Luke begins this verse with a particle that he often uses to introduce a new scene; the Good News Translation has indicated this, not by a literal reproduction of the words, but by a paragraph division (on this word see 1.6). The Good News Translation has made the subject of were sent off explicit, that is, the messengers (so also Moffatt; see An American Translation* “the delegates,” Jerusalem Bible “the party”); and “the group” (Revised Standard Version, Phillips, New English Bible “the congregation”) has been qualified as the whole group of believers.

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 .