Discovery BoxActs 15:2 
Context15:2 When Paul and Barnabas had a major argument and debate 1 with them, the church 2 appointed Paul and Barnabas and some others from among them to go up to meet with 3 the apostles and elders in Jerusalem 4 about this point of disagreement. 5
Acts 15:4
Context15:4 When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were received 6 by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported 7 all the things God had done with them. 8
Acts 15:6
Context15:6 Both the apostles and the elders met together to deliberate 9 about this matter.
Acts 15:22-23
Context15:22 Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided 10 to send men chosen from among them, Judas called Barsabbas and Silas, 11 leaders among the brothers, to Antioch 12 with Paul and Barnabas. 15:23 They sent this letter with them: 13
From the apostles 14 and elders, your brothers, 15 to the Gentile brothers and sisters 16 in Antioch, 17 Syria, 18 and Cilicia, greetings!
1 tn Grk “no little argument and debate” (an idiom).
2 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the church, or the rest of the believers at Antioch) has been specified to avoid confusion with the Judaizers mentioned in the preceding clause.
3 tn Grk “go up to,” but in this context a meeting is implied.
4 map For location see Map5 B1; Map6 F3; Map7 E2; Map8 F2; Map10 B3; JP1 F4; JP2 F4; JP3 F4; JP4 F4.
5 tn Or “point of controversy.” It is unclear whether this event parallels Gal 2:1-10 or that Gal 2 fits with Acts 11:30. More than likely Gal 2:1-10 is to be related to Acts 11:30.
6 tn BDAG 761 s.v. παραδέχομαι 2 has “receive, accept” for the meaning here.
7 tn Or “announced.”
8 tn “They reported all the things God had done with them” – an identical phrase occurs in Acts 14:27. God is always the agent.
9 tn The translation for ἰδεῖν (idein) in this verse is given by BDAG 279-80 s.v. εἶδον 3 as “deliberate concerning this matter.” A contemporary idiom would be to “look into” a matter.
10 tn BDAG 255 s.v. δοκέω 2.b.β lists this verse under the meaning “it seems best to me, I decide, I resolve.”
11 sn Silas. See 2 Cor 1:19; 1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1 (= Silvanus).
12 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).
map For location see JP1 F2; JP2 F2; JP3 F2; JP4 F2.
13 tn Grk “writing by their hand” (an idiom for sending a letter).
14 tn Grk “The apostles.” The word “from” is not in the Greek text, but has been supplied to indicate the sender of the letter.
15 tn Grk “brothers,” but “your” is supplied to specify the relationship, since without it “brothers” could be understood as vocative in English.
16 tn Grk “to the brothers who are from the Gentiles.”
17 sn Antioch was a city in Syria (not Antioch in Pisidia).
18 tn Grk “and Syria,” 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.
