Acts 18:4

18:4 He addressed ¹  both Jews and Greeks in the synagogue ²  every Sabbath, attempting to persuade ³  them.

Acts 21:14

21:14 Because he could not be persuaded, ⁴  we said no more except, ⁵  “The Lord’s will be done.” ⁶ 

Acts 26:28

26:28 Agrippa ⁷  said to Paul, “In such a short time are you persuading me to become a Christian?” ⁸ 

Acts 28:24

28:24 Some were convinced ⁹  by what he said, ¹⁰  but others refused ¹¹  to believe.

Acts 27:11

27:11 But the centurion ¹²  was more convinced ¹³  by the captain ¹⁴  and the ship’s owner than by what Paul said. ¹⁵ 

Acts 5:40

5:40 and they summoned the apostles and had them beaten. ¹⁶  Then ¹⁷  they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them.

Acts 14:19

14:19 But Jews came from Antioch ¹⁸  and Iconium, ¹⁹  and after winning ²⁰  the crowds over, they stoned ²¹  Paul and dragged him out of the city, presuming him to be dead.

Acts 19:8

Paul Continues to Minister at Ephesus

19:8 So Paul ²²  entered ²³  the synagogue ²⁴  and spoke out fearlessly ²⁵  for three months, addressing ²⁶  and convincing ²⁷  them about the kingdom of God. ²⁸ 

Acts 5:36-37

5:36 For some time ago ²⁹  Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He ³⁰  was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and nothing came of it. ³¹  5:37 After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, ³²  and incited people to follow him in revolt. ³³  He too was killed, and all who followed him were scattered.

Acts 12:20

12:20 Now Herod ³⁴  was having an angry quarrel ³⁵  with the people of Tyre ³⁶  and Sidon. ³⁷  So they joined together ³⁸  and presented themselves before him. And after convincing ³⁹  Blastus, the king’s personal assistant, ⁴⁰  to help them, ⁴¹  they asked for peace, ⁴²  because their country’s food supply was provided by the king’s country.

Acts 13:43

13:43 When the meeting of the synagogue ⁴³  had broken up, ⁴⁴  many of the Jews and God-fearing proselytes ⁴⁵  followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and were persuading ⁴⁶  them ⁴⁷  to continue ⁴⁸  in the grace of God.

Acts 17:4

17:4 Some of them were persuaded ⁴⁹  and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group ⁵⁰  of God-fearing Greeks ⁵¹  and quite a few ⁵²  prominent women.

Acts 19:26

19:26 And you see and hear that this Paul has persuaded ⁵³  and turned away ⁵⁴  a large crowd, ⁵⁵  not only in Ephesus ⁵⁶  but in practically all of the province of Asia, ⁵⁷  by saying ⁵⁸  that gods made by hands are not gods at all. ⁵⁹ 

Acts 26:26

26:26 For the king knows about these things, and I am speaking freely ⁶⁰  to him, ⁶¹  because I cannot believe ⁶²  that any of these things has escaped his notice, ⁶³  for this was not done in a corner. ⁶⁴ 

Acts 23:21

23:21 So do not let them persuade you to do this, ⁶⁵  because more than forty of them ⁶⁶  are lying in ambush ⁶⁷  for him. They ⁶⁸  have bound themselves with an oath ⁶⁹  not to eat or drink anything ⁷⁰  until they have killed him, and now they are ready, waiting for you to agree to their request.” ⁷¹ 

Acts 28:23

28:23 They set ⁷²  a day to meet with him, ⁷³  and they came to him where he was staying ⁷⁴  in even greater numbers. ⁷⁵  From morning until evening he explained things ⁷⁶  to them, ⁷⁷  testifying ⁷⁸  about the kingdom of God ⁷⁹  and trying to convince ⁸⁰  them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets.

[18:4]  ¹ 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]  ² sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:4]  ³ 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.

[21:14]  ⁴ tn The participle πειθομένου (peiqomenou) in this genitive absolute construction has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

[21:14]  ⁵ tn Grk “we became silent, saying.”

[21:14]  ⁶ sn “The Lord’s will be done.” Since no one knew exactly what would happen, the matter was left in the Lord’s hands.

[26:28]  ⁷ sn See the note on King Agrippa in 25:13.

[26:28]  ⁸ tn Or “In a short time you will make me a Christian.” On the difficulty of the precise nuances of Agrippa’s reply in this passage, see BDAG 791 s.v. πείθω 1.b. The idiom is like 1 Kgs 21:7 LXX. The point is that Paul was trying to persuade Agrippa to accept his message. If Agrippa had let Paul persuade him, he would have converted to Christianity.

[28:24]  ¹⁰ tn Or “persuaded.”

[28:24]  ¹¹ tn Grk “by the things spoken.”

[28:24]  ¹² sn Some were convinced…but others refused to believe. Once again the gospel caused division among Jews, as in earlier chapters of Acts (13:46; 18:6).

[27:11]  ¹³ sn See the note on the word centurion in 10:1.

[27:11]  ¹⁴ tn Or “persuaded.”

[27:11]  ¹⁵ tn BDAG 456 s.v. κυβερνήτης 1 has “one who is responsible for the management of a ship, shipmaster…W. ναύκληρος, the ‘shipowner’…Ac 27:11” See further L. Casson, Ships and Seamanship in the Ancient World, 316-18.

[27:11]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “than by what was said by Paul.” The passive construction has been converted to an active one to simplify the translation.

[5:40]  ¹⁶ sn Had them beaten. The punishment was the “forty lashes minus one,” see also Acts 22:19; 2 Cor 11:24; Mark 13:9. The apostles had disobeyed the religious authorities and took their punishment for their “disobedience” (Deut 25:2-3; m. Makkot 3:10-14). In Acts 4:18 they were warned. Now they are beaten. The hostility is rising as the narrative unfolds.

[5:40]  ¹⁷ tn The word “Then” is supplied as the beginning of a new sentence in the translation. The construction in Greek has so many clauses (most of them made up of participles) that a continuous English sentence would be very awkward.

[14:19]  ¹⁹ sn Antioch was a city in Pisidia about 90 mi (145 km) west northwest of Lystra.

[14:19]  ²⁰ sn Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 18 mi (30 km) north of Lystra. Note how Jews from other cities were chasing Paul (2 Cor 11:4-6; Gal 2:4-5; Acts 9:16).

[14:19]  ²¹ tn The participle πείσαντες (peisante") is taken temporally (BDAG 791 s.v. πείθω 1.c).

[14:19]  ²² tn Grk “stoning Paul they dragged him.” The participle λιθάσαντες (liqasante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:8]  ²² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[19:8]  ²³ tn Grk “So entering the synagogue, he spoke out fearlessly.” The participle εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:8]  ²⁴ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[19:8]  ²⁵ tn Or “boldly.”

[19:8]  ²⁶ 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 19:8. 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.

[19:8]  ²⁷ tn Or “addressing them persuasively.” The two participles διαλεγόμενος and πείθων (dialegomeno" and peiqwn) can be understood as a hendiadys (so NIV, NRSV), thus, “addressing them persuasively.”

[19:8]  ²⁸ sn To talk about Jesus as the Christ who has come is to talk about the kingdom of God. This is yet another summary of the message like that in 18:28.

[5:36]  ²⁵ tn Grk “For before these days.”

[5:36]  ²⁶ tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point.

[5:36]  ²⁷ tn Grk “and they came to nothing.” Gamaliel’s argument is that these two insurrectionists were taken care of by natural events.

[5:37]  ²⁸ tn Or “registration.”

[5:37]  ²⁹ tn The verb ἀφίστημι (afisthmi) as a transitive means “cause to revolt” as used in Josephus, Ant. 8.7.5 (8.198), 20.5.2 (20.102); see BDAG 157 s.v. 1.

[12:20]  ³¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Herod) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[12:20]  ³² tn Or “was extremely angry.” L&N 33.453 gives the meaning “be angry and quarrel, quarrel angrily” here. However, in L&N 88.180 the alternative “to be violently angry, to be furious” is given. The term is used only once in the NT (BDAG 461 s.v. θυμομαχέω).

[12:20]  ³³ sn Tyre was a city and seaport on the coast of Phoenicia.

[12:20]  ³⁴ sn Sidon was an ancient Phoenician royal city on the coast between Berytus (Beirut) and Tyre (BDAG 923 s.v. Σιδών).

[12:20]  ³⁵ tn Or “with one accord.”

[12:20]  ³⁶ tn Or “persuading.”

[12:20]  ³⁷ tn On the term translated “personal assistant” BDAG 554 s.v. κοιτῶν states, “used as part of a title: ὁ ἐπὶ τοῦ κοιτῶνος the one in charge of the bed-chamber, the chamberlain.” This individual was not just a domestic servant or butler, but a highly respected person who had considerable responsibility for the king’s living quarters and personal affairs. The English word “chamberlain” corresponds very closely to this meaning but is not in common use today. The term “personal assistant,” while it might convey more business associations than management of personal affairs, nevertheless communicates the concept well in contemporary English.

[12:20]  ³⁸ tn The words “to help them” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[12:20]  ³⁹ tn Or “for a reconciliation.” There were grave political risks in having Herod angry at them. The detail shows the ruler’s power.

[13:43]  ³⁴ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[13:43]  ³⁵ tn BDAG 607 s.v. λύω 3 has “λυθείσης τ. συναγωγῆς when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up Ac 13:43.”

[13:43]  ³⁶ tn Normally the phrase σεβόμενοι τὸν θεόν (sebomenoi ton qeon) refers to Gentiles (“God-fearers”) who believed in God, attended the synagogue, and followed the Mosaic law to some extent, but stopped short of undergoing circumcision. BDAG 918 s.v. σέβω 1.b lists in this category references in Acts 16:14; 18:7; with σεβόμενοι alone, Acts 13:50; 17:4, 17; the phrase is also found in Josephus, Ant. 14.7.2 (14.110). Unique to this particular verse is the combination σεβόμενοι προσηλύτων (sebomenoi proshlutwn). Later rabbinic discussion suggests that to be regarded as a proper proselyte, a Gentile male had to submit to circumcision. If that is the case here, these Gentiles in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch should be regarded as full proselytes who had converted completely to Judaism and undergone circumcision. It is probably more likely, however, that προσηλύτων is used here in a somewhat looser sense (note the use of σεβομένας [sebomena"] alone to refer to women in Acts 13:50) and that these Gentiles were still in the category commonly called “God-fearers” without being full, technical proselytes to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44. Regardless, the point is that many Gentiles, as well as Jews, came to faith.

[13:43]  ³⁷ tn This is the meaning given for ἔπειθον (epeiqon) in this verse by BDAG 791 s.v. πείθω 1.b.

[13:43]  ³⁸ tn Grk “who, as they were speaking with them, were persuading them.”

[13:43]  ³⁹ tn The verb προμένειν (promenein) is similar in force to the use of μένω (menw, “to reside/remain”) in the Gospel and Epistles of John.

[17:4]  ³⁷ tn Or “convinced.”

[17:4]  ³⁸ tn Or “a large crowd.”

[17:4]  ³⁹ 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]  ⁴⁰ 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).

[19:26]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “persuading.” The participle πείσας (peisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[19:26]  ⁴¹ tn Or “misled.”

[19:26]  ⁴² tn BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 3.a has “of pers. ὄχλος a large crowd…Ac 11:24, 26; 19:26.”

[19:26]  ⁴³ map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[19:26]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “Asia”; see the note on this word in v. 22.

[19:26]  ⁴⁵ tn The participle λέγων (legwn) has been regarded as indicating instrumentality.

[19:26]  ⁴⁶ tn The words “at all” are not in the Greek text but are implied.

[26:26]  ⁴³ tn BDAG 782 s.v. παρρησιάζομαι 1 states, “speak freely, openly, fearlessly…likew. in the ptc. w. a verb of saying foll.…παρρησιασάμενοι εἶπαν 13:46. – 26:26.” This could refer to boldness in speaking here.

[26:26]  ⁴⁴ tn Grk “to whom I am speaking freely.” The relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the personal pronoun (“him”) to simplify the translation.

[26:26]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “I cannot convince myself.” BDAG 792 s.v. πείθω 3.a states, “οὐ πείθομαι w. acc. and inf. I cannot believe Ac 26:26” (see also BDAG 586 s.v. λανθάνω).

[26:26]  ⁴⁶ tn BDAG 586 s.v. λανθάνω states, “λανθάνειν αὐτὸν τούτων οὐ πείθομαι οὐθέν I cannot bring myself to believe that any of these things has escaped his notice Ac 26:26.”

[26:26]  ⁴⁷ tn This term refers to a hidden corner (BDAG 209 s.v. γωνία). Paul’s point is that these events to which he refers were not done in a secret, hidden place, tucked away outside of view. They were done in public for all the world to see.

[23:21]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “do not be persuaded by them.” The passive construction μὴ πεισθῇς αὐτοῖς (mh peisqh" autoi") has been converted to an active construction in the translation, and the phrase “to do this” supplied to indicate more clearly the object of their persuasion.

[23:21]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “forty men of them.” In the expression ἐξ αὐτῶν ἄνδρες (ex autwn andre") “men” is somewhat redundant and has not been included in the English translation.

[23:21]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “are lying in wait for him” (BDAG 334 s.v. ἐνεδρεύω); see also v. 16.

[23:21]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “for him, who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) was translated by the third person plural pronoun (“they”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[23:21]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “bound themselves under a curse.” BDAG 63 s.v. ἀναθεματίζω 1 has “trans. put under a curse τινά someone… ἀ. ἑαυτόν vss. 12, 21, 13 v.l.”

[23:21]  ⁵¹ tn The word “anything” 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.

[23:21]  ⁵² tn Grk “waiting for your approval,” “waiting for your agreement.” Since it would be possible to misunderstand the literal translation “waiting for your approval” to mean that the Jews were waiting for the commander’s approval to carry out their plot or to kill Paul (as if he were to be an accomplice to their plot), the object of the commander’s approval (their request to bring Paul to the council) has been specified in the translation as “their request.”

[28:23]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “Having set.” The participle ταξάμενοι (taxamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[28:23]  ⁵⁰ tn Grk “Having set a day with him”; the words “to meet” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[28:23]  ⁵¹ tn Or “came to him in his rented quarters.”

[28:23]  ⁵² tn BDAG 848 s.v. πολύς 1.b.β.ב states, “(even) more πλείονες in even greater numbers Ac 28:23.”

[28:23]  ⁵³ tn The word “things” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[28:23]  ⁵⁴ tn Grk “to whom he explained.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation.

[28:23]  ⁵⁵ tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 1 has “to make a solemn declaration about the truth of someth. testify of, bear witness to (orig. under oath)…God’s kingdom 28:23.”

[28:23]  ⁵⁶ sn Testifying about the kingdom of God. The topic is important. Paul’s preaching was about the rule of God and his promise in Jesus. Paul’s text was the Jewish scriptures.

[28:23]  ⁵⁷ tn Or “persuade.”