5:24 “I tell you the solemn truth, 5 the one who hears 6 my message 7 and believes the one who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned, 8 but has crossed over from death to life.
7:1 Then the high priest said, “Are these things true?” 22
5:12 Now many miraculous signs 26 and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By 27 common consent 28 they were all meeting together in Solomon’s Portico. 29 5:13 None of the rest dared to join them, 30 but the people held them in high honor. 31
1 tn Or “resurrect him,” or “make him live again.”
2 sn Notice that here the result (having eternal life and being raised up at the last day) is produced by looking on the Son and believing in him. Compare John 6:54 where the same result is produced by eating Jesus’ flesh and drinking his blood. This suggests that the phrase in 6:54 (eats my flesh and drinks my blood) is to be understood in terms of the phrase here (looks on the Son and believes in him).
3 tn Grk “the flesh counts for nothing.”
4 tn Or “are spirit-giving and life-producing.”
5 tn Grk “Truly, truly, I say to you.”
6 tn Or “obeys.”
7 tn Or “word.”
8 tn Grk “and does not come into judgment.”
9 tn Or “Study the scriptures thoroughly” (an imperative). For the meaning of the verb see G. Delling, TDNT 2:655-57.
10 sn In them you possess eternal life. Note the following examples from the rabbinic tractate Pirqe Avot (“The Sayings of the Fathers”): Pirqe Avot 2:8, “He who has acquired the words of the law has acquired for himself the life of the world to come”; Pirqe Avot 6:7, “Great is the law for it gives to those who practice it life in this world and in the world to come.”
11 tn The words “same scriptures” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the referent (“these”).
12 tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).
13 sn Must be saved. The term used here (δεῖ, dei, “it is necessary”) reflects the necessity set up by God’s directive plan.
14 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
15 tn Or “speak.”
16 tn This term, ἐκκλησία (ekklhsia), is a secular use of the term that came to mean “church” in the epistles. Here a reference to an assembly is all that is intended.
17 tn Or “desert.”
18 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
19 tn Grk “fathers, who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he” and a new clause introduced by “and” was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.
20 tn Or “messages.” This is an allusion to the law given to Moses.
21 tc ‡ The first person pronoun ἡμῖν (Jhmin, “to us”) is read by A C D E Ψ 33 1739 Ï lat sy, while the second person pronoun ὑμῖν (Jumin, “to you”) is read by Ì74 א B 36 453 al co. The second person pronoun thus has significantly better external support. As well, ὑμῖν is a harder reading in this context, both because it is surrounded by first person pronouns and because Stephen perhaps “does not wish to disassociate himself from those who received God’s revelation in the past, but only from those who misinterpreted and disobeyed that revelation” (TCGNT 307). At the same time, Stephen does associate himself to some degree with his disobedient ancestors in v. 39, suggesting that the decisive break does not really come until v. 51 (where both his present audience and their ancestors are viewed as rebellious). Thus, both externally and internally ὑμῖν is the preferred reading.
22 tn Grk “If it is so concerning these things” (see BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.a for this use).
23 tn Grk “And great.” 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.
24 tn Or “fear came on,” “fear seized”; Grk “fear happened to.”
25 sn This is the first occurrence of the term church (ἐκκλησία, ekklhsia) in Acts. It refers to an assembly of people.
26 tn The miraculous nature of these signs is implied in the context.
27 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.
28 tn Or “With one mind.”
29 tn Or “colonnade”; Grk “stoa.”
30 tn Or “to associate with them.” The group was beginning to have a controversial separate identity. People were cautious about joining them. The next verse suggests that the phrase “none of the rest” in this verse is rhetorical hyperbole.
31 tn Or “the people thought very highly of them.”