Paul now explains the relationship between the baptism of John and the baptism of which he is speaking. A literal translation of the Greek phrase “baptism of repentance” is of little or no meaning to the English reader, because the relationship between baptism and repentance is not qualified. According to the accounts in the Gospels, John baptized only those persons who had repented (that is, turned from their sins), and for this reason the Good News Translation has made the phrase explicit: the baptism of John was for those who turned from their sins. The word people used by Luke in this verse is a term which is used throughout the Septuagint and also the New Testament to refer to the people of Israel as opposed to the Gentiles, and for that reason the Good News Translation has made this meaning explicit.

The verb of speaking in he told the people of Israel may need to be followed by direct discourse—for example, “he told the people of Israel, you must believe in the one who is coming after me. That is, you must believe in Jesus.” This will result in one direct discourse within another, but two such levels of discourse are usually not too heavy.

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 .