13 Then some of the itinerant Jewish exorcists took it upon themselves to call the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, saying, “We exorcise you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”
14 Also there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, who did so.
15 And the evil spirit answered and said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know; but who are you?”
16 Then the man in whom the evil spirit was leaped on them, overpowered them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.
17 This became known both to all Jews and Greeks dwelling in Ephesus; and fear fell on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified.
18 And many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds.
19 Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted up the value of them, and it totaled fifty thousand pieces of silver.
20 So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.
itinerant (v.13) — they traveled from place to place performing magic for a price
exorcists (v.13) — expelled demons or diseases by using some name
by the Jesus (v.13) — used as an incantation
The seven sons of Sceva tried to imitate the power of God as it was manifested through Paul; but they knew not the Lord Jesus Christ. They were professional exorcists traveling from place to place and preaching the expulsion of evil spirits. All kinds of mysterious things were used by these exorcists; the use of different names of God in driving out the evil spirits were especially resorted to. The so-called Kabbala and may parts of the Talmud are full of these mysterious things of magic. In some cases no doubt there was reality, as we learn from Matthew 12:27. — Gaebelein, pages 330-331.
__________
chief priest (v.14) — He may have been one of the heads of the 24 courses of priests; or been termed “chief priest” popularly because of his connection with a high-priestly family; or even have been an ex-high priest himself. At first sight, the title seems strange in such a connection, but there are many illustrations of the sons of great and honored personages taking up strange professions. Some would interpret it as meaning that these exorcists gave out themselves to be sons or disciples of a Jewish high-priest, the better to attract attention. — Walker, page 414.
__________
How low these vagabond Jews had fallen, spiritually, is evidenced by the fact that, for personal gain, they would use the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, their Messiah, whom they rejected, in a traffic with evil spirits which was strictly forbidden by Scripture and punishable with death (See Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 20:27; Deuteronomy 18:10-11; 1 Samuel 28:3, 9).
In this too they were symbolic of their nation, for rather than representing God before the nations now, Israel has become a false prophet by rejecting Messiah. — Stam, page 175.
Jesus I know (v.15) — personal knowledge — I recognize Him as an authority
Paul I know (v.15) — lesser knowledge — I “know of” him
magnified (v.17) — because it was seen how terrible it was to use His name vainly
many who had believed (v.18) — evidently referring to those who had heard and believed Paul’s message but hadn’t up to this time, stopped dabbling in magic
confessing and telling (v.18) — public acknowledgement
deeds (v.18) — a technical term from magical prescriptions — from the same root word as “practiced” in verse 19
They brought their parchments and rolls (v.19) which contained the magical formulas, incantations and adjurations. These formulas and written amulets had at that time a world-wide reputation and were known by the name “ephesia gramata” —the Ephesian letters. They brought them together and burned them before all men. — Gaebelein, page 331.
burned (v.19) — imperfect tense = “kept burning
grew (v.20) — imperfect tense = “grew continuously”
8 And he went into the synagogue and spoke boldly for three months, reasoning and persuading concerning the things of the kingdom of God.
9 But when some were hardened and did not believe, but spoke evil of the Way before the multitude, he departed from them and withdrew the disciples, reasoning daily in the school of Tyrannus.
10And this continued for two years, so that all who dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks.
11 Now God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul,
12 so that even handkerchiefs or aprons were brought from his body to the sick, and the diseases left them and the evil spirits went out of them.
While at Ephesus, Paul worked (probably as a tentmaker with Priscilla and Aquila) to pay his own way (Acts 20:34). It was while he was in Ephesus that he wrote his letters to the Galatians and Corinthians. (He probably also made a quick, unrecorded trip to Corinth, as his second recorded visit is called his third visit.)
kingdom of God (v.8) — not to be confused with “the kingdom of heaven” (the earthly kingdom promised to Israel)
hardened (v.9) — A verb specially used of the Jews, and chiefly in respect of their refusal to hear and obey God’s voice (Romans 9:18; Hebrews 3:8, 13, 15; 4:7). The tense is imperfect; the process of hardening went on continually.
did not believe (v.9) — Also a verb in the imperfect tense. It combines the ideals of unbelief and disobedience. See Acts 14:2. In the Greek, there is a reference to the word “persuaded.” They would not be persuaded, but continued unpersuaded and disobedient. — Walker, page 409.
disciples (v.9) — Acts 20:4
school (v.9) — The word “school” (scholee), from which our English equivalent is derived, occurs only here in the New Testament. It denotes “a lecture hall,” and Tyrannus was, most likely, a Greek philosophical teacher from whom the apostle hired [or borrowed] the room. His lecture room was probably in one of the “gymnasia,” or places for public resort and recreation which existed in places like Ephesus. — Walker, page 410.
__________
for two years (v.10) — He alludes to this prolonged and special opportunity in 1 Corinthians 16:9. This period excludes the “three months” of verse 8. According to Jewish reckoning, any space of time over two years and up to three would be called “three years,” and hence the statement of Acts 20:31. It was Paul’s longest stay in any missionary center. — Walker, page 411.
Asia (v.10) — Asia Minor
[We read here (v.11)] of] the “special” miracles which God wrought through Paul. Actually the word “special” should have been rendered in the negative as it is in the Greek: “not common” or “not ordinary.” The idea is that though Ephesus, being more oriental in character than Athens or Corinth, had many magicians and wonder-workers about her streets, God used Paul to work miracles which they could not duplicate, just as Moses and Aaron, more than 15 centuries earlier, had wrought miracles which Pharaoh’s magicians found it impossible to imitate … The era of demonstrative miracles had not yet passed. — Stam, page 174.
__________
handkerchiefs (v.12) — Really a Latin word “sudaria,” meaning clothes for wiping off perspiration. It occurs again in Luke 19:20; John 11:44; 20:7. They were, it appears, “handkerchiefs” with which the hard-working tentmaker had wiped off the sweat of honest toil.
aprons (v.12) — Also a Latin word “semi-cinctria,” aprons worn by artisans in their work. It is peculiar to this verse. These, too, were clearly used by the apostle in his labors. — Walker, page 412.
1 And it happened, while Apollos was at Corinth, that Paul, having passed through the upper regions, came to Ephesus. And finding some disciples
2 He said to them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?”
So they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit.”
3 And he said to them, “Into what then were you baptized?” So they said, “Into John’s baptism.”
4 Then Paul said, “John indeed baptized with a baptism of repentance, saying to the people that they should believe on Him who would come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus.”
5 When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
6 And when Paul had laid hands on them, the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke with tongues and prophesied.
7 Now the men were about twelve in all.
upper borders (v.1) — There were two routes from Pisidian Antioch to Ephesus. The more usual one, after leading sixty miles southwest, joined the great thoroughfare from the east at Apamea, and so passed down the valley of the Lycus by way of Colossae and Laodicea. The other road was more direct and, avoiding Apamea, passed over higher ground, following the river Cayster, to Ephesus — the whole distance being about 200 miles. In warm weather, the higher altitude would be preferable, though it was more toilsome for ordinary traffic. It is, clearly, to this road along the “upper border” that reference is here made. — Walker, pages 406-407.
Some commentaries believe these men learned from Apollos before he heard about grace from Aquila and Priscilla (18:25). But this is unlikely because he probably would have returned to them and taught them further truth.
since (v.2) = when
whether there is any Holy Spirit (v.2) — as disciples of John, and as Jews, these men almost certainly knew of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:11). The sense here is probably that they didn’t know if He had come.
It is Stam’s take that verse 5 is not saying that these 12 men were baptized by Paul after they heard what he said in verse 4. Instead, verse 5 records what the people mentioned in verse 4 did after they heard John’s message.
I’m not sure I fully understand this passage, and there isn’t any consensus among the commentaries. I think it’s possible that these 12 men were Jews who had believed John the Baptist’s message but had somehow missed out on Pentecost. They met Paul before the kingdom offer had been fully withdrawn from Israel (in Acts 28), and so he brought them up to date on the current situation for Israel — this was their Pentecost-like kingdom offer, complete with the outworking of the Holy Spirit.
23 After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.
24 Now a certain Jew named Apollos, born at Alexandria, an eloquent man and mighty in the Scriptures, came to Ephesus.
25 This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.
26 So he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.
27 And when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him; and when he arrived, he greatly helped those who had believed through grace;
28 for he vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.
went over (v.23) = “went through” — with stops to preach
The epistle to the Galatians was undoubtedly written during the apostle’s second visit to Ephesus and it shows that perhaps immediately after the recorded visit in this chapter the judaizing element increased in strength. Most likely the news of the grave danger which was then threatening the Galatian churches had reached him in Antioch — Gaebelein, page 320.
__________
Galatia and Phrygia (v.23) — The Galatic region was that part of Lycaonia which was included in the Roman province of Galatia and was popularly known by that name. It contained Derbe and Lystra, among other towns. Just so, the Phrygian region was that part of Phrygia which was reckoned to the province of Galatia, in which were situated Iconium and Pisidian Antioch. Thus Paul revisited his Galatian churches for the second time. — Walker, page 401.
Apollos (v.24) — of his later ministry, Paul said, I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the increase (1 Corinthians 3:6).
He was a native of Alexandria, the headquarters, so to speak, of Hellenistic Judaism, and the city in which the Jews had come into closest contact with Greek learning and philosophy. After his first stay in Ephesus, and the visit to Achaia described in verses 27-28, we find him back in Ephesus again (1 Corinthians 16:12), unwilling to revisit Corinth at that juncture because of the party factions there, in which his name had become involved (1 Corinthians 1:12; 3:5-6, 22; 4:6). We then lose sight of him, till the period shortly before Paul’s second Roman imprisonment, when he is seen either in Crete or about to arrive there (Titus 3:13). He is characterized as being a fervent orator, with a philosophical tone about his teaching. — Walker, page 401-402.
Scriptures (v.24) — the Old Testament
way of the Lord (v.25) — For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight’” (Matthew 3:3).
It should be noted that whereas he had been instructed in “the way of the Lord,” Aquila and Priscilla now led him further into “the way of God” (verse 26). They could now tell Apollos the great basic truths of the mystery as they had learned them from Paul in his “gospel of the grace of God.” They could show him the crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension (of which he may have heard) in the light of that grace — all of it harmonizing perfectly with the Old Testament Scriptures, though not taught there. — Stam, page 152.
spirit (v.25) — Apollos’ spirit, not the Holy Spirit
things of the Lord (v.25) — should be “things concerning Jesus” — Apollos knew nothing (or very little) of Jesus’ death and resurrection and nothing of Paul’s gospel of the grace of God.
convinced (v.28) = “argued them down” — refuted them powerfully on every point
Apollos could now, of course, have returned to the synagogue, explaining that he had preached to them without full knowledge of the truth, and claiming that he now knew the way of the Lord more perfectly, but this would doubtless have served only to arouse the suspicion of his hearers, destroying his usefulness among them. Evidently feeling, therefore, that Aquila and Priscilla could better carry on the testimony at Ephesus and wishing to minister where Paul had already established the truths he had so recently learned, Apollos thought to go to Achaia, whereupon “the brethren” wrote the “letters of commendation,” evidently referred to in 2 Corinthians 3:1. The result was that upon his arrival at Corinth he “helped them much which had believed through grace” (verse 27). Not that he immediately led them further into the truths of grace, for he himself had but recently begun to see them, but he encouraged the believers as “he mightily convinced the Jews, and that publicly, showing by the Scriptures that Jesus was Christ” (verse 28).
As might have been expected, however, some at Corinth began to prefer Apollos to Paul. Unlike Paul, they contended, Apollos had come with “letters of commendation.” Furthermore, Apollos was an orator while Paul was not (2 Corinthians 10:10). Thus Apollos unintentionally became involved in division and rivalry in the church at Corinth. One party boasted of him and another of Paul. There were others, but Apollos was chiefly involved, for after mentioning four such divisions (1 Corinthians 1:12) Paul deals mainly with his own and Apollos’ connection with the case (1 Corinthians 1:13; 3:4-6).
But neither Paul nor Apollos condoned, much less fostered this party spirit among the Corinthians. Indeed, it is touching to witness the humility of these two great men and their mutual consideration for one another.
Indeed, such confidence did Paul have in Apollos that he strongly urged him to return to Corinth just when the party rivalry was so great, and such consideration did Apollos have for Paul that in spite of Paul’s urging he would not go. In Paul’s words: “As touching our brother Apollos, I greatly desired him to come unto you … but his will was not at all to come at this time …” (1 Corinthians 16:12). — Stam, pages 153-155.
18 So Paul still remained a good while. Then he took leave of the brethren and sailed for Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow.
19 And he came to Ephesus, and left them there; but he himself entered the synagogue and reasoned with the Jews.
20 When they asked him to stay a longer time with them, he did not consent,
21 but took leave of them, saying,”I must by all means keep this coming feast in Jerusalem; but I will return again to you, God willing.” And he sailed from Ephesus.
22 And when he had landed at Caesarea, and gone up and greeted the church, he went down to Antioch.
23 After he had spent some time there, he departed and went over the region of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples.
Cenchreae (v.18) — The port they sailed from. It was eight and a half miles from Corinth.
Syria (v.18) — where Jerusalem was
Ironside thinks Paul made a Nazarite vow, which included no cutting of hair, before his conversion and felt compelled, in order not to offend Jews, to keep it for the avowed number of years. That time had been completed and, therefore, Paul cut his hair.
Gabeilein thinks Paul was perhaps wrong to take a legalistic vow but explains it no further. He also thinks Paul was probably wrong to go to the feast in Jerusalem instead of teaching at Ephesus.
Walker thinks Paul took a Nazarite vow because he continued to conform to Jewish law and custom although preaching liberty to Gentiles.
Stam doesn’t go into it much here except to say it was probably a Nazarite vow. He links it with Paul’s later visit to Jerusalem when he aided the four men in taking their vow as recorded in Acts 21:23-26. In that case, he thinks Paul was mistaken, but with good motives and that, although God didn’t direct or want Paul to do it, He still used Paul’s ministry. My view is close to this.
The Holy Spirit wouldn’t let Paul visit Ephesus at the beginning of the journey (Acts 16:6)
Ephesus (v.19) — The real capital of the Roman province of Asia, and, after Corinth, the next great city in order on the main central route from Rome to the East. It lay three miles from the sea, on the river Cayster, which was navigable at that period as far as the city. Four great roads diverged from Ephesus as routes of traffic. With these natural advantages, it was the great commercial center of all that part of Asia Minor, and ranked with Alexandria and Syrian Antioch as one of the most important cities of the Roman East. (Pergamum however, was the residence of the Roman proconsul, one of the most important governors of the empire.) Ephesus contained a goodly company of Greeks, as it had been formerly a Greek colony. The vast majority of inhabitants, however, were Asiatics, zealously attached to their old pagan religion, and proud of the temple of their goddess who, though originally the deity of an aboriginal cult, had adopted under the Greeks the name of Artemis. Her temple stood a little distance outside the city, near the slope of a hill, and was the religious center of the whole district.
The voyage from Cenchreae to Ephesus would occupy from two to three days, the route leading past some of the islands of the Greek Archipelago. The ship called at Ephesus, en route for Caesarea, probably to take in more pilgrims and to allow the passengers to spend the Sabbath in the synagogue. — Walker, page 398.
keep this coming feast in Jerusalem (v.21) — not in the best manuscripts
church (v.22) — the church in Jerusalem. Paul’s stay was probably very brief at this time.
12 When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat,
13 saying, “This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.”
14 And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, “If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you.
15 But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves; for I do not want to be a judge of such matters.”
16 And he drove them from the judgment seat.
17 Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things.
Gallio (v.12) — Elder brother of Seneca, the famous philosopher, Nero’s tutor and favorite, and uncle of Lucan the poet. He was born in Spain, his father being Marcus Annaeus Novatus, but he was adopted by Lucius Junius Gallio, whose name he assumed. That he held office in Achaia is corroborated by the statement of Seneca that he caught fever there and had to leave for a sea-voyage. Since his brother Seneca was in disgrace from A.D. 41-49, when he again regained the emperor’s favor, Gallio must have been governor of Achaia subsequent to that date. The most probably dates for his assuming that office are A.D. 52 and A.D. 53, most likely the former. Pliny mentions that he afterwards attained the dignity of counsul at Rome. Contemporary evidence shows him to have been a man of a particularly amiable disposition.
Proconsul (v.12) — Achaia had been a senatorial province from 27 B.C. — A.D. 15. It was then amalgamated with Macedonia and Mysia into an imperial province. From A.D. 44, however, Claudius had made it once more a senatorial province, under a proconsul. So Luke is again seen to be remarkably accurate in his terminology. — Walker, pages 393-394.
Achaia (v.12) — All of Greece under the Romans
rose up against (v.12) — a violent assault
judgment seat (v.12) — a moveable seat set up on the agora for the purpose of trials
Their complaint was that Paul sought to persuade men to worship God “contrary to the law.” They could, of course, have referred to their law (see verse 15) for the Hebrew religion was then protected by the Roman government. It seems more probable, however, that they meant that Paul was setting up an unlicensed religion — one not included among those which were permitted under Roman law. When we consider the wicked and degrading religions which Roman law did permit, right here in Corinth, this charge against Paul was a shabby one indeed. — Stam, page 137.
wrongdoing (v.14) — legal wrong
wicked crimes (v.14) — moral delinquency
words (v.15) — as opposed to deeds
names (v.15) — as opposed to realities
own law (v.15) — Jewish law as opposed to Roman law
Sostenes (v.17) — He is described as “the ruler of the synagogue,” and probably succeeded Crispus in office after the latter’s conversion (v.8). Doubtless, he was the leader of the Jewish party in their prosecution of Paul, and the irritated Greeks seized on him as such. We do not know that he is the same person as is mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:1. If so, he must have been converted after this event. Possibly, the beating which he now received induced serious reflections. — Walker, page 396.
beat him (v.17) — repeatedly — a series of blows
took no notice (v.17) — Probably thinking Sosthenes, as the leader of the Jewish mob who stirred up trouble, deserved what he received
1 After these things Paul departed from Athens and went to Corinth.
2 And he found a certain Jew named Aquila, born in Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla (because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to depart from Rome); and he came to them.
3 So, because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked; for by occupation they were tentmakers.
4 And he reasoned in the synagogue every Sabbath, and persuaded both Jews and Greeks.
5 When Silas and Timothy had come from Macedonia, Paul was compelled by the Spirit, and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ.
6 But when they opposed him and blasphemed, he shook his garments and said to them, “Your blood be upon your own heads; I am clean. From now on I will go to the Gentiles.”
7 And he departed from there and entered the house of a certain man named Justus, one who worshiped God, whose house was next door to the synagogue.
8 Then Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all his household. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized.
9 Now the Lord spoke to Paul in the night by a vision, “Do not be afraid, but speak, and do not keep silent;
10 for I am with you, and no one will attack you to hurt you; for I have many people in this city.”
11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.
Corinth (v.1) — The capital of the Roman province of Achaia and residence of the governor. As Athens was the intellectual center, so Corinth was the political and commercial center of Greece. It was situated at the southern extremity of the narrow isthmus of the same name, which connected the Peloponnesus with the Grecian mainland, and had two harbors, the eastern one Cenchreae on the Saronic Gulf, and the western one Lechaeum on the Gulf of Corinth. Thus it stretched two arms, so to speak, to unite the Aegean and Adriatic Seas, and lay on the quickest and most central route from Rome to the East. Julius Caesar refounded it as a Roman colony in 46 B.C. It had a very large population, among whom, besides the native Greeks, might be found Romans, Jews, and strangers from various lands. Corinth was famous for the Isthmian Games. It was notorious, too, for its immorality, its temple of Aphrodite alone having connected with it a thousand prostitutes. — Walker, page 387.
__________
Aquila and Priscilla (v.2) — Acquila, we read, was a man of Pontus (see Acts 2:9), who had settled in Rome. The name is Latin. His wife, Priscilla or Prisca (Paul always uses the latter name, of which Priscilla is the diminutive or familiar form) also bears a Latin name, and is usually mentioned before her husband (Acts 18:18, 26; Romans 16:3; 2 Timothy 4:19), from which fact some have conjectured that she was a Roman lady of some position, whom Aquila the Jew had married. The order of names, however, would be equally accounted for, if she had a stronger personality; and she, too may have been a Jewess by birth. We find them accompanying Paul to Ephesus (v.18), and staying on there when he left (v.26). They are next seen in his company again in that city (1 Corinthians 16:19). Later, we find them once more in Rome (Romans 16:3-4). And our last notice of them shows them back again in Ephesus (2 Timothy 4:19). — Walker, page 388.
During his year and a half in Corinth, Paul wrote 1 and 2 Thessalonians and Romans.
Rome hated the Jews, many of whom had settled in the city. Tiberius had sent some 4,000 Roman Jews into an unhealthy country, in hope that the fever there would destroy them, and Claudius, in the year 49 had banished them entirely from the capital of the Roman Empire. The Roman biographer and historian Suetonius (he lived during the reign of Hadrian in the beginning of the second century) in his life of Claudius gives the reason for the harsh edict of the Emperor Claudius because “the Jews were constantly in tumult at the instigation of one Chrestus.” The word “Chrestus” means undoubtedly “Christos,” that is Christ. — Gaebelein, pages 311-312.
Claudius (v.2) — Emperor of Rome A.D. 41-54.
tent making (v.3) — 1 Thessalonians 2:9; 2 Thessalonians 3:8; Acts 20:34 — At Tarsus, there was a famous local industry of making tents out of special goats’ hair material called cilicium after Cilicia.
persuaded (v.4) = sought to persuade
Greeks (v.4) — Greeks who believed in God and went to the synagogue.
Paul probably wrote 1 Thessalonians immediately after Silas and Timothy arrived (v.5).
compelled (v.5) — This probably means that he was led by the Spirit to stop tent-making and preach full-time. It may also mean that, up to this time, he was trying to convince the Jews by gentle persuasion but from this point on spoke boldly of Christ.
Timothy had come with most heartening reports from Thessalonica. They were standing — firmly! True, some were confused about what Paul had said with regard to the rapture of believers to be with Christ, and were mourning for their deceased brethren, whom they feared would now be excluded from that glorious event, but their faith and love were strong and they remembered him affectionately, longing to see him again (1 Thessalonians 3:6).
Silas doubtless brought good news from Berea, where Paul had last left him (Acts 17:14) and there was also a special surprise: a gift from his beloved Philippians! (2 Corinthians 11:9) … Little wonder that with the coming of Silas and Timothy we find Paul preaching Christ with new fervor. Heavy burdens had been lifted from his heart. Financial needs had been supplied. Trusted co-workers would now be at his side. — Stam, pages 125-126.
opposed (v.6) — organized opposition
shook his garment (v.6) — Paul was indicating that he was free of responsibility for the Jews. He’d done his part. (Ezekiel 3:18-19)
I am clean (v.6) — Paul’s conscience was clear
Justus (v.7) — a Gentile. Paul may have moved to Justus’ house after Silas and Timothy arrived, or he may have continued living with Priscilla and Aquila but went to Justus’ house to preach.
worshiped God (v.7) — probably one of those mentioned in verse 4, who had come to trust Christ
Crispus (v.8) — Mentioned in 1 Corinthians 1:14, as having been baptized by Paul himself. Though a Jew, his name is Latin. As he was “the ruler of the synagogue,” his conversion must have provoked the Jews more than ever. His was by no means the only conversion from the synagogue. The household of Stephanas had previously become Christians (1 Corinthians 1:16) and Gaius was another convert (1 Corinthians 1:14). — Walker, page 392
afraid (v9) — because of the opposition of the Jews. Paul mentions his distress in 1 Thessalonians 3:6-7.
29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.
30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent,
31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead.”
32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked, while others said, “We will hear you again on this matter.”
33 So Paul departed from among them.
34 However, some men joined him and believed, among them Dionysius the Areopagite, a woman named Damaris, and others with them.
offspring (v.29) — If men are living, rational and moral, how can their gods be man-made idols?
art (v.29) — in Athens, especially, art reached its highest levels in statues and temples dedicated to their religion.
overlooked (v.30) — God didn’t excuse their idolatry, but He did not interfere to prevent them from practicing it. But the time is coming when He will.
but now (v.30) — Once men heard of Christ, they could no longer plead ignorance.
repent (v.30) = reconsider, think differently — to turn from idols to God
To hold that repentance has no place in the Pauline message is to misunderstand the nature of repentance, but on the other hand, to preach repentance, rather than grace, is to display ignorance of the message which the risen, ascended Lord committed to Paul and to us.
… Paul was answering the champions of idolatry. Quite naturally he would, in such a case, call upon them to repent and turn to the true God (cf. 1 Thessalonians 1:9). And quite naturally he would confirm what Peter had said with respect to our Lord’s resurrection to “judge the world in righteousness.” — Stam, page 113.
in righteousness (v.31) — with justice — the guilty will not get off
ordained (v.31) — the same Greek words as that translated “determined” in verse 26.
given assurance (v.31) — Or ‘He hath furnished a guarantee.” The resurrection of our Lord is the guarantee alike that the risen One possesses the authority and power for His office as Judge (Romans 2:4; John 5:26-27), and that there will be a general resurrection of the dead followed by a righteous judgment (Revelation 20:11-13). — Walker, page 384.
__________
Dionysius the Areopagite (v.34) — A member of the august court of the Areopagus (v.19). As such, he was a man of weight and seniority, and had probably filled the office of “archon” or chief magistrate. We know nothing further of him for certain.
Damaris (v.34) — Supposed by some to be a variant of “Damalis” (heifer), a name common among Greeks. as it stands, however, it has a foreign sound, and it has been suggested that she was a foreigner of not very reputable character, since it was not the custom of Greek women of respectability to appear in a public meeting of this kind. — Walker, page 386.
__________
Certain theologians have criticized Paul for failing to present the way of salvation in his speech at the Areopagus. It must be remembered, however, that he was brought to the Areopagus because he had been preaching “Jesus, and the resurrection” (v.18) and it is unthinkable that he would not have proclaimed salvation through Christ had he been permitted to finish his address.
His discourse before the philosophers at Athens was in fact a masterpiece of God-given wisdom and spiritual power. the dignity and sincerity of his manner, his skillful use of local circumstances, his rare combination of prudence and boldness, the powerful way in which he met human philosophy with divine revelation, the tactful, yet telling manner in which he exposed his hearers as ignorant idolaters, searching their consciences, warning them of judgment and calling upon them to repent and turn to God; the superb manner in which he appealed to the testimony of creation citing such of their poets as recognized any of the truths he proclaimed, and even using the inscription on their altar as his text, answering atheism, polytheism, pantheism, agnosticism, materialism and fatalism, all in the course of a few moments’ time — all this marks his interrupted discourse on Mars Hill. — Stam, page 115.
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious;
23 for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Therefore, the One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you:
24 God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands.
25 Nor is He worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.
26 And He has made from one blood* every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’
Men of Athens (v.22) — the way many Greek orators began their speeches — Paul was adapting to his audience.
perceive (v.22) — close observation as in verse 16 where it is translated “saw”
religious (v.22) = lit. “fearing the gods” — given to the worship of many deities
considering (v.23) — same word as “perceive” in verse 22, but with a prefix that adds the meaning “again and again”
We have evidence from Pausanias and Philostratus, who both knew Athens at a period a little later than Paul’a visit, that there were altars there erected “for unknown gods,” so that we may well believe that the one which the apostle saw was not the only one of the kind. They were probably erected in consequence of some visitation or trouble by worshipers who did not know to what deity they should address their invocations. Paul made this inscription the text, so to speak, of his sermon. He used the Athenian worshiper’s confessed ignorance of the name and character of the deity whom he addressed as the point of approach to the souls of his hearers. — Walker, page 378
__________
Who the Unknown God Is — Paul unfolds the truth of God as a Person. He is a personal God and as such He made the world and all things therein. This truth was not owned by the Epicureans or the Stoics. The Epicureans with their atomic theory, that the universe came together by itself, and the Stoics with their cold Pantheism denied this fundamental truth. This bold announcement effectually set aside the philosophical babblings of these wise men, and these few words completely answer the modern Materialists and Pantheists. With the next sentence Paul lays bare the follies of paganism. As Lord of heaven and earth, because He is the Creator, He does not dwell in temples made with hands, nor can He be worshiped with men’s hands as though he needed anythings. In this statement he leaned towards the expressions used by the Epicureans, who declared that the divine nature is self sufficiency and needs nothing from us. But at the same time he rebukes the Stoics by showing that God giveth to all life, and breath and all things. He is the Preserver as well as the Creator. Next Paul shows that God created man and that all nations of men are made by Him of one blood. This was not believed in paganism. Polytheism was closely connected with the conception that the different races came into existence in different ways. The various races therefore had different racial gods. The Greeks had divided the world into two classes, Greeks and Barbarians. That they, the proud Greeks, had sprung from the same stock as the Barbarians must have humbled them greatly. It rebuked their national pride. All the Apostle said to the cultured Greeks, the great philosophers was elementary. The most simple truth about God and the origin of man could not be discovered by the keenest intellect. How all this bears out the divine statement in Romans 1:21-22. — Gaebelein, pages 307-308.
__________
“This One, whom you worship as unknown,” said the apostle, “I declare to you.” There is an evident allusion here to their charge in verse 18, for the word “declare” in verse 23 is the same as “set forth” in verse 18. They said: “He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods (Lit. demons or divinities). He now replies: “I set forth the true God (Gr. Theos, God) whom you worship as unknown.” thus he pleads “not guilty” to their charge of introducing “strange divinities.” — Stam, page 104.
__________
Him I proclaim (v.23) — “Him” as distinguished from other gods; “I” as distinguished from their champions. Both words are emphatic in the Greek. — Stam. page 105
blood (v.26) — not in most manuscripts. The idea probably should be that from one person God made all men.
For we are also his offspring. (v.28) — This is a quotation from the Greek poet Aratus (270 B.C.), a Stoic from Paul’s own Cilicia. Almost identical words occur in the hymn to Zeus of Cleanthes (300 B.C.) which is a sort of Stoic creed. While the apostle takes stanzas thus from Greek writers, he is not to be considered in any way endorsing all the views they held. He merely uses their own confessions of a truth which they only dimly realized in order to lead on his hearers into clearer light. Similar quotations from the Greek classics occur in 1 Corinthians 15:33; Titus 1:12, showing the apostle’s acquaintance with them. — Walker, page 382.
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols.
17 Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there.
18 Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a proclaimer of foreign gods,” because he preached to them Jesus and the resurrection.
19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new doctrine is of which you speak?
20 For you are bringing some strange things to our ears. Therefore we want to know what these things mean.”
21 For all the Athenians and the foreigners who were there spent their time in nothing else but either to tell or to hear some new thing.
Paul remained alone at Athens for some time longer, for though he had sent word to Silas and Timothy to “come to him with all speed” (v.15), when Timothy did come to Athens bearing news of the sufferings of the Thessalonian believers, Paul could not bear to keep him but again “thought it good to be left at Athens alone” and sent him back to establish and encourage them in the faith (1 Thessalonians 3:1-5). Considering the distance between the Macedonian churches and Athens, Paul must have spent a considerable period of time at Athens and mostly alone, except as converts were won. Thus did he sacrifice himself for the good of those he had been forced to leave. Finally Timothy, with Silas, rejoined Paul at Corinth (Acts 18:5) bearing good news from Macedonia (1 Thessalonians 3:6-7). — Stam, page 91.
provoked (v.16) — from the same root as the noun for “sharp contention”
saw (v.16) — close observation
given over to idols (v.16) — Athens, as the center of art, philosophy and religion, was full of idols, temples, shrines and altars to all sorts of deities and even to ideas. The Athenians worshiped ideas as well as gods.
With all their vaunted wisdom, the Athenians could not even settle on a god! One worshiped this “deity” and another that. Most worshiped different gods on different occasions. So great was the confusion that Pliny says that in Nero’s time Athens contained over 3,000 public idols in addition to countless idols possessed by individuals. On every hand there were statues to gods and demigods. Practically every “deity” was represented including those “unknown.” Petronius says humorously that it was easier to find a god than a man in Athens, and our Scriptures states that the city was “crowded with idols.” — Stam, page 92.
reasoned (v.17) — repeatedly — using Socrates’ method of question and answer
Gentile worshipers (v.17) — Gentiles drawn to Judaism but not proselytes
marketplace (v.17) — The agora in Athens was filled with art works and lined with painted porticoes where philosophers lectured pupils.
Epicurean (v.18) — Epicurus was born in Samos in 342 B.C., and settled in Athens 35 years later as a teacher of philosophy. He taught that pleasure is the chief end of man, pleasure, i.e. not in the sense of the gratification of each desire as it arises, but in the sense of securing the greatest possible amount of happiness into life when all the interests concerned have been taken into account. He regarded the gods as living a life of calm felicity, far removed from earthly turmoil and disassociated from all interference with mundane things. He gathered his disciples together in a famous garden for instruction. The Epicureans did not believe in the immortality of the soul; to them man’s existence ceases with death. They were the materialists and utilitarians of Greek philosophy.
Stoic (v.18) — The other great philosophy then prevalent in Athens. The Stoics were followers of Zeno, a native of Cyprus, who flourished about 278 B.C. They were so called because he taught in a painted “Stoa” (portico). The practice of virtue for its own sake was his favorite doctrine, and the great end of existence was considered to be the attainment of a state of mind which is not disturbed by either good or evil, pleasure or pain. He taught the need of mortifying the senses to this end. The Stoics, unlike the Epicureans, were strong believers in a spiritual universe, but were practically pantheists, holding the all-pervasiveness of the divine essence and the final absorption of human spirits into the divine. Their system was also strongly tinged with fatalism. Stoicism was really oriental in origin and represented the contact of eastern influences and doctrines with the world of western classic thought. Zeno himself appears to have sprung from as Asiatic stock. Tarsus, Paul’s birthplace, was a famous center of Stoic teaching. — Walker, pages 373-374.
babbler (v.18) = seed-picker — one who forages (like a bird hunting for seed) for bits of knowledge and imparts them to others with a pretension of intellect
foreign gods (v.18) = lit. “demons.” The word occurs 60 times in the New Testament and is always translated devils except here. It is significant in this connection that demons were behind their idol worship, and that angel spirits are called gods in Scripture because, like the rules of this world, they are supposed to represent God (Psalm 82:1, 6; 86:8; 95:3; 96:4-5; 97:7, 9 etc.) — Stam, page 97
__________
resurrection (v.18) — Since the word “resurrection” is feminine in Greek, they possibly regarded it as the name of a goddess, especially as they were wont themselves to erect statues to Piety, Modesty, and other personified and deified attributes. If so, Paul seemed to them to be preaching about two alien deities, the one “Jesus” and the other “Resurrection.”
Areopagus (v.19) — Standing near the agora, and a little west of the famous Acropolis, was a hill called “Mars’ Hill” (the literal translation of Areopagus), so named from the legend of the trial of the god Mars supposed to have taken place there. Its brow was crowned with a temple erected to that deity. It was approached by a flight of 16 steps. It has been generally supposed that the Athenian philosophers led Paul to this hill as a quiet spot, in order to give him a special hearing. An objection to this view lies in the fact that it was not a convenient place for the gathering of any very considerable audience. The name “Areopagus,” moreover, belonged not to the hill only but to a famous council which was wont to meet there, the members sitting in the open air on stone benches cut out of the solid rock. They were all, at least originally, men who had filled important magisterial offices, being upwards of 60 years of age. Their decisions, alike in matters of state and questions of religion, were regarded with superstitious reverence. Even under the Romans, they retained a good deal of authority and constituted the most august body in the whole of Attica. From the time of Chrysostom at least, it has been suggested that Paul was dragged before this court to stand a sort of trial. While the context does not favor formal judicial proceedings, we may perhaps understand that he was required, as a strange lecturer, to give an account of his doctrine before the court and pass a test as to its character. Paul, so far from acting on the defensive before the famous council, seized the opportunity for setting forth the facts of Christianity before the most learned and aristocratic company which the western world contained. — Walker, pages 375-376.
spent their time (v.21) — repeatedly — “had leisure for”
some new thing (v.21) — the latest intellectual fad
