Acts 11 Acts 11:1–18 Peter, being accused for conversing with the Gentiles, maketh his defence; the church is satisfied, and glorifieth God. Acts 11:19–21 The gospel having spread as far as Phenice, Cyprus, and Antioch.

And brethren; the rest of the believers, who had not only one God to their Father, but one church to their mother, and were born of the same Spirit, and were fed by the same milk of the word of God.

They that were of the circumcision; they were such Jews as conversed with them of the church, and argued against them for taking in the Gentiles into any fellowship with them.

This is the objection they make against Peter, that, contrary to the tradition of their elders, and precept of their wise men, its had familiarly conversed with the Gentiles: see Acts 10:28.

This great apostle condescends to the least and weakest amongst them, and gives an account of what he had done and the reasons that moved him unto it, if by any means he might gain some, and confirm others.

See this whole narration spoken to in the foregoing chapter. It came even to me; to show that he was especially concerned in this vision, it being for his instruction and regulation.

Fastened mine eyes; it speaketh his great intention of mind upon it; God so ordering of it, that it might leave the greater impression upon him.

He might now use them without any distinction indifferently.

St. Peter here avoucheth that he had lived in this ceremonial righteousness, though he thought himself far from being institled thereby. Hath at any time entered into mouth; he abstained from all the appearances of that evil.

This is twice spoken to St. Peter, that it might be the more unquestionable with him and others, it seeming otherwise very strange; and, it may be, therefore twice by St. Luke recorded.

This was done three times; for the same reason but now mentioned, that God might more abundantly manifest this mystery of the calling in of the Gentiles, which had been so long hid.

So many sent, and such a journey willingly undertaken, for to gain instruction in the way of life.

These six brethren accompanied me; whom they might hear testify the same thing, that in the mouths of so many it might be established. We entered into the man’s house: the man meant is Cornelius, concerning the entry into whose house, and converse with him, the doubt or controversy was that he was…

An angel, who, by reason of his appearing a man, is, in Acts 10:30, called a man.

God promises that upon his obedience to this oracle, in sending for Peter, he should tell him those things that were necessary to be known by him and his whole family unto their salvation.

As I began to speak; whilst Peter was speaketh, as Acts 1:1. The Holy Ghost fell on them, as in the day of Pentecost, Acts 2:4, he had fallen on the apostles; either visibly, by fiery cloven tongues; or rather by extraordinarily enduing them with the gift of tongues; enabling the most illiterate…

Of the Lord; of Christ, who is every where so called. He said; but these words seem rather spoken by St. John himself. Matt. 3:11, Mark 1:8; which makes no difference; for, first, Whatsoever a disciple of Christ says in his name, it is as if it were spoken by himself: He that heareth not, heareth…

The apostle’s argument is cogent: They who have the grace signified by baptism, ought to have the seal of that grace; but the Gentiles had the grace signified by baptism. Or, they who have the inward baptism, may not be denied the outward.

They held their peace; they were fully satisfied with the reason St. Peter had given them of his admitting the Gentiles unto baptism, and fellowship with him; wisely inferring from what Peter had said, that what he had done was of God, who was to be acknowledged in it.

So true hath it been from the beginning of the gospel, that sanguis martyrum est semen eccesiae. St. Stephen’s death, and the persecution upon it, was a great means of disseminating the gospel. Thus all things work for good. Phenice; the country about Tyre.

Men of Cyprus and Cyrene; they were such as were born in Cyprus and Cyrene, but had their habitation in Jerusalem, and now upon the persecution there fled unto Antioch; which by this means in time became the Jerusalem of the Gentile Christians, whither their greatest resort was.

The hand of the Lord; the power, assistance, and working of God, expressed by the hand, which is the organ or instrument men use in working. This hand or work of God was manifest, first, In the miracles which they wrought. Secondly, In the conversion of any by these miracles.

Came unto the ears of the church; this pleonasm seems emphatical, to show with what readiness and delight the church heard the news of the conversion of so many to Christ.

The grace of God; which appeared in their conversion, being made manifest by their professions, and answered by their pious lives and conversations; for all which they might cry, Grace, grace.

Barnabas is here described to be beyond what the Jews called a righteous man, who would say to his neighbour, That which is yours is yours, and that which is mine is mine; meaning such as would do no wrong. But Barnabas, as the good man in their esteem, (such a one as the apostle speaks of, Rom.

Saul, or Paul, being Barnabas’s friend and acquaintance, whom Barnabas had brought to the knowledge of the apostles, Acts 9:27; he goes now to seek him, that they might advise and strengthen one another in the work of the Lord.

A whole year they assembled themselves: frequency of meeting to partake of the ordinances of God, is the great reason why the gospel was so prevalent in this place.

These here meant were enabled to foretell things to come; a gift which God did furnish some of his church with on such an extraordinary occasion, Eph. 4:11, whereby they did beforehand signify future things for the good for the church, as here.

By the Spirit; by a resolution from the Spirit, as one of his gifts, and not by judicial astrology, or any other means real or pretended; for it is a prerogative of God only to foretell things to come, as Isa. 41:22–23.

Every man according to his ability; which is the measure whereby we must mete out unto others: we are to give alms of such things as we have, or according as we are able, Luke 11:41.

To the elders; to the apostles; or if they (as it is probable) were gone out of Jerusalem, to the governors or chief of the churches; for the famine being to come over all Judea, it is most probable that the other churches, besides that in Jerusalem, did partake of this bounty.