independentparticipialrelativepurposecausecomparativecontentconditionalphrase modifierdashed = verbless / suspended
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The crisis — circumcision demanded of the Gentile converts 15:1–5
vv. 1–2 — the teaching from Judea and the appointment to go up
1
Καί τινες κατελθόντες ἀπὸ τῆς Ἰουδαίας ἐδίδασκον τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς ὅτιindependent — iterative imperfect — persistent teaching; the anonymous τινες, pointedly not the Jerusalem leadership
ἐὰν μὴ περιτμηθῆτε τῷ ἔθει τῷ Μωϋσέως,conditional — protasis inside quoted speech — circumcision made a condition of salvation, the precise claim the council refutes
οὐ δύνασθε σωθῆναι.content — the apodosis — recitative ὅτι carries the demand verbatim
2
γενομένης δὲ στάσεως καὶ ζητήσεως οὐκ ὀλίγης τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ τῷ Βαρναβᾷ πρὸς αὐτούς,participial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning on ἔταξαν; οὐκ ὀλίγης, Lukan litotes for a very great conflict
ἔταξαν ἀναβαίνειν Παῦλον καὶ Βαρναβᾶν καί τινας ἄλλους ἐξ αὐτῶν πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστόλους καὶ πρεσβυτέρους εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμ περὶ τοῦ ζητήματος τούτου.independent — the church's resolution — ἀναβαίνειν, always 'up' to Jerusalem; the ζήτημα named
vv. 3–5 — the journey up, the welcome, and the Pharisees' demand
3
Οἱ μὲν οὖν προπεμφθέντες ὑπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας διήρχοντο τήν τε Φοινίκην καὶ Σαμάρειανindependent — μὲν οὖν — the Lukan transition; προπεμφθέντες, the church's formal escort
ἐκδιηγούμενοι τὴν ἐπιστροφὴν τῶν ἐθνῶν,participial — concurrent participle — ἐπιστροφή, the noun v. 19's ἐπιστρέφουσιν will echo
καὶ ἐποίουν χαρὰν μεγάλην πᾶσιν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς.independent — iterative imperfect — joy all along the route, the chapter's keynote (vv. 31)
4
παραγενόμενοι δὲ εἰς Ἰερουσαλὴμparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on παρεδέχθησαν
παρεδέχθησαν ἀπὸ τῆς ἐκκλησίας καὶ τῶν ἀποστόλων καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων,independent — formal, honorable reception — not yet confrontation
ἀνήγγειλάν τεindependent — the report formula of 14:27 and 21:19
ὅσα ὁ θεὸς ἐποίησεν μετ᾽ αὐτῶν.relative — ὅσα — God the actor, the missionaries the company he kept
5
Ἐξανέστησαν δέ τινες τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς αἱρέσεως τῶν Φαρισαίων πεπιστευκότες,independent — the counter-reaction — πεπιστευκότες: genuine believers; the dispute is intra-ecclesial
λέγοντες ὅτιparticipial — speech-participle with recitative ὅτι
δεῖ περιτέμνειν αὐτοὺςcontent — δεῖ — the demand of v. 1 restated as necessity, before the assembled leadership
παραγγέλλειν τε τηρεῖν τὸν νόμον Μωϋσέως.content — the demand sharpened — not circumcision only but the whole Mosaic law
The council — Peter: God already decided 15:6–11
vv. 6–7a — the assembly gathers; Peter rises
6
Συνήχθησάν τε οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροιindependent — the council convenes — the passive frames the gathering as the ordered response
ἰδεῖν περὶ τοῦ λόγου τούτου.purpose — purpose infinitive — ἰδεῖν, to see about it: deliberation is the point of the meeting
7
Πολλῆς δὲ ζητήσεως γενομένηςparticipial — genitive absolute — forward-leaning on εἶπεν; πολλῆς now, not litotes: the debate ran long
ἀναστὰς Πέτρος εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς·independent — ἀναστάς — the decisive intervention; Peter's last words in Acts
vv. 7b–11 — the speech: the choice, the Spirit, the yoke, the grace
Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί,content — the vocative address — the council spoken to as kin
ὑμεῖς ἐπίστασθε ὅτιcontent — emphatic ὑμεῖς — the appeal is to what the assembly already knows
ἀφ᾽ ἡμερῶν ἀρχαίων ἐν ὑμῖν ἐξελέξατο ὁ θεὸςcontent — the Cornelius episode (Acts 10–11) invoked as ancient precedent — God chose
διὰ τοῦ στόματός μου ἀκοῦσαι τὰ ἔθνη τὸν λόγον τοῦ εὐαγγελίου καὶ πιστεῦσαι.content — epexegetic infinitives — the content of the choice: Gentile hearing and believing
8
καὶ ὁ καρδιογνώστης θεὸς ἐμαρτύρησεν αὐτοῖςcontent — καρδιογνώστης — only here and 1:24 in the NT; God himself is the witness in this trial
δοὺς τὸ πνεῦμα τὸ ἅγιονparticipial — means participle — the Spirit's descent on Cornelius (10:44–47) is the testimony
καθὼς καὶ ἡμῖν,comparative — elliptical comparison — the same gift, no lesser measure
9
καὶ οὐθὲν διέκρινεν μεταξὺ ἡμῶν τε καὶ αὐτῶν,content — οὐθὲν διέκρινεν — the distinction the Pharisee believers would reimpose, God declined to make
τῇ πίστει καθαρίσας τὰς καρδίας αὐτῶν.participial — means participle — τῇ πίστει instrumental: what faith has cleansed, no rite need cleanse
10
νῦν οὖν τί πειράζετε τὸν θεὸνcontent — the inference turned accusation — πειράζειν τὸν θεόν, Israel's wilderness sin (Exod 17:2)
ἐπιθεῖναι ζυγὸν ἐπὶ τὸν τράχηλον τῶν μαθητῶνcontent — epexegetic infinitive — the ζυγός, the rabbinic figure for Torah, turned against the demand
ὃν οὔτε οἱ πατέρες ἡμῶν οὔτε ἡμεῖς ἰσχύσαμεν βαστάσαι;relative — the double οὔτε — Israel's own history testifies against the yoke
11
ἀλλὰ διὰ τῆς χάριτος τοῦ κυρίου Ἰησοῦ πιστεύομεν σωθῆναιcontent — the adversative pivot — χάρις fronted; the answer to v. 1's οὐ δύνασθε σωθῆναι
καθ᾽ ὃν τρόπον κἀκεῖνοι.comparative — the levelling reversed — we like them, not they like us: the Gentiles the model
Barnabas and Paul, then James — the prophets agree 15:12–21
v. 12 — the assembly falls silent and hears the signs
12
Ἐσίγησεν δὲ πᾶν τὸ πλῆθοςindependent — punctual aorist — the debate of v. 7 stops
καὶ ἤκουον Βαρναβᾶ καὶ Παύλουindependent — durative imperfect against the aorist — sustained listening; Barnabas first, the Jerusalem order
ἐξηγουμένων ὅσα ἐποίησεν ὁ θεὸς σημεῖα καὶ τέρατα ἐν τοῖς ἔθνεσιν δι᾽ αὐτῶν.participial — genitive supplementary participle — again God the actor, δι᾽ αὐτῶν the instrument
vv. 13–18 — James: Simeon's report and the prophets' agreement (Amos 9:11–12 LXX)
13
Μετὰ δὲ τὸ σιγῆσαι αὐτοὺςphrase modifier — fronted articular infinitive — leans on ἀπεκρίθη; the second silence of the scene
ἀπεκρίθη Ἰάκωβος λέγων·independent — James the Lord's brother, presiding — pleonastic λέγων frames the speech
Ἄνδρες ἀδελφοί, ἀκούσατέ μου.content — the prophetic call to attention (Amos 3:1) — fitting for the speech that cites Amos
14
Συμεὼν ἐξηγήσατοcontent — the Hebrew form Συμεών for Peter — the Jerusalem voice
καθὼς πρῶτον ὁ θεὸς ἐπεσκέψατοcontent — καθώς ≈ 'how' — content of the relating; ἐπεσκέψατο, the verb of God's saving visitation (Lk 1:68)
λαβεῖν ἐξ ἐθνῶν λαόν τῷ ὀνόματι αὐτοῦ.purpose — purpose infinitive — λαός, Israel's covenant title, now formed ἐξ ἐθνῶν
15
καὶ τούτῳ συμφωνοῦσιν οἱ λόγοι τῶν προφητῶν,content — the hermeneutical claim — the event first, the prophets in harmony with it
καθὼς γέγραπται·comparative — the citation formula — the frame for the Amos catena
16
Μετὰ ταῦτα ἀναστρέψωcontent — Amos 9:11 LXX — the divine return that opens the oracle
καὶ ἀνοικοδομήσω τὴν σκηνὴν Δαυὶδ τὴν πεπτωκυῖανcontent — the fallen σκηνή of David — the restored messianic house
καὶ τὰ κατεστραμμένα αὐτῆς ἀνοικοδομήσωcontent — the object fronted — the ruins themselves raised
καὶ ἀνορθώσω αὐτήν,content — the third rebuilding verb — restoration piled on restoration
17
ὅπως ἂν ἐκζητήσωσιν οἱ κατάλοιποι τῶν ἀνθρώπων τὸν κύριον καὶ πάντα τὰ ἔθνηpurpose — ὅπως ἄν — the purpose of the rebuilding; LXX 'remnant of humanity' where MT reads 'remnant of Edom': James's argument depends on the LXX
ἐφ᾽ οὓς ἐπικέκληται τὸ ὄνομά μου ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς,relative — Semitic resumptive ἐπ᾽ αὐτούς — the Gentiles already bear the name (cf. v. 14)
λέγει κύριος ὁ ποιῶν ταῦταcontent — the oracle formula — the speaker is the doer
18
γνωστὰ ἀπ᾽ αἰῶνος.content — verbless close — Amos blended with Isa 45:21: Gentile inclusion no improvisation
vv. 19–21 — the judgment: no trouble, four essentials, Moses in every city
19
διὸ ἐγὼ κρίνωcontent — inferential διό from the citation — ἐγὼ κρίνω, the chair's judgment, ratified by the assembly (v. 22), not a decree of one
μὴ παρενοχλεῖν τοῖς ἀπὸ τῶν ἐθνῶν ἐπιστρέφουσιν ἐπὶ τὸν θεόν,content — the negative half — ἐπιστρέφουσιν echoes the ἐπιστροφή of v. 3
20
ἀλλὰ ἐπιστεῖλαι αὐτοῖςcontent — the positive half — ἐπιστεῖλαι anticipates the ἐπιστολή of v. 30
τοῦ ἀπέχεσθαι τῶν ἀλισγημάτων τῶν εἰδώλων καὶ τῆς πορνείας καὶ τοῦ πνικτοῦ καὶ τοῦ αἵματος.content — τοῦ + infinitive — the four essentials, the Lev 17–18 resident-alien rules enabling table fellowship
21
Μωϋσῆς γὰρ ἐκ γενεῶν ἀρχαίων κατὰ πόλιν τοὺς κηρύσσοντας αὐτὸν ἔχειcause — the γάρ-ground of the judgment — Jewish sensibilities are everywhere, so the four abstentions matter
ἐν ταῖς συναγωγαῖς κατὰ πᾶν σάββατον ἀναγινωσκόμενος.participial — attributive participle on Μωϋσῆς — the law's weekly public voice
The apostolic letter — the fourfold decree 15:22–29
v. 22 — the resolution: two delegates chosen
22
Τότε ἔδοξεν τοῖς ἀποστόλοις καὶ τοῖς πρεσβυτέροις σὺν ὅλῃ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳindependent — the first ἔδοξεν — the formal resolution; σὺν ὅλῃ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, the whole assembly ratifies James's κρίνω
ἐκλεξαμένους ἄνδρας ἐξ αὐτῶν πέμψαι εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν σὺν τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ Βαρναβᾷ,content — complement infinitive with accusative participle — the decision's content
Ἰούδαν τὸν καλούμενον Βαρσαββᾶν καὶ Σιλᾶν,phrase modifier — apposition — the two named; Silas will become Paul's companion (v. 40)
ἄνδρας ἡγουμένους ἐν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς,phrase modifier — second apposition — the delegates carry Jerusalem's full weight
vv. 23–29 — the letter itself: greeting, ground, resolution, essentials, farewell
23
γράψαντες διὰ χειρὸς αὐτῶν·participial — nominative participle against ἔδοξεν's datives — Lukan case slippage; the frame for the written document
Οἱ ἀπόστολοι καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ἀδελφοὶ τοῖς κατὰ τὴν Ἀντιόχειαν καὶ Συρίαν καὶ Κιλικίαν ἀδελφοῖς τοῖς ἐξ ἐθνῶν χαίρειν.content — the epistolary prescript — sender, address, χαίρειν; brothers writing to brothers
24
Ἐπειδὴ ἠκούσαμενcause — the letter's ground — leans forward on ἔδοξεν (v. 25), the classic ἐπειδή-period
ὅτι τινὲς ἐξ ἡμῶν [ἐξελθόντες] ἐτάραξαν ὑμᾶς λόγοιςcontent — the frank admission — ἐξ ἡμῶν, they came from Jerusalem; [ἐξελθόντες] bracketed, text-critically uncertain
ἀνασκευάζοντες τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν,participial — ἀνασκευάζειν — a demolition word: dismantling the souls the gospel had built
οἷς οὐ διεστειλάμεθα,relative — the formal disavowal — the teachers of v. 1 repudiated by name-withholding
25
ἔδοξεν ἡμῖν γενομένοις ὁμοθυμαδὸνcontent — the second ἔδοξεν — ὁμοθυμαδόν, Luke's word for the community's unanimity (1:14; 2:46)
ἐκλεξαμένοις ἄνδρας πέμψαι πρὸς ὑμᾶς σὺν τοῖς ἀγαπητοῖς ἡμῶν Βαρναβᾷ καὶ Παύλῳ,content — the resolution's content — ἀγαπητοῖς: Jerusalem's warm commendation of the pair
26
ἀνθρώποις παραδεδωκόσιν τὰς ψυχὰς αὐτῶν ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ κυρίου ἡμῶν Ἰησοῦ Χριστοῦ.phrase modifier — dative apposition — the perfect participle: their risk stands as standing credential (cf. 5:41)
27
ἀπεστάλκαμεν οὖν Ἰούδαν καὶ Σιλᾶν,content — epistolary perfect — sent, from the readers' vantage
καὶ αὐτοὺς διὰ λόγου ἀπαγγέλλοντας τὰ αὐτά.participial — the oral supplement — the living voice alongside the letter
28
ἔδοξεν γὰρ τῷ πνεύματι τῷ ἁγίῳ καὶ ἡμῖνcause — the third ἔδοξεν — the Spirit named first as co-author: the decree is pneumatic, not merely conciliar
μηδὲν πλέον ἐπιτίθεσθαι ὑμῖν βάρος πλὴν τούτων τῶν ἐπάναγκες,content — βάρος — Peter's ζυγός echoed and refused; ἐπάναγκες, a NT hapax
29
ἀπέχεσθαι εἰδωλοθύτων καὶ αἵματος καὶ πνικτῶν καὶ πορνείας·content — the four essentials, reordered from v. 20 — the Western text drops πνικτῶν and adds the Golden Rule, recasting the decree as ethics
ἐξ ὧν διατηροῦντες ἑαυτοὺς εὖ πράξετε.content — the closing idiom (cf. 2 Macc 9:19) — continuing relative ἐξ ὧν sweeps up all four
Ἔρρωσθε.content — the standard Hellenistic farewell — the document closes in form
The letter received at Antioch 15:30–35
vv. 30–32 — the delivery: joy and prophetic strengthening
30
Οἱ μὲν οὖν ἀπολυθέντες κατῆλθον εἰς Ἀντιόχειαν,independent — μὲν οὖν again — the formal release from the council; κατῆλθον, down from Jerusalem as v. 1's teachers came
καὶ συναγαγόντες τὸ πλῆθοςparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἐπέδωκαν; the whole congregation assembled
ἐπέδωκαν τὴν ἐπιστολήν.independent — the ἐπιστολή of v. 20's ἐπιστεῖλαι handed over
31
ἀναγνόντες δὲparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἐχάρησαν; the public reading
ἐχάρησαν ἐπὶ τῇ παρακλήσει.independent — the joy of v. 3 completed — παράκλησις, what the letter proved to be
32
Ἰούδας τε καὶ Σιλᾶς,independent — suspended subject — the delegates step forward
καὶ αὐτοὶ προφῆται ὄντες,participial — parenthetic participle — their encouragement is pneumatic, matching the Spirit-authored letter
διὰ λόγου πολλοῦ παρεκάλεσαν τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς καὶ ἐπεστήριξαν.independent — the Lukan doublet — παρακαλεῖν and ἐπιστηρίζειν, the full pastoral work
vv. 33, 35 — the return and the staying on (v. 34 is absent from the critical text)
33
ποιήσαντες δὲ χρόνονparticipial — preposed circumstantial — leans on ἀπελύθησαν
ἀπελύθησαν μετ᾽ εἰρήνης ἀπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν πρὸς τοὺς ἀποστείλαντας αὐτούς.independent — μετ᾽ εἰρήνης — shalom restored; v. 34 ('but it seemed good to Silas to remain,' ἔδοξεν δὲ τῷ Σίλᾳ ἐπιμεῖναι αὐτοῦ) is a Western scribal addition explaining v. 40 — absent from the critical text, so the numbering runs 33 → 35
35
Παῦλος δὲ καὶ Βαρναβᾶς διέτριβον ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳindependent — v. 35 follows v. 33 directly (no v. 34) — durative imperfect: Antioch as settled base
διδάσκοντες καὶ εὐαγγελιζόμενοι μετὰ καὶ ἑτέρων πολλῶν τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου.participial — the twin participles of settled ministry — and a church wide enough for 'many others'
The parting — two missions from one contention 15:36–41
vv. 36–38 — the proposal and the disagreement over Mark
36
Μετὰ δέ τινας ἡμέρας εἶπεν πρὸς Βαρναβᾶν Παῦλος·independent — Paul now the initiator — the second journey proposed
Ἐπιστρέψαντες δὴ ἐπισκεψώμεθα τοὺς ἀδελφοὺς κατὰ πόλιν πᾶσανcontent — hortatory ἐπισκεψώμεθα — the missionaries take up God's own verb of visitation (v. 14)
ἐν αἷς κατηγγείλαμεν τὸν λόγον τοῦ κυρίου,relative — plural αἷς with distributive κατὰ πόλιν πᾶσαν — construction according to sense
πῶς ἔχουσιν.content — indirect question — the welfare inquiry: pastoral follow-up, not new territory
37
Βαρναβᾶς δὲ ἐβούλετο συμπαραλαβεῖν καὶ τὸν Ἰωάννην τὸν καλούμενον Μᾶρκον·independent — imperfect ἐβούλετο — a persistent wish; Mark is Barnabas's cousin (Col 4:10)
38
Παῦλος δὲ ἠξίουindependent — imperfect against imperfect — ἠξίου, the counter-position held just as firmly
τὸν ἀποστάντα ἀπ᾽ αὐτῶν ἀπὸ Παμφυλίας καὶ μὴ συνελθόντα αὐτοῖς εἰς τὸ ἔργονparticipial — proleptic object of συμπαραλαμβάνειν — ἀποστάντα (13:13), the desertion named before the man; resumed by τοῦτον
μὴ συμπαραλαμβάνειν τοῦτον.content — complement infinitive — τοῦτον, the cool demonstrative: Luke sides with neither
vv. 39–41 — the παροξυσμός and the two departures
39
ἐγένετο δὲ παροξυσμὸςindependent — παροξυσμός — the clinical word for a flare-up; Luke reports without moral verdict
ὥστε ἀποχωρισθῆναι αὐτοὺς ἀπ᾽ ἀλλήλων,purpose — ὥστε + infinitive — actual result (typed pur; no result key): the partnership of chs. 13–14 ends
τόν τε Βαρναβᾶν παραλαβόντα τὸν Μᾶρκον ἐκπλεῦσαι εἰς Κύπρον·purpose — second result infinitive, coordinate — Cyprus, Barnabas's home island (4:36), where the first mission began; his last appearance in Acts
40
Παῦλος δὲ ἐπιλεξάμενος Σιλᾶν ἐξῆλθενindependent — Silas — the Jerusalem delegate of v. 22 becomes the new companion; the split doubles the mission
παραδοθεὶς τῇ χάριτι τοῦ κυρίου ὑπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν.participial — the church's commissioning (cf. 14:26) — the χάρις of v. 11 now the traveling provision
41
διήρχετο δὲ τὴν Συρίαν καὶ [τὴν] Κιλικίανindependent — durative imperfect — the letter's own addressees (v. 23) visited first; [τὴν] bracketed
ἐπιστηρίζων τὰς ἐκκλησίας.participial — ἐπιστηρίζων — the delegates' verb of v. 32 taken up; the chapter ends in motion, mid-participle
Analysis. Acts 15 is the hinge of Acts, and the layout shows a narrative that exists to frame three speeches and one document. The flush-left purple column is Luke's council procedure — were teaching, appointed, passed through, were welcomed, rose up, were gathered, fell silent, it seemed good — while the hinges are carried by anchor-less forward-leaning lines, the genitive absolutes (γενομένης στάσεως, Πολλῆς ζητήσεως γενομένης) and preposed participles that load each scene before its verb strikes. Speech hangs blue (cnt) beneath its verb of saying: the Judea teachers' demand with the chapter's one conditional (ἐὰν μὴ περιτμηθῆτε leaning forward on οὐ δύνασθε σωθῆναι); Peter's catena under εἶπεν, running from God's ancient choice through the yoke-question to the through-grace close that saves 'us' the way 'they' are saved (the order reversed against every expectation); and James's catena under λέγων, with the Amos 9:11–12 citation stacked under its καθὼς γέγραπται frame — a citation whose 'remnant of humanity' and 'all the Gentiles' the tags mark as LXX-dependent (the MT reads 'remnant of Edom … they may possess'), since James's whole argument stands on that wording. The letter of vv. 23–29 is laid as a written cnt catena under γράψαντες, with its own epistolary shape as coordinate cola: the prescript, the forward-leaning Ἐπειδή ground disowning the unauthorized teachers, the ἔδοξεν resolutions — the third ἔδοξεν 'to the Holy Spirit and to us' — the four essentials hanging from τῶν ἐπάναγκες, and the Ἔρρωσθε farewell; the triple ἔδοξεν (vv. 22, 25, 28) binds narrative and letter into one act. Cruxes taken or flagged: ἐγὼ κρίνω (v. 19) is read as the presiding chair's judgment, ratified by the assembly, not a unilateral decree; the four essentials appear in two orders (v. 20 vs v. 29) and are tagged as Lev 17–18 resident-alien rules enabling Jewish–Gentile table fellowship (the Western text's ethical recast is noted); [ἐξελθόντες] (v. 24) and [τὴν] (v. 41) stand bracketed; and v. 34 ('but it seemed good to Silas to remain') is a Western addition absent from the critical text — the layout runs 33 → 35 and flags the gap where it falls. The chapter ends in παροξυσμός: two flat δέ-clauses split the mission into two teams, and the last line of the chapter is a participle — strengthening the churches.