Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 9:16
For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
16. for I will shew him how great [many] things he must suffer ] Cp. Paul’s own words (Act 20:23), “The Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me.” The truth of this is borne out by that long list of the Apostle’s sufferings which he enumerates in his letter to the Corinthians (2Co 11:23-28) and the less detailed list in the same Epistle (Act 6:4-5).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
For I will show him … – This seems to be added to encourage Ananias. He had feared Saul. The Lord now informs him that Saul, hitherto his enemy, would ever after be his friend. He would not merely profess repentance, but would manifest the sincerity of it by encountering trials and reproaches for his sake. The prediction here was fully accomplished, Act 20:23; 2Co 11:23-27; 2Ti 1:11-12.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Act 9:16
For I will show him how great things he must suffer for My names sake.
The service of suffering
I. Suffering is one of the ways in which we may serve God.
1. The remarkable feature here is, that though it is a part of St. Pauls call to his mission, God does not say, I will show him how great things he must do, but how great things he must suffer. The service of work is subordinated to the service of suffering. And whenever St. Paul makes a retrospect of his own life he always takes the same view. As, for instance, in that catalogue in 2Co 11:1-33, the hardships and sorrows far outstripped the actions–the active being literally only two–journeyings often, the care of all the churches,–the passive at least twenty-seven.
2. And no wonder that St. Paul accounted more of the service of suffering than of the service of work. Was not it so with his Master and ours? What makes the Saviour what He is to us, is not what He wrought, but what He encountered; not what He did for the Father, but what the Father did to Him.
3. And in a world like this it must be so always. Every man being witness, it is a harder thing to suffer than to work. Much greater is the number of them that work well, than of them that suffer well. In the fruits of the Spirit the passive grow the highest. For four thousand years, the service of God was the service of sacrifice; and the service of sacrifice was essentially the service of suffering. And living, as we do, in a dispensation in which still the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now, etc., it would be sad indeed if we could not believe that there is a way in which every suffering thing does service to God.
4. Or take the same thought a step higher. What makes any word, or any work, or any thought which man ever offers to God, service? Is not it the Cross of Christ, the gathering point where the suffering of the whole universe meets? Is not, then, all service ultimately the service of suffering? The worship of a world of sin must be, to a very great extent, the service of pain. And we cannot thank God too much that the service of suffering which sin has made may, through Christ, go up the best of all service to Almighty God.
5. But if any man be tempted for a moment to think that his sufferings can add ought to the efficacy of the death of Christ, or that anything he can ever bear will give the slightest degree of merit to the kingdom of heaven, let that man carefully study that account of the saints in Rev 7:1-17.
II. How may we, by Gods grace, make suffering service? Have faith that your suffering, in some way, known or unknown, is service, and by that faith it is. And indeed, if you accept your suffering from Christ, and bear it in and consecrate it to Christ, it will have such a savour of Christ in it, that it cannot help to go up and to be service in heaven. The service of suffering may be divided thus–
1. The direct service of suffering to God is to accept it from a Fathers hand. Ask no questions, but look up trustingly. Say if it be but Amen, and as soon as you can, Hallelujah. Think, This suffering of mine is Christ suffering in me. It makes me more one than I ever was before with Jesus Christ.
2. The service of suffering in sanctification. Whenever you pass into it, let your first prayer be, Lord, for whatever end Thou hast sent this trial, let that end be fulfilled to me, in me, by me, to Thy glory. The purposes of suffering for sanctification are–
(1) Humiliation. To that end you must connect your sorrow with what? Sin? Not most. With the pardon of sin, with the love of God.
(2) Purity. Sorrow, passing through the heart, acts like a moral chemistry–the sin precipitates to the bottom; and so it leaves the water of the cup of life pure. Or rather, it is fire, to destroy the nature and self which, thank God, are consumable; and to leave the gold of grace, which, thank God, is not consumable. The best service which ever goes up to God is His own image. And Gods image is purity.
(3) Consecration. The Christian, passing through suffering, is a servant gone into his Masters presence to receive orders.
3. The service of suffering to man, or more strictly, to God through man.
(1) Intercession. You are sent up to your room, to a lonely place on the mount, to pray for others who fight in the plain. Therefore you cannot work that you may pray.
(2) Testimony. Bear your witness–by silence, by looks, by speech, by a sweeter smile than when all was bright, by a kinder accent to the faithfulness of God, and the sufficiency of His grace. David was very great in the service of testimony. It is good for me that I have been in trouble, In the multitude of the sorrows which I have in my heart, Thy comforts have refreshed my soul.
(3) Sympathy. We never truly sympathise with what we have not felt. Therefore Christ sympathises with all, because He felt all. (J. Vaughan, M. A.)
Suffering for Christs names sake
When Dr. Mason, a missionary in India, asked his converted boatman whether he was willing to go to the Bghais, a neighbouring tribe, to tell them of a Saviours love, he reminded him that, instead of twelve rupees a month, he would receive but four rupees. Can you go to the Bghais for four rupees? asked the missionary. The heathen convert went by himself and thought and prayed, and came hack to Dr. Mason. Well, Chapon, what is your decision? My father, I cannot go to the Bghais for four rupees a month, but I can go for Jesus. And for Jesus he went.
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
Verse 16. How great things he must suffer] Instead of proceeding as a persecutor, and inflicting sufferings on others, I will show him how many things he himself must suffer for preaching that very doctrine which he has been hitherto employed in persecuting. Strange change indeed! And with great show of reason, as with incontrovertible strength of argument, has a noble writer, Lord Lyttleton, adduced the conversion of Saul of Tarsus, and his subsequent conduct, as an irrefragable proof of the truth of Christianity.
Some think that the words, I will show him, c., refer to a visionary representation, which Christ was immediately to give Saul, of the trials and difficulties which he should have to encounter as also of that death by which he should seal his testimony to the truth. If so, what a most thorough conviction must Saul have had of the truth of Christianity, cheerfully and deliberately to give up all worldly honours and profits, and go forward in a work which he knew a violent death was to terminate!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
He shall suffer as great things as he ever did cause or inflict; the hatred of his own countrymen the Jews, and the fury of the Gentiles: see the catalogue of them, 2Co 11:23-27. And were there ever so many sufferings heaped upon one man? And yet, though all these were foretold unto him, and certainly foreknown by him, he would preach the gospel for all that: much was forgiven him, and he loved much.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. I will show him(SeeAct 20:23; Act 20:24;Act 21:11).
how great things he mustsuffer for my namethat is, Much he has done against that Name;but now, when I show him what great things he must suffer for thatName, he shall count it his honor and privilege.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
For I will show him,…. In vision, and by prophecy, either now, or hereafter; or by facts, as they come upon him:
how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake; such as weariness, pain, and watchings, hunger, thirst, fastings, cold, and nakedness, perils on various accounts, and from different quarters, stripes, scourges, imprisonment, shipwreck, stoning, and death, of which he himself gives a detail, 2Co 11:23 so that Ananias had no reason to be afraid to go to him, and converse with him, and do unto him as he was directed.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
I will shew (). Beforehand as a warning as in Lu 3:7 and from time to time.
He must suffer ( ). Constative aorist active infinitive (, from ) covering the whole career of Saul. Suffering is one element in the call that Saul receives. He will learn “how many things” () are included in this list by degrees and by experience. A glance at 2Co 10-12 will show one the fulfilment of this prophecy. But it was the “gift” of Christ to Paul to go on suffering (, present infinitive, Php 1:39).
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
How great things [] . Rev., more correctly, how many.
Fuente: Vincent’s Word Studies in the New Testament
1) “For I will shew him,” (ego gar hupodeikso auto) “For I will show or disclose to him,” as our Lord showed His disciples how they should suffer, Joh 15:20-21.
2) “How great things he must,” (hosa dei auton) “How many things it behooves or becomes him,” Mat 5:11-12; Rom 8:17. It is a blessed thought that God may be glorified as much by the patient, uncomplaining, suffering of His saints as by their courageous deeds, 2Ti 3:10-12; Php_3:8.
3) “Suffer for my name’s sake,” (huper tou onomatos mou pathein) “To suffer continually (repeatedly) on behalf of my name,” my authority or my work, 2Co 11:23-28; Gal 6:17; Php_1:29; 2Ti 3:12; Until his valedictory hour, 2Ti 4:7-8; Rev 2:10.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
16. And because. Paul could not do this, and have Satan quiet, and the world to yield to him willingly; therefore Luke addeth, that he shall be also taught to bear the cross. For the meaning of the words is, I will accustom him to suffer troubles: to endure reproaches, and to abide all manner [of] conflicts, that nothing may terrify him, and keep him back from doing his duty. And when Christ maketh himself Paul’s teacher in this matter, he teacheth that the more every man hath profited in his school, the more able is he to bear the cross. For we strive against it, and refuse it as a thing most contrary, until he make our minds more gentle. Also this place teacheth, that no man is fit to preach the gospel, seeing the world is set against it, save only he which is armed to suffer. Therefore if we will show ourselves faithful ministers of Christ, we must not only crave at his hands the spirit of knowledge and wisdom, but also of constancy and strength, that we may never be discouraged by laboring and toiling; which is the estate of the godly.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
(16) For I will shew him how great things he must suffer . . .The words are spoken as by One who knows what is in man (Joh. 2:25), their secret motives, and springs of action. With characters of a lower type, the prospect of what they will have to suffer in any enterprise tends to deter them from embarking on it. With such a one as Saul of Tarsus, now repenting of the sufferings he had inflicted on others, that prospect would be welcome as enabling him, so far as that was possible, if not to atone for the past, at least to manifest fruits worthy of his repentance.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. I will show him By the revelations of future experience.
Suffer As he has inflicted hitherto, rather than suffered.
Act 9:16. I will shew him how great things he must suffer If this intimates, as some very learned commentators seem to think, that Saul should presently have a revelation, and perhaps a visionary representation of all his sufferings, it must appear a most heroic instance of courage and zeal, under the power of grace, that with such a view he should offer himself to baptism, and go on so steadily in his ministerial work. Never surely was there, on that supposition, a more lively image of that adorable Lord, who so resolutely persevered in his work, though he knew all things that were to come upon him.
16 For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
Ver. 16. How great things he must suffer ] Opposition is (as Calvin wrote to the French king) Evangelii genius, the evil angel that dogs the gospel. And praedicare, said Luther, nihil aliud est quam derivare in se furorem totius mundi: To preach, is to get the evil will of the world.
16. ] The fulfilment of this is testified by Paul himself, ch. Act 20:23 ; Act 20:25 ; see also Act 21:11 .
Act 9:16 . : he is a chosen vessel unto me, and therefore . Wendt disagrees with Meyer, who finds the showing in the experiences of the sufferings (so Hackett and Felten), and refers the word with De Wette, Over-beck, to a revelation or to some directing counsel of Christ, cf. Act 13:2 , Act 16:6 ; Act 16:9 , Act 20:20 , so too Blass cf. 2Co 11:25-28 . Either interpretation seems better than that of Weiss, who refers the back to , as if Christ were assuring Ananias that Saul would not inflict suffering upon others, but I will show him how much he ( , with emphasis) must suffer, etc., cf. also Bengel’s comment.
shew = forewarn. Greek. hupodeiknumi. Occurs elsewhere Act 20:35. Mat 3:7. Luk 3:7; Luk 6:47; Luk 12:5.
suffer. See 2Co 11:23-28.
for My name’s sake = on behalf of (Greek. huper.) My name. See Act 22:14-18
16. ] The fulfilment of this is testified by Paul himself, ch. Act 20:23; Act 20:25; see also Act 21:11.
Act 9:16. , for I) i.e. do thou diligently, Ananias, what thou art commanded: for I will take care of the rest, that Saul may be Mine, and may remain so.-, I will show) by the actual fact, throughout his whole course. This is predicted to Ananias, not to Saul himself: it was Sauls part to obey.-, to suffer) So far is he from being about to assail others hereafter. See the beginning of his suffering, Act 9:23; Act 9:29.
I will: Act 20:22, Act 20:23, Act 21:11, Isa 33:1, Mat 10:21-25, Joh 15:20, Joh 16:1-4, 1Co 4:9-13, 2Co 11:23-27, 2Ti 1:12, 2Ti 2:9, 2Ti 2:10, 2Ti 3:11
for: Act 9:14, Mat 5:11, Mat 24:9, 1Pe 4:14, Rev 1:9
Reciprocal: Eze 3:25 – General Mat 10:22 – for Mat 19:29 – my Mar 8:35 – for Mar 13:9 – take Luk 6:22 – for Luk 10:3 – I send Luk 21:17 – for Joh 14:2 – if Joh 15:21 – all Joh 16:4 – that when Act 9:23 – the Jews Act 14:19 – having Act 16:19 – they Act 26:9 – the name Act 26:16 – to make 1Co 4:10 – for Gal 1:1 – but 1Th 3:3 – we are 1Pe 2:21 – even 1Pe 3:14 – if 3Jo 1:7 – that
THE DISCIPLINE OF LIFE
For I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My names sake.
Act 9:16
God is revealing to Ananias His purposes concerning Saul, whom He had just called to his apostleship. He says that he is to bear My name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. And we are lookingafter those wordsto hear what great things he shall do in this mission, when lo! God changes it altogether, and does not say at all what His chosen servant shall do, but adds, for I will shew him how great things he must suffer for My names sake.
St. Pauls sufferings appear to have begun at the time, when he began also to be a Christian; and if you watch it your own observation of life will often show you the same fact.
I. What is the solution of all this?Rather, what is the solution of the fact, that a father does not correct a strangers child, but his own? What is the solution of the fact that when the gardener goes into his garden he does not put his pruning-knife to the dead branch, but to the living and fruitful one? What is the solution of the fact that you do not put a stone into your crucible, but the silver and the golden ore? And the more that father loves his child, the more does he lay out his severest regime to correct his faults, and to bring forth his powers. And the more promising is the branch, the more does the dresser prune it, and the deeper does he cut it. And the more precious is the metal, the hotter is the refiners firethe fining-pot for silver, and the furnace for gold.
II. Therefore the discipline of life is chiefly in the Church.Do not misunderstand it; do not stumble at it. From the moment that you give yourself to God, you are out at school in this world, to prepare for your true home. The discipline is strict, but for a very little time; severe, but for a sufficient end. It will very soon be over, and you will go back to your Fathers home. For observe that word musthow great things he must suffer for My names sake. The disciple of the Man of Sorrows must be as his Master.
III. But be your trials what they maythe little daily droppings, or the mighty water floodsthere is one thought which endears, ennobles, sweetens allthe name of Jesus is in them. You are responsible if it is not. You may place it there, alike the lighter and the heavier grief, you may, by the spirit you throw into it, connect and identify it with Christ. You may take it from Christ, and bear it in Christ, and go through it with Christ, and come out of it to Christ. And what is too great to bear, or do, if you can indeed addfor Thy names sake?
6
Act 9:15. The Lord’s reassurance consisted in telling Ananias that Saul had been chosen by Him to bear his name before others, both Gentiles and Israelites. Of course, the Lord would not suffer such ‘a chosen servant to harm any disciple sent to him.
Act 9:16. For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my names sake. As in chap. Act 20:23, when, in his farewell address at Ephesus, he tells the elders of the Church how the Holy Ghost was witnessing in every city that bonds and afflictions were awaiting him (see also chap. Act 20:25 and Act 21:11). The more acutely an apostle suffered for the glory of his Masters name, the more ardently he toiled for his Masters cause. Nor did these sufferings come upon these devoted men unawares; they had the inward witness of the Holy Ghost that such a lot surely awaited them: they may not, and this was Pauls experience, have been able to foresee the exact nature, or to foretell the place and circumstances of the moment of bitter trial, but the suffering seems generally before it came to have flung its dark shadow over the life of men like Paul and his companions. In this particular, in some degree, they resembled then: blessed Master in their foreknowledge of the bitter cup of suffering which would, sooner or later, be presented to them to drain to the dregs.
See notes on verse 13
9:16 For I will {h} shew him how great things he must suffer for my name’s sake.
(h) I will plainly show him.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Fuente: Henry Alford’s Greek Testament
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Fuente: The Greek Testament
Fuente: Gnomon of the New Testament
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Fuente: Church Pulpit Commentary
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
Fuente: McGarvey and Pendleton Commentaries (New Testament)
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes