Acts 13:47

13:47 For this ¹  is what the Lord has commanded us: ‘I have appointed ²  you to be a light ³  for the Gentiles, to bring salvation ⁴  to the ends of the earth.’” ⁵ 

Acts 15:23

15:23 They sent this letter with them: ⁶ 

From the apostles ⁷  and elders, your brothers, ⁸  to the Gentile brothers and sisters ⁹  in Antioch, ¹⁰  Syria, ¹¹  and Cilicia, greetings!

Acts 21:25

21:25 But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided ¹²  that they should avoid ¹³  meat that has been sacrificed to idols ¹⁴  and blood and what has been strangled ¹⁵  and sexual immorality.”

[13:47]  ¹ 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]  ² 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]  ³ 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]  ⁴ tn Grk “that you should be for salvation,” but more simply “to bring salvation.”

[13:47]  ⁵ 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.)

[15:23]  ⁶ tn Grk “writing by their hand” (an idiom for sending a letter).

[15:23]  ⁷ tn Grk “The apostles.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[15:23]  ⁸ tn Grk “brothers,” but “your” is supplied to specify the relationship, since without it “brothers” could be understood as vocative in English.

[15:23]  ⁹ tn Grk “to the brothers who are from the Gentiles.”

[15:23]  ¹⁰ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[15:23]  ¹¹ tn Grk “and Syria,” but 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.

[21:25]  ¹¹ tn L&N 13.154 has “‘having decided that they must keep themselves from food offered to idols, from blood, from an animal that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality’ Ac 21:25.”

[21:25]  ¹² tn This is a different Greek word than the one used in Acts 15:20, 29. BDAG 1068 s.v. φυλάσσω 3 has “to be on one’s guard against, look out for, avoid…w. acc. of pers. or thing avoided…Ac 21:25.” The Greek word used in Acts 15:20, 29 is ἀπέχω (apecw). The difference in meaning, although slight, has been maintained in the translation.

[21:25]  ¹³ tn There is no specific semantic component in the Greek word εἰδωλόθυτος that means “meat” (see BDAG 280 s.v. εἰδωλόθυτος; L&N 5.15). The stem –θυτος means “sacrifice” (referring to an animal sacrificially killed) and thereby implies meat.

[21:25]  ¹⁴ sn What has been strangled. That is, to refrain from eating animals that had been killed without having the blood drained from them. According to the Mosaic law (Lev 17:13-14) Jews were forbidden to eat flesh with the blood still in it (note the preceding provision in this verse, and blood).