Kisah Para Rasul 15:15

15:15 The ¹  words of the prophets agree ²  with this, as it is written,

Kisah Para Rasul 15:19

15:19 “Therefore I conclude ³  that we should not cause extra difficulty ⁴  for those among the Gentiles ⁵  who are turning to God,

Kisah Para Rasul 15:24

15:24 Since we have heard that some have gone out from among us with no orders from us and have confused ⁶  you, upsetting ⁷  your minds ⁸  by what they said, ⁹ 

Kisah Para Rasul 15:27-31

15:27 Therefore we are sending ¹⁰  Judas and Silas ¹¹  who will tell you these things themselves in person. ¹²  15:28 For it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us ¹³  not to place any greater burden on you than these necessary rules: ¹⁴  15:29 that you abstain from meat that has been sacrificed to idols ¹⁵  and from blood and from what has been strangled ¹⁶  and from sexual immorality. ¹⁷  If you keep yourselves from doing these things, ¹⁸  you will do well. Farewell. ¹⁹ 

15:30 So when they were dismissed, ²⁰  they went down to Antioch, ²¹  and after gathering the entire group ²²  together, they delivered the letter. 15:31 When they read it aloud, ²³  the people ²⁴  rejoiced at its encouragement. ²⁵ 

Kisah Para Rasul 16:4

16:4 As they went through the towns, ²⁶  they passed on ²⁷  the decrees that had been decided on by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ²⁸  for the Gentile believers ²⁹  to obey. ³⁰ 

Matius 18:17-20

18:17 If ³¹  he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. If ³²  he refuses to listen to the church, treat him like ³³  a Gentile ³⁴  or a tax collector. ³⁵ 

18:18 “I tell you the truth, ³⁶  whatever you bind on earth will have been bound in heaven, and whatever you release on earth will have been released in heaven. 18:19 Again, I tell you the truth, ³⁷  if two of you on earth agree about whatever you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you. ³⁸  18:20 For where two or three are assembled in my name, I am there among them.”

[15:15]  ¹ 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.

[15:15]  ² sn The term agree means “match” or “harmonize with.” James’ point in the introduction argues that many of the OT prophets taught this. He gives one example (which follows).

[15:19]  ³ tn Or “I have decided,” “I think.” The verb κρίνω (krinw) has a far broader range of meaning than the often-used English verb “judge.” BDAG 568 s.v. κρίνω 3 places this use in Acts 15:19 in the category “judge, think, consider, look upon” followed by double accusative of object and predicate. However, many modern translations give the impression that a binding decision is being handed down by James: “it is my judgment” (NASB, NIV); “I have reached the decision” (NRSV). L&N 22.25, on the other hand, translate the phrase here “I think that we should not cause extra difficulty for those among the Gentiles.” This gives more the impression of an opinion than a binding decision. The resolution of this lies not so much in the lexical data as in how one conceives James’ role in the leadership of the Jerusalem church, plus the dynamics of the specific situation where the issue of Gentile inclusion in the church was being discussed. The major possibilities are: (1) James is handing down a binding decision to the rest of the church as the one who has ultimate authority to decide this matter; (2) James is offering his own personal opinion in the matter, which is not binding on the church; (3) James is voicing a consensus opinion of all the apostles and elders, although phrasing it as if it were his own; (4) James is making a suggestion to the rest of the leadership as to what course they should follow. In light of the difficulty in reconstructing the historical situation in detail, it is best to use a translation which maintains as many of the various options as possible. For this reason the translation “Therefore I conclude” has been used, leaving open the question whether in reaching this conclusion James is speaking only for himself or for the rest of the leadership.

[15:19]  ⁴ tn Or “trouble.” This term is a NT hapax legomenon (BDAG 775 s.v. παρενοχλέω).

[15:19]  ⁵ tn Or “among the nations” (in Greek the word for “nation” and “Gentile” is the same).

[15:24]  ⁶ tn Here BDAG 990-91 s.v. ταράσσω 2 states, “Of mental confusion caused by false teachings ταρ. τινά Ac 15:24 (w. λόγοις foll.).”

[15:24]  ⁷ tn BDAG 71 s.v. ἀνασκευάζω describes this verb with a figurative meaning: “to cause inward distress, upset, unsettle.”

[15:24]  ⁸ tn Grk “souls.”

[15:24]  ⁹ tn Grk “by words”; L&N 25.231 translates the phrase “they troubled and upset you by what they said.”

[15:27]  ¹⁰ tn This verb has been translated as an epistolary aorist.

[15:27]  ¹¹ sn Judas and Silas were the “two witnesses” who would vouch for the truth of the recommendation.

[15:27]  ¹² tn Grk “by means of word” (an idiom for a verbal report).

[15:28]  ¹³ tn This is the same expression translated “decided” in Acts 15:22, 25. BDAG 255 s.v. δοκέω 2.b.β lists “decide” as a possible gloss for this verse, and this translation would be consistent with the translation of the same expression in Acts 15:22, 25. However, the unusually awkward “the Holy Spirit and we have decided” would result. Given this approach, it would be more natural in English to say “We and the Holy Spirit have decided,” but changing the order removes the emphasis the Greek text gives to the Holy Spirit. Thus, although the similarity to the phrases in 15:22, 25 is obscured, it is better to use the alternate translation “it seems best to me” (also given by BDAG): “it seemed best to the Holy Spirit and to us.” Again the scope of agreement is highlighted.

[15:28]  ¹⁴ tn L&N 71.39 translates “indispensable (rules)” while BDAG 358 s.v. ἐπάναγκες has “the necessary things.”

[15:29]  ¹⁵ tn There is no specific semantic component in the Greek word εἰδωλόθυτος that means “meat” (see BDAG 280 s.v. εἰδωλόθυτος; L&N 5.15). The stem –θυτος means “sacrifice” (referring to an animal sacrificially killed) and thereby implies meat.

[15:29]  ¹⁶ tc Codex Bezae (D) and a few other witnesses lack the restriction “and from what has been strangled” (καὶ πνικτῶν, kai pniktwn), though the words are supported by a wide variety of early and important witnesses otherwise and should be considered authentic.

[15:29]  sn What has been strangled. That is, to refrain from eating animals that had been killed without having the blood drained from them. According to the Mosaic law (Lev 17:13-14), Jews were forbidden to eat flesh with the blood still in it (note the preceding provision in this verse, and from blood).

[15:29]  ¹⁷ tc Codex Bezae (D) as well as 323 614 945 1739 1891 sa and other witnesses have after “sexual immorality” the following statement: “And whatever you do not want to happen to yourselves, do not do to another/others.” By adding this negative form of the Golden Rule, these witnesses effectively change the Apostolic Decree from what might be regarded as ceremonial restrictions into more ethical demands. The issues here are quite complicated, and beyond the scope of this brief note. Suffice it to say that D and its allies here are almost surely an expansion and alteration of the original text of Acts. For an excellent discussion of the exegetical and textual issues, see TCGNT 379-83.

[15:29]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “from which things keeping yourselves.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (ὧν, |wn) has been replaced by a pronoun (“these things”) and a new English sentence begun. The participle διατηροῦντες (diathrounte") has been translated as a conditional adverbial participle (“if you keep yourselves”). See further L&N 13.153.

[15:29]  ¹⁹ tn The phrase ἔρρωσθε (errwsqe) may be understood as a stock device indicating a letter is complete (“good-bye,” L&N 33.24) or as a sincere wish that the persons involved may fare well (“may you fare well,” L&N 23.133).

[15:30]  ²⁰ tn Or “sent away.”

[15:30]  ²¹ sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).

[15:30]  ²² tn Or “congregation” (referring to the group of believers).

[15:31]  ²³ tn Grk “read it.” The translation “read aloud” is used to indicate the actual practice of public reading; translating as “read” could be misunderstood to mean private, silent, or individual reading.

[15:31]  ²⁴ tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people) is specified in the translation for clarity.

[15:31]  ²⁵ tn Or “at its encouraging message.”

[16:4]  ²⁶ tn Or “cities.”

[16:4]  ²⁷ tn BDAG 762-63 s.v. παραδίδωμι 3 has “they handed down to them the decisions to observe Ac 16:4.”

[16:4]  ²⁸ map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.

[16:4]  ²⁹ tn Grk “for them”; the referent (Gentile believers) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:4]  ³⁰ tn Or “observe” or “follow.”

[18:17]  ³¹ tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[18:17]  ³² tn Here δέ (de) has not been translated.

[18:17]  ³³ tn Grk “let him be to you as.”

[18:17]  ³⁴ tn Or “a pagan.”

[18:17]  ³⁵ sn To treat him like a Gentile or a tax collector means not to associate with such a person. See the note on tax collectors in 5:46.

[18:18]  ³⁶ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[18:19]  ³⁷ tn Grk “Truly (ἀμήν, amhn), I say to you.”

[18:19]  ³⁸ tn Grk “if two of you…agree about whatever they ask, it will be done for them by my Father who is in heaven.” The passive construction has been translated as an active one in keeping with contemporary English style, and the pronouns, which change from second person plural to third person plural in the Greek text, have been consistently translated as second person plural.