Acts 15:36--18:22

Paul and Barnabas Part Company

15:36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return ¹  and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord ²  to see how they are doing.” ³  15:37 Barnabas wanted to bring John called Mark along with them too, 15:38 but Paul insisted ⁴  that they should not take along this one who had left them in Pamphylia ⁵  and had not accompanied them in the work. 15:39 They had ⁶  a sharp disagreement, ⁷  so that they parted company. Barnabas took along ⁸  Mark and sailed away to Cyprus, ⁹  15:40 but Paul chose Silas and set out, commended ¹⁰  to the grace of the Lord by the brothers and sisters. ¹¹  15:41 He passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening ¹²  the churches.

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas

16:1 He also came to Derbe ¹³  and to Lystra. ¹⁴  A disciple ¹⁵  named Timothy was there, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, ¹⁶  but whose father was a Greek. ¹⁷  16:2 The brothers in Lystra ¹⁸  and Iconium ¹⁹  spoke well ²⁰  of him. ²¹  16:3 Paul wanted Timothy ²²  to accompany him, and he took ²³  him and circumcised ²⁴  him because of the Jews who were in those places, ²⁵  for they all knew that his father was Greek. ²⁶  16:4 As they went through the towns, ²⁷  they passed on ²⁸  the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ²⁹  for the Gentile believers ³⁰  to obey. ³¹  16:5 So the churches were being strengthened in the faith and were increasing in number every day. ³² 

Paul’s Vision of the Macedonian Man

16:6 They went through the region of Phrygia ³³  and Galatia, ³⁴  having been prevented ³⁵  by the Holy Spirit from speaking the message ³⁶  in the province of Asia. ³⁷  16:7 When they came to ³⁸  Mysia, ³⁹  they attempted to go into Bithynia, ⁴⁰  but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow ⁴¹  them to do this, ⁴²  16:8 so they passed through ⁴³  Mysia ⁴⁴  and went down to Troas. ⁴⁵  16:9 A ⁴⁶  vision appeared to Paul during the night: A Macedonian man was standing there ⁴⁷  urging him, ⁴⁸  “Come over ⁴⁹  to Macedonia ⁵⁰  and help us!” 16:10 After Paul ⁵¹  saw the vision, we attempted ⁵²  immediately to go over to Macedonia, ⁵³  concluding that God had called ⁵⁴  us to proclaim the good news to them.

Arrival at Philippi

16:11 We put out to sea ⁵⁵  from Troas ⁵⁶  and sailed a straight course ⁵⁷  to Samothrace, ⁵⁸  the next day to Neapolis, ⁵⁹  16:12 and from there to Philippi, ⁶⁰  which is a leading city of that district ⁶¹  of Macedonia, ⁶²  a Roman colony. ⁶³  We stayed in this city for some days. 16:13 On the Sabbath day we went outside the city gate to the side of the river, where we thought there would be a place of prayer, and we sat down ⁶⁴  and began to speak ⁶⁵  to the women ⁶⁶  who had assembled there. ⁶⁷  16:14 A ⁶⁸  woman named Lydia, a dealer in purple cloth ⁶⁹  from the city of Thyatira, ⁷⁰  a God-fearing woman, listened to us. ⁷¹  The Lord opened her heart to respond ⁷²  to what Paul was saying. 16:15 After she and her household were baptized, she urged us, ⁷³  “If ⁷⁴  you consider me to be a believer in the Lord, ⁷⁵  come and stay in my house.” And she persuaded ⁷⁶  us.

Paul and Silas Are Thrown Into Prison

16:16 Now ⁷⁷  as we were going to the place of prayer, a slave girl met us who had a spirit that enabled her to foretell the future by supernatural means. ⁷⁸  She ⁷⁹  brought her owners ⁸⁰  a great profit by fortune-telling. ⁸¹  16:17 She followed behind Paul and us and kept crying out, ⁸²  “These men are servants ⁸³  of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way ⁸⁴  of salvation.” ⁸⁵  16:18 She continued to do this for many days. But Paul became greatly annoyed, ⁸⁶  and turned ⁸⁷  and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ ⁸⁸  to come out of her!” And it came out of her at once. ⁸⁹  16:19 But when her owners ⁹⁰  saw their hope of profit ⁹¹  was gone, they seized ⁹²  Paul and Silas and dragged ⁹³  them into the marketplace before the authorities. 16:20 When ⁹⁴  they had brought them ⁹⁵  before the magistrates, they said, “These men are throwing our city into confusion. ⁹⁶  They are ⁹⁷  Jews 16:21 and are advocating ⁹⁸  customs that are not lawful for us to accept ⁹⁹  or practice, ¹⁰⁰  since we are ¹⁰¹  Romans.”

16:22 The crowd joined the attack ¹⁰²  against them, and the magistrates tore the clothes ¹⁰³  off Paul and Silas ¹⁰⁴  and ordered them to be beaten with rods. ¹⁰⁵  16:23 After they had beaten them severely, ¹⁰⁶  they threw them into prison and commanded ¹⁰⁷  the jailer to guard them securely. 16:24 Receiving such orders, he threw them in the inner cell ¹⁰⁸  and fastened their feet in the stocks. ¹⁰⁹ 

16:25 About midnight Paul and Silas were praying ¹¹⁰  and singing hymns to God, ¹¹¹  and the rest of ¹¹²  the prisoners were listening to them. 16:26 Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds ¹¹³  of all the prisoners came loose. 16:27 When the jailer woke up ¹¹⁴  and saw the doors of the prison standing open, ¹¹⁵  he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, ¹¹⁶  because he assumed ¹¹⁷  the prisoners had escaped. 16:28 But Paul called out loudly, ¹¹⁸  “Do not harm yourself, ¹¹⁹  for we are all here!” 16:29 Calling for lights, the jailer ¹²⁰  rushed in and fell down ¹²¹  trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. 16:30 Then he brought them outside ¹²²  and asked, “Sirs, what must ¹²³  I do to be saved?” 16:31 They replied, ¹²⁴  “Believe ¹²⁵  in the Lord Jesus ¹²⁶  and you will be saved, you and your household.” 16:32 Then ¹²⁷  they spoke the word of the Lord ¹²⁸  to him, along with all those who were in his house. 16:33 At ¹²⁹  that hour of the night he took them ¹³⁰  and washed their wounds; ¹³¹  then ¹³²  he and all his family ¹³³  were baptized right away. ¹³⁴  16:34 The jailer ¹³⁵  brought them into his house and set food ¹³⁶  before them, and he rejoiced greatly ¹³⁷  that he had come to believe ¹³⁸  in God, together with his entire household. ¹³⁹  16:35 At daybreak ¹⁴⁰  the magistrates ¹⁴¹  sent their police officers, ¹⁴²  saying, “Release those men.” 16:36 The jailer reported these words to Paul, saying, ¹⁴³  “The magistrates have sent orders ¹⁴⁴  to release you. So come out now and go in peace.” ¹⁴⁵  16:37 But Paul said to the police officers, ¹⁴⁶  “They had us beaten in public ¹⁴⁷  without a proper trial ¹⁴⁸  – even though we are Roman citizens ¹⁴⁹  – and they threw us ¹⁵⁰  in prison. And now they want to send us away ¹⁵¹  secretly? Absolutely not! They ¹⁵²  themselves must come and escort us out!” ¹⁵³  16:38 The police officers reported these words to the magistrates. They were frightened when they heard Paul and Silas ¹⁵⁴  were Roman citizens ¹⁵⁵  16:39 and came ¹⁵⁶  and apologized to them. After ¹⁵⁷  they brought them out, they asked them repeatedly ¹⁵⁸  to leave the city. 16:40 When they came out of the prison, they entered Lydia’s house, and when they saw the brothers, they encouraged them and then ¹⁵⁹  departed.

Paul and Silas at Thessalonica

17:1 After they traveled through ¹⁶⁰  Amphipolis ¹⁶¹  and Apollonia, ¹⁶²  they came to Thessalonica, ¹⁶³  where there was a Jewish synagogue. ¹⁶⁴  17:2 Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, ¹⁶⁵  as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed ¹⁶⁶  them from the scriptures, 17:3 explaining and demonstrating ¹⁶⁷  that the Christ ¹⁶⁸  had to suffer and to rise from the dead, ¹⁶⁹  saying, ¹⁷⁰  “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” ¹⁷¹  17:4 Some of them were persuaded ¹⁷²  and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group ¹⁷³  of God-fearing Greeks ¹⁷⁴  and quite a few ¹⁷⁵  prominent women. 17:5 But the Jews became jealous, ¹⁷⁶  and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, ¹⁷⁷  they formed a mob ¹⁷⁸  and set the city in an uproar. ¹⁷⁹  They attacked Jason’s house, ¹⁸⁰  trying to find Paul and Silas ¹⁸¹  to bring them out to the assembly. ¹⁸²  17:6 When they did not find them, they dragged ¹⁸³  Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, ¹⁸⁴  screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble ¹⁸⁵  throughout the world ¹⁸⁶  have come here too, 17:7 and ¹⁸⁷  Jason has welcomed them as guests! They ¹⁸⁸  are all acting against Caesar’s ¹⁸⁹  decrees, saying there is another king named ¹⁹⁰  Jesus!” ¹⁹¹  17:8 They caused confusion among ¹⁹²  the crowd and the city officials ¹⁹³  who heard these things. 17:9 After ¹⁹⁴  the city officials ¹⁹⁵  had received bail ¹⁹⁶  from Jason and the others, they released them.

Paul and Silas at Berea

17:10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea ¹⁹⁷  at once, during the night. When they arrived, ¹⁹⁸  they went to the Jewish synagogue. ¹⁹⁹  17:11 These Jews ²⁰⁰  were more open-minded ²⁰¹  than those in Thessalonica, ²⁰²  for they eagerly ²⁰³  received ²⁰⁴  the message, examining ²⁰⁵  the scriptures carefully every day ²⁰⁶  to see if these things were so. 17:12 Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few ²⁰⁷  prominent ²⁰⁸  Greek women and men. 17:13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica ²⁰⁹  heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God ²¹⁰  in Berea, ²¹¹  they came there too, inciting ²¹²  and disturbing ²¹³  the crowds. 17:14 Then the brothers sent Paul away to the coast ²¹⁴  at once, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. ²¹⁵  17:15 Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens, ²¹⁶  and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. ²¹⁷ 

Paul at Athens

17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, ²¹⁸  his spirit was greatly upset ²¹⁹  because he saw ²²⁰  the city was full of idols. 17:17 So he was addressing ²²¹  the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles ²²²  in the synagogue, ²²³  and in the marketplace every day ²²⁴  those who happened to be there. 17:18 Also some of the Epicurean ²²⁵  and Stoic ²²⁶  philosophers were conversing ²²⁷  with him, and some were asking, ²²⁸  “What does this foolish babbler ²²⁹  want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” ²³⁰  (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) ²³¹  17:19 So they took Paul and ²³²  brought him to the Areopagus, ²³³  saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? 17:20 For you are bringing some surprising things ²³⁴  to our ears, so we want to know what they ²³⁵  mean.” 17:21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time ²³⁶  in nothing else than telling ²³⁷  or listening to something new.) ²³⁸ 

17:22 So Paul stood ²³⁹  before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious ²⁴⁰  in all respects. ²⁴¹  17:23 For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, ²⁴²  I even found an altar with this inscription: ²⁴³  ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, ²⁴⁴  this I proclaim to you. 17:24 The God who made the world and everything in it, ²⁴⁵  who is ²⁴⁶  Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, ²⁴⁷  17:25 nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, ²⁴⁸  because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. ²⁴⁹  17:26 From one man ²⁵⁰  he made every nation of the human race ²⁵¹  to inhabit the entire earth, ²⁵²  determining their set times ²⁵³  and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, ²⁵⁴  17:27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around ²⁵⁵  for him and find him, ²⁵⁶  though he is ²⁵⁷  not far from each one of us. 17:28 For in him we live and move about ²⁵⁸  and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ ²⁵⁹  17:29 So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity ²⁶⁰  is like gold or silver or stone, an image ²⁶¹  made by human ²⁶²  skill ²⁶³  and imagination. ²⁶⁴  17:30 Therefore, although God has overlooked ²⁶⁵  such times of ignorance, ²⁶⁶  he now commands all people ²⁶⁷  everywhere to repent, ²⁶⁸  17:31 because he has set ²⁶⁹  a day on which he is going to judge the world ²⁷⁰  in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, ²⁷¹  having provided proof to everyone by raising ²⁷²  him from the dead.”

17:32 Now when they heard about ²⁷³  the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff, ²⁷⁴  but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 17:33 So Paul left the Areopagus. ²⁷⁵  17:34 But some people ²⁷⁶  joined him ²⁷⁷  and believed. Among them ²⁷⁸  were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, ²⁷⁹  a woman ²⁸⁰  named Damaris, and others with them.

Paul at Corinth

18:1 After this ²⁸¹  Paul ²⁸²  departed from ²⁸³  Athens ²⁸⁴  and went to Corinth. ²⁸⁵  18:2 There he ²⁸⁶  found ²⁸⁷  a Jew named Aquila, ²⁸⁸  a native of Pontus, ²⁸⁹  who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius ²⁹⁰  had ordered all the Jews to depart from ²⁹¹  Rome. ²⁹²  Paul approached ²⁹³  them, 18:3 and because he worked at the same trade, he stayed with them and worked with them ²⁹⁴  (for they were tentmakers ²⁹⁵  by trade). ²⁹⁶  18:4 He addressed ²⁹⁷  both Jews and Greeks in the synagogue ²⁹⁸  every Sabbath, attempting to persuade ²⁹⁹  them.

18:5 Now when Silas and Timothy arrived ³⁰⁰  from Macedonia, ³⁰¹  Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming ³⁰²  the word, testifying ³⁰³  to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. ³⁰⁴  18:6 When they opposed him ³⁰⁵  and reviled him, ³⁰⁶  he protested by shaking out his clothes ³⁰⁷  and said to them, “Your blood ³⁰⁸  be on your own heads! I am guiltless! ³⁰⁹  From now on I will go to the Gentiles!” 18:7 Then Paul ³¹⁰  left ³¹¹  the synagogue ³¹²  and went to the house of a person named Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God, ³¹³  whose house was next door to the synagogue. 18:8 Crispus, the president of the synagogue, ³¹⁴  believed in the Lord together with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard about it ³¹⁵  believed and were baptized. 18:9 The Lord said to Paul by a vision ³¹⁶  in the night, ³¹⁷  “Do not be afraid, ³¹⁸  but speak and do not be silent, 18:10 because I am with you, and no one will assault ³¹⁹  you to harm ³²⁰  you, because I have many people in this city.” 18:11 So he stayed there ³²¹  a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. ³²² 

Paul Before the Proconsul Gallio

18:12 Now while Gallio ³²³  was proconsul ³²⁴  of Achaia, ³²⁵  the Jews attacked Paul together ³²⁶  and brought him before the judgment seat, ³²⁷  18:13 saying, “This man is persuading ³²⁸  people to worship God in a way contrary to ³²⁹  the law!” 18:14 But just as Paul was about to speak, ³³⁰  Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or serious piece of villainy, ³³¹  I would have been justified in accepting the complaint ³³²  of you Jews, ³³³  18:15 but since it concerns points of disagreement ³³⁴  about words and names and your own law, settle ³³⁵  it yourselves. I will not be ³³⁶  a judge of these things!” 18:16 Then he had them forced away ³³⁷  from the judgment seat. ³³⁸  18:17 So they all seized Sosthenes, the president of the synagogue, ³³⁹  and began to beat ³⁴⁰  him in front of the judgment seat. ³⁴¹  Yet none of these things were of any concern ³⁴²  to Gallio.

Paul Returns to Antioch in Syria

18:18 Paul, after staying ³⁴³  many more days in Corinth, ³⁴⁴  said farewell to ³⁴⁵  the brothers and sailed away to Syria accompanied by ³⁴⁶  Priscilla and Aquila. ³⁴⁷  He ³⁴⁸  had his hair cut off ³⁴⁹  at Cenchrea ³⁵⁰  because he had made a vow. ³⁵¹  18:19 When they reached Ephesus, ³⁵²  Paul ³⁵³  left Priscilla and Aquila ³⁵⁴  behind there, but he himself went ³⁵⁵  into the synagogue ³⁵⁶  and addressed ³⁵⁷  the Jews. 18:20 When they asked him to stay longer, he would not consent, ³⁵⁸  18:21 but said farewell to ³⁵⁹  them and added, ³⁶⁰  “I will come back ³⁶¹  to you again if God wills.” ³⁶²  Then ³⁶³  he set sail from Ephesus, 18:22 and when he arrived ³⁶⁴  at Caesarea, ³⁶⁵  he went up and greeted ³⁶⁶  the church at Jerusalem ³⁶⁷  and then went down to Antioch. ³⁶⁸ 

[15:36]  ¹ tn Grk “Returning let us visit.” The participle ἐπιστρέψαντες (epistreyante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[15:36]  ² tn See the note on the phrase “word of the Lord” in v. 35.

[15:36]  ³ tn BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.b has “how they are” for this phrase.

[15:38]  ⁴ tn BDAG 94 s.v. ἀξιόω 2.a has “he insisted (impf.) that they should not take him along” for this phrase.

[15:38]  ⁵ sn Pamphylia was a province in the southern part of Asia Minor. See Acts 13:13, where it was mentioned previously.

[15:39]  ⁶ tn Grk “There happened a sharp disagreement.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[15:39]  ⁷ tn BDAG 780 s.v. παροξυσμός 2 has “sharp disagreement” here; L&N 33.451 has “sharp argument, sharp difference of opinion.”

[15:39]  ⁸ tn Grk “taking along Mark sailed.” The participle παραλαβόντα (paralabonta) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[15:39]  ⁹ sn Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[15:40]  ¹⁰ tn Or “committed.” BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 2 gives “be commended by someone to the grace of the Lord” as the meaning for this phrase, although “give over” and “commit” are listed as alternatives for this category.

[15:40]  ¹¹ tn Grk “by the brothers.” Here it it is highly probable that the entire congregation is in view, not just men, so the translation “brothers and sisters” has been used for the plural ἀδελφῶν (adelfwn),.

[15:41]  ¹² sn Strengthening. See Acts 14:22; 15:32; 18:23.

[16:1]  ¹³ sn Derbe was a city in Lycaonia about 35 mi (60 km) southeast of Lystra. It was about 90 mi (145 km) from Tarsus.

[16:1]  ¹⁴ sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 25 mi (40 km) south of Iconium.

[16:1]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “And behold, a disciple.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.

[16:1]  ¹⁶ tn L&N 31.103 translates this phrase “the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer.”

[16:1]  ¹⁷ sn His father was a Greek. Timothy was the offspring of a mixed marriage between a Jewish woman (see 2 Tim 1:5) and a Gentile man. On mixed marriages in Judaism, see Neh 13:23-27; Ezra 9:1-10:44; Mal 2:10-16; Jub. 30:7-17; m. Qiddushin 3.12; m. Yevamot 7.5.

[16:2]  ¹⁸ sn Lystra was a city in Lycaonia about 25 mi (40 km) south of Iconium.

[16:2]  ¹⁹ sn Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 110 mi (175 km) east of Pisidian Antioch.

[16:2]  ²⁰ tn For this sense of μαρτυρέω (marturew), see BDAG 618 s.v. 2.b.

[16:2]  ²¹ tn Grk “who was well spoken of by the brothers in Lystra and Iconium.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who was a believer…who was well spoken of”) and the awkwardness of the passive verb (“was well spoken of”), the relative pronoun at the beginning of 16:2 (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“him”) and the construction converted from passive to active at the same time a new sentence was started in the translation.

[16:3]  ²² tn Grk “this one”; the referent (Timothy) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:3]  ²³ tn Grk “and taking him he circumcised him.” The participle λαβών (labwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Paul’s cultural sensitivity showed in his action here. He did not want Timothy’s lack of circumcision to become an issue (1 Cor 9:15-23).

[16:3]  ²⁴ tn The verb περιέτεμεν (perietemen) here may be understood as causative (cf. ExSyn 411-12) if Paul did not personally perform the circumcision.

[16:3]  ²⁵ tn Or “who lived in the area.”

[16:3]  ²⁶ tn The anarthrous predicate nominative has been translated as qualitative (“Greek”) rather than indefinite (“a Greek”).

[16:4]  ²⁷ tn Or “cities.”

[16:4]  ²⁸ tn BDAG 762-63 s.v. παραδίδωμι 3 has “they handed down to them the decisions to observe Ac 16:4.”

[16:4]  ²⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[16:4]  ³⁰ tn Grk “for them”; the referent (Gentile believers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:4]  ³¹ tn Or “observe” or “follow.”

[16:5]  ³² tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.

[16:6]  ³³ sn Phrygia was a district in central Asia Minor west of Pisidia.

[16:6]  ³⁴ sn Galatia refers to either (1) the region of the old kingdom of Galatia in the central part of Asia Minor (North Galatia), or (2) the Roman province of Galatia, whose principal cities in the 1st century were Ancyra and Pisidian Antioch (South Galatia). The exact extent and meaning of this area has been a subject of considerable controversy in modern NT studies.

[16:6]  ³⁵ tn Or “forbidden.”

[16:6]  ³⁶ tn Or “word.”

[16:6]  ³⁷ tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[16:7]  ³⁸ tn BDAG 511 s.v. κατά B.1.b has “to Mysia” here.

[16:7]  ³⁹ sn Mysia was a province in northwest Asia Minor.

[16:7]  ⁴⁰ sn Bithynia was a province in northern Asia Minor northeast of Mysia.

[16:7]  ⁴¹ tn Or “permit”; see BDAG 269 s.v. ἐάω 1.

[16:7]  ⁴² tn The words “do this” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied for stylistic reasons, since English handles ellipses differently than Greek.

[16:8]  ⁴³ tn Although the normal meaning for παρέρχομαι (parercomai) is “pass by, go by,” it would be difficult to get to Troas from where Paul and his companions were without going through rather than around Mysia. BDAG 776 s.v. παρέρχομαι 6 list some nonbiblical examples of the meaning “go through, pass through,” and give that meaning for the usage here.

[16:8]  ⁴⁴ sn Mysia was a province in northwest Asia Minor.

[16:8]  ⁴⁵ sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor, near ancient Troy.

[16:9]  ⁴⁶ 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]  ⁴⁷ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[16:9]  ⁴⁸ tn The participle λέγων (legwn) is redundant and has not been translated.

[16:9]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “Coming over.” The participle διαβάς (diabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:9]  ⁵⁰ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[16:10]  ⁵¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:10]  ⁵² tn Grk “sought.”

[16:10]  ⁵³ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[16:10]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “summoned.”

[16:11]  ⁵⁵ tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

[16:11]  ⁵⁶ sn Troas was a port city (and surrounding region) on the northwest coast of Asia Minor. See v. 8.

[16:11]  ⁵⁷ tn BDAG 406 s.v. εὐθυδρομέω has “of a ship run a straight course” here; L&N 54.3 has “to sail a straight course, sail straight to.”

[16:11]  ⁵⁸ sn Samothrace is an island in the northern part of the Aegean Sea.

[16:11]  ⁵⁹ sn Neapolis was a seaport on the southern coast of Macedonia. It was 10 mi (16 km) from Philippi.

[16:12]  ⁶⁰ map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[16:12]  ⁶¹ tc ‡ Or perhaps, “a city in the first district” (there are a number of textual variants). L&N 1.85 follow the text of UBS⁴ and NA²⁷ here: “In Ac 16:12…the Greek New Testament published by the United Bible Societies has adopted a conjectural emendation, since the more traditional text, πρώτη τῆς μερίδος, literally ‘first of the district,’ is not only misleading in meaning but does not reflect the historical fact that Philippi was a city in one of the four districts of Macedonia but was not a capital city.” The original text is probably πρώτη τῆς μερίδος (prwth th" merido", “first of that district”) as found in Ì⁷⁴ א A C Ψ 33^vid 36 81 323 945 1175 1891 pc. This has traditionally been translated to give the impression that Philippi was the capital city of the district, but it does not necessarily have to be translated this way. The translation of the article before μερίδος as “that” acknowledges that there were other districts in the province of Macedonia.

[16:12]  ⁶² sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[16:12]  ⁶³ sn A Roman colony was a city whose residents were regarded as Roman citizens, since such cities were originally colonized by citizens of Rome. From Troas to Philippi was 130 mi (208 km).

[16:13]  ⁶⁴ tn Grk “and sitting down we began to speak.” The participle καθίσαντες (kaqisante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:13]  ⁶⁵ tn The imperfect verb ἐλαλοῦμεν (elaloumen) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[16:13]  ⁶⁶ sn To the women. Apparently there were not enough Jews present in Philippi to have a synagogue (ten men would have been required to have one).

[16:13]  ⁶⁷ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[16:14]  ⁶⁸ 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.

[16:14]  ⁶⁹ tn On the term translated “a dealer in purple cloth” see BDAG 855 s.v. πορφυρόπωλις.

[16:14]  ⁷⁰ sn Thyatira was a city in the province of Lydia in Asia Minor.

[16:14]  ⁷¹ tn The words “to us” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[16:14]  ⁷² tn Although BDAG 880 s.v. προσέχω 2.b gives the meaning “pay attention to” here, this could be misunderstood by the modern English reader to mean merely listening intently. The following context, however, indicates that Lydia responded positively to Paul’s message, so the verb here was translated “to respond.”

[16:15]  ⁷³ tn Grk “urged us, saying.” The participle λέγουσα (legousa) is redundant in English and has not been translated.

[16:15]  ⁷⁴ tn This is a first class condition in Greek, with the statement presented as real or true for the sake of the argument.

[16:15]  ⁷⁵ tn Or “faithful to the Lord.” BDAG 821 s.v. πίστος 2 states concerning this verse, “Of one who confesses the Christian faith believing or a believer in the Lord, in Christ, in God πιστ. τῷ κυρίῳ Ac 16:15.” L&N 11.17 has “one who is included among the faithful followers of Christ – ‘believer, Christian, follower.’”

[16:15]  ⁷⁶ tn Although BDAG 759 s.v. παραβιάζομαι has “urge strongly, prevail upon,” in contemporary English “persuade” is a more frequently used synonym for “prevail upon.”

[16:16]  ⁷⁷ tn Grk “Now it happened that.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[16:16]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “who had a spirit of divination”; Grk “who had a spirit of Python.” According to BDAG 896-97 s.v. πύθων, originally Πύθων (Puqwn) was the name of the serpent or dragon that guarded the Delphic oracle. According to Greek mythology, it lived at the foot of Mount Parnassus and was killed by Apollo. From this, the word came to designate a person who was thought to have a spirit of divination. Pagan generals, for example, might consult someone like this. So her presence here suggests a supernatural encounter involving Paul and her “spirit.” W. Foerster, TDNT 6:920, connects the term with ventriloquism but states: “We must assume, however, that for this girl, as for those mentioned by Origen…, the art of ventriloquism was inseparably connected with a (supposed or authentic) gift of soothsaying.” It should also be noted that if the girl in question here were only a ventriloquist, the exorcism performed by Paul in v. 18 would not have been effective.

[16:16]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “who.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who had a spirit…who brought her owners a great profit”) the relative pronoun here (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“she”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[16:16]  ⁸⁰ tn Or “masters.”

[16:16]  ⁸¹ tn On this term see BDAG 616 s.v. μαντεύομαι. It was used of those who gave oracles.

[16:17]  ⁸² 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]  ⁸³ 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]  ⁸⁴ 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]  ⁸⁵ 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.

[16:18]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “becoming greatly annoyed.” The participle διαπονηθείς (diaponhqei") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. The aorist has been translated as an ingressive aorist (entry into a state or condition). See BDAG 235 s.v. διαπονέομαι.

[16:18]  ⁸⁷ tn Grk “and turning.” The participle ἐπιστρέψας (epistreya") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:18]  ⁸⁸ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[16:18]  ⁸⁹ tn BDAG 1102-3 s.v. ὥρα 2.c has “at that very time, at once, instantly” for the usage in this verse.

[16:19]  ⁹⁰ tn Or “masters.”

[16:19]  ⁹¹ tn On this use of ἐργασία (ergasia), see BDAG 390 s.v. 4. It is often the case that destructive practices and commerce are closely tied together.

[16:19]  ⁹² tn Grk “was gone, seizing.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενοι (epilabomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:19]  ⁹³ tn On the term ἕλκω ({elkw) see BDAG 318 s.v. 1.

[16:20]  ⁹⁴ tn Grk “And when.” 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.

[16:20]  ⁹⁵ tn Grk “having brought them.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενοι (epilabomenoi) has been taken temporally. It is also possible in English to translate this participle as a finite verb: “they brought them before the magistrates and said.”

[16:20]  ⁹⁶ tn BDAG 309 s.v. ἐκταράσσω has “agitate, cause trouble to, throw into confusion” for the meaning of this verb.

[16:20]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “being Jews, and they are proclaiming.” The participle ὑπάρχοντες (Juparconte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:21]  ⁹⁸ tn Grk “proclaiming,” but in relation to customs, “advocating” is a closer approximation to the meaning.

[16:21]  ⁹⁹ tn Or “acknowledge.”

[16:21]  ¹⁰⁰ sn Customs that are not lawful for us to accept or practice. Ironically, the charges are similar to those made against Jesus in Luke 23:2, where Jews argued he was “twisting” their customs. The charge has three elements: (1) a racial element (Jewish); (2) a social element (unlawful); and (3) a traditional element (not their customs).

[16:21]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “we being Romans.” The participle οὖσιν (ousin) has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[16:22]  ¹⁰² tn L&N 39.50 has “the crowd joined the attack against them” for συνεπέστη (sunepesth) in this verse.

[16:22]  ¹⁰³ tn Grk “tearing the clothes off them, the magistrates ordered.” The participle περιρήξαντες (perirhxante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Although it may be possible to understand the aorist active participle περιρήξαντες in a causative sense (“the magistrates caused the clothes to be torn off Paul and Silas”) in the mob scene that was taking place, it is also possible that the magistrates themselves actively participated. This act was done to prepare them for a public flogging (2 Cor 11:25; 1 Thess 2:2).

[16:22]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Grk “off them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:22]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The infinitive ῥαβδίζειν (rJabdizein) means “to beat with rods or sticks” (as opposed to fists or clubs, BDAG 902 s.v. ῥαβδίζω).

[16:23]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Grk “Having inflicted many blows on them.” The participle ἐπιθέντες (epiqente") has been taken temporally. BDAG 384 s.v. ἐπιτίθημι 1.a.β has “inflict blows upon someone” for this expression, but in this context it is simpler to translate in English as “they had beaten them severely.”

[16:23]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Grk “commanding.” The participle παραγγείλαντες (parangeilante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:24]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Or “prison.”

[16:24]  ¹⁰⁹ tn L&N 6.21 has “stocks” for εἰς τὸ ξύλον (ei" to xulon) here, as does BDAG 685 s.v. ξύλον 2.b. However, it is also possible (as mentioned in L&N 18.12) that this does not mean “stocks” but a block of wood (a log or wooden column) in the prison to which prisoners’ feet were chained or tied. Such a possibility is suggested by v. 26, where the “bonds” (“chains”?) of the prisoners loosened.

[16:25]  ¹¹⁰ tn Grk “praying, were singing.” The participle προσευχόμενοι (proseucomenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:25]  ¹¹¹ sn Praying and singing hymns to God. Tertullian said, “The legs feel nothing in the stocks when the heart is in heaven” (To the Martyrs 2; cf. Rom 5:3; Jas 1:2; 1 Pet 5:6). The presence of God means the potential to be free (cf. v. 26).

[16:25]  ¹¹² tn The words “the rest of” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[16:26]  ¹¹³ tn Or perhaps, “chains.” The translation of τὰ δεσμά (ta desma) is to some extent affected by the understanding of ξύλον (xulon, “stocks”) in v. 24. It is possible (as mentioned in L&N 18.12) that this does not mean “stocks” but a block of wood (a log or wooden column) in the prison to which prisoners’ feet were chained or tied.

[16:27]  ¹¹⁴ tn L&N 23.75 has “had awakened” here. It is more in keeping with contemporary English style, however, to keep the two verbal ideas parallel in terms of tense (“when the jailer woke up and saw”) although logically the second action is subsequent to the first.

[16:27]  ¹¹⁵ tn The additional semantic component “standing” is supplied (“standing open”) to convey a stative nuance in English.

[16:27]  ¹¹⁶ sn Was about to kill himself. The jailer’s penalty for failing to guard the prisoners would have been death, so he contemplated saving the leaders the trouble (see Acts 12:19; 27:42).

[16:27]  ¹¹⁷ tn Or “thought.”

[16:28]  ¹¹⁸ tn Grk “But Paul called out with a loud voice, saying.” The dative phrase μεγάλῃ φωνῇ (megalh fwnh) has been simplified as an English adverb (“loudly”), and the participle λέγων (legwn) has not been translated since it is redundant in English.

[16:28]  ¹¹⁹ sn Do not harm yourself. Again the irony is that Paul is the agent through whom the jailer is spared.

[16:29]  ¹²⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:29]  ¹²¹ tn Or “and prostrated himself.”

[16:30]  ¹²² tn Grk “And bringing them outside, he asked.” The participle προαγαγών (proagagwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun by supplying the conjunction “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[16:30]  ¹²³ tn The Greek term (δεῖ, dei) is used by Luke to represent divine necessity.

[16:31]  ¹²⁴ tn Grk “said.”

[16:31]  ¹²⁵ sn Here the summary term of response is a call to believe. In this context it refers to trusting the sovereign God’s power to deliver, which events had just pictured for the jailer.

[16:31]  ¹²⁶ tc The majority of mss add Χριστόν (Criston, “Christ”) here (C D E Ψ 1739 Ï sy sa), but the best and earliest witnesses read simply τὸν κύριον ᾿Ιησοῦν (ton kurion Ihsoun, “the Lord Jesus”; Ì^74vid א A B 33 81 pc bo). The addition of “Christ” to “Lord Jesus” is an obviously motivated reading. Thus on both external and internal grounds, the shorter reading is strongly preferred.

[16:32]  ¹²⁷ tn Grk “And they.” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the continuity with the preceding verse. Greek style often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” but English style does not.

[16:32]  ¹²⁸ sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.

[16:33]  ¹²⁹ tn Grk “And at.” 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.

[16:33]  ¹³⁰ tn Grk “taking them…he washed.” The participle παραλαβών (paralabwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:33]  ¹³¹ tn On this phrase BDAG 603 s.v. λούω 1 gives a literal translation as “by washing he freed them from the effects of the blows.”

[16:33]  ¹³² tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “then” to indicate the logical sequence.

[16:33]  ¹³³ sn All his family. It was often the case in the ancient world that conversion of the father led to the conversion of all those in the household.

[16:33]  ¹³⁴ tn Or “immediately.”

[16:34]  ¹³⁵ tn Grk “He”; the referent (the jailer) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:34]  ¹³⁶ tn Grk “placed [food] on the table” (a figurative expression). Since the actual word for food is not specified, it would also be possible to translate “set a meal before them,” but since this is taking place in the middle of the night, the preparations necessary for a full meal would probably not have been made. More likely Paul and Silas were given whatever was on hand that needed little or no preparation.

[16:34]  ¹³⁷ tn Or “he was overjoyed.”

[16:34]  ¹³⁸ tn The translation “come to believe” reflects more of the resultative nuance of the perfect tense here.

[16:34]  ¹³⁹ tn The phrase “together with his entire household” is placed at the end of the English sentence so that it refers to both the rejoicing and the belief. A formal equivalence translation would have “and he rejoiced greatly with his entire household that he had come to believe in God,” but the reference to the entire household being baptized in v. 33 presumes that all in the household believed.

[16:35]  ¹⁴⁰ tn The translation “day is breaking” for ἡμέρα γίνεται (Jhmera ginetai) in this verse is given by BDAG 436 s.v. ἡμέρα 1.a.

[16:35]  ¹⁴¹ tn On the term translated “magistrates,” see BDAG 947-48 s.v. στρατηγός 1. These city leaders were properly called duoviri, but were popularly known as praetors (στρατηγοί, strathgoi). They were the chief officials of Philippi. The text leaves the impression that they came to the decision to release Paul and Silas independently. God was at work everywhere.

[16:35]  ¹⁴² tn On the term ῥαβδοῦχος (rJabdouco") see BDAG 902 s.v. The term was used of the Roman lictor and roughly corresponds to contemporary English “constable, policeman.”

[16:36]  ¹⁴³ tn The word “saying” is not in the Greek text, but is implied; it is necessary in English because the content of what the jailer said to Paul and Silas is not the exact message related to him by the police officers, but is a summary with his own additions.

[16:36]  ¹⁴⁴ tn The word “orders” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[16:36]  ¹⁴⁵ tn Grk “So coming out now go in peace.” The participle ἐξελθόντες (exelqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:37]  ¹⁴⁶ tn Grk “to them”; the referent (the police officers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:37]  ¹⁴⁷ tn Grk “Having us beaten in public.” The participle δείραντες (deirante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:37]  ¹⁴⁸ tn Or “in public, uncondemned.” BDAG 35 s.v. ἀκατάκριτος has “uncondemned, without due process” for this usage.

[16:37]  ¹⁴⁹ tn The participle ὑπάρχοντας (Juparconta") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[16:37]  ¹⁵⁰ tn The word “us” 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.

[16:37]  ¹⁵¹ tn L&N 28.71 has “send us away secretly” for this verse.

[16:37]  ¹⁵² tn Grk “But they.”

[16:37]  ¹⁵³ sn They themselves must come and escort us out! Paul was asking for the injustice he and Silas suffered to be symbolically righted. It was a way of publicly taking their actions off the record and showing the apostles’ innocence, a major public statement. Note the apology given in v. 39.

[16:38]  ¹⁵⁴ tn Grk “heard they”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:38]  ¹⁵⁵ sn Roman citizens. This fact was disturbing to the officials because due process was a right for a Roman citizen, well established in Roman law. To flog a Roman citizen was considered an abomination. Such punishment was reserved for noncitizens.

[16:39]  ¹⁵⁶ tn Grk “and coming, they apologized.” The participle ἐλθόντες (elqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[16:39]  ¹⁵⁷ tn Grk “and after.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[16:39]  ¹⁵⁸ tn The verb ἐρώτων (erwtwn) has been translated as an iterative imperfect; the English adverb “repeatedly” brings out the iterative force in the translation.

[16:40]  ¹⁵⁹ tn “Then” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to clarify the logical sequence in the translation.

[17:1]  ¹⁶⁰ tn BDAG 250 s.v. διοδεύω 1 has “go, travel through” for this verse.

[17:1]  ¹⁶¹ sn Amphipolis. The capital city of the southeastern district of Macedonia (BDAG 55 s.v. ᾿Αμφίπολις). It was a military post. From Philippi this was about 33 mi (53 km).

[17:1]  ¹⁶² sn Apollonia was a city in Macedonia about 27 mi (43 km) west southwest of Amphipolis.

[17:1]  ¹⁶³ sn Thessalonica (modern Salonica) was a city in Macedonia about 33 mi (53 km) west of Apollonia. It was the capital of Macedonia. The road they traveled over was called the Via Egnatia. It is likely they rode horses, given their condition in Philippi. The implication of v. 1 is that the two previously mentioned cities lacked a synagogue.

[17:1]  ¹⁶⁴ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:2]  ¹⁶⁵ tn Grk “he went in to them”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:2]  ¹⁶⁶ 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.

[17:3]  ¹⁶⁷ tn BDAG 772 s.v. παρατίθημι 2.b has “demonstrate, point out” here.

[17:3]  ¹⁶⁸ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[17:3]  ¹⁶⁹ sn The Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead. These two points (suffering and resurrection) would have been among the more controversial aspects of Paul’s messianic preaching. The term translated “had to” (δεῖ, dei) shows how divine design and scripture corresponded here.

[17:3]  ¹⁷⁰ tn The Greek words used here (καὶ ὅτι, kai {oti, “and that”) mark the switch from indirect to direct discourse. Contemporary English requires the use of an introductory verb of speaking or saying to make this transition.

[17:3]  ¹⁷¹ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[17:4]  ¹⁷² tn Or “convinced.”

[17:4]  ¹⁷³ tn Or “a large crowd.”

[17:4]  ¹⁷⁴ 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]  ¹⁷⁵ 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).

[17:5]  ¹⁷⁶ tn Grk “becoming jealous.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. So elsewhere in Acts (5:17; 7:9; 13:45).

[17:5]  ¹⁷⁷ tn Literally ἀγοραῖος (agoraio") refers to the crowd in the marketplace, although BDAG 14-15 s.v. ἀγοραῖος 1 gives the meaning, by extension, as “rabble.” Such a description is certainly appropriate in this context. L&N 15.127 translates the phrase “worthless men from the streets.”

[17:5]  ¹⁷⁸ tn On this term, which is a NT hapax legomenon, see BDAG 745 s.v. ὀχλοποιέω.

[17:5]  ¹⁷⁹ tn BDAG 458 s.v. θορυβέω 1 has “set the city in an uproar, start a riot in the city” for the meaning of ἐθορύβουν (eqoruboun) in this verse.

[17:5]  ¹⁸⁰ sn The attack took place at Jason’s house because this was probably the location of the new house church.

[17:5]  ¹⁸¹ tn Grk “them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:5]  ¹⁸² tn BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2 has “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly προάγειν εἰς τὸν δ. Ac 17:5.”

[17:6]  ¹⁸³ tn See BDAG 977-78 s.v. σύρω on this verb. It was used in everyday speech of dragging in fish by a net, or dragging away someone’s (presumably) dead body (Paul in Acts 14:19).

[17:6]  ¹⁸⁴ tn L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarch") as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit – ‘city official’” (see also BDAG 845 s.v.).

[17:6]  ¹⁸⁵ tn Or “rebellion.” BDAG 72 s.v. ἀναστατόω has “disturb, trouble, upset,” but in light of the references in the following verse to political insurrection, “stirred up rebellion” would also be appropriate.

[17:6]  ¹⁸⁶ tn Or “the empire.” This was a way of referring to the Roman empire (BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουμένη 2.b).

[17:7]  ¹⁸⁷ tn Grk “whom.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who have stirred up trouble…whom Jason has welcomed”) the relative pronoun here (“whom”) has been replaced by the conjunction “and,” creating a clause that is grammatically coordinate but logically subordinate in the translation.

[17:7]  ¹⁸⁸ tn Grk “and they.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[17:7]  ¹⁸⁹ tn Or “the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[17:7]  ¹⁹⁰ tn The word “named” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity.

[17:7]  ¹⁹¹ sn Acting…saying…Jesus. The charges are serious, involving sedition (Luke 23:2). If the political charges were true, Rome would have to react.

[17:8]  ¹⁹² tn Grk “They troubled the crowd and the city officials”; but this could be understood to mean “they bothered” or “they annoyed.” In reality the Jewish instigators managed to instill doubt and confusion into both the mob and the officials by their false charges of treason. Verse 8 suggests the charges raised again Paul, Silas, Jason, and the others were false.

[17:8]  ¹⁹³ tn L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarch") as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit – ‘city official.’”

[17:9]  ¹⁹⁴ tn Grk “And after.” 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.

[17:9]  ¹⁹⁵ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the city officials) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:9]  ¹⁹⁶ tn That is, “a payment” or “a pledge of security” (BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 1) for which “bail” is the most common contemporary English equivalent.

[17:10]  ¹⁹⁷ sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) west of Thessalonica.

[17:10]  ¹⁹⁸ tn Grk “who arriving there, went to.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (οἵτινες, Joitine") has been left untranslated and a new English sentence begun. The participle παραγενόμενοι (paragenomenoi) has been taken temporally.

[17:10]  ¹⁹⁹ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:11]  ²⁰⁰ tn Grk “These”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue at Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:11]  ²⁰¹ tn Or “more willing to learn.” L&N 27.48 and BDAG 404 s.v. εὐγενής 2 both use the term “open-minded” here. The point is that they were more receptive to Paul’s message.

[17:11]  ²⁰² sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

[17:11]  ²⁰³ tn Or “willingly,” “readily”; Grk “with all eagerness.”

[17:11]  ²⁰⁴ tn Grk “who received.” Here the relative pronoun (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“they”) preceded by a semicolon, which is less awkward in contemporary English than a relative clause at this point.

[17:11]  ²⁰⁵ tn This verb (BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 1) refers to careful examination.

[17:11]  ²⁰⁶ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[17:12]  ²⁰⁷ 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).

[17:12]  ²⁰⁸ tn Or “respected.”

[17:13]  ²⁰⁹ sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

[17:13]  ²¹⁰ tn Grk “that the word of God had also been proclaimed by Paul.” This passive construction has been converted to an active one in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:13]  ²¹¹ sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) from Thessalonica.

[17:13]  ²¹² tn BDAG 911 s.v. σαλεύω 2 has “incite” for σαλεύοντες (saleuonte") in Acts 17:13.

[17:13]  ²¹³ tn Or “stirring up” (BDAG 990-91 s.v. ταράσσω 2). The point is the agitation of the crowds.

[17:14]  ²¹⁴ tn Grk “to the sea.” Here ἕως ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν ({ew" epi thn qalassan) must mean “to the edge of the sea,” that is, “to the coast.” Since there is no mention of Paul taking a ship to Athens, he presumably traveled overland. The journey would have been about 340 mi (550 km).

[17:14]  ²¹⁵ tn Grk “remained there”; the referent (Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:15]  ²¹⁶ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[17:15]  ²¹⁷ sn They left. See 1 Thess 3:1-2, which shows they went from here to Thessalonica.

[17:16]  ²¹⁸ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[17:16]  ²¹⁹ tn Grk “greatly upset within him,” but the words “within him” were not included in the translation because they are redundant in English. See L&N 88.189. The term could also be rendered “infuriated.”

[17:16]  ²²⁰ tn Or “when he saw.” The participle θεωροῦντος (qewrounto") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle; it could also be translated as temporal.

[17:17]  ²²¹ 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 17:17. 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.

[17:17]  ²²² tn Or “and the devout,” 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, and the note on the phrase “God-fearing Greeks” in 17:4.

[17:17]  ²²³ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:17]  ²²⁴ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[17:18]  ²²⁵ sn An Epicurean was a follower of the philosophy of Epicurus, who founded a school in Athens about 300 b.c. Although the Epicureans saw the aim of life as pleasure, they were not strictly hedonists, because they defined pleasure as the absence of pain. Along with this, they desired the avoidance of trouble and freedom from annoyances. They saw organized religion as evil, especially the belief that the gods punished evildoers in an afterlife. In keeping with this, they were unable to accept Paul’s teaching about the resurrection.

[17:18]  ²²⁶ sn A Stoic was a follower of the philosophy founded by Zeno (342-270 b.c.), a Phoenician who came to Athens and modified the philosophical system of the Cynics he found there. The Stoics rejected the Epicurean ideal of pleasure, stressing virtue instead. The Stoics emphasized responsibility for voluntary actions and believed risks were worth taking, but thought the actual attainment of virtue was difficult. They also believed in providence.

[17:18]  ²²⁷ tn BDAG 956 s.v. συμβάλλω 1 has “converse, confer” here.

[17:18]  ²²⁸ tn Grk “saying.”

[17:18]  ²²⁹ tn Or “ignorant show-off.” The traditional English translation of σπερμολόγος (spermologo") is given in L&N 33.381 as “foolish babbler.” However, an alternate view is presented in L&N 27.19, “(a figurative extension of meaning of a term based on the practice of birds in picking up seeds) one who acquires bits and pieces of relatively extraneous information and proceeds to pass them off with pretense and show – ‘ignorant show-off, charlatan.’” A similar view is given in BDAG 937 s.v. σπερμολόγος: “in pejorative imagery of persons whose communication lacks sophistication and seems to pick up scraps of information here and there scrapmonger, scavenger…Engl. synonyms include ‘gossip’, ‘babbler’, chatterer’; but these terms miss the imagery of unsystematic gathering.”

[17:18]  ²³⁰ tn The meaning of this phrase is not clear. Literally it reads “strange deities” (see BDAG 210 s.v. δαιμόνιον 1). The note of not being customary is important. In the ancient world what was new was suspicious. The plural δαιμονίων (daimoniwn, “deities”) shows the audience grappling with Paul’s teaching that God was working through Jesus.

[17:18]  ²³¹ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[17:19]  ²³² tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:19]  ²³³ tn Or “to the council of the Areopagus.” See also the term in v. 22.

[17:20]  ²³⁴ tn BDAG 684 s.v. ξενίζω 2 translates the substantival participle ξενίζοντα (xenizonta) as “astonishing things Ac 17:20.”

[17:20]  ²³⁵ tn Grk “these things”; but since the referent (“surprising things”) is so close, the repetition of “these things” sounds redundant in English, so the pronoun “they” was substituted in the translation.

[17:21]  ²³⁶ tn The imperfect verb ηὐκαίρουν (hukairoun) has been translated as a customary or habitual imperfect.

[17:21]  ²³⁷ tn BDAG 406-7 s.v. εὐκαιρέω has “used to spend their time in nothing else than telling Ac 17:21.”

[17:21]  ²³⁸ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The reference to newness may be pejorative.

[17:22]  ²³⁹ tn Grk “standing…said.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[17:22]  ²⁴⁰ tn The term δεισιδαιμονεστέρους (deisidaimonesterou") is difficult. On the one hand it can have the positive sense of “devout,” but on the other hand it can have the negative sense of “superstitious” (BDAG 216 s.v. δεισιδαίμων). As part of a laudatory introduction (the technical rhetorical term for this introduction was capatatio), the term is probably positive here. It may well be a “backhanded” compliment, playing on the ambiguity.

[17:22]  ²⁴¹ tn BDAG 513 s.v. κατά B.6 translates the phrase κατὰ πάντα (kata panta) as “in all respects.”

[17:23]  ²⁴² tn Or “your sanctuaries.” L&N 53.54 gives “sanctuary” (place of worship) as an alternate meaning for the word σεβάσματα (sebasmata).

[17:23]  ²⁴³ tn Grk “on which was written,” but since it would have been carved in stone, it is more common to speak of an “inscription” in English. To simplify the English the relative construction with a passive verb (“on which was inscribed”) was translated as a prepositional phrase with a substantive (“inscription”).

[17:23]  ²⁴⁴ tn BDAG 13 s.v. ἀγνοέω 1.b has “Abs. ὅ ἀγνοοῦντες εὐσεβεῖτε what you worship without knowing it (on the subject matter Maximus Tyr. 11, 5e: all sorts of philosophers ἴσασιν οὐκ ἑκόντες καὶ λέγουσιν ἄκοντες sc. τὸ θεῖον = they know and name God without intending to do so) Ac 17:23.” Paul, in typical Jewish Christian style, informs them of the true God, of whom their idols are an ignorant reflection.

[17:24]  ²⁴⁵ tn Grk “all the things that are in it.” The speech starts with God as Creator, like 14:15.

[17:24]  ²⁴⁶ tn Or “because he is.” The participle ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) could be either adjectival, modifying οὗτος (Joutos, “who is Lord…”) or adverbial of cause (“because he is Lord…”). Since the participle διδούς (didou") in v. 25 appears to be clearly causal in force, it is preferable to understand ὑπάρχων as adjectival in this context.

[17:24]  ²⁴⁷ sn On the statement does not live in temples made by human hands compare Acts 7:48. This has implications for idols as well. God cannot be represented by them or, as the following clause also suggests, served by human hands.

[17:25]  ²⁴⁸ tn L&N 57.45 has “nor does he need anything more that people can supply by working for him.”

[17:25]  ²⁴⁹ tn Grk “he himself gives to all [people] life and breath and all things.”

[17:26]  ²⁵⁰ sn The one man refers to Adam (the word “man” is understood).

[17:26]  ²⁵¹ tn Or “mankind.” BDAG 276 s.v. ἔθνος 1 has “every nation of humankind Ac 17:26.”

[17:26]  ²⁵² tn Grk “to live over all the face of the earth.”

[17:26]  ²⁵³ tn BDAG 884-85 s.v. προστάσσω has “(οἱ) προστεταγμένοι καιροί (the) fixed times Ac 17:26” here, but since the following phrase is also translated “fixed limits,” this would seem redundant in English, so the word “set” has been used instead.

[17:26]  ²⁵⁴ tn Grk “the boundaries of their habitation.” L&N 80.5 has “fixed limits of the places where they would live” for this phrase.

[17:27]  ²⁵⁵ tn See BDAG 1097-98 s.v. ψηλαφάω, which lists “touch, handle” and “to feel around for, grope for” as possible meanings.

[17:27]  ²⁵⁶ sn Perhaps grope around for him and find him. The pagans’ struggle to know God is the point here. Conscience alone is not good enough.

[17:27]  ²⁵⁷ tn The participle ὑπάρχοντα (Juparconta) has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[17:28]  ²⁵⁸ tn According to L&N 15.1, “A strictly literal translation of κινέω in Ac 17:28 might imply merely moving from one place to another. The meaning, however, is generalized movement and activity; therefore, it may be possible to translate κινούμεθα as ‘we come and go’ or ‘we move about’’ or even ‘we do what we do.’”

[17:28]  ²⁵⁹ sn This quotation is from Aratus (ca. 310-245 b.c.), Phaenomena 5. Paul asserted a general relationship and accountability to God for all humanity.

[17:29]  ²⁶⁰ tn Or “the divine being.” BDAG 446 s.v. θεῖος 1.b has “divine being, divinity” here.

[17:29]  ²⁶¹ tn Or “a likeness.” Again idolatry is directly attacked as an affront to God and a devaluation of him.

[17:29]  ²⁶² tn Grk “by the skill and imagination of man,” but ἀνθρώπου (anqrwpou) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[17:29]  ²⁶³ tn Or “craftsmanship” (cf. BDAG 1001 s.v. τέχνη).

[17:29]  ²⁶⁴ tn Or “thought.” BDAG 336 s.v. ἐνθύμησις has “thought, reflection, idea” as the category of meaning here, but in terms of creativity (as in the context) the imaginative faculty is in view.

[17:30]  ²⁶⁵ tn Or “has deliberately paid no attention to.”

[17:30]  ²⁶⁶ tn Or “times when people did not know.”

[17:30]  ²⁶⁷ tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).

[17:30]  ²⁶⁸ sn He now commands all people everywhere to repent. God was now asking all mankind to turn to him. No nation or race was excluded.

[17:31]  ²⁶⁹ tn Or “fixed.”

[17:31]  ²⁷⁰ sn The world refers to the whole inhabited earth.

[17:31]  ²⁷¹ tn Or “appointed.” BDAG 723 s.v. ὁρίζω 2.b has “of persons appoint, designate, declare: God judges the world ἐν ἀνδρὶ ᾧ ὥρισεν through a man whom he has appointed Ac 17:31.”

[17:31]  ²⁷² tn The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") indicates means here.

[17:32]  ²⁷³ tn The participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally.

[17:32]  ²⁷⁴ tn L&N 33.408 has “some scoffed (at him) Ac 17:32” for ἐχλεύαζον (ecleuazon) here; the imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect (“began to scoff”).

[17:33]  ²⁷⁵ tn Grk “left out of their midst”; the referent (the Areopagus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:34]  ²⁷⁶ tn Although the Greek word here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which normally refers to males, husbands, etc., in this particular context it must have a generic force similar to that of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), since “a woman named Damaris” is mentioned specifically as being part of this group (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. ἀνήρ 1.a).

[17:34]  ²⁷⁷ tn Grk “joining him, believed.” The participle κολληθέντες (kollhqente") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. On the use of this verb in Acts, see 5:13; 8:29; 9:26; 10:28.

[17:34]  ²⁷⁸ tn Grk “among whom.” Due to the length of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been translated as a third person plural pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[17:34]  ²⁷⁹ tn Grk “the Areopagite” (a member of the council of the Areopagus). The noun “Areopagite” is not in common usage today in English. It is clearer to use a descriptive phrase “a member of the Areopagus” (L&N 11.82). However, this phrase alone can be misleading in English: “Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, and a woman named Damaris” could be understood to refer to three people (Dionysius, an unnamed member of the Areopagus, and Damaris) rather than only two. Converting the descriptive phrase to a relative clause in English (“who was a member of the Areopagus”) removes the ambiguity.

[17:34]  ²⁸⁰ tn Grk “and a woman”; but this 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.

[18:1]  ²⁸¹ tn Grk “After these things.”

[18:1]  ²⁸² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:1]  ²⁸³ tn Or “Paul left.”

[18:1]  ²⁸⁴ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[18:1]  ²⁸⁵ sn Corinth was the capital city of the senatorial province of Achaia and the seat of the Roman proconsul. It was located 55 mi (88 km) west of Athens. Corinth was a major rival to Athens and was the largest city in Greece at the time.

[18:2]  ²⁸⁶ tn Grk “And he.” 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. The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[18:2]  ²⁸⁷ tn Grk “finding.” The participle εὑρών (Jeurwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:2]  ²⁸⁸ sn On Aquila and his wife Priscilla see also Acts 18:18, 26; Rom 16:3-4; 1 Cor 16:19; 2 Tim 4:19. In the NT “Priscilla” and “Prisca” are the same person. This author uses the full name Priscilla, while Paul uses the diminutive form Prisca.

[18:2]  ²⁸⁹ sn Pontus was a region in the northeastern part of Asia Minor. It was a Roman province.

[18:2]  ²⁹⁰ sn Claudius refers to the Roman emperor Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, known as Claudius, who ruled from a.d. 41-54. The edict expelling the Jews from Rome was issued in a.d. 49 (Suetonius, Claudius 25.4).

[18:2]  ²⁹¹ tn Or “to leave.”

[18:2]  ²⁹² map For location see JP4 A1.

[18:2]  ²⁹³ tn Or “went to.”

[18:3]  ²⁹⁴ tn The prepositional phrase “with them” occurs only once in the Greek text, but since it occurs between the two finite verbs (ἔμενεν, emenen, and ἠργάζετο, hrgazeto) it relates (by implication) to both of them.

[18:3]  ²⁹⁵ tn On the term translated “tentmakers,” see BDAG 928-29 s.v. σκνηοποιός. Paul apparently manufactured tents. In contrast to the Cynic philosophers, Paul at times labored to support himself (see also v. 5).

[18:3]  ²⁹⁶ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:4]  ²⁹⁷ 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]  ²⁹⁸ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:4]  ²⁹⁹ 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]  ³⁰⁰ tn Grk “came down.”

[18:5]  ³⁰¹ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[18:5]  ³⁰² 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]  ³⁰³ 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]  ³⁰⁴ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[18:6]  ³⁰⁵ 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]  ³⁰⁶ 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]  ³⁰⁷ 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]  ³⁰⁸ 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]  ³⁰⁹ tn Or “innocent.” BDAG 489 s.v. καθαρός 3.a has “guiltless Ac 18:6.”

[18:7]  ³¹⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:7]  ³¹¹ tn Grk “Then leaving from there he went.” The participle μεταβάς (metabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:7]  ³¹² tn Grk “from there”; the referent (the synagogue) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:7]  ³¹³ tn Grk “a worshiper of God.” The clarifying phrase “a Gentile” has been supplied for clarity, and is indicated by the context, since Paul had parted company with the Jews in the previous verse. The participle σεβομένου (sebomenou) 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.

[18:8]  ³¹⁴ tn That is, “the official in charge of the synagogue”; ἀρχισυνάγωγος (arcisunagwgo") refers to the “leader/president of a synagogue” (so BDAG 139 s.v. and L&N 53.93).

[18:8]  ³¹⁵ tn Or “who heard him,” or “who heard Paul.” The ambiguity here results from the tendency of Greek to omit direct objects, which must be supplied from the context. The problem is that no less than three different ones may be supplied here: (1) “him,” referring to Crispus, but this is not likely because there is no indication in the context that Crispus began to speak out about the Lord; this is certainly possible and even likely, but more than the text here affirms; (2) “Paul,” who had been speaking in the synagogue and presumably, now that he had moved to Titius Justus’ house, continued speaking to the Gentiles; or (3) “about it,” that is, the Corinthians who heard about Crispus’ conversion became believers. In the immediate context this last is most probable, since the two incidents are juxtaposed. Other, less obvious direct objects could also be supplied, such as “heard the word of God,” “heard the word of the Lord,” etc., but none of these are obvious in the immediate context.

[18:9]  ³¹⁶ 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]  ³¹⁷ tn BDAG 682 s.v. νύξ 1.c has “W. prep. ἐν ν. at night, in the night…Ac 18:9.”

[18:9]  ³¹⁸ tn The present imperative here (with negation) is used (as it normally is) of a general condition (BDF §335).

[18:10]  ³¹⁹ tn BDAG 384 s.v. ἐπιτίθημι 2 has “to set upon, attack, lay a hand on” here, but “assault” is a contemporary English equivalent very close to the meaning of the original.

[18:10]  ³²⁰ tn Or “injure.”

[18:11]  ³²¹ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[18:11]  ³²² tn See BDAG 326-27 s.v. ἐν 1.d. However, it is also possible that ἐν (en) followed by the dative here stands for the ordinary dative (“to them”).

[18:12]  ³²³ 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]  ³²⁴ sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.

[18:12]  ³²⁵ 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]  ³²⁶ tn Grk “with one accord.”

[18:12]  ³²⁷ 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.

[18:13]  ³²⁸ tn Or “inciting.”

[18:13]  ³²⁹ tn Grk “worship God contrary to.” BDAG 758 s.v. παρά C.6 has “against, contrary to” for Acts 18:13. The words “in a way” are not in the Greek text, but are a necessary clarification to prevent the misunderstanding in the English translation that worshiping God was in itself contrary to the law. What is under dispute is the manner in which God was being worshiped, that is, whether Gentiles were being required to follow all aspects of the Mosaic law, including male circumcision. There is a hint of creating public chaos or disturbing Jewish custom here since Jews were the ones making the complaint. Luke often portrays the dispute between Christians and Jews as within Judaism.

[18:14]  ³³⁰ tn Grk “about to open his mouth” (an idiom).

[18:14]  ³³¹ tn BDAG 902 s.v. ῥᾳδιούργημα states, “From the sense ‘prank, knavery, roguish trick, slick deed’ it is but a short step to that of a serious misdeed, crime, villainy…a serious piece of villainy Ac 18:14 (w. ἀδίκημα).”

[18:14]  ³³² tn According to BDAG 78 s.v. ἀνέχω 3 this is a legal technical term: “Legal t.t. κατὰ λόγον ἂν ἀνεσχόμην ὑμῶν I would have been justified in accepting your complaint Ac 18:14.”

[18:14]  ³³³ tn Grk “accepting your complaint, O Jews.”

[18:15]  ³³⁴ tn Or “dispute.”

[18:15]  ³³⁵ tn Grk “see to it” (an idiom).

[18:15]  ³³⁶ tn Or “I am not willing to be.” Gallio would not adjudicate their religious dispute.

[18:16]  ³³⁷ tn Grk “driven away,” but this could result in a misunderstanding in English (“driven” as in a cart or wagon?). “Forced away” conveys the idea; Gallio rejected their complaint. In contemporary English terminology the case was “thrown out of court.” The verb ἀπήλασεν (aphlasen) has been translated as a causative since Gallio probably did not perform this action in person, but ordered his aides or officers to remove the plaintiffs.

[18:16]  ³³⁸ sn See the note on the term judgment seat in 18:12.

[18:17]  ³³⁹ tn That is, “the official in charge of the synagogue”; ἀρχισυνάγωγος (arcisunagwgo") refers to the “leader/president of a synagogue” (so BDAG 139 s.v. and L&N 53.93).

[18:17]  ³⁴⁰ tn The imperfect verb ἔτυπτον (etupton) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[18:17]  ³⁴¹ sn See the note on the term judgment seat in 18:12.

[18:17]  ³⁴² tn L&N 25.223 has “‘none of these things were of any concern to Gallio’ Ac 18:17.”

[18:18]  ³⁴³ tn The participle προσμείνας (prosmeina") is taken temporally.

[18:18]  ³⁴⁴ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[18:18]  ³⁴⁵ tn Or “Corinth, took leave of.” Grk “saying farewell to”; the participle ἀποταξάμενος (apotaxameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:18]  ³⁴⁶ tn Grk “Syria, and with him.”

[18:18]  ³⁴⁷ sn See the note on Aquila in 18:2.

[18:18]  ³⁴⁸ tn Or “Aquila, who.” The relationship of the participle κειράμενος (keirameno") is difficult to determine. Traditionally it is taken to refer to Paul, meaning that Paul had his hair cut off because of the vow. However, due to the proximity of the noun ᾿Ακύλας (Akula") and the reversal of the normal order (Aquila and Priscilla, Acts 17:34), the participle is taken as adjectival referring to Aquila by H. Greeven, TDNT 2:777, n. 11. The later references to Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 21:23) do not resolve the problem, because the cutting of Paul’s own hair, while it may be implied, is not specifically mentioned in connection with the completion of the vows made by the other four.

[18:18]  ³⁴⁹ tn The word “off” is supplied in the translation to indicate that this was not a normal haircut, but the shaving of the head connected with taking the vow (see Acts 21:24).

[18:18]  ³⁵⁰ tn That is, “before he sailed from Cenchrea.”

[18:18]  ³⁵¹ sn He had made a vow. It is debated whether this vow is a private vow of thanksgiving or the Nazirite vow, because it is not clear whether the Nazirite vow could be taken outside Jerusalem. Some have cited the Mishnah (m. Nazir 3:6, 5:4) to argue that the shaving of the hair can occur outside Jerusalem, and Josephus, J. W. 2.15.1 (2.313) is sometimes suggested as a parallel, but these references are not clear. H. Greeven, TDNT 2:777, is certain that this refers to the Nazirite vow. Regardless, it is clear that Paul reflected his pious dependence on God.

[18:19]  ³⁵² sn Ephesus was an influential city in Asia Minor. It was the location of the famous temple of Artemis. In 334 b.c. control of the city had passed to Alexander the Great, who contributed a large sum to the building of a new and more elaborate temple of Artemis, which became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and lasted until destroyed by the Goths in a.d. 263. This major port city would be reached from Corinth by ship. It was 250 mi (400 km) east of Corinth by sea.

[18:19]  ³⁵³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:19]  ³⁵⁴ tn Grk “left them”; the referents (Priscilla and Aquila) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:19]  ³⁵⁵ tn Grk “going”; the participle εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:19]  ³⁵⁶ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:19]  ³⁵⁷ 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 18:19. 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.

[18:20]  ³⁵⁸ sn He would not consent. Paul probably refused because he wanted to reach Jerusalem for the festival season before the seas became impassable during the winter.

[18:21]  ³⁵⁹ tn Or “but took leave of.”

[18:21]  ³⁶⁰ tn Grk “and saying”; the participle εἰπών (eipwn) has been translated as “added” rather than “said” to avoid redundancy with the previous “said farewell.” The participle εἰπών has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:21]  ³⁶¹ tn Or “will return.”

[18:21]  ³⁶² tn The participle θέλοντος (qelontos), a genitive absolute construction, has been translated as a conditional adverbial participle. Again Paul acts in dependence on God.

[18:21]  ³⁶³ tn A new sentence was begun here in the translation due to the length of the sentence in Greek and the requirements of contemporary English style, which generally uses shorter sentences.

[18:22]  ³⁶⁴ tn BDAG 531 s.v. κατέρχομαι 2 states, “arrive, put in, nautical t.t. of ships and those who sail in them, who ‘come down’ fr. the ‘high seas’…εἴς τι at someth. a harbor Ac 18:22; 21:3; 27:5.”

[18:22]  ³⁶⁵ 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 a sea voyage of 620 mi (990 km).

[18:22]  ³⁶⁶ tn Grk “going up and greeting.” The participles ἀναβάς (anabas) and ἀσπασάμενος (aspasameno") are translated as finite verbs due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:22]  ³⁶⁷ tn The words “at Jerusalem” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the participle ἀναβάς (anabas). The expression “go up” refers almost exclusively to the direction of Jerusalem, while the corresponding “go down” (κατέβη, katebh) refers to directions away from Jerusalem. Both expressions are based on a Hebrew idiom. Assuming Jerusalem is meant, this is another indication of keeping that key church informed. If Jerusalem is not referred to here, then Caesarea is in view. Paul was trying to honor a vow, which also implies a visit to Jerusalem.

[18:22]  ³⁶⁸ sn Went down to Antioch. The city of Antioch in Syria lies due north of Jerusalem. In Western languages it is common to speak of north as “up” and south as “down,” but the NT maintains the Hebrew idiom which speaks of any direction away from Jerusalem as down (since Mount Zion was thought of in terms of altitude). This marks the end of the second missionary journey which began in Acts 15:36. From Caesarea to Antioch is a journey of 280 mi (450 km).