Reading Plan 

Bible Reading November 13

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Acts 15:1--16:40

Context
The Jerusalem Council

15:1 Now some men came down from Judea 1  and began to teach the brothers, “Unless you are circumcised 2  according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved.” 15:2 When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate 3  with them, the church 4  appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with 5  the apostles and elders in Jerusalem 6  about this point of disagreement. 7  15:3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia 8  and Samaria, they were relating at length 9  the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy 10  to all the brothers. 15:4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received 11  by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported 12  all the things God had done with them. 13  15:5 But some from the religious party of the Pharisees 14  who had believed stood up and said, “It is necessary 15  to circumcise the Gentiles 16  and to order them to observe 17  the law of Moses.”

15:6 Both the apostles and the elders met together to deliberate 18  about this matter. 15:7 After there had been much debate, 19  Peter stood up and said to them, “Brothers, you know that some time ago 20  God chose 21  me to preach to the Gentiles so they would hear the message 22  of the gospel 23  and believe. 24  15:8 And God, who knows the heart, 25  has testified 26  to them by giving them the Holy Spirit just as he did to us, 27  15:9 and he made no distinction 28  between them and us, cleansing 29  their hearts by faith. 15:10 So now why are you putting God to the test 30  by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke 31  that neither our ancestors 32  nor we have been able to bear? 15:11 On the contrary, we believe that we are saved through 33  the grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they are.” 34 

15:12 The whole group kept quiet 35  and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs 36  and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them. 15:13 After they stopped speaking, 37  James replied, 38  “Brothers, listen to me. 15:14 Simeon 39  has explained 40  how God first concerned himself 41  to select 42  from among the Gentiles 43  a people for his name. 15:15 The 44  words of the prophets agree 45  with this, as it is written,

15:16After this 46  I 47  will return,

and I will rebuild the fallen tent 48  of David;

I will rebuild its ruins and restore 49  it,

15:17 so that the rest of humanity 50  may seek the Lord,

namely, 51  all the Gentiles 52  I have called to be my own, 53  says the Lord, 54  who makes these things 15:18 known 55  from long ago. 56 

15:19 “Therefore I conclude 57  that we should not cause extra difficulty 58  for those among the Gentiles 59  who are turning to God, 15:20 but that we should write them a letter 60  telling them to abstain 61  from things defiled 62  by idols and from sexual immorality and from what has been strangled 63  and from blood. 15:21 For Moses has had those who proclaim him in every town from ancient times, 64  because he is read aloud 65  in the synagogues 66  every Sabbath.”

15:22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided 67  to send men chosen from among them, Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, 68  leaders among the brothers, to Antioch 69  with Paul and Barnabas. 15:23 They sent this letter with them: 70 

From the apostles 71  and elders, your brothers, 72  to the Gentile brothers and sisters 73  in Antioch, 74  Syria, 75  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 76  you, upsetting 77  your minds 78  by what they said, 79  15:25 we have unanimously 80  decided 81  to choose men to send to you along with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, 15:26 who 82  have risked their lives 83  for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 84  15:27 Therefore we are sending 85  Judas and Silas 86  who will tell you these things themselves in person. 87  15:28 For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us 88  not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules: 89  15:29 that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols 90  and from blood and from what has been strangled 91  and from sexual immorality. 92  If you keep yourselves from doing these things, 93  you will do well. Farewell. 94 

15:30 So when they were dismissed, 95  they went down to Antioch, 96  and after gathering the entire group 97  together, they delivered the letter. 15:31 When they read it aloud, 98  the people 99  rejoiced at its encouragement. 100  15:32 Both Judas and Silas, who were prophets themselves, encouraged and strengthened the brothers with a long speech. 101  15:33 After 102  they had spent some time there, 103  they were sent off in peace by the brothers to those who had sent them. 15:34 [[EMPTY]] 104  15:35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, 105  teaching and proclaiming (along with many others) 106  the word of the Lord. 107 

Paul and Barnabas Part Company

15:36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return 108  and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord 109  to see how they are doing.” 110  15:37 Barnabas wanted to bring John called Mark along with them too, 15:38 but Paul insisted 111  that they should not take along this one who had left them in Pamphylia 112  and had not accompanied them in the work. 15:39 They had 113  a sharp disagreement, 114  so that they parted company. Barnabas took along 115  Mark and sailed away to Cyprus, 116  15:40 but Paul chose Silas and set out, commended 117  to the grace of the Lord by the brothers and sisters. 118  15:41 He passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening 119  the churches.

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16:1 He also came to Derbe 120  and to Lystra. 121  A disciple 122  named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, 123  but whose father was a Greek. 124  16:2 The brothers in Lystra 125  and Iconium 126  spoke well 127  of him. 128  16:3 Paul wanted Timothy 129  to accompany him, and he took 130  him and circumcised 131  him because of the Jews who were in those places, 132  for they all knew that his father was Greek. 133  16:4 As they went through the towns, 134  they passed on 135  the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem 136  for the Gentile believers 137  to obey. 138  16:5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day. 139 

Paul’s Vision of the Macedonian Man

16:6 They went through the region of Phrygia 140  and Galatia, 141  having been prevented 142  by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message 143  in the province of Asia. 144  16:7 When they came to 145  Mysia, 146  they attempted to go into Bithynia, 147  but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow 148  them to do this, 149  16:8 so they passed through 150  Mysia 151  and went down to Troas. 152  16:9 A 153  vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there 154  urging him, 155  “Come over 156  to Macedonia 157  and help us!” 16:10 After Paul 158  saw the vision, we attempted 159  immediately to go over to Macedonia, 160  concluding that God had called 161  us to proclaim the good news to them.

Arrival at Philippi

16:11 We put out to sea 162  from Troas 163  and sailed a straight course 164  to Samothrace, 165  the next day to Neapolis, 166  16:12 and from there to Philippi, 167  which is a leading city of that district 168  of Macedonia, 169  a Roman colony. 170  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 171  and began to speak 172  to the women 173  who had assembled there. 174  16:14 A 175  woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth 176  from the city of Thyatira, 177  a God-fearing woman, listened to us. 178  The Lord opened her heart to respond 179  to what Paul was saying. 16:15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, 180  “If 181  you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, 182  come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded 183  us.

Paul and Silas Are Thrown Into Prison

16:16 Now 184  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. 185  She 186  brought her owners 187  a great profit by fortune-telling. 188  16:17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, 189  “These men are servants 190  of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way 191  of salvation.” 192  16:18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed, 193  and turned 194  and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ 195  to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once. 196  16:19 But when her owners 197  saw their hope of profit 198  was gone, they seized 199  Paul and Silas and dragged 200  them into the marketplace before the authorities. 16:20 When 201  they had brought them 202  before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion. 203  They are 204  Jews 16:21 and are advocating 205  customs that are not lawful for us to accept 206  or practice, 207  since we are 208  Romans.”

16:22 The crowd joined the attack 209  against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes 210  off Paul and Silas 211  and ordered them to be beaten with rods. 212  16:23 After they had beaten them severely, 213  they threw them into prison and commanded 214  the jailer to guard them securely. 16:24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell 215  and fastened their feet in the stocks. 216 

16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying 217  and singing hymns to God, 218  and the rest of 219  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 220  of all the prisoners came loose. 16:27 When the jailer woke up 221  and saw the doors of the prison standing open, 222  he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, 223  because he assumed 224  the prisoners had escaped. 16:28 But Paul called out loudly, 225  “Do not harm yourself, 226  for we are all here!” 16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer 227  rushed in and fell down 228  trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. 16:30 Then he brought them outside 229  and asked, “Sirs, what must 230  I do to be saved?” 16:31 They replied, 231  “Believe 232  in the Lord Jesus 233  and you will be saved, you and your household.” 16:32 Then 234  they spoke the word of the Lord 235  to him, along with all those who were in his house. 16:33 At 236  that hour of the night he took them 237  and washed their wounds; 238  then 239  he and all his family 240  were baptized right away. 241  16:34 The jailer 242  brought them into his house and set food 243  before them, and he rejoiced greatly 244  that he had come to believe 245  in God, together with his entire household. 246  16:35 At daybreak 247  the magistrates 248  sent their police officers, 249  saying, “Release those men.” 16:36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, 250  “The magistrates have sent orders 251  to release you. So come out now and go in peace.” 252  16:37 But Paul said to the police officers, 253  “They had us beaten in public 254  without a proper trial 255  – even though we are Roman citizens 256  – and they threw us 257  in prison. And now they want to send us away 258  secretly? Absolutely not! They 259  themselves must come and escort us out!” 260  16:38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas 261  were Roman citizens 262  16:39 and came 263  and apologized to them. After 264  they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly 265  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 266  departed.

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

[15:1]  2 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.

[15:2]  3 tn Grk “no little argument and debate” (an idiom).

[15:2]  4 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]  5 tn Grk “go up to,” but in this context a meeting is implied.

[15:2]  6 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[15:2]  7 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]  8 sn Phoenicia was an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine in ancient Syria.

[15:3]  9 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]  10 tn For ἐποίουν (epoioun) in this verse BDAG 839 s.v. ποιέω 2.c has “they brought joy to the members.”

[15:4]  11 tn BDAG 761 s.v. παραδέχομαι 2 has “receive, accept” for the meaning here.

[15:4]  12 tn Or “announced.”

[15:4]  13 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]  14 sn See the note on Pharisee in 5:34.

[15:5]  15 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]  16 tn Grk “them”; the referent (the Gentiles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:5]  17 tn Or “keep.”

[15:6]  18 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]  19 tn Or “discussion.” This term is repeated from v. 2.

[15:7]  20 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]  21 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]  22 tn Or “word.”

[15:7]  23 tn Or “of the good news.”

[15:7]  24 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]  25 sn The expression who knows the heart means “who knows what people think.”

[15:8]  26 tn Or “has borne witness.”

[15:8]  27 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]  28 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]  29 tn Or “purifying.”

[15:10]  30 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]  31 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]  32 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[15:11]  33 tn Or “by.”

[15:11]  34 tn Or “Jesus, just as they are.” BDAG 1016-17 s.v. τρόπος 1 translates καθ᾿ ὃν τρόπον (kaqJon tropon) here as “in the same way as.”

[15:12]  35 tn BDAG 922 s.v. σιγάω 1.a lists this passage under the meaning “say nothing, keep still, keep silent.”

[15:12]  36 tn Here in connection with τέρατα (terata) the miraculous nature of these signs is indicated.

[15:13]  37 tn BDAG 922 s.v. σιγάω 1.b lists this passage under the meaning “stop speaking, become silent.”

[15:13]  38 tn Grk “answered, saying”; the redundant participle λέγων (legwn) has not been translated.

[15:14]  39 sn Simeon is a form of the apostle Peter’s Aramaic name. James uses Peter’s “Jewish” name here.

[15:14]  40 tn Or “reported,” “described.”

[15:14]  41 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]  42 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]  43 sn In the Greek text the expression “from among the Gentiles” is in emphatic position.

[15:15]  44 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]  45 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]  46 tn Grk “After these things.”

[15:16]  47 sn The first person pronoun I refers to God and his activity. It is God who is doing this.

[15:16]  48 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]  49 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]  50 tn Or “so that all other people.” The use of this term follows Amos 9:11 LXX.

[15:17]  51 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]  52 tn Or “all the nations” (in Greek the word for “nation” and “Gentile” is the same).

[15:17]  53 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]  54 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]  55 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]  56 sn An allusion to Isa 45:21.

[15:19]  57 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]  58 tn Or “trouble.” This term is a NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 775 s.v. παρενοχλέω).

[15:19]  59 tn Or “among the nations” (in Greek the word for “nation” and “Gentile” is the same).

[15:20]  60 tn The translation “to write a letter, to send a letter to” for ἐπιστέλλω (epistellw) is given in L&N 33.49.

[15:20]  61 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]  62 tn Or “polluted.”

[15:20]  63 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]  64 tn Grk “from generations of old”; the translation “fr. ancient times” is given by BDAG 192 s.v. γενεά 3.b.

[15:21]  65 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]  66 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[15:22]  67 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]  68 sn Silas. See 2 Cor 1:19; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1 (= Silvanus).

[15:22]  69 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[15:23]  70 tn Grk “writing by their hand” (an idiom for sending a letter).

[15:23]  71 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]  72 tn Grk “brothers,” but “your” is supplied to specify the relationship, since without it “brothers” could be understood as vocative in English.

[15:23]  73 tn Grk “to the brothers who are from the Gentiles.”

[15:23]  74 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[15:23]  75 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]  76 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]  77 tn BDAG 71 s.v. ἀνασκευάζω describes this verb with a figurative meaning: “to cause inward distress, upset, unsettle.”

[15:24]  78 tn Grk “souls.”

[15:24]  79 tn Grk “by words”; L&N 25.231 translates the phrase “they troubled and upset you by what they said.”

[15:25]  80 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]  81 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]  82 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]  83 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]  84 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[15:27]  85 tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.

[15:27]  86 sn Judas and Silas were the “two witnesses” who would vouch for the truth of the recommendation.

[15:27]  87 tn Grk “by means of word” (an idiom for a verbal report).

[15:28]  88 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]  89 tn L&N 71.39 translates “indispensable (rules)” while BDAG 358 s.v. ἐπάναγκες has “the necessary things.”

[15:29]  90 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]  91 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]  92 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]  93 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]  94 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]  95 tn Or “sent away.”

[15:30]  96 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[15:30]  97 tn Or “congregation” (referring to the group of believers).

[15:31]  98 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]  99 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:31]  100 tn Or “at its encouraging message.”

[15:32]  101 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]  102 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]  103 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[15:34]  104 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]  105 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[15:35]  106 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[15:35]  107 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]  108 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]  109 tn See the note on the phrase “word of the Lord” in v. 35.

[15:36]  110 tn BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.b has “how they are” for this phrase.

[15:38]  111 tn BDAG 94 s.v. ἀξιόω 2.a has “he insisted (impf.) that they should not take him along” for this phrase.

[15:38]  112 sn Pamphylia was a province in the southern part of Asia Minor. See Acts 13:13, where it was mentioned previously.

[15:39]  113 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]  114 tn BDAG 780 s.v. παροξυσμός 2 has “sharp disagreement” here; L&N 33.451 has “sharp argument, sharp difference of opinion.”

[15:39]  115 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]  116 sn Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[15:40]  117 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]  118 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]  119 sn Strengthening. See Acts 14:22; 15:32; 18:23.

[16:1]  120 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]  121 sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 25 mi (40 km) south of Iconium.

[16:1]  122 tn Grk “And behold, a disciple.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.

[16:1]  123 tn L&N 31.103 translates this phrase “the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer.”

[16:1]  124 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]  125 sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 25 mi (40 km) south of Iconium.

[16:2]  126 sn Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 110 mi (175 km) east of Pisidian Antioch.

[16:2]  127 tn For this sense of μαρτυρέω (marturew), see BDAG 618 s.v. 2.b.

[16:2]  128 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]  129 tn Grk “this one”; the referent (Timothy) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:3]  130 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]  131 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]  132 tn Or “who lived in the area.”

[16:3]  133 tn The anarthrous predicate nominative has been translated as qualitative (“Greek”) rather than indefinite (“a Greek”).

[16:4]  134 tn Or “cities.”

[16:4]  135 tn BDAG 762-63 s.v. παραδίδωμι 3 has “they handed down to them the decisions to observe Ac 16:4.”

[16:4]  136 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[16:4]  137 tn Grk “for them”; the referent (Gentile believers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:4]  138 tn Or “observe” or “follow.”

[16:5]  139 tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.

[16:6]  140 sn Phrygia was a district in central Asia Minor west of Pisidia.

[16:6]  141 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]  142 tn Or “forbidden.”

[16:6]  143 tn Or “word.”

[16:6]  144 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]  145 tn BDAG 511 s.v. κατά B.1.b has “to Mysia” here.

[16:7]  146 sn Mysia was a province in northwest Asia Minor.

[16:7]  147 sn Bithynia was a province in northern Asia Minor northeast of Mysia.

[16:7]  148 tn Or “permit”; see BDAG 269 s.v. ἐάω 1.

[16:7]  149 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]  150 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]  151 sn Mysia was a province in northwest Asia Minor.

[16:8]  152 sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor, near ancient Troy.

[16:9]  153 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]  154 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[16:9]  155 tn The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

[16:9]  156 tn Grk “Coming over.” The participle διαβάς (diabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:9]  157 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[16:10]  158 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:10]  159 tn Grk “sought.”

[16:10]  160 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[16:10]  161 tn Or “summoned.”

[16:11]  162 tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

[16:11]  163 sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. See v. 8.

[16:11]  164 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]  165 sn Samothrace is an island in the northern part of the Aegean Sea.

[16:11]  166 sn Neapolis was a seaport on the southern coast of Macedonia. It was 10 mi (16 km) from Philippi.

[16:12]  167 map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[16:12]  168 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 33vid 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]  169 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[16:12]  170 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]  171 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]  172 tn The imperfect verb ἐλαλοῦμεν (elaloumen) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[16:13]  173 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]  174 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[16:14]  175 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]  176 tn On the term translated “a dealer in purple cloth” see BDAG 855 s.v. πορφυρόπωλις.

[16:14]  177 sn Thyatira was a city in the province of Lydia in Asia Minor.

[16:14]  178 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]  179 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.”

[16:15]  180 tn Grk “urged us, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[16:15]  181 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]  182 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]  183 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]  184 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]  185 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]  186 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]  187 tn Or “masters.”

[16:16]  188 tn On this term see BDAG 616 s.v. μαντεύομαι. It was used of those who gave oracles.

[16:17]  189 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]  190 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]  191 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]  192 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]  193 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]  194 tn Grk “and turning.” The participle ἐπιστρέψας (epistreya") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:18]  195 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[16:18]  196 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]  197 tn Or “masters.”

[16:19]  198 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]  199 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]  200 tn On the term ἕλκω ({elkw) see BDAG 318 s.v. 1.

[16:20]  201 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]  202 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]  203 tn BDAG 309 s.v. ἐκταράσσω has “agitate, cause trouble to, throw into confusion” for the meaning of this verb.

[16:20]  204 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]  205 tn Grk “proclaiming,” but in relation to customs, “advocating” is a closer approximation to the meaning.

[16:21]  206 tn Or “acknowledge.”

[16:21]  207 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]  208 tn Grk “we being Romans.” The participle οὖσιν (ousin) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[16:22]  209 tn L&N 39.50 has “the crowd joined the attack against them” for συνεπέστη (sunepesth) in this verse.

[16:22]  210 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]  211 tn Grk “off them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:22]  212 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]  213 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]  214 tn Grk “commanding.” The participle παραγγείλαντες (parangeilante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:24]  215 tn Or “prison.”

[16:24]  216 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]  217 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]  218 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]  219 tn The words “the rest of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[16:26]  220 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]  221 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]  222 tn The additional semantic component “standing” is supplied (“standing open”) to convey a stative nuance in English.

[16:27]  223 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]  224 tn Or “thought.”

[16:28]  225 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]  226 sn Do not harm yourself. Again the irony is that Paul is the agent through whom the jailer is spared.

[16:29]  227 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:29]  228 tn Or “and prostrated himself.”

[16:30]  229 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]  230 tn The Greek term (δεῖ, dei) is used by Luke to represent divine necessity.

[16:31]  231 tn Grk “said.”

[16:31]  232 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]  233 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”; Ì74vid 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]  234 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]  235 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]  236 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]  237 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]  238 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]  239 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[16:33]  240 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]  241 tn Or “immediately.”

[16:34]  242 tn Grk “He”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:34]  243 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]  244 tn Or “he was overjoyed.”

[16:34]  245 tn The translation “come to believe” reflects more of the resultative nuance of the perfect tense here.

[16:34]  246 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]  247 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]  248 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]  249 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]  250 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]  251 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]  252 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]  253 tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the police officers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:37]  254 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]  255 tn Or “in public, uncondemned.” BDAG 35 s.v. ἀκατάκριτος has “uncondemned, without due process” for this usage.

[16:37]  256 tn The participle ὑπάρχοντας (Juparconta") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[16:37]  257 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]  258 tn L&N 28.71 has “send us away secretly” for this verse.

[16:37]  259 tn Grk “But they.”

[16:37]  260 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]  261 tn Grk “heard they”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:38]  262 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]  263 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]  264 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]  265 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]  266 tn “Then” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the logical sequence in the translation.



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