Word Pictures in the New Testament - David Cox

Word Pictures in the NT [Acts: Chapter 15]
defeated disturbers that they really were who had lacked the
courage to vote against the majority. {To choose out men and send
them} (\eklexamenois andras pempsai\ A B L, though Aleph C D read
\eklexamenous\ as in verse 22). Precisely the same idiom as in
verse 22, "having chosen out to send." {With our beloved
Barnabas and Paul} (\sun tois agap•tois h•m•n Barnab•i kai
Paul•i\). The verbal adjective \agap•tois\ (common in the N.T.)
definitely sets the seal of warm approval on Barnabas and Paul.
Paul (Ga 2:9) confirms this by his statement concerning the
right hand of fellowship given.
15:26 {Have hazarded their lives} (\paraded•kosi tas psuchas
aut•n\). Perfect active participle dative plural of \paradid•mi\,
old word, to hand over to another, and with \psuchas\, to hand
over to another their lives. The sufferings of Paul and Barnabas
in Pisidia and Lycaonia were plainly well-known just as the story
of Judson in Burmah is today. On the use of "name" here see on
¯3:6.
15:27 {Who themselves also shall tell you the same things by word
of mouth} (\kai autous dia logou apaggellontas ta auta\).
Literally, "they themselves also by speech announcing the same
things." The present participle, as here, sometimes is used like
the future to express purpose as in 3:26 \eulogounta\ after
\apesteilen\ and so here \apaggellontas\ after \apestalkamen\
(Robertson, _Grammar_, p. 1128). Judas and Silas are specifically
endorsed (perfect active indicative of \apostell•\) as bearers of
the epistle who will also verbally confirm the contents of the
letter.
15:28 {To the Holy Spirit and to us} (\t•i pneumati t•i hagi•i
kai h•min\). Dative case after \edoxen\ (third example, verses
22,25,28). Definite claim that the church in this action had
the guidance of the Holy Spirit. That fact was plain to the
church from what had taken place in Caesarea and in this campaign
of Paul and Barnabas (verse 8). Jesus had promised that the
Holy Spirit would guide them into all truth (Joh 16:13). Even
so the church deliberated carefully before deciding. What a
blessing it would be if this were always true! But even so the
Judaizers are only silenced for the present, not convinced and
only waiting for a better day to start over again. {No greater
burden} (\m•den pleon baros\). The restrictions named did
constitute some burden (cf. Mt 20:12), for the old word \baros\
means weight or heaviness. Morality itself is a restraint upon
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