Acts 15:17

That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. THAT THE RESIDUE OF MEN - those outside the pale of the Jewish economy, MIGHT SEEK AFTER THE LORD, AND ALL THE GENTILES, UPON WHOM MY NAME IS (OR 'HAS BEEN') CALLED [ epikekleetai (G1941)] - all the Gentiles who, on their believing, should have His name called on them, or, as being now "fellow-citizens with the saints" should be called by his name, SAITH THE LORD, WHO DOETH [ALL] THESE THINGS. The word "all" here seems clearly a late addition to the text....

− 17._That those which remain may seek. _James added this word _seek _by way of exposition, which is not found nor read in the prophet; and yet it is not superfluous, because, to the end we may be numbered among the people of God, and that he may take us for his own, we must, on the other side, [in our turn,] be encouraged to seek him. And it is to be thought that Luke did summarily comprehend those things whereof James did dispute in his own language among the Jews; whereby it came to pass that the exposition of the matter was mixed with the words of the prophet. Instead of the _relics of the Gentiles _which Amos useth, Luke, out of the Greek translation, (which was more familiar,) putteth the _rest of the men _in the same sense, to wit, that there must go before the purging of the filthiness of the world a cutting, or paring, as it came to pass. And this doctrine must be also applied u...

7-21 We see from the words "purifying their hearts by faith," and the address of St. Peter, that justification by faith, and sanctification by the Holy Ghost, cannot be separated; and that both are the gift of God. We have great cause to bless God that we have heard the gospel. May we have that faith which the great Searcher of hearts approves, and attests by the seal of the Holy Spirit. Then our hearts and consciences will be purified from the guilt of sin, and we shall be freed from the burdens some try to lay upon the disciples of Christ. Paul and Barnabas showed by plain matters of fact, that God owned the preaching of the pure gospel to the Gentiles without the law of Moses; therefore to press that law upon them, was to undo what God had done. The opinion of James was, that the Gentile converts ought not to be troubled about Jewish rites, but that they should abstain from meats off...

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_, where the whole difference between the two words is the change of the י _yod_ for a ד _daleth_, which might be easily done; and they found אדם _adam, man_, or _men_, instead of אדום _Edom_, the _Idumeans_, which differs from the other only by the insertion of ו _vau_ between the two last letters. None of the MSS. collated by _Kennicott_ and _De Rossi_ confirm these readings, in which the _Septuagint, Arabic_, and St. _James_ agree. It shows, however, that even in Jerusalem, and in the early part of the apostolic age, the Septu...

THAT THE RESIDUE OF MEN - This verse is quoted literally from the Septuagint, and differs in some respects from the Hebrew. The phrase, “the residue of men,” here is evidently understood, both by the Septuagint and by James, as referring to others than Jews, to the Gentiles the rest of the world - implying that many of them would be admitted to the friendship and favor of God. The Hebrew is, “that they may possess the remnant of Edom.” This change is made in the Septuagint by a slight difference in the reading of two Hebrew words. The Septuagint, instead of the Hebrew וירשׁו w-y-r-sh-w, shall inherit, read ודרשׁו w-d-r-sh-w, shall seek of thee; and instead of אדום 'd-w-m, Edom, they read אדם '̇̀̇d-m, man, or mankind; that is, people. Why this variation occurred cannot be explained; but the sense is not materially different. In the H

EXPOSITION ACTS 15:1 _Came down … and taught _for _which came down_ …_ taught, _A.V.; _saying _for _and said, _A.V._; custom _(ἔθος) for _manner, _A.V. EXCEPT YE BE CIRCUMCISED, etc. The question thus raised nearly effected the disruption of the Church, and was the most serious controversy that had yet arisen. If the views broached by these Judaean Christians had prevailed, the whole character of Christianity would have been changed, and its existence probably cut short. How great the danger was appears from even Peter and Barnabas having wavered in their opinion. (For St. Paul's treatment of the subject, see Romans 2:25, etc.; 4.;...

THAT THE RESIDUE OF MEN MIGHT SEEK AFTER THE LORD,.... The rebuilder and proprietor of this tabernacle, and who dwells in it; that is, attend his worship, pray unto him, and seek unto him for life and salvation: in Amos these are called, "the remnant of Edom": and design the remnant according to the election of grace among the Gentiles; the Jews generally call all other nations, and especially the Roman empire, Edom: AND ALL THE GENTILES UPON WHOM MY NAME IS CALLED; for God is the God of the whole earth, of the Gentiles as well as of the Jews; and his Gospel was now spread among them, and many of them were converted and called Christians, and the children and people of God: the Jews x understand this of the people of Israel, who are called by the name of the Lord, or on whom his name is called; and some think the words are to be transposed y thus, "that Israel on whom my name is called...

LORD Jehovah. (Acts 15:16); (Acts 15:17); (Amos 9:11); (Amos 9:12)....

ACTS 15:17-18 tau/ta gnwsta. avpV aivw/noj {B} Since the quotation from Amos 9:12 ends with tau/ta, the concluding words are James’s comment. The reading gnwsta. avpV aivw/noj, however, is so elliptical an expression that copyists made various attempts to recast the phrase, rounding it out as an independent sentence. Acts 15:20, Acts 15:29;...

CHAPTER 15 _ 1. The false teachers from Judea. Paul and Barnabas sent to Jerusalem (Acts 15:1)._ 2. The Council in Jerusalem (Acts 15:6). 3. The Result made known (Acts 15:22). 4. The Consolation brought to Antioch (Acts 15:30). 5. Paul and Barnabas separate (Acts 15:36). A very critical time had now arrived for the church. An important question had to be settled. That Gentiles can be saved and salvation must be extended to the Gentiles had been fully demonstrated. The Apostle of the circumcision, Peter, had been used to prea