Acts 28:24
in Acts 28Some of them were convinced by what he said, but others refused to believe.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And some believed the things which were spoken, and some disbelieved.
KJV
And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not.
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This verse in Acts 28
Commentary
11 notes on this verseSome believed, etc. - His message was there treated as his Gospel is to the present day: some believe, and are converted; others continue in obstinate unbelief, and perish. Could the Jews then have credited the spiritual nature of the Messiah’s kingdom, they would have found little difficulty to receive Jesus Christ as the Messiah. Multitudes of those now called Christians can more easily credit Jesus as the Messiah than believe the spiritual nature of his kingdom.
This site's exposition
Some of them were convinced
on Acts 28:24-25
Some were convinced and others refused to believe, the division that runs through the book repeated on its last page. As they began to leave, Paul named the Holy Spirit as the ground of his citation of Isaiah the prophet.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers3 voices
"And some believed the things which were spoken, and some believed not." They said not, we speak against it, but "it is spoken against."
See again how not by miracles but by Law and Prophets he puts them to silence, and how we always find him doing this. And yet he might also have wrought signs; but then it would no longer have been matter of faith. In fact, this itself was a great sign, his discoursing from the Law and the Prophets. Then that you may not deem it strange that they believed not, he introduces the prophecy which saith "Hearing ye shall hear and not understand," more now than then: "and ye shall see and not perceive" more now than then. This is not spoken for the former sort, but for the unbelievers. How then? Was it contrary to the prophecy, that those believed? "Go," it says, "unto this people," that is, to the unbelieving people. He did not say this to insult them, but to remove the offence.
See again how not by miracles but by Law and Prophets he puts them to silence, and how we always find him doing this. And yet he might also have wrought signs; but then it would no longer have been matter of faith. In fact, this itself was a great sign, his discoursing from the Law and the Prophets.
The Medieval Church1 voice
The Jews call faith in Christ a heresy. But even they testify that Christ is preached everywhere, although not all accept this preaching, and some of the Jews and Greeks even oppose it.
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
And some believed the things which were spoken,....
4 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century4 voices
THIS is the only proper way to calculate the results of our ministry. We just want the account book ruled with two columns. On one side we must put down the long list of the some that believe not. And on the brighter side we may enter what is, too often, the far less number of the some that believe. This is the only true method, I repeat it, by which we can hold a stock-taking so as to ascertain the net profit of the preaching of the Gospel.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
and some believed . . . some not--What simplicity and candor are in this record of a result repeated from age to age where the Gospel is presented to a promiscuous assemblage of sincere and earnest inquirers after truth, frivolous worldlings, and prejudiced bigots!
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
THIS is the only proper way to calculate the results of our ministry. We just want the account book ruled with two columns. On one side we must put down the long list of the some that believe not. And on the brighter side we may enter what is, too often, the far less number of the some that believe. This is the only true method, I repeat it, by which we can hold a stock-taking so as to ascertain the net profit of the preaching of the Gospel. We must not estimate the good that is done by the number of those who listen. It is a very pleasant thing to see the House of Prayer filled to overflowing. It is intensely delightful to reflect that often on the Sunday evening in London the theatres are full, St. Paul's Cathedral is full, and multitudes of Churches and Chapels are crowded with willing listeners. Still, it is not all pleasure. Instead of its being of any advantage for the persons who have heard the Gospel but have not believed, it will rather increase their doom. If they have only heard, and the Truth of God has penetrated no deeper than the natural ear, then alas for the preachers who have spent their strength for nothing! And alas for the multitudes who, having ears, have heard as though they heard not! Nor ought we to calculate the result of our work by the persons who have been pleased with our ministry. What man is not gratified when he hears that the people have been pleased with his preaching? It were not in flesh and blood for a man to be unpleased by applause. The love of praise is ingrained in human nature— "The proud to gain it toils on toils endure, The modest shun it but to make it sure." But still, it were a miserable thing if all that a man accomplishes is just to win the ear and to strike the people with wonder at the amazing way in which he could utter forth the Words of Truth.
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
And some believed ... - See the notes on Act 14:4.
The words behind it
9 Greek wordsEvery Greek word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Greek | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| καὶ | kai | And | G2532 → | 9120 times |
| οἱ | hoi | some | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| μὲν | men | indeed | G3303 → | 176 times |
| ἐπείθοντο | epeithonto | were persuaded | G3982 → | 51 times |
| τοῖς | tois | by the [things] | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| λεγομένοις, | legomenois | he is speaking, | G3004 → | 1325 times |
| οἱ | hoi | some | G3588 → | 19766 times |
| δὲ | de | however | G1161 → | 2765 times |
| ἠπίστουν. | epistoun | were disbelieving. | G569 → |
καὶAnd
kaiG2532 →9120 times
οἱsome
hoiG3588 →19766 times
μὲνindeed
menG3303 →176 times
ἐπείθοντοwere persuaded
epeithontoG3982 →51 times
τοῖςby the [things]
toisG3588 →19766 times
λεγομένοις,he is speaking,
legomenoisG3004 →1325 times
οἱsome
hoiG3588 →19766 times
δὲhowever
deG1161 →2765 times
ἠπίστουν.were disbelieving.
epistounG569 →
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 3:3What if some did not have faith? Will their lack of faith nullify God’s faithfulness?
it leads to
- 2 Timothy 2:13
if we are faithless, He remains faithful, for He cannot deny Himself.
- Hebrews 4:2
For we also received the good news just as they did; but the message they heard was of no value to them, since they did not share the faith of those who comprehended it.
- Romans 9:6
It is not as though God’s word has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel.
- Titus 1:1–2
Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to godliness,
- Isaiah 55:11
so My word that proceeds from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please, and it will prosper where I send it.
- 2 Timothy 2:13
Through
Acts 14:4The people of the city were divided. Some sided with the Jews, and others with the apostles.
it leads to
- Acts 19:9
But when some of them stubbornly refused to believe and publicly maligned the Way, Paul took his disciples and left the synagogue to conduct daily discussions in the lecture hall of Tyrannus.
- Acts 17:4–5
Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, along with a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few leading women.
- Luke 11:21–23
When a strong man, fully armed, guards his house, his possessions are secure.
- Acts 19:9
Where this verse is studied
About Acts
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Charles Spurgeon, The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit, Sermon No. 516: “The Minister'S Stock-Taking” (lightly modernized text, CCEL edition); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Chrysostom, Homily on Acts 55; John Gill, Exposition of the New Testament (1746-1748); Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible and Theophylact of Ohrid, Commentary on Acts.