Albert Barnes Commentary Acts 9:31

"So the church throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria had peace, being edified; and, walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, was multiplied." — Acts 9:31 (ASV)

Then had the churches rest. That is, the persecutions against Christians ceased. Those persecutions had been incited by the opposition made to Stephen (Acts 11:19); they had been greatly promoted by Saul (Acts 8:3) and had extended, doubtless, throughout the whole land of Palestine. The precise causes of this cessation of the persecution are not known. Probably they were the following:

1. It is not improbable that the great mass of Christians had been driven into other regions by these persecutions.

2. He who had been most active in inciting the persecution, who was, in a way, its leader, and who was best suited to carry it on, had been converted. He had ceased his opposition; and even he now was removed from Judea. All this would have some effect in causing the persecution to subside.

3. But it is not improbable that the civil situation in Judea contributed much to turn the attention of the Jews to other matters. Dr. Lardner explains this in the following way:

   "Soon after Caligula's accession, the Jews at Alexandria suffered very much from the Egyptians in that city, and at length their places of prayer there were all destroyed. In the third year of Caligula, A.D. 39, Petronius was sent into Syria with orders to set up the emperor's statue in the temple at Jerusalem. This order from Caligula was, to the Jews, a great shock. The Jews must have been too preoccupied after this to pay attention to anything else, as may appear from the accounts which Philo and Josephus have given us of this affair.

   Josephus says that 'Caligula ordered Petronius to go with an army to Jerusalem, to set up his statue in the temple there; instructing him, if the Jews opposed it, to put to death all who made any resistance, and to make all the rest of the nation slaves. Petronius, therefore, marched from Antioch into Judea with three legions and a large body of auxiliaries raised in Syria. All were as a result filled with consternation, the army having come as far as Ptolemais.'"

See Lardner's Works, vol. 1, pp. 101, 102; London Edition, 1829. Philo gives the same account of the consternation as Josephus (Philo, De Legatione ad Gaium, pp. 1024-1025). He describes the Jews "as abandoning their cities, villages, and open country; as going to Petronius in Phoenicia, both men and women, the old, the young, the middle-aged; as throwing themselves on the ground before Petronius with weeping and lamentation," etc.

The effect of this consternation in diverting their minds from the Christians can be easily imagined. The prospect that the images of the Roman emperor were about to be set up by violence in the temple, or that, in case of resistance, death or slavery was to be their lot; the advance of a large army to execute that purpose—all tended to throw the nation into alarm. By the providence of God, therefore, this event was permitted to occur to divert the attention of bloody-minded persecutors from a feeble and bleeding church. Anxious for their own safety, the Jews would cease to persecute the Christians. Thus, by the conversion of the main agent of persecution and by the universal alarm for the welfare of the nation, the trembling and weakened church was permitted to obtain rest. Thus ended the first general persecution against Christians, and thus God effectively showed that He had power to guard and protect His chosen people.

All Judea, etc. These three places—Judea, Galilee, and Samaria (implied by the "etc." referring to Acts 9:31)—included the land of Palestine. (See Barnes on Matthew 2:22).

The formation of churches in Galilee is not explicitly mentioned before this, but it is reasonable to suppose that Christians had traveled there and had preached the gospel . The formation of churches in Samaria is explicitly mentioned (Acts 8:5 and following).

Were edified. Were built up, increased, and strengthened (Romans 15:2; 1 Corinthians 8:1).

And walking. Proceeding; living. The word is often used to indicate Christian conduct, or manner of life (Colossians 1:10; Luke 1:6; 1 Thessalonians 4:1; 1 John 2:6). The idea is that of travelers who are going to a place and who walk in the right path. Christians are thus travelers to another country, a heavenly one.

In the fear of the Lord. Fearing the Lord; with reverence for Him and His commandments. This expression is often used to indicate piety in general (2 Chronicles 19:7; Job 28:28; Psalms 19:9; Psalms 111:10; Proverbs 1:7; Proverbs 9:10; Proverbs 13:13).

In the comfort of the Holy Ghost. In the consolations which the Holy Ghost provided (John 14:16–17; Romans 5:1–6).

Were multiplied. Were increased.