Daily Reading for Personal Growth, 40 Days with God

Footnotes

1. Acts 13:42 tn Grk “they”; the referents (Paul and Barnabas) have been specified in the translation for clarity.
2. Acts 13:42 tn Or “were leaving.” The participle ἐξιόντων (exiontōn) is taken temporally.
3. Acts 13:42 tn Grk “they”; the referent (the people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
4. Acts 13:42 tn Or “begging,” “inviting.”
5. Acts 13:42 tn Or “matters.”
6. Acts 13:43 sn See the note on synagogue in 6:9.
7. Acts 13:43 tn BDAG 607 s.v. λύω 3 has “λυθείσης τ. συναγωγῆς when the meeting of the synagogue had broken up Ac 13:43.”
8. Acts 13:43 tn Normally the phrase σεβόμενοι τὸν θεόν (sebomenoi ton theon) refers to Gentiles (“God-fearers”) who believed in God, attended the synagogue, and followed the Mosaic law to some extent, but stopped short of undergoing circumcision. BDAG 918 s.v. σέβω 1.b lists in this category references in Acts 16:14; 18:7; with σεβόμενοι alone, Acts 13:50; 17:4, 17; the phrase is also found in Josephus, Ant. 14.7.2 (14.110). Unique to this particular verse is the combination σεβόμενοι προσηλύτων (sebomenoi prosēlutōn). Later rabbinic discussion suggests that to be regarded as a proper proselyte, a Gentile male had to submit to circumcision. If that is the case here, these Gentiles in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch should be regarded as full proselytes who had converted completely to Judaism and undergone circumcision. It is probably more likely, however, that προσηλύτων is used here in a somewhat looser sense (note the use of σεβομένας [sebomenas] alone to refer to women in Acts 13:50) and that these Gentiles were still in the category commonly called “God-fearers” without being full, technical proselytes to Judaism. See further K. G. Kuhn, TDNT 6:732-34, 743-44. Regardless, the point is that many Gentiles, as well as Jews, came to faith.
9. Acts 13:43 tn This is the meaning given for ἔπειθον (epeithon) in this verse by BDAG 791 s.v. πείθω 1.b.
10. Acts 13:43 tn Grk “who, as they were speaking with them, were persuading them.”
11. Acts 13:43 tn The verb προμένειν (promenein) is similar in force to the use of μένω (menō, “to reside/remain”) in the Gospel and Epistles of John.
12. Acts 13:44 tc Most mss (B* C E Ψ M sy bo) read θεοῦ (theou, “of God”) here instead of κυρίου (kuriou, “of the Lord”). Other mss, among them some significant early witnesses (P⁷⁴ א A B² 33 81 323 945 1175 1739 al sa), read κυρίου. The external evidence favors κυρίου, though not decisively. Internally, the mention of “God” in v. 43, and especially “the word of God” in v. 46, would provide some temptation for scribes to assimilate the wording in v. 44 to these texts.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 (rhēma tou kuriou; Luke 22:61, Acts 11:16, 1 Pet 1:25) and 12 times as λόγος τοῦ κυρίου (logos tou kuriou; here and in vv. 48 and 49; Acts 8:25; 15:35, 36; 16:32; 19:10, 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.
13. Acts 13:45 sn They were filled with jealousy. Their foolish response to the gospel is noted again (see Acts 5:17; 7:9; 17:5).
14. Acts 13:45 tn The imperfect verb ἀντέλεγον (antelegon) has been translated as an ingressive imperfect in the logical sequence of events: After they were filled with jealousy, the Jewish opponents began to contradict what Paul said.
15. Acts 13:45 tn Grk “the things being said by Paul.” For smoothness and simplicity of English style, the passive construction has been converted to active voice in the translation.
16. Acts 13:45 tn The participle βλασφημοῦντες (blasphēmountes) has been regarded as indicating the means of the action of the main verb. It could also be translated as a finite verb (“and reviled him”) in keeping with contemporary English style. The direct object (“him”) is implied rather than expressed and could be impersonal (“it,” referring to what Paul was saying rather than Paul himself), but the verb occurs more often in contexts involving defamation or slander against personal beings (not always God). For a very similar context to this one, compare Acts 18:6. The translation “blaspheme” is not used because in contemporary English its meaning is more narrowly defined and normally refers to blasphemy against God (not what Paul’s opponents were doing here). The modern term “slandering” comes close to what was being done to Paul here.
17. Acts 13:46 tn Grk “Both Paul and Barnabas spoke out courageously and said.” The redundancy is removed in the translation and the verb “replied” is used in keeping with the logical sequence of events. The theme of boldness reappears: Acts 4:24-30; 9:27-28.
18. Acts 13:46 tn Grk “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken.” For smoothness and simplicity of English style, the passive construction has been converted to active voice in the translation.
19. Acts 13:46 tn Or “and consider yourselves unworthy.”
20. Acts 13:46 tn Grk “behold, we.” In this context ἰδού (idou) is not easily translated into English.
21. Acts 13:46 sn This turning to the Gentiles would be a shocking rebuke to 1st century Jews who thought they alone were the recipients of the promise.
22. Acts 13:47 tn Here οὕτως (houtōs) is taken to refer to what follows, the content of the quotation, as given for this verse by BDAG 742 s.v. οὕτω/οὕτως 2.
23. Acts 13:47 tn BDAG 1004 s.v. τίθημι 3.a has “τιθέναι τινὰ εἴς τι place/appoint someone to or for (to function as) someth….Ac 13:47.” This is a double accusative construction of object (“you”) and complement (“a light”).
24. Acts 13:47 sn Paul alludes here to the language of the Servant in Isaiah, pointing to Isa 42:6; 49:6. He and Barnabas do the work of the Servant in Isaiah.
25. Acts 13:47 tn Grk “that you should be for salvation,” but more simply “to bring salvation.”
26. Acts 13:47 sn An allusion to Isa 42:6 and 49:6. The expression the ends of the earth recalls Luke 3:6 and Acts 1:8. Paul sees himself and Barnabas as carrying out the commission of Luke 24:27. (See 2 Cor 6:2, where servant imagery also appears concerning Paul’s message.)
27. Acts 13:48 tn The imperfect verb ἔχαιρον (echairon) and the following ἐδόξαζον (edoxazon) are translated as ingressive imperfects.
28. Acts 13:48 tn Or “glorify.” Although “honor” is given by BDAG 258 s.v. δοξάζω as a translation, it would be misleading here, because the meaning is “to honor in the sense of attributing worth to something,” while in contemporary English usage one speaks of “honoring” a contract in the sense of keeping its stipulations. It is not a synonym for “obey” in this context (“obey the word of the Lord”), but that is how many English readers would understand it.
29. Acts 13:48 sn Note the contrast to v. 46 in regard to eternal life.
30. Acts 13:49 tn BDAG 239 s.v. διαφέρω 1 has “spread” for διαφέρετο (diaphereto) in connection with a teaching. This is the first summary since Acts 9:31.
31. Acts 13:50 tn For the translation of παρώτρυναν (parōtrunan) as “incited” see BDAG 780 s.v. παροτρύνω.
32. Acts 13:50 tn BDAG 299 s.v. ἐκβάλλω 1 has “throw out.” Once again, many Jews reacted to the message (Acts 5:17, 33; 6:11; 13:45).
33. Acts 13:51 tn The participle ἐκτιναξάμενοι (ektinaxamenoi) is taken temporally. It could also be translated as a participle of attendant circumstance (“So they shook…and went”).
34. Acts 13:51 sn Shaking the dust off their feet was a symbolic gesture commanded by Jesus to his disciples, Matt 10:14; Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5. It shows a group of people as culpable before God.
35. Acts 13:51 sn Iconium was a city in Lycaonia about 90 mi (145 km) east southeast of Pisidian Antioch.
36. Acts 13:52 sn The believers of Pisidian Antioch were not discouraged by the persecution, but instead were filled with joy.