Acts 22:19-20

22:19 I replied, ¹  ‘Lord, they themselves know that I imprisoned and beat those in the various synagogues ²  who believed in you. 22:20 And when the blood of your witness ³  Stephen was shed, ⁴  I myself was standing nearby, approving, ⁵  and guarding the cloaks ⁶  of those who were killing him.’ ⁷ 

Acts 7:58

7:58 When ⁸  they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, ⁹  and the witnesses laid their cloaks ¹⁰  at the feet of a young man named Saul.

Acts 8:1-4

8:1 And Saul agreed completely with killing ¹¹  him.

Saul Begins to Persecute the Church

Now on that day a great ¹²  persecution began ¹³  against the church in Jerusalem, ¹⁴  and all ¹⁵  except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions ¹⁶  of Judea and Samaria. 8:2 Some ¹⁷  devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation ¹⁸  over him. ¹⁹  8:3 But Saul was trying to destroy ²⁰  the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off ²¹  both men and women and put them in prison. ²² 

Philip Preaches in Samaria

8:4 Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word.

Acts 9:1-2

The Conversion of Saul

9:1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats ²³  to murder ²⁴  the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest 9:2 and requested letters from him to the synagogues ²⁵  in Damascus, so that if he found any who belonged to the Way, ²⁶  either men or women, he could bring them as prisoners ²⁷  to Jerusalem. ²⁸ 

Acts 9:13-14

9:13 But Ananias replied, ²⁹  “Lord, I have heard from many people ³⁰  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 ³¹  all who call on your name!” ³² 

Acts 9:21

9:21 All ³³  who heard him were amazed and were saying, “Is this not ³⁴  the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging ³⁵  those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners ³⁶  to the chief priests?”

Acts 26:9-11

26:9 Of course, ³⁷  I myself was convinced ³⁸  that it was necessary to do many things hostile to the name of Jesus the Nazarene. 26:10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem: Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons by the authority I received ³⁹  from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote ⁴⁰  against them when they were sentenced to death. ⁴¹  26:11 I punished ⁴²  them often in all the synagogues ⁴³  and tried to force ⁴⁴  them to blaspheme. Because I was so furiously enraged ⁴⁵  at them, I went to persecute ⁴⁶  them even in foreign cities.

Acts 26:1

Paul Offers His Defense

26:1 So Agrippa ⁴⁷  said to Paul, “You have permission ⁴⁸  to speak for yourself.” Then Paul held out his hand ⁴⁹  and began his defense: ⁵⁰ 

Colossians 1:9

Paul’s Prayer for the Growth of the Church

1:9 For this reason we also, from the day we heard about you, ⁵¹  have not ceased praying for you and asking God ⁵²  to fill ⁵³  you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding,

Philippians 3:6

3:6 In my zeal for God I persecuted the church. According to the righteousness stipulated in the law I was blameless.

Philippians 3:1

True and False Righteousness

3:1 Finally, my brothers and sisters, ⁵⁴  rejoice in the Lord! To write this again is no trouble to me, and it is a safeguard for you.

Philippians 1:13-15

1:13 The ⁵⁵  whole imperial guard ⁵⁶  and everyone else knows ⁵⁷  that I am in prison ⁵⁸  for the sake of Christ, 1:14 and most of the brothers and sisters, ⁵⁹  having confidence in the Lord ⁶⁰  because of my imprisonment, now more than ever ⁶¹  dare to speak the word ⁶²  fearlessly.

1:15 Some, to be sure, are preaching Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill.

[22:19]  ¹ tn Grk “And I said.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai, in καγώ [kagw]) has not been translated here.

[22:19]  ² tn For the distributive sense of the expression κατὰ τὰς συναγωγάς (kata ta" sunagwga") BDAG 512 s.v. κατά B.1.d has “of places viewed serially, distributive use w. acc.…κατ᾿ οἶκαν from house to house…Ac 2:46b; 5:42…Likew. the pl.…κ. τὰς συναγωγάς 22:19.” See also L&N 37.114.

[22:20]  ³ sn Now Paul referred to Stephen as your witness, and he himself had also become a witness. The reversal was now complete; the opponent had now become a proponent.

[22:20]  ⁴ sn When the blood of your witness Stephen was shed means “when your witness Stephen was murdered.”

[22:20]  ⁵ tn Grk “and approving.” This 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.

[22:20]  ⁶ tn Or “outer garments.”

[22:20]  ⁷ tn Or “who were putting him to death.” For the translation of ἀναιρούντων (anairountwn) as “putting to death” see BDAG 64 s.v. ἀναιρέω 2.

[7:58]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ tn Or “outer garments.”

[8:1]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Or “severe.”

[8:1]  ¹³ 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]  ¹⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[8:1]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ tn Or “countryside.”

[8:2]  ¹⁷ tn “Some” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[8:2]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ tn Or “mourned greatly for him.”

[8:3]  ²⁰ 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]  ²¹ tn The participle σύρων (surwn) has been translated as an finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[8:3]  ²² tn BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 1.b has “εἰς φυλακήν put in prison Ac 8:3.”

[9:1]  ²³ tn Or “Saul, making dire threats.”

[9:1]  ²⁴ 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]  ²⁵ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[9:2]  ²⁶ 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]  ²⁷ 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]  ²⁸ sn From Damascus to Jerusalem was a six-day journey. Christianity had now expanded into Syria.

[9:13]  ²⁹ 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]  ³⁰ tn The word “people” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[9:14]  ³¹ tn Grk “to bind.”

[9:14]  ³² 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).

[9:21]  ³³ 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]  ³⁴ tn The Greek interrogative particle used in this verse (οὐχ, ouc) expects a positive reply. They all knew about Saul’s persecutions.

[9:21]  ³⁵ 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]  ³⁶ 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.

[26:9]  ³⁷ tn BDAG 737 s.v. οὖν 3 states, “It has been proposed that some traces of older Gk. usage in which οὖν is emphatic, = certainly, really, to be sure etc. (s. L-S-J-M s.v. 1) remain in the pap…and in the NT…indeed, of course Ac 26:9.”

[26:9]  ³⁸ tn Grk “I thought to myself.” BDAG 255 s.v. δοκέω 2.a has “ἔδοξα ἐμαυτῷ δεῖν πρᾶξαι = Lat. mihi videbar I was convinced that it was necessary to do Ac 26:9.”

[26:10]  ³⁹ tn Grk “by receiving authority.” The participle λαβών (labwn) has been taken instrumentally.

[26:10]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “cast down a pebble against them.” L&N 30.103 states, “(an idiom, Grk ‘to bring a pebble against someone,’ a reference to a white or black pebble used in voting for or against someone) to make known one’s choice against someone – ‘to vote against.’ …‘when they were sentenced to death, I also voted against them’ Ac 26:10.”

[26:10]  ⁴¹ tn Grk “when they were being executed”; but the context supports the sentencing rather than the execution itself (cf. L&N 30.103).

[26:11]  ⁴² tn Grk “and punishing…I tried.” The participle τιμωρῶν (timwrwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. 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.

[26:11]  ⁴³ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[26:11]  ⁴⁴ tn The imperfect verb ἠνάγκαζον (hnankazon) has been translated as a conative imperfect (so BDAG 60 s.v. ἀναγκάζω 1, which has “ἠνάγκαζον βλασφημεῖν I tried to force them to blaspheme Ac 26:11”).

[26:11]  ⁴⁵ tn Or “was so insanely angry with them.” BDAG 322 s.v. ἐμμαίνομαι states, “to be filled with such anger that one appears to be mad, be enraged…περισσῶς ἐμμαινόμενος αὐτοῖς being furiously enraged at them Ac 26:11”; L&N 88.182 s.v. ἐμμαίνομαι, “to be so furiously angry with someone as to be almost out of one’s mind – ‘to be enraged, to be infuriated, to be insanely angry’ …‘I was so infuriated with them that I even went to foreign cities to persecute them’ Ac 26:11.”

[26:11]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “I pursued them even as far as foreign cities.”

[26:1]  ⁴⁷ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:1]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “It is permitted for you.”

[26:1]  ⁴⁹ tn Or “extended his hand” (a speaker’s gesture).

[26:1]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “and began to speak in his own defense.”

[1:9]  ⁵¹ tn Or “heard about it”; Grk “heard.” There is no direct object stated in the Greek (direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context). A direct object is expected by an English reader, however, so most translations supply one. Here, however, it is not entirely clear what the author “heard”: a number of translations supply “it” (so KJV, NASB, NRSV; NAB “this”), but this could refer back either to (1) “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8, or (2) “your faith in Christ Jesus and the love that you have for all the saints” (v. 4). In light of this uncertainty, other translations supply “about you” (TEV, NIV, CEV, NLT). This is preferred by the present translation since, while it does not resolve the ambiguity entirely, it does make it less easy for the English reader to limit the reference only to “your love in the Spirit” at the end of v. 8.

[1:9]  ⁵² tn The term “God” does not appear in the Greek text, but the following reference to “the knowledge of his will” makes it clear that “God” is in view as the object of the “praying and asking,” and should therefore be included in the English translation for clarity.

[1:9]  ⁵³ tn The ἵνα (Jina) clause has been translated as substantival, indicating the content of the prayer and asking. The idea of purpose may also be present in this clause.

[3:1]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:12.

[1:13]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “so that the whole imperial guard.” The ὥστε (Jwste) clause that begins v. 13 indicates two results of the spread of the gospel: Outsiders know why Paul is imprisoned (v. 13) and believers are emboldened by his imprisonment (v. 14).

[1:13]  ⁵⁶ sn The whole imperial guard (Grk “praetorium”) can refer to the elite troops stationed in Rome or the headquarters of administrators in the provinces (cf. Matt 27:27; Mark 15:16; John 18:28, 33; 19:9; Acts 23:35). In either case a metonymy is involved, with the place (the praetorium) put for those (soldiers or government officials) who were connected with it or stationed in it.

[1:13]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “it has become known by the whole imperial guard and all the rest.”

[1:13]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “my bonds [are].”

[1:14]  ⁵⁹ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:12.

[1:14]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “most of the brothers and sisters in the Lord, having confidence.”

[1:14]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “even more so.”

[1:14]  ⁶² tc A number of significant mss have “of God” after “word.” Although τοῦ θεοῦ (tou qeou) is amply supported in the Alexandrian and Western texts (א A B [D*] P Ψ 048^vid 075 0278 33 81 1175 al lat co), the omission is difficult to explain as either an intentional deletion or unintentional oversight. To be sure, the pedigree of the witnesses is not nearly as great for the shorter reading (Ì⁴⁶ D² 1739 1881 Ï), but it explains well the rise of the other reading. Further, it explains the rise of κυρίου (kuriou, “of the Lord”), the reading of F and G (for if these mss had followed a Vorlage with τοῦ θεοῦ, κυρίου would not have been expected). Further, τοῦ θεοῦ is in different locations among the mss; such dislocations are usually signs of scribal additions to the text. Thus, the Byzantine text and a few other witnesses here have the superior reading, and it should be accepted as the original.