Who were the Grecians in Acts 9? The reason why we know these “Grecians” are Greeks or Gentiles (and not Greek-speaking Jews) is that Barnabas goes to get Saul of Tarsus for him to minister to them (verse 25). If the Grecians here were Greek-speaking Jews (as in Acts 6:1 and Acts 9:29), there would be no reason for Saul to ever be involved with them.
Who are the “Grecians” in the Bible?
WHO ARE THE “GRECIANS” IN THE BIBLE? The Greek word rendered “Grecian” is “Hellenistes.” It appears three times in our King James Bible New Testament (Acts 6:1; Acts 9:29; Acts 11:20). While Hellas is the Greek name for Greece, the meaning of “Grecian” depends on the Bible context.
What is the meaning of Acts 9 29?
Acts 9:29 He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him.
Did Saul ever get involved with the Grecians?
If the Grecians here were Greek-speaking Jews (as in Acts 6:1 and Acts 9:29), there would be no reason for Saul to ever be involved with them.
How many times is Grecian mentioned in the New Testament?
It appears three times in our King James Bible New Testament (Acts 6:1; Acts 9:29; Acts 11:20). While Hellas is the Greek name for Greece, the meaning of “Grecian” depends on the Bible context.
Who are Hellenist in the Bible?
The Hebrews were Jewish Christians who spoke almost exclusively Aramaic, and the Hellenists were also Jewish Christians whose mother tongue was Greek. They were Greek-speaking Jews of the Diaspora, who returned to settle in Jerusalem. To identify them, Luke uses the term Hellenistai.
What does Hellenistic mean in the Bible?
What do you mean when you say Hellenistic? Hellenization, or Hellenism, refers to the spread of Greek culture that had begun after the conquest of Alexander the Great in the fourth century, B.C.E. One must think of the development of the eastern Mediterranean, really, in two major phases.
Are Greek and Gentiles the same?
Romans, Greeks, Syrians, Egyptians, and the like are classified merely as gentiles, goyim or nokrim." "The rabbis.. ..had one term for all non-Israelites, whether idolaters or farmers, liars or trustworthy, Greek or Roman." However, the attitudes of the Rabbis to gentiles were not simple or uniform.
What is diaspora in the Bible?
Diaspora, (Greek: “Dispersion”) Hebrew Galut (Exile), the dispersion of Jews among the Gentiles after the Babylonian Exile or the aggregate of Jews or Jewish communities scattered “in exile” outside Palestine or present-day Israel.
Was Paul a Hellenistic?
The Hellenistic Judaism is so intertwined with Paul's thought that the most obvious conclusion is that Paul has spent his youth and early years in a Hellenistic-Jewish milieu. This background clarifies many difficult passages in the letters of Paul and leads to a better understanding of his theology.
Where did the Hellenistic Jews come from?
Traditionally, “Hellenistic Judaism” was a designation for Judaism in the Greek-speaking world, including those Jews who spoke Greek and adopted (to some extent) a Greek way of life. It has been argued, however, that all Judaism after the conquests of Alexander was Hellenistic Judaism.
Who are the Gentiles today?
Gentile, person who is not Jewish. The word stems from the Hebrew term goy, which means a “nation,” and was applied both to the Hebrews and to any other nation.
Is the Bible Hebrew or Greek?
The books of the Christian New Testament are widely agreed to have originally been written in Greek, specifically Koine Greek, even though some authors often included translations from Hebrew and Aramaic texts.
Who are the lost sheep of Israel?
“We are the lost sheep of the house of Israel, or at least part of that family.” The first African Hebrew Israelites, as they call themselves, made their way from Chicago to Israel during the throes of the American civil rights movement.
Who is part of a diaspora?
The word diaspora comes from the ancient Greek dia speiro, meaning “to sow over.” The concept of diaspora has long been used to refer to the Greeks in the Hellenic world and to the Jews after the fall of Jerusalem in the early 6th century bce.
What is an example of a diaspora?
Diaspora describes people who have left their home country, usually involuntarily to foreign countries around the world. Examples of these communities include the removal of Jewish people from Judea, the removal of Africans through slavery, and most recently the migration, exile, and refugees of Syrians.
What makes someone a diaspora?
IOM defines diasporas as “migrants or descendants of migrants, whose identity and sense of belonging have been shaped by their migration experience and background.” (IOM Glossary on Migration, 2019) While the term was originally used to describe the forced displacement of certain peoples, "diasporas" is now generally ...
Where in the Bible does it say "Grecian"?
The word “Grecian” ( “Yĕvaniy” in Hebrew) appears a single time in the Old Testament. Notice Joel 3:6, “The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.”. This, of course, is Gentile in nature.
Who disputed against the Grecians?
“And he [Saul] spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him” (Acts 9:29). This instance seems to carry the meaning of the first (see Acts 6:1)—Jews who have adopted Greek culture.
Where did Barnabas go when he found Saul?
Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: [26] And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people. And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.”.
What does the Greek word "Grecian" mean?
The Greek word rendered “Grecian” is “Hellenistes.”. It appears three times in our King James Bible New Testament (Acts 6:1; Acts 9:29; Acts 11:20). While Hellas is the Greek name for Greece, the meaning of “Grecian” depends on the Bible context. Generally speaking, the word signifies anyone who identifies with Greek culture ...
Who was Noah's grandson?
Javan was Noah’s grandson, as stated in Genesis chapter 10: “ [2] The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan , and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras. [3] And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah. [4] And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. [5] By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.” (The Jewish bloodline came from Shem, Japheth’s brother—see verses 21-31. According to Genesis 11:10-27, Abram/Abraham, father of the Israelites, descended from Shem.)
Who was the Apostle Paul to go to?
Since God commissioned Saul (later known as the Apostle Paul) to go to Gentiles (Acts 9:15-16; Acts 26:16-18; et cetera), it is only naturally that Barnabas would seek Saul to minister to these new Gentile converts.
Where is the millennial reign of Christ mentioned?
We see “Javan” (or Greeks) mentioned in Isaiah 66:19, the Millennial Reign of Christ (future from us): “And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.”
Who defended the doctrine that Jesus was the Messiah?
And spake boldly - He openly defended the doctrine that Jesus was the Messiah.
Did Saul convert to Christianity?
Though Saul's conversion was and is a proof of the truth of Christianity, yet it could not, of itself, convert one soul at enmity with the truth ; for nothing can produce true faith, but that power which new-creates the heart. Believers are apt to be too suspicious of those against whom they have prejudices.
Was Stephen a Hellenist?
Stephen was a Hellenist, and it was among the Hellenists that his evangelical labors elderly lay and from whose enmity he met his death. Saul showed his dauntless spirit, and perhaps his deep compunction at the part he had taken in Stephen's death, by thus encountering their bitter and unrelenting enmity. Acts 9:29.
What did Acts 9:29 say about the Hellenists?
Acts 9:29 He talked and debated with the Grecian Jews, but they tried to kill him. He talked and debated with the Hellenistic Jews, but they tried to kill him. He debated with some Greek-speaking Jews, but they tried to murder him. And he spoke and disputed against the Hellenists. But they were seeking to kill him.
Who spoke to the Gentiles and disputed with the Greeks?
Douay-Rheims Bible. He spoke also to the Gentiles, and disputed with the Greeks; but they sought to kill him. English Revised Version. preaching boldly in the name of the Lord: and he spake and disputed against the Grecian Jews; but they went about to kill him.
What does Strong's 1675 mean?
Strong's 1675: From a derivative of Hellen; a Hellenist or Greek-speaking Jew.
What is Strong's 3588?
Strong's 3588: The, the definite article . Including the feminine he, and the neuter to in all their inflections; the definite article ; the.
Who did King James speak boldly in the name of?
But they were seeking to kill him. King James Bible. And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him. New King James Version. And he spoke boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus and disputed against the Hellenists, but they attempted to kill him. New American Standard Bible.
Who brought Saul to the apostles?
Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and described how Saul had seen the Lord, who spoke to him on the road to Damascus, and how Saul had spoken boldly in that city in the name of Jesus.
Who did Yeshua speak to?
He was always arguing with the Jews who spoke Greek, and so they tried to kill him. He spoke also to the Gentiles, and disputed with the Greeks; but they sought to kill him.
Who were the two leading apostles in Jerusalem?
Barnabas apparently knew him better and introduced him to the two leading apostles who were in Jerusalem at the time, Peter and James the Lord’s brother (26-27; Galatians 1:18-19 ).
What was Paul going to do in Damascus?
He was going to come in charging in with the papers from the high priest and start throwing people in prison who called upon the name of the Lord. But rather than coming in this manner, he is being led in blinded and being led by his friends into the city.
How did Saul make good use of his two weeks in Jerusalem?
Saul made good use of his two weeks in Jerusalem by preaching the good news of Jesus Christ. Not surprisingly, this made the Jews angry, as they were the ones who three years previously had sent him to crush Christianity. When they made plans to kill him, Saul escaped to his home town of Tarsus in Cilicia (28-30; Galatians 1:21 ).
Was Saul a Hellenist?
While Saul was in Jerusalem he resumed Stephen’s work of debating the Hellenistic Jews. He was himself a Hellenist, as Step hen apparently was, having been born and reared in Tarsus. Paul described himself as a Hebrew of the Hebrews (Philippians 3:5; cf. 2 Corinthians 11:22) by which he meant that his training in Jerusalem and his sympathies were more in line with the Hebrews than with the Hellenists. At first he enjoyed freedom in the city, but soon the unbelieving Jews tried to silence him too. Evidently Saul continued evangelizing in Jerusalem until it became obvious to the other believers that he must leave immediately or suffer death as Stephen had. They probably envisioned a recurrence of the persecution of the disciples that followed Stephen’s martyrdom.
Did the churches in Judea know Saul?
At that time the rest of the churches in Judea did not know Saul personally, but they certainly knew of his conversion, because without his fiery leadership the persecution had died down and the churches were left in peace (31; Galatians 1:22-24 ).
Did Paul persecute the church?
Now here's an interesting thing. Paul was actually persecuting the church, wasn't he? But notice how Jesus so completely identifies Himself with the church. Any persecution that you may receive is directed against Him. He is totally identified with His church. He didn't say, you know, "Why do you persecute My church?" Jesus said, "Why are you persecuting Me? For it is, I am the One that you are persecuting."
Who defended the doctrine that Jesus was the Messiah?
And spake boldly - He openly defended the doctrine that Jesus was the Messiah.
What is Acts 9 about?
Acts 9 is about Paul's conversion from being a Christian killing pharisee, into a Christian that the other pharisees seeked to kill…
Who were the Hellenists?
The 'Hellenists' were Diaspora Jews who had moved to Jerusalem and there joined the Jesus movement. They were distinguished from the 'Hebrews' led by Peter and companions by language and partly by cultural legacy. The Hebrews spoke Aramaic, the Hellenists Greek.
What were the Hellenistic Jews?
The Hellenistic Jews were Jews who were brought up in a Greek culture— that is, outside Palestine. They were Jews who had been scattered from Israel by either Assyrian captivity (721 B.C.) or Babylonian captivity (606 B.C.).
Where is Paul's argument in the Bible?
Paul’s argument regarding this truth is sourced in the Hebrew Bible, our Old Testament scriptures. To the believers in Rome, he writes (10:10-13)
Is Greek an indefinite article?
The Greek article comes from an old Indo-European demonstrative and, although its use does not exactly correspond to ours, in general, it is translated as a definite article. On the contrary, in Greek there is no indefinite article. In these cases, when a name appears without an article, or it is translated without an article or our indefinite article is used
Read Acts 9:29 Using Other Translations
And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus, and disputed against the Grecians: but they went about to slay him.
What does Acts 9:29 mean?
And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Jesus He spoke the Gospel of Christ boldly, as it ought to be spoken; he spoke it openly, publicly, freely, and faithfully, not fearing the faces or revilings of any: the Vulgate Latin and Ethiopic versions add, "to the Gentiles"; but this is not in any of the Greek copies: and disputed against the Grecians; or Hellenists, that is, the Hellenistical Jews; by whom are meant, not Greeks proselyted to the Jewish religion, but Jews who had been born and brought up in Greece, or at least had learned the Greek language, and used the Greek Bible; and so the Syriac version renders it, "he disputed with the Jews that knew Greek"; perhaps the same persons, of the synagogue of the Libertines, Alexandrians, Cyrenians, and of Cilicia and Asia, who disputed with Stephen, with whom he had before joined, ( Acts 6:9 Acts 6:10 ).
What did Alexander the Great expect from the places he conquered?
A: When Alexander the Great (356 – 323 B.C.) was attempting to “conquer the world,” he expected the places he conquered to adopt and love the Greek culture. Many Jews were a part of the lands he conquered, and many did indeed choose to adopt the language, customs, and culture of the Greeks. Those Jews (or anyone) who did so were called “Hellenists” (or “Grecians”), which simply means “to adopt the Greek way of life.” Even though they weren’t “born” Greek, they chose to live as Greeks.
Where did the New Testament quotes come from?
This translation became very popular, and scholars say that a number of New Testament quotes of the Old Testament were actually taken from the Septuagint. (Of course, the Hebraic Jews chose to use the traditional Old Testament written in Hebrew.) More Questions & Answers.
Did Hellenistic Jews live as Greeks?
Even though they weren’t “born” Greek, they chose to live as Greeks. On the other hand, there were also Jews who refused to become Hellenists. They chose to keep the Hebrew customs and culture, as their forefathers did. They continued to speak Hebrew / Aramaic, and strictly follow the Torah. Hellenistic Jews did not feel the need to follow ...
Did Hellenistic Jews follow the Hebrew way?
Hellenistic Jews did not feel the need to follow the Hebrew way so strictly. They were not as concerned with “keeping the law,” and following the ways of their forefathers. They were more tolerant and open towards Gentiles as well.
Who were included in the Bible before the stoning of Stephen?
The Jewish widows. Upon first reading this verse, someone may be tempted to point out to me, “You see, there it is in the Bible, the Gentiles were included before the stoning of Stephen, and were part of the daily ministry.”.
When the Holy Ghost fell at Pentecost, and each person heard them in their own tongue, we often think,?
When the Holy Ghost fell at Pentecost, and each person heard them in their own tongue, we often think, that there were Jews and Gentiles around experiencing the event. But the entire event is prefaced with the verse, Acts 2:5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem JEWS, devout men, out of every nation under heaven.
What happened after Stephen was stoned?
After the stoning of Stephen, we see the conversion of the Apostle Paul, Peter gets his vision concerning the Gentiles and goes to preach at Cornelius’ house, and the Holy Spirit falls on the Gentiles to the astonishment of the Jews (Acts 10:45.). I am not saying that the Jews were not ministered to after this event. Rather, all I’m saying is that from that point onwards, the Gospel was preached to both Jews and Gentiles, rather than just the Jews.
Why did the Greeks murmur against the Hebrews?
Acts 6:1 And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration.
Who were the first Gentiles to be converted?
It was this group that was apparently being neglected. It is generally accepted in history, that the first Gentiles to be converted was the house of Cornelius at the preaching of Peter in Acts 10.
Was Peter's audience Jewish?
It is further emphasized that the audience to the Pentecost outpouring was Jewish, by Peter’s continual reference, to “Ye Men of Israel” (Acts 2:22, Acts 3:12). I don’t dismiss that their were Eunuchs and Proselytes there, but again, according to the text, and the Peter’s use of pointed language (Acts 3:14), it can be said that the these persons were also Jewish.
Did Peter have a vision of the Gentiles?
It is important to remember that Peter had a vision concerning the Gentiles before he went to speak to the house of Cornelius, and what the Jews said, when the Holy Spirit fell on the Gentiles, is a good indication of if they had seen this happen before.
