Discovery BoxActs 8:3 
Context8:3 But Saul was trying to destroy 1 the church; entering one house after another, he dragged off 2 both men and women and put them in prison. 3
Acts 8:12
Context8:12 But when they believed Philip as he was proclaiming the good news about the kingdom of God 4 and the name of Jesus Christ, 5 they began to be baptized, 6 both men and women.
1 tn Or “began to harm [the church] severely.” If the nuance of this verb is “destroy,” then the imperfect verb ἐλυμαίνετο (elumaineto) is best translated as a conative imperfect as in the translation above. If instead the verb is taken to mean “injure severely” (as L&N 20.24), it should be translated in context as an ingressive imperfect (“began to harm the church severely”). Either option does not significantly alter the overall meaning, since it is clear from the stated actions of Saul in the second half of the verse that he intended to destroy or ravage the church.
2 tn The participle σύρων (surwn) has been translated as an finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
3 tn BDAG 762 s.v. παραδίδωμι 1.b has “εἰς φυλακήν put in prison Ac 8:3.”
4 sn The kingdom of God is also what Jesus preached: Acts 1:3. The term reappears in 14:22; 19:8; 28:23, 31.
5 tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
6 tn The imperfect verb ἐβαπτίζοντο (ebaptizonto) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect.
