Atos 11
A.T. Robertson · Citado em PreceptAustin
Atos 11
Robertson says for or because "is the explanation of the conduct of Barnabas. The facts were opposed to the natural prejudices of a Jew like Barnabas, but he rose above such racial narrowness." He was a good man, and full of the Holy Spirit and of faith - Note the relationship - why was he as "good man?" Because he was "full of the Holy Spirit and of faith" a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17). There is really no other way to truly be a "good man" in the sight of God because as Paul says men left to their own are not good (cf Ro 3:10, Mt 19:17, Mk 10:18). To be a good man one needs a "good (God)" Source (cf Pr 12:2). Barnabas as a Spirit filled man clearly had a bold witness for Christ and out of his life came the fruit of the Spirit - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Ray Stedman on full of the Spirit - That, of course, is the supreme qualification. In other words, he was a man to whom were imparted continually the wisdom, understanding, and love of God. Being full of the Holy Spirit meant that the fruit of the Spirit was evident in his life (cf Gal 5:22-23). He was filled with love, joy, longsuffering, patience, and gentleness. He lived this way not by virtue of his own easy-going character but because he was drawing upon the power of an indwelling Holy Spirit. (ED: MAY HIS TRIBE INCREASE IN YOUR CHURCH WORLDWIDE LORD GOD. AMEN) (Acts 11:19-30 Expanding Horizons) The ability of Barnabas to recognize grace, rejoice over grace and encourage continuance in grace reminds us of Jesus' description of the Source that surely flowed like refreshing water from Barnabas' innermost being (another good example for all of us to emulate). John records... Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. 38 “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, ‘From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 But this He spoke of the Spirit, (WHO FILLED AND "OVERFLOWED FROM BARNABAS) Whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. (John 7:37-39+) THOUGHT - Is my presence among other believers like "rivers of living water?" Or is my presence more like a murky swamp? Good (18)(agathos) means intrinsically good, inherently good in quality but with the idea of good which is also profitable, benevolent, useful, benefiting others. Agathos is one whose goodness and works of goodness are transferred to others. Good and doing good is the idea. Full (abounding) (4134)(pleres from pleos = full, pletho = to fill) means filled up as opposed to empty (hollow vessel - Mt 14:20, 15:37, Mk 6:43). Of a surface, covering every part (leprosy in Lk 5:12). Pleres is used figuratively, as it is here in Acts 11:24, to describe one who is full of, filled with, abounding in, thoroughly endowed with the Holy Spirit. Barnabas was giving us a great example to imitate, for Barnabas was in turn imitating Jesus' example (Read 1 Pe 2:21+, 1 Cor 11:1+, 1 Jn 2:6+) of how we are to effectively carry out our ministry (YOU MAY WANT TO PONDER THIS TRUTH A MOMENT BECAUSE IT IS SO CRITICAL TO EFFECTIVE, FRUITFUL MINISTRY! DON'T MISS THIS VITAL TRUTH!). And so we see Luke's description of our Example to follow, even using the same adjective to describe Jesus' "spiritual condition" at the very beginning of His 3+ year ministry -- "Jesus, full of (pleres) the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led around by (SO EVEN HERE WE SEE THE IDEA THAT FILLING WITH THE SPIRIT SPEAKS OF CONTROL BY THE SPIRIT EVEN FOR THE SON OF GOD! HOW MUCH MORE DO I NEED THIS!) the Spirit in the wilderness." (Lk 4:1+, cf teaching "in the power of the Spirit" = Lk 4:14,15+ and anointed for preaching the Gospel = Lk 4:18+, See summary of Jesus' 3 year ministry = Acts 10:37, 38+. JESUS IS OUR EXAMPLE FOR POWERFUL, FRUITFUL MINISTRY!). In Acts 9:36+ Luke described Dorcas as "abounding (pleres) with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did." Pleres is used repeatedly of Stephen who like Barnabas is a godly example for all disciples to imitate (see note)... Acts 6:3+ “Therefore, brethren, select from among you seven men of good reputation, full of (pleres) the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may put in charge of this task. Acts 6:5+ The statement found approval with the whole congregation; and they chose Stephen, a man full of (pleres) of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch. Comment - Note Luke uses virtually an identical description of Barnabas! Acts 6:8+ And Stephen, full of (pleres) grace and power (WHY? BECAUSE HE WAS FULL OF THE SPIRIT WHO GIVES SUPERNATURAL POWER AND GRACE - HE IS CALLED THE "SPIRIT OF GRACE" in Heb 10:29), was performing great wonders and signs among the people. Acts 7:55+ But being full of (pleres) the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; In short, the early church was full of men who were full of the Spirit and faith. Oh, to see such a revival of Spirit filled faithful, fruitful disciples in America, a revival beginning in your church, in my church and spreading like fire from church by church, as men and women become imitators of the first church - men and women aflame for the Gospel of God and the glory of God. Let it happen again, Lord God Almighty, for Thy Name's sake. Amen. Jack Arnold on Barnabas full of faith - Barnabas was also a man of “faith” in that he had an unwavering confidence in God to release His power in any situation. He merely acted upon what God said. He did not wait for feelings, but he believed God's Word and promises. This attitude, of course, was catching, and Barnabas had a real impact upon everyone with whom he came into contact. One of the main reasons this local church at Antioch prospered was that its leadership was dedicated to Christ. Ray Stedman on full of faith - That means he acted upon what God said (ED: IN OTHER WORDS FAITH OBEYS - SEE the obedience of faith). He did not wait for his feelings. He did not depend upon whether or not he woke up in a blue mood. He did not even need a cup of coffee to get him started in the morning. A man of faith simply believes God and expects him to act. He doesn't even think about how he feels himself. A very false idea of faith is popular today. Many people feel that they are filled with faith only when they have a tremendous sense of expectation or excitement within them. If they do not have that feeling then they say, "Well, I'm sorry, I don't have any faith." But that is a dead giveaway that they do not understand what faith is. Faith is not a feeling. Faith has nothing to do with your feelings. Faith is simply a recognition that God has promised something, and, since he is God, to expect Him to do it, and therefore to act on that basis. A man of faith does. And that is the kind of man who gets something done. When Barnabas came to Antioch, a man of faith, he came expecting to be led of God, expecting his eyes to be opened to what God wanted him to see, expecting God to give him the wisdom to handle whatever situation developed. (Acts 11:19-30 Expanding Horizons) Warren
Atos 11
Robertson says "These people were added to the Lord Jesus before they were added to the church. If that were always true, what a difference it would make in our churches." Luke used prostithemi in similar descriptions previously... (Acts 2:41+) So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. (Acts 2:47+) praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved. (Acts 5:14+) And all the more believers in the Lord, multitudes of men and women, were constantly added to their number, Related Resources on life of Barnabas - But before going to these consider performing your own Spirit led study of his life and then checking your observations with those of other men... Whyte's Bible Characters Barnabas What can we learn from the life of Barnabas? American Tract Society Barnabas Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Barnabas Easton's Bible Dictionary Barnabas Fausset Bible Dictionary Barnabas Holman Bible Dictionary Barnabas Hitchcock Bible Names Barnabas Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Barnabas Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Barnabas Morrish Bible Dictionary Barnabas Hawker's Poor Man's Dictionary Barnabas People's Dictionary of the Bible Barnabas Watson's Theological Dictionary Barnabas 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Barnabas International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Barnabas Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Barnabas Known For Compassion Read: Acts 11:19-26 He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. —Acts 11:24 During Major Gen. Mark Graham’s 2 years as commander of Fort Carson, Colorado, he became known and loved for the way he treated others. One US Army colleague said: “I have never come across another general officer who was so compassionate and so concerned about the well-being of soldiers and their families.” After losing one son to suicide and another who was killed in action, Mark and his wife, Carol, dedicated themselves to helping soldiers and their families cope with service-related stress, depression, and loss. In the book of Acts, a follower of Christ was well known for his care and concern toward others. His name was Joseph, but in the early church, the apostles called him Barnabas—“son of encouragement.” It was Barnabas who vouched for the newly converted Saul when others doubted the sincerity of his faith (Acts 9:26-27). Later, Barnabas brought Saul from Tarsus to teach the believers in Antioch (11:25-26). And it was Barnabas who wanted to give John Mark a second chance after his failure on a previous missionary journey (15:36-38). Compassion is an inner feeling resulting in outward action. It should be our daily uniform of service (Col. 3:12). By God’s grace, may we be known for it. Lord, help us be compassionate To people in their grief; Then tell them of the love of Christ, Who’ll bring their souls relief. —Sper True compassion is love in action. Acts 11:25 And he left for Tarsus to look for Saul; KJV Acts 11:25 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: he left for Tarsus Acts 9:11,27,30; 21:39 SON OF ENCOURAGEMENT SEEKS SAUL John
Atos 11
Robertson says it means "to seek up and down (ana), back and forth, to hunt up, to make a thorough search till success comes." Anazeteo was often used in the context of hunting for criminals or fugitive slaves (BDAG). This verb speaks of the thoroughness with which Jesus' parents were looking for Him. As we might say today they were searching "high and low" to find Him (used twice - Lk 2:44,45). Robertson points out why Barnabas had to "hunt for" Saul noting that "It is plain from Gal. 1:21+ that Saul had not been idle in Cilicia (province in which Tarsus was located)." Moulton and Milligan note that anazeteo "is specially used of searching for human beings, with an implication of difficulty." “make every effort to search for them” etc. with reference to certain slaves who had deserted. “the culprits having been searched for.” “to look for hay,” Thayer on anazeteo - `to run through with the eyes any series or succession of men or things, and so to seek out, search through, make diligent search Anazeteo is used only by Luke -- Lk 2:44, 45, Acts 11:25. There are 2 uses in the Septuagint - Job 3:4, Job 10:6. Related Resources: Wikipedia article What is the story of Saul of Tarsus before he became the apostle Paul? American Tract Society Tarsus Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Saul of tarsus Tarsus Easton's Bible Dictionary Tarsus Fausset Bible Dictionary Tarsus Holman Bible Dictionary Tarsus Hitchcock Bible Names Tarsus Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Tarsus Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Tarsus Morrish Bible Dictionary Tarsus Saul of Tarsus People's Dictionary of the Bible Tarsus Watson's Theological Dictionary Tarsus 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Tarsus Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia Saul of Tarsus International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Tarsus Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Tarsus McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Tarsus The Nuttall Encyclopedia Tarsus The Jewish Encyclopedia Paul of Tarsus Saul of Tarsus Tarsus Charles Swindoll has some interesting thoughts bout Saul's absence from Acts 10 and most of Acts 11 - Benched. Shelved. Set aside. Taken out of circulation. If we go by what Luke reveals about Paul’s activity during Peter’s historic evangelism among the Gentiles in Acts 10, we might get the impression that Paul was out of action for ten years after his dramatic conversion. The truth is, Paul was never inactive. He certainly wasn’t in the limelight or in the mainstream of activity, but he was doing ministry like the vast majority of faithful servants of God throughout history—in the background, in obscurity. But why? Why would God send him to “small time” ministry in Tarsus for ten years after such an explosive conversion? Think about it. No Christian had a more impressive résumé for ministry among the Jews. Yet in His wise providence and for His own purposes, God often places such people in small-scale, nonglamorous ministries for a season. He hones their theology, whittles at their character, rearranges their priorities, and teaches them the techniques of walking in the Spirit and not walking in the flesh. Not as rejection, but as refinement, God set Paul aside in this way. Again, from a human perspective, Saul seemed the ideal candidate for fast-tracking into ministry to his fellow Hebrews. The Lord, however, doesn’t recruit like a corporate headhunter. He chooses people based on His own omniscient insight and prepares them through His own sovereign omnipotence. God selected Saul to become His witness among Gentiles. Acts 11:26 and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. And for an entire year they met with the church and taught considerable numbers; and the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch. KJV Acts 11:26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. for an entire year Acts 13:1,2 they met with the church Acts 14:23,27; 1 Corinthians 4:17; 11:18; 14:23 taught considerable numbers Matthew 28:19 were first called Christians in Antioch Acts 26:28; Isaiah 65:15; 1 Corinthians 12:12; Ephesians 3:15; 1 Peter 4:14; 1 John 2:27; Revelation 3:18 ALL BELIEVERS ARE DISCIPLES AND CHRISTIANS And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch - Brought is not forced but the Greek verb ago meaning to lead or bring along to accompany him back to Antioch. Found (2147) (heurisko) means to find after searching and so to discover (Mt 7:7) which is an apt description of Barnabas' search for Saul. It can mean to find accidentally or without seeking, which is clearly not the meaning in the present context (but see Mt 12:44). Heurisko is the origin of the English exclamation "Eureka" as when they found gold. One can imagine Barnabas' shouting "Eureka" when he found God's man! Luke's uses of heurisko - Lk. 1:30; Lk. 2:12; Lk. 2:45; Lk. 2:46; Lk. 4:17; Lk. 5:19; Lk. 6:7; Lk. 7:9; Lk. 7:10; Lk. 8:35; Lk. 9:12; Lk. 9:36; Lk. 11:9; Lk. 11:10; Lk. 11:24; Lk. 11:25; Lk. 12:37; Lk. 12:38; Lk. 12:43; Lk. 13:6; Lk. 13:7; Lk. 15:4; Lk. 15:5; Lk. 15:6; Lk. 15:8; Lk. 15:9; Lk. 15:24; Lk. 15:32; Lk. 17:18; Lk. 18:8; Lk. 19:30; Lk. 19:32; Lk. 19:48; Lk. 22:13; Lk. 22:45; Lk. 23:2; Lk. 23:4; Lk. 23:14; Lk. 23:22; Lk. 24:2; Lk. 24:3; Lk. 24:23; Lk. 24:24; Lk. 24:33; Acts 4:21; Acts 5:10; Acts 5:22; Acts 5:23; Acts 5:39; Acts 7:11; Acts 7:46; Acts 8:40; Acts 9:2; Acts 9:33; Acts 10:27; Acts 11:26; Acts 12:19; Acts 13:6; Acts 13:22; Acts 13:28; Acts 17:6; Acts 17:23; Acts 17:27; Acts 18:2; Acts 19:1; Acts 19:19; Acts 21:2; Acts 23:9; Acts 23:29; Acts 24:5; Acts 24:12; Acts 24:18; Acts 24:20; Acts 27:6; Acts 27:28; Acts 28:14; And for an entire year they met with the church - The year is probably A D 44, the year before Barnabas and Saul visited Jerusalem with the contribution (Acts 11:30). What is Luke describing? Clearly this is discipleship 101, showing the early church's obedience to the command of Jesus to make disciples (Mt 28:19+), a command that tragically many (most) churches in America have neglected to their great loss! One of my "pet peeves" is young churches (or led by younger pastors and elders) who fail to avail themselves of the mature older believers in their church, men and women, who may have walked with Jesus longer than many of the members of the church have even been alive! Young Timothy had his older Paul and young men in the church desperately need an older Paul. When I was born again, I began attending a well-known local Bible Church, but even after asking (almost begging) several pastors in that church, they could not give me a single name of an older man who would be able/willing to disciple me (I was 39 at the time and hungry for the pure milk). God provided godly men in my life through media (John MacArthur, C H Spurgeon, Wayne Barber, Chuck Swindoll, et al), but that was not the same as having another man walking alongside as I sought to grow in grace (and frequently stumbled). It borders on arrogance by younger leadership to "write off" the inestimable value of godly older saints in their body of Christ, as if they have nothing to offer! How sad that they do not take advantage of the wisdom of hoary heads! Young leaders, if you have godly, mature, Word saturated older men (and women) in your church, I strongly encourage you to use them to disciple younger saints! Your local Body will be spiritually stronger and wiser for following this Biblical template! If you doubt me, than just consider the spiritual fruit borne by the church at Antioch, which was fruitful because it was faithful to heed Jesus' command to make disciples. Note that the (definite article in Greek) church (ekklesia) indicates it was a distinct assemblage of disciples in Antioch. Barnabas put Saul to work immediately.
Atos 11
Robertson - They did not object to Peter’s preaching to the Gentiles, but to his going into the house of Cornelius and eating with them, violating his supposed obligations as a Jew (Hackett). It was the same complaint in principle that the Pharisees had made against Jesus when he ate with publicans and sinners (Luke 5:30+). The Jews had not merely the Mosaic regulations about clean and unclean food, but also the fact that at a Gentile table some of the meat may have been an idol sacrifice.
Atos 11
Robertson on katanoeo - Imperfect active of kataneoō to put the mind down on, to ponder, I was pondering. I saw - Second aorist active indicative, saw in a flash. I saw the four-footed animals of the earth and the wild beasts and the crawling creatures and the birds of the air - See commentary on Acts 10:12. This passage is repeated almost verbatim but here he adds the wild beasts. and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. (Acts 10:12) NET Note on crawling creatures - Or "snakes." Grk "creeping things." According to L&N 4.51, in most biblical contexts the term (due to the influence of Hebrew classifications such as Gen 1:25–26, 30) included small four-footed animals like rats, mice, frogs, toads, salamanders, and lizards. In this context, however, where "creeping things" are contrasted with "four-footed animals," the English word "reptiles," which primarily but not exclusively designates snakes, is probably more appropriate. Birds of the air - The idiomatic expression "birds of the air" refers to wild birds as opposed to domesticated fowl. John
Atos 11
Robertson says "The worst of the famine came A.D. 45." For the relief of the brethren living in Judea - The brethren in Judea would have been primarily Jewish believers. But here we see the now presumably predominantly Gentile church at Antioch was willing to demonstrate their unity not just in words but with their "pocketbooks!" James Montgomery Boice makes an interesting comment - As far as I know, this is the first charitable act of this nature in all recorded history—one race of people collecting money to help another people. No wonder they were first called Christians at Antioch. Warren