Acts 15:23

And they wrote (grapsante). First aorist active participle of grapw and the nominative as if a principal verb epempsan had been used instead of pempsai, the first aorist active infinitive (anacoluthon). This committee of four (Judas, Silas, Barnabas, Paul) carried the letter which embodied the decision of the Conference. This letter is the writing out of the judgment of James and apparently written by him as the President. The apostles and the elders, brethren (oi apostoloi kai oi presbuteroi, adelpoi). So the oldest and best MSS. without kai (and) before "brethren." This punctuation is probably correct and not "elder brethren." The inquiry had been sent to the apostles and elders (verse Acts 2 ) though the whole church joined in the welcome (verse Acts 4 ) and in the decision (verse Acts 22 ). The apostles and elders send the epistle, but call themselves "brothers to brothers," Fratres Fratibus Salutem. "The brothers" (toi adelpoi) addressed (dative case) are of the Gentiles (ex eqnwn) and those in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia, because they were immediately involved. But the decision of this Conference was meant for Gentile Christians everywhere ( Acts 16:4 ). Greeting (Cairein). The customary formula in the beginning of letters, the absolute infinitive (usually cairein) with the nominative absolute also as in James 1:1 ; Acts 23:26 and innumerable papyri (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 1902f.).