Teks -- Acts 18:5 (NET)

18:5 Now when Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul became wholly absorbed with proclaiming the word, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per frasa)

Robertson: Act 18:5 - Was constrained by the word

Was constrained by the word ( suneicheto tōi logōi ).

This is undoubtedly the correct text and not tōi pneumati of the Textus Receptus, but suneicheto is in my opinion the direct middle imperfect indicative, not the imperfect passive as the translations have it (Robertson, Grammar , p. 808). Paul held himself together or completely to the preaching instead of just on Sabbaths in the synagogue (Act 18:4). The coming of Silas and Timothy with the gifts from Macedonia (1Th 3:6; 2Co 11:9; Phi 4:15) set Paul free from tent-making for a while so that he began to devote himself (inchoative imperfect) with fresh consecration to preaching. See the active in 2Co 5:14. He was now also assisted by Silas and Timothy (2Co 1:19).

Robertson: Act 18:5 - Testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ

Testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ ( diamarturomenos tois Ioudaiois einai ton Christon Iēsoun ).

Paul’ s witness everywhere (Act 9:22; Act 17:3). This verb diamarturomenos occurs in Act 2:40 (which see) for Peter’ s earnest witness. Perhaps daily now in the synagogue he spoke to the Jews who came. Einai is the infinitive in indirect discourse (assertion) with the accusative of general reference. By ton Christon Paul means "the Messiah."His witness is to show to the Jews that Jesus of Nazareth is the Messiah.

Vincent: Act 18:5 - Was pressed in the spirit

Was pressed in the spirit ( συνείχετο τῷ πνεύματι )

Instead of spirit the best texts read λόγῳ , by the word. On pressed or constrained, see note on taken, Luk 4:38. The meaning is, Paul was engrossed by the word. He was relieved of anxiety by the arrival of his friends, and stimulated to greater activity in the work of preaching the word.

Wesley: Act 18:5 - And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia

Silas seems to have stayed a considerable time at Berea: but Timotheus had come to the apostle while he was at Athens, and been sent by him to comfort and confirm the Church at Thessalonica, 1Th 3:1-5. But now at length both Silas and Timotheus came to the apostle at Corinth.

Wesley: Act 18:5 - Paul was pressed in spirit

The more probably from what Silas and Timotheus related. Every Christian ought diligently to observe any such pressure in his own spirit, and if it agree with Scripture, to follow it: if he does not he will feel great heaviness.

JFB: Act 18:5-6 - And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia

That is, from Thessalonica, whither Silas had probably accompanied Timothy when sent back from Athens (see on Act 17:15).

JFB: Act 18:5-6 - Paul was pressed in the spirit

Rather (according to what is certainly the true reading) "was pressed with the word"; expressing not only his zeal and assiduity in preaching it, but some inward pressure which at this time he experienced in the work (to convey which more clearly was probably the origin of the common reading). What that pressure was we happen to know, with singular minuteness and vividness of description, from the apostle himself, in his first Epistles to the Corinthians and Thessalonians (1Co 2:1-5; 1Th 3:1-10). He had come away from Athens, as he remained there, in a depressed and anxious state of mind, having there met, for the first time, with unwilling Gentile ears. He continued, apparently for some time, laboring alone in the synagogue of Corinth, full of deep and anxious solicitude for his Thessalonian converts. His early ministry at Corinth was colored by these feelings. Himself deeply humbled, his power as a preacher was more than ever felt to lie in demonstration of the Spirit. At length Silas and Timotheus arrived with exhilarating tidings of the faith and love of his Thessalonian children, and of their earnest longing again to see their father in Christ; bringing with them also, in token of their love and duty, a pecuniary contribution for the supply of his wants. This seems to have so lifted him as to put new life and vigor into his ministry. He now wrote his FIRST EPISTLE TO THE THESSALONIANS, in which the "pressure" which resulted from all this strikingly appears. (See Introduction to First Thessalonians). Such emotions are known only to the ministers of Christ, and, even of them, only to such as "travail in birth until Christ be formed in" their hearers.

Clarke: Act 18:5 - When Silas and Timotheus were come

When Silas and Timotheus were come - We have seen, Act 17:13, that when Paul was obliged to leave Berea, because of the persecution raised up against him in that place, he left Silas and Timotheus behind; to whom he afterwards sent word to rejoin him at Athens with all speed. It appears, from 1Th 3:10, that, on Timothy’ s coming to Athens, Paul immediately sent him, and probably Silas with him, to comfort and establish the Church at Thessalonica. How long they labored here is uncertain, but they did not rejoin him till some time after he came to Corinth. It appears that he was greatly rejoiced at the account which Timothy brought of the Church at Thessalonica; and it must have been immediately after this that he wrote his first epistle to that Church, which is probably the first, in order of time, of all his epistles

Clarke: Act 18:5 - Paul was pressed in spirit

Paul was pressed in spirit - Συνειχετο τῳ πνευματι, or he was constrained by the Spirit of God, in an extraordinary manner, to testify to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. Instead of τῳ πνευματι, in the spirit, τῳ λογῳ, in the word or doctrine, is the reading of ABDE, three others; both the Syriac, Coptic, Vulgate, Basil, Chrysostom, and others. Griesbach has received this reading into the text, and Bp. Pearce thus paraphrases the verse: "And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul set himself, together with them, wholly to the word; i.e. he was fully employed, now that he had their assistance, it preaching the Gospel, called the word in Act 4:4; Act 16:6, Act 16:32; Act 17:11. St. Luke seems to have intended to express here something relating to St. Paul which was the consequence of the coming of Silas and Timotheus; and that was rather labouring with them more abundantly in preaching the word than his being "pressed in spirit."This appears to be the true sense of the word, and that τῳ λογῳ is the genuine reading there can be no doubt. Συνειχετο, which we translate pressed, and which the Vulgate translates instabat , Bp. Pearce thinks should be translated una cum illis instabat , he earnestly strove together with them, τῳ λογῳ, in preaching the word. The true sense is given by Calmet, Paul s’ employoit a precher encore avec plus d’ ardeur , Paul was employed with more ardour in preaching, and testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. From this time we hear no more of Silas; probably he died in Macedonia.

TSK: Act 18:5 - Silas // was // and testified // was Christ

Silas : Act 17:14, Act 17:15; 1Th 3:2

was : Act 4:20, Act 17:16; Job 32:18-20; Jer 6:11, Jer 20:9; Eze 3:14; Mic 3:8; Luk 12:50; 2Co 5:14; Phi 1:23 *Gr.

and testified : Act 18:28, Act 2:36, Act 9:22, Act 10:42, Act 17:3, Act 20:21; Joh 15:27; 1Pe 5:12

was Christ : or, is the Christ, Dan 9:25, Dan 9:26; Joh 1:41, Joh 3:28, Joh 10:24

Tafsiran/Catatan -- Catatan Kata/Frasa (per Ayat)

Poole: Act 18:5 - Were come from Macedonia // Pressed in the spirit // Jesus was Christ

Were come from Macedonia according as was ordered by him, Act 17:14,15 .

Pressed in the spirit more than ordinarily affected, the Spirit of God influencing his spirit, so that he felt an anguish or pain at the heart, as 2Co 2:4 ; such was his grief for the contumacy of the Jews, so great was his desire that they might be saved.

Jesus was Christ:

1. The Christ, or anointed, that excelled all other Christs or anointed ones, being anointed with oil above measure.

2. The Christ that was promised by the prophets.

Haydock: Act 18:5

No further mention is made of Silas in these Acts. Some martyrologists think he died in Macedonia by martyrdom. He is honoured in the Church as a saint, and sometimes, as well as St. Barnabas, obtains the title of apostle. (Calmet) See annotation, chap. xvi. ver. 37.

Gill: Act 18:5 - And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia // Paul was pressed in Spirit // and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ

And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia,.... Not from Berea in Macedonia, for from hence they came to the apostle while at Athens, and from whence he sent them, at least Timothy, to Thessalonica, to know the state of the saints there, as appears from 1Th 3:1 and from hence they now came to the apostle at Corinth: when

Paul was pressed in Spirit; either by the Holy Spirit, by which he was moved and stirred up to preach the Gospel more frequently, and more powerfully; for he had not always the same measure of the Spirit, or was not always under the same influence; or else in his own spirit, and so the Arabic version renders it, "grief beset the spirit of Paul"; his soul was filled with trouble and sorrow, when he observed the nonrepenitence and unbelief, the contradiction and blasphemy of the greater part of the Jews; and being filled with zeal for their welfare, he continued preaching Christ unto them. The Alexandrian copy, and some others, and the Vulgate Latin and Syriac versions, instead of "in spirit", read "in speech", or "in word"; and the sense is, not that he was straitened in his speech, and knew not what to say to the Jews, or had not freedom of speech with them; but he was instant in preaching to them, and preached the word more frequently and fervently, upon the coming of Silas and Timothy to his assistance:

and testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ; he continued to produce more testimonies out of the writings of Moses, and the prophets, to prove that Jesus of Nazareth was the Christ, or Messiah, prophesied of in those writings, and promised to the Jews, and whom they expected.