Acts 25:18-20

25:18 When his accusers stood up, they did not charge ¹  him with any of the evil deeds I had suspected. ²  25:19 Rather they had several points of disagreement ³  with him about their own religion ⁴  and about a man named Jesus ⁵  who was dead, whom Paul claimed ⁶  to be alive. 25:20 Because I was at a loss ⁷  how I could investigate these matters, ⁸  I asked if he were willing to go to Jerusalem and be tried ⁹  there on these charges. ¹⁰ 

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¹ tn Grk “they brought no charge of any of the evil deeds.” BDAG 31 s.v. αἰτία 3.b has “αἰτίαν φέρειν…bring an accusation Ac 25:18.” Since κατήγοροι (kathgoroi, “accusers”) in the previous clause is somewhat redundant with this, “charge” was used instead.

² tn Or “I was expecting.”

³ tn Grk “several controversial issues.” BDAG 428 s.v. ζήτημα states, “in our lit. only in Ac, w. the mng. it still has in Mod. Gk. (controversial) question, issue, argument…Ac 15:2; 26:3. ζ. περί τινος questions about someth.…18:15; 25:19.”

⁴ tn On this term see BDAG 216 s.v. δεισιδαιμονία 2. It is a broad term for religion.

sn About their own religion. Festus made it clear that in his view as a neutral figure (and as one Luke had noted was disposed to help the Jews), he saw no guilt in Paul. The issue was a simple religious dispute.

⁵ tn Grk “a certain Jesus.”

⁶ tn Or “asserted.”

⁷ tn Or “Because I was undecided.” Grk “Being at a loss.” The participle ἀπορούμενος (aporoumeno") has been translated as a causal adverbial participle.

⁸ tn L&N 27.34 states, “ἀπορούμενος δὲ ἐγὼ τὴν περὶ τούτων ζήτησιν ‘I was undecided about how I could get information on these matters’ Ac 25:20. The clause ‘about how I could get information on these matters’ may also be rendered as ‘about how I should try to find out about these matters’ or ‘about how I could learn about these matters.’”

⁹ tn Or “stand trial.”

¹⁰ tn Grk “on these things.”