# Commentary on the Acts of the Apostles **1:1 the first book:** The Gospel of Luke, which has a similar but more expanded dedication (Lk 1:1-4). This link with the preface of the Gospel has a direct bearing on the composition of Acts, i.e., Luke has gone to the same painstaking lengths to separate fact from fiction in preserving the historical memory of the earliest Christians. See note on Lk 1:2. **began to do and teach:** Implies that what Jesus began to do in Luke he continues to do through his disciples in Acts. The Spirit directs this mission of the Church and is the driving force behind it (1:8; Lk 24:46-49) **1:3 many proofs:** The Resurrection of Jesus is a miracle substantiated by multiple strands of historical evidence (CCC 640-44). **(1)** His tomb was empty Easter morning (Jn 20:4-9); **(2)** he presented himself alive to the apostles and other disciples that evening (Lk 24:13-31; Jn 20:19-20); **(3)** he invited eyewitnesses to touch his risen body and examine his wounds (Lk 24:36-43; Jn 20:26-29); **(4)** he showed himself risen to more than 500 people (1 Cor 15:6); and **(5)** his appearance to the Church\'s fiercest adversary, Saul of Tarsus, transformed him into her most zealous apostle (9:1-19). **forty days:** A period of final instruction between Easter Sunday and Ascension Thursday. The number 40 signifies a time of preparation for the disciples, just as Jesus underwent 40 days of preparation before his own ministry (Mt 4:2). For other symbolic meanings of the number 40, See note on Lk 4:2. **the kingdom of God:** A central pillar in the apostolic preaching of Acts (8:12; 14:22; 19:8; 20:25; 28:23, 31) **1:4 promise of the Father:** The Holy Spirit (Lk 24:49), poured out through Christ (2:33) **1:6 restore the kingdom:** Judaism hoped for a militant Messiah who would redeem Israel from the yoke of Roman oppression (Lk 24:21) and rebuild the kingdom of David that had lain in ruins since the sixth century B.C. (Mk 11:10). These political aspirations are given a spiritual fulfillment in Acts with the enthronement of Christ in heaven (2:32-36; Lk 1:32-33) and the redemption of Israel and the Gentiles in the Church (5:31; 15:16-18; CCC 439, 672). See essay: **Kingdom Restoration** at Acts 15. • Two interrelated traditions echo in the question of the disciples. **(1)** The time of *restoration* evokes Yahweh\'s promise to reunite the tribal family of Israel in the messianic age (Sir 48:10; Jer 50:19-20; Hos 11:11). This hope is confirmed in Luke (Lk 22:30) and kept alive throughout Acts (26:6-7). **(2)** Giving the kingdom *to* Israel recalls Daniel\'s vision of the Son of man (Messiah) giving an everlasting kingdom to the saints (Dan 7:18, 22, 27). This hope is likewise confirmed in Luke (Lk 12:32; 22:29) **1:7 times or seasons:** Jesus affirms the coming of the kingdom but conceals the precise timing determined by the Father. His words imply that speculation is pointless, although the parable in Lk 19:11-27 denied that the kingdom would come in its fullness when Jesus arrived in Jerusalem at the start of Passion Week **1:8 power . Spirit . come upon:** These terms also appear together in Lk 1:35, showing that the same Spirit who brought forth Christ in the womb of Mary is about to bring forth the Church in the world. • The wording of this promise is inspired by Is 32:15. **witnesses:** That is, to the dying and rising of Jesus (1:22; 2:32; 3:15; 5:32; 10:41). The word translates the Greek *martys,* from which the English term \"martyr\" is derived. All the disciples in Acts witness to Christ with their words and life, while Stephen and James offer the testimony of a martyr\'s death (7:58-60; 12:1-2; CCC 857, 995). See word study: **Witnesses** at Rev 11. • The witness motif comes from Isaiah, where the people of the covenant proclaim Yahweh as the God and Savior of all nations (Is 43:10-13; 44:8). This missionary vocation of Israel to enlighten the world with the truth is now the mission of the Church (13:47). **Jerusalem . Samaria . end of the earth:** A thumbnail sketch of Acts: the gospel seizes Jerusalem (chaps. 1-7), spreads to Judea and Samaria (chaps. 8-12), and then stretches throughout the Roman Empire (chaps. 13-28). • The outer limits of the mission recall Isaiah\'s vision of salvation reaching the ends of the earth (Is 45:22; 48:20; 49:6; 62:11). Although writers in Jewish and pagan antiquity equated the outer rim of the world with the Atlantic coast of Spain, here the expression \"end of the earth\" signifies that the scope of the mission is unlimited rather than bound within geographical borders **1:9 lifted up:** The Ascension of Jesus culminates with his heavenly enthronement at the right hand of the Father (Mk 16:19). The traditional site of the Ascension is located on the crest of Mt. Olivet, directly east of Jerusalem (1:12). Theologically, the withdrawal of Christ\'s visible presence from the world is not a withdrawal of his actual presence. He continues to live and work through the ministry of the pilgrim Church (Mt 18:20; 28:20; Gal 2:20) animated by the Spirit (2:4, etc.; CCC 659). See note on Jn 14:18. **a cloud:** Represents the divine presence in general (Ex 13:21; 24:16) and the Holy Spirit in particular (Is 63:11; CCC 697). • Christ\'s return to the Father evokes the vision of Dan 7:13, where the messianic Son of man is carried to the Ancient of Days on the clouds of heaven. Interestingly, the next time Jesus appears in Acts he appears as the heavenly Son of man (7:55-56; CCC 664). There may also be an implied link with Moses and Elijah: not only were these men speaking about the departure of Jesus at his Transfiguration (Lk 9:30-31), but Jewish tradition holds that both Moses and Elijah were taken up to heaven (Rev 11:12) and that both gave a share of their spirit to their successors (Deut 34:9; 2 Kings 2:9-12). See essay: **Jesus, the Son of Man** at Lk 17 **1:11 in the same way:** The departure of Jesus is the pattern and pledge of his future return. The same cloud that took him away will bring him back to retrieve the saints destined for glory (1 Thess 4:14-17). • The Church\'s earliest creeds affirm that Christ will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead (CCC 678-79) **1:12 sabbath day\'s journey:** Rabbinic tradition limited this distance to 2000 cubits, nearly three-quarters of a mile. The calculation is based on Ex 16:29 and Num 35:5 **1:13 the upper room:** Refers back to the spacious room in Lk 22:12 where Jesus celebrated the Last Supper. One of the most reliable topographical traditions of ancient Jerusalem locates the cenacle on modern Mt. Zion, the southwestern hill of the city **1:14 prayer:** A vital expression of the Church\'s life and mission in Acts (1:24; 2:42; 4:31; 6:6; 9:11; 10:9; 12:5, etc.; CCC 2623). **the women:** Disciples of Jesus whose generosity helped to subsidize his public ministry (Mk 15:40-41; Lk 8:2-3). **and Mary:** The final appearance of Jesus\' Mother in the NT. **his brethren:** Cousins of Jesus once skeptical of his mission but now portrayed as disciples (Jn 7:5). See note on Mt 12:46 **1:15 Peter stood up:** The leadership role of Peter in the early Church was evident from the start. See essay: **Peter, Prince of the Apostles** at Acts 2 **1:16 the Holy Spirit spoke:** The apostles maintained the Jewish belief that the Scriptures of Israel embodied the words of God expressed in the written words of men. See note on 2 Pet 1:21 **1:18-19** Only Matthew and Luke record traditions about the demise of Judas Iscariot (Mt 27:3-10). Matthew apparently recounts the *manner* of Judas\' suicide (hanging), while Luke focuses on the *results* of his death (disembowelment). The brevity of both accounts makes it impossible to reconstruct the exact sequence of events. See note on Mt 27:5 **1:18 bought a field:** Indirectly, since Judas returned the betrayal money to the Temple and the Jerusalem priests purchased the burial site (Mt 27:7-8) **1:19 their language:** Aramaic. The perspective of the author is one of an outsider and supports the traditional notion that Luke was a Greek-speaking Gentile, i.e., someone whose first language was not a Semitic language. See introduction to Luke: *Author.* . **1:20 the book of Psalms:** Peter gives free quotations from the Psalter to explain the removal (Ps 69:25) and replacement of Judas (Ps 109:8). • Psalms 69 and 109 are imprecatory psalms that curse the enemies of God and Israel. In both, the righteous man groans in agony over the treachery of the wicked. Peter reads them messianically, i.e., the suffering Psalmist prefigures the suffering and betrayal of Christ by his enemies. **office:** The Greek term refers to a position of oversight and was used in early Christianity for an episcopal office or bishopric (1 Tim 3:1). • The replacement of one apostle with another is a pattern repeated in the episcopal succession of bishops from the first century to the present day (1:26; CCC 77, 860) **1:21 accompanied us:** Candidates for the vacant apostolic office had to have witnessed the full scope of Jesus\' ministry (1:22). Paul was a unique exception to this rule; though an apostle, he saw only the risen and glorified Jesus (26:15-18; 1 Cor 9:1) **1:26 cast lots**: A process of selection using marked sticks or stones. It was not a game of chance but a venerated means of discerning God\'s will (Lev 16:7-10; Prov 16:33). It was also a means for assigning ritual duties to Levitical priests serving in the Temple (1 Chron 24:31). Matthias: His enrollment with the Eleven reconstitutes the original number of the Twelve, who represent the restored tribes of Israel gathered around the Messiah (Lk 22:30; Rev 21:12-14; CCC 765). For Luke, the main point of the election is to recover the symbolic number 12, as seen in the fact that Matthias never again appears in the narrative of Acts. Note that the Twelve belong to the period of the Church\'s founding and do not represent an ongoing institution in the life of the Church (no mention is made in Acts 12:2 of a replacement for the Apostle James after his martyrdom) **2:1 Pentecost**: One of three pilgrim feasts that required the adult men of Israel to travel to Jerusalem (Deut 16:16). It was a harvest festival celebrated 50 days after Passover, when the first loaves of bread from the spring wheat crop were dedicated as a firstfruits offering to the Lord (Lev 23:15-17). Over time, theological significance was added to its agricultural focus: Pentecost became a celebration of the Torah given to Israel on Mt. Sinai, with lectionary readings taken from Ex 19-20. For Christians, Pentecost celebrates the new law of the Spirit (Rom 8:2), written on the hearts of believers (Jer 31:31-34; 2 Cor 3:4-6), which surpasses the Law of Moses, inscribed on stone tablets (Ex 31:18) **2:2-3** The sound of a mighty wind (2:2) and the visible fire (2:3) dramatize the coming of the Spirit (CCC 696). • The loud and fiery descent of the Spirit here on Mt. Zion (Jerusalem) recalls the loud and fiery descent of Yahweh on Mt. Sinai during the Exodus (Ex 19:16-19) **2:4 filled with the Holy Spirit**: The miracle of Pentecost is anticipated by isolated instances in Luke (Lk 1:15, 35, 41, 67), and its effects are noted several times in Acts (4:8, 31; 9:17; 13:9). The Spirit is the founding gift of the New Covenant and the soul that animates the body of the Christian community (1 Cor 12:12-13). He directs the missionary efforts of the Church (1:8; 13:2), guides her leadership into truth (Jn 16:13), and sanctifies her life through the sacraments (2:38; 8:17; Jn 20:22-23; CCC 1287, 2623). other tongues: Foreign languages. • Echoes can be heard of the tragedy of Babel, where God used multiple languages to confuse and scatter the family of man (Gen 11:19). Here, the Spirit uses multiple languages to communicate the gospel and gather together the family of God (2:11) **2:5 devout men**: Pilgrims staying in the city to celebrate Pentecost. from every nation: The international gathering of Jews in Jerusalem, with many accepting the gospel (2:41), foreshadows the international acceptance of the gospel by Gentiles from all over the world (1:8; Lk 24:47) **2:10 proselytes**: Gentile converts to Judaism **2:15 the third hour:** About 9 A.M. Jewish pilgrims normally fasted the morning of Pentecost, a fact that makes drunkenness an unlikely explanation for the excitement **2:17-21** Pentecost confirms the arrival of the messianic age. • The text for Peter\'s first sermon is Joel 2:28-32, which envisions an outpouring of the Spirit upon men and women, young and old, slaves and free. Signs and wonders would abound in this new age and salvation would come through the name of the Lord. Peter links the \"wonders\" and \"signs\" (Acts 2:19) with the mighty deeds of Jesus (2:22) and identifies him as the saving \"Lord\" (2:36) whose \"name\" is invoked in Baptism (2:38). It is significant in this context that Joel was speaking of the saved remnant of Israel rescued from Jerusalem (Joel 2:32). Other prophecies corroborate his vision of the Spirit poured out at the turn of the ages (Is 32:15; 44:3; Ezek 36:26-27; 39:29) **2:17 the last days:** The first days of the New Covenant overlap with the final days of the Old (Heb 1:2). • The expression comes, not from Joel, but from several prophetic oracles of the messianic age (Num 24:14; Is 2:2; Dan 2:28; Hos 3:5) **2:20 day of the Lord:** A day of divine judgment for Israel (Zech 14:1-5). See note on 2 Pet 3:10 **2:23 the definite plan:** The collaboration of Jewish and Roman authorities to execute Jesus was part of a divine program for our salvation (4:27-28; CCC 599-600) **2:25 I saw the Lord:** A citation from Ps 16:8-11. • In Ps 16 David rejoices in the Lord and prays for preservation from death. Since David eventually died, as evidenced by his tomb in Jerusalem (2:29), Peter concludes that his prayer is only fulfilled in the Messiah, who alone rose from the dead untouched by corruption (2:31). This mystery of incorruption is expressed by Jesus\' rising on the third day, since Jewish tradition held that the process of bodily decay did not begin until the fourth day after death (Jn 11:39; CCC 627) **2:30 an oath:** A sworn guarantee from God that cannot be revoked. • Peter refers to the covenant Yahweh made with David to continue his dynastic line forever (Ps 89:3-4; 132:11-12). The oath is fulfilled in Jesus, who reigns forever from the throne of David in heaven (Lk 1:32-33). See essay: **Kingdom Restoration** at Acts 15 **2:34 The Lord said to my Lord:** A citation from Ps 110:1, the most frequently cited psalm in the NT. • David overhears Yahweh (Lord) inviting the Davidic Messiah (my Lord) to sit beside him in heaven while he subdues his enemies on earth. This enthronement scene is the fulfillment of Yahweh\'s covenant of everlasting kingship sworn to David (2:30). The tomb of David in Jerusalem is evidence that David was prophesying of someone other than himself (2:29) **2:36 Lord:** A messianic title for Jesus used in the preceding citations from Scripture (2:21, 34). It was a *royal* title used for the kings of Israel (1 Kings 1:37) as well as a *divine* title used in the Greek OT to translate the name \"Yahweh\" (CCC 446, 449). **Christ:** The anointed Messiah. See word study: **Christ** at Mk 14 [[peter-prince-of-the-apostles|Peter, Prince of the Apostles]] **2:38 Repent, and be baptized:** The call for conversion is a call for Baptism, the sacrament that takes away sin and confers the Spirit (22:16; Jn 3:5; Tit 3:5). Here and elsewhere Peter insists that Baptism is the sacrament that brings us salvation (2:40; 1 Pet 3:21). • The Council of Trent (1547) describes Baptism as the instrumental cause of our justification, i.e., the means used by Christ to cleanse us of guilt, fill us with the grace of divine life, and adopt us as children of God (Sess. 6, chap. 7; CCC 1226, 1262, 1427). **in the name of Jesus:** Not a complete baptismal formula like the trinitarian formula in Mt 28:19, but a thematic expression used in several ways in Acts. **(1)** Calling upon the name of Christ in Baptism (22:16) is linked with calling upon the name of the Lord for salvation in the earlier quotation from Joel (2:28-32). **(2)** The name distinguishes the Baptism of Jesus from the baptism of John (1:5; 19:2-5). **(3)** The name of Jesus is also invoked to work miracles and exorcisms (3:6; 4:30; 9:34; 16:18). See note on Acts 4:12 **2:39 and to your children:** The benefits of Baptism are available to adults and children alike. This explains why the apostles baptized entire households (16:15, 33; 1 Cor 1:16; CCC 1252). See note on Lk 18:16. **all that are far off:** Applicable to the dispersed nation of Israel (Is 57:19) and to the worldwide family of Gentiles (Eph 2:17) **2:40 this crooked generation:** Peter indicts his contemporaries as Jesus had done before him (Lk 9:41) and Paul would do after him (Phil 2:15). • The expression comes from the Song of Moses and was first applied to the faithless generation of Israel that came out of Egypt (Deut 32:5) **2:42 teaching . fellowship . bread . prayers:** Essential actions of the Church\'s life shown forth in the believing community of Jerusalem. They held to the doctrinal catechesis of the apostles (teaching), interpersonal communion and support (fellowship), the celebration of the Eucharist (breaking of bread), and community praise and petitions (prayers). Thus, in every aspect of life, the earliest believers were united as a family: they learned together, lived together, ate together, worshiped together, and prayed together (CCC 950, 1329, 2624) **2:46 the temple:** Continued to be a venue for prayer and preaching in the earliest days of Christianity (3:1; Lk 24:53; CCC 584). Separate gatherings for the eucharistic liturgy were initially held in private homes (20:7-8; 1 Cor 11:17-22) **2:47 the Lord added:** Because Christ is the true builder of the Church (Mt 16:18), he is credited with her astonishingly rapid growth (2:41; 4:4; 5:14, etc.) **3:1 Peter and John:** Closely associated in the writings of Luke (8:14; Lk 22:8) and John (Jn 18:15; 20:2-3; 21:20-23). **the hour of prayer:** Twice a day liturgical services were held in the Temple, at the time of the morning and evening sacrifices (Ex 29:38-39). The **ninth hour** corresponds to the evening prayers recited around 3 P.M., just a few hours before sunset and the end of the Jewish day. See note on Lk 1:10 **3:2 called Beautiful:** Probably the gate that led from the outermost court of the Gentiles into a series of inner courts where only Israelites were permitted to worship **3:8 leaping and praising God:** The healing ministry of Jesus (Mt 11:5) continues through the apostles he has authorized to speak in his name (3:6; Mk 16:17-18). • The leaping of the man once lame is a sign that the messianic age has arrived (Is 35:6; Mal 4:2) **3:11 portico called Solomon\'s:** A colonnade walkway along the eastern edge of the Temple platform. It was a favorite meeting place of the early Christians (5:12), as it had been for Jesus (Jn 10:23) **3:13 God of Abraham . Isaac . Jacob:** The formula spoken to Moses at the burning bush (Ex 3:6). **glorified his servant:** The Father glorified Jesus in his suffering, dying, and rising. See word study: **Glorify** at Jn 17:1. • Peter identifies Jesus as the messianic Servant of the Lord, who is exalted and lifted up (in Gk., \"glorified\") in Is 52:13. The context of this excerpt includes the entire song of the \"Suffering Servant\", which runs from Is 52:13 to 53:12. It is clear by the end of the song that Yahweh glorified his Servant because he endured the rejection of his people and offered his life as a sacrifice for sin. This prophecy is examined again in 8:32-33 **3:14 a murderer:** Barabbas (Lk 23:18-19) **3:15 the Author of life:** All creation and life comes from Jesus Christ, who created the world with the Father (Jn 1:1-4; Heb 1:2) and renews the world through the Spirit (Jn 20:22-23; 2 Cor 3:18) **3:17 acted in ignorance:** The perpetrators of Christ\'s death were unaware of the full gravity of their actions or the divine plan that lay behind them (Lk 23:34). See note on Acts 2:23 **3:19 sins may be blotted out:** That is, through Baptism (2:38; 22:16) **3:22 The Lord God will raise:** Peter identifies Jesus as the messianic prophet envisioned in the Torah. • Moses forewarned in Deut 18:15-19 that a prophet after his own likeness would arise in Israel bearing the word of the Lord. Failure to heed this prophet would bring a curse of destruction and disinheritance upon the impenitent. This prophecy is quoted again in 7:37 **3:25 And in your posterity:** A reference to the Abrahamic covenant ratified by divine oath in Gen 22:18. • Yahweh swore an oath to make the descendants of Abraham his chosen instrument for blessing the world. As the messianic son of Abraham, Jesus makes this promise a reality, first by restoring life to Israel (5:31; Mt 10:5-6) and then by using believers from Israel to bless the nations with the gospel (15:16-18; Mt 28:18-20) **4:1 the captain:** The head of the police force that patrolled the Temple precincts. **Sadducees:** Members of the priestly aristocracy of Jerusalem. They were fierce opponents of the apostles and their doctrine of the resurrection (23:8). See essay: **Who Are the Sadducees?** at Mk 12 **4:3 already evening:** The gates of the Temple were locked shut after the evening liturgy, around 4 P.M. Criminal cases, usually tried within a judicial chamber inside (or adjacent to) the Temple, could not be dealt with until the following day **4:4 five thousand:** A growth of nearly 2,000 since Pentecost (2:41). See note on Acts 2:47 **4:5 rulers and elders and scribes:** A formal assembly of the Sanhedrin, the supreme court of ancient Judaism. See note on Mk 14:55 **4:6 Annas the high priest:** He served in this capacity from A.D. 6 to 15, at which time Roman authorities replaced him with another (Eleazar). The Jewish leadership, however, still considered him the rightful occupant of the position and so addressed him accordingly (Lk 3:2). **Caiaphas:** The son-in-law of Annas and the officiating high priest appointed by the Romans in A.D. 18 (Jn 18:13). **John:** Probably the son of Annas and the direct successor of Caiaphas. He was appointed high priest in A.D. 36 **4:11 This is the stone:** A paraphrase of Ps 118:22. • The apostles learned from Jesus that Ps 118 envisions the rejection of the Messiah (Mk 12:10-12). This tragedy is described as the builders of Jerusalem discarding a stone that God would make the honored cornerstone of a new and living Temple (Eph 2:20-22). Peter turns to this text again in 1 Pet 2:4-7 (CCC 756). **you builders:** The Psalmist\'s depiction of the leaders of Israel as \"builders\" is here reinforced by the setting: the priestly leaders of the Sanhedrin supervised the building of the Herodian Temple in Jerusalem, which was under continual construction from 19 B.C. until A.D. 63 **4:12 no other name:** The powerful name of Jesus is the focus of the entire episode (3:6, 16; 4:7, 10, 17-18). Its Hebrew form can also be rendered \"Joshua\", meaning \"Yahweh saves\" (Sir 46:1; Mt 1:21). The name is invoked in Acts to heal the sick (9:34), perform signs and wonders (4:30), drive out demons (16:18; 19:13), and administer Baptism (2:38; 10:48; 22:16; CCC 430-35, 1507) **4:13 uneducated:** Peter and John were former fishermen, i.e., men of labor, not learning (Mk 1:16-20). Even so, their bold defense of the gospel caused many to wonder and made their limited knowledge of traditional Jewish theology irrelevant (1 Cor 1:26-27) **4:16 we cannot deny it:** The standing result of the healing miracle is irrefutable **4:20 we cannot but speak:** The apostles are compelled to witness by the power of the Spirit (1:8) and the solid evidence that Jesus has indeed risen (1:3). Even the threats and intimidation of the Sanhedrin (4:21) cannot silence them, especially since Jesus promised to help them in times of persecution (Lk 21:12-15; CCC 425) **4:25-26** At the center of the community\'s prayer (4:24-30) stands a citation from Ps 2:1-2. • The Psalmist wonders at the conspiracy of rebel nations plotting against Yahweh and the anointed king of Israel, knowing that God\'s plans cannot be frustrated by earthly princes (Ps 2:4-9). Read as a prophecy, the psalm envisions the collaboration of Jewish and Roman authorities in executing Jesus, the anointed Messiah. Mention of **rulers** being **gathered together** also echoes the statement in 4:5, where the leadership of Jerusalem is conspiring against the apostles **4:27 whom you anointed:** The Spirit anointed Jesus at his Baptism (10:38; Lk 3:22) **4:29 with all boldness:** The believers pray, not for an end to persecution, but for evangelical courage in the face of opposition (Eph 6:18-20; 1 Thess 2:2) **4:31 filled with the Holy Spirit:** The apostolic community relives the experience of Pentecost and is renewed in the grace and encouragement of the Spirit (2:1-4). See note on Acts 2:4 **4:32-37** A snapshot of community life in the early Jerusalem Church. It is characterized by a selfless concern for all, an even distribution of goods, and a complete trust in the oversight of the apostles. See note on Acts 2:42 **4:36 Barnabas:** Introduced early in Acts because of his prominent role later in the book as a missionary and companion of Paul (9:27; 11:22-24). He was among the first to evangelize his native island of Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea (13:4-12) and would return there after parting company with Paul (15:39). **Son of encouragement:** A parenthetical aside that suggests Barnabas must have lived up to the true meaning of his name. **a Levite:** An Israelite descended from the priestly tribe of Levi **5:1-11** The deceptive ploy of Ananias and Sapphira stands in stark contrast to the heroic generosity of the Jerusalem community (2:45; 4:32-37). While most believers were filled with the Spirit (4:31), this couple allowed their hearts to be filled with Satan instead (5:3) **5:4 at your disposal:** Donations to the apostolic fund were voluntary, not mandatory. So the couple was entitled to retain some or all of their monetary resources, but apparently they misled the apostles to think they had donated everything and gave the false impression of being honest and generous (5:8). **not lied to men but to God:** The parallel statement in 5:3 hints at the personhood and divinity of the Holy Spirit. • The First Council of Constantinople in 381 declared that the Spirit is the third Divine Person of the Trinity, coequal with the Father and the Son. Its credal formula states that the Holy Spirit is to be \"worshiped and glorified\" as God (CCC 255, 266) **5:12 signs and wonders:** An expression drawn from 2:19 that appears frequently in Acts (2:43; 4:30; 6:8; 14:3; 15:12). • The same expression is a recurrent theme in the Exodus traditions, describing how Yahweh performed mighty deeds through Moses in bringing Israel out of Egypt (Ex 7:3; 11:10; Deut 6:22; 26:8). This association stands out in Stephen\'s speech in 7:36. **Solomon\'s Portico:** A covered walkway in the Temple (3:11) **5:14 men and women:** Luke often highlights the fact that the gospel claimed disciples from the ranks of both genders (8:12; 9:2; 16:1; 17:4, 12) **5:15 at least his shadow:** In the name of Jesus, the apostles displayed extraordinary power over demons, death, and disease. This was particularly true in the ministry of Peter, the recognized leader of the apostolic band (3:6; 9:34, 40-41) **5:17 the high priest:** Presumably Annas, although Caiaphas was officiating in this capacity at the time. See note on Acts 4:6 **5:19 angel of the Lord:** Angelic intervention, instruction, and assistance feature regularly in the narrative of Acts (8:26; 10:3-6; 12:7-10, 23; 27:23-24) **Word Study** > [!NOTE] Word Study > *Church* (Acts 5:11) – *Ekklēsia* (Gk.): refers to an \"assembly\" or \"congregation\" of people. The word is used 23 times in Acts and 91 times in the rest of the NT. The term was broadly applied in Greek literature to several types of social or political gatherings, but more narrowly applied in the Greek OT to the worshiping assembly of Israel (Deut 9:10; Josh 8:35; 1 Kings 8:65). With the exception of Acts 19:32, this latter usage is closest to the NT meaning of the word. Jesus was the first to use a Semitic equivalent of this term for the covenant community he founded and entrusted to the apostles (Mt 16:18; 18:17). Thereafter it became the normal designation for local Churches (Rom 16:16; 1 Cor 1:2) and for the collective body of local communities that make up the universal Church (Acts 9:31; Eph 3:10; 5:23). This worldwide congregation is governed by an apostolic hierarchy (1 Cor 12:28) and is one with the assembly of angels and saints in the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb 12:22-23). ^bhzwpq **5:21 the council:** The Sanhedrin, the high court of Judaism, was composed of the high priest and 70 leaders of Israel. Many of its members followed the Pharisee or Sadducee movement (5:17, 34; 23:6). Roman law permitted the court to administer corporal discipline (5:40) but prohibited it from executing a capital sentence (Jn 18:31). See note on Mk 14:55 **5:28 blood upon us:** Bloodguilt for the condemnation and death of Jesus rested on the head of Jewish and Roman authorities (4:27). Though degrees of personal and individual guilt are known to God alone, collective responsibility for this outrage was accepted by the frenzied mob in Jerusalem that coerced Pilate to have him crucified (Mt 27:24-26; CCC 597) **5:29 obey God rather than men:** The foundational premise of civil disobedience. It insists that believers cannot submit to human authorities, institutions, and laws that contradict the laws of God (Wis 6:1-3; Mk 7:8-13). Part of the Christian mission is to bring civil legislation in line with divine law and, when this proves unsuccessful, to make a courageous stand in favor of the gospel. In this episode, the mandate of Jesus to preach the gospel (1:8) overrides the charge of the Sanhedrin to keep silent (4:18; CCC 450, 2242) **5:30 on a tree:** A reference to crucifixion, described in terms of Deut 21:22. See note on Gal 3:13 **5:34 Gamali-el:** Gamali-el I, the Elder, a distinguished Pharisee influential in Jerusalem around A.D. 20 to 50. Jewish tradition revered his memory with the honorary title \"rabban\" (our teacher) over the more usual \"rabbi\" (teacher). Gamali-el is also remembered in Christian antiquity for his moderate stance toward the apostolic movement (5:38-39) and his role as the teacher of the Apostle Paul (22:3) **5:36 Theudas:** History knows of a later Theudas whose following was crushed by the prefect Fadus between A.D. 44 and 46, but nothing is known of this earlier figure beyond this verse **5:37 Judas the Galilean:** According to the historian Josephus, he led a violent revolt against Rome for imposing taxes on Judea in A.D. 6. His philosophy of armed resistance later crystallized into the Zealot movement, which failed to liberate Israel from Roman control in the Jewish War of A.D. 66 to 70. **the census:** Not the census ordered by Caesar Augustus in Lk 2:1 but a later registration for taxation in A.D. 6, when Judea came under direct Roman rule **5:41 rejoicing . to suffer:** The apostles remembered the blessings in store for those who suffer like Jesus (Mt 5:10-12). This joyous response to persecution and affliction resonates throughout the NT writings (Jn 16:33; Rom 5:3; Jas 1:2; 1 Pet 2:19-21) **6:1-6** The earliest Jerusalem Church was composed entirely of believers from Israel; some were **Hellenists,** and some were **Hebrews.** The Hellenists were Greek-speaking immigrants who had come to Jerusalem from various Jewish settlements throughout the Roman world. The Hebrews were Aramaic-speaking natives who lived in Palestine. Tensions eventually rose between the groups and led to discrimination and injustice against widows, who were especially vulnerable in ancient society and depended on the assistance of others for their livelihood (Deut 26:12; Jas 1:27) **6:3 seven men:** All of the names listed in 6:5 are Greek names, suggesting that the seven men were Hellenists chosen to represent the interests of their own community. This promoted fairness, inasmuch as the Greek-speaking community raised the complaint in the first place (6:1) **6:4 devote ourselves:** The Twelve continued to address the *spiritual* needs of the community by praying and preaching, while the Seven focused on meeting its *material* needs by acts of service **6:6 laid their hands:** A symbolic gesture of consecration and commission (13:3; Num 27:18-23). • Several considerations suggest the Seven are the first ordained deacons of the Church. **(1)** The laying on of hands is elsewhere linked with the sacramental sign of ordination (1 Tim 4:14); **(2)** the men are commissioned \"to serve\" (6:2), which translates a Greek verb related to the noun \"deacon\" (Phil 1:1); and **(3)** their ministry also includes preaching (8:5) and baptizing (8:12). In Catholic tradition, the diaconate is the first level of Holy Orders and conforms the recipient to Christ the Servant (Lk 22:27; CCC 1569-70) **6:7 many of the priests:** Converts came from the priestly ranks of the Sadducees, who formed the Temple establishment, and possibly, too, from an Essene group of priests who lived in the southwestern quarter of Jerusalem **6:8-7:60** The ministry and martyrdom of Stephen, one of the Seven (6:5). His death was the end result of tensions that escalated from debate (6:8-10) to false accusations (6:11-14) to an eruption of mob violence (7:57-58). Luke deliberately portrays these events in terms that recall the trial and death of Jesus. Parallels include testimony from false witnesses (6:13; Mt 26:60), reports that Jesus would destroy the Temple (6:14; Mt 26:61), visions of the Son of man in heaven (7:56; Lk 22:69), prayers of surrender to God (7:59; Lk 23:46), and petitions of forgiveness for the executioners (7:60; Lk 23:34) **6:9 the Freedmen:** A synagogue assembly of Hellenistic Jews. Its founding members were probably emancipated slaves who had returned to Jerusalem from Italy. By this time it also included Jewish settlers from significant cities in North Africa (Cyrene, Alexandria) and from two Roman provinces in Asia Minor (Cilicia, Asia) **6:11 blasphemous words:** An accusation that looms large in the following episode. • It is calculated to evoke Lev 24:16, which prescribes death by stoning for the blasphemer (7:58) **6:12 before the council:** Stephen is arraigned before the Jewish high court. See note on Acts 5:21 **6:13 this holy place:** The Jerusalem Temple (21:28). Although Luke assigns the accusations in 6:13-14 to false witnesses, it is clear from the speech in 7:1-53 that Stephen was in fact openly critical of the most cherished symbols of Jewish identity: the Torah and the Temple **7:1-53** Stephen\'s defense speech rehearses covenant history from Genesis to his own generation. He stresses that much of the story of Israel is a story of stubborn rebellion, highlighting the rejection of Joseph (7:9), Moses (7:27-29), the Law (7:53), the prophets (7:52), and finally Jesus the Messiah (7:52). He also undermines Jewish reverence for the *land* of Israel and the *Temple* of Jerusalem by stressing that God has shown himself present and active in other places, such as Mesopotamia (7:2), Haran (7:4), Egypt (7:9), Midian (7:29), Mt. Sinai (7:30), and the Red Sea (7:36). The speech ends with a searing indictment of the Jerusalem court (7:51-52) **7:2-8** A summary of the patriarchal age of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. • The biblical backdrop is Gen 12-36. References and allusions to key events in the speech include Gen 12:1 (7:3), Gen 11:31 and 12:5 (7:4), Gen 15:13 (7:6), and Gen 17:9-14 (7:8) **7:2 Abraham:** The great-grandfather of the tribal family of Israel. **Mesopotamia:** Abraham hails from the ancient city of Ur (Gen 11:31), along the Euphrates River (in modern Iraq) **7:4 this land:** Palestine, earlier called Canaan (Gen 12:5) **7:7 worship me in this place:** A promise of the Exodus (Ex 3:12) **7:9-16** A summary of the Joseph story. It receives attention because of its anticipation of the Gospel story: both Joseph and Jesus were *rejected* by their kinsmen, *rescued* by God, and made *redeemers* of the family of Israel. • The biblical backdrop is Gen 37-47. Allusions to key events are drawn from Gen 37:11, 25-28 (7:9); Gen 41:39-44 (7:10); and Gen 41:53-47:28 (7:11-15) **7:14 seventy-five souls:** This figure follows the Greek versions of Gen 46:27 and Ex 1:5. The Hebrew OT counts only 70 persons in Egypt, possibly omitting the descendants of Ephraim (two sons, one grandson) and Manasseh (two sons) **7:16 Shechem:** According to the Hebrew OT, the patriarchs were buried at Mach-pelah (Gen 49:29-32) near Hebron (Gen 23:19), and Joseph alone was buried at Shechem (Josh 24:32). Here Stephen follows a Samaritan tradition that locates the tombs of all the patriarchs in Shechem **7:17-41** The central part of the speech abbreviates the story of Moses. His life prefigures the life of Jesus according to the same pattern of rejection, rescue, and redemption that also stands out in the preceding Joseph story. See note on Acts 7:9-16. • The biblical backdrop is Ex 1-32. Allusions to key events are drawn from Ex 1-2 (7:17-29); Ex 3 (7:30-34); Ex 12-14 (7:36); Ex 19-24 (7:38); and Ex 32 (7:39-41) **7:22 wisdom of the Egyptians:** The Egyptian education of Moses is unmentioned in the OT but part of Jewish tradition, possibly as an inference from his upbringing in the royal house of Pharaoh (Ex 2:10). Contemporary Jewish writers, such as Josephus and Philo, praise him as a man of great learning. **mighty . words and deeds:** One of the many ways that Moses prefigures Jesus (Lk 24:19) **7:23 forty years old:** Moses ultimately lived to be 120 years old (Deut 34:7), which Stephen breaks down into three equal periods of 40 years (7:23, 30, 36) **7:37 God will raise up:** A direct quote from Deut 18:15. See note on Acts 3:22 **7:39 they turned to Egypt:** The generation of Israel liberated from Egypt remained slaves of the idols they had worshiped during their stay (Josh 24:14; Ezek 20:7-8) **7:41 they made a calf:** Worship of the golden calf was the original sin of the nation of Israel, a sin that led to repeated idolatry. • Literary analysis of the Pentateuch suggests the calf episode in Ex 32 was a pivotal event that made necessary what Yahweh never desired for his people in the first place ---a sanctuary cult of continuous animal sacrifice. It was this act of apostasy that called forth an entire body of sacrificial laws and liturgies (Exodus, Leviticus) as a means of ordering the worship of Israel toward Yahweh and eradicating idolatry from the heart of the nation. Several OT texts stress that the ritual laws of the Temple are laws of secondary importance in the eyes of God (1 Sam 15:22; Ps 40:6-8; Jer 7:22-23; Hos 6:6). See note on Mk 12:33 **7:42 gave them over:** A dreaded form of divine punishment. When God surrenders sinners over to their wickedness, as he did with the Exodus generation of Israel, he allows them to follow a path that leads to destruction without deterrence or merciful restraint. The same mystery of divine discipline is described by Paul in Rom 1:24, 26, 28 **7:42-43** Stephen quotes a Greek rendition of Amos 5:25-27. • The oracle looks back on the idolatry of Israel during the Exodus and looks forward to the exile of northern Israel for the same sin. This tragic history repeats itself in the present context: Stephen is about to warn Jerusalem that its excessive reverence for the Temple also crosses the line of idolatry **7:46 habitation . God of Jacob:** Allusions to the Greek version of Ps 132:5 **7:48 made with hands:** A subversive description of the Temple (Mk 14:58) that compares it with a handmade idol (7:41). Every occurrence of this expression in the Greek OT is associated with idols and idolatry (Lev 26:1; Wis 14:8; Dan 5:23, etc.). • Israel is charged with failing to grasp what Solomon himself understood when he built the first Temple --- that no earthly sanctuary could contain the Most High God (1 Kings 8:27). Centuries of devotion to the Temple led to a false perception of God and an exaggerated emphasis on the sacredness of the building itself **7:49-50** A citation of Is 66:1-2. • Yahweh rebukes the Israelites for their overattachment to the Temple and their presumptuous attitude toward its services. The Israelites had forgotten that the architectural Temple in Jerusalem was only a man-made structure, far outmatched by the macrotemple of heaven and earth that God had erected with his own hand (Ps 102:25). Stephen uses the text to draw a sharp contrast between the creative hand of God (7:50) and the corrupting hands of men (7:41, 48) **7:51 stiff-necked . resist the Holy Spirit:** Stephen links his accusers with the long line of sinners from covenant history. • The same charges were leveled against the generation of Israel that came out of Egypt (Ex 33:5; Is 63:10) **7:52 the Righteous One:** Jesus, described as the Suffering Servant from Is 53:11. See note on Acts 3:13 **7:53 delivered by angels:** Jewish tradition based on the Greek version of Deut 33:2 held that angels delivered the Torah to Moses on Mt. Sinai (Gal 3:19; CCC 332) **7:56 the Son of man:** Jesus, depicted as the messianic king from Dan 7:13. Though normally seated upon his throne, he stands up to give Stephen a royal welcome into his kingdom. See essay: **Jesus, the Son of Man** at Lk 17 **7:58 stoned him:** A crude means of execution always staged outside Israelite camps and cities (Num 15:35). Although the Sanhedrin was formally prohibited from administering this and other forms of capital punishment under Roman rule (Jn 18:31), the enraged mob took matters into their own hands. See note on Acts 6:8-7:60. **Saul:** The initial appearance of Saul prepares for his prominent role later in the book as Paul the Apostle. By ancient standards, he was a **young man** between 24 and 40 years old **8:1 scattered:** Persecution pushes Christianity out of Jerusalem and into the surrounding regions of Judea and Samaria (8:25, 40), and even beyond the northern border of Palestine as far as Phoenicia, Syria, and the Mediterranean island of Cyprus (11:19). Far from driving believers into hiding, the dispersion launches a new phase of missionary activity (8:4). See note on Acts 1:8. **except the apostles:** Jerusalem remained the center of apostolic presence and authority in the earliest years. The exemption of the apostles from this first persecution is explained by Gamali-el\'s advice to the Sanhedrin in 5:38 to leave the leaders of the movement alone **8:5 Philip:** One of the seven deacons appointed in 6:5, later called \"the evangelist\" (21:8). Philip\'s successful ministry in Samaria displays the power of the gospel to make friends of enemies: many accepted his message and came to him for Baptism, even though racial and religious tensions between Jews and Samaritans could be traced back several centuries. Jesus himself set the precedent for an outreach to the Samaritans in Lk 17:11-19 and Jn 4:7-42. See note on Lk 9:52 **8:9 Simon:** Revered by the Samaritan masses as the embodiment of divine power (8:10). Beyond the narrative of Acts, Christian tradition calls him the father of heretics and the founder of Gnosticism. It is said that when Simon and his teaching eventually reached Rome, a statue was erected in his honor along the Tiber River with the inscription: \"To Simon, the holy god\". Luke probably included this episode to alert readers that Simon and his devotees were not approved by the apostles. **practiced magic:** This is the first of several episodes in Acts where Christianity triumphs over the magical and superstitious arts so prevalent in the ancient world (13:6-11; 16:16-18; 19:18-19) **8:14 received the word:** Samaria\'s enthusiasm in this episode is the mirror opposite of Lk 9:51-53. **Peter and John:** The apostles are called to examine and endorse this new development of bringing the first non-Jews into the family of faith **8:16 not yet fallen:** A distinction is made in Acts between Baptism, which confers the Spirit in an invisible way (2:38), and the laying on of hands, which calls down the Spirit to manifest his presence in a visible and charismatic way (19:6). • In the interpretive tradition of the Church, this deeper conferral of the Spirit through the imposition of hands is linked with Confirmation, a sacrament that follows Baptism and is integral to the process of Christian initiation. As in this episode, deacons (Philip) can baptize, but it belongs to the bishops (Peter and John) to bestow a fuller measure of the Spirit on the baptized by the laying on of hands (CCC 1288, 1313) **Word Study** > [!NOTE] Word Study > *Laid Waste* (Acts 8:3) – *Lymaino* (Gk.): means to \"ravage\" or \"bring to ruin\" and is found only here in the NT. It was used in Greek literature of wild animals ravaging field crops (Ps 80:13), kings authorizing human cruelties (2 Chron 16:10), and armies devastating cities and countrysides (Josephus). Here it underscores the intensity and brutality of Saul\'s attack on the budding Christian movement. Saul himself, following his dramatic conversion, informs us that imprisonments, beatings, and even votes for execution were among his tactics (Acts 9:1; 22:4; 26:9-11). The point is that Saul was not merely harassing the young Church; he wanted to stamp both her faith and her followers out of existence. Years later he was haunted by these violent memories and declared himself \"unfit to be called an apostle\" (1 Cor 15:9) and even \"the foremost of sinners\" (1 Tim 1:15). ^6b2iim **8:18 offered them money:** Simon wanted to purchase the sacramental power of the apostles to confer the Spirit. He was interested, not in ministry, but in the miraculous. Simony is the sin of buying and selling ecclesiastical authority and takes its name from Simon and his self-centered motives (CCC 2121) **8:26 the road:** It ran southwest from Jerusalem to the coastal city of Gaza, one of the last inhabited settlements before the desert stretch from Palestine to Egypt **8:27 a eunuch:** An emasculated court official, here specified as the treasurer of the Ethiopian kingdom in Africa. **Candace:** Either the name or the title of the queen mother and royal matriarch of Ethiopia. **Jerusalem to worship:** Judaism drew admirers from many places and nationalities in the ancient world. The eunuch falls into this category, but because of his physical condition he could not be circumcised, enter the Temple, or unite himself fully with the community of the Old Covenant. • Although castration was an impediment to fellowship and membership in Israel (Deut 23:1), Isaiah envisioned a lifting of this restriction in the messianic age (Is 56:3-5). The dawning of this new age in Christ convinces Philip there is no longer anything to \"prevent\" the eunuch\'s Baptism into the covenant family of God (8:36-38) **8:30 heard him:** Reading aloud was customary in antiquity **8:32-33** The eunuch is puzzled by the prophecy of Is 53:78 and the person to whom it refers (8:34). • **The passage comes** from the song of the \"Suffering Servant\" in Is 52:13 ---53:12, which describes the rejection, humiliation, and murder of the Messiah by his own generation. In the midst of this tragedy, the Servant pours out his life willingly in sacrifice for human sin. Philip interprets the poem christologically, i.e., as a preview of the suffering and sacrifice of Christ (CCC 601) **8:39 caught up Philip:** Sudden relocations by the Spirit were also experienced by the prophet Elijah (1 Kings 18:12; 2 Kings 2:16). **went on his way:** According to the report of Irenaeus (A.D. 180), the eunuch returned home to become the first Christian to evangelize Ethiopia **8:40 Azotus:** Another name for the Philistine city of Ashdod, 20 miles north of Gaza. Nearly 55 miles up the coast from Azotus is **Caesarea,** the Roman capital of Judea, where Philip presumably stayed for several years (21:8) **9:1-19** The conversion of Saul the Pharisee. Once a ruthless assailant of the Church, he became one of her most energetic apostles through a miraculous encounter with Christ (1 Cor 15:8-10). This complete turnaround of Saul\'s life and mission sets the stage for his leading role in the missionary campaigns of chaps. 13-28. The event is twice retold in Acts (22:3-16; 26:2-18) and occurred in either A.D. 32 or 36. • Saul stands in a long line of Hebrew prophets who saw the Lord in a vision and heard his voice sending them forth with a revealed message for Israel and the nations (Is 6:1-13; Jer 1:4-10; Ezek 1:1-3:11; Dan 8:15-26) **9:1 the high priest:** The religious leaders of Israel held sway over the synagogue communities that paid annual taxes to the Jerusalem Temple **9:2 Damascus:** A Syrian city just north of Palestine. Saul, armed with arrest warrants issued by the high priest, hoped to drag believers from its synagogues back to Jerusalem to stand trial before the Sanhedrin. See word study: **Laid Waste** at 8:3. **the Way:** Several times this expression appears elsewhere in Acts as a code name for the early Christian movement (18:26; 19:9, 23; 22:4; 24:14, 22). It was similarly used by the Qumran community that wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls. • This unusual title has ties with Isaiah, whose visions of the messianic age focus on \"the way\" of the Lord (Is 40:3). The prophet is utilizing a key term from the Exodus story (Ex 13:21) to prophesy how Yahweh will effect a new Exodus by leading his people along a new \"way\" from sin to salvation (Is 35:8; 43:16-19; 48:17; 51:10; 62:10-12). The early Christians adopted this title to lay claim to the promises of Isaiah and to assert their identity as the newly redeemed people of God. This new \"way\" of life passes through Jesus (Jn 14:6) **9:4 Saul, Saul:** The original Hebrew name of Paul (26:14). As a member of the tribe of Benjamin (Rom 11:1), he was probably named after the first king of Israel, Saul the Benjaminite (1 Sam 9:1-2). • The repetition of one\'s name is characteristic of divine encounters in the Bible (Gen 22:11; 46:2; Ex 3:4; 1 Sam 3:10). **why do you persecute me?:** To attack the members of Christ\'s body is to attack Christ himself. This mystery of baptismal union between Jesus and his followers would occupy Paul\'s mind for years to come (1 Cor 12:12-26; Eph 5:21-32; CCC 790-91) **9:7 the voice:** Or, \"the sound\". Paul heard Christ speaking words of instruction, while his companions must have heard an inarticulate rumble (compare with 22:9). For another instance of heaven speaking clearly to some and not to others, see Jn 12:28-29 **9:8 see nothing:** Saul was temporarily blinded by the light of Christ\'s glory. The effect of this ironically reversed his intentions: instead of hauling off Christians as prisoners from Damascus, he himself was taken captive by Christ and led helplessly by the hand into the city **9:15 a chosen instrument:** Or, \"an elect vessel\". Saul was handpicked by Jesus to carry the gospel beyond the borders of Palestine. This would involve traveling missions to evangelize the Gentiles (Rom 11:13; Gal 1:16), governors and kings (13:7, 12; 26:2-23), and the sons of Israel living throughout the Roman world (9:20; 14:1; Rom 11:14; CCC 442) **9:16 he must suffer:** A prophecy amply confirmed in Acts (14:19; 16:22; 21:31) and in the Pauline epistles (1 Cor 4:11; 2 Cor 11:23-29; Phil 1:29) **9:18 scales fell:** Saul regained his physical sight and acquired a true spiritual vision of Christ. • The description may recall the temporary blindness of Tobit in the OT (Tob 11:13). **was baptized:** After three days of fasting (9:9) and praying (9:11) **9:20 synagogues:** Centers of Jewish fellowship, worship, and instruction in the Scriptures. Paul\'s initial preaching in the Damascus synagogues anticipated his missionary habit of using local synagogues as a platform to evangelize new territories (13:5, 14; 14:1; 17:1-3, 10, etc.). See note on Mt 4:23 **9:23 many days had passed:** Paul spent three years in Arabia before making his first trip to Jerusalem as a Christian (Gal 1:17-18). **plotted to kill him:** The conspiracy orchestrated by hostile Jews also involved the governor of Damascus (2 Cor 11:32-33). For similar escapes (9:25) from walled cities, see Josh 2:15 and 1 Sam 19:12 **9:27 Barnabas:** A Christian from the Israelite tribe of Levi. See note on Acts 4:36. **to the apostles:** Paul\'s first visit with the Jerusalem Church was spent with Peter and James (Gal 1:18-19) **9:29 against the Hellenists:** Paul debated with the same Greek-speaking Jews who had argued with Stephen (6:9-10). See note on Acts 6:1-6 **9:30 Tarsus:** Saul\'s birthplace (22:3). It was the capital of the Roman province of Cilicia (southeastern Turkey), a prestigious center of culture and education (21:39), and home to Jewish settlements dating back to the second century B.C. Saul remained in the city until he was summoned to Syrian Antioch in 11:25-26 **9:32 Lydda:** A Judean town 12 miles inland from the Mediterranean coast. It sat just north of the road between Jerusalem and the port of Joppa (9:36) **9:34 Christ heals you:** Jesus was working through Peter to unleash the same healing power he had manifested during his ministry (Lk 5:17-26; Jn 5:2-9). Both this and the following miracle were occasions of faith and conversion (9:35, 42) **9:36 Joppa:** A seaport city on the western coast of Judea (Jon 1:3). **Tabitha . Dorcas:** The respective Aramaic and Greek names meaning \"gazelle\" **9:37 washed her:** A ritual preparation for burial that could last up to three days in cities outside of Jerusalem **9:40 Tabitha, rise:** Peter\'s resuscitation miracle recalls the one Jesus performed on the daughter of Jairus in Mk 5:35-43. • It likewise evokes memories of Elijah, who revived the son of a widow to new life in the upper room of their house in 1 Kings 17:17-24 **9:43 a tanner:** A tradesman who lived in a state of perpetual uncleanness because of his frequent contact with animal skins and carcasses (Lev 5:2). Though association with such people was discouraged among religious Jews, Peter accepts Simon\'s hospitality with a new level of openness that anticipates his discovery in the following episode that no man is legally \"unclean\" in the age of the New Covenant (10:28) **10:1-48** The Baptism of Cornelius and his household opens a new chapter in the history of Christianity. For the first time, Gentiles accept the gospel and become full members of the Church. The narrative stresses that God initiates, orchestrates, and approves this new missionary step: he instructs Cornelius by an angel (10:3), directs Peter by a vision (10:10-16), and pours out the Spirit as a tangible sign of acceptance (10:44) **10:1 Caesarea:** A port city 30 miles up the coast from Joppa (9:43). Herod the Great renovated and greatly expanded the city to serve as the Roman capital of Judea. See note on Mt 2:1. **centurion:** A military commander of 100 Roman soldiers **10:2 feared God:** Cornelius was among a class of devout Gentiles who admired Judaism (13:16, 26). Known from antiquity as \"God-fearers\", they worshiped Yahweh, attended synagogue services, and followed many of the moral and religious precepts of the Torah. Because they stopped short of receiving circumcision, they were not considered Jewish converts in the full and strict sense. **alms . prayed:** Traditional acts of Jewish piety (Tob 12:8) **10:3 the ninth hour:** About 3 P.M., the time of the evening liturgy, when prayers and sacrifices were offered up in the Jerusalem Temple. See note on Acts 3:1. • Daniel was likewise visited by an angel while praying at the time of the evening sacrifices (Dan 9:20-21). According to the angel in this episode, the prayers and alms of the Gentile Cornelius have also ascended to heaven as a sacrificial \"memorial\" (10:4), i.e., as the equivalent of a cereal offering whose memorial portion ascended with the fire and smoke of the Temple altar (Lev 2:2, 9, 16; Sir 38:11). For earlier expressions of the same idea, see Tob 12:12 and Sir 35:2, 7 **10:9 on the housetop:** Palestinian homes often had an outside staircase leading up to a flat roof. **the sixth hour:** About noon **10:10 a trance:** A mystical and visionary state of communion with God (22:17) **10:14 common or unclean:** As a faithful Jew, Peter declines to eat foods forbidden by the Torah (Lev 11). The vision labors to overcome his objection. It teaches him **(1)** that the dietary restrictions of the Mosaic Law that distinguish between acceptable (clean) and unacceptable (unclean) foods are now lifted in the New Covenant, and **(2)** that the distinction between foods is a legal allegory for the moral and religious distinction between Israel (clean) and the Gentiles (unclean) maintained under the Old Covenant. Lifting the Mosaic ban on unclean foods is thus a sign that the Gentiles are no longer banned from full and equal acceptance into the covenant (10:28) **10:15 God has cleansed:** Jesus revoked the Mosaic food laws when he declared \"all foods clean\" (Mk 7:19), a teaching echoed in the catechesis of the apostles (Rom 14:14; 1 Tim 4:3-5). Allegorically, Peter was to learn that God was cleansing the hearts of the Gentiles (15:9) **10:26 I too am a man:** Peter recoils, not from honor or veneration, but from worship (as did Barnabas and Paul, 14:11-18). Not even the holy angels can accept the adoration that belongs to God alone (Rev 19:10) **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 2:11-16). See note on Acts 10:14 **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) **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.** . **10:38 God anointed Jesus:** At his Baptism, designating him as the Messiah (Lk 3:22; 4:18; CCC 438) **10:43 through his name:** Forgiveness comes through the invocation of Christ\'s name in Baptism (2:38; 10:48; 22:16) **10:44-48** A Pentecost experience for the Gentiles (11:15). As with the original event, **(1)** Peter preaches the gospel (2:14-36); **(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) **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) **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) **11:18 repentance unto life:** Involves turning away from sin and leads to Baptism (2:38). See word study: **Repentance** at Mk 1:4 **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) **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 **11:20 Cyrene:** A city on the northern shore of Africa (in modern Libya) **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 (11:23-24). See note on Acts 4:36 **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 **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 **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 **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) **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 **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) **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) **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 **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) **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) **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) **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.** . **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 **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 **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) **12:20 Tyre and Sidon:** Two Phoenician cities northwest of Galilee (Mt 15:21) **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 **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) **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 **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) **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) **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) **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 **13:7 Sergius Paulus:** The Roman governor of the island and the first Gentile ruler in Acts to become a believer (13:12) **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 **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) **13:11 blind . lead him by the hand:** Reminiscent of Paul\'s own experience at Damascus (9:8) **13:13 came to Perga:** Twelve miles inland from the coast of Pamphylia, a Roman province in southern Asia Minor (modern Turkey). **John left them:** No reason is given for his withdrawal, but it became a source of irritation and disagreement between Paul and Barnabas as plans were made for a second missionary journey (15:36-40). Paul and Mark were eventually reconciled and worked closely together in later years (Col 4:10; 2 Tim 4:11) **13:14 Antioch of Pisidia:** Not the Syrian city of Antioch where the mission originated (13:1), but a prominent city of the same name in southern Galatia that was home to a large Jewish community in the NT period **13:15 the law and the prophets:** Scriptural readings from the Torah and the prophets formed the heart of the synagogue liturgy every Sabbath (15:21). Prayers such as the *Shema* (Deut 6:4) and the Eighteen Benedictions were also recited, and sometimes guest rabbis were invited to comment on the readings and exhort the assembly (13:15; Lk 4:16-21) **13:16-41** Paul\'s inaugural sermon skims the highlights of biblical history from the Exodus to the coming of Jesus. He stresses that Christ *fulfills* the Davidic covenant by rising from the dead to an everlasting kingship (13:33-37) and *supersedes* the Mosaic covenant by offering the gift of divine forgiveness (13:38-39). The sermon ends with a warning that scoffers who reject this message are doomed to perish (13:41) **13:16 you that fear God:** Paul addresses Gentiles who were attending synagogue services alongside the Jews. This is why his preaching elicits faith from Jews and Greeks alike (14:1; 18:4). See note on Acts 10:2 **13:33 the second psalm:** Paul cites Ps 2:7 to explain how the rising of Jesus fulfills Yahweh\'s oath to give one of David\'s descendants everlasting dominion over Israel and the world (2 Sam 7:12-16; Ps 2:8). • Psalm 2 is an enthronement psalm probably recited on the day the kings of Israel were *anointed* for office and *adopted* as sons by Yahweh. Paul interprets it messianically, so that the \"today\" of the psalm corresponds to the \"Sunday\" when Jesus rose from the grave. This is the day when Christ\'s humanity was anointed for eternal kingship (Lk 1:32-33) and made to share in the glory of his eternal Sonship (Rom 1:4; CCC 445, 2606). See essay: **Kingdom Restoration** at Acts 15 **13:34-35** Paul continues to build his case for the Davidic kingship of Jesus by citing Is 55:3 and Ps 16:10. • Isaiah gives hope to Israel in exile that God will restore the kingdom and blessings of David through an everlasting covenant. Psalm 16 is David\'s own prophecy that Yahweh will preserve the anointed Messiah from the corruption of death. Paul applies these hopes directly to Jesus: Because his humanity was rescued from death and raised to immortal life, he is the only Davidic descendant (13:23) qualified to rule the eternal kingdom promised to David. Peter made this same argument with the help of Ps 16 in his inaugural sermon in 2:24-31 **13:39 freed:** Or \"justified\". For Paul, Christ succeeds where the Mosaic Law failed, so that believers receive the true justification and forgiveness (Rom 6:7) that was signified but not fully conferred through the ceremonial rites of the Old Covenant (Heb 10:1-4; CCC 614, 1990) **13:41 Behold, you scoffers:** The sermon concludes with a warning from the Greek version of Hab 1:5. • God is responding to Habakkuk\'s complaint that wickedness flourishes unchecked in Israel. He assures the prophet that judgment is marching toward Israel with the Babylonian army to devastate the land and haul its inhabitants into exile. Paul cautions that a similar catastrophe is in store for unbelievers who reject the gospel **13:46 first to you:** The apostles prioritized the evangelization of Israel before reaching out to the Gentiles (3:26). See note on Acts 13:5. **we turn to the Gentiles:** Paul is not abandoning his mission to Israel; he is simply turning away from the hardened leaders of the Antioch synagogue. This is confirmed by his preaching to Jews in the very next episode (14:1) **13:47 I have set you:** Paul supports his Gentile ministry with a quotation from Is 49:6. • In context, Yahweh commissions his Servant first to restore the dispersed tribes of Israel and then to spread his salvation far and wide to all nations. As in Isaiah, where the Servant symbolizes both the Redeemer (individual) and the redeemed of Israel (collective), Paul contends that Jesus the Servant (3:13) continues his mission through the servant apostles who are sent to enlighten the Gentiles (26:17-18, 23) **13:51 shook off the dust:** A symbolic curse gesture. It adapts the Jewish custom of shaking dust from one\'s sandals before reentering the land of Israel from Gentile territory (Mt 10:14) **14:1 Iconium:** A city of southern Galatia, more than 80 miles southeast of Pisidian Antioch **14:3 signs and wonders:** Miracles are God\'s way of authenticating the divine mission of his true apostles (2 Cor 12:12; Heb 2:4). See note on Acts 5:12 **14:4 the apostles:** Barnabas and Paul (14:14). This is the first time Luke applies the apostolic title to men other than the original Twelve chosen by Jesus (Lk 6:13) **14:8 Lystra:** A Roman colony of retired army veterans in southern Galatia, more than 100 miles from Pisidian Antioch. Neither this settlement nor the colony in Philippi had a Jewish synagogue (16:12-13) **14:11-18** The crowd\'s reaction is based on a local legend preserved by the Roman poet Ovid. It was said that Greek deities once before had made a disguised visit to this region, but the natives had refused them hospitality and turned them away. Only a single devout couple had taken them in. In thanksgiving, the gods had turned the home of the couple into a beautiful temple, and in anger, they had destroyed the dwellings of the rest. Amazed by the healing of the cripple, the crowd thought the gods were revisiting them disguised as Paul and Barnabas (14:12) and hoped to avoid the tragic mistake of their ancestors **14:11 in Lycaonian:** The foreign dialect of the crowd explains why Paul and Barnabas did not immediately realize the gravity of the misunderstanding **14:14 tore their garments:** A sign of protest and extreme distress (Jud 14:16; Mk 14:63) **14:15 We also are men:** Peter similarly refused divine honor in 10:26. **these vain things:** A traditional Jewish critique of idolatry (1 Sam 12:21). Though for centuries God permitted the pagans to stumble in the darkness of mythology and false worship, the time to enlighten all nations has come with the gospel, which urges them to turn away from lifeless idols to serve the living and true God (1 Thess 1:9). Paul preaches this same message to Athens in 17:29-31 **14:17 witness:** From the foundation of the world, God has made his deity and goodness known through the beauty and blessings of the natural order (Rom 1:20). This natural revelation was to prepare the human family for the supernatural revelation of the gospel (CCC 32, 1147) **14:19 they stoned Paul:** What began as a deification of Paul (14:11) nearly ended with his death (2 Cor 11:25). Unlike the Jews, who staged executions outside the city gates (7:58), the heathen mob stoned Paul in the city streets, only afterward dragging him out **14:20 Derbe:** More than 60 miles from Lystra in southeastern Galatia **14:22 many tribulations:** Paul urges believers to brace themselves for the suffering and persecution that come with being a Christian (2 Tim 3:12). Far from being signs of God\'s disapproval, earthly afflictions open the way to heavenly glory (Mt 5:10; Rom 8:17) **14:23 appointed:** The Greek expression means \"to stretch forth hands\" and alludes to the rite of priestly ordination (1 Tim 4:14; Tit 1:5). The installation of **elders** provided guidance and stability to missionary communities while Paul continued to travel. Acts portrays this as a hierarchical procedure, not a democratic one, i.e., it is Paul and Barnabas who ordain the elders, not the lay assembly. See word study: **Elders** at Jas 5:14 **14:26 sailed to Antioch:** Paul\'s first missionary journey ends where it began, in the Syrian city of Antioch (13:1-3) **15:1-29** The Council of Jerusalem (ca. A.D. 49) is a defining moment in Christian history. It was convened to examine the status of Gentile believers crowding into the Church. Some insisted they must be circumcised to complete their Christian initiation (15:5), but the Council rejected the push to add circumcision to the saving grace of Christ (15:10-11). This decisive break with the national religion of Israel makes the Jerusalem Council the theological center of Acts: it shows that the Church is **(1)** a covenant community distinct from Judaism and **(2)** a catholic community that embraces all nations **15:1 you cannot be saved:** For centuries, circumcision was the rite of initiation into the covenant family of Abraham (Gen 17:9-14) and the Mosaic religion of Israel (Lev 12:3). It was a badge of Jewish identity that entitled one to share in the blessings of the Old Covenant. The absolute necessity of circumcision in Jewish tradition implied that any male who was uncircumcised was destined for destruction (*Jubilees* 15:26) **15:2 appointed to go up:** The local Church in Antioch looks to the apostolic Church in Jerusalem for doctrinal guidance **15:5 the law of Moses:** Circumcision was the first of many ceremonial precepts mandated by the Torah. Accepting it meant accepting the entire \"yoke\" (15:10) of the Mosaic covenant with all its animal sacrifices, dietary laws, ritual washings, Sabbath restrictions, etc. (Gal 5:1-3) **15:7-11** Peter quells the debate with a decisive pronouncement: Jews and Gentiles alike are saved, not by the flint knife of circumcision, but by faith in Christ alone. He argues this from the precedent of Acts 10:44-48, where the Spirit first came upon the Gentiles as a sign that God accepts them into the Church just as they are (15:8-9). To insist on circumcision after this event is to fight against the revealed will of God (15:10) **15:11 we believe:** Peter speaks as the head and spokesman of the apostolic Church. He formulates a *doctrinal* judgment about the means of salvation, whereas James takes the floor after him to suggest a *pastoral* plan for inculturating the gospel in mixed communities where Jewish and Gentile believers live side by side (15:13-21) **15:13 James:** A close relative of Jesus (Gal 1:19) who became the leader of the Jerusalem Church after Peter first fled the city and began to travel. See note on Acts 12:17 **15:14 Symeon:** The original Semitic name of Peter transliterated into Greek (Heb. *Shime\'on,* Gen 29:33). It is used of him only here and in the Greek text of 2 Pet 1:1 **15:16-18** James sees confirmation of Gentile conversions in the Greek OT. • The opening line of his extended quotation alludes to Jer 12:15; the bulk of it comes from Amos 9:11-12; and the final line alludes to Is 45:21. They all envision Yahweh gathering the Gentiles into his covenant family in the messianic age. See essay: **Kingdom Restoration.** . **15:20 write to them:** James sets forth a pastoral initiative to promote fellowship and preempt foreseeable friction between Jewish and Gentile believers coming together in the Church. The result is an apostolic letter from Jerusalem to the Churches in Syria and Cilicia that requires Gentile converts to observe a minimal code of religious purity --- abstinence from idol foods, sexual immorality, and the consumption of blood in meat or by itself (15:23-29). The Jews abhorred these practices as cultural expressions of idolatry. James is saying that even though the Gentiles are exempt from the ritual observances of *Judaism* (circumcision), they are still expected to break away from the ritual observances of *pagan*ism. Allusions to this decree appear in 1 Cor 8-10, 1 Thess 4:3, and Rev 2:14, 20. See essay: **Paul, Idol Food, and the Jerusalem Council** at 1 Cor 8. • The decree is shaped by the laws of Lev 17-18 that govern the conduct of Gentile sojourners living in the company of Israel. They were forbidden to eat meat consecrated to idols instead of to Yahweh (Lev 17:7-9), to consume blood (Lev 17:10-12), to eat meat not properly drained of blood (Lev 17:13-14), and to engage in various forms of sexual immorality, such as incest, adultery, homosexuality, and bestiality (Lev 18:6-23). Though several such laws are enjoined on the foreigner in the Torah, only these four prohibitions are applied equally to Israelites and sojourners and threaten to cut violators off from the covenant. • According to the Council of Florence in 1442, the apostolic decree was only a temporary measure to facilitate unity among Jews and Gentiles in the early Church. The binding force of its food restrictions was relaxed once the ethnic circumstances that made them necessary passed away **15:22 Judas . Silas:** The Jerusalem delegation sent to deliver the Apostolic Decree to the Church of Antioch (15:30). Silas is also known as \"Silvanus\" (2 Cor 1:19) and became a trusted member of Paul\'s missionary team (15:40) [[kingdom-restoration|Kingdom Restoration]] **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 **15:32 prophets:** That is, both men had the spiritual gift of exhortation. See note on Acts 13:1 **15:36-18:22** Paul\'s second missionary journey from A.D. 50 to 52 **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) **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 **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 (15:1-11). 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 **16:4 the decisions:** The prohibitions of the Apostolic Decree (15:23-29). See note on Acts 15:20 **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).** . **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 (16:10-17; 20:5-15; 21:1-18; 27:1-28:16) **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 **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) **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 **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) **16:17 servants of the Most High:** A true confession forced out of a lying spirit (Mk 1:24; 5:7) **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 **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) **16:26 great earthquake:** Paul\'s miraculous deliverance recalls how Peter was twice rescued from prison by the Lord (5:19; 12:6-11) **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 **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 **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 **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 **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 **17:2 his custom:** Much of Paul\'s missionary activity centered on local Jewish synagogues. See note on Acts 13:5 **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 **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 **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 7:12-17; 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 **17:10 Beroea:** A Macedonian city nearly 60 miles west of Thessalonica **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 **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) **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) **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 **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 **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) **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) **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 1:19-20 CCC 32, 2566) **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 **17:32 the resurrection:** A strange and scandalous notion to Athenian ears. The Greeks believed only in the immortality of the soul; the body, they thought, was a prison from which the soul would be happily liberated at death (CCC 996) **17:34 Dionysius:** One tradition identifies him as the first bishop of Athens. Other traditions link him with mystical writings from Syria that probably date to the fifth century A.D **18:1 Corinth:** The capital of the Roman province of Achaia (southern Greece) and one of the leading commercial and tourist centers of the Mediterranean world. It was home to numerous Greco-Roman religious cults and at least one Jewish synagogue. The Corinthians had a tarnished reputation for sexual impurity and ruthless business tactics. Paul arrived in the city around A.D. 51 and would later address several letters to the community: 1 and 2 Corinthians, and at least one letter that has not survived (1 Cor 5:9) **18:2 Aquila:** He and his wife were Jewish Christians recently come from Rome. The couple worked closely with Paul in Corinth (18:3), moved on from there to Ephesus (18:18-19), and eventually made it back to Rome (Rom 16:3-5). They were longtime supporters of his apostolic work (1 Cor 16:19; 2 Tim 4:19). **Claudius:** The Roman Caesar from A.D. 41 to 54. He expelled the Jewish population of Rome from the capital in A.D. 49 because of disturbances instigated by a certain \"Chrestus\". Many scholars take this as a reference to Christ (Lat. *Christus*) and suggest the commotion was caused by disputes over the messiahship of Jesus in the synagogue communities of the city **18:5 Silas and Timothy:** Arrived from Beroea (17:14). It was about this time that Paul wrote his NT letters to the Thessalonians (1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1) **18:6 shook out his garments:** Paul symbolically refused to bear responsibility for the rejection of the gospel by Corinthian Jews (13:51). Their refusal called down a curse of bloodguilt upon themselves. See note on Acts 5:28 **18:7 a worshiper of God:** Titius was a righteous Gentile or \"God-fearer\" attracted to Judaism. See note on Acts 10:2 **18:8 Crispus:** The leading synagogue elder who was personally baptized by Paul (1 Cor 1:14) **18:10 I am with you:** The Lord assures Paul of divine protection and success during his Corinthian ministry. • Paul is comforted with words spoken many times to the patriarchs and prophets of the OT (Gen 26:24; 28:15; Ex 3:12; Judg 6:12; Jer 1:8) **18:12 Gallio:** An archeological discovery in Greece (Delphi) indicates he was proconsul of Achaia from A.D. 51 to 52. He was the older brother of the famous Roman philosopher Seneca **18:13 contrary to the law:** Roman law recognized and protected numerous religions in the empire, including Judaism. The Jews, attempting to discredit the Christian message and disassociate the budding Church from Judaism, accused Paul of promoting a new religion that was neither recognized nor authorized by Rome. Gallio dismissed the charge because he considered the matter an intramural debate among the Jews to be settled in the synagogue (18:15) **18:17 Sosthenes:** Possibly the associate of Paul mentioned in 1 Cor 1:1. If so, he was the second synagogue ruler, after Crispus (18:8), to become a Christian in Corinth **18:18 Cenchre-ae:** An eastern seaport on the isthmus near Corinth. A Church was eventually founded there as well (Rom 16:1). **he had a vow:** A temporary commitment to abstain from cutting the hair (Num 6:5). The vow was probably a gesture of thanksgiving for God\'s deliverance (18:10), and its completion involved shaving the head. For another example of Paul performing Jewish ceremonial rites, see 21:23-26 (CCC 2102) **18:22 he went up:** Suggests Paul made a short visit to Jerusalem, which sits 2,500 feet above sea level **18:23-21:15** Paul\'s third missionary journey, from A.D. 53 to 58. He began his overland travel through southern Galatia (18:23), spent much of his time in Ephesus (20:31), and ended the tour in Jerusalem (21:17) **18:24 Apollos:** A convert from Judaism whose extensive knowledge of the OT made him an effective Christian apologist (18:28). After a ministry in Ephesus, where his own understanding of the faith was deepened and refined (18:26), he moved on to Corinth to follow up on the work that Paul had begun (19:1; 1 Cor 3:6). **Alexandria:** A port city on the northern coast of Egypt. It was home to a large settlement of Jews and was the second largest city in the Mediterranean world after Rome **18:26 the way:** A code name for the early Christian movement. See note on Acts 9:2 **19:1 Ephesus:** The most distinguished city in the Roman province of Asia (southwest Turkey). As a cultural, commercial, and religious center, it drew tourists and entrepreneurs from all over the Mediterranean, and by NT times it was hailed the fourth largest city in the Roman Empire. Ephesus was also the guardian of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world: the temple of Artemis (19:24) **19:2 never even heard:** Only fragments of the gospel reached Ephesus before Paul\'s arrival. This small band of disciples knew only the baptism of John and nothing of sacramental Baptism or the gift of the Holy Spirit **19:6 laid his hands:** For the distinction between this gesture and Baptism, See note on Acts 8:16 **19:9 the Way:** A code name for the early Christian movement. See note on Acts 9:2. **the hall of Tyrannus:** An educational facility or lecture hall for addressing large numbers **19:10 two years:** Paul\'s longest missionary stop in Acts. Adding the previous \"three months\" of preaching in the synagogue (19:8), his work in Ephesus extended just beyond the years A.D. 53 to 55 toward a third year (20:31). He wrote 1 Corinthians at some point during his stay (1 Cor 16:8). **all the residents of Asia:** Prolonged evangelization led eventually to the founding of Churches in numerous Asian cities during NT times, such as Collosae, Laodicea, Hierapolis, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, and Philadelphia (Col 1:2; 4:13; Rev 1:11) **19:11 extraordinary miracles:** Divine power flowed so powerfully through Paul that even his work clothes were used to drive away demons and diseases. He wore the \"handkerchiefs\" around his head, and the \"aprons\" he tied around his waist (19:12). • According to Catholic tradition, the bodies of the saints and even their belongings can occasion great miracles in the presence of faith. This perspective on the efficacy of holy relics is corroborated by other biblical passages (2 Kings 13:21; Mt 14:36; Mk 5:27-30). See note on Acts 5:15 **19:13 Jewish exorcists:** The profession was recognized in Judaism, sometimes in connection with the power over spirits given to Solomon, the son of David (Wis 7:20; Mt 12:22-27) **19:14 Sceva:** Otherwise unknown. His sons were overpowered by the demon (19:16) because they made unauthorized use of a Christian exorcistic formula, i.e., they wielded the name of Jesus without faith in him or a commitment to his teaching. See note on Acts 4:12 **19:19 burned them:** The Ephesian believers threw their magical and superstitious books onto a bonfire as a public act of renunciation. **pieces of silver:** With each coin equivalent to a single day\'s wage, the value of the library was worth 50,000 days\' earnings **19:21 I must also see Rome:** Paul is magnetically drawn to the imperial capital in Italy (23:11), finally arriving there at the climax of Acts (28:14-31) **19:23 the Way:** A code name for the early Christian movement. See note on Acts 9:2 **19:23-41** The riot at Ephesus shows how the good news of the gospel was bad news for the idols and idol manufacturers of antiquity. Here Demetrius and a guild of tradesmen turn the city against missionaries whose promotion of one God dishonored the cult of Artemis and led to a sharp decline in the sale of miniature Artemis statues. The impression comes through that Demetrius was zealous not only to preserve the honor of the goddess (19:27), but even more so to protect his source of income (19:25). See note on Acts 14:15 **19:24 Artemis:** A goddess and huntress of Greek mythology whose cult was widely followed throughout the Roman world (19:27). In Ephesus, which was the center of Artemis worship and the home of her magnificent temple, she was closely associated with the ancient mother goddess of Asia Minor and was revered as a patroness of fertility. Figurines unearthed in recent times depict her as a woman with multiple breasts **19:29 the theater:** Archeologists estimate that the Ephesian amphitheater seated nearly 25,000 people. **Gaius:** Possibly mentioned in Rom 16:23, but this is uncertain. **Aristarchus:** Accompanied Paul on his trips to Jerusalem (20:4) and Rome (27:2). He apparently stayed with the apostle during his first Roman detainment (Col 4:10; Philem 24) **19:33 Alexander:** He hoped to disclaim Jewish responsibility for the grievances of Demetrius. Once identified as a Jew, however, he was drowned out with two hours of shouting by the clamorous mob (19:34). It was no secret among pagans that Judaism was just as intolerant of idolatry as Christianity **19:35 town clerk:** The city secretary of Ephesus and the local official who mediated public relations with Rome. **temple keeper:** An official title given to cities that hosted shrines associated with the Roman imperial cult. **the sacred stone:** A meteorite in the Artemis temple thought to resemble the goddess **19:40 charged with rioting:** The mob was on the brink of disturbing the *Pax Romana* (Lat. \"Roman Peace\"). To preserve this worldwide stability and social order, Roman authorities were known to stamp out civil upheavals with swift and violent measures **20:1-6** Leaving Ephesus, Paul makes a final sweep through northern and southern Greece before setting out for Jerusalem. Information about his activities during this time can also be gleaned from his NT letters: **(1)** Paul was collecting donations to help the poor Christians of Jerusalem (Rom 15:25-27; 2 Cor 8-9); **(2)** he had written two more epistles along the way, 2 Corinthians and Romans; and **(3)** he may have ventured into new missionary territory as far west as Illyricum, on the eastern shore of the Adriatic Sea (Rom 15:19) **20:5 waiting for us:** The shift in perspective (\"us\") indicates that Luke, who had stayed behind in Philippi (16:12), met up with Paul and sailed with him to Troas (20:6). See note on Acts 16:10 **20:6 Unleavened Bread:** A religious festival that began with Passover and was celebrated in Jerusalem every spring. Although the adult men of Israel were required to make an annual pilgrimage to the city at this time (Deut 16:16), Paul no longer felt bound by this requirement of the Old Covenant and so did not attend the feast. For another example of this, see 1 Cor 16:8 **20:7 first day of the week:** The day following the Saturday Sabbath (Gen 2:3). This passage provides the earliest evidence that believers assembled on Sundays for catechetical instruction and sacramental worship. It was soon called the \"Lord\'s day\" (Rev 1:10) to commemorate the day Jesus rose from the dead (Lk 24:1; CCC 1343). • The sequence of apostolic preaching (20:7) followed by a eucharistic celebration (20:11) reflects the essential structure of Christian liturgy, where Christ comes to us in word and sacrament. See note on Lk 24:30 **20:10 bent over him:** Or, \"laid upon him\". Paul revives the boy Eutychus just as Peter revived the young girl Tabitha (9:40). • The prophets Elijah and Elisha both resuscitated youths to new life by lying down upon them (1 Kings 17:21; 2 Kings 4:34) **20:13-15** Paul and his missionary team move down the chain of islands off the Aegean coast of Asia Minor. The final stop, at Miletus, is 30 miles from Ephesus **20:16 Pentecost:** A religious festival held in Jerusalem 50 days after Passover. Pilgrims came to dedicate the first loaves of bread made from the spring wheat harvest. Paul\'s desire to arrive in time for the feast may be linked with the collection of money he had taken up among the Gentiles for the poor saints in Jerusalem (Rom 15:25-28). Delivering this gift at the feast would have symbolized the initial harvest reaped among the nations by his gospel. See note on Acts 2:1 **20:17-38** A farewell speech to the leaders of the Ephesian Church. Paul challenges them with memories of his own conduct and cautions them of dangers that lie ahead. He urges them to be humble, persevering, and bold (20:18-21), giving their hands to hard work and their hearts to the less fortunate (20:34-35). He also warns them to protect their flocks from heretical wolves who are sure to bring confusion and error (20:28-30). After hints that Paul is uttering his final good-bye (20:22, 25), the speech ends with the elders in tears (20:37) **20:28 guardians:** The Greek term refers to \"overseers\", suggesting the Ephesian leaders are either \"bishops\" appointed to succeed the apostles or \"elders\" who shepherd the local Church only (20:17). Because ecclesiastical titles were not yet standardized, some degree of fluidity is evidenced in their NT usage. See note on 1 Tim 3:1 and word study: **Elders** at Jas 5:14. **the Church of the Lord:** The better reading is: \"the Church of God\" (see textual note v). **with his own blood:** This translation asserts both the divinity (his = God) and humanity (blood) of Jesus. Others translate it: \"with the blood of his Own\" (see textual note w). This changes the sense of the passage, saying that the Father (his = God) obtained the Church through the redeeming death (blood) of the Son (his Own) **20:29 fierce wolves:** False teachers, who invariably attacked the Ephesian flock in later years (1 Tim 1:3-7; Rev 2:2) **20:31 three years:** The approximate duration of Paul\'s ministry in Ephesus. See note on Acts 19:10 **20:34 these hands ministered:** Paul often refused stipends from local Churches, preferring instead to support himself with income earned as a tentmaker (18:3). He wanted at all costs to make his gospel free of charge (2 Cor 2:17; 1 Thess 2:9) **20:35 It is more blessed:** This saying of Jesus is not recorded in the four Gospels but was passed down by the apostles in the form of oral tradition. The Gospels themselves give us only selections from this tradition, which was far too broad and detailed for anyone to make an exhaustive record of it in writing (Jn 21:25) **20:36 knelt down:** A traditional prayer posture noted also in 21:5. Kneeling illustrates the proper relation between God and his servants, who express the submission of their hearts through the lowering of their bodies (Ps 95:6; Eph 3:14). Other prayer postures stemming from Jewish practice include raising the hands (Ps 141:2; 1 Tim 2:8) and standing (Mk 11:25; Lk 18:11; CCC 2702) **21:1-18** A third series of \"we\" passages where Luke accompanies Paul on his final journey to Jerusalem. See note on Acts 16:10 **21:1-3** Paul and companions sail from port to port around the southwestern edge of Asia Minor and on past the island of Cyprus to Phoenicia, just north of Palestine. The final stretch from Patara to the harbor of Tyre was nearly 400 miles long **21:7 Ptolemais:** A Phoenician port just south of Tyre (21:3) **21:8 Caesarea:** The provincial capital of Judea, another 32 miles down the coast from Ptolemais (21:7). This was the final stop on Paul\'s sea voyage; from here he would travel more than 50 miles on foot to Jerusalem (21:15). **Philip the evangelist:** One of the seven men ordained for service in 6:5-6. Soon afterward he was engaged in missionary preaching in Samaria (8:4-25) and along the coastline of Judea (8:26-40) **21:10 Agabus:** The prophet who foretold the famine years earlier (11:28) here announces Paul\'s upcoming arrest in Jerusalem (21:11). He enacts his message with the help of Paul\'s belt instead of merely enunciating it. • On the premise that actions speak louder than words, several Hebrew prophets delivered messages from Yahweh through symbolic acts and public demonstrations (Is 20:2-4; Jer 19:1-15; Ezek 4:1-17; Hos 1:2-11) **21:13 even to die:** Already aware that suffering awaits him (20:23), Paul has prepared himself to wear the martyr\'s crown. Even the affections of his friends could not overpower his sense of mission or dissuade him from traveling to Jerusalem. Paul preferred martyrdom over further ministry; see Phil 1:19-26 **21:17 Jerusalem:** The final destination of Paul\'s third missionary tour, where he arrived about A.D. 58. So far as we know, this is the last time the apostle ever set foot in the city **21:18 James:** The acknowledged leader of the Jerusalem Church since the departure of Peter (12:17). That Luke surrounds him with a body of elders instead of the apostles suggests the original Twelve had left the city by this time for mission fields beyond Israel (Lk 24:47). See note on Acts 12:17 **21:20 many thousands:** Luke has already noted how the evangelization of Israel met with great success in the earliest days (2:41; 4:4; 6:7) **21:21 forsake Moses:** Rumors had reached Jerusalem that Paul forbade Jewish Christians to observe the religious traditions of Judaism. James takes this report to be false and urges Paul to make a public display of his reverence for the customs of Moses. From the perspective of Acts, only the Gentiles were exempt from circumcision and other ceremonies of the Torah (15:1-11), although hints are given that the Temple and its Mosaic rituals will pass away even for the Jews in due time (6:14; 10:9-16). • According to the Council of Florence in 1442, circumcision and other rites of the Mosaic Law could still be observed in the earliest days of the Church, so long as no one considered them necessary requirements for salvation **21:23 under a vow:** A temporary Nazirite vow of abstinence from wine, cutting the hair, and physical contact with corpses (Num 6:1-12). The completion of the vow involved a week of purification, a ritual shaving of the head, and a sacrificial offering of animals and food in the Temple (Num 6:13-21). Paul had completed a similar vow in 18:18 **21:25 sent a letter:** The epistle issued years earlier by the Jerusalem Council (15:23-29). See note on Acts 15:20 **21:27 Jews from Asia:** Pilgrims in Jerusalem for the feast of Pentecost. Presumably they recognized Paul from his years of missionary work in Ephesus, the leading city of the Roman province of Asia (20:16) **21:28 against . The law and this place:** The charge that Paul was slandering both the Torah and the Temple is reminiscent of the accusations against Stephen in 6:13. **Greeks into the temple:** An unthinkable violation of Temple law. Gentiles were permitted to gather and worship in the outermost court of the sanctuary, but they were absolutely forbidden to penetrate into the inner courts, where the people of Israel alone had privilege of access. Separating the inner courts and the outer court was a partition wall with plaques posted near its gates that threatened death for Gentile trespassers. Luke contends that Paul was innocent of the charge ---his Greek friend \"Trophimus\" was seen in the city, not the inner precincts of the Temple (21:29) **21:31 tribune of the cohort:** Claudius Lysias, a commander of 600 or more Roman soldiers (23:26). They were stationed in a tower connected to the northwest corner of the Temple called the Fortress Antonia. Stairway access to the Temple platform enabled the Roman military to maintain order during Jewish festivals, when the courts were overflowing with pilgrims **21:33 arrested him:** Roman intervention saved Paul from the assaults of the Jewish mob, who would have beaten him to death for supposedly defiling the Temple (21:28) **21:36 Away with him!:** Reminiscent of the crowd\'s rejection of Jesus in Lk 23:18 **21:37 you know Greek?:** As soon as Paul addressed him in fluent Greek, the tribune suspected he was the Egyptian insurrectionist who had led a revolt in Israel a few years earlier. According to one report, this false prophet had gathered his followers on the summit of the Mount of Olives with the intention of charging Jerusalem and wresting the city from the Romans. Although the uprising had been crushed, the prophet had somehow escaped without a trace **21:38 the Assassins:** Jewish revolutionaries known as \"dagger men\" (Lat. *sicarii*) **21:40 the Hebrew language:** Probably Aramaic, a language closely related to Hebrew that was widely spoken in Palestine **22:1-21** The first of four defense speeches delivered by Paul in Acts. Later he addresses the governor Felix (24:10-21), the governor Festus (25:8), and King Agrippa II (26:1-23). Here, before the restless Jerusalem mob, Paul stresses his Jewish upbringing and his former antagonism toward Christianity, hoping to show that only a miracle like the Resurrection could have changed the course of his entire life and mission so drastically. In the end, the attentiveness of the crowd turns back to anger when Paul mentions his mission to the Gentiles (22:21-22) **22:3 I am a Jew:** Paul tries to ease the tension with autobiographical details. Not only is he a son of Israel by birth, but he was raised in Jerusalem and educated in the orthodox traditions of Judaism under the renowned Gamali-el the Elder (Gal 1:14). See note on Acts 5:34. **Tarsus:** A popular commercial and intellectual center in Asia Minor (modern Turkey). See note on Acts 9:30 **22:4 this Way:** A code name for the early Christian movement. See note on Acts 9:2 **22:6-16** The first retelling of Paul\'s Damascus road conversion since its occurrence in 9:1-19. The second comes later, in 26:12-18 **22:14 the Just One:** Or, \"the Righteous One\". It is also a title for Jesus in 3:14 and 7:52 **22:16 be baptized:** Baptism signifies on the body what it accomplishes in the soul ---the washing away of human sin. The visible water is coupled with the audible word of the minister, who calls upon the saving name of Christ (2:38; Eph 5:26) **22:17 returned to Jerusalem:** After his nighttime escape from Damascus (9:23-26). **a trance:** A mystical encounter with God. As with Peter\'s experience in 10:10, the state of spiritual ecstasy can be a means for divine communication **22:24 scourging:** The Roman scourge was made of leather strips tipped with bone or metal fragments designed to tear open the skin. Flogging injuries could be crippling or even fatal **22:25 Roman citizen:** Citizenship could be purchased with money, inherited through the family, or conferred by the empire as a gift for outstanding service and patriotism. Among other things, Roman citizens were exempt from the scourge as a torturous means of examination. This civil privilege protected Paul from unreasonable punishment and guaranteed him a fair judicial inquiry **22:30 all the council:** The Sanhedrin, the supreme court of Judaism. See note on Mk 14:55 **23:1 all good conscience:** Even during his days as a persecutor of the Church, Paul was convinced he was doing the right thing (26:9). Only afterward was he given the grace to see how wrong he had been (1 Cor 15:9-10) **23:2 Ananias:** The son of Nedebaeus, high priest from A.D. 47 to 59. He was a notoriously greedy and violent man, so disliked by the Jews that they assassinated him at the start of the Jewish War with Rome in A.D. 66. He is not the high priest Annas mentioned in 4:6 or the Ananias who baptized Paul in 9:17-18 **23:5 You shall not speak evil:** Paul apologizes to the court with a quotation from Ex 22:28. • The prohibition comes from the Book of the Covenant, a body of case law given to Israel at Mt. Sinai (Ex 21-23). Paul made it clear that he holds himself to this law, although it remains unclear why he did not recognize the high priest **23:6 Sadducees . Pharisees:** Two religious movements that emerged in Israel around the second century B.C. They were united on certain Jewish issues but deeply divided over others. The Pharisees, for instance, believed in the resurrection of the body, the unseen existence of angels and demons, and the hope of an afterlife, but the Sadducees denied all this and more (23:8). As a matter of strategy, Paul revealed his association with the Pharisees to generate partisan disputes and split the sympathy of the court. See essays: **Who Are the Pharisees?** at Mk 2 and **Who Are the Sadducees?** at Mk 12 **23:11 the Lord stood by:** The risen Christ spoke to Paul several times after their initial encounter near Damascus (9:36; 18:9; 22:17-18). **witness also at Rome:** Sets the stage for the final movement of Acts, where Paul appeals his case to Caesar (25:12) and journeys by ship to the imperial capital in Italy (28:14) **23:12 bound themselves by an oath:** Or \"anathematized themselves\". Essentially more than 40 fanatical Jews invoked a curse upon themselves should they consume any food or drink before murdering Paul (Mk 14:71). Whether or not these men starved themselves to death is unknown; it is certain only that Paul slipped through their hands unharmed **23:16 the son of Paul\'s sister:** A nephew of Paul informs the tribune of the plot to ambush the apostle and take his life. This is the only mention of Paul\'s biological relatives in the NT **23:23 two of the centurions:** Roman military commanders, each in charge of 100 soldiers. **the third hour:** About 9 P.M **23:24 mounts for Paul:** The tribune took seriously the alleged conspiracy against Paul\'s life. Accountable for the welfare of the Roman citizen in his custody, he organized a military escort of infantry and cavalry to extricate Paul from Jerusalem under cover of darkness. He was to be taken on horseback 60 miles northwest to Caesarea, the provincial capital of Judea and the headquarters of the Roman procurator. **Felix the governor:** Antonius Felix, the Roman procurator of Judea from A.D. 52 to 59. History remembers him as a barbarous and immoral ruler **23:25-30** It was customary for a subordinate (tribune) to send a written explanation to his superior (procurator) about the transference of a prisoner. As told by the tribune, the facts of the story are rearranged to cover up his own mistakes: he did not learn of Paul\'s citizenship when he rescued the apostle from the angry crowd (23:27), but only when he was about to have him scourged (22:24-29) **23:29 nothing deserving death:** Recalls the verdict of innocence given to Jesus in Lk 23:15 **23:31 Antipatris:** A military post near the halfway point between Jerusalem and Caesarea **23:35 Herod\'s praetorium:** A Caesarean palace built by the late Herod the Great (d. 4/1 B.C.). It served as the official residence of the procurator. Other praetoria mentioned in the NT were located in Rome (Phil 1:13) and Jerusalem (Jn 18:28) **24:1 Ananias:** The high priest, accompanied by a delegation of Jewish elders to represent the interests of the Sanhedrin before Felix. See note on Acts 23:2. **Tertullus:** A trained orator who acted as a prosecuting attorney on behalf of the Jerusalem leadership **24:2-8** Tertullus\' case against Paul distorts the truth about his character and conduct. After flattering the governor with praises of his benevolence and moderation, he levels two accusations sure to grab the attention of Felix. **(1)** He portrays Paul as a troublemaker who provokes disturbances wherever he goes. The implication is that Paul is an enemy of peace and a threat to Roman order. **(2)** He also tries to disassociate Paul from Judaism and make him the ringleader of a new and unapproved religion. At the time, it was illicit to practice or promote religions not officially recognized by the Romans **24:5 Nazarenes:** The only use of this title for the followers of Jesus in the NT. • Among Jewish Christians, its Hebrew form, *Notsrim,* was associated not only with the village of Nazareth, but also with the prophecy of Is 11:1, where the Messiah is depicted as a \"branch\" (Heb. *netser*) that sprouts from the royal stump of Jesse, the father of King David. See note on Mt 2:23 **24:10-21** Paul defends himself with outright denials of the charges laid against him. Far from being an agitator, he has conducted himself in a peaceable and orderly manner ever since his arrival in Jerusalem (24:12). Far, too, from promoting religious novelties, he worships the same God, venerates the same Scriptures, and maintains the same belief in a resurrection as his Jewish accusers (24:14-15). See note on Acts 24:2-8 **24:14 the Way:** A code name for the early Christian movement. See note on Acts 9:2 **24:15 resurrection:** Paul inherited from Pharisaic Judaism (23:8) the belief that God will raise the bodies of saints and sinners alike on the last day and send them their separate ways (Dan 12:2). This was reaffirmed in the teaching of Jesus, who claimed for himself the leading role in this final drama of history (Jn 5:25-29; CCC 1038) > [!NOTE] Word Study > *Sect* (Acts 24:5) – *Hairesis* (Gk.): refers to a \"party\", \"school\", or \"faction\". The word is used six times in Acts and three times elsewhere in the NT. It can have both *neutral* and *negative* connotations. **(1)** As applied to the Sadducees (Acts 5:17) and the Pharisees (15:5), it is a neutral term for distinct religious movements or schools of thought within the common heritage of Judaism. **(2)** Its application to the Christian sect (Acts 24:5, 14; 28:22) leans in a more negative direction. It expresses the sentiment of the Jerusalem authorities that Christianity was an illegitimate and even dangerous deviation from Judaism. Members of the sect were thus considered \"heretics\", an English term derived from the root of this Greek noun. Other uses of the word in the NT apply it to factions and religious fictions that go astray from Christian teaching in one way or another (1 Cor 11:19; Gal 5:20; 2 Pet 2:1). ^hcbq3i **24:17 alms and offerings:** This is the only reference in Acts to the collection of money that Paul had taken up among Gentile Churches to assist the poor of Jerusalem (Rom 15:25-27; 1 Cor 16:1-4; 2 Cor 8-9). Paul had accepted this responsibility years earlier at the Jerusalem Council (Gal 2:10) **24:22 knowledge of the Way:** Felix was already familiar with the rudiments of Christian teaching, possibly from the preaching of Philip the evangelist in Caesarea (8:40; 21:8) **24:24 Drusilla:** One of the daughters of Herod Agrippa I (12:1). She was Felix\' third wife, and Felix was her second husband **24:25 Felix was alarmed:** Paul\'s insistence on righteousness and moral purity in the face of the coming judgment made the immoral couple too uncomfortable to listen further **24:26 money:** Felix\' interest in Paul was in part driven by greed, i.e., he hoped to get his hands on some of the funds Paul had brought to Jerusalem should the apostle attempt to buy his way out of confinement (24:17) **24:27 Porcius Festus:** The Roman procurator who replaced Felix in A.D. 59 and governed Judea until 61. History portrays him as a man more sensible and restrained than his predecessor. Paul had been left in the Caesarean prison for two years by the time he took office **25:3 planning an ambush:** The hatred of the Jerusalem leaders for Paul had not diminished over the course of his imprisonment. With the recent appointment of Festus, they jumped at another chance to eliminate him (23:12-15) **25:5 go down with me:** Festus denied the request to bring Paul to Jerusalem but agreed to reopen his case in Caesarea **25:7 could not prove:** Festus heard nothing but hearsay accusations against Paul. The eyewitness testimony needed to substantiate their allegations was entirely lacking **25:11 If . I deserve to die:** Paul affirms the authority of the state to issue and enforce a capital death sentence. What he denies is his own guilt. See note on Rom 13:4. **I appeal to Caesar:** Every Roman citizen had the right to appeal his case to the emperor either before or after the verdict of a lower court was rendered. Paul exercises this right to protect his own life, knowing full well that justice would be denied him in Jerusalem. At this point, only the tribunal of Caesar in Rome could handle his case with equity and impartiality **25:12 to Caesar:** Nero, who reigned as emperor from A.D. 54 to 68 **25:13 Agrippa the king:** Herod Agrippa II, the son of Agrippa I (12:1) and the great-grandson of Herod the Great (Lk 1:5). The last ruler of the Herodian dynasty, he governed parts of Galilee and Perea until about A.D. 85. His consort **Bernice** was actually his sister, with whom he had a scandalous affair for many years **25:22 I should like to hear:** Reminiscent of Herod Antipas\' interest in hearing Jesus in Lk 23:8 **25:26 nothing definite to write:** Festus wanted Agrippa to assist him in drafting a report of Paul\'s case to Caesar. Having witnessed the battle of words ---with Paul and his opponents contradicting one another on every point (25:7-8) ---there appeared to the procurator to be no violation of Roman law, only disputes about Jesus and the Jewish religion (25:19). Luke stresses that both Festus and Agrippa believed Paul to be innocent of wrongdoing (25:25; 26:31), just as he highlights the innocence of Jesus during his trials before Roman judges (Lk 23:4, 15, 22) **26:2-23** Paul\'s final defense speech in Acts, delivered before Jewish (Agrippa II) and Roman (Festus) authorities. Paul insists the Jews have wrongly accused him of abandoning the ancestral faith of Israel. Not only is he trained as a Pharisee (26:5), but the doctrine of the resurrection he now preaches is both a classic tenet of Pharisaic theology (23:8) and a central hope of the Hebrew Scriptures (26:22-23) **26:3 familiar with all customs:** Agrippa II was well acquainted with Judaism, being authorized by the Romans to have charge over the Temple treasury and to appoint its high priests **26:5 a Pharisee:** Paul spent his formative years mastering the strictest traditions of Judaism under the tutelage of one of its most celebrated rabbis (22:3; Gal 1:14) **26:7 our twelve tribes:** The tribal family of Israel living in Palestine and abroad yearned for the resurrection of the dead and the restoration of their nation. • Hopes of bodily resurrection and national restoration are blended together in texts such as Ezek 37:1-14 and Hos 6:1-2, where the redemption of all Israel from sin (exile) to covenant sonship (return) is described as the resurrection of a body from death to new life. Paul deals at length with the tribal restoration of Israel in Rom 9-11. **worship night and day:** Luke has already hinted at this in Lk 2:36-37, where Anna, of the tribal lineage of Asher, prays night and day in the Temple for the redemption of her people **26:10 prison . death:** For Paul\'s relentless attacks on the early Christians, see word study: **Laid Waste** at 8:3 **26:12-18** The second retelling of Paul\'s conversion since its occurrence (9:1-19; 22:6-16) **26:14 kick against the goads:** A Greek proverb about useless and harmful resistance. The idea was well understood among farmers: yoked oxen that kick against the plowman only injure themselves on the sharpened spikes that follow behind them. Jesus was telling Paul that his resistance to the gospel was futile to the point of being personally harmful **26:17 the people:** The sons of Israel (9:15) **26:21 For this reason:** More than anything else, it was Paul\'s ministry to the Gentiles that infuriated his Jewish opponents (22:21-22) **26:23 the first to rise:** Israel\'s hope in the resurrection (24:15) has become history in the personal experience of the Messiah (25:19), who is the first of an entire company of saints to be raised again in glory (1 Cor 15:20-23). **he would proclaim light:** A probable allusion to Is 49:6, excerpted earlier by Paul in 13:47. • Isaiah hears Yahweh sending out his messianic Servant, first to restore the scattered tribes of Israel and then to shine his light on the nations. The sequence of the prophecy explains why the apostles, who share in this mission of the Messiah (1:8; 9:15), carried the gospel to Israel before systematically evangelizing the Gentiles (3:26; 13:46; 26:20). See note on Acts 13:5 **26:26 not done in a corner:** The founding events of Christianity were public events of recent history. The well-attested facts of Holy Week and the open proclamation of the gospel make it anything but a secretive movement **26:28 make me a Christian!:** When Paul\'s preaching turned personal, Agrippa followed the path of political expedience. He did not want to alienate himself from the Jews who hated Paul (26:2) or from the Roman procurator who thought him mad (26:24). So instead of admitting the cogency of Paul\'s argument, he fell back on the excuse that the exposition was too short to expect of him an authentic conversion **27:1-28:16** Paul\'s sea voyage to Rome. The journey has three phases: he takes one ship from Caesarea to Myra (27:15), another from Myra to Malta (27:6-28:1), and another still from Malta to Italy (28:11-16). Though a harrowing voyage through storm and shipwreck, Paul stands out as a pillar of strength and composure who encourages those around him **27:1 decided that we:** Last mentioned accompanying Paul to Jerusalem (21:15-17), Luke again joins the apostle on his travels, this time to Rome. Confirmation of this emerges from the narrative, which is filled with the minute details of an eyewitness account and makes use of technical, nautical terminology. See note on Acts 16:10. **a centurion:** Paul and other prisoners are guarded by a military escort **27:2 Adramyttium:** The ship was destined to port along the western coast of Asia Minor (modern Turkey). **Aristarchus:** Earlier he traveled with Paul from Ephesus (19:29) to Greece (20:2-4) and eventually to Jerusalem (21:15-17). His trip to Rome is independently confirmed by Paul\'s own letters, where he appears at the apostle\'s side during his detainment (Col 4:10; Philem 24) **27:3-5** Embarking from Caesarea, the ship sailed up the coast nearly 70 miles to Sidon, then around the northeastern shoulder of the island of Cyprus to the port of Myra, on the southern edge of Asia Minor. All told, this first leg of the trip probably lasted around 12 days **27:6 ship of Alexandria**: That is, from the largest port city in northern Africa. Cargo ships like this one often passed from Egypt to Italy, supplying the Roman capital with most of its wheat and grains (27:38) **27:7-28:1** Embarking from Myra, the second ship sailed west to Cnidus and then south around the island of Crete. After docking in the bay of Fair Havens, the captain and crew decided to push on to another Cretan port at Phoenix but were blasted with powerful winds from the northeast that drove them away from the coastline and into the turbulent sea. Eventually they drifted to the island of Malta, where the ship ran aground and everyone on board was able to swim or paddle to safety **27:9 the fast**: The annual Day of Atonement, when the nation of Israel sought the mercy of God and spent the day fasting (Lev 16:29-31). The feast fell in late September, i.e., about the same time the sailing season was drawing to a close around the Mediterranean. By the middle of November, sailing was deemed impossible for a full three months (28:11) **27:17 undergird the ship**: Ropes were tied sideways around the body of the vessel to keep it from breaking up in the stormy waters. The Syrtis: A stretch of offshore sandbars along the northern coast of Africa. lowered the gear: Probably the sails, not the anchors **27:22 no loss of life:** A timely note of encouragement --- God\'s kindness toward Paul would embrace all 276 passengers on board (27:37). It had already been revealed to Paul that his safe arrival in Rome was part of God\'s plan (23:11), and this had been reaffirmed by an angelic messenger the night before (27:24) **27:27 the sea of Adria:** Not the Adriatic Sea east of Italy, but another name for the central waters of the Mediterranean **27:30 lowered the boat:** The crewmen intended to desert the ship on a getaway lifeboat **27:35 he took bread:** After days of rough waters and seasickness drowned the crew\'s appetite, Paul encouraged them to find strength in food before their final swim to safety. The sequence of giving thanks and breaking bread could suggest a eucharistic celebration (Lk 24:30-35), but similar ritual actions were performed at normal Jewish meals (Lk 9:16; 1 Tim 4:4-5). Since Luke gives no indication that the captain and crew were baptized believers, the latter case is more probable than the former **27:41 ran the vessel aground:** This was at least the fourth time Paul was shipwrecked during the days of his apostolic ministry (2 Cor 11:25) **27:42 to kill the prisoners:** Roman soldiers were accountable for prisoners under their guard. They would be severely punished if even one of the inmates escaped in the confusion and desperation of the moment **28:1-10** The entire manifest of the ship\'s personnel and passengers washed up on the shores of Malta, a small island 60 miles south of Sicily. The islanders met them with extraordinary hospitality, tending to their needs for the three months of winter when sailing was impossible (Nov.-Jan.). Everyone was especially impressed with Paul, who shrugged off deadly snakes unharmed (28:3-6) and healed the sick with his hands (28:7-10). These were signs that Paul was a divinely authorized apostle (Mk 16:17-18; Lk 10:19) **28:2 the natives:** The Greek term *barbaroi* refers to non-Greek-speaking peoples, as in Rom 1:14 and Col 3:11. The Maltese people of the NT period traced their language and lineage back to the Phoenicians **28:3 a viper:** Lying stiff and still, the snake was mistaken for a twig as Paul gathered up brushwood to feed the fire. Poisonous vipers like this one no longer live on the island **28:6 he was a god:** Paul\'s immunity to the viper suggested to the islanders he could not be a mere mortal. This was opposite their initial conclusion that Paul was a murderer whose sinful past had finally caught up with him (28:4). For a similar attempt to deify Paul, see 14:11-18 **28:11 ship of Alexandria:** Another cargo ship from Egypt headed for Italy. See note on Acts 27:6. **the Twin Brothers:** On the front of the vessel were images of Castor and Pollux, sons of the high god Zeus in Greek mythology. Popular piety revered them as the patron deities of sailing **28:13 Puteoli:** The major commercial seaport of western Italy. The presence of Christian brethren here (28:14) and in Rome (28:15) confirms what Paul himself says elsewhere ---that long before his arrival, the Romans had already embraced the faith and were admired the world over for it (Rom 1:8). Though no one knows for certain how and when Christianity first came to Italy, it is possible that Jewish converts from Rome (2:10) carried the gospel back with them after Peter evangelized the Pentecost pilgrims in Jerusalem years earlier (2:1-41). Tradition also puts Peter in Rome nearly two decades before Paul first set foot in the city. See note on Acts 12:17 **28:14 we came to Rome:** Luke not only accompanied Paul to Rome but must have stayed with him for a time, since he appears at the apostle\'s side during his detention (Col 4:14; Philem 24). See note on Acts 16:10 **28:15 came as far as:** Roman believers hurried out to welcome Paul and escort him into the capital. One group met him at the Forum of Appius, more than 40 miles from the city, and another joined him at Three Taverns, more than 30 miles outside the city **28:16 to stay by himself:** Paul lived for two years under house arrest in Rome. He rented the place at his own expense (28:30), and his wrist was chained at all times to a Roman soldier (28:20). This living arrangement gave him the freedom to continue limited apostolic work: he evangelized the crowds that gathered around his home (28:23) and wrote his famous \"Captivity Epistles\" to the Ephesians, the Philippians, the Colossians, and to Philemon **28:17 the Jews:** It is no surprise that Paul first makes contact with the Jews, as this was his missionary policy throughout Acts (17:1-2). The presence of a Jewish community in Rome here in A.D. 60 suggests that Claudius\' edict to expel them from the capital in A.D. 49 was either revoked, relaxed, or no longer remembered as time went by. See notes on Acts 13:5 and 18:2 **28:20 the hope of Israel:** The hope in a bodily resurrection from the dead (23:6; 24:15; 26:6-8) **28:22 this sect:** The early Christian movement. See word study: **Sect** at 24:5 **28:23 the law . The prophets:** The Scriptures of Israel that Paul used to expound the gospel to the Jews (24:14; 26:22). The conviction that OT passages foretell the dying and rising of the Messiah goes back to Jesus himself (Lk 24:44) **28:26-27** Paul indicts his kinsmen with the words of Is 6:9-10, a text used in a similar way in the Gospels (Mt 13:14-15; Mk 4:11-12; Jn 12:40). • Isaiah consigned all but a faithful remnant of Israel to divine judgment, making the rebels who had closed their eyes and ears to Yahweh even less responsive to his urgent warnings. Paul is faced with a similar situation, where all but a remnant of Israel accepted the gospel **28:28 they will listen**: Or, better, \"they also will listen\". Paul is not slamming the door on the Jews permanently, since some are still accepting his message (28:24). The pattern seen here and elsewhere in Acts is a regional pattern: rejection of the gospel by local Jews turns the focus of Paul\'s outreach to local Gentiles instead (13:46; 18:6). At no time does Paul fully abandon his mission to the \"sons of Israel\" (9:15) **28:30 two whole years:** From about A.D. 60 to 62. Luke is silent about the outcome of Paul\'s case before Caesar, although tradition has it that Paul was released and returned to active ministry. If so, the story of his captivity probably unfolded in one of two ways. **(1)** It may be that Paul successfully defended himself and was acquitted by the Roman tribunal. This might be expected since every Roman official in Acts up to this point was convinced of his innocence. **(2)** It is also possible that Paul\'s accusers from Jerusalem failed to make an appearance before the court, giving Rome legal cause to dismiss the charges against him and warrant his release. As for a subsequent ministry, Paul expressed intentions to travel *westward* from Rome to Spain (Rom 15:24) as well as *eastward* from Rome to Macedonia and Asia Minor (Phil 2:24; Philem 22). There is some evidence to suggest he was successful on both counts: Titus 1:5 tells us that Paul evangelized the island of Crete in the east ---a mission that is all but impossible to fit into Paul\'s travel schedule anywhere earlier in Acts ---and Clement of Rome tells us around A.D. 95 that he carried the gospel to the limits of the west (*1 Clement* 5:5-7). Tradition holds that Paul was later rearrested and martyred (beheaded) in Rome in the mid 60s. See note on Acts 28:16 **28:31 unhindered:** The preaching of Paul in Rome is a preliminary fulfillment of Jesus\' mandate to witness to the \"end of the earth\" (1:8). Scholars generally hold that Luke has left this conclusion open-ended to show that the Church\'s mission to the world, far from drawing to a close, has only just begun. Also, the fact that Luke\'s narrative reaches a climax with Paul still shackled as a prisoner may suggest that the Book of Acts was written about this time, around A.D. 63. The inference is not conclusive in itself, but, combined with other factors, it leads to a compelling case for dating Acts in the early 60s. *See introduction to Acts: *Date.** . --- > Scott Hahn and Curtis Mitch, *The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament*, Revised Standard Version, Second Catholic Edition (San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 2010).