Acts 15:10

15:10 So now why are you putting God to the test ¹  by placing on the neck of the disciples a yoke ²  that neither our ancestors ³  nor we have been able to bear?

Acts 21:8

21:8 On the next day we left ⁴  and came to Caesarea, ⁵  and entered ⁶  the house of Philip the evangelist, who was one of the seven, ⁷  and stayed with him.

[15:10]  ¹ tn According to BDAG 793 s.v. πειράζω 2.c, “In Ac 15:10 the πειράζειν τὸν θεόν consists in the fact that after God’s will has been clearly made known through granting of the Spirit to the Gentiles (v. 8), some doubt and make trial to see whether God’s will really becomes operative.” All testing of God in Luke is negative: Luke 4:2; 11:16.

[15:10]  ² sn A yoke is a wooden bar or frame that joins two animals like oxen or horses so that they can pull a wagon, plow, etc. together. Here it is used figuratively of the restriction that some in the early church wanted to place on Gentile converts to Christianity of observing the law of Moses and having males circumcised. The yoke is a decidedly negative image: Matt 23:4, but cf. Matt 11:29-30.

[15:10]  ³ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[21:8]  ⁴ tn Grk “On the next day leaving, we came.” The participle ἐξελθόντες (exelqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:8]  ⁵ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1. This was another 40 mi (65 km).

[21:8]  ⁶ tn Grk “and entering…we stayed.” The participle εἰσελθόντες (eiselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[21:8]  ⁷ sn Philip was one of the seven deacons appointed in the Jerusalem church (Acts 6:1-7).