Acts 23:11

And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. And the night following - his heart perhaps sinking in the solitude of his barrack-ward, and thinking, perhaps, that all the predictions of danger at Jerusalem were now to be fulfilled in his death there, The Lord - THE LORD JESUS, his glorified but ever present Master, Stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, [Paul]. (This bracketed word is clearly not genuine.) For as thou hast testified of me, [diemarturoo (G1263) ta ( G3588 ) peri (G4012 ) Emou (G1700 )] - 'as thou hast thoroughly tes

− 11._And the night following. _Luke declareth that Paul was strengthened with an oracle, that he might stand courageously against terrible assaults when things were so far out of order. Surely it could not be but that he was sore afraid, and that he was sore troubled with the remembrance of things to come. Wherefore, the oracle was not superfluous. Those former things whereby he was taught that God cared for him, ought to have sufficed to nourish his hope, and to have kept him from fainting; but because in great dangers Satan doth oftentimes procure new fears, that he may thereby (if he cannot altogether overwhelm God’s promises in the hearts of the godly) at least darken the same with clouds, it is needful that the remembrance of them be renewed, that faith, being holpen with new props and stays, may stand more steadfastly. But the sum is, that Paul may behave himself boldly, because h...

6-11 The Pharisees were correct in the faith of the Jewish church. The Sadducees were no friends to the Scripture or Divine revelation; they denied a future state; they had neither hope of eternal happiness, nor dread of eternal misery. When called in question for his being a Christian, Paul might truly say he was called in question for the hope of the resurrection of the dead. It was justifiable in him, by this profession of his opinion on that disputed point, to draw off the Pharisees from persecuting him, and to lead them to protect him from this unlawful violence. How easily can God defend his own cause! Though the Jews seemed to be perfectly agreed in their conspiracy against religion, yet they were influenced by very different motives. There is no true friendship among the wicked, and in a moment, and with the utmost ease, God can turn their union into open enmity. Divine consolat...

Verse Acts 23:11. _BE OF GOOD CHEER, PAUL_] It is no wonder if, with all these trials and difficulties, St. Paul was much dejected in mind; and especially as he had not any direct intimation from God what the end of the present trials would be: to comfort him and strengthen his faith, God gave him this vision. _SO MUST THOU BEAR WITNESS ALSO AT ROME._] This was pleasing intelligence to Paul, who had long desired to see that city, and preach the Gospel of Christ there. He appears to have had an intimation that he should see it; but _how_, he could not tell; and this vision satisfied him that he should be sent thither by God himself. This would settle every fear and scruple concerning the issue of the present persecution....

THE LORD STOOD BY HIM - Evidently the Lord Jesus. See the notes on Acts 1:24. Compare Acts 22:18. The appearance of the Lord in this case was a proof that he approved the course which Paul had taken before the Sanhedrin. BE OF GOOD CHEER - It would not be remarkable if Paul, by these constant persecutions, should be dejected in mind. The issue of the whole matter was as yet doubtful. In these circumstances, it must have been especially consoling to him to hear these words of encouragement from the Lord Jesus, and this assurance that the object of his desires would be granted, and that he would be permitted to bear the same witness of him in Rome. Nothing else can comfort and sustain the soul in trials and persecutions but evidence of the approba

EXPOSITION ACTS 23:1 _Looking steadfastly on _for _earnestly beholding, _A.V.; _brethren _for _men and brethren, _A.V._; I have lived before God, _etc., for _I have lived, _etc., _before God, _A.V. LOOKING STEADFASTLY; ἀτενίσας, as in Acts 1:10; Acts 3:4, Acts 3:12; Acts 6:15; Acts 7:55; Acts 10:4;...

AND THE NIGHT FOLLOWING,.... The day in which Paul was brought before the sanhedrim, and pleaded his own cause before them, and had thrown them into confusion and division: THE LORD STOOD BY HIM; the Lord Jesus Christ appeared in a vision to him, and stood very near him, by the side of him, by the bed or couch on which he might lie: and said, BE OF GOOD CHEER, PAUL; though he was now a prisoner in the castle; and though the high priest, and the Sadducees especially, were enraged against him; and though a plot was about to be formed to take away his life; for this exhortation seems to be designed to prepare him for further trials, and to prevent discouragement under them; which shows the great care of Christ over him, his concern for him, and love to him: the word Paul is not in the Alexandrian copy, nor in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Ethiopic versions; but the calling him by name se...

ACTS 23:11. THE LORD APPEARS TO PAUL. This section is independent of the preceding scene; the testifying spoken of is in ch. 22, and the vision would stand quite well after Acts 22:29. The idea of Rome was in his mind (see Acts 19:21); the Lord makes his imprisonment appear as a road there, which it was....

THE STRATEGY OF PAUL (Acts 23:1-10)...

FOLLOWING. Greek. _epeimi._ See note on Acts 7:26. THE LORD. App-98. BE OF GOOD CHEER. Take courage. Greek. _tharseo_. Here; Matthew 9:2; Matthew 9:22; Matthew 14:27; Mark 6:50; Mark 10:49; Luke 8:48; John 16:33. PAUL. The texts omit. TESTIFIED. Greek. diamarturomai.