Acts 1:11

1:11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here ¹  looking up into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven ²  will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.”

Acts 1:1

Jesus Ascends to Heaven

1:1 I wrote ³  the former ⁴  account, ⁵  Theophilus, ⁶  about all that Jesus began to do and teach

Acts 4:16

4:16 saying, “What should we do with these men? For it is plain ⁷  to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign ⁸  has come about through them, ⁹  and we cannot deny it.

Acts 4:2

4:2 angry ¹⁰  because they were teaching the people and announcing ¹¹  in Jesus the resurrection of the dead.

Acts 1:7-8

1:7 He told them, “You are not permitted to know ¹²  the times or periods that the Father has set by his own authority. 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts ¹³  of the earth.”

Revelation 1:7

1:7 (Look! He is returning with the clouds, ¹⁴ 

and every eye will see him,

even ¹⁵  those who pierced him, ¹⁶ 

and all the tribes ¹⁷  on the earth will mourn because ¹⁸  of him.

This will certainly come to pass! ¹⁹  Amen.) ²⁰ 

¹ tn The word “here” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

² tc Codex Bezae (D) and several other witnesses lack the words εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν (ei" ton ouranon, “into heaven”) here, most likely by way of accidental deletion. In any event, it is hardly correct to suppose that the Western text has intentionally suppressed references to the ascension of Christ here, for the phrase is solidly attested in the final clause of the verse.

³ tn Or “produced,” Grk “made.”

⁴ tn Or “first.” The translation “former” is preferred because “first” could imply to the modern English reader that the author means that his previous account was the first one to be written down. The Greek term πρῶτος (prwtos) does not necessarily mean “first” in an absolute sense, but can refer to the first in a set or series. That is what is intended here – the first account (known as the Gospel of Luke) as compared to the second one (known as Acts).

⁵ tn The Greek word λόγος (logos) is sometimes translated “book” (NRSV, NIV) or “treatise” (KJV). A formal, systematic treatment of a subject is implied, but the word “book” may be too specific and slightly misleading to the modern reader, so “account” has been used.

⁶ tn Grk “O Theophilus,” but the usage of the vocative in Acts with ὦ (w) is unemphatic, following more the classical idiom (see ExSyn 69).

⁷ tn Or “evident.”

⁸ tn Here σημεῖον (shmeion) has been translated as “miraculous sign” rather than simply “sign” or “miracle” since both components appear to be present in the context. It is clear that the healing of the lame man was a miracle, but for the Sanhedrin it was the value of the miraculous healing as a sign that concerned them because it gave attestation to the message of Peter and John. The sign “speaks” as Peter claimed in 3:11-16.

⁹ tn Or “has been done by them.”

¹⁰ tn Or “greatly annoyed,” “provoked.”

¹¹ tn Or “proclaiming.”

¹² tn Grk “It is not for you to know.”

¹³ tn Or “to the ends.”

¹⁴ sn An allusion to Dan 7:13.

¹⁵ tn Here καί (kai) was translated as ascensive.

¹⁶ sn An allusion to Zech 12:10.

¹⁷ tn In this context, tribes (φυλαί, fulai) could also be translated as “nations” or “peoples” (L&N 11.56).

¹⁸ tn The conjunction ἐπί (epi) is most likely causal here. The people who crucified him are those of every tribe on the earth and they will mourn because he comes as judge.

¹⁹ tn Grk “Yes, Amen.” The expression “This will certainly come to pass” is an attempt to capture the force of the juxtaposition of the Greek ναί (nai) and the Hebrew ἀμήν (amhn). See L&N 69.1.

²⁰ sn These lines are placed in parentheses because they form an aside to the main argument.