Acts 3:14

3:14 But you rejected ¹  the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a man who was a murderer be released to you.

Acts 15:28

15:28 For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us ²  not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules: ³ 

Acts 20:20

20:20 You know that I did not hold back from proclaiming ⁴  to you anything that would be helpful, ⁵  and from teaching you publicly ⁶  and from house to house,

Acts 20:26

20:26 Therefore I declare ⁷  to you today that I am innocent ⁸  of the blood of you all. ⁹ 

Acts 28:28

28:28 “Therefore be advised ¹⁰  that this salvation from God ¹¹  has been sent to the Gentiles; ¹²  they ¹³  will listen!”

[3:14]  ¹ tn Or “denied,” “disowned.”

[15:28]  ² tn This is the same expression translated “decided” in Acts 15:22, 25. BDAG 255 s.v. δοκέω 2.b.β lists “decide” as a possible gloss for this verse, and this translation would be consistent with the translation of the same expression in Acts 15:22, 25. However, the unusually awkward “the Holy Spirit and we have decided” would result. Given this approach, it would be more natural in English to say “We and the Holy Spirit have decided,” but changing the order removes the emphasis the Greek text gives to the Holy Spirit. Thus, although the similarity to the phrases in 15:22, 25 is obscured, it is better to use the alternate translation “it seems best to me” (also given by BDAG): “it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us.” Again the scope of agreement is highlighted.

[15:28]  ³ tn L&N 71.39 translates “indispensable (rules)” while BDAG 358 s.v. ἐπάναγκες has “the necessary things.”

[20:20]  ³ tn Or “declaring.”

[20:20]  ⁴ tn Or “profitable.” BDAG 960 s.v. συμφέρω 2.b.α has “τὰ συμφέροντα what advances your best interests or what is good for you Ac 20:20,” but the broader meaning (s.v. 2, “to be advantageous, help, confer a benefit, be profitable/useful”) is equally possible in this context.

[20:20]  ⁵ tn Or “openly.”

[20:26]  ⁴ tn Or “testify.”

[20:26]  ⁵ tn Grk “clean, pure,” thus “guiltless” (BDAG 489 s.v. καθαρός 3.a).

[20:26]  ⁶ tn That is, “that if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible” (an idiom). According to L&N 33.223, the meaning of the phrase “that I am innocent of the blood of all of you” is “that if any of you should be lost, I am not responsible.” However, due to the length of this phrase and its familiarity to many modern English readers, the translation was kept closer to formal equivalence in this case. The word “you” is not in the Greek text, but is implied; Paul is addressing the Ephesian congregation (in the person of its elders) in both v. 25 and 27.

[28:28]  ⁵ tn Grk “Therefore let it be known to you.”

[28:28]  ⁶ tn Or “of God.”

[28:28]  ⁷ sn 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]  ⁸ tn Grk “they also.”