Acts 15:12

Kept silence (esighsen). Ingressive first aorist active of sigaw, old verb, to hold one's peace. All the multitude became silent after Peter's speech and because of it. Hearkened (hkouon). Imperfect active of akouw, descriptive of the rapt attention, were listening. Unto Barnabas and Paul (Barnaba kai Paulou). Note placing Barnabas before Paul as in verse Matthew 25 , possibly because in Jerusalem Barnabas was still better known than Paul. Rehearsing (exhgoumenwn). Present middle participle of exhgeomai, old verb, to go through or lead out a narrative of events as in Luke 24:35 ; Acts 10:8 which see. Three times ( Acts 14:27 ; Acts 15:4 Acts 15:12 ) Paul is described as telling the facts about their mission work, facts more eloquent than argument (Page). One of the crying needs in the churches is fuller knowledge of the facts of mission work and progress with enough detail to give life and interest. The signs and wonders which God had wrought among the Gentiles set the seal of approval on the work done through (dia) Barnabas and Paul. This had been Peter's argument about Cornelius ( Acts 11:17 ). This same verb (exhghsato) is used by James in verse Acts 15:14 referring to Peter's speech.