Acts 15:24

Act 15:24-27. Forasmuch as we have heard, &c. — The simplicity, weightiness, and conciseness of this letter, are highly observable; that certain which went out from us — That is, pretending to be sent out by us; have troubled you with words — By requiring you to be circumcised and to keep the law; subverting your souls — That is, unsettling your minds; to whom we gave no such commandment — No commission to make use of our names, or teach any such doctrine. It seemed good unto us — After duly considering the matter in a general assembly, called for the purpose; to send chosen men unto you — Men of our own body; with our beloved Barnabas and Paul — Whom we greatly respect, as men that have hazarded their lives — In repeated instances, and with great courage; for the name of our Lord Jesus — Such a testimony as this to the reputation of Paul and Barnabas was by no means a mere compliment, but exceedingly prudent, as it might tend to remove the prejudices conceived against them by the Jewish converts or teachers, who, as appears from many passages of the epistles, endeavoured as much as possible to lessen the character of these apostles. It would also be an evidence of the harmony subsisting between them and those of the circumcision. We have sent therefore Judas and Silas — Men that have heard our debates, and are perfectly acquainted with our judgment and decision. This precaution of sending approved witnesses along with the copy of the decree, which was delivered to Barnabas and Paul, was intended to prevent the zealous and bigoted Judaizers from affirming that the letter did not contain a just account of what was determined by the church. For these chosen men, having assisted at the council, would not only tell the brethren of Antioch the same things by mouth, but attest that it was the unanimous opinion of the whole assembly.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 15:24. Ἐτάραξαν, have troubled) They do not spare those who had introduced the doubts. The same verb occurs, Gal 5:10, “He that troubleth you,” and concerning the same subject. We ought to observe the simplicity, gravity, and brevity of the epistle.—ἀνασκευάζοντες) A verb never occurring in the LXX., and in the New Testament employed in this passage alone. The Glossary in Pricæus explains it, destroys, καταλύει, ἀνασκευάζει. Hesychius explains ἀνασκευάζειν, as μετατιθέναι. Comp. therefore μετατίθεσθε, ye are removed, Gal 1:6. [This is a thing which causes immense mischiefs.—V. g.]

Bengel's Gnomon of the New Testament — English translation (T&T Clark, Edinburgh, 1860) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 15:24 . On the similarity of this verse in phraseology to St. Luke’s preface, Luk 1:1 , Schwegler, Zeller, Weiss, Friedrich, Hilgenfeld, and others have commented. But, after all, in what does the likeness consist? Simply in the fact that here as there we have ἐπειδή introducing the antecedent clause, and ἔδοξεν the subsequent clause. Friedrich (p. 46) considers this as too striking to be a matter of chance, but strangely he writes each of the two passages as if they commenced with the same word, see below on Act 15:28 ἐπειδήπερ . This word is a curious one, and is only found in Luk 1:1 (not in LXX), but there is no authority for reading it in the passage before us in Acts. Nösgen, Apostelgeschichte , p. 45, refers to instances of a similar formula and phraseology as in use in Jewish writings, cf. Jost, Jüd. Gesch. , i., 284. τινὲς ἐξ ἡμῶν , cf. for the expression Gal 2:12 . ἐξελ ., see critical notes. ἐτάραξαν ἡμᾶς cf. Gal 1:7 ; Gal 5:10 . λόγοις may mean with words only, words without true doctrine. ἀνασκευάζοντες , “subverting,” A. and R.V.; not in LXX, and only here in N.T., in classical Greek, primarily colligere vasa , to pack up, and so to carry away: or to dismantle a place; to destroy, overthrow, and so trop. as in text of breaking treaties (Polyb.), of destroying an opponent’s arguments (Arist.). Nösgen and Felten note it amongst the non-Lucan words in the decree, so βάρος , τὸ ἐπάναγκες , διὰ λόγον , ἀπαγγέλλειν , εὖ πράττειν , ἔῤῥωσθε , ἀγαπητός . οἷς οὐ διεστειλὰμεθα : “to whom we gave no commandment,” R.V., omitting “such,” not in text, and weakens; in Tyndale, Cramner, and Genevan Version; cf. Gal 2:12 , and Act 21:20 ; only used once in passive in N.T., Heb 12:20 , often in LXX in middle voice, meaning to warn, cf. also its meaning in Jdt 11:12 with Mar 5:43 , etc.

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

A borrowed kind of speech taken of them which pull down that that was built up: and it is a very usual metaphor in the Scriptures: to say the Church is built, for, the Church is planted and stablished.

The Council of Jerusalem concludeth, that they trouble men’s consciences, which teach us to seek salvation in any other means than in Christ only, apprehended by faith, from whence soever they come, and whomsoever they pretend to be author of their vocation.

From our congregation.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Forasmuch as we have heard that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words--without authority or even knowledge of the church at Jerusalem, though they belonged to it, and probably pretended to represent its views.

subverting your souls--Such strong language is evidently designed to express indignation at this attempt, by an unauthorized party, to bring the whole Christian Church under judicial and legal bondage.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Verse 24. Certain which went out from us] So the persons who produced these doubtful disputations at Antioch, c., had gone out from the apostles at Jerusalem, and were of that Church: persons zealous for the law, and yet, strange to tell, so conscientiously attached to the Gospel that they risked their personal safety by professing it.

To whom we gave no such commandment] As, therefore, they went out from that Church, they should have taught nothing which was not owned and taught by it much less should they have taught in opposition to it.

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

24. Certain which went out from us. We see that there was no respect of persons among these holy men, which doth always corrupt sound and right judgments. They confess that there were knaves of their own company; and yet they do no whit flatter them, or, through corrupt favor, incline to cover their error; yea, rather in condemning them freely, they spare not even themselves. And, first, they pluck from their faces that visure [mask] which they had abused, to deceive withal. They boasted that they were privy to the meaning of the apostles. The apostles reprove them, and condemn them of and for lying in that false pretense, when they utterly deny that they did command any such thing. Again, they accuse them far more sharply, that they troubled the Church and subverted souls. For by this means they bring them in contempt and detestation with the godly, because they cannot be admitted but to their destruction. But false teachers are said to subvert souls, because the truth of God doth edify or build them up, and so this speech containeth a [this] general doctrine, Unless we will willingly have our souls drawn headlong from being any longer temples of the Holy Ghost, and unless we desire their ruin, we must beware of those which go about to lead us away from the pure gospel. That which they say touching the keeping of the law doth only appertain unto ceremonies, though we must always remember, that they did so intreat of ceremonies; that [as if] both the salvation and also the righteousness of men did therein consist. For the false apostles did command that they should be kept, as if righteousness came by the law and salvation did depend upon works.

John Calvin's Commentaries (1540-1563) — public domain. Text from the Calvin Translation Society English edition (1840s-50s) via the Christian Classics Ethereal Library (ccel.org). Calvin's coverage is partial (roughly two-thirds of the Bible); uncommented books and verses are honest gaps, never fabricated. The 19th-century editor's footnotes and remarks are omitted so the notes are faithfully Calvin's own voice.

(24) Certain which went out from us.—The reference is obviously to the teachers (their names are wisely and charitably suppressed) who had appeared at Antioch, as in Act_15:1. St. John, who was present at the Council (Gal_2:9), and who, though he took no part in the debate, may well have had a share in drawing up the letter, uses a like mode of speech, “They went out from us, but they were not of us” (1Jn_2:19).

Subverting your souls.—The Greek verb, literally, turning upside down, implies throwing into a state of excitement and agitation. The Gentiles had been “unsettled” by the teaching of the Judaisers.

And keep the law.—Assuming the Epistle of St. James to have been already written, there is something almost like a touch of irony in his repeating the phrase of Jas_2:10. The teachers who bade the Gentiles keep the Law were reminded in that Epistle that they, in their servile respect of persons, were breaking the Law deliberately in one point, and were therefore guilty of all. Putting the two passages together, they bring St. James before us as speaking in the very accents of St. Paul, “Thou, therefore, which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself?” (Rom_2:21.)

To whom we gave no such commandment.—The word “such” is a needless interpolation. What St. James declares is that the teachers had had no commission of any kind from him. The passage is important as throwing light on the nature of a later claim set up by the same party (Gal_2:12).

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24. which went out] These words are not represented in the Greek of some MSS., but they seem to give force to the history. The disturbing teachers had come from Jerusalem, but their want of any authority is contrasted strongly with the commission of Judas and Silas (Act_15:27). The first men went of themselves, the new messengers were the choice of the church.

subverting your souls] In N. T. the verb occurs only here and is not found in the LXX. In classical Greek, it is applied mostly to an entire removal of goods and chattels either by the owners or by a plundering enemy. The devastation wrought in the minds of the Gentile converts through the new teaching is compared to an utter overthrow.

saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law] The oldest authorities omit the Greek of these words, which look somewhat like a marginal explanation that has crept into the text, especially as “to keep the law” is an expansion, though of course a correct one, of the statement made in Act_15:1, about the teaching that was given. There circumcision alone is mentioned as the point on which disturbance was created.

to whom we gave no such commandment] The insertion of the italic such was made necessary by the presence of the clause “saying, &c.” but if that be omitted, the sentence becomes a more complete disavowal of any connexion with the Judaizing disturbers. ‘To whom we gave no commandment at all.’ So the R. V.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Forasmuch as we have heard,.... By the report of Paul and Barnabas, who were sent by the church at Antioch to Jerusalem, to acquaint them with the state of their case:

that certain which went out from us; Act 15:1

have troubled you with words, or doctrines:

subverting your souls; removing them from the doctrine of grace to another Gospel, and which deserved not the name of a Gospel; and was very destructive to their souls, at least to the peace and com fort of them: this shows what an opinion the apostles, and elders, and members of the church at Jerusalem had of these "judaizing" preachers, and their tenets; they looked upon them as troublers of God's Israel, and upon their doctrines as subversive of spiritual joy and comfort.

Saying, ye must be circumcised and keep the law; the ceremonial law; the Alexandrian copy, and the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions leave out this clause; See Gill on Act 15:1, Act 15:5.

to whom we gave no such commandment: it looks as if these "judaizing preachers" not only pretended to be sent out by the apostles, to preach; but that they had particularly this in their instructions from them, that they should insist upon it, that the Gentiles that were received into the churches, should be circumcised, and be obliged to keep the other parts of the ceremonial law, when they had no such orders from them.

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

24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:

Ver. 24. Subverting your souls] ανασκευαζοντες. Pulling down that which had been set up, unravelling that which had been well knit before. The word signifies unvesselling them, unpacking them (as wares packed up in a vat to be sent beyond sea), scattering them, and bringing all into a confusion.

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.

Forasmuch - Since we have heard.

That certain - That some, Act 15:1.

Have troubled you with words - With doctrines. They have disturbed your minds, and produced contentions.

Subverting your souls - The word used here occurs nowhere else in the New Testament ἀνασκευάζοντες anaskeuazontes. It properly means “to collect together the vessels used in a house the household furniture - for the purpose of removing it.” It is applied to marauders, robbers, and enemies who remove and bear off property, thus producing distress, confusion, and disorder. It is thus used in the sense of disturbing or destroying, and here denotes that they “unsettled their minds” - that they produced anxiety, disturbance, and distress by these doctrines about Moses.

To whom we gave no such commandment - They went, therefore, without authority. Self-constituted and self-sent teachers not infrequently produce disturbance and distress. Had the apostles been consulted on this subject, the difficulty would have been avoided. By thus saying that they had not given them a command to teach these things, they practically assured the Gentile converts that they did not approve of the course which those who went from Judea had taken.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Some who went out from us, from Jerusalem, and pretended to speak our mind, and in our name, but we gave them no such commission. (Witham) --- A proper description of heretics, schismatics, and seditious preachers, who go out from their own superiors, and pretend to teach and preach without any mission, et quomodo prædicabunt nisi mittantur; how can they preach, unless they are sent? (Romans x. 15.)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Certain which went out from us; for these false apostles were such as came from Judea, Act 15:1, that is, from the church there. It is Satan’s great policy to divide, that he may rule; he will have at least one share where there is more than one. No such sad divisions as church divisions, when that some of ourselves preach perverse things, as Act 20:30.

Have troubled you with words; as if in the professing of Christianity there would be no salvation unless Judaism be embraced, and circumcision admitted. No greater trouble to a considerate mind, than about the concern of salvation, when they say, Where is thy God?

Saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law; these they did well put together; for by circumcision they engaged to the observance of the whole law of Moses; and by the decreeing the omission, that whole law of ceremonies is declared void, and of no effect. What truth and unity build up, discord and error pull down.

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

24. No such commandment—They went out from us carrying the weight of their Jerusalemite origin, but with no authority from Jerusalem. So, subsequently, Judaists pretended to be followers of Peter, but with no authority from Peter, (1Co_1:12.)

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The words in the A.V. and the T.R., saying, Ye must be circumcised and keep the Law, are omitted in the R.T. and the R.V. ; commandment for such commandment, A.V. The certain which went out from us are the same as the "certain men" which "came down from Judaea," of ver. 1. The word rendered subverting (ajnaskeuazontev) occurs nowhere else in Scripture or in the LXX It is spoken properly of a person who moves and carries off all the goods and furniture from the house which he is quitting. Hence to "disturb," "throw into confusion, turn upside down," and the like. To whom we gave no commandment. Observe the distinct disavowal by James of having authorized those who went forth from him and the Jerusalem Church to require the circumcision of the Gentiles. The A.V. expresses the meaning most clearly.

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

Forasmuch as, &c. - The simplicity, weightiness, and conciseness of this letter are highly observable.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

See notes on verse 22

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.

General Information:

Here all instances of "we," "our," and "us" refer to the believers in the church in Jerusalem. (See: Exclusive and Inclusive "We" and Acts 15:22)

that certain men

"that some men"

with no orders from us

"even though we gave no orders for them to go"

disturbed you with teachings that upset your souls

Here "souls" refers to the people. AT: "have taught things that have troubled you" (See: Synecdoche)

to choose men

The men they sent were Judas called Barsabbas and Silas. (See: Acts 15:22)

for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ

Here "name" refers to the whole person. AT: "because they believe in our Lord Jesus Christ" or "because they serve our Lord Jesus Christ" (See: Metonymy)

translationWords

command

trouble

teach

soul

beloved

name

lord

Jesus

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

24. λέγοντες περιτέμνεσθαι καὶ τηρεῖν τὸν νόμον omitted with אABD. Not represented in Vulg.

24. ἐξελθόντες, which went out. Some ancient MSS. omit this word, but it seems to have a distinct and necessary force. The disturbing teachers had come from Jerusalem, but their want of any authority is contrasted strongly with the commission of Judas and Silas (Act 15:27). The first men went of themselves, the new messengers were the choice of the Church.

ἀνασκευάζοντες τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν, subverting your souls. The verb ἀνασκευάζειν is found in N.T. only here, and not at all in the LXX. In classical Greek it is applied mostly to an entire removal of goods and chattels either by the owners or by a plundering enemy. The devastation wrought in the minds of the Gentile converts through the new teaching is compared to an utter overthrow.

οἶς οὐ διεστειλάμεθα, to whom we gave no commandment. The Church of Jerusalem disclaims any connexion of any kind with the disturbing teachers. The sentence becomes thus much more forcible than it is with the additions of the Text. recept.

Cambridge Greek Testament for Schools and Colleges (Cambridge University Press, 1896; 21 vols, various authors incl. Carr, Maclear, Plummer, Farrar, Lumby, Moule, M. R. James, Simcox) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

24.] Neander remarks (Pfl. u. L. p. 223, note) that έξ ἡμῶν ἐξ. is a presumption in favour of the reading καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί above: for that these men could hardly have gone out from among the Apostles and elders. But such a supposition is not necessary: ἡμῶν implies the church, the ἀδελφοί of whom they were the πρεσβύτεροι, whether καὶ οἱ be inserted or not.

ἀνασκ.] See ref. Thucyd., where it will be seen that it implies turning up the foundations:—for Brasidas cleared the ground and consecrated it. Cf. Passow, sub voc.

The words λέγοντες περιτέμνεσθαι κ. τηρεῖν τὸν νόμον, inserted in rec. after ὑμῶν, are manifestly, in my view, an interpolation, from the desire to specify in what particulars these persons had sought to unsettle the souls of the Gentile brethren. The defence of the clause set up by Meyer and De Wette,—that if interpolated it must be from ver. 5, not from ver. 1, and that this is improbable,—is best answered by observing that in E, one of the principal authorities for the insertion, the δεῖ after περιτέμνεσθαι betrays in very fact that the interpolation was from ver. 5, as also, but in a less degree, does the λέγοντες. The reasons given by Meyer and De W. why the words should have been omitted,—the similarity of ending in ὑ-ΜΩΝ and νό-ΜΟΝ,—or to square it with ver. 1, seem to me nugatory. The former is very improbable,—and the latter would have required the preservation of λέγ. περιτέμνεσθαι. The variations also in the clause are strong presumptions against it. The persons to whom the epistle was addressed would very well know what it was that had disturbed their minds, and the omission of formal mention of it would be natural, to avoid prominent cause of offence to the Jewish converts by an apparent depreciation of circumcision and the observance of the law.

Henry Alford, The Greek Testament (1849–1861) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Subverting [ανασκευαζοντες] . Only here in New Testament, and not found either in the Septuagint or in the Apocrypha. Originally, it means to pack up baggage, and so to carry away; hence, to dismantle or disfurnish. So Thucydides (4, 116) relates that Brasidas captured Lecythus, and then pulled it down and dismantled it [ανασκευασας] . From this comes the more general meaning to lay waste, or ravage. The idea here is that of turning the minds of the Gentile converts upside down; throwing them into confusion like a dismantled house.

We gave no commandment [ου διεστειλαμεθα] . The word originally means to put asunder; hence, to distinguish, and so of a commandment or injunction, to distinguish and emphasize it. Therefore implying express orders, and so always in the New Testament, where it is almost uniformly rendered charge. The idea here is, then, "we gave no express injunction on the points which these Judaizers have raised."

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