Discovery BoxActs 4:32 
Context4:32 The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, 1 and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common. 2
Acts 8:12-13
Context8:12 But when they believed Philip as he was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God 3 and the name of Jesus Christ, 4 they began to be baptized, 5 both men and women. 8:13 Even Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to 6 Philip constantly, and when he saw the signs and great miracles that were occurring, he was amazed. 7
Acts 14:1
Context14:1 The same thing happened in Iconium 8 when Paul and Barnabas 9 went into the Jewish synagogue 10 and spoke in such a way that a large group 11 of both Jews and Greeks believed.
Acts 14:23
Context14:23 When they had appointed elders 12 for them in the various churches, 13 with prayer and fasting 14 they entrusted them to the protection 15 of the Lord in whom they had believed.
Acts 15:5
Context15:5 But some from the religious party of the Pharisees 16 who had believed stood up and said, “It is necessary 17 to circumcise the Gentiles 18 and to order them to observe 19 the law of Moses.”
Acts 18:27
Context18:27 When Apollos 20 wanted to cross over to Achaia, 21 the brothers encouraged 22 him 23 and wrote to the disciples to welcome him. When he arrived, he 24 assisted greatly those who had believed by grace,
Acts 21:20
Context21:20 When they heard this, they praised 25 God. Then they said to him, “You see, brother, how many thousands of Jews 26 there are who have believed, and they are all ardent observers 27 of the law. 28
Acts 21:25
Context21:25 But regarding the Gentiles who have believed, we have written a letter, having decided 29 that they should avoid 30 meat that has been sacrificed to idols 31 and blood and what has been strangled 32 and sexual immorality.”
1 tn Grk “soul.”
2 tn Grk “but all things were to them in common.”
sn Everything was held in common. The remark is not a reflection of political philosophy, but of the extent of their spontaneous commitment to one another. Such a response does not have the function of a command, but is reflective of an attitude that Luke commends as evidence of their identification with one another.
3 sn The kingdom of God is also what Jesus preached: Acts 1:3. The term reappears in 14:22; 19:8; 28:23, 31.
4 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
5 tn The imperfect verb ἐβαπτίζοντο (ebaptizonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
6 tn Or “he kept close company with.”
7 sn He was amazed. Now Simon, the one who amazed others, is himself amazed, showing the superiority of Philip’s connection to God. Christ is better than anything the culture has to offer.
8 sn Iconium. See the note in 13:51.
9 tn Grk “they”; the referents (Paul and Barnabas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
10 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
11 tn Or “that a large crowd.”
12 sn Appointed elders. See Acts 20:17.
13 tn The preposition κατά (kata) is used here in a distributive sense; see BDAG 512 s.v. κατά B.1.d.
14 tn Literally with a finite verb (προσευξάμενοι, proseuxamenoi) rather than a noun, “praying with fasting,” but the combination “prayer and fasting” is so familiar in English that it is preferable to use it here.
15 tn BDAG 772 s.v. παρατίθημι 3.b has “entrust someone to the care or protection of someone” for this phrase. The reference to persecution or suffering in the context (v. 22) suggests “protection” is a better translation here. This looks at God’s ultimate care for the church.
16 sn See the note on Pharisee in 5:34.
17 sn The Greek word used here (δεῖ, dei) is a strong term that expresses divine necessity. The claim is that God commanded the circumcision of Gentiles.
18 tn Grk “them”; the referent (the Gentiles) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
19 tn Or “keep.”
20 tn Grk “he”; the referent (Apollos) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
21 sn To cross over to Achaia. Achaia was organized by the Romans as a separate province in 27
22 tn Grk “encouraging [him], the brothers wrote.” The participle προτρεψάμενοι (protreyamenoi) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style. This was the typical letter of commendation from the Ephesians to the Achaeans.
23 tn The word “him” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
24 tn Grk “who, when he arrived.” Because of the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, the relative pronoun (“who”) was replaced with the pronoun “he” and a new sentence begun in the translation.
25 tn Or “glorified.”
26 tn Grk “how many thousands there are among the Jews.”
sn How many thousands of Jews. See Acts 2-5 for the accounts of their conversion, esp. 2:41 and 4:4. Estimates of the total number of Jews living in Jerusalem at the time range from 20,000 to 50,000.
27 tn Or “are all zealous for the law.” BDAG 427 s.v. ζηλωτής 1.a.β has “of thing…τοῦ νόμου an ardent observer of the law Ac 21:20.”
28 sn That is, the law of Moses. These Jewish Christians had remained close to their Jewish practices after becoming believers (1 Cor 7:18-19; Acts 16:3).
29 tn L&N 13.154 has “‘having decided that they must keep themselves from food offered to idols, from blood, from an animal that has been strangled, and from sexual immorality’ Ac 21:25.”
sn Having decided refers here to the decision of the Jerusalem council (Acts 15:6-21). Mention of this previous decision reminds the reader that the issue here is somewhat different: It is not whether Gentiles must first become Jews before they can become Christians (as in Acts 15), but whether Jews who become Christians should retain their Jewish practices. Sensitivity to this issue would suggest that Jewish Christians and Gentile Christians might engage in different practices.
30 tn This is a different Greek word than the one used in Acts 15:20, 29. BDAG 1068 s.v. φυλάσσω 3 has “to be on one’s guard against, look out for, avoid…w. acc. of pers. or thing avoided…Ac 21:25.” The Greek word used in Acts 15:20, 29 is ἀπέχω (apecw). The difference in meaning, although slight, has been maintained in the translation.
31 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.
32 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 blood).
