Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father _was_ a Greek: Ver. 1. _But his father was a Greek_] Both by nation and religion. This was an unlawful marriage, Exo 34:10-17 De... [ Continue Reading ]
Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. Ver. 2. _Which was well reported of by the brethren_] This is part of the reward of virtue, and follows it, as the shadow doth the body. _See Trapp on "_ Ecc 7:1 _"_ _See Trapp on "_ 3Jn 1:12 _"_... [ Continue Reading ]
Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek. Ver. 3. _Took and circumcised him_] Paul circumcised Timothy, as a Gentile; in that, for a Jew to be circumcised was no yieldance.... [ Continue Reading ]
And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. Ver. 4. _They delivered them the decrees_] Which were agreeable to the Scriptures. And if Gregory thought that the decrees of the four first gener... [ Continue Reading ]
And so were the churches established in the faith, and increased in number daily. Ver. 5. _Established in the faith, and increased in number_] Some were converted by their ministry, others confirmed. This is still the fruit of faithful preaching, which is far more effectual hereunto than other ordi... [ Continue Reading ]
Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia, Ver. 6. _And were forbidden, &c._] This was a heavier judgment upon those coasts than to be denied a harvest, or the light of the sun. Prize the preaching of the gos... [ Continue Reading ]
After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia: but the Spirit suffered them not. Ver. 7. _But the Spirit suffered them not_] The Spirit still lusteth against the flesh, and the flesh against, the Spirit, in the hearts of the regenerate, so that they cannot do what they would, Gala... [ Continue Reading ]
And they passing by Mysia came down to Troas. Ver. 8. _Came down to Troas_] The relics of old Troy, called also Antigonia and Alexandria, as Pliny testifieth.... [ Continue Reading ]
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. Ver. 9. _Into Macedonia and help us_] The ministers are those by whom God helpeth his perishing people, and pulleth them out of the devil's danger. Hence they a... [ Continue Reading ]
And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. Ver. 10. _Assuredly gathering_] It was not therefore a bare vision, but set on upon their spirits by the testimony of the Holy Spiri... [ Continue Reading ]
Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next _day_ to Neapolis; Ver. 11. _We came with a straight course_] Or with a speedy course. The straight way is the next way: _a_ "How long wilt thou go about, O backsliding daughter?" Jeremiah 31:22. _Impii ambula... [ Continue Reading ]
And from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, _and_ a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. 13 And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted _t... [ Continue Reading ]
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard _us_ : whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. Ver. 14. _Whose heart the Lord opened_] Man's heart is naturally locked up and barricaded agains... [ Continue Reading ]
And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought _us_, saying, If ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide _there_. And she constrained us. Ver. 15. _If ye have judged me to be faithful_] Not else, upon no other condition doth she desire it; for hypocrit... [ Continue Reading ]
And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by soothsaying: Ver. 16. _Possessed with a spirit, &c._] These the seventy seniors usually call εγγαστριμυθους, because the devil spake out of their bellies.... [ Continue Reading ]
The same followed Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high God, which shew unto us the way of salvation. Ver. 17. _These men are the servants_] _Satan etsi semel videatur verax, millies est mendax et semper fallax._ Mark 1:25; John 8:47 .... [ Continue Reading ]
And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. And he came out the same hour. Ver. 18. _Paul being grieved_] Paul took no joy in such a testimony. High words become not a fool. To be praised by a pra... [ Continue Reading ]
And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew _them_ into the marketplace unto the rulers, Ver. 19. _Their gains were gone_] εξηλθεν, was gone forth together with the devil. They that count all fish that comes to not, will in the end catch the... [ Continue Reading ]
And brought them to the magistrates, saying, These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble our city, Ver. 20. _Trouble our city_] Faithful preachers have ever been by the wicked accounted trouble towns; these covetous caitiffs (wretches) had not so much ingenuity as the devil himself, Acts 16:17 .... [ Continue Reading ]
And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. Ver. 21. _Neither to observe, &c._] An ordinary thing to oppose the placits and devices of men to the truth of God.... [ Continue Reading ]
And the multitude rose up together against them: and the magistrates rent off their clothes, and commanded to beat _them_. Ver. 22. _Rent off their clothes_] _i.e._ the apostles' clothes. _ And commanded to beat them_] What? before they had examined the matter? This was preposterous justice; like... [ Continue Reading ]
And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast _them_ into prison, charging the jailor to keep them safely: Ver. 23. _Laid many stripes_] These were those marks of the Lord Jesus which the apostles so gloried of, as an old soldier doth of his scars and wounds received in battle. _Hoc sunt... [ Continue Reading ]
Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, and made their feet fast in the stocks. Ver. 24. _Fast in the stocks_] The word το ξυλον signifieth such a pair of stocks, as wherein they used to make fast feet and neck too, saith Beza out of Nonius. Various of our martyrs wer... [ Continue Reading ]
And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. Ver. 25. _Sang praises unto God_] His presence turns a prison into a palace, into a paradise. "From the delectable orchard of the Leonine prison;" so the Italian martyr Algerius dated his letter to a fri... [ Continue Reading ]
And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. Ver. 26. _There was a great earthquake_] See the great power of prayer. It shaketh heaven and earth, Luther saith; there is a k... [ Continue Reading ]
And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. Ver. 27. _And the keeper of the prison_] In whom the earthquake had wrought a heartquake, as it had also (though... [ Continue Reading ]
But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Ver. 28. _But Paul cried with a loud voice, &c._] We should likewise cry _Cave miser, _ beware oh wretch, when we see a man busily cutting the throat of his own poor soul, by wilful wickedness, or pitched headlong in... [ Continue Reading ]
Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, Ver. 29. _And sprang in_] As John the Evangelist with like speed sprang out of the bath, when Cerinthus the heretic came into it, lest some evil, for his sake, should befall him. from heaven. (εξηλατ... [ Continue Reading ]
And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? Ver. 30. _What must I do to be saved?_] A reverend divine said once to a poor soul, that told him he was troubled about his salvation; I tell thee, said he, it is able to trouble the whole world.... [ Continue Reading ]
And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. Ver. 31. _Believe on the Lord Jesus_] This is the condition on our part required; or rather a stipulation that God hath promised to work in us and for us.... [ Continue Reading ]
And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house. Ver. 32. _And they spake unto him_] So Master Tyndale, during the time of his imprisonment, converted his keeper, together with the keeper's daughter, and others of his household. Also the rest that were with him in th... [ Continue Reading ]
And he took them the same hour of the night, and washed _their_ stripes; and was baptized, he and all his, straightway. Ver. 33. _He and all his straightway_] God's work is of great importance, and must be presently done, whatever else is left undone. "If ye will inquire, inquire, return, come," Is... [ Continue Reading ]
And when he had brought them into his house, he set meat before them, and rejoiced, believing in God with all his house. Ver. 34. _And rejoiced, believing_] A prick with a pin may and doth many times let out corruption as well as lancing. Some suffer more throes in the new birth, some less. But man... [ Continue Reading ]
And when it was day, the magistrates sent the serjeants, saying, Let those men go. Ver. 35. _The magistrates sent_] In one ancient Greek copy there is this addition, "And when it was day, the magistrates met together in the market place; and calling to mind the earthquake that had been that night,... [ Continue Reading ]
And the keeper of the prison told this saying to Paul, The magistrates have sent to let you go: now therefore depart, and go in peace. Ver. 36. _And the keeper of the prison_] As glad to be the messenger of such good tidings; for he knew well the misery of captivity; by which term, therefore, all t... [ Continue Reading ]
But Paul said unto them, They have beaten us openly uncondemned, being Romans, and have cast _us_ into prison; and now do they thrust us out privily? nay verily; but let them come themselves and fetch us out. Ver. 37. _They have beaten us_] A Roman, by the Valerian law, might not be bound; by the P... [ Continue Reading ]
And the serjeants told these words unto the magistrates: and they feared, when they heard that they were Romans. Ver. 38. _And they feared when they heard, &c._] Their sin troubled them not, but their danger; for _Irasci populo Romano nemo sapienter potest._ It was not safe dashing against the rock... [ Continue Reading ]
And they came and besought them, and brought _them_ out, and desired _them_ to depart out of the city. Ver. 39. _And they came and besought them_] The matter is well amended since yesterday. How suddenly crest fallen are these grandees of Philippi, how bladder like do they shrivel to nothing, that... [ Continue Reading ]
And they went out of the prison, and entered into _the house of_ Lydia: and when they had seen the brethren, they comforted them, and departed. Ver. 40. _And departed_] Yet so, as that St Paul soon after visited them with that golden Epistle to the Philippians.... [ Continue Reading ]