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Luke 1:3
New English Translation
Luke 1:3
New English Translation
3 So[a] it seemed good to me as well,[b] because I have followed[c] all things carefully from the beginning, to write an orderly account[d] for you, most excellent Theophilus,
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- Luke 1:3 tn The conjunction “so” is supplied here to bring out the force of the latter part of this Greek sentence, which the translation divides up because of English style. Luke, in compiling his account, is joining a tradition with good precedent.
- Luke 1:3 sn When Luke says it seemed good to me as well he is not being critical of the earlier accounts, but sees himself stepping into a tradition of reporting about Jesus to which he will add uniquely a second volume on the early church when he writes the Book of Acts.
- Luke 1:3 tn Grk “having followed”; the participle παρηκολουθηκότι (parēkolouthēkoti) has been translated causally.
- Luke 1:3 sn An orderly account does not necessarily mean that all events are recorded in the exact chronological sequence in which they occurred, but that the account produced is an orderly one. This could include, for example, thematic or topical order rather than strict chronological order.
Acts 1:1
New English Translation
Acts 1:1
New English Translation
Jesus Ascends to Heaven
1 I wrote[a] the former[b] account,[c] Theophilus,[d] about all that Jesus began to do and teach
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- Acts 1:1 tn Or “produced,” Grk “made.”
- Acts 1:1 tn Or “first.” The translation “former” is preferred because “first” could imply to the modern English reader that the author means that his previous account was the first one to be written down. The Greek term πρῶτος (prōtos) does not necessarily mean “first” in an absolute sense, but can refer to the first in a set or series. That is what is intended here—the first account (known as the Gospel of Luke) as compared to the second one (known as Acts).
- Acts 1:1 tn The Greek word λόγος (logos) is sometimes translated “book” (NRSV, NIV) or “treatise” (KJV). A formal, systematic treatment of a subject is implied, but the word “book” may be too specific and slightly misleading to the modern reader, so “account” has been used.sn The former account refers to the Gospel of Luke, which was “volume one” of the two-volume work Luke-Acts.
- Acts 1:1 tn Grk “O Theophilus,” but the usage of the vocative in Acts with ὦ (ō) is unemphatic, following more the classical idiom (see ExSyn 69).
New English Translation (NET)
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