As noted above, the temporal sequence at this point must be made clear, either by some expression which simply signals prior time, for example, “previously” or “beforehand,” or which states the relationship of the events in the form of complete clauses, as in the Good News Translation, before he was taken up.

Although most translations connect by the power of the Holy Spirit with the verb “give instruction,” some (such as Jerusalem Bible) connect it with the verb “choose.”

By the power of the Holy Spirit is literally “by the Holy Spirit,” but the context clearly implies that the instrumental use of “Holy Spirit” is a reference to the power of the Holy Spirit. In this phrase Jesus is the primary or initiating agent, while the Holy Spirit is the secondary agent. The equivalent of this type of expression in a number of languages is “Jesus caused them to know (be commanded, instructed) by means of the Holy Spirit,” “Jesus caused the Holy Spirit to command them,” or “… to give them instructions.”

Due to the complications of the causative expression, it may be necessary to provide a transition for the discourse, for example, “these were the men whom Jesus chose to be his apostles.”

Apostles occurs twenty-eight times in Acts and always refers to the twelve (or eleven) in Jerusalem, with the exception of two verses (14.4, 14) where it refers to Barnabas and Paul.

An adequate term for “apostles” is not easy. Many languages have simply borrowed a term. Other languages have endeavored to reproduce something of the root meaning, namely, “the sent ones.” A very useful equivalent is “his messengers” or, as in some languages, “his special messengers.”

Quoted with permission from Newman, Barclay M. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on The Acts of the Apostles. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1972. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .