Acts 4:28-37

4:28 to do as much as your power ¹  and your plan ²  had decided beforehand ³  would happen. 4:29 And now, Lord, pay attention to ⁴  their threats, and grant ⁵  to your servants ⁶  to speak your message ⁷  with great courage, ⁸  4:30 while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs ⁹  and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 4:31 When ¹⁰  they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, ¹¹  and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak ¹²  the word of God ¹³  courageously. ¹⁴ 

Conditions Among the Early Believers

4:32 The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, ¹⁵  and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common. ¹⁶  4:33 With ¹⁷  great power the apostles were giving testimony ¹⁸  to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all. 4:34 For there was no one needy ¹⁹  among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling ²⁰  them ²¹  and bringing the proceeds from the sales 4:35 and placing them at the apostles’ feet. The proceeds ²²  were distributed to each, as anyone had need. 4:36 So Joseph, a Levite who was a native of Cyprus, called by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated “son of encouragement”), ²³  4:37 sold ²⁴  a field ²⁵  that belonged to him and brought the money ²⁶  and placed it at the apostles’ feet.

[4:28]  ¹ tn Grk “hand,” here a metaphor for God’s strength or power or authority.

[4:28]  ² tn Or “purpose,” “will.”

[4:28]  ³ tn Or “had predestined.” Since the term “predestine” is something of a technical theological term, not in wide usage in contemporary English, the translation “decide beforehand” was used instead (see L&N 30.84). God’s direction remains as the major theme.

[4:29]  ⁴ tn Or “Lord, take notice of.”

[4:29]  ⁵ sn Grant to your servants to speak your message with great courage. The request is not for a stop to persecution or revenge on the opponents, but for boldness (great courage) to carry out the mission of proclaiming the message of what God is doing through Jesus.

[4:29]  ⁶ tn Grk “slaves.” See the note on the word “servants” in 2:18.

[4:29]  ⁷ tn Grk “word.”

[4:29]  ⁸ tn Or “with all boldness.”

[4:30]  ⁹ tn The miraculous nature of these signs is implied in the context.

[4:31]  ¹⁰ tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[4:31]  ¹¹ sn The place where they were assembled…was shaken. This signifies that God is in their midst. See Acts 16:26; Exod 19:18; Ps 114:7; Isa 6:4.

[4:31]  ¹² tn The imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect (“began to speak”). Logical sequencing suggests that their speaking began after they were filled with the Spirit. The prayer was answered immediately.

[4:31]  ¹³ tn Or “speak God’s message.”

[4:31]  ¹⁴ tn Or “with boldness.”

[4:32]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “soul.”

[4:32]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “but all things were to them in common.”

[4:33]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “And with.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.

[4:33]  ¹⁸ tn Or “were witnessing.”

[4:34]  ¹⁹ tn Or “poor.”

[4:34]  ²⁰ tn Grk “houses, selling them were bringing.” The participle πωλοῦντες (pwlounte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[4:34]  ²¹ tn The word “them” 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.

[4:35]  ²² tn Grk “It” (or “They,” plural). The referent of the understood pronoun subject, the proceeds from the sales, of the verb διεδίδετο (diedideto) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[4:36]  ²³ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Note how the actions of Barnabas are in keeping with the meaning of his nickname. He stands in contrast to Ananias and Sapphira in 5:1-11.

[4:37]  ²⁴ tn Grk “selling a field that belonged to him, brought” The participle πωλήσας (pwlhsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[4:37]  ²⁵ tn Or “a farm.”

[4:37]  ²⁶ tn Normally a reference to actual coins (“currency”). See L&N 6.68.