¹ 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.

² tn Grk “on them”; the referent (the Samaritans) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

³ 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.

⁴ tn Or “proclaimed.”

⁵ sn The expression executed with a sword probably refers to a beheading. James was the first known apostolic martyr (Eusebius, Eccl. Hist. 2.9.1-3). On James, not the Lord’s brother, see Luke 5:10; 6:14. This death ended a short period of peace noted in Acts 9:31 after the persecution mentioned in 8:1-3.

⁶ tn Grk “John having already proclaimed before his coming a baptism…,” a genitive absolute construction which is awkward in English. A new sentence was begun in the translation at this point.

⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the context for clarity, since God is mentioned in the preceding context and John the Baptist in the following clause.

⁸ sn John refers here to John the Baptist.

⁹ tn Grk “a baptism of repentance”; the genitive has been translated as a genitive of purpose.

¹⁰ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Paul) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

¹¹ tn Grk “they said.”