Acts 4:8

4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, ¹  replied, ²  “Rulers of the people and elders, ³ 

Acts 11:30

11:30 They did so, ⁴  sending their financial aid ⁵  to the elders by Barnabas and Saul.

Acts 15:6

15:6 Both the apostles and the elders met together to deliberate ⁶  about this matter.

Acts 20:17

20:17 From Miletus ⁷  he sent a message ⁸  to Ephesus, telling the elders of the church to come to him. ⁹ 

Acts 4:5

4:5 On the next day, ¹⁰  their rulers, elders, and experts in the law ¹¹  came together ¹²  in Jerusalem. ¹³ 

Acts 14:23

14:23 When they had appointed elders ¹⁴  for them in the various churches, ¹⁵  with prayer and fasting ¹⁶  they entrusted them to the protection ¹⁷  of the Lord in whom they had believed.

Acts 21:18

21:18 The next day Paul went in with us to see James, and all the elders were there. ¹⁸ 

Acts 4:23

The Followers of Jesus Pray for Boldness

4:23 When they were released, Peter and John ¹⁹  went to their fellow believers ²⁰  and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said to them.

Acts 6:12

6:12 They incited the people, the ²¹  elders, and the experts in the law; ²²  then they approached Stephen, ²³  seized him, and brought him before the council. ²⁴ 

Acts 15:4

15:4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received ²⁵  by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported ²⁶  all the things God had done with them. ²⁷ 

Acts 15:23

15:23 They sent this letter with them: ²⁸ 

From the apostles ²⁹  and elders, your brothers, ³⁰  to the Gentile brothers and sisters ³¹  in Antioch, ³²  Syria, ³³  and Cilicia, greetings!

Acts 16:4

16:4 As they went through the towns, ³⁴  they passed on ³⁵  the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ³⁶  for the Gentile believers ³⁷  to obey. ³⁸ 

Acts 23:14

23:14 They ³⁹  went ⁴⁰  to the chief priests ⁴¹  and the elders and said, “We have bound ourselves with a solemn oath ⁴²  not to partake ⁴³  of anything until we have killed Paul.

Acts 24:1

The Accusations Against Paul

24:1 After five days the high priest Ananias ⁴⁴  came down with some elders and an attorney ⁴⁵  named ⁴⁶  Tertullus, and they ⁴⁷  brought formal charges ⁴⁸  against Paul to the governor.

Acts 25:15

25:15 When I was in Jerusalem, ⁴⁹  the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed ⁵⁰  me about him, ⁵¹  asking for a sentence of condemnation ⁵²  against him.

Acts 15:2

15:2 When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate ⁵³  with them, the church ⁵⁴  appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with ⁵⁵  the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ⁵⁶  about this point of disagreement. ⁵⁷ 

Acts 15:22

15:22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided ⁵⁸  to send men chosen from among them, Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, ⁵⁹  leaders among the brothers, to Antioch ⁶⁰  with Paul and Barnabas.

Acts 2:17

2:17 ‘And in the last days ⁶¹  it will be,’ God says,

‘that I will pour out my Spirit on all people, ⁶² 

and your sons and your daughters will prophesy,

and your young men will see visions,

and your old men will dream dreams.

[4:8]  ¹ sn Filled with the Holy Spirit. The narrator’s remark about the Holy Spirit indicates that Peter speaks as directed by God and for God. This fulfills Luke 12:11-12 (1 Pet 3:15).

[4:8]  ² tn Grk “Spirit, said to them.”

[4:8]  ³ tc The Western and Byzantine texts, as well as one or two Alexandrian witnesses, read τοῦ ᾿Ισραήλ (tou Israhl, “of Israel”) after πρεσβύτεροι (presbuteroi, “elders”; so D E Ψ 33 1739 Ï it), while most of the better witnesses, chiefly Alexandrian (Ì⁷⁴ א A B 0165 1175 vg sa bo), lack this modifier. The longer reading was most likely added by scribes to give literary balance to the addressees in that “Rulers” already had an adjunct while “elders” was left absolute.

[11:30]  ⁴ tn Grk “Judea, which they did.” The relative pronoun was omitted and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.

[11:30]  ⁵ tn The words “their financial aid” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[15:6]  ⁷ tn The translation for ἰδεῖν (idein) in this verse is given by BDAG 279-80 s.v. εἶδον 3 as “deliberate concerning this matter.” A contemporary idiom would be to “look into” a matter.

[20:17]  ¹⁰ sn Miletus was a seaport on the western coast of Asia Minor about 45 mi (72 km) south of Ephesus.

[20:17]  ¹¹ tn The words “a message” are not in the Greek text, but are implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.

[20:17]  ¹² tn The words “to him” are not in the Greek text but are implied. L&N 33.311 has for the verb μετακαλέομαι (metakaleomai) “to summon someone, with considerable insistence and authority – ‘to summon, to tell to come.’”

[4:5]  ¹³ tn Grk “It happened that on the next day.” The introductory phrase ἐγένετο (egeneto, “it happened that”), common in Luke (69 times) and Acts (54 times), is redundant in contemporary English and has not been translated.

[4:5]  ¹⁴ tn Or “and scribes.” The traditional rendering of γραμματεύς (grammateu") as “scribe” does not communicate much to the modern English reader, for whom the term might mean “professional copyist,” if it means anything at all. The people referred to here were recognized experts in the law of Moses and in traditional laws and regulations. Thus “expert in the law” comes closer to the meaning for the modern reader.

[4:5]  ¹⁵ tn Or “law assembled,” “law met together.”

[4:5]  ¹⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[14:23]  ¹⁶ sn Appointed elders. See Acts 20:17.

[14:23]  ¹⁷ tn The preposition κατά (kata) is used here in a distributive sense; see BDAG 512 s.v. κατά B.1.d.

[14:23]  ¹⁸ tn Literally with a finite verb (προσευξάμενοι, proseuxamenoi) rather than a noun, “praying with fasting,” but the combination “prayer and fasting” is so familiar in English that it is preferable to use it here.

[14:23]  ¹⁹ tn BDAG 772 s.v. παρατίθημι 3.b has “entrust someone to the care or protection of someone” for this phrase. The reference to persecution or suffering in the context (v. 22) suggests “protection” is a better translation here. This looks at God’s ultimate care for the church.

[21:18]  ¹⁹ tn BDAG 760 s.v. παραγίνομαι 1 has this use under the broad category of meaning “draw near, come, arrive, be present.”

[4:23]  ²² tn Grk “they”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity, since a new topic begins in v. 23 and the last specific reference to Peter and John in the Greek text is in 4:19.

[4:23]  ²³ tn Grk “to their own [people].” In context this phrase is most likely a reference to other believers rather than simply their own families and/or homes, since the group appears to act with one accord in the prayer that follows in v. 24. At the literary level, this phrase suggests how Jews were now splitting into two camps, pro-Jesus and anti-Jesus.

[6:12]  ²⁵ tn Grk “and the,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[6:12]  ²⁶ tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 4:5.

[6:12]  ²⁷ tn Grk “approaching, they seized him”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[6:12]  ²⁸ tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews). Stephen suffers just as Peter and John did.

[15:4]  ²⁸ tn BDAG 761 s.v. παραδέχομαι 2 has “receive, accept” for the meaning here.

[15:4]  ²⁹ tn Or “announced.”

[15:4]  ³⁰ tn “They reported all the things God had done with them” – an identical phrase occurs in Acts 14:27. God is always the agent.

[15:23]  ³¹ tn Grk “writing by their hand” (an idiom for sending a letter).

[15:23]  ³² tn Grk “The apostles.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.

[15:23]  ³³ tn Grk “brothers,” but “your” is supplied to specify the relationship, since without it “brothers” could be understood as vocative in English.

[15:23]  ³⁴ tn Grk “to the brothers who are from the Gentiles.”

[15:23]  ³⁵ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[15:23]  ³⁶ tn Grk “and Syria,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.

[16:4]  ³⁴ tn Or “cities.”

[16:4]  ³⁵ tn BDAG 762-63 s.v. παραδίδωμι 3 has “they handed down to them the decisions to observe Ac 16:4.”

[16:4]  ³⁶ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[16:4]  ³⁷ tn Grk “for them”; the referent (Gentile believers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:4]  ³⁸ tn Or “observe” or “follow.”

[23:14]  ³⁷ tn Grk “who.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) was translated by the third person plural pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[23:14]  ³⁸ tn Grk “going.” The participle προσελθόντες (proselqonte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[23:14]  ³⁹ sn They went to the chief priests. The fact that the high priest knew of this plot and did nothing shows the Jewish leadership would even become accomplices to murder to stop Paul. They would not allow Roman justice to take its course. Paul’s charge in v. 3 of superficially following the law is thus shown to be true.

[23:14]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “bound ourselves under a curse.” BDAG 63 s.v. ἀναθεματίζω 1 has “trans. put under a curse τινά someone…pleonastically ἀναθέματι ἀ. ἑαυτόν Ac 23:14…ἀ. ἑαυτόν vss. 12, 21, 13 v.l.” The pleonastic use ἀναθέματι ἀνεθεματίσαμεν (literally “we have cursed ourselves with a curse”) probably serves as an intensifier following Semitic usage, and is represented in the translation by the word “solemn.” On such oaths see m. Nedarim 3:1, 3.

[23:14]  ⁴¹ tn This included both food and drink (γεύομαι [geuomai] is used of water turned to wine in John 2:9).

[24:1]  ⁴⁰ sn Ananias was in office from a.d. 47-59.

[24:1]  ⁴¹ tn The term refers to a professional advocate (BDAG 905 s.v. ῥήτωρ).

[24:1]  ⁴² tn Grk “an attorney, a certain Tertullus.”

[24:1]  ⁴³ tn Grk “who” (plural). Because in English the relative pronoun “who” could be understood to refer only to the attorney Tertullus and not to the entire group, it has been replaced with the third person plural pronoun “they.” “And” has been supplied to provide the connection to the preceding clause.

[24:1]  ⁴⁴ tn BDAG 326 s.v. ἐμφανίζω 3 has “ἐ. τινὶ κατά τινος bring formal charges against someone…Ac 24:1; 25:2.”

[25:15]  ⁴³ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[25:15]  ⁴⁴ tn BDAG 326 s.v. ἐμφανίζω 3 has “to convey a formal report about a judicial matter, present evidence, bring charges…ἐ. περί τινος concerning someone 25:15.”

[25:15]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “about whom.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been replaced with a personal pronoun (“him”) and a new sentence started in the translation at the beginning of v. 15 (where the phrase περὶ οὗ [peri Jou] occurs in the Greek text).

[25:15]  ⁴⁶ tn BDAG 516 s.v. καταδίκη states, “condemnation, sentence of condemnation, conviction, guilty verdict…αἰτεῖσθαι κατά τινος κ. ask for a conviction of someone Ac 25:15.”

[15:2]  ⁴⁶ tn Grk “no little argument and debate” (an idiom).

[15:2]  ⁴⁷ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the church, or the rest of the believers at Antioch) has been specified to avoid confusion with the Judaizers mentioned in the preceding clause.

[15:2]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “go up to,” but in this context a meeting is implied.

[15:2]  ⁴⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[15:2]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “point of controversy.” It is unclear whether this event parallels Gal 2:1-10 or that Gal 2 fits with Acts 11:30. More than likely Gal 2:1-10 is to be related to Acts 11:30.

[15:22]  ⁴⁹ tn BDAG 255 s.v. δοκέω 2.b.β lists this verse under the meaning “it seems best to me, I decide, I resolve.”

[15:22]  ⁵⁰ sn Silas. See 2 Cor 1:19; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1 (= Silvanus).

[15:22]  ⁵¹ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[2:17]  ⁵² sn The phrase in the last days is not quoted from Joel, but represents Peter’s interpretive explanation of the current events as falling “in the last days.”

[2:17]  ⁵³ tn Grk “on all flesh.”