Though the Greek text has the conjunction gar “for,” in many languages it is necessary to omit this conjunction, since it obviously does not express a causal relationship. It merely signifies that what follows is a logical outgrowth of what has preceded. In many languages it is best to represent this logical development simply by starting another sentence without a connective, as in the case of the Good News Translation.

The verb has agreed may be rendered as “are of the same mind,” “think the same thoughts,” or even, “say the same thing.”

Besides these necessary rules is a very difficult grammatical construction in Greek and though there are no textual variations present, some scholars have made suggestions as to how the text may have been damaged and therefore should be changed. The word rendered necessary rules (New English Bible, Jerusalem Bible “the essentials”) is used elsewhere in Greek as an adverb but never with the article before it, as it appears here. If we accept the text as it stands, then Luke has evidently made this word the equivalent of a noun by the addition of the definite article. As an adverb the word means “necessarily,” and so as a noun it would mean “that which is necessary”; here, in the plural, it means “those necessary (things/rules/regulations).” Besides these necessary rules may be rendered “it is only that you should follow certain rules” or “you should, however, do the following things.” In reality, however, since the regulations specified in verse 29 are all negations, it may be necessary to use a negative expression in verse 28, “but you must not do the following.”

Keep yourselves from immorality is simply “do not commit immorality” or “do not have illicit sex relations.”

You will do well may be understood either in the sense of “you will prosper” (see Phillips “you will make good progress”) or with the meaning “you will be doing right.”

Keep yourselves from doing these things may be equivalent to “if you do not do these things.” In some languages, however, it may be necessary to shift the focus somewhat by saying “if you do just as we have said.”

Good-bye (“farewell” of many translations) translates a fixed expression used at the end of letters and frequently found in the papyri. A translator may employ, as an equivalent of good-bye, whatever expression is normally used in the salutation of a letter. If in the receptor language there is no such custom employed in writing letters, such an expression may be omitted; or one may introduce, as a final phrase, the type of expression generally used when people part from one another.

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 .