CHAPTER XVI. _Paul, coming to Derbe and Lystra, meets with Timothy, the son of_ _a Jewess by a Greek father, whom he circumcises and takes with_ _him into his work_, 1-3. _As they pass through the different cities, they deliver the_ _apostles' decrees to the Churches; and they are established i... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:2. _WHICH WAS WELL REPORTED OF_] These words are spoken of _Timothy_, and not of his _father_. At this time Timothy must have been very young; for, several years after, when appointed to superintend the Church at Crete, he appears to have been then so young that there was a danger of i... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:3. _TOOK AND CIRCUMCISED HIM_] For this simple reason, that the Jews would neither have heard him preach, nor would have any connection with him, had he been otherwise. Besides, St. Paul himself could have had no access to the Jews in any place, had they known that he associated with... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:4. _THEY DELIVERED THEM THE DECREES FOR TO KEEP_] Τα δογματα, τα κεκριμενα ὑπο των ΑποϚολων. Bishop Pearce contends that τα δογματα, _the decrees_, is a gloss which was not in the text originally; and that the τα κεκριμενα, the _judgments_ or _determinations_ of the apostles, was all... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:5. _AND SO WERE THE CHURCHES ESTABLISHED_] The disputations at Antioch, relative to circumcision, had no doubt spread far and wide among other Churches, and unhinged many. The decrees of the apostles came in good time, and prevented farther mischief: the people, saved from uncertainty,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:6. _WERE FORBIDDEN OF THE HOLY GHOST TO PREACH THE WORD IN_ _ASIA._] The Asia mentioned here could not be _Asia Minor_ in general, for Galatia, Phrygia, Pisidia, Lycaonia, and Pamphylia, were provinces of it, and in these the apostles preached; but it was what was called _Proconsular A... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:7. _AFTER THEY WERE COME TO MYSIA_] They passed through Phrygia into Mysia, which lay between Bithynia on the north, Phrygia on the east, AEolia on the south, and the Mediterranean on the west. _BUT THE SPIRIT SUFFERED THEM NOT_] God saw that that was not the most proper time to preac... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:8. _CAME DOWN TO TROAS._] The _Troad_, or part of Phrygia Minor in which the celebrated city of _Troy_ was formerly situated. This city was first built by _Dardanus_, who was its king, and from whom it was called _Dardania_; from _Tros_, his grandson, it was called _Troja_, or _Troy_;... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:9. _A VISION APPEARED TO PAUL IN THE NIGHT_] Whether this was in a _dream_, or whether a _representation_ made to the _senses_ of the apostle, we cannot tell. A man of Macedonia appeared to him, and made this simple communication, _Come over into Macedonia,_ _and help us_. Some suppos... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:10. _WE ENDEAVOURED TO GO INTO MACEDONIA_] This is the first place that the historian St. Luke refers to himself: _WE_ _endeavoured_, c. And, from this, it has been supposed that he joined the company of Paul, for the first time, at Troas. _ASSUREDLY GATHERING_] συμβιβαζοντες, Drawing... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:11. _LOOSING FROM TROAS_] Setting sail from this place. _WITH A STRAIGHT COURSE TO SAMOTHRACIA_] This was an island of the AEgean Sea, contiguous to _Thrace_, and hence called _Samothracia_, or the _Thracian Samos_. It is about twenty miles in circumference, and is now called _Samandr... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:12. _AND FROM THENCE TO PHILIPPI_] This was a town of Macedonia, in the territory of the _Edones_, on the confines of Thrace, situated on the side of a steep eminence. It took its name from Philip II., king of Macedon. It is famous for two battles, fought between the imperial army, com... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:13. _BY A RIVER SIDE, WHERE PRAYER WAS WONT TO BE MADE_] ου Οὑ ενομιζετο προσευχη ειναι, _where it was said there was a proseucha_. The proseucha was a _place_ of _prayer_, or a _place_ used for _worship_, where there was no synagogue. It was a large building uncovered, with seats, as... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:14. _LYDIA, A SELLER OF PURPLE_] She probably had her name from the province of _Lydia_, in which the city of _Thyatira_ was situated. The Lydian women have been celebrated for their beautiful purple manufactures. _WHICH WORSHIPPED GOD_] That is, she was a _proselyte_ to the Jewish re... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:15. _IF YE HAVE JUDGED ME TO BE FAITHFUL TO THE LORD_] The meaning seems to be this: If my present reception of the Gospel of Christ be a proof to you that I have been faithful to the Lord, in the light previously imparted, and that I am as likely to be faithful to this _new grace_ as... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:16. _AS WE WENT TO PRAYER_] εις προσευχην, _Into the_ _proseucha_: Acts 16:13, and Luke 6:12. The article, την, is added here by ABCE, several others, _Origen_ and _Theophylact_: thus makes the place more emphatic, and seems to determine the above meaning of προσευχην to be right-not t... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:17. _THESE MEN ARE THE SERVANTS_, c.] It is astonishing how such a testimony could be given in such a case every syllable of it _true_, and at the same time full, clear, and distinct. But mark the deep design and artifice of this evil spirit: 1. He well knew that the Jewish law abhorr... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:18. _PAUL, BEING GRIEVED_] Probably for the reasons assigned above. _TURNED-TO THE SPIRIT_] Not to the _woman_; she was only the _organ_ by which the spirit acted. _I COMMAND THEE, IN THE NAME OF JESUS_] Jesus is the _Saviour_; Satan is _Abaddon_ and _Apollyon_, the _destroyer_. The... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:19. _WHEN HER MASTERS SAW_] It appears she was maintained by some men, who received a certain pay from every person whose _fortune she told_, or to whom she made any _discovery_ of _stolen_ _goods_, c., c. _THE HOPE OF THEIR GAINS WAS GONE_] Ἡ ελπις, _This hope_ viz. the _spirit_. S... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:20. _BROUGHT THEM TO THE MAGISTRATES_] στρατηγοις, _The_ _commanders of the army_, who, very likely, as this city was a Roman colony, possessed the sovereign authority. The _civil magistrates_, therefore, having heard the case, as we shall soon find, in which it was pretended that the... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:21. _AND TEACH CUSTOMS_] εθη, Religious opinions, and religious rites. _WHICH ARE NOT LAWFUL FOR US TO RECEIVE_] The Romans were very jealous of their national worship. _Servius_, on the following lines of Virgil, has given us correct information on this point; and has confirmed what... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:22. _THE MULTITUDE ROSE UP TOGETHER_] There was a general outcry against them; and the magistrates tore off their clothes, and delivered them to the mob, commanding the lictors, or beadles, to beat them with rods, ραβδιζειν. This was the Roman custom of treating criminals, as _Grotius_... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:23. _LAID MANY STRIPES UPON THEM_] The Jews never gave more than thirty-nine stripes to any criminal; but the Romans had no law relative to this: they gave as many as they chose; and the apostles had, undoubtedly, the fullest measure. And perhaps St. Paul refers to this, where he says,... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:24. _THE INNER PRISON_] Probably what we would call the _dungeon_; the darkest and most secure cell. _MADE THEIR FEET FAST IN THE STOCKS._] The το ξυλον, which we here translate _stocks_, is supposed to mean two large pieces of wood, pierced with holes like our stocks, and fitted to e... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:25. _AT MIDNIGHT PAUL AND SILAS - SANG PRAISES_] Though these holy men felt much, and had reason to fear more, yet they are undismayed, and even happy in their sufferings: they were so fully satisfied that they were right, and had done their duty, that there was no room for regret or s... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:26. _THERE WAS A GREAT EARTHQUAKE_] Thus God bore a miraculous testimony of approbation to his servants; and, by the earthquake, and loosing the bonds of the prisoners, showed, in a symbolical way, the nature of that religion which they preached: while it shakes and terrifies the guilt... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:27. _THE KEEPER OF THE PRISON - WOULD HAVE KILLED HIMSELF_] Every jailor was made responsible for his prisoner, under the same penalty to which the prisoner himself was exposed. The jailor, awaking, and finding the prison-doors open, taking it for granted that all the prisoners had mad... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:28. _DO THYSELF NO HARM_] As it was now dark, being midnight, St. Paul must have had a Divine intimation of what the jailor was going to do; and, to prevent it, cried out aloud, _Do_ _thyself no harm, for we are all here_.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 29. _HE CALLED FOR A LIGHT_] That he might see how things stood, and whether the words of Paul were true; for on this his personal safety depended. _CAME TREMBLING_] Terrified by the earthquake, and feeling the danger to which his own life was exposed. _FELL DOWN BEFORE PAUL AND SILAS_] The... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 30. _BROUGHT THEM OUT_] Of the dungeon in which they were confined. _WHAT MUST I DO TO BE SAVED?_] Whether this regard personal or eternal safety, it is a question the most interesting to man. But it is not likely that the jailor referred here to his personal safety. He had seen, notwithstan... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 31. _BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS_] Receive the religion of Christ, which we preach, and let thy household also receive it, and ye shall be all placed in the sure way to final salvation.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 32. _AND THEY SPAKE UNTO HIM THE WORD OF THE LORD_] Thus, by teaching him and all that were in his house the _doctrine of the_ _Lord_, they plainly pointed out to them the way of salvation. And it appears that he and his whole family, who were capable of receiving instructions, embraced this... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 33. _WASHED THEIR STRIPES_] Ελουσεν απο των πληγων, _He_ _washed from the stripes_: i.e. he washed the _blood from_ the _wounds;_ and this would not require putting them into a _pool_, or _bath_, as some have ridiculously imagined.... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 34. _HE SET MEAT BEFORE THEM_] They were sufficiently exhausted, and needed refreshment; nor had the apostles any such inherent miraculous power as could prevent them from suffering through hunger, or enable them to heal their own grounds. As they were the instruments of bringing _health_ to h... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 35. _AND THE MAGISTRATES SENT THE SERGEANTS_] The original word, παβδουχους, means the _lictors_, persons who carried before the consul the _fasces_, which was a hatchet, round the handle of which was a bundle of _rods_ tied. Why the magistrates should have sent an order to dismiss the apostl... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 37. _THEY HAVE BEATEN US OPENLY - BEING ROMANS_] St. Paul well knew the Roman laws; and on their violation by the magistrates he _pleads_. The _Valerian_ law forbade any Roman citizen to be _bound_. The _Porcian_ law forbade any to be _beaten with rods_. "Poreia lex _virgas_ ab omnium civium... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse 38. _THEY FEARED WHEN THEY HEARD - THEY WERE ROMANS._] They feared, because the Roman law was so constituted that an insult offered to a citizen was deemed an insult to the whole Roman people. There is a remarkable addition here, both in the _Greek_ and _Latin_ of the _Codex Bezae_. It is as f... [ Continue Reading ]
Verse Acts 16:40. _ENTERED INTO_ THE HOUSE OF _LYDIA_] This was the place of their residence while at Philippi: see Acts 16:15. _THEY COMFORTED THEM, AND DEPARTED._] The magistrates were sufficiently humbled, and the public at large, hearing of this circumstance, must be satisfied of the innocency... [ Continue Reading ]