Acts 18:19

18:19 When they reached Ephesus, ¹  Paul ²  left Priscilla and Aquila ³  behind there, but he himself went ⁴  into the synagogue ⁵  and addressed ⁶  the Jews.

Acts 6:2

6:2 So the twelve ⁷  called ⁸  the whole group ⁹  of the disciples together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to wait on tables. ¹⁰ 

Acts 21:3

21:3 After we sighted Cyprus ¹¹  and left it behind on our port side, ¹²  we sailed on to Syria and put in ¹³  at Tyre, ¹⁴  because the ship was to unload its cargo there.

Acts 24:27

24:27 After two years ¹⁵  had passed, Porcius Festus ¹⁶  succeeded Felix, ¹⁷  and because he wanted to do the Jews a favor, Felix left Paul in prison. ¹⁸ 

Acts 25:14

25:14 While ¹⁹  they were staying there many days, Festus ²⁰  explained Paul’s case to the king to get his opinion, ²¹  saying, “There is a man left here as a prisoner by Felix.

[18:19]  ¹ 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]  ² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:19]  ³ tn Grk “left them”; the referents (Priscilla and Aquila) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:19]  ⁴ tn Grk “going”; the participle εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:19]  ⁵ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:19]  ⁶ 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.

[6:2]  ⁷ sn The twelve refers to the twelve apostles.

[6:2]  ⁸ tn Grk “calling the whole group…together, said.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενοι (proskalesamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[6:2]  ⁹ tn Or “the multitude.”

[6:2]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “to serve tables.”

[21:3]  ¹³ sn Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.

[21:3]  ¹⁴ sn The expression left it behind on our port side here means “sailed past to the south of it” since the ship was sailing east.

[21:3]  ¹⁵ 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’…ἔις τι at someth. a harbor 18:22; 21:3; 27:5.”

[21:3]  ¹⁶ sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia. From Patara to Tyre was about 400 mi (640 km). It required a large cargo ship over 100 ft (30 m) long, and was a four to five day voyage.

[24:27]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “After a two-year period.”

[24:27]  ²⁰ sn Porcius Festus was the procurator of Palestine who succeeded Felix; neither the beginning nor the end of his rule (at his death) can be determined with certainty, although he appears to have died in office after about two years. Nero recalled Felix in a.d. 57 or 58, and Festus was appointed to his vacant office in a.d. 57, 58, or 59. According to Josephus (Ant. 20.8.9-10 [20.182-188]; J. W. 2.14.1 [2.271-272]), his administration was better than that of his predecessor Felix or his successor Albinus, but Luke in Acts portrays him in a less favorable light: He was willing to sacrifice Paul to court Jewish favor by taking him to Jerusalem for trial (v. 9), regardless of Paul’s guilt or innocence. The one characteristic for which Festus was noted is that he dealt harshly with those who disturbed the peace.

[24:27]  ²¹ tn Grk “Felix received as successor Porcius Festus.”

[24:27]  ²² tn Grk “left Paul imprisoned.”

[25:14]  ²⁵ tn BDAG 1105-6 s.v. ὡς 8.b states, “w. pres. or impf. while, when, as long as…Ac 1:10; 7:23; 9:23; 10:17; 13:25; 19:9; 21:27; 25:14.”

[25:14]  ²⁶ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[25:14]  ²⁷ tn Grk “Festus laid Paul’s case before the king for consideration.” BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατίθημι 2 states, “otherw. only mid. to lay someth. before someone for consideration, declare, communicate, refer w. the added idea that the pers. to whom a thing is ref. is asked for his opinion lay someth. before someone for consideration…Ac 25:14.”