Verses 1-3
Acts 11:1-3. The apostles and
brethren heard — To their great
surprise; that the Gentiles had
also received the word of God —
That not only the Jews who were
dispersed in the Gentile
countries, and the Gentiles who
were proselyted to the Jewish
religion, but that the
uncircumcised Gentiles also
themselves, with whom it had
hitherto been thought unlawful
to have any fellowship, had
heard and received the gospel,
and had even been baptized and
received into church communion,
without being required to submit
to circumcision and the
observances of the Mosaic law;
intelligence this which alarmed
them exceedingly, as they had
not yet been made acquainted
with the particular
circumstances attending the
affair. And when Peter was come
to Jerusalem — From Cesarea;
they that were of the
circumcision — Those Jewish
converts who still retained a
veneration for the ceremony of
circumcision, and thought it to
be of perpetual obligation;
contended with him — About what
he had done. There seems to be
no reason here to except any of
the believing Jews (unless,
perhaps, the apostles) from this
contention; for they were all
zealous of the law, and of their
customs, and could not endure to
hear that any Jew should act
contrary to them, Acts 21:20-21;
and Peter himself had been of
that mind till he had received
the vision, (see chap, Acts
10:28,) and even after the
vision withdrew himself from the
believing Gentiles for fear of
the Jews, Galatians 2:12; and
they of the dispersion preached
to the Jews only, Acts 11:19. We
may observe here, also, that
these Jewish believers had no
idea of the supremacy, and much
less of the infallibility, of
Peter; for otherwise they would
not have dared thus to rise up
against him, or to can his
actions in question. See Whitby.
Verses 4-15
Acts 11:4-15. But Peter
rehearsed — εξετιθετο, laid
open; the matter from the
beginning — Of the vision which
he had seen, which was evidently
designed to dispose him to such
condescension, and gave them a
full detail of all the
particulars, with the exactest
truth and simplicity. So far was
he from taking it ill to be
questioned, or desiring to be
treated as infallible. And he
answers the more mildly, because
it related to a point which he
had not readily believed
himself. See these verses
explained in the notes on Acts
10:11-33; Acts 10:44.
Verses 16-18
Acts 11:16-18. Then remembered I
the word of the Lord — This
descent of the Holy Ghost on
them, as on us at the beginning
of our public ministry, was such
an extraordinary occurrence,
that I immediately called to
mind, and could not but reflect
on, the word of the Lord, as
then remarkably verified; how he
said — Just before his
ascension, (Acts 1:5,) Ye shall
be baptized with the Holy Ghost
— For this pouring forth of the
Spirit upon them appeared to be
a wonderful accomplishment of
that prediction. Forasmuch then
as God — The sovereign dispenser
of his own favours; gave them
the like gift as he did unto us
who believed — That is, because
we believed, not because we were
circumcised, was the Holy Ghost
given to us. What was I that I
should withstand — Greek,
δυνατος κωλυσαι, that I should
be able to prohibit, God — From
conferring such a gift upon
them; or should presume to
oppose myself against his wise
and gracious pleasure? They had
inquired only concerning his
eating with the Gentiles, but he
satisfies them likewise
concerning his baptizing them;
and shows that he had done right
in going to Cornelius, not only
by the command of God, but also
by the event, the descent of the
Holy Ghost. And who are we, that
we should withstand God? —
Particularly by laying down
rules of Christian communion,
which exclude any whom he has
admitted into the church of the
firstborn, from worshipping God
together. O that all church
governors would consider how
bold a usurpation this is on the
authority of the supreme Lord of
the church! O that the sin of
thus withstanding God may not be
laid to the charge of those who,
perhaps with a good intention,
but in an over-fondness for
their own forms, have done it,
and are continually doing it!
When they heard these things,
they held their peace — Being
thoroughly satisfied for the
present, till the controversy
was renewed by some fierce
zealots, Acts 15:1-5; and
glorified God — For so wonderful
a manifestation of his grace;
saying, Then hath God also to
the Gentiles — The poor,
ignorant, uncircumcised,
despised, idolatrous Gentiles;
granted repentance unto life —
Has not only made them overtures
of it, but has graciously
wrought it in some of their
hearts. Here, it is plain, they
speak of those to whom this
repentance was granted, as
persons who before, according to
their apprehension, were in a
state of spiritual death; in
which condition, it is probable,
they had thought all
uncircumcised persons to be:
and, without doubt, they must
mean to include the idolatrous
Gentiles among the rest, as
those who were most evidently
and certainly so. Observe,
reader, true repentance is a
change from spiritual death to
spiritual life, and leads to
life everlasting.
Verses 19-21
Acts 11:19-21. Now they which
were scattered abroad — Luke
here resumes the thread of his
narration in the very words
wherewith he broke it off, chap.
Acts 8:4; travelled as far as
Phenice — To the north; Cyprus —
To the west; and Antioch — To
the east; preaching the word to
none but the Jews only — Not
being at all apprehensive that
the Gentiles were to share the
blessings of it. And some of
them — Who bore a part in this
work; were men of Cyprus — The
island so called; and of the
province of Cyrene in Africa;
which when they were come to
Antioch — Then the capital of
Syria, and, next to Rome and
Alexandria, the most
considerable city of the empire;
spake unto the Grecians — Here,
instead of ελληνιστας,
Hellenists, the Alexandrian
manuscript, which is favoured by
the Syriac, and some other
ancient versions, reads ελληνας,
Greeks; which reading common
sense would require us to adopt,
even if it were not supported by
the authority of any manuscript
at all; for as the Hellenists
were Jews, there would, in the
common reading, be no opposition
between the conduct of these
preachers and those mentioned in
the preceding verse. “Here,
undoubtedly, we have the first
account of the preaching of the
gospel to the idolatrous
Gentiles: for it is certain
there is nothing in the word
rendered Greeks, to limit it to
those that were worshippers of
the true God, such as all those
were to whom it had hitherto
been preached; nor is there the
least hint in the New Testament
of the two different periods
that some speak of, in the first
of which they suppose it was
preached only to those called
proselytes of the gate, and in
the second to those who were
before idolaters. It is well
known, that as the Greeks were
the most celebrated of the
Gentile nations near Judea, the
Jews called all the Gentiles by
that general name.” — Doddridge.
And the hand of the Lord — That
is, the power of his Spirit; was
with them — Crowning their pious
labours with success; and a
great number — Of the Gentiles,
who were before idolaters, were
so effectually enlightened and
wrought upon by their discourses
and miracles, that they believed
in the one living and true God,
and in Jesus Christ whom he had
sent; and turned unto the Lord —
Dedicated themselves to the
service of God through him, with
an humble dependance on his
merits and Spirit.
Verses 22-24
Acts 11:22-24. Then tidings of
these things came to the church
at Jerusalem — And, as they had
lately seen a way opened for the
conversion of the Gentiles, they
received information of this
further progress of the gospel
with peculiar pleasure; and sent
forth Barnabas to Antioch — That
he might confirm the new
converts in the faith into which
they had been initiated: who,
when he came — To the city, and
had seen — Evident proofs of the
grace of God conferred upon
them; was glad — Rejoiced in the
good work wrought among them;
and exhorted them all that —
Whatever circumstances of
difficulty and suffering might
arise; they would, with purpose
of heart — With full
determination and constancy;
cleave unto the Lord — Adhere to
his truth, cause, and people.
For he was a good man — A man
eminently pious and benevolent;
and full of the Holy Ghost and
of faith — Largely endowed with
the sanctifying graces and
extraordinary gifts of the
Divine Spirit; and much people —
Through his instrumentality;
were added unto the Lord — Were
converted unto God, and received
into the church by baptism.
Verse 25-26
Acts 11:25-26. Then departed
Barnabas — Namely, after some
abode at Antioch, perceiving,
probably, that he wanted an
assistant in his labours; to
Tarsus, to seek Saul — Whose
departure thither was mentioned,
chap. Acts 9:30. And finding him
there — According to his
expectation, he gave him, it
seems, such an account of the
state of things at Antioch, and
such a view of the extensive
usefulness which appeared to
present itself there, that he
prevailed with him to accompany
him at his return to that
populous and celebrated city.
Probably he judged, that since
he was by country a Greek,
though by descent a Hebrew of
the Hebrews, he would be
peculiarly fit to assist him in
his great work, especially
considering, on the one hand,
his accomplishments as a
scholar, and, on the other, his
extraordinary conversion and
eminent piety and zeal. And,
continuing there a whole year,
they taught much people —
Instructed them in the
doctrines, privileges, and
duties of Christianity. And the
disciples were called Christians
first at Antioch — A title that
was really an honour to them,
and by which, from this time,
they were generally denominated,
being before termed Nazarenes
and Galileans.
Verse 27-28
Acts 11:27-28. In these days —
While Barnabas and Saul were at
Antioch; came prophets thither
from Jerusalem — Persons who
were divinely inspired to
foretel future events. And there
stood up — In the congregation;
one of them named Agabus, and
signified — By the immediate
direction of the Spirit; that
there should be a great dearth —
Or famine; throughout all the
world — The expression generally
signifies all the Roman empire;
but here many learned men
suppose it only denotes the land
of Judea, which is its meaning
in several other places; Which
came to pass in the days of
Claudius Cesar — The Roman
emperor then reigning. It began,
it seems, in the fourth, but
raged chiefly in the fifth and
sixth years of his reign. It is
mentioned by Josephus, (Antiq.,
Acts 20:2,) who speaks of it as
“a very great famine, in which
many died for want of food.”
“Then Helena, queen of Adiabene,
who had embraced the Jewish
religion sent some of her
servants to Alexandria, to buy a
great quantity of corn; and
others of them to Cyprus, to buy
a cargo of dried fish, which she
distributed to those who were in
want.” And in cap. 5, Josephus
further observes, that this
famine took place when Tiberius
Alexander succeeded Cuspius
Fadus as procurator.
Verse 29-30
Acts 11:29-30. Then the
disciples — Foreseeing the
distress they would otherwise be
in, on account of that famine;
determined to send relief unto
the brethren in Judea — καθως
ηυπορειτο τις, according as each
was prospered, or, according to
the abundance which each had;
these disciples being,
doubtless, some in more
plentiful circumstances than
others. “This their
determination was extremely
proper; for the churches of
Judea being more exposed than
other churches to persecution,
and the rapacity of the Roman
officers, and to those outrages
which the populace, under weak
and corrupt governments, commit
upon the objects of their
hatred, the brethren in Judea
could not have supported this
dearth, if they had not been
assisted from abroad.” —
Macknight. These disciples,
therefore, at Antioch, having
made collections for them, sent
the money, not to the apostles,
(for they had now given up the
management of the funds of the
church in Jerusalem to others,)
but to the elders — Or rulers of
that church, chosen, perhaps,
out of the one hundred and
twenty, on whom the Holy Ghost
fell at first. And these were to
deliver it to the deacons, or
otherwise to make distribution
thereof to the brethren,
according to their need. By
sending this seasonable gift to
the brethren in Judea, the
disciples at Antioch, among whom
were many Gentile proselytes,
gave proof of the reality of
their conversion, and did what
they could to conciliate the
good-will of the Jewish
believers. And this mark of
their regard seems to have been
well received by them. |