It was common for Jews, especially those who lived outside of Palestine proper, to have both a Hebrew and Roman name. Saul was the Hebrew name and Paul the Roman name. Why did Luke mention at this point that his name was Paul? Was it because Paul now begins to assume the more prominent position and Luke desired to identify him with the name that he himself used in his own writing? Or was it because Luke feels his Roman name is more suitable in light of the fact that he now begins the account of taking the message to the Gentile world? Also known as Paul may be rendered as “people also called him Paul” or “he had another name which was Paul.”

The statement Paul—was filled with the Holy Spirit intimates once again that though the Holy Spirit was the permanent possession of all believers, there was also a sense in which his power was uniquely present on particular occasions. As in so many other contexts, filled with the Holy Spirit may need to be semantically restructured: “the Holy Spirit controlled him,” or “the Holy Spirit completely possessed him.”

He looked straight at is the same verb which occurs in 1.10.

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 .