Acts 1:8

1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the farthest parts ¹  of the earth.”

Acts 13:26

13:26 Brothers, ²  descendants ³  of Abraham’s family, ⁴  and those Gentiles among you who fear God, ⁵  the message ⁶  of this salvation has been sent to us.

Acts 13:32-33

13:32 And we proclaim to you the good news about the promise to our ancestors, ⁷  13:33 that this promise ⁸  God has fulfilled to us, their children, by raising ⁹  Jesus, as also it is written in the second psalm, ‘You are my Son; ¹⁰  today I have fathered you.’ ¹¹ 

Acts 13:46-47

13:46 Both Paul and Barnabas replied courageously, ¹²  “It was necessary to speak the word of God ¹³  to you first. Since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy ¹⁴  of eternal life, we ¹⁵  are turning to the Gentiles. ¹⁶  13:47 For this ¹⁷  is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointed ¹⁸  you to be a light ¹⁹  for the Gentiles, to bring salvation ²⁰  to the ends of the earth.’” ²¹ 

Acts 18:4-6

18:4 He addressed ²²  both Jews and Greeks in the synagogue ²³  every Sabbath, attempting to persuade ²⁴  them.

18:5 Now when Silas and Timothy arrived ²⁵  from Macedonia, ²⁶  Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming ²⁷  the word, testifying ²⁸  to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. ²⁹  18:6 When they opposed him ³⁰  and reviled him, ³¹  he protested by shaking out his clothes ³²  and said to them, “Your blood ³³  be on your own heads! I am guiltless! ³⁴  From now on I will go to the Gentiles!”

Acts 26:20

26:20 but I declared to those in Damascus first, and then to those in Jerusalem and in all Judea, ³⁵  and to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, ³⁶  performing deeds consistent with ³⁷  repentance.

Acts 28:23-28

28:23 They set ³⁸  a day to meet with him, ³⁹  and they came to him where he was staying ⁴⁰  in even greater numbers. ⁴¹  From morning until evening he explained things ⁴²  to them, ⁴³  testifying ⁴⁴  about the kingdom of God ⁴⁵  and trying to convince ⁴⁶  them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets. 28:24 Some were convinced ⁴⁷  by what he said, ⁴⁸  but others refused ⁴⁹  to believe. 28:25 So they began to leave, ⁵⁰  unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors ⁵¹  through the prophet Isaiah 28:26 when he said,

‘Go to this people and say,

“You will keep on hearing, ⁵²  but will never understand,

and you will keep on looking, ⁵³  but will never perceive.

28:27 For the heart of this people has become dull, ⁵⁴ 

and their ears are hard of hearing, ⁵⁵ 

and they have closed their eyes,

so that they would not see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their heart

and turn, ⁵⁶  and I would heal them.”’ ⁵⁷ 

28:28 “Therefore be advised ⁵⁸  that this salvation from God ⁵⁹  has been sent to the Gentiles; ⁶⁰  they ⁶¹  will listen!”

Matthew 10:5-6

10:5 Jesus sent out these twelve, instructing them as follows: ⁶²  “Do not go to Gentile regions ⁶³  and do not enter any Samaritan town. ⁶⁴  10:6 Go ⁶⁵  instead to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

Luke 24:47

24:47 and repentance ⁶⁶  for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed ⁶⁷  in his name to all nations, ⁶⁸  beginning from Jerusalem. ⁶⁹ 

Romans 2:9-10

2:9 There will be ⁷⁰  affliction and distress on everyone ⁷¹  who does evil, on the Jew first and also the Greek, ⁷²  2:10 but ⁷³  glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, for the Jew first and also the Greek.

Revelation 7:4-9

7:4 Now ⁷⁴  I heard the number of those who were marked with the seal, ⁷⁵  one hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed from all ⁷⁶  the tribes of the people of Israel: ⁷⁷ 

7:5 From the tribe of Judah, twelve thousand were sealed,

from the tribe of Reuben, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Gad, twelve thousand,

7:6 from the tribe of Asher, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Naphtali, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Manasseh, twelve thousand,

7:7 from the tribe of Simeon, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Levi, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Issachar, twelve thousand,

7:8 from the tribe of Zebulun, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Joseph, twelve thousand,

from the tribe of Benjamin, twelve thousand were sealed.

7:9 After these things I looked, and here was ⁷⁸  an enormous crowd that no one could count, made up of persons from every nation, tribe, ⁷⁹  people, and language, standing before the throne and before the Lamb dressed in long white robes, and with palm branches in their hands.

[1:8]  ¹ tn Or “to the ends.”

[13:26]  ² tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.

[13:26]  ³ tn Grk “sons”

[13:26]  ⁴ tn Or “race.”

[13:26]  ⁵ 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]  ⁶ tn Grk “word.”

[13:32]  ⁷ tn Or “to our forefathers”; Grk “the fathers.”

[13:33]  ⁸ tn Grk “that this”; the referent (the promise mentioned in the previous verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:33]  ⁹ tn Or “by resurrecting.” The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") is taken as instrumental here.

[13:33]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ 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.”

[13:46]  ¹² tn Grk “Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out courageously and said.” The redundancy is removed in the translation and the verb “replied” is used in keeping with the logical sequence of events. The theme of boldness reappears: Acts 4:24-30; 9:27-28.

[13:46]  ¹³ tn Grk “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken.” For smoothness and simplicity of English style, the passive construction has been converted to active voice in the translation.

[13:46]  ¹⁴ tn Or “and consider yourselves unworthy.”

[13:46]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “behold, we.” In this context ἰδού (idou) is not easily translated into English.

[13:46]  ¹⁶ sn This turning to the Gentiles would be a shocking rebuke to 1st century Jews who thought they alone were the recipients of the promise.

[13:47]  ¹⁷ tn Here οὕτως (Joutws) is taken to refer to what follows, the content of the quotation, as given for this verse by BDAG 742 s.v. οὕτω/οὕτως 2.

[13:47]  ¹⁸ tn BDAG 1004 s.v. τίθημι 3.a has “τιθέναι τινὰ εἴς τι place/appoint someone to or for (to function as) someth….Ac 13:47.” This is a double accusative construction of object (“you”) and complement (“a light”).

[13:47]  ¹⁹ sn Paul alludes here to the language of the Servant in Isaiah, pointing to Isa 42:6; 49:6. He and Barnabas do the work of the Servant in Isaiah.

[13:47]  ²⁰ tn Grk “that you should be for salvation,” but more simply “to bring salvation.”

[13:47]  ²¹ sn An allusion to Isa 42:6 and 49:6. The expression the ends of the earth recalls Luke 3:6 and Acts 1:8. Paul sees himself and Barnabas as carrying out the commission of Luke 24:27. (See 2 Cor 6:2, where servant imagery also appears concerning Paul’s message.)

[18:4]  ²² tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 18:4. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.

[18:4]  ²³ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:4]  ²⁴ tn Grk “Addressing in the synagogue every Sabbath, he was attempting to persuade both Jews and Greeks.” Because in English the verb “address” is not used absolutely but normally has an object specified, the direct objects of the verb ἔπειθεν (epeiqen) have been moved forward as the objects of the English verb “addressed,” and the pronoun “them” repeated in the translation as the object of ἔπειθεν. The verb ἔπειθεν has been translated as a conative imperfect.

[18:5]  ²⁵ tn Grk “came down.”

[18:5]  ²⁶ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[18:5]  ²⁷ tn BDAG 971 s.v. συνέχω 6 states, “συνείχετο τῷ λόγῳ (Paul) was wholly absorbed in preaching Ac 18:5…in contrast to the activity cited in vs. 3.” The imperfect συνείχετο (suneiceto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect (“became wholly absorbed…”), stressing the change in Paul’s activity once Silas and Timothy arrived. At this point Paul apparently began to work less and preach more.

[18:5]  ²⁸ tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 2 has “testify of, bear witness to solemnly (orig. under oath)…W. acc. and inf. foll. Ac 18:5.”

[18:5]  ²⁹ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[18:6]  ³⁰ 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.

[18:6]  ³¹ tn The participle βλασφημούντων (blasfhmountwn) has been taken temporally. The direct object (“him”) is implied rather than expressed and could be impersonal (“it,” referring to what Paul was saying rather than Paul himself), but the verb occurs more often in contexts involving defamation or slander against personal beings (not always God). For a very similar context to this one, compare Acts 13:45. The translation “blaspheme” is not used because in contemporary English its meaning is more narrowly defined and normally refers to blasphemy against God (not what Paul’s opponents were doing here). What they were doing was more like slander or defamation of character.

[18:6]  ³² tn Grk “shaking out his clothes, he said to them.” L&N 16:8 translates Acts 18:6 “when they opposed him and said evil things about him, he protested by shaking the dust from his clothes.” The addition of the verb “protested by” in the translation is necessary to clarify for the modern reader that this is a symbolic action. It is similar but not identical to the phrase in Acts 13:51, where the dust from the feet is shaken off. The participle ἐκτιναξάμενος (ektinaxameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:6]  ³³ sn Your blood be on your own heads! By invoking this epithet Paul declared himself not responsible for their actions in rejecting Jesus whom Paul preached (cf. Ezek 33:4; 3:6-21; Matt 23:35; 27:25).

[18:6]  ³⁴ tn Or “innocent.” BDAG 489 s.v. καθαρός 3.a has “guiltless Ac 18:6.”

[26:20]  ³⁵ tn BDAG 1093-94 s.v. χώρα 2.b states, “of the provincial name (1 Macc 8:3) ἡ χώρα τῆς ᾿Ιουδαίας Ac 26:20.”

[26:20]  ³⁶ sn That they should repent and turn to God. This is the shortest summary of Paul’s message that he preached.

[26:20]  ³⁷ tn BDAG 93 s.v. ἄξιος 1.b, “καρποὶ ἄ. τῆς μετανοίας fruits in keeping with your repentance…Lk 3:8; Mt 3:8. For this ἄ. τῆς μετανοίας ἔργα Ac 26:20.” Note how Paul preached the gospel offer and the issue of response together, side by side.

[28:23]  ³⁸ tn Grk “Having set.” The participle ταξάμενοι (taxamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[28:23]  ³⁹ tn Grk “Having set a day with him”; the words “to meet” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[28:23]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “came to him in his rented quarters.”

[28:23]  ⁴¹ tn BDAG 848 s.v. πολύς 1.b.β.ב states, “(even) more πλείονες in even greater numbers Ac 28:23.”

[28:23]  ⁴² tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[28:23]  ⁴³ tn Grk “to whom he explained.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation.

[28:23]  ⁴⁴ tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 1 has “to make a solemn declaration about the truth of someth. testify of, bear witness to (orig. under oath)…God’s kingdom 28:23.”

[28:23]  ⁴⁵ sn Testifying about the kingdom of God. The topic is important. Paul’s preaching was about the rule of God and his promise in Jesus. Paul’s text was the Jewish scriptures.

[28:23]  ⁴⁶ tn Or “persuade.”

[28:24]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “persuaded.”

[28:24]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “by the things spoken.”

[28:24]  ⁴⁹ sn Some were convinced…but others refused to believe. Once again the gospel caused division among Jews, as in earlier chapters of Acts (13:46; 18:6).

[28:25]  ⁵⁰ tn The imperfect verb ἀπελύοντο (apeluonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[28:25]  ⁵¹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[28:26]  ⁵² tn Grk “you will hear with hearing” (an idiom).

[28:26]  ⁵³ tn Or “seeing”; Grk “you will look by looking” (an idiom).

[28:27]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “insensitive.”

[28:27]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “they hear heavily with their ears” (an idiom for slow comprehension).

[28:27]  ⁵⁶ sn Note how the failure to respond to the message of the gospel is seen as a failure to turn.

[28:27]  ⁵⁷ sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10.

[28:28]  ⁵⁸ tn Grk “Therefore let it be known to you.”

[28:28]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “of God.”

[28:28]  ⁶⁰ sn The term Gentiles is in emphatic position in the Greek text of this clause. Once again there is the pattern: Jewish rejection of the gospel leads to an emphasis on Gentile inclusion (Acts 13:44-47).

[28:28]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “they also.”

[10:5]  ⁶² tn Grk “instructing them, saying.”

[10:5]  ⁶³ tn Grk “on the road of the Gentiles.” That is, a path that leads to Gentile regions.

[10:5]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “town [or city] of the Samaritans.”

[10:6]  ⁶⁵ tn Grk “But go.” The Greek μᾶλλον (mallon, “rather, instead”) conveys the adversative nuance here so that δέ (de) has not been translated.

[24:47]  ⁶⁶ sn This repentance has its roots in declarations of the Old Testament. It is the Hebrew concept of a turning of direction.

[24:47]  ⁶⁷ tn Or “preached,” “announced.”

[24:47]  ⁶⁸ sn To all nations. The same Greek term (τὰ ἔθνη, ta eqnh) may be translated “the Gentiles” or “the nations.” The hope of God in Christ was for all the nations from the beginning.

[24:47]  ⁶⁹ sn Beginning from Jerusalem. See Acts 2, which is where it all starts.

[2:9]  ⁷⁰ tn No verb is expressed in this verse, but the verb “to be” is implied by the Greek construction. Literally “suffering and distress on everyone…”

[2:9]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “every soul of man.”

[2:9]  ⁷² sn Paul uses the term Greek here and in v. 10 to refer to non-Jews, i.e., Gentiles.

[2:10]  ⁷³ tn Grk “but even,” to emphasize the contrast. The second word has been omitted since it is somewhat redundant in English idiom.

[7:4]  ⁷⁴ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “now” to indicate the introduction of new but related material.

[7:4]  ⁷⁵ tn Grk “who were sealed.”

[7:4]  ⁷⁶ tn Normally, “every,” but since 144,000 is the total number, “all” is clearer here.

[7:4]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “the sons of Israel,” normally an idiom for the Israelites as an ethnic entity (L&N 11.58). However, many scholars understand the expression in this context to refer to Christians rather than ethnic Israelites.

[7:9]  ⁷⁸ tn The phrase “and here was” expresses the sense of καὶ ἰδού (kai idou).

[7:9]  ⁷⁹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated before each of the following categories, since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.