SEV Biblia, Chapter 18:23
Y habiendo estado allí algn tiempo, sali, andando por orden la provincia de Galacia, y Frigia, confirmando a todos los discípulos.
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Acts 18:23
Verse 23. Went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia] Both were provinces of Asia Minor: see on chap. ii. 10. In order] kaqexhv, A word peculiar to St. Luke; see his Gospel, Luke i. 3; viii. 1; and his history of the Acts, chap. iii. 24; xi. 4, and the place above; the only places where this word occurs in the New Testament. It properly signifies, in order, distinctly, particularly; from kata, according to, and exh, order, as opposed to confusion, indistinctness, &c. If St. Paul went up to Jerusalem at this time, which we are left to infer, for Luke has not expressed it, (chap. xviii. 22,) it was his fourth journey thither; and this is generally supposed to have been the twenty-first year after his conversion.
His first journey is mentioned chap. ix. 26; his second, chap. xi. 30; his third, chap. xv. 4; and his fourth, ver. 22, the place above.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 23. And after he had spent some time there , etc.] At Antioch: he departed ; from thence: and went over all the country of Galatia and Phrygia in order, strengthening all the disciples ; that were in those parts, confirming them in the faith of Christ, and fortifying their minds against the temptations of Satan, and encouraging them to bear the reproaches and persecutions of men; which shows the affection, diligence, and industry of the apostle: it seems there were disciples in these countries of Galatia and Phrygia, which very likely were made by the apostle, when he passed trough those places, ( Acts 16:6) and who were the beginning of Gospel churches in these places, which continued for ages after: certain it is, there were churches in Galatia in the apostles time, of whom he makes mention, and to whom he wrote, ( 1 Corinthians 16:1, Galatians 1:2). According to the apostolical constitutions, Crescens, mentioned ( 2 Timothy 4:10) was appointed by the apostles bishop of the churches of Galatia; and particularly it is said, that he was bishop of Chalcedon in Galatia; (see Gill on Luke 10:1) and in the second century, there was a church at Ancyra, which was disturbed by the heresy of Montanus, and was established by Apolinarius, who makes mention of the elders of this church f953 : in the third century there were churches in Galatia, which Stephen bishop of Rome threatened with excommunication, because they rebaptized heretics: in the beginning of the fourth century, there were bishops from hence, which assisted at the council of Nice, against Arius, and at the synod of Sardica, in the same century; and at the beginning of it, Clemens bishop of Ancyra, after he had taught twenty nine years, suffered much in the persecution of Dioclesian, first at Rome, then at Nicomedia, and at last was put to death by the sword; in this age also lived Basil, bishop of Ancyra, under Constantius; he first came to the bishopric of that place under Constantine, but being deprived of it for four years, was restored by Constantius in the council of Sardica; under the former he disputed against Photinus, as Epiphanius relates; who makes mention of Anysius his deacon, and Eutyches and Theodulus his notaries; and the same writer f955 takes notice of several elders and officers of the same church in that age, as Photinus, Eustathius, another Photinus, and Sigerius, elders, Hyginus deacon, Heracides subdeacon, Elpidus reader, and Cyriacus president of the church: in the fifth century, there were many churches in Galatia, yea, they are said to be innumerable; Leontius was bishop of Ancyra in the times of Arcadius and Honorius; and was succeeded by Theodotus, who was in the first Ephesine synod against Nestorius, as was also Eusebius bishop of the same church, at another synod in the same place; Anastasius was bishop of the said church, lived under the emperor Leo the first, and was at the synod of Constantinople; Meliphthongus, bishop of Juliopolis in the same country, assisted at several synods; Eusebius, bishop of Aspona in Galatia, was present in the first synod at Ephesus, against Nestorius; likewise Peter bishop of Gangrae, and Theoctistus bishop of Pessinus, both lived in the time of the two synods, the infamous one at Ephesus, and the other at Chalcedon: in the sixth century, there were bishops of Ancyra, Juliopolis, and other cities in Galatia, who were present at the Roman and Constantipolitan synod; in this age, under Anastasius the emperor, lived Dorotheus bishop of Ancyra: in the seventh century were present, at the sixth council at Constantinople, several bishops of the churches of Galatia; as of Sinope, Pessinus, Aspona, and others: in the eighth century, mention is made of Basil, bishop of the church at Ancyra, Nicodemus bishop of Didymi, Gregory bishop of Sinope: and even in the ninth century a garrison of Christians was placed in Ancyra, against the incursions of the Saracens f956 ; so long the Christian name remained in those parts: and that there were also churches in Phrygia is as evident; Aristarchus, a companion of the apostle Paul, is said to be bishop of Apamea, which was a city in Phrygia; (see Gill on Luke 10:1) the second century, Papias, a disciple of the Apostle John, was bishop of Hierapolis in this country f957 ; and in the same age there was a church at Philomelium in Phrygia, to which the church at Smyrna wrote a letter, still extant in Eusebius f958 , which gives an account of the martyrdom of Polycarp; likewise the church at Lyons, in France, sent a letter to the churches in Asia and Phrygia, giving an account of their martyrs, which is to be seen in the same writer f959 ; in this century lived Apolinarius, bishop of Hierapolis, who opposed the Phrygian heresy of Montanus; and who makes mention of Zoticus, of the village of Comana, and Julianus of Apamea, both in Phrygia, as his fellow elders and bishops f960 : Dionysius, of Alexandria, speaks of a church, and of the brethren at Synnada, which was in Phrygia, in a letter of his to Philemon, a presbyter at Rome f961 ; at Lampsacus in Phrygia, there were martyrs that suffered under Decius: in the third century, there was a church at Hierapolis, famous from the times of the apostles. Tertullian makes mention of the believers in Christ in Phrygia, in his time f962 : in the beginning of the fourth century under Dioclesian, a whole city in Phrygia of Christians was set on fire and burnt, men, women, and children, calling upon Christ the God of all f963 ; and at the council of Nice, under Constantine, were present bishops of many churches in Phrygia; as Ilium, Synnada, Eucarpia, Hierapolis, and others; at Lampsacus, in this country, was held a memorable synod against Eudoxus and Acacius, the chief of the Arian faction: in the fifth century there were churches in Phrygia; Theodosius and Agapetus were bishops of Synnada in Phrygia Pacatiana; Marinianus, bishop of the same place, was present at the several synods in this century; Nunechius of Laodicea, Gennadius of Acmonii, Thomas and Olympius, both of Theodosiopolis, Lucianus of Ipsa, Albertus of Hierapolis, Eusebius of Doryleus, with many others, all in Phrygia, are made mention of in history: in the sixth century, several bishops of Phrygia, as of Philomelium, etc. were present at the synod held at Rome and Constantinople: in the seventh century, bishops of several churches in this country, as of Hierapolis, Synnada, etc. assisted at the sixth synod at Constantinople: in the eighth century were many churches here, whose bishops were present at the Nicene synod, as Basil, bishop of Pergamus, Nicetas of Ilium, John of Synnada, and others f964 .
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 18-23 - While Paul found he laboured not in vain, he continued labouring. Ou times are in God's hand; we purpose, but he disposes; therefore we mus make all promises with submission to the will of God; not only i providence permits, but if God does not otherwise direct our motions. very good refreshment it is to a faithful minister, to have for awhil the society of his brethren. Disciples are compassed about with infirmity; ministers must do what they can to strengthen them, be directing them to Christ, who is their Strength. Let us earnestly seek in our several places, to promote the cause of Christ, forming plan that appear to us most proper, but relying on the Lord to bring them to pass if he sees good.
Greek Textus Receptus
και 2532 CONJ ποιησας 4160 5660 V-AAP-NSM χρονον 5550 N-ASM τινα 5100 X-ASM εξηλθεν 1831 5627 V-2AAI-3S διερχομενος 1330 5740 V-PNP-NSM καθεξης 2517 ADV την 3588 T-ASF γαλατικην 1054 A-ASF χωραν 5561 N-ASF και 2532 CONJ φρυγιαν 5435 N-ASF επιστηριζων 1991 5723 V-PAP-NSM παντας 3956 A-APM τους 3588 T-APM μαθητας 3101 N-APM
Robertson's NT Word Studies
18:23 {Having spent some time} (poiesas cronon tina). Literally, having done some time. How long we do not know, probably not long. There are those who place the visit of Peter here to which Paul alludes in #Ga 2:11ff. and which we have located while Paul was here the last time (#Ac 15:35). {He departed} (exelqen). Thus simply and alone Paul began the third mission tour without a Barnabas or a Silas. {Went through} (diercomenos). Present middle participle, going through. {The region of Galatia and Phrygia} (ten Galatikn ch"ran kai Phrygian). See on Ac 16:6 for discussion of this phrase, here in reverse order, passing through the Galatic region and qen Phrygia. Does Luke mean Lycaonia (Derbe and Lystra) and Phrygia (Iconium and Pisidian Antioch)? Or does he mean the route west through the old Galatia and the old Phrygia on west into Asia? The same conflict exists here over the South Galatian and the North Galatian theories. Phrygia is apparently distinguished from the Galatic region here. It is apparently A.D. 52 when Paul set out on this tour. {In order} (kaqexes). In succession as in #11:4, though the names of the cities are not given. {Stablishing} (sterizwn). As he did in the second tour (#15:41, episterizwn, compound of this same verb) which see.
