Acts 7:1--13:42

Stephen’s Defense Before the Council

7:1 Then the high priest said, “Are these things true?” ¹  7:2 So he replied, ²  “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our forefather ³  Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, 7:3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your country and from your relatives, and come to the land I will show you.’ ⁴  7:4 Then he went out from the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God ⁵  made him move ⁶  to this country where you now live. 7:5 He ⁷  did not give any of it to him for an inheritance, ⁸  not even a foot of ground, ⁹  yet God ¹⁰  promised to give it to him as his possession, and to his descendants after him, ¹¹  even though Abraham ¹²  as yet had no child. 7:6 But God spoke as follows: ‘Your ¹³  descendants will be foreigners ¹⁴  in a foreign country, whose citizens will enslave them and mistreat them for four hundred years. ¹⁵  7:7 But I will punish ¹⁶  the nation they serve as slaves,’ said God, ‘and after these things they will come out of there ¹⁷  and worship ¹⁸  me in this place.’ ¹⁹  7:8 Then God ²⁰  gave Abraham ²¹  the covenant ²²  of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him when he was eight days old, ²³  and Isaac became the father of ²⁴  Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. ²⁵  7:9 The ²⁶  patriarchs, because they were jealous of Joseph, sold ²⁷  him into Egypt. But ²⁸  God was with him, 7:10 and rescued him from all his troubles, and granted him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made ²⁹  him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 7:11 Then a famine occurred throughout ³⁰  Egypt and Canaan, causing ³¹  great suffering, and our ³²  ancestors ³³  could not find food. 7:12 So when Jacob heard that there was grain ³⁴  in Egypt, he sent our ancestors ³⁵  there ³⁶  the first time. 7:13 On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers again, and Joseph’s family ³⁷  became known to Pharaoh. 7:14 So Joseph sent a message ³⁸  and invited ³⁹  his father Jacob and all his relatives to come, seventy-five people ⁴⁰  in all. 7:15 So Jacob went down to Egypt and died there, ⁴¹  along with our ancestors, ⁴²  7:16 and their bones ⁴³  were later moved to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a certain sum of money ⁴⁴  from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.

7:17 “But as the time drew near for God to fulfill the promise he had declared to Abraham, ⁴⁵  the people increased greatly in number ⁴⁶  in Egypt, 7:18 until another king who did not know about ⁴⁷  Joseph ruled ⁴⁸  over Egypt. ⁴⁹  7:19 This was the one who exploited ⁵⁰  our people ⁵¹  and was cruel to our ancestors, ⁵²  forcing them to abandon ⁵³  their infants so they would die. ⁵⁴  7:20 At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful ⁵⁵  to God. For ⁵⁶  three months he was brought up in his father’s house, 7:21 and when he had been abandoned, ⁵⁷  Pharaoh’s daughter adopted ⁵⁸  him and brought him up ⁵⁹  as her own son. 7:22 So Moses was trained ⁶⁰  in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful ⁶¹  in his words and deeds. 7:23 But when he was about forty years old, it entered his mind ⁶²  to visit his fellow countrymen ⁶³  the Israelites. ⁶⁴  7:24 When ⁶⁵  he saw one of them being hurt unfairly, ⁶⁶  Moses ⁶⁷  came to his defense ⁶⁸  and avenged the person who was mistreated by striking down the Egyptian. 7:25 He thought his own people ⁶⁹  would understand that God was delivering them ⁷⁰  through him, ⁷¹  but they did not understand. ⁷²  7:26 The next day Moses ⁷³  saw two men ⁷⁴  fighting, and tried to make peace between ⁷⁵  them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why are you hurting one another?’ 7:27 But the man who was unfairly hurting his neighbor pushed ⁷⁶  Moses ⁷⁷  aside, saying, ‘Who made ⁷⁸  you a ruler and judge over us? 7:28 You don’t want to kill me the way you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ ⁷⁹  7:29 When the man said this, ⁸⁰  Moses fled and became a foreigner ⁸¹  in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.

7:30 “After ⁸²  forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the desert ⁸³  of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. ⁸⁴  7:31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and when he approached to investigate, there came the voice of the Lord, 7:32 ‘I am the God of your forefathers, ⁸⁵  the God of Abraham, Isaac, ⁸⁶  and Jacob.’ ⁸⁷  Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look more closely. ⁸⁸  7:33 But the Lord said to him, ‘Take the sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. ⁸⁹  7:34 I have certainly seen the suffering ⁹⁰  of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. ⁹¹  Now ⁹²  come, I will send you to Egypt.’ ⁹³  7:35 This same ⁹⁴  Moses they had rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge?’ ⁹⁵  God sent as both ruler and deliverer ⁹⁶  through the hand of the angel ⁹⁷  who appeared to him in the bush. 7:36 This man led them out, performing wonders and miraculous signs ⁹⁸  in the land of Egypt, ⁹⁹  at ¹⁰⁰  the Red Sea, and in the wilderness ¹⁰¹  for forty years. 7:37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, ¹⁰²  ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ ¹⁰³  7:38 This is the man who was in the congregation ¹⁰⁴  in the wilderness ¹⁰⁵  with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, ¹⁰⁶  and he ¹⁰⁷  received living oracles ¹⁰⁸  to give to you. ¹⁰⁹  7:39 Our ¹¹⁰  ancestors ¹¹¹  were unwilling to obey ¹¹²  him, but pushed him aside ¹¹³  and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, 7:40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go in front of us, for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt ¹¹⁴  – we do not know what has happened to him!’ ¹¹⁵  7:41 At ¹¹⁶  that time ¹¹⁷  they made an idol in the form of a calf, ¹¹⁸  brought ¹¹⁹  a sacrifice to the idol, and began rejoicing ¹²⁰  in the works of their hands. ¹²¹  7:42 But God turned away from them and gave them over ¹²²  to worship the host ¹²³  of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘It was not to me that you offered slain animals and sacrifices ¹²⁴  forty years in the wilderness, was it, ¹²⁵  house of Israel? 7:43 But you took along the tabernacle ¹²⁶  of Moloch ¹²⁷  and the star of the ¹²⁸  god Rephan, ¹²⁹  the images you made to worship, but I will deport ¹³⁰  you beyond Babylon.’ ¹³¹  7:44 Our ancestors ¹³²  had the tabernacle ¹³³  of testimony in the wilderness, ¹³⁴  just as God ¹³⁵  who spoke to Moses ordered him ¹³⁶  to make it according to the design he had seen. 7:45 Our ¹³⁷  ancestors ¹³⁸  received possession of it and brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors, ¹³⁹  until the time ¹⁴⁰  of David. 7:46 He ¹⁴¹  found favor ¹⁴²  with ¹⁴³  God and asked that he could ¹⁴⁴  find a dwelling place ¹⁴⁵  for the house ¹⁴⁶  of Jacob. 7:47 But Solomon built a house ¹⁴⁷  for him. 7:48 Yet the Most High ¹⁴⁸  does not live in houses made by human hands, ¹⁴⁹  as the prophet says,

7:49 ‘Heaven is my throne,

and earth is the footstool for my feet.

What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,

or what is my resting place? ¹⁵⁰ 

7:50 Did my hand ¹⁵¹  not make all these things?’ ¹⁵² 

7:51 “You stubborn ¹⁵³  people, with uncircumcised ¹⁵⁴  hearts and ears! ¹⁵⁵  You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors ¹⁵⁶  did! 7:52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors ¹⁵⁷  not persecute? ¹⁵⁸  They ¹⁵⁹  killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One, ¹⁶⁰  whose betrayers and murderers you have now become! ¹⁶¹  7:53 You ¹⁶²  received the law by decrees given by angels, ¹⁶³  but you did not obey ¹⁶⁴  it.” ¹⁶⁵ 

Stephen is Killed

7:54 When they heard these things, they became furious ¹⁶⁶  and ground their teeth ¹⁶⁷  at him. 7:55 But Stephen, ¹⁶⁸  full ¹⁶⁹  of the Holy Spirit, looked intently ¹⁷⁰  toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing ¹⁷¹  at the right hand of God. 7:56 “Look!” he said. ¹⁷²  “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 7:57 But they covered their ears, ¹⁷³  shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent. 7:58 When ¹⁷⁴  they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, ¹⁷⁵  and the witnesses laid their cloaks ¹⁷⁶  at the feet of a young man named Saul. 7:59 They ¹⁷⁷  continued to stone Stephen while he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 7:60 Then he fell ¹⁷⁸  to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” ¹⁷⁹  When ¹⁸⁰  he had said this, he died. ¹⁸¹  8:1 And Saul agreed completely with killing ¹⁸²  him.

Saul Begins to Persecute the Church

Now on that day a great ¹⁸³  persecution began ¹⁸⁴  against the church in Jerusalem, ¹⁸⁵  and all ¹⁸⁶  except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions ¹⁸⁷  of Judea and Samaria. 8:2 Some ¹⁸⁸  devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation ¹⁸⁹  over him. ¹⁹⁰  8:3 But Saul was trying to destroy ¹⁹¹  the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off ¹⁹²  both men and women and put them in prison. ¹⁹³ 

Philip Preaches in Samaria

8:4 Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word. 8:5 Philip went down to the main city of Samaria ¹⁹⁴  and began proclaiming ¹⁹⁵  the Christ ¹⁹⁶  to them. 8:6 The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what Philip said, ¹⁹⁷  as they heard and saw the miraculous signs ¹⁹⁸  he was performing. 8:7 For unclean spirits, ¹⁹⁹  crying with loud shrieks, were coming out of many who were possessed, ²⁰⁰  and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. 8:8 So there was ²⁰¹  great joy ²⁰²  in that city.

8:9 Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic ²⁰³  and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 8:10 All the people, ²⁰⁴  from the least to the greatest, paid close attention to him, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘Great.’” ²⁰⁵  8:11 And they paid close attention to him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God ²⁰⁶  and the name of Jesus Christ, ²⁰⁷  they began to be baptized, ²⁰⁸  both men and women. 8:13 Even Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to ²⁰⁹  Philip constantly, and when he saw the signs and great miracles that were occurring, he was amazed. ²¹⁰ 

8:14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem ²¹¹  heard that Samaria had accepted the word ²¹²  of God, they sent ²¹³  Peter and John to them. 8:15 These two ²¹⁴  went down and prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit. 8:16 (For the Spirit ²¹⁵  had not yet come upon ²¹⁶  any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) ²¹⁷  8:17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans, ²¹⁸  and they received the Holy Spirit. ²¹⁹ 

8:18 Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit ²²⁰  was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, 8:19 saying, “Give me this power ²²¹  too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” 8:20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, ²²²  because you thought you could acquire ²²³  God’s gift with money! 8:21 You have no share or part ²²⁴  in this matter ²²⁵  because your heart is not right before God! 8:22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord ²²⁶  that he may perhaps forgive you for the intent of your heart. ²²⁷  8:23 For I see that you are bitterly envious ²²⁸  and in bondage to sin.” 8:24 But Simon replied, ²²⁹  “You pray to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said may happen to ²³⁰  me.”

8:25 So after Peter and John ²³¹  had solemnly testified ²³²  and spoken the word of the Lord, ²³³  they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming ²³⁴  the good news to many Samaritan villages ²³⁵  as they went. ²³⁶ 

Philip and the Ethiopian Eunuch

8:26 Then an angel of the Lord ²³⁷  said to Philip, ²³⁸  “Get up and go south ²³⁹  on the road that goes down from Jerusalem ²⁴⁰  to Gaza.” (This is a desert ²⁴¹  road.) ²⁴²  8:27 So ²⁴³  he got up ²⁴⁴  and went. There ²⁴⁵  he met ²⁴⁶  an Ethiopian eunuch, ²⁴⁷  a court official of Candace, ²⁴⁸  queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He ²⁴⁹  had come to Jerusalem to worship, ²⁵⁰  8:28 and was returning home, sitting ²⁵¹  in his chariot, reading ²⁵²  the prophet Isaiah. 8:29 Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go over and join this chariot.” 8:30 So Philip ran up ²⁵³  to it ²⁵⁴  and heard the man ²⁵⁵  reading Isaiah the prophet. He ²⁵⁶  asked him, ²⁵⁷  “Do you understand what you’re reading?” 8:31 The man ²⁵⁸  replied, “How in the world can I, ²⁵⁹  unless someone guides me?” So he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. 8:32 Now the passage of scripture the man ²⁶⁰  was reading was this:

“He was led like a sheep to slaughter,

and like a lamb before its shearer is silent,

so he did ²⁶¹  not open his mouth.

8:33 In humiliation ²⁶²  justice was taken from him. ²⁶³ 

Who can describe his posterity? ²⁶⁴ 

For his life was taken away ²⁶⁵  from the earth.” ²⁶⁶ 

8:34 Then the eunuch said ²⁶⁷  to Philip, “Please tell me, ²⁶⁸  who is the prophet saying this about – himself or someone else?” ²⁶⁹  8:35 So Philip started speaking, ²⁷⁰  and beginning with this scripture ²⁷¹  proclaimed the good news about Jesus to him. 8:36 Now as they were going along the road, they came to some water, and the eunuch said, “Look, there is water! What is to stop me ²⁷²  from being baptized?” 8:37 [[EMPTY]] ²⁷³  8:38 So he ordered the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, ²⁷⁴  and Philip baptized ²⁷⁵  him. 8:39 Now when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away, and the eunuch did not see him any more, but ²⁷⁶  went on his way rejoicing. ²⁷⁷  8:40 Philip, however, found himself ²⁷⁸  at Azotus, ²⁷⁹  and as he passed through the area, ²⁸⁰  he proclaimed the good news ²⁸¹  to all the towns ²⁸²  until he came to Caesarea. ²⁸³ 

The Conversion of Saul

9:1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats ²⁸⁴  to murder ²⁸⁵  the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest 9:2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues ²⁸⁶  in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, ²⁸⁷  either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners ²⁸⁸  to Jerusalem. ²⁸⁹  9:3 As he was going along, approaching ²⁹⁰  Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed ²⁹¹  around him. 9:4 He ²⁹²  fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to him, “Saul, Saul, ²⁹³  why are you persecuting me?” ²⁹⁴  9:5 So he said, “Who are you, Lord?” He replied, “I am Jesus whom you are persecuting! 9:6 But stand up ²⁹⁵  and enter the city and you will be told ²⁹⁶  what you must do.” 9:7 (Now the men ²⁹⁷  who were traveling with him stood there speechless, ²⁹⁸  because they heard the voice but saw no one.) ²⁹⁹  9:8 So Saul got up from the ground, but although his eyes were open, ³⁰⁰  he could see nothing. ³⁰¹  Leading him by the hand, his companions ³⁰²  brought him into Damascus. 9:9 For ³⁰³  three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank anything. ³⁰⁴ 

9:10 Now there was a disciple in Damascus named Ananias. The ³⁰⁵  Lord ³⁰⁶  said to him in a vision, “Ananias,” and he replied, “Here I am, ³⁰⁷  Lord.” 9:11 Then the Lord told him, “Get up and go to the street called ‘Straight,’ ³⁰⁸  and at Judas’ house look for a man from Tarsus named Saul. For he is praying, 9:12 and he has seen in a vision ³⁰⁹  a man named Ananias come in and place his hands on him so that he may see again.” 9:13 But Ananias replied, ³¹⁰  “Lord, I have heard from many people ³¹¹  about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem, 9:14 and here he has authority from the chief priests to imprison ³¹²  all who call on your name!” ³¹³  9:15 But the Lord said to him, “Go, because this man is my chosen instrument ³¹⁴  to carry my name before Gentiles and kings and the people of Israel. ³¹⁵  9:16 For I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name.” ³¹⁶  9:17 So Ananias departed and entered the house, placed ³¹⁷  his hands on Saul ³¹⁸  and said, “Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you came here, ³¹⁹  has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” ³²⁰  9:18 Immediately ³²¹  something like scales ³²²  fell from his eyes, and he could see again. He ³²³  got up and was baptized, 9:19 and after taking some food, his strength returned.

For several days ³²⁴  he was with the disciples in Damascus, 9:20 and immediately he began to proclaim Jesus in the synagogues, ³²⁵  saying, “This man is the Son of God.” ³²⁶  9:21 All ³²⁷  who heard him were amazed and were saying, “Is this not ³²⁸  the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging ³²⁹  those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners ³³⁰  to the chief priests?” 9:22 But Saul became more and more capable, ³³¹  and was causing consternation ³³²  among the Jews who lived in Damascus by proving ³³³  that Jesus ³³⁴  is the Christ. ³³⁵ 

Saul’s Escape from Damascus

9:23 Now after some days had passed, the Jews plotted ³³⁶  together to kill him, 9:24 but Saul learned of their plot against him. ³³⁷  They were also watching ³³⁸  the city gates ³³⁹  day and night so that they could kill him. 9:25 But his disciples took him at night and let him down through an opening ³⁴⁰  in the wall by lowering him in a basket. ³⁴¹ 

Saul Returns to Jerusalem

9:26 When he arrived in Jerusalem, ³⁴²  he attempted to associate ³⁴³  with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe ³⁴⁴  that he was a disciple. 9:27 But Barnabas took ³⁴⁵  Saul, ³⁴⁶  brought ³⁴⁷  him to the apostles, and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, that ³⁴⁸  the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly ³⁴⁹  in the name of Jesus. 9:28 So he was staying with them, associating openly with them ³⁵⁰  in Jerusalem, speaking out boldly in the name of the Lord. 9:29 He was speaking and debating ³⁵¹  with the Greek-speaking Jews, ³⁵²  but they were trying to kill him. 9:30 When the brothers found out about this, they brought him down to Caesarea ³⁵³  and sent him away to Tarsus.

9:31 Then ³⁵⁴  the church throughout Judea, Galilee, ³⁵⁵  and Samaria experienced ³⁵⁶  peace and thus was strengthened. ³⁵⁷  Living ³⁵⁸  in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, the church ³⁵⁹  increased in numbers.

Peter Heals Aeneas

9:32 Now ³⁶⁰  as Peter was traveling around from place to place, ³⁶¹  he also came down to the saints who lived in Lydda. ³⁶²  9:33 He found there a man named Aeneas who had been confined to a mattress for eight years because ³⁶³  he was paralyzed. 9:34 Peter ³⁶⁴  said to him, “Aeneas, Jesus the Christ ³⁶⁵  heals you. Get up and make your own bed!” ³⁶⁶  And immediately he got up. 9:35 All ³⁶⁷  those who lived in Lydda ³⁶⁸  and Sharon ³⁶⁹  saw him, and they ³⁷⁰  turned ³⁷¹  to the Lord.

Peter Raises Dorcas

9:36 Now in Joppa ³⁷²  there was a disciple named Tabitha (which in translation means ³⁷³  Dorcas). ³⁷⁴  She was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity. ³⁷⁵  9:37 At that time ³⁷⁶  she became sick ³⁷⁷  and died. When they had washed ³⁷⁸  her body, ³⁷⁹  they placed it in an upstairs room. 9:38 Because Lydda ³⁸⁰  was near Joppa, when the disciples heard that Peter was there, they sent two men to him and urged him, “Come to us without delay.” ³⁸¹  9:39 So Peter got up and went with them, and ³⁸²  when he arrived ³⁸³  they brought him to the upper room. All ³⁸⁴  the widows stood beside him, crying and showing him ³⁸⁵  the tunics ³⁸⁶  and other clothing ³⁸⁷  Dorcas used to make ³⁸⁸  while she was with them. 9:40 But Peter sent them all outside, ³⁸⁹  knelt down, ³⁹⁰  and prayed. Turning ³⁹¹  to the body, he said, “Tabitha, get up.” Then she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. ³⁹²  9:41 He gave ³⁹³  her his hand and helped her get up. Then he called ³⁹⁴  the saints and widows and presented her alive. 9:42 This became known throughout all ³⁹⁵  Joppa, and many believed in the Lord. ³⁹⁶  9:43 So ³⁹⁷  Peter ³⁹⁸  stayed many days in Joppa with a man named ³⁹⁹  Simon, a tanner. ⁴⁰⁰ 

Peter Visits Cornelius

10:1 Now there was a man in Caesarea ⁴⁰¹  named Cornelius, a centurion ⁴⁰²  of what was known as the Italian Cohort. ⁴⁰³  10:2 He ⁴⁰⁴  was a devout, God-fearing man, ⁴⁰⁵  as was all his household; he did many acts of charity for the people ⁴⁰⁶  and prayed to God regularly. 10:3 About three o’clock one afternoon ⁴⁰⁷  he saw clearly in a vision an angel of God ⁴⁰⁸  who came in ⁴⁰⁹  and said to him, “Cornelius.” 10:4 Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius ⁴¹⁰  replied, ⁴¹¹  “What is it, Lord?” The angel ⁴¹²  said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity ⁴¹³  have gone up as a memorial ⁴¹⁴  before God. 10:5 Now ⁴¹⁵  send men to Joppa ⁴¹⁶  and summon a man named Simon, ⁴¹⁷  who is called Peter. 10:6 This man is staying as a guest with a man named Simon, a tanner, ⁴¹⁸  whose house is by the sea.” 10:7 When the angel who had spoken to him departed, Cornelius ⁴¹⁹  called two of his personal servants ⁴²⁰  and a devout soldier from among those who served him, ⁴²¹  10:8 and when he had explained everything to them, he sent them to Joppa.

10:9 About noon ⁴²²  the next day, while they were on their way and approaching ⁴²³  the city, Peter went up on the roof ⁴²⁴  to pray. 10:10 He became hungry and wanted to eat, but while they were preparing the meal, a trance came over him. ⁴²⁵  10:11 He ⁴²⁶  saw heaven ⁴²⁷  opened ⁴²⁸  and an object something like a large sheet ⁴²⁹  descending, ⁴³⁰  being let down to earth ⁴³¹  by its four corners. 10:12 In it ⁴³²  were all kinds of four-footed animals and reptiles ⁴³³  of the earth and wild birds. ⁴³⁴  10:13 Then ⁴³⁵  a voice said ⁴³⁶  to him, “Get up, Peter; slaughter ⁴³⁷  and eat!” 10:14 But Peter said, “Certainly not, Lord, for I have never eaten anything defiled and ritually unclean!” ⁴³⁸  10:15 The voice ⁴³⁹  spoke to him again, a second time, “What God has made clean, you must not consider ⁴⁴⁰  ritually unclean!” ⁴⁴¹  10:16 This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into heaven. ⁴⁴² 

10:17 Now while Peter was puzzling over ⁴⁴³  what the vision he had seen could signify, the men sent by Cornelius had learned where Simon’s house was ⁴⁴⁴  and approached ⁴⁴⁵  the gate. 10:18 They ⁴⁴⁶  called out to ask if Simon, known as Peter, ⁴⁴⁷  was staying there as a guest. 10:19 While Peter was still thinking seriously about ⁴⁴⁸  the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look! Three men are looking for you. 10:20 But get up, ⁴⁴⁹  go down, and accompany them without hesitation, ⁴⁵⁰  because I have sent them.” 10:21 So Peter went down ⁴⁵¹  to the men and said, “Here I am, ⁴⁵²  the person you’re looking for. Why have you come?” 10:22 They said, “Cornelius the centurion, ⁴⁵³  a righteous ⁴⁵⁴  and God-fearing man, well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, ⁴⁵⁵  was directed by a holy angel to summon you to his house and to hear a message ⁴⁵⁶  from you.” 10:23 So Peter ⁴⁵⁷  invited them in and entertained them as guests.

On the next day he got up and set out ⁴⁵⁸  with them, and some of the brothers from Joppa ⁴⁵⁹  accompanied him. 10:24 The following day ⁴⁶⁰  he entered Caesarea. ⁴⁶¹  Now Cornelius was waiting anxiously ⁴⁶²  for them and had called together his relatives and close friends. 10:25 So when ⁴⁶³  Peter came in, Cornelius met ⁴⁶⁴  him, fell ⁴⁶⁵  at his feet, and worshiped ⁴⁶⁶  him. 10:26 But Peter helped him up, ⁴⁶⁷  saying, “Stand up. I too am a mere mortal.” ⁴⁶⁸  10:27 Peter ⁴⁶⁹  continued talking with him as he went in, and he found many people gathered together. ⁴⁷⁰  10:28 He said to them, “You know that ⁴⁷¹  it is unlawful ⁴⁷²  for a Jew ⁴⁷³  to associate with or visit a Gentile, ⁴⁷⁴  yet God has shown me that I should call no person ⁴⁷⁵  defiled or ritually unclean. ⁴⁷⁶  10:29 Therefore when you sent for me, ⁴⁷⁷  I came without any objection. Now may I ask why ⁴⁷⁸  you sent for me?” 10:30 Cornelius ⁴⁷⁹  replied, ⁴⁸⁰  “Four days ago at this very hour, at three o’clock in the afternoon, ⁴⁸¹  I was praying in my house, and suddenly ⁴⁸²  a man in shining clothing stood before me 10:31 and said, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of charity ⁴⁸³  have been remembered before God. ⁴⁸⁴  10:32 Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner, ⁴⁸⁵  by the sea.’ 10:33 Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come. ⁴⁸⁶  So now we are all here in the presence of God ⁴⁸⁷  to listen ⁴⁸⁸  to everything the Lord has commanded you to say to us.” ⁴⁸⁹ 

10:34 Then Peter started speaking: ⁴⁹⁰  “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people, ⁴⁹¹  10:35 but in every nation ⁴⁹²  the person who fears him ⁴⁹³  and does what is right ⁴⁹⁴  is welcomed before him. 10:36 You know ⁴⁹⁵  the message ⁴⁹⁶  he sent to the people ⁴⁹⁷  of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace ⁴⁹⁸  through ⁴⁹⁹  Jesus Christ ⁵⁰⁰  (he is Lord ⁵⁰¹  of all) – 10:37 you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced: ⁵⁰²  10:38 with respect to Jesus from Nazareth, ⁵⁰³  that ⁵⁰⁴  God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He ⁵⁰⁵  went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, ⁵⁰⁶  because God was with him. ⁵⁰⁷  10:39 We ⁵⁰⁸  are witnesses of all the things he did both in Judea ⁵⁰⁹  and in Jerusalem. ⁵¹⁰  They ⁵¹¹  killed him by hanging him on a tree, ⁵¹²  10:40 but ⁵¹³  God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen, ⁵¹⁴  10:41 not by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen, ⁵¹⁵  who ate and drank ⁵¹⁶  with him after he rose from the dead. 10:42 He ⁵¹⁷  commanded us to preach to the people and to warn ⁵¹⁸  them ⁵¹⁹  that he is the one ⁵²⁰  appointed ⁵²¹  by God as judge ⁵²²  of the living and the dead. 10:43 About him all the prophets testify, ⁵²³  that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins ⁵²⁴  through his name.”

The Gentiles Receive the Holy Spirit

10:44 While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on ⁵²⁵  all those who heard the message. ⁵²⁶  10:45 The ⁵²⁷  circumcised believers ⁵²⁸  who had accompanied Peter were greatly astonished ⁵²⁹  that ⁵³⁰  the gift of the Holy Spirit ⁵³¹  had been poured out ⁵³²  even on the Gentiles, 10:46 for they heard them speaking in tongues and praising ⁵³³  God. Then Peter said, 10:47 “No one can withhold the water for these people to be baptized, who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, ⁵³⁴  can he?” ⁵³⁵  10:48 So he gave orders to have them baptized ⁵³⁶  in the name of Jesus Christ. ⁵³⁷  Then they asked him to stay for several days.

Peter Defends His Actions to the Jerusalem Church

11:1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted ⁵³⁸  the word of God. ⁵³⁹  11:2 So when Peter went up to Jerusalem, ⁵⁴⁰  the circumcised believers ⁵⁴¹  took issue with ⁵⁴²  him, 11:3 saying, “You went to ⁵⁴³  uncircumcised men and shared a meal with ⁵⁴⁴  them.” 11:4 But Peter began and explained it to them point by point, ⁵⁴⁵  saying, 11:5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, ⁵⁴⁶  an object something like a large sheet descending, ⁵⁴⁷  being let down from heaven ⁵⁴⁸  by its four corners, and it came to me. 11:6 As I stared ⁵⁴⁹  I looked into it and saw four-footed animals of the earth, wild animals, reptiles, ⁵⁵⁰  and wild birds. ⁵⁵¹  11:7 I also heard a voice saying to me, ‘Get up, Peter; slaughter ⁵⁵²  and eat!’ 11:8 But I said, ‘Certainly not, Lord, for nothing defiled or ritually unclean ⁵⁵³  has ever entered my mouth!’ 11:9 But the voice replied a second time from heaven, ‘What God has made clean, you must not consider ⁵⁵⁴  ritually unclean!’ 11:10 This happened three times, and then everything was pulled up to heaven again. 11:11 At that very moment, ⁵⁵⁵  three men sent to me from Caesarea ⁵⁵⁶  approached ⁵⁵⁷  the house where we were staying. ⁵⁵⁸  11:12 The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers ⁵⁵⁹  also went with me, and we entered the man’s house. 11:13 He informed us how he had seen an angel standing in his house and saying, ‘Send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter, 11:14 who will speak a message ⁵⁶⁰  to you by which you and your entire household will be saved.’ 11:15 Then as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell on ⁵⁶¹  them just as he did ⁵⁶²  on us at the beginning. ⁵⁶³  11:16 And I remembered the word of the Lord, ⁵⁶⁴  as he used to say, ⁵⁶⁵  ‘John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.’ ⁵⁶⁶  11:17 Therefore if God ⁵⁶⁷  gave them the same gift ⁵⁶⁸  as he also gave us after believing ⁵⁶⁹  in the Lord Jesus Christ, ⁵⁷⁰  who was I to hinder ⁵⁷¹  God?” 11:18 When they heard this, ⁵⁷²  they ceased their objections ⁵⁷³  and praised ⁵⁷⁴  God, saying, “So then, God has granted the repentance ⁵⁷⁵  that leads to life even to the Gentiles.” ⁵⁷⁶ 

Activity in the Church at Antioch

11:19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen ⁵⁷⁷  went as far as ⁵⁷⁸  Phoenicia, ⁵⁷⁹  Cyprus, ⁵⁸⁰  and Antioch, ⁵⁸¹  speaking the message ⁵⁸²  to no one but Jews. 11:20 But there were some men from Cyprus ⁵⁸³  and Cyrene ⁵⁸⁴  among them who came ⁵⁸⁵  to Antioch ⁵⁸⁶  and began to speak to the Greeks ⁵⁸⁷  too, proclaiming the good news of the Lord Jesus. 11:21 The ⁵⁸⁸  hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed ⁵⁸⁹  turned ⁵⁹⁰  to the Lord. 11:22 A report ⁵⁹¹  about them came to the attention ⁵⁹²  of the church in Jerusalem, ⁵⁹³  and they sent Barnabas ⁵⁹⁴  to Antioch. ⁵⁹⁵  11:23 When ⁵⁹⁶  he came and saw the grace of God, he rejoiced and encouraged them all to remain true ⁵⁹⁷  to the Lord with devoted hearts, ⁵⁹⁸  11:24 because he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith, and a significant number of people ⁵⁹⁹  were brought to the Lord. 11:25 Then Barnabas departed for Tarsus to look for Saul, 11:26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. ⁶⁰⁰  So ⁶⁰¹  for a whole year Barnabas and Saul ⁶⁰²  met with the church and taught a significant number of people. ⁶⁰³  Now it was in Antioch ⁶⁰⁴  that the disciples were first called Christians. ⁶⁰⁵ 

Famine Relief for Judea

11:27 At that time ⁶⁰⁶  some ⁶⁰⁷  prophets ⁶⁰⁸  came down ⁶⁰⁹  from Jerusalem ⁶¹⁰  to Antioch. ⁶¹¹  11:28 One of them, named Agabus, got up ⁶¹²  and predicted ⁶¹³  by the Spirit that a severe ⁶¹⁴  famine ⁶¹⁵  was about to come over the whole inhabited world. ⁶¹⁶  (This ⁶¹⁷  took place during the reign of Claudius.) ⁶¹⁸  11:29 So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability, ⁶¹⁹  decided ⁶²⁰  to send relief ⁶²¹  to the brothers living in Judea. 11:30 They did so, ⁶²²  sending their financial aid ⁶²³  to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

James is Killed and Peter Imprisoned

12:1 About that time King Herod ⁶²⁴  laid hands on ⁶²⁵  some from the church to harm them. ⁶²⁶  12:2 He had James, the brother of John, executed with a sword. ⁶²⁷  12:3 When he saw that this pleased the Jews, ⁶²⁸  he proceeded to arrest Peter too. (This took place during the feast of Unleavened Bread.) ⁶²⁹  12:4 When he had seized him, he put him in prison, handing him over to four squads ⁶³⁰  of soldiers to guard him. Herod ⁶³¹  planned ⁶³²  to bring him out for public trial ⁶³³  after the Passover. 12:5 So Peter was kept in prison, but those in the church were earnestly ⁶³⁴  praying to God for him. ⁶³⁵  12:6 On that very night before Herod was going to bring him out for trial, ⁶³⁶  Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains, while ⁶³⁷  guards in front of the door were keeping watch ⁶³⁸  over the prison. 12:7 Suddenly ⁶³⁹  an angel of the Lord ⁶⁴⁰  appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck ⁶⁴¹  Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s ⁶⁴²  wrists. ⁶⁴³  12:8 The angel said to him, “Fasten your belt ⁶⁴⁴  and put on your sandals.” Peter ⁶⁴⁵  did so. Then the angel ⁶⁴⁶  said to him, “Put on your cloak ⁶⁴⁷  and follow me.” 12:9 Peter ⁶⁴⁸  went out ⁶⁴⁹  and followed him; ⁶⁵⁰  he did not realize that what was happening through the angel was real, ⁶⁵¹  but thought he was seeing a vision. 12:10 After they had passed the first and second guards, ⁶⁵²  they came to the iron ⁶⁵³  gate leading into the city. It ⁶⁵⁴  opened for them by itself, ⁶⁵⁵  and they went outside and walked down one narrow street, ⁶⁵⁶  when at once the angel left him. 12:11 When ⁶⁵⁷  Peter came to himself, he said, “Now I know for certain that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued ⁶⁵⁸  me from the hand ⁶⁵⁹  of Herod ⁶⁶⁰  and from everything the Jewish people ⁶⁶¹  were expecting to happen.”

12:12 When Peter ⁶⁶²  realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John Mark, ⁶⁶³  where many people had gathered together and were praying. 12:13 When he knocked at the door of the outer gate, a slave girl named Rhoda answered. ⁶⁶⁴  12:14 When she recognized Peter’s voice, she was so overjoyed she did not open the gate, but ran back in and told ⁶⁶⁵  them ⁶⁶⁶  that Peter was standing at the gate. 12:15 But they said to her, “You’ve lost your mind!” ⁶⁶⁷  But she kept insisting that it was Peter, ⁶⁶⁸  and they kept saying, ⁶⁶⁹  “It is his angel!” ⁶⁷⁰  12:16 Now Peter continued knocking, and when they opened the door ⁶⁷¹  and saw him, they were greatly astonished. ⁶⁷²  12:17 He motioned to them ⁶⁷³  with his hand to be quiet and then related ⁶⁷⁴  how the Lord had brought ⁶⁷⁵  him out of the prison. He said, “Tell James and the brothers these things,” and then he left and went to another place. ⁶⁷⁶ 

12:18 At daybreak ⁶⁷⁷  there was great consternation ⁶⁷⁸  among the soldiers over what had become of Peter. 12:19 When Herod ⁶⁷⁹  had searched ⁶⁸⁰  for him and did not find him, he questioned ⁶⁸¹  the guards and commanded that they be led away to execution. ⁶⁸²  Then ⁶⁸³  Herod ⁶⁸⁴  went down from Judea to Caesarea ⁶⁸⁵  and stayed there.

12:20 Now Herod ⁶⁸⁶  was having an angry quarrel ⁶⁸⁷  with the people of Tyre ⁶⁸⁸  and Sidon. ⁶⁸⁹  So they joined together ⁶⁹⁰  and presented themselves before him. And after convincing ⁶⁹¹  Blastus, the king’s personal assistant, ⁶⁹²  to help them, ⁶⁹³  they asked for peace, ⁶⁹⁴  because their country’s food supply was provided by the king’s country. 12:21 On a day determined in advance, Herod ⁶⁹⁵  put on his royal robes, ⁶⁹⁶  sat down on the judgment seat, ⁶⁹⁷  and made a speech ⁶⁹⁸  to them. 12:22 But the crowd ⁶⁹⁹  began to shout, ⁷⁰⁰  “The voice of a god, ⁷⁰¹  and not of a man!” 12:23 Immediately an angel of the Lord ⁷⁰²  struck ⁷⁰³  Herod ⁷⁰⁴  down because he did not give the glory to God, and he was eaten by worms and died. ⁷⁰⁵  12:24 But the word of God ⁷⁰⁶  kept on increasing ⁷⁰⁷  and multiplying.

12:25 So Barnabas and Saul returned to ⁷⁰⁸  Jerusalem ⁷⁰⁹  when they had completed ⁷¹⁰  their mission, ⁷¹¹  bringing along with them John Mark. ⁷¹² 

The Church at Antioch Commissions Barnabas and Saul

13:1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: ⁷¹³  Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, ⁷¹⁴  Lucius the Cyrenian, ⁷¹⁵  Manaen (a close friend of Herod ⁷¹⁶  the tetrarch ⁷¹⁷  from childhood ⁷¹⁸ ) and Saul. 13:2 While they were serving ⁷¹⁹  the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart ⁷²⁰  for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.” 13:3 Then, after they had fasted ⁷²¹  and ⁷²²  prayed and placed their hands ⁷²³  on them, they sent them off.

Paul and Barnabas Preach in Cyprus

13:4 So Barnabas and Saul, ⁷²⁴  sent out by the Holy Spirit, went down to Seleucia, ⁷²⁵  and from there they sailed to Cyprus. ⁷²⁶  13:5 When ⁷²⁷  they arrived ⁷²⁸  in Salamis, ⁷²⁹  they began to proclaim ⁷³⁰  the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. ⁷³¹  (Now they also had John ⁷³²  as their assistant.) ⁷³³  13:6 When they had crossed over ⁷³⁴  the whole island as far as Paphos, ⁷³⁵  they found a magician, a Jewish false prophet named Bar-Jesus, ⁷³⁶  13:7 who was with the proconsul ⁷³⁷  Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The proconsul ⁷³⁸  summoned ⁷³⁹  Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear ⁷⁴⁰  the word of God. 13:8 But the magician Elymas ⁷⁴¹  (for that is the way his name is translated) ⁷⁴²  opposed them, trying to turn the proconsul ⁷⁴³  away from the faith. 13:9 But Saul (also known as Paul), ⁷⁴⁴  filled with the Holy Spirit, ⁷⁴⁵  stared straight ⁷⁴⁶  at him 13:10 and said, “You who are full of all deceit and all wrongdoing, ⁷⁴⁷  you son of the devil, you enemy of all righteousness – will you not stop making crooked the straight paths of the Lord? ⁷⁴⁸  13:11 Now ⁷⁴⁹  look, the hand of the Lord is against ⁷⁵⁰  you, and you will be blind, unable to see the sun for a time!” Immediately mistiness ⁷⁵¹  and darkness came over ⁷⁵²  him, and he went around seeking people ⁷⁵³  to lead him by the hand. 13:12 Then when the proconsul ⁷⁵⁴  saw what had happened, he believed, ⁷⁵⁵  because he was greatly astounded ⁷⁵⁶  at the teaching about ⁷⁵⁷  the Lord.

Paul and Barnabas at Pisidian Antioch

13:13 Then Paul and his companions put out to sea ⁷⁵⁸  from Paphos ⁷⁵⁹  and came to Perga ⁷⁶⁰  in Pamphylia, ⁷⁶¹  but John ⁷⁶²  left them and returned to Jerusalem. ⁷⁶³  13:14 Moving on from ⁷⁶⁴  Perga, ⁷⁶⁵  they arrived at Pisidian Antioch, ⁷⁶⁶  and on the Sabbath day they went into ⁷⁶⁷  the synagogue ⁷⁶⁸  and sat down. 13:15 After the reading from the law and the prophets, ⁷⁶⁹  the leaders of the synagogue ⁷⁷⁰  sent them a message, ⁷⁷¹  saying, “Brothers, ⁷⁷²  if you have any message ⁷⁷³  of exhortation ⁷⁷⁴  for the people, speak it.” ⁷⁷⁵  13:16 So Paul stood up, ⁷⁷⁶  gestured ⁷⁷⁷  with his hand and said,

“Men of Israel, ⁷⁷⁸  and you Gentiles who fear God, ⁷⁷⁹  listen: 13:17 The God of this people Israel ⁷⁸⁰  chose our ancestors ⁷⁸¹  and made the people great ⁷⁸²  during their stay as foreigners ⁷⁸³  in the country ⁷⁸⁴  of Egypt, and with uplifted arm ⁷⁸⁵  he led them out of it. 13:18 For ⁷⁸⁶  a period of about forty years he put up with ⁷⁸⁷  them in the wilderness. ⁷⁸⁸  13:19 After ⁷⁸⁹  he had destroyed ⁷⁹⁰  seven nations ⁷⁹¹  in the land of Canaan, he gave his people their land as an inheritance. ⁷⁹²  13:20 All this took ⁷⁹³  about four hundred fifty years. After this ⁷⁹⁴  he gave them judges until the time of ⁷⁹⁵  Samuel the prophet. 13:21 Then they asked for a king, and God gave them Saul son of Kish, a man from the tribe of Benjamin, who ruled ⁷⁹⁶  forty years. 13:22 After removing him, God ⁷⁹⁷  raised up ⁷⁹⁸  David their king. He testified about him: ⁷⁹⁹  ‘I have found David ⁸⁰⁰  the son of Jesse to be a man after my heart, ⁸⁰¹  who will accomplish everything I want him to do.’ ⁸⁰²  13:23 From the descendants ⁸⁰³  of this man ⁸⁰⁴  God brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, just as he promised. ⁸⁰⁵  13:24 Before ⁸⁰⁶  Jesus ⁸⁰⁷  arrived, John ⁸⁰⁸  had proclaimed a baptism for repentance ⁸⁰⁹  to all the people of Israel. 13:25 But while John was completing his mission, ⁸¹⁰  he said repeatedly, ⁸¹¹  ‘What do you think I am? I am not he. But look, one is coming after me. I am not worthy to untie the sandals on his feet!’ ⁸¹²  13:26 Brothers, ⁸¹³  descendants ⁸¹⁴  of Abraham’s family, ⁸¹⁵  and those Gentiles among you who fear God, ⁸¹⁶  the message ⁸¹⁷  of this salvation has been sent to us. 13:27 For the people who live in Jerusalem and their rulers did not recognize ⁸¹⁸  him, ⁸¹⁹  and they fulfilled the sayings ⁸²⁰  of the prophets that are read every Sabbath by condemning ⁸²¹  him. ⁸²²  13:28 Though ⁸²³  they found ⁸²⁴  no basis ⁸²⁵  for a death sentence, ⁸²⁶  they asked Pilate to have him executed. 13:29 When they had accomplished ⁸²⁷  everything that was written ⁸²⁸  about him, they took him down ⁸²⁹  from the cross ⁸³⁰  and placed him ⁸³¹  in a tomb. 13:30 But God raised ⁸³²  him from the dead, 13:31 and ⁸³³  for many days he appeared to those who had accompanied ⁸³⁴  him from Galilee to Jerusalem. These ⁸³⁵  are now his witnesses to the people. 13:32 And we proclaim to you the good news about the promise to our ancestors, ⁸³⁶  13:33 that this promise ⁸³⁷  God has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising ⁸³⁸  Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son; ⁸³⁹  today I have fathered you.’ ⁸⁴⁰  13:34 But regarding the fact that he has raised Jesus ⁸⁴¹  from the dead, never ⁸⁴²  again to be ⁸⁴³  in a state of decay, God ⁸⁴⁴  has spoken in this way: ‘I will give you ⁸⁴⁵  the holy and trustworthy promises ⁸⁴⁶  made to David.’ ⁸⁴⁷  13:35 Therefore he also says in another psalm, ⁸⁴⁸  ‘You will not permit your Holy One ⁸⁴⁹  to experience ⁸⁵⁰  decay.’ ⁸⁵¹  13:36 For David, after he had served ⁸⁵²  God’s purpose in his own generation, died, ⁸⁵³  was buried with his ancestors, ⁸⁵⁴  and experienced ⁸⁵⁵  decay, 13:37 but the one ⁸⁵⁶  whom God raised up did not experience ⁸⁵⁷  decay. 13:38 Therefore let it be known to you, brothers, that through this one ⁸⁵⁸  forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, 13:39 and by this one ⁸⁵⁹  everyone who believes is justified ⁸⁶⁰  from everything from which the law of Moses could not justify ⁸⁶¹  you. ⁸⁶²  13:40 Watch out, ⁸⁶³  then, that what is spoken about by ⁸⁶⁴  the prophets does not happen to you:

13:41 ‘Look, you scoffers; be amazed and perish! ⁸⁶⁵ 

For I am doing a work in your days,

a work you would never believe, even if someone tells you.’” ⁸⁶⁶ 

13:42 As Paul and Barnabas ⁸⁶⁷  were going out, ⁸⁶⁸  the people ⁸⁶⁹  were urging ⁸⁷⁰  them to speak about these things ⁸⁷¹  on the next Sabbath.

[7:1]  ¹ tn Grk “If it is so concerning these things” (see BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.a for this use).

[7:2]  ² tn Grk “said.”

[7:2]  ³ tn Or “ancestor”; Grk “father.”

[7:3]  ⁴ sn A quotation from Gen 12:1.

[7:4]  ⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:4]  ⁶ tn The translation “made him move” for the verb μετοικίζω (metoikizw) is given by L&N 85.83. The verb has the idea of “resettling” someone (BDAG 643 s.v.); see v. 43, where it reappears.

[7:5]  ⁷ tn Grk “And he.” 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.

[7:5]  ⁸ tn Grk “He did not give him an inheritance in it.” This could be understood to mean that God did not give something else to Abraham as an inheritance while he was living there. The point of the text is that God did not give any of the land to him as an inheritance, and the translation makes this clear.

[7:5]  ⁹ tn Grk “a step of a foot” (cf. Deut 2:5).

[7:5]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:5]  ¹¹ sn An allusion to Gen 12:7; 13:15; 15:2, 18; 17:8; 24:7; 48:4. On the theological importance of the promise and to his descendants after him, see Rom 4 and Gal 3.

[7:5]  ¹² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:6]  ¹³ tn Grk “that his”; the discourse switches from indirect to direct with the following verbs. For consistency the entire quotation is treated as second person direct discourse in the translation.

[7:6]  ¹⁴ tn Or “will be strangers,” that is, one who lives as a noncitizen of a foreign country.

[7:6]  ¹⁵ sn A quotation from Gen 15:13. Exod 12:40 specifies the sojourn as 430 years.

[7:7]  ¹⁶ tn BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.b.α states, “Oft. the emphasis is unmistakably laid upon that which follows the Divine Judge’s verdict, upon the condemnation or punishment: condemn, punish …Ac 7:7 (Gen 15:14).”

[7:7]  ¹⁷ tn The words “of there” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[7:7]  ¹⁸ tn Or “and serve,” but with religious/cultic overtones (BDAG 587 s.v. λατρεύω).

[7:7]  ¹⁹ sn An allusion to Exod 3:12.

[7:8]  ²⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:8]  ²¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:8]  ²² sn God gave…the covenant. Note how the covenant of promise came before Abraham’s entry into the land and before the building of the temple.

[7:8]  ²³ tn Grk “circumcised him on the eighth day,” but many modern readers will not understand that this procedure was done on the eighth day after birth. The temporal clause “when he was eight days old” conveys this idea more clearly. See Gen 17:11-12.

[7:8]  ²⁴ tn The words “became the father of” are not in the Greek text due to an ellipsis, but must be supplied for the English translation. The ellipsis picks up the verb from the previous clause describing how Abraham fathered Isaac.

[7:8]  ²⁵ sn The twelve patriarchs refers to the twelve sons of Jacob, the famous ancestors of the Jewish race (see Gen 35:23-26).

[7:9]  ²⁶ tn Grk “And the.” 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.

[7:9]  ²⁷ tn The meaning “sell” for the middle voice of ἀποδίδωμι (apodidwmi) is given by BDAG 110 s.v. 5.a. See Gen 37:12-36, esp. v. 28.

[7:9]  ²⁸ tn Though the Greek term here is καί (kai), in context this remark is clearly contrastive: Despite the malicious act, God was present and protected Joseph.

[7:10]  ²⁹ tn Or “appointed.” See Gen 41:41-43.

[7:11]  ³⁰ tn Grk “came upon all Egypt.”

[7:11]  ³¹ tn Grk “and,” but logically causal.

[7:11]  ³² sn Our. Stephen spoke of “our” ancestors (Grk “fathers”) in an inclusive sense throughout the speech until his rebuke in v. 51, where the nation does what “your” ancestors did, at which point an exclusive pronoun is used. This serves to emphasize the rebuke.

[7:11]  ³³ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:12]  ³⁴ tn Or possibly “food,” since in a number of extrabiblical contexts the phrase σιτία καὶ ποτά (sitia kai pota) means “food and drink,” where solid food is contrasted with liquid nourishment (L&N 3.42).

[7:12]  ³⁵ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:12]  ³⁶ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[7:13]  ³⁷ tn BDAG 194 s.v. γένος 2. gives “family, relatives” here; another alternative is “race” (see v. 19).

[7:14]  ³⁸ tn The words “a message” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[7:14]  ³⁹ tn Or “Joseph had his father summoned” (BDAG 121 s.v. ἀποστέλλω 2.b).

[7:14]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “souls” (here an idiom for the whole person).

[7:15]  ⁴¹ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[7:15]  ⁴² tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:16]  ⁴³ tn “and they.”

[7:16]  ⁴⁴ sn See Gen 49:29-32.

[7:17]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “But as the time for the fulfillment of the promise drew near that God had declared to Abraham.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to improve English style. See vv. 6-7 above.

[7:17]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “the people increased and multiplied.”

[7:18]  ⁴⁷ tn Or simply “did not know.” However, in this context the point is that the new king knew nothing about Joseph, not whether he had known him personally (which is the way “did not know Joseph” could be understood).

[7:18]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “arose,” but in this context it clearly refers to a king assuming power.

[7:18]  ⁴⁹ sn A quotation from Exod 1:8.

[7:19]  ⁵⁰ tn According to L&N 88.147 it is also possible to translate κατασοφισάμενος (katasofisameno") as “took advantage by clever words” or “persuaded by sweet talk.”

[7:19]  ⁵¹ tn Or “race.”

[7:19]  ⁵² tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:19]  ⁵³ tn Or “expose” (BDAG 303 s.v. ἔκθετος).

[7:19]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “so that they could not be kept alive,” but in this context the phrase may be translated either “so that they would not continue to live,” or “so that they would die” (L&N 23.89).

[7:20]  ⁵⁵ tn Or “was well-formed before God,” or “was well-pleasing to God” (BDAG 145 s.v. ἀστεῖος suggests the meaning is more like “well-bred” as far as God was concerned; see Exod 2:2).

[7:20]  ⁵⁶ tn Grk “who was brought up for three months.” The continuation of the sentence as a relative clause is awkward in English, so a new sentence was started in the translation by changing the relative pronoun to a regular pronoun (“he”).

[7:21]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “exposed” (see v. 19).

[7:21]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “Pharaoh’s daughter took him up for herself.” According to BDAG 64 s.v. ἀναιρέω, “The pap. exx. involve exposed children taken up and reared as slaves…The rendering ‘adopt’ lacks philological precision and can be used only in a loose sense (as NRSV), esp. when Gr-Rom. terminology relating to adoption procedures is taken into account.” In this instance both the immediate context and the OT account (Exod 2:3-10) do support the normal sense of the English word “adopt,” although it should not be understood to refer to a technical, legal event.

[7:21]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “and reared him” (BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατρέφω b).

[7:22]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “instructed.”

[7:22]  ⁶¹ tn Or “was able” (BDAG 264 s.v. δυνατός 1.b.α).

[7:23]  ⁶² tn Grk “heart.”

[7:23]  ⁶³ tn Grk “brothers.” The translation “compatriot” is given by BDAG 18-19 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.b.

[7:23]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “the sons of Israel.”

[7:24]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “And when.” 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.

[7:24]  ⁶⁶ tn “Hurt unfairly” conveys a better sense of the seriousness of the offense against the Israelite than “treated unfairly,” which can sometimes refer to slight offenses, or “wronged,” which can refer to offenses that do not involve personal violence, as this one probably did.

[7:24]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:24]  ⁶⁸ tn Or “he defended,” “he retaliated” (BDAG 55 s.v. ἀμύνομαι).

[7:25]  ⁶⁹ tn Grk “his brothers.”

[7:25]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “was granting them deliverance.” The narrator explains that this act pictured what Moses could do for his people.

[7:25]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “by his hand,” where the hand is a metaphor for the entire person.

[7:25]  ⁷² sn They did not understand. Here is the theme of the speech. The people did not understand what God was doing through those he chose. They made the same mistake with Joseph at first. See Acts 3:17; 13:27. There is good precedent for this kind of challenging review of history in the ancient scriptures: Ps 106:6-46; Ezek 20; and Neh 9:6-38.

[7:26]  ⁷³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:26]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “saw them”; the context makes clear that two individuals were involved (v. 27).

[7:26]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “tried to reconcile” (BDAG 964-65 s.v. συναλλάσσω).

[7:27]  ⁷⁶ tn Or “repudiated Moses,” “rejected Moses” (BDAG 126-27 s.v. ἀπωθέω 2).

[7:27]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:27]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “appointed.”

[7:28]  ⁷⁹ tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ at the end, “do you?”

[7:29]  ⁸⁰ tn Grk “At this word,” which could be translated either “when the man said this” or “when Moses heard this.” Since λόγος (logos) refers to the remark made by the Israelite, this translation has followed the first option.

[7:29]  ⁸¹ tn Or “resident alien.” Traditionally πάροικος (paroiko") has been translated “stranger” or “alien,” but the level of specificity employed with “foreigner” or “resident alien” is now necessary in contemporary English because a “stranger” is a person not acquainted with someone, while an “alien” can suggest science fiction imagery.

[7:30]  ⁸² tn Grk “And after.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and contemporary English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[7:30]  ⁸³ tn Or “wilderness.”

[7:30]  ⁸⁴ sn An allusion to Exod 3:2.

[7:32]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:32]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “and Isaac,” 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.

[7:32]  ⁸⁷ sn A quotation from Exod 3:6. The phrase suggests the God of promise, the God of the nation.

[7:32]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “to investigate,” “to contemplate” (BDAG 522 s.v. κατανοέω 2).

[7:33]  ⁸⁹ sn A quotation from Exod 3:5. The phrase holy ground points to the fact that God is not limited to a particular locale. The place where he is active in revealing himself is a holy place.

[7:34]  ⁹⁰ tn Or “mistreatment.”

[7:34]  ⁹¹ tn Or “to set them free.”

[7:34]  ⁹² tn Grk “And now.” 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.

[7:34]  ⁹³ sn A quotation from Exod 3:7-8, 10.

[7:35]  ⁹⁴ sn This same. The reference to “this one” occurs five times in this speech. It is the way the other speeches in Acts refer to Jesus (e.g., Acts 2:23).

[7:35]  ⁹⁵ sn A quotation from Exod 2:14 (see Acts 7:27). God saw Moses very differently than the people of the nation did. The reference to a ruler and a judge suggests that Stephen set up a comparison between Moses and Jesus, but he never finished his speech to make the point. The reader of Acts, however, knowing the other sermons in the book, recognizes that the rejection of Jesus is the counterpoint.

[7:35]  ⁹⁶ tn Or “liberator.” The meaning “liberator” for λυτρωτήν (lutrwthn) is given in L&N 37.129: “a person who liberates or releases others.”

[7:35]  ⁹⁷ tn Or simply “through the angel.” Here the “hand” could be understood as a figure for the person or the power of the angel himself. The remark about the angel appearing fits the first century Jewish view that God appears to no one (John 1:14-18; Gal 3:19; Deut 33:2 LXX).

[7:36]  ⁹⁸ tn Here the context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned.

[7:36]  ⁹⁹ tn Or simply “in Egypt.” The phrase “the land of” could be omitted as unnecessary or redundant.

[7:36]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “and at,” 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.

[7:36]  ¹⁰¹ tn Or “desert.”

[7:37]  ¹⁰² tn Grk “to the sons of Israel.”

[7:37]  ¹⁰³ sn A quotation from Deut 18:15. This quotation sets up Jesus as the “leader-prophet” like Moses (Acts 3:22; Luke 9:35).

[7:38]  ¹⁰⁴ 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.

[7:38]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Or “desert.”

[7:38]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:38]  ¹⁰⁷ 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.

[7:38]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Or “messages.” This is an allusion to the law given to Moses.

[7:38]  ¹⁰⁹ 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.

[7:39]  ¹¹⁰ tn Grk “whom our.” The continuation of the sentence as a relative clause is awkward in English, so a new sentence was started in the translation at this point.

[7:39]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:39]  ¹¹² sn To obey. Again the theme of the speech is noted. The nation disobeyed the way of God and opted for Egypt over the promised land.

[7:39]  ¹¹³ sn Pushed him aside. This is the second time Moses is “pushed aside” in Stephen’s account (see v. 27).

[7:40]  ¹¹⁴ tn Or simply “of Egypt.” The phrase “the land of” could be omitted as unnecessary or redundant.

[7:40]  ¹¹⁵ sn A quotation from Exod 32:1, 23. Doubt (we do not know what has happened to him) expresses itself in unfaithful action. The act is in contrast to God’s promise in Exod 23:20.

[7:41]  ¹¹⁶ tn Grk “And.” 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.

[7:41]  ¹¹⁷ tn Grk “In those days.”

[7:41]  ¹¹⁸ tn Or “a bull calf” (see Exod 32:4-6). The term μοσχοποιέω (moscopoiew) occurs only in Christian writings according to BDAG 660 s.v.

[7:41]  ¹¹⁹ tn Grk “and brought,” 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.

[7:41]  ¹²⁰ tn The imperfect verb εὐφραίνοντο (eufrainonto) has been translated ingressively. See BDAG 414-15 s.v. εὐφραίνω 2.

[7:41]  ¹²¹ tn Or “in what they had done.”

[7:42]  ¹²² sn The expression and gave them over suggests similarities to the judgment on the nations described by Paul in Rom 1:18-32.

[7:42]  ¹²³ tn Or “stars.”

[7:42]  ¹²⁴ tn The two terms for sacrifices “semantically reinforce one another and are here combined essentially for emphasis” (L&N 53.20).

[7:42]  ¹²⁵ tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ question, “was it?”

[7:43]  ¹²⁶ tn Or “tent.”

[7:43]  ¹²⁷ sn Moloch was a Canaanite deity who was believed to be the god of the sky and the sun.

[7:43]  ¹²⁸ tc ‡ Most mss, including several important ones (Ì⁷⁴ א A C E Ψ 33 1739 Ï h p vg sy^h mae bo Cyr), have ὑμῶν (Jumwn, “your”) here, in conformity with the LXX of Amos 5:26. But other significant and diverse witnesses lack the pronoun: The lack of ὑμῶν in B D 36 453 gig sy^p sa Ir^lat Or is difficult to explain if it is not the original wording here. NA²⁷ has the word in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

[7:43]  ¹²⁹ sn Rephan (῾Ραιφάν, RJaifan) was a pagan deity. The term was a name for Saturn. It was variously spelled in the mss (BDAG 903 s.v. has Rompha as an alternate spelling). The references cover a range of deities and a history of unfaithfulness.

[7:43]  ¹³⁰ tn Or “I will make you move.”

[7:43]  ¹³¹ sn A quotation from Amos 5:25-27. This constituted a prediction of the exile.

[7:44]  ¹³² tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:44]  ¹³³ tn Or “tent.”

[7:44]  ¹³⁴ tn Or “desert.”

[7:44]  ¹³⁵ tn Grk “the one”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:44]  ¹³⁶ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[7:45]  ¹³⁷ tn Grk “And.” 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.

[7:45]  ¹³⁸ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:45]  ¹³⁹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:45]  ¹⁴⁰ tn Grk “In those days.”

[7:46]  ¹⁴¹ tn Grk “David, who” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.

[7:46]  ¹⁴² tn Or “grace.”

[7:46]  ¹⁴³ tn Grk “before,” “in the presence of.”

[7:46]  ¹⁴⁴ tn The words “that he could” are not in the Greek text, but are implied as the (understood) subject of the infinitive εὑρεῖν (Jeurein). This understands David’s request as asking that he might find the dwelling place. The other possibility would be to supply “that God” as the subject of the infinitive: “and asked that God find a dwelling place.” Unfortunately this problem is complicated by the extremely difficult problem with the Greek text in the following phrase (“house of Jacob” vs. “God of Jacob”).

[7:46]  ¹⁴⁵ tn On this term see BDAG 929 s.v. σκήνωμα a (Ps 132:5).

[7:46]  ¹⁴⁶ tc Some mss read θεῷ (qew, “God”) here, a variant much easier to understand in the context. The reading “God” is supported by א² A C E Ψ 33 1739 Ï lat sy co. The more difficult οἴκῳ (oikw, “house”) is supported by Ì⁷⁴ א* B D H 049 pc. Thus the second reading is preferred both externally because of better ms evidence and internally because it is hard to see how a copyist finding the reading “God” would change it to “house,” while it is easy to see how (given the LXX of Ps 132:5) a copyist might assimilate the reading and change “house” to “God.” However, some scholars think the reading “house” is so difficult as to be unacceptable. Others (like Lachmann and Hort) resorted to conjectural emendation at this point. Others (Ropes) sought an answer in an underlying Aramaic expression. Not everyone thinks the reading “house” is too difficult to be accepted as original (see Lake and Cadbury). A. F. J. Klijn, “Stephen’s Speech – Acts vii.2-53,” NTS 4 (1957): 25-31, compared the idea of a “house within the house of Israel” with the Manual of Discipline from Qumran, a possible parallel that seems to support the reading “house” as authentic. (For the more detailed discussion from which this note was derived, see TCGNT 308-9.)

[7:47]  ¹⁴⁷ sn See 1 Kgs 8:1-21.

[7:48]  ¹⁴⁸ sn The title the Most High points to God’s majesty (Heb 7:1; Luke 1:32, 35; Acts 16:7).

[7:48]  ¹⁴⁹ sn The phrase made by human hands is negative in the NT: Mark 14:58; Acts 17:24; Eph 2:11; Heb 9:11, 24. It suggests “man-made” or “impermanent.” The rebuke is like parts of the Hebrew scripture where the rebuke is not of the temple, but for making too much of it (1 Kgs 8:27; Isa 57:15; 1 Chr 6:8; Jer 7:1-34).

[7:49]  ¹⁵⁰ sn What kind…resting place? The rhetorical questions suggest mere human beings cannot build a house to contain God.

[7:50]  ¹⁵¹ tn Or “Did I.” The phrase “my hand” is ultimately a metaphor for God himself.

[7:50]  ¹⁵² tn The question in Greek introduced with οὐχί (ouci) expects a positive reply.

[7:51]  ¹⁵³ sn Traditionally, “stiff-necked people.” Now the critique begins in earnest.

[7:51]  ¹⁵⁴ tn The term ἀπερίτμητοι (aperitmhtoi, “uncircumcised”) is a NT hapax legomenon (occurs only once). See BDAG 101-2 s.v. ἀπερίτμητος and Isa 52:1.

[7:51]  ¹⁵⁵ tn Or “You stubborn and obstinate people!” (The phrase “uncircumcised hearts and ears” is another figure for stubbornness.)

[7:51]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:52]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[7:52]  ¹⁵⁸ sn Which…persecute. The rhetorical question suggests they persecuted them all.

[7:52]  ¹⁵⁹ tn Grk “And they.” 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.

[7:52]  ¹⁶⁰ sn The Righteous One is a reference to Jesus Christ.

[7:52]  ¹⁶¹ sn Whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. The harsh critique has OT precedent (1 Kgs 19:10-14; Neh 9:26; 2 Chr 36:16).

[7:53]  ¹⁶² tn Grk “whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, who received the law” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the pronoun “You” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.

[7:53]  ¹⁶³ tn Traditionally, “as ordained by angels,” but εἰς (eis) with the accusative here should be understood as instrumental (a substitute for ἐν [en]); so BDAG 291 s.v. εἰς 9, BDF §206. Thus the phrase literally means “received the law by the decrees [orders] of angels” with the genitive understood as a subjective genitive, that is, the angels gave the decrees.

[7:53]  ¹⁶⁴ tn The Greek word φυλάσσω (fulassw, traditionally translated “keep”) in this context connotes preservation of and devotion to an object as well as obedience.

[7:53]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Or “did not obey it.”

[7:54]  ¹⁶⁶ tn This verb, which also occurs in Acts 5:33, means “cut to the quick” or “deeply infuriated” (BDAG 235 s.v. διαπρίω).

[7:54]  ¹⁶⁷ tn Or “they gnashed their teeth.” This idiom is a picture of violent rage (BDAG 184 s.v. βρύχω). See also Ps 35:16.

[7:55]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:55]  ¹⁶⁹ tn Grk “being full,” but the participle ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) has not been translated since it would be redundant in English.

[7:55]  ¹⁷⁰ tn Grk “looking intently toward heaven, saw.” The participle ἀτενίσας (atenisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[7:55]  ¹⁷¹ sn The picture of Jesus standing (rather than seated) probably indicates his rising to receive his child. By announcing his vision, Stephen thoroughly offended his audience, who believed no one could share God’s place in heaven. The phrase is a variation on Ps 110:1.

[7:56]  ¹⁷² tn Grk “And he said, ‘Look!’” 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; a new sentence is begun instead.

[7:57]  ¹⁷³ sn They covered their ears to avoid hearing what they considered to be blasphemy.

[7:58]  ¹⁷⁴ tn Grk “And when.” 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; a new sentence is begun instead.

[7:58]  ¹⁷⁵ sn They began to stone him. The irony of the scene is that the people do exactly what the speech complains about in v. 52.

[7:58]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Or “outer garments.”

[7:59]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Grk “And they.” 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; a new sentence is begun instead.

[7:60]  ¹⁷⁸ tn Grk “Then falling to his knees he cried out.” The participle θείς (qeis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[7:60]  ¹⁷⁹ sn The remarks Lord Jesus, receive my spirit and Lord, do not hold this sin against them recall statements Jesus made on the cross (Luke 23:34, 46).

[7:60]  ¹⁸⁰ tn Grk “And when.” 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; a new sentence is begun instead.

[7:60]  ¹⁸¹ tn The verb κοιμάω (koimaw) literally means “sleep,” but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for the death of a believer.

[8:1]  ¹⁸² tn The term ἀναίρεσις (anairesi") can refer to murder (BDAG 64 s.v.; 2 Macc 5:13; Josephus, Ant. 5.2.12 [5.165]).

[8:1]  ¹⁸³ tn Or “severe.”

[8:1]  ¹⁸⁴ tn Grk “Now there happened on that day a great persecution.” It is less awkward to say in English “Now on that day a great persecution began.”

[8:1]  ¹⁸⁵ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[8:1]  ¹⁸⁶ sn All. Given that the Jerusalem church is still active after this and that the Hellenists are the focus of Acts 6-8, it is possible to argue that only the Hellenistic Christians were forced to scatter.

[8:1]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Or “countryside.”

[8:2]  ¹⁸⁸ tn “Some” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[8:2]  ¹⁸⁹ sn Made loud lamentation. For someone who was stoned to death, lamentation was normally not allowed (m. Sanhedrin 6:6). The remark points to an unjust death.

[8:2]  ¹⁹⁰ tn Or “mourned greatly for him.”

[8:3]  ¹⁹¹ tn Or “began to harm [the church] severely.” If the nuance of this verb is “destroy,” then the imperfect verb ἐλυμαίνετο (elumaineto) is best translated as a conative imperfect as in the translation above. If instead the verb is taken to mean “injure severely” (as L&N 20.24), it should be translated in context as an ingressive imperfect (“began to harm the church severely”). Either option does not significantly alter the overall meaning, since it is clear from the stated actions of Saul in the second half of the verse that he intended to destroy or ravage the church.

[8:3]  ¹⁹² tn The participle σύρων (surwn) has been translated as an finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[8:3]  ¹⁹³ tn BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 1.b has “εἰς φυλακήν put in prison Ac 8:3.”

[8:5]  ¹⁹⁴ tn The word “main” is supplied in the translation to clarify that “Samaria” is not the name of the city (at least in NT times). See both BDAG 912 s.v. Σαμάρεια, and L&N 93.568.

[8:5]  ¹⁹⁵ tn The imperfect ἐκήρυσσεν (ekhrussen) has been translated as an ingressive, since this is probably the first time such preaching took place.

[8:5]  ¹⁹⁶ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[8:6]  ¹⁹⁷ tn Grk “to what was being said by Philip,” a passive construction that has been changed to active voice in the translation.

[8:6]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Here the following context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned. This term appears 13 times in Acts, but only twice more after Acts 8:13 (i.e., 14:3; 15:12).

[8:7]  ¹⁹⁹ sn The expression unclean spirits refers to evil supernatural spirits which were ceremonially unclean, and which caused the persons possessed by them to be ceremonially unclean.

[8:7]  ²⁰⁰ tn Grk “For [in the case of] many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out, crying in a loud voice.”

[8:8]  ²⁰¹ tn Grk “and there came about,” but this is somewhat awkward in English.

[8:8]  ²⁰² sn Great joy. The reason for eschatological joy was that such events pointed to God’s decisive deliverance (Luke 7:22-23). Note how the acts of healing extend beyond the Twelve here.

[8:9]  ²⁰³ tn On the idiom προϋπῆρχεν μαγεύων (prouphrcen mageuwn) meaning “had been practicing magic” see BDAG 889 s.v. προϋπάρχω.

[8:10]  ²⁰⁴ tn Grk “all of them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:10]  ²⁰⁵ tn Or “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.” The translation “what is called the Great Power of God” is given by BDAG 263 s.v. δύναμις 5, but the repetition of the article before καλουμένη μεγάλη (kaloumenh megalh) suggests the translation “the power of God that is called ‘Great.’”

[8:12]  ²⁰⁶ sn The kingdom of God is also what Jesus preached: Acts 1:3. The term reappears in 14:22; 19:8; 28:23, 31.

[8:12]  ²⁰⁷ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[8:12]  ²⁰⁸ tn The imperfect verb ἐβαπτίζοντο (ebaptizonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[8:13]  ²⁰⁹ tn Or “he kept close company with.”

[8:13]  ²¹⁰ sn He was amazed. Now Simon, the one who amazed others, is himself amazed, showing the superiority of Philip’s connection to God. Christ is better than anything the culture has to offer.

[8:14]  ²¹¹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[8:14]  ²¹² tn Or “message.”

[8:14]  ²¹³ sn They sent. The Jerusalem church with the apostles was overseeing the expansion of the church, as the distribution of the Spirit indicates in vv. 15-17.

[8:15]  ²¹⁴ tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the phrase “these two” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.

[8:16]  ²¹⁵ tn Grk “For he”; the referent (the Spirit) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:16]  ²¹⁶ tn Or “fallen on.”

[8:16]  ²¹⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[8:17]  ²¹⁸ tn Grk “on them”; the referent (the Samaritans) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:17]  ²¹⁹ sn They received the Holy Spirit. It is likely this special distribution of the Spirit took place because a key ethnic boundary was being crossed. Here are some of “those far off” of Acts 2:38-40.

[8:18]  ²²⁰ tc Most witnesses (Ì^45,74 A* C D E Ψ 33 1739 Ï latt sy bo) here read “the Holy Spirit” (τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, to pneuma to {agion), while a few key mss have simply τὸ πνεῦμα (א A^c B sa mae). Although it is possible that some scribes omitted τὸ ἅγιον because of its perceived superfluity (note vv. 15, 17, 19), it is far more likely that others added the adjective out of pious motives.

[8:19]  ²²¹ tn Or “ability”; Grk “authority.”

[8:20]  ²²² tn Grk “May your silver together with you be sent into destruction.” This is a strong curse. The gifts of God are sovereignly bestowed and cannot be purchased.

[8:20]  ²²³ tn Or “obtain.”

[8:21]  ²²⁴ tn The translation “share or part” is given by L&N 63.13.

[8:21]  ²²⁵ tn Since the semantic range for λόγος (logos) is so broad, a number of different translations could be given for the prepositional phrase here. Something along the lines of “in this thing” would work well, but is too colloquial for the present translation.

[8:22]  ²²⁶ tn Or “and implore the Lord.”

[8:22]  ²²⁷ tn Grk “that if possible the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.” The passive construction is somewhat awkward in contemporary English and has thus been converted to an active construction in the translation.

[8:23]  ²²⁸ tn Grk “in the gall of bitterness,” an idiom meaning to be particularly envious or resentful of someone. In this case Simon was jealous of the apostles’ power to bestow the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands, and wanted that power for himself. The literal phrase does not convey this to the modern reader, and in fact some modern translations have simply rendered the phrase as involving bitterness, which misses the point of the envy on Simon’s part. See L&N 88.166. The OT images come from Deut 29:17-18 and Isa 58:6.

[8:24]  ²²⁹ tn Grk “Simon answered and said.”

[8:24]  ²³⁰ tn Grk “may come upon.”

[8:25]  ²³¹ tn Grk “after they”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:25]  ²³² tn The verb διαμαρτύρομαι (diamarturomai) can mean “warn,” and could be taken to refer specifically to the warning given to Simon in the preceding verses. However, a more general reference is more likely, referring to parting exhortations from Peter and John to the entire group of believers.

[8:25]  ²³³ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[8:25]  ²³⁴ tn Grk “they were returning to Jerusalem and were proclaiming.” The first imperfect is taken ingressively and the second is viewed iteratively (“proclaiming…as they went”).

[8:25]  ²³⁵ sn By proclaiming the good news to many Samaritan villages, the apostles now actively share in the broader ministry the Hellenists had started.

[8:25]  ²³⁶ tn “As they went” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the imperfect tense (see tn above).

[8:26]  ²³⁷ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.

[8:26]  ²³⁸ tn Grk “Lord spoke to Philip, saying.” The redundant participle λέγων (legwn) has not been translated.

[8:26]  ²³⁹ tn Or “Get up and go about noon.” The phrase κατὰ μεσημβρίαν (kata meshmbrian) can be translated either “about noon” (L&N 67.74) or “toward the south” (L&N 82.4). Since the angel’s command appears to call for immediate action (“Get up”) and would not therefore need a time indicator, a directional reference (“toward the south”) is more likely here.

[8:26]  ²⁴⁰ map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[8:26]  ²⁴¹ tn Or “wilderness.”

[8:26]  ²⁴² tn The words “This is a desert road” are probably best understood as a comment by the author of Acts, but it is possible they form part of the angel’s speech to Philip, in which case the verse would read: “Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza – the desert road.”

[8:27]  ²⁴³ tn Grk “And,” but καί (kai) carries something of a resultative force in this context because what follows describes Philip’s response to the angel’s command.

[8:27]  ²⁴⁴ tn Grk “So getting up he went.” The aorist participle ἀναστάς (anastas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[8:27]  ²⁴⁵ tn Grk “And there.” 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.

[8:27]  ²⁴⁶ tn Grk “and behold.” This expression is used to portray Philip’s encounter with the Ethiopian in a vivid way. In the English translation this vividness is difficult to convey; it is necessary to supply the words “he met.”

[8:27]  ²⁴⁷ sn The term eunuch normally referred to a man who had been castrated, but this was not always the case (see Gen 39:1 LXX, where Potiphar is called a eunuch). Such castrated individuals were preferred as court officials in the East, although Judaism opposed the practice. The Mosaic law excluded eunuchs from Israel (Deut 23:1), although God certainly accepted them (Isa 56:3-5; Wis 3:14). This individual was a high official, since he was said to be in charge of all her treasury. He may or may not have been a eunuch physically. He appears to be the first fully Gentile convert to Christianity, since the Samaritans mentioned previously (Acts 8:4-25) were regarded as half-breeds.

[8:27]  ²⁴⁸ tn Or “the Candace” (the title of the queen of the Ethiopians). The term Κανδάκης (Kandakh") is much more likely a title rather than a proper name (like Pharaoh, which is a title); see L&N 37.77. A few, however, still take the word to be the name of the queen (L&N 93.209). BDAG 507 s.v. Κανδάκη, treats the term as a title and lists classical usage by Strabo (Geography 17.1.54) and others.

[8:27]  ²⁴⁹ tn Grk “who was over all her treasury, who.” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the pronoun “he” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.

[8:27]  ²⁵⁰ sn Since this man had come to Jerusalem to worship, he may have been a proselyte to Judaism. This event is a precursor to Acts 10.

[8:28]  ²⁵¹ tn Grk “and was sitting.” 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.

[8:28]  ²⁵² tn Grk “and was reading.” 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.

[8:30]  ²⁵³ tn The participle προσδραμών (prosdramwn) is regarded as attendant circumstance.

[8:30]  ²⁵⁴ tn The words “to it” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[8:30]  ²⁵⁵ tn Grk “heard him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:30]  ²⁵⁶ tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[8:30]  ²⁵⁷ tn Grk “he said”; but since what follows is a question, it is better English style to translate the introduction to the question “he asked him.”

[8:31]  ²⁵⁸ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:31]  ²⁵⁹ tn Grk “How am I able, unless…” The translation is based on the force of the conjunction γάρ (gar) in this context. The translation “How in the world can I?” is given in BDAG 189 s.v. γάρ 1.f.

[8:32]  ²⁶⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[8:32]  ²⁶¹ tn Grk “does.” The present tense here was translated as a past tense to maintain consistency with the first line of the quotation (“he was led like a sheep to slaughter”), which has an aorist passive verb normally translated as a past tense in English.

[8:33]  ²⁶² tc ‡ Most later mss (C E Ψ 33^vid Ï sy) read “In his humiliation,” adding αὐτοῦ (autou, “his”) after ταπεινώσει (tapeinwsei, “humiliation”), while the earlier and better witnesses lack the pronoun (so Ì⁷⁴ א A B 1739 pc lat). However, the LXX of Isa 53:8 also lacks the pronoun, supplying motivation for scribes to omit it here. At the same time, scribes would also be motivated to add the pronoun both for clarity’s sake (note the similar impulse that led to the addition of δέ [de] by many of the same mss at the beginning of the next line) and to give balance to the lines (the pronoun is indisputably used five other times in vv. 32-33 in quoting Isa 53). On balance, the shorter reading is preferred.

[8:33]  ²⁶³ tn Or “justice was denied him”; Grk “his justice was taken away.”

[8:33]  ²⁶⁴ tn Or “family; or “origin.” The meaning of γενεά (genea) in the quotation is uncertain; BDAG 192 s.v. γενεά 4 suggests “family history.”

[8:33]  ²⁶⁵ tn Grk “is taken away.” The present tense here was translated as a past tense to maintain consistency with the rest of the quotation.

[8:33]  ²⁶⁶ sn A quotation from Isa 53:7-8.

[8:34]  ²⁶⁷ tn Grk “answered and said.” The redundant participle ἀποκριθείς (apokriqei") has not been translated.

[8:34]  ²⁶⁸ tn Grk “I beg you,” “I ask you.”

[8:34]  ²⁶⁹ sn About himself, or about someone else? It is likely in 1st century Judaism this would have been understood as either Israel or Isaiah.

[8:35]  ²⁷⁰ tn Grk “opening his mouth” (a Semitic idiom for beginning to speak in a somewhat formal manner). The participle ἀνοίξας (anoixa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[8:35]  ²⁷¹ sn Beginning with this scripture. The discussion likely included many of the scriptures Acts has already noted for the reader in earlier speeches. At the least, readers of Acts would know what other scriptures might be meant.

[8:36]  ²⁷² tn Or “What prevents me.” The rhetorical question means, “I should get baptized, right?”

[8:37]  ²⁷³ tc A few later mss (E 36 323 453 945 1739 1891 pc) add, with minor variations, 8:37 “He said to him, ‘If you believe with your whole heart, you may.’ He replied, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’” Verse 37 is lacking in {Ì^45,74 א A B C 33 614 vg sy^p,h co}. It is clearly not a part of the original text of Acts. The variant is significant in showing how some in the early church viewed a confession of faith. The present translation follows NA²⁷ in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.

[8:38]  ²⁷⁴ tn Grk “and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch.” Since this is somewhat redundant in English, it was simplified to “and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water.”

[8:38]  ²⁷⁵ sn Philip baptized. Again, someone beyond the Twelve has ministered an ordinance of faith.

[8:39]  ²⁷⁶ tn BDAG 189 s.v. γάρ 2 indicates that under certain circumstances γάρ (gar) has the same meaning as δέ (de).

[8:39]  ²⁷⁷ sn Note that the response to the gospel is rejoicing (joy, cf. Acts 11:23; 13:48).

[8:40]  ²⁷⁸ tn Or “appeared.”

[8:40]  ²⁷⁹ sn Azotus was a city on the coast of southern Palestine, known as Ashdod in OT times.

[8:40]  ²⁸⁰ tn The words “the area” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[8:40]  ²⁸¹ tn Or “he preached the gospel.”

[8:40]  ²⁸² tn Or “cities.”

[8:40]  ²⁸³ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.

[9:1]  ²⁸⁴ tn Or “Saul, making dire threats.”

[9:1]  ²⁸⁵ tn The expression “breathing out threats and murder” is an idiomatic expression for “making threats to murder” (see L&N 33.293). Although the two terms “threats” and “murder” are syntactically coordinate, the second is semantically subordinate to the first. In other words, the content of the threats is to murder the disciples.

[9:2]  ²⁸⁶ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[9:2]  ²⁸⁷ sn The expression “the way” in ancient religious literature refers at times to “the whole way of life fr. a moral and spiritual viewpoint” (BDAG 692 s.v. ὁδός 3.c), and it has been so used of Christianity and its teachings in the book of Acts (see also 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). It is a variation of Judaism’s idea of two ways, the true and the false, where “the Way” is the true one (1 En. 91:18; 2 En. 30:15).

[9:2]  ²⁸⁸ tn Grk “bring them bound”; the translation “bring someone as prisoner” for δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά (dedemenon agein tina) is given by BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b.

[9:2]  ²⁸⁹ sn From Damascus to Jerusalem was a six-day journey. Christianity had now expanded into Syria.

[9:3]  ²⁹⁰ tn Grk “As he was going along, it happened that when he was approaching.” The 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.

[9:3]  ²⁹¹ tn Or “shone” (BDAG 799 s.v. περιαστράπτω). The light was more brilliant than the sun according to Acts 26:13.

[9:4]  ²⁹² tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[9:4]  ²⁹³ tn The double vocative suggests emotion.

[9:4]  ²⁹⁴ sn Persecuting me. To persecute the church is to persecute Jesus.

[9:6]  ²⁹⁵ tn Or “But arise.”

[9:6]  ²⁹⁶ tn Literally a passive construction, “it will be told to you.” This has been converted to another form of passive construction in the translation.

[9:7]  ²⁹⁷ tn The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which is used only rarely in a generic sense of both men and women. In the historical setting here, Paul’s traveling companions were almost certainly all males.

[9:7]  ²⁹⁸ tn That is, unable to speak because of fear or amazement. See BDAG 335 s.v. ἐνεός.

[9:7]  ²⁹⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Acts 22:9 appears to indicate that they saw the light but did not hear a voice. They were “witnesses” that something happened.

[9:8]  ³⁰⁰ tn Grk “his eyes being open,” a genitive absolute construction that has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[9:8]  ³⁰¹ sn He could see nothing. This sign of blindness, which was temporary until v. 18, is like the sign of deafness experienced by Zechariah in Luke 1. It allowed some time for Saul (Paul) to reflect on what had happened without distractions.

[9:8]  ³⁰² tn Grk “they”; the referents (Saul’s companions) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:9]  ³⁰³ tn Grk “And for.” 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.

[9:9]  ³⁰⁴ tn The word “anything” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader. The fasting might indicate an initial realization of Luke 5:33-39. Fasting was usually accompanied by reflective thought.

[9:10]  ³⁰⁵ tn Grk “And the.” 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.

[9:10]  ³⁰⁶ sn The Lord is directing all the events leading to the expansion of the gospel as he works on both sides of the meeting between Paul and Ananias. “The Lord” here refers to Jesus (see v. 17).

[9:10]  ³⁰⁷ tn Grk “behold, I,” but this construction often means “here is/there is” (cf. BDAG 468 s.v. ἰδού 2).

[9:11]  ³⁰⁸ sn The noting of the detail of the locale, ironically called ‘Straight’ Street, shows how directive and specific the Lord was.

[9:12]  ³⁰⁹ tc ‡ The words ἐν ὀράματι (en oramati, “in a vision”) are not found in some of the earliest and best mss (Ì⁷⁴ א A 81 pc lat sa bo), but are implied from the context. The phrase is included, although sometimes in a different order with ἄνδρα (andra, “man”) or omitting ἄνδρα altogether, by B C E Ψ 33 1175 1739 Ï. The order of words in NA²⁷, ἄνδρα ἐν ὁράματι, is supported only by B C 1175. Generally speaking, when there are three or more variants, with one an omission and the others involving rearrangements, the longer readings are later scribal additions. Further, the reading looks like a clarifying note, for an earlier vision is explicitly mentioned in v. 10. On the other hand, it is possible that some scribes deleted the words because of perceived repetition, though this is unlikely since it is a different vision two verses back. It is also possible that some scribes could have confused ὁράματι with ὀνόματι (onomati, “name”); TCGNT 319 notes that several mss place ονόματι before ᾿Ανανίαν (Ananian, “Ananias”) while a few others drop ὀνόματι altogether. The Sahidic mss are among those that drop the word, however, and they also lack ἐν ὁράματι; all that is left is one version and father that drops ὀνόματι. Perhaps the best argument for the authenticity of the phrase is that B C 1175 preserve a rare, distinctively Lukan word order, but this is not nearly as harsh or unusual as what Luke does elsewhere. A decision is difficult in this case, but on balance the omission of the phrase seems to be authentic. The words are nevertheless added in the translation because of contextual considerations. NA²⁷ places the words in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity.

[9:13]  ³¹⁰ sn Ananias replied. Past events might have suggested to Ananias that this was not good counsel, but like Peter in Acts 10, Ananias’ intuitions were wrong.

[9:13]  ³¹¹ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[9:14]  ³¹² tn Grk “to bind.”

[9:14]  ³¹³ sn The expression “those who call on your name” is a frequent description of believers (Acts 2:21; 1 Cor 1:2; Rom 10:13).

[9:15]  ³¹⁴ tn Or “tool.”

[9:15]  ³¹⁵ tn Grk “the sons of Israel.” In Acts, Paul is a minister to all nations, including Israel (Rom 1:16-17).

[9:16]  ³¹⁶ tn Or “because of my name.” BDAG 1031 s.v. ὑπέρ 2 lists Acts 9:16 as an example of ὑπέρ (Juper) used to indicate “the moving cause or reason, because of, for the sake of, for.”

[9:17]  ³¹⁷ tn Grk “and placing his hands on Saul, he said.” The participle ἐπιθείς (epiqei") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. For the same reason καί (kai) has not been translated before the participle.

[9:17]  ³¹⁸ tn Grk “on him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:17]  ³¹⁹ tn Grk “on the road in which you came,” but the relative clause makes for awkward English style, so it was translated as a temporal clause (“as you came here”).

[9:17]  ³²⁰ sn Be filled with the Holy Spirit. Here someone who is not an apostle (Ananias) commissions another person with the Spirit.

[9:18]  ³²¹ tn Grk “And immediately.” 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.

[9:18]  ³²² tn The comparison to “scales” suggests a crusty covering which peeled away (cf. BDAG 592 s.v. λεπίς 2).

[9:18]  ³²³ tn Grk “and he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence was started, with “and” placed before the final element of the previous clause as required by English style.

[9:19]  ³²⁴ tn Grk “It happened that for several days.” 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.

[9:20]  ³²⁵ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[9:20]  ³²⁶ tn The ὅτι (Joti) is understood to introduce direct (“This man is the Son of God”) rather than indirect discourse (“that this man is the Son of God”) because the pronoun οὗτος (Jouto") combined with the present tense verb ἐστιν (estin) suggests the contents of what was proclaimed are a direct (albeit summarized) quotation.

[9:21]  ³²⁷ 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.

[9:21]  ³²⁸ tn The Greek interrogative particle used in this verse (οὐχ, ouc) expects a positive reply. They all knew about Saul’s persecutions.

[9:21]  ³²⁹ tn Normally, “destroying,” but compare 4 Macc 4:23; 11:4 and MM 529 s.v. πορθέω for examples from Koine papyri. See also BDAG 853 s.v. πορθέω.

[9:21]  ³³⁰ tn Grk “bring them bound”; the translation “bring someone as prisoner” for δεδεμένον ἄγειν τινά (dedemenon agein tina) is given by BDAG 221 s.v. δέω 1.b.

[9:22]  ³³¹ tn Grk “was becoming stronger,” but this could be understood in a physical sense, while the text refers to Saul’s growing ability to demonstrate to fellow Jews that Jesus was the Messiah. The translation “to become capable” for ἐνδυναμόω (endunamow) is given in L&N 74.7, with this specific verse as an example.

[9:22]  ³³² tn Or “was confounding.” For the translation “to cause consternation” for συγχέω (suncew) see L&N 25.221.

[9:22]  ³³³ tn Or “by showing for certain.”

[9:22]  ³³⁴ tn Grk “that this one”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:22]  ³³⁵ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” Note again the variation in the titles used.

[9:23]  ³³⁶ sn Fitting the pattern emphasized earlier with Stephen and his speech in Acts 7, some Jews plotted to kill God’s messenger (cf. Luke 11:53-54).

[9:24]  ³³⁷ tn The words “against him” are implied, as suggested by L&N 30.71.

[9:24]  ³³⁸ tn Or “guarding.” This is a negative term in Luke-Acts (Luke 6:7; 14:1; 20:20).

[9:24]  ³³⁹ tn The word πύλη (pulh) may refer to a house door or gate, or to the large gates used in a palace, temple, or city wall. Here the context clearly indicates a reference to the latter, so the translation “city gates” is used.

[9:25]  ³⁴⁰ tn The opening in the wall is not specifically mentioned here, but the parallel account in 2 Cor 11:33 mentions a “window” or “opening” (θυρίς, quris) in the city wall through which Paul was lowered. One alternative to introducing mention of the opening is to translate Acts 9:25 “they let him down over the wall,” as suggested in L&N 7.61. This option is not employed by many translations, however, because for the English reader it creates an (apparent) contradiction between Acts 9:25 and 2 Cor 11:33. In reality the account here is simply more general, omitting the detail about the window.

[9:25]  ³⁴¹ tn On the term for “basket” used here, see BDAG 940 s.v. σπυρίς.

[9:26]  ³⁴² map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[9:26]  ³⁴³ tn Or “join.”

[9:26]  ³⁴⁴ tn The participle πιστεύοντες (pisteuonte") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[9:27]  ³⁴⁵ tn Grk “taking Saul, brought him.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενος (epilabomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[9:27]  ³⁴⁶ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:27]  ³⁴⁷ tn Grk “and brought,” 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.

[9:27]  ³⁴⁸ tn Grk “and that,” 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.

[9:27]  ³⁴⁹ tn On this verb which is used 7 times in Acts, see BDAG 782 s.v. παρρησιάζομαι 1. See also v. 28.

[9:28]  ³⁵⁰ tn Grk “he was with them going in and going out in Jerusalem.” The expression “going in and going out” is probably best taken as an idiom for association without hindrance. Some modern translations (NASB, NIV) translate the phrase “moving about freely in Jerusalem,” although the NRSV retains the literal “he went in and out among them in Jerusalem.”

[9:29]  ³⁵¹ tn Or “arguing.” BDAG 954 s.v. συζητέω 2 gives “dispute, debate, argue…τινί ‘w. someone’” for συνεζήτει (sunezhtei).

[9:29]  ³⁵² tn Grk “the Hellenists,” but this descriptive term is largely unknown to the modern English reader. The translation “Greek-speaking Jews” attempts to convey something of who these were, but it was more than a matter of language spoken; it involved a degree of adoption of Greek culture as well.

[9:30]  ³⁵³ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine, south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.

[9:31]  ³⁵⁴ tn Or “Therefore.” This verse is another summary text in Acts (cf. 2:41-47; 4:32-37; 5:12-16; 6:7).

[9:31]  ³⁵⁵ tn Grk “and Galilee,” 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.

[9:31]  ³⁵⁶ tn Grk “had.”

[9:31]  ³⁵⁷ tn Or “Built up.” The participle οἰκοδομουμένη (oikodomoumenh) has been translated as a participle of result related to εἶχεν (eicen). It could also be understood as adverbial to ἐπληθύνετο (eplhquneto): “Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria experienced peace. Strengthened and living in the fear of the Lord and in the encouragement of the Holy Spirit, it increased in numbers.” Although some scholars do not regard the participle of result as a legitimate category, it is actually fairly common (see ExSyn 637-39).

[9:31]  ³⁵⁸ tn Grk “And living.” 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.

[9:31]  ³⁵⁹ tn Grk “it”; the referent (the church) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:32]  ³⁶⁰ tn Grk “Now it happened that.” 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.

[9:32]  ³⁶¹ tn Grk “As Peter was going through all [the places],” which is somewhat awkward in English. The meaning is best expressed by a phrase like “going around from place to place” or “traveling around from place to place.”

[9:32]  ³⁶² sn Lydda was a city northwest of Jerusalem on the way to Joppa. It was about 10.5 miles (17 km) southeast of Joppa.

[9:33]  ³⁶³ tn Since the participle κατακείμενον (katakeimenon), an adjectival participle modifying Αἰνέαν (Ainean), has been translated into English as a relative clause (“who had been confined to a mattress”), it would be awkward to follow with a second relative clause (Grk “who was paralyzed”). Furthermore, the relative pronoun here has virtually a causal force, giving the reason for confinement to the mattress, so it is best translated “because.”

[9:34]  ³⁶⁴ tn Grk “And Peter.” 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.

[9:34]  ³⁶⁵ tc ‡ Several variants occur at this juncture. Some of the earliest and best witnesses (Ì⁷⁴ א B* C Ψ 33^vid Did^pt) read “Jesus Christ” (᾿Ιησοῦς Χριστός, Ihsou" Cristo"); others ([A] 36 1175 it) have “the Lord Jesus Christ” (ὁ κύριος ᾿Ιησοῦς Χριστός, Jo kurio" Ihsou" Cristo"); a few read simply ὁ Χριστός (614 1241 1505); the majority of mss (B² E 1739 Ï Did^pt) have “Jesus the Christ” ( ᾿Ιησοῦς ὁ Χριστός). Although the pedigree of this last reading is relatively weak, it draws strength from the fact that (a) the other readings are much more natural and thus more predictable, and (b) there are several variants for this text. It seems hardly likely that scribes would intentionally change a more common expression into a title that is used nowhere else in the NT (although 1 John 2:22; 5:1 come close with “Jesus is the Christ”), nor would they unintentionally change a frequently used designation into an unusual one. Thus, in spite of the external evidence (which is nevertheless sufficient to argue for authenticity), ᾿Ιησοῦς ὁ Χριστός is the reading that best explains the rise of the others.

[9:34]  ³⁶⁶ tn The translation “make your own bed” for στρῶσον σεαυτῷ (strwson seautw) is given by BDAG 949 s.v. στρωννύω 1. Naturally this involves some adaptation, since a pallet or mat would not be ‘made up’ in the sense that a modern bed would be. The idea may be closer to “straighten” or “rearrange,” and the NIV’s “take care of your mat” attempts to reflect this, although this too probably conveys a slightly different idea to the modern English reader.

[9:35]  ³⁶⁷ 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.

[9:35]  ³⁶⁸ sn Lydda was a city northwest of Jerusalem on the way to Joppa.

[9:35]  ³⁶⁹ sn Sharon refers to the plain of Sharon, a region along the coast of Palestine.

[9:35]  ³⁷⁰ tn Repetition of the pronoun “they” as subject of ἐπέστρεψαν (epestreyan) is not strictly necessary in English, but emphasizes slightly the resultative nature of the final clause: They turned to the Lord as a result of seeing Aeneas after he was healed.

[9:35]  ³⁷¹ sn They turned. To “turn” is a good summary term for the response to the gospel.

[9:36]  ³⁷² sn Joppa was a seaport on the Philistine coast, in the same location as modern Jaffa. “Though Joppa never became a major seaport, it was of some importance as a logistical base and an outlet to the Mediterranean” (A. F. Rainey, ISBE 2:1118-19).

[9:36]  ³⁷³ tn Grk “which being translated is called.” In English this would normally be expressed “which is translated as” or “which in translation means.” The second option is given by L&N 33.145.

[9:36]  ³⁷⁴ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Dorcas is the Greek translation of the Aramaic name Tabitha. Dorcas in Greek means “gazelle” or “deer.”

[9:36]  ³⁷⁵ tn Or “and helping the poor.” Grk “She was full of good deeds and acts of charity which she was continually doing.” Since it is somewhat redundant in English to say “she was full of good deeds…which she was continually doing,” the translation has been simplified to “she was continually doing good deeds and acts of charity.” The imperfect verb ἐποίει (epoiei) has been translated as a progressive imperfect (“was continually doing”).

[9:37]  ³⁷⁶ tn Grk “It happened that in those days.” 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.

[9:37]  ³⁷⁷ tn Grk “becoming sick, she died.” The participle ἀσθενήσασαν (asqenhsasan) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[9:37]  ³⁷⁸ tn The participle λούσαντες (lousante") is taken temporally.

[9:37]  ³⁷⁹ tn Grk “washed her,” but the reference is to her corpse.

[9:38]  ³⁸⁰ sn Lydda was a city northwest of Jerusalem on the way to Joppa.

[9:38]  ³⁸¹ tn Grk “Do not delay to come to us.” It is somewhat smoother to say in English, “Come to us without delay.”

[9:39]  ³⁸² tn Grk “who.” The relative clause makes for awkward English style here, so the following clause was made coordinate with the conjunction “and” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun.

[9:39]  ³⁸³ tn The participle παραγενόμενον (paragenomenon) is taken temporally.

[9:39]  ³⁸⁴ tn Grk “and all.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[9:39]  ³⁸⁵ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[9:39]  ³⁸⁶ tn Or “shirts” (a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin). The name for this garment (χιτών, citwn) presents some difficulty in translation. Most modern readers would not understand what a ‘tunic’ was any more than they would be familiar with a ‘chiton.’ On the other hand attempts to find a modern equivalent are also a problem: “shirt” conveys the idea of a much shorter garment that covers only the upper body, and “undergarment” (given the styles of modern underwear) is more misleading still. “Tunic” was therefore employed, but with a note to explain its nature.

[9:39]  ³⁸⁷ tn Grk “and garments,” referring here to other types of clothing besides the tunics just mentioned.

[9:39]  ³⁸⁸ tn The verb ἐποίει (epoiei) has been translated as a customary imperfect.

[9:40]  ³⁸⁹ tn Grk “Peter, sending them all outside, knelt down.” The participle ἐκβαλών (ekbalwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[9:40]  ³⁹⁰ tn Grk “and kneeling down,” 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. Instead the “and” is placed before the verb προσηύξατο (proshuxato, “and prayed”). The participle θείς (qeis) is taken as a participle of attendant circumstance.

[9:40]  ³⁹¹ tn Grk “and turning.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[9:40]  ³⁹² sn She sat up. This event is told much like Luke 8:49-56 and Mark 5:35-43. Peter’s ministry mirrored that of Jesus.

[9:41]  ³⁹³ tn Grk “Giving her his hand, he helped her.” The participle δούς (dous) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[9:41]  ³⁹⁴ tn Grk “Then calling the saints…he presented her.” The participle φωνήσας (fwnhsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style; it could also be taken temporally (“After he called”).

[9:42]  ³⁹⁵ tn Or “known all over.” BDAG 511 s.v. κατά A.1.c. has “became known throughout all Joppa” for γνωστὸν γενέσθαι καθ᾿ ὅλης ᾿Ιόππης (gnwston genesqai kaq’ {olh" Iopph").

[9:42]  ³⁹⁶ sn This became known…many believed in the Lord. This is a “sign” miracle that pictures how the Lord can give life.

[9:43]  ³⁹⁷ tn Grk “So it happened that.” 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.

[9:43]  ³⁹⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:43]  ³⁹⁹ tn Grk “with a certain Simon.”

[9:43]  ⁴⁰⁰ tn Or “with a certain Simon Berseus.” Although most modern English translations treat βυρσεῖ (bursei) as Simon’s profession (“Simon the tanner”), it is possible that the word is actually Simon’s surname (“Simon Berseus” or “Simon Tanner”). BDAG 185 s.v. βυρσεύς regards it as a surname. See also MM 118.

[10:1]  ⁴⁰¹ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). It was known as “Caesarea by the sea” (BDAG 499 s.v. Καισάρεια 2). Largely Gentile, it was a center of Roman administration and the location of many of Herod the Great’s building projects (Josephus, Ant. 15.9.6 [15.331-341]).

[10:1]  ⁴⁰² sn A centurion was a noncommissioned officer in the Roman army or one of the auxiliary territorial armies, commanding a centuria of (nominally) 100 men. The responsibilities of centurions were broadly similar to modern junior officers, but there was a wide gap in social status between them and officers, and relatively few were promoted beyond the rank of senior centurion. The Roman troops stationed in Judea were auxiliaries, who would normally be rewarded with Roman citizenship after 25 years of service. Some of the centurions may have served originally in the Roman legions (regular army) and thus gained their citizenship at enlistment. Others may have inherited it, like Paul.

[10:1]  ⁴⁰³ sn A cohort was a Roman military unit of about 600 soldiers, one-tenth of a legion (BDAG 936 s.v. σπεῖρα). The Italian Cohort has been identified as cohors II Italica which is known to have been stationed in Syria in a.d. 88.

[10:2]  ⁴⁰⁴ tn In the Greek text this represents a continuation of the previous sentence. Because of the tendency of contemporary English to use shorter sentences, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.

[10:2]  ⁴⁰⁵ sn The description of Cornelius as a devout, God-fearing man probably means that he belonged to the category called “God-fearers,” Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 43-44, and Sir 11:17; 27:11; 39:27.

[10:2]  ⁴⁰⁶ tn Or “gave many gifts to the poor.” This was known as “giving alms,” or acts of mercy (Sir 7:10; BDAG 315-16 s.v. ἐλεημοσύνη).

[10:3]  ⁴⁰⁷ tn Grk “at about the ninth hour of the day.” This would be the time for afternoon prayer.

[10:3]  ⁴⁰⁸ tn Or “the angel of God.” Linguistically, “angel of God” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of God” or “the angel of God” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.

[10:3]  ⁴⁰⁹ tn The participles εἰσελθόντα (eiselqonta) and εἰπόντα (eiponta) are accusative, and thus best taken as adjectival participles modifying ἄγγελον (angelon): “an angel who came in and said.”

[10:4]  ⁴¹⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Cornelius) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:4]  ⁴¹¹ tn Grk “said,” but in response to the angel’s address, “replied” is better English style.

[10:4]  ⁴¹² tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:4]  ⁴¹³ tn Or “your gifts to the needy.”

[10:4]  ⁴¹⁴ sn The language used in the expression gone up as a memorial before God parallels what one would say of acceptable sacrifices (Ps 141:2; Sir 35:6; 50:16).

[10:5]  ⁴¹⁵ tn Grk “And now.” 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.

[10:5]  ⁴¹⁶ sn Joppa was a seaport on the Philistine coast, in the same location as modern Jaffa.

[10:5]  ⁴¹⁷ tn Grk “a certain Simon.”

[10:6]  ⁴¹⁸ tn Or “with a certain Simon Berseus.” Although most modern English translations treat βυρσεῖ (bursei) as Simon’s profession (“Simon the tanner”), it is possible that the word is actually Simon’s surname (“Simon Berseus” or “Simon Tanner”). BDAG 185 s.v. βυρσεύς regards it as a surname. See also MM 118.

[10:7]  ⁴¹⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Cornelius) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:7]  ⁴²⁰ tn Or “domestic servants.” The Greek word here is οἰκέτης (oiketh"), which technically refers to a member of the household, but usually means a household servant (slave) or personal servant rather than a field laborer.

[10:7]  ⁴²¹ tn The meaning of the genitive participle προσκαρτερούντων (proskarterountwn) could either be “a soldier from the ranks of those who served him” (referring to his entire command) or “a soldier from among his personal staff” (referring to a group of soldiers who were his personal attendants). The translation “from among those who served him” is general enough to cover either possibility.

[10:9]  ⁴²² tn Grk “about the sixth hour.”

[10:9]  ⁴²³ tn The participles ὁδοιπορούντων (Jodoiporountwn, “while they were on their way”) and ἐγγιζόντων (engizontwn, “approaching”) have been translated as temporal participles.

[10:9]  ⁴²⁴ sn Went up on the roof. Most of the roofs in the NT were flat roofs made of pounded dirt, sometimes mixed with lime or stones, supported by heavy wooden beams. They generally had an easy means of access, either a sturdy wooden ladder or stone stairway, sometimes on the outside of the house.

[10:10]  ⁴²⁵ tn The traditional translation, “he fell into a trance,” is somewhat idiomatic; it is based on the textual variant ἐπέπεσεν (epepesen, “he fell”) found in the Byzantine text but almost certainly not original.

[10:11]  ⁴²⁶ tn Grk “And he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[10:11]  ⁴²⁷ tn Or “the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[10:11]  ⁴²⁸ tn On the heavens “opening,” see Matt 3:16; Luke 3:21; Rev 19:11 (cf. BDAG 84 s.v. ἀνοίγω 2). This is the language of a vision or a revelatory act of God.

[10:11]  ⁴²⁹ tn Or “a large linen cloth” (the term was used for the sail of a ship; BDAG 693 s.v. ὀθόνη).

[10:11]  ⁴³⁰ tn Or “coming down.”

[10:11]  ⁴³¹ tn Or “to the ground.”

[10:12]  ⁴³² tn Grk “in which.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “it,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.

[10:12]  ⁴³³ tn Or “snakes.” Grk “creeping things.” According to L&N 4.51, in most biblical contexts the term (due to the influence of Hebrew classifications such as Gen 1:25-26, 30) included small four-footed animals like rats, mice, frogs, toads, salamanders, and lizards. In this context, however, where “creeping things” are contrasted with “four-footed animals,” the English word “reptiles,” which primarily but not exclusively designates snakes, is probably more appropriate. See also Gen 6:20, as well as the law making such creatures unclean food in Lev 11:2-47.

[10:12]  ⁴³⁴ tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).

[10:13]  ⁴³⁵ tn Grk “And there came.” 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.

[10:13]  ⁴³⁶ tn Grk “a voice to him”; the word “said” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[10:13]  ⁴³⁷ tn Or “kill.” Traditionally θῦσον (quson) is translated “kill,” but in the case of animals intended for food, “slaughter” is more appropriate.

[10:14]  ⁴³⁸ tn Possibly there is a subtle distinction in meaning between κοινός (koinos) and ἀκάθαρτος (akaqarto") here, but according to L&N 53.39 it is difficult to determine precise differences in meaning based on existing contexts.

[10:15]  ⁴³⁹ tn Grk “And the voice.” 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.

[10:15]  ⁴⁴⁰ tn Or “declare.”

[10:15]  ⁴⁴¹ sn For the significance of this vision see Mark 7:14-23; Rom 14:14; Eph 2:11-22. God directed this change in practice.

[10:16]  ⁴⁴² tn Or “into the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[10:17]  ⁴⁴³ tn Or “was greatly confused over.” The term means to be perplexed or at a loss (BDAG 235 s.v. διαπορέω).

[10:17]  ⁴⁴⁴ tn Grk “having learned.” The participle διερωτήσαντες (dierwthsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:17]  ⁴⁴⁵ tn BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 1 has “ἐπί τι approach or stand by someth. (Sir 41:24) Ac 10:17.”

[10:18]  ⁴⁴⁶ tn Grk “and.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun by supplying the pronoun “they” as the subject of the following verb.

[10:18]  ⁴⁴⁷ tn Grk “Simon, the one called Peter.” This qualification was necessary because the owner of the house was also named Simon (Acts 9:43).

[10:19]  ⁴⁴⁸ tn The translation “think seriously about” for διενθυμέομαι (dienqumeomai) is given in L&N 30.2. Peter was “pondering” the vision (BDAG 244 s.v.).

[10:20]  ⁴⁴⁹ tn Grk “But getting up, go down.” The participle ἀναστάς (anastas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:20]  ⁴⁵⁰ tn The term means “without doubting” or “without deliberation.” It is a term of conscience and discernment. In effect, Peter is to listen to them rather than hesitate (BDAG 231 s.v. διακρίνω 6).

[10:21]  ⁴⁵¹ tn Grk “Peter going down to the men, said.” The participle καταβάς (katabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:21]  ⁴⁵² tn Grk “Behold, it is I whom you seek,” or “Behold, I am the one you seek.” “Here I am” is used to translate ἰδοὺ ἐγώ εἰμι (idou egw eimi).

[10:22]  ⁴⁵³ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[10:22]  ⁴⁵⁴ tn Or “just.”

[10:22]  ⁴⁵⁵ tn The phrase τοῦ ἔθνους τῶν ᾿Ιουδαίων (tou eqnou" twn Ioudaiwn) is virtually a technical term for the Jewish nation (1 Macc 10:25; 11:30, 33; Josephus, Ant. 14.10.22 [14.248]). “All the Jewish people,” while another possible translation of the Greek phrase, does not convey the technical sense of a reference to the nation in English.

[10:22]  ⁴⁵⁶ tn Grk “hear words.”

[10:23]  ⁴⁵⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:23]  ⁴⁵⁸ tn Or “went forth.”

[10:23]  ⁴⁵⁹ sn Some of the brothers from Joppa. As v. 45 makes clear, there were Jewish Christians in this group of witnesses.

[10:24]  ⁴⁶⁰ tn Grk “On the next day,” but since this phrase has already occurred in v. 23, it would be redundant in English to use it again here.

[10:24]  ⁴⁶¹ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi).

[10:24]  ⁴⁶² tn Normally προσδοκάω (prosdokaw) means “to wait with apprehension or anxiety for something,” often with the implication of impending danger or trouble (L&N 25.228), but in this context the anxiety Cornelius would have felt came from the importance of the forthcoming message as announced by the angel.

[10:25]  ⁴⁶³ tn Grk “So it happened that when.” 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.

[10:25]  ⁴⁶⁴ tn Grk “meeting him.” The participle συναντήσας (sunanthsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:25]  ⁴⁶⁵ tn Grk “falling at his feet, worshiped.” The participle πεσών (peswn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:25]  ⁴⁶⁶ sn When Cornelius worshiped Peter, it showed his piety and his respect for Peter, but it was an act based on ignorance, as Peter’s remark in v. 26 indicates.

[10:26]  ⁴⁶⁷ tn BDAG 271 s.v. ἐγείρω 3 has “raise, help to rise….Stretched out Ac 10:26.”

[10:26]  ⁴⁶⁸ tn Although it is certainly true that Peter was a “man,” here ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") has been translated as “mere mortal” because the emphasis in context is not on Peter’s maleness, but his humanity. Contrary to what Cornelius thought, Peter was not a god or an angelic being, but a mere mortal.

[10:27]  ⁴⁶⁹ tn Grk “And he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity. 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.

[10:27]  ⁴⁷⁰ tn Or “many people assembled.”

[10:28]  ⁴⁷¹ tn Here ὡς (Jws) is used like ὅτι (Joti) to introduce indirect discourse (cf. BDAG 1105 s.v. ὡς 5).

[10:28]  ⁴⁷² tn This term is used of wanton or callously lawless acts (BDAG 24 s.v. ἀθέμιτος).

[10:28]  ⁴⁷³ tn Grk “a Jewish man” (ἀνδρὶ ᾿Ιουδαίῳ, andri Ioudaiw).

[10:28]  ⁴⁷⁴ tn Grk “a foreigner,” but in this context, “a non-Jew,” that is, a Gentile. This term speaks of intimate association (BDAG 556 s.v. κολλάω 2.b.α). On this Jewish view, see John 18:28, where a visit to a Gentile residence makes a Jewish person unclean.

[10:28]  ⁴⁷⁵ tn This is a generic use of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo").

[10:28]  ⁴⁷⁶ tn Possibly there is a subtle distinction in meaning between κοινός (koinos) and ἀκάθαρτος (akaqartos) here, but according to L&N 53.39 it is difficult to determine precise differences in meaning based on existing contexts.

[10:29]  ⁴⁷⁷ tn Grk “Therefore when I was sent for.” The passive participle μεταπεμφθείς (metapemfqei") has been taken temporally and converted to an active construction which is less awkward in English.

[10:29]  ⁴⁷⁸ tn Grk “ask for what reason.”

[10:30]  ⁴⁷⁹ tn Grk “And Cornelius.” 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.

[10:30]  ⁴⁸⁰ tn Grk “said.”

[10:30]  ⁴⁸¹ tn Grk “at the ninth hour.” Again, this is the hour of afternoon prayer.

[10:30]  ⁴⁸² tn Grk “and behold.” The interjection ἰδού (idou) is difficult at times to translate into English. Here it has been translated as “suddenly” to convey the force of Cornelius’ account of the angel’s appearance.

[10:31]  ⁴⁸³ tn Or “your gifts to the needy.”

[10:31]  ⁴⁸⁴ sn This statement is a paraphrase rather than an exact quotation of Acts 10:4.

[10:32]  ⁴⁸⁵ tn Or “with a certain Simon Berseus.” Although most modern English translations treat βυρσεῖ (bursei) as Simon’s profession (“Simon the tanner”), it is possible that the word is actually Simon’s surname (“Simon Berseus” or “Simon Tanner”). BDAG 185 s.v. βυρσεύς regards it as a surname.

[10:33]  ⁴⁸⁶ tn Grk “you have done well by coming.” The idiom καλῶς ποιεῖν (kalw" poiein) is translated “be kind enough to do someth.” by BDAG 505-6 s.v. καλῶς 4.a. The participle παραγενόμενος (paragenomeno") has been translated as an English infinitive due to the nature of the English idiom (“kind enough to” + infinitive).

[10:33]  ⁴⁸⁷ tn The translation “we are here in the presence of God” for ἐνώπιον τοῦ θεοῦ πάρεσμεν (enwpion tou qeou paresmen) is given by BDAG 773 s.v. πάρειμι 1.a.

[10:33]  ⁴⁸⁸ tn Or “to hear everything.”

[10:33]  ⁴⁸⁹ tn The words “to say to us” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Cornelius knows Peter is God’s representative, bringing God’s message.

[10:34]  ⁴⁹⁰ tn Grk “Opening his mouth Peter said” (a Semitic idiom for beginning to speak in a somewhat formal manner). The participle ἀνοίξας (anoixa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[10:34]  ⁴⁹¹ tn Grk “God is not one who is a respecter of persons,” that is, “God is not one to show partiality” (cf. BDAG 887 s.v. προσωπολήμπτης). L&N 88.239 translates this verse “I realize that God does not show favoritism (in dealing with people).” The underlying Hebrew idiom includes the personal element (“respecter of persons”) so the phrase “in dealing with people” is included in the present translation. It fits very well with the following context and serves to emphasize the relational component of God’s lack of partiality. The latter is a major theme in the NT: Rom 2:11; Eph 2:11-22; Col 3:25; Jas 2:1; 1 Pet 1:17. This was the lesson of Peter’s vision.

[10:35]  ⁴⁹² sn See Luke 24:47.

[10:35]  ⁴⁹³ tn Or “shows reverence for him.”

[10:35]  ⁴⁹⁴ tn Grk “works righteousness”; the translation “does what is right” for this phrase in this verse is given by L&N 25.85.

[10:36]  ⁴⁹⁵ tn The subject and verb (“you know”) do not actually occur until the following verse, but have been repeated here because of the requirements of English word order.

[10:36]  ⁴⁹⁶ tn Grk “the word.”

[10:36]  ⁴⁹⁷ tn Grk “to the sons.”

[10:36]  ⁴⁹⁸ sn Peace is a key OT concept: Isa 52:7; Nah 1:15; also for Luke: Luke 1:79; 2:14; Acts 9:31. See also the similar phrase in Eph 2:17.

[10:36]  ⁴⁹⁹ tn Or “by.”

[10:36]  ⁵⁰⁰ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[10:36]  ⁵⁰¹ sn He is Lord of all. Though a parenthetical remark, this is the theological key to the speech. Jesus is Lord of all, so the gospel can go to all. The rest of the speech proclaims Jesus’ authority.

[10:37]  ⁵⁰² tn Or “proclaimed.”

[10:38]  ⁵⁰³ sn The somewhat awkward naming of Jesus as from Nazareth here is actually emphatic. He is the key subject of these key events.

[10:38]  ⁵⁰⁴ tn Or “how.” The use of ὡς (Jws) as an equivalent to ὅτι (Joti) to introduce indirect or even direct discourse is well documented. BDAG 1105 s.v. ὡς 5 lists Acts 10:28 in this category.

[10:38]  ⁵⁰⁵ tn Grk “power, who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[10:38]  ⁵⁰⁶ tn The translation “healing all who were oppressed by the devil” is given in L&N 22.22.

[10:38]  ⁵⁰⁷ sn See Acts 7:9.

[10:39]  ⁵⁰⁸ tn Grk “And we.” 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.

[10:39]  ⁵⁰⁹ tn Grk “the land of the Jews,” but this is similar to the phrase used as the name of the province of Judea in 1 Macc 8:3 (see BDAG 1093-94 s.v. χώρα 2.b).

[10:39]  ⁵¹⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[10:39]  ⁵¹¹ tn Grk “in Jerusalem, whom they killed.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “him” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[10:39]  ⁵¹² tn Or “by crucifying him” (“hang on a tree” is by the time of the 1st 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.

[10:40]  ⁵¹³ tn The conjunction “but” is not in the Greek text, but the contrast is clearly implied in the context. This is technically asyndeton, or lack of a connective, in Greek.

[10:40]  ⁵¹⁴ tn Grk “and granted that he should become visible.” The literal Greek idiom is somewhat awkward in English. L&N 24.22 offers the translation “caused him to be seen” for this verse.

[10:41]  ⁵¹⁵ tn Or “the witnesses God had previously chosen.” See Acts 1:8.

[10:41]  ⁵¹⁶ sn Ate and drank. See Luke 24:35-49.

[10:42]  ⁵¹⁷ tn Grk “and he.” 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.

[10:42]  ⁵¹⁸ tn The verb διαμαρτύρομαι (diamarturomai) can mean “warn,” and such a meaning is highly probable in this context where a reference to the judgment of both the living and the dead is present. The more general meaning “to testify solemnly” does not capture this nuance.

[10:42]  ⁵¹⁹ tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[10:42]  ⁵²⁰ tn Grk “that this one is the one,” but this is awkward in English and has been simplified to “that he is the one.”

[10:42]  ⁵²¹ tn Or “designated.” BDAG 723 s.v. ὁρίζω 2.b has “the one appointed by God as judge” for this phrase.

[10:42]  ⁵²² sn Jesus has divine authority as judge over the living and the dead: Acts 17:26-31; Rom 14:9; 1 Thess 5:9-10; 1 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5.

[10:43]  ⁵²³ tn Or “All the prophets testify about him.” Although modern English translations tend to place “about him” after “testify” (so NIV, NRSV) the phrase “about him” has been left at the beginning of v. 43 for emphatic reasons.

[10:43]  ⁵²⁴ sn Forgiveness of sins. See Luke 24:47; also Acts 14:23; 19:4; 9:42; 11:17; 16:31. The gospel is present in the prophetic promise, Rom 1:1-7. The message is in continuity with the ancient hope.

[10:44]  ⁵²⁵ tn Or “came down on.” God now acted to confirm the point of Peter’s speech.

[10:44]  ⁵²⁶ tn Or “word.”

[10:45]  ⁵²⁷ tn Grk “And the.” 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.

[10:45]  ⁵²⁸ tn Or “The Jewish Christians”; Grk “The believers from the circumcision.”

[10:45]  ⁵²⁹ sn The Jewish Christians who were with Peter were greatly astonished because they thought the promise of the Spirit would be limited only to those of Israel. God’s plan was taking on fresh dimensions even as it was a reflection of what the prophets had promised.

[10:45]  ⁵³⁰ tn Or “because.”

[10:45]  ⁵³¹ tn That is, the gift consisting of the Holy Spirit. Here τοῦ πνεύματος (tou pneumato") is a genitive of apposition; the gift consists of the Spirit.

[10:45]  ⁵³² sn The gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out. Compare the account in Acts 2, especially 2:33. Note also Joel 2:17-21 and Acts 11:15-18.

[10:46]  ⁵³³ tn Or “extolling,” “magnifying.”

[10:47]  ⁵³⁴ tn Grk “just as also we.” The auxiliary verb in English must be supplied. This could be either “have” (NIV, NRSV) or “did” (NASB). “Did” is preferred here because the comparison Peter is making concerns not just the fact of the present possession of the Spirit (“they received the Spirit we now possess”), but the manner in which the Gentiles in Cornelius’ house received the Spirit (“they received the Spirit in the same manner we did [on the day of Pentecost]”).

[10:47]  ⁵³⁵ tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ question, “can he?” The question is rhetorical. Peter was saying these Gentiles should be baptized since God had confirmed they were his.

[10:48]  ⁵³⁶ tn The Greek construction (passive infinitive with accusative subject) could be translated either “he ordered them to be baptized” or “he ordered that they be baptized,” but the implication in English in either case is that Peter was giving orders to the Gentiles in Cornelius’ house, telling them to get baptized. It is much more likely in the context that Peter was ordering those Jewish Christians who accompanied him to baptize the new Gentile converts. They would doubtless have still had misgivings even after witnessing the outpouring of the Spirit and hearing the tongues. It took Peter’s apostolic authority (“ordered”) to convince them to perform the baptisms.

[10:48]  ⁵³⁷ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” Jesus’ right to judge as the provider of forgiveness is highlighted here.

[11:1]  ⁵³⁸ tn See BDAG 221 s.v. δέχομαι 5 for this translation of ἐδέξαντο (edexanto) here.

[11:1]  ⁵³⁹ tn Here the phrase “word of God” is another way to describe the gospel (note the preceding verb ἐδέξαντο, edexanto, “accepted”). The phrase could also be translated “the word [message] from God.”

[11:2]  ⁵⁴⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:2]  ⁵⁴¹ tn Or “the Jewish Christians”; Grk “those of the circumcision.” Within the larger group of Christians were some whose loyalties ran along ethnic-religious lines.

[11:2]  ⁵⁴² tn Or “believers disputed with,” “believers criticized” (BDAG 231 s.v. διακρίνω 5.b).

[11:3]  ⁵⁴³ tn Or “You were a guest in the home of” (according to L&N 23.12).

[11:3]  ⁵⁴⁴ tn Or “and ate with.” It was table fellowship and the possibility of eating unclean food that disturbed them.

[11:4]  ⁵⁴⁵ tn Or “to them in logical sequence,” “to them in order.” BDAG 490 s.v. καθεξῆς has “explain to someone point by point” for this phrase. This is the same term used in Luke 1:3.

[11:5]  ⁵⁴⁶ tn This term describes a supernatural vision and reflects a clear distinction from something imagined (BDAG 718 s.v. ὅραμα 1). Peter repeated the story virtually word for word through v. 13. The repetition with this degree of detail shows the event’s importance.

[11:5]  ⁵⁴⁷ tn Or “coming down.”

[11:5]  ⁵⁴⁸ tn Or “the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[11:6]  ⁵⁴⁹ tn Grk “Staring I looked into it.” The participle ἀτενίσας (atenisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[11:6]  ⁵⁵⁰ tn Or “snakes.” Grk “creeping things.” According to L&N 4.51, in most biblical contexts the term (due to the influence of Hebrew classifications such as Gen 1:25-26, 30) included small four-footed animals like rats, mice, frogs, toads, salamanders, and lizards. In this context, however, where “creeping things” are contrasted with “four-footed animals,” the English word “reptiles,” which primarily but not exclusively designates snakes, is probably more appropriate.

[11:6]  ⁵⁵¹ tn Grk “the birds of the sky” or “the birds of the heaven”; the Greek word οὐρανός (ouranos) may be translated either “sky” or “heaven,” depending on the context. The idiomatic expression “birds of the sky” refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl (cf. BDAG 809 s.v. πετεινόν).

[11:7]  ⁵⁵² tn Or “kill.” Traditionally θῦσον (quson) is translated “kill,” but in the case of animals intended for food, “slaughter” is more appropriate.

[11:8]  ⁵⁵³ tn Possibly there is a subtle distinction in meaning between κοινός (koinos) and ἀκάθαρτος (akaqartos) here, but according to L&N 53.39 it is difficult to determine precise differences in meaning based on existing contexts. The sentiment Peter expressed is like Ezek 4:14.

[11:9]  ⁵⁵⁴ tn Or “declare.” The wording matches Acts 10:15.

[11:11]  ⁵⁵⁵ tn Grk “And behold.”

[11:11]  ⁵⁵⁶ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.

[11:11]  ⁵⁵⁷ tn See BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 1 for this meaning for ἐπέστησαν (epesthsan) here.

[11:11]  ⁵⁵⁸ tn The word “staying” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[11:12]  ⁵⁵⁹ sn Six witnesses is three times more than what would normally be required. They could confirm the events were not misrepresented by Peter.

[11:14]  ⁵⁶⁰ tn Grk “words” (ῥήματα, rJhmata), but in this context the overall message is meant rather than the individual words.

[11:15]  ⁵⁶¹ tn Or “came down on.”

[11:15]  ⁵⁶² tn The words “he did” are not in the Greek text but are implied. They form an ellipsis which must be supplied for the modern English reader. Some modern translations supply “it” rather than “he” because the gender of πνεῦμα (pneuma) in Greek is neuter, but there are sufficient NT contexts that use masculine pronouns to refer to the Spirit to justify the use of a masculine pronoun here in the translation.

[11:15]  ⁵⁶³ sn At the beginning is an allusion to Acts 2 and Pentecost. The beginning is a way to refer to the start of the period of the realization of Jesus’ promise in Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:8. Peter was arguing that God gave Gentiles the same benefits he gave the Jews at the start of their mission.

[11:16]  ⁵⁶⁴ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; here and in Luke 22:61, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[11:16]  ⁵⁶⁵ tn The imperfect verb ἔλεγεν (elegen) is taken as a customary imperfect.

[11:16]  ⁵⁶⁶ sn John…Spirit. This remark repeats Acts 1:5.

[11:17]  ⁵⁶⁷ tc Codex Bezae (D) and {a few other Western witnesses} here lack ὁ θεός (Jo qeo", “God”), perhaps because these scribes considered the Holy Spirit to be the gift of Christ rather than the gift of God; thus leaving the subject implicit would naturally draw the reader back to v. 16 to see the Lord Jesus as the bestower of the Spirit.

[11:17]  ⁵⁶⁸ sn That is, the same gift of the Holy Spirit.

[11:17]  ⁵⁶⁹ tn Or “gave us when we believed”; or “gave us after we believed”; or “gave us who believed”; or “gave them when they believed the same gift as he also gave us.” The aorist dative plural participle πιστεύσασιν (pisteusasin) can be understood in several different ways: (1) It could modify ἡμῖν (Jhmin, “us”) or αὐτοῖς (autois, “them”). Proximity (it immediately follows ἡμῖν) would suggest that it belongs with ἡμῖν, so the last option (“gave them when they believed the same gift he also gave us”) is less likely. (2) The participle could be either adverbial or adjectival, modifying ἡμῖν. This decision is primarily a contextual one. The point Peter made is not whether or not the Gentiles believed, since both groups (“us” and “they”) had believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. The point was whether or not the Gentiles received the Spirit when they believed, just as Jewish Christians had received the Spirit on the day of Pentecost when they believed. Translated as an adjectival participle, πιστεύσασιν only affirms the fact of belief, however, and raises somewhat of a theological problem if one realizes, “Would God have given the Gentiles the Spirit if they had not believed?” (In other words, belief in itself is a theological prerequisite for receiving the Spirit. As such, in the case of the Gentiles, it is assumed.) Thus in context it makes more sense to understand the participle πιστεύσασιν as adverbial, related to the time of belief in connection with the giving of the Spirit. (3) The participle πιστεύσασιν as a temporal participle can refer to action antecedent to the action of the main verb ἔδωκεν (edwken) or contemporaneous with it. Logically, at least, the gift of the Spirit followed belief in the case of the original Christians, who had believed before the day of Pentecost. In the case of Cornelius and his household, belief and the reception of the Spirit were virtually simultaneous. One can argue that Peter is “summarizing” the experience of Jewish Christians, and therefore the actions of belief and reception of the Spirit, while historically separate, have been “telescoped” into one (“gave them the same gift as he gave us when we believed”), but to be technically accurate the participle πιστεύσασιν should be translated “gave them the same gift as he also gave us after we believed.” A number of these problems can be avoided, however, by using a translation in English that maintains some of the ambiguity of the Greek original. Thus “if God gave them the same gift as he also gave us after believing” is used, where the phrase “after believing” can refer either to “them” or to “us,” or both.

[11:17]  ⁵⁷⁰ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[11:17]  ⁵⁷¹ tn Or “prevent,” “forbid” (BDAG 580 s.v. κωλύω 1.a). Peter’s point is that he will not stand in the way of God.

[11:18]  ⁵⁷² tn Grk “these things.”

[11:18]  ⁵⁷³ tn Or “became silent,” but this would create an apparent contradiction with the subsequent action of praising God. The point, in context, is that they ceased objecting to what Peter had done.

[11:18]  ⁵⁷⁴ tn Or “glorified.”

[11:18]  ⁵⁷⁵ sn Here the summary phrase for responding to the gospel is the repentance that leads to life. Note how the presence of life is tied to the presence of the Spirit (cf. John 4:7-42; 7:37-39).

[11:18]  ⁵⁷⁶ sn In the Greek text the phrase even to the Gentiles is in an emphatic position.

[11:19]  ⁵⁷⁷ sn The phrase over Stephen means in connection with Stephen’s death. See Acts 8:1b-3.

[11:19]  ⁵⁷⁸ tn Or “finally reached.” The translations “went as far as” and “finally reached” for διῆλθον (dihlqon) in this verse are given in L&N 15.17.

[11:19]  ⁵⁷⁹ sn Phoenicia was an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine.

[11:19]  ⁵⁸⁰ tn Grk “and Cyprus,” 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.

[11:19]  ⁵⁸¹ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). This was probably the third largest city in the Greco-Roman world (Alexandria in Egypt was the second largest, and Rome the largest) and was the seat of government in Syria. Five miles away was a major temple to Artemis, Apollo, and Astarte, major pagan deities.

[11:19]  ⁵⁸² tn Grk “word.”

[11:20]  ⁵⁸³ sn Cyprus was a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[11:20]  ⁵⁸⁴ sn Cyrene was a city on the northern African coast west of Egypt.

[11:20]  ⁵⁸⁵ 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.

[11:20]  ⁵⁸⁶ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.

[11:20]  ⁵⁸⁷ 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.

[11:21]  ⁵⁸⁸ tn Grk “And the.” 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.

[11:21]  ⁵⁸⁹ tn The participle πιστεύσας (pisteusa") is articular and thus cannot be adverbial. It is adjectival, modifying ἀριθμός (ariqmo"), but has been translated into English as a relative clause (“who believed”).

[11:21]  ⁵⁹⁰ sn Again, the expression turned is a summary term for responding to the gospel.

[11:22]  ⁵⁹¹ tn Grk “Word.”

[11:22]  ⁵⁹² tn Grk “was heard in the ears,” an idiom. L&N 24.67 states that the idiom means “to hear in secret” (which it certainly does in Matt 10:27), but secrecy does not seem to be part of the context here, and there is no particular reason to suggest the report was made in secret.

[11:22]  ⁵⁹³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:22]  ⁵⁹⁴ tc ‡ Most mss read the infinitive “to travel” after “Barnabas.” διελθεῖν (dielqein) is found before ἕως (Jews) in D E Ψ 33 Ï and some versional mss. It is lacking in Ì⁷⁴ א A B 81 1739 pc and some versional mss. Although the infinitive with ἕως fits Lukan style, it has the appearance of a scribal clarification. The infinitive has the earmarks of a Western expansion on the text and thus is unlikely to be original. NA²⁷ has the infinitive in brackets, indicating doubt as to its authenticity.

[11:22]  ⁵⁹⁵ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19. Again the Jerusalem church exercised an oversight role.

[11:23]  ⁵⁹⁶ tn Grk “Antioch, who when.” The relative pronoun was omitted and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[11:23]  ⁵⁹⁷ tn BDAG 883 s.v. προσμένω 1.a.β has “remain true to the Lord” for προσμένειν (prosmenein) in this verse.

[11:23]  ⁵⁹⁸ tn Grk “with purpose of heart”; BDAG 869 s.v. πρόθεσις 2.a translates this phrase “purpose of heart, i.e. devotion” here.

[11:24]  ⁵⁹⁹ tn Grk “a significant crowd.”

[11:26]  ⁶⁰⁰ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.

[11:26]  ⁶⁰¹ tn Grk “So it happened that” 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.

[11:26]  ⁶⁰² tn Grk “year they”; the referents (Barnabas and Saul) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[11:26]  ⁶⁰³ tn Grk “a significant crowd.”

[11:26]  ⁶⁰⁴ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.

[11:26]  ⁶⁰⁵ sn The term Christians appears only here, in Acts 26:28, and 1 Pet 4:16 in the NT.

[11:27]  ⁶⁰⁶ tn Grk “In these days,” but the dative generally indicates a specific time.

[11:27]  ⁶⁰⁷ tn The word “some” is not in the Greek text, but is usually used in English when an unspecified number is mentioned.

[11:27]  ⁶⁰⁸ sn Prophets are mentioned only here and in 13:1 and 21:10 in Acts.

[11:27]  ⁶⁰⁹ sn Came down from Jerusalem. Antioch in Syria lies due north of Jerusalem. In Western languages it is common to speak of north as “up” and south as “down,” but the NT maintains the Hebrew idiom which speaks of any direction away from Jerusalem as down (since Mount Zion was thought of in terms of altitude).

[11:27]  ⁶¹⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[11:27]  ⁶¹¹ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). See the note in 11:19.

[11:28]  ⁶¹² tn Grk “getting up, predicted.” The participle ἀναστάς (anasta") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[11:28]  ⁶¹³ tn Or “made clear”; Grk “indicated beforehand” (BDAG 920 s.v. σημαίνω 2).

[11:28]  ⁶¹⁴ tn Grk “great.”

[11:28]  ⁶¹⁵ sn This famine is one of the firmly fixed dates in Acts. It took place from a.d. 45-48. The events described in chap. 11 of Acts occurred during the early part of that period.

[11:28]  ⁶¹⁶ tn Or “whole Roman Empire.” While the word οἰκουμένη (oikoumenh) does occasionally refer specifically to the Roman Empire, BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουνένη 2 does not list this passage (only Acts 24:5 and 17:6).

[11:28]  ⁶¹⁷ tn Grk “world, which.” The relative pronoun (“which”) was replaced by the demonstrative pronoun “this” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[11:28]  ⁶¹⁸ sn This is best taken as a parenthetical note by the author. Claudius was the Roman emperor Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, known as Claudius, who ruled from a.d. 41-54.

[11:29]  ⁶¹⁹ tn So BDAG 410 s.v. εὐπορέω.

[11:29]  ⁶²⁰ tn Or “determined,” “resolved.”

[11:29]  ⁶²¹ tn Grk “to send [something] for a ministry,” but today it is common to speak of sending relief for victims of natural disasters.

[11:30]  ⁶²² tn Grk “Judea, which they did.” The relative pronoun was omitted and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[11:30]  ⁶²³ tn The words “their financial aid” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[12:1]  ⁶²⁴ sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great). His mediocre career is summarized in Josephus, Ant. 18-19. This event took place in a.d. 42 or 43.

[12:1]  ⁶²⁵ tn Or “King Herod had some from the church arrested.”

[12:1]  ⁶²⁶ tn Or “to cause them injury.”

[12:2]  ⁶²⁷ sn The expression executed with a sword probably refers to a beheading. James was the first known apostolic martyr (Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. 2.9.1-3). On James, not the Lord’s brother, see Luke 5:10; 6:14. This death ended a short period of peace noted in Acts 9:31 after the persecution mentioned in 8:1-3.

[12:3]  ⁶²⁸ 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.

[12:3]  ⁶²⁹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[12:4]  ⁶³⁰ sn Four squads of soldiers. Each squad was a detachment of four soldiers.

[12:4]  ⁶³¹ tn Grk “guard him, planning to bring him out.” The Greek construction continues with a participle (βουλόμενος, boulomeno") and an infinitive (ἀναγαγεῖν, anagagein), but this creates an awkward and lengthy sentence in English. Thus a reference to Herod was introduced as subject and the participle translated as a finite verb (“Herod planned”).

[12:4]  ⁶³² tn Or “intended”; Grk “wanted.”

[12:4]  ⁶³³ tn Grk “to bring him out to the people,” but in this context a public trial (with certain condemnation as the result) is doubtless what Herod planned. L&N 15.176 translates this phrase “planning to bring him up for a public trial after the Passover.”

[12:5]  ⁶³⁴ tn Or “constantly.” This term also appears in Luke 22:14 and Acts 26:7.

[12:5]  ⁶³⁵ tn Grk “but earnest prayer was being made by the church to God for him.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to follow English style, and the somewhat awkward passive “prayer was being made” has been changed to the simpler active verb “were praying.” Luke portrays what follows as an answer to prayer.

[12:6]  ⁶³⁶ tn Grk “was going to bring him out,” but the upcoming trial is implied. See Acts 12:4.

[12:6]  ⁶³⁷ tn Grk “two chains, and.” Logically it makes better sense to translate this as a temporal clause, although technically it is a coordinate clause in Greek.

[12:6]  ⁶³⁸ tn Or “were guarding.”

[12:7]  ⁶³⁹ tn Grk “And behold.” 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. The interjection ἰδού (idou), often difficult to translate into English, expresses the suddenness of the angel’s appearance.

[12:7]  ⁶⁴⁰ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.

[12:7]  ⁶⁴¹ tn Grk “striking the side of Peter, he awoke him saying.” The term refers to a push or a light tap (BDAG 786 s.v. πατάσσω 1.a). The participle πατάξας (pataxa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[12:7]  ⁶⁴² tn Grk “his”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:7]  ⁶⁴³ tn Grk “the hands,” but the wrist was considered a part of the hand.

[12:8]  ⁶⁴⁴ tn While ζώννυμι (zwnnumi) sometimes means “to dress,” referring to the fastening of the belt or sash as the final act of getting dressed, in this context it probably does mean “put on your belt” since in the conditions of a prison Peter had probably not changed into a different set of clothes to sleep. More likely he had merely removed his belt or sash, which the angel now told him to replace. The translation “put on your belt” is given by L&N 49.14 for this verse. The archaic English “girdle” for the sash or belt has an entirely different meaning today.

[12:8]  ⁶⁴⁵ tn Grk “He”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:8]  ⁶⁴⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:8]  ⁶⁴⁷ tn Or “outer garment.”

[12:9]  ⁶⁴⁸ tn Grk “And going out he followed.”

[12:9]  ⁶⁴⁹ tn Grk “Peter going out followed him.” The participle ἐξελθών (exelqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[12:9]  ⁶⁵⁰ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[12:9]  ⁶⁵¹ tn Grk “what was done through the angel was a reality” (see BDAG 43 s.v. ἀληθής 3).

[12:10]  ⁶⁵² tn Or perhaps, “guard posts.”

[12:10]  ⁶⁵³ sn The iron gate shows how important security was here. This door was more secure than one made of wood (which would be usual).

[12:10]  ⁶⁵⁴ tn Grk “which.” The relative pronoun (“which”) was replaced by the pronoun “it,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[12:10]  ⁶⁵⁵ tn The Greek term here, αὐτομάτη (automath), indicates something that happens without visible cause (BDAG 152 s.v. αὐτόματος).

[12:10]  ⁶⁵⁶ tn Or “lane,” “alley” (BDAG 907 s.v. ῥύμη).

[12:11]  ⁶⁵⁷ tn Grk “And when.” 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.

[12:11]  ⁶⁵⁸ tn Or “delivered.”

[12:11]  ⁶⁵⁹ sn Here the hand of Herod is a metaphor for Herod’s power or control.

[12:11]  ⁶⁶⁰ sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).

[12:11]  ⁶⁶¹ sn Luke characterizes the opposition here as the Jewish people, including their leadership (see 12:3).

[12:12]  ⁶⁶² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:12]  ⁶⁶³ tn Grk “John who was also called Mark.”

[12:13]  ⁶⁶⁴ tn Or “responded.”

[12:14]  ⁶⁶⁵ tn Or “informed.”

[12:14]  ⁶⁶⁶ tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[12:15]  ⁶⁶⁷ sn “You’ve lost your mind!” Such a response to the miraculous is not unusual in Luke-Acts. See Luke 24:11; Acts 26:25. The term μαίνομαι (mainomai) can have the idea of being “raving mad” or “totally irrational” (BDAG 610 s.v.). It is a strong expression.

[12:15]  ⁶⁶⁸ tn Grk “she kept insisting that the situation was thus” (cf. BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.a). Most translations supply a less awkward English phrase like “it was so”; the force of her insistence, however, is that “it was Peter,” which was the point under dispute.

[12:15]  ⁶⁶⁹ tn The two imperfect tense verbs, διϊσχυρίζετο (diiscurizeto) and ἔλεγον (elegon), are both taken iteratively. The picture is thus virtually a shouting match between Rhoda and the rest of the believers.

[12:15]  ⁶⁷⁰ sn The assumption made by those inside, “It is his angel,” seems to allude to the idea of an attending angel (cf. Gen 48:16 LXX; Matt 18:10; Test. Jacob 1:10).

[12:16]  ⁶⁷¹ tn The words “the door” are not in the Greek text, but are implied (see Acts 12:13).

[12:16]  ⁶⁷² sn That they were greatly astonished is a common response in Luke-Acts to God’s work (Luke 8:56; Acts 2:7, 12; 8:13; 9:21; 10:45).

[12:17]  ⁶⁷³ tn Or “He gave them a signal.” Grk “Giving them a signal…he related to them.” The participle κατασείσας (kataseisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[12:17]  ⁶⁷⁴ tc ‡ Most mss, including some of the most important ones (B D E Ψ Ï sy), read αὐτοῖς (autoi", “to them”) here, while some excellent and early witnesses (Ì^45vid,74vid א A 33 81 945 1739 pc) lack the pronoun. Although it is possible that the pronoun was deleted because it was seen as superfluous, it is also possible that it was added as a natural expansion on the text, strengthening the connection between Peter and his listeners. Although a decision is difficult, the shorter reading is slightly preferred. NA²⁷ puts the pronoun in brackets, indicating some doubts as to its authenticity.

[12:17]  ⁶⁷⁵ tn Or “led.”

[12:17]  ⁶⁷⁶ sn He…went to another place. This is Peter’s last appearance in Acts with the exception of the Jerusalem council in Acts 15.

[12:18]  ⁶⁷⁷ tn BDAG 436 s.v. ἡμέρα 1.a has “day is breaking” for ἡμέρα γίνεται (Jhmera ginetai) in this verse.

[12:18]  ⁶⁷⁸ tn Grk “no little consternation.” The translation given for τάραχος (taraco") in this verse by BDAG 991 s.v. τάραχος 1 is “mental agitation.” The situation indicated by the Greek word is described in L&N 25.243 as “a state of acute distress and great anxiety, with the additional possible implications of dismay and confusion – ‘great distress, extreme anxiety.’” The English word “consternation” is preferred here because it conveys precisely such a situation of anxiety mixed with fear. The reason for this anxiety is explained in the following verse.

[12:19]  ⁶⁷⁹ sn King Herod was Herod Agrippa I, the grandson of Herod I (Herod the Great).

[12:19]  ⁶⁸⁰ tn Or “had instigated a search” (Herod would have ordered the search rather than conducting it himself).

[12:19]  ⁶⁸¹ tn “Questioned” is used to translate ἀνακρίνας (anakrina") here because a possible translation offered by BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω for this verse is “examined,” which could be understood to mean Herod inspected the guards rather than questioned them. The translation used by the NIV, “cross-examined,” also avoids this possible misunderstanding.

[12:19]  ⁶⁸² tn The meaning “led away to execution” for ἀπαχθῆναι (apacqhnai) in this verse is given by BDAG 95 s.v. ἀπάγω 2.c. Although an explicit reference to execution is lacking here, it is what would usually occur in such a case (Acts 16:27; 27:42; Code of Justinian 9.4.4). “Led away to torture” is a less likely option (Pliny the Younger, Letters 10, 96, 8).

[12:19]  ⁶⁸³ tn Grk “and,” but the sequence of events is better expressed in English by “then.” A new sentence is begun in the translation because of the length of the sentence in Greek, which exceeds normal English sentence length.

[12:19]  ⁶⁸⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Since Herod has been the subject of the preceding material, and the circumstances of his death are the subject of the following verses (20-23), it is best to understand Herod as the subject here. This is especially true since according to Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 [19.343-352], Herod Agrippa I died at Caesarea in a.d. 44, and vv. 20-23 here describe his death. Thus the end of v. 19 provides Luke’s transition to explain how Herod got from Jerusalem to Caesarea where he died. In spite of all this evidence, the NRSV translates this phrase “Then Peter went down from Judea to Caesarea and stayed there,” understanding the referent to be Peter rather than Herod Agrippa I.

[12:19]  ⁶⁸⁵ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1.

[12:20]  ⁶⁸⁶ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:20]  ⁶⁸⁷ tn Or “was extremely angry.” L&N 33.453 gives the meaning “be angry and quarrel, quarrel angrily” here. However, in L&N 88.180 the alternative “to be violently angry, to be furious” is given. The term is used only once in the NT (BDAG 461 s.v. θυμομαχέω).

[12:20]  ⁶⁸⁸ sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia.

[12:20]  ⁶⁸⁹ sn Sidon was an ancient Phoenician royal city on the coast between Berytus (Beirut) and Tyre (BDAG 923 s.v. Σιδών).

[12:20]  ⁶⁹⁰ tn Or “with one accord.”

[12:20]  ⁶⁹¹ tn Or “persuading.”

[12:20]  ⁶⁹² tn On the term translated “personal assistant” BDAG 554 s.v. κοιτῶν states, “used as part of a title: ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ κοιτῶνος the one in charge of the bed-chamber, the chamberlain.” This individual was not just a domestic servant or butler, but a highly respected person who had considerable responsibility for the king’s living quarters and personal affairs. The English word “chamberlain” corresponds very closely to this meaning but is not in common use today. The term “personal assistant,” while it might convey more business associations than management of personal affairs, nevertheless communicates the concept well in contemporary English.

[12:20]  ⁶⁹³ tn The words “to help them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[12:20]  ⁶⁹⁴ tn Or “for a reconciliation.” There were grave political risks in having Herod angry at them. The detail shows the ruler’s power.

[12:21]  ⁶⁹⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:21]  ⁶⁹⁶ tn Or “apparel.” On Herod’s robes see Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 (19.344), summarized in the note at the end of v. 23.

[12:21]  ⁶⁹⁷ tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “speaker’s platform” for this verse, and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“rostrum,” NASB; “platform,” NRSV), since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here.

[12:21]  ⁶⁹⁸ tn Or “delivered a public address.”

[12:22]  ⁶⁹⁹ tn The translation “crowd” is given by BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος; the word often means a gathering of citizens to conduct public business. Here it is simply the group of people gathered to hear the king’s speech.

[12:22]  ⁷⁰⁰ tn The imperfect verb ἐπεφώνει (epefwnei) is taken ingressively in the sequence of events. Presumably the king had started his speech when the crowd began shouting.

[12:22]  ⁷⁰¹ sn The voice of a god. Contrast the response of Paul and Barnabas in Acts 14:13-15.

[12:23]  ⁷⁰² tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.

[12:23]  ⁷⁰³ sn On being struck…down by an angel, see Acts 23:3; 1 Sam 25:28; 2 Sam 12:15; 2 Kgs 19:35; 2 Chr 13:20; 2 Macc 9:5.

[12:23]  ⁷⁰⁴ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:23]  ⁷⁰⁵ sn He was eaten by worms and died. Josephus, Ant. 19.8.2 (19.343-352), states that Herod Agrippa I died at Caesarea in a.d. 44. The account by Josephus, while not identical to Luke’s account, is similar in many respects: On the second day of a festival, Herod Agrippa appeared in the theater with a robe made of silver. When it sparkled in the sun, the people cried out flatteries and declared him to be a god. The king, carried away by the flattery, saw an owl (an omen of death) sitting on a nearby rope, and immediately was struck with severe stomach pains. He was carried off to his house and died five days later. The two accounts can be reconciled without difficulty, since while Luke states that Herod was immediately struck down by an angel, his death could have come several days later. The mention of worms with death adds a humiliating note to the scene. The formerly powerful ruler had been thoroughly reduced to nothing (cf. Jdt 16:17; 2 Macc 9:9; cf. also Josephus, Ant. 17.6.5 [17.168-170], which details the sickness which led to Herod the Great’s death).

[12:24]  ⁷⁰⁶ sn A metonymy for the number of adherents to God’s word.

[12:24]  ⁷⁰⁷ tn Or “spreading.”

[12:25]  ⁷⁰⁸ tc There are a number of variants at this point in the text: εἰς (eis, “to”) in א B Ï sa^ms sy^hmg; ἀπό (apo, “from”) in D E Ψ 36 323 453 614 1175 al; ἐξ (ex, “from”) in Ì⁷⁴ A 33 945 1739 al; ἐξ ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν (ex Ierousalhm ei" Antioceian, “from Jerusalem to Antioch”) in {a few later manuscripts and part of the Itala}. A decision on this problem is very difficult, but for several reasons εἰς can be preferred. It is the most difficult reading by far in light of the context, since Paul and Barnabas were going to Jerusalem in 11:30. It is found in better witnesses, א and B being very strong evidence. The other readings, ἐξ and ἀπό, are different from εἰς yet bear essentially the same meaning as each other; this seems to suggest that scribes had problems with εἰς and tried to choose an acceptable revision. If εἰς is the earliest reading, ἀπό may be a clarification of ἐξ, and ἐξ could have arisen through confusion of letters. Or ἐξ and ἀπό could both have independently arisen from εἰς as a more acceptable preposition. Despite such arguments, however, the case for εἰς is not airtight: either ἐξ or ἀπό could be preferred on other lines of reasoning. The reading ἐξ enjoys the earliest support, and εἰς could have arisen through the same confusion of letters mentioned above. The immediate and wider context seems to mitigate against εἰς as the original reading: The aorist participle πληρώσαντες (plhrwsante", “when they had completed”) seems to signal the end of the mission to Jerusalem with the famine relief, so it would make sense in the context for the team to be coming from Jerusalem (to Antioch) rather than to Jerusalem, and 13:1 certainly presents the scene at Antioch. The later addition εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν after ᾿Ιερουσαλήμ in some mss seems to be a clarification in light of 13:1 (notice that some of the mss that read ἐξ add εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν [945 1739], and some that read ἀπό also add εἰς ᾿Αντιόχειαν [E 323 1175]). Thus, the idea of spatial separation from Jerusalem is strongly implied by the context. This problem is so difficult that some scholars resort to conjectural emendation to determine the original reading. All in all, the reading εἰς should be preferred as original, recognizing that there is a good measure of uncertainty with this solution. For additional discussion, see TCGNT 350-52.

[12:25]  ⁷⁰⁹ sn That is, from Jerusalem to Antioch (see Acts 11:29-30).

[12:25]  ⁷¹⁰ tn Grk “fulfilled.”

[12:25]  ⁷¹¹ tn Grk “ministry” or “service.”

[12:25]  ⁷¹² tn Grk “John who was also called Mark.”

[13:1]  ⁷¹³ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[13:1]  ⁷¹⁴ sn Simeon may well have been from North Africa, since the Latin loanword Niger refers to someone as “dark-complexioned.”

[13:1]  ⁷¹⁵ sn The Cyrenian refers to a native of the city of Cyrene, on the coast of northern Africa west of Egypt.

[13:1]  ⁷¹⁶ sn Herod is generally taken as a reference to Herod Antipas, who governed Galilee from 4 b.c. to a.d. 39, who had John the Baptist beheaded, and who is mentioned a number of times in the gospels.

[13:1]  ⁷¹⁷ tn Or “the governor.”

[13:1]  ⁷¹⁸ tn Or “(a foster brother of Herod the tetrarch).” The meaning “close friend from childhood” is given by L&N 34.15, but the word can also mean “foster brother” (L&N 10.51). BDAG 976 s.v. σύντροφας states, “pert. to being brought up with someone, either as a foster-brother or as a companion/friend,” which covers both alternatives. Context does not given enough information to be certain which is the case here, although many modern translations prefer the meaning “close friend from childhood.”

[13:2]  ⁷¹⁹ tn This term is frequently used in the LXX of the service performed by priests and Levites in the tabernacle (Exod 28:35, 43; 29:30; 30:20; 35:19; 39:26; Num 1:50; 3:6, 31) and the temple (2 Chr 31:2; 35:3; Joel 1:9, 13; 2:17, and many more examples). According to BDAG 591 s.v. λειτουργέω 1.b it is used “of other expression of religious devotion.” Since the previous verse described the prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch, it is probable that the term here describes two of them (Barnabas and Saul) as they were serving in that capacity. Since they were not in Jerusalem where the temple was located, general religious service is referred to here.

[13:2]  ⁷²⁰ tn Or “Appoint.”

[13:3]  ⁷²¹ tn The three aorist participles νηστεύσαντες (nhsteusante"), προσευξάμενοι (proseuxamenoi), and ἐπιθέντες (epiqente") are translated as temporal participles. Although they could indicate contemporaneous time when used with an aorist main verb, logically here they are antecedent. On fasting and prayer, see Matt 6:5, 16; Luke 2:37; 5:33; Acts 14:23.

[13:3]  ⁷²² tn Normally English style, which uses a coordinating conjunction between only the last two elements of a series of three or more, would call for omission of “and” here. However, since the terms “fasting and prayer” are something of a unit, often linked together, the conjunction has been retained here.

[13:3]  ⁷²³ sn The placing of hands on Barnabas and Saul (traditionally known as “the laying on of hands”) refers to an act picturing the commission of God and the church for the task at hand.

[13:4]  ⁷²⁴ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Barnabas and Saul) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:4]  ⁷²⁵ sn Seleucia was the port city of Antioch in Syria.

[13:4]  ⁷²⁶ sn Cyprus was a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[13:5]  ⁷²⁷ tn Grk “And when.” 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.

[13:5]  ⁷²⁸ tn The participle γενόμενοι (genomenoi) is taken temporally.

[13:5]  ⁷²⁹ sn Salamis was a city on the southeastern coast of the island of Cyprus. This was a commercial center and a center of Judaism.

[13:5]  ⁷³⁰ tn The imperfect verb κατήγγελλον (kathngellon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[13:5]  ⁷³¹ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[13:5]  ⁷³² sn John refers here to John Mark (see Acts 12:25).

[13:5]  ⁷³³ tn The word ὑπηρέτης (Juphreth") usually has the meaning “servant,” but it is doubtful John Mark fulfilled that capacity for Barnabas and Saul. He was more likely an apprentice or assistant to them.

[13:6]  ⁷³⁴ tn Or “had passed through,” “had traveled through.”

[13:6]  ⁷³⁵ sn Paphos. A city on the southwestern coast of the island of Cyprus. It was the seat of the Roman proconsul.

[13:6]  ⁷³⁶ sn Named Bar-Jesus. “Jesus” is the Latin form of the name “Joshua.” The Aramaic “bar” means “son of,” so this man was surnamed “son of Joshua.” The scene depicts the conflict between Judaism and the emerging new faith at a cosmic level, much like the Simon Magus incident in Acts 8:9-24. Paul’s ministry looks like Philip’s and Peter’s here.

[13:7]  ⁷³⁷ sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.

[13:7]  ⁷³⁸ tn Grk “This one”; the referent (the proconsul) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:7]  ⁷³⁹ tn Grk “summoning Barnabas and Saul, wanted to hear.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[13:7]  ⁷⁴⁰ sn The proconsul…wanted to hear the word of God. This description of Sergius Paulus portrays him as a sensitive, secular Gentile leader.

[13:8]  ⁷⁴¹ tn On the debate over what the name “Elymas” means, see BDAG 320 s.v. ᾿Ελύμας. The magician’s behavior is more directly opposed to the faith than Simon Magus’ was.

[13:8]  ⁷⁴² sn A parenthetical note by the author.

[13:8]  ⁷⁴³ sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.

[13:9]  ⁷⁴⁴ sn A parenthetical note by the author.

[13:9]  ⁷⁴⁵ sn This qualifying clause in the narrative indicates who represented God in the dispute.

[13:9]  ⁷⁴⁶ tn Or “gazed intently.”

[13:10]  ⁷⁴⁷ tn Or “unscrupulousness.”

[13:10]  ⁷⁴⁸ sn “You who…paths of the Lord?” This rebuke is like ones from the OT prophets: Jer 5:27; Gen 32:11; Prov 10:7; Hos 14:9. Five separate remarks indicate the magician’s failings. The closing rhetorical question of v. 10 (“will you not stop…?”) shows how opposed he is to the way of God.

[13:11]  ⁷⁴⁹ tn Grk “And now.” 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.

[13:11]  ⁷⁵⁰ tn Grk “upon,” but in a negative sense.

[13:11]  ⁷⁵¹ sn The term translated mistiness here appears in the writings of the physician Galen as a medical technical description of a person who is blind. The picture of judgment to darkness is symbolic as well. Whatever power Elymas had, it represented darkness. Magic will again be an issue in Acts 19:18-19. This judgment is like that of Ananias and his wife in Acts 5:1-11.

[13:11]  ⁷⁵² tn Grk “fell on.”

[13:11]  ⁷⁵³ tn The noun χειραγωγός (ceiragwgo") is plural, so “people” is used rather than singular “someone.”

[13:12]  ⁷⁵⁴ sn See the note on proconsul in v. 8.

[13:12]  ⁷⁵⁵ sn He believed. The faith of the proconsul in the face of Jewish opposition is a theme of the rest of Acts. Paul has indeed become “a light to the Gentiles” (Acts 13:47).

[13:12]  ⁷⁵⁶ tn The translation “greatly astounded” for ἐκπλησσόμενος (ekplhssomeno") is given by L&N 25.219.

[13:12]  ⁷⁵⁷ tn Grk “of,” but this could give the impression the Lord himself had done the teaching (a subjective genitive) when actually the Lord was the object of the teaching (an objective genitive).

[13:13]  ⁷⁵⁸ tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

[13:13]  ⁷⁵⁹ sn Paphos was a city on the southwestern coast of the island of Cyprus. See Acts 13:6.

[13:13]  ⁷⁶⁰ sn Perga was a city in Pamphylia near the southern coast of Asia Minor. The journey from Paphos to Perga is about 105 mi (175 km).

[13:13]  ⁷⁶¹ sn Pamphylia was a province in the southern part of Asia Minor.

[13:13]  ⁷⁶² sn That is, John Mark.

[13:13]  ⁷⁶³ sn Returned to Jerusalem. John Mark had originally accompanied them from Jerusalem (see Acts 12:25). John Mark’s decision to leave became an issue later for Barnabas and Paul (Acts 15:36-39).

[13:14]  ⁷⁶⁴ tn Or “Passing by.”

[13:14]  ⁷⁶⁵ sn Perga was a city in Pamphylia near the southern coast of Asia Minor.

[13:14]  ⁷⁶⁶ tn Or “at Antioch in Pisidia.”

[13:14]  ⁷⁶⁷ tn Grk “going into the synagogue they sat down.” The participle εἰσελθόντες (eiselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[13:14]  ⁷⁶⁸ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[13:15]  ⁷⁶⁹ sn After the reading from the law and the prophets. In the 1st century Jewish synagogue, it was customary after the reading of the Torah (law) and prophets for men to give exhortation from the scriptures.

[13:15]  ⁷⁷⁰ tn Normally ἀρχισυνάγωγος (arcisunagwgo") refers to the “president of a synagogue” (so BDAG 139 s.v. and L&N 53.93). Since the term is plural here, however, and it would sound strange to the English reader to speak of “the presidents of the synagogue,” the alternative translation “leaders” is used. “Rulers” would also be acceptable, but does not convey quite the same idea.

[13:15]  ⁷⁷¹ tn Grk “sent to them”; the word “message” is an understood direct object. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[13:15]  ⁷⁷² tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.

[13:15]  ⁷⁷³ tn Or “word.”

[13:15]  ⁷⁷⁴ tn Or “encouragement.”

[13:15]  ⁷⁷⁵ tn Or “give it.”

[13:16]  ⁷⁷⁶ tn This participle, ἀναστάς (anasta"), and the following one, κατασείσας (kataseisa"), are both translated as adverbial participles of attendant circumstance.

[13:16]  ⁷⁷⁷ tn Or “motioned.”

[13:16]  ⁷⁷⁸ tn Or “Israelite men,” although this is less natural English. The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context involving an address to a synagogue gathering, it is conceivable that this is a generic usage, although it can also be argued that Paul’s remarks were addressed primarily to the men present, even if women were there.

[13:16]  ⁷⁷⁹ tn Grk “and those who fear God,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44.

[13:17]  ⁷⁸⁰ tn Or “people of Israel.”

[13:17]  ⁷⁸¹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[13:17]  ⁷⁸² tn That is, in both numbers and in power. The implication of greatness in both numbers and in power is found in BDAG 1046 s.v. ὑψόω 2.

[13:17]  ⁷⁸³ tn Or “as resident aliens.”

[13:17]  ⁷⁸⁴ tn Or “land.”

[13:17]  ⁷⁸⁵ sn Here uplifted arm is a metaphor for God’s power by which he delivered the Israelites from Egypt. See Exod 6:1, 6; 32:11; Deut 3:24; 4:34; Ps 136:11-12.

[13:18]  ⁷⁸⁶ tn Grk “And for.” 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.

[13:18]  ⁷⁸⁷ tn For this verb, see BDAG 1017 s.v. τροποφορέω (cf. also Deut 1:31; Exod 16:35; Num 14:34).

[13:18]  ⁷⁸⁸ tn Or “desert.”

[13:19]  ⁷⁸⁹ tn Grk “And after.” 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.

[13:19]  ⁷⁹⁰ tn The participle καθελών (kaqelwn) is taken temporally.

[13:19]  ⁷⁹¹ sn Seven nations. See Deut 7:1.

[13:19]  ⁷⁹² tn Grk “he gave their land as an inheritance.” The words “his people” are supplied to complete an ellipsis specifying the recipients of the land.

[13:20]  ⁷⁹³ tn The words “all this took” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to make a complete statement in English. There is debate over where this period of 450 years fits and what it includes: (1) It could include the years in Egypt, the conquest of Canaan, and the distribution of the land; (2) some connect it with the following period of the judges. This latter approach seems to conflict with 1 Kgs 6:1; see also Josephus, Ant. 8.3.1 (8.61).

[13:20]  ⁷⁹⁴ tn Grk “And after these things.” 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.

[13:20]  ⁷⁹⁵ tn The words “the time of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[13:21]  ⁷⁹⁶ tn The words “who ruled” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. They have been supplied as a clarification for the English reader. See Josephus, Ant. 6.14.9 (6.378).

[13:22]  ⁷⁹⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:22]  ⁷⁹⁸ sn The expression raised up refers here to making someone king. There is a wordplay here: “raising up” refers to bringing someone onto the scene of history, but it echoes with the parallel to Jesus’ resurrection.

[13:22]  ⁷⁹⁹ tn Grk “about whom.” The relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the pronoun “him” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek. The verb εἶπεν (eipen) has not been translated (literally “he said testifying”) because it is redundant when combined with the participle μαρτυρήσας (marturhsa", “testifying”). Instead the construction of verb plus participle has been translated as a single English verb (“testified”).

[13:22]  ⁸⁰⁰ sn A quotation from Ps 89:20.

[13:22]  ⁸⁰¹ sn A quotation from 1 Sam 13:14.

[13:22]  ⁸⁰² tn Or “who will perform all my will,” “who will carry out all my wishes.”

[13:23]  ⁸⁰³ tn Or “From the offspring”; Grk “From the seed.”

[13:23]  ⁸⁰⁴ sn The phrase this man is in emphatic position in the Greek text.

[13:23]  ⁸⁰⁵ tn Grk “according to [his] promise.” The comparative clause “just as he promised” is less awkward in English.

[13:24]  ⁸⁰⁶ tn Grk “John having already proclaimed before his coming a baptism…,” a genitive absolute construction which is awkward in English. A new sentence was begun in the translation at this point.

[13:24]  ⁸⁰⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the context for clarity, since God is mentioned in the preceding context and John the Baptist in the following clause.

[13:24]  ⁸⁰⁸ sn John refers here to John the Baptist.

[13:24]  ⁸⁰⁹ tn Grk “a baptism of repentance”; the genitive has been translated as a genitive of purpose.

[13:25]  ⁸¹⁰ tn Or “task.”

[13:25]  ⁸¹¹ tn The verb ἔλεγεν (elegen) has been translated as an iterative imperfect, since John undoubtedly said this or something similar on numerous occasions.

[13:25]  ⁸¹² tn Literally a relative clause, “of whom I am not worthy to untie the sandals of his feet.” Because of the awkwardness of this construction in English, a new sentence was begun here.

[13:26]  ⁸¹³ tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.

[13:26]  ⁸¹⁴ tn Grk “sons”

[13:26]  ⁸¹⁵ tn Or “race.”

[13:26]  ⁸¹⁶ tn Grk “and those among you who fear God,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44. Note how Paul includes God-fearing Gentiles as recipients of this promise.

[13:26]  ⁸¹⁷ tn Grk “word.”

[13:27]  ⁸¹⁸ tn BDAG 12-13 s.v. ἀγνοέω 1.b gives “not to know w. acc. of pers.” as the meaning here, but “recognize” is a better translation in this context because recognition of the true identity of the one they condemned is the issue. See Acts 2:22-24; 4:26-28.

[13:27]  ⁸¹⁹ tn Grk “this one.”

[13:27]  ⁸²⁰ tn Usually φωνή (fwnh) means “voice,” but BDAG 1071-72 s.v. φωνή 2.c has “Also of sayings in scripture…Ac 13:27.”

[13:27]  ⁸²¹ tn The participle κρίναντες (krinante") is instrumental here.

[13:27]  ⁸²² tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[13:28]  ⁸²³ tn Grk “And though.” 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.

[13:28]  ⁸²⁴ tn The participle εὑρόντες (Jeuronte") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[13:28]  ⁸²⁵ sn No basis. Luke insists on Jesus’ innocence again and again in Luke 23:1-25.

[13:28]  ⁸²⁶ tn Grk “no basis for death,” but in this context a sentence of death is clearly indicated.

[13:29]  ⁸²⁷ tn Or “carried out.”

[13:29]  ⁸²⁸ sn That is, everything that was written in OT scripture.

[13:29]  ⁸²⁹ tn Grk “taking him down from the cross, they placed him.” The participle καθελόντες (kaqelonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[13:29]  ⁸³⁰ tn Grk “tree,” but frequently figurative for a cross. The allusion is to Deut 21:23. See Acts 5:30; 10:39.

[13:29]  ⁸³¹ tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[13:30]  ⁸³² sn See the note on the phrase “raised up” in v. 22, which is the same Greek verb used here.

[13:31]  ⁸³³ tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun (“who”) was replaced by the conjunction “and” and the pronoun “he” at this point to improve the English style.

[13:31]  ⁸³⁴ sn Those who had accompanied him refers to the disciples, who knew Jesus in ministry. Luke is aware of resurrection appearances in Galilee though he did not relate any of them in Luke 24.

[13:31]  ⁸³⁵ tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun (“who”) was replaced by the demonstrative pronoun “these” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek and the awkwardness of two relative clauses (“who for many days appeared” and “who are now his witnesses”) following one another.

[13:32]  ⁸³⁶ tn Or “to our forefathers”; Grk “the fathers.”

[13:33]  ⁸³⁷ tn Grk “that this”; the referent (the promise mentioned in the previous verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:33]  ⁸³⁸ tn Or “by resurrecting.” The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") is taken as instrumental here.

[13:33]  ⁸³⁹ sn You are my Son. The key to how the quotation is used is the naming of Jesus as “Son” to the Father. The language is that of kingship, as Ps 2 indicates. Here is the promise about what the ultimate Davidic heir would be.

[13:33]  ⁸⁴⁰ tn Grk “I have begotten you.” The traditional translation for γεγέννηκα (gegennhka, “begotten”) is misleading to the modern English reader because it is no longer in common use. Today one speaks of “fathering” a child in much the same way speakers of English formerly spoke of “begetting a child.”

[13:34]  ⁸⁴¹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:34]  ⁸⁴² tn Although μηκέτι (mhketi) can mean “no longer” or “no more,” the latter is more appropriate here, since to translate “no longer” in this context could give the reader the impression that Jesus did experience decay before his resurrection. Since the phrase “no more again to be” is somewhat awkward in English, the simpler phrase “never again to be” was used instead.

[13:34]  ⁸⁴³ tn The translation “to be in again” for ὑποστρέφω (Jupostrefw) is given in L&N 13.24.

[13:34]  ⁸⁴⁴ tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:34]  ⁸⁴⁵ tn The pronoun “you” is plural here. The promises of David are offered to the people.

[13:34]  ⁸⁴⁶ tn Or “the trustworthy decrees made by God to David.” The phrase τὰ ὅσια Δαυὶδ τὰ πιστά (ta Josia Dauid ta pista) is “compressed,” that is, in a very compact or condensed form. It could be expanded in several different ways. BDAG 728 s.v. ὅσιος 3 understands it to refer to divine decrees: “I will grant you the sure decrees of God relating to David.” BDAG then states that this quotation from Isa 55:3 is intended to show that the following quotation from Ps 16:10 could not refer to David himself, but must refer to his messianic descendant (Jesus). L&N 33.290 render the phrase “I will give to you the divine promises made to David, promises that can be trusted,” although they also note that τὰ ὅσια in Acts 13:34 can mean “divine decrees” or “decrees made by God.” In contemporary English it is less awkward to translate πιστά as an adjective (“trustworthy”). The concept of “divine decrees,” not very understandable to the modern reader, has been replaced by “promises,” and since God is the implied speaker in the context, it is clear that these promises were made by God.

[13:34]  ⁸⁴⁷ sn A quotation from Isa 55:3. The point of this citation is to make clear that the promise of a Davidic line and blessings are made to the people as well.

[13:35]  ⁸⁴⁸ tn Grk “Therefore he also says in another”; the word “psalm” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[13:35]  ⁸⁴⁹ tn The Greek word translated “Holy One” here (ὅσιόν, {osion) is related to the use of ὅσια (Josia) in v. 34. The link is a wordplay. The Holy One, who does not die, brings the faithful holy blessings of promise to the people.

[13:35]  ⁸⁵⁰ tn Grk “to see,” but the literal translation of the phrase “to see decay” could be misunderstood to mean simply “to look at decay,” while here “see decay” is really figurative for “experience decay.”

[13:35]  ⁸⁵¹ sn A quotation from Ps 16:10.

[13:36]  ⁸⁵² tn The participle ὑπηρετήσας (Juphrethsa") is taken temporally.

[13:36]  ⁸⁵³ tn The verb κοιμάω (koimaw) literally means “sleep,” but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for the death of a believer.

[13:36]  ⁸⁵⁴ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “was gathered to his fathers” (a Semitic idiom).

[13:36]  ⁸⁵⁵ tn Grk “saw,” but the literal translation of the phrase “saw decay” could be misunderstood to mean simply “looked at decay,” while here “saw decay” is really figurative for “experienced decay.” This remark explains why David cannot fulfill the promise.

[13:37]  ⁸⁵⁶ sn The one whom God raised up refers to Jesus.

[13:37]  ⁸⁵⁷ tn Grk “see,” but the literal translation of the phrase “did not see decay” could be misunderstood to mean simply “did not look at decay,” while here “did not see decay” is really figurative for “did not experience decay.”

[13:38]  ⁸⁵⁸ tn That is, Jesus. This pronoun is in emphatic position in the Greek text. Following this phrase in the Greek text is the pronoun ὑμῖν (Jumin, “to you”), so that the emphasis for the audience is that “through Jesus to you” these promises have come.

[13:39]  ⁸⁵⁹ sn This one refers here to Jesus.

[13:39]  ⁸⁶⁰ tn Or “is freed.” The translation of δικαιωθῆναι (dikaiwqhnai) and δικαιοῦται (dikaioutai) in Acts 13:38-39 is difficult. BDAG 249 s.v. δικαιόω 3 categorizes δικαιωθῆναι in 13:38 (Greek text) under the meaning “make free/pure” but categorizes δικαιοῦται in Acts 13:39 as “be found in the right, be free of charges” (BDAG 249 s.v. δικαιόω 2.b.β). In the interest of consistency both verbs are rendered as “justified” in this translation.

[13:39]  ⁸⁶¹ tn Or “could not free.”

[13:39]  ⁸⁶² tn Grk “from everything from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses.” The passive construction has been converted to an active one in the translation, with “by the law of Moses” becoming the subject of the final clause. The words “from everything from which the law of Moses could not justify you” are part of v. 38 in the Greek text, but due to English style and word order must be placed in v. 39 in the translation.

[13:40]  ⁸⁶³ sn The speech closes with a warning, “Watch out,” that also stresses culpability.

[13:40]  ⁸⁶⁴ tn Or “in.”

[13:41]  ⁸⁶⁵ tn Or “and die!”

[13:41]  ⁸⁶⁶ sn A quotation from Hab 1:5. The irony in the phrase even if someone tells you, of course, is that Paul has now told them. So the call in the warning is to believe or else face the peril of being scoffers whom God will judge. The parallel from Habakkuk is that the nation failed to see how Babylon’s rising to power meant perilous judgment for Israel.

[13:42]  ⁸⁶⁷ tn Grk “they”; the referents (Paul and Barnabas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:42]  ⁸⁶⁸ tn Or “were leaving.” The participle ἐξιόντων (exiontwn) is taken temporally.

[13:42]  ⁸⁶⁹ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:42]  ⁸⁷⁰ tn Or “begging,” “inviting.”

[13:42]  ⁸⁷¹ tn Or “matters.”