Acts 13:9

Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, THEN SAUL, (WHO ALSO IS [CALLED] PAUL) - and henceforward Paul only. The practice of giving second names, which sometimes absorbed the first, is of old standing. Many explanations have been given of the change in this case from Saul to Paul. Jerome's one (adopted by Augustine and several modern critics) - that it was designed to commemorate the conversion of the proconsul, whose surname was Paulus-seems to us a poor one; nor does the historian mention the change in connection with this, but rather with the withering address to Elymas. That it was intended (as Bengel and others think) as an allusion to his insignificance of stature and appearance () - the word signifying 'little'-is, in our judgment, not probable. The most natural explanation seems to be, that by...

9._And Saul, who was also called Paul. _Luke showeth now how God brake the bond wherein the deputy was bound. For seeing that he was too much addicted to the magician, he could not embrace true doctrine as one that was free and at liberty; for the devil keepeth those minds (which he hath entangled) in his slavery after a wonderful and incredible manner, that they cannot see even the most plain truth; but so soon as he was once vanquished, Paul could easily enter in unto the deputy. And mark what Luke saith, that _the faith _is overthrown when the word of God is resisted. Whence we may gather that faith is so grounded in the word, that without this shore (785) it fainteth at every assault; yea, that it is nothing else but the spiritual building of the word of God....

4-13 Satan is in a special manner busy with great men and men in power, to keep them from being religious, for their example will influence many. Saul is here for the first time called Paul, and never after Saul. Saul was his name as he was a Hebrew; Paul was his name as he was a citizen of Rome. Under the direct influence of the Holy Ghost, he gave Elymas his true character, but not in passion. A fulness of deceit and mischief together, make a man indeed a child of the devil. And those who are enemies to the doctrine of Jesus, are enemies to all righteousness; for in it all righteousness is fulfilled. The ways of the Lord Jesus are the only right ways to heaven and happiness. There are many who not only wander from these ways themselves, but set others against these ways. They commonly are so hardened, that they will not cease to do evil. The proconsul was astonished at the force of th...

Verse Acts 13:9. _SAUL, WHO ALSO_ IS - _PAUL_] This is the first time the name Paul occurs, and the last time in which this apostle is called Saul, as his common or general name. _Saul_, שאול Shaul, was the name of the first Israelitish king, and signifies _asked, sought_; from שאל _shaal_, he asked, inquired, c. _Paul, Paulus_, if derived from the Latin, signifies _little,_ _dwarfish_: but if from the Hebrew, פלא _pala_, it signifies _extraordinary, wonderful_ and this appears to have been the derivation assigned to it by _St. Jerome_, com. in Ep. Pauli ad Philem., who translates it _mirabilis_, wonderful, and _Hesychius_ must have had the same in view, for he defines it thus, Παυλος, θαυμαστος, ηεκλεκτος, συμβουλος, Paul, wonderful, or elect, counsellor. The lexicographer had probably

}THEN SAUL, (WHO IS ALSO CALLED PAUL) - This is the last time that this apostle is called “Saul.” Henceforward, he is designated by the title by which he is usually known, as “Paul.” When, or why, this change occurred in the name, has been a subject on which commentators are not agreed. From the fact that the change in the name is here first intimated, it would seem probable that it was first used in relation to him at this time. By whom the name was given him whether he assumed it himself, or whether it was first given him by Christians or by Romans - is not intimated. The name is of Roman origin. In the Latin language the name Paulus signifies little, dwarfish; and some have conjectured that it was given by his parents to denote that he was small when born; others, that it was assumed or conferred in subsequent years because he was little in stature. The name is not of the same signifi...

EXPOSITION ACTS 13:1 _At Antioch., in the Church that was there _for _in the Church that was at Antioch, _A.V.; _prophets, _etc., for _certain prophets, _etc., A.V. and T.R.; _Barnabas, _etc., for _as Barnabas, _etc., A.V.; _Symeon _for _Simeon, _A.V.; _the foster-brother of _for _which had_ _been brought up with, _A.V. AT ANTIOCH, IN THE CHURCH, etc. Κατὰ τὴν οὖσαν ἐκκλησίαν rather means "the existing Church," just as at αἱ οὖσαι ἐξουσίαι_ _means "the existing powers," "the powers that be," in Romans 13:1, A.V. and T.R. _The then Church _seems mere the meaning than _the Church there. _Luke writes from the standpoint of

THEN SAUL (WHO ALSO IS CALLED PAUL),.... He was called by both these names; as he was a Jew by birth, his parents called him Saul, that was his Jewish name, and by which he went among the Jews; and as he was a citizen of a Roman city, Tarsus in Cilicia, he went among the Romans, or Gentiles, by the name of Paul, a Roman name; and it was usual with the Jews to be called after this manner, that is, to have one name among themselves, and another among the Gentiles: it is a rule with them n, that "the Israelites out of the land, their names are as the names of the Gentiles;'' yea, their names differed in Judea and Galilee; a woman went by one name in Judea, and another in Galilee o: and it is observable, that Luke calls the apostle by his Jewish name Saul, whilst he was among the Jews, and only preached among them; but now he is got among the Gentiles, and was about to appear openly to be...

PART III The Witness to the Gentiles. The Apostle to the Gentiles; his Ministry and Captivity. Chapter s 13-28 CHAPTER 13 _ 1. The Divine Choice. Barnabas and Saul separated unto the work (Acts 13:1)._ 2. The Beginning of the Journey and the events in Cyprus (Acts 13:4). 3. The Gospel in Galatia. Paul's Address (Acts 13:13). 4. The Gospel rejected by the Jews (Acts 13:42). The thirteenth chapter is the beginning of the third part of this book. The second great center of Christianity comes to the front. It is no longer Jerusalem, but the city of Antioch. The gospel which had been preached in

SUCCESSES IN CYPRUS. Acts 13:4. went down: the usual phrase in connexion with a seaport. SELEUCIA is the port of Antioch, about sixteen miles from it. Acts 13:5. Salamis is the eastern port of Cyprus. IN THE SYNAGOGUES: this was the natural procedure for a Jew with a message bearing on the faith and on the salvation of his race. Ac. develops later a theory as to Paul's practice in addressing Jew and Gentile; the fact as told here may be accepted. What was Mark's function as their attendant? The synagogue was fully supplied with officials, and no services elsewhere are spoken of. Acts 13:6. Paphos is at the W. end of the island, and there Paul, like Peter on his first mission among Gentiles ...

THE FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY (Acts 13:1-3) Acts 13:1-52; Acts 14:1-28 tell the story of the first missionary journey. Paul and Barnabas set out from Antioch. Antioch was 15 miles up the River Orontes so that they actually sailed from Seleucia, its port. From there they went across the sea to Cyprus where they preached at Salamis and Paphos. From Paphos they sailed to Perga in Pamphylia. Pamphylia was a low-lying coastal province and they did not preach there because it did not suit Paul's health. They struck inland and came to Antioch in Pisidia. When things grew too dangerous there they went 90 miles further on to Iconium. Once again their lives were threatened and they moved on to Lystra, about 20 miles away. A