Mark 16:15-19

16:15 He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16:16 The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned. 16:17 These signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new languages; ¹  16:18 they will pick up snakes with their hands, and whatever poison they drink will not harm them; ²  they will place their hands on the sick and they will be well.” 16:19 After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.

Luke 1:2

1:2 like the accounts ³  passed on ⁴  to us by those who were eyewitnesses and servants of the word ⁵  from the beginning. ⁶ 

Luke 24:47-48

24:47 and repentance ⁷  for the forgiveness of sins would be proclaimed ⁸  in his name to all nations, ⁹  beginning from Jerusalem. ¹⁰  24:48 You are witnesses ¹¹  of these things.

John 15:27

15:27 and you also will testify, because you have been with me from the beginning.

Acts 1:22

1:22 beginning from his baptism by John until the day he ¹²  was taken up from us – one of these must become a witness of his resurrection together with us.”

Acts 10:40-42

10:40 but ¹³  God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen, ¹⁴  10:41 not by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen, ¹⁵  who ate and drank ¹⁶  with him after he rose from the dead. 10:42 He ¹⁷  commanded us to preach to the people and to warn ¹⁸  them ¹⁹  that he is the one ²⁰  appointed ²¹  by God as judge ²²  of the living and the dead.

[16:17]  ¹ tn Grk “tongues,” though the word is used figuratively (perhaps as a metonymy of cause for effect). To “speak in tongues” meant to “speak in a foreign language,” though one that was new to the one speaking it and therefore due to supernatural causes. For a discussion concerning whether such was a human language, heavenly language, or merely ecstatic utterance, see BDAG 201-2 s.v. γλῶσσα 2, 3; BDAG 399 s.v. ἕτερος 2; L&N 33.2-4; ExSyn 698; C. M. Robeck Jr., “Tongues,” DPL, 939-43.

[16:18]  ² tn For further comment on the nature of this statement, whether it is a promise or prediction, see ExSyn 403-6.

[1:2]  ³ tn Grk “even as”; this compares the recorded tradition of 1:1 with the original eyewitness tradition of 1:2.

[1:2]  ⁴ tn Or “delivered.”

[1:2]  ⁵ sn The phrase eyewitnesses and servants of the word refers to a single group of people who faithfully passed on the accounts about Jesus. The language about delivery (passed on) points to accounts faithfully passed on to the early church.

[1:2]  ⁶ tn Grk “like the accounts those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and servants of the word passed on to us.” The location of “in the beginning” in the Greek shows that the tradition is rooted in those who were with Jesus from the start.

[24:47]  ⁷ sn This repentance has its roots in declarations of the Old Testament. It is the Hebrew concept of a turning of direction.

[24:47]  ⁸ tn Or “preached,” “announced.”

[24:47]  ⁹ sn To all nations. The same Greek term (τὰ ἔθνη, ta eqnh) may be translated “the Gentiles” or “the nations.” The hope of God in Christ was for all the nations from the beginning.

[24:47]  ¹⁰ sn Beginning from Jerusalem. See Acts 2, which is where it all starts.

[24:48]  ¹¹ sn You are witnesses. This becomes a key concept of testimony in Acts. See Acts 1:8.

[1:22]  ¹² tn Here the pronoun “he” refers to Jesus.

[10:40]  ¹³ tn The conjunction “but” is not in the Greek text, but the contrast is clearly implied in the context. This is technically asyndeton, or lack of a connective, in Greek.

[10:40]  ¹⁴ tn Grk “and granted that he should become visible.” The literal Greek idiom is somewhat awkward in English. L&N 24.22 offers the translation “caused him to be seen” for this verse.

[10:41]  ¹⁵ tn Or “the witnesses God had previously chosen.” See Acts 1:8.

[10:41]  ¹⁶ sn Ate and drank. See Luke 24:35-49.

[10:42]  ¹⁷ 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.

[10:42]  ¹⁸ tn The verb διαμαρτύρομαι (diamarturomai) can mean “warn,” and such a meaning is highly probable in this context where a reference to the judgment of both the living and the dead is present. The more general meaning “to testify solemnly” does not capture this nuance.

[10:42]  ¹⁹ 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.

[10:42]  ²⁰ tn Grk “that this one is the one,” but this is awkward in English and has been simplified to “that he is the one.”

[10:42]  ²¹ tn Or “designated.” BDAG 723 s.v. ὁρίζω 2.b has “the one appointed by God as judge” for this phrase.

[10:42]  ²² sn Jesus has divine authority as judge over the living and the dead: Acts 17:26-31; Rom 14:9; 1 Thess 5:9-10; 1 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5.