2:42 They were devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, 8 to the breaking of bread and to prayer. 9
5:12 Now many miraculous signs 10 and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By 11 common consent 12 they were all meeting together in Solomon’s Portico. 13
12:12 When Peter 21 realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, 22 where many people had gathered together and were praying.
1 tn Grk “And as.” 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.
2 tn Grk “behold.”
3 sn Jesus’ brothers are mentioned in Matt 13:55 and John 7:3.
5 tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated for stylistic reasons. It occurs as part of the formula καὶ ἐγένετο (kai egeneto) which is often left untranslated in Luke-Acts because it is redundant in contemporary English. Here it is possible (and indeed necessary) to translate ἐγένετο as “came” so that the initial clause of the English translation contains a verb; nevertheless the translation of the conjunction καί is not necessary.
6 tn Or “a noise.”
7 tn While φέρω (ferw) generally refers to movement from one place to another with the possible implication of causing the movement of other objects, in Acts 2:2 φέρομαι (feromai) should probably be understood in a more idiomatic sense of “blowing” since it is combined with the noun for wind (πνοή, pnoh).
8 tn Or “from the sky.” The Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated “sky” or “heaven” depending on the context.
7 sn Fellowship refers here to close association involving mutual involvement and relationships.
8 tn Grk “prayers.” This word was translated as a collective singular in keeping with English style.
9 tn The miraculous nature of these signs is implied in the context.
10 tn Grk “And by.” 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.
11 tn Or “With one mind.”
12 tn Or “colonnade”; Grk “stoa.”
11 sn Cyprus was a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.
12 sn Cyrene was a city on the northern African coast west of Egypt.
13 tn Grk “among them, coming to Antioch began to speak.” The participle ἐλθόντες (elqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
14 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.
15 sn The statement that some men from Cyprus and Cyrene…began to speak to the Greeks shows that Peter’s experience of reaching out to the Gentiles was not unique.
13 tn This could be a reference to the Jewish people (so CEV) or to the Jewish leaders (so NLT). The statement in v. 4 that Herod intended to bring Peter “out to the people” (i.e., for a public trial) may suggest the former is somewhat more likely.
14 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
15 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
16 tn Grk “John who was also called Mark.”
17 tn The imperfect verb ἔχαιρον (ecairon) and the following ἐδόξαζον (edoxazon) are translated as ingressive imperfects.
18 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.
19 sn Note the contrast to v. 46 in regard to eternal life.
19 tn BDAG 825 s.v. πλῆθος 2.b.γ has this translation for πλῆθος (plhqo").
20 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.
21 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).
22 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.
23 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.
23 tn Grk “whom.”
24 tn On the phrase “inner temple courts” see the note on the word “temple” in v. 28.