EXCURSUS. On the Two Accounts of the Conversion of Cornelius. In the Acts of the Apostles there are two accounts of the conversion of Cornelius, one given by St. Luke in the due sequence of his narrative, the other by St. Peter himself, under apologetic conditions, before the ‘apostles and elders'... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:1. THE APOSTLES AND BRETHREN THAT WERE IN JUDAEA. Probably some of them were at Jerusalem, and some of them itinerating, like St. Peter, through the Holy Land, for the purpose of spreading the Gospel (see Acts 1:8; Acts 10:37). It is observable that the ‘elders' or presbyters, who are first... [ Continue Reading ]
_Apologetic Account by St. Peter at Jerusalem of the Conversion of Cornelius, Acts 11:1_. The commentators have given far too little attention to this section of the Apostolic History. Thus in the excellent commentaries of Bishop Wordsworth, Dean Alford, and Mr. Humphry, the annotations on these ei... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:2. WHEN PETER WAS COME UP TO JERUSALEM. For what reason he went thither we are not told. He seems to have gone direct from Cæsarea. The form of expression is that which would be natural to describe such a journey. See Acts 18:22. THEY THAT WERE OF THE CIRCUMCISION. By this is expressed, not... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:3. DIDST EAT WITH THEM. This step involved all the rest. See above on Acts 10:23; Acts 10:28. It was not the communicating the Gospel to the Gentiles which they grudged, but the communicating it in such a way as to do violence to the most cherished principles of the past.... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:4. REHEARSED THE MATTER FROM THE BEGINNING. This was his most judicious course. A simple and careful statement of the facts from the outset was more likely to be persuasive than anything else. He did not argue. The mere telling of the story was a proof of the Divine teaching in this case, wh... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:5. I WAS IN THE CITY OF JOPPA PRAYING. It was essential that Peter should name the place where this remarkable experience had occurred. Thus he names Cæsarea below (Acts 11:11). He is laying before the ‘apostles and brethren' a precise statement of facts. On the other hand, it is of no momen... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:6. UPON WHICH WHEN I HAD FASTENED MINE EYES, I CONSIDERED. This, again, is an addition of value, both because of the animation it communicates to this narrative, and because the argument is strengthened by the fact that he deliberately inspected and reflected on what he saw in the trance.... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:7. I HEARD A VOICE SAYING UNTO ME. In St. Luke's narrative the phrase is, ‘there came a voice to him.' The external fact that a voice was uttered is that which he relates. St. Peter tells of his own inward experience. He ‘heard' the voice. A communication was effectually made to his own inte... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:8. HATH AT ANY TIME ENTERED INTO MY MOUTH. The same kind of comment may he made here as in the other cases. St. Luke has ‘I have never eaten.' St. Peter expresses the matter more strongly, and with a personal feeling.... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:9. THE VOICE ANSWERED ME AGAIN FROM HEAVEN. The word ‘answered' is more definite and lively than that which we find in the correlative passage; and the phrase ‘from heaven' is an addition, which would have its force for St. Peter's present hearers. Nor must we forget the bearing of all this... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:10. ALL WERE DRAWN UP AGAIN INTO HEAVEN. The Greek is ἅπαντα. There is more life in the phrase than in what we find in Acts 10:16. The whole of what was seen in the vision disappeared by being carried up into heaven. Here, too, the word is α ̓ νεσπα ́ σθη, there it is α ̓ νελη ́ μφθη. St. Pe... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:11. BEHOLD, THERE WERE THREE MEN ALREADY COME. He notes, and calls his hearers to note, the startling coincidence of this arrival. The exclamation ‘Behold!' has its significance. Once more it is instructive to compare his mode of presenting the history at Jerusalem with the narrative as give... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:12. THE SPIRIT BADE ME GO WITH THEM (see note on Acts 10:19-20). The words ‘get thee down,' which we find in the direct narrative, are omitted here. This is consistent. St. Peter had said nothing of having gone up to the house-top. MOREOVER THESE SIX BRETHREN ACCOMPANIED ME. Here suddenly w... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:13. HOW HE HAD SEEN AN ANGEL. The Greek distinctly requires that this should be ‘ _the_ angel.' This is not the case in Acts 10:22. Probably the mention of this angel was a conspicuous part of the story as it reached the ears of the apostles at Jerusalem; and to their minds it must have appe... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:14. WORDS, WHEREBY THOU AND ALL THY HOUSE SHALL BE SAVED. See notes on Acts 10:6; Acts 10:22. ‘All thy house' is a special addition here. The promise is in harmony with the preparation made for the Gospel in the house of Cornelius, as implied in Acts 10:2; Acts 10:7; Acts 10:22; Acts 10:24,... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:15. AS I BEGAN TO SPEAK. From this we see that St. Peter was intending to say more than, in consequence of the Divine interruption, he was permitted to say. In Acts 10:44 the phrase is simply, ‘While Peter yet spake these words.' Here the apostle, recounting the history of himself, allows us... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:16. THEN REMEMBERED I THE WORD OF THE LORD. There is great interest in observing how St. Peter describes what had been the process of his own mind at that critical moment. The interest, too, must have been extreme to some of those who were listening to him. His brother apostles, too, had hea... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:17. THE LIKE GIFT AS HE GAVE UNTO US. See note on Acts 11:15. WHO BELIEVED ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, rather ‘as having believed on the Lord Jesus Christ.' It was in virtue of faith, as Bengel says, and not because of circumcision, that they themselves had received the Holy Ghost. Hence the... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:18. THEY HELD THEIR PEACE, AND GLORIFIED GOD. The climax of this history is most beautiful. Probably there was a solemn pause, when Peter ceased to speak. But not only did they acquiesce in that to which no reply could be given, but they broke out into praise and thanksgiving. It was a noble... [ Continue Reading ]
_Diffusion of the Gospel along the Phoenician Coast, in Cyprus, and_ _at Antioch,_ 19-21. Acts 11:19. THEY WHICH WERE SCATTERED ABROAD UPON THE PERSECUTION THAT AROSE ABOUT STEPHEN. The most obvious remark here is, that that which appeared an irreparable calamity to the Church, became the direct me... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:20. MEN OF CYPRUS. It would be reasonable to imagine that one of them may have been Mnason, who in Acts 21:16 is spoken of as ‘an old disciple.' We should have been sure, but for what follows, that Barnabas was one of them; and there is little doubt that he had influence in promoting the act... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:21. AND THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS WITH THEM, _i.e._ those who were preaching the Gospel to new hearers. ‘The hand of the Lord' is an oriental expression, and seems to indicate the manifestation of miraculous powers, which indeed we should expect on an occasion like this. St. Luke uses this ph... [ Continue Reading ]
_Mission of Barnabas to AntiochHis Character Co-operation of Saul with him thereThe Name ‘Christian'_ 22-26. Acts 11:22. TIDINGS OF THESE THINGS CAME INTO THE EARS OF THE CHURCH WHICH WAS IN JERUSALEM. The Church in Jerusalem is here spoken of collectively, as a local ἰκκλησία : and the oriental ph... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:23. WHO, WHEN HE CAME AND HAD SEEN THE GRACE OF GOD, WAS GLAD. Somewhat of surprise is indicated in this language. However this may be, we see in this rejoicing, and in his attributing all this blessing to the free goodness of God, the marks of a true Christian heart. There was no grudging o... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:24. FOR HE WAS A GOOD MAN. We ask here for the precise meaning of the word ‘good,' and also why the particle ‘for' is prefixed to the statement. The word ‘good' does not mean merely that Barnabas was a man of earnest religious character. This is expressed by the words which follow. Rather it... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:25. THEN DEPARTED BARNABAS TO TARSUS, FOR TO SEEK SAUL. The history of St. Paul is here resumed, suddenly and somewhat indirectly, from Acts 9:30, which corresponds with Acts 22:21, and Galatians 1:21. We have no information regarding the length of time he spent at Tarsus, or his manner of e... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:26. WHEN HE HAD FOUND HIM. This, coupled with the strong expression used above concerning the ‘searching for' Saul, seems to imply that he was not actually in Tarsus when Barnabas arrived there. Probably he was on some mission in Cilicia. HE BROUGHT HIM TO ANTIOCH. No reluctance is to be i... [ Continue Reading ]
_Charitable Mission of Barnabas and Saul from Antioch to Jerusalem,_ 27-30. Acts 11:27. IN THESE DAYS. This indication of date is general and vague; but, no doubt, the occurrence here related took place within the ‘year' of active ministration at Antioch mentioned just above. Prophets came from Jer... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:28. THERE STOOD UP ONE OF THEM NAMED AGABUS. He appears again many years later (Acts 21:10) in the same prophetic character, and again in connection with Judaea. From that passage we gain some impression of the manner in which certain of these prophetic communications were made. In that case... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:29. THE DISCIPLES. This designation of those, whom we have just seen for the first time ‘called Christians,' is found in current use throughout the Acts of the Apostles (see, for instance, Acts 6:1; Acts 9:1; Acts 15:10; Acts 20:7). EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS ABILITY. This is a very differe... [ Continue Reading ]
Acts 11:30. SENT IT TO THE ELDERS. Here first, and quite suddenly, there comes to view that ministry of the Christian Church, designated by the synonymous terms ‘presbyter' and ‘priest,' which has been a prolific occasion of controversy. A full account of the establishment of the diaconate has been... [ Continue Reading ]