CHAPTER XV. _Certain teachers from Judea insist on the necessity of the_ _converted Gentiles being circumcised_, 1. _Paul and Barnabas are sent to Jerusalem to consult the apostles_ _on this subject_, 2. _They come to Jerusalem, and inform the apostles of the_ _conversion of the Gentiles; and... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:2. _NO SMALL DISSENSION AND DISPUTATION_] Paul and Barnabas were fully satisfied that God did not design to bring the converted Gentiles under the yoke of circumcision: they knew that Jesus Christ was the end of the law for righteousness (justification) to every one that believed, and... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:3. _BEING BROUGHT ON THEIR WAY BY THE CHURCH_] That is; the members of the Church provided them with all necessaries for their journey; for it does not appear that they had any property of their own. _DECLARING THE CONVERSION OF THE GENTILES_] Much stress is laid on this: it was a mir... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:4. _THEY WERE RECEIVED OF THE CHURCH_] The whole body of Christian believers. _THE APOSTLES_] Either the whole or part of the _twelve_; though we read of none but _John, Peter_, and _James_. See Galatians 2:9. _AND ELDERS_] Those who were _officers_ in the Church, under the apostles.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:5. _BUT THERE ROSE UP CERTAIN OF THE SECT OF THE PHARISEES_] This verse appears to be part of the declaration made by Paul and Barnabas to this council: for, having stated how God blessed their ministry among the Gentiles, they proceed to declare how all the good work was likely to be... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:6. _THE APOSTLES AND ELDERS CAME TOGETHER_] This was the first council ever held in the Christian Church; and we find that it was composed of the _apostles_ and _elders_ simply.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:7. _WHEN THERE HAD BEEN MUCH DISPUTING_] By those of the sect of the believing Pharisees; for they strongly contended for circumcision, and at the head of these, tradition tells us, was _Cerinthus_, a name famous in the primitive Church, as one who laboured to unite the law and the Go... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:8. _AND GOD WHICH KNOWETH THE HEARTS_] Ο καρδιογνωϚης Θεος. We had this epithet of the Divine Being once before; see Acts 1:24, and the note there: it occurs no where else in the New Testament. _BARE THEM WITNESS_] Considered them as proper or fit to receive the Gospel of Christ. It... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:9. _PUT NO DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US AND THEM_] Giving them the Holy Spirit, though _uncircumcised_, just as he had given it to us who were _circumcised_: an evident proof that, in the judgment of God, circumcision was _no preparation_ to receive the Gospel of Christ. And as the purificati... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:10. _NOW THEREFORE WHY TEMPT YE GOD_] A God, by giving the Holy Spirit to the Gentiles, evidently shows he does not design them to be circumcised, in order to become debtors to the law, to fulfill all its precepts, c., why will ye provoke him to displeasure by doing what he evidently d... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:11. _THROUGH THE GRACE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST WE SHALL BE_ _SAVED_] This seems to be an answer to an objection, "Has not God designed to save _us_, the Jews, by an _observance_ of the _law_; and _them_, the Gentiles, by the _faith_ of the _Gospel_?" No: for we Jews can be saved no ot... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:12. _ALL THE MULTITUDE KEPT SILENCE_] The strong facts stated by St. Peter could not be controverted. His speech may be thus analyzed: 1. Circumcision is a sign of the purification of the heart. 2. That purification can only be effected by the Holy Ghost. 3. This Holy Spirit was hit... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:13. _JAMES ANSWERED_] He was evidently _president_ of the council, and is generally called bishop of Jerusalem. The rest either _argued_ on the subject, or gave their _opinion_; James alone pronounced the _definitive sentence_. Had Peter been _prince_ and _head_ of the apostles, and o... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:14. _SIMEON HATH DECLARED_] It is remarkable that James does not give him even the _title_ which he received from our Lord at the time in which he is _supposed_ to have been made _head_ of the _Church,_ and _vicar_ of _Christ_ upon earth; so that, it is evident, James did not understan... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:15. _AND TO THIS AGREE THE WORDS OF THE PROPHETS_] Peter had asserted the _fact_ of the conversion of the Gentiles; and James shows that that fact was the fulfilment of declarations made by the prophets.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:16. _AFTER THIS I WILL RETURN, AND WILL BUILD AGAIN_, c.] These two verses, 16th and 17th, are quoted from Amos 9:11, nearly as they now stand in the best editions of the _Septuagint_, and evidently taken from that version, which differs considerably from the Hebrew text. As St. James... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:17. _THAT THE RESIDUE OF MEN MIGHT SEEK_] Instead of this, the Hebrew has, _That they may possess the remnant of Edom_. Now it is evident that, in the copy from which the Seventy translated, they found ידרשו _yidreshu, they might seek_, instead of יירשו _yireshu, they may possess_, wh... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:18. _KNOWN UNTO GOD ARE ALL HIS WORKS FROM THE BEGINNING_] As if he had said, This is not a new counsel of God: he had purposed, from the time he called the _Israelites_, to make the _Gentiles_ partakers of the same grace and mercy; and ultimately to destroy those rites and ceremonies... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:19. _WHEREFORE MY SENTENCE IS_] Διο εγω κρινω, _Wherefore I_ _judge_. There is an authority here that does not appear in the speech of St. Peter; and this authority was felt and bowed to by all the council; and the decree proposed by St. James adopted.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:20. _BUT THAT WE WRITE UNTO THEM_] Four things are prohibited in this decree: 1. Pollutions of idols; 2. fornication; 3. things strangled; 4. blood. By the _first_, POLLUTIONS _of_ IDOLS, or, as it is in Acts 15:25, _meats offered to idols_, not only all _idolatry_ was forbidden,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:21. _MOSES OF OLD TIME HATH IN EVERY CITY_] The sense of this verse seems to be this: As it was necessary to write to the _Gentiles_ what was strictly necessary to be observed by _them_, relative to these points, it was not so to the converted Jews; for they had _Moses_, that is, the _... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:22. _THEN PLEASED IT THE APOSTLES AND ELDERS, WITH THE_ _WHOLE CHURCH_] James determined _what_ ought to be done; and the whole assembly resolved _how_ that should be done. _CHOSEN MEN OF THEIR OWN COMPANY_] Paul and Barnabas were to return: they could have witnessed to the Church at... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:23. Send _GREETING UNTO THE BRETHREN - OF THE GENTILES_] There was no occasion to send such a letter to the brethren which were of the _Jews_, because that law which had been so long read in their synagogues taught them all those things; and therefore the epistle is sent exclusively to... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:24. _CERTAIN WHICH WENT OUT FROM US_] So the persons who produced these doubtful disputations at Antioch, c., had gone out from the apostles at Jerusalem, and were of that Church: persons zealous for the law, and yet, strange to tell, so conscientiously attached to the Gospel that they... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:26. _MEN THAT HAVE HAZARDED THEIR LIVES_] This was a high character of Paul and Barnabas: they had already suffered much in the cause of Christ, and exposed their lives to the most imminent danger, and were intent on the same work, notwithstanding the increasing dangers in the way.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:27. _JUDAS AND SILAS - SHALL - TELL_ YOU _THE SAME THINGS_] These were proofs that the testimony of Paul and Barnabas was true; and that the letter was not _forged_, as they could witness the same things which the letter contained.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:28. _FOR IT SEEMED GOOD TO THE HOLY GHOST, AND TO US_] The whole council had met under his _direction_; had consulted under his _influence_; and gave forth their decree from his especial _inspiration_. _NECESSARY THINGS_] They were _necessary_, howsoever burthensome they might appear;... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 29. _YE SHALL DO WELL._] But, if they did not keep themselves from these things, they would _do ill_; that is, they would _sin_ against God, whose Spirit had commanded them to keep from these things. And who can do any of these forbidden things, and keep either a _guiltless_ or a _tender_ cons... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 31. _THEY REJOICED FOR THE CONSOLATION._] It was not a matter of small moment to have a question on which such stress was laid decided by an apostolic council, over which the Spirit of God presided.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 32. _JUDAS AND SILAS, BEING PROPHETS_] That is, being _teachers_ in the Church. This signification of the word _prophet_ we have often already seen. See the notes on Acts 11:27; Acts 13:1. _EXHORTED THE BRETHREN_] To abide steadily attached to God, and to each other, in peace, love, and unity... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 33. _THEY WERE LET GO_] That is, both had liberty to depart; but Silas chose to stay a little longer with the brethren.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 34. _NOTWITHSTANDING IT PLEASED SILAS_, c.] This whole verse is wanting in ABEG, a great number besides, with the _Syriac,_ _Arabic, Coptic, Slavonic, Vulgate_, and some of the _fathers_. It does not appear to have been originally in the text.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 36. _LET US GO - AND VISIT OUR BRETHREN IN EVERY CITY_] This heavenly man projected a journey to _Cyprus, Pamphylia, Pisidia,_ _Lycaonia, Salamis, Paphos, Perga, Iconiam, Lystra, Derbe, Antioch_ in Pisidia, and elsewhere; for in all these places he had preached and founded Churches in the prec... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 37. _BARNABAS DETERMINED TO TAKE WITH THEM JOHN_] John Mark was his sister's son; and natural affection might have led him to the partiality here mentioned.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 38. _BUT PAUL THOUGHT NOT GOOD TO TAKE HIM WITH THEM_] On this subject, Acts 13:13, Acts 13:13.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 39. _THE CONTENTION WAS SO SHARP BETWEEN THEM_] For all this sentence, there is only in the Greek text εγενετο ουν παροξυσμος; _there was therefore a paroxysm_, an _incitement_, a _stirring up_, from παροξυνω, compounded of παρα, _intensive_, and οξυνω, _to_ _whet_, or _sharpen_: there was a... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:40. _BEING RECOMMENDED - UNTO THE GRACE OF GOD._] Much stress has been laid upon this, to show that Barnabas was in the _wrong_, and Paul in the _right_, because "the brethren recommended Paul and Silas to the grace of God; but they did not recommend Barnabas and John Mark: this prove... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 15:41. _CONFIRMING THE CHURCHES._] This was the object of his journey: they were young converts, and had need of establishment; and there is no doubt that, by showing them the decision made at the late council of Jerusalem, their faith was greatly strengthened, their hope confirmed, and t... [ Continue Reading ]