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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.comRobertson Word Pictures - Acts 9:27 - 9:27
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Took him (epilabomenos). Second aorist middle (indirect) participle of epilambanō, common verb to lay hold of. Barnabas saw the situation and took Saul to himself and listened to his story and believed it. It is to the credit of Barnabas that he had the insight and the courage to stand by Saul at the crucial moment in his life when the evidence seemed to be against him. It is a pleasing hypothesis that this influential disciple from Cyprus had gone to the University of Tarsus where he met Saul. If so, he would know more of him than those who only knew his record as a persecutor of Christians. That fact Barnabas knew also, but he was convinced that Jesus had changed the heart of Saul and he used his great influence (Act 4:36; Act 11:22) to win the favour of the apostles, Peter in particular (Gal 1:19) and James the half-brother of Jesus. The other apostles were probably out of the city as Paul says that he did not see them.
To the apostles (pros tous apostolous). Both Barnabas and James are termed apostles in the general sense, though not belonging to the twelve, as Paul did not, though himself later a real apostle. So Barnabas introduced Saul to Peter and vouched for his story, declared it fully (diēgēsato, in detail) including Saul’s vision of Jesus (eiden ton kurion) as the vital thing and Christ’s message to Saul (elalēsen autōi) and Saul’s bold preaching (ēparrēsiasato, first aorist middle indicative of parrēsiazō from paṅ̇rēsia telling it all as in Act 2:29). Peter was convinced and Saul was his guest for two weeks (Gal 1:18) with delightful fellowship (historēsai). He had really come to Jerusalem mainly “to visit” (to see) Peter, but not to receive a commission from him. He had that from the Lord (Gal 1:1.). Both Peter and James could tell Saul of their special experiences with the Risen Christ. Furneaux thinks that Peter was himself staying at the home of Mary the mother of John Mark (Act 12:12) who was a cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10). This is quite possible. At any rate Saul is now taken into the inner circle of the disciples in Jerusalem.