Acts 1:1

Jesus Ascends to Heaven

1:1 I wrote ¹  the former ²  account, ³  Theophilus, ⁴  about all that Jesus began to do and teach

Acts 10:19

10:19 While Peter was still thinking seriously about ⁵  the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Look! Three men are looking for you.

Acts 13:29

13:29 When they had accomplished ⁶  everything that was written ⁷  about him, they took him down ⁸  from the cross ⁹  and placed him ¹⁰  in a tomb.

Acts 17:32

17:32 Now when they heard about ¹¹  the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff, ¹²  but others said, “We will hear you again about this.”

Acts 23:29

23:29 I found he ¹³  was accused with reference to controversial questions ¹⁴  about their law, but no charge against him deserved death or imprisonment. ¹⁵ 

Acts 24:8

24:8 When you examine ¹⁶  him yourself, you will be able to learn from him ¹⁷  about all these things we are accusing him of doing.” ¹⁸ 

Acts 25:18

25:18 When his accusers stood up, they did not charge ¹⁹  him with any of the evil deeds I had suspected. ²⁰ 

Acts 26:2

26:2 “Regarding all the things I have been accused of by the Jews, King Agrippa, ²¹  I consider myself fortunate that I am about to make my defense before you today,

Acts 28:31

28:31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ ²²  with complete boldness ²³  and without restriction. ²⁴ 

[1:1]  ¹ tn Or “produced,” Grk “made.”

[1:1]  ² tn Or “first.” The translation “former” is preferred because “first” could imply to the modern English reader that the author means that his previous account was the first one to be written down. The Greek term πρῶτος (prwtos) does not necessarily mean “first” in an absolute sense, but can refer to the first in a set or series. That is what is intended here – the first account (known as the Gospel of Luke) as compared to the second one (known as Acts).

[1:1]  ³ tn The Greek word λόγος (logos) is sometimes translated “book” (NRSV, NIV) or “treatise” (KJV). A formal, systematic treatment of a subject is implied, but the word “book” may be too specific and slightly misleading to the modern reader, so “account” has been used.

[1:1]  ⁴ tn Grk “O Theophilus,” but the usage of the vocative in Acts with ὦ (w) is unemphatic, following more the classical idiom (see ExSyn 69).

[10:19]  ⁵ 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.).

[13:29]  ⁹ tn Or “carried out.”

[13:29]  ¹⁰ sn That is, everything that was written in OT scripture.

[13:29]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Grk “tree,” but frequently figurative for a cross. The allusion is to Deut 21:23. See Acts 5:30; 10:39.

[13:29]  ¹³ 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.

[17:32]  ¹³ tn The participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally.

[17:32]  ¹⁴ tn L&N 33.408 has “some scoffed (at him) Ac 17:32” for ἐχλεύαζον (ecleuazon) here; the imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect (“began to scoff”).

[23:29]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “whom I found.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been changed to a personal pronoun (“he”) and a new sentence begun in the translation at this point.

[23:29]  ¹⁸ tn BDAG 428 s.v. ζήτημα states, “in our lit. only in Ac, w. the mng. it still has in Mod. Gk. (controversial) question, issue, argument…Ac 15:2; 26:3. ζ. περί τινος questions about someth.…18:15; 25:19. – In 23:29, since περί had already been used, the subj. of the discussion is added in the gen. ζ. τοῦ νόμου αὐτῶν.”

[23:29]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “but having no charge worthy of death or imprisonment.” BDAG 273-74 s.v. ἔγκλημα 1 has “legal t.t.…ἔ. ἄξιον θανάτου ἢ δεσμῶν a charge deserving death or imprisonment 23:29.”

[24:8]  ²¹ tn Or “question.”

[24:8]  ²² tn Grk “From whom when you examine him yourself, you will be able to learn…” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the third person singular pronoun (“him”) and a new sentence begun at the beginning of v. 8 in the translation.

[24:8]  ²³ tn Grk “about all these things of which we are accusing him.” This has been simplified to eliminate the relative pronoun (“of which”) in the translation.

[25:18]  ²⁵ tn Grk “they brought no charge of any of the evil deeds.” BDAG 31 s.v. αἰτία 3.b has “αἰτίαν φέρειν…bring an accusation Ac 25:18.” Since κατήγοροι (kathgoroi, “accusers”) in the previous clause is somewhat redundant with this, “charge” was used instead.

[25:18]  ²⁶ tn Or “I was expecting.”

[26:2]  ²⁹ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[28:31]  ³³ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[28:31]  ³⁴ tn Or “openness.”

[28:31]  ³⁵ sn Proclaiming…with complete boldness and without restriction. Once again Paul’s imprisonment is on benevolent terms. The word of God is proclaimed triumphantly and boldly in Rome. Acts ends with this note: Despite all the attempts to stop it, the message goes forth.