Teaching (no posting) The Acts of The Apostles

[SpiritPsalmist]

Paul and Barnabas Separate
Act 15:36-41

Here we see Paul wanting him and Barnabas to return to the places they had visited and see how the congregations there were doing. Barnabas wanted to include John Mark, but Paul was strongly against it. John Mark had abandoned them in Pamphylia. (Act 13:13) it is my opinion that Paul had little patience for any who did not have the same "gung-ho" attitude that he had. We find though that in 2 Tim 4:11 Paulattitude has been softened and he has realized that John Mark is indeed useful and beneficial to him.

Anyway, this initial rift between Paul and Barnabas caused them to separate from each other as traveling companions. Paul chose Silas and they were commended by the brothers in the congregation to go to Syria and Cilicia. In the meantime, Barnabas took John Mark and they sailed to Cyprus. It appears as if Barnabas and John Mark did this on their own, without the commissioning of the leadership. It does not mention that the leadership commissioned them to go.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

Timothy Joins Paul and Silas
Act 16:1-5

In their traveling when Paul arrived in Derbe and Lystra he met Timothy. Timothy was a believer whose mother was Jewish and his father was Greek.

• The child of a Jewish mother and a Gentile father is Jewish, the child of a Gentile mother and a Jewish father is Gentile. If a Gentile woman converts to Judaism, she is a Jew, and her subsequent children are likewise Jewish. (See commentary)

Timothy's father was well spoken of among the brethren. Paul wanted Timothy to accompany him so since Timothy was considered Jewish but had not been circumcised as a baby. If Timothy were Greek his uncircumcision would not have been questioned. For the purpose of not provoking questioning regarding Timothy's uncircumcision among the Jews and causing problems for the spreading of the gospel, Paul circumcised him. While Paul could have personally done this it's more likely that a "specialist" performed the act.

As Paul, Silas, and Timothy continued on in their travels they passed on the rulings that had been decided upon by the leadership in Jerusalem regarding the lifestyle of the new believing Gentiles.

1. Abstain from meat offered to idols
2. Abstain from sexual immorality.
3. Don't eat the meat of an animal that has been strangled.
4. Don't drink or eat the blood of an animal.

Messiah's communities were strengthened and they increased in number daily.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

Pauls Vision about Macedon
Act 16:6-10

From Derbe and Lystra they travel through the regions of Phrygia and Galatia, bypassing Asia because the Holy Spirit prevented them from going there. When they came to Mysia they tried to continue on to Bithynia but, just as with Asia the Holy Spirit would not allow them to go there. So they went by Mysia and went on to Troas.

One night Paul had a vision where he saw a man from Macedonia pleading with him to come to Macedonia and help. The group concluded that God was calling them to Macedonia to proclaim the Good News.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

Lydia
Act 16:11-15

This portion beginning with the word "we" shows that as the writer of Acts, Luke has met up with Paul, Silas, and Timothy in Troas and has joined them in their journey.

They set sail from Troas and went straight to Samothrace. The next day they went on to Neopolis and from there to Philippi, which is a leading city of the district of Macedonia. They stayed in Philippi for several days.

On Shabbat (the Sabbath) they went outside the city gates to the water to meet with the congregation of the city.

• We spent a few days in the city; then on Shabbat we went outside the gate to the riverside, where we understood a minyan met The Greek words "prosevche einai" mean "where a prayer-place was"; here it is translated "where a minyan met." Prosevche often denotes a synagogue building, and synagogues were frequently built by running water in order to eliminate the need for constructing a mikveh for ritual immersion. But in this instance there is reason to suppose that there was no synagogue at the river's edge. For when the Roman Emperor Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome (18:2&N), the Roman-controlled city of Philippi followed suit. In consequence, it is likely that a few Jews passed over by the expulsion order, along with other Jews who formerly lived in Philippi but now lived outside it nearby, did not have a building in which to meet and instead gathered together at the river's edge. A minyan ("quorum" of ten men) would have been enough for a regular synagogue service, and a modified version of the service could proceed with fewer men, or even with no men and only women, as is the case here, since Sha'ul and his companions spoke to the women who had gathered there. ~Jewish New Testiment Commentary~

There were some women there so Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke sat down and began talking with them. One of the women was a seller of purple from Thyatira. She was also a God-fearer. As she listened to Paul the Lord opened her heart and she responded to what he was saying When she and her household were immersed she said to them, "if you have judged me faithful to the Lord, come and stay at my house", and she insisted.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

Paul Casts Demon Out
Act 16:16-24

We don't know how much time has passed but the next time we see the group of Paul, Silas, Timothy, and Luke they are going to prayer. A servant girl had a spirit of divination and was following them. She was shouting out who they were and that they were there to proclaim the way of salvation. While the proclamation was true, the point of demons is to interfere with the Gospel and this demon was distracting and bringing attention to the person it was controlling and stirring up a commotion. This happened several days in a row. She was bringing a great deal of money to her masters who were making their living off her demonstrations.

Finely, Paul had enough and he turned to her and said to the demon, "I command you in the name of Yeshua Messiah, come out of her" and the demon immediately came out. When her owners saw they no longer had her as a means to make money they got upset. They were able to grab Paul and Silas and dragged them to the marketplace to the authorities.

• Note that Paul did not speak to the girl and call her names and tell her how evil she was, he spoke to the demon, and he did it not in his own authority but in the name of Yeshua the Messiah.

They accused them as "Jews who were agitating their city" and teaching things that they as Romans were not allowed to do. The crowd rose up against them and they tore off Paul and Silas' prayer cloths and beat them with rods. No trial, nothing. Anti-Semitism was alive and well. They were then thrown into the inner-prison and their feet put in chackles.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

Salvation For The Jailers Household
Act 16:25-34

I imagine that Paul and Silas were in a lot of pain from the beating they had received. Blood was sticking to their clothes and they ached all over but they were not complaining. It was midnight and they were singing praises to God. All the other prisoners were listening.

Suddenly, there was a great earthquake and the foundations of the jail were shaken so that all the prison doors were unlocked...not just shaken loose, but "unlocked"...for all the prisoners, not just Paul and Silas.

When the Jailer saw that all the prison doors were opened, knowing that he would be killed for allowing his prisoners to escape, he drew his sword and was going to kill himself but Paul yelled out, "don't do this evil to yourself, we are all here". When the jailer heard this he called for lights so he could see better and immediately rushed in with fear and trembling.

After the jailer had helped Paul and Silas out he asked them, "What must I do to be saved"? They replied, "Put your trust in Yeshua and you will be saved, and your household." Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him as well as all in his household.

• Trust in the Lord Yeshua (see 11:2O-23N), and you will be saved. There are five conditions for the salvation of individuals stated in the New Testament: (1) Believing that Yeshua is Lord and trusting in him (here, Ro 10:9).
  (2) Acknowledging him publicly (Ro 10:9, Lk 12:8).
  (3) Turning from sin to God (Mk 1:15, Ac 2:38).
  (4) Being immersed (Ac 2:38, Mk 16:16). See v. 33&N.
  (5) "Holiness, without which no one will see the Lord" (MJ12:14). A person who meets the first four conditions but leads an ungodly life gives public evidence that he is not saved.
  
  Sha'ul names only the first condition, the touchstone, sensing that the jailer is ready to meet all of the conditions as soon as they have been explained, which Sha'ul then does (v. 32).
  You and your household. In the Bible a man and his family are considered as a unit far more than in the individualistic twentieth-century West; and some use this verse in advocating infant baptism (see v. 33&N). Nevertheless, the jailer's faith will not save the members of his household. Rather, Sha'ul is stating a general principle: if one trusts in Yeshua, one will be saved. This principle applies not only to the jailer, says Sha'ul, but also to his household. Another view: "and your household" is a word of knowledge (1С 12:8-10&N), a correct prediction given Sha'ul by the Holy Spirit, that the jailer's entire household would come to faith after hearing the Gospel (v. 32). See v. 33&N. ~Jewish New Testiment Commentary~

The jailer then took them to a place where he could wash their wounds and he and his household (those who were old enough to understand the message of the Gosple and respond in faith to it), were immersed. Then he took them to his house and fed them and he was overjoyed that he and his household had put their faith and trust in God.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

Paul and Silas Released From Prison
Act 16:35-40

When it became daylight, the magistrates sent word to the jailer to set Paul and Silas free. When the jailer reported to Paul and Silas that they were free to go in peace, Paul's response was not what they expected.

Paul said, (paraphrased) "They beat us publically and threw us, who are Roman citizens into prison without a trial and now they are telling us we are free to go but we have to go via the back door? No, let them come themselves and lead us out."

When the police reported this response to the magistrates, they became afraid because it was against the law to beat and imprison a Roman citizen without a trial. So they came and apologized to Paul and Silas and publically escorted them out and begged them to leave the city.

• Believers in Yeshua are sometimes expected to be "meek and mild" and behave like "doormats." While we are not to sue each other (IC 6:1 -8), and we are to turn the other cheek and go the second mile (Mt 5:39-42), there is one situation where we are expected to stand adamantly, refusing to give ground; and that is where the Gospel itself is at stake. If the Gospel can be served better by fighting back, we should fight back — the fighting, of course, to be conducted ethically and by spiritual means (2C 10:3-5, Ep 6:10—18). We are to obey God rather than people (4:19&N, 5:29).
  
  In these verses we see Sha'ul using several legitimate means: he mentions his own Roman citizenship, he points out the officials' illegal behavior — public flogging and imprisonment without a trial or conviction of any crime — and he demands public redemption of public insults. He does all this to insure his proper treatment, but not because of personal pride. His concern is for the Gospel only: he wants to ensure that no one in Philippi will come away from the incident with the impression given by Sha'ul's accusers (vv. 20-23), that the message of the Messiah is not for Romans. ~Jewish New Testament Commentary~

When Paul and Silas left they went to Lydia's house and they visited with and encouraged those who were meeting at her home.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

Differing Responses from Synagogue Attendees
Act 17:1-4

Paul and Silas leave the city of Philippi and continues on their journey. They passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia then they came to Thessalonica. In Thessalonica, there was a Jewish synagogue and as was Paul's custom (IOW he observed the Sabbath weekly) the Jewish people were addressed first. Three Sabbaths in a row Paul attended the Synagogue services and afterward debated the scriptures (the Tanakh AKA the textual source of the Old Testament) with them. He used the scriptures to give evidence of all that the Messiah would have to experience suffering and the proof t to that Yeshua did.

Some of the people in the synagogue were convinced and they attached themselves to Paul and Silas. Also a large number of the Greek God-fearers and leading women.

• Some of the Jews were persuaded and threw in their lot with Sha'ul and Sila. The normal consequence of trusting Yeshua is to remain in fellowship with those who led you to faith. Sha'ul and Sila, unlike many of today's evangelists, never left new believers to flounder for themselves; and we are not told of new believers who went off by themselves, eschewing the company of other members of the Body. "God-fearers." See 10:2N. ~Jewish New Testament Commentary~

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[SpiritPsalmist]

The Unbelieving Jews and Jealousy
Act 17:5-9

Now the Jews that had not believed the message of Paul and Silas saw the great number of people who were believing they became jealous. They went to the market-place and gathered all the rabble-rousers and they stirred the city into an uproar. They thought that Paul and Silas were at Jason's house so the mob attacked Jason's house and they tried to get Paul and Silas to come out.

• There is that jealousy again. When you see that evil in your own life, nip it in the bud immediately and keep nipping at it until it's gone. Don't explain it away giving it a place in your life. Jealousy is never acceptable in anybody's life much less a believer. When there are things about someone else that upset us, it's not about them, it's about us and the Holy Spirit is putting the search-light on that person to deal with it. Ask God for help in overcoming this, He's ever ready to do so.

When they could not find Paul and Silas they drug Jason and some others of the brethren out of the house and took them before the leaders, shouting that "The men (Paul and Silas) who have upset the world have been to Jason's house and he welcomed them. They are acting against the rules of Ceaser saying there is another King, Yeshua." Such information caused the rulers and the city to be stirred up even more.

• They assert that there is another king, Yeshua. Compare 16:20-23&NN, also the accusations made against Yeshua at his own trial (Yn 18:33-38, 19:12) and his responses. He is King. He will rule the world. However, at present his rulership is not in this world (Yn 18:36), so that Sha'ul taught believers to obey temporal laws (Ro 13:1-7) and Kefa wrote, "Honor the king" (1 Ke 2:17). In the light of the emissaries' own teaching, the accusation against Sha'ul and his companions is false. ~Jewish New Testament Commentary~

But, after demanding that Jason and the others each pay bail they let them go.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

Berea
Act 17:10-15

When it became night, the brothers in Thessalonica sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. Immediately they went to the Jewish Synagogue. In Berea, it says the people were of more noble character and not at all like those in Thessalonica. The Bereans accepted the message of Paul and Silas with goodwill and they checked the Tenakh (Christians call it the Old Testament) every day to verify that what Paul and Silas were teaching was correct. The teaching's of Paul and Silas had to match what God had said in the Tanakh or the Bereans would not have accepted it as Truth.

That's a good rule to follow in this day and age...if the teaching contradicts what God said, it's not true and you should not follow it. Period. Read the scripture as a whole, not a "pick a subject" and then find all the scriptures that "seem" to work with it. I personally think such a style of study leads many off track and their teachings are not ttrue. Many Bereans, including many prominent Greek women and men, came to faith in Yeshua through Paul and Silas's teaching.

But when the Jewish people who had caused the stir in Thessalonica heard that Paul and Silas were now in Berea and successfully proclaiming the Gospel, they gathered their mob together and traveled to Berea and began to stir up trouble there as well.

The brothers immediately sent Paul away to the sea, but Silas and Timothy remained. Those escorting Paul took him only as far as Athens and then returned back to Berea tp deliver a message to Silas and Timothy to join him as soon as possible.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

Paul Arrives In Athens
Act 17:16-21

While Paul waits for Silas and Timothy to arrive he wanders through the streets of Athens checking out the city. He became disturbed over all the idols they had in the city for different gods. As his custom, he debated in the Synagogue, and he also debated in the marketplace. He did this every day with all who happened to be there. Also, some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers were conversing with him.

Many made fun of him and just called him a babbler. Others, because he was talking about Yeshua and his rising from the dead, said he was talking about foreign deities. So they took Paul to the Areopagus and asked him what this new teaching was all about. In Athens, the Athenians and foreign visitors used their time doing nothing and just learning about new and different things.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

Pauls Teaching At Athens
Act 17:22-34

Paul stood in the middle of the Aereopagus, the High Council, and addressed all who were there. He acknowledged that he had observed all their idols of worship throughout the city and noted that there was one idol with the inscription, "To an unknown God". He told them that the God they did not know was the One whom he had come to tell them about.

He tells them, the God he was there to tell them about was the one who created heaven and earth and since this God is Lord of heaven and earth He does not dwell in a temple made of hands. Nor is He served by human hands since He Himself is the giver of all things and has no need of anything. Basically, Paul gives them a brief rundown of creation. The God who had created man to search for Him, grope for Him and find Him. However, He is not far from any one of us. It is in Him, "that we live, and move, and have our being." His points of talk are taken from the Tenach. See notes at bottom of scripture link.

• Searching. groping around for Him and finding Him...can we get that picture in our minds? Searching. Groping around for. Finding. Could the reason that we spiritually flounder be that we are not searching and groping until we find Him? And since it's impossible for our human mind to grasp all of Him at once, do we continue to search and grope to find more? Something to think about.

Paul quotes from a couple of their poets, Epimenides and Aratus, "We are the offspring". He tells them we are God's offspring and should not think that the Devine is like something that a human can create with gold, silver, or stone. This God has for a time overlooked their ignorance but now He's commanding everyone, everywhere to repent. There will come a day when He will judge the world in righteousness, through a Man who He appointed.

Paul tells them of Yeshua being killed and raised from the dead and when some heard about the rising from the dead, they began to scoff at him. Yet there were others who wanted to hear more at another time.

So Paul left them but some joined with him and believed. Among them were Dionysius (a member of the council of the Aereopagus), and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

Paul Meets Aqula and Priscilla
Act 18:1-4

Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There, he found a Jewish man named Aquila who was a native of Pontus. He and his wife Pricilla had recently come from Italy because of Claudius expelling of all Jewish people from Rome.

Paul went to see Aquila and Pricilla and because they were of the same trade, he stayed with them and worked with them. By trade they were tent-makers.

• Most Bibles say tentmaker which according to the One New Man Bible can also meant Tallit-maker which is the prayer shawl and was often referred to as tents. This is the only time tentmaker is mentioned in the Bible. Most people believe they made regular tents but I don't really know. Either way, Paul earned his own way. While he believed the believers should support their teachers, he did not demand it in order to do what God called him to do.

Paul also continued every Sabbath to discuss the scriptures in the Synagogue with the Jews and Greeks.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

Paul At Corinth
Act 18:5-11

Silas and Timothy finally caught up with Pau in Corinth after they had been in Macedonia. Paul had been keeping himself busy with preaching in the synagogues and being a witness of Yeshua being the Messiah to the Jewish people. But when many of the Jewish people in Corinth would not listen and instead resisted and were abusive in their words to him, he finely had enough and he shook out his clothes and said, "Your blood be upon your own heads, I am clean, From now on I'll go to the Gentiles"

• Your blood be on your own heads (compare Mt 27:25&N). For my part, I am clean. At Ezekiel 18:16-19 God tells the prophet that he will be blameworthy if he fails to warn the wicked person to leave his wicked ways, but if he does warn him he will be guiltless. Sha'ul is, in effect, applying the passage to himself and saying, "I have done what I could to bring you the message of salvation; you choose to reject it at your peril, but I have discharged my responsibility. I would not leave you and go to the Goyim (I3:46&N) if you were responsive, but you leave me no other choice. The Gospel is for you especially, but it will also save them" (Ro 1:16). ~Jewish New Testament Commentary~

We see in the next verses though, that Paul did not leave them to themselves. When he left he went right next door to the home of Titus Justice, who was a convert to Judaism. It does not say what happened at the home of Titus Justice, however, Crispus, one of the leaders of the synagogue and his entire household became believers and as a result, many of the Corinthian Jews became believers in Yeshua and were baptized. In 1 Cor 1:14, we see that Paul himself baptized Crispus.

Apparently, because of all the threats made against him, Paul was in fear for his live, but through a vision, the Lord spoke to Paul and told him to not be afraid but to speak and not be silent for "I AM with you". God told him that no one would be able to harm him for there were many of HIS people in that city.

Paul stayed among them in Corinth for another year and a half.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

Paul At The Judgement Seat of Gallio
Act 18:12-17

During the time that Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jewish leaders united with each other and came against Paul.

• Note: I think that many Bible translations do a huge dis-service by writing "The Jews" when they translate the scriptures. It was "some" of the Jews or "the Jewish leaders". Obviously, because the majority of believers in Yeshua at the time were Jewish it was not all of the Jews who rose up against Paul. When people say, "The Jews" it's on the same level as saying, "The Blacks", "The Whites", or "The Mexicans", etc., etc. A whole race pf people is not guilty of what some of the people did.

So several of the Jewish leaders brought Paul before the court of Gallio and accused him of teaching things against Torah...which was not true. Paul thoroughly provided Torah scriptures to back up his teachings. I think they just did not want to admit and repent of their misunderstandings and misuse of Torah teachings.

Just as Paul was about to answer the charges against him, Gallio responded to the charges with, (paraphrased) "Crimes against your Torah are of no concern to me...take care of the issue yourselves". Then he ordered them to get out of his court.

They became so enraged that they began to beat Sosthenes, another leader of the Synagogue, right in front of the judgement seat but Gallio paid them no attention.

• Sosthenes, the president of the synagogue (Greek archisunagogos, "synagogue ruler," also at v. 8,13:15; Mk 5:22, 35-38; Lk 8:49, 13:14). Probably the new president, after Crispus, the former president, became a Messianic Jew (v. 8&N). But it is not impossible that Crispus and Sosthenes were both "synagogue rulers," two among several, and that Crispus continued to hold office even after becoming Messianic. This Sosthenes may be the same as the one at 1С 1:1 — which would mean that he later became Messianic himself, perhaps in consequence of this incident.
  
  They all grabbed him and gave him a beating. Either the other Jews did this to Sosthenes because he had led them into public humiliation; or the Greeks, observing that Gallio the governor was not interfering, "proceeded to indulge their anti-Jewish feelings" (I. Howard Marshall, Acts, ad loc). ~Jewish New Testament Commentary~

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[SpiritPsalmist]

Paul's Journeys Back To Antioch
Act 18:18-23

After the commotion in Gallio's court and the vision the Lord had given him, Paul continued to stay in Corinth. Then the time came for him to say goodbye to the congregation. Pricilla and Aquila went with him and they set sail for Syria.

• Prisca” is a Latin name meaning “venerable”; the diminutive form of her name is “Priscilla.” She may have held a higher social status than her husband Aquila, for her name appears before his four times (Acts 18:18, Acts 18:26; Rom 16:3; 2Tim 4:19), in contrast to the usual custom of leading with the husband’s name. All named women in Acts are wealthy, with the exceptions of Mary (Jesus’ mother) and Rhoda, thus increasing the likelihood that Priscilla had some means, although we should not imagine her as a middle-class Westerner. The name order might also signal Priscilla’s superior teaching capabilities, for when Acts 18:26 notes that the couple taught Apollos, her name appears first. Some scholars argue she is the author of the New Testament book of Hebrews. Most ancient women were not identified by their occupation; however, Acts 18:3 states that they (Aquila and Priscilla) shared the same trade with Paul. ~Priscilla And Aquila~

When they arrived at Ephesus Paul left Pricilla and Aquila and went to the synagogue and debated with the Jewish people. They must have had some really good discussions because they asked him to stay with them longer. He declined though, saying that the Lord willing, I will return to you."

He set sail from Ephesus to Caesarea and met with the Messianic congregation there. Then he went to Antioch. He spent some time there then left going to various places where he strengthened the congregations in each place.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

Apollos
Act 18:24-28

Apollos, a native Jew from Alexandria was a very learned man and he knew the scriptures well. He was teaching the way of the Lord and very fervent in his efforts. He spoke and taught accurately the things about Yeshua, however, his only knowledge of "immersion" was what John the Immerser had taught. He knew nothing about the immersion of Yeshua and being filled with the Holy Spirit. He spoke boldly in the synagogue, teaching repentance and that Yeshua was Messiah, but he did not have the full understanding of the magnitude of Yeshua's death and resurrection and how that was spiritually applicable.

When Pricilla and Aquila heard him they took him aside privately and instructed him more thoroughly in the way of God.

• Aquila and Priscilla’s names appear together six times (Acts 18:2,18,26; Rom. 16:3; 1 Cor. 16:19; 2 Tim. 4:19), in the Textus Receptus, half the time she is mentioned before her husband (Acts 18:18; Rom. 16:3; 2 Tim. 4:19 where she is called Prisca). The name “Priscilla” is the diminutive of “Prisca.” I suspect her name was put first because she had a more active spiritual role in the church, but that is only speculation on my part. ~Associates For Biblical Research~
• My speculation: she did the majority of the teaching because she was more skillful at teaching.

Apollos was receptive to Pricilla and Aquila instructing him. He was not too proud or too learned to accept instruction, even from a woman. After some time, when he decided to go to Achaia, the congregation of Ephesus encouraged him and wrote a letter of recommendation to the believers in Achaia to welcome and accept him. When he arrived in Achaia he was a great help to the new believers in helping them understand the way of God. He was able to refute with great vigor and accuracy to the unbelieving Jews, using the Scriptures (the Tenach aka the Old Testament) to prove that Yeshua was Messiah.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

A Small Group in Ephesus
Act 19:1-7


Paul went to Ephesus and found a small group of disciples who were like Apollos had been...they knew of Yeshua and believed, but they had not been immersed in the name of Yeshua, accepting the work, power, and authority of him as Messiah (Act 2:38, Matt 28:19), and they had never heard of the Ruach ha-Kodesh (Holy Spirit).

When they heard what Paul had to say they were immersed in the name of Yeshua and when Paul laid hands on them the Ruach ha-Kodesh came upon them and they began speaking in tongues and prophesying. In all, there were about 12 men.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

The Hall of Tyrannus
Act 19:8-10

Regularly, Paul would go to the synagogue and boldly speak, discussing and persuading in the things of the Kingdom of God. After three months of doing this, while some listened and accepted the things Paul was teaching, there were others who were hardening and rebelling and were speaking loudly in public against members of the Way. They created such a stir that Paul decided to take those who were following his teachings to another place where they were allowed to study and discuss in peace.

They went to the hall of Tyrannus where they were able to discuss (debate) without disruption for two years on a daily basis. See also Jewish New Testament Commentary. During these two years, it says all of Asia heard the word of the Lord, both Jew and Greek.


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[SpiritPsalmist]

Unusual Miracles
Act 19:11-12

Here it says that God worked unusual miracles by the hands of Paul. Pieces of clothing such as handkerchiefs and aprons were brought to him and whatever had touched his skin could be taken back to people who were elsewhere and laid on them and they would be healed of their disease and/or delivered from demons. The same unusual miracles followed Peter as well. (see Acts 5:15-16)

What was different about Paul and Peter that such miracles followed them? Wherever they went these things followed. It does not say they even sought out such things, just that the miracles followed. What were their relations with God that He manifested so mightily within them? Definitely, some things to ponder.


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