Acts 1:11

1:11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand here ¹  looking up into the sky? This same Jesus who has been taken up from you into heaven ²  will come back in the same way you saw him go into heaven.”

Acts 8:27

8:27 So ³  he got up ⁴  and went. There ⁵  he met ⁶  an Ethiopian eunuch, ⁷  a court official of Candace, ⁸  queen of the Ethiopians, who was in charge of all her treasury. He ⁹  had come to Jerusalem to worship, ¹⁰ 

Acts 9:21

9:21 All ¹¹  who heard him were amazed and were saying, “Is this not ¹²  the man who in Jerusalem was ravaging ¹³  those who call on this name, and who had come here to bring them as prisoners ¹⁴  to the chief priests?”

Acts 11:5

11:5 “I was in the city of Joppa praying, and in a trance I saw a vision, ¹⁵  an object something like a large sheet descending, ¹⁶  being let down from heaven ¹⁷  by its four corners, and it came to me.

Acts 11:12

11:12 The Spirit told me to accompany them without hesitation. These six brothers ¹⁸  also went with me, and we entered the man’s house.

Acts 13:25

13:25 But while John was completing his mission, ¹⁹  he said repeatedly, ²⁰  ‘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!’ ²¹ 

Acts 16:37

16:37 But Paul said to the police officers, ²²  “They had us beaten in public ²³  without a proper trial ²⁴  – even though we are Roman citizens ²⁵  – and they threw us ²⁶  in prison. And now they want to send us away ²⁷  secretly? Absolutely not! They ²⁸  themselves must come and escort us out!” ²⁹ 

Acts 17:13

17:13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica ³⁰  heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God ³¹  in Berea, ³²  they came there too, inciting ³³  and disturbing ³⁴  the crowds.

Acts 17:15

17:15 Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens, ³⁵  and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. ³⁶ 

Acts 18:2

18:2 There he ³⁷  found ³⁸  a Jew named Aquila, ³⁹  a native of Pontus, ⁴⁰  who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius ⁴¹  had ordered all the Jews to depart from ⁴²  Rome. ⁴³  Paul approached ⁴⁴  them,

Acts 19:4

19:4 Paul said, “John baptized with a baptism of repentance, telling the people to believe in the one who was to come after him, ⁴⁵  that is, in Jesus.”

Acts 25:23

Paul Before King Agrippa and Bernice

25:23 So the next day Agrippa ⁴⁶  and Bernice came with great pomp ⁴⁷  and entered the audience hall, ⁴⁸  along with the senior military officers ⁴⁹  and the prominent men of the city. When Festus ⁵⁰  gave the order, ⁵¹  Paul was brought in.

Acts 28:15

28:15 The brothers from there, ⁵²  when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius ⁵³  and Three Taverns ⁵⁴  to meet us. When he saw them, ⁵⁵  Paul thanked God and took courage.

[1:11]  ¹ tn The word “here” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were frequently omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[1:11]  ² tc Codex Bezae (D) and several other witnesses lack the words εἰς τὸν οὐρανόν (ei" ton ouranon, “into heaven”) here, most likely by way of accidental deletion. In any event, it is hardly correct to suppose that the Western text has intentionally suppressed references to the ascension of Christ here, for the phrase is solidly attested in the final clause of the verse.

[8:27]  ³ 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]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ 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]  ¹⁰ 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.

[9:21]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn The Greek interrogative particle used in this verse (οὐχ, ouc) expects a positive reply. They all knew about Saul’s persecutions.

[9:21]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ 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.

[11:5]  ⁷ 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]  ⁸ tn Or “coming down.”

[11:5]  ⁹ tn Or “the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).

[11:12]  ⁹ sn Six witnesses is three times more than what would normally be required. They could confirm the events were not misrepresented by Peter.

[13:25]  ¹¹ tn Or “task.”

[13:25]  ¹² 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]  ¹³ 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.

[16:37]  ¹³ tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the police officers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:37]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “Having us beaten in public.” The participle δείραντες (deirante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:37]  ¹⁵ tn Or “in public, uncondemned.” BDAG 35 s.v. ἀκατάκριτος has “uncondemned, without due process” for this usage.

[16:37]  ¹⁶ tn The participle ὑπάρχοντας (Juparconta") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[16:37]  ¹⁷ tn The word “us” 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.

[16:37]  ¹⁸ tn L&N 28.71 has “send us away secretly” for this verse.

[16:37]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “But they.”

[16:37]  ²⁰ sn They themselves must come and escort us out! Paul was asking for the injustice he and Silas suffered to be symbolically righted. It was a way of publicly taking their actions off the record and showing the apostles’ innocence, a major public statement. Note the apology given in v. 39.

[17:13]  ¹⁵ sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

[17:13]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “that the word of God had also been proclaimed by Paul.” This passive construction has been converted to an active one in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:13]  ¹⁷ sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) from Thessalonica.

[17:13]  ¹⁸ tn BDAG 911 s.v. σαλεύω 2 has “incite” for σαλεύοντες (saleuonte") in Acts 17:13.

[17:13]  ¹⁹ tn Or “stirring up” (BDAG 990-91 s.v. ταράσσω 2). The point is the agitation of the crowds.

[17:15]  ¹⁷ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[17:15]  ¹⁸ sn They left. See 1 Thess 3:1-2, which shows they went from here to Thessalonica.

[18:2]  ¹⁹ 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. The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[18:2]  ²⁰ tn Grk “finding.” The participle εὑρών (Jeurwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:2]  ²¹ sn On Aquila and his wife Priscilla see also Acts 18:18, 26; Rom 16:3-4; 1 Cor 16:19; 2 Tim 4:19. In the NT “Priscilla” and “Prisca” are the same person. This author uses the full name Priscilla, while Paul uses the diminutive form Prisca.

[18:2]  ²² sn Pontus was a region in the northeastern part of Asia Minor. It was a Roman province.

[18:2]  ²³ sn Claudius refers to the Roman emperor Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, known as Claudius, who ruled from a.d. 41-54. The edict expelling the Jews from Rome was issued in a.d. 49 (Suetonius, Claudius 25.4).

[18:2]  ²⁴ tn Or “to leave.”

[18:2]  ²⁵ map For location see JP4 A1.

[18:2]  ²⁶ tn Or “went to.”

[19:4]  ²¹ sn These disciples may have had their contact with John early on in the Baptist’s ministry before Jesus had emerged. This is the fifth time Luke links John the Baptist and Jesus (Acts 1:5; 11:16; 13:25; 18:25).

[25:23]  ²³ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[25:23]  ²⁴ tn Or “great pageantry” (BDAG 1049 s.v. φαντασία; the term is a NT hapax legomenon).

[25:23]  ²⁵ tn Or “auditorium.” “Auditorium” may suggest to the modern English reader a theater where performances are held. Here it is the large hall where a king or governor would hold audiences. Paul once spoke of himself as a “spectacle” to the world (1 Cor 4:8-13).

[25:23]  ²⁶ tn Grk “the chiliarchs” (officers in command of a thousand soldiers). In Greek the term χιλίαρχος (ciliarco") literally described the “commander of a thousand,” but it was used as the standard translation for the Latin tribunus militum or tribunus militare, the military tribune who commanded a cohort of 600 men.

[25:23]  ²⁷ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[25:23]  ²⁸ tn Grk “and Festus ordering, Paul was brought in.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun in the translation, and καί (kai) has not been translated. The participle κελεύσαντος (keleusanto") has been taken temporally.

[28:15]  ²⁵ sn Mention of Christian brothers from there (Rome) shows that God’s message had already spread as far as Italy and the capital of the empire.

[28:15]  ²⁶ sn The Forum of Appius was a small traveler’s stop on the Appian Way about 43 mi (71 km) south of Rome (BDAG 125 s.v. ᾿Αππίου φόρον). It was described by Horace as “crammed with boatmen and stingy tavernkeepers” (Satires 1.5.3).

[28:15]  ²⁷ sn Three Taverns was a stop on the Appian Way 33 mi (55 km) south of Rome.

[28:15]  ²⁸ tn Grk “whom, when he saw [them], Paul.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the personal pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun here in the translation.