Commentaries:
Robertson's Word Pictures (NT)
But the multitude of the city was divided (esxisqh de to plhqov thv polewv). First aorist passive indicative of sxizw, old verb to split, to make a schism or factions as Sadducees and Pharisees (Acts 23:7). This division was within the Gentile populace. Part held (oi men hsan), literally "some were with the Jews" (sun toiv Ioudaioiv), part with the apostles (oi de sun toiv apostoloiv). Common demonstrative of contrast (oi men, oi de, Robertson, Grammar, p. 694). The Jewish leaders made some impression on the Gentiles as at Antioch in Pisidia and later at Thessalonica (Acts 17:4 f.). This is the first time in the Acts that Paul and Barnabas are termed "apostles" (see also verse Acts 14:14). Elsewhere in the Acts the word is restricted to the twelve. Certainly Luke does not here employ it in that technical sense. To have followed Jesus in his ministry and to have seen the Risen Christ was essential to the technical use (Acts 1:22 f.). Whether Barnabas had seen the Risen Christ we do not know, but certainly Paul had (1 Corinthians 9:1 f.; 1 Corinthians 15:8). Paul claimed to be an apostle on a par with the twelve (Galatians 1:1, Galatians 1:16-18). The word originally means simply one sent (John 13:16) like messengers of the churches with the collection (2 Corinthians 8:23). The Jews used it of those sent from Jerusalem to collect the temple tribute. Paul applies the word to James the Lord's brother (Galatians 1:19), to Epaphroditus (Philippians 2:25) as the messenger of the church in Philippi, to Silvanus and Timothy (1 Thessalonians 2:6; Acts 18:5), apparently to Apollos (1 Corinthians 4:9), and to Andronicus and Junias (Romans 16:6 f.). He even calls the Judaizers "false apostles" (2 Corinthians 11:13).
Other commentary entries containing this verse:
Acts 11:27
Acts 14:3
Acts 23:7
1 Thessalonians 2:6
2 Timothy 3:11
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