Teks -- Acts 9:26 (NET)

Saul Returns to Jerusalem

9:26 When he arrived in Jerusalem, he attempted to associate with the disciples, and they were all afraid of him, because they did not believe that he was a disciple.

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

Robertson: Act 9:26 - He assayed

He assayed ( epeirazen ).

Imperfect active of conative action.

Robertson: Act 9:26 - To join himself

To join himself ( kollasthai ).

Present middle (direct) infinitive of conative action again. Same word kollaō in Luk 15:15; Act 10:28. See note on Mat 19:5 for discussion.

Robertson: Act 9:26 - Were all afraid of him

Were all afraid of him ( pantes ephobounto auton ).

They were fearing him. Imperfect middle picturing the state of mind of the disciples who had vivid recollections of his conduct when last here. What memories Saul had on this return journey to Jerusalem after three years. He had left a conquering hero of Pharisaism. He returns distrusted by the disciples and regarded by the Pharisees as a renegade and a turncoat. He made no effort to get in touch with the Sanhedrin who had sent him to Damascus. He had escaped the plots of the Jews in Damascus only to find himself the object of suspicion by the disciples in Jerusalem who had no proof of his sincerity in his alleged conversion.

Robertson: Act 9:26 - Not believing

Not believing ( mē pisteuontes ).

They had probably heard of his conversion, but they frankly disbelieved the reports and regarded him as a hypocrite or a spy in a new role to ruin them.

Robertson: Act 9:26 - Was

Was ( estin ).

The present tense is here retained in indirect discourse according to the common Greek idiom.

Vincent: Act 9:26 - Join himself

Join himself

See on Act 5:13; and Luk 15:15; and Luk 10:11.

Wesley: Act 9:26 - And coming to Jerusalem

Three years after, Gal 1:18. These three years St. Paul passes over, Act 22:17, likewise.

JFB: Act 9:26 - And when Saul was come to Jerusalem

"three years after" his conversion, and particularly "to see Peter" (Gal 1:18); no doubt because he was the leading apostle, and to communicate to him the prescribed sphere of his labors, specially to "the Gentiles."

JFB: Act 9:26 - he assayed to join himself to the disciples

Simply as one of them, leaving his apostolic commission to manifest itself.

JFB: Act 9:26 - they were all afraid of him, &c.

Knowing him only as a persecutor of the faith; the rumor of his conversion, if it ever was cordially believed, passing away during his long absence in Arabia, and the news of his subsequent labors in Damascus perhaps not having reached them.

Clarke: Act 9:26 - He assayed to join himself to the disciples

He assayed to join himself to the disciples - Επειρατο κολλασθαι, He endeavored to get closely united to them, to be in religious fellowship with them

Clarke: Act 9:26 - Believed not that he was a disciple

Believed not that he was a disciple - They did not suppose it possible that such a person could be converted to the faith of Christ. The full power of Divine grace, in the conversion of the soul, was not yet completely known.

Calvin: Act 9:26 - When Saul was

26.When Saul was These were yet hard entrances ⁶¹⁷ for Paul, who was as yet but a freshwater soldier, in that, when he had hardly escaped the hands of the enemies, the disciples would not receive him. For he might have seemed to have been so tossed to and fro, as it were, in mockery, that he could have no resting place. All his own nation was set against him for Christ’s cause. The Christians refuse him. Might he not have been quite discouraged and out of hope as one expelled out of men’s company? First, what remaineth but that he fall away from the Church, seeing he is not received? But when he remembereth the life which he had led aforetime he marvelleth not that they are afraid ⁶¹⁸ of him. Therefore, he doth patiently suffer the brethren to refuse his company, seeing they had just cause of fear. This was true conversion, that whereas he raged horribly before, he doth now valiantly suffer the storms of persecutions; and, in the mean season, when as he cannot be admitted into the company of the godly, he waiteth with a quiet mind until God reconcile them unto him. We must diligently note what he desireth, to wit, that he may be numbered amongst the disciples of Christ. This can he not obtain. Here is no ambition, but he was to be instructed by this means to make more account even of the lowest place amongst the disciples of Christ than of all masterships in corrupt and revolted ⁶¹⁹ synagogues, And from this submission was he exalted unto the highest degree of honor, that he might be the principal doctor of the Church, even unto the end of the world. But no man is fit to be a teacher in the Church save only he who willingly submitteth himself, ⁶²⁰ that he may be a fellow disciple with other men.

TSK: Act 9:26 - when // he assayed // but

when : Act 22:17, Act 26:20; Gal 1:17-19

he assayed : Act 9:19, Act 4:23

but : Mat 10:17-19, Mat 24:10; Gal 2:4

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

Poole: Act 9:26 - To join himself to // the disciples. They were all afraid of him // And believed not that he was a disciple

To join himself to to be admitted to intimate fellowship and communion with,

the disciples. They were all afraid of him Paul was sufficiently known by name and face at Jerusalem, and many had felt his rage.

And believed not that he was a disciple but how could the disciples be ignorant of his conversion so long, if it was three years after, as it seems by Gal 1:18 ? To answer which may be considered:

1. The great distance between Jerusalem and Damascus, six days’ journey.

2. The little correspondence between the kings of those places, Herod and Aretas.

3. The persecution which was at Jerusalem might hinder the converts of Damascus them going thither.

4. Paul might have spent a great part of the three years in his journey amongst the Arabians, of which before.

Gill: Act 9:26 - And when Saul was come to Jerusalem // he assayed to join himself to the disciples // But they were all afraid of him // and believed not that he was a disciple

And when Saul was come to Jerusalem,.... After he had escaped out of Damascus, in the manner before related, and which was three years after his conversion:

he assayed to join himself to the disciples; not to the private members of the church, or ordinary disciples, as distinct from the apostles, but to the whole society, as consisting of apostles and private Christians; for his chief view in going to Jerusalem was to see Peter; and the Ethiopic version reads, "to the apostles": the sense is, that he tried either to get into a free and familiar conversation with them, or to become one of their body, and a member of the church. He did not return to the high priest from whom he had received letters to Damascus, to give him an account of the execution of his commission, or what use he had made of the letters he gave him, but to the disciples, against whom he had breathed out threatenings and slaughter. Grace had made a strange alteration in him; those whom he hated, and was exceeding mad against, he now loves; they are the excellent ones in the earth in whom is all his delight; and whom he persecuted to strange cities, he now courts their company, and attempts to get among them; accounting it his greatest honour and happiness to be one of their society. It is the duty and interest of every gracious soul to join himself to a church of Christ, which consists of the disciples of Christ, as the church at Jerusalem did; of such who have learned Christ, and the way of life and salvation by him; who have believed in him, and have been taught to deny themselves for his sake, and to take up the cross and follow him, in the way of his ordinances and appointments; and to be "joined" to a church, is to become an open subject of Christ's kingdom, a citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem, one of the family of God, and a member of the body of Christ visibly. The phrase is expressive of that strict union there is between the saints in church relation, and of that close and intimate communion they have with each other, and shows that their incorporation together is by mutual consent and agreement. And a great privilege it is to be in such a relation, having the grace of God; for such have the best of company, and the most refreshing ordinances; are in the greatest safety, being under the watch and care of ministers and members, of angels, and of God himself; and shall never be disfranchised, or become foreigners and strangers; they may expect the presence of God, fresh supplies of his grace, and even life for evermore, and need fear no enemy. That which qualifies for church membership, is not natural descent from religious parents, nor a religious education, nor mere morality and civility, nor even a constant attendance on the word of God, but faith in Christ Jesus, and a profession of it; and according to the order of the Gospel it is necessary that baptism in water should go before it; and these qualifications the apostle had.

But they were all afraid of him; knowing him to have been such an enemy to Christ, and so violent a persecutor of his church in times past:

and believed not that he was a disciple; or a true follower of Christ, but only pretended to be one, having some wicked design upon them in attempting to get among them: the reason of their not knowing anything of his conversion might be, because not only of the distance between Damascus and Jerusalem, and the continuance of the persecution in the latter place, which might occasion few comers to and fro of the Christians; but because the apostle, soon after his conversion, went to Arabia, where he had been all this while. Hence it appears, that the primitive churches were very careful in the admission of persons into fellowship with them; as they could not bear them in their communion who were evil, so they would not admit any among them but such as they looked upon to be the true disciples of Christ: and this is a method worthy of imitation; and such persons who, before a profession of religion, have been either very scandalous in their lives and conversations, or notorious enemies to Christ and his Gospel, ought to be thoroughly examined into, and full satisfaction obtained concerning them, ere they be received into the bosom of the church.