Atos 18
Bede
Atos 18:2
Because Claudius had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome. Josephus narrates that this happened in the ninth year of Claudius. Suetonius the historian reports it in this way: Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome, as they were continually making disturbances at the instigation of Chrestus. Whether he meant to restrain and suppress the Jews making disturbances against Christ, or also wished to expel the Christians as related religious members, it is not at all clear. — Commentary on Acts
Atos 18:3
They were of the tent-making trade. As exiles in the land and strangers, they build tents for themselves to use on the way; σκῆναι in Greek are called tabernacles, deriving the etymology from shading, among which shade is called σκία; σκῆναι or σκηνώματα mean something like little shades, which the ancients formed from woolen, wooden, or Cilician cloths, or from the leaves or branches of trees. Mystically, just as Peter by fishing draws us from the waves of the world through the nets of faith, so Paul by setting up the tents of protection defends us from the rain of sins, the heat of temptations, and the winds of treacheries, both by word and by deed. At this point, there are two verses in Greek that are not found in some of our manuscripts. He discussed in the synagogue every Sabbath and persuaded Jews and Greeks. Then follows what both manuscripts have, added: — Commentary on Acts
Atos 18:7
And departing from there, he entered the house of a certain man named Titus Justus. The name Justus is also written in Greek, because either this name was proper to the man, or he was surnamed this way by the Romans who knew him due to his merit of justice. However, it should not be thought that this is Titus, the disciple of the Apostle Paul, to whom he himself wrote an Epistle and appointed him bishop of the Cretans. For that Titus was with him much earlier, when he came from Antioch to Jerusalem concerning the question of circumcision, with Barnabas still accompanying him. For the same Paul says to the Galatians: Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, and took Titus with me, and I communicated with them concerning the Gospel which I preach among the Gentiles. For he communicated with them about the Gospel he was preaching, diligently inquiring in the council of the apostles whether he was correct in preaching that the Gentiles could attain salvation through the baptism of faith without circumcision; not that he himself had any doubt about this matter, but that the minds of those who were doubting might be confirmed by the authority of the apostolic council. — Retractions on Acts
Atos 18:8
But Crispus, the ruler of the synagogue, believed in the Lord with all his house, etc. This Crispus is believed to be the one whom Paul mentions as baptized by him when writing to the Corinthians: I thank God that I baptized none of you except Crispus and Gaius. — Retractions on Acts
Atos 18:17
And all of them seized Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the tribunal. In Greek it is better written: And all the Greeks seized Sosthenes. For after the Jews were disgracefully expelled from the tribunal, the Gentiles also afflicted their leader with greater humiliation by beating him. — Retractions on Acts
Atos 18:18
When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, and so forth. Who had his hair cut in Cenchreae for he had a vow. Cenchreae is a port of Corinth, where he cut his hair due to a vow because, according to the law of Moses, those who vowed themselves to God were commanded to let their hair grow as long as they wished to be Nazirites, and afterward to cut it and offer it to the fire. Therefore, Paul did this, not indeed forgetting what he had decided with the other apostles in Jerusalem about the abolition of the law, but lest those who had believed from among the Jews be scandalized, he pretended to be a Jew in order to win the Jews. Some manuscripts have in the plural number "They shaved their head, and had a vow," meaning Priscilla and Aquila. But the distinguished doctors of the Church Jerome and Augustine, each in their letters, put it in the singular number and interpret it concerning Paul. Jerome writes thus: "Bidding farewell to the brothers, he sailed to Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila, and he had his head shaved in Cenchreae for he had a vow." — Commentary on Acts
Atos 18:18
Bidding farewell to the brothers, he traveled to Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila, who had his head shaved in Cenchrea, etc. It seems unclear whether Paul or Aquila had their head shaved in Cenchrea; but Jerome the presbyter clearly, as we explained more fully in the previous book, understands this as said of Paul. For after he gave this statement in his letter to Augustine, he immediately added and said: "Even if there he was compelled to circumcise Timothy out of fear of the Jews, why did he grow his hair out as a vow, and later cut it in Cenchrea according to the law?" If we wish to follow his meaning in this place, we never read anywhere that Aquila was shaved. If we say that Aquila was shaved in this place, there remains at the end of this booklet a place where we also read that Paul was shaved, or shaved off. However, those who say that Aquila and his wife Priscilla were shaved are mistaken due to a textual error. For in the Greek, it is clearly written κειράμενος, that is, shaved, in the singular number, and he had a vow, not they had, whether this is understood of Paul or Aquila. — Retractions on Acts
Atos 18:21-22
He departed from Ephesus, and descending, he went up to Caesarea and greeted the church. He says Caesarea, the metropolis of Cappadocia. For he had not yet come to Syria of Phoenicia. Formerly called Mosacha from Mosoc, the son of Japheth, later it received the name Caesarea from Caesar Augustus. — Commentary on Acts
Atos 18:27
When he came, he conferred much with those who believed. For he vigorously confuted the Jews. Another translation has: He greatly benefited the believers by grace. This is what the Apostle writes to the Achaians: "I planted, Apollos watered" (I Cor. III). — Commentary on Acts
Atos 18:28
For he strongly refuted the Jews, publicly showing through the Scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. In Greek, it is written: Publicly and from house to house showing; which is of an excellent teacher, thus to teach many generally, so as not to cease to exhort individuals vigorously. — Retractions on Acts