ST. PAUL IN EUROPE 1. Timotheus] was probably of Lystra, not Derbe. His mother Eunice was perhaps a widow, and she, together with his grandmother Lois, educated the lad in the religion of Israel, though he was not circumcised (see 2 Timothy 1:6). The whole family had been converted at St. Paul's fi... [ Continue Reading ]
See Preface to Acts 15. 4, 5. Here we have evidence that the decrees of the Council were actually promulgated in the Galatian Churches, and that they were well received.... [ Continue Reading ]
TO PRAYER] rather, 'to the place of prayer.' A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION] The girl belonged to the class of 'clairvoyants' or 'mediums,' and really believed herself to be possessed by a spirit. Her recognition of the divine mission of St. Paul indicates a considerable degree of spiritual discernment. Th... [ Continue Reading ]
Journey into Europe, Philippi. 6. RV 'And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden of the Holy Ghost to speak the word in Asia.' At Lystra (Acts 16:6) they received a divine intimation that they were not to carry out their purpose (probably their main purpose in thi... [ Continue Reading ]
RV 'And when they were come over against Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia, and the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not.' Leaving Antioch, St. Paul journeyed northward through the province of Asia till he came to the borders of Mysia (the northwestern part of the province). He then attempted to... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY PASSING BY MYSIA (i.e. passing through it without preaching) CAME DOWN TO TROAS] Troas, the chief port of Mysia, was made a Roman colony by Augustus, and received many privileges, because of the supposed Trojan origin of the Roman people. Similar privileges were given to the neighbouring ci... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MAN OF MACEDONIA has sometimes been supposed to be St. Luke, or even the guardian angel of Macedonia (Daniel 10:12). The man was recognised as Macedonian by his speech, or by his dress. The introduction of Christianity into that continent, where it was destined to win its chief triumphs, is fitl... [ Continue Reading ]
The we indicates that St. Luke was now a member of the party. Whether he joined it at Troas, or had accompanied it all along is not clear.... [ Continue Reading ]
SAMOTHRACIA] an island half-way between Troas and Neapolis. Neapolis] the port of Philippi.... [ Continue Reading ]
PHILIPPI] RY 'Philippi, which is a city of Macedonia, the first of the district, a Roman colony.' At Philippi, founded by Philip, father of Alexander the Great, Octavius and Antony had defeated the republican leaders, Brutus and Cassius, and the city, in honour of the victory, had been made a Roman... [ Continue Reading ]
WHERE PRAYER WAS WONT TO BE MADE] RV 'where we supposed there was a place of prayer' (Gk. _proseuche_). Where the Jews were too few to build a synagogue, they were wont to assemble in open-air plages of prayer (_proseuchæ_), by the seaside, or on a river's bank, for convenience of purification.... [ Continue Reading ]
LYDIA] She came from Thyatira in Lydia, a district where there were many dyers. She was a proselyte to Judaism, and a woman of some wealth and position. As she is not mentioned in the Epistle to the Philippians, she was probably then dead, or had left the city. Renan has the strange fancy that she w... [ Continue Reading ]
HER HOUSEHOLD] the expression includes servants and slaves as well as children. Other examples of the baptism of households are Acts 16:33; Acts 18:8; 1 Corinthians 1:16 : see on Matthew 19:13.... [ Continue Reading ]
BEING GRIEVED] Although the testimony of the girl was true, St. Paul would not receive it, because it emanated, as he supposed, from an evil spirit. Similarly Jesus would not receive the testimony of demons to His Divine Sonship and Messiahship (Mark 1:26, etc.).... [ Continue Reading ]
MAGISTRATES] At Philippi there were two magistrates (_duumvirs_) corresponding to the consuls at Rome. Provincial _duumvirs_ often claimed and received the courtesy title of _prætors_, which is the title by which St. Luke calls them here. Jews] Christianity was not yet clearly distinguished from Jud... [ Continue Reading ]
Paul and Silas probably protested that they were Romans, but in the tumult their protest passed unheeded.... [ Continue Reading ]
By Roman custom a gaoler who allowed a prisoner to escape suffered the same penalty as the prisoner. If the charge was a capital one he suffered death. The non-escape of the prisoners was due to terror and amazement.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?] The gaoler, to have asked such a question, must have been a hearer of Paul and Barnabas, and have been impressed by their teaching. The strange events of the night and the kindness shown him by Paul now bring matters to a crisis.... [ Continue Reading ]
According to D, the motive of St. Paul's release was alarm at the earthquake. THE SERJEANTS] Gk. 'the lictors,' officers who attended the magistrates, carrying axes and rods, symbols of the power to punish.... [ Continue Reading ]
BEING ROMANS] i.e. Roman citizens. In his speech against Verres Cicero says: 'to fetter a Roman citizen is a crime, to scourge him a scandal, to slay him parricide.' Roman citizenship could be acquired (1) by birth, if both parents were Romans; (2) by grant to certain cities or districts; (3) by gra... [ Continue Reading ]
DESIRED _them_ TO DEPART] representing that in the excited state of the city it was impossible to protect them.... [ Continue Reading ]
COMFORTED] exhorted. And departed] Silas and Timothy accompanied St. Paul, but (since the 'we' is now dropped) St. Luke was probably left behind to take charge of the Philippian Church (see Acts 17:1). He seems to have made Philippi his headquarters for several years, rejoining St. Paul at Troas dur... [ Continue Reading ]