Acts:11:19-30
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rwp @
Acts:11:19 @{
They therefore that were scattered abroad } (\
hoi men oun diasparentes \).
Precisely the same words used in strkjv @
8:4 |
about those scattered by Saul (
which see )
and a direct reference to it is made by the next words , "
upon the tribulation that arose about Stephen " (\
apo t
s thlipse
s t
s genomen
s epi Stephan
i \).
As a result of (\
apo \),
in the case of (\
epi \)
Stephen .
From that event Luke followed Saul through his conversion and back to Jerusalem and to Tarsus .
Then he showed the activity of Peter outside of Jerusalem as a result of the cessation of the persecution from the conversion of Saul with the Gentile Pentecost in Caesarea and the outcome in Jerusalem .
Now Luke starts over again from the same persecution by Saul and runs a new line of events up to Antioch parallel to the other ,
probably partly following . {
Except to Jews only } (\
ei m
monon Ioudaiois \).
Clearly these disciples did not know anything about the events in Caesarea and at first their flight preceded that time .
But it was a wonderful episode ,
the eager and loyal preaching of the fleeing disciples .
The culmination in Antioch was probably after the report of Peter about Caesarea .
This Antioch by the Orontes was founded 300 B .
C .
by Seleucus Nicator and was one of five cities so named by the Seleucides .
It became the metropolis of Syria though the Arabs held Damascus first .
Antioch ranked next to Rome and Alexandria in size ,
wealth ,
power ,
and vice .
There were many Jews in the cosmopolitan population of half a million .
It was destined to supplant Jerusalem as the centre of Christian activity .
rwp @
Acts:11:20 @{
Spake } (\
elaloun \).
Inchoative imperfect active ,
began to speak .
For them it was an experiment . {
Unto the Greeks also } (\
kai pros tous Hell
nas \).
This is undoubtedly the correct reading in spite of Hellenists (\
Hell
nistas \)
or Grecian Jews in B E H L P . \
Hell
nas \
is read by A and D and a corrector of Aleph .
The presence of "
also "
or "
even " (\
kai \)
in Aleph A B makes no sense unless "
Greeks "
is correct .
Hellenists or Grecian Jews as Christians were common enough as is seen in strkjv @
Acts:2 ;
6 |.
Saul also had preached to the Hellenists in Jerusalem (
9:29 |).
Hellenists were merely one kind of Jews in contrast with those who spoke Aramaic (
Acts:6 |).
It is true that the case of Cornelius was first in importance ,
but it is not clear that it was before the work in Antioch .
Probably the report of the work among the Greeks in Antioch reached Jerusalem after Peter '
s defence in strkjv @
11:1-18 |.
That explains the calm tone about it and also why Barnabas and not Peter was sent to investigate .
Peter and John (
Acts:8 |)
had condoned Philip '
s work in Samaria and Peter was the agent in the work among the Romans in Caesarea .
His position was now well-known and his services discounted for this new crisis .
These Greeks in Antioch were apparently in part pure heathen and not "
God-fearers "
like Cornelius .
A man of wisdom was called for .
These preachers were themselves Hellenists (
verse 19 |)
and open to the lessons from their environment without a vision such as Peter had at Joppa . "
It was a departure of startling boldness " (
Furneaux )
by laymen outside of the circle of official leaders .
rwp @
Acts:11:21 @{
The hand of the Lord was with them } (\
n cheir kuriou met '
aut
n \).
This O .
T .
phrase (
Exodus:9:3 ;
strkjv @
Isaiah:59:1 |)
is used by Luke (
Luke:1:66 ;
strkjv @
Acts:4:28 ,
30 ;
strkjv @
13:11 |).
It was proof of God '
s approval of their course in preaching the Lord Jesus to Greeks . {
Turned unto the Lord } (\
epestrepsen epi ton kurion \).
First aorist active indicative of \
epistreph \,
common verb to turn .
The usual expression for Gentiles turning to the true God (
14:15 ;
strkjv @
15:3 ,
19 ;
strkjv @
26:18 ,
20 ;
strkjv @
1Thessalonians:1:9 |).
Here "
Lord "
refers to "
the Lord Jesus "
as in verse 20 |,
though "
the hand of the Lord "
is the hand of Jehovah ,
clearly showing that the early disciples put Jesus on a par with Jehovah .
His deity was not a late development read back into the early history .
rwp @
Acts:11:22 @{
Came to the ears } (\
kousth
eis ta
ta \).
First aorist passive indicative of \
akou \,
was heard in the ears . {
Of the church which was in Jerusalem } (\
t
s ekkl
sias t
s en Ierousal
m \).
Not yet was the term "
church "
applied to the group of disciples in Antioch as it is in strkjv @
11:26 ;
strkjv @
13:1 |. {
They sent forth } (\
exapesteilan \).
First aorist active indicative of the double compound verb \
ex-apo-stell \,
to send out and away .
The choice of Barnabas was eminently wise .
He already had a position of leadership in Jerusalem because of his generosity (
4:36f .|)
and his championship of Saul after his conversion (
9:27 |).
He was originally from Cyprus and probably had personal friends among some of the leaders in this new movement .
He was to investigate the work of the travelling preachers (
verse 19 |)
all the way to Antioch (\
he
s Antiocheias \).
rwp @
Acts:11:23 @{
The grace of God ,
was glad } (\
t
n charin t
n tou theou echar \).
Note repetition of the article , "
the grace that of God ."
The verb (
second aorist passive indicative of \
chair \)
has the same root as \
charis \.
See the same _suavis
paronomasia_
in strkjv @
Luke:1:28 |. "
Grace brings gladness " (
Page ). "
A smaller man would have raised difficulties as to circumcision or baptism " (
Furneaux ). {
He exhorted } (\
parekalei \).
Imperfect active ,
picturing the continuous encouragement from Barnabas . {
With purpose of heart } (\
t
i prothesei t
s kardias \).
Placing before (
from \
pro-tith
mi \),
old word for set plan as in strkjv @
Acts:27:13 ;
strkjv @
Romans:8:28 |.
The glow of the first enthusiasm might pass as often happens after a revival .
Barnabas had a special gift (
4:36 |)
for work like this . {
Cleave unto the Lord } (\
prosmenein [
en ]
t
i kuri
i \).
Dative case (
locative if \
en \
is genuine )
of \
kurios \ (
here Jesus again )
after \
prosemenein \
to keep on remaining loyal to (
present active infinitive ).
Persistence was needed in such a pagan city .
rwp @
Acts:11:24 @{
For } (\
hoti \).
Because .
This is the explanation of the conduct of Barnabas .
The facts were opposed to the natural prejudices of a Jew like Barnabas ,
but he rose above such racial narrowness .
He was a really good man (\
agathos \).
See strkjv @
Romans:5:7 |
for distinction between \
agathos \
and \
dikaios \,
righteous ,
where \
agathos \
ranks higher than \
dikaios \.
Besides ,
Barnabas was full of the Holy Spirit (
like Peter )
and of faith and so willing to follow the leading of God '
s Spirit and take some risks .
This is a noble tribute paid by Luke .
One wonders if Barnabas was still living when he wrote this .
Certainly he was not prejudiced against Barnabas though he will follow the fortunes of Paul after the separation (
15:36 ;
41 |). {
Was added unto the Lord } (\
proseteth
t
i kuri
i \).
First aorist passive indicative of \
prostith
mi \,
common verb to add to .
These people were added to the Lord Jesus before they were added to the church .
If that were always true ,
what a difference it would make in our churches .
rwp @
Acts:11:25 @{
To seek for Saul } (\
anaz
t
sai Saulon \).
First aorist (
effective )
active infinitive of purpose . \
Anaz
te \
is a common verb since Plato ,
but in the N .
T .
only here and strkjv @
Luke:2:44 ,
45 |,
to seek up and down (\
ana \),
back and forth ,
to hunt up ,
to make a thorough search till success comes .
It is plain from strkjv @
Galatians:1:21 |
that Saul had not been idle in Cilicia .
Tarsus was not very far from Antioch .
Barnabas probably knew that Saul was a vessel of choice (
Acts:9:15 |)
by Christ for the work among the Gentiles .
He knew ,
of course ,
of Saul '
s work with the Hellenists in Jerusalem (
9:29 |)
and echoes of his work in Cilicia and Syria had probably come to him .
Songs:to Tarsus he goes when he saw the need for help . "
He had none of the littleness which cannot bear the presence of a possible rival " (
Furneaux ).
Barnabas knew his own limitations and knew where the man of destiny for this crisis was ,
the man who already had the seal of God upon him .
The hour and the man met when Barnabas brought Saul to Antioch .
The door was open and the man was ready ,
far more ready than when Jesus called him on the road to Damascus .
The years in Cilicia and Syria were not wasted for they had not been idle .
If we only knew the facts ,
it is probable that Saul also had been preaching to Hellenes as well as to Hellenists .
Jesus had definitely called him to work among the Gentiles (
9:15 |).
In his own way he had come to the same place that Peter reached in Caesarea and that Barnabas now holds in Antioch .
God always has a man prepared for a great emergency in the kingdom .
The call of Barnabas was simply the repetition of the call of Christ .
Songs:Saul came .
rwp @
Acts:11:26 @{
Even for a whole year } (\
kai eniauton holon \).
Accusative of extent of time ,
probably the year A .
D .
44 ,
the year preceding the visit to Jerusalem (
11:30 |),
the year of the famine .
The preceding years with Tarsus as headquarters covered A .
D .
37 (
39 )
to 44 . {
They were gathered together with the church } (\
sunachth
nai en t
i ekkl
si
i \).
First aorist passive infinitive of \
sunag \,
old verb ,
probably here to meet together as in strkjv @
Matthew:28:12 |.
In strkjv @
Acts:14:27 |
the verb is used of gathering together the church ,
but here \
en t
i ekkl
si
i \
excludes that idea .
Barnabas met together "
in the church " (
note first use of the word for the disciples at Antioch ).
This peculiar phrase accents the leadership and co-operation of Barnabas and Saul in teaching (\
didaxai \,
first aorist active infinitive )
much people .
Both infinitives are in the nominative case ,
the subject of \
egeneto \ (
it came to pass ). {
And that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch } (\
chr
matisai te pr
t
s en Antiochei
i tous math
tas Christianous \).
This first active infinitive \
chr
matisai \
is also a subject of \
egeneto \
and is added as a separate item by the use of \
te \
rather than \
kai \.
For the word itself in the sense of divine command see on ¯
Matthew:2:12 ,
22 ;
strkjv @
Luke:2:26 ;
strkjv @
Acts:10:22 |.
Here and in strkjv @
Romans:7:3 |
it means to be called or named (
assuming a name from one '
s business , \
chr
ma \,
from \
chraomai \,
to use or to do business ).
Polybius uses it in this sense as here . \
Tous math
tas \ (
the disciples )
is in the accusative of general reference with the infinitive . \
Christianous \ (
Christians )
is simply predicate accusative .
This word is made after the pattern of \
Herodianus \ (
Matthew:22:16 |, \
Her
idianoi \,
followers of Herod ), \
Caesarianus \,
a follower of Caesar (
Deissmann ,
_Light
from the Ancient East_
,
p .
377 ,
gives papyri examples of the genitive \
Kaisaros \
meaning also "
belonging to Caesar "
like the common adjective \
Caesarianus \).
It is made thus like a Latin adjective ,
though it is a Greek word ,
and it refers to the Hebrew belief in a Messiah (
Page ).
The name was evidently given to the followers of Christ by the Gentiles to distinguish them from the Jews since they were Greeks ,
not Grecian Jews .
The Jews would not call them Christians because of their own use of \
Christos \
the Messiah .
The Jews termed them Galileans or Nazarenes .
The followers of Christ called themselves disciples (
learners ),
believers ,
brethren ,
saints ,
those of the Way .
The three uses of Christian in the N .
T .
are from the heathen standpoint (
here ),
strkjv @
Acts:26:28 | (
a term of contempt in the mouth of Agrippa ),
and strkjv @
1Peter:4:16 | (
persecution from the Roman government ).
It is a clear distinction from both Jews and Gentiles and it is not strange that it came into use first here in Antioch when the large Greek church gave occasion for it .
Later Ignatius was bishop in Antioch and was given to the lions in Rome ,
and John Chrysostom preached here his wonderful sermons .
rwp @
Acts:11:27 @{
Prophets } (\
proph
tai \).
Christian prophets these were (
cf .
strkjv @
13:1 |)
who came from Jerusalem (
the headquarters ,
strkjv @
8:15 |).
Judas and Silas are called prophets (
14:4 ;
strkjv @
15:32 |).
They were not just fore-tellers ,
but forth-tellers .
The prophet had inspiration and was superior to the speaker with tongues (
1Corinthians:14:3 |).
John was a prophet (
Luke:7:26 |).
We need prophets in the ministry today .
rwp @
Acts:11:28 @{
Signified } (\
es
mainen \).
Imperfect active in Westcott and Hort ,
but aorist active \
es
m
nen \
in the margin .
The verb is an old one from \
s
ma \ (\
s
meion \)
a sign (
cf .
the symbolic sign in strkjv @
21:11 |).
Here Agabus (
also in strkjv @
21:10 |)
does predict a famine through the Holy Spirit . {
Should be } (\
mellein esesthai \). \
Mell \
occurs either with the present infinitive (
16:27 |),
the aorist infinitive (
12:6 |),
or the future as here and strkjv @
24:15 ;
strkjv @
27:10 |. {
Over all the world } (\
eph '
hol
n t
n oikoumen
n \).
Over all the inhabited earth (\
g
n \,
understood ).
Probably a common hyperbole for the Roman empire as in strkjv @
Luke:2:1 |.
Josephus (
_Ant_
.
VIII .
13 ,
4 )
appears to restrict it to Palestine . {
In the days of Claudius } (\
epi Klaudiou \).
He was Roman Emperor A .
D .
41-44 .
The Roman writers (
Suetonius ,
Dio Cassius ,
Tacitus )
all tell of dearths (
_assiduae
sterilitates_
)
during the brief reign of Claudius who was preceded by Caligula and followed by Nero .
rwp @
Acts:11:29 @{
Every man according to his ability } (\
kath
s euporeito tis \).
Imperfect middle of \
eupore \,
to be well off (
from \
euporos \),
old verb ,
but here alone in the N .
T ., "
as any one was well off ."
The sentence is a bit tangled in the Greek from Luke '
s rush of ideas .
Literally , "
Of the disciples ,
as any one was able (
or well off ),
they determined (\
h
risan \,
marked off the horizon )
each of them to send relief (\
eis diakonian \,
for ministry )
to the brethren who dwelt in Judaea ."
The worst of the famine came A .
D .
45 .
The warning by Agabus stirred the brethren in Antioch to send the collection on ahead .
rwp @
Acts:11:30 @{
Sending } (\
aposteilantes \).
First aorist active participle of \
apostell \,
coincident action with \
epoi
san \ (
did ). {
To the elders } (\
pros tous presbuterous \).
The first use of that term for the Christian preachers .
In strkjv @
20:17 ,
28 | "
elders "
and "
bishops "
are used interchangeably as in strkjv @
Titus:1:5 ,
7 |.
The term probably arose gradually and holds a position in the church similar to the same term in the synagogue .
The apostles were apparently absent from Jerusalem at this time and they were no longer concerned with serving tables .
In strkjv @
21:18 |
Paul presented the later collection also to the elders .
Since Peter and James (
till his death )
were in Jerusalem during the persecution in chapter 12 it is probable that the visit of Barnabas and Saul to Jerusalem came really after that persecution for Peter left Jerusalem (
12:17 |).
The elders here mentioned may include the preachers in Judea also outside of Jerusalem (
26:20 |).