Discovery BoxActs 15:2 
Context15:2 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
Acts 15:25-26
Context15:25 we have unanimously 6 decided 7 to choose men to send to you along with our dear friends Barnabas and Paul, 15:26 who 8 have risked their lives 9 for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. 10
Acts 15:35-39
Context15:35 But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, 11 teaching and proclaiming (along with many others) 12 the word of the Lord. 13
15:36 After some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s return 14 and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord 15 to see how they are doing.” 16 15:37 Barnabas wanted to bring John called Mark along with them too, 15:38 but Paul insisted 17 that they should not take along this one who had left them in Pamphylia 18 and had not accompanied them in the work. 15:39 They had 19 a sharp disagreement, 20 so that they parted company. Barnabas took along 21 Mark and sailed away to Cyprus, 22
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 tn Grk “having become of one mind, we have decided.” This has been translated “we have unanimously decided” to reduce the awkwardness in English.
7 tn BDAG 255 s.v. δοκέω 2.b.β lists this verse under the meaning “it seems best to me, I decide, I resolve.”
8 tn Grk “men who”; but this can be misleading because in English the referent could be understood to be the men sent along with Barnabas and Paul rather than Barnabas and Paul themselves. This option does not exist in the Greek original, however, since ἀνθρώποις (anqrwpoi") is dative and must agree with “Barnabas and Paul,” while ἄνδρας (andra") is accusative. By omitting the word “men” from the translation here, it is clear in English that the phrase refers to the immediately preceding nouns “Barnabas and Paul.”
9 tn Grk “who have risked their souls”; the equivalent English idiom is “risk one’s life.” The descriptions commend Barnabas and Paul as thoroughly trustworthy.
10 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
11 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).
12 sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
13 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 v. 36; Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 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.
14 tn Grk “Returning let us visit.” The participle ἐπιστρέψαντες (epistreyante") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
15 tn See the note on the phrase “word of the Lord” in v. 35.
16 tn BDAG 422 s.v. ἔχω 10.b has “how they are” for this phrase.
17 tn BDAG 94 s.v. ἀξιόω 2.a has “he insisted (impf.) that they should not take him along” for this phrase.
18 sn Pamphylia was a province in the southern part of Asia Minor. See Acts 13:13, where it was mentioned previously.
19 tn Grk “There happened a sharp disagreement.” 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.
20 tn BDAG 780 s.v. παροξυσμός 2 has “sharp disagreement” here; L&N 33.451 has “sharp argument, sharp difference of opinion.”
21 tn Grk “taking along Mark sailed.” The participle παραλαβόντα (paralabonta) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
22 sn Cyprus is a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.
