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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comRobertson Word Pictures - Acts 19:9 - 19:9
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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
But when some were hardened (hōs de tines esklērunonto). Imperfect passive of sklērunō, causative like hiphil in Hebrew, to make hard (sklēros) or rough or harsh (Mat 25:24). In lxx and Hippocrates and Galen (in medical writings). In N.T. only here and Rom 9:18 and Rom 9:4 times in Heb 3:8, Heb 3:13, Heb 3:15; Heb 4:7, Heb 4:8 quoting and referring to Psa 95:8 about hardening the heart like a gristle. The inevitable reaction against Paul went on even in Ephesus though slowly.
Disobedient (epeithoun). Imperfect again, showing the growing disbelief and disobedience (apeithēs), both ideas as in Act 14:2; Act 17:5, first refusal to believe and then refusal to obey. Both sklērunō and apeitheō occur together, as here, in Ecclus. 30:12.
Speaking evil of the Way (kakologountes tēn hodon). Late verb from kakologos (speaker of evil) for the old kakōs legō. Already in Mar 7:10; Mar 9:39; Mat 15:4. Now these Jews are aggressive opponents of Paul and seek to injure his influence with the crowd. Note “the Way” as in Act 9:2 for Christianity.
He departed from them (apostas ap' autōn). Second aorist active participle of aphistēmi, made an “apostasy” (standing off, cleavage) as he did at Corinth (Act 18:7, metabas, making a change).
Separated the disciples (aphōrisen tous mathētas). First aorist active indicative of aphorizō, old verb to mark limits (horizon) as already in Act 13:2. Paul himself was a spiritual Pharisee “separated” to Christ (Rom 1:1). The Jews regarded this withdrawal as apostasy, like separating the sheep from the goats (Mat 25:32). Paul now made a separate church as he had done at Thessalonica and Corinth.
In the school of Tyrannus (en tēi scholēi Turannou). Scholē (our school) is an old word from schein (echō) to hold on, leisure and then in later Greek (Plutarch, etc.) a place where there is leisure as here. Only this example in the N.T. This is the Greek notion of “school,” the Jewish being that of “yoke” as in Mat 11:29. The name Tyrannus (our tyrant) is a common one. It is an inscription in the Columbarium of the Empress Livia as that of a physician in the court. Furneaux suggests the possibility that a relative of this physician was lecturing on medicine in Ephesus and so as a friend of Luke, the physician, would be glad to help Paul about a place to preach. It was probably a public building or lecture hall with this name whether hired by Paul or loaned to him. The pagan sophists often spoke in such halls. The Codex Bezae adds “from the fifth hour to the tenth” as the time allotted Paul for his work in this hall, which is quite possible, from just before midday till the close of the afternoon (from before the noon meal till two hours before sunset) each day. Here Paul had great freedom and a great hearing. As the church grows there will be other places of meeting as the church in the house of Aquila and Priscilla (1Co 16:19).