Act 13:13-14 | RWP | e4.org | Paul and his company ( ο περ Παυλον ). Neat Greek idiom as in Plato, Cratylus 440 C ο περ Hερακλειτον . On this idiom see Gildersleeve, Syntax , p. 264. It means a man and his followers, "those around Paul." Now Paul ranks first always in Acts save in ; , for special reasons. Heretofore Saul (Paul) held a secondary position ( ; ; .). "In nothing is the greatness of Barnabas more manifest than in his recognition of the superiority of Paul and acceptance of a secondary position for himself" (Furneaux). Set sail ( αναχθεντες ). First aorist passive participle of αναγω . Thirteen times in the Acts and which see. They sailed up to sea and came down ( καταγω, καταβαινω ) to land. So it looks. Departed from them ( αποχωρησας απ' αυτων ). First aorist active participle of αποχωρεω , old verb to withdraw, go away from. In the N.T. only here and ; . He is called John there as in verse and Mark in , though John Mark in , . This may be accidental or on purpose (Deissmann, Bible Studies , p. 317). Luke is silent on John's reasons for leaving Paul and Barnabas. He was the cousin of Barnabas and may not have relished the change in leadership. There may have been change in plans also now that Paul is in command. Barnabas had chosen Cyprus and Paul has led them to Perga in Pamphylia and means to go on into the highlands to Antioch in Pisidia. There were perils of many sorts around them and ahead ( ), perils to which John Mark was unwilling to be exposed. Paul will specifically charge him at Antioch with desertion of his post ( ). It is possible, as Ramsay suggests, that the mosquitoes at Perga gave John malaria. If so, they bit Paul and Barnabas also. He may not have liked Paul's aggressive attitude towards the heathen. At any rate he went home to Jerusalem instead of to Antioch, zu seiner Mutter (Holtzmann). It was a serious breach in the work, but Paul and Barnabas stuck to the work.

‏ Acts 13:13-14

Paul and his company ( ο περ Παυλον ). Neat Greek idiom as in Plato, Cratylus 440 C ο περ Hερακλειτον. On this idiom see Gildersleeve, Syntax, p. 264. It means a man and his followers, "those around Paul." Now Paul ranks first always in Acts save in 14:2; 15:12, 25 for special reasons. Heretofore Saul (Paul) held a secondary position (9:27; 11:30; 13:1f.). "In nothing is the greatness of Barnabas more manifest than in his recognition of the superiority of Paul and acceptance of a secondary position for himself" (Furneaux).

Set sail ( αναχθεντες ). First aorist passive participle of αναγω. Thirteen times in the Acts and Lu 8:22 which see. They sailed up to sea and came down ( καταγω, καταβαινω ) to land. So it looks.

Departed from them ( αποχωρησας απ' αυτων ). First aorist active participle of αποχωρεω, old verb to withdraw, go away from. In the N.T. only here and Mt 7:23; Lu 9:39. He is called John there as in verse 5 and Mark in 15:39, though John Mark in 12:12, 25. This may be accidental or on purpose (Deissmann, Bible Studies, p. 317). Luke is silent on John's reasons for leaving Paul and Barnabas. He was the cousin of Barnabas and may not have relished the change in leadership. There may have been change in plans also now that Paul is in command. Barnabas had chosen Cyprus and Paul has led them to Perga in Pamphylia and means to go on into the highlands to Antioch in Pisidia. There were perils of many sorts around them and ahead (2Co 11:26), perils to which John Mark was unwilling to be exposed. Paul will specifically charge him at Antioch with desertion of his post (Ac 15:39). It is possible, as Ramsay suggests, that the mosquitoes at Perga gave John malaria. If so, they bit Paul and Barnabas also. He may not have liked Paul's aggressive attitude towards the heathen. At any rate he went home to Jerusalem instead of to Antioch, zu seiner Mutter (Holtzmann). It was a serious breach in the work, but Paul and Barnabas stuck to the work.

Passing through ( διελθοντες ). It is not clear why Paul and Barnabas left Perga so soon nor why they went to Antioch in Pisidia. Ramsay suggests malaria that spurred them on to the hills after the desertion of John Mark. They preached at Perga on the return (14:25) and apparently hurried away now. Farrar thinks that the hot weather had driven the population to the hills. At any rate it is not difficult to imagine the perils of this climb over the rough mountain way from Perga to Pisidian Antioch to which Paul apparently refers in 2Co 11:26.

Sat down ( εκαθισαν ). Ingressive aorist active indicative, took their seats as visiting Jews, possibly in the seats of the rabbis (J. Lightfoot). Whether they expected to be called on or not, they were given the opportunity as prominent visitors. The Pisidian Antioch was really in Phrygia, but towards Pisidia to distinguish it from Antioch on the Maeander (Ramsay, Church in the Roman Empire, p. 25). It was a colony like Philippi and so a free city. If Paul is referring to South Galatia and not North Galatia in Ga 4:13 when he says that his preaching in Galatia at first was due to illness, then it was probably here at Pisidian Antioch. What it was we have no means of knowing, though it was a temptation in his flesh to them so severe that they were willing to pluck out their eyes for him (Ga 4:14f.). Opthalmia, malaria, epilepsy have all been suggested as this stake in the flesh (2Co 12:7). But Paul was able to preach with power whatever his actual physical condition was.