Convinced may be rendered as “believed that what Paul had said was true” or “believed Paul’s words.” The term joined must not be understood in the technical sense of joining an association but in the more informal meaning of “counted themselves one with Paul and Silas,” “took the part of Paul and Silas,” or “identified themselves as being companions of Paul and Silas.”

The Greeks who worshiped God were persons who had not been fully converted to Judaism, but who believed in and who worshiped the God of Judaism. The phrase translated as leading women (so most translations) may be translated as “important women in the town.” However, it may be understood to mean “the wives of the leading men” (Barclay).

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 .