AND THE APOSTLES AND BRETHREN THAT WERE IN JUDEA,.... The rest of the twelve apostles, and the private members of the churches that were in Judea, for there were in it now more churches than that at Jerusalem, Acts 9:31 HEARD THAT THE GENTILES HAD ALSO RECEIVED THE WORD OF GOD; as well as Samaria,... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN PETER WAS COME UP TO JERUSALEM,.... From Caesarea, after he had stayed some certain days in Cornelius's house; so a journey from Caesarea to Jerusalem is called an ascending from the one to the other, Acts 25:1 because Jerusalem stood on higher ground, as well as was the metropolis of the c... [ Continue Reading ]
SAYING, THOU WENTEST INTO MEN UNCIRCUMCISED,.... Into the houses of such, and lodged with them, and familiarly conversed with them: AND DIDST EAT WITH THEM; which, according to the traditions of the Jews, were unlawful; Acts 10:28 they say nothing about his preaching to them, and baptizing them, be... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT PETER REHEARSED THE MATTER FROM THE BEGINNING,.... Of the vision at Joppa; AND EXPOUNDED IT BY ORDER UNTO THEM; or related every particular, in a very methodical and orderly manner: he did not insist upon his authority as an apostle, and much less pretended to a primacy to the rest of the apost... [ Continue Reading ]
I WAS IN THE CITY OF JOPPA,.... And so it is called by Josephus w, and in the Apocrypha: "And he pitched his tents against Joppa: but; they of Joppa shut him out of the city, because Apollonius had a garrison there.'' (1 Maccabees 10:75) "The men of Joppa also did such an ungodly deed: they prayed... [ Continue Reading ]
UPON THE WHICH WHEN I HAD FASTENED MINE EYES,.... Not of his body, but of his mind; for this was only in vision presented to him, when he was as Paul was, not knowing whether in the body or out of it: I CONSIDERED: being intent upon this object, he considered in his mind what it was, and what it sh... [ Continue Reading ]
AND I HEARD A VOICE SAYING UNTO ME,.... As he apprehended in his mind; and this voice he heard in the same sense and manner, as the Apostle Paul heard when in a trance, Acts 22:17. ARISE, PETER, SLAY AND EAT; that is, get up and slay some of these creatures upon the sheet, and dress them and eat th... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT I SAID, NOT SO, LORD,.... For he took the voice he heard to be the voice of the Lord, and yet he was not obedient to the heavenly vision, and even though he was an hungry; which shows what a strict observer he was of the ceremonies of the law, and how much he was prejudiced in favour of them: F... [ Continue Reading ]
BUT THE VOICE ANSWERED ME AGAIN FROM HEAVEN,.... From whence the former voice came, and was the voice of the Lord, or of an angel of the Lord, and which answered him again, or A SECOND TIME; not that it said to him a second time kill and eat, but what follows; WHAT GOD HATH CLEANSED, THAT CALL NOT... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THIS WAS DONE THREE TIMES,.... That is, the voice from heaven answered three times, and encouraged Peter to kill and eat; and so the Ethiopic version renders it, "and he likewise said unto me the third time"; the words as before: AND ALL WERE DRAWN UP AGAIN INTO HEAVEN; the sheet with all the c... [ Continue Reading ]
AND BEHOLD, IMMEDIATELY,.... The moment the vision was over; THERE WERE THREE MEN ALREADY COME UNTO THE HOUSE WHERE I WAS; they stood before the gate, as in Acts 10:17 and as the Syriac and Ethiopic here have it, and were inquiring for Peter, whether he lodged there; and these men were SENT FROM C... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE SPIRIT BADE ME GO WITH THEM, NOTHING DOUBTING,.... Acts 10:20, MOREOVER, THESE SIX BRETHREN ACCOMPANIED ME; it seems by this, that the six brethren that went along with Peter from Joppa to Caesarea, came also with him from thence to Jerusalem, and were now present, whom he points to; so th... [ Continue Reading ]
AND HE SHOWED US HOW HE HAD SEEN AN ANGEL IN HIS HOUSE,.... The clause, "in his house", is very appropriately put; for since an angel had entered into his house, it could not be criminal in Peter, and the six brethren, to follow him. In one place he is called a man, and in another place an angel; se... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO SHALL TELL THEE WORDS,.... Preach doctrines, such as relate to the person and office of Christ, to peace and pardon, and righteousness and salvation by him; such as Peter did preach, as appears by his discourse in the preceding chapter: WHEREBY THOU AND ALL THY HOUSE SHALL BE SAVED; that is, wh... [ Continue Reading ]
AND AS I BEGAN TO SPEAK,...., That is, whilst he was speaking; the word "begin" with Luke, both, in his Gospel and in this history, is used not to denote the time or order of any action, but the thing itself; as in Luke 4:21 for otherwise it was towards the close, and not at the beginning of his dis... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN REMEMBERED I THE WORD OF THE LORD, HOW THAT HE SAID,.... Just before his ascension, Acts 1:5. JOHN INDEED BAPTIZED WITH WATER, BUT YE SHALL BE BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY GHOST; as they were on the day of Pentecost, and as now Cornelius and his family were; and since they had the greater baptism, t... [ Continue Reading ]
FORASMUCH THEN AS GOD GAVE THEM THE LIKE GIFT,.... Of the Spirit, of speaking with divers tongues: AS HE DID UNTO US; THE APOSTLES: WHO BELIEVED ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST: which clause stands either connected with "us" the apostles, and so is descriptive of them who first believed in Christ, and bec... [ Continue Reading ]
WHEN THEY HEARD THESE THINGS,.... Peter's vision at Joppa, and Cornelius's at Caesarea, and the wonderful pouring forth of the Spirit upon these Gentiles under Peter's sermon: THEY HELD THEIR PEACE; and ceased contending and disputing with Peter, or blaming him for his conduct; for otherwise they w... [ Continue Reading ]
NOW THEY WHICH WERE SCATTERED ABROAD,.... These were not the apostles, but the other ministers of the word; see Acts 8:1 who were dispersed UPON THE PERSECUTION THAT AROSE ABOUT STEPHEN; his preaching and miracles, his oration in defence of himself, and his death: these TRAVELLED AS FAR AS PHENICE... [ Continue Reading ]
AND SOME OF THEM WERE MEN OF CYPRUS,.... That is, some of the preachers, that were scattered abroad, were Jews born at Cyprus: such was Barnabas particularly, Acts 4:36 though he was not among these, as appears from Acts 11:22 "and Cyrene"; such were Simon that carried the cross after Christ, and hi... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THE HAND OF THE LORD WAS WITH THEM,.... Not only his hand of providence, which brought them thither, and protected them; and his hand of love, grace and mercy, which was upon them, and supplied them with gifts and grace, and everything necessary for them; and his hand of wisdom, which guided and... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN TIDINGS OF THESE THINGS,.... Of the spread of the Gospel in several parts, and the success of it in the conversion of sinners, especially at Antioch: CAME UNTO THE EARS OF THE CHURCH WHICH WAS IN JERUSALEM; these tidings were brought to the apostles and brethren there, by messengers which the... [ Continue Reading ]
WHO WHEN HE CAME, AND HAD SEEN THE GRACE OF GOD,.... The many instances of the powerful and efficacious grace of God in regeneration and conversion; the great goodness, love, and favour of God in enlightening, quickening, and converting so many souls; and the wonderful gifts of the Spirit bestowed u... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR HE WAS A GOOD MAN,.... He had the grace of God wrought in his soul, and did good works; he was very kind, and generous, and charitable; he sold what land he had, and gave the money to the apostles, for the use of the community, Acts 4:37 AND FULL OF THE HOLY GHOST, AND OF FAITH; he was full of... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN DEPARTED BARNABAS TO TARSUS,.... "In Cilicia" to seek Saul; who had been sent thither by the brethren that he might escape the rage of the Grecians, who sought to slay him, Acts 9:29.... [ Continue Reading ]
AND WHEN HE HAD FOUND HIM, HE BROUGHT HIM TO ANTIOCH,.... That he might be useful in directing, and assisting in settling this new and numerous church; in the establishing the members of it, and in putting them into Gospel order, and in a method to secure and maintain peace, especially as they might... [ Continue Reading ]
AND IN THESE DAYS CAME PROPHETS FROM JERUSALEM TO ANTIOCH., That is, some time in that year that Saul and Barnabas were at Antioch, there came from Jerusalem thither some Christian prophets; for such there were in the Christian church, who had not only a gift of expounding the more mysterious prophe... [ Continue Reading ]
AND THERE STOOD UP ONE OF THEM NAMED AGABUS,....] The same name with Hagaba in Ne 7:48 and with Hagabah, or Hagab in Ezra 2:45 and which the Septuagint there call Agaba and Agab. The name signifies a "grasshopper", Leviticus 11:22 or "a locust", 2 Chronicles 7:13. In a book that goes under the name... [ Continue Reading ]
THEN THE DISCIPLES,.... That were at Antioch, EVERY MAN ACCORDING TO HIS ABILITY; whether rich or poor, master or servant, everyone according to the substance he was possessed of; whether more or less, which was a good rule to go by: DETERMINED TO SEND RELIEF TO THE BRETHREN WHICH DWELT IN JUDEA; e... [ Continue Reading ]
WHICH THEY ALSO DID,.... They not only determined, but they put their resolutions into execution, and acted according to a rule which the apostle recommends, 2 Corinthians 8:11 AND SENT IT TO THE ELDERS; to the apostles; for though there were deacons there, yet they chose to send it to them, that t... [ Continue Reading ]