Acts 15:22

τότε ἔδοξε, then it seemed good. The expression is one often used in the official announcements of public resolutions, or decrees made by authority. (Cf. Herod. I. 3; Thuc. IV. 118.)

σὺν ὅλῃ τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ, with the whole Church. The decree was the voice of the whole Church, and the deputies sent were chosen by the whole body. So it is in the name of ‘apostles, and elder brethren’ that the letter runs (Acts 15:23).

ἐκλεξαμένους ἄνδρας ἐξ αὐτῶν πέμψαι, to choose men out of their own company and send them. The A.V. takes ἐκλεξαμένους as if it were ἐκλεχθέντας, and renders ‘chosen men’; but the middle voice implies that the council and Church, ‘choosing for themselves’ men, sent them forth. For the accusative participle following the dative which is required by ἔδοξε we have a parallel in Soph. Electra, 480, ὕπεστί μοι θράσος�, and see on similar constructions Elmsley on Heracl. 693; Medea, 810; cf. also Thuc. IV. 118, referred to above.

σὺν τῷ Παύλῳ καὶ Βαρνάβᾳ, with Paul and Barnabas. That the Church of Antioch might have the confirmation of the decree from the lips of others besides these two, for they might be supposed to favour especially all that was considerate towards Gentile converts.

Ἰούδαν τὸν καλούμενον Βαρσαββᾶν, Judas called Barsabbas. Of this man nothing more is known than what we learn from this chapter. But as Barsabbas is clearly a patronymic, it has been conjectured that he was the brother of Joseph, also called Barsabbas, mentioned in Acts 1:23.

Σίλαν, Silas. This is probably the same person who in St Paul’s Epistles (2 Corinthians 1:19; 1 Thessalonians 1:1; 2 Thessalonians 1:1) and by St Peter (1 Peter 5:12) is called Silvanus. For an account of similar contracted names cf. Winer-Moulton, pp. 127, 128. The mention of Silas is frequent in the Acts in this and the next three Chapter s. He was one of St Paul’s companions in the first missionary journey into Europe.