Discovery BoxActs 8:13 
Context8:13 Even Simon himself believed, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to 1 Philip constantly, and when he saw the signs and great miracles that were occurring, he was amazed. 2
Acts 15:41
Context15:41 He passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening 3 the churches.
Acts 18:16
Context18:16 Then he had them forced away 4 from the judgment seat. 5
Acts 23:25
Context23:25 He wrote 6 a letter that went like this: 7
1 tn Or “he kept close company with.”
2 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.
3 sn Strengthening. See Acts 14:22; 15:32; 18:23.
4 tn Grk “driven away,” but this could result in a misunderstanding in English (“driven” as in a cart or wagon?). “Forced away” conveys the idea; Gallio rejected their complaint. In contemporary English terminology the case was “thrown out of court.” The verb ἀπήλασεν (aphlasen) has been translated as a causative since Gallio probably did not perform this action in person, but ordered his aides or officers to remove the plaintiffs.
5 sn See the note on the term judgment seat in 18:12.
6 tn Grk “writing.” Due to the length and complexity of the Greek sentence, a new sentence was begun here in the translation, supplying “he” (referring to the commanding officer, Claudius Lysias) as subject. The participle γράψας (grayas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
7 tn Grk “having this form,” “having this content.” L&N 33.48 has “γράψσς ἐπιστολὴν ἔχουσαν τὸν τύπον τοῦτον ‘then he wrote a letter that went like this’ Ac 23:25. It is also possible to understand ἐπιστολή in Ac 23:25 not as a content or message, but as an object (see 6.63).”
