Acts 15:1. At Antioch some maintain that Gentile converts must be circumcised. A Mission to Jerusalem about the question. Reception of those who were sent The history now approaches that subject of controversy which was certain to arise as soon as Christianity spread beyond the limits of Palestine.... [ Continue Reading ]
_which came down from Judea_ The words of the new comers would derive authority from this. They would be received as the latest ordinance of the heads of the church at Jerusalem. Thus the mission of enquiry to Jerusalem was rendered necessary. _taught the brethren_ These were a mixed body, composed... [ Continue Reading ]
_When therefore Paul and Barnabas_ These Apostles would at once repeat their testimony of what "God had done with them" among the Gentiles, and thus become the opponents of the "men from Judæa." _dissension and disputation_ The authorities of best account give a simple instead of compound noun for... [ Continue Reading ]
_brought on their way_ It was not an uncommon mark of affection or respect that a part of the church at any place should attend its chief teachers for a short way on their journeys. (Cp. _infra_Acts 20:38; Acts 21:16.) And for the antiquity of the custom among the Jews, see Genesis 18:16, where Abra... [ Continue Reading ]
_they were received of the church_ "The church" is perhaps named first because there would on such a visit be an assembly of the whole Christian body to hear the story of the missionary labours of Paul and Barnabas before the question about which they had specially been sent from Antioch came to be... [ Continue Reading ]
_But there rose up_, &c. The margin of the A.V. takes this sentence as part of the narration of Paul and Barnabas, "there rose up, said they, certain, &c." But it is much more natural to consider them to be St Luke's account of what happened at Jerusalem. The teachers at Antioch had not been describ... [ Continue Reading ]
The Council at Jerusalem; the debate and the speech of Peter. Narration of the work of Barnabas and Paul 6. _And the apostles and elders came_( WERE GATHERED) _together_ These words refer to a formal summoning to discuss the difficult question which had been brought forward. That there was a space... [ Continue Reading ]
_much disputing_ [_R. V._ QUESTIONING] For the Pharisaic element would find its warmest supporters at Jerusalem. And it is to that party that the disputing must be ascribed, for it is plain, from the summing up of St James at the close of the discussion, that the other apostles were of the same mind... [ Continue Reading ]
_which knoweth the hearts_ The word is only here and in Acts 1:24, and on both occasions it is St Peter who uses it. Such witness could admit of no appeal; and God had put the uncircumcised on the same level with the circumcised by giving to them the same gifts of the Spirit.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And put no difference_ i.e. made no distinction. The Apostle looks on God's testimony to the Gentiles in two lights. What was given to the new converts was the same which had been given at the first outpouring of the Spirit. And God made no mark of distinction to sever Jews from Gentiles. Faith had... [ Continue Reading ]
_Now therefore_ When you have this evidence of how God has already accepted the Gentiles. _why tempt ye God_ Men are said "to tempt God" when they distrust his guidance, and in consequence disobey his revealed will (cp. Psalms 95:9). So the Jews _tempted_God in the wilderness (Hebrews 3:9) when they... [ Continue Reading ]
_But_ Translation fails to give the force of this conjunction. It implies an exhortation for which the remainder of the verse states the reason. But _cease now from such a course_, for we believe, &c. _through the grace of the Lord Jesus_ (The most ancient authorities omit _Christ_.) It is not to o... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then all the multitude_ Though the apostles and elders are alone mentioned (Acts 15:6) as coming together, it now appears that the assembly was a large one. _kept silence_ The authority with which he could speak through whom God had first opened the door of faith to the Gentiles must have silenced... [ Continue Reading ]
James sums up the discussion, and pronounces the decision of the Church on this Controversy 13. _James_ i.e. the brother of the Lord, and bishop of Jerusalem, see above on Acts 12:17. _Men and brethren_ See note on Acts 1:16. _hearken unto me_ The president's summary takes no note of the "much di... [ Continue Reading ]
_Simeon_( SYMEON)] This more Jewish form of the name of the Apostle Peter is found also at the commencement of St Peter's second Epistle. The Jews after they came to have much intercourse with Gentiles had frequently two forms of name, one of which was employed on religious and solemn occasions, the... [ Continue Reading ]
_And to this agree_ i.e. with this action on God's part the statements of His prophets are in harmony. They had foretold that it should be so. Only one prophet is here quoted, viz. Amos (Acts 9:11-12), but the audience would recall other like passages, as St Paul does Romans 15:9-12, quoting from th... [ Continue Reading ]
_After this_ Lit. _after these things_, (so _R. V._) It will be seen on reference to the words of Amos that the quotation here given is not made from the Hebrew, which is correctly represented by the A.V. in the book of Amos. Whether St James himself spoke at the synod in Greek, or St Luke has repre... [ Continue Reading ]
_might seek after the Lord_ The Hebrew of Amos differs widely here; and in the LXX. "the Lord" is not expressed. But the Spirit enabled St James to give the full interpretation of the prophetic words. The original paints the restored tabernacle, and of course the people of David restored along with... [ Continue Reading ]
_Wherefore my sentence is_ Lit. I DECIDE. The pronoun is emphatically expressed, and indicates that the speaker is deciding with authority. _that we trouble not them_ The verb is only found here in N. T., and signifies to trouble by putting obstacles in the way of another. Thus the idea of the spea... [ Continue Reading ]
_But that we write unto them_ The word is used primarily of a charge sent by a messenger, but also, as in Hebrews 13:22, is often used of what is sent by letter (and hence comes the English word _epistle_), and there can be little doubt that this is the sense in the present case, for though messenge... [ Continue Reading ]
_For Moses of old time_(lit. FROM GENERATIONS OF OLD) _hath in every city_, &c. Here we have the reason why these injunctions are to be laid upon the Gentile converts. It is necessary however to take the whole verse into consideration before we can decide on the force of the reason. Laying stress ch... [ Continue Reading ]
Answer and deputation sent from Jerusalem. The letter of the Synod to the Christians of Antioch 22. _Then pleased it_ The word is one often used in the official announcements of what has been decreed by authority, or of public resolutions (cp. Herod. i. 3; Thuc. iv. 118, &c.). So the more formal re... [ Continue Reading ]
_And they wrote letters by them after this manner_ From the form in which the document is here given, we should judge that the original was in Greek. A translation from a Hebrew original would hardly have begun with a greeting and ended with "Fare ye well." It seems likely that this was so too, beca... [ Continue Reading ]
_which went out_ These words are not represented in the Greek of some MSS., but they seem to give force to the history. The disturbing teachers had come from Jerusalem, but their want of any authority is contrasted strongly with the commission of Judas and Silas (Acts 15:27). The first men _went_of... [ Continue Reading ]
_being assembled with one accord_ The words may be so rendered and passage be compared with Acts 2:1; Acts 4:24; Acts 5:12. But in those passages there is only the substantive verb εἰμὶ, while here γίγνεσθαι has its proper sense of "becoming." It seems therefore better and more accordant with the se... [ Continue Reading ]
_Men that have hazarded their lives_ What the English sentence leaves uncertain the Greek makes quite plain, viz. that these words refer to Barnabas and Paul and to the many dangers into which their first missionary journey had brought them (cp. Acts 13:50; Acts 14:2; Acts 14:5; Acts 14:19). _for t... [ Continue Reading ]
_by mouth_ The Greek has _by word_. Our modern phrase com bines the two, _by word of mouth_, and is given in _R. V._... [ Continue Reading ]
_For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us_ A third time in this clause of the narrative from 22 29 does this official word occur, from which is derived the noun _dogma_. It had been promised that to the Apostles there should be given the Spirit of truth, who should guide them into all truth ... [ Continue Reading ]
_ye shall do well_ Not "ye shall be doing what is right," but "it shall be well with you" (_R.V._), "you shall be in a good state." _Fare ye well_ This termination and the _greeting_at the commencement of the letter are in the style of Western epistolary language. See above on Acts 15:23.... [ Continue Reading ]
Reception of the letter and messengers at Antioch. Departure of Judas. Silas continues in Antioch 30. _came to Antioch_ An early reading preferred by recent editors is _came down_, as in Acts 8:5, Jerusalem being regarded as the chief seat of church-government, and the centre of authority. Througho... [ Continue Reading ]
_rejoiced for the consolation_ Barnabas "the son of consolation" (Acts 4:36) was a fit member of such an embassy. The consolation would be felt both by Jews and Gentiles, by the former because they knew how much was to be asked of their Gentile fellow-worshippers, by the latter because they were dec... [ Continue Reading ]
_being prophets also themselves_ "Prophet" is here used in the earlier and less special sense; not as one who foretells the future, but who, being filled with the Spirit, speaks with His authority in explanation of the will of God. Judas and Silas being thus endowed were well fitted to exhort and co... [ Continue Reading ]
_they were let go in peace_ This is the translation of a Hebrew expression, and does not signify -they were allowed to go quietly away," but "in peace" means "with a blessing or prayer for peace, as a parting word." _unto the apostles_ The oldest MSS. read "_unto those that had sent them forth_." S... [ Continue Reading ]
This verse is omitted in many ancient MSS., and in others the Greek words vary. It may very well be a marginal note placed to explain Acts 15:40, where Paul, who did not leave Antioch, is said to have chosen Silas for his companion in his next journey. Silas therefore must have remained in Antioch a... [ Continue Reading ]
_teaching and preaching the word of the Lord_ In such a community there was need not only of setting forth Jesus as the Saviour, but of much instruction concerning the ways in which God had shewn that the Gentiles were now to be made partakers of the new covenant. So that the two verbs should not be... [ Continue Reading ]
_visit our brethren_ The oldest MSS. omit the pronoun, and read _the brethren_only. So _R. V._... [ Continue Reading ]
A new Mission-journey proposed. Contention between Paul and Barnabas. They separate, and Paul with Silas goes through Syria and Cilicia... [ Continue Reading ]
_And Barnabas determined_ The Greek of the best MSS. gives a weaker verb "wished." The reason of Barnabas" choice was probably because Mark was his nephew (Colossians 4:10). _R. V._renders "was minded." _whose surname was_ The Greek is merely "who was called.... [ Continue Reading ]
_who departed from them_ See above Acts 13:14. He turned back to Jerusalem from Perga.... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the contention was so sharp, … that_, &c. More literally (with _R. V._), _And there arose a sharp contention so that_, &c. The Greek word (from which our English _paroxysm_comes) intimates a temporary rather than a prolonged dispute, although it may for the time be severe. The result to the chu... [ Continue Reading ]
_being recommended_ The more usual word in this sense in modern English is COMMENDED. (_R. V._) _unto the grace of God_ The best MSS. have "grace of the Lord.... [ Continue Reading ]
_Syria and Cilicia_ These were the districts in which the teaching of the Judaizers had been most active, and the presence of Paul, with Silas as a representative of the church in Jerusalem, would allay all doubts and questionings, and lead to those results which are mentioned Acts 16:5, the establi... [ Continue Reading ]