁰⁴ tn Grk “I am being accused by the Jews.” The passive construction was simplified by converting it to an active one in the translation.

[26:7]  ¹⁷⁰⁵ tn Grk “O King!”

[26:8]  ¹⁷⁰⁶ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate that the second person pronoun (“you”) is plural (others in addition to King Agrippa are being addressed).

[26:8]  ¹⁷⁰⁷ tn BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 3 states, “τί ἄπιστον κρίνεται παρ᾿ ὑμῖν; why do you think it is incredible? Ac 26:8.” The passive construction (“why is it thought unbelievable…”) has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation.

[26:8]  ¹⁷⁰⁸ tn Or “incredible.” BDAG 103 s.v. ἄπιστος 1 states, “unbelievable, incredible…τί ἄπιστον κρίνεται παρ᾿ ὑμῖν…; why does it seem incredible to you? Ac 26:8.”

[26:8]  ¹⁷⁰⁹ tn Grk “if.” The first-class conditional construction, which assumes reality for the sake of argument, has been translated as indirect discourse.

[26:9]  ¹⁷¹⁰ tn BDAG 737 s.v. οὖν 3 states, “It has been proposed that some traces of older Gk. usage in which οὖν is emphatic, = certainly, really, to be sure etc. (s. L-S-J-M s.v. 1) remain in the pap…and in the NT…indeed, of course Ac 26:9.”

[26:9]  ¹⁷¹¹ tn Grk “I thought to myself.” BDAG 255 s.v. δοκέω 2.a has “ἔδοξα ἐμαυτῷ δεῖν πρᾶξαι = Lat. mihi videbar I was convinced that it was necessary to do Ac 26:9.”

[26:10]  ¹⁷¹² tn Grk “by receiving authority.” The participle λαβών (labwn) has been taken instrumentally.

[26:10]  ¹⁷¹³ tn Grk “cast down a pebble against them.” L&N 30.103 states, “(an idiom, Grk ‘to bring a pebble against someone,’ a reference to a white or black pebble used in voting for or against someone) to make known one’s choice against someone – ‘to vote against.’ …‘when they were sentenced to death, I also voted against them’ Ac 26:10.”

[26:10]  ¹⁷¹⁴ tn Grk “when they were being executed”; but the context supports the sentencing rather than the execution itself (cf. L&N 30.103).

[26:11]  ¹⁷¹⁵ tn Grk “and punishing…I tried.” The participle τιμωρῶν (timwrwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. 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.

[26:11]  ¹⁷¹⁶ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[26:11]  ¹⁷¹⁷ tn The imperfect verb ἠνάγκαζον (hnankazon) has been translated as a conative imperfect (so BDAG 60 s.v. ἀναγκάζω 1, which has “ἠνάγκαζον βλασφημεῖν I tried to force them to blaspheme Ac 26:11”).

[26:11]  ¹⁷¹⁸ tn Or “was so insanely angry with them.” BDAG 322 s.v. ἐμμαίνομαι states, “to be filled with such anger that one appears to be mad, be enraged…περισσῶς ἐμμαινόμενος αὐτοῖς being furiously enraged at them Ac 26:11”; L&N 88.182 s.v. ἐμμαίνομαι, “to be so furiously angry with someone as to be almost out of one’s mind – ‘to be enraged, to be infuriated, to be insanely angry’ …‘I was so infuriated with them that I even went to foreign cities to persecute them’ Ac 26:11.”

[26:11]  ¹⁷¹⁹ tn Or “I pursued them even as far as foreign cities.”

[26:12]  ¹⁷²⁰ tn Grk “in which [activity].” Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started at the beginning of v. 12 in the translation. The referent of the relative pronoun (“which”) was specified as “this very thing” for clarity.

[26:12]  ¹⁷²¹ tn Grk “going.” The participle πορευόμενος (poreuomenos) has been taken temporally.

[26:12]  ¹⁷²² tn L&N 37.40 s.v. ἐπιτροπή states, “the full authority to carry out an assignment or commission – ‘authority, complete power.’ πορευόμενος εἰς τὴν Δαμασκὸν μετ᾿ ἐξουσίας καὶ ἐπιτροπῆς τῶν ἀρχιερέων ‘going to Damascus with authority and complete power from the high priests’ Ac 26:12. In Ac 26:12 the combination of ἐξουσία and ἐπιτροπή serves to reinforce the sense of complete authority.”

[26:13]  ¹⁷²³ tn Grk “O King.”

[26:13]  ¹⁷²⁴ tn Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[26:13]  ¹⁷²⁵ tn The word “everywhere” has been supplied in the translation to clarify the meaning of περιλάμψαν (perilamyan). Otherwise the modern reader might think that each of the individuals were encircled by lights or halos. See also Acts 9:7; 22:6, 9.

[26:14]  ¹⁷²⁶ tn Grk “in the Hebrew language.” See Acts 22:7 and 9:4.

[26:14]  ¹⁷²⁷ tn Grk “It is hard for you.”

[26:14]  ¹⁷²⁸ tn “Goads” are pointed sticks used to direct a draft animal (an idiom for stubborn resistance). See BDAG 539-40 s.v. κέντρον 2.

[26:14]  sn Sayings which contain the imagery used here (kicking against the goads) were also found in Greek writings; see Pindar, Pythians 2.94-96; Euripides, Bacchae 795.

[26:15]  ¹⁷²⁹ tn Grk “said.”

[26:16]  ¹⁷³⁰ tn L&N 30.89 has “‘to choose in advance, to select beforehand, to designate in advance.’”

[26:16]  ¹⁷³¹ sn As a servant and witness. The commission is similar to Acts 1:8 and Luke 1:2. Paul was now an “eyewitness” of the Lord.

[26:16]  ¹⁷³² tn BDAG 719 s.v. ὁράω A.1.b states, “W. attraction of the relative ὧν = τούτων ἅ Lk 9:36; Ac 22:15. The attraction may be due to colloq. breviloquence in μάρτυρα ὧν τε εἶδες με ὧν τε ὀφθήσομαί σοι a witness to the things in which you saw me and to those in which I shall appear to you Ac 26:16b.”

[26:16]  ¹⁷³³ tc ‡ Some mss read “of the things in which you have seen me.” The accusative object με (me, “me”) is found after εἶδές (eide") in B C*^vid 614 945 1175 1505 1739 1891 2464 pc sy sa; it is lacking in Ì⁷⁴ א A C² E Ψ 096 Ï latt bo. The external evidence is relatively evenly divided, though there is a slight preference for the omission. NA²⁷ includes the word in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

[26:17]  ¹⁷³⁴ tn Grk “rescuing.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the participle ἐξαιρούμενος (exairoumeno") has been translated as a finite verb and a new sentence started in the translation at the beginning of v. 17.

[26:17]  ¹⁷³⁵ tn That is, from the Jewish people. Grk “the people”; the words “your own” have been supplied to clarify the meaning.

[26:17]  ¹⁷³⁶ tn The antecedent of the relative pronoun is probably both the Jews (“your own people”) and the Gentiles, indicating the comprehensive commission Paul received.

[26:18]  ¹⁷³⁷ sn To open their eyes so that they turn… Here is Luke’s most comprehensive report of Paul’s divine calling. His role was to call humanity to change their position before God and experience God’s forgiveness as a part of God’s family. The image of turning is a key one in the NT: Luke 1:79; Rom 2:19; 13:12; 2 Cor 4:6; 6:14; Eph 5:8; Col 1:12; 1 Thess 5:5. See also Luke 1:77-79; 3:3; 24:47.

[26:18]  ¹⁷³⁸ tn BDAG 352-53 s.v. ἐξουσία 2 states, “Also of Satan’s power Ac 26:18.” It is also possible to translate this “the domain of Satan” (cf. BDAG 353 s.v. 6)

[26:18]  ¹⁷³⁹ tn Or “and an inheritance.”

[26:19]  ¹⁷⁴⁰ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:19]  ¹⁷⁴¹ sn I was not disobedient. Paul’s defense is that he merely obeyed the risen Jesus. He was arrested for obeying heavenly direction and preaching the opportunity to turn to God.

[26:19]  ¹⁷⁴² tn According to L&N 1.5, “In Ac 26:19 the adjective οὐράνιος could be interpreted as being related simply to the meaning of οὐρανός^a ‘sky,’ but it seems preferable to regard οὐράνιος in this context as meaning simply ‘from heaven’ or ‘heavenly.’”

[26:20]  ¹⁷⁴³ tn BDAG 1093-94 s.v. χώρα 2.b states, “of the provincial name (1 Macc 8:3) ἡ χώρα τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας Ac 26:20.”

[26:20]  ¹⁷⁴⁴ sn That they should repent and turn to God. This is the shortest summary of Paul’s message that he preached.

[26:20]  ¹⁷⁴⁵ tn BDAG 93 s.v. ἄξιος 1.b, “καρποὶ ἄ. τῆς μετανοίας fruits in keeping with your repentance…Lk 3:8; Mt 3:8. For this ἄ. τῆς μετανοίας ἔργα Ac 26:20.” Note how Paul preached the gospel offer and the issue of response together, side by side.

[26:21]  ¹⁷⁴⁶ tn Grk “in the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.

[26:22]  ¹⁷⁴⁷ tn Grk “So experiencing…I stand.” The participle τυχών (tucwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[26:22]  ¹⁷⁴⁸ tn BDAG 311 s.v. ἐκτός 3.b, “functions as prep. w. gen. οὐδὲν ἐ. ὧν nothing except what (cf. 1 Ch 29:3; 2 Ch 17:19; TestNapht. 6:2) Ac 26:22.”

[26:22]  ¹⁷⁴⁹ sn What the prophets and Moses said. Paul argued that his message reflected the hope of the Jewish scriptures.

[26:23]  ¹⁷⁵⁰ tn BDAG 277-78 s.v. εἰ 2 has “marker of an indirect question as content, that…Sim. also (Procop. Soph., Ep. 123 χάριν ἔχειν εἰ = that) μαρτυρόμενος…εἰ παθητὸς ὁ Χριστός testifying…that the Christ was to suffer…Ac 26:23.”

[26:23]  ¹⁷⁵¹ tn Or “the Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[26:23]  sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.

[26:23]  ¹⁷⁵² tn That is, to the Jewish people. Grk “the people”; the word “our” has been supplied to clarify the meaning.

[26:23]  ¹⁷⁵³ sn Note how the context of Paul’s gospel message about Jesus, resurrection, and light both to Jews and to the Gentiles is rooted in the prophetic message of the OT scriptures. Paul was guilty of following God’s call and preaching the scriptural hope.

[26:24]  ¹⁷⁵⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[26:24]  ¹⁷⁵⁵ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[26:24]  ¹⁷⁵⁶ tn On the term translated “lost your mind” see BDAG 610 s.v. μαίνομαι, which has “you’re out of your mind, you’re raving, said to one whose enthusiasm seems to have outrun better judgment 26:24.”

[26:24]  sn The expression “You have lost your mind” would be said to someone who speaks incredible things, in the opinion of the hearer. Paul’s mention of the resurrection (v. 23) was probably what prompted Festus to say this.

[26:25]  ¹⁷⁵⁷ tn Grk “said.”

[26:25]  ¹⁷⁵⁸ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[26:25]  ¹⁷⁵⁹ tn Or “declaring.” BDAG 125 s.v. ἀποφθέγγομαι states, “speak out, declare boldly or loudly…τὶ: σωφροσύνης ῥήματα Ac 26:25.”

[26:25]  ¹⁷⁶⁰ tn BDAG 987 s.v. σωφροσύνη 1 has “gener. soundness of mind, reasonableness, rationality…ἀληθείας καὶ σωφροσύνης ῥήματα true and rational words (opp. μαίνομαι) Ac 26:25.”

[26:26]  ¹⁷⁶¹ tn BDAG 782 s.v. παρρησιάζομαι 1 states, “speak freely, openly, fearlessly…likew. in the ptc. w. a verb of saying foll.…παρρησιασάμενοι εἶπαν 13:46. – 26:26.” This could refer to boldness in speaking here.

[26:26]  ¹⁷⁶² tn Grk “to whom I am speaking freely.” The relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the personal pronoun (“him”) to simplify the translation.

[26:26]  ¹⁷⁶³ tn Grk “I cannot convince myself.” BDAG 792 s.v. πείθω 3.a states, “οὐ πείθομαι w. acc. and inf. I cannot believe Ac 26:26” (see also BDAG 586 s.v. λανθάνω).

[26:26]  ¹⁷⁶⁴ tn BDAG 586 s.v. λανθάνω states, “λανθάνειν αὐτὸν τούτων οὐ πείθομαι οὐθέν I cannot bring myself to believe that any of these things has escaped his notice Ac 26:26.”

[26:26]  ¹⁷⁶⁵ tn This term refers to a hidden corner (BDAG 209 s.v. γωνία). Paul’s point is that these events to which he refers were not done in a secret, hidden place, tucked away outside of view. They were done in public for all the world to see.

[26:27]  ¹⁷⁶⁶ sn “Do you believe the prophets?” Note how Paul made the issue believing the OT prophets and God’s promise which God fulfilled in Christ. He was pushing King Agrippa toward a decision not for or against Paul’s guilt of any crime, but concerning Paul’s message.

[26:27]  ¹⁷⁶⁷ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:28]  ¹⁷⁶⁸ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:28]  ¹⁷⁶⁹ tn Or “In a short time you will make me a Christian.” On the difficulty of the precise nuances of Agrippa’s reply in this passage, see BDAG 791 s.v. πείθω 1.b. The idiom is like 1 Kgs 21:7 LXX. The point is that Paul was trying to persuade Agrippa to accept his message. If Agrippa had let Paul persuade him, he would have converted to Christianity.

[26:28]  sn The question “In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?” was probably a ploy on Agrippa’s part to deflect Paul from his call for a decision. Note also how the tables have turned: Agrippa was brought in to hear Paul’s defense, and now ends up defending himself. The questioner is now being questioned.

[26:29]  ¹⁷⁷⁰ tn BDAG 703 s.v. ὀλίγος 2.b.β has “καὶ ἐν ὀλ. καὶ ἐν μεγάλῳ whether in a short or a long time vs. 29 (cf. B-D-F §195; GWhitaker, The Words of Agrippa to St. Paul: JTS 15, 1914, 82f; AFridrichsen, SymbOsl 14, ’35, 50; Field, Notes 141-43; s. Rob. 653).”

[26:29]  ¹⁷⁷¹ sn Except for these chains. The chains represented Paul’s unjust suffering for the sake of the message. His point was, in effect, “I do not care how long it takes. I only hope you and everyone else hearing this would become believers in Christ, but without my unjust suffering.”

[26:31]  ¹⁷⁷² tn Grk “they spoke to one another saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[26:31]  ¹⁷⁷³ tn BDAG 93 s.v. ἄξιος 1.b has “θανάτου ἢ δεσμῶν ἄ. nothing deserving death or imprisonment 23:29; 26:31.”

[26:31]  sn Not doing anything deserving death… Here is yet another declaration of Paul’s innocence, but still no release. The portrayal shows how unjust Paul’s confinement was.

[26:32]  ¹⁷⁷⁴ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:32]  ¹⁷⁷⁵ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[26:32]  ¹⁷⁷⁶ tn Or “set free.”

[26:32]  ¹⁷⁷⁷ tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[26:32]  sn If he had not appealed to Caesar. Ultimately Agrippa and Festus blamed what Paul himself had done in appealing to Caesar for his own continued custody. In terms of Luke’s narrative, this still appears unjust and a denial of responsibility.

[27:1]  ¹⁷⁷⁸ sn The last “we” section in Acts begins here and extends to 28:16 (the previous one ended at 21:18).

[27:1]  ¹⁷⁷⁹ sn Sail to Italy. This voyage with its difficulty serves to show how God protected Paul on his long journey to Rome. From the perspective of someone in Palestine, this may well picture “the end of the earth” quite literally (cf. Acts 1:8).

[27:1]  ¹⁷⁸⁰ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[27:1]  ¹⁷⁸¹ tn According to BDAG 917 s.v. σεβαστός, “In σπεῖρα Σεβαστή 27:1 (cp. OGI 421) Σεβαστή is likew. an exact transl. of Lat. Augusta, an honorary title freq. given to auxiliary troops (Ptolem. renders it Σεβαστή in connection w. three legions that bore it: 2, 3, 30; 2, 9, 18; 4, 3, 30) imperial cohort.” According to W. Foerster (TDNT 7:175), “In Ac. 27:1 the σπεῖρα Σεβαστή is an expression also found elsewhere for ‘auxiliary troops.’” In no case would this refer to a special imperial bodyguard, and to translate “imperial regiment” or “imperial cohort” might give this impression. There is some archaeological evidence for a Cohors Augusta I stationed in Syria during the time of Augustus, but whether this is the same unit is very debatable.

[27:1]  sn The Augustan Cohort. A cohort was a Roman military unit of about 600 soldiers, one-tenth of a legion. There is considerable debate over the identification of this particular cohort and the meaning of the title Augustan mentioned here. These may well have been auxiliary (provincial) troops given the honorary title.

[27:2]  ¹⁷⁸² tn Grk “Going on board.” The participle ἐπιβάντες (epibante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:2]  ¹⁷⁸³ sn Adramyttium was a seaport in Mysia on the western coast of Asia Minor.

[27:2]  ¹⁷⁸⁴ tn Grk “places.”

[27:2]  ¹⁷⁸⁵ 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.

[27:2]  ¹⁷⁸⁶ tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4 states, “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.”

[27:2]  sn Although not explicitly stated, the ship put out to sea from the port of Caesarea (where the previous events had taken place (cf. 25:13) and then sailed along the Asiatic coast (the first stop was Sidon, v. 3).

[27:2]  ¹⁷⁸⁷ sn A Macedonian. The city of Thessalonica (modern Salonica) was in the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[27:2]  ¹⁷⁸⁸ map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[27:3]  ¹⁷⁸⁹ tn BDAG 516 s.v. κατάγω states, “Hence the pass., in act. sense, of ships and seafarers put in εἴς τι at a harbor…εἰς Σιδῶνα Ac 27:3.”

[27:3]  ¹⁷⁹⁰ sn Sidon is another seaport 75 mi (120 km) north of Caesarea.

[27:3]  map For location see Map1 A1; JP3 F3; JP4 F3.

[27:3]  ¹⁷⁹¹ tn BDAG 1056 s.v. φιλανθρώπως states, “benevolently, kindly φιλανθρώπως χρῆσθαί (τινι) treat someone in kindly fashion…Ac 27:3.”

[27:3]  sn Treating Paul kindly. Paul’s treatment followed the pattern of the earlier imprisonment (cf. Acts 24:23).

[27:3]  ¹⁷⁹² tn Grk “to go to his friends to be cared for.” The scene is an indication of Christian hospitality.

[27:4]  ¹⁷⁹³ tn Grk “putting out to sea.” The participle ἀναχθέντες (anacqente") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4 states, “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.”

[27:4]  ¹⁷⁹⁴ tn BDAG 1040 s.v. ὑποπλέω states, “sail under the lee of an island, i.e. in such a way that the island protects the ship fr. the wind Ac 27:4, 7.” Thus they were east and north of the island.

[27:5]  ¹⁷⁹⁵ tn Grk “the depths,” the deep area of a sea far enough from land that it is not protected by the coast (L&N 1.73).

[27:5]  ¹⁷⁹⁶ sn Pamphylia was a province in the southern part of Asia Minor; it was west of Cilicia (see BDAG 753 s.v. Παμφυλία).

[27:5]  ¹⁷⁹⁷ tn BDAG 531 s.v. κατέρχομαι 2 states, “Of ships and those who sail in them, who ‘come down’ fr. the ‘high seas’: arrive, put in…ἔις τι at someth. a harbor 18:22; 21:3; 27:5.”

[27:5]  ¹⁷⁹⁸ sn Myra was a city on the southern coast of Lycia in Asia Minor. This journey from Sidon (v. 3) was 440 mi (700 km) and took about 15 days.

[27:5]  ¹⁷⁹⁹ sn Lycia was the name of a peninsula on the southern coast of Asia Minor between Caria and Pamphylia.

[27:6]  ¹⁸⁰⁰ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[27:6]  ¹⁸⁰¹ tn Grk “finding.” The participle εὑρών (Jeurwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:6]  ¹⁸⁰² sn Alexandria (modern Alexandria) was a great city of northern Egypt which was a center for grain trade to Rome. Therefore this type of travel connection was common at the time. For a winter journey (considered hazardous) there were special bonuses and insurance provided (Suetonius, Life of Claudius 18.1-2).

[27:7]  ¹⁸⁰³ tn The participle βραδυπλοοῦντες (braduploounte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:7]  ¹⁸⁰⁴ sn Cnidus was the name of a peninsula on the southwestern coast of Asia Minor. This was about 130 mi (210 km) from Myra.

[27:7]  ¹⁸⁰⁵ tn This genitive absolute construction with προσεῶντος (prosewnto") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle. L&N 13.139 translates the phrase μὴ προσεῶντος ἡμᾶς τοῦ ἀνέμου (mh prosewnto" Jhma" tou anemou) as “the wind would not let us go any farther.”

[27:7]  ¹⁸⁰⁶ tn BDAG 1040 s.v. ὑποπλέω states, “sail under the lee of an island, i.e. in such a way that the island protects the ship fr. the wind Ac 27:4, 7.”

[27:7]  ¹⁸⁰⁷ sn Salmone was the name of a promontory on the northeastern corner of the island of Crete. This was about 100 mi (160 km) farther along.

[27:8]  ¹⁸⁰⁸ tn Grk “sailing along the coast…we came.” The participle παραλεγόμενοι (paralegomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. L&N 54.8, “παραλέγομαι: (a technical, nautical term) to sail along beside some object – ‘to sail along the coast, to sail along the shore.’ …‘they sailed along the coast of Crete’ Ac 27:13.”

[27:8]  ¹⁸⁰⁹ tn Grk “it”; the referent (Crete) has been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[27:8]  ¹⁸¹⁰ sn Lasea was a city on the southern coast of the island of Crete. This was about 60 mi (96 km) farther.

[27:9]  ¹⁸¹¹ tn Or “unsafe” (BDAG 383 s.v. ἐπισφαλής). The term is a NT hapax legomenon.

[27:9]  ¹⁸¹² sn The fast refers to the Jewish Day of Atonement, Yom Kippur. It was now into October and the dangerous winter winds would soon occur (Suetonius, Life of Claudius 18; Josephus, J. W. 1.14.2-3 [1.279-281]).

[27:9]  ¹⁸¹³ tn The accusative articular infinitive παρεληλυθέναι (parelhluqenai) after the preposition διά (dia) is causal. BDAG 776 s.v. παρέρχομαι 2 has “διὰ τὸ τὴν νηστείαν ἤδη παρεληλυθέναι because the fast was already over Ac 27:9.”

[27:9]  ¹⁸¹⁴ tn Grk “Paul advised, saying to them.” The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant in English and has not been translated. On the term translated “advised,” see BDAG 764 s.v. παραινέω, which usually refers to recommendations.

[27:9]  sn Paul advised them. A literary theme surfaces here: Though Paul is under arrest, he will be the one to guide them all through the dangers of the storm and shipwreck, showing clearly God’s presence and protection of him. The story is told in great detail. This literary effect of slowing down the passage of time and narrating with many details serves to add a sense of drama to the events described.

[27:10]  ¹⁸¹⁵ tn Grk “is going to be with disaster.”

[27:10]  ¹⁸¹⁶ tn Or “hardship,” “damage.” BDAG 1022 s.v. ὕβρις 3 states, “fig. hardship, disaster, damage caused by the elements…w. ζημία Ac 27:10.”

[27:10]  ¹⁸¹⁷ tn Grk “souls” (here, one’s physical life).

[27:11]  ¹⁸¹⁸ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[27:11]  ¹⁸¹⁹ tn Or “persuaded.”

[27:11]  ¹⁸²⁰ tn BDAG 456 s.v. κυβερνήτης 1 has “one who is responsible for the management of a ship, shipmaster…W. ναύκληρος, the ‘shipowner’…Ac 27:11” See further L. Casson, Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World, 316-18.

[27:11]  ¹⁸²¹ tn Grk “than by what was said by Paul.” The passive construction has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation.

[27:11]  sn More convinced by the captain and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said. The position taken by the centurion was logical, since he was following “professional” advice. But this was not a normal voyage.

[27:12]  ¹⁸²² tn BDAG 181-82 s.v. βουλή 2.a, “β. τίθεσθαι (Judg 19:30; Ps 12:3) decide 27:12 (w. inf. foll.).”

[27:12]  ¹⁸²³ 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.”

[27:12]  ¹⁸²⁴ tn Grk “from there, if somehow” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun here in the translation and the introductory phrase “They hoped that” supplied (with the subject, “they,” repeated from the previous clause) to make a complete English sentence.

[27:12]  ¹⁸²⁵ tn Grk “if somehow, reaching Phoenix, they could…” The participle καταντήσαντες (katanthsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:12]  ¹⁸²⁶ sn Phoenix was a seaport on the southern coast of the island of Crete. This was about 30 mi (48 km) further west.

[27:12]  ¹⁸²⁷ tn Or “a harbor of Crete open to the southwest and northwest.”

[27:13]  ¹⁸²⁸ tn Grk “thinking.” The participle δόξαντες (doxante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:13]  ¹⁸²⁹ tn Or “accomplish.” L&N 68.29, for κρατέω, has “to be able to complete or finish, presumably despite difficulties – ‘to accomplish, to do successfully, to carry out.’ …‘thinking that they could carry out their purpose’ Ac 27:13.”

[27:13]  ¹⁸³⁰ tn Or “departed.”

[27:13]  ¹⁸³¹ tn L&N 54.8, “παραλέγομαι: (a technical, nautical term) to sail along beside some object – ‘to sail along the coast, to sail along the shore.’…‘they sailed along the coast of Crete’ Ac 27:13.” With the addition of the adverb ἆσσον (asson) this becomes “sailed close along the coast of Crete.”

[27:14]  ¹⁸³² tn Grk “a wind like a typhoon.” That is, a very violent wind like a typhoon or hurricane (BDAG 1021 s.v. τυφωνικός).

[27:14]  ¹⁸³³ sn Or called Euraquilo (the actual name of the wind, a sailor’s term which was a combination of Greek and Latin). According to Strabo (Geography 1.2.21), this was a violent northern wind.

[27:14]  ¹⁸³⁴ tn Grk “from it”; the referent (the island) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:15]  ¹⁸³⁵ tn Or “was forced off course.” Grk “The ship being caught in it.” The genitive absolute construction with the participle συναρπασθέντος (sunarpasqento") has been taken temporally; it could also be translated as causal (“Because the ship was caught in it”).

[27:15]  ¹⁸³⁶ tn BDAG 91 s.v. ἀντοφθαλμέω states, “Metaph. of a ship τοῦ πλοίου μὴ δυναμένοι ἀ. τῷ ἀνέμῳ since the ship was not able to face the wind, i.e. with its bow headed against the forces of the waves Ac 27:15.”

[27:15]  ¹⁸³⁷ sn Caught in the violent wind, the ship was driven along. They were now out of control, at the mercy of the wind and sea.

[27:16]  ¹⁸³⁸ tn BDAG 1042 s.v. ὑποτρέχω states, “run or sail under the lee of, nautical t.t.…Ac 27:16.” The participle ὑποδραμόντες (Jupodramonte") has been taken temporally (“as we ran under the lee of”). While this could also be translated as a participle of means (“by running…”) this might suggest the ship was still under a greater degree of control by its crew than it probably was.

[27:16]  ¹⁸³⁹ sn Cauda. This island was located south of Crete, about 23 mi (36 km) from where they began. There are various ways to spell the island’s name (e.g., Clauda, BDAG 546 s.v. Κλαῦδα).

[27:16]  ¹⁸⁴⁰ sn The ship’s boat was a small rowboat, normally towed behind a ship in good weather rather than stowed on board. It was used for landings, to maneuver the ship for tacking, and to lay anchors (not a lifeboat in the modern sense, although it could have served as a means of escape for some of the sailors; see v. 30). See L. Casson, Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World, 248f.

[27:17]  ¹⁸⁴¹ tn Grk “After hoisting it up, they…”; the referent (the ship’s crew) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:17]  ¹⁸⁴² tn The participle ἄραντες (arantes) has been taken temporally.

[27:17]  ¹⁸⁴³ tn Possibly “ropes” or “cables”; Grk “helps” (a word of uncertain meaning; probably a nautical technical term, BDAG 180 s.v. βοήθεια 2).

[27:17]  ¹⁸⁴⁴ tn BDAG 308 s.v. ἐκπίπτω 2 states, “drift off course, run aground, nautical term εἴς τι on someth….on the Syrtis 27:17.”

[27:17]  ¹⁸⁴⁵ tn That is, on the sandbars and shallows of the Syrtis.

[27:17]  sn On the Syrtis. The Syrtis was the name of two gulfs on the North African coast (modern Libya), feared greatly by sailors because of their shifting sandbars and treacherous shallows. The Syrtis here is the so-called Great Syrtis, toward Cyrenaica. It had a horrible reputation as a sailors’ graveyard (Pliny, Natural History 5.26). Josephus (J. W. 2.16.4 [2.381]) says the name alone struck terror in those who heard it. It was near the famous Scylla and Charybdis mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey.

[27:17]  ¹⁸⁴⁶ tn Or perhaps “mainsail.” The meaning of this word is uncertain. BDAG 927 s.v. σκεῦος 1 has “τὸ σκεῦος Ac 27:17 seems to be the kedge or driving anchor” while C. Maurer (TDNT 7:362) notes, “The meaning in Ac. 27:17: χαλάσαντες τὸ σκεῦος, is uncertain. Prob. the ref. is not so much to taking down the sails as to throwing the draganchor overboard to lessen the speed of the ship.” In spite of this L&N 6.1 states, “In Ac 27:17, for example, the reference of σκεῦος is generally understood to be the mainsail.” A reference to the sail is highly unlikely because in a storm of the force described in Ac 27:14, the sail would have been taken down and reefed immediately, to prevent its being ripped to shreds or torn away by the gale.

[27:18]  ¹⁸⁴⁷ tn BDAG 980 s.v. σφόδρῶς states, “very much, greatly, violently…σφ. χειμάζεσθαι be violently beaten by a storm Ac 27:18.”

[27:18]  ¹⁸⁴⁸ tn Or “jettisoning [the cargo]” (a nautical technical term). The words “the cargo” 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.

[27:18]  sn The desperation of the sailors in throwing the cargo overboard is reminiscent of Jonah 1:5. At this point they were only concerned with saving themselves.

[27:19]  ¹⁸⁴⁹ tn Or “rigging,” “tackle”; Grk “the ship’s things.” Here the more abstract “gear” is preferred to “rigging” or “tackle” as a translation for σκεῦος (skeuos) because in v. 40 the sailors are still able to raise the (fore)sail, which they could not have done if the ship’s rigging or tackle had been jettisoned here.

[27:20]  ¹⁸⁵⁰ tn Grk “no small storm” = a very great storm.

[27:20]  ¹⁸⁵¹ tn Grk “no small storm pressing on us.” The genitive absolute construction with the participle ἐπικειμένου (epikeimenou) has been translated as parallel to the previous genitive absolute construction (which was translated as temporal). BDAG 373 s.v. ἐπίκειμαι 2.b states, “of impersonal force confront χειμῶνος ἐπικειμένου since a storm lay upon us Ac 27:20.” L&N 14.2, “‘the stormy weather did not abate in the least’ or ‘the violent storm continued’ Ac 27:20.” To this last was added the idea of “battering” from the notion of “pressing upon” inherent in ἐπίκειμαι (epikeimai).

[27:20]  ¹⁸⁵² tn Grk “finally all hope that we would be saved was abandoned.” The passive construction has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation. This represents a clearly secular use of the term σῴζω (swzw) in that it refers to deliverance from the storm. At this point those on board the ship gave up hope of survival.

[27:21]  ¹⁸⁵³ tn Or “Since they had no desire to eat for a long time.” The genitive absolute construction with the participle ὑπαρχούσης (Juparcoush") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle. It could also be translated temporally (“When many of them had no desire to eat”). The translation of πολλῆς (pollhs) as a substantized adjective referring to the people on board the ship (“many of them”) rather than a period of time (“for a long time”; so most modern versions) follows BDAG 143 s.v. ἀσιτία, which has “πολλῆς ἀ. ὑπαρχούσης since almost nobody wanted to eat because of anxiety or seasickness…Ac 27:21.” This detail indicates how turbulent things were on board the ship.

[27:21]  ¹⁸⁵⁴ tn Here τότε (tote) is redundant (pleonastic) according to BDAG 1012-13 s.v. τότε 2; thus it has not been translated.

[27:21]  ¹⁸⁵⁵ tn Grk “standing up…said.” The participle σταθείς (staqeis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:21]  ¹⁸⁵⁶ tn L&N 36.12 has “πειθαρχήσαντάς μοι μὴ ἀνάγεσθαι ἀπὸ τῆς Κρήτης ‘you should have listened to me and not have sailed from Crete’ Ac 27:21.”

[27:21]  sn By saying “you should have listened to me and not put out to sea from Crete” Paul was not “rubbing it in,” but was reasserting his credibility before giving his next recommendation.

[27:21]  ¹⁸⁵⁷ 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.”

[27:21]  ¹⁸⁵⁸ tn The infinitive κερδῆσαι (kerdhsai) has been translated as resultative.

[27:22]  ¹⁸⁵⁹ tn The same verb is used for Paul’s original recommendation in Ac 27:9.

[27:22]  ¹⁸⁶⁰ tn Grk “except the ship.” Here “but” is used to translate the improper preposition πλήν (plhn; see BDAG 826 s.v. πλήν 2) since an exception like this, where two different categories of objects are involved (people and a ship), is more naturally expressed in contemporary English with an adversative (“but”). The words “will be lost” are also supplied for clarity.

[27:22]  sn The “prophecy” about the ship serves to underscore Paul’s credibility as an agent of God. Paul addressed his audience carefully and drew attention to the sovereign knowledge of God.

[27:23]  ¹⁸⁶¹ tn Grk “of whom I am.” The relative clause with its possessive was translated following L&N 15.86 s.v. παρίσταμαι.

[27:23]  ¹⁸⁶² tn Or “worship.”

[27:23]  ¹⁸⁶³ tn Or “stood by me.” BDAG 778 s.v. παρίστημι/παριστάνω 2.a.α states, “approach, come τινί (to) someone…Ac 9:39; 27:23.”

[27:24]  ¹⁸⁶⁴ tn Grk “came to me saying.” The participle λέγων (legwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:24]  ¹⁸⁶⁵ tn BDAG 778 s.v. παρίστημι/παριστάνω 2.a.α states, “Also as a t.t. of legal usage appear before, come before…Καίσαρι σε δεῖ παραστῆναι you must stand before the Emperor (as judge) Ac 27:24.” See Acts 23:11. Luke uses the verb δεῖ (dei) to describe what must occur.

[27:24]  ¹⁸⁶⁶ tn Or “before the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[27:24]  ¹⁸⁶⁷ tn Grk “God has graciously granted you all who are sailing with you.” The words “the safety of” have been supplied to clarify the meaning of the verb κεχάρισται (kecaristai) in this context.

[27:24]  sn The safety of all who are sailing with you. In a sense, Paul’s presence protects them all. For Luke, it serves as a picture of what the gospel does through Christ and through the one who brings the message.

[27:25]  ¹⁸⁶⁸ tn BDAG 817 s.v. πιστεύω 1.c states, “w. pers. and thing added π. τινί τι believe someone with regard to someth….W. dat. of pers. and ὅτι foll…. πιστεύετέ μοι ὅτι ἐγὼ ἐν τῷ πατρί J 14:11a. Cp. 4:21; Ac 27:25.”

[27:26]  ¹⁸⁶⁹ tn This is another use of δεῖ (dei) to indicate necessity (see also v. 24). Acts 28:1 shows the fulfillment of this.

[27:27]  ¹⁸⁷⁰ tn Here “being driven” has been used to translate διαφέρω (diaferw) rather than “drifting,” because it is clear from the attempt to drop anchors in v. 29 that the ship is still being driven by the gale. “Drifting” implies lack of control, but not necessarily rapid movement.

[27:27]  ¹⁸⁷¹ sn The Adriatic Sea. They were now somewhere between Crete and Malta.

[27:27]  ¹⁸⁷² tn Grk “suspected that some land was approaching them.” BDAG 876 s.v. προσάγω 2.a states, “lit. ὑπενόουν προσάγειν τινά αὐτοῖς χώραν they suspected that land was near (lit. ‘approaching them’) Ac 27:27.” Current English idiom would speak of the ship approaching land rather than land approaching the ship.

[27:28]  ¹⁸⁷³ tn Grk “Heaving the lead, they found.” The participle βολίσαντες (bolisante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. See also BDAG 180 s.v. βολίζω. Although the term is used twice in this verse (and thus is technically not a NT hapax legomenon), it occurs nowhere else in the NT.

[27:28]  ¹⁸⁷⁴ sn A fathom is about 6 feet or just under 2 meters (originally the length of a man’s outstretched arms). This was a nautical technical term for measuring the depth of water. Here it was about 120 ft (36 m).

[27:28]  ¹⁸⁷⁵ tn L&N 15.12, “βραχὺ δὲ διαστήσαντες ‘when they had gone a little farther’ Ac 27:28.”

[27:28]  ¹⁸⁷⁶ sn Here the depth was about 90 ft (27 m).

[27:29]  ¹⁸⁷⁷ tn Grk “fearing.” The participle φοβούμενοι (foboumenoi) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[27:29]  ¹⁸⁷⁸ tn Grk “against a rough [rocky] place.” L&N 79.84 has “φοβούμενοί τε μή που κατὰ τραχεῖς τόποις ἐκπέσωμεν ‘we were afraid that we would run aground on the rocky coast’ Ac 27:29.”

[27:29]  ¹⁸⁷⁹ tn Grk “throwing out…they.” The participle ῥίψαντες (rJiyante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:29]  ¹⁸⁸⁰ tn BDAG 417 s.v. εὔχομαι 2 states, “wish…τὶ for someth.…Foll. by acc. and inf….Ac 27:29.” The other possible meaning for this term, “pray,” is given in BDAG 417 s.v. 1 and employed by a number of translations (NAB, NRSV, NIV). If this meaning is adopted here, then “prayed for day to come” must be understood metaphorically to mean “prayed that they would live to see the day,” or “prayed that it would soon be day.”

[27:29]  ¹⁸⁸¹ tn Grk “and wished for day to come about.”

[27:29]  sn And wished for day to appear. The sailors were hoping to hold the ship in place until morning, when they could see what was happening and where they were.

[27:30]  ¹⁸⁸² tn BDAG 889 s.v. πρόφασις 2 states, “προφάσει ὡς under the pretext that, pretending that…Ac 27:30.” In other words, some of the sailors gave up hope that such efforts would work and instead attempted to escape while pretending to help.

[27:31]  ¹⁸⁸³ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[27:31]  ¹⁸⁸⁴ sn The pronoun you is plural in Greek.

[27:32]  ¹⁸⁸⁵ sn The soldiers cut the ropes. The centurion and the soldiers were now following Paul’s advice by cutting the ropes to prevent the sailors from escaping.

[27:32]  ¹⁸⁸⁶ tn Or “let it fall away.” According to BDAG 308 s.v. ἐκπίπτω 1 and 2 the meaning of the verb in this verse could be either “fall away” or “drift away.” Either meaning is acceptable, and the choice between them depends almost entirely on how one reconstructs the scene. Since cutting the boat loose would in any case result in it drifting away (whether capsized or not), the meaning “drift away” as a nautical technical term has been used here.

[27:33]  ¹⁸⁸⁷ tn BDAG 160 s.v. ἄχρι 1.b.α has “ἄ. οὗ ἡμέρα ἤμελλεν γίνεσθαι until the day began to dawn 27:33.”

[27:33]  ¹⁸⁸⁸ tn Or “have waited anxiously.” Grk “waiting anxiously.” The participle προσδοκῶντες (prosdokwnte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:33]  ¹⁸⁸⁹ tn Or “continued.”

[27:33]  ¹⁸⁹⁰ tn Grk “having eaten nothing.” The participle προσλαβόμενοι (proslabomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb (with subject “you” supplied) due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:34]  ¹⁸⁹¹ tn Or “necessary.” BDAG 873-74 s.v. πρός 1 has “πρ. τῆς σωτηρίας in the interest of safety Ac 27:34”; L&N 27.18 has “‘therefore, I urge you to take some food, for this is important for your deliverance’ or ‘…for your survival’ Ac 27:34.”

[27:34]  ¹⁸⁹² tn Or “deliverance” (‘salvation’ in a nontheological sense).

[27:35]  ¹⁸⁹³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[27:35]  ¹⁸⁹⁴ tn Grk “taking bread, gave thanks.” The participle λαβών (labwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:35]  ¹⁸⁹⁵ tn Or “before them all,” but here this could be misunderstood to indicate a temporal sequence.

[27:35]  ¹⁸⁹⁶ tn Grk “and breaking it, he began.” The participle κλάσας (klasas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:37]  ¹⁸⁹⁷ tc One early ms (B) and an early version (sa) read “about seventy-six.” For discussion of how this variant probably arose, see F. F. Bruce, The Acts of the Apostles, 465.

[27:37]  ¹⁸⁹⁸ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[27:38]  ¹⁸⁹⁹ tn Or “When they had eaten their fill.”

[27:38]  ¹⁹⁰⁰ tn Or “grain.”

[27:39]  ¹⁹⁰¹ tn Or “observed,” “saw.”

[27:39]  ¹⁹⁰² tn Or “gulf” (BDAG 557 s.v. κόλπος 3).

[27:39]  ¹⁹⁰³ sn A beach would refer to a smooth sandy beach suitable for landing.

[27:40]  ¹⁹⁰⁴ tn That is, released. Grk “slipping…leaving.” The participles περιελόντες (perielonte") and εἴων (eiwn) have been translated as finite verbs due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:40]  ¹⁹⁰⁵ tn The term is used of a ship’s anchor. (BDAG 12 s.v. ἄγκυρα a).

[27:40]  ¹⁹⁰⁶ tn Grk “bands”; possibly “ropes.”

[27:40]  ¹⁹⁰⁷ tn Or “rudders.”

[27:40]  ¹⁹⁰⁸ tn Grk “hoisting…they.” The participle ἐπάραντες (eparante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:40]  ¹⁹⁰⁹ tn Grk “sail”; probably a reference to the foresail.

[27:40]  ¹⁹¹⁰ tn BDAG 533 s.v. κατέχω 7 states, “hold course, nautical t.t., intr….κατεῖχον εἰς τὸν αἰγιαλόν they headed for the beach Ac 27:40.”

[27:41]  ¹⁹¹¹ tn Grk “fell upon a place of two seas.” The most common explanation for this term is that it refers to a reef or sandbar with the sea on both sides, as noted in BDAG 245 s.v. διθάλασσος: the “τόπος δ. Ac 27:41 is a semantic unit signifying a point (of land jutting out with water on both sides).” However, Greek had terms for a “sandbank” (θῖς [qis], ταινία [tainia]), a “reef” (ἑρμα [Jerma]), “strait” (στενόν [stenon]), “promontory” (ἀρωτήρον [arwthron]), and other nautical hazards, none of which are used by the author here. NEB here translates τόπον διθάλασσον (topon diqalasson) as “cross-currents,” a proposal close to that advanced by J. M. Gilchrist, “The Historicity of Paul’s Shipwreck,” JSNT 61 (1996): 29-51, who suggests the meaning is “a patch of cross-seas,” where the waves are set at an angle to the wind, a particular hazard for sailors. Thus the term most likely refers to some sort of adverse sea conditions rather than a topographical feature like a reef or sandbar.

[27:41]  ¹⁹¹² tn Or “violence” (BDAG 175 s.v. βία a).

[27:42]  ¹⁹¹³ sn The soldiers’ plan was to kill the prisoners. The issue here was not cruelty, but that the soldiers would be legally responsible if any prisoners escaped and would suffer punishment themselves. So they were planning to do this as an act of self-preservation. See Acts 16:27 for a similar incident.

[27:42]  ¹⁹¹⁴ tn The participle ἐκκολυμβήσας (ekkolumbhsa") has been taken instrumentally.

[27:43]  ¹⁹¹⁵ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[27:43]  ¹⁹¹⁶ tn Or “wanting to rescue Paul.”

[27:43]  sn Thanks to the centurion who wanted to save Paul’s life, Paul was once more rescued from a potential human threat.

[27:43]  ¹⁹¹⁷ tn BDAG 347 s.v. I. ἔξειμι has “ἐπὶ τὴν γῆν get to land Ac 27:43.”

[27:44]  ¹⁹¹⁸ tn The words “were to follow” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. They must be supplied to clarify the sense in contemporary English.

[27:44]  ¹⁹¹⁹ tn Or “boards” according to BDAG 913 s.v. σανίς.

[27:44]  ¹⁹²⁰ tn Grk “on pieces from the ship”; that is, pieces of wreckage from the ship.

[27:44]  sn Both the planks and pieces of the ship were for the weak or nonswimmers. The whole scene is a historical metaphor representing how listening to Paul and his message could save people.

[27:44]  ¹⁹²¹ tn Grk “And in this way 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.

[28:1]  ¹⁹²² tn Grk “We having been brought safely through” [to land] (same verb as 27:44). The word “shore” is implied, and the slight variations in translation from 27:44 have been made to avoid redundancy in English. The participle διασωθέντες (diaswqente") has been taken temporally.

[28:1]  ¹⁹²³ sn Malta is an island (known by the same name today) in the Mediterranean Sea south of Sicily. The ship had traveled 625 mi (1,000 km) in the storm.

[28:1]  map For location see JP4 A3.

[28:2]  ¹⁹²⁴ tn Although this is literally βάρβαροι (barbaroi; “foreigners, barbarians”) used for non-Greek or non-Romans, as BDAG 166 s.v. βάρβαρος 2.b notes, “Of the inhabitants of Malta, who apparently spoke in their native language Ac 28:2, 4 (here β. certainly without derogatory tone…).”

[28:2]  ¹⁹²⁵ tn BDAG 1019 s.v. τυγχάνω 2.d states, “δυνάμεις οὐ τὰς τυχούσας extraordinary miracles Ac 19:11. Cp. 28:2.”

[28:2]  ¹⁹²⁶ tn Or “because it was about to rain.” BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 4 states, “διὰ τ. ὑετὸν τὸν ἐφεστῶτα because it had begun to rain Ac 28:2…But the mng. here could also be because it threatened to rain (s. 6).”

[28:3]  ¹⁹²⁷ tn Or “sticks.”

[28:4]  ¹⁹²⁸ tn Although this is literally βάρβαροι (barbaroi; “foreigners, barbarians”) used for non-Greek or non-Romans, as BDAG 166 s.v. βάρβαρος 2.b notes, “Of the inhabitants of Malta, who apparently spoke in their native language Ac 28:2, 4 (here β. certainly without derogatory tone…).”

[28:4]  ¹⁹²⁹ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:4]  ¹⁹³⁰ tn That is, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live. BDAG 250 s.v. δίκη 2 states, “Justice personified as a deity Ac 28:4”; L&N 12.27, “a goddess who personifies justice in seeking out and punishing the guilty – ‘the goddess Justice.’ ἡ δίκη ζῆν οὐκ εἴασεν ‘the goddess Justice would not let him live’ Ac 28:4.” Although a number of modern English translations have rendered δίκη (dikh) “justice,” preferring to use an abstraction, in the original setting it is almost certainly a reference to a pagan deity. In the translation, the noun “justice” was capitalized and the reflexive pronoun “herself” was supplied to make the personification clear. This was considered preferable to supplying a word like ‘goddess’ in connection with δίκη.

[28:4]  ¹⁹³¹ sn The entire scene is played out initially as a kind of oracle from the gods resulting in the judgment of a guilty person (Justice herself has not allowed him to live). Paul’s survival of this incident without ill effects thus spoke volumes about his innocence.

[28:5]  ¹⁹³² tn BDAG 737 s.v. οὖν 4 indicates the particle has an adversative sense here: “but, however.”

[28:5]  ¹⁹³³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:5]  ¹⁹³⁴ tn Grk “shaking the creature off…he suffered no harm.” The participle ἀποτινάξας (apotinaxa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[28:6]  ¹⁹³⁵ tn Or “going to burn with fever.” According to BDAG 814 s.v. πίμπρημι, either meaning (“swell up” or “burn with fever”) is possible for Acts 28:6.

[28:6]  ¹⁹³⁶ tn The participle προσδοκώντων (prosdokwntwn) has been taken temporally.

[28:6]  ¹⁹³⁷ tn The participle θεωρούντων (qewrountwn) has been taken temporally.

[28:6]  ¹⁹³⁸ tn Grk “happening.” The participle γινόμενον (ginomenon) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[28:6]  ¹⁹³⁹ tn Grk “changing their minds.” The participle μεταβαλόμενοι (metabalomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[28:6]  ¹⁹⁴⁰ sn And said he was a god. The reaction is like Acts 14:11-19 where the crowd wanted to make Paul and Barnabas into gods. The providence of God had protected Paul again.

[28:7]  ¹⁹⁴¹ tn BDAG 798 s.v. περί 2.a.γ states, “of nearby places…τὰ περὶ τὸν τὸπον the region around the place Ac 28:7.” The presence of ἐκεῖνον (ekeinon) results in the translation “that place.”

[28:7]  ¹⁹⁴² tn That is, the chief Roman official. Several inscriptions have confirmed the use of πρῶτος (prwtos) as an administrative title used on the island of Malta for the highest Roman official. See further BDAG 852 s.v. Πόπλιος.

[28:8]  ¹⁹⁴³ tn Grk “It happened that the father.” 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.

[28:8]  ¹⁹⁴⁴ tn Grk “to whom Paul going in.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by a personal pronoun (“him”) and a new sentence begun here in the translation. The participle εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[28:8]  ¹⁹⁴⁵ tn The participle ἐπιθείς (epiqeis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[28:8]  ¹⁹⁴⁶ sn And healed him. Here are healings like Luke 9:40; 10:30; 13:13; Acts 16:23.

[28:9]  ¹⁹⁴⁷ tn BDAG 142 s.v. ἀσθένεια 1 states, “ἔχειν ἀ. be ill Ac 28:9.”

[28:9]  ¹⁹⁴⁸ sn Many…also came and were healed. Again, here is irony. Paul, though imprisoned, “frees” others of their diseases.

[28:10]  ¹⁹⁴⁹ tn Or “they also honored us greatly”; Grk “they also honored us with many honors” (an idiom).

[28:10]  ¹⁹⁵⁰ 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.” In this case the simpler English “sail” is more appropriate. The English participle “preparing” has also been supplied, since the provisioning of the ship would take place some time before the actual departure.

[28:10]  ¹⁹⁵¹ tn BDAG 384 s.v. ἐπιτίθημι 1.b has “give τινί τι someth. to someone…ἀναγομένοις τὰ πρὸς τὰς χρείας when we sailed they gave us what we needed Ac 28:10.”

[28:10]  ¹⁹⁵² sn They gave us all the supplies we needed. What they had lost in the storm and shipwreck was now replaced. Luke describes these pagans very positively.

[28:11]  ¹⁹⁵³ 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.”

[28:11]  ¹⁹⁵⁴ tn Or “the ‘Twin Gods’”; Grk “the Dioscuri” (a joint name for the pagan deities Castor and Pollux).

[28:11]  sn That had the ‘Heavenly Twins’ as its figurehead. The twin brothers Castor and Pollux, known collectively as the Dioscuri or ‘Heavenly Twins,’ were the twin sons of Zeus and Leda according to Greek mythology. The Alexandrian ship on which Paul and his companions sailed from Malta had a carved emblem or figurehead of these figures, and they would have been the patron deities of the vessel. Castor and Pollux were the “gods of navigation.” To see their stars was considered a good omen (Epictetus, Discourses 2.18.29; Lucian of Samosata, The Ship 9).

[28:11]  ¹⁹⁵⁵ tn Or “as its emblem.”

[28:12]  ¹⁹⁵⁶ tn Grk “And putting in.” The participle καταχθέντες (katacqente") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. On the meaning of the participle, BDAG 516 s.v. κατάγω states, “Hence the pass., in act. sense, of ships and seafarers put in εἴς τι at a harbor…εἰς Συρακούσας Ac 28:12.” 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.

[28:12]  ¹⁹⁵⁷ sn Syracuse was a city on the eastern coast of the island of Sicily. It was 75 mi (120 km) from Malta.

[28:13]  ¹⁹⁵⁸ tc A few early mss (א* B Ψ [gig] {sa [bo]}) read περιελόντες (perielonte", “[From there we] cast off [and arrived at Rhegium]”; cf. Acts 27:40). The other major variant, περιελθόντες (perielqonte", “[we] sailed from place to place”), is found in Ì⁷⁴ א² A 066 1739 Ï lat sy. Although περιελόντες is minimally attested, it is found in the better witnesses. As well, it is a more difficult reading, for its meaning as a nautical term is uncertain, requiring something like “τὰς ἀγκύρας be supplied = ‘we weighed anchor’” (BDAG 799 s.v. περιαιρέω 1). It thus best explains the rise of the other readings.

[28:13]  ¹⁹⁵⁹ sn Rhegium was a city on the southern tip of Italy. It was 80 mi (130 km) from Syracuse.

[28:13]  ¹⁹⁶⁰ tn Grk “after one day, a south wind springing up, on the second day.” The genitive absolute construction with the participle ἐπιγενομένου (epigenomenou) has been translated as a clause with a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[28:13]  ¹⁹⁶¹ sn Puteoli was a city on the western coast of Italy south of Rome. It was in the Bay of Naples some 220 mi (350 km) to the north of Rhegium. Here the voyage ended; the rest of the journey was by land.

[28:14]  ¹⁹⁶² tn Grk “where.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“where”) has been replaced with the demonstrative pronoun (“there”) and a new sentence begun here in the translation.

[28:14]  ¹⁹⁶³ tn Grk “finding.” The participle εὑρόντες (Jeurontes) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[28:14]  ¹⁹⁶⁴ sn That is, some fellow Christians.

[28:14]  ¹⁹⁶⁵ map For location see JP4 A1.

[28:15]  ¹⁹⁶⁶ sn Mention of Christian brothers from there (Rome) shows that God’s message had already spread as far as Italy and the capital of the empire.

[28:15]  ¹⁹⁶⁷ sn The Forum of Appius was a small traveler’s stop on the Appian Way about 43 mi (71 km) south of Rome (BDAG 125 s.v. ᾿Αππίου φόρον). It was described by Horace as “crammed with boatmen and stingy tavernkeepers” (Satires 1.5.3).

[28:15]  ¹⁹⁶⁸ sn Three Taverns was a stop on the Appian Way 33 mi (55 km) south of Rome.

[28:15]  ¹⁹⁶⁹ tn Grk “whom, when he saw [them], Paul.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the personal pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun here in the translation.

[28:16]  ¹⁹⁷⁰ tn Or “to stay.”

[28:16]  sn Allowed to live by himself. Paul continued to have a generous prison arrangement (cf. Acts 27:3).

[28:17]  ¹⁹⁷¹ tn Grk “It happened that after three 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.

[28:17]  ¹⁹⁷² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:17]  ¹⁹⁷³ tn L&N 33.309 has “‘after three days, he called the local Jewish leaders together’ Ac 28:17.”

[28:17]  ¹⁹⁷⁴ tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.

[28:17]  ¹⁹⁷⁵ tn The participle ποιήσας (poihsas) has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[28:17]  ¹⁹⁷⁶ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[28:17]  sn I had done nothing against our people or the customs of our ancestors. Once again Paul claimed to be faithful to the Jewish people and to the God of Israel.

[28:17]  ¹⁹⁷⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[28:17]  ¹⁹⁷⁸ tn Grk “into the hands of the Romans,” but this is redundant when παρεδόθην (paredoqhn) has been translated “handed over.”

[28:18]  ¹⁹⁷⁹ tn Grk “who when.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) has been replaced by the personal pronoun (“they”) and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation.

[28:18]  ¹⁹⁸⁰ tn Or “had questioned me”; or “had examined me.” BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 2 states, “to conduct a judicial hearing, hear a case, question.”

[28:18]  ¹⁹⁸¹ sn They wanted to release me. See Acts 25:23-27.

[28:18]  ¹⁹⁸² tn Grk “no basis for death,” but in this context a sentence of death is clearly indicated.

[28:19]  ¹⁹⁸³ tn That is, objected to my release.

[28:19]  ¹⁹⁸⁴ tn Or “to the emperor” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[28:19]  ¹⁹⁸⁵ tn BDAG 533 s.v. κατηγορέω 1 states, “nearly always as legal t.t.: bring charges in court.” L&N 33.427 states for κατηγορέω, “to bring serious charges or accusations against someone, with the possible connotation of a legal or court context – ‘to accuse, to bring charges.’”

[28:19]  ¹⁹⁸⁶ tn Or “my own nation.”

[28:20]  ¹⁹⁸⁷ sn The hope of Israel. A reference to Israel’s messianic hope. Paul’s preaching was in continuity with this Jewish hope (Acts 1:3; 8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25).

[28:21]  ¹⁹⁸⁸ tn Grk “they said to him.”

[28:21]  ¹⁹⁸⁹ tn Or “arrived”; Grk “come” (“from there” is implied). Grk “coming.” The participle παραγενόμενος (paragenomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[28:22]  ¹⁹⁹⁰ tn Grk “regarding this sect it is known to us.” The passive construction “it is known to us” has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation.

[28:22]  ¹⁹⁹¹ tn Grk “that everywhere it is spoken against.” To simplify the translation the passive construction “it is spoken against” has been converted to an active one with the subject “people” supplied.

[28:22]  ¹⁹⁹² tn On the term translated “speak against,” see BDAG 89 s.v. ἀντιλέγω 1.

[28:23]  ¹⁹⁹³ tn Grk “Having set.” The participle ταξάμενοι (taxamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[28:23]  ¹⁹⁹⁴ tn Grk “Having set a day with him”; the words “to meet” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[28:23]  ¹⁹⁹⁵ tn Or “came to him in his rented quarters.”

[28:23]  ¹⁹⁹⁶ tn BDAG 848 s.v. πολύς 1.b.β.ב states, “(even) more πλείονες in even greater numbers Ac 28:23.”

[28:23]  ¹⁹⁹⁷ tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[28:23]  ¹⁹⁹⁸ tn Grk “to whom he explained.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation.

[28:23]  ¹⁹⁹⁹ tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 1 has “to make a solemn declaration about the truth of someth. testify of, bear witness to (orig. under oath)…God’s kingdom 28:23.”

[28:23]  ²⁰⁰⁰ sn Testifying about the kingdom of God. The topic is important. Paul’s preaching was about the rule of God and his promise in Jesus. Paul’s text was the Jewish scriptures.

[28:23]  ²⁰⁰¹ tn Or “persuade.”

[28:24]  ²⁰⁰² tn Or “persuaded.”

[28:24]  ²⁰⁰³ tn Grk “by the things spoken.”

[28:24]  ²⁰⁰⁴ sn Some were convinced…but others refused to believe. Once again the gospel caused division among Jews, as in earlier chapters of Acts (13:46; 18:6).

[28:25]  ²⁰⁰⁵ tn The imperfect verb ἀπελύοντο (apeluonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[28:25]  ²⁰⁰⁶ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[28:26]  ²⁰⁰⁷ tn Grk “you will hear with hearing” (an idiom).

[28:26]  ²⁰⁰⁸ tn Or “seeing”; Grk “you will look by looking” (an idiom).

[28:27]  ²⁰⁰⁹ tn Or “insensitive.”

[28:27]  sn The heart of this people has become dull. The charge from Isaiah is like Stephen’s against the Jews of Jerusalem (Acts 7:51-53). They were a hard-hearted and disobedient people.

[28:27]  ²⁰¹⁰ tn Grk “they hear heavily with their ears” (an idiom for slow comprehension).

[28:27]  ²⁰¹¹ sn Note how the failure to respond to the message of the gospel is seen as a failure to turn.

[28:27]  ²⁰¹² sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10.

[28:28]  ²⁰¹³ tn Grk “Therefore let it be known to you.”

[28:28]  ²⁰¹⁴ tn Or “of God.”

[28:28]  ²⁰¹⁵ sn The term Gentiles is in emphatic position in the Greek text of this clause. Once again there is the pattern: Jewish rejection of the gospel leads to an emphasis on Gentile inclusion (Acts 13:44-47).

[28:28]  ²⁰¹⁶ tn Grk “they also.”

[28:29]  ²⁰¹⁷ tc Some later mss include 28:29: “When he had said these things, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.” Verse 29 is lacking in Ì^74vid א A B E Ψ 048 33 81 1175 1739 2464 pc and a number of versions. They are included (with a few minor variations) in Ï it and some versions. This verse is almost certainly not a part of the original text of Acts, as it lacks the best credentials. The present translation follows NA²⁷ in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.

[28:30]  ²⁰¹⁸ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:30]  ²⁰¹⁹ tn Or “stayed.”

[28:30]  ²⁰²⁰ tn Or perhaps, “two whole years at his own expense.” BDAG 654 s.v. μίσθωμα states, “the customary act. mng. ‘contract price, rent’…is not found in our lit. (Ac) and the pass. what is rented, a rented house is a mng. not found outside it (even Ammonius Gramm. [100 ad] p. 93 Valck. knows nothing of it. Hence the transl. at his own expense [NRSV] merits attention) ἐν ἰδίῳ μισθώματι in his own rented lodgings Ac 28:30 (for the idea cp. Jos., Ant. 18, 235).”

[28:30]  ²⁰²¹ tn Or “and received.”

[28:31]  ²⁰²² tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[28:31]  ²⁰²³ tn Or “openness.”

[28:31]  ²⁰²⁴ sn Proclaiming…with complete boldness and without restriction. Once again Paul’s imprisonment is on benevolent terms. The word of God is proclaimed triumphantly and boldly in Rome. Acts ends with this note: Despite all the attempts to stop it, the message goes forth.