This happened three times may refer specifically to the command of God, for example, “God spoke to him three times” or “God commanded him three times to kill and eat.” Or one may interpret the three times as a reference to the entire event, including God’s statement and Peter’s reply, “all this happened three times.”

Was taken back up into heaven may be rendered “was drawn up into heaven.” It is not that the object was carried, but that it was evidently pulled up.

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 .