Acts 9:27

9:27 But Barnabas took ¹  Saul, ²  brought ³  him to the apostles, and related to them how he had seen the Lord on the road, that ⁴  the Lord had spoken to him, and how in Damascus he had spoken out boldly ⁵  in the name of Jesus.

Acts 13:1-2

The Church at Antioch Commissions Barnabas and Saul

13:1 Now there were these prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch: ⁶  Barnabas, Simeon called Niger, ⁷  Lucius the Cyrenian, ⁸  Manaen (a close friend of Herod ⁹  the tetrarch ¹⁰  from childhood ¹¹ ) and Saul. 13:2 While they were serving ¹²  the Lord and fasting, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart ¹³  for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them.”

Acts 13:43

13:43 When the meeting of the synagogue ¹⁴  had broken up, ¹⁵  many of the Jews and God-fearing proselytes ¹⁶  followed Paul and Barnabas, who were speaking with them and were persuading ¹⁷  them ¹⁸  to continue ¹⁹  in the grace of God.

Acts 13:50

13:50 But the Jews incited ²⁰  the God-fearing women of high social standing and the prominent men of the city, stirred up persecution against Paul and Barnabas, and threw them out ²¹  of their region.

Acts 15:12

15:12 The whole group kept quiet ²²  and listened to Barnabas and Paul while they explained all the miraculous signs ²³  and wonders God had done among the Gentiles through them.

Acts 15:22

15:22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided ²⁴  to send men chosen from among them, Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, ²⁵  leaders among the brothers, to Antioch ²⁶  with Paul and Barnabas.

Acts 15:36

Paul and Barnabas Part Company

15:36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return ²⁷  and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord ²⁸  to see how they are doing.” ²⁹ 

[9:27]  ¹ tn Grk “taking Saul, brought him.” The participle ἐπιλαβόμενος (epilabomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[9:27]  ² tn Grk “him”; the referent (Saul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[9:27]  ³ tn Grk “and brought,” 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.

[9:27]  ⁴ tn Grk “and that,” 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.

[9:27]  ⁵ tn On this verb which is used 7 times in Acts, see BDAG 782 s.v. παρρησιάζομαι 1. See also v. 28.

[13:1]  ⁶ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[13:1]  ⁷ sn Simeon may well have been from North Africa, since the Latin loanword Niger refers to someone as “dark-complexioned.”

[13:1]  ⁸ sn The Cyrenian refers to a native of the city of Cyrene, on the coast of northern Africa west of Egypt.

[13:1]  ⁹ sn Herod is generally taken as a reference to Herod Antipas, who governed Galilee from 4 b.c. to a.d. 39, who had John the Baptist beheaded, and who is mentioned a number of times in the gospels.

[13:1]  ¹⁰ tn Or “the governor.”

[13:1]  ¹¹ tn Or “(a foster brother of Herod the tetrarch).” The meaning “close friend from childhood” is given by L&N 34.15, but the word can also mean “foster brother” (L&N 10.51). BDAG 976 s.v. σύντροφας states, “pert. to being brought up with someone, either as a foster-brother or as a companion/friend,” which covers both alternatives. Context does not given enough information to be certain which is the case here, although many modern translations prefer the meaning “close friend from childhood.”

[13:2]  ¹¹ tn This term is frequently used in the LXX of the service performed by priests and Levites in the tabernacle (Exod 28:35, 43; 29:30; 30:20; 35:19; 39:26; Num 1:50; 3:6, 31) and the temple (2 Chr 31:2; 35:3; Joel 1:9, 13; 2:17, and many more examples). According to BDAG 591 s.v. λειτουργέω 1.b it is used “of other expression of religious devotion.” Since the previous verse described the prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch, it is probable that the term here describes two of them (Barnabas and Saul) as they were serving in that capacity. Since they were not in Jerusalem where the temple was located, general religious service is referred to here.

[13:2]  ¹² tn Or “Appoint.”

[13:43]  ¹⁶ sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.

[13:43]  ¹⁷ tn BDAG 607 s.v. λύω 3 has “λυθείσης τ. συναγωγῆς when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up Ac 13:43.”

[13:43]  ¹⁸ tn Normally the phrase σεβόμενοι τὸν θεόν (sebomenoi ton qeon) refers to Gentiles (“God-fearers”) who believed in God, attended the synagogue, and followed the Mosaic law to some extent, but stopped short of undergoing circumcision. BDAG 918 s.v. σέβω 1.b lists in this category references in Acts 16:14; 18:7; with σεβόμενοι alone, Acts 13:50; 17:4, 17; the phrase is also found in Josephus, Ant. 14.7.2 (14.110). Unique to this particular verse is the combination σεβόμενοι προσηλύτων (sebomenoi proshlutwn). Later rabbinic discussion suggests that to be regarded as a proper proselyte, a Gentile male had to submit to circumcision. If that is the case here, these Gentiles in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch should be regarded as full proselytes who had converted completely to Judaism and undergone circumcision. It is probably more likely, however, that προσηλύτων is used here in a somewhat looser sense (note the use of σεβομένας [sebomena"] alone to refer to women in Acts 13:50) and that these Gentiles were still in the category commonly called “God-fearers” without being full, technical proselytes to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44. Regardless, the point is that many Gentiles, as well as Jews, came to faith.

[13:43]  ¹⁹ tn This is the meaning given for ἔπειθον (epeiqon) in this verse by BDAG 791 s.v. πείθω 1.b.

[13:43]  ²⁰ tn Grk “who, as they were speaking with them, were persuading them.”

[13:43]  ²¹ tn The verb προμένειν (promenein) is similar in force to the use of μένω (menw, “to reside/remain”) in the Gospel and Epistles of John.

[13:50]  ²¹ tn For the translation of παρώτρυναν (parwtrunan) as “incited” see BDAG 780 s.v. παροτρύνω.

[13:50]  ²² tn BDAG 299 s.v. ἐκβάλλω 1 has “throw out.” Once again, many Jews reacted to the message (Acts 5:17, 33; 6:11; 13:45).

[15:12]  ²⁶ tn BDAG 922 s.v. σιγάω 1.a lists this passage under the meaning “say nothing, keep still, keep silent.”

[15:12]  ²⁷ tn Here in connection with τέρατα (terata) the miraculous nature of these signs is indicated.

[15:22]  ³¹ 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]  ³² sn Silas. See 2 Cor 1:19; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1 (= Silvanus).

[15:22]  ³³ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[15:36]  ³⁶ tn Grk “Returning let us visit.” The participle ἐπιστρέψαντες (epistreyante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.

[15:36]  ³⁷ tn See the note on the phrase “word of the Lord” in v. 35.

[15:36]  ³⁸ tn BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.b has “how they are” for this phrase.