Acts 8:1

8:1 And Saul agreed completely with killing ¹  him.

Saul Begins to Persecute the Church

Now on that day a great ²  persecution began ³  against the church in Jerusalem, ⁴  and all ⁵  except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions ⁶  of Judea and Samaria.

Acts 19:21

A Riot in Ephesus

19:21 Now after all these things had taken place, ⁷  Paul resolved ⁸  to go to Jerusalem, ⁹  passing through Macedonia ¹⁰  and Achaia. ¹¹  He said, ¹²  “After I have been there, I must also see Rome.” ¹³ 

Acts 20:16

20:16 For Paul had decided to sail past Ephesus ¹⁴  so as not to spend time ¹⁵  in the province of Asia, ¹⁶  for he was hurrying ¹⁷  to arrive in Jerusalem, ¹⁸  if possible, ¹⁹  by the day of Pentecost.

Acts 25:9

25:9 But Festus, ²⁰  wanting to do the Jews a favor, asked Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and be tried ²¹  before me there on these charges?” ²² 

Acts 26:10

26:10 And that is what I did in Jerusalem: Not only did I lock up many of the saints in prisons by the authority I received ²³  from the chief priests, but I also cast my vote ²⁴  against them when they were sentenced to death. ²⁵ 

[8:1]  ¹ tn The term ἀναίρεσις (anairesi") can refer to murder (BDAG 64 s.v.; 2 Macc 5:13; Josephus, Ant. 5.2.12 [5.165]).

[8:1]  ² tn Or “severe.”

[8:1]  ³ tn Grk “Now there happened on that day a great persecution.” It is less awkward to say in English “Now on that day a great persecution began.”

[8:1]  ⁴ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[8:1]  ⁵ sn All. Given that the Jerusalem church is still active after this and that the Hellenists are the focus of Acts 6-8, it is possible to argue that only the Hellenistic Christians were forced to scatter.

[8:1]  ⁶ tn Or “countryside.”

[19:21]  ⁷ tn Grk “all these things had been fulfilled.”

[19:21]  ⁸ tn Grk “Paul purposed in [his] spirit” (an idiom). According to BDAG 1003 s.v. τίθημι 1.b.ε the entire idiom means “to resolve” (or “decide”): “ἔθετο ὁ Παῦλος ἐν τῷ πνεύματι w. inf. foll. Paul resolved 19:21.”

[19:21]  ⁹ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[19:21]  ¹⁰ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[19:21]  ¹¹ sn Achaia was the Roman province of Achaia located across the Aegean Sea from Ephesus. Its principal city was Corinth.

[19:21]  ¹² tn Grk “Achaia, saying.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the awkwardness in English of having two participial clauses following one another (“passing through…saying”), the participle εἰπών (eipwn) has been translated as a finite verb and a new sentence begun here in the translation.

[19:21]  ¹³ sn This is the first time Paul mentions Rome. He realized the message of Christianity could impact that society even at its heights.

[20:16]  ¹³ map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[20:16]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “so that he might not have to spend time.” L&N 67.79 has “ὅπως μὴ γένηται αὐτῷ χρονοτριβῆσαι ἐν τῇ ᾿Ασίᾳ ‘so as not to spend any time in the province of Asia’ Ac 20:16.”

[20:16]  ¹⁵ 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.

[20:16]  ¹⁶ tn Or “was eager.”

[20:16]  ¹⁷ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[20:16]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “if it could be to him” (an idiom).

[25:9]  ¹⁹ sn See the note on Porcius Festus in 24:27.

[25:9]  ²⁰ tn Or “stand trial.”

[25:9]  ²¹ tn Grk “concerning these things.”

[26:10]  ²⁵ tn Grk “by receiving authority.” The participle λαβών (labwn) has been taken instrumentally.

[26:10]  ²⁶ tn Grk “cast down a pebble against them.” L&N 30.103 states, “(an idiom, Grk ‘to bring a pebble against someone,’ a reference to a white or black pebble used in voting for or against someone) to make known one’s choice against someone – ‘to vote against.’ …‘when they were sentenced to death, I also voted against them’ Ac 26:10.”

[26:10]  ²⁷ tn Grk “when they were being executed”; but the context supports the sentencing rather than the execution itself (cf. L&N 30.103).