Acts 14:18 Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

◄ Acts 14:18 ►

Parallel Verses

New International Version
Even with these words, they had difficulty keeping the crowd from sacrificing to them.

English Standard Version
Even with these words they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them.

New American Standard Bible
Even saying these things, with difficulty they restrained the crowds from offering sacrifice to them.

King James Bible
And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Even though they said these things, they barely stopped the crowds from sacrificing to them.

International Standard Version
Even by saying this, it was all Paul and Barnabas could do to keep the crowds from offering sacrifices to them.

American Standard Version
And with these sayings scarce restrained they the multitudes from doing sacrifice unto them.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And speaking these things, they scarce restrained the people from sacrificing to them.

Darby Bible Translation
And saying these things, they with difficulty kept the crowds from sacrificing to them.

Young's Literal Translation
and these things saying, scarcely did they restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them.

Cross References

Matthew 13:15
For this people's heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

Acts 14:17
Nevertheless he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness.

Acts 14:19
And there came thither certain Jews from Antioch and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and having stoned Paul, drew him out of the city, supposing he had been dead.

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Crowd Crowds Difficulty Hard Hardly Keeping Kept Making Multitudes Offering Restrain Restrained Sacrifice Sacrifices Sacrificing Sayings Scarce Scarcely Stopped Thronging Words

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Crowd Crowds Difficulty Hard Hardly Keeping Kept Making Multitudes Offering Restrain Restrained Sacrifice Sacrifices Sacrificing Sayings Scarce Scarcely Stopped Thronging Words

Commentaries

Matthew Henry's Commentary

14:8-18 All things are possible to those that believe. When we have faith, that most precious gift of God, we shall be delivered from the spiritual helplessness in which we were born, and from the dominion of sinful habits since formed; we shall be made able to stand upright and walk cheerfully in the ways of the Lord. When Christ, the Son of God, appeared in the likeness of men, and did many miracles, men were so far from doing sacrifice to him, that they made him a sacrifice to their pride and malice; but Paul and Barnabas, upon their working one miracle, were treated as gods. The same power of the god of this world, which closes the carnal mind against truth, makes errors and mistakes find easy admission. We do not learn that they rent their clothes when the people spake of stoning them; but when they spake of worshipping them; they could not bear it, being more concerned for God's honour than their own. God's truth needs not the services of man's falsehood. The servants of God might easily obtain undue honours if they would wink at men's errors and vices; but they must dread and detest such respect more than any reproach. When the apostles preached to the Jews, who hated idolatry, they had only to preach the grace of God in Christ; but when they had to do with the Gentiles, they must set right their mistakes in natural religion. Compare their conduct and declaration with the false opinions of those who think the worship of a God, under any name, or in any manner, is equally acceptable to the Lord Almighty. The most powerful arguments, the most earnest and affectionate addresses, even with miracles, are scarcely enough to keep men from absurdities and abominations; much less can they, without special grace, turn the hearts of sinners to God and to holiness.

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

18. with these sayings scarce restrained they the people that they had not done sacrifice to them—In spite of this,and Peter's repudiation of all such honor (Ac 10:26), how soon idolatrous tendencies began to show themselves in the Christian Church, at length to be systematized and enjoined in the Church of Rome!