Acts 15:29

15:29 Farewell: The letter to the churches includes this familiar Hellenistic greeting at the end of a letter, found only here in the New Testament. Paul often ended his letters on a more theological note (e.g., 1 Cor 16:23-24; 2 Cor 13:13; see Eph 6:23-24; Phil 4:23; Col 4:18; 1 Thes 5:23-28; 1 Tim 6:21).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Act 15:29. Πορνείας, from fornication) Some MSS., and so also Irenæu[90], Cypria[91], and the Æthiopian version, add, ΚΑῚ ὍΣΑ ΜῊ ΘΈΛΕΤΕ ἙΑΥΤΟῖς ΓΊΝΕΣΘΑΙ, ἙΤΈΡΟΙς ΜῊ ΠΟΙΕῖΤΕ, “Whatsoever things ye wish that men should do to you, do ye also so to them: this is the law and the prophets:” Mat 7:12. See App. Crit., ed. ii., on this passage.[92] Therefore some formerly must have thought that this synodical letter could not be without this clause [viz. on account of the words just quoted from Matt.] They no doubt knew that the question also in the Synod was one concerning the moral law. At least the believers who were of the Pharisees upheld the false use of the moral law, as though righteousness and salvation were to be attained by it. The Synod removes this same false use of it, not the moral law itself, but the ceremonial law itself. Wherefore there was no need, that to abstinence from things sacrificed to idols, etc., there should be added the words, “Whatsoever things ye would not wish to be done to you, be unwilling to do to others.”—εὖ πράξετε, ye shall do well [prosper]) Nothing shall be wanting, no obstacle shall be in the way of your doing well (πρὸς τὸ εὖ πράττειν); as regards your Christian felicity, nothing will “trouble” you: Act 15:24. This too is intended for consolation: Act 15:31.

[90] renæus (of Lyons, in Gaul: born about 130 A.D., and died about the end of the second century). The Editio Renati Massueti, Parisinæ, a. 1710.

[91] yprian (in the beginning and middle of the third century: a Latin father). Ed. Steph. Baluzii, Paris. 1726.

[92] Dd supports the addition. But ABCEe Vulg. reject it.—E. and T.

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

Act_15:29. The points mentioned in Act_15:20 are here arranged more accurately, so that the three which refer to food are placed together.

ἀπέχεσθαι] is in Act_15:20, as in 1Th_4:3; 1Th_5:22, Sir_28:8, and frequently in the LXX., joined with ἀπό; but here, as usually among Greek writers, only with the genitive. The two differ non quoad rem ipsam, sed modo cogitandi, ita ut in priori formula sejunctionis cogitatio ad rem, in posteriori autem ad nos ipsos referatur. Tittmann, Synon. N.T. p. 225.

ἐξ ὧν διατηροῦντες ἑαυτούς] from which (i.e. at a distance from, without fellowship with them) ye carefully keeping yourselves. Comp. Joh_17:5; Pro_21:23 : διατηρεῖ ἐκ θλίψεως τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτοῦ; also the corresponding connection with ἀπό, Psa_12:8; Jam_1:27.

εὖ πράξετε] not: ye shall do well (so usually; also de Wette, comp. Act_10:33), but, as also Hofmann interprets it according to the usus loquendi (see especially Plat. Alc. i. p. 116 B: ὅστις καλῶς πράττει, οὐχὶ καὶ εὖ πράττει, Prot. p. 333 D: εἰ εὖ πράττουσιν ἀδικοῦντες, Dem. 469. 14 : εἴ τις ἄλλος εὖ μὲν ἐποίησεν ὑμᾶς εὖ πράττων, Plat. Ephesians 3, p. 315 B; the opposite, κακῶς πράσσειν, comp. Ellendt, Lex. Soph. II. p. 629, and Grimm, s.v. εὖ), ye shall fare well, namely, by peace and unity in Christian fellowship. Quite incorrectly, Elsner, Wolf, Krebs, Kuinoel have understood the meaning as equivalent to σωθήσεσθε, which egregiously and injuriously mistakes the apostolic spirit, that had nothing in common with the οὐ δύνασθε σωθῆναι of the strict legalists.

ἔῤῥωσθε] the epistolary valete. Xen. Cyr. iv. 5. 33; Hipp. ep. p. 1275, 20; Artem. iii. 44; 2Ma_11:21; 2Ma_11:33; 2Ma_7:9. Comp. Dissen, ad Dem. de Cor. p. 323 f.

Meyer — Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament — English translation by Peter Christie, edited by Frederick Crombie (T&T Clark, 1880) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Act 15:29 . ἀπέχ .: preposition omitted as in Act 15:20 , W.H [289] ; so usually in classical Greek, but in N.T. ἀπέχ . ἀπό , 1Th 4:3 ; 1Th 5:22 ; so in LXX, Job 1:1 ; Job 1:8 ; Job 2:3 , etc. On the difference in meaning in the two constructions, see Alford and Wendt, in loco. εἰδωλοθύτων , see Act 15:20 . πνικτοῦ : omitted in Western text; see critical notes. διατηροῦντες ἑαυτοὺς : verb, only in Luke, cf. Luk 2:51 (in LXX with ἐκ or ἀπό , Psa 11:7 , Pro 21:23 ). In Jas 1:27 we have a somewhat striking similarity of expression ( cf. also Joh 17:15 ). εὖ πράξετε : “it shall be well with you,” R.V.; viz. , through the peace and concord established in the Christian community, cf. 2Ma 9:19 , so in classical Greek. The reading in A.V. is somewhat ambiguous, but the Greek signifies prosperity. For , see critical notes. ἔῤῥωσθε , see critical notes, 2Ma 11:21 ; 2Ma 11:33 , 3Ma 7:9 , etc., and often in classics; a natural conclusion of a letter addressed to Gentile Christians, see additional note (2) at end of chapter.

[289] Westcott and Hort’s The New Testament in Greek: Critical Text and Notes.

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

Charity is required even in things indifferent.

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

Verse 29. Ye shall do well.] But, if they did not keep themselves from these things, they would do ill; that is, they would sin against God, whose Spirit had commanded them to keep from these things. And who can do any of these forbidden things, and keep either a guiltless or a tender conscience?

Fare-well.] An old English form of expressing good wishes and good will. It is compounded of [Anglo-Saxon] to go, and [A.S.], much, well, very much. Go well, go prosperously!-tantamount with good speed! may you succeed well! may God direct you! Like to that other form of sound words, God be with you! corrupted now into good by to ye! And of the same meaning with adieu! a Dieu, to God; that is, I commend you to God. All these terms savour not only of good will, or benevolence, but also of piety. Our pious ancestors believed that nothing was safe, nothing protected, nothing prosperous, over which the shield of God was not extended; and, therefore, in their familiar good wishes, they gave each other to God. The Greek word ερρωσθε, errhosthe, here used, from ρωννυμι, to strengthen, make strong, has nearly the same signification: be strong, courageous, active, be in health, and be prosperous! What a pity that such benevolent and pious wishes should degenerate into cool formalities, or unmeaning compliments!

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

(29) From meats offered to idols.—The specific term takes the place of the more general word which St. James had used. The change, if the two words were not used, as is possible, as altogether equivalent, may be thought of as favouring the Gentiles by narrowing the prohibition to a single point.

Fare ye well.—The closing salutation was, like the opening, a Greek and not a Hebrew one. It meets us again in Act_23:30. Both were naturally used in a letter addressed to Greeks, and intended to be read by them and by Hellenistic Jews. It does not occur, however, in any of the Epistles of the New Testament.

It is natural to ask, at the close of the great encyclical letter, in what relation it really stood to the life of the Apostolic Church. As a concordat between the contending parties it was framed, as has been said, with a sagacity that may well be looked on as inspired. But obviously it was not, and from the nature of the case could not be, more than that. The time had not come for proclaiming to the Church of Jerusalem the full width of St. Paul’s teaching (Gal_2:2), and accordingly, though something may be read between the lines, the decree seems to treat the precepts of Noah as perpetually binding, places moral and positive obligations on the same footing, and leaves the ground on which they are “necessary” an open question. St. Paul, who had accepted it as a satisfactory settlement of the matter in debate, never refers to it, even when he is discussing the chief point with which the decree dealt (1 Corinthians 8-10). In his narrative of what passed on this occasion (Gal_2:1-10) there is no mention of it. The private conference with the three great “pillars” of the Church was for him more than the decree of the synod, and he felt himself able to discuss the whole question again on different grounds, and with a more distinct reference to spiritual and ethical principles. It was wrong to eat things sacrificed to idols, not because the act of so eating in itself brought defilement, but because it might involve a participation in the sin of idolatry in the consciousness of the eater, or wound the conscience of the weaker brother who saw him eat. It was natural that those who lacked his largeness of view should become slaves to the letter of the rules long after the grounds on which they rested had ceased to exist, and so we find that the prohibition of blood was re-enforced in the so-called Apostolic Canons (c. 62), and in the fourth century by the Council of Gangra (c. 2), and in the seventh by that at Constantinople, known as in Trullo (c. 67), and continues to be the binding rule of the Greek Church still. In Africa and in Europe, however, truer views prevailed (August, cont. Faust. xxxii. 13), and not even the most devout believer in the inspiration of the Apostles, or in the authority of primitive antiquity. would venture to urge that the two last precepts of the four here enjoined were in any degree binding. Hooker (Eccl. Pol. iv., xi., § 5) rightly refers to this decree as a crucial instance proving that commands might be divine and yet given only for a season, binding as long as the conditions to which they applied continued, but no longer. It would almost seem, indeed, as if St. Paul felt that the terms of the decree had the effect of placing the sin of impurity on the same level with that of eating things sacrificed to idols, and things strangled, and blood, and so tended to keep men from seeing it in its true hatefulness. Those who claimed a right, which in the abstract St. Paul could not deny, to eat of things strangled or offered to idols, thought themselves free to fall back into the old license of the heathen world, and he needed far stronger motives than the canons of the council to restrain them (1Co_5:9-10; 1Co_6:15-20, and found those motives in the truths that they had been bought with a price, that the will of God was their sanctification, and that their bodies were His temple.

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

29. ye shall do well] Not “ye shall be doing what is right,” but “it shall be well with you” (R.V.), “you shall be in a good state.”

Fare ye well] This termination and the greeting at the commencement of the letter are in the style of Western epistolary language. See above on Act_15:23.

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.

That ye abstain from meats offered to idols,.... Which explains what is meant by pollutions of idols, Act 15:20

and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication. See Gill on Act 15:20.

In Beza's most ancient copy, and in three other manuscripts, and in the Complutensian edition, it follows, "and whatsoever ye would not have done to yourselves, that do ye not to another"; in like manner the Ethiopic version also reads, as in Act 15:20 "from which if ye keep yourselves ye shall do well"; it will be doing a good thing, and make for the peace of the churches; in Beza's most ancient copy it is added, "born", or "moved by the Holy Ghost": being influenced and assisted by him in this, and every good work:

fare ye well; the Syriac version adds, "in our Lord".

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

29 That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well.

Ver. 29. And from fornication] Some Greek copies add, "and whatsoever ye would not should be done to you, that ye do not the same to others;" which is a general rule, and a foundation of the former. As for fornication, it is here reckoned among things indifferent, because the Gentiles held it so; as the Papists now account it a very small sin; but so did not the council. See 1Co 10:8; Heb 13:4. {See Trapp on "1Co 10:8"} {See Trapp on "Heb 13:4"} A learned man telleth us, that that impostor Mahomet hath (in an apish imitation of this decree of the holy synod) forbidden his followers the self-same things, saving that he nameth swine’s flesh in the place of fornication. {See Trapp on "Act 15:20"}

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.

From meats offered to idols - This explains what is meant by “pollutions of idols,” Act 15:20.

Ye shall do well - You will do what ought to be done in regard to the subjects of dispute.

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

From blood, and from things strangled. The use of these things, though of their own nature indifferent, were here prohibited, to bring the Jews more easily to admit of the society of the Gentiles; and to exercise the latter in obedience. But this prohibition was but temporary, and has long since ceased to oblige; more especially in the western churches. (Challoner) --- See note on ver. 20, above.

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).

Of these see more largely, Act 15:20.

From meats offered to idols; they were wont to carry home and feast upon part of the sacrifices they had offered unto their false gods; nay, they did not, without reproach, eat of any greater beasts, (as oxen and sheep), but they always first offered some of them unto their idols. And it was accounted no small impiety to eat αθυτα ιερα, part of any beasts which they had not first offered up to some or other of their gods.

From blood; for this reason they might not eat of any thing that died of itself, as Deu 14:21, because the blood was not gone out of it.

From fornication; mentioned here, because so commonly practised amongst the Gentiles, and yet not esteemed a sin. Hence also, 1Th 4:3, the apostle lays a very great charge against it.

Fare ye well; the ordinary apprecation wherewith their letters were concluded, in which they wished health and strength to the party they wrote unto: instead of which word, some ancient copies read, φερομενοι εν πνευματι Αγιω; which is rendered, Walk in the Holy Ghost; or, the Holy Ghost carrying, or enabling of you: a wish or prayer becoming these holy men that made it. They who have found the necessity of the Spirit’s assistance, desire it above all things for such as they wish well unto.

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

29. Fare ye well—The ordinary close of a letter anciently, χαιρειν. Be ye in health and vigour.

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

Things sacrificed for meats offered, A.V.; it shall be well with you for ye shall do well, A.V. The phrase eu= prassein means to" prosper," to "fare well". (comp. Eph_6:21, "How I do

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

Blood - The eating which was never permitted the children of God from the beginning of the world. Nothing can be clearer than this. For,

1. From Adam to Noah no man ate flesh at all; consequently no man then ate blood.

2. When God allowed Noah and his posterity to eat flesh, he absolutely forbade them to eat blood; and accordingly this, with the other six precepts of Noah, was delivered down from Noah to Moses.

3. God renewed this prohibition by Moses, which was not repealed from the time of Moses till Christ came.

4. Neither after his coming did any presume to repeal this decree of the Holy Ghost, till it seemed good to the bishop of Rome so to do, about the middle of the eighth century.

5. From that time those Churches which acknowledged his authority held the eating of blood to be an indifferent thing. But,

6. In all those Churches which never did acknowledge the bishop of Rome's authority, it never was allowed to eat blood; nor is it allowed at this day. This is the plain fact; let men reason as plausibly as they please on one side or the other. From which keeping yourselves ye will do well - That is, ye will find a blessing. This gentle manner of concluding was worthy the apostolical wisdom and goodness. But how soon did succeeding councils of inferior authority change it into the style of anathemas! Forms which have proved an occasion of consecrating some of the most devilish passions under the most sacred names; and like some ill-adjusted weapons of war, are most likely to hurt the hand from which they are thrown.

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.

29. εὖ πράξετε, ye shall do well, i.e. it shall be well with you.

ἔρρωσθε, fare ye well. This conclusion and the greeting at the commencement of the letter are in the style of Western, rather than Oriental, epistolary language. See above on Act 15:23.

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.

29.] On the construction of ἀπέχεσθαι with ἀπό in ver. 20, and with a simple gen. here, Tittm., de Syn. N. T. p. 225, says well that the difference arises ‘non quoad rem ipsam, sed modo cogitandi, ita ut in priori formula sejunctionis cogitatio ad rem, in posteriori vero ad nos ipsos referatur.’ His following remarks are worth reading.

ἐξ ὧν, from which things; not, as Meyer, ‘according to which precepts;’ see Joh 17:15.

εὖ πράξ.] Not, ‘ye shall prosper:’ but as καλῶς ἐποίησας, ch. 10:33; 3Jn 1:6,—ye shall do well.

See the curious additions in var. readd.

ἔῤῥωσθε] The customary ‘valete’ of the conclusion of epistles.

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

Blood. Because in the blood was the animal 's life, and it was the blood that was consecrated to make atonement. See Gen 9:6; Lev 17:10 - 14; Deu 12:23, 24. The Gentiles had no scruples about eating blood; on the contrary, it was a special delicacy. Thus Homer :

"At the fire Already lie the paunches of two goats, Preparing for our evening meal, and both Are filled with fat and blood. Whoever shows himself the better man in this affray, And conquers, he shall take the one of these He chooses."

Odyssey, 18, 44 sq.

The heathen were accustomed to drink blood mingled with wine at their sacrifices.

Farewell [ερρωσθε] . Lit., be strong, like the Latin valete. Compare the close of Claudius Lysias' letter to Festus (ch. 23 30).

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