ACTS—NOTE ON 13:1–14:28 The Witness in Cyprus and Southern Galatia. Chapters 13 and 14 relate Paul’s “first missionary journey” (see map). Commissioned by the Antioch church, Paul and Barnabas witnessed on the island of Cyprus and in the southern cities of the Roman province of Galatia.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:1–3 The Antioch Church Commissions Paul and Barnabas. The church in Antioch had already been proclaiming the gospel to the Gentiles nearby, and Paul and Barnabas had participated (11:19–26). Now the Spirit led the church to send them on a wider mission, well beyond the borders of Syria.
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 is Latin for “black,” indicating he likely came from Africa, as did the Cyrenean Lucius. (Cyrene was the capital city of Cyrene [sometimes called Cyrenaica], a Roman province in Libya, on the north coast of Africa; see Acts 2:10.) Some have identified Lucius with Luke, but this is unlikely, since Luke is Greek and Lucius is Latin. Herod the tetrarch is Herod Antipas, who is mentioned frequently in the Gospels and who reigned in Galilee during Jesus’ ministry (cf. Matt. 14:1; Luke 3:1; 23:8; Acts 4:27) 4 B.C. to A.D. 39. He was a son of Herod the Great (Matt. 2:1), and his nephew Herod Agrippa I, grandson of Herod the Great, reigned as king in Judea A.D. 41–44 (Acts 12:1–23). Lifelong friend translates Greek syntrophos, indicating that Manaen was a close friend of Herod Antipas and had been brought up with him from childhood.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:2 While they were worshiping the Lord and fasting. Though there were recognized “prophets” in the church (v. 1), that did not guarantee that the Holy Spirit would speak to them apart from their spending such extended time in worship, fasting, and prayer. “They” likely refers to the whole congregation at worship, although the five prophets may well have mediated the Spirit’s message.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:3 They again probably refers to the entire congregation rather than just the five “prophets and teachers” (v. 1), since Paul and Barnabas were a part of that latter group. The laying on of hands was a “commissioning,” indicating the church’s support of the two in their mission, and providing a physical indication of imparting the Holy Spirit’s power to them (see 6:6; 8:17; 9:17; 19:6).
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:4–12 Paul and Barnabas Witness on Cyprus. The two missionaries worked first on the island of Cyprus, Barnabas’s home (4:36). This first of Paul’s three missionary journeys is narrated in 13:4–14:26. It likely began in A.D. 46 or 47 and lasted perhaps a year and a half.
Paul’s First Missionary Journey (Acts 13:4–14:26)
c. A.D. 46–47
Barnabas and Paul first visited Barnabas’s home region of Cyprus before sailing to the southern region of Asia Minor. When they reached Perga in Pamphylia, John Mark left the group and returned to Jerusalem. Making their way to Antioch (in Pisidia), Iconium, Lystra, and Derbe, Paul and Barnabas were driven out of each city by jealous Jewish religious leaders. Later they returned by the same route, strengthening the new churches as they went. From Attalia they set sail for their home in Antioch of Syria.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:4 sent out by the Holy Spirit. Luke continues his emphasis on the divine direction of all that is happening in the growth of the church. 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 (Acts 17:1–2). This was a natural starting point, since the Jewish people already believed that the OT Scriptures were the absolutely authoritative and truthful words of God.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:6 Paphos was 90 miles (145 km) southwest of Salamis and was the seat of the Roman government of Cyprus. Paphos here likely refers to the port city of Nea Paphos rather than nearby Old Paphos (with its famous ancient temple of Aphrodite). First-century remains in Nea Paphos include an odeion (a small covered theater), a larger theater, and the Sanctuary of Apollo. Bar-Jesus was a magician (Gk. magos), similar to Simon (8:9–13), and a Jew. He was also a false prophet. Paul’s subsequent characterization of him as a “son of the devil” suggests that his “magic” was assisted by demonic powers. Magic in antiquity was practiced by both pagan and Jewish people with the goals of healing diseases, bringing physical blessings, cursing or otherwise harming others, and guarding against both curses and demons. Magicians also claimed to foretell the future. Ancient literature (e.g., Pliny, Natural History) and discovered magical books (cf. Acts 19:19) indicate that magic often involved special incantations (frequently invoking magical names of deities and demons), potions, and the use of magical objects such as amulets, incantation bowls, or figurines.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:7 The proconsul was the highest-ranking official in a Roman senatorial province. A few inscriptions have been found around the Mediterranean bearing the name Sergius Paulus, but it is difficult to be certain which, if any, relate to the proconsul mentioned here.
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 When Elymas was miraculously struck blind, the proconsul believed. Throughout Acts, miracles have a significant role in bringing unbelievers to genuine faith (cf. notes on ch. 3; etc.).
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:13–41 Paul Preaches in the Synagogue of Pisidian Antioch. From Cyprus the missionaries sailed to the southern coast of what today is Turkey.
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, though Paul’s later conflict with Barnabas (15:36–41) shows it did not sit well with Paul. Among the extensive archaeological remains at Perga, the city gates, theater, sports arena, and an unidentified temple date to the time of Paul.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:14 Antioch in Pisidia was one of 16 cities that the Syrian king Seleucus had named for his father Antiochus. The city had a large Jewish population and the high status of being a Roman “colony.” It is to be distinguished from Antioch in Syria, from which Paul and Barnabas had begun their journey (see v. 1). Excavations at Pisidian Antioch have revealed much from Paul’s day: city walls, a theater, large streets, a temple to the Anatolian god Men Askaenos, and a large temple platform probably related to emperor worship. 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 (see note on Matt. 3:17). rulers. Worship was led by the ruling elder.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:16–41 Paul’s sermon (vv. 16–41) 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). With its historical sketch, the sermon is reminiscent of Stephen’s. Both sermons emphasize God’s raising up leaders for Israel, but with a major (though complementary) difference: Stephen pointed to Israel’s rejection of its God-sent leaders, while Paul stressed God’s grace in providing the leaders. You who fear God (v. 16) is a reference to the “God-fearers” in the synagogue (see note on 10:2).
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:17–21 A quick summary of Israel’s history from the exodus to King Saul emphasized God’s merciful provision for his people.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:20 The reference to 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. This brief summary of Israel’s history thus shows the step-by-step unfolding of God’s plan first realized in King David but later fulfilled in the promised Son of David, the promised “Savior, Jesus” (v. 23).
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 13:36 After he had served the purpose of God in his own generation reveals a confidence in God’s sovereign direction of history: David’s kingdom was not meant to be final or ultimate but served a specific purpose for its time, as it anticipated the greater Messiah to come. Though he was not sinless, David was for the most part faithful to God, and thus he fulfilled God’s purpose for his life. Faithfulness should be the goal of every Christian in every generation.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:38–39 freed. The Greek (dikaioō) is often translated “justified” and means “to declare innocent, to justify.” Jews sought to deal with their sin through living by the law of Moses. But the law cannot free a person from sin, not only because all people fail to keep it but also because it was never designed to bring about effective atonement for sins (Gal. 3:10–14; Heb. 10:1–14); only the one who believes in Christ and his saving sacrifice is free from sin and acceptable to God.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:42–52 Paul Turns to the Gentiles. Although the response at the synagogue was favorable, with Paul being asked to preach again, the Jews turned against him the next Sabbath when a large group of Gentiles showed up. Paul responded by turning to the Gentiles, a pattern he would continue in every city he visited: beginning with the Jews, then turning to the Gentiles when opposition forced him from the synagogue.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:43 converts. The Greek (prosēlytos) is sometimes translated “proselyte.”
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:44 Since the population of Antioch was mainly Gentile, almost the whole city indicates that the majority who showed up were Gentiles.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:46–47 Citing Isa. 49:6, Paul stated he was now turning to the Gentiles. Paul and Barnabas can be seen as doing the work of the Servant because of their connection to Jesus. 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). unworthy. Their stubborn resistance showed Paul that it would not be worthwhile for him to spend any more time trying to reason with them.
ACTS—NOTE ON 13:48 as many as were appointed to eternal life believed. Throughout Acts, Luke affirms the sovereignty of God over all of life while at the same time affirming the significance of human activity, as evidenced by the remarkable human effort and sacrifice involved in proclaiming the gospel. Thus Luke, without contradiction, maintains a dual emphasis on divine election (“appointed”) and on human response (“believed”) (cf. notes on 2:23; 3:13–16; 3:17; 4:27; 4:28). The emphasis here in 13:48 is on the way in which divine sovereignty (appointment) results in the belief of the Gentiles, demonstrating that their belief was due to God’s grace alone.
God’s Sovereignty in Salvation as Seen in Acts
View this chart online at http://kindle.esvsb.org/c161
| 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”
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- 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”
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- 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”
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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 14:1–7 Paul and Barnabas Are Rejected at Iconium. Forced to leave Antioch, the two missionaries went to Iconium (modern Konya); see note on 13:51. In Iconium, a great many Jews and Greeks believed, but there was much opposition.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:1 Paul’s witness in Iconium followed the pattern in Pisidian Antioch. He began his witness again in the synagogue (see notes on 13:5; Rom. 1:16).
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:2–3 In Iconium, Paul and Barnabas again faced opposition. So they remained for a long time. In spite of strong opposition, they were able, by the power of the Spirit, to speak boldly and perform signs and wonders, which once again confirmed the truth of the gospel.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:4 Both Paul and Barnabas are referred to as apostles (vv. 4 and 14). The word (Gk. apostolos) carries the general meaning of “one who is sent” but it is often used throughout the NT as a more technical term for someone specifically chosen and commissioned by Christ for the proclamation of the gospel, as in the case of the original 12 apostles (e.g., Matt. 10:2; 19:28; Mark 3:14; Luke 9:1; Acts 1:2, 15–26). The apostle Paul understood his calling as an apostle to be comparable to the calling of the original Twelve in this technical sense, that is, as one who had seen Christ and who had been specifically chosen and appointed by Christ. This was based on the fact that Paul, on the road to Damascus, had in fact personally seen the risen Christ and had been chosen by Christ (9:15), and that he had been appointed by Christ and sent by Christ (26:16–17) to proclaim the gospel to the Gentiles. (See also Paul’s defense of his apostolic calling in 1 Cor. 9:2; 15:7–9; and Gal. 1:1, 12, 16.) Commentators differ as to whether the word “apostles” in Acts 14:4 and 14 refers to Paul and Barnabas as being apostles in the same technical sense as the original Twelve, or whether this is intended in the general sense of “ones who are sent” (cf. 13:2–3, where Paul and Barnabas are “set apart” by the Holy Spirit and “sent … off” by the church in Antioch).
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:6 they learned of it and fled. See note on 9:25. Lystra was 20 miles (32 km) southwest of Iconium and Derbe another 58 miles (93 km) southeast. Both were in the district of Lycaonia within the Galatian province. This verse likely implies that Iconium was not a city of Lycaonia (but rather of Phrygia and/or of the province of Galatia); this claim is supported by inscriptions from Iconium in the Phrygian language.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:8–23 The Two Missionaries Witness in Lystra. 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 and the attempt of the populace to worship them.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:9 seeing that he had faith to be made well. The Holy Spirit gave Paul the ability somehow 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 transpiring. They realized the gravity of the situation, however, when the local priest began to offer sacrifice. The crowd’s acclamation was based on a local myth that the gods Hermes and Zeus had once visited their region in human form.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:14–15 tore their garments. Contrast the response of Herod (12:21–23). who made the heaven and the earth. Since the Lystrans were polytheists, it was necessary to begin with the basic message that God is the creator of all that exists.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:17 rains … and fruitful seasons. Paul tells these Gentiles who had no knowledge of the Jewish Scriptures that 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. They should not think that these things “just happen” or that they are the work of some local deities, for they are from the one true God “who made the heaven and the earth” (v. 15). 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 The Jews again stirred up opposition, this time coming from Iconium and Antioch, over 100 miles (161 km) distant by road. they stoned Paul. The action was so brutal that they could see no sign of life in Paul. Later, in recounting his sufferings for the gospel, Paul says, “Once I was stoned” (2 Cor. 11:25; cf. 2 Tim. 3:11). supposing that he was dead. Those who stoned Paul apparently thought they had succeeded in killing him. But as “supposing” indicates, they were mistaken in thinking that, even though Paul was indeed gravely injured.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:20 The presence of disciples indicates that despite the opposition, a nucleus of believers was established at Lystra (including Timothy, 16:1). They gathered about Paul, perhaps at first to mourn, but then, with some sign of life, to pray for his recovery. Amazingly, and apparently miraculously, he rose up and entered the city, apparently under his own strength.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:21 Derbe, about 58 miles (93 km) southeast of Lystra, marked the farthest point in Paul’s first journey. The account is brief, noting only that Paul made a number of converts there. From that city (Derbe) Paul could have continued on south to his starting point of Syrian Antioch on foot, a much easier journey than backtracking through Lystra, Iconium, and Pisidian Antioch (see map). The decision to take this longer route shows the importance Paul attached to maintaining contact with his churches and establishing local elders. It also shows tremendous courage that he would return to the cities from which he had been driven by such violent opposition. Debates surround the exact location of ancient Derbe, but many associate it with the unexcavated mound of Kerti Hüyük since inscriptions mentioning Derbe were found in the area.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:22 Paul’s telling the Christians of those cities to expect many tribulations is echoed in his own account of his persecutions there (2 Tim. 3:10–12; cf. Rom. 8:17). Often in Acts new believers are exhorted to persevere in the faith (Acts 11:23; 13:43), and the reference to “tribulations” indicates that the Christian’s life is often beset by difficulties.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:23 Paul’s churches followed the synagogue pattern of leadership by elders. It is significant that elders were appointed from the beginning for such young churches (cf. James 5:14, which dates to sometime between A.D. 40 and 50). The language here indicates a plurality of elders in every church (cf. also Acts 11:30; 15:2, 4, 6, 22–23; 16:4; 20:17; 21:18; 1 Tim. 5:17; Titus 1:5; 1 Pet. 5:1, 5). See also note on 1 Sam. 4:3.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:24–28 Paul and Barnabas Return to Antioch. Paul and Barnabas summarize God’s work among the Gentiles.
ACTS—NOTE ON 14:24–26 Paul and Barnabas retraced their steps south through the regions of Pisidia and Pamphylia to Perga and the port city of Attalia, then sailed home to their sponsoring congregation in Syrian Antioch. This time they shared the gospel in Perga (cf. note on 13:13). Attalia (modern Antalya) continues to serve as a marina to this day, and the remains of an ancient mausoleum still overlook the harbor. The reference to having fulfilled the work links up with the Spirit’s original commission at Antioch (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 (1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Col. 4:3).
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 issue was raised by the “Pharisaic” wing of the Jerusalem church (vv. 1–5); the Gentile mission was defended by Peter (vv. 6–11); a solution was proposed by James (vv. 12–21); and an official agreement was reached (vv. 22–35). The fact that James is key to the resolution shows that the Jewish and Gentile believers were less divided than some try to make them. Those who complained here were on the fringe of the church, and their hard line view was rejected.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:1–5 The Circumcision Party Criticizes the Gentile Mission. The Antioch church had reached out to many Gentiles (11:20–21), and God had given Paul and Barnabas great success among the Gentiles on their mission (14:27). No evidence exists that these Gentiles had been circumcised or required to live by all the Mosaic law. In fact, the Spirit had come on them without such an act, as Peter will argue. Some conservative Jewish Christians argued that Gentiles should undergo these things since they were required of all converts to Judaism. The issue was whether Gentiles needed to become Jews and follow Jewish ceremonial laws in order to be Christians. Though some scholars think that Paul is referring to this meeting in Gal. 2:1–10, it is better to see that passage as referring to private contacts made during his famine relief visit to Jerusalem (see note on Acts 11:27–30).
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:1 The Jewish law contained not only basic moral provisions but many aspects of a more “ceremonial” nature, such as circumcision, the kosher food laws, and many requirements involving external purity and various kinds of sacrifices and festivals. These laws presented a problem for Gentiles: to live by them would make it virtually impossible to continue in their Gentile communities. But according to the OT, one had to be circumcised to belong to the people of God (Gen. 17:9–14), and it seemed to many of the Jewish Christians that the church should also require this of male believers. 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. They not only argued that Gentiles had to be circumcised to be saved but also that they were required to keep the whole Mosaic law as well, for circumcision represented a commitment to observe the law.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:6–11 Peter Defends Paul. Peter, first to speak, defended Paul’s Gentile mission.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:6 The apostles and the elders provided the main leadership at the council, but v. 22 indicates that “the whole church” was present for the occasion and apparently also gave consent to the decision.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:7 and after there had been much debate. This important theological issue in the early history of the church was not decided by a sudden decree spoken by a prophet but by careful reasoning and thoughtful argumentation 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 Peter’s reference to God having cleansed their hearts by faith may allude to the content of his vision prior to visiting Cornelius (see v. 7): “What God has made clean, do not call common” (10:15; 11:9). The faith of the Gentiles at Cornelius’s house is only implicit in chs. 10–11, but Peter referred to it explicitly here: they were saved by faith in their hearts, not by circumcision in their flesh. The argument here recalls points made in Acts 11:15–17.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:10–11 The rabbis often used the metaphor of a yoke with reference to the law, and Peter’s reference to “yoke” here refers not just to circumcision but to the whole of the Mosaic law (see note on v. 1). By speaking of the law as an unbearable yoke, Peter was not denying that the law was God’s gift to Israel. Rather, he was arguing that Israel was unable to fulfill it perfectly and that salvation could not be obtained through the law (cf. Rom. 2:17–24). Only one means of salvation exists for both Jew and Gentile: God’s “grace” (Acts 15:11) in Jesus Christ. Paul also refers to any requirement to keep the OT laws as “a yoke of slavery” (Gal. 5:1). 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 James Proposes a Solution. When some apostles had begun to leave Jerusalem for a wider witness, the Jerusalem leadership was assumed by others, with Jesus’ brother James in a prominent role (see 12:17; 21:18–25). At the Jerusalem council, James endorsed Peter’s conclusions about a “circumcision-free” Gentile mission and offered a suggestion for establishing fellowship between Jewish and Gentile Christians.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:13 James was noted for his scrupulous keeping of the Jewish law (cf. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 20.200; Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 2.23).
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:14 Simeon. A different spelling for the name of Simon Peter. James presented scriptural backing (vv. 15–17) to support Peter’s contention that God was now including the Gentiles as a people for his name. This means “for himself” (since someone’s “name” represented all that was true about him and his character) and 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 looked to the time when God would restore the house of David. Luke provides the Septuagint (Greek) translation of the text, which speaks of the Gentiles (Gk. ethnē) seeking the Lord. But even the Masoretic (Hebrew) Text fits with what James argued, since it speaks of a people called by my name (Amos 9:12), and those called by God’s name are in a saving relationship with him. Amos looked to a time when God would claim a people for himself from among the Gentiles. James concurred with Peter that the time of Gentile inclusion in God’s people had now 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 provisions, including laws about sacrifices, festivals, unclean foods, and circumcision. He offered a proposal by which Gentile Christians could have fellowship with Jewish Christians and avoid giving unnecessary offense. The word for (Gk. gar) at the beginning of v. 21 gives the reason for James’s proposal: the Gentile Christians should abstain from certain things because “in every city” there are still Jews who observe these ceremonial laws and think them to be important. The first three requirements (see v. 29) seem to be contextually sensitive and designed for these specific circumstances: abstention 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 Paul in other circumstances permitted believers to eat food offered to idols; see 1 Cor. 8:1–11:1.) The fourth requirement, dealing with sexual immorality, was of course not a contextual or optional standard of obedience like the other three. It may have needed special emphasis and clarification because many Gentiles’ consciences were so corrupted that they did not hold to a high standard of sexual purity. This reaffirmation of the believer’s need to maintain sexual purity also serves as a reminder that the moral standards of the OT still need to be obeyed. James concludes his appeal (v. 21) by noting the widespread (in every city) teaching and affirmation of the Mosaic law, thus suggesting that there is no need to give unnecessary offense either to Jewish believers or to unbelieving Jews who might otherwise consider becoming Christians in the future.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:22–35 A Letter Is Sent to Antioch. When the entire assembly agreed to James’s provisions, a letter was drafted to inform the Antioch church of their decision.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:22 it seemed good. Mature Christian wisdom and reasoning, in dependence on the Lord, resulted in a unanimous corporate decision. (See also v. 28.) The letter was accompanied by representatives of the Jerusalem church who could testify to the reasoning that the consensus expressed. 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, with Antioch as its provincial 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 (cf. 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 making process. 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, here resulting in encouragement and strength (see notes on 13:1; 1 Cor. 12:10; and other notes on 1 Corinthians 14).
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 (see map) probably began in A.D. 48 or 49 and ended in 51.
Paul’s Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36–18:22)
c. A.D. 49–51
Paul and Silas revisited the places in Asia Minor where Paul had preached on his first journey (cf. map), while Barnabas took John Mark and sailed to Cyprus. Paul and Silas visited Derbe, Lystra, and Antioch in Pisidia. From there Paul and Silas traveled to Troas, where Paul received a vision of a man from Macedonia calling to them. Crossing into Europe, they passed through several towns along the Egnatian Way and traveled to the cities of Athens and Corinth in southern Greece. Then, sailing to Ephesus and Caesarea, they visited the church in Jerusalem before returning to Antioch of Syria.
ACTS—NOTE ON 15:36–41 Paul and Barnabas Differ over Mark. Before setting out on his new mission, Paul asked Barnabas to accompany him. A sharp disagreement arose between them over whether to take Mark, resulting in Barnabas taking Mark on a separate mission and Paul choosing Silas as his companion.
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, for Barnabas went to strengthen the churches in Cyprus and Paul went to the churches in Syria, Cilicia, and then Galatia. In addition, both of their assistants (Mark and Silas) went on to have significant ministries themselves.
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 16:1–5 Timothy Joins Paul and Is Circumcised. Timothy joined Paul and Silas at Lystra. Because Timothy’s mother was Jewish, Paul had him circumcised. They continued on their way, revisiting the churches of the first mission.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:1 Probably Timothy, his mother, and his grandmother had been led to Christ upon Paul’s first witness in Lystra (14:8–23; cf. 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.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:3 because of the Jews who were in those places. Paul never abandoned his Jewish heritage, and so he circumcised Timothy. It was all the more necessary if Timothy was to join his mission. He did not want to fight on nonessentials (1 Cor. 9:19–21). Paul always began in the synagogues, and to have an uncircumcised Jew with him would have made any witness to Jews much more difficult. (Since Timothy had grown up in this region, the Jews would have known of his mixed family background.)
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), but 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 16:5 As is frequent in Acts, the section ends with reference to the growth of the church.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:6–10 Paul Is Called to Macedonia. Through divine direction Paul was led to the town of Troas, where he received a vision directing him to witness in the Greek province of Macedonia.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:6–7 Paul’s route is not altogether clear. After revisiting his earlier field, undoubtedly traveling on the Via Sebaste (a Roman military road), he proceeded farther west into Phrygia. Had he continued in that direction he would have traveled through Asia with its prosperous coastal cities like Ephesus. The Spirit of Jesus prevented this, and he went north through Mysia. He was also prevented from witnessing in Bithynia.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:6 having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. From Antioch in Pisidia Paul and Timothy traveled far northward, and then westward. Natural human wisdom would have led them to think they should preach the gospel in all the cities that they passed through, but instead the Holy Spirit directed them on a 400-mile (644-km) journey by foot to Troas (v. 8). They must have had a strong sense of the Spirit’s direct guidance and concluded that he would guide others to preach the gospel in the northern regions of Asia and in Bithynia (cf. 1 Pet. 1:1, where Peter writes to churches in that region).
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:7 the Spirit of Jesus. Another name for the Holy Spirit, who had been sent by Jesus to the church in new power at Pentecost (2:33; cf. John 15:26).
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:8 Troas was a major Aegean port 14 miles (23 km) south of ancient Troy, and the primary Asian harbor for ships destined for Macedonia. The harbor of Troas is still visible, although it is silted over. Ongoing excavations at the site of Troas have yielded a pagan temple and an adjacent agora (marketplace) from the time of Paul. Though not very distant in nautical miles, Macedonia was a different part of the world—Europe—instead of the East, to which the gospel had hitherto been confined.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:9 a vision … a man. Some kind of visible image of a man came in such a forceful way, accompanied by such a strong sense of God’s presence, that Paul concluded that God was guiding him. God also spoke to people in visions (Gk. horama) elsewhere, as recorded in both Acts and the rest of Scripture (see 7:31; 9:10; 10:3; 12:9; 18:9; cf. Gen. 15:1; 46:2; Ex. 3:3; Dan. 7:1, 13; Matt. 17:9).
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:10 The occurrence of we is the first time in the narrative that the first person plural occurs in Acts and most likely indicates that at this point Luke, the author of Acts, joined the missionary group as they set out for Macedonia.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:11–40 Paul Witnesses in Philippi. Philippi was the first Macedonian city in which Paul witnessed. His ministry there is related in four parts: the conversion of Lydia (vv. 11–15), the arrest of Paul and Silas (vv. 16–24), the conversion of the Philippian jailer (vv. 25–34), and the release of Paul and Silas by the magistrates (vv. 35–40).
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:11–15 Conversion of Lydia. Finding no synagogue in Philippi, Paul began his witness in the closest thing to one: a group of women gathered outside the city for prayer. One of them, Lydia, responded to the gospel and was baptized along with her household.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:11 Samothrace was an island on the direct route between Troas and Neapolis, 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 (most plausibly modern Kavalla) was built 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 (see Introduction to Philippians: The Ancient City of Philippi).
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:13 Philippi seems to have had no significant Jewish population. Like Lydia, the women who attended the prayer meeting may have been God-fearers and not Jews. At least three locations among the remains of Philippi have been suggested for this place of prayer.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:14 Lydia came from Thyatira (cf. 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 had some wealth. (Thyatira was famous for its expensive purple dyes.) The Lord opened her heart. It is the supernatural work of God, not the wisdom or persuasiveness of the preacher, that ultimately draws people to Christ.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:15 Lydia’s household likely included servants as well. Her house eventually became the gathering place for the Christians (v. 40).
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:16–24 Imprisonment of Paul and Silas. Paul cast out a spirit that possessed a slave girl and gave her predictive powers. Losing their means of profit, her owners brought Paul and Silas before the magistrates, who had them flogged and jailed.
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 to God’s people in the OT (cf. Deut. 18:10; 1 Sam. 28:8; 2 Kings 17:17; Mic. 3:11). The Greek OT (Septuagint) uses the same Greek verb for fortune-telling (manteuomai) that is used in this verse.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:18 The words of the fortune-telling girl (v. 17) were true in a formal sense, but 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. Rather than praying to God, Paul speaks directly to the spirit and commands it to leave. Such a verbal command is consistent with the authority over demons that Jesus himself had (cf. Matt. 8:16; 12:28) and that he had given to his disciples (Matt. 10:8; Luke 10:17). The NT Epistles elsewhere discuss spiritual battles against the forces of evil (cf. 2 Cor. 10:3–4; Eph. 6:12; James 4:7; 1 Pet. 5:8–9).
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:19 The slave girl’s owners were upset by their loss of profit. Throughout Acts, the profit motive often works against the gospel—with Simon the magician (8:18–24), Elymas (13:8–12), and Demetrius the silversmith (19:24).
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:20 The magistrates (Gk. stratēgoi), responsible for maintaining civil order, were the standard officials for a Roman colony, with two appointed to each colony.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:22 Responding to the unruly crowd, the magistrates had Paul and Silas stripped and gave orders to beat them with rods. The magistrates in Roman cities were served by attendants who carried bundles of wooden rods bound together as symbols of the magistrates’ authority and their right to inflict corporal punishment. Paul and Silas were severely beaten with these wooden rods (v. 23; cf. 2 Cor. 11:25). The entire process was a miscarriage of justice, since there was no fair hearing to ascertain the facts or to allow Paul and Silas to speak in their own defense. In 1 Thess. 2:2, Paul says he was “shamefully treated at Philippi.”
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:23 prison. The stone structure often designated as Paul’s prison in tourist literature on Philippi was so designated only in later church tradition.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:25–34 Conversion of the Jailer. Paul and Silas were miraculously freed from their confinement. They did not view their freedom as a means of escape, however, but as an opportunity for witness (cf. 5:17–21). As a result, the jailer and his household became believers.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:25 praying and singing hymns to God. Amid their suffering Paul and Silas experienced the strong presence of the Holy Spirit, filling their hearts with joy and praise (cf. 1 Pet. 2:19–21; 4:12–14). Joy for the honor of suffering is a common theme in Acts (Acts 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 the judgment of God, 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, cf. 10:43; John 3:16; Rom. 1:16; 10:10–11; etc.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:33 The jailer washed their wounds, leading Chrysostom (c. 347–407) to comment, “He washed and was washed; he washed them from their stripes, and was himself washed from his sins” (Homilies on Acts 36.2). baptized … he and all his family. The jailer seems to have called forth 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 translates Greek agalliaō, a word not used by secular Greek writers and which always in the NT signifies a deep spiritual joy (cf. Matt. 5:12; Luke 1:46–47; 10:21; John 8:56; Acts 2:26; 1 Pet. 4:13; Rev. 19:7).
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:35–40 Release of Paul and Silas. When the magistrates secretly ordered their release, Paul insisted that they come to the prison in person to release them, in deference to their Roman citizenship.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:35 Let those men go. Why the magistrates decided to release the two prisoners is not specified. Perhaps the jailer had told them about the night’s events or they had been alarmed by the earthquake, or perhaps they thought that the beating and overnight imprisonment was enough punishment and that Paul and Silas would leave the city.
ACTS—NOTE ON 16:37 do they now throw us out secretly? No! Paul was concerned for the public reputation of his gospel message and also, no doubt, for the good standing of the church that was being established at Philippi. Thus he insisted on public vindication lest the people of Philippi continue to believe that he was a troublemaker and a lawbreaker, ideas that would have presented barriers to the gospel in Philippi for years to come. Paul wanted to make it clear that a mistake had been made. Christianity is no threat to Rome. citizens. Roman law forbade scourging or imprisoning a Roman citizen without a formal hearing.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:1–9 Paul Witnesses in Thessalonica. From Philippi Paul traveled the 94 miles (151 km) to Thessalonica, capital of Macedonia (see Introduction to 1 Thessalonians: Purpose, Occasion, and Background). In 1 Thess. 2:2, Paul recounts that they “had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict.” He also mentions in Phil. 4:16 that the Philippian church helped him with his material needs during this time.
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 reflects a longer ministry (see 1 Thess. 2:9; 5:12; 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 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). Some of them were among the devout Greeks (God-fearers) who attended the synagogues.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:5 The Jews were jealous because they were losing power and influence (cf. 5:17; 13:45); see also 16:19 and 19:23–28, where the opponents to the gospel were stirred up because of their loss of financial gain. On the expression “the Jews,” see notes on John 1:19; Acts 9:23.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:6 men who have turned the world upside down. These hostile opponents spoke better than they knew, for the spread of the gospel throughout the Roman Empire was the beginning of a movement that would change the course of history forever.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:9 The money as security was given as a guarantee that there would be no more disturbance of the peace as a result of Paul’s preaching. As a practical matter, this 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” (1 Thess. 2:18), which Paul said prevented his return to Thessalonica.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:10–15 Paul Witnesses in Berea. Paul and Silas fled to Berea, 50 miles (81 km) by road southwest of Thessalonica.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:10 Berea. At least two inscriptions confirm a Jewish presence in Berea after the time of Paul.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:11 Noble translates the Greek eugenēs, which originally meant “of noble birth” or “well born.” The word was also applied to people who exhibited noble behavior, in that they were open-minded, fair, and thoughtful. Thus Luke saw the Bereans as “more noble” in their receiving Paul’s message with all eagerness, and then in looking to the written words of the OT as their final authority, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. By commending this activity, Luke encourages this searching of the Scriptures as a pattern for all believers and also gives support to the doctrine of the clarity of Scripture, the idea that the Bible can be understood rightly, not only by scholars but also by ordinary people who read it eagerly and diligently, with conscious dependence on God for help.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:14 immediately sent Paul off. Apparently most of the opposition was directed against Paul, who was the main spokesman, so the believers sent him away, while allowing Silas and Timothy to remain among them. The phrase to the sea indicates that they took Paul as far as the coast, but the text does not specify whether Paul then traveled to Athens by ship or by land, along the coastal road (a distance of 222 miles or 357 km).
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:15 a command for Silas and Timothy to come to him as soon as possible. Luke does not at this point give many details about the travels of Silas and Timothy, but 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 amid its persecution and opposition (1 Thess. 3:1–2). At the same time he must have sent Silas somewhere else in Macedonia (Acts 18:5), being willing to be left at Athens “alone” (1 Thess. 3:1). It is likely that Silas went at least to Philippi but possibly also to Berea. (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 17:16–34 Paul Witnesses in Athens. Paul’s ministry in Athens began in the marketplace, where he encountered some Athenian philosophers (vv. 16–21). This led to a more formal presentation to the Areopagus (vv. 22–34).
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:16–21 Witness in the Marketplace. Paul proclaims the gospel to the Athenians.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:16 Athens was filled with examples of artistic beauty, particularly its statues of the Greek gods and the architectural magnificence of its temples. Paul, however, was deeply troubled by the idolatry that the art represented. his spirit was provoked within him. “His spirit” does not mean the Holy Spirit but Paul’s human spirit (cf. Rom. 8:16). He was deeply troubled to see the entire city devoted to false gods represented by idols. (Elsewhere Paul would write, “what pagans sacrifice they offer to demons and not to God,” 1 Cor. 10:20.) Large portions of central Athens have been excavated. Paul would probably have been speaking in the Roman Forum (used as a marketplace; cf. Acts 17:17) and in the Greek Agora (largely filled with civic structures). These were surrounded by great stoas, one of which (the Stoa of Attalos) has been reconstructed for modern viewers. In Paul’s day Athens boasted a stadium, a large theater, and an odeion known as the Agrippeion. Some of Athens’s most prominent features were its numerous pagan temples. The great temple to Athena (the Parthenon), the Erechtheion (dedicated to multiple deities), and the temple to the goddess Roma and the emperor Augustus stood atop the acropolis overlooking the city. Many other pagan sacred sites have also been found, confirming Petronius’s satirical assertion that it was easier to find a god than a man in Athens. Multiple inscriptions also indicate a Jewish presence in Athens, and Herod the Great was honored by the Athenians for his generosity to the city.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:17 he reasoned. Witnessing for Christ was a matter of patient persuasion. 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 conversed with representatives of two of the most popular philosophies of the day, Stoicism and Epicureanism. They called Paul a babbler (Gk. spermologos, lit., “one who picks up seeds,” derived from an older and less common meaning of legō, “pick up”). The term thus suggested one who pecks at ideas like a chicken pecks at seeds and then spouts them off without fully understanding them.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:19 The Areopagus is the “hill of Ares” (Ares being the Greek god of war). The Court of the Areopagus was a long-established body with extensive authority over the civil and religious life of Athens. In Paul’s day, it exercised jurisdiction especially in matters of religion and morality. In speaking before the group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers (v. 18), Paul would have addressed them either on the “hill of Ares” (i.e., Mars Hill), located below the acropolis, or northwest of the acropolis in the northwest corner of the Agora, where at the time of Paul the group held its ordinary meetings in the Royal Colonnade.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:22–34 Witness before the Areopagus. Paul’s Areopagus address is the prime example in Acts of preaching to Gentiles. Although rooted in OT ideas, it appealed to the Greek philosophers by interacting with their thought, even quoting their own writers in a well-informed, respectful way. Its main subject was the error of idolatry. Paul began with and returned to the theme of idolatry (vv. 23, 29), in a well-informed manner, clearing the way for a full statement of the gospel, but he was interrupted before he could achieve this.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:22–23 Religious (Gk. deisidaimōn) 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 (Description of Greece 1.1.4). He also mentioned such an altar at Olympia (Description of Greece 5.14.8), and an inscription found at Pergamum has been restored to read “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 deities that might be worshiped in Athens, with all their foibles and weaknesses. When Paul says that “God … does not live in temples made by man, nor is he served by human hands” (cf. 7:48), it is easy to imagine him gesturing toward the magnificent temple, the Parthenon, that stood just above him and his hearers on the acropolis. Paul was claiming that the true God of heaven and earth does not live in temples like the Parthenon and is not served by the sacrifices which the Athenians regularly brought to their temples.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:26 One man refers to Adam, in whom all people find their ancestral unity, an idea that would appeal to the Stoics’ strong sense of human brotherhood. Paul thus affirms the historicity of Adam and the descent of the entire human race from him. This also rules out any kind of racism, since the various ethnic groups come from one man. Having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place indicates God’s sovereignty over the histories of nations.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:27 Feel their way toward him implies a kind of groping around in darkness, without really knowing how to find God, though they hoped that they would. The verbs translated “feel their way” and “find” are in the optative mood in Greek, suggesting possibilities considered uncertain of realization. Not far from each one of us implies God’s omnipresence and also implies that God hears people’s prayers and knows their hearts (including these philosophers in Athens). God’s providence leads people to seek God, with the goal that they might perhaps … find (i.e., worship) him, but all people fall short of seeking God wholeheartedly and successfully, as Rom. 1:18–3:20 teaches. Paul is being inviting here. There is a God to find, and he is not hard to find, having revealed himself to us through the story Paul prepares to tell.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:28 some of your own poets. Instead of the OT, Paul quoted some statements from pagan Greek writers who would be familiar to his audience. Though he quotes them with approval, this does not imply that he approves of other things 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 words are found just two lines later than the quotation Paul takes from the same poem in Titus 1:12. The second quotation here 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), and we are much more complex and wonderful than these lifeless material substances. Therefore God himself must also be much more wonderful than these things. With this observation Paul returns to the critique of idolatry with which he began and sets up the basis for the need to repent.
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:30 Paul moved to his distinctly Christian appeal, at this point distancing himself from the philosophers. God overlooked. That is, God did not bring immediate judgment to the world in previous times (but Paul warns of coming judgment in the next verse).
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:31 He will judge the world means that God will hold all people accountable, even these philosophers in Athens. raising him from the dead. Jesus is not just a religious teacher. The resurrection of Jesus is at the center of God’s plan for history and is the basis for hope in the future resurrection of the body (1 Cor. 15:42–57; Rev. 21:4). It is also a 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 that Paul is describing (2:30–36).
ACTS—NOTE ON 17:34 As a result of Paul’s address to the Areopagus, Luke notes that some men believed (Gk. andres, “men” referring to male human beings, as would have been the case for members of the Areopagus; see v. 22). In addition to these men who initially believed, some others also (Gk. kai, “and, also”) believed, including Dionysius … and a woman named Damaris, as well as others with them (i.e., with Dionysius and Damaris).
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:1–22 Paul Witnesses in Corinth. Corinth was Paul’s last major place of witness on his second journey. His initial establishment of work there (vv. 1–11) is followed by an account of a specific incident when the Jews brought him for trial before the proconsul (vv. 12–17). But Paul was able to stay “many days longer” (v. 18). Then, after completing his Corinthian ministry, Paul returned to Antioch, making a brief stop at Ephesus (vv. 18–22).
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:1 Corinth was 46 miles (74 km) west of Athens. A Roman colony, it was the most influential city of the province of Achaia, both politically and economically (see Introduction to 1 Corinthians: The Ancient City of Corinth).
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:2 Claudius’s expulsion of the Jews from Rome in A.D. 49 seems to have resulted from a disturbance in the Jewish synagogues created by the Christian message. Aquila and Priscilla had much in common with Paul, being Jews, tentmakers, and possibly already Christians when they fled from Rome.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:3 First Corinthians 9 may reflect this period of Paul’s ministry in Corinth, when he supported himself rather than receiving assistance from the Corinthians.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:4 he reasoned … and tried to persuade. See note on 17:17. synagogue. The first-century-A.D. Jewish philosopher Philo emphasized the city of Corinth as a home for Jewish people (Embassy to Gaius 281; cf. neighboring Sicyon in 1 Macc. 15:23). Several funerary epigraphs also confirm a later Jewish presence, as does a rather crude post-Pauline inscription found near the road to Lechaion designating the “Synagogue of the Hebrews.” Greeks in a synagogue context are 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 again joined Paul in Corinth, they probably were the ones who brought a contribution for Paul’s ministry from the Macedonian churches (see 2 Cor. 11:9).
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:6 when they opposed and reviled him. Paul will spend much time with audiences where there is interest and response, even if they don’t immediately believe (see v. 4), but he will not spend time where he simply faces hostile opposition. Shaking garments was a gesture of rejection, much like shaking the dust from one’s feet (cf. 13:51). Your blood be on your own heads reflects Ezekiel’s words about God’s prophetic watchman (Ezek. 33:1–7). “Blood” means “the responsibility for your judgment by God.” Paul had faithfully discharged his responsibility, so that at the final judgment no part of these Jews’ failure to believe could be attributed to his failure to tell them about Christ (but cf. note on Acts 18:7).
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. Paul’s Jewish opponents cannot have been very pleased about his choice of a new location in such close proximity to the synagogue. Nothing more is known of Titius Justus. He is not the Titus who was with Paul long before the founding of the Corinthian church (Gal. 2:1).
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:8 Both Jews and Gentiles were won to the Lord, Crispus (see 1 Cor. 1:14) representing the former and many of the Corinthians the latter. believed and were baptized. Baptism seems to have followed closely after each person’s profession of faith.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:9–11 Up to this point, opposition to his ministry had usually forced Paul to leave a place of witness. But the Lord in a vision assured him that he would have a successful ministry in Corinth and would suffer no further harm. In obedience Paul remained there for 18 months (c. A.D. 49–51, during which time he wrote 1–2 Thessalonians). God’s assurance was immediately confirmed by Paul’s deliverance from an attempt to condemn him before the proconsul. Acts 18:10–11 gives helpful insight into Paul’s understanding of God’s providence and predestination in relation to human responsibility for preaching the gospel. Though God had told Paul, “I have many in this city who are my people,” indicating that many in Corinth would come to faith in Christ, this did not lead Paul to conclude that he had no further part to play. Rather, Paul stayed a year and six months, longer than he stayed at any city except Ephesus, preaching the gospel in order that through his preaching those whom God had chosen would come to faith (cf. note on 27:30). Predestination implied successful evangelism.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:12 The proconsul of a province was its chief judicial officer. Since Gallio served in this role A.D. 51–52, this provides one of the key dates used in computing dates for Paul’s various missionary journeys. The tribunal (Gk. bēma) was the proconsul’s judgment seat. It has been excavated in Corinth and was located in the open air in the marketplace.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:14 Gallio’s judgment—that the Jewish accusations against the Christians concerned only matters of their own religion—established the important legal precedent that Christians were innocent of transgressing Roman law when merely teaching and following Christian doctrine. A similar judgment comes later, in 25:19.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:17 Sosthenes may have been a Jewish convert to Christianity, for Paul mentions someone by that name as his “coauthor” in 1 Cor. 1:1. In Acts 18:8, Crispus had been called “the ruler of the synagogue,” but 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 of 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 Roman harbor of Cenchreae is still visible (though largely submerged), and excavators have identified warehouses, fish tanks, and what they believe may be temples to Isis and Aphrodite. Paul left Priscilla and Aquila at Ephesus (v. 19) to establish the ministry there. The cutting of Paul’s hair probably indicates he had completed a vow (see Num. 6:1–21; Acts 21:20–24). Besides not cutting the hair, such a vow mandated strict purity and refraining from strong drink. One would have undergone such a vow in seeking divine blessing for an undertaking or to express thanksgiving.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:19 On the synagogue see note on v. 26.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:21 Paul declines to stay in Ephesus but will return … if God wills, affirming that his plans are ultimately in God’s hands (cf. 1 Cor. 4:19; James 4:15). Paul’s brief appearance in the synagogue prepared the way for his later ministry in Ephesus (Acts 19). Indeed, his promise to return if God wills sets the stage and provides the main destination for his third missionary journey.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:22 Leaving from the main Palestinian port of Caesarea (cf. 8:40; 9:30; 21:8) in the spring of A.D. 51, Paul went up and greeted the church, which most interpreters understand to mean the church in Jerusalem, which in that region could be called “the church” without further specification, and which was the location to which one would “go up” from Caesarea, given the higher altitude of Jerusalem. Then Paul went down (from Jerusalem) to Antioch (cf. 13:1–3; 14:26–28; 15:30–35; and 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; see map), which took place primarily in Ephesus, the capital of the Roman province of Asia, a major commercial center and home of the famous temple of the goddess Artemis (see Introduction to Ephesians: The Ancient City of Ephesus).
Paul’s Third Missionary Journey (Acts 18:22–21:17)
c. A.D. 52–57
Paul’s third missionary journey traversed much the same ground as his second (cf. map). Passing through Galatia and Phrygia, he proceeded directly to the great port city of Ephesus. After three years of preaching and teaching there, Paul traveled again through Macedonia and Achaia, strengthening the believers, and then finished with a visit to Jerusalem.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:23–28 Priscilla and Aquila Instruct Apollos. In Ephesus Priscilla and Aquila taught the Christian way “more accurately” to an Alexandrian disciple named Apollos.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:23 Again sponsored by Antioch in Syria, Paul began his third missionary journey in the spring of A.D. 52, traveling 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), but that did not happen this time, for Paul was headed directly toward the west, in order to reach Ephesus according to his promise in 18:21.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:24 Alexandria was an intellectual center in Egypt with a world-renowned library. Apollos’s eloquence (Gk. logios, “learned, skilled, eloquent”) was undoubtedly accompanied by great learning, particularly in the OT Scriptures. He is described as being competent (or “powerful,” Gk. dynatos) in his use of the OT Scriptures in public preaching and debate, no doubt accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit.
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:25 Apollos knew only the baptism of John, which suggests that he had not heard about the baptism that Jesus commanded after his resurrection (see Matt. 28:19), and which began to be administered to all believers in Christ on and after the day of Pentecost (see Acts 2:41; 8:12; etc.). Therefore Apollos’s knowledge of the Christian gospel must have been deficient in some ways, though he taught accurately the things concerning Jesus as far as he knew them. He certainly knew about Jesus’ life and teachings, but 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 The presence of a synagogue in Ephesus (also in v. 19; 19:8) is further evidenced in an ancient inscription mentioning “the leaders of the synagogue and the elders” (on Jewish presence in Ephesus, see Introduction to Ephesians: The Ancient City of Ephesus). Presumably Priscilla and Aquila … explained the things about Jesus that Apollos did not yet know (see note on Acts 18:25). It is noteworthy that both of them “explained” (the verb exethento is a plural form of ektithēmi, “explain, elaborate, expound”) to Apollos the way of God more accurately. They took him means they did not correct him publicly but took him aside and talked to him privately (Gk. proslambanō; cf. Matt. 16:22; Mark 8:32). As an example of the Holy Spirit’s work in bringing about the growth of the church in Acts, this verse provides positive support for 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 the prohibition in 1 Tim. 2:12 against women teaching an assembled group of men.
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, and a letter from them on Apollos’s behalf would carry great weight. Later, in his first letter to Corinth, Paul acknowledged Apollos’s ministry there (1 Cor. 1:12; 3:4–6, 22; 4:6). Apollos evidently returned to Ephesus after his time at Corinth, for he was with Paul when Paul wrote 1 Corinthians, which was written from Ephesus (1 Cor. 16:12) sometime during Paul’s ministry there (Acts 19:1–20:1).
ACTS—NOTE ON 18:28 he powerfully refuted the Jews in public. Though Paul had been in Corinth one and a half years, the church still benefited greatly from this help from a skilled scholar and speaker (Apollos) who apparently had advanced academic knowledge accompanied by the power of the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:1–10 Paul Encounters Disciples of John. At Ephesus Paul led some disciples of John the Baptist to Christ (vv. 1–7). His Ephesian ministry then extended throughout the entire Asian province (vv. 8–10).
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:1 while Apollos was at Corinth. See 18:27. Inland country refers to the main highway that went westward through the mountainous region from Phrygia into Asia and on to Ephesus on the coast. Disciples here refers to followers of John the Baptist; they did not know of Jesus (19:4).
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:2 That they had not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit indicates they had not heard of the outpouring of the Spirit at Pentecost (ch. 2), and therefore they probably had not heard much of Jesus’ life and ministry, and certainly not of his death and resurrection. (Cf. note on 18:25.) They had evidently relocated from Palestine to Ephesus before Jesus’ own ministry began. As followers of John they would have known his message that 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 (in contrast to their former baptism of “repentance” only, v. 4). On baptism in the name of Jesus, see note on 10:48.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:6 The Holy Spirit came on them means they received the new covenant fullness and power of the Holy Spirit, something that happened to Jesus’ disciples for the first time on the day of Pentecost (see notes on 1:8; 2:4; 8:17). They had not previously known about Jesus’ death and resurrection, so their earlier belief (19:2) was one of looking forward to the Messiah to come, a state similar to that of OT believers. Their speaking in tongues and prophesying was an outward demonstration and verification of their receiving the Spirit. (See discussion of these gifts in note on 1 Cor. 12:10 and notes elsewhere on 1 Corinthians 12–14.)
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:9 the Way. See note on 9:1–2. the hall of Tyrannus. Some Greek manuscripts in the “Western text” tradition add that the daily lectures were held between the hours of 11:00 A.M. and 4:00 P.M., which included the hottest part of the day, when people would take off work for a midday nap. reasoning daily. See note on 17:17.
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 of setting up in the major cities and sending coworkers into the surrounding region to establish churches. Paul wrote 1 Corinthians near the end of his time at Ephesus (see note on Acts 19:22).
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:11–22 Paul Encounters False Religion at Ephesus. Paul worked many miracles at Ephesus (vv. 11–12), but he encountered others who pursued a false way of working “miracles,” including some would-be Jewish exorcists (vv. 13–16) and persons who had a background of faith in magical spells (vv. 17–20).
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:11 God was doing extraordinary miracles by the hands of Paul. As previously in Acts, miracles opened the door for hearing the gospel and gave confirmation that God himself was working through Paul and his message (cf. notes on 3:1–26; etc.).
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:12 handkerchiefs or aprons. These were not magical objects. Rather, the Holy Spirit was pleased to manifest his powerful presence so strongly through Paul that the Spirit’s presence sometimes remained evident in connection with objects that Paul had touched (cf. note on 5:15). As had happened at Samaria (8:9–13), Cyprus (13:6–11), and Philippi (16:16–18), the powerful forces of pagan magic (19:19) and religion connected to demonic activity (vv. 12, 15; cf. 1 Cor. 10:20; Eph. 6:12) were confronted by the far more powerful work of the Holy Spirit ministering through Paul.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:13 itinerant Jewish exorcists. There are records of extensive ceremonies and spoken formulas that Jewish people in the first century used to try to free themselves from the influence of evil spirits, but it is unlikely that these were very effective, since the people were astounded when Jesus was able to cast out demons with “authority and power” (Luke 4:36).
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:15–16 Not only was the name of Jesus important in casting out evil spirits, but so was true faith in Jesus on the part of the one uttering his name. Here, a “reverse exorcism” occurred, with the demon driving out the exorcists. Their nudity enhanced their humiliation.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:19 The Greco-Roman world put great stock in magical incantations and spells, often collecting them into books that sold for large sums (see note on 13:6). Converts in Ephesus brought these relics of their pagan past and held a massive book burning. Pieces of silver probably refers to the Greek drachma, which represented a laborer’s average daily wage. At $15 (U.S.) per hour, or $120 per day, 50,000 drachmas would equal approximately $6 million in today’s currency.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:20 Luke again emphasizes the inherent power of the word of the Lord, showing that the gospel triumphs over all demonic powers. In these summary statements, Luke continues to give glory to God and his word rather than to any human skill, knowledge, or effort.
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 remainder of Acts, for after leaving Ephesus Paul returned to the churches in “Macedonia” and “Achaia” (or Greece, 20:1–2) and from there went to Jerusalem (21:17) and then eventually to Rome (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 (cf. v. 21; also 1 Cor. 16:5–10). Paul sent the letter to Corinth with Timothy and Erastus (see 1 Cor. 16:10), and then later left Ephesus to go through Macedonia and eventually to Corinth himself as well (see Acts 20:1–2; 1 Cor. 16:5, 8–9). Erastus was a Corinthian and is included in Paul’s greetings in Rom. 16:23 and 2 Tim. 4:20.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:23–41 Paul Experiences Violent Opposition at Ephesus. The account of Paul’s Ephesian ministry concludes with a riot against Paul that was provoked by a silversmith named Demetrius.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:23 The Way refers to Christianity (19:9; 22:4; 24:14, 22; see note on 9:1–2).
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:24 Demetrius was a skilled demagogue. His real problem was that Paul’s polemic against idolatry was hurting his business, but he added more volatile accusations that aroused civic and religious pride. Silver shrines were replicas of the temple of Artemis that were used for home altars or as offerings to be presented to the goddess as often as daily.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:25–27 Demetrius’s statements were basically accurate. Paul did preach against idolatry (Acts 17:29), and people from all Asia and the world did flock to Ephesus to worship Artemis, particularly in the week-long spring festival dedicated to the goddess. Demetrius was not wrong in linking Artemis with the civic, economic, and religious interests of the city.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:28 Great is Artemis of the Ephesians! Civic and religious pride were the decisive factors provoking the riot.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:29 The Ephesian theater had a capacity of more than 20,000 in Paul’s time and was the place of assembly for the regular town business meetings. Apparently Gaius and Aristarchus were eventually released, since Aristarchus reappears later as Paul’s frequent companion (see 20:4; 27:2; Col. 4:10; Philem. 24).
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:30 As the main focus of the riot, Paul was in mortal danger, and his fellow Christians were right to hold him back.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:31 The Asiarchs were the keepers of the imperial Roman cult in Asia; they were of high rank and were concerned about the safety of their fellow citizen Paul. Many inscriptions testify to the use of the title Asiarch during this time (see also Strabo, Geography 14.1.42).
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:32 As with most mobs, confusion reigned, many not knowing why they had assembled.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:33–34 The role of the Jew Alexander is unclear. Perhaps he wished to dissociate the Jews from the Christians. But the crowd shouted him down, knowing that Jews opposed any foreign gods.
ACTS—NOTE ON 19:35 The town clerk was the chief administrative officer of the city, the liaison between the town assembly and the Roman officials. He assured the crowd that their city’s reputation was secure. 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. The legal means for settling disputes were the regular courts conducted by the Roman proconsul and the scheduled meetings of the town assembly. there are proconsuls. A “proconsul” (Gk. anthypatos) was the head of government in a Roman province (cf. 13:7; 18:12). The plural here may refer to the fact that at that time in Ephesus they were between the reigns of two proconsuls. in danger. The crowd in the theater (where regular assemblies were held) had the appearance of an unlawful assembly and risked bringing Roman reprisals. Luke’s extensive report of the careful reasoning of the town clerk may have provided an important basis with which Christians in other cities could have defended themselves, since Luke shows here (and elsewhere in Acts; see notes on 18:14; 23:27) that the Christian gospel was not contrary to the Roman rule of law and was not disruptive of public order, and that accusations made to that effect were untrue.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:1–6 Paul Completes His Ministry in Greece. Paul made a final visit to the churches of Macedonia and Achaia, spending the winter in Corinth.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:1 Paul departed from Ephesus for Macedonia (probably going first to Philippi). In the final days of his Ephesian ministry, after writing 1 Corinthians (see note on Acts 19:22), Paul had had considerable conflict with the Corinthian church, making a “painful” visit to them (probably by sea) and writing a “tearful” letter upon his return to Ephesus (2 Cor. 2:1–4), which he at first regretted having sent (2 Cor. 7:8–9). As his time in Ephesus neared its completion Paul wanted to return to Corinth, but feared how he might be received there after having sent the harsh letter. He evidently sent Titus ahead to “test the waters” at Corinth. Upon leaving Ephesus (Acts 20:1), Paul did not head directly to Corinth by sea, but first went north, visiting the Christian communities along the way and hoping to meet up with Titus returning from Corinth. He went to Troas, and then possibly on to other churches in Macedonia (2 Cor. 2:12–13). In Macedonia (perhaps at Philippi, Thessalonica, or Berea) Titus finally joined him and brought the good news that the church had repented of its opposition to Paul’s leadership and had become reconciled to him (2 Cor. 7:5–16). Paul then wrote 2 Corinthians.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:2 Greece (Gk. Hellas) 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), when sea travel was more dangerous. 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 Introduction to Romans: The Ancient City of Rome; and note on Rom. 16:1–23). In it he explained that his reason for going to Jerusalem was to take a collection from his Gentile churches to the needy Christians in Jerusalem (Rom. 15:22–29; for other references to this collection, see Acts 24:17; 1 Cor. 16:1–4; 2 Corinthians 8–9). Gathering this collection was one of the purposes behind this final visit to the churches of Macedonia and Achaia. he decided to return through Macedonia. This would take Paul back once again to the churches of Berea, Thessalonica, and Philippi.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:4 accompanied him. In discussing the “collection for the saints” in 1 Cor. 16:1–4, Paul noted that it would be accompanied by official representatives from the churches. Their presence would give safety from robbery and also would provide a public guarantee of Paul’s integrity in handling the funds. The men listed here (Acts 20:4) as accompanying Paul represent all the areas of his missionary work. Aristarchus. See note on 19:29.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:5 These went on ahead. This group may have included all the representatives or just the two Asians, who perhaps arranged for the final voyage from Troas (on this city see note on 16:8).
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:7–16 Paul Travels to Miletus. The journey to Jerusalem continued, with an incident at Troas in which Paul restored the life of a youth (vv. 7–12). This is followed by a detailed itinerary of the voyage to Miletus (vv. 13–16).
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:7 On the first day of the week. The first reference in Acts to worship on Sunday.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:9 The story has a touch of humor and a happy outcome. The etymology of the name Eutychus is “lucky, fortunate.” The “many lamps” (v. 8) and long sermon likely led “Lucky” to seek air in the window, but he fell asleep anyway and fell three stories. Taken up dead (not “as dead”) indicates his actual death.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:13–14 The remains of Assos include a monumental temple of Athena atop the acropolis, a market, portions of the city wall, and a Greek theater.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:15 Chios was the birthplace of Homer, and Samos was the birthplace of the mathematician Pythagoras. Miletus was a major Aegean harbor, one of the great cities of the province of Asia in Paul’s day.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:16 Having spent three years in Ephesus, Paul knew he would be delayed with too many farewells there, so he chose to sail past the city so that he could reach Jerusalem by the feast of Pentecost.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:17–35 Paul Addresses the Ephesian Elders at Miletus. Paul’s Miletus address is the sole 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. Paul held out his own ministry as an example for the Ephesian elders (vv. 18–21), spoke of his future prospects (vv. 22–27), warned of coming heresies (vv. 28–31), and encouraged a proper attitude toward material goods (vv. 32–35).
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:17 The four harbors of Miletus have long since filled up with sediment from the Meander River. Excavations at Miletus have revealed the substantial theater, an odeion (a small covered theater), an agora, and the Delphinium (dedicated to Apollo). One excavated building at Miletus is considered by some to be a synagogue. The Ephesian church leaders are called elders (Gk. presbyteroi) and are in v. 28 addressed as “overseers” (Gk. episkopoi, sometimes translated “bishops”) who are to “care for” (or “shepherd”) “the flock” (the role of pastors). This overlap of terminology indicates that “elders,” “overseers,” and “pastors” 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 (Gk. deō, “to bind, tie, constrain”) indicates that the Holy Spirit was giving Paul an exceptionally strong sense of compulsion that he had to go quickly and directly to Jerusalem, even though he knew that imprisonment and afflictions awaited him there. Paul must have reflected on the similarities between his present journey to Jerusalem and Jesus’ final journey to Jerusalem where he was to die (Matt. 16:21; 20:18; Mark 10:32–33; Luke 9:51, 53; 18:31–33), and wondered if he also would end his life there (see Acts 20:24). the Holy Spirit testifies to me in every city. Such testimony probably came to Paul through both Christian prophets (cf. 21:11) and direct revelation from the Holy Spirit.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:24 Paul often expressed his willingness to suffer for Christ (2 Cor. 4:7–12; 6:4–10; 12:9–10; Phil. 1:20–21; 2:17; 3:8; Col. 1:24). In 2 Tim. 4:7 he used the same expression of finishing his course (or “race,” Gk. dromos).
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:26–27 For Paul’s claim to be innocent of their blood, see Ezek. 33:1–6 and note on Acts 18:6. Paul is saying that he is not accountable before God for any future doctrinal or moral error that might come to the Ephesian church, for (giving the reason why he is not culpable) he did not shrink from declaring any part of the teaching of the Word of God. The whole counsel of God refers to the entirety of God’s redemptive plan unfolded in Scripture. Even though some parts of God’s Word were unpopular or difficult, Paul did not omit any of them in his preaching. In refusing to pass over teachings that might have offended some, Paul gave a courageous example that is a model for all who would teach God’s Word after him.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:28 Pay careful attention to yourselves. Spiritual leaders need first of all to guard their own spiritual and moral purity. the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. The last part of this phrase refers to the blood of Christ poured out in his atoning death on the cross (cf. Rom. 3:25; 5:9; Eph. 1:7; etc.). The reference to God in the first part of this phrase (“the church of God”) most likely is a reference to Christ as the head of the church and as “God the Son,” the second person of the Trinity. Alternatively, if God the Father is in view in the phrase “the church of God,” then “his own blood” is a reference to the blood of God’s “own,” that is, of “God’s own Son” (which would be a legitimate alternative reading of the Greek). (See also esv footnote indicating that some Greek manuscripts read “the church of the Lord” rather than “the church of God.”)
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). The letters of Paul to Timothy, who served Ephesus a decade or so later, attest to the presence of false teachers who were ravaging the church for their own gain and who had indeed come from within the church, in fact, from among the elders themselves (from among your own selves). (See 1 Tim. 1:19–20; 4:1–3; 2 Tim. 1:15; 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 had mentioned earlier (see 19:8, 10). Paul again challenged the elders to follow the example of his ministry with them (c. A.D. 52–55) and offered a benediction dedicating their service to the power and leadership of God. He particularly emphasized that the word of God was to be central in their ministries, for the word is able to build … up believers; it teaches the gospel of salvation by grace so that the final inheritance (end-time salvation) is received by those who belong to God. sanctified. That is, 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—a reminder that Jesus did many things that are not recorded in Scripture (see John 21:25). This saying was no doubt passed on to Paul by those who heard Jesus teach. give. On Christian generosity, see 2 Cor. 8:9–15.
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:36–21:16 Paul Journeys to Jerusalem. Paul traveled to Jerusalem by sea and then by land. Along the way he had sorrowful farewells and ominous warnings from each Christian community about the dangers facing him in Jerusalem. The warnings are reminiscent of the forebodings that accompanied Jesus on his own journey to Jerusalem (see Luke 13:33–35; 18:31–33).
ACTS—NOTE ON 20:38 As Paul prepared to depart, the Ephesian elders were sorrowful most of all that they would not see him again (see v. 25). Though Paul was in frequent conflict with hostile unbelievers and with false teachers in the churches, this verse shows that Paul’s churches had deep affection for him; no doubt many thought of him primarily as a kind and gentle pastor (cf. 1 Thess. 2:7; 1 Tim. 3:3; 2 Tim. 2:24; Titus 3:2). They probably supplied him with provisions for his voyage.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:1 Paul’s ship was probably a “coasting vessel”—one that 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; its immense harbor is now filled up with silt.
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. This apparently indicates some prophecies given by the Christians at Tyre. But what these disciples told Paul was wrong, because the narrative clearly shows that Paul was being guided by the Holy Spirit to go to Jerusalem (see 19:21; 20:22–24; 21:14). Interpreters differ over how much of what these disciples told Paul was actually part of their prophesying (or speaking “through the Spirit”): (1) Some hold that this incident shows that there are two potential kinds of problems with early Christian prophecies: first that there could be mistakes in the prophecies themselves, and second that there could be mistakes in the prophet’s own interpretation. This then would be an example of why Paul commands that prophecies must be tested, that is, to guard against both (a) possible mistakes in the prophecy itself, and (b) possible mistakes in the interpretation of the prophecy (see notes on 1 Cor. 14:29; 1 Thess. 5:20–21). (2) Other interpreters hold that, although such prophecies themselves are completely accurate (because they come “through the Spirit”), there still could be mistakes in the interpretation of the prophecy. Thus, even though the prophecy is accurate, such prophecies still need to be tested. In the first case, both the prophecy and the interpretation may be wrong; in the second case only the interpretation may be wrong. In either case, all prophecies would need to be tested, as Paul commands.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:7 Ptolemais is the Roman name of the modern city of Acco.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:8–9 Caesarea was the closest port to Jerusalem. four unmarried daughters. 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).
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:10–11 Agabus had earlier prophesied a coming famine (11:28). OT prophets often acted out their prophecies (e.g., Isa. 8:1–4; 20:1–4; Jer. 13:1–11; 19:1–13; 27:1–22).
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:13 Paul, as a disciple of Jesus, is willing to follow in Jesus’ steps (1 Pet. 2:21) and to die in Jerusalem as Jesus did (Luke 9:51; 18:31–33).
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:15 The distance from Jerusalem to Caesarea was approximately 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 participating in a Nazirite vow at the temple, Paul was attacked by a Jewish mob and rescued by the Romans. After he defended himself before the Jewish crowd and the Sanhedrin, a plot against his life prompted the Roman tribune to send him to the governor in Caesarea.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:17–26 Paul Participates in a Nazirite Ceremony. When Paul arrived in Jerusalem, the Christians rejoiced over the success of his Gentile mission but expressed concern over rumors that he was teaching Jews to abandon their ancestral laws and customs. To disprove the rumors, they asked Paul to participate publicly in a Nazirite vow, as specified in OT law (Num. 6:1–21). (See also note on Acts 21:23.)
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:18 all the elders were present. Apparently leadership of the church at Jerusalem now rested primarily with these “elders.” It seems that James himself was counted as an apostle (see 15:13–21; 1 Cor. 15:7–9; Gal. 1:19; 2:9), but the text does not say whether other apostles still remained in Jerusalem or if they had departed on other missionary activities (see note on Acts 12:17). In light of 1:8, the latter is likely.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:21 not to circumcise. Circumcision is singled out because it was considered the badge 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 would abstain from wine, strong drink, grape juice, grapes, or raisins; would avoid any contact that would defile them (such as contact with a dead body); and would not cut their hair (cf. 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 (cf. Mishnah, Nazir 6.3). If Paul went with them and personally paid for the cost of their offering, it would show that he did not object to Jewish converts following OT customs voluntarily, so long as those same customs were not required of Gentile believers (see note on Acts 18:18).
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 assure Paul that they wanted to avoid giving unnecessary offense to either believers or unbelievers among the Jews. They were not asking Paul’s Gentile converts to embrace the Jewish laws beyond those minimal requirements, nor were they requiring Jewish believers to observe OT ceremonial laws (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. There is no basis in the text for the suggestion of some that the Jerusalem leaders were reluctant to accept the gift Paul brought, or that participating in this vow was a “condition” of accepting the gift from the Gentile churches, or anything suggesting reluctance or hostility toward Paul. The text says that the Jerusalem church received Paul and his companions “gladly” (v. 17) and “they glorified God” as a result of all that they heard from Paul (v. 20). Paul’s willingness to join with the four men under a Nazirite vow is an example of his willingness to become “all things to all people” (1 Cor. 9:22, cf. vv. 19–23) for the sake of advancing the gospel.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:27–39 An Angry Mob Attacks Paul. Paul was attacked in the temple by a mob incited by the false charge that he had violated the temple. The Romans rescued him and kept him in custody.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:27 Paul was the one undergoing purification for seven days (see v. 26). Nazirites were purified at the beginning of their vow, but Jews often underwent formal purification (e.g., Num. 19:11–12) on other occasions, such as when returning from Gentile territory, as in Paul’s case. The Jews from Asia were probably from Ephesus (cf. Acts 21:29) 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) 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, which was off-limits to Gentiles, under penalty of death. But their accusation was a lie. Paul, knowing of the death penalty, would not have brought a Gentile into the forbidden area.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:30 The temple grounds were the largest open area of Jerusalem, and crowds often gathered there. The shutting of the gates was probably to ward off any further desecration of the sanctuary.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:31–32 A Roman tribune was the commander of a cohort, here consisting of up to 1,000 soldiers, under the command of several centurions (see note on 10:1). at once. The Roman response could have come very quickly. Roman soldiers were quartered in the Herodian fortress known as the Tower of Antonia on the northwest corner of the temple wall (see note on 12:4). Its high tower provided a full view of the temple area, and it had two flights of stairs leading down into the grounds, so that soldiers could run down to the crowd almost immediately. A lookout person on the tower would have observed the mob below.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:33 Bound with two chains probably means bound with a soldier on each side.
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:36 Away with him! This shout echoes the shout of the crowd that had demanded Jesus’ crucifixion several years earlier (see Luke 23:18; John 19:15).
ACTS—NOTE ON 21:38 Josephus also mentions the revolt led by an Egyptian Jew. It had been put down by the Roman governor Felix, with the Egyptian fleeing and his movement scattered. Josephus also spoke of the Assassins, or “dagger men” (Gk. sikarios) who terrorized Roman sympathizers by stabbing them under the cover of 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 Addresses the Jewish Crowd. 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. He gave his personal testimony: his former zeal for Judaism (22:3–5), his encounter with the risen Lord (22:6–11), his commission (22:12–16), and his vision in the temple (22:17–21).
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:2 Just as Paul got the tribune’s attention with his Greek (21:37), he quieted the Jewish crowd by speaking Aramaic (see esv footnote on 21:40), the most common language spoken by ordinary Jews in Jerusalem.
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 and he was reared in the city (cf. 23:16), but some take it to mean only that Paul came to Jerusalem as a young man for his rabbinic training under Gamaliel. (On Gamaliel, see note on 5:34.)
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 22:6 The light from heaven is the brightness of God’s glory (cf. 26:13), as in Ezek. 1:26–28 and Rev. 1:16.
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:12–14 For his Jewish hearers, Paul stressed the piety of Ananias: he kept the law strictly and was respected by all the Jews.
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:16 Be baptized and wash away your sins does not imply that the physical act of baptism itself cleanses people spiritually from sin, for Ananias gives Paul two distinct commands. Thus baptism should be viewed as an outward symbol of the cleansing from sin that occurs when someone trusts in Jesus (cf. 1 Pet. 3:21). Belief leads to cleansing, but baptism pictures this. Because baptism pictures the reality, the two are often discussed as if they belong to the same act. 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 taken place upon 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 22:21 Paul’s association with Gentiles had stirred up opposition to him in the first place (21:28–29) and now provoked a violent response (see 22:22).
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:22–29 Paul Reveals His Roman Citizenship. As the riot against Paul resumed, the tribune took him into the barracks and stretched him on the rack for “examination” by torture. Paul stopped the proceedings by revealing his Roman citizenship.
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:25 Roman law forbade flogging a Roman citizen without a hearing or a formal sentence (uncondemned). Officers who did this would face serious charges.
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:28 I bought this citizenship. Persons who obtained Roman citizenship other than by birth 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 was especially prestigious.
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:30–23:11 Paul Appears before the Sanhedrin. Unable to get any answers by scourging, the tribune turned to the Jewish court for help.
ACTS—NOTE ON 22:30 unbound him. Since v. 29 implies Paul was already unbound, the tribune’s unbinding him in v. 30 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 illegality of Ananias’s action, see Lev. 19:15.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:5 It is quite possible that Paul did not know the high priest, since he had been absent from Jerusalem for many years. Other options for understanding this verse include appeals to poor eyesight for Paul, or that he did not realize the act came at the high priest’s command.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:8 The Pharisees believed in angels and spirits and in a future resurrection, though they did not accept Jesus’ resurrection; the Sadducees rejected the very idea of a resurrection as well as belief in angels and spirits. Consistent with this, the Pharisees granted that a spirit or angel might have visited Paul (v. 9), while the Sadducees rejected this possibility altogether. For more on the difference between the Pharisees and Sadducees, see article on Jewish Groups at the Time of the New Testament.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:11 Paul’s testimony to the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem was an especially significant fulfillment of the prophecy about his life in 9:15.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:12–22 Zealous Jews Plot against Paul. Paul’s nephew informed the tribune of a plot by 40 zealous Jews to kill him.
Paul’s Arrest and Imprisonment
c. A.D. 58
After Paul’s arrest in Jerusalem, the Roman tribune learned of a plot by some Jews to kill Paul. He transferred Paul to the Roman administrative city of Caesarea during the night under heavy guard, going by way of Antipatris.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:14 The chief priests and elders were the dominant force on the Sanhedrin, and the majority of these were Sadducees, who were the ones most opposed to Paul. The conspirators do not seem to have approached the Pharisees.
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 deference to their Roman prisoner, as evidenced by the quick response of both the centurion and the tribune (Lysias) to Paul and his nephew.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:21 Since the plot was thwarted, one wonders if the conspirators died of hunger and thirst! Probably not: by rabbinic law, in the event a vow became impossible to fulfill, those under it were released from its terms (see Mishnah, Nedarim 3.3).
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:23–35 Paul Is Delivered to the Governor Felix. To protect Paul, Lysias the tribune sent him under cover of night and heavy guard to the governor in Caesarea.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:23–24 The entire Roman force in Jerusalem consisted of a single cohort of up to 1,000 soldiers. The importance that Lysias attached to his prisoner is evidenced by his sending approximately half the force to protect him.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:24 Felix was governor of Judea A.D. 52–59. He was somewhat inept and had his share of weaknesses (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 (Gk. chairein). He gave Felix the deferential title Excellency (Gk. kratistos).
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:27 Lysias had no charges to list, other than that 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), 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. Antipatris (ancient Aphek in Sharon, identified with Tell Ras el-Ain) was rebuilt under Herod the Great in the first century B.C. and renamed for his father Antipater. Herodian-era shops, pavement, Roman coins, and a fortress have been uncovered in excavations at Aphek. On the city of Caesarea, see note on 8:40.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:34 At this time Judea and Cilicia were both a part of the Roman province of Syria. Since Felix administered a portion of that province and Paul’s home was within it, Felix determined that Paul’s case was within his jurisdiction.
ACTS—NOTE ON 23:35 Herod’s praetorium was one of his palaces and served as the quarters of the Roman governor.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:1–26:32 The Witness in Caesarea. Imprisoned in Caesarea for more than two years, Paul 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 appealed for trial in Rome before the emperor.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:1–27 Paul Appears before Felix. The closest thing to an actual trial for Paul took place before Felix when the Jewish contingent arrived from Jerusalem bringing their charges against him. Felix was not persuaded, and he dismissed the court but continued to hold Paul in custody, frequently conversing with him privately.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:1 The spokesman (Gk. rhētōr) … Tertullus may have been a Gentile, a professional lawyer.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:2 Tertullus began with flattering words designed to secure the goodwill of the governor. we enjoy much peace. His remarks had little resemblance to reality: Felix had the least peaceful term of any Roman administrator up until his time, was hated by the Jews, and was noted more for his bribe taking than his benevolence.
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, amounting to a charge of sedition, threatening the Roman peace. The second charge Paul readily accepted (v. 14), but the first and third he flatly denied (vv. 12–13).
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:10 Paul’s opening words are brief and honest when compared to the flattery of Tertullus (see note on v. 2). Felix’s term had begun in A.D. 52, making the many years five or six (52–57/58).
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:11–12 Paul denied inciting any riots. Twelve days was hardly sufficient time to muster a following.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:14 Paul proceeded to show how as a Christian he was a faithful Jew, accepting the Law and the Prophets and sharing the resurrection hope. That the resurrection will include both “the just and the unjust” (v. 15) implies a final judgment (see v. 25).
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:18–19 Paul began to relate the events of his being captured in the temple (21:27–36) but cut himself short 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 and thus could testify to Paul’s earlier hearing before them (23:1–10). The key issue both then and here, before Felix, was the resurrection—not just the concept but the realization of the resurrection in Jesus.
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 (see note on 12:1) and the sister of Agrippa II (who will appear in the next chapter; see 25:13–26:32). Her marriage to Felix was something of a scandal because Felix deceptively precipitated her divorce from her first husband.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:25 Felix was alarmed. Paul did not flatter this man who had the power of life and death over him, but proclaimed the gospel boldly and clearly.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:26 money … sent for him often. Roman law prohibited officials from taking bribes, but Josephus reports that bribe-taking was rampant.
ACTS—NOTE ON 24:27 Felix seems to have recognized Paul’s innocence. Tragically, he was more concerned about currying the favor of his constituents than administering justice. Therefore, he kept Paul in prison for another two years (A.D. 57–59). He 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 25:1–12 Paul Appeals to Caesar. The new procurator Festus wanted to win the favor of his constituents. When approached by the Jewish leaders concerning Paul, he at first resisted but later gave in to their desire to try Paul in Jerusalem. To avoid the fate that awaited him there, Paul invoked his citizen’s right of appeal for trial before the emperor.
ACTS—NOTE ON 25:2 The chief priests and the principal men probably refers to the Sanhedrin. Previously they had cooperated with the 40 zealots in their plot against Paul (23:12–15); now they themselves plotted against Paul.
ACTS—NOTE ON 25:4 Festus unwittingly protected Paul by insisting that any hearing should take place in his headquarters at Caesarea.
ACTS—NOTE ON 25:9–11 Felix, “desiring to do the Jews a favor,” had kept Paul in prison for two years (24:27). In light of the new plot against Paul (25:2–3), if Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, had done the same, it could have been deadly for Paul. Festus assured Paul that he—not the Jews—would try him. But Paul was not reassured. He 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 remove the matter from the governor’s hands (A.D. 59). “Caesar” was the emperor Nero Caesar, who reigned A.D. 54–68. The first five years of his reign were relatively peaceful; after that his actions became increasingly cruel and irrational.
ACTS—NOTE ON 25:12 In considering difficult or unusual cases, Roman administrators usually had an advisory board or council of high-ranking officials for consultation.
ACTS—NOTE ON 25:13–22 Festus Presents the Case to King Agrippa II. A visit to Caesarea by the Jewish King Agrippa II afforded Festus an opportunity for a hearing to formulate charges against Paul.
The Kingdom of Herod Agrippa II
c. A.D. 63
Not long after Festus succeeded Felix as procurator over Palestine, Herod Agrippa II came to visit him at Caesarea. Agrippa had come to power after the death of his father, but his territory was greatly reduced by the Romans. Though Agrippa did not hold jurisdiction over Judea or Samaria, Festus, a Roman unfamiliar with Jewish disputes, sought out his advice regarding Paul’s case.
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 conferred on Agrippa II rule over the temple in Jerusalem and the right to appoint the high priest (see Josephus, Jewish Antiquities 20.222, 223). Bernice was his sister and constant companion.
ACTS—NOTE ON 25:18 Festus’s statement that the Jews brought no charge … of such evils as I supposed indicates his conclusion that Paul had broken no Roman laws. To Festus, this was merely a religious dispute—a judgment Luke as the author of Acts wants the reader to appreciate.
ACTS—NOTE ON 25:23–26:32 Paul Witnesses to Agrippa II. Amid considerable pomp (25:23–27), Paul testified before the king (in fulfillment of 9:15). Of the three “defense” speeches (chs. 22, 24, 26), this one before Agrippa gives the most detailed exposition of the gospel.
ACTS—NOTE ON 26:13 The light from heaven is the brightness of God’s glory (cf. 22:6), as in Ezek. 1:26–28 and Rev. 1:16.
ACTS—NOTE ON 26:14 The Hebrew language most likely refers to Aramaic (see esv footnote; also note on 22:2). To kick against the goads is a proverbial statement the Romans probably knew, meaning that one cannot ultimately resist God’s will. Goads were sharp sticks used to prod oxen, and if the oxen kicked in resistance, the drivers would keep them in line by using the goads more severely.
ACTS—NOTE ON 26:20 Paul’s obedience to his commission began in Damascus (9:19–25), continued in Jerusalem (9:26–29), and ultimately focused on the Gentiles (from 11:26 on). A witness by Paul throughout all the region of Judea is not recorded elsewhere in Acts but must have occurred during the time right after his conversion when he was in Jerusalem (9:28; cf. 9:31).
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 (see Luke 24:26–27, 45–48; Acts 2:24–36; 3:17–26; 13:32–39; also note on 3:24).
ACTS—NOTE ON 26:26 the king knows about these things. Paul knew that Agrippa had a fairly extensive knowledge of Jewish beliefs.
ACTS—NOTE ON 26:27 I know that you believe. Agrippa had a reputation as a pious Jew, which is why Paul could make this appeal.
ACTS—NOTE ON 26:28–29 In a short time would you persuade me to be a Christian? Realizing that Paul was pressing for a “Christian” commitment, Agrippa put him off, quipping that it was too “short” a time for making such a decision. Paul picked up on Agrippa’s remark: short or long, he wanted everyone to trust Christ. The translation of this verse is not easy, because (1) “in a short time” (Gk. en oligō) might also mean “with a small effort”; (2) some take Agrippa’s words to be a statement rather than a question; (3) “to be” (Gk. poieō) could also mean “to act like”; and (4) there is some variation in the Greek manuscripts. However, most commentators favor a sense 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 then turning to all who would come and listen to his message.
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.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:1–44 Paul Journeys to Rome by Sea. See map. The voyage to Rome (which probably began in the autumn of A.D. 59) is given in great detail and with remarkable exactness, consistent with what is otherwise known about sea travel in that time and place. The keynote of the story is God’s providence, especially in preserving Paul for his Roman testimony. At a literary level the story is told to indicate how far and difficult the journey to Rome is, as the gospel heads toward the ends of the earth.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:1 Note the we, indicating Luke’s presence with Paul all the way to Rome (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, not adequate for the open-sea voyage to Rome. Adramyttium was a large port city of Mysia in the province of Asia Minor (opposite the island of Lesbos). Aristarchus. See note on 19:29.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:3 The friends of Paul were the Christians of Sidon (on Sidon, see note on Mark 7:24). Paul’s guard Julius showed him deference throughout the voyage.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:4 Under the lee refers to sailing under shelter; they were protected by the island from the contrary winds.
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 and would have been 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) and even more so when they had to seek shelter on the south side of Crete.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:8 The location of Fair Havens is uncertain, though there is a town on the southern coast of Crete with that name today, probably close to the ancient site.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:9 The Fast refers to the Day of Atonement in the fall, when Mediterranean voyages became too dangerous for sailing vessels. Despite the poor harbor, Paul’s advice was that they stay put (v. 10).
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 (Gk. phoinix, “palm tree, date-palm”) may be the modern Phineka Bay, which is on the southwestern coast of Crete.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:14 The wind is described as tempestuous (Gk. typhōnikos), and the storm is called in Greek the eurakylōn (Gk., based on euros, “east wind,” and akylō, “north wind”—hence, northeaster). Such northeasters are extremely dangerous in this region, appearing suddenly with violent, whirling winds caused by a meeting of opposite air currents.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:16 Cauda is today known as Gozzo. The ship’s boat (a smaller vessel used to transport people from the ship to land) had 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 with a reputation as the graveyard of ships.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:18–19 The jettisoned cargo may have been grain, although they kept some of it (see v. 38). The jettisoned tackle may have been the beam that supported the mainsail.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:20 Before the advent of the compass, sailors depended for their bearings on the sun and stars, which were not visible in the storm.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:21 You should have listened to me was probably not a haughty, censorious statement but rather was intended to establish Paul’s credibility as he prepared to give the crew some divinely revealed instructions (vv. 22–26).
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:22 At Fair Havens Paul had warned of the danger of loss of life (v. 10), but that was simply his opinion as an experienced traveler who had already been shipwrecked three times, reflecting the potential level of risk (see 2 Cor. 11:25). Now, however, he says there will be no loss of life. The difference was a revelation from God through an angel (Acts 27:23–24).
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:24 must stand before Caesar. See note on 25:9–11. The ultimate reason for Paul’s deliverance was his testimony in Rome (cf. 19:21; 23:11). Therefore, whereas Jonah’s presence on the ship threatened to destroy everyone (Jonah 1:12), Paul’s presence assured everyone’s deliverance.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:27 Adriatic Sea. In ancient times this designation extended south to Crete and Malta, farther than the modern Adriatic.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:29 the rocks. The location was probably the rocky promontory on the northeastern coast of Malta, known today as Point Koura. Ancient ships had multiple anchors; the four anchors from the stern would keep the ship steady and facing toward land.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:30 the sailors were seeking to escape. They knew they were nearing land, so they decided to take the ship’s only small boat and get themselves safely to shore. But such a selfish action would have left no one on the ship with the skill to handle it, leading to much loss of life. So Paul warned the centurion of the sailors’ plan, and he stopped them (vv. 31–32). Paul’s action shows the compatibility of divine sovereignty (see vv. 22–24) with human responsibility. God will fulfill his promises, but that doesn’t negate the importance of human actions as the means God uses to carry out his promises (cf. note on 18:9–11).
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:33 The rescue was to begin at daybreak, and everyone needed food for maximum strength.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:34 not a hair is to perish from the head. Cf. 1 Sam. 14:45; 2 Sam. 14:11; 1 Kings 1:52; Matt. 10:30; Luke 12:7; 21:18.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:35 Paul’s giving thanks and breaking bread was not a celebration of the Lord’s Supper but 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 Although other locales on Malta have been suggested, 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 but were now placed back in the water to steer the ship. The foresail (Gk. artemōn) was a small sail in the bow to guide a ship.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:41 The meaning of reef (lit., “a place of two seas”) is uncertain; it could also refer to a sandbar. Either way, the bow stuck in it and the stern was broken to pieces by the pounding surf.
ACTS—NOTE ON 27:43 Once again (cf. note on v. 24) Paul’s presence assured the deliverance of the others—this time the other prisoners. The soldiers feared the escape of the prisoners (v. 42) because they were accountable for them with their own lives (cf. 12:19).
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:1–10 Paul Witnesses on Malta. The shipwrecked voyagers spent the remainder of the winter on the island. Paul’s time there is highlighted by his protection from a viper’s bite (vv. 1–6) and his healing of the leading citizen’s father (vv. 7–10).
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:1 Malta was on the main route from Myra (27:5) to Rome. God’s providence had brought them through the storm and back on course. The most famous archaeological remains on Malta are prehistoric or Phoenician; however, Malta also thrived under the Romans, and residential villas used in the NT period have been excavated.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:2 In Greek the native people are designated “barbarians” (barbaroi), a word that did not carry negative connotation but simply referred in a general way to those who did not speak Greek. No doubt the island also had a number of educated people who did speak Greek.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:4 Greco-Roman lore spoke of fugitives who escaped shipwreck only to be killed by poisonous snakes. Cf. Mark 16:18. Justice (Gk. dikē) in Greek can refer to justice or to the name of the goddess who dispenses justice.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:6 When the Lystrans took Paul as a god, he protested vigorously (cf. 14:14–15). The situation differs here, as no attempt to worship him is related. Throughout Acts miracles provide an opportunity for witness, and likely Paul also witnessed to the Maltese.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:7 Publius is called chief man (Gk. prōtos) of the island. The term has been found on Maltese inscriptions and was 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.” The coming of the whole region with their sick (v. 9) is reminiscent of what happened after Jesus healed Peter’s mother-in-law (Luke 4:38–41).
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:10 Travelers on ancient ships had to provide their own meals. The hospitable Maltese people equipped Paul and his shipmates for the remainder of their voyage.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:11–16 Paul Arrives in Rome. These verses relate the final leg of Paul’s journey and his arrival in Rome.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:11 After three months probably indicates March (c. A.D. 60), when, after the winter, it became 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, and the extensive archaeological remains at Syracuse include a great theater and the temple of Apollo. Rhegium (modern Reggio di Calabria) was at the southern tip of Italy across from Sicily. Inscriptions, literature, and archaeological evidence testify to Rhegium’s importance as a port city. Puteoli (modern Pozzuoli) was a major port for Roman traffic, some 257 miles (413 km) by road up the western coast of Italy from Rhegium.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:14 The brothers at Puteoli are evidence that Christianity had not only reached Rome by this time (c. A.D. 60) but was widely dispersed in Italy. Luke’s comment, so we came to Rome, may seem premature (Rome was still 130 miles or 209 km away), but perhaps functions 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 (or “marketplace”) of Appius, some 40 miles (64 km) from Rome, and 12 miles (19 km) farther on at Three Taverns. Paul had written his epistle to the Roman church three years earlier, and, though he had not personally visited Rome, his greetings at the end of Romans (Rom. 16:1–16) show that he already had many acquaintances in the church there.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:16 On the city of Rome, see Introduction to Romans: The Ancient City of Rome. Allowing Paul to provide his own quarters points to his high status as a prisoner and perhaps to the support of local believers.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:17–31 Paul Witnesses to the Jews in Rome. Unable to visit the synagogues himself, Paul invited the Roman Jews to come to him.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:17–18 The local leaders were probably the elders of the synagogues, of which there were a number in Rome. Paul’s main purpose in this meeting was to explain his presence in Rome. He declared his innocence of transgressing any Jewish law. into the hands of the Romans. Some interpreters think this refers to Paul’s original capture in Jerusalem (21:33–36); others think it refers to his transfer out of Jerusalem into the Roman judicial system to stand trial in Caesarea (23:23–35). wished to set me at liberty. See 26:32.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:19 no charge to bring. Paul was a loyal Jew not only with respect to the Jews’ charges against him but also in his refusal to accuse them of any wrongdoing.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:20 The hope of Israel is the coming of the Messiah as attested 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 on the kingdom of God). For the OT texts pointing to Jesus, see notes on Luke 24:44; 24:45; Acts 2:31; 3:11–26; 3:24.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:24 On the Jews’ pattern of resistance (cf. 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 (quoted here) is also quoted by Jesus to explain the failure of the Jews as a body to accept him (see Matt. 13:14–15). They had eyes to see, ears to hear, but the heart—the organ of thinking, willing, and deciding—failed to respond.
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:28 Paul’s pattern of turning from the Jews to witness to the Gentiles repeated itself in Rome, but there is no reason to think that he gave up on the Jews in Rome at this point (cf. note on 18:7).
ACTS—NOTE ON 28:30–31 For Paul’s provision of his own quarters, cf. v. 16. His sharing the gospel with all who came to him would have included both Jews and Gentiles (cf. note on v. 28). This situation continued for two whole years (A.D. 60–62), at which time Luke’s account ends. Information as to what happened beyond that time comes from extrabiblical sources and from hints in the last few of Paul’s letters. First Clement 5.7 (written A.D. 95, perhaps the earliest known orthodox Christian writing after the NT) speaks of Paul preaching in “the limits of the west,” which probably indicates his fulfilling his desire to preach in Spain (see Rom. 15:24). That would point to his release from the first Roman imprisonment. The church historian Eusebius, writing in A.D. 325, cites the tradition that Paul was freed from confinement and carried on a further ministry until he was arrested and placed in a second Roman imprisonment, at which time he was martyred (Ecclesiastical History 2.22). In God’s sovereignty, Paul’s time in prison was not wasted, for it was during his Roman imprisonment that he wrote the letters to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. The time after Paul’s release from his first imprisonment (mid-60s) 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 (cf. 2 Tim. 4:6–8).