The Meaning of Acts 15:35 Explained

Acts 15:35

KJV: Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

YLT: And Paul and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and proclaiming good news -- with many others also -- the word of the Lord;

Darby: And Paul and Barnabas stayed in Antioch, teaching and announcing the glad tidings, with many others also, of the word of the Lord.

ASV: But Paul and Barnabas tarried in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Paul  also  and  Barnabas  continued  in  Antioch,  teaching  and  preaching  the word  of the Lord,  with  many  others  also. 

What does Acts 15:35 Mean?

Context Summary

Acts 15:22-41 - "confirming The Churches"
This letter was a noble document and fitted for its immediate purpose, but it does not apply directly to us, as the circumstances which called it forth have long since passed away. It was explicit in denying that the rite of circumcision was needful for salvation. It bore ample testimony to the character and work of the two great missionaries whose action had been impugned. It denounced the false teachers whose intrusion had broken the peace of the Church, and laid down the principles which had been embodied in James' speech. Notice the conjunction of the Holy Spirit with the persons who issued this letter, Acts 15:28. Here is convincing proof that the Spirit of God is a person; that He presides in the Church; and that He is willing to become our guide and teacher whenever we are perplexed.
The arrival of Judas and Silas, attesting by their presence the importance that the mother church attached to the question at issue, and the reading of the letter, brought great relief to the believers at Antioch, and a blessed season of teaching and preaching ensued.
It is unpleasant to see the contention between the two leaders over John Mark, but God overruled it for good and Paul could later write to Timothy, "Take Mark and bring him with thee; for he is useful to me for ministering," 2 Timothy 4:11, r.v. [source]

Chapter Summary: Acts 15

1  Great dissensions arise regarding circumcision
5  The apostles consult about it,
22  and send their determination by letters to the churches
36  Paul and Barnabas, thinking to visit the brothers together,
39  disagree, and travel different ways

Greek Commentary for Acts 15:35

Tarried [διετριβον]
Imperfect active of διατριβω — diatribō old verb to pass time, seen already in Acts 12:19; Acts 14:3, Acts 14:28. [source]
With many others also [μετα και ετερων πολλων]
A time of general revival and naturally so after the victory at Jerusalem. It is at this point that it is probable that the sad incident took place told by Paul in Galatians 2:11-21. Peter came up to see how things were going in Antioch after Paul‘s victory in Jerusalem. At first Peter mingled freely with the Greek Christians without the compunctions shown at Caesarea and for which he had to answer in Jerusalem (Acts 11:1-18). Rumours of Peter‘s conduct reached Jerusalem and the Judaizers saw a chance to reopen the controversy on the line of social customs, a matter not passed on at the Jerusalem Conference. These Judaizers threaten Peter with a new trial and he surrenders and is followed by Barnabas and all the Jewish brethren in Antioch to the dismay of Paul who boldly rebuked Peter and Barnabas and won them back to his view. It was a crisis. Some would even date the Epistle to the Galatians at this time also, an unlikely hypothesis. [source]

Reverse Greek Commentary Search for Acts 15:35

Acts 18:23 Having spent some time [ποιησας χρονον τινα]
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 Galatians 2:11. and which we have located while Paul was here the last time (Acts 15:35). [source]

What do the individual words in Acts 15:35 mean?

Paul however and Barnabas stayed in Antioch teaching proclaiming the good news with also others many the word of the Lord
Παῦλος δὲ καὶ Βαρνάβας διέτριβον ἐν Ἀντιοχείᾳ διδάσκοντες εὐαγγελιζόμενοι μετὰ καὶ ἑτέρων πολλῶν τὸν λόγον τοῦ Κυρίου

Παῦλος  Paul 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Παῦλος  
Sense: Paul was the most famous of the apostles and wrote a good part of the NT, the 4 Pauline epistles.
δὲ  however 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: δέ  
Sense: but, moreover, and, etc.
Βαρνάβας  Barnabas 
Parse: Noun, Nominative Masculine Singular
Root: Βαρναβᾶς  
Sense: the surname of Joses or Joseph, a Levite, a native of Cyprus He was a distinguished Christian teacher and companion and colleague of Paul.
διέτριβον  stayed 
Parse: Verb, Imperfect Indicative Active, 3rd Person Plural
Root: διατρίβω  
Sense: to rub between, rub hard.
Ἀντιοχείᾳ  Antioch 
Parse: Noun, Dative Feminine Singular
Root: Ἀντιόχεια  
Sense: Capital of Syria, situated on the river Orontes, founded by Seleucus Nicanor in 300 B.
διδάσκοντες  teaching 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Active, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: διδάσκω  
Sense: to teach.
εὐαγγελιζόμενοι  proclaiming  the  good  news 
Parse: Verb, Present Participle Middle, Nominative Masculine Plural
Root: εὐαγγελίζω  
Sense: to bring good news, to announce glad tidings.
καὶ  also 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: καί  
Sense: and, also, even, indeed, but.
ἑτέρων  others 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: ἀλλοιόω 
Sense: the other, another, other.
πολλῶν  many 
Parse: Adjective, Genitive Masculine Plural
Root: πολύς  
Sense: many, much, large.
λόγον  word 
Parse: Noun, Accusative Masculine Singular
Root: λόγος  
Sense: of speech.
τοῦ  of  the 
Parse: Article, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root:  
Sense: this, that, these, etc.
Κυρίου  Lord 
Parse: Noun, Genitive Masculine Singular
Root: κύριος  
Sense: he to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master, lord.