Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 11]
tis\). Imperfect middle of \eupore•\, to be well off (from
\euporos\), old verb, but here alone in the N.T., "as any one was
well off." The sentence is a bit tangled in the Greek from Luke's
rush of ideas. Literally, "Of the disciples, as any one was able
(or well off), they determined (\h•risan\, marked off the
horizon) each of them to send relief (\eis diakonian\, for
ministry) to the brethren who dwelt in Judaea." The worst of the
famine came A.D. 45. The warning by Agabus stirred the brethren
in Antioch to send the collection on ahead.
11:30 {Sending} (\aposteilantes\). First aorist active participle
of \apostell•\, coincident action with \epoi•san\ (did). {To the
elders} (\pros tous presbuterous\). The first use of that term
for the Christian preachers. In 20:17,28 "elders" and "bishops"
are used interchangeably as in Tit 1:5,7. The term probably
arose gradually and holds a position in the church similar to the
same term in the synagogue. The apostles were apparently absent
from Jerusalem at this time and they were no longer concerned
with serving tables. In 21:18 Paul presented the later
collection also to the elders. Since Peter and James (till his
death) were in Jerusalem during the persecution in chapter 12 it
is probable that the visit of Barnabas and Saul to Jerusalem came
really after that persecution for Peter left Jerusalem (12:17).
The elders here mentioned may include the preachers in Judea also
outside of Jerusalem (26:20).
[Table of Contents]
[Previous] [Next]
http://www.ccel.org/r/robertson_at/wordpictures/htm/AC11.RWP.html (10 of 10) [28/08/2004 09:06:43 a.m.]
Word Pictures in the New Testament
(Acts: Chapter 11)