Discovery BoxActs 5:38 
Context5:38 So in this case I say to you, stay away from these men and leave them alone, because if this plan or this undertaking originates with people, 1 it will come to nothing, 2
Acts 14:17
Context14:17 yet he did not leave himself without a witness by doing good, 3 by giving you rain from heaven 4 and fruitful seasons, satisfying you 5 with food and your hearts with joy.” 6
Acts 20:7
Context20:7 On the first day 7 of the week, when we met 8 to break bread, Paul began to speak 9 to the people, and because he intended 10 to leave the next day, he extended 11 his message until midnight.
1 tn Here ἀνθρώπων (anqrwpwn) has been translated as a generic noun (“people”).
2 tn Or “it will be put to an end.”
3 tn The participle ἀγαθουργῶν (agaqourgwn) is regarded as indicating means here, parallel to the following participles διδούς (didou") and ἐμπιπλῶν (empiplwn). This is the easiest way to understand the Greek structure. Semantically, the first participle is a general statement, followed by two participles giving specific examples of doing good.
4 tn Or “from the sky” (the same Greek word means both “heaven” and “sky”).
5 tn Grk “satisfying [filling] your hearts with food and joy.” This is an idiomatic expression; it strikes the English reader as strange to speak of “filling one’s heart with food.” Thus the additional direct object “you” has been supplied, separating the two expressions somewhat: “satisfying you with food and your hearts with joy.”
6 sn God’s general sovereignty and gracious care in the creation are the way Paul introduces the theme of the goodness of God. He was trying to establish monotheism here. It is an OT theme (Gen 8:22; Ps 4:7; 145:15-16; 147:8-9; Isa 25:6; Jer 5:24) which also appears in the NT (Luke 12:22-34).
7 sn On the first day. This is the first mention of a Sunday gathering (1 Cor 16:2).
8 tn Or “assembled.”
9 tn The verb διαλέγομαι (dialegomai) is frequently used of Paul addressing Jews in the synagogue. As G. Schrenk (TDNT 2:94-95) points out, “What is at issue is the address which any qualified member of a synagogue might give.” Other examples of this may be found in the NT in Matt 4:23 and Mark 1:21. In the context of a Christian gathering, it is preferable to translate διελέγετο (dielegeto) simply as “speak” here. The imperfect verb διελέγετο has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
10 tn BDAG 628 s.v. μέλλω 1.c.γ has “denoting an intended action: intend, propose, have in mind…Ac 17:31; 20:3, 7, 13ab; 23:15; 26:2; 27:30.”
11 tn Or “prolonged.”
