Acts
INTRODUCTION (1:1-1:11)
11Dear Theophilus [meaning "one who loves God" or "beloved of God"], in the first (previous) treatise (volume) I wrote [the Gospel of Luke], I have recounted everything that Jesus began to do and teach 2up to the day he was taken up [into heaven, see ], after he had given his commands through the Holy Spirit to those he had chosen as apostles (messengers). [Luke's mention that he has written two volumes, the earlier work The Gospel of Luke and now The Acts of the Apostles, may have had purely practical reasons. An ancient book consisted of a papyrus scroll with a maximum length of about 10 meters, something that Luke takes full advantage of, since both the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles consist of just under 20,000 Greek words each.
Luke summarizes his gospel by saying that it is about everything that Jesus "began" to do and teach. This suggests that Jesus' actions and teachings continue through the apostles and believers, and are still ongoing today. Jesus' earthly and heavenly works are intertwined, see . During his time on earth, he worked physically, see ; today he also works here "through the Holy Spirit," see .] 3He also appeared to the apostles after his suffering [on the cross], giving them many reliable (completely obvious) proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them for 40 days and spoke to them about the kingdom of God. [In a similar way to how Moses was taught by God for 40 days, see ; .] 4When he was with them (eating a meal with them), he commanded them [the apostles, see ]: "Do not leave Jerusalem,
but wait for the promise of the Father, which you have heard me tell you about. 5For John baptized (immersed, Gk. baptizo) with water,
but in a few days you will be baptized with (immersed in; completely enveloped by) the Holy Spirit. The Promise of the Holy Spirit
6When they had gathered together, they asked him for an answer (pressed him for an answer), saying, "Lord, is this the time when you will restore the kingdom to Israel?" [For centuries, Israel had been oppressed by other nations, see ; ; . The disciples were waiting for the Messianic kingdom, see ; .] 7He replied, "It is not for you to know the times (the exact chronological order of events) or the seasons (specific intervals of time that begin and end at some specific event) that the Father has determined by his own will (power, authority). 8
The Acts of the Apostles describes how the gospel spread from Jerusalem to the neighboring regions of Judea and Samaria and then to the ends of the earth.
both in Jerusalem [the city where they were now]
and in all of Judea and Samaria [the neighboring regions] –
to the ends of the earth." [This verse provides both a summary of the mission and a summary of the entire structure and content of the book. - Jerusalem is located in Judea, the southern region of Israel, which had a large Jewish population. How they testified there is described in .
- North of Jerusalem lies the region of Samaria. This was home to the poorly regarded Samaritans, a people of mixed ethnic background whom the Jews did not want to acknowledge. How the apostles testified in both of these areas is described in .
- How they testified throughout the then known world is described in .
Two worldviews converge here – the Jewish and the Greco-Roman. For the Jews, Jerusalem was the center of the world, while Rome was the center of the Roman Empire. Luke begins his gospel with the decree issued by the emperor in Rome, see . Here in his second writing, the Acts of the Apostles, we read about the commands of the risen Lord that originate in Jerusalem, see verses 1-8.
The Jewish worldview is based on the genealogy in , where Noah's three sons, Shem, Ham, and Japheth, become the progenitors of all peoples. Shem's descendants move eastward to Arabia and Mesopotamia, Ham's descendants southward to Africa, and Japheth's descendants northward and westward to Asia Minor and Europe. The descendants of Shem correspond to Samaria. The descendants of Ham in Africa are reached through Philip's encounter with the Ethiopian court official. Finally, the gospel comes to the descendants of Japheth through Paul's travels north and west. According to the Jewish view, Ethiopia and Spain were the outer reaches of the world. Perhaps that is why Paul wanted to go to Spain? It is not impossible that he got there, see . Jesus' promise both here and in the Great Commission (; ) shows that the mission is still valid and involves all who are his disciples even today: with the help of the power given by the Spirit, and starting from our own place – "our Jerusalem" – to spread the message of salvation to all peoples throughout the earth.]Jesus is taken up into heaven
9
The Mount of Olives is on the left, with the slope to the right down towards the Kidron Valley and Jerusalem on the right. On the far left, you can see the tower of the Russian Orthodox Ascension Monastery.
THE CONGREGATION IN JERUSALEM (1-7)
Gathering for prayer
12Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mountain called the Mount of Olives, which is near Jerusalem, [only] a Sabbath day's journey (about a kilometer) away. [The longest distance that rabbis say you're allowed to walk on the Sabbath so you don't break it, based on and .] 13When they arrived, they went up to the upper room where they used to be (had a habit of gathering): Peter
and James
and John
and Andrew;
Philip
and Thomas,
Bartholomew [also called Nathanael]
and Matthew;
James, the son of Alphaeus,
and Simon the Zealot
[Zealot literally means "the devoted, zealous, fanatical," and may imply that he was a member of the Jewish resistance movement against the Roman Empire.]
and Judas, the son of James. [Three groups emerge when the apostles are listed. Peter, Philip, and James are always mentioned as the first names in each group, see ; ; . In the original text, all names except Peter, Philip, Bartholomew, and James are preceded by the Greek kai, the word "and". A linguistic detail for grouping.]
14All of these continued (persevered, remained together) united (in harmony, accord, with the same mind) in prayer (whose innermost nature is worship, devotion, and intimacy with God) and supplication (request, often for a personal need) together with some women and Jesus' mother [Mary] and his brothers [James, Joses, Simon, and Jude]. [Jesus' brothers and sisters are mentioned in ; ; ; .]Matthias is chosen as Judas' replacement
15During one of these days [after Jesus' resurrection and before Pentecost], when about 120 people [both men and women, see ] were gathered, Peter stood up among the believing brothers and sisters. [In Judaism, 120 men were required to start a local Sanhedrin, which constituted the government of a city. It may be this association that the number 120 evokes now that the new Christian congregation is beginning to take shape. Even today, the number is significant; in the modern state of Israel, the legislative assembly, the Knesset, has 120 members.
In the year 30 CE, the Feast of Firstfruits, bikkurim, falls on Sunday, the 17th of Nisan. From that day, seven weeks, 50 days, were counted until the feast of Pentecost, Shavuot, see . Jesus had taught about the kingdom for 40 days until His ascension, see . It has probably been a few days since then, and it is at the beginning of the last week before the feast that Peter speaks.] Peter said: 16"Men, brothers [and probably addressing mainly the apostles]: The words of Scripture must be fulfilled, what the Holy Spirit had foretold through David's mouth about Judas [Iscariot], he who led those who arrested Jesus. 17He was counted as one of us and had received a share in (was divinely chosen for) the same ministry. [The quotations from several different psalms written by David come in .] 18[The following two verses provide a little more background and explanation]: This man [Judas] acquired a piece of land with his unjust wages, and he fell headlong so that his belly burst and his intestines spilled out. [Presumably, the branch he hung himself on broke and he fell. The land was purchased after his death for the thirty pieces of silver he left behind, see .] 19This became known to all who lived in Jerusalem, so in their language [Aramaic] the field was called 'Akeldamak', which means 'Field of Blood'.
20In the Book of Psalms it is written: 'Let his place be desolate,
and let no one live in it.' []
and a little later: 'Let another take his office.' []
21Therefore [to fulfill the Scriptures], one of these men who have been with us the whole time the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22from the baptism of John until the day he was taken up from us, one of them must be a witness with us to his resurrection 23Two [candidates who met these criteria] were brought forward: Joseph Barsabbas, also called Justus, and Matthias.
24They prayed, "Lord, you know everyone's heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen 25to take the apostolic ministry that Judas abandoned to go to the place that was his 26So they cast lots between them [Joseph and Matthias, who were both qualified], and the lot fell on Matthias. He was then counted as one of the apostles, together with the [other] eleven. [Casting lots was a common way of determining God's will in the Old Testament (; ; ; ) and temple service was determined in this way (). The Roman soldiers cast lots (). Here, they prayed () and relied on God's guidance (). After Pentecost, there are no examples of leaders being appointed by casting lots in the church; it is neither encouraged nor condemned.]The Holy Spirit is poured out on the day of Pentecost
[It had probably been a few days since Matthias was chosen as Jude's replacement, see .] 21When the day of Pentecost was fulfilled (had come, was completed, was accomplished) [partly chronologically, but mainly because the time had come for the fulfillment of the promise of the Holy Spirit, see ], they were all together (in harmony, unity) in one place (the same place). [The Greek word for Pentecost is pentekoste, which means fifty, because this feast was celebrated on the fiftieth day after Passover. The Jewish feast is called Shavuot (the week-long feast). This was one of the three major feasts when many made pilgrimages to Jerusalem. It falls in May or June, and the first fruits of the grain harvest were brought to the temple, see ; . The feast is celebrated in memory of the day when the people of Israel received the Ten Commandments at Mount Sinai. Now it is perfected.]
2Suddenly there came a sound (roar) from heaven, as of a violent storm, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3Tongues like fire appeared, and they separated and came to rest on each of them. 4They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other languages (tongues, languages other than their mother tongue), as the Spirit gave them words to speak (clear and distinct pronunciation, words inspired by God). [The place where they were gathered is not specified other than that "the house" is mentioned in . Jesus had told them not to leave Jerusalem, see , so they were somewhere in the city. They were in the habit of meeting in the upper room, see . In the Old Testament, "the house" is a common term for the temple in Jerusalem, see ; ; ; . Later in , the term is also used in this way. If they were not in the temple, they were at least nearby, since the people gathered there during the feast at nine o'clock in the morning for the first prayer, see , . Excavations at the south entrance of the temple show that there were a large number of large pools, in Hebrew. Before a pilgrim entered the temple, a purification bath in such a baptismal font was required. If the location is in one of the porticoes or at one of the temple entrances, it explains practically how 3,000 people could hear Peter preach and later be baptized, see .]The crowd's reaction
5In Jerusalem lived devout Jewish men from all the nations (ethnic groups) under heaven. 6When the sound (roar) was heard, a large crowd gathered, and they were completely amazed (they became agitated and there was commotion) because each one heard his own dialect [his own language] being spoken. 7They were astonished (completely lost their composure) and then filled with wonder (began to speculate on the cause). [All the apostles came from Galilee. In Jerusalem, Galileans were considered uneducated country folk, see . In Galilee, they also spoke a special dialect that could not be mistaken, see . It was unthinkable that these simple men could speak any other language.] They said, "Are not all these who are speaking Galileans?" 8How is it possible that each of us hears his own special dialect from where we were born (our mother tongues)? [Fifteen areas where different dialects and languages were spoken are mentioned in verses 9-11. The list begins in the east and goes westward.] 
Luke begins in the east and moves westward as he lists fifteen geographical areas that had Jewish populations represented during the feast.
Show in atlas
9We who are:
Parthians [people from Iran and Afghanistan],
Medes [from present-day northwestern Iran]
Elamites [Elam corresponds to present-day southern Iran, see ; ];
visitors from [literally 'those who dwell in']:
Mesopotamia [Iraq],
Judea,
Cappadocia [eastern Turkey],
Pontus [northern Turkey],
the Roman province of Asia [western Turkey],
10Phrygia [central Turkey],
Pamphylia [southern Turkey],
Egypt,
Libya [western Egypt] at Cyrene [northern port of Libya]; Immigrants from Rom:
both Jews and proselytes [who converted to Judaism from other religions],
11Cretans [from the island of Crete] and Arabs [from the desert region of Arabia, present-day Saudi Arabia]. We all hear them speaking in our own dialects (languages) about God's wonderful (mighty, great) deeds." 12They were all amazed (surprised, not knowing what to think). They asked each other, "What can this mean?" 13But others made fun of them and said, "They have drunk themselves drunk on sweet wine."Peter preaches
14
Model of Jerusalem in 66 CE on a scale of 1:50. The temple dominates the cityscape. The model is on display at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
"Men of Judea and residents of Jerusalem, you should know this (I want you to understand this), listen carefully to my words. 15These men are not drunk as you suppose, for it is only the third hour of the day (it is only nine o'clock in the morning)! [Jewish time was counted from six o'clock in the morning, when the sun rose.] 16No, this is [the first stage of] what was spoken through the prophet Joel []: 17'This shall come to pass in the last days, says God:
I will pour out (in abundance) my Spirit upon all flesh.
[Upon all people, regardless of age, gender, or position.] 17Your sons and daughters
shall prophesy (speak inspired by God).
Your young men (youth)
shall see visions.
Your old men
shall have dreams (divinely inspired dreams). 18Yes, upon my servants, both men and women,
I will pour out my Spirit in those days,
and they shall prophesy (speak inspired by God).
[Speak edification, encouragement, and comfort, see .] 19I will show wonders in the heavens above
and signs (miracles whose purpose is to confirm what God is doing) on the earth below – blood, fire, and clouds of smoke. 20The sun will be turned to darkness and the moon to blood
before the day of the Lord comes,
the great (magnificent) and conspicuous (when something becomes completely obvious and visible).
[The day when Jesus returns.] 21And it shall come to pass [then] that everyone who calls upon (invokes; calls upon; appeals to) the name of the Lord
shall be saved (rescued, delivered, preserved).' [Peter interrupts the quotation from Joel here, but concludes with the last phrase ("as many as the Lord our God calls" from ) in .] 22Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth was a man attested (authorized) by God to you by mighty works, wonders, and signs. Through him God did this among you, as you yourselves know. 23By God's predetermined plan and decision, he was handed over, and with the help of lawless men [the Roman soldiers who did not follow Moses' teaching], you nailed him to the cross and killed him. 24But God raised him up, having freed him from the pains of death (birth pangs), for it was impossible for death to keep (bind, imprison) him [because he was sinless]. 25For David says of him [Ps. 16:8-11]: 'I have always had the Lord before my eyes (I think of him constantly),
he is at my right hand so that I will not be shaken (thrown down).
26Therefore my heart was glad and my tongue rejoiced,
even my body (flesh – Gk. sarx) will rest in that hope.
[My body is like a tent, a temporary dwelling here on earth, while I wait for the resurrection.] 27For you will not abandon my soul (leave it helpless) in Hades (the realm of the dead)
or let the body of your holy one see decay [be exposed to decay, as the body decays after death].
28You have shown me the ways of life,
you will fill me with joy in your presence (before your face).' [Hebrew has no tense. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Peter changes the quotation from 'will show' in the Greek translation Septuagint to 'has shown me the paths of life', because Jesus has risen.] 29
In the southwestern part of present-day Jerusalem, on Mount Zion, you can visit the traditional site of the tomb of David. The tradition dates back to the 7th century AD and has no archaeological evidence. The real site is somewhere a little further east in the City of David, see .
'The Lord said to my lord:
Sit at my right hand (share my throne),
35until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet (completely reducing the enemy's power).' [] 36Therefore, let the whole house of Israel know for certain (through their own personal experience) that God made him both Lord and Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) [God's chosen and anointed King] – this Jesus whom you crucified." 37When they heard this, they were cut to the heart [remorse, anguish, remorse; they had a deep painful experience of sorrow], and said to Peter and the other apostles (messengers): "Men, brothers, what shall we do?" 38Peter then explained to them:
"Repent (change your minds) [think differently from now on] and be baptized [be immersed in water, Gk. baptizo] – each one of you – in the name of Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) [on the basis of his name] for (into) the forgiveness of your sins [so that you may be redeemed/freed from your debts/transgressions]. Then you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit (then you will receive the gift – the Holy Spirit). 39For the promise is for [applies to] you and your children [; ] and all who are far away [the Gentiles] – as many as the Lord our God calls [invites] to himself." [The Holy Spirit is a gift. How the Spirit is received is described by the Greek verb lambano, whose main meaning is to receive, obtain, acquire, and come into possession of. The verb form is medium (something between passive and active), which grammatically indicates that there is interaction between the giver and the receiver – an active and willing reception. See also ; .]The congregation grows
40
Model of the temple and the southern part of Jerusalem. Located at the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.
the apostles' teaching (instruction)
and fellowship,
the meals [which also included the Lord's Supper, see ]
and the prayers [in the temple and in homes, see ; ]. 43A feeling of deep respect (reverence) came more and more upon every soul [all the inhabitants of Jerusalem], and many wonders (which aroused amazement) and signs (miracles that proved the character of God) were done through the apostles. 44All the believers were together (as one) and they had everything in common. [This was entirely voluntary, see , and was done out of genuine love for God and their brothers and sisters in faith, see .] 45They sold [when the need arose] their property (houses, farmland) and possessions, and distributed them to all, according to each one's need. [Acts 4:32-35 describes how those who had several houses and plots of land sold them, see also Acts 4:36-37; 5:1-3. In Acts 12:12, people still gathered in "Mary's house."] 46Every day they gathered in the temple courtyard (to worship) united (in harmony, in accord, with one mind), and in their homes they broke bread and shared meals in jubilant, heartfelt joy (literally "with hearts free from stony ground," i.e., in simplicity, lightness, generosity). 47They praised God and were well-liked (had favor, grace, were respected – Gk. charis) by all the common people. Every day, the Lord added to their number those who were being saved. [At first glance, it may seem contradictory that they were well-liked by everyone, when Jesus said: "Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you," see . In Acts, the focus is on what God does. The believers praised God and were favored by all the common people. Here, the Gk. word is used to describe the general public, as opposed to the authorities, who wanted to silence and imprison them. The word for "all" is Gk. , which truly describes everyone. The vast majority of ordinary people noticed how generous and loving the Christians were toward them, and God gave the Christians favor with them.
When Jesus said, "Woe to you when everyone praises you," he used a different word for everyone, Gk. . This word describes "all kinds and different types." When people from all walks of life, organizations, and orientations praise Christians, one should be vigilant. In this context, Jesus also spoke of false prophets. One of their characteristics is precisely self-centeredness and how it is more important to please people than God. This attitude is contrary to that of the first Christians in Jerusalem, who put God's word, fellowship, and prayer first, see .]A lame man is healed
31
Here on the south side of the temple area, the steps that led up to the south gates still remain today.
2They were just carrying there a man who had been lame [in his legs] from birth (literally: "from his mother's womb"). [The man was over 40 years old, see .] Every day he was placed at the temple gate called the Beautiful Gate to beg from those entering the temple. [The rabbis taught that there were three pillars of the Jewish faith: Torah study, prayer/worship, and charity. As beggars, the best places were near the offering boxes and at the main entrances where many people passed by.
The gate called "Beautiful Gate" may refer to the ornate Nicanor Gate in the temple. It stood between the women's courtyard, where the offering boxes were located, and the inner courtyard. Another possibility is the busiest southern double gate, which led into the temple area itself. Since they "enter the temple area" and then find themselves at Solomon's portico, it is likely that the outer southern double gate is the Beautiful Gate, see verses 8 and 11.] 3
The southern entrance to the temple, seen from the east. Visitors entered through one of the gates and walked through a tunnel and further stairs that led up to the outer courtyard of the temple area.
©Tony Larsdal
Peter's sermon in Solomon's Colonnade
11
A drawing of what the temple might have looked like around 60 AD. The temple area was large, about the size of 21 football fields. Solomon's portico was located along the eastern side facing the Kidron Valley. It was common for various rabbis to teach here. It was here that Peter spoke and preached about Jesus.
"Israelites!
Why are you amazed at this?
Why are you staring at us as if we performed this miracle by our own power, or as if it was our own holiness that made this man begin to walk? 13No [it was not us who performed the miracle], the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob – the God of our fathers – has glorified his servant (son) Jesus. [It is through Jesus that the man has been healed.] You handed him over and denied him before Pilate when he had decided to release him. 14But you denied (refused) the Holy and Righteous One and demanded that a murderer be released to you instead. 15You killed the Source of Life (prince, originator, pioneer), but God raised him from the dead. We ourselves are witnesses to this fact. [Peter and John had seen the risen Jesus with their own eyes.] [Now comes the answer to the question of how the man was healed:]
16Because of faith in his [Jesus'] name, this [formerly lame] man whom you now look at [with critical, scrutinizing eyes], and whom you know, has received strength from his name. The faith exercised through Jesus has, right before your eyes, given him complete health (completely healed him). [It is not clear in Greek whether it was the man's faith or the faith of Peter and John that healed the man. Perhaps Luke's point here is that the most important thing is faith in God, and not whose faith performed the miracle. The miracle of faith was available to all who had gathered there in Solomon's portico that day.] [Final call to repentance:]
17Listen, brothers and sisters, I know that neither you nor your leaders knew what you were doing [when you denied and betrayed Jesus]. [It was done in ignorance, see ; .] 18But God has thus fulfilled what he foretold through all his prophets, that his Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) would suffer.
19Therefore, repent (change your minds from now on, see ) and turn back [to God], so that your sins may be wiped out (erased; completely removed), 20and that times of renewal (revival, recovery – literally: 'a cooling refreshing wind/breath') from the presence (face) of the Lord [in this way] may come, and he may send the one who has been appointed (is destined) for you – [namely] the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) Jesus. 21Heaven must receive (welcome) him until the times come when the complete restoration of all things takes place, as God has proclaimed from ancient times through the mouths of his holy prophets. 22Moses said, 'The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You shall listen to him in everything he tells you. 23But anyone who does not listen to that prophet shall be cut off from the people.' [Quote from ; .] 24All the prophets, from Samuel onward, have spoken of and also proclaimed (prophesied about) these days. [Samuel was the first prophet after Moses, see .] 25You are the children of the prophets and the heirs of the covenant that God made with your fathers, when he said to Abraham: 'In your offspring [singular] all the nations (the family – Gk. patria) of the earth shall be blessed.'[Quote from ; ; . The word offspring is singular, but can also be used as a collective noun to describe an entire people. Abraham's promise applied both to Isaac and his descendants who became the Jewish people. In its deepest sense, it refers to the Messiah who was to come, as Paul shows in . There is no difference between salvation in the two covenants. Abraham was saved by looking forward in faith to the cross and salvation. After Jesus' death and resurrection, one is saved by looking back in faith on what Jesus has done.]
26It was primarily for you [the Jews, who received the blessing first and would become a blessing to all nations] that God raised up his servant [Jesus], and he has sent him to bless you by turning each of you from your wicked ways."Peter and John are imprisoned
41While Peter and John were speaking to the people, suddenly the chief priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees confronted them. 2They were upset (irritated) that they were teaching the people and preaching (speaking with conviction about) the resurrection from the dead through Jesus. [The Sadducees did not believe in life after death, see .] 3So they arrested them (laid hands on them) and kept them in prison until the next day, for it was already evening. 4But many of those who had heard the message (the word) came to believe, and the number of men was now about 5,000.
[From being a group of 120 men and women, see , the believers increased by about 3,000 on the day of Pentecost, see . Among these were some visitors, see . Depending on how much time had passed between the day of Pentecost and this event, some may have returned home. At the same time, people were coming to faith daily, see .
The number 5,000 here in probably refers to the total number of male believers in Jerusalem at this time. In a few hours that afternoon (between the healing of the man at three o'clock and the arrest of Peter and John at six o'clock), thousands probably came to faith. The crowd continues to grow, see . Many priests also come to faith, see . About 25 years later, Luke refers to how thousands of Jews came to faith in Jerusalem, see . The total population of Jerusalem at this time in the 30s AD is difficult to estimate, but it was around 40,000-100,000. During the high holidays, it increased to more than double or triple that number.]Defense speech before the Sanhedrin
5The next day, their leaders, elders, and scribes gathered in Jerusalem. 6The high priest Annas was there, as were Caiaphas [his son-in-law], John, Alexander, and all the others from the high priests' family. [The Sanhedrin was the highest judicial decision-making body among the Jews, with 71 members. There were two factions in the council – the Pharisees and the Sadducees. The Sadducees, who were often in the majority and had initiated the arrest of Peter and John, believed only in the five books of Moses. The Pharisees accepted the entire oral tradition and believed in angels and life after death.
Hannas was high priest and chairman of the council from 6 to 15 CE. At this time, in the early 30s CE, his son-in-law Caiaphas held that title. Caiaphas was high priest from 18 to 36 AD. The fact that Annas is mentioned first probably reflects the real political situation, in which he still had considerable influence. Five of his sons and one son-in-law became high priests. It is not known who John and Alexander are, except that they belonged to the family of the high priests.] 7When they had brought them [Peter and John] before them (in the middle of the assembly), they demanded an answer (and began to interrogate them in a contemptuous manner): "By what power (supernatural force) or in what name (authority) have you [simple people] done this?" 8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: "You rulers of the people and elders of Israel. 9If we are being questioned today about a good deed done to a sick (powerless, disabled) man, and how he was healed (saved, restored, freed), 10let it be known to all of you and to all the people of Israel that by the name ofJesus the Nazarene,the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ),whom you crucified, God raised him from the dead. You crucified him, but God raised him from the dead. 11He [the Anointed One – Messiah, Christ] is: 'The stone that was rejected by you, the builders,
has become the cornerstone.' [Quote from where Peter adds 'by you' and applies the verse to his listeners. The cornerstone is the first stone in the building that all other stones are aligned with. Jesus is the cornerstone that the church, a heavenly house building – the new temple – is aligned with! Believers are living stones, see . God's altar is built of uncut stone (), not mass-produced bricks as in a human building ().]
12And there is no other [than Jesus, see ] through whom we must be saved (rescued, delivered), for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (rescued, delivered, healed, preserved)." [In Greek, the sentence ends literally: "in which we must be saved" or "in which it is necessary that we be saved," see also , ; ; ; ; .] They are warned
13They were completely amazed when they saw Peter and John's boldness (their clarity and confidence in speech). At the same time, the fact that they were uneducated men began to sink into their consciousness. [Peter and John had not studied under any rabbi and had not received a formal theological education.] But then it became clear to them that they had been with Jesus. 14When they also saw the man who [had previously been lame but now] had been healed standing there with them, they had nothing to say against them. 15They ordered them to leave the council chamber and then conferred with each other. 16They said, "What should we do with these men? It is obvious to everyone living in Jerusalem that a remarkable sign has been performed through them, and we cannot deny it. 17But so that it does not spread any further among the people, we should warn them never again to speak to anyone in that name. 18They [the religious leaders in Jerusalem] called them back [to the Sanhedrin] and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John answered them, "Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge (decide), 20but for us, it is impossible not to speak about what we have seen and heard." 21After further threatening (warning) them, they let them go. They did not dare to punish them, because all the people were praising (honoring) God for what had happened. 22The man who had been healed by this sign (miracle) was over 40 years old. [He had been lame since birth, see . The man's situation was well known among the inhabitants of Jerusalem.]Prayer for boldness
23When they had been released [Peter and John, who had been imprisoned the day before, see ], they went to their own people and told them everything the chief priests and elders had said. 24When they heard this, they cried out in one voice (in harmony, in unison, with one mind) to God and said: "Ruler (Almighty Lord – Gk. despotes), you who created heaven, earth, and sea, and everything in them. 25You who have let the Holy Spirit speak through our father David, your servant (son) [Ps 2:1-2]:
'Why do the nations rage (storm, rage),
why do the peoples devise meaningless plans (fulfill their thoughts with meaninglessness, vanity, that which is fruitless)?
26The kings of the earth took their stand [to attack],
and the rulers gathered together against the Lord
and against his Anointed One (Messiah, Christ).'
27Yes, this is truly what has happened among us [David's prophecy has been fulfilled], here in this city [Jerusalem]. Both Herod [Antipas] and Pontius Pilate, together with the Gentiles and the people of Israel, united against your holy servant (son) Jesus, whom you have anointed 28to accomplish as much as your hand and your will had already determined would happen. 29Lord, now look at their threats and give your servants all boldness, so that they may proclaim your word, 30while you continue to stretch out your hand to heal the sick (touch, heal both spiritually and physically), and let signs (miracles that prove) and wonders (that arouse wonder) be done through the name of your holy servant (son) Jesus." 31When they had finished praying (supplicating), the place where they were gathered shook, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke (preached, proclaimed) the word of God with boldness. [The word for pray is deomai, which expresses a prayer for a great need. The root word deo means to bind and stick something together. There is a hint in the word that the one who prays connects himself with the answer to prayer in order to see it come true. They continued to speak the word of God with boldness. It takes a while before the last part of the prayer for miracles and signs is answered, see . Interestingly, this happens only after the hypocrisy of Ananias and Sapphira has been exposed, see .]How the first believers lived
32All the believers were of one heart and soul (mind). None of them called anything he owned his own, but they had everything in common. 33With great power (strength), the apostles constantly bore witness that the Lord Jesus had risen, and great grace (favor, gratitude, joy) rested upon them all. 34None of them suffered any hardship [], for those who owned fields or houses sold them (if necessary) and brought the proceeds 35and laid it at the apostles' feet. Then the assets were distributed according to each person's needs. [Giving was entirely voluntary and took place according to need. For example, people gathered in "Mary's house" to pray, see . Mary was related to Barnabas and was the mother of John Mark, see . Now follow two specific examples of people who sold property, Barnabas and a married couple – Ananias and Sapphira.]Barnabas gives a gift
36Joseph, whom the apostles called Barnabas – which translated means Son of Encouragement (Admonition) – was a Levite [the tribe of Levi is one of the twelve tribes of Israel] born in Cyprus. 37He sold a field he owned and brought the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. [People's names, and especially nicknames, reflect a person's character. Joseph was a man who encouraged, exhorted, and helped other people. The fact that he was given a new name by the apostles shows how they publicly recognized him and his service. For example, Jesus gave Simon the name Peter, which means rock. The etymology of the name Barnabas is uncertain, but may have its origin in Bar-navi (son of the prophet). Another suggestion is Bar-menachem (Son of Comfort), which would explain the connection to comfort. However, Luke explains that the word means encouragement and exhortation. The same connection between prophecy and encouragement is made by Paul in 1 Cor. 14:3. As a prophet, Barnabas conveyed encouragement and comfort. He took care of Paul, see , became one of the leaders of the first church, and later traveled with Paul, see . Barnabas was a good man, filled with the Holy Spirit and full of faith, see .]Ananias and Sapphira also give a gift
[In contrast to Barnabas and many others who lovingly "laid their gifts at the apostles' feet," see , a married couple appears to do the same thing. But something is not quite right. The unusual Greek word , which means "to set aside for oneself," is used here and in the Greek translation of the Old Testament in the story of how Achan and his family tried to steal what belonged to God, see . The stories have many similarities, and both occur when God has just begun a new phase for his people.] 51But a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property [a piece of land, see ]. 2In consultation with his wife, he kept part of the purchase price for himself. He then took part of the money and laid it at the apostles' feet. [Ananias is the Greek form of the Hebrew Hananja, which means "God is gracious." Sapphira means "sapphire" and "beautiful" in Aramaic.] 3Then Peter said, "Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart (gained control of your thoughts and actions) so that you tried to deceive the Holy Spirit by withholding part of the money for the land? 4Before you sold it, didn't it belong to you? And after you sold it, wasn't the money yours? [In Greek, a negative particle is used in both of these questions, which expect an implied positive answer: "yes, both the land and the money belonged to you."] Why did you decide this in your heart? You have not lied to people, but to God." [The sin was not that they did not give the full amount, but that they pretended to do so. All giving in the early church was voluntary, see .] 5When Ananias heard these words, he fell down and breathed his last. [Here a medical term is used for "breathing out" and dying; it is used only here, in , and in .] Great fear came upon all who heard of what had happened. 6The younger men [in the church] came and wrapped him up, carried him away, and buried him. [As was the custom at that time, the body was buried in a rock tomb outside the city. Then, after a few years, the remains were moved to a permanent grave. The ceremony was quick; the men were back within three hours, see .]
7About three hours later, his wife came in [to the gathering where the apostles were] without knowing what had happened. 8Peter asked her, "Tell me, did you sell the land for that amount?" [It is likely that Peter is pointing to the money that is probably lying there.]
She replied, "Yes, for that amount." 9Peter said to her, "Why have you agreed to test the Spirit of the Lord? Behold, the men who buried your husband are at the door, and they will carry you away too." 10At once she fell down at his feet and died. When the young men came in, they found her dead, and they carried her away and buried her beside her husband. 11Great fear came upon the whole church (congregation – Gk. ekklesia, "the called out ones") and upon all who heard these things. [God hates religious hypocrisy. Falsehood and holiness cannot exist at the same time. Was it the attention surrounding Barnabas that aroused jealousy? We know that where there is jealousy and rivalry, there is also disorder and all kinds of evil, see . The text raises questions, and it is important to see what the text says and does not say: - Were Ananias and Sapphira really committed Christians? They moved in Christian circles and were known to Peter, but only God knows the human heart, see . A similar example is the sorcerer Simon in the city of Samaria, who came to faith and was baptized, but whose heart was still attached to money, see ; . On judgement day, all people will receive a just judgment, see .
- Can a believer be filled with Satan? Peter himself had previously been led astray to speak the devil's words, and Jesus strongly condemned him for it, though without killing him, see .
- Was it God who killed them? Peter was probably surprised when Ananias fell down dead; all he did was expose sin. It may be that they died of fear. What we do know is that the wages of sin is always death, see .
This verse is the first time the church is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles. It is not a perfect church, but it is generous, fears God, and sees great wonders and signs.]Wonders and signs
12[Now the answer to the prayer in comes:] Through the hands of the apostles, many signs and wonders were done among the people, and they were all together in Solomon's portico [which was along the east side of the temple area]. 13None of the others [who had not yet come to faith, see ] dared to join them [there in the temple or bring the sick there for fear of the Sadducees], but the people spoke well of them. 14More and more people came to believe in the Lord, large crowds of both men and women. 15They even carried the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and stretchers so that at least Peter's shadow might fall on some of them as he passed by. [In ancient culture, the shadow represented the person. The people acted on their faith. Although the text does not say that they were healed in this way, the next verse suggests it. It was not the method and the shadow that healed, but faith in Jesus! Throughout the Bible, there are many examples where something physical has represented faith: a staff, ; a bronze serpent, ; salt, ; a stick, ; clothing, . There is always a risk that the focus will shift from God to the tool He uses. One example is the bronze serpent, which was a blessing but became an idol in later generations, see .] 16Even a large crowd from the towns around Jerusalem came and brought with them the sick and those tormented by unclean spirits, and all were healed.Summoned for questioning again
[The popularity of the Christians did not go unnoticed by the religious leadership. Peter and John had previously been arrested, see , and now all twelve apostles were arrested.] 17The high priest [probably Annas, see ] and all his followers, that is, the Sadducees, were filled with jealousy (Gk. zelos). [The word describes strong feelings and hatred motivated by fanatical zeal. They wanted to try to stop this new movement that was now beginning to threaten their opinions and position.] 18They arrested the apostles (laid their hands on them) and put them in public custody. [The term can either describe "public custody" or that they were arrested "openly," in front of all the people.]Miraculously freed
19But during the night, an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors. [If it was the same prison where Peter was later imprisoned, both the inner and outer doors were opened, see .] The angel led them out and said: 20"Go and stand in the temple area and let the people hear the whole message about this [new] life." [Life in Jesus!] 21When they heard this, they went early in the morning (at dawn, around six o'clock in the morning) to the temple and began to teach.
When the high priest and his followers arrived, they called together the Sanhedrin, the entire council of elders of the sons (children) of Israel, and sent messengers to the prison to bring the apostles. 22But when the servants arrived, they did not find them in the prison. They returned and reported, 23"We saw the prison securely locked and the guards standing at the gates, but when we opened them, we found no one inside." 24When the leaders of the temple guard and the chief priests heard their report, they were astonished (surprised, not knowing what to believe) and wondered what could have happened (where all this would lead). [If prisoners escaped, there were serious consequences for those responsible, see ; .] 25Then someone came and told them, "The men you put in prison are standing in the temple teaching the people!" 26The captain of the temple guard then went out with the servants [to Solomon's portico in the temple area] and brought them back without using force, because they were afraid that the people would stone them. [The Sanhedrin was completely helpless, and their actions had been a total failure. The apostles finally came to the interrogation, but of their own free will. The events of the previous night had convinced them even more that they were in God's hands. No man can stop God's plans!]We must obey God rather than men
27When they had brought them there, they were brought before the Sanhedrin [the highest judicial decision-making body among the Jews, with 71 members, chaired by the high priest]. The high priest began to interrogate them, 28and said, "We gave you strict orders not to teach in that name. Despite this, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching (doctrine, doctrine), and now you intend to bring that man's blood upon us (make us guilty of his death)." 29Then Peter and the other apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men. 30The God of our fathers raised Jesus, whom you hung on a tree (a cross) and killed. 31God has exalted him to his right hand as prince (pioneer, originator, first one – Gk. archegos) and savior (rescuer, liberator) to give Israel repentance and forgiveness of sins. 32We are witnesses to this, we and the Holy Spirit, whom God has given to those who obey him. 33
Scene from the 1985 miniseries A.D. where Gamaliel speaks (the title A.D. comes from the Latin Anno Domini, meaning in the year of the Lord).
"Israelites, consider what you are about to do to these men. [Gamaliel now gives two examples of Jewish movements that had their heyday 30 years earlier and no longer existed.] [Example 1:]
36Some time ago, Theudas [a man who led an armed Jewish revolt against the Romans] came along and claimed to be somebody. He gathered about 400 men, but he was executed, and all who believed in him were scattered and disappeared. [There was great unrest after the death of Herod the Great in 4 BC. Theudas was a common Greek name, and he was probably one of the leaders of this revolt.] [Example 2:]
37After him came Judas from Galilee, at the time of the census. He persuaded the people to revolt and follow him, but he too perished, and all who believed in him were scattered. [This refers to a later census after the one that took place around the time of Jesus' birth, see . The Jewish historian Josephus mentions a census in Judea in 6-7 AD that provoked the Zealots in Galilee to revolt, which was brutally suppressed by the Romans.] 38So now in this case [with the apostles and this new movement], I [Gamaliel] say to you: Keep away from these men. Let them go! For if this is only human invention and activity (enthusiasm), it will come to nothing, 39but if it is of God, you cannot defeat them. It may turn out that you are fighting against God." They were convinced by him. 40When they called the apostles back in, they had them flogged [with thirty-nine lashes on the back, see ] and forbade them to speak in the name of Jesus. Then they were released. 41When the apostles left the Sanhedrin, they were [not discouraged, but rather] rejoiced that they had been counted worthy to suffer dishonor for his name's sake. [Because of Jesus' name, see .] 42Both [openly] in the temple area
and [privately] in homes (from house to house)
they taught
and proclaimed (evangelized) daily (day after day) that Jesus is the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ). [The chiastic form in this verse connects teaching with homes, and evangelism with the temple area.]The first seven deacons are appointed
A group of women in Jerusalem.
The distribution of funds seems to have been carried out initially by the apostles, see . As the text indicates, the task had been handed over to the Hebrew-speaking group, which was in the majority. It is not unlikely that Jewish customs were followed in order to help the poor with two types of assistance. Poor Jewish residents received weekly assistance called guppah. It was given every Friday and was enough for fourteen meals. There was also daily assistance called tamhuy, which was intended for other immigrants. Food and drink were delivered to those in need. It is not difficult to see how, due to language differences, some Greek-speaking widows were overlooked in the daily food distribution, probably unconsciously.] 2
One of many vendors at the gates of Jerusalem.
Stephen [which means "crowned"],
a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit.
Philip [meaning "one who loves horses"].
Prochorus [literally meaning "in front of the choir," i.e., a choir director; may have been the title "choir director" rather than his real name].
Nicanor [meaning "victor"].
Timon [meaning "honorable"].
Parmenas [meaning "one who stands firm"].
Nicholas [meaning "victor of the people"],
a proselyte from Antioch [in Syria]. [As a proselyte, he had first converted to Judaism from a pagan faith. He was then saved and converted from Judaism to become a Christian.]
[All seven men had Greek names and probably belonged to the Greek-speaking Jewish group. Caring for orphans and widows is an important task, see ; . These seven men also served in other areas. In the next paragraph, we read how Stephen prays for the sick. When he is killed and severe persecution breaks out, Philip moves north to Samaria. There he works as an evangelist and many come to faith, see . He is often called the evangelist Philip so as not to be confused with the apostle of the same name who was one of the twelve, see .] 6They were brought before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them [confirmed and blessed their ministry]. 7The word of God continued to spread, and the number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly. Even a large number of priests began to obey the faith [by accepting Jesus as the Messiah]. [Faith and obedience go hand in hand, see ; .] [At this time, a total of nearly 20,000 priests and Levites served in the temple. They were divided into 24 divisions. Each division performed temple duties for one week, five times a year. Three of these occasions were during the major festivals when all the priests served together. Most priests and Levites did not live in Jerusalem, see ; . Many of them were poor and supported themselves, and had little in common with the religious upper class represented by the Sadducees. The large number of priests who came to faith probably came from this poor group. Their number must have been in the hundreds, if not thousands, and this must have aroused the envy of the Jewish leaders.]Stephen is arrested
[Now there is a turning point in the Acts of the Apostles. This is the third time the Sanhedrin has brought Christians in for questioning. The first time ended with a warning, see , the second with thirty-nine lashes, see . Stephen, one of the seven co-workers in , becomes the first martyr to be killed for his faith. The Sanhedrin, also known as the Great Council, was the highest Jewish decision-making body with 71 members from the Pharisees and Sadducees. They met in a hall in the northern part of the temple.] 8Stephen, full of grace (divine blessing, favor) and power (strength), continually performed wonders (which aroused amazement) and signs (miracles that prove God's existence and character) among the people. 9Then some men stood up against Stephen to question (argue with) him. They were from: the synagogue called "the Synagogue of the Freedmen" [these Jews had probably been slaves in Rom but had been freed],
and from Cyrene and Alexandria [the synagogue with Jews from these two African cities],
and from Cilicia and the province of Asia [the synagogue with Jews from these two regions in present-day Turkey]. [In Jerusalem, according to rabbinical tradition, there were 480 different synagogues organized according to different nationalities. It took ten men to start a synagogue. Some had their own buildings, but most gathered in homes. It is not surprising that it was these immigrant Jews who became the foremost opponents of Stephen. The Jewish faith they had professed and suffered for in the world was now threatened by his teaching here in the Jewish capital of Jerusalem.] 10However, they could not resist the wisdom and the Spirit with which he spoke. 11So they secretly hired some men and instructed them to say that they had heard him speak blasphemous (aggressive) words against Moses and God. 12In this way, they succeeded in stirring up the people, as well as the elders and the scribes, and they seized (arrested, imprisoned) him and brought him before the Sanhedrin. 13There they brought forward false witnesses who said, "This man never stops making accusations against this holy place [the temple in Jerusalem] and the teaching [the books of Moses, the Torah – Gk. nomos]. 14We have heard him say that Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the statutes that Moses gave us." [, but also prophesied earlier, see ; .]
[The reason false witnesses were brought forward was that the Sanhedrin did not have the authority to accuse anyone on its own initiative. Witnesses had to request that their case be heard in order for it to be taken up.]
15All who sat in the council fixed their eyes on him and saw that his face was like the face of an angel.Stephen's speech before the Sanhedrin
71The high priest [probably Annas] asked [Stephen], "Are these accusations true [that you said Jesus would destroy the temple and change Moses' teachings, see ]?" 2Then Stephen answered, "Brothers [audience in the hall] and fathers [a respectful title for the elders of the Sanhedrin], listen to me. [At first, Stephen's rather long speech may seem like an irrelevant review of Old Testament history from Abraham to David, but two main themes emerge. The first is that God is not bound to a particular country. The religious leadership was so focused on the temple, but Stephen shows how God has worked throughout history even outside of Israel. The second is that the Israelites have previously opposed the leaders God gave them. Joseph and Moses are two examples who are also models for Jesus. The headings follow the five sections into which the defense speech can be divided.] 1) God gives the promise to Abraham outside of Israel The God of glory appeared to our father Abraham in Mesopotamia [far from the promised land of Israel, the city of Jerusalem and the holy temple], before he settled in Haran [which is also far from Israel].
3God said to Abraham: 'Leave your country and your family
and go to the land that I will show you.' []
4So Abraham left the land of the Chaldeans and settled in Haran. After his father died, God brought him from there to the land where you now live. 5He gave him no inheritance in the land, not even enough to set his foot on, but he promised to give it as a possession to him and his descendants, even though he was childless. 6This is what God said: 'His descendants will live as strangers
in a land that is not theirs,
they will be enslaved and oppressed for [a total of] 400 years. [The period of 400 years does not refer to the time of slavery in Egypt, but to the total time of exile outside the land of Israel.] 7But I will judge the nation whose slaves they become, said God,
and then they shall come out and serve me in this place.'
[By 'this place' Stefanos probably refers to the temple where he spoke these words.]
[; ] 8He gave him the covenant of circumcision. So Abraham became the father of Isaac and circumcised him on the eighth day, and Isaac became the father of Jacob, and Jacob of the twelve patriarchs. [The circumcision of Jewish boys is a sign of God's eternal covenant with Abraham, see . Already in Moses' time, God made it clear that the physical sign was not enough – the heart also needed to be circumcised, see ; ; . The ceremony is performed on the eighth day and is called brit mila, see also .]2) Joseph – a model of the Messiah
9Our forefathers became jealous of Joseph and sold him into Egypt. But God was with him 10and saved him [time and time again] from all his sufferings (problems, difficulties). He gave him grace (favor) and wisdom before Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, who made him ruler over Egypt and his entire household. 11A severe famine spread throughout the area, from Egypt [all the way up] to Canaan, and everyone suffered. Our ancestors [who lived here in the land of Canaan] could not find food [for their families and livestock]. 12When Jacob heard that there was grain in Egypt, he sent our fathers there the first time. 13The second time, Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, and Pharaoh heard about Joseph's family. 14Joseph then sent word and had his father Jacob and his entire family, seventy-five people, brought to him. [As a Greek-speaking Jude, Stephen uses the Greek translation of , which includes Joseph's grandchildren and has the number seventy-five. The Hebrew text has seventy without Joseph's grandchildren.] 15Jacob went down to Egypt, and there he died, as did our fathers. 16Their bodies were moved to Shechem and laid in the tomb that Abraham had bought [for his wife Sarah] for a sum of silver from the children of Hamor in Shechem [which is in Samaria on 'unholy' ground]. [In his short and hurried speech, Stephen seems to summarize two events to make his point that God works outside Jerusalem, and especially in Samaria, which sounded bad to the supporters of the Sanhedrin. The tomb that Abraham bought was in Hebron, not Shechem . Joseph was buried in Shechem and Jacob in Hebron. Abraham bought the cave from the Hittites for 400 shekels, see , and it was Jacob who bought the field from Hamor, see .]3) Deliverance through Moses
17The time was approaching when the promise God had made to Abraham would be fulfilled. [The time of slavery was coming to an end, see .] The people [the Israelites] grew (in status, respect) and their numbers increased in Egypt, 18until another king (with a different character)
who did not know Joseph came to power. [Quote from . In Egyptian history, there was a clear shift between the seventeenth and eighteenth dynasties. The Hyksos people who had ruled Egypt for 100 years were defeated. The new king would then be Pharaoh Ahmose, who came to power in the new kingdom sometime around 1550 BC.] 19It was he [this new pharaoh] who exploited our people (used them with flattering words) and oppressed our ancestors and forced them to abandon their infants [drown all boys in the Nile, see ], so that they would not survive. 20At that time (era), Moses was born, and he was incredibly beautiful in God's eyes [had both inner and outer beauty; literally 'from a city', i.e. behaved elegantly (not uneducated), but also in the sense that he came from a heavenly city]. For three months he grew up [and was kept hidden] in his father's house. [; ] 21When he was then abandoned [placed in the Nile], Pharaoh's daughter adopted him and raised him as her own son. 22Moses was taught all Egyptian wisdom (philosophy) and he was powerful (strong) in words (Gk. logos) and deeds (actions). [Luke uses the same phrase about Jesus, see Luke 24:19. Although Moses himself did not consider himself a good speaker (), he was a man of his word. His words and deeds were consistent. Logos also often emphasizes the written word; he was a good rhetorician and author of the Books of Moses, see .] 23When he was forty years old, he had the idea of visiting his brothers, the sons (children) of Israel. 24He then saw one of them being mistreated, and he defended him and avenged him by killing the Egyptian. 25Moses believed that his brothers would understand that God wanted to save them through his hand, but they did not. 26The next day, he was walking among the Israelites again when he suddenly saw two of them fighting. He tried to get them to make peace, saying, "You men are brothers! Why are you hurting each other?" 27But the one who had wronged his neighbor (fellow man, fellow countryman) pushed Moses away and replied: Who made you a leader and judge over us?
28Are you going to kill me as you killed the Egyptian yesterday? [] 29When he heard these words, he fled. Moses then lived as a stranger in the land of Midian, where he [married and] had two sons. 30
A dry bush in the desert.
32'I am the God of your fathers,
the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.' [] Then Moses trembled with fear and did not dare to look. 33But the Lord said to him,
Take off your sandals,
for the place where you are standing is holy ground. 34I have seen the oppression of my people in Egypt and have heard their groaning,
and I have come down to deliver them.
Now go! I am sending you to Egypt [as my messenger].
[, ] 4) The Israelites do not want to obey
35This Moses, whom they rejected when they said, Who made you a ruler and a judge? []
– God sent him as a leader and deliverer through the angel who appeared to him in the burning bush. 36It was he who brought them out and performed miracles and signs in Egypt and in the Red Sea and in the desert for 40 years. 37It was this Moses who said to the sons (children) of Israel: God will raise up for you a prophet like me
from among your brothers. [. Jesus is this prophet who is like Moses, see ; .]
38He was the one who, in the assembly in the desert, was with both the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai and with our ancestors, and he received living words to give to us. 39But our ancestors did not want to obey him. They rejected him and turned back in their hearts to Egypt. 40They said to Aaron, "Make us gods who can go before us! We don't know what happened to that Moses who brought us out of Egypt. [] 41They also made a calf at that time and offered sacrifices to the idol (the image) [] and rejoiced in the work of their hands. 42But God turned away from them and gave them over to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets [Amos]: 'Was it to me that you brought sacrifices and offerings
during the 40 years in the wilderness, O house of Israel? 43[No!] You carried the tent [the tabernacle in the same way as the ark (); the Hebrew may refer to the idol Sikkot, see ] to worship Molech [the Canaanite god of the sun and sky]
and your images of the star Refan [Greek direct translation of Hebrew Kevan, another name for the planet Saturn, which was also worshipped by the Egyptians].
Therefore, I will take you into captivity beyond Babylon.' [] 44Our ancestors had the tent of testimony [the tabernacle, with the ark] in the desert, designed as God had determined. He had commanded Moses to make it according to the pattern (model, example) God had shown him. 45Our fathers inherited that tent, and they brought it here under Joshua's leadership when they took over the land from the peoples whom God drove out before them. It remained here until the time of David. 46He found favor with God and asked to find a dwelling place for the God of Jacob. 47But it was Solomon who built a house for him. [] 48However, the Most High does not dwell in houses built by human hands. The prophet [Isaiah] says [after all]: 49Heaven is my throne
and the earth is my footstool.
What kind of house can you build for me, says the Lord,
or what kind of place can I rest in?
50Did not my hand make all these things? [. The rhetorical question is how a building could contain God, who created the universe.] 5) You have rejected Jesus
[Until now, Stephen has been recounting Jewish history, but now he addresses the Sanhedrin, the Great Council. Until now, he has included himself when he said "our ancestors," see verses 19, 38, 39, 44. Now he says "your ancestors." It is easy to agree that idolatry was wrong in the past, but more difficult to admit that it may be the same in my life today.] 51You are stubborn (obstinate, obstinate) [Moses used similar language, see ] and uncircumcised in heart and ears! [Outwardly you are Jews, but in your hearts there is no difference between you and other peoples!] Constantly [ever since the time of Moses] you resist the Holy Spirit, you and your ancestors. 52Is there any prophet whom your fathers did not persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the Righteous One, and now you have betrayed and murdered him, 53you who received the teaching [Torah – Gk. nomos] conveyed by angels [; ] but did not keep it[Here Stephen is interrupted. It is likely that he would have continued and called for repentance, just as Peter had done earlier in his speech, see .]Stephen is killed
54When they heard this, they were furious (literally describing a pain as if their hearts were being torn apart) and gnashed their teeth at Stephen. 55But Stephen, filled with the Holy Spirit, looked up to heaven and saw the glory (splendor, honor, splendor) of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. [Jesus is usually portrayed sitting at the right hand of the Father, but here he stands up to protect and receive those who die as martyrs.] 56He said, "Look! I see the heavens opened and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God." [Stephen revs up through all the heavens to the highest, where God's throne is.] 57But then they shouted loudly and covered their ears [so as not to hear what Stephen said, which they considered blasphemy] and all rushed at him at once. 58When they had driven (thrown, dragged) him out of the city [Jerusalem], they began to stone him, and the witnesses laid their cloaks at the feet of a young man named Saul. [The word "young man" usually describes an unmarried man under the age of 40. A Jewish leader had to approve a stoning. The one who did so was the one who held the cloaks of the others while they carried out the stoning. It was therefore Saul who gave his approval and was the Jewish authority responsible for Stephen's death. Saul was fully aware of what he was doing, see ; .] 59While they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." [He quotes from the same psalm that Jesus prayed on the cross, see ; .] 60Then he fell to his knees and cried out in a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them." When he had said this, he fell asleep.THE GOSPEL SPREADS TO JUDEA AND SAMARIA (8:1-9:31)
81Saul was fully in favor of killing Stephen (he applauded, was glad about it). [As the story of Stephen ends, Saul is introduced. He was from Tarsus in Cilicia, present-day southern Turkey. Like Stephen, he was a Greek-speaking Jude, see . According to tradition, he was born in 8 AD, but it could have been sometime between 5 BC and 10 AD. It is likely that Saul was one of those who argued against Stephen in the Cilician synagogue, see .
Luke introduced the apostle Paul by his first name, Saul, which was a common name derived from the first king of Israel. The name means "asked for in prayer." The name Saul is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Saul. On some occasions, the more Hebrew form "Saul" is used when quotations are rendered in Aramaic, see , . From onwards, the name Paul is used. The reason for the change is not given, but Paul is a purely Roman name meaning "the little one." It aptly describes the apostle to the Gentiles and his growing humility over the years.] On the same day, a great persecution broke out against the church in Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered [forced to flee] to the regions of Judea and Samaria. 2Some devout [Jewish] men helped carry out and bury Stephen and held a great lamentation over him. 3Saul tried to destroy the church by force (he ran amok, slandered, and insulted it), going from house to house and dragging men and women [by holding their feet and dragging them out into the streets to prison] and having them imprisoned.The Revival in Samaria
4Those who had been scattered [because of the persecution in Jerusalem] wandered about [from place to place] and preached the word [told the good news of salvation through Jesus].Philip to Samaria
5
Philip went north to Samaria because of the persecution in Jerusalem.
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Simon the Magician
9In the city [see ] there was a man named Simon. [He is often called "Simon the sorcerer," in Latin Simon Magus.] He practiced [occult] magic and had amazed the people of [the entire region] Samaria. He claimed to be something great. 10Everyone, from the least to the greatest, listened to him and said, "This man is the great power of God!" [God detests all occult activity, see . Justin Martyr writes around 150 AD that Simon came from the city of Gitta and was considered a god among his countrymen. Later texts from the early church describe how he became a strong opponent of the Christian faith.] 11They had listened to him because he had long amazed them (fascinated them) with his magical arts. 12But when they now believed in Philip, who preached the gospel of the kingdom of God and the name of Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ), they were baptized (immersed in water, Gk. baptizo), both men and women. 13Simon also came to believe, and after he was baptized, he stayed close to Philip. When he saw the great signs and wonders that were happening, he was beside himself with amazement. [Simon, who had previously fascinated others with his occult magic, was himself completely captivated when he saw the wonders that were happening in Jesus' name.]Peter and John to Samaria
14When the apostles in Jerusalem heard that [the region of] Samaria had received the word of God, they sent Peter and John there. 15When they arrived there, they prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Spirit, 16for he [the Spirit] had not yet fallen upon any of them, but they had only been baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. 17Then they laid their hands on each of them, and they received the Holy Spirit. [Previously, John, together with his brother James, had been prepared to call down fire from heaven and destroy the people of a Samaritan village, see . Now, instead, he gets to be part of calling down the fire of the Holy Spirit upon the newly saved Samaritans.]The sorcerer Simon bargains with the power of God
18But when Simon saw that the Spirit was given through the laying on of the apostles' hands, he came to them with money 19and said, "Give me that power too, so that whoever I lay my hands on may receive the Holy Spirit." 20Peter said to him, "May your money perish with you, if you think that the gift of God can be bought with money! 21You have no part or share in this Zech, for your heart is not sincere before God. 22Repent, therefore, of your wickedness and pray to (implore) the Lord that, if possible, he may forgive you for what you are thinking in your heart. 23I see that you are full of bitter gall and bound by the chains of unrighteousness." 24Simon answered, "Pray for me (implore) to the Lord, that none of what you have said may come upon me." [The strongest word for prayer, Gk. deomai, is used here and in . It describes a prayer for a great need.] 25After they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, they [Peter and John] returned to Jerusalem. On the way [home to Jerusalem], they preached the gospel in many Samaritan villages. [This evangelistic effort, which had been started by the Greek-speaking Jew Philip, was now continued by two Hebrew-speaking Jews!]Philip and the Ethiopian court official
Philip travels south from Samaria. On the road to Gaza, he meets the Ethiopian treasurer who has been in Jerusalem.
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29
The Romano-Germanic Museum in Cologne has a copy of a Roman carpentum, the limousine of its day. It may have been a similar vehicle to the one in which the high-ranking Ethiopian traveled.
30So Philip ran up [and stayed close to the chariot]. He heard the man reading from the prophet Isaiah. [In ancient times, it was common to read aloud.] Then he asked, "Do you understand what you are reading?" [In Greek, the question is also a clever play on words. The Greek word for "understand" is ginosko, and "read" is anaginosko, which literally means "to understand again." It describes the process of how we read. We recognize the letters that make up the sentence. The letters are understood again in a new way.] 31He said, "No, how can I understand unless someone guides me?" He asked Philip to come up and sit next to him. 32The context he was reading in Scripture was [from Isaiah]: Like a sheep he was led away to be slaughtered,
and like a lamb is silent before its shearer,
so he did not open his mouth. 33In his humiliation (low status, by humbling himself), his judgment was taken away,
and who can describe [the wickedness of] his generation (those who lived in his time)?
For his life was taken away from the earth.
[] 34The eunuch said to Philip, "I beg you, tell me, who is the prophet talking about, himself or someone else?" 35Then Philip opened his mouth and, starting with this passage, began to tell him the gospel (the good news) about Jesus. 36As they continued along the road, they came to a place with water, and the eunuch said, "Here is water. Is there anything to prevent me from being baptized?" 37Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." He replied, "I believe that Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) is the Son of God." [This verse is not found in the earliest manuscripts and is probably an addition. It shows how important confession and baptism were in the early church.] 38He commanded the chariot to stop, and both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, and Philip baptized him. 39When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord suddenly took Philip away, and the court official saw him no more, but went on his way rejoicing (elated, filled with joy). 40Philip came to Ashdod, and he wandered about [reversing himself along the Mediterranean coast] and preached the gospel in all the cities until he reached Caesarea [Maritima, by the sea].Saul's conversion
The encounter with Jesus on the road to Damascus
91
On the plain just before Saul arrived in Damascus, he encountered the Jesus he was persecuting.
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3But as he was traveling and approaching Damascus, suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him. [The event occurs in the middle of the day, see . It must have been a powerful supernatural light, stronger than the sun.] 4He [and those with him, see ] fell to the ground. Then he heard a voice saying to him [in Aramaic, see ]: "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" [Saul is addressed by the Hebrew form of his name, which is "Saul," see also .] 5Then he asked, "Who are you, Lord?" []
The voice replied, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 6But get up and go into the city, and you will be told (someone will speak to you) what you must do." [This seems to be all that Jesus can say to Saul at this moment, see .] [Saul remained lying on the ground.] 7The men who were traveling with him [who had now gotten up] just stood there speechless (they were like petrified, so terrified were they). They heard the sound but saw no one. 8Saul [finally] got up from the ground, but when he opened his eyes, he could not see. So they took him by the hand and led him into Damascus. 9For three days he could not see, and he neither ate nor drank. [Saul has a lot to process; his whole world has changed. He needed to reevaluate his interpretation of the Old Testament, salvation, his relationship with the people on the Way, his mission, etc.]Ananias prays for Saul
10In Damascus there was a disciple named Ananias. In a vision the Lord said to him, "Ananias!" He replied, "Here I am, Lord." [Reminiscent of Abraham's and Samuel's responses, see ; .] 11
Halfway along the east-west "Straight Street" in Damascus, a Roman arch was found in 1947 at a depth of five meters. It has been restored to its current ground level. The arch, built in 65/64 AD, marked the intersection with the north-south main street of the city.
Saul preaches in the synagogueSaul stayed with the disciples in Damascus for a few days,
20and immediately began preaching in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God. 21All who heard him were amazed (lost their composure) and said, "Wasn't he the one who wanted to destroy everyone in Jerusalem who calls on that Name? [Has he changed his position?] Wasn't that why he came here, precisely to arrest them [who believe in Jesus as the Messiah] and bring them before the chief priests?" 22But Saul grew more and more powerful [he developed more and more and became more skilled] and left the Jews in Damascus speechless when he proved (presented scripture after scripture, compared and examined to prove) that Jesus is the Messiah. Three years of preparation in the desert [Based on Paul's more detailed account in , he spent three years in Arabia before going to Jerusalem. Arabia is the great desert east and south of Damascus. It corresponds to present-day Saudi Arabia. Most Bible scholars place this event between verses 22 and 23, and that Saul returns to Damascus after his time in solitude.]
Saul returns to Jerusalem
23After a long time had passed (fulfilled) [probably three years, see ], the Jews [the leadership in Damascus] deliberated on how to get rid of Saul (kill him). 24but Saul found out about their plan. They kept watch at the city gates [the seven gates of Damascus] day and night to kill him. 25But one night his disciples took him and lowered him over the wall in a basket [through a window, see ]. 26When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to join the disciples. But they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe he was a disciple. 27Then Barnabas took him under his wing. He brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the road, that the Lord had spoken to him, and that in Damascus he had preached boldly in the name of Jesus. 28Then Saul stayed with them [15 days and met Peter and James, see ], and he went in and out of Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord. 29He spoke and debated with the Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to get rid of him. 30When the brothers and sisters in the faith heard about this, they took him down to Caesarea [Maritima, by the sea] and sent him on to Tarsus. [Saul stays for 8-14 years in his hometown of Tarsus in the province of Cilicia, present-day southern Turkey, see . It is here that Barnabas eventually comes and takes Saul to Antioch, see .] 31The church now had peace and quiet throughout Judea, Galilee, and Samaria. It was built up and lived in reverence for the Lord, growing through the encouragement (exhortation, comfort) of the Holy Spirit.Peter works on the Mediterranean coast (9:32-10:48)
The gospel spread quickly along the coast. Philip had recently been here, and now Peter also came here.
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[The city of Lydda was called Lod in Old Testament times, which is also its modern name today. It is located right next to Israel's Ben Gurion International Airport. In New Testament times, it was a border town between Judea and Samaria. It is likely that Philip passed through here and evangelized on his journey from Ashdod northward toward Caesarea, see .]A lame man is healed in Lydda
33There he met a man named Aeneas. [A Greek name meaning "praised" and "commended."] He had been paralyzed and bedridden for eight years. [The Greek text can also be translated "from the age of eight."] 34Peter said to him, "Aeneas, Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) heals you now. Get up and make your bed!" Immediately he got up. 35All who lived in [the city of] Lydda and [in the fifty-mile coastal region between Joppa and Caesarea called] Saron saw him and turned (returned) to the Lord.A woman dies but is raised again
36
Jaffa, with Tel Aviv in the background.
She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41He held out his hand and helped her up. Then he called in the saints (the believers) and the widows and presented her alive before them. 42This became well known throughout Joppa, and many came to believe in the Lord. 43Peter stayed for a long time in Joppa with Simon, who was a tanner. [Working with leather was considered unclean among the Jews because it involved handling dead animals. The fact that Peter stayed with Simon, who worked with leather, shows that he took a stand for the Gentiles.]Peter and Cornelius
[The following event is crucial for the gospel to be spread "to the ends of the earth," see . Jewish kosher laws restricted interaction between Jews and Gentiles. A Jude could not eat a meal with a non-Jew without breaking God's commandment, see .].Cornelius prays and has a vision
101
Even today, you can see parts of the aqueduct built by Herod the Great. The aqueduct carried fresh mountain water 10 km from the north to Caesarea. Ruins of the city's amphitheater, which seated 4,000, and the horse stadium, the hippodrome, which held 10,000 spectators, also remain.
The number of soldiers in the Roman army varied over time. During a major defeat in Germania (present-day Germany) in 9 AD, three legions were destroyed and the superpower's 28 legions were reduced to 25. At the time of the New Testament, after Augustus' cutbacks in 15 BC, the various units were: - Contubernium, 8 soldiers who camped/lived together.
- Centuria, 100 men (80 soldiers + 20 support personnel).
- Cohort, 500–800 soldiers.
- Legion, 4,800–5,500 foot soldiers + 120 cavalrymen (10 x cohorts).
The legion also included a baggage train, i.e. support units that could consist of several thousand men and women.
At this time, five cohorts were stationed in Caesarea and one in Jerusalem. Several inscriptions show that an Italian regiment, Cohors II Italica, was stationed in the Roman province of Syria from 69 to 157 CE. Although this date is later than the events in (which occurred around 40 AD), the findings confirm that Italian troops were in the area later.] 3
At about three o'clock in the afternoon, Cornelius was praying in his house and received a visit from an angel. The image is an illustration based on excavations showing what the Roman city of Caesarea might have looked like at that time.
The angel said, "Your prayers and your gifts have ascended to God as a [fragrant] offering he remembers. [Generous gifts given for the right reasons and heartfelt prayer are noted by God.] 5Now send some men to Joppa and send for a certain Simon who is called Peter. 6He is staying as a guest with Simon the tanner, who has a house by the sea. The craft also spread an unpleasant odor and required plenty of water, which was one reason why Simon's house was by the sea. Peter's living there also made him unclean. Already here we have a hint that Peter's attitude toward the Jewish regulations about what is clean and unclean was changing. 7When the angel who had spoken to him was gone, Cornelius called two of his servants [a special word for slaves who served in homes] and a soldier, who was a devout man and always at his service. 8He explained everything to them and sent them to Joppa. [The port city of Joppa, also known as Jaffa, has recently merged with Tel Aviv. It is located 50 km south of Caesarea Maritima. A day's march was 16-19 miles (25-30 km), so it took two days to walk from Caesarea Maritima to Joppa. The name Jaffa/Joppa comes from the Hebrew Yafo and means "beautiful, lovely." The name is logical when you consider that it is beautifully situated by the sea and that for many thousands of years it has been the port of entry to Israel. The place is closely associated with the prophet Jonah, who traveled via Jaffa when he tried to flee from the face of the Lord. Now, some 800 years later, Peter finds himself in the same place and receives a similar mission to go to the Gentiles.]Peter prays in Joppa and also has a vision
9
Model of Roman houses, on display at the Altes Museum in Berlin.
Peter receives visitors
17While Peter was wondering what the vision could mean (he did not know what to believe), the men sent by Cornelius arrived at the gate. They had asked around until they found Simon's house, 18and now they called out and asked if Simon, called Peter, was there as a guest. 19While Peter was pondering (reasoning back and forth) about the vision, [the Holy] Spirit said to him, "Behold, three men are seeking you. 20Go down and follow them without hesitation, for it is I who have sent them. 21Peter [got up, took the stairs on the outside of the house that led down to the courtyard, and] went down to the men and said, "I am the one you are looking for. Why have you come here?" 22They replied, "Cornelius, a righteous man who fears (reveres, respects) God and is well regarded by the entire Jewish people, has had a revelation from a holy angel that he should send for you and hear what you have to say." 23Then Peter invited them in and welcomed them as guests. Peter at Cornelius's houseThe next day he set out with them, and some of the [Jewish] brothers [six of them, see ; ] from Joppa accompanied him.
24The following day they arrived at Caesarea [after two days' walk]. Cornelius was waiting for them and had gathered his relatives and close friends. 25When Peter was about to enter, Cornelius came to meet him, fell down at his feet, and worshiped him. 26But Peter lifted him up and said, "Stand up! I am only a man." [Only God should be worshipped. For a jew, this was self-evident, unlike Cornelius, who lived in Roman culture, where, for example, the emperor was worshipped as a god.] 27While he was talking with Cornelius, he went in and found many people gathered there. 28He said to them, "You know that it is taboo (shameful – Gk. athemitos) for a Jewish man to associate with or visit a foreigner (someone from another people). [The teaching in the Books of Moses did not explicitly forbid this, but it was the general interpretation and understanding. An example can be found in , where they did not want to defile themselves and enter Herod's palace during the trial of Jesus; see also .] But God has shown me that no human being should be called unholy or unclean. 29Therefore, I did not hesitate to come when you sent for me. So now I wonder why you have asked me to come?" 30Cornelius replied, "Four days ago, at this very hour, the ninth hour (around three in the afternoon) [], I was at home praying. Suddenly a man in shining clothes stood before me 31and said, 'Cornelius, God has heard your prayer and remembered your gifts. 32Now send to Joppa and ask Simon, who is called Peter, to come here. He is staying with Simon the tanner, whose house is by the sea. 33So I sent for you immediately, and it is great that you have come. [I am so grateful that you have come here to me, who am not a jew.] Now we are all here before God to hear everything that the Lord has commanded you to say.Peter's speech in Cornelius's house
34Then Peter opened his mouth and said, "Now I truly understand that God does not show favoritism (does not favor anyone), 35but welcomes everyone who fears (respects, bows down to) him and does what is right (lives righteously), no matter what people they belong to. 36You know the word (the content of the message) that God sent to the sons (children) of Israel when he proclaimed the good news (the gospel) of peace (harmony, happiness, prosperity) through Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ), who is Lord of all. 37You yourselves know (have seen with your own eyes) what has happened throughout Judea. It began in Galilee after the baptism of [repentance] preached by John [the Baptist]. 38[You know what happened next, how] God anointed Jesus from Nazareth [emphasizing Jesus' human side] with the Holy Spirit and power (ability, strength). [; ] He went about doing good (helping people without asking for anything in return) and, above all, he healed (freed) all who were under the power of the devil, for God was with him. [The word 'power' in Greek is also a term for the slave market where slaves were sold and bought by various masters. Before Jesus bought us free, we were also figuratively speaking in this slave market where various demonic forces could exercise their power over us, and we were slaves under various masters.] 39We ourselves can testify to everything he did (tell what we saw and heard him do) both in the Jewish countryside and in Jerusalem. They executed him by hanging him on wood (a cross), 40but God raised him up on the third day and allowed him to be revealed (openly visible and identified), 41not to all the people, but to us, whom God had already chosen to be witnesses, we who ate and drank with him after his resurrection from the dead. 42He [Jesus] commanded us (an order that is not just a personal opinion, but an order from a higher authority) to preach (openly tell, proclaim) to the people and testify (emphasize, warn them) that he [Jesus] is the one whom God has appointed to judge the living and the dead. 43All the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name."The Gentiles receive the Holy Spirit
44While Peter was still speaking [at this house meeting], the Holy Spirit fell upon all who heard the word. 45The converted Jews (the circumcised) who had accompanied Peter were astonished (completely taken aback) that the free gift of the Holy Spirit was also poured out on the Gentiles 46when they heard them speaking in tongues and praising (exalting, glorifying) God. [This event is sometimes called "the Pentecost of the Gentiles" and resembles what happened among the Jews on the day of Pentecost, see . Peter makes this connection when he later recounts the event in Jerusalem, see . It is natural that this should happen in Caesarea Maritima, the Roman capital, in the same way that the Spirit came on the day of Pentecost in Jerusalem, the Jewish capital.] Then Peter asked: 47"Can anyone refuse them the water so that they may be baptized, when they have received the Holy Spirit just as we have?" 48He commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ). Then they asked him to stay for a few days. Peter defends his association with Gentiles
111The apostles and brothers throughout Judea heard that even the Gentiles had received the word of God. [Peter stayed a few days in Caesarea Maritima, see . Meanwhile, the news of what had happened spread quickly.] 2When Peter arrived in Jerusalem, the circumcised [the group of Messianic Jews who believed that Gentiles first had to become proselytes, and the men also had to be circumcised, before they could become Christians] began to fight against (distanced themselves from, separated themselves from, attacked) Peter. 3They said, "You have been in the house of uncircumcised men and [even] eaten with them!" 4Peter then explained step by step what had happened [he briefly recounts the events in the previous chapter]: 5"I was in the city of Joppa, and while I was praying, I fell into a trance and saw a vision. Something like a large linen sheet came down. Fastened at its four corners, it was lowered from heaven and came to me. 6When I looked closely and studied it, I saw the four-footed animals of the earth, both wild and tame, and creeping things and the birds of the sky. [Animals that had been declared unclean, see ; .] 7I also heard a voice saying to me, 'Get up, Peter, kill and eat! 8I replied, 'No, Lord! Nothing [ceremonially] unclean or impure has ever entered my mouth. 9For the second time, a voice from heaven said, 'What God has declared clean, you must not call unclean. 10This happened three times, and then everything was drawn up into heaven. 11At that moment, three men stood outside the house where we were. They had been sent to me from Caesarea [Maritima, located five miles north of Joppa along the coast]. 12The Spirit [the Holy Spirit] told me to go with them without hesitation. These six [Jewish] brothers [who are with me here as witnesses] also accompanied me [to Caesarea], and we entered the man's [Cornelius's] house. [The fact that there were seven witnesses in total, six men plus Peter, may be significant. Seven seals were often used to seal important Roman documents.] 13He told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house and saying, 'Send to Joppa and bring Simon, who is called Peter. 14He will tell you what you must do to be saved, and your whole household. 15When I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them, as he did upon us in the beginning. [] 16Then I remembered what the Lord had said [before he ascended to heaven, see ]: 'John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit. 17If God gave them the same gift he gave us when we believed in the Lord Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ), who was I to stand in God's way?" 18When they heard this, they calmed down, and they praised God, saying, "So God has granted even the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life."THE GOSPEL SPREADS TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH (11:19-28:31)
Persecution in Jerusalem around 35 AD caused Christians to flee to the area of Phoenicia, the island of Cyprus, and the city of Antioch.
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[the region of] Phoenicia, [Name of the narrow coastal strip north of Mount Carmel, which was part of the Roman province of Syria. Here were the cities of Ptolemais, Tyre, Sarepta, and Sidon, see ; .] [the island] Cyprus
and [the city] Antioch [in Syria]. [The city was located in the Roman province of Syria and had half a million inhabitants, making it the third largest city in the empire, surpassed only by Rom and Alexandria. There was also a large Jewish population here.] Those who had fled to these places preached the word only to Jews.The church in Antioch
20But among those who had come to Antioch were some men [who had fled from Jerusalem and who were originally] from Cyprus and Cyrene [on the coast of North Africa]. They also spoke to the Greeks [in the city] and preached the gospel (the good news) about the Lord Jesus. 21The Lord's hand was with them (God's presence was evident around them), and a large number came to believe and turned (surrendered, submitted) to the Lord. [Antioch was a multicultural city. Many non-Judes now abandoned their belief in pagan idols such as Apollo, Artemis, Zeus, and Baal.]Barnabas to Antioch
22Word of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. [Barnabas was a suitable candidate, as he knew the area well because he was born in Cyprus, see .]. 23When he arrived and saw the grace of God upon them [God's favor, the fruit of the Spirit () and spiritual gifts (; ; ; ) in ministry], he rejoiced and encouraged (exhorted) them all to continue steadfastly in the Lord, 24for he was a good man (had a generous and open heart), and was filled with the Holy Spirit and full of faith. A large crowd of people were brought to the Lord.Saul to Antioch – the word Christian begins to be used
The church in Antioch grew, and Barnabas sought out Saul, who was in Tarsus.
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It was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians (followers of Christ). [Previously, the believers had been called "The Way," see . Another name was followers of "the Nazarene sect," since Jesus was from Nazareth and was called a Nazarene, see ; . Here in Antioch, people began to call them "Christians," probably in a derogatory tone. The Greek word christianos literally means "followers of the Anointed One" or, transcribed, "Christ followers" and is found only three times in the New Testament, here and in ; . This type of new compound word was not uncommon; in , those who supported King Herod are called "Herodians."]Fundraising for the coming famine
[Several years have passed since Saul came to Antioch, see . The events take place in the early 40s AD.] 27At that time [when Barnabas and Saul were in Antioch], some prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. [The New Testament uses the Hebrew topographical method of indicating all directions "down from Jerusalem," since the city is located at a higher elevation.] 28One of them, named Agabus, stood up and predicted through the Spirit that a severe famine would strike the whole world [the Roman Empire] – it also came during the reign of Claudius. 29Then the disciples decided that each one should send as much as he could to help the brothers who lived in Judea. 30They did so and sent the aid with Barnabas and Saul to the elders [church leaders in Jerusalem]. [Claudius was the fourth emperor of the Roman Empire and reigned from 41 to 54 AD. Several extra-biblical sources confirm that there were several years of poor harvests in the Roman Empire during his reign. In Judea, there was a famine in 46 AD. Egyptian documents also confirm a great famine around the Nile due to floods in 45-46 AD. Agabus is also mentioned in , where he prophesies that Paul will be imprisoned in Jerusalem.]Herod Agrippa I cracks down on the church in Jerusalem
121At that time [while the collection was being taken up in Antioch, see ], King Herod [Agrippa I] arrested and tortured some of those who belonged to the church [in Jerusalem]. [Parallel to the events in Antioch, a new wave of persecution begins in Jerusalem. It is spring, see . Agrippa dies in 44 CE, so these events take place no later than the spring of 44 CE.
Herod Agrippa I ruled in Judea from 41 AD until his death in 44 AD. He followed Jewish law and celebrated the feasts in Jerusalem. He was the grandson of Herod the Great and the nephew of Herod Antipas, who is mentioned in and . His sister was Herodias, who was behind the death of John the Baptist. At only three years old, Agrippa tragically lost his father Aristobulus. It was his grandfather, Herod the Great, known for his suspicion even of those closest to him, who killed his son Aristobulus in 7 BC. Agrippa's mother then moved to Rom, where he grew up together with the future emperors Gaius and Claudius. Their friendship led to Agrippa becoming tetrarch of the small states north of Galilee in 34 AD, and in 38 AD also over Galilee and the Decapolis, and in 41 AD he also gained power over Judea and Samaria.]James is executed
2Herod [Agrippa I] executed James, the brother of John [son of Zebedee, one of the twelve disciples], with the sword. [James belonged to the inner circle of Jesus' disciples. He had been with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration together with his brother John and Peter, see . This chapter describes how James is killed while Peter receives a visit from angels and is freed, see . Why is Peter saved but not James? The Bible does not answer this question, but says that we must always be ready to depart. The persecution also intensified prayer in the church. Jesus' words to James came true, see . Jesus' words to Peter that he would grow old must also come true, see .]Peter is imprisoned
3
Attached to the northwestern corner of the temple area was the Antonia Fortress, where Peter was imprisoned.
The congregation prays for Peter
5Peter was kept in prison, but the church prayed fervently (persistently; stretched to the utmost – Gk. ektenos) to God for him. [Here Luke uses a medical term for an arm stretched to the utmost. It is likely that the prayer became more and more intense, culminating in prayer throughout the night on the last day of the feast. The word is used only once before in reference to prayer, and that is when Jesus prays in Gethsemane, see . On both occasions, the prayer sets angels in motion. The word is used a total of three times in the New Testament. Peter, who experienced how the believers stretched themselves to the utmost in prayer for him, chooses to use the same expression for how we should stretch ourselves to the utmost to love one another, see . The adjective ektenes is used once in the New Testament, see .] 6The night before Herod was to bring him to trial, Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains [one for each soldier], and outside the door stood guards watching the prison. 7
The Archaeological Museum in Durrës, Albania, has iron handcuffs from the Roman period.
Tumult among the soldiers
18In the morning, there was great confusion among the soldiers about what had happened to Peter. [Peter's release must have taken place during the fourth and last night watch between three and six o'clock, because otherwise he would have been missing at the last changing of the guard.] 19When Herod [Agrippa I sent soldiers and] had him searched for and could not find him, he interrogated [the sixteen responsible] guards and ordered them to be taken away [to be executed]. He then traveled down from Judea to Caesarea [Maritima, by the sea] and stayed there.The death of Herod Agrippa
20
Even today, the theater in Caesarea is used for outdoor concerts.
The word of God continues to spread
24The word of God was successful and spread more and more. 25When Barnabas and Saul had completed their mission in Jerusalem [delivering the financial gifts, see ], they returned [to Antioch] and took with them John, who was called Mark.Barnabas and Paul are set apart at a prayer meeting in Antioch
[Barnabas and Saul had returned to Antioch after leaving the collected funds in Jerusalem, see Acts 11:29-30. They also brought with them Barnabas' cousin, John Mark, see ; . The Acts of the Apostles now shifts its focus from Peter and the church in Jerusalem to Saul (who will soon be called Paul) and his missionary journeys to the Gentiles.
About ten years earlier, the first Christians had come to Antioch because of the severe persecution in Jerusalem, see . Many had since come to faith, and Barnabas had been sent there to help, see . Due to the rapid growth, more teachers were needed, so Barnabas sought out Saul in Tarsus, see Acts 11:24-26. Eight years had passed since Saul's dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus. It is therefore in this large church in Antioch that people now gather for prayer and fasting.] 131But in Antioch [in Syria], in the church that was there, there were [active] prophets and teachers: both (Gk. te) Barnabas [who had come from Jerusalem to help the new congregation, see ]
and Simeon, who was called Niger [meaning black/dark in Latin and probably indicating that he was from North Africa – may have been the same Simeon who carried Jesus' cross, see ],
and Lucius from Cyrene [who was probably among the first to come to Antioch, see ],
[in addition] Manaen who had grown up with [who was foster brother/childhood friend of] the tetrarch Herod [Herod Antipas, who had John the Baptist beheaded (), ruled over Galilee from 4-39 AD], and Saul.
[The grammar in this verse, the word for "and" (Gk. kai) between the first three and last two names, suggests that the first three were prophets and the last two were teachers. These five people from very different backgrounds formed a shared leadership in the church. Saul's Hebrew name was Saul, which means "asked for in prayer," but from onwards and throughout the rest of the New Testament, he is referred to by his Greek name Paul, which means "the little one."] 2They were in holy service before the Lord and fasted. [The basic text's leitourgounton has been translated as "holy service". Our word "liturgy" comes from this Greek word, which is composed of two words: "public" and "service." The word is used to describe the temple service of the Old Testament priests, see . Here, the word is used to refer to Christian worship and seems to mean that the five worshipped God in prayer and praise, but also that they used their gifts to prophesy and teach.]
Then the Holy Spirit said [through one of the prophets], "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them." 3After fasting and praying [even more at the same time, or at a new gathering] and laying their hands on them, they sent them off. [The prophetic address confirms the call to preach among the Gentiles, which Paul had already received, see .]PAUL'S FIRST MISSIONARY JOURNEY (13:4-14:28)
4[The first of Paul's three missionary journeys in Acts went to Cyprus and Asia Minor, present-day southern Turkey. Paul and Barnabas traveled 2,500 miles by sea and land. The total travel time was about 50 days. They were probably gone for 1-2 years. The journey began sometime around 46-47 AD. There were no special passenger ships at that time, but cargo ships carried passengers. The total cost of the boat trips was about 200-300 denarii per person. One denarius was equivalent to a worker's daily wage.]Sent out (Gk. ekpempo) by the Holy Spirit, they [Barnabas, Saul, and John Mark] went down to [the port city of] Seleucia. From there they sailed to Cyprus.
In Cyprus
Salamis on the east coast
5
In the port of Ephesus, there is a modern reconstruction of a typical small Roman cargo ship.
They wander around the island
6
Between 1927 and 1931, a Swedish archaeological expedition led by Einar Gjerstad laid the foundations for modern archaeology in Cyprus. Many of these finds are on display at the Mediterranean Museum in Stockholm.
Paphos on the west coastIn Paphos, they met a Jew who practiced magic, a false prophet named Barjesus [a Hebrew name meaning "son of Joshua"].
7He was close to [associated with] Cyprus's proconsul Sergius Paulus, who was a sensible (intelligent) man. [Sergius Paulus held the highest Roman office on the island. Luke uses the exact Roman terms that varied from place to place and from decade to decade. Cyprus had become a proconsular province with a proconsul during the reign of the fourth Roman emperor, Claudius, from 41 to 54 AD. Previously, the island had been ruled by a propraetor.] Sergius Paulus summoned Barnabas and Saul and wanted to hear the word of God. 8But [Bar-Jesus, also known as] Elymas, the sorcerer – as his name means – opposed them and tried to prevent the proconsul from coming to faith. [Elymas comes from the Arabic word for "wise man" or the Aramaic word for "dream interpreter" – both words describe someone who can see into the future. He was involved in occult spiritism. A similar example is the sorcerer Simon in Samaria, see , .] 9Saul, also called Paul [which was his Roman name used in Greek-speaking areas], was then filled with the Holy Spirit and stared intently at him 10and said, "You son of the devil, full of all deceit and fraud, and enemy of all that is right! Will you never stop perverting the straight ways of the Lord? 11Now the hand of the Lord is upon you, and you will be blind for a time and unable to see the sun." [This false prophet was called "Barjesus." Etymologically, it meant "son of the Savior," but he was the exact opposite.] At that moment, mist and darkness fell upon him, and he wandered around, looking for someone to take his hand and lead him. 12When the proconsul saw what had happened, he believed, overwhelmed by the Lord's teaching.Pamphylia – present-day southern Turkey
Perga
13
The Taurus Mountains rise behind Perge and the nearby port city of Attaleia, now Antalya, on the southern coast of Turkey.
Southern Galatia – present-day central Turkey
Antioch in Pisidia
14They themselves went on [north] from Perga and came to Antioch in Pisidia. [Why did they head north immediately without preaching in Perga? The explanation may be found in , where Paul writes that his poor health was the reason he came to Gal. for the first time. He praises them for accepting him and the message of salvation, despite his poor physical condition. Perhaps Paul had contracted malaria and needed to go to higher altitudes with a drier and cooler climate. The author of Acts, the physician Luke, gives no diagnosis, and Paul himself only writes that it was a physical trial. Another explanation for Paul's ill health may be that in Lystra, Paul was stoned and dragged out of the city but survived, see . Covered in bruises, he may have aroused "contempt and disgust," see . In that case, his physical weakness came from persecution, not illness.
There is also a connection between Sergius Paulus, the proconsul of Cyprus who had recently come to faith, and southern Galatia. Archaeological finds have shown that his family had its roots in Antioch in Pisidia and that his son lived there.
There were sixteen cities all named Antioch. They had been founded in 300 BC by Seleucus Nicator in honor of his father Antiochus. Antioch in Pisidia, in central present-day Turkey, was located 1,100 meters above sea level and had about 100,000 inhabitants. From Perga, it took just over a week to walk the 160 kilometers of mountainous terrain across the Taurus Mountains to Antioch in Pisidia. The area was notorious for robbers.] On the Sabbath, they went to the synagogue and sat down there. [Paul and Barnabas had probably already been there for a few days, getting to know the city and some of its inhabitants. The service in the synagogue began with prayer. Then the texts of the week from the Books of Moses were read, followed by the prophets. If there was a learned visitor, the synagogue leader could ask that person to read the prophetic text, see . The last part of the service was an interpretation of the text or sermon. Jesus preached while seated, see . Here Paul is standing, see .] 15
On the western side of the city of Antioch in Pisidia are the remains of the synagogue that Paul and Barnabas visited. Paul's sermon here is his first recorded in the Bible.
"Men of Israel [Jude] and you [non-Jews] who fear (revere, worship) God, listen to me. [The promise to Israel:]
17The God of this people, the God of Israel, chose [from among all other peoples] our fathers. He made his people great (exalted them) when they lived as strangers in Egypt. With an uplifted arm, he brought them out of there. [The expression 'arm raised high' describes how God's power and might become fully visible and apparent to all. The exodus from Egypt was a clear sign of God's intervention.] 18For a period of about 40 years [Ex. 16:35; Num. 14:34], he cared for them in the desert (as a newborn child is cared for by its parent). Some Greek manuscripts have a different letter in the word for 'took care of', which can mean 'to endure' and 'to be patient with' someone. Although this is also true, Paul often referred to the Old Testament, and in God is likened to a father carrying his son Israel through the desert. 19After he had destroyed seven nations in Canaan [], he gave the people of Israel their land as an inheritance. 20After this, he gave them judges for about 450 years until the time of the prophet Samuel. [The 450 years may refer to the time as slaves or the time with judges.] 21They asked for a king, and God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for a period of 40 years. 22When he had deposed him, God raised up David as their king. He testified about him: "I have found David, the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will carry out all my will." [Quotations from and .] 23From his descendants (seed), God, according to his promise, brought forth Jesus as the Savior of Israel. 24Before he came, John [the Baptist] had already preached the baptism of repentance (baptism into a changed way of thinking) to all the people of Israel. 25When John was nearing the end of his race [like a runner approaching the finish line in a short sprint], he said, 'I am not the one you think I am [I am not the Messiah]. But behold, after me comes one whom I am not even worthy to untie the sandals of.' [] 26[The promise is fulfilled in Jesus:] Men and brothers, sons of Abraham's family [Jude] and you others [non-Jews] who fear (revere) God! To us the word (message) of this salvation has been sent. 27The inhabitants of Jerusalem and their leaders did not understand who he was. They fulfilled the words of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, when they condemned him. [They should have known better because they read the stories about the Messiah every week.] 28Although they found him guilty of nothing deserving of death, they demanded that Pilate execute him. 29When they had fulfilled all that was written about him, they took him down from the tree and laid him in a tomb. 30But God raised him from the dead, 31and he appeared for many days to those who had followed him from Galilee to Jerusalem and who are now his witnesses to the people. [Paul now turns to Scripture to show that Jesus fulfilled the Messianic prophecies:]
32We proclaim to you the gospel (the good news) that God promised to our ancestors. 33God has fully accomplished this for us, their children, by raising Jesus from the dead, just as it is written in the second psalm: 'You [Jesus] are my son;
today I have begotten you.'
[]
34For God had promised that he would rise from the dead, and that he would never again be destroyed (subjected to decay, when the body decays after death). God has spoken in this way: 'I will give you the holy and reliable (faithful) promises
I promised David.'
[]
35Therefore, he also says in another psalm: 'You will not let your Holy One see decay (when the body decays after death).'
[]
36For after David had served God's purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep and was buried with his fathers, and his body saw corruption (decayed), 37but the one whom God raised up did not see decay (his body did not decay in the grave). [Concluding exhortation to accept the promise:]
38Therefore, men and brothers, know that it is through this man [the risen Jesus] that the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you. 39Everyone who believes is justified in him and freed from everything that you could not be freed from through the law of Moses [the teaching in the five books of Moses]. 40Therefore, make sure that what is said in the prophets does not happen to you [here is an example from ]: 41'Behold, you despisers,
be astonished and perish:
I am doing a work in your days,
a work you will never believe
when it is told to you.' " [When Stephen gave a similar sermon in Jerusalem, Paul was one of those who interrupted him before he could finish his speech, see .] 42As Paul and Barnabas were leaving [the synagogue], the people asked to hear [more about] the same message the following Sabbath. 43When they left the synagogue, many Jews and devout proselytes [those who had converted to Judaism] followed Paul and Barnabas. They spoke to them and urged them to remain in God's grace (power). 44The following Sabbath, almost the whole city gathered to hear the word of the Lord. 45But when the Jews saw all the people, they were filled with jealousy and contradicted what Paul said [how the Old Testament prophecies speak of Jesus] and blasphemed [spoke disparagingly and contemptuously about Jesus]. 46Then Paul and Barnabas answered boldly: "It was necessary that the word of God [about salvation through Jesus] be spoken to you first. But since you reject it and do not consider yourselves worthy of eternal life, we turn to the Gentiles. 47For this is what the Lord has commanded us [; ]: I have made you
a light for the Gentiles,
that you may be
a salvation to the ends of the earth."
48When the Gentiles heard this, they rejoiced and praised (thanked) the word of the Lord. [Perhaps especially the words of Isaiah that spoke of the salvation of the Gentiles.] All who were predestined for eternal life came to faith. [What does it mean to be "predestined" for eternal life? The Bible is clear that God wants everyone to be saved, see . God is not partial, see . Two verses earlier, in , it says that some "rejected" the faith, and here in the Gentiles receive the word. A person must accept salvation and be willing to believe, see . At the same time, no one can be saved unless God draws him to Himself, see . There is a fine balance between human will and God's omnipotence throughout the Bible. All salvation ultimately comes only through God's grace. Looking at this verse in the larger context of Acts, Luke's point here is to show that even Gentiles are "chosen" to share in salvation.] 49The word of the Lord spread [through these new believers] throughout the region. [The city of Antioch in Pisidia became a Christian center, and the gospel spread from there to the cities and villages of southern Galatia.] 50But the Jews incited respected godly women and the leading men of the city. They started a persecution against Paul and Barnabas and drove them out of their area. 51They shook the dust from their feet against them and went to Iconium [fifteen miles to the east]. 52[Those who had come to believe in Antioch in Pisidia were not intimidated by the persecution.] The disciples [in the city and the surrounding areas] were continually filled with joy and the Holy Spirit. Iconium
The cities that Paul and Barnabas visited in Asia Minor during their first missionary journey.
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Lystra
View from the hill where Lystra once stood. The hill is called Alusumas by the locals. During excavations, a statue dedicated to Zeus and Hermes was found here.
The Lycaonian language was a local mountain dialect, and only a few texts have been found in this language. However, the area had been under Hellenistic influence for several centuries, which meant that they had no difficulty understanding Paul's Greek.] 14
On the right is Zeus, the most powerful Greek god, and on the left is his son Hermes.
15"Men, what are you doing? [The inhabitants of the city of Lystra wanted to sacrifice to Barnabas and Paul when they had healed a lame man by the power of God, see verses 8-13.] We are men of the same nature as you [we are not gods]. We preach the gospel to you so that you may turn away from these meaningless things [idols] to the living God, who created the heavens and the earth and the sea and everything in them. 16In past generations, he allowed the nations to go their own ways. 17Yet he gave evidence of his existence through all the good things he did. He gave you rain from heaven and fruitful seasons; he filled your hearts with food and joy." [When Paul preached to people who were unfamiliar with Scripture and God, he used examples from nature to show that it is God who is behind "rain from heaven," "food," etc.] 18With these words, they were barely able to calm the people and prevent them from sacrificing to them. 19From Antioch [in Pisidia] and Iconium [the cities where Paul and Barnabas had recently been], some Jews arrived. They succeeded in winning over the people, and they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city, believing him to be dead. 20But when the disciples gathered around him, he got up and went into the city. [One might think that the people of Lystra were wide open to the gospel since they had received the apostles as gods, but crowds are fickle. Perhaps Christianity did not meet their expectations. However, the visit was not entirely fruitless. Timothy, who would later travel with Paul and to whom two letters are addressed, was from this city. His mother was Jewish and his father was Greek, see .] Derbe [After being stoned but surviving, Paul and Barnabas continue eastward from Lystra to Derbe, a distance of ten miles. The city became part of the Roman province of Galatia in 25 BC. The name of the city may come from the local word for the Juniper Tree.]
The next day, Paul and Barnabas went on to Derbe.
21
View from the hill where Derbe was located. A number of inscriptions have been found here, which has made it possible to identify the site.
Paul later writes about persecution and suffering in the cities of Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch in Pisidia, see . Derbe is not mentioned and seems to be a city that welcomed the gospel without persecution. Despite these dangers, the Holy Spirit led them back to strengthen and encourage the new believers in these cities.] The Return JourneyLystra, Iconium, and Antioch in Pisidia
Then they returned to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch [in Pisidia]
22and strengthened the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to remain true to the faith. They said, "We must go through many hardships to enter the kingdom of God." 23In each church they appointed elders (leaders) for them, and after prayer and fasting they committed them to the Lord in whom they had come to believe. [Appointing elders is not the first thing Paul and Barnabas do. Paul teaches not to "lay hands on anyone" too quickly in . When Paul and Barnabas return after a few weeks or months, it is clear who had only a short-lived enthusiasm and who had truly decided to follow Jesus.]Perga and Attalia
24Then the apostles took the road through Pisidia and came to Pamphylia. 25They preached the word in Perga and went down to [the port city] Attalia [today's Antalya on the southern coast of Turkey]. 26From there they sailed back to Antioch [in Syria], where they had been commended to the grace (power) of God for the mission they had now completed.Antioch in Syria
27When they [Paul and Barnabas] arrived, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. 28There they stayed for a long time with the disciples.THE MEETING IN JERUSALEM (15:1-35)
[The following "Christian" groups are mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles: - Hebrew-speaking Jews, often born and raised in Jerusalem and Judea.
- Greek-speaking Jews, often born outside Israel.
- Proselytes, non-Jews who converted to Judaism as adults.
- God-fearing, non-Jews who followed many of the Jewish customs but did not convert to Judaism.
- Gentiles, non-Jews with no Jewish background.
It was in Antioch that the disciples first began to be called Christians, see . The word Christ comes from Greek and means "the Anointed One." In the same way that non-Judes are called "Gentile Christians," Greek-speaking Judees are called "Jewish Christians." However, it is more natural to call Hebrew-speaking Jude believers "Messianic Judees," since the Hebrew word for "the Anointed One" is Messiah.
In , a conflict between Hebrew-speaking and Greek-speaking Jews was resolved. Here in chapter 15, the question is how Gentiles, who have no Jewish background, should relate to their Jewish brothers and sisters who are believers. Which of the regulations in the books of Moses should they follow?]Increased tension between Messianic Jews and Gentile Christians
151But some men had come down from Judea [to the church in Antioch in Syria]. They had begun to teach the brothers (and insisted on their opinion): "You cannot be saved unless you are circumcised, as Moses taught us." [The sentence begins with "But" and is related to Paul and Barnabas' testimony about how the door of faith had been opened to the Gentiles, see . According to , all Jewish men must be circumcised. The fact that those who taught this came from Judea indicates that they came from this area with its capital Jerusalem, but also that they had a strict Jewish mindset. While Paul and Barnabas were away on their missionary journey, these Jewish men had begun to teach that everyone must follow Jewish customs, even the large Gentile Christian part of the congregation without a Jewish background. Paul describes the same subject in the Epistle to the Galatians. Although there are differences and Bible scholars are divided on the date of the letter, it is the same conflict that is addressed there, where even Peter and Barnabas had been drawn in by fear of those who insisted that the Gentiles should also be circumcised, see .] 2
Paul and Barnabas took the road via the coastal cities of Phoenicia down to Acre. There they left the coastal road and walked through Samaria to Jerusalem.
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Initial discussions in Jerusalem
4When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were welcomed by the church and the apostles and elders (church leaders), and they reported everything God had done through them. [The focus is not on what they did, but what God did through them!] 5But some of the Pharisees who had come to believe stood up and said, "It is absolutely necessary (it is a commandment of God) to circumcise the Gentiles and command them to keep the law of Moses." 6The apostles and elders gathered to discuss the matter. [The Messianic Jews circumcised their boys, observed the Sabbath, and ate kosher food. That in itself was not a problem, since Jesus and all the disciples were Jews who followed these rules. The question was how to proceed now that Christians without a Jewish background were also part of the community. How could the congregation be united if they could not even eat together?]Peter testifies how God led him to Cornelius
7After a long lively discussion (debate with locked positions) [many had spoken, much had been said, and a long time had passed], Peter stood up and said to them, "Brothers, you know that God had previously determined that the Gentiles would hear the word of the gospel through my mouth and come to faith.
[The first non-Jude with whom Peter shared the gospel were Cornelius and his family in Caesarea Maritima, see . The church in Jerusalem must have remembered this event that had taken place just over ten years earlier, because Peter immediately went to them and told them what had happened, see . The word "previously determined" can refer to ancient times or a shorter period of time.] 8God, who knows the heart [the heart and inner being of every person], has testified to them [the Gentiles] by giving them the Holy Spirit in the same way he did to us [Jews]. 9He made no distinction between us and them when he purified their hearts through faith. [It is faith, not circumcision or following other commandments in the Old Testament, that purifies from sin.] 10Why then do you want to challenge God and put a yoke on the disciples' shoulders that neither our fathers nor we ourselves have been able to bear? 11No, we believe that it is through the grace (favor) [gift] of the Lord Jesus that we are saved, we in the same way as they.Barnabas and Paul testify about their missionary journey to the Gentiles
12The whole assembly fell silent. [In contrast to the lively debate that began the meeting, see . Barnabas and Paul had already shared their experiences from their missionary journey with the leaders in Jerusalem, see . Now they stand up and share this with everyone gathered.] They listened carefully to Barnabas and Paul as they told of the great signs and wonders God had done through them among the Gentiles.James concludes by referring to Scripture
[Now James stands up. He is mentioned first among the three pillars of the church, see . He was the leader in Jerusalem, see , until he was stoned to death in 62 AD at the request of the high priest. James was the half-brother of Jesus, see , and became a believer only after Jesus' resurrection, see .] 13When they had finished speaking, James said, "Brothers, listen to me. 14Simeon [Simon Peter] has [just] told us how God first showed his concern by taking a people for himself from among the Gentiles. [Shimon is Simon Peter's Hebrew name.] 15This is in accordance with the words of the prophets, where it is written: 16'Afterward I will return
and rebuild David's fallen tabernacle.
I will rebuild its ruins
and restore it again,
17so that all other people may seek the Lord,
all the Gentiles over whom my name has been mentioned.
Thus says the Lord who does this,
18what has been known from eternity.'
[] 19Therefore [based on what Scripture says], I believe that we should not make it difficult for the Gentiles who turn to God, 20but simply write a letter to them to keep away (avoid, distance themselves) from: things defiled by idols, [ explains that this refers to meat sacrificed to idols. If a Gentile Christian continued to buy such meat sold in the market, their Jewish brothers and sisters in the church would wonder if they had truly given up their idolatry. Even though Gentile Christians have the freedom to eat all meat, it becomes a sin if a Christian brother falls, see .] from sexual immorality (fornication – Gk. porneia), [Sexual purity is something that the entire Bible talks about, and it applies to both Jews and Gentiles. defines what sexual immorality is. It is forbidden to have sexual relations with close relatives, outside of marriage, with someone of the same sex, or with animals.] from [eating] meat from strangled animals [Meat that has not been slaughtered according to the law's requirement that the blood must drain from the slaughtered animal, see ; .] and from [eating] blood. [The last two prohibitions were already given to Noah, see . Moses repeats them, see . The reason for not eating blood is out of respect for life, since life is in the blood, see . The first two commandments are also mentioned in . All four of these restrictions are found centrally in .
The word 'keep away from' has the primary meaning of keeping a distance from something, such as a boat that is a distance from land, see . The verb is in the 'medium' form, which is a verb form that does not exist in the English language. We are used to using the verb forms 'active' – I do something, and 'passive' – something is done to me. Greek, on the other hand, has another form between these two, which is why it is called 'middle'. This form is a combination of the active and passive forms. What I 'actively' do is important because I will be 'passively' affected. The use of this particular form here reinforces how James urges the Gentile Christians to refrain from certain things, not just as a rule, but as something that is also in their own interest to do. For example, refraining from casual sexual relationships is not just a rule, but also something that will positively affect those who do so.]
21[The reason for these four rules of conduct is that] Moses has had his preachers in all cities since ancient times, and [his words are read aloud] in the synagogues every Sabbath. [In synagogues around the world, the books of Moses were read through every year. The rules in were well known.]The decision
22Then the apostles, the elders, and the whole assembly decided to appoint some men from among themselves and send them to Antioch [in Syria] together with Paul and Barnabas. They chose two leading men from among the brothers: Jude, called Barsabbas, and Silas [Silvanus]. [This is the only time Jude Barsabbas is mentioned. He may be the brother of Joseph Barsabbas, see . The name "Bar-sabbas" literally means "born on a Sabbath." Silas is also known as Silvanus, which is the longer Latin form of his name, see . He later accompanies Paul on his second journey, see , ; . Judas was a Jew from Judea and Silas was Greek. One person from each side of the conflict was chosen to accompany Paul and Barnabas and confirm the decision.] 23The following letter was sent with them: [Sender:] The apostles and elders (church leaders), your brothers and sisters in the faith [in Jerusalem].
[Recipients:] The brothers and sisters who are not of Jewish descent in Antioch, Syria and Cilicia. [These three names constitute the address of the letter. The two areas, Syria and Cilicia, were administratively a Roman province ruled from the city of Antioch.] Greetings (be joyful)! 24We have heard that some who came from us have troubled you (literally "plundered and torn down") with their teaching and shaken your souls. But we have not given them any commission [to teach that you must keep the whole Jewish law and that men must be circumcised]. 25Therefore, we have unanimously decided to appoint some men and send them to you along with our dear brothers Barnabas and Paul, 26who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ). 27So we are sending Jude and Silas, who will tell you the same things verbally. 28The Holy Spirit and we have decided not to impose any further burden on you except the following necessary rules: 29that you keep yourselves away
from [eating] meat sacrificed to idols [],
from [eating] blood [],
from [eating] meat of strangled animals []
and from sexual immorality (fornication – Gk. porneia) [].
[Here in the formal letter, the order of Jacob's oral presentation from is changed so that the four areas exactly follow the headings in . The rules in these two chapters are universal in nature. They apply to both Jews and non-Jews, see , , , , ; , , . They also applied to the people who lived in the land before Israel, see . Lev. 18 defines what sexual immorality is. It is forbidden to have sexual relations with close relatives, outside of marriage, with someone of the same sex, or with animals.] You are doing the right thing if you avoid such things.
All good!The letter is delivered
30They [Paul, Barnabas, Jude, and Silas] were sent on their way and came down to Antioch [in Syria], where they called the church together and delivered the letter. 31When they read it [aloud to the church], they were glad for the encouragement (the comfort and edification it gave them). 32Jude and Silas, who were themselves prophets, encouraged (comforted, helped) and strengthened the brothers and sisters in the faith with many words. 33After spending some time there [and completing their mission], they were sent back with greetings to those who had sent them. [Jude and Silas return to Jerusalem.] 34[The earliest manuscripts do not include : "Silas, however, decided to stay there. Only Jude left them."] 35But Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch, where they taught and preached the word of the Lord together with many others.
is an example of how a comment was accidentally included when the text was copied. Since comments were written in the same style and ink, there was a risk that they would be included when the text was copied. Often, the original text is the shorter version, but each difference must be examined and compared between different manuscripts. It should be mentioned that, compared to other ancient literature, the Bible has very few differences in manuscripts, and those that exist are often comments that have been included. The person who added the comment here wanted to solve the problem that Silas is mentioned again in Antioch in . However, the assumption that Silas remained creates an even greater conflict with , which clearly states that "they," both Jude and Silas, return to Jerusalem. There is really no problem with to begin with. states "after some time." The events in take place a few months later, and there is plenty of time for Silas to return to Antioch from Jerusalem, a distance of about 700 km (435 miles).
PAUL'S SECOND MISSIONARY JOURNEY (15:36-18:22)
Paul's second missionary journey, where the gospel reached Europe for the first time!
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John Mark's suitability is questioned
37Barnabas wanted to take [his cousin] John, who was [also] called Mark, with them. 38But Paul did not think it was appropriate to take with them the one who had deserted them in Pamphylia [in the city of Perga, near present-day Antalya in Turkey] and had not accompanied them in their work. 39The conflict became so sharp that they parted ways. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed to Cyprus. [The issue was the character of John Mark. On the first journey, he had left Paul and Barnabas and gone home, see . Paul probably had a more rational view than Barnabas. Paul saw the seriousness and dangers of the journey and wanted to be able to trust his co-workers. Barnabas, on the other hand, wanted to give his cousin another chance, see . Barnabas' personality always seems to be encouraging and helpful. He took Paul under his wing when he was a new convert, see . It was also he who brought Paul to Antioch, see . The events in , where Paul criticizes Barnabas and Peter, may also have played a role in the conflict.
John Mark later proved to be faithful. He is mentioned by Peter, see , and then also by Paul, see ; . Although Paul and Barnabas had different opinions about how the work should be done, there is no indication that they parted as enemies. Paul mentions Barnabas in [1 Cor 9:6] as an apostle who works for the Lord. Instead of one missionary journey, there will now be two!]Paul chooses Silas as his companion
40Paul, on the other hand, chose Silas and set out, after the brethren (brothers and sisters in faith) had committed him to the Lord's mercy. 41He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches. [Silas was one of the leaders in Jerusalem who had been chosen to accompany the church in Antioch and confirm the letter, see . He returned to Jerusalem, see , but had come back again to Antioch. Unlike Barnabas, Silas was a Roman citizen, which came in handy, see .]Southern Galatia – present-day central Turkey
Timothy accompanies Paul and Silas
161
Paul and Silas visit the churches that were started during the first journey. In Lystra, Timothy joins the traveling party.
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The churches are strengthened in faith
4As they traveled through the cities, they delivered the decisions made by the apostles and elders (church leaders) in Jerusalem. 5The churches were strengthened in faith and grew in number every day.Further west to Troas
Prevented from going to Asia
6
Twice they were divinely prevented from continuing, which led them further west to Troas.
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Prevented from going to Bithynia
7As they approached Mysia, they tried to go to Bithynia [northeast of Mysia], but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. [Having been divinely prevented twice, there was now only one option left – to continue westward along the southern coast of the Sea of Marmara.] 8So they traveled through Mysia down to Troas. [A coastal city on the Aegean Sea, in present-day northwestern Turkey. The city had been named after Alexander the Great and was actually called Alexandria, but in order not to be confused with the fifteen other cities of the same name, it came to be called Alexandria Troas, or simply Troas. The reason for the name was that it was located near the city of Troy, which Homer wrote about in the Iliad and the Odyssey.]A vision shows the way
9
Coin from the time of Alexander the Great of Macedonia. On one side is the Greek god Heracles, on the other is the supreme god Zeus sitting on his throne. Note the braided hair and nudity that characterized the Macedonians.
The Gospel reaches today's Europe
11We [Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke, who is writing this] set sail from Troas and sailed in a straight course (had a tailwind and did not need to tack) to [the island] Samothrace, and the next day to Neapolis [the port city of Philippi]. [The city of Neapolis, which means "the new city," was located on the southern coast of Macedonia. From there, it was a three-hour walk inland to Philippi. Due to the tailwind, the 200-mile boat trip had only taken two days – further confirmation that the Holy Spirit, sometimes likened to a wind, was with them! In , the same distance in the opposite direction took five days.]Philippi – in present-day Greece
12
Even today, parts of the Roman road Via Egnatia remain at Neapolis, now Kavala. It was here that Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke walked the three-hour hike up to Philippi.
Lydia and her family are baptized
[Apparently, there were not enough Jews in Philippi to have their own synagogue. According to Jewish tradition, at least ten men were required for this. If there were fewer, they had a place of prayer (Gk. proseuche), which was often located outside the city near water so that they could ritually wash their hands before prayer.] 13On the Sabbath days [plural, it was probably one of the Jewish holidays], we went out through the city gate and down to a river, where we thought there would be a [Jewish] place of prayer. We sat down there and spoke to the women who had gathered. 14One of those who listened to us was a woman named Lydia. She was [originally] from the city of Thyatira and traded in purple cloth. [She was in a lucrative business. The city of Thyatira, on the other side of the Aegean Sea, was known for its textile industry, see .] She was [already] a believer, and the Lord opened her heart so that she took in (listened intently to, held fast to) what Paul said. 15
West of ancient Philippi is a baptismal site in the small village of Lydia, which got its name from the events that took place here.
A slave girl is freed from an evil spirit
16One day, as we were on our way to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl. She was possessed by a spirit of divination (Gk. python), and her owners made a lot of money from her ability to tell fortunes. [This young girl literally had a "python spirit." In Greek mythology, Python was the dragon that guarded Apollo's temple. It was the same spirit that spoke to the oracle at Delphi, whose young priestesses were called Pythia. No Greek dared to make any important decisions without first consulting an oracle, which meant that this girl provided her masters with a good income.] 17She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, "These men are servants of the Most High God! They are proclaiming to you a way of salvation!"[Although these words were true, they were general. The expression "the most high God" in this part of the world referred to Zeus. Even "the way of salvation" was not clear enough. The Greco-Roman world was full of "saviors." The emperor, for example, called himself the savior of the people.] 18She continued like this for several days. But Paul became angry and turned around and said to the spirit, "I command you in the name of Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) to leave her!" At that moment, the spirit left her.Paul and Silas are imprisoned
19
Archaeological excavations in Philippi have uncovered a large marketplace, a theater, and probably also the prison where Paul and Silas were imprisoned. Photo from the acropolis in Philippi, the high fortified part of the city. Acropolis means "high city" in Greek.
©Todor Trandev
Hymns in the night
25At midnight, Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God. The other prisoners listened (attentively, with joy) to them. 26Suddenly there was a violent earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At that moment all the doors were opened, and everyone's chains were loosened and fell off. 27The jailer woke up, and when he saw that the prison doors were open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, thinking that the prisoners had escaped. [The punishment for allowing prisoners to escape was execution by torture, see . The jailer preferred to take his own life.] 28But Paul cried out loudly, "Do not harm yourself! We are all here." [Previously, the apostles had been freed from prison, see ; . In the same way, the apostles voluntarily surrender Paul and Silas again. It seems that this miracle served to free the jailer and his family rather than the two men of God!]The jailer is saved
29Then he asked for light (several torches) and rushed in and fell down in fear before Paul and Silas. 30Then he brought them out and asked, "Sirs, what must I do to be saved?" 31They replied, "Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your family." 32They preached the word of the Lord to him and to all his family. 33At that very hour of the night, the jailer took them and washed their [bloody] wounds, and he and his entire family were baptized immediately. 34Then he brought them up to his house. [His residence was probably on the upper floor above the prison.] He set a table, rejoicing that he and his whole family had come to believe in God. [The jailer had encountered the love of Jesus. The day before, he had participated in torturing Paul and Silas, but now he had invited them into his home and washed their wounds. The transformation that had taken place in this rough jailer did not leave his wife, children, and servants unaffected. They also came to faith.]They are asked to leave Philippi
35When day came, the magistrates sent their officers [to the prison]. They said, "Release those men." 36The jailer reported this to Paul and said, "The judgment have sent word for you to be released. So come out and go in peace." 37But Paul said to them, "They have publicly flogged us without a trial, even though we are Roman citizens, and [besides that] thrown us into prison. Now they want to send us away secretly! No, they must come here themselves and take us out." [Paul and Silas probably had a testatio with them, which was an official certificate proving that they were Roman citizens. Their place of birth and citizenship were recorded on a diptych, the predecessor of our book, which consisted of two folding wooden panels covered with a layer of wax on which one could write.] 38The officers reported these words to the magistrates, who were terrified when they heard that they were Roman citizens. [It was a punishable offense to imprison a Roman citizen without trial, and to have whipped them was even worse. These were serious crimes, and the magistrates now feared for their own lives.] 39They came and spoke kindly to them, brought them out, and asked them to leave the city.Farewell meeting at Lydia's house
40But when Paul and Silas were out of prison, they went instead to Lydia's house, where they met the brothers and sisters in the faith and encouraged (comforted, exhorted) them. [It is likely that the congregation met at Lydia's house. Here were the four missionaries, Lydia's family, the jailer, and his family. The young slave girl who had been freed was probably here too.]Then they [Paul, Silas, and perhaps Timothy] moved on [southwest toward Thessalonica]. [Luke remains in Philippi. He rejoins them on the third missionary journey, see . It is unclear whether Timothy stays with Luke in Philippi or accompanies Paul and Silas to Thessalonica. It is most likely that he goes with them, since he is mentioned in Berea, which is the next city Paul and Silas visit, see . To get there, one must pass through Thessalonica].Thessalonica
171They [Paul, Silas, and Timothy, see ] took the road through Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica. [They traveled west on the "Via Egnatia," the Roman highway that ran from Byzantium, now Istanbul, all the way to Rom. The distance between the cities of Philippi and Thessalonica is 150 km. If they traveled on foot, it would have taken them five days. Since only two cities are mentioned, they may have traveled by horse or donkey. Paul and Silas' backs were still sore from the flogging in Philippi, see Acts 16:23. Thessalonica was one of the largest cities in Greece. It was an important trading city and cultural center with about 50,000 inhabitants at that time. The city became a base for the mission in this area, see .] The Jews had a synagogue there. [According to Jewish tradition, ten men were required to have their own synagogue. In Philippi, there were only a few Jewish women. Presumably, there were no synagogues in the cities of Amphipolis and Apollonia that they passed on the way either.]Paul converses with the Jews
Picture of the modern city of Thessaloniki. The Olympus Mountains can be seen in the south.
©wiki
Riot
[Paul, Silas, and Timothy stayed with a man named Jason. He was a believer, probably also of Jewish descent, since Jason was a common Greek form of the Jewish name Joshua. He was also a tentmaker like Paul, see .] 5But the Jews became jealous and took some evil men from the street and gathered a mob to riot in the city. They stormed Jason's house and searched for Paul and Silas to drag them out to the crowd. 6
The British Museum now houses the inscription that was found in 1876 in Thessaloniki.
Berea
[Berea is located just under 80 km west of Thessaloniki. The walk there takes at least two days. After a day's journey along the main road, Via Egnatia, they turned south.] 11The people there [the Jewish population of Berea] were more open-minded (more broad-minded, had a nobler character) than those in Thessalonica. They received the word with great eagerness (enthusiasm) and searched the Scriptures every day to see if it was true. [That the message preached by Paul and Silas that Jesus was the Messiah was indeed true according to the Hebrew Scriptures, the Old Testament.] 12Many of them believed, as did a large number of prominent Greek women and men. 13When the Jews in Thessalonica learned that Paul was also preaching the word of God in Berea, they came there and stirred up trouble and agitated the people [just as they had done in Thessalonica]. 14Immediately the brothers and sisters sent Paul down to the coast [to one of the coastal cities of Dium or Pydna], but Silas and Timothy remained [in Berea].Athens
15
Paul took either the sea route (1) or the land route (2) down to Athens, a distance of about 500 km.
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Paul converses in the synagogue and in the marketplace
17
Here in the square in Athens, Paul talked to people about his faith in the colonnades. The image is a computer model based on the latest excavations and archaeological finds, see ancientathens3d.com.
Stoicism, which also originated in 300 BC, had a more pantheistic view where the divine was present in everything. They praised willpower and morality. Paul takes up some of their ideas in his speech.] Some said, "What kind of jumble of ideas is he putting forward?" [Literally, they call Paul a "seed picker," i.e., someone who picks up other people's ideas and thoughts and creates his own homemade philosophy.] Others said, "He seems to be someone who proclaims foreign gods (demons – Gk. daimonion)." They said this because he preached the gospel of Jesus and the resurrection (Gk. anastasia). [At first, they seem to believe that Paul is talking about two new gods – Jesus and Anastasia!]To the Areopagus
19
Even today, you can walk on the carved steps where Paul climbed up to the limestone cliff called the Areopagus.
Paul's speech
22Then Paul stood in front of the Areopagus and said: "Athenians, I see (understand after careful examination) that in everything you are very religious. [The word "very religious" can have a positive or negative meaning. It can be interpreted pejoratively to say that someone is superstitious and overinterprets the spiritual. By using this expression, Paul keeps his audience's interest. We understand from the continuation that it is the positive meaning that Paul is referring to, that they revere and sanctify the divine more than other Greeks.] 23
Model of ancient Athens. The city's main street, Panathenaic Way, passed through the city's Agora, the marketplace, up to the Acropolis.
'To an unknown God.'
What you already worship without knowing, I proclaim to you. 24The God who created the world and everything in it, who is Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by human hands. 25Nor can he be served by human hands, as if he needed anything, since he himself gives life and breath and everything to everyone. [It was customary to offer precious food and gifts to one's idols.] 26From one man he created all the nations of mankind to settle across the face of the earth. He has set fixed times and marked out the boundaries within which they are to live. 27His purpose in doing this was that they should seek God, and feel (touch, grope) their way to him and find him – he is not far from any one of us. [The image that is painted is of a person groping in the dark to find the way, and God is there to receive and welcome everyone who seeks him.] 
View from the Areopagus. Just north of the hill is the marketplace where Paul had just spoken, and to the east is the Acropolis with the Parthenon, Erechtheion, Athena, and Artemis temples.
©Panagiotis Danovits
28'For in him we live and move and have our being.' [Paul quotes the last stanza of a poem by the Greek poet Epimenides, 600 BC. The full context reads:
'They made a grave for you, the holy and exalted one.
The Cretans are liars, gluttons, and sluggards.
But you are not dead; you live forever.
For in you we live and move and have our being.'
The second stanza is quoted by Paul in his letter to Titus, see .] As some of your own poets have said: 28'We are his offspring.' [Quote from the Greek poet Aratos, 200 BC. Both of these quotes were addressed to Zeus, the greatest Greek god in Greek literature, but Paul uses them and addresses them to the living God. In five short sentences, Paul showed that God created the world, gave life to man, has power over the nations, and has revealed himself to mankind.] 29
In Nashville, USA, there is a scale model of the Parthenon temple that stood on the Acropolis. Since 1992, there has also been a replica of the 13-meter-high statue of Athena that was worshipped in the temple. It is likely that Paul is referring to this statue when he says that the divine is not like gold, shaped by human skill and imagination.
32When they heard Paul speak about the resurrection of the dead, some began to mock him, but others said, "We want to hear you speak about this again." [The Epicureans did not believe in life after death. The Stoics believed that only the soul lived on. For the Greeks, it was an absurd idea that the body would survive death. It seems that those who mocked him were in the majority, since Paul ends his speech here.] 33So Paul left them. 34But some joined him and came to believe. Among them were Dionysius, who was a member of the Areopagus [one of the 30 members], and a woman named Damaris, and a few others. [Luke continues with the "every other lady" principle he used in his earlier work, the Gospel of Luke, see the introduction to Luke. Not long after these events, Silas and Timothy come to Paul in Athens, see Acts 17:15-16. Soon after, Timothy is sent back to Thessalonica, see . Silas also seems to have been sent away, since Silas and Timothy return together from Macedonia to Corinth a little later, see .]Corinth
181Then Paul left Athens and came to Corinth. [Corinth is located just under 80 km west of Athens. The journey along the Aegean Sea took two days. This is Paul's first of three visits. He arrived here around 50 AD and stayed for 1.5 years, see . During this period, he wrote two letters to the congregation in Thessalonica. These letters are among the earliest letters in the New Testament.
Corinth was the capital of the province of Achaia in southern Greece. Its location on the Isthmus of Corinth, connecting two seas, made it a natural trading city between East and West with 50,000 inhabitants. A few kilometers to the north lay the port city of Lechaion, and to the south, the port city of Cenchrea in the Saronic Gulf, see ; . Goods were unloaded and loaded between the ports. Many leaders have dreamed of a canal. Just over fifteen years after Paul's visit here, Nero personally broke ground in 67 AD. Six thousand Jewish prisoners from the revolts in Judea were put to work on the project. The project was abandoned upon his death. It was not until 1893 that the canal became a reality, but it was narrow and dangerous and never became the success that had been hoped for.] 2In Corinth, Paul met a jew named Aquila, born in Pontus [a Roman province on the Black Sea], and his wife Priscilla. [Her more formal name was "Prisca," see .] The couple had recently arrived from Italy, because [the fourth Roman emperor] Claudius [reigned 41-54 CE] had ordered all Jews to leave Rom.
[The married couple Aquila and Priscilla are always mentioned together, see ; ; . Four out of six times, the wife, Priscilla, is mentioned first. They had recently arrived from Rom because Claudius had expelled all Jews from there. This is probably the same event mentioned by the Roman historian Suetonius, where the Jews were expelled due to unrest caused by a certain "Chrestus," which is the Latin name for Christ. This happened in the ninth year of Claudius' reign, i.e. sometime between January 49 and January 50 AD. Paul therefore cannot have come to Corinth before 49 AD.]
Paul came into contact with them [visited their home]. 3
The picture shows the high Acrocorinth and the north-south main street (Cardo maximus). The 3 km long road connected Corinth with the northern port of Lechaion, 3 km north of the city. The road was built during the first century and was new when Paul visited Corinth.
Paul converses in the synagogue
4In the synagogue, Paul conversed (engaged in dialogue) every Sabbath and persuaded (was winning over – Gk. peitho) both Jews and Greeks. [The word "Greeks" here may refer to Greek-speaking Jews and proselytes (Greeks who converted to Judaism as adults), but it is also likely that the term here also includes God-fearing Greeks who participated in public worship. In , Paul goes to the Gentiles, non-Jews with no Jewish background; see also the introduction to . Grammatically, the imperfect tense of peitho can be interpreted as meaning that he tried to persuade them (but without success). Based on the context, some Jews were not convinced (), while others were (), so the meaning is probably that he tried and some were convinced and others were not. Since the Lord himself says that he has "many people in this city" (), the Kärnbibeln translates it as he persuaded, in the sense that most people were also persuaded.] 5When Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia [with funds from Philippi and Thessalonica, see ; ; ], Paul began to devote himself entirely to preaching the word [without having to work for his own livelihood as a tentmaker, see ]. He testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ), 6but since they were constantly opposed to him and mocked him, he shook the dust from his clothes and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads. I am innocent. From now on I will go to the Gentiles." [Since Paul later goes to the Jews in Ephesus on his way home, see , this statement refers to the fact that in Corinth he no longer went to the Jews.]Paul goes to the Gentiles
7
The inscription with the name Erastus on one of the streets in Corinth.
Paul does not talk much about baptism, but we see how it corresponds to Jewish circumcision and is a sign that a person has entered the Christian community.] 9One night, the Lord said to Paul in a vision, "Do not be afraid, but speak and do not be silent! 10I am with you. No one will harm you or hurt you, for I have many people here in this city." 11He stayed with them for a year and six months, teaching the word of God.Paul before the governor Gallio
12
Even today, you can see the remains of the foundation of the raised judge's seat (Gk. bema). It was here, to the square in Corinth, that Paul was brought in an attempt to have him convicted by the proconsul Gallio.
Back to Antioch in Syria
18Paul stayed many days after this. Then he said goodbye to the brothers and sisters in the faith and sailed for Syria with Priscilla and Aquila. In Cenchreae [the southern port city of Corinth], Paul shaved his head, for he had made a vow. [Perhaps Paul had made a Nazirite vow, see . Normally, he would have shaved his head in Jerusalem, but he could do it earlier and take the hair with him to perform the Jewish ritual in Jerusalem. Nazirite vows are made when someone wants to serve the Lord in a special way. The Hebrew word nazir means "devoted" and "consecrated." The vow was time-limited, see . In the case of Samuel () and Samson (), their mothers gave them a lifelong Nazirite vow. John the Baptist is mentioned in similar terms, see . Extra-biblical sources show that Nazirite vows were common and served as offerings of gratitude. The vow period for these was usually 30 days. See also .]Ephesus
[Ephesus, located at the mouth of the Kaystros River, was the fourth largest city in the Roman Empire, after Rom, Alexandria, and Antioch in Syria. The city was the capital of the entire region that is now western Turkey. The theater could seat 24,000 spectators. The most famous building was the Temple of Artemis, which in ancient times was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the World.] 19When they arrived at Ephesus [in Asia Minor, after sailing eastward from Corinth for three days], he left his traveling companions [Priscilla and Aquila] there. He himself went to the synagogue and engaged in conversation (dialogue) with the Jews. 20They asked him to stay there longer, but he declined 21and said goodbye with the words: "I will return to you another time, if God wills." Then he boarded the ship and left Ephesus. [It is likely that the ship Paul was traveling on made a short stop in Ephesus to load and unload goods. On his next trip, Paul returns here and stays for three years, see . Priscilla and Aquila remain in Ephesus for many years. They eventually moved back to Rom, sometime after 54 AD when Claudius was succeeded by Nero, see .]Caesarea
22When he landed in Caesarea [Maritima, on the Mediterranean coast; after a five-day voyage from Ephesus], he went up to the church [in Jerusalem]. Antioch in SyriaThen he went down to Antioch [in Syria]. [A two-week journey northward.]
PAUL'S THIRD MISSIONARY JOURNEY (18:23-21:16)
During Paul's third missionary journey, he visits many of the places he has been to before.
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Ephesus
Apollos begins his ministry as a preacher
24Meanwhile, a jew named Apollos arrived in Ephesus. He was born in Alexandria and was a learned man (well-educated, a good speaker, and skilled at presenting the message in a logical and simple way), and was also very knowledgeable (powerful, forceful) in the Scriptures. 25He had heard about (Gk. katecheo) "the way of the Lord" [through oral tradition] and spoke with great enthusiasm (with a burning spirit), and taught (Gk. didasko) thoroughly about Jesus, but only based on (the knowledge he had of) John's baptism. 26He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they took him aside (took him aside so they could talk to him undisturbed) and taught (explained to) him even more accurately (more thoroughly, correctly) about "the way of God."[Apollos only knew about John's baptism of repentance. The expression "the way of God" probably refers here to the basics of the gospel: how Jesus died for our sins and rose again, baptism in the Holy Spirit, etc. The eloquent Apollos was taught by a tentmaker and his wife. During these conversations, they probably also told him about all the amazing things that were happening in the church in Corinth, where people were functioning in the gifts of the Spirit. Priscilla and Aquila had recently come from there, see . Perhaps Apollos was inspired by their stories and also wanted to visit the church there.] 27When Apollos wanted to go to Achaia [across the Aegean Sea to Corinth in Greece], the brothers and sisters in the faith wrote [in Ephesus] to the disciples [in Corinth] and urged them to welcome him. When he arrived, he immediately joined in the work with those who had come to believe (he was a great help to them), through the grace (favor, God's power) he had received, 28for he refuted the Jews publicly [in debates] with great power [on all kinds of subjects] (responding so overwhelmingly that they were silenced), and showed through the Scriptures [God's word] that Jesus was the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ).Paul returns to Ephesus
191
The city of Ephesus from Mount Koressos. Color lithograph by T. Picken showing the harbor, city walls, and amphitheater.
Followers of John the Baptist In Ephesus, Paul met some disciples [of John the Baptist],
2and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you came to believe?"
They replied, "No, we haven't even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 3"What baptism were you baptized with?" Paul asked.
They replied, "With John's baptism." 4Then Paul said, "John's baptism was a baptism of repentance (a baptism into a changed way of thinking), and John kept telling the people to believe in the one who would come after him, that is, Jesus." 5When they heard this, they were baptized [again, this time] in the name of the Lord Jesus. 6
Along "Marble Street" is what is believed to be the world's oldest known advertising sign. It showed the way to a brothel located opposite the city's large library. Engraved in the paving stone is a heart, a left foot, and a scantily clad woman. The left foot indicates that the brothel was on the left side.
The gospel spreads
[Paul had briefly visited the synagogue in Ephesus on his way home during his second journey, see Acts 18:19. Now he is back and stays for three years, see Acts 20:31. For the first three months, he regularly visits the synagogue every Saturday. Then he rents Tyrannus's lecture hall. There he runs a Bible school with daily teaching for two years. Many missionaries are sent out and churches are started in surrounding cities.] 8Paul then went to the synagogue and preached boldly there for three months. He talked (engaged in dialogue, discussed) with them and tried to convince them about the kingdom of God. 9But some became hardened and refused to believe, speaking evil of the Way [as the Christians were then called, see ] before the whole [Jewish] congregation. Then he left them and took the disciples with him and talked (had a dialogue, discussed) with them every day in Tyrannus' lecture hall. [Some manuscripts add that Paul was there between the fifth and eleventh hours, i.e., between eleven o'clock and four o'clock. The time is probably correct, since it was then that it was hottest and most people took a siesta. The lecture hall was empty and could easily be rented. Paul worked in the morning and evening making tents, see , and taught in the middle of the day.] 10
During the nearly three years that Paul spends in Ephesus, the gospel spreads to surrounding cities. The first letter to the Corinthians is written during this period.
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The seven sons of Sceva
11God performed unusual miracles through Paul's hands. 12People even took cloths and garments that he had touched (come into contact with his skin) and laid them on the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out. 13But some itinerant Jewish exorcists (spirit casters) [who were visiting the city] now began to invoke the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits. They said, "I adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches." 14Seven sons of a Jewish high priest named Skevas [which means mind reader] did this. 15But the evil spirit answered them, "I know Jesus, and I know who Paul is. But who are you?" 16The man with the evil spirit threw himself upon them, overpowered them all, and beat them so badly that they fled from the house naked and bloodied. 17This became known to everyone in Ephesus, both Jews and Greeks. Everyone was seized with fear, and the name of the Lord Jesus was praised. 18Many of those who had become believers now came forward and publicly confessed what they had done. 19Many of those who had practiced magic gathered their books and burned them in public. They calculated their value and came up with 50,000 silver coins. [Luke writes for Greek speakers, so he is most likely referring to the Greek silver coin "drachma". This was equivalent to the Roman denarius, which was a worker's daily wage. The total value of the books was therefore equivalent to about 160 years' wages.] 20So the word spread through the power of the Lord and showed its strength.Paul's plans for the future
21When this was over, Paul decided in the Spirit to travel through Macedonia and Achaia and then to Jerusalem. He said, "After I have been there, I must also visit Rom." 22He sent two of his helpers, Timothy and Erastus, to Macedonia and stayed himself for a while in Asia. [At the end of his three years in Ephesus, Paul sets out the direction for his continued journey. The destination is the capital of the Roman Empire, Rom, via Jerusalem. It is an inner calling that cannot be bargained with, see . In his letter to the Romans, written from Corinth about a year after this event, Paul gives a more detailed account of his future plans to spread the gospel further west towards Spain via Rom, see .]Riot
Ephesus was famous for its large Temple of Artemis. Since 2003, this 1/25 scale model of the temple has been on display at the Miniatürk open-air museum in Istanbul.
The theater in Ephesus was one of the largest in the ancient world, with approximately 24,000 seats.
©Panoramio
Statue of Artemis. Located in Selcuk, the modern city just northeast of the ruins of ancient Ephesus.
To Corinth
[Paul now travels to Corinth via Macedonia, probably through the cities of Philippi, Thessalonica, and Berea. There were serious problems in the church in Corinth, and Paul had written a letter in tears, which he sent with Titus, see . This letter has not been preserved and seems to have been written between the First and Second Epistles to the Corinthians. Paul cannot wait for Titus to return to Ephesus, but decides to meet him on the way to hear how things have gone.] 201When the unrest [in Ephesus] had subsided, Paul called his disciples to him and comforted and encouraged them. Then he said goodbye and went to Macedonia. [Paul takes the coastal route north and stops in Troas to look for Titus, see . He continues on and then meets him in Macedonia, probably in Philippi or Thessalonica, see .] 2He traveled through Macedonia and spoke many encouraging words to the brothers and sisters in the faith. Then he came to Greece. [Greece is the more popular name for the Roman province of Achaia, see ; .] 3There [in the church in Corinth] he stayed for three months. [It is during this period that the Epistle to the Romans is written. The letter was sent with Paul's female co-worker Phoebe, who was active in the church in Corinth's southern port city of Cenchrea, see . In the Epistle to the Romans, Paul also sends special greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, see . Emperor Claudius died in 54 AD and was succeeded by Nero, which made it possible for the couple, whom Paul had met in Corinth and then taken with him to Ephesus, to return to Rom.] When Paul was about to set sail for Syria, the Jews planned an attack against him, and he decided to travel back [the same way he had come] through Macedonia. [It is spring and soon Easter, see . Since many Jews were going to Jerusalem, they may have planned to kill Paul during the boat trip. Because of the threats, Paul changes his plan and takes the land route, which cannot have been entirely risk-free considering the large sum of money they were carrying to Jerusalem, see . This may be one of the reasons why they take seven representatives from several different churches with them. Another reason is that they want to have several witnesses who can attest that everything has been done properly so that Paul cannot be suspected of embezzlement.]On the way to Jerusalem
4The [seven representatives from the congregations that had collected funds for Jerusalem and] who traveled with Paul were: Sopater (Gk. ), son of Pyrrhus from Berea,
[Sosipater, mentioned in , is the same person who represented the church in Corinth.]
Aristarchus (Gk: ) and Secundus (Gk: ) from Thessalonica,
[Aristarchus had also been with Paul in Ephesus, see ; ; .] Gaius (Gk: ) from Derbe and Timothy (Gk: ) [from Lystra],
[Both were from southern Galatia, see . Timothy traveled with Paul on both his second and third journeys.]
Tychicus (Gk. ) and Trophimus (Gk. ) from [the Roman province of] Asia.
[Tychicus was a co-worker of Paul who is mentioned in his later letters, see ; ; ; . Trophimus was from Ephesus, see .] 5These men went on ahead and waited for us in Troas. [It is likely that "these men" refers to Tychicus and Trophimus, who went ahead to their home province to prepare for the boat trip to Jerusalem. Here in Philippi, the narrative shifts to "us," and Luke, the author of Acts, joins the traveling party. He had probably remained in Philippi since . From this point on and for the rest of Acts, all the way to Rom, Luke is at Paul's side. This is confirmed in Paul's last known letter, the second to Timothy, which was written in Rom, where he writes that "only Luke is with me," see .]Troas
6We ourselves sailed from Philippi [from the port city of Neapolis] after the Feast of Unleavened Bread [which lasted seven days and which Paul celebrates]. Five days later we met them in Troas, where we stayed for seven days. [Presumably, they were waiting for the boat they were to travel on.]Eutychus falls asleep and falls three stories
7On the first day of the week [Sunday (), which began on Saturday evening], we gathered for the breaking of bread. [They brought food with them and ate together, see . Since the Jewish feast just mentioned (), it is most likely that the Jewish reckoning of days is used and the gathering takes place on Saturday evening after sunset. A few weeks had passed since Passover, which always falls on the full moon, so it was completely dark outside and oil lamps lit up the room, see .] Paul conversed (engaged in dialogue, discussed – Gk. dialegomai) with those gathered, and since he was to travel [by boat to Jerusalem] the next day, he continued his speech until midnight. 8There were many torches in the room on the top floor where we were gathered. [The oil lamps were burning, and it was warm and oxygen-depleted in the room on the top floor on this spring evening. Archaeological excavations in Troas have shown that many houses had several floors. The Roman bath is one of the largest in the entire region.] 9A young man (Gk. neanias) [an unmarried man under the age of 40, probably younger] named Eutychus sat in the window [to get some fresh air]. He fell into a deep sleep while Paul continued to speak, and finally, completely overcome by sleep, he fell from the third floor and was carried away dead. [Eutychus is a Greek name that appropriately means "lucky". He is called a servant in and was probably a slave to some Roman master in the wealthy port city of Troas. It is unlikely that his master was of Jewish descent who followed the Sabbath commandment, so after a hard day's work, he had come to the meeting tired, see also .] 10Paul then went down, bent over him, took him in his arms, and said, "Do not be alarmed. His soul is still in him (he is alive)." [Paul's actions are reminiscent of Elijah and Elisha, see ; .] 11Then Paul went back upstairs, broke bread, and ate. He continued to speak confidentially (Gk. ) for a long time [here a different word is used than in . Paul shares his heart in a personal way, and the congregation also listens differently now after the incident with Eutychus], until dawn, and then set out on his journey. 12They brought the young man (the servant – Gk. pais) home alive, and they were greatly encouraged.Further south
Paul and his traveling companions, about ten people, journeyed from Troas down to Miletus on their way to Jerusalem.
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The following day we docked at [the island of] Samos. [They probably stopped at the port city of Pythagoras, named after the famous mathematician from 500 BC who was born on this island.]
After another day, we arrived at [the city of] Miletus.Miletus
16
The Pergamon Museum in Berlin has a model of ancient Miletus. The museum also has many ancient artefacts from the city.
Paul's farewell speech
18When they arrived, he said to them: "You know how I have lived among you from the first day I came to [the Roman province of] Asia. [It had been about four years since Paul had come to Ephesus and stayed there for three years, see .] 19I have served the Lord (as a slave) in all humility, amid tears and trials that came upon me through the plots of the Jews. [The latest conspiracy against Paul in Corinth forced him to change his itinerary to sail directly to Syria, see . Paul often encountered opposition in his ministry, see ; ; ; , ; , .] 20You know how I have not held back anything that could be of benefit to you, but have told you everything. I taught publicly and I have taught in homes (from house to house). 21I have constantly testified to both Jews and Greeks about repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus. 22Now, bound in spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there. 23I only know that the Holy Spirit testifies in every city that chains and suffering await me. 24But I do not consider my life to be of any value to myself, as long as I may finish my course and the task I have received from the Lord Jesus: to testify to the gospel of God's grace (the good news of God's undeserved favor and power that is available). 25I know that none of you, among whom I have gone about preaching the kingdom, will ever see my face again. [Paul did not know in detail what would happen in the future, see . However, he knew the overall plan, see . In Rom. Brevet, which Paul probably wrote from Corinth a few months earlier, he outlines his plans to move westward and that he was finished with his task in Asia Minor, see . This is the last time Paul sees the church leaders in Ephesus as a group; it is possible that some of them visited him during his imprisonment in Rom a few years later. See also ; .] 26Therefore, I testify to you today [the last day we see each other] that I am not guilty of anyone's blood, 27for I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will and plan of God. 28Be constantly on guard over yourselves and the whole flock where the Holy Spirit has placed you as leaders (Gk.episkopous – 'those who watch over'), to be shepherds of God's church, which he has purchased with his own blood. [Jesus' atoning blood on the cross.] 29I know (have seen/understood) that after I leave you, fierce (difficult, painful, burdensome – Gk. barus) wolves [who will burden you] will come (enter) among you, and they will not spare the flock. 30Yes, from among yourselves men will arise who distort the truth in order to draw disciples to their side. 31Therefore, be alert and remember that for three years, night and day, I never stopped guiding (warning, admonishing) each one of you with tears. 32Now I [Paul] entrust you to God and to his gracious word (the message of his power and undeserved favor) [i.e., the Bible, God's written word], which has the power to build you up and give you an inheritance among all who are sanctified (set apart, purified). 33I have never sought (desired) anyone's silver, gold, or fine clothing. 34You yourselves know (have personal experience of) that these hands have served (provided for; literally: 'have brought ashore' – Gk. hupereteo) my own needs and those who were with me.
35In everything [by being an example that you can follow], I have shown you that by working hard in this way, you should help the weak (poor, sick). Remember the Lord Jesus' own words, which he said: 'It is more blessed (more joyful) to give than to receive.' "[The last words from Paul to the church leadership in Ephesus are emotionally charged. But isn't it arrogant of Paul to constantly point to his own life and what he has done? The Christian life is not only about what you say, but also what you do, see . Jesus condemned the Pharisees for not living as they taught, see . A true Christian leader must be able to say, "Do as I do in everything," if the message is to be credible. This quote from Jesus is not found in the Gospels, but it resembles the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, see . Only a fraction of everything Jesus said and did was written down, see .] 36When he had said this, he knelt down, and they prayed together (they were all in prayer, the innermost nature of which is devotion and intimacy with God). 37They all burst into tears and embraced Paul and kissed him repeatedly and affectionately. 38What hurt them most was that he had said they would never see his face again. So they followed him to the ship.Across the Mediterranean to Jerusalem
211
Paul, Luke, and the seven representatives from the churches sail on toward Jerusalem.
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The next day they sailed to Rhodes. [Rhodes was the name of both the island and its capital, and they also stayed there overnight.]
From there [the next day] we continued on to [the city of] Patara. 2There we found a [larger] ship bound for Phoenicia, and we boarded it and set sail. 3We glimpsed the outlines of Cyprus on our left as we sailed toward Syria and docked at Tyre, where the cargo was to be unloaded.
[The voyage between Patara and Tyre took five days, a distance of 90 miles. Tyre was the commercial center of the eastern Mediterranean. Most merchant ships docked here.]Tyre
Aerial photo of Tyre from 1934. You can still see the breakwaters from the ancient city's northern and southern harbors sticking out of the water.
The disciples here in Tyre correctly perceived the Spirit's message that Paul would encounter opposition in Jerusalem. Their natural reaction and interpretation of the message was to try to prevent Paul from continuing his journey. A similar event soon occurred again in Caesarea Maritima, when Paul replied that he was well aware of his calling even if it meant martyrdom, see verses 10-14. When Paul arrived in Jerusalem, Jesus himself confirmed to him that he was doing God's will, see . A similar event occurred when Jesus began to reveal the prophetic events surrounding his death and resurrection to his disciples. Peter did not understand this and tried to rebuke Jesus, saying that he would not have to die, see .] 5After a week there, we set out to continue our journey [south along the coast]. Everyone, including women and children, accompanied us out of the city, and on the beach we knelt and prayed. [This is the first time in Acts that children are mentioned in the congregation.] 6After saying goodbye to each other, we boarded the ship and the others returned home. [Tyre originally consisted of both an island with ports and an older city on the mainland. Just under 400 years earlier, in 332 BC, Alexander the Great had captured the city by building a kilometer-long road from the mainland to the island. Over the years, this road became increasingly covered with sand, and the island eventually became the promontory it is today. It was along this beach that the congregation knelt and prayed.]Ptolemais
7
From Tyre, they sailed along the coast down to Caesarea.
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Caesarea
8The next day we continued [the boat trip] and arrived at Caesarea [Maritima by the sea]. There we went to the home of the evangelist Philip, who was one of the seven [see ], and stayed with him. 9He had four unmarried daughters who all had the gift of prophecy. [Paul had been in Caesarea Maritima before and was acquainted with the believers there, see ; . Philip had preached in Samaria and along the Mediterranean coast, see . The fact that his daughters had the gift of prophecy confirms the promise that "sons and daughters shall prophesy" from , see .]Agabus' prophetic confirmation
10During the days we were there, a prophet named Agabus came down from Judea. [He had previously come to Antioch from Jerusalem and prophesied about the coming famine, see .] 11When he came to us, he took Paul's belt and bound his own feet and hands, saying, "Thus says the Holy Spirit: The man who owns this belt the Jews in Jerusalem will bind like this and hand over to the Gentiles." 12When we heard this, both we and those who lived there pleaded with Paul not to go up to Jerusalem. 13But Paul answered, "Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus." 14When he would not be persuaded, we calmed down and said, "The Lord's will be done." [Agabus stood in a prophetic ministry, unlike the believers in Tyre who functioned in the prophetic gift that all believers can do. Agabus spoke only what the Spirit inspired him to say, without giving an interpretation. Those who listened took it for granted that Paul was being warned, so they tried again to prevent him from going. Paul, on the other hand, took the prophetic words as confirmation of what the Spirit had already spoken to him. Compare this with how Peter tried to prevent Jesus from going to Jerusalem, see .]Preparations for the final stage
15After those days, we got ready and started our journey up to Jerusalem. 16Some of the disciples in Caesarea [Maritima by the sea] also accompanied us [to Jerusalem]. They took us to a man named Mnason, where we stayed. He was [originally] from Cyprus and one of the first to become a disciple. [Probably one of the 3,000 who became disciples about 25 years ago, see .]
The group includes Paul, Luke, Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Timothy, Tychicus, and Trophimus, see . Some men from Caesarea also accompany them, see .Jerusalem
17When we [Paul, Luke, Sopater, Aristarchus, Secundus, Gaius, Timothy, Tychicus, and Trophimus, see ] arrived in Jerusalem, the brothers and sisters welcomed us with joy.Conversation with James and the elders
18The next day Paul went with us to James [Jesus' brother, who led the church in Jerusalem]. All the elders [leaders of the church] were also there.
It is noteworthy that none of the apostles are mentioned. They were present at the previous apostolic council seven or eight years earlier, see . It is likely that they were out on missionary assignments around the world. They took the commission in very seriously to reach the whole world during their lifetime. Although there are stories and legends that are not credible, it can still be said with considerable certainty that areas as far away from Jerusalem as England, Spain, Mauritius, Ethiopia, China, and Finland all appear to have been visited by one or more of Jesus' twelve apostles!
Peter was in Asia Minor, and we know that he worked in the cities of Antioch and Rom.
Andrew, Peter's brother, traveled north and evangelized Bulgaria, Ukraine, Romania, and Russia, and may have been as far north as the border with Finland. James, the son of Zebedee, was killed by Herod Agrippa I, see . Before that, it is said that he evangelized in Spain.
John, James' brother, worked in Turkey.
Philip is said to have worked in Greece, Phrygia, and Syria. In excavations in 2011 in Hierapolis (in present-day Turkey), his name was found on a tomb from the first century, and churches built around that site have a tradition that it is the tomb of the apostle Philip.
Matthew first worked in North Africa, but later moved south and is considered the apostle of Ethiopia.
James, the son of Alphaeus, worked in Egypt. Jude and Simon the Zealot evangelized Mesopotamia and Persia. Simon also worked throughout North Africa from Egypt all the way to the Atlantic Ocean. From there, he is said to have traveled by boat to England, where we know that Christianity had already arrived when southern England became part of the Roman Empire in 43 AD.
Thomas and Bartholomew first traveled to Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan, all the way to Pakistan and China. After the apostolic council in Jerusalem, they set out again via Saudi Arabia to India.
Matthias, who replaced Jude Iscariot, is said according to Greek tradition to have worked in Cappadocia and along the Caspian Sea, but there are many different traditions surrounding him.
19Paul greeted them and told them in detail about all that God had done among the Gentiles through his work. 20When they heard this, they praised God. Then they said to him, "You see, brother [Paul], that there are tens of thousands (many myriads, an innumerable number) of Jews who have come to believe [here in Jerusalem or throughout Jude], and they all strictly (devotedly, fanatically – Gk. zelotes) to the law [Torah]. [This meeting probably took place in the spring of 56 or 57 CE, a time characterized by Jewish nationalism with many revolts and strong opposition to Gentiles. Literally "many myriads." A myriad denotes the highest numerical value in Greek, which is 10,000, but is also used to describe a very large number in general terms, see ; . The congregation has grown, see ; ; ; . The total population of Jerusalem at this time is estimated at several hundred thousand inhabitants. Three times a year, the population grew dramatically to double or triple that number, as pilgrims visited the city for a few weeks during the feasts, see ; .] 21Now they have heard (rumor has it – Gk. katecheo) that you [Paul] are teaching all the Jews among the Gentiles to turn away from Moses and say that they should not circumcise their children or live according to our customs. [Literally: "apostasy (divorce letter) from Moses, you teach". The word apostasy (Gk. apostasia) is the feminine form of Gk. apostasion, which is divorce, see . The word is only used here and in .] 22What should we do now [what is best in this situation]? They will surely hear that you have come. 23Therefore, do as we say: We have four men who have made a vow. 24Take them with you and purify yourself with them and pay for them to have their heads shaved. Then everyone will understand that none of what they have heard about you is true, but that you yourself follow (live in accordance with) the teaching [Torah – Gk. nomos] and keep (guard) it.
Four Messianic Jews in the congregation had soon completed a Nazirite vow. The word Nazirite comes from the Hebrew verb nazar, which means to separate. It is a voluntary vow to abstain from wine – this good thing in life – and to serve the Lord and seek him in a special way. Both men and women could do this for a time, see . Paul is asked to be present at the concluding ceremony in the temple when they shave their heads, see . He was also to pay for the extensive sacrifices, see . He himself did not participate in this Nazirite vow, since the shortest period was thirty days, and it only lasted seven days, see . However, Paul did shave his hair in Corinth, see . If it was a Nazirite vow, he may have fulfilled parts of it here. 25But concerning the Gentiles who have believed, we have written [during the apostolic council, see Acts 15:20, 29] and determined that they should abstain from meat sacrificed to idols, from blood, from the meat of strangled animals, and from sexual immorality. Paul in the temple
26
Between the outer courtyard and the inner temple courts was a dividing wall with signs warning gentiles not to approach the temple.
[A Jude who returned to Jerusalem after being in pagan lands underwent a seven-day purification period, see . Paul used his Jewish heritage to win over Jews, see .] 27As the seven days were coming to an end, the Jews from Asia [probably Jews who had traveled from Ephesus] saw Paul in the temple. They stirred up the whole crowd, seized him 28and shouted, "Israelites, help us! Here is the man who teaches everyone everywhere to be against our people and our law [Torah] and this place [the holy temple]. Now he has even brought Greeks into the temple and defiled this holy place!" 29They had seen Trophimus from Ephesus [one of the representatives who traveled with Paul, see ] out in the city with Paul and assumed that Paul had brought him into the temple. [Inside the barrier that non-Jews were not allowed to enter.] [The Jude historian Josephus describes how the warning was written in Greek and Latin. A French archaeologist found such a stone with the entire Greek text in 1871. The stone had been used as building material for a house north of the temple. Since Jerusalem then belonged to the Ottoman Empire, the stone was taken to Istanbul, where it can still be seen today at the Istanbul Archaeological Museum. A fragment of another stone was found in 1936 and can be seen in Jerusalem at the Israel Museum. The find was interesting because analyses showed that the warning was written in red paint. The full text is: "No stranger may enter the temple enclosure! Anyone who violates this rule bears responsibility for their own death, which will be the consequence." The somewhat strange wording at the end shows how the Jews themselves could not punish anyone to death, but had to go through the Romans to carry out the death penalty – which is exactly what happened to Jesus.]Riot
30The whole city was in an uproar, and people flocked to the scene. They seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the gates were closed. 31While they were trying to kill him, the commander of the Roman battalion received information that Jerusalem was in revolt. [The Roman commander's name was Claudius Lysias, see . He was in charge of a cohort consisting of 600 soldiers. He was in the Antonia Fortress, which had several towers overlooking the temple area, and noticed that there was unrest.] 32He immediately took soldiers and officers (centurions) and ran down to the crowd. [Since a centurion was in charge of 100 soldiers, at least 200 soldiers came running.] As soon as they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.Paul is arrested
33The commander then stepped forward, seized him, and ordered that he be put in double chains. Then he asked who he was and what he had done. 34Some in the crowd shouted one thing, others another. Unable to get a clear answer in the chaos, he ordered Paul to be taken to the fortress. 35When they reached the stairs, the soldiers had to carry him, because the crowd was pressing in on them violently 36as they followed and shouted, "Away with him!" 37Just as Paul was about to be taken into the fortress, he asked the commander [Claudius Lysias], "May I say something to you?"
He replied, "You know Greek! 38Then you are not the Egyptian who recently revolted and led the 4,000 knife-wielding men (the Sicarii) into the desert?" [Paul was mistaken for an Egyptian who incited knife-wielding men. This group was called Sicarii because they had knives (Latin: sicari) hidden under their cloaks and assassinated their political opponents. They were a radical branch of the Zealots. The Jewish historian Josephus describes the same event in more detail. The Egyptian was a false prophet who led a large group into the desert. In 54 CE, he arrived at the Mount of Olives with his followers. He considered himself a messianic figure and, at his command, the walls of Jerusalem would fall, and they would then capture Jerusalem. Instead, Felix, the governor of Judea, arrived and killed and captured many of them, while the rest, including the Egyptian leader, fled. This is just one of many examples of unrest and rebellion that occurred at this time.] 39Paul replied, "I am a jew from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of a prominent city. I beg you, let me speak to the people." 40The commander gave his permission. Paul then stood on the steps and motioned to the people with his hand. When there was silence, he addressed them in [their own language], Hebrew (the Aramaic dialect spoken in Israel at that time) [The authors of the Bible do not distinguish between these closely related languages, but refer to both as "Hebrew"]. Paul's speech
221"Brothers [listeners] and fathers [a respectful title for the elders of the Sanhedrin]! Listen now to what I have to say in my defense (my arguments)." [Paul opens his speech in the same way as Stephen did, see . Paul is clear about his Jewish roots. The word for defense is the Greek apologia, from which the word apology derives. This is the second of three detailed accounts of Paul's conversion in the Acts of the Apostles. The first is recounted by Luke, see , while this one and the third, in , are Paul's own accounts. They are similar but with a few minor differences. Here he addresses Jews and emphasizes the role of Ananias, a jew believer in the Messiah, in his conversion. In the next defense speech, which is addressed to Agrippa and the Romans, it is not as important, and Ananias is not even mentioned.] 2When they heard him speaking to them in Hebrew (the Aramaic dialect, see ), it became even quieter. Paul continued: 
Paul was born in Tarsus. At the age of 13, he moved to Jerusalem to study under the rabbi Gamaliel.
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3"I am a jew, born in Tarsus in Cilicia [around 5-10 AD], but raised in this city. I was thoroughly (down to the smallest detail) taught the law of our fathers at the feet of Gamaliel, and I was as eager to serve God as all of you are today. [As a five-year-old, Paul, like all other Jewish boys and girls in Tarsus, was taught the five books of Moses in the city synagogue. At the age of ten, he began studying the Mishnah, the Jewish interpretations of the law. He must have been very outstanding, because he was offered further study, which was unusual. At the age of thirteen, his parents sent him to Jerusalem for his formal education under Rabbi Gamaliel, where he remained until the age of eighteen. Paul lived with a relative in Jerusalem, probably his older married sister, see . It is possible that the entire family moved to Jerusalem. Gamaliel is also mentioned in . He was the son or grandson of the famous rabbi Hillel and was active from 22 to 55 CE. It is highly probable that Paul was in Jerusalem when Jesus was crucified. According to tradition, Paul was beheaded in Rom by Nero in 67 AD.] [Previous life:]
4I persecuted 'the Way' to the point of death, arresting both men and women and putting them in prison. 5The high priest and the whole Sanhedrin can testify to this. From them I received letters to the brothers in Damascus, and I went there to arrest those who were there and bring them to Jerusalem to be punished. [Conversion:]
6But as I was traveling and approaching Damascus in the middle of the day, suddenly a bright light from heaven shone around me. 7I fell to the ground and heard a voice saying to me, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?" 8I asked, "Who are you, Lord?"
He replied, "I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting. 9Those who were with me saw the light but did not hear the voice that spoke to me. 10I asked, "What shall I do, Lord?"
The Lord said to me, "Get up and go into Damascus! There you will be told everything you are to do." 11But because of the brightness of the light, I could not see, so my companions took my hand and led me to Damascus. [Ananias' role:]
12A certain Ananias, a devout (devoted, godly) and faithful man [who lived according to the teachings of the Books of Moses] who was well spoken of by all the Jude in the city, 13came to me and stood by my side and said, "Saul, my brother, you will regain your sight!" At that moment I could see him. 14Then Ananias said, "The God of our fathers has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear the voice from his mouth. 15You will be his witness to all people, testifying to what you have seen and heard. 16And now, what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized, and wash your sins away, and call on his name [in prayer]. [The vision in the temple:]
17After I had returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple [during one of the daily prayer times at nine, twelve, or three o'clock], I fell into a trance. 18I saw him, and he said to me, "Hurry and leave Jerusalem quickly, for here they will not receive your testimony about me. 19I said, "Lord, they know that in one synagogue after another I imprisoned and flogged those who believed in you. 20And when the blood of your witness Stephen was shed, I myself stood there and gave my approval and guarded the cloaks of those who were killing him. [] 21Then he said to me, "Go, for I will send you far away to the Gentiles." 22Until then, they [the crowd] had been listening to Paul [as he gave his testimony in the Aramaic dialect], but now they shouted loudly, "Away with this man! He should not be allowed to live!" 23They shouted, tore off their cloaks, and threw dust into the air. [It is not entirely clear why they tore off their cloaks, perhaps to be ready to stone him, see ? Throwing dust on one's head was a sign of mourning. Shaking it off one's feet was a sign of removing what was unclean, see . The fact that they threw dust may be because those in the temple area had nothing else to throw at him, see .]Paul about to be tortured
[Lysias did not understand Hebrew or Aramaic, so he decided to use the standard Roman method for extracting the truth—interrogation under torture. The whip (a Roman flagrum) consisted of leather straps embedded with metal balls or sharp bone fragments designed to tear the skin. It was not uncommon for the victim to die. This was a much worse punishment than the flogging Paul and Silas received in Philippi, see .] 24The commander [Lysias] then ordered that Paul be taken into the fortress and interrogated under flogging, so that they might find out why they were shouting at him like that. 25When they had stretched him out for the scourging, Paul said to the officer standing there, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a Roman citizen who has not been convicted of any crime?" 26As soon as the officer heard this, he went to the commander [Lysias] and told him, "What are you going to do? This man is a Roman citizen!" 27Then the commander went over and asked him, "Tell me, are you really a Roman citizen?" Paul replied, "Yes." 28The commander said, "I had to pay a large sum of money for that citizenship."
Paul replied, "But I was born with it." 29Those who were interrogating him immediately withdrew. Even the commander was alarmed when he realized that he had put a Roman citizen in chains.Paul before the Sanhedrin
30The next day, he [the commander Lysias] wanted to get a clear answer about what the Jews were accusing Paul of. So he had the chains removed and ordered the chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin to assemble. Then he brought Paul down and presented him before them. 
The Sanhedrin met in the northern part of the temple building. In the northwestern corner of the temple area was the Antonia Fortress.
Ananias was high priest from 48 CE to around 58 CE. Ananias was known for taking bribes and embezzling sacrificial funds. In 52 AD, he was sent to Rom by Quadratus, the governor of Syria, to be questioned by Emperor Claudius regarding acts of violence he had ordered. His pro-Roman policies made him unpopular with his countrymen. He was brutally murdered during a Jewish revolt in 66 AD.] [Paul uses the same word "strike" in his reply. He does not curse Ananias, but he pronounces judgment on him.] 3Then Paul said to him, "God will strike you, you whitewashed wall [hypocrite]! You sit here to judge me according to the law, but you violate the law when you order them to strike me." [Jesus used similar expressions about whitewashed tombs to describe the hypocrisy and religious theatrics of the Pharisees, see . See also .] 4Those standing nearby [who had been urged to strike him] asked, "Are you insulting God's high priest?" 5Paul replied, "I did not know, brothers, that he was the high priest. For it is written [in ]: 'You shall not curse a leader of your people. [It is possible that Paul is speaking ironically, saying that he did not know that a high priest could act so contrary to the law. It was not unusual to use irony, see ; . It may also be that he did not know who the high priest was, since Paul had been away from Jerusalem for ten years. During religious ceremonies, the high priest wore special clothing, but here, in this specially convened meeting called by the Roman commander, there was probably nothing that distinguished the high priest. It may also be that someone else was leading the meeting itself. Another suggestion is that Paul had poor eyesight, but since he had recently looked closely at them, this is unlikely, see . The fact that Ananias is the one who orders those closest to Paul to strike him suggests that Paul must have understood that he was some kind of leader. Even Luke, who writes down this story, identifies Ananias as the high priest.] 6Paul knew that some of them were Sadducees and others Pharisees, so he said in a loud voice in the Council, "Brothers! I am a Pharisee and the son of Pharisees. I am on trial here because of my hope in the resurrection of the dead (the reason for the trial is that I believe in the resurrection and eternal life)." 7When he said this, a heated discussion broke out between the Pharisees and the Sadducees, and the assembly was divided into two camps. 8The Sadducees [who were in the majority in the Sanhedrin] say that there is no resurrection, nor angels, nor spirits, while the Pharisees acknowledge [their belief in] all these things. 9A great uproar (tumult) began, and some of those who belonged to the Pharisee party stood up and argued their case [the resurrection of the dead]. They said, "We see no evil (wrong) in this man. But if a spirit has spoken to him or an angel..." [The sentence is incomplete and is a so-called aposiopesis. Presumably, the tumult becomes so great that the Pharisees are interrupted in the middle of their speech.] 10The discussion (strife) became more and more heated, and the commander was afraid that they would tear Paul to pieces, so he ordered the guard to go down and pull him away from them and take him to the fortress [Antonia Fortress]. [According to Roman law, there were three different procedures for arrest:- Custodia publica – general detention in prison cells. Paul and Silas were held in such custody in Philippi, see .
- Custodia libera – free under supervision. Higher-ranking officials could receive this type of detention order.
- Custodia militaris – detention under military supervision. A soldier was assigned to guard the prisoner with his life. His left hand was chained to the prisoner's right hand. The prisoner was often kept in the soldiers' barracks, but could sometimes be allowed to live in his own house under the supervision of his guard, which was the case for Paul during his first imprisonment in Rom. During his two years in Caesarea, Paul also appears to have been handcuffed, see .
Here in the Antonia Fortress, Paul was held in Custodia militaris.]Jesus encourages Paul
11During the night, the Lord [Jesus himself] came and stood beside Paul and said, "Take courage (do not be afraid), Paul, you have faithfully testified about me in Jerusalem, and in the same way you will also do in Rom."
[Jesus visits Paul, who is imprisoned in the Antonia Fortress. The calling that became clear in Ephesus, see , and which was confirmed by the Spirit several times, see ; , is now confirmed again by Jesus himself.]Plans to kill Paul
12When day came, the Jews made a secret plan and swore an oath not to eat or drink [anything] until they had killed Paul. 13There were more than 40 men involved in the conspiracy. 14They went to the chief priests and elders and said, "We have sworn a solemn oath (involving a divine curse) not to taste anything until we have killed Paul. 15Now you and the council can inform the commander to send Paul down to you. Let him think that you want to examine his case more closely. We are ready to kill him before he arrives." [Perhaps it was the same Jude from Ephesus who started the riot a few days earlier, see , who had joined forces to kill Paul. The word for "oath" used here is not the usual word but is a stronger expression that literally means "to curse." This type of oath could be: "May God punish and curse us if we do not fulfill this promise."]The plan is revealed
16But Paul's nephew heard about the ambush, and he came to the fortress and went in and told Paul. 17Then Paul called one of the officers (centurions) and informed him, "Take this young man to the commander. He has something to tell him." 18The officer took him to the commander and said, "The prisoner Paul called me and asked me to bring this young man to you. He apparently has something to tell you." 19The commander took him by the hand [which suggests that Paul's nephew was in his early teens], went aside with him, and asked, "What is it you want to report to me?" 20He replied, "The Jews have agreed to ask you to send Paul down to the Council tomorrow and let you believe that they will investigate his case more closely. 21But don't let them persuade you, because more than 40 of them are lying in wait for him. They have sworn an oath not to eat or drink until they have killed him, and now they are waiting for you to agree to their request. 22The commander sent the young man away with the instruction, "Don't tell anyone that you revealed this to me."Preparations to rescue Paul
23
Paul is taken to the provincial administrative capital, Caesarea on the Mediterranean, where Marcus Antonius Felix is stationed.
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[Recipient:] The highly esteemed governor Felix.
Greetings! 27This man had been arrested by the Jews, and they were about to kill him when I arrived with my troops and freed him. I had learned that he was a Roman citizen. 28Wanting to know what they were accusing him of, I brought him down to their Sanhedrin. 29There I found that the charges were about disputes over their law and that he was not accused of anything punishable by death or imprisonment. 30When I was informed of a conspiracy against the man, I immediately sent him to you. I have also urged his accusers to bring their case against him before you. Paul is taken to Caesarea
31The soldiers then took Paul away according to their orders and brought him during the night to Antipatris. [Halfway to Caesarea Maritima, six miles from Jerusalem.] 32The next day they let the horsemen continue with him and returned themselves to the fortress [Antonia Fortress in Jerusalem]. 33The horsemen [continued the last twenty miles and] arrived at Caesarea, delivered the letter to the governor, and handed Paul over to him. 34Felix read it and asked what province he was from. When he learned that he was from Cilicia, 35he said, "I will hear your case when your accusers also arrive." Then he ordered Paul to be kept under guard in Herod's palace.The Accusation Against Paul
241Five days later, the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and a lawyer named Tertullus. [He was knowledgeable in Roman law and had been hired by the Sanhedrin to represent them.] They brought their accusations against Paul before the governor [Felix]. 2When Paul was called in, Tertullus began his accusations against Paul. He said: 3"Most honorable Felix! Thanks to you and your leadership, we have enjoyed a long period of peace. Your political reforms have made life much better for the people I represent, everywhere and in every way. We acknowledge this with great gratitude. [The speech follows the rhetorical model common at the time. It begins with flattering words, a technique known in Latin as captatio benevolentiae. On both points, he stretched the truth; there had never been such unrest as under Felix's rule, and he had not made life better for the Jews. Felix was governor of Judea from 52 to 60 CE.] 4In order not to trouble you too long, I ask that you kindly listen to what we have to say in brief. 5We have found this man to be a real plague (a pestilence, a source of infection). - He stirs up trouble (causes riots) among Jews all over the world.
- He is a leader of the Nazarene sect.
6He has even tried to desecrate the temple.
That is why we arrested him. [Tertullus raises three points, the first two of which, inciting rebellion and being the leader of an unauthorized sect, were punishable offenses under Roman law.] 7The earliest manuscripts do not include the end of , , and the beginning of : "... and wanted to judge him according to our law. 7 But the commander Lysias came with great power and took him out of our hands 8 and ordered his accusers to go to you." 8When you examine him, you can determine for yourself the charges we bring against him." 9The Jews agreed and claimed that this was the case.Paul's defense
10The governor [said nothing himself, but] signaled to Paul to speak, and he replied: "Since I know that you have been a judge of this people for many years, I confidently defend my case. [Like Tertullus, Paul opens his speech with a captatio benevolentiae, but it is more truthful and without exaggeration.] [Defense to point 1 – instigator of riots:]
11You yourself can confirm that it has been no more than twelve days since I came up to Jerusalem to worship. 12Neither in the temple nor in the synagogues nor in the city have they seen me arguing with anyone or stirring up trouble among the people, 13nor can they prove to you what they are now accusing me of. [Twelve days is too short a time to organize a rebellion. His reason for visiting Jerusalem was to worship, not to cause unrest.] [Defense to point 2 – leader of a sect:]
14But I confess this to you: that according to the Way, which they call a sect, I serve the God of my fathers in such a way that I believe everything that is written in the Law and in the Prophets. 15I have the same hope in God as they do, that both the righteous and the unrighteous will rise again. [; ; ] 16Therefore, I myself also strive to always have a good conscience before God and men. [Paul does not deny that he is a leader, but emphasizes that he serves the God of the Jews.] [Defense of point 3 – desecrating the temple:]
17After several years, I returned to deliver gifts to my people [the collected funds, see ] and offer sacrifices [on behalf of four men, see ]. 18Then they found me in the temple after I had purified myself, and there was no crowd or commotion. 19But there were some Jews from Asia, and they should be here to accuse me before you, if they had anything to bring against me. 20Otherwise, these men themselves can say what crime they found me guilty of when I stood before the Sanhedrin, 21unless it was this one thing I shouted when I stood among them: It is for the resurrection of the dead that I stand here today accused before you." 22Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, now postponed the trial and said, "When the commander Lysias comes down here, I will decide the case." [Felix was in a political dilemma. He knew enough about the Christian faith to know that Paul was innocent. At the same time, he wanted to stay on good terms with the Jews, so he postponed the trial to gain time. We do not know if Commander Claudius Lysias was ever called in for further questioning.] 23He ordered the officer to keep Paul in custody but at the same time to give him some relief and not to prevent any of his friends from helping (serving, assisting) him. Some of these must have been Luke, Aristarchus, and Trophimus, who traveled with him. In Caesarea Maritima (by the sea) also lived the evangelist Philip and the officer (centurion) Cornelius. 24
Herod's family tree with several complex relationships. Drusilla (bottom right) was the youngest daughter of Herod Agrippa I.
Paul had brought a large sum of money with him to the congregation, and Felix perhaps thought that Paul might be tempted to use some of it to bribe his way out of prison, see . This is the last time Felix is mentioned; we do not know if he "found time" to talk and make decisions concerning the big questions of life at some later point in his life.]Two years later, Felix was succeeded by Festus.
27When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus. Because Felix wanted to stay on good terms with the Jews, he left Paul in prison. [The Jews hated Felix; they wrote a letter to Rom describing his brutality toward them. The complaints led Emperor Nero to dismiss Felix and appoint Festus as governor of Judea in the fall of 60 AD. He held the post for two years.]Festus visits Jerusalem
251When Festus arrived in the province [from Rom], he left Caesarea [Maritima, by the sea] after three days and went up to Jerusalem. [Caesarea Maritima was the political capital of the Roman province of Syria, which included Judea. It was natural that Festus wanted to visit Jerusalem, which was the religious and cultural center of the people he was to rule over. So in the autumn of 60 CE, three days after arriving in Caesarea, he set out for Jerusalem.] 2[The Jewish leadership had not forgotten Paul.] There [in Jerusalem], the chief priests and the leaders of the Jews brought their accusations against Paul. They appealed to Festus 3and asked him to show them kindness by having Paul brought to Jerusalem. They were planning an ambush to kill him on the way. 4But Festus replied that Paul was being held prisoner in Caesarea [Maritima] and that he himself would soon [in just over a week] be returning there. [Festus offers to take up the case again in Caesarea.] 5He said, "The leaders among you may accompany me, and if the man has done anything wrong, they may bring charges against him." 6Festus stayed with them for no more than eight or ten days and then went down to Caesarea. The next day he took his seat on the judgment seat and ordered Paul to be brought in. Paul is questioned again
7When Paul entered, he was surrounded by the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem, and they brought many serious (burdensome) accusations against him, which they could not prove. 8Paul defended himself, saying, "I have committed no offense against the law of the Jews or against the temple or against Caesar." 9But Festus, wanting to stay on good terms with the Jews, asked Paul, "Do you want to go up to Jerusalem and be judged there [before the Jewish council, the Sanhedrin] in my presence on this matter?" 10Paul replied, "I am standing before the emperor's court, and here I will be judged. I have done no wrong to the Jews, as you know very well. 11If I am guilty and have done anything deserving of death, I am ready to die. But if there is nothing to their charges, no one can hand me over to them. [No, I do not want to go to Jerusalem]. I appeal to Caesar!" 12Festus consulted with his council and then replied, "You have appealed to Caesar, so you shall go to Caesar."Agrippa II arrives in Caesarea
13Agrippa II and Berenice were siblings.
In Caesarea Philippi, today's Banias in northern Galilee, the remains of Herod Agrippa II's palace can still be seen.
Paul before King Agrippa II
22Agrippa said to Festus, "I would also like to hear this man."
Festus replied, "Tomorrow you will hear him." 23
This part of the Roman palace in Caesarea may be the audience hall where Paul is interrogated.
Paul's defense
Painting by Nikolai Bodarevsky from 1875 showing Paul delivering his speech before Herod Agrippa II, Berenice, and Festus.
2"King Agrippa, I am glad (grateful) that it is before you that I may defend myself today against all the charges brought against me by the Jews, 3especially since you are so well acquainted with all the customs and controversies of the Jews. Therefore, I ask you to listen to me patiently. [As in his interrogation with Tertullus in , Paul begins his speech with a captatio benevolentiae, a few flattering words, but it is truthful without exaggeration.] 4All Jude know how I have lived from my youth, from the very beginning among my people and in Jerusalem. 5They have known me for a long time, and if they wish, they can testify that I lived as a Pharisee, according to the strictest sect of our religion. 6Now I stand here on trial for my hope. [That is the only reason!] It is a hope in the promise God made to our fathers (ancestors), 7a hope that our twelve tribes hope to see fulfilled as they eagerly serve God night and day. [The resurrection, see ] For that hope, King Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews. 8Why is it considered incredible among you that God raises the dead? 9I myself thought it my duty to do everything to fight against the name of Jesus of Nazareth, 10and I did so in Jerusalem. With the authority of the chief priests, I put many of the saints in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. 11In every synagogue I punished them repeatedly and forced them to blaspheme. In my wild fury, I pursued them even to foreign cities. 12As I was traveling to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests, 13I saw a light from heaven, King Agrippa, in the middle of the day. It was brighter than the sun and shone around me and my companions. 14We all fell to the ground, and I heard a voice saying to me in the Hebrew language (the Aramaic dialect): Saul! Saul! Why are you persecuting me? It will be painful (hard) for you to kick against the goad. [The Greek phrase te Hebraidi dialekto, which can be translated as "the Hebrew language" or "the Hebrew dialect," probably refers to the Aramaic dialect, which was the common language at that time. In , where the same phrase is used, there is an Aramaic word, see also ; .
Here Paul speaks Greek with Festus, who has just arrived from Rom. The reason Paul mentions the language Jesus spoke is that it was Paul's mother tongue and reinforces how personally Jesus meets people. This is the only time a language spoken by Jesus is explicitly mentioned, but we understand that he must have spoken the commonly used languages. Greek was the Roman language that Jesus used when communicating with Romans such as the centurion and Pontius Pilate. Hebrew was the Jewish religious language, and even as a twelve-year-old, he discussed the Scriptures in the temple. Aramaic was the everyday language among the Jews in Jesus' time.] 15I said, "Who are you, Lord?" And the Lord replied, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. 16But get up and stand on your feet! I have appeared to you to appoint you as a servant and witness, both of what you have seen and of what I will show you. 17And I will rescue you from your own people and from the Gentiles. I am sending you to them 18to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me. 19Therefore, King Agrippa, I have not been disobedient to the heavenly vision. 20I have preached, first in Damascus, then in Jerusalem and throughout Judea, and also among the Gentiles, that they should repent (change their minds) and turn to God and do works [live a worthy life] that belong to repentance. [The result of genuine repentance is a life characterized by good deeds. However, they can never be the basis for salvation, even though they are an inevitable result of a new life in Jesus.] 21That is why the Jews seized me in the temple and tried to kill me. 22But with God's help, I stand here today as a witness to both small and great. And I say nothing other than what the prophets and Moses said would happen: 23that the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) would suffer, and that he, as the first to rise from the dead, would proclaim the light to both our people and the Gentiles." 24
Herod Agrippa II depicted on a coin.
Paul's journey to Rom.
The first part of the journey to Rom. is by small boat along the coast to Myra. There, they change to a larger boat from Alexandria that is on its way to Rom with grain from Egypt.
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This chapter in the Acts of the Apostles testifies to Luke's Greek background. For a Jewish writer, the sea did not play a major role. The Israelites were a land-based people. In sharp contrast to this is Greek and Roman culture. Ancient literature written around the Mediterranean has many grand stories set on the seas, with Homer's Odyssey being one of the most famous.] 271When it was decided that we would sail to Italy, Paul and a few other prisoners were handed over to an officer named Julius. He belonged to the imperial battalion (cohort, consisting of 600 soldiers). 2[I, Luke, was also allowed to accompany them.] We boarded a ship from Adramyttium that [was heading home and] was going to the ports along the coast of Asia. [Adramyttium was near the city of Troas in Asia Minor.] We set sail [from Caesarea]. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, also accompanied us. [He had traveled with Paul before, see ; . He is also mentioned by Paul, see ; .] 3The next day we landed at Sidon. [The officer] Julius, who treated Paul well, let him go to his friends [in the church] so they could take care of him. [For the first time in two years, Paul is given a little more freedom. He visits the church, which shows him both spiritual and practical care. They probably helped him with supplies for the long journey ahead.] 4After we left there, we sailed along the coast of Cyprus, since we had headwinds. 5We sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia and landed at Myra in Lycia. [Some manuscripts add that the journey took fifteen days.]Change to a larger ship
From Myra, the journey continues down to the south coast of Crete.
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[The holiday falls on the 10th of Tishri in the Jewish calendar (), which falls in late September or early October.]
[Autumn storms were becoming common now.] Paul therefore warned them 10and said, "Men, as I see it, this voyage will result in great damage and loss, not only to the cargo and the ship, but also to our lives." 11But the officer believed the helmsman and the owner of the ship more than Paul's words. [It seems that the officer is the one with the highest rank and makes the final decision.] 12Since the harbor was not a good place to spend the winter, most of them decided to leave and try to reach Phoinix, a [larger] harbor on Crete [only a few hours' sail westward along the coast] that faces southwest and northwest. They planned to spend the winter there. [Fair Havens was open to southeasterly winds, which meant that the waves hit the harbor head-on. There does not seem to be a town there, as Lasea, located 2.4 km to the east, is mentioned. Vegetius, a Roman writer from the 5th century, writes that it was dangerous to sail on the Mediterranean after September 15, and after November 11 it was impossible.]The storm
13
A strong north wind prevents you from reaching the winter port of Foinix.
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Paul speaks up
21
For two weeks, the ship drifts on the Mediterranean Sea.
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Approaching land after two weeks
27When the 14th night came and we were still drifting on the Adriatic Sea [which in biblical times also included the Ionian Sea between Greece and Sicily], the sailors began to realize at midnight that we were approaching land. 28They sounded the depth and found it to be 20 fathoms (about 36 meters). A little further on, they sounded again and found the depth to be 15 fathoms (about 27 meters). 29
The Malta National Maritime Museum has several anchors from Roman times that were found along the coast.
Paul encourages everyone on board
33Just before dawn, Paul urged everyone to eat. He said, "For 14 days you have been waiting and have not eaten. 34Therefore, I urge you to eat. It is necessary for your salvation, for none of you will lose a single hair from your head." 35When he had said this, he took bread, gave thanks to God in front of them all, broke it, and began to eat. 36Then everyone gained new courage and ate as well. 37There were 276 of us on board. 38When they had eaten and were satisfied, they lightened the ship by throwing the grain cargo into the sea.Everyone is saved
39
Paul's Bay on the northern coast of Malta.
©Melody Sundberg
Three months in Malta
Paul, Luke, and Aristarchus spent three winter months in Malta.
3Paul had just gathered a few twigs and put them on the fire when a poisonous snake crawled out because of the heat and bit his hand. 4When the natives saw the snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, "That man must be a murderer. Even though he was saved from the sea, Justice (Gk.Dike) did not let him live." [Dike was the goddess of moral justice in Greek mythology.] 5But Paul just shook the snake off into the fire and was not harmed. 6The people expected him to swell up or suddenly fall down dead. When they had waited a long time and saw that nothing unusual happened to him, they changed their minds and said he was a god. 7
On the Public Health Agency of Sweden's website, you can read about brucellosis, also known as Malta fever.
9After that event, other sick people on the island also came to him and were healed. 10They showed us their appreciation in many ways, and when we were about to set sail, they provided us with everything we needed. [Malta's fortified capital in ancient times and the Roman Empire was Mdina. It is likely that Publius lives there. According to tradition, St. Paul's Cathedral in Mdina is built on the same site where Publius' house once stood. During the journey to Rom, several of the gifts of the Spirit are at work in Paul's life: prophecy, see ; healing, see .]Towards Rom
11
After spending the winter in Malta, the Roman officer Julius arranges for Paul and the other prisoners to continue their journey to Rome.
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A day later we had a south wind, and on the second day we came to Puteoli. [This is where grain ships used to unload their cargo. Puteoli was Rom. city at that time.] 14There we found [believing] brothers and sisters who invited us to stay with them for seven days [while the ship unloaded its cargo of grain].
Then we continued on to Rom. [A distance of twenty miles along the Via Appia. The walk takes about ten days.] 15As soon as the brothers and sisters [the Christians in Rom] heard that we were coming, they came out to meet us at Forum Appii [4,3 miles (7 km) from Rom] and Tres Tabernae [3 miles (5 km) from Rom]. When Paul saw them, he thanked God and was encouraged. [Although Paul had not visited Rom before, he was well known among the believers there. About three years earlier, around 57 AD, he had written the Epistle to the Romans to them from Corinth during his third missionary journey. Among those who met him now were probably several of those whom he greeted in , including Priscilla and Aquila, see also , .]Paul finally arrives in Rom.
[Rom was founded in 753 BC and was built on seven hills by the River Tiber. During Paul's time, Rom had around 400,000 inhabitants. The famous Colosseum did not yet exist; it was built in the late 70s AD, but famous buildings included the Temple of Jupiter, Caesar's Palace, and the Temple of Mars, the god of war. There was a large Jewish population in Rom, numbering nearly 50,000 people. They were divided into at least eleven synagogues, according to the city's different districts.] 16When we arrived in Rom, Paul was allowed to live on his own with the soldier who was to guard him. [Luke and Aristarchus, who had traveled with Paul from Jerusalem, were also with him. In the letters Paul writes from Rom, Timothy, John Mark, and Demas are also mentioned. Paul is under house arrest. He probably lives in a Roman apartment building near the Praetorian Guard's barracks outside the city walls in northeastern Rom. The dwelling seems spacious, see . Luke and several of Paul's co-workers probably also live there with him. The guard who is chained to Paul's right hand is a low-ranking soldier. This reflects that Paul's status as a Roman citizen was not as special in Rom as it was in the provinces, see .]Conversation with the Jewish leaders
17Three days later he called together the leaders of the Jews [because he was not free to visit the synagogues]. When they had assembled, he said to them, "Brothers, I have done nothing wrong against our people or the customs of our ancestors. Yet I was arrested in Jerusalem and handed over to the Romans. 18After they had questioned me, they wanted to release me, since I was not guilty of anything deserving death. 19But the Jews opposed this, and so I was compelled to appeal to Caesar, without accusing my people of anything. 20That is why I have called you here to meet with you and speak with you. For it is for the hope of Israel that I wear these chains." [The hope refers to the resurrection of the dead, see .] 21They replied, "We have received no letter from Judea concerning you, and none of the brothers who have come here has reported or said anything bad about you. 22But we would like to hear from you what you think, for we know that this sect is everywhere spoken against." 23They set a day for him, and even more people came to his lodging. From morning till evening he explained and testified to them about the kingdom of God, trying to convince them about Jesus from both the Law of Moses [the teachings in the five books of Moses] and the Prophets. 24Some were persuaded by his words, but others refused to believe. 25When they could not agree, they parted ways, after Paul had said this one word: "The Holy Spirit spoke rightly through the prophet Isaiah to your fathers 26when he said: Go to this people and say:
You will hear (again and again) but not understand,
and you will see (again and again) but not perceive. 27For this people's heart is hardened (thick, hard, unfeeling).
They hear poorly with their ears
and close their eyes,
so that they do not see with their eyes
or hear with their ears
or understand with their hearts
and turn back
so that I may heal them.
[Quote from . Jesus also quotes from the same passage, see ; .] 28Therefore, know that this salvation of God has been sent to the Gentiles, and they will listen. 29[Some manuscripts have this verse: "When he had said this, the Jews went away, arguing among themselves."]Paul preaches boldly for two years
30For two whole years Paul stayed in the house he had rented, welcoming all who came to him. 31He preached the kingdom of God and taught with great boldness about the Lord Jesus the Anointed One (Messiah, Christ) without hindrance. [During this time, Paul wrote several of the New Testament letters: Colossians, Philem., Ephesians, and Philippians.
Was Paul's case tried before Emperor Nero? The fact that Luke was able to state that Paul's house arrest ended after two years suggests that something happened after two years, which was around 62 AD. In a vision, an angel had also clearly told him that he would stand before the emperor, see . Either he was convicted and executed, or he was acquitted, which is more likely. This would be entirely consistent with how his case had previously been handled when he was accused before the Roman judiciary, see . It also agrees with the information found in early Christian tradition, where Paul is released, travels to Spain, Crete, and Macedonia, and is then executed in Rom during Emperor Nero's persecution of Christians in 66-67 AD. During this final period, he writes both letters to Timothy and the letter to Titus.
Luke does not write a biography of Paul's life; his purpose in Acts is to show God's invincible word that cannot be hindered, and the boldness of the disciples.]
