Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

And God, who knows the heart, showed His approval by giving the Holy Spirit to them, just as He did to us.

“God, which knoweth the hearts--implying that the real question for admission to full standing in the visible Church is the state of the heart. Hence, though that cannot be known by men, no principle of admission to church privileges which reverses this can be sound.”

When they had finished speaking, James declared, “Brothers, listen to me!

“His decision, though given as his own judgment only, could not be of great weight with the opposing party, from his conservative reverence for all Jewish usages within the circle of Israelitish Christianity.”

The words of the prophets agree with this, as it is written:

“The point of the passage lies in the predicted purpose of God, under the new economy, that "the heathen" or "Gentiles" should be "called by His name," or have "His name called upon them."”

It is my judgment, therefore, that we should not cause trouble for the Gentiles who are turning to God.

“Wherefore, my sentence--or "judgment." is, that we trouble not--with Jewish obligations. them which from among the Gentiles are turned to God--rather, "are turning." The work is regarded as in progress, and indeed was rapidly advancing.”

Instead, we should write and tell them to abstain from food polluted by idols, from sexual immorality, from the meat of strangled animals, and from blood.

“But . . . that they abstain from pollutions of idols--that is, things polluted by having been offered in sacrifice to idols. The heathen were accustomed to give away or sell portions of such animals.”

Then the apostles and elders, with the whole church, decided to select men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.

“The wisdom of these suggestions commended itself to all present. Judas surnamed Barsabas--therefore not the apostle "Judas the brother of James" (Ac 1:13), surnamed "Thaddeus" (Mt 10:3); nor can it be shown that he was a brother of "Joseph called Barsabas" (Ac 1:23).”

and sent them with this letter: The apostles and the elders, your brothers, To the brothers among the Gentiles in Antioch, Syria, and Cilicia: Greetings.

“And they wrote . . . by them--This is the first mention in the New Testament history of writing as an element in its development.”

men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

“Men that have hazarded--literally, "rendered up," as in will they did. their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ--Noble testimony to those beloved men!”

But Paul and Barnabas remained at Antioch, along with many others, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord.

“Paul . . . and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching--to the disciples. and preaching--to those without. the word of the Lord, with many others--other laborers. also--How rich must Antioch at this time have been in the ministrations of the Gospel!”

Some time later Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us go back and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, to see how they…

“He thought, doubtless, of the Pisidians and Lycaonians, as he thought afterwards at Athens and Corinth of the Thessalonians, from whom he had been lately "taken in presence, not in heart, night and day praying exceedingly that he might see their face and perfect that…”

But Paul thought it best not to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work.

“But Paul thought not good to take him with them who departed from them--that is, who had departed; but the word is stronger than this--"who stood aloof" or "turned away" from them.”

Their disagreement was so sharp that they parted company. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus,

“How watchful does all this teach Christians, and especially Christian ministers and missionaries, to be against giving way to rash judgment and hot temper towards each other, especially where on both sides the glory of Christ is the ground of difference!”

Paul came to Derbe and then to Lystra, where he found a disciple named Timothy, the son of a believing Jewish woman and a Greek father.

“His would be one of "the souls of the disciples confirmed" at the apostle's second visit, "exhorted to continue in the faith, and" warned "that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God" (Ac 14:21, 22). the son of a certain .”

Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him, so he took him and circumcised him on account of the Jews in that area, for they all knew that his father was a…

“But before his departure, Paul took and circumcised him--a rite which every Israelite might perform. because of the Jews . . . for they knew all that his father was a Greek--This seems to imply that the father was no proselyte.”

After the Holy Spirit had prevented them from speaking the word in the province of Asia, they traveled through the region of Phrygia and Galatia.

“At this time must have been formed "the churches of Galatia" (Ga 1:2; 1Co 16:1); founded, as we learn from the Epistle to the Galatians (particularly Ga 4:19), by the apostle Paul, and which were already in existence when he was on his third missionary…”

And when they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus would not permit them.

“Bithynia--to the northeast. but the Spirit--speaking as before. suffered them not--probably because, (1) Europe was ripe for the labors of this missionary party; and (2) other instruments were to be honored to establish the Gospel in the eastern regions of Asia Minor, especially the apostle…”

So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas.

“This visional Macedonian discovered himself by what he said. But it was a cry not of conscious desire for the Gospel, but of deep need of it and unconscious preparedness to receive it, not only in that region, but, we may well say, throughout all…”

As soon as Paul had seen the vision, we got ready to leave for Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them.

“And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia--The "we," here first introduced, is a modest intimation that the historian himself had now joined the missionary party. (The modern objections to this are quite frivolous).”

And when she and her household had been baptized, she urged us, “If you consider me a believer in the Lord, come and stay at my house.”

“Here also is the first mention of a Christian household. Whether it included children, also in that case baptized, is not explicitly stated; but the presumption, as in other cases of household baptism, is that it did.”

This girl followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who are proclaiming to you the way of salvation!”

“These men are servants of the most high God, &c.--Glorious testimony! But see on Lu 4:41. this did she many days--that is, on many successive occasions when on their way to their usual place of meeting, or when engaged in religious services.”

She continued this for many days. Eventually Paul grew so aggravated that he turned and said to the spirit, “In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come…

“Paul being grieved--for the poor victim; grieved to see such power possessed by the enemy of man's salvation, and grieved to observe the malignant design with which this high testimony was borne to Christ.”

They brought them to the magistrates and said, “These men are Jews and are throwing our city into turmoil

“There is some color of truth in all such accusations, in so far as the Gospel, and generally the fear of God, as a reigning principle of human action, is in a godless world a thoroughly revolutionary principle . . .”

On receiving this order, he placed them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks.

“(ORIGEN at a later period, besides having his neck thrust into an iron collar, lay extended for many days with his feet apart in the rack).”

About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.

“And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises--literally, "praying, were singing praises"; that is, while engaged in pouring out their hearts in prayer, had broken forth into singing, and were hymning loud their joy.”

Suddenly a strong earthquake shook the foundations of the prison. At once all the doors flew open and everyone’s chains came loose.

“And suddenly there was a great earthquake--in answer, doubtless, to the prayers and expectations of the sufferers that, for the truth's sake and the honor of their Lord, some interposition would take place. every one's bands--that is, the bands of all the prisoners.”