_There were in the church at Antioch certain prophets and teachers_ Some of them, it seems, the stated pastors of the church, and some only occasionally resident there: Paul and Barnabas were of the latter. _Manaen_, who _had been brought up with Herod_ His foster- brother, now freed from the tempta... [ Continue Reading ]
_So they being sent forth by the Holy Ghost_ By his immediate direction. This seems to be added to signify, that though they were solemnly recommended to God by the prayers of their brethren, their authority was not derived from them, but from the Holy Spirit himself. _Departed unto Seleucia_ A cons... [ Continue Reading ]
_When they had gone through the isle unto Paphos_ Which lay on its western coast; _they found a certain sorcerer_ Or magician; _a false prophet_ Who falsely pretended to foretel future events; _a Jew, whose name was Bar-jesus_ Or the son of one Jesus, or Joshua. “There were many instances of real or... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then Saul, who also is called Paul_ Moved by an immediate inspiration of the _Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him_ Looked steadfastly on that impostor, and said, with just indignation, _O full of all subtlety_ Παντος δολου, _of all guile_, as a false prophet; _and all mischief_ As a magician; _thou chi... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then the deputy_ Or proconsul; _when he saw what was done_ What a wonderful miracle was performed, yielding to such convincing evidence; _believed_ the gospel; _being astonished_ Εκπλησσομενος, _being struck with astonishment; at the doctrine of the Lord_ At the confirmation thus given to it, and p... [ Continue Reading ]
_Note when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos_ Sailing to the continent of the lesser Asia; _they came to Perga_ A city _in Pamphylia_ Situated on the west side of the river Cestos, about seven miles from the sea. Here there was a celebrated temple of Diana; consequently, many priests and other... [ Continue Reading ]
_When they departed from Perga_ Proceeding in the prosecution of their important work; _they came to Antioch in Pisidia_ A country to the north of Pamphylia; _and went into the synagogue on the sabbath day_, (Paul making it a point in every place first to offer salvation to the Jews,) _and sat down_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with_, or waving, _his hand_ To render the audience more attentive; _said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God_ Whether proselytes or heathen; _give audience_ This expression, _Ye that fear God_, seems best to suit those who, by embracing the Jewish religion, had e... [ Continue Reading ]
_The God of this people_, &c. Such a commemoration of God's favours to their fathers, as he here gives, was at once calculated to conciliate their minds to the speaker, to convince them of their duty to God, and to invite them to believe his promise and its accomplishment. This paragraph contains th... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when he had destroyed seven nations_ Enumerated Deuteronomy 7:1; _in the land of Chanaan_ Where they had been long settled, and had erected many kingdoms, defended by fortifications of great strength, as well as by numerous forces of horse and foot; _he divided their land_ Even the whole countr... [ Continue Reading ]
_Afterward they desired a king_ Being foolishly desirous of being like the neighbouring nations in that respect, and insensible of the favour which God had done them in assuming the character and relation of a king to them. _And God gave them Saul_ Whose government, with that of Samuel the prophet,... [ Continue Reading ]
_Of this man's seed_ From that _rod out of the stem of Jesse_, that _branch out of his roots; hath God, according to his promise_, (Isaiah 9:6; Isaiah 11:1; Jeremiah 23:5,) _raised unto Israel a Saviour, Jesus_ So long foretold in the sacred oracles. _When John had first preached, before his coming_... [ Continue Reading ]
_Men and brethren_ Even all you who are _children of the stock of Abraham_ Whether ye are my equals in years, or of more advanced age _And whosoever among you feareth God_ Of whatever family or nation you may be; _unto you is the word of this salvation sent_ A great and important salvation, which I... [ Continue Reading ]
_And we declare unto you glad tidings_ Tidings which should be in a particular manner acceptable to the Jews; _that the promise which was made unto the fathers_ And was the hope and joy of their posterity through so many succeeding ages; _God hath fulfilled unto us their children_ Most signally and... [ Continue Reading ]
_Be it known unto you, therefore_ Be persuaded of this as a most certain and momentous truth, a truth infinitely consolatory; _that through this man_ This seed of David, and _Son of God; is preached unto you the forgiveness of sins_ The free, full, and assured pardon of all your offences, be they ev... [ Continue Reading ]
_Beware, therefore_ A weighty and reasonable admonition with which the apostle enforces the very important doctrine which he had just delivered. No reproof is, as yet, added to it: _lest that come upon you which is spoken of in the prophets_ The apostle refers to Habakkuk 1:5, where the destruction... [ Continue Reading ]
_When the Jews were gone out_ Or rather, _while they were going out_, as the original expression means; _of the synagogue_ For probably many of them, not bearing to hear him, went out before he had done speaking; _the Gentiles_ Many of whom, it seems, were assembled on this occasion; _besought that... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the next sabbath came almost the whole city together_ Idolaters as well as proselytes; _to hear the word of God_ In consequence, it seems, of the report which the Gentiles had spread abroad of what had been delivered before, whereby an earnest desire had been awakened in many, of attending that... [ Continue Reading ]
_Then Paul and Barnabas_ Perceiving that no good impression could be made upon them; _waxed bold_ Used great freedom of speech; _and said, It was necessary_ According to the general instructions of our Divine Master; _that the word of God should first be spoken to you_ He shows that he had not preac... [ Continue Reading ]
_And when the Gentiles heard this_ That such things had been prophesied concerning them many ages ago, and that the way was now open for their admission into covenant with the true God, and that the Lord Jesus had commanded his apostles to receive them into his church, and to admit them to all the b... [ Continue Reading ]
_And the word of the Lord was published throughout all that region_ Paul and Barnabas, it seems, during their stay at Antioch, made excursions into the neighbouring country, for the sake of preaching to the idolatrous Gentiles; or the people who came from the country to Antioch, and believed the doc... [ Continue Reading ]