Acts 21:39

21:39 Paul answered, ¹  “I am a Jew ²  from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of an important city. ³  Please ⁴  allow me to speak to the people.”

Acts 23:6

23:6 Then when Paul noticed ⁵  that part of them were Sadducees ⁶  and the others Pharisees, ⁷  he shouted out in the council, ⁸  “Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. I am on trial concerning the hope of the resurrection ⁹  of the dead!”

Acts 25:10

25:10 Paul replied, ¹⁰  “I am standing before Caesar’s ¹¹  judgment seat, ¹²  where I should be tried. ¹³  I have done nothing wrong ¹⁴  to the Jews, as you also know very well. ¹⁵ 

Acts 26:29

26:29 Paul replied, “I pray to God that whether in a short or a long time ¹⁶  not only you but also all those who are listening to me today could become such as I am, except for these chains.” ¹⁷ 

[21:39]  ¹ tn Grk “said.”

[21:39]  ² tn Grk “a Jewish man.”

[21:39]  ³ tn Grk “of a not insignificant city.” The double negative, common in Greek, is awkward in English and has been replaced by a corresponding positive expression (BDAG 142 s.v. ἄσημος 1).

[21:39]  ⁴ tn Grk “I beg you.”

[23:6]  ⁵ tn BDAG 200 s.v. γινώσκω 4 has “to be aware of someth., perceive, notice, realize”; this is further clarified by section 4.c: “w. ὅτι foll….Ac 23:6.”

[23:6]  ⁶ sn See the note on Sadducees in 4:1.

[23:6]  ⁷ sn See the note on Pharisee in 5:34.

[23:6]  ⁸ tn Grk “the Sanhedrin” (the Sanhedrin was the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).

[23:6]  ⁹ tn That is, concerning the hope that the dead will be resurrected. Grk “concerning the hope and resurrection.” BDAG 320 s.v. ἐλπίς 1.b.α states, “Of Israel’s messianic hope Ac 23:6 (ἐ. καὶ ἀνάστασις for ἐ. τῆς ἀν. [obj. gen] as 2 Macc 3:29 ἐ. καὶ σωτηρία).” With an objective genitive construction, the resurrection of the dead would be the “object” of the hope.

[25:10]  ⁹ tn Grk “said.”

[25:10]  ¹⁰ tn Or “before the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[25:10]  ¹¹ 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), since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time, there is no need for an alternative translation here. Here of course Paul’s reference to “Caesar’s judgment seat” is a form of metonymy; since Festus is Caesar’s representative, Festus’ judgment seat represents Caesar’s own.

[25:10]  ¹² tn That is, tried by an imperial representative and subject to Roman law.

[25:10]  ¹³ sn “I have done nothing wrong.” Here is yet another declaration of total innocence on Paul’s part.

[25:10]  ¹⁴ tn BDAG 506 s.v. καλῶς 7 states, “comp. κάλλιον (for the superl., as Galen, Protr. 8 p. 24, 19J.=p. 10, 31 Kaibel; s. B-D-F §244, 2) ὡς καί σὺ κ. ἐπιγινώσκεις as also you know very well Ac 25:10.”

[26:29]  ¹³ tn BDAG 703 s.v. ὀλίγος 2.b.β has “καὶ ἐν ὀλ. καὶ ἐν μεγάλῳ whether in a short or a long time vs. 29 (cf. B-D-F §195; GWhitaker, The Words of Agrippa to St. Paul: JTS 15, 1914, 82f; AFridrichsen, SymbOsl 14, ’35, 50; Field, Notes 141-43; s. Rob. 653).”

[26:29]  ¹⁴ sn Except for these chains. The chains represented Paul’s unjust suffering for the sake of the message. His point was, in effect, “I do not care how long it takes. I only hope you and everyone else hearing this would become believers in Christ, but without my unjust suffering.”