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Notes on the International Sunday School Lessons
Spring 2001
by Jarl K. Waggoner
Lesson 1 - Acts 1:1-14
1:1 - "former treatise" - a reference to the book of Luke, which was written by the same author (Luke) and addressed to the same man, Theophilus (Luke 1:3).
1:3 - "kingdom of God" - NIVBC (381) says this refers primarily to "God's sovereign rule in human life and the affairs of history, and secondarily to the realm where that rule reigns. . . . it was specially manifested in the life of the nation of Israel and among Jesus' disciples; it is expressed progressively in the church and through the lives of Christians." Harrison (37) agrees and says the expression was almost equivalent to "the gospel." BKC (353), however, believes it refers to the future messianic kingdom. Apparently, this was what disciples asked about in verse 6. Jesus did not dispute their understanding of the kingdom but the time of its establishment (cf. Kent, 22-23).
1:4 - Cf. Luke 24:49. Some see Luke 24:49 and Acts 1:4 as being parallel accounts of the same occasion. In fact, those who do usually see Luke 24:44-53 as parallel to Acts 1:3-12 (cf. Robert-son, Harmony of the Gospels, 250-251; Walvoord, Jesus Christ Our Lord, 194-195; Harrison, 38). Another view is that Jesus' words in Luke 24:49 were repeated later just prior to the ascension in Acts 1:4 (cf. Stein, Luke, 621; LBC, 2072).
1:4 - "promise of the Father" - Cf. John 14:16, 26; 15:26; 16:7.
1:5 - "baptized with the Holy Ghost" - Cf. Matt. 3:11; John 1:30-33. "With" (en) can be translated "by" as it is in 1 Cor. 12:13. "Because of the peculiar historical position of the eleven, they were believers for some time before being baptized with the Spirit; but this is not the norm for this age. Only very special considerations in the life of the early Church dictated delay in the giving of the Spirit (8:12, 15-16)" (Harrison, 38-39).
1:5 - Baptism with (by) the Spirit identifies the believer with both Christ and His body, the church. It makes him a member of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:13; Ryrie, The Holy Spirit, 78).
1:5 - "not many days hence" - This would be on the Day of Pentecost, ten days after Jesus' ascension.
1:8 - "ye shall be witnesses" - Harrison (40) points out that this was both prophecy and command.
1:9 - "was taken up" - cf. Luke 24:50-51. For significance of the ascension, see Walvoord, Jesus Christ Our Lord (223-224).
1:10 - "two men" - Undoubtedly they were angels (cf. Mark 16:5; Luke 24:4), though some have identified them as Enoch and Elijah or the two witnesses of Rev. 11:3-6 (cf. Kent, 25).
1:11 - "in like manner" - He will return visibly, physically, in the clouds (Matt. 24:30; 26:64), and to the Mount of Olives (Zech. 14:4) (Cf. Kent, 25-26).
1:12 - "sabbath day's journey" = 2000 cubits, or slightly more than a half mile (Harrison, 42; Bruce, 72).
1:13 - "an upper room" - The Greek says "the upper room," which probably suggests it was the same place where the Last Supper had been held (Kent, 26).
1:14 - "women" - Probably those who had followed Him from Galilee (Luke 8:2-3; Mark 15:40-41). "his brethren" = Jesus' half brothers (cf. Matt. 13:55). The total number of people gathered there was 120 (Acts 1:15).
Lesson 2 - Acts 2:1-4, 14, 32, 36-47
2:2 - "house" - This could refer to the upper room (1:13) or the temple (Kent, 29).
2:2-3 - "sound from heaven . . . cloven tongues like as of fire" - The significance of these evidences are not given here. See Kent (29), Harrison (51), BKC (357) for suggestions. At least they indicated that all present were baptized by the Spirit. The "tongues . . . of fire" was probably symbolic of the divine presence (NIVBC, 387) and recalled the words of John the Baptist (Matt. 3:11).
2:4 - "tongues" - There are various views of the nature of these tongues (cf. Kent, 30-32; NIVBC, 387-388). Clearly, the hearers heard the apostles speaking in their various native languages. Some hold that the apostles spoke in known human languages that they had not learned. Others suggest these were ecstatic utterances, presumably like the tongues in Corinth, and that the hearers miraculously heard their native languages.
2:36 - "God hath made . . . Jesus, both Lord and Christ" - "The initial 'therefore' shows that God's resurrection and exaltation of Jesus accredit him as humankind's Lord and Israel's Messiah" (NIVBC, 392). "Jesus was Lord and Christ during the ministry, but . . . the resurrection and ascension put the application of these titles to His person beyond dispute" (Harrison, 62).
2:38 - "repent" - Literally, it means change the mind. Here it "includes all aspects of conversion, including faith" (Kent, 33).
2:38 - "for the remission of sins" - Clearly this does not teach baptismal regeneration. Peter himself did not make baptism a requirement for salvation elsewhere (cf. Acts 3:19; 5:31; 10:43). BKC (359) gives a good summary of interpretations. Basically, there are three: (1) "Remission" is connected with both "repent" and "be baptized" (Bruce, 98). Baptism is closely connected to repentance as the symbol of it. It naturally follows repentance but is not a condition for forgiveness. (2) "for" (eis) should be taken here (as it is in some other places) to mean "on the basis of" or "because of." Thus baptism is based on forgiveness that has already been received (Kent, 33-34; Robt. 3:35-36). (3) "and be baptized . . . in the name of Jesus Christ" is a parenthetical statement set off from the main thought and thus is not presented as a condition for forgiveness (BKC, 359).
2:39 - "promise" - This probably includes both forgiveness of sins and the gift of the Holy Spirit (NIVBC, 396).
2:39 - "all that are afar off" - This refers to Jews in the Dispersion but could also include Gentiles (Harrison, 63; NIVBC, 396).
2:41 - "were added" - Kent (34) states, "This whole paragraph (vss. 41-47) emphasizes the visible relationships of the believers. Hence "were added" . . . should be understood of their addition to the group of Christians, not of their mystical addition 'to the Lord.'"
2:42 - "fellowship" - See EDT (414). The basic meaning is participation. Here it probably speaks of a "unity of faith and love and joy that characterized these early believers" (Harrison, 65). Breaking of bread, prayers, and having all things in common (vs. 44) were physical expressions of this fellowship (Bruce, 100; BKC, 360).
2:42 - "breaking of bread" - Most take this as a reference to the Lord's Supper (noting that definite articles are used with the expression in Greek) in contrast with the ordinary meals mentioned in vs. 46 (Harrison, 65-66; Kent, 34). See NIVBC (398) and Robt (3:38) for other ideas.
2:44 - "had all things common" - This, of course, was not commanded but was a response to the particular situation in Jerusalem (cf. NIVBC, 398).
Lesson 3 - Acts 3:1-10; 4:1-4, 13-14
3:1 - "ninth hour" = 3:00 P.M. See Harrison (69) for description of Jewish prayer times.
3:2 - "gate . . . called Beautiful" - The identity of the gate is not certain, but "most scholars today believe it is the Nicanor Gate, which led from the eastern part of the outer court (Court of the Gentiles) into the first of the inner courts (Court of the Women)" (NIVBC, 399).
3:3 - "alms" - See TDNT (2:485-486). It is related to the word for mercy (eleos) and speaks of acts of benevolence, especially the giving of money.
3:6 - "In the name of Jesus Christ" - "In Semitic thought, a 'name' . . . does not just identify or distinguish a person; it expresses the very nature of his being. Hence the power of the person is present and available in the name of the person. Peter, therefore, does not just ask the risen Jesus to heal but pronounces over the crippled beggar the name of Jesus, thereby releasing the power of Jesus (cf. 3:16; 4:10). And the power of the risen Jesus, coupled with the man's response of faith (cf. 3:16), effects the healing" (NIVBC, 400).
4:1 - "captain of the temple" - This was the commanding officer of the temple police (NIVBC, 402; Harrison, 79).
4:1 - "Sadducees" - The Sadducees held power in the Sanhedrin. They rejected the resurrection of the dead, which was why they so objected to the apostles' teaching. See Old ISBE (2658-2660) and Tenney, NT Times (94-95).
4:3 - "it was now eventide" - Peter and John were confined overnight because it was evening, and there was not enough time for a trial. Jewish law "forbade night trials (a law flagrantly violated in the case of Jesus)" (Kent, 44). They were brought before the Sanhedrin the next day (vss. 6ff).
4:4 - "men" - This is the word for males; so it can be assumed that the total number was considerably more than the 5,000 men cited here (Robt. 3:50).
4:13 - "unlearned and ignorant" - Essentially, these terms mean they were unschooled (without rabbinical training) and they were laymen (not officials or experts) (Robt. 3:52; Kent, 46-47).
4:14 - "they had been with Jesus" - The authority with which these untrained men spoke was reminiscent of Jesus (cf. Matt. 7:28-29; John 7:15).
Lesson 4 - Acts 5:27-42
Background - The apostles had been arrested the night before by the Sanhedrin and imprisoned. They were miraculously freed during the night and began preaching again in the temple the next morning. Again, they were taken by officers before the Sanhedrin (Acts 5:12-26).
5:29 - "We ought to obey God rather than men" - Peter's answer was consistent with what he had said before (cf. 4:19-20). "Ought" (dei) denotes moral necessity (Vine's, 451; Robt. 3:65).
5:30 - "God . . . raised up Jesus" - This is usually taken as a reference to the resurrection. In fact, NIV translates, "raised Jesus from the dead." A number of commentators, however, suggest it is a reference to Jesus' being raised up "in the arena of history" (Harrison, 99; cf. Bruce, 143).
5:33 - "cut to the heart" - Literally, it means cut in two. "Here it is rage that cuts into their hearts, not conviction of sin" (Robt. 3:66; cf. Bruce, 144).
5:34 - "Gamaliel" - He was a well-known and respected rabbi of the first century. He was the grandson of the famous rabbi Hillel and was Paul's mentor (Acts 22:3) (Kent, 58; Bruce, 146; NBD, 451).
5:36-37- "Theudas . . . Judas" - A "Theudas" is mentioned by Josephus as leading a rebellion a decade after Gamaliel's statement. Clearly, the Theudas mentioned here was not the same one described by Josephus (See Kent, 59; NIVBC, 411).
5:38-39- See Kent (59-60) for good evaluation of Gamaliel's reasoning.
Lesson 5 - Acts 6:1-8, 10; 7:54-8:1
6:1 - "Grecians . . . Hebrews" - "The 'Hebrews' were native Palestinian Jews who spoke Aramaic and used the Hebrew Scriptures. The [Grecians] were Greek-cultured Jews, . . . These spoke Greek regularly, used the LXX as their Scripture" (Kent, 61-62; cf. BKC, 367). NASB translates "Hellenistic Jews . . . native Hebrews."
6:1 - "daily ministration" - "Ministration" (diakonia) is aid, support, distribution (BAG, 183). It could refer to a distribution from common funds (Bruce, 151) or to a distribution of food (NIVBC, 413; cf. NIV, NASB). It is called serving tables in vs. 2 (See below). Diakonia is translated "ministry" in vs. 4.
6:2 - "reason" = pleasing, or desirable (BAG, 105). The verb form of the word is used in vs. 5.
6:2 - "serve tables" - "Tables" can refer to "banks" or money tables; so the expression can fit with either of the interpretations of "daily ministration" (vs. 1) (cf. Robt. 3:73; Bruce, 152; Kent, 63).
6:3 - "of honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom" - The qualifications were three: "ethical, having a good testimony because of sterling character and conduct; spiritual, full of the Spirit; and practical, possessing the wisdom to manage this operation" (Harrison, 106).
6:5 - "Stephen . . . Nicolas" - "The men who were chosen all had Greek names, and it is sometimes asserted that all were of the Hellenist group-surely a gracious gesture to the complainers if that were so. However, many Palestinian Jews had Greek names (for example, the apostle Philip), so this feature is not to be pressed. Nevertheless, one of them was actually a Gentile by birth-Nicolas, a proselyte to Judaism who came from Antioch" (Kent, 63). Concerning the possibility that these men represented the origin of the office of deacon, see BKC (367-368).
6:6 - "laid their hands on them" - This signified commissioning and granting of authority (BKC, 367).
6:7 - "increased" - lit., "kept on spreading" (Robt. 3:74; cf. NASB).
6:7 - "priests" - Most likely these priests who were converted were not the Sadducean aristocrats who had opposed the apostles but common priests (Kent, 64; Harrison, 107). "There were perhaps as many as eight thousand 'ordinary' priests and ten thousand Levites, divided into twenty-four weekly courses, serving at the Jerusalem temple during the period of a year, whose social position was distinctly inferior to that of the high priestly families and whose piety in many cases could well have inclined them to an acceptance of the Christian message" (NIVBC, 415).
6:8 - "full of faith and power" - MSS evidence favors "grace" rather than "faith" here (Robt. 3:75; cf. NASB; NIV; NJB; NRSV).
6:10 - "they" - These were Hellenistic Jews now living in Jerusalem and attached to certain synagogues there (vs. 9) (cf. NIVBC, 415; Harrison, 109).
7:54 - "gnashed on him with their teeth" - "Gnashed their teeth at him" (NIV) is better. This was an expression of anger. They were angered by Stephen's accusation that they had murdered Jesus just as their fathers had killed the prophets of God and that they had not kept the law (vss. 51-53).
7:55-56-"Jesus standing on the right hand of God . . . the Son of man standing on the right hand of God" - The Sanhedrin previously had heard Jesus declare that they would "see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power" (Mark 14:62). That Jesus was "standing" rather than sitting has usually been seen as suggesting Jesus' welcoming Stephen into His presence (cf. NIVBC, 423).
7:58 - "stoned him" - Some see the stoning of Stephen as a legal execution carried out by the Sanhedrin (Harrison, 128; JFB, 6:46). They point out that Stephen was taken outside the city (cf. Lev. 24:14; Num. 15:35) and that the witnesses against him cast the first stones (cf. Deut. 17:7). Others (Kent, 72; LBC, 2144-2145) believe these were formalities that masked what was actually a lynching. They point out that capital punishment could only be carried out by permission of Rome (cf. John 18:31) and that according to current Jewish law capital cases required a second trial a day later.
7:58 - "young man" - This "generally refers to someone from about twenty-four to forty years old" (NIVBC, 424).
7:59-60- "Receive my spirit . . . lay not this sin to their charge" - Stephen's words reflected those of Jesus (cf. Luke 23:46, 34).
8:1 - "at that time" - literally, this is "on that day" (Harrison, 129; cf. NASB; NIV).
8:1 - "scattered abroad . . . except the apostles" - It is not clear why the apostles, and at least some of the other believers, remained in Jerusalem. Most commentators suggest that the persecution was directed primarily at the Hellenistic believers and that these were the ones who were scattered (Harrison, 130; NIVBC, 425; BKC, 372). As vs. 4 indicates those who were scattered "went as missionaries more than as refugees" (Harrison, 130).
Lesson 6 - Acts 8:4-8, 26-35
8:5 - "Philip" - This is the same Philip named in 6:5 (cf. 21:8). If he was a Hellenistic Jew, as many suggest, he was more suited to ministry among the Samaritans than a Palestinian Jew (cf. BKC, 372).
8:5 - "the city of Samaria" - Some MSS have "a city of Samaria" (cf. NIV). Thus it may simply refer to an unnamed city in the region known as Samaria. If it is taken as "the city" (cf. NASB), it seems to be a reference to the ancient city of Samaria, which, though destroyed in OT times, had been rebuilt and was ordinarily called Sebaste (Kent, 76, 78 note). The Samaritans were "descendants from a mixture of the remnant of Israel with foreigners who were settled in Samaria by the conquering Assyrians when the upper classes were taken into exile (II Kings 17). The Samaritans had erected a rival temple upon Mount Gerizim (see Jn 4:20)." (WBC, 1138; cf. NBD, 1131-1132).
8:26 - "the angel of the Lord" - Better translated "an angel of the Lord" (Kent, 80; cf. NASB).
8:26 - "Go toward the south . . . down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is desert" - This may suggest Philip had returned to Jerusalem with Peter and John (cf. vss. 14-25), though this is by no means certain. "Desert" may refer to either the town or the road (BKC, 374) , though most take it as the latter (cf. NIV; NASB; NJB). Gaza was the southernmost of the five ancient Philistine cities (NIVBC, 428; NBD, 454-455).
8:27 - "a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch" - "In ancient times, this term indicated a large territory lying directly south of Egypt, hence to be distinguished from modern Ethiopia located to the southeast" (Harrison, 141). "Eunuch" could refer to a physical eunuch, a court officer (Gen. 39:1), or both since eunuchs were often put in charge of harems and sometimes rose to high government positions (Kent, 81).
8:27 - "come to Jerusalem for to worship" - The Ethiopian was either a proselyte to Judaism or, if a physical eunuch (Deut. 23:1), a "'proselyte of the gate,' one whose adherence to Judaism was only partial" (Kent, 81).
8:27 - "Candace" - A dynastic title for the queen-mother of Ethiopia (BKC, 374; Kent, 81).
8:32-33- "scripture which he read" - The Ethiopian was reading Isaiah 53:7-8. "It describes one who suffered in silence, to whom justice was denied, and who was slain" (WBC, 1139). The entire passage from Isaiah 52:13-53:12 speaks of the suffering Servant.
8:34 - "Of whom speaketh the prophet?" - The Ethiopian was "Puzzled about the identification of this figure. This is not surprising in view of the variety of interpretations which have been put forward: . . . The eunuch felt sure that the prophecy concerned an individual, but was unable to fix his identity" (Harrison, 142).
Lesson 7 - Luke 24:1-10; Acts 9:19-20, 26-28, 31
Luke 24:1 - For harmony of post-resurrection events, see BKC (91) or Walvoord, Jesus Christ Our Lord (192-195).
24:1 - "They" - This refers to "the women" of 23:55, which included Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, Salome, Joanna, and others (Mark 16:1; Luke 24:10).
24:2 - "found the stone rolled away" - See Matthew 28:2-4. An earthquake had occurred, and an angel had rolled the stone back.
24:3 - "found not the body" - At this time Mary Magdalene, assuming the body had been stolen, departed to tell Peter and John (John 20:2-10). She was not present to hear the angel's words (Luke 24:4) but later encountered the risen Lord (John 20:11-18).
24:4 - "two men" - These were angels (cf. Matt. 28:2-5). Matthew and Mark (16:5) mention only one angel, probably because he was the only one who spoke.
24:6 -7- "he spake . . . when he was yet in Galilee" - cf. Matt. 16:21; 17:22-23; Mark 9:9, 31.
24:9 - "returned . . . and told all these things" - This was not the immediate response. Initially, they were silenced by fear and amazement (Mark 16:8). But eventually, their joy led them to quickly go tell the disciples (Matt. 28:8).
24:10 - "Mary Magdalene, . . . Joanna, . . . Mary the mother of James" - Mary Magdalene and Joanna are mentioned in Luke 8:2-3. Mary the mother of James is probably to be identified with "Mary the wife of Cleopas" (John 19:25). She is also mentioned in Mark 15:40-41. She was the mother of James the Less (the son of Alphaeus-Acts 1:13) and perhaps the sister of Mary, the mother of Jesus (UBD, 703; cf. Morris, John, 810). Salome was also present (Mark 16:1), though not mentioned here. Many identify her, rather than the Mary the wife of Cleopas, as the sister of Jesus' mother (Kent, Light in the Darkness, 210).
Acts 9:26 - "Saul was come to Jerusalem" - Acts omits from the narrative Saul's trip to Arabia and return to Damascus before going to Jerusalem (Gal. 1:17-18). Thus it was three years before he went to Jerusalem (cf. BKC, 378).
9:27 - "apostles" - "The mention of 'apostles' in 9:27 must be a generalizing plural, inasmuch as the only apostle met by Saul at this time was Peter unless James the Lord's brother be considered an apostle in the wider sens (Gal. 1:18, 19)" (Kent, 86).
9:31 - "had the churches rest" - This verse is a summary statement"showing that in spite of the severity of the persecution [Luke] has described, 'rest' for the churches finally came when the chief persecutor was converted" (Kent, 86; cf. Harrison, 158).
Lesson 8 - Acts 10:30-40, 44-48
10:30 - "Cornelius" - He was a Roman centurion (captain of 100) stationed in Caesarea (vs. 1), the capital of the province of Judea (Kent, 89; cf. NBD, 174; NIVBC, 438 ). He "feared God," which was "an expression which when applied to gentiles in the NT meant that they were adherents to Judaism to a limited extent (i.e. 'proselytes of the gate') (Kent, 90). NIVBC (438-439), however, says, "It seems that Cornelius was a Gentile who, having realized the bankruptcy of paganism, sought to worship a monotheistic God, practice a form of prayer, and lead a moral life, apart from any necessary association with Judaism."
10:30 - "four days ago" - Cornelius here begins to recount events previously recorded in vss. 3-8.
10:30 - "ninth hour" - 3:00 P.M., one of the regular Jewish times for prayer (Kent, 90).
10:31 - "thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remembrance" - "A biblical and traditional way of saying that he was commended before God and that God was attentive to his situation" (NIVBC, 439). It does not suggest he had earned divine favor for he was still unsaved (cf. 11:13-14).
10:32 - "Joppa" - See NBD (654). Peter had been ministering in and around Joppa for a time (9:32ff).
10:32 - "Simon a tanner" - Cf. 9:43. Tanners "handled skins from ceremonially unclean animals, and were thus regarded as Levitically impure. . . . Peter's disregard of Jewish scruples in this instance may indicate his broadening outlook" (Kent, 88).
10:34 - "God is no respecter of persons" - that is, He does not show partiality (cf. NASB; NIV). This Peter had learned especially through the vision he had in Joppa (vss. 9-20).
10:35 - "he that feareth [God] and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him" - "The meaning is not that such persons are saved (cf. 11:14) but rather are suitable candidates for salvation. Such preparation betokens a spiritual earnestness which will result in faith as the Gospel is heard and received" (Harrison, 172).
10:36 - "preaching peace" - "Peace" here is synonymous with salvation, for it speaks of the peace Christ makes between sinners and God (Harrison, 172).
10:37ff- "ye know . . ." - This is a summary of Peter's message. What these people had heard about Jesus in general terms, Peter outlines in more detail, following the outline of Mark's gospel (Robt. 3:144-145; NIVBC, 441; BKC, 381).
10:37 - "word (rhema). . . which was published" - Most translate this as referring to events that came to pass (cf. NIV; NASB; NJB). NRSV, however, takes it as referring to the message that spread throughout Judea. "Published" is uncommon translation of ginomai (cf. Vine's, 497).
10:44 - "these words" - that is, the words Peter was speaking regarding forgiveness of sins for all who believe in Christ (vs. 43) (cf. NIVBC, 442). When they believed "the Holy Ghost fell on . . . them."
10:45 - "as many as came with Peter" - Peter had taken six Jewish believers with him to Caesarea (10:23; 11:12).
10:45 - "the gift of the Holy Ghost" - This means the gift that is the Holy Spirit (Kent, 95).
10:46 - "tongues" - The receiving of the Spirit here was "the gentile counterpart of Pentecost, as 11:17 clearly shows, and included both the baptism of the Spirit and the filling of the Spirit. The phenomenon of speaking in tongues was an evidence of the latter (as in 2:4), whether it took the form of foreign languages as at Pentecost . . . or was of the variety known at Corinth which required a human interpreter is not certain. The former is perhaps more likely, inasmuch as no interpreters are indicated, and the similarity to Pentecost is especially noted (11:17)" (Kent, 95). NIVBC (442) thinks ecstatic utterance is more likely.
Lesson 9 - Acts 11:19-30; 13:1-3
11:19ff- Chronologically, this section is parallel to events in 8:4-11:18.
11:19 - "Antioch" - This was Antioch on the Orontes, a cosmopolitan city located in Syria near the Mediterranean coast. It was the third largest city in the Roman Empire (NBD, 40-41; NIVBC, 444).
11:20 - "men of Cyprus and Cyrene . . . spake unto the Grecians" - Initially, the gospel was preached only to Jews (vs. 19). But certain Jewish believers originally from Cyprus (the Mediterranean island) and Cyrene (an area in North Africa) began to preach to "Grecians." "Grecians" here most likely refers to Greeks (i.e. Gentiles), not Hellenistic Jews. There is a textual question here (Harrison, 182; Robt. 3:156; Bruce, 235; Kent, 97-98).
11:22 - "sent forth Barnabas" - Some commentators suggest that Barnabas's mission was motivated by concern over the mixed congregation of Jews and Gentiles in Antioch (NIVBC, 445). Certainly it is possible this was part of it, but it is probably safer to simply agree with many other commentators that Barnabas (himself a native of Cyprus-4:36) was sent to "supervise and aid in the ministry" (Harrison, 183).
11:25 - "to Tarsus, for to seek Saul" - Tarsus, Saul's hometown, was the capital of Cilicia in southern Asia Minor. It was less than 100 miles northwest of Antioch (UBD, 1071; NBD, 1240; Hammond's Bible Atlas #B-33). Saul had been ministering in and around Tarsus, possibly to Gentiles (Acts 22:21) for seven to ten years (Kent, 98) since leaving Jerusalem (9:29-30). "Seek" suggests uncertainty as to Saul's whereabouts and some difficulty in finding him (Harrison, 184; Kent, 99; Robt. 3:159).
11:26 - "The disciples were called Christians" - "Called" suggest the name was bestowed on them from people outside the church (i.e. pagan Gentiles). "The name consists of the title 'Christ' with the suffix '-ian' denoting an adherent" (Kent, 99; cf. WBC, 1144; EDT, 216).
11:27 - "prophets" - "This is the first mention of NT prophets, whose function apparently included prediction as well as proclamation of the word of God. Agabus who prophesied the famine appears again in 21:10" (Kent, 99).
11:28 - "world" (oikoumene) = the inhabited earth, or possibly the Roman Empire (Vine's, 685).
11:28 - "great dearth . . . in the days of Claudius" - Claudius reigned from A.D. 41-54. "Although history has not yet confirmed . . . a worldwide famine at that time, there are records of frequent famines during this period. . . . Josephus reports a great famine in Judea during the procuratorships of Cuspius Fadus (A.D. 44-46) and Tiberius Alexander (A.D. 46-48)" (Kent, 99-100).
11:29 - "send relief" - The impending famine led to the church's relief effort on behalf of their brethren in Judea, "whose plight as a minority group within the nation would be particularly difficult at such a time" (NIVBC, 446).
11:30 - "elders" - This is the first time Christian elders are mentioned in Acts (cf. 15:2; 21:18). They may have "taken over some of the duties of the Seven (6:1ff.) since the persecution had necessitated some reorganization" (Kent, 100; cf. Harrison, 187). Many identify this famine relief visit to Jerusalem with the visit referred to in Galatians 2:1-10, but this is by no means certain (cf. WBC, 1145).
13:1 - "Simeon . . . Lucius . . . Manaen" - Simeon's nickname was "Niger" (Latin for "black"), which suggests an African origin. Some suggest this may have have been the Simon of Cyrene who carried Jesus' cross (Mark 15:21). Lucius was from Cyrene in northern Africa. Manaen had been reared with Herod the Tetrarch (Herod Antipas) (WBC, 1146). (See Vine's (253) for meaning of suntrophos, used here in reference to Manaen's relationship to Herod.
Lesson 10 - Acts 13:14-15, 42-52
Background - Saul, or Paul (Acts 13:9), and Barnabas, accompanied by John Mark, had left Antioch and traveled through Cyprus. They then crossed over to Asia Minor, where John Mark abandoned them (vss. 4-13).
13:14 - "Perga . . . Antioch in Pisidia" - "Perga" was the capital of the province of Pamphylia in southern Asia Minor, near the coast (UBD, 844). "Antioch in Pisidia" is more properly translated "Pisidian Antioch." It was so named because it was near the region of Pisidia (BKC, 389). It was actually located in Phrygia (NBD, 40; NIVBC, 455). "'Under the Romans it was geographically a city of Phrygia, politically a city of the Province Galatia'" (Kent, quoting Ramsey, 112). "It was a city of Galatia, in the district . . . called Phrygia" (Old ISBE, 1157). In Galatians 4:13 Paul said an affliction caused him to preach there first. "Ramsay argues that an attack of malaria could have forced Paul from the lowlands of Perga without preaching to the higher altitudes of Pisidian Antioch (elevation 3600 feet)" (Kent, 112).
13:15ff- For a summary of Paul's sermon in vss. 16-41, see WBC (1147).
13:42 - "The Jews . . . the Gentiles" - The reading that has "Jews" and "Gentiles" has weak MSS support. UBS text followed by most modern translations simply has third person plural, "they," in both instances. Thus, as they (Paul and Barnabas) were going out, they (the people, both Jews and Gentiles) begged them to teach them the following Sabbath (cf. Robt. 3:196; WBC, 1148; NASB; NIV; NJB; NRSV).
13:43 - "religious proselytes" - It is unclear whether these were the God fearers mentioned in vs. 16, probably partial converts to Judaism (proselytes of the gate), or full proselytes. WBC (1148) and Robt (3:196) take the former view; Harrison (214) and Bruce (272-273) take the latter.
13:44 - "the whole city" - "Since the number of Jews in attendance at the synagogue would be approximately the same from week to week, the great increase must be credited to Gentile interest" (Harrison, 215).
13:45 - "the Jews . . . were filled with envy (jealousy)" - The jealousy here perhaps involved more than the obvious influence Paul and Barnabas commanded. "Not only was the synagogue being flooded by Gentiles as though it were a common theater or town hall, but, even more, it became clear that Paul and Barnabas were ready to speak directly to Gentiles without first relating them in some way to Judaism" (NIVBC, 457).
13:45 - "blaspheming" - In this context, it probably refers to the "derisive and reviling manner in which Paul's opponents contended with him, although the name of Jesus may have been included" (Harrison, 216).
13:46 - "the word of God should first have been spoken to you" - The divine plan, one consistently followed by Paul, was to take the gospel (the "word of God") to the Jews first (cf. Rom. 1:16). This was only natural since the messianic promises had been given to the Israelite nation ( BKC 390).
13:47 - "For so the Lord hath commanded us" - Paul and Barnabas quoted Isaiah 49:6 to justify turning to the Gentiles with their message. Their turning to the Gentiles was the outworking of this prophecy that the mission of the Servant of the Lord would extend to Gentiles (BKC, 390; Harrison, 216).
13:48 - "as many as were ordained to eternal life believed" - "All who responded were, in fact, those who were appointed for eternal life. . . . the human responsibility of believing is shown to coincide exactly with what God in his sovereignty had planned" (Kent, 114).
13:49 - "published (spread) throughout all the region" - The gospel spread through the "recent converts as well as by Paul and Barnabas. This would seem to indicate a stay of some months" (Robt. 3:201). It seems the spread of the gospel took place primarily through the Gentile converts (Harrison, 217).
13:50 - "devout and honourable women" - Robt (3:201) calls them "proselytes of high station" (cf. JFB, 6:95; Kent, 114). Bruce (275) says they were "more or less attached to the Jewish worship." Generally, the word does not refer to full proselytes (cf. Acts 10:2; TDNT, 6:95; Old ISBE, 2468).
13:51 - "shook off the dust" - This was an act of scorn and disassociation (NIVBC, 458). "The towns-people were making themselves responsible for denying to the community further light on salvation and the opportunity to receive if from those who were capable of making the way plain" (Harrison, 217). Paul and Barnabas returned to Antioch later (14:21-23).
13:51 - "Iconium" - a city about 80 miles east of Pisidian Antioch (Kent, 115; Hammond's Bible Atlas, B-33).
13:52 - "disciples" - this refers to the new believers left behind in Pisidian Antioch.
Lesson 11 - Acts 15:1-2, 6-14, 19-20
Background - Paul and Barnabas had returned from their missionary trip to Antioch (14:26) and reported that God had "opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles" (vs. 27). They remained in Antioch for some time (vs. 28) before the arrival of men from Judea (15:1).
15:1 - "ye cannot be saved" - The Judean teachers were teaching that circumcision was necessary for Gentile believers to be saved. "Gentile salvation apart from circumcision and compliance with Mosaic Law had seemed assured after the conversion of Cornelius. Even the Jerusalem church, . . . had been convinced that God was truly saving gentiles (11:18). Paul's first missionary journey, however, focused attention again on the matter. . . . It may have been reports of Paul and Barnabas about the success of their preaching among gentiles in Cyprus and Asia Minor that brought up the problem again. It was one thing for a proselyte of the gate like Cornelius to be converted. . . . But Paul and Barnabas had been evangelizing ordinary pagans who had no attachment to the synagogue whatsoever. If this should go unchecked, it would be only a matter of time until gentiles would be a majority in the church, . . . The very character of the church was faced with the prospect of profound change" (Kent, 120; cf. NIVBC, 462).
15:2 - "go up to Jerusalem" - Was this visit to Jerusalem the one described in Galatians 2? Many scholars think so. Many others, however, identify Galatians 2 with the famine visit of Acts 11:27-30. For discussion see Harrison (23-24; Kent, 123-124). Note that according to Boyer ("NT Chronological Chart") the famine visit took place in A.D. 46 and the Jerusalem council meeting of Acts 15 was in 49.
15:2 - "they determined" - The Greek text supplies no expressed subject for the verb. "They" could be those from Judea, but it hardly seems likely that they ordered the conference in Jerusalem. More likely "they" refers to the church in Antioch (Kent, 121; Robt. 3:224; cf. NASB).
15:6 - "apostles and elders came together" - This implies a private session, while vss 12 and 22 suggest a large, congregational meeting. Kent (122-123) distinguishes three separate sessions: (1) an opening general session in which the issue was raised after an initial report by Paul and Barnabas (vss. 4-5); (2) a private session of the leaders in which the issue was discussed and a procedure for presenting the case to the whole congregation was determined (vs. 6); (3) a general session (vss. 7-29) in which various speeches were given and a recommendation was made. Others imply that there were two sessions: an informal airing of the issue (vss. 4-5) and a formal council meeting in which the apostles and elders met, along with many other believers (BKC, 393; NIVBC, 464; WBC, 1151).
15:7-9 - Peter here recounted his preaching to Cornelius. This had been initiated by God Himself. The belief of these Gentiles and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit on them showed that they were saved by faith alone.
15:10 - "a yoke upon the neck" -To require circumcision of Gentile converts would be to place an unbearable obligation upon them. "'taking the yoke' was used to describe Gentile proselytes coming to Judaism. It spoke of an obligation" (BKC, 393).
15:12 - "miracles and wonders" - "God had endorsed their work among the Gentiles by 'signs and wonders,' showing that He approved of their ministry as well as of Peter's at Caesarea. Circumcision had not been imposed in either case" (Harrison, 233; cf. Kent, 125). See also BKC (360) on Acts 2:43.
15:13 - "James" - This was Jesus' half-brother (Gal. 1:19), not the apostle, who had been killed by Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:1-2).
15:14 - "Simeon" - James used Peter's Jewish name (Simon) with its Jewish spelling (Harrison, 234; Kent, 125).
15:15-18 - (Background) - James went on to show that Gentile salvation apart from circumcision was consistent with the O.T. by quoting Amos 9:11-12 (BKC, 394).
15:19 - "My sentence" - "Sentence" (krino) is better translated "judgment" (NASB; NIV; cf. NKJV) and probably expresses personal opinion (Kent, 126).
15:19 - "trouble not . . . the Gentiles" - i.e., by "having any sort of Jewish ceremonies imposed upon them" (Kent, 127), including circumcision (cf. vs. 10). The word for "trouble" literally means "to crowd in"(Vine's, 644 #5).
15:20 - "write unto them, that they abstain" - "A policy of appropriate conduct [was to] be followed by gentile Christians" (Kent, 127). "It is clear that the items included here . . . were not conceived of in legalistic fashion as conditions of salvation, since it was already the consensus of the Council that the salvation of Gentiles depended on divine grace alone, apart from human works. The purpose of the so-called decree (cf. 16:4) was to ease tension between Jews and Gentiles in the church. An additional result would be a more favorable attitude on the part of unbelieving Jews toward the Christian movement" (Harrison, 235).
15:20 - "abstain from pollutions of idols, . . . fornication, . . . things strangled, . . . blood" - "Pollutions of idols" refers to "meats offered to idols" (vs. 29). Eating such foods was offensive to Jews because it was looked upon as taking apart in idol worship (cf. 1 Cor. 8). "Fornication may refer either to immorality in general or to religious prostitution in pagan temples. Such immorality was so common among Gentiles that it merited special attention" (WBC, 1152). Some see this an an injunction against "breaches of the Jewish marriage law" (Bruce, 300). "Things strangled" and "blood" referred to the same offense-eating meat from which the blood had not been properly drained (cf. Lev. 17:10-14). "Such meat was considered a delicacy by many pagans" (WBC, 1152).
Lesson 12 - Acts 16:9-15, 20, 23, 27-33
Background - After splitting with Barnabas, Paul took Silas and set out on his second missionary journey, visiting churches in Galatia. In Lystra, they were joined by Timothy. They eventually passed through Galatic Phrygia but were directed by the Holy Spirit not to preach at this time in the provinces of Asia or Bithynia. They then came to Troas (15:36-16:8), a seaport on the Aegean Sea in the Roman province of Asia.
16:9 - "Macedonia" - "A Roman senatorial province, corresponding roughly to northern Greece today" (BKC, 398).
16:10 - "we . . . us" - These pronouns indicate that the author of Acts, Luke, joined Paul's band at this point. He apparently remained in Philippi after Paul's initial visit there (16:17) and was not reunited with Paul until his return visit (20:5-15). Some surmise that Philippi was his hometown (NIVBC, 470).
16:11 - "Samothracia . . . Neapolis" - Samothrace is a small, mountainous island in the northern Aegean Sea. It was a stopover place for ships traveling through this part of the sea (NIVBC, 470; NBD, 1133). "Neapolis" was on the northern coast of the Aegean in Maceonia. It served as the seaport for Philippi, which was 10 miles inland (NIVBC, 470; NBD, 872).
16:12 - "Philippi" - For background, see Bruce (312); NIVBC (470); NBD (985). Philippi was named for Philip of Macedon, who enlarged the settlement and named it for himself in 356 B.C. In 42 B.C. it became a Roman colony, "responsible directly to the emperor and not to the provincial administration" (NIVBC, 470). Its inhabitants were Roman citizens (Kent, 134).
16:12 - "chief city of that part of Macedonia" - This cannot mean that it was capital of the province; Thessalonia was the capital of Macedonia. Likewise, it cannot mean it was district capital for that was Amphipolis. "Chief" (prote) might be an honorary title or more likely it simply means "a leading city" (Kent, 134; cf. NASB; NRSV). Another view is that it means Philippi was a city "in the first district of Macedonia" (Harrison, 251).
16:13 - "by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made" - Apparently there was no synagogue in Philippi, which indicates there were few Jews living there since a synagogue required ten adult male Jews (cf. BKC, 399). The "river" was the Gangites, about a mile and a half west of the city.
16:14 - "Lydia, a seller of purple, of . . . Thyatira, which worshipped God" - "Lydia" may be a personal name, or it may mean "a Lydian woman," that is, a woman of Lydia, the region in which Thyatira was located (WBC, 1154). "Seller of purple" indicates Lydia was one who sold cloth that had been dyed purple (cf. NASB; NIV). She was from Thyatira, a city in western Asia Minor known for its dyed cloth. NBD (1275) suggests that she may have been the "overseas agent of a Thyatiran manufacturer." She probably was either unmarried or a widow. Lydia was one who "worshipped God," that is, she was a God-fearer, or proselyte of the gate (Robt. 3:252).
16:15 - "household" - This could include "other members of the family (if there were any), business helpers, and servants" (Harrison, 252).
16:16-19 - Background: A demon-possessed slave girl who had earned much money for her masters through fortune telling had followed the missionaries proclaiming them as servants of God who taught the way of salvation. Her testimony was true but coming from a demonic source was not tolerated, and Paul cast the demon out of her. This, of course, angered her masters.
16:20 - "magistrates" - "A Roman colony was governed by two rulers called duumvirs or praetors. Although the reasons for the seizure were economic, the charges made were religious an dpolitical. It was illegal for Jews to proselyte actively among Roman citizens, and special reference was made to the Roman status of the Philippians (16:21). This resulted in their being publicly stripped, beaten, and then imprisoned without trial" (Kent, 136).
16:27 - "Seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword" - Paul and Silas were still in the prison, even though God had miraculously opened the doors and loosed their chains (vss. 25-26). The jailer decided suicide would be preferable to execution for his failure (cf. Harrison, 256).
16:30 - "What must I do to be saved?" - This question was no doubt prompted by the earthquake and release of the prisoners, Paul's previous preaching in the city, the slave girl's testimony, the conduct of Paul and Silas in prison, or some combination of these (Kent, 136; BKC, 400).
16:31 - "Believe" - The jailer asked what he must do to be saved. The answer was that there was nothing he could do; he simply needed to believe. "Believe is pitted against do. Human achievement is worthless, and needless as well. The Lord Jesus has done it all. What remains is to appropriate His saving work by faith" (Harrison, 257).
16:31 - "and thy house" - This does not suggest the rest of his household would automatically be saved. "The fact that the word of the Lord was proclaimed to the whole household (16:32) shows that the belief required of the jailer was necessary for them too" (Kent, 136).
Lesson 13 - Acts 20:18-32
Background - Paul was returning to Jerusalem from his third missionary journey. When he arrived at Miletus, about 30 miles from Ephesus (Bruce, 377), he sent for the elders of the Ephesian church to join him there (vs. 17). He had visited Ephesus briefly on his second missionary journey (18:19-21) and earlier on this third journey he had spent more than two years there (19:1-41).
20:18 - "Asia" - This is the westernmost province of Asia Minor. It included both Ephesus and Miletus (cf. UBD, 99).
20:19 - "temptations . . . lying in wait of the Jews" - "Temptations" here is better translated "trials" (cf. NASB; JFB, 6:149). "Lying in wait" is translated "plots" in NASB and NIV (cf. Vine's, 475). See Acts 19:9. Paul did not describe these plots in detail.
20:20 - "from house to house" - This is in contrast to his public preaching and may be a reference to house churches in Ephesus (BKC, 413; Harrison, 324).
20:21 - "repentance . . . faith" - The word order in Greek is "toward God repentance and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ." "Repentance" and "faith" are closely connected and are not viewed here as distinct acts but two aspects of saving faith (BKC, 413; JFB, 1:149). Paul was here summarizing the content of his preaching in Ephesus.
20:22 - "bound in the spirit" - This probably refers to the constraint of the Holy Spirit, who was leading Paul to go to Jerusalem (Harrison, 324-315; BKC, 413; NIVBC, 492). Some, however, argue that "spirit" refers to Paul's own spirit. Thus, he was compelled by a "high sense of duty" (Robt. 3:350).
20:22 - "unto Jerusalem" - Evidently Paul was going to Jerusalem to deliver the offering from to the poor believers there from the churches of Galatia, Achaia, and Macedonia (Acts 24:17; Rom. 15:25-28; 1 Cor. 16:1-3).
20:23 - "The Holy Ghost witnesseth . . . that bonds and afflictions abide (await) me" - Apparently through those who were gifted as prophets Paul had been warned of trouble awaiting him in Jerusalem (BKC, 413; NIVBC, 492). See Acts 21:4, 10-11.
20:25 - "ye all . . . shall see my face no more" - This was Paul's conviction in light of what lay ahead of him. He was convinced his ministry would move on to Rome (Acts 19:21; Rom 15:19-25). BKC (414) also says, "The NIV translation, none of you, is a bit strong. The Greek refers to 'all' of them (as a group) not seeing Paul again . . . He did not say no one of them would see him again." It is, in fact, probable that Paul did later visit Ephesus after a first Roman imprisonment (Kent, The Pastoral Epistles, 45-52).
20:27 - "counsel of God" - Boule means advice or purpose and here refers to the will of God (BAG, 145; Vine's, 16 [Advice]).
20:28 - "overseers" - These same church leaders are called "elders" in vs. 17. "Elders" emphasizes the dignity of the individual, while "overseers" refers to the function of the elder (Saucy, The Church in God's Program, 140-142).
20:28 - "feed" = "to feed or tend the flock . . . to act as shepherd" (Robt. 3:352).
20:28 - "with his (God's) own blood" - According to the KJV rendering "Jesus is here called 'God' who shed his own blood for the flock" (Robt. 3:353). Nowhere else, however, does Scripture speak of God the Father shedding blood; thus many prefer an alternate (but legitimate) translation: "with the blood of his own" (Bruce; 381; Harrison, 316; cf. NRSV; NJB).
20:31 - "three years" - This is a round number that includes "the two years (19:10) and three months (19:8) explicitly mentioned by Luke, plus some prior time (19:1-7) and perhaps some activity subsequent to his lecturing in the hall of Tyrannus (19:22)" (Kent, 158; cf. Bruce, 382).
20:32 - "word of his grace" - This could refer to: (1) the message of grace Paul had taught them (NIVBC, 493; Bruce, 382); (2) Scripture, including the developing NT canon (LBC, 2184; BKC, 414); or (3) the grace mediated through Scripture (Harrison, 317).
20:32 - "build you up, and . . . give you an inheritance" - "To 'build up' the people of God is a primary function of the Word and of the ministry of the Word. . . . The Christian's inheritance is a leading theme of Paul's letter to the Ephesians . . . Grace is the basis for it, and the Word of God communicates the promise of it to the saints who await it and have been set apart ('sanctified') for this glorious future" (Harrison, 317).
Abbreviations:
BAG - Bauer, Arndt, Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the NT
BKC - Walvoord and Zuck, eds., The Bible Knowledge Commentary
Bruce - F. F. Bruce, Acts of the Apostles: The Greek Text
EDT - Elwell, ed., The Evangelical Dictionary of Theology
Harrison - Everett F. Harrison, Acts: The Expanding Church
JFB - Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary
Kent - Homer A. Kent, Jerusalem to Rome: Studies in Acts
LBC - Falwell, et al, Liberty Bible Commentary (now known as KJV Parallel Commentary
NASB - New American Standard Bible
NBD - Douglas, ed., The New Bible Dictionary
NIV - New International Version
NIVBC - NIV Bible Commentary (An abridgement of Expositor's Bible Commentary)
NJB- New Jerusalem Bible
NRSV- New Revised Standard Version
Old ISBE- Orr, ed., International Standard Bible Encyclopedia
Robt. - A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament
TDNT - Kittel, et al, Theological Dictionary of the New Testament
UBD - Unger, Unger's Bible Dictionary
Vine's - Vine's Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words
WBC - Pfeiffer and Harrison, eds., The Wycliffe Bible Commentary
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