SEV Biblia, Chapter 28:24
Y algunos asentían a lo que se decía, mas algunos no creían.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 28:24
Verse 24. Some believed, &c.] His message was there treated as his Gospel is to the present day: some believe, and are converted; others continue in obstinate unbelief, and perish. Could the Jews then have credited the spiritual nature of the Messiah's kingdom, they would have found little difficulty to receive Jesus Christ as the MESSIAH. Multitudes of those now called Christians can more easily credit Jesus as the Messiah than believe the spiritual nature of his kingdom. The cross is the great stumbling block: millions expect Jesus and his kingdom who cannot be persuaded that the cross is the way to the crown.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 24. And some believed the things which were spoken , etc.] By him, concerning the kingdom of God and Jesus Christ; even as many as were ordained unto eternal life, and to whom it was given to believe; for faith is the gift of God, and which comes by hearing of the word, when it is attended with a divine power; and then it is not only notionally understood, and barely assented to as truth, but is cordially believed and embraced, and cheerfully professed, and steadily held fast: this was not a mere historical faith, or a bare assent to the truth of the things spoken, nor a mere profession of faith in them, but a believing in Christ with the heart, the sum and substance of them; as they heard these things, their understandings were enlightened, and they saw their need of Christ, and the things of Christ, which were held forth in the ministry of the word; and so approved of them, savoured, relished, and fed upon them; and until this is the case, none can, nor will believe aright: and some believed not : notwithstanding the full proof, and clear evidence produced by the apostle: these were not of Christ’s sheep, their eyes were blinded, and their hearts were hardened, as was prophesied of them, and therefore they could not believe; they were given up to a judicial blindness and hardness of heart, and were left under the power of obstinate and invincible unbelief: their disbelief of these things arose from the prejudices they had conceived about a worldly kingdom; from the sufferings and death of Jesus Christ, they imagining the Messiah would not die, but abide for ever; from the carnal reasonings of their minds, about divine and spiritual things; and from the ignorance that was in them, because of the obduracy of their hearts. The kingdom the apostle testified of was not an Utopian kingdom, nor any of the real kingdoms of this world, but the kingdom of the Messiah they were expecting; but that which he described, being not such an one as they imagined, they believed him not: the things he said concerning Jesus were not trivial, speculative, and indifferent things; but of the greatest moment and importance, and of which there was full proof in their own writings; and though spoken by Paul, were no other than the word of God; and besides, were good news, and glad tidings, and yet they believed them not: this difference among them, some believing and some not believing, was not owing to the power and free will of man, as if some of themselves would, and did believe, and others would not, but to the distinguishing grace of God; for faith is not of man, it is the gift of God, it is the fruit of electing grace, and is given in consequence of it: nor is this any unusual thing, under the same ministration of the word, for one to believe, and another not believe: this is a common case, and is the usual success the Gospel meets with; so it always has been, and so it is, and will be; so it was in the times of Noah, he was a preacher of righteousness to the old world, even of the righteousness of faith, many were disobedient, few believed; and so it fared with the evangelical prophet Isaiah, and with Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, and other prophets of the Old Testament; and with John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ, and with Christ himself, as well as with our apostle; and this has been the case ever since his time, now is, and will be, as long as the Gospel is preached.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 23-31 - Paul persuaded the Jews concerning Jesus. Some were wrought upon by the word, and others hardened; some received the light, and others shu their eyes against it. And the same has always been the effect of the gospel. Paul parted with them, observing that the Holy Ghost had wel described their state. Let all that hear the gospel, and do not hee it, tremble at their doom; for who shall heal them, if God does not The Jews had afterwards much reasoning among themselves. Many have great reasoning, who do not reason aright. They find fault with on another's opinions, yet will not yield to truth. Nor will men' reasoning among themselves convince them, without the grace of God to open their understandings. While we mourn on account of such despisers we should rejoice that the salvation of God is sent to others, who wil receive it; and if we are of that number, we should be thankful to Hi who hath made us to differ. The apostle kept to his principle, to know and preach nothing but Christ and him crucified. Christians, when tempted from their main business, should bring themselves back with this question, What does this concern the Lord Jesus? What tendency ha it to bring us to him, and to keep us walking in him? The apostl preached not himself, but Christ, and he was not ashamed of the gospe of Christ. Though Paul was placed in a very narrow opportunity for being useful, he was not disturbed in it. Though it was not a wide doo that was opened to him, yet no man was suffered to shut it; and to man it was an effectual door, so that there were saints even in Nero' household, Php 4:22. We learn also from Php 1:13, how God overrule Paul's imprisonment for the furtherance of the gospel. And not the residents at Rome only, but all the church of Christ, to the presen day, and in the most remote corner of the globe, have abundant reaso to bless God, that during the most mature period of his Christian lif and experience, he was detained a prisoner. It was from his prison probably chained hand to hand to the soldier who kept him, that the apostle wrote the epistles to the Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians and Hebrews; epistles showing, perhaps more than any others, the Christian love with which his heart overflowed, and the Christia experience with which his soul was filled. The believer of the presen time may have less of triumph, and less of heavenly joy, than the apostle, but every follower of the same Saviour, is equally sure of safety and peace at the last. Let us seek to live more and more in the love of the Saviour; to labour to glorify Him by every action of ou lives; and we shall assuredly, by his strength, be among the number of those who now overcome our enemies; and by his free grace and mercy, be hereafter among the blessed company who shall sit with Him upon his throne, even as He also has overcome, and is sitting on his Father' throne, at God's right hand for evermore __________________________________________________________________
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ οι 3588 T-NPM μεν 3303 PRT επειθοντο 3982 5712 V-IPI-3P τοις 3588 T-DPN λεγομενοις 3004 5746 V-PPP-DPN οι 3588 T-NPM δε 1161 CONJ ηπιστουν 569 5707 V-IAI-3P
Robertson's NT Word Studies
28:24 {Some believed} (hoi men epeiqonto). Imperfect passive indicative of peiqw. More exactly, "some began to be persuaded" (inchoative). {Some disbelieved} (hoi de epistoun). Imperfect active of apistew, to disbelieve, continued to disbelieve. It is usually so.
