_PAUL AND BARNABAS ARE CHOSEN TO GO TO THE GENTILES. OF SERGIUS PAULUS, AND ELYMAS THE SORCERER. PAUL PREACHETH AT ANTIOCH, THAT JESUS IS CHRIST. THE GENTILES BELIEVE; BUT THE JEWS GAINSAY, AND BLASPHEME: WHEREUPON THEY TURN TO THE GENTILES._ _Anno Domini 45._... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THERE WERE IN THE CHURCH—AT ANTIOCH— The last verse of the foregoing chapter ought to have been the first of this; for ch. Acts 12:24 finishes the history of Herod's death, and the effects which it had upon the Christian church; and then, Acts 13:25 a new history is begun, which is carried on in... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THE WORK WHEREUNTO I HAVE CALLED THEM.— If there be any reference to a pastfact in these words, it is probably to some revelation personally made to Paul and Barnabas, to signify that they should take a journey into several counties of Asia Minor, to preach the gospel there. See ch. Acts 11:20.... [ Continue Reading ]
SENT FORTH BY THE HOLY GHOST,— This seems to be added to remind us, that though they were solemnly recommended to God by the prayers of their brethren, theirauthority was not derived from _them,_ but from the Holy Ghost; and consequently affords a further proof of the miraculous conversion of St. Pa... [ Continue Reading ]
PAPHOS,— The city of Paphos was seated on the western extremity of the island of Cyprus, and famous among the Heathens for the temple and obscene worship of the Paphian Venus. There resided Sergius Paulus, _the Roman proconsul,_ who was a man of good understanding, and well disposed to receive the t... [ Continue Reading ]
SAUL, (_WHO ALSO IS CALLED PAUL,_)— The reasons which have been assigned for Saul's taking the name of _Paul,_ are various and many. Some think that he had the name of _Paul_ given him from converting Sergius Paulus, as Scipio was called _Africanus_ from his conquering Africa, and as other Romans ha... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW WHEN PAUL AND HIS COMPANY— It is observable, that from this period St. Luke generally mentions Paul before Barnabas, whereas he had hitherto always mentioned him last: nay, in reckoning up the five, who were prophets and teachers in the church at Antioch, he put Barnabas the first, and Saul last... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT WHEN THEY DEPARTED FROM PERGA, &C.— From Perga, Paul and Barnabas went further into the country, and came to Antioch, a considerable city in the district of Pisidia; which lay north of Pamphylia, and consequently further from the sea. The situation of this place is particularized by the sacred w... [ Continue Reading ]
MEN OF ISRAEL, AND YE THAT FEAR GOD,— This discourse seems chiefly intended to illustrate the divine oeconomy in opening the gospel gradually, and preparing the Jews by temporal mercies, for others of a yet more important nature. The apostle, in consequence of this, had a very good opportunity of sh... [ Continue Reading ]
THE GOD OF THIS PEOPLE— The apostle preached the same God in whom the Jews already believed, and would have persuaded them likewise to have believed in Jesus of Nazareth, the promised Messiah, the eternal Son of God, God over all, blessed for ever. To convince them that he was so, they argued both f... [ Continue Reading ]
SUFFERED HE THEIR MANNERS— 'Ετροποφορησεν : _He endured their behaviour,_ perverse and ungrateful as it was.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AFTER THAT, &C.— _And after these things, which lasted about four hundred and fifty years, he gave them judges, until Samuel the prophet._ Mill in Loc. Carpzov. Introd. part 1: p. 186, &c. According to this, the apostle begins his computation from the birth of Isaac, when Canaan was promised to... [ Continue Reading ]
BY THE SPACE OF FORTY YEARS.— Several very considerable critics are of opinion, that the forty years here spoken of, do not all belong to the actual reign of Saul, but include a considerable part of Samuel's government. Biscoe, who is followed by Bedford, in his _Chronology,_ seems to have proved ve... [ Continue Reading ]
A MAN AFTER MINE OWN HEART,— Though we have spoken largely on this head in the proper place (1 Samuel 13:13.) yet as the expression has been cavilled at by some, we cannot withhold the following observation of Dr. Benson's: "When it is said, that king David was _a man after God's own heart,_ it ough... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN JOHN HAD FIRST PREACHED— St. Paul mentions the preaching of John the Baptist in this incidental manner, as a thing already known to them, because it gave so universal an alarm to the whole Jewish nation, that it might probably be heard of in foreign countries, at least as remote as Pisidia. Rap... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHOSOEVER AMONG YOU FEARETH GOD,— That is, "You devout proselytes, who worship the true God; and whom we look upon as brethren, as well as the Jews." See Acts 13:16.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR THEY THAT DWELL AT JERUSALEM, &C.— He here anticipates a strong objection, "Why did not they at Jerusalem, and especially their rulers, believe?_"—They knew him not,_ because they understood not those very _prophets_ whom they read or heard continually. Their very _condemning_ him, innocent as h... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY TOOK HIM DOWN FROM THE TREE,— The apostle was far from being ashamed to mention the most ignominious circumstances of his Master's sufferings to thosewho were strangers to the gospel, knowing how sufficiently he answered all that could be thence objected, by what he added and testified concerni... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WE DECLARE UNTO YOU GLAD TIDINGS, &C.— "And we ourselves, having seen the Lord Jesus since his resurrection, readily join in their testimony; and are come hither to proclaim to you the most joyful tidings that ever reached the ears of the sinful sons of men, viz. That God having in former ages m... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW NO MORE TO RETURN TO CORRUPTION,— As Christ never saw corruption at all, Acts 13:37 the Greek word διαφθορα, _corruption,_ must signify the grave, as שׁהת, _sheahet,_ in the Hebrew, also does; (compare Psalms 94:13 and Lamentations 4:20.) just as the coffin of a man raised from the dead, as soon... [ Continue Reading ]
DAVID, AFTER HE HAD SERVED, &C.— _After that in his generation he had served the will of God._ Blackwall, p. 184.... [ Continue Reading ]
FROM WHICH YE COULD NOT BE JUSTIFIED, &C.— The law appointed sin-offerings to expiate smaller offences, so far, as that the offender whooffered them should be free from all further prosecution on account of them; but this very view of them shews how absolutely necessary it was to the being of societ... [ Continue Reading ]
AND PERISH:— _And disappear,_ 'αφανισθητε. See the note on Matthew 6:16. Dr. Heylin reads the sentence, _Consider, ye despisers; be amazed and utterly confounded._ Instead of _shall in no wise,_ &c. we ought to read, _will,_ &c. The passage may be thus paraphrased: "Behold, ye scornful men who look... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE JEWS WERE GONE OUT— _But when the Jews were going out._ Heylin and Doddridge. However, Capellus and Whitby have shewn, that the expression, as given in our version, is not an unexampled manner of speaking: nor do I see the least impropriety in supposing, that St. Paul and the Gentiles m... [ Continue Reading ]
IN THE GRACE OF GOD.— In that religious disposition which divine grace had produced in them, or in the faith and practice of the gospel, which is often called _the grace of God,_ and _the word of his grace,_ with the utmost propriety, as containing the richest display of his grace, in the free pardo... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY WERE FILLED WITH ENVY,— Now that circumstance in the parable, of the elder brother's murmuring at the return of the prodigal son, was remarkably fulfilled. See Luke 15:25; Luke 15:32. The word _blasphemy,_ in this connection with _contradicting,_ must signify their _giving them abusive language... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN PAUL AND BARNABAS WAXED BOLD, &C.— _With great freedom of speech said,_ &c. The words, _Judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life,_ plainly shew that persons are said to be self-condemned, who furnish out matter of condemnation from their own words, though they do not actually pass sentence... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR SO HATH THE LORD COMMANDED US,— The mighty have argued this very properly from the passage which they quote, as well as from their very commission itself. Comp. Matthew 28:19 and Acts 1:8. But St. Paul had also received a more express command to this purpose. See ch. Acts 22:21 Acts 26:17.... [ Continue Reading ]
AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED TO ETERNAL LIFE— We observe, 1st, upon this text, that whatever the exact meaning of the word rendered _ordained_ may be, it does not here refer to the _decrees_ of God, but to the _disposition_ of the minds of these Gentiles; as is very evident, from its being used by way o... [ Continue Reading ]
DEVOUT AND HONOURABLE WOMEN,— As Antioch in Pisidia was a Gentile city, the Jews had not the civil power in their hands; but they were so incensed at the success of the two apostles, and particularly at the reception of the idolatrous Gentiles without requiring them first to become proselytes of rig... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CAME UNTO ICONIUM.— This is at present _Coghi._ It was formerly the capital of Lycaonia, and lay, not in the _middle,_ as it is often placed, but on the western borders of it; on the confines of Pisidia, Galatia, and Phrygia, to the latter of which it seems once to have belonged. _INFERENCES.—_... [ Continue Reading ]