Acts 9:1

The Conversion of Saul

9:1 Meanwhile Saul, still breathing out threats ¹  to murder ²  the Lord’s disciples, went to the high priest

Acts 17:1--18:28

Paul and Silas at Thessalonica

17:1 After they traveled through ³  Amphipolis ⁴  and Apollonia, ⁵  they came to Thessalonica, ⁶  where there was a Jewish synagogue. ⁷  17:2 Paul went to the Jews in the synagogue, ⁸  as he customarily did, and on three Sabbath days he addressed ⁹  them from the scriptures, 17:3 explaining and demonstrating ¹⁰  that the Christ ¹¹  had to suffer and to rise from the dead, ¹²  saying, ¹³  “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ.” ¹⁴  17:4 Some of them were persuaded ¹⁵  and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large group ¹⁶  of God-fearing Greeks ¹⁷  and quite a few ¹⁸  prominent women. 17:5 But the Jews became jealous, ¹⁹  and gathering together some worthless men from the rabble in the marketplace, ²⁰  they formed a mob ²¹  and set the city in an uproar. ²²  They attacked Jason’s house, ²³  trying to find Paul and Silas ²⁴  to bring them out to the assembly. ²⁵  17:6 When they did not find them, they dragged ²⁶  Jason and some of the brothers before the city officials, ²⁷  screaming, “These people who have stirred up trouble ²⁸  throughout the world ²⁹  have come here too, 17:7 and ³⁰  Jason has welcomed them as guests! They ³¹  are all acting against Caesar’s ³²  decrees, saying there is another king named ³³  Jesus!” ³⁴  17:8 They caused confusion among ³⁵  the crowd and the city officials ³⁶  who heard these things. 17:9 After ³⁷  the city officials ³⁸  had received bail ³⁹  from Jason and the others, they released them.

Paul and Silas at Berea

17:10 The brothers sent Paul and Silas off to Berea ⁴⁰  at once, during the night. When they arrived, ⁴¹  they went to the Jewish synagogue. ⁴²  17:11 These Jews ⁴³  were more open-minded ⁴⁴  than those in Thessalonica, ⁴⁵  for they eagerly ⁴⁶  received ⁴⁷  the message, examining ⁴⁸  the scriptures carefully every day ⁴⁹  to see if these things were so. 17:12 Therefore many of them believed, along with quite a few ⁵⁰  prominent ⁵¹  Greek women and men. 17:13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica ⁵²  heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God ⁵³  in Berea, ⁵⁴  they came there too, inciting ⁵⁵  and disturbing ⁵⁶  the crowds. 17:14 Then the brothers sent Paul away to the coast ⁵⁷  at once, but Silas and Timothy remained in Berea. ⁵⁸  17:15 Those who accompanied Paul escorted him as far as Athens, ⁵⁹  and after receiving an order for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible, they left. ⁶⁰ 

Paul at Athens

17:16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, ⁶¹  his spirit was greatly upset ⁶²  because he saw ⁶³  the city was full of idols. 17:17 So he was addressing ⁶⁴  the Jews and the God-fearing Gentiles ⁶⁵  in the synagogue, ⁶⁶  and in the marketplace every day ⁶⁷  those who happened to be there. 17:18 Also some of the Epicurean ⁶⁸  and Stoic ⁶⁹  philosophers were conversing ⁷⁰  with him, and some were asking, ⁷¹  “What does this foolish babbler ⁷²  want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods.” ⁷³  (They said this because he was proclaiming the good news about Jesus and the resurrection.) ⁷⁴  17:19 So they took Paul and ⁷⁵  brought him to the Areopagus, ⁷⁶  saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are proclaiming? 17:20 For you are bringing some surprising things ⁷⁷  to our ears, so we want to know what they ⁷⁸  mean.” 17:21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there used to spend their time ⁷⁹  in nothing else than telling ⁸⁰  or listening to something new.) ⁸¹ 

17:22 So Paul stood ⁸²  before the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious ⁸³  in all respects. ⁸⁴  17:23 For as I went around and observed closely your objects of worship, ⁸⁵  I even found an altar with this inscription: ⁸⁶  ‘To an unknown god.’ Therefore what you worship without knowing it, ⁸⁷  this I proclaim to you. 17:24 The God who made the world and everything in it, ⁸⁸  who is ⁸⁹  Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands, ⁹⁰  17:25 nor is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, ⁹¹  because he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. ⁹²  17:26 From one man ⁹³  he made every nation of the human race ⁹⁴  to inhabit the entire earth, ⁹⁵  determining their set times ⁹⁶  and the fixed limits of the places where they would live, ⁹⁷  17:27 so that they would search for God and perhaps grope around ⁹⁸  for him and find him, ⁹⁹  though he is ¹⁰⁰  not far from each one of us. 17:28 For in him we live and move about ¹⁰¹  and exist, as even some of your own poets have said, ‘For we too are his offspring.’ ¹⁰²  17:29 So since we are God’s offspring, we should not think the deity ¹⁰³  is like gold or silver or stone, an image ¹⁰⁴  made by human ¹⁰⁵  skill ¹⁰⁶  and imagination. ¹⁰⁷  17:30 Therefore, although God has overlooked ¹⁰⁸  such times of ignorance, ¹⁰⁹  he now commands all people ¹¹⁰  everywhere to repent, ¹¹¹  17:31 because he has set ¹¹²  a day on which he is going to judge the world ¹¹³  in righteousness, by a man whom he designated, ¹¹⁴  having provided proof to everyone by raising ¹¹⁵  him from the dead.”

17:32 Now when they heard about ¹¹⁶  the resurrection from the dead, some began to scoff, ¹¹⁷  but others said, “We will hear you again about this.” 17:33 So Paul left the Areopagus. ¹¹⁸  17:34 But some people ¹¹⁹  joined him ¹²⁰  and believed. Among them ¹²¹  were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus, ¹²²  a woman ¹²³  named Damaris, and others with them.

Paul at Corinth

18:1 After this ¹²⁴  Paul ¹²⁵  departed from ¹²⁶  Athens ¹²⁷  and went to Corinth. ¹²⁸  18:2 There he ¹²⁹  found ¹³⁰  a Jew named Aquila, ¹³¹  a native of Pontus, ¹³²  who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius ¹³³  had ordered all the Jews to depart from ¹³⁴  Rome. ¹³⁵  Paul approached ¹³⁶  them, 18:3 and because he worked at the same trade, he stayed with them and worked with them ¹³⁷  (for they were tentmakers ¹³⁸  by trade). ¹³⁹  18:4 He addressed ¹⁴⁰  both Jews and Greeks in the synagogue ¹⁴¹  every Sabbath, attempting to persuade ¹⁴²  them.

18:5 Now when Silas and Timothy arrived ¹⁴³  from Macedonia, ¹⁴⁴  Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming ¹⁴⁵  the word, testifying ¹⁴⁶  to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. ¹⁴⁷  18:6 When they opposed him ¹⁴⁸  and reviled him, ¹⁴⁹  he protested by shaking out his clothes ¹⁵⁰  and said to them, “Your blood ¹⁵¹  be on your own heads! I am guiltless! ¹⁵²  From now on I will go to the Gentiles!” 18:7 Then Paul ¹⁵³  left ¹⁵⁴  the synagogue ¹⁵⁵  and went to the house of a person named Titius Justus, a Gentile who worshiped God, ¹⁵⁶  whose house was next door to the synagogue. 18:8 Crispus, the president of the synagogue, ¹⁵⁷  believed in the Lord together with his entire household, and many of the Corinthians who heard about it ¹⁵⁸  believed and were baptized. 18:9 The Lord said to Paul by a vision ¹⁵⁹  in the night, ¹⁶⁰  “Do not be afraid, ¹⁶¹  but speak and do not be silent, 18:10 because I am with you, and no one will assault ¹⁶²  you to harm ¹⁶³  you, because I have many people in this city.” 18:11 So he stayed there ¹⁶⁴  a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them. ¹⁶⁵ 

Paul Before the Proconsul Gallio

18:12 Now while Gallio ¹⁶⁶  was proconsul ¹⁶⁷  of Achaia, ¹⁶⁸  the Jews attacked Paul together ¹⁶⁹  and brought him before the judgment seat, ¹⁷⁰  18:13 saying, “This man is persuading ¹⁷¹  people to worship God in a way contrary to ¹⁷²  the law!” 18:14 But just as Paul was about to speak, ¹⁷³  Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of some crime or serious piece of villainy, ¹⁷⁴  I would have been justified in accepting the complaint ¹⁷⁵  of you Jews, ¹⁷⁶  18:15 but since it concerns points of disagreement ¹⁷⁷  about words and names and your own law, settle ¹⁷⁸  it yourselves. I will not be ¹⁷⁹  a judge of these things!” 18:16 Then he had them forced away ¹⁸⁰  from the judgment seat. ¹⁸¹  18:17 So they all seized Sosthenes, the president of the synagogue, ¹⁸²  and began to beat ¹⁸³  him in front of the judgment seat. ¹⁸⁴  Yet none of these things were of any concern ¹⁸⁵  to Gallio.

Paul Returns to Antioch in Syria

18:18 Paul, after staying ¹⁸⁶  many more days in Corinth, ¹⁸⁷  said farewell to ¹⁸⁸  the brothers and sailed away to Syria accompanied by ¹⁸⁹  Priscilla and Aquila. ¹⁹⁰  He ¹⁹¹  had his hair cut off ¹⁹²  at Cenchrea ¹⁹³  because he had made a vow. ¹⁹⁴  18:19 When they reached Ephesus, ¹⁹⁵  Paul ¹⁹⁶  left Priscilla and Aquila ¹⁹⁷  behind there, but he himself went ¹⁹⁸  into the synagogue ¹⁹⁹  and addressed ²⁰⁰  the Jews. 18:20 When they asked him to stay longer, he would not consent, ²⁰¹  18:21 but said farewell to ²⁰²  them and added, ²⁰³  “I will come back ²⁰⁴  to you again if God wills.” ²⁰⁵  Then ²⁰⁶  he set sail from Ephesus, 18:22 and when he arrived ²⁰⁷  at Caesarea, ²⁰⁸  he went up and greeted ²⁰⁹  the church at Jerusalem ²¹⁰  and then went down to Antioch. ²¹¹  18:23 After he spent ²¹²  some time there, Paul left and went through the region of Galatia ²¹³  and Phrygia, ²¹⁴  strengthening all the disciples.

Apollos Begins His Ministry

18:24 Now a Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, arrived in Ephesus. ²¹⁵  He was an eloquent speaker, ²¹⁶  well-versed ²¹⁷  in the scriptures. 18:25 He had been instructed in ²¹⁸  the way of the Lord, and with great enthusiasm ²¹⁹  he spoke and taught accurately the facts ²²⁰  about Jesus, although he knew ²²¹  only the baptism of John. 18:26 He began to speak out fearlessly ²²²  in the synagogue, ²²³  but when Priscilla and Aquila ²²⁴  heard him, they took him aside ²²⁵  and explained the way of God to him more accurately. 18:27 When Apollos ²²⁶  wanted to cross over to Achaia, ²²⁷  the brothers encouraged ²²⁸  him ²²⁹  and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he ²³⁰  assisted greatly those who had believed by grace, 18:28 for he refuted the Jews vigorously ²³¹  in public debate, ²³²  demonstrating from the scriptures that the Christ ²³³  was Jesus. ²³⁴ 

[9:1]  ¹ tn Or “Saul, making dire threats.”

[9:1]  ² tn The expression “breathing out threats and murder” is an idiomatic expression for “making threats to murder” (see L&N 33.293). Although the two terms “threats” and “murder” are syntactically coordinate, the second is semantically subordinate to the first. In other words, the content of the threats is to murder the disciples.

[17:1]  ³ tn BDAG 250 s.v. διοδεύω 1 has “go, travel through” for this verse.

[17:1]  ⁴ sn Amphipolis. The capital city of the southeastern district of Macedonia (BDAG 55 s.v. ᾿Αμφίπολις). It was a military post. From Philippi this was about 33 mi (53 km).

[17:1]  ⁵ sn Apollonia was a city in Macedonia about 27 mi (43 km) west southwest of Amphipolis.

[17:1]  ⁶ sn Thessalonica (modern Salonica) was a city in Macedonia about 33 mi (53 km) west of Apollonia. It was the capital of Macedonia. The road they traveled over was called the Via Egnatia. It is likely they rode horses, given their condition in Philippi. The implication of v. 1 is that the two previously mentioned cities lacked a synagogue.

[17:1]  ⁷ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:2]  ⁵ tn Grk “he went in to them”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:2]  ⁶ tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 17:2. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.

[17:3]  ⁷ tn BDAG 772 s.v. παρατίθημι 2.b has “demonstrate, point out” here.

[17:3]  ⁸ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[17:3]  ⁹ sn The Christ had to suffer and to rise from the dead. These two points (suffering and resurrection) would have been among the more controversial aspects of Paul’s messianic preaching. The term translated “had to” (δεῖ, dei) shows how divine design and scripture corresponded here.

[17:3]  ¹⁰ tn The Greek words used here (καὶ ὅτι, kai {oti, “and that”) mark the switch from indirect to direct discourse. Contemporary English requires the use of an introductory verb of speaking or saying to make this transition.

[17:3]  ¹¹ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[17:4]  ⁹ tn Or “convinced.”

[17:4]  ¹⁰ tn Or “a large crowd.”

[17:4]  ¹¹ tn Or “of devout Greeks,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44. Luke frequently mentions such people (Acts 13:43, 50; 16:14; 17:17; 18:7).

[17:4]  ¹² tn Grk “not a few”; this use of negation could be misleading to the modern English reader, however, and so has been translated as “quite a few” (which is the actual meaning of the expression).

[17:5]  ¹¹ tn Grk “becoming jealous.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. So elsewhere in Acts (5:17; 7:9; 13:45).

[17:5]  ¹² tn Literally ἀγοραῖος (agoraio") refers to the crowd in the marketplace, although BDAG 14-15 s.v. ἀγοραῖος 1 gives the meaning, by extension, as “rabble.” Such a description is certainly appropriate in this context. L&N 15.127 translates the phrase “worthless men from the streets.”

[17:5]  ¹³ tn On this term, which is a NT hapax legomenon, see BDAG 745 s.v. ὀχλοποιέω.

[17:5]  ¹⁴ tn BDAG 458 s.v. θορυβέω 1 has “set the city in an uproar, start a riot in the city” for the meaning of ἐθορύβουν (eqoruboun) in this verse.

[17:5]  ¹⁵ sn The attack took place at Jason’s house because this was probably the location of the new house church.

[17:5]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “them”; the referents (Paul and Silas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:5]  ¹⁷ tn BDAG 223 s.v. δῆμος 2 has “in a Hellenistic city, a convocation of citizens called together for the purpose of transacting official business, popular assembly προάγειν εἰς τὸν δ. Ac 17:5.”

[17:6]  ¹³ tn See BDAG 977-78 s.v. σύρω on this verb. It was used in everyday speech of dragging in fish by a net, or dragging away someone’s (presumably) dead body (Paul in Acts 14:19).

[17:6]  ¹⁴ tn L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarch") as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit – ‘city official’” (see also BDAG 845 s.v.).

[17:6]  ¹⁵ tn Or “rebellion.” BDAG 72 s.v. ἀναστατόω has “disturb, trouble, upset,” but in light of the references in the following verse to political insurrection, “stirred up rebellion” would also be appropriate.

[17:6]  ¹⁶ tn Or “the empire.” This was a way of referring to the Roman empire (BDAG 699 s.v. οἰκουμένη 2.b).

[17:7]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “whom.” Because of the awkwardness in English of having two relative clauses follow one another (“who have stirred up trouble…whom Jason has welcomed”) the relative pronoun here (“whom”) has been replaced by the conjunction “and,” creating a clause that is grammatically coordinate but logically subordinate in the translation.

[17:7]  ¹⁶ tn Grk “and they.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.

[17:7]  ¹⁷ tn Or “the emperor’s” (“Caesar” is a title for the Roman emperor).

[17:7]  ¹⁸ tn The word “named” is not in the Greek text, but is supplied for clarity.

[17:7]  ¹⁹ sn Acting…saying…Jesus. The charges are serious, involving sedition (Luke 23:2). If the political charges were true, Rome would have to react.

[17:8]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “They troubled the crowd and the city officials”; but this could be understood to mean “they bothered” or “they annoyed.” In reality the Jewish instigators managed to instill doubt and confusion into both the mob and the officials by their false charges of treason. Verse 8 suggests the charges raised again Paul, Silas, Jason, and the others were false.

[17:8]  ¹⁸ tn L&N 37.93 defines πολιτάρχης (politarch") as “a public official responsible for administrative matters within a town or city and a member of the ruling council of such a political unit – ‘city official.’”

[17:9]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “And after.” 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.

[17:9]  ²⁰ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the city officials) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:9]  ²¹ tn That is, “a payment” or “a pledge of security” (BDAG 472 s.v. ἱκανός 1) for which “bail” is the most common contemporary English equivalent.

[17:10]  ²¹ sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) west of Thessalonica.

[17:10]  ²² tn Grk “who arriving there, went to.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (οἵτινες, Joitine") has been left untranslated and a new English sentence begun. The participle παραγενόμενοι (paragenomenoi) has been taken temporally.

[17:10]  ²³ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:11]  ²³ tn Grk “These”; the referent (the Jews in the synagogue at Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:11]  ²⁴ tn Or “more willing to learn.” L&N 27.48 and BDAG 404 s.v. εὐγενής 2 both use the term “open-minded” here. The point is that they were more receptive to Paul’s message.

[17:11]  ²⁵ sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

[17:11]  ²⁶ tn Or “willingly,” “readily”; Grk “with all eagerness.”

[17:11]  ²⁷ tn Grk “who received.” Here the relative pronoun (“who”) has been translated as a pronoun (“they”) preceded by a semicolon, which is less awkward in contemporary English than a relative clause at this point.

[17:11]  ²⁸ tn This verb (BDAG 66 s.v. ἀνακρίνω 1) refers to careful examination.

[17:11]  ²⁹ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[17:12]  ²⁵ tn Grk “not a few”; this use of negation could be misleading to the modern English reader, however, and so has been translated as “quite a few” (which is the actual meaning of the expression).

[17:12]  ²⁶ tn Or “respected.”

[17:13]  ²⁷ sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).

[17:13]  ²⁸ tn Grk “that the word of God had also been proclaimed by Paul.” This passive construction has been converted to an active one in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[17:13]  ²⁹ sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) from Thessalonica.

[17:13]  ³⁰ tn BDAG 911 s.v. σαλεύω 2 has “incite” for σαλεύοντες (saleuonte") in Acts 17:13.

[17:13]  ³¹ tn Or “stirring up” (BDAG 990-91 s.v. ταράσσω 2). The point is the agitation of the crowds.

[17:14]  ²⁹ tn Grk “to the sea.” Here ἕως ἐπὶ τὴν θάλασσαν ({ew" epi thn qalassan) must mean “to the edge of the sea,” that is, “to the coast.” Since there is no mention of Paul taking a ship to Athens, he presumably traveled overland. The journey would have been about 340 mi (550 km).

[17:14]  ³⁰ tn Grk “remained there”; the referent (Berea) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:15]  ³¹ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[17:15]  ³² sn They left. See 1 Thess 3:1-2, which shows they went from here to Thessalonica.

[17:16]  ³³ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[17:16]  ³⁴ tn Grk “greatly upset within him,” but the words “within him” were not included in the translation because they are redundant in English. See L&N 88.189. The term could also be rendered “infuriated.”

[17:16]  ³⁵ tn Or “when he saw.” The participle θεωροῦντος (qewrounto") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle; it could also be translated as temporal.

[17:17]  ³⁵ tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 17:17. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.

[17:17]  ³⁶ tn Or “and the devout,” but this is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44, and the note on the phrase “God-fearing Greeks” in 17:4.

[17:17]  ³⁷ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[17:17]  ³⁸ tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase in this verse.

[17:18]  ³⁷ sn An Epicurean was a follower of the philosophy of Epicurus, who founded a school in Athens about 300 b.c. Although the Epicureans saw the aim of life as pleasure, they were not strictly hedonists, because they defined pleasure as the absence of pain. Along with this, they desired the avoidance of trouble and freedom from annoyances. They saw organized religion as evil, especially the belief that the gods punished evildoers in an afterlife. In keeping with this, they were unable to accept Paul’s teaching about the resurrection.

[17:18]  ³⁸ sn A Stoic was a follower of the philosophy founded by Zeno (342-270 b.c.), a Phoenician who came to Athens and modified the philosophical system of the Cynics he found there. The Stoics rejected the Epicurean ideal of pleasure, stressing virtue instead. The Stoics emphasized responsibility for voluntary actions and believed risks were worth taking, but thought the actual attainment of virtue was difficult. They also believed in providence.

[17:18]  ³⁹ tn BDAG 956 s.v. συμβάλλω 1 has “converse, confer” here.

[17:18]  ⁴⁰ tn Grk “saying.”

[17:18]  ⁴¹ tn Or “ignorant show-off.” The traditional English translation of σπερμολόγος (spermologo") is given in L&N 33.381 as “foolish babbler.” However, an alternate view is presented in L&N 27.19, “(a figurative extension of meaning of a term based on the practice of birds in picking up seeds) one who acquires bits and pieces of relatively extraneous information and proceeds to pass them off with pretense and show – ‘ignorant show-off, charlatan.’” A similar view is given in BDAG 937 s.v. σπερμολόγος: “in pejorative imagery of persons whose communication lacks sophistication and seems to pick up scraps of information here and there scrapmonger, scavenger…Engl. synonyms include ‘gossip’, ‘babbler’, chatterer’; but these terms miss the imagery of unsystematic gathering.”

[17:18]  ⁴² tn The meaning of this phrase is not clear. Literally it reads “strange deities” (see BDAG 210 s.v. δαιμόνιον 1). The note of not being customary is important. In the ancient world what was new was suspicious. The plural δαιμονίων (daimoniwn, “deities”) shows the audience grappling with Paul’s teaching that God was working through Jesus.

[17:18]  ⁴³ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[17:19]  ³⁹ tn Grk “him”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:19]  ⁴⁰ tn Or “to the council of the Areopagus.” See also the term in v. 22.

[17:20]  ⁴¹ tn BDAG 684 s.v. ξενίζω 2 translates the substantival participle ξενίζοντα (xenizonta) as “astonishing things Ac 17:20.”

[17:20]  ⁴² tn Grk “these things”; but since the referent (“surprising things”) is so close, the repetition of “these things” sounds redundant in English, so the pronoun “they” was substituted in the translation.

[17:21]  ⁴³ tn The imperfect verb ηὐκαίρουν (hukairoun) has been translated as a customary or habitual imperfect.

[17:21]  ⁴⁴ tn BDAG 406-7 s.v. εὐκαιρέω has “used to spend their time in nothing else than telling Ac 17:21.”

[17:21]  ⁴⁵ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. The reference to newness may be pejorative.

[17:22]  ⁴⁵ tn Grk “standing…said.” The participle ζηλώσαντες (zhlwsante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[17:22]  ⁴⁶ tn The term δεισιδαιμονεστέρους (deisidaimonesterou") is difficult. On the one hand it can have the positive sense of “devout,” but on the other hand it can have the negative sense of “superstitious” (BDAG 216 s.v. δεισιδαίμων). As part of a laudatory introduction (the technical rhetorical term for this introduction was capatatio), the term is probably positive here. It may well be a “backhanded” compliment, playing on the ambiguity.

[17:22]  ⁴⁷ tn BDAG 513 s.v. κατά B.6 translates the phrase κατὰ πάντα (kata panta) as “in all respects.”

[17:23]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “your sanctuaries.” L&N 53.54 gives “sanctuary” (place of worship) as an alternate meaning for the word σεβάσματα (sebasmata).

[17:23]  ⁴⁸ tn Grk “on which was written,” but since it would have been carved in stone, it is more common to speak of an “inscription” in English. To simplify the English the relative construction with a passive verb (“on which was inscribed”) was translated as a prepositional phrase with a substantive (“inscription”).

[17:23]  ⁴⁹ tn BDAG 13 s.v. ἀγνοέω 1.b has “Abs. ὅ ἀγνοοῦντες εὐσεβεῖτε what you worship without knowing it (on the subject matter Maximus Tyr. 11, 5e: all sorts of philosophers ἴσασιν οὐκ ἑκόντες καὶ λέγουσιν ἄκοντες sc. τὸ θεῖον = they know and name God without intending to do so) Ac 17:23.” Paul, in typical Jewish Christian style, informs them of the true God, of whom their idols are an ignorant reflection.

[17:24]  ⁴⁹ tn Grk “all the things that are in it.” The speech starts with God as Creator, like 14:15.

[17:24]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “because he is.” The participle ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) could be either adjectival, modifying οὗτος (Joutos, “who is Lord…”) or adverbial of cause (“because he is Lord…”). Since the participle διδούς (didou") in v. 25 appears to be clearly causal in force, it is preferable to understand ὑπάρχων as adjectival in this context.

[17:24]  ⁵¹ sn On the statement does not live in temples made by human hands compare Acts 7:48. This has implications for idols as well. God cannot be represented by them or, as the following clause also suggests, served by human hands.

[17:25]  ⁵¹ tn L&N 57.45 has “nor does he need anything more that people can supply by working for him.”

[17:25]  ⁵² tn Grk “he himself gives to all [people] life and breath and all things.”

[17:26]  ⁵³ sn The one man refers to Adam (the word “man” is understood).

[17:26]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “mankind.” BDAG 276 s.v. ἔθνος 1 has “every nation of humankind Ac 17:26.”

[17:26]  ⁵⁵ tn Grk “to live over all the face of the earth.”

[17:26]  ⁵⁶ tn BDAG 884-85 s.v. προστάσσω has “(οἱ) προστεταγμένοι καιροί (the) fixed times Ac 17:26” here, but since the following phrase is also translated “fixed limits,” this would seem redundant in English, so the word “set” has been used instead.

[17:26]  ⁵⁷ tn Grk “the boundaries of their habitation.” L&N 80.5 has “fixed limits of the places where they would live” for this phrase.

[17:27]  ⁵⁵ tn See BDAG 1097-98 s.v. ψηλαφάω, which lists “touch, handle” and “to feel around for, grope for” as possible meanings.

[17:27]  ⁵⁶ sn Perhaps grope around for him and find him. The pagans’ struggle to know God is the point here. Conscience alone is not good enough.

[17:27]  ⁵⁷ tn The participle ὑπάρχοντα (Juparconta) has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[17:28]  ⁵⁷ tn According to L&N 15.1, “A strictly literal translation of κινέω in Ac 17:28 might imply merely moving from one place to another. The meaning, however, is generalized movement and activity; therefore, it may be possible to translate κινούμεθα as ‘we come and go’ or ‘we move about’’ or even ‘we do what we do.’”

[17:28]  ⁵⁸ sn This quotation is from Aratus (ca. 310-245 b.c.), Phaenomena 5. Paul asserted a general relationship and accountability to God for all humanity.

[17:29]  ⁵⁹ tn Or “the divine being.” BDAG 446 s.v. θεῖος 1.b has “divine being, divinity” here.

[17:29]  ⁶⁰ tn Or “a likeness.” Again idolatry is directly attacked as an affront to God and a devaluation of him.

[17:29]  ⁶¹ tn Grk “by the skill and imagination of man,” but ἀνθρώπου (anqrwpou) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[17:29]  ⁶² tn Or “craftsmanship” (cf. BDAG 1001 s.v. τέχνη).

[17:29]  ⁶³ tn Or “thought.” BDAG 336 s.v. ἐνθύμησις has “thought, reflection, idea” as the category of meaning here, but in terms of creativity (as in the context) the imaginative faculty is in view.

[17:30]  ⁶¹ tn Or “has deliberately paid no attention to.”

[17:30]  ⁶² tn Or “times when people did not know.”

[17:30]  ⁶³ tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).

[17:30]  ⁶⁴ sn He now commands all people everywhere to repent. God was now asking all mankind to turn to him. No nation or race was excluded.

[17:31]  ⁶³ tn Or “fixed.”

[17:31]  ⁶⁴ sn The world refers to the whole inhabited earth.

[17:31]  ⁶⁵ tn Or “appointed.” BDAG 723 s.v. ὁρίζω 2.b has “of persons appoint, designate, declare: God judges the world ἐν ἀνδρὶ ᾧ ὥρισεν through a man whom he has appointed Ac 17:31.”

[17:31]  ⁶⁶ tn The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") indicates means here.

[17:32]  ⁶⁵ tn The participle ἀκούσαντες (akousante") has been taken temporally.

[17:32]  ⁶⁶ tn L&N 33.408 has “some scoffed (at him) Ac 17:32” for ἐχλεύαζον (ecleuazon) here; the imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect (“began to scoff”).

[17:33]  ⁶⁷ tn Grk “left out of their midst”; the referent (the Areopagus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[17:34]  ⁶⁹ tn Although the Greek word here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which normally refers to males, husbands, etc., in this particular context it must have a generic force similar to that of ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo"), since “a woman named Damaris” is mentioned specifically as being part of this group (cf. BDAG 79 s.v. ἀνήρ 1.a).

[17:34]  ⁷⁰ tn Grk “joining him, believed.” The participle κολληθέντες (kollhqente") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. On the use of this verb in Acts, see 5:13; 8:29; 9:26; 10:28.

[17:34]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “among whom.” Due to the length of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“whom”) has been translated as a third person plural pronoun (“them”) and a new sentence begun in the translation.

[17:34]  ⁷² tn Grk “the Areopagite” (a member of the council of the Areopagus). The noun “Areopagite” is not in common usage today in English. It is clearer to use a descriptive phrase “a member of the Areopagus” (L&N 11.82). However, this phrase alone can be misleading in English: “Dionysius, a member of the Areopagus, and a woman named Damaris” could be understood to refer to three people (Dionysius, an unnamed member of the Areopagus, and Damaris) rather than only two. Converting the descriptive phrase to a relative clause in English (“who was a member of the Areopagus”) removes the ambiguity.

[17:34]  ⁷³ tn Grk “and a woman”; but this 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.

[18:1]  ⁷¹ tn Grk “After these things.”

[18:1]  ⁷² tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:1]  ⁷³ tn Or “Paul left.”

[18:1]  ⁷⁴ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[18:1]  ⁷⁵ sn Corinth was the capital city of the senatorial province of Achaia and the seat of the Roman proconsul. It was located 55 mi (88 km) west of Athens. Corinth was a major rival to Athens and was the largest city in Greece at the time.

[18:2]  ⁷³ tn Grk “And he.” 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. The word “there” is not in the Greek text but is implied.

[18:2]  ⁷⁴ tn Grk “finding.” The participle εὑρών (Jeurwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:2]  ⁷⁵ sn On Aquila and his wife Priscilla see also Acts 18:18, 26; Rom 16:3-4; 1 Cor 16:19; 2 Tim 4:19. In the NT “Priscilla” and “Prisca” are the same person. This author uses the full name Priscilla, while Paul uses the diminutive form Prisca.

[18:2]  ⁷⁶ sn Pontus was a region in the northeastern part of Asia Minor. It was a Roman province.

[18:2]  ⁷⁷ sn Claudius refers to the Roman emperor Tiberius Claudius Nero Germanicus, known as Claudius, who ruled from a.d. 41-54. The edict expelling the Jews from Rome was issued in a.d. 49 (Suetonius, Claudius 25.4).

[18:2]  ⁷⁸ tn Or “to leave.”

[18:2]  ⁷⁹ map For location see JP4 A1.

[18:2]  ⁸⁰ tn Or “went to.”

[18:3]  ⁷⁵ tn The prepositional phrase “with them” occurs only once in the Greek text, but since it occurs between the two finite verbs (ἔμενεν, emenen, and ἠργάζετο, hrgazeto) it relates (by implication) to both of them.

[18:3]  ⁷⁶ tn On the term translated “tentmakers,” see BDAG 928-29 s.v. σκνηοποιός. Paul apparently manufactured tents. In contrast to the Cynic philosophers, Paul at times labored to support himself (see also v. 5).

[18:3]  ⁷⁷ sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.

[18:4]  ⁷⁷ tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 18:4. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.

[18:4]  ⁷⁸ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:4]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “Addressing in the synagogue every Sabbath, he was attempting to persuade both Jews and Greeks.” Because in English the verb “address” is not used absolutely but normally has an object specified, the direct objects of the verb ἔπειθεν (epeiqen) have been moved forward as the objects of the English verb “addressed,” and the pronoun “them” repeated in the translation as the object of ἔπειθεν. The verb ἔπειθεν has been translated as a conative imperfect.

[18:5]  ⁷⁹ tn Grk “came down.”

[18:5]  ⁸⁰ sn Macedonia was the Roman province of Macedonia in Greece.

[18:5]  ⁸¹ tn BDAG 971 s.v. συνέχω 6 states, “συνείχετο τῷ λόγῳ (Paul) was wholly absorbed in preaching Ac 18:5…in contrast to the activity cited in vs. 3.” The imperfect συνείχετο (suneiceto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect (“became wholly absorbed…”), stressing the change in Paul’s activity once Silas and Timothy arrived. At this point Paul apparently began to work less and preach more.

[18:5]  ⁸² tn BDAG 233 s.v. διαμαρτύρομαι 2 has “testify of, bear witness to solemnly (orig. under oath)…W. acc. and inf. foll. Ac 18:5.”

[18:5]  ⁸³ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”

[18:6]  ⁸¹ 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.

[18:6]  ⁸² tn The participle βλασφημούντων (blasfhmountwn) has been taken temporally. The direct object (“him”) is implied rather than expressed and could be impersonal (“it,” referring to what Paul was saying rather than Paul himself), but the verb occurs more often in contexts involving defamation or slander against personal beings (not always God). For a very similar context to this one, compare Acts 13:45. The translation “blaspheme” is not used because in contemporary English its meaning is more narrowly defined and normally refers to blasphemy against God (not what Paul’s opponents were doing here). What they were doing was more like slander or defamation of character.

[18:6]  ⁸³ tn Grk “shaking out his clothes, he said to them.” L&N 16:8 translates Acts 18:6 “when they opposed him and said evil things about him, he protested by shaking the dust from his clothes.” The addition of the verb “protested by” in the translation is necessary to clarify for the modern reader that this is a symbolic action. It is similar but not identical to the phrase in Acts 13:51, where the dust from the feet is shaken off. The participle ἐκτιναξάμενος (ektinaxameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:6]  ⁸⁴ sn Your blood be on your own heads! By invoking this epithet Paul declared himself not responsible for their actions in rejecting Jesus whom Paul preached (cf. Ezek 33:4; 3:6-21; Matt 23:35; 27:25).

[18:6]  ⁸⁵ tn Or “innocent.” BDAG 489 s.v. καθαρός 3.a has “guiltless Ac 18:6.”

[18:7]  ⁸³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:7]  ⁸⁴ tn Grk “Then leaving from there he went.” The participle μεταβάς (metabas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:7]  ⁸⁵ tn Grk “from there”; the referent (the synagogue) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:7]  ⁸⁶ tn Grk “a worshiper of God.” The clarifying phrase “a Gentile” has been supplied for clarity, and is indicated by the context, since Paul had parted company with the Jews in the previous verse. The participle σεβομένου (sebomenou) is practically a technical term for the category called God-fearers, Gentiles who worshiped the God of Israel and in many cases kept the Mosaic law, but did not take the final step of circumcision necessary to become a proselyte to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44.

[18:8]  ⁸⁵ tn That is, “the official in charge of the synagogue”; ἀρχισυνάγωγος (arcisunagwgo") refers to the “leader/president of a synagogue” (so BDAG 139 s.v. and L&N 53.93).

[18:8]  ⁸⁶ tn Or “who heard him,” or “who heard Paul.” The ambiguity here results from the tendency of Greek to omit direct objects, which must be supplied from the context. The problem is that no less than three different ones may be supplied here: (1) “him,” referring to Crispus, but this is not likely because there is no indication in the context that Crispus began to speak out about the Lord; this is certainly possible and even likely, but more than the text here affirms; (2) “Paul,” who had been speaking in the synagogue and presumably, now that he had moved to Titius Justus’ house, continued speaking to the Gentiles; or (3) “about it,” that is, the Corinthians who heard about Crispus’ conversion became believers. In the immediate context this last is most probable, since the two incidents are juxtaposed. Other, less obvious direct objects could also be supplied, such as “heard the word of God,” “heard the word of the Lord,” etc., but none of these are obvious in the immediate context.

[18:9]  ⁸⁷ sn Frequently in Acts such a vision will tell the reader where events are headed. See Acts 10:9-16 and 16:9-10 for other accounts of visions.

[18:9]  ⁸⁸ tn BDAG 682 s.v. νύξ 1.c has “W. prep. ἐν ν. at night, in the night…Ac 18:9.”

[18:9]  ⁸⁹ tn The present imperative here (with negation) is used (as it normally is) of a general condition (BDF §335).

[18:10]  ⁸⁹ tn BDAG 384 s.v. ἐπιτίθημι 2 has “to set upon, attack, lay a hand on” here, but “assault” is a contemporary English equivalent very close to the meaning of the original.

[18:10]  ⁹⁰ tn Or “injure.”

[18:11]  ⁹¹ tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.

[18:11]  ⁹² tn See BDAG 326-27 s.v. ἐν 1.d. However, it is also possible that ἐν (en) followed by the dative here stands for the ordinary dative (“to them”).

[18:12]  ⁹³ sn Gallio was proconsul of Achaia from a.d. 51-52. This date is one of the firmly established dates in Acts. Lucius Junius Gallio was the son of the rhetorician Seneca and the brother of Seneca the philosopher. The date of Gallio’s rule is established from an inscription (W. Dittenberger, ed., Sylloge Inscriptionum Graecarum 2.3 no. 8). Thus the event mentioned here is probably to be dated July-October a.d. 51.

[18:12]  ⁹⁴ sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.

[18:12]  ⁹⁵ sn Achaia was a Roman province created in 146 b.c. that included the most important parts of Greece (Attica, Boeotia, and the Peloponnesus).

[18:12]  ⁹⁶ tn Grk “with one accord.”

[18:12]  ⁹⁷ tn Although BDAG 175 s.v. βῆμα 3 gives the meaning “tribunal” for this verse and a number of modern translations use similar terms (“court,” NIV; “tribunal,” NRSV), there is no need for an alternative translation here since the bema was a standard feature in Greco-Roman cities of the time.

[18:13]  ⁹⁵ tn Or “inciting.”

[18:13]  ⁹⁶ tn Grk “worship God contrary to.” BDAG 758 s.v. παρά C.6 has “against, contrary to” for Acts 18:13. The words “in a way” are not in the Greek text, but are a necessary clarification to prevent the misunderstanding in the English translation that worshiping God was in itself contrary to the law. What is under dispute is the manner in which God was being worshiped, that is, whether Gentiles were being required to follow all aspects of the Mosaic law, including male circumcision. There is a hint of creating public chaos or disturbing Jewish custom here since Jews were the ones making the complaint. Luke often portrays the dispute between Christians and Jews as within Judaism.

[18:14]  ⁹⁷ tn Grk “about to open his mouth” (an idiom).

[18:14]  ⁹⁸ tn BDAG 902 s.v. ῥᾳδιούργημα states, “From the sense ‘prank, knavery, roguish trick, slick deed’ it is but a short step to that of a serious misdeed, crime, villainy…a serious piece of villainy Ac 18:14 (w. ἀδίκημα).”

[18:14]  ⁹⁹ tn According to BDAG 78 s.v. ἀνέχω 3 this is a legal technical term: “Legal t.t. κατὰ λόγον ἂν ἀνεσχόμην ὑμῶν I would have been justified in accepting your complaint Ac 18:14.”

[18:14]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “accepting your complaint, O Jews.”

[18:15]  ⁹⁹ tn Or “dispute.”

[18:15]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Grk “see to it” (an idiom).

[18:15]  ¹⁰¹ tn Or “I am not willing to be.” Gallio would not adjudicate their religious dispute.

[18:16]  ¹⁰¹ tn Grk “driven away,” but this could result in a misunderstanding in English (“driven” as in a cart or wagon?). “Forced away” conveys the idea; Gallio rejected their complaint. In contemporary English terminology the case was “thrown out of court.” The verb ἀπήλασεν (aphlasen) has been translated as a causative since Gallio probably did not perform this action in person, but ordered his aides or officers to remove the plaintiffs.

[18:16]  ¹⁰² sn See the note on the term judgment seat in 18:12.

[18:17]  ¹⁰³ tn That is, “the official in charge of the synagogue”; ἀρχισυνάγωγος (arcisunagwgo") refers to the “leader/president of a synagogue” (so BDAG 139 s.v. and L&N 53.93).

[18:17]  ¹⁰⁴ tn The imperfect verb ἔτυπτον (etupton) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.

[18:17]  ¹⁰⁵ sn See the note on the term judgment seat in 18:12.

[18:17]  ¹⁰⁶ tn L&N 25.223 has “‘none of these things were of any concern to Gallio’ Ac 18:17.”

[18:18]  ¹⁰⁵ tn The participle προσμείνας (prosmeina") is taken temporally.

[18:18]  ¹⁰⁶ map For location see JP1 C2; JP2 C2; JP3 C2; JP4 C2.

[18:18]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Or “Corinth, took leave of.” Grk “saying farewell to”; the participle ἀποταξάμενος (apotaxameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:18]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Grk “Syria, and with him.”

[18:18]  ¹⁰⁹ sn See the note on Aquila in 18:2.

[18:18]  ¹¹⁰ tn Or “Aquila, who.” The relationship of the participle κειράμενος (keirameno") is difficult to determine. Traditionally it is taken to refer to Paul, meaning that Paul had his hair cut off because of the vow. However, due to the proximity of the noun ᾿Ακύλας (Akula") and the reversal of the normal order (Aquila and Priscilla, Acts 17:34), the participle is taken as adjectival referring to Aquila by H. Greeven, TDNT 2:777, n. 11. The later references to Paul in Jerusalem (Acts 21:23) do not resolve the problem, because the cutting of Paul’s own hair, while it may be implied, is not specifically mentioned in connection with the completion of the vows made by the other four.

[18:18]  ¹¹¹ tn The word “off” is supplied in the translation to indicate that this was not a normal haircut, but the shaving of the head connected with taking the vow (see Acts 21:24).

[18:18]  ¹¹² tn That is, “before he sailed from Cenchrea.”

[18:18]  ¹¹³ sn He had made a vow. It is debated whether this vow is a private vow of thanksgiving or the Nazirite vow, because it is not clear whether the Nazirite vow could be taken outside Jerusalem. Some have cited the Mishnah (m. Nazir 3:6, 5:4) to argue that the shaving of the hair can occur outside Jerusalem, and Josephus, J. W. 2.15.1 (2.313) is sometimes suggested as a parallel, but these references are not clear. H. Greeven, TDNT 2:777, is certain that this refers to the Nazirite vow. Regardless, it is clear that Paul reflected his pious dependence on God.

[18:19]  ¹⁰⁷ sn Ephesus was an influential city in Asia Minor. It was the location of the famous temple of Artemis. In 334 b.c. control of the city had passed to Alexander the Great, who contributed a large sum to the building of a new and more elaborate temple of Artemis, which became one of the seven wonders of the ancient world and lasted until destroyed by the Goths in a.d. 263. This major port city would be reached from Corinth by ship. It was 250 mi (400 km) east of Corinth by sea.

[18:19]  ¹⁰⁸ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:19]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Grk “left them”; the referents (Priscilla and Aquila) have been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:19]  ¹¹⁰ tn Grk “going”; the participle εἰσελθών (eiselqwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:19]  ¹¹¹ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:19]  ¹¹² tn Although the word διελέξατο (dielexato; from διαλέγομαι, dialegomai) is frequently translated “reasoned,” “disputed,” or “argued,” this sense comes from its classical meaning where it was used of philosophical disputation, including the Socratic method of questions and answers. However, there does not seem to be contextual evidence for this kind of debate in Acts 18:19. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21.

[18:20]  ¹⁰⁹ sn He would not consent. Paul probably refused because he wanted to reach Jerusalem for the festival season before the seas became impassable during the winter.

[18:21]  ¹¹¹ tn Or “but took leave of.”

[18:21]  ¹¹² tn Grk “and saying”; the participle εἰπών (eipwn) has been translated as “added” rather than “said” to avoid redundancy with the previous “said farewell.” The participle εἰπών has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:21]  ¹¹³ tn Or “will return.”

[18:21]  ¹¹⁴ tn The participle θέλοντος (qelontos), a genitive absolute construction, has been translated as a conditional adverbial participle. Again Paul acts in dependence on God.

[18:21]  ¹¹⁵ tn A new sentence was begun here in the translation due to the length of the sentence in Greek and the requirements of contemporary English style, which generally uses shorter sentences.

[18:22]  ¹¹³ tn BDAG 531 s.v. κατέρχομαι 2 states, “arrive, put in, nautical t.t. of ships and those who sail in them, who ‘come down’ fr. the ‘high seas’…εἴς τι at someth. a harbor Ac 18:22; 21:3; 27:5.”

[18:22]  ¹¹⁴ sn Caesarea was a city on the coast of Palestine south of Mount Carmel (not Caesarea Philippi). See the note on Caesarea in Acts 10:1. This was a sea voyage of 620 mi (990 km).

[18:22]  ¹¹⁵ tn Grk “going up and greeting.” The participles ἀναβάς (anabas) and ἀσπασάμενος (aspasameno") are translated as finite verbs due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[18:22]  ¹¹⁶ tn The words “at Jerusalem” are not in the Greek text, but are implied by the participle ἀναβάς (anabas). The expression “go up” refers almost exclusively to the direction of Jerusalem, while the corresponding “go down” (κατέβη, katebh) refers to directions away from Jerusalem. Both expressions are based on a Hebrew idiom. Assuming Jerusalem is meant, this is another indication of keeping that key church informed. If Jerusalem is not referred to here, then Caesarea is in view. Paul was trying to honor a vow, which also implies a visit to Jerusalem.

[18:22]  ¹¹⁷ sn Went down to Antioch. The city of Antioch in Syria lies due north of Jerusalem. In Western languages it is common to speak of north as “up” and south as “down,” but the NT maintains the Hebrew idiom which speaks of any direction away from Jerusalem as down (since Mount Zion was thought of in terms of altitude). This marks the end of the second missionary journey which began in Acts 15:36. From Caesarea to Antioch is a journey of 280 mi (450 km).

[18:23]  ¹¹⁵ tn Grk “Having spent”; the participle ποιήσας (poihsas) is taken temporally.

[18:23]  ¹¹⁶ sn Galatia refers to either (1) the region of the old kingdom of Galatia in the central part of Asia Minor, or (2) the Roman province of Galatia, whose principal cities in the 1st century were Ancyra and Pisidian Antioch. The exact extent and meaning of this area has been a subject of considerable controversy in modern NT studies.

[18:23]  ¹¹⁷ sn Phrygia was a district in central Asia Minor west of Pisidia. See Acts 16:6.

[18:24]  ¹¹⁷ map For location see JP1 D2; JP2 D2; JP3 D2; JP4 D2.

[18:24]  ¹¹⁸ tn Or “was a learned man.” In this verse λόγιος (logios) can refer to someone who was an attractive and convincing speaker, a rhetorician (L&N 33.32), or it can refer to the person who has acquired a large part of the intellectual heritage of a given culture (“learned” or “cultured,” L&N 27.20, see also BDAG 598 s.v. λόγιος which lists both meanings as possible here). The description of Apollos’ fervent speaking in the following verses, as well as implications from 1 Cor 1-4, where Paul apparently compares his style and speaking ability with that of Apollos, suggests that eloquent speaking ability or formal rhetorical skill are in view here. This clause has been moved from its order in the Greek text (Grk “a certain Jew named Apollos, a native of Alexandria, an eloquent speaker, arrived in Ephesus, who was powerful in the scriptures”) and paired with the last element (“powerful in the scriptures”) due to the demands of clarity and contemporary English style.

[18:24]  ¹¹⁹ tn Grk “powerful.” BDAG 264 s.v. δυνατός 1.b has “in the Scriptures = well-versed 18:24.”

[18:25]  ¹¹⁹ tn Or “had been taught.”

[18:25]  ¹²⁰ tn Grk “and boiling in spirit” (an idiom for great eagerness or enthusiasm; BDAG 426 s.v. ζέω).

[18:25]  ¹²¹ tn Grk “the things.”

[18:25]  ¹²² tn Grk “knowing”; the participle ἐπιστάμενος (epistameno") has been translated as a concessive adverbial participle.

[18:26]  ¹²¹ tn Or “boldly.” This is a frequent term in Acts (9:27-28; 13:46; 14:3; 19:8; 26:26).

[18:26]  ¹²² sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[18:26]  ¹²³ sn Priscilla and Aquila. This key couple, of which Priscilla was an important enough figure to be mentioned by name, instructed Apollos about the most recent work of God. See also the note on Aquila in 18:2.

[18:26]  ¹²⁴ tn BDAG 883 s.v. προσλαμβάνω 3 has “take aside, mid. τινά someone…So prob. also Ac 18:26: Priscilla and Aquila take Apollos aside to teach him undisturbed.”

[18:27]  ¹²³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Apollos) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[18:27]  ¹²⁴ 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]  ¹²⁵ 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]  ¹²⁶ 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]  ¹²⁷ 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.

[18:28]  ¹²⁵ tn Or “vehemently.” BDAG 414 s.v. εὐτόνως has “vigorously, vehemently…εὐ. διακατελέγχεσθαί τινι refute someone vigorously Ac 18:28.”

[18:28]  ¹²⁶ tn L&N 33.442 translates the phrase τοῖς ᾿Ιουδαίοις διακατηλέγχετο δημοσίᾳ (toi" Ioudaioi" diakathlenceto dhmosia) as “he defeated the Jews in public debate.” On this use of the term δημόσιος (dhmosio") see BDAG 223 s.v. 2.

[18:28]  ¹²⁷ tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.” Again the issue is identifying the Christ as Jesus (see 5:42; 8:5; 9:22; 18:5).

[18:28]  ¹²⁸ tn Although many English translations have here “that Jesus was the Christ,” in the case of two accusatives following a copulative infinitive, the first would normally be the subject and the second the predicate nominative. Additionally, the first accusative here (τὸν χριστόν, ton criston) has the article, a further indication that it should be regarded as subject of the infinitive.