Interpretive Study of Acts 21-22

Chapter links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, God.

Acts Chapter 21

Chapter theme is: Paul arrives at Jerusalem.

links to sentences in this chapter:

C21-S1 (Verse 1-2), C21-S2 (Verse 3), C21-S3 (Verse 4), C21-S4 (Verse 5), C21-S5 (Verse 6), C21-S6 (Verse 7), C21-S7 (Verse 8), C21-S8 (Verse 9), C21-S9 (Verse 10), C21-S10 (Verse 11), C21-S11 (Verse 12), C21-S12 (Verse 13), C21-S13 (Verse 13), C21-S14 (Verse 14), C21-S15 (Verse 15), C21-S16 (Verse 16), C21-S17 (Verse 17), C21-S18 (Verse 18), C21-S19 (Verse 19), C21-S20 (Verse 20-21), C21-S21 (Verse 22), C21-S22 (Verse 22), C21-S23 (Verse 23-24), C21-S24 (Verse 25), C21-S25 (Verse 26), C21-S26 (Verse 27-28), C21-S27 (Verse 29), C21-S28 (Verse 30), C21-S29 (Verse 31), C21-S30 (Verse 32), C21-S31 (Verse 33), C21-S32 (Verse 34), C21-S33 (Verse 35), C21-S34 (Verse 36), C21-S35 (Verse 37), C21-S36 (Verse 37), C21-S37 (Verse 38), C21-S38 (Verse 39), C21-S39 (Verse 40)'.

Acts 21:1-3 : How they traveled to Tyre.

Acts 21:4 : Paul was told, again, to not go to Jerusalem.

Acts 21:5-8 : the missionaries prayed with the families of the local believers before getting on the ship. Then they traveled to Caesarea, where they entered into the house of Philip the evangelist. (He was one of the original deacons for the church at Jerusalem.).

Acts 21:9 tells us And the same man had four daughters, virgins, which did prophesy.

Acts 21:10-13 tells us that there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus and he also said that Paul should not go to Jerusalem. Then Paul's companions also said the same until Paul replied with: What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart? for I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.

Acts 21:14 tells us And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying, the will of the Lord be done. They finally accepted that this was the will of the Lord for Paul and no physical threat could keep him from doing the will of the Lord.

Acts 21:15 says: And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem.

Acts 21:16 says: There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should lodge. This sentence tells us how provided the place for the mission team to stay.

Acts 21:17 says: And when we were come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. Please realize that the others received a different reception than Paul received.

Acts 21:18-24 : Paul met with James and all the elders of the Jerusalem church. They glorified the Lord, when they heard what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry. Then they, immediately, told Paul about their own church problem and ended with: the multitude must needs come together. They were demanding that Paul deal with their problem of not correcting a religious doctrinal error (Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe; and they are all zealous of the law. God had corrected that 'works doctrine' at least three times but they refused correction from God.) they had a compromise solution, which Paul agreed to do, but the multitude holding onto doctrinal error believed more lies about Paul and demanded his death. (This is seen in the remainder of this chapter and in the next chapter.)

Acts 21:24 : they agreeds that they had concluded that the Gentiles did not have to keep the Mosaic Law and Jewish religious traditions. But, they insisted that Jews did have to do those things. This is a claim that God had more than one way of salvation. It was a claim of: 'Works Salvation' and 'Works Sanctification'. God ended up tearing down the Temple and killing or scattering all saved Jew who refused doctrinal correction from God.

Acts 21:26-29 : Paul did the request of the Jerusalem Church elders. However, the saved Jews were not satisfied and stirred up the lost Jews and started a riot.

Acts 21:30-32 : they dragged Paul out of the Temple. The Temple doors were closed. And when they were going to murder Paul, the chief captain of the band (Roman soldiers) immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto them. That caused the Jews to leave off on beating of Paul.

Acts 21:33-36 : the chief captain of the band tried to find out what the riot was about but could not understand all of the confusing replies. So, he arrested Paul and took him to the place of the Roman soldiers to find out what the problem was.

Acts 21:37-22:1 : Paul got the people to quiet down and then spoke to them in the Hebrew tongue. (The last sentence is wrongly broken into two parts with one part in chapter 21 and the other part in chapter 22.)

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C21-S1 (Verse 1-2) the first part of their travel.

Equivalent Section: The way that they traveled once they left the Ephesians..

And it came to pass,
that after we were gotten from them,
and had launched,
we came with a straight course unto Coos,
and the day following unto Rhodes,
and from thence unto Patara:.

Equivalent Section: the change of ships traveled on.

And finding a ship sailing over unto Phenicia,
we went aboard,
and set forth.

Acts 21:1-3 : How they traveled to Tyre.

Notice that Luke is using the word we here. Sometimes Luke was doing missionary work and traveling with Paul's team and other times he was not traveling with them. This difference can be seen in the fact that Luke uses the word we when he is traveling with them and he uses the word they when he is not with them. Please see my book called Sbs-Non-Preacher Missionaries which gives the Bible references for fifty non-preachers who were missionaries. One of the errors taught today is that someone can not be a missionary unless they are an ordained preacher who is also a Bible School graduate. God gave the 'Great Commission' to the entire church and not just to preachers. Therefore, all saved people are to make themselves available to God to do missionary work.

Please see the note for Luke 5:4 about the word launch. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'v.t. from lance. 1. to throw, as a lance; to dart; to let fly. See whose arm can lanch the surer bolt. 2. to move, or cause to slide from the land into the water; as, to lanch a ship.
L'ANCH, v.i. to dart or fly off; to push off; as, to lanch into the wide world; to lanch into a wide field of discussion.
L'ANCH, n. 1. the sliding or movement of a ship from the land into the water, on ways prepared for the purpose. 2. A kind of boat, longer, lower, and more flat-bottomed than a long boat'. Forms of this word are used, in this book, in: Acts 21:1; Acts 27:2; Acts 27:4.

Please see the note for Mark 1:18 about the words straight / straightway. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'STRAIGHT, a. L., formed from the root of reach, stretch, right. It is customary to write straight, for direct or right, and strait, for narrow, but this is a practice wholly arbitrary, both being the same word. Strait we use in the sense in which it is used in the south of Europe. Both sense proceed from stretching, straining. 1. Right, in a mathematical sense; direct; passing from one point to another by the nearest course; not deviating or crooked; as a straight line; a straight course; a straight piece of timber. 2. Narrow; close; tight; as a straight garment. See strait, as it is generally written. 3. Upright; according with justice and rectitude; not deviating from truth or fairness.
STRAIGHT, adv. Immediately; directly; in the shortest time. I know thy generous temper well; fling but the appearance of dishonor on it, it straight takes fire, and mounts into a blaze'.

Please see the note for Luke 1:5 about the word course. The functional definition for this word is: 'A set way for someone or something to move from an existing position in order to reach a goal'. Our sentence tells us that before they set sail, they had a planned way to reach their goal.

Please see the note for Luke 1:5 about the word day. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'The Jews reckoned the day from sunset to sunset (Le 23:32). It was originally divided into three parts (Ps 55:17). "The heat of the day" (1Sa 11:11; Ne 7:3) was at our nine o'clock, and "the cool of the day" just before sunset (Ge 3:8). Before the Captivity the Jews divided the night into three watches, (1) from sunset to midnight (La 2:19); (2) from midnight till the cock-crowing (Jg 7:19); and (3) from the cock-crowing till sunrise (Ex 14:24). In the New Testament the division of the Greeks and Romans into four watches was adopted (Mr 13:35). (See Watches.) the division of the day by hours is first mentioned in Da 3:6,15; 4:19; 5:5. this mode of reckoning was borrowed from the Chaldeans. the reckoning of twelve hours was from sunrise to sunset, and accordingly the hours were of variable length (Joh 11:9). The word "day" sometimes signifies an indefinite time (Ge 2:4; Isa 22:5; Heb 3:8, etc.). In Job 3:1 it denotes a birthday, and in Isaiah 2:12; Acts 17:31; 2Timothy 1:18, the great day of final judgment.'. The functional definition, of the phrase last day is: '(end of the) Church Age. However, in the life of the individual, it can be used for the day that he dies'. Please see the note for Hebrews 3:13 about the word today. The functional definition is: 'obey immediately'. Please also see the note for Matthew 26:55 about the word daily. Please also see the notes for Philippians 1:6-LJC and 1Thessalonians 5:2 about the phrase day of. Please also see the note for 1Thessalonians 5:2 about the phrase day of the Lord. Please also see the note for John 20:1 about the phrase first day of the week.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C4S16 about the word follow. The functional definition for this word is: 'To go after or behind; to walk, ride or move behind, but in the same direction. Soldiers will usually follow a brave officer'. Please also see the note for Romans C14S25 about the phrase follow after. Please also see the note for Mark 2:14 about the phrase follow me.

Please see the note for John 1:41 about the word find. The functional definition for this word is: 'Literally, to come to; to meet; hence, to discover by the eye; to gain first sight or knowledge of something lost; to recover either by searching for it or by accident'.

Please see the note for John 6:16-17 about the word ship. The functional definition for this word is: 'For the most part, in the Bible, these are now called fishing boats'.

Please see the note for Luke 8:23 about the word sail. The functional definition for this word is: 'pp. Passed in ships or other water craft'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'we were. Ac 20:37-38; 1Sa 20:41-42; 1Th 2:17 and had. Ac 27:2,4; Lu 5:4; 8:22 Coos. Coos, Cos, or Co, now Zia, is an island in the Aegean sea, one of those called Cyclades, near the south-west point of Asia Minor, and about fifteen miles from Halicarnassus. Rhodes. Rhodes is a celebrated island in the same sea, southward of Caria, from which it is distant about twenty miles, next to Cyprus and Lesbos in extent, being 120 miles in circumference. It was remarkable for the clearness of the air, and its pleasant and healthy climate, and chiefly for its Colossus of brass, seventy cubits high, with each finger as large as an ordinary man, standing astride over the mouth of the harbour, so that ships in full sail passed between its legs.
finding. Ac 27:6; Jon 1:3 Phenicia. Ac 15:3'.

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C21-S2 (Verse 3) the next part of their trip.

Equivalent Section: Where they landed next.

Now when we had discovered Cyprus,
we left it on the left hand,
and sailed into Syria,
and landed at Tyre:.

Equivalent Section: Why they stopped there.

for there the ship was to unlade her burden.

Acts 21:1-3 : How they traveled to Tyre.

Our next sentence starts wit hthe word and, which means it is added to this sentence and must be considered with it. They landed here, because ofa requirement of the ship. They, apparently, had no pl and for stopping, but our next sentence tells us that those pl and were changed. One thing that we learn here is that God can change our pl and at ant time. So, we must remain flexable and consious that we are His servants and He has the right to override our plans. That is why James 4:15 says: For that ye ought to say, If the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.

We find forms of the word discover in: Exodus 20:26; Leviticus 20:18; Deuteronomy 22:30; 1Samuel 14:8; 1Samuel 14:11; 1Samuel 22:6; 2Samuel 22:16; Job 12:22; Job 41:13; Psalms 18:15; Psalms 29:9; Proverbs 18:2; Proverbs 25:9; Isaiah 3:17; Isaiah 22:8; Isaiah 57:8; Jeremiah 13:22; Jeremiah 13:26; Lamentations 2:14; Lamentations 4:22; Ezekiel 13:14; Ezekiel 16:36; Ezekiel 16:37; Ezekiel 16:57; Ezekiel 21:24; Ezekiel 22:10; Ezekiel 23:10; Ezekiel 23:18; Ezekiel 23:29; Hosea 2:10; Hosea 7:1; Micah 1:6; Nahum 3:5; Habakkuk 3:13; Acts 21:3; Acts 27:39. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'v.t. See Cover. 1. Literally, to uncover; to remove a covering. Isaiah 22. 2. to lay open to the view; to disclose; to show; to make visible; to expose to view something before unseen or concealed. Go, draw aside the curtains and discover the several caskets to this noble prince. He discovereth deep things out of darkness. Job 12. Law can discover sin, but not remove. 3. to reveal; to make known. We will discover ourselves to them. 1 Samuel 14. Discover not a secret to another. Proverbs 25. 4. to espy; to have the first sight of; as, a man at mast-head discovered land. When we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand. Acts 21. 5. to find out; to obtain the first knowledge of; to come to the knowledge of something sought or before unknown. Columbus discovered the variation of the magnetic needle. We often discover our mistakes, when too late to prevent their evil effects. 6. to detect; as, we discovered the artifice; the thief, finding himself discovered, attempted to escape. Discover differs from invent. We discover what before existed, though to us unknown; we invent what did not before exist'.

Please see the note for Acts 4:36 about Cyprus. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'one of the largest islands of the Mediterranean, about 148 miles long and 40 broad. It is distant about 60 miles from the Syrian coast. It was the "Chittim" of the Old Testament (Nu 24:24). the Greek colonists gave it the name of Kypros, from the cyprus, i.e., the henna (see Camphire), which grew on this island. It was originally inhabited by Phoenicians. In B.C. 477 it fell under the dominion of the Greeks; and became a Roman province B.C. 58. In ancient times it was a centre of great commercial activity. Corn and wine and oil were produced here in the greatest perfection. It was rich also in timber and in mineral wealth.
It is first mentioned in the New Testament (Ac 4:36) as the native place of Barnabas. It was the scene of Paul's first missionary labours (Ac 13:4-13), when he and Barnabas and John Mark were sent forth by the church of Antioch. It was afterwards visited by Barnabas and Mark alone (Ac 15:39). Mnason, an "old disciple," probaly one of the converts of the day of Pentecost belonging to this island, is mentioned (Ac 21:16). It is also mentioned in connection with the voyages of Paul (Ac 21:3; 27:4). After being under the Turks for three hundred years, it was given up to the British Government in 1878'.

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C12S12 and Colossians C2S7 about the word hand. The functional definition for this word is: 'In man, the extremity of the arm, consisting of the palm and fingers, connected with the arm at the wrist; the part with which we hold and use any instrument. Often used symbolically for ability'. Please also see the note for Matthew 18:28 about the phrase laid hands. Please also see the note for 1Peter 5:6-7 about the phrase hand of God. Please also see the note for Mark 16:19 about the phrase right hand of God. Please also see the note for Luke 1:38 about the word handmaid. Please also see the note for 1John 1:1-3 about the word handle. Please also see the note for Matthew 3:1-2 about the phrase at hand. This phrase is defined as: 'it will happen very soon'. Please also see the note for Matthew 18:28 about the phrase laid hands. The functional definition for this word is: 'To physically grab with the intention of doing great harm which, usually, ends in death'.

Please see the note for Luke 8:23 about the word sail. The functional definition for this word is: 'pp. Passed in ships or other water craft'.

Please see the note for Galatians 1:21-23 about Syria. The functional definition for this word is: '(The highlands lying between the Euphrates River and the Mediterranean Sea) Called ARAM, from the son of Shem: Ge 10:22-23; Nu 23:7; 1Ch 1:17; 2:23; During the time of Abraham it seems to have embraced the region between the Tigris River and the Euphrates River'.

Please see the note for Mark 7:24 about Tyre. The functional definition for this word is: 'a celebrated commercial city of Phoenicia, on the coast of the Mediterranean'.

Please see the note for John 6:16-17 about the word ship. The functional definition for this word is: 'For the most part, in the Bible, these are now called fishing boats'.

Please see the note for Luke 11:46 about the word lade. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'v.t. pret. laded; pp. laded, laden. 1. to load; to put on or in, as a burden or freight. We lade a ship with cotton. We lade a horse or other beast with corn. And they laded their asses with the corn and departed thence. Gen. 42. 2. to dip; to throw in or out, as a fluid, with a ladle or dipper; as, to lade water out of a tub or into a cistern'. Please also see the note for Matthew 11:28 about the word laden. It should ve obvious that the word unladen means: 'to remove a burden'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 5:4 and Galatians 6:2 about the word burden. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: '(1.) A load of any kind (Ex 23:5). (2.) A severe task (Ex 2:11). (3.) A difficult duty, requiring effort (Ex 18:22). (4.) A prophecy of a calamitous or disastrous nature (Isa 13:1; 17:1; Hab 1:1, etc.)'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'Cyprus. Ac 21:16; 4:36; 11:19; 13:4; 15:39; 27:4 Syria. Ac 15:23,41; 18:18; Jg 10:6; 2Sa 8:6; Isa 7:2; Mt 4:24; Lu 2:2 Tyre. Ac 12:20; Ps 45:12; 87:4; Isa 23:17-18; Mt 11:21; Lu 10'.

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C21-S3 (Verse 4) Paul was told, again, to not go to Jerusalem.

Equivalent Section: Why they delayed their travel.

And finding disciples,
we tarried there seven days:.

Equivalent Section: the message that they gave.

who said to Paul through the Spirit,
that he should not go up to Jerusalem.

This sentence is added to the prior sentence by starting with the word and. These disciples were not known to Paul's missionary team until they were discovered. And, once more, we see people saying that Paul should not go up to Jerusalem. However, many people misunderstand these messages and some even criticize Paul for going to Jerusalem. But God's Holy Spirit was telling people what awaited Paul and not what they were to order Paul to do. Paul was an apostle and the others were not. Therefore, they did not have the authority to give orders to Paul. No, God's Holy Spirit was telling people to show them Paul's testimony of obedience. God's Holy Spirit was proving to many people that Paul obeyed His Lord no matter what the consequences to himself were. And, that is the example which we are supposed to follow.

Please see the note for John 1:35-36 about the word disciple. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'a scholar, sometimes applied to the followers of John the Baptist (Mt 9:14), and of the Pharisees (Mt 22:16), but principally to the followers of Christ. A disciple of Christ is one who (1) believes his doctrine, (2) rests on his sacrifice, (3) imbibes his spirit, and (4) imitates his example (Mt 10:24; Lu 14:26-27,33; Joh 6:69)'. Please also see the note for John 6:67 about the phrase twelve disciples / apostles.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians 11:33 about the word tarry. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'to stay; to abide; to continue; to lodge. Tarry all night and wash your feet. Gen.19. 2. to stay behind. Ex.12. 3. to stay in expectation; to wait. Tarry ye here for us, till we come again to you. Ex.24. 4. to delay; to put off going or coming; to defer. Come down to me, tarry not. Gen.45. 5. to remain; to stay. He that telleth lies, shall not tarry in my sight. Ps.101. TAR'RY, v.t. to wait for. I cannot tarry dinner. Not in use'.

Please see the note for Matthew 15:34 about the word seven. Part of the Morrish Bible Dictionary defines this word is: 'Spiritual completeness, generally in good but occasionally in evil. It is the compound of three and four, and the highest single indivisible number'. Please also see the note for Luke 10:1 about the phrase seventy.

Please see the note for Romans 11:1 about the phrase I say. The functional definition is: 'Uttering in articulate sounds or words; speaking; telling; relating; reciting'. Please also see the note for Romans C10S28 about the word gainsaying. Please also see the note for Matthew 26:1 about the word sayings (plural). Please also see the notes for Romans C15S15 and 2Corinthians 2:17 about the word speak. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 3:12-14 about the word speech. Please also see the notes for Ephesians C4S15 and 1Peter 2:1 about the phrase evil speaking. The words speaketh and saith mean that the person 'keeps on keeping on doing the saying'.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians 1:12 for links to where Paul is named within the Bible. Please see the note for Colossians C1S6 for links to every place where the phrase I Paul is used. Please also see the second half of the book called SbS-Preacher Missionaries about how God used Paul to show us how He uses a pastor / missionary to build the ministry.

Please use the link in the sentence above and see the notes for Romans C8S1; Galatians C6S8 and Hebrews 8:10-LJC about the word Spirit. The functional definition is: 'An intelligent being from the spiritual reality which is a super-set of the physical reality'. As seen in the summary part of the Study on Spirit, 'We are made spiritually alive when God's spirit quickens our spirit'. That study also provides links to many more verses which teach the same doctrine. Please use his link for links to every usage in the Bible where we find the phrase Spirit of the Lord. Please see the note for Romans C11S13 about the phrase spirit of slumber. Please see the note for Galatians 6:1 in Word Study on Spirit for links to every place where we find the word spiritual. Please see the notes for Romans C8S40; Ephesians C6S8 about the phrase spiritual powers. Please see the note for 1Peter C1S11 about the phrase spiritual verses physical. Please see the notes for Word Study on Spirit; Romans C14S20 and Colossians C3S5 about the phrase unclean spirits. Please see the note for please see the Word Study on Holy Ghost for links to every place in the Bible where we find the phrase Holy Ghost.

Please see the note for Galatians C1-S12 about Jerusalem. The functional definition for this word is: 'the central place of worship of the true God'. Several Bible dictionaries have quite large entries about Jerusalem because it is so important within the Bible and within world history outside of the Bible.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'finding. Ac 19:1; Mt 10:11; 2Ti 1:17 we. Ac 20:6-7; 28:14; Re 1:10 said. Ac 21:10-12; 20:22'.

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C21-S4 (Verse 5) they continued their travels after the seven days spent with those disciples.

Equivalent Section: the departure they received from the disciples.

First Step: they left after seven days.

And when we had accomplished those days,
we departed and went our way;.

Second Step: the disciples and their families accompanied them to the ship to show their appreciation for the encouragement received.

and they all brought us on our way,
with wives and children,
till we were out of the city:.

Equivalent Section: Everyone prayed together before departing from each other.

and we kneeled down on the shore,
and prayed.

Some might say that I am assuming things with what I wrote in the sentence outline. However, if you study, in detail, through Acts, like I have, You will understand the violence that true witnesses of the Gospel received. And, you will also understand the relief and even joy that true disciples felt when discovering other true disciples which they did not know about before the discovery. In addition they did not have the written New Testament at that time. They were much more dependent upon revelation from prophets, at that time. In addition, even with prophets available, they probably did not have a true apostle visit them very often. And, Paul was much more that other apostles, especially in explaining the Old Testament scriptures. Forthese, and many other reasons, i truly believe that these disciples were truly grateful for this visit by the mission team.

Please see the note for John 19:28 about the word accomplish. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'to complete; to finish entirely. that He would accomplish seventy years in the desolation of Jerusalem. Dan. 9 2. to execute; as to accomplish a vow, wrath or fury. Lev. 13 and 20. 3. to gain; to obtain or effect by successful exertions; as to accomplish a purpose. Prov. 13. 4. to fulfill or bring to pass; as, to accomplish a prophecy. this that is written must yet be accomplished in me. Luke, 22. 5. to furnish with qualities which serve to render the mind or body complete, as with valuable endowments and elegant manner'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 12:8 about the word depart. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'to go or move from. Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire. Matt. 25. It is followed by from, or from is implied before the place left. I will depart to my own land, that is, I will depart from this place to my own land. Num. 10. 2. to go from; to leave; to desist, as from a practice. Jehu departed not from the sins of Jeroboam. Jehoshaphat departed not from the way of Asa his father'.

Please see the notes for John 14:6; 1Corinthians C4S17 and Psalms 119 about the word way. The functional definition for this word is: 'How we get from our present condition/place in life to the time that we face the judgment of God upon our life'. Please also see the note for Mark 1:3 about the phrase way of the Lord. Please also see the note for Matthew 13:4 about the phrase way side.

Please see the note for Colossians C3S13 about the words wife / wives. The functional definition for this word is: 'The lawful consort of man; a woman who is united to man in the lawful bonds of wedlock; the correlative of husband'.

Please see the note for Galatians C4-S1 about the word child. The functional definition for this word is: 'Someone who has less physical or spiritual maturity than the speaker. This word has considerable latitude of meaning in Scripture. Thus, Joseph is called a child at the time when he was probably about sixteen years of age (Ge 37:3); and Benjamin is so called when he was above thirty years (Ge 44:20)'.. Please also see the note for Galatians C3S9 about the phrase children of Abraham. The functional definition is: 'The Jews claimed to be children of Abraham but Jesus said that the true children of Abraham would have his faith'. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 3:7-8 about the phrase children of Israel. Please also see the note for Romans C8S14; God in Romans : Romans C4S12 and 1Peter 2:1 about the phrase children of God. Please also see the note for Galatians 4:19-20 about the phrase my little children. Please also see the note for Mark 2:19 about the phrase children of the bridechamber. Please also see the note for Colossians 3:8 about the phrase children of disobedience. The functional definition is: 'Saved people who live a life of disobedience to God'. Please also see the note for Colossians 3:8 about the phrase children of wrath.

Please see the note for Mark 11:19 about the word city. The functional definition for this word is: 'An area where many people live together and have a local government rule over them'. Please also see the note for Romans C13S12 about the phrase city of refuge. Please also see the note for Matthew 4:5 about the phrase holy city.

Please see the note for Mark 1:40 about the word kneeling. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'Falling on the knees'.

Please see the note for Matthew 13:2 about the word shore. The functional definition for this word is: ' the coast or land adjacent to the sea, or to a large lake or river. this word is applied primarily to land contiguous to water; but it extends to the ground near the border of the sea or of a lake, which is covered with water'.

Please see the notes for Romans C15S25 and 2Corinthians C1S6 about the word pray. The functional definition for this word is: 'talking to God'. Please also see the Doctrinal Study called Pray for links to papers on prayer.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'and they. Ac 15:3; 17:10; 20:38 with. De 29:11-12; Jos 24:15; 2Ch 20:13; Ne 12:43; Mt 14:21 we kneeled. Ac 9:40; 20:36; 1Ki 8:54; Ps 95:6; Mr 1:40'.

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C21-S5 (Verse 6) the final departing.

First Step: the mission team got on the boat.

And when we had taken our leave one of another,
we took ship;.

Second Step: thre local disciples returned home.

and they returned home again.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Please see the note for Acts 2:27 about the word leave. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'n. 1. Permission; allowance; license; liberty granted by which restraint or illegality is removed. No friend has leave to bear away the dead. David earnestly asked leave of me. 1Sam. 20. 2. Farewell; adieu; ceremony of departure; a formal parting of friends; used chiefly in the phrase to take leave. Acts 18'.

Please see the note for John 6:16-17 about the word ship. The functional definition for this word is: 'For the most part, in the Bible, these are now called fishing boats'.

Please see the note for Acts 1:12 about the word return. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'v.i. L. torno. 1. to come or go back to the same place. the gentleman goes from the country to London and returns, or the citizen of London rides into the country and returns. the blood propelled from the heart, passes through the arteries to the extremities of the body, and returns through the veins. Some servants are good to go on errands, but not good to return. 2. to come to the same state; as, to return from bondage to a state of freedom. 3. to answer. He said, and thus the queen of heaven return'd. 4. to come again; to revisit. Thou to mankind be good and friendly still, and oft return. 5. to appear or begin again after a periodical revolution. With the year seasons return, but not to me returns day - 6. to show fresh signs of mercy. Return, O Lord, deliver my soul. Ps. 6. Toreturn to God, to return from wickedness, to repent of sin or wandering from duty'. Please also see the note for Matthew 17:1 about the phrase Jesus Christ will return in glory.

Please see the note for Mark 5:19 about the word home. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'A dwelling house; the house or place in which one resides. He was not at home. then the disciples went away again to their own home. John 20. Home is the sacred refuge of our life. 2. One's own country. Let affairs at home be well managed by the administration. 3. the place of constant residence; the seat. Flandria, by plenty, made the home of war. 4. the grave; death; or a future state. Man goeth to his long home. Eccles.12. 5. the present state of existence. Whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord. 2 Cor.5. HOME, a. Close; severe; poignant; as a home thrust.
1. to one's own habitation; as in the phrases, go home, come home, bring home, carry home. 2. to one's own country. Home is opposed to abroad, or in a foreign country. My brother will return home in the first ship from India. 3. Close; closely; to the point; as, this consideration comes home to our interest, that is, it nearly affects it. Drive the nail home, that is, drive it close. to haul home the top-sail sheets, in seamen's language, is to draw the bottom of the top-sail close to the yard-arm by means of the sheets. An anchor is said to come home, when it loosens from the ground by the violence of the wind or current, etc'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'taken. 2Co 2:13 they. Joh 1:11 (Gr) Joh 7:53; 16:32; 19:27'.

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C21-S6 (Verse 7) the next stop on the way home.

And when we had finished our course from Tyre,
we came to Ptolemais,
and saluted the brethren,
and abode with them one day.

Once again, we see them stopping to fellowship with the brethren and to encourage them.

Please see the note for Matthew 19:1 about the word finish. Webster's 1828 defines this word às: 'complete; as, to finish a house; to finish a journey. thus the heavens and the earth were finished. Gen. 2. 2. to make perfect. Episodes, taken separately, finish nothing. 3. to bring to an end; to end; to put an end to. Seventy weeks are determined on thy people, and on thy holy city, to finish the transgression, and make an end of sins. Dan. 9. 4. to perfect; to accomplish; to polish to the degree of excellence intended. in this sense it is frequently used in the participle of the perfect tense as an adjective. It is a finished performance. He is a finished scholar'.

Please see the note for Mark 7:24 about Tyre. The functional definition for this word is: 'a celebrated commercial city of Phoenicia, on the coast of the Mediterranean'.

Please see the note for Philippians 4:21 about the words salute / salutation. The functional definition for this word is: 'Webster's 1828 dictionary defines salute as: 'v.t. L. saluto; salus or salvus. 1. to greet; to hail; to address with expressions of kind wishes. If ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Matt 5. 2. to Please ; to gratify. Unusual. 3. to kiss. 4. In military and naval affairs, to honor some person or nation by a discharge of cannon or small arms, by striking colors, by shouts, etc.
SALU'TE, n. 1. the act of expressing kind wishes or respect; salutation; greeting. 2. A kiss. 3. In military affairs, a discharge of cannon or small arms in honor of some distinguished personage. A salute is sometimes performed by lowering the colors or beating the drums. the officers also salute each other by bowing their half pikes. 4. In the navy, a testimony of respect or deference rendered by the ships of one nation to the ships of another, or by ships of the same nation to a superior or equal. this is performed by a discharge of cannon, volleys of small arms, striking the colors or top-sails, or by shouts of the seamen mounted on the masts or rigging. When two squadrons meet, the two chiefs only are to exchange salutes'.

Please see the note for Luke 1:5 about the word course. The functional definition for this word is: 'A set way for someone or something to move from an existing position in order to reach a goal'.

Please see the note for Matthew 1:2 about the word brethren. The functional definition for this word is: 'Spiritually used for God's people: the Jews and the people are saved, baptized and active members of the church'.

The word abode is the past-tense form of the word abide. Please see the note for 1Corinthians C7S9 about the word abide. The functional definition for this word is: 'to be; to continue; to be; to dwell, rest, continue, stand firm, or be stationary for anytime indefinitely'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'and saluted. Ac 21:19; 18:22; 25:13; 1Sa 10:4; 13:10; Mt 5:47; Heb 13:24 abode. Ac 21:10; 28:12'.

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C21-S7 (Verse 8) the mission team went to the house of Philip the evangelist.

Equivalent Section: Where they went next.

And the next day we that were of Paul's company departed,
and came unto Caesarea:.

Equivalent Section: they abode with Philip the evangelist.

First Step: they went to his house.

and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelist,
which was one of the seven;.

Second Step: they stayed at his house.

and abode with him.

The phrase which was one of the seven means he was one of the first seven deacons. He was also the first to preach in Samaria, but people were not saved until Peter and John went there and opened the door for Samaritans, since they were apostles. (God restricted that ability to the eleven apostles.) Philip then preached to the Ethiopian eunuch and he was saved, which proved that the door was opened to all half-Jews. (The queen of the south was from Ethiopia and returned home pregnant. That is why there are black Jews.)

In addition to being an evangelist and providing place for saved people to rest, the next sentence shows us how he ruled his house. Please see it for more details.

Please see the note for John 6:5 about the word company. The functional definition for this word is: ' Any assemblage of persons or other animals, in a very indefinite sense'.. Please also see the note for Philippians 2:25 about the word companion. Please also see the note for Hebrews 6:9 about the word accompany. All of these words have a similar basic meaning while the technical details vary.

Please see the note for Mark 8:27 about the word Caesarea. The functional definition for this word is: 'A city on the Mediterranean which was visited by our Savior shortly before his transfiguration'.

Please see the note for John 10:9 about the word enter. The functional definition for this word is: 'to leave one place and go into another place'.

Please see the note for Ephesians 4:11 about the word evangelist. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'a "publsher of glad tidings;" a missionary preacher of the gospel (Eph 4:11). this title is applied to Philip (Ac 21:8), who appears to have gone from city to city preaching the word (Ac 8:4,40). Judging from the case of Philip, evangelists had neither the authority of an apostle, nor the gift of prophecy, nor the responsibility of pastoral supervision over a portion of the flock. they were itinerant preachers, having it as their special function to carry the gospel to places where it was previously unknown. the writers of the four Gospels are known as the Evangelists'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'we that. Ac 16:10,13,16; 20:6,13; 27:1; 28:11,16 Caesarea. Ac 8:40; 9:30; 10:1; 18:22; 23:23 Philip. Ac 6:5; 8:5-13,26-40 the evangelist. Eph 4:11; 2Ti 4:5'.

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C21-S8 (Verse 9) the daughters of Philip.

And the same man had four daughters,
virgins,
which did prophesy.

This spoke of the character of Philip that he raised these four daughters who had remained virgins ('had control over their physical desires') and 'pleased God with their lives' (which did prophesy).

Please see the note for John 12:14-15 about the word daughters. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'This word, besides its natural and proper sense, is used to designate, (1.) A niece or any female descendant (Ge 20:12; 24:48; 28:6). (2.) Women as natives of a place, or as professing the religion of a place; as, "the daughters of Zion" (Isa 3:16), "daughters of the Philistines" (2Sa 1:20). (3.) Small towns and villages lying around a city are its "daughters," as related to the metropolis or mother city. Tyre is in this sense called the daughter of Sidon (Isa 23:12). (4.) the people of Jerusalem are spoken of as "the daughters of Zion" (Isa 37:22). (5.) the daughters of a tree are its boughs (Ge 49:22). (6.) the "daughters of music" (Ec 12:4) are singing women'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 11:2 about the word virgin. The functional definition for this word is: 'Morrish Bible Dictionary defines virgin as: 'Used symbolically for those in separation from evil. Paul had espoused the saints at Corinth to one husband to 'present them as a chaste virgin to Christ.' 2Co 11:2: cf. Re 14:4. In their natural application the words apply to both sexes, and in 1Co 7:36-37 it is perhaps better translated "his virginity"'.

Please see the notes for Romans C12S5; 1Corinthians C11S4; 1Thessalonians 5:20 about the word prophecy / prophesy. The functional definition for this word is: 'the world claims that this word means a foretelling; prediction; a declaration of something to come. True Biblical prophecy is telling the Law of God when religious doctrine took people away from the truth. Before the word of God was complete, true prophecy was accompanied by a true telling of a future event to show thayt the message came from God. Since the word of God has been complete, true prophecy matches the word of God to correct doctrinal error. the prophecies recorded in Scripture, when fulfilled, afford most convincing evidence of the divine original of the Scriptures, as those who uttered the prophecies could not have foreknown the events predicted without supernatural instruction. 2 Pet.1. 2. In Scripture, a book of prophecies; a history; as the prophecy of Ahijah. 2 Chron. 9. 3. Preaching; public interpretation of Scripture; exhortation or instruction. Prov.31'. Please also see the note above for links to the word prophet.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'virgins. 1Co 7:25-34,38 which. Ac 2:17; Ex 15:20; Jg 4:4; 2Ki 22:14; Ne 6:14; Joe 2:28; 1Co 11:4-5; Re 2:20 General references. exp: Jg 4:4.'.

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C21-S9 (Verse 10) A prophet came while they stayed with Philip and his daughters many days.

And as we tarried there many days,
there came down from Judaea a certain prophet,
named Agabus.

Please see the note for John 7:3 about the words Jewry / Judaea / Judea / Judah. The Morrish Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'This name occurs in Ezr 5:8 for the territory of Judah; in Da 5:13 the same is called JEWRY. In the N.T. the name at times refers to a much larger district, including all south of about 32 5' N with the plain on the west border of the land to mount Carmel as generally shown on N.T. maps. the land was thus divided by Rome, with Samaria in the centre, and Galilee in the north. In Lu 3:1 Judaea embraces the above and Samaria; but in other passages a smaller area than the above is implied. Ac 12:19 speaks of Herod going down from Judaea to Caesarea, whereas Caesarea would be part of the Judaea of the Romans. Paul, in Ga 1:22; 1Th 2:14, speaks of the 'churches of Judaea' which would seem to embrace the whole of Palestine. the context will almost always show the extent of the district intended. It is called JEWRY in Lu 23:5; Joh 7:1.'. the functional definition is: 'The area of land generally associated with the Southern Kingdom and religious control by Jewish rulers but which varies in size from one reference to another'.

Please see the notes for Luke 1:76; Romans C16S33; Romans C12S5 and Jude about the word prophet. In addition, false prophets are covered in the Study called False things according to the Bible. The most popular religious definition for this word is: 'someone who foretells the future'. However, that definition tends to limit the thinking of people to only those statements when, actually, the majority of their message was doctrinal. Please also see the note for John 1:45 about the phrase law and the prophets. Please also see the links for Prophecies and Prophecies Fulfilled in the Gospel Significant Events Study and the New Testament Significant Events Study.

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C1S1 and Philippians 2:9-11 about the word name. The functional definition is: 'How a person or thing is identified. In the Bible, the power and authority which is associated with the name is always part of the message where this word is used'. Please see the note for 1Corinthians C1S4 about the phrase the name. That note has links to every place in the New Testament where the phrase in the name. occurs along with links to where similar phrases occur in the New Testament. Please see the note for 1Peter 4:14-LJC about the name of Christ. Please see the note for Luke 13:35 about the phrase name of the Lord. Please also see the Summary and verses documents about the use of this word for the Son of God. Please also see the note for Acts 1:23 about the word surname.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'as. Ac 21:4,7; 20:16 Agabus. Ac 11:28'.

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C21-S10 (Verse 11) Once again Paul receives a prophecy of future mistreatment by the Jews in the Jerusalem Church.

And when he was come unto us,
he took Paul's girdle,
and bound his own hands and feet,
and said,
Thus, saith the Holy Ghost,
So shall the Jews at Jerusalem bind the man that owneth this girdle,
and shall deliver him into the hands of the Gentiles.

As with every other place where we read about this type of prophecy, God's Holy Ghost is saying what will happen to Paul. And, many, even today, misunderstand the message. It was not for Paul to disobey a command from his Lord and not go. It was a testimony to all of the saved that Paul obeyed his Lord, no matter what the command was and no matter what personal consequences would result from the obedience. This is another testimony of Paul's character and of Paul's obedience.

Please see the note for Matthew 3:4 about the word girdle. The functional definition for this word is: 'Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: '(1.) Heb hagor, a girdle of any kind worn by soldiers (1Sa 18:4; 2Sa 20:8; 1Ki 2:5; 2Ki 3:21) or women (Isa 3:24). (2.) Heb 'ezor, something "bound," worn by prophets (2Ki 1:8; Jer 13:1), soldiers (Isa 5:27; 2Sa 20:8; Eze 23:15), Kings (Job 12:18).
(3.) Heb mezah, a "band," a girdle worn by men alone (Ps 109:19; Isa 22:21).
(4.) Heb 'abnet, the girdle of sacerdotal and state officers (Ex 28:4,39-40; 29:9; 39:29).
(5.) Heb hesheb, the "curious girdle" (Ex 28:8; R.V., "cunningly woven band") was attached to the ephod, and was made of the same material.
The common girdle was made of leather (2Ki 1:8; Mt 3:4); a finer sort of linen (Jer 13:1; Eze 16:10; Da 10:5). Girdles of sackcloth were worn in token of sorrow (Isa 3:24; 22:12). they were variously fastened to the wearer (Mr 1:6; Jer 13:1; Eze 16:10).
The girdle was a symbol of strength and power (Job 12:18,21; 30:11; Isa 22:21; 45:5). "Righteousness and faithfulness" are the girdle of the Messiah (Isa 11:5).
Girdles were used as purses or pockets (Mt 10:9. A. V., "purses;" R.V., marg., "girdles." Also Mr 6:8)'. Please also see the note for Luke 12:35-36 about the word gird.

Please also see the note for Luke 8:29 about the word bound. Please also see the note for Mark 3:27 about the word bind. The functional definition of the word bound is: 'Past-tense of bind. As a participle, made fast by a band, or by chains or fetters; obliged by moral ties; confined; restrained'. The functional definition of the word bind is: 'To tie together, or confine with a cord, or anything that is flexible; to fasten as with a band, fillet or ligature'.

Please see the note for Acts 1:7 about the word own. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'Belonging to; possessed; peculiar; usually expressing property with emphasis, or in express exclusion of others. It follows my, your, his, their, thy, her. God created man in his own image. Adam begat a son in his own likeness. Let them fall by their own counsel. He washed us from our sins in his own blood. In the phrases, his own nations, his own country, the word own denotes that the person belongs to the nation or country. 2. Own often follows a verb; as, the book is not my own, that is, my own book. 3. It is used as a substitute. That they may dwell in a place of their own. 2Sam. 7. in this use, a noun cannot follow own. 4. "He came to his own, and his own received him not," that is, his own nation or people; own being here used as a substitute, like many other adjectives.
OWN, v.t. from the adjective. 1. to have the legal or rightful title to; to have the exclusive right of possession and use. A free holder in the United states owns his farm. Men often own land or goods which are not in their possession. 2. to have the legal right to, without the exclusive right to use; as, a man owns the land in front of his farm to the middle of the highway. 3. to acknowledge to belong to; to avow or admit that the property belongs to. When you come, find me out and own me for your son. 4. to avow; to confess, as a fault, crime or other act; that is, to acknowledge that one has done the act; as, to own the faults of youth; to own our guilt. the man is charged with theft, but he has not owned it. 5. In general, to acknowledge; to confess; to avow; to admit to be true; not to deny; as, to own our weakness and frailty. Many own the gospel of salvation more from custom than conviction.'. Please also see the note for Acts 27:11 about the word owner.

Please see the note for Luke 1:76 about the word feet. Fausset's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'n. plu of foot. Sandals covered only the soles, so that the feet needed washing when coming from a journey. In Joh 13:10 a distinct Greek word expresses bathing the whole person and washing the feet; "he that is washed (leloumenos) needeth not save to wash (nipsasthai) his feet, but is clean every whit." When one has been, as Peter, once for all wholly forgiven in regeneration, and so received the bathing of the whole man, i.e. justification through faith in Jesus, he needs no repetition of this as Peter requested; all he needs is cleansing from the soils that his feet contract in his daily life walk. Hence we daily pray, "give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as," etc. (1Jo 1:9.) So the priests in entering the house of God (Ex 30:19). It was an act of humble deference to guests to wash the feet (Lu 7:38-44; 1Ti 5:10). Disciples, after Christ's example, were to wash one another's feet, "by love serving one another" (Ga 5:13). the sandals were taken off in entering a house, hence the command to Moses (Ex 3:5) and to Joshua (Jos 5:15); compare Ec 5:1. to put them on was to prepare for active duty (Eze 24:17); whereas mourners went barefoot (2Sa 15:30). to "cover the feet" was the delicate expression for easing oneself, preparatory to which the loose garment was let fall to cover the person (1Sa 24:3; compare margin 2Ki 18:27). Putting the feet on captives' necks, as Joshua did (Jos 10:24), symbolizes complete mastery (Ps 110:1; 1Co 15:25; Isa 60:14)'.

Please see the notes for Romans C7S16; 1Corinthians C3S17; Philippians 1:3-7 and Colossians C1S6 about the word holy. The functional definition for this word is: 'pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections. Applied to the Supreme Being, holy signifies perfectly pure, immaculate and complete in moral character; and man is more or less holy, as his heart is more or less sanctified, or purified from evil dispositions. We call a man holy, when his heart is conformed in some degree to the image of God, and his life is regulated by the divine precepts. Hence, holy is used as nearly synonymous with good, pious, Godly'. Please see the Word Study on Spirit for links to every place in the Bible where we find the phrase Holy Spirit. Please see the Word Study on Holy Ghost for links to every place in the Bible where we find the phrase Holy Ghost. Please see the note for Matthew 4:5 about the phrase holy city. Please also see the note for 1John 2:20 about the phrase Holy One. Please also see the note for John 7:39 about the phrase Holy Spirit, indwelling.

Please see the note for Mark 9:31 about the word delivered. The functional definition for this word is: 'Freed; released; transferred or transmitted; passed from one to another; committed; yielded; surrendered; rescued; uttered; pronounced'.

Please see the notes for Romans C15S13 and Galatians C2-S4 about the word Gentile. The functional definition for this word is: 'In the scriptures, a pagan; a worshipper of false gods; any person not a Jew or a christian; a heathen'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'he took. 1Sa 15:27-28; 1Ki 11:29-31; 2Ki 13:15-19; Jer 13:1-11; 19:10-11; Eze 24:19-25; Ho 12:10 thus. Ac 13:2; 16:6; 20:23; 28:25; Heb 3:7; 1Pe 1:12 So shall. Ac 21:33; 22:25; 24:27; 26:29; 28:20; Eph 3:1; 4:1; 6:20; 2Ti 2:9; Heb 10:34 and shall. Ac 28:17; Mt 20:18-19; 27:1-2 General references. exp: Eze 3:25; Php 1:13.'.

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C21-S11 (Verse 12) the reaction of the Mission Team to the prophecy.

And when we heard these things,
both we,
and they of that place,
besought him not to go up to Jerusalem.

Once more we see saved people more concerned about the physical than they are the spiritual. Yes, Paul suffered and died. He also preached to at least two kings and the household of Caesar. He also wrote the 'Prison Epistles', which we would not have if he was free to keep visiting churches. God had to put him into a position whereby the only communication, which he was allowed, was letters. He also pronounced (prophesied) the final judgment on the Jerusalem Church. (Please see the links for Prophecies in the New Testament Significant Events Study.)

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C12S14 and Galatians C3-S7 about the word hear. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'Perceiving by the ear. This word is often used symbolically for hearing the spiritual message of the word of God, as sound. 1. Listening to; attending to; obeying; observing what is commanded. 2. Attending to witnesses or advocates in a judicial trial; trying'. Please pay attention to the word 'obey' within this definition. That is what most people refuse to do when the Bible says that they do not hear. Please also see the note for James 2:5 about the word hearken. Please also see the note for Mark 4:9 about the phrase He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 12:8 about the word besought. The functional definition for this word is: 'the past-tense form of the word beseech'. Please also see the note for Romans C12S1 about the word beseech. The functional definition for this word is: 'To entreat; to supplicate; to implore; to ask or pray with urgency'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'besought. Ac 21:4; 20:22; Mt 16:21-23 General references. exp: Eze 3:25; Php 1:13.'.

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C21-S12 (Verse 13) the first part of Paul's answer.

Then Paul answered,
What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart?.

As explained several times, Paul is obeying a personal command from his Lord without any personal physical consideration. The more that his friends, and other saved brethren, try to dissuade him, the more they make him want to weep and to break his heart. However, they can not convince him to disobey a personal command from his Lord. There are times that God commands certain servants of His to do something which goes against all natural reasoning and which everyone else believes is wrong even though they do not have a Biblical law saying that the action is wrong. They may have a natural reason or a religious reason or even a Biblical application, but none of those have the authority of a Biblical law, which requires finding where the Bible says something literally and says it at least twice. Likewise, none of these people had the authority to order an apostle to disobey a personal command from his Lord. Nevertheless, their begging caused Paul to weep and to break mine heart.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 5:12 about the word answer. The functional definition for this word is: 'To speak in return to a call or question, or to a speech, declaration or argument of another person; as, "I have called and ye have not answered." "He answered the question or the argument."'.

Please see the note for Luke 15:26 about the word mean (singular) / meant. The functional definition for this word is: 'To have in the mind, view or contemplation; to intend. What mean you By this service? Ex.12. 2. to intend; to purpose; to design, with reference to a future act. Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it for good. Gen.1. 3. to signify; to indicate. What mean these seven ewe lambs? Gen.21. What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? 1 Sam.4. Go ye, and learn what that meaneth-- Matt.9.
MEAN, v.i. to have thought or ideas; or to have meaning'.

Please see the note for John 20:11-12 about the word weep. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'to express sorrow, grief or anguish by outcry. this is the original sense. But in present usage, to manifest and express grief by outcry or by shedding tears. they all wept sore, and fell on Paul's neck, and kissed him. Acts 20. Phocion was rarely seen to weep or to laugh. 2. to shed tears from any passion. Persons sometimes weep for joy. 3. to lament; to complain. Numbers 11.
WEEP, v.t. 1. to lament; to bewail; to bemoan. We wandring go through dreary wastes, and weep each others woe. 2. to shed moisture; as, to weep tears of joy. Groves whose rich trees wept odrous gum and balm. 3. to drop; as the weeping amber. 4. to abound with wet; as weeping grounds'.

Please see the note for Matthew 5:19 about the words break / brake / broke. The functional definition for this word is: ' to part or divide by force and violence, as a solid substance; to rend apart; as, to break a band; to break a thread or a cable'. Please also see the note for Luke 12:39 about the word broken. Please also see the note for Romans C11S21 about the phrase broken off.

Please see the note for Romans C10S6; 2Corinthians C2S4 and Colossians C2S1 about the word heart. The functional definition for this word is: 'Our heart controls the same things as our soul only where the soul deals with the long term the heart deals with the short term and we control our heart directly while the soul is the accumulated actions of our heart. Both are the way we think (mind), the way we emotionally respond to circumstances (emotions) and the method we use to make decisions (will)'. Please also see the note for Galatians C6S6 about the phrase Lord looketh on the heart. Please also see the note for Ephesians C4S8 about the phrase wicked heart.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'What. 1Sa 15:14; Isa 3:15; Eze 18:2; Jon 1:6 to weep. Ac 20:37; 1Sa 1:8; Php 2:26; 2Ti 1:4 General references. exp: Eze 3:25; Mt 26:46; Php 1:13'.

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C21-S13 (Verse 13) the second part of Paul's answer. Why he will obey his Lord without any personal physical consideration.

for I am ready not to be bound only,
but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus .

in this sentence, Paul states the price that he is willing to pay in order to obey a personal order from our Lord Jesus. Our next sentence is added to this sentence by starting with the word and. Please also see it.

Please see the note for Acts 17:11 about the words readiness / ready. Webster's 1828 defines the word ready as: 'a. red'y. Eng. to rid; redo, ready; rida, to ride; bereda, to prepare. Gr. easy. the primary sense is to go, move, or advance forward, and it seems to be clear that ready, ride, read, riddle, are all of one family, and probably from the root of L. gradior. See Read and Red. 1. Quick; prompt; not hesitating; as ready wit; a ready consent. 2. Quick to receive or comprehend; not slow or dull; as a ready apprehension. 3. Quick in action or execution; dextrous; as an artist ready in his business; a ready writer. Ps. 45. 4. Prompt; not delayed present in hand. He makes ready payment; he pays ready money for every thing he buys. 5. Prepared; fitted; furnished with what is necessary, or disposed in a manner suited to the purpose; as a ship ready for sea. My oxen and fatlings are killed, and all things are ready. Matt 22. 6. Willing; free; cheerful to do or suffer; not backward or reluctant; as a prince always ready to grant the reasonable requests of his subjects. The spirit is ready, but the flesh is weak. Mark 14. I am ready not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. Acts 21. 7. Willing; disposed. Men are generally ready to impute blame to others. they are more ready to give than to take reproof. 8. Being at the point; near; not distant; about to do or suffer. A Syrian ready to perish was my father. Deut. 26. Job 29. Ps. 88. 9. Being nearest or at hand. A sapling pine he wrench'd from out the ground, the readiest weapon that his fury found. 10. Easy; facile; opportune; short; near, or most convenient; the Greek sense. Sometimes the readiest way which a wise man has to conquer, is to flee. Through the wild desert, not the readiest way. The ready way to be thought mad, is to contend you are not so. 1. to make ready, to prepare; to provide and put in order. 2. An elliptical phrase, for make things ready; to make preparations; to prepare. READY, adv. red'y. In a state of preparation, so as to need no delay. We ourselves will go ready armed before the house of Israel. Num. 32.
READY, n. red'y. forready money. Lord Strut was not flush in ready, either to go to law, or to clear old debts. A low word.'. Webster's 1828 defines the word readiness as: 'n. red'iness. from ready. 1. Quickness; promptness; promptitude; facility; freedom from hinderance or obstruction; as readiness of speech; readiness of thought; readiness of mind in suggesting an answer; readiness of reply. 2. Promptitude; cheerfulness; willingness; alacrity; freedom from reluctance; as, to grant a request or assistance with readiness. They received the word with all readiness of mind. Acts 17. 3. A state of preparation; fitness of condition. the troops are in readiness'.

Please see the notes for Romans C6S4; 2Corinthians 2:15; Philippians 1:19-20 and Colossians C1S4 about the words dead / death / die. The functional definition for this word is: 'Physical death is separation of soul and spirit from body and the second death is eternal separation from God'. Please also see the notes for Revelation 2:11; Revelation 20:6; Revelation 20:14 and Revelation 21:8 about the phrase death, second.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'for. Ac 20:24; Ro 8:35-37; 1Co 15:31; 2Co 4:10-17; 11:23-27; Php 1:20-21; 2:17; Col 1:24; 2Ti 2:4-6; 4:6; 2Pe 1:14; Re 3:10; 12:11 General references. exp: Eze 3:25; Mt 26:46; Php 1:13'.

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C21-S14 (Verse 14) they finally accepted that this was the will of the Lord for Paul and no physical threat could keep him from doing the will of the Lord.

And when he would not be persuaded,
we ceased,
saying,
The will of the Lord be done.

This sentence is added to our prior sentence by starting with the word and. Please also see the prior sentence. Here, we see that the missions team finally accepted that they could not persuade Paul to not go to Jerusalem. They stated their acceptance when they said: The will of the Lord be done.

Please see the note for Romans C8S40 about the word persuade. Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines for this word as: 'influence by argument, advice, intreaty or expostulation; to draw or incline the will to a determination by presenting motives to the mind. I should be glad, if I could persuade him to write such another critick on anything of mine. Almost thou persuadest me to be a christian. Acts.26. 2. to convince by argument, or reasons offered; or to convince by reasons suggested by reflection or deliberation, or by evidence presented in any manner to the mind. Beloved, we are persuaded better things of you. Heb.6. 3. to inculcate by argument or expostulation. Little used. 4. to treat by persuasion. Not in use'.

Please see the note for Hebrews 10:2 about the word cease. The functional definition for this word is: ' to stop moving, acting or speaking; to leave of; to give over; followed by from before a noun'. Please also see the note for Luke 9:30 about the word decease.

The meaning of the word wilt, does not match what is found in a man-written dictionary. The true Biblical meaning is: 'The will applied at a lifestyle level. That is: a decision of will which does not change throughout the life.'. Please also see the note for Philippians 1:15-17 about the word will. The functional definition for this word is: 'That faculty of the mind by which we determine either to do or forbear an action; the faculty which is exercised in deciding, among two or more objects, which we shall embrace or pursue'. Please also see the note for Philippians 1:15-17 about the word will. The functional definition for this word is: 'That faculty of the mind by which we determine either to do or forbear an action; the faculty which is exercised in deciding, among two or more objects, which we shall embrace or pursue'. Please also see the note for 1Peter 2:15 about the phrase will of God. Please also see the Message called The Will of God for the application of these sentences in the life of the believer.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'The will. Ge 43:14; 1Sa 3:18; 2Sa 15:25-26; 2Ki 20:19; Mt 6:10; 26:39,42; Lu 11:2; 22:42'.

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C21-S15 (Verse 15) the entire mission team went to Jerusalem.

And after those days we took up our carriages,
and went up to Jerusalem.

After traveling most of the way by ship, they carried their 'baggage' (carriages) because the rest of the way is strictly by land.

We find forms of the word carriage in: Judges 18:21; 1Samuel 17:22; Isaiah 10:28; Isaiah 46:1; Acts 21:15. The Morrish Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'This does not appear to be ever used in the scriptures in the modern sense of the word, but signifies 'the thing carried,' 'baggage.' Jg 18:21; 1Sa 17:22; Isa 10:28; Ac 21:15. the meaning in Isa 46:1 is probably that the idols which were once 'carried' with joy in festal processions (cf. Am 5:26) are now 'lifted up as loads' to be carried on beasts of burden'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'and went. Ac 18:22; 25:1,6,9'.

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C21-S16 (Verse 16) this sentence tells us how provided the place for the mission team to stay.

There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea,
and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus,
an old disciple,
with whom we should lodge.

Please see the note for Mark 4:32 about the word lodge. Fausset's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'To pass the night (Hebrew luwn). Isa 10:29, the Assyrian invaders "have taken their lodging (their bivouac) at Geba." Song 7:11; Ne 4:22. the "lodge" (Isa 1:8), and "cottage" (Isa 24:20), "the earth shall reel to and fro... and be removed as a cottage," refer to a temporary hut, or in the latter passage a hammock suspended from trees, to secure from wild beasts the watcher of gardens or lands in the night'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'of the. Ac 21:8; 10:24,48 Cyprus. Ac 21:3; 11:19; 15:39 exp: Ac 4:36; 27:4. an old. Ps 71:17-18; 92:14; Pr 16:31; Ro 16:7; Phm 1:9; 1Jo 2:13-14'.

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C21-S17 (Verse 17) the Mission Team received a different welcome than Paul received.

And when we were come to Jerusalem,
the brethren received us gladly.

There could be several reasons for this welcome, such as they were known, but all such claims would be speculation. The main point of this sentence is the contrast to how Paul was received.

Please see the notes for Romans C14S1; 1Corinthians C15S1 and Colossians C2-S4 about the word receive. The functional definition for this word is: 'To take, as a thing offered or sent; to accept'. In addition, please see the note for Matthew 10:41, which explains that in order to truly receive a person, we must receive their character as our own.

Please see the note for Hebrews 1:9 about the word glad. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'pleased; affected with pleasure or moderate joy; moderately happy. A wise son maketh a glad father. Prov.10. It is usually followed by of. I am glad of an opportunity to oblige my friend. It is sometimes followed by at. He that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished. Prov.17. It is sometimes followed by with. the Trojan, glad with sight of hostile blood-- With, after glad, is unusual, and in this passage at would have been preferable. 2. Cheerful; joyous. they blessed the king, and went to their tents, joyful and glad of heart. 1 Kings 8. 3. Cheerful; wearing the appearance of joy; as a glad countenance. 4. Wearing a gay appearance; showy; bright. the wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them. Is.35. Glad evening and glad mourn crown'd the fourth day. 5. Pleasing; exhilarating. Her conversation More glad to me than to a miser money is. 6. Expressing gladness or joy; exciting joy. Hark! a glad voice the lonely desert cheers. GLAD, v.t. the pret. and pp. gladed is not used. See Gladden. to make glad; to affect with pleasure; to cheer; to gladden; to exhilarate. Each drinks the juice that glads the heart of man'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'the brethren. Ac 15:4; Ro 15:7; Heb 13:1-2; 3Jo 1:7-8'.

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C21-S18 (Verse 18) Paul went to meet the leaders of the Jerusalem Church.

First Step: the entire Mission Team went.

And the day following Paul went in with us unto James;

Second Step: All of the church leaders were present.

and all the elders were present.

This sentence tells who was at the initial meeting.

There are several James mentioned in the Bible. This James was the chief administrator of the Jerusalem Church. I believe he was the half-brother of Jesus and the author of the book of James.

Please see the note for 1Timothy 5:1 about the word elder. The functional definition for this word is: 'An older saved person within the church who has Godly wisdom and is accepted as a leader in the church even if he has no formal position within the church'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 4:13-14 about the word present. The functional definition for this word is: 'Webster's 1828 dictionary defines present as: '1. Being in a certain place; opposed to absent. 2. Being before the face or near; being in company. Inquire of some of the gentlemen present. these things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you. John 14. 3. Being now in view or under consideration. In the present instance, facts will not warrant the conclusion. the present question must be decided on different principles. 4. Now existing, or being at this time; not past or future; as the present session of congress. the court is in session at the present time. We say, a present good, the present year or age. 5. Ready at hand; quick in emergency; as present wit. 'Tis a high point of philosophy and virtue for a man to be present to himself. 6. Favorably attentive; not heedless; propitious. Nor could I hope in any place but there to find a god so present to my prayer. 7. Not absent of mind; not abstracted; attentive. the present, an elliptical expression for the present time. At present, elliptically for, at the present time. Present tense, in grammar, the tense or form of a verb which expresses action or being in the present time, as I am writing; or something that exists at all times, as virtue is always to be preferred to vice; or it expresses habits or general truths, as plants spring from the earth; fishes swim; reptiles creep; birds fly; some animals subsist on herbage, others are carnivorous.
PRES'ENT, n. that which is presented or given; a gift; a donative; something given or offered to another gratuitously; a word of general application. Gen.32. Presents' in the plural, is used in law for a deed of conveyance, a lease, letter of attorney or other writing; as in the phrase, "Know all men by these presents," that is, by the writing itself, per presentes. in this sense, it is rarely used in the singular'. Please also see the note for Philippians 2:12 about the phrase presence.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'unto. Ac 15:13; Mt 10:2; Ga 1:19; 2:9; Jas 1:1 all. Ac 15:2,6,23; 20:17 General references. exp: Ac 15:6.'.

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C21-S19 (Verse 19) Paul did the talking and started with the report of the mission trip.

And when he had saluted them,
he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry.

This is what missionaries are supposed to do when they report to their sending church. in this case, Paul did the same because the Jerusalem Church was the 'mother church'.

Please pay attention to the fact that Paul declared particularly what things God had wrought. Therefore, while they probably did not believe they were doing so, their complaint against Paul was a complaint against what things God had wrought. In addition, we have not had a report of God using the Jerusalem Church since the church leaders complained against Peter because God had used him to save a Gentile. It appears as if, from then through now, God stopped using this church and that God also removed His blessings because many church members were starving. However, instead of truly being thankful for the blessings which Paul brought, they complained against him because many thousands of Jews believed unverified lies made against Paul. Thus, they proved that their perspective was wrong and that they were following the way of Satan, which is why God destroyed their church. No person and no church is so big that they / it can get away with ongoing defiance of the doctrinal correction by God.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 5:5 about the word wrought. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'Worked; formed by work or labor; as wrought iron. 2. Effected; performed. She hath wrought a good work upon me. Matthew 26. 3. Effected; produced. He wrought the public safety. A great change was wrought in his mind. this wrought the greatest confusion in the unbelieving Jews. 4. Used in labor. the elders of that city shall take a heifer that hath not been wrought with. Deuteronomy 21. 5. Worked; driven; as infection wrought out of the body. Not used. 6. Actuated. Vain Morat, by his own rashness wrought-- 7. Worked; used; labored in. the mine is still wrought. 8. formed; fitted. He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God. 2 Corinthi and 5. 9. Guided; managed. Not used. 10. Agitated; disturbed. My dull brain was wrought with things forgot. Wrought on or upon, influenced; prevailed on. His mind was wrought upon by divine grace. Wrought to or up to, excited; inflamed. their minds were wrought up to a violent passion. She was wrought up to the tenderest emotion of pity'.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians 1:11 about the word declare. The functional definition for this word is: 'to make clear'

We find forms of the word particular only in: Acts 21:19; 1Corinthians 12:27; Ephesians 5:33; Hebrews 9:5. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'n. Distinct notice or specification of particulars. --Even descending to particularities, what kingdoms he should overcome. 1. Singleness; individuality; single act; single case. 2. Petty account; minute incident. Tosee the titles that were most agreeable to such an emperor--with the like particularities-- 3. Something belonging to single persons. 4. Something peculiar or singular. I saw an old heathen altar with this particularity,that it was hollowed like a dish at one end, but not the end on which the sacrifice was laid. 5. Minuteness in detail. He related the story with great particularity'.

Please see the notes for Proverbs 9 Study and Ephesians C4S7 about the word ministry. The functional definition for this word is: 'The god-given work to build the kingdom of God here on earth'. All of life is choices. The main purpose of a ministry for God is the help people understand the need to be wise and then help them to become wise. That starts with salvation but continues with sanctification. Then people had to learn how to make choices which will get theme the blessings of God.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'he declared. Ac 11:4-18; 14:27; 15:4,12; Ro 15:18-19; 1Co 3:5-9; 15:10; 2Co 6:1; Col 1:29 by. Ac 1:17; 20:24; 2Co 12:12 General references. exp: Ac 21:37; Ga 1:24.'.

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C21-S20 (Verse 20-21) the church leaders tell Paul their church problem and demand that he solve it.

Equivalent Section: the church leaders quickly acknowledged God then dismissed God to deal with their own problem.

First Step: the church leaders glorified God for His saving many people and immediately went to their own problem.

And when they heard it,
they glorified the Lord,
and said unto him,
Thou seest,
brother,
how many thousands of Jews there are which believe;.

Second Step: they had many thousands who were zealous for doctrinal error.

and they are all zealous of the law:

Equivalent Section: the many thousands had been told unverified lies.

And they are informed of thee,
that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses,
saying that they ought not to circumcise their children,
neither to walk after the customs.

The phrases in our sentence can be explained as:

The phrase And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord means: 'The church leaders glorified the Lord for how He worked among the Gentiles but moved to their problem so fast that it is reported in the same sentence. Therefore, their glorifying the Lord was only a surface consideration that they were required to get out of the way before they got to the problem which was their real concern'.
The phrase and said unto him means: 'They said the following to Paul'.
The phrase Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are which believe means: 'You personally see this problem of our church'.
The phrase and they are all zealous of the law means: 'These many thousands of Jews are all zealous to keep what God has clearly set aside and, at least three times, informed the Jerusalem Church that He set it aside'. Therefore, their problem was that they had many thousands of Jews who refused to obey God and set aside religious traditions to follow a personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ.
The phrase And they are informed of thee means: 'They have been told unverified lies about you personally'.
The phrase that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses means: 'This is what they were told which has not been verified'.
The phrase saying that they ought not to circumcise their children, neither to walk after the customs means: 'The lying Jews made claims which were not verified'. Paul had Timothy and others circumcised because of Jewish sensibilities about their religious customs even though it is not required in the new Testament. Where is this in Paul's writing? Yes, he told believers to maintain their personal relationship with our Lord Jesus Christ, but where did he write these commands? Yes, he wrote that there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek, but that does not fulfill these accusations. No, these were lies told by devil-motivated people who may have been saved but who still did evil.

One thing that I keep emphasizing to Bible School students is the need to verify anything that someone tells you is in the Bible. The world is full of liars and religious liars are the worse. In addition, most Bible liars are people who claim to be some Bible authority and are repeating some lie which they heard, and liked in their natural sinful self, and started repeating without bothering to verify what they were told. The word verily, in the Gospels, means: 'verify'. Every time that Jesus said verily, He meant that 'He had verified what he said and that we are commanded to verify the same'. Every time that Jesus said verily, verily, in the Gospel of John, He was speaking as the Son of God and telling us a doctrine that is part of God's law and that we will be judged for how well we obeyed that law. (When something is said, literally, two or more times in the word of God, it is part of the law of God that will be used to judge men.)

The church leaders told Paul their church problem and demand that he solve it by compromising true doctrine to accommodate what God had rejected but what Jews demanded be kept. The second next sentence makes it clear that they demand Paul to compromise his doctrine instead of finding the truth.

These elders could have handled this a better way and probably would have had better results for themselves, their children and their church. Think about it. They already had the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15) where they determined that God was not requiring the Gentiles to keep the Law and they sent Paul to the Gentiles. Therefore, they had approved his teaching that it was not necessary to keep the Law in order to be saved. They also knew that there were many Jews who lied and tried to stir up riots in many cities because Paul taught the Gentiles to not keep the Law. Now they had liars teaching their immature church members to believe a lie. Instead of teaching them the things that they had determined in their Council and teaching these members to put the will of the Lord above religious traditions, they allowed this error to grow and destroy many. They should have firmly taught the truth about the Law after their Council in Acts 15. Instead they were more concerned about getting many thousands of Jews...which believe.

Many churches throughout history have made the same error. They compromise a doctrine from the Lord in order to get more people to profess salvation or sanctification while still sinning. That causes the church membership to be flooded with immature people who continue to sin and demand further compromises in doctrine until God has to destroy the church in judgment. Yes, they increase membership for a little while, but also assure the eventual destruction of the church.

This verse and the next are the first sentence of the response from all the elders of the Jerusalem church. Paul had delivered evidence of the Lord saving thousands of people. Yet there was a problem with a reported difference between the doctrine of the Jerusalem church and what was reported as the doctrine taught by Paul. The real disagreement was over what Paul taught all the Jews which are among the Gentiles. Acts 21:27 says that it was the Jews which were of Asia who stirred up all the people, and laid hands on him. These same Jews were the ones who were disputing with Stephen (Acts 6:9) which led to his martyrdom because he put personal obedience to the Lord over keeping religious doctrine. In response, Paul and his missionaries were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia (Acts 16:6). God did let Paul preach the gospel out of a Gentile church so that all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. (Acts 19:10). However, God made sure that when these Jews in Asia received the gospel, it was through a source that also said that salvation did not require keeping the Mosaic Law.

In addition, the end of Acts Acts 19 tells us how men who were made rich through pagan worship of false gods tried to start a riot against Paul's teaching. God was showing these Jews in Asia that they were lining up with pagan worshipers, but they didn't care and refused to see God's lesson. Acts 19:26 tells us that Ephesus is in Asia and the letter to the Ephesians is concentrated on all that we have in Christ which is denied to those who try to have sanctification through keeping religious laws.

With Paul having to write a letter to explain this doctrinal difference, all the elders of the Jerusalem church should have known about this doctrinal fight coming out of this area and they did know the decision of our Lord because Acts 21:25 records their admitting this knowledge. While I could go on, I will end with the fact that Revelation was written to the seven churches which are in Asia (Revelation 1:1). The Lord told three of these churches I have a few things against thee (Revelation 2:4, Revelation 2:14, Revelation 2:20); another He told two churches I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan (Revelation 2:9; Revelation 3:9) about some of their members; another He said I will spue thee out of my mouth (Revelation 3:16); and the last He told I have not found thy works perfect before God (Revelation 3:2). Every one of these churches had compromise in them and the area they were supposed to reach produced these Jews which went to Jerusalem and demanded doctrinal compromise.

In Acts 21:22-24 the elders of the Jerusalem church told Paul the multitude must needs come together. We have four men which have a vow on them, do this religious thing with them and all may know that 'thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. Paul doing a religious thing would not prove anything about what he taught to all the Jews which are among the Gentiles. Further, doing some religious thing would not stop these Jews which were of Asia from causing problems with their lies. In Acts 16:1 we are told about Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek. In Acts 16:3 we are told Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek. So Paul had already done a religious thing to satisfy these Jews. They demanded that Timotheus be circumcised because he was a Jew. Now in 21:28 they claimed that Paul had brought Greeks also into the Temple, and hath polluted this holy place. 21:29 tells us For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the Temple. They had not seen Paul in the Temple with Trophimus but lied and said that they had seen what they had not seen. Further, since Timotheus was a Jew and a Greek, from outside of Jerusalem, they did not know if Trophimus an Ephesian was truly a Greek or in fact was a circumcised Jew and Greek.

As with all religious fanatics, they would not be satisfied no matter what anyone did because they even accused Jesus of religious error (Matthew 11:17; Luke 7:32). Instead of compromising with spiritually immature members who were listening to religious fanatics that would never be satisfied, this church should have been teaching them the commandments from our Lord and telling them to grow up spiritually.

As we see in the next verses of Acts 21, the elders of the Jerusalem church acknowledged that there had been a doctrinal fight over keeping the Mosaic Law. The Jews from the Jerusalem church lost the fight and the Council at Jerusalem agreed that the Gentiles did not have to keep the Law. They should have also recognized that if the Lord had made it clear that Gentiles didn't have to keep the Law, then the Lord, who isno respecter of persons also would free the believing Jews from the burden of the Law. However, rather than calling in the members of their church who were 'taking a doctrinal stand' on something not supported by the Lord, they required Paul to defend himself again. By doing this, they were rejecting the leading of the very Lord that they glorified in this sentence.

God had already given this church at least two warnings with the two famines that required these Jews to seek help from the very (Gentile) churches that these Jews were trying to 'lord over'. After this, we hear very little about the Jerusalem church. history tells us that shortly after this the Lord allowed the Romans to come in and bring judgment on all Jews, including those in this church. The fact is that in this sentence we see a church that glorified the Lord for His acts and yet refused to submit in some areas of doctrine. Even though they were blessed by God for obedience in some areas, they suffered the judgment of the Lord for disobedience in other areas. In particular, there is no doubt that they were guilty of the blood of Paul because of their refusal to correct those who taught doctrinal error and their allowing those in error to cause problems resulting in shed blood.

Yes, this church said that Gentiles did not have to keep the Law. Yes, they said that they did not authorize those that went out from their church and demanded that the Gentiles keep the Law. But, when those in error turned to telling lies about the teaching of Paul, they did not put them out of the church. They also did not teach spiritually immature members to stop listening to lies about the one missionary who was being used by the Lord more than any other person. Our sentence says and when they heard it, they glorified the Lord but it says they immediately followed that with and said unto him. They had decided what they were going to say to Paul before they heard his report and that report had no effect upon their decision other than to quickly glorify the Lord before moving onto what they had already decided to do.

Look at Acts 21:23 which says ...We have four men which have a vow on them. In order for them to have (present tense) these four men which have a vow on them. The vow had to have been made in the past. Therefore, they continued with their previous decision and completely ignored this report from the Lord which should have affected their decision. Yes, between all of them they had won thousands to salvation, but Paul's team had done at least as much and had obeyed the commandment of the Lord more (Acts 1:8) in that he did not stay in Jerusalem. The fact that the Lord was using Paul like He was should have stopped any demand that Paul prove that he was doctrinally right in the very act that the Lord was blessing.

This church did not repent of their error of supporting compromise and suffered judgment from the Lord as a result. Our lesson hers is that we can not make God the Lord of some sections of our doctrine while refusing to submit in other areas of doctrine and expect to not be punished. We also can not support and keep in our midst people who teach doctrinal error without also being judge with them for their doctrinal error. Lord is used in this sentence as the role that God uses to exercise His power and authority. If we do not submit to everything that God says through that role, we will be judged for it at some point.

Please see the note for Romans C15S14; 1Corinthians C15S36; Ephesians C1S2; 2Corinthians 10:14-LJC and Colossians C1S6 about the word glory. The functional definition is: 'Abundance, wealth, treasure, and hence honour, dignity of God; of the mind or heart; Splendour, brightness, majesty of Jehovah , the infinite perfections of God'. Please also see the note for Matthew 17:1 about the phrase Jesus Christ return in glory. Think about the 'Mount of transfiguration'.

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C6S10 and Galatians C1-S1 about the word brother. The functional definition for this word is: 'A human male born of the same father and mother'. Please also see the note for Romans C12S8 about the word brotherly. Please also see the note for Matthew 1:2 about the word brethren.

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C13S9; 2Corinthians 2:17 and Colossians C1S6 about the words see / sight. The functional definition is: 'perception of objects by the eye; view. this word is often used symbolically for spiritual understanding'. Please also see the note for John 6:40-LJC about the phrase see the Son. Please also see the note for Acts 2:25 about the words foresee / foresaw. Please also see the note for Romans C11S10 about the phrase works are seen of men.

Please see the notes for Romans C10S15; 1Corinthians C14S25 and Galatians C3-S8 about the word believe. The functional definition for this word is: 'To credit upon the authority or testimony of another; to be persuaded of the truth of something upon the declaration of another, or upon evidence furnished by reasons, arguments, and deductions of the mind, or by other circumstances, than personal knowledge. When we believe upon the authority of another, we always put confidence in his veracity. When we believe upon the authority of reasoning, arguments, or a concurrence of facts and circumstances, we rest our conclusions upon their strength or probability, their agreement with our own experience, etc. true Biblical belief causes us to act upon that belief and any claimed belief that does not lead to matching action is a lie. Many people confuse faith and belief. Before people act, they have a belief but that belief does not turn into true faith until the people act upon it. Thus, we need to tell people the true gospel, which requires them to act upon their claimed belief'. Please also see the note for John 3:16 about the word believeth. The functional definition for this word is: 'a lifestyle belief. This is opposed to whay people call belief but what they have does not stay with them'. Please also see the notes for John 6:42 and John 12:40 about the phrase believe on / believe in. The functional definition for this word is: 'This identifies an ongoing spiritual relationship'. Please also see the notes for Romans 3:26-LJC and John 20:31-LJC about the phrase believe in Jesus / Christ. The functional definition for this word is: 'the start of a spiritual relationship with Jesus and / or Christ'. Please also see the note for John 8:30 about the phrase belief, non-saving. Please also see the note for Romans C10S15 about the phrase belief (true) changes life. Please also see the notes for Romans C4S21 about the word unbelief.

Please see the note for Romans C10S2 about the word zeal. Webster's 1828 dictionary this word as: 'n. Gr., L. Passionate ardor in the pursuit of anything. In general, zeal is an eagerness of desire to accomplish or obtain some object, and it may be manifested either in favor of any person or thing, or in opposition to it, and in a good or bad cause. Zeal, the blind conductor of the will. they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. Romans 10. A zeal for liberty is sometimes an eagerness to subvert, with little care what shall be established'.

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C6S1; Galatians C2-S10 and Psalms 119 about the word law. The functional definition for this word is: 'the set of written or commonly understood rules for acceptable behavior and which can be used by a legal system for punishing offenders'. Please also see the note for Galatians 3:10 about the phrase book of the law. Please also see the note for Revelation 13:8-LJC about the phrase book of the life. Please also see the notes for Romans C3S31 and 1Corinthians 9:21-LJC about the phrase kinds of laws that apply to us tday. Please also see the note for Romans C3S27 about the phrase law of works. Please also see the note for Romans C3S25 about the phrase law and faith. Please also see the note for Galatians C3S22 about the phrase Mosaic Law added. Please also see the note for Hebrews 10:28-29 about the phrase New Testament replaces only the religious part of the Mosaic Law. Please also see the note for Hebrews 19:29-LJC about the phrase religious part of Mosaic Law. Please also see the note for Ephesians 4:7-LJC about the phrase righteousness of the Law.

We find forms of the word inform in: Deuteronomy 17:10; Daniel 9:22; Acts 21:21; Acts 21:24; Acts 24:1; Acts 25:2; Acts 25:15. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'v.t. L. informo, to shape; in and formo, forma, form. Properly, to give form or shape to, but in this sense not used. 1. to animate; to give life to; to actuate by vital powers. Let others better mold the running mass Of metals, and inform the breathing brass. Breath informs this fleeting frame. --Breathes in our soul, informs our vital part. This use is chiefly or wholly poetical. 2. to instruct; to tell to; to acquaint; to communicate knowledge to; to make known to by word or writing; usually followed by of. Before we judge, we should be well informed of the facts relating to the case. A messenger arrived and informed the commander of the state of the troops. Letters from Europe inform us of the commencement of hostilities between the Persi and and Turks. 3. to communicate a knowledge of facts to one by way of accusation. Tertullus informed the governor against Paul. Acts.24. in this application the verb is usually intransitive; as, A informed against B.
INFORM', v.i. to give intelligence. He might either teach in the same manner, or inform how he had been taught-- to inform against, to communicate facts by way of accusation; to give intelligence of a breach of law. Two persons came to the magistrate, and informed against A.
INFORM', a. L. informis. Without regular form; shapeless; ugly'.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C12S27 about the word teach / taught. The functional definition for this word is: 'To instruct; to inform; to communicate to another the knowledge of that of which he was before ignorant'. The word taught is the past-tense form of the word teach. Please also see the note for John 3:2 about the word teacher. Please also see the Study called False things According to the Bible about 'false teachers'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 4:8-10 about the word forsake. The functional definition for this word is: 'Deserted; left; abandoned'.

Please see the note for Hebrews 3:1 about Moses. The functional definition for this word is: 'While this name is often used for the physical man, it is also used in the Bible to refer to the Law that God gave to His people through the man. In the New Testament, the Law for the saved comes from the Lord Jesus Christ'.

Please see the note for Romans C4S13 about the word circumcision. The functional definition for this word is: 'Cutting away the foreskin of males. Symbolically, it is letting God cut away all the sins of the flesh in our life'. Please see the note for Colossians C2S7 about the word circumcise`. The functional definition of the word circumcise is: 'To cut off the foreskin of males. To cut off the foreskin of males. A physical ceremony which shows spiritual agreement to cut away of the fleshly parts of our heart and soul. Religiously, it is symbolic submission to God done God's way'. This sentence uses the word circumcision to identify the religious ceremony which was demanded by Jews who were relying upon their religious ceremony for salvation instead of relying on a personal relationship with God for true salvation. Since Paul did not demand that Gentiles be circumcised, as the Jerusalem Church had agreed, Jewish liars claimed that Paul also applied this to Jews even though the evidence proved them to be liars

. Like religious liars of today, they relied upon people reacting emotionally to their lies and refusing to verify their claims.

Please see the note for Romans C8S1 and Ephesians C4S1 about the word walk. The functional definition for this word is: 'Small repeated steps. This word is used symbolically for the everyday activities of life'. Please also see the note for Romans C9S28 about the phrase live / walk by faith.

Please see the note for Romans C13S10 about the word custom. The functional definition for this word is: 'Frequent or common use, or practice; a frequent repetition of the same act; hence, way; established manner; habitual practice'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'they glorified. Ac 4:21; 11:18; Ps 22:23,27; 72:17-19; 98:1-3; Isa 55:10-13; 66:9-14; Lu 15:3-10,32; Ro 15:6-7,9-13; Ga 1:24; 2Th 1:10; Re 19:6-7 how. Ac 2:41; 4:4; 6:7; Mt 13:31-33; Joh 12:24 thousands. Lu 12:1 (Gr) and they. Ac 15:1,5,24; 22:3; Ro 10:2; Ga 1:14 General references. exp: Ga 1:24.
that thou. Ac 6:13-14; 16:3; 28:17; Ro 14:1-6; 1Co 9:19-21; Ga 5:1-6; 6:12-15 General references. exp: Mr 7:5'.

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C21-S21 (Verse 22) What is it therefore?

This question can be said as 'What are the results of the prior sentence'.

Please see the note for Romans intro about the word therefore. The functional definition is: 'what follows the therefore is a future result that is based upon what came before the therefore and result is only seen there'.

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C21-S22 (Verse 22) their demand that Paul satisfy the Jews who believed doctrinal error.

Equivalent Section: the demand for compromise on doctrine.

the multitude must needs come together:

Equivalent Section: Why.

for they will hear that thou art come.

Notice that they are not concerned about the doctrine from our Lord Jesus Christ, which He had proven to this church at least three times. In addition, His doctrine proved that the doctrine, which many thousands of Jews were zealous for was wrong. They insisted on a 'works salvation', claiming that Jews could not be saved unless they were first physically circumcised. (I'm not sure what they told the women.) they also preached a 'works sanctification', claiming that Jews could not be blessed by God unless they kept the Jewish religious traditions. (How arrogant do you need to be to claim that you can limit God?). These are doctrines which we can not compromise with.

Please also notice that they were not concerned with what Paul actually taught. They did not care what the truth was. They were not demanding that church members stick to the truth / Jesus Christ (John 14:6). No, they were concerned with making members happy who demanded that the church accept doctrines from devils and were willing to kill anyone who disagreed with them.

Please see the note for John 6:2 about the word multitude. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'the state of being many; a great number. 2. A number collectively; the sum of many. 3. A great number, indefinitely. It is a fault in a multitude of preachers, that they utterly neglect method in their harangues. 4. A crowd or throng; the populace; applied to the populace when assembled in great numbers, and to the mass of men without reference to an assemblage. He the vast hissing multitude admires. the multitude have always been credulous, and the few artful'.

Please see the note for Philippians 4:19 about the word need. The functional definition for this word is: 'n. to be in want. the primary sense is to press. 1. Want; occasion for something; necessity; a state that requires supply or relief. It sometimes expresses urgent want; pressing exigency. What further need have we of witnesses? Matthew 26. 2. Want of the means of subsistence; poverty; indigence. I know how to abound and to suffer need. Philippians 4.'. Please also see the note for Romans C13S8 about the phrase must needs.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'the multitude. Ac 15:12,22; 19:32'.

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C21-S23 (Verse 23-24) their compromise solution which did not work. Nothing would satisfy the religious fanatics short of the death of Paul.

Equivalent Section: the command for Paul to personally are to do what the Jerusalem Church leaders commanded.

Do therefore this that we say to thee:

Equivalent Section: What they had planed and prepared even before Paul met with them.

First Step: their preparation.

We have four men which have a vow on them;

Second Step: their command.

Them take,
and purify thyself with them,
and be at charges with them,
that they may shave their heads:.

Equivalent Section: their goal.

First Step: the fanatics should give up their fanaticism.

and all may know that those things,
whereof they were informed concerning thee,
are nothing;.

Second Step: they should accept that Paul keeps the Jewish religious traditions and that what they believed before was all lies and errors.

but that thou thyself also walkest orderly,
and keepest the law.

The phrases in our sentence can be explained as:

The phrase Do therefore this that we say to thee means: 'You personally are to do what we command'. They believed that Paul doing this religious act would satisfy the fanatics, but it did not. When you come up with a solution in a life-and-death situation, you need to verify that your solution will actually produce the desired results.
The phrase We have four men which have a vow on them means: 'These men already (have) made a vow about Paul. Apparently, they were part of the religious fanatics within the Jerusalem Church'.
The phrase Them take, and purify thyself with them means: 'Go do this religious activity'. Notice that they, like most religious people, were more concerned about the physical activity than the spiritual attitudes which God actually demands. Like most religious people, they believed their religious activities forced a change in the spiritual reality. The truth is that God changes the spiritual reality when we obey Him. However, He is keeping His promise and our physical activity does not force God to act.
The word charge means: 'A superior authority gives a formal and legal command to a subordinate which includes the necessary rights and responsibilities to accomplish the assigned task'. They did not have authority over Paul since they were leaders of the local church and Paul was the apostle to the Gentiles. In addition, since they failed to exercise their authority over their own church members, they compromised their own authority and could not exercise it over anyone outside of their church until they controlled their own church. With that in mind, we see the phrase and be at charges with them means: 'Go and do what we command with these men who have taken a vow about you even though they do not know the truth about you (Paul)'.
The phrase that they may shave their heads means: 'This is the religious activity demanded'. It was an accepted external sign, in the Jewish religion, of someone who took a vow to God.
The phrase and all may know that those things, whereof they were informed concerning thee means: 'They actually believed that Paul doing this religious activity would satisfy religious fanatics who demanded that Paul die'. Notice that they were doing nothing to find the truth. The church leaders understood that they had lost control of their own church members and that the church members would refuse to listen to the truth.
The phrase are nothing means: 'They believed that religious fanatics would accept that they had believed a lie simply because Paul did this religious ceremony with some of the fanatics'.
The phrase but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law means: 'Paul did walkest orderly, and keepest the law and had proven it several times by doing things like circumcising Timothy. However, all of the evidence in the world and all of the evidence from God will not satiisfy a religious fanatic who has closed their mind and is willing to murder anyone who refuses to accept their preferred lie'.

Now, most people who have read this sentence, in the past, probably have not considered everything that is in it and that is revealed by the two outlines above. Please take the time to carefully consider those outlines and the details in them. Without a doubt, the church leaders thought that their plan would work. The fact that they had prepared to men who would take a vow, before they even met with Paul, tells us that they considered their plan. However, the results, as reported in the rest of the chapter, makes it clear that they did not receive the immediate results that they hoped for. In addition, the destruction of the Temple, and of the Jerusalem Church, as reported by history, also prove that they received the opposite of their hoped for long-term results.

When Jesus said: he who has ears to hear (Mark 4:9) and he who has eyes to see (John 12:45), He was making it clear that there were / are fanatics who have closed their minds and will only accept everyone agreeing with them or the others dying. These church leaders should have understood that and dealt with their doctrinal problem before that had, in their church, many thousands of Jews (who were) all zealous of the law. And, even if they did not deal with their problem earlier, it was their problem and not Paul's. The least that they should have done was to inform all of the church members of the truth. Then, they should have insisted that the liars leave the church, or publically admit their lies and truly Biblically repent. In all, they should have told everyone what our Lord Jesus Christ had proven was the true doctrine more than once. However, their answer was to demand that Paul compromise and their solution failed to satisfy the fanatics and it also brought the judgment of God upon the church. That is the lesson that all church leaders need to learn before they face the demand that they compromise their own doctrine.

Please see the note for Luke 2:22-24 about the words purify / purification. The functional definition for this word is: 'the process by which a person unclean, according to the Levitical law, and thereby cut off from the sanctuary and the festivals, was restored to the enjoyment of all these privileges'. Please also see the note for Romans C14S27 about the word pure.

Please see the note for Colossians C1S4 about the word head. The functional definition for this word is: 'The uppermost part of the human body, or the foremost part of the body of prone and creeping animals. this part of the human body contains the org and of hearing, seeing, tasting and smelling; it contains also the brain, which is supposed to be the seat of the intellectual powers, and of sensation. Hence the head is the chief or more important part, and is used for the whole person, in the phrase, let the evil fall on my head'. Please also see the note for Matthew 14:10 about the word beheaded. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians 11:3-LJC about the phrase Christ: the head of.

Please see the note for 1Timothy 1:3-4 about the word charge. The functional definition for this word is: 'A superior authority gives a formal and legal command to a subordinate which includes the necessary rights and responsibilities to accomplish the assigned task'. Please also see the Message called A Pastoral Charge about the seven charges, that are in 1Timothy. Please also see the note for Luke 21:34 about the word overcharge. Please also see the note for Mark 6:25 about the word charger.

Please see the notes for Romans C10S25; 1Corinthians C1S11; 2Corinthians C1S5; Galatians C3-S9; Colossians C1S3 and know in 1John about the word know. The word knew is the past-tense form of the word know. The functional definition is: 'A clear and certain perception of that which exists, or of truth and fact; and the perception of the connection and agreement, or disagreement between various truths and acts. Within the Biblical usage is the knowledge that comes only from personal intimate experience'. Please see the notes for 2Peter 1:2-LJC; 2Peter 2:20-LJC and Philippians 1:9-11 about the word knowledge. Please see the note for Romans 6:3 about the phrase Know ye not. Please see the note for 1Corinthians C16S17 about the word acknowledge. Please also see the note for Romans C11S4 about the word foreknow.

Please see the note for Romans 1:1 about the word concern. The functional definition for this word is: 'Pertaining to; regarding; having relation to'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'We have. Ac 18:18; Nu 6:2-7
and purify. Ac 21:26; 24:18; Ex 19:10,14; Nu 19:17-22; 2Ch 30:18-19; Job 1:5; 41:25; Joh 3:25; Heb 9:10-14 that they. Ac 18:18; Nu 6:5,9,13,18; Jg 13:5; 16:17-19 but. 1Co 9:20; Ga 2:12 General references. exp: Mr 7:5'.

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C21-S24 (Verse 25) the reference to the Jerusalem Council.

as touching the Gentiles which believe,
we have written and concluded that they observe no such thing,
save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols,
and from blood,
and from strangled,
and from fornication.

They agreeds that they had concluded that the Gentiles did not have to keep the Mosaic Law and Jewish religious traditions. But, they insisted that Jews did have to do those things. This is a claim that God had more than one way of salvation. It was a claim of: 'Works Salvation' and 'Works Sanctification'. God ended up tearing down the Temple and killing or scattering all saved Jew who refused doctrinal correction from God.

In the sentence, the leaders of the Jerusalem Church acknowledged their prior Council which was caused by the same doctrinal error being pushed by the same fanatics (Acts 15). At that time, God provided undeniable proof that circumcision was not necessary for salvation and that keeping Jewish traditions were not required for sanctification and blessings from God. The problem, which was started then, was that they compromised and claimed that God had two pl and of salvation and two pl and of sanctification when they really should have said that the evidence applies to everyone. However, they had 5too many generations of Jewish prejudices to accept that, in God's eyes, God makes no such distinction between people. Again God proved that to be wrong when God used Peter to lead Gentiles to salvation. And, God also provided other evidences that their doctrine was wrong. Thus, they ended up with the problem which is reported in our current chapter. And, instead of letting God correct the church doctrine, they continued to compromise with doctrines from devils with the eventual result of God destroying the Temple and the Jerusalem Church.

Please see the note for Colossians C2-S11 about the word touch. The functional definition for this word is: ' to come in contact with; to hit or strike against. He touched the hollow of his thigh. Gen. 32. Matt.9'.

Please see the note for Romans 4:23-25 about the word written. The functional definition for this word is: 'a retained record which can be used for judgment in a court of law'. Please also see the notes for Romans C15S13; 2Corinthians 1:13-14; Galatians C3-S12; John 20:31-LJC about the word write Please also see the notes for Luke 6:3-4; the Study called Prove; Ephesians C1S3 and Romans C3S15 about the phrase it is written.

Please see the note for Romans 3:28 about the word conclude. The functional definition for this word is: 'To close an argument by inferring'.

Please see the note for 1Timothy 5:21 about the word observe. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'The sense is to hold in view, or to keep the eyes on. 1. to see or behold with some attention; to notice; as, to observe a halo round the moon; I observed a singular phenomenon; we observe strangers or their dress. I saw the figure, but observed nothing peculiar in it. 2. to take notice or cognizance of by the intellect. We observe nice distinctions in arguments, or a peculiar delicacy of thought. 3. to utter or express, as a remark, opinion or sentiment; to remark. He observed that no man appears great to his domestics. 4. to keep religiously; to celebrate. A night to be much observed to the Lord. Ex. 12. Ye shall observe the feast of unleavened bread. Ex. 12. Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years. Gal. 4. 5. to keep or adhere to in practice; to comply with; to obey; as, to observe the laws of the state; to observe the rules and regulations of a society. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you. Matt. 28. 6. to practice. In the days of Enoch, the people observed not circumcision or the sabbath.'.

Please see the note for Philippians 1:19-20 for links to every place in that epistle where we find the word salvation along with definitions from three different dictionaries and links from other commentators. The functional definition is: 'to exclude. When used spiritually, it means to exclude from the damned by having God's life in you. When used physically, it means to exclude from what is endangering physical life'. As we see in the Bible and in this book, our continuing spiritual growth, and our sanctification is part of true Biblical salvation. Please see the note for Main Menu item for Salvation about the word save. Please also see the notes for 2Thessalonians 2:13-LJC and Hebrews 12:2-LJC about the phrase salvation through sanctification. Please also see the note for John 8:30 about the phrase non-saving belief Please also see verses in the New Testament. Summary on the name / role of Saviour. Please also see the note for James 1:21 about the phrase save your soul.

The word kept is the past-tense form of the word keep. Please see the note for 1Timothy 5:22 about the word keep. The functional definition for this word is: 'To hold; to retain in one's power or possession; not to lose or part with; as, to keep a house or a farm; to keep anything in the memory, mind or heart. 2. to have in custody for security or preservation'. Please also see the note for Matthew 28:3-4 about the word keeper. Please also see the note for 1John 5:2 about the phrase keep his commandments.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C8S7 about the word offer. The functional definition for this word is: 'pp. Presented for acceptance or rejection; presented in worship or devotion; immolated; bid; presented to the eye or the mind'. In addition, since offer is used in relationship to worship, in the Bible, please also see the Word Study onWorship.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C8S1 about the word idol. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word is: 'n. L. idolum; Gr. form or to see. 1. An image, form or representation, usually of a man or other animal, consecrated as an object of worship; a pagan deity. Idols are usually statues or images, carved out of wood or stone, or formed of metals, particularly silver or gold. the gods of the nations are idols. Ps.96. 2. An image. Nor ever idol seemed so much alive. 3. A person loved and honored to adoration. the prince was the idol of the people. 4. anything on which we set our affections; that to which we indulge an excessive and sinful attachment. Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 1 John.5. An idol is anything which usurps the place of God in the hearts of his rational creatures'. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians C5S8 about the word idolater. Please also see the note for Galatians C5S20 about the word idolatry.

Please see the note for Colossians C1S3 about the word blood. The functional definition for this word is: 'The fluid which circulates through the arteries and veins of the human body, and of other animals, which is essential to the preservation of life'. Please also see the note for Matthew 26:28 about the phrase blood of Christ. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians 10:16-LJC about the phrase Christ and blood.

I can no say why they included strangled because almost every reference, in the Bible, to the word strangled, is also a reference to this command.

Fornication is: 'a violation of a covenant relationship which includes a forsaking of the true God, and worshipping of idols'. Fornication is most prevalent in violating a marriage relationship, butt he marriage relationship is symbolic of the relationship between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:32). Therefore, this sin is also, symbolically, related to our relationship with God.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'we have. Ac 15:20,29'.

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C21-S25 (Verse 26) Paul submitted to their demand.

Then Paul took the men,
and the next day purifying himself with them entered into the temple,
to signify the accomplishment of the days of purification,
until that an offering should be offered for every one of them.

Acts 21:26-29 : Paul did the request of the Jerusalem Church elders. However, the saved Jews were not satisfied and stirred up the lost Jews and started a riot.

I have not studied the Old Testament ceremonies and the Jewish religious traditions. Someone else would be a better authority on what the details of this sentence mean. But, in general, Paul did as he was asked to do even though it did not accomplish their goals. And, given Paul's vast personal experience with the unbelieving Jewish religious fanatics, I personally believe that Paul knew that their ceremony would not work. (Remember that those Jews had already left Paul for dead at least once and continued to persecute him even after it was obvious that God raised him up again.)

Please see the note for John 10:9 about the word enter. The functional definition for this word is: 'to leave one place and go into another place'.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians 3:16 about the word temple. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'first used of the tabernacle, which is called "the temple of the Lord" (1Sa 1:9). In the New Testament the word is used figuratively of Christ's human body (Joh 2:19,21). Believers are called "the temple of God" (1Co 3:16-17). the Church is designated "an holy temple in the Lord" (Eph 2:21). Heaven is also called a temple (Re 7:5). We read also of the heathen "temple of the great goddess Diana" (Ac 19:27).
This word is generally used in Scripture of the sacred house erected on the summit of Mount Moriah for the worship of God. It is called "the temple" (1Ki 6:17); "the temple [R.V., 'house'] of the Lord" (2Ki 11:10); "thy holy temple" (Ps 79:1); "the house of the Lord" (2Ch 23:5,12); "the house of the God of Jacob" (Isa 2:3); "the house of my glory" (Isa 60:7); an "house of prayer" (Isa 56:7; Mt 21:13); "an house of sacrifice" (2Ch 7:12); "the house of their sanctuary" (2Ch 36:17); "the mountain of the Lord's house" (Isa 2:2); "our holy and our beautiful house" (Isa 64:11); "the holy mount" (Isa 27:13); "the palace for the Lord God" (1Ch 29:1); "the tabernacle of witness" (2Ch 24:6); "Zion" (Ps 74:2; 84:7). Christ calls it "my Father's house" (Joh 2:16)'.
The main purpose of a temple is to worship the God of the temple'. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 6:16 about the phrase temple of the Lord. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 6:16 about the phrase temple of God.

Please see the note for Hebrews 9:7-10 about the word signify. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'to make known something, either by signs or words; to express or communicate to another any idea, thought, wish, a hod, wink, gesture, signal or other sign. A man signifies his mind by his voice or by written characters; he may signify his mind by a nod or other motion, provided the person to whom he directs it, understands what is intend by it. A general or an admiral signifies his commands by signals to officers as a distance.
2. to mean; to have or contain a certain sense. the word sabbath signifies rest. Less, in composition, as in faithless, signifies destitution or want. the prefix re, in recommend, seldom signifies anything.
3. to import; to weigh; to have consequence; used in particular phrases; as, it signifies much or little; it signifies nothing. What does it signify? What signify the splendors of a court? Confession of sin without reformation of life, can signify nothing in the view of God.
4. to make known; to declare. the government should signify to the protestants of Ireland that want of silver is not to be remedied'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'Then. 1Co 9:20 entered. Ac 24:18 to signify. Nu 6:13-20 General references. exp: Ac 24:18.'.

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C21-S26 (Verse 27-28) the Jews of Asia, again, sought to kill Paul.

Equivalent Section: They attacked him for entering the Temple.

And when the seven days were almost ended,
the Jews which were of Asia,
when they saw him in the temple,
stirred up all the people,
and laid hands on him,
Crying out,
Men of Israel,
help:.

Equivalent Section: they told their lies again.

This is the man,
that teacheth all men every where against the people,
and the law,
and this place:.

Equivalent Section: They added another lie.

and further brought Greeks also into the temple,
and hath polluted this holy place.

Acts 21:26-29 : Paul did the request of the Jerusalem Church elders. However, the saved Jews were not satisfied and stirred up the lost Jews and started a riot.

Here we see typical behavior by religious people who do not let our Lord Jesus Christ control their actions. And, the more fanatical such people are the more they are to jump to conclusions and tell lies. And, when such people are proven to be liars, they make excuses and expect everyone to agree that their behavior was acceptable.

As seen in the section titles in the sentence outline, above, they attacked Paul while he was doing the right thing. They then stirred up other religious Jews with lies which they did not bother to verify such as we read in the third Equivalent Section. Paul did not do what they assumed that he did. He had a shaved head which indicated that he had a vow and was with four other men who also had shaved heads. Therefore, it should have been obvious that he had been with the other men and all had taken a vow together. However, these fanatics had no concern with the truth even while they claimed to serve the God of truth.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 11:15 about the word end. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'in Heb 13:7, is the rendering of the unusual Greek word ekbasin, meaning "outcome", i.e., death. It occurs only elsewhere in 1Co 10:13, where it is rendered "escape."'.

The functional definition for the word Asia is: 'An area of the world where Paul started churches. While these people in Asia were saved through the ministry of Paul, they were willing to forsake him and choose religion which excused their sin'.

The Jews of Asia are frequently mentioned as causing trouble for the church. On Paul's first missionary trip, he was forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia (Acts 16:6). They were also involved in causing the arrest of Paul by telling lies about his teaching in the Jerusalem Church. Even today, people in this region are involved in never-ending religious wars. Please see the note for 2Timothy C1S9 about Asia. It has linke to every place where the Bible mentions Asia. along with a short note about each reference.

Please see the note for 2Peter 1:13 about the word stir. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'to move; to change place in any manner. My foot I had never yet in five days been able to stir. 2. to agitate; to bring into debate. Stir on the questions of jurisdiction. 3. to incite to action; to instigate; to prompt. An Ate stirring him to blood and strife. 4. to excite; to raise; to put into motion. And for her sake some mutiny will stir.
To stir up, 1. to incite; to animate; to instigate by inflaming passions; as, to stir up a nation to rebellion. the words of Judas were good and able to stir them up to valor. 2 Maccabees. 2. to excite; to put into action; to begin; as, to stir up a mutiny or insurrection; to stir up strife. 3. to quicken; to enliven; to make more lively or vigorous; as, to stir up the mind. 4. to disturb; as, to stir up the sediment of liquor''.

Please see the note for Mark 1:3 about the word cry. The functional definition for this word is: 'Loud notorious exclamation as a crying sin or warning'. The word cried is the past-tense form of the word cry.

Please see the note for Luke 1:16 about the word Israel. The functional definition for this word is: 'The name for Jacob when he was acting spiritual and the name for his descendants'. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 3:7-8 about the phrase children of Israel. Please also see the note for Romans C11S30 about the phrase all Israel shall be saved.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C12S24 about the word help. The functional definition for this word is: 'To lend aid; to contribute strength or means. A generous present helps to persuade, as well as an agreeable person. to help out, to lend aid; to bring a supply'. Please also see the note for Luke 1:54-55` about the word holpen.

Please see the note for Philippians 1:25-26 about the word further. The functional definition for this word is: 'n. A helping forward; promotion; advancement. I know that I shall abide and continue with you all, for your furtherance and joy of faith. Phil. 1'.

Please see the note for Colossians 3:9-11 about the word Greek. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'Found only in the New Testament, where a distinction is observed between "Greek" and "Grecian" (q.v.). the former is (1) a Greek by race (Ac 16:1-3; 18:17; Ro 1:14), or (2) a Gentile as opposed to a Jew (Ro 2:9-10). the latter, meaning properly "one who speaks Greek," is a foreign Jew opposed to a home Jew who dwelt in Palestine'.

Please see the note for Acts 15:20 about the word pollute. TWebster's 1828 defines this word as: 'to make foul or unclean; in a general sense. But appropriately, among the Jews, to make unclean or impure, in a legal or ceremonial sense, so as to disqualify a person for sacred services, or to render things unfit for sacred uses. Num.18. Ex.20. 2 Kings 23. 2 Chron.36. 2. to taint with guilt. Ye pollute yourselves with all your idols. Ezek.20. 3. to profane; to use for carnal or idolatrous purposes. My sabbaths they greatly polluted. Ezek.20. 4. to corrupt or impair by mixture of ill, moral or physical. Envy you my praise, and would destroy With grief my pleasures, and pollute my joy? 5. to violate by illegal sexual commerce.
POLLU'TE, a. Polluted; defiled'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'the Jews. Ac 24:18 exp: Ac 13:50. stirred. Ac 6:12; 13:50; 14:2,5,19; 17:5-6,13; 18:12; 1Ki 21:25 and laid. Ac 4:3; 5:18; 26:21; Lu 21:12 General references. exp: Ac 14:2; 24:18.
Men. Ac 19:26-28; 24:5-6 exp: Ac 2:22. This is. Ac 21:21; 6:13-14; 24:5-6,18; 26:20-21 brought. Jer 7:4-15; La 1:10 General references. exp: Ac 14:2; 18:13; 24:18.'.

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C21-S27 (Verse 29) they claimed their assumption was a fact when their claim was a lie.

(For they had seen before with him in the city Trophimus an Ephesian,
whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.).

Acts 21:26-29 : Paul did the request of the Jerusalem Church elders. However, the saved Jews were not satisfied and stirred up the lost Jews and started a riot.

Imagine that you walked through a city with your travel companion and then another person using that walk to try and get people to beat you to death.

Please see the note for Luke 24:37 about the word suppose. The functional definition for this word is: 'Webster's 1828 defines this word as: '1. to lay down or state as a proposition or fact that may exist or be true, though not known or believed to be true or to exist; or to imagine or admit to exist, for the sake of argument or illustration. Let us suppose the earth to be the center of the system, what would be the consequence? When we have as great assurance that a thing is, as we could possibly, supposing it were, we ought not to doubt of its existence. 2. to imagine; to believe; to receive as true. Let not my lord suppose that they have slain all young men, the king's sons; for Ammon only is dead. 2 Sam.13. 3. to imagine; to think. I suppose, If our proposals once again were heard-- 4. to require to exist or be true. the existence of things supposes the existence of a cause of the things. One falsehood supposes another, and renders all you say suspected. 5. to put one thing by fraud in the place of another. Not in use'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'Trophimus. Ac 20:4; 2Ti 4:20 General references. exp: Ac 14:2; 24:18.'.

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C21-S28 (Verse 30) All the city joined in to riot.

Equivalent Section: Who got involved.

And all the city was moved,
and the people ran together:.

Equivalent Section: What they did.

and they took Paul,
and drew him out of the temple:.

Equivalent Section: What the Temple priests did.

and forthwith the doors were shut.

Please see the note for Matthew 15:7-8 about the words draw / drawn / drew. The word drawn and drew. are past-tense forms of the word draw. The functional definition for this word is: 'To pull along; to haul; to cause to move forward by force applied in advance of the thing moved or at the fore-end, as by a rope or chain. It differs from drag only in this, that drag is more generally applied to things moved along the ground by sliding, or moved with greater toil or difficulty, and draw is applied to all bodies moved by force in advance, whatever may be the degree of force. Draw is the more general or generic term, and drag, more specific'.

Please see the note for Matthew 25:10 about the word shut. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'to close so as to hinder ingress or egress; as, to shut a door or gate; to shut the eyes or the mouth. 2. to prohibit; to bar; to forbid entrance into; as, to shut the ports of the kingdom by a blockade. Shall that be shut to man, which to the beast Is open? Milton. 3. to preclude; to exclude. But shut from every shore. Dryden. 4. to close, as the fingers; to contract; as, to shut the hand'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 2:12-13 about the word door. The Morrish Bible Dictionary defines this word is: 'Besides the common use of the door as the means of entrance into a house, and of enclosing those within when shut, it is used in scripture symbolically for the way of entrance into blessing. the Lord said, "I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved." Salvation is only by Him. He also said that as the true Shepherd He entered into the sheepfold by the door, that is, though Son of God, He entered as obedient by God's appointed means, being circumcised, presented in the temple, and baptized. Joh 10:1-9. God opened 'the door of faith' to the Gentiles by Paul and Barnabas. Ac 14:27. Opportunities for service are called opened doors. 1Co 16:9; 2Co 2:12; Col 4:3; Re 3:8. When the church is represented as in a Laodicean state the Lord is outside knocking for admission at the door of the assembly, so that the individual may hear, with a promise of blessing to those who open to Him. Re 3:20. Doors in the East are usually made of wood; but in the deserted cities of Bashan doors are found cut out of stone, with a projection top and bottom which served as pivots on which the door turned'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'all. Ac 16:20-22; 19:29; 26:21; Mt 2:3; 21:10 and they. Ac 7:57-58; 16:19; Lu 4:29; 2Co 11:26 General references. exp: Ac 14:2; 24:18.'.

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C21-S29 (Verse 31) God intervened.

And as they went about to kill him,
tidings came unto the chief captain of the band,
that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

Here we see that God allowed Paul to receive this beating as evidence against the Jews who participated when they are tried by God. 2Corinthians 2:15-16 says: For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish: to the one we are the savour of death unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?. Think about that quote. As we do wrong it becomes harder for us to do right (death unto death) and God has angels recording our actions because each of us will answer for everything done in the flesh.

Please see the note for Romans C13S12 about the word kill. Webster's 1828 defines the word kill as: 'v.t. 1. to deprive of life, animal or vegetable, in any manner or by any means. to kill an animal or a plant, is to put an end to the vital functions, either by destroying or essentially injuring the org and necessary to life, or by causing them to cease from action. An animal may be killed by the sword or by poison, by disease or by suffocation. A strong solution of salt will kill plants. 2. to butcher; to slaughter for food; as, to kill an ox. 3. to quell; to appease; to calm; to still; as, in seamen's language, a shower of rain kills the wind'.

Please see the note for Luke 1:19 about the word tidings. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'n. plu. News; advice; information; intelligence; account of what has taken place, and was not before known. I shall make my master glad with these tidings. Behold I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. Luke 2'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 11:5 about the word chief. The functional definition for this word is: 'Highest in office or rank; principal; as a chief priest; the chief butler.'.

Please see the note for Luke 22:4 about the word captain. The functional definition for this word is: 'the man who goes with a military or police force and is in charge of them'.

Please see the note for Mark 15:16 about the word band. The functional definition for this word is: 'Any narrow ligament with which a thing is bound. To unite; to associate; to confederate for some common purpose'.

Please see the note for Mark 14:2 about the word uproar. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'Great tumult; violent disturbance and noise; bustle and clamor. the Jews who believed not - set all the city in an uproar. Act. 17. Horror thus prevail'd, and wild uproar'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'as. Ac 22:22; 26:9-10; Joh 16:2; 2Co 11:23-33 chief. Ac 23:17; 24:7,22; 25:23; Joh 18:12 that all. Ac 21:38; 17:5; 19:40; 1Ki 1:41; Mt 26:5; Mr 14:2 General references. exp: Pr 24:11.'.

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C21-S30 (Verse 32) the chief captain led soldiers to the uproar to contain it.

Equivalent Section: He gathered other soldiers before going.

Who immediately took soldiers and centurions,
and ran down unto them:.

Equivalent Section: the Jew stopped beating Paul so that the soldiers would not beat them.

and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers,
they left beating of Paul.

Our prior sentence told us that God intervened and this sentence says how. There are people who call this book: 'The Acts of the Apostles'. There are people who call this book: 'The Acts of the Holy Ghost'. The truth is that all throughout this book, we read that God's Holy Ghost worked through men with Peter and Paul being the main men who are reported on. (For more on their particular usage, please see my book called Sbs-Preacher Missionaries).

God is a Spirit (John 4:24). Devils are spirits. There is a spiritual war ongoing between God and devils and both use men as proxies in their war. Throughout the book of Acts, we have read where the unbelieving Jews were proxies for devils and how they also encouraged other men to act as proxies of devils. (Sometimes the devils got others to act first, but then the unbelieving Jews added in to the actions of the others.) And, for the last half of this book, we have see God's Holy Ghost work through men but, in particular, he is mainly reported as working through Paul. And, throughout this Study, I have tried to point out the spiritual motives and actions which are behind the reported motives and actions of men.

In the prior chapter, and earlier in this chapter, we read many times how Paul was heading towards being persecuted and bound. Many men criticize Paul for going to Jerusalem. But, as i have pointed out in those prior notes, God's Holy Ghost was actually giving Paul an everlasting testimony in the word of God. In effect, He was saying 'Look at my obedient servant. He is obedient even in the sure prophecies of pain and death. Follow his example'. That is what happened earlier in this spiritual war and now, devils are trying to kill Paul and God's Holy Ghost is proving that God is the most powerful Being that exists anywhere. God can, and does, use anyone as His proxy, even lost men, like these Roman soldiers, and even Satan himself when God punished the Jews for their ongoing disobedience. Thus, we read what the soldiers did but we also need to understand the spiritual motivations which are behind the actions of all of the men involved in this incident.

Please see the note for Mark 1:42 about the word immediate. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'Proximate; acting without a medium, or without the intervention of another cause or means; producing its effect by its own direct agency. An immediate cause is that which is exerted directly in producing its effect, in opposition to a mediate cause, or one more remote. 2. Not acting by second causes; as the immediate will of God. 3. Instant; present; without the intervention of time. We must have an immediate supply of bread. Immediate are my needs-- Death--inflicted--by an immediate stroke'.

Please see the note for Luke 3:14 about the word soldier. The Morrish Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'Apart from the common application of this term (for which see ARMY, ARMOUR, etc.) it is used in the N.T. for the service of a Christian. Two things are said of the Christian soldier. He must "endure hardness," that is, share in the suffering incident to warfare; and he must not entangle "himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier": that is, be quite free to obey his Captain in all things. As explained by the centurion, "I say to this man Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh;" so the Christian servant is under authority, and unhesitating obedience is what should characterise the soldier of Jesus Christ: he must be prepared to endure hardships, and to suffer with his Captain. Mt 8:9; 2Ti 2:3-4'.

Please see the note for Mark 15:39 about the word centurion. The functional definition for this word is: 'A Roman officer in command of a hundred men (Mr 15:39,44- 45)'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 11:5 about the word chief. The functional definition for this word is: 'Highest in office or rank; principal; as a chief priest; the chief butler.'.

Please see the note for Luke 22:4 about the word captain. The functional definition for this word is: 'the man who goes with a military or police force and is in charge of them'.

Please see the note for Mark 13:9 about the word beaten. The functional definition for this word is: 'Struck; dashed against; pressed or laid down; hammered; pounded; vanquished; make smooth by treading; worn by use; tracked'. Please also see the note for Mark 12:5 about the word beat.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'took. Ac 23:23-24 and ran. Ac 23:27; 24:7 beating. Ac 5:40; 18:17; 22:19; Isa 3:15 General references. exp: Pr 24:11.'.

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C21-S31 (Verse 33) The chief captain took control of the situation.

First Step: He took Paul prisoner and made it clear to the Jews that they would not be allowed to beat Paul any more.

Then the chief captain came near,
and took him,
and commanded him to be bound with two chains;.

Second Step: He asked for Paul's account of the incident.

and demanded who he was,
and what he had done.

in this sentence we see the experience and wisdom of the chief captain. He immediately took Paul prisoner and, thereby, clearly let the Jews know that their beating of Paul was ended. The two chains were not to contain Paul, so much, as they were a undeniable sign to everyone that Paul was now a prisoner of the Roman Army and would be protected as such. The beating of Paul was clearly ended. Many people fail to understand that the government has legal rights to punish people which individuals do not. If Paul was to be punished, then it would be done legally and by the government. And, the soldiers each hoped that some Jew would be stupid enough to object because they hated the Jews and their attitude of superiority. Any Jew that objected to the Roman Army taking control was, obviously, looking to also be arrested and, possibly, killed.

Once the chief captain had things under control, he asked for Paul's account of the incident. He had enough experience to know that the mob would say many confusing and conflicting things. Therefore, he would not get a clear answer from them.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 11:5 about the word chief. The functional definition for this word is: 'Highest in office or rank; principal; as a chief priest; the chief butler.'.

Please see the note for Luke 22:4 about the word captain. The functional definition for this word is: 'the man who goes with a military or police force and is in charge of them'.

Please see the note for Romans 7:8 about the word commandment. The functional definition for this word is: 'a mandate; an order or injunction given by authority; charge'.. Please note that a commandment is not always written down and often comes through the human person that God has placed in authority over us. Please see the note for Psalms 119:4 for the use of the word commandment within this Psalm and considerations from several other places within the Bible. Please see the note for Romans C7S11 about the word commandment. Please see the Doctrinal Study on the use Ten Commandments for links to where they are dealt with in the word of God. Please use This link to see the 'Ten (10) Commandments' and references to them in the New Testament. Please also see the note for 1John 5:2 about the phrase keep his commandments.

Please see the note for Mark 5:2-4 about the word chain. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: '(1.) A part of the insignia of office. A chain of gold was placed about Joseph's neck (Ge 41:42); and one was promised to Daniel (Da 5:7). It is used as a symbol of sovereignty (Eze 16:11). the breast-plate of the high-priest was fastened to the ephod by golden chains (Ex 39:17,21).
(2.) It was used as an ornament (Pr 1:9; Song 1:10). the Midianites adorned the necks of their camels with chains (Jg 8:21,26).
(3.) Chains were also used as fetters wherewith prisoners were bound (Jg 16:21; 2Sa 3:34; 2Ki 25:7; Jer 39:7). Paul was in this manner bound to a Roman soldier (Ac 28:20; Eph 6:20; 2Ti 1:16). Sometimes, for the sake of greater security, the prisoner was attached by two chains to two soldiers, as in the case of Peter (Ac 12:6)'.

Please see the note for Luke 3:14 about the word demand. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'to ask or call for, as one who has a claim or right to receive what is sought; to claim or seek as due by right. the creditor demands principal and interest of his debt. Here the claim is derived from law or justice. 2. to ask by authority; to require; to seek or claim an answer by virtue of a right or supposed right in the interrogator, derived from his office, station, power or authority. the officers of the children of Israel-were beaten, and demanded, wherefore have ye not fulfilled your task in making brick. Ex. 5. 3. to require as necessary or useful; as, the execution of this work demands great industry and care. 4. to ask; to question; to inquire. the soldiers also demanded of him, saying, what shall we do? Luke 3. 5. to ask or require, as a seller of goods; as, what price do you demand? 6. to sue for; to seek to obtain by legal process; as, the plaintiff, in his action, demands unreasonable damages. In French, demander generally signifies simply to ask, request, or petition, when the answer or thing asked for, is a matter of grace or courtesy. But in English, demand is now seldom used in that sense, and rarely indeed can the French demander be rendered correctly in English by demand, except in the case of the seller of goods, who demands, asks, requires, a certain price for his wares. the common expression, a king sent to demand another kings daughter in marriage, is improper'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'be. Ac 21:11; 12:6; 20:23; 22:25,29; 28:20; Jg 15:13; 16:8,12,21; Eph 6:20 and demanded. Ac 22:24; 25:16; Joh 18:29-30'.

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C21-S32 (Verse 34) the chief captain took Paul to the place of the Roman Army.

Equivalent Section: Nothing certain could be understood from the mob.

And some cried one thing,
some another,
among the multitude:.

Equivalent Section: the chief captain commanded that Paul be taken to where he could figure out what happened.

and when he could not know the certainty for the tumult,
he commanded him to be carried into the castle.

As we saw in the prior sentence, the chief captain asked Paul what happened because he had enough experience to know that there would be problems, if it was even possible, getting an answer from the mob. And, our sentence says that is exactly what happened. Therefore, the chief captain commanded that Paul be taken to where the noise was limited and he could make sense of the answers received.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 6:3 about the word tumult. The functional definition for this word is: 'Webster's 1828 dictionary defines tumult as: '1. the commotion, disturbance or agitation of a multitude, usually accompanied with great noise, uproar and confusion of voices. What meaneth the noise of this tumult? 1 Sam 4. Till in loud tumult all the Greeks arose. 2. Violent commotion or agitation with confusion of sounds; as the tumult of the elements. 3. Agitation; high excitement; irregular or confused motion; as the tumult of the spirits or passions. 4. Bustle; stir.
TU'MULT, v.i. to make a tumult; to be in great commotion'.

Please see the note for Acts 3:2 about the word carried. The functional definition for this word is: 'Past-tense form of the word carry'. Please also see the note for Acts 5:9 about the words carry / carrying.

We find forms of the word castle in: Genesis 25:16; Numbers 31:10; 1Chronicles 6:54; 1Chronicles 11:5; 1Chronicles 11:7; 1Chronicles 27:25; 2Chronicles 17:12; 2Chronicles 27:4; Proverbs 18:19; Acts 21:34; Acts 21:37; Acts 22:24; Acts 23:10; Acts 23:16; Acts 23:32. The functional definition for this word is: 'A military fortress'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'some cried. Ac 19:32 know. Ac 22:30; 25:26 into. Ac 21:37; 22:24; 23:10,16'.

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C21-S33 (Verse 35) the people were so violent that the soldiers had to carry Paul.

And when he came upon the stairs,
so it was,
that he was borne of the soldiers for the violence of the people.

We find forms of the word stairs in: 1Kings 6:8; 2Kings 9:13; Nehemiah 3:15; Nehemiah 9:4; Nehemiah 12:37; Song 2:14; Ezekiel 40:6; Ezekiel 43:17; Acts 21:35; Acts 21:40. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'n. 1. A step; a stone or a frame of boards or planks by which a person rises one step. A stair, to make the ascent easy, should not exceed six or seven inches in elevation. When the riser is eight, nine or ten inches in breadth, the ascent by stairs is laborious. 2. Stairs, in the plural, a series of steps by which persons ascend to a higher room in a building. Stair, in this sense, is not in use. Flight of stairs, may signify the stairs which make the whole ascent of a story; or in winding stairs, the phrase may signify the stairs from the floor to a turn, or from one turn to another'.

Please see the note for Luke 11:46 about the word borne. The functional definition for this word is: 'pp. of bear. Carried; conveyed; supported; defrayed'.

Please see the note for Mark 5:13 about the word violent. The functional definition for this word is: 'With force; forcibly; vehemently'. Please also see the note for Acts 5:26 about the word violence.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'for. Ge 6:11-12; Ps 55:9; 58:2; Jer 23:10; Hab 1:2-3'.

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C21-S34 (Verse 36) Why the soldiers hadto carry Paul.

For the multitude of the people followed after,
crying,
Away with him.

After the beating he took, Paul probably had trouble walking and the soldiers would want to get out of a dangerous situation quickly. And, since our sentence says: the multitude of the people followed after they, obviously, were so mad that they didn't worry about their own safety. When soldiers are dealing with a mob which has such an attitude, even the armed soldiers can get hurt. Therefore, they were returning to the safety of their castle as quickly as they could.

Their cry of Away with him means: 'kill him'. When people are demanding that the government kill someone, they are not being reasonable. Thus, we see the foolishness of getting caught up in a mob mentality. They were ready to murder Paul because of a lie that no one bothered to verify. If you get caught up in such, God will judge you guilty of everything done by the mob even if you personally had nothing to do with the crime.

Please see the note for James 1:10 about the word away. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'Absent; at a distance; as, the master is away from home. Have me away, for I am wounded. 2Chron. 35. 2. It is much used with words signifying moving or going from; as, go away, send away, run away, etc.; all signifying departure, or separation to a distance. Sometimes without the verb; as, whither away so fast. Love hath wings and will away. 3. As an exclamation, it is a command or invitation to depart; away, that is, be gone, or let us go. "Away with him." Take him away. 4. With verbs, it serves to modify their sense and form peculiar phrases; as, to throw away, to cast from, to give up, dissipate or foolishly destroy. to trifle away, to lose or expend in trifles, or in idleness. to drink away, to squander away, etc., to dissipate in drinking or extravagance. to make away, is to kill or destroy. 5. Away with has a peculiar signification in the phrase, "I cannot away with it." Isa. 1. the sense is, "I cannot bear or endure it."'. Please also see the note for Romans C11S19 about the phrase cast away. Please also see the note for Romans C11S1 about the phrase God will not cast away his people. Please also see the note for John 6:67 about the phrase go away. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 5:17 about the phrase passed away. Please also see the note for Matthew 19:3 about the phrase put away.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'General references. Ac 7:54; 22:22; Lu 23:18; Joh 19:15; 1Co 4:13 See also on exp: Lu 23:18; Joh 19:15; Ac 22:22 Away.'.

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C21-S35 (Verse 37) Paul asked for permission to speak.

And as Paul was to be led into the castle,
he said unto the chief captain,
May I speak unto thee?.

Paul asked this before they got inside. Once inside, he would not have been allowed to go back out to speak to the crowd. And, Paul was more concerned about their souls than he was about his own physical life.

Please see the note for Acts 21:34 about the word castle. The functional definition for this word is: 'A military fortress'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 11:5 about the word chief. The functional definition for this word is: 'Highest in office or rank; principal; as a chief priest; the chief butler.'.

Please see the note for Luke 22:4 about the word captain. The functional definition for this word is: 'the man who goes with a military or police force and is in charge of them'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'General references. Ac 21:19; 19:30; Mt 10:18-20; Lu 21:15'.

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C21-S36 (Verse 37) Apparently, the chief captain had some problems speaking Hebrew and preferred the Greek language.

Who said,
Canst thou speak Greek?.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'General references. Ac 21:19; 19:30; Mt 10:18-20; Lu 21:15'.

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C21-S37 (Verse 38) the chief captain had a second question because he was trying to identify Paul.

Art not thou that Egyptian,
which before these days madest an uproar,
and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?.

An Egyptian is a citizen of Egypt. Please see the note for Hebrews 3:16 about Egypt. The functional definition for this word is: 'While Egypt is a physical country on this Earth, it is used for a type of the world (way of thinking, etc) within the Bible'.

Please see the note for John 3:14 about the word wilderness. The functional definition for this word is: 'Heb midhbar, denoting not a barren desert but a district or region suitable for pasturing sheep and cattle (Ps 65:12; Isa 42:11; Jer 23:10; Joe 1:19; 2:22); an uncultivated place'.

Please see the notes for John 8:44; Romans C1S16 and Galatians C5S20 about the word murder. The functional definition for this word is: 'The act of unlawfully killing a human being with premeditated malice, by a person of sound mind. to constitute murder in law, the person killing another must be of sound mind or in possession of his reason, and the act must be done with malice pretense, aforethought or premeditated; but malice may be implied, as well as express. In addition, in the Scripture view an outrage or sacrilege (Philo, Spec. Leg. 3:15) on God's likeness in man. Ge 9:5-6, "whose sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed; for in the image of God made He man." His blood was so sacred that "God requires it (compare Ps 9:12) of every beast"; so the ox that gored man must be killed (Ex 21:28). God's image implies in man a personal, moral, and responsible will. to cut short his day of grace and probation is the greatest wrong to man and insult to his Maker'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'that. "This Egyptian rose A.D. 55." Ac 5:36-37; Mt 5:11; 1Co 4:13'.

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C21-S38 (Verse 39) Paul answered his question and asked to speak to the people.

Equivalent Section: Paul said that he was not that Egyptian and said who he was.

But Paul said,
I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus,
a city in Cilicia,
a citizen of no mean city:.

Equivalent Section: Paul begged for permission to speak unto the people.

and,
I beseech thee,
suffer me to speak unto the people.

in this sentence, Paul first made it clear that he was not a criminal (that Egyptian) and that he was a Roman citizen (a citizen of no mean city). Even the chief captain could get into trouble for mistreating a Roman citizen. (The penalty for falsely claiming to be such had to be severe enough that non-citizens would not do so. They would prefer a fast death to such a penalty.) therefore, the chief captain granted Paul's request.

When Paul spoke, he wisely did so as he stood on the stairs. That way, the unthinking Jews could not reach him. And, as he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, they kept the more silence: and he saith. Apparently, many had been told that Paul was not a Jew and that he had personally polluted the Temple by entering into it. Thus, when he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, it was readily apparent that many of them had been lied to.

Please see the note for Acts 9:11 about Tarsus. Fausset's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'Ac 9:11; 22:3; 21:39. Paul's birthplace and early residence. Capital of Cilicia, in a plain on the river Cydnus at the foot of the passes northward over Mount Taurus into Cappadocia and Lycaonia. through these passes a road led to Lystra and Iconium (Acts 14), another road by the Amanian and Syrian gates eastward to Antioch. Founded by Sennacherub of Assyria; the Greeks too took part in its colonisation (Strabo xiv. 673), Xenophon mentions it (Tarsoi in the Ariabasis). Julius Caesar rewarded Tarsus for fidelity, and Augustus made it a free city, i.e. governed by its own laws and magistrates and free from tribute, but without Roman citizenship, which Paul must have acquired in some other way. Ranked by Strabo above Athens and Alexandria for its school of literature and philosophy; Athenodorus, Augustus' tutor, the grammari and Artemidorus and Diodorus, and the tragedian Dionysides belonged to Tarsus.
Here Paul received providentially that training which adapted him for dealing with the polished Greeks on their own ground, quoting Aratus a Cilician poet, Epimenides a Cretan, and Menander the Athenian comedian. He resided in Tarsus at intervals after his conversion (Ac 9:30; 11:25); after his first visit to Jerusalem and before his ministry with Barnabas at Antioch, and doubtless at the commencement of his second and third missionary journeys (Ac 15:41; 18:23). G. Rawlinson thinks Tarshish in Ge 10:4 can scarcely designate Tartessus, founded not until after Moses, but Tarsus in Cilicia; though said to be founded by Sennacherib, an old settlement doubtless preceded his colony. thus, Tarshish in Ge 10:4 will represent the Cilici and or the Greeks in Cilicia; it is associated with Kittim or Cyprus, which was near.'.

Please see the note for Galatians 1:21-23 about the place of Cilicia. The functional definition for this word is: 'This is the area surrounding Paul's home city of Tarsus' (Every mention of Tarsus in the Bible is related to Paul.) Paul was with the people from his home region when he was there to participate in the martyrdom of Stephen.'.

Please see the note for Luke 15:15 about the word citizen. The functional definition for this word is: 'Member of a physical government. One having municipal rights, duties, and protection'.

Please see the note for Luke 15:26 about the word mean (singular) / meant. The functional definition for this word is: 'humble or base'.

Please see the notes for Romans C8S17 and 1Corinthians C4S13 about the word suffer. The functional definition for this word is: 'To feel or bear what is painful, disagreeable or distressing, either to the body or mind'. Please also see the note for Romans 9:22 about the word longsuffering. Please also see the note for Mark 8:31-LJC about the phrase suffering of Jesus Christ.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'I am. Ac 9:11,30; 22:3; 23:34 Cilicia. Ac 6:9; 15:23,41 exp: Ac 23:34; 27:5; Ga 1:21. a citizen. Ac 16:37; 22:25-29; 23:27 suffer. Ac 21:37; 1Pe 3:15; 4:15-16'.

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C21-S39 (Verse 40) Paul got the people to quiet down enough that he could be heard.

And when he had given him licence,
Paul stood on the stairs,
and beckoned with the hand unto the people.

When Paul just stood on the steps, protected by the Roman Army, and beckoned with the hand unto the people, it became obvious that he would not speak until they were quiet. And, after rioting as long as they apparently had done, they were ready for something new. If nothing else, Paul would give them a new excuse to riot more.

Please see the notes for 2Corinthians 5:5 and Philippians 4:15 about the word give. The functional definition for this word is: 'Bestowing; conferring; imparting; granting; delivering'. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 9:8-11 about the word given. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 9:7 about the word giver. Please also see the notes for 1Corinthians C14S19 and Ephesians C5S2 about the phrase giving of thanks.

We find forms of the word licence only in our current sentence and Acts 25:16. The International Standard Bible Encyclopedia defines this word as: 'li'-sens: this word is not found at all in the Revised Version (British and American) (except in Judith 11:14; Ecclesiasticus 15:20; 1 Macc 1:13), and twice only in the King James Version (except in 2 Macc 4:9), both times in Acts. In Ac 21:40 (as translation of epitrepo) the American Standard Revised Version has "leave" where the King James Version has "licence." In Ac 25:16, "opportunity to make his defense" (as translation of topon apologias) takes the place of "have licence to answer for himself."'.

The word stood is the past-tense form of the word stand. Please see the notes for Romans C14S5 and 1Corinthians C15S1 about the word stand. The functional definition for this word is: 'to be upon the feet, as an animal; not to sit, kneel or lie'. Please also see the note for Philippians 1:18 about the word notwithstanding. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians C14S2 about the word understand. Please also see the note for Galatians C5S1 about the phrase stand fast.

Please see the note for Acts 21:35 about the word stairs. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'n. 1. A step; a stone or a frame of boards or planks by which a person rises one step. A stair, to make the ascent easy, should not exceed six or seven inches in elevation. When the riser is eight, nine or ten inches in breadth, the ascent by stairs is laborious. 2. Stairs, in the plural, a series of steps by which persons ascend to a higher room in a building. Stair, in this sense, is not in use. Flight of stairs, may signify the stairs which make the whole ascent of a story; or in winding stairs, the phrase may signify the stairs from the floor to a turn, or from one turn to another'.

Please see the note for Luke 5:7 about the word beckon. The functional definition for this word is: 'To make a significant sign to'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'on. Ac 21:35; 2Ki 9:13 and beckoned. Ac 12:17; 13:16; 19:33'.

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C21-S40 this sentence is wrongly divided in the middle with the rest of it presented as the first verse in the next chapter.

And when there was made a great silence,
he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue,
saying,.

Paul spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, thereby proving that he was a Jew and that, at least part of what they had been told, was a lie.

The phrases in our sentence can be explained as:

The word And means: 'This sentence is added to the prior sentence which told us that Paul was given permission to speak to the people from the safety of the castle steps'.
The phrase when there was made a great silence means: 'This is when Paul spoke'. His standing on the steps, but not speaking, made it obvious that he had something to say but that he would not complete with the tumult. Therefore, they gave him a great silence so that they could all hear. They knew that they could protest more if they didn't like what he said. And, they knew that they could no more beat on him because the Roman soldiers would start killing people if they tried. So, they all quieted and listened.
The phrase he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying means: 'They did not expect this as, through the confusion, as they were told that Paul polluted the Temple, some thought that he was a non-Jew and had been dragged out of the Temple because he personally polluted the Temple by entering as a non-Jew'.
The phrase Men, brethren, and fathers means: 'No non-Jew would ever call a Jew these things. By using this opening address, Paul made it clear to the Jews that he was also a Jew'.
The phrase hear ye my defense which I make now unto you means: 'The Jews knew that they were required by God's law to allow a Jew to make his own defense when he was accused of a crime. And, they understood that if they refused, then God would punish them and possibly punish the nation. Therefore, they understood that what Paul said, in this phrase, was backed by God.'

Please see the note for Matthew 22:34 about the word silence. The functional definition for this word is: 'To oblige to hold the peace; to restrain from noise or speaking.'.

Please see the note for John 5:2 about the word Hebrew. The functional definition Hebrew tongue is: 'The language of the Hebrews. The Hebrews are identified as: Designation of Abraham and of his descendants. the name is first met with when Lot had been carried away prisoner, one came and told Abram 'the Hebrew.' Ge 14:13. Hence it is applied to Abraham's descendants through Isaac and Jacob in distinction to the name of Israelites (from the name of Israel given to Jacob), which is their covenant name, the name of promise' forms of this word are used, in this book, in: Acts 21:40; Acts 22:2; Acts 26:14.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'a great. Ac 22:2 Hebrew. Ac 6:1; 26:14; Lu 23:38; Joh 5:2; 19:13,17,20; Re 9:11; 16:16'.

The rest of the words of this sentence are dealt with in the note for Acts 22:1.

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Chapter 22: Chapter theme is: Paul gives his testimony of salvation to the Jews.

links to sentences in this chapter:

C22-S1 (Verse 1), C22-S2 (Verse 2-3), C22-S3 (Verse 4), C22-S4 (Verse 5), C22-S5 (Verse 6), C22-S6 (Verse 7), C22-S7 (Verse 8), C22-S8 (Verse 8), C22-S9 (Verse 9), C22-S10 (Verse 10), C22-S11 (Verse 10), C22-S12 (Verse 11), C22-S13 (Verse 12-53), C22-S14 (Verse 13), C22-S15 (Verse 14), C22-S16 (Verse 15), C22-S17 (Verse 16), C22-S18 (Verse 16), C22-S19 (Verse 17-18), C22-S20 (Verse 19-20), C22-S21 (Verse 21), C22-S22 (Verse 22), C22-S23 (Verse 23-24), C22-S24 (Verse 25), C22-S25 (Verse 26), C22-S26 (Verse 27), C22-S27 (Verse 27), C22-S28 (Verse 28), C22-S29 (Verse 28), C22-S30 (Verse 29), C22-S31 (Verse 30)'.

Our chapter starts with Paul speaking to the Jews. He starts by telling them where he was from and that he was as zealous of the law as any of them were at that time. He tells them that he persecuted this way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women and that he dragged them to Jerusalem to be punished. However, while on the way to Damascus, a light came to him from God and old him he was doing wrong. And, God told him I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou persecutest. Further, he was blinded by the light. Then, while praying in Damascus, as man was sent to restore his sight and he was commanded to be a messenger for God. After that, he returned to Jerusalem and, while praying in the Temple, was told to go to the Gentiles.

The response of the Jews was to demand Paul's death. The chief captain was going to have Paul scourged until Paul told him that he was a Roman citizen. Therefore, the chief captain took him into the castle and, in the morning, demanded that the Jewish religious leaders come to the castle and explain the tumult.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

22:22-29 : tells us that the Jews, again, demanded Paul's death. The chief captain was going to scourge Paul until he let him know that he was a Roman citizen. After discussing Paul's citizenship, the chief captain took Paul into the castle.

22:30 : tells us that the chief captain commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear and meet with Paul so that the chief captain could determine what the tumult was about.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this chapter as: '1-16. Paul declares at large how he was converted to the faith,
17-21. and called to his apostleship.
22-23. At the very mentioning of the Gentiles the people exclaim on him.
24. He would have been scourged;
25-30. but claiming the privilege of a Roman, he escapes.'.

C22-S1 (Verse 1) this sentence is wrongly divided in the middle with the first part of it presented as the last verse in the prior chapter. Please see the note for the last sentence, in the prior chapter, about this verse.

Men,
brethren,
and fathers,
hear ye my defense which I make now unto you.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

The phrases in our sentence can be explained as:

The word And means: 'This sentence is added to the prior sentence which told us that Paul was given permission to speak to the people from the safety of the castle steps'.
The phrase when there was made a great silence means: 'This is when Paul spoke'. His standing on the steps, but not speaking, made it obvious that he had something to say but that he would not complete with the tumult. Therefore, they gave him a great silence so that they could all hear. They knew that they could protest more if they didn't like what he said. And, they knew that they could no more beat on him because the Roman soldiers would start killing people if they tried. So, they all quieted and listened.
The phrase he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying means: 'They did not expect this as, through the confusion, as they were told that Paul polluted the Temple, some thought that he was a non-Jew and had been dragged out of the Temple because he personally polluted the Temple by entering as a non-Jew'.
The phrase Men, brethren, and fathers means: 'No non-Jew would ever call a Jew these things. By using this opening address, Paul made it clear to the Jews that he was also a Jew'.
The phrase hear ye my defense which I make now unto you means: 'The Jews knew that they were required by God's law to allow a Jew to make his own defense when he was accused of a crime. And, they understood that if they refused, then God would punish them and possibly punish the nation. Therefore, they understood that what Paul said, in this phrase, was backed by God.'

The first words of this sentence are dealt with in the note for Acts 21:40.

Please see the note for Hebrews 1:5 about the word father. The functional definition for this word is: 'the man who passes his character to the son'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'brethren. Ac 7:2; 13:26; 23:1,6; 28:17 my. Greek all. Ac 19:33; 24:10; 25:8,16; 26:1-2,24; Lu 12:11; 21:14; Ro 2:15; 1Co 9:3; 2Co 7:11; 12:19; Php 1:7,17; 2Ti 4:16; 1Pe 3:15'.

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C22-S2 (Verse 2-3) Paul speaks to the Jews.

Equivalent Section: the Jews listened because Paul talked to them in the Hebrew tongue.

(And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them,
they kept the more silence:.

Equivalent Section: Paul spoke to the Jews.

and he saith).

Equivalent Section: Paul's opening remarks.

I am verily a man which am a Jew,
born in Tarsus,
a city in Cilicia,
yet brought up in this city at the feet of Gamaliel,
and taught according to the perfect manner of the law of the fathers,
and was zealous tward God,
as ye all are this day.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C12S8; 1Corinthians 14:2 and Philippians 2:9-11 about the word tongue. The functional definition for this word is: 'a human language'. Also see language in Acts 2:6.

Please see the note for Matthew 22:34 about the word silence. The functional definition for this word is: 'To oblige to hold the peace; to restrain from noise or speaking.'.

Please see the note for Matthew 1:16 about the word born. The functional definition for this word is: 'Conceived life is brought into the world'. Please also see the note for 1John 3:9 about the phrase born of God. Please also see the note for Colossians 1:15 about the word firstborn. Please also see the note for Hebrews 1:5 about the word begotten. The functional definition is: 'Procreated; generated'. Please also see the note for Galatians C4-S17 about the words birth / birthright / birthday.

Please see the note for Galatians 1:21-23 about the place of Cilicia. The functional definition for this word is: 'This is the area surrounding Paul's home city of Tarsus'. (Every mention of Tarsus in the Bible is related to Paul.) the people from Cilicia were among those disputing with Stephen, when he was martyred. Thus, Paul was with the people from his home region when he was there to participate in the martyrdom of Stephen. There are no links provided by others beyond the verses already mentioned but the commentators have some trivia that might interest some people.

Please see the note for Philippians 2:1 about the word accord. The functional definition for this word is: 'Agreeing; harmonizing when two notes are in a music chord, they move together, up or down, to the next note''. Please also see the note for Psalms 119:23 about the phrase according to works.

Please see the notes for 1Corinthians C2S5 and 2Timothy C3S10 about the word perfect. The functional definition for this word is: 'Properly, whole, entire or perfect, in a moral sense. Hence, pure in heart, temper or dispositions; free from sin and sinful affections'.

Please see the note for 1Peter C1S4 about the word manner (singular). Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word is: 'form; method; way of performing or executing. Find thou the manner, and the means prepare. 2. Custom; habitual practice. Show them the manner of the king that shall reign over them. this will be the manner of the king. 1 Sam.8. Paul, as his manner was--Acts 17. 3. Sort; kind. Ye tithe mint and rue, and all manner of herbs. Luke 11. they shall say all manner of evil against you falsely--Matt.5. in this application, manner has the sense of a plural word; all sorts or kinds. 4. Certain degree or measure. It is in a manner done already. the bread is in a manner common. 1 Sam.21. this use may also be sometimes defined by sort or fashion; as we say, a thing is done after a sort or fashion, that is, not well, fully or perfectly. Augustinus does in a manner confess the charge. 5. Mien; cast of look; mode. Air and manner are more expressive than words. 6. Peculiar way or carriage; distinct mode. It can hardly be imagined how great a difference was in the humor, disposition and manner of the army under Essex and that under Waller. A man's company may be known by his manner of expressing himself. 7. Way; mode; of things. the temptations of prosperity insinuate themselves after a gentle, but very powerful manner. 8. Way of service or worship. the nations which thou hast removed and placed in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the god of the land--2 Kings 7. 9. In painting, the particular habit of a painter in managing colors, lights and shades'.

Please see the note for Hebrews 1:5 about the word father. The functional definition for this word is: 'the man who passes his character to the son'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'in. Ac 21:40 exp: Joh 19:20; Ac 26:14.
Jew. Ac 21:39; Ro 11:1; 2Co 11:22; Php 3:5 in Tarsus. Ac 9:11,30; 11:25 a city. Ac 6:9; 15:23,41; 23:34; Ga 1:21 at. De 33:3; 2Ki 4:38; Lu 2:46; 8:35; 10:39 Gamaliel. Ac 5:34 taught. Ac 23:6; 26:5; Ga 1:14; Php 3:5 was. Ac 21:20; 2Sa 21:2; Ro 10:2-3; Ga 4:17-18; Php 3:6 General references. exp: Le 13:29; Ac 8:3.'.

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C22-S3 (Verse 4) Paul persecuted the way.

And I persecuted this way unto the death,
binding and delivering into prisons both men and women.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

The phrases in our sentence can be explained as:

The word And means: 'This sentence is added to the prior sentence. This sentence tells us how Paul acted based upon the beliefs which he reported having in the prior sentence'.
The phrase I persecuted this way unto the death means: 'Paul was as extreme as it is possible to be'.
The phrase binding and delivering into prisons means: 'Paul sometimes arrested people instead of killing them. This would have been when there was some question if the person actually followed the way'.
The phrase both men and women means: 'Paul treated everyone the same'.

Please see the note for Galatians C1-S11 about the word persecute. The functional definition for this word is: 'n a general sense, to pursue in a manner to injure, vex or afflict; to harass with unjust punishment or penalties for supposed offenses; to inflict pain from hatred or malignity. 2. Appropriately, to afflict, harass, or destroy for adherence to a particular creed or system of religious principles, or to a mode of worship. thus, Nero persecuted the Christians by crucifying some, burning others, and condemning others to be worried by dogs. See Acts.22. 3. to harass with solicitations or importunity'. Please also see the note for Romans C8S37 about the word persecution.

Please see the note for Galatians C4-S2 about the words woman / women. The Morrish Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'It is evident from scripture that women were anciently held in much more honour and esteem in Eastern countries than they are now. Solomon, speaking of women, said that such as his soul sought for he did not find one in a thousand. Ec 7:28. this tells of fallen human nature; but the true thought of woman is that she is the glory of the man, his true helpmeet. this is fulfilled in the relationship of the church to Christ.
In the N.T. the true place of the woman in subjection to the man is plainly stated, as indicated in creation; and in the assembly the woman is to be silent, and not to teach. Her bearing and deportment are expressive of what she learns as taught of Christ. 1Co 11:3-15; 14:34-35; 1Ti 2:11. 12. Nevertheless women were greatly honoured in ministering to the Lord, and are accredited as helping on the work of the Lord in the gospel and among the saints. Lu 8:2-3; 23:27,55-56; Ro 16:1,3,6; Php 4:2-3; 2Jo 1:10'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'I persecuted. Ac 22:19-20; 7:58; 8:1-4; 9:1-2,13-14,21; 26:9-11; 1Co 15:9; Php 3:6; 1Ti 1:13-15 this. Ac 16:17; 18:26; 19:9,23; 24:14 General references. exp: Le 13:29; Ac 8:3.'.

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C22-S4 (Verse 5) the witnesses to Paul's past.

Equivalent Section: the Jewish Religious leaders are witnesses of Paul's past.

As also the high priest doth bear me witness,
and all the estate of the elders:.

Equivalent Section: Why they are witnesses.

from whom also I received letters unto the brethren,
and went to Damascus,
to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem,
for to be punished.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Please see the note for Hebrews 4:14 about the word priest. The functional definition for this word is: 'One who represents men before God'. Please also see the note for Mark 14:63 about the phrase high priest.

Please see the note for Romans C15S1 about the word bear (verb). The functional definition for this word is: 'to carry a load over a period of time'.

Please see the note for Hebrews 11:4 about the word witness. The functional definition for this word is: 'someone who is qualified to testify in court and is available to do so if the court requests'. In addition, we have the definition, as it applies to the Bible, of: 'Basically, if the Bible literally says something in at least two places, that is a law that will be enforced by the court of God and is something that all must accept and obey'. Please also see the notes for John 8:17; 2Corinthians 13:1 and Colossians C3S13 about the phrase witnesses, two or the. Please also see the note for John 5:1 about the phrase witnesses given by Jesus to show that He is God.

Please see the note for Romans C12S12 about the word estate. The functional definition for this word is: ' In law, the interest, or quantity of interest, a man has in lands, tenements, or other effects. Estates are real or personal. Real estate consists in lands or freeholds, which descent to heirs; personal estate consists in chattels or movables, which go to executors and administrators. there are also estates for life, for years, at will, etc'.

Please see the note for Romans C7S6 about the word letter. The functional definition for this word is: 'the detailed portions of the law'.

Please see the note for Galatians C1-S12 about Damascus. The functional definition for this word is: 'A celebrated metropolis of Syria, first mentioned in Ge 14:15; 15:2, and now probably the oldest city on the globe'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 2:6 about the word punish. The functional definition for this word is: 'Any pain or suffering inflicted on a person for a crime or offense, by the authority to which the offender is subject, either by the constitution of God or of civil society'. Please also see the note for Matthew 25:46 about the word punishment.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'also. Ac 9:1-2,14; 26:10,12 and all. Ac 4:5; 5:21; Lu 22:66 the brethren. Ac 22:1; Ro 9:3-4'.

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C22-S5 (Verse 6) Paul experience something that could only come from God.

And it came to pass,
that,
as I made my journey,
and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon,
suddenly there shone from heaven a great light round about me.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

This great light round about Paul, which was obviously greater than the noon day sun, could only be done by God. In addition, since it was round about Paul, it obviously was directed at him personally. Further, since Paul understood the voice, but the others heard it without understanding, the message, again, was for Paul personally. Please see the links for miracles which are reported in the New Testament Significant Events Study.

Please see the note for Titus 2:13 about the word journey. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: '(1.) A day's journey in the East is from 16 to 20 miles (Nu 11:31). (2.) A sabbath-day's journey is 2,000 paces or yards from the city walls (Ac 1:12). According to Jewish tradition, it was the distance one might travel without violating the law of Ex 16:29. (See sabbath.)'.

Please see the note for Acts 2:2 about the words sudden / suddenly. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: ', a. L. subitaneus. 1. Happening without previous notice; coming unexpectedly, or without the common preparatives. And sudden fear troubleth thee. Job.22. Forwhen they shall say, peace and safety, then sudden destruction cometh upon them. 1 thess.5. 2. Hasty; violent; rash; precipitate; passionate. Not in use.
SUD'DEN, n. An unexpected occurrence; surprise. Not in use. On a sudden, sooner than was expected; without the usual preparatives. How art thou lost, how on a sudden lost! Of a sudden, is not usual, and is less elegant'.

The word shoe is the past-tense form of the word shine. Please see the note for Matthew 5:16 about the word shine. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'to emit rays of light; to give light; to beam with steady radiance; to exhibit lightness or splendor; as, the sun shines by day; the moon shines by night. Shining differs from sparkling, glistening, glittering, as it usually implies a steady radiation or emission of light, whereas the latter words usually imply irregular or interrupted radiation. this distinction is not always not always observed, and we may say, the fixed stars shine, as well as they sparkle. But we never say the sun or the moon sparkles. 2. to be bright; to be lively and animated; to be brilliant. Let thine eyes shine forth in their full luster. Denham. 3. to be unclouded; as, the moon shines'.

Please see the note for Philippians 2:9-11 about the word heaven. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: '(1.) Definitions. the phrase "heaven and earth" is used to indicate the whole universe (Ge 1:1; Jer 23:24; Ac 17:24). According to the Jewish notion there were three heavens, (a) the firmament, as "fowls of the heaven" (Ge 2:19; 7:3,23; Ps 8:8, etc.), "the eagles of heaven" (La 4:19), etc. (b) the starry heavens (De 17:3; Jer 8:2; Mt 24:29). (c) "The heaven of heavens," or "the third heaven" (De 10:14; 1Ki 8:27; Ps 115:16; 148:4; 2Co 12:2). (2.) Meaning of words in the original, (a) the usual Hebrew word for "heavens" is shamayim, a plural form meaning "heights," "elevations" (Ge 1:1; 2:1). (b) the Hebrew word marom is also used (Ps 68:18; 93:4; 102:19, etc.) as equivalent to shamayim, "high places," "heights." (c) Heb galgal, literally a "wheel," is rendered "heaven" in Ps 77:18 (R.V., "whirlwind"). (d) Heb shahak, rendered "sky" (De 33:26; Job 37:18; Ps 18:11), plural "clouds" (Job 35:5; 36:28; Ps 68:34, marg. "heavens"), means probably the firmament. (e) Heb rakia is closely connected with (d), and is rendered "firmamentum" in the Vulgate, whence our "firmament" (Ge 1:6; De 33:26, etc.), regarded as a solid expanse. (3.) Metaphorical meaning of term. Isa 14:13-14; "doors of heaven" (Ps 78:23); heaven "shut" (1Ki 8:35); "opened" (Eze 1:1). (See 1Ch 21:16.) (4.) Spiritual meaning. the place of the everlasting blessedness of the righteous; the abode of departed spirits. (a) Christ calls it his "Father's house" (Joh 14:2). (b) It is called "paradise" (Lu 23:43; 2Co 12:4; Re 2:7). (c) "The heavenly Jerusalem" (Ga 4:1; 6:18; Heb 12:22; Re 3:12). (d) the "kingdom of heaven" (Mt 25:1; Jas 2:5). (e) the "eternal kingdom" (2Pe 1:11). (f) the "eternal inheritance" (1Pe 1:4; Heb 9:15). (g) the "better country" (Heb 11:14,16). (h) the blessed are said to "sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," and to be "in Abraham's bosom" (Lu 16:22; Mt 8:11); to "reign with Christ" (2Ti 2:12). In heaven the blessedness of the righteous consists in the possession of "life everlasting," "an eternal weight of glory" (2Co 4:17), an exemption from all sufferings for ever, a deliverance from all evils (2Co 5:1-2) and from the society of the wicked (2Ti 4:18), bliss without termination, the "fulness of joy" for ever (Lu 20:36; 2Co 4:16,18; 1Pe 1:4; 5:10; 1Jo 3:2). the believer's heaven is not only a state of everlasting blessedness, but also a "place", a place "prepared" for them (Joh 14:2)'. Please also see the notes for Hebrews 12:2-LJC and Laying up Treasure in heaven about the phrase treasure in heaven. Please also see the note for 1Peter 1:2-LJC about the phrase heaven, things in. Please also see the note for Matthew 3:2 about the phrase kingdom of heaven.

Please see the notes for Romans C13S15; 2Corinthians 4:3-4 and Ephesians C5S6 about the word light. The functional definition for this word is: 'The spiritual gift from God that overcomes spiritual darkness from sin and Satan. Spiritual light allows us to see and understand things from God's view. Spiritual light allows us to see how to walk, work and live in this world in a Godly way'. Please also see the notes for John 1:9; Romans 13:12; John 8:12 and John 11:9-LJC about the phrase Jesus is our light. Please also see the notes for Light and Darkness in 1John; Romans C13S15 and Hebrews 12:18-24 about the phrase light and darkness. Please also see the note for John 9:5 about the phrase light of the world. Please also see the note for Luke 17:24 about the word lightning. Please also see the note for Hebrews 6:4 about the word enlightened.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'that. It is evident that the apostle considered his extraordinary conversion as a most complete demonstration of the truth of Christianity; and when all the particulars of his education, his previous religious principles, his zeal, his enmity against Christians, and his prospects of secular honours and preferments by persecuting them, are compared with the subsequent part of his life, and the sudden transition from a furious persecutor to a zealous preacher of the gospel, in which he laboured and suffered to the end of his life, and for which he died a martyr, it must convince every candid and impartial person that no rational account can be given of this change, except what he himself assigns; and consequently, if that be true, that Christianity is Divine. That. Ac 9:3-5; 26:12 Damascus. Ge 14:15; 15:2; 2Sa 8:6 about. Ac 26:13; Isa 24:23; Mt 17:2; Re 1:16'.

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C22-S6 (Verse 7) What happened next.

And I fell unto the ground,
and heard a voice saying unto me,
Saul,
Saul,
why persecutest thou me?.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Please see the links for miracles which are reported in the New Testament Significant Events Study. There we see links to the reports of our Lord Jesus Christ speaking to three different people during the New Testament time. In each case, out Lord Jesus Christ delivered a very clear and specific message. in this sentence, we read the report of the first thing that our Lord Jesus Christ said to Paul. He accused Paul of ongoing (persecutest) persecution of our Lord Jesus Christ. In Matthew 25:40 and Matthew 25:45, we read: And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. That is: God considers what we do to any of His children as if we did it to our Lord Jesus Christ.

It should have been obvious the listening Jews that Paul spoke about a miracle that could only be done by the power of God. However, they, obviously, turned off their minds and refused to consider what they were actually told. Therefore, when they continued to seek Paul's life, they were continuing to fight against God and brought the judgment of God upon themselves and their families and their nation.

Saul was the name of Paul before he was a missionary. (This is written in Acts 13:9.) Please see the note for 1Corinthians 1:12 for links to where Paul is named within the Bible. Please see the note for Colossians C1S6 for links to every place where the phrase I Paul is used. Please also see the second half of the book called SbS-Preacher Missionaries about how God used Paul to show us how He uses a pastor / missionary to build the ministry.

The word fell is the past-tense form of the word fall. Please see the note for 1Timothy 3:6 about the word fall. The functional definition for this word is: 'moving from a high position to a low position'. This word is often used symbolically for the spiritual meaning which is: 'apostasy: unexpectedly moving from a high spiritual position to a low spiritual position'.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C14S11 about the word voice. The functional definition for this word is: 'The sense of the verb is to throw, to drive out sound; and voice is that which is driven out. Sound or audible noise uttered by the mouth, either of human beings or of other animals'. Please also see the note for Luke 3:21-22 about the phrase voice from heaven Please also see the note for Revelation 20:9 about the phrase fire from heaven.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'Saul. Ge 3:9; 16:8; 22:1,11; Ex 3:4; 1Sa 3:10 exp: Ac 26:14. why. Isa 43:22-26; Jer 2:5,9; Mt 25:45; 27:23; 1Ti 1:13 exp: Ac 9:4. General references. exp: Mt 17:6.'.

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C22-S7 (Verse 8) Paul answers the question from our Lord Jesus Christ with an expression of confusion.

And I answered,
Who art thou,
Lord ?.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Here, Paul, obviously, did not know Whom the Lord was. However, with the demonstrated power, Paul had no question about dealing with God. The listening Jews, however, refused to believe the same thing. In addition, in the next sentence, the Son of God identifies Himself as Jesus of Nazareth. Paul accepted what he was told but the listening Jews refused to accept the report. Many times people, when judged, try to claim that they were never given a message that was given to them but they refused to hear it. However, God records everything. Therefore, a claim of; 'I was never told' will not work when we are judged by God.

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C22-S8 (Verse 8) Our Lord Jesus Christ answers clearly.

And he said unto me,
I am Jesus of Nazareth,
whom thou persecutest.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Please see the note for Luke 1:26-27 about Nazareth. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'separated, generally supposed to be the Greek form of the Hebrew netser, a "shoot" or "sprout." Some, however, think that the name of the city must be connected with the name of the hill behind it, from which one of the finest prospects in Palestine is obtained, and accordingly they derive it from the Hebrew notserah, i.e., one guarding or watching, thus designating the hill which overlooks and thus guards an extensive region. this city is not mentioned in the Old Testament. It was the home of Joseph and Mary (Lu 2:39), and here the angel announced to the Virgin the birth of the Messiah (Lu 1:26-28). Here Jesus grew up from his infancy to manhood (Lu 4:16); and here he began his public ministry in the synagogue (Mt 13:54), at which the people were so offended that they sought to cast him down from the precipice whereon their city was built (Lu 4:29). Twice they expelled him from their borders (Lu 4:16-29; Mt 13:54-58); and he finally retired from the city, where he did not many mighty works because of their unbelief (Mt 13:58), and took up his residence in Capernaum. Nazareth is situated among the southern ridges of Lebanon, on the steep slope of a hill, about 14 miles from the Sea of Galilee and about 6 west from Mount Tabor. It is identified with the modern village en-Nazirah, of six or ten thousand inhabitants. It lies "as in a hollow cup" lower down upon the hill than the ancient city. the main road for traffic between Egypt and the interior of Asia passed by Nazareth near the foot of Tabor, and thence northward to Damascus. It is supposed from the words of Nathanael in John 1:46 that the city of Nazareth was held in great disrepute, either because, it is said, the people of Galilee were a rude and less cultivated class, and were largely influenced by the Gentiles who mingled with them, or because of their lower type of moral and religious character. But there seems to be no sufficient reason for these suppositions. the Jews believed that, according to Mic 5:2, the birth of the Messiah would take place at Bethlehem, and nowhere else. Nathanael held the same opinion as his countrymen, and believed that the great "good" which they were all expecting could not come from Nazareth. this is probably what Nathanael meant. Moreover, there does not seem to be any evidence that the inhabitants of Galilee were in any respect inferior, or that a Galilean was held in contempt, in the time of our Lord. (See Dr. Merrill's Galilee in the Time of Christ.) the population of this city (now about 10,000) in the time of Christ probably amounted to 15,000 or 20,000 souls. "The so-called 'Holy House' is a cave under the Latin church, which appears to have been originally a tank. the 'brow of the hill', site of the attempted precipitation, is probably the northern cliff: the traditional site has been shown since the middle ages at some distance to the south. None of the traditional sites are traceable very early, and they have no authority. the name Nazareth perhaps means 'a watch tower' (now en-Nasrah), but is connected in the New Testament with Netzer, 'a branch' (Isa 4:2; Jer 23:5; Zec 3:8; 6:12; Mt 2:23), Nazarene being quite a different word from Nazarite'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'I am. Ac 3:6; 4:10; 6:14; Mt 2:23 whom. Ac 26:14-15; Ex 16:7-8; 1Sa 8:7; Zec 2:8; Mt 10:40-42; 25:40,45; 1Co 12:12,26-27'.

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C22-S9 (Verse 9) the witness of others traveling with Paul.

First Step: they knew that something supernatural was happening.

And they that were with me saw indeed the light,
and were afraid;.

Second Step: they did not understand.

but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

If you only see a light and hear a noise, you can not claim to have received the message. Yes, the others saw evidence of a supernatural event, but the message was for Paul only. This sentence is part of Paul receiving a message which was for him only.

Please see the note for Luke 3:11 about the word indeed. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'adv. in and deed. In reality; in truth; in fact. the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. Rom.8. Indeed is usually emphatical, but in some cases more so than in others; as,This is true; it is indeed. I were a beast indeed to do you wrong. Some sons indeed; some very few we see, Who keep themselves from this infection free. there is indeed no greater pleasure in visiting these magazines of war-- It is used to note concession or admission; as, ships not so large indeed, but better manned. Indeed is used as an expression of surprise, or for the purpose of obtaining confirmation of a fact stated. Indeed! is it possible? is it so in fact?'.

Please see the note for John 6:19 about the word afraid. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'Impressed with fear or apprehension; fearful. this word expresses a less degree of fear than terrified or frightened. It is followed by of before the object of fear; as, to be afraid of death. Joseph was afraid to sin against God'. Please see the notes for Romans C11S25 and Philippians 1:12-14 about the word fear. The functional definition for this word is: 'A painful emotion or passion excited by an expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger. Fear expresses less apprehension than dread, and dread less than terror and fright. the force of this passion, beginning with the most moderate degree, may be thus expressed, fear, dread, terror, fright. Fear is accompanied with a desire to avoid or ward off the expected evil. Fear is an uneasiness of mind, upon the thought of future evil likely to befall us'. Please also see the Study called Fear the Lord. Please also see the note for Matthew 10:26 about the phrase fear not.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'saw. Ac 9:7; Da 10:7 but. Joh 12:29-30 General references. exp: Ac 9:7.'.

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C22-S10 (Verse 10) Paul asks for a command.

And I said,
What shall I do,
Lord Jesus ?.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

This is when Paul was truly saved. Notice that he responds with Lord Jesus. Every place where we read shall be saved, in the word of God, the context, directly or indirectly, requires people to accept God as their personal Lord. They must agree to obey. This sentence very clearly tell us Paul's agreement to obey on a personal level.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'What. Ac 2:37; 9:6; 10:33; 16:30; Ps 25:8-9; 143:8-10 exp: Ac 10:4.'.

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C22-S11 (Verse 10) the command to Paul from the Lord.

First Step: What to do immediately.

And the Lord said unto me,
Arise,
and go into Damascus;.

Second Step: Wait for further instructions.

and there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Please see the note for Mark 10:1 about the words arise / arose. The functional definition for this word is: 'To ascend, mount up or move to a higher place; as, vapors arise from humid places'. The word arose is the past-tense form of the word arise. Please also see the note for Colossians C2-S7 about the word rise.

Please see the note for Matthew 18:31 about the words tell / told. The word told is the past-tense form of the word tell. The functional definition for this word is: 'to communicate to others'.

Please see the note for Romans C1S10 and Galatians C2-S16 about the words righteous / righteousness. The functional definition for this word is: 'doing the right thing, as defined by God, the right way and at the right time with the right purpose'. Please also see the note for Ephesians 4:7-LJC about the phrase righteousness of the Law. Please also see the notes for Philippians 1:9-11; James 3:18 about the phrase fruit of righteousness. Please also see the note for Romans C4S7 about the phrase imputeth righteousness. Please also see the notes for Romans 3:5 and Romans C1S16 about the word unrighteousness. Please also see the note for Romans C2S5 about the phrase obeying unrighteousness.

Please see the note for Luke 3:13 about the word appoint. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'to fix; to settle; to establish; to make fast. When he appointed the foundations of the earth. Prov. 8. 2. to constitute, ordain, or fix by decree, order or decision. Let Pharoah appoint officers over the land. Gen. 41. He hath appointed a day in which he will judge the world. Act. 17. 3. to allot, assign or designate. Aaron and his sons shall appoint every one to his service. Num 4. these cities were appointed for all the children of Israel. Josh. 20. 4. to purpose or resolve; to fix the intention. forso he had appointed. Acts 20. 5. to ordain, command or order. thy servants are ready to do whatever my Lord the King shall appoint. 2Sam. 15. 6. to settle; to fix, name or determine by agreement; as, they appointed a time and place for the meeting'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'there. Ac 22:12-16; 26:16-18'.

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C22-S12 (Verse 11) Paul was blind until Jesus restored his sight.

And when I could not see for the glory of that light,
being led by the hand of them that were with me,
I came into Damascus.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Paul was blinded until Ananias laid hands on him to restor his sight. Symbolically, our Lord Jesus Christ was showing Paul that he was spiritually blind, even though he was religious. And, his sight was restored when he accepted Jesus as his personal Lord. That shows us, symbolically, that only Jesus can give us true spiritual sight and understanding.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'when. Ac 9:8-9 being. Ac 13:11; Isa 42:16'.

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C22-S13 (Verse 12-13) the testimony of the man used by God to restore sight to Paul.

And one Ananias,
a devout man according to the law,
having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there,
Came unto me,
and stood,
and said unto me,
Brother Saul,
receive thy sight.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

The phrases in our sentence can be explained as:

The word And means: 'This sentence is added to the prior sentence. This sentence tells us about Ananias'. God only uses saved, serving and spiritually clean people to do His work.
The phrase one Ananias means: 'Who he was'.
The phrase a devout man according to the law means: 'His testimony before God'.
The phrase having a good report of all the Jews which dwelt there means: 'His testimony before men'.
The phrase Came unto me, and stood, and said unto me means: 'He did as commanded by our Lord Jesus Christ'.
The phrase Brother Saul, receive thy sight means: 'Our Lord Jesus Christ used him to do this miracle'.

Please see the note for Luke 2:25 about the word devout. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'Yielding a solemn and reverential attention to God in religious exercises, particularly in prayer. We must be constant and devout in the worship of God. 2. Pious; devoted to religion; religious. Simeon was a just man and devout. Luke 2. Devout men carried Stephen to his burial. Acts 8. 3. Expressing devotion or piety; as, with eyes devout. 4. Sincere; solemn; earnest; as, you have my devout wishes for your safety'.

Please see the notes for Romans C7S16; Romans C11S26 and 2Corinthians 5:10 about the word good. The functional definition for this word is: 'what comes from God'. Please also see the note for Romans C11S26 about the word goodness. Please also see the note for Mark 14:14 about the word goodman. Please also see the note for Mark 2:28-LJC about the phrase Good Friday.

Please see the note for Hebrews 11:2 about the word report. The functional definition for this word is: 'To make a statement of facs'.

Please see the note for Romans C7S24 about the word dwell. The functional definition for this word is: 'Webster's 1828 dictionary defines dwelling as 'ppr. Inhabiting; residing; sojourning; continuing with fixed attention.
DWELL'ING, n. Habitation; place of residence; abode. Hazor shall be a dwelling for dragons. Jer.49. 1. Continuance; residence; state of life. thy dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. Dan.4'. Please also see the note for John 7:39 about the phrase indwelling Holy Spirit.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'one. Ac 9:10-18 a devout. Ac 8:2; 17:4; Lu 2:25 having. Ac 6:3; 10:22; 2Co 6:8; 1Ti 3:7; Heb 11:2; 3Jo 1:12
Brother. Ac 9:17; Phm 1:16'.

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C22-S14 (Verse 13) Paul's sight was restored.And the same hour I looked up upon him

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Please see the note for John 2:4 about the word hour. The functional definition for this word is: 'a short period of time relative to the perspective. Thus, a thousand years can be considered to be an hour / short period of time from the perspective of eternity'.

Please see the note for Philippians 2:4 about the word look. The functional definition for this word is: 'To direct the eye towards an object, with the intention of seeing it'. Please also see the note for Galatians C6S6 about the phrase LORD looketh on the heart.

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C22-S15 (Verse 14) Ananias said why Paul had his sight restored.

And he said,
The God of our fathers hath chosen thee,
that thou shouldest know his will,
and see that Just One,
and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

The phrases in our sentence can be explained as:

The word And means: 'This sentence is added to the prior sentence. This sentence tells us the prophecy about the ministry of Paul. In the prior sentence, we read how Paul had his physical sight restored. in this sentence, we read how Paul had his spiritual sight activated so that God could use him to reveal many spiritual truths which God hid until He used Paul to reveal them'.
The phrase he said means: 'This is the prophecy from Ananias, who was a proven prophet of that day' Please see the Significant Events in the New Testament for links to other prophecies reported in the New Testament and outside of the Gospels.
The phrase The God of our fathers hath chosen thee means: 'God the Father chose Paul personally. Paul was not just one possible person for this job. (Please also see Jeremiah 1:5 for another place where we are told that God did this)'.
The phrase that thou shouldest know his will means: 'take the Gospel to the Gentiles'. The Jews, in general, believed that no Gentile could be saved and the Jerusalem Church religious leaders gave Peter a hard time for obeying our Lord Jesus Christ and preaching the Gospel to Cornelius.
The phrase and see that Just One means: 'Paul would see that our Lord Jesus Christ treats everyone the sameans does not discriminate between Jews and Gentiles'. Please see the Minor Titles of the Son of God, in the Significant Gospel Events Study, about the title of: Just One.
The phrase and shouldest hear the voice of his mouth means: 'Paul would receive personal commands from our Lord Jesus Christ'. Please see the section on Miracles, in the Significant Events in the New Testament for links to where our Lord Jesus Christ gave personal messages to Paul and others.

Please see the note for Hebrews 1:5 about the word father. The functional definition for this word is: 'the man who passes his character to the son'.

Please see the note for 2Timothy 2:4 about the words chosen. The functional definition for it is: 'Past-tense form of choose'. Please see the note for Philippians 1:22 about the word choose. The functional definition for it is: 'To pick out; to select; to take by way of preference from two or more things offered; to make choice of'.

Please see the notes for Romans C7S16; Galatians 2:16-LJC and 2Peter 2:9-LJC about the word just. The functional definition is: 'Regular; orderly; due; suitable; exactly proportioned; proper; upright; honest; having principles of rectitude; or conforming exactly to the laws, and to principles of rectitude in social conduct; equitable in the distribution of justice'. Please also see the note for Ephesians C1S2 about the phrase just shall live by faith. Please also see the note for Romans C11S6 about the phrase just shall live by his faith. Please also see the note for Romans C3S29 about the phrase justification by faith. Please also see the note for Romans 3:20 about the word justify. Please see the Minor Titles of the Son of God in the Significant Gospel Events Study for the title of Just. Please also see the note for 2Peter 2:9-LJC about the word unjust.

Please see the note for Luke 1:64 about the word mouth. The American Tract Society Dictionary defines this word as: 'Is sometimes used in Scripture for speaker, Ex 4:16; Jer 15:19. God spoke with Moses "mouth to mouth," Nu 12.8, that is, condescendingly and clearly. the law was to be "in the mouth" of the Hebrews, Ex 13:9, often rehearsed and talked of. "The rod of his mouth," Isa 11:4, and the sharp sword, Re 1:16, denote the power of Christ's word to convict, control, and judge; compare Isa 49:2; Heb 4:12. the Hebrew word for mouth is often translated "command," Ge 45:21; Job 39:27; Ec 8:2; and the unclean spirits out of the mouth of the dragon, Re 16:14, are the ready executors of his commands'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'The God. Ac 3:13; 5:30; 13:17; 24:14; Ex 3:13-16; 15:2; 2Ki 21:22; 1Ch 12:17; 29:18; 2Ch 28:25; 30:19; Ezr 7:27; Da 2:23 hath. Ac 9:15; Jer 1:5; Joh 15:16; Ro 1:1; Ga 1:15; 2Ti 1:1; Tit 1:1 and see. Ac 22:18; 9:17; 26:16; 1Co 9:1; 15:8 that. Ac 3:14; 7:52; 2Co 5:21; 1Pe 2:22; 1Jo 2:1 hear. 1Co 11:23; 15:3; Ga 1:12'.

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C22-S16 (Verse 15) Why Paul would receive the blessings told in the prior sentence. forthou shalt be his witness unto all men of what thou hast seen and heard

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Our sentence starts with the word For and tells us why the prior sentence is true. The prior sentence tells us prophecies about the future of Paul. This sentence tells us why those things would be true. The word shalt means: 'This absolutely will happen on an ongoing basis'. Many people want blessings from God but they are not willing to pay the price for those blessings. In 2Corinthians 11:23-28, we read: Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft. Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. These are what Paul wrote about. I firmly believe that Paul also suffered much more which he did not bother to mention. Unless we are willing to have God put us into a situation where it is obvious to everyone that we can not get ourselves out, then God will not get the glory for getting us out of those situations. And, God only uses people who are willing to be used by God. Paul saw many miracles and herd many revelations, but he had to be willing to pay the price for such things.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'thou shalt. Ac 1:8,22; 10:39-41; 23:11; 26:16-18; 27:24; Lu 24:47-48; Joh 15:27 of. Ac 4:20; 26:20 General references. exp: Lu 24:48.'.

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C22-S17 (Verse 16) Ananias asks him what he is waiting for. He needs to get busy working for the Lord.
And now why tarriest thou?

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'why. Ps 119:60; Jer 8:14'.

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C22-S18 (Verse 16) What Paul was commanded to do.

arise,
and be baptized,
and wash away thy sins,
calling on the name of the Lord .

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Please note, Baptism does not wash away thy sins but the changed life, due to our obeying our Lord Jesus Christ, is what does it. Please study where the word of God tells us about being justified.

The doctrinal meaning of the word baptize is 'identification'. John's baptism 'identified people with true repentance'. Baptism of the Holy Ghost 'identified people a changed life due to having God's life in them'. Please see the messages called Basic doctrine of Baptism and Baptism Gets God's Mercy. Also, Acts 19 tells us about people who repented and were baptized with John's baptism, but were not saved. He only prepared the way of the Lord but people still had to accept Jesus as their Lord in an ongoing personal relationship in order to be truly saved. (That is the main lesson of the reference in Acts 19).

Please see the note for Titus 3:4-7 about the word washing. The functional definition for this word is: 'WASHING, ppr. Cleansing with water; purifying; overflowing; overspreading.
WASHING, n. 1. the act of cleansing with water; ablution. Hebrews 9. 2. A wash; or the clothes washed'.

Please see the note for Romans C7S26 about the word sin. The functional definition is: 'a violation of God's law' (1John 3:4). Please see the notes for Sin in 1John; Romans C2S4; 1Corinthians 8:11-LJC and Galatians C3-S26 about the phrase sin unto death. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians C6S16 about the phrase kingdom of God rejected by lifestyle sins. Please also see the note for Matthew 9:10 about the word sinners.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C1S3 about the word call. That note has links to notes in every New Testament book where there are links to every place where the particular book uses this word. The functional definition is: 'To command another to help or to cry for help, hence to pray (Ge 4:26)'. Please also see the note for Romans 10:13; 2Thessalonians 3:1-LJC; Ephesians 5:8-LJC and 1John 4:14-LJC about the phrase call upon the Lord. The note for Romans 10:13 has links to every place in the Bible where we find the words call and Lord used together, along with a small note on each reference.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'arise. Ac 2:38; Ro 6:3-4; 1Co 6:11; 12:13; Ga 3:27; Tit 3:5; Heb 10:22; 1Pe 3:21 exp: 1Ch 22:19. calling. Ac 2:21; 9:14; Ro 10:12-14; 1Co 1:2 exp: Ac 7:59.'.

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C22-S19 (Verse 17-18) What happened when Paul returned to Jerusalem.

Equivalent Section: Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke to Paul..

First Step: When and where our Lord Jesus Christ spoke to Paul.

And it came to pass,
that,
when I was come again to Jerusalem,
even while I prayed in the temple,
I was in a trance;.

Second Step: what Lord Jesus Christ told Paul.

And saw him saying unto me,
Make haste,
and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem:.

Equivalent Section: Why.

for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

I can not say when, in the book of Acts, that this happened. I believe that this is the only mention of this particular incident.

The phrases in our sentence can be explained as:

The phrase And it came to pass, that, when I was come again to Jerusalem means: 'This is what happened when Paul returned to Jerusalem and prayed in the Temple'.
The phrase even while I prayed in the temple means: 'This is when our Lord Jesus Christ spoke to Paul'.
The phrase I was in a trance means: 'This is how our Lord Jesus Christ spoke to Paul'.
The phrase And saw him saying unto me means: 'Paul saw our Lord Jesus Christ speaking to him'.
The phrase Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem means: 'This was the command to Paul'.
The phrase for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me means: 'This is why he was given this command'.

Please see the note for Acts 10:10 about the word trance. Smith's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'Nu 24:4,16: --in which this word occurs in the English of the Old Testament italics show no corresponding word in Hebrew. In the New Testament we meet with the word three times --
Ac 10:10; 11:6; 22:17: the ekstasis (i.e. trance) is the state in which a man has passed out of the usual order of his life, beyond the usual limits of consciousness and volition, being rapt in causes of this state are to be traced commonly to strong religious impressions. Whatever explanation may be given of it, it is true of many, if not of most, of those who have left the stamp of their own character on the religious history of mankind, that they have been liable to pass at times into this abnormal state. the union of intense feeling, strong volition, long-continued thought (the conditions of all wide and lasting influence, aided in many cases by the withdrawal from the lower life of the support which is needed to maintain a healthy equilibrium, appears to have been more than the "earthen vessel" will bear. the words which speak of "an ecstasy of adoration" are often literally true. As in other things, so also here, the phenomena are common to higher and lower, to true and false systems. We may not point to trances and ecstasies as proofs of a true revelation but still less may we think of them as at all inconsistent with it. thus though we have not the word, we have the thing in the "deep sleep" the "horror of great darkness," that fell on Abraham.
Ge 15:12: Balaam, as if overcome by the constraining power of a Spirit mightier than his own, "sees the vision of God, falling, but with opened eyes."
Nu 24:4: Saul, in like manner, when the wild chant of the prophets stirred the old depths of feeling, himself also "prophesied" and "fell down" --most, if not all, of his kingly clothing being thrown off in the ecstasy of the moment --"all that day and all that night."
1Sa 19:24: Something there was in Jeremiah that made men say of him that he was as one that" is mad and maketh himself a prophet."
Jer 29:26: In Ezekiel the phenomena appear in more wonderful and awful forms.
Eze 3:15: As other elements and forms of the prophetic work were revived in "the apostles and prophets" of the New Testament, so also was this. though different in form, it belongs to the same class of phenomena as the gift of tongues, and is connected with "visions and revelations of the Lord" In some cases, indeed, it is the chosen channel for such revelations.
Ac 10:11; 22:17-21: Wisely for the most part did the apostle draw a veil over these more mysterious experiences. 2Co 12:1-4'.

Please see the note for John 11:31 about the words haste / hastily. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'Celerity of motion; speed; swiftness; dispatch; expedition; applied only to voluntary beings, as men and other animals; never to other bodies. We never say, a ball flies with haste. the king's business required haste. l Sam.21. 2. Sudden excitement of passion; quickness; precipitance; vehemence. I said in my haste, all men are liars. Ps.116. 3. the state of being urged or pressed by business; as, I am in great haste'.

Please see the note for Matthew 5:25 about the word quickly. The functional definition for this word is: 'Speedily; with haste or celerity. 2. Soon; without delay'.

Please see the note for Psalms 119 about the words testimony / testimonies. The functional definition for this word is: ' 'statements that are used in a court of law to judge the legality of someone's actions. these require first-hand experience because anything else would be rumor and not legal to present in court'. Please also see the note for Matthew 19:21 about the phrase testimonies of the LORD. Please also see the Message called Testimony of God.

Please see the note for Romans 1:1 about the word concern. The functional definition for this word is: 'Pertaining to; regarding; having relation to'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'when. Ac 9:26-28; Ga 1:18 while. Ac 10:9-10; 2Co 12:1-4; Re 1:10
saw. Ac 22:14 Make. Mt 10:14,23; Lu 21:21 for. Ac 3:19; Eze 3:6-7 exp: Ac 23:11'.

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C22-S20 (Verse 19-20) Paul confessed his prior sinful actions.

Equivalent Section: What he did against the church.

And I said,
Lord,
they know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee:.

Equivalent Section: What he did against Stephen.

And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed,
I also was standing by,
and consenting unto his death,
and kept the raiment of them that slew him.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Our next sentence starts with the word and, which adds it to this sentence. Here, Paul thought that the Jews would listen to him because of his past. In the next sentence, our Lord Jesus Christ replies with: Depart: for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. He knew that the Jews would reject the message from Paul.

In all of Paul's epistles, we read how he had a heart for the salvation of the Jews. But they refused to listen to him because his changed life was so radically different from their religious activities which they relied on for salvation, sanctification and blessings. Paul continuously taught that our salvation is only through Lord Jesus Christ and that our sanctification and blessings are a result of obedience to Him. Our Lord Jesus Christ knew that this was too much of a change for most Jews to accept but that the Gentiles would accept Paul's message. Therefore, He sent Paul to the people who would accept his message. And, that is why we need to go where we are sent and do what we are commanded to do. Our Lord Jesus Christ knows more than we do.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 6:3 about the word imprisonment. The functional definition for this word is: 'Webster's 1828 dictionary defines imprisonment as: 'To put into a prison; to confine in a prison or jail, or to arrest and detain in custody in any place. 2. to confine; to shut up; to restrain from escape; to deprive of the liberty to move from place to place; as, to be imprisoned in a cell. He imprisoned was in chains remediless. Try to imprison the resistless winds'. Please also see the note for Matthew 4:12 about the word prison. Please also see the note for Philemon 1:1 about the word prisoner.

Please see the note for John 6:59 about the word synagogue. The functional definition for this word is: 'The word synagogue (sunagoge), which means a "congregation," is used in the New Testament to signify a recognized place of worship. A knowledge of the history and worship of the synagogues is of great importance, since they are the characteristic institution of the later phase of Judaism. they appear to have arisen during the exile, in the abeyance of the temple-worship, and to have received their full development on the return of the Jews from captivity. the whole history of Ezra presupposes the habit of solemn, probably of periodic, meetings.'.

We find forms of the word martyr only in: Acts 22:20; Revelation 2:13; Revelation 17:6. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'one who bears witness of the truth, and suffers death in the cause of Christ (Ac 22:20; Re 2:13; 17:6). in this sense Stephen was the first martyr. the Greek word so rendered in all other cases is translated "witness." (1.) In a court of justice (Mt 18:16; 26:65; Ac 6:13; 7:58; Heb 10:28; 1Ti 5:19). (2.) As of one bearing testimony to the truth of what he has seen or known (Lu 24:48; Ac 1:8,22; Ro 1:9; 1Th 2:5,10; 1Jo 1:2)'.

Please see the note for Acts 6:5 about Stephen. He was one of the first deacons and was the first reported martyr.

Please see the note for Mark 14:24 about the word shed. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'v.t. pret. and pp. shed. 1. to pour out; to effuse; to spill; to suffer to flow out; as, to shed tears; to shed blood. the sun sheds light on the earth; the stars shed a more feeble light. this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins. Matt. 26. 2. to let fall; to cast; as, the trees shed their leaves on autumn; fowls shed their fethers; and serpents shed their skin. 3. to scatter to emit; to throw off; to diffuse; as, flowers shed their sweets of fragrance.
SHED, v.i. to let fall its parts. White oats are apt to shed most as they lie, and black as they stand'. Please also see the note for Romans C5S2 about the phrase shed abroad.

Please see the notes for Romans C14S5 and 1Corinthians C15S1 about the word stand. The functional definition for this word is: 'to be upon the feet, as an animal; not to sit, kneel or lie'. Please also see the note for Philippians 1:18 about the word notwithstanding. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians C14S2 about the word understand. Please also see the note for Galatians C5S1 about the phrase stand fast.

Please see the note for Matthew 2:16 about the word slew. The functional definition for this word is: 'The proper sense is to strike, and as beating was an early mode of killing, this word, like smite, came to signify to kill'.

Please see the note for Romans 7:16 about the word consent. The functional definition for this word is: 'Agreement of the mind to what is proposed or state by another; accord; hence, a yielding of the mind or will to that which is proposed; as, a parent gives his consent to the marriage of his daughter'.

Please see the note for Luke 9:29 about the word raiment . Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'n. for arrayment. See Array and Ray. 1. Clothing in general; vestments; vesture; garments. Gen. 24. Deut. 8. Living, both food and raiment she supplies. 2. A single garment. in this sense it is rarely used, and indeed is improper'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'know. Ac 22:4; 8:3; 9:1; 26:9-12 beat. Mt 10:17
martyr. Re 2:13; 17:6 Stephen. Ac 7:58; 8:1 consenting. Lu 11:48; Ro 1:32'.

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C22-S21 (Verse 21) the answer from our Lord Jesus Christ.

Equivalent Section: .

And he said unto me,
Depart:.

Equivalent Section: .

for I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles.

22:1-21 : tells us that Paul tells the crowd his defense. This includes his testimony of salvation and his command to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Here we have the answer from our Lord Jesus Christ to what Paul said in the prior sentence. Jesus knew and understood how the fanatical Jews would react having personally experienced life and death surrounded by them and at their hands. Jesus knew that Paul's heart was in the right place but that he could not do what he wanted to do. Instead, Jesus sent Paul to the Gentiles because Paul could reach the Gentiles with the Gospel. We each need to accept that our Lord Jesus Christ knows far more than we do. When He refuses our prayer request then there is a reason which we are not seeing. Therefore, we really do need to trust Him to direct our personal life.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'Depart. Ac 9:15 for. Ac 9:15; 13:2,46-47; 18:6; 26:17-18; Ro 1:5; 11:13; 15:16; 16:26; Ga 1:15-16; 2:7-8; Eph 3:6-8; 1Ti 2:7; 2Ti 1:11 exp: Ac 13:41. General references. exp: Pr 8:1; Ro 3:29.'.

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C22-S22 (Verse 22) the unbelieving Jews reacted to the prior sentence.

Equivalent Section: When and how they reacted.

And they gave him audience unto this word,
and then lifted up their voices,
and said,
Away with such a fellow from the earth:.

Equivalent Section: .Why

for it is not fit that he should live.

Please pay attention to how this sentence says: unto this word. That means that they were listening until Paul said the prior sentence. And, when Paul said the prior sentence, and then lifted up their voices, and said, Away with such a fellow from the earth: for it is not fit that he should live. They were demanding his death because he told them what Lord Jesus 5told him in a private conversation. Think about that! how unreasonable do you have to be in order to demand someone die because of what someone else said?

The fact is that they could not demand the death of our Lord Jesus Christ for many reasons. So, they were demanding the death of His messenger because they did not agree with the message. Religious fanatics have been murdering their opposition for thousands of years and it has never stopped the opposing message. However, religious fanatics pretty much define the word unreasonable.

Notice that what got them so upset was the statement that Lord Jesus commanded Paul to go to the Gentiles. Many of their religious belief were based upon the claim that they were saved and going to Heaven because they were born Jews. Likewise, they believed that all Gentiles were going to Hell because of their birth. 1John 1:13 tells us differently.

The word gave is the past-tense form of the word give. Please see the notes for 2Corinthians 5:5 and Philippians 4:15 about the word give. The functional definition for this word is: 'Bestowing; conferring; imparting; granting; delivering'. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 9:8-11 about the word given. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 9:7 about the word giver. Please also see the notes for 1Corinthians C14S19 and Ephesians C5S2 about the phrase giving of thanks.

Please see the note for Luke 7:1 about the word audience. The functional definition for this word is: 'present and listening'.

Please see the note for Colossians 2S2 about the word word. The functional definition is: 'a single component part of human speech or language'. However, the word of God is the holy scriptures and in the English language, it is only the KJV-1611. Please also see the notes for Romans C10S22 and Word in 1John about the phrase word of God. Please also see the note for John 1:1 for an extensive note explaining the differences, and similarities, between the capitalized and the non-capitalized word word. When a Bible reference uses an uppercase word, it is referring to Jesus Christ. The uppercase makes this a formal name of the Son of God. However, while the exact definition is different, the properties are spiritually similar to the lowercase word. Please also see the note for 1Thessalonians 1:8 about the phrase word of the Lord. Please note that the word of the Lord is a sub-set of the word of God. the word of God contains all of God's written truth including recording the lies of Satan. The word of the Lord is that part of the word of God which will be used to judge us. The lies from Satan are not included within the word of the Lord.

Please see the note for Matthew 12:11 about the word lift. The functional definition for this word is: 'To raise; to elevate; as, to lift the foot or the hand; to lift the head'.

Please also see the note for Matthew 11:16-17 about the word fellow. The functional definition for this word is: 'Webster's 1828 defines this word as: ', n. Heb. to tie or connect, to be joined or associated. 1. A companion; an associate. In youth I had twelve fellows, like myself. Each on his fellow for assistance calls. 2. One of the same kind. A shepherd had one favorite dog; he fed him with his own hand, and took more care of him than of his fellows. 3. An equal. Awake, O sword, against my shepherd, and against the man that is my fellow, saith Jehovah of hosts. Zech. 13. 4. One of a pair, or of two things used together and suited to each other. Of a pair of gloves, we call one the fellow of the other. 5. One equal or like another. Of an artist we say, this man has not his fellow, that is, one of like skill. 6. An appellation of contempt; a man without good breeding or worth; an ignoble man; as a mean fellow. Worth makes the man, and want of it the fellow. 7. A member of a college that shares its revenues; or a member of any incorporated society. 8. A member of a corporation; a trustee.
FEL'LOW, v.t. to suit with; to pair with; to match. Little used. In composition, fellow denotes community of nature, station or employment'. Please see the notes for Ephesians C5S7; Philippians 1:3-7 and Philippians 2:1 about the word fellowship. The functional definition for this word is: 'Companionship; society; consort; mutual association of persons on equal and friendly terms; familiar intercourse'. Please also see the Message called Fellowship in the Gospel for the application of these verses in the life of the believer.

Please see the notes for 2Corinthians 5:1 and Philippians 2:9-11 about the word earth. The functional definition for this word is: 'All of this physical world including the influence it has on us. At times, the application o0f this word, will focus on only part of the whole'. Please also see the note for Luke 21:10-11 about the word earthquake. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 4:7 about the word earthen. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 5:1 about the word earthly. Please also see the note for Revelation 10:11-LJC about the phrase kings of the earth.

Please see the notes for 2Corinthians 2:15; Philippians 1:19-20; Life in 1John about the word life. The functional definition is: 'Life is that by which a created being enjoys the place in which the Creator has set it'. Please also see the note for Life in 1John about the phrase eternal life. Please also see the notes for Hebrews 1:8-LJC; Philippians 1:27-LJC about the phrase life everlasting. Please note that eternal life is different from everlasting life in that while eternal life is 'Without beginning or end of existence', everlasting life 'has a beginning but is without end of existence'. Please see the note for John 5:24 about the phrase everlasting life. Please also see the note for Life in 1John about the phrase eternal life. Please also see the note for Romans C10S15 about the phrase belief changes life. Please also see the note for 1Corinthians C6S16 about the phrase kingdom of God rejected by lifestyle sins. Please also see the note for Matthew 9:10 about the word sinners. Please also see the notes for Romans C14S11; Galatians C2-S14 and Philippians 1:21 about the word live. Please also see the note for Colossians C3S4 about the phrase Christ lives through us. Please also see the note for Ephesians C1S2 about the phrase just shall live by faith. Please also see the note for Romans C11S6 about the phrase just shall live by his faith. Please also see the note for Romans C9S28 about the phrase live / walk by faith.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'Away. Ac 7:54-57; 21:36; 25:24; Lu 23:18; Joh 19:15 for. Ac 25:24 General references. exp: Ac 21:36; 1Co 4:13.'.

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C22-S23 (Verse 23-24) the reaction to their violence.

First Step: the unbelieving Jews showed great emotional upset.

And as they cried out,
and cast off their clothes,
and threw dust into the air,
The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle,
and bade that he should be examined by scourging;.

Second Step: the chief captain decided how he would get answers.

that he might know wherefore they cried so against him.

Here, we see the chief captain react to the violent emotional reaction by the unbelieving Jews. Scourging was an extremely painful experience and, usually, resulted in people cooperating and answering questions quickly. A known problem with using that way to get answers is that, often, people will say whatever gets them out of the scourging, even if it is a lie. But, that was the process used by the Roman Army.

In the next sentence, we read how Paul avoided the scourging and the last sentence of our chapter tells us that the chief priests and all their council had to appear and answer for the turmoil. Thus, we see that devils used the unbelieving Jews to cause a problem and hoped to hurt, or possibly kill, Paul. However, Paul was God's proxy in the spiritual war. Therefore, God protected Paul and maneuvered the chief captain to stop trying to get answers from Paul and, instead, demand that the main proxies of the devils (the chief priests and all their council) provide the answers.

Please see the note for Luke 1:29 about the word cast. The functional definition for this word is: 'In general "to throw," with various degrees of violence; usually, with force, but not so necessarily, as e.g. in cast a net, cast lots.'. Please also see the note for Romans C11S19 about the phrase cast away. Please also see the note for 2Corinthians 4:8-10 about the phrase cast down. Please also see the note for Mark 9:28 about the phrase cast out. Please also see the note for Romans C11S1 about the phrase God will not cast away his people.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 5:2-3 about the word clothed. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'Covered with garments; dressed; invested; furnished with clothing'.

Please see the note for Luke 9:5 about the word dust. Fausset's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'To "shake off dust from one's feet against a city or person" implied a solemn refusal to take anything away, even the very dust of their ground, but to leave it to witness against them (Mr 6:11); shaking off all connection with them, and all responsibility for their guilt and consequent punishment for rejecting the gospel'.

Please see the note for Matthew 6:26 about the word air. Easton's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'the atmosphere, as opposed to the higher regions of the sky (1Th 4:17; Re 9:2; 16:17). this word occurs once as the rendering of the Hebrew ruah (Job 41:16); elsewhere it is the rendering of shamaiyim, usually translated "heavens." the expression "to speak into the air" (1Co 14:9) is a proverb denoting to speak in vain, as to "beat the air" (1Co 9:26) denotes to labour in vain'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 11:5 about the word chief. The functional definition for this word is: 'Highest in office or rank; principal; as a chief priest; the chief butler.'.

Please see the note for Luke 22:4 about the word captain. The functional definition for this word is: 'the man who goes with a military or police force and is in charge of them'.

Please see the note for Acts 21:34 about the word castle. The functional definition for this word is: 'A military fortress'.

Please see the note for Acts 11:12 about the word bade the word bade is the past-tense form of the word bid The word bade is the past-tense form of the word bid. Please see the note for Matthew 14:28 about the word bid. Please see the note for Luke 7:39 about the word bidden. It is another word that is the past-tense forms of the word bid. Please also see the note for 1Timothy 4:1 about the word forbid. Please also see the notes for Romans C3S6 and Galatians C3S25 about the phrase God forbid.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C9S6 about the word examine. The functional definition for this word is: 'o inspect carefully, with a view to discover truth or the real state of a thing; as, to examine a ship to know whether she is sea-worthy, or a house to know whether repairs are wanted'.

Please see the note for Hebrews 12:5-6 about the word scourge. The functional definition for this word is: 'Easton's Bible Dictionary this word as: '(1Ki 12:11). Variously administered. In no case were the stripes to exceed forty (De 25:3; comp. 2Co 11:24). In the time of the apostles, in consequence of the passing of what was called the Porcian law, no Roman citizen could be scourged in any case (Ac 16:22-37). (See Bastinado.) In the scourging of our Lord (Mt 27:26; Mr 15:15) the words of prophecy (Isa 53:5) were fulfilled'. Smith's Bible Dictionary defines this word as: 'The punishment of scourging was common among the Jews. the instrument of punishment in ancient Egypt, as it is also in modern times generally in the East, was usually the stick, applied to the soles of the feet --bastinado. Under the Roman method the culprit was stripped, stretched with cords or thongs on a frameans beaten with rods. (Another form of the scourge consisted of a handle with three lashes or thongs of leather or cord, sometimes with pieces of metal fastened to them. Roman citizens were exempt by their law from scourging.)'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 10:3-6 about the word might. The functional definition for this word is: 'Having great power and able to accomplish things which most people can not do'. Please also see the note for Revelation 4:8-LJC about the word Almighty.

Please see the note for Romans intro about the word wherefore. The functional definition for this word is: 'what follows the wherefore is a future result that is based upon what came before the wherefore and seen wherever you look'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'cast. Ac 7:53; 26:11; Ec 10:3
The chief. As the chief captain did not understand Hebrew, he was ignorant of the charge against Paul, and also of the defence which the apostle had made; but as he saw that they grew more and more outrageous, he supposed that Paul must have given them the highest provocation, and therefore, according to the barbarous and irrational practice which has existed in all countries, he determined to put him to the torture, in order to make him confess his crime. Ac 21:31-32; 23:10,27 that he should. Ac 22:25-29; 16:22-23,37; Joh 19:1; Heb 11:35 General references. exp: Ac 28:18.'.

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C22-S24 (Verse 25) Paul asks a question to avoid scourging.

And as they bound him with thongs,
Paul said unto the centurion that stood by,
Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman,
and uncondemned?.

Please see the note for Mark 3:27 about the word bind. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'Past- tense of bind. As a participle, made fast by a band, or by chains or fetters; obliged by moral ties; confined; restrained. 2. to gird, inwrap or involve; to confine by a wrapper, cover or bandage; sometimes with up; as, to bind up a wound. 3. to confine or restrain, as with a chain, fetters or cord; as, bind him hand and foot. 4. to restrain in any manner. He bindeth the floods from overflowing. Job.28. 5. to oblige by a promise, vow, stipulation, covenant, law, duty or any other moral tie; to engage. If a man shall swear an oath to bind his soul with a bond. Numbers 30. We are bound by the laws of kindness, of nature, of a state, etc. 6. to confirm or ratify. Whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in heaven. Matt.16. 7. to distress, trouble, or confine by infirmity. Whom Satan hath bound these eighteen years. Luke 13. 8. to constrain by a powerful influence or persuasion. I go bound in the spirit to Jerusalem. Acts.20. 9. to restrain the natural discharges of the bowels; to make costive; as, certain kinds of food bind the body or bowels. 10. to form a border; to fasten with a band, ribin, or anything that strengthens the edges; as, to bind a garment or carpet. 11. to cover with leather or anything firm; to sew together and cover; as, to bind a book. 12. to cover or secure by a band; as, to bind a wheel with tire. 13. to oblige to serve, by contract; as, to bind an apprentice; often with out; as, to bind out a servant. 14. to make hard or firm; as, certain substances bind the earth. to bind to is to contract; as, to bind one's self to a wife. to bind over is to oblige by bond to appear at a court'. Please also see the note for Luke 8:29 about the word bound. The word bound is the past-tense form of the word bind.

We find forms of the word thong only in this sentence. Webster's 1828 defines this word as: 'n. A strap of leather, used for fastening anything'.

Please see the note for Mark 15:39 about the word centurion. The functional definition for this word is: 'A Roman officer in command of a hundred men (Mr 15:39,44- 45)'.

The word uncondemn means; 'not condemned'. Please see the note for Romans C8S1 about the word condemn. The functional definition for this word is: 'The judicial act of declaring one guilty, and dooming him to punishment'. Please also see the note for Romans C9S28 about the phrase condemnation of fools.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'the centurion. Ac 10:1; 23:17; 27:1,3,43; Mt 8:8; 27:54 Is it. By the Roman law, no magistrate was allowed to punish a Roman citizen capitally, or by inflicting stripes, or even binding him; and the single expression, I am a Roman citizen, arrested their severest decrees, and obtained, if not an escape, at least a delay of his punishment. Ac 22:27-28; 16:37; 25:16 General references. exp: Ac 28:18.'.

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C22-S25 (Verse 26) the centurion that Paul had questioned warned the chief captain that Paul was a Roman citizen.

Equivalent Section: the centurion warned the chief captain.

When the centurion heard that,
he went and old the chief captain,
saying,
Take heed what thou doest:.

Equivalent Section: the reason for the warning..

For this man is a Roman.

As a Roman citizen, Paul had certain privileges and protections that most people did not have. And, even the chief captain could get into trouble for mistreating a Roman citizen. Therefore, the centurion did his duty and warned the chief captain, as Paul had expected him to do.

Here, we see that Paul warned before he was scourged but in Philippi, he said nothing until later. I would be guessing to say why he acted like he did in each circumstance, but in both cases it ended up being the right thing to do from the spiritual perspective. In Philippi, the jailer's family was saved and the church established. Here, the Jewish religious leaders were warned. The nation was later judged by God, but it wasn't without warning first. Their attitude had been that they could do whatever they wanted without suffering the consequences. Here, they are warned that there are consequences, especially when you mock God.

Please see the note for Mark 15:39 about the word centurion. The functional definition for this word is: 'A Roman officer in command of a hundred men (Mr 15:39,44- 45)'.

Please see the note for Matthew 18:31 about the words tell / told. The word told is the past-tense form of the word tell. The functional definition for this word is: 'to communicate to others'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 11:5 about the word chief. The functional definition for this word is: 'Highest in office or rank; principal; as a chief priest; the chief butler.'.

Please see the note for Luke 22:4 about the word captain. The functional definition for this word is: 'the man who goes with a military or police force and is in charge of them'.

Please see the note for 1Timothy 4:16 about the word heed. The functional definition for this word is: 'Pay close attention; watch out. Ge 31:24'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'Take. Ac 22:29; 23:27 exp: 2Ch 19:6; Ac 5:35.'.

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C22-S26 (Verse 27) the chief captain verified what he was told.

Then the chief captain came,
and said unto him,
Tell me,
art thou a Roman?.

Note that the chief captain was wise enough to verify what he was told before accepting it as truth. This is contrasted to the foolish unbelieving Jews that caused so many problems, according to our chapter. When we see verily, in the Gospel accounts, it means: 'Jesus has verified what the verily is attached to and we are also commanded to verify those things'. Anyone who believes a religious claim without first verifying it proves themselves to be a fanatical fool.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 11:5 about the word chief. The functional definition for this word is: 'Highest in office or rank; principal; as a chief priest; the chief butler.'.

Please see the note for Luke 22:4 about the word captain. The functional definition for this word is: 'the man who goes with a military or police force and is in charge of them'.

Please see the note for Matthew 18:31 about the words tell / told. The word told is the past-tense form of the word tell. The functional definition for this word is: 'to communicate to others'.

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C22-S27 (Verse 27) Paul responds with a strong yes.

He said,
Yea.

Please see the notes for Philippians 2:17 and Luke 24:22-23 about the word yea. The functional definition for this word is: 'Yes; a word that expresses affirmation or assent. Yea is used only in the sacred and solemn style. It affirms much more strongly than a simple Yes'.

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C22-S28 (Verse 28) the chief captain said it was hard for him to pay for his own citizenship.

And the chief captain answered,
With a great sum obtained I this freedom.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 11:5 about the word chief. The functional definition for this word is: 'Highest in office or rank; principal; as a chief priest; the chief butler.'.

Please see the note for Luke 22:4 about the word captain. The functional definition for this word is: 'the man who goes with a military or police force and is in charge of them'.

Please see the note for Romans C11S33 about the word obtained. The functional definition for this word is: 'pp. Gained; procured; acquired'.

Please see the note for 1Corinthians C7S29 about the word free. The functional definition for this word is: 'Being at liberty; not being under necessity or restraint, physical or moral; a word of general application to the body, the will or mind, and to corporations'.

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C22-S29 (Verse 28) Paul did not have to pay for his citizenship.

And Paul said,
But I was free born.

If anything, Paul's citizenship was considered better because he had it since birth.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'But. It is extremely probable that the inhabitants of Tarsus, born in that city, had the same rights and privileges as Roman citizens, in consequence of a grant or charter from Julius Cæsar, from whom it was called Juliopolis. But If this were not the case, St. Paul's father, or some of his ancestors, might have been rewarded with the freedom of the city of Rome, for his fidelity and bravery in some military service, as Josephus says several of the Jews were; or his father might have obtained it by purchase, as in the instance of the chief captain. Ac 22:28'.

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C22-S30 (Verse 29) the reaction of the Roman soldiers when they learned that Paul was a Roman citizen.

Equivalent Section: the soldiers left him straightway.

Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him:

Equivalent Section: Why they were all afraid.

and the chief captain also was afraid,
after he knew that he was a Roman,
and because he had bound him.

The phrases in our sentence can be explained as:

The word then means: 'After they found the truth of the prior sentence.'.
The phrase Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him means: 'The soldiers who were ordered to beat Paul left him straightway'.
The phrase and the chief captain also was afraid means: 'All of the soldiers, up to and including the chief captain were afraid because they had broken Roman law about treating Roman citizens'.
The phrase after he knew that he was a Roman means: 'This was when and why he was afraid'.
The phrase and because he had bound him means: 'Even this little thing was illegal'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 11:5 about the word chief. The functional definition for this word is: 'Highest in office or rank; principal; as a chief priest; the chief butler.'.

Please see the note for Luke 22:4 about the word captain. The functional definition for this word is: 'the man who goes with a military or police force and is in charge of them'.

Please see the note for Romans C1S10 about the word because. The functional definition for this word is: 'provides a cause where the cause and effect are both in the past'. Please also see the note for Romans C8S38 about the phrase dying because of the truth.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'examined him. or, tortured him. Ac 22:24; Heb 11:35 the chief. Ac 22:25-26; 16:38-39'.

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C22-S31 (Verse 30) .

On the morrow,
because he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of the Jews,
he loosed him from his bands,
and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear,
and brought Paul down,
and set him before them.

22:30 : tells us that the chief captain commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear and meet with Paul so that the chief captain could determine what the tumult was about.

in this sentence, we read that the chief captain brought the Jewish religious leaders into his castle to meet with Paul in an environment that allowed him to control any violence. And, our next chapter tells us about the meeting where they could not agree with Paul. The chief captain did not understand Hebrew and he did not understand the religious differences. Therefore, after he released the Jewish Council, he sent Paul, with an armed guard, to governor Felix because Felix understood the Hebrew language and the Jewish religion. But, that is all in the next chapter. in this chapter, our sentence ends the chapter about the lost religious Jews having a fit because Paul's testimony included his order, from our Lord Jesus Christ, to take the Gospel to the Gentiles.

Please see the note for Mark 11:12-13 about the word morrow. The functional definition for this word is: 'The day next after the present'.

Please see the note for Titus 2:3 about the word accuse. Webster's 1828 dictionary defines this word as: 'to charge with, or declare to have committed a crime, either by plaint, or complaint, information, indictment, or impeachment; to charge with an offense against the laws, judicially or by a public process; as, to accuse one of a high crime or misdemeanor. 2. to charge with a fault; to blame. their thoughts, in the meanwhile, accusing or excusing one another. Rom. 2. It is followed by of before the subject of accusation; the use of for after this verb is illegitimate'. Please also see the note for John 8:3 about the phrase accuse him (Jesus). Forms of this word are used, in this book, in: Acts 22:30; Acts 23:28-29; Acts 23:30; Acts 23:35; Acts 24:2; Acts 24:8; Acts 24:13; Acts 25:5; Acts 25:11; Acts 25:16; Acts 25:18; Acts 26:2; Acts 26:7; Acts 28:19.

Please see the note for Mark 11:4 about the word loose. The functional definition for this word is: 'to free from restraint or confinement; to set at liberty'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 11:5 about the word chief. The functional definition for this word is: 'Highest in office or rank; principal; as a chief priest; the chief butler.'.

Please see the note for Mark 13:9 about the word council. The functional definition for this word is: 'An assembly of men summoned or convened for consultation, deliberation and advice'.

Please see the note for 2Corinthians 5:10 about the word appear. The functional definition is: 'The act of coming into sight; the act of becoming visible to the eye.'.

The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge provides Bible references for this sentence as: 'because. Ac 21:11,33; 23:28; 26:29; Mt 27:2 commanded. Ac 22:5; 5:21; 23:15; Mt 10:17 General references. exp: Ac 23:28; 28:18.'.

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Acts Chapter 21

Chapter theme is: Paul arrives at Jerusalem.

links to sentences in this chapter:

Chapter 22: Chapter theme is: Paul gives his testimony of salvation to the Jews.

links to sentences in this chapter:

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