Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Acts 14:28
And there they abode long time with the disciples.
28. And there they abode long time with the disciples ] The oldest MSS. omit “there.” Render literally, “And they abode no little time with the disciples.” St Paul was naturally more attached to Antioch than to Jerusalem, for here was the centre where Gentiles had first formed a Church, and where consequently he found most sympathy with his special labours.
The termination of St Paul’s first missionary journey seems no unfitting place for a notice of the character of the Apostle’s labours. We must assign a space of three or four years to this first mission, and as the district traversed was but small, a considerable time must have been spent at each place chosen for a centre of labour. The narrative of St Luke indicates this very clearly. He tells us (Act 13:49) how from Antioch “the word of the Lord was published throughout all the religion.” Again he speaks (Act 13:52, Act 14:22) of “the disciples” as though converts had been made in no small numbers. Then at Iconium he mentions (Act 14:1) that “a great multitude both of Jews and Greeks believed,” and (Act 14:3) that “long time” was spent there in striving to overcome the opposition of the “unbelieving Jews,” and at last the whole city appears to have been divided into two great factions. Such a result was not produced by two unknown Jewish missionaries, except after the lapse of a long time. So too at Lystra they abode long enough to gain many adherents, and form a congregation of earnest disciples. And the abundant fruit of the labours of the missionaries is clearly seen in the need for the ordination of elders, and in the provisions made for orderly church government. The language of St Paul too (Act 15:36) when he speaks of revisiting “the brethren in every city where they had before preached the word of the Lord” indicates that he felt that a good foundation had been laid in the different places where they had ministered. It seems from this that the course adopted by the Apostle was to tarry in some centre of population, and continue his preaching till a sufficient number of converts had been gained to carry on the work after he left them, and till some of these were so far instructed as to be able to take oversight of the infant churches.
But it is when we read of the Christian congregations that the narrative of St Luke becomes most full of interest. St Paul had been by a revelation (Act 22:21) sent to be the Apostle of the Gentiles, and he testifies himself to this statement of St Luke in his Epistle to the Galatians (Gal 2:7). Yet the history shews him to us quite in harmony with the feelings expressed in his letter to the Romans (Act 10:1) as one whose heart’s desire for Israel is that they may be saved; and in full accord with that language in which in the same epistle (Act 11:1) he identifies himself with the children of Israel. Throughout all this missionary journey St Paul never neglects to publish the message of salvation first to his own people. No, not even after repeated rejections of his teaching. In Cyprus he and Barnabas are mentioned as going first to the synagogue at Salamis. To the Gentiles they preached with much effect, but the Jews had heard their doctrine first. At Antioch they began their mission work in the synagogue, where they took their places as members of the Jewish congregation, and were invited by the rulers to address the assembly as being brethren and of the same faith. This address, which St Luke has preserved for us in substance, echoes more than once the language of the Epistle to the Romans. If in the epistle (Act 3:18) St Paul says “We conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the Law,” St Luke relates (Act 13:39) how he said to the Jews of Antioch in precisely similar terms, “By Him all that believe are justified from all things from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses.” So too just as the Apostle explains to the Romans (Act 10:19) that the purpose of God had been to rouse His ancient people to jealousy by them that are no people, so to the Antiochene Jews (Act 13:46) is he represented as saying, “It was necessary that the word of God should have been first spoken to you, but seeing ye judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, lo, we turn to the Gentiles.” And the action is just in the same spirit as the language which is used in Rom 1:16. There the Gospel is proclaimed to be the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, but the order in which it is offered is “to the Jew first and afterwards to the Gentiles.”
To compare in this way the language of St Paul’s chief epistle with the abstracts of his speeches in the Acts is of much importance. For some have been found to maintain that the St Paul of the Epistles is a very different teacher from the Apostle whose history is recorded in the Acts. Those passages in the letters where St Paul speaks so severely of the opposition which he experienced from the Jews have been unduly dwelt on, and the theory of two sections in the early Church (a Pauline and a Petrine party) has been widely accepted, and the Acts described as a work of late date written with a view to bring about harmony between them. We cannot therefore dwell too often on all those points in the narrative of St Luke which find a counterpart in the letters of St Paul. And the farther such a comparison be carried on the more will it be apparent that the agreement between the Apostle and the historian exists because the latter is faithful to what he saw and heard, and so his record cannot but harmonize with the spirit and words of the chief actor in the history.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
And there they abode – At Antioch.
Long time – How long is not intimated; but we hear no more of them until the council at Jerusalem, mentioned in the next chapter. If the transactions recorded in this chapter occurred, as is supposed, about 45 a.d. or 46 a.d., and the council at Jerusalem assembled 51 a.d. or 53 a.d., as is supposed, then here is an interval of from five to eight years in which we have no account of them. Where they were, or what was their employment in this interval, the sacred historian has not informed us. It is certain, however, that Paul made several journeys of which we have no particular record in the New Testament, and it is possible that some of those journeys occurred during this interval. Thus, he preached the gospel as far as Illyricum, Rom 15:19. And in 2Co 11:23-27, there is an account of trials and persecutions, of many of which we have no distinct record, and which might have occurred during this interval. We may be certain that these holy men were not idle. From the example of Paul and Barnabas as recorded in this chapter, we may learn to bear all persecutions and trials without a complaint, and to acknowledge the good hand of God in our preservation in our travels; in our defense when we are persecuted; in all the opportunities which may be open before us to do good; and in all the success which may attend our efforts. Christians should remember that it is God who opens doors of usefulness; and they should regard it as a matter of thanksgiving that such doors are opened, and that they are permitted to spread the gospel, whatever toil it may cost, whatever persecution they may endure, whatever perils they may encounter.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 28. And there they abode long time] How long the apostles tarried here we cannot tell; but we hear no more of them till the council of Jerusalem, mentioned in the following chapter, which is generally supposed to have been held in the year 51 of our Lord; and, if the transactions of this chapter took place in A.D. 46, as chronologers think, then there are five whole years of St. Paul’s ministry, and that of other apostles, which St. Luke passes by in perfect silence. It is very likely that all this time Paul and Barnabas were employed in extending the work of God through the different provinces contiguous to Antioch; for St. Paul himself tells us that he preached the Gospel so far as Illyria, Ro 15:19, on the side of the Adriatic Gulf: see its situation on the map. Many of the tribulations and perils through which the Apostle Paul passed are not mentioned by St, Luke, particularly those of which he himself speaks, 2Co 11:23-27. He had been five times scourged by the Jews; thrice beaten by the Romans; thrice shipwrecked; a whole night and day in the deep, probably saving his life upon a plank; besides frequent journeyings, and perils from his countrymen, from the heathen, from robbers, in the city, in the wilderness, in the sea, among false brethren, c., c. Of none of these have we any circumstantial account. Probably most of these happened in the five years which elapsed between the apostles’ return to Antioch, and the council of Jerusalem.
IN reading the Acts of the Apostles we may have often occasion to remark that in preaching the Gospel they carefully considered the different circumstances of the Jews and the Gentiles, and suited their address accordingly. When speaking to the former, of the necessity of crediting the Gospel, because without it they could not be saved, they took care to support all their assertions by passages drawn from the LAW and the PROPHETS, as every Jew considered those books to be of Divine authority, and from their decision there was no appeal. But, in addressing the Gentiles, who had no revelation, they drew the proof of their doctrine from the visible creation and demonstrated, by plain reasoning, the absurdity of their idolatrous worship, and called them off from those vanities to the worship of the living and true God, who made and governs all things, and who gave them such proofs of his being, wisdom, and goodness, in the provision made for their comfort and support, that they had only to reflect on the subject in order to be convinced of its truth. And while, in consequence, they saw the absurdity of their own system, they would at once discover the reasonableness of that religion which was now offered to them, in the name and on the authority of that God who had fed and preserved them all their life long, and girded them when they knew him not. The Gentiles felt the force of these reasonings, yielded to the truth, and became steady followers of Christ crucified while the Jews, with all their light and advantages, hardened their hearts against it, though they had no other arguments than what contradiction and blasphemy could provide! Publicans and harlots enter into the kingdom of heaven before them. Do not many, even in the present day, copy their example, revile the truth, take up with the shadow instead of the substance, and rest just as much in the letter of Christianity, as ever the Jews did in the letter of the law? This is a deplorable fact which cannot be successfully controverted.
2. We have already had occasion to note five years of a chasm in the apostolic history. God himself does not choose to have all the labours and sufferings of his servants recorded. Their recompense is in heaven; and it is enough that God knows their work, who alone can reward it. And yet every faithful servant of God will feel that the reward is all of grace, and not of debt; for the amount of their good is just the sum of what God has condescended to do by them. How studious are men to record the smallest transactions of their lives, while much of the life and labours of Jesus Christ and his apostles are written in the sand, and no longer legible to man; or written before the throne, where they are seen only by God and his angels. In many cases, the silence of Scripture is not less instructive than its most pointed communications.
3. We cannot consider the effect produced on the minds of the people of Lystra, without being surprised that a single miracle, wrought instrumentally by men, should excite so much attention and reverence, and that we should be unmoved by the myriads wrought by the immediate hand of GOD.
4. How difficult it is to get men brought to worship God, though they have the highest reasons and most powerful motives for it; and yet how ready are they to offer an incense to man that is due only to God himself! We applaud the apostles for rejecting with horror the sacrifices offered to them: common sense must have taught them this lesson, even independently of their piety. Let us beware that we take not that praise to ourselves which belongs to our Maker. Gross flattery is generally rejected, because a man cannot receive it without being rendered ridiculous; but who rejects even inordinate praise, if it be delicately and artfully prepared!
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
To confirm them, as Act 14:22; and also, as our Saviour withdrew himself from the multitudes, they chose there to refresh themselves a while, out of the heat of contention and persecution.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
28. there they abode long time“nolittle time.” From the commencement of the mission till theyleft Antioch to go up to attend the council at Jerusalem, some fouror five years elapsed; and as the missionary journey would probablyoccupy less than two years, the rest of the time would be the periodof their stay at Antioch. (But see Chronological Table.)
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And there they abode long time with the disciples. That is, Paul and Barnabas continued a considerable time at Antioch with the believers there, before they set out on another journey; and what might detain them the longer, might be the disputes they had with some “judaizing” Christians, concerning the observation of the law; of which, and the issue of them, an account is given in the next chapter.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
And they tarried no little time ( ). Imperfect active of , old verb to rub hard, to consume, with accusative of extent of time. It was a happy time of fellowship. The experiment entered upon by the church of Antioch was now a pronounced success. It was at the direct command of the Holy Spirit, but they had prayed for the absent missionaries and rejoiced at their signal success. There is no sign of jealousy on the part of Barnabas when Paul returns as the chief hero of the expedition. A new corner has been turned in the history of Christianity. There is a new centre of Christian activity. What will Jerusalem think of the new developments at Antioch? Paul and Barnabas made no report to Jerusalem.
Fuente: Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament
1) “And there they abode long time,” (dietribon de chronon ouk holigon) “Then they continued (stayed on) there no little time,” or for an extended time, though the length of time is not certain, but perhaps about three years, until after the Jerusalem council recounted Act 15:1-41.
2) “With the disciples.” (sun tois matheais) “In close colleague or fellowship with the disciples, saints, or church,” at Antioch where they had formerly taught for more than a year, and from which they had been sent forth on their interior Asia Minor mission journey, Act 13:1-3.
As the first missionary journey of Paul is concluded it appears that a time review of his mission and educational work is proper:
1. About A.D. 44 he and Barnabas visited Jerusalem, on behalf of the Antioch church of Syria to carry relief aid, Act 11:27-30; When they returned from Jerusalem to Antioch in Syria they had with them John Mark, Act 12:24-25.
2. Their first missionary journey was made A.D. 45, 46, as recounted Act 13:1 to Act 14:28.
3. Paul appears to have remained in Antioch of Syria for about three years, until after the Jerusalem council, before starting his second major missionary journey, about A.D. 50 or 52, Act 15:30-41.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(28) There they abode long time.The words probably cover an interval of more than a year, during which it is reasonable to suppose that the preaching of the two Apostles drew together a large number of Gentile converts.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
REFLECTIONS
Gracious Lord! we behold, in what is here said in this Chapter, the true representation of thy Church, in all ages. The faithful sent servants must endure persecution. The pure Gospel of Jesus, will never be relished by the corrupt minds of the unawakened; neither will it be cordially received by those, who desire to add law to Gospel. But, what grace Lord must it be in thee, to overrule the malice of the enemy, when opposing thy truths, in making the flight of thy servants from persecution to minister to thy glory, in dispersing thy word everywhere. Oh! may such views sweetly teach my soul, to cry out with the Psalmist, Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee; the remainder of wrath wilt thou restrain! I see, Lord, by this wonderful work of thine, that so much of the wrath of man as thou wilt convert into good, shall be employed to praise thee; all the further malice intended, shall be driven, like water running to waste, into another channel.
Will it please my honored Lord, to teach my soul to profit, from the changeable opinion of men, as here set forth; first in honoring his servants too much, and afterwards in treating them so cruelly; to leave all confidence in the creature, and live wholly upon my God the Infinite Creator. Precious Jesus! doth not every day’s experience with a loud voice proclaim the solemn truth: Cease ye from man whose breath is in his nostrils, for wherein is he to be accounted of? Oh! the blessedness of knowing thee, living to thee, walking with thee, and rejoicing in thee, as the Lord my righteousness. Here let my soul be daily confirmed, and then it matters not, what tribulation I pass through, to enter into thy kingdom! And grant, Lord, to all thy seat servants, the continual manifestations of thy favor, to bear them up, and bear them on, and bear them through, all opposition. Shortly the Lord will come, to take all his redeemed home, both ministers and people, to himself, forever: and then the whole of persecution will end, in an everlasting day of the full knowledge, and enjoyment of may God forever!
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
28 And there they abode long time with the disciples.
Ver. 28. There they abode ] As in a receptacle of rest, a place of free profession; such as Geneva hath been for many years to the persecuted Protestants, which makes the wicked Papists give out, that it is a professed sanctuary of all manner of roguery; that the people there are blasphemers of God and all his saints, yea, that they are grown barbarous, and eat young children, &c. And this the common people are taught to believe as gospel.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Act 14:28 . : only in Acts , where it occurs eight times, cf. Act 12:18 , etc.; on the length of time thus spent see “Chronology of the N.T.,” Hastings’ B.D., and also Ramsay, Church in the Roman Empire , p. 74, with which cf. Lewin, Fasti Sacri , p. 288.
Additional Note . In chapters 13 and 14 many critics find the commencement of a new source, a belief based to a great extent upon the view that Barnabas and Saul are here introduced as if they had not been previously mentioned. But whilst some description is given of each of the remaining persons in the list (Act 13:1 ), nothing is added to the name of Barnabas or of Saul, so that it seems quite permissible to argue that these two are thus simply mentioned by name because they were already known. It is therefore not surprising to find that some writers, e.g. , Hilgenfeld, regard these chapters as part of a previous source, so too Wendt, Spitta, Jngst. Others see in these chapters a separate document, possibly not used again by the author of Acts; a document composed by a different hand from that to which we owe the “We” sections, and incorporated by the author of the whole book into his work (McGiffert). Others again see in these same chapters the commencement of a Travel-Document, containing not only these two chapters, but also the later journeys of St. Paul, coming to us from the same hand as the “We” sections, and from the same hand as the rest of the book (Ramsay). It is disappointing to find how Clemen, while referring 13, 14 to his good source, Historia Pauli , goes even further than Spitta in breaking up the different parts of the narrative: e.g. , Act 14:8-11 , we owe to the Redactor Judaicus, and Act 14:19-20 ; Act 14:22 b , Act 14:23 in the same chapter to the Redactor Anti-Judaicus. (See on the whole question Hilgenfeld, Zeitschrift fr wissenschaft. Theol. , 1 e Heft, 1896; Wendt (1899), p. 225, note; Zckler, Apostelgeschichte , pp. 243, 244 (second edition).) It is no wonder in face of the unsatisfactory attempts to break up these chapters, or to separate their authorship from that of the rest of the book, that Zahn should maintain that a man like Luke needed for the composition of chapters 13 28 no other source than his recollections of the narratives recited by St. Paul himself, or of the events in which he, as St. Paul’s companion, had participated, Didache 1 N. T. , ii., 412 (1899), cf. Nsgen, Apostelgeschichte , pp. 25, 26. Certainly the unity of authorship between the two chapters under consideration and the rest of the book seems most clearly marked in language and style: e.g. , , Act 13:6 , only found elsewhere in N.T., Act 12:17 ; Act 19:33 ; Act 21:40 ; , Act 14:11 , only elsewhere in N.T., Luk 11:27 , Act 2:14 ; Act 22:22 ; , Act 13:11 , elsewhere in N.T., ten times in Luke’s Gospel (only twice in St. Matthew, and not at all in the other Evangelists), Act 3:7 ; Act 5:10 ; Act 12:23 ; Act 12:16 :(26), 33; , with participle, Act 13:48 , Act 14:7 ; Act 14:12 ; Act 14:26 ; Act 13:2 ; , Act 13:6 ; Act 13:11 ; with , Act 14:3 , elsewhere in N.T. in Luke only, and eight times in Acts in all parts; in Act 13:9 and Act 14:9 and the frequent recurrence of in both chapters. It is also perhaps worthy of observation that out of some twenty-one words and phrases found only in the “We” sections, and in the rest of Acts (Hawkins, Hor Synoptic , p. 151), six occur in these two chapters, and two of them twice: , Act 13:4 , Act 14:26 ; with accusative of time, Act 14:3 ; , Act 13:42 ; , Act 13:31 ; with accusative, Act 13:2 ; Act 13:7 ; , Act 13:25 . On the position of these two chapters relatively to chap. 15 see below.
Additional note on Act 14:23 . On the rapid spread of Christianity in Asia Minor see Ramsay, Cities and Bishoprics of Phrygia , i., pp. 87, 94, 95, 135 137, and Church in the Roman Empire , pp. 161, 397. The old nature religion with its negation of moral distinctions and family ties was doomed, a religion which on the one hand made woman the head of the family, and on the other hand compelled her to a so-called sacred service which involved the surrender of all which in a civilised community womanhood held most dear. The strength of the old ritual, however, was so great that it seems to have been maintained in Phrygia even after a higher type of society became known in the Roman period. But with the growth of Roman organisation and educational influences the minds of men were at least prepared for new ideas, and at this juncture St. Paul came preaching a gospel of home life, of Christian purity; and wherever higher social ideas had already penetrated he found converts disposed to follow his teaching as “a more excellent way”. In connection with the wide spread of Christianity in Asia Minor see also Orr, Some Neglected Factors in the Study of the Early Progress of Christianity , p. 48 ff. (1899).
Fuente: The Expositors Greek Testament by Robertson
long time = no (Greek. ou. App-105. I) little time. About two years and a half.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Act 11:26, Act 15:35
Reciprocal: 2Co 11:26 – journeyings
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
8
Act 14:28. This long time of their stay with the disciples will include an important visit to Jerusalem, which is reported in the next chapter.
Fuente: Combined Bible Commentary
Act 14:28. And there they abode long time. The exact length of time during which they remained at Antioch is uncertaincertainly not less than two years were spent by Paul and Barnabas in the Syrian capital.
Fuente: A Popular Commentary on the New Testament
See notes on verse 27