Acts 13

1 prophets and teachers. Prophecy, the inspired utterance of Divine truths, is more specific than teaching. Every prophet was a teacher, not every teacher a prophet.

Niger. The black or dark; perhaps Symeon of Cyrene (see Matt. xxvii. 32, and note), whence Lucius came.

Manaen. The same as Menahem. He was probably “the foster-brother of Herod” Antipas; who, with his brother Archelaus, had been brought up at Rome in the house of a private person (Joseph. Antiq. xvii. 1, § 3). “Foster brother or playmate of Herod. That shows how the paths of playmates or boys brought up in the same home may afterwards diverge; and how a man by the aid of God’s Spirit may get away from the evil influences which surrounded his boyhood” (Dr. Charles Brown in The Devotional Commentary).

2 ministered. The word is that generally employed in the LXX for the service of the sanctuary. The mention of fasting seems to intimate that the command was given on some specially solemn occasion of worship; no doubt through some of the prophets.

Separate me Barnabas and Saul. Hence, observes Chrysostom, we learn the personality and divinity of the Holy Spirit.

the work, etc. To carry the gospel to other regions. Saul had long been conscious of his vocation (see xxvi. 16-18); he was now publicly appointed by the Holy Ghost.

3 they sent them away. The whole Church, no doubt, united in this act of designation: cp. xv. 40. Henceforth these two “prophets and teachers” of the Church are known as “apostles”—men sent forth. “Missionary” is the Latin form of the Greek word “apostle.”

4. Seleucia. Seleucia was the port of Antioch, about fifteen miles from the city, near the mouth of the Orontes.

Cyprus. The island of Cyprus was near: it was the native country of Barnabas; it contained many Jews, and some of its inhabitants were already Christians; see xi. 19, 20.

5. Salamis. Salamis was on the eastern coast of Cyprus, the nearest seaport to Seleucia, and the chief commercial city of the island.

synagogues. As the Jews scattered throughout the Roman empire were allowed the free exercise of their religion, they had at this period synagogues in all the principal cities. In these assemblies, the apostles, being Jews, not only had ready access to their own people without exciting the suspicion of the civil authorities; but they also met many of the serious and better disposed Gentiles, attracted by the moral superiority of the Old Testament, and either “proselytes” to Judaism, or “devout” worshippers of the true God. These persons, being free from the national Jewish prejudices, were the best prepared to receive the gospel.

John. i.e., John Mark (see ch. xii. 12, 25).

[their] minister. Their assistant.

6 through the isle (island). About one hundred miles. Paphos on the west coast was the capital of Cyprus under the Romans, and the residence of the governor. It was notorious for the licentious worship of Venus.

a certain sorcerer. Rather, “a certain magician”: see note on viii. 9. This period was remarkable for the prevalence among the educated as well as the ignorant of both scepticism and imposture. The latter was practised chiefly by adventurers from the East, many of whom were Jews: see Hor. Sat. i. 21; Juv. Sat. iii. 13-16; vi. 542-546; x. 93.

Bar-jesus. That is, “Son of Jesus,” or “of Joshua.”

7 deputy. Rather, “Proconsul,” the title of the governors of those provinces of the Roman empire which were nominally left by the emperor under the authority of the senate and people, as distinguished from others which, requiring a military force, were governed by his legates, who were called Proprietors. Sir W. M. Ramsay (St. Paul the Traveller and the Roman Citizen, ch. iv. § 2) notes the accuracy of the title Proconsul as applied to the governor of Cyprus, and says that a Greek inscription of Soloi, on the north coast of the island, is dated “in the proconsulship of Paulus.” In the same author’s later book, The Bearing of Recent Discovery on the Trustworthiness of the New Testament (1915), he gives an account of an inscription found by him at Antioch in 1912, in honour of the son of Sergius Paulus, and of an inscription which was only fully deciphered in 1913, in honour of Sergia Paula, the sister of the proconsul. He sums up thus: “The little that we do know gives a favourable conception of the family as a whole, and is in accordance with Luke’s account” (p. 163).

prudent. That is, “intelligent”; R.V., “a man of understanding.”

8 sorcerer. Or, “magician.” The name Elymas has the same meaning.

48 ordained. The Greek word here used is properly translated. (So R.V.) It means appointed according to some plan or arrangement of God.

50 devout and honourable women (“the devout women of honourable estate,” R.V.). At this period many Gentile women of “honourable” rank had become “devout” proselytes to Judaism. Those among them who embraced the gospel were among its warmest adherents; but those who did not were easily excited to bitter hostility by the Jews, who may have acted through them upon “the chief men of the city.”

coasts. Or, “borders”: see note on Exod. x. 4.

51 shook off the dust of their feet. See Matt. x. 14; Luke x. 10, 11, and note.