Bible Commentary - Acts 4 thru Acts 20

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Bible Commentary - Acts 4 thru Acts 20

Acts Chapter 4

When the religious leaders had Jesus put to death they believed that they had put an end to his influence and teachings. But when they heard that his disciples were spreading his teachings further among the people, they became very disturbed. So, they took Peter and John and put them in jail overnight. The next day, the Sanhedrin met and brought these men before them and questioned them as to who gave them the authority to heal and teach the people about Jesus. Peter answered that it was in the name of Jesus who they had killed that they were able to heal a crippled man. Jehovah had raised Jesus, the one that they had rejected, from the dead and he was now the capstone of the covenant and salvation was made available only through his name.

The men of the Sanhedrin were amazed at the courage that Peter and John spoke with because they knew that they had not had been trained in their religious schools but that the only training they had was when they were with Jesus. They could not deny that they had healed this crippled man because he was standing before them. So they had Peter and John sent out of the room so that they could confer as to what to do. They could not openly deny the miraculous event because all the people knew about it. They had only one choice; they would try and force them to stop speaking about Jesus.

The NIV Bible Commentary, Volume II, page 405, says this of these men: “There was no denying that the man had been healed. There he stood before them, physically regenerated at an age when regenerative cures do not occur of themselves (cf. v. 22,). But even the miraculous is not self-authenticating apart from an openness of heart and mind; and the Sadducees’ preoccupation with protecting their vested interests shut them off from really seeing the miracle that occurred.”

So they brought them back into the room and commanded them to stop teaching about Jesus. The disciples told them that they could not stop speaking about the things that they had seen and knew to be true because they were eyewitnesses of these events. If these rulers thought that their words carried more weight than God’s words, this would be a matter for them to judge but they would follow Jesus’ command. (See Matthew 28:19, 20)

The NIV Bible Commentary, page 405, gives the reason why the Sanhedrin chose to act in this manner. “The Sanhedrin decided to impose a ban on the apostles, both to warn them and to provide a legal basis for further action should such be needed.”

After a warning and further threats were given, they released the men because they had no real basis for punishing them. Peter and John went immediately to the other disciples and reported to them what had happened. They all rejoiced when they heard this and offered a prayer to Jehovah praising Him that He was fulfilling His words spoken through David in connection with His Anointed One. They then asked Him to take into account the threats that had been made against them and give them the strength to continue to speak His word with great boldness. The room where they were meeting shook and they became filled with holy spirit and they continued, in spite of the threats issued against them, to speak God’s word boldly. Jehovah had answered their prayer to Him.

The unity that existed among the believers showed itself in that those who had property would sell it and share the proceeds with everyone so that no one was in need of anything. When the people sold their property, they would bring the money and give it to the apostles who would distribute it among those who had nothing. Barnabas, who would later become a traveling companion to the Apostle Paul, is introduced here as one who showed such generosity. His Hebrew name is given as Joseph and we are told that his family is from Cyprus and that he is a Levite. He is also a cousin of John Mark, who he will later come to the defense of before Paul.

Acts Chapter 5

Luke now relates an example some who were not sincere givers but wanted to put on a front of being such. Ananias and Sapphira owned property and decided to sell some of it and bring the money to the apostles. But they both agreed to hold back some of the money for themselves but they would pretend that they had brought all of it to give to the poor. Jehovah revealed this deception to Peter and he asked Ananias why was it necessary to lie? After all, the property was theirs to do with as they pleased and if they did not choose to give all the proceeds to the poor they would only have to say this. They did not need to pretend that they were giving more than they actually had. This was the deceitful part and they had lied not only to men but to God Himself. It appears that they wanted to be seen as more generous than they actually were. Jehovah put both of them to death because of this deception and great fear fell upon the entire congregation.

The apostles continued to perform many miraculous signs before the people and they began bringing their sick relatives to them and they healed them all. The high priest who was the leader of the Sadducees became jealous of the success of the apostles and had them arrested a second time and thrown into jail. But during the night Jehovah sent his angel to release them from prison and they were told to go again to the temple courts and continue teaching the people the message of salvation. The high priest again convened the Sanhedrin and asked that the apostles be brought before them. But when they went to the jail to get them, all was in order there with the exception that the apostles were not there. No one could explain this event. Someone then came and told them that these men were in the temple teaching the people.

After being brought back to stand before the Sanhedrin, the apostles were questioned again by the high priest who reminded them that they had been ordered not to teach in the name of Jesus. Since the high priest was the one who presided over the Sanhedrin, he would be the one who would begin the proceedings. These men answered that they were going to obey God rather than men. God had raised Jesus from the dead and had exalted him to His right hand. He had made him leader and savior in order to give repentance and forgiveness of sin to Israel. They as well as holy spirit were eyewitnesses to these things and they were going to be obedient to Jehovah.

This statement caused the Sanhedrin much consternation and they were ready to put them to death immediately. But one of their own, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, rose to speak to them asking that the men be taken out of the room for a while. He then told them to be careful of what they were contemplating doing. He related to them how several other groups had tried to foment revolt but were all brought to nothing. He reasoned that if these men were acting on their own authority, they would fail. But if they were authorized by God to do these things, then the Sanhedrin would find itself in opposition to God and they would not be able to stop their work. They listened to Gamaliel and decided to flog them, ordering them again to stop speaking in Jesus’ name and released them. The apostles rejoiced that they were suffering for the sake of Jesus’ name and continued without letup proclaiming that Jesus was the Christ.

Acts Chapter 6

As the congregation continued growing, a problem arose among the Christians that needed to be solved by the apostles. The widows of the Grecian speaking Jews were being overlooked in the daily food distribution and these Jews complained to the apostles about it. The apostles suggested that the group choose seven capable men, men who were full of wisdom and spirit, to take charge of the food distribution as they needed to continue their ministry of teaching God’s word and giving their attention to prayer. So the brothers chose Stephen, Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. These men were brought before the apostles who, after praying first, laid their hands on them thus commissioning them for their work. Stephen and Philip are the only two of these seven men who are later spoken about in the scriptures.

The NIV Bible Commentary, page 414, says this of these seven men: “All seven men have Greek names; one of them is singled out as having been a Gentile convert to Judaism (i.e., a ‘proselyte’). But it is impossible to be sure simply from the names whether all seven were Hellenists, for at that time many Palestinian Jews also had Greek names. Nevertheless, the fact that Luke gives only Greek names suggests that all seven were in fact from the Hellenistic group within the church.”

The footnote for verse five in the NIV adds this: “It is significant that all seven of the men chosen had Greek names. The murmuring had come from the Greek-speaking segment of the church; so those elected to care for the work came from their number so as to represent their interests fairly.”

Luke tells us that after this event the congregations increased rapidly and that large number of priests became christians. Stephen, who is described as a man full of God’s grace and power, performed many signs among the people. But he was opposed by members of the Synagogue of the Freedmen who argued with him but were unable to win their side of the issues. So they decided to get rid of him by bringing trump up charges against him accusing him of blasphemy against God and Moses so that he would be brought before the Sanhedrin for judgment. As they did with Jesus, they produced false witnesses who would swear that they heard Stephen say that Jesus was going to destroy the temple and change the law.

Acts Chapter 7

When they brought Stephen before the Sanhedrin, the high priest asked him if the charges against him were true. He replied by giving a brief summary of Jehovah’s dealings with the nation beginning with His sending Abraham to the land of Canaan and promising that He would give that land to him and his descendants up to the time that Solomon built the temple. He relates that Jehovah told Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved for four hundred years by a nation that Jehovah would punish. They would then be released and brought to the land of Canaan so that they could worship Him there.

He now relates how Israel came to be in Egypt. Abraham became father to Isaac and Isaac became father to Jacob who himself had twelve sons. Because Jacob favored Joseph, his brothers became jealous of him and sold him as a slave and he was taken to Egypt. Jehovah was with him and he eventually became a ruler in Egypt. When a famine came upon the land of Canaan and Egypt, Jacob heard that there was food in Egypt and sent his sons to buy food there. Later they returned to Egypt for more foodstuffs and their brother Joseph told them who he was. The whole family was then brought to Egypt to live.

Later the Israelites multiplied and the new king of Egypt became frighten of them and brought them under abject slavery. To stem the tide of their growth, Pharaoh ordered all the boy babies to be killed. Moses survived and was raised in Pharaoh’s house as the son of his daughter. When Moses was forty years old he visited his people and witnessed a fight between an Israelite and an Egyptian. He intervened and killed the Egyptian. Rather than wait for Pharaoh to learn what he had done, he fled to Midian where he settled as an alien and raised a family. At the age of eighty, Jehovah appointed him to deliver his people from Egypt because it was time for Him to keep His promise to his servant Abraham. After performing many signs before Pharaoh, Moses successfully led the people out of Egypt.

They then wandered for forty years in the desert because the nation proved to be disobedient. Earlier they had encouraged Aaron to make a golden calf that would serve as their god and lead them back to Egypt. From that day forward Jehovah turned away from them and gave them over to idolatry. (Amos 5:25-27) Jehovah later had Moses build a tabernacle according to His pattern and this tabernacle Joshua brought into the land of Canaan when Jehovah turned it over to them. The tabernacle continued to be used until the time of David when Jehovah allowed him to design and gather materials for a more permanent dwelling that his son, Solomon, would later build.

Stephen however pointed out that Jehovah really did not dwell in structures made by human hands. (1 Kings 8:27) Heaven is His dwelling place and the earth his footstool. (Isaiah 66:1, 2) Even though Jehovah may have approved the temple that the Jews were revering, yet it was not the ultimate place of worship as Jesus himself had made known. (John 4:21-24) He also pointed out that even though the law covenant had been put into effect by angels, neither the people nor their leaders were obedient to it. Therefore the ones that Stephen was addressing were no better that their forefathers who had persecuted and killed the prophets that had predicted the coming of Jesus. They themselves were now guilty of killing the very one that the prophets had spoken about.

The member of the Sanhedrin became furious because of these words of Stephen. As he stood there, Stephen said that he saw the heavens open up and he saw the glory of Jehovah and Jesus was standing at His right hand. This so infuriated them that they grabbed him and dragged him out of the city and stoned him to death. He, before dying, prayed to Jehovah that He would not hold this sin against them.

Acts Chapter 8

A great persecution rose against the congregation in Jerusalem and all Hellenistic Jewish believers were scattered throughout Judea and Samaria. The apostles, however, remained in Jerusalem. After Stephen was buried, Saul continued his rampage against the congregations. He dragged men and women out of their houses and put them in jail. This persecution served to assure that the good new would spread beyond the confines of Jerusalem.

Though these believers were scattered because of the great persecution, they continued going from place to place preaching the good news. Philip went to a Samaritan city and preached about the Christ and also performed many miracles. The NIV Life Application Bible, footnote page 2324 says, "This is not the apostle, Philip, but a Greek-speaking Jew who was one of the seven chosen to help with the food distribution program" The crowds listened to Philip for they saw the miraculous signs. There was great joy there; evil spirits came out of people and many paralytics and cripples were healed.

There was a man named Simon whose sorcery amazed the people there and they gave attention to him for a long time. But when Philip came there and preached the good news of Jehovah's kingdom many were baptized in Jesus’ name. Even Simon believed and got baptized. He then began to accompany Philip everywhere he went and was constantly astounded by what he saw.

When word reached the apostles that Samaria accepted the word of God, Peter and John were sent to them. Upon arrival, they prayed for the people so that they would receive holy spirit. Peter and John then placed their hands on the people and they received holy spirit. Peter has now used the second of the “keys of the kingdom” given him by Jesus. (Matthew 16:19) Simon saw what was happening and offered money to the two apostles to give him the power that they had. But Peter rebuked him and told him his heart was not right before God and that he should repent of his wickedness and pray to God for forgiveness. Simon asked Peter to pray for him so that all Peter said of him would not come to be.

Philip, following the direction of an angel, met an Ethiopian eunuch, an important servant of the Ethiopian queen, Candace. This man was a proselyte of the Jewish religion and was returning home from worshipping at the temple. He was reading from the scroll of Isaiah the prophet when the angel told Philip to join the eunuch in his chariot. When Philip heard him reading, he asked if he understood what he was reading. The eunuch rightly said that he could not unless someone explained it to him. He then invited Philip to join him in his chariot. He then asked Philip to whom was Isaiah referring to in the passage from Isaiah 53:7, 8. So, Philip explained to him the good news about Jesus. After gaining a full understanding of what Philip was teaching him, the man asked why shouldn’t he get baptized. After baptizing the man in some nearby water, Philip disappeared. The eunuch never saw him again. Philip later appeared at Azotus and preached the gospel in the towns leading up to Caesarea.


Acts Chapter 9

Saul is still determined to stamp out this new religion so he went to the high priest and asks for letters to the synagogues in Damascus that would give him the authority to take all who believed back to Jerusalem as prisoners. According to the NIV Bible Commentary, Volume II, page 433, “Damascus represented much more to Saul, the strict Pharisee, than another stop on his campaign of repression. It was the hub of a vast commercial network with far-flung lines of caravan trade reaching into north Syria, Mesopotamia, Anatolla, Persia and Arabia. If the new “Way” of Christianity flourished in Damascus, it would quickly reach all these places. From the view point of the Sanhedrin and of Saul, the arch-persecutor, it had to be stopped in Damascus.”

As he neared Damascus, a light from heaven flashed around Saul and he fell to the ground. A voice asks: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” Saul wanted to know who was speaking to him and the voice answered that he was Jesus, the one you are persecuting. Saul was to continue into the city and would be told what he should do. The men traveling with him heard the sound but did not see anyone. After this encounter, Saul was unable to see so had to led into Damascus.

Meanwhile, Jesus, in a vision, told Ananias, a disciple who lived in Damascus, to go to a certain house and there he would meet Saul and would restore his sight. Ananias was frightened because of all the injurious things he knew Saul had done to the holy ones in Jerusalem. He also knew that why Saul had come to Damascus. But Jesus told him to be on his way, because Saul was a chosen vessel to me to bear my name to the nations as well as to kings and the sons of Israel. Saul would also be shown how many things he must suffer for Jesus sake.

So Ananias left and met Saul. As he placed his hands on Saul, he regained his sight and was filled with holy spirit. Saul was then baptized and after eating food, regained his strength. He spent time in Damascus with the disciples and began preaching in the Jewish synagogues that Jesus was the Son of God. People who heard him were stunned because he was the one who was causing much trouble for Jesus' disciples wherever he went, and so the Jews in Damascus were baffled as he proved logically that Jesus was the Christ. The Jews then plotted to kill him but his followers helped him to escape.

Saul then returned to Jerusalem and tried to join the disciples there but they were afraid of him because they did not believe that he was a disciple. Yet, Barnabas took him to the apostles and told them in detail what had happened to him and how he had spoken boldly in the name of Jesus, and he stayed with them. Later, Saul was sent by the brothers to Tarsus because, after debating with the Grecian Jews, they tried to kill him.

The congregation throughout all of Judea, Galilee and Samaria entered a peaceful period, being built up and as it walked in the fear of Jehovah and the comfort of the holy spirit, it kept growing.

Peter traveled about and eventually came to Lydda to visit believers there. He found a man named Aeneas who had been paralyzed for eight years, lying flat on his cot. Peter told him that Jesus had healed him. This man rose immediately! All those who inhabited Lydda and Sharon saw this miraculous sign and turned to Lord.

A disciple in Joppa was doing good deeds and was helping the poor. Her name was Tabitha, which means Dorcas. She became ill and died whereby they sent for Peter. When he arrived and was taken to the room where she lay dead, he told them all to leave the room and he began to pray. Peter turned to the dead woman and said “Tabitha, get up.” She woke up and Peter called everyone back into the room and presented her back them. Many in Joppa became believers after hearing about this resurrection.

Acts Chapter 10

This chapter deals with the conversion of the first Gentile to Christianity and Peter’s use of another of the “keys of the Kingdom” given him by Jesus. Cornelius, a Roman army officer, who lived in Caesarea was God-fearing and he helped many who were poor and was continually praying to God. Around three o'clock one afternoon, he had a vision and an angel of God who told him his prayers and gifts of mercy had been taken note of by Jehovah. He was told to send for Peter who was still at Joppa.

The next day, as Peter, while waiting for a meal, sat on the rooftop praying, had a vision. He saw all sorts of four-footed creatures, creepy things in a vessel coming from heaven. These animals were those that Jehovah had in the Mosaic Law commanded Israel not to eat as they were considered unclean. The spirit told him to kill and eat the animals. But Peter refused and said that he had never eaten anything unclean. He was told that he should not call anything unclean that God had cleansed. This happened three times in the vision. As Peter was trying to figure out what this vision might mean, the men sent by Cornelius knocked at the gate of the house where he was staying. The spirit said to him, “Look! Three men are seeking you so go downstairs and be on your way with them, not doubting at all, because I have dispatched them. So Peter went downstairs and met the men.

They told Peter that Cornelius, a righteous man, well respected by all the Jews, had sent them to him. They said that an angel had told Cornelius to send for him so that he could hear what Peter had to say. The next day Peter accompanied them along with some of the brothers from Joppa. When they arrived at Caesarea, Cornelius had gathered his relatives and friends together in a house to await Peter’s arrival.

When Peter entered the house, Cornelius fell at his feet and did obeisance but Peter told him not to do that as he was only a man. Peter said that it was against the Law for a Jew to enter the house of a Gentile, but God had shown him that he should not call any man unclean or impure. He now understands what the vision was meant. Peter asks Cornelius why has he sent for him. Cornelius then relates the vision that he has received. He then asks Peter to tell them what God’s commands are for them.

Peter begins by saying that he now realizes that God is not partial, but from every nation, the man that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him. He talks about some of the things that these men may have heard about Jesus, but giving more detail. He testifies that these things are true as the disciples, including himself, had witnessed them. He relates how Jesus was put to death by the Jews but raised back to life by God and appeared to many of those chosen by God to be witnesses of this fact. Jesus then commanded these ones to preach to the people that he had been appointed by God to be the judge of the living and the dead. All the prophets testified about him and anyone who put faith in him received forgiveness of sins.

While Peter was speaking, the Holy Spirit came on all those listening to him. These Gentiles began speaking in the different languages and those who came with Peter were astonished that holy spirit was now being poured out on Gentiles. Peter responded by asking if there was any reason why these ones should not be baptized. He then commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Acts Chapter 11

When the brothers in Judea heard that Gentiles had received the word of God, they began to criticize Peter because he ate with uncircumcised men. So, Peter explained to them everything that had happened beginning with the vision he had seen and how holy spirit had come upon the group as he spoke to them. He relates that he remembered that Jesus had told them that they would be baptized with holy spirit; therefore, when he saw these Gentiles receive holy spirit the same as they, the Jews had received, he was in no position to oppose God. These Jewish Christians now agreed that Jehovah had now granted the Gentiles the opportunity for everlasting life.

Those disciples, who had been scattered due to the persecution in Jerusalem, had traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the good news but only to Jews. But some of those who had come to Antioch begin speaking to the Greeks about Jesus Christ. Jehovah's hand was with them because a great of number of these people believed. When the news about this reached the congregation at Jerusalem, they dispatched Barnabas to go there and give encouragement to these new converts. He did much to encourage these brothers and helped others to learn about Jesus. Later, Barnabas was went to Tarsus to look for Saul and brought him back to Antioch to help him there. They spent a year there with the congregation. Under their tutorage, the congregation grew and it was here at Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians.

The NIV Bible Commentary, Volume II, page 444, says this about Antioch: “During the first Christian century, it was, after Rome and Alexandria, the third largest city in the empire, having a population of more that 500,000. It was a melting pot of Western and Eastern cultures, where Greek and Roman traditions mingled with Semitic, Arab, and Persian influences.”

“In Christian history, apart from Jerusalem, no other city of the Roman Empire played as large a part in the early life and fortunes of the church as Antioch of Syria. It was the birthplace of foreign missions (13:2) and the home base for Paul’s outreach to the eastern half of the empire. It was the place where those of “the Way” (9:2) were first called “Christians” (11:6) and where the question as to the necessity for Gentile converts to submit to the rite of circumcision first arose (15:1-2).”

Acts Chapter 12

King Herod at this time had been mistreating some of those in the congregation, and had James, the brother of John, put to death. When he saw how this pleased the Jews, he arrested others believers including Peter. The congregation prayed intensely for Peter and Jehovah sent an angel to release him. The angel told him to hurry and dress himself and follow him and Peter did so. Even though he followed the angel, he thought he was seeing a vision. But when the angel left him on a street Peter realized it was for real. So, he went to Mary's house, the mother of John also called Mark, where quite a few were gathered together praying. He knocked on the door and a servant girl named Rhoda came to see who was there, and when she recognized Peter’s voice, she ran to tell the others but did not open the door. When she told them it was Peter, they told her that she was mad. Peter kept knocking and so the others came and were amazed upon seeing Peter. He explained to them in detail how Jehovah brought him out of the prison, and then he told them to report these things to James and the brothers, then he left to go to another place.

When it became light, there was a commotion between the soldiers on what really had become of Peter. Herod had a search made to find him but could not. Because of this, he ordered that the guards be executed.

King Herod traveled from Judea to Caesarea. He had been quarreling with the people of Tyre and Sidon. But, because the people were dependent upon his country for food, they sent a delegation led by Blastus, Herod’s personal servant, to Herod to sue for peace. On a special day, Herod, wearing his royal robes, a public address. The people shouted, "This is the voice of a god, not of a man." Because Herod did not give praise to God, an angel of Jehovah struck him; worms ate him and he died. With this instigator of persecution against the congregations out of the way, Jehovah's word kept increasing and spreading.

Acts Chapter 13

The congregation at Antioch had men who were prophets and teachers. On one occasion when they were worshipping Jehovah, holy spirit told them that Barnabas and Saul had been chosen for a special work. They therefore, after fasting and praying with them, sent them to on their way. John Mark, a cousin of Barnabas also accompanied them. Their first stop was Salamis in Cyprus. At Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogue and preached the word of God there. From there, they traveled to Paphos where they met a Jewish sorcerer, who attended the proconsul, Sergius Paulus.

The proconsul wanted to hear the word of God so he sent for Saul and Barnabas. As they spoke to the proconsul, the Jewish sorcerer, Elymas, opposed them and tried to discourage the proconsul from listening. Then Saul, also called Paul (his Greek name), looked intently at him and told him that he was ‘a child of the devil and an enemy of everything that was right, full of all sorts of deceit and trickery.’ As a result of his opposing righteousness, Paul then told him that the hand of Jehovah was now against him and he would become temporarily blind. Immediately he lost his sight right in front of everyone. When the proconsul saw this, he became a believer.

Paul and those with him then sailed to Perga in Pamphylia [Turkey]. Nothing is said about their preaching work in this city but John Mark did leave them to return to Jerusalem. From Perga, they went to Antioch of Pisidia. There they then went to the synagogue on the Sabbath. The synagogue rulers sent word to them telling them if they had a message of encouragement or instruction to please come up and speak to the people and Paul did so.

The NIV Bible Commentary, page 455, states this: “Perhaps Paul’s dress proclaimed him a Pharisee and thereby opened the way for an invitation to speak.”

Paul began his recitation with a history of the nation of Israel from the time of their forefathers up to the choosing of David as king. He then connects David’s descendants with Jesus, who he calls the savior of Israel. John the Baptist had preached a message of repentance but he directed his listeners to Jesus.

He continued that this message of salvation had now been sent to both the children of Abraham and to God fearing Gentiles. Those in Jerusalem refused to acknowledge Jesus and in condemning him, they fulfilled the words of the prophets (Luke 24:27). And so they turned Jesus over to Pilate for execution. But God raised Jesus from the dead and those who traveled with him and knew him personally, are now witnesses of these facts to Israel.

Paul showed how God had fulfilled His promises to their forefathers in raising Jesus from the dead. He quoted Psalm 2:7, Isaiah 53:3 and Psalms 16:10 and showed that these verses referred to Jesus. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead made possible the forgiveness of sins even those sins committed under the Law of Moses for which there was no forgiveness was possible. He then warns them that the words of Habakkuk 1:5 would prove true upon them if they rejected Jehovah’s means of salvation for them. Some of the people wanted to hear more so they invited them to return on the next Sabbath to speak further about these things.

On the next Sabbath, a large crowd assembled to hear Paul. The Jews became jealous that so many people were interested in what Paul had to say so they began to contradict everything that Paul said. They told the Jews they had to speak the word of God to them first. But, because they were rejecting it, they would take it to the Gentiles in fulfillment of Isaiah 49:6. This made the Gentiles rejoice and praise Jehovah for his word. The Word of Jehovah spread throughout the area but persecution came against Paul and Barnabas so they shook the dust from their feet, “a gesture of scorn and disassociation,” according to the NIV Bible Commentary, and went to Iconium, an eighty mile journey. (See Matthew 10:14)

Acts Chapter 14

When they arrived in Iconium, Paul and Barnabas went into the Jewish synagogue to teach and many Jews and Gentiles became believers. Although there was much opposition from the unbelieving Jews against them, they were able to remain in the city for a while. Jehovah backed up their message by performing many miraculous signs and wonders through them. But unbelieving Jews were able to poison the minds of some of the Gentiles against Paul and Barnabas causing the city to become divided some siding with the apostles and others with the Jews. The apostles learned of a plot to harm them and they fled to Lystra and Derby where they continued proclaiming the good news.

In Lystra as Paul was teaching, a man crippled from birth had been listening intently to him. Paul recognized that he had the faith to be healed so he told the man to stand up on his feet and he did. The crowd saw this and thought that their gods, Hermes and Zeus, had come down to the earth in human form. They made an effort to offer sacrifices to them but Paul and Barnabas took measures to restrain them. They assured them that they were not gods but only human and had come there to bring them the good news that they should turn from their worthless idols to the living God, the creator of everything. Up to that time, God had not interfered in the worship of the nations but had certainly given plenty of evidence of His existence. With these words, they barely managed to stop them from making the sacrifices.

However, Jews that they had encountered in Antioch and Iconium came to Lystra and turned the crowd into a murderous mob. Paul was stoned and dragged outside the city and left for dead. The disciples came to see if he was dead but Paul got up and went back into the city. The following day, Paul and Barnabas left Lystra and went to Derbe where they gained many disciples.

Leaving Derbe, Paul and Barnabas went back to strengthen the disciples in Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch saying to them that to entered the kingdom they would suffer many hardships. After appointing elders to care for each of the congregations, they made their way back to Antioch by way of Pisidia, Pamphylia, Perga and Attalia. Upon arrival in Antioch, they gathered the congregation together and reported to them all that God had done through them and how He had brought Gentiles in the Roman province of Southern Galatia into the faith. Paul and Barnabas remained in Antioch in Syria for approximately a year caring for this congregation.

Acts Chapter 15

Later men from the Jerusalem congregation came to the congregation in Antioch and began teaching the Gentile brothers that that they needed to be circumcised if they wanted to be saved. Paul and Barnabas argued with them but nothing was settled. So the members of the congregation decided to send Paul, Barnabas and others to take the matter to the older men and apostles in the congregation in Jerusalem where the Judaizers had come from to learn what they had to say. When they arrived in Jerusalem, they were kindly received and they reported to them the progress that the good news had made among the Gentiles. Then some of the members of the sect of the Pharisees, who were members of the congregation, rose and spoke, saying that these Gentile believers had to be circumcised and should be told to keep the Law of Moses.

According to the NIV Bible Commentary, page 462, “the Jerusalem church naturally expected the Christian mission to proceed along lines God laid down long ago. It could point to the fact that, with few exceptions, commitment to Jesus as Israel’s Messiah did not make Jews less Jewish. Indeed, it sometimes brought Gentiles who were only loosely associated with the synagogue into greater conformity with Jewish ethics. The Christian movement had always insisted on its integral relation to the religion and nation of Israel, even though this relation contained some unresolved ambiguities and was defined in various ways within the movement.”

The apostles and older men met with the congregation to give consideration to this matter. After much disputing had taken place, Peter spoke to the congregation and recounted how Jehovah had chosen him to be the first to bring the good news to the Gentile. He had bore witness to His decision by pouring out holy spirit upon them, showing that there was no distinction between them and the Jews. (Acts 10:1-11:18) The Jews were now testing God by imposing a yoke upon the Gentiles that the Jews themselves had never been able to bear. Salvation was based, not upon keeping the law, but was now through the undeserved kindness of Jesus for both Jews and Gentiles. The congregation became silent after listening to Peter, then Paul and Barnabas began telling them of the many signs and portents that Jehovah had done among the Gentiles through them.

According to the NIV Bible Commentary, page 462, the Jews had a different view of the Gentiles than what the apostles were presenting. It says: “In the experience of the church, all Gentiles - with one exception - who had come to acknowledge Jesus as Messiah had been either full proselytes or near proselytes (“God-fearers”). Only Cornelius’s conversion did not fit into the pattern. But this event was viewed as exceptional and not an occasion for changing policy. The practice of preaching directly to Gentiles begun by Paul in his mission on Cyprus and throughout southern Asia Minor, however, was a matter of far-reaching concern at Jerusalem.”

Then James, the brother of Jesus, spoke to the congregation saying that Peter had related how Jehovah had fulfilled His words, recorded in Amos 9:12, 13, that He would take out of the nations a people for his name. James reasoned that since what had happened was in fulfillment of God’s word, that these Gentiles were not proselytes but were an integral part of the congregation who would share in the Messianic blessing as Gentiles, and not as Jewish converts. Therefore, there was no need to try and force the Gentiles to keep the Law of Moses but there would be certain restrictions that they would have to comply with. These were that they would not eat foods sacrificed to idols, they would not commit fornication, they would not eat animals that had been strangled nor would they eat blood. This decision would be written down and hand-carried to all affected congregations by selected individuals.

The letter was first read in the Antioch congregation where the dispute had begun and they were very much encouraged by it. Silas and Judas then were allowed to continue on to the congregations in Syria and Cilicia with this news. However Paul and Barnabas remained with the brothers a while longer. Later they decided that they would visit the congregations that they had formed to see how they were progressing. Barnabas wanted to take his cousin, John Mark, along with them but Paul objected because of what had happened earlier. (13:13) Because they could not agree on this matter, they separated and Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed to Cyprus. Paul took Silas with him to visit the congregations in Syria and Cilicia.

Acts Chapter 16

When Paul and Silas arrived at Lystra, they met a young man named Timothy whose mother was a Jewish believer but his father was Greek. He had a good reputation with the brothers and Paul wanted to take him with him on his missionary tour but learned that he had not been circumcised. So he had him circumcised to appease the Jews who lived in the places where they would travel, as it was a well-known fact that even though Timothy’s father was a Greek, he would be viewed as being a Jew by other Jews.

The NIV Bible Commentary, page 467, tells us this: “The Jewish community at Lystra seems to have been small and without influence. Probably for that reason Timothy’s mother, a Jewess was allowed to marry a Greek. Timothy, however, had never been circumcised. In Jewish law, a child takes the religion of its mother; so Timothy should have been circumcised and raised a Jew. But in Greek law the father dominates in the home. Apparently the Jewish community at Lystra was too weak or lax to interfere with Greek custom.”

Paul and his companions traveled to many cities reading the letter to them that the Jerusalem council had written and these congregations continued to flourish and grow. As they continued their journey, they wanted to teach in other cities but were not allowed to. Paul had a vision of a man who lived in the district of Macedonia entreating them to come to his country and help them. Paul viewed this as a commission from Jehovah to take the good news there so they boarded a ship and set sail for Philippi, a leading city in Macedonia, though not the major city in this district. After being in the city for a few days, they walked to the river thinking to find a place of prayer. When they arrived they found some women assembled there and they began speaking to them. A woman named Lydia who was a worshipper of Jehovah was listening and Jehovah opened her heart to accept Paul’s message. She and her whole household were baptized and they enjoined Paul and his companions to stay with them as long as they were in the city.

While on their way to the Jewish place of prayer, they encountered a servant girl who had a spirit of divination and brought much gain to her owners with her predictions. She followed Paul and his companions including Luke, the writer of the book of Acts, saying that these men were ‘slaves of the Most High God who were publishing the way of salvation.’ Paul wanted her to stop doing this so he ordered the demon to come out of her and it did. Her masters were angry because of this as their means of gain had been taken away. So they had Paul and Silas arrested and taken before their rulers emphasizing that these men were Jews and were causing a great disturbance in the city encouraging the people to do things that were not lawful for Romans to do. They were beaten and thrown into jail where they were put into the inner prison with their feet being put into stocks.

The reason that Timothy and Luke were not arrested at this time, according to the NIV Bible Commentary, page 471, was that “Paul and Silas were Jews and probably looked very much like Jews. Timothy and Luke, however, being respectively half-Jew and fully Gentile (cf. Col 4:14, where Luke is grouped by Paul with his Gentile friends), probably looked Greek in both their features and their dress and therefore were left alone. Anti-Semitism lay very near the surface throughout the Roman Empire. Here it seems to have taken over not only in laying the charge but also in identifying the defendants.”

That night a great earthquake occurred and it caused the door of the jail to be opened and the stocks that were on their feet to be loosened. The jailer was awakened by the commotion and after seeing the doors opened was about to take his life as he thought the prisoners had escaped. But Paul assured him that all of the prisoners were still secure in the jail. He brought Paul and Silas out and asked them what he should do to be saved. The jailer probably knew why Paul and Silas had been put in jail. They then spoke the word to the man and his household and they all became believers and were baptized. The jailer took Paul and Silas into his home and provided food and drink for them.

The next day the magistrates wanted to release them and so sent word to the jailer to let them go. But Paul would not accept this as he felt that they had been publicly disgraced as Roman citizens and as such they had certain rights. The magistrates should come themselves and publicly escort them from the jail. The men sent to release them reported to the magistrates that these men that they had beaten were Roman citizens and this cause them much consternation. It was a serious offense to beat a Roman citizen without giving him a trial first. So the magistrates came to the prison personally to release them and they requested that they depart from the city. Before leaving the city, Paul and Silas went to Lydia’s house to encourage the brothers to continue in the faith.

Acts Chapter 17

Paul and Silas went to a Jewish synagogue in Thessalonica. Paul spoke to the people there on three Sabbaths reasoning on the scriptures. Paul talked to them about Jesus, how he had to suffer and rise from the dead. Some Jews and large numbers of Greeks believed Paul and Silas and started to associate with them. But the unbelieving Jews became so jealous and they formed a mob. They went to Jason's house and brought him other brothers to the city rulers.

During the night, Paul and Silas were sent away to Berea. They went to the Jewish synagogue there also. There, many Jews and Greeks became believers. But the unbelieving Jews heard this and went to stir the crowds up so Paul went to the coast and they brought him to Athens. Paul waited in Athens for Silas and Timothy.

The city was full of idols and this irritated Paul. Paul debated with the Jews and Greeks at the synagogue there. A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers took Paul to a meeting of the Areopagus. There they wanted to know what he was teaching. Paul stood up and skillfully addressed the people about how important it is to seek the TRUE God. Paul told them about Jesus and how God raised him from the dead and that God commands all people to repent. The mention of resurrection splits the crowd and some of the people mock Paul. Others wanted to hear him again and a few became believers.


Acts Chapter 18

Paul left Athens and went to Corinth where he met Aquila and his wife, Priscilla, who had come there after Claudius, the Roman emperor, had ordered all Jews to leave Rome. Since they were tentmakers as he was, Paul remained with them, working to provide for his needs. Every Sabbath, though, he would go to the synagogue to reason with the Jews and the Greeks. When Silas and Timothy came there from Macedonia, they brought a gift of money that had been sent to Paul from the congregation at Philippi. (Philippians 4:15) This money enabled him to devote himself exclusively to preaching and witnessing to the Jews and Gentiles that Jesus was the Christ. The Jews violently opposed Paul and he told them that they were responsible for whatever happened to them from that day forward as he had carried out his responsibility to teach them. He would now center his efforts on teaching the Gentiles. .

In a vision, Jesus encouraged Paul to continue his ministry and not be afraid of the Jews as he would protect him. He therefore stayed there a year and half teaching the people the Word of God. But the Jews were persistent in trying to stop him and they brought him before the proconsul of Achaia, Gallio, on the charge that he was promoting a way of worship that was not in harmony with the law. Gallio refused to judge this matter as it was neither a civil nor a criminal case.

The NIV Bible Commentary, page 481, explains the ramifications of this decision. It says: “If Gallio had accepted the Jewish charge and found Paul guilty of the alleged offense, provincial governors everywhere would have had a precedent, and Paul’s ministry would have been severely restricted. As it was, Gallio’s refusal to act in the matter was tantamount to the recognition of Christianity as a religio licta; and the decision of so eminent a Roman proconsul would carry weight wherever the issue arose again.”

After spending eighteen months in Corinth, Paul took Priscilla and Aquila and sailed for Syria. When they arrived at Ephesus, Paul then went to the synagogue there and talked with the Jews. They wanted him to stay longer but Paul refused saying that he would return at another time. He left Aquila and Priscilla in Ephesus and he went on to Caesarea. After greeting the congregation there he continued on to Antioch. From there, he traveled through the region of Galatia and Phyrgia strengthening the disciples.

Apollos, a Jew from Alexandria came to Ephesus. He had a thorough knowledge of the scriptures and had been instructed in the way of Jehovah. He was fervent speaker and knew accurately about Jesus but he was only aware of the baptism of John. Priscilla and Aquila heard him speak and recognized what information he was lacking so they brought him to their house and taught him the things that he did not know. Apollos was desirous of going to Achaia so the brothers in Ephesus wrote the brothers in Achaia to welcome him. Once there, he was a great help to the congregation as he vigorously debated the Jews publicly proving from the scriptures that Jesus was the Christ.


Acts Chapter 19

On his return to Ephesus, Paul found some disciples there who had never heard of holy spirit. He asked them what baptism had they received and they told him John’s baptism. So Paul told them that John’s baptism was for repentance, but he directed the people’s attention to the one who was to come after him, that is Jesus. After their baptism by John, they had not become acquainted with Jesus and his teachings and so had not progressed in their knowledge. Therefore they had not received holy spirit. But after Paul taught them about Jesus they then recognized the need to be baptized in his name. Afterwards, they received holy spirit and began speaking in tongues and prophesying.

Paul went to a synagogue and began teaching about the kingdom of God. After about three months of doing this, some of his listeners, who refused to believe, began speaking abusively about ‘the Way.” Paul then decided not to continue teaching there and he took those who had become believers next door to the lecture hall and for two years, on a daily basis, taught there. As a result of this ministry, all Jews and Greeks in the province of Asia heard the word of Jehovah.

The Expositors Bible Commentary, Volume IX, page 495 says, “This was probably the hall of a local philosopher named Tyrannus (“Tyrant”) or one rented out to traveling philosophers by a landlord of that name. Since it is difficult (except in certain bleak moments of parenthood) to think of any parent naming his or her child “Tyrant,” the name must have been a nickname given by the man’s students or tenants.”

Extraordinary miracles from God were done through Paul. Handkerchiefs and aprons that touched Paul were taken to sick people and illnesses and evil spirits left them. When some itinerant Jewish exorcists undertook to pronounce the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had evil spirits, they had a bad experience. The man possessed by the evil spirit jumped them and gave seven of them a beating.

This is what the Expositors Bible Commentary, Volume IX, pages 497 and 498, had to say concerning this incident. “Some Jewish exorcists, on coming into contact with Paul and his preaching about Jesus, attempted to make magical use of this new name they had heard…it was primarily for the benefits they could derive for their magical arts from the power of the name of Jesus…When, however, they tried to use this more powerful name in their exorcisms, Sceva’s sons found they were dealing with realities far beyond their ability to cope. The demon they were trying to exorcise turned violently on them, and they fled from the house naked and bleeding. The name of Jesus, like an unfamiliar weapon misused, exploded in their hands; and they were taught a lesson about the danger of using the name of Jesus in their dabbling in the supernatural.”

When this incident became widely known, Jews and Greeks in Ephesus were filled with fear and began honoring Jesus’ name rather than trying to misuse it. Many of these came and confessed their evil practices and a number of those who practiced magical arts brought their books together and burned them in front of everybody. The value of the books amounted to fifty thousand pieces of silver.


Afterwards, Paul decides to go to Jerusalem by way of Macedonia and Achaia. But before he left, a riotous mob formed in the city on account of his ministry. A large number of people had turned from idol worship and became believers and this was affecting the livelihood of many in the city especially those who fashioned the idols used in their worship. A silversmith named Demetrius became upset because he earned a good living by making and selling silver statues of the goddess, Artemis and Paul was teaching the people that gods made with hands were not gods. He expressed his concern that eventually the temple of Artemis will be disowned and the goddess would no longer be worshipped.

According to the NIV Bible Commentary, page 488, “Artemis of Ephesus, depicted as a grotesque, multi-breasted woman, was believed to have been fashioned in heaven and to have fallen from the sky (cf. v. 35). Probably she was originally a meteorite that resembled a multi-breasted woman and became the object of worship. Her temple had become the primary basis for Ephesus’ wealth and continued prosperity (cf. comment on 19:1).”

The people became furious and began shouting until the entire city was in uproar. Two of Paul’s companions, Gaius and Aristarchus, both Macedonians, were seized by the crowd and Paul wanted to speak to them but the disciples kept him from doing so. The city clerk was finally able to quiet them down and reason with them as he did not believe that Paul and his companions had done anything to blaspheme their goddess. If any of the craftsmen had a grievance, they could press charges in the courts or before the proconsuls. He then dismissed the crowd. This is another example of how Jehovah intervened to keep the preaching work moving.

Acts Chapter 20

After the uproar, Paul said good-by to the brothers and left for Macedonia. Along the way he stopped in various places to encourage the disciples, finally arriving in Greece, probably visiting the city of Corinth. He stayed three months there but because of a plot against his life, Paul went back to Macedonia rather than going directly to Syria by ship. He sent Timothy and others ahead on to Troas and they were to wait for him there. Luke, the writer of this book was obviously traveling with Paul as he speaks in the first person in this chapter. After the Feast of Unleavened Bread, Paul sailed from Philippi and five days later joined Timothy and the others at Troas.

On the first day of the week, Paul gathered with the disciples in an upstairs room to have a meal and to speak to them. Because he intended to leave the next day, he prolonged his speech until midnight. A young man named Eutychus fell into a deep sleep beside a window while Paul was talking. The young man then fell out of the window and was found dead. But, Paul went down and threw himself on Eutychus and embraced him, and said, “He’s alive!” The people were comforted beyond measure.

Paul’s associates boarded the ship bound for Assos, but he chose to take the land route to the city. At Assos, he was taken aboard the ship and the next day, they arrived in Mitylene. They then sailed to Kios, then to Samos, finally arriving in Miletus. Paul was in hurry to get to Jerusalem before the day of Pentecost so he sailed past Ephesus. He would have had to change ships in order to visit Ephesus as the one he was sailing on was not scheduled to stop there. This would have used up valuable time. So after arriving in Miletus, he sent for the elders of the congregation to come to Miletus.

When they arrived, Paul reminded them of how he had worked tirelessly among them and had suffered much at the hands of the Jews. He had not failed to teach them all that was beneficial for them in both his public and private ministry to them. He told them that holy spirit had compelled him to go to Jerusalem and he did not know what the outcome would be for him there, although holy spirit had warned him many times that he would have to face prison and hardships. He told them that his main concern was to finish the race and the assignment that Jesus gave him.

Paul also knew that those among whom he had preached the good news to would ever see him again but he had discharged his responsibility towards them. He wants them to keep watch over themselves and over the flock because difficult times would come upon the congregation from both inside and outside of the congregation. Unspiritual individuals will rise even from among them, the elders, who would not care for the flock but would take advantage of them, distorting the truth in order to draw away disciples for themselves. He now committed them to God who would build them up and give them the inheritance among all the sanctified ones.

Paul tells them that he had not taken unfair advantage of anyone but had worked to supply his own personal needs as well as those or the ones traveling with him. His example was in harmony with the words of Jesus ‘that it is better to give than to receive.’
Paul then knelt down and prayed with them. The brothers were all overcome with emotion as they embraced and kissed Paul because they were especially pained about his saying that they were not going to see his face anymore. They then accompanied him to the ship.


***©2007 by YORWW Congregation