XIX. (1) PAUL HAVING PASSED THROUGH THE UPPER COASTS. — This implies a route passing from Galatia and Phrygia through the interior, and coming thence to Ephesus. The “coast,” in the modern sense of the term, St. Paul did not even approach.... [ Continue Reading ]
HAVE YE RECEIVED THE HOLY GHOST SINCE YE BELIEVED? — Better, as connecting the two facts in the English as in the Greek, _Did ye receive the Holy Ghost when ye believed?_ — _i.e.,_ on your conversion and baptism. We are left to conjecture what prompted the question. The most natural explanation is t... [ Continue Reading ]
UNTO WHAT THEN WERE YE BAPTIZED? — The answer of the disciples had shown (1) an imperfect instruction, falling short of that which catechumens ordinarily received before they were admitted to the new birth by water and the Spirit; (2) an imperfect spiritual experience. Could those who made it have b... [ Continue Reading ]
JOHN VERILY BAPTIZED WITH THE BAPTISM OF REPENTANCE. — The words may fairly be regarded as giving the summary of what was actually a fuller teaching. The distinctive point in it was that the baptism of John was, by his own declaration, simply provisional and preparatory. He taught his disciples to b... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY WERE BAPTIZED IN THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS. — On the use of this formula in connection with the baptism of Jewish converts, see Notes on Acts 2:38; Matthew 28:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY SPAKE WITH TONGUES, AND PROPHESIED. — Better, _they were speaking with tongues and prophesying,_ the verbs implying continuous action. As to the nature and relation of the two gifts, see Notes on Acts 2:4; Acts 10:46. Here all the facts of the case confirm the view which has there been stated.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND ALL THE MEN WERE ABOUT TWELVE. — Better, _The men were in all about twelve._ The whole narrative seems to imply that they were not individual cases, occurring here and there from time to time, but were living together as a kind of ascetic community, attending the meetings of the Church, yet not... [ Continue Reading ]
SPAKE BOLDLY FOR THE SPACE OF THREE MONTHS. — We pause for a moment to think of the amount of work of all kinds implied in this short record. The daily labour as a tent-maker went on as before (Acts 20:34), probably still in partnership with Aquila and Priscilla. The Sabbaths saw him evening and mor... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN DIVERS WERE HARDENED AND BELIEVED NOT. — Better (the verb implying continuous action), _when some were growing hardened and disobedient._ SPAKE EVIL OF THAT WAY BEFORE THE MULTITUDE. — Better, as before, _of the way._ (See Note on Acts 9:2.) The unbelieving Jews acted at Ephesus as at Thessalo... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THAT ALL THEY WHICH DWELT IN ASIA HEARD THE WORD OF THE LORD JESUS, BOTH JEWS AND GREEKS. — Here also there is a gap which can only be partially filled up by inference or conjecture. Ephesus, probably, came to be the centre of St. Paul’s activity, from which journeys were made to neighbouring cit... [ Continue Reading ]
AND GOD WROUGHT SPECIAL MIRACLES BY THE HANDS OF PAUL. — The Greek phrase is negative: _no common works of power_ — not such as one might meet with any day. (See Note on Acts 28:2, where the same phrase recurs.) The noun is that which was technically used by physicians for the healing “powers” or “v... [ Continue Reading ]
SO THAT FROM HIS BODY WERE BROUGHT UNTO THE SICK HANDKERCHIEFS OR APRONS. — Both words are, in the original, transliterated from the Latin, the former being _sudaria,_ used to wipe off sweat from brow or face; the latter _semicincta,_ the short aprons worn by artisans as they worked. We ask how St.... [ Continue Reading ]
CERTAIN OF THE VAGABOND JEWS, EXORCISTS. — The men belonged to a lower section of the class of which we have already seen representatives in Simon of Samaria or Elymas of Cyprus. (See Notes on Acts 8:9; Acts 13:6.) They practised exorcisms as a profession, and went from city to city, pretending with... [ Continue Reading ]
SEVEN SONS OF ONE SCEVA, A JEW, AND CHIEF OF THE PRIESTS. — Better, _a Jewish chief priest._ The word might mean that he was at the head of one of the twenty-four courses into which the priests of the Temple were divided. (See Notes on Matthew 21:15; Luke 3:2.) It is hardly probable, however, that o... [ Continue Reading ]
JESUS I KNOW, AND PAUL I KNOW... — Better, _Jesus I acknowledge._ The two verbs are different in the Greek, the one implying recognition of authority, the latter, as colloquially used, though originally it had a stronger meaning, a more familiar acquaintance. The possessed man, identifying himself,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE MAN IN WHOM THE EVIL SPIRIT WAS LEAPED ON THEM. — The demoniacal possession brought with it, as in the case of the Gadarene, the preternatural strength of frenzy, and the seven impostors (men of that class being commonly more or less cowards) fled in dismay before the violent paroxysms of th... [ Continue Reading ]
FEAR FELL ON THEM ALL, AND THE NAME OF THE LORD JESUS WAS MAGNIFIED. — The fact thus narrated had shown that the sacred Name stood on quite a different level from that of the other names which exorcists had employed. It was a perilous thing for men to use it rashly, without inward faith in all that... [ Continue Reading ]
AND MANY THAT BELIEVED. — More accurately, _many of those that had believed._ The word is probably used, as in Acts 19:2, for the whole process of conversion, including baptism, confession in this instance following on that rite, instead of preceding it. The words do not definitely state whether the... [ Continue Reading ]
MANY OF THEM ALSO WHICH USED CURIOUS ARTS... — The Greek word expresses the idea of superstitious arts, _overbusy_ with the supposed secrets of the invisible world. These arts were almost, so to speak, the _specialité_ of Ephesus. Magicians and astrologers swarmed in her streets (comp. the reference... [ Continue Reading ]
SO MIGHTILY GREW THE WORD OF GOD AND PREVAILED. — The verbs imply a continuous growth. The better MSS. give, “the word _of the Lord.” _... [ Continue Reading ]
PAUL PURPOSED IN THE SPIRIT. — Better, perhaps, _in spirit._ The Greek word, however, implies a reference to something more than human volition. The spirit which formed the purpose was in communion with the Divine Spirit. (See Notes on Acts 17:16; Acts 18:5.) We learn from the First Epistle to the C... [ Continue Reading ]
TIMOTHEUS AND ERASTUS. — Light is thrown on the mission of the former by 1 Corinthians 4:17. He was sent on in advance to warn and exhort, and so to save the Apostle from the necessity of using severity when he himself arrived. St. Paul exhorts the Corinthians (1 Corinthians 16:10) to receive him wi... [ Continue Reading ]
ABOUT THAT WAY. — Better, as before, _the way._ (See Note on Acts 9:2.)... [ Continue Reading ]
DEMETRIUS, A SILVERSMITH, WHICH MADE SILVER SHRINES FOR DIANA. — The worship of Artemis (to give the Greek name of the goddess whom the Romans identified with their Diana) had from a very early period been connected with the city of Ephesus. The first temple owed much of its magnificence to Croesus.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WORKMEN OF LIKE OCCUPATION. — The “craftsmen” of the previous verse represent the higher class of what we call skilled labour. Here we have the unskilled labourers whom they employed. The former were, in a sense, artists, these were artisans. SIRS, YE KNOW THAT BY THIS CRAFT WE HAVE OUR WEALTH.... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT ALONE AT EPHESUS, BUT ALMOST THROUGHOUT ALL ASIA. — The language of Demetrius, though, perhaps, betraying the exaggeration of alarm, confirms the statement of Acts 19:10 as to the extent of St. Paul’s labours. Pliny, in his Epistle to Trajan (_Epp._ x. 96), uses language, half a century later, w... [ Continue Reading ]
NOT ONLY THIS OUR CRAFT. — The English word conveys, perhaps, too much the idea of art. _Our business,_ or _our interests,_ would be a somewhat better equivalent. The Greek word is not the same as that so translated in Acts 19:25. THE TEMPLE OF THE GREAT GODDESS DIANA. — The adjective was one speci... [ Continue Reading ]
THEY WERE FULL OF WRATH, AND CRIED OUT. — Better, _they went on crying out,_ the tense implying continued action. GREAT IS DIANA OF THE EPHESIANS. — The cry was probably the usual chorus of the festivals of Artemis. Stress was now laid on the distinctive adjective, “Great she was, whoever might att... [ Continue Reading ]
THE WHOLE CITY WAS FILLED WITH CONFUSION. — The loud shouts from the quarter in which Demetrius and his workmen met would, of course, attract attention. A rumour would spread through the city that the company of strangers, who had been objects of curiosity and suspicion, were engaged in a conspiracy... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN PAUL WOULD HAVE ENTERED IN... — We almost see the impetuous zeal which urged the Apostle not to leave his companions to bear the brunt of the attack alone, and the anxious fear which made his friends eager to prevent a step which would probably endanger his own life without helping his friends.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND CERTAIN OF THE CHIEFS OF ASIA, WHICH WERE HIS FRIENDS. — Better, _Asiarchs._ The title was an official one, applied to the presidents of the games, who were selected from the chief cities of the province. The office was an annual one. They were ten in number, and the proconsul nominated one of t... [ Continue Reading ]
SOME THEREFORE CRIED ONE THING, AND SOME ANOTHER. — Better, _kept on crying._ The graphic character of the whole narrative makes it almost certain that it must have come from an eye-witness, or possibly from more than one. Aristarchus or Gaius, who travelled to Jerusalem with St. Luke (Luke 20:4), a... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THEY DREW ALEXANDER OUT OF THE MULTITUDE... — The fact that he was put forward by the Jews indicates, probably, that they were anxious to guard against the suspicion that they were at all identified with St. Paul or his companions. If we identify this Alexander with the “coppersmith” of 2 Timoth... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY KNEW THAT HE WAS A JEW. — Better, _when they recognised. _... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN THE TOWNCLERK HAD APPEASED THE PEOPLE... — The Greek word is the same as the “scribe” of the Gospels, and the familiar English expresses his function with adequate correctness. He was the keeper of the records and archives of the city. The title appears in many of the inscriptions in Mr. Wo... [ Continue Reading ]
SEEING THEN THAT THESE THINGS CANNOT BE SPOKEN AGAINST... — The language of the town-clerk has the ring of an official acceptance of the established _cultus_ rather than of any strong personal devotion. Such language has often been heard from the defenders of institutions which were almost on the ve... [ Continue Reading ]
THESE MEN, WHICH ARE NEITHER ROBBERS OF CHURCHES. — Better, _robbers of temples._ It was not unusual for the writers of the Elizabethan age to apply the term, which we confine to Christian buildings, to heathen temples. They would speak, _e.g.,_ of the “church” of Diana, or the “chapel” of Apollo. T... [ Continue Reading ]
THE LAW IS OPEN. — Literally, _the court,_ or _forum, days are going on._ The words may either indicate that the proconsul was then actually sitting to hold trials in the _agora_ or _forum,_ or may be taken as a colloquial idiom for “there are court days coming.” THERE ARE DEPUTIES. — The Greek word... [ Continue Reading ]
IT SHALL BE DETERMINED IN A LAWFUL ASSEMBLY. — Better, in _the_ lawful assembly. The argument is that, should the alleged grievance be one that called for legislative rather than judicial action, the matter would have to be referred to the regular meeting of the _ecclesia,_ which the town-clerk had... [ Continue Reading ]
WE ARE IN DANGER TO BE CALLED IN QUESTION. — The “we” as used to include the rioters. The “called in question” is the same verb as that rendered “implead” in Acts 19:38. There was a risk of which Demetrius and his party had to be reminded, that they might find themselves defendants, and not plaintif... [ Continue Reading ]