Kisah Para Rasul 3:1--8:26
Konteks3:1 Now Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time 1 for prayer, 2 at three o’clock in the afternoon. 3 3:2 And a man lame 4 from birth 5 was being carried up, who was placed at the temple gate called “the Beautiful Gate” every day 6 so he could beg for money 7 from those going into the temple courts. 8 3:3 When he saw Peter and John about to go into the temple courts, 9 he asked them for money. 10 3:4 Peter looked directly 11 at him (as did John) and said, “Look at us!” 3:5 So the lame man 12 paid attention to them, expecting to receive something from them. 3:6 But Peter said, “I have no silver or gold, 13 but what I do have I give you. In the name 14 of Jesus Christ 15 the Nazarene, stand up and 16 walk!” 3:7 Then 17 Peter 18 took hold 19 of him by the right hand and raised him up, and at once the man’s 20 feet and ankles were made strong. 21 3:8 He 22 jumped up, 23 stood and began walking around, and he entered the temple courts 24 with them, walking and leaping and praising God. 3:9 All 25 the people saw him walking and praising God, 3:10 and they recognized him as the man who used to sit and ask for donations 26 at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, and they were filled with astonishment and amazement 27 at what had happened to him.
3:11 While the man 28 was hanging on to Peter and John, all the people, completely astounded, ran together to them in the covered walkway 29 called Solomon’s Portico. 30 3:12 When Peter saw this, he declared to the people, “Men of Israel, 31 why are you amazed at this? Why 32 do you stare at us as if we had made this man 33 walk by our own power or piety? 3:13 The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 34 the God of our forefathers, 35 has glorified 36 his servant 37 Jesus, whom you handed over and rejected 38 in the presence of Pilate after he had decided 39 to release him. 3:14 But you rejected 40 the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a man who was a murderer be released to you. 3:15 You killed 41 the Originator 42 of life, whom God raised 43 from the dead. To this fact we are witnesses! 44 3:16 And on the basis of faith in Jesus’ 45 name, 46 his very name has made this man – whom you see and know – strong. The 47 faith that is through Jesus 48 has given him this complete health in the presence 49 of you all. 3:17 And now, brothers, I know you acted in ignorance, 50 as your rulers did too. 3:18 But the things God foretold 51 long ago through 52 all the prophets – that his Christ 53 would suffer – he has fulfilled in this way. 3:19 Therefore repent and turn back so that your sins may be wiped out, 3:20 so that times of refreshing 54 may come from the presence of the Lord, 55 and so that he may send the Messiah 56 appointed 57 for you – that is, Jesus. 3:21 This one 58 heaven must 59 receive until the time all things are restored, 60 which God declared 61 from times long ago 62 through his holy prophets. 3:22 Moses said, ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must obey 63 him in everything he tells you. 64 3:23 Every person 65 who does not obey that prophet will be destroyed and thus removed 66 from the people.’ 67 3:24 And all the prophets, from Samuel and those who followed him, have spoken about and announced 68 these days. 3:25 You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your ancestors, 69 saying to Abraham, ‘And in your descendants 70 all the nations 71 of the earth will be blessed.’ 72 3:26 God raised up 73 his servant and sent him first to you, to bless you by turning 74 each one of you from your iniquities.” 75
4:1 While Peter and John 76 were speaking to the people, the priests and the commander 77 of the temple guard 78 and the Sadducees 79 came up 80 to them, 4:2 angry 81 because they were teaching the people and announcing 82 in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 4:3 So 83 they seized 84 them and put them in jail 85 until the next day (for it was already evening). 4:4 But many of those who had listened to 86 the message 87 believed, and the number of the men 88 came to about five thousand.
4:5 On the next day, 89 their rulers, elders, and experts in the law 90 came together 91 in Jerusalem. 92 4:6 Annas the high priest was there, and Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and others who were members of the high priest’s family. 93 4:7 After 94 making Peter and John 95 stand in their midst, they began to inquire, “By what power or by what name 96 did you do this?” 4:8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, 97 replied, 98 “Rulers of the people and elders, 99 4:9 if 100 we are being examined 101 today for a good deed 102 done to a sick man – by what means this man was healed 103 – 4:10 let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ 104 the Nazarene whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, this man stands before you healthy. 4:11 This Jesus 105 is the stone that was rejected by you, 106 the builders, that has become the cornerstone. 107 4:12 And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among people 108 by which we must 109 be saved.”
4:13 When they saw the boldness 110 of Peter and John, and discovered 111 that they were uneducated 112 and ordinary 113 men, they were amazed and recognized these men had been with Jesus. 4:14 And because they saw the man who had been healed standing with them, they had nothing to say against this. 114 4:15 But when they had ordered them to go outside the council, 115 they began to confer with one another, 4:16 saying, “What should we do with these men? For it is plain 116 to all who live in Jerusalem that a notable miraculous sign 117 has come about through them, 118 and we cannot deny it. 4:17 But to keep this matter from spreading any further among the people, let us warn them to speak no more 119 to anyone in this name.” 4:18 And they called them in and ordered 120 them not to speak or teach at all in the name 121 of Jesus. 4:19 But Peter and John replied, 122 “Whether it is right before God to obey 123 you rather than God, you decide, 4:20 for it is impossible 124 for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” 4:21 After threatening them further, they released them, for they could not find how to punish them on account of the people, because they were all praising 125 God for what had happened. 4:22 For the man, on whom this miraculous sign 126 of healing had been performed, 127 was over forty years old.
4:23 When they were released, Peter and John 128 went to their fellow believers 129 and reported everything the high priests and the elders had said to them. 4:24 When they heard this, they raised their voices to God with one mind 130 and said, “Master of all, 131 you who made the heaven, the earth, 132 the sea, and everything that is in them, 4:25 who said by the Holy Spirit through 133 your servant David our forefather, 134
‘Why do the nations 135 rage, 136
and the peoples plot foolish 137 things?
4:26 The kings of the earth stood together, 138
and the rulers assembled together,
against the Lord and against his 139 Christ.’ 140
4:27 “For indeed both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, assembled together in this city against 141 your holy servant Jesus, whom you anointed, 142 4:28 to do as much as your power 143 and your plan 144 had decided beforehand 145 would happen. 4:29 And now, Lord, pay attention to 146 their threats, and grant 147 to your servants 148 to speak your message 149 with great courage, 150 4:30 while you extend your hand to heal, and to bring about miraculous signs 151 and wonders through the name of your holy servant Jesus.” 4:31 When 152 they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken, 153 and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak 154 the word of God 155 courageously. 156
4:32 The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, 157 and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common. 158 4:33 With 159 great power the apostles were giving testimony 160 to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and great grace was on them all. 4:34 For there was no one needy 161 among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling 162 them 163 and bringing the proceeds from the sales 4:35 and placing them at the apostles’ feet. The proceeds 164 were distributed to each, as anyone had need. 4:36 So Joseph, a Levite who was a native of Cyprus, called by the apostles Barnabas (which is translated “son of encouragement”), 165 4:37 sold 166 a field 167 that belonged to him and brought the money 168 and placed it at the apostles’ feet.
5:1 Now a man named Ananias, together with Sapphira his wife, sold a piece of property. 5:2 He 169 kept back for himself part of the proceeds with his wife’s knowledge; he brought 170 only part of it and placed it at the apostles’ feet. 5:3 But Peter said, “Ananias, why has Satan filled 171 your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit and keep back for yourself part of the proceeds from the sale of 172 the land? 5:4 Before it was sold, 173 did it not 174 belong to you? And when it was sold, was the money 175 not at your disposal? How have you thought up this deed in your heart? 176 You have not lied to people 177 but to God!”
5:5 When Ananias heard these words he collapsed and died, and great fear gripped 178 all who heard about it. 5:6 So the young men came, 179 wrapped him up, 180 carried him out, and buried 181 him. 5:7 After an interval of about three hours, 182 his wife came in, but she did not know 183 what had happened. 5:8 Peter said to her, “Tell me, were the two of you 184 paid this amount 185 for the land?” Sapphira 186 said, “Yes, that much.” 5:9 Peter then told her, “Why have you agreed together to test the Spirit of the Lord? Look! The feet of those who have buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you out!” 5:10 At once 187 she collapsed at his feet and died. So when the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her out and buried her beside her husband. 5:11 Great 188 fear gripped 189 the whole church 190 and all who heard about these things.
5:12 Now many miraculous signs 191 and wonders came about among the people through the hands of the apostles. By 192 common consent 193 they were all meeting together in Solomon’s Portico. 194 5:13 None of the rest dared to join them, 195 but the people held them in high honor. 196 5:14 More and more believers in the Lord were added to their number, 197 crowds of both men and women. 5:15 Thus 198 they even carried the sick out into the streets, and put them on cots and pallets, so that when Peter came by at least his shadow would fall on some of them. 5:16 A crowd of people from the towns around Jerusalem 199 also came together, bringing the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits. 200 They 201 were all 202 being healed.
5:17 Now the high priest rose up, and all those with him (that is, the religious party of the Sadducees 203 ), 204 and they were filled with jealousy. 205 5:18 They 206 laid hands on 207 the apostles and put them in a public jail. 5:19 But during the night an angel of the Lord 208 opened 209 the doors of the prison, 210 led them out, 211 and said, 5:20 “Go and stand in the temple courts 212 and proclaim 213 to the people all the words of this life.” 5:21 When they heard this, they entered the temple courts 214 at daybreak and began teaching. 215
Now when the high priest and those who were with him arrived, they summoned the Sanhedrin 216 – that is, the whole high council 217 of the Israelites 218 – and sent to the jail to have the apostles 219 brought before them. 220 5:22 But the officers 221 who came for them 222 did not find them in the prison, so they returned and reported, 223 5:23 “We found the jail locked securely and the guards standing at the doors, but when we opened them, 224 we found no one inside.” 5:24 Now when the commander 225 of the temple guard 226 and the chief priests heard this report, 227 they were greatly puzzled concerning it, 228 wondering what this could 229 be. 5:25 But someone came and reported to them, “Look! The men you put in prison are standing in the temple courts 230 and teaching 231 the people!” 5:26 Then the commander 232 of the temple guard 233 went with the officers 234 and brought the apostles 235 without the use of force 236 (for they were afraid of being stoned by the people). 237
5:27 When they had brought them, they stood them before the council, 238 and the high priest questioned 239 them, 5:28 saying, “We gave 240 you strict orders 241 not to teach in this name. 242 Look, 243 you have filled Jerusalem 244 with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man’s blood 245 on us!” 5:29 But Peter and the apostles replied, 246 “We must obey 247 God rather than people. 248 5:30 The God of our forefathers 249 raised up Jesus, whom you seized and killed by hanging him on a tree. 250 5:31 God exalted him 251 to his right hand as Leader 252 and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. 253 5:32 And we are witnesses of these events, 254 and so is the Holy Spirit whom God has given to those who obey 255 him.”
5:33 Now when they heard this, they became furious 256 and wanted to execute them. 257 5:34 But a Pharisee 258 whose name was Gamaliel, 259 a teacher of the law who was respected by all the people, stood up 260 in the council 261 and ordered the men to be put outside for a short time. 5:35 Then he said to the council, 262 “Men of Israel, 263 pay close attention to 264 what you are about to do to these men. 5:36 For some time ago 265 Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and about four hundred men joined him. He 266 was killed, and all who followed him were dispersed and nothing came of it. 267 5:37 After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census, 268 and incited people to follow him in revolt. 269 He too was killed, and all who followed him were scattered. 5:38 So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, 270 it will come to nothing, 271 5:39 but if 272 it is from God, you will not be able to stop them, or you may even be found 273 fighting against God.” He convinced them, 274 5:40 and they summoned the apostles and had them beaten. 275 Then 276 they ordered them not to speak in the name of Jesus and released them. 5:41 So they left the council rejoicing because they had been considered worthy 277 to suffer dishonor for the sake of the name. 278 5:42 And every day both in the temple courts 279 and from house to house, they did not stop teaching and proclaiming the good news 280 that Jesus was the Christ. 281
6:1 Now in those 282 days, when the disciples were growing in number, 283 a complaint arose on the part of the Greek-speaking Jews 284 against the native Hebraic Jews, 285 because their widows 286 were being overlooked 287 in the daily distribution of food. 288 6:2 So the twelve 289 called 290 the whole group 291 of the disciples together and said, “It is not right for us to neglect the word of God to wait on tables. 292 6:3 But carefully select from among you, brothers, 293 seven 294 men who are well-attested, 295 full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge 296 of this necessary task. 297 6:4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” 6:5 The 298 proposal pleased the entire group, so 299 they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, with 300 Philip, 301 Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a Gentile convert to Judaism 302 from Antioch. 303 6:6 They stood these men before the apostles, who prayed 304 and placed 305 their hands on them. 6:7 The word of God continued to spread, 306 the number of disciples in Jerusalem 307 increased greatly, and a large group 308 of priests became obedient to the faith.
6:8 Now Stephen, full of grace and power, was performing great wonders and miraculous signs 309 among the people. 6:9 But some men from the Synagogue 310 of the Freedmen (as it was called), 311 both Cyrenians and Alexandrians, as well as some from Cilicia and the province of Asia, 312 stood up and argued with Stephen. 6:10 Yet 313 they were not able to resist 314 the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. 6:11 Then they secretly instigated 315 some men to say, “We have heard this man 316 speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.” 6:12 They incited the people, the 317 elders, and the experts in the law; 318 then they approached Stephen, 319 seized him, and brought him before the council. 320 6:13 They brought forward false witnesses who said, “This man does not stop saying things against this holy place 321 and the law. 322 6:14 For we have heard him saying that Jesus the Nazarene will destroy this place and change the customs 323 that Moses handed down to us.” 6:15 All 324 who were sitting in the council 325 looked intently at Stephen 326 and saw his face was like the face of an angel. 327
7:1 Then the high priest said, “Are these things true?” 328 7:2 So he replied, 329 “Brothers and fathers, listen to me. The God of glory appeared to our forefather 330 Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he settled in Haran, 7:3 and said to him, ‘Go out from your country and from your relatives, and come to the land I will show you.’ 331 7:4 Then he went out from the country of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God 332 made him move 333 to this country where you now live. 7:5 He 334 did not give any of it to him for an inheritance, 335 not even a foot of ground, 336 yet God 337 promised to give it to him as his possession, and to his descendants after him, 338 even though Abraham 339 as yet had no child. 7:6 But God spoke as follows: ‘Your 340 descendants will be foreigners 341 in a foreign country, whose citizens will enslave them and mistreat them for four hundred years. 342 7:7 But I will punish 343 the nation they serve as slaves,’ said God, ‘and after these things they will come out of there 344 and worship 345 me in this place.’ 346 7:8 Then God 347 gave Abraham 348 the covenant 349 of circumcision, and so he became the father of Isaac and circumcised him when he was eight days old, 350 and Isaac became the father of 351 Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. 352 7:9 The 353 patriarchs, because they were jealous of Joseph, sold 354 him into Egypt. But 355 God was with him, 7:10 and rescued him from all his troubles, and granted him favor and wisdom in the presence of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who made 356 him ruler over Egypt and over all his household. 7:11 Then a famine occurred throughout 357 Egypt and Canaan, causing 358 great suffering, and our 359 ancestors 360 could not find food. 7:12 So when Jacob heard that there was grain 361 in Egypt, he sent our ancestors 362 there 363 the first time. 7:13 On their second visit Joseph made himself known to his brothers again, and Joseph’s family 364 became known to Pharaoh. 7:14 So Joseph sent a message 365 and invited 366 his father Jacob and all his relatives to come, seventy-five people 367 in all. 7:15 So Jacob went down to Egypt and died there, 368 along with our ancestors, 369 7:16 and their bones 370 were later moved to Shechem and placed in the tomb that Abraham had bought for a certain sum of money 371 from the sons of Hamor in Shechem.
7:17 “But as the time drew near for God to fulfill the promise he had declared to Abraham, 372 the people increased greatly in number 373 in Egypt, 7:18 until another king who did not know about 374 Joseph ruled 375 over Egypt. 376 7:19 This was the one who exploited 377 our people 378 and was cruel to our ancestors, 379 forcing them to abandon 380 their infants so they would die. 381 7:20 At that time Moses was born, and he was beautiful 382 to God. For 383 three months he was brought up in his father’s house, 7:21 and when he had been abandoned, 384 Pharaoh’s daughter adopted 385 him and brought him up 386 as her own son. 7:22 So Moses was trained 387 in all the wisdom of the Egyptians and was powerful 388 in his words and deeds. 7:23 But when he was about forty years old, it entered his mind 389 to visit his fellow countrymen 390 the Israelites. 391 7:24 When 392 he saw one of them being hurt unfairly, 393 Moses 394 came to his defense 395 and avenged the person who was mistreated by striking down the Egyptian. 7:25 He thought his own people 396 would understand that God was delivering them 397 through him, 398 but they did not understand. 399 7:26 The next day Moses 400 saw two men 401 fighting, and tried to make peace between 402 them, saying, ‘Men, you are brothers; why are you hurting one another?’ 7:27 But the man who was unfairly hurting his neighbor pushed 403 Moses 404 aside, saying, ‘Who made 405 you a ruler and judge over us? 7:28 You don’t want to kill me the way you killed the Egyptian yesterday, do you?’ 406 7:29 When the man said this, 407 Moses fled and became a foreigner 408 in the land of Midian, where he became the father of two sons.
7:30 “After 409 forty years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the desert 410 of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. 411 7:31 When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight, and when he approached to investigate, there came the voice of the Lord, 7:32 ‘I am the God of your forefathers, 412 the God of Abraham, Isaac, 413 and Jacob.’ 414 Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look more closely. 415 7:33 But the Lord said to him, ‘Take the sandals off your feet, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 416 7:34 I have certainly seen the suffering 417 of my people who are in Egypt and have heard their groaning, and I have come down to rescue them. 418 Now 419 come, I will send you to Egypt.’ 420 7:35 This same 421 Moses they had rejected, saying, ‘Who made you a ruler and judge?’ 422 God sent as both ruler and deliverer 423 through the hand of the angel 424 who appeared to him in the bush. 7:36 This man led them out, performing wonders and miraculous signs 425 in the land of Egypt, 426 at 427 the Red Sea, and in the wilderness 428 for forty years. 7:37 This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 429 ‘God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers.’ 430 7:38 This is the man who was in the congregation 431 in the wilderness 432 with the angel who spoke to him at Mount Sinai, and with our ancestors, 433 and he 434 received living oracles 435 to give to you. 436 7:39 Our 437 ancestors 438 were unwilling to obey 439 him, but pushed him aside 440 and turned back to Egypt in their hearts, 7:40 saying to Aaron, ‘Make us gods who will go in front of us, for this Moses, who led us out of the land of Egypt 441 – we do not know what has happened to him!’ 442 7:41 At 443 that time 444 they made an idol in the form of a calf, 445 brought 446 a sacrifice to the idol, and began rejoicing 447 in the works of their hands. 448 7:42 But God turned away from them and gave them over 449 to worship the host 450 of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: ‘It was not to me that you offered slain animals and sacrifices 451 forty years in the wilderness, was it, 452 house of Israel? 7:43 But you took along the tabernacle 453 of Moloch 454 and the star of the 455 god Rephan, 456 the images you made to worship, but I will deport 457 you beyond Babylon.’ 458 7:44 Our ancestors 459 had the tabernacle 460 of testimony in the wilderness, 461 just as God 462 who spoke to Moses ordered him 463 to make it according to the design he had seen. 7:45 Our 464 ancestors 465 received possession of it and brought it in with Joshua when they dispossessed the nations that God drove out before our ancestors, 466 until the time 467 of David. 7:46 He 468 found favor 469 with 470 God and asked that he could 471 find a dwelling place 472 for the house 473 of Jacob. 7:47 But Solomon built a house 474 for him. 7:48 Yet the Most High 475 does not live in houses made by human hands, 476 as the prophet says,
7:49 ‘Heaven is my throne,
and earth is the footstool for my feet.
What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord,
or what is my resting place? 477
7:50 Did my hand 478 not make all these things?’ 479
7:51 “You stubborn 480 people, with uncircumcised 481 hearts and ears! 482 You are always resisting the Holy Spirit, like your ancestors 483 did! 7:52 Which of the prophets did your ancestors 484 not persecute? 485 They 486 killed those who foretold long ago the coming of the Righteous One, 487 whose betrayers and murderers you have now become! 488 7:53 You 489 received the law by decrees given by angels, 490 but you did not obey 491 it.” 492
7:54 When they heard these things, they became furious 493 and ground their teeth 494 at him. 7:55 But Stephen, 495 full 496 of the Holy Spirit, looked intently 497 toward heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing 498 at the right hand of God. 7:56 “Look!” he said. 499 “I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God!” 7:57 But they covered their ears, 500 shouting out with a loud voice, and rushed at him with one intent. 7:58 When 501 they had driven him out of the city, they began to stone him, 502 and the witnesses laid their cloaks 503 at the feet of a young man named Saul. 7:59 They 504 continued to stone Stephen while he prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” 7:60 Then he fell 505 to his knees and cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” 506 When 507 he had said this, he died. 508 8:1 And Saul agreed completely with killing 509 him.
Now on that day a great 510 persecution began 511 against the church in Jerusalem, 512 and all 513 except the apostles were forced to scatter throughout the regions 514 of Judea and Samaria. 8:2 Some 515 devout men buried Stephen and made loud lamentation 516 over him. 517 8:3 But Saul was trying to destroy 518 the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off 519 both men and women and put them in prison. 520
8:4 Now those who had been forced to scatter went around proclaiming the good news of the word. 8:5 Philip went down to the main city of Samaria 521 and began proclaiming 522 the Christ 523 to them. 8:6 The crowds were paying attention with one mind to what Philip said, 524 as they heard and saw the miraculous signs 525 he was performing. 8:7 For unclean spirits, 526 crying with loud shrieks, were coming out of many who were possessed, 527 and many paralyzed and lame people were healed. 8:8 So there was 528 great joy 529 in that city.
8:9 Now in that city was a man named Simon, who had been practicing magic 530 and amazing the people of Samaria, claiming to be someone great. 8:10 All the people, 531 from the least to the greatest, paid close attention to him, saying, “This man is the power of God that is called ‘Great.’” 532 8:11 And they paid close attention to him because he had amazed them for a long time with his magic. 8:12 But when they believed Philip as he was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God 533 and the name of Jesus Christ, 534 they began to be baptized, 535 both men and women. 8:13 Even Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to 536 Philip constantly, and when he saw the signs and great miracles that were occurring, he was amazed. 537
8:14 Now when the apostles in Jerusalem 538 heard that Samaria had accepted the word 539 of God, they sent 540 Peter and John to them. 8:15 These two 541 went down and prayed for them so that they would receive the Holy Spirit. 8:16 (For the Spirit 542 had not yet come upon 543 any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 544 8:17 Then Peter and John placed their hands on the Samaritans, 545 and they received the Holy Spirit. 546
8:18 Now Simon, when he saw that the Spirit 547 was given through the laying on of the apostles’ hands, offered them money, 8:19 saying, “Give me this power 548 too, so that everyone I place my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit.” 8:20 But Peter said to him, “May your silver perish with you, 549 because you thought you could acquire 550 God’s gift with money! 8:21 You have no share or part 551 in this matter 552 because your heart is not right before God! 8:22 Therefore repent of this wickedness of yours, and pray to the Lord 553 that he may perhaps forgive you for the intent of your heart. 554 8:23 For I see that you are bitterly envious 555 and in bondage to sin.” 8:24 But Simon replied, 556 “You pray to the Lord for me so that nothing of what you have said may happen to 557 me.”
8:25 So after Peter and John 558 had solemnly testified 559 and spoken the word of the Lord, 560 they started back to Jerusalem, proclaiming 561 the good news to many Samaritan villages 562 as they went. 563
8:26 Then an angel of the Lord 564 said to Philip, 565 “Get up and go south 566 on the road that goes down from Jerusalem 567 to Gaza.” (This is a desert 568 road.) 569
[3:1] 2 sn Going up to the temple at the time for prayer. The earliest Christians, being of Jewish roots, were still participating in the institutions of Judaism at this point. Their faith in Christ did not make them non-Jewish in their practices.
[3:1] 3 tn Grk “at the ninth hour.” This is calculated from sunrise (Josephus, Ant. 14.4.3 [14.65]; Dan 9:21).
[3:2] 5 tn Grk “from his mother’s womb.”
[3:2] 6 tn BDAG 437 s.v. ἡμέρα 2.c has “every day” for this phrase.
[3:2] 7 tn Grk “alms.” The term “alms” is not in common use today, so what the man expected, “money,” is used in the translation instead. The idea is that of money given as a gift to someone who was poor. Giving alms was viewed as honorable in Judaism (Tob 1:3, 16; 12:8-9; m. Pe’ah 1:1). See also Luke 11:41; 12:33; Acts 9:36; 10:2, 4, 31; 24:17.
[3:2] 8 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
[3:2] sn Into the temple courts. The exact location of this incident is debated. The ‘Beautiful Gate’ referred either to the Nicanor Gate (which led from the Court of the Gentiles into the Court of Women) or the Shushan Gate at the eastern wall.
[3:3] 9 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
[3:3] sn See the note on the phrase the temple courts in the previous verse.
[3:3] 10 tn Grk “alms.” See the note on the word “money” in the previous verse.
[3:4] 11 tn Grk “Peter, looking directly at him, as did John, said.” The participle ἀτενίσας (atenisas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[3:5] 12 tn Grk “So he”; the referent (the lame man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:6] 13 tn Or “I have no money.” L&N 6.69 classifies the expression ἀργύριον καὶ χρυσίον (argurion kai crusion) as an idiom that is a generic expression for currency, thus “money.”
[3:6] 14 sn In the name. Note the authority in the name of Jesus the Messiah. His presence and power are at work for the man. The reference to “the name” is not like a magical incantation, but is designed to indicate the agent who performs the healing. The theme is quite frequent in Acts (2:38 plus 21 other times).
[3:6] 15 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[3:6] 16 tc The words “stand up and” (ἔγειρε καί, egeire kai) are not in a few
[3:7] 17 tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “Then” to reflect the sequence of events.
[3:7] 18 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Peter) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:7] 19 tn Grk “Peter taking hold of him…raised him up.” The participle πιάσας (piasas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[3:7] 20 tn Grk “his”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:7] 21 sn At once the man’s feet and ankles were made strong. Note that despite the past lameness, the man is immediately able to walk. The restoration of his ability to walk pictures the presence of a renewed walk, a fresh start at life; this was far more than money would have given him.
[3:8] 22 tn Grk “And he.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the conjunction καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new English sentence is begun.
[3:8] 23 tn Grk “Jumping up, he stood.” The participle ἐξαλλόμενος (exallomeno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. It is possible that the paralyzed man actually jumped off the ground, but more probably this term simply refers to the speed with which he stood up. See L&N 15.240.
[3:8] 24 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
[3:9] 25 tn Grk “And all.” 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.
[3:10] 26 tn Grk “alms,” but this term is not in common use today, so the closest modern equivalent, “donations,” is used instead. The idea is that of a donation to charity.
[3:10] 27 sn Amazement is a frequent response to miracles of Jesus or the apostles. These took the ancients by as much surprise as they would people today. But in terms of response to what God is doing, amazement does not equal faith (Luke 4:36; 5:9, 26; 7:16).
[3:11] 28 tn Grk “he”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:11] 29 tn Or “portico,” “colonnade”; Grk “stoa.” The translation “covered walkway” (a descriptive translation) was used here because the architectural term “portico” or “colonnade” is less familiar. However, the more technical term “portico” was retained in the actual name that follows.
[3:11] 30 sn Solomon’s Portico was a covered walkway formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the inner side facing the center of the temple complex. It was located on the east side of the temple (Josephus, Ant. 15.11.3-5 [15.391-420], 20.9.7 [20.221]) and was a place of commerce and conversation.
[3:12] 31 tn Or perhaps “People of Israel,” since this was taking place in Solomon’s Portico and women may have been present. The Greek ἄνδρες ᾿Ισραηλῖται (andre" Israhlitai) used in the plural would normally mean “men, gentlemen” (BDAG 79 s.v. ἀνήρ 1.a).
[3:12] 33 tn Grk “him”; the referent (the man) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:13] 34 tc ‡ The repetition of ὁ θεός (Jo qeos, “God”) before the names of Isaac and Jacob is found in Ì74 א C (A D without article) 36 104 1175 pc lat. The omission of the second and third ὁ θεός is supported by B E Ψ 33 1739 Ï pc. The other time that Exod 3:6 is quoted in Acts (7:32) the best witnesses also lack the repeated ὁ θεός, but the three other times this OT passage is quoted in the NT the full form, with the thrice-mentioned θεός, is used (Matt 22:32; Mark 12:26; Luke 20:37). Scribes would be prone to conform the wording here to the LXX; the longer reading is thus most likely not authentic. NA27 has the words in brackets, indicating doubts as to their authenticity.
[3:13] 35 tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”
[3:13] sn The reference to the God of the patriarchs is a reminder that God is the God of the nation and of promises. The phrase God of our forefathers is from the Hebrew scriptures (Exod 3:6, 15-16; 4:5; see also the Jewish prayer known as “The Eighteen Benedictions”). Once again, event has led to explanation, or what is called the “sign and speech” pattern.
[3:13] 36 sn Has glorified. Jesus is alive, raised and active, as the healing illustrates so dramatically how God honors him.
[3:13] 37 sn His servant. The term servant has messianic connotations given the context of the promise, the note of suffering, and the titles and functions noted in vv. 14-15.
[3:13] 38 tn Or “denied,” “disowned.”
[3:13] 39 tn This genitive absolute construction could be understood as temporal (“when he had decided”) or concessive (“although he had decided”).
[3:14] 40 tn Or “denied,” “disowned.”
[3:15] 41 tn Or “You put to death.”
[3:15] 42 tn Or “Founder,” “founding Leader.”
[3:15] 43 sn Whom God raised. God is the main actor here, as he testifies to Jesus and vindicates him.
[3:15] 44 tn Grk “whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the words “to this fact” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.
[3:15] sn We are witnesses. Note the two witnesses here, Peter and John (Acts 5:32; Heb 2:3-4).
[3:16] 45 tn Grk “in his name”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:16] 46 sn Here is another example of appeal to the person by mentioning the name. See the note on the word name in 3:6.
[3:16] 47 tn Grk “see and know, and the faith.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was started here in the translation and καί (kai, “and”) has not been translated.
[3:16] 48 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[3:16] sn The faith that is through Jesus. Note how this verse explains how the claim to “faith in Jesus’ name” works and what it means. To appeal to the name is to point to the person. It is not clear that the man expressed faith before the miracle. This could well be a “grace-faith miracle” where God grants power through the apostles to picture how much a gift life is (Luke 17:11-19). Christology and grace are emphasized here.
[3:16] 49 tn Or “in full view.”
[3:17] 50 sn The ignorance Peter mentions here does not excuse them from culpability. It was simply a way to say “you did not realize the great mistake you made.”
[3:18] 51 sn God foretold. Peter’s topic is the working out of God’s plan and promise through events the scriptures also note.
[3:18] 52 tn Grk “by the mouth of” (an idiom).
[3:18] 53 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[3:18] sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.
[3:20] sn Times of refreshing. The phrase implies relief from difficult, distressful or burdensome circumstances. It is generally regarded as a reference to the messianic age being ushered in.
[3:20] 55 tn The words “so that…Lord” are traditionally placed in v. 19 by most English translations, but in the present translation the verse division follows the standard critical editions of the Greek text (NA27, UBS4).
[3:20] 56 tn Or “the Christ”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[3:20] sn He may send the Messiah appointed for you – that is, Jesus. The language points to the expectation of Jesus’ return to gather his people. It is a development of the question raised in Acts 1:6.
[3:20] 57 tn Or “designated in advance.”
[3:21] 58 tn Grk “whom,” continuing the sentence from v. 20.
[3:21] 59 sn The term must used here (δεῖ, dei, “it is necessary”) is a key Lukan term to point to the plan of God and what must occur.
[3:21] 60 tn Grk “until the times of the restoration of all things.” Because of the awkward English style of the extended genitive construction, and because the following relative clause has as its referent the “time of restoration” rather than “all things,” the phrase was translated “until the time all things are restored.”
[3:21] sn The time all things are restored. What that restoration involves is already recorded in the scriptures of the nation of Israel.
[3:21] 62 tn Or “from all ages past.”
[3:21] sn From times long ago. Once again, God’s plan is emphasized.
[3:22] 63 tn Grk “hear,” but the idea of “hear and obey” or simply “obey” is frequently contained in the Greek verb ἀκούω (akouw; see L&N 36.14) and the following context (v. 23) makes it clear that failure to “obey” the words of this “prophet like Moses” will result in complete destruction.
[3:22] 64 sn A quotation from Deut 18:15. By quoting Deut 18:15 Peter declared that Jesus was the eschatological “prophet like [Moses]” mentioned in that passage, who reveals the plan of God and the way of God.
[3:23] 65 tn Grk “every soul” (here “soul” is an idiom for the whole person).
[3:23] 66 tn Or “will be completely destroyed.” In Acts 3:23 the verb ἐξολεθρεύω (exoleqreuw) is translated “destroy and remove” by L&N 20.35.
[3:23] 67 sn A quotation from Deut 18:19, also Lev 23:29. The OT context of Lev 23:29 discusses what happened when one failed to honor atonement. One ignored the required sacrifice of God at one’s peril.
[3:24] sn All the prophets…have spoken about and announced. What Peter preaches is rooted in basic biblical and Jewish hope as expressed in the OT scriptures.
[3:25] 69 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[3:25] 70 tn Or “in your offspring”; Grk “in your seed.”
[3:25] sn In your descendants (Grk “in your seed”). Seed has an important ambiguity in this verse. The blessing comes from the servant (v. 26), who in turn blesses the responsive children of the covenant as the scripture promised. Jesus is the seed who blesses the seed.
[3:25] 71 tn Or “families.” The Greek word πατριά (patria) can indicate persons of succeeding generations who are related by birth (“lineage,” “family”) but it can also indicate a relatively large unit of people who make up a sociopolitical group and who share a presumed biological descent. In many contexts πατριά is very similar to ἔθνος (eqnos) and λαός (laos). In light of the context of the OT quotation, it is better to translate πατριά as “nations” here.
[3:25] 72 sn A quotation from Gen 22:18.
[3:26] 73 tn Grk “God raising up his servant, sent him.” The participle ἀναστήσας (anasthsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. Some translations (e.g., NIV, NRSV) render this participle as temporal (“when God raised up his servant”).
[3:26] 74 sn The picture of turning is again seen as the appropriate response to the message. See v. 19 above. In v. 19 it was “turning to,” here it is “turning away from.” The direction of the two metaphors is important.
[3:26] 75 tn For the translation of plural πονηρία (ponhria) as “iniquities,” see G. Harder, TDNT 6:565. The plural is important, since for Luke turning to Jesus means turning away from sins, not just the sin of rejecting Jesus.
[4:1] 76 tn Grk “While they”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:1] 78 tn Grk “the official of the temple,” a title for the commander of the Jewish soldiers guarding the temple (thus the translation, “the commander of the temple guard”). See L&N 37.91.
[4:1] sn The commander of the temple guard was the title of the officer commanding the Jewish soldiers responsible for guarding and keeping order in the temple courts in Jerusalem.
[4:1] 79 sn The Sadducees controlled the official political structures of Judaism at this time, being the majority members of the Sanhedrin. They were known as extremely strict on law and order issues (Josephus, J. W. 2.8.2 [2.119], 2.8.14 [2.164-166]; Ant. 13.5.9 [13.171-173], 13.10.6 [13.293-298], 18.1.2 [18.11], 18.1.4 [18.16-17], 20.9.1 [20.199]; Life 2 [10-11]). See also Matt 3:7; 16:1-12; 22:23-34; Mark 12:18-27; Luke 20:27-38; Acts 5:17; 23:6-8.
[4:1] 80 tn Or “approached.” This verb often denotes a sudden appearing (BDAG 418 s.v. ἐφίστημι 1).
[4:2] 81 tn Or “greatly annoyed,” “provoked.”
[4:3] 83 tn Grk “And” Here καί (kai) has been translated as “so” to indicate the logical sequence of events.
[4:3] 84 tn Or “they arrested”; Grk “they laid hands on.”
[4:3] 85 tn Or “prison,” “custody.”
[4:4] 88 tn In the historical setting it is likely that only men are referred to here. The Greek term ἀνήρ (anhr) usually refers to males or husbands rather than people in general. Thus to translate “of the people” would give a false impression of the number, since any women and children were apparently not included in the count.
[4:5] 89 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] 90 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] sn Experts in the law would have been mostly like the Pharisees in approach. Thus various sects of Judaism were coming together against Jesus.
[4:5] 91 tn Or “law assembled,” “law met together.”
[4:5] 92 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[4:6] 93 sn The high priest’s family. This family controlled the high priesthood as far back as
[4:7] 94 tn Grk “And after.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, καί (kai) has not been translated here. Instead a new sentence is begun in the translation at the beginning of v. 7.
[4:7] 95 tn Grk “making them”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:7] 96 sn By what name. The issue of the “name” comes up again here. This question, meaning “by whose authority,” surfaces an old dispute (see Luke 20:1-8). Who speaks for God about the ancient faith?
[4:8] 97 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] 98 tn Grk “Spirit, said to them.”
[4:8] 99 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.
[4:9] 100 tn This clause is a first class condition. It assumes for the sake of argument that this is what they were being questioned about.
[4:9] 101 tn Or “questioned.” The Greek term ἀνακρίνω (anakrinw) points to an examination similar to a legal one.
[4:9] 102 tn Or “for an act of kindness.”
[4:9] 103 tn Or “delivered” (σέσωται [seswtai], from σώζω [swzw]). See 4:12.
[4:10] 104 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[4:11] 105 tn Grk “This one”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:11] 106 tn The word “you” is inserted into the quotation because Peter is making a direct application of Ps 118:22 to his hearers. Because it is not in the OT, it has been left as normal type (rather than bold italic). The remarks are like Acts 2:22-24 and 3:12-15.
[4:11] 107 sn A quotation from Ps 118:22 which combines the theme of rejection with the theme of God’s vindication/exaltation.
[4:12] 108 tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).
[4:12] 109 sn Must be saved. The term used here (δεῖ, dei, “it is necessary”) reflects the necessity set up by God’s directive plan.
[4:13] 111 tn Or “and found out.”
[4:13] 112 sn Uneducated does not mean “illiterate,” that is, unable to read or write. Among Jews in NT times there was almost universal literacy, especially as the result of widespread synagogue schools. The term refers to the fact that Peter and John had no formal rabbinic training and thus, in the view of their accusers, were not qualified to expound the law or teach publicly. The objection is like Acts 2:7.
[4:13] 113 tn For the translation of ἰδιῶται (idiwtai) as “ordinary men” see L&N 27.26.
[4:14] 114 tn Or “nothing to say in opposition.”
[4:15] 115 tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
[4:16] 117 tn Here σημεῖον (shmeion) has been translated as “miraculous sign” rather than simply “sign” or “miracle” since both components appear to be present in the context. It is clear that the healing of the lame man was a miracle, but for the Sanhedrin it was the value of the miraculous healing as a sign that concerned them because it gave attestation to the message of Peter and John. The sign “speaks” as Peter claimed in 3:11-16.
[4:16] 118 tn Or “has been done by them.”
[4:17] 119 tn Or “speak no longer.”
[4:18] 121 sn In the name of Jesus. Once again, the “name” reflects the person. The person of Jesus and his authority is the “troubling” topic that, as far as the Jewish leadership is concerned, needs controlling.
[4:19] 122 tn Grk “answered and said to them.”
[4:19] 123 tn Grk “hear,” but the idea of “hear and obey” or simply “obey” is frequently contained in the Greek verb ἀκούω (akouw; see L&N 36.14).
[4:20] 124 tn Grk “for we are not able not to speak about what we have seen and heard,” but the double negative, which cancels out in English, is emphatic in Greek. The force is captured somewhat by the English translation “it is impossible for us not to speak…” although this is slightly awkward.
[4:21] 125 tn Or “glorifying.”
[4:22] 126 tn Here σημεῖον (shmeion) has been translated as “miraculous sign” rather than simply “sign” or “miracle” since both components appear to be present in the context. See also the note on this word in v. 16.
[4:22] 127 tn Or “had been done.”
[4:23] 128 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] 129 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.
[4:24] 130 sn With one mind. Compare Acts 1:14.
[4:24] 131 tn Or “Lord of all.”
[4:24] sn The use of the title Master of all (δεσπότης, despoths) emphasizes that there is a sovereign God who is directing what is taking place.
[4:24] 132 tn Grk “and the earth, and the sea,” but καί (kai) has not been translated before “the earth” and “the sea” since contemporary English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
[4:25] 133 tn Grk “by the mouth of” (an idiom).
[4:25] 134 tn Or “ancestor”; Grk “father.”
[4:25] 136 sn The Greek word translated rage includes not only anger but opposition, both verbal and nonverbal. See L&N 88.185.
[4:25] 137 tn Or “futile”; traditionally, “vain.”
[4:26] 138 tn Traditionally, “The kings of the earth took their stand.”
[4:26] 139 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[4:26] sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.
[4:26] 140 sn A quotation from Ps 2:1-2.
[4:27] 141 sn The application of Ps 2:1-2 is that Jews and Gentiles are opposing Jesus. The surprise of the application is that Jews are now found among the enemies of God’s plan.
[4:27] 142 sn A wordplay on “Christ,” v. 26, which means “one who has been anointed.”
[4:28] 143 tn Grk “hand,” here a metaphor for God’s strength or power or authority.
[4:28] 144 tn Or “purpose,” “will.”
[4:28] 145 tn Or “had predestined.” Since the term “predestine” is something of a technical theological term, not in wide usage in contemporary English, the translation “decide beforehand” was used instead (see L&N 30.84). God’s direction remains as the major theme.
[4:29] 146 tn Or “Lord, take notice of.”
[4:29] 147 sn Grant to your servants to speak your message with great courage. The request is not for a stop to persecution or revenge on the opponents, but for boldness (great courage) to carry out the mission of proclaiming the message of what God is doing through Jesus.
[4:29] 148 tn Grk “slaves.” See the note on the word “servants” in 2:18.
[4:29] 150 tn Or “with all boldness.”
[4:30] 151 tn The miraculous nature of these signs is implied in the context.
[4:31] 152 tn Grk “And when.” 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.
[4:31] 153 sn The place where they were assembled…was shaken. This signifies that God is in their midst. See Acts 16:26; Exod 19:18; Ps 114:7; Isa 6:4.
[4:31] 154 tn The imperfect verb has been translated as an ingressive imperfect (“began to speak”). Logical sequencing suggests that their speaking began after they were filled with the Spirit. The prayer was answered immediately.
[4:31] 155 tn Or “speak God’s message.”
[4:31] 156 tn Or “with boldness.”
[4:32] 158 tn Grk “but all things were to them in common.”
[4:32] sn Everything was held in common. The remark is not a reflection of political philosophy, but of the extent of their spontaneous commitment to one another. Such a response does not have the function of a command, but is reflective of an attitude that Luke commends as evidence of their identification with one another.
[4:33] 159 tn Grk “And with.” 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.
[4:33] 160 tn Or “were witnessing.”
[4:34] 162 tn Grk “houses, selling them were bringing.” The participle πωλοῦντες (pwlounte") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[4:34] 163 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.
[4:35] 164 tn Grk “It” (or “They,” plural). The referent of the understood pronoun subject, the proceeds from the sales, of the verb διεδίδετο (diedideto) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[4:36] 165 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author. Note how the actions of Barnabas are in keeping with the meaning of his nickname. He stands in contrast to Ananias and Sapphira in 5:1-11.
[4:37] 166 tn Grk “selling a field that belonged to him, brought” The participle πωλήσας (pwlhsa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[4:37] 168 tn Normally a reference to actual coins (“currency”). See L&N 6.68.
[5:2] 169 tn Grk “And he.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[5:2] 170 tn The participle ἐνέγκας (enenka") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[5:3] 171 sn This is a good example of the Greek verb fill (πληρόω, plhrow) meaning “to exercise control over someone’s thought and action” (cf. Eph 5:18).
[5:3] 172 tn The words “from the sale of” are not in the Greek text, but are supplied to clarify the meaning, since the phrase “proceeds from the land” could possibly be understood as crops rather than money from the sale.
[5:4] 173 tn Grk “Remaining to you.”
[5:4] 174 tn The negative interrogative particle οὐχί (ouci) expects a positive reply to this question and the following one (“And when it was sold, was it not at your disposal?”).
[5:4] 175 tn Grk “it”; the referent of the pronoun (the money generated from the sale of the land) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:4] 176 tn Grk “How is it that you have [or Why have you] placed this deed in your heart?” Both of these literal translations differ from the normal way of expressing the thought in English.
[5:4] 177 tn Grk “to men.” If Peter’s remark refers only to the apostles, the translation “to men” would be appropriate. But if (as is likely) the action was taken to impress the entire congregation (who would presumably have witnessed the donation or been aware of it) then the more general “to people” is more appropriate, since the audience would have included both men and women.
[5:5] 178 tn Or “fear came on,” “fear seized”; Grk “fear happened to.”
[5:6] 180 tn The translation “wrapped up” for συνέστειλαν (sunesteilan) is suggested by L&N 79.119, but another interpretation is possible. The same verb could also be translated “removed” (see L&N 15.200), although that sense appears somewhat redundant and out of sequence with the following verb and participle (“carried him out and buried him”).
[5:6] 181 sn Buried. Same day burial was a custom in the Jewish world of the first century (cf. also Deut 21:23).
[5:7] 182 tn Grk “It happened that after an interval of about three hours.” 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.
[5:7] 183 tn Grk “came in, not knowing.” The participle has been translated with concessive or adversative force: “although she did not know.” In English, the adversative conjunction (“but”) conveys this nuance more smoothly.
[5:8] 184 tn The words “the two of” are not in the Greek text, but have been supplied to indicate that the verb (ἀπέδοσθε, apedosqe) is plural and thus refers to both Ananias and Sapphira.
[5:8] 185 tn Grk “so much,” “as much as this.”
[5:8] 186 tn Grk “She”; the referent (Sapphira) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:10] 187 tn Grk “And at once.” 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.
[5:11] 188 tn Grk “And great.” 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.
[5:11] 189 tn Or “fear came on,” “fear seized”; Grk “fear happened to.”
[5:11] 190 sn This is the first occurrence of the term church (ἐκκλησία, ekklhsia) in Acts. It refers to an assembly of people.
[5:12] 191 tn The miraculous nature of these signs is implied in the context.
[5:12] 192 tn Grk “And by.” 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.
[5:12] 193 tn Or “With one mind.”
[5:12] 194 tn Or “colonnade”; Grk “stoa.”
[5:12] sn Solomon’s Portico was a covered walkway formed by rows of columns supporting a roof and open on the inner side facing the center of the temple complex. Located beside the Court of the Gentiles, it was a very public area.
[5:13] 195 tn Or “to associate with them.” The group was beginning to have a controversial separate identity. People were cautious about joining them. The next verse suggests that the phrase “none of the rest” in this verse is rhetorical hyperbole.
[5:13] 196 tn Or “the people thought very highly of them.”
[5:14] 197 tn Or “More and more believers were added to the Lord.”
[5:15] 198 tn This is a continuation of the preceding sentence in Greek, but because this would produce an awkward sentence in English, a new sentence was begun here in the translation.
[5:16] 199 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[5:16] 200 sn Unclean spirits refers to evil spirits.
[5:16] 201 tn Literally a relative pronoun, “who.” In English, however, a relative clause (“bringing the sick and those troubled by unclean spirits, who were all being healed”) could be understood to refer only to the second group (meaning only those troubled by unclean spirits were being healed) or even that the unclean spirits were being healed. To avoid this ambiguity the pronoun “they” was used to begin a new English sentence.
[5:16] 202 sn They were all being healed. Note how the healings that the apostles provided were comprehensive in their consistency.
[5:17] 203 sn See the note on Sadducees in 4:1.
[5:17] 204 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[5:17] 205 sn Filled with jealousy. In Acts, the term “jealousy” (ζήλος, zhlos) occurs only here and in Acts 13:45. It is a key term in Judaism for religiously motivated rage (1 Macc 2:24; 1QH 14:13-15; m. Sanhedrin 9:5). It was a zeal motivated by a desire to maintain the purity of the faith.
[5:18] 206 tn Grk “jealousy, and they.” In the Greek text this is a continuation of the previous sentence, but a new sentence has been started here in the translation for stylistic reasons.
[5:18] 207 tn Or “they arrested.”
[5:19] 208 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” Linguistically, “angel of the Lord” is the same in both testaments (and thus, he is either “an angel of the Lord” or “the angel of the Lord” in both testaments). For arguments and implications, see ExSyn 252; M. J. Davidson, “Angels,” DJG, 9; W. G. MacDonald argues for “an angel” in both testaments: “Christology and ‘The Angel of the Lord’,” Current Issues in Biblical and Patristic Interpretation, 324-35.
[5:19] 209 tn Grk “opening the doors of the prison.” The participle ἀνοίξας (anoixa") has been translated as a finite verb due to the requirements of contemporary English style.
[5:19] 210 tn Greek φυλακῆς (fulakh"), a different word from the one in v. 18 (τήρησις, thrhsi", “jail”).
[5:19] 211 tn Or “brought them out.” Grk “and leading them out, said.” The participle ἐξαγαγών (exagagwn) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[5:19] sn Led them out. The action by God served to vindicate the apostles. It showed that whatever court the Jewish leaders represented, they did not represent God.
[5:20] 212 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
[5:21] 214 tn Grk “the temple.” See the note on the same phrase in the preceding verse.
[5:21] 215 tn The imperfect verb ἐδίδασκον (edidaskon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
[5:21] 216 tn Or “the council” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
[5:21] 217 tn A hendiadys (two different terms referring to a single thing) is likely here (a reference to a single legislative body rather than two separate ones) because the term γερουσίαν (gerousian) is used in both 1 Macc 12:6 and Josephus, Ant. 13.5.8 (13.166) to refer to the Sanhedrin.
[5:21] 218 tn Grk “sons of Israel.”
[5:21] 219 tn Grk “have them”; the referent (the apostles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:21] 220 tn The words “before them” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[5:22] 221 tn The Greek term ὑπηρέτης (Juphreth") generally means “servant,” but in the NT is used for many different types of servants, like attendants to a king, the officers of the Sanhedrin (as here), assistants to magistrates, and (especially in the Gospel of John) Jewish guards in the Jerusalem temple (see L&N 35.20).
[5:22] 222 tn The words “for them” are not in the Greek text but are implied.
[5:22] 223 tn Grk “reported, saying.” The participle λέγοντες (legontes) is redundant in English and has not been translated.
[5:23] 224 tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects in Greek were often omitted when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
[5:24] 226 tn Grk “the official of the temple,” a title for the commander of the Jewish soldiers guarding the temple (thus the translation, “the commander of the temple guard”). See L&N 37.91.
[5:24] 227 tn Grk “heard these words.”
[5:24] 228 tn Grk “concerning them,” agreeing with the plural antecedent “these words.” Since the phrase “these words” was translated as the singular “this report,” the singular “concerning it” is used here.
[5:24] 229 tn The optative verb here expresses confused uncertainty.
[5:25] 230 tn Grk “the temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper, and has been translated accordingly.
[5:25] 231 sn Obeying God (see v. 29), the apostles were teaching again (4:18-20; 5:20). They did so despite the risk.
[5:26] 233 tn Grk “the official [of the temple],” a title for the commander of the Jewish soldiers guarding the temple (thus the translation, “the commander of the temple guard”). See L&N 37.91.
[5:26] 234 tn The Greek term ὑπηρέτης (Juphreth") generally means “servant,” but in the NT is used for many different types of servants. See the note on the word “officers” in v. 22.
[5:26] 235 tn Grk “brought them”; the referent (the apostles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:26] 236 tn Or “without violence.” It is clear, as well, that the apostles did not resist arrest.
[5:26] 237 tn Grk “for they feared lest they be stoned by the people.” The translation uses a less awkward English equivalent. This is an explanatory note by the author.
[5:27] 238 tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
[5:27] 239 tn Or “interrogated,” “asked.”
[5:28] 240 tc ‡ The majority of
[5:28] 241 tn Grk “We commanded you with a commandment” (a Semitic idiom that is emphatic).
[5:28] 242 sn The name (i.e., person) of Jesus is the constant issue of debate.
[5:28] 243 tn Grk “And behold.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[5:28] 244 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[5:28] 245 sn To bring this man’s blood on us is an idiom meaning “you intend to make us guilty of this man’s death.”
[5:29] 246 tn Grk “apostles answered and said.”
[5:29] 247 sn Obey. See 4:19. This response has Jewish roots (Dan 3:16-18; 2 Macc 7:2; Josephus, Ant. 17.6.3 [17.159].
[5:29] 248 tn Here ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).
[5:30] 249 tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”
[5:30] 250 tn Or “by crucifying him” (“hang on a tree” is by the time of the first century an idiom for crucifixion). The allusion is to the judgment against Jesus as a rebellious figure, appealing to the language of Deut 21:23. The Jewish leadership has badly “misjudged” Jesus.
[5:31] 251 tn Grk “This one God exalted” (emphatic).
[5:31] 252 tn Or “Founder” (of a movement).
[5:31] 253 tn Or “to give repentance and forgiveness of sins to Israel.”
[5:32] 254 tn Or “things.” They are preaching these things even to the hostile leadership.
[5:32] 255 sn Those who obey. The implication, of course, is that the leadership is disobeying God.
[5:33] 256 sn The only other use of this verb for anger (furious) is Acts 7:54 after Stephen’s speech.
[5:33] 257 sn Wanted to execute them. The charge would surely be capital insubordination (Exod 22:28).
[5:34] 258 sn A Pharisee was a member of one of the most important and influential religious and political parties of Judaism in the time of Jesus. There were more Pharisees than Sadducees (according to Josephus, Ant. 17.2.4 [17.42] there were more than 6,000 Pharisees at about this time). Pharisees differed with Sadducees on certain doctrines and patterns of behavior. The Pharisees were strict and zealous adherents to the laws of the OT and to numerous additional traditions such as angels and bodily resurrection.
[5:34] 259 sn Gamaliel was a famous Jewish scholar and teacher mentioned here in v. 34 and in Acts 22:3. He had a grandson of the same name and is referred to as “Gamaliel the Elder” to avoid confusion. He is quoted a number of times in the Mishnah, was given the highest possible title for Jewish teachers, Rabba (cf. John 20:16), and was highly regarded in later rabbinic tradition.
[5:34] 260 tn Grk “standing up in the council, ordered.” The participle ἀναστάς (anasta") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[5:34] 261 tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
[5:35] 262 tn Grk “said to them”; the referent (the council) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[5:35] 263 tn Or “Israelite men,” although this is less natural English. The Greek term here is ἀνήρ (anhr), which only exceptionally is used in a generic sense of both males and females. In this context, it is highly unlikely that this is a generic usage, since Gamaliel was addressing the Sanhedrin, the Jewish high council, which would have been exclusively male.
[5:35] 264 tn Or “men, be careful.”
[5:36] 265 tn Grk “For before these days.”
[5:36] 266 tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point.
[5:36] 267 tn Grk “and they came to nothing.” Gamaliel’s argument is that these two insurrectionists were taken care of by natural events.
[5:37] 268 tn Or “registration.”
[5:37] 269 tn The verb ἀφίστημι (afisthmi) as a transitive means “cause to revolt” as used in Josephus, Ant. 8.7.5 (8.198), 20.5.2 (20.102); see BDAG 157 s.v. 1.
[5:38] 270 tn Here ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).
[5:38] 271 tn Or “it will be put to an end.”
[5:39] 272 tn This is expressed in a first class condition, in contrast to the condition in v. 38b, which is third class. As such, v. 39 is rhetorically presented as the more likely option.
[5:39] 273 tn According to L&N 39.32, the verb εὑρεθῆτε (Jeureqhte, an aorist passive subjunctive) may also be translated “find yourselves” – “lest you find yourselves fighting against God.” The Jewish leader Gamaliel is shown contemplating the other possible alternative about what is occurring.
[5:39] 274 tn Grk “They were convinced by him.” This passive construction was converted to an active one (“He convinced them”) in keeping with contemporary English style. The phrase “He convinced them” is traditionally placed in Acts 5:40 by most English translations; the standard Greek critical text (represented by NA27 and UBS4) places it at the end of v. 39.
[5:40] 275 sn Had them beaten. The punishment was the “forty lashes minus one,” see also Acts 22:19; 2 Cor 11:24; Mark 13:9. The apostles had disobeyed the religious authorities and took their punishment for their “disobedience” (Deut 25:2-3; m. Makkot 3:10-14). In Acts 4:18 they were warned. Now they are beaten. The hostility is rising as the narrative unfolds.
[5:40] 276 tn The word “Then” is supplied as the beginning of a new sentence in the translation. The construction in Greek has so many clauses (most of them made up of participles) that a continuous English sentence would be very awkward.
[5:41] 277 sn That is, considered worthy by God. They “gloried in their shame” of honoring Jesus with their testimony (Luke 6:22-23; 2 Macc 6:30).
[5:41] 278 sn The name refers to the name of Jesus (cf. 3 John 7).
[5:42] 279 tn Grk “temple.” This is actually a reference to the courts surrounding the temple proper and has been translated accordingly.
[5:42] 280 tn Grk “teaching and evangelizing.” They were still obeying God, not men (see 4:18-20; 5:29).
[5:42] 281 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[5:42] sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.
[6:1] 282 tn Grk “these.” The translation uses “those” for stylistic reasons.
[6:1] 283 tn Grk “were multiplying.”
[6:1] 284 tn Grk “the Hellenists,” but this descriptive term is largely unknown to the modern English reader. The translation “Greek-speaking Jews” attempts to convey something of who these were, but it was more than a matter of language spoken; it involved a degree of adoption of Greek culture as well.
[6:1] sn The Greek-speaking Jews were the Hellenists, Jews who to a greater or lesser extent had adopted Greek thought, customs, and lifestyle, as well as the Greek language. The city of Alexandria in Egypt was a focal point for them, but they were scattered throughout the Roman Empire.
[6:1] 285 tn Grk “against the Hebrews,” but as with “Hellenists” this needs further explanation for the modern reader.
[6:1] 286 sn The care of widows is a major biblical theme: Deut 10:18; 16:11, 14; 24:17, 19-21; 26:12-13; 27:19; Isa 1:17-23; Jer 7:6; Mal 3:5.
[6:1] 288 tn Grk “in the daily serving.”
[6:1] sn The daily distribution of food. The early church saw it as a responsibility to meet the basic needs of people in their group.
[6:2] 289 sn The twelve refers to the twelve apostles.
[6:2] 290 tn Grk “calling the whole group…together, said.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενοι (proskalesamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[6:2] 291 tn Or “the multitude.”
[6:2] 292 tn Grk “to serve tables.”
[6:3] 293 tn It is not clear from a historical standpoint (but it is unlikely) that women would have been involved in the selection process too. For this reason the translation “brothers” has been retained, rather than “brothers and sisters” (used in contexts where both male and female believers are clearly addressed).
[6:3] 294 sn Seven. Jewish town councils often had seven members (Josephus, Ant. 4.18.14 [4.214]).
[6:3] 295 tn Or “are of good reputation” (BDAG 618 s.v. μαρτυρέω 2.b).
[6:3] 296 tn The translation “put in charge” is given by BDAG 492 s.v. καθίστημι 2.
[6:3] 297 tn Grk “of this need”; translated “necessary work” or “needed task” by L&N 42.22.
[6:5] 298 tn Grk “And the.” 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.
[6:5] 299 tn The translation “so” has been used to indicate the logical sequence in English.
[6:5] 300 tn “With” is smoother English style for an addition like this. Because of differences between Greek and English style, καί (kai), which occurs between each name in the list, has not been translated except preceding the last element.
[6:5] 301 sn Philip. Note how many of the names in this list are Greek. This suggests that Hellenists were chosen to solve the problem they had been so sensitive about fixing (cf. 6:1).
[6:5] 302 tn Or “a proselyte.”
[6:5] 303 map For location see JP1 F2; JP2 F2; JP3 F2; JP4 F2.
[6:6] 304 tn Literally this is a participle in the Greek text (προσευξάμενοι, proseuxamenoi). It could be translated as a finite verb (“and they prayed and placed their hands on them”) but much smoother English results if the entire coordinate clause is converted to a relative clause that refers back to the apostles.
[6:6] sn Who prayed. The prayer indicates their acceptance and commissioning for ministry (cf. Deut 34:9).
[6:7] 306 tn Grk “kept on spreading”; the verb has been translated as a progressive imperfect.
[6:7] 307 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[6:7] 308 tn Grk “a great multitude.”
[6:7] sn A large group. Many Jews, even some religious leaders, were responding.
[6:8] 309 tn The miraculous nature of these signs is implied in the context. Here the work of miracles extends beyond the Twelve for the first time.
[6:9] 310 sn A synagogue was a place for Jewish prayer and worship, with recognized leadership (cf. Luke 8:41). Though the origin of the synagogue is not entirely clear, it seems to have arisen in the postexilic community during the intertestamental period. A town could establish a synagogue if there were at least ten men. In normative Judaism of the NT period, the OT scripture was read and discussed in the synagogue by the men who were present (see the Mishnah, m. Megillah 3-4; m. Berakhot 2).
[6:9] 311 tn Grk “the so-called Synagogue of the Freedmen.” The translation of the participle λεγομένης (legomenh") by the phrase “as it was called” is given by L&N 87.86. “Freedmen” would be slaves who had gained their freedom, or the descendants of such people (BDAG 594-95 s.v. Λιβερτῖνος).
[6:9] 312 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.
[6:10] 313 tn Grk “and.” The context, however, indicates that the conjunction carries an adversative force.
[6:10] 314 sn They were not able to resist. This represents another fulfillment of Luke 12:11-12; 21:15.
[6:11] 315 tn Another translation would be “they suborned” (but this term is not in common usage). “Instigate (secretly), suborn” is given by BDAG 1036 s.v. ὑποβάλλω.
[6:11] 316 tn Grk “heard him”; but since this is direct discourse, it is more natural (and clearer) to specify the referent (Stephen) as “this man.”
[6:12] 317 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] 318 tn Or “and the scribes.” See the note on the phrase “experts in the law” in 4:5.
[6:12] 319 tn Grk “approaching, they seized him”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:12] 320 tn Or “the Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews). Stephen suffers just as Peter and John did.
[6:13] 321 sn This holy place is a reference to the temple.
[6:13] 322 sn The law refers to the law of Moses. It elaborates the nature of the blasphemy in v. 11. To speak against God’s law in Torah was to blaspheme God (Deut 28:15-19). On the Jewish view of false witnesses, see Exod 19:16-18; 20:16; m. Sanhedrin 3.6; 5.1-5. Stephen’s speech in Acts 7 may indicate why the temple was mentioned.
[6:14] sn Will destroy this place and change the customs. Stephen appears to view the temple as a less central place in light of Christ’s work, an important challenge to Jewish religion, since it was at this time a temple-centered state and religion. Unlike Acts 3-4, the issue here is more than Jesus and his resurrection. Now the impact of his resurrection and the temple’s centrality has also become an issue. The “falseness” of the charge may not be that the witnesses were lying, but that they falsely read the truth of Stephen’s remarks.
[6:15] 324 tn Grk “And all.” 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.
[6:15] 325 tn Or “Sanhedrin” (the highest legal, legislative, and judicial body among the Jews).
[6:15] 326 tn Grk “at him”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[6:15] 327 sn His face was like the face of an angel. This narrative description of Stephen’s face adds to the mood of the passage. He had the appearance of a supernatural, heavenly messenger.
[7:1] 328 tn Grk “If it is so concerning these things” (see BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.a for this use).
[7:2] 330 tn Or “ancestor”; Grk “father.”
[7:3] 331 sn A quotation from Gen 12:1.
[7:4] 332 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:4] 333 tn The translation “made him move” for the verb μετοικίζω (metoikizw) is given by L&N 85.83. The verb has the idea of “resettling” someone (BDAG 643 s.v.); see v. 43, where it reappears.
[7:5] 334 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.
[7:5] 335 tn Grk “He did not give him an inheritance in it.” This could be understood to mean that God did not give something else to Abraham as an inheritance while he was living there. The point of the text is that God did not give any of the land to him as an inheritance, and the translation makes this clear.
[7:5] 336 tn Grk “a step of a foot” (cf. Deut 2:5).
[7:5] 337 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:5] 338 sn An allusion to Gen 12:7; 13:15; 15:2, 18; 17:8; 24:7; 48:4. On the theological importance of the promise and to his descendants after him, see Rom 4 and Gal 3.
[7:5] 339 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:6] 340 tn Grk “that his”; the discourse switches from indirect to direct with the following verbs. For consistency the entire quotation is treated as second person direct discourse in the translation.
[7:6] 341 tn Or “will be strangers,” that is, one who lives as a noncitizen of a foreign country.
[7:6] 342 sn A quotation from Gen 15:13. Exod 12:40 specifies the sojourn as 430 years.
[7:7] 343 tn BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 5.b.α states, “Oft. the emphasis is unmistakably laid upon that which follows the Divine Judge’s verdict, upon the condemnation or punishment: condemn, punish …Ac 7:7 (Gen 15:14).”
[7:7] 344 tn The words “of there” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[7:7] sn A quotation from Gen 15:14.
[7:7] 345 tn Or “and serve,” but with religious/cultic overtones (BDAG 587 s.v. λατρεύω).
[7:7] 346 sn An allusion to Exod 3:12.
[7:8] 347 tn Grk “he”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:8] 348 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Abraham) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:8] 349 sn God gave…the covenant. Note how the covenant of promise came before Abraham’s entry into the land and before the building of the temple.
[7:8] 350 tn Grk “circumcised him on the eighth day,” but many modern readers will not understand that this procedure was done on the eighth day after birth. The temporal clause “when he was eight days old” conveys this idea more clearly. See Gen 17:11-12.
[7:8] 351 tn The words “became the father of” are not in the Greek text due to an ellipsis, but must be supplied for the English translation. The ellipsis picks up the verb from the previous clause describing how Abraham fathered Isaac.
[7:8] 352 sn The twelve patriarchs refers to the twelve sons of Jacob, the famous ancestors of the Jewish race (see Gen 35:23-26).
[7:9] 353 tn Grk “And the.” 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.
[7:9] 354 tn The meaning “sell” for the middle voice of ἀποδίδωμι (apodidwmi) is given by BDAG 110 s.v. 5.a. See Gen 37:12-36, esp. v. 28.
[7:9] 355 tn Though the Greek term here is καί (kai), in context this remark is clearly contrastive: Despite the malicious act, God was present and protected Joseph.
[7:10] 356 tn Or “appointed.” See Gen 41:41-43.
[7:11] 357 tn Grk “came upon all Egypt.”
[7:11] 358 tn Grk “and,” but logically causal.
[7:11] 359 sn Our. Stephen spoke of “our” ancestors (Grk “fathers”) in an inclusive sense throughout the speech until his rebuke in v. 51, where the nation does what “your” ancestors did, at which point an exclusive pronoun is used. This serves to emphasize the rebuke.
[7:11] 360 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:12] 361 tn Or possibly “food,” since in a number of extrabiblical contexts the phrase σιτία καὶ ποτά (sitia kai pota) means “food and drink,” where solid food is contrasted with liquid nourishment (L&N 3.42).
[7:12] 362 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:12] 363 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
[7:13] 364 tn BDAG 194 s.v. γένος 2. gives “family, relatives” here; another alternative is “race” (see v. 19).
[7:14] 365 tn The words “a message” are not in the Greek text, but are implied.
[7:14] 366 tn Or “Joseph had his father summoned” (BDAG 121 s.v. ἀποστέλλω 2.b).
[7:14] 367 tn Grk “souls” (here an idiom for the whole person).
[7:15] 368 tn The word “there” is not in the Greek text. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
[7:15] 369 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:16] 371 sn See Gen 49:29-32.
[7:17] 372 tn Grk “But as the time for the fulfillment of the promise drew near that God had declared to Abraham.” The order of the clauses has been rearranged to improve English style. See vv. 6-7 above.
[7:17] 373 tn Grk “the people increased and multiplied.”
[7:18] 374 tn Or simply “did not know.” However, in this context the point is that the new king knew nothing about Joseph, not whether he had known him personally (which is the way “did not know Joseph” could be understood).
[7:18] 375 tn Grk “arose,” but in this context it clearly refers to a king assuming power.
[7:18] 376 sn A quotation from Exod 1:8.
[7:19] 377 tn According to L&N 88.147 it is also possible to translate κατασοφισάμενος (katasofisameno") as “took advantage by clever words” or “persuaded by sweet talk.”
[7:19] 379 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:19] 380 tn Or “expose” (BDAG 303 s.v. ἔκθετος).
[7:19] 381 tn Grk “so that they could not be kept alive,” but in this context the phrase may be translated either “so that they would not continue to live,” or “so that they would die” (L&N 23.89).
[7:20] 382 tn Or “was well-formed before God,” or “was well-pleasing to God” (BDAG 145 s.v. ἀστεῖος suggests the meaning is more like “well-bred” as far as God was concerned; see Exod 2:2).
[7:20] 383 tn Grk “who was brought up for three months.” The continuation of the sentence as a relative clause is awkward in English, so a new sentence was started in the translation by changing the relative pronoun to a regular pronoun (“he”).
[7:21] 384 tn Or “exposed” (see v. 19).
[7:21] 385 tn Grk “Pharaoh’s daughter took him up for herself.” According to BDAG 64 s.v. ἀναιρέω, “The pap. exx. involve exposed children taken up and reared as slaves…The rendering ‘adopt’ lacks philological precision and can be used only in a loose sense (as NRSV), esp. when Gr-Rom. terminology relating to adoption procedures is taken into account.” In this instance both the immediate context and the OT account (Exod 2:3-10) do support the normal sense of the English word “adopt,” although it should not be understood to refer to a technical, legal event.
[7:21] 386 tn Or “and reared him” (BDAG 74 s.v. ἀνατρέφω b).
[7:22] 387 tn Or “instructed.”
[7:22] 388 tn Or “was able” (BDAG 264 s.v. δυνατός 1.b.α).
[7:23] 390 tn Grk “brothers.” The translation “compatriot” is given by BDAG 18-19 s.v. ἀδελφός 2.b.
[7:23] 391 tn Grk “the sons of Israel.”
[7:24] 392 tn Grk “And when.” 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.
[7:24] 393 tn “Hurt unfairly” conveys a better sense of the seriousness of the offense against the Israelite than “treated unfairly,” which can sometimes refer to slight offenses, or “wronged,” which can refer to offenses that do not involve personal violence, as this one probably did.
[7:24] 394 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:24] 395 tn Or “he defended,” “he retaliated” (BDAG 55 s.v. ἀμύνομαι).
[7:25] 396 tn Grk “his brothers.”
[7:25] 397 tn Grk “was granting them deliverance.” The narrator explains that this act pictured what Moses could do for his people.
[7:25] 398 tn Grk “by his hand,” where the hand is a metaphor for the entire person.
[7:25] 399 sn They did not understand. Here is the theme of the speech. The people did not understand what God was doing through those he chose. They made the same mistake with Joseph at first. See Acts 3:17; 13:27. There is good precedent for this kind of challenging review of history in the ancient scriptures: Ps 106:6-46; Ezek 20; and Neh 9:6-38.
[7:26] 400 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:26] 401 tn Grk “saw them”; the context makes clear that two individuals were involved (v. 27).
[7:26] 402 tn Or “tried to reconcile” (BDAG 964-65 s.v. συναλλάσσω).
[7:27] 403 tn Or “repudiated Moses,” “rejected Moses” (BDAG 126-27 s.v. ἀπωθέω 2).
[7:27] 404 tn Grk “him”; the referent (Moses) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:28] 406 tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ at the end, “do you?”
[7:28] sn A quotation from Exod 2:14. Even though a negative reply was expected, the question still frightened Moses enough to flee, because he knew his deed had become known. This understanding is based on the Greek text, not the Hebrew of the original setting. Yet the negative here expresses the fact that Moses did not want to kill the other man. Once again the people have badly misunderstood the situation.
[7:29] 407 tn Grk “At this word,” which could be translated either “when the man said this” or “when Moses heard this.” Since λόγος (logos) refers to the remark made by the Israelite, this translation has followed the first option.
[7:29] 408 tn Or “resident alien.” Traditionally πάροικος (paroiko") has been translated “stranger” or “alien,” but the level of specificity employed with “foreigner” or “resident alien” is now necessary in contemporary English because a “stranger” is a person not acquainted with someone, while an “alien” can suggest science fiction imagery.
[7:30] 409 tn Grk “And after.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and contemporary English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
[7:30] 410 tn Or “wilderness.”
[7:30] 411 sn An allusion to Exod 3:2.
[7:32] 412 tn Or “ancestors”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:32] 413 tn Grk “and Isaac,” 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.
[7:32] 414 sn A quotation from Exod 3:6. The phrase suggests the God of promise, the God of the nation.
[7:32] 415 tn Or “to investigate,” “to contemplate” (BDAG 522 s.v. κατανοέω 2).
[7:33] 416 sn A quotation from Exod 3:5. The phrase holy ground points to the fact that God is not limited to a particular locale. The place where he is active in revealing himself is a holy place.
[7:34] 417 tn Or “mistreatment.”
[7:34] 418 tn Or “to set them free.”
[7:34] 419 tn Grk “And now.” 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.
[7:34] 420 sn A quotation from Exod 3:7-8, 10.
[7:35] 421 sn This same. The reference to “this one” occurs five times in this speech. It is the way the other speeches in Acts refer to Jesus (e.g., Acts 2:23).
[7:35] 422 sn A quotation from Exod 2:14 (see Acts 7:27). God saw Moses very differently than the people of the nation did. The reference to a ruler and a judge suggests that Stephen set up a comparison between Moses and Jesus, but he never finished his speech to make the point. The reader of Acts, however, knowing the other sermons in the book, recognizes that the rejection of Jesus is the counterpoint.
[7:35] 423 tn Or “liberator.” The meaning “liberator” for λυτρωτήν (lutrwthn) is given in L&N 37.129: “a person who liberates or releases others.”
[7:35] 424 tn Or simply “through the angel.” Here the “hand” could be understood as a figure for the person or the power of the angel himself. The remark about the angel appearing fits the first century Jewish view that God appears to no one (John 1:14-18; Gal 3:19; Deut 33:2 LXX).
[7:36] 425 tn Here the context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned.
[7:36] sn Performing wonders and miraculous signs. Again Moses acted like Jesus. The phrase appears 9 times in Acts (2:19, 22, 43; 4:30; 5:12; 6:8; 7:36; 14:3; 15:12).
[7:36] 426 tn Or simply “in Egypt.” The phrase “the land of” could be omitted as unnecessary or redundant.
[7:36] 427 tn Grk “and at,” 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.
[7:37] 429 tn Grk “to the sons of Israel.”
[7:37] 430 sn A quotation from Deut 18:15. This quotation sets up Jesus as the “leader-prophet” like Moses (Acts 3:22; Luke 9:35).
[7:38] 431 tn This term, ἐκκλησία (ekklhsia), is a secular use of the term that came to mean “church” in the epistles. Here a reference to an assembly is all that is intended.
[7:38] 433 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:38] 434 tn Grk “fathers, who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he” and a new clause introduced by “and” was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.
[7:38] 435 tn Or “messages.” This is an allusion to the law given to Moses.
[7:38] 436 tc ‡ The first person pronoun ἡμῖν (Jhmin, “to us”) is read by A C D E Ψ 33 1739 Ï lat sy, while the second person pronoun ὑμῖν (Jumin, “to you”) is read by Ì74 א B 36 453 al co. The second person pronoun thus has significantly better external support. As well, ὑμῖν is a harder reading in this context, both because it is surrounded by first person pronouns and because Stephen perhaps “does not wish to disassociate himself from those who received God’s revelation in the past, but only from those who misinterpreted and disobeyed that revelation” (TCGNT 307). At the same time, Stephen does associate himself to some degree with his disobedient ancestors in v. 39, suggesting that the decisive break does not really come until v. 51 (where both his present audience and their ancestors are viewed as rebellious). Thus, both externally and internally ὑμῖν is the preferred reading.
[7:39] 437 tn Grk “whom our.” The continuation of the sentence as a relative clause is awkward in English, so a new sentence was started in the translation at this point.
[7:39] 438 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:39] 439 sn To obey. Again the theme of the speech is noted. The nation disobeyed the way of God and opted for Egypt over the promised land.
[7:39] 440 sn Pushed him aside. This is the second time Moses is “pushed aside” in Stephen’s account (see v. 27).
[7:40] 441 tn Or simply “of Egypt.” The phrase “the land of” could be omitted as unnecessary or redundant.
[7:40] 442 sn A quotation from Exod 32:1, 23. Doubt (we do not know what has happened to him) expresses itself in unfaithful action. The act is in contrast to God’s promise in Exod 23:20.
[7:41] 443 tn Grk “And.” 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.
[7:41] 444 tn Grk “In those days.”
[7:41] 445 tn Or “a bull calf” (see Exod 32:4-6). The term μοσχοποιέω (moscopoiew) occurs only in Christian writings according to BDAG 660 s.v.
[7:41] 446 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.
[7:41] 447 tn The imperfect verb εὐφραίνοντο (eufrainonto) has been translated ingressively. See BDAG 414-15 s.v. εὐφραίνω 2.
[7:41] 448 tn Or “in what they had done.”
[7:42] 449 sn The expression and gave them over suggests similarities to the judgment on the nations described by Paul in Rom 1:18-32.
[7:42] sn To worship the hosts of heaven. Their action violated Deut 4:19; 17:2-5. See Ps 106:36-43.
[7:42] 451 tn The two terms for sacrifices “semantically reinforce one another and are here combined essentially for emphasis” (L&N 53.20).
[7:42] 452 tn The Greek construction anticipates a negative reply which is indicated in the translation by the ‘tag’ question, “was it?”
[7:43] sn A tabernacle was a tent used to house religious objects or a shrine (i.e., a portable sanctuary).
[7:43] 454 sn Moloch was a Canaanite deity who was believed to be the god of the sky and the sun.
[7:43] 455 tc ‡ Most
[7:43] 456 sn Rephan (῾Ραιφάν, RJaifan) was a pagan deity. The term was a name for Saturn. It was variously spelled in the
[7:43] 457 tn Or “I will make you move.”
[7:43] 458 sn A quotation from Amos 5:25-27. This constituted a prediction of the exile.
[7:44] 459 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:44] sn The tabernacle was the tent used to house the ark of the covenant before the construction of Solomon’s temple. This is where God was believed to reside, yet the people were still unfaithful.
[7:44] 462 tn Grk “the one”; the referent (God) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:44] 463 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.
[7:45] 464 tn Grk “And.” 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.
[7:45] 465 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:45] 466 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:45] sn Before our ancestors. Stephen has backtracked here to point out how faithful God had been before the constant move to idolatry just noted.
[7:45] 467 tn Grk “In those days.”
[7:46] 468 tn Grk “David, who” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.
[7:46] 470 tn Grk “before,” “in the presence of.”
[7:46] 471 tn The words “that he could” are not in the Greek text, but are implied as the (understood) subject of the infinitive εὑρεῖν (Jeurein). This understands David’s request as asking that he might find the dwelling place. The other possibility would be to supply “that God” as the subject of the infinitive: “and asked that God find a dwelling place.” Unfortunately this problem is complicated by the extremely difficult problem with the Greek text in the following phrase (“house of Jacob” vs. “God of Jacob”).
[7:46] 472 tn On this term see BDAG 929 s.v. σκήνωμα a (Ps 132:5).
[7:46] 473 tc Some
[7:47] 474 sn See 1 Kgs 8:1-21.
[7:48] 475 sn The title the Most High points to God’s majesty (Heb 7:1; Luke 1:32, 35; Acts 16:7).
[7:48] 476 sn The phrase made by human hands is negative in the NT: Mark 14:58; Acts 17:24; Eph 2:11; Heb 9:11, 24. It suggests “man-made” or “impermanent.” The rebuke is like parts of the Hebrew scripture where the rebuke is not of the temple, but for making too much of it (1 Kgs 8:27; Isa 57:15; 1 Chr 6:8; Jer 7:1-34).
[7:49] 477 sn What kind…resting place? The rhetorical questions suggest mere human beings cannot build a house to contain God.
[7:50] 478 tn Or “Did I.” The phrase “my hand” is ultimately a metaphor for God himself.
[7:50] 479 tn The question in Greek introduced with οὐχί (ouci) expects a positive reply.
[7:50] sn A quotation from Isa 66:1-2. If God made the heavens, how can a human building contain him?
[7:51] 480 sn Traditionally, “stiff-necked people.” Now the critique begins in earnest.
[7:51] 481 tn The term ἀπερίτμητοι (aperitmhtoi, “uncircumcised”) is a NT hapax legomenon (occurs only once). See BDAG 101-2 s.v. ἀπερίτμητος and Isa 52:1.
[7:51] 482 tn Or “You stubborn and obstinate people!” (The phrase “uncircumcised hearts and ears” is another figure for stubbornness.)
[7:51] 483 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:52] 484 tn Or “forefathers”; Grk “fathers.”
[7:52] 485 sn Which…persecute. The rhetorical question suggests they persecuted them all.
[7:52] 486 tn Grk “And they.” 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.
[7:52] 487 sn The Righteous One is a reference to Jesus Christ.
[7:52] 488 sn Whose betrayers and murderers you have now become. The harsh critique has OT precedent (1 Kgs 19:10-14; Neh 9:26; 2 Chr 36:16).
[7:53] 489 tn Grk “whose betrayers and murderers you have now become, who received the law” The two consecutive relative clauses make for awkward English style, so the second was begun as a new sentence with the pronoun “You” supplied in place of the Greek relative pronoun to make a complete sentence in English.
[7:53] 490 tn Traditionally, “as ordained by angels,” but εἰς (eis) with the accusative here should be understood as instrumental (a substitute for ἐν [en]); so BDAG 291 s.v. εἰς 9, BDF §206. Thus the phrase literally means “received the law by the decrees [orders] of angels” with the genitive understood as a subjective genitive, that is, the angels gave the decrees.
[7:53] sn Decrees given by angels. According to Jewish traditions in the first century, the law of Moses was mediated through angels. See also the note on “angel” in 7:35.
[7:53] 491 tn The Greek word φυλάσσω (fulassw, traditionally translated “keep”) in this context connotes preservation of and devotion to an object as well as obedience.
[7:53] 492 tn Or “did not obey it.”
[7:54] 493 tn This verb, which also occurs in Acts 5:33, means “cut to the quick” or “deeply infuriated” (BDAG 235 s.v. διαπρίω).
[7:54] 494 tn Or “they gnashed their teeth.” This idiom is a picture of violent rage (BDAG 184 s.v. βρύχω). See also Ps 35:16.
[7:55] 495 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Stephen) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[7:55] 496 tn Grk “being full,” but the participle ὑπάρχων (Juparcwn) has not been translated since it would be redundant in English.
[7:55] 497 tn Grk “looking intently toward heaven, saw.” The participle ἀτενίσας (atenisa") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[7:55] 498 sn The picture of Jesus standing (rather than seated) probably indicates his rising to receive his child. By announcing his vision, Stephen thoroughly offended his audience, who believed no one could share God’s place in heaven. The phrase is a variation on Ps 110:1.
[7:56] 499 tn Grk “And he said, ‘Look!’” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here; a new sentence is begun instead.
[7:57] 500 sn They covered their ears to avoid hearing what they considered to be blasphemy.
[7:58] 501 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here; a new sentence is begun instead.
[7:58] 502 sn They began to stone him. The irony of the scene is that the people do exactly what the speech complains about in v. 52.
[7:58] 503 tn Or “outer garments.”
[7:58] sn Laid their cloaks. The outer garment, or cloak, was taken off and laid aside to leave the arms free (in this case for throwing stones).
[7:59] 504 tn Grk “And they.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here; a new sentence is begun instead.
[7:60] 505 tn Grk “Then falling to his knees he cried out.” The participle θείς (qeis) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[7:60] 506 sn The remarks Lord Jesus, receive my spirit and Lord, do not hold this sin against them recall statements Jesus made on the cross (Luke 23:34, 46).
[7:60] 507 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the length of the Greek sentence and the tendency of contemporary English style to use shorter sentences, καί (kai) has not been translated here; a new sentence is begun instead.
[7:60] 508 tn The verb κοιμάω (koimaw) literally means “sleep,” but it is often used in the Bible as a euphemism for the death of a believer.
[8:1] 509 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] 511 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] 512 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[8:1] 513 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] 514 tn Or “countryside.”
[8:2] 515 tn “Some” is not in the Greek text, but is implied.
[8:2] 516 sn Made loud lamentation. For someone who was stoned to death, lamentation was normally not allowed (m. Sanhedrin 6:6). The remark points to an unjust death.
[8:2] 517 tn Or “mourned greatly for him.”
[8:3] 518 tn Or “began to harm [the church] severely.” If the nuance of this verb is “destroy,” then the imperfect verb ἐλυμαίνετο (elumaineto) is best translated as a conative imperfect as in the translation above. If instead the verb is taken to mean “injure severely” (as L&N 20.24), it should be translated in context as an ingressive imperfect (“began to harm the church severely”). Either option does not significantly alter the overall meaning, since it is clear from the stated actions of Saul in the second half of the verse that he intended to destroy or ravage the church.
[8:3] 519 tn The participle σύρων (surwn) has been translated as an finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
[8:3] 520 tn BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 1.b has “εἰς φυλακήν put in prison Ac 8:3.”
[8:5] 521 tn The word “main” is supplied in the translation to clarify that “Samaria” is not the name of the city (at least in NT times). See both BDAG 912 s.v. Σαμάρεια, and L&N 93.568.
[8:5] sn The main city of Samaria most likely refers to the principal city of Samaria, rebuilt by Herod the Great as Sebaste in honor of Augustus (J. Boehmer, “Studien zur Geographie Palästinas bes. im Neuen Testament,” ZNW 9 [1908]: 216-18; D. Gill and C. Gempf, eds., The Book of Acts in its Graeco-Roman Setting, 272). This is the best option if the article before “city” is taken as original. If the reading without the article is taken as original, then another city may be in view: Gitta, the hometown of Simon Magus according to Justin Martyr (cf. C. K. Barrett, Acts [ICC], 1:402-3; F. F. Bruce, Acts [NICNT], 165).
[8:5] 522 tn The imperfect ἐκήρυσσεν (ekhrussen) has been translated as an ingressive, since this is probably the first time such preaching took place.
[8:5] 523 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[8:5] sn See the note on Christ in 2:31.
[8:6] 524 tn Grk “to what was being said by Philip,” a passive construction that has been changed to active voice in the translation.
[8:6] 525 tn Here the following context indicates the miraculous nature of the signs mentioned. This term appears 13 times in Acts, but only twice more after Acts 8:13 (i.e., 14:3; 15:12).
[8:7] 526 sn The expression unclean spirits refers to evil supernatural spirits which were ceremonially unclean, and which caused the persons possessed by them to be ceremonially unclean.
[8:7] 527 tn Grk “For [in the case of] many who had unclean spirits, they were coming out, crying in a loud voice.”
[8:8] 528 tn Grk “and there came about,” but this is somewhat awkward in English.
[8:8] 529 sn Great joy. The reason for eschatological joy was that such events pointed to God’s decisive deliverance (Luke 7:22-23). Note how the acts of healing extend beyond the Twelve here.
[8:9] 530 tn On the idiom προϋπῆρχεν μαγεύων (prouphrcen mageuwn) meaning “had been practicing magic” see BDAG 889 s.v. προϋπάρχω.
[8:10] 531 tn Grk “all of them”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:10] 532 tn Or “This man is what is called the Great Power of God.” The translation “what is called the Great Power of God” is given by BDAG 263 s.v. δύναμις 5, but the repetition of the article before καλουμένη μεγάλη (kaloumenh megalh) suggests the translation “the power of God that is called ‘Great.’”
[8:12] 533 sn The kingdom of God is also what Jesus preached: Acts 1:3. The term reappears in 14:22; 19:8; 28:23, 31.
[8:12] 534 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
[8:12] 535 tn The imperfect verb ἐβαπτίζοντο (ebaptizonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
[8:13] 536 tn Or “he kept close company with.”
[8:13] 537 sn He was amazed. Now Simon, the one who amazed others, is himself amazed, showing the superiority of Philip’s connection to God. Christ is better than anything the culture has to offer.
[8:14] 538 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[8:14] 540 sn They sent. The Jerusalem church with the apostles was overseeing the expansion of the church, as the distribution of the Spirit indicates in vv. 15-17.
[8:15] 541 tn Grk “who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the phrase “these two” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style.
[8:16] 542 tn Grk “For he”; the referent (the Spirit) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:16] 544 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
[8:17] 545 tn Grk “on them”; the referent (the Samaritans) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:17] 546 sn They received the Holy Spirit. It is likely this special distribution of the Spirit took place because a key ethnic boundary was being crossed. Here are some of “those far off” of Acts 2:38-40.
[8:18] 547 tc Most witnesses (Ì45,74 A* C D E Ψ 33 1739 Ï latt sy bo) here read “the Holy Spirit” (τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιον, to pneuma to {agion), while a few key
[8:19] 548 tn Or “ability”; Grk “authority.”
[8:20] 549 tn Grk “May your silver together with you be sent into destruction.” This is a strong curse. The gifts of God are sovereignly bestowed and cannot be purchased.
[8:21] 551 tn The translation “share or part” is given by L&N 63.13.
[8:21] 552 tn Since the semantic range for λόγος (logos) is so broad, a number of different translations could be given for the prepositional phrase here. Something along the lines of “in this thing” would work well, but is too colloquial for the present translation.
[8:22] 553 tn Or “and implore the Lord.”
[8:22] 554 tn Grk “that if possible the intent of your heart may be forgiven you.” The passive construction is somewhat awkward in contemporary English and has thus been converted to an active construction in the translation.
[8:23] 555 tn Grk “in the gall of bitterness,” an idiom meaning to be particularly envious or resentful of someone. In this case Simon was jealous of the apostles’ power to bestow the Holy Spirit by the laying on of hands, and wanted that power for himself. The literal phrase does not convey this to the modern reader, and in fact some modern translations have simply rendered the phrase as involving bitterness, which misses the point of the envy on Simon’s part. See L&N 88.166. The OT images come from Deut 29:17-18 and Isa 58:6.
[8:24] 556 tn Grk “Simon answered and said.”
[8:24] sn Given that Simon does not follow Peter’s call for repentance, many interpreters read this reply as flippant rather than sincere. But the exact nature of Simon’s reply is not entirely clear.
[8:24] 557 tn Grk “may come upon.”
[8:25] 558 tn Grk “after they”; the referents (Peter and John) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
[8:25] 559 tn The verb διαμαρτύρομαι (diamarturomai) can mean “warn,” and could be taken to refer specifically to the warning given to Simon in the preceding verses. However, a more general reference is more likely, referring to parting exhortations from Peter and John to the entire group of believers.
[8:25] 560 sn The word of the Lord is a technical expression in OT literature, often referring to a divine prophetic utterance (e.g., Gen 15:1, Isa 1:10, Jonah 1:1). In the NT it occurs 15 times: 3 times as ῥῆμα τοῦ κυρίου (rJhma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logo" tou kuriou; here and in Acts 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 20; 1 Thess 1:8, 4:15; 2 Thess 3:1). As in the OT, this phrase focuses on the prophetic nature and divine origin of what has been said.
[8:25] 561 tn Grk “they were returning to Jerusalem and were proclaiming.” The first imperfect is taken ingressively and the second is viewed iteratively (“proclaiming…as they went”).
[8:25] 562 sn By proclaiming the good news to many Samaritan villages, the apostles now actively share in the broader ministry the Hellenists had started.
[8:25] 563 tn “As they went” is not in the Greek text, but is implied by the imperfect tense (see tn above).
[8:26] 564 tn Or “the angel of the Lord.” See the note on the word “Lord” in 5:19.
[8:26] 565 tn Grk “Lord spoke to Philip, saying.” The redundant participle λέγων (legwn) has not been translated.
[8:26] 566 tn Or “Get up and go about noon.” The phrase κατὰ μεσημβρίαν (kata meshmbrian) can be translated either “about noon” (L&N 67.74) or “toward the south” (L&N 82.4). Since the angel’s command appears to call for immediate action (“Get up”) and would not therefore need a time indicator, a directional reference (“toward the south”) is more likely here.
[8:26] 567 map For the location of Jerusalem see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
[8:26] 568 tn Or “wilderness.”
[8:26] 569 tn The words “This is a desert road” are probably best understood as a comment by the author of Acts, but it is possible they form part of the angel’s speech to Philip, in which case the verse would read: “Get up and go south on the road that goes down from Jerusalem to Gaza – the desert road.”
[8:26] sn The concluding note about the road appears to be a parenthetical note by the author.
