TO CORINTH (εις Κορινθον). Mummius had captured and destroyed Corinth B.C. 146. It was restored by Julius Caesar B.C. 46 as a boom town and made a colony. It was now the capital of the province of Achaia and the chief commercial city of Greece with a cosmopolitan population. It was only fifty mil... [ Continue Reading ]
AQUILA (Ακυλαν). Luke calls him a Jew from Pontus, apparently not yet a disciple, though there were Jews from Pontus at the great Pentecost who were converted (Acts 2:9). Aquila who made the famous A.D. translation of the O.T. was also from Pontus. Paul "found" (ευρων, second aorist active partic... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE HE WAS OF THE SAME TRADE (δια το ομοτεχνον εινα). Same construction with δια as above. Hομοτεχνον is an old word (ομοσ, τεχνη), though here alone in N.T. Rabbi Judah says: "He that teacheth not his son a trade, doth the same as if he taught him to be a thief." So it was easy for Paul to fi... [ Continue Reading ]
HE REASONED (διελεγετο). Imperfect middle, same form as in Acts 17:17 about Paul's work in Athens, here only on the Sabbaths.PERSUADED (επειθεν). Imperfect active, conative, he tried to persuade both Jews and Greeks (God-fearers who alone would come).... [ Continue Reading ]
WAS CONSTRAINED BY THE WORD (συνειχετο τω λογω). This is undoubtedly the correct text and not τω πνευματ of the Textus Receptus, but συνειχετο is in my opinion the direct middle imperfect indicative, not the imperfect passive as the translations have it (Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 808). Paul held hi... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY OPPOSED THEMSELVES (αντιτασσομενων αυτων). Genitive absolute with present middle (direct middle again) of αντιτασσω, old verb to range in battle array (τασσω) face to face with or against (αντ). In the N.T. only here and Romans 13:2; James 4:6; 1 Peter 5:5. Paul's fresh activity roused... [ Continue Reading ]
TITUS JUSTUS (Τιτου Ιουστου). So Aleph E Vulgate, while B has Τιτιαυ Ιουστου, while most MSS. have only Ιουστου. Evidently a Roman citizen and not Titus, brother of Luke, of Galatians 2:1. We had Barsabbas Justus (Acts 1:23) and Paul speaks of Jesus Justus (Colossians 4:11). The Titii were a famou... [ Continue Reading ]
CRISPUS (Κρισπος). Though a Jew and ruler of the synagogue (cf. Acts 13:15), he had a Latin name. Paul baptized him (1 Corinthians 1:14) himself, perhaps because of his prominence, apparently letting Silas and Timothy baptize most of the converts (1 Corinthians 1:14-17). Probably he followed Paul... [ Continue Reading ]
BE NOT AFRAID, BUT SPEAK, AND HOLD NOT THY PEACE (Μη φοβου, αλλα λαλε κα μη σιωπησηις). Literally, "stop being afraid (μη with present middle imperative of φοβεω), but go on speaking (present active imperative of λαλεω) and do not become silent (μη and first aorist active of σιωπαω, ingressive aor... [ Continue Reading ]
BECAUSE I AM WITH THEE (διοτ εγω ειμ μετα σου). Jesus had given this promise to all believers (Matthew 28:20) and here he renews it to Paul. This promise changes Paul's whole outlook. Jesus had spoken to Paul before, on the way to Damascus (Acts 9:4), in Jerusalem (Acts 22:17), in Troas (Acts 16:... [ Continue Reading ]
A YEAR AND SIX MONTHS (ενιαυτον κα μηνας εξ). Accusative of extent of time. How much time before this incident he had been there we do not know. He was in Corinth probably a couple of years in all. His work extended beyond the city (2 Corinthians 11:10) and there was a church in Cenchreae (Romans... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN GALLIO WAS PROCONSUL OF ACHAIA (Γαλλιωνος δε ανθυπατου οντος της Αχαιας). Genitive absolute of present participle οντος. Brother of Seneca the Stoic (Nero's tutor) and uncle of Lucan the author of the Φαρσαλια. His original name was M. Annaeus Novatus till he was adopted by Gallio the rhetori... [ Continue Reading ]
CONTRARY TO THE LAW (παρα τον νομον). They did not accuse Paul of treason as in Thessalonica, perhaps Paul had been more careful in his language here. They bring the same charge here that the owners of the slave-girl brought in Philippi (Acts 16:21) Perhaps they fear to go too far with Gallio, for... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN PAUL WAS ABOUT TO OPEN HIS MOUTH (μελλοντος του Παυλου ανοιγειν το στομα). Genitive absolute again. Before Paul could speak, Gallio cut in and ended the whole matter. According to their own statement Paul needed no defence.WRONG (αδικημα). _Injuria_. Old word, a wrong done one. In N.T. onl... [ Continue Reading ]
QUESTIONS (ζητηματα). Plural, contemptuous, "a parcel of questions" (Knowling).ABOUT WORDS (περ λογου). Word, singular, talk, not deed or fact (εργον, φαχτυμ).AND NAMES (κα ονοματων). As to whether "Jesus" should also be called "Christ" or "Messiah." The Jews, Gallio knew, split hairs over wo... [ Continue Reading ]
HE DRAVE THEM (απηλασεν αυτους). First aorist active indicative of απελαυνω, old word, but here alone in the N.T. The Jews were stunned by this sudden blow from the mild proconsul and wanted to linger to argue the case further, but they had to go.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY ALL LAID HOLD ON SOSTHENES (επιλαβομενο παντες Σωσθενην). See Acts 16:19; Acts 17:19 for the same form. Here is violent hostile reaction against their leader who had failed so miserably.BEAT HIM (ετυπτον). Inchoative imperfect active, began to beat him, even if they could not beat Paul. So... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING TARRIED AFTER THIS YET MANY DAYS (ετ προσμεινας ημερας ικανας). First aorist (constative) active participle of προσμενω, old verb, to remain besides (προς as in 1 Timothy 1:3) and that idea is expressed also in ετ (yet). The accusative is extent of time. On Luke's frequent use of ικανος se... [ Continue Reading ]
CAME (κατηντησαν). Came down, as usual in speaking of coming to land (Acts 16:1).TO EPHESUS (εις Εφεσον). This great city on the Cayster, the capital of the Province of Asia, the home of the worship of Diana (Artemis) with a wonderful temple, Paul at last had reached, though forbidden to come o... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY ASKED HIM (ερωτωντων αυτων). Genitive absolute of present participle of ερωταω, old verb to ask a question, common in _Koine_ to make a request as here.HE CONSENTED NOT (ουκ επενευσεν). First aorist active indicative of επινευω, old verb to express approval by a nod, only here in the... [ Continue Reading ]
I SHALL RETURN (ανακαμψω). Future active indicative of ανακαμπτω, old verb to bend back, turn back (Matthew 2:2).IF GOD WILL (του θεου θελοντος). Genitive absolute of present active participle. This expression (εαν with subjunctive) occurs also in 1 Corinthians 4:19; 1 Corinthians 16:7; James 4:... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WENT UP AND SALUTED THE CHURCH (αναβας κα ασπασαμενος την εκκλησιαν). The language could refer to the church in Caesarea where Paul had just landed, except for several things. The going up (αναβας, second aorist active participle of αναβαινω) is the common way of speaking of going to Jerusalem... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVING SPENT SOME TIME (ποιησας χρονον τινα). Literally, having done some time. How long we do not know, probably not long. There are those who place the visit of Peter here to which Paul alludes in Galatians 2:11 and which we have located while Paul was here the last time (Acts 15:35).HE DEPARTE... [ Continue Reading ]
APOLLOS (Απολλως). Genitive -ω Attic second declension. Probably a contraction of Απολλονιος as D has it here.AN ALEXANDRIAN (Αλεξανδρευς). Alexander the Great founded this city B.C. 332 and placed a colony of Jews there which flourished greatly, one-third of the population at this time. There... [ Continue Reading ]
HAD BEEN INSTRUCTED IN THE WAY OF THE LORD (ην κατηχημενος την οδον του κυριου). Periphrastic past perfect passive of κατηχεω, rare in the old Greek and not in the LXX from κατα and ηχεω (ηχω, sound) as in Luke 1:4, to re-sound, to re-echo, to teach by repeated dinning into the ears as the Arabs... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY TOOK HIM UNTO THEM (προσελαβοντο). Second aorist middle (indirect) indicative of προσλαμβανω, old verb, to their home and heart as companion (cf. the rabbis and the ruffians in Acts 17:5). Probably for dinner after service.EXPOUNDED (εξεθεντο). Second aorist (effective) middle indicative o... [ Continue Reading ]
ENCOURAGED HIM (προτρεψαμενο). First aorist middle participle of προτρεπω, old verb, to urge forward, to push on, only here in the N.T. Since Apollos wanted (βουλομενου αυτου, genitive absolute) to go into Achaia, the brethren (including others besides Priscilla and Aquila) wrote (εγραψαν) a lette... [ Continue Reading ]
POWERFULLY (ευτονως). Adverb from ευτονος (ευ, well, τεινω, to stretch), well-strung, at full stretch.CONFUTED (διακατηλεγχετο). Imperfect middle of the double compound verb δια-κατ-ελεγχομα, to confute with rivalry in a contest, here alone. The old Greek has διελεγχω, to convict of falsehood,... [ Continue Reading ]