Acts 14:1

Growth and Persecution in Iconium

1 The same thing happened in Iconium; they entered the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.

Acts 14:1 Meaning and Commentary

Acts 14:1

And it came to pass in Iconium
When the apostles were got thither, and as soon as they were there; at least the first opportunity they had:

that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews;
which was in Iconium; hither Paul and Barnabas went together, in like manner as they had done at Antioch:

and so spoke;
such words, and doctrines of grace, with so much power, authority, and demonstration of the Spirit, with so much plainness, clearness, and evidence, as well as with so much boldness and courage:

that a great multitude, both of the Jews, and also of the Greeks,
believed:
the doctrines they preached, and in Christ the sum and substance of them; and these were not a few, but a great multitude; and not of one sort, of the Jews only, who expected the Messiah, but of the Greeks, or Gentiles also, who never heard of any; for by Greeks here are meant, not Jews born in Greece, speaking the Greek tongue, and using the Greek Bible, for these were called Hellenists, and not Greeks, but Heathens. These converts laid the foundation of a Gospel church state in this place; for that there was a church here, is certain from ( Acts 14:21-23 ) In the "first" century, Sosipater is said to be bishop, or pastor of this church, and also Tertius, who are both reckoned among the "seventy" disciples of Christ; (See Gill on Luke 10:1). In the "third" century, Celsus was bishop of this church; and in the same century, several synods were held here, about the error of Novatus; and in the same century, Nicomes bishop of this place, assisted at the council at Antioch, which condemned the heresy of Samosatenus F6: in the "fourth" century there was a church in this place, and Amphilochius was bishop of it, of whom Jerom F7 makes mention; and who read to him a book, concerning the deity and worship of the holy Spirit: in the "fifth" century, it was the metropolitan church of Lycaonia, and Valerianus and Onesiphorus presided over it: in the "sixth" century, a bishop of this church was present at the fifth Roman council under Symmachus: in the "seventh" century, it bore the character of metropolitan, and a bishop of it assisted at the sixth council at Constantinople, whose name was Paul: in the "eighth" century, Leo was bishop of it, who was present at the synod of Nice F8; and after this we hear no more of it, the place falling into the hands of the Turks, who are now possessed of it: here, according to the Roman martyrology, Tryphena and Tryphosa, mentioned in ( Romans 16:12 ) heard the Apostle Paul preach; and here the famous virgin and martyr, Thecla, was converted.


FOOTNOTES:

F6 Euseb. Eccl. Hist. l. 6. c. 19. & l. 7. c. 28, 30.
F7 Catalog. Script. Eccles. fol. 102. H.
F8 Magdeburg. Hist. Eccles. cent. 5. c. 7. p. 418. c. 10. p. 596. cent. 6. c. 2. p. 4. cent. 7. c. 2. p. 3. c. 7. p. 112. c. 10. p. 254. cent. 8. c. 2. p. 4.

Acts 14:1 In-Context

1 The same thing happened in Iconium; they entered the Jewish synagogue and spoke in such a way that a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed.
2 But the Jews who refused to believe stirred up and poisoned the minds of the Gentiles against the brothers.
3 So they stayed there for some time and spoke boldly, in reliance on the Lord, who testified to the message of His grace by granting that signs and wonders be performed through them.
4 But the people of the city were divided, some siding with the Jews and some with the apostles.
5 When an attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews, with their rulers, to assault and stone them,
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