31 Then, indeed, the assemblies throughout all Judea, and Galilee, and Samaria, had peace, being built up, and, going on in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied.
And Saul was assenting to his death, and there came in that day a great persecution upon the assembly in Jerusalem, all also were scattered abroad in the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles;
And I say, `Not good `is' the thing that ye are doing; in the fear of our God do ye not walk, because of the reproach of the nations our enemies?
the former governors who `are' before me have made themselves heavy on the people, and take of them in bread and wine, besides in silver forty shekels; also, their servants have ruled over the people -- and I have not done so, because of the fear of God.
And He saith to man: -- `Lo, fear of the Lord, that `is' wisdom, And to turn from evil `is' understanding.'
Show me, O Jehovah, Thy way, I walk in Thy truth, My heart doth rejoice to fear Thy name.
The fear of Jehovah `is' to hate evil; Pride, and arrogance, and an evil way, And a froward mouth, I have hated.
Let not thy heart be envious at sinners, But -- in the fear of Jehovah all the day.
and I will ask the Father, and another Comforter He will give to you, that he may remain with you -- to the age; the Spirit of truth, whom the world is not able to receive, because it doth not behold him, nor know him, and ye know him, because he doth remain with you, and shall be in you. `I will not leave you bereaved, I come unto you;
and the hope doth not make ashamed, because the love of God hath been poured forth in our hearts through the Holy Spirit that hath been given to us.
In the fear of Jehovah `is' strong confidence, And to His sons there is a refuge. The fear of Jehovah `is' a fountain of life, To turn aside from snares of death.
unto the perfecting of the saints, for a work of ministration, for a building up of the body of the Christ,
Let no corrupt word out of your mouth go forth, but what is good unto the needful building up, that it may give grace to the hearers;
subjecting yourselves to one another in the fear of God.
through all prayer and supplication praying at all times in the Spirit, and in regard to this same, watching in all perseverance and supplication for all the saints -- and in behalf of me, that to me may be given a word in the opening of my mouth, in freedom, to make known the secret of the good news,
If, then, any exhortation `is' in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
to your walking worthily of the Lord to all pleasing, in every good work being fruitful, and increasing to the knowledge of God,
and may our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and our God and Father, who did love us, and did give comfort age-during, and good hope in grace, comfort your hearts, and establish you in every good word and work.
nor to give heed to fables and endless genealogies, that cause questions rather than the building up of God that is in faith: --
And ye, beloved, on your most holy faith building yourselves up, in the Holy Spirit praying,
in whom ye also, having heard the word of the truth -- the good news of your salvation -- in whom also having believed, ye were sealed with the Holy Spirit of the promise, which is an earnest of our inheritance, to the redemption of the acquired possession, to the praise of His glory.
and Jehovah giveth rest to them round about, according to all that which He hath sworn to their fathers, and there hath not stood a man in their presence of all their enemies, the whole of their enemies hath Jehovah given into their hand;
and Moab is humbled in that day under the hand of Israel; and the land resteth eighty years.
`Is not Jehovah your God with you? yea, He hath given rest to you round about, for He hath given into my hand the inhabitants of the land, and subdued hath been the land before His people.
to the Jews hath been light, and gladness, and joy, and honour, and in every province and province, and in every city and city, the place where the word of the king, even his law, is coming, gladness and joy `are' to the Jews, a banquet, and a good day; and many of the peoples of the land are becoming Jews, for a fear of the Jews hath fallen upon them.
Fear of Jehovah `is' a beginning of knowledge, Wisdom and instruction fools have despised!
In kindness and truth pardoned is iniquity, And in the fear of Jehovah Turn thou aside from evil. When a man's ways please Jehovah, even his enemies, He causeth to be at peace with him.
Rested on him hath the Spirit of Jehovah, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel and might, The spirit of knowledge and fear of Jehovah. To refresh him in the fear of Jehovah, And by the sight of his eyes he judgeth not, Nor by the hearing of his ears decideth.
And there hath been, in that day, A root of Jesse that is standing for an ensign of peoples, Unto him do nations seek, And his rest hath been -- honour!
And the word of God did increase, and the number of the disciples did multiply in Jerusalem exceedingly; a great multitude also of the priests were obedient to the faith.
then, indeed, were the assemblies established in the faith, and were abounding in number every day;
for the reign of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit;
and the God of the hope shall fill you with all joy and peace in the believing, for your abounding in the hope in power of the Holy Spirit.
for of God we are fellow-workmen; God's tillage, God's building ye are. According to the grace of God that was given to me, as a wise master-builder, a foundation I have laid, and another doth build on `it', for other foundation no one is able to lay except that which is laid, which is Jesus the Christ; and if any one doth build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw -- of each the work shall become manifest, for the day shall declare `it', because in fire it is revealed, and the work of each, what kind it is, the fire shall prove; if of any one the work doth remain that he built on `it', a wage he shall receive; if of any the work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; and himself shall be saved, but so as through fire.
he who is speaking in an `unknown' tongue, himself doth edify, and he who is prophesying, an assembly doth edify; and I wish you all to speak with tongues, and more that ye may prophecy, for greater is he who is prophesying than he who is speaking with tongues, except one may interpret, that the assembly may receive edification.
so also ye, since ye are earnestly desirous of spiritual gifts, for the building up of the assembly seek that ye may abound;
What then is it, brethren? whenever ye may come together, each of you hath a psalm, hath a teaching, hath a tongue, hath a revelation, hath an interpretation? let all things be for building up;
for even if also anything more abundantly I shall boast concerning our authority, that the Lord gave us for building up, and not for casting you down, I shall not be ashamed;
Again, think ye that to you we are making defence? before God in Christ do we speak; and the all things, beloved, `are' for your up-building,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Acts 9
Commentary on Acts 9 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 9
In this chapter we have,
Act 9:1-9
We found mention made of Saul twice or thrice in the story of Stephen, for the sacred penman longed to come to his story; and now we are come to it, not quite taking leave of Peter but from henceforward being mostly taken up with Paul the apostle of the Gentiles, as Peter was of the circumcision. His name in Hebrew was Saul-desired, though as remarkably little in stature as his namesake king Saul was tall and stately; one of the ancients calls him, Homo tricubitalis-but four feet and a half in height; his Roman name which he went by among the citizens of Rome was Paul-little. He was born in Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, a free city of the Romans, and himself a freeman of that city. His father and mother were both native Jews; therefore he calls himself a Hebrew of the Hebrews; he was of the tribe of Benjamin, which adhered to Judah. His education was in the schools of Tarsus first, which was a little Athens for learning; there he acquainted himself with the philosophy and poetry of the Greeks. Thence he was sent to the university at Jerusalem, to study divinity and the Jewish law. His tutor was Gamaliel, an eminent Pharisee. He had extraordinary natural parts, and improved mightily in learning. He had likewise a handicraft trade (being bred to tent-making), which was common with those among the Jews who were bred scholars (as Dr. Lightfoot saith), for the earning of their maintenance, and the avoiding of idleness. This is the young man on whom the grace of God wrought this mighty change here recorded, about a year after the ascension of Christ, or little more. We are here told,
Act 9:10-22
As for God, his work is perfect; if he begin, he will make an end: a good work was begun in Saul, when he was brought to Christ's feet, in that word, Lord, what wilt thou have me to do? And never did Christ leave any that were brought to that. Though Saul was sadly mortified when he lay three days blind, yet he was not abandoned. Christ here takes care of the work of his own hands. He that hath torn will heal-that hath smitten will bind up-that hath convinced will comfort.
Act 9:23-31
Luke here makes no mention of Paul's journey into Arabia, which he tells us himself was immediately after his conversion, Gal. 1:16, 17. As soon as God had revealed his Son in him, that he might preach him, he went not up to Jerusalem, to receive instructions from the apostles (as any other convert would have done, that was designed for the ministry), but he went to Arabia, where there was new ground to break up, and where he would have opportunity of teaching, but not learning; thence he returned to Damascus, and there, three years after his conversion, this happened, which is here recorded.
Act 9:32-35
Here we have,
Act 9:36-43
Here we have another miracle wrought by Peter, for the confirming of the gospel, and which exceeded the former-the raising of Tabitha to life when she had been for some time dead. Here is,