SEV Biblia, Chapter 21:19
a los cuales, cuando los hubo saludado, contó en detalle lo que Dios había hecho entre los gentiles por su ministerio.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 21:19
Verse 19. Declared particularly, &c.] He no doubt had heard that they were prejudiced against him; and, by declaring what God had done by him among the Gentiles, showed how groundless this prejudice was: for, were he a bad man, or doing any thing that he should not do, God would not have made him such a singular instrument of so much good.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 19. And when he had saluted them , etc.] James and the elders with him; which was either done by a kiss, as the Arabic version adds; or by asking of their health, and wishing a continuance of it, and all prosperity to attend them: the Ethiopic version reads, they saluted him ; and no doubt the salutations were reciprocal: he declared particularly what things God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ministry ; it is very likely that this account begins where that ends, which he had delivered in the presence of James, and others, some years ago, ( Acts 15:12) and takes in all his travels and ministry, and the success of it; not only in Syria, Cilicia, and Lycaonia, after he had set out from Antioch again, but in Macedonia, Achaia, and Asia; as at Philippi, Thessalonica, Berea, Athens, Corinth, Ephesus, and elsewhere: he declared, what multitudes of souls were converted, and what numbers of churches were planted; and this he ascribes not to himself, but to the power and grace of God, which had attended his ministry; he was only an instrument, God was the efficient, and ought to have the glory.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 19-26 - Paul ascribed all his success to God, and to God they gave the praise God had honoured him more than any of the apostles, yet they did no envy him; but on the contrary, glorified the Lord. They could not d more to encourage Paul to go on cheerfully in his work. James and the elders of the church at Jerusalem, asked Paul to gratify the believin Jews, by some compliance with the ceremonial law. They thought it wa prudent in him to conform thus far. It was great weakness to be so fon of the shadows, when the substance was come. The religion Pau preached, tended not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it. He preache Christ, the end of the law for righteousness, and repentance and faith in which we are to make great use of the law. The weakness and evil of the human heart strongly appear, when we consider how many, even of the disciples of Christ, had not due regard to the most eminent ministe that even lived. Not the excellence of his character, nor the succes with which God blessed his labours, could gain their esteem an affection, seeing that he did not render the same respect as themselve to mere ceremonial observances. How watchful should we be agains prejudices! The apostles were not free from blame in all they did; an it would be hard to defend Paul from the charge of giving way too muc in this matter. It is vain to attempt to court the favour of zealots or bigots to a party. This compliance of Paul did not answer, for the very thing by which he hoped to pacify the Jews, provoked them, an brought him into trouble. But the all-wise God overruled both their advice and Paul's compliance with it, to serve a better purpose tha was intended. It was in vain to think of pleasing men who would be pleased with nothing but the rooting out of Christianity. Integrity an uprightness will be more likely to preserve us than insincer compliances. And it should warn us not to press men to doing what is contrary to their own judgment to oblige us.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ ασπασαμενος 782 5666 V-ADP-NSM αυτους 846 P-APM εξηγειτο 1834 5711 V-INI-3S καθ 2596 PREP εν 1520 A-ASN εκαστον 1538 A-ASN ων 3739 R-GPN εποιησεν 4160 5656 V-AAI-3S ο 3588 T-NSM θεος 2316 N-NSM εν 1722 PREP τοις 3588 T-DPN εθνεσιν 1484 N-DPN δια 1223 PREP της 3588 T-GSF διακονιας 1248 N-GSF αυτου 846 P-GSM
Robertson's NT Word Studies
21:19 {He rehearsed} (exegeito). Imperfect middle of exegeomai, old verb to lead out, to draw out in narrative, to recount. So Paul is pictured as taking his time for he had a great story to tell of what had happened since they saw him last. {One by one} (kaq' hena hekaston). According to each one (item) and the adverbial phrase used as an accusative after the verb exegeito as Demosthenes does (1265), though it could be like kaq' hena hekastos in #Eph 5:33. {Which} (hwn). Genitive attracted from ha (accusative) into the case of the unexpressed antecedent toutwn. {God had wrought} (epoiesen ho qeos). Summary constative aorist active indicative that gathers up all that God did and he takes pains to give God the glory. It is possible that at this formal meeting Paul observed an absence of warmth and enthusiasm in contrast with the welcome accorded by his friends the day before (verse #17). Furneaux thinks that Paul was coldly received on this day in spite of the generous offering brought from the Gentile Christians. "It looks as though his misgiving as to its reception (#Ro 15:31) was confirmed. Nor do we hear that the Christians of Jerusalem later put in so much as a word on his behalf with either the Jewish or the Roman authorities, or expressed any sympathy with him during his long imprisonment at Caesarea" (Furneaux). The most that can be said is that the Judaizers referred to by James do not appear actively against him. The collection and the plan proposed by James accomplished that much at any rate. It stopped the mouths of those lions.
