Acts 15:3-5

15:3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia ¹  and Samaria, they were relating at length ²  the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy ³  to all the brothers. 15:4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received ⁴  by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported ⁵  all the things God had done with them. ⁶  15:5 But some from the religious party of the Pharisees ⁷  who had believed stood up and said, “It is necessary ⁸  to circumcise the Gentiles ⁹  and to order them to observe ¹⁰  the law of Moses.”

[15:3]  ¹ sn Phoenicia was an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine in ancient Syria.

[15:3]  ² tn L&N 33.201 indicates that ἐκδιηγέομαι (ekdihgeomai) means to provide detailed information in a systematic manner, “to inform, to relate, to tell fully.” “Relating at length” conveys this effectively in the present context.

[15:3]  ³ tn For ἐποίουν (epoioun) in this verse BDAG 839 s.v. ποιέω 2.c has “they brought joy to the members.”

[15:4]  ⁴ tn BDAG 761 s.v. παραδέχομαι 2 has “receive, accept” for the meaning here.

[15:4]  ⁵ tn Or “announced.”

[15:4]  ⁶ tn “They reported all the things God had done with them” – an identical phrase occurs in Acts 14:27. God is always the agent.

[15:5]  ⁷ sn See the note on Pharisee in 5:34.

[15:5]  ⁸ sn The Greek word used here (δεῖ, dei) is a strong term that expresses divine necessity. The claim is that God commanded the circumcision of Gentiles.

[15:5]  ⁹ tn Grk “them”; the referent (the Gentiles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:5]  ¹⁰ tn Or “keep.”