The particle that Luke uses to begin this verse (see 1.6) suggests that this is the beginning of the story and that the previous two verses are merely introductory. The Good News Translation does not express this particle by the translation of any given word, but it is indicated stylistically by the introduction of a new paragraph. In a number of languages the appropriate transitional equivalent to introduce this paragraph would be “so” or “therefore,” since this second paragraph is a logical result of what had been described in the first paragraph.

In the expression “the conversion of the Gentiles” (see Revised Standard Version, New English Bible, Phillips) the word “conversion” obviously means “the turning (of the Gentiles) to God,” and is made explicit in the Good News Translation. Evidently there were Christian communities in Phoenicia as well as in Samaria, though Luke has told us nothing of a mission to Phoenicia. This is a reminder that Luke has been selective in what he has recorded and does not intend to give an exhaustive history of the Christian movement. Luke writes with definite purposes in mind, and one of his obvious goals is to point to the universal nature of the Christian faith.

It may be necessary in some languages to specify Christians as constituting the church, since it may not be possible to say “the church sent them on their way”; therefore an expression such as “the members of the church sent them on their way” or “the people of the church…”

It may be necessary to specify to whom Paul, Barnabas, and others reported the turning of the Gentiles to God—for example, “they reported to the believers there how the Gentiles had turned to God.” The expression turned to God may be rendered in some languages as “came to believe in God,” “became followers of God,” or “became worshipers of God.”

The phrase brought great joy to may need to be recast as a causative—for example, “this news caused all the fellow believers to be very joyful” or, in a more idiomatic manner, “this news caused all the fellow believers to have warm hearts.”

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 .