THE International Revision Commentary ON THE NEW TESTAMENT. By British and American Scholars and Revisers. Edited by PHILIP SCHAFF, D. D. I. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. M\TTHEW. By Philip Schaff, D. D. One volume. IGmo. With a Map. $1.25, Now Ready. II. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK. By Professor Matthew B. Riddle. One volume. IGmo. With a Map. $1.00. Now Ready. III. THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO LUKE. By Professor Matthew B, Riddle. One volume. IGmo. $1.25. Now Ready. V. THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. By Dean Howson and Canon Spence. One volume. IGmo. With a Map. $1.25, Just Published. This is the only commentary upon the Revised Version of the New Testament. The Revised Version is based upon a much older and purer text than the Old Version, and corrects several thousand errors of the latter ; this makes it the best basis for a commentary. The International Revision Commentary contains the latest and best evangelical criticism and explanation of the sacred text, and is especially adapted for Sundny School use. It is brief, clear and suggestive, and according to the general verdict, the volumes that have appeared are the cheapest and best single commentaries on the Gospels and Acts in the English language. THE lElAlML if« COiilffl NEW TESTAMENT Based upon the Retised Vehsion of 1881 BY ENGLISH AND AMERICAN SCHOLARS AND MEMBERS OF THE EEVISION COMMITTEE. v^DITED BY PHILIP SCHAFF, D.D, LL.D. Professor of Sacred Literature in the Union Theological Seminary of New York President of the American Committee on Revision. Vol. V. THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. By J. S. HOWSOX, D. D., and H. D. M. SPEXCE, M. A. NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS 1883 Copyright 1882, By CHARLES SCRIBNER'S SONS. {All Hights Reserved.) GRANT, FAIRES & RODGERS, PHILADELPHIA. THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES EXPLAINED BY / J. S. HOWSO]^, D.D. Dean of Chester AND H. D. M. SPEKCE, M.A. Vicar and Rural Dean of SL Pancras, London NEW YORK CHARLES SCRIBXER'S SONS 1883 I f pr PEEEAGE. This volume on the Acts of the Apostles is an abridgment and an adaptation of the Illustrated Commentary of Dean HowsON and Canon Spexce to the Revised Version, with additions by the editor. The additions include the Intro- duction, several Excursuses, the Practical Notes and Textua Comments. They have been indicated by a star(*), and in the case of the Textual Comments, commence at the star and extend to the conclusion of the explanations upon the particular words being explained In a few instances brack- ets have been used. Some changes have also been made in the sections, in order to conform them to the para- graph divisions of the Eevised Version. The general plan pursued in the other volumes of the iNTERisrATioxAL Eevisiox COMMENTARY series has been followed in this one. The more recent literature and commentaries upon the Acts have been consulted in its preparation cs well as some of the older works. D. Schley Schaff. INTEODUOTION. The Acts of the Apostles. * I. The Contents. TLe Acts of the Apostles is an account of the conflicts and conquests of Christianity from the ascension of our Lord to the imprisonment of Paul in the city of Rome (33-63 A. D.). It is the earliest manual of Charch History, and the only one treating of the age of the Apostles which has come down to us from the first century. Its loss would leave a wide chasm between the Gospels and the Epistles, and involve the student in great igno- rance of the progress of events in the history of the Church during the period intervening between the close of our Lord's earthly ac- tivity and the destruction of Jerusalem (70 a. d.), which the direct statements and the implications of the Epistles of the New Testa- ment and the Apocalypse would only partially illumine. He, in this case, would know nothing of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, the testimony and death of Stephen, the con- version of Cornelius, the miraculous manifestation making Saul a Christian, or the stages in the advance of the Church from Jerusalem to Rome and other occurrences hardly less important. The Acts is a practical commentary upon the words of the Saviour to the disciples just before his ascension, ' Ye shall be my witnesses both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea and Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth '(1:8). It portrays the silent but vigo- rous and conquering progress of the Gospel from the upper chamber in Jerusalem to the world's centres of population and commerce, and finally to Rome itself. The relation which the Acts sustain to the narrative of the Gos- pels is that of a consequent to an antecedent. In the mind of the author the two periods which they cover stand in so close a relation that by his own statement he regards a history of the Church after the ascension as a fitting companion volume of the history of the life of Christ. The Gospels report ' all that Jesus began both to INTRODUCTION. do and to teach, until the day in which he was received up' (1 : 1) ; the Acts describe the work inaugurated by his followers in obe- dience to his injunctions, and prosecuted in reliance upon his promises and presence. The Acts is distinguished sharply from the Epistles by its con- tents. !Paul, Peter, John, James and Jude in their letters are con- cerned with doctrinal discussions, and practical exhortations encouraging believers to stedfastness, or warning them against evil practices. The Acts is a missionary record, and not a doctrinal or parenetical treatise. It is a record of activities rather than beliefs, of deeds rather than doctrines. It is a statement of the extension of the Christian faith in individual hearts and geographical centres, the obstacles opposing it, and the courage and constancy of the Apostles and their co-laborers. On the other hand, the Epistles of Paul cannot be exhaustively understood without the historical de- tails which the Acts supplies. The main events recorded in this book are the following. After Jesus had ascended, leaving as his legacy the promise of the Holy Ghost (1: 5), the Apostles meet in an upper room in Jerusalem, and fill the place made vacant in their number by the suicide of Judas. On the day of Pentecost the Holy Ghost is poured out, and Peter preaches his first sermon, urging a large audience of Jews to believe in Christ and be baptized (ch. 2). The Apostles for the present make Jerusalem the scene of their labors. The Jewish authorities from the beginning offer opposition to their preaching, but succeed neither in crushing the new sect out of existence, nor in suppressing it into silence. The Church increases rapidly in num- bers, but the self-sacrifices and devotion of the body of believers, as a whole, do not prevent the development of worldliness (5 : 1-11) or the growth of dissensions. One of the latter formed the occasion of the election of the first deacons (ch. 6), one of whom, Stephen, by his eloquence discomfited all opponents in debate, and by his calm martyrdom shewed the world how a Christian could die. Per- secution broke out afresh, but became a blessing by being the occa- sion of the scattering of the Apostles and the dissemination of the Gospel beyond Jerusalem. Philip preaches with power in Samaria, and baptizes an Ethiopian (ch. 8), and by the miraculous conversion of Saul of Tarsus, one of the chief agents of persecution, a most INTRODUCTION. xi powerful recruit to the Church, and the Apostle to the Gentiles is secured (ch. 9). The duty of the Church with reference to the ad- mission of the Gentiles is announced through a vision to Peter at Joppa, who offers baptism to Cornelius, the first convert, from the Gentile world (chs. 10, 11). From this point, Paul is the central figure, and the course of the Gospel in Gentile lands is described. Antioch becomes the starting point for foreign missions. In three great missionary journeys, extending over a period of fourteen years, Paul preaches with success in Cyprus, and many of the towns and cities of Asia Minor and Greece, including Ephesus, Athens, and Corinth. Returning at the close of these years to Jerusalem the jealous hostility of his countrymen the Jews, occasioned by his attitude to the Gentiles, breaks upon him. Falsely accused, per- versely misunderstood, and treacherously threatened, he appeals, after a confinement of two years by Felix, to his right, as a Roman citizen, to be tried at Rome (ch. 25). There he finally arrives after a shipwreck by sea (ch. 27), and remains two years a prisoner, but still 'preaching the kingdom of God' (28: 31). From this outline it is evident that the Acts does not take up the lives of all the Apostles. Its title is, therefore, not strictly accurate. Two figures are conspicuously prominent, Peter and Paul. Roughly speaking, the first twelve chapters center in Peter, the last sixteen in Paul. Others are mentioned as taking an important part in the counsels and labors of the Church. Of the twelve Apostles who assembled in the upper chamber (1 : 13) not one is afterwards referred to except Peter, John and James. All that is recorded of James is his martyrdom in a single verse (12: 2), and John is only noticed in connection with Peter, Other workers like Stephen, Barnabas and Apollos have a more prominent place. But it is Peter and Paul who are the coryphaei and towering personalities in the two periods of the Apostolic Church, its home (or Judaic) and foreign (or Gentile) periods of activity. There can be no doubt that these were the representative figures of early Christianity, as Luther and Melanchthon were of the Protestant Reformation in Germany. The writer could well afford to pass by the lives of the other Apos- tles whose work was relatively unimportant in its bearing upon the general history of the Church. It was not his aim to follow up the work of individuals, which would have required a much INTRODUCTION. larger space than he has occupied, but to present in a condensed form the growth of the Christian Church. This brings us naturally to the second point, II. The Design. Much stress has been laid upon the exact purpose which the author had in writing the Acts. Some have thought this purpose was the description of the progress of the Gospel from Jerusalem to Rome, the imperial centre of power (Baumgarten, Guericke, Lekebusch, Ewald, Howson, etc.). But it is more natural to suppose that the author intended to give a simple account of the salient facts in the history of early Christianity that Theophilus (I; 1) might know the 'certainty' about these events, as he had before written the Gospel that the same correspondent might know the ceitainty about the events of Christ's life (Luke 1 : 4). In carrying out this plan and the selection of his matter, he was, no doubt, influenced, to some extent, by his antecedents and training. He was a Gentile (see below), and he shows, as would be expected, a predilection for topics connected with the spread of the Gospel among the heathen. It must not be for- gotten, however, that the historian of early Christianity was justi- fied in pursuing this course by the far larger results accruing from the preaching of the Gospel among the Gentiles. Jerusalem was only the cradle of Christianity. The whole world was designed to be the parish of the Apostles. In the light of the subsequent growth of the Church the author was justified in giving as much space as he has done to the labors of Paul and the development of Gentile Christianity. It has been held, however, by some that the author of the Acts had the more formal purpose of vindicating Paul for admitting the Gentiles into the Church (Griesbach, Schneckenburger), or of con- ciliating the two schools of thought in the Church by pairing down the differences between Peter and Paul, their two representatives, and exaggerating the harmony between them. This was the'view of the so-called Tubingen school of critics in Germany, and has been most elaborately developed by Zeller in his Ads of the Apostles, (Engl, transl., 2 vols, Edinb., 1875-76). Zeller holds that Paul is represented in the Acts as making more concessions to the Juda- izing partv than the facts and his Epistles warrant. His relations to the other Apostles are too cordial, he defers too much to their INTRODUCTION. xiii authority and decisions, as in the case of the delivery of the letter of the Council of Jerusalem (16 : 4), and yields an undue obser- vance of the Law (21 : 26, 27). It is urged also that Paul does not preach so sharply the doctrine of justification by faith as his Epis- tles represent. On the other hand, by a similar process, Peter is by design brought nearer the Pauline standard than the facts justi- fied, by associating his name with the vision on the housetop at Joppa, which illustrated the equality of Jew and Gentile in the new economy, and with the conversion of Cornelius. Zeller represents that Paul is made to equal Peter in the number of his miracles, and Peter to equal Paul in liberality of spirit toward the Gentiles. Stress is also laid upon the apparent contradictions in the accounts of the Council of Jerusalem in the Acts (ch. 15), and as given by Paul in the Epistle to the Galatians (ch. 2). This theory involves an unfaithful treatment of history. The author started out to prove a certain state of affairs which did not exist, and made facts bend to his purpose and, where none existed, invented incidents. It is ingenious, but reads into the Acts a great many things that are not there. The great majority of commen- tators and critics, Alexander, Alford, Meyer, Hackett, Schaff, Lechler, Prof. Fisher, Plumptre, Wendt, Lumby, etc., reject the theory as unsupported by facts. It primarily assumes a radical and irreconcilable difference between Peter and Paul in regard to the conditions upon which salvation was to be offered to the Gen- tiles, and bases this assumption upon a study of the Acts (!) and the Epistles of Paul, especially Galatians. It is true that some later writings of the second century represented a sharp difference as existing between them, but these writings were composed by Jewish Christians with the special design of depreciating Paul's authority. It is not true that the N. T. gives any warrant for this opinion. It has, for example, been abundantly shown that there is no contra- diction in the accounts which Paul (Gal. 2) and the Acts (ch. 15) give of the Council of Jerusalem. Peter's attitude towards the Gentile Cornelius (Acts 10, 11), to which Paul expressly refers, and his sub- sequent change of position upon the question of free relations with the Gentiles (Gal. 2 : 12) is in accordahce with his impulsive nature. Paul's assumption of the Xazarite obligations (21 : 26, 27), at first seems to be inconsistent with his bold and liberal views, but the INTRODUCTION. narrative is of sucli a nature that the author of the Acts (a Gentile) woald hardly have invented it, A study of the Acts reveals many special incidents which contradict the theory. For example, if it was the author's aim to minimize the differences between Peter and Paul, how is it that the persecutions against Paul are almost inva- riably represented as having started with the Jews, or that the story of his miraculous conversion without the intervention of an Apostle is told in detail three times, or that no mention is ever made of help extended by the Jewish Christians to Paul in his trying difficulties in the last period of his life, after he had followed the advice of James (ch. 21: 17 sqq.)? If the author had a more special purpose than the description of the spread of Christianity, it would seem to have been to magnify Paul. The characters of Peter and Paul are depicted in the Acts just as we would expect them to be from the delineation of the Gospels and the Epistles. Peter, in conformity with the Master's prediction, occupied the place of leader of the twelve Apostles. Paul, on the other hand, carries out into action the doctrine enunciated in Ro- mans (1 : 16), that the Gospel was sent to the Jew first, but also to the Greek, and everywhere preaches first to the Jews, in their syna- gogues, or houses of prayer. If we remember his principle that a preacher should become all things to all men, even his assump- tion of the Nazarite's vow is explained, which is the only difficult thing to explain in his conduct. Moreover, the doctrinal teaching of the Acts is the same as that of the rest of the N. T. If we find that Paul adapts the matter of his discourses to the special condition of his hearers, as he did in the case of Felix (24: 24, 25), this should not occasion any sur- prise. We can not expect to find a condensed statement of the Epistle to the Romans in all of the abridged reports of Paul's speeches. Nevertheless, we find faith made the condition of the remission of sins, as in the address of Peter in the house of Cornelius (10; 43), and of Paul in Antioch of Pisidia (13: 39), and Philippi (16: 31), etc., and repentance is represented from the beginning as the great duty, and the remission of sins as the reward of the Christian (2: 38). Meyer has well said,i that this theory of Zeller involves a manip- i Commentary, pp. 7, 11 (Germ. ed). IxNTRODUCTION. Illation of facts, a finesse in the invention of incidents, and an un- truthfulness of purpose which cannot be reconciled with the simplicity and uncritical artlessness of the book, yea are in absolute moral con- tradiction to its Christian temper, and the author's assurance in the prologue of his Gospel (1 ; 4) to which he makes reference in the opening words of the Acts. The Acts is the simple story of the progress of Christianity, sent by the author to an individual, Theophilus, that he might know the real and salient facts. III. Composition. The author of the Acts announces himself ( 1 : 1 ) as the same person who addressed to a certain Theophilus a treatise on the life of Christ, that is the third Gospel. The coinci- dences in the style and mode of treatment of the two works confirm this statement. Luke, who wrote the third Gospel, was, therefore, the author of the Acts This view was held by the early writers of the Church as Irensus (b. about 115), who stood in close relations with those who had seen the Apostles, Clement of Alexandria (b. about 150), Tertullian (b. about IGO), and others; and has never been called in question except by two or three ancient hereti- cal sects and some critics of this century. Luke's position and friendships were such as to fit him to be a trustworthy historian of the Apostolic age. He was a Gentile by birth, as we gather from Col. 4: 11, 14, where Paul distinguishes him from ' those of the circumcision.' The tone of his writings and his name indicate the same thing. Whether he was a proselyte, or not, cannot be determined. He was by profession a physician, (Col. 4; 14) and it has been conjectured that the reason for his remaining so closely with Paul, in the last years of his life, was, that he might assist him with medical advice. Some of the names of diseases in the Acts are technical medical terms (28: 8, etc.). He enjoyed exceptional opportunities for writing a history of the Apostolic age. He himself was an eye-witness of some of the things which he re- lates, accompanied Paul on some of his journeyings and Was with the Apostle during a part, at least, of his stay in Rome (Col. 4 : 14, etc.). In the sections beginning with ch. 16: 10, in which these things are recorded, Luke uses the first person. He met Paul at Troas, and suddenly changing from the third person, in his narra- tive of the subsequent events, says : ' When Paul had seen the INTRODUCTION. vision, straightway zt'e sought to go forth into Macedonia.' (16: 10) At ch. 17 : Ijthe we is suddenly replaced by the third person, Luke be- ing left behind at Philippi, but is resumed at ch. 20 : 5, when Luke is again joined by Paul after a separation of six years, and used through the remainder of the book. For the earlier portions of his work he depended upon his intercourse with Paul and his acquaintance with Philip, the deacon, ( 21 : 8 ) and those ' eye-witnesses and min- isters of the Word/ from whom he secured the facts of the Gospel (Lukel: 2). The date of the composition of the Acts was after Paul had spent two years as a prisoner in Rome ( 28 : 30), that is the year 63 or 64, A. D. The abrupt conclusion of the Avork at this point, without giving any details of Paul's work in Rome, or making any mention of Nero's persecution ( 64 a. d.), naturally suggests the conclusion that Luke finished his work in the year 64. This is the view of Hackett, Alford, Schaff, Godet, Lumby and others. Irenaeus states that he wrote after the deaths of Paul and Peter, Meyer and Wendt about 80, while Zeller, in accordance with his general theory, places the composition between 110-125. The absence of all ref- erence to the destruction of Jerusalem (70 a. d.), the representation of the parity of the bishops and elders, (20: 17, 28.), and the want of all allusions to the history of Paul after 64, are, when combined with other considerations, decisive in favor of the date before the year 70. The jo/ace where the Acts was written, can only be surmised, but the abrupt conclusion of the work without any reference to Paul's liberation ( or martyrdom ? ) points to Rome, an opinion held very generally since Jerome. IV. Credibility. It has been said by Bishop Lightfoot, ^ that, * no ancient work affords so many tests of varacity as the Acts of the Apostles, for no other has such numerous points of contact in all directions with contemporary history, politics and topography, whether Jewish, Greek or Roman.' Its accuracy is confirmed by the statements of Josephus and classical historians as well as by re- cent modern discoveries. The cases are mentioned in their proper 1 Illustrations of the Acts from Recent Discoveries. Contemporary Review, May, 1878. INTRODUCTION. place in the Commentary and it will be sufficient to notice only a few of the more crucial ones here. 1. In ch. 13: 7, the governor of Cyprus is called proconsul. The accuracy of this title has often been doubted on the basis of a statement of Strabo, but has been unexpectedly confirmed by an inscription recently discovered at Soli, Cyprus, by General di Cesnola,^ reading: EHI HATAOT . [AN0] THATOY, 'under the proconsul Paul us.' 2. The city officials of Thessalonica are called politarchs, the Greek work being translated in the Revised Version, ' rulers of the city/ (17: 8). This designation is nowhere to be found in any other ancient writing, but it may still be seen on an old archway in the modern city, Saloniki, with the names of seven politarchs. 3. The titles of the officials of Ephesus, are strictly technical and correct, and on the inscriptions which the valuable excavations of Mr. Wood ( 1863-74 ) have unearthed, are found again and again the title toum clerk {ypanfiarevq), the city official who quelled the popular disturbance in the theatre (19: 35), as also the titles, Asiarchs, the men who befriended Paul (19: 31) and shrine-maker or sacristan, (19: 26). The discoveries of Mr. Wood have shown that the description of Ephesus in the Acts is remarkably life-like and accurate. 4. The account of the death of Agrippa I, (12 : 23) coincides in its general outlines with that which Josephus gives, as a sudden occurrence from a loathsome disease and following upon a public reception of delegates from Tyre. The account of the rebellion of Judas of Galilee, (v. 37 ) is also confirmed by Josephus. One apparent exception to the coincidences, is the case of Theudas, for which see the Commentary on ch. 5 : 36. 5. The descriptions which the Acts gives of the Roman gover- nors, Gallio (18: 12 ), Felix (24 : 24-27 ) and of Agrippa II. and Bernice, agree closely with what we learn of these personages from the Roman historians ( Tacitus, Suetonius, etc.), as well as from Josephus. 6. The geographical notices are also accurate showing the hand of 1 Cyprus: Its Ancient Cities, etc, p. 424. INTRODUCTION. an experienced traveller, and the description of Paul's sea voyage and shipwreck ( ch. 27) conforms to the technical language of navigators. Several of the places mentioned by Luke have, after evading search for a long time, been recently discovered, and the discoveries abundantly confirm the narrative, as in the case of Lasea. (See Com. 27: 8.) Experiencedsailorshavetaken the course which Luke outlines in ch. 27, and one of them, Capt. James Smith of Jordanhill, has shown the minute accuracy of the details of the ac- count in a special work. ^ 'Such monumental and scientific evi- dence,' says Dr. SchafF,^ ' outweighs critical conjectures and is an irre- sistible vindication of the historical accuracy and credibility of Luke.' There are also strong internal evidences of the trustworthiness of the Acts, in the coincidences with the Epistles of Paul, the de- scription of the Jewish parties and its treatment of the Apostolic age. Luke does not draw an ideal picture, but portrays the dissen- sions in the Church as well as its successes. The hypocrisy of Ananias and Sapphira (ch. 5 ), the dispute over the distribution of the charities which lead to the election of the deacons ( ch. 6 ) and the differences between the Jewish and Gentile wings (ch. 15, etc.) in the Church are incorporated. The Apostles themselves are de- scribed as carnal and fallible men and the dissension between Paul and Barnabas ( 15 : 39 ), Paul's apology for stigmatizing the high priest as a 'whited wall,' (23: 3) and his assumption of the Nazarite's vow ( 21 : 26, 27 ) are not passed over. The omissions of the Acts are in this regard hardly less significant than the insertions. What splendid opportunities an unfaithful his- torian would have had for magnifying Paul and inventing effects ! The only fruits of the Apostle's activity in Athens, were Dionysius, the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris,and others with them, (17: 34), and of the results of his labors in Rome, the Acts says nothing. The simplicity of the accounts of Paul's labors in these two cities, the seats of intellectual achievement and imperial power, are strong evidences for the truthfulness of Luke. The natural artlessness of many details also deserves to be mentioned as the meeting of Mary and the Lord's brethren in the upper chamber with 1 Voyage and ShipivrecTc of St. Paul. Fourth ed. London, 1880. 2 Hist, of the Christ. Church, vol. I, p. 737 ; Rev. ed., 1882. INTRODUCTION. the Apostles (1: 13-16 ), the reception of Peter by Rhoda (12: 12-17, an idyllic episode), and Paul's farewell meeting with the elders of Ephesus^ (ch. 20). In view of these and similar considerations, the reader will feel strengthened in the conviction, which an unprejudiced perusal will make, that the Acts is a faithful and accurate account of the Apos- tolic age. V. Characteristics. There are certain features which stand out prominently in the Acts, some of which belong to the Chris- tianity of the age. The two essential characteristics may be re- garded as being stated at the very outset of the narrative, namely, the promise and activity of the Holy Spirit, (1 : 5, 8) and the human activity of the Apostolic workers (1 : 11). These two forces cooper- ate on every page of the book. More definitely, chief among the characteristics are the following : 1. The Acts makes prominent the agency of the Holy Spirit. He is referred to by name fifty times, or more frequently than in all the four Gospels together. The promise of the Spirit was emphasized by Christ just before his ascension (1 : 5, 8). He de- scended in tongues of fire on the day of Pentecost (2 : 1-13). Early believers (4: 31) and preachers, like Stephen (6 : 5) and Barnabas, were * filled with the Holy Spirit,' and the Apostles were sent forth to their work (13: 4), or the elders appointed by him (20: 28). 2. It is a book of beginnings. The Holy Spirit begins his new and promised activity ; the Apostles inaugurate their labors ; churches are founded in many cities ; the promises of the Old Test- ament are for the first time offered to the Gentiles, and new work- ers, like Philip, Stephen, Barnabas, Paul, Apollos and others com- mence to preach the Gospel. 3. The Acts is eminently a hopeful book. It is the book of Joshua among the books of the New Testament, fresh as with the life of Spring. Old terms acquire a new significance, like believer, brother (9 : 17), the Way (19: 9, etc.). There is no cant. Christianity goes forth conquering and to conquer, and the world is the heritage of Christ. It dwells much upon the resurrection, and looks forward with expectancy to the Second Coming. 1 Meyer, after an excellent description of this scene, exclaims * What a true, simple and thrilling description,' etc. {Com. p. 412 ) INTRODUCTION. 4. It is animate with the spirit of joy. In this respect, the Acts is set in the same major key as the Gospel of Luke. Confident of the presence "of the Master and conscious of the power of salva- tion, the Apostles even rejoice that they were counted worthy to suffer for him (5 : 41). The tidings which they preach, like those the angels brought, are ' good tidings ' (13 : 32). Paul and Silas sang in prison (16 : 25), and the acceptance of the Gospel is every- where attended with great Jot/ (8 : 39 ; 13 : 52 ; 15 : 3 ; 16 : 34, etc.). 5. It is a book of missionary activity. Intensity of purpose and effort pulsates through it. It has no morbid tone. Much stress is laid upon the efficacy of Christ's death, but only the deaths of Stephen and James are mentioned, and the deaths of Paul and Peter are entirely passed over. This silence — a rebuke to the Ro- man Church which worships relics and makes pilgrimages to the graves of the saints — indicates that it matters everything how a Christian lives, little how he dies. Christianity advances with a steady and rapid progress from Jerusalem to Antioch, Antioch to Corinth, and Corinth to Rome. There are references to the num- bers of the believers (2 : 40 ; 4:4) and constant statements that they were increasing rapidly (2 : 47 ; 5 : 14 ; 6:7; 12:24; 16:5). Besides the more formal notices, there are incidental allusions to the churches in Samaria and Phoenicia (15 ; 3), Syria and Cilicia (15 : 23), Troas (20 : 6, 7), Tyre and Ptolemais (21 :-l-7), and other cities. The book is the missionary's best companion on the fron' tier and in foreign lands. 6. The Acts is animated with the universal aims of the Gospel. It has a Gentile ring. Palestine was only the birth-place of Chris- tianity, not its exhaustive theatre. Peter catches this tone in his speech on the day of Pentecost (2 : 39), whose various tongues were themselves a type, and witnesses a figurative representation of it in the vision on the housetop of Joppa. Stephen's eye takes in this larger horizon, and Paul, who uttered the significant words in An- tioch of Pisidia, ' Lo, we turn to the Gentiles ' (13 : 46), looks out to Rome itself when he insists, * I must also see Rome ' (19 : 21 ; 20 : 22). The motto of the Acts is the command of the ascending Saviour, ' to the uttermost part of the earth' (1 : 8), and continues to be the motto of the Church. The Acts of the Apostles is not yet a closed book. INTRODUCTION. xxi VI. Evidential Value. The events and forces of which the Acts makes record, as well as the book as a whole may be taken as evidence for the fundamental truths of the Christian system. The book is constantly oflFering to the careful reader fresh testimonies to the great facts of the Gospel.^ It stands in an organic relation to the life of our Lord ( I : I ; 6 : 14 ; 7 : 59, GO ; II : 16, etc.), and contains not only some of his ex. act words, but undoubted reminiscences of some of his teachings and sayings. Peter's speech on the day of Pentecost, calling upon the Jews to be baptized in the name of Christ," and Stephen's ad- dress before the Sanhedrin, announcing the abolition of the Mosaic ritual and temple, are evidences that Christ had before spoken of these things. More particularly the Acts is a forcible witness to the resurrec- tion. The footsteps of the Apostles were so elastic because they felt that they had a risen Christ behind them. The resurrection is referred to incidentally on almost every page, and it alone explains the joyous confidence of the Apostles. The vacant place of Judas was to be filled with one who had been a companion of Christ that he might be a ' witness of the resurrection ' (1 : 22). Peter, as the spokesman of the Apostles, not only insists that Christ had risen, but sesks to prove that the fact was in accordance with prophecy (2 : 31 ; 3 : 15 ; 4 : 10 ; 10 : 40). ' With great power the Apostles gave their witness of the resurrection ' (4 : 33). In this faith Stephen died (7 : 56), and Paul preached before popular audiences (17 : 3), and governors (24 : 21 ; 26 : 7-9), and with Peter and others en- dured the sharp edge of persecution. There was a new power in the world, and the life and activity depicted in the Acts presuppose some sufficient cause like the promises and facts of the Gospel, as much as the shooting forth of the grasses and the running of the brooks in the Spring-time indi- ciite that a new power breathes through the atmosphere. The spirit of the distributive activity in religion, and the eagerness to induce men to repent and turn to God, was foreign to Judaism, in whose school the early Christians were brought up. The opening of 1 See Dean Howson: The Evidential Value of the Acts of the Apostles (Bohlen Lectures). New York. 1880. INTRODUCTION. cordial relations with the Gentiles was in the face of inveterate Jewish prejudices. The barriers are, however, broken down in this book. On the other hand, the peculiar feeling of brotherhood in the congregations, manifesting itself in charities, the growth in the spiritual conception of the kingdom of Christ (comp. 1: 6; 2: 38; 28 : 31, etc.), and the effort to extend it not with sword but by word of mouth and in the power of the Holy Spirit, are witnesses to the same thing. The corner-stone of the Acts is the resurrection of Christ. VII. Chronology. The dates of certain events mentioned in the Acts are fixed by contemporary historians. The death of ^grippa II. at Caesarea, described in 12 : 23, occurred, according to Josephus, 44 a. d., and the recall of Felix, the Roman governor, occurred 60 or 61 a. d. From these two dates as starting-points the chronology of the Acts can be approximately made up, but there is no certainty about the dates of many of the events. Chronology of Events. A.D. Events. Roman Emperors. 33 Tiberius, A D. 14-37. 36 Conversion of Paul (Acts 9) 37 Conversion of Cornelius (Acts 10, 11) Caligula, A.D. 37-41. 44 Martyrdomof James (Acts 12: 2) 44-49 Paul's First Missionary Journey as far as Lystra and Derbe, returning to Antiocli (Acts 13, 14). Claudius, A. d. 41-54. 50 or 51 Apostolic Council in Jerusalem (Acts 15) 51-53 Paul's Second Missionary Journey through Asia Minor and Greece (Acts 15: 40— 18: 22) . . . . 54-57 Paul's Third Missionary Journey, including three Years at Ephesua (Acts 18: 23—21: 17; . . . . Nero, A. D. 54- 68. 57 Paul's Last Visit to Jerusalem 58 60 Paul's Captivity in Cjesarea Gl 61-G3 Paul's Captivity in Rome ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. Chapter 1 : 1-11. Last Words of the Risen Christ and the Ascension, 1 : 1 The ^ former treatise I made, O Theophilus, con- cerning all that Jesus began both to do and to teach, 2 until the day in which he was received up, after thafc he had given commandment through the ^Holy Ghost 1 Gr. first. 2 Or, Holy Spirit : and so throughout this book. Ver. 1. The former treatise, the Gospel according to Luke, which relates exclusively to our Lord's ministry on earth. The pre- sent treatise, or the Acts of the Apostles, relates the continuation of that ministry. In the mind of the writer a most close and intimate connection existed between the work and ministry of Jesus on earth and his work and ministry in heaven. — Theophilus, the same per- son to whom the Gospel of Luke is addressed (Luke 1:3). The title there given to him * most excellent ' denotes rank, and was applied to high officials, as to Felix (Acts 23: 26) and to Festus (Acts 26: 25). Nothing is recorded about him ; but it is altogether likely he was not a Jew, as Luke wrote for Gentile readers. — Coucerning all that Jesus began both to do and to teach. The Gospel completes the story of the work of Jesus on earth; the Acts commences the story of the work of Jesus in heaven. In this second treatise, Luke takea up the narrative of Christ's life where he had left oflf in the Gospel, und shows how the risen and ascended Lord still works among men ; how, though unseen, he still guides the footsteps of his chosen ser- vants. Ver. 2. Until the day in w^hich he was received up. The abrupt way of referring to the great event of the Ascension is noticeable; simply, ' he was received up.' So also Luke 9: 51. In other places, 'into glory' (1 Tim. 3: 16), or 'into heaven' (Mark 16: 19; Luke 24: 51) is added. — Had given commandment through the Holy Ghost unto the apostles. Jesus was an- ointed with the Holy Spirit (Luke 4: 1, 14; Matt. 12: 28; Acts 10: 38), and in the power of the Holy Spirit gave commandment to the Apostles to be his witnesses, and to wait in Jerusalem till they were endued with power from on high (Luke 24: 49). The last command- ments of Jesus were in Luke's mind a point of great importance. 1 ACTS I. [1 : 3, 4. 3 unto the apostles whom he had chosen ; to whom he also ^shewed himself alive after his passion by many j^roofs, appearing unto them by the space of forty days, and speaking the things concerning the kingdom 4 of God: and, ^ being assembled together with them, he charged them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, said he, ye 1 Gr. presented. 2 Qr, eating with them. *The Book of the Acts gives prominence to the work of the Holy Spirit. Christ had promised to send him to guide believers into all the truth (John 16 : 13) and to be with the Church forever (John 14: 16). At the very threshold of the Acts, on the day of Pentecost, he manifests himself in great power. It is his office to reveal Christ to the hearts of believers, as Christ himself revealed God (John 1 : 18). While he is mentioned only about forty times in all the four gospels, he is mentioned nearly fifty times in the Acts. Ver. 3. After his passion. Literally, after he had suffered, namely, the death of the cross. The simple term suffer occurs also in this meaning in 3: 18; 17: 3. This use arose probably out of the impression which the painful nature of Christ's sulferings had made. — By many proofs. The Greek word for proof occurs only here in the New Testament. It denotes the strongest proof of which a subject is capable, one that carries conviction. The irresistible proofs of the resurrection which Jesus gave to his disciples, such as talking, eating and walking Avith them, inviting them to look at and touch his hands and his side (Luke 24 : 36-48; John 20: 19, 20; 21), not only con- vinced their minds, but fitted them as Apostles to be trustworthy wit- nesses of that event. — Appearing unto them by the space of forty days. The Lord was not continuously visible during this period, but appeared to them from time to time. — * Concerning the kingdom of God, which it was the purpose of Chrisf s life to estab- lish. These teachings were about the import of the Old Testament prophecies (Luke 24: 27), the world-wide significance of the Gospel (Luke 24: 47), the mission of the Apostles (Matt. 28: 19), his own constant presence with the Church (Matt. 28 : 20), and the promised baptism with the Holy Spirit and power (Luke 24: 49 ; Acts 1: 8). Ver. 4. Being assembled together with them. The trans- lation of the margin, 'eating with them,' is adopted by the Greek Fathers, Chrysostom, Thcophylact an- 1 G^cumcnius, as well as by Je- rome, and is to be preferred. This meal seems to have been a meeting not mentioned in the Gospels. — *Not to depart from Jerusalem. A very necessary command, as it might be their first impulse to leave Jerusalem, where the memory of the crucifixion was still so fresh in the minds of the people. Christ charged them to keep together till 1: 6-8.] ACTS I. 5 heard from me: for John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized ^with the Holy Ghost not many days hence. 6 They therefore, when they w^ere come together, asked him, saying, Lord, dost thou at this time re- 7 store the kingdom to Israel? J^nd he said unto them. It is not for you to know times or seasons, which the 8 Father hath ^set within his own authority. But ye 1 Or, in. 2 Or, appointed hy. after the outpouring of the Spirit (ch. 2), and to begin the proclama- tion of the Gospel from Jerusalem (Luke 24: 47). Tlicy literally obeyed the command, and we hear of no Christian effort outside of Jerusalem till after the martyrdom of Stephen, when a severe perse- cution arose which scattered the Church (8: 4). Then Philip wont to Samaria, and others to Phcjenicia and Antioch (11: 19), preacliing the Word. — The promise of the Father, refers especially to the pro- phecies of the Old Testament, such as I Ver. 8. Ye shall be my witnesses. The Apostles were not to advance speculations of their own, but simply to testify to the mira- cles, teachings, crucifixion, resurrection, ascension and promises of Christ, things which they had seen or heard (Luke 24: 48; Acts 2: 32; comp. 1 John 1:1). Our word martifr is the Greek word [martur) here translated 'witnesses.' It became such a common thing for the witnesses (martures) of Christ to suffer death for his sake th-vt the word ACTS I. [1: 9-11. shall receive power, when the Holy Ghost is come upon you : and ye shall be my witnesses both in Jeru- salem, and in all Judsea and Samaria, and unto the 9 uttermost part of the earth. And when he had said these things, as they were looking, he was taken up ; 10 and a cloud receive.d him out of their sight And while they were looking stedfastly into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white appa- ll rel ; which also said. Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye looking into heaven ? this Jesus, which was received came to mean exclusively a martyr in our sense, or a witness who seals his testimony with his blood. Ver. 9. He was taken up. In this and the next two verses, the story of the Ascension is told. Mark and Luke, in their Gospels, simply record the fact, Luke only adding that Jesus was in the act of ' blessing them^ when he ascended. It has been asked why the Ascen- sion is not more frequently alluded to in the New Testament. One answer is, that it seems to have been regarded only as 'a scene' in the resurrection glory of Christ. The Apostles dwelt on the resurrec- tion with deep earnestness, as the triumph of the Redeemer over death. Another is, that the Ascension is necessarily included in the exaltation of Jesus on the right hand of God, to which the Apostles continually refer (Eph. 1 : 20 ; Phil. 2: 9 ; 1 Tim. 3 : 16 ; 1 Pet. 1 : 21 ; Rev. 1 : 7, etc.). — A cloud received him out of their sight, while he was in the act of blessing them (Luke 21 : 51). The cloud reminds us of the bright cloud of glory on the Mount of Transfiguration (Matt. 17: 5), and of Ps. 104: 3 : ' He maketh the clouds His chariot.' 'The ascension of Elijah was like the flight of a bird which none could fol- low ; the ascension of Christ,like a bridge between earth and heaven, laid down for all who are drawn to him by his earthly existence ' (Baumgarten). *Ver. 10. Looking stedfastly. With sorrow to see him de- part, or perhaps with the expectation that he would show some won^ derful sign bearing upon the restoration of the kingdom to Israel (ver. 6). — T-wo men stood by them. Two angels, such as kept watch in the sepulchre where the body of Jesus had lain (John 20: 12). Luke, in his Gospel, speaks of them as 'men in shining garments' (21:4). Ver. 11. "Why stand ye looking into heaven? The hea- venly messengers brought (1) comfort: Jesus will return to the earth ; and (2) reproof: Expect him not to re-appear at once, or to show a sign in the heavens. Their duty now was not quiet contemplation, but earnest work. Both the comfort and the reproof belong to the Church in all ages. 1 : 12, 13.] ACTS I. up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye beheld him going into heaven. Beturn of the Disciples to Jerusalem, 12 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is nigh unto Jerusalem, a sabbath 13 day's journey off. And when they were come in, they went up into the upper chamber, where they were abiding ; both Peter and John and James and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas ♦Practical Notes.— The Book of the Acts, like the Book of Joshua in the Old Testament, is fresh with life and hope. It breathes the atmosphere of Sjjring. As Joshua went forth in the strengih of divine promises to conquer tlie laud of Canaan so the Apostlea went forth in the strength of Christ's promises to win the world. The Apostles went forth preaching the Gospel, strong in the conviction that the risen and ascended Christ was present with them and exhilaiated with the hope of his coming again ' in like manner as they had beheld him going into heaven.' Every Christian breathes the same atmosphere, for while he rests upon the cross he gazes out into a cleft heaven and waits till the Saviour 'will come again and receive us unto himself (John 14: 3). — The Apostles were still indulging carnal hopes of a visible earthly kingdom. But after the outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost their feelings were all changed and Peter then calls upon the peL'ple to 'repent unto the remission of their sins' (Acta 2: 38) If Christ bore so long with his disciples, wo ought to bear with one another in our shortcomings and failures to ajiprehend the spiritual meaning and use of life —We cannot look upwards to Christ and to our heavenly inheritance too much. But we mu.st remember the work there is for us to do. Religion is not all contemplation. It is an active struggle to put away sin from our own hearts and to help our fellowmen to do the same. Neither should we depend solely upon the Christ outside of us — crucified, risen, ascended- but also upon the Christ ' in us, the hope of glory ' (Col. 1 : 27).— Jesus will come again, the same Jesus who rebuked the hypocrite and Pharisee, who gave rich promises to the penitent and pure of heart. He will come in the clouds for judgment and ' every eye shall behold him, and they which pierced him ' (Rev. 1 : 7). Return of the Disciples to Jerusalem, vers. 12-14. Ver. 12. Nigh unto Jerusalem, a sabbath day's journey off. Two thousand paces or nearly a mile. Luke is explicit because he was writinjy for Gentile readers. In his Gospel he describes the ascension as taking place ' over against Bethany ' (Luke 24 : 50). Ver. 13. Into the upper chamber. Some have supposed on the basis of Luke 24 : 53 that this was an apartment in the temple. But it is not likely that the priests, bitterly hostile as they were to ACTS I. [1 : 14, 15. 14 the ^ son of James. These all with one accord continued stedfastly in prayer, ^with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. Chapter 1 : 15-26. Election of an Apostle and the Address of Peter. 15 And in these days Peter stood up in the midst of the bretiiren, and said (and there was a multitude of ^persons gathered together, about a hundred and 1 Or, brother. See Jude 1. ^ Or, wi/Z* certain ivomen. 3 Qr. names. Jesus would have allowed his followers the use of a room there. It was very prol.ably the same chamber in which the last Supper had been eaten (Mark 14: 15). — Where they v/ere abiding. This is the fourth catalogue of the Apostles given in the New Testament. One name is wanting which had appeared before, that of Judas (See Matt. 10: 2; Mark 3: 14; 16: 14). The order which differs from that which is given in Luke's Gospel, may indicate the relative influence of the Apostles in the history of the early Church, Andrew who in the Gospel is placed second has in this list the fourth place and Thomas who is there ei2;hth has here the sixth place. Ver. 14. With the •women. These words are specially woi"thy of attention. In the Jewish temple the women were not permitted to worship with the men, but had a separate court of their own, * the court of the women,' Among the changes which Christianity has worked none is more striking than the alteration it has brought about in the social position of woman. In the number of the women who met in the upper chamber, are included those devout women who are men- tioned as following Christ, were with him in the last visit to Jerusalem, looked on the cross and watched at the sepulchre (Matt. 27: 55-61; 28: 1). — Mary the mother of Jesus. She is here mentioned for the last time in the New Testament. * She is forever blessed amongst women (Luke 1 : 28), but she has no place of authority in the early Church, much less was she worshipped. This is a tender reference to her. Luke got his knowledge of the facts in the Lord's infancy either directly or at second hand from her. — And VT^ith his brethren. Of them it was once said ' neither did his brethren believe in him ' (John 7: 5). The names of four brothers were James, Joses, Judas and Simon (Mark 6 : 3). Sisters are also mentioned. Election of an Apostle and the Address of Peter. Ver. 15. Peter stood up. The time had come for him to ' stablish his brethren' (Luke 22: 32). He appeared as the leader and spokesman of the Apostles among the Twelve. He had been com- pletely restored to Christ's confidence (John 21 : 15-17) and became 1: 16-19.] ACTS I. 16 twenty), Brethren, it was needful that the scripture should be fulfilled, which the Holy Ghost spake before by the mouth of David concerning Judas, Mdio was 17 guide to them that took Jesus. For he was numbered among us, and received his ^ portion in this ministry. 18 (Now this man obtained a field with the reward of his iniquity ; and falling headlong, he burst asunder in the 19 midst, and all his bowels gushed out. And it became known to all the dwellers at Jerusalem; insomuch that in their language that field was called Akeldama, that 2 Or, lot. one of his boldest witnesses. This position of leader naturally fell to him as being the boldest and most impetuous of the twelve disciples and was in accordance with Christ's own words (Matt. 16: 18; John 21 : 15-17). He was not so brilliant an orator as Stephen, nor had he understood the mystic character of the Saviour as John, nor did he appreciate the woi'ldwide significancy of the Gospel as did Paul, yet he proved himself an able and intrepid leader. He sealed his testimony by martyrdom and, as tradition says, he was crucified with his head downward, deeming himself unworthy to be crucified in the same posi- tion as Christ. — A hundred and t-wenty. Paul mentions five hundi-ed brethren as having seen the risen Lord (1 Cor. 15 : 6). This gathering of five hundred took place probably in Galilee. The number of Christ's followers at his death must not be confined to the eleven disciples and a few women. Yer. 16. The scripture should be fulfilled. The quotations are fully made from the Septuagint (LXX.) or Greek translation of the Hebrew Scriptures. *Ver. 17. Received his portion in this ministry. This is a very striking reference to the call of Judas and his equal opportunities with the other disciples, as well as to his subsequent forfeiture of them by his own conduct. Yer. 18. Obtained a field. Peter here says that Judas bought the field. Matthew (27 : 3-7) gives no doubt a more 'exact account of the transaction when he says the field Avas purchased by the priests with the money Judas earned. Peter speaks rhetorically and, by a common figure of speech, attributes to Judas what his money in other hands had purchased. — And falling headlong. Judas hung him- self (Matt. 27: 5). It is quite likely as Dr. Hackett supposes that it was from the branch of a tree on the edge of a precipice overhanging the valley of Hinnom. The rope breaking, he fell to the earth and was dashed to pieces. Yer. 19. That field was called Akeldama. Because it was purchased withthe price of blood (Matt. 27 : 8) or as the reason is here ACTS I. [1 : 20-24. 20 is, The field of blood.) For it is written in the book of Psalms, Let his habitation be made desolate, And let no man dwell therein : and, His ^ office let another take. 21 Of the men therefore which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and went out ^ among us, beginning from the baptism of John, unto the day that he was received up from us, of these must 23 one become a witness with us of his resurrection. And they put forward two, Joseph called Barsabbas, who 24 was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew of these two the one whom thou hast chosen, 1 Gr. overseership. 2 Q^, over. given in the Acts because of the traitor's violent death. Both these reasons contributed to the awful title by which the field was afterwards known. Vers. 21, 22. The necessary condition of apostleship was the having been personally acquainted with the public career of Jesus from the day of his baptism until the day of the ascension. The Apostles were to be witnesses of the resurrection. This was the central fact in the history of the Lord, * the one which if proved would confirm all the other facts in his life, but the one which the Jews denied the most strenuously and would resist the most obstinately. They had before hired men to spread the report that Jesus' body was stolen away from the sepulchre (Matt. 28: 13). An Apostle who could speak only of the miracles and the crucifixion would have had little influence. The early Church laid great emphasis upon the reality of the resurrection, and Peter affirm^ it again and again in his speeches (Acts 2 : 32 ; 8 : 15, etc.) as does Paul. Ver. 24. And they prayed, and said, Thon, Lord, which knowest the hearts, etc. There is no doubt that the glorified Christ is here addressed for in ver. 21 Jesus is called Lord, and because the selection of the twelve Apostles is always ascribed to him (Acts 1 : 2 ; Luke 6:13; John 6 : 70, etc). Against this view it has been urged by Meyer and others that the epithet ivhich knowest the hearts {KapfiioyyCiara) belongs exclusively to God. But this is hardly true in the face of the statements which represent Jesus as one before whom all hearts are open, and all desires known (John 1 : 50 ; 2 : 25 ; G : 64, etc). 1 : 25, 26.] ACTS I. 25 to take the place in this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas fell away, that he might go to his own 26 place. And they gave lots ^ for them ; and the lot fell upon Matthias ; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles. 1 Or, unto. Ver. 25. That he might go to his own place. These words close the traitor's gloomy story and are a euphemistic expression for •the place of condemnation. The Rabbins used the expression in this sense, as for example Baal Turim (on Num. 24: 25) when he says, ' Baalam went to his own place, that is to Gehenna.' Ver. 26. The lot fell upon Matthias. The lots were probably tablets with the name of one of the persons written on each. The lot was frequently resorted to in the Old Testament as at the selection of the scape goat (Lev. 16 : 8), the division of the land (Num. 26 : 55), the choice of King Saul (1 Sam. 10 : 20, 21). But, so far as we know this was the solitary instance where the Apostles used the lot. No church except the Moravian has ever attempted, in its election of pastors, to follow the example of this first election in Jerusalem. * Practical Notes. — The best of companionship does not make all men good. A shadow was cast by one in the very company which Jesus chose for his intimate disciples. Judas betrayed his Master, lost his opportunity of being a blessing to the world and in despair hung himself. His career is a warning to those who trifle with the means of grace and neglect the exhortations of God's Word. The best intluencea do not keep some from a grave of ignominy, nor the call of the Spirit save some from everlasting condemnation. To them the words of Christ may still be applied ' Ye will not (do not desire) come unto me that ye might have life.' — The way of the trans- gressor is hard. — The career of Peter afToids encouragement to all who have once wavered in their loyalty to Chririt Three times he denied his Master, but repenting he was reinstated by the Lord. He here appears as the coryphseus of the Apostles not only in the direction of the atfairs of the little Church, but also in prayer. Grace ia ever ready to restore the penitent. — The Apostles were first, of all, witnesses. They testified to things they had seen and heard. It was this which gave to their preaching power. He who speaks because lie has seen the Lord, felt him in his heart, will speak to edification. 'I have believed, therefore have I spoken,' said the Psalmist. — The central fact of the early teaching and preaching of the Apostles was the Eesurrection of the Lord. On the reality of this fact all the rest hinged. If it were proved, then the divine mission of his life followed as a necessary conclu.sion The immortality of the soul was doubted amongst the Jews by the Sadducees as well as among the Greeks, many of whom mocked at Paul when he spoke of the resurrection of the dead (Acts 17 : S2). The Gospel came the harbinger of hope and light to illuminate the darkness of the valley of the shadow of death and,pointing the world to an open sepulchre and the cloven heavens receiving the ascending Lord, says, 'Ye shall live also' (John 14: 19). ' Christ is the first fruits of them that are asleep ' (1 Cor. 15 : 20). 10 ACTS 11. [2: 1-3. Chapter 2: 1-13. Descent of the Holy Sjyirit and the Gift of Tongues. 2 : 1 And when the day of Pentecost ^ was now come, 2 they were all together in one place. And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they ' 3 were sitting. And there appeared unto them tongues ^parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each 1 Gr. ivas hein/j fulfilled. 2 Or, 'parting among them. Or, distributing themselves. Ver. 1. "When the day of Pentecost "was now come. Pentecost, one of the great annual festivals of the Jews, was the Greek designation of the feast of Harvest (Ex. 23 : 16) or the feast of Weeks, as it was also called from its occurring seven weeks after the Passover (Lev. 23: 15; Deut. IG: 10). The later Rabbins also considered it as the anniversary of the giving of the Law from Sinai. It lasted only one day and was called Pentecost, which means ' Fiftieth ' from the fact that it occurred on the fiftieth day after the Passover Sabbath. The anniversary is called in the Church Calendar Whitsunday. Multi- tudes of the Jews from Palestine, and also from other countries, attended these great annual festivals. This time was no doubt selected for the descent of the Holy Spirit that it ndght be witnessed by a large concourse of people and by Jews from foreign lands, and so the news be rapidly and widely spread abroad. — They "were all together. *Air here certainly includes more than the twelve Apostles, (ver. 16), and very possibly refers to the ' hundred and twenty ' mentioned in chap. 1:15. Others think of all the believers then assembled in Jerusa- lem. — In one place. Not a chamber of the temple, but probably the same place where the disciples met at the election of Matthias (1 : 13). Ver. 2. And suddenly. The Apostles were waiting for the promise of their Master, but this extraordinary event came upon them apparently without any previous intimation — suddenly, unexpectedly. ■ — There came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, etc. This was not an actual wind but merely a sound which they could compare to nothing so well as to a vehement wind. The whirr was so loud as to be heard through the whole house. The Spirit was compared to a wind by the Saviour (John 3: 8). Ver. 3. There appeared unto them tongues parting asun- der, like as of fire, etc. These were not real flames of fire, but only had the gloioing appearance of fire. They were not flashes of electricity, as some have thought, but had the character of a persistent gleaming of light. The flaming tongues were an emblem of enkindled and purified emotions, enthusiasm, and may be thought of in connec- 2: 4.] ACTS 11. 11 4 one of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. tion with the baptism of fire of which Christ spoke (Matt. 3: 11). The account of this stupendous miracle, in common with nearly all the biblical recitals of supernatural events, is studiedly short, and dwells on no details ; it simply relates how and when it took place, assuming that the circumstances were generally known and required nothing more than the bare recapitulation of the fact. Three events took place — (1.) A murmuring sound came from heaven and pervaded the whole house. (2.) Flames glowing like tongues of fire filled the chamber, a tongue of flame settling on the head of each one present. (3.) Every one felt a new and mighty power, and the ecstatic utterance of praise which followed was merely an outward sign of the grace and power of the Holy Spirit. Ver. 4. And they vrere all filled with the Holy Spirit. Under the old covenant, skilful artists like Bezaleel, leaders and judges like Joshua, were filled now and again with the Spirit of God and the Spirit of wisdom (Ex. 31 : 3; Deut. 34: 9). And upon the prophets the Spirit of the Lord dwelt for a time, but now began that intimate union which should endure through time and eternity between man and his God.' *This was the historic gift of the Holy Spirit to the Church according to the promise of Christ frequently reiterated before his death (.John 14: 16, etc.), and repeated after the resurrection (Acts ] : 5). The Holy Spirit did not act on the day of Pentecost for the first time. Nor had the disciples merely heard of him as about to be sent. Jesus had taught them to pray for him (Luke 11: 13) and 'breathed on them saying, Receive ye the Holy Ghost' (John 20 : 22). He was in the world under the Old Covenant in a general way and had spora- dically inspired agents to execute the divine will and speak divine words. But henceforth his presence was to be constant in the Church and his manifestations were to assume new forms, produce intensified convictions and have a far wider reception. His power was to bo displayed in converting the hearts of sinners and illuminating their minds with the knowledge of Christ, and edifying believers. He was to be a constant presence in their hearts (Rom. 8: 11), their very life (Rom. 8: 10), their guide, and helper, and to be recognized in his divine personality and as the divine agent without whom no man can say Jesus is Lord (1 Cor. 12: 3). It is to such considerations we are to look for the significance of the gift of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. Next to the facts of the incarnation, crvicifixion and resur- rection, this is the most important in the history of the Church. The immediate and permanent work of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles consisted 1) in enabling them to speak with tongues, 2) to work mira- cles, 3) to speak, though illiterate men, with great wisdom and eloquence, 4) to understand the spiritual nature of Christ's Kingdom (comp. Acts 12 ACTS 11. [2: 5-8. 5 Now there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout 6 men, from every nation under heaven. And when this sound was heard, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard 7 them speaking in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying. Behold, are not all 8 these which speak Galilseans ? And how hear we, every man in our own language, wherein we were 2: 38). — "With other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utter- ance. On the qnestion ivhat these ' tongues ' were, see the general Excursus on the Miracle of Pentecost at the end of the section, and Schaff s History of the Apostolic Church. Ver. 5. No-w there -were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews. The Greek word used here according to classical usage, would convey the notion that the persons alluded to were residents in the city, but the words in ver. 9, 'dwellers in Mesopotamia,' etc., and in ver. 10, ♦sojourners from Rome,' imply that they still had their homes in these distant lands. It includes then, permanent residents and strangers on a visit to the city. — Devout men. The fact of their having left their country to dwell in .lerusalem, showed they were 'devout men' in tlie Old Testament sense of the word. The same epithet is applied to Simeon (Luke '1 : 25). — Prom every nation under heaven. The Jews at this time were scattered over the whole world and doing busi- ness in all the more prosperous cities (Philo). Agrippa, in Josephus, says : ' There was no nation upon earth which had not Jews among them.' Ver. 6. And when this sound was heard. Not a rumor, but the sound itself as of the rushing of a mighty wind which filled tho house. It was heard, no doubt, over all the neighborhood, probably, as Alford suggests, over all Jerusalem. — The multitude came to- gether. 'The house may have been on one of the avenues to the tem- ple, thronged at this time by a crowd of early worshippers' (Hackett). Vei\ 7. Behold, are not all these which speak Galilesans? They were no doubt well known, as the disciples of Jesus, to be at least for the most pai-t from Galilee. Peter had been recognized by his accent as a Galilean before the crucifixion (Matt. 26: 73). They were most unlikely to be acquainted with foreign idioms. At a later period the followers of Jesus were styled Galileans in reproach. Ver. 8. In our own language wherein we were born. Foreign Jews lost their acquaintance with Hebrew. At Jerusalem at this time there were separate synagogues where various languages were used in the services, to which they resorted (G: 9). *These words, as well as the enumeration of countries which follows, leave no doubt that the languages which the Galileans spoke were intelligible and not meanino-less mutteiunffs. 2: 9-11.] ACTS II. 13 9 born? Parthians and Medes and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, in Judaea and Cappadocia, 10 in Pontus and Asia, in Phrygia and Pamphylia, in Egypt and the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and sojourners from Pome, both Jews and proselytes, 11 Cretans and Arabians, we do hear them speaking in Vers. 9-11. Parthians, etc. The catalogue contains the names of fifteen nations, by each of which a ditferent language was spoken. In some few instances (as in Parthia, Media, Elam), ditferent dialects, for all practical purposes, ranked as distinct languages. These countries had become the principal residences of the dispersed Jewish nation. The list roughly follows a geographical plan, which proceeds from the north-east to north-west, then to the south, and lastly, to the west. But this plan is not strictly adhered to, for the last two names are independent of any such arrangement. The names, of course, were added by Luke. — Parthians, Medes, Elamites. In the Persian kingdom. It was among these people that Slialmaneser, king of Assyria, settled the captive ten tribes. — Mesopotamia. The country between the Tigris and the Euphrates. — Judeea. This name is introduced because Luke desired to enumerate all the languages spoken that day by the disciples. — Cappadocia. Then a Roman province. — Pontus, on the Euxine, became a Eoman province soon afterwards, in the reign of Xero. — Asia, the province on the Western coast of Asia Minor, inclu- ding Caria, Lydia, Mysia. Its capital was Ephesus. Yer. 10. Phrygia, east of ' Asia.' but the greater part of it was then reckoned in that great province. — And Pamphylia, a small division on the coast of the Mediterranean. — Egypt. Luke passes to Aft-ica. Great numbers of Jews resided in Egypt. The Greek Version of the Hebrew Scriptures, known as the Septuagint (LXX.), had been pre- pared for them. Two-fifths of the popvilation of the great city Alexandria were Jews. — The parts of Libya about Cyrene. West of Egypt. Cyrene was a large city of Libya, a fourth part of whose population says Strabo (in Josephus), was Jews. In Jerusalem they had a synagogue of their own (Acts 6:9). Simon, who bore the Saviour's cross was from Cyrene (Matt. 27: 32). — Sojourners from Rome. He passes to Europe. Tacitus speaks of the great number of Jews dwelling in Rome as exciting the jealousy of the government. — Je^ws and prose- lytes. This has reference to all the countries contained in the cata- logue. The proselytes were converts from heathenism who had been circumcised and kept the Law. Ver. 11. Cretans and Arabians. He turns Eastward again. In Crete the Jews were very numerous. Arabia, bordering on the Holy Land, of course, counted among its inhabitants many Israelites. The mighty works of God. Perhaps they described the grand 14 ACTS II. [2 : 12, 13. 12 our tongues the mighty works of God. And they were all amazed, and were perplexed, saying one to 13 another. What meaneth this ? But others mocking said, They are filled with new w^ine. mission of Israel, rehearsed the great facts of Christ's life proving him to be the Messiah and exhibited the purposes of God concerning the world's redemption. In some of these Pentecostal utterances, the outlines of the arguments of the great epistles (to the Romans and Hebrews, for instance) were no doubt first sketched out. Vers. 12, 13. They -were all amazed, . . . others mocking said, They are filled -with ne-w w^ine. None could deny the altogether unusual character of the things they had witnessed ; but while some wore convinced, others ascribed the strange power of the Apostles to drunkenness. The 'new wine,' literally sweet wine, was probably that produced from dried grapes, by soaking them in old wine, and then pressing them a second time (comp. Hackett). This wine was very intoxicating. * Practical Notes. — God's promises are often fulfilled in unexpected ways. The disciples were meeting together day by day in expectation of Christ's promise being fulfilled. But when the Spirit came, he came suddeuhj. Re c.ime upon them praying and ■\\ atching. ' WatcH for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of Man cometh.' — The Holy Spirit is an abiding presence in the Church and will not forsake it. lie makes Christ known to the natural mind, and sweetens and beautifies the heart with love, holiness and hope. Like the wind he purifies and animates, and like the fire he consumes evil passions and enkindles divine emotions. — To be filled with the Spirit was not the sole prerogative of the Apostles. It belongs to all (Acts 2 : 38) who will be- lieve, and he works as wonderfully now as then. — The gift of tongues has ceased. Eut the Spirit still gives a new tongue, the tongue which speaks the truth in love, renders blessings for railings and words of forgiveness for curses. — The speaking in tongues as a symbol that people of every tongue shall praise Christ. As the angels sang that the ' good tidings of great joy ' should be to all people, so at Pentecost was it symbolically shown that the Holy Spirit is to be poured out upon all flesh. This miraculous speaking in various languages, hallowed every language. Xot the Latin alone (Roman Catholics) nor Hebrew, nor other dead dialects, but all tongues are proper receptacles for the Bible revelation and vehicles of worship and praise. — God's wisdom overrules events in unexpected ways to serve His purposes. The dispersion of the Jews was a divinely used means for the more rapid extension of the Gospel. Their synagogues were in every great city ready for the first preachers, and some of the ' devout men ' who were at Jerusalem on Pentecost, returned to their homes M'ith the storj^ of the wonderful things they had witnessed. — Christian zeal is often misunderstood and Christian fervor ascribed to false motives (vcr. 13). Christ was accused of being in league with the devil, the Apostles on Pentecost of being intoxicated. A Christian may expect his motives to bo challenged by Satan, commended by God. Excursus on the Pentecostal Miracle.- On the day of Pentecost, the first part of the work of the Founder of the Christian Church was completed when the Holy 2: 14.] ACTS II. 15 Chapter 2: 14-36. Peter s Sermon. 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his Spirit was given by tlie Father to the 'hundred and twentj'.' A special grace and power were conferred on them ; but the special power was soon withdrawn from men. the grace remained for ever. The special grace included a certain power to work miracles — a power, which was gradually withdrawn. The first followers of Clirist, owed to the Spirit that high wisdom which enabled them to lay, with rare skill and gf^nerous devotion, the first stories of the Christian faith.— The gift of speaking with tongues, which was the first apparent result of the descent of the Spirit, was an ecstjitic expression of thanks and praise to God, the glorious utterance of grateful hearts con- scious of the mighty change wrought in them bj' the Spirit sent from heaven. The speaker, rapt, though not losing all command of himself, not always fully conscious of what he was uttering, poured out his ecstatic stream of praise, in a language not usually comprehended by the bystanders. These utterances often needed an interpreter (I Cor. 12:10; 14:27), though at times the speaker Interpreted for himself. The speaking with tongues, on the day of Pentecost, differed only in few particulars from t'le same phenomenon as described in 1 Cor. 12: 14. The 'tongues' in the Corinthian Church needed an interpreter, as the utterances were in a language not understood by the bystanders. At Pentecost, however, no such interpreter was needed. On that occa- sion, the inspired ones spoke in new languages, but each language was comprehended by the listeners whether they were from Rome or Africa or the different parts of Asia. — The gift of tongues then was one of the special powers bestowed at Pentecost ; but it was by no means a permanent and abiding ptower with any one. It is, however, utterly at variance with all early veconl to supi)<)se tliis gift was a power of speaking in various languages, to be used by the first believers when they jjreached the Gospel in distant lands. The New Testament knows of no such supernatural endowment with power to preach the Gospel in languages which the preacher had never learned On the con- trary, Paul, ' who spoke with tongues more than all,' did not understand the dialect of Lycaonia (Acts 14: 11). Jerome, also tells us that Paul was accompanied by Titus as an interpreter (Estius on 2 Cor. 11) ; and Papias (Eusebius H. E.3: 39) writes of Mark, as acting in a like capacity to Peter. This power was not used for teaching purposes in Corinth, as is clear from 1 Cor. 14: 4, 19, passages which totally exclude the idea that it was an instrument for missionary work, for the chief characteristic of such speaking was that it was unintelligible. The man speaks mysteries, prays, blesses, gives thanks in the Spirit, hut no one understands him. Among the earliest of these supernatural powers to be withdrawn, was the gift of tongues which during the biith-throes of Christianity gave utterance to the rapturous joy and thankfulness of the first believers. It was a power, however, which, if misused miglit lead men to confusion, to feverish drcamings, to morbid imaginings, to a condition of thought which would utterly unfit men and women for the earnpst duties of their several callings; in a word, would lead to a life unreal and unhealthy. Thus this chapter was closed for ever, perhaps even before the=e ' hundred and twenty ' and the generation who had listened to their words had fallen Jisleep. Peter's Sermon, vers. 14—36. The few discourses preserved in the Acts, no doubt represent faith- 16 ACTS II. [2: 15-16. voice, and spake forth unto them, saying^ Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this 15 known unto you, and give ear unto my words. For these are not drunken, as ye suppose ; seeing it is but 16 the third hour of the day ; but this is that which hath been spoken ^ by the prophet Joel ; 1 Or, through. fully the characteristic features of early apostolic preaching. They are studiedly simple and usually contain several leading facts connected with the life and death of Christ. In most cases, whatever is advanced is supported by quotations from the Old Testament. The sermon of Peter falls naturally into three parts: (1) Vers. 14-21. The refuta- tion of the mockers who accused them of being drunken, by referring to Joel who had prophesied of just such an outpouring of the Spirit as this they had witnessed. (2) Vers. 22-28. Jesus was approved by God as Messiah by his miracles, was crucified according to His counsel but rose from the dead in conformity with David's prediction. (3) Vers. 29-30. The proof that in this prophecy David did not refer to himself but to Jesus. The Tropliecy of the Outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Ver. 14. But Peter, standing up -with the eleven. Augus- tine well calls attention to the marked change in Pe.ter. ' More eagerly than the rest, he rushes forth to bear Avitness of Christ, and to preach the resurrection. . . . The same tongue, which at the sound of one was driven to deny him, now inspires many thousand enemies to confess Christ. This was the work of the Holy Spirit' (Augustine in Ps. 92). Ver. 15. * These are not drunken, as ye suppose. The calm- ness and dignity of his manner and language were themselves a refu- tation of the charge. Drunkenness belonged to the darkness (1 Thess. 5:7), and was a thing improbable at that hour. — Seeing it is but the third hour of the day. The Jews divided the day into twelve hours. The third hour was about nine A. M., and the first of the three stated hours of prayer, the other two being noon, and the ninth hour, when the evening sacrifice was offered. On feast days like this it was unusual for the Jews to eat or drink until the hour of morning prayer had expired. "Ver. 16. This is that which hath been spoken by tho prophet Joel. Namely, the speaking with tongues, Joel was one of the very oldest prophetic books, and predicted that after enduring heavy sufferings, the people would be visited with a copious outpouring of the Spirit. The quotation is from Joel 2 : 28-32, and agrees more nearly with the Greek translation (LXX.) than with the Hebrew original. 2: 17, 18.] ACTS 11. 17 17 And it shall be iu the last days, saith God, I will pour forth of my Spirit upon all flesh : And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy And your young men shall see visions. And your old men shall dream dreams : 18 Yea and on my ^servants and on my ^hand- maidens in those days Will I pour forth of my Spirit ; and they shall prophesy. 1 Gr. bondmen. '^ Gr. hondmaide/M. Ver, 17. In the last days. This expression was used by the Rabbis for the period of time between the coming of the Messiah and the end of the world. (Thus it signifies, The age we live in now, Heb. 1 : 2). The age of Messiah is so termed in 1 John 2: 18 : 'Little chil- dren, it is the last time.' Paul uses the same term, 2 Tim. 3: 1. — I will pour forth of my Spirit upon all flesh. This prophecy received a partial and perhaps a special fulfilment on Pentecost ; but the reference extends far beyond that time. Joel grasped only a part of the meaning of the words, for his vision was bounded by the chosen race. Peter, taught by the Spii-it, saw the prophecy was being then ful- filled, and dimly caught sight of the comprehensive meaning of 'the Spirit being poured out on all flesh.' At no distant date, he was to declare how Jew and Gentile were to be alike heirs of the kingdom. *But not till after the vision on the house top of Joppa which shewed him that the distinction between clean and unclean was abolished (Acts 10). — And your sons and your daughters shall prophesy. A prediction amply fulfilled in the age of the Apostles. We think of the four virgin daughters of Philip 'which did prophesy,' (Acts 21; 9), of Agabus, (11: 28), and of such passages as Acts 19: 6; 1 Cor. 14. — Your young men shall see visions. Such as Stephen saw at Jerusalem (Acts 7: 55), and Peter at Joppa (Acts 10: 10), and Paul on the Damascus road (Acts 9: 3). — Your old men shall dream di earns. As perhaps John did when in the Spirit on the Lord's day at Patmos (Rev. 1 : 10). Ver. 18. And on my servants and on my haudmaidens. No mere priestly class or slave class is spoken of here. Those who were servants of Christ in spirit and in truth, upon them the Spirit was to be poured out, both men and women. ^The equal position here accorded to women deserves notice. Miriam and Hannah had prophesied in the Old Testament, and other women as Sarah, Deborah and Esther acted a great part. But in the Gospels women stand forth as honored by the Lord, and the Acts, in the first mention of the disci- ples, speaks of 'the women' and afterwards mentions them as equal sharers of the gift of the Spirit and faithful co-workers with the Apostles, 18 ACTS II. [2: 19-22. 19 And I will shew wonders in the heaven above, And signs on the earth beneath ; Blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke : 20 The sun shall be turned into darkness, And the moon into blood, Before the day of the Lord come. That great and notable day : 21 And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the . name of the Lord shall be saved, 22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words : Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God unto you by ^mighty works and wonders and signs, Avhich God did by him in the 1 Gr. powers. as for example, Dorcas, Lyclia, Priscilla. The early Church recognized the principle that 'in Christ thei-e is neither bond nor free, no male and female' (Gal. 3: 28). Ver. 19, 20. Before the da/ of the Lord come, that great and notable day. The Messianic dispensation, has two aspects — grace and mercy, but also judgment and punishment. The glorious blessings to be poured out have just been mentioned. Now the awful punishment is also declared. Pentecost and the outpouring of grace were a partial fulfilment of the prophecjf of the blessing. The fall of Jeru- salem, and the unsurpassed misery and horror which attended the siege, and its crushing result, were a partial fulfilment of the prophecy of the curse. But neither Pentecost and the miraculous powers on the one hand, nor the fatal siege and deadly war on the other have exhausted the prophecy of Joel. The complete fulfilment still tarries and will assuredly precede that awful day of the Lord, the day of the last judg- ment, the time of which is known to the Father only. Ver. 21. And it shall be, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. Peter turning from theology to life, speaks of the Gospel and tells all races and ages, that the Lord could save all who call upon Him. *It is hit cresting to remember that an illustration, if not a confirmation, occurred at the destruction of Jerusalem when the Christians, warned of that event,fled to Pella and were saved. Jesus and the Resurrection, a Fulflment of David's Prophecy. Ver. 22. Jesus of Nazareth. The words * of Nazareth ' are added as his usual designation, the name, 'Jesus' not being an uncommon one. It was the title affixed to the cross* and perhaps a title of scorn (John 1 : 46). The fearlessness of Peter can not be overestimated in urging this name before those who had only so short a time before crucified 2 : 23, 24.] ACTS II. 19 23 midst of you, even as ye yourselves know; him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and fore- knowledge of God, ye by the hand of Mawless men 24 did crucify and slay : whom God raised up, having loosed the pangs of death : because it was not possible 1 Or, nien uithoul the law. Christ. But this name was central in the preaching of the Apostles (Acts 3: IG; 4: 10, etc.). — A mau approved of God unto you by- mighty works aud wondera and signs. That is, divinely accredited as Messiah. It is Jsicodemus' argument over again. * We know that thou art a teacher come from God : for no man can do these signs that thou doest, except God be with him' (John 3: 2). *These are the miracles of Christ. The first word brings out the idea of the divine power displayed in the miracle, the second its adaptation to ex- cite surprise and wonder, the third the thought of its being an evidence of the supernatural. Yer. 23. Him, being delivered up by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God. Christ's death was not man's work alone. It was part of God's plan and was done in accordance with God's own design. The Old Testament pi-ojihecies had minutely described the very details of the tragedy of Calvary (Isa. 52: 13-15; 53; Zech. 11: 12; 12: 10; 13: 7).— Ye by the hand of lawless men did crucify and slay, that is, thnjugh the instrumentality of Pilate and the Roman soldiers employed in the crucifixion. But the guilt of it is yours. There could have been no condemnation of Christ Avithout the consent of the people. Nay it was from them that the cry had gone up, 'Crucify Him!' and Pilate in vain endeavored to save his life and deter them from the crime. *This is one of the most keen and searching arraignments of crime in all history, and reminds us of Nathan before David (2 Sam. 12: 7) in the Old Testament. Nothing could be sharper and bolder. Ver. 24. Whom God raised up. The resurrection was no device or invention of the disciples as the chief priests tried to make the people believe (Matt. 28: 13). The remainder of the discourse dwells exclusively on this theme. So much hung on it. (1) It was the centre of that grand redemption scheme Peter and others were beginning to catch flint dim glimpses of. The Lord whom they had known on earth, was in- deed risen from the dead and was ruling from his throne. (2) It was the pledge of man's immortality, chasing away all mist and cUrkness from the future, /or they had seen one like themselves die, had seen kim again risen froin the dead. — Having loosed the pangs of death. Peter probably used the Hebrew words, which signify cords of death. Luke, in his report, gives the Greek translation (LXX.rdf uS'ivaq rov Oavdrov), pangs of death. The idea is that death was a painful condition, because the lx)dy was threatened with corruption, and that consequently these pains were loused when the body was raised and delivered from corrup- 20 ACTS II. [2: 25-27. 25 tliat he should be holden of it. For David saith con- cerning him, I beheld the Lord always before my face ; For he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved : 26 Therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; Moreover my flesh also shall ^ dwell in hope : 27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in Hades, Neither wilt thou give thy Holy One to see cor- ruption. 1 Or, tahemacle. tion (comp. Lechler in Lange). * Another explanation is that the resur- rection was like a new birth from the womb of death (Col. 1 : 18). — It was not possible that be should be holden of It. Death could have no real power over him, who was deathless, as the words of the following Psalm (16.) quoted verbatim from the Greek translation (LXX.) show. Ver. 25. David saith concerning him. A confirmation that death could not hold the 'Holy One of God,' is drawn from the Old Testament. The sure hope of immortality is the spirit of the Psalm ; but as Peter shows, the Psalm could not refer to David who ' saw corrup- tion' (Acts 13 : 36). It was of Jesus that the Holy Ghost by the mouth of David wrote. Ver. 26. Therefore my heart was glad. The Messiah's glad consciousness on earth of his oneness with the Father. Compare the words of Jesus at the raising of Lazarus (John 11: 42), 'I knew that Thou hearest me always.' — And my ton gue rejoiced. The Hebrew has my glory (Ps. 16: 9). Wordsworth remarks that the paraphrase of the Greek translation (LXX.) 'my tongue,' was very appropriate on the day of Pentecost, when, in a special manner, the tongues of the Apostles Avere made instruments for declaring God's glory. — Moreover my flesh also shall dwell in hope. His very body would rest m the grave only as in a tent, which is the same word as 'dwell' in the original. The ground of this hope appears in the next verse. Ver. 27. Thou wilt not leave my soul in Hades. This was the Pvedeemers sure confidence during his earthly life. Hades is 'the abode where the souls of the dead dwell' after body and soul are separated by death. In this realm will remain until the general resur- rection, the souls both of the righteous and the wicked though widely separate — ^the former dwelling in the regions of the blessed ; the latter, in those of the lost. — Neither wilt thou give thy Holy One to see corruption. That part of the ciirse of Adam which told man he should return to du.st was not to be fulfilled in Christ. 2: 28-30.] ACTS II. 21 28 Thou madest known unto me the ways of life ; Thou shalt make me full of gladness Svith thy countenance. 29 Brethren, I may say unto you freely of the patriarch David, that he both died and was buried, and his tomb 30 is with us unto this day. Being therefore a prophet, and knowing that God had sv/orn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins ^he would set one upon 1 Or, in thy presence. 2 Qr, one should sit. Ver, 28. Thou madest known unto me the ways of life. The thoughts of the Redeemer on earth are still being expressed. He knew when he had endured the agony of the cross, and was laid in the grave, death would be powerless to hold him. The ways of life to him meant the resurrection and the ascension. — Thou shalt make me full of gladness with thy countenance. To the gladness he had before the world, was added the joy of redeeming the world. It was for that 'joy which was set before him, that he endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God' (Heb. 12: 2). Not David but Jesus Fulfilled this Prophecy. Ver. 29. * Brethren. The three different ways in which Peter addressed his hearers in this sermon are deserving of notice. They are full of meaning as showing the speaker's skill, and as indicating the power which he secured over the hearers as the sermon proceeded. In ver. 14, his address 'Ye men of Judaea,' etc., refers merely to their place of residence, and nationality In ver. 22, when he desires to urge upon them the meaning of Joel's prophecy and appeal to their conscience for having disregarded it, he addresses them ' Ye men of Israel,' remind- ing them that they were heirs of the promises and prophecies of Israel. Having quoted two prophecies and spoken of the crucifixion and resur- rection as In accord with them, lie draws close to the audience as a fellow-heir of the promises of Abraham, and, perhaps feeling the change that was about to overcome their hearts, appeals to them as 'Brethren.' — I may say unto you freely of the patriarch David. Let me speak without fear of being thought unjust to the great memory of the royal patriarch. — That he both died and was buried, and his tomb is with us No one ever pretended that David had risen ; his tomb in Jerusalem, all knew. It was violated by the hicrh priest, John Hyrcanus, and also by Herod the Great. The first found a treasure of money, the second some gold furniture in it Jerome (d. 420) tells us that it was visited in his day. Ver. 30 Being therefore a prophet. 'In the stricter sense, a foreteller of future evcLts by the inspiration of the Spirit' (Alford). 22 ACTS II. [2: 31-34. 31 his throne ; he foreseeing tkis spake of the resurrrction of the Christ, that neither was he left in Hades, nor 32 did his flesh see corruption. This Jesus did God raise 33 up, Svhereof we all are witnesses. Being therefore ^by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath poured forth this, which ye see and hear. 34 For David ascended not into the heavens : but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 1 Or, of whom. 2 Or, at. Jesus speaks of David writing 'in the Spirit' (Matt. 22: 43). — That of the fruit of his loins he would set one upon his throne. The words of Nathan (2 Sam. 7: 12, 13) and Ps. 132: 11, 12. From these he must have gathered. that no mere man among his descendants could ever establish the throne of his kingdom for eve7\{p. Sam. 7: 13), or sit upon his throne/or evermore (Ps. 132: 12). Yer. 32. This Jesus did God raise up. Looking back to vcr. 23, this Jesus who, as you know was crucified and buried, has fulfilled the details of this marvellous prophecy, yea is risen again. With an orators power and emphasis, he repeats the words 'this Jesus' in ver. 30. — "Whereof vve all are -witnesses. No doubt here pointing to the 'hundred and twenty,' on whom the gift of the Spirit had fallen, and who had seen the Lord after the resurrection. Ver. 33. Being therefore by the right hand of God exalted. The quotation from Ps. 10, broke off in the middle of the eleventh verse, with a general expression of joy in the presence of the Father. Peter now having spoken of the literal fulfilment of the prophecy respecting death being powerless to hold Jesus, takes up the interrupted thread of the Psalm, and speaks of his exaltation. Ver. 34. For David ascended not into the heavens. The preacher, fearful lest any might still suspect that David was the One spoken of in the Psalm he had been quoting, quotes again from the 110th Psalm, where David speaks more definitely about the throne at God's right hand, and unmistakably identifies the One who should sit there as his Lord (ver. 1), as the looked-for Messiah (vers. 1-7). Peter, no doubt, remembered how Jesus had l)efore quoted the same 110th Psalm (Matt. 23: 43). — Sit thou on my right hand. Dr. Hackett quotes from Prof. Stuart, who remarks : ' In the New Testament where Christ is represented as sitting on the right hand of Divine Majesty (Heb. 1 : 3). or at ihc right hand of God (Acts 2: 33, and Heb. 10: 12), or at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 12: 2), participation in supreme dominion is most clearly meant' (comp. 1 Pet. 3: 22, etc.). 2: 35, 3G.] ACTS II. 23 35 Till I make thine enemies the footstool of thy feet. 30 Let ^all the house of Israel therefore know assuredly, that God hath made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom ye cru'cified. 1 Or, every house. * Ver. 35. Footstool of thy feet. A somewhat awkward expres- sion in English, but the exact translation of the Greek (see Matt. 5: 35; Acts 7: 49; Heb. 1: 13, etc.). Only in one instance is the simple ex- ■prcssion footsfool [v-o-ochov) used (James 2: 3). The Revisers were, therefore,justified in translating as they have done. Ver. 3G. Let all the bouse of Israel therefore know assur- edly. Conclusion of the sermon. The argument has been based upon prophecies, with which his hearers were familiar. Having proved that the manifestations of the day of Pentecost and the resurrection and ascension of Christ were the fulfilment of prophecy, he emphasizes the fact by the word assuredbj which in the Greek stands first. — God hath made him both Lord and Christ. God hath made him Lord of all {Acts 10 : 36 ; Eph. 1 : 21, 22) by exalting him to His right hand, and Christ (the Greek equivalent for the Hebrew 'Messiah,' the 'Anointed') the One whom Israel looked forward to as its Deliverer. — *ThiB Jesus VT^hom ye crucified. A startling conclusion pressing home to their consciences the awful guilt of putting to death their Messiah, the Anointed One of God. This reminds us of the tragic sentence of John 1: 11, ' He came unto his own and they that were his own received him not.' * Practical Notes. — God makes provision for the exigency of the Church. Christ was ascended, and his miraculous voice withdrawn. But the fishermen of Galilee, inspired by the Holy Spirit carry on his work in a wonderful way. The change in Peter is marvellous. Only a few days ago he shrank before a woman and denied the Lord. Now he stands up before a great audience and charges it with the crime of the crucifixion. His address was courteous but candid, full of the tenderness of the Gospel, and with no spirit of revenge, but fearless. In these points it is a model to us.— Christ ill dying and ascending fulfilled the Prophets and so did Pentecost. This is the main thought of the sermon. Jesus had spoken in that same strain to the disciples after the resurrection: 'Ought not Christ to have suffered?' etc., (Luke 24:26). The New Testament lies hid in the Old. By the skilful treatment of Peter under the influence of the Spirit, the veil was to be removed from it for many in his audience.— The eei mon of Peter contains the two elements requisite in all effective preaching, — exposition of the Word and the testimony of experience. Or, as it may also be put, thorough acquaint- ance with the letter, and thorough conviction of the truth, of Scripture — Christ's df-ath and sufferings were a pait of a great jilan for man's redemption. It was written of him that he should die (Matt. 26: 24). God foreknew it and permitted the crime of Judas and the people. But it was necessary for Jesus to die for the weal of the world. — The grave to the believer as to Christ is not an iron prison, but a tent (ver. 26) in which the body tarries for a while. 'The house not made with hands* is beyond (2 Cor. 5: 1). Christ conquered death, and lives! His life is the surety and pledge of otus (John 14 : 19). 24 ACTS IT. [2 ! 37, 38. Chapter 2: 37-42. Effect of Peter^s Sermon. 37 IS'ow when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, 38 Brethren, what shall we do ? And Peter said unto them. Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins ; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Effect of Peter' s Sermori, vers. 37-42. * Luke here relates what was the fruit of the sermons, that we may know that the Holy Spirit was displayed not merely in the variety of tongues, but in the heai'ts too of those who heard' (Calvin). Ver. 37. They were pricked in their heart. Not necessarily all who heard ; but at least, the three thousand. They were stung with remorse for crucifying the Messiah and having 'been dull to understand the Old Testament. — Brethren. This friendly, courteous address showed how their hearts were moved. It was not so they had addressed the Apostles before, when they contemptuously mocked them, and said, 'These men are full of new wine' (ver. 13). — *'What shall we do ? An anxious inquiry how to be free from so great guilt and avert the divine wrath against them. Vers. 38-40. The exquisite tact and courtesy so marked in the apos- tolic letters and sermons, is very remarkable in this little summary. Peter forbears all reproach, for the people were fully conscious of their guilt. He now invites them to join the company of believers, and offers to them the glorious promises he had been telling them of. Ver. 38. Repent ye. The Greek word /isravo^aa-e does not signify merely sorrow for sin, but a change of mind. Alford well puts it: ' Here the change was to be from thinking Jesus an impostor and scorn- ing him as one crucified, to being baptized in his name and looking to him for the remission of sins and the gift of the Spii'it.' *The preach- ing of the Apostles opens with the same word, ' Repent ye,' as the preach- ing of John the Baptist (Matt. 3: 2). This was in accordance with the direction of the risen Lord (Luke 24: 47). — Be baptized. The rito of baptism was well known to the Jews : had been practised by Jolin the Baptist and the disciples (John 4: 1, 2), and commanded by Christ (Matt. 28: 19).— In the name of Jesus Christ. Their belief in Jesus was the ground on which they were to be baptized (Meyer). The usual expression is 'to be baptized into the name' (el^), chap. 8: 16; Matt. 28: 19, etc. It has been suggested (De Wette; Hackett) that ettc (in) was chosen here for the sake of euphony, as elg occurs in the next clause (fif d^eaff), 'for the remission.' — *Unto the remission. In ordex that your sins may be forgiven. Forgiveness is promised on con- 2: 39-42.] ACTS II. 25 39 For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God 40 shall call unto him. And with many other words he testified, and exhorted them, saying. Save yourselves 41 from this crooked generation. They then Hhat re- ceived his word were baptized : and there were added 2into them in that day about three thousand souls. 42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' teaching 1 Or, having received. dition of repentance. John's baptism was unto repentance (Matt. 3: 11). Ver. 39. For to you is the promise. The promise contained in the prophecy of Joel, viz., the miraculous gifts and influences of the Spirit. — And to all that are afar off. The reference is not to their posterity, but to the Gentiles. The expression, an Old Testament one (Zech. »i: 15; Isa. 57: 19), is constantly used to describe the Gentiles. The rabbinic writers employ it in the same way (Schiittgen quoted by Hackett); and also Paul, (Eph. 2: 13, 17). The admission of the Gen- tiles into the Church of the future, was constantly taught with more or less distinctness by the prophets (Micah 4:1; Isa. 2: 2, 3, etc.). This wide application of the Gospel they learned from the Master (Matt. 28: 19; 'make disciples of all the nations'), but narrowness of spirit early showed itself in the Church, and Peter had to be anew impressed with the world-wide signific;Tnce of the Gospel by a vision (Acts 11). — Even as many as the Lord our God shall call. This saying of an inspired Apostle, leads to the certain conclusion that in the wise counsels of God some are called, while others are left out of the divine invitation. A solemn lesson lies on the surface. Awful is the responsibility which attaches itself to those whom the Lord shall call. Woe be to them if they neglect the blessed invitation. Ver. 40. With many other words. 'The words cited appear only to be the concluding summary of Peter's many exhortations' (Al- ford). — From this crooked generation — that is, from the Jewish people who had filled up the cup of their iniquity by the murder of Christ and were doomed to destruction. The word signifies moral and religious perverseness (Deut. 32: 5; Phil. 2: 15). Ver. 41. They then that received his word were baptized, etc. It is not likely that three thousand could have been immersed in one day in Jerusalem, where the supply of water was not abundant. This first baptism probably was administered by sprinkling or pouring. It is noteworthy that ' the baptized ' could have received little or no instruction in the faith. In this case instruction must have followed baptism. Ver. 42. They continued stedfastly in the apostles' teach- 26 ACTS 11. [2: 43. and ^fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers. Chapter 2: 43-47. The Church in Jerusalem. 43 And fear came upon every soul : and many wonders 1 Or, m fellowship. ing. These naturally sought to know more and more of the sayings, deeds and commandments of Jesus. — And fellowship. Three signi- fications have been proposed for this word fellowship, — (a) brotherhood one with the other; [h) distribution of money and food among the society; (c) communion, in the sense of the Lord's Supper. The second (i) meaning has most in its favor and such passages as Rom. 15: 26; 2 Cor. 8 : 4, and also Heb. 13 : 10, seem decisive for it. — In the break- ing of bread. The Lord's Supper. A meal was taken in common by the brethren, accompanied bj' the celebration of the Eucharist, follow- ing the example of the last supper of the Lord. — And the prayers. The prayers and Psalms of the old Jewish ritual, together with new supplications in which Jesus was invoked as Lord. * Practical Notes. — Repent ! This was the first exhortation of the Baptist and the first exhortation of the first Christian sermon. Bnt the story of God's love and His promise to forgive always i recedes the call to repent. There is no salvation without repentance. It means turning away from sin and setting the affections on God.— All the various steps which men take in becoming God's children are here clcarlj' indicated. Listening to the Word, startled hy the Word, an.xious for salvation, baptized in the name of Christ, using the means of grace. Much knowledge of doctrine is not a con- dition of baptism, but a felt need of help and a willing reliance on the Saviour. — Believers grow in grace by a constant use of the means of grace (ver. 42). The gift of the Spirit did not do away with the necessity of these means for those converted on the day of Pentecost. But they met together frequently, sat under the instruction of the Apostles, brought the sacrifice of Christ vividly before their minds by partaking fre- quently of the Lord's Supper and used prayer. — Addition.'? may be expected to the Church when the Word is preached distinctly and boldly, for the Holy Spirit is always in the Church — Numbers may be a very false measurement of the Spirit's influence, but on the day of Pentecost, the numbers were counted. Increase in the number of believei-3 is one evidence of the Spirit's working. The Church in Jerusalem, vers. 43-47. The believers were no mere handful of men and women now. A large proportion of the three thousand doubtless were dwellers in the city, and these now were con.stantly Avith the Apostles, hearing from them what the Master had taught during his life on eai'th. The fame of the new society spread abroad, and daily fresh converts were added to the rapidly-growing Church. 2: 44-46.] ACTS II. 27 44 and signs were done ^by the apostles^. And all that believed were together, and had all things common ; 45 and they sold their possessions and goods, and parted 46 them to all, according as any man had need. And day by day, continuing stedfastly with one accord in the temple, and breaking bread at home, they did take their food with gladness and singleness of heart, prais- 1 Or, through. " Many ancient authorities add in Jerusahm ; and great fear teas ujion all. Ver. 43. Fear came upon every soul. The general iinprcs.^ion on the piiblic mind. A feeling of aAve was excited even among tliose ■who did not join the company of believers. — Many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. As for example, the healing of the lame man (ch. 3). Ver. 44. And all that believed were together. This means that they assembled together. — Had all things common ; and they sold their possessions, etc. There is no doubt but that this was an attempt to live as nearly as possible the life lived by Jesus and his disciples during his ministry on earth, when literally they had all things common. This ' community of goods,' as it is called, is referred to again in ch. 4: 12 and 5: 1-11. It carried out the tetter of such command- ments as 'Sell that ye have, and give alms' (Luke 12: 33), and 'If thou wouldest be perfect, go, sell that thou hast, and give to the poor' (Matt. 19: 21). But on a careful exandnation of the Epistles and other por- tions of the Acts, it is quickly seen that this community of goods was not universal even at Jerusalem, much less a necessary condition of Christian fellowship. This is clear from the case of Ananias to whom Peter said (Acts 5:4): ' Whiles it remained, did it not remain thine own?' and from the case of Mary, the mother of John Mark, who was evidently a person of consideration in the Church and yet had a house of her own in the city (Acts 12: 12). There are no vestiges of the practice in any church outside of Jerusalem, and Paul and James not only never pub- licly urged on their converts a renunciation of their rank or property, but speak repeatedly on the aBsumj)tion that rich and poor existed side by side in the churches (James 2: 1-9: 5: 1-5; 1 Cor. IG: 2). On the other hand this extreme poverty which existed so generally in the Jeru- salem Church, may with certainty be attributed to this practice (See Acts 11: 29; Gal. 2: 10; 1 Cor. IG: 1). Ver. 46. And day by day, continuing stedfastly with one accord in the teinple. The wisdom of the Church of the first days was conspicuously shown in their reverent love for the temple of their fathers. This no doubt, in no small degree contributed to their having favor with all the people. They were no separatists but practised the rites and observances of the old national religion, only supplementing those in private with new prayers and hymns, and with a constant repe- tition of the sayings of their Master and daily breaking of bread. In 28 ACTS III. [2: 47—3: 1. 47 ing God, and having favour with all the people. And the Lord added ^ to them day by day those that were being saved *. Chapter 3: 1-10. Healing of the Lame Man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple. 3 : 1 Now Peter and John were going up into the tem- 1 Gr. together. * For • those that were being saved ' read 'those that were saved ' with the text in the marg. — Am. Com. heathen lands, the religion of the Crucified, unfettered by sacred or patriotic memories, thrcAv otf quickly the many restrictions which Juda- ism in its exclusive spirit presented to any wide and rapid development. Men like Paul and Apollos laid their rites and ordinances aside, led by the Spirit to feel that these thi?ir/s had done their work. — And breaking bread at home. A single room would no longer contain the present number of converts. They met in smaller companies at ditferent places, receiving instruction and praying and singing together, and as members of a common family closed their meeting with a meal, and the celebra- tion of the Lord's supper. — With gladness. The calm, serene cheer- fulness of the early Christian, even in times of bitter persecution, was ever a subject of much remark. — * Singleness of heart. Simplicity and purity of spirit which involved freedom from j ealousy and pride of position. * Ver, 47. Those that were being saved. This does not imply that salvation is a protracted process, but simply means that the Saved were added to the Church. The salvation was from the destruction of that crooked generation to the Messiah's kingdom. * Practical Notes. — ' Possessions ' ought always to bo at the service of God. A consecration which does not include them is, at best, only partial. ' Sell that thou hast,' need not be takon literalhj, but the spirit of the injunction a Christian must heed. — Worship in the sanctuary and at home, the infallible evidences of repentance and faith. — The religion of Christ fills the heart with ' gladness.' Christianity teaches us to look upwards to the bountiful Father, His works of splendor and light, the inheritance in glory. — ITappy, cheerful Christians bring religion into ' favor ' with other people (2 : 4G). Men will give much for that which brings a smile to the face and serenity to tin; breast, but want nothing of that Mhich seems to make its possessors morose. — The conversion on Pentecost of so many who probably seven weeks before had .^houted 'crucify him !' should give ns confidence in the power of the Holy Spirit and keep us from despairing of the salvation of any. Healing of the Lame Man at the Beautiful Gate of the Temple, vers. 1-10. The writer has spoken (2 : 46) of the daily attendance of the followers 3: 2.] ACTS III. 29 2 pie at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. And a certain man that was lame from his mother's womb was carried, whom they laid daily at the door of the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them of Jesus in the temple, and of the signs and wonders which were iDeing worked by the Apostles (ver. 43). He now gives in detail an account of one of these daily visits and one of the wondrous works referred to. Yer. 1 . Now Peter and John -were going up into the tem- ple. These two Apostles are constantly mentioned as being together in the later portions of the Gospel, and the earlier ones of the 'Acts.' They were sent to prepare for the last Passover (Luke 22: 8). They were present together in the hall of Caiaphas (John 18: 16). They went together to the sepulchre (John 20: 6), and the strongest affection existed betAveen them (tlohn 21 : 21). They are together often in the first part of the Acts, but after chap. 8: 14, although Peter is men- tioned in this book nearly forty times, John never appears again. Most likely John about that time ceased to reside in the Holy City. — At the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. Three o'clock in the afternoon, the hour of the evening sacrifice. This was the favorite time for the J cAvs to go up to the temple, as the busiest part of the day was over. Ver. 2. "Whom they laid daily at the door of the temple .... to ask alma. Martial (1 : 112) tells us of beggars who were in the habit of sitting at the gate of heathen temples. Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople (f 400), recommends the practice as re- gards Christian charities, and on the Continent of Europe, beggars are constantly seen sitting at the doors of Roman Catholic churches asking alms. — The temple. It had been completely restored by Herod the Great, the king of the Jews at the time of our Lord's birth. At this time it was one of the most stately buildings in the world. Its outward appearance, as seen from the Mount of Olives, ' wanted nothing that was likel}'^ to surprise men's minds or their eyes; for it was covered over with plates of gold, which, at the first rising of the sun, reflected back such a splendor as compelled those who forced themselves to look upon it to turn away their eyes, just as they would have done at the sun's rays. This temple appeared to strangers, when they were at a distance like a mountain covered with snow, for those parts of it which were not covered with gold were exceeding white' (Josephus, Jud. Bell. 5: o). Its most striking feature was not the temple proper, but its courts, surrounded with cloisters or rooms. The outer court, known as the ' Court of the Gentiles,' suiTounded the temple on each side with clois- ters, and was laid with colored tesselated pavement. A flight of four- teen steps led from it — beyond which no Gentile might pass— to the inner court. This was a square, divided into terraces which rose one above the other in a westerly direction to the temple pro^^er, which was 30 ACTS III. [3: 3-6. 3 that entered into the temple ; who seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple asked to receive an 4 alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him, with 6 John, said. Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, 6 expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said. Silver and gold have I none ; but what I have, that give I thee. In the name of Jesus Christ of situated at the western end of the square. The first terrace was termed the 'Court of the Women,' not because it was exclusively allotted to them, hut because no Israelitish woman might advance farther. A flight of tteps led to the second terrace, ' the Court of the Israelites,' which was parted by a low wall from a still higher terrace, * the Court of the Priests.' This surrounded the temple and led to it by a flight of twelve steps. The temple was built of blocks of white marble covered with ]ilates of gold, and contained, besides other chambers, a vestibule, the Holy Place entered by a golden door, and the Holy of Holies.^ The door . . . v^liich is called Beautiful. Technically it was called the 'Beautiful Gate' ver 10. It is not certain whether {a) this refers to the gate called ' Nicanor,' which led from the court of the Gen- tiles to the inner court of the Israelites, or {h) to the gate called 'Shu- shan,' an outer gate, leading out from the court of the Gentiles. The market for the sales of doves and animals for sacrifice was held close by the latter. Josephus, without particularizing, speaks of one of the temple gates excelling all the others in richness of material and in decoration. It was made of Corinthian bi'ass, overlaid with plates of gold and silver, and was fifty cubits high. Ver. 4 Peter, fastening his eyes upon him, "with John, said, Look on us. Calvin says, the Apostles had not the power of working such miracles when they pleased, but were so exclusively ministers of the divine power that they attempted nothing of their own will, and the Lord worked through them whenever it was expedient. The Holy Spirit guided them here just as in other matters. -^^The word fastening is a strong one and implies a searching gaze as if to discover the sincerity of the man's character and the nature of his need. The same word is used of Paul when he fixed his eyes upon Elymas the sorcerer (Acts 18: 9), but with a different result; and when he healed the cripple at Lystra (Acts 14: 9), etc. Ver. 5. And he gave heed unto them. The suff"erer, perhaps surprised at this unusual notice from a passer-by, gazed up at Peter and John with rapt attention, knowing he was about to receive some kind- ness. Doubtless he knew them well by sight, having often seen them passing into the temple, and knew of the miracle of Pentecost and Peter's sermon. Yer. 6. But Peter said. Recognizing from something he could read in his face, that here Avas true faith. — Silver and gold have I 3: 7-10.] ACTS III. 31 7 Xazaretlij walk. And he took him hy the right liaiid, and raised him up : and immediately his feet and his 8 ankle bones received strength. And leaping up, he stood, and began to walk ; and he entered with thein into the temple, w^alking, and leaping, and praising 9 God. And all the people saw him walking and prais- 10 ing God : and they took knowledge of him, that it Avas he which sat for alms at the Beautiful Gate of the tem- ple : and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. none ; but what I have, that give I thee. Centuries after, Cornelius a Lapide relates how Thomas Aquinas once came to Pope Innocent IV. at a moment when the pontiff had before him a great treasure of gold. 'See, Thomas,' said Innocent, 'see, the Church can no more say as it did in those first days, "Silver and gold have I none." ' 'True, holy father,' replied Thomas Aquinas, 'but the Church of the present day can hardly say to a lame man what the Church of the first days said, "Arise and walk"' (quoted by Wordsworth). Peter and his companions were complying literally with tlicir Master's injunction (Matt. 10: 9), to carry neither goM nor silver in their purses. — In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, -walk. Their Master had always used the language of direct cummand, as in Luke 5: 24: 'I say unto thee. Arise.' Peter Avho cannot perforin a miracle in his own strength invokes the "Master's power and commands in his name. Ver. 7. He took him by the right hand. So Jesus had done in some cases (Mark 9: 27). ' Ofttimes would he heal with a word, ofttimes with an act; frequently, too, he would stretch out his hand where their faith was too Aveak' (Chrysostom). — His feet and hia ankle bones received strength. These are words we could only expect from one who had received the professional training of a physi- cian like Luke (Col. 4: 14'). Yer. 8. He entered with them into the temple. His first thought seems to have been to retui-n thanks for his great deliverance, as the next verse shows. *Ver. 9. And all the people saw him VT-alking. He was fully identified by the people as the helpless beggar. The news of this 'notable miracle' spread through the city (Acts 4: 16), and the author- ities could not deny the evidence. This cripple was forty years old when he was healed (Acts 4: 22), and his case had been looked upon as incurable. *PRAmcAL XoTF.s. — Miracles seem to have been necessary in the early Church, in order to confirm the truth and commend the preaching of the Gospel. The power scema now to be withheld as being nu longer necessary. And yet Christ said all things even 32 ACTS III. [3: 11. Chapter 3: 11-26. Peter's Second Sermon. 11 And as he held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto them in the ^ porch that is called Solo- 1 Or, portico. to the removal of mountains are possible for him who has fivith. This power did not belong excusively to the twelve Apostles. Philip the Evangelist, also worked miracles in Samaria (Acts 8 : 6).— The main office of the Apostles was to preach the Gospel. The miracles were only to serve the purpose of confirming their utterances by showing that they were endowed witli special power froui God. — Our expectations are often over- realized when we ask of God. The cripple begged for alms of gold and silver. He was disappointed and yet received more than he asked for or expected. "We often ask amiss, but God 'is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think' (Eph. 3 : 20). — Health of body is better than glittering gold. But the salvation of the Boul is more precious than both and above all price. The name of Clirist contains a power that silver and gold have not. With it we secure God's favor and a blessed im- mortality. — The lame man is a type of the natural man. He is spiritually impotent, cannot rise into newness of life without the helping hand of grace, but receives new life and healing for the simple asking. — rreaching and charitable effort go hand in hand like John and Peter on their way to the temple. The Christian Church began witli the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, statedly observed the forms of worship, fear- lessly pr«iched the Gospel and exercised a ministry of help and charity by taking notice of the lame and needy in body. Peters Second Sermon, vers. 11-26. This second sermon of Peter is even more briefly reported than the first. It must have been originally a discourse of some length. The last division especially (vers. 17-26) has apparently been much abbreviated. The central point is the earnest exhoi-tation to the Jews to repentance and faith, that they might share in the glorious blessings of the future — in which blessings they, as the people from whom Christ sprang and to whom he was first sent, seemed especially invited to share. The sermon falls into two divisions — (a) 11-16. The miracle of healing the lame man, is a work of God, done to glorify that Jesus of Nazareth whom you crucified and God raised from the dead ; {b) 17-26. But you did this deed in ignorance, God all the while carrying out His design ; so repent now, and share in a salvation which Christ will bring — Christ "who will one day, as your prophets have said, return. Yer. 11. And as he held Peter and John. That is, while he was holding them fast or keeping near them, perhaps, as"Alford suggests, in the ardor of his gratitude, that he might testify to all who his bene- factors were. — In the porch that is called Solomon'3. This porch or cloister was on the eastern side of the court of the Gentiles, and was built on an artificial embankment which was the work of King Solomon. It was in this cloister that the traffic of the money-changers 3: 12-15.] ACTS III. 33 12 mon's, greatly wondering. And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this ^ man ? or why fasten ye your eyes on us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made him 13 to walk ? The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his ^Servant Jesus; whom ye delivered up, and denied before the face of Pilate, when he had determined to 14 release him. But ye denied the Holy and Righteous One, and asked for a murderer to be granted unto you, 15 and killed the ^Prince of life ; whom God raised from 1 Or, thing. 2 Qr, Cfdld : and so in ver. 26 ; 4: 27, 30. See Matt. 12 : IS ; Isa. 42 : 1 ; 52: 13; 53: 11. ^ Ot, AuiUor. was carried on. According to Lightfoot, the whole court of the Geatiles was spoken of popular]}-, at times, as Solomon's Porch. Ver. 12. He ans-wered unto the people, etc. Peter answers the people's unexpressed wonder and inquiring look, rather than any direct question. He denies that anything else but the power of the name of Jesus had effected the miracle. Ver. 13. The God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God of our fathers. No words could have riveted the'attention of the people like these. ' We have not done this great thing which so astonishes you ; God has done it.' — Hath glorified his Servant Jesus. The Messiah is constantly designated by this title, 'Servant of the Lord' {Tvalg Qeov), in the second part of Isaiah (chaps. 40-66), as the one who carries out the deliberate plan of God in the redemption of the world. The title is directly applied to Christ (Matt. 12: 18) in a quotation from Isaiah 42: 1, ' Behold my Servant, whom I have chosen,* and occurs in the Acts four times with the same signification (ver. 26 ; 4: 27, 30). It is never conferred upon the Apostles, and although they are called 'servants of God' in our version (James 1:1) the Greek term is a different one {dovAog Qeov). — "Whom ye delivered up, and denied. The picture Peter paints to the Jews of their guilt is exceedingly vivid. He piles up the terrible contrasts. This Jesus God hath glorified, but ye despised. Pilate, the mocking careless Roman, desired to release him, but ye clamored for his blood. Ye were offered (ver. 14) the choice between a murderer and the Holy and Righteous One, and ye chose the murderer (Mark 15: 7; Luke 23: 19.) Ver. 15. The Prince of life. Life here, in its highest sense, is intended — eternal life (see John 1:4; 5 : 26) ; but it includes also phy- sical life. Alford suggests the possibility that the words may contain an allusion to the raising of Lazarus, which was the immediate cause of the enmity of the rulers to Jesus. -^The same word is tran.slated ' author of our salvation' (Heb. 2: 10) and 'author of our faith' (Heb. 12: 2), 34 ACTS III. [3: 16-18. 16 the dead; Svliereof we are witnesses. And ^ by faith iu his name hath his name made this man strong, whom ye behold and know : yea, the faith which is through him hath given him this perfect soundness 17 in the presence of you all. And now, brethren, I wot that in ignorance ye did it, as did also your rulers. 18 But the things which God foreshewed by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ should suffer, he thus 1 Or, 0/ whom. 2 Or, on the ground of. and designates the person from whom salvation and life flow. — "Where- of we are v^itnesses. When the Apostles speak of the resurrec- tion they refer with simple impressiveness to the fact, that they had been witnesses of it as in Acts 2: 32. Ver. 10. *By faith in his name hath his name made this man strong. That is our faith in his name. The miracle was the result of the faith of the Apostles in the name of Christ. The invoking of that name (ver. 6) was not a mere formula of incantation, but the coniident plea and petition of faith. — Yea, the faith which is through him hath given him this perfect soundness. The faith which Peter possessed, and by means of which he had healed the lame man, is represented as the work or gift of Christ. This first great apostolical miracle (1) was worked solely by a perfect faith in .Jesus; and (2) The faith was the faith of the Apostles and not of the lame man who was healed; it was evidently money, not health, that he hoped to receive from them. All that can be said of the restored cripple is, that he was an eminently fit subject for the distinguished mercy sliown to him. Peter and John, guided by the Holy Spirit, no doubt perceived this. His conduct after he was restored to health and strength, is a sufficient index to his character. Ver. 17. And now, brethren. Notice the Apostle no longer gravely, though courteously, addresses the people as 'men of Israel' (ver. 12), but aflFectionately as 'brethren.' Petei''s tone changes. He invites them in spite of the awful guilt to a share in the benefits of redemption and promises them the forgiveness of sins. — *In ignor- ance ye did it. Not recognizing in him their Messiah, but perverted under the false interpretations of their spiritual teachers to expect a prince ruling over a worldly kingdom (Acts 13:27). Their sin was grievous but not unpardonable. — As did also your rulers. Just one word to those Sadduceean rulers, in case any of their proud hearts had been pierced at his narrative of the death of Jesus. It was our Lord's words on the cross which suggested the beautiful thought of this 17th verse: 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do' (Luke 23: 34). Ver. 18. "Which God foreshewed by the mouth of all the prophets. From the first promise of the seed of the woman who 3: 19-21.] ACTS III. 35 19 fulfilled. Repent ye therefore, and turn again, that your sins may be blotted out, that so there niay come seasons of refreshing from tlie presence of the Lord ; 20 and that he may send the Christ who hath been 21 appointed for you, even Jesus : whom the heaven must should bruise the serpent's head (Gen. 3: 15). These ■svords of Peter are not to be understood as a hyperbole (Kuinoel), or in the sense given to them by Olshausen, who, looking upon the entire history of the Jews as typical, in that view maintains that all the ancient prophets prophe- sied of Christ. Many of the prophets describe with more or less dis- tinctness the sufferings and death of the Messiah — all of them looked forward with sure hope to the times of restoration and redemption. Our Lord had himself taught his disciples of the Messianic references in Moses and all the prophets (Luke 24: 27). Ver. 19. Repent ye therefore. Seeing, that your guilt, great though it be, does not shut you out from pardon and reconciliation ia the blood of the Messiah, Avhom you crucified.— And turn again — that is, turn from your present way of life unto the Lord (Acts 9: 35) or unto God (Acts 14: 15): In chap. 2: 38, Peter adds, 'and be bap- tized;' but this naturally would be understood, in the present instance, as several thousand had so recently received the rite of baptism imme- diately after their conversion to Christ. — That your sins may be blotted out, obliterated, as it were, from tlie book of record where they were written. The same idea is expressed in Ps. 61: 9; Col. 2: 14. No doubt this idea of 'blotting out' refers to the baptism in the name of Jesus — the mystical washing away of sin. — That so there may come seasons of refreshing, etc. The statement of Peter means 1st. That these times of refreshing, relief, or rest for the weary after their toils in the world, will come when the Jewish people, as a people, shall acknowledge Jesus as Messiah : and 2d. That these times of refreshing are closely connected with the Second Coming of the Lord. The second clause of the statement (ver. 20) is added to define with greater exactness the nature of the 'times of refreshing,' as a period in which Jesus the Messiah shall come again at the restoration of all things. We have doubtless a distinct reference to a period of rest and gladness which the coming of the Messiah would herald, and it is apparently identical with the Messiah's reign of a thousand years, described in Rev. 11 : 15, when 'the kingdom of the world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of his Christ.' Peter connects these events with the con- version of the .Jewish people. Although the Jewish people has not yet been converted, God has kept it a distinct and sepai'ate people. Is it not surely for some great purpose, still hidden in perhaps a remote future, that it is kept in its strange, apparently unnatual, separ- ation ? Ver. 21. * Whom the heaven must receive. The idea is that 36 ACTS III. [3 : 22, 23. receive until the times of restoration of all things, whereof God spake by the mouth of his holy prophets 22 which have been since the world began *. Moses in- deed said, A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you from among your brethren, Uike unto me; to him shall ye hearken in all things whatsoever he shall speak 23 unto you. And it shall be, that every soul, which shall not hearken to that prophet, shall be utterly destroyed *For "since the world began" read "from of old." — Am. Com. 1 Or, OS he raised up me. Christ must remain in heaven until the restoration of all things. This was to correct the notion that he was to be bodily present throughout the history of his Church on earth, as the Jews had expected. — Until the times of restoration of all things. The word aTTomrnaTaocg (restoration) occurs here only in" the New Testament, but the verb from which it is derived occurs often. 'Elijah indeed cometh and restoreth all things' (Matt. 17: 11; see Acts 1: 6). The full signification is restoration of primeval purity, order, happiness ; setting right present disorder and confusion : good will then finally triumph over evil, truth over falsehood. The 'times of restoration" signify the same period as the 'times of refreshing.' Gloag well sums up Peter's thoughts here: ' Accordingly, the idea of the Apostle seems to be that so long as the unbelief of Israel continues, Christ will remain in heaven, but that their repentance and conversion will bring about the 'times of refreshing' and "restoration of all things," which will either immediately precede or coincide with the Second Advent.' — Whereof God spake by the mouth of his holy prophets. Such a period of holiness and hap- piness, is the theme of all prophecy in every age in the Old Testament. But the Jews read their sacred books in a false light, and passed over the plain intimations of some of their noblest prophecies, that the glory they longed after and the triumph of the Messiah could be reached only through his suffering and death. Ver. 22. Moses indeed said. (Detit. 18: 15, 18, 19). This and the next two vei%es give illustrations of the statement that 'prophets from of old' had spoken of the times of restoration. — A prophet shall the Lord God raise up unto you. Will cause to appear. — From among your brethren, like unto me. This Messiah was to be a Jew, and like unto Moses. These words could only apply to Jesus of Nazareth. Like Moses Jesus was a Law-giver, a Mediator between God and man, and the Founder of a new dispensation of religion. Ver. 23. Every soul, which shall not hearken to that pro- phet. Although the people had crucified the Lord ignorantly, still all are punished who through hardness of heart, refuse to listen to the voice of Jesus the Messiah.— Shall be utterly destroyed. The words of Dent. 18; I'J: 'I will require it of him,' or better translated, *I will S: 24-2G.] ACTS III. 37 24 from among the people. Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel and them that followed after, as many as have 25 spoken, they also told of these days. Ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the covenant which God ^ made with your fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in thy 26 seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed. Unto you first God, having raised up his Seivant, sent him to bless you, in turning away every one of you from your iniquities. 1 Gr. covenanted. exact vengeance from him.' Peter substitutes an expression which constantly occurs in the Pentateuch, and which defines the nature of the divine punishment (Hackett). This punishment is exclusion from the kingdom of God, from life in its highest sense; and carries with it the sentence of eternal death. Ver. 24. All the prophets from Samuel. Samuel is mentioned as the founder of the so-called schools of the prophets. Peter perhaps proved by express quotations from the prophets, the assertions this verse contains. — They also told of these days. This, as Alford and others maintain, may refer to the present time, as taking in the whole of the period known as 'the last days;' but the reference more clearly points to the da?/s immediately in the speaker s mind, the Second Advent and the times of restitution of all things (Meyer and De Wette). Yer. 25. Ye are the sons of the prophets, and of the cove- nant. 'Sons' in this sense was a common expression among the Hebrews. We read of 'the sons of the kingdom' (Matt. 8: 12), 'sons of this world' and 'sons of the light' (Luke 16: 8). They were sons of the prophets, for the promise of their prophets was in the first instance to them (chap. 2: 39). They were sons of the covenant as the heirs of Abraham, to whom God made the promise that 'in his seed (that is, in the Messiah) all the families of the earth should be blessed' (Gen. 22: 18). Ver. 26. Unto you first God, etc. Peter here clearly recognizes definitely that upon others as well as Israel, the glory of the Lord has risen (Isa. CO). *It is the same thought he had expressed before in the words ' afar off' (Acts 2 : 39). He did not fully understand the conditions under which the Gentiles were to be admitted to the privileges of the covenant, for it required a special revelation to teach him that the dis- tinction between Gentile and Jew was abolished under the Gospel. These words are, however, comprehensive and in the spirit of Paul's (Acts 13 : 46 ; Rom. 1 : 16). — Having raised up his Servant. Not from the dead, but as in vtrse 22, 'having caused to appear.' — In turn- ing away every one of you from your iniquities. Some com- mentators (Calvin, Alford, Hackett, etc.), explain these words as indi- 38 ACTS IV. [4:1. CHArTER 4: 1-4. Arrest of Peter and John. 4: 1 And as they spake unto the people, 4he priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon 1 Some ancient authorities read the chief priests. eating that in which the blessing consisted. But the original is better rendered, ' provided that each one turn from his iniquities.' The mean- ing of the passage then would be, 'Which blessing is to be gained by every one of you turning from your iniquities' (Beza, Meyer, De Wette, etc.). Thus the blessing of the Lord is made to depend on the individual life, and the grand truth is brought out that the promised blessing comes only to the man who, receiving Jesus, lives the life which he requires. ♦Practical Notes. — The devout believer gives all the glory to God. The crowd fastened their eyes ou Peter and John as though they had been the authors of the miraculous cure. They were, however, not seeking their own fame or profit as the sorcerer, Simon, the Magician of Samaria for example did (Acts 8 : 19), but directed men's vision away from themselves to God. The striking contrasst between Christ and the Apostles is here apparent. Christ had a power of working miracles inliereut to himself. The Apostles were only the vehicles through which God worked. — The invocation of the name of Christ did not act like a formula of incantation. It was the petition of Apostolic faith that brought down the wonder-working power — The sins of men should not deter us from urging them to turn unto God. The well-known share of the Jews in the crucifixion, did not stop Peter from offering to them affectionately the pardon of the Gospel and calling upon them importunately to accept the offer. — Conversion is a turning away from iniquity and the service of the flesh and a turning unto God. — Tho Old Testament predicted the future and taught the Jews to look forward with longing and hope to the Messiah's coming. So Christ would have us look forward in hope and expectancy to things which eye now sees not, and ear liears not. — There is a triple resto- ration (ver. 21). The way of peace and reconciliation was restored by Christ's work. Each believer when he is converted experiences a restoration to the privileges of communion with the Father, the hopes of the Gospel, and eternal life. And the full restoration of humanity will be realized in the future in the times of refreshing, when Christ cornea again in glory and with the angels. Arrest of Peter and John, vers. 1-4. Ver. 1. The Priests. The particular course on duty at the Tem- ple during that week. David's original division of the priests into twenty-four orders or courses (1 Chron. 24: 1-19), each of wliich had charge of the Temple services for a week at a time, had probably been revived after the captivity; the particular duties from day to d.ay Avere assigned by lot (Luke 1 : 9). — Captain of the temple. Not tho Roman officer in command at the tower of Antonia, but the .Jewish priest in command of the Levite guard of the Temple. The Romans seldom appear in the Acts as hostile to the followers of Jesus. — The Saddu- 4: 2-4.] ACTS IV. 39 2 them, being sore troubled because they taught the peo- ple, and proclaimed in Jesus the resurrection from the 3 dead. And they laid their hands on them, and put them in ward unto the morrow : for it was now even- 4 tide. But many of them that heard the word believed ; and the number of the men came to be about five thou- sand. coea. This is the first mention in the Acts of the bitterest enemies of the Church of the first days. This sect rejected all that mass of oral tradition which entered so larg;ely into the teaching of the Tharisees, but accepted the written word (not merely the books of Moses) as the rule of faith. They denied a future life and the existence of angels and spirit (Acts 23: 8). Their power at the time was out of proportion to their real numbers, but they included in their ranks many of the most influential of the nation. The high priest's family appears to have con- sisted mainly of Sadducees (Acts 5: 17). During his earthly nunistry, Jesus came into collision most constantly with the Pharisees and their formalism; but when once the fact of the resurrection was taught by his disciples, and believed by ever-increasing thousands, the Sadducees, alarmed at the ready reception, endeavored with all their power to stamp out the teaching of the Apostles. On the other hand, hints seem to be given us (Acts 5: 34, 35; 15: 5), that the Pharisees, after the resurrec- tion, relaxed their hostility partly influenced by their hostility to the Sadducee party (Acts 23: 7), partly persuaded by a teaching which in many points agreed with their own doctrine. Ver. 2. Being sore troubled because they taught the peo- ple. The anger of the priests and captain of the Temple, whose duly it wa3 to preserve order among the worshippers in the great sanctuary of Israel, was easily aroused by the Sadducees against these unauthorized teachers who were making such a rapid progress in the affections of the people (ver. 4). — And proclaimed in Jeaus the resurrection from the dead. Here we have the real ground of the hostility of tlie Sadducees, who well knew that if this single instance of one being raised from the dead were substantiated, their creed would be at once discredited. Ver. 3. * Put them in -ward. That is, in prison. The word means safe keeping. It was against the law of the Jews to pronounce a judicial sentence after night-fall. — It was now eventide. When Peter and John went up into the Temple to pray, it was three in the aflernoon. It was about six o'clock when they were arrested. Ver. 4. Many of them that heard the word believed. In sharp contrast to the arrest and persecution of the two leaders and the hostility of the rulers. — The numberof the men came to be about five thousand. This, no doubt, included women. Some commenta- tors restrict the term to men; Hackett, however, well observes: 'An 40 ACTS IV. [4; 5. Chapter 4: 5-12. Their Arraignment and Defence. 5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rulers and elders and scribes were gathered together in Jeru- emphasized or conscious restriction of the term to men would be at variance with that religious equality of the sexes so distinctly affirmed in the New Testament' (Gal. 3: 28), *The meaning is not that five thousand converts were made on that day, but that the numbei's rose until the Church numbered in all five thousand. Day by day additions were made to the number of believers (Acts 2: 47). * Practical Notes. — The early persecution of the Church was inevitable, but it served a divine purpose. It bound the first Christians closely together in the bonds of love, developed their piety and trust in God, and taught them to place little value upon honors and riches. It was also the occasion of the first scattering of the Apostles from Jerusalem to sow the seed of the Word. — It is no new thing for men to suffer ill for doing well. Opposition is no sign that we are not in the path of duty. ' Blessed are ye, when men shall persecute you ' (Matt. 5 : 11). — The disciples could not expect anything but persecution. The servant is noj above his Master. Christ liad suffered unto death and he had foretold that his disciples should 'have tribulation in this world' (John 16: 33). — The real caxise of the Sadducees' opposition to the Aposiles, was the doctrine they preached and their influence with the multitude. It was not solicitude for the welfare of the people, for evidently one of them, a hopelessly lame man, had been healed. This beneficent result they could not deny. Ambition and pride were at the root of their op- position. — Wickedness, in opposing the truth, resorts not to arguments and affectionate appeals, but to threats and arbitrary violence. — God's servants may be imprisoned, but His Word faithfully preached accomplishes its purpose. While Peter and John were being placed in ward, the numbers of the Christians had grown to five thousand, and there was much rejoicing that night in many hearts over a new found hope. Their Arraignment and Defence, vers. 5-12. Ver. 5. Their rulers. A general designation of the Sanhedri.sts. The Sanhedrin consisted of three orders : —^/rfers, heads of families who had a seat in the great council ; Scribes, the recognized teachers and interpreters of the divine law ; and the High Priest. In other passa- ges this third order is termed ' the chief priests.' These chief priests included the reigning high priest, with others of his house who had borne the title, and possibly also the heads of the twenty-four courses of priests. The Sanhedrin seems to have consisted of seventy-one mem- bers. The place of assembly was a chamber in the temple, situated between the court of the Israelites and the court of the priests, and was called Gazith. Some forty years before the fall of the city, it removed to a building without the temple precincts. The Sanhedrin was the supreme court in the .Jewish nation. Its decrees apparently were respected beyond Palestine, for we read how Saul was provided with 4: 6-9.] ACTS IV. 41 6 sal em ; and Annas the high priest was there ^ and Caia- phas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were 7 of the kindred of the high priest. And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired, By what poY\'er, 8 or in what name, have ye done this ? Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the 9 people, and elders, if we this day are examined con- credentials from the Sanhedrin to the Jewish synagogues of Damascus, when he went to search out the Syrian followers of Jesus of Nazareth. Its powers embraced all matters, civil as well as religious. It tried accused persons, and its decisions admitted of no appeal. In the New Testament, the trials before the Sanhedrin of Jesus, Peter, John, Stephen, and Paul are related. Ver. 6. And Annas the high priest. The actual high priest was Caiaphas (John 11: 49); but Annas, his father-in-law, had once held this dignity (7-15 a. d.) and still kept the title. The high priest under Jewish law held his office for life, but the Herods and the Eoman governors frequently deposed the high priests to serve political purposes. At his trial our Lord was taken before Annas /rs< (John 18: 13). He was perhaps the most influential person among the Jews at this time. Five of his sons were advanced to this high office during his lifetime. — Caiaphas. He married the daughter of Annas, was nominally hisch priest from 24 a.d. to 36 a.d., and was deposed at the beginning of the reign of Caligula by Vitellius, then governor of Syria. — John, and Alexander. Nothing positively certain is known of these two, Ver. 7. In the midst. Tradition relates that the Sanhedrin sat in a circle or semi-circle (comp. Luke 2: 46). — In what name. The judges well knew tho^name, but they wanted to convict Peter and John of sorcery or enchantment, by having worked a miracle not in the name of God, but of a crucified malefactor. They hoped to bring the Apostles under the death-sentence pronounced in the Law (Deut. 13). — *Have ye done this ? The miracle upon the lame man, and not their preaching, as the answer of Peter shows. At a later period the seven sons of Sceva and other exorcists used the name of Jesus as a sort of enchantment, but in their case it was powerless to work miracles (Acts 19: 13). Ver. 8. Then Peter. 'Compare Peter a few days since in the palace of the high priest, thrice denying his Master from fear of prison and death, and now brought forth from prison, and confessing Christ before the same high priest and Sanhedrin which had delivered Christ up to Pilate for crucifixion, and charging them with his murder' (Wordsworth), What had brought about this change? He had seen the risen Lord. Ver. 9. If we this day are examined, etc. Ironical surprise runs through Peter's reply, that they should be tried for doing a. good 42 ACTS IV. [4: 10-12. cerning a good deed done to an impotent man, ^ by what 10 means this man is ^made whole ; be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that in the name of Jesus Christ of iS^azareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even in ^him doth this man 11 stand here before you whole. He is the stone which was set at nought of you the builders, which was made 12 the head of the corner. And in none other is there salvation : for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, wherein we must be saved. 1 Or, in whom. 2 Or, saved. 3 Or, this deed. There is an emphasis on these words in contrast to the this of verse 7. — *Thi3 man. The restored lame man was evidently with them in the court room (ver. 14), and the Sanhcdrin could no more deny the cure than the Pharisees had been able to deny the cure of the man born blind whom Jesus healed (John 9: 24). Ver. 10. * Be it known. A solemn introduction to the statement which follows. — * Jesus Christ of Nazareth, "whom ye crucified. The accused at the bar of judgment becomes the accuser of his judges and the fearless witness for the power of Christ's name and the fact of the resurrection, a doctrine which the Sadducees scorned. Ver. 11. Ha is the stone, etc. The accusation of dishonoring what Goi had so honored, Peter repeats by boldly applying to them the well-known words of Ps. 118: 22. The rulers of the Jews as the builders to whom the charge of the house of God was given, should have been the first to acknowledge the long-looked-foi* Messiah. They had rejected him; but God, by raising him from the dead, had shown that he was the corner-stone on which the spiritual temple on earth must rest. Christ had in the presence of his disciples used these words (Matt. 21 : 42). Ver. 12. And in none other is there salvation. The Apostle has ceased altogether referring to the lame man, and has passed over to the thought that the salvation of the soul is dependent upon Christ. Not only diseases of the body might be healed in his name, but on it men might rest when they thought of eternity. This famous passage occupies a prominent position in the Smalcald Articles drawn up by Luther and adopted in 1537. It has been said, with some truth, that the adoption of these articles completed the Reformation. * Practical Notfs. — God trains up his servants gradually for his work. The Apos- tles first witnessed the power of the Spirit on the daj' of Pentecost, saw the results of the first preaching in the conversion of throe thousand, and were empowered to work a miracle. Xot till then did th3 season of trial, trial of their faith, begin. God 4: 13-15.] ACTS IV. 43 Chapter 4: 13-22. The Release of the Aposfles. 13 Now when they beheld the boldness of Peter and John, and had perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marvelled ; and they took knowl- 14 edge of them, that they had been w^ith Jesus. And seeing the man which vras healed standing with them, 15 they could say nothing against it. But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they called ufyon them to resist unto I'onds and thus prepared them to resist unto blood.^ Teter now has an oppo tunity to make good one part of the confident assertion, which he once denied, ' liord, witli thee I am ready to go both to prison and to death ' (Luke 22 : 33). — The accnsed turn the accusers and put their judges to shame by their boldness and sincerity. Their example before those who h;id done them injury is one mon are most apt to forget to imitate. They spoke the whole truth about Christ, and charged the rulers with the crime of his crucifixion. They spoke witliout fear. But they exhibi- ted no revengeful feeling, neither vilifying their accusers nor calling down vengeance upon them. — The hands of the faithful fuUower of Christ may be bound, but his heart and faith cannot be bound — Christ's name is the only one in which we can be saved. Descent from Abraham and the possession of the oracles of the Old Testament could not save the Jews. Nor will any merit of ours save us. By grace we are saved. The Release of the Apostles, vers. 13-22. Astonishment of the Sanhedrists at the ability of Peter's reply. They remember the two Apostles were companions of Jesus, and then consult privately together. They see that any puni.shment they might inflict would be ill received by the people, so they determine to dismiss the accused, threatening them if they continued to preach the name of the Crucified. Ver. 13. Unlearned and ignorant. Their language and argu- ments proved that they were untaught in the rabbinical learning of the Jewish schools. They were the fishermen of Galilee, but had been instructed by Christ and emboldened by the Spirit. — They marvelled. The rulers were astonished that one so unlearned and undistinguished should address them in such powerful language and dare to be so bold. — They took knowledge of them, that they had been -with Jesus. ' Their wonder sharpened their recollection' (Meyer). Jesus had taught publicly on many occasions in Jerusalem and in the Temple courts, and we know some at least of tlie rulers at different times had been present. They remembered the faces of Peter and John. Ver. 14. Standing -with them. No longer a/iimj as a cripple at the beautiful gate. Ver. 15. They conferred among themselves. Luke probably 44 ACTS IV. [4: 16-19. 16 conferred among themselves, saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable ^miracle hath been wrought through them, is manifest to all that 17 dwell in Jerusalem ; and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further among the people, let us threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this 18 name. And they called them, and charged them not 19 to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you 1 Gr. sign. heard -^hat these private deliberations were, from some of the priests who afterwards joined the church (chap. 6: 7) and were present. * Ver. 16. "We cannot deny it. This leaves upon us the impres- sion that they would have denied the evidence, if it had been possible. They could not explain away this miracle as they had done the fact of the open sepulchre on the day of the resurrection (Matt. 28 : 13). Ver. 17. That they speak henceforth to no man in this name. The council could find no pretext for punishing them. The expectation that the Apostles would have been convicted under the stat- utes of the Law (Deut. 13) was frustrated by the strong feeling of the people in their favor and the evident beneficence of the deed (ver. 21). This the Sanhedrin fairly confessed by their dread lest the report of the miracle should spread any farther, a hope which Peter expressed by implication in ver. 10. * Ver. 18. Not to speak at all. They felt that if they could stop the mouths of the Apostles, the growth of the Church would be checked. ' Belief Cometh of hearing' (Rom. 10: 17). Ver. 19. Peter and John answered. Nothing daunted, they reply to the rulers, and firmly express their resolve to disobey the command. — In tbe sight of Qod. An appeal to God as the Judge, — as sitting invisible in that council before which they were then plead- ing. — Whether it be right in tho sight of God to heaiken unto you, etc. The point of the Apostle's reply was, that they were not teaching the people as self-appointed rabbis, but were only acting as witnesses of Jesus and in obedience to God. The words of Socrates, perhaps the greatest of the Greek philosophers, when he was pleading before his judges, who condemned him to death, bear a striking resem- blance to this bold utterance: 'Athenians, I will obey God rather than you ; and if you would let me go, and give me my life on condition that I should no more teach my fellow-citizens, sooner than agree to your pro- posal I would prefer to die a thousand times.' *Their words arc a strong plea for the rights of conscience and the superior authority of the divine law to human injunctions. V»'^cll might Luther appeal to the example 4: 20-23.] ACTS IV. 45 20 rather than uuto God, judge ye : for we cannot but 21 s])eak the things which we saw and heard. And they, when they had further threatened them, let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people ; for all men glorified God for that which 22 was done. For the man was more than forty years old, on whom this ^miracle of healing was wrought. Chapter 4: 23-31. The Apostles with their own People. 23 And being let go, they came to their own company, 1 Gr. sign. of these Apostles and use their words, when he broke with the author- ities and renounced the eiTors of the Papal Church. Ver. 21. =^ Finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people. A striking evidence of the impression the Apostles had made upon the people, as well as that policy, and not so much a sense of justice, deterred the rulers from passing a harsher sen- tence. They feared men more than God (comp. John 12: 43). — All men glorified God for that \vhich was done. No penalty, such as scourging or imprisonment, would then have been tolerated by popular sentiment. But, besides this public feeling working in favor of the disciples of Jesus, it is more than probable that in the Sanhedrin itself several members secretly favored the new sect. Some have sup- posed that Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea were members of this council. That Gamaliel, one of the most influential of the Sanhedrin leaders, was disposed to favor them, seems possible from Acts 5: 34. * Practical Notes.— The council could not deny the beneficence and reality of the miracle, for the proof of it was before them in the lame man, who was now standing on his feet. They would have punished the Apostles, however, notwithstanding this, had it been safe and prudent So God sometimes raises up helpers in unexpected quar- ters, for these very same people had only a few months before joined in the cry for the crucifixion — God's commandments must take precedence of all human laws. Peter and John appeal to conscience and God's Woi d. The principle is a valid one, although men have sometimes mistaken for conscience and God's Word what was neither. Wiclif appealed to them from the human authority of the pope which was plainly at variance with God's Word. And so likewise did Luther, who at the Diet of "Worms (1521), used these words: 'Unless my conscience is convinced by argumenrs from the Scriptures, I neither can nor will retract anything, well knowing that it is neither safe nor expedient to do anything against one's conscience. Here I stand, God help me I I cannot do otherwise.' The Apostles with their oum People, vers. 23-31. The prayer of the Church of Jerusalem to God to support and defend 46 ACTS IV. [4 : 24, 25. and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had 24 said unto them. And they, when they heard it, lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, O ^ Lord, ^thou that didst make the heaven and the earth and the 25 sea, and all that in them is : ^wlio by the Holy Ghost, by the mouth of our father David thy servant didst say, 1 Or, Master. 8 Or, Ihon art he that did make. 3 The Greek text in this clause is somewhat uncertain. the threatened and persecuted followers of His Son, and the answer from heaven. Ver. 23. They came to their own company. This has been understood by some to signify their brother Apostles, but the term comprehends a large number of the believers then in the city. These no doubt had come together on the threatening aspect of the affairs of the little community, as the arrest of the two leaders by the orders of the Sanhedrin was of course known throughout Jerusalem. — Reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said unto them. Chrysostom remarks here ' that they told their tale not for their own glory. . . , All that their adversaries had said, this they told ; their own part it is likely they omitted.' Nor did their story on the whole give fair promise for the future. Dark and stormy days evidently lay before the little community. The highest authority in the nation had condemned them ; and though the Sanhedrin had been for the moment restrained from severe measures, it was clear that when the temporary pressure of public opinion was removed, the majority of the council would proceed to harsher measures. So they now prayed very earn- estly for help and succour. Ver. 24. They lifted np their voice to God with one ac- cord. Some tliink this prayer was an utterance of one of the Apostles, the rest following, some with their voice, others only with the heart. Others suggest that the whole assembly sung together the 2d Psalm, but that Peter offered the prayer. Another and, as it seems, a more thoughtful suggestion, regards vers. 24-30 as part of a solemn form of prayer usee the more manifest in the stead- fast faith and undaunted courage of the Apostles. — Prison bolts cannot bar out God. He is everywhere— not only in the temple or in the upper room where the Church met. This great truth it was well to impress early on the Church. In darkness and in the cell (as with Bunyau) He manifests Himself. We may apply what Eichard Lovelace wrote : ' Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars a cage.' — A divine But follows Satan's devices for the faithful believer (ver. 22). Now it is an angelic interposition, now some other messenger divinely sent in prayer, or the read- ing of the AVord, or Christian counsel. Joseph said to his brothers, ' Ye thought evil against me, but God meant it unto good ' (Gen. 50 : 20). For similar contrasts see Acts 12: 5; 16: 25, etc. — Duty performed in danger is better than safety with duty unper- formed. The Apostles went back to the temple and carripd on their work. Faithful- ness often requires ' resistance unto blood,' but such faithfulness receives the ' crown of life ' The Trial of the Apostles and the Coujisel of Gamaliel, vers. 26-42. Ver. 26. And brought them, but "without violence ; for 62 ACTS V. [5: 27-30. them, hut without violence ; for they feared the people, 27 lest they should be stoned. And when they had brought them, they set them before the council. And the high 28 priest asked them, saying, We straitly charged you not to teach in this name : and behold, ye have filled Jeru- salem with your teaching, and intend to bring this 29 man's blood upon us. But Peter and the apostles an- swered and said. We must obey God rather than men. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew, they feared the people. At this period the popular favor which the Apostles enjoyed had probably reached its culminating point. The miraculous cures of the sick had attracted large numbers, the earnest preaching had won thousands to the faith, and the spirit of love and self-denying distribution of alms had secured the admiration and fovor of the people. The tide, however, soon turned, and a few months later a bitter persecution was raging against the Church (Acts 8: 1). Ver. 28. "We straitly charged you not to teach in this name, etc. A concealed dread underlies the whole of the high priest's accusation. He does not ask them how they came to be in the Temple teaching that morning. He also avoids mentioning the name of Jesus, uttering no doubt with contempt the words, 'this name,' 'your teach- ing,' 'this man's blood.' The real charge was of disobedience to a decree of the Sanhedrin and an attempt to excite the people to rise against the Sanhedrists, as the murderers of Jesus. Had not unex- pected friends been found in the assembly itself, no popular favor with- out could have saved the Apostles then from a most severe sentence of imprisonment, perhaps of death (ver. 33) ; for the council's exaspera- tion was aggravated by the bold words of Peter charging them to their face with murdering the Messiah (ver. 30). Ver. 29. We must obey God rather than men. Peter here commences his defence with the same solemn argument he had used before (4: 19). He no doubt had in mind the command of the angel, the night before, bidding him stand and preach publicly in the Temple. Not in this book of the Acts do we find any of the leaders of Christianity unfaithful to this principle. Notwithstanding, however, we find them quietly and without murmuring, submitting to any penalty the law' of the land enforced against them. Ver. 30. The God of our fathers. Identifying himself with the glorious line of patriarchs, prophets and kings from whom Christianity did not sever them. — Raised up Jesus. Not 'from the dead,' but from the seed of David as the Sejit of God. This interpretation, admir- ably agrees with the order in time of tlie events named by Peter, 'raised up from the seed of David,' 'slain by you,' 'did exalt' Jesus, the name dreaded and unnamed by the high priest, but gloried in by the Apostle. 5: 31-34.] ACTS V. 63 31 hanging him on a tree. Him did God exalt ^with his right hand to he a Prince and a Saviour, for to give 32 repentance to Israel, and remission of sins. And we are witnesses ^of these "^ things; ^and so is the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. 33 But they, when they heard this, were cut to the 34 heart, and were minded to slay them. But there stood up one in the council, a Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law, had in honour of all the people, and . 1 Or, at. '^ Some ancient authorities add in him. 3 Gr. sai/hifjs. * Some ancient authorities read and God hath given the Holy Ghost to them that obey him. — "Whom ye sle"w. The Greek "word is chosen with pointed signifi- cance, and is very severe. — Hanging him on a tree. The cross. The council would remember how this death was pronounced accursed (Deut. 21 : 23). Ver. 31. To be a Prince and a Saviour. A Prince to whom all Israel owes obedience, and the one by whom you must be saved from your sins. — Repentance to Israel, and remission of sins. This was the purpose of the exaltation of the Crucified. With his ex- altation, the working of Jesus from his throne in heaven began. By the preaching of the Gospel he brought men to a change of heart, and then through faith in him, which came with their change of heart, he made them sharers in his remission of sins. Ver. 32. We are witnesses of these things. That is the death on the cross and the ascension ; but they were witnesses in a higher sense of their Master's exaltation, as conscious of the Holy Ghost, who he promised should descend upon them when once he had ascended, and so did at Pentecost.— And so is the Holy Ghost. Ilis testi- mony was publicly borne by the miracles performed by the Apostlea through his power, *the speaking with tongues and the shaking of the house. Ver. 33. They were cut to the heart. Literally, 'they were cut asunder as with a saw* (so the Vulgate, dixsccabaiitur). Ver. 34. A Pharisee, named Gamaliel, a doctor of the law. This scrilje was the celebrated Gamaliel the elder, and the grandson of Ilillel, the famous founder of one of the rabbinical schools. He was held in high estimation as a most learned and devout Pharisee. 'As among the Schoolmen Aquinas and Bonaventura were called respec- tively the 'Angelic' and 'Seraphic Doctor, so Gamaliel among the Jews has received the name of the 'Beauty of the Law,' and the Tal- mud says, ' since Ptabban Gamaliel died, the glory of the Law has ceased.' He is one of the seven among the great Pvabbis to whom the Jews gave the title of Rabban (Howson, Life of St. Paul). It was this Gamaliel at whose feet Paul sat (Acts 22: 3). The Clementi/fi Recognitions, an 64 ACTS V. [5 ; 35, 36. 35 commanded to put the men forth a little while. And he said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to your- selves as touching these men, what ye are about to do. 36 For before these days rose up Theudas, giving himself out to be somebody ; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined themselves: who was slain; and all, as many as obeyed him, were dispersed, and came early Christian document, represents Peter as saying, ' Gamaliel was a person of influence among the people, but secretly our brother in the faith' (1 : 65). He was also represented as a cousin of Nicodemus, and was said to have been baptized by Peter. But it is not likely that Gamaliel became a Christian, but that he died a Pharisee in all the rigid accep- tation of the term. On this occasion Gamaliel counselled moderation, and prevailed upon the Sanhedrin not to adopt any violent measures, but to let the matter alone ; for if it were of mere human origin, it would come to nothing without any interference of theirs ; if, on the other hand, it were divine, no human effort would prevail against it. Two considerations seem to have influenced him — (1) The main accusation on the part of tlie high priest and Lis influential followers was the earnest teaching of the resurrection from the dead ; a doctrine in which he and the Pluu'isees sympathized with the Apostles against the Sad- ducees in the council. (2) The rumors of the mighty works which accompanied the teaching, no doubt caused grave misgiving in minds like Gamaliel's, whether some basis of truth might not underlie the whole Btury. Ver. 35. Ye men of Israel. Gamaliel, as a wise and far-seeing man, counselled the angry and unreasoning zealots in the council, who would have taken the lives of the teachers of the new sect, to consider well what they were doing; and in confirmation of what he was advanc- ing, appealed to the experience of the jjast. From the cases of two well-known political agitators whose enterprises utterly failed, and tliat without any interference of the Sanhedrin, he argued that the matter they were considering, if it was a mere human device, would soon fade away into contempt and be forgotten. Ver. 36. For before these days rose up Theudas, etc. Jose- phus mentions (Antt. 20: 5, 1) a Theudas who persuaded a great com- pany of people that he was a prophet, and induced them to follow his lea>l. This impostor was defeated and executed in the reign of Claudius, about twelve years after this speech of Gamaliel (45 A.D.). The Theu- das of the text is evidently not this man, as is also plain from the dif- ference in the details of the two outbreaks. Josephus speaks of a 'great company of people' following the Theudas wliom he mentions, while the Theudas of Gamaliel had comparatively few adherents, about four hundred. Two insurgents bearing the name of Theudas, must have appeared at dilferent times. Josephus relates how, at the time of 5: 37-40.] ACTS V. 65 37 to nought. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee in the days of the enrolment, and drew awav some of the people after him: he also perished ; and all, as many 38 as obeyed him, were scattered abroad. And now I say unto you, Refrain from these men, and let them alone : for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will be over- 39 thrown : but if it is of God, ye will not be able to over- throw them ; lest haj^ly ye be found even to be fighting 40 against God. And to him they agreed : and when they the death of Herod the Great (4 b. c), the time referred to by Gamaliel, the land was overrun by insurgent bands under the leadership of fana- tics. Some of the leaders he mentions by name, others he merely alludes to generally. One of these latter most probably was the Theu- das mentioned by Gamaliel. The name was a common one. Josephus Avrites of four leaders of insurrections within forty years, by the name of Simon. Yer. 37. After this man rose up Judas of Galilee. His ris- ing was a well-known one, and happened as Josephus tells us after the death of Herod, and in the reign of Augustus about a.d. 6 or 7 — that is, about twenty-six years before the arrest of the Apostles. This rising took place afte?- that of Theudas. Judas was a notorious Jewish enthu- siast and founder of a fourth Jewish sect (Josephus). The great fea- ture of his teaching was that it was unlawful to pay tribute to Cresar, as God was the only ruler of the nation. His followers were dispersed and himself slain, but his opinions were revived by the fierce faction of the Zealots, which arose in the last days of Jerusalem ; two of his sons were subsequently crucified, and a third was also put to death by the Roman authorities, as dangerous rebels. —In the days of the enrol- ment. Not that alluded to in Luke 2: 2, but one made after the de- thronement of Archelaus (6 a.d.), when Judca was converted into a Roman province with a view to taxation. It was in consequence of this taxing that Judas of Galilee revolted. Vers. 38, 39. And now I say unto you. Gamaliel well knew, if the preaching of the Crucified and its strange attendant circumstances were merely a fanatical movement, any violent measures to suppress it would only assist its progress. * ' His argument was forcible enough. Resistance was either needless or it was hopeless. If needless, it was a waste of energy ; if hopelass, it involved a fatal risk besides that of mere failure' (Plumptre). — Lest haply ye be found even to be fighting against God. These words betray a lurking suspicion in his mind that in the Nazarene story, there was something more than met the eye of the ordinary observer; perhaps after all there was in it something divine. Ver. 40. They beat them. This cruel punishment was inflicted 6 66 ACTS V. [5: 41,42. had called the apostles unto them, they beat them and charged them not to speak in the name of Jesus^ and 41 let them go. They therefore departed from the pre- sence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted 42 worthy to suffer dishonour for the Name. And every day, in the temple and at home, they ceased not to teach and to preach Jesus as the Christ. on the naked back of the sufferer. The scourge generally consisted of two lashes knotted with bronze, or terminated by hooks; it was looked upon by Eomaus as so shameful a chastisement that it was forbidden to be inflicted on a Roman citizen. Ver. 41. Rejoicing that they were counted vrorthy to suffer dishonour. The first evidence of the true martyr-spirit, which welcomes pain and suffering for the sake of Christ. Fearlessness, the first consequence of the communion of the Risen Lord with his disciples, rapidly passed with them into a glad and joyful readiness to welcome even death for his sake. Peter and his brother Apostles bore their joyful witness in this suffering of scourging: and Stephen was soon to seal his testimony with his blood. *The Apostles, no doubt, remem- bered tlie beatitude of the Sermon on the Mount. ' Blessed are ye when men shall persecute you' (Matt. 5: 11). Their rejoicing under perse- cution, was in part due to the assurance of the eternal reward of which Christ had then spoken, but mainly to the recollection of his suflerings for them and their intense personal attachment to him. — The Name. The well-known name of the Redeemer, that name which is above every name. Hackett well observes, 'that it is a loss to our religious dialect that the term in this primitive sense has fallen into disuse.' Ver. 42. And every day, in the temple and at home. Un- dismayed by any punishment in the past, undeterred by any fear for the future. — And to preach Jesus as the Christ. Here, in one word, the special purpose of their teaching is told to be to show, that Jesus the Crucified was no other than the promised Messiah, the Christ of God. -5^ This is the first time the specific word preach is used in the Acts, although the Apostles had been preaching the Gospel ever since the day of Pentecost. The Greek term is cuavggclizomai, and is the same word as euaggelion translated Gospel, and from which we get our words evangelize, evangelist, etc. It is one of the finest Avords of the New Testament, pregnant with the joyousncss and new life of the Chris- tian revelation. It was used by the angels in their anthem over Beth- lehem, to strike the keynote of the Gospel dispensation, and is finely translated in our version, 'I bring you good tidings' (Luke 2: 10). In other places the word is translated ' to bring glad tidings ' ( 1 Thess. 3: 6, etc.), 'to preach good tidings' (Luke 9: 6; Rom. 1: 15, etc.). In other places cnanggelizomai is joined with a noun, as Gospel, (1 Cor. 16: 1, 'preach the Gospel' ), faith (Gal. 1: 23, 'preach the faith"), 6: 1.] ACTS VT. 67 Chapter G: 1-7. The First Dissension in the Church and the Appointment of the Seven Deacons. 6 : 1 Xow in these days, wlien the number of the dis- ciples was multiplying, there arose a murmuring of the ^ Grecian Jews against the Hebrews, because their Avid- 1 Gr. Hellenists. peace (Eph. 2: 17, 'preached peace'), etc. In the present verse al- though the Greek -word is translated by the simple English 'preach,' the joyousness of the contents of the communication which the original expresses must not be lost sight of. The Tvord is a favorite one with Luke and Paul who wrote for the Gentiles, and is only used five timeg in the New Testament outside of their writings (Matt. 11: 5; 1 I'et. 1: 25; 4: 6; Rev. 10:7; 14:6). The word 6^o*/»eZ (euaggelion), however, is used by Matthew and Mark several times, but more frequently by Luke an I Paul (especially the latter). Strange to say, John never uses eitlier word a single time either in his Gospel or Epistles. The other words to designate preaching in the New Testament arc teach {didasko, Acts 4: 2, 18, etc.), bear witness or iesttft/ (Acts 4: 33; 23: 11, etc.), proclaim or herald (kerusso, Matt. 3: 1 ; 4: 17, 'preach;' Acts 8: 5; 1 Cor. 1 : 23, etc,). Each word suggests a different phase of preach- ing. It is a joyous proclamation, instruction, a simple witnessing to facts in the life of the Lord, a new and public message. *Pr\ctical Xotf.s.— Gamaliel was a waiter upon rrovidence. If he did tliis from sincere motives, looking for more light, he is to be commended. But it is more likely that he wished to hold himself neutral, impressed no doubt with the evidence of tho power of God in the guidance of the Church, and yet afraid to come out boldly before his fellows. Like Xicudemus (John 3 : 2) he perhaps would have gone to Christ under cover of the night, but unlike him, he never became a Christian, or we should have heard from him further in the Acts. He is thus the type of a large class of people who are neutral till a cause is successful, and then profess sympathy and ask for a share in the rewards, as the tribe of Ephraim used to do, which was not bold enough to face the enemy but always desired a share in the spoils of victory (Judg. 12). They shrink from committing themselves until the case is decided, and are not willing to venture upon dangers until tlie victory is half won. — The courage and frankness of the unpro- tected Apostles is in strange contrast to the fear of the Sauhedrists in council ('They feared the people'). The conduct of the former is explained by the justice of their cause, the purity of their motives and the pressure of grace. — He who suffers for Christ, pursues the road that he trod and readies the gloiy he attained. For a Master who was nailed on the cross for our sakes and offers a crown, it is a joy and an honor to suffer. The First Dissension in the Church and the Appointment of the Seoen Deacons, vers. 1-7. There is something very sad in the brief statement contained in the 68 ACTS YI. [6: 2. 2 o^ys were neglected iu the daily ministration. And the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said; It is not ^fit that we should forsake the word 1 Gr. pleasinj. opening verses of this sixth chapter. It tells us that the curtain had fnllen on the first act of the Church's history. Hitherto unbroken peace had reigned in the Church and a mutual love, which manifested it.-elf in the general community of goods. But now we see the fair life interrupted, and the Apostles compelled by a dissension to make ar- langements for governing the community. It is a humiliating thought that the first great movement to organize ecclesiastical order and disci- pline was forced upon the Apostles by an outburst of human passions among the believers. Ver. 1. The number of the disciples ^T-as multiplying. Every day the number of believers continued to increase in spite of the second arrest of the Apostles and the scourging. — There arose a mur- muring. This dissatisfaction was a consequence of the attempts to bring about a general conununity of goods.— Of the Grecian Jews against the Hebrews. The former class were converts from Judaism. They wci-e Jews, but sjtoke Greek as their ordinary language, and used the Greek ( Septuagint) version of the 0. T. They lived in foreign parts, and were also called the Dispersion (John 7 : 35 ; Jam. 1 : 1 ; 1 Pet. 1 : 1). The ' Hebrews' still continued to use the Hebrew Scriptures and spoke the dialect of the Hebrew then current — the Aramaic. The distinction was not one of nationality, but of language. — Because their widow^s ■were neglected. It is easy to conceive of these poor lonely women, who belonged to what was considered an inferior caste, being neglected in such a distribution.— The daily ministration. This refers to a distribution of food or money among the poorer members of the Church. The funds were supplied by the free donations of the richer brethren (chap. 2 : 45 ; 4 : 84). The almoners were, in the first instance, the Apostles themselves. The real cause of these ' murmurings ' which disturbed the peace of the early Church, must be sought for in the jealousy which always existed between the Jews who, with the ancient language, had preserved more rigidly the old customs and tone of He- brew thought, and the Grecian or foreign Jews who, with the Greek language, had adopted more liberal views. In time, the pure Hebrew JcAVs resented the bi'oad spirit which welcomed the Gentile of every land and race into the Church, and, standing partly aloof, gradually formed themselves into that company of schismatics known as Judaiz- ing Christians, who so bitterly opposed Paul (see Gal. ii.). Ver. 2. The twelve called the multitude of the disciples. In the first instance, the Apostles appear to have themselves attended to the distribution of the alms. But they seem at once to have acknow- ledged the justice of the remonstrance, and set about to provide a remedy. They determined upon a division of labor, by which they 6: 3.] ACTS YI. G9 3 of God, and ^ serve tables. ^Look ye out therefore, brethren, from among you seven men of good report, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may ap- 1 Or, minister to tables. 2 Somo ancient authorities read But, brethren, look i/e out from among you. would be relieved, at least in part, of the responsibility of distribiiting the alms, and be able to give themselves up more unreservedly to preaching. They summoned a meeting of the whole Church and, alter explaining the case, left the decision with the brethren. Ver. 3. Seven men of good report. The special number 'seven' has been made the object of much curious inquiry, some sug- gesting that there were now seven thousand believers in Jerusalem, and that one almoner was appointed for each thousand; others, that the Cliurch in the city was divided into seven separate congregations. The sacredness of the number seven has also been suggested as the reason for the selection of this particular number ; but the real reason is unknown to us. — 'these men are called ' deacons' in Church history, because they were chosen to ' serve tables,' the word se}-ve in the Greek being diakoncin, the verbal form of the noun deacon. It is an inter- esting question Avhether we have here an account of the order of the ministry, called 'deacons.' Although the words diakonein, to serve, and diakonia, the ministry, occur often in the ' Acts,' "j-et the word diakonos, deacon (literally a ministering servant) never does. It is used three times in the N. T. as an olficial designation (Phil. 1 : 1 ; 1 Tim. 3 : 8, 12). Pliilip, for instance, one of the seven, is called, not a dea- con, but an evangelist (Acts 2\ : 8). The silence of the Acts causes us at first to hesitate before we identify the ordination of the Seven with the foundation of the third order of the Christian Church. On the other hand, the early Christian writers, Ignatius, Irenoeus and Origen, consider that we have here the history of the institution of the diaco- nate. From Eusebius we learn that in his day the Church of Rome, whilst it had fortyrsix presbytei-s. had only seven deacons, a strict imi- tation of the first solemn ordination. These men were the formally- recognised assistants of the Apostles ; they were solemnly dedicated to their work, which, besides the superintendence of the Church's alms, included the ministry of the Word, or preaching, as we see from the cases of Stephen and Philip. Tlie Seven occupied a place of iiighcr importance than that held ly the deacons of after years — a position, in fact, as Chrysostom says, peculiar to themselves. Still, in this solemn setting apart by the Apostles of an inferior order, we must recognise the first planting of that lower order which, as the Church grew, gra- dually developed, and, adapting itself to new and altered conditions, before thirty years had elapsed was formally termed the diaconate (Acts 21 : 8j. *As has been already stated, these men are nowhere expressly called deacons in the Acts. When referred to again they are called ' the Seven.' The view above given is held by the Greek, Ro- 70 ACTS VI. [G : 4, 5. 4 ])oint over this business. But we Avill continue sted- 5 fastly in prayer, and in the ministry of the word. And the saying pleased the whole multitude : and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch : man CatlioHc and Anglican churches. In tlie excursus at the close of ch. 14 on Elders, the subject of tlie government of the early Church is discussed and the conclusion arrived at that bishop and elder (presby- ter) are dilFerent terms for the same office, and that in the N. T. there are not three orders of the ministry. The office of deacon was instituted to meet a special want. We do not hear of deacons again in connection with any of tlie churches in the Acts. There is no express command enjoining them upon the Chui-cli, and whether there sliall be special officers called 'deacons' in churches, is a matter for each church to decide. — Full of the Spirit and of wisdom. Out of the number of believers, it were no hard task to pick out men whose learning and knowledge equalled their zeal and fervor. It is a noticeable fact how in these early days the Apostles, who were unlettered men, urged the choice of assistants who were men not only of stainless character and burning zeal,»but who to these qualities added a reputation for know- ledge and wisdom. * Ver. 4. Tlie ministry of the Word. The preaching of the Gospel. The word ministry here is the same as that translated serve tables in v. 2. Ver. 5. Tii8y chose Stephen. He soon won for himself the proud title of the first Christian martyr. He is especially mentioned as ' full of faith.' The faith alluded to is that trust in Jesus as the Redeemer which is the root of all Christian virtues ; for this faith, in addition to his other high qualities, Stephen, even in that age of ex- alted devotion, was conspicuous. — Philip. Well known afterwards as the 'Apostle' of Samaria (Acts 8). It was this Philip who converted the minister of the Ethiopian Queen Can lace ; he is mentioned again as dwelling at Coesarea Avith his four prophet-daughters (Acts 21 : 8), and seems to have been generally known as the 'evangelist.' — Pro- chorus, etc. These names never occur again in the N. T. — Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch. He was originally a Gentile, who submitted to the rite of circumcision. From the special mention of his being a proselyte, it would seem that the other six were Jews by birth. The names of all the seven are Greek ; but we cannot positively conclude from this circumstance that they were all Grecian Jcavs, for it was not unusual for a pure Hebrew to possess a Greek name, as in the case of the Apostles Andrew and Philip, for instance. Upon the memory of Nicolas rests an unfortunate tradition, related by Irenteus, Epiphanius and others, which asserts that he was the founder of the sect of Nicolai- G: G, 7.] ACTS VI. G whom they set before the apostles : and when they had prayed, they laid their hands on them. 7 And the word of God increased ; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem exceedingly; and a great company of the priests were obedient to the faith. tanes mentioned "with such stern severity in Eev. 2: 6, 15. Perhaps Clement of Alexandria gives the true version of the story wlien he says that ^■icolas himself was famous for tiie purity of his conduct, but that lie was the innocent cause of the heresy which bears his name, which arose from a perversion of some words he once uttered (Eusebius, 11. E. iii. 29). Ver. U, They laid their hands on them. The earliest mention of 'laying on of hands' occurs in Gen. 48 : 10. It is there connected with blessing only. It was enjoined on Moses as the form of conferring the highest office among the chosen people upon Joshua (Numb. 27 : 18), and 'fiom that time was used on such occasions by the Jews. By the laying on of hands, the special gifts of the Holy Ghost were imparted (Acts 8 : 17), the ministerial office was conferred (1 Tim. 5 : 22; Heb. 6 : 2). Ilackett's comment on this passage, which speaks of the 'lay- ing on of hands,' is noteworthy : ' It was of the nature of a prayer that God would bestow the necessary gifts, rather than a pledge that they were actually conferred.' Ver. 7. The number of the disciples multiplied in Jeru- salem exceedingly. The measures taken by the Apostles seem to have been eftectual. Authoritative teachers, trained in schools of Greek as well as of Hebrew thought, now labored side by side with the Twelve, and thus prepared the way for a f^xr broader preaching of the doctrines of Jesus than had ever yet been dreamed of. ' At this time,' says Dean Alford, ' was probably the culminating point of popularity of the Church at Jerusalem, As yet all seemed going on prosperously for the conversion of Israel. The multitude honored the Apostles. The ad- vice of Gamaliel had moderated the opposition of the Sanhedrin ; the priests were gradually being won over. But God's designs Avere far different. At this period another great element in the testimony of the Church is brought out in the person of Stephen, its protest against Pharisaism. This arrays against it that powerful and zealous sect, and henceforwai'd it finds neither favor nor tolerance with either of the parties among the Jews, but increasing and bitter enmity from them both.' * Practical Notes.— The first dispute in the Church was uot about doctrine but, aa has been said, about a money matter. It is a pify that the little thrinj^s of this world should be the make-baits among those who profess to be taken up with the great things of another world ' (Matthew Henry). The Grecian Jews were justified in claiming justice for themselves, but they shuulJ have used every means to secure it without 72 ACTS VI. [6 : 8, 9. Chapter 6 : 8-15. Stephen's Activity and Arrest 8 And Stephen, full of grace >and power, wrought 9 great wonders and signs among the people. But there arose certain of them that were of the synagogue called the synagogue of the Libertines, and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and promoting strife. As many Church difficulties can be healed by forbearance and a spirit of kindness as are excited by a spirit of jealousy and selfishness.— "While the dis- agreement was to some extent the product of jealousy, the spirit shown by the Apostles in composing the difficulty was admirable. But the neglect of some of the widows by the unequal distribution of the alms, is an illustration that the Apostles wero not in- fallible in conduct. It is not necessary to suppose that they passed by any one inten- tionally, but only ignorantly. — Church ijovernraent and administration must accommo- date themselves to circumstances as well as circumstances to them. There are '^liver- sities of ministrations,' and one local congregation may need one kind and another another kind. But there is only one Spirit and without him nothing for the divine glory can be accomplished. Inspired Apostles the Church has no more, but ' prayer and the ministry of the Word ' (ver. 4) are indispensable to the growth of the Church. The number 7 is not a fixed number for the deacons of any church, but the duty of distributing alms remains always in force. Stephen's Activity and Arrest, vers. 8-15. Ver. 8. Stephen. His fearlessness, his splendid orntory, his in- tense faith, the wonders and signs done in the power of this faith, soon made liim in the eyes of the Jews one of the foi'emost among the Naza- rene heretics. By his fearless denunciation of the emptiness of Juda- ism as practised by Pharisee as well as Sadducee, he drew down on his head the bitter hatred of each of the powerful parties in the state. — Full of grace. Its effects were those divine powers which enabled him to work signs and wonders. Ver. 9. But there arose. The teaching and work of Stephen struck a new chord in the heart of the people. Many who had been deaf before were now constrained to listen. A new tide of success ap- parently had commenced to flow, but the success stirred up new ene- mies. — Certain of them that were of the synagogue. In the great Jewish city, all shades of opinion, Greek and Aramaic (Hebrew), of course found a home. The Rabbinic writers tell us that there were in Jei-usalem 480 synagogues. This is no doubt an exaggeration, and the number probably a mystic one ; still it is certain that most of the great foreign colonies of Jews, whose members, for religious purposes or for business, were constantly passing and repassing between their distant homes and Jerusalem, were represented by synagogues of their own. The nations specially mentioned seem to represent the three 6: 10, ll.J ACTS VI. 73 10 Asia^ disputing with Stephen. And they were not able to withstand the wisdom and the Spirit by which 11 he spake. Then they suborned men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against great-divisions of Jews settled abroad — Roman, Grecian, Asiatic. The Libertine and Cyrenian synagogues represent Home ; the Alexandrian, Greece; the Cilician and Asian, the East. With the teachers of these different schools of Jewish thought, Stephen came in contact. — The Libertines. Roman Jews whose fathers were carried captive to Rome by Pompey about 53 b. c. Many of them had been set free, whence their name. — Cyroniains. Cyrene was a great city in North Africa. Josephus relates that one-fostolic Church was not «n Apostle. Stephen, no doubt, Wiis converted under the preacliing of the Apostles, 7: 1.] ACTS VII. 75 Chapter 7:1. Stephen's Defence before the Sanhedrin, 7: I And the high priest said, Are these things so? but God's purpose in anointing him so abundantly with the gift of eloquence, and permitting him to be the first martyr was perhups to keep tlio early Church from too great reverence for the Apostles, and teach us that God is not bound to any particular order of men to carry on His work. The seven were appointid to preside over thj 'daily miuistratiun ' (ver. 3), but they did not confine themselves to that. Philip, oiio of their number, is expressly called the Evangelist in Acts 21 : 8. Stephen was an ardent representative of liberal, evangelical views. lie did not confine himself to the preaching of the resurrection, but following the Lord's predictions, declared fearlessly that the exclusively Jewish rites were to pass away, and the temple itself be destroyed. A new dispensation had come. Christ was to be all and in all, and God was to be wor- shipped neither at Jerusalem nor on Gerizim exclusively, but everywhere. If Paul, who was of the synagogue ' of them of Cilicia,' having been born in Tarsus, a city of Cilicia, heard Stephen, this particular tone of his speech must have impressed itself deeply upon him who was to be the Apostle of the Gentiles. Stephen's angelic ex- pression of face was indicative of the feelings reigning within his heart. He h;id a confident trust in Christ, felt it a great joy to bo able to elucidate Gods plan of re- deniiitiou, and looked forward to the transcendent glory which would be his when the peisecutiou had done its utmost and satisfied itself with his blood. Stephen's Defence before the Sanhedrin, vers. 1-53. Stephen began his speech with a grave and earnest defence of him- self and his teaching, in the form of an elaborate historical argument, and passed imperceptibly into a passionate arraignment of his accusers and judges. He representeJ himself as arraigned not really as a blas- phemer of the Holy Temple and the sacred Law, but as suffering the same persecution at their hands which the prophets and another still greater had endured from their stiff-necked forefathers. He com- mence! this defence with great calm and dignity, choosing as his theme a subject which he knew would command the attention and win the deep interest of his audience. It was the story of the cho-en people, told with the warm bright eloquence of one not only himself an ardent patriot, but also a trained orator and scholar. He dwelt on the famous national heroes, with rare skill bringing out particular events in their lives, and showing how, notwithstanding the fact that they had been sent by Go I, they had been again and again rejected by the chosen people. Of those Old Testament characters he mentions especially two, .Joseph and Moses, as illustrating his point. The for- mer hid been rejected by his brethren, and the latter the people had agiin and again refused to obey. Having finished this part of his a hirers, and, after glancing for a moment at the accusation which charj;el him with lightly esteeming the Temple, he aiain turns to the treatment his forefathers had showed to the prophets, and in a tiame 76 ACTS VII. [7:2. Chapter 7 : 2-16. Tlie Patriarchs Abraham and Joseph, 2 And he said, Brethren and fathers, hearken. The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham, when he was in of righteous angci* he accuses his accusers of following their example, by being themselves murderers of Jesus. But here he is violently interrupted, and hurried to the last, scene without the walls. There is little doubt but that the close of Stephen's defence would have con- tained, like tlie sermons of Peter in the second and third chapters of this book, the oiler of pardon and reconciliation through the very blood they had caused to be poured out. As before in the case of Joseph, and still more conspicuously in the case of IMoses, God had in spite of themselves redeemed them ; so He would again, even now, after their deepest crime, if they would but turn to Him, and seek through the Crucified pardon and life. But this last thought the martyr was not allowed to utter. The great speech of Stephen dilFers from the ad- dresses of Peter in its broad, all-embracing view of the history of the chosen people. What a magnificent conception, in the eyes of a child of Israel, Avere those instances of the life-work of Joseph' and IMoses, both God-sent regenei'ators of the loved people, both in their turn, too, rejected and misunderstood by those with whom their mission Iny, but justified and glorified by the unanimous voice of history, which has surrounded the men and their work with a halo of glory, growing only brighter as the centuries have multiplied ! Might it not be the same with that great One who had done such mighty works, and spoken such glorious words, but whom they had rejected and crucified? Ver. 1. And the high priest said, Are these things so? A hush seems to have fallen on the council as they saw the strange brightness light up the countenance of the accused. The question calls upon Stephen to answer to the accusation of having uttered blas- phemous words against Moses and God. The Patriarchs Abraham and Joseph, vers. 2-lG. Ver. 2. The God of glory appeared unto our father Abra- ham. A peculiar characteristic of God in the eyes of the Hebrews was that shining brightness, that outward expression of mnjesty iii which He revealed Himself, and which was visible in the Shechinuh. Paul speaks of this glory as one of the peculiar distinctions with which God honored His own peculiar people. It is represented as liaving abode on Mount Sinai (Ex. 24: 1(5), as filling tlie tabernacle (Ex. 4(J : 34), etc. Christ possessed the divine glory (John 1 : 14). and was the "effulgence of God's glory" (Heb. 1:8). It was the external manifestation of the divine holiness. The expression shows 7: 3-8.] ACTS VII. 77 3 Mesopotamia, before lie dwelt in Plaran, and said nnto him, Get thee out of thy land, and from thy kindred, and come into the land which I shall shew thee. 4 Then came he out of the land of the Chaldaeans, and dwelt in Haran: and from thence, when his father was dead, God removed him into this land, wherein 5 ye now d^vell : and he gave him none inheritance in it, no, not so much as to set his foot on : and he promised that he would give it to him in 2:)ossession, and to his 6 seed after him, when as yd he had no child, xind God spake on this wise, that his seed should sojourn in a strange land, and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil, four hundred 7 years. And the nation to which they shall be in bon- dage will I judge, said God : and after that shall they S come forth, and serve me in this place. And he gave him the covenant of circumcision : and so Abraham a profound reverence for the God of Israel, vritli wliich tlie charge of blasphemy was inconsistent. "When he "was iu Mesopotamia. Ur of Ihc Chaldees, where Abraham first resided (Gen. 11: 28), lay ])robably iu the extreme north of Mesopotamia, near the sources of the Tigris. Ver. 4. "When his father \7as dead. For remarks upon this and the other alleged inaccuracies in the speech of Stephen, see the Excursus below. Ver. 5. And he gave him none inheritance in it. This is confii-med by the circumstance related in ver. IG, where Ave read how the very grave of the patriarchs iu the Promised Laud was purchased by Abraham from the possessors of the country. Ver. G. And God spake on this wise. Stephen quotes, with a very slight variation, from the Septuagiut translation of Gen. 15: 14, 15, the vei-y words spoken by God to Abraham, containing the promise, and also an intimation that its fulfilment must not be ex- pected for a long period of years. Ver. 7. And serve me in this place. A quotation from the words spoken to Moses in the burning bush where the reference is not to Canaan but to Iloreb (Ex. 3: 12). He thus reminds the elders of Israel that God was to be found in other countries besides the Holy Land, and to be worshipped in other places besides Zion. Did He not manifest Himself as visibly in the burning bush of the wilderness as ever He did in the tabernacle ? Ver. 8. He gave him the covenant of circumcision. That 78 ACTS VII. [7 : 9-12. begat Isaac, and circumcised bim tbe eigbtb day ; aud Isaac hcgat Jacob, aud Jacob tbe twelve patriarcbs. 9 And tbe patriarcbs, moved witb jealousy agaiust Joscpb, sold bim into Egypt : aud God was witb bim, 10 and delivered bim out of all bis afflictions, and gave bim iavour and wisdom before Pbaraob king of Egypt ; aud be made bim governor over Egypt and 11 all ids bouse. K^ow tberc came a famine over all Egypt and Canaan, and great affliction : and our 12 fatbcrs found no sustenance. But wdien Jacob beard tbat tbere was corn in Egypt, be sent fortb our fatbers is, God made with him the covenant, of which circumcision was the outward sign. Dean Goulburn, in liis Acts of the Deacons, calls atten- tion to the fact that the whole of the Pauline theology finds its germs in this defence of Stephen. Paul's assertion that faith was reckoned to Abraham when he was in uncircunicision, is merely the unfolding of Stephen's historical statement that God, after the call aud promise, gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision. Vcr. 9. The patriarchs, moved with jealousy against Joseph. Stephen here passes to tbe times of Joseph, who, as minister of I'baraoh, inaugurated Avhat may be termed the second period in the history of tlie children of Israel. lie dwells on the betrayal of Joseph (Gen. 37 : 28) by his jealous brothers, Avho received the t\i\Q patriarchs from being the ancestors of the twelve tribes, and then shows how God delivered him and raised bim to a position of great power, which ena- bled him to be the benclactor of Lis father's family. It is altogetber probable that Stephen had in his mind the parallel between Joseph and Another, who had been likewise for jealousy (Matt. 27 : 18) betrayed by his brother Jews, and who, after the betrayal, had been crowned with glory and power. Ver. 10. And wisdom. This, of course, includes Joseph's inter- pretation of the royal dreams (Gen. 41 : 1-37), but has more especial reference to his skill in administering and developing the finances of the kingdom of Egypt. Pharaoh had said to Joseph, ' There is none so discreerand wise as thou art' (Gen. 41 : 39). — Pharaoh. This was the common title of the ancient sovereigns of Egypt, and signified ' the kin"-.' We have a similar use of a royal appellative in the ' Caesars' of Piome, a designation which is still preserved in the German 'Kaiser' and in the Russian ' Czar.' Ver. 12. There w^as corn in Egypt. Egypt was the great corn- growing country of the old world. In the Apostles' time it was the principal granary of Home (see Acts 27 : G-38j. 7: 13, 14.] ' ACTS VII. 79 13 the first time. And at the second time Joseph was made known to his brethren; and Joseph's race be- 14 came manifest unto Pliaraoh. And Joseph sent, and called to him Jacob his father, and all his kindred, Ver. 13. Joseph's race became manifest unto Pharaoh. The name of Joseph is repeated "with some pride by Stephen. ^ There seems to be the suggested thought that as those who, in the history of Joseph, persecuted liim came alterwards to be dependent on his bounty, so it might be that tliose who rejected Christ would at last be dependent on him for spiritual life (Plumptre). Vei\ 14. Jacob his father, and all his kindred, three- score and fifteen souls. Another memory of the divine favor which would be very grateful to the zealous judges in that stern council. How God must have loved the people and prospered them ! for this small family became *as the stars of heaven for multitude' (Deut. 10 : 22). EXCX'RSUS ON CERTAIN ALLEGED DISCREPANCIES IN StEPHEN's SpEECH.— Some feW Btatements occur in this part of Stephen's speech which appear to vary from the ac- counts of the Old Testament. The best general explanation of them is, that in these cases the speaker followed the popularly-received national history of his time. In several of the instances the contemporary writers, Philo and Josephus, when relating the same event, make the same apparent mistake as Stephen, clearly showing that at that time there was a popular account, written or umvritten, of the history of Israel, difiering apparently in a few unimportant details from the Old Testament story. We proceed now to a discussion in detail of these alleged discrepancies. Vers. 2, 3. The God of glory appeared vnto our father Abraham, when he was in Mesopotamia, BEFORE he dwelt IN HaRAN, A>D SAID UN^O HIM, GeT THEE OUT OF THY LAND. Accord- ing to Gen. 11 : 31 ; 12 : 1, the call of Abraham took place after he had arrived in Ilaran, and not before, as Stephen states. There is little doubt, however, that Abraham was twice called by the Lord, once in Mesopotamia, and afterwards in Haran, as is indicated by the words in Gan. 15: 7; Xeh. 9: 7; 'I am the Lord that brought thee out of Ur,' etc. Philo distinctly speaks of these two calls. In ver. 4 it is said that Abraham did not leave Haran till his father was dead. This statement has been represented as inconsistent with the account in Genesis, according to which Terah would seem to have lived sixty years after Abraham's departure from Haran. There Terah's death is put down as having occurred when he v.as two hundred and five years old (Gen. 11: 32). But in Gen. 11 : 2G we read ' Terah lived seventy years, and begat Abraham, Nahor and Haran ;' and in Gen. 12 : 4, that Abraham came forth from Ilaran when seventy-five years old. By counting up, an interval of sixty years will be found to exist after Abraham's departure before Terah's death. But the apparent difiiculty admits of a ready solution if we adopt the theory held by some Jewish writers, that Abraham was not the eldest, but the youngest son of Terah : the position Abraham occupied in the history of the chosen people readily accounting for his being the first named. Similarly Shem, who wa.s younger than Japheth (Gen. 10: 21), is mentioned before him in the list of Noah's sons (Gen. 10 : 1, etc.). Some such difference between 80 ACTS VII. [7: 15, 16. 15 threescore and fifteen souls. And Jacob went down into Egypt; and lie died, himself, and our fathers; 16 and they were carried over unto Shechem, and laid in the tomb that Abraham bought for a price in silver the ages of Nahor and Abraham (the latter being much the younger) agrees well with the marriage between Abraham's son, Isaac, with Nahor's grand-daughter Rebecca, who was the daughter of Bethuel, Kahor's eighth son (Gen. 22 : 23). In ver. 6 it is stated that Israel was in Egypt four hundred tears, the same number that is given in Gen. 15 : 13. The exact number of years was four hundred and thirty (Ex. 12: 40). But Paul, in Gal. 3 : 17, understands the four hundred and thirty years as the measure of the whole interval between the ciill of Abraham and the giving of the Law, leaving only two hundred and fifieen years for the bondage in Egypt. On examining Stephen's statement and Ex. 12 : 40, it will be seen that this period of four hundred years is roughly given as the time during which the childien of Israel were to continue sojourners or strangers in the land in which they might be dwelling; and it is doubtful whether Stephen meant to represent the Egyptian bon- dage as itself lasting four hundred years. Josephus in one place {Ant. ii. 9. 1), dis- tinctly states that the Israelites spent four hundred years in Egypt, and in another ho follows the chronology of Paul in the Galatian Epistle {Ant. ii. 1.5, 2). It would seem therefore, that there weve two traditions current in the Jewish schools relative to the time spent by Israel in Egypt. In ver. 14 the number of Joseph's kindred is stated as 'three-score and fifteen souls.' According to the Hebrew text of Gen. 46 : 27 ; Ex. 1 : 5 • Deut. 10 : 22, the number who went to Egypt was only seventy. Stephen here evi- dently followed the Greek translation of the LXX, which enumerates seventy-five persons. Gen. 46 : 27 contains the interpolation: 'And the sons of Joseph born to him in the land of Egypt were nine souls.' There is no sufficient reason for regarding the latter statement as an error. It in no way contradicts the numbers given in the Hebrew text, but simply adds to them certain members of Joseph's family not reckoned in the original census. The additional five were probably Joseph's five descendants by his two sons Manasseh and Ephra'm (Numb. 26 : 28-37). Vers. 15, 16. Jacob went down into Egypt ; and he died, himself, and our fathers; and they were carried over unto Shechem, and laid in the tomb, etc. Joseph was buried in Shechem (Josh. 24: 32). But according to Gen. 50 : 13 Jacob was buried at Machpelah. However, the words 'and they' do not necessarily include Jacob. Jerome (t 420), who lived near Shechem, says that the tombs of the twelve patriarchs were to be seen there in his time. This burial of the ancestors of the tribes of Israel in hated Samarian Shechem was mentioned by Stephen, to show that holiness and blessedness are not limited in death and burial to any particular spot. The suc- ceeding words present more difficulty.— In the tomb that Abraham bought for a PRICE IN silver of THE SONS OF Hamor IN Shechem. Somo commentators have sup- posed, but needlessly, that in haste or inadvertence Stephen has here substituted the name of Abraham for that of Jacob, for in Gen. 33 : 19 we read that Jacob bought a piece of ground from the sons of Hamor. The question really is, Did Abraham buy a piece of land at Shechem ? Dirccfhj this is not stated in Genesis, but we find from Gen. 12-7 that he built an altar there, and ' the Canaanite was then in the land.' Now it U certainly' more than probable that Abraham purchased the site on which he erected 7: 17.] ACTS VII. 81 Chapter 7: 17-30. Early History of Moses. 17 of the sons of ^ Hamor in Shecliem. But as the time 1 Gr. Emmor. the altar, just as, at a later period, Jacob erected an altar also in Shechem. and bought the site (Gen. 33 : 19). Wordsworth, whose argument generally is here fullowed, bup- poses that the field purchased by Jacob was the same that Abraham had acquired, and that in the intervening years it had bepn occupied by others, and Jacob from a fe-ling of piety wished to restore it. Stephen's assertion contradicts no previous statement, but gives an addition.tl fact, in itself by no means improbable. The fact that in both cases the purchase was made from the sons of Hamor offers no serious difiBculty, and indeed some five hundred year.^ later we find (Judg. 9 : 28) the same name, and again connected with Shechem. Wordsworth believes the name Hamor to have been the hereditary title of the kings of the country, as Pharaoh was in Egypt, but apart from such a hypothesis, which is doubtful, how commonly in royal dynasties does the same name recur ! We need only instance in old d lys Darius in Persia, Herod in Palestine, and ill modern times, Henry and George in England. *It is difficult, as Dr. Hackott says, to resist the conclusion that in this last instance the namo Abraham was by mis- take used instead of Jacob by Stephen himself, or that the error was made by Luke. The above explanation rescues the narrative from this charge, but it lays so many conjee- tures under tribute as to make the contrary view seem the more probable, as it is the more natural. The explanation of the few discrepancies (real or apparent) in Stephen's speech has an important bearing on the doctrine of Inspiration. Some expositors have seemed to magnify the dissent of Stephen from the statements in the Old Testam-nt J others, in their anxiety to deny all dissent, have often resorted to violent conjectures. The note of Dr. Plumptre here is excellent. ' Should there be errors of transcription, report or even memory in the report of Stephen's speech, they need not shake the fixith of those who have learned to take a higher view of inspiration than that which depends upon the registers of chronological tables and genealogies. But it may be well also not to assume too hastily that men of average culture and information would be altogether ignorant of the facts which they narrate out of sacred writings which have been their continual study. And it may be urged that the appearance of seeming inaccuracies, which a moment's reference to Genesis would have enabled the writer to correct, is, at any rate, evidence of faithfulness in the report of the speech.' (See art. Inspiration in Schaff-Herzog's Enojclopseiia.) Early History of Moses, vers. 17-30, Stephen passes from Joseph to Moses and takes up ' the promise,* now centuries old. Nothing; apparently seemed less likely than that the vast horde of enslaved, dispirited children of Israel in Egypt, would in a few years, after the revelation of Moses, be in possession of the rich and desired land of Canaan, which was then held by a polished and warlike people. But with the appointed hour, the God of Israel raised up the man wlio should work this mighty deliverance for His people. He likewise dwells upon the wrongs and injustice which the 6 82 ACTS VII. [7: 18-21. of the promise drew nigh, which God vouchsafed unto Abraham, the people grew and multiplied in Egypt, 18 till tliere arose another king over P^gypt, which knew 19 not Joseph. The same dealt subtilly with our race, and evil entreated our fathers, that Hhey should cast 20 out their babes to the end they might not ^live. At which season Moses was born, and was ^exceeding fair; and he was nourished three months in his 21 father's house: and when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and nourished him for her own 1 Or, he. 2Gr. he preserved alive. 3 Or,/(.iV inUo God. great, patriot suffered at the hands of the Jews, his fellow-countryinen and kinsmen ; yet it was this very Moses, whom God sent to be, not only their deliverer, but their lawgiver. Ver. 17. The people grew and multiplied. This increase was so rapid as to excite the fear of a rebellion in the minds of the Egyptians (Ex. 1 : 7, 12). Ver. 18. Till there arose another king over Egypt. This was Aniasis or Ahmes. It is probable that he was the tirst native prince Avho reigned after the expulsion of the Hyksos or shepherd kings. The expulsion of these Ilyksos seems connected in some way with the bitter hatred with which the Hebrews were now rcgar le I in the land ; but our knowledge of the history of ancient Egypt is too un- certain to admit of any positive statement here. — "•■'Which knew not Joseph. That is, did not respect or cai'e for h?s memory. Ver. 19. That they should cast out their babes to the end they might not live. Ilackett says: 'The ol))cct of the king's policy was to compel the JTebrews to destroy their children, that they might not grow up to experience the wretched fate of their fathers' (so also Meyer). But this construction of the passage in Greek is grammatically unnecessary. The verse simply tells us tliat Pharaoh, witli the hope of checking the increase, gave a general com- mand to destroy the new-l)orn sons of the Israelites. Ver. 20. Moses was born, and was exceeding fair. Tra- dition writes of him as ' being beautiful as an angel.' .losephus an>l riiilo both call especial attention to this circumstance. The rendering in the margin ' f lir unto God' is literal. The Greek translation (LXX) of .Jonali, 3: 2, calls Nineveli a city 'great unto God,' * an exceeding great city' ('that great city,' Autliorized Version), Ver. 21. Pharaoh's daughter took him up. That is lifted him up out of the Nile (Ex. 2: 5). This is better than to understand the words, as do De Wette and Ilackett, in the sense of ' adopted.' 'Jhe next sentence ' and nourislied him for her own son,' goes on with the infant's subsequent adoption by the princess. 7 : 22-24.] ACTS VII. 83 22 son. And Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians ; and he Avas mighty in his ^vords and 23 works. But when he was well-nigh forty years old, it came into his heart to visit his brethren the children 24 of Israel. And seeing one of them suffer wrong, he Ver. 22. Moses was instructed in all the wisdom of the Egyptians. Egypt was even at that early period famed for her learning, and her proficiency in art and science. It is reasonable to Buppose that 'the adopted' of Pharaoh's daughter was instructed ia all the varied branches of learning cultivated in the country. Philo relates that he was taught by Grecian, Assyrian and Chaldean teach- ers. The statement of Stephen respecting the learning of Moses is not derived from any Old Testament source, but solely from those Jewish traditions we have so often alluded to as used in this speech. Wordsworth quotes here the words of Augustine on this passage, in which he argues for the consecration of heathen learning to the ser- vice of Christianity. ' Do not we see,' he writes, ' how Cyprian came laden out of Egypt with much gold and silver and raiment — Cyprian, that most persuasive of teachers, that most blessed martyr ; how, too, similarly laden, came out Lactantius, Victorinus, Optatus, Hilary, not to speak of living men?' Augustine thus shows how highly he estimated Avhat is termed secular learning in the training of the teach- ers of the Gospel, Everything that is good and beautiful in the arts, or true and useful in learning, should be consecrated to the service of religion, and be fostered by it. — Mighty in his -words. By nature Moses seems to have been 'slow of speech' (Ex, 4: 10). lie was evidently distrustful of his own powers, and shrank from the burden of responsibility, but God turned this slowness of speech into a fervid eloquence, of which we possess many instances. — And ■works. The Old Testament is silent here, but Josephus mentions that 'when the Ethiopians invaded Egypt, Moses was the general of the army which defeated them,' {Anl ii. 10. 1). Ver. 23. "When he was well-nigh forty years old. Stephen divides the life of ■Moses into three exact periods, each of forty years (v, 30, 36). This division, afterwards current among the Jews, is not found in the Old Testament. It simply states that ho was one hundred and twenty years old when he died (Deut. 34: 7), and was eighty years old when he stood before Pharaoh (Ex. 7 : 7). But it gives no hint of the time that he spent in Egypt before his flight to Midian. — It came into his heart to visit his brethren. They Avere toil- ing as slaves under taskmasters, building cities and fortresses — pro- bably, too, some of those pyramids we know so well. The incident which follows is told almost word for word, though slightly abbrevi- ated from the Exodus history. Ver. 24. Suffer wrong. That is, injured by blows, as in Ex. 2: 11. 84 ACTS VII. [7 : 25-30. defended him, and avenged him that was oppressed, 25 smiting the Egyptian : and he supposed that his brethren understood how that God by his hand was giving them kleliverance ; but they understood not. 26 And the day following he appeared unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying. Sirs, ye are brethren ; Avhy do ye wrong one to an- 27 other ? But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, saying. Who made thee a ruler and a judge 28 over us ? Wouldest thou kill me, as thou killedst the 29 Egyptian yesterday ? And Closes fled at this saying, and became a sojourner in the land of Midiau, where he begat two sons. Chapter 7: 30-43. The Mission and Treatment of Moses. 30 And when forty years were fulfilled, an angel ap- 1 Or, salvation. *Ver. 25. He supposed that his brethren understood. "What reason they should have for regarding Moses as their deliverer is not stated. But it is likely that he had given evidence of his fel- low-feeling with his oppressed race before. Perhaps there was some- thing in his very position at court which should have reminded them of Joseph, and convinced them of a providential design in Moses' life. Ver. 27. Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? The words of these Israelites evidently express the general feelings of all the people towards Moses at this juncture, and so he understood them. Vers. 28, 29. And Moses fled at this saying. In Exodus it is related that Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh (Ex. 2: 15). When the act was publicly known, the Pharaoh's court was, of course, no longer a home for the patriot who loved his own oppressed people better than the splendid future of an Egyptian prince (Heb. 11 : 25, 26). — In the land of Midiaa. It was a part of Arabia Petraea, and lay along the eastern branch of the Red Sea, the Elanitic Gulf. It reached to the wilderness of Sinai on one side, and the territory of Moab on the other. The Midianit.es seem to have been nomads. The Mission and Treatment of Moses, vers. 30-43. Ver. 30. In the wilderness of mount Sinai. According to Ex. 3: 1, the flaming fire in the bush appeared to Moses at Iloreb, In the Pentateuch, the names of Sinai and Horeb seem to be used in- discriminately. In the New Testament the name Sinai only occurs. Horeb appears to be the general name for the whole mountain range; 7: 31-35.] ACTS VII. 85 peared to him in the wilderness of monnt Sinai, in 31 a flame of fire in a bush. And when iMoses saw it, he wondered at the sight: and as he drew near to 32 behold, there came a voice of the I^ord, I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob. And Moses trembled, and 33 durst not behold. And the Lord said unto him, Loose the shoes from thy feet : for the place whereon 34 thou standest is holy ground. I have surely seen the affliction of my people which is in Egypt, and have heard their groaning, and I am come down to deliver them: and now come, I will send thee into Egypt. 35 This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge ? him hath God sent to he both a ruler and a ^ deliverer with the hand of the an- 1 Gr. redeemer. Sinai, the name of the particular mountain from -which the Law wag given. — An angel. ' llere, as continually in the Old Testament, the angel bears the authority and presence of God Himself; which angel, since God giveth not Ills [/lory to another, must have been the great Angel of the Covenant, of whom Isaiah writes, ' In all their afllictiou He was alUictcd, and the Angel of His presence saved them ' (Isa. 68: 9), namely, 'the Son of God;' so Alford, correctly. He appro- priates the titles of God and says, ' I am the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob I have surely seeti the alilictiou of my people, and I am come down to deliver them' (Ex. 3 : G-8). Ver. 33. Loose the shoes from thy feet, etc. It was, and is still, in the East a mark of reverence to take off the shoes or sandals in the presence of a superior. The Mohammedans always enter their mosques barefoot. God sanctifies whatever He touches, and this spot became holy ground, just as the Temple on Mount Sion. Stephen in- directly argues from this that holiness belongs exclusively to no ono earthly sanctuary. There was no temple there, said Chrysostom ; yet the place was holy, owing to the presence of Christ. Ver. 35. This Moses. Very impressively and with mai-ked em- phasis, Stephen, in vers. 35-38, four times repeats the demonstrative pro- noun to bring out the contrast between God's marked favor and man'sre- jection. By men disowned, but by God exalted to be ruler and deliverer. The parallel between the great Hebrew lawgiver and Jesus, veiled only by the studied concealment of the name of Jesus, becomes closer and more marked as the argument proceeds. The choice of the titles k'uler, judge, deliverer — which Stephen gives to Moses, is also evi- dently suggested by the striking parallel in his mind. 86 ACTS VII. [7: 36-38. 3G gel which appeared to him in the bush. This man led them forth, having wrought wonders and signs in Egypt, and in the Red sea, and in the wilderness forty 37 years. This is that Moses, which said unto the chil- dren of Israel, A prophet shall God raise up unto you 38 from among your brethren, ^ like unto me. This is he that Vv^as in the ^church in the wilderness with the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinai, and with our fathers : who received living oracles to give 1 Or, as lie raised up me. 2 Or, congregation. Ver. 37. This is that Moses, which said unto the chil- dren of Israel, A prophet shall God raise up unto you from among your brethren, like unto me (see note on Acts 3 : 22). The one here mentioned was that great Prophet, the Messiah, pon- dered over by the pious Jew for so many weary years, waited for by every patriot heart in Israel with an intense passionate longing. To the words of the promise, Stephen adds nothing : no comment was needed. It was well known that Stephen and those that thought with him, believed the prophet like unto Moses had already arisen. Wlio would dare to accuse Stephen of blaspheming jMoses, of whom he spoke with such exceeding reverence? But, on the other hand, were not his judges treating their lawgiver with scorn, seeing they had re- jected the Prophet whom he had promised? *It is not straining these words to find in them perhaps the key to the whole purpose which the speaker had in referring to Moses as he did. This Moses had been raised up by God to be a deliverer, a law-giver, a founder of a new order of things. Kim the people had abused, rejected. It was ho who had foretold of the great Prophet, the Messiah. The emphasis, however, is on the words ' like unto me.' Uttered with rhetorical force as they no doubt were, they laid bare the striking resemblance between ]\Ioscs and Christ, Sent of God, founders of a new order, Rejected of men! The audience might make its own application. Ver. 38. This is he that was in the church in the wilderness. 'God's church,' writes Wordsworth here, *is not limited to Judxa. It was in the wilderness ; and there Moses, your great lawgiver, was with it; and remember he died there in the wil- derness, and was never permitted to enter the Promised Land, to Avhich you would restrain the favors of God.' — With the angel which spake to him in the mount Sinai. The close communion of Moses with God is told best in Deut. 34 : 10. 'And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.' — ^Living oracles. The law received on Sinai. They were not dead, powerless words, but such as had the power of God working in them, and were capable of giving life. 7 : 39-42.] ACTS VII. 87 39 unto US : to whom our fathers would not be obedieDt, but thrust him from them, and turned back in their 40 hearts unto Egypt, saying unto Aaron, Make us gods which shall go before us : for as for this Moses, which led us forth out of the land of Egypt, we wot not 41 what is become of him. And they made a calf in those days, and brought a sacrifice unto the idol, and 42 rejoiced in the works of their hands. But God turned, and gave them up to serve the host of heaven ; as it is written in the book of the prophets. Did ye offer unto me slain beasts and sacrifices Forty years in the wilderness, O house of Israel ? Ver. 39. Turned back in their hearts unto Egypt. They were weary of the severe restraints imposed by the worship of Je- hovah, and longed for the idol service of Egypt, and the enjoyment of the license which was permitted and even sanctioned in most of those ancient systems of idolatry (Ex. 10:3; Numb. 11 : 4). Ver. 40. As for this Moses . . . we wot not what is be- come of him. This was spoken during Moses' stay in the mount of God, when, for forty days, he remained alone with God. Ver. 41. They made a calf in those days. The famous golden calf, made under the direction of Aaron, while his brother was on the mount, and which was subsequently destroyed by Moses (Ex. 82: 1-11), seems to have been a representation not of a calf, but of a full-grown bull, and was doubtless intended to represent the Egyptian Bull Apis adored at jMemphis, or the Bull Mnevis worshipped at Ileliopolis, in Lower Egypt. The Israelites seem to have been pe- culiarly attached to this symbol of idolatry ; for we find .Jeroboam, the first king of Israel, after the separation of the monarchies, setting up, in opposition to the Temple at Jerusalem, rival sanctuaries at Bethel and at Dan, dedicated each to ' a golden calf (1 Kings 12: 28). The attachment of the people to these idols is borne witness to by such passages as 2 Kings 10 : 29, when kings like Jehu, famous for their enmity to idolatry, allowed these 'golden calves' and their sanctuaries to remain in the land. Ver. 42. But God turned. That is, changed towards them, withdrew from them His favor, laid no check upon their passions and follies (see Acts 14: 16). 'If ye forsake the Lord and serve strange gods, then he will tum and do you hurt' (Josh. 24: 20). — The host of heaven. The stars, sun and moon. This form of idol-worship is called Sabreism, from X:]V (tsava), host. This idolatry prevailed espe- cially in Chaldea, and also in Phoenicia, as well as in Egypt, * Manas- 88 ACTS VII. i;7: 43. 43 And ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, And the star of the god Rephan, The figures which ye made to worship them : And I will carry you away beyond Babylon. sell built altars to the 'host of heaven,' and worshipped them (2 Chron. 33: 3, 5) ; and Jeremiah (19 : 13) and Zephaniah (1 : 5) speak of the same thing. But the people were specially warned against it (Deut. 4: 19). The sin of Israel was that it worshipped the created host instead of Jehovah Sabaoth, the 'Lord of hosts' (riumptre). — Book of the prophets. The twelve minor prophets, which were reckoned by the Jews as one book. The passage quoted here is from Amos 5: 25-27. — Did ye offer unto me slain beasts and sac- rifices ? The question requires a negative answer. God is repre- sented as saying as much as : ' Surely you do not pretend to say that you offered to Me slain beasts and sacrifices. You have even taken up the tabernacle of Moloch,' etc. This accusation of Amos was no contradiction of the story of the Pentateuch, which indeed speaks of the ordinary daily sacrifices during the desert wanderings ; but what counted in God's eyes the formal rites and sacrifices performed by priests under the immediate influence of Moses, compared to the spontaneous offerings made, and to the service done to the golden calves or the host of heaven ? Ver. 43. Ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, This was a small portable tent which sheltered the image of the idol, Moloch was most probably identical with the Tyrian Baal, the sun-god. Ac- cording to rabbinical tradition, a fire was kindled beneath the idol, which was a hollow metallic figure with the head of an ox with out- stretched arms : a child was placed in the arms of the figure, and thus was burned to death, while the priests beat their drums so as to stifle the child's cries. The image received the name Tophet fJer. 7: 31) from tophim drums. The worship of Moloch was forbidden by Moses (Lev, 18: 21; 20: 2) but afterwards practiced (Jer, 32: 35), and even Solomon erected a place for it (1 Kings 11 : 7). — And the star of the god Rephan. Rephan is the Coptic name for Saturn, who was worshipped by the Arabians, Phoenicians, and Egyptians. The description in Diodorus S'culus of the horrid child-sacrifices offered at Carthage to Saturn resembles the rabbinical account of the worship of Moloch. Stephen here quotes verbatim from the Greek translation (LXX) of Amos 5 : 26. — Beyond Babylon. The pas- sage in Amos concludes with the words ' beyond Damascus ;' but the fulfillment of the prophecy in the well-known captivity of Babylon made this substitution natural. Such a quotation with the denuncia- tion of the original prophecy intensified, when subsequent history demanded it, was a rabbinical custom (Meyer), and therefore the change was not an error of Stephen. 7: 44-47.] ACTS VII. 89 Chapter 7: 44-50. The Tabernacle of God. 44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of the testimony in the wilderness, even as he appointed who spake unto Moses, that he should make it according to the figure 45 that he had seen. Which also our fathers, in their turn, brought in with ^Joshua when they entered on the possession of the nations, which God thrust out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David ; 46 who found favour in the sight of God, and asked to 47 find a habitation for the God of Jacob. But Solomon 1 Gr. Jesus. The Tabernacle of God, vers. 44-50. Ver. 44. The taberDacle of the testimony in the wil- derness. This name was frequently used (Ex.38: 21; Numb. 1 : 60) of the Tabernacle. It received it most probably from the fact of Jehovah giving there witness of Himself in the visible glory, the Shekinah, which at certain times rested on the golden mercy-seat of the ark between the cherubim, "^or from the two tables of stone which contained the decalogue, and were preserved in the 'ark of the testi- mony' within the Tabernacle (Ex, 25: 16). — According to the figure that he had seen. The superior sanctity of the Tabernacle to the Temple is here suggested. The old Tabernacle which had dis- appeared was fashioned after a pattern given to Moses in the mount by God (Ex. 25 : 9-40). Ver. 45. Which also our fathers .... brought in w^ith Joshua. Stephen has passed away from Moses, aud is here rapidly sketching the history of the sacred tent, which continued to be the sanctuary not merely in the wilderness, but until the age of Solomon. Wordsworth remarks ' that the name of .Jesus, though ever in the thoughts of Stephen, is never expressed in his speech, but here, when it does not mean Jesus of Nazareth, but Jesus (or Joshua) the son of "^ Nun. How much wisdom was there in this I If he had openly spoken as he felt concerning Jesus of Nazareth, he would have been stopped at once by the rage of his hearers, and the Christian Church would never have had the speech of Stephen : there was divine eloquence in his silence,' Ver. 47. But Solomon built him an house. Stephen's ar- gument may be paraphrased thus : ' The Temple, against which you accuse me of having spoken blasphemous words, because I pointed out (as did my Master) that it would not endure forever, was first built, not by David, the man after God's own heart, but by Solomon, and replaced an older sanctuary, and one that possessed holier associa- tions than the Temple, seeing it was designed upon a model which Moses received from the Most Wm\\. That sacred Tabernacle even 90 ACTS VII. [7 : 48-51. 48 built him a house, Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in houses made with hands ; as saith the prophet, 49 The heaven is my throne, And the earth the footstool of my feet : What manner of house will ye build me? saith the Lord : Or what is the place of my rest ? 50 Did not my hand make all these things? CnAPTER 7: 51-53. Impassioned Application of the Speech. 51 Ye stifp-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears, was not meant to endure forever. Is it then blasphemy for me to teach that tlie Temple which succeeded it was also of a transitory na- ture? Steplien might have mentioned the fact that even the ark, with the two tables of stone, was lost. This would have strengthened his argument, but it would have been ungenerous in a true Jew : the bit- ter humiliation of Israel was not a topic Stephen was likely to dwell upon. Ver. 48. Howbeit the Most High dwelleth not in houses. Solomon, the builder of the Temple, did not regard it as confining God to that one place. He prayed at the dedication (1 Kings 8 : 27) : ' But God will indeed dwell with men on earth ; behold, the heaven and heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, how much less the house that I have built.' The words quoted from Isa. 66 : 1 were the burden of all the prophets. * Stephen might have quoted the passage from Solo- mon's prayer, which expressed the same thought. But now that he had broken down the notion that exclusive holiness belonged to the Temple as a place of worship, he turns for proof to the great prophet, who had so distinctly foretold the Messiah. His eye was already sweeping across the long interval to the advent of Jesus, and the quotation from the prophet Isaiah would tend to give more emphasis to his main thought than one from Solomon would have done. Impassioned Application of the Speech, vers. 51—53. Ver. 51. Ye stiff-necked and uncircumcisei in heart and ears. Thus far had Stephen pursued his argument calmly and with- out passion, though, as one great division of the history after the other passed before him in review, his style became more fervid. He had brought down the story of the people to the period of the establish- ment of the Temple worship and the glorious reign of Solomon. He might have gone further, but he had said enough. And now these thoughts, and the thought above all of the crucifixion, which filled the soul of Stephen with holy indignation, found vent in a torrent of rebuke against his guilty judges. The bitter words of reproach which he used were familiar to every Jew. Compare among many passages 7 : 52, 53.] ACTS VII. 91 ye do always resist the Holy Ghost : as your fathers 52 did, so do ye. Which of the prophets (Hd -not your fathers persecute ? and they killed them which shewed before of the coming of the Righteous One ; of whom 53 ye have now become betrayers and murderers ; ye who received the law ^as it was ordained by angels, and kept it not. 1 Or, as the ordinance of angels. Gr. unto ordinances of angels. Bent. 9: 6, 13; Ex. 33: 3-5; Neh. 9: 16. *The abrupt change in Stephen's tone was perhaps due to anger displayed in the faces of the judges. The audience must have been wrought up to an uncontrollable pitch of indignation. The words of the speaker were sharper than swords. The address ' uncircumcised in heart and ears ' was an ar- raignment as terrible as it was defiant. Circumcision was the mark of an Israelite, and the sign of the inheritance of the promises of Abra- ham and Moses. 'Ye have the outward badge of the covenant, but your ears are deaf and unconsecrated, so that ye have not taken in the meaning of Moses and the propliets, and your heart is hard and un- consecrated, so that ye have not believed the truth as they spoke it.' This is the tenor of Stephen's words (see Deut. 10 : IG). Perhaps he read in the looks of the judges that they would not listen to him much longer. Ver. 52. The Righteous One. This title was used by the Jews as a designation of the Messiah. 'This sentence (of Stephen's) seems to have been in the mind of the second apostolic martyr at Jerusalem, James, when he wrote his epistle a little before his own martyrdom,' Jas. 5: 6 (Wordsworth). Ver. 53. "Who received the law, etc. That is, ' it was an- nounced to Israel, in the first place, by angels acting as the ministers of the King of heaven.' Were angels employed in the giving of the Law ? On reading the simple text the first impression is, that no such angelic intervention was employed. Jehovah gives, and Moses re- ceives, the Law. On the other hand, all Jewish tradition ascribed to angels an important place as assistants in the giving of the Law. So Josephus (^4/i<. 15 : 5,3). ' We have learned what is most beautiful and holy in our doctrines and laws from God through the medium of angels.' The striking passage Deut. 33 : 2, the great Jewish expositors and doctors, the LXX., etc., interpret, as directly teaching sucli inter- position in the giving of the Law. The accurate rendering of the passage is: 'He came from amidst mj^riads of holiness,' that is, from amidst countless angels who attend Him. The LXX. translate ' on his right hand were angels.' The statement of Ps. 68 : 17 : ' The chariots of God are twice ten thousand, are thousands upon thousands : the Lord among them hath come from Sinai, into His sanctuary ; ' and possibly Num. 10 : 36 : ' Return, Jehovah, with the myriads of the thousands of Israel' (Perowne's translation), teach the same truth. 92 ACTS VII. [7: 54,55. Chapter 7 : 5-1-GO. Stephen's- Martyrdom. 51 Now when tliey heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55 Bat he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stcd- fastly into heaven, and saAv the glory of God, and Taul (Gal. 3 : 19), and the writer of the Epistle to the Ilelorcws (2 : 2) expressly mention the fact. — '^And kept it not. 'Notwithstanding all your phylacteries ' (Bengcl). This is a niost striking and tragic contrast, and reminds us of John's words: ' Jlc came unto his own, and they that were his own received him not' (John I: 11). The words were evidently spoken with great emphasis. The Law was given to yon and the prophets, but ye have rejected both iu rejecting him who was the * end of the Law and tlie prophets.' * Practical Xoteb (upon tlio wliolc discourse).— It is well to hnvo n ready command of Scripture that wo may bo able to give a reason for the fiiilh that is in us (1 Tot. o : 15). Steplicn showed great ingenuity in liis answer to the liigli priest's summons (ver. 1). But the fncts of his reply were all from the Scripture, and largely in its very language. — God's promises, though often slow, are sure. Ho called Abraham; but it was not till many hundred years afterwards that tho promise to him was fulfilled (ver. 17). Through Moses Ho promised tho Messiah (ver. 37); and although tho Israelites had grown weary in wiiiting, God had not forgotten. In Christ likewise, though Uis promises tarry, they will surely come to pass. — There is a remarlcaLlo unity in the history of revelation. Tlio Old Testament points beyond itself to somo- thiiig better. Moses, as well as the I'rophets, directed Israel to look forward to tho period of the Messiah. Christ tauglit us to expect no one greater than himself. — Every place may become a temple where tlio ' God of glory ' reveals Himself. IIo is not con- liucd to a single place. In ^Mesopotamia (to Abraham), in Egypt (to Joseph), in tho burning bush in tho wilderness and on Mt. Sinai, He manifested His glory as well as at Jcrus.ikm. Our bodies arc the "temples of the Holy Ghost.' — The meaning of God's promises may bo mistaken by tho.so for whom they are specially meant. God hill tjpoken plainly through IMoses and the Trophets. But when Stcplion explained from tlio Scriptures, that tho Mosaic dispensation and the temple were only tem- porary and not permanent, these things \vero 'counted as a strange thing' (Uos. 8 12). Students may know the lelter of Scripture by heart, yet miss its intent and purpose. Stcphcii^s Martyrdom, vers. 54-CO. Ver. 54. They gnashed on him with their teeth. The sting of Stephen's reproachful words moved them to an irrepressible fury. The expression 'to gnash with the teeth' is frequently used in the Old Testament to signify furious rage; see Job IG: 9; Ps. 35: IG; 37: 12. Ver. 55. And saw the glory of God, and Jesus. 'The scene 7 : 56-58.] ACTS VII. 98 5G Jesus standing on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and tlie Son of man 57 standing on the right hand of God. But they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and 68 rushed upon him with one accord ; and they cast him out of the city, and stoned him : and the witnesses laid down their garments at the feet of a young man before his eyes was no longer the council-hall of Jerusalem and the circle of his infuriated judges ; but he gazed up into the endless courts of the celestial Jerusalem, ivith its innumerable company of angels, and saw Jesus, in whose righteous cause he was about to die' (Cony- beare and Howson, St. Paul). It is possible the material heaTcns may be referred to in the words 'looked up stedfastly into heaven;' yet as the vision was supernatural, and to him for a brief space the heaven of heavens was opened, and his eyes saw clearly into its glorious courts, it is by no means necessary to assume that he was gazing into the open sky at all. * ' Stephen had begun with speaking of the •' God of glory " (ver. 2). He ends with that glory as belonging, to the Son of man' • (Plumptre). Ver. 56. The Son of man. This was a title which Christ often gave to himself when on earth, but which was never applied to him after his resurrection, except by Stephen here. (Rev. 1: 13; 1-1: 14, where the designation again occurs, are both merely the recital of visions in heaven.) As the martyr used the words, many of those present must have well remembered the words of Jesus before the same council : ' Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven' (Matt. 26: 64). — Standing on the right hand of God. Everywhere else the Lord is described as sitting; by Mark (16: 19): 'He was received up into heaven, and sat at the right hand of God;' by Paul (Eph. 1 : 20) ; by David writing of the Messiah (Ps. 110: 1) : 'The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand.' Chrysostom well says that' Stephen saw Jesus standing, ' because Jesus had risen from the "throne, as it were, to succor his persecuted servant, and to receive him to him- self.' Usually our Lord is described as the Judge, and as Judge he ^(Y.9 on his throne; here he appears standing, ready to assist and to receive his faithful martyr. Ver. 57. They cried out with a loud voice. The purport of their cries no doubt was identical with the expression of the high priest at the trial of Jesus (Matt. 26: 65, 66): 'He hath spoken blasphemy; what think ye? They answered and said, He is worthy of death.' Ver. 58. Cast him out of the city. By the law of Moses (Lev. 24: 14-16), these executions were to take place outside the camp. For an example, see the account of the stoning of Naboth (1 Kings 21 : 13). — And stoned him. The most severe punishment of the Jews and 04 ACTS VII. [7: o9, GO. 59 named Saul. And they stoned Stephen, calling upon the Lord, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, practised in the cases of those who were guilty of blasphemy and turned away from the true God or comuiitted a violent moral transgression (Ex. VJ: 13; Deut. 17: 5; Josh. 7: 25).— At the feet of a young man named Saul. This is the first time Paul of Tarsus appears mixed up with the affairs of the Church. It was as the bitterest enemy of the new sect. As a prominent member, no doubt, of the Cilician synagogue (Acts 6:9), in its disputations with Stephen, he had become acquainted with much of the teaching of the leading followers of Jesus. The expression 'young man' must not be understood as we would now use it. Gloag quotes Varro as calling a man 'young' till the age of forty-five, and Dio Cassius speaking of Cassar as ' a young man ' when about forty. Shortly after this time the Sanhedrin employed Saul as their chief agent in an important mission to Damascus, Such a Avork would scarcely have been entrusted to one still a young man in our acceptation of the word. "Whether he was one of the Sanhedrin judges at this time is doubtful; but that he was elected a member soon after, is sometimes inferred from Acts 26: 10. Ver. 59. Calling upon the Lord. The words the Lord are not in the Greek, but are evidently to be supplied, as is plain from the next clause: 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' It is a direct prayer to Jesus and moulded upon two of the seven sayings of the lledeemer on the cross. To Jesus as Saviour he commends his parting soul ; to .lesus as Lord of all he prays for pardon on his murderers. Comment- ing on this prayer being offered to Christ, Canon Liddon well says: * Dying men do not cling to devotional fancies or to precarious opin- ions: the soul in its last agony instinctively falls back upon its deepest certainties' {Divinity of Chrid, Lecture vii.). As Augustine points out, Stephen's prayer was fulfilled in the conversion of I'aul : 'If Stephen had not prayed, the Church would not have had Paul ' [Si Steplianus >?ion sic ora&set, ccdcsia SauJum non habcrct.) Ver. 60. He fell asleep. A heathen poet, Callimachus, said (Epig. 10): 'When good men die, it is not death, but sleep.' How- ever, the idea of death as a sleep is, in a peculiar sense, a Christian idea, as is the word ccmcVrii, that is, a sleeping place where the bodies were laid only to sleep till the resurrection should awaken them. * Practical Norrs.— Stephen experiencecl thetmth which his speech broiiglit out- that noble aims are not alwiiys honored in tliis M-nrid nor good men ahvays well treated. — Whom men reject and ca«t out, God often receives (ver. 55). The judgments of men and of God do not always agree. — A believing regard of the other world will help us to forget the fears and troubles of this. He who looks up to heaven (ver. 55) is not apt to be distracted by the passions of earth and sees no darkness in death. — 'He fell ivsloep.' A sul but sweet word, says Bengel. Stephen's career was cut off early on earth. T.ut belay down to awaken in the glory beyond. 'God givcth His beloved sleep '(Ps lz7: 7 : GO.] ACTS VII. 05 Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. 2). Death is not night but a sleep, not the ' end all ' but a portal. — Stephen's martyr- dom is told at so great length, to inform us of a Christian's courageous bearing in sufleihig, forgiving kindness to his abusers and his peaceful going home.- Stciihen's speech and death had a strong bearing on the past. He spoke before the destruction of the temple, and his quotation from Christ's words is witness that Chriet foresaw the destruction of Jerusalem and foretold it. Stephen's death is inconcoivalle except 1 11 the ground of his absolute faith in the resurrection. Men do not die and die so \) acefully, for a theory. — They had also a strong bearing on the future of the Church. I'rayer may preach and though dead one may speak. Saul (ver. GO) .'^aw Stephen die, in all probability heard him speak. In his heart the seed of the martyr's words and his peaceful, joyous looks in death, germinated into convictions of the truth of the Gospel. * ExctiRsus : The Sthuctube and Purpose of Stephen's Speech. — The impression left after the first reading of Stephen's speech, may be that it is rambling and lacks definite point. But a closer examination of its structure and contents alters this im- pression, and produces the conviction that it is not only a boldly uttered, but a very skilfully constructed and managed argum' nt. We should expect iiothing less from a man, whose ' wisdom ' and skill in disputation are so strongly emphasized by the writer of the Acts (6 : 10), two characteristics he had not as(;ribed to any of the Apostles. Two tilings strike the attention at once and forcibly in the structure of the siieech: 1) The large space given to the history of Israel and the fact that Christianity is dircdhj referred to only once, — in the crucifixion of its founder (ver. 52); and 2) The abrupt change in ver. 51 from the style of a calm argument from histoiical facts, to an im- passioned arraignment of the judges. This latter featuie may have been due to the pent lip feeling of indignation which Stephen after dwelling upon such signal instances of Israel's recalcitrancy, could not longer restrain in the presence of Israelites, who had followed the example of their forefathers and bad rejected Christ. But the sudden transition more probably was due to the agitated state of the audience, which exasper- ated under the concealed but sharp thrusts of the skilful orator, could no longer con- trol its angry passion, and precipitated the close of the speech before Stephen could complete the argument by applying the illustrations from the Old Testament, directly to the facts of the Christian history and system. The exact purpose of Stephen's speech has been stated in various ways. Grotius and others have held the opinion that Stephen desired to prove that God's presence is not confined to a fixed place and that the Jews had no privileges before the heathen. But it is not at all likely that Stephen had the latter point prominently on his mind. Eaur represents the main thought to be that the greater the divine favor to Israel had been, the greater had been its ingratitude and contumacy. Dr. Hackett thinks that its main object was to prove that 'instead of manifesting true zeal for Moses and the temple in opposing the Gospel, tlie Jews were again acting out the rebellion of their fathers,' and Meyer paraphrnses Stephen's purpose in this way : ' I stand here accused not a'? a blasphempr of the Law and the temple, but in consequence of the contumacy towards God's messengers which you have inherited from your fathers and are perpetuating.' He lays stress upon ver. 51 as containing the kernel of the speech, and urges that the sole puqiose Stephen had in referring to the episodes in the Old Testament, was to illustrate this idea. Tho 96 ACTS VII. [7: GO. three last views are really modifications of one and the same view, that the recalci- trancy of the Jewish council was no novel thing. But it has insuperable difficulties. If this were the iaai:i purpose of Stephen's speech, then why did he give such a largo space to Abraham (vers. 2-8), and to the construction of tlie tabernacle and tem- ple (vers. 44-50), and while taking up this subject, pass over the prophets in whose persecutions (e. g., Jeremiahs) and the period of the kings in whose idolatries, he might have found such cxcelleut illustrations for his purpose? Besides this numerous little points here and there in the narratives of Joseph and Moses, as well as his respectful mode of address (ver. 2), have little pertinency on this supposition. Another view is elaborated by Wendt (in the 5th Ed. of Meyer). ' Stephen's purpose,' he says, was to show that God's gracious presence was not confined to the temple, but that lie had manifested Himself to the fathers in foreign lands and especially there.' This view is likewise too narrow, although the first clause contains part of the truth. Wo must not be misled by Stephen's impassioned and abrupt arraignment of his judges (ver. 51), to suppose that this was his only or principal object. Such a supposi- tion degrades the speaker and overlooks entirely the occasion of the speech (6 : 13). Stephen's primary purpose was to answer the charge of blasphemy against the temple and Moses (C : 13, 14), with which he stood accused before the council, and this he did by showing that God's presence was not ex'^lusively confined to the holy place at Jeru- salem and t'uat far from the JMosaic ' customs ' being eternal and unalterable, they were by Moses' own confession as well as by after events in history proved to bo tho very contrary. Both these ideas run through the whole of the speech. The former point Stephen proved by references to Abraham who had been called in Mesopotamia (when not even the tabernacle existed), to Joseph of whom though he was in Egypt yet it is said, ' God was with him' (ver. 9) to th» graves at Shechem (ver. IG), the theophanies of the burning-bush (ver. 33) and on Sinai (ver. 38), and the tabernacle of the testimony (ver. 44) then destroyed. The latter point that the ' customs ' of Moses were not immutable he proved by the promise of Moses himself of a Prophet (ver. 37), one who should be ' like unto himself the recipient of a divine message, and as Stephen no doubt also meant to be understood, be ill-treated and the founder of a new order of things. On this promise of the Messiah he dwells again in ver. 52. His other proofs of this proposition, were that the very tabernacle of Moses had given way to another building, the temple of Solomon, and that prophecy itself (Isaiah, vers. 48, 49) had uttered in unmistakable terms a principle which by extending God's presence to other places than the temple, by so much deprived it of tho character of the sole dwelling place of Jehovah. The whole drift of the speech tends to a positive ulterior conclusion that the whole old dispensation was temporary and looked forward to the Christian period. It is the promise of the future which is prominent in Abraham's history (ver. 6), it is the promise of the future which the speaker hurries on with Joseph's story to reiterate (ver. 17). A promise of the future is prominent in Moses' history (ver. 37), and the historical section is concluded with a prophecy which has in it a promise (ver. 48). And so prominent is this general idea in his mind, that he checks himself for a moment in his arraignment to emphasize it again. Each period in Hebrew history pointed in advance of itself to another. The Old Testament dispensation was imperfect, nor was the temple the uliimate local realization of the divine presence. To him who has this thought in view, the speech appears as a most keen and far-sighted conception of tlie Old Testament, and as a most skilfully and subtilly constructed argument 'At first ai^ht,' as Calvin says, ' Stephen's reply may seem to bo absurd and irrelevant.' But ho 8:1.] ACTS* VIII. 97 Chapter 8 : 1-4. General Persecution of the Church. 8 : 1 And Saal was consenting unto his death. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church which was in Jerusalem ; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Bhov.'s his skill by concealing for so long the eignificancj' of his historicr\l illustrations and yet taking such a comprehensive view of the Old Testament. He proved that Jesus whose very words he had quoted (6 : 14), announcing a change in the customs of Bloses and the destruction of the temple, was uttering no novel thought but speaking in consonance with the express testimony as well as spirit of Moses and the Prophets. It should therefore, not mislead us that in his argument he should have emphasized the recalcitrancy of Israel. The very presence which he was in, made that thought a burning one in his mind, and he could not in the very nature of the case pass over the treatment of Moses lightly, which furnished such a striking parallel to that of Jesus of Nazareth. They had heard the prophets (ver. 52) but as their fathers had murdered them, so they had murdered him * of whom the prophets had spoken.' They had received the Law but had not kept it, for him of whom Moses had spoken they had betrayed. Stephen did not convince his audience, but at the side of the main thought he left anotlier idea to germinate in the mjnds of his hearers, namely, that Abraham though only a stranger in the land, was the messenger of God and became the father of Israel, that Joseph though rejected by his brethren, was the messenger of God and became honored as a patriarch, that Moses though refused by his enslaved people, was the messenger of God and became the great deliverer and lawgiver. And so, the inference would run, Jesus of Nazareth though rejected by his own people and crucified, might be, yea was the one whom Israel and the world would yet honor as their deliverer and king. Stephen was the first to meet in a bold and comprehensive way the great question of the relation of the Gospel to the Law, of the new dispensation to the old. This wag the burning theological question of the first century. Paul spent much time in answering it, and was much troubled by the so-called Judaizing teachers, who held that the Law still contintied in force. We cannot help but admire the wide sweep of Stephen's vision. This characteristic of his conception of Christianity, as well as hia intrepid boldness, justify the view that if he had lived, he would have developed into a champion and missionary of the faith such as Paul became. General Persecution of the Church, vers. 1—4. Ver. 1. And Saul was consenting unto his death. These Tvords were no doubt, often heard by Luke from Paul. We find them in substance repeated by the apostle himself years after (Acts 22 : 20). *His name is specially mentioned among those who participated in putting Stephen to death on account of his subsequent prominence in the Church. — They were all scattered abroad. This expressionc 7 98 ACTS till. [8 : 2-4 2 Samaria, except the apostles. And devout meu buried 3 Stephen, and made great hinientation over him. But Saul laid waste the church, entering into every house, and haling meu and women committi^d them to prison. 4 They therefore that were scattered abroad went should not be understood literally ; but as many of the Christians, amounting at this time to some thousands, obliged by the violence of the persecution to leave the city, betook themselves to a distance, the various congregations for a time were dispersed, and the elaborate organization of charity (2: 44, 45; 4: 34, 35; 0: 1-8) was broken up. — Except the apostles. It is not impossible that the veneration with which the people had now long regarded these teachers, who had worked many and beneficent-wurks in their midst, preserved them from violence. But whether they were exposed to danger or not, they felt they had no right to quit Jerusalem, which they regarded as their post of duty. *It is not unlikely that the persecution was principally di- rected against those who sympathized with Stephen, and boldly avowed their belief in a change of the 'customs of Moses.' There is nothing in Peter's speeches to show that he liad gone as far as Stephen. He was more conservative, and it may be that he and the other apostles for this cause escaped for a while. Yer. 2. And devout men. Some pious Jews are probably meant, who, though not professedly followers of Jesus, still as inquirers, had listened with admiration to the brave and eloquent deacon. — Made gteat lamentation over him. Chrysostom remarks that Stephen's own dying words w^ere his noblest funeral oration: 'Lord, lay not this sin to tbeir charge.' There is a legend that Gamaliel, as a secret Christian, gave the sepulture in his own garden, and that subsequently he was buried in the same tomb. Ver. 3. But Saul laid waste the church. Paul's own state- ments confirm this description. He thought 'he ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth ... in Jerusalem, . . he shut up" many of the saints in prisons' (Acts 2G : 9, 10). "Women also suffered, a fact three times repeated as a great aggravation of his cruelty (Acts 9: 2; 22: 4). Stephen was not the only one who suffered death (Acts 22: 4: 26: 10). Paul 'persecuted the Church beyond measure' (Gal. 1: 13), and used every effort to make the Chris- tians blaspheme that Holy Name whereby they were called (Acts 26 : 11). His fame as an inquisitor was notorious far and wide; Ananias of Damascus had heard how much evil he had done to the saints at Jerusalem (Acts 9: 13-21: see Phil. 3: G; 1 Tim. 1: 13; 1 Cor. 15: 9). Ver. 4. They therefore that were scattered abroad went about preaching the ■word. The immediate result of the perse- cution \\as the fulfilment of the Saviour's words: 'Ye shall be my wit- 8: 5-9.] ACTS VIII. 99 Chapter 8: 5-13. Philip preaches in Samaria. 5 about preaching the word. And Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and proclaimed unto them the 6 Christ. And the multitudes gave heed with one ac- cord unto the things that were spoken by Philip, when 7 they heard, and saw the signs which he did. ^For from many of those which had unclean spirits, they came out, crying with a loud voice: and many that 8 were palsied, and that were lame, were healed. And there was much joy in that city. 9 But there was a certain man, Simon by name, which beforetime in the city used sorcery, and amazed the ^people of Samaria, giving out that himself was some 1 Or, For many of those which had uncleun xjnrits that cried with a loud voice came forth. 2 Gr. nation. nesses both in Jerusalem and in all Judaea and Samaria' (chap. 1 : 8). Tertullian's famous saying: 'The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,' is first exemplified in the conduct of these early mission- aries. Some of them carried the message as fiir as Phcenice, and Cy- prus, and Antioch (Acts IT: 19). Some probably travelled even to Rome, for Rom. 16 : 7 makes mention of Andronicus and Junias, who were in Christ before Paul's own conversion. An account of the ac- tivity of one of these refugees is given in the following verses. Philip preaches in Samaria, vers. 5-13. Ver. 5. And Philip. The second name'd in the list of the seven deacons (Acts 6: 5). He is called the evangelist (Acta 21: 8), and had four daughters, who prophesied. — "Went down to the city of Samaria. Built originally by King Omri, father of Ahab, Samaria remained the chief city of Israel while that kingdom endured. In b. c. 710, Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, took it after a two years' siege, and razed it to the ground. It never regained its old importance until the days of Herod the Great, who restored its splendor, changing its name to Sebaste, the Greek equivalent of Augusta, in honor of the Roman Emperor Coesar Augustus ; the new city was, however, still often called Samaria. Ver. 6. And the multitudes gave heed with one accord. The visit of Christ in the neighboring city of Sychar (John 4) helps us to understand the warm welcome which Philip received among these Samaritans. Ver. 9. Simon by name, which beforetime in the city used sorcery. We have here a description of the first collision 100 ACTS VIII. [8: 10-12. 10 great one : to whom they all gave hee:l, from the least to the greatest, saying, This man is that power of God 11 which is called Great. And they gave heed to him, because that of long time he had amazed them w^ith 12 his sorceries. But when they believed Philip preach- ing good tidings concerning the kingdom of God and t]ie name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both between the imposture in the outside world, and the single-heartedness of the followers of Jesus. Simon is commonly called Simon Magus, or the magician. Magicians were not uncommon in this period. In Acts 13: 8 we have an account of another one, a certain Elymas. Their power seems to have been derived from an advanced knowledge of natural philosophy, especially of chemistry. Simon was impressed with the miracles of Philip, and sought to purchase a similar power. It is probable that he afterwards used his iniluence against the Church. He early came to be known as the founder of the heresy called Gnosticism and was regarded as the Archheretic, ' the open enemy of the Apostles, inspired, it would seem, by the spirit of evil, to countermine the work of the Saviour, end to found a school of error in opposition to the Church of God.' — Giving out ihat himself was some great one. According to Justin Martyr, Simon pretended that he was God, above all principality and power. Jerome relates that he said, ' I am the Son of God,' ' the Paraclete,' ' the Almighty,' etc. Such bold assertions as these were no doubt made subsequently to his collision with Peter and Philip. Exasperated by his repulse, and the exposure he had suffered at the hands of these believers in Christ, envious too of their powers and also of the consideration which they enjoyed with so many of the people, he endeavored, by assuming these titles, to win something of the power they possessed, and which he coveted. Ver. 10. To vrhom they all gave heed. Men in that age were peculiarly liable to be deluded by the pretensions of false prophets, as Neander well observes : ' At that time an indefinite longing after a new voice from heaven — a strange, restless feeling in men's minds, such as usually goes before mighty changes in the history of men, was spread abroad; this vague, anxious feeling bewildered and deceived many' (from Neander's Planting, vol. i.). Ver. 12. But when they believed Philip . . . they were baptized, both men and women. 'Philip,' as Bishop Lightfoot observes [Galatians, Dissertation iii.), 'carried into practice the doctrine which Stephen preached and for which he died.' ' Stephen was the first to look steadfastly to the end of that which is abolished, to sound the death-knell of the Mosaic ordinances and the Temple worship, and to claim for the Gospel unfettered liberty and universal rights. Philip, by preaching to and then baptizing a number of Samaritans who be- lieved, was the founder of the earliest Gentile congregation. 8: 13, 14.] ACTS VIII. 101 13 men and women. And Simon also himself believed : and being baptized, he continued with Philip ; and beholding signs and great ^miracles wrought, he was amazed. Chapter 8 : 14-25. The Visit of Peter and John to Samaria. 14 Xow when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they 1 Gr. poicers. Ver, 13, Simon also himself believed : and being baptized. It is not necessary to assume that he was simply moved by the persua- sion that Philip Avas a greater magician than himself, though no (h.uht this thought influenced him. He may have accepted the fact that Philip's Master was in some way or other the long-looked-for Messiah. *The narrative which follows this verse seems plainly to indicate, that his faith was not genuine and according to knowledge. He was simply wonder-struck by the miracles. His ulterior purpose was to get the power of working miracles by baptism, and he did not understand its nature. It did not influence his life or change his heart. ♦Practical Xotes. — Persecution scattered the Church and produced much sufTerinj, but it flid not dampen the ardor of the early Christians. God had in His wise provi- dence kept them together in Jerusalem until manj' had become strung in tlie faith. Though they were driven from Jerusalem, they carried the Gospel with them. - ' There isthat scattereth and yet increaseth ' Persecution dispersed the Church of Jerusal m, but churches in Samaria, Antioch, Cj-prus and other places (Acts 11 : 10) sprung up from the seed planted by believers. — Like Simon many arc wonder-struck at the proofs of divine power, but do not feel the energy of a divine life. The people, as after the cure of the paralytic (Mark 2 : 12). were often amazed bej-ond measure at Christ'a mighty works, but only those who believed with the heart had everlasting life. — The true preacher of the Gospel, like Philip, directs men's attention away from himself to Christ (ver. 5). The shrewd worldling, like Simon, practises his arts to win ajjplause for himself. A striking contrast also presents itself between Simon and Saul of Tarsus. The former went with the crowd and followed a course of policy. The latter was a man of deep convictions, persecuted the Church, but thinking thereby to glorify God. It was a matter of conviction with him. Sim )n became an insincere and unreliable professor. Paul became a flaming and intrepid preacher. The Visit of Peter and John to Samaria, vers. 14-25. Ver. 14. Now when the apostles, etc. The work of Philip in Samaria, and the subsequent approval of it by the Apostles, signified a complete breaking down of the old barriers of religious prejudice. It may have cost a struggle to concede that even the Samaritan had a right to the kingdom of heaven. ' He who eats the bread of a Samari- 102 ACTS VIII. [8: 15-18. 15 sent unto them Peter and John : who, when they were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive 16 the Holy Ghost : for as yet * he was fallen upon none of them : only they had been baptized into the name of 17 the Lord Jesus. Then laid they their hands on them, 18 and they received the Holy Ghost. Now when Simon saw that through the laying on of the apostles^ hands the ^Holy Ghost was given, he oifered them money, * For ' he was fallen ' read * it was fallen.' — Am. Com. l Some ancient authorities omit Hull/. tan,' says the Talmud, 'is as one who eats swine's flesh. This accursed people shall have no part in the resurrection of the dead.' To be a Samaritan, in the eyes of an austere Jew, was to have a devil (John 8: 48) — They sent unto them Peter and John. In accordance with the Master's first mission, when he sent the Twelve forth two by two (Mark 6: 7), the Apostles often labored together in pairs as Peter and John in the Temple (Acts 3:1); Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13: 2) preaching the Gospel to the Gentiles ; and later Paul and Silas (Acts 15: 4U), and Barnabas and Mark (Acts 15: 37). This is the last men- tion of John in the Acts. Vcr. 16. As yet he was fallen upon none of them. It has been often asked whether this was owing to any defect in the faith of the Samaritans. Nothing, however, in the history would lead us to suppose th.it this was the case. The opinion of Chrysostom, followed by many modern commentators, supplies the most probable answer: 'Philip could not bestow tlie Holy Ghost, because he was not an apos- tle.' Tlie plain truth seems to be : none but tlie Apostles were empow- ered to bestow this mighty gift. *The whole passage would lead us to suppose that the impartation of the Holy Spirit in this case as on the day of Pentecost, was something diffei^ent from the new birth. Many suppose this gift of the Holy Spirit was only communicated at the lay- ing on of the Apostles' liands. Others, basing their opinion upon 1 Tim. 4: 14 give it a wider application. A part of the Christian Church derives the rite of confirmation from this incident and holds that the bishop alone can confirm. Others regard this case of the Sa- maritans as altogether peculiar, and the methods practised as no more obligatory upon us than the Apostles' example of going in pairs is. * Ver. 17. Then laid they their hands on them. The laying on of hands was a frequent practice in the Old Testament (Gen. 48: 14; Numb. 27: 18). The mothers brought their children to Christ that he might lay his bands on them (Matt. 19 : 13). The custom was obsei^ved extensively in the Apostolic Church and has been ever since. But the impartation of the Holy Spirit was not exclusively connected therewith, as the cases of the Ethiopian eunuch and Cornelius show (10: 44). Ver. 18. When Simon saw that through the laying on of 8: 10-23.] ACTS VIII. 103 19 saving, Give me also this power, that on whomsoever 20 I lay my hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. But Peter said unto him, Thy silver perish with thee, be- cause thou hast thought to obtain the gift of God with 21 money. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this ^ matter : 22 for thy heart is not right before God. Repent there- fore of this thy wickedness, and pray the Lord, if perhaps the thought of thy heart shall be forgiven thee. 23 For I see that thou ^art in the gall of bitterness and 1 Gr. uord. - Or, wilt become gall (or, a gall root) of hittemess and a bond lainly visible. Outward miraculous gifts of some kind or other were plainly bestowed. The covetofisness of Simon was excited by the sight of this strange i)ower. — He offered them money. His heart remained unchanged, even though he had been baptized. He simply looked on John and Peter as magicians far superior to himself, and more deeply versed in the secrets of the craft even than Philip. He supposed the secret of these men, like everything else Simon knew of in this world, was to be purchased with guld and silver. — * It is evi- dent from this that Simon had not genuine faith. His name and pro- position have given the word simoni/ to our language which refers to the corrupt practice of buying or selling positions in the Church. It reached monstrous proportions in the Middle Ages. Ver. 20. Thy silver perish with thee. This is no curse, for in ver. 22 the apostle exhorted the magician to I'epentance. It is merely an expression of the strong abhorrence which an honest, right- eous man would feel at such a miserable misconception of God's ways of working. The corruptible nature of gold and silver seems to have been ever in Peter's mind, and to have entered continually into his arguments. (See 1 Pet. 1: 17, 18.) Yer. 21. Thou hast neither part nor lot in this matter. More accurately rendered 'in this word' (as in the margin), that is, in the word or doctrine which teaches the way and manner of the inward and outward gifts of the Holy Spirit (ver. 1-4). Ver. 22. If perhaps the thought of thy heart shall be for- given thee. The words 'if perhaps' were uttered owing to the very grave character of the sin. The apostle doubtless spoke them to stir up feelings of repentance in Simon's heart. Alford's comment here is a weighty one: 'This verse is important taken in connection with .John 2U: 2^: "Whose soever sins ye forgive, they are forgiven unto them," etc., as showing how completely the Apostles themselves referred the forgiveness of sins to. and left it in the sovereign power of God, and not to any power of absolution delegated to them.' Ver. 28. For I see that thou art in the gall of bitterness 104 ACTS VIII. [S : 24, 25. 24 in the bond of iniquity. And Simon answered and said, Pray ye for me to the Lord, that none of the things which ye have spoken come upon me. 25 They therefore, when they had testified and spoken the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. and in the bond of iniquity. Peter did not doubt that God would grant pardon to every really penitent sinner, no matter Low deeply he might have sinned, but he knew that Simon's heart was full of bitter hate for the Gospel, and that his life was bound by iniquity as by an iron chain. Ver. 24. Pray ye for me to the Loid. So Pharaoh entreated Moses to intercede for him (Ex. 8: 29, 9: 28, 10: 17), and yet hardened his heart afterwards. Bengel observes here : ' He confesses his fear of punishment, not horror of guilt.' The history of the Acts never refers again to Simon's life and conduct. Ver. 25. They . . . returned to Jerusalem. That is, .John and Peler, leaving Philip to pursue his work alone. — And preached the gospel to many villages of the Samaritans. They pro- bably recalled hoAV their jNIaster, looking forward to such an hour as this, had beheld these very fields of Samaria 'white already unto har- vest' (.John 4: 35). 'The same John,' be it remembered, 'who once wished for fire to come down from heaven to consume these very peo- ple (Luke 9: 54), now preached to them the Gospel of peace. He had since that time learned much in the school of Christ. Then he knew not what spirit he was of, but now he was actuated by the Holy Spirit. It was a different kind of fire which he now prayed might descend from heaven upon these Samaritans — the fire of the Holy Ghost' (Gloag). * Practical Notfs.— The Gospel obliterates national prejudices. The Jews and Samaritans had no dealings together (John 4 : 9). This was the result of human pride and jealousy. The Apostles went up freely to Samaria to carry the Gospel, Surely Christ breaks down the partition walls of prejudice and brings men together in love.— Baptism doe=; not confer forgiveness or salvation. It is only an outward sign, though a very solemn ordinance, and obligatory upon Christ's disciples.— Men may have the ou^jvard badges of Christ's religion and yet be far from the kingdom. The outward profession is compatible with an unregenerate heart. -Religion comes by repentance. God's pardon and Spirit cannot be bought for gifts of money (ver. 18) to the church or in charity. We are redeemed with the precious blood of Christ, and not with corruptible things. Eternal life is a free gift.— Sincerity of heart is an indis- pensable condition of acceptance with God. They whose hearts are not right, may make their prayers ever so long, and their professions ever so loud, and yet not receive the divine pardon. God dwells with him who is of an humble and contrite heart.— A I)reacher bears not only the scourge of the Law, but the olive branch of the Gospel. Sin must be severely rebuked and repentance urged, but God will forgive even the most hypoci itical and hardened if they will but repent and turn unto Him (ver. 22). S: 26, 27.] ACTS VIII. 105 Chapter 8: 26-40. Conversion and Baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch. 26 But an angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go Howard the south unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza : the same is 27 desert. And he arose and went : and behold, a man of Ethiojiia, a eunuch of great authority under Can- dace, queen of the Ethiopians, who was over all her treasure, who had come to Jerusalem for to worship ; 1 Or, at noon. Conversion and Baptism of the Ethiopian Eunuch, vers. 26-40. Ver. 26. An angel of the Lord spake unto Philip. Among the strange and supernatural manifestations Avhicli accompanied the laying of the first stones of the Chi-istian ("hurch, the visible mani- festation of angels is not the least remarkable. For other instances of this visible ministering on the part of angels in these first days, see Acts 1: 10, 5: 10, 10: 3, 12: 7, 27: 23. — Unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza. Gaza was one of the oldest cities in the wcrld, and is mentioned with Sodom and the cities of the plain before their destruction (Gen, 10: 19). It was the chief city of the Philistines, and in later years was ( f great importance as a frontier fortress. It was the scene of Samson's crowning feat of strength when he pulled down the temple (-Tudg. 16: 21-31). It still exists under the changed name of Ghuzzeh, and contains a population of about 15,000. — The same is desert. S.ome suppose the words refer to the deserted state of Gaza, as though it were uninhabited. In this case the expression might have been inserted by Luke after C5 A. D., when the city was laid waste. But the words seem more likely to refer to ' the way.' Thei^e were several roads which led to Gaza, and the angel carefully directed Philip to choose that particular road which, after passing Hebron, led through a desolate, solitary country. In other words, he said, ' Go to Gaza by the desert road.' Ver. 27. A man of Ethiopia. He was not a Jew who lived in Ethiopia, but probably a heathen convert to Judaism, and now was returning home from a pilgrimage to Jerusalem. There were at this time many Jews in Ethiopia. *The name Ethiopia was given to the country south of Egypt, which is now called Nubia and Abyssinia. The northern portion was the great kingdom of Meroe. Israel had long before expected the time when Ethiopia should ' stretch out her hands unto God' (Ps. 68: 31). — Under Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. Candace was the oi'dinary name of the female rulers of Meroe. Eusebius, H. E ii. 1, writing some three hundred years later, tells us that in his day the custom still prevailed in Ethiopia of lOG ACTS VIII. [8: 28-33. 28 and he was returning and sitting in liis chariot, and 29 was reading the proj)het Isaiah. And the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chfiriot. 30 And Philip ran to him, and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, Understandest thou what thou 31 readest? And he said. How can I, except some one shall guide me? ^nd he besought Philip to come up 32 and sit with him. Now the place of the scripture which he was reading was this, He Avas led as a sheep to the slaughter ; And as a lamb before his shearer is dumb, So he openeth not his mouth : 33 In his humiliation his judgement was taken away : the supreme power being held by a female ruler. The title Candace was the customary title of the sovereign, as Pharaoh had been in Egypt, and Coesar continued to be in Rome. Ver. 28. "Was readirg the prophet Isaiah. He was reading aloud (\er. 30). The scriptures he ^vas reading Avere the Greek (LXX) version of the 0. Test., well known tliroughout Egypt and the adjactnt countries. It was a maxim of the Kabbis, that one who was on a jour- ney and Avithout a companion, should busy himself in the study of the LaAv. Ver. 30. Understandest thou what thou readest ? He was reading in the oOd chapter of Isaiah. So clear is the correspondence between the prophecy in this chapter and the history of the Passion, that Ave seem rather to be reading a history of the past than a pre- diction of something which was to take place in the far future. Jews in modern times have tried to refer its prediction to some other per- son than the Messiah, but the older Jewish commentators referred it to him. *Ver. 31. Except some one shall guide me. A candid and modest reply. Perhaps this was a strange passage to him, ani the more he was struck with its beauty, the more inexplicable did it seem. The same word 'guide' was use-d liy our Lord for the blind guides (Luke G : 30), and for the Holy Spirit as he leads us to a knowledge of the truth (John 16: 13). Ver. 32. The place of the scripture which he w^as read- ing "was this, etc. The whole passage (vers. 32, 33) is taken almost verbatim from the LXX. version of Isa. -53 : 7, 8 ; the whole of the section is minutely descriptive of the circumstances of the Lord's suf- fering and death. Ver 33. In his humiliation his judgement was taken away. The Greek version of the LXX. translates this passage with 8 : 34-36.] ACTS YIII. 107 His generation wlio shall declare ? For his life is taken from the earth. 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the prophet this ? of himself, 35 or of some other? And Philip opened his mouth, and beginning from this scripture, preached unto him 3G Jesus. And as they went on the way, they came unto a certain water ; and the eunuch saith. Behold, here is great freedom. The literal rendering of the Hebrew would be : 'By oppression and a judicial sentence he was dragged to punishment.' The words here mean: 'In his humiliation the riglit to justice and humanity were withheld from him.' Gloag thus enlarges, it: 'Jesus appeared in a form so humble, a man so poor, that Pilate, though con- vinced of his innocence, thought it not worth while to hazard anything to preserve his life.' — * His generation -who shall declare? This has been explained in different ways. 1). (.»f tlie durutii n of his life. ' Who can measure that, seeing he is passed from earth into the heavens' (Luther, Calvin, Bengel, etc.). 2). Of the number of his spiritual followers, born into the kingdom i:)y his word. 3). Of his divine pedigree as escaping the skill of man to understand it 4). Of his perverse and blind contemporaries who put him to death, — 'Who shall declare their wickedness ! ' — For his life is taken from the earth. That is lifted up from the earth, the ascension to the right hand of the Father being referred to. And thus, though as far as man's eye could see his life was poor and humble, its beginning and end were alike incomprehensible. This is best described in his own words: ' I came out from the Father, and am come into the world; again, I leave the world, and go unto the Father' (John 16 : 28). Yer. 35. And Philip opened his mouth. An Oriental ex- pression which occurs ordinarily before grave and weighty words (see Acts 10: 34; Job 3: 1). — And beginning from this scripture, preached unto him Jesus Philip showed the marvellous cor- respondence between the many descriptions of the Messiah of the prophets and the life of Jesus of Nazareth, beginning his inspired teaching with an exposition of the passage of Isaiah which the Ethiopian was then reading. Ver. 36. A certain water. Eusebius and Jerome point out as the scene of this baptism a fountain near Beth-sur. now a village, Beth-coron, not far from Hebron, and twenty miles south of Jerusalem. — Behold, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? A proof, says Wordsworth, 'that Philip, in preaching Jesus, had preached the necessity of baptism. Luke implies that Philip preached not only what is to be believed concerning Christ, but what is to be done by those who are joined to the unity of the body of 108 ACTS VIII. [8: 38-40. 33 water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?^ And he commanded the chariot to stand still : and they both went down into the water, both Philip and the 3D eunuch ; and he baptized him. And when they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip ; and the eunuch saw him no more, for 40 he went on his way rejoicing. But Philip was found at Azotus : and passing through he preached the gos- pel to all the cities, till he came to C^esarea. 1 Some ancient authorities insert, wholly or in part, ver. 37. And Philip Said, If thou he/iei:est with all thi/ heart, thou inciijesl. And he answereJ, and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Christ, and so preached to him the main points of Christian faith and duty.' *(Ver. 37 is omitted in the Revised Version (though placed in the margin), for the reason that the oldest manuscripts do not contain it. The words were inserted by some copyist to serve the purpose of edification, and they may have been a part of a very ancient bap- tismal formula). Ver. 38. And he baptized him. The comment of Gregory Na- zianzen (d. 390), quoted by Wordsworth, is curious and interesting: * Let me be a Philip, and be thou a minister of Candace, Though an Ethiop in body, be thou pure in heart. Man looketh on the face, but God on the heart. Any minister can cleanse you by baptism if he is not alien from the Church. One minister may be of gold, another of iron, but they are both like rings which have the seal of Christ. Let them stamp on thee, who art the wax, the image of the great King ; there may be a difference in the metal, there is none in the seal.' Ver. 39. The Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. Instances of a similar miraculous rapture occur in the history of Elijah (1 Kings 18: 12; 2 Kings 2: 11). The word 'caught away' is also employed of Paul's rapture into the third heaven and into Paradise — ' caught up to the third heaven,' ' caught up into Paradise,' where he heard the unspeakable words (2 Cor. 12: 2, 4). The same word is used (1 Thess. 4 : 17) in the description of the Lord's second Advent, when those that are alive and are left shall be ' caught up ' together in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air. — He •went on his way rejoicing. The sudden disappearance of Philip seemed to the Ethiopian eunuch a miraculous assurance that the message he had received was inlecd from heaven, and thus strengthened, he went on his way rejoicing. There is a tradition that this minister of Candace, whose name was Judich, preached the Gospel on his return to Ethiopia with great success, and that his royal mistress was among his converts; but we pcs-e-ss no certain records of the conversion of any number of the Ethiopians until the reign of Constantine (fourth century). Ver. 40. Philip was found at Azotus. Azotus, better known 9: 1.] ACTS IX. 109 Chapter 9 : 1-9. The Conversion of Paul. 9 : 1 But Saul, yet breathing threateniDg and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high as Ashdod, one of the principal Philistine cities, near to tlie sea-coast. It was one of the places where the worship of Dagon prevailed. (1 Sam. 5: 3). — Till he came to Caesarea. Coesarea became Philip's home, and here, after some twenty years, we find him still, when Paul and Luke, the writer of the Acts, were welcomed by him and his four prophet daughters (Acts 21 : 8). Ciesarea, distant about seventy miles from Jerusalem, was situated on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea, Herod the Great adorned it with marble palaces, and provided :t with a magnificent harVjor. In the midst of the new city rose, on an emi- nence, the temple of Csesar, with statues of the Emperor and of Rome. He named it after the Emperor Augustus, Cxsarea, under whose mighty protection he placed the new capital. After Herod's death the city became the residence of the Roman governors. Here Pontius Pilate, Felix, and Festus held their ' courts.' Here Paul was subsequently tried before the Roman governor, and King Agrippa, and the infamous Princess Bernice (Acts 25: 6, 13). It has been for several centuries a mere heap of ruins. A few fishers' huts now occupy the site of the once proud capital. * Practicai, Notes. — Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands unto God.— The Word of God is often an enigma. But to the diligent reader of it God sends His messengers of illumination.— Those that would learn must be willing to be taught. An humbly prayerful frame of mind in studying God's Word and works attains to a knowledge of Him —Jesus was the center of Apostolic preaching (vei-s. 5, 35). He fulfilled the prophecy of the 0. T. and is the sum of the N. T.— Conversion may, so far as human agency is concerned, follow upon the instruction or exhortation of a moment. But, as was the case with the Ethiopian eunuch, God often prepares the way by a course of education. They who are taught God's Word and brought up in pious homes are more apt to be Chilstians than those who are left to the impressions of an occasional sermon —The Gospel is a source of joy (ver. 39). There was much joy in the city of Samaria when it heard Philip (ver. S), and the eunuch ' went on his way rejoicing' after h^had heard of Christ. The Gospel brings 'good tidings of great joy,' and was not sent to make men gloomy or morose. Christ came to give light and peace and glad- ness to a sinful and dying world, and not to condemn it. It was condemned already. The Conversion of Saul, vers. 1-9. Ver. 1. But Saul, yet breathing threatening and slaugh- ter. The narrative is here taken up again from chap. 8 : 3, where we left the Pharisee Saul 'laying waste the Church.' Some months had probably elapsed since the death of Stephen, during which the work of persecution had been actively carried on in the city and ad't- 110 ACTS IX. [9; 2, 3. 2 priest, and asked of him letters to Damascus unto the synagogues, that if he found any that were of the Viax, whether men or women, he migiit bring them 3 bound to Jerusalem. And as he journeyed, it came to pass that he drew nigh unto Damascus : and sud- denly there shone round about him a light out of cent districts. *The words vividly portray the intense bitterness and violence of Saul towards the Christians. The strongest language is chosen to represent this persecuting activity. He seems to have been accessory to other martyrdoms than that of Stephen (Acts 26 : 10), was fiercely embittered against the followers of Christ (H)*, and iu seeking to crush out the sect bound and delivered up women as well as men (Acts 22 : 4). Both others and he himself spoke of this per- secuting activity as a ' making havock of the Church ' (Acts 9 : 21 ; Gal. 1 : lo). — Went unto the high priest. The Sanhedrin claimed and exercised over the Jews in foreign countries supreme power in religious questions. The high priest fi'equently, though not invariably, was president of the Sanhedrin. Ver. 2. Letteis to Damascus unto the synagogues. The Jews at Damascus were so numerous that 10,000 could be executed at one time under Nero, according to Josephus. The religion of Jesus had probably been preached by individual believers, driven away from Jerusalem at the time of the persecution, but no doubt Damascus Jews had been among the converts on the first Pentecost.— Of the Way. The religion of Jesus (Acts 19: 9; 22: 4; 24: 22). It became soon a well-known and loved expression in the early Church. It was the icai/ — the way that leads to heaven, as Chrysostom terms it; the way, as Bengel says, we must walk, not loiter over. *In Acts 18: 25 it is more closely defined as ' the way of the Lord,' the course which he marked out. Perhaps in the use of the expression they had in mind the appellation Christ applied to himself, "^the way' (John 14: 6) and the ' straitened way,' which he represented as alone leading to heaven (Matt. 7 : 14). Ver. 3. As he journeyed. The following incident of Paul's conversion is related twice again in the Acts, in both cases the narra- tive being a report of Paul's address first to the people on the Temp)|^ stairs (ch. 22), arnd then to King Agrippa (ch. 26). These accounts agree in presenting the main features of the scene — namely, the blinding light of glory (Acts 9: 3; 22: 6; 26: 13); the voice from heaven (Acts 9:5; 22 : 8 ; 26 : 14) ; the appearance of a glorified form, seen by and stamped forever on Paul's memory (Acts 9 : 17 ; 22 : 14 ; 26: 16). See Excursus. — Drew nigh unto Damascus. It is one of the oldest cities in the world, was a place of importance at the time of Abraham (Gen. 14: 15), was founded before Baalbec and Pal- myra ; and it has outlived them both. "While Babylon is a heap in 9: 4.] ACTS IX. Ill 4 heaven : and he fell upon the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? the desert and Tyre a ruin on the shore, it remains what it was called i 1 the prophecy of Isaiah, ' the head of Sjuia' (Isa. 7 : b). It reached its highest point of prosperity in the golden days of Mohammedan rule, when it became the residence of the Ommiad Caliphs and the metropolis of the Mohammedan world. It is still a great and impor- t.mt city, with a population of about 150,000. * The beauty and love- liness of its site have attracted the eye of all travellers. The plain is well watered by the two rivers Par, liar and Abana, and innumerable springs. The fresh and green vegetation forms a charming setting for the venerable town, and justifies the comparison of Damascus to a ' handful of pearls in a goblet of emerald.' It is also called the ' Eje of the Desert' and the 'Pearl of the East.' For an interesting descrip- tion seeSchaff, Through Bible Lands. — Suddenly there shone round about him a light out of heaven. The event occurred about noon (Acts 22 : 6 ; 26 : 12) in the full glare of the Oriental sun ; but the splen- dor of the heavenly light outdazzled even the bi'ightness of the sun (Acts 26: 13). The light was the Shekinah, which shone round Moses on the Mount, rested on the golden mercy-seat of the Ark, filled the Temple on the dedication-morning, shone on the Mount of Transfigura- tion, and years after was seen by John in his lonely watch at Patmos encompassing the Son of man. In this blinding light, Saul perceived the glorified body of Jesus. This we gather from the words of Ananias: 'Jesus, who a/:»/?ear^^ unto thee in the way ' (ver. 17); and of Barnabas: ' he (Saul) had sceii the Lord in the way' (ver. 27). Paul also frequently aflSrms and emphasizes that he had seoi Jesus (22 : 14; 1 Cor. 9:1; 15: 8). This dazzling vision suggests a rea.son for Saul's subsequent blind- ness, which lasted three days, until the visit and action of Ananias. He appears never to have recovered his sight as before, and to have ever afterwards sufi"ered from a painful disease of the eyes. It was probably due to this partial blindness that he failed to recognize the high priest when he addressed him in the council (Acts 23: 5). It seems to be al- luded to also in Gal. 4: 13-15, where Paul says the Galatians 'would have plucked out their very eyes and given them to him,' and in Gal. 6 : 11, where he speaks of the 'large letters' in which he had written the epistle. At other times he employed an amanuensis. *It is probable that this dimness of sight was the ' thorn in the flesh,' against which the apostle prayed so fervently (2 Cor. 12 : 7). So Plumptre, Farrar I Life of Paul). Ver. 4 Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? Chrysostom paraphrases the question thus: 'What wrong great or small hast thou suffered from me, that thou doest these things?' The Lord here seems to recall his own words: 'He that heareth you heareth me; and he that rejecteth you rejecteth me' (Luke 10: 16). *In persecuting the followers of Christ, Paul was not animated so much with bitterness against them personally as against their doctrine of Christ, which he sought to sweep out of the world. But in persecuting them, he was 112 ACTS IX. [9: 5-8. 5 And he said, AVho art thou. Lord ? And he said, I 6 am Jesus whom thou persecutest : but rise, and enter into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must 7 do. And the men that journeyed Avith him stood speechless, hearing the ^ voice, but beholding no man. 8 And Saul arose from the earth ; and when his eyes were opened, he saw nothing ; and they led him by the 1 Or, sound. persecuting Christ (Matt. 25: 40). Bengel sententiously remarks: 'Jesus knew Saul before Saul knew Jesus.' Ver. 5. Who art thou. Lord? For a moment, perhaps, he may have doubted who it was ; but conscience itself, as Bengel remarks, must have whispered : ' It is Jesus ;' he hardly needed the reply which quickly came. — I am Jesna "whom thou persecu est. 'Why did he not say,' asks Chrysostom, 'I am the Son of God, I am the Eternal Word, I am He that sitteth on the Father's right hand, that stretcheth out the heavens? Because Saul might then have been able to reply, The object of my persecution was a different one from this.' ■^In chap. 22: 8, the answer is reported to have been: 'I am Jesus of Nazareth.' The use of this expression is sufficiently explained by tbe f ict that it was the title by Avhich Christ was generally known. If it was used in contempt, its sound, ringing in Paul's ears, now aroused him as by a peal of thunder to a sense of his error and the divine ex- altation of the one he had been persecuting, and revealed to him his own littleness. Ver. 7. The men that journeyed with him stood speech- Jess. In chap. 2G : 14 Paul saj^s tliey all fell to the earth. It must be bDrne in mind, that the fact, which it was especially desired that this narration should impress was not that the 'men stood' or were 'fallen to the ground,' this detail is unimportant, — but that they were speech- less and confounded. — -Hearing the voice. In chap. 22: 9 Paul says 'they heard not the voice of him that spake.' It is to be noted that in the Greek voice here is in the Genitive (r7/f (buvf/r) and in Acts 22: 9 the accusative case. Partly upon this ground and the secondary meaning of 'hear,' understand (See Mark 4: 33, etc.), the divergence has been explained in this way, Paul heard the voice distinctly and understood it while his companions only heard a sound, and did not understand the words. Saul received a clear impression of what was being spoken, whilst those with him received only an indefinite one. A similar difference between Paul's experience and theirs was in the fact, that while the light shone around them all (26: 13) Paul alone saw Christ. A similar phenomenon is recorded in John (12: 28, 29) when there came a voice from heaven answering Jesus. The multitude in general thought it had thundered. Ver. 8. He saw nothing. The glory of the light had so com- 9: 9.] ACTS IX. 113 9 haDcl, and brought him into Damascus. And he was three days without sight, and did neither eat nor drink. plete]y dazzled bis eyes that he was blind. — They led him by the hand. 'Thus came Saul into Damascus, not as he had expected, to triumph in an enterprise on which his soul was set, to brave all diffi- culties and dangers, to enter into houses and carry off prisoners to Jerusalem; but he passed himself like a prisoner beneath the gateway, and through the colonnades of the street called ''Straight," where he saw not the crowd of those who gazed on him. He was led bj^ the hands of others, trembling and helpless, to the house of Judas, his dark and solitary lodging' (Conybeare and Howson). Ver. 9. He vras three days, etc. Augustine writes that Saul was blinded that his heart might be enlightened with an inner light. Then, when other things were unseen by him, he kept gazing on Jesus; 80 piercing, so deep was his remorse, that during this time he neither ate nor drank. ' He fasted and prayed in silence ; the recollections of his early years, the passages of the ancient Scriptures which he had never understood, the thoughts of his own cruelty and violence, the memory of the last looks of Stephen,— all these things crowded into his mind during the three days of solitude, and we may imagine one feel- ing above all others in possession of his heart, the feeling suggested by Christ's words, "Why persecutest thou me?" ' (Conybeare and Howson). *PRACTirAL XoTES. — With God all things are possible. He taketh up the mountains as a very little thing, and he can change the hardest and most violent heart into a vessel of grace. Saul was forfe of St. Paul). 9: 12-15.] ACTS IX. 115 12 for behold, he prayeth ; and he hath seen a man named Ananias coming in, and laying his hands on him, that 13 he might receive his sight. But Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard from many of this man, how much 14 evil he did to thy saints at Jerusalem : and here he hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that 15 call upon thy i:»ame. But the Lord said unto him. Go thy way : for he is a ^chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings, and the chil- 1 Gr. vessel of election. — Tarsus. 'No mean city' (Acts 21: 39). It was the metropolis of Cilicia and Avas originally built on both sides of the river Cydnus. Its coins tell us the story of its greatness through the long series of years which intervened between Xerxes and Alexander, At this time it was a famous seat of education and was compared by Strabo to Athens and Alexandria. It still exists under its old name 'Tersoos,' and though its former fame and prosperity have long departed from it, it still pos- sesses some 30,000 inhabitants (see Conybeare and Howson's ^S"^. Paul, chap. ii.). — Behold, he prayeth. This fact seems mentioned by the Lord to reassure Ananias, that he might look for a favorable reception even from the famous inquisitor Saul. "^ These words indicate Paul's changed attitude to Christ, for the .Jews also prayed. They present the contrast of the violent persecutor and the penitent suppliant of divine grace for the pardon of past sins and direction in his blinded, helpless condition. Ver. 12. Hath seen a man named Ananias. We may con- clude that Saul and Ananias were previously unknown to each other. Ver. 13. I have heard from many of this man. The ter- rible notoriety of Saul is shown b}' this ansAver. The words exhibit astonishment and hesitation, and are uttered in childlike trust. — Thy saints. This is the first time that we find this famous name applied to the followers of Christ. They have hitherto been styled ' disciples' (6: 1), 'believers ' (5 : 141. "^ The designation 'saints' is frequently used by Paul in his Epistles (Pvom. 1 : 7, etc.), and indicates that the Christians were regarded as separated from the world, and sanctified by reason of their relation to Christ (1 Cor. 1 : 2) by the Spirit. Ver. 14. Here he hath authority. No doubt the saints at Damascus had received intimation from the Jerusalem brethren of Saul's mission to their city. Ver. 15. He ia a chosen vessel. Literally, a vessel of election. The idea is an Old Testament one : the clay in the potter's hand to mould or to mar, as it seemed good to the potter ; the clay to be fashioned, as it pleased the potter, as in Isa. 45: 9, 11 ; .Jer. 18: 4. The same imagery is often used by Paul .Rom. 9 : 21-23 ; 2 Cor. 4:7; 116 ACTS IX. [9: 16-18. 16 dren of Israel : for I will shew him how many things 17 he must suffer for my name's sake. And Ananias departed, and entered into the house; and laying his hands on him said, Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, who appeared unto thee in the way which thou earnest, hath sent me, that thou may est receive thy sight, and 18 be filled with the Holy Ghost. And straightway there fell from his eyes as it were scales, and he re- 2 Tim. 2: 20,21). — To bear my name before the Gentiles. It was to be the chief Avork of Paul's life to i^reach Christ to the Gen- tile or non-.Jewish world. Although he first preached to the Jews, he afterwards saw that this was his mission (Gal. 1 : 16). He was the Apostle to the Gentiles, and was the first of the Apostles to preach the Gospel in Europe — Kings. Paul fulfilled this when he appeared be- fore Agrippa at Cassarea (Acts 26: 1, 13), and perhaps the Emperor Nero at Rome (2 Tim. 4: 17), and when he pleaded before the tri- bunals of the Roman governors Sergius Paulus, Gallio, Felix, and Festus. — The children of Israel. Although Paul was the Apostle of tlie Gentiles (Acts 13: 46), it was his custom first, to tell the story of redemption to the children of Israel in every city where there was a synagogue of the chosen people. Ver. 16. Ho-w many things he must suffer. In his farewell address at Ephesus (Acts 20 : 23) he tells how the Holy Ghost was witnessing that bonds and afflictions were awaiting him, and in 2 Cor. 11 : 23-28 he enumerates a list of his trials. The Apostles understood that persecution awaited them. Christ had foretold that in the world they should have tribulation (John 16 : 33). Ver. 17. ^Laying his hands. This service did not belong ex- clusively to the Apostles.— Brother Saul. The words of the Master in the vision had done their work with Ananias. He at once pro- ceeded to the house indicated to him in the vision, and going up to the dreaded inquisitor, now blind and humbled, greeted him with love and tenderness as one of the brotherhood of Jesus, and told him he was charged by the One who appeared to him in the way to Damascus to restore his sight, and to bestow upon him the gift of the Holy Ghost. — "Who appeared unto thee in the ■way. This and similar de- clarations are important, as in later days Paul, in speaking of the evidences, seems to have attached the deepest importance to the fiict that he had see?! the Lord (1 Cor. 9 : 1 ; 15 : 8). Ver. 18. *Thou mayest receive thy sight. The dazzling light had blinded Paul (Acts 22: 11). The physical blindness was typical of the darkness of his soul. It was appropriate that the scales should fall from his ej'es and his blindness disappear, when he was spiritually illumined and filled with the Holy Ghost. Hippocrates mentions a disease of the eyes under the technical term ' scales,' and 9: 19.] ACTS IX. 117 19 ceived his sight ; and he arose and was baptized ; and he took food and was strengthened. in the book of Tobit (11: IB) a 'whiteness' or incrustation of the eye is referred to, which peeled oif. It may be that some films or other foreign substance had grown over Paul's eyes (Bengel, Mejer, Plumptre). But it is more likely that a sensation is referred to, like that of the falling of scales (Lange, etc.). In either case the expres- sion betrays Luke's knowledge of the medical art (comp. ch. 3: 7, etc.). — Was baptized. Most likely in the house of Judas, where fcjaul was staying. Damascus is abundantly supplied with water. At this day, the Barada (the Abana of the Old Testament) runs directly through the city, supplying the cisterns, baths, and fountains ; all the better houses have a reservoir in their court, or stand beside a natural or artificial stream, ^The baptism of Paul is of much significance for the doctrine of the application of this rite. Even, Paul, who had en- joyed such an immediate revelation of Christ, received the outward seal of the inward washing of regeneration. The disparagement or neglect of baptism is opposed to the preaching and practice of the Apostles in the early Church. ♦Practical Notes. — God finds us out wherever wc are, and understands our temper of mind. He found Paul on the highway to Damascus, and knew where he was in Damjiscus and all about the state of his feelings. — Obscure agents may share in great events. Ananias, who was only a disciple, and of whom nothing else is known but what is related in this connection, did a great work in comforting and baptizing Paul. So the monk Staupitz was the guide of the great Pieformer Luther, when he whispered in his ear: 'The just live by faith.' — Doubts about the conversion of others proceed from a knowledge of their previous conduct and forgetfulness of the power of converting grace. Paul's conversion should warn us against despairing of the con- version of any.— The greeting of Ananias a word of the New Dispensation, 'Brother' (ver. 17). All men without respect of persons are brethren in Christ. The power of this word and this idea in the history of the early Church and of Methodism can hardly be exaggerated.— Prayer is an evidence of conversion. Paul had prayed as a Pharisee, but in the spirit of self-laudation and the pride of self-righteousness. Paul now prays as a Christian in the spirit of humility, confessing his sins and invoking Christ's righteousness. — Conversion is, as it were, a passage from darkness into light. Paul's blindness was a symbol of spiritual darkness and ignorance. When he was to be bap- tized and filled with the power of a new life and the Holy Spirit, he received his sight. God calls us 'out of darkness into the marvclious light' when we believe in Christ (I Pet. 2 : 9).— He who witnesses for Christ in the world must expect to suffer for him (ver. 16). In the world there is tribulation. But Paul who knew so much about suf- fering for the Master, was able to rejoice even in bonds (Phil. 3: 1), and 'counted all things to be loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ ' (Phil. 3 : 8).— Paul was the thirteenth apostle. His direct and striking call would teach the early Church not to place an over-dependence upon the eleven who had been disciples of the Lord. They were not hierarchs, but simple witnes'^es, and at different ages God lifts up by special appointment and revelation great men with apostolic endowment and commis- 118 ACTS IX. [9: 19. Bion (Luther, Wesley, etc.). Paul ever laid stress upon his immediate call, and that no aiiostolic instrumentality had interposed to teach him the Gospel (Gal. 1 : 11-13). Hands were indeed laid on him, and he was baptized, but by a simple disciple, and not by one of the Twelve. God raises up His agents for special tasks in His own ways, and does not confine Himself to ecclesiastical xjfficials appointed by a rigid system. * Excursus on the Conveksion of Paul as an Evidence for the Truth of Chris- tianity. — Next to the person of Chiist aud the resurrection, the most important evi- dence for the truth of Christianity is the conversion of Paul. So long as it remains impossible to blot out the resurrection of Jesus and the conversion of Paul from the records of reliable history, Christianity will continue to bo recognized in the world as a divine revelation. Lord Lyttleton long ago said in his famous treatise. The Conver- sion vf St. Paul: 'The conversion and apostleship of St. Paul alone, duly considered, is of itself a demonstration sufficient to prove Christianity to be a divine revelation." The importance of the change of the whole tenor of Paul's life can hardly be exagge- rated. That was a change as startling as the change from darkness to light, a transi- tion so contrary to all that the previous history of Pauls life would lead us to expect, and yet occurring in the life of a man whose intellect was otherwise so keen, and whose motives were so pure, that nothing but the reality of the supernatural events leading to it and the truth of Christianity itself can rationally be regarded as explain- ing it. Saul of Tarsus bad been before his journey to Damascus a representative of the most inveterate hostility to the sect and doctrines of the Christians. As the executive of this school of opinion, he had been an uncompromising inquisitor, searching out the Christians in Jerusalem and other cities, and dragging men aud women to prison and death. His activity was very violent (Gal. 1: 13, etc.), and yet he suddenly and without human intervention became a follower of Christ, renounced the hopes of his youth, abrogated the convictions of his manhood, submitted himself to baptism, and became not only the most eloquent advocate of the divinity of Christ, but the most zealous and untiring missionary of the early Church. He had been a fanatical adhe- rent of the sect of the Pharisees ; yet he suddenly became an humble follower of the despised Nazarene. He had sat at the feet of Gamaliel, and was instructed in all the traditions of the schools, yet without warning he started forth to proclaim the name of Christ, which meant dissolution to those schools and death to rabbinical sophistry. He had not been one of Christ's disciples ; yet none in apostolic times or since has had a more flaming enthusiasm for the person of Christ, been more abundant in sutferings to further the spread of the Gospel or more triumphant in the hopes of it than he. If it had once ))een his aim to blot out the name of Jesus of Nazareth from the earth, it became his passion to exalt him as the Saviour of the world, and stronger language could scarcely be found than that which he used to express a burning loyalty for the person of Christ : ' To me to live is Christ ' (Phil. 1 : 21), and the conviction of the saving power of the Gospel, which is 'the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth,' etc. (Rom. 1 : IC). This radical change demands a rational and sufficient explanation. The explanation of the author of the Acts of the Apostles is recorded in the first verses of this ninth chapter. He appeals to a supernatural vision which Paul is declared to have had at midday on the road to Damascus, whither he was bent on an errand of persecution against the Christians. Twice afterwards the same supernatural occurrence is recorded in the Acts (chaps. 22, 26) as a report of speeches by Paul. Frequently also in hia 9: 19.] ACTS IX. 119 Epistles does Paul refer to this event as one in which Christ appeared to him visibly (1 Cor. 15: 8; Gal. 1 : 12, etc.). There are only three hypotheses possible to account for Paul's conversion and subsequent conviction : he was sincere, or he was an impos- tor, or he was a self-deceived enthusiast. The last hypothesis, that Paul was an enthu- siast contradicts the whole tenor and trend of Paul's life. That a man should manifest such great intellectual lucidity, endure such a long fight of afflictions and become the most able exxwunder of a system, for the truth of which he only had evidence which at best was illusory, is opposed to every principle by which human conduct is judged. The hjpothesis of imposture deserves a more careful consideration. It is necessary, however, where the charge of imposture is made to allege a rational motive for it. In the case of Paul such a motive it seems to be impossible to find. He had humanly speaking nothing to gain by becoming a Christian. He was respected among the Jews and was perhaps even a member of the Sanhedrin (Acts 26: 10). He would gain neither wealth, nor fame, nor satisfy a love of ease by joining himself to the Chris- tians. In doing so, on the contrary, he was casting in his lot with a sect to which- soon afterwards the very epithet the 'Poor' (Ebionites) was applied in scorn, which was despised as a group of illiterate rustics, against which the ban of persecution had gone out. There was no sentimental consideration to lead the well schooled disciple of Gamaliel to identify himself with the followers of Christ. He who had seen Stephen die a violent death outside the walls of Jerusalem, knew that to adopt his views probably meant death for himself. In fact he had everything to lose, his social position, his proper ambitions, his very life. It is evident that his motives were pure in becoming a Chris- tian (Acts 20 : 33 ; 2 Cor. 12 : 14, etc.), and that he became a Christian, fully under- standing what the consequences of it would be, contumely, suffering, perhaps death. If the other disciples had reasons for practising any imposture, Paul had none. They might have felt an interest in rescuing Christ's fame, even though they did not believe he was risen from the dead. No such reason could have existed in the case of Paul, who had always been identified with the enemies of Christ and had scorned his claims. On the other hand if Paul had been a deceiver, he might have accomplished his end best by securing his credentials from the Apostles. But not only did he not do this, but he strenuo'isly disavowed that any of his authority was of human derivation (Gal. 1: 11- 19). The hypothesis likewise shatters on the rock of Paul's character. He was a truthful man, and it is impossible to reconcile with his self-denying Apostleship, the thought that he imposed a fictitious account of his conversion on the world. The only rational explanation of Paul's conversion to Christianity, is that he received a supernatural revelation on the way to Damascus, and really saw Christ and was audibly commissioned by him. This alone explains his complete abrogation of his old assiiciations, that he became a willing servant of Christ {2 Cor. 4: 5), that he stood forth as the undaunted champion of his ridiculed claims, that he preached indefatiga- bly in the great centers of religion, intellect and commerce, that he bowed to scourg- ings and imprisonments that he made the prison bright and radiant with the convic- tions and hopes of the Gospel, and finally died a martyr in its service. Between the Paul on his way from Jerusalem, * breathing threatening and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord ' (Acts 9:1), and the Paul uttering before Rome the bold confes- Bion, ' I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ,' etc., and on Mars Hill calling upon the Athenians to rejient (Acts 17 : 30), there fiashed the light of heaven and the stroke occurred which he embodied himself in the words ' I was apprehended by Christ Jesus ' (Phil. 3 : 12). 120 ACTS IX. [9: 19-20. Chapter 9: 19-25. Paul preaches Christ and is in Danger of his Life. And he was certain days with the disciples which 20 were at Damascus. And straightAvay in the syna- gogues he proclaimed Jesus^ that he is the Son of God. Paul preaches Christ and is in Danger of his Life, vers. 19-25. Ver. 19. He was certain days with the disciples, etc. Paul in his Galatian Epistle (1 : lG-18), tells how, soon after his conversion, he went into Arabia, then returned to Damascus, and after an interval of three years went up to Jerusalem to see Peter. Here this visit is not mentioned, butsevei'al distinct periods of time are alluded to : — {a) Vers. I'd-'!!. Certain dcvis, a period immediately succeeding his conver- sion, when he preached in the Damascus synagogue; {b) Ver. 23. And token many days tv ere fulfilled, a much longer period, which proba- bly included two years or more; (c) Vers. 24-26. The close of this more extended period, when the hatred of the Jews compelled him finally to quit Damascus, when he went to Jerusalem. Considerable doubt exists as to the meaning of the word 'Arabia' in Gal. 1 : 17. Sometimes it includes Damascus ; sometimes it ranges over Lebanon itself, and extends even to the borders of Cilicia (see Conybeare and Howson, St. Paul, chap. iii.). Ewald suggests that the word Damascus, used by the writer of the Acts, includes this residence in Arabia as in a part of the Damascene district or territory, the name of the capital city being used as including all the territory or district of Damascus. It is, however, possible that Saul, longing for a time of meditation before setting out on his great life's work, in the stillness of the Arabian desert, near the Red Sea, the desert of the wanderings of his fathers, sought and found opportunity for solitary communion Avitli God. ^Ver. 20. In the synagogues he proclaimed Jesus. The synagogues were freely used by the first Christian preachers to pro- claim Christ. They were erected after Ezra's time, and in the days of Christ nearly every town in Palestine had one. The services consisted of prayers and the reading and comments upon the Old Testament. Our Lord used the synagogue of Nazareth (Luke 4: 16, etc.). The first mention of the synagogue in the Acts is in connection with Stephen's life (Acts 6: 9). The early Christians made themselves heard in them (26 : 11 ). Paul started to Damascus furnished with letters to the syna- gogues (Acts 9 : 2). In his subsequent travels throughout Asia and Greece, he usel the local synagogues for the purpose of preaching Christ, as at Antioch (Acts 13: 14), Thessalonica (17: 1), Corinth (18: 4), etc. It was evidently a design of Providence in the extension of the synagogues, that they should serve as the first Christian pulpits and thus accelerate the spread of the Gospel. — The Son of God. This was one of the Jewish titles of Messiah. So Nathanael (John 1 : 49) 9: 21-23.] ACTS IX. 121 21 And all that heard him were amazed, and said, Is not this he that in Jerusalem made havock of them which called on this name? and he had come hither for this intent, that he might bring them bound before the 22 chief priests. But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is the Christ. 23 And Avhen many days were fulfilled, the Jews took addresses Christ, 'Rabbi, Thou art the Son of God; thou art King of Israel ;' so Peter ( Matt. 16 : 16 ), * Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living GodJ *It may be supposed, however, that Paul included more under this appellation than the ideas common among the Jews. Christ had proclaimed himself to be equal with the Fathei-. Paul accepted this doctrine (Rom. 1: 4, etc.), and verse 22 would be a mere repetition unless the words here have a more comprehensive significance than the 'Messiah.' Ver. 21. All that heard him were amazed. The Jews were astonished; they knew the position he had held at Jerusalem; they knew the object of his visit to Damascus ; and now they saw him using all his great powers to defend and advance the cause he had come to destroy. Ver. 22. Saul increased the more in strength. He became more energetic in his new activity and more skilled in debate and equipped in knowledge. — Proving that this is the Christ. Lite- rally, bringing together, showing the connection between the words of the Old Testament prophets and the life and work of Jesus of Nazareth. Ver. 23. When many days were fulfilled. Some three years probably had now elapsed (Gal. 1 : 18), since the day when Ananias had restored sight to the blinded Pharisee leader; the Damascus preach- ing and the Arabian journey and sojourn had filled up the period. — The Jev7S took counsel, etc. Saul's learning and ability made him a formidable adversary in argument. Chrysostom, in one of his homilies on the Acts, remarks : 'They thought they were rid of argu- ment in such questions in getting rid of Stephen : but they found another more earnest than Stephen.' Mr. Lewin (St. Paul, chap, v.) observes 'that the present posture of affairs at Damascus offered a favorable opportunity. But Aretas (2 Cor. 11: 32), to whose kingdom of Petra Damascus now belonged, in order to conciliate the Jews had invested their council and chief officer, called the Ethnarch, with supreme power over their own people. A capital charge was there- fore made against Saul, and the Ethnarch, as the representative of the Jewish nation, issued a warrant for his apprehension. The gates of Damascus were watched by the Jews day and night to prevent his escape. Saul, as inflexible in the defence of the Gospel as before, 122 ACTS IX. [9: 24-26. 24 counsel together to kill him : but their plot became kuown to Saul. And they watched the gates also day 25 and night that they might kill him : but his disciples took him by night, and let him down through the wall, lowering him in a basket. Chapter 9: 26-31. PauVs Visit to Jerusalem. 26 And when he was come to Jerusalem, he assayed to join himself to the disciples : and they were all afraid through ignorance he had been furious against it, was willing, we can- not doubt, to lay down his life for his creed ; but ProA'idence had destined him for many a long year to stand forth as the great champion of the Church.' * Ver. 25. In a basket. He was let down through a window in the wall (2 Cor. 11: 33). The spies at Jericho (Josh. 2: 15) and David (1 Sam. 19: 12) had effected their escape in a similar way. PauVs Visit to Jerusalem, vers. 26-31. Ver. 26. When he "was come to Jerusalem. What must have been Saul's feelings when, after three years' absence, he first saw the walls and towers of the Holy City again ? He had left Jerusalem armed with full powers to root up the heresy spread by the followers of Jesus. He returned to the capital poor, despised, a proscribed outlaw, his brilliant earthly prospects blasted, only burning to preach the Name of the Crucified, whose devoted followers he had once persecuted so relentlessly. 'He might,' suggests Howson [St. Paul), 'have again, as he approached the city gates, trodden the very spot where he had so exultantly assisted in the death of Stephen; and he entered then per- fectly willing, were it God's will, to be dragged out through them to the same fate. He would feel a peculiar tie of brotherhood to that martyr, for he could not now be ignorant that the same Jesus, who in such glory had called him, had but a little while before appeared in the same glory to reassure the expiring Stephen. The ecstatic look and words of the dying saint now came fresh upon his memory Avith their real meaning.' — He assayed to join himself to the dif-ciples. His great object was to converse with Peter. ' After three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas' (Gal. 1: 18). ^His object, however, was not to secure authority by Apostolic ordination. He distinctly declares his independence of all human teaching and authority for his ministry (Gal. 1: 16).— They were all afraid of him. Hackett suggests, 'The sudden appearance of Voltaire in a circle of Christians, claiming to be one of them, would have been something like this return of Saul to Jerusalem as a professed disciple.' 9: 27-30.] ACTS IX. 123 27 of hin], not believing that he was a disciple. But Barnabas took him, and brought him to the apos- tles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how at Damascus he had preached boldly in 28 the name of Jesus. And he was with them going 29 in and going out at Jerusalem, preaching boldly in the name of the Lord: and he spake and disputed against the ^Grecian Jews; but they went about to 30 kill him. And when the brethren knew it, they brought him down to Csesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. 1 Gr, Hellenists. Ver. 27. But Barnabas took him. The same who sold his land, and gave the price to the Apostles for the use of the society (Acts 4: 36, 37). His influence seems to have been great in the first councils of the believers in Jesus. The proximity of Cyprus, the resi- dence of Barnabas, to Tarsus in Cilicia, has led some to conjecture that Barnabas and Saul had been acquainted with each other in early life. They were subsequently associated in missionary work. — Brought him to the apostles, viz. to Peter and James, as we learn from Gal. 1: 19. 'Other of the Apostles saw I none, save James the Lord's brother.' The other members of the Apostolic body were probably absent from the city. Yer. 28. He was with them. Fifteen days (Gal. 1 : 18). Ver. 29, Disputed against the Grecian Jews. This was the same class with whom Stephen had argued (Acts 6 : 8 sqq.) They were Jews using the Greek language. Ver. 30. ^They brought him down to Caesarea. Cossarea was the chief Roman city in Palestine at this time. It had been re- built on a grand scale by Herod (10 b. c. ) and furnished with a large theater and temple. It was the official residence of Felix and Festus. It afterwards became the residence of a bishop. Eusebius the Church historian was the most distinguished of its bishops. Its site is now desolate and a heap of ruins. The city was on the Mediterranean, forty- seven miles north-west of Jerusalem. — To Tarsus. There and in the surrounding district Saul remained until summoned to Antioch by Barnabas for other and grander work (Acts 11 : 25). We have no record of his labors during this period. ' Possibly his sister, the playmate of his childhood, and his sister's son, who afterwards saved his life (Acts 23 : lt)-23}, were by his exertions gathered into the fold of Christ.' (Howson). 124 ACTS IX. [9: 31. 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 Ghost, was multiplied. 1 Gr. builded up. 2 Or, by. Ver. 31. Had peace. Various reasons had conduced to this peace of the Church. The conversion of the chief persecutor, Saul, no doubt for a time paralyzed the counsels of the Sanhedrin in their active measures against the followers of Jesus. The Jewish rulers had also of late other and more pressing dangers to their faith to con- front. The legate of Syria, Petronius, wished to introduce the statue of the infamous Emperor Caligula into the Temple of Jerusalem, and for a time there was danger of a general revolt against the Roman power, Caligula's death put an end to the attempt. — Beiug edified. That is, kept advancing in the inner religious life. Two consequences resulted from this period of peace enjoyed by the churches of the Holy Land: — (1) The spiritual life of the individual members was deepened; (2) the numbers of the several congregations were in- creased. — *In the comfort of the Holy Ghost. The Gi-eek word translated ' comfort ' (varaklesis) is the same which our Lord uses as the titlo of the Holy Spirit ' Comforter ' (John 14 : 26). The Revised Version gives in the margin the renderings ' Helper ' and ' Advocate.' The meaning here is that the Church received an immediate commu- nication of power from the Holy Spirit, and that the words of her teachers were suggested by him. * Practical Notes. — The thoroughness of one's conversion is proved hy one's sub- sequent conduct Paul's feeUngs and convictions had undergone a complete change on tlie way to Damascus. If he gave evidence of this in his humble prayer and in his submission to the rite of baptism, he also gave evidence of it by his public activity. Tie at once began to use his voice in proving that Jesus was the Son of God, and lie braved the scorn and the hostility of the Jews for his convictif>ns. There could be no doubt of his sincerity when he proclaimed a truth so odious to the Jews, and which bad been so odious to him, and was willing to lay down liis life in the defense of the Gospel. Ever afterwards Paul exalted Christ, and braved perils in testifying his al- legiance to him.— The Christian life is a life of progress in knowledge, faith, ard R]iiritual joy. Conversion is only the starting point, the first turn to the right, as it lias been called. Tlie subsequent life is one of 'pressing onward' ^Phil. 3: 12), ac- quiring new attainments in Christian knowledge, and developing a more fervent loyalty to Christ. Paul went through this experience, gaining more and more strength (ver. 22) —The Lord sees in the darkness as well as in the light, and can protect bis people from all the plots of their enemies (ver. 2-5). The suspicions of the church at Jerusalem ought not to surprise us. Paul was as violent a persecutor as it had bad. The fact that the Apostles did not receive him at once is an indirect evidence of the wonderful nature of Paul's conversion. 9: 32-35.] ACTS IX. 125 Chapter 9 : 32-43. Peter heals a Paralytic and raises Dorcas to Life. 32 And it came to pass, as Peter went throughout all parts, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at 33 Lydda. And there he found a certain man named ^neas, which had kept his bed eight years; for he 34 was palsied. And Peter said unto him, ^l^neas, Jesus Christ healeth thee : ai'ise, and make thy bed. And 35 straightway he arose. And all that dwelt at Lydda and in Sharon saw him, and they turned to the Lord. Feter heals a Parahjiic and raises Dorcas to Life, vers. 32-48. Ver. 82. As Peter went tbroughout all parts. The narrative now turns from Saul back to Peter, \shose name was last mentioned in connexion .with the woi"k in Samaria (8: 14). He was oif on a tour of visitation of the churches, and Chryscfstom observes that : 'As the commander of an army, he went about inspecting the ranks to see which part was compact, which in good order, which required his presence.' — Lydda. A city of considerable size, about a day's jour- ney from Jerusalem. It was, previous to the fall of Jerusalem, a. d. 70, the seat of a famous Jewish school. St. George, the patron saint of England, was a native of Lydda. In the Mohammedan tradition, the gate of this city will be the scene of the final combat between Christ and antichrist. It was ruined in the JeAvish war, but was sub- sequently rebuilt by the Romans, when it received the name of Dios- polis, 'City of Zeus' (Jupiter). In the fourth century it became the seat of a well-known bishopric. The modern town, which with its tall minaret is seen on the plain between Joppa and Ramleh, is known by its ancient name Lidd or Ludd. Yer. 33. A certain man named .Slneas. From the name, which is Greek, the palsied man was probably a Grecian Jew. Yer. 34. Jesus Christ healeth thee. The language of Peter here, as in the case of the lame man (3 : 7) is very diiferent from his Master's in similar cases. The disciple performed his miracle in the name and power of Jesus. The Redeemer commanded with kingly majesty in such terms as, ' Take up thy bed, and walk ' (Mark 2 : 9) ; ' Damsel, I sav unto thee, Arise ' (Mark 5 : 41) ; ' Lazarus, come forth' (John 11: 43V Ver. 35. Sharon. A beautiful plain extending along the coast of Palestine for some thirty miles between Joppa and Ciesarea. It is frequently noticed in the poetical books of the Old Testament. So Isaiah, who (35 : 2) writes of ' the excellency of Carmel and Sharon ;' and Solomon in the Song of Songs (2: 1) tells us of 'the rose of Sharon.' In the chronicles of the Crusades, ' the forest of Saron ' was the scene of one of the most romantic adventures of Richard. 126 ACTS IX. [9: 36-38. 36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called ^Dorcas: this woman was full of good works and almsdeeds 37 which she did. And it came to pass in those days, that she fell sick, and died : and when they had 38 washed her, they laid her in an upper chamber. And as Lydda was nigh unto Joppa, the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men unto him, intreat- 1 That is, Gazelle. Ver. 36. There was at Joppa. Joppa {beaut?/) was the port of Jerusalem in the days of Solomon, as it has been ever since. It be- longed to the tribe of Dan (Josh. 19 : 46), and was originally a Philis- tine city. Here the cedar wood and materials for Solomon's temple were landed, and here Jonah ' took ship to flee from the presence of his Maker.' At the period referred to in this chapter, Joppa was a flourisliiug city, but was ruined in the Jewish war with Rome. ^"The present name of the town is Jaffa. It is still the principal harbor of Palestine, and the majority of the tourists to Palestine land there. A flourishing German colony, founded in 1857, is doing much for the place. A carriage road connects it with Jerusalem,' which is thirty- live miles off. The present population is 8,000. The house of Simon the tanner, where Peter lodged, purports to be shown still. — Tabitha, ■which by interpretation is called Dorcas. 'Tabitha' is an Aramaic form of the Hebrew word for 'gazelle,' the gazelle being re- garded as the standard of beauty. ' Dorcas ' was its Greek equivalent. As Jit Joppa both the Hebrew and Gx'eek languages were used, it is likely this woman was known by both names. — Full of good works and almsdeeds. The life which the earliest preachers of Chris- tianity recommended was eminently a practical and active one. The life of contemplation, of monastic seclusion, was evidently unknown and unheard of in the Church of the first days ; siich a life was the development of a later age. ■^The expression 'full of is a favorite one with Luke: 'full of leprosy' (Luke 5: 12); 'full of faith' (Acts 6: 5, 8), etc. Ver. 37. "When they had washed her. Wordsworth calls attention to this account of the dead Dorcas, being the third instance in this book of reference to the decencies of Christian burial. Chrysos- tom, ho goes on to say, contrasts the quietness of this laying out of Dorcas with the great lamentation over Stephen (chap. 8: 2). Death, the followers of Jesus had now learned to regard with greater calmness. See Paul's reproof of immoderate grief for the dead in his earliest Epistle (1 Thoss. 4: 13-18). Ver. 38. Lydda was nigh unto Joppa. About ten miles away. 9: 39-43.] ACTS IX. 127 S9 ing him, Delay not to come on unto us. And Peter arose and went with them. And when he was come, they brought him into the upper chamber: and all the widows stood by him Aveeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while she was with 40 them. But Peter put them all forth, and kneeled down, and prayed ; and turning to the body, he said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her eyes ; and when 41 she saw Peter, she sat up. And he gave her his hand, and raised her up ; and calling the saints and widows, 42 he presented her alive. And it became known through - 43 out all Joppa : and many believed on the Lord. And it came to pass, that he abode many days in Joppa with one Simon a tanner. Ver. 39. The coats and garments. 'Coats' refers to the inner clothing; 'garments' signifies the outer mantle. Ver. 40. Peter put them all forth. Following the example of Christ (Mark 5: 40), to avoid anything like a crowd of curious specta- tors in the hushed and solemn death-chamber, at the moment when the soul should retui-n to the body. Elisha, when he raised to life the Shunammite's son (2 Kings 4: 33), did the same thing. — Kneeled down, and prayed. So Elijah, when he raised the son of the widow of Zarepthah, 'cried unto the Lord,' and Elisha, in the case of the Shunammite's son, 'prayed unto the Lord.' Jesus, without any pre- ceding praijcr, restored to life the son of the widow of Nain and the daughter of Jairus. In the case of the raising of Lazarus, he thanked the Father heforchnnd for his power over life and death, confident that he still possessed the keys of death and the grave. *Ver. 43. Simon a tanner. The occupation of tanning was considered defiling by the stricter Jews. It was regarded as a suffi- cient ground for divorce, if the husband concealed the fact that he was a tanner before his marriage. Peter, by his stay with the tanner whom the stricter Jews would have avoided, was being prepared for his experiences in the next chapter when the great truth was to be made prominent, that God is no respecter of persons. *Practical Notes. — To the Apostles was given the power of working miracles. Mira- cles confirmed their authontj'. and contributed to the progress of the Church. But the Apostles did not perform them in their own name, but by the invocation of Christ's power, nor for their own glory, but for the glory of Christ.— Paralysis is a symbol of the helplessness of the sinner. When we were yet without strength, Christ died for us. — Women had taken a prominent part in the activity of the Church from its very beginning. It has been the be.aeficent influence of Christianity to lift woman out of ACTS X. [10: 1. Chapter 10: 1-8. Tlie Vision of Cornelius the Centurion. 10 : 1 Now the7'e ivas a certain man in Csesarea, Corne- lius by name, a centurion of the band called the Italian her abased condition, and to open to her a wide sphere of usefulness in the Church. Her beneficent ministry from the time of Dorcas has contributed in all Christian lands to the alleviation of suffering. — The Christian Church is not merely an organiza- tion which conserves a system of doctrinal truths ; it is a living organism full of sym- pathy and deeds of mercy (ver. 38). Its principal aim is to lift up tlie soul ; but like its founder, it does not neglect the body. Its object is to make men happy and good in this world as well as in the world to come. The Vision of Cornelius, the Centurion, vers. 1-8. The careful comparison of the several parts of this section of the Acts of the Apostles one with another is of great importance. Worked out after the manner of the Horse PauUnse, it leads to evidential results of considerable value. With the direct narrative are to be compared — (1) The account of Cornelius given by his messengers; (2) Petei-'s ac- count of his own experience to Cornelius; (3) Cornelius's account, in turn, of his own experience to Peter; (4) Peter's apologetic account at Jerusalem. To fulfil the conditions of the argument drawn from ' un- designed coincidences,' these various sections must be in harmony with one another; yet they must have sufficient variation to suit their seve- ral occasions; and those variations must not be contrived: the whole must fit easily and naturally together. These particulars will be no- ticed as we go on, and the result will be summed up at the close in an Excursus on the two accounts of the conversion of Cornelius. Ver. 1. Now there was a certain man. The particle 'now' (Je) serves to connect this narrative with the latter part of the pre- ceding chapter. The work of Peter at Lydda and elsewhere was the preparation for what is now about to be recounted. His residence at Joppa was locally the starting point for the momentous mission pre- sently to be undertaken. All this sacred history, both in its outward circumstances and in the apostle's personal experience, is arranged on a providential plan. It is not easy, nor is it necessary, to fix the pre- cise chronological relations between the preaching of Christianity to the Gentiles at Antioch (11: 22-30) and the conversion of Cornelius, narrated in this chapter. Eeuss gives precedence to the events which occurred at Antioch : and certainly the first Gentile Church was there ; the name 'Christian' came into existence there; and Antioch became the Jerusalem of Gentile Christianity. But this priority in time can- not be proved. It is an undoubted fact that Cijesarea is set before us as the scene of the beginning of the reception of the Gentiles on equal terms with the Jews into the Church in which Paul afterwards so much gloried (Eph. 3: 3-6; Col. 1: 26, 27), and Cornelius was the 10: 2.] ACTS X. 129 2 ^band, a devout man, and one that feared God with all his house, who gave much alms to the people, and 1 Or, cohort. first typical example of Gentile Christendom. — In Caesarea. Some notice of this place has already been given (8: 40; 9: 3U). The city is very conspicuous in the Acts of the Apostles. It was of the utmost importance at this time, partly in connection with the Roman road along the coast, but still more because of its harbor, by which it com- municated with all the West. This harbor is said by Josephus to have rivalled that of the Pirteus. Its great breakwater may be compared with that of Cherbourg in our own day. Tacitus says that Caesarea was ' the head of Judaea.' It was specially a Gentile city. The Jews were relatively less numerous there than in any other part of Palestine. It was a Pagan metropolis in the Holy Land, and when Palestine was a Roman province, the governor resided here. Here, too, were the chief quarters of the soldiers, who kept the land in subjection, whether under Herodian kings or under Roman governors. There was some- thing providential, if we may say so, in the fact that Jerusalem never became the Roman capital, but always retained its Hebrew charac- ter. — Cornelius by name, a centurion of the band, etc. In these two verses we have information as to what he was — (1) na- tionally and officially, and (2) in personal character. His was a very distinguished name. No gens was better known in the Roman annals than the Cornelian. He was probably a true-born Roman. *The cen- turion commanded a sixtieth part of a legion (6,000 men) or 100 men. Two centurions are mentioned in the life of our Lord and honorably. The one a centurion of Capernaum, besought Christ to heal his servant, and his faith was so great that Christ is said to have marvelled at it (Matt. 8:1). The second commanded the company of soldiers which preserved order on the day of the crucifixion. Touched by the con- duct of Jesus on the cross and the attendant signs, he exclaimed, 'Truly this was the Son of God' (Matt. 27: 54).— The Italian band. This title seems to indicate a company of true-born Italians. Gloag and Alexander compare the position of this cohort in Judaea with that of a British regiment in India, as distinguished from Sepoy or native troops. Gloag suggests that it may have been ' the body- guard of the Roman governor.' But this is an error. Judaea was not at this time a province under a Roman governor, but a kingdom under Herod Agrippa I. (12: 1,19). The Italic cohort was probably a de- tached body of troops, and identical with a cohort of Italian volunteers in Syria, which is mentioned in an ancient inscription adduced by Akerman {Numismatic Illustrations of the New Testament., p. 33, a trea- tise which ought not to be overlooked in any commentary on this book of the Bible). An 'Augustan' band is mentioned in ch. 27: 1. Ver. 2. A devout man, etc. The particulars contained in this verse are copious and impressive. It is useful to enumerate them 130 ACTS X. [10: 3. 3 prayed to God alway. He saw in a vision openly, as it were about the ninth hour of the day, an angel of God coming in unto him, and saying to him, Cor- separately : (1) He was a * devout' or religious man. The word ' de- vout ' {euscben) has reference simply to personal character, and is different from the other word [sebomenos) similarly translated else- Avhere (Acts 17: 4), and denoting a proselyte to Judaism. (2) He ' feared God.' This phrase in Scripture denotes that all the concerns of life and duty are referred to God. As employed of Cornelius, it implies that he had given up the polytheism in which he had been brought up. (3) ' With all his house.' This exhibits his religion in a wider scope, and gives us a still higher view of his character. His household was negulated on religious principles (ver. 7). (4) lie gave 'much alms.' His charities were not scanty, but liberal and large. (5) These alms were given to the people, that is, to the Jewish people. "This is a very expressive feature in the portrait. Mr. Humphrey says very well here : ' His almsgiving was the more remarkable, as being contrary to the practice of Roman officers, who generally plundered the provincials to the utmost.' This particular co-ordinates Cornelius with that centurion in the Gospel history who erected synagogues at his own expense (Lid^e 7 : 5). (6) He was a man of constant prayer. Prayer with him was not a mere impulse, but a habit. Dr. Adam Clarke says of Cornelius : ' He was ever in the spirit of prayer, and often in the act.' Further illustrations of the character of Cornelius will come to view as Ave proceed. But meanwhile it demands our ob- servation that a man so eminently good should be placed at the head of all Gentile Christianity. This was, as the Same commentator says, ' a proper person to be the connecting link between the two peoples.' Just as the Apostles were men of high character, so it is here. John and (probably) Peter were disciples of John the Baptist. Paul had always been marked by a strong zeal for religion, and for a strictly moral life. So the great representative Gentile convert was a man of the highest character. Salvation is indeed available for the worst sin- ners, and the Avorst sinners may become great saints; but in the choice of the conspicuous members of the earliest Church, no special honor is put upon reclaimed profligates. Ver. 3. He saw in a vision openly. The language seems carefully chosen so as to assei-t the absolute distinctness of the vision. This was not a dream or a trance. His own language afterwards (10 : 30) is that ' a man stood before him in bright apparel.' — About the ninth hour of the day. The ninth hour, or three in the after- noon, was one of the stated Jewish hours of prayers. It was at this time that Peter and John went to the Temple (3: 1). Cornelius was engaged in prayer (10: 30). Thus it is evident that he had adopted some of the Jewish regulations affecting prayer. The whole tone of the narrative, however, conveys the impression that Cornelius was not 10: 4, 5.] ACTS X. 131 4 nelius. And he, fastening his eyes upon hira, and being affrighted, said, A\ hat is it, Lord? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are gone up for 5 a memorial before God. And now send men to Joppa, a proselyte to the Jewish religion in the sense of having been circum- cised, tie seems simply to have been drawn into sympathy with it on its moral and spiritual side. Thus it is correct to say that he -was 'the first Pagan baptized by an apostle.' *It is evident from ver. 28 that he was still reckoned among the heathen. There can be little doubt that among the thousands of Christians some had been drawn from the class of proselytes from heathenism to the Jewish religion f6: 5). It -was the fict that Cornelius was an out and out heathen, and had not conformed to the Jewish regulations for proselytes that made his case the occasion of such a stir in Jerusalem (11 : 1-18 sqq.). — . An angel. This fact would vreigh forcibly with the Apostles and elders at Jerusalem when these occurrences were brought before them, and Peter (11 : 13) laid stress upon it. — Saying to him, Cornelius. This addressing of the person by name is, again, according to the analogy of the visions recorded in the Bible, as in the cases of Samuel in the Old Testament, and Paul at his conversion. Yer. 4. For a memorial before God. His prayers were to be openly recollected and his charities rewarded (ver. 31): a record had been entered in heaven, so that an answer should come in due season. The language is similar to that which is used by the LXX. in reference to the burnt-offering in Lev. 2: 2. The prayers and alma of Cornelius were sacrifices with which God was well pleased (Heb, 13: 16). They were proofs that grace was really working in the heart of Cornelius. Ver. 5. *Send men to Joppa. This was the town where we left Peter after he had raised Dorcas to life (9 : 36). He was stopping with Simon the tanner. Joppa was thirty miles south of Caesarea. — Simon, -who is surnamed Peter. It is very observable that this exact phrase is found four times in this narrative (10: 18, 32; 11 : 13). We are reminded of the Lord's own emphatic naming of Simon (John 1: 42; Matt. 16: 18). The exact designation of Peter who was to bring the Gospel to Cornelius is an essential part of the transaction. The divine direction is perceptible in evei-y act and word recorded. Reuss says : ' It was not less necessary to interest Peter in this new way. ... A subsidiary revelation was indispensable to convince him that a Pagan could receive baptism, a thing he was heretofore ignorant of, and which his colleagues had difficulty in ac- cepting.' {Hint. ApostoL, p. 122). The exact designation of Peter deserves notice also, from another point of view. Cornelius was to be brought to the knowledge of Christ by the instrumentality of a vian, and not of the angel. Moreover, he is to be brought to this knowledge bj an apostle. This was not a commonplace instance of conversion. 132 ACTS X. [10: 6-8. 6 and fetch one Simon, who is surnamed Peter : he lodgeth with one Simon a tanner, whose house is by 7 the sea side. And when the angel that spake unto him was departed, he called two of his household- servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on 8 him continually; and having rehearsed all things unto them, he sent them to Joppa. Philip the Evangelist was probably then at Cnesarea (8 : 40 ; 21 : 8) ; but this would not suffice. Reuss remarks that the baptism of Cor- nelius by an apostle would be likely to make a stir and noise through- out Palestine. The apostle, too, was to be Peter, one of the most Judaic. It was important that he, the most active and influential apostle should be gained. The occurrence in Samaria (8 : 14-17) had by no means yet removed all his prejudices. Ver. 6. Whose house is by the sea side. The Mediterranean. The position of Simon's house might have some reference to the con- venience of his trade. Moreover, he may have been forced to live there, because of some ceremonial uncleanness connected in the Jewish mind with tanning. It is a direction of the Mischna that dead bodies, sepulchres, and tan-yards are 'to be at least fifty cubits from the city.' Thus the very position of Peter's lodging may have had something to do with the preparation of his mind for the startling duty that lay before him. At all events, his temporary home at Joppa was not a place of any distinction and honor; and this, too, is significant. Ver. 7. A devout soldier. 'This man is described as like his commander in religious character, and therefore peculiarly well fitted for the service now assigned to him. Although not affirmed, it seema to be implied that the other two messengers were like-minded ; so that we have here the interesting case of a whole Gentile household brought, by intercourse with Jews and by the grace of God, to the very thresh- old of the true religion' (Alexander). Ver. 8. Having rehearsed all things unto them. This would include the vision, the divine command and the expected revelation. How they performed their errand we see below (ver. 22). •Practical Notes.— The time had come to settle the relation of the Gentile world to the Gospel. The Church had spread to Samaria and to Damascus, and proselytes from heathenism like Nicolas (Acts 6 : 5) had received baptism. But it yet remained to settle the question whether the Gentiles were to be admitted on an equal footing with the Jews to the saving benefits of the Gospel. Paul was the first to preach Christ with boldness and extensively beyond the pale of the Jewish Church. But Peter was chosen as the one to whom the truth should first be expounded, that ' God is no re- specter of persons.' He was himself strong in his Jewish prejudices ; but he accepted the divine revelation, and admitted the first Gentile into the Church. — God had His servants in other nationalities than among the Jews. Ruth the Moabitess chose God 10:9.] ACTS X. 133 Chapter 10: 9-16. Peter^s Trance at Joppa. 9 Now on the morrow, as they were on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went up upon the for her Lord, and became the ancestress of Jesna. The Syro-Phcenician mother (Matt. 15 : 21-28) received a rich blessing frjm the Master, and Cornelius, before he became a Christian, wag assured by the angel that his religious devotions were acceptablfi. There is a spirit of religion which is sometimes unaccompanied by the true form of religion. This Cornelius had. Although he was not a Jew, he was a child of God. — A soldier may belong to the armies of the cross. The Gospel is designed to spread peace ; but the sword seems to be indispensable, at times, in the present condition of the world. The faith of another Roman captain was not only a subject for surprise to Christ, but was pronounced by him to be greater than any faith he had found in Israel (Matt. 8: 10). Gustavus Adolphus and Sir Henry Havelock in the army and Admiral Coligny and Commodore Goodenough in the navy are good illustrations that a brave soldier may be a devout Christian. — Prayers and alms are memorials moving Gk)d to bestow blessings. The soul that communes with the Father feels assured that his voice reaches the divine ear, and his prayer bears a necessary relation to the be- stowment of benefit-*. ' Ask and ye shall receive ' is a sentence the two parts of which human philosophy may not be able to reconcile in view of an omniscient and un- changeable God, but one which faith cannot doubt, but fully leans upon. — The embassy of the Gentile centurion to Peter was one of the first indications of that need and longing of the heathen world which uttprpd themselves in the strong appeal of the Macedonian to Paul : ' Come over and help us ' (Acts IG : 9). Peter's Trance at Joppa, vers, 9-16. Ver. 9. On the morrow. The messengers started late in the afternoon,, and would naturally arrive about the middle of the next day, if they travelled by night which was according to the custom of the country (Luke 11: 5, 6). — Upon the housetop to pray. It was in the exercise of prayer that Cornelius saw the angel who told him to send for Peter; it was in tho same exercise that Peter fell into the trance. It was through the meeting of these two streams of secret prayer that the conversion of Cornelius took place. The familiar lines in Keble's Christian Year give a good commentary on this coincidence of prayer. ' Unheard by all but angel ears, The good Cornelius knelt alone. The saint beside the ocean prayed, The soldier in his chosen bower. To each unknown his brother's prayer. Yet brethren true in dearest love Were they.' 134 ACTS X. [10: 10-13. 10 housetop to pray, about the sixth hour : and he be- came hungry, and desired to eat : but while they made 11 ready, he fell into a trance; and he beholdeth the heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the 12 earth : wherein were all manner of fourfooted beasts and creeping things of the earth and fowls of the hea- 13 ven. And there came a voice to him. Rise, Peter ; The flat roofs of Eastern houses are well adapted for prayer and meditation. For'Biblical illustrations, see Deut. 22: 8; 2 Kings 23: 12; Jer. 19: 13; Zeph. 1:5; Luke 5 : 19. Ver. 10. Sixth hour. Noon. He became hungry. The vision presented to hiui in the trance was adapted to the physical condition in which he was a*t the moment. — Desiied to eat. Peter did not refer at Jerusalem to this circumstance, but did very expressly state that he was engaged in jym?/e/- when he fell into the trance. To the Apostles and elders this would be an argument of great force. With all their prejudices, they knew that prayer was the appointed path towards divine enlightenment, and the appointed help for the discharge of duty. — He fell into a trance. Literally, an ecstasy [fkstasis). This preternatural !-tate of mind of Peter is to be contrasted with the full retention of his natural faculties with which Corn'lius saAV the angel. Chrysostom says of Peter's trance that 'the soul, so to speak, was withdrawn from the body' (2 Cor. 12: 1-3). — Descending. In Peter's own vivid account afterwards (11 : 5), he says, 'It came even unto me.' The impression conveyed is that the great sheet not only floated from heaven, but gradually approached Peter, so as to invite his close examination. Ver. 11. *Let do^wn by four corners. As if it was suspended by four cords from the opened heaven. The extended sheet signified the wide earth and the four corners the four parts of the world (Augus- tine, etc.). No more appropriate place could be found for such a sym- bolical transaction than on the sh()res of the Mediterranean, whose waters washed the great cities of Southern Europe and Northern Africa as well as the Western Coast of Asia, the three continents then known to the race. Ver. 12. All manner of fourfooted beasts. It is useless to speculate on the way in which the impression of the appearance of 'air animals was conveyed. Calvin says very justly: 'We must not measure this seeing according to the manner of men, because the trance gave Peter other eyes,' We must conceive of those animals which were ceremonially unclean as being more peculiarly conspicuous in the vision. Ver. 13. Rise, Peter. He may have been reposing, or he may have been on his knees in prayer. The voice addresses him by name, as in the cases of Moses (Ex. 3: 4), Samuel (1 Sam. 3: lOj, Cornelius (Acts 10: 3), and Paul (9: 4). 10: 14, 15.] ACTS X. 135 14 kill and eat. But Peter said, Xot so, Lord ; for I have never eaten any thing that is common and unclean. 15 And a voice came unto him asiain the second time, AVhat God hath cleansed, make not thou common. Ver. 14. Not so, Lord. This expostulation is quite according to the analogy of divine visions recorded in Scripture, as -when Paul expostulated in the Temple, when he was required to quit Jerusalem (22: 10). "^The reply is in harmony with Peter's character. On former occasions he had expostulated with Jesus, as when he announced his passion, he exclaimed, ' Ce it far from thee. Lord' (Matt. 10: 22), and when he was washing the disciples' feet, Peter said, 'Thou shalt never wash my feet' (John lo: 8). — I have never eaten any thing that is common and unclean. Peter had always lived as a con- scientious and scrupulous Jew. The command was a contradiction to the whole previous tenor of his life. No greater shock to a Hebrew could be imagined than to be told to assuage his hunger by eating un- clean meats. It is recorded in the Second Book of Maccabees (6: 18; 7:1) that Hebrews submitted to death that they mi^ht escape such an indignity. And this distinction between clean and unclean beasts was representative of the Jewish distinction between the Hebrew nation and all other nations. *The word common is contrasted with holy. The distinction between clean and unclean meats is laid down with careful precision in Leviticus (11, etc.). The camel, coney, hare and swine were the chief among the animals that were forbidden, and the eagle, vulture, swan, heron, etc., among birds. The stricter Jews to this day, will not purchase meat from any but butchers of their own nationality. Yer. 15. W^hat God hath cleansed, make not thou com- mon. The peremptory command now becomes the empliatic state- ment of a principle. We are reminded here of certain words recorded in the Gospel history, when Christ himself said that 'not that which entcreth into the mouth defileth the man' (Matt. 15: 11). It is very important to observe that it is added, ' this Christ said, making all meats clean^ (Mark 7 : 19). Jesus did actually, by this discourse of his, make all things pure. It was Peter who directed Mark in the composition of his Gospel. Can we doubt, therefore, that those words which he had heard from the Saviour's lips flashed into his memory, when at Joppa he heard that command from heaven, or at least that the recol- lection of them came when he reflected on what he had heard? This thought is forcibly put by Canon Farrar [Life and Work of St. Paul, vol i. p. 276). *Bengel adds, 'Nothing impure comes down from heaven.' In the great discussion about the admission of the Gentiles to the Church, which took place between the Apostles in Jerusalem (ch. 15), Peter uses the same word with reference to the purifying of the Gentiles' hearts which is here used of the unclean meats, God ^cleansing (Kaf^apinag) their hearts by faiih* (15: 9). 136 ACTS X. [10; 16, 17. 16 And this was done thrice : and straightway the vessel was received up into heaven. Chaptek 10: 17-23. Reception of the Messengers from Cornelius. 17 Now while Peter was much perplexed in himself Ver. 16. *Tbis was done thrice. That is the repetition of the words. The design evidently was to fix all this occurrence in Peter's memory, and to convince him that that which he liad seen was no mere dream or fancy of his own, but a really divine communication. * Practical Notes. — God reveals Himself to us while we are in the performance of religious duties. It was at the hour of prayer that Cornelius saw the vision, and it was at the sixth hour while Peter was again engaged in the exercise of prayer that he re- ceived the divine communication — The shore of the Mediterranean was a fitting place for the vision of a Gospel, for all the nations and men. Its waters washed Enrope and Africa as well as Asia, and as Peter lodged in the house of Simon the tanner at Joppa, he must have thought of the great Gentile world lying about that sea out upon which he looked. The Gospel had not yet been preached to it. But he must have remembered Christ's last words, 'Go ye into all th ; world and preach the Gospel ' (Mark 16 : 15).— God chooses fitting places for revealing new truths, — Sinai for the Law, the grave of Lazarus for the resurrection, the port on the Mediterranean Sea sending forth vessels to the Gentile nations, for the truth that to the Gentiles the precious benefits of the Gospel belonged. He also communicates truth by familiar signs -the star for the Wise Men from the East, the mixing of the unclean and clean meats for the exclusive Jew. — The Gospel has transferred the realm of the unclean and unholy from external objects to the heart. The Jewish religion started from the outside, holy places, meats, days, etc., and proceeded inw .rds to sanctify the heart. Christianity starts from the heart and works outwards. Christ had already Illustrated the truth that ' Nothing from without entering into a man defileth him.' Defilement or holiness resides in the heart. A heart consecrated to God will determine whether we should eat with washen hands or do an act of mercy on the Sa'bbath. But neither washen nor unwashen hands, clean nor unclean meats, can stand in the place of a pure heart or make one pure. — The clean and unclean animals in the sheet represent the Jews and Gentiles in the world. The Jews were a holy nation but now old things were passed away, and the birth at Bethle- hem and the cross on Calvary proclaimed that all were equal in the sight of God, Because all needed the blood of Christ (Eph. 2 : 13), and Christ came to reconcile all to God. Like the animals all nations had come down from heaven and like them might be lifted up to heaven.— The knowledge of the Apostles was progressive. Omnisci. nee was not conferred upon them on the day of Pentecost. They were gradually taught great truths. This truth of the design of the Gospel for all the world, already an- nounced by the angels over Bethlehem, 'Behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which shall be to all people ' (Luke 2 : 10), they did not yet understand. Reception of the Messengers from Cornelius, vers. 17-23. Ver. 17. Peter -was much perplexed in himself. Again we 10: 18-21.] ACTS X. 137 what the vision which he had seen might mean, behold, the men that were sent by Cornelius, having made 18 inquiry for Simon's house, stood before the gate, and called and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed 19 Peter were lodgcino; there. And while Peter thouarht on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men 20 seek thee. But arise, and get thee down, and go Avith 21 them, nothing doubting : for I have sent them. And Peter went down to the men, and said, Behold, I am he whom ye seek : what is the cause Avherefore ye are should give close attention to the coincidence of time. It is manifestly intended that we are to see here the marks of a providential prearrange- ment. The messengers who had been 'drawing nigh to the city' when the Apostle's trance began (ver. 9), were noAv actually at the gate of the house, where Peter, at the close of the vision, was in anxious per- plexity concerning its meaning. Ver. 19. "While Peter thought on the vision. This gives renewed emphasis to what is said in ver. 17. This phrase is stronger. He Avas silently pondering on the vision and revolving it in his mind. He could not doubt that what he had seen was intended for some divine instruction, and that the distinction of animals was now on the highest authority abolished, may have been made clear to him. But the full meaning of the vision he was in doubt about. Only gradually is he brought from doubt to certainty. He does not knoAv all till he reaches the house of Cornelius. — The Spirit said unto him. We should note here, with care, that direct agency of the Holy Spirit which is made so prominent in the Acts of the Apostles. So truly is this a characteristic of the book, that it has been termed ' the Gospel of the Holy Ghost.' Peter himself laid stress on this direct interposition of the Spirit in his account at Jerusalem (11 : 12). Ver. 20. Get thee down. He descended, doubtless, by an ex- ternal stairway which would bring him at once to the outer gate, at which the messengers were standing. — Go •with them. This is similar to the general method of other divine communications recorded in the Acts (22: 22, 23; 27: 26).— I have sent them. In the out- ward literal sense, Cornelius had sent the messengers. But here we are brought to the primary active will which set all these occurrences in motion. In other words, we have before us here the truth of the personality of the Holy Spirit. Compare analogous instances in this book, when Paul is to be sent out on his first missionary journey (13: 2), and when his course is first directed to missionary work in Europe (16: 6, 7). Ver. 21. Peter went down to the men. This coming down the outside stairway, and suddenly standing face to ftice with the 138 ACTS X. [10 : 22, 23. 22 come ? And they said, Cornelius a centurion, a righte- ous man and one that feareth God, and well reported of by all the nation of the Jews, was warned of God by a holy angel to send for thee into his house, and to 23 hear words from thee. So he called them in and lodged them. Chapter 10: 23-33. Peter's Visit to and Reception hy Cornelius, And on the morrow he arose and went forth with them, and certain of the brethren from Joppa accom- strangers, -^vith "whom he was presently to make such intimate acquaint- ance, is one of the most vivid passages of the nan ative. — What is the cause wherefore ye are come ? He was entirely ignorant as yet of the details of their errand : and these he was to learn, not supernaturally, but by the usual methods of information. The two things which he had learnt supernaturally were, first, the general pre- paratory and as yet obscure lesson of the trance; and, secondly, the fact that those men whom he saw before him were divinely sent, and that he was to accompany them. Yer. 22. Cornelius ... a righteous man and well reported of by all nation of the Jews. Here, certain new elements of the character of Cornelius come to view. Cornelius was beloved, trusted, and respected, not merely by the Gentiles, but by the Jews. It was conciliatory on the part of the messengers to mention these things, and good policy to lay stress on them.— A holy angel This is put in a form which would be acceptable to Peter and the other Jews. — To send for thee. There seems here to be an apologetic explanation of the fact that Cornelius had not come himself. Ver. 23. He called them in and lodged them. Already Peter seems to have learned something of the significance of the trance. For a Jew to receive a Gentile as an intimate guest into his house was unlawful. We see from what follows (10: 28; 11 : 3), that to eat with Gentiles was abhorrent to the Jews. * Practical Notes. — See next Section. Peter's Visit to and Reception by Cornelius, vers. 23-33. On the morrow. That is after the arrival of the messengers. — Certain of the brethren from Joppa accompanied him. These companions were ' of the circumcision" (10: 45) : and six in num- ber (11 : 12). They afterwards went to Jerusalem, and there confirmed the statement made by Peter. As Stier remarks : ' How rightly, and in what harmony with God's guidance he acted, the sequel soon 10: 24-26.] ACTS X. 139 24 panied him. And on the morrow Hhey entered into Qesarea. And Cornelias was waitino: for them, hav- ing called together his kinsmen and his near friends. 25 And when it came to j^ass that Peter entered, Cornelius met him, and fell down at his feet, and worshipped 26 him. But Peter raised him up, saying, Stand up ; I 1 Some ancient authorities read he. shows.' The imagination dwells on the incidents of this journey from Joppa to Caesarea, and speculates on the conversation which took place among the ten travelers. With the apostle were three Gentiles, one of them a Roman soldier, and six Jewish converts lo Christianity. The mere thought of this company and this journey communicates to the line of coast between these two towns an extraordinary interest. Ver. 24. Cornelius was "waiting for them. He knew the time which would probably be occupied by the two journeys, and when he might expect to see Peter and his messengers, if their errand had been successful. The phrase seems to imply serious anxiety, mingled with confidence. — His kinsmen and his friends. A large num- ber came together (ver. 27). Alexander says here, 'As this would hardly have been done without some prepai-ation or predisposition upon the part of these friends, it would seem to imply a previous work of gi-ace among these Gentiles, leading them to Christ, even before they came in contact with his Gospel or his messenger.' Stier says : ' This kindly and loving believer appears more and more as the centre and head of a considerable circle of pious Gentiles in Caisarea, which was now to be favored by being the seat of the first Gentile church.' The mention of kinsmen appears to prove that Cornelius had an es- tablished domestic life in Ctesarea. Ver. 25. When .... Peter entered, Cornelius met him. This first meeting of Cornelius and Peter is one of the great incidents of history. — Fell down at his feet, and worshipped. This was an impulse of reverence and thankfulness, under a strong sense of the supernatural. It is possible that some of the thoughts con- nected with what he had been taught as a heathen concerning deified heroes, were lingering in his mind. *The recollection of the angelic annunciation of Peter to Cornelius in the vision (ver. 5) sufficiently explains this act of homage. So Jairus had worshipped Jesus (Matt. 9: 18). Ver. 26. Stand up; I myself also am a man. We are at once reminded of the horror expressed by Paul and Barnabas, when the attempt was made at Lystra to give them divine homage (Acts 14 : 14), and of the repudiation of this kind of homage by the angel in John's vision (Rev. 22: 8, 9); and we necessarily contrast with all this our Lord's calm acceptance of such worship, as is recorded more than once in the Gospels. * Peter's conduct stands in strange contrast 140 ACTS X. [10: 27-30. 27 myself also am a man. And as he talked with him, 28 he went in, and findeth many come together : and he said unto them. Ye yourselves know 4iow that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to join him- self or come unto one of another nation ; and yet unto me hath God shewed that I should not call any man 29 common or unclean : wherefore also I came without gainsaying, when I was sent for. I ask therefore with 30 what intent ye sent for me. And Cornelius said. Four 1 Or, how unlawful it is for a man, ttc. to that of the popes who claim to be his successors and have demanded, if not the worship, at least the homage and humiliating homage of potentates and peoples. Bengel pithily exclaims : * Why is not onlj' the kiss of the toe allowed, but become an every-day ceremony of the pope ? ' Ver. 27. As he talked with him, he -went in. Free and friendly intercourse with a Gentile is now become comparatively easy to Peter. Ver. 28. It is an unlawful thing. The word denotes rather what is opposed to venerable custom than what is contrary to positive law. There is no explicit text in the Old Testament which forbids in- tercourse between Jew and Gentile, but such a spirit was naturally developed by the Old Testament. As to the fact of this scrupulous separation, we have the evidence of contemporary poets and historians in harmony with that experience of Cornelius, to which appeal is made. Juvenal (Sat. xiv. 103) says it was the custom of the Jews ' not to show the Avay to any one who did not share their religion.' — To join himself or come unto one of another nation. The primary reference is to the custom of eating together at the same table. This is the point specified in chap. 11: 3 (Gal. 2: 12). It is precisely in this particular that there would be the greatest risk of a violation of the Law of Moses. — Me hath God shewed. The word 'me' is emphatic, and it is contrasted with 'ye' above. Dean Alford puts this point well: 'Ye, though ye see me here, know how strong the prejudice is which would have kept me away; and I, though entertaining fully this prejudice myself, yet have been taught,' etc. We should not fail to observe the stress which he lays on the fact that God had taught him what he had learned. Ver. 29. I ask for what intent ye sent for me. Peter knew what the messengers had told him ; but it was still needful that Cornelius should make his own statement. This is a case in which every step is to be made firm. The apostle asks for a full and authen- tic confirmation of what he had heard from the messengers. Ver. 30. Until this hour. Probably this was the sixth hour, 10: 31-33.] ACTS X. -141 days ago, until this hour, I was keeping the nintli hour of prayer in my house ; and behold, a man stood be- 31 fore me in bright apparel, and saith, Cornelius, thy prayer is heard, and thine alms are had in remem- 32 brance in the sight of God. Send therefore to Joppa, and call unto thee Simon, who is surnamed Peter ; he lodgeth in the house of Simon a tanner, by the sea side. 33 Forthwith therefore I sent to thee ; and thou hast well done that thou art come. Xow therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all things when the mid-day meal would naturally be taken. — The ninth hour. Tbree o'clock. — In my house. This is part of the vivid- ness of the personal narrative given by Cornelius himself. In the account given by Luke above, it is said that the centurion saw the angel ' coming in unto him.' Another remark may be added, that though Cornelius never heard the sermon on the Mount, he is seen here practising what is there enjoined as to private prayer. — *A man stood before me in bright apparel. This was the angel (ver. 3). The angels who watched in the sepulchre (Luke 24: 4) are described as being clad in ' dazzling apparel,' and those who appeared after the ascension as being clad in 'white apparel' (Acts 1 : 10). Nowhere are the angels in the Bible described with wings. The Seraphim (Isa. 6:2) and Cherubim alone are so described. Ver. 31. Thy prayer Is heard. It is to be observed that prayer here is in the singular. It seems fair to observe that he was praying for divine illumination. This prayer was perhaps the crisis and consummation of many previous prayers. Ver. 33. "We are all here present in the sight of God. Both in this phrase and in that which follows, we have evidence of the deeply reverential and attentive attitude of the mind of Cornelius. We must remember that he does not at all know what Peter will have to say to him. Of this only he is sure, that he is on the eve of learning what he had long been anxious to know, and had earnestly prayed to be taught. * These words imply that the company assembled in Cor- nelius' house was equally solicitous with him to hear Peter's message. * Practical Notes. — Grod has appointed religious instructors. He did not make known to Cornelius the whole plan of salvation in the vision. He simply directed him to Peter, who was able to instruct him. It is well to go for advice and instruc- tion to those who minister in divine things, and whose experience has fitted them to become teachers of others by the exposition of the Word and the way of ."^alvation- —The delegation of Cornelius is a type of the search of the Gentile world for the wis- dom of the Gospel. By its wisdom the world had been unable to find out God (I Cor. 1 . 21). The Wise Men of the East (Matt. 2 : 1-12) had followed the star to Bethlehem 142 ACTS X. 10: 34. 34 that have been commanded thee of the Lord. And Peter opened his mouth, and said, Chapter 10: 34-43. Peter^s Address in the House of Cornelius. Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of and worshipped the infant Jesus, and rejoiced with exceeding great joy. The Pagan ■world had in vain sought for spiriUiai peace. Cornelius, its representative, found it in the Gospel. 'All nations shall serve him ' was indeed to be verified.— Christianity renders worship to God alone (ver. 20). The great apostlee, Peter and Paul, absolutely refused adoration. Peter checks Cornelius, who had prostrated himself before him and Paul at Lystia (Acts 1-1 : 14) was in dismay when he found the people intent upon paying him divine honors. Both alike declared themselves on a par with mankind at large in their sinfulness and need of grace. It was the custom of the heathen world to worship human heroes, and even some of the most flagitious emperors were placed among the gods after their death. It is the impulse of the heart to serve the creature (Rom. 1 : 25). But Christianity pronounced that all men are of equal dignity, and that God alone is to be worshipped. — The successors of Peter, the popes, have departed very far from the example of the apostle. Far from acting in his spirit they liave made kings hold the stirrup while they mounted their horses, have imperiously do- minated over civil governments, have allowed guests to prostrate themselves in their presence, and have declared themselves incapable of error. — A pious man gathers kindred spirits around him. Cornelius was the center of a little band who also did righteously and waited for the kingdom of God. This company was transformed into the first Gentile church. Peter's Address in the House of Cornelius, vers. 34-43. Ver. 34. Peter opened his mouth. This denotes that something grave and deliberate is about to be uttered. The most solemn instance of this phrase was at the opening of the Sermon on the Mount by our Lord (Matt. 5: 2). — Of a truth I perceive. There had been some remnant of doubt in his mind before. Now he sees the whole case. The account of Cornelius showing an astonishing harmony between his experience and his own, had brought his conviction to its culminating point. As Cornelius named all the circumstances minutely, and as Peter marked the religious, reverential spirit of those who were assem- bled befoi^e him, all hesitation vanished. — No respecter of persons. This same thought is expressly enunciated in Rom. 2: 11; Eph. 6:9; Col. 3: 25; James 2: 1, 9. The words denote the judging a man by a test which has nothing to do with his moral character; as, for instance, by his wealth, his social position, or his beauty (1 Sam, 16: 7). Here the meaning is, that God does not judge a man by his nationality, but by his character. Up to this time Peter had treated nationality as a kind of moral test. 10; 35, CO.] ACTS X. 143 35 persons : but in every nation he that feareth him, 36 and worketh righteousness, is acceptable to him. ^ The word which he sent unto the children of Israel, j^reacli- 1 Man}' ancient authorities read He sent the word unto. Ver. 35. In every nation. The stress is on this part of the sen- tence. Nationality, even a divinely-appointed nationality, like the Jewish, constitutes, in the sight of God, no essential mark of difl'erence between one man and another — Is acceptable to him. The true distinction between one man and another, as before God, is moral. The meaning of Peter is by no means that all religions are equally good, if those who profess them are equally sincere. If this theory were true, why should such elaborate pains have been taken to bring Peter to Cornelius, so that the latter might become acquainted with Christ ? On this theory Christian missions are an absurdity. The history of Corne- lius is itself a proof that, 'the name of Jesus Christ is the only one whereby men must be saved.' The meaning of this passage, is, that the blessings of Christianity are freely offered to every human hand that is stretched out to receive them without reference to nationality. The language of Peter himself at the Apostolic Council (Acts 15: 9, 11) was as follows : ' God made no distinction between us and them, cleans- ing their hearts by faith : we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ in like manner as they.' *It is plain that Peter here is speaking of such as are longing for the benelits of Christ's kingdom. He is not commending religion in general, but enunciating the principle that nationality is no barrier to God's favor and the reception of the blessings of Christ's death. As Meyer puts it, Peter is not talking of the ' ability of men to become saved without Christ, but their ability under God to become Christians,' and Bengel aptly says, ' It is not asserted that religions are a matter of indifference but nationality.' The redeemed shall be out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation (Rev. 5: 9). Ver. 36. The "word which he sent. The grammatical construc- tion is very difficult to follow through this verse and the two subse- quent verses. We have here three things in apposition — (1) the pro- clamation of the Gospel which was spread through Judoea ; (2) the subject matter of the proclamation, the new religion which was thug diffused; (3) the fact that Jesus was divinely anointed for this mission. A general knowledge of what was involved in these three expressions was already possessed by Cornelius and his friends. — Preaching good tidings of peace by Jesus Christ. This denotes primarily peace between God and man, but also peace between Jew and Gentile (Eph. 2 : 15-17). — He is Lord of all. These words assign to Christ a divine supremacy; and bring all mankind on a level, because all men stand in the same relation to him (Rom. 3: 29, 30). * 'Peter inter- poses this remark as a proof of the universality of the plan of recon- ciliation' (Hackett). 144 ACTS X.. [10: 37-39. ing ^ good tidings of peace by Jesus Christ (he is Lord 37 of all) — that saying ye yourselves know, which was published throughout all Judsea, beginning from Gali- lee, after the baptism which John preached ; even Jesus 38 of Nazareth, how that God anointed him with the Holy Ghost and with power : who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; 39 for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the country of the Jews, and in Jerusalem ; whom also they slew, hanging him 1 Or, ihe (jospel. Ver. 37. That saying ye yourselves know. It was inevita- ble that Cornelius and liis friends should have had a general knowledge of the fficts connected with the early promulgation of the Gospel. The news of these things must have penetrated among the Pagan population of Palestine, especially among those who were drawn by sympathy towards the Jews and the Jewish religion. Ver. 38. God anointed him with the Holy Ghost and with power. Some see in this an allusion, wholly or in part, to the activity of the Holy Spirit in the incarnation of Jesus at his birth. It seems more natural to refer the words to the baptism of Jesus (Matt. 3: 16, 17). Bishop Pearson [Exposition of the Creed, Art. II.), refer- ring to the doubt as to whether Peter alludes here to the sanctitica- tion of our Lord at his conception, or to his unction at his baptism, says : ' We need not contend which of these two was the true time of our Saviour's unction, since neither is destructive of the other, and con- sequently both may well co-exist together.' *The unction with 'power' may be regarded as a result or accompaniment of the endowment of the Spirit. So the seven deacons are said to have been 'full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom;' Barnabas of the 'Holy Spirit and faith,' and the disciples 'with joy and with the Holy Spirit.' In the Gospel of .Tohn the Spirit is associated with 'truth' (4: 23) and 'life' (6: 63). — Who went about doing good. The charm of this description of Christ's character and work could not be surpassed; and we should particularly observe that he is presented to Cornelius and his friends as a Bene- factor before he is presented to them as a Judge. — That were op- pressed of the devil. We need not suppose that there is in this phrase any special reference to demon'acal possession. In his Gospel Luke attributes bodily suffering to the devil. The woman 'which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years' is Faid (13: 11. 16) to have been 'bound by Satan.' — God was with him. As Nicodemus had con- fessed (John 3: 2). Ver. 39. "We are witnesses. There is an emphatic stress on the 10: 10-4b.] ACTS X. 145 40 on a tree. Him God raised up the third day, and gave 41 him to be made manifest, not to all the people, but unto witnesses that were chosen before of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from 42 the dead. And he charged us to preach unto the people, and to testify that this is he which is ordained 43 of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. To him bear all the prophets witness, that through his name every one that believeth on him shall receive remission of sins. word 'ice.' Dean Alforcl adds very justly, that by this emphatic word Peter at once takes away the ground from the exaggerated reverence for himself individually, shown by Cornelius (ver. 25), and puts him- self, and the rest of the Apostles, in ihe strictly subordinate place of icitnesses for another. — "Whom also they slew. Peter does not shrink from setting forth strongly the humiliating circumstances of the death of Christ. His purpose is to lead Cornelius to the Cross (ver. 43). Ver. 40. Him God raised up the third day. Here, as every- where in the Acts, the Resurrection is the culminating point of the apostolic testimony (2: 24; 17: 31; 26: 23). Ver. 41. Not to all the people. Alexander's remark here is just, that to commit the testimony to select eye-witnesses was 'more in keeping with the dignity and glory of the risen Saviour, which would now have been degraded by the same promiscuous and unreserved association with men, that was necessary to his previous ministry. — •^Who did eat and drink with him, etc. There are three re- corded instances of this kind (Luke 24: 30, 42 ; John 21 : 12-15j. Yer. 42. * Charged us to preach. Jesus commanded his disci- ples to go into all the world preaching the Gospel (Matt. 28: 19), and commissioned them to be his witnesses unto the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1: 8). — Judge of quick and dead. • Again the Lord, and in a more awful manner, is set forth in the position of supreme dignity. His judicial work is made prominent here, as in Paul's address to heathen listeners at Athens (Acts 17: 31). *This is the first time that Christ's judicial function is referred to in the Acts. At Stephen's death he is represented as the advocate and defender of his followers (Acts 7: 56). But he had taught his disciples that the 'Father hath given all judgement unto the Son' (John 5: 22). The expression 'quick (living) and dead' includes all nations, all mankind. Ver. 43. To him bear all the prophets witness. Peter alludes to the general drift of the prophets' writings. In his previous addresses he had laid emphasis on the testimony of the prophets to Christ (chap. 2, 3). — Every one that believeth on him shall 10 146 • ACTS X. [10; 44-46. Chapter 1 : 44-48. The Outpouring of the Holy Ghost and Baptism of Cornelius. 44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost 45 fell on all them which heard the word. And they of the circumcision which believed were amazed, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles 46 also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost. For receive remission of sins. These concluding words of Peter's speech deserve the utmost attention. The language is universal, in- cluding Jews and Gentiles alike. It is, of course, implied that all men equally need forgiveness. The doctrine of justification by faith could not be more clearly set forth. There is great beauty and tenderness in Peter's passing from the contemplation of Christ as the Judge, to the contemplation of him as the Pedeemer. * Practical Notes.— See next section. The Outpouring of the Holy Ghost and Baptism of Cornelius, vers. 44-48. Yer. 44. "While Peter yet spake these words. In his own account afterwards (11 : 15) he says that the miraculous interruption came ' as he beyan to speak.'' He was, therefore, evidently intending to address the assembly at much greater length. What is of the ut- most importance to us to mark is, that an occurrence took plf.ce on this occasion which is recorded on no other occasion of the same kind. This is enough to mark off these events at Ca?sarea as having a charac- ter and meaning of their own. The sudden interruption was far i. ore forcible in its effect on the hearers than any additional words from Peter would have been. The force, too. of this new and divine argu- ment was of the utmost weight for the ' Apostles and brethren at Jerusalem,' as it is indeed for every subsequent age of the Church, including our own. It is observable, moreover, that the interruption came just when the word 'faith ' was pronounced in connection with 'the remission of sins.'-^The Holy Ghost fell on all them. This was the Pentecost of the Gentiles. Peter compared it to the ex- perience of the church at Jerusalem (Acts 2), and expressly says, the Holy Ghost fell on them at Ca?sarea, 'as on us at the beginning.' It is said below (vcr. 46) that^they were heard 'speaking with tongues and magnifying God.' Ver. 45. They of the circumcision which believed were amazed. The expression is a very strong one. Thoy were almost out of their mind with wonder. *The feelings of the Jewish brethren show how necessary the revelation to Peter at Joppa was. The Gen- tiles had, as it were, been lifted up to heaven like the sheet. Ver. 46. They heard them speak with tongues. It is not said here, as in 2 : 4, that they spoke with other tongues. 10: 47, 48.] ACTS X. 147 they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify 47 God. Then answered Peter, Can' any man forbid the water, that these should not be baptized, which 48 have received the Holy Ghost as well as we ? And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. Yer. 47. Can any man forbid the v^ater? The water of baptism. The highest blessing of all, the Holy Spirit, had been re- ceived : hence the minor gift, which was emblematic of the other, and which procured admission into the Church of Christ, could not be re- fused. There is a strong testimony here to the importance of baptism, as was the case of Paul (9 : 18). On the one hand, indeed, nothing can be more emphatic than this narrative in its assertion that God can communicate His highest spiritual gifts irrespectively of all ordinances ; but, on the other hand, it is asserted 'with equal emphasis, that di- vinely-appointed ordinances are not to be disregarded. ' He did not say,' remarks Bengel, ' they have the Spirit, therefore they can dis- pense with water.' — 'Whicli have received the Holy Ghost as well as "we. This is the only instance of the Holy Ghost's being poured out previously to baptism. There was sufficient reason on this occasion, if we may reverently say so, for deviation from the common rule. No ordinary attestation would have sufficed to make the divine command perfectly clear, that the Gentiles were to be admitted at once, and on equal terms with the Jews, to the blessings of Chris- tianity. It may be added that God is not tied down to a special sequence. Ver. 48. He commanded them to be baptized. Peter did not administer the baptism himself. This was in harmony with the practice of Paul (1 Cor. 1: 14, 17). Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. This residence in the house of Cornelius is to be marked as a time of great importance for Peter's future life, and is to be compared with the fifteen days which he and Paul spent together afterwards (Gal. 1 : 18). He must have learned much that he never knew before concerning the Gentile mind, especially in its aspirations after religious light and peace. * Pbactical Notes.— The Gospel dispeni?es its blPssingB without regard to nation- ality, wealth, or any other external circumstance. In Christ neither circumcision availeth anything nor un circumcision (Col. 3: 11). If God made of one blood all na- tions, so the spiritual energy of faith (Gal. 5 : 6) secures for its possessor, be he Jew or Greek, bond or free, the remission of sins and the power of a new life (ver. 43).— The universality of the Gospel is one of its most salient features and a mark of its divine origin. At the very birth of Christ we are surprised by the terms used proclaim- ing f jr it a universal mission The angels sang of the good tidings which 'should be to all people ' (Luke 2 : 10). Simeon spoke of Christ as a ' light t.. lighten the Gentile"* ' (Luke 2 : 32). The Wise Men of the East joined with the JewLsh shepherds in adoring 148 ACTS XI. [11: 1. Chapter 11: 1-18. Peter^s Defence at Jerusalem of his Conduct towards Cornelius. 11:1 Now the apostles and the brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles also had received the Christ (Matt. 2 : 1-12). Our Lord's last commandment bade the Apostles to ' go into all the world and preach the Gospel to the whole creation ' (Mark 16 : 15). The redeemed in heaven are gathered from every trihe and tongue and nation and ]ioople (Eev.o : 8). There is nothing exclusive in the Gospel. Under the cross men from all nations and all quarters of the globe meet.— The overstepping of the barriers of nationality by the Apostles was the evidence of a new power in the world. The Jews were the most intolerant of peoples, and a strict Jew would not even sit down at table with a Gentile. Yet the veiy ones to overstep the line of this national separation M'ere rigid Jews. Peter overcame the strongest scruples when he entered the home of Cornelius and stopped with him as his guest. Paul, a Hebrew of the Hebrews, likevvise, though in a more bold and intrepid manner, ignored the prejudices of his training, and preached that the Gospel was designed for Jew and Gentile alike, and that there was no ditference between them in the light of the cross. This renunciation of the most violent prejudices is a witness for the mighty power of the Gospel. — All modern libei'ty and all modern ideas of human equality, so far as they are genuine, are based upon Peter's words : 'God is no respecter of persons ' (ver. 34).— Religion is not a mat- ter of indifference (ver. 35). It matters much what people believe, or Peter would not have been sent to Cornelius or preached Christ so diligently to him.— The fear of God and righteousness of life (ver. 35) go together. He who is without God is without the incentive .and stimulating cause of an upright moral life. — Even moral men are saved by the cross (ver. 39). Peter made prominent the death of Christ, which was a cause of stumbling to many. He who leaves out the cross from his theology, leaves out the puhating heart.- Christ is the Saviour, but also the judge of the world (ver. 42). Be- fore his tribunal all shall be brought, and every eye shall see him— a thought of com- fort for his disciples, of dismay for his foes.— The blessings of the Gospel are the heritage of every one who by faith leans upon Christ (ver. 43\ The cross frowns down all class pride, and pronounces all capal le of salvation. — The gift of the Holy Ghost is not indissolubly associated with bapti.sm in such a way that no one can be saved who is not baptized. But baptism is of divine appointment, and though a man may have had the unction of the Spirit without it, yet he ought, like Paul and Cornelius, to submit to the water of baptism which Christ thought necessary to command. Fflter's Defence at Jerusalem of his Conduct towards Cornelius, vers. 1-18. The account given by Peter at Jerusalem before the 'Apostles and brethren' who blamed him for his attitude towards the admission of Cornelius to baT)tism and fellowship is by no means a mere repetition of the account by Luke in the tenth chapter. There are variations of the most instructive kind, which furnish, on a careful comparison of the two chapters, a very valuable indirect proof of the natural truth- fulness of the whole story. The argument will be briefly summed up in an Excursus at the close. 11: 2-4.] ACTS XI. 149 2 Avorcl of God. And when Peter was come up to Jeru- salem, they that were of the circumcision contended 3 v,'ith him, saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircum- 4 cised, and didst eat with them. But Peter began, and expounded the matter unto them in order, saying, Ver. 1. The apostles and the brethren that were in Judaea. Probably some of them were at Jerusalem, and some of them itinera- ting, like Peter, through the Holy Land, for the purpose of spreading the Gospel. — Heard. The news of such an occurrence in the con- spicuous town of Coesarea, and connected with one so prominent as Peter, must have rapidly spread, *and produced a profound sensation. Cornelius's baptism was an epoch in the history of the Church. It meant the admission of the Gentiles to the Church on an equal footing with the Jews. — The Gentiles also had received the word of God. These Apostles and brethren had Christian hearts, and they must have rejoiced in the thought that the Gospel had found accept- ance in other hearts (see ver. 18). That which they could not under- stand was that these Gentiles should have been reached by this blessing without first becoming Jews. Ver. 2. They that were of the circumcision. By this is ex- pressed, not simply that they were Jews, but that they had a strong and deep feeling regarding the necessity of circumcision. With the exception of the recent converts, none except Jews were members of the Church of Christ. This expression, however, is one that it would be natural for Luke, writing some years afterwards, to use. ^The ^listinction soon came to be a well-defined one between the Jewish section in the Church and the Gentile. The former laid much stress upon the rites of the 0. T. The extreme "wing of the Jewish Christians is known as Judaizers, and taught that it was necessary for a Gentile to be cir- cumcised before he could become a Christian. With this class of teachers Paul contends in his Epistle to the Galatians, and with refer- ence to these two parties in the Church, he emphasized the statement that 'neither is circumcision anything nor uncircumcision, but a new creature' (Gal. 6 : 15). — -Contended with him. It is not sur- prising that the baptism of a Gentile should have produced a sensation among the Jewish Christians. They reverenced the INIosaic Law and the ritual they had received from their fathers. They were of divine origin. The admission of Cornelius to the privileges of the Messiah's kingdom shocked their prejudices. We can here see how far they were from understanding the full significance of Christ's life. Ver. 3. Didst eat "with them. This step involved all the rest. See on 10: 28, 28. It was not the communicating the Gospel to the Gentiles which they grudged, but the communicating it in such a way as to do violence to the most cherished principles of the past. Ver. 4. Expounded the matter. This was his most judicious 150 ACTS XI. [11: 5-10. 5 I was in the city of Joppa praying : and in a trance I saw a vision, a certain vessel descending, as it were a great sheet let down from heaven by four corners ; 6 and it came even unto me : upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw the four-footed beasts of the earth and wild beasts and 7 creeping things and fowls of the heaven. And I heard also a voice saying unto me. Rise, Peter; kill 8 and eat. But I said, Not so. Lord : for nothing com- mon or unclean hath ever entered into my mouth. 9 But a voice answered the second time out of heaven, What God hath cleansed, make not thou common. 10 And this was done thrice : and all were drawn up again course. A simple statement of the facts was the most likely to be per- suasive. He did not argue. The mere telling of the story was a proof of the divine teaching in this case, which was far beyond any argu- ment. Ver. 5. I was in the city of Joppa praying. It was essential that Peter should name the place where this remarkable experience had occurred, and mention the fact that he was engaged ifi prayer when this strange series cf events began. This was his starting-point. — In a trance I savvr a vision. To them, so far from suggesting any difficulty, this would be persuasive. It was strictly according to all they had been taught in their knowledge of early Jewish history. In addressing Cornelius it would have been out of place, especially since all that was seen in the trance had a Hebrew coloring. The essential point for Peter (10: 28) to urge on the centurion was, that God had by some mode brought him to a new religious conviction. — It came even unto me. This is an addition which imparts much liveliness to the story as told by Peter himself, and an important one, as showing that the circumstances of the trance were not vaguely ap- prehended, but that he saw everything definitely and distinctly. Peter's account is more vivid than that in the last chapter. We are listening here to the eye-witness. Ver. 6. And -wild beasts. This adds to the emphasis of the surprise felt by Peter on contemplating a n:\ultitude of all kinds of animals, and hearing a command giving sanction for his eating of them indiscriminately. Ver. 9. A voice ans-wered the second time out of heaven. The word 'answered' is more definite and lively than that used in 10: 15; and the phrase 'from heaven' is an addition, which would have its force for Peter's present hearers. Ver. 10. All were drawn up again into heaven. There is 11: 11-13.] ACTS XL 161 11 into heaven. And behold, forthwith three men stood before the house in which we were, having been sent 12 from Csesarea unto me. And the Spirit bade me go with them, making no distinction. And these six brethren also accompanied me ; and we entered into 13 the man's house : and he told us how he had seen the angel standing in his house, and saying. Send to Joppa, more life in this phrase than in what we find in Acts 10: 16, and it is likewise more suitable to the action of the 'ropes' seen in the trance. Ver. 11. Forthwith three men, etc. The apostle calls his hearers to note, the startling coincidence of this arrival. He says nothing of the trouble taken by the messengers in inquiring for the house of Simon the tanner, and of their manner of presenting them- selves before the gate. Nor does he say anything of the intense pre- occupation of his mind when the messengers suddenly arrived. That which it was essential for the Apostles and elders to mark was the visible presence of God's hand in the transaction. This was an argu- ment, the overpowering force of which they could not easily resist. Yer. 12. The Spirit bade me go -with them. The words 'get thee down,' which we find in the direct narrative (10: 20) are omitted here. This is consistent. Peter had said nothing of having gone up to the house-top. — These six brethren also accompa- nied me. Here we learn for the first time two facts respecting these his companions of the circumcision, that they were sixin number, and that they had returned with him to Jerusalem. The phrase ' these six breth- ren,' marks the vividness of his appeal to his hearers — We entered into the man's house. Peter condenses into a very short space the account of the journey and the reception, which, in ch. 10 is given at some length. Another point, too, we should not fail to remark. Peter simply terms Cornelius 'the man.' There would have been nothing persuasive in his dwelling on the military rank of Cornelius, his personal character or his habits of prayer and almsgiving. On the other hand, there was much point in his saying, however briefly, that he ^entered into the man's hovse.' This was the very ground of the censure under which Peter had fallen (ver. 3). Ver. 13. Ho"w he had seen the angel. This was an important part of the story as it reached the ears of the Apostles at Jerusalem. This mode of making a revelation was in accordance with Hebrew his- tory, and with their own experience after the Resurrection and at the Ascension. The appearance of an angel to Cornelius raised a serious question demanding very careful attention. — In his house. The appearance of the angel in his very house, rendered the case much stronger. Not only did it make the risk of illusion less probable, but it seemed to give a kind of sacredness to that house, the entering of which by Peter they had so severely blamed. 152 ACTS XL [11: U-18. u and fetch Simon, whose surname is Peter; who shall speak unto thee words, whereby thou shalt be saved, 15 thou and all thy house. And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, even as on us at the begin- 16 ning. And I remembered the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water ; but ye 17 shall be baptized ^ with the Holy Ghost. If then God gave unto them the like gift as he did also unto us, when we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, who was 18 I, that I could withstand God ? And when they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified 1 Or, in. Ver. 14. Thou and all thy house. ' All thy house ' is a special addition here. The promise is in harmony with the preparation made for the Gospel in the house of Cornelius, as implied in 10: 2, 7, 22, 24, and with the results of Peter's preaching, as described in 10: 44. Vef. 15. As I began to speak. From this we see that Peter was intending to say more than is recorded in 10: 35-44. The Jescent of the Holy Spirit interrupted his address. — As on us at the begin- ning. And therefore miraculously, with signs audible or visible or both. The phrase 'at the beginning' is the same which we find at the opening of John's Gospel and at the opening of Genesis. Peter claimed Pentecost as the starting-point of a new dispensation. And yet eight or ten years had elapsed since that day. During this time Christianity had been limited to the Jews and proselytes to the Jewish religion, and the community of the believers had been, as it were, simply a Hebrew synagogue. A second Pentecost at Caesarea seemed necessary to supplement the first Pentecost at Jerusalem. Ver. 16. And I remembered the word of the Lord. 'Ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost,' etc. (Acts 1 : 5). There is great interest in observing how Peter describes what had been the process of his own mind at that critical moment. The words of Christ now came, as Hackett says, into Peter's mind 'with a new sense of their meaning and application.' Ver. 17. "When we believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. It was in virtue of faith, as Bengel says, and not because of circum- cision, that they themselves hnd received the Holy Ghost. Hence the like faith among Gentiles was entitled to the like blessing. We should mark the stress laid upon faith in the narrative above ( 10: 43). — "Who ■was I, that I could -withstand God ? It would be better thus, 'Who was I, that I should be able to hinder God?' The whole had been so evidently God's doing, that Peter felt as nothing in the presence of these great facts. Ver. 18. They held their peace, and gloiified God. The 11 : 19.] ACTS XI. 163 God, saying, Then to the Gentiles also hath God granted repentance unto life. Chapter 11 : 19-26, Further Diffusion of the Gospel, and Mission of Barnabas* 19 They therefore that were scattered abroad upon the tribuktion that arose about Stephen travelled as far as Phoenicia, and Cyprus, and Antioch, speaking the climax of this history is most beautiful. Probably there was a solemn pause, when Peter ceased to speak. But not only did they acquiesce in that to which no reply could be given, but they broke out into praise and thanksgiving. — Repentance unto life. When the grace of repentance is given, spiritual life is the result. ♦Practical Notes. — The early Church had many things to learn. This was in ac- cordance with the Loi d's words to the disciples, ' I have yet many things to say unto you, but ye cannot bear them now ' (John 16 : 12). God gradually revealed to the early Chiis- tians the gifts of the Spirit, the persecutions they would be called upon to endure, etc. It was so with this great truth which Peter had been taught at Joppa, that the Gospel was to be given freely to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews. It is evident that the feelings of Peter before his vision, were shared by the church at Jerusalem as a whole. They called Peter to account for his cordial conduct towards and baptism of Cornelius. — The prejudices of the Jewish Christians against admitting the Gentiles into the Church ought not to astonish us, but the subsequent heartiness with which Paul and Barnabas and others preached the Gospel to the Gentiles may well do so. Only the power of the Gospel and the grace of the Spirit are sufficient to explain this change of sentiment.— An honest, straight forward testimony is more convincing than elaborate theories. Peter's speech was a cool and temi)erate narrative of focts. He spoke like a man who was himself convinced, and his testimony carried convictir^n to the audience of Apostles and brethren.— The Christian graces and a Christian life are the only in- fallible evidences of the operation of the Spirit upon the heart. The Apostles recog- nized that the Holy Ghost had descended upon Cornelius by the outward Pentecostal manifestations. 'Show us thy works' and this will convince us of thy faith.— 'God grants to the Gentiles repentance unto life' (ver. IS), yea to all of whatever condition or nation wno accept the offer of His grace in ChrLst.- The extensive space given in the Acts to the conversion of Cornelius, is due to tlie great importance of the principle involved, against wliich were arrayed the deepest prejudices and scruples of the Jews. Only a supernatural revelation could have convinced Peter.— Peter was not deemed infallible or he would not have been called upon to answer for hia conduct. Further Diffusion of the Gospel and the 3Iission of Barnabas, vers. 19-26. Ver. 19. They that were scattered abroad, etc. The death of Stephen was the first tragedy in a prolonged and violent persecution (8: 1-4). But that which at the time seemed to be an irreparable 154 ACTS XI. [11: 20. 20 word to none save only to Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who, when they were come to Antioch, spake unto the ^Greeks also, 1 Many ancient authorities read Grecian Jews. calamity to the Church, became the occasion of a wider diffusion of Christianity. His martyrdom, in fact, led immediately to the tirst preaching of the Gospel to Pagans, after the conversion of Cornelius ; and a wide diffusion of blessing, in consequence of a great calamity, has been the experience of the Church on many occasions since. It is with the progress of Revelation as with the progress of Science. When a signal manifestation of new truth is at hand, there are commonly pre- ludes and preparations in more places than one. Inspiration and Induction are, indeed, strongly contrasted with one another; but the following words of the late Dr. Whewell may, without irreverence, be quoted in illustration of the matter before us: 'Such epochs have been preceded by a period, which we may call their Prelude, during which the ideas and facts on which they turned were called into action ; — were gradually evolved into clearness and connection, permanency and certainty ; till at last the discovery which marks the Epoch, seized and fixed for ever the truth which till then had been obscurely and doubt- fully discerned' {History of the Inductive Sciences, i. 13). — Phoenicia. This was a strip of land along the Mediterranean, the principal cities of which were Tyre and Sidon. It was about one hundred and twenty miles long and about twenty broad. A good Roman road along the coast made the communication easy between Antioch and Judaea. — Cyprus. In chap. 4: 36 this is named as the birthplace of Barnabas. *It is an island in the Mediterranean about one hundred and fifty miles long by fifty wide. It was the Chittim of the Old Testament (Num. 24: 24). In 1878 it passed from Turkey into the hands of England. — An- tioch. See note on ver. 26. — Save only to Jews. In distinction to the Greeks in the next verse who were Pagans (Gentiles). Ver. 20. Men of Cyprus. It is quite reasonable to suppose that one of them was Mnason, who in 21: 16 is spoken of as 'an early disciple.' We should have been sure, but for what follows, that Barnabas was one of them. The Jews were very numerous in Cyprus. About this time Cyprus and Cyrene were united in one Roman pro- vince. Thus there was close political connection between them, as well as active mercantile intercourse. See on ch. 4 : 36. — Cyrene. In that part of the coast of Africa, of which Cyrene was the capital, immediately to the west of Egypt, the Jews were very numerous. The 'Cyrenians' had a synagogue of their own in Jerusalem (6: 9). Jews 'from the parts of Libya about Cyrene' were in Jerusalem at Pentecost (2: 10) ; and one such Cyrenian Jew at least (Luke 23: 26) was at the passover immediately preceding. Another incidental proof of the existence of a strong Jewish element in Cyrene, and of the con- nection of this place with the early spread of Christianity, is found in 11: 21,22.] ACTS XI. 155 21 preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them : and a great number that be- 22 lieved turned unto the Lord. And the report con- cerning them came to the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem : and they sent forth Barnabas aS 13: 1. where ' Lucius of Cvrene" is named as one of the 'prophets.' — "When they were come to Antioch, We should observe how our thoughts are drawn to this place, as to a focus on which all our attention i^ presently to be concentrated. The name of this city oc- curs six times in nine verses. — Spake unio the Greeks. We here encounter one of the most important textual difficulties in the Acts of the Apostles. It is doubtful whether the true reading here is 'E'/./.r/iag (Greeks or Heathens) or 'E/./.r/viarar {Grecian Jeic^), as in the margin. The manuscripts are very evenly balanced. The Sinaitic MS. has the strange reading £ia-);y£/.wrdc [evangelisU), which is clearly wrong, while it seems to point to 'E'/.'/Tjvmrdc as that which was intended. On the whole, the evidence is in favor of 'E'/.7.r/iicrac, or Grecian Jews [which is adopted by Westcott and Hort]. On the other hand, the majority of commentators [and textual critics. Tischendorf, Lachraann, Alford, Meyer. Plumptre] prefer the reading 'Greeks.' as it is in the Revised Version. This reailing alone brings out a sharp contrast be- tween those who now received the Gospel and those who had received it previously. Dean Alford says that ' nothing to his mind is plainer than that these men were uncircumcised Gentiles.' It is difficult to resist such unanimity of opinion. Yet the very facility with which the problem is solved inspires some doubt. It is always hazardous, in such cases, to adopt the easier reading. Ver.21. The hand of the Lord was w^ith them. That is, those who were preaching the Gospel to new hearers. 'The hand of the Lord' is an Oriental expression, and seems to indicate the manifesta- tion of miraculous powers, which indeed we should expect on an occa- sion like this. Luke uses this phr;xse in two other places (Gospel, 1: 60; Acts 4: 301. Some manuscripts add here the words 'so as to heal them.' Their authority, however, does not justify our seeing in this addition more than a gloss: and the suggestion probably came from Luke o: 17. — A great number that believed. A consider- able Christian community was formed rapidly at Antioch. as had been the case at Caesarea. Though Ctesarea was probably first in order of time, Antioch speeiUly became greater in importance (vers. 24, 26). Ver. 22. The church -which was in Jerusalem. The church in Jerusalem is here spoken of collectively, as a local body, *as we later hear of the church at Corinth (1 Cor. 1: 2), and the churches of Galatia (Gal. 1:2!. The term church, however, continued to be used as a designation of the whole body of Christians (Col. 1 : IS). — *They sent forth Barnabas. Barnabas was himself from Cyprus (4: 36), 15G ACTS XL [11: 23-25. 23 far as Antioch : who, when he was come, and had seen the grace of God, Avas glad; and he exhorted them all, 4hat with purpose of heart they would 24 cleave unto the Lord : for he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith : and much people 25 was added unto the Lord. And he went forth to 1 Some ancient authorities read that they would cleave unto the purpose of their heart i in the Lord. and for this reason it was fitting to send him to Antioch, where Cypri- otes were laboring. On the other hand, he would be likely to be in sympathy wi^ the work among the Gentiles, as he was a friend of Paul (9: 27Jt The church at Jerusalem had before sent John and Peter to direct the work among the Samaritans (8: 14). Ver. 23. "Who, when he was come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad. Somewhat of surprise is indicated in this language. However this may be, we see in this rejoicing, and in hi3 attributing all this blessing to the free goodness of God, the marks of a true Christian heart. There was no grudging of the freedom of the grace, and no doubting of the reality of the divine work which he saw. Barnabas was clearly the right man to have sent to Antioch. — He exhorted them all. He did at Antioch exactly that which at Jerusalem (4: 36) had led to his receiving the title 'son of exhortation.' The word 'all' in this passage is not without its significance. It com- municates to the narrative an impression of diligent work and copious success. — That with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. He communicated no new doctrine. They were already in the right way. His exhortation was simply to perseverance and progress. Ver. 24. He was a good man. The word 'good' does not mean merely that Barnabas was a man of earnest religious character. This is expressed by the words which follow. Rather it denotes that he was a man of a genial, generous and candid disposition. This was the reason why he unfeignedly rejoiced in what he saw at Antioch. Ver. 25. He went forth to Tarsus to seek for Saul. The history of Paul is here suddenly resumed. We have no information regarding his employment at Tarsus. But we cannot imagine him to have been idle in his Master's cause ; and to this period is probably to be assigned the formation of those Cilician churches mentioned in 15 : 41. It is evident that the future Apostle of the Gentiles had not been lost sight of by the Church. It is possible that Barnabas knew something of the vision in the Temple (22: 21) when Saul was desig- nated as Apostle to the Gentiles. The character of Barnabas is set before us in a most attractive light, in that he brought out of retire- ment one whose eminence was sure to supersede and eclipse his own. This has been forcibly noted by Calvin. Renan sometimes displays 11: 26.] ACTS XI. 157 26 Tarsus to seek for Saul : and when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. ' And it came to pass, that even for a whole year they were gatliered together ^with the church, and taught much people; and that the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. 1 Gr. in. extraordinary sagacity in seizing the true import of points of the apos- tolic history ; and his remarks concerning Barnabas are very just and happy. He says that ' Christianity has been unjust towards this great man in not placing him in the first rank amoag its founders,' that 'every good and genei'ous thought had Barnabas for its patron.' Ver. 26. The disciples ^vere called Christians first in Antioch. The name ' Christian ' marked the arrival of a neAv fact in the world. This new fact was the formation of a self-existent, self- conscious Church of Christ, independent of Judaism. This was only ten years after the crucifixion. As to the origin of the name, it cer- tainly was not given by Jews, who would never have sanctioned the opinion that Jesus of Nazareth was Christ or the Messiah. Nor did the followers of our Lord assume it, for they employed the titles ' disciples,' ' brethren,' ' saints.' The term came from without, and from the Pagans. Its form, too, seems to show that it had a Latin origin. We are familiar in history with such terms as Fo?npe>a?is and Vifeliians ; and in the New Testament itself (Matt. 22: 16) with Herodians. It is most probable that this new term at Antioch origi- nated with the public authorities, who gave the designation to the com- munity which began then to make its existence felt, and which was bound together by allegiance to one ' Christus.' It is possible, how- ever, that the name was given by the populace in deri-^ion. In the two other places of the New Testament where the name occurs (Acts 26 : 28 ; 1 Pet. 4: 16), it is used to express contempt. The place where this name was given seems to fit the occurrence in a remarkable manner. Antioch, the most important city of Roman Asia, and the third in rank among the cities of the Roman world, had a character peculiarly cosmopolitan. Less distinguished for general culture than Alexandria, it was even more important than that city in the military and political sense. The situation of Antioch had much to do with its history. It stood ' near the abrupt angle formed by the coasts of Syria and Asia Minor, and in the opening where the Orontes passes between the ranges of Lebanon and Taurus. By its harbor of Seleucia it was in connection with all the trade of the Mediterranean ; and, through the open country behind Lebanon, it was conveniently ap- proached by the caravans from Mesopotamia and Arabia. It was al- most an Oriental Rome, in which all the forms of the civilized life of the Empire found a representative ' (Howson : Life and Epistles of St. Paul). It was famous for the beauty of its position and the splendor of its buildings, and infamous for the profligacy and fraud, sorcery 158 ACTS XL [11: 27. Chapter 11: 27-30. Charitable 3Iission of Baniabas and Saul to Jerusalem, 27 Now ill these days there came down prophets from and effeminacy of its people. Its Christian history was subsequently very eminent ; for it became the seat of one of the five patriarchates of the Church, and of a famous school of theological thought. Here we are called to notice that Antioch was the mother of Christian mis- sions, and the author of the Christian name. * Practical Notes — A wise Providence may overrule what often seems to be an unmitigated evil for good. Stephens martyrdom was a hard blow at the Church. Such a powerful and fervent young witness could ill be spared. But the persecution which brought about his death scattered the early Christians, who went even as far as Cyprus and Antioch preaching the Gospel. Gods dispensations can ouly be read in the light of after developments. The seed blown by the wind and covered under the dark soil bursts into a plant and tree. The Church and the individual are tossed about and trcubled with sorrow, but they learn to trust more implicitly in God, practise the Christian virtues of patience and perseverance, and so emerge from the apparently dark dispensation purified and strong. — Cliristian virtue developed in the midst of vice and corruption, and the Church grew in heathen cities which were most effemi- nate and profligate. Antioch was the second great centre of early Christianity. The transition from Jerusalem was a transition to one of the largest but most con upt cities in the Roman empire. It is important to rememl>er that the early preachers of the Gospel went into the great centres of commerce and power, and to those very cities where there was most of corruption and degeneracy, as Antioch, Corinth, Rome, or where th e religious or philosophical prejudices against the teachings of the Gospel were most inveterate, as Ephestis and Athens.-The Gospel is a power in the world overcoming the world and conquering it. The early Christians did not go apart and form towns of their own. They continued in the heathen cities that they might be as leaven, transforming the very life of the cities into a Christian life. So the highest principle of the individual Christian is not to shun pain and temptation, but to over- come them by the power of the new man.-The witnessing for Christ seoms not to have been confined to the officers of the Church. Those who preached for the first time at Antioch do not seem to have had any apostle among their number.-Preaching is the grand agency for the spreading of the Gospel.— The course of Barnabas in call- ing upon Saul (ver. 25) for assistance in the work at Antioch is very instructive. Al- though he was held in high esteem himself, he was willing to be only a directing hand. In true humility he sought for the aid of one who was to be far more distin- guished than himself. He led Paul out of his retirement, and had he done nothing grea'er than this he would have the gratitude of the Church as Ananias has it who baptized Paul.— Co-operation in Christian effort was authorized by the Lord when he sent the disciples out two by two, and is commended by the history of tlie Church at Antioch and the example of the Apostles generally in the Acts.— Christians ! a name often bringing ignominy and death upon its bearers, but one which identifies us with Christ and his righteousness and glory. Charitable Mission of Barnabas and Saul to Jerusalem, ver. 27-30. Ver. 27. In these days. This indication of date is general and 11: 28.] ACTS XL 159 28 Jerusalem unto Antioch. And there stood up one of them named Agabus, and signified by the Spirit that there should be a great famine over all ^ the world ; 1 Gr. the inhabited earth. vague ; but, no doubt, the occurrence here related took plnce -within the year of active ministration at Antioch, mentioned in the preced- ing verse. Prophets from Jerusalem. For the 'prophets' of tho New Testament, see note on 13: 1. .They were inspired teachers, whose duties were by no means limited to the prediction of future events, but included preaching the Word (15: 32, etc.). This was an instance which had regard to the future. Sometimes these prophets were women (21 : 9, comp. 2: 17, 18). Ver. 28. Thore stood up one of them named Agabus. He appears again many years later (21 : 10) in the same propJietic charac- ter. In the present instance much life is given to the occasion by its being sail that it was when he 'stood up' that he uttered his pro- phecy. — Signified by the Spirit. This is quite in harmony with what we read elsewhere in this book regarding such communications. There are two very marked occasions when the Holy Spirit is said to have given indications of coming difficulty. One was on the Second Missionary Journey of Paul, when his steps were ultimately guided to Europe. His wish was to proclaim the Gospel in Asia ; but he was * forbidden of the Holy Ghost.' On this he made effort to evangelize Bithynii; 'but the Spirit of Jesus suffered them not' (Acts 16 : G, 7). The other was at the close of his Third ^Missionary Journey, when he went in much despondency towards Jerusalem, ' not knowing the things that should befall him there ; ' only, he added, addressing the Ephesian elders at Miletus, ' The Holy Ghost testificth unto me in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me' (20: 23). — Great famine over all the world. We learn from other his- torical sources that this was a period of much distress in many parts of the Roman empire through famine, and that there was special dis- tress in Judnea. The term ' world ' is used as a vague designation of the whole Roman empire, and equivalent to the Latin ' orbis terrarum.* Isa. 10: 23. — Which came to pass in the days of Claudius. This implies that the present portion of the apostolic history was not written in the reign of Claudius. The clause is to be regarded as a parenthetic note ; and it is an instance of Luke's habit of marking dates accurately (see his Gospel, 1: 5; 2: 2; 3: 1). This famine is one of the converging circumstances which lead us to the year 44 a. d. as one of the two critical dates which help us to fix, in its main fea- tures, the chronology of Paul's life. * Claudius was emperor of Rome from 41-54 a. d. During his reign frequent and extensive famines occurred. One of these (44 a. d.) very seriously affected Judaea and Jerusalem. The distress was alleviated by the generosity of Helena, queen of Adiabene, who sent stores of grain and figs to Jerusalem. 160 ACTS XI. [11: 29, SO. 29 Tvliich came to j)ass in the days of Claudius. And the discijiles, every man according to his ability, deter- mined to send ^relief unto the brethren that dwelt in 30 Judaea : which also they did, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. 1 Gr. for ministry. These facts we have from the two Roman historians, Tacitug and Suetonius, and from Josephus. Ver. 119. The disciples. This designation of the Christians is found in current use throughout the Acts of the Apostles ((3 : 1 ; : 1 ; 15: 10; 20: 7). — Every man according to his ability. This is a very different aspect of giving pecuniary relief from that which wc saw in the account of the charity of the earliest Christians in Jeru- salem ; and, if we may venture to say so, it is a higher aspect. The principle here acted on, viz., tliat each should give freely 'as God had prospered him,' is precisely that which Paul afterwards inculcated (1 Cor. IG : 2 ; 2 Cor. 8 : 12), and it is probable that he had much to do here at Antioch with this active Movement of charity in Sj'ria, and with its methodical arrangements. — The brethren that dwelt in Judaea. Hero we have another designation for the Christians, which also is found repeatedly throughout thfr Acts of the Apostles (9 : 30; 17: 10; 28: 14, 15). In this place it is probably used to indicate tlie brotherly feeling which existed between the 'disciples' in An- tioch and Judaea. Yer. SO. Sending it to the elders. This is the first mention of the 'elders.' The Greek term is 'presbyter' {-pta.SvTepQg), from which 'presbytery' is derived and of which 'priest' is a contraction. A full account of the establishment of the diaconate has been given (chap. 6). Not so in the case of the presbyterate. On this point Bishop Lightfoot remarks: 'While the diaconate was an entirely new creation, called forth by a special emergency, and developed by tho progress of events, the early history of the presbyterate was diiferent. If the sacred historian dwells at length on the institution of the lower ofnce, but is silent about the first beginnings of the higher, the explana- tion seems to be, that the latter had not the claim of novelty like the former. As soon as the expansion of the Church rendered some organization necessary, it would form a synagogue of its OAvn. Tho Christian congregation in Palestine long continued to be designated by this name (James 2:2). . . . With the synagogue itself they would naturally, if not necessarily, adopt the normal government of a syna- gogue: and a body of elders or presbyters would be chosen to direct the religious worship' [Commcntarji on the Philippions). Still it is pro- bable that the adoption of the presbyterate, like the establishment of the diaconate, arose out of special circumstances ; and the observation of Pressense seems just that the seven deacons had by anticipation per- 11: 30.] ACTS XI. 161 formed the functions of elders, and that the office of the elders was subsequently detached from the diaconate. After this time "we find tae presbyters or elders part of the Church organization in Jerusalem (15: 2), and established everywhere, as the result of missionary work (14: 23; 20: 17; Tit. 1: 5). The questions connected with the corre- lative term 'bishop' {k-icKo-oq) and with episcopacy will be dealt with in connection with 20: 28. The English Version is consistent in always rendering tne word presbuteros by 'elder,' reserving the word 'priest' for hiereus, as in Acts 6:7; 1-4: 13; Heb. 8: 4. The 'priest' of the English Prayer-Book is actually (as it is etymologically), the 'presbyter' of the New Testament. Otherwise in a church which appeals to Scripture there would be a ministry different from that whic!i was originally instituted. *In the New Testament the terms elder (or presbyter) and bishop (episcopos) arc interchangeable, as is apparent from Acts 20: 17, 28, where Paul designates the elders of Mi- letus bishops (King James' Version inconsistently rendering the word 'overseers'). See also Titus 1: 5, 7; 1 Pet. 5: 1, 2, etc. The term presbyter or elder was Jewish, the term bishop or overseer, Greek. The duties of the elders included the general oversight of the local churches. The Apostles were the only officers superior to them (Acts 15: 2). The bishops were not a distinct order of officers (as Bishop Lightfoot has ably shown), but identical with the elders. (See Excursus on this sub- ject at close of chap. 14.) ExcTESus ON THE Two Accoi-KTs OF TKE CONVERSION OF CoENELiTS.— There are two accounts of the conversion of Cornelius, — one given by Luke in the sequence of his narrative (10 ; 1-48), the other by Peter himself before the ' Apostles and elders ' at Jerusalem (11 : 1-17). On this circumstance Bishop Wordsworth observes : ' A remark- able instance of rep/.tition, showing the importance of the subject; and that the Holy Spirit does not disdain to use the same or similar words in relating the same events.' Eeuss who represents a very different spirit, regards the repetition as simply an illus- tration of the popular style of antiquity, of which the Old Testament offers numerous examples {Histoire Apostolique, p. 131). There is truth, doubtless, in both these criticisms : and they are not necessarily inconsistent with one another. But if we were to content ourselves with either of them or both of them, we should lose part of the instruction of this book of Scripture, and sacrifice an evidential argument of con- siderable value. It is probably good for our edification that we should gain our full impression of the whole history of this remarkable event by a thoughtful comparison of the two accounts which are given of it, while from such comparison there come to view strong proofs of the artless simplicity, naturalness and perfect truihfulness of the whole story. We have here to deal with the statement made to Peter by the messen- gers of Cornelius, and the statement made by Cornelius himself to that apostle as well as with the two accounts of the entire transaction. The angel had given to Cornelius an exact description of the aix)stle, furnishing both his name and surname, the name and employment of his host, and the position of the house (10 : 5, 6). The messengers, on arriving in Joppa, made their inquiries exactly in this form (10:17,19). When they give their message to Peter, they describe the character of Cornelius in such a waj- as to produce persuasion ; and especially they note the respect in which he was 162 ACTS XII. [12: 1. Chapter 12: 1-19. The Martyrdom of James and the Imprisonment and Deliverance of Peter. 12:1 Now about that time Herod the king put forth held by the Jews. This is just what we should expect from discreet men, such as Cornelius would select for such an errand {vers. 7, S) ; and it is just what Paul did when he described to his infuriated hearers in the Temple court the character of Ananias at Damascus, and the high esteem in which he was held in that place (22: 12), When Peter came to Cwsarea and asked for fuller information from Cornelius himself, the centurion described the appearance of the angol, adding that he ' stood ' before him ' in his house ' (10 : 30). These particulars were evidently adapted to convince Peter that there had been no illusion. Another point adapted to produce confidence in the apostle's mind and which the direct narrative does not contain is, that Cornelius was praying when the angel visited him. And once more the exact description of the aposile, with his name and surname, the name of his host, and the position of the house, is repeated (10 : 32). Such coincidences are like threads, not perceptible at first sight, but perceived on closer examination to give coherence and strength to the whole texture of the narrative. But the chief point of interest in this compjarative criticisju lies in the variations between Peter's apologetic statement at Jerusalem (11: 4-17 J, and the direct narrative in chap. 10. The problem he has now to solve is, how to present his recent experience persuasively and yet trutlifully. His account is earnest judi- cious, and natural. He is careful to give to the w hole history its solemn religious aspect, omitting mere details, which are of no moment for his argument, though they are interesting and impqrtant parts of the narrative, considered as a mere narrative. Expounding the matter ' in order,' he says that he was praying when the trance oc- curred (ver. 5), that the voice which spake to him came 'from heaven ' (ver. 9). He marks the providential coincidence of the arrival of the three men at the critical moment, and the distinct command of the Holy Spirit, that he should go with them (vers. 11, 12). He speaks emphatically of ' the angel ' (ver. 13). He states that the. phenomena which followed were similar to those at Pentecost (ver. 15) ; he describes the recollection of the words of the Lord (ver. 16), and concludes by saying that God had given to t'he faith of these Gentiles what He had given to the earliest Hebrew Christians, and that to have withheld baptism would have been a presumptuous hindrance of God (ver. 17). Tlie work w^as God's work, not his. This is his main argument, but it is worth while also to note what he omits in his recital. He adds that the great sheet moved towards him and came close to him (ver. 5), and that he ' fastened his eyes on it and considered it' (ver. 6). Such things tended to prove the reality and definiteness of the divine com- munication. He omits the mention of the housetop, the hour of the day, the preparation of his meal. These were merely circumstantial details, Unimportant for his i)urpose. Peter's speech on this occasion, besides being of value to the end for which it has here been examined, furnishes to us an instructive e.vample of that which is enjoined by Paul, ' Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer each one ' (Col. 4 : 6). Martyrdom of James, and Imprisonment and Deliverance o/Pe^er, vers, 1-1 9. Ver. 1. Aboat that time. That is, when Paul and Barnabas 12: 2.] ACTS XII. 163 2 his hands to afflict certain of the church. And he killed James the brother of John with the sword. were sent on their mission from Antioch to Jerusalem. About the year 44. — Herod the king. Herod Agrippa I. was the grandson of Herod the Great, and after the murder of his father Aristobulus (b. c. 7) he was sent to Kome to be educated. He fell into disgrace with the Emperor Tiberius towards the end of his reign and was imprisoned, but released by Caligula on his accession (37 a. d.) and treated with distinguished honor. The emperor exchanged his iron chain for one of gold of equal weight, and bestowed on him the tetrarchies of Philip and Lysanias, with the title of king (37 a. d.). To these countries was subsequently added other territory, till his dominion was equal in area to that of Herod the Great, his grandfather. Like the other princes of his house Herod Agrippa I. adopted a policy designed to conciliate and win the Jewish people. The rest which the Church had enjoyed (Acts 9: 31) was in great measure owing to the hostile and insulting policy of Rome in the reign of Caligula, which diverted the attention of the Jewish rulers. They were too uneasy and alarmed for themselves and the Temple, in which Caligula desired to have placed a statue of himself, to have any leisure to devise a special per- secution against the Christians ; but now a new era had commenced for Israel. Once more and for the last time, the ancient monarchy was united under the sceptre of one sovereign, who was intensely de- sirous to win for himself popular favor among tH^ Jews. No policy was more likely to secure this than to persecute that increasing sect, which was so hated by the Jewish party rulers. This was the reason why ' Herod put forth his hands to afllict certain of the Church.' The persecution began in earnest in the year 44. But before the year closed the king was dead : stricken down in the height of his power by a terrible and mysterious disease. He had no successor, and once more the Holy Land was degraded to the rank of a mere province of the Roman empire. The rulers in Jerusalem were never able again to organize a general persecution of the Christians, and after the death of Herod, and the consequent downfall of their hopes, the relations between the Romans and the Jews became, each year, more hostile. In less than thirty years from this time (70 a. d.) we read of the awful fate of the city, and the final dispersion of the nation. Yer. 2. He killed James the brother of John. He was the first of the Twelve to drink of the cup of which Christ drank, and to be baptized with the baptism with which he was baptized (Matt. 20: 23). He was the son of Zebedee the fisherman of Galilee, and Salome, and became one of the three favorite disciples, being permit- ted with Peter and John to witness the raising of the daughter of Jairus from the dead (Mark 5: 37) ; the glory of the Transfiguration (Matt. 17: 1), and the agony in Gethsemane (Matt. 26: 37). The few words, with which the fate of James is related, have been supple- 164 ACTS XII. [12: 3,4. 3 And when he saw that it pleased the Jews, he pro- ceeded to seize Peter also. And those were the days 4 of unleavened bread. And when he had taken him, mented by a great mass of legendary stories, which connect the mar- tyred apostle with Spain, where he came to be regarded as the favorite saint and the protector of its chivalry. Clement of Alexandria (a. d. 195) is said (Eusebius) to have related that ' the prosecutor of James was so moved by witnessing his bold confession that he declared him- self a Christian. Accused and accuser were therefore hurried off to- gether, and on the road the latter begging James to grant him forgive- ness, the apostle kissed him, saying, " Peace be to thee," and they were both beheaded together.' *This James must not be confounded with James the Lord's brother (ver. 17). He must have been prominent in the counsels of the Church at Jerusalem, from the very fact that he was chosen as the first victim of the persecution. It was the design of the king to put away the distinguished and active leaders of the Church, in the belief that if they were gone the organization would dissolve. The Roman emperor Decius (240-251), in his persecution of the Christians pursued a similar course, and struck at the bishops and other officers of the Church. Diocletian (284-305) directed his persecution against the edifices and sacred books of the Christians. — With the sword. This mode of punishment was regarded among the Jews as a disgraceful death. Various reasons have been given for the extreme brevity of the account of the martyrdom of James. Wordsworth's note in this connection is striking: 'It was no part of Luke's plan to write a martyrology. His work is the book of their acts in life, not of their sufferings by death. Having described one martyrdom, that of Stephen, .... he leaves his readers to infer that the same Spirit who encouraged and animated the first martyr in his death, was with the whole of the noble army of martyrs who followed him on the road of suffering to glory, he therefore will not describe the martyrdom of James . . . nor even of Paul.' Ver. 3. *When he saw that it pleased the Jews. The object of Agrippa was to gain favor with the Jews. He practised the same craft and astute policy which his grandfather used, who recon- structed and beautified the Temple in order to secure the favor of his Jewish subjects. It is not at all likely that Herod Agrippa was actu- ated by fanatic zeal against the Christians. And that he was not actuated by any profound regard for the sanctity of the Jewish re- ligion is evident from the divine honors he allowed to be paid to him- self at Ctesarea (vei\ 22). — The days of unleavened bread. During seven days at the feast of Passover no leaven was allowed in the houses of the Jews. The martyrdom perhaps took place just be- fore the feast of Passover, some eleven years after the crucifixion of Jesus. Ver. 4. Four quaternions of soldiers. That is, four bands 12: 5-7.] ACTS XII. 165 he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of soldiers to guard him ; intending after 5 the Passover to bring him forth to the people. Peter therefore was kept in the prison : but prayer was made earnestly of the church unto God for him. 6 And when Herod was about to bring him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains : and guards before the door 7 kept the prison. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood by him, and a light shined in the cell : and he smote Peter on the side, and awoke him, saying. Pise of soldiere, each band consisting of four men. These were to relieve each other in guarding the prisoner. The Roman practice of dividing the night into four watches of three hours each was generally- adopted by the Jews of this period. — Intending after the Passover. Herod wished to be considered a strict observer of the Law. The more rigid Jews, we learn from the Talmud, deemed it un- lawful to delile their solemn feasts with executions (see John 18 : 28, where this dread of defilement affected the murderers of Jesus). *The Passover here means not the Paschal Supper, but the entire festival, which lasted a week, and was introduced by the Paschal Supper (Luke 22 : 1). King James' Version here has JEtster, a translation which, while it indicates quite approximately the date, conveys a totally false notion, importing into that time specific ecclesiastical services of the Christian Church. — To bring him forth to the people. That is, for trial and execution. Ver. 5. Prayer -w^as made earnestly of the church unto God for him. This verse is introduced between the account of the arrest and the miraculous deliverance. It suggests the thought that the angel's interference was the result of the prayer. *The word earnestly implies both persistency and intensity of supplication. It is used of our Lord's prayer in Gethsemane (Luke 22 : 44), and the same idea is expressed by two clauses in Luke 18 : 1. Ver. 6. The same night. That is, the night before the day fixed for the execution. Peter was not missed by the guards till sun- rise (ver. 18). It was, then, in the fourth watch, some time between three and six o'clock, that the angel presence entered the prison chamber.— Peter -was sleeping between two soldiers, bound ■with two chains. It was the usual Roman custom to chain a prisoner only to one soldier. Meyer supposes that in the case of Peter the additional severity of the double chain was adopted as an extra precaution to secure an important prisoner lying under sentence of death. Ver. 7. * An angel of the Lord, etc. The language is identical 166 ACTS XII. [12: 8-10. up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands. 8 And the angel said unto him, Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals. And he did so. And he saith unto him, Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 9 And he went out, and followed ; and he wist not that it was true which was done ^by the angel, but thought 10 he saw a vision. And when they were past the lirst 1 Or, thivnjh. with that describing the appearance of the angel to the shepherds on the night of the Saviour's birth (Luke 2: 9). — -^'A light shined in the cell. The light corresponds witli the ' glory of the Lord ' which flashed upon the shepherds of Bethlehem. — He smote Peter on the side. In order to rouse him from slumber. In the beautiful fancy of Keble, the wearied apostle, dreaming of the glorious witness to his Lord he was to witness when the day dawned, would naturally mistake the angel's voice for the summons to execution. ♦ His dream is changed— the tyrant's voice Calls to that last of glorious deeds ; But as he rises to rejoice, Not Herod, but an angel leads.' —Chi-istim Year, 'St. Peter's Day.' Yer. 8. Gird thyself, etc. The angel gives these various direc- tions — 1) to indicate the reality of the appearance; 2) to show there was no need for has^te. The prisoner was to arise at once ; he would find the iron fetters which bound him to the sleeping soldiers already snapped. He was to tighten the girdle which confined his tunic, to strap on the light sandals he had laid aside before he slept. ' Tarry not to bind on your sandals' was a usual saying among the Greeks when they urged one to hasten. He was to throw round him his heavy cloak as a protection against the sharp air of the early spring morning. Yer. 9. *"Wist not that it was true. Wist, the old English equivalent of kneiv, the root of which is still preserved in the word wise. The liberation took place so noiselessly and rapidly, and the whole occurrence was so unexpected and miraculous, that at the time he thought it was a dream and not reality. As soon as they were out on the street and the angel had departed, Peter's bewilderment ceased. The dazed and confused state of his mind is well indicated by the words in ver. 11, 'when Peter was come to himself.' His bewilderment was a normal result of his sudden awakening out of sleep, the flash of light and the abrupt transition from the prison to the street. Yer. 10. They came unto the iron gate. Silently, without a word, the radiant messenger from heaven and the amazed apostle passed out from the cell past the first sleeping guard, then past the 12: 11, 12.] ACTS XII. 167 and the second ward, they came unto the iron g:ate that leadeth mto tlie city; which opened to them of its own accord : and they went out, and passed on through one street ; and straightway the angel departed from him. 11 And when Peter was come to himself, he said, Xow I know of a truth, that the Lord hath sent forth his angel and delivered me out of the hand of Herod, and from all the expectation of the people of the Jews. 12 And when he had considered the thing, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John whose surname was Mark ; where many were gathered together and were second at the prison entrance, then into the street ; and there tte angel passed back into the unseen, leaving Peter alone but free. Ver. 11. "When Peter was come to himself. Up to this time, all had seemed to Peter as a dream ; but now, when he stood alone in the midst of the city, and he called to mind distinctly the varied cir- cumstances of his deliverance, he at once with deep gratitude recog- nized whence his deliverance had come. *Luke uses a similar (though in the Greek not the same) expression of the prodigal son, when he returned to his normal condition of mind (Luke 15: 17). — *Tbe ex- pectation of the people of the Jews. They were looking for- ward with interest and expectancy to the execution of a second leader of the Christians. The execution of James had given great satisfaction to the people (ver. 3j. Ver. 12. He came to the house of Mary. It was natural that Peter should betake himself to Clary's house, for it is evident that between this fimily and himself there existed some close tie of friend- ship. Mary was the aunt of the famous Barnabas of Cyprus (Col. 4: 10). The family was evidently one of some consideration, and possessed some means. The house of Mary was large enough to form one of the meeting-places for the believers of Jerusalem. — John, whose surname was Mark. This seems to be the same person as ]SIai'k the Evangelist : he was the cousin of Barnabas (Col. 4: 10), and his friend and companion (Acts 12: 25; 15: 39). Peter calls him his spiritual 'son' (1 Pet. 5: 13). The early Church believed that Mark's Gospel was in reality the Gospel of Peter, and that Mark simply put down the words and memories of his teacher and friend the Apostle Peter. — "Where many were gathered together. It was late in the night. The special object for which the assembly had been con- vened, was to pray for Peter. These nocturnal assemblies of Christians for prayer were continued in many places in more quiet times, partly owing to the solemnity which belongs to the hours of the night, partly owing to a deep-rooted persuasion that the Lord would come again 168 ACTS XII. [12: 13-16. 13 praying. And when he knocked at the door of the 14 gate, a maid came to answer,named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter^s voice, she oj^ened not the gate for joy, but ran in, and told that Peter stood before the 15 gate. And they said unto her. Thou art mad. But she confidently affirmed that it was even so. And they 16 said, It is his angel. But Peter continued knocking : and when they had opened, they saw him, and were during the night. Wordsworth beautifully writes on this verse: 'Herod's soldiers were watching under arms at the door of the prison; Christ's soldiers were watching unto prayer in the house of Mary. Christ's soldiers are more powerful with their arms than Herod's soldiers with theirs : they unlock the prison doors and bring Peter to the house of Mary.' Vcr. 13. At the door of the gate. The door was most probably that small outer door by which one entered through the large gate from the street into the court where the house was. — A maid . . . named Rhoda — or, as we should render the Greek name, Rose. The names of phints and flowers were favorite names for the daughters of Israel. So Susannah signifies a lily, Esther a myrtle, Tamar a palm. Ver. 14. W^heu she knew Peter's voice, etc. So eager was Rhoda, the servant, perhaps the slave, of Mary, to make the others partakers of the great joy she felt at Peter's deliverance, that she ran back to tell the tidings and forgot to open the door. This striking incident shows how the apostle was loved by all orders and ranks. Chrysostora draws attention to the fact that slaves and servants in the early Church shared in the hopes and fears of those socially above them. * It is evident from this lively touch of the narrator, that Peter had been a frequent guest at the house of Mary, and it is probable that the maid was a Christian. Ver. 15. They said, It is his angel. Some have tried to ex- plain away this passage by suggesting that the word rendered ongcl in the original signified 'messenger' simply ; but this is most improba- ble, for how could they have expected a messenger from the prison at such an hour? Besides, Rhoda knew the voice of Peter. It is evident that the Christians (or at least some of them) who were present that night in Mary's house, believed that Peter's guardian angel had assumed his voice and was standing before the door. Very little is told us concerning angels and their work and office among us in Holy Scripture. Our Lord's words (Matt, 18: 10), 'I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the foce of my Father which is in heaven,' seem to teach that each has his guardian angel and that very slender is the partition which separates this world from the un- seen world. 12: 17-19.] ACTS XXL 169 17 amazed. But he, beckoning unto them with the hand to hold their peace, declared unto them how the Lord had brought him forth out of the prison. And he said, Tell these things unto James, and to the brethren. 18 And he departed, and went to another place. Now as soon as it was day, there was no small stir among 19 the soldiers, what was become of Peter. And when Herod had sought for him, and found him not, he examined the guards, and commanded that they should be ^put to death. And he went down from Judaea to Csesarea, and tarried there. 1 Gr. led aioay to death. Ver. 17. "^Declared unto them. Peter went into the house and in the solemn hush of the assembly gave an account of what had happened. The meeting was what we would now call a prayer-meet- ing. This scene at Marys house reveals an interesting condition of piety and worship in the church at Jerusalem. The Christians did not confine themselves to the Temple. — Tell these things unto James. James, the brother of the Lord, held a peculiar position of authority among the Jerusalem Christians (Acts 15 : 13). For a full notice of him, see note on chap. 15: 12. — Went to another place. It is probable that he left the city for a time, as after his miraculous deliverance he would not needlessly expose himself to fresh danger. Very many Roman Catholic writers believe that Peter at this time pro- ceeded to Pvome, and there laid the foundations of the Church in that city. The total absence, however, of any reference to Peter and his work in Paul's Epistle to the Romans, seems fatal to the theory. Yer. 18. As soon as it "was day. Theangels visit and Peter's •escape must have taken place during the last watch of the night, be- tween three and six o'clock; otherwise the absence of the prisoner would have been discovered before the break of day, when the guard of four soldiers was changed. Ver. 19. *Put to death. Such a severe punishment was in accordance with the ideas of the age, and the power of the authorities over their subordinates. The deed is, however, easily explained by the fierce anger Herod must have felt when he found himself thwarted in his purpose to secure popularity among the Jews by Peter's execu- tion. He acted just as his grandfather had done before him, who shed the blood of the children of BethleViem. — He went down from Judaea to Caesarea. No doubt bitterly disappointed at not being able to comply with the Jewish desire. Caesarea was the second city in Herod's kingdom. Josephus mentions a desire to be present at games to be celebrated in honor of Claudius Caesar as a reason for this removal. 170 ACTS XII. [12: 19. ♦Practical Notes.— The Church had its periods of quiet and of persecution. In both cases the zeal of the Apostles in the Lord's cause was unabated. When there was no open opposition or hindrance, they labored earnestly ; and when persecutions came, they died heroically. Both in life and in death they witnessed for the Lord, and as Jus- tin Martyr (f 105) said a hundred years later, unbelievers were attracted to the Church by the pure and zealous lives of the Christians, and by their manly and willing deaths for their faith.— The Civil arm as well as the Jewish sectaries opposed the progress of the Gospel. Ilerod Agrippa's persecution was the first set on foot by the government, but it was the prelude of the general persecutions of the Roman empenjrs from Nero (t C8) to Diocletian (f 305 ) Christianity, however, continued to diffuse its power like leaven and to extend like the mustard seed, until at last it checked imperial persecu- tian by taking possession of the imperial throne of Constantine.— A life's usefulness is notmeasured by the length of the biography (vcr. 2). Unostentatious, but faithful. Uvea arc known and honored of God. James was a well known disciple and apostle, but the account of his death only occupies a verse of two lines. Stephen's martyrdom was related at length because his was the first, and conspicuous on account of his trial and the other attendant circumstances. James was no doubt executed hastily and, perhaps, without a hearing. — It matteis little hoic long we live, but much how we live. Whether we go at an early or an advanced age, whether as martyrs like James or peacefully like his brother John, it makes little difference, so wo go to Christ — Peter was kept in prison but prayer was made i, ver. 5). A deep meaning is hidden here in the word hut. The power of fervent and importunate prayer is greater than the power of a king and his soldiers. It moves the hand that moves the world. God is stronger than man. The weapons of the spiritual man are not carnal, but they are mighty. Y\'nuld that the Church had in all ages followed the example of the company of believers in this time of persecution, and not have gone out, a.n John X. and other popes have done, with sword and armies.— God's deliverances often do not seem real until long aflcr they have occurred (ver. 11). lie thwaits the plans of the wicked and provides unex- pected escapes for them that trust Ilim. — Xo wall is too thick for God's messengers of light or His arrows of conviction, and no bolts are too firm for Ilis unlocking key. He who follows God's light shall pass through all difficulties. — On special occasions special services and prayer are proper. The earlj' Christians met in private houses and en- gaged in common petitions, relying upon Christ's promise that he fulfils the requests oim those who agree in making them. The Xew Testament does not limit the Church to a fixed and unalterable form of service, but leaves men to the spontaneous suggestions of their own spiritual instincts and wants. — Those who open the door in Chrisi's name have their reward as well ag they who see visions and preach sermons (ver. 13). The name of Ehoda is preserved as well as that of Peter. She reminds us of the lad who had the five loaves and two fishes (John 6: 9\ The l.ite hour of the night indicates that she too, was engaged in prayer with the rest. She did noi do much, but perhaps ghe did all she could. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of the Lord, said the Psalmist, than dwell in the house of the wicked. And Milton, referring, perhaps, to his blindness said, ' They also serve, who stand and wait.' 12:20,21.] ACTS XII. 171 Chapter 12: 20-25. Death of Herod Agrippa. 20 Now he was highly displeased with them of Tyre and Sidon : and they came with one accord to him, and, having made Blastus the king's chamberlain their friend, they asked for peace, because their country was 21 fed from the king's country. And upon a set day Herod arrayed himself in royal apparel, and sat on the Death of Herod Agrippa, vers. 20-25. Vcr. 20. He -was highly displeased, etc. The angry feeling which had sprung up between Ilcrud and the inhabitants of the Pliocni- ci:in cities, was no doubt owing to the commercial rivalry which existed between these ports and the newly built Roman harbor of Cajsarea. They were not under Herod's jurisdiction. — Blastus the king's chamberlain. Not a Hebrew, but a man evidently from liis name of Roman extraction. It must be rcmembcrcl that llerod had resided much in Roiue; hence the probability of his having Romans about him in the principal positions of his court. — Thoy asked for peace, etc. The narrow strip of Phoenician territoi-y was of course utterly inade- quate to furnish corn, oil, and other necessaries for the maritime cities of Tyre and Sidon. From very early times the neighboring fertile regions had furnished supplies for the markets of Tyre (1 Kings 5: 11). Ezelciel (chap. 27: 17) tells how ' Israel and .Judah were the merchants of Tyre, and traded with her in wheat and honey, oil and balm.' Herod was not at war with these cities, but no doubt harl forbidden all traffic between Israel and them. Very likely the first scarcity, the beginning of that great famine predicted in Acts 11 : 28, was already felt to some extent in Phoenicia and Palestine. Ver. 21. Upon a set day Herod arrayed himself in royal apparel, etc. Some fifty years before, Herod the Great, grandfither of the present king, had established a festival in honor of the Roman Goes ir, to be observed every five years. According to Josephus this festival was kept in the month of August in the year 44. The king had appointed the second day of the festival to receive the Tyrian ambassa- dors, and to convey to them his gracious assurance of favor. He entered the vast theatre of Cresarea, clothed in a magnificent dress of silver tissue; whose sheen under the sun's rays dazzled the eyes of the beholders. Herod then from his throne spoke to the assembled multitude, the majority of whom were idolaters, — Cassarea being almost exclusively a Gentile city. Courtly voices cried aloud that the monarch was no man, but a god; and the crowd, dazzled with the brilliancy of his appearance, took up the shout, saying, 'The voice of a god, and not of a man.' The king was well pleased with the impious homage, but while listening approvingly to this blasphemous flattery, he suddenly 172 ACTS XII. [12; 22-25. 22 4hrone, and made an oration unto them. And the peoj^le shouted, saying, The voice of a god, and not of 23 a man. And immediately an angel of the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory : and he was eaten of worms, and gave up the ghost. 24 But the word of God grew and multiplied. 25 And Barnabas and Saul returned ^from Jerusalem, when they had fulfilled their ministration, taking with them John whose surname was Mark. 1 Or, judgement seat. 2 Many ancient authorities read to Jerusalem. looked up and saw an owl sitting on a rope above his head, and imme- diately understood that the bird was the messenger to him of evil. He fell into a deep melancholy, and was seized with agonizing pains in his bowels : he then said to the audience, ' I, whom you called a god, am commanded now to depart this life ;' and the pains becoming more vio- lent, he was carried into his palace, where he lingered in extreme suf- fering for five days and expired. Holy writ confirms what Josephus relates in detail, and attributes the sudden catastrophe to the retribu- tive justice of God. *A very striking contrast is presented between this willingness of an ambitious and Avorldly-minded monarch to re- ceive an apotheosis, and the refusal of Peter to receive the liomage of Cornelius (10: 26), with the words 'I am also a man' (Plumptre). The two scenes in Ctesarea well illustrate the temper of heathenism and the temper of Christianity, which accords to all men an equal dignity who believe in Christ. Yer. 23. He "was eaten of -worms. Josephus speaks of violent and torturing pains. His grandfather had also died of a loathsome disease. Other instances of this fearful malady have been the cases of Antiochus Epiphanes, who bitterly persecuted the Jews; Pheretima, Queen of Cyrene, celebrated for her cruelty; the Emperor Galerius, the last persecutor of the Church (Eusebius). To this list Niebuhr adds the name of Philip II., King of Spain. Ver. 24. The word of God grew^ and multiplied. In strong contrast to the mournful end of the powerful enemy of the Christians. These few rejoicing words sound like the Christians' victory hymn. Again the sufferings of the faithful had done their work, and fresh believers were added in numbers to a Church which covild teach men and women to rejoice in the midst of sufferings. Ver. 25. Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem. The thread of the history is here taken up again from chap. 11: 30. B.irnabas and Saul, after the prediction of Agabus, had been sent from Antloch with alms for the poor Christians at .Jerusalem. It seems most probable that they had sojourned during the Passover there, and had been eye-witnesses of the events related in this chapter. They 13: 1.] ACTS XIII. 173 ChxYPTER 13: 1-3. Paul and Barnabas set apart for a special icoi^h. 13: 1 Now there were at Antioch, in the church that was there^ prophets and teachers, Barnabas, and Symcon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen the foster-brother of Herod the tetrarch, and now returned to Antioch. Chrysostom remarks that the -writer still mentions Barnabas first, for I'uul was not yet famous. This verso properly belongs to the next chapter. ♦Practical Notes.— Herod and Peter present a striking contrast. The king adorned himself with the trappings of worldly fasliiou and a rich altire. IIo was willing to receive divin" lionors and to be called a god. The apostle, in the presence of Corne- lius, lifted him up when he fell down at his feet to worship, with tho words: 'Stand up, I myself ;ilso am a man ' (Acts lu : 20). Tho temper of Christianity is tho temper of equality and universal love among men. Tho Poman world placed the statues of their cmiKjrors among tho gods, and worshipped them. Tho Go.-pel makes emperor and Cottager equals in the sight of God and heirs of a conimou salvation. — Tho estimate which the world has placed upon king and apostle is an evidence of the power of Christianity in moulding human thought. The king, who at Ca-sarca glittered in his royal apparel, did nothing to permauL-ntly benofit tho race, and is furgottcu o.xccpt in the annals of the historian. The apostle labored to turn men's thoughts to higher aspirations, and died a martyr; but the world still honors his memory, and tens of thousands seek to follow his example. Nebuchadnezzar, the great king of Babylon, to-day exerts no influence; but the woman who poured tho nard on our Lord's head does. It is the characteristic of the Gospel, that it has made tho names of the fisher- men of Galileo fam