As noted above, the temporal sequence at this point must be made clear, either by some expression which simply signals prior time, for example, “previously” or “beforehand,” or which states the relationship of the events in the form of complete clauses, as in the Good News Translation, before he was taken up.

Although most translations connect by the power of the Holy Spirit with the verb “give instruction,” some (such as Jerusalem Bible) connect it with the verb “choose.”

By the power of the Holy Spirit is literally “by the Holy Spirit,” but the context clearly implies that the instrumental use of “Holy Spirit” is a reference to the power of the Holy Spirit. In this phrase Jesus is the primary or initiating agent, while the Holy Spirit is the secondary agent. The equivalent of this type of expression in a number of languages is “Jesus caused them to know (be commanded, instructed) by means of the Holy Spirit,” “Jesus caused the Holy Spirit to command them,” or “… to give them instructions.”

Due to the complications of the causative expression, it may be necessary to provide a transition for the discourse, for example, “these were the men whom Jesus chose to be his apostles.”

Apostles occurs twenty-eight times in Acts and always refers to the twelve (or eleven) in Jerusalem, with the exception of two verses (14.4, 14) where it refers to Barnabas and Paul.

An adequate term for “apostles” is not easy. Many languages have simply borrowed a term. Other languages have endeavored to reproduce something of the root meaning, namely, “the sent ones.” A very useful equivalent is “his messengers” or, as in some languages, “his special messengers.”

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 .

For forty days (literally “through [a period of] forty days”) may be taken to mean that Jesus did not leave the presence of the apostles throughout the entire period of forty days; while, on the other hand, it may indicate that Jesus appeared to them at intervals during that time. The Good News Translation interprets the phrase in this latter fashion and so translates for forty days … he showed himself to them many times, that is, on many different occasions.

In ways that proved beyond doubt translates one Greek word which is a very strong term meaning clear and evident proof. Proved beyond doubt may be restructured as “he showed them clearly” or “showed them so clearly that people could not doubt.”

After his death translates the expression “after he had suffered,” but in the context “to suffer” includes everything that Jesus experienced in connection with his trial, crucifixion, and death, with the primary focus upon his death.

The expression he was alive may give rise to serious complications, since in some languages a wrong form of the verb could suggest that Jesus had really not died but had just continued to live. Accordingly, one must sometimes translate as “came back to life and was alive.”

He was seen by them is rendered “he appeared to them” in most translations and represents a Greek verb form that may be either active “appear to,” or passive “be seen by.” This is the only place where this particular verb occurs in the New Testament; however, the other verb stems to which it is related suggest that this form should be translated in the active. In some languages the equivalent expression is “they clearly saw him” or “he caused them to see him clearly.”

Throughout this verse the pronoun them refers specifically to the apostles, though in reality other persons were involved.

The Kingdom of God refers to the sovereign authority and rule of God in the lives of his people rather than to the territory or the people over which God rules. In many languages the most appropriate equivalent is “the rule of God” or “God’s ruling.” The phrase is of crucial importance for the entire New Testament, and especially for the Gospels. In some languages “rule” requires a goal and this should be “people,” not “the earth,” for the Kingdom of God refers to his rule over mankind, not his control of the physical universe.

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 .

The verb which is translated when they came together may have two different meanings. It may be derived from a stem meaning “eat salt together with” and thereby have reference to a meal: “while he was eating a meal with them.” On the other hand, it may come from a root meaning “camp out with” or “stay with,” and so be translated “while he was staying with them.” The most generic manner of dealing with this verb is to translate it as “while he was with them.” It may be necessary to employ some temporal modifier, for example, “still” or “yet,” as in “while he was still with them.”

The original manuscripts were left without any type of punctuation. For this reason, translations many times differ in details of punctuation. For example, the Good News Translation places in direct discourse everything beginning with do not leave Jerusalem down to the end of verse 5. Other punctuation alternatives are possible, and one may compare, for example, the Revised Standard Version and the New English Bible, both of which punctuate differently. However, it is very useful to introduce the direct discourse as in the Good News Translation, so that the relationship may be quite explicit. The phrase gave them this order may be variously rendered, for example, “he ordered them in this way,” “he commanded them with these words,” “he ordered them,” or “he told them strongly.”

The Good News Translation translates “to wait for the promise of the Father” by wait for the gift my Father promised. This has been done since the meaning is clearly that the disciples are to wait for that which the Father had already promised, namely, the Holy Spirit. They were not told to wait for the Father to promise them something.

Some translators have wanted to introduce “Father God” here, but it is not necessary—certainly not at this point in the development of the New Testament narrative. The addition of “God” would seem to remove some of the personal character of the expression.

The clause that I told you about may be rendered as an independent (but closely linked) sentence, for example, “I have told you about it.” If it is advisable in the receptor language to keep the disciples in focus, one may translate as “which you heard me mention” or “you heard me speak about this.”

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 .

In the Greek there is an evident contrast between John who baptized with water and the disciples who will be baptized with the Holy Spirit; this is brought out in the Good News Translation by John … but.

The verb baptize may require a direct object, that is, “John baptized people with water.”

The Greek negative-positive expression “not many” is often rendered as few, since this is much easier to understand.

The term water should be treated as the instrument, in the same way that Holy Spirit is an instrument. To force a distinction here between the dative with “water” and Greek en plus dative with “Spirit” is artificial.

In languages which require a shift from passive to active, the last clause can be rendered as “God will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Some translators have objected to using the same term for “baptism of the Holy Spirit” and “baptism with water.” For “baptism with water” they may have some such expression as “to enter the water” or “to receive water on the head”; while for “baptism of the Holy Spirit” they have “for the Holy Spirit to enter people.” Not to employ parallelism in these two expressions is, however, unfortunate. One can usually employ some sort of related structure, for example, “to cause water to come upon” and “to cause the Holy Spirit to come upon.”

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 .

When the apostles met together with Jesus (Greek “when they met together”) may be taken to include only the apostles. However, the Good News Translation understands they to indicate not only the apostles but Jesus as well, and this is supported by the observation that immediately following their gathering together the apostles ask Jesus a question. In most languages one must be quite explicit about the participants, as in the Good News Translation the apostles … Jesus.

Although Lord may merely mean “sir,” in the present context the meaning Lord is to be preferred (see also 1.22). By the question which the apostles asked Jesus (Lord, will you at this time give the Kingdom back to [the nation of] Israel?), they indicate that they are still conditioned by the Jewish expectation of a national kingdom to be set up on earth.

In many languages Lord requires some indication of those who acknowledge his lordship, for example, “our Lord” or “you who command us.”

The phrase at this time is a very general statement of time contemporary with another event. In other languages one may require “in these days,” “now,” or even “very shortly,” since the restoration had obviously not begun. It is for this reason that some languages require an expression for the immediate future rather than for the present.

The English expression give the Kingdom back is quite impossible in most languages. In fact, in most languages one cannot “give a rule” to anyone. This is essentially a causative in most instances and must usually be translated as “cause the Israel people to rule again.” Some have interpreted this merely as “to be self-governing” or “to be free,” but what is asked about is not independence from Rome but a dominant role in governing. If a goal for “to rule” is required, then one may use some such expression as “to cause the Israel people to rule other nations again.” In other words, the restoration of the period of David and Solomon.

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 .

The term which introduces the direct discourse must in many languages be changed from said to “answered,” since what follows is in response to a question.

Although times refers primarily to chronological time and occasions relates basically to special periods of time, it is quite likely that in a set phrase such as this no basic distinction can be made between the two terms.

The meaningful relationships in the clause the times and occasions are set by my Father’s own authority are extremely complex. In many languages, in fact, the relations must be quite completely restructured so as to make the Father the direct agent and the times and the occasions the goal, even though these are really temporal qualifications for certain events. As a result, one may need to translate this clause as “my Father alone decides just when these things will happen.” The components of set (or “establish”) and authority are often combined in a verb such as “decide.” This is reinforced by “alone,” which indicates that it is his own decision, and therefore authority.

The shifting of “the Father” to my Father is almost obligatory in English and completely so in many languages. In fact, in many languages kinship terms must always occur with so-called “possessives.” Since fathers are always in relationship to someone else, many languages require that such a person be specified in the immediate context.

The phrase it is not for you to know is equivalent in many languages to “you do not have the right to know” or “you are not permitted to know.” If an agent is required, then it must be God; that is, “God has not permitted you to know.”

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 .

It is important that the conjunction but not be interpreted as being in contradiction to what has just been said. This is not an adversative “but.” Rather, it may be called a “diversionary” one, for example, “rather” or “on the other hand,” a transitional expression which shifts the focus of attention from a previous statement to something else which has other, and perhaps even more, significance.

You will be filled with power translates the Greek “you will receive power,” though the related expression in 2.4 is literally they were all filled with the Holy Spirit. The reference is to the miraculous power to be given to the disciples, by which they would be able to work miracles. The coming of the Holy Spirit upon the disciples and their being filled with the Holy Spirit are to be understood as simultaneous actions.

The passive expression will be filled (Greek “will receive”) is difficult in many languages. Accordingly, one must often employ an agent, namely, God, for example, “God will fill you” or “God will give to you.” However, be filled with power may require a somewhat different type of structure, such as “cause you to be powerful” or “cause you to be strong,” provided, of course, that this strength is not merely physical.

Where the term “power” or “strength” must have some complement, in order to avoid a wrong interpretation, it is often appropriate to use some such expression as “the power (or strength) to witness.”

You will be witnesses for me is not simply a statement of future fact, but it is given in the nature of a command. The Greek term usually translated as “witness” is found thirteen times in Acts, and the basic meaning is “one who testifies.” Only in 22.20 can it possibly be stretched to mean “martyr,” and even in that context the primary meaning is that of “one who gives testimony.”

The phrase witnesses for me must often be shifted to a verbal expression, for example, “tell people what you know about me.” The focus in “witness” is speaking from personal experience.

The locative expressions in Jerusalem, in all of Judea refer to places where people are, and this must be specified in some languages, for example, “tell about me to people in Jerusalem, in all Judea, …” And to the ends of the earth appears frequently in the Septuagint as a common phrase referring to distant lands; it is quite improbable that the expression must be understood as a specific reference to Rome. The phrase to the ends of the earth is variously expressed, for example, “to as far as there is land,” “far, far away,” or “to other countries.”

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 .