Luke's syntax reminds me so much of German. I mean, try reading Acts in Greek, as I was doing this week. Luke's sentences will give you a Charley Horse between the ears. But if you know German, that's okay. You're used to it. Case in point:
"Ich habe gesagt, dass er mich es fallen lassen gesehen haben soll."
"I have said that he me it fall let seen have should."
Meaning:
"I said that he should have seen me let it fall."
German loves such odd syntax, as does Luke. If you don't understand that, you're sunk. Note this:
"Nach Hause müssen die Kinder einen Affen gebracht haben."
"To home must the children a monkey brought have."
Or this:
"Es ist unglaublich, dass er angekommen sein könnte."
"It is unbelievable that he arrived be could."
Or this:
"Ich weiss, dass ich Deutsch lernen sollte."
"I know that I German learn should."
It's often said that German grammar can be a minefield. Wrong. German grammar is a minefield. As Mark Twain so eloquently put it, German is "a harassing and infuriating study." Not to worry. If you're patient, you can unlock the meaning of even the most convoluted sentences. That goes for reading Acts, too.