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10:28 unlawful: Palestinian Jews went to great lengths to avoid social contact with Gentiles. They generally declined both their hospitality and their food for fear of legal defilement. Peter's actions were naturally criticized by conservative Jewish believers (11:2-3). not call any man common: The vision taught Peter that the Jews and the Gentiles were no longer separated by covenant barriers in the messianic age (Eph 2:1116). See note on Acts 10:14. Back to text.
10:34 no partiality: God shows no favoritism to one nation over another in the New Covenant, but all stand as equal candidates for divine blessing and sonship (Rom 2:10-11; Gal 3:28; CCC 761). Back to text.
10:34-43 Peter's sermon, which begins with the baptism of John and ends with the commission of Jesus to preach the good news, covers the same ground as the Gospel of Mark, which early tradition describes as a summary of Peter's preaching. See introduction to Mark: Author. Back to text.
10:38 God anointed Jesus: At his Baptism, designating him as the Messiah (Lk 3:22; 4:18; CCC 438). Back to text.
10:43 through his name: Forgiveness comes through the invocation of Christ's name in Baptism (2:38; 10:48; 22:16). Back to text.
10:44-48 A Pentecost experience for the Gentiles (11:15). As with the original event, (1) Peter preaches the gospel (2:1436); (2) the Spirit descends in a dramatic way (2:17); (3) the recipients speak in different tongues (2:4); and (4) a call is issued for Baptism (2:38-41). Back to text.
11:2 the circumcision party: Believers from Israel shocked at Peter's disregard for the Jewish policy of separation from Gentiles (10:28). Some of them stubbornly maintained this policy even after the Gentiles were openly accepted into the Church (Gal 2:12). Back to text.
11:17 the same gift: The equal footing of Jews and Gentiles before God is shown by their equal reception of the Spirit. Peter appeals to this fact at the Jerusalem Council when he denies that Gentiles must add circumcision to Baptism to become full members of the New Covenant (15:7-11). Back to text.
11:18 repentance unto life: Involves turning away from sin and leads to Baptism (2:38). See word study: Repentance at Mk 1:4. Back to text.
11:19-26 Luke places this episode immediately after 10:1 — 11:18 to show that as God directed the first Gentile conversion through Peter, he was also directing the first Gentile mission through the Antioch Church. Systematic outreach to the Gentiles gains considerable momentum after this point, as Antioch becomes the launch pad for all three of Paul's missionary journeys in Acts (13:1-3; 15:35-41; 18:22-23). Back to text.
11:19 Phoenicia . . . Cyprus . . . Antioch: Three centers of Christian presence outside the land of Israel—Phoenicia, a territory northwest of Galilee; Cyprus, an island in the Mediterranean; and Antioch, a prominent city in Syria. Back to text.
11:20 Cyrene: A city on the northern shore of Africa (in modern Libya). Back to text.
11:22 Jerusalem: As when the first conversions were reported in Samaria (8:14), Jerusalem sent delegates to Antioch to ensure this new missionary development was the work of God. The enthusiasm of Barnabas confirms that it was (11:2324). See note on Acts 4:36. Back to text.
11:25 look for Saul: He had returned to his home in Tarsus since the Jewish Hellenists in Jerusalem were plotting against his life (9:28-30). He is now summoned to assume teaching responsibilities in the Antioch Church. Back to text.
11:26 Christians: This new title for the disciples of Jesus Christ is elsewhere used at 26:28 and 1 Pet 4:16 in the NT. Back to text.
11:28 Agabus: A Palestinian prophet who also foresaw Paul's arrest and imprisonment in Jerusalem (21:10-11). great famine: Other ancient historians, such as Tacitus, Suetonius, and Josephus, also mention a famine that gripped the eastern Mediterranean world in the 40s. Claudius: The Roman emperor from A.D. 41 to 54. Back to text.
11:29 relief to the brethren: This is the first of two relief offerings that Paul brought to Jerusalem. The second was a collection taken up among Gentile Churches that he delivered to the poor of the city after his third missionary journey (24:17; Rom 15:25-28). Back to text.
12:1-5 The Church is hit with a second wave of persecution. Unlike the first, which targeted the laity but not their leadership (8:1), this one is aimed directly at the apostles (James and Peter). See note on Acts 8:1. Back to text.
12:1 Herod the king: Herod Agrippa I, ruler of all Palestine from A.D. 41 to 44. He was the grandson of Herod the Great (Lk 1:5) and the brother-in-law of Herod Antipas (Lk 23:7). Back to text.
12:2 James: A son of Zebedee; one of the Twelve (Mk 3:17). After Stephen, he is the second martyr mentioned in Acts (7:58-60). Tradition has it that all the apostles except John died as martyrs for the faith. with the sword: Beheading was a Roman form of capital execution (Rom 13:4). Back to text.
12:3 Unleavened Bread: A religious festival that began with Passover (12:4) and extended another six days. Jerusalem was usually flooded with Jewish pilgrims during these national feasts. See note on Lk 22:1. Back to text.
12:4 four squads: Four shifts of four soldiers each took turns standing guard over Peter throughout the night. This maximum-security measure heightens the miraculousness of his deliverance in the following episode (12:6-11). Back to text.
12:5 but earnest prayer: Early believers fought the battles of persecution on their knees. It is here implied that Peter's upcoming rescue is God's answer to the intercessory prayers of the Church (CCC 2634-36). Back to text.
12:6-11 The third imprisonment of Peter in Acts (4:3; 5:18) and the second time he is rescued by an angel (5:19; 12:7). • The deliverance of Peter during Passover evokes memories of Israel's deliverance from Egypt. Like Israel, Peter is "brought . . . out" of bondage (12:17; Ex 12:51) and rescued "from the hand" of his enemies (12:11; Ex 3:8) on "Passover" night (12:4; Ex 12:11-12) by an "angel of the Lord" (12:7; Ex 14:19) after dressing himself and putting "sandals" on his feet (12:8; Ex 12:11). Back to text.
12:12 the house of Mary: A place of prayer and assembly for Jerusalem believers. According to one tradition, this is also the house of the upper room where Jesus and the disciples celebrated the Last Supper. See note on Acts 1:13. Mark: According to tradition, the evangelist of the Second Gospel and a companion of Peter (1 Pet 5:13) and Paul (13:5). Like many Jews, he had both a Roman ("Marcus") and a Semitic ("John") name. See introduction to Mark: Author. Back to text.
12:15 his angel: Assumes a belief that particular angels are assigned to guard and to guide particular individuals. See note on Mt 18:10. Back to text.
12:17 James: Not the brother of John martyred in 12:2, and probably not the son of Alphaeus mentioned in 1:13. This James was a near kinsman of Jesus (Mk 6:3; Gal 1:19) who had seen him raised from the dead (1 Cor 15:7). Tradition identifies him as the first bishop of Jerusalem who assumed leadership over the Church in the city after Peter began to travel. See introduction to the Letter of James: Author. another place: Our knowledge of the precise movements of Peter after this point is limited. The Church historian Eusebius puts him in Rome about A.D. 42; Luke puts him back in Jerusalem about A.D. 49 (15:7); Paul puts him in Syrian Antioch soon after this (Gal 2:12); and Christian tradition is generally agreed that he later returned to Rome and was martyred there in the mid 60s. Back to text.
12:19 put to death: According to Roman law, prison guards were subject to severe punishment if inmates escaped during their watch (16:27; 27:42). Back to text.
12:20 Tyre and Sidon: Two Phoenician cities northwest of Galilee (Mt 15:21). Back to text.
12:23 eaten by worms: The miserable death of Herod Agrippa in A.D. 44 was punishment for accepting divine praise (2 Mac 9:5-12). Luke's account is corroborated by a similar report from the Jewish historian Josephus. Back to text.
13:1 prophets and teachers: Important pastoral ministers in the early Church (1 Cor 12:28; Eph 4:11). Prophets envisioned future events (11:27-28; 21:10-11) and encouraged the assembled community (15:32; 1 Cor 14:3), while teachers educated the faithful in the rudiments of Christian truth (11:26; 1 Tim 2:7). Barnabas . . . Saul: All five men were Jews who were Greek-speaking. Barnabas and a group of prophets came to Antioch from Jerusalem (11:22, 27); Symeon and Lucius came from Africa (11:20); Manaen came from Herod's court in Galilee (Lk 3:1); and Saul was summoned from Tarsus in Asia Minor (11:25-26). Back to text.
13:2 worshiping: Translates the Greek leitourgeo, which originally meant acts of public service performed on behalf of the state or in honor of a deity. In biblical Greek, the verb is used for the cultic ministry of Aaronic priests and their Levitical assistants in the sanctuary (Ex 28:43; Num 18:2; Sir 45:15; Heb 10:11). Luke's use of the term follows the biblical tradition, suggesting that the Antiochene Church was worshiping the Lord through various liturgical actions, probably in connection with the Eucharist. In patristic times, this verb was closely associated with the sacramental liturgy of the Church. Back to text.
13:3 fasting and praying: Traditional forms of Jewish piety (Lk 2:37) revered as a means of seeking the Lord and finding his will (14:23; CCC 1434, 1969). laid their hands: A congregational act to commission individuals for a specific task (Num 8:10). Back to text.
13:4-14:28 Paul's first missionary journey from A.D. 46 to 49. He later embarks on a second (15:36-18:22) and third mission (18:23-21:15). Back to text.
13:4 sailed to Cyprus: An island in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. It was a Roman province and the homeland of Barnabas (4:36). Paul's first wave of preaching swept all the way from Salamis on its eastern shore (13:5) to the port capital Paphos on its southwestern shore (13:6). Prior to this, only some of the Cypriot Jews had heard the gospel (11:19). Back to text.
13:5 the synagogues: Paul targets the local Jewish synagogue every time he enters a new missionary frontier in Acts (13:14; 14:1; 17:1, 10, 17; 18:4, 19, etc.). This strategy was shaped by practical as well as theological considerations: on the one hand, synagogues already served as weekly gathering places where Jews and even Gentiles came together for prayer and religious instruction; on the other, Paul was driven by the conviction that Israel stood first in line to inherit the blessings of the messianic age (13:46; Rom 1:16). John: John Mark, who was a cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10). See note on Acts 12:12. Back to text.
13:7 Sergius Paulus: The Roman governor of the island and the first Gentile ruler in Acts to become a believer (13:12). Back to text.
13:8 Elymas: Earlier called "Bar-Jesus", an Aramaic name meaning "son of Joshua/Jesus" (13:6). He is the second magician, after Simon the Samaritan, to be rebuked by the apostles in Acts (13:10-11). See note on Acts 8:9. Back to text.
13:9 also called Paul: Like numerous Jews in the NT period, the apostle had both a Roman ("Paul") and a Semitic ("Saul") name (1:23; 12:12; 13:1). Except when Saul recounts his conversion (22:7; 26:14), he is hereafter called Paul throughout Acts and the rest of the NT. Some hold that this permanent switch to Paul's Roman name is linked with the conversion of the Roman governor, Sergius Paulus (13:7). Back to text.
13:11 blind . . . lead him by the hand: Reminiscent of Paul's own experience at Damascus (9:8). Back to text.
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