59 matching verse commentaries
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Then came he to Derbe and Lystra,.... Which were cities of Lycaonia, Acts 14:6 after Paul had gone through Syria and Cilicia; in the last of these places, he had been stoned, and yet goes thither again; none of these things moved him from the preaching of the Gospel, and from the care of the churches, such zeal, courage, and intrepidity was he...
Matthew Henry - Complete Commentary - Matthew Henry
It is some rebuke to Barnabas that after he left Paul we hear no more of him, of what he did or suffered for Christ. But Paul, as he was recommended by the brethren to the grace of God, so his services for Christ after this are largely recorded; we are to attend him in this chapter from place to place, wherever he came doing good, either watering...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Which was well reported of,.... Not the father of Timothy, but Timothy himself; to whose piety, virtue, and good conversation witness was borne, by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium; the members of the churches which were in these places, and which were not far from one another; and as it is necessary that ministers of the Gospel should...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Him would Paul have to go forth with him,.... Perceiving that he was a young man, that not only had the grace of God, but very considerable gifts, and abilities for ministerial service; and having a good testimony of his agreeable life and conversation, the apostle was very desirous he should go along with him, and be his companion in his travels,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And as they went through the cities,.... Of Derbe, Lystra, and Iconium, and others in Lycaonia, and in Phrygia and Galatia; the Arabic version reads, "they both"; that is, Paul and Barnabas: they delivered them the decrees for to keep; they gave the churches, in these cities, the sentiments, and determinations to be observed and followed by them:...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And so were the churches established in the faith,.... Of Christ, both in the grace and doctrine of faith; and that both by the preaching of the Gospel by the apostle and his companions, and by the decrees of the elders delivered by him: and increased in number daily; as well as in gifts and grace.
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia,.... [See comments on Acts 2:10] To which may be added, that this country had its name either from the river Phryx, as Pliny (w) observes, or from the word Phrygios, which signifies "dry"; this being a very dry and sandy country: it was famous for marble stone; hence we read (x) of Phrygian Stone or...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
After they were come to Mysia,.... Another country in Asia Minor. It is divided by Ptolomy (a) into two parts; superior Mysia is bounded by Dalmatia on the west, by Macedonia on the south, by part of Thrace on the east, and by part of the river Danube on the north; inferior Mysia is bounded on the west with part of the river Ciaber and the Danube,...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And they passed by Mysia,.... Without stopping or staying there, though they came to it: came down to Troas; either the country of Troas, as the Syriac version renders it; which, according to Solinus (m), is bordered on the north part of Galatia, and was near to Lycaonia, Pisidia, and Mygdonia on the south, and to Lydia on the east, and to Mysia...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night,.... Either in a dream, or, it may be, when he was awake: there stood a man of Macedonia; an angel in the form of a man; the Syriac version reads, "as a man of Macedonia", and who might appear in a Macedonian habit, or speak in the Macedonian language; or the apostle might conclude him to be so, from his...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
And a vision appeared to Paul in the night; There stood a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia, and help us. Our dreams often follow the leading thoughts of the day; or, if not of the day, yet the chief thoughts that are upon the mind. Paul dreams about mission work, for his heart is in it. I should not wonder if some...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And after he had seen the vision,.... And considered it, and related it to his companions: and when they had well weighed it, and the circumstances of it: immediately we endeavoured to go into Macedonia; they determined upon it, and took all the proper methods, and made the necessary provisions for it. Here Luke, the writer of this history, first...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavored to go into Macedonia, assuredly gathering that the Lord had called us for to preach the gospel unto them. In the vision, the man prayed, “Come over into Macedonia, and help us.” The best help that Paul could render to the Macedonians was “to preach the gospel unto them.” The best help you...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
Therefore loosing from Troas,.... Or setting sail from thence, which, as before observed, was the Hellespont; which was a narrow sea that divided Asia from Europe, now called Stretto di Gallipoii, or Bracci di St. Georgio: and so Pliny (q) speaking of Troas says, it lies near the Hellespont; and Jerom (r) calls it a maritime city of Asia; and it...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
Therefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the next day to Neapolis; and from thence to Philippi, which is the chief city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony: and we were in that city abiding certain days. Waiting to know what they were to do. In God’s work, we are not to go on in blundering haste....
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And from thence to Philippi,.... This place is by Appianus called Datos, which was its original name; and by Diodorus Siculus, Crenidae (c), from the fountains of water, which were many and wholesome, that were about it; and it had its name Philippi, from Philip king of Macedon, father of Alexander the great, who rebuilt it (d): it is now vulgarly...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And on the sabbath,.... That is, as the Syriac version renders it, "on the sabbath day"; the Jewish sabbath, the seventh day of the week; though the words may be rendered, "on a certain day of the week" agreeably to Acts 20:7 where the first of the sabbath means the first day of the week; but be this as it will, on this day, we went out of the...
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
And on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer was wont to be made; Some quiet corner, where good people were wont to gather by the brook to pray. Act_16:13. And we sat down, and spake unto the women which resorted thither. This was probably the first religious meeting of Christians that was ever held in Europe. It is...
John Gill - Exposition - John Gill
And a certain woman, named Lydia,.... Whether this woman was a Jewess or a Gentile, is not certain, her name will not determine; she might be called so from the country of Lydia, which was in Asia minor, and where was Thyatira, her native place; Horace makes frequent mention of one of this name (g) and it might be a Jewish name; we read of R....
Spurgeon - Verse Expositions - Charles H. Spurgeon
And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, heard us: whose heart the Lord opened, that she attended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. And when she was baptized, She seems to have become a believer in Christ, and to have been baptized at once.