Always translates the adverb rendered “long enough” in New English Bible and “for a long time” in Jerusalem Bible. In Luke 1.2 the same adverb is used with the meaning “from the beginning” (see Good News Translation; New English Bible “in detail”).

The clause if they are willing to testify my seem to be strange in this kind of context. Obviously, what the Jews know about Paul is in no sense dependent upon their being willing to testify. Therefore, in some languages this clause must be rendered as “and they can testify that this is true if they want to.”

Party is the same word rendered false in 24.14. That the present meaning is intended in this context is clear, and illustrates that in different contexts the same word may have a variety of meanings. In this type of context, party obviously refers to a “group”—for example, “a member of the group that was most strict” or “a member of the group that followed regulations more than any other.”

The word which Paul uses for religion is especially suited in a Gentile context. Basically, the word refers to the entire mode of worship of a particular people; it is not the same word used in 25.19. As in so many other contexts, our religion may be rendered as “the way in which we worship God.”

The expression the Pharisees may need to be identified as the name of the particular group—for example, “a member of a group which worshiped our God in a way which was more strict than any other group. This group is called the Pharisees.”

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 .