Acts 14:7

Act 14:7 . See critical notes for reading in . κἀκεῖ ; found in four other places in Acts, but not at all in Luke’s Gospel. εὐαγγελ . ἦσαν : “they were engaged in preaching the Gospel,” Ramsay; on participle with ἦν or ἦσαν see Act 1:10 .

The Expositor's Greek Testament, edited by W. Robertson Nicoll (1897–1910) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Verse 7. And there they preached the Gospel.] Wherever they went, they were always employed in their Master's work. Some MSS. of considerable note add here, and all the people were moved at their preaching, but Paul and Barnabas tarried at Lystra.

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

And there they preached the Gospel. They did not sit still, nor hide themselves in these places; but, as in others, they preached the Gospel, the good news and glad tidings of the incarnation of Christ, of redemption, peace, and pardon, through his blood, justification by his righteousness, and spiritual and eternal salvation through him: in Beza's most ancient copy, and in one of Stephens's, these words are added, and which Bede also says were in the Greek copies in his time, "and the whole multitude were moved at their doctrines, and Paul and Barnabas continued at Lystra"; which agrees with what follows. It is very likely that many were converted in each of these cities, and in the adjacent country, and that churches were raised in these places; this seems manifest, from Act 14:20 Artemas, of whom mention is made in Tit 3:12 and is said to be one of the seventy disciples, is reported to be bishop of Lystra; See Gill on Luk 10:1, though we meet with nothing in ecclesiastical history, concerning the churches in either of these places, until the "sixth" century; when in the fifth Roman synod under Symmachus, there were present the bishops of Lystra and Derbe, as also of Iconium and Larandas, which were likewise cities in Lycaonia (q).

(q) Magdeburg. Hist. Eccles. cent. 6. c. 2. p. 4.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

7 And there they preached the gospel.

Ver. 7. And there they preached the gospel] Which shows that their flying proceeded from prudence, and not from inconstance, lightness, or cowardice.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Thus was verified what St. Paul observed, Phi 1:12, that all those things fell out unto the furtherance of the gospel, which spread the further for the scattering of the apostles and preachers of it; and thousands had not heard of Christ, if persecution had not driven the ministers of the gospel unto them: God working good out of evil, and causing the sun, when it leaves one part, to shine upon another.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Vers. 7-20. The insufficient and the efficacious.

We ask such questions as these What is it that will convince the minds and convert the souls of men? What avails to establish the kingdom of Christ in any town or neighborhood? What will secure the practical acceptance of Divine truth? The answer is that some things are strong but insufficient; one thing only is efficacious.

I THE INSUFFICIENT.

1. The hand of God in nature does not suffice. "The living God which made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein," has "not left himself without witness" anywhere; everywhere he has "done good, and sent rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness" (vers. 15-17), pouring out, with the lavish hand of Divine beneficence, beauty and plenty, love and joy, peaceful memories and inspiring hopes, on to the path and into the heart of man. But what nations of the earth has this great gift of his hand saved from the most shameful and pernicious idolatry? How many thousands of hearts are there today that are not drawn by this to filial gratitude and holy service?

2. The miraculous does not avail (vers. 8-13, 18). The healing of the man who had been lame from his birth, so far from producing a favorable effect and leading to a general acceptance of the Divine message, led to an outburst of idolatrous zeal. The people immediately deified the human agents and set about to worship them. If we turn back to the pages in which the miraculous appears to the times of Moses, Samuel, Elijah, Elisha; or if we consider the treatment of our Divine Master himself, whose beneficent power reached so many human homes; or if we go on to the gifts (miraculous) enjoyed by the Corinthian Church, if indeed they can be truly said to have enjoyed them; whithersoever we look, we see that the effect of the visibly supernatural was far less potent for good than we, in its absence, should have imagined it would be. Those who wait for the marked and unmistakable interposition of God before they take the one right step into the kingdom of Christ, before they "lay hold on eternal life," are most seriously imperiling their own souls. (see Luk_16:31)

3. The exhibition of holy zeal is not sufficient (vers. 14-17). Though Paul and Barnabas energetically disclaimed any title to be treated as gods, and resolutely refused the proffered honors, and though they were laboring without remuneration, and giving every possible proof of their disinterested love, yet they did not succeed in winning the strong esteem of the Lycaonians; these men proved fickle and faithless. Very soon indeed the hands that were diligently employed in paying sacrifice to the apostles were busy in hurling stones at them. Enthusiasm and even holiest heroism will not of itself prevail against the prejudice and passion of unrighteousness.

II THE EFFICACIOUS. We know that there were disciples gained at Lystra, for they stood round and sheltered Paul when he was murderously assailed (ver. 20). We also know that these disciples were gained by the preaching of the gospel (ver. 7). We are not told here, but we are abundantly assured elsewhere, that the preaching of the truth was made effectual by the agency of the Holy Spirit of God. So that we may say that

(1) Divine truth was the weapon,

(2) the Holy Ghost the agent,

(3) human faith (see ver. 9, illustration) the condition, of the successful work of the apostles at Lystra, as these will be of all efficacious ministry everywhere now. C.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

See notes one verse 3

J. W. McGarvey (with Philip Y. Pendleton), Commentaries on the New Testament (The Fourfold Gospel, 1914; Acts; and the epistles) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

They preached the gospel [ησαν ευαγγελιζομενοι] . The finite verb with the participle, denoting continuance. They prolonged their preaching for some time.

Marvin R. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament (1887–1900) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.