Acts 1

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The Greek ton proton logon ('the first account/word') refers to Luke's Gospel. The verb epoiesameen ('I made/composed') is a standard literary term for writing a work. 'Theophilus' means 'lover of God' or 'friend of God' — whether this is a real person or a symbolic addressee is debated, though the honorific 'most excellent' used in Luke 1:3 suggests a real patron.
2. The phrase 'began to do and to teach' (eerxato poiein te kai didaskein) implies that what Jesus 'began' in the Gospel continues through his apostles in Acts — the ascension does not end Jesus's work but changes its mode.

Translator Notes

1. The verb aneleemphthee ('was taken up') is the technical term for the ascension, used again in verse 11 and in 1 Timothy 3:16. The phrase 'through the Holy Spirit' (dia pneumatos hagiou) can modify either 'given instructions' or 'chosen' — the ambiguity is present in the Greek. We follow the more natural reading linking it to the instructions.
2. The word apostolois ('apostles') here designates the specific group Jesus chose, not the broader later usage of the term. Luke uses it as a technical title for the Twelve.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The Greek tekmeriois ('proofs, convincing evidence') is a strong term from legal and philosophical discourse — these are not casual sightings but demonstrable evidence. Luke the historian emphasizes the evidentiary quality of the resurrection appearances.
2. The forty-day period (di' heemerōn tesserakonta) is mentioned only here in the New Testament. It echoes Moses' forty days on Sinai (Exodus 24:18) and Elijah's forty-day journey to Horeb (1 Kings 19:8). The risen Jesus uses this time to teach about the kingdom — a post-resurrection seminar on God's reign.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Exodus 24:18 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.
4. [TCR Cross-Reference] References 1 Kings 19:8 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek synalizomenos is debated: it may mean 'eating together with' (from hals, 'salt') or 'being assembled with' (from syn + halizō). The eating interpretation is favored by many scholars as it emphasizes the physical reality of the risen Jesus sharing meals with his disciples (cf. Luke 24:41-43). We follow this reading.
2. The 'promise of the Father' (teen epangelian tou patros) refers to the Holy Spirit, as clarified in verse 5. This connects to Joel 2:28-29 and Jesus's own promises in Luke 24:49 and John 14-16.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Joel 2:28-29. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. The contrast between John's water baptism and the coming Spirit baptism is a key theme in Luke-Acts (cf. Luke 3:16). The preposition en can mean 'with' or 'in' — 'baptized in the Holy Spirit' and 'baptized with the Holy Spirit' are both valid renderings. We choose 'with' for clarity, though the immersion imagery of 'in' captures the Greek metaphor better.
2. The phrase 'not many days from now' (ou meta pollas tautas heemeras) deliberately avoids specifying the exact timing, building anticipation for the Pentecost event in chapter 2.

Translator Notes

1. The imperfect tense eerōtōn ('they were asking, kept asking') suggests persistent questioning, not a single query. The verb apokathistaneis ('are you restoring') carries overtones of the prophetic hope for Israel's restoration (cf. Malachi 4:5-6, where Elijah 'restores' all things). The disciples assume the Spirit's coming means political restoration — Jesus redirects but does not deny the eventual restoration of Israel.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Malachi 4:5-6. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Translator Notes

1. Jesus distinguishes two temporal concepts: chronous ('times,' referring to duration or chronological periods) and kairous ('seasons,' referring to appointed moments or decisive occasions). Together they cover both the timeline and the turning points of God's plan. The Father alone holds authority (exousia) over these — this is a boundary on human knowledge, not a denial that restoration will occur.

Key Terms

Translator Notes

1. This verse serves as the programmatic outline for the entire book of Acts: Jerusalem (chapters 1-7), Judea and Samaria (chapters 8-12), and to the ends of the earth (chapters 13-28). The Greek dynamin ('power') is the root of English 'dynamite' — the Spirit's power is not passive but active and transformative.
2. The word martyres ('witnesses') is the root of English 'martyr.' In Acts, bearing witness will cost some disciples their lives (Stephen in chapter 7, James in chapter 12). Witness and suffering are linguistically and theologically intertwined.
3. The phrase 'ends of the earth' (eschatou tees gees) echoes Isaiah 49:6, where the Servant of the LORD is 'a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.' Jesus's commission fulfills the Isaianic servant vision.
4. [TCR Cross-Reference] References Isaiah 49:6 — the TCR OT rendering of that text provides the Hebrew source and explains the translation decisions involved.

Translator Notes

1. The ascension is described with remarkable restraint. The passive epeerthee ('was lifted up') indicates divine action — Jesus does not fly away under his own power but is taken up by God. The cloud (nephelee) echoes the cloud of divine presence throughout the Old Testament: the pillar of cloud in the wilderness (Exodus 13:21), the cloud on Sinai (Exodus 24:15-18), the cloud filling the temple (1 Kings 8:10-11), and the Son of Man coming with clouds (Daniel 7:13). The cloud is not weather but theophany.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Exodus 13:21. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Exodus 24:15-18. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
4. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes 1 Kings 8:10-11. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.
5. [TCR Cross-Reference] Echoes Daniel 7:13. See the TCR's OT rendering for the Hebrew behind this passage and the translation rationale.

Translator Notes

1. The verb atenizontes ('staring intently, gazing fixedly') conveys the disciples' stunned focus — they cannot look away. The 'two men in white' (andres duo en esthesesin leukais) parallels the two figures at the empty tomb in Luke 24:4. Luke identifies them as men rather than angels, though their white clothing signals heavenly origin. Two witnesses fulfill the Deuteronomic requirement for valid testimony (Deuteronomy 19:15).
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Deuteronomy 19:15 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.

Translator Notes

1. The address 'Men of Galilee' (andres Galilaioi) identifies the apostles by their regional origin and echoes the pattern of address used throughout Acts (cf. 'Men of Israel,' 'Men of Athens'). The promise of return 'in the same way' (hon tropon) — visibly, bodily, with clouds — becomes the foundation of the Christian hope of the second coming. The threefold repetition of 'heaven' (ouranos) in this verse emphasizes both Jesus's destination and the direction from which he will return.

Translator Notes

1. A 'Sabbath day's journey' (sabbatou echon hodon) was approximately 2,000 cubits or about half a mile (roughly 1 kilometer), the maximum distance one could travel on the Sabbath according to rabbinic tradition. Luke's geographical note serves both literary and practical purposes — the Mount of Olives is close enough that the disciples could quickly obey Jesus's command to stay in Jerusalem.
2. The Mount of Olives (Elaiōnos, 'of olives') was associated with eschatological expectation in Zechariah 14:4, where the LORD's feet stand on the Mount of Olives at the final redemption.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Draws on Zechariah 14:4. Consult the TCR rendering of that passage for the underlying Hebrew and the rationale for key translation choices.

Translator Notes

1. The 'upper room' (to hyperōon) was likely a large second-story room in a Jerusalem house, possibly the same location as the Last Supper (Luke 22:12). The list of eleven apostles differs in order from Luke 6:14-16 — notably Peter and John are paired here (as they will be partners throughout Acts 1-8), whereas in Luke's Gospel Peter and Andrew are paired as brothers. Simon 'the Zealot' (ho zeelotees) may indicate former membership in the Zealot political movement or simply intense religious zeal.
2. 'Judas son of James' (Ioudas Iakōbou) — the KJV renders this 'brother of James,' but the Greek more naturally reads 'son of.' This is the same figure called Thaddaeus in Matthew 10:3.

Translator Notes

1. The Greek proskarterountes ('devoting themselves, persisting, being steadfast in') is a strong word indicating persistent, wholehearted commitment — not casual prayer meetings but intense, unified intercession. The adverb homothymadon ('with one mind, unanimously') is a favorite word of Luke in Acts, appearing ten times to describe the early church's unity.
2. This is Mary's last appearance in the New Testament. She is mentioned among the community of prayer, not elevated above it. The 'brothers' (adelphois) of Jesus are mentioned — the same brothers who did not believe during his ministry (John 7:5) are now part of the believing community. James the brother of Jesus will emerge as a leader of the Jerusalem church (Acts 15, 21).

Translator Notes

1. The Greek adelphōn ('brothers') is used inclusively here, as the context clearly includes women (v. 14). We render 'brothers and sisters' to reflect the inclusive usage. The number 120 may be symbolically significant — Jewish tradition required a minimum of 120 men to establish a local council (sanhedrin), so the community meets the threshold for self-governance.
2. The phrase ochlos onomatōn ('a crowd of names') is an unusual expression; 'names' (onomatōn) here means 'persons' — a Semitic idiom reflected in the Greek.

Translator Notes

1. Peter's speech demonstrates early Christian hermeneutics: the Psalms of David are read as prophetic, spoken 'through' David by the Holy Spirit. The verb edei ('it was necessary') expresses divine necessity — Judas's betrayal, while morally culpable, fell within God's sovereign plan. The description of Judas as 'guide' (hodēgou) for the arrest party emphasizes his active role in leading them to Jesus.

Translator Notes

1. The verb kateerithmemenos ('numbered, counted among') emphasizes that Judas was a genuine member of the Twelve, not an outsider. The word kleeron ('lot, share, portion') is the same word used for the lot-casting in verse 26 — Judas received his allotted portion of the ministry (diakonia), making his betrayal all the more grievous.

Translator Notes

1. This parenthetical note (vv. 18-19) is Luke's aside to the reader, not part of Peter's speech. The account of Judas's death differs from Matthew 27:3-10, where Judas hangs himself and the priests buy the field. Various harmonizations have been proposed, but the texts present genuinely different traditions. We render the Greek as given without attempting to reconcile.
2. The Greek preeness genomenos ('falling headfirst/prone') and elakēsen mesos ('burst open in the middle') is graphic and visceral. Luke does not sanitize the scene. The 'reward of wickedness' (misthou tees adikias) echoes the language of Balaam's wages in 2 Peter 2:15.

Translator Notes

1. Luke translates the Aramaic name for his Greek-speaking audience. Hakeldamach (Ἁκελδαμάχ) represents the Aramaic chaqel dema ('field of blood'). The phrase 'in their own language' (tee idia dialektō autōn) refers to Aramaic, the common spoken language of Jerusalem. Luke's geographical and linguistic notes serve his role as historian writing for a Gentile audience.

Translator Notes

1. Peter quotes two Psalms: Psalm 69:25 (LXX 68:26) and Psalm 109:8 (LXX 108:8). The first applies to Judas's vacated place; the second provides the scriptural basis for selecting a replacement. The Greek episkopeen ('position of oversight, office') is the root of 'bishop/episcopate' — the KJV's 'bishopric' is a translation that reads later church structure back into the text. We render it as 'position of oversight' to preserve the original sense.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Psalms 69:25 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] This verse quotes Psalm 109:8 — see the TCR rendering of that passage for the Hebrew source text and translation decisions.

Translator Notes

1. Peter establishes the criteria for apostolic replacement: the candidate must have been a continuous companion of the Twelve throughout Jesus's public ministry. The phrase 'went in and out' (eisēlthen kai exēlthen) is a Semitic idiom for daily life and activity (cf. Deuteronomy 28:6, 'when you come in and when you go out'). This defines apostleship as grounded in firsthand eyewitness experience.
2. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Deuteronomy 28:6. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.

Translator Notes

1. The timeframe spans from John's baptism (the beginning of Jesus's public ministry) to the ascension. The central qualification is being a 'witness of his resurrection' (martyra tees anastaseōs autou) — the resurrection is the core apostolic testimony in Acts. The verb genesthai ('become') indicates appointment to a role, not ordination in the later ecclesiastical sense.

Translator Notes

1. Joseph Barsabbas bears three names: his given name Joseph, his Aramaic patronymic Barsabbas ('son of the Sabbath' or 'son of the elder'), and his Latin cognomen Justus ('the righteous one'). The triple naming reflects the multilingual culture of first-century Jerusalem. Matthias (Maththias) is a shortened form of Mattathias ('gift of the LORD'). Neither man appears elsewhere in Acts after this passage.

Translator Notes

1. The title kardiognōsta ('knower of hearts') appears only here and in Acts 15:8 in the New Testament. It is ambiguous whether the prayer is addressed to God the Father or to the risen Jesus — 'Lord' (kyrie) can refer to either in Acts. The verb exelexō ('you have chosen') is aorist, implying that God has already made the selection; the lot merely reveals the divine choice.

Translator Notes

1. The phrase 'his own place' (ton topon ton idion) is a grim euphemism for Judas's fate after death. The verb parebee ('turned aside, transgressed') suggests a deliberate departure from the path — Judas did not merely fall but actively deviated. The coupling of 'ministry and apostleship' (diakonia and apostolees) defines the role as both service and commission.

Translator Notes

1. Lot-casting was an established Old Testament method for discerning God's will (cf. Proverbs 16:33, 'The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the LORD'). This is the last recorded use of lots in the New Testament — after Pentecost, the Holy Spirit provides direct guidance, making the mechanical method unnecessary.
2. The verb synkatepsēphisthee ('was counted together with, was enrolled with') is a compound word suggesting formal addition to the group by common vote or reckoning. Matthias becomes the twelfth apostle, restoring the symbolic number that represents the twelve tribes of Israel.
3. [TCR Cross-Reference] Quotes Proverbs 16:33. The TCR rendering of that OT passage preserves the Hebrew source text and documents the translation decisions behind it.