Acts 14:27

Acts 14:27

And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed all that God had done with them, and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.

a. NLT: Upon arriving in Antioch, they called the church together and reported everything God had done through them and how he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles, too.

b. NIV: On arriving there, they gathered the church together and reported all that God had done through them and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles.

c. YLT: And having come and gathered together the assembly, they declared as many things as God did with them, and that He did open to the nations a door of faith;

d. Amplified Bible Classic: Arriving there, they gathered the church together and declared all that God had accomplished with them and how He had opened to the Gentiles a door of faith [in Jesus as the Messiah, through Whom we obtain salvation in the kingdom of God].

e. Worrell Translation: And, having arrived, amd having gathered together the assembly, they were rehearsing as many things as God did with them, and that he opened to the gentiles a door of faith.

f. Wuest Translation: And reaching their destination and gathering the assemply together, they went to reporting as many things as God had done in helping them, and that he opened to the Gentiles a door of faith.

1. “And when they were come, and had gathered the church together…”

a. And [Strong: 1161 de deh a primary particle (adversative or continuative); but, and, etc.:--also, and, but, moreover, now (often unexpressed in English).]

b. when they were come [Strong: 3854 paraginomai par-ag-in'-om-ahee from 3844 and 1096; to become near, i.e. approach (have arrived); by implication, to appear publicly:--come, go, be present.]

c. and [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

d. had gathered…together [Strong: 4863 sunago soon-ag'-o from 4862 and 71; to lead together, i.e. collect or convene; specially, to entertain (hospitably):--+ accompany, assemble (selves, together), bestow, come together, gather (selves together, up, together), lead into, resort, take in.]

e. the [Strong: 3588 ho ho, including the feminine he hay, and the neuter to to in all their inflections; the definite article; the (sometimes to be supplied, at others omitted, in English idiom):--the, this, that, one, he, she, it, etc.]

f. church [Strong: 1577 ekklesia ek-klay-see'-ah from a compound of 1537 and a derivative of 2564; a calling out, i.e. (concretely) a popular meeting, especially a religious congregation (Jewish synagogue, or Christian community of members on earth or saints in heaven or both):--assembly, church.]

2. “…they rehearsed all that God had done with them…”

a. they rehearsed [Strong: 312 anaggello an-ang-el'-lo from 303 and the base of 32; to announce (in detail):--declare, rehearse, report, show, speak, tell.]

b. all that [Strong: 3745 hosos hos'-os by reduplication from 3739; as (much, great, long, etc.) as:--all (that), as (long, many, much) (as), how great (many, much), (in-)asmuch as, so many as, that (ever), the more, those things, what (great, -soever), wheresoever, wherewithsoever, which, X while, who(-soever).]

c. God [Strong: 2316 theos theh'-os of uncertain affinity; a deity, especially (with 3588) the supreme Divinity; figuratively, a magistrate; by Hebraism, very:--X exceeding, God, god(-ly, -ward).]

d. had done [Strong: 4160 poieo poy-eh'-o apparently a prolonged form of an obsolete primary; to make or do (in a very wide application, more or less direct):--abide, + agree, appoint, X avenge, + band together, be, bear, + bewray, bring (forth), cast out, cause, commit, + content, continue, deal, + without any delay, (would) do(-ing), execute, exercise, fulfil, gain, give, have, hold, X journeying, keep, + lay wait, + lighten the ship, make, X mean, + none of these things move me, observe, ordain, perform, provide, + have purged, purpose, put, + raising up, X secure, shew, X shoot out, spend, take, tarry, + transgress the law, work, yield.]

e. with [Strong: 3326 meta met-ah' a primary preposition (often used adverbially); properly, denoting accompaniment; "amid" (local or causal); modified variously according to the case (genitive association, or accusative succession) with which it is joined; occupying an intermediate position between 575 or 1537 and 1519 or 4314; less intimate than 1722 and less close than 4862):--after(-ward), X that he again, against, among, X and, + follow, hence, hereafter, in, of, (up-)on, + our, X and setting, since, (un-)to, + together, when, with (+ -out). Often used in composition, in substantially the same relations of participation or proximity, and transfer or sequence.]

f. them [Strong: 846 autos ow-tos' from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

1). This account surely included the miracles and wonders that God worked among the Gentiles, that later Paul and Barnabas would give to the Jewish community in Jerusalem.

a). Acts 15:12  Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them.

            
            

2). We must remember that when Paul and Barnabas were preaching boldly what God did through Jesus Christ. The signs and wonders were God’s testimony of what they were preaching.

      a). Acts 14:3 Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gave testimony unto the word of his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands.

3. “…and how he had opened the door of faith unto the Gentiles.”

a. and [Strong: 2532 kai kahee apparently, a primary particle, having a copulative and sometimes also a cumulative force; and, also, even, so then, too, etc.; often used in connection (or composition) with other particles or small words:--and, also, both, but, even, for, if, or, so, that, then, therefore, when, yet.]

b. how [Strong: 3754 hoti hot'-ee neuter of 3748 as conjunction; demonstrative, that (sometimes redundant); causative, because:--as concerning that, as though, because (that), for (that), how (that), (in) that, though, why.]

c. [he had] opened [Strong: 455 anoigo an-oy'-go from 303 and oigo (to open); to open up (literally or figuratively, in various applications):--open.]

d. the door [Strong: 2374 thura thoo'-rah apparently a primary word (compare "door"); a portal or entrance (the opening or the closure, literally or figuratively):--door, gate.]

e. of faith [Strong: 4102 pistis pis'-tis from 3982; persuasion, i.e. credence; moral conviction (of religious truth, or the truthfulness of God or a religious teacher), especially reliance upon Christ for salvation; abstractly, constancy in such profession; by extension, the system of religious (Gospel) truth itself:--assurance, belief, believe, faith, fidelity.]

f. [unto the] Gentiles [Strong: 1484 ethnos eth'-nos probably from 1486; a race (as of the same habit), i.e. a tribe; specially, a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually, by implication, pagan):--Gentile, heathen, nation, people.]

1). When Jesus appeared to Paul the first time on the road to Damascus He told him that He was going to send him to the Gentiles. This was Paul’s testimony before King Agrippa.

a). Acts 26:12-18 Whereupon as I went to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priests,

26:13At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shining round about me and them which journeyed with me.

26:14 And when we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick against the pricks.

26:15 And I said, Who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.

26:16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet: for I have appeared unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness both of these things which thou hast seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto thee;

26:17 Delivering thee from the people, and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I send thee,

26:18 To open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me.

2). Paul was very knowledgeable of the Old Covenant and because of revelation from Jesus he knew that the prophets fortold the time when the Gentiles would be offered to be included into covenant with God. One of my favorite passages is found in Jeremiah

a). Jeremiah 16:19-21 O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.

16:20 Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?

16:21 Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The Lord.

3). In his epistle to the Romans Paul cited at least four Old Testament verses that foretold the inclusion of Gentiles into being in covenant with God.

a). Romans 15:8-12 Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:

15:9 And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is written, For this cause I will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy name.

15:10 And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people.

15:11 And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles; and laud him, all ye people.

15:12 And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles; in him shall the Gentiles trust.

b). Those Old Testament vers are: 2 Samuel 22:50; Deuteronomy 32:43; Psalm 117:1; Isaiah 11:10.

4). Finally when Paul spent a whole day with Jewish leaders when he was on house arrest in Rome, one of his concluding statements was a warning from the prophet Isaiah and a prophetic statement that has proven true for over two thousand years.

a). Acts 28:25-29 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, Well spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias the prophet unto our fathers,

28:26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive:

28:27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

28:28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and that they will hear it.

28:29 And when he had said these words, the Jews departed, and had great reasoning among themselves.