The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (155 page)

17:19 the Are-opagus
: Or, "the hill of Ares" (the Greek god of war). It refers both to a low hill in Athens and to a council of elders who met there as professional consultants to discuss Greek education, philosophy, and religion. 
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17:23 the objects of your worship
: The Greeks venerated a vast pantheon of gods. Because they feared offending the gods through neglect, they built shrines for unnamed gods to ensure that every deity was properly honored. To an unknown god: One tradition links the Cretan poet and philosopher Epimenides with such an altar. The story is told that a panel of elders summoned him from Crete to drive away a plague that ravaged Athens in the sixth century
B.C.
Epimenides counseled the city leaders on this matter, and when his advice proved successful in lifting the plague, the Athenians built memorial altars on the slope of the Are-opagus (17:19) to honor and remember the unnamed god who saved them. Paul, who excerpts from the writings of Epimenides in 17:28 and Tit 1:12, alludes to this tradition to build a bridge for the gospel, stating that God, although unknown to Athens by name, deserves the honor of all. Unlike the lifeless idols of Greece, Yahweh is the living Creator of all things and does not inhabit man-made shrines or statues (17:24; CCC 287). 
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17:26 every nation of men
: The entire human family stems from one common ancestor, the first man, Adam (Gen 2:7- 8). • The mention of national boundaries recalls how God made 70 nations spring from the sons of Noah and apportioned land for them in Europe (Japheth), Africa (Ham), and Asia (Shem) after the Flood (Gen 10; Deut 32:8; CCC 57, 360). 
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17:27 they should seek God
: God revealed himself openly to Israel but expected all nations to recognize his existence and goodness by reflecting on the visible world (14:17; Rom 1:1920; CCC 32, 2566). 
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17:28 In him . . . our being
: Probably a citation from the Greek poet Epimenides, who wrote in the sixth century
B.C.
The line summarizes Paul's teaching that God created and sustains the world (CCC 301). we are indeed his offspring: Cited from the
Phaenomena,
a work by the Greek writer Aratus, who wrote in the third century
B.C.
Paul cites Greek poetry elsewhere, in 1 Cor 15:33 and Tit 1:12. 
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17:32 the resurrection:
A strange and scandalous notion to Athenian ears. The Greeks believed only in the immortality of the soul; the body, they thought, was a prison from which the soul would be happily liberated at death (CCC 996). 
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17:34 Dionysius:
One tradition identifies him as the first bishop of Athens. Other traditions link him with mystical writings from Syria that probably date to the fifth century
A.D.
 
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18:1 Corinth:
The capital of the Roman province of Achaia (southern Greece) and one of the leading commercial and tourist centers of the Mediterranean world. It was home to numerous Greco-Roman religious cults and at least one Jewish synagogue. The Corinthians had a tarnished reputation for sexual impurity and ruthless business tactics. Paul arrived in the city around
A.D.
51 and would later address several letters to the community: 1 and 2 Corinthians, and at least one letter that has not survived (1 Cor 5:9). 
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18:2 Aquila:
He and his wife were Jewish Christians recently come from Rome. The couple worked closely with Paul in Corinth (18:3), moved on from there to Ephesus (18:18-19), and eventually made it back to Rome (Rom 16:3-5). They were longtime supporters of his apostolic work (1 Cor 16:19; 2 Tim 4:19).
Claudius:
The Roman Caesar from
A.D.
41 to 54. He expelled the Jewish population of Rome from the capital in
A.D.
49 because of disturbances instigated by a certain "Chrestus". Many scholars take this as a reference to Christ (Lat.
Christus
) and suggest the commotion was caused by disputes over the messiahship of Jesus in the synagogue communities of the city. 
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18:5 Silas and Timothy:
Arrived from Beroea (17:14). It was about this time that Paul wrote his NT letters to the Thessalonians (1 Thess 1:1; 2 Thess 1:1). 
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18:6 shook out his garments:
Paul symbolically refused to bear responsibility for the rejection of the gospel by Corinthian Jews (13:51). Their refusal called down a curse of bloodguilt upon themselves.
See note on Acts 5:28
. 
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18:7 a worshiper of God:
Titius was a righteous Gentile or "God-fearer" attracted to Judaism.
See note on Acts 10:2
. 
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18:8 Crispus:
The leading synagogue elder who was personally baptized by Paul (1 Cor 1:14). 
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18:10 I am with you:
The Lord assures Paul of divine protection and success during his Corinthian ministry. • Paul is comforted with words spoken many times to the patriarchs and prophets of the OT (Gen 26:24; 28:15; Ex 3:12; Judg 6:12; Jer 1:8). 
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18:12 Gallio:
An archeological discovery in Greece (Delphi) indicates he was proconsul of Achaia from
A.D.
51 to 52. He was the older brother of the famous Roman philosopher Seneca. 
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18:13 contrary to the law:
Roman law recognized and protected numerous religions in the empire, including Judaism. The Jews, attempting to discredit the Christian message and disassociate the budding Church from Judaism, accused Paul of promoting a new religion that was neither recognized nor authorized by Rome. Gallio dismissed the charge because he considered the matter an intramural debate among the Jews to be settled in the synagogue (18:15). 
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18:17 Sosthenes:
Possibly the associate of Paul mentioned in 1 Cor 1:1. If so, he was the second synagogue ruler, after Crispus (18:8), to become a Christian in Corinth. 
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18:18 Cenchre-ae:
An eastern seaport on the isthmus near Corinth. A Church was eventually founded there as well (Rom 16:1).
he had a vow:
A temporary commitment to abstain from cutting the hair (Num 6:5). The vow was probably a gesture of thanksgiving for God's deliverance (18:10), and its completion involved shaving the head. For another example of Paul performing Jewish ceremonial rites, see 21:23-26 (CCC 2102). 
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18:22 he went up:
Suggests Paul made a short visit to Jerusalem, which sits 2,500 feet above sea level. 
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18:23-21:15
Paul's third missionary journey, from
A.D.
53 to 58. He began his overland travel through southern Galatia (18:23), spent much of his time in Ephesus (20:31), and ended the tour in Jerusalem (21:17). 
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18:24 Apollos:
A convert from Judaism whose extensive knowledge of the OT made him an effective Christian apologist (18:28). After a ministry in Ephesus, where his own understanding of the faith was deepened and refined (18:26), he moved on to Corinth to follow up on the work that Paul had begun (19:1; 1 Cor 3:6).
Alexandria:
A port city on the northern coast of Egypt. It was home to a large settlement of Jews and was the second largest city in the Mediterranean world after Rome. 
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18:26 the way:
A code name for the early Christian movement.
See note on Acts 9:2
. 
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19:1 Ephesus:
The most distinguished city in the Roman province of Asia (southwest Turkey). As a cultural, commercial, and religious center, it drew tourists and entrepreneurs from all over the Mediterranean, and by NT times it was hailed the fourth largest city in the Roman Empire. Ephesus was also the guardian of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world: the temple of Artemis (19:24). 
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19:2 never even heard:
Only fragments of the gospel reached Ephesus before Paul's arrival. This small band of disciples knew only the baptism of John and nothing of sacramental Baptism or the gift of the Holy Spirit. 
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19:6 laid his hands:
For the distinction between this gesture and Baptism,
See note on Acts 8:16
. 
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19:9 the Way:
A code name for the early Christian movement.
See note on Acts 9:2
.
the hall of Tyrannus:
An educational facility or lecture hall for addressing large numbers. 
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19:10 two years:
Paul's longest missionary stop in Acts. Adding the previous "three months" of preaching in the synagogue (19:8), his work in Ephesus extended just beyond the years
A.D.
53 to 55 toward a third year (20:31). He wrote 1 Corinthians at some point during his stay (1 Cor 16:8).
all the residents of Asia:
Prolonged evangelization led eventually to the founding of Churches in numerous Asian cities during NT times, such as Collosae, Laodicea, Hierapolis, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, and Philadelphia (Col 1:2; 4:13; Rev 1:11). 
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19:11 extraordinary miracles:
Divine power flowed so powerfully through Paul that even his work clothes were used to drive away demons and diseases. He wore the "handkerchiefs" around his head, and the "aprons" he tied around his waist (19:12). • According to Catholic tradition, the bodies of the saints and even their belongings can occasion great miracles in the presence of faith. This perspective on the efficacy of holy relics is corroborated by other biblical passages (2 Kings 13:21; Mt 14:36; Mk 5:27-30).
See note on Acts 5:15
. 
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19:13 Jewish exorcists:
The profession was recognized in Judaism, sometimes in connection with the power over spirits given to Solomon, the son of David (Wis 7:20; Mt 12:22-27). 
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