Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
And they wrote (grayantev). First aorist active participle of grafw and the nominative as if a principal verb epemyan had been used instead of pemyai, 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, adelfoi). 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 15:2) though the whole church joined in the welcome (verse Acts 15:4) and in the decision (verse Acts 15:22). The apostles and elders send the epistle, but call themselves "brothers to brothers," Fratres Fratibus Salutem. "The brothers" (toiv adelfoiv) addressed (dative case) are of the Gentiles (ec 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 (Xairein). The customary formula in the beginning of letters, the absolute infinitive (usually xairein) with the nominative absolute also as in James 1:1; Acts 23:26 and innumerable papyri (Robertson, Grammar, pp. 1902f.).
Other Robertson's Word Pictures (NT) entries containing Acts 15:23:
Acts 15:22
Acts 22:17
Acts 23:26
1 Corinthians 6:13
1 Thessalonians 1:1
James 1:1
2 John 1:10
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