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This Chapter Verse Commentaries:
2. λειτουργούντων δὲ αὐτῶν τῷ κυρίῳ, and as they ministered to the Lord. The verb λειτουργέω is the one usually employed by the LXX. for the ministerial services in the Temple, as it is also Heb 10:11, but the parallelism with the next verse, where the service here mentioned is described as ‘fasting and prayer,’ shews us that we are not to attach the former strict signification to it. Such has been the mind of the Church also, for from this verb comes our word ‘Liturgy.’ The old order is giving place to the new, and the terminology is receiving a new sense.
καὶ νηστευόντων, and fasted, i.e. as a solemn act of devotion in the prospect of the work which was before them.
εἶπεν τὸ πνεῦμα τ. ἅ., the Holy Ghost said, speaking to and through the prophets who were there.
ἀφορίσατε δή μοι κ.τ.λ., separate me Barnabas and Saul. Saul had from the first been a ‘vessel of election,’ and so specially severed for this work, and we can see why Barnabas, who had been the first to introduce Saul to the Church at Jerusalem, and whose education may have been very like his own, (for there was much inter-communication between Cyprus and Tarsus,) was appointed to be the sharer of Saul’s labours.
The verb ἀφορίζω is used in the LXX. (Num 8:11) of the separation of the Levites for God’s service, and (Exo 13:12) of living things specially devoted to the Lord.
εἰς τὸ ἔργον κ.τ.λ., for the work whereunto I have called them. As the one portion of this admonition was from the Holy Ghost, we may perhaps be warranted in concluding that the whole course of this first great missionary journey was pointed out also by the Spirit. There is no notice of a deliberation in the Church about the best way for the Apostles to set forth.
ὃ προσκέκλημαι. It is usual in Greek not to repeat with the relative the preposition which stands before the antecedent. Cf. Luk 12:46, ἥξει ὁ κύριος τοῦ δούλου ἐκείνου ἐν ἡμερᾳ ᾗ οὐ προσδοκᾷ.
The middle force of προσκέκλημαι though not possible to be represented in a translation should not be lost sight of. The Holy Ghost says ‘I have called them for myself.’