Acts 10:34–43

10:34 Then Peter started speaking:90 “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people,91 10:35 but in every nation92 the person who fears him93 and does what is right94 is welcomed before him. 10:36 You know95 the message96 he sent to the people97 of Israel, proclaiming the good news of peace98 through99 Jesus Christ100 (he is Lord101 of all)—10:37 you know what happened throughout Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John announced:102 10:38 with respect to Jesus from Nazareth,103 that104 God anointed him with the Holy Spirit and with power. He105 went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil,106 because God was with him.107 10:39 We108 are witnesses of all the things he did both in Judea109 and in Jerusalem.110 They111 killed him by hanging him on a tree,112 10:40 but113 God raised him up on the third day and caused him to be seen,114 10:41 not by all the people, but by us, the witnesses God had already chosen,115 who ate and drank116 with him after he rose from the dead. 10:42 He117 commanded us to preach to the people and to warn118 them119 that he is the one120 appointed121 by God as judge122 of the living and the dead. 10:43 About him all the prophets testify,123 that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins124 through his name.”

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90	tn Grk “Opening his mouth Peter said” (a Semitic idiom for beginning to speak in a somewhat formal manner). The participle ἀνοίξας (anoixas) has been translated as a finite verb due to requirements of contemporary English style.
91	tn Grk “God is not one who is a respecter of persons,” that is, “God is not one to show partiality” (cf. BDAG 887 s.v. προσωπολήμπτης). L&N 88.239 translates this verse “I realize that God does not show favoritism (in dealing with people).” The underlying Hebrew idiom includes the personal element (“respecter of persons”) so the phrase “in dealing with people” is included in the present translation. It fits very well with the following context and serves to emphasize the relational component of God’s lack of partiality. The latter is a major theme in the NT: Rom 2:11; Eph 2:11–22; Col 3:25; Jas 2:1; 1 Pet 1:17. This was the lesson of Peter’s vision.
92	* Lk 24:47
93	tn Or “shows reverence for him.”
94	tn Grk “works righteousness”; the translation “does what is right” for this phrase in this verse is given by L&N 25.85. sn Note how faith and response are linked here by the phrase and does what is right.
95	tn The subject and verb (“you know”) do not actually occur until the following verse, but have been repeated here because of the requirements of English word order.
96	tn Grk “the word.”
97	tn Grk “to the sons.”
98	sn Peace is a key OT concept: Isa 52:7; Nah 1:15; also for Luke: Luke 1:79; 2:14; Acts 9:31. See also the similar phrase in Eph 2:17.
99	tn Or “by.”
100	tn Or “Messiah”; both “Christ” (Greek) and “Messiah” (Hebrew and Aramaic) mean “one who has been anointed.”
101	sn He is Lord of all. Though a parenthetical remark, this is the theological key to the speech. Jesus is Lord of all, so the gospel can go to all. The rest of the speech proclaims Jesus’ authority.
102	tn Or “proclaimed.”
103	sn The somewhat awkward naming of Jesus as from Nazareth here is actually emphatic. He is the key subject of these key events.
104	tn Or “how.” The use of ὡς (hōs) as an equivalent to ὅτι (hoti) to introduce indirect or even direct discourse is well documented. BDAG 1105 s.v. ὡς 5 lists Acts 10:28 in this category.
105	tn Grk “power, who.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “he,” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.
106	tn The translation “healing all who were oppressed by the devil” is given in L&N 22.22. sn All who were oppressed by the devil. Note how healing is tied to the cosmic battle present in creation. Christ’s power overcomes the devil and his forces, which seek to destroy humanity.
107	* Ac 7:9
108	tn Grk “And we.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
109	tn Grk “the land of the Jews,” but this is similar to the phrase used as the name of the province of Judea in 1 Macc 8:3 (see BDAG 1093–94 s.v. χώρα 2.b).
110	map For location see Map5-B1; Map6-F3; Map7-E2; Map8-F2; Map10-B3; JP1-F4; JP2-F4; JP3-F4; JP4-F4.
111	tn Grk “in Jerusalem, whom they killed.” The relative pronoun was replaced by the pronoun “him” and a new sentence was begun in the translation at this point to improve the English style, due to the length of the sentence in Greek.
112	tn Or “by crucifying him” (“hang on a tree” is by the time of the 1st century an idiom for crucifixion). The allusion is to the judgment against Jesus as a rebellious figure, appealing to the language of Deut 21:23. The Jewish leadership has badly “misjudged” Jesus.
113	tn The conjunction “but” is not in the Greek text, but the contrast is clearly implied in the context. This is technically asyndeton, or lack of a connective, in Greek.
114	tn Grk “and granted that he should become visible.” The literal Greek idiom is somewhat awkward in English. L&N 24.22 offers the translation “caused him to be seen” for this verse.
115	tn Or “the witnesses God had previously chosen.” See Acts 1:8.
116	sn Ate and drank. See Luke 24:35–49.
117	tn Grk “and he.” Because of the difference between Greek style, which often begins sentences or clauses with “and,” and English style, which generally does not, καί (kai) has not been translated here.
118	tn The verb διαμαρτύρομαι (diamarturomai) can mean “warn,” and such a meaning is highly probable in this context where a reference to the judgment of both the living and the dead is present. The more general meaning “to testify solemnly” does not capture this nuance.
119	tn The word “them” is not in the Greek text, but is implied. Direct objects were often omitted in Greek when clear from the context, but must be supplied for the modern English reader.
120	tn Grk “that this one is the one,” but this is awkward in English and has been simplified to “that he is the one.”
121	tn Or “designated.” BDAG 723 s.v. ὁρίζω 2.b has “the one appointed by God as judge” for this phrase.
122	sn Jesus has divine authority as judge over the living and the dead: Acts 17:26–31; Rom 14:9; 1 Thess 5:9–10; 2 Tim 4:1; 1 Pet 4:5.
123	tn Or “All the prophets testify about him.” Although modern English translations tend to place “about him” after “testify” (so NIV, NRSV) the phrase “about him” has been left at the beginning of v. 43 for emphatic reasons.
124	sn Forgiveness of sins. See Luke 24:47; also Acts 14:23; 19:4; 9:42; 11:17; 16:31. The gospel is present in the prophetic promise, Rom 1:1–7. The message is in continuity with the ancient hope.

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