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Commentary Index | Return to PrayerRequest.com | DownloadCambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges - Acts 28:14 - 28:14
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14. οὗ εὑρόντες ἀδελφούς, where having found brethren. There was, we see from this, a Christian Church already established in Puteoli, and it was to such a degree well known, that the Apostle on his arrival at once learnt of its existence. From this we may gather that the Christians in Italy had already spread to a considerable extent, and hence it seems very probable that Christianity had been carried into that country from Jerusalem soon after the first Pentecostal preaching, at which time Roman visitors were present in the Holy City. Of course in such a place as Puteoli the Jews were likely to congregate, for the sake of trade, more than in many other places of Italy, and from their body the earliest converts to Christianity must have been made. But that, without any previous recorded visit of an Apostle, there should already be in Puteoli a numerous band of Christians is evidence of the zeal with which the new faith was being propagated. For it was now only about 28 years since the death of Jesus.
παρεκλήθημεν, we were intreated. It has generally been thought that the duration of this stay (seven days) was arranged so that the Apostle might be present with the Church in Puteoli at least over one Lord’s day. Thus the Christian congregation would be able to gather in its entirety, and to hear from the lips of the great Apostle of the Gentiles, the Gospel for which he was now ‘an ambassador in bonds.’ We do not know whether any circumstances occurred to detain Julius in Puteoli, but if it were not so, it is a token of the great influence which St Paul had obtained over the centurion, that he was permitted to stay such a long time with his Christian friends, when the capital was so near at hand.
καὶ οὕτως εἰς τὴν Ῥώμην ἤλθαμεν, and so we came to Rome. The narrative at first speaks of the completed voyage, and then in Act 28:16 mention is made of some details which relate to the short land journey from Puteoli to the capital.