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Antonyms: keep, claim, continue, stick by, self-control, power through, achieve, defend, bear, hope, acquire, quick visit, adopt, continue along, adhere, remain, pursue, support, take up, keep up, reuse, advocate, stay, persevere, cherish, keep going, carry on

Showing 3001 to 3025 of 3926 results

3001. Peter and John Before the Sanhedrin

Acts 4:1-22

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... themselves as the guardians of this ancient right. It was vexing for the Sadducees, therefore, to find the followers of Jesus—“unschooled, ordinary men” (v. 13)—also claiming the right to interpret the Scriptures and doing so both in the temple and in support of a doctrine that the temple hierarchy denied. For Peter and John were teaching in Jesus the resurrection of the dead (v. 2). Like the Pharisees, the Christians looked for a general resurrection (of the good; see disc. on 24:15), but unlike ...

3002. The Apostles Persecuted

Acts 5:17-42

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... ), the animosity of the high priest and all his associates, who were members of the party of the Sadducees, continued to grow. This reference will include those mentioned in 4:6, but may indicate further that the high priest now had the general support of all the Sadducees, who, of all Jews, most resented the Christian emphasis on the resurrection. Their jealousy (Gk. zēlos) was an outbreak of partisanship (a common meaning of the word) against those of a contrary view. Undoubtedly, the spread of teaching ...

3003. Stephen Seized

Acts 6:8-15

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... of the Greek Libertinon, “of freedmen,” to Libystinon, making them Jews “of Libya” and the synagogue that of a group of African Jews from Libya, Cyrene, and Alexandria (listed from west to east). This suggestion is an attractive one, but lacks textual support. In any case, the Libyans are usually Libystikoi in Greek. More commonly, the Freedmen have been regarded as the descendants of the Jews who were taken to Rome by Pompey about 60 B.C. and afterwards liberated by their Roman masters. These ...

3004. The Church Persecuted and Scattered

Acts 8:1b-3

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... who had died by execution no less than others. But though criminals should be properly buried, it was forbidden that they should be publicly mourned (m. Sanhedrin 6.6). The fact, then, that these devout men buried Stephen and mourned deeply for him might furnish an argument in support of the view that he was not legally put to death but lynched by the mob. On the other hand, it might speak of their courage. 8:3 If verse 2 shed a little light on these dark days, verse 3 plunges us back into the darkness ...

3005. Philip and the Ethiopian

Acts 8:26-40

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... two men parted company. The Western text adds the words shown in brackets: “the Spirit [Holy fell upon the eunuch, but the angel] of the Lord” (note that in Greek the adjective—in this case “holy”—often follows the noun). This reading is not well supported, but in this case it is easier to imagine that these words were accidentally left out than that they were deliberately added later. In other words, the longer reading may be original. But in any case, from the fact that the official went on ...

3006. Herod’s Death

Acts 12:19b-25

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... Paul’s mission of mercy in bringing famine relief to Jerusalem (11:27–30). The reference to John Mark comes here at the end to explain his presence in Antioch for the story that follows. Additional Notes 12:25 From Jerusalem: By far the best-supported reading for this verse in the Greek manuscripts is “to Jerusalem,” and on the grounds that it is also the most difficult reading, it should perhaps be accepted. Either way there is a primitive error in the text (corrected in later manuscripts) or we ...

3007. On Cyprus

Acts 13:4-12

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... , however, remained an important center of trade. Being only about 130 miles southwest of Seleucia, their port of departure (v. 4), it naturally presented itself to the missionaries as their first port of call. The Jewish settlement in the city was large enough to support a number of synagogues, and it was on these that Barnabas and Paul concentrated their efforts (see disc. on 9:20). The details of their work have gone unrecorded, except for the brief statement that they proclaimed the word of God in the ...

3008. In Iconium

Acts 14:1-7

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... to believe (v. 2). Indeed, the expression may be stronger than this, including the thought of “rebellion.” They stirred up opposition, and eventually the whole city became aware of the hostility of the Jews toward the Christians and became divided in its support of the protagonists. The very difficulty of this situation may have kept Paul and Barnabas in Iconium longer than they would otherwise have stayed. In verse 4, for the first time, Paul and Barnabas are called apostles, and only again in verse ...

3009. The Council’s Letter to Gentile Believers

Acts 15:22-35

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... the warmth of the expression our dear friends Barnabas and Paul (v. 25; cf. the shaking of hands in Gal. 2:9; see disc. on v. 12 for the order of the names). Third, they authorized Judas and Silas, as representing the church in Jerusalem, to speak in support of what the letter contained. And fourth, they set out those things that the council had agreed they should ask of the Gentiles. The “decrees” are the same as in verse 20, except for a slight change in order. The text is subject to the same variants ...

3010. Disagreement Between Paul and Barnabas

Acts 15:36-41

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... (2 Tim. 4:11). 15:40–41 In place of Barnabas Paul took with him Silas, and with the church’s blessing (cf. v. 40 with 14:26), they set out by land for the cities of southern Galatia. Silas now assumed the role of “supporting cast” that Barnabas had played, though he would never attain the stature of Barnabas. He is never called an apostle (cf. 14:14). He may have commended himself to Paul for two reasons: his readiness to deal sympathetically with the Gentile believers and his possession (implied ...

3011. Lydia’s Conversion in Philippi

Acts 16:11-15

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... : There are a number of textual variants here. The reading adopted by NIV implies that the missionaries did not know for certain where the Jews met or even if they met. The fact that the word “river” lacks the definite article in the Greek may support this—“we went out to a riverside.” On the other hand, it may be right to accept the reading “where prayer was accustomed to be made.” This suggests that they had prior information and knew where to look. The women who had gathered there: It ...

3012. In Berea

Acts 17:10-15

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... they were able to follow Paul’s “usual habit” of proclaiming the Good News in the synagogue in this city also. 17:11–12 Luke describes the Berean Jews as of more noble character than the Thessalonians. This might mean “more generous” in their support of the missionaries, but NIV is probably right to refer the expression to their attitude to Paul’s preaching. They readily accepted the possibility that what he said was true (Luke’s use of the optative seems intended to give this sense), then ...

3013. Before the Sanhedrin

Acts 22:30--23:11

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... of the dead”: This is generally taken to mean “[the] hope of [the] resurrection of the dead” (so NIV), but in 26:6 “hope” is used of the whole messianic salvation, of which the resurrection is but a facet. This is possibly the meaning here, but 24:15 and 21 support the rendering of NIV.

3014. The Trial Before Festus

Acts 25:1-12

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... leaders told him about Paul and urgently requested him to grant a retrial in Jerusalem—both the word itself and the tense (imperfect) underline their importunity: “They kept on requesting” (v. 3). There may also have been a public demonstration (organized by the leaders?) in support of their plea (cf. v. 24; Luke 23:13ff.). It is not clear whether they were asking for Paul to be retried by the Sanhedrin or in a Roman court, but in any case their intention, according to Luke, was to assassinate him as ...

3015. The Shipwreck

Acts 27:27-44

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

27:27 About midnight on the fourteenth night of their leaving Fair Havens (or some say from Cauda) the seamen detected signs of approaching land. Perhaps they heard breakers on the beach, a suggestion that has the support of Codex Vaticanus, which instead of “a certain land approaching” (as most texts) has it “resounding.” As a rule in seeking to identify a biblical location, tradition is an uncertain guide. In this case, however, there is every reason to think that they had come as tradition ...

3016. Arrival at Rome

Acts 28:11-16

Understanding Series

David J. Williams

... them first to Syracuse, the Roman capital of Sicily, a distance of about ninety miles from Malta. Here they stayed for three days, waiting, perhaps, for a wind from the south. 28:13 There is an uncertainty in the Greek text of this verse. One well-supported reading has them “making a circuit” to Rhegium, which is strange, since Rhegium stood in a straight line with Syracuse. The phrase may be a nautical term. Ramsay suggests that they had failed to get the wind that they had been waiting for, but (and ...

3017. Body

2 Corinthians 5:1-10

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... ” or “when we have taken it off” (so NRSV), instead of the participle when we are clothed. This variant, however, is probably a later modification attempting to avoid the seemingly tautological statement that being clothed means not being naked. Following Rudolf Bultmann, supporters of the variant reading understand the text as Paul’s polemic against his alleged gnostic opponents, who yearn to strip themselves of the body and yet not be naked (cf. Mart. Isa. 4:17; Apoc. Mos. 31:1; 32:4). In response ...

3018. Hearts

2 Corinthians 6:14--7:1

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... ), as a divine command given through Moses that the people should separate themselves from the tents of Korah and should not touch anything belonging to the rebels who were about to be judged. If Paul has Num. 16:26 in mind as he cites Isa. 52:11, then that would support the idea that separation from Paul’s opponents is the main thrust of 2 Cor. 2:14, 17; 7:1. 6:17d–18b The adoption formula (“I will be to him a Father, and he will be to me a son”) originally applied to the future “seed” of David ...

3019. Gift

2 Corinthians 8:16--9:5, 2 Corinthians 8:1-15, 2 Corinthians 9:6-15

Understanding Series

James M. Scott

... Corinthians’ responsibility in view of all the churches. Paul boasted to the Macedonian churches about the Corinthians (7:14; 9:3) and presumably to others as well (cf. 7:4). For this reason, the Corinthians should receive Paul’s emissaries in love and support them. In this way, the Corinthians preserve the brotherly fellowship in the love of Christ and, at the same time, they substantiate Paul’s boast about them to the other churches. If the Corinthians fail to cooperate, then Paul will lose face. 9 ...

3020. The Credibility of the Gospel Paul Proclaims

Galatians 1:11-24

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... he has never met recognize him as one who proclaims what they too believe: “the faith.” It is especially important to Paul’s point to assert that he was recognized by believers in Judea, since the troublemakers claim that they have the same support. Paul’s statement includes the Judean churches “in Christ” as his—not the troublemakers’—backers. So Paul’s record of events is that in the first part of his ministry he functioned on the authority of God’s commission and not as a delegate ...

3021. Paul’s Second Visit to the Jerusalem Church

Galatians 2:1-10

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... he is the one who acts with the courage of his convictions and sticks to his principles. In defending himself Paul caricatures his opponents as false. Paul also presents the goals of these “false brothers” as seeking to make … slaves of the supporters of the Gentile mission. This, of course, would not be how the false brothers themselves understand their motives. They believed that since Jesus is the Messiah, believers in him should be obedient Jews; this is not bondage but a privilege. Paul, however ...

3022. The Law and the Promise

Galatians 3:15-25, Galatians 3:1-14

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... “tribes”), which does not serve Paul’s purpose of making a direct connection between this text and the gospel he preaches to the Gentiles. Moreover, Paul’s opponents may legitimately have found it hard to understand how Paul could find scriptural support for his contention that the Scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles by faith. In Genesis the Gentiles are promised blessing, not justification. And when in other parts of Scripture there is an expressed hope for the inclusion of the ...

3023. Sons of God

Galatians 3:26--4:7

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... that resulted from such social differentiating, and upon this shared understanding the affirmation in verse 29b is based. Paul expects the Galatians to fully embrace the self-understanding articulated in 3:27–29a, and so he uses it as another way to support his point that Gentiles are inheritors of the promise to Abraham without following the law. 3:29 Paul asserts that the Galatian believers belong to Christ, which means that they are Abraham’s seed. The word “seed” is plural and brings to ...

3024. Doing Good to All

Galatians 6:1-10

Understanding Series

L. Ann Jervis

... refer to sharing both material goods and the virtuous goods gained from living the philosophical life. Paul’s general position was that sharing financial resources was a good thing (see 1 Cor. 9:11; cf. Rom. 15:27) and that teachers should be able to receive financial support (1 Cor. 9:3–14). Paul was willing to receive financial assistance from those he trusted (Phil. 4:15–16). 6:8 While the promise of eternal life has not been central to this letter (cf. Rom. 2:7; 5:21; 6:22–23), at the opening ...

3025. Thanksgiving and Prayer

Ephesians 1:15-23

Understanding Series

Arthur G. Patzia

... as the fullness of him. One may wisely heed the caution of C. L. Mitton, who concludes: “It must be frankly confessed that the meaning of these concluding words in verse 23 is quite uncertain, and, therefore, they cannot legitimately be used to support any item of doctrine about Christ or his Church” (p. 79). Additional Notes 1:20 A useful discussion of Christ’s post-resurrection appearances in relation to the ascension can be found in F. F. Bruce, The Book of Acts (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1979 ...

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