Acts 17:2

17:2 Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, ¹  as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed ²  them from the scriptures,

Acts 17:1

Paul and Silas at Thessalonica

17:1 After they traveled through ³  Amphipolis ⁴  and Apollonia, ⁵  they came to Thessalonica, ⁶  where there was a Jewish synagogue. ⁷ 

Acts 12:7

12:7 Suddenly ⁸  an angel of the Lord ⁹  appeared, and a light shone in the prison cell. He struck ¹⁰  Peter on the side and woke him up, saying, “Get up quickly!” And the chains fell off Peter’s ¹¹  wrists. ¹² 

Isaiah 1:18

1:18 ¹³ Come, let’s consider your options,” ¹⁴  says the Lord.

“Though your sins have stained you like the color red,

you can become ¹⁵  white like snow;

though they are as easy to see as the color scarlet,

you can become ¹⁶  white like wool. ¹⁷ 

Isaiah 41:21

The Lord Challenges the Pagan Gods

41:21 “Present your argument,” says the Lord.

“Produce your evidence,” ¹⁸  says Jacob’s king. ¹⁹ 

Romans 12:1

Consecration of the Believer’s Life

12:1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, ²⁰  by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God ²¹  – which is your reasonable service.

Romans 12:1

Consecration of the Believer’s Life

12:1 Therefore I exhort you, brothers and sisters, ²²  by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice – alive, holy, and pleasing to God ²³  – which is your reasonable service.

Romans 3:15

3:15 “Their feet are swift to shed blood,

[17:2]  ¹ tn Grk “he went in to them”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:2]  ² 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.

[17:1]  ³ tn BDAG 250 s.v. διοδεύω 1 has “go, travel through” for this verse.

[17:1]  ⁴ 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]  ⁵ sn Apollonia was a city in Macedonia about 27 mi (43 km) west southwest of Amphipolis.

[17:1]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[12:7]  ⁸ tn Grk “And behold.” 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 interjection ἰδού (idou), often difficult to translate into English, expresses the suddenness of the angel’s appearance.

[12:7]  ⁹ tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.

[12:7]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “striking the side of Peter, he awoke him saying.” The term refers to a push or a light tap (BDAG 786 s.v. πατάσσω 1.a). The participle πατάξας (pataxa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[12:7]  ¹¹ tn Grk “his”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:7]  ¹² tn Grk “the hands,” but the wrist was considered a part of the hand.

[1:18]  ¹³ sn The Lord concludes his case against Israel by offering them the opportunity to be forgiven and by setting before them the alternatives of renewed blessing (as a reward for repentance) and final judgment (as punishment for persistence in sin).

[1:18]  ¹⁴ tn Traditionally, “let us reason together,” but the context suggests a judicial nuance. The Lord is giving the nation its options for the future.

[1:18]  ¹⁵ tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.

[1:18]  ¹⁶ tn The imperfects must be translated as modal (indicating capability or possibility) to bring out the conditional nature of the offer. This purification will only occur if the people repent and change their ways.

[1:18]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “though your sins are like red, they will become white like snow; though they are red like scarlet, they will be like wool.” The point is not that the sins will be covered up, though still retained. The metaphorical language must be allowed some flexibility and should not be pressed into a rigid literalistic mold. The people’s sins will be removed and replaced by ethical purity. The sins that are now as obvious as the color red will be washed away and the ones who are sinful will be transformed.

[41:21]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “strong [words],” see HALOT 870 s.v. *עֲצֻמוֹת.

[41:21]  ¹⁹ sn Apparently this challenge is addressed to the pagan idol gods, see vv. 23-24.

[12:1]  ²⁰ tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.

[12:1]  ²¹ tn The participle and two adjectives “alive, holy, and pleasing to God” are taken as predicates in relation to “sacrifice,” making the exhortation more emphatic. See ExSyn 618-19.

[12:1]  ²² tn Grk “brothers.” See note on the phrase “brothers and sisters” in 1:13.

[12:1]  ²³ tn The participle and two adjectives “alive, holy, and pleasing to God” are taken as predicates in relation to “sacrifice,” making the exhortation more emphatic. See ExSyn 618-19.