Lange Commentary - Acts 11:27 - 11:30

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Lange Commentary - Acts 11:27 - 11:30


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C.—THE ANTIOCHIAN CONGREGATION GIVES PROOF OF ITS FRATERNAL UNION WITH THE CHRISTIANS IN JUDEA, BY AFFORDING RELIEF TO THE LATTER DURING A FAMINE.

Act_11:27-30

27And [But] in these days came prophets from Jerusalem unto Antioch. 28And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should [would] be [a] great dearth [famine] throughout all the [over the whole inhabited] world: which [also] came to pass in the days of [under] Claudius Cesar. [om. Cesar] . 29Then [But among] the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send relief [send somewhat for aid] unto the brethren which [who] dwelt in Judea: 30Which also they did, and sent it to the elders by the hands [hand, ÷åéñὸò ] of Barnabas and Saul.

EXEGETICAL AND CRITICAL

Act_11:27-28.—And in these days, that is, during the protracted visit of Barnabas and Saul to the congregation in Antioch, as teachers of the Christian religion, certain prophets came from Jerusalem to Antioch. One of these arose ( ἀíáóôÜò ), on a certain occasion, at a meeting held for public worship, and foretold, by the illumination of the Holy Ghost, that a severe famine would soon afflict the whole known world. [Prophets, here equivalent to inspired teachers, to whom frequent reference is made in the Acts and in the Epistles of Paul. The usual form of their inspiration was not so much that of foretelling future events, as that of an exalted and superhuman teaching, or the utterance of their own conscious intelligence, informed by the Holy Spirit. (See below, Doctr. etc. No. 1.) This inspiration was, however, occasionally, as here, and Act_21:10 (the only two passages in which Agabus is mentioned), made the vehicle of prophecy, properly so called, (de Wette; Meyer; Alf.)—Tr.]. That an actual prediction of an event strictly belonging to the future, is here meant, appears both from the clause: äéὰ ôïῦ ðíåýìáôïò , and also from the terms ἐóÞìáíå … ìÝëëåé ἔóåóèáé . [In classic Greek ìÝëëåéí is usually combined with the inf. fut., and but seldom with the inf. pres., and still more rarely with the inf. aor.; in the N. T., it is usually combined with the inf. pres., (always in the Gospels), sometimes with the inf. aor., and not so often with the inf. fut., as here. (Winer: Gram. N. T. § 44. 7. ult.).TR.]. The latter terms [ ἐóÞìáíå , etc.] imply a mode of expression by means of signs and images, and lead to the conjecture, (as on a later occasion, Act_21:10-11), that Agabus indicated the approach of the famine by some symbolical action. It is inconsistent with the text to imagine that the famine had actually commenced (Eichhorn), or, that, at least, some tokens of its approach were already perceptible. Besides, the concluding words of Act_11:28, ἥôéò êáὶ ἐìÝíåôï etc., plainly show that the declaration of Agabus had preceded it in the order of time, and had been fully verified by events which occurred at a subsequent period. We have here the first determination of time, with reference to another well known historical date, which occurs in the Acts. Claudius, the successor of Caligula, occupied the throne thirteen entire years, A. D. 41–54, and, during his reign, the Roman empire was more than once visited by famine. Such was, specially, the case in Palestine, when Cuspius Fadus and Tiberius Alexander (Jos. Antiq. xx. 2. 5; 5. 2) were procurators, about A. D. 45, and 46; it was then that king Izates of Adiabene, and his mother Helena, furnished the inhabitants of Jerusalem with grain, which, by their orders, had been purchased in Egypt. Now, as the famine here mentioned by Luke, certainly occurred during the reign of Claudius, it cannot have been earlier than the year 41; and as it is probably identical with the one mentioned by Josephus, it can scarcely have preceded the year 45. [It is usually assigned to the year 44, the fourth of the reign of Claudius. “As Lardner suggests, it may have begun about the close of A. D. 44, and lasted three or four years.” (Hackett).—Tr.]. Although, therefore, we are not acquainted with the details of the event to which the prophecy of Agabus refers, we may regard the latter as having been strictly fulfilled, since not only Palestine, but even Italy and other provinces of the Roman empire were afflicted at that period by failures of the crops, and by famine.—(Tac. Ann. 12. 43).

Act_11:29-30, a. Then the disciples.—It does not distinctly appear from Act_11:29, whether the Christians of Antioch sent relief to the congregations in Judea immediately after Agabus had uttered the prophecy, or whether they waited till tidings subsequently reached them that the famine had actually occurred in that country. The latter is by far the more probable supposition, first, because that prophecy referred to the whole world, and it was only the actual fulfilment which demonstrated that a severe famine afflicted precisely the province of Judea (comp. Jos. Antiq. xx. 5. 2, ôὸí ìÝãáí ëéìὸí êáôὰ ôὴí ʼ Éïõäáßáí ãåíÝóèáé ); and, secondly, because Luke distinctly implies in the following chapter, Act_11:1; Act_11:25, that Barnabas and Saul did not carry these contributions to Jerusalem, until Herod had already made that city his royal residence, or towards the close of his reign, about A. D. 44. The disciples in Antioch now resolved to render an office of love, and to send aid ( åἰò äéáêïíßáí ), according to the means which they individually possessed ( çὐðïñåῖôï ), to the Christians who resided in Judea, and with whom, as brethren ( ἀäåëöïῖò ), they were conscious of being united in the most intimate manner. The resolution which they had adopted, they carried into effect, by sending Barnabas and Saul to the elders, as the bearers of their kind gifts. Even as the synagogues in pagan lands, and also proselytes like king Izates (see the forgoing note), aided the Palestinian Jews by their gifts in seasons of distress, so too the Gentile-Christians regarded it as a duty to afford relief to their brethren, the Judæo-Christians, who could not expect to receive any portion of those contributions which were furnished by the diaspora of Israel [Jews residing in Gentile countries].

b. The elders are abruptly mentioned in Act_11:30, without any statement of the mode in which they came into office. We may, however, conjecture that a procedure was adopted in this respect which resembled the one described in Act_6:1-6, when the Seven were chosen in Jerusalem. The congregations which were formed beyond the limits of the city of Jerusalem, undoubtedly needed, at the earliest period, a certain organization and rules of government, as distinct societies; and even in the Holy City itself, the Christians may have become conscious of the need of rulers and guides, in order that the apostles might be at liberty to devote themselves entirely to their special vocation. It cannot here be necessary to furnish the evidence in detail, that in the apostolic age, no essential distinction existed between ðñåóâýôåðïé and ἐðßóêïðïé . [The omission by Luke of an account of the institution of the “Presbyterate or Eldership” while that of the “Apostleship and the Diaconate” is given in the history, is thus explained by J. A. Alexander:—“The office of Presbyter or Elder was the only permanent, essential office of the Jewish church, and as such was retained under the new organization, without any formal institution, and therefore without any distinct mention in the history, such as we find afterwards in reference to the organization of the Gentile churches, where the office had no previous existence, and must therefore be created by the act of ordination; see below, Act_14:23.” (Com. on Acts, ad loc.).—Alford here combines the following from de Wette and Meyer: “The ðñåóâýôåñïé are in the N. T. identical with ἐðß óêïðïé ; see Act_20:17; Act_20:28; Tit_1:5; Tit_1:7; 1Pe_5:1-2. So Theodoret on Php_1:1 : ἐðéóêüðïõò ôïὺò ðñåóâõôÝñïõò êáëåῖ · ἀìöüôåñá ãὰñ åῖ ̓ ÷ïí êáô ʼ ἐêåῖíïí ôὸí êáéñὸí ôὰ ὀíüìáôá . The title ἐðßóêüðïõò , as applied to one person superior to the ðñåóâýôåñïé , and answering to our “bishop,” appears to have been unknown in the apostolic times.” Hackett (Com. Act_14:23) remarks:—“The elders, or presbyters, in the official sense, of the term, were those appointed in the first churches to watch over their general discipline and welfare. With reference to that duty, they were called, also, ἐðßóêïðïé , i.e., superintendents or bishops. The first was their Jewish appellation, transferred to them perhaps from the similar class of officers in the synagogues; the second was their foreign appellation, since the Greeks employed it to designate such relations among themselves. In accordance with this distinction, we find the general rule to be this: those who are called elders in speaking of Jewish communities, are called bishops in speaking of Gentile communities. Hence the latter term is the prevailing one in Paul’s Epistles.” See also Exeg. note on Act_20:28.—Tr]. Luke does not here state that Barnabas and Saul were sent to the elders in Jerusalem; it is, hence, possible that they were also commissioned to visit the elders of other Christian congregations in Judea. These elders received, in the name of their congregations, the gifts sent from Antioch, and then probably transferred them to the deacons, who distributed such donations to individuals.—A certain difficulty seems to occur here, occasioned by the circumstance that Paul himself not only never mentions this journey, which was undertaken for the relief of the Judæo-Christians who were afflicted by the famine, but also seems positively to exclude it in Gal. Acts 1, 2, where he appears disposed to enumerate all the visits made by him to Jerusalem after his conversion (Meyer; Neander). De Wette conjectures, as an explanation of the apparent discrepancy, that Paul possibly reached Judea, without proceeding to Jerusalem, and that Barnabas alone, perhaps, travelled as far as the city; but, under all the circumstances, Jerusalem, where the mother church existed, would be the ultimate destination of those who travelled from Syria to the elders of the Jewish congregations. And the supposition that this Pauline journey to Jerusalem is irreconcilable with Gal_2:1, cannot be entertained, unless we assume that in this epistolary passage the apostle intended to present a continuous and absolutely complete enumeration of all his journeys to Jerusalem; but the connection in which that passage occurs, by no means furnishes satisfactory evidence that he entertained such a purpose.

DOCTRINAL AND ETHICAL

1. Christian prophets appear for the first time in this passage, Act_11:27 f. The foretelling of future events was not the exclusive, nor even the predominating characteristic of the prophets of the Old Covenant; the same remark applies to those of the New. The former were heralds of God, whom He enlightened and inspired: such, too, were the latter. The peculiar service which these men of God performed, both under the Old and under the New Covenant, did not consist in furnishing detailed instructions, intended to guide men to a right understanding of the truth ( äéäÜóêåéí , äéäÜóêáëïé ); it was, rather, their appropriate office so to unfold the counsel and will of God, as to influence and direct alike the conscience and the will. Indeed only one, according to Act_11:28, of several prophets who came from Jerusalem to Antioch, pronounced a prediction, and yet they all, without doubt, labored as prophets; comp. Act_13:1, ðñïöῆôáé êáὶ äéäÜóêáëïé . The distinction between the prophets of the old and of the new economy, consisted simply in the circumstance, that, in the case of the former, the Law, and in that of the latter, the work of redemption and reconciliation wrought by Christ, constituted respectively the given basis on which they stood, with regard to their knowledge and their views, and formed the respective sources whence proceeded the special illumination of the Spirit of God, by whom they spake. But even as the rebuking, admonitory, warning, and consolatory addresses of the prophets of the Old Testament, very easily introduced views of the future, particularly when they spoke prophetically of Him who was to come, so, too, the Holy Spirit who illuminated and inspired the prophets of the church of Christ, cast rays of light on the future, especially in reference to the second coming of Him, who once came, but who will hereafter effect the consummation of his kingdom. And we do not doubt that the prediction of Agabus concerning the famine which should afflict all the world, was uttered in connection with remarks referring to the second coming of Christ and to the judgment of the world, as well as to the signs which would precede the latter.

2. The contribution of the church in Antioch, intended for the relief of the congregations in Judea, which were suffering from the famine, is one of the most beautiful flowers in the garden of the apostolical age. It reveals the intimate union in love which existed between the congregations that were founded on one and the same faith in the Redeemer, Jesus Christ. The true friend is recognized in seasons of distress; and thus the sincerity of the friendship and fraternal love ( ἀäåëöïῖò , Act_11:29) of the Gentile-Christians, was demonstrated during a famine, when many persons died in Jerusalem for want of the necessaries of life (Jos. Antiq. xx. 2. 5). Their actions testified to their love, since each one contributed according to the extent of his means. The church in Jerusalem had manifested its interest in the converts in Syria, and had sent Barnabas to them, both as an associate in their joy (Act_11:23), and as a teacher. It was to the latter, and through him, to the church in Jerusalem, that the Gentile-Christians owed the increase of their faith, their advancement in the Christian life, and, indeed, also the aid which they received from Saul; in short, the Antiochian Christians had been benefited by the active love of those of Jerusalem, primarily, in spiritual things. They now return love for love, but, primarily, by affording temporal aid to those whose lives were threatened by the severity of the famine. But amid this active interchange of kindly offices rendered by a disinterested and faithful love, there is revealed the power of Him, in whom alone the souls of men have become one; the Lord Jesus Christ, whose love prompted him to sacrifice himself in order to reconcile sinners, is the central principle of the life of the Church; by his own äéáêïíῆóáé (Mat_20:28), he founded a äéáêïíßá in the world, which could have no existence without him.

HOMILETICAL AND PRACTICAL

Act_11:19. Now they which were scattered … travelled as far, etc.—Persecution does not deprive a true Christian of courage; “troubled on every side, yet not distressed, etc”. 2Co_4:8 ff. (Starke).—Jerusalem had hitherto been the nursery in which the Spirit of God prepared the trees that were to be transplanted to other places and to bear abundant fruit unto the Lord. (Ap. Past.).—These Christians who were driven from Jerusalem, with all their commendable zeal, were still influenced by the infirmity of “preaching unto the Jews only;” nevertheless, they inflicted no serious injury on the good cause. Their conduct deserves, indeed, praise rather than blame, for, I. They comply with the command of Jesus (Luk_24:47); II. They exhibit the purity of their love to the brethren after the flesh, which was not affected even by the persecutions which they suffered from the latter. (ib.).

Act_11:20. And some of them were men of Cyprus and Cyrene, etc.—God’s care of his church is truly wonderful. Men from Cyrene had been qualified, as early as the day of Pentecost, to be witnesses of the truth, and they were better fitted to carry the Gospel to their countrymen than natives of Judea. The Lord can always find suitable laborers, when the harvest is at hand. (Ap. Past.).—These judicious laborers are not even mentioned by name, in order that all the honor may be given to God alone. Consent with a willing mind that thine own name should remain in obscurity for a season, but make it publicly known that the name of the Lord Jesus, is the only one whereby we must be saved (Act_4:12.). (Rieger).—Be silent, ye people who seek after gifts, I beseech you, and who deny that the Church has received a call to engage in missionary labors, unless she can send forth men who possess apostolical gifts! (Besser).

Act_11:21. And the hand of the Lord was with them.—Hence they did not need an arm of flesh. It is easy to labor, when the hand of the Lord affords us aid. But how often we bind the hands of God, when we do not give ourselves to the ministry of the word with fidelity! (Ap. Past.).—A great number … turned unto the Lord.—It is the sole object of a faithful servant of Christ, to conduct souls to Him, so that they may belong to the Lord, and not to himself. (ibid.).

Act_11:22. And they sent forth Barnabas.—When this second report of the blessing which God had granted to the Gentiles, reached the believers in Jerusalem, the latter received it in a different spirit. On the former occasion (Act_11:1 ff.), Peter encountered a storm of reproaches for having associated with pagans; but now, in place of censuring him, they commission Barnabas to promote the work of the conversion of the Gentiles, which had become very interesting and important in their eyes. Thus the ways of the Lord gradually become intelligible to men. (Ap. Past.).—It was the purpose of the embassy sent from Jerusalem to Antioch, not to subject the latter to the control of the former church, nor to impose the same external form or constitution upon it, but rather to express the common joy of the believers that God had wrought a gracious work in Antioch, to communicate spiritual gifts, and to obviate any possible temptations by appropriate exhortations. (Rieger).

Act_11:23. Who, when he … had seen the grace of God, was glad.—His judgment of the work was formed, not according to the persons who had labored here, but according to the grace which had been revealed. He deals as a father with these beginners in grace, and does not treat them as step-children, although he had not begotten them himself by the word of truth. There are always instructors to be found, but there are not many fathers [1Co_4:15] who deal gently with beginners in religion; the latter render a service, the former may do an injury. (Ap. Past.).—Exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart, etc.—It is a good thing when the heart is set aright [Psa_78:8].—On the blessing of steadfastness: I. It is good to become a Christian; II. It is still better to be a Christian; but, III. The Lord gives the highest praise on earth to him alone, who steadfastly remains a Christian, and continues the contest until it terminates in victory; IV. Christ will reward such on high with eternal crowns. (Adapted from the hymn of Schmolke: “Nicht der Anfang, nur das Ende, etc”.].

Act_11:24. For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith.—Behold here the qualities of a sound teacher: he must be, I. A good man, upright and blameless, with respect to his walk: but this is not all, as even a pagan may gain such praise. He must be, II. Full of faith, rooted in Christ by faith: even this is not sufficient, as such should be the state of every Christian. The teacher must be, III. Full of the Holy Ghost; then only does he become a teacher in truth and reality, a shining light, a source of light and life.—And much people was added unto the Lord.—It is no wonder that such a blessing was imparted, for as the tree, so is the fruit. What a precious gift is a faithful bishop and teacher, a genuine Barnabas! Blessed is the church which possesses such shepherds, who are sound in the faith, holy in life, and endowed with the gifts of the Spirit. (Starke).

Act_11:25. Barnabas departed … for to seek Saul.—Barnabas found the net so full in Antioch, that he sought a partner in Saul who might help him. Luk_5:7. (Rieger).—Thus he furnishes new evidence of the purity of his sentiments. If he had been governed by selfish considerations, and had desired to acquire influence and power in Antioch, he would not have associated Paul with himself, whose labors, as he clearly foresaw, would be even more successful than his own. How rarely such a spirit is manifested by teachers in our day!—But it was first necessary to seek Saul, the distinguished servant of the Lord. While hirelings are busy, and obtrude themselves without a call, the upright man, who is conscious of the importance and responsibility of a teacher’s office, withdraws from public view, and willingly abides in the wilderness, until he is called. (Ap. Past.).

Act_11:26. That a whole year they assembled themselves [came together] with the church [in the congregation]. The congregation is here represented as having enjoyed a special blessing in being permitted to retain these teachers during an entire year. In our day, when congregations are provided with permanent pastors, and every individual can listen to the Gospel from youth to old age, and even on the death-bed, this privilege is but lightly esteemed by many. And yet, such regular and uninterrupted religious instruction was described, under the Old Covenant, as one of the blessings of the New; Isa_62:6-7. (Ap. Past.).—And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.—It is remarkable that the believers received their name, not from Jesus, the Saviour, but from him as Christ, the Anointed One. They are, namely, associated with him, not in the work of salvation, as fellow-saviours, but in the anointing which he received, deriving from Christ, the Head, their share of the gifts of the Spirit, which are intended for the general good. Hence John describes this anointing as a mark by which believers may be known: “Ye have an unction, etc”. 1Jn_2:20. (Ap. Past.).—This we ought to know, that Christ was born for us, and given to us, and that we Christians receive our name from him alone, as our only Ruler and Prince. For we have received all things from him, even as a man is called rich, on account of his riches, or as a woman, who possesses the goods of her husband, also retains his name. (Luther).—But if our name is a mere empty sound, we incur great guilt: nomen inane, crimen immane. (Ambrose).—O God, grant me grace that I may also be a true Christian, as well as bear the name; for he who merely receives the name, without the reality, can never enter into thy heavenly kingdom. (Hasslocher’s hymn: “Du sagst, ich bin ein Christ, etc.”).

Act_11:27-28. And in these days came prophets, etc. The gift of prophecy was not intended to afford the congregation a trivial entertainment for the hour; it furnished, in many cases, wholesome exercise for the faith and love of the members. (Rieger).—One of them … signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth.—It is a great mercy of God that he does not suddenly, that is, unexpectedly, punish men, but forewarns them, so that they may escape. (Starke).

Act_11:29. Determined to send relief.—True faith always manifests its power and efficiency by works of love, Gal_5:6. (Starke).—When indications of the approach of afflictions appear, our first thoughts and efforts should not be solely devoted to the work of adopting precautionary measures in our own behalf, but should also refer to others, whose situation may be more exposed than our own. Cases often occur like that of the widow of Sarepta [Luk_4:26; Zarephath, 1Ki_17:9 ff.], who was first of all directed to bestow her limited store on the prophet Elijah, but who was afterwards abundantly consoled by the provision which was made for her and her son. Such will be the experience of those in whose hearts faith and love abide. (Rieger).

Act_11:30. Which they also did.—We must strike while the iron is hot; the good resolution must be carried into effect, before it cools.—By the hands of Barnabas and Saul.—Such was the ancient Christian order; pastors should also exercise a certain supervision over hospitals and almshouses, and ascertain whether the inmates are seasonably and judiciously relieved. Gal_2:10. (Starke).

ON THE WHOLE SECTION.—Under what circumstances will the divine blessing accompany the efforts of men to extend the kingdom of God? When the laborers, I. Manifest undaunted courage, in opposition to the world, Act_11:19; II. Are docile, and give heed to the intimations of divine Providence, Act_11:22; III. Maintain a spirit of brotherly love, Act_11:23-26.—The blessings which are connected with the afflictions of the Church of the Lord: the latter, I. Scatter abroad (Act_11:19) those who are united, and thus lead to the extension of the kingdom (e. g. the Waldenses; the Salzburgers [see the article on the latter in Herzog: Real-Encyk. XIII. 346–359, and Strobel’s “Salzburgers—who immigrated to Georgia, &c.”—Tr.] etc.). II. They unite those who are scattered abroad, thus furnishing exercise both, for faith and for love, Act_11:30; (e. g. the Gustavus Adolphus Union).

Act_11:27-30. On that relief, afforded to the distressed, which proceeds from a consciousness of our Christian fellowship: I. Its distinction from that relief which mere citizens afford; II. The increased power which it conveys to that fellowship from which it proceeds (Schleiermacher).—The diversity of the gifts of Christians, the means of promoting the common welfare: I Those who are received as guests, impart the Gospel in return, Act_11:19-21; II. Those who abundantly possess the word, share with those who are only partially acquainted with it, Act_11:22-28; III. Those who are blessed with temporal wealth, assist those who have nothing, Act_11:29-30. (Lisco).—National afflictions, a source of blessings for the church, ver, 28–30: I. They awaken prophetic voices; II. They teach men to give heed to the word; III. They produce works of love.—Offices of love, and the blessings which attend them: I. In spiritual things, Act_11:22-24; II. In temporal things, Act_11:28-30.—Good deeds bear interest: I. The good deeds proceeding from Jerusalem; II. The interest which Antioch returned.—Barnabas in Antioch, or, The pattern of a true minister of the word: I. He joyfully follows the leadings the Lord, Act_11:22; II. Examines the state of the church with sympathizing love, Act_11:23; III. Leads a pure and holy life before men, Act_11:24; IV. Coöperates, without envy, with his ministerial brethren, Act_11:25-26.—The conduct of Barnabas and Saul, a model of harmonious official action: I. The sacrifices which such action demands; II. The blessings which flow from it.—Barnabas and Saul in Antioch, or, A blessed year (Act_11:26) of pastoral labor: I. The grateful soil; II. The agreeable labor; III. The abundant fruits.—The sacred name: “Christians”, Act_11:26 : I. Its high honor: it designates (a) those who belong to Christ, and (b) are anointed with the Holy Ghost; II. The serious task which it imposes: it demands (a) an entire devotion to the service of Christ, and (b) the patient endurance of shame before the world.—Is the Christian name a term of honor, or of reproach? I. It is a term of honor, notwithstanding all the ridicule of the world, if we are all that it really imports; II. It is a term of reproach, not-withstanding all the honor which it may seem to confer, if we possess nothing more than the name.—The Christian name of the primitive church, viewed in the light of history: it indicates, I. A fixed purpose to separate a certain people of the Lord from the world; II. A positive severance from the people of the old covenant, and the organization of a Church of the New Testament; III. An irrevocable union with the Lord, in his life, his sufferings, and his glory.—The little flock of Nazarenes becomes a Christian people, or, The grain of mustard-seed becomes a tree (Mat_13:31-32).—Christ, all in all in his Church: I. The great theme of preaching, Act_11:20; II. The light and strength of believers, Act_11:21; Act_11:23; III. The guide and master of all pastors, Act_11:24-25; IV. The name and watchword of the Church, Act_11:26.—[Act_11:29-30. Contributions to benevolent purposes: I The duty to offer them; II. The spirit in which they are to be made; III. The principles which determine their amount (“every man … ability”); IV. The wide influence which they exert.—Tr.]

Footnotes:

Act_11:28. a. The readings ìåãÜëçí and ἥôéò [of A. B. Cod. Sin. minuscules and fathers, and adopted by Lach. Tisch. and Born.—Tr.] are sustained by a greater number of ancient MSS. than the masc. ìÝãáí — ὅóôéò . [The latter, in text. rec. from G. H., are retained by Alf.—D. originally had the masc., which a later hand changed into the feminine; E. reads ìÝãáí — ἥôéò . Winer (Gr. § 8. 2. ult. and § 59. 4. b. ult.) regards the fem. of the Doric and later Greek usage, as unquestionably the correct reading in this passage.—Tr.]

Act_11:28. b. [ Êáὶ after ὅóôéò in text. rec., is found in E. G. H, and retained by Alf., but is omitted in A. B. D. Cod. Sin. Vulg., Engl, vers., and by Lach.—Tr.]

Act_11:28. c. Êáßóáñïò after Êëáõóßïõ [of text. rec., from E. G. H.] is wanting in important authorities [A. B. D. Cod. Sin. Vulg. etc.], and must be regarded as an interpolated explanation. [Omitted by Lach. Tisch. and Alf.—Tr.]