Acts 20:1. Paul journeys through Macedonia and Greece, and returns as far as Troas 1. _And after the uproar was ceased_ Some little time may have elapsed and public feeling have become calm enough for a meeting of the Christian congregation. _Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them_... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when he had gone over those parts_ Visiting specially, of course, the churches of Philippi, Thessalonica and Berœa, among which St Luke may have been left from the former visit, and have laboured to carry on the work which St Paul had begun. Some have judged this to be very probable, and that i... [ Continue Reading ]
_and there abode three months_ More literally, with _Rev. Ver._, "_and when he had spent three months there_," connecting it, as the Greek does, with what follows. _and when the Jews laid wait for him_ The English of the A.V. defines too precisely the form of the danger. Read "_And when a plot was l... [ Continue Reading ]
_And there accompanied him into Asia_ The literal rendering of the last words is "as far as Asia," but they are altogether omitted by the oldest MSS. We find Trophimus went to Jerusalem (Acts 21:29) and that Aristarchus was with St Paul in the voyage to Rome (Acts 27:2). _Sopater of Berea_ The olde... [ Continue Reading ]
_These going before tarried for us at Troas_ Better (with _Rev. Ver._), BUT THESE HAD GONE BEFORE AND WERE WAITING FOR US, &c. What the writer wants to point out is that these men before-mentioned did not stop like St Paul at Philippi, nor indeed tarry at all in Macedonia. As in this verse the chang... [ Continue Reading ]
_And we … unleavened bread_ St Paul seems to have stayed in Philippi because of the Jewish feast. As there could be no sacrifice of the Passover out of Jerusalem, the Apostle would feel no difficulty about remaining at any other form of the feast, and we know how loath he was to sever himself from h... [ Continue Reading ]
Paul preaches at Troas. Eutychus is restored to life 7. _And upon the first day of the week_ Which had now, in memory of the Resurrection, begun to be observed as a holy day by Christians. In an Epistle written before this visit to Troas (1 Corinthians 16:2) the day is appointed by St Paul as the s... [ Continue Reading ]
_And there were_, &c. Our thoughts go back to the upper room in Jerusalem where (Acts 1:13) the first preachers of Christianity waited for the promised gift of the Holy Ghost.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And there sat in a_[better, THE] _window_ The window in that climate was only an opening in the wall, and not as in our country provided with a framework, the bars of which would have prevented the accident which is here described. _a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep slee... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Paul … fell on him_ The access to Eastern houses was by a staircase on the outside, so that the way down would be at hand. The action of the Apostle recalls that of Elijah (1 Kings 17:21) and of Elisha (2 Kings 4:34). No doubt the Apostle, like the Old Testament prophets, accompanied his action... [ Continue Reading ]
_When he therefore was come up again_ Better (_with Rev. Ver_.), "_And when he was gone up_." The Apostle's calmness, as well as his words, was not without effect on the congregation. He returns to the upper room, and the unfinished act of worship is completed. _and had broken bread_ The best texts... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they brought the young man alive_ Here is a different noun, and the _Rev. Ver._rightly gives "the lad." It would seem as though those who had had the care of him brought him, before the congregation broke up, perhaps even before the Apostle's departure, back again into the upper room.... [ Continue Reading ]
Paul goes on foot to Assos, then by sea to Miletus 13. _And we went before to ship_ The conjunction should be adversative. The writer is describing now what the rest, without St Paul, did. Read " BUT WE," i.e. St Luke and some of the other companions of the Apostle, " GOING BEFORE TO THE SHIP," i.e... [ Continue Reading ]
_And … Mitylene_ The voyage was a coasting voyage, the nights being each spent in some harbour. Mitylene was the capital of Lesbos, to which place they went from Assos, because probably it had a better anchorage. There could have been little time for anything on St Paul's land journey like meeting C... [ Continue Reading ]
_And we sailed thence, and came the next day over against Chios_ As the word for "next" here is not the same as that so rendered in the following clause, the _Rev. Ver._gives (with more closeness to the Greek) _And_ SAILING FROM _thence we came the_ FOLLOWING _day_, &c. The island of Chios is about... [ Continue Reading ]
_For Paul_, &c. In the midst of a large Christian congregation, such as we know to have existed in Ephesus, there would have arisen many causes of delay which the Apostle in this rapid journey desired to avoid. Perhaps too there might have been some hostility roused against him, and either from a wi... [ Continue Reading ]
Paul sends for the Elders from Ephesus, gives them his parting Charge and leaves Miletus 17. _And … Ephesus_ At Miletus the Apostle and his party must have tarried more than one day. It would take quite that time to send his messenger and summon those whom he wished to see. If they came to him on t... [ Continue Reading ]
_And … he said unto them_ This is the only speech recorded in the Acts of the Apostles which we can be sure that the writer heard St Paul make. This is probably the reason why we have it somewhat in detail, and why it is so marked, as we shall see it is, with expressions that are to be found in the... [ Continue Reading ]
_serving … humility of mind_ The _Rev. Ver._here has "lowliness of mind," as the word is rendered Philippians 2:3, but the version is not consistent, for the same rendering is not kept (Colossians 3:12) where it might just as well have been. Probably the translators of 1611 did not like the collocat... [ Continue Reading ]
_and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you_ The _Rev. Ver._makes of these clauses, in which there is nothing for "and" or "but," only one, rendering " HOW THAT I SHRANK NOT FROM DECLARING UNTO _you anything that was profitable_." The form of the sentence correspon... [ Continue Reading ]
_testifying_, &c.… _to the Greeks_ The _Rev. Ver._omits "the" before both nouns, the Greek having no article. "_Both to Jews and to Greeks_." By "testifying" is meant "proclaiming the need of." And this message the Apostle would support by his own witness. _repentance … Christ_ By some MSS. the las... [ Continue Reading ]
_And now … Jerusalem_ The Apostle refers to his own spirit, the constraint which in his own mind was laid upon him. Some therefore to make this plain would render "in _my_spirit." The verb implies that he felt there was no freeing himself from the impulse to go, but it has no such sense as that he a... [ Continue Reading ]
_save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city_ The oldest MSS. add "unto me." _Rev. Ver._"testifieth unto me." The Holy Ghost had called him to the work (Acts 13:2) and moved the disciples (Acts 21:4) and Agabus (Acts 21:11) to warn him of the sufferings which were at hand. We may suppose too t... [ Continue Reading ]
_But none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself_ The oldest MSS. omit the words for "neither count I," and following these the _Rev. Ver._has translated, "_but I hold not my life of any account, as dear unto myself_." The feebleness and tautology of this sentence are enou... [ Continue Reading ]
_And … ye all_ We cannot be sure that the Apostle never again came to Ephesus. For we learn from Philemon 1:22 that, toward the close of his imprisonment at Rome, he had hopes and the intention of visiting Philemon, who was at Colossæ, and we can hardly think that if he went to Colossæ he would fail... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wherefore I take you to record this day_ The _Rev. Ver._, to explain the older English, gives "I testify unto you." The sense seems a little more than this. The Apostle not only gives his own testimony, but challenges them to confirm or refute it. _that … all men_ St Paul looks upon himself as one... [ Continue Reading ]
_For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God_ The _Rev. Ver._as in Acts 20:20, "_For I shrank not from declaring unto you the whole_, &c." The "counsel of God" means the whole plan of salvation; what God offers and what he asks of men. This includes the "repentance and faith" a... [ Continue Reading ]
_Take heed therefore unto yourselves_ The best MSS. omit "therefore." The Apostle now resigns into their hands a charge which before had been his own, and the form of his language would remind them that the discharge of their duty after his example would be the means of saving both themselves and th... [ Continue Reading ]
_For I know this_ The oldest MSS. (and the _Rev. Ver._) have only "_I know_." _that after my departing_ This noun is only used here, and most frequently in classical Greek signifies "arrival," though not always. But as the person who _departs_from one place _arrives_at another, it is only a differe... [ Continue Reading ]
_Also of your own selves_, &c. Better (with _Rev. Ver._) "_And from among your own selves_." This gives an idea of the greater nearness of the apostasy which the Apostle predicts. Not some who may come _of_those to whom he speaks, but even out of the present existing Christian body. We know from St... [ Continue Reading ]
_Therefore watch_ The sort of watching implied is that unsleeping alertness which can never be taken by surprise. _and remember, that by the space of three years_ As the verb here is a participial form the _Rev. Ver._translates "_Wherefore watch ye, remembering_, &c.," in which there is this gain,... [ Continue Reading ]
_And now, brethren, I commend … his grace_ The oldest authorities omit "brethren." I am to leave you, but I commend you to One who will help you as He has helped me, and who will not leave you. "The word of His grace" means the gracious promises of the Gospel, such as those which Christ gave to His... [ Continue Reading ]
_I have coveted Rev. Ver._" _I coveted._" But this seems unnecessary. The Apostle implies that the state of mind was his when he was with them and continues still. _apparel_ In which Oriental wealth largely consisted. Hence Naaman brings "changes of raiment" as well as money among the rewards which... [ Continue Reading ]
_Yea, ye yourselves know_ The oldest texts omit "Yea." The working in company with Aquila and Priscilla, which the Apostle began in Corinth, was probably continued when they came together to Ephesus, and so the Apostle's trade and his steady pursuit of it would be well known to many of the listeners... [ Continue Reading ]
_I have shewed you all things_ Better (as _Rev. Ver._) "_In all things I gave you an example_." The verb is cognate with that noun which Jesus uses (John 13:15), "I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done unto you." _how that so labouring_ i.e. in like manner as the Apostle labou... [ Continue Reading ]
The kneeling posture marks the special character and solemnity of the prayer. We find the Apostle doing the same in his parting from the brethren at Tyre (Acts 21:5). On the usual custom of standing in prayer, cp. Mark 11:25 and the account of the Pharisee and publican (Luke 18:11-13). It has often... [ Continue Reading ]
_kissed him_ The word is not the simple verb but expresses earnest, sorrowing salutations.... [ Continue Reading ]
_sorrowing … the words which he spake_ More literally "the word which he had spoken" (_Rev. Ver._). _that they should see_, &c. The word in the original is not that which the Apostle uses in Acts 20:25, when he says he shall not come again. So the _Rev. Ver._has well given " BEHOLD." The Greek expr... [ Continue Reading ]