Fierce is literally “not a little” (see 14.28), and is used by Luke as the means of making a strong emphasis. The New English Bible also has “fierce,” and the Jerusalem Bible “long”; while Phillips translates the entire expression as “a serious upset … and much earnest discussion.” In the present context the words translated argument and dispute are practically synonyms. It is important in rendering the expression had a fierce argument to indicate by the total context that this was not an argument between Paul and Barnabas, but with Paul and Barnabas on one side and the men who came from Judea on the other side. In some languages it may be necessary to say “Paul and Barnabas had a fierce argument with them and disputed with them about this matter.”

It was decided (see Jerusalem Bible and New English Bible “it was arranged”) is literally “they appointed.” The subject of the verb “appointed” is not at all clear from the context, and most translations prefer to render the verb phrase either by a passive construction or by an impersonal construction, since in Greek the active third person plural frequently has this meaning. If a passive or impersonal construction is impossible in the receptor language, it is perhaps best to take the subject as “the men who came from Judea,” though some commentators believe the subject was the brothers, that is, the Christians at Antioch.

In many languages it is quite impossible to use the verb “see” in the meaning of “talk with people about.” Therefore one must render the last clause as “and talked with the apostles and elders about this matter.”

In the Greek only one define article connects apostles and elders, thus intimating that they are to be regarded as a single group, rather than as two separate groups. Thus the apostles and elders appears to be a better rendering than “the apostles and the elders,” which might imply two separate groups. The final phrase about this matter must refer to the insistence of those from Judea that Gentiles were to be circumcised according to the Law of Moses. It may be necessary to specify this by translating “to talk with the apostles and elders about the Gentile believers being circumcised according to the Law of Moses.” On the other hand, it is often possible to suggest the same content by saying “to talk with the apostles and elders about the Gentile believers being circumcised according to the Law of Moses.” On the other hand, it is often possible to suggest the same content by saying “to talk with the apostles and elders about this disputed matter” or “… about the dispute.”

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 .