ACTS—NOTE ON 13:1–14:28 The Witness in Cyprus and Southern Galatia. Chapters 13 and 14 relate Paul’s “first missionary journey.” Sent by the Antioch church, Paul and Barnabas witnessed on Cyprus and in the southern cities of the Roman province of Galatia.
Major Events in the Life of the Apostle Paul
| A.D. 5–10? | Born in Tarsus, an Israelite from the tribe of Benjamin and a Roman citizen (Acts 22:3, 28; Rom. 11:1; Phil. 3:5); raised in either Jerusalem (Acts 22:3?) or Tarsus |
| 15–20? | Trained as a Pharisee by Gamaliel I (Acts 22:3; 26:5; Gal. 1:14; Phil. 3:5–6) |
| 30/33? | Death, resurrection of Christ |
| 31–34 | Present at Stephen’s stoning; persecuted Christians (Acts 7:58; 8:1; 22:4a; 26:9–11; 1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. 1:13; Phil. 3:6) |
| 33/34* | Converted, called, and commissioned on the way to Damascus (Acts 9:1–19; 22:6–11; 26:12–18; Gal. 1:15–16) |
| 33/34–36/37 | Stays in Damascus a short time (Acts 9:19b); leaves for Arabia (2 Cor. 11:32; Gal. 1:17); returns to Damascus (Gal. 1:17; Acts 9:20–22?); escapes through city wall to avoid arrest (Acts 9:23–24; 2 Cor. 11:32–33) |
| 36/37* | Meets with Peter, sees James, in Jerusalem (Acts 9:26–30; Gal. 1:18)
Hellenists seek to kill him; flees to Tarsus (Acts 9:28–30; Gal. 1:21) |
| 37–45 | Ministers in Syria/Cilicia (2 Cor. 11:22–27?) |
| 44–47* | Ministers with Barnabas in Antioch (Acts 11:25–26)
Second Visit to Jerusalem; time of famine (Acts 11:27–30; Gal. 2:1–10) |
| 46–47 | First Missionary Journey (Acts 13:4–14:26): 1.5 years? |
| 48* | With Barnabas, spends “no little time” in Antioch (Acts 14:28; Gal. 2:11–14); writes Galatians |
| 48–49* | Returns to Jerusalem for the apostolic council (Acts 15); Paul and Barnabas return to Antioch (Acts 15:30–33), but dispute over John Mark causes them to part ways (Acts 15:36–41) |
| 48/49–51* | Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36–18:22): 2.5 years? |
| 49 | Paul and Silas travel to southern Galatia through Asia Minor, on to Macedonia (Philippi [1 Thess. 2:2]); Thessalonica [1 Thess. 2:2; Phil. 4:15–16]; and Berea [Acts 17:10–15]), and then to Achaia (Athens [1 Thess. 3:1] and Corinth [2 Cor. 11:7–9]) |
| 49–51* | Spends 1.5 years in Corinth (Acts 18:11); appears before Gallio (Acts 18:12–17); writes 1 and 2 Thessalonians |
| 51 | Returns to Jerusalem? (Acts 18:22) |
| 52–57* | Third Missionary Journey (Acts 18:23–21:17): 5 years? |
| 52 | Travels to Antioch, spends “some time”; travels through Galatia and Phrygia (Acts 18:23) |
| 52–55 | Arrives in Ephesus (Acts 19:1; 1 Cor. 16:8); ministers for three years (Acts 20:31) and writes 1 Corinthians; makes brief, “painful visit” to Corinth (2 Cor. 2:1), then returns to Ephesus and writes “severe letter” (now lost) to Corinth (2 Cor. 2:3–4; 7:8–16) |
| 55–56* | Travels north to Macedonia, meets Titus (Acts 20:1; 2 Cor. 2:12–13); writes 2 Corinthians |
| 57* | Winters in Corinth (Acts 20:2–3; 2 Cor. 9:4), writes to the Romans from Corinth; travels to Jerusalem; is arrested (Acts 21:27–36) |
| 57–59 | Transferred as prisoner to Caesarea, stays for two years (Acts 24:27) |
| 60* | Voyage to Rome; shipwrecked, spends three months on Malta (Acts 28:11); finally arrives in Rome |
| 62* | Under house-arrest in Rome (Acts 28:30–31), writes Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, Philemon |
| 62–67 | Released from house-arrest in Rome, travels to Spain (?), writes 1 Timothy (from Macedonia?) and Titus (from Nicopolis); is rearrested, writes 2 Timothy from Rome, is martyred |
FACT
Antioch in Pisidia was one of 16 cities that the Syrian king Seleucus named after his father Antiochus. The city had a large Jewish population and the high status of being a Roman colony, probably Asia Minor’s most important. Designed to be a smaller version of Rome, it was organized into seven districts and possessed all the amenities that Rome afforded. These included an aqueduct, bathhouse, and most notably its large sanctuary devoted to emperor worship.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:1 Prophets and teachers are always distinct offices in the NT church. See note on 1 Cor. 12:10 and other notes on 1 Corinthians 12–14. Niger indicates he likely came from Africa, as did the Cyrenean Lucius. (Cyrene was the capital city of a Roman province on the north coast of Africa; see Acts 2:10.) Herod the tetrarch is Herod Antipas, who reigned in Galilee 4 B.C.–A.D. 39, during Jesus’ ministry (Matt. 14:1; Luke 3:1; 23:8; Acts 4:27). He was a son of Herod the Great (Matt. 2:1). Manaen, as a lifelong friend of Herod Antipas, would have been brought up with him from childhood.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting. “They” likely refers to the whole congregation, although the five prophets may well have given the Spirit’s message.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:3 they. Probably the entire congregation. The laying on of hands was a “commissioning,” indicating the church’s support of the two in their mission. It also provided a physical symbol of giving the Holy Spirit’s power to them (see 6:6; 8:17; 9:17; 19:6).
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:4–12 The two missionaries worked first on Cyprus, Barnabas’s home (4:36). The events of Paul’s first missionary journey are recorded in 13:4–14:26. It likely began in A.D. 46 or 47 and lasted perhaps a year and a half.
Itinerary of Paul’s First Journey
| City | Province/Region | Reference |
|---|
| Antioch | Syria | 13:1–3 |
| Seleucia | Syria | 13:4 |
| Salamis | Cyprus | 13:5 |
| Paphos | Cyprus | 13:6–12 |
| Perga | Lycia (region of Pamphylia) | 13:13 |
| Antioch | Galatia (region of Pisidia) | 13:14–52 |
| Iconium | Galatia | 14:1–6 |
| Lystra | Galatia (region of Lycaonia) | 14:6, 8–19 |
| Derbe | Galatia (region of Lycaonia) | 14:6, 20–21 |
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:4 Setting out from Antioch (v. 1), Paul and Barnabas traveled about 16 miles (26 km) down to the port city of Seleucia.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:5 Salamis was the closest port of Cyprus (about 130 miles [209 km] southwest of Seleucia). John (John Mark) was an assistant to Paul and Barnabas (see note on 12:12). They began their witness in the synagogues of the Jews, a pattern regularly followed by Paul (17:1–2). This was a natural starting point, since the Jewish people already believed that the OT Scriptures were the authoritative and truthful words of God.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:6 Paphos was 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Salamis. It was the seat of the Roman government of Cyprus. Bar-Jesus. Paul’s later description of him as a “son of the devil” suggests that his “magic” was assisted by demonic powers. Both pagan and Jewish people practiced magic. Its goals included healing diseases, bringing physical blessings, cursing or otherwise harming others, and guarding against both curses and demons. Magicians also claimed to know the future.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:7 The proconsul was the highest-ranking official in a Roman senatorial province.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:8 Bar-Jesus, also known as Elymas, opposed the missionaries because he viewed them as a threat to his profitable relationship with the proconsul.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:9 This verse marks the transition in Acts from Saul to Paul. Now that he is working in Gentile territory, the Hebrew Saul becomes known by his Roman name, Paul. He will be so named throughout the rest of Acts, except in 22:7, 13, and 26:14, which recall earlier events.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:11–12 the proconsul believed. Throughout Acts, miracles have a significant role in bringing unbelievers to genuine faith.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:13 Perga was 8 miles (13 km) inland. Paul does not seem to have remained there long, but witnessed there on his return journey (14:25). The reason for John Mark’s departure is not specified. Paul’s later conflict with Barnabas (15:36–41) shows that he was not pleased that John Mark left.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:14 Antioch in Pisidia. The city had a large Jewish population. It had the high status of being a Roman “colony.” synagogue. See notes on v. 5; Rom. 1:16.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:15 The regular synagogue service centered around the reading of Scriptures from the Law and the Prophets. rulers. Worship was led by the ruling elder.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:16–41 Paul’s sermon consisted of three parts: a sketch of OT history (vv. 16b–25), God’s ultimate provision in Jesus Christ (vv. 26–37), and an invitation (vv. 38–41). You who fear God (v. 16) refers to the “God-fearers” in the synagogue (see note on 10:2).
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:20 About 450 years seems to cover the period from Israel’s time in Egypt (400 years) through the wilderness (40 years) and conquest (about 10 years), to the judges.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:31 For many days he appeared suggests that there were more resurrection appearances of Jesus than are recorded in the Gospels.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:38–39 freed. The Greek verb here is regularly translated “justified” and means “to declare innocent, to justify.” Many Jews sought to deal with their sin through living by the law of Moses. The law cannot free a person from sin, though. Not only do all people fail to keep it but it was never designed to bring about final atonement for sins (Gal. 3:10–14; Heb. 10:1–14).
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:42–52 Although the response at the synagogue was favorable, the Jews turned against Paul the next Sabbath when a large group of Gentiles showed up. Paul responded by preaching to the Gentiles, a pattern he continued in every city he visited.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:44 Since the population of Antioch was mainly Gentile, almost the whole city indicates that the majority who came were Gentiles.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:46–47 Citing Isa. 49:6, Paul stated he was now turning to the Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas do the work of the “servant” described in Isaiah because of their connection to Jesus, God’s servant. It was necessary to begin with the Jews since they were God’s chosen people and had priority in salvation history (see note on Rom. 1:16).
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:48 as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. Throughout Acts, Luke maintains a dual emphasis on divine election (“appointed”) and human response (“believed”) (see 2:23; 3:13–16; 3:17; 4:27; 4:28).
God’s Sovereignty in Salvation as Seen in Acts
| God ordained the cross |
God calls, adds, and appoints many to eternal life |
God gives faith and repentance; God cleanses and opens hearts |
2:23 “Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God”
3:18 “what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled”
4:27–28 “there were gathered together . . . Herod and Pontius Pilate, along with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, to do whatever your hand . . . had predestined to take place” |
2:39 “the promise is to . . . everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself ”
2:41 “there were added that day about three thousand souls”
2:47 “the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved”
5:14 “believers were added to the Lord, multitudes of both men and women”
11:24 “a great many people were added to the Lord”
13:48 “as many as were appointed to eternal life believed” |
3:16 “the faith that is through Jesus”
5:31 “God exalted him . . . to give repentance to Israel”
11:18 “to the Gentiles also God has granted repentance that leads to life”
15:8–9 “God . . . having cleansed their hearts by faith”
16:14 “The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul”
18:27 “those who through grace had believed” |
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:51 shook off the dust from their feet. See note on Matt. 10:14. Iconium was 90 miles (145 km) by road southeast from Pisidian Antioch.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:1 Paul’s witness in Iconium followed the pattern in Pisidian Antioch; he began in the synagogue (see notes on 13:5; Rom. 1:16).
FACT
Why did they try to worship Paul and Barnabas? When Paul performed a miracle in Lystra, the people treated him and Barnabas as gods (14:8–18). They did this because of a local myth about the gods Hermes and Zeus visiting their region in human form, seeking hospitality. Only one couple gave them shelter, and as a result they were spared when the gods drowned everyone else as punishment.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:4 Both Paul and Barnabas are referred to as apostles (vv. 4, 14). The word has the general meaning of “one who is sent.” It is also used throughout the NT as a more technical term for someone chosen and commissioned by Christ for the proclamation of the gospel (Matt. 10:2; Luke 9:1; Acts 1:2, 15–26). Paul understood his calling as an apostle to be like the calling of the original Twelve in this technical sense, because he had seen Christ on the road to Damascus and had been specifically chosen and appointed by Christ (9:15; 26:16–17). See also 1 Cor. 9:2; 15:7–9; Gal. 1:1, 12, 16–17.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:8–23 Lystra was populated mainly by Gentiles and had no synagogue. The ministry of Paul and Barnabas there centered around the healing of a lame man.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:9 seeing that he had faith to be made well. The Holy Spirit gave Paul the ability to see what was happening in the invisible, spiritual realm.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:11–13 The gods have come down to us in the likeness of men. Since the people were speaking in their native Lycaonian language, Paul and Barnabas were probably unaware of what was happening until the local priest began to offer sacrifice.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:14–15 who made the heaven and the earth. Since the Lystrans believed in many gods, it was necessary to begin with the basic message that the Israelite God is the Creator of all that exists.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:17 rains . . . and fruitful seasons. Paul tells them their regular harvests, the food they eat every day, and the gladness they experience in the ordinary activities of life are all a witness from God of his existence, wisdom, and goodness. The themes of this short speech will be developed in the speech at Mars Hill (17:16–34). These are the two occasions where Paul speaks to Gentiles who worship idols.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:19 Iconium and Antioch were more than 100 miles (161 km) distant by road.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:20 The presence of disciples indicates that, despite the opposition, a group of believers was established at Lystra (including Timothy; 16:1).
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:21 Derbe, about 58 miles (93 km) southeast of Lystra, marked the farthest point in Paul’s first journey. From that city (Derbe) Paul could have continued on south to his starting point of Syrian Antioch on foot. This would have been much easier than going back through Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch. Taking this longer route shows the importance Paul attached to maintaining contact with his churches and establishing local elders—even in the cities where he faced violent opposition.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:22 many tribulations. See Paul’s account of his persecutions in 2 Tim. 3:10–12.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:23 Paul’s churches followed the synagogue pattern of leadership by elders. The language here indicates several elders in every church (see also, e.g., 11:30; 15:6; 20:17; 1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:5; 1 Pet. 5:5). See also note on 1 Sam. 4:3.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:24–26 Paul and Barnabas retraced their steps south to Perga and the port city of Attalia. They then sailed home to their sponsoring congregation in Syrian Antioch. This time they shared the gospel in Perga (see note on 13:13). the work. See 13:2. It was perhaps during this time in Antioch that Paul penned his letter to the Galatians (c. A.D. 48).
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:27 opened a door. An expression Paul used elsewhere (e.g., 1 Cor. 16:9).
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:1–35 The Jerusalem Council. A conference was held in Jerusalem (c. A.D. 48 or 49) to discuss conditions for Gentile membership in the church. The “Pharisaic” group in the Jerusalem church (vv. 1–5) raised the issue. Peter defended the Gentile mission (vv. 6–11). James proposed a solution (vv. 12–21), and an official agreement was reached (vv. 22–35).
FACT
The Jerusalem Council settled some crucial practical issues to enable Jewish and Gentile Christians to worship and minister together (15:1–35).
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:1–5 The Antioch church had reached out to many Gentiles (11:20–21). God had given Paul and Barnabas great success among the Gentiles on their mission (14:27). Some conservative Jewish Christians argued that Gentiles needed to be circumcised in order to be Christians.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:1 The Jewish law contained basic moral laws and many laws of a more “ceremonial” nature. These included circumcision, food laws, and many requirements involving external purity, sacrifices, and festivals. To follow them would make it virtually impossible for Gentiles to live in their communities. Paul addresses the issue of circumcision in Rom. 2:25–29; 4:9–16; Gal. 2:3–5; 5:2–12; 6:12–15.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:5 Those from the Pharisees were likely the same group as those insisting on circumcision in v. 2 and 11:2.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:6–11 Peter defended Paul’s Gentile mission.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:6 The apostles and the elders provided the main leadership at the council. Verse 22 indicates that “the whole church” was present for the occasion and apparently also gave consent to the decision.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:7 after there had been much debate. This important theological issue in the early church was decided by careful reasoning and thoughtful discussion based on Scripture. Peter’s reference to the Gentiles hearing the gospel . . . by my mouth . . . in the early days refers to his witness at the house of Cornelius (10:34–43), c. A.D. 38, as many as 10 years before the Jerusalem council.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:9 cleansed their hearts by faith. The faith of the Gentiles at Cornelius’s house is implicit in chs. 10–11, but Peter refers to it clearly here. They were saved by faith in their hearts, not by circumcision in their flesh.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:10–11 Yoke here refers to the whole of the Mosaic law (see note on v. 1). By speaking of the law as an unbearable yoke, Peter argued that even the Israelites were unable to fulfill it perfectly, and that salvation could never be obtained through the law (see Rom. 2:17–24; Gal. 5:1). Only one means of salvation exists for both Jew and Gentile: faith in Jesus Christ. By contrast, Jesus calls people to take his new “yoke” upon them, a yoke that is easy (see note on Matt. 11:29).
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:12–21 When some apostles had begun to leave Jerusalem for a wider witness, the Jerusalem leadership was continued by others. Jesus’ brother James had a prominent role (see 12:17; 21:18–25). At the Jerusalem council, James supported Peter’s conclusions about a “circumcision-free” Gentile mission and offered a suggestion for establishing fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:14 Simeon. Simon Peter. a people for his name. This means “for himself,” since someone’s “name” represented all that was true about him and his character. It also seems to imply “for his reputation and his glory.”
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:16–18 James refers to “prophets” (v. 15), showing that he could appeal to more than one OT text to defend the inclusion of Gentiles by faith alone. See the allusion to Isa. 45:21 in Acts 15:18, and the context of the Isaiah prophecy. James concentrated on Amos 9:11–12, which anticipated the time when God would restore the house of David and claim a people for himself from among the Gentiles. James agreed with Peter that the time of including Gentiles in God’s people had arrived.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:19–21 James agreed with Peter that they should not trouble the Gentiles with the ritual laws. But he knew that Gentile Christians would have contact with Jewish Christians who still kept the ceremonial law. He offered a proposal by which Gentile Christians could have fellowship with Jewish Christians and avoid giving unnecessary offense. The first three requirements (see v. 29) seem to be culturally sensitive and designed for these specific circumstances: staying away from food offered to idols, from blood (meat with the blood in it), and from strangled meat (which would also have blood in it). (But see 1 Cor. 8:1–11:1.) The fourth requirement, dealing with sexual immorality, was not a contextual or optional standard of obedience like the other three. It may have needed special emphasis because many Gentiles did not hold to a high standard of sexual purity. This also serves as a reminder that the moral standards of the OT still need to be obeyed. James concludes his appeal by noting the widespread (in every city) teaching and acceptance of the Mosaic law. There was no need to give unnecessary offense either to Jewish believers or to unbelieving Jews who might consider becoming Christians in the future.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:22 it seemed good. Representatives of the Jerusalem church carried the letter reflecting the unanimous decision of the council. Nothing more is known of Judas called Barsabbas, but Silas soon became Paul’s missionary companion (v. 40). Silas is a shortened form of the Greek name Silvanus, the name by which he is known in the NT epistles.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:23 The Roman province of Syria included Cilicia. Antioch was its capital.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:24 unsettling your minds. Those insisting that Gentile converts should be circumcised neither represented the Jerusalem leadership nor had their approval (see vv. 1–2, 5).
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:28 it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us. The apostles and elders were confident that the Holy Spirit had guided their decision. no greater burden. They were not requiring circumcision and observance of the entire Mosaic law (v. 10), for salvation is by grace alone (v. 11).
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:32 Prophets were gifted to speak what the Holy Spirit revealed to them (see notes on 1 Cor. 12:10; and other notes on 1 Corinthians 14).
Silas
Silas was a Judean Christian and a leader in the Jerusalem church. After Paul and Barnabas parted ways, Silas joined Paul as a coworker on his second missionary journey. While in Philippi, Paul cast out a spirit that was enabling a girl to tell fortunes (ch. 16). The girl’s owners were furious, since they had been making money from her demonic powers. They brought Paul and Silas before the magistrates, and they were flogged and jailed. Paul and Silas were miraculously freed from their bonds—but rather than flee, they saw an opportunity to share the gospel. As a result, their jailer and his household became Christians. Silas is known by the name “Silvanus” in the NT epistles. He worked closely with the apostle Peter, and delivered Peter’s first letter to its recipients in Asia Minor (1 Pet. 5:12). (Acts 15:32)
Aquila and his wife, Priscilla
Aquila and his wife, Priscilla (also called Prisca), were close friends and coworkers with the apostle Paul. Forced from Rome by the emperor Claudius, they fled to Corinth (18:1–2). Like Paul, who stayed in their home, they were tentmakers by trade. On his way back to Antioch, Paul left Priscilla and Aquila in Ephesus to establish the church in that city. There the godly couple taught the Christian way “more accurately” to a gifted Alexandrian disciple named Apollos (18:26). They were eventually able to return to Rome, where the church met in their home (Rom. 16:3–5). Paul’s deep love and respect for Aquila and Priscilla is obvious in his letter to the Romans, where he declares that the couple “risked their necks” for his life (Rom. 16:3). (Romans 16:3–5)
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:33 They were sent off in peace suggests that Judas and Silas returned to Jerusalem.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:36–18:22 The Witness in Greece. Paul’s second missionary journey centered on the cities of the Greek provinces of Macedonia and Achaia, including Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, and Corinth. This second journey probably began in A.D. 48 or 49 and ended in 51.
Itinerary of Paul’s Second Journey
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:37 John called Mark. See note on 12:12.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:39 a sharp disagreement. In the sovereignty of God, out of this disagreement came a doubling of their labor. Barnabas went to strengthen the churches in Cyprus and Paul went to the churches in Syria, Cilicia, and Galatia. In addition, both of their assistants (Mark and Silas) went on to have significant ministries.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:41 Paul’s route took him by foot to the churches of his first missionary journey in reverse order.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:1 Probably Timothy, his mother, and his grandmother had been led to Christ during Paul’s first witness in Lystra (14:8–23; see 2 Tim. 1:5). Having a Greek father, Timothy had not been circumcised, though by Jewish law the child of a Gentile father and Jewish mother was considered Jewish.
FACT
Philippi was founded by the Greek king Philip II, father of Alexander the Great, in 356 B.C. Some 300 years later, in 42 B.C., it was in Philippi that Augustus Caesar defeated Brutus and Cassius after they had assassinated Julius Caesar. But the most significant event to occur in Philippi is recorded in 16:6–15, when Paul came to Philippi, making it the first European city to hear the Good News from this great ambassador of Christ.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:3 because of the Jews who were in those places. Paul always began in the synagogues. Having an uncircumcised Jew with him would have made any witness to Jews much more difficult.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:4 The decisions of the Jerusalem council were addressed specifically to believers in Antioch and throughout Syria and Cilicia (15:23). Since the issue of Gentile converts affected all the churches, Paul reported those decisions as he traveled through other cities as well.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:6–7 Paul proceeded farther west into Phrygia. Had he continued in that direction he would have traveled through Asia. The Spirit of Jesus (the Holy Spirit) prevented this, and he went north through Mysia. He was also prevented from witnessing in Bithynia.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:8 Troas was an Aegean port 14 miles (23 km) south of ancient Troy. It was the primary Asian harbor for ships destined for Macedonia.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:9 a vision . . . a man. See 7:31; 9:10; 10:3; 12:9; 18:9. Though not far from Troas in nautical miles, Macedonia was considered part of Europe.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:10 we. Most likely at this point Luke, the author of Acts, joined the missionary group.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:11–40 Philippi was the first Macedonian city in which Paul witnessed.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:11 Samothrace was an island on the direct route between Troas and Neapolis. It was the port for Philippi, which lay 8.5 miles (14 km) inland. Paul’s ship would likely have stopped (probably simply to anchor offshore for the night) on the north side of Samothrace. Neapolis was on a natural harbor still in use today.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:12 Philippi was a Roman colony, the most privileged status for provincial cities.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:13 Few Jews lived in Philippi. Like Lydia, the women who attended the prayer meeting may have been God-fearers and not Jews.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:14 Lydia came from Thyatira (see notes on Rev. 2:18–29), a city of the province of Asia in the district of Lydia, for which she may have been named. As a seller of purple goods, she would have been wealthy.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:15 Lydia’s household likely included servants as well. Her house eventually became the gathering place for Christians (v. 40).
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:16 a spirit of divination. A demonic spirit who gave information to the slave girl so that she could tell people secrets about their lives. Fortune-telling was forbidden in the OT (Deut. 18:10; 2 Kings 17:17).
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:18 The words of the fortune-telling girl (v. 17) were true in a formal sense. Paul was greatly annoyed, probably because he did not want it to appear that she was his partner in the gospel. I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her. Such a verbal command is consistent with the authority over demons that Jesus himself had (see Matt. 8:16; 12:28) and that he gave to his disciples (Matt. 10:8; Luke 10:17).
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:19 their hope of gain was gone. Throughout Acts, greed often works against the gospel (8:18–24; 13:8–12; 19:24).
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:20 The magistrates were responsible for maintaining civil order. Two of these officials were appointed to each Roman colony.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:22 gave orders to beat them with rods. Magistrates in Roman cities had attendants who carried bundles of wooden rods bound together. These symbolized the magistrates’ authority and their right to inflict corporal punishment. Paul and Silas were severely beaten with these wooden rods (v. 23; compare 2 Cor. 11:25). There was no fair hearing to gather the facts or to allow Paul and Silas to speak in their own defense (see 1 Thess. 2:2).
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:25 praying and singing hymns to God. Joy for the honor of suffering for Christ is a common theme in Acts (see 4:24–30).
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:30 what must I do to be saved? The jailer’s question most likely refers to being saved from God’s judgment, which he would have heard about through listening to his prisoners’ prayers and songs.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:31 For belief in Christ as the key to salvation, see 10:43; John 3:16; Rom. 1:16; 10:10–11.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:33 baptized . . . he and all his family. The jailer seems to have gathered his whole household to listen to Paul’s message. Christians disagree as to whether the baptism of household members included infants or was confined to older members of the household who were capable of believing.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:34 Rejoiced signifies a deep spiritual joy in the NT (compare Luke 10:21; John 8:56; Acts 2:26; 1 Pet. 4:13; Rev. 19:7).
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:35 Let those men go. Why the magistrates decided to release the two prisoners is not stated.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:37 do they now throw us out secretly? No! Paul insisted on being publicly cleared of the charges so the people of Philippi would not continue to believe that he was a troublemaker and a lawbreaker. citizens. Roman law forbade beating or imprisoning a Roman citizen without a formal hearing.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:1–9 From Philippi Paul traveled the 94 miles (151 km) to Thessalonica, capital of Macedonia. The Philippian church helped him during this time (Phil. 4:16).
FACT
The Court of the Areopagus had authority over the civil and religious life of Athens. In Paul’s day, it had a special interest in religion and morality. Paul preached at the Areopagus to a crowd that included philosophers (17:16–34).
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:1 Philippi, Amphipolis, Apollonia, and Thessalonica were all cities on the main east-west Roman highway called the “Egnatian Way.” These cities were separated from each other by about a day’s journey by foot.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:2 The reference to Paul preaching on three Sabbath days gives the impression of a brief stay in Thessalonica, but this was only the period of his synagogue preaching. Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians indicates a longer ministry there (see 1 Thess. 2:9; also Phil. 4:16).
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:3 necessary for the Christ to suffer. The Jews resisted the idea that the Messiah had to suffer, even though this theme is found in the OT (Psalm 22; Isaiah 53; Zech. 12:10; 13:7).
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:4 In the Greco-Roman world women often held prominent positions (see 13:50; 17:12).
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:5 The Jews were jealous because they were losing power and influence (see 5:17; 13:45; see also 16:19; 19:23–28). On the expression “the Jews,” see notes on John 1:19; Acts 9:23; and esv footnote on 17:5.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:9 The money as security was given as a guarantee that there would be no more disruptions as a result of Paul’s preaching. It probably meant that Paul would have to leave Thessalonica, since his Jewish opponents would continue to stir up trouble. This may have been “Satan’s hindrance,” which Paul said prevented his return to Thessalonica (1 Thess. 2:18).
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:10–15 Paul and Silas fled to Berea, 50 miles (81 km) by road southwest of Thessalonica.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:11 Noble originally meant “of noble birth” or “well born” in Greek. The word was also applied to people who exhibited noble behavior, who were open-minded, fair, and thoughtful. examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. By praising this activity, Luke encourages searching the Scriptures as a pattern for all believers. He also supports the idea that the Bible can be understood by ordinary people who read it eagerly and diligently, depending on God for help.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:14 immediately sent Paul off. Apparently most of the opposition was directed against Paul. Thus, the believers sent him away, while allowing Silas and Timothy to remain among them. To the sea indicates that they took Paul as far as the coast. The text does not specify whether Paul then traveled to Athens by ship or by land (222 miles [357 km] along the coastal road).
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:15 a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible. Luke does not give many details here about the travels of Silas and Timothy. Paul gives more information in 1 Thessalonians 3, and Luke gives more details at Acts 18:1, 5. These passages reveal the following sequence: (1) Paul traveled to Athens, leaving Silas and Timothy in Berea (17:14–15). (2) Paul summoned Silas and Timothy to join him in Athens (v. 15). (3) Silas and Timothy joined Paul in Athens (v. 16; 1 Thess. 3:1–2). (4) Paul became concerned for the churches he had just founded in Macedonia (in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea), so he sent Timothy to Thessalonica to find out how that church was doing under persecution (1 Thess. 3:1–2). At the same time he must have sent Silas somewhere else in Macedonia, perhaps to Philippi and Berea (Acts 18:5). Paul was willing to be left at Athens “alone” (1 Thess. 3:1). (5) Paul “left Athens and went to Corinth” (Acts 18:1). (6) Silas and Timothy joined Paul again in Corinth, bringing good news from the churches of Macedonia (18:5; 1 Thess. 3:6). (7) From Corinth, Paul wrote his two letters to the church at Thessalonica (1 Thess. 1:1; 2 Thess. 1:1; both of these letters come from “Paul, Silvanus [Silas], and Timothy”).
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:16 Athens was filled with temples and statues of the Greek gods. The great temple to Athena (the Parthenon), stood alongside other temples atop the acropolis overlooking the city. Many other pagan sacred sites have also been found. There was also a Jewish presence in Athens. his spirit was provoked within him. Paul’s human spirit was disturbed by the idolatry.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:17 Although Paul saw a few people come to faith here in Athens (v. 34), he had no helpers with him, there is no record of any miracles being done, and there is no record of a church being established. Devout persons means God-fearing Gentiles (see note on 8:26–27).
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:18 Paul spoke with representatives of two of the most popular philosophies of the day, Stoicism and Epicureanism.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:19 The Areopagus is the “hill of Ares” (named after the Greek god of war; also called Mars Hill). The Court of the Areopagus was a long-established body with extensive authority over the civil and religious life of Athens.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:22–34 Paul’s Areopagus address is the prime example in Acts of preaching to Gentiles who have no knowledge of the OT.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:22–23 Religious could be taken either positively (“pious”) or negatively (“superstitious”).
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:23 To the unknown god. In the second century A.D., the Greek geographer Pausanias recorded “altars of the gods named Unknown” in Athens and at Olympia. An inscription found at Pergamum reads “to unknown gods.”
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:24–25 Paul speaks of the God who made the world and everything in it, including mankind. He identifies this one true God as superior to all the lesser, competing gods worshiped in Athens.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:26 One man refers to Adam. every nation of mankind. This idea of ancestral unity would have appealed to the Stoics’ strong sense of human brotherhood. Paul affirms the historicity of Adam and the descent of the entire human race from him. He also rules out any kind of racism, since all ethnic groups come from one man.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:27 Feel their way toward him implies a kind of groping in darkness, without really knowing how to find God. Not far from each one of us implies that God exists everywhere at the same time. It also implies that God hears people’s prayers and knows their hearts. There is a God to find. He is not hard to find. He has revealed himself through the story Paul prepares to tell.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:28 some of your own poets. Instead of the OT, Paul quotes some statements from pagan Greek writers familiar to his audience. He quotes them with approval, but this does not imply that he approves of everything that these writers said or wrote. The first quotation (in him we live . . . ) appears to be from a hymn to Zeus by Epimenides of Crete (c. 600 B.C.). The second quotation is from the poem Phainomena by the Stoic poet Aratus (c. 315–240 B.C.).
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:29 God is not like gold or silver or stone, of which idols are made. God made us (we are God’s offspring). We are much more complex and wonderful than these lifeless materials. Therefore God himself must also be much more wonderful than these things.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:30 Paul now moves to his distinctly Christian appeal. He distances himself from the philosophers. God overlooked. God did not immediately judge the world in previous times.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:31 he will judge the world. God will hold all people accountable. raising him from the dead. Jesus is not just a religious teacher. Jesus’ resurrection is the heart of God’s plan for history. It is the basis for hope in the future resurrection of the body (1 Cor. 15:42–57; Rev. 21:4). It also provides central evidence to persuade people to believe in Christ (Acts 2:24, 32). Most importantly, the resurrection placed Jesus at God’s right hand, showing his authority to be the judge and the giver of salvation (2:30–36).
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:1–22 Corinth was Paul’s last major place of witness on his second journey.
FACT
Gallio was proconsul of Achaia from A.D. 51–52, when Paul was in Corinth, the major city of that province. He was the brother of Seneca, the famous Roman philosopher. The dates of his time in office, known from extrabiblical sources, have given Bible scholars a valuable tool for determining the dates of Paul’s missionary journeys.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:1 Corinth was 46 miles (74 km) west of Athens. It was a Roman colony and the most influential city of the province of Achaia.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:2 Claudius’s expulsion of the Jews from Rome in A.D. 49 seems to have resulted from trouble in the synagogues created by the Christian message. Aquila and Priscilla were possibly already Christians when they fled from Rome.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:4 Greeks. God-fearers.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:5 Paul apparently had sent Silas and Timothy from Athens to visit the Macedonian churches (see note on 17:15). When they rejoined Paul in Corinth, they probably brought a contribution for Paul’s ministry from the Macedonian churches (see 2 Cor. 11:9).
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:6 shook out his garments. A gesture of rejection, much like shaking the dust from one’s feet (compare 13:51; and note on Matt. 10:14). Your blood be on your own heads. Paul has told them the truth. It is not his fault if they reject it.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:7 Paul did not completely give up on witnessing to the Jews of Corinth, as his relocating next door to the synagogue indicates.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:8 Crispus. See 1 Cor. 1:14. believed and were baptized. Baptism seems to have occurred soon after each person’s profession of faith.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:9–11 The Lord assured Paul that, “I have many in this city who are my people,” meaning that many in Corinth would come to faith in Christ. Yet Paul did not conclude that his work in Corinth was done. Rather, he stayed a year and six months (c. A.D. 49–51, during which time he wrote 1–2 Thessalonians), longer than in any other city except Ephesus.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:12 The proconsul of a province was its chief judicial officer. Gallio served in this role A.D. 51–52. This provides one of the keys for determining the dates of Paul’s missionary journeys. The tribunal was the proconsul’s judgment seat in the marketplace.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:14 Gallio’s decision that the Jewish accusations against the Christians concerned only matters of their own religion established the important legal precedent that Christians were not violating Roman law when merely teaching Christian doctrine. A similar judgment comes later, in 25:19.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:17 Sosthenes may have been a Jewish convert to Christianity. Paul mentions someone by that name as his “coauthor” in 1 Cor. 1:1. In Acts 18:8, Crispus is called “the ruler of the synagogue.” Sosthenes may have succeeded him when Crispus became a Christian, or there may have been more than one person with this office in that synagogue.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:18 The many days longer that Paul continued in Corinth seems to be in addition to the 18 months noted in v. 11. Syria refers to his sponsoring church of Antioch in Syria. Cenchreae was about 6.5 miles (10.5 km) east of Corinth and was Corinth’s main port to the Aegean Sea. The cutting of Paul’s hair probably indicates he had completed a vow (see Num. 6:1–21; Acts 21:20–24). One took a vow to seek divine blessing or to express thanksgiving.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:21 will return . . . if God wills. Paul’s brief appearance in the synagogue prepared the way for his later ministry in Ephesus (ch. 19) during his third missionary journey.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:22 Leaving from the main Palestinian port of Caesarea in the spring of A.D. 51, Paul went up and greeted the church (in Jerusalem). Then Paul went down (from Jerusalem) to Antioch (see note on 11:19).
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:23–21:16 The Witness in Ephesus. This section reports Paul’s third missionary journey (c. A.D. 52–57). It took place primarily in Ephesus, the capital of the Roman province of Asia. Ephesus was a major commercial center and home of the famous temple of the goddess Artemis.
Itinerary of Paul’s Third Journey
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:23 Again sponsored by the church in Antioch of Syria, Paul began his third missionary journey in the spring of A.D. 52. He traveled by foot through the region of his first mission on into Galatia and Phrygia. On the second missionary journey the Spirit had prevented him from continuing west into Asia (16:6). This time Paul headed directly west toward Ephesus.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:24 Alexandria was an intellectual center in Egypt with a world-famous library.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:25 Apollos knew only the baptism of John. This suggests that he had not heard about the baptism that Jesus commanded after his resurrection (see Matt. 28:19). Apollos taught accurately the things concerning Jesus as far as he knew them. He certainly knew about Jesus’ life and teachings. He may not have known about Jesus’ death and resurrection, or about the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:26 Presumably Priscilla and Aquila . . . explained the things about Jesus that Apollos did not yet know (see note on v. 25). It is noteworthy that both of them “explained” to Apollos the way of God more accurately. This supports the idea that both men and women can explain God’s Word to each other in private or informal settings (such as personal conversation or a small group Bible study) without violating 1 Tim. 2:12. they took him aside. They corrected him in private (compare Mark 8:32).
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:27 Achaia refers particularly to Corinth (in the province of Achaia), where Paul had already established a church. Aquila and Priscilla were well known there, so a letter from them on Apollos’s behalf would carry great weight. Later, Paul acknowledged Apollos’s ministry in Corinth (1 Cor. 1:12; 3:4–6, 22). Apollos evidently returned to Ephesus after his time at Corinth. He was with Paul in Ephesus when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians (Acts 19:1–20:1; 1 Cor. 16:12).
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:1 while Apollos was at Corinth. See 18:27. Disciples here refers to followers of John the Baptist. They did not know of Jesus (19:4).
FACT
In the Greco-Roman world, many used magic to heal, to curse, or to control evil spirits. Paul encountered such magicians on his missionary journeys (8:9–24; 13:6–12). He showed how Jesus’ power greatly surpasses any magical spells, and many former magicians became believers (19:17–20).
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:2 not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit. They had probably moved from Palestine to Ephesus before Jesus’ ministry began. As followers of John, they knew the Messiah would bring the Spirit (Luke 3:16).
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:5 Having learned how Jesus had fulfilled the message of John the Baptist, these disciples of John submitted to baptism in the name of the Lord Jesus. On baptism in the name of Jesus, see note on 10:48.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:6 the Holy Spirit came on them. They received the new covenant presence and power of the Holy Spirit, as on the day of Pentecost (see notes on 1:8; 2:4). Their speaking in tongues and prophesying was an outward demonstration and verification of their receiving the Spirit. (See note on 1 Cor. 12:10 and notes elsewhere on 1 Corinthians 12–14.)
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:9 The Way refers to followers of Christ. See note on 9:1–2.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:10 Paul ministered in Ephesus for about three years (c. A.D. 52–55; see 20:31). That he reached all the residents of Asia reflects his missionary strategy. He started in the major cities and then sent coworkers into the surrounding area to establish churches.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:12 handkerchiefs or aprons. These were not magical objects. Rather, the Holy Spirit’s presence sometimes remained evident in connection with objects that Paul had touched (see note on 5:15).
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:13 itinerant Jewish exorcists. These persons used extensive ceremonies and spoken formulas to try to free people from the influence of evil spirits.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:15–16 Using the name of Jesus was not enough to cast out evil spirits. True faith in Jesus was also necessary.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:19 The Greco-Roman world believed in magical incantations and spells (see note on 13:6). They often collected them into books that sold for large sums. Pieces of silver probably refers to the Greek drachma, which represented a laborer’s average daily wage.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:21 Macedonia included the churches in Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. Achaia included the church in Corinth. This verse provides an outline for the rest of Acts (see 20:1–2; 21:17; 28:14).
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:22 having sent into Macedonia . . . Timothy and Erastus. Paul apparently wrote 1 Corinthians during the springtime, near the end of his time in Ephesus (see Acts 19:21; also 1 Cor. 16:5–10). Paul sent the letter to Corinth with Timothy and Erastus (see 1 Cor. 16:10). Later he left Ephesus to go to Corinth (see Acts 20:1–2; 1 Cor. 16:5). Erastus was a Corinthian and is included in Paul’s greetings in Rom. 16:23 and 2 Tim. 4:20.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:23 The Way refers to followers of Christ. See note on 9:1–2.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:24 Silver shrines were replicas of the temple of Artemis. These were used for home altars or as offerings to be presented to the goddess.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:28 Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Civic and religious pride led to the riot.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:29 The theater had a capacity of more than 20,000 in Paul’s time. It was the place people gathered for town business meetings. Gaius and Aristarchus were eventually released. Aristarchus reappears later as Paul’s companion (see 20:4; 27:2; Col. 4:10; Philem. 24).
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:31 The Asiarchs were the keepers of the imperial Roman cult in Asia. They were concerned about the safety of their fellow citizen Paul.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:33–34 The role of the Jew Alexander is unclear. Perhaps he wished to separate the Jews from the Christians in the crowd’s minds.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:35 The town clerk was the chief administrative officer of the city. The sacred stone that fell from the sky probably refers to a meteorite. Meteorites were associated with Artemis worship.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:38–40 the courts are open. Courts conducted by the Roman proconsul to settle disputes as well as the scheduled meetings of the town assembly. there are proconsuls. A “proconsul” was the head of government in a Roman province (see 13:7; 18:12). The town clerk’s reasoning shows the Christian gospel was not contrary to Roman law and did not disrupt public order.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:1 In the final days of his Ephesian ministry, after writing 1 Corinthians (see note on Acts 19:22), Paul had considerable conflict with the Corinthian church. He made a “painful” visit to them. He also wrote a “tearful” letter upon his return to Ephesus (2 Cor. 2:1–4). As his time in Ephesus neared its completion, Paul sent Titus ahead to Corinth. Upon leaving Ephesus (Acts 20:1), Paul first went north. He visited Christian communities along the way and hoped to meet Titus returning from Corinth (2 Cor. 2:12–13). In Macedonia Titus finally joined him. Titus brought the good news that the Corinthian church had repented of its opposition to Paul’s leadership (2 Cor. 7:5–16). Paul then wrote 2 Corinthians.
FACT
Elders and overseers (20:17, 28) are probably two different terms for the same kind of church leader. In first-century Israel, an elder would have been an older, more mature person to whom people looked for leadership. An overseer would have been someone who was responsible for people or property. Both words describe a person who takes good care of someone or something.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:2 Greece is another name for the province of Achaia, where Corinth was located.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:3 Paul stayed at Corinth for three months, likely the winter months (see 1 Cor. 16:6). Sea travel was more dangerous then. Syria. Paul’s goal was to sail to a Syrian port, with Jerusalem as the final destination (Acts 19:21). Paul wrote Romans (c. A.D. 57) during this final Corinthian visit (see note on Rom. 16:1–23). In Romans he explained that he went to Jerusalem to deliver a collection from Gentile churches for needy Christians there (Rom. 15:22–29; see Acts 24:17). he decided to return through Macedonia. This took Paul back to the churches of Berea, Thessalonica, and Philippi.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:4 accompanied him. In 1 Cor. 16:1–4, Paul noted that official representatives from the various churches of his ministry would travel with him. They protected the offering from robbers. They also guaranteed Paul’s integrity in handling the funds. Aristarchus. See note on Acts 19:29.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:5 These went on ahead. This group may have included all the representatives or just the two Asians (v. 4). They perhaps arranged for the final voyage from Troas (see note on 16:8).
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:7 On the first day of the week. The first reference in Acts to worship on Sunday.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:15 Chios was the birthplace of Homer. Samos was the birthplace of the mathematician Pythagoras. Miletus was a major Aegean harbor in the province of Asia in Paul’s day.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:17–35 Paul’s Miletus address is the only example in Acts of a major speech to Christians. Of all Paul’s speeches in Acts, it has the most in common with his letters, which were addressed to Christians.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:17 The Ephesian church leaders are called elders. In v. 28 they are addressed as “overseers” (sometimes translated “bishops”) who are to “care for” (or “shepherd”) “the flock” (the role of pastors). “Elders” and “overseers” likely refer to the same office.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:20 did not shrink. See note on vv. 26–27.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:22–23 Constrained indicates the Holy Spirit prompted Paul to go quickly and directly to Jerusalem. the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city. Probably through Christian prophets (see 21:11) and direct revelation from the Holy Spirit.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:24 Compare 2 Cor. 4:7–12; 12:9–10; Phil. 1:20–21; 3:8; Col. 1:24. In 2 Tim. 4:7 he used the same expression of finishing his course (or “race”).
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:26–27 For Paul’s claim to be innocent of their blood, compare Ezek. 33:1–6 and see note on Acts 18:6. Paul is not responsible for any future doctrinal or moral error in the Ephesian church, for he did not shrink from declaring any part of the teaching of the Word of God. whole counsel of God. The entirety of God’s redemptive plan presented in Scripture.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:28 the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. The last part of this phrase refers to Christ’s atoning death on the cross (see Rom. 5:9). The first part of this phrase (“the church of God”) most likely refers to Christ (“God the Son”) as the head of the church. The phrase could also be translated to refer to the blood of God’s “own,” that is, of “God’s own Son.” (See also esv footnote.)
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:29–30 Paul showed remarkable insight into the future situation of the Ephesian church (probably through a revelation from the Holy Spirit). Paul’s letters to Timothy, who served Ephesus a decade or so later, mention false teachers who were using the church for their own gain. These persons came from within the church, in fact, from among the elders (from among your own selves). (See 1 Tim. 4:1–3; 2 Tim. 2:17–18; 3:1–9.)
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:31–32 Three years included the “three months” and the “two years” in Ephesus that Luke mentioned earlier (see 19:8, 10). inheritance. Salvation. sanctified. Made holy in heart and life by the Holy Spirit.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:35 the words of the Lord Jesus. This saying from Jesus is not recorded in the Gospels. Jesus did many things that are not recorded in Scripture (see John 21:25). This saying was probably passed on to Paul by those who heard Jesus teach. give. On Christian generosity, see 2 Cor. 8:9–15.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:38 sorrowful. Paul’s churches had deep affection for him.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:1 Paul’s ship was probably a “coasting vessel,” which traveled close to shore. Each of the places mentioned probably represents a day’s journey and the stopping place for the night. Cos and Rhodes are both islands with port cities of the same name. Paul and his companions boarded a sturdier vessel at Patara for the 400-mile (644-km) open-sea voyage to Tyre. Patara was the main port city in Lycia.
FACT
The island of Rhodes, which Paul visited toward the end of his third missionary journey (21:1), was famous for the Colossus of Rhodes, considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. This statue, standing nearly 110 feet (34 m) high, was built in about 300 B.C. to commemorate Rhodes’s victory over the neighboring island of Cyprus. It stood for only 56 years before being toppled by an earthquake.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:3 Tyre was in Phoenicia (see note on 11:19).
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:4 through the Spirit they were telling Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. The narrative as a whole clearly shows that Paul was guided by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem (see 19:21; 20:22–24; 21:14). It is unclear why the prophets said the opposite. See 21:10–14. Paul explains elsewhere that prophecies must be tested (see notes on 1 Cor. 14:29; 1 Thess. 5:20–21).
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:8–9 Caesarea. A major port near Jerusalem. four unmarried daughters, who prophesied. The gift of prophecy was promised to women as well as men in Joel’s prophecy (Joel 2:28–29), which was fulfilled at Pentecost (Acts 2:17–18).
Luke
Luke was a doctor (Col. 4:14) and a faithful companion of Paul, accompanying him on several journeys. He was with Paul throughout his two-year imprisonments in both Caesarea and Rome. He is the author of the Gospel bearing his name and the book of Acts, where he records his travels with Paul. Little else is known about Luke. Most scholars believe that he was a Gentile. This is based in part on the fact that Paul does not include Luke among the “men of the circumcision” who were his fellow workers (Col. 4:10–11). How Luke came to know Christ is not revealed, though his thorough acquaintance with the OT suggests that he may have been a “God-fearer” like Cornelius before becoming a Christian. (Acts 21:1–8)
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:10–11 Agabus had earlier predicted a famine (11:28). Old Testament prophets often acted out their prophecies (e.g., Isa. 8:1–4; Jer. 13:1–11).
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:15 From Caesarea to Jerusalem was about 62 miles (100 km) by road. Paul probably arrived there in the spring of A.D. 57.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:17–23:35 The Arrest in Jerusalem. While fulfilling a vow at the temple, Paul was attacked by a Jewish mob and rescued by the Romans. He defended himself before the Jewish crowd and the Sanhedrin. Then a plot against his life prompted the Roman tribune to send him to the governor in Caesarea.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:17–26 When Paul arrived in Jerusalem, the Christians rejoiced over the success of his Gentile mission. They also expressed concern over rumors that he was teaching Jews to abandon their traditional laws and customs. To disprove the rumors, they asked Paul to participate publicly in a Nazirite vow (see Num. 6:1–21; see also note on Acts 21:23).
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:18 all the elders were present. Apparently the church at Jerusalem was now led primarily by these “elders” (see note on 12:17).
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:21 not to circumcise. Circumcision is singled out because it was considered the main sign of God’s covenant with the Jews. The rumor was false. Paul did not object to Jewish believers voluntarily following OT ceremonial laws (see 16:3; 1 Cor. 7:18–19).
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:23 under a vow. Those under a Nazirite vow stayed away from strong drink and avoided things that would defile them (such as contact with a dead body). They did not cut their hair (Num. 6:1–21). When the time of the vow was over (often 30 days), they would cut their hair and present an offering in the temple.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:25 as for the Gentiles. The Jerusalem elders reminded Paul of the requirements for Gentile Christians agreed upon in the Jerusalem council (15:28–29). This was to avoid giving unnecessary offense to either Jewish believers or unbelievers. They were not asking Paul’s Gentile converts to keep Jewish laws beyond those basic requirements (see Gal. 2:11–12; 4:10).
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:26 he purified himself. See note on v. 27. Paul voluntarily went along with the suggestion from James and the elders. Paul’s willingness to take the vow (vv. 20–24) is an example of his desire to become “all things to all people” (1 Cor. 9:22) in order to advance the gospel.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:27 Paul had to go through purification rituals for seven days (see v. 26). Jews often did so when returning from Gentile territory. The Jews from Asia were probably from Ephesus (see v. 29) and knew Paul from his three years in their city.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:28 defiled this holy place. The Jews from Asia (v. 27) wrongly charged Paul with defiling the temple by taking a Gentile (“Trophimus the Ephesian,” v. 29) beyond the stone barrier that divided the outer courtyard (Court of the Gentiles) from the inner sanctuary. This area was off-limits to Gentiles, under penalty of death.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:30 The shutting of the gates was probably to prevent further defiling of the sanctuary.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:31–32 A Roman tribune was the commander of a cohort. This consisted of up to a thousand soldiers, under the command of several centurions (see note on 10:1). at once. Roman soldiers were housed in the Herodian fortress known as the Tower of Antonia on the northwest corner of the temple wall. Its high tower provided a full view of the temple area. It had two flights of stairs leading down into the temple grounds, so that soldiers could respond to an unruly crowd almost immediately.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:33 Bound with two chains probably means bound with a soldier on each side.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:38 Jewish historian Josephus mentions the revolt led by an Egyptian Jew. The Roman governor Felix had stopped it. The Egyptian fled, and his movement scattered. Josephus also wrote of the Assassins, or “dagger men,” who terrorized Roman sympathizers by stabbing them amid large crowds. The tribune must have thought the Egyptian had returned to stir up another revolt.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:39 Tarsus in Cilicia. See note on 9:30.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:40–22:21 Paul’s address to the Jewish crowd sought to establish what he had come to the temple to prove in the first place—his faithfulness to his Jewish heritage.
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:3 Brought up in this city most likely means that Paul’s parents moved to Jerusalem when he was very young (see 23:16). It could also mean that Paul came to Jerusalem as a young man for his rabbinic training under Gamaliel. (On Gamaliel, see note on 5:34.)
FACT
Paul says that he was born in Tarsus but was brought up in this city, referring to Jerusalem (22:3). In Tarsus, Paul would have spoken Greek. As a Jew, he was also fluent in Aramaic. Growing up in Jerusalem, Paul learned from Gamaliel, the greatest Jewish scholar of his day. The Lord used Paul’s unique background to reach the Gentiles of the Roman Empire with the good news about the Jewish Messiah who was also the Savior of all people, Jews and Gentiles alike.
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:4 On Paul’s persecution of the Christians, see 8:3 and 9:1. this Way. See note on 9:1–2.
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:12–14 For his Jewish hearers, Paul stressed the faithfulness of Ananias.
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:16 be baptized and wash away your sins. Baptism is an outward symbol of the cleansing from sin that occurs when someone trusts in Jesus (see 1 Pet. 3:21). Faith in Christ leads to cleansing, and baptism is a picture of this. As Heb. 10:19–22 shows, the believer’s sins are “washed away” through faith in “the blood of Jesus,” with the result that the believer is “sprinkled clean” and “washed with pure water.”
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:17 in the temple, I fell into a trance. This must have happened during Paul’s visit to Jerusalem after his conversion (9:26). For the Jewish audience, it placed Paul’s experience “on holy ground,” in the temple, much like Isaiah’s call (Isa. 6:1–13).
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:18 him. That is, the Lord Jesus (see v. 19).
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:25 Roman law forbade beating a Roman citizen without a hearing or a formal sentence (uncondemned).
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:28 I bought this citizenship. Persons who were not born Roman citizens but became citizens later usually took the name of their sponsor. That the tribune’s name was Claudius Lysias (23:26) may indicate he purchased his citizenship through the sponsorship of the emperor Claudius. Being a citizen by birth had especially high status.
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:30 unbound him. Since v. 29 implies Paul was already unbound, the tribune’s unbinding him here may mean he took him out of confinement.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:3 Paul, like Jesus, used the metaphor of whitewash for hypocrisy (see Matt. 23:27). Ananias was a particularly bad high priest. For the illegal nature of Ananias’s action, see Lev. 19:15.
FACT
Felix, the Roman governor of Judea, was the first freed slave to ever hold the position of governor (23:26). Coming from the house of Antonia, the mother of Emperor Claudius, Felix and his brother Pallas each attained high positions within the Roman government.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:5 I did not know. Paul possibly did not recognize the high priest because he had not been to Jerusalem for many years. He also may have had poor eyesight (see Gal. 4:12–16).
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:14 The chief priests and elders were the dominant forces on the Sanhedrin. Most were Sadducees, the group most opposed to Paul.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:16 the son of Paul’s sister. Nothing is known of Paul’s family. They possibly moved to Jerusalem when Paul was young (see note on 22:3). he . . . entered the barracks. As a Roman citizen Paul was probably given generous visitation privileges.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:18 The military showed great respect to their Roman prisoner. Note the quick response of both the centurion and the tribune (Lysias) to Paul and his nephew.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:21 By rabbinic law, if a vow became impossible to fulfill, those under it were released from its terms.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:23–24 Lysias sends approximately half the Roman soldiers in Jerusalem to protect Paul.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:24 Felix was governor of Judea A.D. 52–59. He was a weak leader (see 24:24–27).
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:25–26 Lysias’s letter follows standard Greek form: sender (Lysias), to recipient (Felix), followed by greetings.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:27 Lysias had no charges to list. All complaints against Paul had to do with “their [Jewish] law” (v. 29) and not Roman law. Throughout the rest of Acts, all the Roman officials testify to Paul’s innocence of any charges against him.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:31 Antipatris was 35 of the 62 miles (56 of the 100 km) by road from Jerusalem to Caesarea (v. 33). This was a difficult but not impossible distance for soldiers to march in the cool of the night. Only the 70 “horsemen” (v. 32) continued to Caesarea.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:34–35 At this time Judea and Cilicia were both part of the Roman province of Syria. Since Felix administered a portion of that province and Paul’s home was within it, he determined that Paul’s case was within his jurisdiction.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:35 Herod’s praetorium served as the Roman governor’s quarters.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:1–26:32 The Witness in Caesarea. Paul was imprisoned in Caesarea for more than two years. He received formal hearings from the governors Felix and Festus and the Jewish king Agrippa II. When Festus decided to take him to Jerusalem for trial, Paul requested to be tried in Rome before the emperor.
FACT
What is “the Way?” In Acts, “the Way” appears six times (9:2; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). People who belonged to the Way were followers of Christ. It means the way of salvation (16:17) and/or the true way of life in relation to God (see 18:25–26).
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:1–27 The closest thing to an actual trial for Paul took place before Felix when the Jews from Jerusalem brought their charges against him. Felix was not persuaded. He dismissed the court but continued to hold Paul in custody. Felix spoke frequently with Paul in private.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:1 The spokesman . . . Tertullus may have been a Gentile, a professional lawyer.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:2 Tertullus began with flattering words designed to secure the governor’s goodwill. we enjoy much peace. This was not true: Felix had the least peaceful term of any Roman administrator up until his time. The Jews hated him. He was better known for taking bribes than helping the Jews.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:5 Tertullus accused Paul of three crimes: stirring up riots, being a Christian ringleader, and profaning “the temple” (v. 6). To a Roman, the first charge would have been the most serious. It amounted to treason. Paul admitted to the second charge (v. 14). He denied the first and third charges (vv. 12–13).
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:10 Paul’s opening words are brief and honest when compared to Tertullus’s flattery (see note on v. 2).
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:11–12 Paul denied starting any riots. Twelve days was not enough time to gather a following.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:14 Paul proceeded to show how as a Christian he was also a faithful Jew. He accepted the Law and the Prophets and lived his life in light of the resurrection and judgment of “the just and the unjust” (vv. 15, 25).
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:18–19 Paul began to relate the events of his being captured in the temple (21:27–36). He stopped when he realized his real accusers—the Jews from Asia—were not present. Roman law called for a “face-to-face” confrontation between the accusers and the accused.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:20–21 when I stood before the council. Ananias and the elders were members of the Sanhedrin. Thus they could testify to Paul’s earlier hearing before them (23:1–10). The key issue both then and here was the resurrection—not just the general possibility of resurrection but the historical reality of Jesus’ resurrection.
Paul Collects an Offering for Judea
| Activity | Text | Date |
|---|
| The church in Antioch sends Barnabas and Paul to Judea with relief funds. | Acts 11:29–30; 12:25 | c. A.D. 44–47 |
| James, Cephas, and John encourage Paul to remember the poor, which he is eager to do. | Gal. 2:10 | c. 44–47 |
| Paul raises support for the Christians in Jerusalem while in Ephesus. | 1 Cor. 16:1–4 (see note on Acts 20:4) | c. 53–55 |
| Paul raises support for the Christians in Jerusalem while in Macedonia. | 2 Corinthians 8–9 | c. 55–56 |
| Paul raises support for the Christians in Jerusalem while in Achaia. | Rom. 15:25–33 (see note on Acts 20:3) | Spring of 57 |
| Paul is arrested when he arrives in Jerusalem to deliver the gift. | Acts 24:17 (see Acts 21:17–33) | Pentecost, 57 |
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:22–23 Felix had an accurate knowledge of the Way (see note on 9:1–2), which may have come from his Jewish wife (see 24:24). but have some liberty. Paul’s “free custody” may have been due to his being a Roman citizen.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:24 Drusilla was the youngest daughter of Herod Agrippa I and the sister of Agrippa II (who will appear in the next chapter). Her marriage to Felix was something of a scandal because Felix had caused her divorce from her first husband.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:26 money. . . . sent for him often. Roman law prohibited officials from taking bribes, but bribe-taking was common.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:27 Felix was removed from office in A.D. 60 for failing to deal properly with a dispute between the Jews and Gentiles in Caesarea.
ACTS—NOTE ON 25:2 The chief priests and the principal men probably refers to the Sanhedrin.
ACTS—NOTE ON 25:4 Festus unintentionally protected Paul by insisting that any hearing should take place in his headquarters at Caesarea.
ACTS—NOTE ON 25:9–11 Paul feared Festus would give him up to the Jews. As a Roman citizen he had the right to appeal his case to Caesar. He exercised that right in order to take the matter out of the governor’s hands (A.D. 59). “Caesar” was the emperor Nero Caesar, who reigned A.D. 54–68. His first five years were relatively peaceful. After that, he became increasingly cruel and irrational.
ACTS—NOTE ON 25:12 In difficult or unusual cases, Roman administrators usually consulted an advisory board or council of high-ranking officials.
ACTS—NOTE ON 25:13 Agrippa the king was Agrippa II, son of Herod Agrippa I (see notes on 12:1; 24:24), and great-grandson of Herod the Great (see note on Matt. 2:1). He ruled over several minor, primarily Gentile territories. The emperor Claudius had given Agrippa II rule over the temple in Jerusalem. He also gave him the right to appoint the high priest. Bernice was his sister and constant companion.
ACTS—NOTE ON 25:18 brought no charge . . . of such evils as I supposed. Festus concludes that Paul had broken no Roman laws. To Festus, this was merely a religious dispute.
ACTS—NOTE ON 25:23–26:32 Of Paul’s three “defense” speeches (chs. 22; 24; 26), this one before Agrippa gives the most detailed explanation of the gospel.
ACTS—NOTE ON 26:14 The Hebrew language most likely refers to Aramaic (see esv footnote). To kick against the goads is a proverbial statement the Romans probably knew. It means that one cannot ultimately resist God’s will. Goads were sharp sticks used to prod oxen. If the oxen kicked in resistance, the drivers would keep them in line by poking them more severely.
FACT
Kicking against the goads. Goads were long, sharpened sticks used to prod oxen when they were hitched to yokes. Not wanting to be jabbed again with the stick, the ox would kick against it. It would soon learn that it was better to accept the direction of the farmer than to “kick against the goad.” In this context of 26:14, the expression means that it is foolish and futile to resist God’s will.
ACTS—NOTE ON 26:20 A witness by Paul throughout all the region of Judea is not recorded elsewhere in Acts. It must have occurred right after his conversion when he was in Jerusalem (9:28; compare v. 31).
ACTS—NOTE ON 26:22–23 The inclusiveness of Paul’s witness was both social (small and great) and racial (our people and . . . the Gentiles). The suffering of Jesus was the fulfillment of OT prophets.
ACTS—NOTE ON 26:27 I know that you believe. Agrippa had a reputation as a faithful Jew.
ACTS—NOTE ON 26:28–29 In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian? Realizing that Paul was urging him to respond to the gospel, Agrippa put him off. Paul then responded to Agrippa using Agrippa’s own words: short or long, he wanted everyone to trust Christ. The translation of v. 28 is not easy, but most scholars favor something similar to that given in the esv.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:1–28:31 The Witness in Rome. The last two chapters of Acts are devoted mainly to Paul’s journey to Rome (27:1–28:16). In Rome, he followed his usual pattern of beginning with the Jews and then turning to anyone who would listen to his message.
Herod Agrippa II
Herod Agrippa II was the son of Herod Agrippa I and the great-grandson of Herod the Great. Following the death of his father, Agrippa II ruled over several minor territories. He had authority over the temple in Jerusalem, including the right to appoint the high priest. Festus, a Roman unfamiliar with the Jewish faith, sought Agrippa’s advice regarding Paul’s case (chs. 25–26). While defending himself before Agrippa, Paul presented a detailed explanation of the gospel. Though Agrippa resisted Paul’s appeal to believe in Christ, he listened sympathetically to his defense (26:28). He said that if Paul had not appealed to Caesar, he could have been released. (Acts 26:27–32)
Paul’s Journey to Rome
c. A.D. 60
Appealing his case to Caesar, Paul was ordered by Festus to be transferred to Rome. Paul’s journey was marked by difficult weather, as they had begun their voyage late into the season for sea travel. A bad decision to try to find winter harbor at Phoenix ended with the ship being driven by a storm to the island of Malta, where the ship broke apart. All aboard the ship survived, however, and Paul was soon placed aboard another ship that took him to Puteoli. From there Paul was taken to Rome.
FACT
Running aground on the Syrtis (27:17) was a real fear for mariners on the Mediterranean Sea in NT times. The Syrtis was an extensive sandbar off the coast of North Africa. During a storm, if a ship was not properly anchored it could be carried for miles off course and into dangerous shallow waters such as the Syrtis.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:1–44 The voyage to Rome probably began in the autumn of A.D. 59. It is told in great detail. It is consistent with what is otherwise known about sea travel in that time and place. The main theme of the story is God’s provision, especially in protecting Paul so that he arrives safely in Rome.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:1 Note the we, indicating Luke’s presence with Paul all the way to Rome (see note on 16:10; the last “we” is found at 28:16). For centurion and Cohort, see note on 10:1.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:2 The ship of Adramyttium was probably a small coasting vessel (see note on 21:1). Aristarchus. See note on 19:29.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:3 Paul’s friends were Christians from Sidon. Paul’s guard Julius showed him respect throughout the voyage.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:4 Under the lee means sailing under shelter; they were protected from strong winds by sailing close to the island.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:5–6 Cilicia, Pamphylia, and Lycia were districts along the southern coast of what today is Turkey. Myra was directly north of Alexandria. It was a good stopping place for a ship that was sailing for Italy, probably carrying Egyptian grain.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:7 The normal route from Myra to Rome would have taken them south of Rhodes and north of Crete to Sicily. They were already well off course when they reached Cnidus (southwestern tip of Asia/Turkey). They were even more so when they sought shelter on the south side of Crete.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:8 The location of Fair Havens is uncertain. There is a town on the southern coast of Crete with that name today. It is probably close to the ancient site.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:9 The Fast refers to the Day of Atonement in the fall. By then Mediterranean voyages became too dangerous for sailing vessels.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:11 The pilot was the ship’s captain.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:12 The majority probably means the majority of the crew. Phoenix may be the modern Phineka Bay, on the southwestern coast of Crete.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:14 northeaster. An extremely dangerous, gusty wind.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:16 Cauda is today known as Gozzo. The ship’s boat was a smaller one used to transport people from the ship to land. It probably filled with water and was hard to lift on deck.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:17 Ancient ships were sometimes secured during storms with cables (supports) tied around the ends or across and under the center of the ship. What gear was lowered is not known—possibly the topsails or a drift anchor to slow the ship’s progress. The Syrtis was a sandy shoal off the North African coast. Many ships sank there.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:18–19 The cargo may have been grain, although they kept some of it (see v. 38). The tackle may have been the beam that supported the mainsail.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:20 Sailors depended on the sun and stars to help them navigate.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:21 You should have listened to me was no doubt a statement intended to establish Paul’s credibility as he prepared to give the crew some divinely revealed instructions (vv. 22–26).
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:24 must stand before Caesar. See note on 25:9–11. The ultimate reason Paul was saved was for his testimony in Rome (see 23:11).
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:27 Adriatic Sea. In ancient times this area extended south to Crete and Malta, farther than the modern Adriatic.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:29 the rocks. The location was probably the rocky area on the northeastern coast of Malta, known today as Point Koura. Ancient ships had multiple anchors. The four anchors from the stern kept the ship steady and facing toward land.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:30 the sailors were seeking to escape. They decided to take the ship’s only small boat and get themselves safely to shore. Such a selfish action would leave no one on the ship with the skill to handle it, leading to a wreck, with many deaths. So Paul warned the centurion of the sailors’ plan, and he stopped them (vv. 31–32).
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:33 The rescue was to begin at daybreak, and everyone needed food for strength.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:34 not a hair is to perish from the head. They will not die.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:35 Paul’s giving thanks and breaking bread was a testimony to his faith in the God who was about to deliver them.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:37 The number of 276 passengers was not too great for large grain ships, which were up to 100 feet (31 m) long.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:39 The traditional site of Paul’s shipwreck is known as St. Paul’s Bay. It has a sandy beach on its western side.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:40 The ship’s rudders would have been pulled out of the water and tied down during the storm. They were now placed back in the water to steer the ship. The foresail was a small sail in the bow to guide a ship.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:41 The meaning of the word translated reef is uncertain. It could also refer to a sandbar. Either way, the bow became stuck in it.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:43 Once again (see v. 24) Paul’s presence resulted in the deliverance of others. This time it saved the other prisoners. The soldiers feared that the prisoners had escaped (v. 42; see note on 12:18–19).
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:1 Malta was on the main route from Myra (27:5) to Rome. God had brought them through the storm and back on course.
FACT
What happens next? Acts ends with Paul serving Christ from within a Roman prison. During this time, he wrote Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. According to the church historian Eusebius, Paul was released, then arrested a second time, and eventually martyred in Rome.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:4 Justice in Greek can refer to justice or to the name of the goddess who dispenses justice.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:7 chief man. Probably a formal title.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:8 The description of Publius’s father as having fever and dysentery fits the symptoms of an infection caused by goat’s milk called “Malta fever.”
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:10 Travelers on ancient ships had to provide their own meals. The hospitable Maltese people gave Paul and his shipmates enough food for the rest of their voyage.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:11 After three months probably indicates March (c. A.D. 60). It was now safe to navigate the Mediterranean. The ship of Alexandria was likely a grain ship. Castor and Pollux, the twin sons of Zeus and Leda, were viewed as the gods who protected seamen.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:12–13 Syracuse was at the eastern end of Sicily. Its fame as a Hellenistic city rivaled that of Athens. Rhegium was at the southern tip of Italy across from Sicily. Puteoli was a major port for Roman traffic. It was 257 miles (413 km) by road up the western coast of Italy from Rhegium.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:14 The presence of brothers at Puteoli shows that Christianity had reached Rome by this time (c. A.D. 60) and was widely known in Italy. Luke’s comment, so we came to Rome, may seem premature (Rome was still 130 miles [209 km] away). Perhaps he meant it as a summary statement, indicating the process by which Paul reached Rome.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:15 Paul’s party was met by Roman Christians at two points along the way to Rome—the Forum of Appius, some 40 miles (64 km) from Rome, and 12 miles (19 km) farther on at Three Taverns. Paul had written his letter to the Roman church three years earlier. Though he had not personally visited Rome, his greetings at the end of Romans (Rom. 16:1–16) show that he already knew many people there.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:16 Allowing Paul to provide his own housing points to his high status as a prisoner and perhaps to the support of local believers.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:17–18 The local leaders were probably the elders of the Roman synagogues. Paul’s main purpose in this meeting was to explain his presence in Rome. He declared his innocence of breaking any Jewish law. wished to set me at liberty. See 26:32.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:19 no charge to bring. Paul was a loyal Jew. He was innocent of the Jews’ charges against him. He also refused to accuse them of any wrongdoing.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:20 The hope of Israel is the arrival of the Messiah, which is proven by his resurrection (see 23:6; 24:15; 26:8, 23).
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:23 The content of Paul’s message was the kingdom of God and Jesus (see also v. 31). The kingdom represents the fulfillment of God’s saving promises to his people (see note on Matt. 12:28).
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:24 On the Jews’ pattern of resistance (compare 5:33; 7:51; 12:1; 13:45; 25:11), see note on Amos 4:6.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:26–27 Isaiah 6:9–10 is quoted here (compare Matt. 13:14–15). The heart in Scripture is the center of thinking, willing, and deciding.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:30–31 Paul shared the gospel with all, both Jews and Gentiles. This situation continued for two whole years (A.D. 60–62). Other sources show that Paul was then released and perhaps traveled to Spain. During his imprisonment Paul wrote the letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. After Paul’s release from his first imprisonment would be when he wrote 1 Timothy and Titus. He probably wrote his last letter, 2 Timothy, during his second imprisonment, as he awaited execution (see 2 Tim. 4:6–8).