Acts 3:25

3:25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, ¹  saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants ²  all the nations ³  of the earth will be blessed.’ ⁴ 

Acts 4:21

4:21 After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising ⁵  God for what had happened.

Acts 5:28

5:28 saying, “We gave ⁶  you strict orders ⁷  not to teach in this name. ⁸  Look, ⁹  you have filled Jerusalem ¹⁰  with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood ¹¹  on us!”

Acts 7:26

7:26 The next day Moses ¹²  saw two men ¹³  fighting, and tried to make peace between ¹⁴  them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why are you hurting one another?’

Acts 10:4

10:4 Staring at him and becoming greatly afraid, Cornelius ¹⁵  replied, ¹⁶  “What is it, Lord?” The angel ¹⁷  said to him, “Your prayers and your acts of charity ¹⁸  have gone up as a memorial ¹⁹  before God.

Acts 11:17

11:17 Therefore if God ²⁰  gave them the same gift ²¹  as he also gave us after believing ²²  in the Lord Jesus Christ, ²³  who was I to hinder ²⁴  God?”

Acts 13:15

13:15 After the reading from the law and the prophets, ²⁵  the leaders of the synagogue ²⁶  sent them a message, ²⁷  saying, “Brothers, ²⁸  if you have any message ²⁹  of exhortation ³⁰  for the people, speak it.” ³¹ 

Acts 16:3

16:3 Paul wanted Timothy ³²  to accompany him, and he took ³³  him and circumcised ³⁴  him because of the Jews who were in those places, ³⁵  for they all knew that his father was Greek. ³⁶ 

Acts 18:27

18:27 When Apollos ³⁷  wanted to cross over to Achaia, ³⁸  the brothers encouraged ³⁹  him ⁴⁰  and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he ⁴¹  assisted greatly those who had believed by grace,

Acts 27:2

27:2 We went on board ⁴²  a ship from Adramyttium ⁴³  that was about to sail to various ports ⁴⁴  along the coast of the province of Asia ⁴⁵  and put out to sea, ⁴⁶  accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian ⁴⁷  from Thessalonica. ⁴⁸ 

Acts 28:4

28:4 When the local people ⁴⁹  saw the creature hanging from Paul’s ⁵⁰  hand, they said to one another, “No doubt this man is a murderer! Although he has escaped from the sea, Justice herself ⁵¹  has not allowed him to live!” ⁵² 

Acts 28:15

28:15 The brothers from there, ⁵³  when they heard about us, came as far as the Forum of Appius ⁵⁴  and Three Taverns ⁵⁵  to meet us. When he saw them, ⁵⁶  Paul thanked God and took courage.

[3:25]  ¹ tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”

[3:25]  ² tn Or “in your offspring”; Grk “in your seed.”

[3:25]  ³ tn Or “families.” The Greek word πατριά (patria) can indicate persons of succeeding generations who are related by birth (“lineage,” “family”) but it can also indicate a relatively large unit of people who make up a sociopolitical group and who share a presumed biological descent. In many contexts πατριά is very similar to ἔθνος (eqnos) and λαός (laos). In light of the context of the OT quotation, it is better to translate πατριά as “nations” here.

[3:25]  ⁴ sn A quotation from Gen 22:18.

[4:21]  ⁵ tn Or “glorifying.”

[5:28]  ⁹ tc ‡ The majority of mss, including a few important witnesses (א² D E [Ψ] 1739 Ï sy sa), have the negative particle οὐ (ou) here, effectively turning the high priest’s words into a question: “Did we not give you strict orders not to teach in this name?” But the earliest and most important mss, along with some others (Ì⁷⁴ א* A B 1175 lat bo), lack the particle, making this a strong statement rather than a question. Scribes may have been tempted to omit the particle to strengthen the contrast between official Judaism and the new faith, but the fact that v. 27 introduces the quotation with ἐπηρώτησεν (ephrwthsen, “he questioned”) may well have prompted scribes to add οὐ to convert the rebuke into a question. Further, that excellent witnesses affirm the shorter reading is sufficient ground for accepting it as most probably authentic. NA²⁷ includes the particle in brackets, indicating some doubt as to its authenticity.

[5:28]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “We commanded you with a commandment” (a Semitic idiom that is emphatic).

[5:28]  ¹¹ sn The name (i.e., person) of Jesus is the constant issue of debate.

[5:28]  ¹² tn Grk “And behold.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[5:28]  ¹³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[5:28]  ¹⁴ sn To bring this man’s blood on us is an idiom meaning “you intend to make us guilty of this man’s death.”

[7:26]  ¹³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[7:26]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “saw them”; the context makes clear that two individuals were involved (v. 27).

[7:26]  ¹⁵ tn Or “tried to reconcile” (BDAG 964-65 s.v. συναλλάσσω).

[10:4]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Cornelius) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:4]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “said,” but in response to the angel’s address, “replied” is better English style.

[10:4]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (the angel) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[10:4]  ²⁰ tn Or “your gifts to the needy.”

[10:4]  ²¹ sn The language used in the expression gone up as a memorial before God parallels what one would say of acceptable sacrifices (Ps 141:2; Sir 35:6; 50:16).

[11:17]  ²¹ tc Codex Bezae (D) and {a few other Western witnesses} here lack ὁ θεός (Jo qeo", “God”), perhaps because these scribes considered the Holy Spirit to be the gift of Christ rather than the gift of God; thus leaving the subject implicit would naturally draw the reader back to v. 16 to see the Lord Jesus as the bestower of the Spirit.

[11:17]  ²² sn That is, the same gift of the Holy Spirit.

[11:17]  ²³ tn Or “gave us when we believed”; or “gave us after we believed”; or “gave us who believed”; or “gave them when they believed the same gift as he also gave us.” The aorist dative plural participle πιστεύσασιν (pisteusasin) can be understood in several different ways: (1) It could modify ἡμῖν (Jhmin, “us”) or αὐτοῖς (autois, “them”). Proximity (it immediately follows ἡμῖν) would suggest that it belongs with ἡμῖν, so the last option (“gave them when they believed the same gift he also gave us”) is less likely. (2) The participle could be either adverbial or adjectival, modifying ἡμῖν. This decision is primarily a contextual one. The point Peter made is not whether or not the Gentiles believed, since both groups (“us” and “they”) had believed in the Lord Jesus Christ. The point was whether or not the Gentiles received the Spirit when they believed, just as Jewish Christians had received the Spirit on the day of Pentecost when they believed. Translated as an adjectival participle, πιστεύσασιν only affirms the fact of belief, however, and raises somewhat of a theological problem if one realizes, “Would God have given the Gentiles the Spirit if they had not believed?” (In other words, belief in itself is a theological prerequisite for receiving the Spirit. As such, in the case of the Gentiles, it is assumed.) Thus in context it makes more sense to understand the participle πιστεύσασιν as adverbial, related to the time of belief in connection with the giving of the Spirit. (3) The participle πιστεύσασιν as a temporal participle can refer to action antecedent to the action of the main verb ἔδωκεν (edwken) or contemporaneous with it. Logically, at least, the gift of the Spirit followed belief in the case of the original Christians, who had believed before the day of Pentecost. In the case of Cornelius and his household, belief and the reception of the Spirit were virtually simultaneous. One can argue that Peter is “summarizing” the experience of Jewish Christians, and therefore the actions of belief and reception of the Spirit, while historically separate, have been “telescoped” into one (“gave them the same gift as he gave us when we believed”), but to be technically accurate the participle πιστεύσασιν should be translated “gave them the same gift as he also gave us after we believed.” A number of these problems can be avoided, however, by using a translation in English that maintains some of the ambiguity of the Greek original. Thus “if God gave them the same gift as he also gave us after believing” is used, where the phrase “after believing” can refer either to “them” or to “us,” or both.

[11:17]  ²⁴ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[11:17]  ²⁵ tn Or “prevent,” “forbid” (BDAG 580 s.v. κωλύω 1.a). Peter’s point is that he will not stand in the way of God.

[13:15]  ²⁵ sn After the reading from the law and the prophets. In the 1st century Jewish synagogue, it was customary after the reading of the Torah (law) and prophets for men to give exhortation from the scriptures.

[13:15]  ²⁶ tn Normally ἀρχισυνάγωγος (arcisunagwgo") refers to the “president of a synagogue” (so BDAG 139 s.v. and L&N 53.93). Since the term is plural here, however, and it would sound strange to the English reader to speak of “the presidents of the synagogue,” the alternative translation “leaders” is used. “Rulers” would also be acceptable, but does not convey quite the same idea.

[13:15]  ²⁷ tn Grk “sent to them”; the word “message” is an understood direct object. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[13:15]  ²⁸ tn Grk “Men brothers,” but this is both awkward and unnecessary in English.

[13:15]  ²⁹ tn Or “word.”

[13:15]  ³⁰ tn Or “encouragement.”

[13:15]  ³¹ tn Or “give it.”

[16:3]  ²⁹ tn Grk “this one”; the referent (Timothy) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:3]  ³⁰ tn Grk “and taking him he circumcised him.” The participle λαβών (labwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Paul’s cultural sensitivity showed in his action here. He did not want Timothy’s lack of circumcision to become an issue (1 Cor 9:15-23).

[16:3]  ³¹ tn The verb περιέτεμεν (perietemen) here may be understood as causative (cf. ExSyn 411-12) if Paul did not personally perform the circumcision.

[16:3]  ³² tn Or “who lived in the area.”

[16:3]  ³³ tn The anarthrous predicate nominative has been translated as qualitative (“Greek”) rather than indefinite (“a Greek”).

[18:27]  ³³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Apollos) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:27]  ³⁴ sn To cross over to Achaia. Achaia was organized by the Romans as a separate province in 27 b.c. and was located across the Aegean Sea from Ephesus. The city of Corinth was in Achaia.

[18:27]  ³⁵ tn Grk “encouraging [him], the brothers wrote.” The participle προτρεψάμενοι (protreyamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. This was the typical letter of commendation from the Ephesians to the Achaeans.

[18:27]  ³⁶ tn The word “him” 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.

[18:27]  ³⁷ tn Grk “who, when he arrived.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) was replaced with the pronoun “he” and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[27:2]  ³⁷ tn Grk “Going on board.” The participle ἐπιβάντες (epibante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[27:2]  ³⁸ sn Adramyttium was a seaport in Mysia on the western coast of Asia Minor.

[27:2]  ³⁹ tn Grk “places.”

[27:2]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.

[27:2]  ⁴¹ tn BDAG 62 s.v. ἀνάγω 4 states, “as a nautical t.t. (ἀ. τὴν ναῦν put a ship to sea), mid. or pass. ἀνάγεσθαι to begin to go by boat, put out to sea.”

[27:2]  ⁴² sn A Macedonian. The city of Thessalonica (modern Salonica) was in the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[27:2]  ⁴³ map For location see JP1 C1; JP2 C1; JP3 C1; JP4 C1.

[28:4]  ⁴¹ tn Although this is literally βάρβαροι (barbaroi; “foreigners, barbarians”) used for non-Greek or non-Romans, as BDAG 166 s.v. βάρβαρος 2.b notes, “Of the inhabitants of Malta, who apparently spoke in their native language Ac 28:2, 4 (here β. certainly without derogatory tone…).”

[28:4]  ⁴² tn Grk “his”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[28:4]  ⁴³ tn That is, the goddess Justice has not allowed him to live. BDAG 250 s.v. δίκη 2 states, “Justice personified as a deity Ac 28:4”; L&N 12.27, “a goddess who personifies justice in seeking out and punishing the guilty – ‘the goddess Justice.’ ἡ δίκη ζῆν οὐκ εἴασεν ‘the goddess Justice would not let him live’ Ac 28:4.” Although a number of modern English translations have rendered δίκη (dikh) “justice,” preferring to use an abstraction, in the original setting it is almost certainly a reference to a pagan deity. In the translation, the noun “justice” was capitalized and the reflexive pronoun “herself” was supplied to make the personification clear. This was considered preferable to supplying a word like ‘goddess’ in connection with δίκη.

[28:4]  ⁴⁴ sn The entire scene is played out initially as a kind of oracle from the gods resulting in the judgment of a guilty person (Justice herself has not allowed him to live). Paul’s survival of this incident without ill effects thus spoke volumes about his innocence.

[28:15]  ⁴⁵ sn Mention of Christian brothers from there (Rome) shows that God’s message had already spread as far as Italy and the capital of the empire.

[28:15]  ⁴⁶ sn The Forum of Appius was a small traveler’s stop on the Appian Way about 43 mi (71 km) south of Rome (BDAG 125 s.v. ᾿Αππίου φόρον). It was described by Horace as “crammed with boatmen and stingy tavernkeepers” (Satires 1.5.3).

[28:15]  ⁴⁷ sn Three Taverns was a stop on the Appian Way 33 mi (55 km) south of Rome.

[28:15]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “whom, when he saw [them], Paul.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was replaced by the personal pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun here in the translation.