Worthy.Bible » STRONG » Acts » Chapter 11 » Verse 4-18

Acts 11:4-18 King James Version with Strong's Concordance (STRONG)

4 But G1161 Peter G4074 rehearsed the matter from the beginning, G756 and expounded G1620 it by order G2517 unto them, G846 saying, G3004

5 I G1473 was G2252 in G1722 the city G4172 of Joppa G2445 praying: G4336 and G2532 in G1722 a trance G1611 I saw G1492 a vision, G3705 A certain G5100 vessel G4632 descend, G2597 as it had been G5613 a great G3173 sheet, G3607 let down G2524 from G1537 heaven G3772 by four G5064 corners; G746 and G2532 it came G2064 even G891 to me: G1700

6 Upon G1519 the which G3739 when I had fastened mine eyes, G816 I considered, G2657 and G2532 saw G1492 fourfooted beasts G5074 of the earth, G1093 and G2532 wild beasts, G2342 and G2532 creeping things, G2062 and G2532 fowls G4071 of the air. G3772

7 And G1161 I heard G191 a voice G5456 saying G3004 unto me, G3427 Arise, G450 Peter; G4074 slay G2380 and G2532 eat. G5315

8 But G1161 I said, G2036 Not so, G3365 Lord: G2962 for G3754 nothing G3956 common G2839 or G2228 unclean G169 hath G1525 at any time G3763 entered G1525 into G1519 my G3450 mouth. G4750

9 But G1161 the voice G5456 answered G611 me G3427 again G1537 G1208 from G1537 heaven, G3772 What G3739 God G2316 hath cleansed, G2511 that call G2840 not G3361 thou G4771 common. G2840

10 And G1161 this G5124 was done G1096 G1909 three times: G5151 and G2532 all G537 were drawn up G385 again G3825 into G1519 heaven. G3772

11 And, G2532 behold, G2400 immediately G1824 there were G2186 three G5140 men G435 already G1824 come G2186 unto G1909 the house G3614 where G1722 G3739 G3739 I was, G2252 sent G649 from G575 Caesarea G2542 unto G4314 me. G3165

12 And G1161 the Spirit G4151 bade G2036 me G3427 go with G4905 them, G846 nothing G3367 doubting. G1252 Moreover G1161 G2532 these G3778 six G1803 brethren G80 accompanied G4862 G2064 me, G1698 and G2532 we entered G1525 into G1519 the man's G435 house: G3624

13 And G5037 he shewed G518 us G2254 how G4459 he had seen G1492 an angel G32 in G1722 his G846 house, G3624 which stood G2476 and G2532 said G2036 unto him, G846 Send G649 men G435 to G1519 Joppa, G2445 and G2532 call for G3343 Simon, G4613 whose surname is G1941 Peter; G4074

14 Who G3739 shall tell G2980 thee G4314 G4571 words, G4487 whereby G1722 G3739 thou G4771 and G2532 all G3956 thy G4675 house G3624 shall be saved. G4982

15 And G1161 as G1722 I G3165 began G756 to speak, G2980 the Holy G40 Ghost G4151 fell G1968 on G1909 them, G846 as G5618 G2532 on G1909 us G2248 at G1722 the beginning. G746

16 Then G1161 remembered I G3415 the word G4487 of the Lord, G2962 how G5613 that he said, G3004 John G2491 indeed G3303 baptized G907 with water; G5204 but G1161 ye G5210 shall be baptized G907 with G1722 the Holy G40 Ghost. G4151

17 Forasmuch G1487 then G3767 as G5613 God G2316 gave G1325 them G846 the like G2470 gift G1431 as G2532 he did unto us, G2254 who believed G4100 on G1909 the Lord G2962 Jesus G2424 Christ; G5547 G1161 what G5101 was G2252 I, G1473 that I could G1415 withstand G2967 God? G2316

18 When G1161 they heard G191 these things, G5023 they held their peace, G2270 and G2532 glorified G1392 God, G2316 saying, G3004 Then G686 hath G1325 God G2316 also G2534 to the Gentiles G1484 granted G1325 repentance G3341 unto G1519 life. G2222

Commentary on Acts 11 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible


CHAPTER 11

Ac 11:1-18. Peter Vindicates Himself before the Church in Jerusalem for His Procedure towards the Gentiles.

1-11. the apostles and brethren … in Judea—rather, "throughout Judea."

2. they … of the circumcision—not the Jewish Christians generally, for here there were no other, but such as, from their jealousy for "the middle wall of partition" which circumcision raised between Jew and Gentile, were afterwards known as "they of the circumcision." They doubtless embraced apostles as well as others.

3, 4. Thou wentest in … But Peter rehearsed the matter, &c.—These objectors scruple not to demand from Peter, though the first among the apostles, an explanation of his conduct; nor is there any insinuation on Peter's part of disrespect towards his authority in that demand—a manifest proof that such authority was unknown both to the complainers and to himself.

12-18. we entered the man's house—No mention of Cornelius' name, much less of his high position, as if that affected the question. To the charge, "Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised," he simply speaks of the uncircumcised "man" to whom he had been divinely sent.

13. seen an angel—literally, "the angel," for the rumor took that definite shape.

14. Who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved—The historian makes the angel express this much more generally (Ac 10:6). So also the subsequent report of it by the deputies and by Cornelius himself to Peter (Ac 10:22, 32). But as Peter tarried with Cornelius certain days, and they doubtless talked over the wonderful scene together, perhaps this fuller and richer form of what the angel said was given to Peter; or the apostle himself may have expressed what the angel certainly designed by directing them to send for him. Observe, "salvation" is here made to hang upon "words," that is, the Gospel message concerning Christ. But on the "salvation" of Cornelius, see on Ac 10:34, 35. On that of his "house," see on Lu 19:10.

16, 17. Then remembered I the word … John … baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Forasmuch then, &c.—that is, "Since God Himself has put them on a level with ourselves, by bestowing on them what the Lord Jesus pronounced the higher baptism of the Holy Ghost, would it not have been to withstand God if I had withheld from them the lower baptism of water, and kept aloof from them as still 'unclean?'"

18. held their peace and glorified God—Well had it been if, when Paul afterwards adduced equally resistless evidence in justification of the same line of procedure, this Jewish party had shown the same reverential and glad submission!

Then hath God also granted to the Gentiles, &c.—rather, "granted to the Gentiles also." (See a similar misplacement of "also" in Heb 12:1). To "grant repentance unto life"—that is, "such as issues in life" (compare 2Co 7:10, "repentance unto salvation")—is more than to be willing to pardon upon repentance [Grotius]. The case of Cornelius is so manifestly one of grace reigning in every stage of his religious history, that we can hardly doubt that this was just the feature of it which they meant here to express. And this is the grace that reigns in every conversion.

Ac 11:19-24. The Gospel Being Preached to Gentiles at Antioch Also Barnabas Is Sent Thither from Jerusalem, Who Hails Their Accession and Labors among Them.

19. they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen—and who "went everywhere preaching the word" (Ac 8:4).

travelled as far as Phenice—that part of the Mediterranean coast which, commencing a little north of Cæsarea, stretches northwards for upwards of one hundred miles, halfway to Antioch.

and Cyprus—(See on Ac 4:36). An active commercial intercourse subsisted between Phenice and Cyprus.

and Antioch—near the head of the northeast coast of the Mediterranean, on the river Orontes, and containing a large colony of Jews, to whose religion there were there numerous proselytes. "It was almost an Oriental Rome, in which all the forms of the civilized life of the empire found some representative; and through the two first centuries of the Christian era it was what Constantinople became afterwards, 'the Gate of the East'" [Howson].

20. some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene—(see on Lu 23:26); as Lucius, mentioned in Ac 13:1.

spake unto the Grecians—rather, "the Greeks," that is, uncircumcised Gentiles (as the true reading beyond doubt is). The Gospel had, from the first, been preached to "the Grecians" or Greek-speaking Jews, and these "men of Cyprus and Cyrene" were themselves "Grecians." How, then, can we suppose that the historian would note, as something new and singular (Ac 11:22), that some of the dispersed Christians preached to them?

21. a great number believed—Thus the accession of Cornelius and his party was not the first admission of uncircumcised Gentiles into the Church. (See on Ac 10:1.) Nay, we read of no influence which the accession of Cornelius and his house had on the further progress of the Gospel among the Gentiles; whereas there here open upon us operations upon the Gentiles from quite a different quarter, and attended with ever growing success. The only great object served by the case of Cornelius was the formal recognition of the principles which that case afterwards secured. (See on Ac 15:19-29.)

22. sent … Barnabas … as far as Antioch—implying that even on the way to Antioch he found churches to visit [Olshausen]. It was in the first instance, no doubt, a mission of inquiry; and no one could be more suitable to inquire into the proceedings of those Cyprians and Cyrenians than one who was himself a "Grecian" of Cyprus (Ac 4:36), and "a son of consolation."

23. when he … had seen the grace of God—in the new converts.

was glad—owned and rejoiced in it at once as divine, though they were uncircumcised.

exhorted them all that with purpose of heart—as opposed to a hasty and fickle discipleship.

they would cleave unto the Lord—the Lord Jesus.

24. For he was a good man—The sense of "good" here is plainly "large-hearted," "liberal-minded," rising above narrow Jewish sectarianism, and that because, as the historian adds, he was "full of the Holy Ghost and of faith."

and much people were added unto the Lord—This proceeding of Barnabas, so full of wisdom, love, and zeal, was blessed to the great increase of the Christian community in that important city.

Ac 11:25, 26. Barnabas, Finding the Work in Antioch Too Much for Him, Goes to Tarsus for SaulThey Labor There Together for a Whole Year with Much Success, and Antioch Becomes the Honored Birthplace of the Term Christian.

25. Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus for to seek Saul—Of course, this was after the hasty despatch of Saul to Tarsus, no doubt by Barnabas himself among others, to escape the fury of the Jews at Jerusalem. And as Barnabas was the first to take the converted persecutor by the hand and procure his recognition as a disciple by the brethren at Jerusalem (Ac 9:27), so he alone seems at that early period to have discerned in him those peculiar endowments by virtue of which he was afterwards to eclipse all others. Accordingly, instead of returning to Jerusalem, to which, no doubt, he sent accounts of his proceedings from time to time, finding that the mine in Antioch was rich in promise and required an additional and powerful hand to work, he leaves it for a time, takes a journey to Tarsus, "finds Saul" (seemingly implying—not that he lay hid [Bengel], but that he was engaged at the time in some preaching circuit—see on Ac 15:23), and returns with him to Antioch. Nor were his hopes disappointed. As co-pastors, for the time being, of the Church there, they so labored that the Gospel, even in that great and many-sided community, achieved for itself a name which will live and be gloried in as long as this world lasts, as the symbol of all that is most precious to the fallen family of man:—"The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch." This name originated not within, but without, the Church; not with their Jewish enemies, by whom they were styled "Nazarenes" (Ac 24:5), but with the heathen in Antioch, and (as the form of the word shows) with the Romans, not the Greeks there [Olshausen]. It was not at first used in a good sense (as Ac 26:28; 1Pe 4:16 show), though hardly framed out of contempt (as De Wette, Baumgarten, &c.); but as it was a noble testimony to the light in which the Church regarded Christ—honoring Him as their only Lord and Saviour, dwelling continually on His name, and glorying in it—so it was felt to be too apposite and beautiful to be allowed to die.

Ac 11:27-30. By Occasion of a Famine Barnabas and Saul Return to Jerusalem with a Contribution for the Relief of Their Suffering Brethren.

27. came prophets from Jerusalem—inspired teachers, a class we shall afterwards frequently meet with, who sometimes, but not necessarily, foretold future events. They are classed next to apostles (1Co 12:28, 29; Eph 4:11).

28. that there should be great dearth throughout all the world—the whole Roman empire.

which came to pass in the days of Claudius Cæsar—Four famines occurred during his reign. This one in Judea and the adjacent countries took place, A.D. 41 [Josephus, Antiquities, 20.2,5]. An important date for tracing out the chronology of the Acts. (But this subject is too difficult and extensive to admit of being handled here).

29. Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief, &c.—This was the pure prompting of Christian love, which shone so bright in those earliest days of the Gospel.

30. sent it to the elders—an office well known to be borrowed from the synagogue; after the model of which, and not at all of the temple, the Christian Churches were constituted by the apostles.

by the hands of Barnabas and Saul—This was Saul's Second Visit to Jerusalem after his conversion.