Discovery BoxActs 6:7 
Context6:7 The word of God continued to spread, 1 the number of disciples in Jerusalem 2 increased greatly, and a large group 3 of priests became obedient to the faith.
Acts 11:1
Context11:1 Now the apostles and the brothers who were throughout Judea heard that the Gentiles too had accepted 4 the word of God. 5
Acts 11:19
Context11:19 Now those who had been scattered because of the persecution that took place over Stephen 6 went as far as 7 Phoenicia, 8 Cyprus, 9 and Antioch, 10 speaking the message 11 to no one but Jews.
Acts 13:5
Context13:5 When 12 they arrived 13 in Salamis, 14 they began to proclaim 15 the word of God in the Jewish synagogues. 16 (Now they also had John 17 as their assistant.) 18
Acts 13:7
Context13:7 who was with the proconsul 19 Sergius Paulus, an intelligent man. The proconsul 20 summoned 21 Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear 22 the word of God.
Acts 14:27
Context14:27 When they arrived and gathered the church together, they reported 23 all the things God 24 had done with them, and that he had opened a door 25 of faith for the Gentiles.
Acts 17:13
Context17:13 But when the Jews from Thessalonica 26 heard that Paul had also proclaimed the word of God 27 in Berea, 28 they came there too, inciting 29 and disturbing 30 the crowds.
Acts 19:10
Context19:10 This went on for two years, so that all who lived in the province of Asia, 31 both Jews and Greeks, heard the word of the Lord. 32
Acts 20:25
Context20:25 “And now 33 I know that none 34 of you among whom I went around proclaiming the kingdom 35 will see me 36 again.
1 tn Grk “kept on spreading”; the verb has been translated as a progressive imperfect.
2 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
3 tn Grk “a great multitude.”
sn A large group. Many Jews, even some religious leaders, were responding.
4 tn See BDAG 221 s.v. δέχομαι 5 for this translation of ἐδέξαντο (edexanto) here.
5 tn Here the phrase “word of God” is another way to describe the gospel (note the preceding verb ἐδέξαντο, edexanto, “accepted”). The phrase could also be translated “the word [message] from God.”
6 sn The phrase over Stephen means in connection with Stephen’s death. See Acts 8:1b-3.
7 tn Or “finally reached.” The translations “went as far as” and “finally reached” for διῆλθον (dihlqon) in this verse are given in L&N 15.17.
8 sn Phoenicia was an area along the Mediterranean coast north of Palestine.
9 tn Grk “and Cyprus,” but καί (kai) has not been translated since English normally uses a coordinating conjunction only between the last two elements in a series of three or more.
sn Cyprus was a large island in the Mediterranean off the south coast of Asia Minor.
10 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia). This was probably the third largest city in the Greco-Roman world (Alexandria in Egypt was the second largest, and Rome the largest) and was the seat of government in Syria. Five miles away was a major temple to Artemis, Apollo, and Astarte, major pagan deities.
map For location see JP1 F2; JP2 F2; JP3 F2; JP4 F2.
11 tn Grk “word.”
12 tn Grk “And when.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
13 tn The participle γενόμενοι (genomenoi) is taken temporally.
14 sn Salamis was a city on the southeastern coast of the island of Cyprus. This was a commercial center and a center of Judaism.
15 tn The imperfect verb κατήγγελλον (kathngellon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
16 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
17 sn John refers here to John Mark (see Acts 12:25).
18 tn The word ὑπηρέτης (Juphreth") usually has the meaning “servant,” but it is doubtful John Mark fulfilled that capacity for Barnabas and Saul. He was more likely an apprentice or assistant to them.
sn This is a parenthetical note by the author.
19 sn The proconsul was the Roman official who ruled over a province traditionally under the control of the Roman senate.
20 tn Grk “This one”; the referent (the proconsul) is specified in the translation for clarity.
21 tn Grk “summoning Barnabas and Saul, wanted to hear.” The participle προσκαλεσάμενος (proskalesameno") has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
22 sn The proconsul…wanted to hear the word of God. This description of Sergius Paulus portrays him as a sensitive, secular Gentile leader.
23 tn Or “announced.”
24 sn Note that God is the subject of the activity. The outcome of this mission is seen as a confirmation of the mission to the Gentiles.
25 sn On the image of opening, or of the door, see 1 Cor 16:9; 2 Cor 2:12; Col 4:3.
26 sn Thessalonica was a city in Macedonia (modern Salonica).
27 tn Grk “that the word of God had also been proclaimed by Paul.” This passive construction has been converted to an active one in the translation for stylistic reasons.
28 sn Berea (alternate spelling in NRSV Beroea; Greek Beroia) was a very old city in Macedonia on the river Astraeus about 45 mi (75 km) from Thessalonica.
29 tn BDAG 911 s.v. σαλεύω 2 has “incite” for σαλεύοντες (saleuonte") in Acts 17:13.
sn Inciting. Ironically, it was the Jews who were disturbing the peace, not the Christians.
30 tn Or “stirring up” (BDAG 990-91 s.v. ταράσσω 2). The point is the agitation of the crowds.
31 tn Grk “Asia”; in the NT this always refers to the Roman province of Asia, made up of about one-third of the west and southwest end of modern Asia Minor. Asia lay to the west of the region of Phrygia and Galatia. The words “the province of” are supplied to indicate to the modern reader that this does not refer to the continent of Asia.
sn The expression all who lived in the province of Asia is good Semitic hyperbole (see Col 1:7, “all the world”). The message was now available to the region.
32 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 Acts 8:25; 13:44, 48, 49; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:20; 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.
33 tn Grk “And now, behold.” Here ἰδού (idou) has not been translated.
34 tn Grk “all of you…will not see.” Greek handles its negation somewhat differently from English, and the translation follows English grammatical conventions.
35 sn Note how Paul’s usage of the expression proclaiming the kingdom is associated with (and intertwined with) his testifying to the good news of God’s grace in v. 24. For Paul the two concepts were interrelated.
36 tn Grk “will see my face” (an idiom for seeing someone in person).
