He wrote a letter in the following manner: Acts 23:25

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A literal translation says, “Having written a letter, having this form:” (CG).

In the last verse, the commander ordered that beasts were to be provided to set Paul on in order to conduct him to Felix the governor safely. Now, it says, “Having written a letter, having this form:”

It seems like a curious few words to make into a single verse, but it is not without importance. First, Luke uses the word tupos which indicates a representation of something else. In other words, this letter is in the same form as the original, but it was not an exact copy.

Tupos is “originally: the mark of a blow, then a stamp struck by a die, (a) a figure; a copy, image, (b) a pattern, model, (c) a type, prefiguring something or somebody” (Strong’s).

Hebrews 8:5 and 1 Peter 5:3 show good uses of this word for us to understand –

“For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law; 5 who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, ‘See that you make all things according to the pattern [tupos] shown you on the mountain.’” Hebrews 8:4, 5

“Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by compulsion but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; 3 nor as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples [tupos] to the flock; 4 and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that does not fade away.” 1 Peter 5:2-4

As for the letter Luke now refers to, both the author of the letter and its recipient were Roman citizens. Because of this, the letter was probably written not in Greek but in Latin. Therefore, the letter, as explained by Luke, would be a translation of what was said, not a direct copy of it. Hence, it is a type or form of the original.

Life application: The Bible was written in several different languages. There is only one way to exactly convey the original language, which is to read and understand it in that language. But that would mean everyone would need to be proficient in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek, something totally unnecessary.

Rather, through competent translation, the sense of the original is sufficiently conveyed. However, there are various ways of translating so that the original makes sense in a particular manner. If there are alliterations in the original language, they are there to excite the mind in a particular way.

However, a literal translation may not produce an alliteration. So, should it be more freely translated and include an alliteration to match, or should it be a literal translation that has no alliteration? Actually, either is sufficient as long as the original meaning is still understood. As some translations will follow one method and others will follow another, it is good to read many different translations and styles of translations.

In this, you can get a fuller appreciation of the content that was originally presented when it was first written. Never stop reading the word, and don’t get bogged down and captivated by a single translation. You will miss out on so very much if you do!

Glorious God, we are grateful to You for the wonderful word You have given to us. Thank You for the competent translators and expositors who convey to us what the original writings mean in our own languages. Your word is a treasure and exploring it is a joy. Please provide a special blessing today upon those who so faithfully and tenderly convey Your word to us. Amen.