XIV. (1) BOTH OF THE JEWS AND ALSO OF THE GREEKS. — The latter term is used in its wider sense, as in Mark 7:26 and elsewhere, as equivalent to Gentile, but it implies that those who were so described spoke and understood Greek. In the former instance these would probably be the “proselytes of the... [ Continue Reading ]
THE UNBELIEVING JEWS STIRRED UP THE GENTILES... — It is the distinguishing feature of nearly all the persecutions in the Acts that they originated in the hostility of the Jews. The case of Demetrius furnishes almost the only exception (Acts 19:24), and even there the Jews apparently fomented the enm... [ Continue Reading ]
LONG TIME THEREFORE ABODE THEY. — This can hardly be understood as involving a stay of less than several months, during which, Paul and Barnabas, as before, were working for their livelihood. SPEAKING BOLDLY. — The “boldness” consisted, as the context shows, in a full declaration of the gospel of t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE MULTITUDE OF THE CITY WAS DIVIDED. — The context shows that St. Luke writes of the bulk of the heathen population. No numbers are given, but we may fairly assume that the converts were in a minority, and that they belonged, as a rule, to the lower classes (1 Corinthians 1:26), and that the chief... [ Continue Reading ]
TO USE THEM DESPITEFULLY. — The verb expresses wanton insult and outrage. St. Paul uses the noun derived from it to express the character of his own conduct as a persecutor (1 Timothy 1:13), and must have felt, as afterwards in the actual stoning of Acts 14:19, that he was receiving the just reward... [ Continue Reading ]
AND FLED UNTO LYSTRA AND DERBE, CITIES OF LYCAONIA. — Here again, as in Acts 13:51, we can scarcely fail to trace a literal obedience to our Lord’s commands. (See Note on Matthew 10:23.) The direction of the Apostles journey now took them into a wilder and less civilised region. The range of the Tau... [ Continue Reading ]
BEING A CRIPPLE FROM HIS MOTHER’S WOMB. — We note, as in Acts 3:2; Acts 9:33, the characteristic care to record the duration of the infirmity which was supernaturally cured.... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO STEDFASTLY BEHOLDING HIM. — We note once more the recurrence of the characteristic word and look. (See Note on Acts 13:9.) PERCEIVING THAT HE HAD FAITH TO BE HEALED. — Here, as so often, as if it were the general, though not the universal, law of miraculous working (see Notes on Mark 10:23), fa... [ Continue Reading ]
STAND UPRIGHT ON THY FEET. — What may be called the _modus operandi_ of the miracle reminds us of that of the paralytic in Matthew 9:6, and the cripple at Bethesda in John 5:11, and the lame man in Acts 3:6. The command, which would have seemed a mockery to one who did not rise beyond the limits of... [ Continue Reading ]
SAYING IN THE SPEECH OF LYCAONIA. — The fact is clearly recorded with a definite purpose, and no explanation seems so natural as that which assumes it to be given as accounting for the passive attitude of the Apostles till what was then said had borne its fruit in acts. It will be admitted by all wh... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY CALLED BARNABAS, JUPITER; AND PAUL, MERCURIUS. — St. Luke gives, as was natural, the Greek forms — Zeus and Hermes. The main reason for the assignment of the two names was that the listeners recognised in St. Paul the gift of eloquence, which was the special attribute of Hermes. Possibly, also,... [ Continue Reading ]
THE PRIEST OF JUPITER, WHICH WAS BEFORE THEIR CITY. — The latter clause probably describes the position of the Temple of Zeus, standing at the entrance of the city, as the shrine of its protecting deity. The identical phrase used by St. Luke is found in Greek inscriptions at Ephesus. BROUGHT OXEN A... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH WHEN THE APOSTLES, BARNABAS AND PAUL, HEARD OF. — They were, we may believe, in the house, within the court-yard, and therefore did not see the sacrificial procession; but they heard the noise of the multitude, perhaps also of some sacrificial hymn, and asked what it meant. THEY RENT THEIR CL... [ Continue Reading ]
SIRS, WHY DO YE THESE THINGS? — It is natural to suppose that the words were spoken in the Greek in which St. Luke records them, and therefore that St. Paul’s previous teaching had been in the same language. The metrical structure of the. close of the speech (see Note on Acts 14:17) leaves hardly a... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO IN TIMES PAST SUFFERED ALL NATIONS. — Better, _all the heathen;_ the term used being that which is always employed of the nations outside the covenant of Israel. We have here the first germ of what may be fairly described as St. Paul’s philosophy of history. The times of ignorance had been permi... [ Continue Reading ]
HE LEFT NOT HIMSELF WITHOUT WITNESS. — Here again we have the outline of what is afterwards expanded (Romans 1:19). In speaking to peasants like those at Lystra, St. Paul naturally dwells most on the witness given through the divine goodness as manifested in nature. In addressing philosophers at Ath... [ Continue Reading ]
WITH THESE SAYINGS SCARCE RESTRAINED THEY THE PEOPLE. — On some of those who were thus restrained the effect may well have been that they were roused to a higher life and did turn from “vanities” to the living God. We must, at any rate, think of St. Paul’s work at Lystra as lasting long enough to al... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE CAME THITHER CERTAIN JEWS FROM ANTIOCH. — The context shows that the Pisidian Antioch is meant. The strength of the hostility is shown by the facts, (1) that the Jews of the two cities were acting in concert, and (2) that those of the former had travelled not less than one hundred and thirty m... [ Continue Reading ]
HOWBEIT, AS THE DISCIPLES STOOD ROUND ABOUT HIM. — They, it is obvious, had been powerless to prevent the attack; but they stole out, when all was over, it may be, with the purpose of giving at least a decent interment. We may fairly think of Lois, and Eunice, and Timotheus, as present in that crowd... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HAD TAUGHT MANY. — Better, _made many disciples._ The word is the same as in Matthew 28:19. Among these we may note Gaius, or Caius, afterwards conspicuous as one of St. Paul’s companions (Acts 20:4). The work done implies a stay of, it may be, some months’ duration. During this time the violenc... [ Continue Reading ]
CONFIRMING THE SOULS OF THE DISCIPLES. — Better, perhaps, _strengthening,_ so as to avoid the more definite associations connected with the other term. In Acts 18:23, the word is so rendered. It is not the same as that used by later writers for the ecclesiastical rite of Confirmation. EXHORTING THEM... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY HAD ORDAINED THEM ELDERS. — The word for “ordained” occurs in the New Testament here and in 2 Corinthians 8:19, where it is translated “chosen,” and certainly seems to imply popular election (election by show of hands), which is, indeed, the natural meaning of the word. In Acts 10:41 a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY HAD PREACHED THE WORD IN PERGA. — The travellers retrace their steps. There is a coincidence more or less striking in the report of what they did at Perga. In Acts 13:13 there is no mention of their having preached in that city. We are simply told that Mark left them there, and that th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THEY WERE COME. — Two years or thereabouts (A.D. 45-48) had passed since their mission. During that interval little probably had been heard of them, and we can picture to ourselves the eagerness with which the _Christiani_ of Antioch would gather to listen to their report. HOW HE HAD OPENED... [ Continue Reading ]
THERE THEY ABODE LONG TIME. — The words probably cover an interval of more than a year, during which it is reasonable to suppose that the preaching of the two Apostles drew together a large number of Gentile converts.... [ Continue Reading ]