Acts 15:25

15:25 we have unanimously ¹  decided ²  to choose men to send to you along with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul,

Acts 16:29

16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer ³  rushed in and fell down ⁴  trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas.

Acts 28:16

28:16 When we entered Rome, Paul was allowed to live ⁵  by himself, with the soldier who was guarding him.

Acts 13:7

13:7 who was with the proconsul ⁶  Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The proconsul ⁷  summoned ⁸  Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear ⁹  the word of God.

Acts 17:2

17:2 Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, ¹⁰  as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed ¹¹  them from the scriptures,

Acts 18:9

18:9 The Lord said to Paul by a vision ¹²  in the night, ¹³  “Do not be afraid, ¹⁴  but speak and do not be silent,

Acts 18:12

Paul Before the Proconsul Gallio

18:12 Now while Gallio ¹⁵  was proconsul ¹⁶  of Achaia, ¹⁷  the Jews attacked Paul together ¹⁸  and brought him before the judgment seat, ¹⁹ 

Acts 21:4

21:4 After we located ²⁰  the disciples, we stayed there ²¹  seven days. They repeatedly told ²²  Paul through the Spirit ²³  not to set foot ²⁴  in Jerusalem. ²⁵ 

Acts 23:16

23:16 But when the son of Paul’s sister heard about the ambush, ²⁶  he came and entered ²⁷  the barracks ²⁸  and told Paul.

Acts 27:3

27:3 The next day we put in ²⁹  at Sidon, ³⁰  and Julius, treating Paul kindly, ³¹  allowed him to go to his friends so they could provide him with what he needed. ³² 

Acts 13:43

13:43 When the meeting of the synagogue ³³  had broken up, ³⁴  many of the Jews and God-fearing proselytes ³⁵  followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and were persuading ³⁶  them ³⁷  to continue ³⁸  in the grace of God.

Acts 15:2

15:2 When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate ³⁹  with them, the church ⁴⁰  appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with ⁴¹  the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ⁴²  about this point of disagreement. ⁴³ 

Acts 15:22

15:22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided ⁴⁴  to send men chosen from among them, Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, ⁴⁵  leaders among the brothers, to Antioch ⁴⁶  with Paul and Barnabas.

Acts 16:9

16:9 A ⁴⁷  vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there ⁴⁸  urging him, ⁴⁹  “Come over ⁵⁰  to Macedonia ⁵¹  and help us!”

Acts 16:17

16:17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, ⁵²  “These men are servants ⁵³  of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way ⁵⁴  of salvation.” ⁵⁵ 

Acts 17:4

17:4 Some of them were persuaded ⁵⁶  and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group ⁵⁷  of God-fearing Greeks ⁵⁸  and quite a few ⁵⁹  prominent women.

Acts 25:9

25:9 But Festus, ⁶⁰  wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried ⁶¹  before me there on these charges?” ⁶² 

[15:25]  ¹ tn Grk “having become of one mind, we have decided.” This has been translated “we have unanimously decided” to reduce the awkwardness in English.

[15:25]  ² tn BDAG 255 s.v. δοκέω 2.b.β lists this verse under the meaning “it seems best to me, I decide, I resolve.”

[16:29]  ³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:29]  ⁴ tn Or “and prostrated himself.”

[28:16]  ⁵ tn Or “to stay.”

[13:7]  ⁷ sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.

[13:7]  ⁸ tn Grk “This one”; the referent (the proconsul) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[13:7]  ⁹ tn Grk “summoning Barnabas and Saul, wanted to hear.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[13:7]  ¹⁰ sn The proconsul…wanted to hear the word of God. This description of Sergius Paulus portrays him as a sensitive, secular Gentile leader.

[17:2]  ⁹ tn Grk “he went in to them”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:2]  ¹⁰ 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 17:2. 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.

[18:9]  ¹¹ sn Frequently in Acts such a vision will tell the reader where events are headed. See Acts 10:9-16 and 16:9-10 for other accounts of visions.

[18:9]  ¹² tn BDAG 682 s.v. νύξ 1.c has “W. prep. ἐν ν. at night, in the night…Ac 18:9.”

[18:9]  ¹³ tn The present imperative here (with negation) is used (as it normally is) of a general condition (BDF §335).

[18:12]  ¹³ sn Gallio was proconsul of Achaia from a.d. 51-52. This date is one of the firmly established dates in Acts. Lucius Junius Gallio was the son of the rhetorician Seneca and the brother of Seneca the philosopher. The date of Gallio’s rule is established from an inscription (W. Dittenberger, ed., Sylloge Inscriptionum Graecarum 2.3 no. 8). Thus the event mentioned here is probably to be dated July-October a.d. 51.

[18:12]  ¹⁴ sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.

[18:12]  ¹⁵ sn Achaia was a Roman province created in 146 b.c. that included the most important parts of Greece (Attica, Boeotia, and the Peloponnesus).

[18:12]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “with one accord.”

[18:12]  ¹⁷ tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “tribunal” for this verse and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“court,” NIV; “tribunal,” NRSV), there is no need for an alternative translation here since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time.

[21:4]  ¹⁵ tn BDAG 78 s.v. ἀνευρίσκω has “look/search for (w. finding presupposed) τινά…τοὺς μαθητάς Ac 21:4.” The English verb “locate,” when used in reference to persons, has the implication of both looking for and finding someone. The participle ἀνευρόντες (aneuronte") has been taken temporally.

[21:4]  ¹⁶ tn BDAG 154 s.v. αὐτοῦ states, “deictic adv. designating a position relatively near or far…there…Ac 21:4.”

[21:4]  ¹⁷ tn The imperfect verb ἔλεγον (elegon) has been taken iteratively.

[21:4]  ¹⁸ sn Although they told this to Paul through the Spirit, it appears Paul had a choice here (see v. 14). Therefore this amounted to a warning: There was risk in going to Jerusalem, so he was urged not to go.

[21:4]  ¹⁹ tn BDAG 367 s.v. ἐπιβαίνω places Ac 21:4 under 1, “go up/upon, mount, board…πλοίῳ…Ac 27:2…Abs. go on board, embark…21:1 D, 2. – So perh. also ἐ. εἰς ᾿Ιεροσόλυμα embark for Jerusalem (i.e. to the seaport of Caesarea) vs. 4.” BDAG notes, however, “But this pass. may also belong to 2. to move to an area and be there, set foot in.” Because the message from the disciples to Paul through the Holy Spirit has the character of a warning, the latter meaning has been adopted for this translation.

[21:4]  ²⁰ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[23:16]  ¹⁷ tn Or “plot” (BDAG 334 s.v. ἐνέδρα).

[23:16]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “coming and entering…, he told.” The participles παραγενόμενος (paragenomeno") and εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) have been translated as finite verbs due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:16]  ¹⁹ tn Or “the headquarters.” BDAG 775 s.v. παρεμβολή 2 has “barracks/headquarters of the Roman troops in Jerusalem Ac 21:34, 37; 22:24; 23:10, 16, 32.”

[27:3]  ¹⁹ tn BDAG 516 s.v. κατάγω states, “Hence the pass., in act. sense, of ships and seafarers put in εἴς τι at a harbor…εἰς Σιδῶνα Ac 27:3.”

[27:3]  ²⁰ sn Sidon is another seaport 75 mi (120 km) north of Caesarea.

[27:3]  ²¹ tn BDAG 1056 s.v. φιλανθρώπως states, “benevolently, kindly φιλανθρώπως χρῆσθαί (τινι) treat someone in kindly fashion…Ac 27:3.”

[27:3]  ²² tn Grk “to go to his friends to be cared for.” The scene is an indication of Christian hospitality.

[13:43]  ²¹ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[13:43]  ²² tn BDAG 607 s.v. λύω 3 has “λυθείσης τ. συναγωγῆς when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up Ac 13:43.”

[13:43]  ²³ tn Normally the phrase σεβόμενοι τὸν θεόν (sebomenoi ton qeon) refers to Gentiles (“God-fearers”) who believed in God, attended the synagogue, and followed the Mosaic law to some extent, but stopped short of undergoing circumcision. BDAG 918 s.v. σέβω 1.b lists in this category references in Acts 16:14; 18:7; with σεβόμενοι alone, Acts 13:50; 17:4, 17; the phrase is also found in Josephus, Ant. 14.7.2 (14.110). Unique to this particular verse is the combination σεβόμενοι προσηλύτων (sebomenoi proshlutwn). Later rabbinic discussion suggests that to be regarded as a proper proselyte, a Gentile male had to submit to circumcision. If that is the case here, these Gentiles in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch should be regarded as full proselytes who had converted completely to Judaism and undergone circumcision. It is probably more likely, however, that προσηλύτων is used here in a somewhat looser sense (note the use of σεβομένας [sebomena"] alone to refer to women in Acts 13:50) and that these Gentiles were still in the category commonly called “God-fearers” without being full, technical proselytes to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44. Regardless, the point is that many Gentiles, as well as Jews, came to faith.

[13:43]  ²⁴ tn This is the meaning given for ἔπειθον (epeiqon) in this verse by BDAG 791 s.v. πείθω 1.b.

[13:43]  ²⁵ tn Grk “who, as they were speaking with them, were persuading them.”

[13:43]  ²⁶ tn The verb προμένειν (promenein) is similar in force to the use of μένω (menw, “to reside/remain”) in the Gospel and Epistles of John.

[15:2]  ²³ tn Grk “no little argument and debate” (an idiom).

[15:2]  ²⁴ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the church, or the rest of the believers at Antioch) has been specified to avoid confusion with the Judaizers mentioned in the preceding clause.

[15:2]  ²⁵ tn Grk “go up to,” but in this context a meeting is implied.

[15:2]  ²⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[15:2]  ²⁷ tn Or “point of controversy.” It is unclear whether this event parallels Gal 2:1-10 or that Gal 2 fits with Acts 11:30. More than likely Gal 2:1-10 is to be related to Acts 11:30.

[15:22]  ²⁵ tn BDAG 255 s.v. δοκέω 2.b.β lists this verse under the meaning “it seems best to me, I decide, I resolve.”

[15:22]  ²⁶ sn Silas. See 2 Cor 1:19; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1 (= Silvanus).

[15:22]  ²⁷ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[16:9]  ²⁷ tn Grk “And a.” 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.

[16:9]  ²⁸ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[16:9]  ²⁹ tn The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

[16:9]  ³⁰ tn Grk “Coming over.” The participle διαβάς (diabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:9]  ³¹ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[16:17]  ²⁹ tn Grk “crying out, saying”; the participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in English and has not been translated. The imperfect verb ἔκραζεν (ekrazen) has been translated as a progressive imperfect.

[16:17]  ³⁰ tn Grk “slaves.” See the note on the word “servants” in 2:18. The translation “servants” was used here because in this context there appears to be more emphasis on the activity of Paul and his companions (“proclaiming to you the way of salvation”) than on their status as “slaves of the Most High God.”

[16:17]  ³¹ tn Or “a way.” The grammar of this phrase is a bit ambiguous. The phrase in Greek is ὁδὸν σωτηρίας (Jodon swthria"). Neither the head noun nor the genitive noun has the article; this is in keeping with Apollonius’ Canon (see ExSyn 239-40). Since both nouns are anarthrous, this construction also fits Apollonius’ Corollary (see ExSyn 250-54); since the genitive noun is abstract it is most naturally qualitative, so the head noun could either be definite or indefinite without being unusual as far as the grammar is concerned. Luke’s usage of ὁδός elsewhere is indecisive as far as this passage is concerned. However, when one looks at the historical background it is clear that (1) the woman is shut up (via exorcism) not because her testimony is false but because of its source (analogous to Jesus’ treatment of demons perhaps), and (b) “the way” is a par excellence description of the new faith throughout Acts. It thus seems that at least in Luke’s presentation “the way of salvation” is the preferred translation.

[16:17]  ³² sn Proclaiming to you the way of salvation. The remarks were an ironic recognition of Paul’s authority, but he did not desire such a witness, possibly for fear of confusion. Her expression the Most High God might have been understood as Zeus by the audience.

[17:4]  ³¹ tn Or “convinced.”

[17:4]  ³² tn Or “a large crowd.”

[17:4]  ³³ tn Or “of devout Greeks,” 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. Luke frequently mentions such people (Acts 13:43, 50; 16:14; 17:17; 18:7).

[17:4]  ³⁴ tn Grk “not a few”; this use of negation could be misleading to the modern English reader, however, and so has been translated as “quite a few” (which is the actual meaning of the expression).

[25:9]  ³³ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[25:9]  ³⁴ tn Or “stand trial.”

[25:9]  ³⁵ tn Grk “concerning these things.”