Acts 11

Acts 11:4

And Peter thus made his apology, giving an exact account of all that had befallen in this matter.

b See note [d] ch. x. c beasts and fowls, and creepers of all sorts, clean and unclean.

a in like manner even as we? καθὼς καὶ ἡμεῖς; orderly, ἀρξάμενος ἱξοῦτο αὐτοῖς καθιέξις.

b began and expounded to them

Acts 11:11

And as soon as I had seen this vision, there was a thing fell out, which made me discern to what end this vision was designed, not only to reveal to me the lawfulness of eating all sorts of meats, but more principally of conversing with and preaching the gospel to the Gentiles: for immediately—

Acts 11:12

And the Spirit of God, by a secret afflation or incitation, (see note [f] ch. viii.,) commanded me to make no scruple, (this was the interpreting of my vision to me,) but freely to go along with them, though they were not Jews or circumcised proselytes. And these six men, converted or Christian Jews, went along with me: and we all went into the house of Cornelius, a Gentile, but proselyte of the Jews, though uncircumcised.

Acts 11:13

And he told how in a vision, received from an angel in this house of his, (and might not we enter where an angel had been before us, sent by God immediately, as we also were?) he was commanded to send to Joppa for Simon Peter to come to him;

Acts 11:14

Who, said the angel, shall teach thee that doctrine, by believing and embracing of which thou and all thy family, if they believe also, shall be made heirs of everlasting salvation.

Acts 11:15

And I had not long discoursed with them, and preached the gospel of Christ, but the Holy Ghost came down (see ch. x. 44.) upon Cornelius and his company, either in the same manner or with the same effects as he did upon us apostles (Acts ii.) presently after the ascension of Christ, before we entered upon our office.

Acts 11:16

And I could not but apply to these also what Christ said to us, viz., that John Baptist’s manner and

Acts 11:17

And therefore, when God hath allowed these Gentiles the same privilege which he bestowed on us after our continuing steadfast to the faith of Christ so long, attending him as his constant disciples, when that which we look on as the solemnity of our mission or apostleship—the descent of the Holy Ghost—hath been also allowed to them, it must have been a downright disobedience to God if I had made a scruple to receive them into the church, or indifferently to preach unto or converse with them.

Acts 11:18

With this account of Peter’s they were satisfied, and blessed God for that communicativeness of his goodness, that he had afforded the same mercy to the Gentiles as to the Jews, that if they will return, and amend, and receive Christ, they shall be saved, and that he had given them the grace to do so.

Acts 11:19

Then the disciples that were driven from Jerusalem (ch. viii. 1.) went about publishing the gospel (see note [b] ch. viii.) to the Jews, but to none else.

Acts 11:20

And some of these disciples were men that had been born in Cyprus and Cyrene, and they, when they came to Antioch, preached the faith of Christ to those Jews which spake and used the Greek language and Bibles.

Acts 11:21

And God prospered their preaching of Christ, and brought in many converts to them daily.

Acts 11:22

And the apostles that remained at Jerusalem hearing of it, sent Barnabas to confirm them from city to city as far as Antioch.

Acts 11:23

Who coming and seeing with what good success the gospel had been preached among them (see

⁴ when we had believed, πιστεύωσαν. ἰγὼ τίς ἥμην δυνατὸς κωλύσαι τὸν Θεόν; and MS., read Ἑλληνιστάν, Hellenists.

⁵ who was I, able to withstand or hinder God? ⁶ speaking, λαλοῦντες. ⁷ Many copies, printed

Acts 11:24

For Barnabas was a very pious person, a believer that had many excellent gifts and graces, and by his means also the gospel was received by very many. Paul and Barnabas, for the space of a year, resorted to the place of public assemblies, and instructed and confirmed all that came. And the disciples, or those that received the faith of Christ, being formerly called Nazarites or Galilæans, instead of those names, were styled Christians, and that first in Antioch of any place.

Acts 11:26

[a] called Christians] The use of χρηματίζω in the active for to be called in a passive sense, is to be seen, Rom. vii. 3, μοιχαλὶς χρηματίσει, she shall be called an adulteress. So in ¹ Œcumenius, ἀστῆρες δὲ πλανῆται χρηματίζουσι καὶ αὐτοί, “they also are called wandering stars:” but that in an eminent manner, as may be discerned by that acceptance of it in Epiphanius; ‘Αστρονομία, saith he, παρὰ Φαρισαίοις σφόδρα ἐχρηματίζει: “Astronomy was much cried up, was in great reputation among the Pharisees.” So here χρηματίζειν Χριστιανοὺς, is to be famously known under that name of Christians.

Acts 11:27

And some of the chief men, possibly bishops of Judæa, that had also the gift of prophecy, came by appointment of the church of Jerusalem to Antioch.

Acts 11:28

And one of them, named Agabus, by revelation from the Spirit of God, foretold that there should shortly be a great famine over all Judæa, (see note

[e] Matt. xxiv., and note [a] Luke ii,) which accord-

ingly came to pass in the reign of the emperor Claudius: see 1 Cor. xvi. 1.

Acts 11:29

And all the Christians in all places, according to their abilities, resolved to send relief to the Christians in Judæa in this time of dearth, (and among them Helen, queen of the Adiabeni, saith Eusebius, lib. 2. c. 12.) bought a great deal of corn out of Egypt, and sent it to be distributed to them that were in want: see Jos. Ant. lib. 20. cap. 2.

Acts 11:30

And this liberality from other parts of the church was by Paul and Barnabas brought and put into the hands of the bishops of Judæa. assembled in the church, συναχθῆναι ἐν τῇ ἑκαλησίᾳ.

[b] the elders] The word πρεσβύτεροι, elders, is here first met with in the Christian church, and therefore will deserve to be explained.

¹ On Jude.

Acts 11:47

Is there any doubt or question to be made of the baptizing of these, and receiving them into freedom of the congregation, to whom, although they be Gentiles, God hath himself allowed that which is more than baptism, viz., the descent of the Holy Ghost upon them, thereby fitting them for offices in his church, in the same manner as by descent of the Holy Ghost we received our commission? Acts ii.

CHAP. XI.

a Christians in Judæa heard that the people of other nations, which were not Jews, had embraced the doctrine of Christ.

2, 3. And at Peter’s coming to Jerusalem the Jewish Christians (who, though they were converted to Christianity, yet still continued constant to the observation of the Mosaical law of circumcision, of abstaining from unclean things, and the conversation with men of any other nation, &c.) accused him, that he conversed freely with those that were not circumcised, Cornelius, &c., and eat with them, which the Jews count absolutely unlawful.