19:21 Now after all these things had taken place, 1 Paul resolved 2 to go to Jerusalem, 3 passing through Macedonia 4 and Achaia. 5 He said, 6 “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” 7
20:1 After the disturbance had ended, Paul sent for the disciples, and after encouraging 8 them and saying farewell, 9 he left to go to Macedonia. 10 20:2 After he had gone through those regions 11 and spoken many words of encouragement 12 to the believers there, 13 he came to Greece, 14 20:3 where he stayed 15 for three months. Because the Jews had made 16 a plot 17 against him as he was intending 18 to sail 19 for Syria, he decided 20 to return through Macedonia. 21
1:15 26 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn 27 over all creation, 28
1:16 for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him – all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, 29 whether principalities or powers – all things were created through him and for him.
1:17 He himself is before all things and all things are held together 30 in him.
1 tn Grk “all these things had been fulfilled.”
2 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.”
3 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
4 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
5 sn Achaia was the Roman province of Achaia located across the Aegean Sea from Ephesus. Its principal city was Corinth.
6 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.
7 sn This is the first time Paul mentions Rome. He realized the message of Christianity could impact that society even at its heights.
8 tn Or “exhorting.”
9 tn Or “and taking leave of them.”
10 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
11 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.
12 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.
13 tn Grk “[to] them”; the referent (the believers there) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
14 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).
15 tn BDAG 841 s.v. ποιέω 5.c, “w. an acc. of time spend, stay.”
16 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.”
17 sn This plot is one of several noted by Luke (Acts 9:20; 20:19; 23:30).
18 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.”
19 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 tn BDAG 199 s.v. γίνομαι 7 has “ἐγένετο γνώμης he decided Ac 20:3.”
21 sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.
22 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.
23 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.
24 tn Grk “[to] them”; the referent (the believers there) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
25 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).
26 sn This passage has been typeset as poetry because many scholars regard this passage as poetic or hymnic. These terms are used broadly to refer to the genre of writing, not to the content. There are two broad criteria for determining if a passage is poetic or hymnic: “(a) stylistic: a certain rhythmical lilt when the passages are read aloud, the presence of parallelismus membrorum (i.e., an arrangement into couplets), the semblance of some metre, and the presence of rhetorical devices such as alliteration, chiasmus, and antithesis; and (b) linguistic: an unusual vocabulary, particularly the presence of theological terms, which is different from the surrounding context” (P. T. O’Brien, Philippians [NIGTC], 188-89). Classifying a passage as hymnic or poetic is important because understanding this genre can provide keys to interpretation. However, not all scholars agree that the above criteria are present in this passage, so the decision to typeset it as poetry should be viewed as a tentative decision about its genre.
27 tn The Greek term πρωτότοκος (prwtotokos) could refer either to first in order of time, such as a first born child, or it could refer to one who is preeminent in rank. M. J. Harris, Colossians and Philemon (EGGNT), 43, expresses the meaning of the word well: “The ‘firstborn’ was either the eldest child in a family or a person of preeminent rank. The use of this term to describe the Davidic king in Ps 88:28 LXX (=Ps 89:27 EVV), ‘I will also appoint him my firstborn (πρωτότοκον), the most exalted of the kings of the earth,’ indicates that it can denote supremacy in rank as well as priority in time. But whether the πρωτό- element in the word denotes time, rank, or both, the significance of the -τοκος element as indicating birth or origin (from τίκτω, give birth to) has been virtually lost except in ref. to lit. birth.” In Col 1:15 the emphasis is on the priority of Jesus’ rank as over and above creation (cf. 1:16 and the “for” clause referring to Jesus as Creator).
28 tn The genitive construction πάσης κτίσεως (pash" ktisew") is a genitive of subordination and is therefore translated as “over all creation.” See ExSyn 103-4.
29 tn BDAG 579 s.v. κυριότης 3 suggests “bearers of the ruling powers, dominions” here.
30 tn BDAG 973 s.v. συνίστημι B.3 suggests “continue, endure, exist, hold together” here.