Acts 19:30

 Acts 19:30

And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not.

a. NLT: Paul wanted to go in, too, but the believers wouldn’t let him. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. ASV: And when Paul was minded to enter in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

c. YLT: And on Paul's purposing to enter in unto the populace, the disciples were not suffering him, [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.] 

d. Classic Amplified: Paul wished to go in among the crowd, but the disciples would not permit him to do it. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. NIV: Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

1. “And when Paul would have entered in unto the people…”

a. [Strong: 3588. [Tou] ὁ 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.] [Thayer: [Tou] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé  hē, hai.]

b. 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] Paul [Strong: 3972. Paulos pow'-los of Latin origin; (little; but remotely from a derivative of 3973, meaning the same); Paulus, the name of a Roman and of an apostle:--Paul, Paulus.]

c. would have [Strong: 1014. boulomai boo'-lom-ahee middle voice of a primary verb; to "will," i.e. (reflexively) be willing:--be disposed, minded, intend, list, (be, of own) will (-ing).] 

d. entered [Strong: 1525. eiserchomai ice-er'-khom-ahee from 1519 and 2064; to enter (literally or figuratively):--X arise, come (in, into), enter in(-to), go in (through).]

e. in [Strong: 1519. eis ice a primary preposition; to or into (indicating the point reached or entered), of place, time, or (figuratively) purpose (result, etc.); also in adverbial phrases:--(abundant-)ly, against, among, as, at, (back-)ward, before, by, concerning, + continual, + far more exceeding, for (intent, purpose), fore, + forth, in (among, at, unto, -so much that, -to), to the intent that, + of one mind, + never, of, (up-)on, + perish, + set at one again, (so) that, therefore(-unto), throughout, til, to (be, the end, -ward), (here-)until(-to), ...ward, (where-)fore, with. Often used in composition with the same general import, but only with verbs (etc.) expressing motion (literally or figuratively).]

f. [unto] the [Strong: 3588. [ton] ὁ 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.] [Thayer: [ton] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé  hē, hai.]

g. people [Strong: 1218. demos day'-mos from 1210; the public (as bound together socially):--people.]

2.  “...the disciples suffered him not.”

a. the [Strong: 3588. [hoi] ὁ 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.] [Thayer: [hoi] ὁ, ἡ, τό, originally τος, τῇ, τό (as is evident from the forms τοι, ται for οἱ, αἱ in Homer and the Ionic writings), corresponds to our definite article the (German der, die, das), which is properly a demonstrative pronoun, which we see in its full force in Homer, and of which we find certain indubitable traces also in all kinds of Greek prose, and hence also in the N. T.] [Additional variants: tē, hoi, oi, tēn, ta, tēs, tois, tais, tō, tōn, tou, hé  hē, hai.]

b. disciples [Strong: 3101. mathetes math-ay-tes' from 3129; a learner, i.e. pupil:--disciple.]

c. suffered [Strong: 1439. eao eh-ah'-o of uncertain affinity; to let be, i.e. permit or leave alone:--commit, leave, let (alone), suffer.]

d. him [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.]

e. not [Strong: 3756. ou oo, also (before a vowel) ouk ook, and (before an aspirate) ouch ookh a primary word; the absolute negative (compare 3361) adverb; no or not:--+ long, nay, neither, never, no (X man), none, (can-)not, + nothing, + special, un(-worthy), when, + without, + yet but.] 

1). Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers: When Paul would have entered in . . .—We almost see the impetuous zeal which urged the Apostle not to leave his companions to bear the brunt of the attack alone, and the anxious fear which made his friends eager to prevent a step which would probably endanger his own life without helping his friends. He refers probably to this when he speaks of having, as far as man was concerned, “fought with beasts at Ephesus” (1Corinthians 15:32); not that there was any actual danger of martyrdom in that form, but that the multitude in their fanatic rage presented as formidable an ordeal.

2). Here are my notes concerning the reference to fighting with wild beasts at Ephesus.

3). This is a very intriguing verse because Paul here mentions of fighting with animals, probably in the arena. There is a difference of opinion among scholars as to the actual meaning of this verse. One school of thought teaches that this literally happened, while another school of thought teaches it is metaphorical. Personally I don’t know for sure. An important fact in all this is that Scripture never mentions an Ephesian imprisonment. The only thing mentioned that comes close to an arrest is in Acts 19:23-41, where there was a near riot with the silver idol makers, but there is no arrest and no imprisonment. In 2 Corinthians Paul refers to an incident that happened in Asia that might be referring to an Ephesian imprisonment that included an ordeal in the arena.

a). 2 Corinthians 1:8-10 For we would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble which came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life: 

1:9 But we had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in ourselves, but in God which raiseth the dead: 

1:10 Who delivered us from so great a death, and doth deliver: in whom we trust that he will yet deliver us;

b).  In this passage it is not only Paul but also some of those with him because he uses plural nouns though out the passage. Whatever the ordeal was, the wording implies that they thought they were going to die but God intervened and delivered them. 

4). There is another verse, this one in 2 Timothy that could hints to an Ephesian imprisonment. These passages are far from conclusive.

a).  2 Timothy 1:16-18 The Lord give mercy unto the house of Onesiphorus; for he oft refreshed me, and was not ashamed of my chain:

1:17 But, when he was in Rome, he sought me out very diligently, and found me.

1:18 The Lord grant unto him that he may find mercy of the Lord in that day: and in how many things he ministered unto me at Ephesus, thou knowest very well.

b). Just because it is not specifically mentioned in Scripture but only alluded to does not mean it did not happen. In 2 Corinthians Paul mentions a number of persecutions that are not recorded in the book of Acts but nevertheless happened.

(1) 2 Corinthians 11:23-26 Are they ministers of Christ? (I speak as a fool) I am more; in labours more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths oft.

11:24 Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one.

11:25 Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep;

11:26 In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren;

(2) In his notes on 1 Corinthians 15:32, Dake writes that he believes the “fighting with beasts to be metaphorical and raises a very good point. “Perhaps referring to his fight with the beastly men at Ephesus (Acts 19:28-31). Such men are called beasts (Titus 1:12; 2 Peter 2:12; Jude 10). Paul does not refer to having been in combat with wild beasts in an arena when naming his hardships.  

(3) The bottom line in all this is we don’t really know enough to definitely declare if Paul was in the arena combating with wild beasts.

5). Some have brought up the seemingly good point that a Roman citizen being condemned to the lions is very rare. It may be true that it is rare for a Roman citizen to be condemned to the lions but even in our contemporary courts in America which I believe is the best in the world there are people who are charged and convicted of crimes for which they did not commit. The use of DNA in many instances have overturned convictions and freed men in prison, some of which have served years in prison. Paul’s imprisonment that began at Jerusalem in Acts 22:27 and continued for years and lasted after the completion of the book of Acts was an injustice and whether he was freed and suffered a second imprisonment or not, Paul was ultimately beheaded unjustly by a Roman court. In the end this is a weak point. A stronger point is made by appealing to the passage itself. In the previous verse Paul clearly uses the metaphor of death to describe his daily life.

a). 1 Corinthians 15:31 I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.