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15:28 the Holy Spirit: The deliberations and decisions of the Council were guided by the hand of God. This is precisely what Jesus promised to do for the ordained leadership of the Church through the Spirit. See note on Jn 16:13. Back to text.
15:32 prophets: That is, both men had the spiritual gift of exhortation. See note on Acts 13:1. Back to text.
15:36-18:22 Paul's second missionary journey from A.D. 50 to 52. Back to text.
15:39 a sharp contention: Paul and Barnabas go their separate ways after a dispute about John Mark, who abandoned their earlier mission (13:13). Barnabas decides to join his cousin Mark (Col 4:10) and return to his native island of Cyprus (4:36), while Paul teams up with Silas and then Timothy (16:1) to revisit the converts of Syria and Asia Minor (15:40-41). Back to text.
16:1 Timothy: A longtime friend and companion of Paul. He is also mentioned with Paul and Silas (Silvanus) in 1 Thess 1:1 and 2 Thess 1:1. See note on 1 Tim 1:2. Back to text.
16:3 circumcised: Paul thought it advantageous to circumcise Timothy so their joint ministry among the Jews would not be hindered by scandal (1 Cor 9:20). At this stage, circumcision and other ritual observances of the Torah were permitted for Jewish believers even though unnecessary for Gentiles (15:111). Timothy's descent from a Jewish mother seems to put him in the former category. Later rabbinic law states that religious affiliation followed matrilineal lines, so that children born of a Jewish mother were automatically Jewish, regardless of the faith of the father. Back to text.
16:4 the decisions: The prohibitions of the Apostolic Decree (15:23-29). See note on Acts 15:20. Back to text.
16:6-10 The direction of the second mission was determined by the Spirit. After ministering in the southern territories of the Galatian province (Phrygia and Galatia), the team was forbidden to go directly west (Asia) or directly north (Bithynia), but was channeled northwest to the Aegean port of Troas. Here Paul received further instructions to cross over from Asia Minor to evangelize the mainland of Europe near Greece (Macedonia). Back to text.
16:10 immediately we: An abrupt shift in narrative perspective. Up to this point, Luke has retold the events in Acts as an outsider or spectator. Here, for the first time, he steps into the story ("we", not "they") as a traveling member of Paul's missionary team. Several "we" sections punctuate the later chapters of Acts and are likely based on historical memoirs that Luke stored away in his memory or possibly in a travel diary (16:1017; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1-28:16). Back to text.
16:12 Philippi: A colony of retired army veterans in the Roman province of Macedonia (northern Greece). About eight miles inland from the Aegean Sea, the city was named after Philip II of Macedon, the father of Alexander the Great. The Church established there (A.D. 50) later received Paul's NT letter to the Philippians. Few Jews settled in Philippi in the NT period, and it apparently had no synagogue, only a "place of prayer" where pious women gathered on the Sabbath (16:13). According to Jewish tradition, a synagogue could not be built unless ten or more household heads (males) lived in the area. Back to text.
16:14 Lydia: A reputable businesswoman and possibly a widow. worshiper of God: Lydia was a righteous Gentile or "God-fearer" attracted to Judaism. See note on Acts 10:2. opened her heart: Faith in the gospel is a gift from God, who prepares the heart and mind of every believer with the grace needed to embrace the message (Jn 6:44; Eph 2:8). Back to text.
16:15 her household: The apostles routinely baptized entire households, many of which probably included infants and children as well as servants (16:33; 1 Cor 1:16; CCC 1655). See note on Acts 2:39. Back to text.
16:16 spirit of divination: Literally, "a python spirit", which refers to a mythical serpent said to guard the Greek temple of Apollo at Delphi. One controlled by a python spirit was seen as a ventriloquist or fortune-teller. Because the owners of the slave girl exploited her misfortune for its moneymaking potential, they were angered when Paul exorcised the demon and their means of income was gone (16:19). Back to text.
16:17 servants of the Most High: A true confession forced out of a lying spirit (Mk 1:24; 5:7). Back to text.
16:20 magistrates: An honorific title for the two city leaders of Philippi. In charge of civil order, they authorized a beating (16:22) on charges that Paul and Silas were causing a citywide disturbance with questionable religious teaching. Back to text.
16:22 beat them with rods: This is probably the shameful treatment at Philippi that Paul would later speak about in 1 Thess 2:2. He received this same type of beating at least two more times in his missionary career (2 Cor 11:25). Back to text.
16:26 great earthquake: Paul's miraculous deliverance recalls how Peter was twice rescued from prison by the Lord (5:19; 12:6-11). Back to text.
16:27 to kill himself: Prison guards were liable to severe punishment if criminals escaped during their watch (12:19). Thinking the inmates had fled, the jailer contemplated suicide as a way to escape the humiliation and condemnation he was sure to receive. Back to text.
16:31 Believe in the Lord Jesus: The faith asked of the jailer is a faith that embraces Jesus as Lord and Savior and leads directly to Baptism (16:33; Mk 16:16). The spiritual transformation that takes place in this sacrament (2:38) is immediately evident as the jailer no longer views the missionaries as prisoners but as fellow brothers in need of hospitality, food, and first aid (16:33-34; CCC 1226). See note on Acts 16:15. Back to text.
16:37 Roman citizens: Enjoyed certain privileges not shared by all inhabitants of the empire. Citizens, for example, were exempt from degrading forms of punishment and were not to endure any form of punishment without a thorough investigation of the charges brought against them (22:25-26). Because Paul and Silas were citizens unlawfully mistreated, they felt the injustice should not go overlooked. Back to text.
16:40 the brethren: The new believers in Philippi, including Lydia and her household (16:15). Over the years Paul developed a special affection for the Philippian Church, calling them his "joy and crown" (Phil 4:1). they . . . departed: Apparently Luke himself stayed behind. He rejoins the group in 20:6. See note on Acts 16:10. Back to text.
17:1 Thessalonica: The leading city of the Roman province of Macedonia (northern Greece). Nearly 100 miles west of Philippi, the Church established there (A.D. 50) received two NT letters from Paul: 1 and 2 Thessalonians. Back to text.
17:2 his custom: Much of Paul's missionary activity centered on local Jewish synagogues. See note on Acts 13:5. Back to text.
17:5 Jason: One of the believing Jews who hosted Paul and Silas. The raid on his house failed to turn up the missionaries, who apparently hid themselves elsewhere. Other Thessalonian converts are named in 20:4. Back to text.
17:6 the world upside down: Jason is charged with harboring political dissidents suspected of insurrection. He was released only after the city authorities collected "security" (17:9) that made him legally responsible for his missionary guests. Back to text.
17:7 another king: The unstated assumption is that the expected Messiah ("the Christ", 17:3) was to come from the royal line of David and restore his glorious kingdom (2 Sam 7:1217; Mk 11:10). Here the proclamation of Christ's kingship is heard as a political threat to Rome and a direct challenge to the imperial rule of Caesar Claudius (A.D. 41-54). From the perspective of the NT, this was a misunderstanding: although Christ demands the highest allegiance of every believer, his universal rule over the world is not of the world (Jn 18:36), so his heavenly kingship does not eliminate the need for earthly rulers to govern the temporal affairs of human society (Rom 13:1; 1 Pet 2:17). See essay: Kingdom Restoration at Acts 15. Back to text.
17:10 Beroea: A Macedonian city nearly 60 miles west of Thessalonica. Back to text.
17:11 examining the Scriptures: The Beroeans measured the claims of the gospel against the standard of OT revelation and found them to be in agreement (Lk 24:44; Jn 5:39). In their zealous pursuit of the truth, they searched the Scriptures every day and not just on the Sabbath. Some have inferred from this passage that the Beroeans relied on the Bible alone as the sole foundation of revealed doctrine. The inference is unwarranted: Luke tells us that Scripture was central to their faith, but not its exclusive basis. It is only logical that Jews would test the messianic message of the gospel by searching the messianic prophecies of the OT. Back to text.
17:14 Silas and Timothy remained: Leaving these two in Beroea and Luke back in Philippi (16:12, 40), Paul ventured on to Athens alone (17:16). Back to text.
17:16 Athens: A leading city of the province of Achaia (southern Greece). It reached the height of its fame in the fifth century B.C. but was still celebrated as a cultural center of philosophy, art, and literature during NT times. The city was filled with shrines and statues of Greek deities. Athenian interest in new and novel ideas was proverbial in antiquity (17:21). Back to text.
17:18 Epicurean: The disciples of Epicurus (d. 271 B.C.) believed the goal of life was to avoid pain and discomfort as much as possible. By NT times, Epicurean philosophy had degraded into a pursuit of sensual pleasure. Most followers felt that if gods existed, they were disinterested in human affairs. Against this philosophy, Paul insists that God does exist; he is near to everyone; and he will judge the world for its conduct (17:24, 28, 31). Stoic philosophers: Intellectuals committed to living a disciplined life in accord with nature. Their view of God was pantheistic, i.e., they believed the entire world was divine or imbued with divinity. Against this philosophy, Paul makes a clear distinction between the Creator and his creation (17:24, 26, 28). babbler: A derogatory term for someone who collected ideas but lacked wisdom and intellectual sophistication. Back to text.
17:19 the Are-opagus: Or, "the hill of Ares" (the Greek god of war). It refers both to a low hill in Athens and to a council of elders who met there as professional consultants to discuss Greek education, philosophy, and religion. Back to text.
17:23 the objects of your worship: The Greeks venerated a vast pantheon of gods. Because they feared offending the gods through neglect, they built shrines for unnamed gods to ensure that every deity was properly honored. To an unknown god: One tradition links the Cretan poet and philosopher Epimenides with such an altar. The story is told that a panel of elders summoned him from Crete to drive away a plague that ravaged Athens in the sixth century B.C. Epimenides counseled the city leaders on this matter, and when his advice proved successful in lifting the plague, the Athenians built memorial altars on the slope of the Are-opagus (17:19) to honor and remember the unnamed god who saved them. Paul, who excerpts from the writings of Epimenides in 17:28 and Tit 1:12, alludes to this tradition to build a bridge for the gospel, stating that God, although unknown to Athens by name, deserves the honor of all. Unlike the lifeless idols of Greece, Yahweh is the living Creator of all things and does not inhabit man-made shrines or statues (17:24; CCC 287). Back to text.
17:26 every nation of men: The entire human family stems from one common ancestor, the first man, Adam (Gen 2:7- 8). • The mention of national boundaries recalls how God made 70 nations spring from the sons of Noah and apportioned land for them in Europe (Japheth), Africa (Ham), and Asia (Shem) after the Flood (Gen 10; Deut 32:8; CCC 57, 360). Back to text.
17:27 they should seek God: God revealed himself openly to Israel but expected all nations to recognize his existence and goodness by reflecting on the visible world (14:17; Rom 1:1920; CCC 32, 2566). Back to text.
17:28 In him . . . our being: Probably a citation from the Greek poet Epimenides, who wrote in the sixth century B.C. The line summarizes Paul's teaching that God created and sustains the world (CCC 301). we are indeed his offspring: Cited from the Phaenomena, a work by the Greek writer Aratus, who wrote in the third century B.C. Paul cites Greek poetry elsewhere, in 1 Cor 15:33 and Tit 1:12. Back to text.
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