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
28:23 They set 13 a day to meet with him, 14 and they came to him where he was staying 15 in even greater numbers. 16 From morning until evening he explained things 17 to them, 18 testifying 19 about the kingdom of God 20 and trying to convince 21 them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets. 28:24 Some were convinced 22 by what he said, 23 but others refused 24 to believe. 28:25 So they began to leave, 25 unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors 26 through the prophet Isaiah 28:26 when he said,
‘Go to this people and say,
“You will keep on hearing, 27 but will never understand,
and you will keep on looking, 28 but will never perceive.
28:27 For the heart of this people has become dull, 29
and their ears are hard of hearing, 30
and they have closed their eyes,
so that they would not see with their eyes
and hear with their ears
and understand with their heart
and turn, 31 and I would heal them.”’ 32
28:28 “Therefore be advised 33 that this salvation from God 34 has been sent to the Gentiles; 35 they 36 will listen!”
1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is God’s power for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 39
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 Grk “And now, behold.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.
9 tn Grk “bound.”
10 sn This journey to Jerusalem suggests a parallel between Paul and Jesus, since the “Jerusalem journey” motif figures so prominently in Luke’s Gospel (9:51-19:44).
11 tn BDAG 965 s.v. συναντάω 2 has τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ συναντήσοντα ἐμοὶ μὴ εἰδώς without knowing what will happen to me there Ac 20:22.”
12 tn Or “Jesus”; Grk “him.” The referent (the Lord, cf. v. 19) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
13 tn Grk “Having set.” The participle ταξάμενοι (taxamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
14 tn Grk “Having set a day with him”; the words “to meet” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
15 tn Or “came to him in his rented quarters.”
16 tn BDAG 848 s.v. πολύς 1.b.β.ב states, “(even) more πλείονες in even greater numbers Ac 28:23.”
17 tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
18 tn Grk “to whom he explained.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation.
19 tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 1 has “to make a solemn declaration about the truth of someth. testify of, bear witness to (orig. under oath)…God’s kingdom 28:23.”
20 sn Testifying about the kingdom of God. The topic is important. Paul’s preaching was about the rule of God and his promise in Jesus. Paul’s text was the Jewish scriptures.
21 tn Or “persuade.”
22 tn Or “persuaded.”
23 tn Grk “by the things spoken.”
24 sn Some were convinced…but others refused to believe. Once again the gospel caused division among Jews, as in earlier chapters of Acts (13:46; 18:6).
25 tn The imperfect verb ἀπελύοντο (apeluonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
26 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
27 tn Grk “you will hear with hearing” (an idiom).
28 tn Or “seeing”; Grk “you will look by looking” (an idiom).
29 tn Or “insensitive.”
30 tn Grk “they hear heavily with their ears” (an idiom for slow comprehension).
31 sn Note how the failure to respond to the message of the gospel is seen as a failure to turn.
32 sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10.
33 tn Grk “Therefore let it be known to you.”
34 tn Or “of God.”
35 sn The term Gentiles is in emphatic position in the Greek text of this clause. Once again there is the pattern: Jewish rejection of the gospel leads to an emphasis on Gentile inclusion (Acts 13:44-47).
36 tn Grk “they also.”
37 tn Or “willing, ready”; Grk “so my eagerness [is] to preach…” The word πρόθυμος (proqumo", “eager, willing”) is used only elsewhere in the NT in Matt 26:41 = Mark 14:38: “the spirit indeed is willing (πρόθυμος), but the flesh is weak.”
38 map For location see JP4-A1.
39 sn Here the Greek refers to anyone who is not Jewish.
40 tn Grk “so that the whole imperial guard.” The ὥστε (Jwste) clause that begins v. 13 indicates two results of the spread of the gospel: Outsiders know why Paul is imprisoned (v. 13) and believers are emboldened by his imprisonment (v. 14).
41 sn The whole imperial guard (Grk “praetorium”) can refer to the elite troops stationed in Rome or the headquarters of administrators in the provinces (cf. Matt 27:27; Mark 15:16; John 18:28, 33; 19:9; Acts 23:35). In either case a metonymy is involved, with the place (the praetorium) put for those (soldiers or government officials) who were connected with it or stationed in it.
42 tn Grk “it has become known by the whole imperial guard and all the rest.”
43 tn Grk “my bonds [are].”
44 tn Grk “Grace to you and peace.”
45 tn Grk “Not that I am seeking the gift.” The phrase “I do not say this…” has been supplied in the translation to complete the thought for the modern reader.