Read The Jewish Annotated New Testament Online
Authors: Amy-Jill Levine
4
:
Sopater
, possibly Sosipater of Rom 16.21.
Beroea
, see 17.10–15.
Aristarchus
, see 19.29.
Secundus from Thessalonica
, otherwise unknown. On Thessalonica, see 17.1–9.
Gaius
, another companion by that name came from Macedonia (19.29).
Derbe
, see 14.6,20–21; 16.1.
Timothy
, see 16.1,3; 17.14–15; 18.5; 19.22.
Tychicus
, see Eph 6.21; Col. 4.7; 2 Tim 4.12; Titus 3.12.
Trophimus
, accompanies Paul to Jerusalem (21.29).
5
:
Us
, use of the first-person plural resumes (16.10–17).
Troas
, see 16.8–10.
6
:
Unleavened Bread
, in Luke’s Gospel, Passover frames the time of Jesus’ death (Lk 22.1); here the reference comes when the narrative turns to Paul’s arrest.
7
–12: Paul revives Eutychus.
On Paul’s miraculous powers, see 13.11; 14.10; 19.11; 28.3–6. Luke attributes similar acts of resuscitation to Peter (9.36–43) and Jesus (Lk 7.11–17; 8.41–42,49–56).
7
:
First day of the week
, after the Sabbath; Sunday or possibly Saturday evening.
9
:
Eutychus
, the name means “fortunate.” It might be a slave-name, not a given name (“Lucky”).
12
: The response is uncharacteristically underwhelming (see 19.24n., “litotes”) (3.10; 5.16; 9.35; 14.11).
13
–16: Journey to Miletus.
From Assos Paul travels south by boat in the eastern Aegean Sea to Miletus.
13
:
Assos
, northwest coast of Asia Minor.
14
:
Mitylene
, major city on the island of Lesbos (in the Aegean Sea), south of Assos.
15
:
Chios
, island south of Lesbos.
Samos
, island southeast of Chios.
Miletus
, prominent seaport city on the west coast of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey).
16
:
Eager to be in Jerusalem
, see 19.21.
Pentecost
, the Jewish festival of Shavuot (2.1), one of the three pilgrimage festivals. Paul’s desire to be in Jerusalem reflects his observance of Jewish law and custom.
17
–38: Paul’s speech to the Ephesian elders.
Paul’s speech provides a suitable conclusion to his missionary journeys. In it he looks back to his previous work and forward to the dangers that await him in Jerusalem, exhorts his listeners to remain faithful, and defends his actions among them.
17
:
Ephesus
, about thirty miles north of Miletus.
Elders
, see 11.30; 14.23; 15.2; 16.4.
19
:
Plots of the Jews
, Jews are singled out as opponents of Paul (13.45; 17.5,13; 18.12; 20.3).
23
:
Imprisonment and persecutions
, see 9.16; 16.23; 21.11,33. His sufferings were foreshadowed (9.16).
25
:
Kingdom
, see 8.12.
26
:
Not responsible for the blood
, having heard the gospel, all should affirm Jesus (3.17; 17.30; Lk 23.34) and thus be saved.
27
:
Purpose of God
, see 2.23; 4.28; 5.38–39; 13.36.
28
:
Overseers
, Gk “episkopoi,” from which “bishop” is derived; here it is identified with “elders” (v. 17), Gk “presbyteroi,” showing that the division of Christian offices in some denominations (bishop, deacon) was not yet firm.
Flock
…
shepherd
, pastoral images often applied to Israel and its leaders; see Jer 3.15; 23.1–4; Ezek 34.1–24; Ps 74.2; 78.52; 95.7.
Blood
, see Rom 3.25; Eph 1.7; Heb 9.12; 1 Jn 1.7; Rev 1.5.
29
–30
:
Savage wolves
, admonitions against false teaching become common in early Christian writing; see Mt 7.15; 1 Tim 1.3–7; 4.1–3; 2 Tim 2.14–18, Ignatius,
Philad
. 2.1–2.
33
: See 16.19n. (8.18; 19.25).
34
:
Worked with my own hands
, see 18.3; 1 Cor 4.12; 1 Thess 2.9.
35
: The saying does not appear in the Gospels, but versions were well known in Greek literature (Thucydides,
Hist
. 2.97.4; Seneca,
Ep
. 81.17; Plutarch,
Mor
. 173d).
21.1
–26.32: Paul in Jerusalem.
21.1
–36: Paul’s arrival and arrest in Jerusalem. 1–16: Paul travels to Jerusalem.
1
:
We
, the first-person plural narrative resumes and continues until Paul’s arrival in Jerusalem (v. 18). The route begins off the coast of southwest Asia Minor and proceeds eastward along the southern coast to the Phoenician coastal city of Tyre.
Cos
, off the southwest coast of Asia Minor (present-day Turkey).
Rhodes
, a larger island south and east of Cos.
Patara
, port on the southern coast.
2
:
Phoenicia
, at the eastern end of the Mediterranean.
4
:
Spirit
, the Spirit frequently directs the action (8.39; 10.19; 11.12; 13.2,4; 15.28; 16.6,7; 28.25).
7
:
Ptolemais
, modernday Akko/Acre in present-day Israel; coastal city twenty-two miles south of Tyre.
8
:
Caesarea
, see 8.40; 10.1. Philip traveled here following the conversion of the Ethiopian official (8.40).
One of the seven
, see 6.1–6.
9
:
Prophecy
, see 2.16; 3.18; 7.37; 10.43; 11.27; 13.1; 15.32; 19.6.
Daughters
, on women and prophetic powers, see 2 Kings 22.14;
T. Job
46–52;
Ex. Rab
. 1.1.
10
:
Agabus
, see 11.28.
13
:
Die
…
for the name of the Lord Jesus
, see 5.41; 9.16.
14
:
The Lord’s will be done
, Lk 22.42 attributes a similar statement to Jesus shortly before his arrest.
16
:
Mnason
, otherwise unknown. Regarding Christianity on Cyprus, see 4.36; 11.19–20; 13.4–12.
17
–26: Paul meets with James.
James’s speech foreshadows Paul’s troubles (20.23; 21.11) and defends Paul by pointing out that he has remained Torah-observant.
17
:
Welcomed us warmly
, Acts emphasizes the harmony among early Christians, especially between Paul and the leaders of the Jerusalem church.
18
:
James
, see 12.17.
Elders
, see 11.30.
19
:
Gentiles
, Acts often portrays Paul working among Gentiles, although his efforts result in converting Jews as well (13.43; 17.11; 18.8).
20
–26
: Acts repeatedly defends Paul against the charge that he advocates that Jews abandon Torah observance (16.3; 18.18; 20.16).
23
:
Four men
…
under a vow
, possibly a Nazirite vow; see 18.18; Num 6.1–21. Agrippa I assumed payment for others who fulfilled the Nazirite vow (
Ant
. 19.294).
25
:
Gentiles
…
should abstain
, 15.20,29.
27
–36: Paul’s arrest in the Temple. 27
:
Jews from Asia
, see 20.19.
28
: Charges resemble those made against Stephen (6.13).
Brought Greeks into the temple
, Gentiles were prohibited from approaching the Temple beyond the Court of the Gentiles (Josephus,
J.W
. 5.193–94; 6.124–26;
Ant
. 15.417).
29
:
Trophimus
, see 20.4.
30
–31
: The mob riot recalls actions against Stephen (7.54–60) and Paul in Ephesus (19.28–32).
31
:
Tribune
, later identified as Claudius Lysias (23.26).
36
:
Away with him
, see Lk 23.18. Luke depicts the Jewish crowd as frenzied and violent, the Romans as calm and orderly.
21.37
–22.29: Paul’s defense and reaction.
38
:
Egyptian
, sometime during 52–58 CE he attempted to capture Jerusalem from Roman control (Josephus,
J.W
. 2.259–260;
Ant
. 20.167–72). Josephus claims he had 30,000 followers (
J.W
. 2.261).