Acts 23:11

The following night, the Lord stood by him, and said, “Cheer up, Paul, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must testify also at Rome.”

World English Bible
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Other translations

WEBBE

The following night, the Lord stood by him and said, “Cheer up, Paul, for as you have testified about me at Jerusalem, so you must testify also at Rome.”

BSB

The following night the Lord stood near Paul and said, “Take courage! As you have testified about Me in Jerusalem, so also you must testify in Rome.”

KJV

And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

ASV

And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer: for as thou hast testified concerning me at Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.

BBE

And the night after, the Lord came to his side and said, Be of good heart, for as you have been witnessing for me in Jerusalem, so will you be my witness in Rome.

Original Greek

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Τῇ Tēa (the) G3588 δὲ de But G1161 ἐπιούσῃ epiousē on the following G1966 νυκτὶ nukti night G3571 ἐπιστὰς epistas having stood by G2186 αὐτῷ autō him G846 ὁ ho the G3588 κύριος kurios Lord G2962 εἶπεν eipen said G2036 θάρσει tharsei Take courage G2293 Παῦλε Paule Paul G3972 ὡς hōs as G5613 γὰρ gar for G1063 διεμαρτύρω diemarturō you have fully testified G1263 τὰ ta (the) G3588 περὶ peri about G4012 ἐμοῦ emou Me G1473 εἰς eis at G1519 Ἰερουσαλήμ Ierousalēm Jerusalem G2419 οὕτω houtō thus G3779 σε se you G4771 δεῖ dei it behooves G1163 καὶ kai also G2532 εἰς eis in G1519 Ῥώμην Rhōmēn Rome G4516 μαρτυρῆσαι.¶ marturēsai to testify G3140

The early church

"And the night following the Lord stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer, Paul: for as thou hast testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome." See what strong consolation! First he praises him, "As thou hast testified to My cause in Jerusalem;" then He does not leave him to be afraid for the uncertain issue of his journey to Rome: for thither also, He saith, thou shalt not depart alone, but thou shalt also have all this boldness of speech. Hereby it was made manifest, not only that he should be saved, but that he should be so in order to great crowns in the great city.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts
But why did He not appear to him before he fell into the danger? Because it is evermore in the afflictions that God comforts us; for He appears more wished-for, while even in the dangers He exercises and trains us. Besides, he was then at ease, when free from bonds; but now great perils were awaiting him. "And the Lord," it said, "stood by him, and said, Be of good cheer: for as thou hast testified of Me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome." Yet even after He has appeared to him, He again suffers him to be saved by man's means.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts
Some one might say, How is it, that having been told, "Thou must also bear witness of Me in Rome", he, as if unbelieving, did this? God forbid: nay, he did it, because he so strongly believed. For it would have been a tempting of God to be bold on account of that declaration, and to cast himself into numberless dangers, and to say: "Let us see if God is able even thus to deliver me." But not so does Paul; no, he does his part, all that in him lies, committing the whole to God.
John Chrysostom · d. 407Homilies on Acts

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 6–11

The Pharisees were correct in the faith of the Jewish church. The Sadducees were no friends to the Scripture or Divine revelation; they denied a future state; they had neither hope of eternal happiness, nor dread of eternal misery. When called in question for his being a Christian, Paul might truly say he was called in question for the hope of the resurrection of the dead. It was justifiable in him, by this profession of his opinion on that disputed point, to draw off the Pharisees from persecuting him, and to lead them to protect him from this unlawful violence. How easily can God defend his own cause! Though the Jews seemed to be perfectly agreed in their conspiracy against religion, yet they were influenced by very different motives. There is no true friendship among the wicked, and in a moment, and with the utmost ease, God can turn their union into open enmity. Divine consolations stood Paul in the most stead; the chief captain rescued him out of the hands of cruel men, but the event he could not tell. Whoever is against us, we need not fear, if the Lord stand by us. It is the will of Christ, that his servants who are faithful, should be always cheerful. He might think he should never see Rome; but God tells him, even in that he should be gratified, since he desired to go there only for the honour of Christ, and to do good.

Read Matthew Henry on Acts 23 →

Cross-references

24

People & places

PaulJesus JerusalemRome

Topics

Jesus, The ChristAfflictions And AdversitiesMinister, ChristianPaulDream

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.