Acts 18:11

Act 18:11. Ἐκάθισε, he sat, i.e. continued settled) This apostolic chair (cathedra) of Paul at Corinth is better attested than that of Peter at Rome.—ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ μῆνας ἓξ, a year and six months) A long time: but in the present day how little the gain (how few are the souls converted) in the same space of time! The teachers and the hearers are in fault (are to blame for this).

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

Act 18:11 . ἐκάθισε , see critical note, “he dwelt,” R.V., cf. Luk 24:49 , but not elsewhere in N.T. in this sense, but constantly in LXX, 1MMal 2:1 ; 1Ma 2:29 . Rendall renders “he took his seat,” i.e. , as a teacher, a Rabbi, and see also the remarks of Ramsay on the way in which St. Paul was evidently regarded at Corinth as one of the travelling lecturers on philosophy and morals so common in the Greek world, “Corinth,” Hastings’ B.D. 1 , p. 482. The word may be purposely used here instead of the ordinary μένειν to indicate the quiet and settled work to which the Apostle was directed by the vision which had calmed his troubled spirit, and had taught him that his cherished plan of revisiting Macedonia must be postponed to preaching the Word in Corinth. During this period 1 and 2 Thess. were probably written. The year and a half is taken to include the whole subsequent residence in Corinth, Act 18:18 , in which Act 18:12-17 form an episode. Men attacked him with a view of injuring him, but without success, and his continuous abode in Corinth was a fulfilment of the promise in Act 18:10 (indicated perhaps more clearly by τε than by δέ in Act 18:11 ). On ἡμέρας ἱκανὰς , Act 18:18 , see below the words are taken to mark simply a note of the time spent between the incident of Act 18:12-17 and the departure of Paul from the city. In this period the Apostle would have founded the Church at Cenchreae, and his labours seem to have extended still further, for in 2Co 1:1 we read of the saints in the whole of Achaia ( cf. 2Co 11:10 ) and the household of Stephanas is spoken of as the firstfruits not of Corinth but of Achaia.

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

Word for word, sat, whereupon they in former time, took the name of their Bishop’s seat: but Paul sat, that is, continued teaching the word of God: and this kind of seat belongeth nothing to them which never saw their seats with a mind to teach in them.

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

continued there a year and six months--the whole period of this stay at Corinth, and not merely up to what is next recorded. During some part of this period he wrote his SECOND EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS. (See Introduction to Second Thessalonians.)

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 11. He continued there a year and six months] He was now confident that he was under the especial protection of God, and therefore continued teaching the word, τον λογον, the doctrine of God. It is very likely, that it was during his stay here that he wrote his first epistle to the Thessalonians, and the second not long after; and some think that the epistle to the Galatians was written during his stay at Corinth.

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

11. He continued there a year. We do not read that Paul stayed so long anywhere else save there; and yet it appeareth by his two epistles that he was not only likely to suffer much troubles, but that he had suffered many unjust and unmeet things by reason of the pride and unthankfulness of the people, so that we see that there was no part of warfare wherein the Lord did not wonderfully exercise him. Also, we gather what a hard and laborious matter the edifying of the Church is, seeing that the most excellent workmaster spent so much time about the laying of the foundation of one church only. Neither doth he boast that he had finished the work, but that the Lord had put others in his place, that they might build upon his foundation; as he saith afterwards that he had planted, and that Apollos had watered, (1 Corinthians 3:6.)

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.

(11) And he continued there a year and six months.—This obviously gave time not only for founding and organising a Church at Corinth itself, but for work in the neighbouring districts, such as the port of Cenchreæ, where we find in Rom_16:1 a church duly furnished not only with presbyters and deacons, but with a sisterhood of deaconesses. The superscription of 2Co_1:1, “to the Church that is in Corinth and to all the saints that are in all Achaia, clearly indicates an extension of evangelising work beyond the limits of the city. The unimpeded progress of this period came to him as an abundant fulfilment of the Lord’s promise, and prepared him for the next persecution when it came.

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

11. And he continued [dwelt] there] In these words the historian seems to be expressing the content which pervaded the Apostle’s mind after the vision. Neither the A. V. nor the Revised rendering gives to the full the meaning of the Greek. The verb is generally rendered “to sit down,” and here seems to be applied purposely to the restful state of the Apostle’s mind after the comforting revelation. The same verb is used by St Luke (Luk_24:49), “Tarry ye in the city, until ye be clothed with power from on high,” where the admonition is of like character with the advice given here to St Paul. In no other place in the New Testament is the word similarly used.

a year and six months] And beside his teaching to the Corinthians he wrote at this time the two Epistles to the Thessalonians which are the first in order of date among the Apostolic letters, and probably the earliest part of the whole New Testament.

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.

And he continued there,.... At Corinth, as the Syriac version, and some copies, read; he was obedient to the heavenly vision: in the Greek text it is, "he sat" there, answerable to the Hebrew word which signifies to sit, continue and abide: he stayed there in all a year and six months; which was a long time for the apostle to stay in one place, and longer than he did anywhere, unless at Ephesus, where he continued two years, Act 19:10 for as for his stay at Rome, that was by confinement: but here were many people to be called, and much work to do, a large church to be raised, and put in order; and this required time as well as care and labour:

teaching the word of God among them; he did not sit idle here, but preached the Gospel, which is the word of God, and not man, openly and publicly, among them all; and that frequently, in season and out of season, and with great boldness and faithfulness.

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

11 And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them.

Ver. 11. And he continued there] Gr. εκαθισε, He sat down there a great while, though he met with many discouragements and little love, with loss of love, 2Co 12:15, and unworthy usage, being forced to labour with his hands for a poor living. Howbeit, inasmuch as God had much people there, he, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, suffered hardship, and sacrificed himself to the service of their faith (Isidore); not seeking theirs but them, and "catching them by craft," 2Co 12:16, as the fox doth the fowls that fall upon him when he feigns himself a dead carcase.

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.

And he continued ... - Paul was not accustomed to remain long in a place. At Ephesus, indeed, he remained three years Act 20:31; and his stay at Corinth was caused by his success, and by the necessity of placing a church, collected out of such corrupt and dissolute materials, on a firm foundation.

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

He sat there as his fixed place; which implies his continuance and constancy in the work of the ministry.

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

11. A year and six months—During the period of eighteen months he founded a Church which, with all its defects of partisanship, impurity, and heresies, was one of the most eminent monuments of the divine blessing on his apostolic labours.

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

Dwelt for continued, A.V. Dwelt; literally, sat down, as Act_13:14, etc., and hence to "remain quietly". (Luk_24:49) A year and six months. It is not clear whether these eighteen months are to be measured to the end of St. Paul"s stay at Corinth, or only to the rising up of the Jews related in vers. 12-17. Renan is doubtful. Howson does not go into the question. But Lewin rightly measures the eighteen months down to Gallio"s arrival. And so does Meyer, who also notices the force of ejkaqise, as indicating a quiet, undisturbed abode, and calls special attention to the end of ver. 18, as showing that the "many days" there mentioned were additional to the year and a half of ver. 11. The only longer residence we know of was that of three years at Ephesus. (Act_20:31)

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

He continued there a year and six months - A long time! But how few souls are now gained in a longer time than this? Who is in the fault? Generally both teachers and hearers.

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

11. Under the assurance given by the Lord in the vision, Paul was encouraged to continue his labors. (11) " Then he continued there a year and six months, teaching among them the word of God. " Instead of the more usual expression, " preaching the word of God," we have here " teaching the word of God." This change of phraseology is not without a purpose. It indicates that Paul's labor, during this period, consisted not so much in proclaiming the great facts of the gospel, as in teaching his hearers the practical precepts of the Word. He was executing the latter part of the commission as recorded by Matthew: "Teaching them to observe and do all that I have commanded you."

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.

11. ἐκάθισεν δέ, and he dwelt there. In this word the historian seems to intend to express the quiet and content which filled the Apostle’s mind after the vision. καθίζω is generally rendered ‘to sit down,’ and here seems to be applied purposely to the restful state of the Apostle’s mind after the comforting revelation. The same verb is used by St Luke (Luk 24:49), ‘Tarry ye in the city, until ye be clothed with power from on high,’ where the admonition is of like character with the advice given here to St Paul. In no other place in the New Testament is the word similarly used.

ἐνιαυτὸν καὶ μῆνας ἕξ, a year and six months, and beside the teaching which he gave to the Corinthians he wrote at this time the two Epistles to the Thessalonians which are the first in order of date among the Apostolic letters, and probably the earliest part of the whole New Testament.

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.

11.] The year and a half may extend either to his departure, or to the incident in vv. 12 ff. Meyer would confine it to the latter, taking ἐκάθισεν in the sense of ‘remained in quiet:’ but (see reff.) it will hardly bear such emphasis: and seeing that the incident in vv. 12 ff. was a notable fulfilment of the promise,—for though they set on him, they could not hurt him,—I should be disposed to take the other view, and regard ver. 12 to ἱκανάς, ver. 18, to have happened during this time.

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