CHAPTER 16 THE SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (PAUL AND SILAS)—CONTINUED § 1. Paul and Silas in Lycaonia; or, Meeting with Timothy (Acts 16:1). § 2. Regions Beyond; or, the Vision of the Man of Macedonia (Acts 16:6). § 3. Paul and Silas in Philippi; or, the Gospel carried to Europe (Acts 16:11; Act... [ Continue Reading ]
_CRITICAL REMARKS_ Acts 16:1. DERBE AND LYSTRA (see Acts 14:6) are now visited by Paul and Silas in reverse order to that followed in the first journey. THERE meant Lystra, not Derbe, as has been wrongly inferred out of Acts 20:4. THE SON OF A CERTAIN WOMAN, etc., should be, _the son of a believing... [ Continue Reading ]
_CRITICAL REMARKS_ Acts 16:6. PHRYGIA AND THE REGION OF GALATIA should probably be, _the Phrygian and Galatian region_; but whether one or two distinct districts is intended is presently under debate. The commonly accepted interpretation (Hackett, Alford, Plumptre, Holtzmann, Zöckler, and others) ho... [ Continue Reading ]
_CRITICAL REMARKS_ Acts 16:12. THE CHIEF CITY OF THAT PART OF MACEDONIA, and A COLONY.—Better, _a city of Macedonia, the first of the district, a colony—i.e._, of Rome. Macedonia was divided into four parts; but whether “the first” meant “the first arrived at” (Winer, Zöckler, Lightfoot Alford), not... [ Continue Reading ]
_CRITICAL REMARKS_ Acts 16:14. LYDIA.—“Certainly a proper name, not a patronymic” (Zöckler). “She had probably become addicted to Jewish religious practices in her native city” (Ramsay). THYATIRA.—A town in Lydia, famous for its dyeing. Acts 16:15. COME INTO MY HOUSE, AND ABIDE THERE.—Up to this ti... [ Continue Reading ]
_CRITICAL REMARKS_ Acts 16:16. A CERTAIN DAMSEL POSSESSED WITH A SPIRIT OF DIVINATION.—Better, _a female slave_ (Galatians 4:22) _having the spirit of a pythoness_, or, according to superior authorities, _a spirit, a python_. “The python was the serpent worshipped at Dephi, as the symbol of wisdom,... [ Continue Reading ]
_CRITICAL REMARKS_ Acts 16:19. THE RULERS, ἄρχοντες, were the town magistrates (Luke 12:58). Acts 16:20. The MAGISTRATES, στρατηγοί, were the two chief civic authorities (dunmviri) in a Roman colony town, and were usually styled prætors. Acts 16:20. BEING JEWS—_i.e._, belonging to the despised rac... [ Continue Reading ]