1:1 I wrote 4 the former 5 account, 6 Theophilus, 7 about all that Jesus began to do and teach
3:1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time 8 for prayer, 9 at three o’clock in the afternoon. 10 3:2 And a man lame 11 from birth 12 was being carried up, who was placed at the temple gate called “the Beautiful Gate” every day 13 so he could beg for money 14 from those going into the temple courts. 15
1:1 From Paul, 18 a slave 19 of God and apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith 20 of God’s chosen ones and the knowledge of the truth that is in keeping with godliness,
2:1 But as for you, communicate the behavior that goes with 21 sound teaching.
2:1 “To the angel of the church in Ephesus, 24 write the following: 25
“This is the solemn pronouncement of 26 the one who has a firm grasp on 27 the seven stars in his right hand 28 – the one who walks among the seven golden 29 lampstands:
2:8 “To 30 the angel of the church in Smyrna write the following: 31
“This is the solemn pronouncement of 32 the one who is the first and the last, the one who was dead, but 33 came to life:
2:12 “To 34 the angel of the church in Pergamum write the following: 35
“This is the solemn pronouncement of 36 the one who has the sharp double-edged sword: 37
1 tn Or “uninhabited” or “empty.”
2 sn A quotation from Ps 69:25.
3 tn Or “Let another take his office.”
4 tn Or “produced,” Grk “made.”
5 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).
6 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.
7 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).
8 tn Grk “hour.”
9 sn Going up to the temple at the time for prayer. The earliest Christians, being of Jewish roots, were still participating in the institutions of Judaism at this point. Their faith in Christ did not make them non-Jewish in their practices.
10 tn Grk “at the ninth hour.” This is calculated from sunrise (Josephus, Ant. 14.4.3 [14.65]; Dan 9:21).
11 tn Or “crippled.”
12 tn Grk “from his mother’s womb.”
13 tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.
14 tn Grk “alms.” The term “alms” is not in common use today, so what the man expected, “money,” is used in the translation instead. The idea is that of money given as a gift to someone who was poor. Giving alms was viewed as honorable in Judaism (Tob 1:3, 16; 12:8-9; m. Pe’ah 1:1). See also Luke 11:41; 12:33; Acts 9:36; 10:2, 4, 31; 24:17.
15 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
16 sn The overseer is another term for the same official position of leadership as the “elder.” This is seen in the interchange of the two terms in this passage and in Acts 20:17, 28, as well as in the parallels between these verses and 1 Tim 3:1-7.
17 tn Grk “as God’s steward.”
18 tn Grk “Paul.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
19 tn Traditionally, “servant” or “bondservant.” Though δοῦλος (doulos) is normally translated “servant,” the word does not bear the connotation of a free individual serving another. BDAG notes that “‘servant’ for ‘slave’ is largely confined to Biblical transl. and early American times…in normal usage at the present time the two words are carefully distinguished” (BDAG 260 s.v.). The most accurate translation is “bondservant” (sometimes found in the ASV for δοῦλος), in that it often indicates one who sells himself into slavery to another. But as this is archaic, few today understand its force.
20 tn Grk “for the faith,” possibly, “in accordance with the faith.”
21 tn Grk “say what is fitting for sound teaching” (introducing the behavior called for in this chapter.).
22 tn The words “is this” are supplied to make a complete sentence in English.
23 tn Or perhaps “the messengers.”
24 map For location see JP1-D2; JP2-D2; JP3-D2; JP4-D2.
25 tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.
26 tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” The expression τάδε λέγει (tade legei) occurs eight times in the NT, seven of which are in Rev 2-3. “The pronoun is used to add solemnity to the prophetic utterance that follows. …In classical drama, it was used to introduce a new actor to the scene (Smyth, Greek Grammar, 307 [§1241]). But the τάδε λέγει formula in the NT derives from the OT, where it was used to introduce a prophetic utterance (BAGD, s.v. ὅδε, 1)” (ExSyn 328). Thus, the translation “this is the solemn pronouncement of” for τάδε λέγει is very much in keeping with the OT connotations of this expression.
27 tn Grk “holds,” but the term (i.e., κρατῶν, kratwn) with an accusative object, along with the context, argues for a sense of firmness. (Cf. ExSyn 132.)
28 sn On seven stars in his right hand see 1:16.
29 tn Grk “lampstands of gold” with the genitive τῶν χρυσῶν (twn cruswn) translated as an attributive genitive.
30 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated due to differences between Greek and English style.
31 tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.
32 tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” See the note on the phrase “this is the solemn pronouncement of” in 2:1.
33 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present between these two phrases.
34 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated due to differences between Greek and English style.
35 tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.
36 tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” See the note on the phrase “this is the solemn pronouncement of” in 2:1.
37 sn On the sharp double-edged sword see 1:16.