Acts 9:27

But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly at Damascus in the name of Jesus. BUT BARNABAS TOOK HIM, AND BROUGHT HIM TO THE APOSTLES - that is, to Peter and James; for "other of the apostles saw I none," says he to the Galatians (Galatians 1:18). Probably none of the other apostles were there at that time. 'Barnabas (says Howson) being of Cyprus, which was within a few hours' sail of Cilicia, and annexed to it as a Roman province, and Saul and he being Hellenistic Jews, and eminent in their respective localities, they may very well have been acquainted with each other before this.' However this may be, what is here said of Barnabas is in short consistency with the character given of him in...

27._When Barnabas had taken him. _Whereas the disciples fled so fast from Paul, that was, peradventure, a point of too great fearfulness, (621) and yet he speaketh of none of the common sort, but of the apostles themselves. But he doth either extenuate or lighten their fault, because they suspected him for just causes, whom they had found and tried (622) to be such a deadly enemy; and, it was to be feared, lest they should rashly endanger themselves if they should have showed themselves to be so easy to entreat. Therefore, I think that they are not to be blamed for that fear which they conceived for just cause, or that they deserve to be even accused for the same. For if they had been called to give an account of their faith, they would have provoked (623) not Paul only, but also all the furies of hell, without fear. Whence we gather that e

23-31 When we enter into the way of God, we must look for trials; but the Lord knows how to deliver the godly, and will, with the temptation, also make a way to escape. Though Saul's conversion was and is a proof of the truth of Christianity, yet it could not, of itself, convert one soul at enmity with the truth; for nothing can produce true faith, but that power which new-creates the heart. Believers are apt to be too suspicious of those against whom they have prejudices. The world is full of deceit, and it is necessary to be cautious, but we must exercise charity, 1 Corinthians 13:5. The Lord will clear up the characters of true believers; and he will bring them to his people, and often gives them opportunities of bearing testimony to his truth, before those who once witnessed their hatred to it. Christ now appeared to Saul, and ordered him to go quickly out of Jerusalem, for he must...

Verse Acts 9:27. _BARNABAS - BROUGHT HIM TO THE APOSTLES_] That is, to Peter and James; for _others of the apostles he saw none_, Galatians 1:19. It appears that he went up at this time to Jerusalem merely _to see_ _Peter, with whom he abode fifteen days_, Galatians 1:18. How it came that the apostles and Church at Jerusalem had not heard of Saul's conversion, which had taken place _three years_ before, is not easy to be accounted for. The following considerations may help; 1. It is certain that intelligence did not travel speedily in those primitive times; there were few open roads, and no regular posts, except those between military stations. 2. Though there were many _Jews_

BUT BARNABAS - See the notes on Acts 4:36. Barnabas was of Cyprus, not far from Tarsus, and it is not improbable that he had been before acquainted with Saul. TO THE APOSTLES - To Peter and James, Galatians 1:18. Probably the other apostles were at that time absent from Jerusalem. AND DECLARED UNTO THEM ... - It may seem remarkable that the apostles at Jerusalem had not before heard of the conversion of Saul. The following considerations may serve in some degree to explain this: (1) It is certain that contact between different countries was then much more difficult than it is now. There were no posts; no public conveyances; no mails; no telegraphs; nothing

EXPOSITION ACTS 9:1 _But _for _and, _A.V.; _breathing _for _breathing out, _A.V.; _threatening _for _threatenings, _A.V. THREATENING AND SLAUGHTER. The phrase ἐμπνέων ἀπειλῆς κ.τ.λ., is rather a difficult one, and is variously explained. Schleusner takes the genitives in "threatening and slaughter" as genitives of the thing desired, "punting after threatening and slaughter" (comp. Amos 2:7). Meyer explains it "out of the threatenings and murder [in his heart] breathing hard at the disciples"—an expression indicating passion. Alford, taking nearly the sense of the A.V., makes "threatenings and slaughter" to be as it were the very material of his breath, whether breathed out or breathed in. Considering that ἐμπνέω means "to br

BUT BARNABAS TOOK HIM, AND BROUGHT HIM TO THE APOSTLES,.... To Peter and James, the brother of our Lord, for no other apostles did he see at this time, Galatians 1:18. It is probable that Barnabas had been at Damascus, and had there related to him, the whole account of Saul's conversion and entrance on the ministry, which he gives a particular relation of, as follows: AND DECLARED UNTO THEM, HOW HE HAD SEEN THE LORD IN THE WAY; he told the apostles, Peter and James, how that Christ had appeared to him in person, as he was on his way to Damascus: AND THAT HE HAD SPOKEN TO HIM; and expostulated with him about his persecution of him in his members, and bid him go into the city, where it should be told him what he should do: AND HOW HE HAD PREACHED BOLDLY AT DAMASCUS IN THE NAME OF JESUS; that he had used great freedom of speech, and

Acts 9:1. _And Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high priest,-_ Notice that little word «yet.» «Saul yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord;» but there was to be a point beyond which he could not go. I pray God that there may be such a «yet» as that put into the histories of any here who are opposing God and his Christ. «Saul, yet breathing out threatenings and slaughter,» as if they were his very breath, as if he only lived to blaspheme the name of Christ, and to persecute his followers, «went unto the high priest,» Acts 9:2. _And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem._

CHAPTER 9 __ 1. The vision of Glory on the road to Damascus (Acts 9:1). 2. Instructions given to Ananias (Acts 9:10). 3. Saul filled with the Spirit, is baptized and preaches that Jesus is the Son of God (Acts 9:17). 4. Saul persecuted and back in Jerusalem (Acts 9:23). 5. Further Acts of Peter (Acts 9:32). The previous chapter must be looked upon in its main part as a parenthesis. The record now leads us back to the close of the seventh, and the person who was connected with the great tragedy enacted there is prominently brought n

PAUL AT JERUSALEM. This visit is understood to have taken place very shortly after Saul's conversion; the brethren there have not heard of his conversion, nor of his preaching in Damascus. Barnabas has to tell them of it. He associates freely with them, and preaches freely as a disciple of Jesus (in the name of the Lord); he also took the step, repeated again and again, of discussing, like Stephen (Acts 6:9), with Hellenists (_mg.)_ instead of addressing himself, as the apostles did, to the Jews. They, far from being conciliated, lay their plans for his destruction, and the brethren rescue him as had been done at Damascus; he is sent to Tarsus, his native city. The account in Galatians 1* is very different. After his conversion he held no converse with men but went to Arabia. From there he returned to Damascus, and after three years he went, for the first time after the conversion, to Je...