Greek Testament Critical Exegetical Commentary Acts》

διὰ ἰης. χρ. belongs to εὐαγγελ., not to εἰρήνην.

Verse 37

37. τὸ ῥῆμα] the matter: not the thing, here or any where else: but the thing said, the ‘materies’ of the proclamation, in this case perhaps best ‘the history.’

γενόμενον] Not ‘which took place,’ but, which was spoken, ‘published,’ as E. V. See reff. This meaning, which ῥῆμα itself renders necessary, is further supported by καθʼ ὅλης τ. ἰουδ., which can only be properly said, and is used by Luke (only, see reff.) of a publication, or spreading of a rumour, not of the happening of an event or series of events relating to one person.

ἀρξ. ἀπ. τ. γαλ.] It was from Galilee first that the fame of Jesus went abroad, as Luke himself relates, Luke 4:14; Luke 4:37 (44 v. r.); Acts 7:17; Acts 9:6 (Acts 23:5). Galilee also was the nearest to Cæsarea, and may have been for this reason expressly mentioned. ἀρξάμενος is an unexpected transference of the case and gender into that of the prime agent, a construction common enough in the Apocalypse (Acts 4:1 reff.), but surprising in St. Luke.

μετὰ τὸ βάπτ.] So also Peter dates the ministry of our Lord in ch. Acts 1:22. (See note there.)

Verse 38

38. ἰησοῦν τ. ἀπὸ ναζ.] The personal subject of the γενόμενον ῥῆμα, q. d. ‘Ye know the subject which was preached … viz. Jesus of Nazareth.’

ὡς ἔχρ. αὐτ.] how that God anointed him …, not as Kuin. and Kypke, ‘how that God anointed Jesus of N.,’ taking αὐτόν as redundant by a Hebraism. See a construction very similar in Luke 24:19-20.

The fact of the anointing with the Holy Spirit, in His baptism by John, was the historical opening of the ministry of Jesus: this anointing however was not His first unction with the Spirit, but only symbolic of that which He had in His incarnation: so Cyril in Johan. lib. xi. vol. vii. p. 993, οὐ δήπου πάλιν ἐκεῖνό φαμεν ὅτι τότε γέγονεν ἅγιος ὁ κατὰ σάρκα χριστός, ὅτε τὸ πνεῦμα τεθέαται καταβαῖνον ὁ βαπτιστής· ἅγιος γὰρ ἦν καὶ ἐν ἐμβρύῳ καὶ μήτρᾳ … ἀλλὰ δέδοται μὲν εἰς σημεῖον τῷ βαπτιστῇ τὸ θέαμα:—which unction abode upon Him, John 1:32-33, and is alleged here as the continuing anointing which was upon Him from God.

Stier well remarks, how entirely all personal address to the hearers and all doctrinal announcements are thrown into the background in this speech, and the Person and Work and Office of Christ put forward as the sole subject of apostolic preaching.

καταδυναστ.] Subdued, so that he is their δυνάστς,—and this power used for their oppression. Here, it alludes to physical oppression by disease (see Luke 13:16) and possession: in 2 Timothy 2:26, a very similar description is given of those who are spiritually bound by the devil.

ὁ θεὸς ἦν μετʼ αὐτ.] So Nicodemus had spoken, John 3:2; and probably Peter here used the words as well known and indicative of the presence of divine power and co-operation (see Judges 6:16): beginning as he does with the outer and lower circle of the things regarding Christ, as they would be matter of observation and inference to his hearers, and gradually ascending to those higher truths regarding His Person and Office, which were matter of apostolic testimony and demonstration from Scripture,—His resurrection (Acts 10:40), His being appointed Judge of living and dead (Acts 10:42), and the predestined Author of salvation to all who believe on Him (Acts 10:43).

Verse 39

39. καὶ ἡμεῖς] Answering to ὑμεῖς οἴδατε, Acts 10:37. ‘You know the history as matter of universal rumour: and we are witnesses of the facts.’ By this ἡμεῖς Peter at once takes away the ground from the exaggerated reverence for himself individually, shewn by Cornelius, Acts 10:25 (Stier): and puts himself and the rest of the Apostles in the strictly subordinate place of witnesses for Another.

ὃν καὶ ἀνεῖλ.] Whom also they killed. καί is not ‘yet,’ as Kuinoel, but merely introduces, in this case passing over it without emphasis, a new fact in this history. He even omits all mention of the actors in the murder, speaking as he did to Gentiles: a striking contrast to ch. Acts 2:23; Acts 3:14; Acts 4:10; Acts 5:30,—when he was working conviction in the minds of those actors themselves.

κρεμ. ἐπὶ ξ.] So also ch. Acts 5:30, where see note.

Verse 41

προκεχ. ὑπ. τ. θεοῦ] Had not Peter in his mind the Lord’s own solemn words,— οὓς δέδωκάς μοι ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου, John 17:6?

Verse 42

42. τῷ λαῷ] Here as elsewhere (Acts 10:2; John 11:50 al. fr.), the Jewish people: that was all which, in the apostolic mind, up to this time, the command had absolutely enjoined. The further unfolding of the Gospel had all been brought about over and above this first injunction. Ch. Acts 1:8 is no obstacle to this interpretation; for although literally fulfilled by the leadings of Providence, as related in this book, they did not so understand it when spoken.

κριτ. ζ. κ. νεκρ.] So also Paul, ch. Acts 17:31, preaching to Gentiles, brings forward the appointment of a Judge over all men as the central point of his teaching. This expression gives at once a universality to the office and mission of Christ, which prepares the way for the great truth declared in the next verse.

It is impossible that the living and dead here can mean (as the Augsburg Catechism, and Olshausen) the righteous and sinners:—a canon of interpretation which should constantly be borne in mind is, that a figurative sense of words is never admissible, EXCEPT WHEN REQUIRED BY THE CONTEXT. Thus, in the passage of John 5:25 (where see notes), the sense of νεκροί is determined to be figurative by the addition of καὶ νῦν ἐστιν after ὥρα, no such addition occurring in Acts 10:28, where the literally dead, οἱ ἐν τοῖς μνημείοις, are mentioned.

Verse 43

ἄφ. ἁμ. λαβ. κ. τ. λ.] The legal sacrifices, as well as the declarations of the prophets, all pointed to the remission of sins by faith in Him. And the universality of this proclamation, πάντα τὸν πιστ., is set forth by the prophets in many places, and was recognized even by the Jews themselves, in their expositions of Scripture, though not in their practice.

Verse 44

44.] Peter had spoken up to this point: and was probably proceeding (cf. ἐν τῷ ἄρξασθαί με λαλεῖν, ch. Acts 11:15) to include his present hearers and all nations in the number to whom this blessing was laid open,—or perhaps beyond this point his own mind may as yet have been not sufficiently enlightened to set forth the full liberty of the Gospel of Christ,—when the fire of the Lord fell, approving the sacrifice of the Gentiles (see Romans 15:16): conferring on them the substance before the symbol,—the baptism with the Holy Ghost before the baptism with water: and teaching us, that as the Holy Spirit dispensed once and for all with the necessity of circumcision in the flesh, so can He also, when it pleases him, with the necessity of water baptism: and warning the Christian church not to put baptism itself in the place which circumcision once held. See further in note on Peter’s important words, ch. Acts 11:16.

The outpouring of the Spirit on the Gentiles was strictly analogous to that in the day of Pentecost; Peter himself describes it by adding (ch. Acts 11:15), ὥσπερ καὶ ἐφʼ ἡμᾶς ἐν ἀρχῇ. Whether there was any visible appearance in this case, cannot be determined: perhaps from Acts 10:46 it would appear not.

Verse 45

45.] We do not read that Peter himself was astonished. He had been specially prepared by the vision: they had not.

The λαλεῖν γλώσσαις here is identified with the λ. ἑτέραις γλ. of ch. Acts 2:4, by the assertion of ch. Acts 11:15, just cited;—and this again with the ἐλάλουν γλώσσαις of ch. Acts 19:6 :—so that the gift was one and the same throughout. On the whole subject, see note, ch. Acts 2:4.

Verse 47

47.] One great end of the unexpected effusion of the Holy Spirit was entirely to preclude the question which otherwise could not but have arisen, ‘Must not these men be circumcised before baptism?’

τὸ ὕδωρ … τὸ πνεῦμα] The TWO great PARTS of full and complete baptism: the latter infinitely greater than, but not superseding the necessity of, the former. The article should here certainly be expressed: Can any forbid THE WATER to these who have received THE SPIRIT?

The expression κωλῦσαι, used with τὸ ὕδ., is interesting, as shewing that the practice was to bring the water to the candidates, not the candidates to the water. This, which would be implied by the word under any circumstances, is rendered certain, when we remember that they were assembled in the house.

Verse 48

ἐν τῷ ὀν.] = ἐπὶ τῷ ὀν., ch. Acts 2:38, where see note. Wahl compares ἀποκτείνειν ἐν τῇ προφάσει ταύτῃ, Lysias, p. 452.

ὅτι κ. τ. ἔθν.] They seem to have heard the fact, without any circumstantial detail (but see on τὸν ἄγγελον below, Acts 11:13); and, from the charge in Acts 11:3,—from some reporter who gave the objectionable part of it, as is not uncommon in such cases, all prominence.

Verses 1-18

1–18.] PETER JUSTIFIES BEFORE THE CHURCH IN JERUSALEM, HIS HAVING CONSORTED WITH MEN UNCIRCUMCISED.

Verse 2

Verse 4

Verse 5

Verse 12

Verse 13

Notice also that Peter never names Cornelius in his speech—because he, his character and person, was absorbed in the category to which he belonged,—that of men uncircumcised.

Verse 14

14. ἐν οῖς σωθ. κ. τ. λ.] This is implied in the angel’s speech: especially if the prayer of Cornelius had been for such a boon, of which there can be little doubt.

Verse 15

Verse 16

Verse 17

[ δέ (omitted in some MSS., the transcribers perhaps not being aware of the construction) brings out the contrast after εἰ οὖν, as frequently after ἐπεί, e.g. Od. ξ. 178, τὸν ἐπεὶ θρέψαν θεοί, ἔρνεϊ ἶσον … τοῦ δέ τις ἀθανάτων βλάψε φρένας ἔνδον ἐΐσας: Herod. iii. 68, εἰ μὴ αὐτὴ σμέρδιν.… γινώσκεις, σὺ δὲ παρὰ ἀτόσσης πύθου. See more examples in Hartung, Partikellehre, i. p. 184.]

τίς ἤμην δυν.] A junction of two questions: (1) Who was I that I should.…, as ref. Exod.,—and (2) Was I able to.… We have a similar instance in τίς τί ἄρῃ, Mark 15:24. See Winer, edn. 6, § 66. 5. 3.

Verse 18

εἰς ζωήν] to be taken with τὴν μετάνοιαν ἔδωκεν, not with τὴν μετάνοιαν alone, which would be more probably τὴν εἰς ζωήν, hath given unto the G. also repentance,—that they may attain unto life. The involved position of the words in the present text is quite in St. Luke’s manner.

Verse 19

19. μὲν οὖν] A resumption of what had been dropt before, see ch. Acts 8:4, continued from Acts 11:2; not however without reference to some narrative about to follow which is brought out by a δέ, answering to the μέν,—see ch. Acts 8:5, also ch. Acts 9:31-32; Acts 28:5-6,—and implying, whether by way of distinction or exception, a contrast to that μέν.

ἐπὶ στ.] on account of Stephen; see reff. Wolf, Kuin., Olsh., &c. render it ‘after St.:’ the Vulg. sub Stephano, reading ἐπὶ στεφάνου.

διῆλθον] so ch. Acts 8:4; Acts 8:40; Acts 9:32.

φοινίκης] properly, the strip of coast, about 120 miles long, extending from the river Eleutherus (near Aradus), to a little south of Tyre, and belonging at this time to the province of Syria: see ch. Acts 15:3; Acts 21:2. Its principal cities were Tripolis, Byblos, Sidon, Tyre, and Berytos. It is a fertile territory, beginning with the uplands at the foot of Lebanon, and sloping to the sea, and held a distinguished position for commerce from the very earliest times. See Winer, Realw.

κύπρου] Cyprus was intimately connected by commerce with Phœnice, and contained many Jews ( οὐ μόνον αἱ ἤπειροι μεσταὶ τῶν ἰουδαϊκῶν ἀποικιῶν εἰσιν, ἀλλὰ καὶ νήσων αἱ δοκιμώταται, εὔβοια, κύπρος, κρήτη. Philo, Leg. ad Caium, § 36, vol. ii. p. 587. See also Jos. Antt. xiii. 10. 4). See on its state at this time, note on ch. Acts 13:7.

ἀντιοχείας] A city in the history of Christianity only second in importance to Jerusalem. It was situated on the river Orontes, in a large, fruitful, and well-watered plain, 120 stadia from the sea and its port Seleucia. It was founded by Seleucus Nicator, who called it after his father Antiochus. It soon became a great and populous city ( ἀντ. ἡ μεγάλη, Philostr. Apoll. i. 16), and was the residence of the Seleucid kings of Syria (1 Maccabees 3:37; 1 Maccabees 7:2; 1 Maccabees 11:13; 1 Maccabees 11:44; 2 Maccabees 5:21), and (as an ‘urbs libera,’ Pliny, Acts 11:18) of the Roman proconsuls of Syria. Josephus (B. J. iii. 2. 4) calls it μεγέθους τε ἑνεκα καὶ τῆς ἄλλης εὐδαιμονίας τρίτον ἀδηρίτως ἐπὶ τῆν ὑπὸ ῥωμαίοις οἰκουμένης ἔχουσα τόπον. Seleucus the founder had settled there many Jews (Jos. Antt. xii. 3. 1. See also xiv. 12. 6; B.J. ii. 18. 5; vii. 3. 3—and contra Apion. ii. 4, αὐτῶν γὰρ ἡμῶν οἱ τὴν ἀντιόχειαν κατοικοῦντες, ἀντιοχεῖς ὀνομάζονται· τὴν γὰρ πολιτείαν αὐτοῖς ἔδωκεν ὁ κτίστης σέλευκος), who had their own Ethnarch. The intimate connexion of Antioch with the history of the church will be seen as we proceed. A reference to the principal passages will here be enough: see Acts 11:22; Acts 11:26-27; ch. Acts 13:1; Acts 15:23; Acts 15:35 ff.; Acts 18:22. It became afterwards one of the five great centres of the Christian church, with Jerusalem, Rome, Alexandria, and Constantinople. Of its present state (Antakia, a town not one-third of its ancient size) a view is given in C. and H., where also, edn. 2, vol. i. pp. 149 ff., is a minute and interesting description of the city and its history, ancient and modern. See also Mr. Lewin’s Life and Epistles of St. Paul, vol. i. p. 108 ff. (Principally from Winer, Realw.)

Verses 19-30

19–30.] THE GOSPEL PREACHED ALSO IN ANTIOCH TO GENTILES. BARNABAS, BEING THEREUPON SENT BY THE APOSTLES FROM JERUSALEM, FETCHES SAUL FROM TARSUS TO ANTIOCH. THEY CONTINUE THERE A YEAR, AND, ON OCCASION OF A FAMINE, CARRY UP ALMS TO THE BRETHREN AT JERUSALEM. Our present section takes up the narrative at ch. Acts 8:2; Acts 8:4. In Acts 11:19-21 it traverses rapidly the time occupied by ch. Acts 9:1-30, and that (undefined) of Saul’s stay at Tarsus, and brings it down to the famine under Claudius.

Verse 20

κυρηναῖοι] of whom Lucius mentioned ch. Acts 13:1, as being in the church at Antioch, must have been one. Symeon called Niger, also mentioned there, may have been a Cyrenean proselyte.

ἕλληνας] The retaining and advocacy of the reading ἑλληνιστάς has mainly arisen from a mistaken view that the baptism of Cornelius must necessarily have preceded the conversion of all other Gentiles. But that reading gives, in this place, no assignable sense whatever: for (1) the Hellenists were long ago a recognized part of the Christian church,—(2) among these διασπαρέντες themselves in all probability there were many Hellenists,—and (3) the term ἰουδαῖοι includes the Hellenists,—the distinctive appellation of pure Jews being not ἰουδαῖοι, but ἑβραῖοι, ch. Acts 6:1. Nothing to my mind can be plainer, from what follows respecting Barnabas, than that these ἕλληνες were GENTILES, uncircumcised; and that their conversion took place before any tidings had reached Jerusalem of the divine sanction given in the case of Cornelius. See below: and Excursus ii. at the end of Prolegg. to Acts.

Verse 21

Verse 22

βαρνάβαν] himself a Cyprian, ch. Acts 4:36.

His mission does not seem exactly to have been correspondent to that of Peter and John to Samaria (nor can he in any distinctive sense, be said to have been an Apostle, as they were: see ch. Acts 14:4, and note): but more probably, from what follows, the intention was to ascertain the fact, and to deter these persons from the admission of the uncircumcised into the church: or, at all events, to use his discretion in a matter on which they were as yet doubtful. The choice of such a man, one by birth with the agents, and of a liberal spirit, shews sufficiently that they wished to deal, not harshly, but gently and cautiously,—whatever their reason was.

Verse 23