Acts 15:2-4

15:2 When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate ¹  with them, the church ²  appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with ³  the apostles and elders in Jerusalem ⁴  about this point of disagreement. ⁵  15:3 So they were sent on their way by the church, and as they passed through both Phoenicia ⁶  and Samaria, they were relating at length ⁷  the conversion of the Gentiles and bringing great joy ⁸  to all the brothers. 15:4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received ⁹  by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported ¹⁰  all the things God had done with them. ¹¹ 

Acts 15:40-41

15:40 but Paul chose Silas and set out, commended ¹²  to the grace of the Lord by the brothers and sisters. ¹³  15:41 He passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening ¹⁴  the churches.

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¹ tn Grk “no little argument and debate” (an idiom).

² tn Grk “they”; the referent (the church, or the rest of the believers at Antioch) has been specified to avoid confusion with the Judaizers mentioned in the preceding clause.

³ tn Grk “go up to,” but in this context a meeting is implied.

⁴ map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.

⁵ tn Or “point of controversy.” It is unclear whether this event parallels Gal 2:1-10 or that Gal 2 fits with Acts 11:30. More than likely Gal 2:1-10 is to be related to Acts 11:30.

⁶ sn Phoenicia was an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine in ancient Syria.

⁷ tn L&N 33.201 indicates that ἐκδιηγέομαι (ekdihgeomai) means to provide detailed information in a systematic manner, “to inform, to relate, to tell fully.” “Relating at length” conveys this effectively in the present context.

⁸ tn For ἐποίουν (epoioun) in this verse BDAG 839 s.v. ποιέω 2.c has “they brought joy to the members.”

⁹ tn BDAG 761 s.v. παραδέχομαι 2 has “receive, accept” for the meaning here.

¹⁰ tn Or “announced.”

¹¹ tn “They reported all the things God had done with them” – an identical phrase occurs in Acts 14:27. God is always the agent.

¹² tn Or “committed.” BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 2 gives “be commended by someone to the grace of the Lord” as the meaning for this phrase, although “give over” and “commit” are listed as alternatives for this category.

¹³ tn Grk “by the brothers.” Here it it is highly probable that the entire congregation is in view, not just men, so the translation “brothers and sisters” has been used for the plural ἀδελφῶν (adelfwn),.

¹⁴ sn Strengthening. See Acts 14:22; 15:32; 18:23.