Act 13:10, Rom 2:26, 8:4 | Barnes | STEP | Verse 10. O full of all subtilty and mischief . The word subtilty denotes deceit and fraud; and implies that he was practicing an imposition, and that he knew it. The word rendered mischief , ραδιουργιας denotes, properly, facility of acting , and then sleight of hand ; sly, cunning arts, by which one imposes on another, and deceives him with a fraudulent intention. It is not elsewhere used in the New Testament. The art of Elymas consisted probably in sleight of hand, legerdemain, or trick, aided by skill in the abstruse sciences, by which the ignorant might be easily imposed on. . Child of the devil . Being under his influence; practicing his arts; promoting his designs by deceit and imposture, so that he may be called your father. . Satan is here represented as the author of deceit, and the father of lies. Enemy of all righteousness . Practicing deceit and iniquity, and thus opposed to righteousness and honesty. A man who lives by wickedness will, of course, be the foe of every form of integrity. A man who lives by fraud will be opposed to the truth; a pander to the vices of men will hate the rules of chastity and purity; a manufacturer or vender of ardent spirits will be the enemy of temperance societies. Wilt thou not cease to pervert . In what way he had opposed Paul and Barnabas is not known. Probably it might be by misrepresenting their doctrines; by representing them as apostate Jews; and thus by retarding or hindering the progress of the gospel. The expression, "wilt thou not cease ," implies that he had been engaged sedulously in doing this, probably from the commencement of their work in the city. The right ways of the Lord . The straight paths, or doctrines of the Christian religion, in opposition to the crooked and perverse arts of deceivers and impostors. Straight paths denote integrity, sincerity, truth, . Comp. . Crooked ways denote the ways of the sinner, the deceiver, the impostor, .

Acts 13:10

Verse 10. O full of all subtilty and mischief. The word subtilty denotes deceit and fraud; and implies that he was practicing an imposition, and that he knew it. The word rendered mischief, ραδιουργιας denotes, properly, facility of acting, and then sleight of hand; sly, cunning arts, by which one imposes on another, and deceives him with a fraudulent intention. It is not elsewhere used in the New Testament. The art of Elymas consisted probably in sleight of hand, legerdemain, or trick, aided by skill in the abstruse sciences, by which the ignorant might be easily imposed on. Acts 8:9.

Child of the devil. Being under his influence; practicing his arts; promoting his designs by deceit and imposture, so that he may be called your father. Jn 8:44. Satan is here represented as the author of deceit, and the father of lies.

Enemy of all righteousness. Practicing deceit and iniquity, and thus opposed to righteousness and honesty. A man who lives by wickedness will, of course, be the foe of every form of integrity. A man who lives by fraud will be opposed to the truth; a pander to the vices of men will hate the rules of chastity and purity; a manufacturer or vender of ardent spirits will be the enemy of temperance societies.

Wilt thou not cease to pervert. In what way he had opposed Paul and Barnabas is not known. Probably it might be by misrepresenting their doctrines; by representing them as apostate Jews; and thus by retarding or hindering the progress of the gospel. The expression, "wilt thou not cease," implies that he had been engaged sedulously in doing this, probably from the commencement of their work in the city.

The right ways of the Lord. The straight paths, or doctrines of the Christian religion, in opposition to the crooked and perverse arts of deceivers and impostors. Straight paths denote integrity, sincerity, truth, Jer 31:9, Heb 12:13. Comp. Isa 40:3,4, 42:16, Lk 3:5. Crooked ways denote the ways of the sinner, the deceiver, the impostor, De 32:5, Ps 125:5, Prov 2:15, Isa 59:8, Php 2:15.

Romans 2:26

Verse 26. Therefore if the uncircumcision. If those who are not circumcised, i.e. the heathen.

Keep the righteousness of the law. Keep that which the law of Moses commands. It could not be supposed that a heathen would understand the requirements of the ceremonial law; but reference is had here to the moral law. The apostle does not expressly affirm that this was ever done; but he supposes the case, to show the true nature and value of the rites of the Jews.

Shall not his uncircumcision. Or, shall the fact that he is uncircumcised stand in the way of the acceptance of his services? Or, shall he not as certainly and as readily be accepted by God as if he were a Jew? Or, in other Words, the apostle teaches the doctrine that acceptance with God does not depend on a man's external privileges, but on the state of the heart and life.

Be counted for circumcision. Shall he not be treated as if he were circumcised? Shall his being uncircumcised be any barrier in the way of his acceptance with God? The word rendered "be counted," is that which is commonly rendered to reckon, TO IMPUTE; and its use here shows that the Scripture use of the word is not to transfer, or to charge with that which is not deserved, or not true. It means simply that a man shall be treated as if it were so; that this want of circumcision shall be no bar to acceptance. There is nothing set over to his account; nothing transferred; nothing reckoned different from what it is. God judges things as they are; and as the man, though uncircumcised, who keeps the law, ought to be treated as if he had been circumcised, so he who believes in Christ agreeably to the Divine promise, and trusts to his merits alone for Salvation, ought to be treated as if he were himself righteous. God judges the thing as it is, and treats men as it is proper to treat them, as being pardoned and accepted through his Son.

(g) "Therefore if the uncircumcision" Acts 10:34,35

Romans 8:4

Verse 4. That the righteousness of the law. That we might be conformed to the law, or be obedient to its requirements, and no longer under the influence of the flesh and its corrupt desires.

Might be fulfilled. That we might be obedient, or comply with its demands.

Who walk. Rom 8:1.

(k) "walk not" Rom 8:1