Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Acts 11:2

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 simply that they were Jews, but that they had a strong and deep feeling regarding the necessity of circumcision. With the exception of the recent converts, none except Jews were members of the Church of Christ. This expression, however, is one that it would be natural for St. Luke, writing some years afterwards, to use. And indeed now, for the first time, there were within the Church the two strongly-contrasted elements of Jewish and Gentile Christianity. We are exactly at the turn, where the history of the Christian Church passes into its new phase.

Contended with him. There was no judicial charge in the case. The subject, however, was one of serious personal debate: and it occurs to us naturally to remark that this could not have taken place on so serious a religious question, if the power of supreme infallible decision had belonged to St. Peter as the first of the Popes.

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Philip Schaff's Popular Commentary (4 vols)

Acts 11:2

Old Testament

New Testament