Acts 13:1

CHAPTER XIII.

Of the prophets and teachers in the Church of Antioch, 1.

By command of the Holy Spirit the Church appoints Saul and

Barnabas to a particular work, 2, 3.

They depart, and travel to Seleucia, Cyprus, and Salamis,

preaching in the Jewish synagogues, 4, 5.

At Paphos they meet with Bar-Jesus or Elymas, a Jewish

sorcerer, who endeavoured to prevent the deputy of the island

from receiving the Christian faith, 6-8.

Saul, for the first time called Paul, denounces the judgments

of God upon him, and he is struck blind, 9-11.

The deputy, seeing this, is confirmed tn the faith, 12.

Paul and his company leave Paphos, and come to Pamphylia,

where John Mark leaves them, and returns to Jerusalem, 13.

Paul and Barnabas proceed to Antioch; and, coming into a

synagogue of the Jews, are requested by the rulers of it to

preach to the people, 14,15.

Paul preaches, and proves that Jesus is the Christ, 16-41.

The Gentiles desire the sermon to be preached to them the next

Sabbath, and many of the Jews and proselytes receive the

Christian faith, 42, 43.

The next Sabbath the whole city attend; and the Jews, filled

with envy, contradict and blaspheme, 44, 45.

Paul and Barnabas with great boldness show that, by the order

of God, the Gospel was to be preached first to them; but,

seeing they had rejected it, it should now be taken from them,

and sent to the Gentiles, 46, 47.

The Gentiles rejoice and receive the truth, 48, 49.

The Jews raise a persecution against the apostles, and expel

them, 50.

They come to Iconium, full of joy and the Holy Ghost, 51, 52.

NOTES ON CHAP. XIII.

Verse Acts 13:1. Certain prophets and teachers] προφηται και διδασκαλοι. It is probable that these were not distinct offices; both might be vested in the same persons. By prophets we are to understand, when the word is taken simply, persons who were frequently inspired to predict future events, and by teachers, persons whose ordinary office was to instruct the people in the Christian doctrine. These also, to be properly qualified for the office, must have been endued with the influence of the Holy Spirit; for, as but a very small portion of the Scriptures of the New Testament could have as yet been given, it was necessary that the teachers should derive much of their own teaching by immediate revelation from God. On prophets and teachers, see the note on Acts 11:27.

Barnabas] Of whom see before, Acts 11:22.

Simeon-Niger] Or Simeon the Black, either because of his complexion, or his hair. It was on reasons of this kind that surnames, surnoms, name upon name were first imposed. Of this Simeon nothing farther is known.

Lucius of Cyrene] See Acts 11:20.

Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod] Our margin has given the proper meaning of the original word συντροφος, a foster-brother; i.e. Manaen was the son of the woman who nursed Herod Antipas; and the son, also, whose milk the young Herod shared. Of a person whose name was Manaen or Menahem, and who was in the court of Herod, we read several things in the Jewish writers. They say that this man had the gift of prophecy, and that he told Herod, when he was but a child, that he would be king. When Herod became king he sent for him to his court, and held him in great estimation. It might have been the son of this Menahem of whom St. Luke here speaks. Dr. Lightfoot has shown this to be at least possible.