Acts 1:17

1:17 for he was counted as one of us and received a share in this ministry.” ¹ 

Acts 6:4

6:4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

Acts 12:25

12:25 So Barnabas and Saul returned to ²  Jerusalem ³  when they had completed ⁴  their mission, ⁵  bringing along with them John Mark. ⁶ 

Acts 1:25

1:25 to assume the task ⁷  of this service ⁸  and apostleship from which Judas turned aside ⁹  to go to his own place.” ¹⁰ 

Acts 11:29

11:29 So the disciples, each in accordance with his financial ability, ¹¹  decided ¹²  to send relief ¹³  to the brothers living in Judea.

Acts 21:19

21:19 When Paul ¹⁴  had greeted them, he began to explain ¹⁵  in detail ¹⁶  what God ¹⁷  had done among the Gentiles through his ministry.

Acts 6:1

The Appointment of the First Seven Deacons

6:1 Now in those ¹⁸  days, when the disciples were growing in number, ¹⁹  a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews ²⁰  against the native Hebraic Jews, ²¹  because their widows ²²  were being overlooked ²³  in the daily distribution of food. ²⁴ 

Acts 20:24

20:24 But I do not consider my life ²⁵  worth anything ²⁶  to myself, so that ²⁷  I may finish my task ²⁸  and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the good news ²⁹  of God’s grace.

[1:17]  ¹ tn Or “and was chosen to have a share in this ministry.” The term λαγχάνω (lancanw) here and in 2 Pet 1:1 can be understood as referring to the process of divine choice and thus be translated, “was chosen to have.”

[12:25]  ² 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]  ³ sn That is, from Jerusalem to Antioch (see Acts 11:29-30).

[12:25]  ⁴ tn Grk “fulfilled.”

[12:25]  ⁵ tn Grk “ministry” or “service.”

[12:25]  ⁶ tn Grk “John who was also called Mark.”

[1:25]  ³ tn Grk “to take the place.”

[1:25]  ⁴ tn Or “of this ministry.”

[1:25]  ⁵ tn Or “the task of this service and apostleship which Judas ceased to perform.”

[1:25]  ⁶ sn To go to his own place. This may well be a euphemism for Judas’ judged fate. He separated himself from them, and thus separated he would remain.

[11:29]  ⁴ tn So BDAG 410 s.v. εὐπορέω.

[11:29]  ⁵ tn Or “determined,” “resolved.”

[11:29]  ⁶ tn Grk “to send [something] for a ministry,” but today it is common to speak of sending relief for victims of natural disasters.

[21:19]  ⁵ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[21:19]  ⁶ tn Or “to report,” “to describe.” The imperfect verb ἐξηγεῖτο (exhgeito) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[21:19]  ⁷ tn BDAG 293 s.v. εἷς 5.e has “καθ᾿ ἕν one after the other (hence τὸ καθ᾿ ἕν ‘a detailed list’: PLille 11, 8 [III bc]; PTebt. 47, 34; 332, 16) J 21:25. Also καθ᾿ ἕν ἕκαστον…Ac 21:19.”

[21:19]  ⁸ sn Note how Paul credited God with the success of his ministry.

[6:1]  ⁶ tn Grk “these.” The translation uses “those” for stylistic reasons.

[6:1]  ⁷ tn Grk “were multiplying.”

[6:1]  ⁸ 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.

[6:1]  ⁹ tn Grk “against the Hebrews,” but as with “Hellenists” this needs further explanation for the modern reader.

[6:1]  ¹⁰ sn The care of widows is a major biblical theme: Deut 10:18; 16:11, 14; 24:17, 19-21; 26:12-13; 27:19; Isa 1:17-23; Jer 7:6; Mal 3:5.

[6:1]  ¹¹ tn Or “neglected.”

[6:1]  ¹² tn Grk “in the daily serving.”

[20:24]  ⁷ tn Grk “soul.”

[20:24]  ⁸ tn Or “I do not consider my life worth a single word.” According to BDAG 599 s.v. λόγος 1.a.α, “In the textually uncertain pass. Ac 20:24 the text as it stands in N., οὐδενὸς λόγου (v.l. λόγον) ποιοῦμαι τὴν ψυχὴν τιμίαν, may well mean: I do not consider my life worth a single word (cp. λόγου ἄξιον [ἄξιος 1a] and our ‘worth mention’).”

[20:24]  ⁹ tn BDAG 1106 s.v. ὡς 9 describes this use as “a final particle, expressing intention/purpose, with a view to, in order to.”

[20:24]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “course.” See L&N 42.26, “(a figurative extension of meaning of δρόμος ‘race’) a task or function involving continuity, serious, effort, and possibly obligation – ‘task, mission’…Ac 20:24.” On this Pauline theme see also Phil 1:19-26; Col 1:24; 2 Tim 4:6-7.

[20:24]  ¹¹ tn Or “to the gospel.”