Acts 2:24

2:24 But God raised him up, ¹  having released ²  him from the pains ³  of death, because it was not possible for him to be held in its power. ⁴ 

Acts 18:24

Apollos Begins His Ministry

18:24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus. ⁵  He was an eloquent speaker, ⁶  well-versed ⁷  in the scriptures.

Acts 25:5

25:5 “So,” he said, “let your leaders ⁸  go down there ⁹  with me, and if this man has done anything wrong, ¹⁰  they may bring charges ¹¹  against him.”

[2:24]  ¹ tn Grk “Whom God raised up.”

[2:24]  ² tn Or “having freed.”

[2:24]  ³ sn The term translated pains is frequently used to describe pains associated with giving birth (see Rev 12:2). So there is irony here in the mixed metaphor.

[2:24]  ⁴ tn Or “for him to be held by it” (in either case, “it” refers to death’s power).

[18:24]  ⁵ map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[18:24]  ⁶ tn Or “was a learned man.” In this verse λόγιος (logios) can refer to someone who was an attractive and convincing speaker, a rhetorician (L&N 33.32), or it can refer to the person who has acquired a large part of the intellectual heritage of a given culture (“learned” or “cultured,” L&N 27.20, see also BDAG 598 s.v. λόγιος which lists both meanings as possible here). The description of Apollos’ fervent speaking in the following verses, as well as implications from 1 Cor 1-4, where Paul apparently compares his style and speaking ability with that of Apollos, suggests that eloquent speaking ability or formal rhetorical skill are in view here. This clause has been moved from its order in the Greek text (Grk “a certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus, who was powerful in the scriptures”) and paired with the last element (“powerful in the scriptures”) due to the demands of clarity and contemporary English style.

[18:24]  ⁷ tn Grk “powerful.” BDAG 264 s.v. δυνατός 1.b has “in the Scriptures = well-versed 18:24.”

[25:5]  ⁹ tn Grk “let those who are influential among you” (i.e., the powerful).

[25:5]  ¹⁰ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[25:5]  ¹¹ tn Grk “and if there is anything wrong with this man,” but this could be misunderstood in English to mean a moral or physical defect, while the issue in context is the commission of some crime, something legally improper (BDAG 149 s.v. ἄτοπος 2).

[25:5]  ¹² tn BDAG 533 s.v. κατηγορέω 1 states, “nearly always as legal t.t.: bring charges in court.” L&N 33.427 states for κατηγορέω, “to bring serious charges or accusations against someone, with the possible connotation of a legal or court context – ‘to accuse, to bring charges.”