the Week of Christ the King / Proper 29 / Ordinary 34
Click here to learn more!
Read the Bible
The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible
Acts 15:41
Bible Study Resources
Concordances:
- Nave'sDictionaries:
- AmericanEncyclopedias:
- CondensedParallel Translations
Paul and Silas went through the countries of Syria and Cilicia, helping the churches grow stronger.
And he went thorowe all Cyria and Cilicia stablisshynge the congregacions.
He went through Aram and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.
He went through Syria and Cilicia and strengthened the churches.Acts 16:5;">[xr]
And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
and he went through Syria and Cilicia, giving strength to the churches.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the assemblies.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
and he passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the Churches.
And he wente bi Sirie and Silice, and confermyde the chirche, comaundinge to kepe the heestis of apostlis and eldre men.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
They traveled through Syria and Cilicia, encouraging the churches.
And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, making the churches stronger in the faith.
He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the congregations.
And he passed through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the assemblies.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches. And he came to Derbe the city, and to Lystra.
And he travelled through Syria, and through Cilicia, and strengthened the churches.
And he went thorow Syria and Cilicia, confirming the Churches.
Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there.
They went through Syria and Cilicia making the churches stronger in the faith.
He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, stablishing the Churches.
And he traveled through Syr''i-a and Cili''cia, establishing churches.
and proceeded to pass through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the assemblies.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches, commanding them to keep the precepts of the apostles and the ancients.
And he went through Syria and Cili'cia, strengthening the churches.
And he went through Cyria & Cilicia, stablisshyng the Churches.
He went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
He traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the churches.
And he traveled through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, making the assemblies strong.
and he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirming the assemblies.
He wente thorow Syria and Celicia, stablishynge the congregacions.
he departed, and passing through Syria and Cilicia, he settled the churches there.
He passed through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
And he went through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
they headed out through Syria and Cilicia. They strengthened all the outfits they went through that were riding and gathering for the Lord.
And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
And he was traveling through Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches.
Contextual Overview
Bible Verse Review
from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge
through: Acts 15:23, Acts 18:18, Acts 21:3, Galatians 1:21
confirming: Acts 15:32, Acts 16:4, Acts 16:5
Reciprocal: Matthew 4:24 - Syria Acts 6:9 - Cilicia Acts 14:22 - Confirming Acts 18:23 - strengthening Acts 20:2 - given Acts 21:39 - Cilicia Acts 22:3 - a city Acts 23:34 - Cilicia Acts 27:5 - Cilicia Romans 16:4 - also 2 Corinthians 11:26 - journeyings 2 Corinthians 11:28 - the care
Gill's Notes on the Bible
And he went through Syria and Cilicia,.... Antioch was the metropolis of the former, and Tarsus, the apostle's native place, was in the latter; and in both these countries he had been before, and had been the instrument of converting many souls, and of planting churches, which he now visited, as he proposed to Barnabas to do: for it follows,
confirming the churches; in the Gospel, and the truths and ordinances of it, he had before instructed them in: of the church at Antioch, :-. And that there were also churches in Cilicia, is very manifest; and particularly there was one at Tarsus, the chief city in it. Herodian, of whom we read in Romans 16:11 and Jason, in Acts 17:5 who are reckoned among the seventy disciples, are said to be bishops or pastors of this church; Acts 17:5- :. In the "second" century there was a church in that city, to which Ignatius wrote an epistle, still extant o, in which he makes mention of Philo their deacon: in the "third" century Helenus presided over this church, and was present at a synod at Antioch, when Paulus Samosatenus was condemned for heresy p: in the "fourth" century mention is made of several churches in Cilicia, and the bishops of them; there was a church at Apsis in Cilicia, Amphion was bishop of Epiphania, Theodorus of Mopsuestia, Cyriacus of Adanan, and Sylvanus of Tarsus, the metropolis; in which last place, in the beginning of this century, several martyrs suffered under Dioclesian, particularly Tharatus, Probus, and Andronicus: here the orthodox, in the times of Valens, would have convened a synod against the Arians, but were hindered by him; and in this century Diodorus, bishop of Tarsus, had the care of all the churches in Cilicia committed to him; in this age also we read of Antoninus, a presbyter of this church, afterwards made bishop of it: in the "fifth" century mention is made of the bishops of several churches in Cilicia, as of Mopsuesta, Irenopolis, Epiphania, Tarsus, Anazarbus, Sebaste, and others who were present at several councils held at different places in this century; in the "sixth" century, out of the cities of Cilicia, Jotapa, Pisidia, Pompeiopolis, Tarsus, Coricus, Anemurius, bishops are said to come to the synod at Rome and Constantinople: in the seventh century, Tarsus was the metropolitan church of Cilicia; and mention is made of the bishops of that and of other cities in this country, who assisted at the sixth council at Constantinople: in the "eighth" century, notice is taken of a Church at Sida in Cilicia q; so long the Christian name was in those parts. Beza's ancient copy adds, "delivering the commandments of the elders"; and the Vulgate Latin version, "bidding" them to keep the commandments of the apostles and elders; see Acts 16:4, namely; the decrees of the assembly at Jerusalem; which seems very agreeable, since the letters were directed and sent to the brethren of the Gentiles in Syria and Cilicia, as well as in Antioch; see Acts 15:23.
o Ignat. Epist. p. 73, 81. p Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 7. c. 28. q Madgeburg. Hist. Eccl. cent. 4. c. 2. p. 2, 3. c. 3. p. 18. 22. 74. c. 7. p. 289. c. 9. p. 405, 481, c. 10. p. 570. cent. 5. c. 2. p. 3. c. 10. p. 585, 586. cent. 6. c. 2. p. 3. cent. 7. c. 2. p. 3. c. 7. p. 112. cent. 8. c. 2. p. 4.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible
Syria and Cilicia - These were countries lying near to each other, which Paul, in company with Barnabas, had before visited.
Confirming the churches - Strengthening them by instruction and exhortation. It has no reference to the rite of confirmation. See the notes on Acts 14:22.
In regard to this unhappy contention between Paul and Barnabas, and their separation from each other, we may make the following remarks:
(1) That no apology or vindication of it is offered by the sacred writer. It was undoubtedly improper and evil. It was a melancholy instance in which even apostles evinced an improper spirit, and engaged in improper strife.
(2) In this contention it is probable that Paul was, in the main, right. Barnabas seems to have been influenced by attachment to a relative; Paul sought a helper who would not shrink from duty and danger. It is clear that Paul had the sympathies and prayers of the church in his favor Acts 15:40, and it is more than probable that Barnabas departed without any such sympathy, Acts 15:39.
(3) There is reason to think that this contention was overruled for the furtherance of the gospel. They went to different places, and preached to different people. It often happens that the unhappy and wicked strifes of Christians are the means of exciting their mutual zeal, and of extending the gospel, and of establishing churches. But no thanks to their contention; nor is the guilt of their anger and strife mitigated by this.
(4) This difference was afterward reconciled, and Paul and Barnabas again became traveling companions, 1 Corinthians 9:6; Galatians 2:9.
(5) There is evidence that Paul also became reconciled to John Mark, Colossians 4:10; Phm 1:24; 2 Timothy 4:11. How long this separation continued is not known; but perhaps in this journey with Barnabas John gave such evidence of his courage and zeal as induced Paul again to admit him to his confidence as a traveling companion, and as to become a profitable fellow-laborer. See 2 Timothy 4:11, “Take Mark, and bring him with thee; for he is profitable to me for the ministry.”
(6) This account proves that there was no collusion or agreement among the apostles to impose upon mankind. Had there been such an agreement, and had the books of the New Testament been an imposture, the apostles would have been represented as perfectly harmonious, and as united in all their views and efforts. What impostor would have thought of the device of representing the early friends of the Christian religion as divided, and contending, and separating from each other? Such a statement has an air of candor and honesty, and at the same time is apparently so much against the truth of the system, that no impostor would have thought of resorting to it.
Clarke's Notes on the Bible
Verse Acts 15:41. Confirming the Churches. — This was the object of his journey: they were young converts, and had need of establishment; and there is no doubt that, by showing them the decision made at the late council of Jerusalem, their faith was greatly strengthened, their hope confirmed, and their love increased. It was this consideration, no doubt, that led some ancient MSS. and some versions to add here, They delivered them the decrees of the apostles and elders to keep; which clause certainly was not an original part of the text, but seems to have been borrowed from the fourth verse of the following chapter. Some have thought that the fourth and fifth verses of the next chapter really belong to this place; or that the first, second, and third verses of it should be read in a parenthesis; but of this there does not appear to be any particular necessity.
