23:34 “For this reason I 16 am sending you prophets and wise men and experts in the law, 17 some of whom you will kill and crucify, 18 and some you will flog 19 in your synagogues 20 and pursue from town to town,
13:9 “You must watch out for yourselves. You will be handed over 21 to councils 22 and beaten in the synagogues. 23 You will stand before governors and kings 24 because of me, as a witness to them. 13:10 First the gospel must be preached to all nations. 13:11 When they arrest you and hand you over for trial, do not worry about what to speak. But say whatever is given you at that time, 25 for it is not you speaking, but the Holy Spirit.
4:5 On the next day, 26 their rulers, elders, and experts in the law 27 came together 28 in Jerusalem. 29 4:6 Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others who were members of the high priest’s family. 30 4:7 After 31 making Peter and John 32 stand in their midst, they began to inquire, “By what power or by what name 33 did you do this?”
5:27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the council, 34 and the high priest questioned 35 them, 5:28 saying, “We gave 36 you strict orders 37 not to teach in this name. 38 Look, 39 you have filled Jerusalem 40 with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood 41 on us!” 5:29 But Peter and the apostles replied, 42 “We must obey 43 God rather than people. 44 5:30 The God of our forefathers 45 raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree. 46 5:31 God exalted him 47 to his right hand as Leader 48 and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 49 5:32 And we are witnesses of these events, 50 and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey 51 him.”
1 sn But before all this. Another note of timing is present, this one especially important in understanding the sequence in the discourse. Before the things noted in vv. 8-11 are the events of vv. 12-19.
2 tn Grk “will lay their hands on you.”
3 sn Some of the persecution is of Jewish origin (the synagogues). Some fulfillment of this can be seen in Acts. See the note on synagogues in 4:15.
4 tn Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation.
5 tn Grk “This will turn out to you for [a] testimony.”
6 tn Grk “determine in your hearts.”
7 tn This term could refer to rehearsing a speech or a dance. On its syntax, see BDF §392.2.
8 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
9 sn Councils in this context refers to local judicial bodies attached to the Jewish synagogue. This group would be responsible for meting out justice and discipline within the Jewish community.
10 tn BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”
11 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
12 sn These statements look at persecution both from a Jewish context as the mention of courts and synagogues suggests, and from a Gentile one as the reference to governors and kings suggests. Some fulfillment of Jewish persecution can be seen in Acts.
13 tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.
14 tn Grk “how or what you might speak.”
15 tn Grk “in that hour.”
16 tn Grk “behold I am sending.” The Greek word ἰδού (idou) has not been translated because it has no exact English equivalent here, but adds interest and emphasis (BDAG 468 s.v. 1).
17 tn Or “scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 2:4.
18 sn See the note on crucified in 20:19.
19 tn BDAG 620 s.v. μαστιγόω 1.a states, “of flogging as a punishment decreed by the synagogue (Dt 25:2f; s. the Mishna Tractate Sanhedrin-Makkoth, edited w. notes by SKrauss ’33) w. acc. of pers. Mt 10:17; 23:34.”
20 sn See the note on synagogues in 4:23.
21 tn Grk “They will hand you over.” “They” is an indefinite plural, referring to people in general. The parallel in Matt 10:17 makes this explicit.
22 sn Councils in this context refers to local judicial bodies attached to the Jewish synagogue. This group would be responsible for meting out justice and discipline within the Jewish community.
23 sn See the note on synagogue in 1:21.
24 sn These statements look at persecution both from a Jewish context as the mention of councils and synagogues suggests, and from a Gentile one as the reference to governors and kings suggests. Some fulfillment of Jewish persecution can be seen in Acts.
25 tn Grk “in that hour.”
26 tn Grk “It happened that on the next day.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.
27 tn Or “and scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.
28 tn Or “law assembled,” “law met together.”
29 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
30 sn The high priest’s family. This family controlled the high priesthood as far back as
31 tn Grk “And after.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new sentence is begun in the translation at the beginning of v. 7.
32 tn Grk “making them”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
33 sn By what name. The issue of the “name” comes up again here. This question, meaning “by whose authority,” surfaces an old dispute (see Luke 20:1-8). Who speaks for God about the ancient faith?
34 tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
35 tn Or “interrogated,” “asked.”
36 tc ‡ The majority of
37 tn Grk “We commanded you with a commandment” (a Semitic idiom that is emphatic).
38 sn The name (i.e., person) of Jesus is the constant issue of debate.
39 tn Grk “And behold.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
40 map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
41 sn To bring this man’s blood on us is an idiom meaning “you intend to make us guilty of this man’s death.”
42 tn Grk “apostles answered and said.”
43 sn Obey. See 4:19. This response has Jewish roots (Dan 3:16-18; 2 Macc 7:2; Josephus, Ant. 17.6.3 [17.159].
44 tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).
45 tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”
46 tn Or “by crucifying him” (“hang on a tree” is by the time of the first century an idiom for crucifixion). The allusion is to the judgment against Jesus as a rebellious figure, appealing to the language of Deut 21:23. The Jewish leadership has badly “misjudged” Jesus.
47 tn Grk “This one God exalted” (emphatic).
48 tn Or “Founder” (of a movement).
49 tn Or “to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.”
50 tn Or “things.” They are preaching these things even to the hostile leadership.
51 sn Those who obey. The implication, of course, is that the leadership is disobeying God.
52 sn A synagogue was a place for Jewish prayer and worship, with recognized leadership (cf. Luke 8:41). Though the origin of the synagogue is not entirely clear, it seems to have arisen in the postexilic community during the intertestamental period. A town could establish a synagogue if there were at least ten men. In normative Judaism of the NT period, the OT scripture was read and discussed in the synagogue by the men who were present (see the Mishnah, m. Megillah 3-4; m. Berakhot 2).
53 tn Grk “the so-called Synagogue of the Freedmen.” The translation of the participle λεγομένης (legomenh") by the phrase “as it was called” is given by L&N 87.86. “Freedmen” would be slaves who had gained their freedom, or the descendants of such people (BDAG 594-95 s.v. Λιβερτῖνος).
54 tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.
55 tn Grk “and.” The context, however, indicates that the conjunction carries an adversative force.
56 sn They were not able to resist. This represents another fulfillment of Luke 12:11-12; 21:15.
57 tn Another translation would be “they suborned” (but this term is not in common usage). “Instigate (secretly), suborn” is given by BDAG 1036 s.v. ὑποβάλλω.
58 tn Grk “heard him”; but since this is direct discourse, it is more natural (and clearer) to specify the referent (Stephen) as “this man.”
59 tn Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
60 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 4:5.
61 tn Grk “approaching, they seized him”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
62 tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews). Stephen suffers just as Peter and John did.
63 sn This holy place is a reference to the temple.
64 sn The law refers to the law of Moses. It elaborates the nature of the blasphemy in v. 11. To speak against God’s law in Torah was to blaspheme God (Deut 28:15-19). On the Jewish view of false witnesses, see Exod 19:16-18; 20:16; m. Sanhedrin 3.6; 5.1-5. Stephen’s speech in Acts 7 may indicate why the temple was mentioned.
65 tn Or “practices.”
66 tn Grk “And all.” 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.
67 tn Or “Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
68 tn Grk “at him”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
69 sn His face was like the face of an angel. This narrative description of Stephen’s face adds to the mood of the passage. He had the appearance of a supernatural, heavenly messenger.