Acts 28:23-31

Context

28:23 They set¹ a day to meet with him,² and they came to him where he was staying³ in even greater numbers.⁴ From morning until evening he explained things⁵ to them,⁶ testifying⁷ about the kingdom of God⁸ and trying to convince⁹ them about Jesus from both the law of Moses and the prophets. 28:24 Some were convinced¹⁰ by what he said,¹¹ but others refused¹² to believe. 28:25 So they began to leave,¹³ unable to agree among themselves, after Paul made one last statement: “The Holy Spirit spoke rightly to your ancestors¹⁴ through the prophet Isaiah 28:26 when he said,

‘Go to this people and say,

“You will keep on hearing,¹⁵ but will never understand,

and you will keep on looking,¹⁶ but will never perceive.

28:27 For the heart of this people has become dull,¹⁷

and their ears are hard of hearing,¹⁸

and they have closed their eyes,

so that they would not see with their eyes

and hear with their ears

and understand with their heart

and turn,¹⁹ and I would heal them.”’²⁰

28:28 “Therefore be advised²¹ that this salvation from God²² has been sent to the Gentiles;²³ they²⁴ will listen!”

28:29 [[EMPTY]]²⁵

28:30 Paul²⁶ lived²⁷ there two whole years in his own rented quarters²⁸ and welcomed²⁹ all who came to him, 28:31 proclaiming the kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ³⁰ with complete boldness³¹ and without restriction.³²

[28:23] ¹tn Grk “Having set.” The participle ταξάμενοι (taxamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[28:23] ²tn Grk “Having set a day with him”; the words “to meet” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.

[28:23] ³tn Or “came to him in his rented quarters.”

[28:23] ⁴tn BDAG 848 s.v. πολύς 1.b.β.ב states, “(even) more πλείονες in even greater numbers Ac 28:23.”

[28:23] ⁵tn 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] ⁶tn 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 Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced by the pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun at this point in the translation.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] ⁷tn 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] ⁸sn 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] ⁹tn Or “persuade.”

[28:24] ¹⁰tn Or “persuaded.”

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

[28:24] ¹²sn 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).

[28:25] ¹³tn The imperfect verb ἀπελύοντο (apeluonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[28:25] ¹⁴tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[28:26] ¹⁵tn Grk “you will hear with hearing” (an idiom).

[28:26] ¹⁶tn Or “seeing”; Grk “you will look by looking” (an idiom).

[28:27] ¹⁷tn Or “insensitive.”

[28:27] ¹⁸tn Grk “they hear heavily with their ears” (an idiom for slow comprehension).

[28:27] ¹⁹sn Note how the failure to respond to the message of the gospel is seen as a failure to turn.

[28:27] ²⁰sn A quotation from Isa 6:9-10.

[28:28] ²¹tn Grk “Therefore let it be known to you.”

[28:28] ²²tn Or “of God.”

[28:28] ²³sn The term Gentiles is in emphatic position in the Greek text of this clause. Once again there is the pattern: Jewish rejection of the gospel leads to an emphasis on Gentile inclusion (Acts 13:44-47).

[28:28] ²⁴tn Grk “they also.”

[28:29] ²⁵tc Some later mss include 28:29: “When he had said these things, the Jews departed, having a great dispute among themselves.” Verse 29 is lacking in Ì^74vid א A B E Ψ 048 33 81 1175 1739 2464 pc and a number of versions. They are included (with a few minor variations) in Ï it and some versions. This verse is almost certainly not a part of the original text of Acts, as it lacks the best credentials. The present translation follows NA²⁷ in omitting the verse number, a procedure also followed by a number of other modern translations.

[28:30] ²⁶tn Grk “He”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:30] ²⁷tn Or “stayed.”

[28:30] ²⁸tn Or perhaps, “two whole years at his own expense.” BDAG 654 s.v. μίσθωμα states, “the customary act. mng. ‘contract price, rent’…is not found in our lit. (Ac) and the pass. what is rented, a rented house is a mng. not found outside it (even Ammonius Gramm. [100 ad] p. 93 Valck. knows nothing of it. Hence the transl. at his own expense [NRSV] merits attention) ἐν ἰδίῳ μισθώματι in his own rented lodgings Ac 28:30 (for the idea cp. Jos., Ant. 18, 235).”

[28:30] ²⁹tn Or “and received.”

[28:31] ³⁰tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[28:31] ³¹tn Or “openness.”

[28:31] ³²sn Proclaiming…with complete boldness and without restriction. Once again Paul’s imprisonment is on benevolent terms. The word of God is proclaimed triumphantly and boldly in Rome. Acts ends with this note: Despite all the attempts to stop it, the message goes forth.