OTIUM SINE UTERIS MORS EST, < AN Illustrated Commentary jON THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. FOR FAMILY USE AND REFERENCE, AND FOR THE GREAT BODY OF CHRISTIAN WORKERS OF ALL DENOMINATIONS. By rev. LYMAN ABBOTT, • » • AUTHOR OF "LIFE OF CHRIST," "DICTIONARY OF RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE," ETC. VOLUME IV. A. S. BARNES & COMPANY, NEW YORK, CHICAGO, AND NEW ORLEANS. 1878. BV THE EDITOR OF THIS WORK. A SERIES OF POPULAR COMMENTARIES ON THE NEW TESTAMENT. IN EIGHT VOLUMES. Volume I. MATTHEW. With Notes and Comments, Maps and Illustrations ; also an Introduction to the Study of the New Testament, a con densed life of Christ, and a tabular Harmony of the Gospels. 8vo, cloth, beveled. " II. MARK AND LUKE. (Ready.) " III. JOHN. (In Press.) " IV. THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. With Notes, Comments. Maps and Illustra tions ; also an Introductory Treatise, Chro nological Table and Gazetteer. 8vo, cloth, beveled, (The remaining volumes of the Series in preparation.) n{z740 9,n2^ Copyright, 1876, A. S. Barnes & Co. PREFACE TO ALL THE VOLUMES OF THIS SERIES OF COMMENTARIES. THE object of this Commentary is to aid in their Christian work those who are endeavoring to promote the knowledge of the principles which Jesus Christ came to propound and establish — clergymen. Christian parents, Sunday-School teachers, Bible-women, lay-preachers. Intended for Christian workers, it aims to give the results rather than the processes of scholarship, the conclusions rather than the controversies of scholars ; intended for laymen as well as for clergymen, it accompanies the English version of the New Testament, in all references to the original Greek gives the English equivalent, and translates all quotations from the French, German, Latin and Greek authors. The introduction to Volume I contains a statement of those prin ciples of interpretation which appear to me to be essential to the correct understanding of the Word of God. This Commentary is the result of a conscientious endeavor to apply those principles to the elucidation of the New Testament. It is founded on a careful examination of the latest and best text ; such variations as are of practical or doctrinal importance are indicated in the notes. It is founded on the original Greek ; wherever that is inadequately rendered in our English version, a new translation is afforded by the notes. The general purpose of the writer or speaker, and the general scope of the incident or teaching, is indicated in a Preliminary Note to the passage, or in an analysis, a paraphrase, or a general summary at the close. Special topics are treated in preliminary or supplementary notes. The results of re cent researches in Biblical archaeology have been embodied, so as to make the Commentary serve in part the purpose of a Bible Dictionary. A free use is made of illustrations, from antiques, photographs, original drawings, and other trustworthy sources. They are never employed for mere ornament, but always to aid in depicting the life of Palestine, which remains in many respects substantially unchanged by the lapse of time. Since the Commentary is prepared, not for devotional reading, but for practical workers, little space has been devoted to hortatory remarks or practical or spiritual reflections. But I have uniformly sought to interpret the letter by the spirit, and to suggest rather than to supply moral and spiritual reflections, a paragraph of hints is affixed to each section or topic, embodying what appears to me to be the essential religious lessons of the •VI PREFACE. incident or the teaching ; sometimes a note is appended elucidating them more fully. The best thoughts of the best thinkers, both exegetical and homiletical, are freely quoted, especially such as are not likely to be accessible to most American readers ; in all such cases the thought is credited to the author. Parallel and contrasted passages of Scripture are brought together in the notes ; in addition, full Scripture references are appended to the text. These are taken substantially from Bagster's large edition of the English version of the Polyglot Bible, but they have been carefully examined and verified in preparing for the press, and some modifications have been made. For the convenience of that large class of Christian workers who are limited in their means, I have endeavored to make this Commentary, as far as practicable, a complete apparatus for the study of the New Testament. When finished it will be fully furnished with maps ; — there are four in this volume ; a Gazetteer gives a condensed account of all the principal places in Palestine, mentioned in our Lord's life ; and an introduction traces the history of the New Testament from the days of Christ to the present, giving some account of the evidence and nature of inspiration, the growth of the canon, the character and history of the manuscripts, the English version, the nature of the Gospels and their relation to each other, a brief life of Christ, and a complete tabular harmony of the four Gospels. The want of all who use the Bible in Christian work is the same. The wish is often for a demonstration that the Scripture sustains the reader's peculiar theological tenets, but the want is always for a clearer and better knowledge of Scripture teaching, whether it sanctions or overturns previous opinions. I am not conscious that this work is written in the interest of any theological or ecclesiastical system. In those cases in which the best scholars are disagreed in their interpretation, the different views and the reasons which lead me to my own conclusions have been given, I trust, in no controversial spirit. For the sole object of this work is to ascertain and make clear the meaning of the Word of God, irrespective of systems, whether ecclesiastical or doctrinal. No work is more delightful than that which throws us into fellowship with great minds ; of all work the most delightful is that which brings us into association with the mind of God. This is the fellowship to which the student of the Bible aspires. I can have for those who use this work no higher hope than that they may find in its employment some of the happi ness which I have found in its preparation, and that it may serve them as it has served me, as a guide to the Word, of God, and through that Word to a better acquaintance with God himself. CORNWALL-ON-HUDSON, May, 1875. LYMAN ABBOTT. TABLE OF CONTENTS. FAOE iNTKODUCnON 13 Gazettbek 33 supplementabt notes — Petbb's Pentecostal Sermon 45 The Otjtpoubing op the Holt Spirit at the Pentecost 48 Of Communism in the Eaelt Chubch .".... 49 Gamaliel's Counsel 74 Of the Origin and Office of Deacons 77 Stephen's Address 80 The Case op Simon Magus 100 The CJonversion of Saul Ill The So-called Council at Jerusalem ¦. 164 The Conversion of the Jailer 183 Paul at Athens — Prel. Note 188 Paul at Athens — Sup. Note 198 Paul's Voyage and Shipwrbce; 346 Ancient Navigation 247 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. The illustrations accompanying this volume have been derived from a number of sources. Some of the smaller outline engravings of implements, utensils, etc., have been taken from RicKs Dictionary ; several of the illustrations of ancient sites have been taken from Lewin's Life and Epistles qfiSt. Paul; some from Murray's Illustrated New Testament; the maps have been taken from Conybeare and Sbwson's Life and Epistles of St. Ihul, but have been carefully revised for this work. A large proportion of the engravings, however, especially those illustrating ancient manners and customs, have been drawn and engraved expressly for this volume, from sketches by Mr. A. L. Kawson. PAGE Traditional Portraits of Peter and Paul 28 Olivet, prom Road to Bethany 31 Oriental Prayeb-meeting 33 The Traditional Aceldama 34 Tombs op the Kings. — David's Sepulchre 44 Baptizing in the East , 47 An Oriental Coitrt 58 Face op Herod 63 Prbpabbd por Burial 66 Solomon's Porch 68 Bastinado .' 74 A Grecian Widow 76 Death of Stephen 93 City op Samaria, from the Southeast 95 Gaza 103 Candace, Queen op Ethiopia 103 Philip's Fountain 105 AzoTUS. — Ashdod 106 C^SAREA PALESTINA 106 A Turkish Firman 107 Damascus, prom the Jerusalem Roads 108 Ancient Ox-goad 110 Windows on the Wall. — Damascus 116 Tarsus, the Birth-place op Paul 117 Ltdda, with the Ruins op the Church op St. George 130 View of Joppa, prom the Northeast 131 The Fountain of Tabitha, near Joppa , 133 An Arab Widow 133 House op Simon the Tanner .' 133 A Roman Soldier 135 Antioch in Syria 133 X LIST OF ILLUSTEATIONS. PAGE Oriental Prison 138 Links op an Ancient Chain 139 Modern Sheik on His Throne 143 Seleucia and Mt. Pieria 146 Ancient Salamis. — Modern^ Famagosta 147 Pbbga in Pamphylia 150 Antioch in Pisidia 151 iconium. — koniybh 158 Ancient Sacrifice and Altar 161 Troas, prom Tenedos 174 Arab-Greek 175 The Dyer's Shop 177 Ruins in the Market-place op Philippi « 179 The Fasces 181 Inner Prison. — Sectional View 181 In the Stocks ; 181 The Lictor 184 Thessalonica 185 Ancient Athens Restored 189 Athens, Modern 190 The Agora 192 Philosopher Studying a Roll Op Papyrus before a Sun-dial 198 Mars Hill. — The Areopagus 194 Ancient Altars 196 Women Weaving Tent-cloth 302 Temple op Diana 309 Theatre at Ephesus 315 Image op Diana 316 The Girdle 326 Eastern Barber-shop 337 Casting off Garments 231 Boat with Tackling 347 Boat with Eyes 351 SiDON 349 View op Crete 350 PUTBOLI 359 CuM.aE 360 Prisoner in Chains 361 MAPS AND PLANS. Map OP Paul's First and Second Missionary Journeys 19 Map OP Countries Mentioned in Acts, with Paul's Third and Fourth Journeys 21 Map op Samothracia j7g Plan op Athens jgj Map op South Coast of Crete 353 Coast op Malta 3gg Journey prom Putboh to Rome. 260 THE ACTS The Apostles, NOTES AND COMMENTS THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. INTRODUCTION. By whom written. That the author of the Book of Acts is the same as that of the third Gospel is evident from several considerations ; from the address to Theophilus, and the refer ence to » previous treatise similarly addressed (comp. Acts 1 : 1 with Lake 1:3); f rom the stroDg resem blance in the style of the two books ; from par allelisms particularly noticeable in the description of the shipwreck in Acts and the storm on the Sea of Galilee in the Gospel ; from intimations, slight, and yet noticeable, of the author's knowl edge of disease and his use of medical terms (comp. Luke 4 : 38 ; 8 : 43, 44, with Acta 3:7; 12 : S3 ; 13 : 11 ; 28 : 8) ; and from the fact that Luke, who de scribes himself as the traveling companion of Paul even to Rome itself, is several times re ferred to by Paul as being with him in Rome (comp. Acts 28 with Col. 4 : 14; 2 Tim. 4 : 11 ; Phil. 24). That the author of both is Luke is the universal testi mony of antiquity. Several other hypotheses of authorship have been suggested ; such as, that the book is the work of a later date, being compiled from vari ous documents in the churches, descriptive of the apostolic labors ; that it was edited by Luke, but contains narratives written by other au thors ; e. jr., that Timothy was Paul's traveling companion, and that where the narrative im plies that it was written by one who was accom panying Paul on his journey (Acts le : lo ; 20 : 13, etc.), the journal of Timothy has been bodily incorpo rated in the narrative ; that Silas (ch. is : 13) was the author of parts of the book ; or that SUas and Luke are different names for the same person. It would be foreign to my purpose to discuss at length these and kindred hypotheses. There is no just reason for questioning the universal tes timony of tradition, which, from the earliest ages, has ascribed the book to Luke, and there is abundant reason in the structure of the book itself for rejecting the notion that it is the work of more than one author. Its style is the same throughout, except where it professes to report the speeches or writings of others ; its narrative is continuous and harmonious ; it gives no hint of incorporating foreign material ; it fulfills (see below on Objects of the Book) a definite hterai^y and religious design; in brief, it has all the marks of careful and individual authorship, none of a careless compilation. The curious student will find a discussion of these various theories in AJford's New Testament, Prolegomena, and in Davidson's Introduction to the N. T., Vol. 11. Iiuke. Very little is lesHly known of Luke; traditions are untrustworthy; and hypotheses, whether formed by skeptics or Christians, are valueless. His name is only mentioned three times in the N. T. (Col. 4 : 14 ; 2 Tim. 4 : 11 j Philemon 24, Lucas). He is thought not to have been of Jew ish birth, since in Col. 4 : 11-14 Paul apparently distinguishes him from those who are of the cir cumcision. He was by profession a physician. This neither proves high birth nor remarkable attainments, since the medical art of that day was of the rudest description, and was some times practiced by slaves. Early tradition fixes his birthplace at Antioch ; one less trustworthy describes him as a painter. The date of his con version is unknown ; he was not one of the twelve, nor, it would appear from Luke 1 : 3, an eye and ear witness of the works and words of our Lord. There is nothing inherently improba ble in an early tradition which makes him one of the seventy whose appointment he alone de scribes (Luke 10 : i). Assumlug him to have been the author of the book of Acts, he joined Paul at Troas (Act» i6 : lo), and was thereafter Paul's traveling companion, though not continuously. (See below. Sources of Information.) Anthenticity. Whatever doubts may exist respecting the authorship of the Book of Acts, there is no room for reasonable doubt respecting its authenticity, i. «., that it was written proba bly during the first century, certainly by a con temporary and companion of the apostles, who was an eye and ear witness of most of the scenes which he describes. The evidences of this are twofold : (1.) The book abounds with references to the geography of Asia Minor and the manners and customs of the ancient Greeks and Romans. It contains allusions to more than one hundred towns and cities. It describes, in some cases with considerable detail, the journeys of Paul from place to place. It describes characteristic ally different experiences in different places — the scornful skepticism of Athens, the worldly indifference of Corinth, the witchcraft of Ephe sus and the mob there incited by the makers of Diana's silver shrines. Both history and geogra phy confirm the accuracy of these accounts. We are able to retrace the journeys of Paul; and the ruined cities remain to attest the per fect accuracy of the history. We know some thing of their ancient character, and that they correspond with the record which Luke has given. We know that Athens was a city of in telligence, philosophy, and of superabundant su perstitions ; that Corinth was a commercial metropolis, likely to be coldly indifEerent to a 14 THE ACTS. Gospel which proclaimed a crucified God ; that Ephesus was the heart of a semi- Asiatic witch craft, and famous for its temple to Diana and the silver shrines which its workmen sent throughout all Greece. We are able, by aid of comparatively recent exhumations, to test the accuracy of Luke's incidental references to the manners and customs of ancient Greece and Rome ; no work of a later age could bear the test as his narrative does. These confirmations of his account are referred to throughout the notes ; see especially on ch. 87. (3.) Claiming to be contemporaneous with this Book of Acts are thirteen letters, purporting to be written by the apostle Paul, whose life and labors constitute the main portion of Luke's nar rative. The authorship of some of these letters the most determined infidel does not question ; others are questioned, but can hardly be caUed questionable. For while the authorship of some of the N. T. books, the Epistle to the Hebrews and 2 Peter, for example, is somewhat doubtful, that of Paul's epistles is as certain as the author ship of any books of equal antiquity. These letters of Paul abound with references to his own personal experience, and a careful compari son of these personal experiences with Luke's history shows a great number of what Dr. Paley has aptly called "undesigned coincidences." The more obscure of these parallelisms the stronger the argument derived from them: A subsequent writer, having Paul's letters before him, might incorporate a few references bor rowed from them. But when we find that the life of Paul, as delineated by Luke, corresponds in even the minutest detail with the experience of Paul as described by himself, and that the coincidences are in many cases such that only a careful study makes them apparent, we may safely conclude that the life is authentic. For the argument from these undesigned coinci dences the reader is referred to Dr. Paley's norce Favlinm ; to aid those who have not access to that book, and yet wish to get some idea of the nature of the argument, I append a list of some of the more Important parallel passages, premising that, in some cases, the parallelism wUl manifest itself, not to the casual reader, but only to the careful student : Acts. Efibties. g . 3 J Gal. 1 : 13. 1l Tim. 1 : 12, 18. 9 : 2»-25 2 Cor. 11 : 32, 33. 13 : 50. 1 14:5. V 2 Tim. 3 : 10, 11. 19. ) ](! . 1 J 2 Tim. 1 : 4. ¦i2Tim.3:15. 16 :22 Phil. 1 : 29, 30. 25;l3,26.} lCor.9:20. Acts. Epistles. (2 Cor. 11:9. ^^•^•^ •••¦l2Cor.l:19. 18:2 Eom. 16:3. 18 : 3 1 Cor. 4 Ul , 12. 18: 8 1 Cor. 1 : 14 18:6, 18 Eom. 16:4. 18-24-28 (lCor.l:12. 18-^^ 1lCor.3:6. 18:27 2 Cor. 3:1. 19:21 Eom. 1:13. 19 : 21, 22 1 Cor. 4 : 17-19. 19:28-34 2 Cor. 1:8-10. 19:29 CoL4:10. 80 : 4 Eom. 16 : 21-23. 20:22, 23 Eom. 15:30. 20: 24 2The8S. 3: 9. 22:3 Gal. 1: 14. 22:17, 18 Gal. 1:18. Date. The date of publication of the Book of Acts cannot be fixed with certainty. The ab sence of all reference to the destruction of Jeru salem, and the implication throughout that it is still standing, justifies the opinion, universal throughout the Christian Church, that it was published previous to that event, which oc curred A. D. 70. The best opinion fixes the pub lication at about the time indicated by the close of the book, i. e., during Paul's first imprison ment in Rome. This would bring it about a. d. 63. It may be said with certainty that it was published not before A. d. 61 or 63, and not later than A. D. 70. Sources of information. The writer of the Book of Acts was with Paul at Troas (Acts 16 : 10-13), left him at Philippi (ch. 17 : 1), rejoined him there seven years later (ch. 20 : s), arid continued with him throughout his perilous voyage to Rome (ch. 27 : 1, 7, 39, etc.). A considerable portion of the narrative, therefore, is a journal of events which he himself witnessed, and in which he partici pated. But there is no external evidence, and nothing in the book itself, to indicate that he was an eye and ear witness of the events record ed in the first fourteen chapters. He does not mention himself in this portion of the narrative. It is probable, therefore, that he derived his information respecting the events there recorded from those who were eye-witnesses. This in herently reasonable opinion is confirmed by the fact that he derived the iirformation for his Gos pel from such eye-witnesses (Luke 1 ; 2), and by the minute details in his narrative. Thus, for example, in the account of the deliverance of Peter from prison (ch. 12 : 1-17), the very name of the servant who opened the door is given ; and In the account of Paul's conversion, the name of the street where Saul tarried in Damascus (ch. 9 : 11). A comparison of the three accounts of that conversion (ch. 9:1-9; 22 ; i-ie ; 2s : 12-18) indi cates clearly that Luke derived his information THE ACTS. 15 respecting It from Paul ; and it is scarcely less evident from the narrative itself that the writ er's knowledge of the call of Cornelius, and the revelation to Peter that the Gospel was a gift to the Gentiles as well as to the Jews (ch. lo), was derived from Peter. A more interesting and difficult question is, Whence did Luke derive his reports of the speeches which constitute so important a part of his narrative ? These he publishes in full ; and, at least in some instances, apparently verba tim. Of such speeches those of Peter at Pente cost (ch. 2 : 14-36) and in the Temple (ch. 3 : 12-26), of Stephen (ch. ?), and the various speeches of Paul (ch. 13 : 16-11 : 17 ; 22-31 ; 22 : 1-21 ; 24 : 10-21 ; ch. 26), arC UO- table illustrations. There are three explanations as to the sources from which he derived or the method in which he made his reports of these addresses. (1.) It is supposed that they were disclosed to him by the Holy Spirit, being in fact a matter of divine revelation. But no such claim is made either by or for his narrative in the N. T. The same reverence which leads us to accept the inspiration claimed by the N. T. leads to caution in imputing to it an inspiration which it does not claim. While the divine inspii'ation quickens the human faculties it does not provide a substitute for their activity ; and it is safe to say that God never reveals, supernaturally, truth which man can ascertain by natural means. (3. ) It is sug gested that Luke has not given verbatim reports of what was said, but has embodied in his own language the substance of the speaker's thoughts, as he was able to gather it from oral tradition, and that for greater dramatic effect he has put it In the form of a direct and verbatim report. This was a, common method among ancient his torians, and Is Indeed pursued by some very popular historians at the present day. But this hypothesis is open to a twofold objection : (a.) It deprives the account of much of its credibility. We are left at a loss to determine what is history and what the imagination of the narrator. It supposes a sacrifice of simple truth to dramatic effect. (6.) It does not accord with the language of the original Greek. In numerous Instances, I not patent to the English reader, there Is a marked difference in style and language between that of Luke the historian and that of Peter or Paul the speaker ; and this change is such as to Indicate that in some Instances, and to some con siderable extent, the exact words of the speaker have been caught and preserved. (3.) It Is sup posed that these addresses were preserved in documentary form in the churches, and that these documentary reports constituted the ma terial which Luke employed in his narrative. But this does not wholly solve the problem, for the question still remains. Whence these doc umentary reports? It is quite impossible to suppose that Peter wrote his Pentecostal ser mon, or Paul his speech at Athens, either before delivering It, or after delivery, and a strictly verbatim report qpuld not have been taken down by any method known to the ancients. (4.) 1 am compelled therefore to adopt an hypothesis com posed of these three ; i. e.,l suppose It probable that reports, more or less full, were taken at the time and preserved ; that these written reports, or the memory of auditors, afforded Luke the material for his histoiy ; that composing his re ports of speeches from this material he embodied it In the form of verbatim reports, according to the custom of his age, and in the manner stiU pursued by the skillful reporter of to-day, who often condenses into half a column the address of half an hour, and yet succeeds in preserving the style and even the very language of the orator ; and that In this work Luke was so aided by the influence of the Holy Spirit that we have in all cases the substance, and, where it Is im portant, the very words of the inspired speaker. It must be remembered that In an age of scant literature and much public speaking, hearers would naturaUy remember better than now, not only the substance but even the very words of memorable addresses ; that they did so, is made evident by classical literature. That Luke has sometimes condensed a long address into a short report, and yet given it in the words, or substan tially the words, of the speaker, is indicated by Acts 3 : 40. The student must, however, bear in mind that these are only hypotheses, and that the N. T. itself Is silent as to the method in which Luke prepared his history, or the material which he employed in its preparation. Object and nature of the book. This Is indicated by what I believe to have been its original title, viz.. The Acts ; the words, Of the Apostles, are wanting in the Sinaitic manuscript, and omitted by TIschendorf ; they were probably added by a copyist to explain the brief and somewhat enigmatical original title. That it was no part of the purpose of the author to narrate the acts of the apostles is evident from the con tents of the book itself. Of the original twelve after the list in ch. 1 : 13 it only mentions by name three, Peter, James and John. It does not describe in any detail the labors, nor does it mention the death, of either one of these three. The life of Paul Is partially, but only partially given. Clearly the Uves and labors of the apostles were not the chief theme of this writer. He Is not a biographer. Nor can this book be correctly characterized as The Acts of the Holy Spirit. True, it does describe the Initiation of the work of the Holy Spirit, as the four Gospels describe the earthly life and work of Jesus Christ. But the Acts of the Holy Spirit began long before the Pentecost («ee ch. 2 : 4, note) 16 THE ACTS. and have continued with increasing demonstra tions of power to the present day. It appears to me then, that, as the Gospels reveal the re ligion of Jesus Christ as embodied in his own life and teachings, and as the Epistles reveal it as embodied In more systematic and didactic forms, and as applied by the inspired apostles to the various experiences of individual and church life, this book reveals it as embodied In action. It teaches Christianity by recording the acts of Christ's disciples in labors for its promotion and extension. Thus we have in the Gospels the fundamental principles of Christianity, in the Epistles the doctrinal and practical teachings of Christianity, and in this book the Acts of Chris tianity or Christianity in action. The book, thus interpreted, is not fragmentary, nor is its ending abrupt. It begins with the descent of the Holy Spirit In Jemsalem, the capital of Judea. It car ries on the record of the work of the church, until Its leading mind has preached the Word in Rome, the capital of the Gentile world. Thus it records, not indeed the final and complete, but what I may call the prophetic, fulfillment of Christ's promise, "Te shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth," (ch. i : s), and the methods in which, and the measures by which, the early church obtained the fulfillment of this promise. The book may be regarded as divided Into three sections, viz., (1) The founding of the Church at Jerusalem by the descent and work of the Holy Ghost and the preaching of the twelve, especially Peter (chaps. 1-5) ; (3) the growth, de velopment, and organization of the church, — its growth in numbers, its development In doctrine and In spiritual lite from a reformed Jewish sect into a Catholic church ; Its organization into a body with officers and somewhat defined methods of procedure,— all in preparation for its work of preaching the Gospel unto every creature, the Jew first, but also the GentUe (chaps. 6-12) ; (8) its missionary work, beginning with the departure of Paul and Barnabas from Antioch, and closing with the preaching of the Gospel in the city of Rome (chaps, ia-28). Uses of the book. What Is the use of the Book of Acts to us ; what have we to learn from it ? Largely it has been regarded by the church as a text-book in all matters of ecclesiastical or ganization, ceremonial, and disciplme. The Con- gregatlonalist points to the election of Matthias (Acta 1 : 28) as an evidence that the authority of the early churches was vested in the whole body of believers ; the Presbyterian, to the existence of elders (ch. 20 : 17) as an evidence that there was a body of officers entrusted with the administration of church affairs answering to the modem session ; the Episcopalian, to the oversight exercised by the apostles over all the churches as an evidence of the apostolic origin of Episcopacy. This use of the Book of Acts assumes (1) That Christ founded a church with a definite organization and definite rules for its guidance, and that, therefore, the church of the first century is the Inspired and authoritative model for the churches In all ages ; (3) that the apostolic example as well as the apostolic teaching is inspired and author itative, and that, therefore, if we can learn how the apostles organized and administered the churches, we shall be sure to organize and administer wisely in following their example ; (3) that there was one method of organization and administration which was common to all the churches in the first century. There is small war rant in Scripture for either of these assumptions. (1.) That Christ Intended that his disciples should organize In Christian communities to carry on Christian work Is certain ; but he no where prescribes how those communities shall be organized and governed ; neither do his disciples. There Is not In the N. T. anything answering to the ecclesiastical canons of modem times. If he had intended to leave an authorita tive rule for future ages, it is hardly conceivable that he would have left it to he deduced from casual and often ambiguous references scattered through a history of what one or two only of his apostles did, In organizing the first churches. (3.) That the apostles spoke by Inspiration of God, and that as teachers they are trustworthy and authoritative guides in moral and spiritual truth. Is, I believe, clear, from a variety of considera tions. (See Vol. I, Introduction, p. 14.) But they nowhere claim to be inspired and authoritative examples, unless 1 Cor. 4 : 16 ; 11 : 1 ; Phil. 3 : 17 ; 1 Thess. 1 : 6 ; 3 Thess. 3 : 9, be thought to sug gest such a claim. Christ Is our example, not the apostles. Their lives, like those of the O. T. saints and patriarchs afford warning as well as guidance. Illustrations of theli- mistakes are afforded by the quarrel between Paul and Bar nabas (oh. 16 : 38, 39), the retraction of Peter (oai. 2 : 12-14), the failure of Paul's device in Jerusalem (ch. 21 : 20-30). If, therefore, we were able to as certain the manner and form of organization of the apostolic churches, it would not follow that we must of necessity organize ourselves in this country in the same manner. (3.) There is very inadequate ground for the assumption that the apostolic churches were all formed on one pat tern. It might safely be presumed that this would not be the case. Where a church of in structed Christians was formed it would assume naturally the charge of its own affairs (ch. 1 : 23-26 ; 2 ; 44-47 ; 6:6); where a church was gathered out of a purely heathen community, unfitted by either religious or political education for self- government, its affairs would be administered THE ACTS. 17 for it by its appomted pastor, and its officers selected for it by the apostle who organized the church (Acts 14 ; 23 ; Tit< 1 : 6) ; Where the majority of the newly organized church were Jews, the form of ecclesiastical government with which they were most familiar, that of the Jewish syn agogue, would be naturally adopted. In other words, the church would be Congregational, Epis copalian, or Presbyterian, according to the pecu liar circumstances and conditions of the church and community. And this in fact appears to have been the case. There is nothing in the Book of Acts to indicate that the Apostles under took to provide one form of ecclesiastical organ ization for all localities, even In their own time, much less for all places and all times. In short, there is but little to indicate what was the organ ization, if any, of the apostolic churches, and nothing to indicate that this organization, what ever It may have been, is the best for our own changed times and circumstances. The true use of the Book of Acts for us is indicated by Its object, as defined above. In It we study the church of God in action. We are to Imbibe the spirit of the apostles, learn the principles which gave them their power, and imitate, though not blindly, nor without regard to the change of times and conditions, the meth ods which they employed. He who does this, studies the Book of Acts to far wiser purpose than he who endeavors to construct out of Its imperfect and fragmentary hints, a complete system of church government and order. Thus, for example, the remarkable specimens of sacred oratory which this book contains, constitute models for the study of the Christian worker in all ages. In Peter's Pentecostal address we have the apostolic revival sermon ; in Stephen's dying speech, the martyr's plea ; in Paul's sermon at Antioch in Pisidia, the apostle's sermon to the Jews ; in his speech to the people of Lycaonia, the apostolic missionaries' address to the hea then; in his speech at Athens, the apostle's argument with rationalism. So, again, while the govemment of the primitive churches is uncer tain, even if they had one common form of gov emment, which is doubtful, the spirit of prayer, of consecration, of rejoicing, of spiritual sympa thy, and of practical helpfulness which inspired them, and which is indicated by such pictures as that of ch. 3 : 42-47 (see notes there), Is uot doubtful, nor is the force of its example weakened by change of time, place, or circumstances. In brief, the important theme for our study is not the external form, but the inward Spirit ; not the mechanism, but the power which moved It ; not the body, but the soul ; n^t the anatomy, but the psychology of the apostolic churches. The life of the Apostle Paul. Our only au thentic Information respecting the Ufe and labors of the first and the greatest missionary of the Gos pel Is wholly derived from the Book of Acts. For the convenience of those who wish to study that Ufe I embody here a brief outline, referring the reader, for a consideration of all doubtful ques tions in chronology, to the notes, and for a con sideration of the date and composition of the epistles to the Introductions which accompany them. All that we know of the early life of Paul Is derived from ¦ occasional passages ui his letters and speeches; e. g.. Acts 31 :39; 23 : 3 ; Phil. 3 : 4r-6. He was bom In Tarsus of Cilicia, and brought up to the occupation of a tent-maker. His father being a Roman citizen, Saul,' as he was then called, was free-born. By reason of intercourse with the Greek population of his native city, he acquired the Greek language ; but his parents, being of the stricter sect of Phar isees, had therefore an abhorrence of Greek cul ture, and there is no reason to believe he received an education in the schools for which Tarsus was then famous. He was early sent to Jerusalem, where he was "brought up," i. e., from early youth ,= at the feet of Gamaliel, the most distin guished doctor of the Jewish law. He learned to regard the Jewish law as an object of almost idolatrous regard, and whatever seemed to weaken its authority he conceived to be a foe to God, to be resisted unto death. His intense zeal against the new religion made him a leader of persecution against the early Christians, and it Is as such we first meet him.s When Stephen, the first martyr, was slain, Saul is described as consenting to his death, and holding the outer garments of the witnesses who cast the first stones. He persecuted the disciples from city to city, pursuing them even to death. Of his miraculous conversion while pursuing the disci ples to Damascus, the three accounts (chaps. 9, 22, 26), though differing In some unimportant de tails, agree in the substantial facts.* They all come from Paul himself, and appear never to have been denied during his lifetime. From his conversion to the commencement of his first missionary joumey his life is involved in some ob scurity, our knowledge being derived almost en tirely from Incidental allusions. From a compar ison of Acts 9 : 19-30 ; 11 : 25, 36, 30 ; 33 : 17-21, and Gal. 1 : 17-24, we leam that he immediately com menced preaching at Damascus, which so ex cited the enmity of the Jews that he escaped death only by being let down by the wall in a basket, probably from the house of some Chris tian disciple, which stood upon or constituted a part of the wall of the city. After three years * For explanations of his douhle name see ch. 13 : 9, note ' See chap. 22 : 3, note ' See chap. 26 : 10, 11, note; comp. 1 Tim. 1: 13 * See note on Saul's conversion, chap. 9 : 1-9. 18 THE ACTS. (part of this time being spent in Arabia, proba bly studying the O. T. Scriptures), he went to Jerusalem, which was still the centre of the Christian Church, where the disciples viewed him with suspicion, and it was not until Barna bas told the story of his conversion that he was received among them. His first desire being to preach the Gospel to his own nation, when the Lord appeared to him in a trance In the Temple, and bade him leave Jerusalem, he remonstrated, believing that as the Jews had known him as a persecutor, they would be more ready to receive his testimony to the power of the truth ; but, when the command was repeated, he yielded and returned to Tarsus, where he remained until Barnabas went for and brought him to Antioch. From this time the Book of Acts is little else than the story of his lite and missionary labors. It may be conveniently divided into four sec tions. First missionary tour. As the result of a spe cial occasion of fasting and prayer, Paul and Barnabas are ordained as the first missionaries, and set out, taking with them John Mark as an assistant. They embark at Seleucia, the port of Antioch, for the Island of Cyprus. Here the Roman proconsul, Sergius Paulus, is converted, and Elymas, or Bar-jesus, is smitten with blmd- ness. From this time the apostle adopts his new name, Paul, which is now first mentioned, and by which he is always subsequently called. From Cyprus John Mark returns, probably deterred by the dangers of the journey, while Paul and Bamabas cross over to Perga, on the main coast, intending to penetrate the districts of Pisidia and Lycaonia. Their first stopping place was Antioch in Pisidia ; driven thence by persecution, they visited in succession the cities of Iconium, Ly stra, and Derbe. At Lystra a mira cle performed upon a cripple brought together a crowd of ignorant people, who are subsequently incitS"d by Jews from Antioch and Iconium, and stone' Paul, leaving him for dead, though only stunned. But these persecutions do not pre vent him from visiting all these cities on his re turn to Antioch in Syria, after an absence which is supposed to have lasted about a year. The broad command to " preach the Gospel to every creature!' was evidently but very imperfectly understood by the Apostolic Cliui'ch. Many disciples were not prepared to go further than to say that heathen might become Christians by submitting to circumcision, accepting the Jew ish law, and so becoming Jews. Paul and Bar nabas, on the contrary, maintained that Christ was free to every creature. To settle this dis pute a council was called at Jerusalem, which resulted in the unanimous approval of the work of Paul and of his principles. Second missionary journey. This occupied three or four years. The incidents are recorded in Acts 15 : 36-41 to 18 : 22. It is memorable for its extent, duration, and the introduction of Chris tianity into Europe. Paul proposing to Bama bas to revisit the churches they had established, Bamabas insisted on taking John Mark with them, to which Paul would not consent. A dis pute arose, which resulted in their separation, and Paul departed, accompanied by Silas. Be ginning at Antioch In Syria, he visited Cilicia, Lycaonia, Phrygla, Galatia, Mysia, and the Troad, and in Europe, Macedonia, Athens, and Corinth ; thence he crossed the jEgean Sea to Ephesus, and thence, by Caesarea, to Jerusalem, whence, after a hasty visit, he retumed to An tioch In Syria. It was on this joumey he organ ized the churches at Thessalonica and Philippi, and also first preached the Gospel at Athens. At Philippi the arrest and Imprisonment of Paul and Silas, and the conversion of the jailor, oc curred. Third missionary tour. The account of this tour is contained in Acts 18 : 23 to 21 : 17. His course, as indicated in the accompanying map, is some what hypothetical. He passed through Galatia and Phrygla, "strengthening all the disciples" (Acts 8 : 23), and thence came into Ephesus. This city was to the Asia of the N. T. what Corinth was to Greece and Rome to Italy, and it may be regarded as the central object of this third apos tolic joumey. Here occurred his conflict with the witchcraft of which Ephesus was headquar ters, and here he spent over two years In the ministry of the Gospel. His subsequent course may be traced with considerable accuracy in Acts, ch. 20. From Ephesus he went up the coast to Troas (2 Cor. 2 : 12), and thence into Mace donia, probably visiting the churches at Philippi, Thessalonica, Perea, etc., and spending three months in Greece, probably in Corinth. Thence he retumed, partly by land and partly by water, along the coast of the JEgean Sea. At Potara he took ship direct to Tyre, and so came, via Csesarea, to the end of his third missionary tour at Jerusalem. Arrest, imprisonment, and shipwreck. Acts 21 : 18 to chap. 38. In consequence of a mob incited by the Jews against Paul, he is arrested by the Ro man authorities, sent to Csesarea, the Roman military headquarters of Judea, tried first before Felix, then before Pestus and Agrlppa, and final ly, having appealed to Csesar, which every Ro man citizen had a right to do, is sent to Rome. The minute account of this voyage, its perils and shipwreck, afford a remarkable opportunity for the verification of N. T. history. See notes on chap. 37. Subsequent history. The N. T. history of Paul ends with his first imprisonment in Rome. His subsequent history Is not known with cer- THE ACTS. 19 tainty. It appears probable, however, that at the end of two years his case was heard by Nero, who acquitted him (a. d. 63) ; that he then spent a period, which some reckon at five years, others at two or three. In journeys of uncertain extent, but which brought him again to Ephe sus. Here he is supposed to have been again arrested and carried to Rome ; but at all events it is tolerably certain that he was imprisoned there a second time, condemned by Nero, and put to death in the great persecution of the Christians by that emperor. According to the uniform tradition the apostle was beheaded, without scourging (as the privilege of his citi zenship), outside the gate leading to the port of. Ostea. The date of his death appears to have been about midsummer, A. d. 66 or 67. Chronology. The chronology of the Book MAP OF PAUL'S FIEST AND SECOND MISSIONARY .TOURNEYS. of Acts is involved in much obscurity, and has given rise to much discussion among scholars. It can probably never be settled with any degree of certainty. The following table, taken sub stantially from Conybeare and Howson, may help the student in tracing the course of its history, though he must not forget that the dates are largely hypothetical. A more complicated and elaborate table wlU be found In Alford's Greek Testament, with dates different in some re spects ; and in Davidson's Introduction to the N. T. (Vol. n) Is one giving In a tabular form the various views of thirty-four different schol ars. 20 THE ACTS. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. New Testament Histobt. 301toV36 37 39 4041 4344 4546 4748 50 51 54 555657 68 5960 61 63 The ascension (May 18). The events related m Acts, ch. 2 : 42 to 6 : 8. Martyrdom of Stephen ; extension of church through persecution, chaps. 6 : 8 to 8 : 40. St. Paufs conversion. At Damascus. Plight from Damascus to Jerasalem, and tEence to Tarsus. During three years St. Paul preaches in Syria and Cilicia, making Tarsus his head quarters, and probably undergoes most of the sufferings mentioned at 2 Cor. 11 : 24-27, viz. , two of the Eoman and the five Jewish BcourgingB, and three shipwrecks. He is brought from Tarsus to Antioch (Acts 11 : 26), and stays there a year before the famine. He visits Jemsalem with Bamabas, to re lieve the famine. At Antioch. At Antioch. His " First Missionary Journey," from Antioch to Cyprus, Antioch in Pisidia, Iconium, Lystra, Derbe, and back ttirough the same places to Antioch. St. Paul and Bamabas attend the " Council of Jerusalem." His "Second Missionary Journey," from Antioch to Cilicia, Lycaonia, Galatia,Troas, Philippi, Thessalonica, Beroea, Athens, and Corinth— Writes 1 Thess, At Corinth— Writes 2 Thess. (Spring) — He leaves Corinth and reaches (Summer) Jerusalem at Pentecost, and thence goes to Antioch. (Autumn)— His "Third Missionary Jour ney." He goes to Ephesus.At Ephesus. At Ephesus. (Spring) He writes 1 Cor. (Summer) Leaves Ephesus for Macedonia, (Autumn) where he writes 2 Cor., and thence (Winter) to Corinth, where he writes (Ja la tiane. (Spring) He writes Eomane, and leaves Corinth, going by Philippi and Miletus (Summer) to Jerasalem (Pentecost), where he is arrested, and sent to Csesarea. At Csesarea. (Autumn)— Sent to Eome by Festus (about August). (Winter)— Shipwrecked at Malta. (Spring)— He arrives at Eome. At Eome. I Philemon, (Spring)— Writes.; Coloseians, ( Ephesians. (Autumn)- Writes Philippians. (Spring)— He is acqtiitted and probably goes to Macedonia (Phil. 2 : 24) and CoIoBse (PhUemon 22). CONTEMPOEAET EVEKTS. Tiberius emperor of Eome. Death of Tiberius and accession of Caligula (March 16). Death of Calignla and accession of Claudius (Jan. 25), JudEea and Samaria given to Herod Agrlppa I. Invasion of Britain by Anlns Plantlns. Death of Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12). Cusplus Fadus (as procurator) succeeds to the govemment of Judaea. Tiberius Alexander made procurator of Ju daea (about this time). Agrippa n (Acts 25 : 24) made king of Chalcis. Cumanus made procurator of Judaea (about this time). Caractacus captured by the Eomans in Britain. Cogidunus (father of Claudia (?), 2 Tim. 4 : 21), assists the Eomans in Britain. Claudius expels the Jews from Eome (Acts 18 : 2). The tetrarchy of Trachonitis given to Agrip pa II; Felix made procurator of Judaea. Death of Claudius and accession of Nero (Oct. 13). Nero murders Agrippina. Felix is recalled, and succeeded by Festns. Embassy from Jerusalem to Eome to peti tion about the wall. BurruB dies ; Albinus succeeds Festus as procurator ; Nero marries Poppaea ; Octavla executed ; Pallas put to death. Poppaea's daughter Claudia born. fei ( iMACEDONIA} " H'TRiSa, c ^ Nicon \^ '%r TAiU VI ON I AN % -S- , troas ¦*' /s I 4„t=iT,na J^p Ai.araiiytti»mP-«f'°«\.-- ^ V ¦pQiEj |pr#D 0 0 1^,^5^ jr ... Srd.Joumey ..Voyage to Eome / C Y K E N A I 'I./ ^'^'jS^SIjASTWPBllS^ ntiooTi - -J B. '•I A\ / JV Sa,J ^ 1^]^ Damascus C A E G MAP OF COUNTRIES MENTIONED IN THE BOOK OP ACTS : PAUL'S THIRD AND FOURTH JOURNEYS. GAZETTEER. Achaia. In the N. T. it signifies a Roman province which included the whole of the Pelo ponnesus, and the greater part of Hellas proper, with the adjacent Islands. This province, with that of Macedonia, comprehended the whole of Greece ; hence Achaia and Macedonia are fre quently mentioned together in the N. T. to indicate all Greece. Acts 18 : 13. Accho. Now called Acre, or more usually by Europeans, St. Jean d'Acre, the most im portant seaport town on the Syrian coast, about thirty miles south of Tyre. The only notice of it in the N. T. is In connection with Paul's passage from Tyre to Caesarea, where it is called by its Egyptian name, Ptolemals. Acts 31 : 7. Adria. This term occurs but once in the Scriptures. As there used It Includes not only the Venetian Gulf, but all that part of the Medi terranean between Crete and Sicily. Ptolemy bounds Italy on the south, Sicily on the east, Greece on the south and west, and Crete on the west by Adria, or the Adriatic sea. Its bounds are only important as fixing the site of Paul's shipwreck. Acts 37 : 37. Adramytinm. A city of Asia, by some com mentators erroneously confounded with Adram- etum in Africa. It was situated on the coast of Mysia {q. v.) at the head of an extensive bay, facing the island of Lesbos. It has no Biblical interest except that Paul's voyage from Caesarea was made in a ship belonging to this place. Acts 37 : 3. Alexandria. A celebrated city and seaport of Egypt on the Mediterranean, twelve miles from the mouth of the river Nile, named in honor of Alexander the Great, who founded it B. C. 333. Acts 18 : 34. Amphipolis. A city of Macedonia on the river Strymon, thirty-three Roman mUes from Philippi. Its site Is now occupied by a village called Neokhorio. Acts 17 : 1. Antioch. Two cities of this name are in Syria, and Antioch In PIsIdIa, both connected with the Ufe and labors of Paul. Antioch In Syria was a city with more than 500,000 souls. It is now a village of but a few thousand inhab itants, and the only remnant of Christianity Is In the name of the eastern gate, which Is called after Pavd. Acts 11 : 19-30 ; 13 : 1-3 ; 14 : 36-38 ; 15 : 30-35. Antioch In Pisidia, a town on the border of Phrygla, was at the time of Paul a Roman colony. It Is now identified with the modem Yalobatch. Acts 13 : 14 ; 14 : 19-33 ; 18 : 33. Antipatris. A town in Palestine built by Herod the Great, and named after his father, Antlpater. It is situated between Jerusalem and Caesarea, and is now a vUlage called Kefr Saba. Acts 33 : 31. Apollonia. A city of Macedonia about thirty Roman miles from Amphlbolis. Acts 17 : 1. Appi Fo'-'-m. A well known station forty- three mUes lio.;i Rome in the Appian Bay leading from Rome to the Bay of Naples. The ' ' Three Taverns " was a wayside Inn, and a customary resort of travelers, ten miles nearer Rome. Both are mentioned by Cicero. Acts 88 : 15. Areopagus, or Mars Hill. A narrow naked ridge of limestone-rock at Athens, sloping up ward from the north, and terminating in an abrupt precipice on the south, fifty or sixty feet above a valley which divides It from the west end of the Acropolis. The court of the Areopa gus was simply an open space on the highest summit of the hlU, the judges sitting In the open air, on rude seats of stone hewn out in the solid rock. This was the site of what we may call the Supreme Court of Athens. On the spot occupied by this court, a long series of awful causes, connected with crime and religion, had been de cided, beginning with the legendary trial by the other gods of Mars the god of war, for mur der, which gave to the place Its name. Acts 17 : 19. Ashdod. The Azotus of the Greeks and Romans, a city of the Philistines, on the sea- coast about midway between Gaza and Joppa. Acts 8 : 40. Asia. The origin of this name Is obscure, but as a designation of one of the greater divisions of the known world. It came Into use In the fifth century before Chiist. In the 0. T. It does not occur. In the N. T. It is used in a narrower sense for a Roman province which embraced the western part of Asia Minor and of which Ephesus was the capital. Acts 3 : 9 ; 6 : 9 ; 16 : 6 ; 19 : 10, 33, 36. Assos. A seaport of Lesser Mysia in the .(Egean Sea. Its site is now occupied by a vil lage called Belram. Acts 30 : 13. Athens. A city of Greece distinguished for the military talent, learning, and eloquence of its inhabitants. Devastated by war, b}- time, and by repeated changes of masters, It is now a mass of ruins. For description of its condition at the time of Paul's visit to it, see notes on Actj 17 : 16-34. 34 GAZETTEER. Attalia. A maritime town at the mouth of the river Catambactes, in Pamphylia, now exist ing under the name 5f AdaUa ; population 8000. Acts 14 : 25. Azotus. See Ashdod. Acts 8 : 40. Babylon. The name given to the capital of the Babylonian monarchy, and also to the mon archy itself. Babylon, the capital, was probably the largest and most magnificent city of the ancient world. It was buUt in the form of a square upon both sides of tbe Euphrates, and enclosed within a vast system of double walls, measuring, according to the least estimate, forty mUes, or ten each way. Acts 7 : 43. Berea. A city of Macedonia, now existing under the name of Verria, with a population of 18,000 or 30,000 and placed in the second rank of the cities of European Turkey. Acts 17 : 10-14. Bithynia. A province of Asia Minor, men tioned only in Acts 16 : 7, and in 1 Peter 1 : 1. Csesarea. A celebrated city of Palestine on the Mediterranean sea-coast, about seventy mUes N. W. of Jerusalem. It was sometimes called Csesarea Palestina to distinguish it from Caesarea PhUippl. The site is still called Kaisarlyeh. Acts 8 : 40 ; 9 : 30 ; 11 : 11 ; 13 : 19 ; 18 : 33 ; 21 : 8, 16. Cappadocia. The most easterly region of Asia Minor. Acts 3 : 9. Cenchrea. The eastern harbor of Corinth, from which it was distant about nine miles. The modern village of Kikries now occupies the site of Cenchrea, and some remnants of the moles are still visible. Acts 18 : 18. Chanaan, or Canaan. The name given to that portion of Palestine which lay to the west of the Jordan to distinguish It from Gilead, the name given to the high table-land east of the Jordan. The territory so called extended from the boundary of Syria on the north to Gaza on the south, and from the Jordan to the Medi terranean. Acts 7 : 11. Charran. See Haran. Acts 7 : 8, 4. Chios. A beautiful island in the .iEgean Sea between Samos and Lesbos. It is now called Sclo. Acts 20 : 15. Cilicia. The most southeasterly province of Asia Minor, divided by Mount Araanus from Syria, with which it is sometimes coupled. Acts 6:9; 31 : 39; 33:3. Clauda. An Island ofE the southwest coast of Crete, under the lee of which the vessel in Paul's voyage to Italy had to run. Now called Gozzo. Acts 87 : 16. Cnidus. A peninsula at the entrance~of the .iEgean Sea, between the Islands of Coos and Rhodes. Acts 27 : 7. Corinth. This city is alike rer::.arkable for its distinctive geographical position, its eminence in Greek and Roman history, and its close connec tion with the spread of Christianity. It was the capital of a small district called Isthmus, "a bridge of the sea," which joins the ancient Pelo ponnesus, the modern Morea, to the northern portion of Greece. Its position made it a great commercial metropolis. The city has now shrunk to a wretched village on the old site, bearing the corrupted name of Gortho. Acts 18 : 1. Coos. A small island near the coast of Caria, now called Stanco. Acts 21 : 1. Crete. A large Island in the Mediterranean, anciently celebrated for its one hundred cities. Acts 8 : 11 ; 87 : 12 ; 13 : 21. Cyprus. A large Island In the Mediterranean, about sixty mUes from the coasts of Syria and Asia Minor ; is very frequently mentioned in Scripture . The first missionary joumey of Paul and Bamabas commenced with Cyprus. Acts 4 : 36 ; 11 : 19, 20 ; 13 : 4-18. Cyrene. A Libyan city founded by a colony of Greeks from Thera, an island in the jEgean Sea, about B. C. 638. Simon, who was compelled to bear our Saviour's cross, was a Cyrenian, so were some of the first Christian teachers. Acts 3 : 10 ; 11 : 30 ; 13 : 1. Damascus. A city of Western Asia, formerly the capital of the kingdom of Syria, is one of the most ancient cities of the world. The population with its suburbs is estimeted at 150,000. The principal street, about a mile in length, running through the city from east to west. Is regarded by the Christian population as " the street which is called Straight," mentioned ui Acts 9 : 11. Derbe. A small town in Lycaonia, probably near the pass called the CiUciaii gates. The exact site is uncertain. Acts 14 : 6, 30 ; 16 : 1. Egypt. A region important from the earliest times and more closely Identified with Bible incidents than any other, except the Holy Land itself. The common name of Egypt in the Bible is "Mlzralm " (q. v.) or more fully "the land of Mizralm." It occupies the northeastern angle of Africa, and Its boundaries appear to have been always very nearly the same. Acts 18 : 17. Ephesus. A celebrated city, the metropolis of Ionia, and of Proconsular Asia under the Romans ; located In a fertile plain south of the river Cayster, not far from the coast of the Ica- rlan Sea. It is now an uninhabited ruin; the retiring sea has left Its harbor a. pestilential morass. Acts 18 : 19. Fair Havens, the. A harbor or roadstead off the south coast of Crete ; mentioned only In Acts 37 : 8. See note there. GAZETTEER. 25 Galatia. A province which may be roughly described as the central region of the peninsula of Asia Minor, with the provinces of Asia on the west, Cappadocia on the east, Pamphylia and Cilicia on the south, and Bithynia and Pontus on the north. The Galatians were Celts or Gauls, and possessed that enthusiasm and fickleness which have ever been the characteristics of the Gallic race. For full description of their char acter see Introduction to the Epistle to the Galatians. Acts 16 : 6. Galilee. In the time of Christ, Galilee em braced the whole northern section of Palestine, Including the ancient territories of Issachar, Zebulon, Asher, and Naphtall. Acts 1 : 11. Gaza. One of the five princely cities of the Philistines which has withstood the desolations of many generations, and continues to the present time a comparatively thriving and well peopled city. It may be regarded as one of the oldest cities of the world, since it is mentioned In Gen. 10 : 19 as one of the border towns of the Canaan- Ites. The present Arable name of the city Is Ghuzzeh, and Its population Is estimated at from 15,000 to 20,000, mainly Mohammedans. Acts 8:36. Greece. A country lying in the southeast of Europe between 36° and 40° north latitude. It is sometimes described as containing the four provinces of Macedonia, Epirus, Achaia or Hellas, and Peloponnesus, but more commonly is un derstood to comprise the two latter. Acts 20 : 3. Haran. The Charran of Acts 7 : 2, 4, was situated In Mesopotamia, or more exactly, in Padanaram. It still exists in the modern village of Harran on the river BeUk. Iconinm. A city of Lycaonia between Ephesus and the more easterly cities of Tarsus and Antioch and the Euphrates. It is now called Konizeh. Population 30,000. Acts 13 : 51 ; 14 : 19 ; 16 : 23. Italy. As used in the N. T. denotes the same extent of country that It does in modem times ; it comprehends the whole peninsula which reaches from the Alps to the Straits of Messina. It but rarely occurs in the N. T., and only as a general designation. Acts 87 : 1. Jerusalem. The ancient capital of the Holy Land, situated In Judea, and directly west of the north end of the Dead Sea. It is 3500 feet above the level of the Mediterranean Sea and 3600 feet above the Judean Valley. For description, topography, and map, see Vol. I, page 378. Acts 1:4. Joppa, or Japho. A seaport on the southern coast of Palestine, forty mUes west-northwest of Jerusalem, and one of the oldest cUies of the world. It is the Jaffa of modem history. Pres ent population 15,000. Acts 9 : 36, 48, 43. Judea. This name is now frequently applied to the whole of the Holy Land, more generally designated as Palestine. Properly speaking, however. It only signifies one of the three prov inces into which Palestine west of the Jordan was divided at the time of Christ — Galilee, Sama ria, and Judea. The province of Judea com prised the territories of Judah, Benjamin, Simeon, and parts of Dan, and it extended from the Jordan to the Mediterranean, from the wilderness on the south to Shiloh on the north, running up, however, on the sea-coast west of Samaria to a point north of Caesarea. Acts 1:8. Lasea. A town in Crete near the Fair Ha vens where Paul for a time was detained. The place is nowhere else mentioned, but it has been identified in comparatively recent times, and the name Is stlU borne by a few ruins. Acts 37 : 8. Libya. A country west of Egypt, of which Cyrene was the capital. Acts 2 : 10. Lycaonia. One of the provinces of Asia Minor. Acts 14 : 6. Lystra. A city of Lycaonia south of Iconium. The exact site is unknown. Acts 14 : 6, 8 ; 16 : 1,2. Macedonia. An Important kingdom of an cient Greece, and subsequently a Roman provlnee, bounded on the north by Mcesia and lUyrieum, on the south by Thessaly and Epirus, and on the east and west, respectively, by Thrace and the ^gean Sea, and by Epirus and the Adriatic. Its soil is fertile and its climate healthy. The churches at Thessalonica and Philippi were among the results of Paul's labors In Macedonia. Acts 16 : 9. Madian. See note on Acts 25 : 34. Acts 7 :39. Mars Hill. See Areopagus. Acts 17 : 32. Mesopotamia. A country deriving its name from its position between the great rivers Eu phrates and Tigris. It is about 700 mUes in length and varies In breadth from 30 to 340 or 350 miles. It is the northwestern part which is sup posed to be the Mesopotamia of Scripture, — the land where Abraham's kindred dwelt. Acts 7 : 8. Miletus. A city of Asia Minor twenty or thirty miles south of Ephesus, where Paul, when hastening to Jerusalem, summoned the elders of Ephesus that he might give them a solemn charge. Acts 80 : 15-17. Melita. The name given in Acts 88 : 1 to the Island on which Paul was shipwrecked. While there has been some difference of opinion among scholars, by the general consent of most of those who have investigated the matter, Melita Is iden tified with the modem Malta. Acts 88 : 1. 26 GAZETTEER. Mitylene. The capital of the ancient Island of Lesbos In the .lEgean Sea. Acts 30 : 14. Mount Sina, or Sinai. The wild mountain region in Arabia Petrea where the law was given to Moses. Indeed the whole peninsula which lies between the horns of the Bed Sea has re ceived the name of Sinai from the magnitude and prominence of the Sinaitic group of moun tains which Ues nearly in its centre. Acts 7 : 30. Myra. One of the chief towns of the province of Lycla. Acts 27 : 5. Mysia. The northwestern provlnee of Asia Minor, comprising one of its richest and most populous regions. Acts 16 : 7, 8. Neapolis. A seaport on the coast of the .^gean Sea about ten mUes from Philippi. The village of Kavalla is on the site of Neapolis and contains at present 5000 or 6000 inhabitants. Acts 16 : 11. Olivet (Mount of). Directly east of Jerusalem is a long ridge with four distinct summits, one outlier starting off to the north and another to the south. This ridge is that known both in the O. T. and the N. T. as the Jtfount of Olives or of Olivet. It was the "Park" of Jerusalem. Its green slopes, as seen in the early spring, even now stand out in refreshing contrast to the dreary and withered ruins of the city at Its foot. Acts 1 : 9-12. Pamphylia. One of the southern provinces of Asia Minor. At the time of Paul It formed a province together with Lycla. Acts 13 : 13 ; 14:34. Paphos. A town at the western end of Cy prus. Acts 13 : 6. Fatara. A seaport of Lycia In Asia Minor. Acts 21 : 1. Perga. A city of Pamphylia on the river Castms. Acts 13 :*13. Phenice, or Phoenicia. A narrow tract of country on the Mediterranean north of Palestine. Phenice also occurs in Acts 37 : 13 as the name of a town in Crete where the ofiScers of the vessel in which Paul was shipwrecked desired to harbor. It has been identified with the modem Lutro. Philippi. A city of Macedonia, about ten miles from Neapolis, its port, where Paul landed. The ancient name is still applied to the locality, but there are no Inhabitants. So far as the N. T. history directly Informs us, PhlUppl was the first city in Europe which heard the gospel preached. Acts 16 : 12. Phrygia. A district of Asia Minor twice mentioned in the N. T. Its limits, as the term was used In the apostolic age, were very Indefi nite. Acts 16 : 6 ; 18 : 33. Pisidia. An interior district of Asia Mi nor lying principally on Mount Taurus. Acts 13 : 14. Pontus. A considerable district In Asia Minor three times mentioned in the N. T. It signified a country of various extent at various times. Acts 2:9; 18 : 2. Ptolemals. See Accho. Acts 21 : 7. Puteoli. This was the principal port of southern Italy, and commerce brought many Jews to Puteoli. Hence when Paul landed here on his way to Rome he found brethren ready to receive and speed him on his joumey. It is now called PuzzuoU. Acts 38 : 13, 14. Red Sea. A body of water lying east of Egypt and Nubia and separating them from Arabia. It Is 1400 miles long, and 300 miles wide in its widest part. In Bible history It is famous for the passage made by Israel (Exodus, chap. 14) which took place near the head-waters of what is now known as the Gulf of Suez. In the N. T. it Is referred to only in connection with this event. Acts 7 : 36. Heb. 11 : 29. Rhegium. A city of Italy situated at the southern extremity of the peninsula, now called Reggio, where Paul landed on his joumey to Rome. It is at present one of the most flourish ing towns of southern Italy, with a population of 9000. Acts 28 : 13. Rhodes. An Island off the coast of Asia Mi nor, over against Caria. Its present population Is about 20,000. Acts 31 : 1. Rome (City of). The capital of the Roman EmplrCi, situated on the Tiber about fifteen miles from its mouth. The famous seven hlUs which formed the nucleus of the ancient city stUl stand on the left bank, and the remains of many of the buildings erected by the Roman Emperors still remain. To the N. T. student the city Is chiefly of Interest In connection with the visit of Paul and the epistle to the Romans. At the time of this visit the city must be imagined as a large and irregular mass of buildings, unprotected by an outer wall ; the streets were narrow and wind ing, the houses lofty and densely crowded. The population was probably a little larger than the city of New York In 1875 ; one-half were slaves, of the remainder a large proportion were pau pers ; there was a small proportion of wealthy and profligate nobUlty, but apparently no middle Industrial classes. Untrustworthy traditions connect various sites with Paul's stay In the city. Some of the ruins are of value because illustra ting Scripture. This Is especially true of the famous Arch of Titus, erected to celebrate his triumph, and which contains bas reliefs of some of the sacred vessels of the Jewish Temple. Acts 2 : 10. GAZETTEER. 27 Rome (Empire of). The boundaries of the Roman Empire at the commencement of the Christian era were, the Atlantic on the west ; the ¦ Euphrates on the east ; the Desert of Africa, the Cataracts of the NUe, and the Arabian Deserts on the south ; the British Channel, the Rhine, the Danube, and the Black Sea on the north. The only independent powers of Importance were the Parthiaus on the east and the Germans on the north. The population of the empire in the time of Augustus has been variously estima ted at from 85,000,000 to 130,000,000. This m- cludes the population of the provinces, i. e. the countries conquered by Rome and usually gov erned by Roman officials. Salamis. A seaport town on the eastem coast of Cyprus. It was here that Paul and Bamabas landed, being the nearest point to Seleucia. Acts 13 : 4, 5. Salmone. A promontory on the eastem ex tremity of the island of Crete. Acts 27 : 7. Samaria. The province of Samaria once Included all of Palestine north of Judea. That portion east of the Jordan which originally be longed to it was taken away by the kings of Assyria ; then the northern portion shared the same fate ; and Samaria was reduced to the dimensions which It possessed at the time of Christ. Acts 1 : 8. Samos. An Island on the coast of Asia Minor midway between the points occupied by Ephesus and Miletus. Acts 80 : 15. Samothracia. A] lofty and conspicuous is land north of Lemnos, in the jEgean Sea, off the coast of Thrace, now called Samotraki. Acts 16 : 11. Saron, or Sharon. A level tract between Mounb Carmel and Joppa, in which Lydda stood. Acts 9 : 35. Selencia. There are various cities of this name in Syria and Asia Minor, but the only one noticed in Scripture is the one which stood at the mouth of the Orontes, and formed the sea port of Antioch. Acts 13 : 4. Sidon, or Zidon. An ancient city of Phoeni cia about twenty miles north of Tyre, and nearly forty miles south of Beirut. The modem name is Saida. Acts 13 : 20. Sychem. A celebrated city of Palestine called also Shechem, SIchem, and Sychar, and of great antiquity, for It was In existence when Abraham entered Canaan. It is located in a valley between Mount Ebal and Gerizim, about seven mUes south of Samaria. Acts 7 : 16. Syracuse. An ancient city in the southeastern coast of Sicily. Acts 88 : 18. Syria. The region from east to west between the Mediterranean and the Euphrates, and from north to south between the Lebanon and the borders of the desert. Acts 18 : 18. Tarsus. The capital of the province of CUlcla, a large and populous city on the river Cydmus. It Is now a town with about 30,000 inhabitants, and is described as being a den of poverty, filth, and rums. Acts 9 : 11, 30 ; 11 : 85. Thessalonica. A city of Macedonia, now the second city of European Turkey with 70,000 inhabitants, under the slightly cormpted name of Salonlk(5. Acts 17 : 1-9. Thyatira. A town of Lydia situated on the river Lycus. It is stUl a considerable town with many ruins, called Akhissar. Acts 16 : 14 ; Rev. 1:3. Troas. A seaport town near to the Helles pont, sometimes considered as belonging to the Lesser Mysia. Acts 16 : 8, 11 ; 30 : 5, 6. Trogyllium. A small town at the foot of the promontory of Mycale, opposite to the Island of Samos. Acts 30 : 15. Tyre. A celebrated city of Phoenicia, situated on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean. Pres ent population 3000 or 4000, half being Chris tians. Acts 13 : 80. TEADITIONAl, P0KTBAIT3 OP PETER AND PADI/. These portraits are copied, same size as the original, from the bottom of a gilded glass cup, found in the Catacombs of St. Sebastian at Bome. The earliest interments by the Christians in the Eoman catacombs incladed, besides Christian symbols, some objects of pagan regard. This having beeo the case in the section in which the glass cup hearing the group of the Saviour, Paul, and Peter was discovered, it seems conclusive that the age was probably the fourth, if not the third centnry. The absence of the nimbus (glory or circle) about the heads of Peter and Paul, and Its presence around the Saviour's, may indicate the third century or early in the fourth ; for the nimbus was generally used around the heads of all saints and divine persons in the latter half of the f()Urth century. TertuUian speaks of glass cups as used in sacramental services, as also does Bnsebins. In this picture the Saviour Is represented as presenting a crown of life to the apostles ; the inscription is a prayer of the friends of the dead, who was laid in the tomb In the faith of Christ, and may be paraphrased, " Friendship's blessing ; may you live forever with thy (Saviour)." THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. CHAPTER I. THE former treatise » have I made, O Theophilus, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, 2 Until •* the day in which he was talcen up, after that he through the Holy Ghost had given command ments ° unto the apostles whom he had chosen : 3 To whom also he shewedwiimself alive after his passion, by many "^ iafallible prcfofs, being seen of them forty days, and speaking of the things pertaining to the Kingdom of God ; 4 And being assembled together with (kem, com manded •= them that they should not depart from Jeru salem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saitk he, ye ' have heard of me : 5 For John b truly baptized with water ; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost,** not many days hence. a Lake 1 : 1-4, etc b verae 9 ; Luke 24 : 51 ; 1 Tim. 3 : 16....C Matt. 28 : 19; Mftrk 16:15-19 d Lnke 24 : 15; John.ch. 20, 21....e Luke 24 : 49 f JohD, oil. 14 to 16 g Matt. 3 : 11 h chap. 2:4; lu : 45 ; 11 ; 15. Ch. 1 : 1-14. PEEFACE. THE ASCENSION. The CONDITION OF ChBISTIAN ACTIVITY, THE FCTLFILLMENT OF THE PROMISE OF THE FATHER. — THE LIMITS OF HtJMiN KNOWLEDGE AND THE FOLLT OF HUMAN FORE TELLING. — The SOURCE of the Christian's power. —Tee extent of the Christian's ministrt.— The ascension and the nature of christ's second COMINO. A.D. 30. May. After a preface to his whole book (vers. 1-3) Luke briefly describes the ascen sion of our Lord (vers. 4-12) as a preliminary to the account, which immediately follows, of the apostolic selection of a successor to Judas Isca- riot. The whole of Chap. I may be regarded as prefatory and preliminary to the main history which begins with the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost and the resultant revival (ch. 2). 1. The former treatise. The Gospel of Luke. Comp. its introduction ch. 1 : 1-4. — O Theophilus. Of this person nothing whatever is known except the facts implied here and in the notes to Luke's Gospel. The various conjec tures may be seen in Smith's Bihle Dictionary, article TheophUus. That he was a Christian appears clear from Luke 1:4; the title applied to him. Most excellent TheophUus, indicates rank as well as character (see Acts 23 : 26 ; 24 : 3 ; 26 ; 25) ; hence it is probable that he held some high posi tion, but what, or where, is wholly unknown. The theory advanced by some that the name, which slgnifles "Lover of God," was a fictitious one, and that the Gospel and this book were sim ply addressed to all that loved God, i. e. to all the disciples, is untenable. Both the treatises were probably dedicated somewhat after the manner of a modem book to Theophilus, but intended for a general circulation, which his name, appended, might even Increase.— Began both to do and to teach. The Gospel records only the beginning of Christ's teaching, i. c, the ministry of his earthly life ; It Is the object of the Book of Acts to record the continuance of his teaching, the ministry of the ascended Lord ever present with his church in fulfillment of the promise of Matt. 28 : 20. Thus the Gospel of Luke and the Book of Acts are parts of one connected Life of our Lord — one his life in the body, the other his life in the church. See Intro., pp. 15, 16. 2, 3. The construction of the original is a little difficult and uncertain. The best interpre tation Is that given by our English version — the ministry and teaching of Christ continuing after his resurrection and untH his ascension. The commandments here referred to are especially those given in his last conferences with the eleven. (Matt. 28 : 19, 20 ; Mark 16 : 14-18 ; Luke 24 ; 46-49 ; Johu 20 : 21-23 ; 21 : 16-17). The statement that they were given through the Holy Ghost, i. e. by the power of the Spirit of God speaking In and through Jesus Christ, accords with Christ's constant reference of his deeds and words to the Father, as the Power that dwelt in him. (John 6 : so ; 14 : 10.) — To whom also he showed himself, etc. On the na ture and number of the appearances of Jesus Christ after his resurrection, and the proofs of that resurrection, and the slowness of the disci ples to believe, see note on Eesurrection of our Lord, Vol. I, p. 330. The appearances were as follows : To Mary Magdalene (John so : u-is) ; to Pe ter (1 Cor. 15 : 6) ; to two dlsclplcs on the road to Em- maUS (Mark 16 : 12, 13 ; Lnke 24 : 18-35) ; tO ten dlSClplCS (Mark 16 ! 14 ; Luke 24 : 36-49 ; John 20 ; 19-23 ; 1 Cop. 16 : s) ; tO Thomas with the rest (John 20 : 24-29) ; to the disci ples by the sea (John 21 ; 1-24) ; among the moun tains (Matt. 28 : 16, 17 ; 1 Cor. 15:5); at the last commis sion (Matt. 28 : 18, 19 J Mark 16 : 16-18) ; at the aSCeUSlOU (Mark 16 ; 19 ; Luke 24 : 60-63; Acts 1 : 3-12). Whether the appearance described here in vers. 4, 5, Is to be identified with some one of these other appear ances, is uncertain. 4, 5. And being assembled together. A conference In Galilee is probably here described ; for the indication Is that they were assembled for the purpose of meeting Christ, and but one such gathering is Intimated by the Evangelist (Matt 28 : 16). The Coming together of ver. 6 is 30 THE ACTS. [Ch. I. 6 When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt' thou at this time re store J again the kingdom to Israel ? 7 And he said unto them, It"* is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power. 8 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and yei shall be witnesses unto me, both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. 9 And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up ; and a cloud received him out of their sight. I, 4 . . . . j Isa. 1 ; 26 i Dan. 7 : 27 k Matt. 24 ; 36 ; 1 Thess. S ; I, 2 1 Matt. 28 ; 19 J Luke 24 : 47-49. on a subsequent occasion and on the Mount of Olives, perhaps also by appointment. — That they should not depart from Jerusalem. That Is, until they had received the promise of the Father. — Which ye have heard of me. The promise of the gift of another Comforter contained in Christ's last conversation with the eleven (john 14 ; 16-20, 26 ; 16 : 26, 27 ; 16 : 13, U). ThIS WaS the prOm- Ise of the Father, made In the Old Testament (isa. 44 : 3 i Ezek. 36 : 27 ; Joel 2 : 28-32), recalled to the remem brance of the nation by John the Baptist (Matt. 3: ii), and renewed by the Son. 6. When they therefore were come to gether. Subsequently and in the vicinity of Jerusalem. This, which is the view of Calvin, Olshausen, and Hackett, appears more consonant with the narrative, than to understand that Luke again mentions the same coming together already referred to in ver. 4, as do Meyer and Alford. — Wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? They had not altogether passed beyond the Jewish idea of a temporal king, a re-established theocracy. The sufferings, death and resurrection which Christ had declared must precede the kingdom, had already taken place ; they were anxious to know if the kingdom promised to Israel was Immediately to be estab lished. At the same time It seemed to them a thing incredible that it should be restored at that time, i. e., to an Israel which had proved its unworthiness by crucifying Its Lord. 7, 8. It is not for you to know, etc. Compare Christ's answer here with Matt. 34 : 36, 43 ; and Mark 13 : 33, note ; and observe that It is fatal to all attempts to foretell the time of Christ's second coming, or even the definite signs of that second coming. Bengel's sugges tion that the time has since been made known to the church through the Book of Revelation is inconsistent with the structure of this verse, which declares not merely the temporary veiling of information from the eyes of the apostles, but the limit put by the Providence of God on human knowledge. But Christ does not merely declare their ignorance of the time of his own second coming. The times are the succession of ages, greater or less In length, over which the history of the church should extend, before the end comes ; the seasons are the successive phases of development, through and by means of which it would grow to Its development. It la not In man either to know the length of time, or to un derstand beforehand the necessary processes of growth; It Is his simply to perform the duty allotted to him, leaving the great movement of which he is a part, and to which he contributes, to be unfolded by God. He cannot read the book tin God has imroUed It. Observe, too, the march of events, though above human control. Is not above all control. The Father hath it in his own power. — But ye shall receive power. Comp. Luke 34 : 49 ; Eom. 15 : 13, 19 ; 1 Cor. 3 : 4 ; 2 Cor. 13 : 9 ; Phfl. 3 : 10 ; 1 Thess. 1 : 5. These references will give the student an idea of the meaning of Christ's promise. It Includes (1) the power of working miracles ; (3) personal, moral and spiritual power in the conflicts and temptationB of life, and especially in bearing suf fering and persecution for Christ's sake ; (3) power in the ministry of the word beyond that which belongs to human eloquence and wisdom, or even to the mere natural adaption of the truth to human wants. — And ye shall be witnesses unto me. See on verses 31, 33. — In Jerusa lem, and in all Judeea, and in Samaria, and even to the uttermost of the earth. Observe the widening circle. Compare Luke 24 : 47 ; Matt. 38 : 19, 20 ; and contrast with the earlier commission (Matt, lo : 5). By uttermost both time and space are Included ; to the remotest comers of the earth, to the remotest period of time. Christ's answer thus plainly Implies that he will not immediately restore the kingdom to Israel. The then existing generation measurably fulfilled this command. The apostles began at Jerasalem (ch. 2 : 46 ; 4 : 1 ; 5 : 42) ; the disciples scat tered abroad throughout Palestine preached the Gospel wherever they went (ch. s : 4; u : 19) ; Philip preached in Samaria (ch. 8:6); Peter traveled as far east as Babylon (1 pet 5 : 13) ; and Paul Is be lieved to have carried the Gospel as far west as Spain. But it was not until Christ had interr preted this command (chaps. 10, 11 ; 22 : si) that the apostles fully comprehended its nature. At first they regarded themselves as sent only to the dispersed Jews among the Gentiles (ci. 11:1-3 ; 16 ;l). 9. A cloud received him out of their sight. Comp. Matt. 17 : 5 ; Luke 9 : 84. The cloud was, I believe, the Shechlnah of the O. T., the symbol of the divine presence and glory. In this cloud Christ will appear when he comes to Ch. L] THE ACTS. 31 10 And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven, as he went up, benold, two o' men stood by them in white apparel ; II Which also said. Ye men" of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven ? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall " so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. 12 Then' returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's joumey. 1 John 20 : 12 n ch. 2 ' 7 ; 13 : 31 0 John 14 : 3 ; 1 Thess. 4 : 16 .... p Luke 24 : 62. judge the world. (Rev. l : 7 ; 14 : 14 ; Comp. Matt. 24 : SO ; 26 : 64 ; see note on Matt. 17 ; 6.) Of the ascension of our Lord we have three accounts, viz., Mark 16 : 19 ; Luke 24 : 50, 51 and here. Matthew and John do not mention It, yet they being of the twelve must have witnessed it, while it is not certain that Mark and Luke were eye-witnesses. The brevity of the description and the paucity of the subsequent N. T. refer ences to It are noteworthy. In support of Its credibility, however, are the following consider ations. (1. ) It is intimated by the O. T. writers (Psalm 24 : 7-10 ; 110 : 1 ; 68 : 18 ; with Ephes. 4 : 7, 8 ; Lev. 16 : 15 with Heb. 9 : 7-12) ; (2) and by Christ (john 6 : 62 j 7 : 38 ; 20 : 17) ; (3) it is referred to by the apostles as a fact well recognized in the Christian church (Ephes. 1 : SO ; Heb. 10 : 12 ; 1 Pet. 3 : SS) ; (4) It Is an al most necessary sequel of the resurrection, since after the resurrection Christ must either have ascended into heaven, or lived a hidden life, and subsequently died a natural death. In respect to the body with which he ascended. It is easy to conjecture and Impossible to know with assur ance ; but it Is reasonable to suppose that the change which Paul declared will be wrought in the bodies of his saints at the last day, before their ascension (i cor. is : 51-54), was wrought in Christ's earthly body, which I believe to have been, prior to the ascension, unchanged (Luke S4 : 39, 40 J John 20 : 27). If it bc askcd how, wlth a natural body, could he have passed through a closed door (John 20 : lo), OT Vanished from the dis ciples' sight (Luke24;3i), I reply, by the same miraculous power by which, with a natural body, he walked on the sea (john 6 : 19). 10, 11. Two men in white apparel. Angels in the form of men. Comp. Luke's de scription of the angels at the sepulchre with Matthew's (Lnke 24 ; 4 ; Matt. 28 . 2, s). — YC mCU of Galilee. This address indicates that only the eleven were present, all of whom were Galileans. — Why stand ye gazing up into heaven ? The Christian may often profitably address this question to himself. His business on the earth is not to gaze Into heaven for a glimpse of his ascended Lord, but to follow his example by his dally life on the earth. He is much more likely to find his Lord, by faithful life on earth, than by Intent gazing into heaven. — In like manner as ye have seen him go. Not merely. As surely as he has departed, so surely will he re turn, but, In the manner in which he has departed he will return. The second coming of Christ, then, will not be like his first coming, obscure, and, as it were. In concealment. He wUl come in power and glory, on the clouds, and with his holy angels with him. Matt. 34 : 30, 31 ; 36 : 64 ; Rev. 6 : 13-17. 12. From the JHonnt called Olivet. OLIVET, FROM BOAD TO BETHANY. Jerusalem in the distance. Luke's Gospel (24: so) places the ascension at Bethany, which was fifteen stadia or nearly two miles from Jerusalem. The description is more definite and probably more accurate here. In the Gospel, "Bethany" probably stands for the district or region about the town proper ; and Alford suggests that the exactness of description 33 THE ACTS. [Ch. I. 13 And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, THB TBADITIOITAL ACELDAMA. phetically, for there is nothing in their structure or tone to warrant that conclusion, and Psalm 69 : 5 is certainly not prophetically applicable to Christ ; (6) nor by a mere accommodation of lan guage, never intended by the Holy Spirit to apply to Christ, but seized on and applied to him by Peter, a theory which seems to me to do violence to Scripture, and to be inconsistent with the In spiration if not with the honesty of Peter ; but {c) because David was himself a prophecy oif the Messiah, and thus in these psalms, as In many others (e. g., PaaimB 16, 22, 65, etc.), While he truly and literally described his own experiences of suffering and strength, he unconsciously prophe sies both the suffering and the triumph of the Messiah. See Matt. 3 : 15, note. — 'H.is bishop ric. The original signifies literally an office of overseer (imaxoni'i). Nothing can be deduced from It respecting the question whether in the early church the govemment was administered by or through bishops. There Is certainly no evidence that the apostles were such bishops. 21, 22. Of these men which have com panied with us. An Intimation that Christ had been attended throughout his ministry, more or less continuously, by other disciples as well as the twelve. — Beginning from the baptism of John. Not from the baptism of Jesus by John, for the disciples did not join him at that time, but from the termination of John's baptiz ing by his Imprisonment, at which time the pub lic ministry of Christ began (Matt. 4 : 12). — Must one be ordained. The term is not used In an ecclesiastical sense ; the original Is simply, ' ' There must be one to be a witness," etc. — To be a witness with us of his resurrection. This grand fact, the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, was the burden of the earlier apostolic ministiy (chap. 2 : 29-33: 3 : IS; 13 : 80-37; 17 : 3l), SUd on this fact, witnessed to by the apostles from their personal knowledge, the truth of the Chris tian religion was based. Observe, then, that the apostles were chosen as personal witnesses of Christ's Ufe, ministry, death and resurrection (comp. John 16 ; 87), that whcu Judas died, one was select ed able to bear this personal testimony from personal knowledge, that Paul claimed to be an apostle be cause he had seen the risen Lord (i cor. 9 : i ; 16 : s), and that thus in the very nature of the case the apostles could have no successors after the then gen- eration had passed away. 23. And they appointed two. Peter did not make the appointment as primate, nor the eleven as ecclesiastical superiors. "They ap pointed, viz., t?ie whole company to whom the words had been spoken; not the eleven apostles." — (Al ford.) — Joseph called Barsabas, i. c. Son of Sabba or Saba. — Surnamed Justus. A Roman cognomen. — Matthias. The name is a common Hebrew name meaning Gift of Jehovah, and differing slightly In form, as Matthew, Mat thias, Mattatha and Mattathias. Nothing more is known with certainty respecting these two, than the fact here Implied, that they had been Ch. I.] THE ACTS. 35 24 And they prayed, and said. Thou, Lord, which " knowest the hearts of all tnen, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, 25 That he may take part of this ministry and apos- tleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. 26 And ttiey gave fortli their lots ; and tlie lot fell upon Matthias ; and he was numbered with ttie eleven apostles. b Jer. 17 : 10 ; Rev. 2 ; 23. companions of Jesus Christ and the eleven throughout Christ's life, and were witnesses of his resurrection. Botn are supposed by Euseblus to have been among the seventy ordained by Christ in Perea (Lnie lo : i), and this Is inherently probable. Joseph Barsabas is not to be con founded with Joses Bamabas (chap. 4 : se), or Ju das Barsebas (chap. 16 ; 22). There is nothing in the fact that Joseph Is mentioned first and de scribed more fuUy, to warrant the deduction which has been made that he was the first choice of the meeting. We are neither told how, nor why, the two were chosen from whom the one should be selected. It is probable, however, that they were designated by a vote, that being a common method among the Jews, and the con jecture of Alexander Is reasonable that they were the only two who had been witnesses and com panions of Christ throughout his ministry, and the only two, therefore, who fulfilled the neces sary conditions. 24, 25. Thou, Lord, who knowest the hearts of all. Some question has been made whether this prayer was made to Christ or to the Father, but the prayer Itself does not determine. On the one hand, the language Lord might be ad dressed to the Father (chap. 4 : 29) ; on the other, the language who knowest the hearts of all might well bd addressed, especially by Peter, to Christ (John 21 : 17). It Is noteworthy, however, that the meeting decided for itself respecting the external qualifications of the two possible successors to Judas, for these they could personally know ; but referred the final choice to the Lord, who could alone know the heart. The external knowledge and education was not, therefore, the only qualification which they recognized. — De- Clare whom thou hast chosen. The word rendered "shew" in our English version. Is one employed in the Greek to designate the official and pubMc announcement of the result of an elec tion. The prayer assumes that the Lord has chosen, and wfll by the lot make known his choice. — That he may take a place in this minis try and apostlesbip. The best MSS. have here place, not part. So Alford and Tischendorf . Thus the contrast is noted between the place from which Judas fell and that to which he has gone.— From which Judas by transgres sion fell. Literally, transgressed, stepped aside (sajo(9a(i'm).— That he might go to his own place. Not "go to the field of blood," which he had purchased, though he did go to it as his burial-place by his suicide ; nor " go home," for though Numb. 24 : 35 gives some color to this in terpretation. It is a weak and meaningless ending of the sentence, making the clause read, "From which Judas by transgression fell that he might go home " ; nor "go to the place of the dead," for that was not his place more than the place of all humanity. The natural and obvious meaning is the correct one. He fell from his temporary place as an apostle, to go to his own place ariiong the lost spirits, the place to which his evil nature drew him. And observe that heaven and hell are respectively to the Christian and the unrepent ant their own places (Rer. 22 : 11). The curious student will find different Interpretations in Dr. Adam Clarke's Commentary. It was a Rabbinical proverb, " ' Whosoever betrays an Israelite into the hands of the Gentiles hath no part in the world to come.' If so, then where must he have his place who betrayed the very Messiah of Is rael ? "—(iig'M/ooi.) 26. They gave forth their lots. The cast ing of the lots was regarded among the heathen (see mj Melig. Diet., art. Lot) and among the Jews (ppov. 16 ; 33) as a direct appeal to the Deity. It was employed in selecting men for an Invading force (judges 20 : 9), In partitioning the land among the tribes (Numb. 26 : 65 1 Josh. 18 ; lo), lu determining the location of families on the return from cap tivity (Neh. 11 : i), In allotting the spoils of war (joel 3 ; 3 ; Nah. 3 : lo), In the detection of crime (josh. 7 : 14, 18 ; 1 Sam. 14 : 4i), lu designating officers appointed by God, whose choice was Indicated by the lot (l Sam. 10 : 20, 21 ; 1 Chron. 24 : 31 j 26 : 8 ; Lnlo I : 9). The practice was continued according to Bingham's Antiquities, as late as the seventh century, though applied only in exceptional cases, and there is no other Instance of the employment of the lot in the Acts. The particular method em ployed here is uncertain. Probably the names were written on a piece of paper and put in an urn, and the first drawn was chosen. Chrysostom supposes that the lot was resorted to here, be cause, as yet, the apostles had not received the gift of the Holy Spirit for their direct guide In such matters. — He was numbered with the eleven. That is, he was counted in with them to make up the twelve. In respect to this action of the early church, it is observable, (a) That in this, the first eccle siastical action of the Church, Peter appealed to 36 THE ACTS. [Oh. n. CHAPTER II. AND when the day of Pentecost •= was folly come, they •* were all with one accord in one place. 2 And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled " all the house where they were sitting. 3 And there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them : c Lev. 23 ; 16 .... d chap. 1 : 14 .... e chap. 4 : 81. the entire body of disciples, women as well as men, and that, apparently, all participated in it, either directly or indirectly; (6) that the method pursued in filling up the vacancy, occa sioned by the death of Judas, certainly gives no sanction to the theory that either Peter, or the eleven, considered themselves vested with espe cial authority as legislators or rulers In the church ; (c) that, t£ the example of the apostles were a rule for the church universal, the lot should be employed ia the selection of its offi cers, but, by almost universal consent, this apos tolic method Is not now employed, and there is no evidence that it was ever again employed in the apostoUo church ; (d) the inference is, that while the apostolic principles of action are an authority, their methods were determined by their peculiar exigencies, and were adapted to their special needs, and are therefore no authority for the modem church. Ch. 2 ! 1-13. THE (ilFT OF THE HOLT SPIRIT. The QITT : THE PBOMISE OP THB FATHER (Chap. 1 : 4).— On whom BESTOWED : ALL WEKE FILLED WITH THE Holt Ghost (ver. 4).— The condition op beceiv- ing: patient waiting, eabnest hoping, united PEATrSQ (chap. 1 : 4, 14 ; 2 : 1).— The attendant stm- BOLs : wind pbom heaven (John 3 : 8), tongues op piBE (Isaiah 6 : 6, 7 ; Matt. 3 : 11), the untvebsal LANGUAGE OP HEAVEN (ECV. 6 : 9).— TECE BESULT : POWEK to witness FOB Chbist (chap. 1:8; 3 : 41), See note on Descent of the Holy Ghost, ver. 41. A. D. 30, May 38, Lord's Day. The writer gives an account of the manifest outpouring of the Spirit of God upon the early church, with the audible and visible signs which accompany it (1-13), and reports Peter's sermon to the people (14-36), and its results upon the people (37^1), and in the church (42-47). X. And when the day of Pentecost was fully come. This was one of the three great Jewish national festivals when all the males were 1-equired to go up to Jerusalem (Deut 16 ; le). It was called Pentecost (a word mescning fiftieth) because it was the fiftieth day from the six teenth day of NIsan, the second day of the Pass over ; It was also called t!u feast of weeks (Deni. 16 : 10), because seven weeks from the Passover ; the feast of harvest (Exod. 23 : le), because it was a feast of thanksgiving for the harvest (oont. 28 : 6-10), and the feast of first-fruits (Nomb. 28 : 20), because on this day the Jews offered to God the first-fruits of the wheat harvest. In bread made of the new grain (lct. 23 : 16-21). The feast was also regarded as commemorating the giving of the law, which was delivered from Mount Sinai on the fiftieth day after the departure from Egypt, i. «., after the Institution of the Passover. If, as I believe to have been the case, the 16th of Nisan came, in the year of Christ's crucifixion, on Saturday, the Jewish sabbath, the day of Pentecost, when the gift of the Holy Spirit was bestowed, would have occurred on a Sunday. Among the mod em Jews the feast of Pentecost includes two days, and is celebrated with the same strictness as the Passover. The Christian counterpart of this festival is Whit-Sunday, or White Sunday, so called, probably, from the white garments worn in the ancient church by those who were baptized on this day, which was one of the spe cial seasons of baptism. — They were all with united zeal. See chap. 1 : 14, note. — In one place. From Luke 34 : 53 some commentators have supposed that this place was the temple. But that the disciples could have secured from the authorities a room in the temple is highly improbable, and that they met from day to day in a private house is indicated by chap. 1 : 13, and ver. 3 here. 2, 3. And suddenly. Without any previous indication, and unexpectedly to the disciples. They were expecting the fulfillment of Christ's promise (chap. 1 : 4, 8), but In what maimer It would be fulfilled they did not know. — A sound from heaven as of a rushing, mighty wind. The wind Is both In the 0. T. andintheN.T. a symbol of the Spirit of God (Sol. song 4 : lO ; Eiek. 37 : 9 ; John 3:8; 20 : 22). The very word inspiration, meaning in breathing, embodies an analogous metaphor. — It filled all the house where they were sitting. I see no adequate reason for the state ment of Neander that "an earthquake, attended by a whirlwind, suddenly shook the building In which they were assembled," nor for the suppo sition of Alford, Hackett, and others, based on ver. 6, that the wind was heard throughout Je rusalem. It is not said that there was any wind, but a sound as of a wind. To suppose that there was literally a whirlwind, and that it blew over the whole city, seems to me to reduce the phe nomenon from a special supernatural accompa niment of the descent of the Holy Spirit to a natural event, having no necessary connection with the new disclosure of the Spirit of God.— And there appeared unto them. That is, Ch. U.] THE ACTS. 37 4 And they were all filled ' with the Holy Ghost, and began b to speak with other tongues, eis the Spirit gave them utterance. 5 And there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, de vout men, out of every nation under heaven. 6 Now when this was noised abroad, the multi tude came together, and were confounded, be cause that every man heard them speak in his own language. f ch. 1 ; 6 g ch. 10 : 46 ; Mark 16 : 17. to the entire assembly. — Tongues as of fire. Observe, not tongues of fire, but tongues of a fiery, burning appearance, though without real heat. — Distributed (among them) and one sat upon each of them. There is some un certainty as to the proper translation of the ori ginal, but this appears to accord better with the grammatical construction of the Greek than does the meaning embodied in our English ver sion. This rendering is defended by Bengel, Olshausen, De Wette, Baumgarten, Hackett, Robinson, and Meyer ; the older view is adopted by Alford. As rendered above, the meaning Is that a fiery appearance suddenly presented itself, and then divided, so that a part rested on each one in the assembly. Observe that it visited not merely the twelve ; there appears to have been no discrimination between the apostles and the others, nor between the men and the women. Dr. Hackett says that it was a common belief, both among the Jews and the heathen, that an appearance like fire often encircled the heads of distinguished teachers of the law, and he sup poses that God chose this symbol accordingly, much as he directed the magi to Christ by a star. Apart from this, the tongue of fire was a symbol of prophetic power, which, accompanied and Interpreted as It was by tbe gilt of tongues, could hardly be misunderstood. It Indicated, not only the fulfillment of Christ's promise, but also the nature of the duty which that fulfill ment laid on the disciples: "Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you ; and ye shall be witnesses unto me " (chap, i : s). 4. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. I see no warrant In Scripture for the very common Impression that the Holy Spirit was now first given to the church. The same language here employed is used respecting Eliz abeth (Luke 1 : 4i), Zacharfas (Lnke 1 : 67), and John the Baptist (Luke i : is) ; and the O. T. repeatedly makes mention of the influence of the Holy Spirit upon the minds of the prophets and others (Nnmb. 11 : 25, 26 i 24:2, 3 J 1 Sam. 10 : 10 ; 19:20; 2 Sam. 23 : 2 ; 2 Chron. 20 : 14 ; Neh. 9 : 30 ; Isaiah 48 : 16 ; Ezek. 2:2; 3 ; 24 ; 11 : 5 ; Zech. 7:12; Matt. 22 : 43). That WhIch WaS pe culiar in this event is that (1) now for the first time all were filled with the Holy Ghost, not merely the apostles, but the entire Christian assembly; and (3) the influence was not occa sional and transient, but abiding; the influence of the Holy Spirit was before exerted on man, he was now given to man as his divine inheritance. That which distinguishes the N. T. from the O. T. dispensation is that under the O. T. dis pensation the Holy Spirit guided a few prophets, who thus became the inspired leaders of the people, while under the N. T. dispensation he Is given to all ; thus the wish of Moses is fulfilled (Numb. 11 : 2ii;, tbe Lord puts his Spirit upon all his people (Acts 4 : 31 ; 10 : 44 ; Rom. 8 : 14 ; 1 Cor. 3 : 16 ; 12 : 7-11 ; Gal. S : 16, 18 ; Ephes. 3 : 16-19). And began to speak with other tongues. The phenomenon here described is mysterious ; neither Its nature nor its object Is well under stood. It is wholly unknown in modem times ; for though there was something extemally anal ogous to it in the so-called gift of tongues among the Irvingltes, 1831-1833, how far that was a mere nervous aflectlon is uncertain. The principal Scrip ture passages bearing on this subject are the fol lowing : Mark 16 : 17 ; Acts 10 : 46 ; 19 : 6 ; 1 Cor. 13 : 10, 38 ; 13 : 1 ; 14 : 1-19. For a consideration of the nature and object of the gift of tongues, as indicat ed by Paul, see notes on latter passage. Without entering here into the discussion respecting the subject, it must suffice to say that the following facts are clear : (1.) The original word rendered tongues {yXdaaa) signifies a dialect rather than a language, and this interpretation is confirmed by the narrative which follows. What the disciples spoke were probably various dialects of the Greek language. The difEerence was analogous to, but much greater, than those which now exist in France and Germany. (3.) These dialects were not known to the speakers by any natural pro cess of education; a miraculous gift of speech is described. (3.) These " other tongues " were not mere rhapsodical utterances, because the various pflgrims testify that they hear and un derstand the various dialects spoken; nor a mere surprising recall of language which the disciples had previously heard and partially known, because it is distinctly said that they spake as the Spirit gave tJiem utterance. (4.) It is not clear that the speakers themselves un derstood what they were saymg; It Is entu-ely consistent with the account to suppose that they were moved to the utterance of sounds dictated by the Holy Spirit, which they did not themselves comprehend, and this opinion receives some ap parent confirmation from the language of Paul in 1 Cor. 14 : 14, 19. (5.) There is no authority what ever for the opinion that this gift of tongues was bestowed to enable the primitive Christians to preach the Gospel in the various languages of 88 THE ACTS. [Ch. II. 7 And they were all amazed, and marvelled, saying one to another. Behold, are not all these which speak GalilEeans ? ^ ' 8 And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born ? the world, without learning them. Greek was then spoken throughout the civilized world, so that such a gift for such a purpose was little needed. The implication of Acts 10 : 46 (comp. 1 Cor. 14 : 14-16) Is that tbis gift was used, not In teaching, but in giving thanks to God ; It Is clear from 1 Cor., ch. 14, that the tongues were not comprehended in the Christian assemblies unless interpreted ; in the case here recorded, the only sermon or address, apparently, was delivered by Peter, and in the Greek language ; and in no in stance in the N. T. Is the gift of tongues ever re corded to have been used for the purpose of preaching the Gospel to those Ignorant of that language. (6.) It is not an unreasonable hypo thesis that the gift was bestowed as a symbol of the universality of the Gospel and its adaptation to all people, and of the time when those of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation, would unite in praising God in the church of the first-born above (rov. e ; 9). Various rationalistic explanations have been attempted of this phe nomenon, such as that the multitude heard in va rious languages what the believers spoke in their native tongue, that the believers spoke in an in articulate and rhapsodical language, that they were themselves of different nationalities and spoke each in his native dialect, that Luke's lan guage is exaggerated — rhetorical rather than historical — or that be has misapprehended and so misreported the facts. All of these, and other kindred interpretations, are plainly Inconsistent with the historical authenticity of the narrative, and do not need to be considered by. those who believe that the history is trustworthy, and who seek to Interpret the record, not to substitute something else which they imagine more probable. 5. And there were dwelling at Jerusa lem. Both permanent residents and pilgrims who had eome up to the feast are probably in cluded. See on ver. 10. — Devout men. Liter ally, circumspect, i. e., toward God. The original (ivJ-aprif) occurs only here , In ch. 8 : 3, and In Luke 3 : 25. The latter passage illustrates its mean ing. They were probably those who, like Sim eon, were sincerely devout and God-fearing men, and waiting for the appearing of the promised Messiah. The fact that Peter's sermon was fol lowed by so many conversions indicate that a large proportion of his auditors was composed, not of resolute foes to the truth, but of sincere inquirers after the truth. — Out of every na tion under heaven. The dispersion of the Jews, since so effectually accomplished, had al ready begun to take place. These devout men included both dispersed Jews, who had retumed either temporarily or permanently to Jerusalem, and proselytes of different nationalities, who had accepted the Jewish Scriptures and the wor ship of the one true God (ver. 10). The language Is not to be accepted literally, yet most of the surrounding nations appear to have been repre sented. 6. Now when this sound was made. There is some uncertainty as to the meaning of the original, the literal translation of which is as above. Three interpretations are possible: (1) When the sound referred to in ver. 3, as of a rushing, mighty wind, occurred; (3) when the speech In other tongues (ver. 4) occurred ; (3) when the rumor of the whole complex phenomenon, the sound as of wind, the tongues as of fire, the speaking in other tongues, was noised abroad. The first agrees best with the original Greek; the last better accords with the context. It is not necessary to suppose, however, that there was a, wind heard and felt throughout Jerusa lem. There would have been nothing in such a whirlwind to call particular attention to the house where the disciples were assembled. It may well be that some of the Christians hastened out to tell others who were not present, that the promise of Christ was being fulfilled in the out pouring of the Spirit, and that so the rnmor spread quickly throughout the city. — And were confounded. Either the Individuals were per plexed, or, more probably, the whole assembly were thrown into confusion and excitement, dis cussing the meaning of the singular phenomenon. See ch. 19 : 32 ; 31 : 31, where the verb is the same.— Because they heard them speaking, each one in his own dialect. See on ver. 4. The meaning Is, not that all the disciples spoke all the dialects, but that each one spoke In some one, so that all were heard. We may reasonably assume that the disciples had come out of the upper chamber, and that the multitude was as sembled In the courtyard of the house, or In some open square in the vicinity. 7, 8. Are not all these which speak Galileans? It is not probable that they were literally aU Galileans ; but certainly the greater part were so, and all the apostles and leading per sons, who would probably be the prominent speakers. — In our OAvn tongue wherein we were born. This testimony Is conclusive against the theory that the speaking in other tongues was In an unmeaning language and in a Ch. II.] THE ACTS. 39 9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judaea, and Cappa docia, in Pontus, and Asia, IO Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, II Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues > the wonderful works of God. 1 Cor. 12 : 10, 28. state of ecstasy. The language was InteUIgible to the various auditors. 9-H. In the enumeration of the countries which follows, the writer proceeds from the northeast to the west and south. For their geo graphical position see map and Gazetteer, p. 33. The persons described Parthians, Medes, etc., are not the original heathen, who would not have been in Jerusalem, but either the Jews dispersed throughout those countries, or proselytes to the Jewish faith from the heathen nations (ver. lo). — Parthians. Parthia was in the extreme East, between the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf. The Parthian empire was founded by Arsaces I about 356 b. c, ultimately Included tbe prov inces of the earlier Persian kingdom, and ex tended westward until it met the Roman power on the Euphrates. It was never conquered by Rome, and continued untU the third century after Christ acting as a counterpoise and a check to Rome, and furnishing a not .intolerable refuge to such as had occasion to flee from the power of the Caesars. It is mentioned in the N. T. only here. For an elaborate account of this empire, its history and its semi-civilization, see George Rawllnson's Sixth Great Oriental Monarchy. — Medes. Media lay west of Parthia, south of the Caspian Sea, east of Armenia, north of Per sia. It was, historically, one of the five great oriental monarchies ; In the seventh century be fore Christ embraced an area of territory as large as Great Britain, France, Spain, and Portugal to gether, but lacked unity and therefore real strength ; wag a congeries of kingdoms, each ruled by its own native prince ; was conquered by Cy rus and merged in the Persian empire. It was subsequently overrun by Alexander the Great, and eventually passed over to and became a part of the Parthian monarchy, of which it was a province or dependency at this time. It Is now Included In the dominions of the Shah of Persia. —Elamites. It Is difficult to define the bound aries of Elam ; In general terms it may be de scribed as southeast of Assyria, and south of Media. It was originally peopled by the de scendants of Shem (Gen. 10 : 22), and subsequently became a province of Babylon, in fuMUment of prophetic denunciation (isalah 22 ; 6 ; Sa. 49 ; 34-39 ; Ezek. 32 : 24, 25 ; Dan. 8:1,2). ItS Chlcf Clty, Susa, bCCamC the Persian metropolis. Captive Israelites were located in Elam (isaiah ii : ii), from whom were perhaps descended the Elamites of our text. — Dwellers in Mesopotamia. The original word Mesopotamia means between rivers ; it des ignates a district lying between the Euphrates and the Tigris, the land from Which Abraham was called, and Balaam came (Gen. 24 : loj Acts 7:2; Deut. 23 ; 4). It scems never to have been an indi vidual state, but to have belonged successively to the Assyrian, Babylonian, Greek, Syrian, Ro man, and Parthian empires. — Judea. Some difficulty has been experienced from the inser tion of Judea In this list, since the language or dialect of Judea would be that of the disciples. There appears, however, to have been a differ ence in dialect between the Galileans and the Judeans (Matt. 26 : 73), and it may have been a cause of astonishment, it among the GalUeans were those who spoke in the dialect and with the peculiar accent of the Judeans. If the Galile ans, whose dialect was the subject of ridicule in Judea, spoke now a pure Hebrew, this would have been as notable a linguistic peculiarity as any. — Cappadocia. The most easterly region of Asia Minor, south of the Black Sea, and im mediately west of Armenia. It was at this time a province of Rome ; Its inhabitants are thought to have been of Syrian origin ; its dialect was probably a corrupt form of the Greek, but this is not certain. — Pontus. A district bordering on and immediately south of the Black Sea. It was at this time a Roman province. The Inhabitants spoke a dialect compounded of the Persian and the Greek. Its religion was also a composition of the Greek, Persian and Scythian. It apparent ly contained many Jewish residents (ch. 18 : 2; 1 Pet. 1 ; 1). — Asia . Not, of course, the continent, nor even what is now known as Asia Minor, and which includes Cappadocia and Pontus, but a small section of It, lymg above the .iEgean Sea, and having Ephesus for its capital. It was a province of Rome. Its boundaries cannot be de fined with precision, since they were constantly undergoing change. — Phrygia. The same geo graphical Indefiniteness attaches to this term. It did not form a distinct province, but was includ ed in Asia. Its inhabitants, however, were in origin and character distinct ; they were an Indo- Germanlc race, who emigrated westward from Armenia. That this region contained many Jews is evident from ch. 14 : 1, 19. They were Introduced there first by Antlochus the Great (josephus' Ant. 12 : 3, 4). — Pamphylia. A small Ro man province lying between Pisidia and the Med iterranean. — Egypt. The enumeration already given embraces the principal provinces of Asia 40 THE ACTS. 12 And they were all amazed., and were in doubt, saying one to another, WhatJ meaneth this? 13 Others, mocking, said, These men are full of new wine. 14 But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and [Ch. II. all w that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words : 15 For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, see ing"^ it is but the third hour of the day. 16 But this is that which was' spoken by the prophet Joel: J ch. H : 20 . . . . k 1 Thees. 6 ; 7 .... 1 Joel 2 : 28-32. Minor. Egypt contained many Jews ; two-fifths of the populaWon of Alexandria are said to have been Jews. — In the parts of Lihya about Cyrene. The name Libya Is applied by the Greek and Roman writers to the African conti nent, generally excluding Egypt. Language cor responding to that used here Is employed by Dion Casslus and Josephus to designate that por tion of Africa constituting the district of Cyre- naica, on the southern coast of the Mediterranean and west of Egypt. There were many Jews set tled in this district, the capital of which, Cyrene, was a Greek city (Matt. 27 : 32 ; Acta 6:9; 11 : 20 : 13 : 1). — Roman sojourners. That is, Roman Jews, or proselytes from the Roman to tbe Jewish faith, residing at Jerusalem, or come thither tempora rily on account of the feast.. — Jews and prose lytes. This characterizes the entire class de scribed, who were not the heathen Inhabitants of the districts mentioned, but either dispersed Jews, or heathens converted to the Jewish faith. — Cretes and Arabians. These are Intro duced, after the general description of the entire body In the previous clause, as though the writer had forgotten to enumerate them in their order, and added them as an afterthought. Cretes are Inhabitants of the Island of Crete in the Mediter ranean, south of the .^gean Sea. Arabians are such as were scattered throughout Arabia Petrea, south of Palestine. — In our tongues. See on vers. 4 and 6. — The wonderful works of God. It can hardly be doubted that the theme of the disciples was the wondrousness of divine mercy shown in tbe Ufe, the death, and the resur rection of the Messiah. 12, 13. They were all amazed and in doubt. That is, as to the significance of this phenomenon. — What meaneth this? Literally, What wUl this be ? or, as we should say, What is going to come of this ?— Others, mocking, said. Not others of the God-fearing men already de scribed, but others beside them. Among the crowd drawn together by the event, were some hostile critics, who reviled. Revivals of religion have ever since provoked criticism as captious, and explanations as peurlle, as those offered here. — Sweet wine. Not new wine. The Pentecost was in June, the first vintage not until August. From grapes dried In the sun and soaked in old wine a sweet wine was manufactured, which is said to have been especially intoxicating (Jahn's Archceology, § 69). Hence, "to be sweetened" was a Rabbinical equivalent for "to be drunk," and here, "They are full of sweet wine" is equivalent to "They are very drunk." So says Lightfoot, who suggests that this explanation came from those who, "knowing no other lan guage but their own mother tongue, and not un derstanding what the apostles said, while they were speaking in foreign languages, thought they said nothing but mere babble and gibberish." Ch. 2 : 14-36. ADDEESS OP PETER. Jesus peovbd TO BE BOTH KDTG AND SAVIOUB (ver. 36) BT (1) HIS FtTL- FILLMENT OF PEOPHECT (vCrS. 17-21), (2) HIS HIBACLES (ver. 22), (3) hib eebueebction (ver. 24). His eesuk- EBCTION ITSELF PROVED BT PEOPHECT (verS. 2-31), BT APOSTOLIC TE3TIM0NT (VCr. 32), BT THE GIFT OF THB Holt Ghost bestowed theough htm (ver. 33). 14. But Peter standing up with the eleven. With, not apart from, them ; their spokesman, not their superior. They stood up with him to give sanction to his address, espe cially to his appeal to them as witnesses of Christ's resurrection (ver. 33). — tifted up his voice. The implication Is, that the speaking in other tongues had been in the Christian assem bly, not to the multitude. Peter now raised his voice and addressed the throng ; probably outside the house in which tbe disciples had originally assembled. — And preached to them. The original Implies a solemn and weighty utterance. — JHen, Judeans and all ye sojourners at Jerusalem. Not men of Judea. The language here Is like that of Anthony, "Friends, Romans, countrymen." Compare verses 39, 37, and ch. 1 : 16, where it Is not Fraternal men, but Men, brethren. The Judeans are those whose home is in Judea; the sojourners at Jerusalem are those who have come up as pilgrims to the feast. The whole address was made by Peter as a Jew to Jews, and appeals to their national faith. 15, 16. For these are uot drunken as ye suppose. In the original not Is emphatic, and the word rendered suppose {ynvXafi^avui) Is literally to take up, and indicates here a notion suggested by others, and caught up by the mind of the multitude. The sentence might be paraphrased. It is not true, this idea that you have taken up. — Seeing it is but the third hour of the day. Nine A. m., and the hour of morning prayer (see note on ch. 8 : i), "Before which time, especially on the Sabbath and other feast days, the Jews were not wont so much as to taste anything of meat or drink."— (iigrftj^ooJ.) Moreover, it was irrational Ch. II.] THE ACTS. 41 17 And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out" 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 And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out, in those days, of my Spirit ; and » they shall prophesy : 19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath ; blood, and fire, and va pour of smoke : m Isa. 44: 3; Ezek. 36 : 27 n ch. 21 ;4, 0, 10; 1 Cor. 12 : 10. to suppose that an assembly would be given up to drunkenness at so early an hour of the day, and that a solemn feast day. Observe the quiet ness and meekness with which Peter repels, without resentment, the insult and derision of the hostile Jews, exempltCying his own subse quent instruction (i Pet. 2 : 20, 23; 4 : 19). — But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; i. e., a fulfillment of that prophecy. The quotation is fi'om the Septuagint or Greek ver sion, with very slight and quite Immaterial vari ations. The passage quoted Is Joel 3 : 38-33, which formed a part of the scriptural reading in the synagogues in the Pentecostal service, and Joel in this passage unmistakably points to the dispensation of the Spirit and the second coining of Christ. Tischendorf, following the Sinaitic manuscript, omits verse 31 ; Alford retains it. It unquestionably is a part of the original pro phecy, and Internal evidence Indicates that it formed a part of Peter's quotation here. 17, 18. In the last days. In the original prophecy the language Is afterward. The last days, or the last time, Is used In the N. T. to de scribe the final dispensation, In which God speaks to the world through his Son and by the be stowal of his Spirit, in contrast with the previous dispensation In which he revealed himself in fragmentary utterances through prophets, and was approached by priests. See especially Heb. 1 : 1, 3, and comp. 3 Tim. 3 : 1 ; 1 Pet. 1 : 5, SO ; 3 Pet. 3 : 3 ; 1 John 3 : 18 ; Jude 18. This period is called the "last days," or the "last time," not because when the apostles wrote the end was nigh at hand, but because it constituted the last dispensation of divine mercy, and the consum mation of the conflict between the kingdoms of light and of darkness, of truth and error, of right eousness and sin, of God and Satan. The length of this dispensation, and so the day and hour of the second coining of Christ, was not revealed to the apostles, nor known to the angels, nor even to Christ himself (Mark 13 : 32), who warned his fol lowers to be constantly watching for It (Matt. 24 : 42, 44). Doubtless the early church fell into the error of believing that the period was shorter and the hour of Christ's final manifestation nearer than they were. Our liability Is to fall into the reverse error, and to cease to watch be cause we cease to expect it. Paul warns against the first error (2 These. 2 : 2-5), Peter against the sec ond (2 Pet. 3 : 3-8).— Saith God. This language Is Peter's, not Joel's ; compare, however, Joel 3 : 12, 33. It is based on the assumption that Joel spoke by inspiration of God.— I will pour out from my Spirit upon all flesh. Not gifts from my Spirit, but my Spirit itself. Indeed, this is the language of the original Hebrew in Joel. The metaphor is taken from the rain. In which the cloud pours Itself down upon the parched earth. Comp. Deut. 33 : 3 ; Ps. 72 : 6 ; Hos. 6:3; Hos. 10 : 13. Observe the extent of the promise, upmi all flesh. Not the giving of the Spirit, but the outpouring upon the whole human race, is the characteristic of the dispensa tion of the last days. See vers, 4, 38, and notes. All flesh Is not to be limited to all who seek. Under the N. T. the Spirit of God is poured out Uke the rain and the sun on all, but may be grieved and driven away by unbelief and Indiflerenee (Ephes. 4 : 30 i 1 Thess. 4 : lo). — YoUr SOUS and yOUr daughters shall prophesy. Not, Shall fore tell future events, which is not the radical mean ing of the word prophesy (see Stanley's Jewish Church, Vol. I : Lecture XIX), nor merely, as Calvin, Shall possess a "rare and excellent gift of understanding," but, as Hackett, "Shall com municate religious truth in general under a divine Inspiration." Observe, this is a divine ap pointment of women as religious teachers in the church ; In the gifts of the Spirit, as In the gift of personal salvation, there Is neither male nor female (oai. 3 : 23). It does not, however. Indicate the method in which woman shall fulfill the func tion of reUglous teaching, whether in the pulpit, on the platform, by the pen, or in the home cir cle. That is left to be determined, either by other teachings of God's word, or by the later guidance of the Spirit, the Instincts of human ity, and the circumstances of the individual. — Yoi^r young men shall see visions and your old men shall dream dreams. Visions are mentioned In the apostolic times (Acts 9 : 10, 12 ; 10 : 3, 17 ; 11 ; 5 ; 16 : 9 ; 18 i 9 ; 26 ; 19 ; 2 Cor. 12 ; l), but nOt dreams, which are throughout the Bible treated as an inferior form of divine revelation and gen erally confined to those not possessing any other revelation of the divine wfll (see Matt. 27 : 19, note). The vision differs from the dream in that It in volves a real appearance to the soul in a waking and conscious state. The language here implies that God wiU still employ visions and dreams ; but It does not Imply their use under circum stances In which he never employed them in the 43 THE ACTS. [Ch. II. 20 The ° sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon hito blood, before that great and notable day of the Lord come ; 21 And it shall come to pass, that whosoever p shall call on the name of the Lord, shall be saved. 22 Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jfesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by mir- aclesi and wonders and signs, which God did, by him, in the midst of you, as y e ' yourselves also know : o Mark 13: 24; 2 Pet. 3 : 7, 10 p Fs. 86 : 5; Rom. 10: 13; 1 Cor. 1, 2: Heb. 4: 16. . . . q John 14 : 10, 11 ; Heb. 2:4. ...r John 15: 24. past, and therefore not among a people possess ing the far clearer revelation of an open word. — And upon my man servants and upon my maid servants. Neither sex, nor age, nor con dition in life shall constitute any bar to this bless ing. In fact, some of the greatest preachers have been men of lowly birth and condition. 19, 30. For reasons stated more fully in my notes on Matt. 34, especially verses 89-31, 1 think it clear that this language describes not phenom ena attendant upon the destruction of Jerusa lem, but those which are to precede and accom pany the second coming of Christ. These wiU mark the end of the last days which were Inau gurated at Pentecost, and in which we are living. Peter quotes the entire prophetic description of this era, without knowing how long a time must elapse before its consummation. The language of the prophet here and of Christ In Matthew should be compared. See also 1 Thess. 4 : 15-17 ; 2 Thess. 1 : 7 ; 1 Cor. 15 : 53 ; Rev. 6 : 12-14.— Portents in the heavens above. The ori ginal (tiQa;) slgnifles something foreboding ca lamity. — And signs. Evidences of divine pres ence and power. — Blood and fire. This may be taken symbolically to mean devastating wars, in which case the language here is parallel to Matt. 34 : 7, or, as Alford, bloody and fiery ap pearances of a supernatural character. — Vapour of smoke. That is, columns of smoke. — Great and notable day of the lord. Tischendorf omits, Alford retains, the term notable. It is, however, without question. In the original pro phecy, and its position renders it emphatic. The term signifies not a horrible day, as the Vulgate in Joel renders it, nor a notable, i. «., remarka ble day, as our English version renders it, but a day clearly manifest, i. e., one the nature of which Is not and cannot be hid from any. It thus an swers to Christ's description in Matt. 34 : 37 ; see note there. Coming In mercy, he Is hid from them that are lost (2 oor. 4 : a, 4 ; comp. Matt. 13 : 14, 16) ; coming m judgment, he will be manifest to all (Rct. 6 : 16, 16). 21. Whosoever shall have called on the name of the Lord shall be saved. The call must precede the salvation, and is a condi tion precedent to It. (Aorist subj. with tfr Is equivalent to fut. perf. In Latin. Winer, 307. See ver. 39, note.) The promise here, which ends the quotation from Joel, Is applicable throughout the whole period of the " last days," from the descent of the Holy SpWt at Pentecost to the second coming of Christ In judgment. If verses 19 and SO are regarded as descriptive of the destruction of Jerusalem, then this verse is simply H promise to save the Inhabitants from that destruction ; and this appears to be Hen derson's Interpretation, which seems to me to belittle the whole passage, and impair the force and meaning of Peter's entire address. He speaks, not to the Jews only, but through them to the whole world, not of national deliverance from earthly peril, but of soul salvation from sin and doom. To call on the name of the Lord is here equivalent to Return unto the Lord in Isaiah 55 : 7, or Look unto me in Isaiah 45 : 32, and nearly the same as Repent and be baptized In the name of Jesus Christ in ver. 38, though there baptism, as the sign of public confession %f Christ, is added. "The gates of God's mercy are thrown open In Christ to all people : no bar rier is placed, no union with any external asso ciation or succession Is required : the promise Is to Individuals as individuals." — (Alford.) Nor Is there required any rite or ceremony, or any theological knowledge or creed, as u, condition of salvation ; simply a calling on the name of the Lord, i. e., Jesus Christ (ver. 36). See, for illus tration of this truth, Luke 33 : 42. 32. JHen, Israelites. Not Men of Israel. See note on ver. 14. — Jesus the Nazarene. Not without significance does Peter here and elsewhere (ch. 3 : 6 ; 4 : 10) accept and employ this opprobrious epithet. Trim whom Israel despised God approved. — Hear the.se words. Consider the meaning of this prophecy, which accordingly Peter proceeds to expound. — A man made manifest unto you by God. The word ap prove is here used in the sense of sanction. — By mighty works, and wonders, and signs. These words indicate the Scriptural deflnition of a miracle, which is a mighty work, i. e., something evidently wrought by superhuman power, a vxm- der, i. e., something out of the ordinary course of nature, thus attracting attention and compelling investigation, and a sign, i. e., such a wonder and work as Is Irresistibly a sign of the divine presence and power. By these Christ's charac ter and authority were attested to the people of Israel. Observe that In the language of the N. T. there Is no sanction whatever for the com mon but false definition of a miracle as an event contrary to the laws of nature.— Which God did by him. Observe the works are attributed by Peter, as by Christ (John 14 ; 10), to the power Ch. II.] THE ACTS. 43 23 Him, being" delivered by the determinate coun sel and foreknowledge of God, ye' have taken, and" by wicked hands have crucified and slain : 24 Whom" God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death : because it was not possible ^ that he should be holden of it. S5 For David speaketh ' concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face ; for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved : 26 Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad ; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope : 27 Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corrup tion. 8Ch.8:18; Lnke22:22; 24:44 1 ch. 5 : 30....U Matt. 27 ; 1 v oh. 13 : 30, 34 ; Luke 24 ; 1-6 ; 1 Cor. 6 : 14 ; Ephes. 1 ; 20 ; Col.2:12; 1 Thess. 1 ; 10; Heb. 13:20; 1 Pet. 1 : 21 w John 10 : 18.... x Ps. 16:8-11. of Israel's God. Jesus Christ is never preached by the apostles so as to detract love and alle giance from the one God and Father of all. 23. Him, by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, being given forth, ye, taking, and with lawless hands nailing (to the cross), have slain. Not, De livered up by Judas m accordance with the wUl of God, but, Given up to humanity by the wiM of Ood. The declaration is parallel to John 3 : 16 ; Gal. 4 : 4, 5. Being thus given over to the world, the world knew him not, but taking him, nailed him to the cross. God is represented as holding a counsel with himself respecting man's redemption, as In Gen. 1 : 36 respecting his crea tion ; and the adjective determmate (from oQlim, to put limits to) implies that in this counsel the manner of the redemption, viz., by death, was also determined on. With this accords Christ's own declaration (Lnke 22 : 22), and it is here asserted to show that the cruciflxion was not due to the powerlessness of Christ, but to the purpose of God. The phrase lawless hands recalls the cir cumstances of the crucifixion, the original trial before the Sanhedrim being conducted in fla grant violation of the Jewish rules of precedent (see Vol. I, p. 298), the Sentence of Pilate being co erced by a mob. Nailing emphasizes the brutal and cruel character of the deed ; and the whole is charged upon Israel, not, as Olshausen, be cause "all mankind were in fact guilty of the death of Jesus," in which case Peter must have said "we," not "ye," but because, but for the popular outcry of Crucify him, Pilate would not have given sentence of death (John 19 ; 6). 24. Whom God hath raised up, having destroyed the pains of death. Not, Sav ing released him from the bands of death, for the word rendered pains (oWi;) does not mean bands, \>ut sorrows; literally, travail pains ; nor, Having released him from the pains of death, i. e., the physical pains, for, in fact, he bore them all to the end ; nor. Having loosed death's pains, as though " death itseU in holding him had pangs and was sore bestead" (Chrysostom) ; but, as in 1 Cor. 15 : 54r-57, Saving by him and in his person destroyed the pain of death, viz., sin, not for him only, but in and through him for all the world. It was because Christ knew no sin, that death could not hold him, as it is because the redeemed of the Lord are by his atonement freed from sin, that death, the penalty of sin, cannot hold them (Eom. 6 : 12, 21 ; John 11 : 25, 26). 25-28. The quotation Is from Psalm 16 : 8-11, and the original is verbatim from the Septuagint. The context there clearly Indicates that David spoke primarily of himself. Ver. 31 here clearly indicates that he foresaw, more or less clearly, in this utterance, a prophecy of Christ's resurrec tion. This double reference wiU surely give no trouble to those who believe that Christ was per fect man, and that in his resurrection as In his life, he exemplifies in its perfection that experi ence which Is Imperfectly exemplified in all his saints, and this whether they preceded and be lieved in a Messiah to come, or follow and believe in a Messiah who has been revealed. — I am ac customed to see the Lord always before my face. The verb Is in the Imperfect tense, Implying a habit of Ufe, and is interpreted by Heb. 13 : 3, " Looking unto Jesus ' ' ; and by 3 Cor. 5:7, " We walk by faith." — For he is at my right hand that I should not be disturbed. That is, mentally perturbed. The conscious presence of God gives peace to the godly (john 16 : 33 ; Heb. 11 : 27). Of this experience of steadfast peace David himself affords a marvelous illustra tion in Psalm 3, written during his flight from Absalom. See especially ver. 5. — Therefore did my heart rejoice and my tongue give praise. The one expression refers to the in ward experience of joy, the other to its outward expression in thanksgiving. — Moreover, also, my flesh shall tabernacle in hope that thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades. The original verb (xaraaxrivaoi) means literally, to pitch tent or encamp. Here, the meaning ap pears to me to be, not. My flesh shall rest iq the grave in hope,because of the future resurrection, for hope does not abide in the grave, and can hardly, even by poetic license, be represented as dwelling there ; but. My flesh, i. e., I, myself, in my earthly lite and nature, shall sojourn here in this life, sustained throughout by the hope that thou wilt not abandon my soul to the place of the dead. This, which was only a hope with the 0. T. saints, and an uncertain one (see pb. 88; 10-12; 116 : 17), is a certainty of the Christian since Christ's resurrection. Thus Interpreted, this verse, as an utterance of Christian experience. Is parallel to Rom. 8 : 33, 34. Sdl is not here the abode of the lost, but the abode of the dead (aiiJijs 44 THE ACTS. [Ch. II. 28 Thou hast made known to me the ways of life ; thou Shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance. 2Q Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buned, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day. 30 Therefore being y a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn » with an oath " to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne ; 31 He, seeing this before,* spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption. 32 This " Jesus hath God raised up, whereof ^i we all are witnesses. 7 2 Sam. 23:2 2 Sam, 7 : 12, 13 ; Fe. 132 : II. .. .a Heb. 6 : 17. . . .h 1 Pet. 1 : 11, 12... .c verse 24.... d Lnke 24:48. not yiiva). — Neither deliver over thy saint to experience annihilation. Not, as ia our English version. Thy Soly One. The word so rendered is an adjective (Saiog) meaning holy, but is never used in the N. T. to designate Jesus Christ as the Holy One. Here the reference is primarily to David, and expresses his hope in the future life of all the saints of God. Neither does the word rendered corruption (diafSo^a) neces sarily imply putrescence ; rather, utter destruc tion. The expression Implies a hope, not so much of the preservation of the body from decay, as of the life from extinction. See Is equivalent to experience, as In Luke 3 : 36. — The ways of life. The ways of spiritual life here that lead to eternal life hereafter. Spiritual death and lite both begin in time, and are carried out and con summated In eternity. — Thou 'wilt make me full of joy with thy countenance. In the future life, as in the earthly experience of the Christian, the conscious presence of God is the inspiration of his joy (Psaim k : 15). This experi ence of the Christian, as David here outlines It, is emphatically true of Christ, who dwelt contin- TOMBS OF the KOTOS. — DAVID'S SBPUICHBE. nally in God, and God In him (John 14 : 10) ; whose joy was full (John 16 : ii) ; whosc life, as well as tongue, proclaimed the praise of the Father (John 17 : 4) ; who endured bis earthly lite and passion, despising the shame for the joy that was set be fore him (Hob. 12 : 2), knowing that death had no dominion over him (john 10 : 17), and would not have even over his body. 29, 30. Men, brethren, I may speak with freedom to you of the patriarch David. He does not ask permission ; he asserts his right 60 to do. " With freedom; without fear of being thought deficient in any just respect to his mem ory." — (Saekett.) — His sepulchre is with us unto this day. David was buried at Jerusa lem and on Mount Zion (1 Kings 2 : 10 ; Neh. a-.u). Jo sephus (Antiq. 7 ; 16, 3) glvcs an accouut of the tomb being opened and rifled successively by Hyrcanus and King Herod. According to Jerome, it was known as late as the fourth century. The sup posed site on the southern brow of Mount Zion is probably In the neighborhood of the actual one. — And knowing that God had sworn. Psalm 16 is supposed to have been written on the delivery of this promise by Nathan to David (2 Sam. 7 ; 12-16). That of the fruit of his loins one should sit on his throne. This is the reading of Tischendorf, Alford and Lachmann, and Is undoubtedly the correct one. The words, according to the flesh he would raise up Christ, were added as an explanation by some copyist. 31. He, foreseeing this. David then reeog- Ch. n.] THE ACTS. 45 « Therefore," being by the ririit hand of God exalt ed, and having ' received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this,' which ye now see and near. 34 For David is not ascended into the heavens : but he saith himself, The LoRoh said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 35 Until I make thy foes thy footstool. 36 Therefore let all the house > of Israel know assur edly, that J God hath made that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord ' and Christ.' :31; PhU. 2:9....f ch. 1:4; John 16 : 7, IS. . . .k ch. 4 : k John 3 : 1 10:46. ...h Ps. 110:1; Matt. 22:44.. . . .1 Ps. 2 : 2, S-8. .1 Zech. 13:1....] ch. 5:31.... nIzed in this psalm a prophetic Import, though he may not have fully comprehended the mean ing of what he wrote. — Spake of the resur rection of the Messiah ; for his soul was not abandoned to Hades, neither did his flesh experience annihilation. Not, as in our English version, That his soul was not Itft, etc. Peter does not again quote David's prophecy, but states, as a, fact, that the Messiah was not left subject to death, as an evidence that the prophecy of David, not perfectly fulfilled in his own experience, was fulfilled now — In the experi ence of Jesus the Nazarene. Observe the differ ence in language here and in ver. 37. David says, Thou wilt not suffer thy saint to experience armliulation ; here Peter declares that even the flesh of Christ has not been destroyed. 32, 33. Whereof. Or, Qfwhmi. See 3 : 15, note. — We all are witnesses. AU; primarily, the twelve apostles (see ver. 14, note), but also many, doubtless, among the multitude of the disciples (1 Cor. 16 ; 6). — Receiving the promise of the Holy Spirit from the Father, he hath poured this out which ye now see and hear. Not, these physical signs — the sound as of wind, and the tongues as of fire — but the whole phenomenon, including both the physical and the spiritual. Observe that the Father gives the Son to the world (John 3 : 16), and gives the Spirit to and through the Son, so that all is in and through and from the Father, that he may be all and in all (Rom. 11 : 36 ; 1 Cor. 15 : 28). The climax of the address, which throughout refers all to the one only God, is also noteworthy. Jesus Christ Is accredited by God, by works wrought among you by God, being delivered over to you by God, and finally raised up by God, and by God made both Lord and Christ (vers. 22, 23, 36). It seems to me better to take the language here as in our English version, by the right hand of Ood (as Al ford, Meyer, Calvin), rather than to the right hand of God (as Hackett, Olshausen, Neander). Either rendition is, however, grammatically admissible. 34, 35. For David is not ascended unto the heavens. The Jews generally believed that the dead awaited in Hades the appointed time for their resurrection, and entered Into their final state after this Intermediate state, which was brought to an end by a general judgment (job 3 : 17-19 ; 14 ; 12 ; John 11 ; 24). To thls belief Peter ap peals, and his language here certainly Implies that he shared this popular conviction that the saints, at least the O. T. saints, did not enter at once upon death Into the fuU fruition of their heavenly state.— But he saith himself. In Psalm 110 : 1, which Is believed to have been written on the same occasion as Psalm 16. — The IjOrd saith unto my Lord. In the original Hebrew two different words are used, rendered in the Greek and the English by the same word. The sense would be better given by translating, Jehovah said to my Lord. As David had In his lifetime no earthly superior, the reference to the Messiah, as his sovereign, is unmistakable. See Matt. 33 : 44, note.— The footstool of thy feet. See 2 Sam. 23 : 41. In this reference to Psalm 110, Peter fortifles his argument for the resurrection of Jesus Christ, by the explicit declaration of David that the Messiah should be raised up to sit on the right hand of God, shar ing his dominion with him. 36. This verse Is the consummation amd climax of the whole discourse, viz., (1) that by the resur rection God hath certified that he has made Jesus the Nazarene both Lord, i. e. sovereign or king, primarily of the Jewish nation, secondarily of the whole earth, and Messiah, i. e. the Anointed One or priest, by whom there Is alone access to God (Vol. 1 : 67, note on The Names of Jesns) ; and (2) that this their King and Messiah, thus certified to by mir acles while he Uved, by his resurrection, and by his fulfillment of prophecy, they had crucified. Pbtek's Pentbcostai, Sehmon. — This sermon I believe to be a model of what the revival ser mon should be ; not necessarily in Its form, but In Its structure and spirit. In studymg it, ob serve that, (1) It does not appeal to the imagina tion ; contains no word-painting, no sensuous images, no brilliant rhetoric ; it Is not sensation al. (3.) It contains little exhortation, and no ap peal to the feelings ; it Is not passional. (3.) It contains no metaphysicsti or abstruse teachings. It embodies the essential doctrine of the Gos pel, but no refined speculations respecting them. It declares the work of the Spirit, but does not discuss how the Spirit works In the hearts of men ; declares the truth of the resurrection, but does not discuss the nature of the resurrection ; declares the foreknowledge and decrees of God, but does not discuss their relations to the free will of man ; declares the Messlahship of Jesus, but does not discuss his nature, or the cause of his atoning sacriflce, or the philosophy of the plan of salvation. It is doctrinal, but neither 46 THE ACTS. 37 Now when they heard tkis^ they were pricked " in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what" shall we do? [Ch. II. 38 Then Peter said unto them," Repent, and be bap tized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ, for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. m Ezek. 7: 16: Zech. 12 : 10....n ch. 9 : 6; 16 : 30. .. . 0 ch. 3 : 19; Lnke 24 : 47. dogmatical nor metaphysical. (4.) It is mainly a statement of facts, Christ's character, life and miracles, his death, his resurrection, his ascen sion. (5.) The whole argument rests on these considerations : (a) facts known to the hearers — the miracles performed by Jesus, his cruciflxion in disregard of law, the death and burial of D.avid, etc. ; (6) facts testified to by the apostles from their personal knowledge, Christ's resur rection and ascension ; (c) tbe Scripture. (6.) Its object and effect is to produce a personal sense of sin, and that the particular sin of rejecting the Messiah and Saviour of the nation and the world. Ch. 2 : 87-47. EFFECT OP OnTPOTJEING OF THE SPIRIT.— On THE MtJi.TiTTrDi! : AWE (ver. 43), cohvic- Tiow OF SIN (ver. 37), conversion (ver. 41). — On the APOSTLES : EARNEST AND PERSONAL WORK EOR THE CONVERSION OF SOULS (ver. 37, 38).— On the church : DOCILITT, SYMPATHY, DEVOUTNESS, CHARITY, fiLAD- NESS, SIMPLICITY, PDRLIC FAVOR (42-47). 37. They were pricked in their heart. Comp. Heb. 4 : 13. It must be remembered that the effect produced was largely on the strangers and pilgrims (vers. 9-11) as weU as on those who had directly participated in the crucifixion. Observe that It Is the story of the cross, not the preaching of the law, which produced conviction of sin ; the preaching of the law Is not a neces sary preparation to tbe preaching of the cross. Comp. Zech. 13 : 10. Observe, too, that they were not only pricked in their heart, but were also obedient to Peter's counsel. "There must be added unto this pricking In heart, readiness to obey. Cain and Judas were pricked in heart, but despair did keep them back from submitting themselves unto God" (oen. 4 : 13 ; Matt. 27 ; s). — (Cal vin.) — To Peter and the rest of the apostles. The meeting now evidently broke up into frag ments, personal conversation with inquirers follow ing the public sermon. An Inquiry meeting Is not truly a new method.— \Vhat shall we do? This question Is not exactly equivalent to the jaUer's question. What must I do to be saved I (ch. 16 : 30). Convinced that the nation had put its Messiah to death, the people were overwhelmed with both sorrow and perplexity. They could not undo the deed ; what could they do ? 38. Repent and be baptized each of you upon the name of .lesus Christ for the re mission of sins. In getting the exact mean ing of Peter's directions to these Inquirers, ob serve, (1) Sepent (ftitavoiia) Is literally to perceive afterwards, and hence to change the mind. Includ ing one's view of Ufe and truth, and hence one's purpose. See Matt. 3 : 3, note. Here It In cludes an entire change of opinion respecting Jesus Christ, from regarding him as an Impostor to reverencing him as both Lord and Christ ; but it also includes all that change of Interior life and purpose which Is consequent thereon. The Roman Catholic translation, Do penance, making the direction merely the observance of certain legal rites, is equally inconsistent with the origi nal Greek and with the spirit of the entire pas sage. (3.) Be baptized follows In order the direc tion to repent. Baptism Is not a regenerating ordinance, but a sign and symbol of repentance and a public confession of Christ. On the mean ing of the word, see on Matthew, pp. 73 and 338. (3.) Each of you shows that the repentance and baptism must be a personal act. The multitude could not have been baptized under this direc tion, as some of the converts under Xavier's preaching were baptized in India, by being sprinkled aB together as a multitude. (4.) TIpon the name of Jesus Christ Is as Dr. Hackett, " Upon the name of Jesus Christ as the foundation of the baptism, i. e., with an acknowledgment of him in that act, as being what his name Imports, the sinner's only hope, his Redeemer, Justifier, Lord, final Judge." (5.) For the remission of sins is not merely, as Dr. Hackett, "in order to the forgiveness of sins," but, /or the putting away of sins, the entire cleansing of the heart from actual sin, as well as the pardon of those that are past. See Matt. 6 : 13, note ; see also Isaiah 1 : 18 ; Matt. 1 : 31 ; 1 John 1 : 9. What tbe Gospel promises is pardon for the past and deliverance from the dominion of sin in the future (Kom. 6 : 14), on condition of repentance, i. e., a change of heart, life, and purpose, and baptism, i. e., a public confession of Jesus Christ as both Jesus, i. e., Saviour, and Christ, i. c, Lord or Master, the one involving trust In him for pardon, the other obedience to him for the future. — And ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. That is, on the conditions already explained, they should receive that same gift of the in dwelling and inspiring presence of the Spirit of God, the manifestation of which they beheld in the apostles and other disciples. Whoever thus repented and were baptized should also be In spired. See on ver. 4. This is stUl more em phatically declared in the succeeding verse. 39. For the promise. What promise? That on which Peter has already expatiated, the Ch. II.] THB ACTS. 47 39 For the promise ¦" is unto you, and to your chil dren, and 1 to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 40 And with many other words did he testify and ex hort, saying, Save yourselves from this untoward gen eration. 41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized : and the same day there were added unto thevi about three thousand souls. p Joel 2 : 28 .... q Ephes. 2 : 13, 17. promise of the Spirit of God (yeises 17, is ; comp. 1 : 4 ; Ephes. 1 ; 13). — Is uuto you and to your chil dren. The original (lizior) may mean either descendants, as in ch. 13 : 33, Matt. 37 : 35, or children, as In ch. 31 : 5, Matt. 7 : 11. The promise is, however, conditional on repentance and baptism, and therefore does not, by its terms, include any except such as are capable of repentance. The former meaning, descend ants, suits the context better, for thus It includes the latter, children, and makes the promise in clude the whole fatnily of mankind. — And to all that are afar oflT. All Gentile nations. The near are Jews, the afar off Gentiles (isaiah 67:19; Zech. 6; 15; Ephes, 2:13, 17). Some haVC ques tioned this meaning here, because Peter was sub sequently surprised at the call of the Gentiles (chap. 10 : 28 ; 11 : 16, 17 ; Gal. 2 : 12) ; and Others, UOt questioning the meaning, have doubted tbe fact that Peter uttered It. The difficulty is, however, purely imaginary. Not only the apostles, but also every pious Jew, expected the conversion of the Gentiles in great numbers ; what surprised Peter, and what he and the other early Jewish Christians were slow to believe, was that they were to be admitted to the Church of Christ without first becoming Jews (oh. 15 : 1). — As many as the IjOrd our God shall have called. Not shall call. The reference is not to the calling by the Spirit of God, acting on tbe individual heart, but to the invitations of the 0. T., which embrace both Jew and Gentile (isaiah 65 : 7 ; 66 : 6-8; 60 : 3, 6-8: Joel 2 : .32; Mlcah 4 : 1, 2). That this is the meaning is evident (1) from the tense of the verb, which is past, not future (nearly equal to Latin future perfect ; see Winer, 307 ; ver. 31, note) ; (3) from the word used (TtQoaxaUofiai), which is never used In the N. T. of the effectual calling of the individual by the Influence of tbe Spirit of God ; the word rendered calling In Rom. 11 : 39 ; Ephes. 4:4; 3 Tim. 1 : 9 ; 3 Pet. 1 : 10 Is a ditferent one (x).i\ai ?) ; (3) from the context ; the ordinary Interpreta tion makes Peter declare that the promise of the Holy Spirit Is to all those who actually receive and accept Its influence, which not only limits the promise, but makes it unmeaning. 40. And with many other words. This language implies that only the substance of the personal direction of the apostle to the inquirers is here given.— Did he testify and exhort. Testify as a witness to the truth of the promise of God, and exhort as an ambassador from God (2 Cor. 6 : 2o), to Its Immediate acceptance. Gospel preaching Is a testimony and an Invitation. — Be ye saved. Not, Save yourselves. The ori ginal (aa^titi) Is in the passive tense. Our Eng lish version neither agrees with the original here, nor with the current teaching of Scripture else where (Ezet. 83 : 12 ; Dan. 9 : 18 ; Eom. 3 : 20 ; Ephes. 2 : 8, 9 , 2 Tim.. 1 ; 9 ; Tit. 3 ; 6). — From this crookcd gen eration. The meaning is, both from the evil influence of and also from the condemnation pro nounced against the Jewish nation. For signifi cance of the epithet crooked (axoXioc), here ren dered untoward, see Deut. 33 : 4; Phil. 3 : 15 ; 1 Pet. 3 : 18, In the latter passage rendered/roioard. 41. They therefore that received his word. Accepted it as true ; they testified to their acceptance by complying Immediately with BAPTIZINa IN THB EAST. the external and visible condition, baptism. Gladly Is wanting In the best manuscripts, "and Is omitted by Tischendorf and Alford. —Were bap. tized. Immediately, though not necessarily on the same day. The 3000 accepted the truth at once, but time may have been taken, necessary for tbe rite of baptism. How it was performed Is not indicated In the narrative. We certainly cannot safely say that there was not time to bap tize all by immersion, for what time was taken for the baptism we are not told ; nor that there could have been no opportunity for Immersion, tor there were abundant pools of water In and about Jerusalem, in some of which bathing was 48 THE ACTS. [Ch. II. certainly allowed (john 6 : 4 ; 9 : 7), and whether they could have been made available by the disciples for this purpose we have no means of knowing. The Implication of the narrative is certainly that only those persons were at this time baptized who were old enough to accept, understandlng- ly, the word. — There were added about 3000 souls. Unto them is an addition by the translators. The language here is absolute, as though these souls first found their true Ute when they found It in Jesus Christ. Comp. ch. 5 : 14 ; 11 : 34. Observe (1) that these converts were received Into the church at once, on their profession of repentance and their consent to re ceive baptism, without waiting for Instruction in Christian doctrine, of which they must have been almost wholly ignorant ; (3) that they were received on the basis of personal repentance and acceptance of the word, as converts to the reli gion of Jesus Christ. This is Implied, not only by the course of the narrative, but by the phrase ology of ver. 47, The Lord added such as were being saved; (3) It Is not Impossible that the apos tles may have received some who were not sav ingly converted, for they were not infallible in their spiritual judgments of men (chap. 8 ; 13, 18-23). The language of ver. 47 implies that they were added to the church only as true disciples, and on the ground of their personal salvation, but not that no mistakes were made. It Is very proba ble that some of these new converts brought into the primitive church the seeds of that Judaizlng doctrine which regarded Christianity as only a phase of Judaism, and required circumcision of aU Christian converts, and which afterward proved so hostile to the purity and the power of the early church ; (4) it is, however, clear from the next verse that the majority of these con verts were humble and docile recipients of the new faith, as taught by the apostles, and were steadfast in it. Note on the ouTPomirtfG oi' the Holt Spikit AT the Pentecost. (1.) The fact. The physical phenomena which accompanied the gift of the Holy Ghost, the sound as of wind and the tongues as of fire, are testified to by only one witness ; whether he was an eye-witness or not we do not know ; his description of the phenomena Is so brief that their nature Is a matter of uncertainty, and It affords a theme for curious rather than profitable inquiry. But the gift of tongues is so dlstioctly described ha 1 Cor., ch. 14, the Pauline authorship of which Is undoubted, that the ex istence of such a phenomenon In the early church cannot be questioned, though Its nature Is not and cannot be clearly known. The great fact, however. Is that the Spirit of God, whose influ ence had hitherto been chiefly manifested in and through special Individuals, appointed to be the inspired leaders of Israel, was now for the first time bestowed upon all men, on the simple con ditions of repentance and baptism in the name of Jesus Christ. This fact Is abundantly eon- firmed by the following considerations : (a.) It fulfills the promises of the 0. T. prophets (see yet. 89, note and refs.) and Of JeSUS Christ (John 14 : 16-26 ; 16 ; 26 ; 16 : 13, etc.). (6.) It Is repeatedly testlfled to by Luke In the Book of Acts (oh. 4 : 31 ; 6 : 3 ; s : 15 ; 10:45; 11:16, etc.), and Is One of the central truths dwelt upon by the apostles in their letters to the early churches (see ver. 4, note), (c.) It is demon strated in the remarkable change wrought in the apostles, especially In Peter. Contrast the story of his denial of Christ (Matt. 26 : 69-75) with his courage and willing suffering after the descent of the Holy Spirit (Acts 4 ; 13, 19 ; 6 : 29, 41, etc.). (d.) It Is paralleled by a continuous series of revivals, extending from the day of Pentecost to the pres ent time, the spiritual phenomena of which, In the new and devout life of awakened souls, are as truly remarkable as those of Pentecost. (3.) The con ditions of the gift. The disciples were expecting the gift of the Holy Ghost. They believed the promise of their Lord, and waited In faith for Its fulfillment. They were united In zealous hope and In prayer. There Is no hint at this time of the jealousies and strifes which at other times divided them (Matt. 20 : 24 ; Marli 9 : 33, 34 ; Luke 22 : 24). They obeyed unquestioning the command of Christ (ch. 1 ; 4), and again abandoning their fishing, which they had resumed after Christ's death (john 21 : 3), continued to assemble for ten days In the upper chamber at Jerusalem, with out any Indication of the fulfillment of the prom ise made by their departed Lord. They were united in patient, persevering prayer for the blessing. For illustration of these conditions see ch. 1 : 4, 8, 13-14 ; 3:1; comp. John 14 : 31-33. (3.) The results of the gift. On Peter and the apostles, a power of utterance accompanied with the demonstration of the Spirit (1 Cor. 2 : 4; 1 Theaa. 1:6); on the people, the conversion of souls in multitudes ; on the church, steadfastness, mutual sympathy and charity, joy, devoutness of spirit (verses 42-47 ; Gal. 5 ¦ 22, 23). (4.) The apostolic meth ods : First, a prayer meeting, attended by those only who believed In and hoped for the fulfill ment of Christ's promise ; next, a sermon, pre senting to the multitude simply, but with direct personal appeal, a crucified, risen, and ascended Saviour (i cor. 2:2); then a meeting for personal converse with inquirers, then the immediate baptism and reception into the church of all who professed repentance and were willing to make public confession of their new faith by baptism ; flnally, definite religious instruction in the truths of Christianity to such as accepted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour and Lord. These facts, of the gift, the conditions on which It was ob tained, the results on the community and the Oh. II.] THB ACTS. 49 42 And ' they continued stedfastly in the apostles* doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers, 43 And fear came vpon every soul : and many " won ders and signs were done by the apostles. 44 And all that believed were together, and ' had all things common ¦ 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and" part ed them to all men, as every man had need. r 1 Cor. 11:2; Heb. 10 : 26 s Mark 16 : 17 . . . . t ch. 4 : : 7 ; 2 Cor. 9 ; 1, 9 ; 1 John 3 : 17. church, and the apostolic methods of co-working with the Spirit of God, are recorded as an exam ple and Instruction to the universal church of Christ. 42. The following verses, to the end of the chapter, describe In general terms the condition of the church in this first phase of its existence. The duration covered Is not indicated, but could not have been very long, for persecution soon ensued, which scattered the disciples and put an end to the temporary community of goods, and to " favor with all people." — They, i. e., the new converts, continued steadfastly. Their new lite was not a mere transient excitement, but a steadfast purpose, the strength of which was demonstrated by their perseverance. — In the apostles' teaching ; i.e., in the acceptance and maintenance of their teaching ; they were docile scholars in the new faith. — And in fellowship. The original (xotvoivla) signifles literally a shar ing in common. Here it probably implies both fellowship in spiritual things, a participation with each other In Christian sympathy and ex perience, and also practical charity — the sharing of goods with the poor Indicated by ver. 45. — And in hreaking of bread. There Is some doubt as to the meaning of this phrase. I think It tolerably clear that an observance of the Lord's Supper is indicated, because (1) in ver. 46 the breaking of bread appears to be distinguished from an ordinary meal ; (3) the language accords closely with that employed In the description of the institution of the Lord's Supper (Matt. 26 : 26 ; Mark 14 : 22 ; Lnke 22 : 19. Comp. 24 : 36 ; 1 Cor. 11 : 23, 24) ; (3) and with that elsewhere employed to describe what was probably the Lord's Supper (Acta 20 : 7, 11 ; 1 Cor. 10 : 16.). — And iu prayers. Probably here social gatherings for prayer, not merely individ ual prayers, are Intended. 43-45. And fear came upon every soul. Fear In the sense of commingled awe and rever ence ; a fear not Inconsistent with joy (ver. 4e). — And many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. This general description in cludes the miracles described more in detail in subsequent chapters (ch. 3 : i-S; 6 : 12, le, le). — AH that believed were together. Not literally were In one place. No ordinary room, obtainable in Jerusalem, would have contained the 3,000. But they constituted a social community by themselves, separated from the rest of the peo ple, not by local and physical barriers, but by their own mutual sympathies. — And had all things in common ; and sold their posses sions and goods. The term possessions (xriJua) signifies property acquired, the term goods (iiaag- ti?) simply that which belongs to one. Their property, whether acquired or inherited, was held subject to the claims of Christian charity. I see no adequate ground for Alford's distinc tion, who Interprets possessions as landed prop erty, and goods as moveables. But lands and houses, as well as moveable goods, were sold (ch. 4 ; 34). — And parted them to all. Not to all men, but to all in the church. — As every man had need. This surrender of property was not instantaneous or absolute ; It was only as need appeared In the church that such sale and distribution took place. Of Communism in the Eaklt Chttrch. — In respect to tbe communism described in the early church here and in chaps. 4 : 33-34 ; 5 : 1-4, the following facts should bfe noted by the student : (1. ) The disciples did not sell to give to a hierar chy, but to the poor, and as the poor had need. They employed the apostles only as almoners of their bounty, and the apostles early declined this office, and the disciples appointed others for the purpose (ch. 6 : 1-5). There Is, therefore, In tbis primitive example no precedent for the Romish endeavor to secure from Its adherents the gift of their property to the church, as an ecclesiastical organization. (3.) The sale and gift were purely voluntary. No disciple was required, as a con dition of joining the church, to surrender his property to the community ; even after sale, he was free to give little or much as he chose (ch. 6 : 4). There Is, therefore, In the apostolic exam ple no warrant for the modem American social istic communities, in which every member Is re quired to surrender, not only his property, but his earnings, to the common stock. For brief account of these communities, see Lyman Ab bott's Dictionary of Beligious Knowledge, art. So cialism. (3. ) The community was bound together by sympathies, not by rules and regulations ; it did not at any time prevent the disciples from continuing to live separately In individual house holds and in their own houses (ver. 46 ; ch. 12 ; 12). It did not, therefore, disrupt or weaken the fam ily. (4.) It was confined to Jerusalem and to tbe early period of the Christian church, at a time when It was largely composed of pilgrims temporarily sojourning at Jerusalem, and de pendent, according to the custom then, and even now to some extent prevailing In the East, on 50 THE ACTS. [Ch. IL 46 And they, continuing daily With one accord in the temple, and breaking bread from house to liouse, did eat their meat witti gladness and singleness of heart, 47 Praising God, and having favour' with all the people. And^ the Lord added to the church daily suca as should be saved. V Lnke 2 : 52 ; Rom. 14 : 18 w chap. 6 : 14 ; 11 : the hospitality of the residents there. The Chris tian enthusiasm simply enlarged this hospitality, providing for the poorer pilgrims out of the abundance of the richer disciples. " No trace of its existence Is discoverable anywhere else ; on the contrary, Paul speaks constantly of the rich and poor. See 1 Tun. 6 : 17 ; Gal. 2 : 10 ; 2 Cor. 8 : 13, 15 ; 9 : 6, 7 ; 1 Cor. 16 : 2 ; also, James a : 1-5; 4 : IS."— (Alford.) (5.) Its origin may probably be looked for in the organization of the apostolic band, which, during Christ's earthly Ufe, lived in voluntary poverty, and bad a com mon treasury (Matt. 19 : 21 ; Lnke 6:11; John 12 : 6 ; 13 : 29). Naturally, the first converts attempted to adopt the same principle, untU experience demonstrated that the community of goods, applicable to tbe small and itinerant apostolate, was inapplicable to tbe large and increasing Christian brother hood. (6.) For, tbe attempt to organize the Christian church on this basis and to have aU things In common, failed and was soon aban doned. It led to disputes (ch. 6 i), was never extended beyond Jerusalem, nor even perma nently maintained there (see references above), and its temporary adoption there perhaps accounts for the poverty of that church (ch. ii : 29, 30 : 24 : 17 ; Rom. 16 : 26, 26 ; 1 Cor. 16 : 1-3 ; with 2 Oor., ch. 8, 9). (7.) Thefe Is not In the N. T. any warrant for the belief that such communism as was practised temporarily in the church at Jerusalem, was directed by God, or is recorded as an example for us. It is not said to have been counselled by the apostles ; their writings nowhere commend it ; and while the in spired teachings of the N. T. writers are author itative, there is no warrant in Scripture for the doctrine that the example of the early church Is an authority for later ages. Christ is our only example. (8. ) The principle underlying Christian communism, viz., that all possessing goods and Industries are to be consecrated to God in the service of humanity. Is a fundamental Christian principle (Matt. 26 : 14-30 ; Luke 13 i 6-9), but neither ex perience nor Scripture Indicates that selling all and dividing to the poor, Is the method best cal culated to serve humanity, or even tbe poor. 46,47. And they, persevering daily with one accord. On the meaning of the word (ufio-9vfiadov), rendered one accord, see ch. 1 : 14 and note.— In the Temple. Thither they went up to pray (ch. 3 : 1), and to teach, the latter In Solomon's porch (ch. 3 : 11 ; 6 : 2i). On the struc ture of the Temple and Its adaptation to the purposes of religious teaching, see John 2 : 13-17, notes.— And breaking bread from house to house. Or, in the house, i. e.. In private. The original Is capable of either Interpretation. The essential fact is, that whUe they continued at this time in the observance of the Jewish forms of worship, they added gatherings for Christian worship in private houses. By "breaking bread," the observance of the Lord's Supper Is probably intended. See ver. 43, note. — They did eat their meat with gladness. A very simple meal may be joyous. — And singleness of heart. Their simplicity. In contrast with the pride and rivalries of the Pharisaic feasts (Luke 14 : 7 ; Matt, 23 : 6), and the self-indulgent luxury of the later feasts of the Christian church (1 Cor. 11 ¦. 20, 21), was In part the secret of their joy. " Singleness of heart accom panied the gladness ; and in point of fact, want ing that companion, the gladness itself would soon disappear." — (Arnot.) Tbe hint is practi cally valuable in these days when Irrational lux ury and pride and rivalry destroy the true glad ness of social life. — Praising God and hav ing favor with ail the people. The people axe here in contrast with tbe Jewish ecclesiastics. See chap. 4 ; 1-4. As yet, however, persecution had not arisen ; the beauty of holiness was per ceived and admired by the people ; its severe re quirements and condemnation of popular sins was not at first felt. The spark was allowed to grow Into a flame before the blast of persecu tion ; then the storm did but increase and extend the flame (ch. 8 ¦ 4). — And the Lord added. Not, to the church, which words are wanting In the best MSS.; but, to himself (ch. 6: u; 11:24). — Such as were being saved. Not such as had been saved, which would require the past tense, nor such as certainly would be saved, which would require the future, but such as were in the way of salvation. It Is not necessarily implied that all were saved, some self-deceived and apostates might be among them ; but it is implied that only those were accepted in the church who themselves professed to accept salvation through Jesus Christ as their Saviour. Conversion was a condition of church member ship. Observe that they did not add themselves, and were not added by the church or the apos tles, but by the Lord (1 cor. s : s-7). While this brief description (vera. 41-47) of the first experience of the primitive church affords but little light on the methods of church organization, it indicates very clearly the elements of spiritual lite which gave the early church its power. It received the gift of the Holy Spirit, labored directly for the conversion of souls, received converts on their profession of repentance and faith In Christ, Ch. III.] THE ACTS. 51 CHAPTER III. NOW Peter and John went up together into the temple at « the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour. 2 And a certain man, lame from his mother's womb, was carried, whom they laid daily at the gate' ot the temple which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple ; 3 Who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked an alms. ^ And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him, with John, said. Look on us. I Ps. 66 : 17 ; Dan. 6 : 10 .... y John 9 : 8. who entered the church as learners, whose ex perience was characterized by mutual sympathy, generous charity, social life, great joyousness, and whose services were simple. Informal, non- rituallstlc, and genuinely devout, being held In private houses, and consisting of social meals, ac companied by the memorial supper of the Lord, of instruction afforded by the apostles, of pray er, of singing, and of mutual fellowship in Chris tian experience. Ch. 3 : 1-11. THE FIRST APOSTOLIC MIRACLE.— The VALUE OF A LOOK ILLUSTBATED. — TWO PHASES OP FAITH EXEMPLIFIED.— Ijt THE NAME OF JeSUS ChBIST. — The HEALING POWEB OF CHBIST IS THE GLORY OF God. Date A. D. 30. Nothing indicates the exact time. It must have been soon after the day of Pentecost, but probably not on that day. It is the first miracle definitely described as performed by an apostle, though that they had wrought miracles during Christ's lite is Implied by Matt. 10 : 8. Comp. Luke 10 : 17. On one occasion they attempted and failed (Mark 9 ; is), but for their failure were rebuked by Christ, who attrib uted It to their spiritual deflciency (Mark 9 ; 19, 28, 29). The miracle here is recorded for the sake of re sults to which It leads — the address to the peo ple founded on it (vers. 12-20), the arrest of the apostles, and their first trial before the Sanhe drim (ch. 4 : 1-22), and the effect In strengthening the faith and courage of the early church (4: 23-31). 1-3. Peter and John went up together. The personal friendship of these two disciples is illustrated by many incidents (Luke 6 : 1-11 ; John 13 : 23, 24 ; 18 : 15, 16 ; 21 : 7). — At the hour of prayer, the ninth hour. That is, 3 p. m. There were two fixed hours for sacriflce and prayer — ^the morn ing hour 9 a. m., and the evening hour 3 p. m. (Eioa. 29 1 4i). These, with one at noon, were ob served as hours of prayers by the devout Jews, even when absent from Jerusalem and the Tem ple (Ps. 65 ; 17 ; Dan. 6 : lo). Similar hours of prayer are established by ecclesiastical laws among the Mohammedans and the Koman Catholic priest hood. The later Jews were exacting In the ob servance of these occasions of prayer, continuing them scrupulously during Pompey's siege of Jerusalem (josephus' Ant. w : 4, 3). The apostles went up, not to teach (Calvin), nor as a matter of expediency (Chrysostom), nor to commemorate Christ's perfect sacrifice by observing the typical sacrifice of the Temple (Saekett), but because they were still Jews as well as Christians, and had not yet learned the full meaning of Christ's declaration that he had fulfilled the law, and that time and place are unimportant in worship (Matt, 5 : 17 ; John 4 : 21-24). The maintenance of special hours of prayer, borrowed from the Jews, was continued In the Christian church and increased to seven daily occasions ; these are stUl observed, in theory, if not in practice, by the Romish clergy. The literal obseiTance of the entire prescribed service would occupy nearly the entire twenty- four hours. — Lame from his mother's womb. And he was now over forty years of age (ch. 4 : 22). The nature of the lameness, a congenital weak ness of the feet and ankles, is indicated by ver. 7. — Was being carried. That Is, as Peter and John entered the Temple, the cripple was being carried by friends to his accustomed place. — At the gate of the Temple which is called Beautiful. What gate Is here Indicated Is not known. Some have Identified It with the famous one which gave admission from the outer court of the Gentiles into the court of the women. But from the fact, that after the healing, the peo ple ran together to them In Solomon's porch (ver. 11), which was without the Temple proper, it appears more likely that one of the exterior gates, lead ing from the city without to the courts within, Is Intended. There were two gates on the south side of the court of tbe Gentiles leading from Jerusalem into the Stoa Basilica or Solomon's Porch. — To ask an alms. The giving of alms was a sacred duty insisted on strenuously In the law, and in connection with the religious offer ings at the Temple (Dent. 14 : 28, 29 ; 15 : 7, 11 ; 26 : 12, 13). 4, 5. Said, Iiook on us. Not because he "wished to see his countenance, In order to judge whether he was deserviug of kindness " (Meyer), but simply to fix his attention, and awaken, even though vaguely, that spirit of the expectation and the obedience of faith, without which the cure could not have been wrought. Comp. with this look of the lame man that of the poisoned Israelite, In Numb. 21 : 8 ; both Illustrate Isaiah 45 : 32. Quarles interprets the two looks of Peter and the lame man : " When thou seest misery in thy brother's face, let him see mercy in thine eye." — Expecting to receive some thing. This expectation is generally a condi- 53 THE ACTS. [Ch. III. 5 And he gave heed unto them, expecting to receive something of them. 6 Then Peter said, Silver and gold have I none : but such as I have give I thee; In^ the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. 7 And he took him by the right hand, and lifted him up : and immediately his feet and ancle bones received strength. 8 And he, lea;)ing » up, stood, and walked, and en tered with them into the temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God. 9 And all the people saw him walking and praising God: IO And they knew that it was he which sat for alms at the Beautiful gate of the temple : and they were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him. II And, as the lame man which was healed held Pe ter and John, all the people ran together unto them, in the porch'' tnat is called Solomons, greatly wonder ing. z ch. 4 : 10 a isa. 35 : 6 b ch. 6 : 12 ; John 10 : tlon of receiving (Matt. 7 : 7, s), but the gift exceeds the expectation (Ephes. 3 : 20), as It did here. Ob serve the Illustration of two phases of faith ; in the apostle, a clear knowledge of the benefit to be conferred, and of the divine power of him by whom It would be conferred ; in the lame man, only a confidence in the charity of the two un known, and a vague hope of something, he knew not what. But there was faith In both, in each according to the measure of knowledge. ,6. Silver and gold is not to me. Not, I have none with me now, nor I have none to give to thee, nor, literally, / /lave none, for though Peter had left aU to follow Christ (Matt. 19 : 27), he was not a mendicant ; but, Silver and gold is not for me to give, i. e., it Is not my means for doing good. He speaks not for himself only, but also for John. — But what I have, that give I to thee. In a sense every disciple can say this. The moneyless can show mercy ; tbe poorest can yet give to the poor sympathy and consideration (ps. « : 1; ProT. 29 : 7). — In the name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene. Speaking for him and by his authority. Contrast the miracles of Christ performed never in the name of another, but with an "I say unto thee" (Luke 6 : 24 ; 7 ; 14 ; S : 54, etc.). Why does he add tTie Nazarene? He adopts joy fully the appellation given In derision (Matt. 2 : 23 ; John 1 : 46), that he may share the obloquy of his Master and honor even his dishonored title. 7, 8. And he took him by the right hand and lifted him up. Not so much to strengthen his limbs as his faith.— And immediately his feet and ankle- bones received strength. Luke, who is a physician, intimates the nature of the disease, as well as the suddenness and rad- Icalness of the cure. — He leaping up, stood, and walked. He leaped or sprang up from his sitting posture, stood for a moment to real ize his new power, then walked, another evidence of the miracle, for walking is an acquired art, and he had never learned. — And entered with them into the Temple, walking, and leap ing, and praising God. This fact, coupled with ver. ll,wbich indicates what part of the Tem ple they entered together, implies that the Beauti ful gate was one exterior to the whole structure. His walking and leaping was In the exuberance of his new-found powers ; his praising God either Indicates that he possessed a truly devout spirit, or else, merely the habit of the orientals, who, much more than the Anglo-Saxon, attribute all remarkable events to God. 9-11. All the people. The miracle was publicly performed, and publicly recognized and appreciated. "They who have seen our infirm ities should attest our change." — And they recognized. Literally, Knew perfectly (iTtiyvu; xm). He was a well-known mendicant. There was no opportunity to question his identity, as In the case of the blind beggar (john 9 : 9). — ^And they were filled with wonder. In feeling; surprise intermingled with awe. — And amaze ment. In the understanding. They were dazed by the event. — At that which had happened unto him. They saw him leaping and walking, knew him to be the lame man, but knew not the circumstance of his cure, and were amazed and awe-struck, wondering what had occurred. — And as he held Peter and John. This read ing Is better than that of the Received Text, though the meaning is the same. He held them, not for support, because he was ignorant how to walk, nor for fear, lest the cure was not perma nent and he should suffer relapse If he lost them, but from joy and gratitude. — In the porch that is called Solomon's. This porch, 600 feet in length and 75 in width, overhung the south wall of Jerusalem ; it was open toward the Temple, but closed by a wall toward the country. For illustration, see VoL I, p. 257 ; for description, Johu 2 : 13-17, notes. Ch. 3 : 12-26. PETER'S ADDRESS TO THE PEOPLE. The power of the apostles : the powek of faith (13, 16).— 'The sin of Israel : the rejection of the Messiah (13-15).— Ignorance a palliation but not AN EXCtrsE fob SIN (ver. 17 with 2 : 23).— Even the wicked fulfill the divine pueposes (ver. 18). — The fruits of repentance : new spiritual lifb AND the spiritual RECEPTION OF ChKIBT (19, 20).— The hope of the church: the second coming of Christ (21).— The world's sin: heedlessness of Christ (22, 23).— The punishment of that sin : soul destruction (23).— The mission of Christ : to turn men from the wat of sin (26). There are two radically different interpreta tions of this address. One regards Peter as speaking throughout of the present dispensation. Ch. III.] THE ACTS. 53 12 And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, Ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this ? or why look ye so earnestly on us, as though by our own power" or holiness we had made this man to walk ? 13 The God " of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Ja cob, the God of our fathers," hath glorified ' his Son Je sus ; whom ye delivered up, and denied him k in the pres ence of Pilate, when he^ was determined to let him go. i.^ But ye denied the Holy One' and the Just,J and desired a murderer to be granted unto you ; IS And killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised'' from the dead; whereof we* are witnesses. c 2 Cor. 3:5....d .Matt. 22 : 32. ...e oh. 5 : 30, 31 f John 17 ; 1 ; Euh.-a. 1 : 20-22 ; Phil. 2:9 11 ; Heb. 2 h Matt. 27 : 17-26 : Lute 23 : 16 23. . . .1 Ps. 16 : 10 ; Luke 1 : 36. . . .j ch. 7 ; 62 ; 22 : 14. . , ,k Malt. 28 9 ; Rev. 1 : 5, 18. . . .g John 19 : 15. 2-6 ; Ephea. 1 ; 20. . . .1 ch. 2 : 32. According to this view, "times of refreshing" (ver. 19) are seasons of spiritual refreshment com ing to the Individual soul ; tbe promise " he shall send Jesus" (ver. 20) Is fulfilled iu Christ's spiritual presence in the hearts of his people, or in his presence In the world, In his church, and his Gospel ; " until the times of restitution of all things " (ver. 21) is equivalent to " until the resti tution or restoration which the Gospel is bring ing about has been accomplished." The other Interpretation regards Peter In this address as a prophet, and as referring to the second coming of the Lord, in glory and power, to establish his kingdom upon the earth. The student wIU find the former view in Barnes's notes, the latter in Alford. For reasons stated in the notes, I be lieve that neither interpretation is wholly true ; but that In part of his address Peter refers to the present dispensation, and in part to the future coming of Christ. There is a contrast between this and Peter's former speech (ch. 2 : 14-36). There he appealed to tbe conscience of the peo ple, and to the crucifixion of their King, which Is past ; In the present address he appeals rather to the hopes of the people, and to the coronation of their King, which is in the future. That ad dress, however. Is completed ; this one Is ab ruptly broken off by the arrest of the speaker (ch. 4 : 1). 12. And Peter seeing (the concourse of the people described In the previous verse), answer ed unto the people. To their looks of inquiry and amazement. The word answered does not imply any previous questioning ; it Is commonly used In the N. T. In describing the commencement of an address (Matt. 11 : 25; 22 : l; Luke 7 : 22). — Why marvel ye at this? That is, at the man who had been cured, and who was holding to the apostles to express his gratitude to them. — Or why on us gaze so intently? The us, by Its position In the sentence, as well as by the context, Is made emphatic. Peter endeavors to turn the curiosity and Interest In himself mani fested by the staring of the crowd, to good ac count to their spiritual benefit. Contrast Pe ter's course here, In turning attention from him self, with Christ's course In Luke 4 : 16-33, when all eyes were fixed upon him, in accepting and concentrating this attention upon himself. One was the herald, tbe other the King.— As though by our own power or piety we had made this man to walk. The apostle disowns both any peculiar prerogative of working miracles and any peculiar privilege of access to God, any efficacy of prayer above that of a faith which may be exercised by any disciple. 13. TF.c God of Abraham * * * the God of Our fathers. " See how assiduously he thrusts himself upon the fathers of old, lest he should appear to be Introducing a new doc trine." — (Chrysostom.) See, too, how he ranks himself with his hearers as an Israelite, by the phrase "omj- fathers," here and In ver. 35. — Hath glorified his servant Jesus. Not Son ; the word is the same rendered servant iu chap, i : 35 (naig, not fiiog). It is used in refer ence to Christ by Isaiah (chap. 42 : 1, septuagint), and is interpreted by Heb. 10 : 7. See note on Acts 4 : 37. God had glorified Jesus by the miracles wrought through him during his earthly life (2 ; 22), by his resurrection and ascension, by tbe spiritual blessings already conferred through bim (2 : 24, 33), and now by this miracle wrought in Christ's name. The latter Is the Immediate reference here. By this miracle, Peter says, God glorifies not us, but bim in whose name it was wrought (ver. 6). — Whom ye delivered up. As a nation, through their constituted rulers, the Jewish people delivered Jesus over to Pilate, the Roman governor, to be sentenced. — And denied him to the face of Pilate. Or, as in our English version, in the presence of Pilate; either rendering Is admissible. Denied is here, not merely, denied that he was their Messiah and their King, though this Is true f John 19 : 15), and Is included in the statement, but, rejected him wholly, his claim, his authority, his salvation, his lordship, invoking his blood on their own heads (Matt. 27 : 26). — When he (Pilate) had adjudged to release him. Not, as in our English ver sion, was determined, which Indicates only a men tal purpose, but had adjudged him Innocent and decreed officially his release. Pilate did so ad judge, and retracted his decision and permitted the crucifixion, only In obedience to the clamor of the mob and the threats of tbe priests (Luke 23 : 14, 16 ; John 19:4; Matt. 27 : 24 ; Mark 15 ; 16). 14, 15. But ye rejected the pure and Just. The former conveys the Idea of moral purity within, the latter uprightness in external lite. Jesus was iu heart-life sinless, and he had com mitted no overt act which contravened the law of the land. He was both unjustly and illegally put to death. — And desired a murderer to be 54 THB ACTS. [Ch. III. i6 And his name, through faith in his name, hath made this man strong, whom ye see and know ; yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. 17 And now, brethren, I wot that through ignorance "" ye did it, as did also your rulers. 18 But those things," which God before had shewed by the mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath so fulfilled. 19 Repent" ye therefore, and be converted,? that your - sins may be blotted fout,whenthe times of refreshing ' shall come from the presence of the Lord ; m Luke 23: 34; John 16:3; 1 Cor. 2:8 n ch. 26 : 22. 23; Lake 24: r Jer. 31 : 23-25 ; Zeph. 3 ^. ...o oh. 2:38. 14-20 ; Rev. 21 : . .p Isa. 1 : 16-20 ; Joel 2 : 13 q Isa. 43 : granted unto you. Barabbas (Lnie 23 : 16-19). — And killed the originator of life. The word prince ("g/iyo?) Is literally leader, then the pro genitor of a race, then the originator, the one from whom anything, whether good or bad, proceeds. This appears to be Its sense here and In Heb. 3 ; 10, where It is rendered "captain of our salvation." Comp. Heb. 13 : 3, "author of faith." Christ Is the author of lite, as he is also the leader into life eternal, being the first-fruits of them that rose from the dead (1 Cor. 15 : 23). — Of whom we are witnesses. Not merely whereof, as in our EngUsh version. Tbe apostles were witnesses to Christ, his character, his life, his passion, and his resurrection. The latter Is Included in, but does not Include all of, the apostoUc testimony. Alford notices the striking antithesis In tlris sen tence ; the pure and just in contrast with a mur derer, and the author of life with ye killed. 16. And by the faith of his name, him whom ye see (healed) and know (to have been a cripple), his (Christ's) name hath made strong. — Yea, the faith which is through him (i. e. given through Christ by God) hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. The apostle begins the first sentence, breaks It off, leaving It Incom plete, and begins again, thus emphasizing the potency of Christ's name. In the second sen tence, be adds that this faith Is itself the gift of God, by whose mercy and love, uncaused and un conditional, this cure has been wrought. It seems to me clear that he speaks both of the faith of the apostles who wrought the cure and of the faith In the man cured, who could not have been healed if he had not exercised suffi cient faith to attempt obedience to the apostoKc direction, "Rise up and walk." 17, 18. And now, brethren. The appel lation brethren softens the address, and reminds the hearers that. In nationality and religious faith, he is one with them. — I know that because of ignorance ye did it, as also your rulers. Undoubtedly ignorance of difiEerent degrees in different persons ; the ignorance of Caiaphas and of the Roman soldiery was not the same ; but not even Caiaphas, though he knew that Jesus wrought miracles, realized his full character and mission. Of all that participated In the crucifix- Ion of our Lord, Judas is perhaps the only one who cannot be said to have done so In Ignorance of what he was doing. But observe, though that Ignorance is a palliation, it Is not an excuse lor the crime. The hands that slew him were wicked hands (ch. 2 : 23) ; for the people knew enough of Christ's character to be under obliga tion to inquire further and leam more. The next verse, referring to the prophets, with which they were or ought to have been familiar, en forces this truth. Comp. 3 Cor. 3 : 14, 15 ; 1 Tun. 1 : 13. — But God, what things he had be fore announced by the mouth of all his prophets, that the Messiah should sufier, hath thus fulfilled. The declaration Is exactly parallel to that of ch. 3 : 33 ; the wicked hands, in crucifying, did but fulfill, not only the counsel and foreknowledge of God, but his declared word. Comp. also Luke 34 : 36. All his prophets Is not to be taken literally, for though all the prophets foretold the days of the Messiah, they did not aU foretell his passion and death. Peter speaks of them all as one body and actuated by one spirit ; and as a body, their testimony Is con current and harmonious. In pointing to a Messiah suffering, and triumphing in and by suffering. See Numb. 31 : 9, with John 3 : 14, 15 ; Ps. 23 : 16 ; Isaiah, ch. 53 ; Dan. 9 : 36 ; Zech. 11 : 13. 19. Repent ye, therefore, and he con verted. On the meaning of the word repent, see eh. 3 : 38, Matt. 3 : 3, notes ; on the meaning of the words be converted, see Matt. 18 : 3, note. The for mer Indicates a change of aim and purpose, the latter a consequent change of direction and course In lite, and both, changes wrought by, not on, the individual. — Unto the blotting out of your sins. The first effect of repentance' is that past sins are erased from the book of God's remembrance. Comp. Ps. 51 : 9 ; Isaiah 1 : 18 ; Jer. 31 : 34 ; Micab 7 : 19.— So that there may come seasons of reviving from the pres ence of the Iiord. The second effect of re pentance, and In order of time following the par don of sin, and dependent upon It. The meaning of the promise I take to be primarily, seasons, to the Individual, of spiritual revival, i. e., the be stowal of new life, of which God Is the author, and which are always accompanied by a peculiar consciousness of his presence ; and secondarily, sltallar seasons of reviving to the church or the community, but always on the same conditions, viz., repentance and a change of lite, and always preceded by a free forgiveness through Jesus Christ. Thus the exhortation of this verse is ex actly parallel to ch. 3 : 38 : " Repent and be bap- Ch. III.] THB ACTS. 55 20 And he ¦ shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you : 21 Whom the heaven must receive until the times' of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken" by the mouth of all his holy prophets since th.: world be gan. B ch. 1 : II ; Heb. 9 : . . . . t Malt. II ; II . tized for the remission of sins, and ye shall re ceive the gift of the Holy Ghost." The other Interpretation Is that by times of rtfreshing is meant "the great season of joy and rest which It was understood the coming of the Messiah In his glory was to bring with it" (Alford), and hence that Peter's reference Is here to the second com ing of Christ. This interpretation, though ad missible, Is, I think, less probable, because (1) the word times (xaiqo;) Is without the article and Is in the plural ; the language therefore Indicates repeated and frequent occasions, not a, single definite occasion, though In the singular it un doubtedly is used to designate the second com ing of Christ (see 1 Pet 1 : 6 ; Eev. 1:3); (3) the word rrfreshing (ava'i^vti;), literally, breathe again, though used in the N. T. only here, accords with those metaphors elsewhere which represent the effect of the spirit to be the bestowal of new spiritual life (see references below) ; (3) If that Is nOt contained In the promise here, then that result of repentance and conversion, which is almost uniformly coupled in the Bible with the promise of pardon for past sin (Pa. 51 : 9, 10 ; Ezek. 36 : 25, 26 ; John 3 • 16 ; Acta 2 : 38 ; Bom. 8 : 1, 2) Is altogether Ignored by Peter here, and this simply to anticipate a prom ise of Christ's second and glorious coming, which is made more distinctly and emphatically imme diately afterward (ver. 21) ; (4) moreover, it the promise here is of Christ's second coming, that is, by the construction of the sentence, made de pendent on the repentance and conversion of the Jews, whereas, In fact, they did not, as a nation, repent and turn to the Lord, and were conse quently rejected by him, and his second coming will assuredly take place, and this Irrespective of the repentance and conversion of either individ ual or community ; for he wHl come to assert and enforce his right to reign over all opposition and In spite of aU UnbeUef (1 Thess. 4 : I6 ; Rev. 6 : 15-17 ; 19 ; 11-16). I understand this verse, then, to be a promise of free forgiveness and a new spiritual lite, i. e., pardon and regeneration, upon the sim ple condition of a change In the purpose and di rection of the sinner. Does any one ask. Does this gift of new lite precede or follow the act of re pentance and turning to the Lord ? I answer. It accompanies it, as the act of the impotent man accompanied and was essential to the eflScacy of the miracle which healed him (vers. o-s. Comp. job 6 • 8. 9). 20. And that he may send. (dnoarMri, aw. sulg.) This sending Is, by the construction of the Greek, dependent on their repentance, as is the times of reviving. In this respect, our English version is defective. — The Messiah before pre pared for you, Jesus. This is the literal trans lation of the best reading, which gives prepared, not preached, and places Christ before Jesus. The before prepared refers to the appointment of God from before the foundation of the world (i Pet. 1 : 20 ; Eev. 13 ; s). Most critlcs Understand this passage as referring to the return of Christ at the end of the world. It is noticeable, however, (1) that nowhere else In the N. T. Is God repre sented as sending the Messiah into the world In his second coming, which is described as In his own power, while In his mediatorial character he is habitually represented as sent into the world by the Father (Luke 4 : is ; John 6 : 67 ; 17 : 3, 18, 21, 23 ; 20 : 21 ; 1 John 4 ; 9, 10, u) ; (3) thIs scudlng Is here made de pendent upon the repentance of the sinner, while the second coming is not so. I therefore under stand Peter here to refer to that spiritual send ing of the Son by the Father to the Individual soul, on condition of its repentance and conver sion, without which Christ Is never truly brought home to the soul, nor the soul led to accept him as its Saviour. See John 6 : 37, 39, 44, 45. 21. Whom the heaven must receive. Not, as Bengel, who must receive, i. e., take pos session, of the heavens, a meaning which does vio lence to the original Greek, and Is proposed only because the other and natural Interpretation Is thought to Imply that " heaven Is greater than Christ," and to be "inimical to tbe loftiness of Christ above all heavens." Peter explains, In a word, that, as the Messiah must be crucified, so he must ascend up into heaven, and there await the time appointed of God for tbe fulfillment of his mission and the establishment of his king dom. — Until the times of the restoration of all things. The reference is clearly to the anticipated restoration and glory of the the ocracy, promised by the prophets and expected by the people to be realized by the Messiah. This seems to me to be clear (1) from the lan guage Itself, which clearly points to a future time or times of restoration ; (3) from the refer ence to the prophecies, which do In fact point to such a final restoration of that which was lost by the fall ; (3) from Peter's teaching on the sub ject. In his epistle, concerning the day of God, for which the saints are to look, and to which they are to hasten, a day that ushers In the new heavens and the new earth wherein dweUeth righteousness (2 Pet. 3 : 12, is) ; (4) f rom the fact that Peter here employs substantially the language embodied In 56 THE ACTS. [Ch. III. 22 For Moses truly said unto the fathers, A prophet ' shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me : him shall ye hear in all things, whatsoever he shall say uuto you. 2q And it shall come to pass, that every soul, which will not hear that prophet, shall be destroyed from among the people. 24 Yea, and all the prophets from Samuel, and those that follow after, as many as have spoken, have like wise foretold of these days. 25 Ye are^ the children of the prophets, and of the covenant which God made with our fathers, saying unto Abraham, And in'' thy seed siiall all the kindreds of the earth be blessed. 26 XJnto youy first, God, having raised up his Son Jesus, sent him to bless you, in turning away* every one of you from his iniquities. T Deut. 18 : 16-19 ..-. w Eom. 9:4; 16:8 x Gen. 22 ; 18 y Matt. 10:6; Luke 24 : 47 . . . .2 1 0;Matt. I; 21; Tit. 2 : 11-14. the question of the apostles to Christ respecting bis second coming, and addressed to bim at the time of his ascension (Acts i : 6) ; (5) from tbe con sideration that the language of Peter here. Inter preted as a prophecy of Christ's second coming, corresponds exactly with Christ's own teaching, both with and without parable, viz., that he must depart for a season, until the appointed time was fulfilled, when he would return again and take possession of and perfect his kingdom. See par ticularly Matt., ch. 35. The other interpretations are, UntU ike times when all things shall have been restored, i. e., by tbe gradual progress of the Gos pel, which, as a translation, does violence to the Greek, and, Until the times of the fvlflllment of all things which God hath spoken, etc., which imputes to the Greek word rendered restitution (anoxa rdo- tuaie) a meaning which in the N. T. Greek Is never attached to it or the verb from which it Is taken. Matt. 13 : 13 ; 17 : 11 ; Mark 3:5;8:35;9:13; Luke 6 : 10 ; Acts 1:6; Heb. 13 : 19, are the only passages in which the verb occurs in the N. T. ; the noun occurs only here. In all these passages the Idea of restitution is unpUed. — Of which (seasons) God hath spoken through the mouth of his holy prophets. All is omitted by tbe best manuscripts. — Throughout the ages. For some of the prophetic passages here referred to, see Isaiah 3 : 3-5 ; 11 : 6-9 ; Dan. 3 : 35, 44 ; 7 : 14 ; Micah 4 : 3, 4 ; Hag. 3:7-9; Zech. cb. 14. 22-24. For truly Moses said. Not, Moses said truly. Peter, in an address to the Jews, does not need to affirm the truth of Moses. The refer ence is to Deut. 18 ; 15-19, a part of which only Peter quotes, and that not verbatim. The varia tions are immaterial. ' " The fathers " Is wanting in tbe best manuscripts. — A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you from your brethren, like unto me. That Christ was a prophet, and the last in the long line of prophets, is clearly implied by himself, even where he marks the difference between himself as a Son and them as servants (Matt. 22 : 33-39^ He was not ashamed to call those whom he redeemed brethren (Heb. 2 : 11). He was like Moses in that both were mediators between God and man, un like in the covenants or dispensations of which they were the respective representatives, and in the authority and permanence of their position in the household of God (Het. 8 : e, 6 ; 3 : i-«). — Him shall ye hear. The language is mandatory, not prophetic. Sear is equivalent to heed. — Shall be utterly destroyed from among the people. In the original passage (Deut. is : 19), the language is more general, I will punish, or. In our English version, / wUl require it of him, i. e., call him to account therefor. The spiritual signifi cance of the warning here Is given by Christ In John 3 : 18 ; 8 : 34. This verse thus Interpreted indicates the nature of sin, under the N. T. dis pensation, viz., a refusal to hear and heed Christ and the nature of punishment, spiritual destruc- tlon.^Of these days. Not, those days, i. e., those of the future coming of Christ and conse quent restoration of all things, but the present days, the dispensation of the Gospel. The decla ration here is explicit that, underlying all minor prophecies and interwoven in the whole body of prophecy, the constant theme of them all, is the promise of the Redeemer and his redemption ; a strong confirmation of that system of Interpreta tion which recognizes In the history and ceremo nialism of the 0. T. a foreshadowing of the reve lations of the N. T. , and In many prophecies of the 0. T. a double meaning, a Christly significance, shining through their historical and partial ful fillment, which makes history itself a prophecy. 25, 26. Ye are the sons of the prophets. Descended from them; belonging to the same nationality ; therefore, these promises are pecu liarly to you, and these warnings also. Comp. Rom. 3 : 3. — And of the covenant. Embraced In that covenant which was to Abraham and his seed. Paul applies this to Christ as the seed of Abraham (sai. 3 : le) ; but he was so because, ac cording to the flesh, a Jew ; and the promise was primarily to the Jewish nation, and to all the kindreds or families of the earth, through the Jewish nation, because through Jesus. — Unto you first, God, having raised up his ser vant. Not, Son (naxg not ijto;). The word Jesus is not in the best manuscripts. It Is a gloss added by a later hand, but correctly Inter prets the meaning of the passage. — Sent him. Not, shall send him. Observe, in confirmation of the interpretation I have given above of ver. 30, that God is represented as still sending Jesus Into the world, In the dispensation of his Gospel, although, personally, Jesus has ascended into Oh. IV.] THB ACTS. 5? CHAPTER IV. AND as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees," came upon them, 2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead. 3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day : for it was now eventide. 4 Howbeit many*" of them which heard the word be lieved ; and the number of the men was about iive thousand. • 5 And it came to pass on the morrow, that their rul ers, and elders, and scribes. a ch. 23 : S ; Matt. 2 3 b oh. 28 : 24. and remains in the heavens. Observe, too, that the language here Implies that Peter recognized that this Gospel was for the Gentiles as well as for the Jews, but that It must first be preached to the latter. Not until later, however, did he leam that the GentUes might come into the king dom of Christ without first becoming Jews by submitting to the rite of circumcision (Acts lo : 45 ; 16:1; Gal. 2 : 12). — To bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquity. Not merely, nor even chiefly. In providing a par don for sins that are past, but In saving from sins that are future : the former being the con dition of and preparatory for the latter. See Matt. 1 : 31 ; 1 John 1 : 9. Peter's address Is not apparently finished, but broken off by his arrest by the Temple officers. Ch. 4 ! 1-22. WEST THEEATESIKG OF PEESECDTION. — The TBIAl. OP THE apostles' faith, — THEIR POWER, AND THEIR VICTORY. See note at end of section. The arrest of the apostles occurred on the evening of the same day as the miracle ; the con ference with the apostles on the day following. 1-3. The priests, and the captain of the Temple, and the Sadducees. The captain of the Temple is the chief of the Temple police, a Levltlcal force for the preservation of order, and referred to, not only In the Rabbinical writings (see Lightfoot here, and on Luke 22 ; 4) and JOBC- phUS (Wars of Jews 6 : 5, 3), but also lu both the 0. T. and the N. T. (2 Kings 11 : 9 ; Jer. 20 : 1 ; Luke 22 : 4, 52 ; Johu 7 : 32 ; 18 : 3). Captains of the Temple are referred to In Luke ; probably the Temple guard was divided into several corps, each having its captain, but all under one chief who is here re ferred to. The priests probably incited tbe arrest, because the preaching of Jesus Christ was directly inimical to the hierarchy (see Matt. 26 ; 61 ; Acts 6 : 14) ; the Captain ot the Temple ar rested them on the pretext that the running ot the people together (ch. 3 ; u) was disorderly ; and the Sadducees participated for the reason stated in the next verse, i. e., because the apostles testified to the resurrection. The Sadducees were the materiaUsts and Infidels of the first cen tury and denied both spiritual existence and the resurrection (Matt. 22 : 23 ; Acta 23 : s). See Matt. 3 : 7, note, for their history and principles. Observe In this first persecution of the church a type of all that follow : A corrupt priesthood lead the way ; the civil power Is Its instrument ; the in fidel world combines with and sustains tbe two. — Being exercised because they taught the people, and preached in Jesus the resur rection of the dead. There is some question whether this clause describes the Sadducees only, or also the priests and the captain. The word rendered grieved is UteraUy, exercised ; i. e., men tally disturbed and troubled. Two things aroused them, one that the disciples, without any official authority, assumed to teach the peo ple ; the other, the doctrine which they taught, which was not the general resurrection of the dead, except by Implication (see ch. 17 ; 31), but the resurrection in tlie case of Jesus, attested by the healing of the cripple (ch. 3 : 15, 16). Observe that Infidelity as well as religion has Its bigots. — Laid hands on them. Arrested them ; the language implies some actual violence in the arrest. — Put them in hold. In a guard or watch-house. Where this was, and what Its nature. Is not known. On the Jewish prison, see notes on ch. 5 : 18-33 ; 13 : 3-11.— Now even tide. The miracle was performed at 3 p. m. The arrest was on the evening of the same day. 4. And the number of the men. The ori ginal (uiijo not uv^oiDTto::) implies male converts, though this is questioned by some scholars. But the language does not justify the deduction that as yet only men attached themselves to the church ( Olshausen) ; rather, as in Matt. 14 : 31, it Indicates the number of males besides women and children, i. e., the number, presumptively, of heads of hous^olds. In Jewish estimates, tbe number of women converted would be less signi ficant. — Was about five thousand. Tischen dorf omits abnit ; Alford questions It. It Is un certain whether this number represents the new converts on this occasion, or the whole number of the church ; probably the latter. 5, 6. Their rulers; i. e., the rulers of the Jews, not those of the disciples or apostles. Nevertheless, they were tbe rulers of the latter, to be obeyed in all things in which the divine command was not contravened (Matt. 2s . 3). And elders and scribes * * * were gathered together. A meeting of the Sanhe drim is described. See Matt. 3 : 4, note, and for its history, organization and methods of proced ure, Vol. I, p. 398. The elders (see Matt. 16 ; 21, note) were political leaders, whose office dates from 58 THE ACTS. [Ch. IV. 6 And Annas® the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and as many as were of the kin dred of the high priest, were gathered together at Je rusalem. 7 And when they had set them in the midst, they asked, By what ^ power, or by what name, have ye done this ? 8 Then Peter, filled « with the Holy Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people, and elders of Israel, 9 If we this day be examined of the good deed done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole • 10 Be It known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that byf the name of Jesus Christ of Naza reth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the' dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. II This is the stone^ which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. c John 18: 13 d Matt. 21 ; 23 e ch. 7 : 65 f ch. 3 : 6, 16 , . . .g Ps. 118 : 22; lea. 28 : 16; Matt. 21 : 42. the patriarchal age ; the scribes were the Jewish rabbis and commentators on the law. The meet ing now convened was packed with the special friends of the hierarchy, the kinsfolk of the high-priest. Annas was appointed high-priest A. D. 7, but was removed by the Roman procu rator A. D. 23. He continued, however, to bear the title and really to wield the powers of the office. He is called high-priest here, probably f V AN OBIENTAl COUKT. because he is recognized as such by the Jews, the authority of the Romans to appoint to this sacred office being denied by them. Originally, the high-priesthood was a life office. Nothing Is known with certainty of the Individuals desig nated as John and Alexander. 7. By what power, or by what name, have ye done this? i. e., this miracle. The question was not asked for information ; for the apostles had already publicly declared that it was done by tbe power and the name of Jesus of Naz areth (ch. 3 : 6, 16) ; and it was this their declaration, not the healing, which led to their arrest (»cr. 2). But a distinct statute provided (Deut. 13 : i-e) that every prophet who should attempt to turn away the allegiance of the people from Jehovah, should be put to death ; under this law Jesus had him self been condemned by the Sanhedrim (voi. /, p. 298) ; and the question was asked here, either to lay a foundation for a charge of blasphemy against the apostles In attempting to win the allegiance of the people to Jesus, or to frighten the apostles Into a retraction or modification of their assertion. The leaders of the hierarchy must have known that all Christ's disciples for sook him and fled at the time of his arrest and trial; to frighten them would not, therefore, seem Impracticable. 8-12. Peter's answer, by Its commingled bold ness and wisdom, frustrates their design. He declares that the miracle was wrought In the name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom, by a smgle word, he pronounces the Messiah ; to the unut- tered objection of the Sanhedrim that this Jesus had already been condemned as an impostor, he responds by referring them to the prophecy of Ps. 118 : 33 ; and he concludes by at once, im pliedly, denying that he Is guilty of attempting to Impair the allegiance due to Jehovah, and making the cure an occasion and a text for preaching the Gospel, by declaring that this Jesus whom they have rejected Is the Saviour appointed by Jehovah and foretold in the O. T. —Then Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost. He relies upon and receives the fulfillment of Christ's promise in Luke 13 : 11, 13, and exempli fies his own exhortation. Add to your faith, virtue; i. c, courage (2 Pet. i : s).— Rulers of the people and elders of Israel. He addresses them with the respect due their office, though he does not hesitate to charge upon them the death of the Messiah. Comp. Paul's language ch. 33 : 1 ; 23 ¦ 1, and Peter's direction to his readers In 1 Pet. 2 : 17, Honor all men, etc. — Concerning the good deed done to the impotent man. The goodness of the deed was not questioned ; the man was present to attest It by his restoration (ver. m). Thus Pcter's opening sentence shows the false position of the court ; for the apostles are charged with having done, not efvU, but good. —By what he has been saved. The original verb is the same translated saved In ver. 13. Thus Peter makes the salvation of the Impotent from his Impotency a text for proclaiming the Gospel salvation. In this he foUows the example set him by his Master (john 9 : 39-41 j e : se). By what Includes both the questions addressed to Peter, viz., by what power and in what name. — Be it known unto you all. He neither conceals, Ch. IV.] THE ACTS. 59 12 Neither is there salvation in any Other : for there" is none ottier ' name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. 13 Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned 1 and ignorant men, they marvelled ; and they took know ledge of them, that they had been with Jesus. 14 And beholding the man which was healed stand ing with them, they could say nothing ^ against it. 15 But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council, they conferred among them selves, 16 Saying, What' shall we do to these men ? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem ; and we cannot deny it. 17 But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, tliat they ^ speak hence forth to no man in this name. 18 And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. h ch. 10 : 43 ; I Tim. 2 : 6, 6 I Fs. 46 i 17 . . . . j Matt. II : ; 1 Cor. 1 : 27 . . . . k ch. 19 : 36 1 John 11 : 47 .... m ch. 6 ; 4 prevaricates, nor hesitates. He understands the Issue, and meets it with boldness. — In tbe name of Jesus, the Messiah, the Naza rene. Jesus the Saviour, Christ the Messiah, the Nazarene the despised. See on ch. 3 : 6. — Whom ye crucified. The arraigned arraigns his ac cusers. He implies, I know that you have con demned this man "as a blasphemer and an impos tor. I reassert his Messlahship, attested by this miracle wrought by his power. — This is the stone set at naught by you, the builders. The reference is to Ps. 118 : 33. Christ applies the same prophecy to himself In Matt. 31 : 43. On its meaning and application, see note there. The "head of the corner " is not the coping of the wall, but the comer-stone. On Christ as the comer-stone, see 1 Cor. 3 : 11 ; Ephes. 8 : 20-33 ; 1 Pet. 3 : 6, 7. Peter's object ia the quotation here, Is to show that their condemnation of Christ, by the Sanhedrim, as an Impostor, ful fills O. T. prophecy respecting the promised Messiah. — And there is not in any other the salvation. Obsei-ve tbe definite article before the noun, unfortunately not expressed in the English version. The salvation indicates a salva tion definitely conceived and assumed as known to the hearers ; the salvation promised to Israel through the Messiah. The alternatives which have been proposed. Neither is there salvation to this lame man, and Neither is there salvation to us, i. e., protection in our present emergency, are quite Inadmissible, and would never have been devised but to avoid the doctrine of salva tion exclusively through Jesus Christ. — Neither is there any other name under heaven. Equivalent to In all the earth. — Given. Be stowed by God. — Among men. Not to men, nor for men, but among men, as the sphere in which the salvation Is provided. Observe, men, not Jews ; the apostle recognizes that It Is a sal vation lor humanity. — Whereby we must be saved. The preacher classes himself with the cruclflers as a fellow-sinner, equally with them neediog salvation. Observe in this brief address the combined spirit of respect for the office ot the rulers, ot humility, and of courage in con demning their sin and testifying to Jesus Christ. Observe, too, that wUle salvation is exclusive, afforded only through Jesus Christ (comp. John 3 : is ; 10 1 8 J 2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1 : 8, 9), It Is not ueccssarily Con fined to those who knoio the name or understand the truth respecting Jesus (Matt. 8:11,12; 26:37-39, eee note ; Acta 10 : 35 ; Rom 2 : 6, 7). The name here Is equivalent to Jesus Christ himself in all his offices and attributes (see Matt. 28 : 19, note), and the salvation which he brings is larger than our comprehension ot It. 13. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John. Literally plain-spoken- ness. There was none of that hesitation in speech which comes of timidity, and which, in the case of men unskilled In the arts of speech, would be natural before such a tribunal. — And perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant. Unlearned (dy^dfifidtog) is unversed in literature, here, untaught in the Jewish schools, the Eabblnical being the only literature which the Pharisaic teachers recognized as legitimate subjects of study ; ignorant (idiiuriji:) is more probably common people, in contrast with pub lic and recognized teachers. The first refers to their education, the second also to their social position (comp. I Cor. 1 ; 27). — They marvelled ; also they recognized them that they were with Jesns. Not merely had been, as in our English version, but were, that is, were custom arily his associates and followers while he was living. "Their wonder sharpened their recol lection " (Meyer) ; and considering more nar rowly, they now, apparently for the first time, recognized In the two accused, disciples of Jesus Christ. Observe, what identified them with Je sus was their boldness of utterance. Observe too, that the influence ot Christ's presence may and should be attested by the spirit of his followers. 14. The man * * * standing with them. Either aiTCSted with the apostles the night before, as being In part the means of pro voking disturbance, or summoned as a witness, or coming voluntarily before the court to testify tor the apostles, or possibly as a mere spectator. All these conjectures have been suggested. 15-18. They conferred among them selves. We have only the substance ot their deliberations. The court was obliged to sit with open doors ; the tacts would therefore be known. 60 THE ACTS. [Ch. IV. 19 But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken " unto you more than unto God, judge ye. 2 J For we** cannot but speak the things which we p have seen and heard. 21 So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because 1 of the people: for all tnen glorified God Ibr tliat which was done. 22 For the man was above forty years old, on whom this miracle of healing was shewed. 23 And being let go, they went"^ to their own com- 1 ch. 6 : 29 . . . . o Jer. 20 : 9 . . . . p ch. 22 : 16 ; 1 John 1 : 1, 3 . . . . q ch. 5 : 26 ; Matt. 21 : — What shall we do to these men? Ob serve, their question is in form analogous to that of the people In ch. 3 : 37, but in spirit how dif ferent ! — For that a well-known miracle hath been done through them. Wdl-known, not notable. What troubled the council was not the remarkable character of the miracle, but the fact that It was known to all the people, and could not be gainsaid. By them (did avtdv) Is rather Through tJieir means, and Indicates the apostles as the instrument, not as the original cause of the cure. — Let us straitly threaten them. Literally, With threatening let us threaten them. — Not to speak nor to teach in the name of Jesus. Literally upon the name (i^i^), i. e., " so as to make that name the subject (basis) of their discoursing." — (Alford.) The prohibition was twofold : they were not to act as public teachers at all, and especially they were not to teach the people respecting Jesus. The ostensible reason for this prohibition was that they were not authorized as teachers, and their doctrine was false ; the real reason appears m eb. 5 : 28. 19, 30. Peter and John. Not necessarily both of them ; one may have acted as spokes man for the other. But the utterance repre sented the spirit and purpose ot both. — In the sight of God. "Tbe world accounts many things right which In the sight ot God are not right; and conversely." — (Bengel.) Observe that here they violate the letter of Christ's command In Matt. 33 : 3, that they may fulfill the spirit of his command in Matt. 36 : 19, 30. — To hearken unto you rather than to God. To hearken Is not exactly synonymous with To obey. Tljey will not even hearken to those who command disobedience to God. Thus, superior to all civil and ecclesiastical authority, they pro claim the authority of the word of God as Inter preted by the Individual conscience (Dan. s : i8 ; 6 : lo). Baumgarten interprets weU both their courage and the lesson it conveys. " What a shock to the mind, what perplexity, weakness, and want of faith, would in these days show themselves, it tbe highest authority in sacred things were to decide against the truth. How many are there not at all times who are disposed to maintalQ Inviolate a respect tor such an au thority, which they say Is indispensable for the general good, even though truth would in some degree suffer thereby f How few In such a ease would maintain either Internal certainty or ex ternal firmness. And what is any sacred author ity among ourselves, compared with the Sanhe drim of Israel in the first days after the Pente cost!" — Judge ye. The apostles stlU employ the language of respect, and appeal to the con sciences of their judges. — For we cannot but speak what we have seen and heard. The Christian assurance of conviction compels cour age in utterance (Amos 3 : 8 ; i Cor. 9:16). The seen here Is the personal character and example of Christ ; the heard are his instructions. 21, 22. So when they had further threatened them. The only effect was to increase the faith and courage of the apostles (ver. 29). — Finding nothing how^ they might punish them. No specious pretext for pun ishment. — Because of the people. Who would be rendered indignant by punishment inflicted for so great and so merciful a cure. Comp. ch. 3 : i7. The opposition to Christ and the primitive church came from the rulers (Ps. 2 : 2), not, in the first Instance, from the common people. "Often the people are more rational than their rulers." — (Benqd.) — Above forty years old. An indication ot the Inveterate and incurable nature of his Infirmity, which he had suffered from birth (ch. 3 : 2). In considering the conduct of the apostles on this occasion, observe, (1) The trial of their faith. Not merely was there naturally personal fear of persecution, but also the fear of unskilled men, lest their Imperfect presentation of a great cause, at a critical juncture, should prejudice it. For this was the first Investigation by the Sanhedrim Into the claims of Christianity, after the resur rection of Jesus Christ ; the Importance, in a human point of view, of a decision In Its favor, we can hardly overestimate. And the popular movement had assumed such proportions that there may well have been a hope of securing in Its favor the acquiescence of the rulers. (2.) The apostolic spirit. The apostles are respectful to the court, because of Its official position, out spoken In the avowal of their own convictions, abating nothing of the claims ot Jesus to be the only Messiah and Saviour, pointed in their con demnation of the sin of their accusers In crucify ing the Messiah, humble In recognizing their own need of a Saviour, resolute In their expressed determination to obey God rather than man. (3.) The secret of their power. Peter was naturally Ch.IV.] THE ACTS. 61 Eany, and reported all that the chief priests and elders ad said unto them. 24 And when they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one accord, and said, Lord, thou » art God, which hast made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all that in them is; 25 Who by the mouth of thy servant David hast said, Why did ' the heathen rage, and the people imagine vain things ? 26 The kings of the earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord, and against his Christ. B 2 Kings 19 : 16 t Ps. 2 : 1, 2. weak and wavering ; both were uneducated, selt-distrustful, and naturally liable to be over awed by the Supreme Court ot Israel. But they were strong because filled with the Holy Ghost (Ephes. 6 : 13, 19). Ch. 4 : 23-31. RELEASE OF THE APOSTLES, AND PRATER OF THE CHURCH. Thb apostles' eepuse : God the all-mightt (ver. ^), the aix-wisb (ver. 25-37), THE ALL-COMTKOLLING (ver 28). — The apos tolic PRATER : NOT TO BE RESCUED PROM TRIAL, BUT TO BE UADB VIOTORIOtTS IN TRIAL. This meeting takes place on the same day as the trial reported above. By one of those dra matic changes common in life, we are suddenly transported from the council-chamber of the Sanhedrim into the midst ot the Christian broth erhood. The malice and perturbation ot the one, the purity and peace of the other, stand out the more clearly from the contrast. Defeat ed in their plea before the Sanhedrim, and for bidden to continue their ministry to the people, the disciples seek refuge in God. 23, 24. And being let go, they went to their own. Not to their own homes, nor to the twelve, but to the body of believers, who were probably praying together for them, as in ch. 13 : 13. Probably all were not gathered, but a, representative number. Both sinners and saints, when released from temporary influence or re straint, go back to their own (ch. l : 25, note j 2 Tim. 4 ; 10). Observe the evidence of vital Chrlsiilan sympathy and fellowship in the primitive church. It Is a good sign when the Christian goes to his church as to "his own," tor sympathetic help in time ot trouble. — With one accord they lifted up a voice to God. A concert of hearts, not of voices, is implied. One may have uttered a prayer for all, and one in which all spirits united, or, as suggested by Baumgarten, all may have said or sung the second Psalm, and then one ot the company may have applied it to their condition. The report is probably not ver batim. — Lord. The prayer is addressed to the Father; it is doubtful whether the word here rendered Lord (JianoTrjc, not xiiqiog) is ever ap plied to Christ m the N. T., though 3 Pet. 3 : 1 may be an instance. It slgntSes literally Master, and Is sometimes so rendered (1 Tim. 6 ; i, 2 ; 1 Pei. 2 ; is). From It comes our English word despot. — Thou God, which hast made heaven, etc. Not, as in our English version, and as Alford, "Thou art the God." The word art is added by the translators. The language is that of fervid appeal to God as the Creator. For parallel usage In prayers see Neh. 9:6; Jer. 33 ; 17. The latter passage Indicates the spiritual signifi cance ot the language here : " There Is nothing too hard for thee." The apostles strengthen their faith by recalling the all-mighty power of their Divine Master. 25, 26. There is some uncertainty both as to the reading and the verbal meaning of these verses. The best MSS. give verse 25 as follows ; Who by the mouth of our father, thy servant David, by the Soly Spirit hast said. This is the reading adopted by Lachmann, Tischendorf and Alford. It does not differ In meaning from the simpler form of the Received Text. The word rendered rage (^Qvdaaui) Is literally, to fume, as high-spir ited horses, against control. That Intolerance ot control, which Is the effect of pride, Is indicated. To imagine a vain thing (^i>.itd(a). Is to purpose vain things ; here, to lay plans which were both Innately empty and worthless, and also in vain, as all plans in opposition to God must ever be. Stood up Is equivalent to the English phrase, "took their stand," and indicates a fixed and determined resistance. The rulers were gathered together answers to, Took counsel together, In Ps. 2 : 2. The verb is In the passive voice, and the language Indicates not merely, nor mainly, that they gathered In one place, but that they were drawn together by one purpose ; (irti indicates not the place where, but the object tor which they gathered). Against the Lord Is against God the Father, against his Christ Is against his Apointed One, i. e., the Messiah. The quotation here is from Ps. 2 : 3 ; the reference of which to Christ, and the persecution against him and his church, could hardly be doubted, even were it not here expressly so applied. The fulfiDment of this prophecy was not, however, exhausted in the first century ; "it runs parallel with the history of tbe conflict and the triumph of the cause ot truth." — (Saekett.) The apostles recognized In the course of the Sanhedrim, not a mere transient outbreak from a single though powerful taction, but a manifestation ot that hostility against the kingdom ot Christ, which ancient prophecy had foretold. But they also recognized a fulfillment of the divine plan and purpose, and therefore, were neither surprised nor terrified. Observe that the language assumes the inspiration of the 62 THE ACTS. [Ch. IV. 27 For of a truth, against thy holy child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod," and Pontius Pilate, with the Gentiles, and the people of Israel, were gath ered together. 28 For ' to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined * before to be done. 29 And now, Lord, behold their threatenings ; and grant unto thy servants, that with ail boldness ^ they may speak thy word, u Lute 23 : 1, 8, etc v ch. 3 : 18 w Prov. 21 : 30 ; Isa. 46 ; 10 j 63 : 10 .... x vers. 13, 31 ; ch. 14 : 3 ; 28 : 31 ; Ephes. 6 ; 19. psalm : " Thou, God, * * * by the mouth ot thy servant David hast said." 27. For there were gathered together. The wicked unite as well as the holy, but "unity without truth Is conspiracy." — (Augustine.) — In truth, in this city. The words In this city are found In tbe best MSS., and are added by Tisch endorf, Alford, Hackett, etc. Alford sees In them a reference to Ps. 2 : 6 ; I should recognize them as simply emphatic of the truth of the pro phecy, as It they said, " There were gathered in this ve/'y city. — Both Herod and Pontius Pilate. The accompany ing face of Herod is from an ancient coin. Their union against Christ Is nar rated by Luke 23 12.— Against thy holy ser vant Jesus. The word rendered child in our Eng lish version Is tbe same (jtaig) rendered servant In verse 35, and should be so translated here ; but it Is not the same which Paul so frequently em ploys in characterizing himself as the seivant of Jesus Christ (Rom. l : l ; Gal. 1 : 10 ; Col. 4 ; 12 ; doviog). It corresponds to the French term gargon, and Its nearest equivalent the word boy; it is rendered sometimes servant (Matt. 8 : 6, 8, 13 ; 12 : is ; 14 : 2 ; Luke 1 : 64) ; sometimes child or son (Matt, n : is ; 21 : 15 ; Lnke 2:43; 9:42; John4;6l'; AotsSlIs). Chrlst Is lU thlS aU example to the Christian that he Is both son and servant, a son that serves (Heb. 10 : 7, 9). — Whom thou hast anointed. Comp. Heb. 1 : 9. Anointing was a symbol of consecration, both to God and by God. This consecration was visibly and outwardly symbolized In the case ot Jesus at his baptism (Matt. 3 ; le, n). Anointing In the case of Jesus signifies not his royalty (Saekett), but his priesthood. Kings were not always anointed, the high-priest was, and to the Jew was known as the Anointed One. See note on The Names of Jesus, Vol. I, p. 57. — Both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the Gen tiles and the peoples of Israel. Peoples plural, not people singular. The reference is either to the different tribes of Israel, or, less probably, to tlie tact that they were now scat tered In, and came from, different lauds, repre senting different nationalities. Bengel notes the exact parallel between the prophecy and its ful fillment ; Herod answers to the Kings, Pilate to the Rulers, the Gentiles here to the Gentiles in the psalm, and the peoples of Israel here to the peo ple there. The Herod mentioned Is Herod Anti- pas. See Vol. I, p. 58, 59. This verse definitely applies the prophecy of David to these recent events. The ground of the disciples' encour agement was twofold : (1) These events, how ever surprising and saddening to them, were not unexpected to their Divine Master ; and (8) iu the resurrection of their crucified Lord, in the outpourings of the Holy Spirit, and in the conversions to Christ, greater in a single day than during his whole lite, they had experienced the futility of the concurrent opposition of Jew and Gentile, king, ruler and people to their KlNfl. 28. To do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before to be done. In respect to the meaning of this declaration, it is to be observed, (1) that there is no question what ever respecting the authenticity ot the verse ; (3) and no serious question respecting the transla tion. Dr. Adam Clark does Indeed suggest that the second clause of the preceding verse should be read as In a parenthesis ; thus the meaning of the declaration would be, Herod, Pontius Pilate, etc., were gathered together against thy holy servant Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, to do whatsoever thy baud and tby counsel determined before. But this neither accords with the course of thought, nor with the natural construction of tbe original. His argument that It is "both im pious and absurd" to suppose that "their rage and vain counsel would be such as God himself had determined should take place," Is one never safe In the Interpretation of the Scripture ; we are to accept what Scripture does teach, not to overrule, set aside, or interpret its teachings according to our conception of what Is pious and rational. (3.) The meaning then Is suflficiently clear, however mysterious may be the truth It enunciates. The hand of God Is his power, the counsel ot God Is his wisdom ; the declaration, as in ch. 3 : 33, is that tne arrest, condemnation and crucifixion of , Jesus Christ, though wrought by the rage and vain counsel of wicked men, fulfilled tbe divine purpose and was carried out under, and subject to, the divine control. It belongs to tbe theo logian, not to the commentator, to consider the relation of this truth, the absolute sovereign control ot God over all lite, to the freedom and responsibility of the Individual ; In my judgment, both truths are taught by life and by Scripture, but their reconciliation transcends the limit of Ch. IV.] THE ACTS. 63 30 By stretching forth thine hand to heal ; and that signs' and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus. 31 And when they had prayed,' the place was shaken where they were assembled together ; and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they » spake the word of God with boldness. 7 ch. 2 : 43 ; 6 : 12 . . . . 2 ch. 2 : 2, 4 ; 16 : 2 human thought. It ought perhaps to be observed that the declaration is not made here that God determined who should execute his purpose, but only that the deeds done were what he had deter mined should be done. 29, 30. And now. Lord. Now is not merely a conjunction, but an adverb ot time. It might be rendered. At this present time. — Behold their threatenings. See Exod. 3 : 7, etc. ; 8 Chron. 16 : 9 ; Isaiah 66 : 18 ; Eecles. 5:8; Hosea 7 : 3. — And grant unto thy servants. Slaves wUl represent more literally, though perhaps less accurately, the meaning (dovlog not natg). — That with all boldness. Plain-spokenness, as in ch. 4 : 13. — They may speak thy word in stretching forth thy hand to heal, and that signs and w^onders may come to pass. That Is, By stretching forth thy hand to heal, and by miracles wrought as an evident token of thy presence and blessing. Impart this courage. — In the name of thy holy servant Jesus. To his glory, not to their own. Observe, in respect to this prayer, that they ask, not to be rescued from persecution, nor to be relieved from the obligation of speaking, nor to be avenged on their enemies or God's, nor even for greater Intelligence, acumen and skill, but (1) that they may continue to speak, (3) with bold ness, i. e., freedom and courage of speech, (3) the word of God, implying a, request for a con tinual revelation of that word (john 14 : 26 ; I6 : 26), attested by manifestations, not of divine justice, but of mercy, (4) to the glory of Christ's name. 31. The place was shaken. Perhaps by an earthquake, or by a phenomenon producing the same apparent results. Such a moving of the foundation of the visible world would be a nat ural and apt sign of the presence and power of Him who made heaven and earth, and to whom the world and all therein are subject. It Is recognized by heathen writers as such a symbol. Thus VlrgU's Eneld 3 : 89 : Srant now. Father, some sign, and glide into otir souls. Scarce had I spoke, when everything aroimd Suddenly trembled, all the sacred doors And laurels of the god. The monntain heaved. — Cranch's Transl. It Is also referred to as a sign ot the divine pres ence in the O. T. (leaiah 2 : 19, 21 ; 13 : 13 ; 24 : 20 ; Ezek. 38: 19 ; Joel 3 : 16 ; Hag. 2 : 6, 7 ; Hah. 3 : 6, lo). Comp. alSO Christ's employment of similar symbolisms In Matt. 34 : 39 ; Mark 34 : 35.— They were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake the word of God with boldness. The physical sign was only an accompaniment of the spiritual blessing. They had prayed for tbe impartatlon of courage of speech to the apostles (ver. 20) ; It was bestowed on all. Thus was indi cated that the preaching ot the Gospel was not confined to the twelve, but all were to witness to Christ with apostolic faith and courage. The experience of the apostles in this chapter Illustrates the declaration of the Psalmist (Ps. 46 : i), God Is our refuge and strength. Comp. this psalm throughout, and with it Ps. 91 ; 121 ; 135. Appointed without previous training, to repre sent the kingdom of God, after the departure of their Lord, the apostles are surprised by a popu lar movement which adds thousands to the Infant church. In the midst of this popular uprising, they are brought before the supreme court, plead Christ's cause, fail to win the court, and are forbidden to continue preaching to the peo ple. The court has apparently ample power to compel obedience. In this exigency they seek refuge In God, and In their prayer, which Is less a petition or ascription ot praise, than a commu nion with God, they dwell upon the facts that he Is (1) AU-mlghty — the creator of tbe universe, and so of the very men whose opposition threat ens to put an end to their work for God ; (3) All- wise — he knew and centuries past foretold the very exigency that has now befallen his church ; It Is a surprise and disappointment to them, but not to Him ; (3) AU-controUing — the veiy events which, humanly speaking, seem so disastrous, have been predetermined by Him ; the very ene mies, whose threatening seems so ominous, are, despite themselves, carrying out His will. The all-mighty, tbe all-wise, the all-sovereign God, is the Christian's refuge in time of trouble. Ch. 4 ! 3iWi7. FURTHER DESCEIFTION OF THE STATE OF THE CHURCH.— Its characteristics : unity, chae- ITT, GOSPEL power, DIVINB ORACE. With this description comp. ch. 3 : 37-47 and notes ; especially tor consideration of primitive practice of community ot goods. Here the de scription Is repeated, partly as an evidence ot the divine answer to prayer, and ot the spiritual quickening produced by the threatening of the Sanhedrim, and partly as an introduction to and explanation of the story of Anamas and Sapphira in ch. 5. 32, 33. Of them that had believed. That Is, of the new converts. They entered into and shared the lite of thecompany which they joined, 64 THE ACTS. [Ch. IV. 32 And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart ^ and ofone soul; neither said any o/them tliat augtit ot the things which he possessed was his own ; but they " had all things common. 33 And with great power'' gave the apostles wit ness « of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus : and great grace ^ was upon them all. 34 Neither was there any among them that lacked : for as many as were possessors of lands or houses, sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 And laid e them down at the apostles' feet : and distribution "^ was made uuto every man according as he had need. 36 And Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas (which is, being interpreted. The son of consolation), a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus, 37 Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet. b Rom. 15 : 5, 6; 2 Cor. 13 : II ; Phil. 2 : 2; 1 Pet. 3 : 8. . . .0 ch. 2 : 44 d ch. I ! 8. . . .e ch. 1 ; g ver. 37 ; ch, 6 ; 2. . . .h oh. 2 : 46 ; 6 1 1. Luke II :48, 49. ...f John I ; 16.. and which Luke has already described. — Were in heart and in life one. In heart is in affec tion; in life (f^X't) is in their Inward life, their experience. See Matt. 83 : 37, note. The true unity of the members of the church Is not in out ward circumstance, nor m intellectual ability, but in heart sympathy and in spiritual life. This unifying power of Christ in the heart, overcom ing all obstacles of race, nation, language, sex and condition. Is exemplified in John 11 : 53 ; Phfl. 3 : 8, 3 ; Col. 3 : 11 ; Eev. 7 : 9.— Neither said any of them that aught of the things ivhich he possessed was his own. Not "Did not regard it as bis own" (Barnes) ; on the contrary, the language implies that tbe individ ual ownership was recognized In tbe company, but tbe owner did not claim its sole use. " This very expression assumes that ownership was not entirely abolished." — (Bengel.) — And with great power gave the apostles witness of the resurrection of the liOrd Jesus. This was the special theme of their early ministry (ch. 2:28-32; 3 : 21 ; 4 : 2, 10 ; 10; 39, 40; 13:30-37; 17:31,'3S) ; the witness was given by tbe apostles because they were eye-witnesses ot the fact (ver. 20 ; oh. i : 22) ; the power was that conferred on them and on their word by the special gift of the Holy Spirit (i These. 1 : 5). Three evidences of this gift are here mentioned, and always accompany a true revival of religion In the church, viz. : (1) unity In Christian Itte, (3) practical charity, (3) power In preaching the Gospel. — And great grace was upon them all. The same word rendered graee dci^'g) here Is rendered favor In ch. 3 : 47. It may mean here either favor with the people (Olshausen, Grotius), or grace from God (Alford, Meyer, Saekett). The latter is the more prob able meaning. See Jolin 1 ; 10, note. .14, 35. For neither was there any among them that lived in want * » * * And there was distributed to every one ac cording as each had need. For, not rendered in our English version, indicates in this verse the reason tor the statement In the preceding ; their practical charity made them the recipients of both divine grace and popular favor (Matt. 10 : 42 ; Lnke 6 : 38). Obscrve the Implication that the rich did not give everything away, for then they would themselves have lived in want ; and that there was not a miscellaneous distribution, nor, in strictness of speech, a communism, but only a liberal distribution wherever there was need. It, however, there Is danger of misinterpreting the apostolic example, there Is greater danger of losing the apostolic spirit. Calvin's note Is ap plicable to our times : ' ' They sold in times past their possessions, there relgneth at this day an insatiable desire to buy. Love made that com mon to the poor and needy which was proper to every man ; such Is the unnaturalness of some men now, that theyenvy the poor the common dwelling on the earth, and the common use of water, air and sky." See 1 John 3 : 17, 18. — Lands or houses. Tbe one Implies estate in the country, the other, perhaps, in the city ; the earlier cities being very compact, and the houses having little or no ground attached to them. — And brought the prices. But not necessarily the full price (ch. 3 : 4, s). — Laid them down at the apostles' feet. Altord supposes that "the apostles, like the prfetor, probably sat upon a raised seat, on the step of which, at their feet, the money was laid In token of reverence." This seems to me purely gratuitous, and not In accord ance with the simplicity of the early church. Did the apostles carry the raised seat with them from house to house ? More probably the expression Is simply figurative, to signify that the disciples committed the offering wholly to the apostles' care ; the figure is taken from the oriental cus tom of laying offerings before the footstool of kings. 3C, 37. Joses, who by the apostles was surnamed Barnabas. He is first mentioned here ; whether a personal disciple of Jesus Christ Is not known ; he brought Paul to the apostles (ch. 9 : 27), and was afterward a fellow-laborer with him (ch. 11 ; 25-.30 ; 12 ; 26 ; 13 ; 14 ; 15 ; Gal. 2 : 1-9). — A liC- vite. Therefore, under the old Mosaic Law, not entitled to a share in the original distribution ot the land (Nomb. I8 ; 20-24; Deut. 10 : 8, o). But after the captivity the Levltes began to possess land (jor. 82 : 7), and probably did so generally at this time. — Of the country of Cyprus. For some account of this Island, see ch. 11 : 19, note. The account of this sale and gift Is given here as an introduction to, and In contrast with, the fraud ulent gift of Ananias and Sapphira. Ch. v.] THE ACTS. 65 CHAPTER V. BUT a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira, his wife, sold a possession, 2 And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought' a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet. 3 But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan J filled thine heart to lie to » the Holy Ghost, an J to keep' back iJar/ of the price of the land ? 4 Whiles it remained, was it not thine own ? and after it was sold, was it not in thine own power ? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto '^ God. I 0)1.4:34,37 j Lulie 22 : 3 . . . .k verse 9.... 1 Numb. 30 : 2 ; Deut. 23:21; Ecclei. 6 : 4 . . . . m Fs. 139 : 4. Ch. 5 ! 1-16. SIK AKD POTISHMENT OF ANABIAS AND SAPPHIRA, AND THE EEStJbT. "The htpocbitbs IN HEABT HEAP UP WRATH " (Job 36 : 13).— EPPECT OP THE JUDGMENT '. IT REPELS HYPOCRITES (13) ; ATTRACTS BELIEVERS (14) ; EXTENDS THB FAME Off THB GOSFEL (15, 16). The time of this occurrence is tmknown ; prob ably somewhere between A. D. 33 and A. d. 34. The sin and punishment of Ananias and Sapphira adds to the power because to the purity of the church, and leads to the second attempted per secution ot the apostles, who are imprisoned and scourged, but, owing to the counsel ot Gamaliel, are then released. 1,2. But a certain man. But marks the transition from Bamabas to Ananias. Such con trasts between the true and false occur, both io God's word and in his providence, to teach the truth more clearly ; e. g., Saul and David, the publican and the Pharisee, the prodigal son and the elder brother, the five wise and the five fool ish virgins. There Is no ground tor the hypothe sis that Ananias was a person of special promi nence In the church; rather we may assume that, like Simon Magus (ch. 8 : is, is), he endeav ored to purchase prominence with his money. — Ananias with Sapphira his wife. Ananias means Jehovah Is gracious ; Sapphira either sapphire or beautiful. " Their names were fa vorable and beautiful; their principles bad." — (Bengd.y—His wife also being privy to it. ']?he falsehood of these two differs from that ot Peter (Matt. 26 : 69-75) uot Only in the motive — cov- etousness In the one case, fear In the other — not only In the sin Indicated — ^hypocrisy In the one case, heedless self-confidence In the other — ^but also in its very nature ; the falsehood of Ananias and Sapphira was deliberate and preconcerted, that of Peter unpremeditated. "It argues an extreme hardness of heart when two persons, united by the tenderest bonds, plan a lie togeth er, and engage to support each other in carrying it out." — (Arnot.) There Is small ground for the hypothesis ot Henry that they sold the land In tending to devote all the proceeds to the poor, " but when the money was received their heart failed them, and they kept back part of the price." Rather the inference is that the whole transaction was a deliberate and concerted false hood.— And laid it at the apostles' feet. The indications are that this was done at and as part of a religious service. It was in an assem bly ot the believers ; at a gathering which lasted three hours (ver. 7) ; apparently at a recognized meeting ot the church (ver. 11) ; the object of the two, credit In the church, could have been at tained only by a public offering ; and the lie Is characterized as one told to God, not to man (ver. 4). " Before the face of the apostles, there fore, and in the midst of that solemn assembly, engaged In prayer, must tbis lie have been ut tered, for otherwise the object ot this husband and wffe could not have been gained." — (Baum garten.) 3, 4. Why hath Satan filled thy heart ? Observe, the cause of the overt act is a heart filled with sin. For that Is why Satan fills the heart. See Matt. 15 : 19, and Gal. h : 19-31.— To lie to the Holy Ghost. There Is no Inti mation that Ananias had directly uttered a false hood, as did his wife (yet. s); a lie in action may be as criminal as a spoken lie. They lied to the Holy Ghost, not merely because they lied to the church, which was the body of Christ, the tem ple of God, and filled with tbe Holy Ghost, or to the apostles, who were inspired by the Holy Ghost, and whose divine power ot Insight they Ignored, but because the offering was made, not to the apostles, nor to the church, but to God, and the act was thus a direct falsehood addressed to Him. — While it remained was it not thine own ? Clearly the communism ot the early church was purely voluntary. Ananias and Sapphira could have retained the land, or the price, or any part ot It. The sin consisted In offering a part as the whole. How Peter knew that only a part was offered Is not stated. It may have been by natural means, or by divine revelation. — Why hast thou conceived this thing in thy heart ? Literally, Why hast thou put in thy heart this thing ? For meaning, see Dan. 1:8; Mai. 3 : 3. We are not responsible for suggestions which Satan addresses to our heart ; he addressed evil suggestions to Christ (Malt. 4 : 3, 6, 9). Wc are culpable if we put them In our heart, i. e., give them admission and har bor them. — Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God. That is. Not merely unto men. See Mark 9 : 37 ; John 13 : 44. It is clear from this sentence that the death punishment was not in flicted for a lie told to men, and the warning of this death is not merely, nor mainly, against 66 THE ACTS. [Oh. V. 5 And Ananias, hearing these words," fell down, and gave up the ghost : and great fear" came on all them that heard these things. 6 And the young men arose, wound p him up, and carried him out, and buried him. 7 And it was about the space of three hours after, when liis wife, not knowing what was done, came in. 8 And Peter answered unto her, Tell me whether ye sold the land for so much ? And she said. Yea, for so much. 9 Then Peter said unto her. How is it that ye have agreed i together to tempt the Spirit of the Lord ? be hold, the feet of them which have buried thy husband are at the door, and sliall carry thee out. n vera. 10, II o Pb. 64 : 9 . . . . p John 19 : 40 .... q veree 2 J Pa. 60 : 18. falsehood. See below. The sin was the lie ( God. "Hypocrisy makes a sober jest of Gol and religion." — (Pope.) In Peter's language hen Bengel sees a confirmation of the doctrme of tin Deity and Personality of the Holy Spirit; Hi-. Deity It certainly demonstrates, but how does il bear on the question of His distinct personality i 5, 6. And Ananias hearing these words, fell down and gave up the ghost. Those who criticise the severity of the punishment find fault with God. It appears unduly severe only it our consciences tail to judge aright the heinous- ness ot the sin. Observe, (1) That no sentence is pronounced by Peter. There Is nothing even to indicate that he anticipated the death of Ananias. The death of Sapphira he foretold (ver. 9), but he did not Infilct. There is, therefore, nothing In this account to justify the church in Inflicting temporal punishments. (3.) The death of Ana nias, if It stood alone, might, perhaps, be attrib uted to the natural effect of shame and remorse at the public exposure of his hypocrisy. Coupled with the immediately succeeding death ot his wife. It Is Impossible for an unprejudiced reader to doubt that it was the special and direct Inflic tion of God. In this the punishment ot Ananias and Sapphira differs from that of Achan (josh., ch. 7), with whose sin theirs has been compared. — And theyoungmen. lAleraSlj, The younger men. Not a class of officers, for there is no evidence of any such class In the primitive church, but simply the younger of the men In the assembly. The religious service, whatever it was, continued ; a few of the younger men carried out and buried the corpse. — Wound him up. Enveloped him for burial. It was customary among the Jews to bury the body In the same garment used In lite, or In one resembling it. The body of Ananias was prob ably wrapped In his own bumoose. That it was not taken to his home Is Indicated by his wife's Ignorance ot what had occurred. The accom panying cut represents a body thus prepared for burial and attended by hired mourners ; It repre sents the Moslem oriental burial custom, which is probably an exact copy of the ancient custom. — And buried him. It was, and In the East still is, customary among the Jews to bury soon after death, ordinarily on the same day, partly because decomposition takes place rapidly In the warm climate of Palestine, partly because of the peculiar Jewish feeling respecting defilemsnt W^m-^^M PKEPAKED FOE BUBIAI/. from the dead (Nnmh. 19 : 11, etc.). Burial was prob ably hastened somewhat In this case, and the body interred without the honors — washing, anointing, etc. — ordinarily paid to the dead (John 19 : 89, 4o). Interments were outside the city walls ; to take the corpse to the burial-place and inter It would therefore probably occupy the three hours referred to iu the next verse ; and not more than that, as no grave would have to be dug, entomb ment being generally In caves. 7, 8. About the space of three honrs * * * came in. The Implication is that she came Into the Christian assembly, which was still In session. — Answered her. Possibly, An swered her salutation ; but the phrase is a com mon Hebraistic one, Indicating simply the com mencement ot a speech or of conversation (job 3 : 2, margiaal reading ; 6 ; 1, etc. ; Isaiah 21 : 9). — Tell mC, CtC. Thorough trial precedes judgment, and an oppor tunity is given tor repentance. — Yea, for so much. The lie In action leads to a lie spoken. "A willful falsehood is a cripple and cannot stand alone. It Is easy to tell one lie, hard to tell but one \\B.'"—(FuUer.) 9-11. That ye have agreed together to tempt the Spirit of the IjOrd. That is, to make trial ; to prove whether there Is a divine Spirit, and what is his knowledge, Comp. Judges 6 : 39 ; Luke 11 : 16 ; 30 : S3. Their action fa- yolved a practical it not a theoretical disbelief in Ch. v.] THE ACTS. 67 IO Then fell' she down straightway at his feet, and yielded up the ghost : and the young men came in, and found her dead, and, carrying her forth, buried her by her husband. II And great' fear came upon all the church, and upon as many as heard these things. 12 And by the hands of the apostles were many ' signs and wonders wrought among the people (and they were all with one accord in Solomon s porch. 13 And" of the rest durst no man join himself to them : but ^ the people magnified them. r verse 6....Bdl.2:4S tch.4:80; Rom. 16:19; Heb. 2 : 4 .... Q John 12 : 42 .... t cb. 4 : 21. the presence and omniscience of the Spirit of God, to whom they had offered a part, seeking credit for the whole.— The feet of them * * * are at the door. Not that Peter heard the tread ot the young men returning ; not even, ne cessarily, that they had just then retumed ; they may have been standing without some time. The /set is a common expression for the person of a messenger or carrier (isaiah 52 : 7 ; Nab. 1 : le j Rom. 10 : is). — Shall carry thee out. This is not a sentence of death. Peter speaks as a prophet, not as a judge ; he does not give sentence, he foretells. — Buried her by her hnsband. Perhaps both were laid m the family tomb. Being apparently a family of competence, they would probably have possessed such a tomb. — And great fear came npon the church. Fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of knowledge (ptot. i : 7). The sin of Ananias and Sapphiba. — This was not merdy falsehood, and the warning is not primarily to the liar («ee on ver. 4) ; nor was it the same as that of Achan or GehazI (josh., cb. 7 J 2 Kings 6 : 20-24), with both Of Whlch It has been compared ; nor was it merely the sin of attempting to serve two masters (Matt, e : 24), though Augustine's comment is certainly perti nent, "Woe to the double mind that shares God's own ; half to him, halt to the devU." It was the first incursion of Pharisaism in the primitive church, the first manifestation of that spirit of hypocrisy, the essence of which is lying to God, which does its righteousness to be seen ot men (Matt. 6 : i), agalust whIch Christ had so earnestly warned his followers In the Sermon on the Mount (comp. Lnie 12 : i) and Invelghed In his last words In the Temple (Matt., cb. 23). Of all sins, this Is the worst ; " the only sin that cannot be forgiven is hypocrisy " (Sazlitt) ; of all sins, it is, to the church, the most insidious and the most danger ous ; "when religion is in request, it (hypocrisy) is the chief malady of the church and numbers die ot It, though, because It Is a subtle and Inward evil, it be little perceived." — (Bishop Sail.) The punishment of Ananias and Sapphira contrasts but does not confilct with Luke 9 : 53-56 ; for there the disciples proposed to destroy a village which, ignorant of Christ's true character, re fused him hospitality because he was a Jew ; here God struck dead professed disciples who did their works to be seen of men. He has Infinite patience with ignorance and prejudice, but not with deliberate hypocrisy and false pretence. It teaches the same lesson as the punishment inflict ed in the cases ot Achan (josb., cb. 7), Nadab and Ablhu (Lev. 10 : 1, 2), Korah and his company (Numb. 16 : 31-33), the man who violated the Sabbath (Nomb. 16 : 32-36), Uzzah (2 Sam. 6 : 6-8), and Others, all of them illustri.t;ng Eom. 11 : 33 and 1 Pet. 4 : 17. It is a solemn testimony to God's abhorrence ot all false pretence In bis service, and symbolically teaches that the end ot hypocrisy Is death. 12. In the following verses (12-14) Luke, for the third time, gives, in a brief summary, a descrip tion of the state ot the church, adding here some account ot the excitement In the community. Comp. ch. 3 : 41-47 ; 4 : 31-35. — Many portents and signs. The first word strictly Implies something foreboding of the future, as the death of Ananias and Sapphira, warned of a future judgment against all hypocrisy In the church ; the second word Indicates any event constituting a sign ot the divine presence. See 3 : 33, note. — And they were all with one accord. Ac cord, not only In being there, but In the purpose with which they were there, viz., to preach the gospel. See ch. 1 : 14, note. The " aU " are here the apostles (so Altord, Olshausen, Hackett); clearly not the people, nor, as Bengel and Meyer, all believers, for the believers are not the subject of the sentence, nor is It reasonable to believe that all, to the number of several thousands, would have assembled In Solomon's porch, nor would there have been any advantage in their so doing ; this would indeed have Impeded the work of the ministry. — In Solomon's porch. For description of Temple and plan, see John 3 : 19, SO; for illustration. Matt., ch. 34. Solomon's porch, minutely described by Josephus (Ant. 16 : 11, § s), consisted of a nave and two aisles, that toward the Temple being open, that toward the country closed by a wall. The breadth ot the centre aisle was 45 feet ; ot the side aisles, 30 feet from centre to centre of the pillars ; their height was 50 feet, that of the centre aisle 100 feet ; the total length was 600 feet. The roof of cedar, elaborately carved, was supported by 163 columns, arranged In four rows, forty In each row, the two additional pillars standing apparently at the end of the bridge lead ing over the ravine which separated the site ot the Temple from that of Herod's palace. The floor was a mosaic of many-colored stones. Josephus says that this porch was built by Solomon, hence its name. But this statement Is very doubtful, there Is no evidence to support it, and the better 68 THE ACTS. [Ch. V. 14 And believers were the more added to the Lord, multitudes'' both of men and women.) 15 Insomuch that they brought forth the sick into the streets, and laid them on beds and couches, that at the least the shadow of Peter passing by might over shadow some of them. 4i 1'^ I. , ! - ' ¦ ' *i ¦ SOLOMON'S PORCH. opinion Is that It was buUt in the time and under the direction of Herod the Great, by whom the entire Temple was rebuilt. Tbe accompanying illustration, from a sketch by Mr. A. L. Kawson, is designed to present rather an aid to the imagi nation of the reader than any absolute information as to the exact architectural style ot the struc ture, of which, ot course, there are no remains. The object of the apostles in going to this porch was to preach the Gospel. See ver. 35, and comp. ch. 3 : 13, etc., and Luke 19 : 47. 13, 14. And of the rest durst no one join himself to them. Alford's Interpretation seems to me extraordinary, "Ot the rest, whether believers or not, none dared to join himself to, as being one of or equal to them (the apostles) ; but, 80 far was this from being the case, that the very people (the multitude) magnified them." This seems to me to be inconsistent (1) with the con text. The rest Is In contrast with the cdl of the preceding verse ; and they (the disciples) were all In Solomon's porch, and of the rest (not dis ciples) durst no one, etc. (3. ) With the free spirit of the early church. In which there was great rev erence for the Lord, but no such fear of man, against which the apostolic instructions espe cially guard. (3.) With the meaning of the Greek verb rendered join to (xoXldm), which does not carry with it any Idea of official or even necessa rily personal equality and companionship (Lobe 15 : IS p Acts 8 : 29 J 9 : 26 j 1 Cor. 6 ; 16, 17). (4.) With the express language of the next verse, which Implies that this very tear Increased the number of be lievers. I understand, then, the rest to refer, as in Rom. 11 : 7 ; Ephes. 3 : 3 ; 1 Thess. 4 : 13 ; 5 : 6, to those without the church and the covenant of God, and the meaning to be that, after the death of Ananias and Sapphira, none such dared to join themselves to the church under pretence of an experience ot faith and consecration. Nor Is this toconslstent with the further declaration that the people, even those who did not heartily accept and consecrate themselves to the Lord, still mag nified the apostles and the church, both for their power and their grace. So Arnot, " Those who were not of them dared not pretend to be of Ch. v.] THE ACTS. 69 i6 There came also a multitnde out of the cities round about unto Jerusalem, bringing sick ^ folks, and them which were vexed with unclean spirits : and they ' were healed every one. 17 Then the high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, (which is the sect of the Sadducees,") and were filled with indignation, 18 And laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison.* z Mark 16: 17, 18; John 14: 12.... 7 1 Cor. 12 : 9,28. . ..a ch. 4 : I, 2....a cb. 12 : 6-7; 16 : 23-27. them. The stroke of judgment seared the hypo crites ; but believers came flowing in like a stream." — But believers were the more added to the Lord. The more because of this fear ; it repelled hypocrites ; It attracted believ ers. — Multitudes of both men and women. Multitudes, for then, as now, religious lite flows and ebbs In currents ; men, because the strong in their pride were bowed down; women, because the Gospel both owns, and elevates, and enfran chises woman. 15, 16. Insomuch that they brought forth the sick. Not that the believers did this. The verb is impersonal and the meaning Is simply that the sick were brought forth. — Into the streets. Literally, the broad streets. The word (nXataig) Is used In contrast with lanes in Luke 14 : 31. — Upon couches and beds. The for mer (xXlrti) was, in strictness of speech, a high bedstead, resembling a modem, so-called French bedstead (see Smith's Diet, of Ant., art. Lectus) ; the latter (zga|.?(Saro;) was, in form, like our mod em trundle-bed. See illustration In Mark (ch. 2:4). Here, however, the words are probably used only pictorially, to Indicate to the imagination various kinds of beds, as various classes of people. — That at least the shadow of Peter passing by might overshadow some of them. I do not see the least evidence that any were thus healed by his shadow. Such healing does not consort with God's method of cure In other cases. I have endeavored to show that In the apparently analogous case of the woman with an issue of blood, she was healed, not by touching Christ's garment, but by his conscious forth-putting of power. See Mark 5 : 35-34, notes. In Acts 19 : 13, where the sick were healed by handkerchiefs brought from Paul, the implication is that they could not conveniently come to him, nor he to them, and that the cure was wrought by his con scious act. It Is not to the purpose to say, as Al ford, "Cannot the Creator Spirit work with any Instruments, or with none, as pleases Him ? " The question is not what he can do, but what the Scripture asserts that he has done, and there Is no such assertion here. Nor Is this Implied by the connection, as Baumgarten argues. For we are not told it "In the midst of a passage which evidently Is intended to convey a notion ot the infinite miraculous operations of the Apostle," but in one Intended to convey a suggestion of the effects of the apostolic miracles on the entire community ; these repelled some, attracted others, awoke a superstitious trust In the magical efllcacy ot Peter's shadow in some, and a lively faith in the power of God in and through him, In others. The next verse, which asserts that he healed those who were brought to him, rather implies that those who trusted in his shadow were not healed. — Out of the cities round about. This indicates the extent to which the fame of the Gospel spread, and also that some time elapsed before the second arrest of the apostles described In the next verse. — Unclean spirits. On demoniacal possession, see note on Matt., ch. 8 : 38-34, Vol. I, p. 133. Ch. 5 : 17-42. IMPRISONMENT, MIEACUIOUS LIBER ATION, TRLiL, DEEEKCE, AND FINAL DELIVERANCE OF THE APOSTLES. The TRroMPHS on Cheistiakitt ENBAOE ITS DBTEEMINDD POE8 (verS. 17, 33).— THE POWER OF THE LOBD TO SUCCOUR HIS OWN (verS. 19, 23, 34r40).— The mission of the ministry (20).— The GlOSPBL POPOIAR WITH THE UNPEBJirDICED (26).— ThE inconsistenot of the WICKED (28, with Matt. 27 ; 26). The apostles' creed (29-32). — A Christ-like glort- INQ in shame (41). 17. But the high-priest rising up. The effect of the apostoUc miracles on the ecclesias tical dignitaries is stated in contrast with the popular enthusiasm. This " rising up " was not to speak before the council, for that was not yet assembled ; the language is simply expressive of the high-priest's anger. Whether Caiaphas or An nas is meant Is uncertain ; ch. 4 .• .6 indicates the latter. See note there and on Luke 3 : 3. — And all they that were with him. That is, who agreed with him In feeling and doctrine, as ex plained by the next clause. — Who, being of the sect of the Sadducees,were filled with heat. The word (l;i\t.og) rendered indignation, is from a verb meaning to boil, and Is used in the N. T. In both a good and a bad sense, being ren dered by zeal (john 2 : 17 j Rom. 10 : 2 ; Col. 4 : 13), fervent mind (2 Cor. 7 : 7), envy (Acts 13 : 45 ; Rom. 13 : 18, etc.) and jealousy (2 Cor. 11 : 2). The Sadducees denied both Spirit and resurrection («ee Matt. 3 : 7, note) ; and that these were Sadducees Is stated in explanation of their special heat against the apostles, the central truth of whose preaching was the resurrection of Jesus from the dead. It appears from Josephus (Antiq. 20 : 9, i) that Sadducccs were appointed to the office of high-priest; the son of Annas and nephew of Caiaphas, who was appointed shortly subsequent to these events, was a Sadducee ; they were severe and vindictive in their judgments, 70 THE ACTS. [Ch. V. 19 But the angel of the Lord by night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said, 20 Go, stand and speak in the temple to the people all "^ the words •= of this life. 21 And when they heard that, they entered into the temple early in the morning, and taught. But** the high priest came, and they that were with him, and caUed the council together, and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison to have them brought. 22 But when the officers came, and found them not in the prison, they returned and told, 23 Saying, The prison truly found we shut with all safety, and the keepers standing without before the doors : but when we had opened, we found no man within. b Eiod. 24 : 3 c John 6 : 63, 63 ; 17 : 8 .... d oh. 4 : 6, 6. while the administration of the Pharisees was of a more conservative and humane character. 18. And laid their hands on the apos tles. Not directly, but sending the Temple police to arrest them. — And put them in a common prison. Rather, guard-house ; probably a room connected with the Temple. Imprisonment was not practiced among the Greeks as a punishment, and rarely among the Romans or the Jews. In this case the apostles were simply confined until the morning should give opportunity tor conven ing the Sanhedrim lor their trial. On the Roman prisons, see Acts 13 ; 4 and 16 : 24 19, 30. But an angel of the tord by night. Some time during the night. Observe, not the angel ot the Lord, a phrase used In the O. T., as I believe, ot One only, viz., the Son of God himself, but an angel, i. e.,a, messenger. A similar supernatural deliverance is described in much greater detail In ch. 13. It has been ob jected to as a needless interposition of God, since the divine protection did not prevent the immediate rearrest of the apostles (ver. 26). The same objection applies with equal force to the falling back to the ground of the soldiers who came to arrest Jesus (john is : 6), to the deliver ance of Peter, who was subsequently crucified, and Indeed to eveiy divine deliverance from death, since death Is flnally the lot of all. In the present case the deliverance of the apostles gave them both opportunity and courage to plead for the truth before the Sanhedrim. — And brought them forth and said. " The angel opened the prison, and carried to the prisoners the Master's message that they should continue to preach the Gospel ; but the angel himself does not preach. Tou never find an angel call ing on sinners to repent." — (Arnot.) — All the words of this life. By this life is meant, not the earthly lite, for this had not been the theme of tbe apostles' preaching ; nor tbe future life merely, though in a sense both would be includ ed ; but the spiritual and therefore Immortal Ute, the life which Jesus Christ came to bring to light (2 Tim. 1 : lo). The Bxprcsslon should not be ren dered, as Bengel, These words of life. See Winer, § 346. Observe the theme of the apostles' min istry : instruction respecting Immortal lUe, both here and hereafter, and respecting Jesua Christ as the One who both manifests it and renders it possible to those that believe In him. 31. They entered into the temple at early morn. " The people ot the East com mence the day much earlier than Is customary with us. The arrangements of life there adjust themselves to the character of the climate. During a great part of the year In Palestine, the heat becomes oppressive soon after sunrise, and the Inhabitants therefore assign their most im portant duties and labors to the early hours of the day. Nothing is more common at the pres ent time than to see the villagers going forth to their employment In the fields while the night and the day are still struggling with each other. Worship is often performed In the synagogue at Jerusalem before the sun appears above Olivet." — (Saekett.) — But the high-priest came. To the Temple. This being a large collection of buildings and courts, covering many acres, the apostolic teaching might have been going on in Solomon's porch, and the high-priest and the Sanhedrim, assembling in one of the side build ings, have known nothing of it. — And they that were with him. This indicates, if not a packed meeting, at least a preconcerted move ment on the part of the Sadducees to condemn and destroy the apostles. — And called the council together. The Sanhedrim. See, on Its character and customs. Matt. 36 : 57-68, note. Vol. I, p. 398. — And all the senate. Literal ly, Eldership. These were the lay members of the council (seo Matt. 16 : 21, note). The Greek word here rendered senate (yiQovata) occurs nowhere else in the N. T. Altord suggests that it may be borrowed from the form of words In which they were summoned. 33-34. The prison trnly we fonnd shut in all security. That Is, We found it closed and securely locked. — And the guards stand ing at the door. Probably Temple police, left to keep watch. — Now when the high-priest, etc. There is some uncertainty as to the mean ing. Tischendorf omits the word high-priest; Altord retains It. The captain of the Temple Is the chief of the Temple police, present probably In his offlclal capacity ; perhaps he was called to explain the disappearance of the prisoners. — Doubted of them. That is. Were in perplex ity concerning the report thus made to them.— Whereunto this would grow. That is, What would come of it. 'They were probably equally perplexed to understand how the apostles could Ch. v.] THE ACTS. 71 24 Now when the high priest and the • captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things, they doubted ofthem whereunto this would grow. 2S Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are standmg in the temple, and teacniug the people. 26 Then went the captain with the officers, and brought them without violence : for they ' feared the people, lest they should have been stoned. 27 And when they had brought them, they set them before the council : and the high priest asked them, 28 Saying, Did not wes straitly command you, that ye should not teach in this name ? and, behold, ye have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this man's blood •» upon us. 29 Then I'eterand the other apostles answered and said. We ' ought to obey God rather than men. 0 ch. 4 ; 1 . . . . f Matt. 21 : 26 g ch. 4 : IS h ch. 2 : 23, 36 ; 7 : 62 ; Matt. 27 ; 25 1 ch. 4 : 19. have made their escape, and to foresee what would be the result thereof. Observe how the circumstance as attested by this examination demonstrated the supernatural character of the deliverance ; the prison doors securely fastened, the prison guards before the door, and yet the prisoners released. 25, 36. Then came one. Apparently un conscious of the perplexity ot the council, but surprised to find the Imprisoned apostles pub licly teaching in the temple. This fact demon strated that they were not endeavoring to es cape, and yet that they had no Intention of yield ing to the prohibition of the council. — The cap tain with the officers. With the subordinate police. — For they feared the people. One of the many Indications In the N. T. that Christ and his truth were attractive to the common people, and that the opposition was instigated and persecution Inaugurated by interested rul ers. Men are not by nature whoUy averse to the truth ; they are attracted by it, and are opposed to it only as it opposes their selt-lnterest or their pride. 2T, 28. We straitway commanded you. So Altord and Tischendorf read, instead of inter rogating, as in our English version. The lan guage is literally, With proclamation we proclaimed to you, i. e., officially, as magistrates. — Iii this name * * * this man's blood. Observe that the priests do not speak the name of Jesus. Was this a superstitious dread, an unconscious feeling that It might be the Messiah whom they had put to death ? or merely the reluctance of murderers to speak directly of their victim ? or simply a sign of their contempt ? Contrast Pe ter's glorying In the name ot Jesus Christ (30, 31). — Ye have filled Jerusalem with your teaching. Not, doctrine. The Jerusalemites had not generally accepted the truth ot Chris tianity ; but all Jerusalem was full of the tame of the apostles' teaching. Not the truth, but the report ot the truth, filled Jerusalem. — And in tend to bring this man's blood npon ns. Not, as Alford seems to imply, Ton intend to incite the people to vengeance ; there had been absolutely nothing In the apostolic teaching to give color to such a charge or occasion for such a fear ; nor, Tou intend to bring us into divine judgment and punishment ; for apostolic preach ing could not do this ; but, Tou Intend to hold us before the people, answerable tor the blood ot Jesus, the Messiah of Israel ; tor this was the effect ot Peter's preaching (ch. 2 : 36 j 3 ; «; 5 : 30 ; ver. 3o). PubUcly, before Pilate, these same priests had taken Christ's blood upon them (Matt. 27 : 25), agreeing to be answerable for it, both as before God and man. In a true sense the apostles would fain have brought this man's blood on the rulers for the cleansing of their sin (Rom. 3 ; 25 ; Ephes. 1:7; Col. 1 : 14) ; but they would not accept It. 29. The address which follows Is almost In the nature of a syllogism ; Its logic Is unanswer able. (1) We ought to obey God rather than man ; (3) Israel's God has raised and exalted Jesus, whom ye slew ; (3) by direct commission and by the impartatlon of the Holy Ghost we are directed to bear witness of these truths. — Peter. As spokesman. — And the apostles. Standing with him, as in ch. 3 : 14, and by their counte nance and acquiescence accepting him as their representative. — We ought to obey God rather than men. The verb Is Impersonal, and might be rendered, One ought to obey. The apostle declares a general principle, not a special obligation resting peculiarly upon them. It Is one which the rulers could not gainsay without denying one ot the fundamental principles ot the Hebrew theocracy (Ocn. 3 : 17 j 1 Sam. a-.U; Dan. 3 : 17, 18 ; 6 : lo). Parallel Is Socrates' declaration iu his defence (Apology 29), " Men of Athens, I honor and love you, but I shall obey God rather than you;" and again, "If when, as I conclude and Imagine, God orders me to fulfill the philoso pher's mission of searching Into myself and other men, I were to desert my post through fear of death, or any other fear, that would Indeed be strange, and I might justly be arraigned In court for denying the existence of the gods, if I dis obeyed the oracle because I was afraid of death." — (JouetVs Translation, I : 337.) Observe that while this precept recognizes a higher than hu man law, and gives to the individual conscience a right of disobedience to the human in obedience to what Is recognized as divine, and whUe the N. T. bases the duty of obedience to human law on the higher duty of obedience to the divine (Rom. 13 : 1, 2), neither by precept nor practice did the apostles justify resistaiwe to human law in the name of God. They fled from persecution 73 THE ACTS. [Ch. V. 30 The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged J on a tree. 31 Him hath God exalted " with his right hand to be a Prince ' and a Saviour,™ for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins. 32 And we are his witnesses'* of these things ; and so is also the Holy Ghost," whom God hath given to them that obey him. 33 When they heard that, theyp were cut to the heart, and took counsel to slay them. j Gal. 3 : 13 J 1 Pet. 2 : 24 k PhU. 2:9 1 laa. 9 : 6 m Matt. 1 ; 21 n Lule I . o ch. 2 : 4 . . . . p cb. 7 : 64. (Matt. 10 : 23 ; 2 Coi. II : 32, 33), but ucvcr resisted it (lPeL2:22. 23l. 30, 31. The God of our fathers. Peter still, as always heretofore, speaks as a Jew, and to them as Jews, ranking himself with them, and treating Christianity as God's gift to Israel in fulfillment of his covenant with that nation (ver. 31). Not until later did the apostles grow Into the faith that It was equally for Gentile and Jew (Eom. 3 : 22, 29). — Whom ye slew, hanging upon a tree. He brings clearly before them the double act, (1) murder, for they coerced the death sentence from PUate ; (2) the means em ployed, the disgraceful Gentile cross. — Him, a Prince and a Saviour, God hath exalted by his right hand. On the meaning of tbe word («?/>iyo's) rendered prince, see ch. 3 : 15. For Its use In the 0. T. as a title of the Messiah, see Dan. 8:35; 9:35; Isaiah 9 :6; Ezek. 34:34. Here the double office of Christ is recognized, as King or Leader, to be obeyed and followed, and as Saviour, bringing redemption by his blood. The language, by his right hand, refers tbe glory ot Christ's exaltation and of his kingly and mediatorial character to the Father ; it Is by the God ot Israel that Jesus is made prince and Saviour (Heb. i : 8, 9). Observe the difference be tween the translation above and that ot our English version, which Is Incorrect. It is not Exalted him to be a prince and Saviour, but Sim, who is a prince and Saviour, Ood hath exalted. — To give repentance to Israel and the remission of sins. The object ot the exalta tion. The death, resurrection, ascension, and ever- living Intercession are all part of one atoning work, having all the one object, the redemption of men from sin. — To give repentanceiB not merely to give an opportunity to exercise It, i. e., to afford pardon to the repentant, but to Impart the disposition to repentance. Both repentance and faith are represented in the N. T. as gifts of God, that all may be from Him (John i : 16 ,- 16 : 7, 8 ; Acts 3: 16; Rom. 2:4; Ephea. 2:8). The remission of sins Is not merely pardon, i. e., relief from the punishment of sin, but the cleansing of the soul from sin Itself. See ch. 3 : 38, note and refer ences. 32. And we are his witnesses. Christ's witnesses, i. e., witnesses appointed by Christ. For the appointment see Luke 24 : 47-50, and ob serve in the parallel between the language there and here, an incidental evidence of the authenticity of the two accounts, and an Indication that Luke's Gospel and The Acts were by tbe same pen. — Of these words. Not things, a meaning some times, but I think Incorrectly, given to the orig inal (^ijK«). It is from a verb meaning to speak, and always signifies what Is spoken. Here It may mean, either, as Altord, words of history, i. e.. We, the apostles, personally know and testify to the truth ot these words which I, Peter, have just spoken ; or words of prophecy, i. e., We are ap pointed as witnesses to the fulfillment of that holy word which foretold the coming of such a prince and Saviour ; perhaps It Is better to in clude both meanings. — As also the Holy Ghost, whom God hath given to them that obey him. The Holy Ghost was a wit ness to the truth of redemption, both by the special gifts conferred upon the apostles and early disciples — gifts ot tongues, miracles, etc. (ch. 2 : 1-7 ; 10 : 45 ; 19 : 6 ; Mark 16 : 2o) ; and by the In ternal witness afforded to the believer in his own experience (Rom. S : lO ; Gal. 4 : 6 ; l John 3 : 24). Both kinds of testimony are Included here, and on the three kinds of evidence here referred to Christianity rests ; (1) historical and human, the testimony ot credible witnesses to the life, char acter, miracles, death, and resurrection ot Jesus of Nazareth ; (3) divine and external, the evidence afforded by moral and spiritual changes In Indi viduals and the community accounted tor only by tbe presence of God's Spirit ; (3) divine and in ternal, tbe Inward realization ot the Spirit ot God in the heart of the believer. Observe the extent of the promise here, agreeing with the language ot ch. 2 : 89 ; 3 : 35, etc. Peter's address here exemplifies the fulfillment of Christ's promise In Matt. 10 : 19. I have al ready spoken above ot its logical structure. Observe (1) its brevity : three sentences ; (3) its compactness and completeness; It declares the cru cifixion, resurrection, and ascension of our Lord, his double character as King and Saviour, his mission to cleanse away sin, the condition of re ceiving the benefits he affords, repentance which is itself his gift, and the twofold evidence of these truths, the human and the divine. It may fairly be called the true apostles' creed ; (3) its Christian spirit : Courage without bitterness ; in It Peter refuses obedience to the prohibition of the rulers, and accuses them ot slaying on the cross the Prince of Israel, but preaches to them the Gospel of Salvation, and offers to them the gift of the Holy Ghost, on the conditions of I repentance and faith. Ch. v.] THE ACTS. 73 34 Then stood there up one in the council, a Phari see, named Gamaliel,"! a doctor of the law, had in rep utation among all the people, and commanded to put the apostles forth a little space ; 35 And said unto them, Ye men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what ye intend to do as touching these men. 36 For before these days rose up Theudas, boasting himself to be somebody ; to whom a number of men, about four hundred, joined tliemselves ; who was slain ; and all, as many as obeyed him, were scattered, and brought to nought. 37 Atter this man, rose up Judas of Galilee, in the days of the taxing, and drew away much people after q ch. 22 : 3. 33. They vrere cut. The words to the heart are supplied by the translator. The original Is literally were sawed asunder. It occurs only here and In Acts 7 : 54, and Indicates intense exas peration. Observe the effect of faithful Gospel preaching; it pierces to the heart, either to awaken repentance and lead to forgiveness (ch. ! : 37), or to awaken remorse and anger, and lead to an aggravation of guilt. — Were taking counsel to slay them. That is, were coun seling how they might do it. To slay the apos tles was not a simple matter, for (1) there was no ground on which to base a capital conviction. They could not be accused ot blasphemy, for In all their addresses they had directed the rever ence and allegiance of Israel to the God of their fathers. At most they could only be charged with delusion; (3) the people could not be In cited to a mob as in the case of Stephen, for as yet the popular current was with the apostles (ver. 26) ; (3) Capital punishment could only be in flicted by the Roman governor, and there was no charge that could be preferred to tbe Roman governor against Peter and the eleven. 34, 35. A Pharisee named Gamaliel. There were two Jewish rabbis of this name, Gama liel I and II. Conybeare and Howson have con founded them, and attributed to Gamaliel I some anecdotes related of Gamaliel II. The one here mentioned, Gamaliel I, was a grandson of Hillel ; in theology, his disciple, in spirit akin to Shammai, he occupied a position midway between the rigid and the liberal parties into which Pharlseeism was divided. See Matt. 3 : 7, note. He insisted on the rigorous observance of the Sabbath, but decreed that all persons called on that day to assist In repelling Invasion, or at inundations, flres, etc., or even at chUdblrth, might walk two thousand paces In any direction ; he decreed the right to glean to the heathen poor ; he sanctioned extending the greeting " Peace be with you " to the heathen ; he modified the divorce laws, and alleviated the condition ot women ; he was him- selt a student of Greek literature ; and to his In fluence may be attributed Paul's knowledge ot the Greek poets (Acts 17 : 28 ; I Cor. 15 : 83 ; Titua 1:12), f Or he was Paul's preceptor (Acta 22 : 3). He died about 50 A. D. For an excellent account of him, see Kitto's Cyclopedia; on the character of his counsel here, see below. — Had in reputation among all the people. He was the first to receive the title of Rabban, and it Is a Rabbinical proverb, "With the death of Gamaliel, reverence for the law ceased, and purity and abstinence died away." — Commanded to put the apos tles forth. The ready acquiescence ot the council indicates tbe degree ot authority which he possessed. Lightfoot supposes him to have been the president. — Take heed to your selves. Observe that the counsel of Gamaliel is addressed to their fears, not to their consciences ; it Is the counsel of the conservative and timid nature. 36, 37. The skill of Gamaliel Is shown in his address. He begins by ranking the apostles with Theudas and Judas, Impostors ; he ends by sug gesting that their work may be of God. If he had reversed the order, the result of his address might have been different. — Theudas. Jose phus mentions an outbreak under a person of this name who pretended to be a prophet, and carried forth a multitude of followers to tbe Jor dan. He was unexpectedly attacked, taken, and put to death by the Romans. This, however, occurred A. D. 44, eleven or twelve years after Gamaliel's speech. Skeptics have drawn from this the conclusion that Luke was mistaken in his date, and hence that his whole narrative Is unre liable. It Is far more probable that Josephus misplaced his Theudas ; for he Is often charge able with Inaccuracy. It Is still more probable, however, that the two historians refer to two per sons of the same name. Such Impostures were not infrequent at the time, and the name was a common one. The attempt to Identify this Theu das with some of the other leaders of outbreaks mentioned by Josephus (see Hackett) are not suc cessful. It is, at all events, hardly possible, con sidering the time and the circumstances of the writing of the Acts, and the evident supervision of them by Paul, the pupil of Gamaliel, that a gross historical mistake should have been here put Into his mouth, even it the writer be not regarded as inspired. — Judas of Galilee. Ac cording to Josephus, who Is our only source of Information respecting him or the Insurrection, this man was a native ot Gamala in Gaulonitls. At the time when Quirlnus, the Cyrenlus of Scrip ture, undertook to enroll the people of Judea, preparatory to taxation (Luke 2 : 2), this Judas In cited to an unsuccessful revolt. His insurrection was of a seml-rellglous character, his followers claiming that God was the only ruler and lord. What became of Judas himself we do not know ; 74 THE ACTS. [Ch. V. him: he' also perished; and all, even as many as obeyed him, were dispersed. 38 And now I say unto you, Reirain from these men, and let them alone : •* for if this counsel or this work be of men, it will come to nought, 39 But if it be of God, ye cannot overthrow it ; lest haply ye be found even to fight" against God. 4(S And to him they agreed : and when they had called the apostles, and beaten ^ them, they command ed ^ that they should not speak in the name of Jesus, and let them go, 41 And they departed from the presence of the coun cil, rejoicing ^ that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. 42 And daily y in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ. r Lnke 13 : 1, 2. . .8 Prov. 21 w ch. 4 : 18. 30; lea. 8 : 10; Matt. 16 ; I3....t Job 34 : 29 ; 1 Cor. 1 : 26....n ch. 9 : 6; 23:9....v Matt. 10:17.. ..X Matt. 6 : 12; 2 Cor. 12: 10; Phil. 1 :29; Jameal : 2; 1 PeU 4 : 13-16.... y S Tim. 4:2. but though his immediate followers were dis persed, the sect remained, denying the right of taxation to the Roman govemment, and giving rise to the Zealots and to subsequent insurrec tion. Thus Luke's discrimination between the followers of Theudas, "who came to naught," and those ot Judas, who were " only dispersed," is strictly and noticeably accurate, an incidental evidence of the trustworthiness ot the record. 38, 39. And for the present I say unto you, refrain from these men. That is, refrain from punishing them. The Greek word rendered now (rdvvv) Is not a conjunction ; it in dicates present time, Tou regard these men as Impostors ; Imposture comes to naught ; for the present my advice Is to leave them alone ; If they are what you think, the imposture wiU soon run its course. This, in effect, is Gamaliel's advice. — And let them alone. Rather, Suffer them to go on. — For if this counsel or this work. Counsel signifies the general plan and purpose which the apostles were carrying out ; work, the particular operations Involved In executing it. The counsel was not comprehended by the Sanhe drim and only Imperfectly by the apostles them selves. It really included the extension of Christianity over the whole world ; for the coun sel was God's. The work was the preaching of that Gospel then and there in Jerusalem, and the accompanying miracles ; the work was the apos tles', albeit God was working In them. — Over throw it. Alford and Tischendorf both read overthrow them. The meaning is. If their pur pose, what they are carrying out, and their work, what they are doing in carrying It out, are from God, they cannot be successfully resisted. There is some difference among scholars as to the con struction of the Greek of ver. 39, but none as to Its substantial meaning, as expressed in our Eng lish version. 40-42. And to him they agreed. In part; they did not, however, refrain from punishing the men, and would not have suffered them to go on with their work, it they could have prevented it.— And beaten them. Probably not with the scourge used In the Roman scourging. See Matt. 37 : 36-31, note. The verb there and here Is dif ferent. Beating was employed by the Jews as a punishment. It was not improbably borrowed from the Egyptians, who used then, as now, the cruel bastinado. The offender is thrown on the ground and beaten, either on the back or on the soles of the feet. Jewish law confined the stripes to forty (Lev. 19 : 20 ; Deut. 22 ! 18 ; 25 ; 2, 3 ; 2 Cor. II : 24). — That they were counted w^orthy to suffer shame for the name. Not his name, but the name. Tbe definite article attached, indicates it as the only name, the one above every other name, as the Scriptures are the writings, and the Bible is the book. Observe the contrast, counted worthy to suffer s^me. Comp. Luke 16 : 15. "Thlsln- fiuence of the holy name, which could transmute shame and suffering endured for its sake, into honor and rejoicing, greatly transcends all that BASTnfABO. the name of Jehovah (In the O. T.) had ever accomplished. Here, therefore, we have actual demonstration that the name of Jesus Is the name." — (Baumgarten.) — And daily in the Temple, and from house to house. The Greek Is the same In ch. 2 : 46. See note there. —To teach and to preach the Messiah, Jesus. This language is not tautological. To preach Jesus is to proclaim to unbelievers that Jesus is the promised Messiah ; to teach Jesus Is to teach the believers the truths respecting him and his Messianic kingdom. See Christ's com mand in Matt, 38 : 19, 20, and notes there, Gamaliel's Counsel.— The effect of Gama- Ch. VI.] THE ACTS. 75 CHAPTER VI, AND in those days, when the number of the disci ples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians" against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in ¦* the daily ministration. 2 Then the twelve called the multitude of the disci ples unto them, axid said. It" is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables. 3^ Wherefore, brethren, look" ye out among you seven men of « honest report, full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business. 4 But we will'= give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word. I ch. 9 : 29 ; 11 : 20 a ch. 4 : 36 . . . . b Ezod. 18 : 17-26 . . . . o Deut. 1 : 13 . . . . d ch. 16 : 2 ; 1 Tim. 3 : 7, 8, 10 . . .el Thn. 4 : 15. liel'B counsel was the deliverance of the apostles, and this has led to a curiously false estimate of the man and his advice. He is commended as " right- minded in his judgment " (Chrysostom), and his speech as "humane, sensible, candid, and enlight ened " (Adam Clarke), an "honest and Intelligent argument " (Conybeare and Sowson), " an instance of great shrewdness and prudence " (Barnes). He has been regarded as an apostle of the philos ophy of toleration, and even as a defender of Christianity, and an ancient* legend represents him to have been a secret Christian and subse quently baptized. The legend is untrustworthy and the commendations bestowed on him and his counsel are Ill-judged. His address was Indeed shrewd, but it was neither courageous, honest, nor sound. It certainly was not a plea for Chris tianity, tor he apparently classifies the apostles with impostors ; nor a plea for the right ot pri vate judgment in religion, the Biblical and the only sound basis tor religious toleration. His counsel may be " salutary in a doubtful matter " (Bengd), i. e., there may be cases In which only the result can determine the character and value ot a great popular movement. But it is false in principle, for those things that come to naught are sometimes of God, witness the Asiatic churches planted by the apostles ; those things that survive are not always from Him, witness Mahommedanlsm. It Is false In reasoning ; that God can give victory to his own Is no reason for not contending against error and for the truth. "He who cannot decide untU Christ and his church are completely victorious, will remain in doubt untH the day of judgment arrives." — (liOnge's Commentary.) It is false In its application; the miracles wrought by Jesus of Nazareth, his death and resurrection, the descent of the Holy Ghost, the movement ot the people, and, above all, the peculiar character of the apostles' teach ing and of Him whom they preached, sufficiently attested the counsel and work to be of God. The truth appears to be that Gamaliel was an Erasmus In times that needed a Luther ; that he was in philosophy a fatalist, and in spirit a tem porizer ; that the humane teachings of Christ attracted him, but that he had not the courage nor the spiritual faith essential to a disciple ;_ that he was really in some doubt as to the mean-' ing and the probable result of this movement ; that by aiding the Sadducees to put men to death for preaching the doctrine of the resurrec tion, he would be aiding the enemies of his own party, in an assault on the fundamental article of their faithTand he was wise enough to see It ; and that he adopted an argument false in its premises, Its conclusion, and its application, and temporizing In Its spirit, to promote peace, and settle by compromise an issue which could only be settled by conflict and victory. This is In sub stance the estimate formed by Alford, Arnot and Cjilvin, the latter being, I believe, the first to call in question the soundness of Gamaliel's reason ing. His comments are admirable, and, provided we remember that God does not fulfill his designs in a Ufetlme, his deductions just. " That which Is ot God must needs stand, though all tbe world say nay ; therefore, faith must stand without all tear, against all the assaults ot Satan and men, seeing that faith Is underpropped and supported with the eternal truth of God." Again, "Al though the wicked attack whatsoever they can, and seek all means to destroy the church, al though they furiously strive against Christ and his church so much as they are able, yet they shall not prevail, because it is the property of God to bring tbe counsels of man to naught." Ch. 6 ! 1-8. THE APPOINTMENT OF DEACONS. The METHOD OF CHURCH ORGANIZATION Df APOSTOLIC TIMES. — The method of dealing with and pre venting A CHURCH QUARREL. — THE OFFICE OF THE Christian ministry : prater and preaching. 1. In those days. An Indefinite note of time equivalent to, During that period ot the history of the church. Assuming that the con version of Paul took place A. D. 30, the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost A. d. 39 (see Chronological Table In Introduction), the date of this event would be fixed In the first year of the existence of the church. The date is further indicated by the second clause ot the sentence. — When the number of the disciples was multiplied. The number was now sev eral thousands (ch. 2 ; 4i ; 6 : 14). — Of the Grecians against the Hebrews. Both terms are used in a popular and somewhat Indefinite sense ; the Grecians Includes those who dwelt In Greece and had come up to attend the feast at Jerusa lem, whether native Greeks and adopting the Jewish religion, or native Hebrews, adopting Greece as their abode ; Hebrews includes those 76 THE ACTS. [Ch. VL who dwelt In Judea retaining the Hebrew lan guage and using the Hebrew Scriptures. The race prejudice between Greek and Hebrew was great. It affected the Jewish church and threat ened the primitive Christian church (Eom. 2 : 9, lo ; 1 Cor. 1 : 22-24 ; Ephes. 2 : 14 ; Col. 3 : II). The murmuring here described was the first Indication ot danger. The word rendered murmuring (yoyyvofiog) In dicates that it was a suppressed and whispered discontent. The apostles did not wait tor a public outbreak, but acted on the first sugges tion ot difficulty. "It is a point ot prudence and godly carefulness In that ISiey prevented the evil which began to arise without deferring the remedy." — (Calvin.) — Their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Under the Mosaic law no definite provision was made for the maintenance of widows, who were de pendent upon relatives, especially the eldest son, though they were protected from oppression by A GREOIAJJI WIUOW. special laws (Deut. 28 : 17 ; Job 24 ; 3), aud they were commended to the care of the community (Eiod. 22 : 22; Deut. 27; 19; leaiah I : 17; Jer. 7 ; 6; 22:3; Zech. 7 : lo). In compliance with the spirit of these regula tions the early Christian church appear to have made special provision tor the widows (comp. i Thn. 6 : 9). What was the nature ot the dally ministra tion here referred to Is not clear. The " tables " (tQaTtiLix) of verse 3 may mean either tables tor meals or a money-changer's tables (Matt, is ; 27 ; 21 : 12 ; Luke 16 : 21 ; 22 : 2i). lu Luke 19 : 33 the Same word is rendered bank. Either money, or food, or both, may have been distributed. The phrase, "serve tables," does not, however, necessarily Imply that this ministration took place literally at a table. The language may be regarded as simply metaphorical. It Is supposed by many commentators that the apostles had already In trusted this distribution to deputies, not having the time to attend to it personally. But this Is a gratuitous assumption, and does not accord with the narrative. If they had already ap pointed deputies, why do they refer to them selves as leaving the word of God to serve tables ? The suggestion of deputies is made to avoid the supposed implication that the apostles were neglectful. But there is nothing to Indi cate whether the complaints were well grounded, or the product ot a sensitive jealousy. 2-4. Then the twelve. The matter was evidently made a subject of consultation between them, and their action was concurrent. — Called the multitude of the disciples together. It Is no more necessary to suppose that the en tire number, five or six thousand, attended than that all the citizens attend every town meeting. It was a public gathering of the church, to which all could come who were so inclmed. The open court-yard of any of the large houses ot Jerusa lem would afford a convenient place of meeting. — It does not please us to leave the word of God. The meaning of the original seems to be. It is not our choice to distribute the charities ot the church ; do you provide some one else to do It. — Look ye out. The whole multitude were to make their own selection. The course here pursued Is hardly consistent with the theory ot an apostolic authority over the church, still less with that ot a papal primacy in Peter as vicegerent of Christ. — Seven men. "Why they should be just seven let bim that hath confidence enough pretend to assign a reason." — (Lightfoot.) There has been no lack ot this confidence in the commentators ; Bengel says one deacon for each 1,000 converts ; Meyer, the Jewish sacred num ber ; Alford, some present consideration of con venience ; Wordsworth, with reference to the sevenfold gift of the Spirit (leaiah ii : 2). Chrysos- tom's deduction Is just and reasonable: "If there were need ot seven men for this, how great In proportion must have been the sums ot money that flowed In." — Of honest report. Not merely honest men, but men possessing the confidence ot the disciples. A good reputation is sometimes a very necessary qualification for a public office. Comp. 1 Tim. 3 : 10.— Full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom. Purity alone does not suffice for church work ; It must be mated to intellectual capacity. — Whom we may appoint over this business. Ot dis tribution. The apostles being Intrusted with the accumulated funds ot the church, reserved the right to confirm or reject the selection of the multitude.— To prayer and to the ministry of the Avord. The word rendered ministry here is the same as that rendered serve in ver. 3, The apostles will serve the word ot God, and leave to others to serve the charities of the church. There is a hint here of the Inexpedi ency of placing the secular properties ot the Ch. VI.] THB ACTS. 77 5 And the saying pleased the whole multitude : and they chose Stephen, a man full ' of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip,* and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and*' Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: 6 Whom they set before the apostles; and when* they had prayed, they J laid their hands on them. fch. lI:24....goh. 8:6, 26; 21 : 3 . . . .h Ror. 2 : 6, 15 . . . . 1 ch. I : 24; 13 : 3. . . . j 1 Thn.4 : 14; 6 : 22; 2Thn. 1:6. church In the hands ot Its ecclesiastics. Cer tainly the church which does this is not apos tolic. Observe that prayer in the apostles' minds precedes and prepares for preaching. They that exhort us to prayer give themselves to it (Rom. i:io). "So Moses did Indeed exhort us unto prayer, but he went before them as a ring leader " (Eiod. 17 : ii). — (Calvin.) Observe, too, that prayer and the ministry of the word appear to comprise the whole of the apostolic function, in which case we are all successors of the apostles —or ought to be. 5, 6. And these chose Stephen, etc They were chosen by the whole multitude, that is, by Greek and Hebrew ; but the fact that all the names are Greek, indicate that aU the chosen were, iC not Greeks, at least not likely to dis parage or overlook the Greek element. The -church apparently put the work ot distribution largely in the hands of the complainants. Ot these appointees only Stephen and Philip are again mentioned in the N. T. (ch. 8 : s, 26, 40 ; 21 : s). Nicolas was claimed by the heretical sect ot Nlcolaitanes (Rev. 2:6) as their founder, but this claim, though allowed by Epiphanius, ia gener ally discredited by modem scholars. The fact that he was a proselyte of Antioch has been taken by some as an indication that all were proselytes ; by others that he was the only pros elyte. It seems rather to be a personal desig nation, perhaps to distinguish him from others of the same name. — Whom they set before the apostles. For their approval. — And when they had prayed. For guidance In the final decision (cb. i : 24, 25), and for divine blessing on those that were chosen (ch. 13 : 2, 3). — They laid their hands on them. This Is the first men tion In the N. T. of what has grown Into an ecclesiastical rite. Its origin is to be traced in the O. T., and its sigmflcance found there. It was employed to Indicate the bestowal of gen erally a blessing (Oen. 48 : 14 ; Matt. 19 : 13 ; Mark 8 : 33 ; 10 : 16) ; sometimes >¦ physical cure (2 Kings 5 : 11 ; Mark 16 : 18) ; but also. In one notable Instance, a curse (Lev. 16 ; 2i). It was employed by Moses In the ordination of Joshua (Numb. 27 : is ; Deut. 34 ; 9). The same form was used by the apostles with the same significance, but always In the imparta tlon of a blessing, never to indicate a curse. The laying on of hands accompanied the gift of heal ing (Acts 9 : 17, 18 ; 28 : s) ; the cousecratlou of disciples to a particular work, as in this case (Acts 13 : 3) ; or the impartatlon of the special gift of the Holy Spirit, followed, at least In some cases, by visible signs of his presence and power (ch. s : 17 ; 19 : e). The rite has since passed Into the Christian church ; In nearly aU denominations It Is em ployed in tbe ordination of ministers, and In those In which the rite ot confirmation, supple mental to baptism. Is employed it is made an Important part of that rite. Op the origin and office of deacons. (1) The word rendered (ver. 2) to serve Is diakonein (Jiozortir) ; from It undoubtedly comes our word deacon ; and from the appointment here narrated this office Is reasonably thought to have sprung. Such an officer certainly existed In apostolic times. In Phil. 1 : 1, Paul refers to the deacons as an order then existing ; and in 1 Tim. 3 : 8-13, he prescribes their necessary qualifications. Deacon esses also were early appointed, probably in the apostolic age (Rom. 16 : 1 ; 1 Tun. 6 : 9-16). The officO has been permanently retained in the Christian church, but with different functions In different denominations. In the Roman Catholic church the deacon Is an assistant ot the bishop ; in the Episcopal church a clergyman, without, however, fuU ordination, not being allowed to consecrate the elements at the communion ; In the Method ist Episcopal church he assists in the administra tion of the communion and as a teacher ot the Scriptures ; in the Congregational church the dea cons are nominally the dispensers of the charities of the church, really the pastor's spiritual advis ers ; in the Presbyterian church the office Is rarely practically maintained. Its duties generally de volving upon the elders. Each denomination carefully defines the office ; each endeavors to conform It to the apostolic model. In fact there Is no apostolic model. For (3) observe the na ture of the original appointment. A special exigency required special work, and officers were appointed for the purpose. The tenure of their office was not fixed ; nor its permanence in the church prescribed ; nor Its duties defined ; nor was even a name given to It. Apparently the fact of the appointment is only mentioned to explain the preaching and martyrdom of Stephen, and the subsequent conversion of Paul. There is no reason whatever to suppose that It was In tended for a precedent, StUl less for a law, to succeeding generations ; and all endeavors to conform the model to the ancient office are in vain, since the ancient office had no definite duties. Stephen and Philip both became well- known preachers ; PhlUp Is known as the Evan- 78 THE ACTS. [Ch. VI. 7 And ¦* the word of God increased ; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly ; and a great company of the priests ' were obedient to the faith. 8 And Stephen, full of faith and power, did great wonders and miracles among the people. 9 Then there arose certain of the synagogue, which is called the synaeo^ue of the Libertines, and Cyre- nians, and Alexandrians, and of them of Cilicia and of Asia, disputing with Stephen. IO And they were not able™ to resist the wisdom and the spirit by which he spake. kch. 12:24; 19:20; Isa. 66: II 1 Fs. 132:9,16; John 12 : 42 m Luke 21 : 16. geh'st, not as the deacon (ch. 21 : s) ; he adminis tered baptism (ch. 8 : 3s), and there is no reason to suppose that he might not with equal propriety have administered the communion. In short, the modem church cannot be conformed to the apostolic, because the apostoUe church had no definite form. The constitution ot the church was not framed by Its founders like that of the United States ; it grew like that of Great Britain. (3.) This appointment affords a model for the prevention of church quarrels. The apostles do not chide the complainants ; nor wait tiU the quarrel assumes serious proportions ; nor an swer the complainants with self-justification ; nor endeavor to allay the jealousy by rebuking It, or heal the schism by being leaders ot either Greek or Hebrew party. They throw the responsibility on the church ; turn over the administration largely to the complainants ; and give themselves with Increased consecration to spiritual work. 7, 8. The word of God increased. In power, in the church, and hence in extent, by addition to the church. The nature of the in crease is explained by the subsequent clauses of the verse, which define Its effects. This was both an evidence that harmony was restored and an effect of that harmony. When the church Is united the word increases in pow*r. As to the accession of priests, doubtless In the priesthood there were some honest and sincere Inquirers after truth, ready to welcome it In spite ot foes ; others were easily swayed by the rising enthu siasm which pervaded Jerusalem. The number of priests at the return from Babylon (Ezra 2 : 36-38) was 4,389, and it was now probably still greater. It does not necessarily follow that aU the new adherents to the church were spiritual converts. Many of these, like some ot Christ's earlier dis ciples, probably apostatized from the faith, when they learned all that it involved (john 6 : ee). Such apostasy was evidently not unknown In the apos toUc church (Heb. 6 • 4-6). This verse describes the culmination ot the period of external prosperity in the church. "As yet all seemed goiag on prosperously for the conversion of Israel. The multitude honored the apostles ; the advice of Gamaliel had moderated the opposition of the Sanhedrim ; the priests were gradually being won over. But God's designs were far different. At this period another and Important element in the testimony ot the church Is brought out in the person of Stephen — its protest against PAari- saism. This arrays against It that powerful and jealous sect, and henceforward it finds neither favor nor tolerance with either of the parties among the Jews, but tbe increasing and bitter enmity of them both. " — (Alford.) — Stephen full of grace and power. Grace, noj. faith. Is the best reading. It Is here divine grace, aijd in cludes faith as one of the chief graces or free gifts of God's Spirit. P)wer is the divine power promised by Jesus Christ to his disciples in ch. 1 : 8, as manifested by signs and miracles, and also in the boldness and effectiveness ot Ste phen's preaching. Ch. 6 i 9 to ch, 7 ! 60. THE ACCUSATION, DEFENCE, AND MARTYRDOM OF STEPHEN. The unity or the Bible.— The cathoucitt and spieitualitt op its EELiaioN.— The sole oohdition or the divine bless ing, faith : ILLnSTRATED BT THE FAITH AND BLESSINS OF Abraham, Moses, David ; bt the repeated dis obedience AND punishment OF IsKAEL. See below, Stephen's address: prel. note. A. D. 35 or 36, Dec. This address ot Stephen marks a new era in the history of the church. Up to this time the preaching had been by He brews and addressed to Hebrews. Stephen, a Greek, untrammeled by the prejudices from which none of the twelve, not even Peter (ch. 10 : 14, 16), were emancipated, saw more clearly, and proclaimed more fearlessly, the radical and revolutionary character of the new religion, and especially its fitness for and its free offer to all nations. This catholic character ot his minis try Is Indicated In the charge preferred against him ; it Is demonstrated in the speech he deliv ered In his own defence ; It explains the bitter ness of the persecution by the Pharisees which followed ; It led. In the providence of God, to the dispersion of the church hitherto centred at Jerusalem, and the ministry of the word through out Palestine ; It prepared the way for the con version ot Paul. The careful student wUl find In Stephen's plea the germs of the doctrines of uni versal sin and universal grace, of which Paul became the most distinguished exponent, and which, I believe, he learned from the martyred Stephen, Though this address only Inculcates what Christ taught In his first sermon (Luke 4 : 21-27), by a similar historical argument. It marks the practical transition ot Christianity from a refor mation of Judaism to a world religion, and is thus almost the most important of the speeches reported In the Book ot Acts, Ch. VI.] THE ACTS. 79 II Then they suborned" men, which said, We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses, and against God. 12 And they stirred up the people, and the elders, and the scribes, and came upon him, and caught him, and brought him to the council. n 1 Kings 21: 10, 13; Matt. 2 9, 10. Then arose certain of the syna gogue called of the Libertines, etc. For ac count ot Jewish synagogue, seenoteon Matt. 4 : 33. Jor iQustration, see Vol. I, frontispiece, and Luke 5 : 31. According to the Kabbinical books there were upwards of tour hundred and fifty syna gogues in Jerusalem ; Jews of different dialects and province naturally worshipped together, and the synagogues naturally took their names from the nationality of the congregations. Whether here five synagogues are Intended, or one or two, which embraced the worshippers ot the different districts, is uncertain. In the synagogu? ser vices it was generally permitted to the leaders of any new school to set forth their opinions (ch. 13:16). Hence Stephen's preaching In the syna gogue, which aroused the opposition of the Phar isees. The Libertines were Jews, who, having been taken prisoners and reduced to slavery, had afterwards been emancipated, and had retumed to their national land. They had been allowed by Augustus to settle in a part of Rome, and to follow their own religious customs, but were expelled by Tiberius a. d. 19. Four thousand were sent to Sardinia, in the hope that they would there perish from the malaria; the rest were required to leave Italy, or abjure their reli gion. It Is a reasonable conjecture that ot these exiles enough may have found their way to Jeru salem to organize a synagogue of their own ; and, having suffered persecution for their own faith, would be foremost in opposition to the new doc trine, as one "against this holy place and tbe law." For other but now generally discarded interpretations of the word Libertines-, see Smith's Bale Dictionary. The Cyrenians were emigrants from Cyrene on the north of Africa. See ch. 3 : 10, note. The Alexandrians were from Alex andria, on the Mediterranean, twelve mUes from the mouth of the Nile, a famous philosophical • and literary centre. A large number of Jews were planted there by its founder, Alexander the Great; they possessed equal rights with the Greek population, had a part ot the city allotted to them, were governed by their own code ot laws, and at the time of Christ constituted one- third ot the population ot the city. Cilicia and Asia were Koman provinces; the latter includ ing Mysia, Lydia, Cana, and Phrygla. See Gaz etteer and map, p. 31. — Disputing with Ste phen. With does not necessarily imply that he entered Into any public debate or discussion with them. It Is equally consistent with the account to suppose that he preached the truth affirmatively, and that they opposed, but could not successfully resist him. Comp. ch. 13 : 45. — The wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke. Wis dom is not equivalent to prudence, nor to learn ing, nor to dialectic skill, nor to mere theoretical knowledge, but to knowledge of truth coupled with skill in teaching and applying It. "In re spect to divine things, wisdom (ao destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us. 15 And all that sat in the council, looking stedfastly on him, saw his 1 face as it had been the face of an angel. 0 ch. 25 : 8 . . . . p Dan. 9 : 26 .... q Ezod. 84 : CUtlon (ch. 2 : 47 ; 4 : 17 ; 6 : 26). Their succcss Is sccn In the mob which brought the trial to a sudden close. The Sanhedrim had no longer power of inflicting death, which was reserved by the Roman govem ment to Itself (John 18 : 3i). In the case ot Christ they appealed to Pilate for a ratification of their sentence ; In this case, the mob executed It. The holy place Is primarily the Temple, and seconda rily Jerusalem, which was made holy to the Jew by the Temple. The law is the system given by Moses, Including the whole ceremonial and theo cratic dispensation, which was now to come to an end, having fulfilled its mission. 14. Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place. Jesus has destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, and had previously foretold their destruction ; he has also changed the cus toms which Moses delivered ; and the character of Stephen's speech leads to the belief that he perceived the catholicity of the Christian religion and tbe transitoriness of Judaism better than the Hebrew disciples. It Is not, therefore, im probable that the testimony of these witnesses was measurably true ; false in spirit rather than In words. They told the truth, but not the whole truth ; and half a truth is often a whole lie. Tbe charge of attempting to turn away the allegiance of the people from Jehovah and the system given by him through Moses, Is the gravamen ot their accusation. Stephen's plea is devoted to meeting this charge ; in It he shows that throughout the sacred history Gentile ground was holy ground, and Gentiles were called to be divine instruments and recipients of the divine grace, and that thus the Gospel which he preached was not adverse to, but the culmina tion of this gracious history. 15. Saw his face as it had been the face of an angel. Comp. Exod. 34 : 35; Luke 9 : 39. Whether here the shining was a supernatural brightness, a special and divine radiance, or a natural effect of his own divinely- Inspired peace and joy. Is not an Important ques tion. In either case it was tbe direct result ot the Indwelling ot God with him, the fulfillment of the promise of Christ (john u ; 23, 27). That the manifestation of this Inward lite was not with out Its effect on the council. Is Indicated by the mildness ot the high-prlest's question. In striking contrast with the high-prlest's treatment ot Christ (Mati. 27 : 62, 63, Bc), and Paul (ch. 23 : 2) ; and by the fact that the council heard Stephen's defence until his outburst of indignation at the close. Contrast 33 : 33. Ch. 7: 1-53. Stephen's addkess : peelimi- nabt note. The connection of this address with the accusation preferred against Stephen Is not clear ; different interpretations have been pro posed ; some rationalistic scholars have even denied that there Is any connection. An under standing of the spirit of the address as a whole, and its relation to the accusation and the martyr dom, are essential to Its study In detail. (1.) Ste- pJien's object. This Is not to defend himself, but to convict his hearers of sin In crucifying their Messiah, and to proclaim to them salvation through Christ's name. Like the apostles, he seizes the occasion to preach the Gospel. We are not, therefore, to look for a definite answer to tbe charges preferred against him. (3.) If he had indicated his purpose at the outset, the councfl would not have listened to him. He must con ceal it in order to accomplish It. We may, there fore, look for some obscurity, especially in the earlier portion of his address. (3.) It Is partly interpreted by the charge against him, viz., blas phemy. In speaking against Moses, prophesying the destruction of Jews and the 'Temple, and the overthrow of Judaism ; and probably, also, predicting the extension of the Gospel to the proselytes from other lands, like himself, and to the heathen. Tbis catholicity of Christianity al ways aroused the especial anger ot the Pharisees (ch. 22 : 21, 22). (4.) So interpreting it, we find In, his historical summary an incidental reply to these charges. In bis selection of historical facts he illustrates and enforces the following traths : (a.) The favor and blessing of God had not been conflned to Judea and its people. They were shown in the facts that God appeared to Abraham in Mesopotamia, a laud of Idolatry, gave him not even a foot-breadth of soil In Canaan (^er. e), caused his seed to dwell as strangers In a strange land, Egypt (vers. 8-is), and Moses to be educated In heathen (Egyptian) philosophy, and called the latter out of Midian to become the deliverer of Israel (ver.. 20-29). (b.) Jerusalem and the Temple were not alone holy ground, and to prophesy their destruction was not to speak against the allegiance due to God and his holy religion ; for God had appeared to Abraham before the days of Tabernacle or Temple (ver. 2) ; to Joseph in his bondage in Egypt (9, 10); to Moses In the burning bush, making, by his appearance, Midian holy Ch. Vn.] THE ACTS. 81 CHAPTER VII. THEN said the high priest, Are these things so f 2 And he said. Men,' brethren, and fathers, hearken ; The God of glory appeared unto our father Abraham when he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran, 3 And said " unto him. Get thee out of thy country, ground (vers. 30-33) ; to Israel in the church in the wilderness (ver. 38) ; to David, who was a man after God's own heart, yet was not even permit ted to construct a temple for his dweUmg-place (ver. 46) ; and when at length the Temple was built God declared that It could not confine him within Its walls (ver. 48). (c.) Stephen did not speak against Moses nor against the law In proclaiming the Messiah, tor Moses had himself foretold the Messiah's advent (ver. 37). (d.) Throughout all their history the Jewish nation had resisted the dispensation ot divine mercy. This fact is illus trated by the seUIng of Joseph into Egypt by his brethren (ver. 9) ; by the repudiation of Moses by the Israelites (ver. 27) ; by the detection and apostasy of Israel at Mount Sinai (vere. 39.41) ; their subsequent Idolatries (vers. 42, 43) ; and their per secution ot the prophets (vera. 51, 52) ; it was, there- tore, no strange nor blasphemous doctrme which he preached, that they had now rejected the Messiah himself, and that God would conse quently reject them as a nation. (5.) Stephen's speech is interrupted at ver. 51. The sudden transition there probably indicates not an actual and violent interruption by the council, which would have been reported, but an outburst of indignation on Stephen's part at the relentless enmity manifested in the faces of his judges. He breaks off his argument and closes his speech in an indignant invective. (6.) The speech is analogous in structure and aim to that of Christ In Luke 4 : 21-39 ; like that Is historical ; like that traces the history of the O. T. for the pur pose of showing that with It agrees the univer sality and catholicity of the Gospel ; like that secures attention at the outset, and is inter rupted by a violent outbreak at the close. (7.) The source whence Luke derived his knowl edge of this speech is unknown. It is a reason able hypothesis that the report came from Paul, who was present and consenting to Stephen's death, and whose conversion may, I believe, be traced to the influence of Stephen's plea and martyrdom ; but this Is only an hypothesis. (8.) The indications are that the address was made in the Greek language. Stephen was a Greek, and his quotations from the 0. T. gen erally agree with the Greek version. (9.) There are several respects In which his historical allu sions differ from the 0. T. history either by variation or addition. The following are the .principal points ot difference : Ver. a puts the call of Abraham before the mi gration to Haran ; Gen. 13 : 1, 4, 5, in Haran. Ver. 14 enumerates 75 souls in Jacob's migra tion ; Gen. 46 : 37 enumerates 70. Ver. 16 mentions the burial of the twelve patri archs at Shechem ; Exodus does not. Ver, 16 describes tbe purchase ot the tomb differently from Gen, 23 : 15. See note below. Ver. 30 characterizes the beauty of Moses In childhood In stronger language than Exod. 3 : 2. Ver. 38 specifies his Egyptian education ; Ex odus does not. Ver. 33 characterizes him as mighty in words and deeds; Exodus says nothing of his early Egyptian Itte. Vers. 33, 30, 36 mention three periods of forty years ; the last only is so defined in the Penta teuch. Ver. 38 describes Moses's terror at the burning bush ; Exod. 3 : 3-5 does not. Vers. 43, 43 add from Amos 5 : 35, 26 to the Mosaic narrative. Ver. 53 refers to angels in the giving ot the law ; Exodus does not. For Interpretation and explanation ot these variations In detail, see the notes below. Here it may suffice to say that I see no objection to the belief that Stephen referred to traditional sources, assuming as true the well recognized tacts in the Jewish history, whether recorded iu the O. T. or not ; and that thus his address en forces the principle, that aU history Is sacred, in that It Illustrates sacred truth, and that the value ot the 0. T. history Hes in Its substantial tacts, not In its literal and minute accuracy. (10.) The general lesson derivable by us from Stephen's address Is the unity of the religion of the O. T. and the N. T. (a) The O. T. as well as the N. T. represents the divine mercy as unUmited.by con siderations of race or nationality ; (6) the O. T. Is a preparation for the fuller revelation of mercy through Jesus Christ In the N. T. ; (c) the 0. T., like the N. T., subordinates the Instru ment (the temple) to the soul (faith, humUity, and mercy) of religion. The spirit which substi tutes the creed, the ceremony, the church, or the book tor the living God Is always an Irreli gious spirit. 1. Are these things so? The high-priest was ex-offlcio president ot the council. The ac cused had, under Jewish rules ot law, a right to be heard in his own defence. Pleaders were un known In the Jewish courts; the accused pre sented his own cause. 2, 3. men, brethren and fathers, heark en. Men are all present, including brethren, his '82 THE ACTS. [Ch. vn. 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 Charran: and from thence, when his father was dead, he removed him into this land, where in ye now dwell. 5 And he gave him none inheritance in it, no not so much as to set his foot on : yet he promised ° that he would give it to him for a possession, and to his seed after him, when as yet he had no child. 6 And 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" hun dred years. B Gen. 12 : 1 t Gen. 12 : 6 .... u Gen. 13 : 15 .... v Gen. 15 : 13, 16 w Exod. 12 : 40, 41. equals, especially the pubUc, who were always ad mitted to the Jewish trial as spectators, 3.nifathers, the members of the council, whom he addresses In terms of respect because of their official posi tion. Comp. Acts 22 : 1 ; 1 Tim. 5 : 1. Observe the respectfulness and the dignity of Stephen's opening.— The God of glory. Not merely equivalent to the glorious God. He dwells ever in glorious light unapproachable (i Tim. 6 : 16), and in the O. T. appeared in a cloud of glory, the Shechlnah, to his people (Eiod. 40 ; 34; Lev. 9:6; Ezek. 1 ; 28), this appearance being a peculiar privilege granted to Israel (Kom. 9 : 4). Stephen, who speaks of the appearance of God to Israel from the days ot Abraham to those ot Christ, characterizes him as the God ot glory, i. e., whose character has ever been a glorious manifestation of himself to his people, a preparation for this last and most glorious self-disclosure (ueb. 1 : 1, 2). — Our father Abraham. Stephen identifies himself with his audience as a son ot Abraham. — When he was in Mesopotamia, before he dwelt in Charran. Mesopotamia derives Its name, which means between rivers, from Its position be tween the Euphrates and the Tigris ; is now called by the Arabs Al-Jezirah, the island ; Is about 700 miles In length, and from 20 to 350 miles In width. The Mesopotamia ot the Bible Is the northwest- em portion of modem Mesopotamia. It was tbe dwelling-place of Balaam ; became In succession subject to tbe Assyrian, Babylonian, Persian, Grecian, Syrian, Eoman, and Parthian rulers. Ur (Gen. II : 23, 3i), and Harau, the Charran of our text, were cities In Mesopotamia. The site of both cities Is, somewhat uncertain ; Ur is probably the modern Mugheir ; Haran, probably the modern Harran ; the former on the right bank of the southern Euphrates, the latter in northwestern Mesopotamia, on tbe banks ot a small tributary of the Euphrates, the river Bellk. But different localities have been assigned for the Haran, the Ur, and the Mesopotamia ot Scripture. See Smith's Bible Diet., arts. Haran and Ur, and Abbott's Peligious Diet., art. Mesopotamia. — Be fore he dwelt in Charran. According to Gen. 11 : 31, Abram and his father Terah, and his nephew Lot, went from Ur to Haran, where Terah died. Then ch. 13 begins a aew account, " Now the Lord said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country. * * * So Abram departed, as the Lord had spoken unto him." Thus Genesis men tions the departure from Ur to Haran, but no appearance of the Lord to Abram in Ur. Our translators have thrown back the appearance of the Lord to Abram in Haran by the rendering, The Lord had said; but this they apparently did to make the account there agree with Stephen's re presentation here. This was quite needless. There is nothing inconsistent in the two accounts ; Ste phen simply tells us, what we should not have known otherwise, that the first departure from Ur was in obedience to a divine call. This, how ever. Is indicated by the language of Gen. 11 : 31, which states that Abram's purpose in the first movement was to go to Canaan, a purpose impeded but not abandoned, in the delay at Haran; and this Is confirmed by the language of Gen. 15 : 7 ; Josh. 24 : 3 ; Neh. 9:7; and by Jewish tradition, preserved In PhUo and Josephus. 4. When his father was dead he re moved him into this land. This accords with the account in Genesis, but the account there presents some difficulty ; for, apparently, Terah was seventy years of age at the birth of Abram (Gen. 11 : 26), and Abram was seventy-five years ot age at the tune of his emigration (Gen. 12 : 4), which would make Terah only one hundred and forty-five years old at that time, while, according to Gen. 11 : 33, he was two hundred and five years old at the time of his death. It is scarcely prob able, however, that Abram, Nahor and Haran were born the same year, and there is no evi dence that Abram was the oldest ; Jewish tradi tion makes him the youngest. It, then, we un derstand the declaration ot Gen. 11 : 36, "Terah lived seventy years and begat Abram, Nahor and Haran," to mean that he was seventy years old before the first ot his sons was born, he may have been one hundred and thirty years old when Abram was born, and two hundred and five when Abram's migration took place. And this is the most probable explanation ot a difficulty in chro nology, which Is ot small consequence, except that It has been used to Impugn the accuracy of the history. — Wherein ye now dwell. Stephen begins with Abram and his migration into Canaan to show his auditors that the call ot the Gentiles in the Gospel, so far from being incon sistent with the sacred history, agrees with its first and fundamental fact, the call of Abraham from Idolatry, and the bequest of this very land to him, on the simple condition of faith in and obedience to God's word. Ch. VIL] THE ACTS. 83 7 And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God : and after that shall they come forth, and serve ' me in this place. 8 And y he gave him the covenant of circumcision : and 50^ Abraham begat Isaac, and circumcised him the eighth day ; and Isaac "^ begat Jacob ; and Jacob '' iegai the twelve patriarchs. 9 And the patriarchs, moved with " envy, sold Joseph into Egypt : out "^ God was with him, IO And delivered him out of all his aiHictions, and gave him favour and wisdom in the sight of Pharaoh king of Egypt ; and he ^ made him governor over Egypt and all his house. II Now' there came a dearth over all the land of lEsod. 3:12....; Gon. 17 : MI....I Gen. 21 : 1-4.. .s, Gen 26:26... e Gen. 41 : 40. . ,b Gen. 29 : i ..f Gen. 41 : 2, eto cGen. 87 : 28 ; Pfi. 105 : 17.... d Gen.; 54. 5-7. Not so much as to set his foot on. Literally, not afoot-step. Comp. Deut. 3 : 5. Abra ham lived in Palestine an itinerant Ufe, as a pil grim and stranger (Heb. ii ; 9, 10), never owning any part ot the soil, except the burial-place ot Sarah, his wile, near Hebron (Gen., cb. 23). — When as yet he had no child. Abraham was a hundred years old at the time of Isaac's birth (Geo. 21 : 5) and had therefore sojourned in Palestine a quar ter of a century before there was any Indication ot the fulfillment of the promise made to him. — And God spake on this wise. Stephen's lan guage implies that he does not quote verbally. The quotation is from Gen. 15 : 13, 14. — Four hundred years. This agrees with the language of Gen. 15 : 13 ; in Exod. 13 : 40, and Gal. 3 : 17, the time is stated with greater accuracy at four hun dred and thirty years. It Is uncertain whether this tour hundred and thirty years is the period of Israel's sojourn In Egypt, i. e., the time be tween the coming ot Jacob with his household into Egypt and the exodus of Israel under Moses, as implied in Exod. 12 : 40, or the period ot Israel's sojourn in Egypt and Canaan, i. e., the time be tween the promise to Abraham and the exodus of Israel from Egypt, as Implied In Gal. 3 : 17, aud In some ancient copies of the O. T., which, in Exod. 13 : 40, read, "who dwelt in Egypt and the land of Canaan." The former opinion, best agrees with the remarkable Increase of Israel from seventy -five souls (ver. 14) to a great nation ; the latter best agrees with the Hebrew genealogies. It Is not Important tor the Interpretation of Ste phen's address to determine this question, which Is one of the most perplexing and difficult in Hebrew chronology. I am Inclined to take Exod. 12 : 40 as literally true, to believe that the sojourn in Egypt covered a period of four hundred and thirty years, and to believe that there Is some hiatus in the genealogy of Moses, as is often the case with the Hebrew genealogies. See Gal. 3 : 17, note. — And serve me in this place. These words are not in Genesis, Instead Is the promise. They shall come out with great substance. Analogous to Stephen's language here Is God's promise to Moses in the region of Mount Sinai (Eiod. 3 ; 12). " When thou hast brought forth the people out of Egypt, ye shall serve God upon this mountain." The promise that they shall serve God in Canaan Is however Implied by the whole course of God's dealings with the patriarchs and their descendants, the object ot which was to bring into the land a chosen people, who should serve bim, and him only. Stephen's object In this reference here is to enforce the truth that the wor ship ot God Is not dependent on place — as It began before Jerusalem existed, so it may continue after Jerusalem Is destroyed; nor exclusive — as it was permitted to Abraham, a stranger in Pal estine, and to Israel, a stranger in Egypt, so should It be to the Gentile, a stranger in Stephen's time. In the land of Israel. 8. The covenant of circumcision. The covenant is recorded in Gen. 17 : 4r-8, and is in terpreted spiritually by Paul in Gal. 3 : 15-18. It embraced God's promise to be the God of Abra ham and of his seed. Stephen, like Paul, traces back the promise of grace, which made Israel the people of God, to a period long preceding the giving of tbe law, and thus Indicates, what Paul more directly argues, that God's covenant is not dependent on the law. Hence In prophesying a change of the customs which Moses gave (cb. 6 : 14), Stephen bas said nothing against the God or the religion of Israel. Thus his unexpressed conclusion Is the same as that expressed by Paul : " If tbe Inheritance be ot the law It Is no more of promise ; but God gave it to Abraham by promise." It is called the covenant of circumr cision, because its acceptance by Abraham and his seed was signified by the rite of circum cision (Gen. 17 : 9-14). On the rite itself see notes on cb. 15. — And so he begat Isaac. So; i. e.. In accordance with and fulfillment of the divine covenant to give to him, and his seed after him, the land of Canaan. 9, 10. The patriarchs, moved with envy, sold Joseph into Egypt. The story of Joseph is told in Genesis, chaps. 87-50. This statement Is the first Item in Stephen's Indict ment of the children of Israel, consummated In the Indignant outburst of vers. 51-53. Joseph's brethren know not their appointed deliverer, endeavor to make away with him, are restrained from murder only by prudential considerations. Yet, as later by the crucifixion ot Jesus Christ (ch. 2 : 23), Israel unconsciously executes the pur poses of God. If the descendants of Abraham had remained in the free nomadic lite of Pales tine, they would have been dispersed. In their servitude in Egypt they became compacted into the germ of a great nation. — Grace and wis- 84 THE ACTS. Egypt and Chanaan, and great affliction: and ourfa^ thers found no sustenance. 12 ButK when Jacob heard that there was com in Egypt, he sent out our fathers first. 13 And at the second time Joseph •» was made known to his brethren ; and Joseph's kindred was made known unto Pharaoh. 14 Then sent Joseph, and called his father Jacob to him^ and alL> his kindred, threescore and fifteen souls. [Ch, VII. 15 So Jacob went down mto Egypt, and died, he, and our fathers, 16 And j were carried over into Sychem, and laid in the sepulchre that Abraham bought for a sum of money of the sons of Emmor the father of Sychem, 17 But when the time of the promise drew nigh, which God had sworn to Abraham, the people'' grew and multiplied in Egypt, 18 Till another king arose, which knew not Joseph. g Gen, 42 : 1, 2 , . . . h Gen. 46 : 4, 16 1 Gen. 46 : 27 ; Dent. 10 : 22 j Jolb. 24 : 32 .... k Eiod. 1 : 7-9. dom in the sight of Pharaoh. Not merely grace and wisdom, but these qualities so devel oped and manifested as to be apparent to the Egyptian king. Grace here may either mean gracefulness in manner, which was apparently a characteristic of Joseph (Gen. 39 : 6 ; 41 : 14), or favor, i. e. with Pharaoh, or divine graee. The latter seems to me to be the best interpretation here, in the light of Gen. 41 : 38. — Governor over Egypt, and all his house. The former phrase signifies Joseph's civU authority in the land, the second his position In the royal house hold. He was both prime minister and lord chamberlain ; was second in dignity only to the king, and practically, as Is often the case with the prime minister, especially In oriental coun tries, was the ruler ot the land. This elevation ot Joseph, attributed by Stephen, as by the O. T., to the divine favor. Is another evidence that religion and God are not confined to the Temple, to Palestine, and to the scrupulous observers of the ceremonial law. 11-13. There came a dearth. Such ex periences of famine as are described In Gen. 41 : 547-57 are unhappily still common in the East. The Persian famine Is stlU fresh In the minds of American readers. For a terribly graphic de scription of a modem Egyptian famine see Stan ley's Jewish Church, Lect. IV. 14. And all his kindred three score and fifteen souls. In the O. T. history It Is three score and ten (Oen. 46 : 27 ; Eiod. 1 : 6 ; Deut. 10 : 22). Apparently Jacob's household (66), Jacob him self, Joseph, and Joseph's two sons (4), make up the seventy. In the Greek version of the O. T. the number In both Genesis and Exodus is changed to 75, showing that Stephen's state ment accords with tbe popular reading ot the 0. T. at that time. No other explanation of the variation Is necessary for those who believe that Stephen, In such a minor matter ot detail, would have quoted the current version ot the O. T., as we would to-day the current version ot the Bible, without going into a critical examination of the passage in the original. The point he has to make, that Israel went down into Egypt a house hold, and came out ot Egypt a nation, does not depend on the question whether there were 70 or 75 in the family. 15, 16. And were carried over into Sychem, etc. In two respects Stephen's ac count here ditEers from that of the 0. T. (1.) He represents the sons ot Jacob as buried in Sychem ; the O. T. does not intimate that their remains were removed from Egypt (Gen. 60 : s6 ; Eiod. 1 : e). The explanation of this variance Is very simple. Joseph's remains were taken to Canaan at the time of the exodus, and buried in Sychem (Exod. 13 : 19 ; Josb. 24 : 32) ; and though nothing ia said in the 0. T. of the removal of the other brothers, it is stated by Josephus that they were buried in Hebron, i. e., in Abraham's purchase, and by the Eabblnical traditions that they were buried In Sychem, which agrees with the statement here. There Is absolutely no reason whatever for supposing that Stephen confined himself to the O. T. history In his address ; and no reason why he should not have referred to other sources ot ordinarily accepted history among the Jews. (2.) But he also represents the burial as taking place In a field bought by Abraham ot Hamor's sons (Emmor being the same as Hamor) ; whereas, according to the O. T., this purchase ot the field in Sychem was made by Jacob (Gen. 33 : 19), and the burial ot Jacob was in the field of Macphelah, In another part of Palestine, bought by Abraham of Ephron the Hittite. In respect to this va riance there Is more difficulty. It Is to be observed, however, that Stephen does not say that Jacob was burled In Sychem. If we put a period at the end of verse 15, his language will even 'imply the reverse. "So Jacob went down into Egypt, and died, he and our fathers. And they (i. e., our fathers) were carried over Into Sy chem," etc. His language, though on Its face ambiguous, would not be so to his auditors, to whom the facts were familiar, of the burial of Jacob near Hebron and of bis sons at Sychem. The only real difficulty, then, consists in the fact that Stephen attributes the purchase at Sychem to Abraham, whereas it was made by Jacob. The hypothesis (Smith's Bible Diet., Am. ed.) that the land was twice purchased, first by Abraham at the time when he built there an altar to God (aen. 12:6,7), and afterward — the land having been reoccupled by the Shechemites — was repurchased by Jacob, is possible, but It Is at best only a surmise. I should prefer to suppose, with Hackett, that in Stephen's address the word Abraham has been substituted in some Ch. VII.] THE ACTS. 85 XQ The same dealt subtllly with our kindred, and evil-entreated our fathers, so ' that they cast out their young children, to the end they might not live. 20 la which time Hoses'" was born, and was exceed ing fair, and nourished up in his father's house three months : 21 And when he was cast out, Pharaoh's daughter took him up, and"* nourished him for her own son. 22 And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and" was mighty in words and in deeds. 23 And P when he was full forty years old, it came . m Eiod. 2 : 2, etc n Eiod. 2 : 10 0 Lake 24 : 19 .... p Eiod. 2:11, etc. very early copies for Jacob; or that Luke, in writing, or Stephen, In speaking, substituted the one word for the other by a natural mistake. And I quite agree with Dean Alford that "the fact ot the mistake occurring where it does wUl be tar more Instructive to the Christian student than the most Ingenious solution ot the difficulty could be. If It teaches him fearlessly and honestly to recognize the phenomena presented by the text of Scripture, instead of wresting them to suit a preconceived theory." 17-19. The time of the promise. That is, the time for its fulfillment, as indicated In the promise itself (Gen. 16 : is). — Which knew not Joseph. Not literally, knew nothing about him, but was InditEerent to him and the service he had rendered the nation. The name Pharaoh Is a general title by which the national kings of Egypt are all known ; but it represents different and even antagonistic dynasties. The Pharaoh of the oppression belonged to a different dynasty from that of the Pharaoh ot Joseph ; but scholars are not agreed in their identfficatlon of him with any king known In Egyptian history. — Dealt siljbtilely with. Bather, cunningly against. The account Is given In Exodus (cb. i) ; tbe king first endeavored to destroy the male children by corrupting the mldwlves ; not until that failed did he openly command that they should be murdered. — In order that they might cast out their yonng children. The original does not necessarily, as our English version. Im ply that the Israelites slew their own children ; only that It was the purpose of the Egyptian kuig to make them do so. 20, 21. Was exceeding fair. Literally, fair for Ood, i. «., in his sight. The language Is simply a strong expression of his beauty as a babe, and answers to the description In Exodus (2 : 2), " goodly child," and in Hebrews (ii : 23), " proper chUd." The tradition embodied by Jo sephus Indicates the popular belief concerning his remarkable Infantile beauty. "It happened frequently that those who met him as he was car ried along the road were obliged to turn again upon seeing the child ; that they left what they were about, and stood still a great while to look on him ; for the beauty of the child was so remark able and natural to him, on many accounts, that it detained the spectators and made them stay longer to look upon him. " — Pharaoh's daugh ter took him up. See Exod. 2 : 1-10. His name, Moses, signifies drawn out, and was given to him because he was drawn out ot the water. Ot Pharaoh's daughter mentioned here and In Exodus, nothing else Is known. 22. Anil Moses was instructed in all the wisdom Oi the Egyptians. Instructed, not learned; the Oiiginal indicates his education, not his proficiency. This is not stated in the 0. T., but It is Implied by the tact that he was adopted by the princess and educated as her own son. The education Itself was a fitting, if not necessary, preparation tor the predestined leader of Israel, and the fruits of It appear In their subsequent his tory. Some of their laws and customs, and many of their arts, had an Egyptian origin. The Egyp tians were students ot astronomy and chemistry, excelled In geometry and mathematics, were pro ficient In medicine, surgery and practical anat omy, were workers In fine flax, possessed and worked looms, were acquainted with glass and glass manufacture, with manufacture of pottery, Iron and bronze, with the forceps, the blow-pipe, the bellows, tbe syringe, and the siphon, were skilled in the art of architecture, and made both sculptures and paintings; from the former we derive most of our knowledge of their Ute, since In them their trades and habits are fully Illus trated. — Mighty in Avords and in deeds. This statement Is not derived from the 0. T., which even implies that he was, in his early career, slow of speech (Eiod. 4 : lo-io). But the Jew ish traditions attribute to him remarkable mili tary achievements during his lite as an Egyptian prince. Stanley thus condenses Into a paragraph the substance of these extra Scriptural legends concerning his youth : " He was educated at Hellopolis and grew up there as a priest under his Egyptian name of Osarslph or TIsIthen. He learned arithmetic, geometry, astronomy, medi cine and music. He Invented boats and engines for buUding, Instruments of war and ot hydrau lics — hieroglyphics — division of lands. He taught Orpheus and was hence called by the Greeks Musaeus, and by tbe Egyptians Hermes. He was sent on an expedition against the Ethi opians. He got rid ot the serpents of the coun try to be traversed by letting loose baskets full of ibises upon them. The city of HermopoUs was believed to have been founded to commem orate his victory. He advanced to the capital of Ethiopia and gave It the name of Meroe, from his adopted mother, Merrhis, whom he buried 86 THE ACTS. [Ch. VIL into his heart to visit his brethren the children of Is rael. 24 And seeing one ofthem suffer wrong, he defend ed him, and avenged him that was oppressed, and smote the Egyptian : 25 For he supposed his brethren would have under stood how that God by his hand would deliver them : but they understood not. 26 And the next day he shewed himself unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again, saying, Sirs, ye are brethren ; why do ye wrong one to another? 27 But he that did his neighbour wrong thrust him away, sa3ang. Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us ? 28 Wilt thou kill me, as thou didst the Egyptian yesterday ? 29 Then fled Moses at this saying ; and was a stranger in the land of Madian, where he begat two sons. 30 And 1 when forty years were expired, there ap peared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sina an angel of the Lord, m a flame of fire in a bush. q Eiod. 3 : 2, etc. there. Tharbis, the daughter ot the king of Ethi opia, tell In love with him, aud he returned in tri umph to Egypt with her as bis wife." There Is nothing In all this inconsistent with the Scrip ture, which, atter narrating his birth, begins the story ot his subsequent lite with his defence of an Israelite against an Egyptian and his consequent flight into Midian. Livingstone argues the sub stantial truth of these traditions, and hoped to discover In Central Africa some evidences of this early career ; this was indeed one of the objects of his last expedition (LaM, Journals, p. 238). 23-25. And Avhen he was full forty years old. Nothing Is said In the 0. T. of his age at this time, but this statement agrees with Jewish legends. See Lightfoot.— To visit his breth ren. Literally, To look after his brethren. The original involves the idea of carrying succor (Matt. 26 : 36 ; Lule I . 68 ; 7 : 16 ; James 1 ; 27). Comparing the language here with that of Luke 1 : 68 and Heb. 3 : 6, we may see how Moses was a type of Christ, and how Christ was a prophet like unto Moses (cb. 3 : 22), like him leaving a royal court and going out to look after and to redeem those whom he was not ashamed to call brethren (Heb. 2 : ii). — And smote the Ggyptian. The oppressor; and slew him (Eiod. 2 : 12). — For he supposed his brethren would have understood how that God, by his hand, gave to them sal vation. This is the literal rendering ot the ori ginal, and though the salvation here referred to is unquestionably temporal deliverance from their bondage, yet the use of the language Is signifi cant. It connects Moses with Christ, and leads up to the consummation of Stephen's speech, that Israel has always been blind to and rejected the proffered salvation ot God. It Is not Implied in the 0. T. that Moses at this time understood that he was called to be the deliverer ot Israel ; his surprise and remonstrance when sent by God to Pharaoh (Eiod. 4 : i, 10, 13) has been thought by some to imply that prior to that time he did not comprehend the purpose tor which God had raised him up. This, however, does not neces sarily follow ; from Stephen's Interpretation ot O. T. history. It would appear that Moses In his youth lacked the needful selt-restralnt and pa tience tor his work ; that he undertook the task ot deliverance in self-confidence and self-reliance ; that his failure discouraged him ; that he aban doned his purpose and fled ; and that after the forty years ot education and maturing In the land of Midian, God recalled him to his purpose for the accomplishment ot which his spirit ot mingled self-distrust and courage then fitted him. In Exod. 2 : 12, Moses undertakes to deliver ; in Exod. 3 : 8, God avows himself Israel's deliverer. Observe the significance ot the present tense; not, would give, but is giving. God gave Israel salvation when be raised up Moses, as he gave the world salvation when he sent Into It his only begotten Son. But In both cases much remained to be done before the perfect fruits of the salva tion could be realized. — But they understood not. Comp. John 1 : 10, 11. 26-28. And urged them to peace, say ing. Sirs, ye are brethren. So the Gospel Is a Gospel ot peace, and urges to peace on the ground that God hath made of one blood all the nations of the earth. And observe that Moses, like Christ, Is rejected at first, not because he offers deliverance, but because he demands right eousness. — Thrust him away. Another item In Stephen's Indictment, Te do always resist the Holy Ghost (ver. 51). So, Israel thrust Moses away and sought to turn back to Egypt (ver. 39) ; and finally, thrust away Christ as their King and Saviour (ci. 13 : 46) ; and so many still thrust away faith, i. e., trust in Jesus Christ as their Saviour, aud a good conscience, i. «., obedience to him as their King (1 Tim. 1 : 19). 29, 30. Then fled Moses at this saying. Meanwhile the facts came to Pharaoh'.s ears and he sought to slay Moses (Eiod. 2 ; is). — And was a stranger in the land of Madian. The founders of Israel, Abraham in Palestine, the patriarchs In Egypt, Moses In Madian, were all strangers in a strange land — a ground of appeal to them to exercise consideration to the stranger in their own land (Eiod. 22 ; 21 ; Lev. 19 : 34 ; Dent. 10 ; 19). Madian Is the same as Midian. The land was named from one of the sons ot Abraham by Keturah (oen. 26 : i, 2, 4), by whose descendants it was peopled. As they were a nomadic people, the boundaries of their land were never clearly defined. It certainly embraced the Sinaitic penin- Ch. vn.] THE ACTS. 87 31 When Moses saw it, he wondered at the sight : and as he drew near to behold it, the voice of the Lord came unto him, 32 Saying, I am the God' of thy fathers, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. Then Moses trembled, and durst not behold. 33 Then said the Lord to him. Put" off thy shoes from thy feet ; for the place where thou standest is holy ground. 34 I have seen^l have seen, the affliction of my peo ple which is in Egypt, and I have heard their groan ing, and am come down to deliver them. And now come, I will send thee into Egypt. • r Matt. 22 : 32; Heb. 11 : 16....B Joab. 6: 16; EccIes. 6: 1, aula, tor here It was that the Lord appeared to Moses (ver. 3o), and his sojourn in this peninsula was a part ot his preparation tor conducting Israel through this region in their forty years' wandering In the wilderness. But the entire territory answered, probably, very nearly to the modern Arabia Petra, and the Midlanites to the modem Arabs. The Midlanites are first men tioned in connection with Moses (Eiod. 2 : 15 ; 3 : i). They subsequently became dangerous enemies of Israel, seduced the people to idolatry and to flagrant vice (Nnmb., cb. 25), and were subsequently engaged In wars with them (Nnmb., cb. 31 ; joab. 13 : 21 ; Judges, cbaps. 6, 7, s). The Overthrow of the Midlan ites by Gideon was so complete that they appear no more in sacred history, though referred to in cidentally by the prophets (lealab 60 : 6 ; Hab. 3 : 7). Where he begat two sons. His wife was ZIpporah, the daughter of Reuel (Eiod. 2 : is), or Jethro (Nomb. 10 : 29), a priest ot Midian. The two sons were Gershom and Eliezer (Exod. is : 3, 4). The tact is here stated as Indicating how thoroughly Moses made Midian his home. The law-giver of Israel was by adoption an Egyptian, by his own choice a MIdlanlte ; the adopted son of an Egyptian princess, the son-in-law of a Midlan- itlsh prince. The argument against tbe Jewish enmity to the Gentile and to the Gospel, because glad tidings to the Gentile as well as the Jew, was the more effective for not being directly stated, but only indirectly implied. — And when forty years were expired. The length of his sojourn in Midian does not appear In the 0. T. But Exod. 7 : 7 fixes Moses' age at the time of God's appearing to bim as eighty ; sub tracting the forty years spent in Egypt (ver. 23), wfll leave forty years in the land ot Midian. And this agrees with Jewish traditions, which divide Moses' lite into three eras of forty years each, one in Egypt, one in Midian, and one with the chUdren of Israel In the wilderness. — An angel. The words, Of the Lord, are omitted by Tischendorf and Alford. Evidently, however, the visitor was, not an angel, but the angel of the Lord, i. e., Jesus Christ, who in the O. T. as In the N, T, is the manifestation ot God to man. That this phrase always indicates, not a messen ger of God, but a manifestation of God, is clear trom many passages (»ee Gen. 16 ; 7-13 ; 22 : 11, 12, 15, 16 ; 31 : II, 13 ; 48 ; 16, 16, eto). He Is Called also the angel of his presence (laaiah 63 : 9), and the messenger of the covenant (Mai. 3 : i), and Is Identified with Christ by Paul (I Oor. 10 : 9 ; comp. Heb. II : 26). — In a flame of fire in a bush ; which was not consumed. This fact drew Moses' attention to it (Eiod. 3 : 2, 3). The original indicates some kind of a bramble-bush. Fire Is a frequent symbol in the O. T. of the divine presence, especially when manifested for the purpose of judgment, of punishment, and of purification (Psalm 97 : 3 ; laaiah 33 : 14 ; Heb. 12 : 29 ; Rev. 2 : 18). Thus God manifested himself when he came to destroy Baal and purify the land ot idol atry (i Kings IS : 38) ; thus uow wheu he came to destroy Pharaoh and to redeem his own people ; thus at the last he will appear in flaming fire when he comes to judge the world (2 Tbess. i : s ; Heb. 10 : 87 ; 2 Pet. 3 ; 7), 31-34. Stephen's account differs in two par ticulars trom that in Exodus, There the fear and trembling Is not stated ; here It Is given as a consequence of God's disclosure of himself in the words, "I am the God ot thy fathers," etc. Here the command to unloose the shoes Is put before, there subsequent to this disclosure. The variance Is Immaterial, and is such as might be expected In an extempore address and a free re cital of the tacts from memory. — I am the God of thy fathers. From this declaration Christ deduces the doctrine of the immortality of the soul (Matt. 22 : 32). It Indicates not only that the patriarchs were living, but also that they were recognized as living by Moses and his generation. — Put ofl" thy shoes. Rather san dals. The Eastem nations remove these as a token of reverence, as we our hats. The priests performed aU their ministrations barefoot, and the modem Arabs always leave then- shoes at the door of the mosque on entering. See Josh. 5 : 15. — The place where thou standest is holy ground. This wis five hundred years before the Temple was built. As God revealed him self, and by the revelation sanctified the place, centuries before the Temple was buUt, so he might reveal himself elsewhere after Vae Temple should be destroyed. To prophesy that destruction was not blasphemy against God or his truth, as charged by Stephen's accusers (cb. 6 : 14). In brief, God is not Identical with his church, nor religion with its temple and ordinances ; by Identifying them the Jews dishonored both God and divine truth ; Stephen appeals to the O. T. history to show how God's revelation of himself was not confined 88 THE ACTS. [Ch. VII. 35 This Moses, whom they refused, saying. Who made thee a ruler and a judge ? the same did God send to be a ruler and a deliverer, by the hand of the ' angel which appeared to him in the bush. 36 He brought them out, after " that he had shewed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt, and in the Red Sea, and in the wilderness, forty " years. 37 This is that Moses which said ^ unto the children oflsrael, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren, like unto me ; him ^ shall ye hear. 38 This? is he, that was in the church in the wilder ness, with the angel' which spake to him' in the Mount Sina, and with our fathers; who'' received" the lively oracles to give unto us : 39 To whom our fathers would not obey, but thrust him from them, and in their hearts turned back again into Egypt, 40 Saying "i unto Aaron, Make us gods to go before us: for as for this Moses, which brought us out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 41 And they made a calf** in those days, and offered sacrifice unto the idol, and rejoiced in the works of their own hands. t Eiod. 14: 19; Nomb. 20: 16.. ..u Eiod. 7, 11, 14.... v Eiod. I6:35....w ch. 3:22; Deut. 18:16, 18. z lea. 63 : 9; Gal. 3: 19.... a Exod. 19 : 3, 17.... b Deut. 6:27, 31; John 1 : 17....C Rom. 3:2 d Exod. 32 106 : 19, 20. X Matt. 17:5....y Heb. 2:2.... 1... e Dent.9:16; Fs. to temples made with hands, and could not be, consistently with his character. — I have seen — I have seen. Literally, Seeing, I have seen. An emphatic expression equivalent to I have surdy seen, In Exodus. — The affliction of my peo ple. The divine silence does not indicate divine indifference. For tour hundred years this afSIc- tion had continued, and this groaning had gone up to God ; he had seen and heard, but not in terfered, because the time tor the fulfillment of his design had not arrived. He always sees and hears. — To deliver them. Literally, To take them out. The Idea of deliverance Is accom panied with another, viz., that God chooses them as his peculiar people. The promise was fulfilled only partially at the escape of Israel from Egypt ; it was consummated by the covenant at Mount Sinai (Exod. 19 : 5, 6). 35, 36. As Stephen proceeds the object ot his address appears more evident, in the parallel between Moses and Christ. Both were rejected by tbe Jews (comp. Lnke 19 : 14 ; Malt. 21 ¦ 42) ; both were chosen ot God to fill tbe office denied them by man. Observe tbe contrast between the esti mate of Moses by the Israelites and by God ; by the one he Is assumed to be a ruler a,ni judge; by the other he is sent a ruler and deliverer, literally a ransomer. The Greek word (?.vtQoirilg) is the same In root with that rendered redeem in Luke 24 : 21 ; Titus 2:14;! Peter 1 : 18, and redemption In Luke 2 : 38 and Heb. 9 : 12. The de liverance by Moses Is historically a prophecy and type of the redemption by Christ. — After he had shown wonders and signs. A further suggestion of the hardness of Israel's heart, who for unbelief were condemned to forty years' wan dering In the wilderness, and whose unbelief re quired the continuous miracles of mercy, and justified the divine penalties recorded In the history of that period. 37, 38. A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up. See ch. 3 : 22, note. Stephen reminds them that Moses foretold the advent of a Messiah like himself. He thus suggests to them that, in rejecting the Messiah, they are rejecting Moses ; they, not he (ch. 6 : ii), are false to the law and the law-giver.— "This is he that was in the assembly in the w^ilderness. Not, The church ; the original (axxXriala) stands in the Sep tuagint tor the Great Congregation, or House ot Parliament, the popular legislative body of the Jewish Commonwealth, an organization between a mass meeting and a representative congress (Nnmb. 14 : 1-6, 10 ; 27 : 18-23 ; 1 Ktoge 8:1-5; 1 Chron. 13 : 1-8 ; Pb. 22 : 22). As Moscs was the leader of this Great Congregation, so Christ, his anti-type, is the lead er of the church, i. e., the entire body ot Christ's disciples. — With the angel (Jehovah) * » * and with our fathers. With both, and there fore a mediator between them ; as Christ, the anti-type which was to be. The argument is the same as that of Paul in Gal. 3 : 19, 20 ; Stephen's preaching of Jesus Christ as a mediator between God and man Is not, as charged, blasphemy against God or Moses ; it accords with the divine dispen sation from the beginning ; and it does not weak en but strengthens allegiance to God. — Who re ceived the living oracles. Oracles (Xoytov) are condensed, pregnant words. They are called liv ing, not because they are life-giving, for that is not the meaning of the original (?(uv is never equiva lent to !^ioonoiii)v), and the law given by Moses has no power to give lite (Rom. s : 3 ; Gai. 3 : 21) ; but be cause they are words of life, i. e., words that point to and give counsel respecting spiritual life, not mere cIvU and ecclesiastical regulations, and be cause they have a vitality which has made them endure with undiminished power after all con temporaneous literature has perished (Matt 6 : is). 39-41. To w^hom our fathers would not ohey. A further illustration of the persistent rejection of God and his appointed means and messengers by tbe Jews. — And in their hearts turned back. Not, Wished to return to Egypt; this wish was not until later In their history (Nnmb. 14 ; 4) ; but In their hearts abandoned God, and so established the Idolatrous worship of Egypt. The Jews (Exod. 82 : 4; Neb. 9 : 18) Worshipped the golden calt for having brought them out of Egypt, not as a means of enabling them to return thither. — Saying unto Aaron. The account is in Exod. 82 : 1-6.— This Moses. The lan guage is that of contempt. He had disappeared, and his disappearance was taken as an evidence Ch. VII.] THE ACTS. 89 42 Then God turned, and gave' them up to worship the 8 host of heaven ; as it is written*' in the book of the prophets, O ye house of Israel, have ye offered to me slain beasts, and sacrifices, by the space of forty years in the wUdemess ? 43 Yea, ye took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan, figures which ye made, to worship them : and I will carry you away beyond Babylon. 44 Our fathers had the tabernacle of witness in the f Pa. 81 : 12 .... g Dent. 4 : 19 ; 2 Kinge 17 : 16 ; Jer. 19 : 13 .... b Amos 6 : 26, 26. that his God was unworthy of their confidence. They made a calf in those days. The apis, or sacred bull, was one of the chief deities of Egypt ; was kept at Memphis ; had In Its honor an annual festival lasting seven days, which was obsei-ved with songs and dancing analogous to the festivals of the Israelites before their golden calf. The Israelites had participated In the Egyptian idolatrous worship before leaving Egypt (joab. 24 : u). The golden calf was doubt less made to Imitate this apis, but whether as a substitute for Jehovah Is not clear. Possibly it was not even clear to the Israelites them selves. Calt-worship was afterwards intro duced by Jeroboam into the Holy Land, at the time ot the disruption ot the kingdom, to pre vent the northern tribes from going up to Je rusalem on the great feast-days (i Kings 12 : 26-29), and was probably brought by him thither from Egypt (1 Kinge 11 : 4o). The ox was a common form of idol in the East, on account of his utility in agriculture ; and recent discoveries in Nineveh have brought to light well-preserved colossal bulls. — And rejoiced in the works of their own hands. All substitution of self for God Is in the nature of idolatry ; it was in Stephen's time the sin of Israel, who trusted In their own righteousness, not In divuie grace and mercy (Lnke 18 : II, 12). 42, 43. Then God turned. From mercy to judgment. Observe that the immutability of God is not inconsistent with either Inflections ot feeling or changes in providential dealing. — And gave them up to worship the host of hea ven. The unplieation is, that they were pre served from Idolatry only by the preventing grace of God, and that when that was withdrawn, they naturally gravitated into Idolatries; and this agrees with tbe teaching ot Scripture elsewhere (.ec Rom. 1 : 24, 26, 28 ; Hos. 4:17). There iS UO mention in the Pentateuch ot star-worship ; but there are frequent traces of it in the subsequent history of the Jews (2 Kings 21 : 3 , 6 ; 23 : 4, 6 ; Jer. 19 : 13 ; Zepb. 1:6); and they were warned against it by Moses (Dent. 4 : 19 ; 17 : s). It was a commou form of idolatry in the East from the earliest ages.— In the book of the prophets. The reference is to Amos 5 : 25, 26.— Have ye offered to me slain beasts and sacrifices ? etc. There Is consid erable difiiculty In both the reading and the inter pretation of this passage. Stephen quotes from the Septuagint, which differs from the original Hebrew. The English reader will readily per ceive the dfflculty by comparing the language here with the following translation of the He brew, trom Lange's Commentary : Did ye offer me sacriflce and food offerings In the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel ? (No) but ye bore the tent of your King (tabernacle of Moloch), And the pedestal ot your images (and Ohiim, your images), The star of yonr God, Which ye made for yourselves. Therefore, will I carry you away captive beyond Da mascus, Saith Jehovah whose name is God of hosts. There is some uncertainty about tbe proper ren dering of the Hebrew In Amos, but tbis appears to me to give the sense accurately. How It has happened that the Septuagint difEers from the Hebrew Is not known. Accepting the reading of the Septuagint and the N. T. here, there is difii culty in its interpretation. Some suppose that the prophet contrasts the worship of the true God by Israel in the wUdemess, with the later idolatries under tbe kings, thus rendering the passage. Did ye not offer to me dain beasts and sac rifices forty years in the wilderness, but (now) ye have taken up the tabernacle of Moloch, etc. But this does not accord with the correct grammat ical rendering of the original, which employs the same tense In speaking of the sacrifices In the wUdemess and the worship of Moloch. Others have supposed that the Israelites did actually carry a small movable shrine and Image of hea then idols, and thus mingle idolatry with the wor ship of the true God In the wUderness. But noth ing ot the sort Is mentioned In the Pentateuch, and God, who disclosed and punished the sin of Achan, would hardly have passed by such a secret Idolatry among his people. It seems to me that the language Is that ot bitter sarcasm, such as is not untrequently employed by the pro phets. The context both here and In Amos con firms this view, as does the analogous teachings In Isaiah 66 : 3. Comp. Isaiah 1 : 10-15. So Inter preted, the prophet refers to and rebukes the complacent satisfaction of Israel In the history ot the fathers ; self-complacency makes all wor ship vain. The tabernacle in which they gloried was like that ot Moloch, and the worship like that ot Remphan. So Lange (see above) apparently understands the original passage. Moloch was a Phoenician deity. " His Image was of brass with the head of an ox, and outstretched arms ot a 90 THE ACTS. [Ch. VII. wilderness, as he had appointed, speaking unto Moses, that' he snould make it according to the fashion that he had seen. 45 Which I also our fathers that came after, brought in with Jesus into the possession of the Gentiles, whom ^ God drave out before the face of our fathers, unto the days of David ; 46 Who found favour' before God, and desired™ to find a tabernacle for the God of Jacob. 47 But Solomon ° built him an house. i Exod. 26 : 40 ; ; Heb. 8 : 6. . . .j Josh. 3 : 14. ..k Neh. 9:24; Pb.44: 2; 78:66....! 1 Sam. : 6: 1, etc.; 8: 20. i: 1 ml Chron. 22: 1 I Kings man, hoUow ; and human sacrifices (of children) were ofEered, by laying them in these arms and heating tbe image by a fire kindled within." — (Alford.) To this image the Hebrews, In viola tion of expKclt commands (Lev. is : 21 ; 20 ; 2-5), offered worship (2 Kings 16 : 3 ; 17 : 17 ; 23 : lo). Sacrific ing their chUdren to It (jcr 7 : 31 ; Ps. IO6 : 37, 38 ; Ezek. 16 : 20, 21 ; 23 : 37), though thIs was loug subscqucut to tbe wanderings In the wUdemess. Who the god Eemphan Is was long a matter ot dispute. A tablet recently discovered In Egypt throws light on the problem; It represents a group of gods, two bearing the name ot Eempu (Eemphan) and Ken (Chlun). The reference is probably to the worship of these deities, the Hebrew in Amos employing the name of Ken or Chlun, and the Septuagint, and therefore Stephen, for some unexplained reason, substituting the name of the other deity, Eempu or Remphan. — Beyond Babylon. Stephen substitutes Babylon for Damascus in tbe original prophecy ; perhaps, as Altord and Hackett' suggest, because the Baby lonian captivity was the one most memorable in tbe Jewish annals. 44-47. That Stephen understands the lan guage quoted from Amos to be that of sarcasm is indicated by these verses. He goes on to say, that the tabernacle which they had, and which the prophet thus describes as tbe tabernacle of Mo loch, was made by Moses according to the divine pattern, was carried by Israel into the holy land at the time when they drove out the Canaanites, and was the predecessor and germ ot the Temple by which they set so much store. If the prophet could stigmatize it as the tabernacle of Moloch, and Solomon could declare of the Temple that it was not the true dwelling-place of God, Ste phen was guUty of no blasphemy in what he had said concerning it and Its Impending destruction. Such appears to me to be the connexion. — ^The tabernacle of witness. The language is the same in the Greek version, though different In our English Bible, in Numb. 16 : 18, 19. The taber nacle was called the tabernacle of the congrega tion, because the place where the congregation of Israel, or their representative Moses, were to meet God ; and the tabernacle of witness, be cause it was a perpetual witness to the covenant between God and his people. It was a movable structure, with board sides and tent root, 15 X 15 X 45 feet. It was divided by a curtain into two apartments, the holy place and the Holy of Holies. In the first, or ante-room, was the altar of incense, the table of shew-bread, and the golden candle-stick ; in the Holy of Holies was the ark of the covenant, with the mercy-seat above the ark, and the two tables of stone con taining the ten commandments within It. For further description ot tabernacle, with illustra tion and plan, see Heb., ch. 9, notes. — Accord ing to the figure that he had seen. God showed Moses the pattern in the Mount (Exod. 26 ; 9, 4o). Observc the contrast with ver. 43. The figure which God had shown, the prophet stig matizes as the figures which ye made. As the brazen serpent made at God's direction by Moses, when employed as an object ot idolatrous worship by Israel, became Nehushtan, a mere "thing ot brass," and was broken In pieces (2 Kings is : 4), so the tabernacle and the Temple, made by divine direction, became the tabernacle of Moloch, and the figure of men's hands, when the nation trans ferred Its worship from God to the house. — Which also our fathers having inherited. Not, as in our English version, which came after. The fact stated is that the tabernacle ot the days of Joshua was Inherited by Israel from the Mosaic dispensation In the wUderness. — Brought in with Jesus. That is, with Joshua. The Greek equivalent to Joshua,'which is a Hebrew name. Is Jesus ; but the rendering here and In Heb. 4 : 8 is misleading to the English reader. The taber nacle went before Joshua when he crossed the Jordan (josb., ch. 4), and was set up by bim at Shi loh (josh. 18 : i), where It remained throughout the whole period ot the Judges. It was finaUy merged In tbe Temple erected by Solomon at Jerusalem, where David had meanwhUe con structed a new tabernacle (2 Sam. e : n ; i cbron. le : i). AU this sacred history did not prevent the pro phets calling it the tabernacle of Moloch, when it became an object of Idolatrous reverence among the people. — In their taking possession of the Gentiles. That is, at the time of their con quest of the land of the GentUes. So Alford and Alexander. The ark, which sanctified the taber nacle, when carried by the priests about the walls of Jericho, led to the overthrow ot that city, which was the key to the whole land (josb., cb. 6). It is to the participation of the tabemade in the campaigns of Joshua that Stephen here refers. — Unto the days of David. Not untU his reign were the enemies of Israel completely sub dued ; not until then was Jerusalem captured and made a Jewish city (2 Sam., ob. e). — Who besought (permission) to find a dwelling for the God Ch. VII.] THE ACTS. 91 48 Howbeit," the Most High dwelleth not In temples made with hands ; as saith the prophet, 49 Heaven p is my throne, and earth is my footstool : waat house will ye build me ? saith the Lord : or what is the place of my rest ? 50 Hath not my hand made all these things ? 51 Ye stifihecked,i and uncircumcised ' in heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost : as your fa- thers didf so do ye. 53 Which" of the prophets have not your fathers gersecuted ? and they have slain them which shewed efore of the coming of the Just ' One ; of whom ye liave been now the betrayers and murderers : S3 Who have received the law by " the disposition ofangels, and have not kept :/. o ch. 17 : 24; 1 Kings 8: 27. ..p Isa. 66: 1, 2.... q Exod. 82:9; Isa. 48 : 4. . . .r Lev. 26 : 41 ; Jer. 9 :S6i Rom. 2 : 28, 29.... 8 2 Cbroo. 36: 16i ITbess. 2:16....t cb. 3 : 14.... u Gal. 3 : 19. of Jacob. See 3 Sam. 7 : 3 ; 1 Chron. 33 : 7 : Eb. 133 : 3-5. The Greek word is not the same as that rendered tabernacle In the preceding verses. David did pitch a tent for God's dwelling ; he de sired permission to build a permanent temple, but this was denied him. Some manuscripts have here for the house of Jacob, and this reading is adopted by Tischendorf. But Meyer's conjec ture that It was early adopted to avoid a seeming discrepancy with ver. 48, seems to me reason able. There is good authority tor the ordinary reading, and the context requires It. — But Solo mon built him an house. The worship of God went on under Moses, Joshua, Samuel, and David, before the Temple was buHt ; how could the destruction of the Temple be a destruction of true worship, or Stephen's prophecy of Its destruction be accounted blasphemy against God ? 48-50. The historical argument that God and his worship are not dependent on, nor iden tical with, the Temple and its service. Is confirmed by a quotation from the 0. T. Ver. 48 embodies the declarations of Solomon (i Kinga 8 : 27) and David (2 Cbron. 6 ; 18). The language of the Greek is significantly terse, TTie Most Sigh dwells not in (what Is) hand made. Ver. 49 is quoted from Isaiah 66 : 1, 3. Observe Paul's declaration of the same truth in his address to the Athenians (cb. 17 : 24). 51-53. Stephen breaks off In tbe midst ot his argument with this closing invective. Whether interrupted by some act or gesture on the part of the council or some of Its members, or by seeing in their faces the gathering signs of pride and anger and disdain, as _the full meaning of his historical survey, at first unperceived, dawns upon them, or by the fervor of his own spirit, as the dark succession of apostasies. Idolatries, and murders, terminating In the cruciflxion of the Messiah, unrolls Itself before bim, must be a matter merely of surmise. There Is no indica tion of an actual interruption ; the mere over- fiow of fervid indignation seems to me hardly compatible with the character of Stephen as in dicated by the course ot his address ; I should, therefore, incline to attribute the sudden change In Its tone to hostility, if not actual menace, manifest in the countenances ot the council. — Stiir-necked and uncircumcised in heart and ears. The appellation of stiff-necked is borrowed trom the Pentateuch (Exod. 32 : 9 ; 33 : s, 6 ; Deut. 9 : 6, 13). It refers to the pride and stub bornness of Israel Uncircumcised in heart and ear are figures also borrowed from the' 0. T. (Lbt. 26 : 41 J Deut. 30 ; 6 ; Jer. 6 : 10 ; 9 : 26). Clrcumclsiou WaS a sign of covenant relations with God. To be uncircumcised In heart Is to be in heart estranged trom God and excluded from the privileges of his people ; to be uncircumcised in ear Is to be bereft of his word, the possession of which was accounted rightly the peculiar and the high privilege of the Jews (Eom. 3 : 2). Though In for mal possession of It, the Jews, by closing their ears to Its instructions, commands, and warnings (Mati. 19 : 15), Were as the GentUes who had no access to It. Thus both In heart and in ear they were as heathen (Rom. 2 ; 26-29). — Ye So alAvays resist the Holy Ghost. Observe the incidental evi dence ot the personality of the Holy Ghost, and that he was not first revealed at Pentecost, but dealt with and was resisted by Israel throughout their whole history (see notes on cb. 2 ; 4, .38, 39). — As your fathers did, so do ye. Very analo gous language is used of the fathers In Isaiah 63 : 10 ; and in the Epistles Christians are warned not to resist the Holy Spirit (Ephes. 4 ; 30 ; I Thess. 6 : 19). — Which of the prophets have not your fathers persecuted, etc.? This language Is not to be taken literally ; all the prophets were not slain ; it is a rhetorical ex pression signifying the general spirit of dis obedience and hostmty to God, which had char acterized the Jewish nation. Comp. 3 Chron. 36 : 16 ; Matt. 31 : 35-39, and especially Christ's parallel denunciation, Matt. 33 : 34, 35. Observe the change In Stephen's language ; he speaks no longer of our fathers (vers. 12, 16, 19), but of your fathers. Their father was the devU (John 8 : 44), and they and their ancestry partook of his na ture. — Of the Just One. The Messiah. The phrase Is one common In Kabbinical literature as a designation of the Messiah, and Is probably thence borrowed by the N. T. (see cbaps. 3 : w ; 22 : 14 ; I Pet. 3 : 18; James 6 : 6). It Is an appropriate designa tion of the only One who is absolutely just, being without sin (l Pet. 2 : 22, witb I John 1 : 8, and Rom. 3 : 23). — Betrayers and murderers. Betrayers, by accepting and employing the treachery of Judas ; murderers, by unjustly condemning Jesus to death, falsely accusing him before Pilate, and, 92 THE ACTS. [Ch. VII. S4 When they heard these things," they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed on him with their teeth. 55 But he, beings full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God, 56 And said. Behold, I see the* heavens opened, and 1 the Son of man standing on the ri ,ht hand of God. 57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord, 58 And cast^ him out of the city, and stoned him: [ Ezek. 1 : 1 .... 7 Dan. 7 : 13 z Luke 4 : 29 ; Heb. 13 : 12, 13. inciting the mob to clamor for his crucifixion. It Is a noticeable fact that both the bargain with Judas and the plans to wrest an unjust sentence from PUate were made by the Sanhedrim before which Stephen was now speaking (Mark s : 31 j Matt. 26 : 14, 15 J 27 : 1, 2). — By the disposition of an gels. That is, through the ministrations ot angels. The ministry of angels is frequently referred to In the 0. T., but not directly in con nection with the giving ot the law. It was, however, a Jewish belief that they were present and acted as ambassadors or interpreters between God and Moses ; this belief Is referred to by Herod in an address to the Jews : " We have learned trom God the most excellent of our doctrines and the most holy part ot our law, by angels or , ambassadors " (josepbus' Ant. 15 : 5, s). It is embodied in tbe Septuagiot version of the 0. T. in Deut. 33 : 3, where in Ueu ot the ex pression, "From his right hand went a fiery law," Is substituted the expression, "On his right hand angels with bim." Fmally, this belief Is apparently sanctioned not only here by Stephen, but also by Psalm 68 : 17 ; Gal. 8 : 19, and Heb. 3 : 3. — And have not kept it. The Jews gloried in the fact that they had a law ; Stephen turns It to their shame, that having the law they did not keep It. The argument of Paul is the same in Kom. 1 : 17-33. 54-58. They were cut to the heart (see cb. 5 : 33, note). — Gnashed on him with their teeth. The same language is used by our Lord to describe the finally lost (Matt. 8:12 j is ; 42, etc), whose suffering Is that of an impotent rage, not of a mere remorse, still less of a true sorrow for sin. Observe that the passions of hell break forth in manifestations of rage and malice even on earth.— But he, being full of the Holy Ghost. The divine presence grew the clearer as the human enmity grew stronger and more furious. — Attent upon the heaven. No longer concemed by the council before which he stood. The Implication Is that the council was held In some place where the heavens were visi ble ; perhaps In one ot the open courts ot the Temple, or the court-yard of the high-priest's palace.— Saw the glory of God. The light unapproachable In which God Is represented as clothed (1 Tim. 6 : 16), manifested In O. T. times by the appearance of the Shechlnah, the cloud of light, caUed both In 0. T. and N. T. the glmy of God (Exod. IB : 10 i 24 : 17 j Luko 2:9; Matt. 16 : 27). See Matt. 17 : 5, note, and observe how this close of Stephen's speech brings bim back to his starting- point, the whole address having related to the God of glory (ver. 2), i. e., to his self-mamf esta- tlon, which began with his appearance to Abra ham, and is consummated In the earthly lite, and, flnally, in the heavenly glory of Jesus Christ. — And Jesus standing on the right hand of God. The language certainly Implies a difference of persons In the Godhead, and Is Inconsistent with Sabellianlsm, which represents the Trinity as one ot manifestation only; for here Stephen, full of the Soly Ghost, sees at the same time the Father and the Son. Christ Is represented as standing, not, as Chrysostom, that he may show his attitude of help to the martyr, for he does not interfere for Stephen's deliver ance ; rather to receive bim. May it not be re garded as a mark of special honor that the Lord receives the first martyr standing ? On the wbole vision Alford well remarks: "Stephen, under accusation ot blaspheming the earthly temple, Is granted a sight of the heavenly temple; being cited before the Sadducaic high-priest, who be lieved neither angel nor spirit, he Is vouchsafed a vision of the heavenly High-Priest, standing and ministering at the throne, amidst the angels and just men made perfect." — The Son of man standing. The phrase. Son of man, is used by Daniel prophetically ot the Messiah, and by Christ of hlmseU, but never in the N. T. by the sacred writers in speaking of him, except here and in Rev. 1 : 13 ; 14 : 14. Why is It used here ? Stephen, impelled by the Holy Spirit, employs the very same words in which Jesus himself had, before this same council, foretold his second coming in glory (Matt. 26 : 64), and thus he indi cates to them that the glorification ot the Just One, whom they had betrayed and murdered, had already begun. Moreover, he thus empha sizes the truth that it is Christ In his mediatorial capacity, Christ the Saviour, Christ with all his human sympathies and affections, Christ the Son of man, no less than the Son ot God, who is ever at the right hand of God, and who there awaits the coming of his own unto him. Observe In this revelation a confirmation of the reality and the nearness of the spirit world. Comp. 3 Kings 6 : 17. 57,58. It appears to me very clearly that this was the act ot a mob, not the regular and formal execution of a judicial sentence, which could not be executed legally by the Jews wlth- I out the sanction of the Boman procurator (jobi Ch. VII.] THE ACTS. 93 and the witnesses" laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was* Saul. Sg And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saymg, Lord J esus, receive ° my spirit ! 60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice. Lord, lay** not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep. a ch. 6 : 13 . . . . b cb. 8 : 1, 3 ; 22 : .0 Fs. 81 :6; Luke 23: 48.... d Matt. 6 '44; Lake 23 : 34. 18 : Si). There is no indication here of any formal vote, or any sentence. Possibly the high-prlest, having experienced so great difficulty in wresting a death-sentence trom Pilate in the case of Jesus Christ, thought it easier to incite a mob to exe cute It directly, without the forms of law. But though not formally pronounced, it is clear that the informal sentence of the council was death, expressed rather by their actions than by their words. Stoning was a common method of exe cuting the death penalty among the Jews, and SOB DEATH OF STEPHEN. was especially prescribed tor blasphemy (lot. 24 ; 16). It was necessarily without the walls of the city (Lev. 24 : 14 ; Nnmb. 15 ; 35 ; 1 Kings 21 : IS ; Heb. 13:12). The two witnesses who were required under Jewish law in order to the condemnation ot every accused person, were, on the infliction ot the sentence, to cast the first stones ; after- yyard the people generally were to join (Dent. 17 : m). In order to be disencumbered, they first laid off the outer garment, the cloak or mantle (Ifjurior), leaving on only the under-garment or tu nic (xiriav). These cloaks are put In Saul's charge for safe-keeping. Ot his age, the phrase young man gives little idea. He could hardly have been over forty ; it, as was apparently the ease trom his participation in the action of the council here, and from the commission given to him In ch. 9 : 1, 3, he was a member of the Sanhedrim, he must have been more than thirty. The ac companying Illustration represents the tradition al site of Stephen's death, at St. Stephen's gate, now called Damascus gate. Some portions ot it are very ancient, showing the Hebrew style ot building. 59, 60. Calling npon God and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. The word Ood is added by the translators, but correctly represents the sense of the original which Is lit erally. Invoking and saying. Observe that the N. T. represents Jesus Christ as an object of wor ship, here of petition In the supreme moment of life (comp. Matt. 28 : 17 ; Lnke 24 : 62 ; Heb. 1:6; Rev. 5 : 13, 14), and that nowhere in the N. T. Is such petition presented by any disciple to saint, angel, or other created being. Observe, too, that tbis prayer to Christ was uttered, and this vision ot him, stand ing on the right hand of God, was vouchsafed, when Stephen was/«H of the Soly Ghost ; the one is therefore assuredly no error, and the other no illusion. In Stephen's twofold prayer, receive my spirit and lay not this sin to their charge, he fol lows the example set him by his Lord (Luke 23 : 34, 46). The former petition is re-echoed In Paul's utterance, "I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day" (2 Tim. 1:12); and the whole scene may well have been present In the apostle's mind when he wrote Phil. 1 : 33 and 3 Tim. 4 : 8. Stephen's prayer for forgiveness of his enemies Is a sufliclent answer to those critics who have wished to see In the outbreak of vers. 51-53, an indication of unseemly passion. The original Is literally. Weigh not against them this sin, and is well Interpreted by Wordsworth, " When thou, the Judge of all, welghest their actions in thy balance, do not place this sin in the scale against them." The conversion of Saul was an answer to this prayer, for it shows that the perpetrators of the crime were not thereby excluded from the divine mercy. See 1 Tim. 1 : 16. Stephen's calm committal of his spirit to his Lord, Is so palpably Inconsistent with the doctrine of a state of pur gatory, or sleep, between death and the judg ment, that Roman Catholic theology exempts all martyrs from purgatorial discipline. — He fell 94 THE ACTS. [Ch. VIII. CHAPTER VIII. AND Saul*= was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem ; and they were all scattered' abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles. 2 And devout men carried Stephen to his burial, and made great lamentation over liim. 3 As for Saul, he e made havoc of the church, enter ing into every house, and haling men and women, committed them to prison. 4 Therefore they that were scattered abroad, went every where preaching the word. e cb. 7:68....f cb. Il:19....g ch. 26:10, 11; GaL 1 : 13. asleep. A characteristic Christian expression for death, though found also in tbe Hebrew Eab blnical writers. Augustine traces a parallel be tween the death of Stephen and that of Jesus Christ, the charges the same, the condemnation the same, the prayers the same. But observe also the contrast : Christ crucified, a lingering death ; Stephen stoned, an almost Immediate death ; Christ forsaken of his Father (Matt. 27 : 46), Stephen with the glory of God and of his Lord and Saviour, radiant before him. Ch. 8 : 1^. FIEST POPULAR OUTBREAK AGAINST THE CHURCH, ANP THE RESULT. God's pkovedencb ex pels HIS CHURCH FROM ITS REST AND IMPELS IT TO ITS APPOINTED WORK (Deut. 33 : 11). March A. D. 35 or 36. The death of Stephen marks a transition In the history of the church (see p. 80). Henceforth the sacred narrative describes the diffusion of the Gospel throughout the Gentile world. The Initiation of this move ment Is due to the persecution inaugurated by the martyrdom of Stephen; it begins by tbe preaching of the Gospel In Samaria ; it is carried on without the apostles, chiefly by the Greek con-' verts ; It receives a new impulse in the conver sion of Saul ; It is directly sanctioned by the divine vision vouchsafed to Peter, and the com mission given to him (cbaps. lo, ii) ; and It is finally adopted as the doctrine and policy of the Chris tian church, by the commission of Paul and Bar nabas as missionaries to the Gentiles (cb. is : 1-3). 1, 2. And Saul was consenting unto his death. Literally, was taking pleasure in; the original (avvivSo-xim) is so rendered in Kom. 1 : 33 ; and 1 Cor. 7 : 18, 13. The similarity of the lan guage here and In Acts 32 : 20 raises the presump tion that Luke's authority for this statement was Paul's speech In Jerusalem. We are not necessarily to suppose a malignant pleasure In Stephen's suffering ; rather the pleasure ot a per verted conscience in the punishment of what Saul regarded as a heinous crime. — At that time. Literally, In that day. Matt. 13 : 1 ; John 14 : 20 ; 16 : 33, 36, indicates that day need not necessa rily be taken literally, but It may be so taken here. It wUl then Indicate that the mob, Incited by the work of their own passions, went directly from Stephen's corpse to the customary places ot Christian assembly to disperse them. Why this popular outbreak against Christianity, when, up to this time, the people had w;elcomed and even de fended It (ch. 2 : 41, 47 ; 4 : 21 ; 6 : 12-16, 26) ? Such tran sitions of popular feeling, which Is always fickle, are common. The triumphal entry and the cru cifixion of Jesus Christ is parallel (Luke 19 : 37, ss; 23 : 18, 21, etc.). So long as the apostles, who were Hebrews, preached the Gospel to the Hebrews, and the issue was between them and the Saddu cees, who were powerful but unpopular, the feeling of the people was with the apostles. When the Gospel was preached by a Greek, and accompanied with the declaration that Jerusalem and the Temple would be destroyed, and the offer of mercy made to all nations. It became odious. Comp. Luke 4 : 33, 28 ; John 6 : 15, 66.— They ^vere all dispersed. Literally true, so far as this, that all the 'Christian assemblages were broken up, tbe body, which had hitherto met daily (cb. 2 : 45), was scattered ; but all the dis ciples were not driven out of Jerusalem — Ex cept the apostles. The twelve apostlefe repre sented the twelve tribes of Israel, and were ap pointed primarily to witness the truth to the Hebrews, with whom they were In national sym pathy, and whose religious prejudices, to some extent, they shared (cb. 9 : 14). When the era of preaching to the GentUes was inaugurated. It was, by divine providence, entrusted to Greeks ; and we have no account ot any ministry to the Gen tUes by any of the twelve, except Peter and John. Observe, too, (1) the indication that the apos tles were not the authoritative leaders ot the early church ; tor this radical change in Its ministry was Inaugurated without them ; it was a spon taneous, not an ecclesiastical movement ; (3) that God, who called fishermen to be apostles, called laymen to be missionaries, that thus he might show that the power Is of God, not ot men. Why the twelve remained at Jerusalem is not clear. Perhaps they hoped for the speady manifesta tion of the Messiah there, in his second coming. The fact that they could so remain, shows that the persecution was, as yet, fitful, the action of a mob rather than of the authorities, and that in Jerusalem it spent itself in breaking up the Chris tian assemblies, except as Saul (ver. s) pushed his Inquisition further. — Devout men. Whether Christians, or godly Jews not yet brought to the acceptance of Christianity, but sincerely desir ing to know the truth, aud Impressed by the sin cerity and earnestness of Stephen, is uT>certain ; Ch. VIII.] THE ACTS. 95 5 Then Philip ' went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them. 6 And the people with one accord' gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, heiring' and seeing the miracles which he did. 7 For'' unclean spirits, crying with loud voice, came b ch. 6 : 5 . . . . 1 2 Chron. SO : 12 ... .j Jobn 4 : 41, 42 .... k Mark 16 : 17. probably the latter, since the phrase devout men Is never used In the N. T. to describe Christians. Acts 33 : 13 Is not an exception, for there Ananias is described, not as a Christian, but as " a devout man according to the law," i. c, according to the Jewish standard. — Devout men * * * made great lamentation over him. Literally, made a great beating, the ordinary Jewish lamen tation being accompanied with beating on the breast and the like. See, tor description, Mark 5 : 38, note. Tbis language implies that these devout men were stlU Jews in their feelings and customs, whether In heart Christians or no. 3, 4. But Saul made havoc of the church. The original verb (Zviialvofiai) "Is properly used of wUd beasts, or of hostile armies devastating or ravaging." — (Alford.) — Enter ing from house to house. Not every house. This is not asserted, and could hardly be MteraUy true. This action of Saul Is stated as excep tional. The intense fervor of his spirit showed itself in the vigor with which he prosecuted the persecution ; he was determined to stamp out the heresy in its inception. On his character and pre vious life, see note on Saul's Conversion, ch. 9 : 1-9. — Haling men and Avomen. Dragging them forcibly before tbe Jewish magistrates, or to prison. The tact that women were victims of this persecution Is stated to show the vehemence of Saul's persecuting spirit. — Committed them to prison. For trial. Paul gives some addi tional particulars concerning this persecution, which apparently lasted for some months ; per haps throughout the summer. The Christians were scourged in the synagogues ; were impris oned ; In some instances were put to death ; the only apparent escape was by blaspheming the name of Christ, i. e., openly renouncing alle giance to him, and adopting the Jewish verdict, that he was an impostor worthy of death (Acta 22 : 4, 19 ; 26 : 9-11 ; 1 Tim. I : 13. See also 1 Cor. 15:9; Gal. I : is) . — Went everywhere. This has since become literally true ; but at this time the dispersion of the Christians could hardly have extended be- ¦ yond the bounds of Palestine. The original Im plies no more ; It Is literally passed through, i. e., tbe country. — Preaching the word. Observe that this word requires no defining. As tbe O. T. S^^ ^^^~t< ^^ CITY OF SAMAEIA, FBOM THE SOUTH-EAST. was to the Jews the Scriptures, i. e., the writings, and the O. T. and the N. T. are to us the Bible, i. e., the book, so, to these early Christians, the only word was the word of life through Jesus Christ. Ch. 8 ! 5-24. FIRST MISSIONAKY PEEACHING OF THE GOSPEL IN SA.MAKIA. CASE OP SIMON MAGUS. True conversion illustrated by a case of spu rious coNVERSioH. See note below, On the case of Simon Magns. (The Mediterranean in tbe distance.) 5-8. Then Philip went down to a city of Samaria. It was literally up from Jerusar lem, the city ot Samaria being about forty miles, In a straight Une, north, on the road to Galilee. The original Is ambiguous, and may be rendered the city of Samaria, i. c, the city of that name, or a city of Samaria, i. e., a, city in that district ; some suppose Sychar. Samaria was built by Omri, king of Israel, about 925 b. c, on a hUl ; derived its name, probably, from the original 96 THE ACTS. [Ch. VIII. out of many that were possessed with them : and many taken with palsies,' and that were lame,"" were healed. 8 And there was great joy in that city. 9 But there was a certain man, called Simon, which beforetime in the same city used sorcery," and be witched the people of Samaria, giving out" that him self was some great one ; IO To whomt they all gave heed, from the least to I ch.9:33,34; Mark 2 : S-lI m Matt. 11:6 n ch. 13:6; Rev. 22 : 16 0 oh. 6:36; 2 Tim. 3 : 2, 6 p 2 Cor. II : 19. owner ot the hill, Shemer ; was the capital ot the ten tribes until the time of the captivity ; was a prominent centre of the Idolatrous worship in troduced by Ahab, and the site of a temple to Baal built by him and destroyed by Jehu ; was rebuilt by Herod, and called by him Sebaste, the Greek equivalent of Augustus, his Imperial patron. It Is the modem Sebastleh, a village constructed out ot the ruins ot the ancient city (l Kings 16 : 24, 32 ; 2 Kings 10 ; 27). Philip IS the dcacOn (Acts 6 : 6), not the apostle (Matt. 10 : s), as Is evident from vers. 1 and 14. The persecution being, ap parently, especially directed against the Greeks, he would naturally be driven out of Jerusalem by it. Except the description of his work here, nothing is known of him but the fact that he became a well-known preacher, was called PbUIp the evangelist, probably to distinguish him from the apostle, and had four daughters who became inspired teachers (Acts 21 :8, 9). — And proclaim ed the Messiah unto them. The verb signi fies Hterally to make proclamation as a public herald. The Samaritans believed In the advent of a promised Messiah ( jobn 4 ; 25, 29) ; Philip pro claimed that he had already come. On the char acter of the Samaritans, see notes on John, ch. 4. They were descended from a mongrel popula tion, made by an Intermixture of Jews and heathen at the time when Israel was carried into captivity by tbe Assyrian king (2 Kings 17 : 24-29). This is the first public preaching of the Gospel to any outside the Jewish nation. Christ had confined his ministry, while alive, to Judea, Galilee, and Perea. Though he went into tbe coasts of Tyre and Sidon, It was not to preach. He stayed In Sychar, a city of Samaria, two days, on his way trom Jerusalem to Galilee (John 4 : 40), and the remembrance of that visit, six or seven years previous, may have prepared the way for the reception of the Gospel now ; but there Is no statement In John that he preached the Gos pel publicly at that time. He expressly forbade his apostles from preaching, either In the way of the Gentiles or the cities of the Samaritans, dur ing their first missionary tour. See Matt. 10 : 5, 6, and note there, for explanation of that prohibi tion.— Hearing them and seeing the mira cles. Not hearing and seeing the miracles. Two reasons are assigned tor the public reception ot Philip ; one, the message which he brought, which was welcome to the Samaritans ; the other, the miracles which he wrought, which compelled attention, and also gave sanction to his word. — Unclean spirits. On the nature ot demoniacal possession, see VoL I, p. 123. — There was great joy. Not only had the way been pre pared among the Samaritans by the previous ministry of Jesus Christ, but there was no preju dice against the catholicity of the Gospel ; the doctrine, unbearable to the Jew, that God was no respecter of persons, was a welcome doctrine to the despised Samaritan and the Gentile. 9-11. But a certain man named Simon was beforetime in that city. The Intuna- tion Is that It had been for some time his resi dence. He Is a prominent character In ecclesi astical history, but so much of his Ufe Is legend- aiy that only its barest outlines can be given with any certainty. Some doubt even has been entertained whether the Simon ot tradition and the one here mentioned are the same ; but their resemblance in character is too marked to leave much room for reasonable doubt. Tbe Simon of tradition was a native ot Cyprus ; professed to believe the oriental philosophy of his day; claimed to be himself an eon or emanation from the deity ; traveled about with a beautttul pros titute, whom he represented as another divine emanation ; aided Felix In seducing Dmsilla, the queen ot Fmesa (see on Acts 24 : 24) ; subsequently came to Rome, where he continued to practice his magic arts, probably until his death, the le gendary account ot which is intrinsically improb able. He was the founder ot an heretical sect, called trom his name Simonians, the author of some extinct heretical books, and Is accused ot forging and circulating other books In the name of Christ and his disciples. — Using sorcery. From the Greek word here employed (uayiva, maguo) comes our English word magi, and the appellation magus, by which this Simon is com monly. In literature, distinguished from others ot the same name in the N. T. He was probably a degenerate descendant ot the magi or wise men of the East ; for a description of their character and office, see Vol. I, p. 59. These traveling Im postors swarmed over Greece and Eome, pre tending to magical powers derived from the spirit world ; they were readers ot the stars, interpreters ot dreams, fortune-tellers, medicine men — In brief, they exercised the same ai'ts as the modem fortune-teller, and by much the same methods ; but they were as much more successful in those days than these, as the age was more Ignorant and credulous. See Acts 13 : 6-10 ; 19 : 18-20.— And astonishing the Ch. VIIL] THB ACTS. 97 the greatest, saying, This man is the great power of God. II And to him they had regard, because that of long time he had bewitched i them with sorceries. 12 But when they believed r Philip preaching the things ¦ concerning the kingdom of God, and the name of Jesus Christ, they were baptized, both men and women. 13 Then Simon himself believed also : and when he was baptized, he continued with Philip, aud wondered, beholding the miracles and signs which were done. q Gal. 8:1 r verse 87 ; cb. 2 : 41 8 ch. 1 ; S, people of Samaria. Not bewitching them. The verb is the same rendered wondered m ver. 13. Our English version implies the real exer cise of a supernatural witchery over the people, which Is not Indicated by the original. — Saying that he himself was some great one. The oriental philosophy taught that the Infinite was manifested to and dwelt with the race through eons or emanations. See notes on the doctrine ot the Logos, John, ch. 1, Vol. H. Simon claimed to be himself one of these eons. I am Inclined to think, from the language here and in the next verse, that among the Samaritans, where the Messiah was expected, he claimed to be that Messiah ; and this Is indicated by some of the patristic literature against the Simonians. This claim would be tbe more readily acceded to trom the general and widespread expectation ot a De liverer, which was by no means confined to the Jewish nation. See Vol. I, p. 60, § 3. — He is the power of God, called the great. This Is the literal rendering of the best manuscripts. The meaning Is that he Is that power of God which is known as the great one. Observe that there is in his history that which Is common to that of all great impostors ; he preferred the most extrava gant claims concerning himself, and the people took him at his own self-estimate. His very audacity carried weight. — ^To whom they gave heed. The verb Is the same so rendered above in vers. 6 and 10. The contrast with ver. 6 Is Instructive ; to Philip they gave heed because of his doctrine and his miracles of beneficent heal ing ; to Simon because of their astonishment at his works of witchcraft. Mere wonder-working is never a sound basis for a religious belief, a truth which the modem spiritists would do well to bear in mind. — Because for a long time they were astonished (not bewitched, see above) at his sorceries. There is no reason whatever to believe that these sorceries were other than the frauds which are to-day practised In the same country by Mohammedan astrologers ; none to suppose that Simon possessed any supernatural power, or any actual communion with the un seen world. Whether all the vritchcraft and pretended miracles of the 0. T. are to be ex plained as frauds may not be so clear. 12, 13. Concerning the kingdom of God. Inaugurated by the advent, the cruci fixion, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. It means here, as always in the N. T., the state of allegiance to God, whether in the individual heart, the community, or the future life. — And the name of Jesns the Messiah; that Is, PhUIp proclaimed him as Jesus, i. e., the Saviour (Matt, i ; 21 ), and as Christ, i. c, the priest or Anointed One. See note on Names of Jesus, VoL I., p. 57. — They were baptized. In the name of Jesus (ver. lo), aud as a sign that they accepted him as their Messiah. Observe that the affirmative preaching of the Gospel Is the best antidote to error. There is no indication that Philip said anything directly about the superstition of the people and the magical arts of Simon. — Then Simon also himself be lieved. Not "/)r<)/"«ssed to believe," as Hackett, and, substantially, Alexander and others ; the historical statement Is clear that he did believe, and the facts are narrated partly for the pur pose ot showing what are the conditions of sal vation, by showing what supposed conditions are Insufliclent. Of these belief Is one. See below, Note on case of Simon Magus. And the nature of the beUet is also Indicated by the course of the narrative. Neander's interpreta tion, "He was convinced that PhUIp was In league with some powerful spirit," Is a pure and groundless surmise, and not complimentary to the simplicity, the clearness, and the directness ot Philip's preaching. Simon believed the creed which Philip preached, viz., that the kingdom of God was at hand, and that Jesus was the Messiah, whose advent, death, and resurrection was Its Inauguration. Of the nature ot this kingdom he doubtless had a crude and false conception. Interpreting It by his own previous conception of what It was to be ; and the result shows that he attached himself to It for his own aggrandizement. In this respect his case resem bles that of Judas Iscariot (see Voi. i., p. 307), and bis belief that of the va~abond Jewish exorcists mentioned In ch. 19 : 13. — And being baptized he continued with Philip, Attached him self personally to Philip, apparently in a subor dinate position as his assistant. See ch. 10 : 7, where the same verb, rendered waited on him continually, is used to describe the relations ot certain military attendants of Cornelius. Ob serve, then, that though Simon believed, was publicly baptized, and joined the discipleship, his heart was not right in the sight ot God, and he still had no true part with God's people (ver. 21). The doctrme ot baptismal regeneration, 98 THE ACTS. [Ch. VIII. 14 Now when the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John : IS Who, when they' were come down, prayed for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost : 16 (For as yet ' he was fallen upon none of them ; only they were" baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.) 17 Then laid • they their hands on them, and they re ceived the Holy Ghost. t oh. 19:2.... n cb. 2:38; 10: 4S; 19:6, 6; 1 Cor. 1 : 18. .. .y ch. 6 : 6; Heb. 6 : S. »". e., that the subject of baptism Is regenerated by grace In the sacrament Itself, and Irrespective ot his own faith, needs no other refutation than the history ot Simon Magus. " Through baptism the church brought forth Simon Magus * * * Tet because love was wanting he was bom in vain." — (Augustine,). — Wondered. The same word rendered bewitched in ver. 9. — Behold ing the powers and signs wrought. It was wonder, not conscience, faith, or love, that brought Simon to join the disciples. He coveted their power, the reality of which he did not doubt ; this Is evident trom his subsequent course. 14-16. Now the apostles, in Jerusalem. Not those apostles which remained In Jerasalem, which might be the meaning attached to our English version. Evidently the Philip here is not the apostle of that name, for he remained at Jerusalem. — Hearing that Samaria had accepted the word of God. Tischendorf reads, Of Christ. It was not the mere fact that the word had been preached In Samaria, but that Samaria had accepted It, which led to this apostolic commission.— Peter and John. Who are throughout the N. T. history fast friends ; attached to each other by the very dissimilarity of their characters (Luke 6:1-11; John 13 : 23, 24 ; 18 : 16, 16 ; 21 : 7j Acts 3 : 1 ; 4 ; Is). The golug two by two, ac cording to Christ's direction in their first com mission (Mart 6 : 7), scems to havc been practised customarily in the missionary work of the church (cb. 13:2; 16:39, 4o). Thls Is the last men tion of John In the Acts ; except in Revelation he Is only mentioned again in the N. T, In Gal. 3:9. It is a significant tact that the apostle who desired to call down fire from heaven on a Samaritan village because It rejected Christ (Lnke 9 ; 64), Is the one to carry to Samaria the baptism ot the Holy Ghost, the true fire trom heaven, not to consume but to make alive. — That they might receive the Holy Ghost : for as yet he was fallen upon none of them. A careful consideration of parallel passages In Scripture would have saved the commentators some difficulty experienced In the Interpretation of this declaration. How could the Samaritans be converted and baptized without the regener ating Influence of the Holy Spirit ? The answer is that this phrase Is never used In the N. T. ot that gift of the Holy Ghost which Is promised to all on condition of repentance and baptism In the name of Jesus Christ (cb. 2 : ss), and which Is the indispensable condition of entering Into the kingdom ot God (John 3 : 3, 6). It always signifies the fulfillment, In a special manner, of Christ's promise to the twelve. Ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost Is come upon you (ch. 1 : 8), and always an impartatlon of such a special presence of the Holy Ghost as Is accom panied with supematural gifts. Here the clear implication of ver. 18 Is that the gift ot the Holy Ghost described was accompanied by phenomena that were visible to a purely worldly and selfish nature like that ot Simon ; in ch. 10 : 44-46, the bestowal ot the Holy Ghost was accompanied by speaking with tongues ; In ch. 11 : 15, Peter characterizes it as a peculiar gift: "The Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginnitig,''^ i. e., in the same manner and with the same re sults described in ch. 3 : 1-4 ; In ch. 19 : 2-6 the reception of the Holy Ghost is accompanied with the same supematural and visible tokens. The declaration, then, is not that the Samaritans had not been spiritually quickened by the presence and power ot the Spirit of God, but that no miraculous power had been imparted to them, manifested In visible signs. It was for this the apostles prayed ; this was granted In answer to their prayer ; and In consequence of witnessing the phenomena which ensued, whether of speak ing in tongues, or healing, or what we know not, Simon desired to purchase the power of bestow ing the same miraculous powers, as a means of augmenting his own influence and reputation as a wonder-worker. — In the name of the tord Jesus. There is no case in the N. T. In which the apostles are reported to have baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, a conclusive indication that they did not understand that Christ, In Matt. 28 : 19, pre scribed that as a necessary formula. See note there. The customary form was that here in dicated. 17. Then laid they their hands on them and they received the Holy Ghost. On the siguiflcation ot the laying on of hands, see ch. 6 : 6. The passage here and in ch. 19 : 5, 6, are the chief authorities for the rite of confirmation, whereby in the Episcopal and Roman Catholic churches the bishop (answering to the apostle here) lays his hands upon such as have been bap tized, and do accept the Christian faith, confirm ing them la that faith, and receiving them hito full membership with the church. Among the Romanists this rite is regarded as a solemn sacra- Ch. Vm.] THE ACTS. 99 iS And when Simon saw that through laying on of the apostles' hands the Holy Ghost was given, he of fered them'' money. 19 Saying, Give me also this power, that on whom soever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost. 20 But Peter said unto aim, Thy money perish with w 1 Tim. e : 6. ment, "bringing down the Holy Ghost In a more particular manner to dwell in them, and to for tify and confirm us In our faith, and enable us more eftectuaUy to resist all the enemies of our souls." The other principal Scripture references cited in support of this practice are Matt. 3 : 16 ; 19:15; Heb. 6 :2; Ephes. 1 : 13, 14 ; 4 : 30 ; 2 Cor. 1 : 21 ; 2 Tim. 2 : 19. The apostles' course here Is referred to in the Episcopal Prayer Book as the example, it not the authority, for the church in maintaining the rite. " We make our humble supplications," says the bishop In the service, "unto thee, for these thy servants, on whom, after the example of thy holy apostles, we have now laid our hands." I have stated elsewhere (intro., p. 16) my reasons tor not regarding the example but only the teaching ot the apostles as author itative. That this act ot laying on of hands was not Intended by them as the Initiation of a per manent ecclesiastical rite, and still less as a sacra ment, to be ranked with baptism and the Lord's Supper, seems to me clear, for the following rea sons: (1.) There is no Scriptural basis for the idea that the apostles had authority to establish a sacrament tor the universal church and for all time, and no indication that Christ established the rite of confirmation or directed Its establish ment. Matt. 19 : 15 furnishes no ground for such belief. (2.) There is nothing In the account here, or In ch. 19, to Indicate the establishment of a permanent rite, as there is In Christ's direc tions to his twelve respecting the Lord's Supper and the rite of baptism (Lnie 22 : 19 ; Matt. 28 : 19). (3.) There Is no evidence that It was habitually main tained in the apostolic churches, as certainly bap tism and the Lord's Supper were. On the con trary, both here and in ch. 19, the laying on ot hands appears to have been done for the especial purpose of affording the infant discipleship some ocular evidence of the presence and power of the Spirit of God, and to have been accompanied with demonstrations which confessedly never at tend the rite ot confirmation now. I agree, there fore, with Altord in thinking that the apostolic preaching here and In ch. 19, affords no author ity for the modem rite of confirmation, and no basis for the doctrine that it was Instituted by the apostles. That rite must rest on the fitness of such a solemn confirmation, especially In the case of one baptized in Infancy, on ecclesiastical usage, and on a certain remote analogy to the practice of the apostles in one or two exceptional cases. The question then remains, why did the apostles go down to Samaria and lay their hands on the Samaritan converts ? The circumstances afford the answer to this question. They thus set the seal of their disapprobation on that ex cessive and unrelenting hatred which separated the Jew from the Samaritan (john 4:9); they gave the sanction of their names and presence to the doctrine that the Gospel was offered unto every one that believed, and to the practice of preach ing it to the outcasts of Judaism ; and they strengthened the faith ot the Samaritans, a cred ulous people, and therefore easy to be led astray, God affording them, by the outpouring, of the Spirit, and by accompanying supematural signs, the same evidence which he had already afforded to the church at Jerusalem. 18, 19. The magicians were accustomed to sell the knowledge of their arts ; Simon ranked the apostolic power with his own magical perform ances. He rightly estimated the Holy Spirit as a gift conferred ; he showed a total lack of spirit ual apprehension In supposing that the power to bestow it could be purchased. Whether he openly proposed to buy, or whether his act was a secret one, In the nature of an attempted brib ery, the account does not Indicate; the latter supposition is the more inherently probable. Whether the apostles had laid their hands on him or not does not appear ; Alford thinks the course of the narrative Indicates that they had not. The language clearly Implies that sensible effects, such as the speaking ot tongues, followed this laying on of hands, tor Simon saw that the Holy Ghost was given. His desire was to be the equal in rank and power ot the apostles ; his act shows that bis real motive in joining the Christian com munity was self aggrandizement. From his act here the name of simony has been given to the offence of buying or selling ecclesiastical offices In the church, — one which can only exist in an established church, where the spiritual office is a means of temporal profit, and is at the dis posal of a lay patron or an ecclesiastical superior. 20-22. Thy money go with thee to destruction. This is not an anathema, a con signment of Simon to destruction, for In the next sentence Peter admonishes him to pray for for giveness. The apostle declares that Simon Is for destruction, if he does not escape by repentance, and repels the proffered money by an expression which is weakened by attempting to give to the language a literal construction. The underlying truth is that gold is perishable, as all things earthly (comp. 1 Pet. 1 : 7, is ; i Cor. 6 : is), and that he who expects to buy the gift of God, proves his 100 THE ACTS. [Ch. VIIL thee, because^ thou hast thought that the gifty of God may be purchased with money. 21 Thou hast neither part' nor lot in this matter: for * thy heart is not right in the sight of God. 22 Repent therefore of this thy wickedness ; and pray God, if '^ perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee : 23 For I perceive that thou art in thegall of bitter ness,*^ and tn the bond ** of iniquity. 24 Then answered Simon, and said, Pray * ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me. 25 And they, when they had testified and preached r 2 Kings 5 : 16, 16 : Matt. 10 ; 8. . . .y ch. 10 : 46 ; 11 : 17. . . .z Joab. 22 : c Jer. 4 : 18; Heb. 12 : 16 d Pb. 116 : 16; Prov. 5 : 22; laa. S James 5 : 16. . .« Ps. 78 : 86, 37 ; 2 0 Exod. 8 :8 Ezek. 14 :S b Dan. 4: 27; 2 Tim. 2. 25.... ; Numb. 21 : 7 ; 1 Kings 13 : 6 ; Job 42 : 8 ; corrupt, earthly, and therefore perishable na ture. It is "as if he should have said, Thou art worthy to perish with thy money, when thou dost so blaspheme the Spirit ot God." — (Calvin.) — Because thou hast thought. Observe, not because he had offered money, but because he had thought money could purchase the divine gift. It is the thought, not the deed, which Peter characterizes as damnable. The grace of God is a free gift ; the thought that It can be purchased is insulting to God. — Thou hast neither part nor lot. If there is any difference in these words, the first indicates a portion already assigned ; the second, one yet to be assigned. The first would then Indicate that Simon had no present portion in Christian gifts ; the second, no share In the future inheritance of the saints. And this appears to me to be the meaning. By most commentators, however, the terms are taken as synonymous, and the doiuble expression as simply emphatic. — In this word. (Xoyog.) Not this maJ- ter or business ; it Is doubtful whether the original is ever used with that signification In the N. T. ; but in this word of the Gospel, i. e., tbe glad tidings of present salvation, including pardon and divine life here, aud the promise of glory hereafter. — For thy heart is not right. " Not in earnest in Its seeking atter the Gospel, but seeks It with unworthy ends in view." — (Alfcn-d.) The word here rendered right is rendered straight In Luke 3:5; Simon's was a crooked heart that must be made straight before it could receive the indwell ing of the Lord. — Repent, therefore, of this thy wickedness. Not In offering the money, but In so thinking ot the divine grace as to desire to make it a means ot self-aggrandizement. — And pray God. The better reading Is, the Lord, i. e., Jesus Christ.— If, perhaps, the thought of thy heart may be forgiven thee. Observe again, it is the thought that needs forgiveness, and the thought, not of the mind, but ot the heart; the thought is wholly wrong, because the affections are earthly and sensual. Observe, too, the doubt of forgiveness Implied by ff per haps. The apostle does not attempt to deter mine what sins may and what may not be forgiven (Matt. 12 : SI ; I John 6 : 16), Still leSS tO reCClve the COU- tesslon and pronounce the absolution. 23, 24. Unto the gall of bitterness (equivalent to bitter gall) and the bond of iniquity I see thon art. The order of the words gives emphasis to those which character ize Simon's condition. The exact meaning Is not quite clear. Gall was regarded by the ancients as the seat of the venom ot poisonous reptiles ; and is in the N. T. a, symbol ot sin, as the ser pent is ot Satan (ace job 20 : 14; Rom. 3 : is). The prep osition in (lig) is literally unto. It indicates aim or end toward which any thing tends. The mean ing then may be, I see that thou hast fallen into the poison and the bond of sin, or, I see that thou art tending to It, or, it may be regarded as a prophecy, I see that thou art about to become gall of bitterness, i. e., a deadly poison to others, and a bond of iniquity, an organizer of sin and error. This last Interpretation acco'rds with the actual history of Simon subsequent to events here narrated. See above on ver. 9. — Pray ye the Lord. There is no true penitence in this prayer ; no sense ot sin ; no seeking for forgive ness. It is the language of fear, not of repent ance, and resembles that of Saul to Samuel (1 Sam. 16 : 30), who desired not divine forgiveness, but escape from public censure and reprobation before the people. The case of Simon Magxjs. The N. T. con tains many cases Ulustrative of true conversion ; this narrative Illustrates a spurious conversion. Simon really believes, intellectually, the Gospel preached by Philip ; he accepts the creed ot the church ; he publicly renounces his errors ; he Is baptized and received Into Christian fellowship ; he engages In church work (ver. is, note). But he Is drawn to this by wonder, not by an awakened conscience ; he does not repent of nor confess his sin; nor does he consecrate himself to the service of God (cb. 22 : 10). His real purpose Is self- aggrandizement ; the thought of his heart, in his adhesion to the new cause, is manifested by his application to Peter ; the language of the apostle shows that he never had any real parti cipation in the Gospel ; and his language, even after this rebuke, indicates no spiritual sense of his sin, no sorrow for It, no conscious need of the Saviour. Comparing his case with those ot the penitent thief (Luke 2s : 41) and Zaccheus (Loke 19 : 8), there is a notable absence ot confession or attempted reparation for the wrong already done ; comparing It with that of Paul (cb. 22 : 10), there is a notable absence of any consecration ot heart Ch. VIII.] THE ACTS. 101 the word of the Lord, retumed to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans. 26 And the angel of the Lord spake unto Philip, say ing, Arise, and go toward the south, unto the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza,' which is desert. 27 And he arose and went : and, behold, a man of Ethiopia,* an" eunuch of great authority under Can- dace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come> to Jerusalem for to worship, 28 Was returning ; and, sitting in his chariot, read Esaias the prophet. f Josb. 16:47.... g Zeph. 3:10 b Isa. 66 : 8-6. . . .1 2 Chron. S : 32, SS. and lite to Christ. Simon accepts Christianity to use It tor his own profit ; Paul offers himself to Christ to be used. The lessons of the incident are (1) against the substitution of the externals of religion — the creed, the ceremonial, the active service, for the essence of religion, a heart . straight In the sight of God ; (2) against all simony, all purchase or procurement of place or position in the church for worldly advantage ; (3) all worldllness aud self-seeking. Ch. 8 : 25-40. CONTEKSTON AND BAPTISM OP THE ETHIOPIAN. The seeeeb sought.— The bbsults op OBEYING THB DIVINE raTPUXSE : A SOUI. BROUGHT TO THE LIGHT. — ThB PROGRESS OP A SOUL FROM DARK NESS TO LIGHT AND JOV, ILLUSTRATED : TROM HEA THENISM TO WORSHIP ; FROM WORSHIP TO STUDY OP THE WORD ; PROU STUDY TO PERSONAL INQUIRY ; PROM INQUIRY TO ACCEPTANCE. — THE CONDITION OF OBTAININQ LIGHT : FIDELITY IN SEEKING. — Hatt. 7 : 8 illustrated. This narrative affords a further Illustration of the progress of the Gospel In its extension be yond the bounds ot Judaism. From preaching to the Samaritans, whose religion was Jewish, but corrupted, Philip Is directed to preach It to a heathen, but one who has already, at least par tially, accepted the Jewish faith. The eunuch, converted, carries the Gospel with him Into his own country ; Philip continues his ministry throughout the border cities of the Holy Land, which are largely Gentile. 25. They, testifying and preaching the word of the Lord, retnrned to Jerusalem. Not, When they had testified, as in our English version. Their joumey home was a missionary tour. — And preached the Gospel in many villages of the Samaritans. In this tour John called down fire trom heaven on these vil lages ; but In a sense and for a purpose how dif ferent from that with which he had once pro posed to call down fire to destroy a Samaritan village ! (Luke 9 : 64.) 26. And an angel of the Lord. Not the angel, which signifies generally. If not always, the same person, viz., Jesus Christ himself. Observe, the first communication to Philip Is by an angel, and presumptively by one appearing in vision or dream ; the second communication is by the Spirit of God himself (rer. 28), and pre sumptively without appearance or audible voice. Obedience to the first direction leads to a higher and more direct communication. The case illus trates the ministration of angels, taught by Heb. 1:7; Psalm 104 : i. For other Illustrations in the Book of Acts see chaps. 5 : 19 ; 10 : 3 ; 12 : 7 ; 27 : 23. — To the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza. Alford gives, in a condensed form, the history ot this city. " The southernmost city of Canaan (Gen. lo : 19) ; in the part of Judah (joeh, 16 : 47), but soon taken trom that tribe by the Philistines, and always spoken of as a Phillstian city (1 Sam. 6 : 17 ; 2 Kingn 18 : 8 ; Amos I : 6-8 j Zepb. 2:4; Zech. 9:5). In Jer. 47 : 1 we have ' before Pharaoh (Necho ?) smote Gaza ' — implying that at one time It was under Egypt. Alexander the Great took It after a siege of five months, but did not destroy it, tor we find it a strong place In the subsequent Syrian wars. It was destroyed by the Jewish king Alexander Jannseus (96 B. c), after a siege of a year, but rebuilt again by the Koman general Gabinlus — afterward given by Augustus to Herod, and finally, atter his death, attached to the province of Syria. Mela, in the time of Claudius, calls it 'a vast city and strongly fortified,' with which agree Euseblus and Jerome. At present It Is a large town by the same name, with from 15,000 to 16,000 Inhabitants. The above chronological notices show that it can not have been desert at this time." — Which is desert. It is the way, not the city, which Is thus described, and the description is added by the angel to distinguish which road Philip should take. There are sev eral ; the most direct is now the desert road, without towns or villages. This desert way gave opportunity for the eunuch to read the Scripture, and to PhUIp to baptize him without attracting observation. Such a retired place Is always the most appropriate for private personal religious conversation. So Christ talked with Nieodemus alone at night, and with the woman of Samaria alone at the well. 27, 28. A man of Ethiopia. In its largest sense the term Ethiopia was applied to all the African bands south ot Egypt ; more definitely, it Included the modem Nubia, Senaar, Kordofan, and part ot Abyssinia. Its inhabitants were black In color and large In stature. Their land appears to have been one ot wealth, and to have maintained some commercial relations with Pal estine. The Hebrew equivalent tor Ethiopia is Cush, and by this name it is designated in Gen- THE ACTS. esls. Some have supposed that this Ethiopian was a Jew who Uved in Ethiopia ; more probably he was a heathen converted to Judaism. That he was Jewish in his religious faith Is evident from the fact that he came to Jerusalem to wor ship.— An eunuch. The Greek signifies liter ally a bed-keeper, and the term designates those persons who had charge of the bed-chambers In palaces and larger houses. But as the jealous and dissolute temperament of the East required this charge to be In the hands ot persons who had been deprived of their virility, the word eunuch, in common usage, denoted generally persons of that condition. It was not, however, unusual for eunuchs to rise to high considera tion and infiuence about the court, and to be come confidential advisers of their royal masters or mistresses ; hence the word appears to have been occasionally employed to denote persons in such a position, without indicating anything of their proper manhood. Thus Potlphar Is desig nated " a eunuch (translated officer hi our version) of Pharaoh's captain ot the guard " (otn. S7 : se). But the tact that this man was minister to a female sovereign makes it probable that he was a eunuch In the narrower sense ot the term. Such persons were by Deut. 28 : 1 forbidden to enter the congregation of the Lord, the law of Moses rigidly forbidding all self- mutilation ; but the prophets recognized the truth that grace and mercy were not excluded from the eunuch (isaiah 56 : 3-6 ; Jer. 38 : 7-13; 39 : 16-18) ; and OUe ObjCCt of this Incident was, apparently, to teach that none of those external considerations, whether of race or of physical condition, which excluded trom the congregation of the Lord under the law, were to exclude under the Gospel. — A chief officer of Candace, queen of the Ethiopians. Candace was the name ot a dy nasty, like Pharaoh in Egypt or Caesar among the Romans. From secular history (Strabo and DIo) It Is known that there was a queen bearing this title, who fought against the Romans in the twenty-second or twenty-third year of Augustus. Pliny refers to another queen with the same title, during the reign of Vespasian. — Of all her treasure. Treasure-houses were common In the East, where not only money but also Im portant documents were kept (Ezra 6 : 17 ; Esther 4 : l). Of these treasure-houses this eunuch was the custodian. — For to worship. He must then have been a believer in the God ot Israel, and presumptively a proselyte, who had publicly ac cepted the Hebrew religion. His joumey, his study of Scripture, and his readiness to receive the Gospel, aU indicate a man ot genuine reli gious spirit and purpose. — Read Isaiah the prophet. Probably aloud (ye.-, so). It is stQl the Ch. VIII.] THE ACTS. 103 29 Then ' the Spirit said unto Philip, Go near, and join thyself to this chariot. 30 And Philip ran tliither to him, and heard him read the prophet Esaias, and said, Understandest' thou what thou readest ? 31 And he said. How' can I, except some man should ^ide" me? And he desired Pliilip that he would come up and sit with him. 32 The place of the scripture which he read was this," He was led as a sheep to the slaughter ; and like a lamb dumb before his shearer, so opened he not his mouth : j Isa. 66: 24; Hosea 6 : 3....h MatL 13: S3, 61 ; Ephes. 6 : 17 1 Rom. 10 : 14 m Ps. 25 : 9 n Isa. 63 : 7, 8. custom of the Orientals to read audibly, though reading to themselves. "Painfully feeling his departure from the Temple of Jehovah, on the holy hill, and from his solemn worship, he clings CAHDAOE, QUEEN OF EThApIA. (From the Egyptian monomenta.) to another sanctuary, which he carries with him, in order that at home, in his distant land and solitude, he might have a compensation for the richer blessings ot the house ot God — ^namely, to the writings of Moses and tbe prophets." — (Baumgarten.) Observe, too, that he reads not in the law or the history, but In the prophets, and of the prophets. In Isaiah, the evangelist of the 0. T., and in Isaiah, the chapter which con tains the clearest revelation ot the incarnation. 29-31. Then said the Spirit. The Holy Spirit ot God. It was a distinct divine impulse, but how coming we have no means ot judging. I see no reason tor believing that such impulses as are described here and elsewhere In the Bible (comp. ch. 13 : 2 i 16 : 6, 7) Were In any wise different from those calls to duty, common in Christian experience, which consist in special inward im pulses, springing up within us, without any ap parent cause. — And Philip ran. Observe the alacrity ot his obedience to the divine monitor. — And said, Understandest thou what thou readest? "A strange address to an unknown and great man. In holy conversation we should come at once to the truth itself. Philip did not begin, as is common, with the weather, the news, etc." — (Bengel.) But in this case the way was opened to him by the eunuch's evident desire to learn. Christ began conversation with the Sa maritan woman with a very simple request (john 4:7). A comparison of Christ's method ot reli gious conversation there, and Philip's here. Is instructive. — How can I, except some man should guide me ? Observe tbe evidence of the eunuch's earnestness : he comes from Ethio pia to Jerusalem to worship, a long journey ; his court duties do not detain him; returning, he studies the Word of God on his joumey ; though he does not understand, he reads and ponders ; when explanation is offered he is quick to wel come It. Calvin's practical comment is good, that In reading the Scripture we must accept readily whatever is plain, and whatever things are hid from us, we must pass them over and wait tor light. To which I add, God wUl send light to the diligent and desirous student. 33, 33. The quotation Is trom Isaiah 53 : 7, 8, and is from the Septuagint or Greek version. Probably It was trom this version the eunuch was reading. The original prophecy was uttered seven centuries before tbe event, and was In di rect opposition to the popular belief respecting the Messiah. It is so unmistakable that Boling- broke asserted that Christ brought about his own crucifixion, in order to enable his disciples to appeal to the prophecy which he had thus fulfilled. — He was led as a sheep to the slaughter. The essential truth taught here by the figures ot the sheep and lamb Is the quiet non-resistance with which Christ submitted to aU the Indignity put upon him. The prophecy Is fulfilled by his refusal to resist or allow resist ance of the officers who came to arrest bim (Matt. 26 : 62, 63), by bls patleucc under the indig nity inflicted on him by the servants of the high-priest (Matt. 26 : 67, 68) and the soldiers of Pilate (Matt. 27 : 27-3i), and by his silence before Pilate (Matt. 27 : 12-14) aud before Herod (Lnie 23 : 9). But the context in Isaiah clearly Indi cates that there Is also Implied the truth that the Messiah should fulfill by his own death the type afforded by the slaying of sheep as sacrifices under the O. T. dispensation. The chapter from which It Is taken contains no less than eleven distinct references to the vicarious character ot Christ' s sufferings. — In his humiliation his judgment was taken away. This follows 104 THE ACTS. [Ch. VIII. 33 In his humiliation his judgment was taken away : and who shall declare his generation ? for his life is taken from the earth. 34 And the eunuch answered Philip, and said, I pray thee, of whom speaketh the pfophet this? of himself, or of some other man ? 35 Then Philip opened his mouth, and began" at the same scripture, and p preached unto him Jesus. 36 And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water ; what doth' hinder me to be baptized ? o Luke 24 ; 27 . . . . p ch. 16 : 28 , . ¦ . q ch. 10 : 47. the Greek versioUj which differs slightly from the Hebrew. Of the original passage, which is confessedly difScult, various interpretations are offered: thus, Through oppression and judg ment he was taken away, i. e., by violence which cloaked Itself under tbe formalities of a legal process (Lomth, Alford, S. Payne Smith) ; Through oppression without judgment (Pilate not adjudg ing him guilty, but simply delivering him to the Jews, Luke 23 : 34, 25) was he taken away (Sen- derson) ; From oppression and trom judgment he was taken away, i. e., by death (so Luther's ver sion and the Vulgate). None of these seem to me to satisfy the meaning ot the Greek version here, or the spirit of the passage In Isaiah, which surely embodies a deeper declaration than mere ly the violent death of the Messiah. I under stand, then, the meaning of the passage to be this : He who knew no sin was made sin tor us (2 Cor. 6 : 2i), and in him, thus made in the Ukeness of smful fiesh, God condemned sin (Rom. s : s) ; laying on him the transgressions ot us aU (isaiah 63 : 4, 6). He, by his voluntary humiliation, as de scribed in PhU. 2 : 7, 8, took away this judgment against himself, as the representative of man, whose nature he bore (John 1 : 29), so that to those that are In Christ Jesus there Is henceforth no condemnation (Rom. 8:i). We may, then, para phrase the declaration thus : In his humiliation the condemnation pronounced ccgainst him as the sinner's substitute is taken away. Observe that it is the condemnation of him, as the sinner's sub stitute, that is taken away, and hence It Is only those that are in him from whom condemnation Is lifted by his atonement. Observe, too, that it Is in his humiliation, not by his example and teaching, that he takes sin and condemnation away from his followers. — Who shall declare his generation ? Meyer, De Wette, Kobinson, Alford, and Henderson understand this as equiv alent to, Who can describe the wickedness ot the men of his time ? but, though this Is a legiti mate rendering, it does not agree with the spirit of the passage^ which is concemed with the humiliation of the Messiah, not with the charac ter ot the times In which he lived ; Hengsten- berg Interprets it. Who shall declare his poster ity? i. e., his spiritual chUdren, born of the travaU of his soul ; but this Is doubtful as a translation. Interjects in the middle of a passage descriptive of the Messiah's humiliation a sug gestion of his triumphal future, and Is Inconsis tent with the sentence which follows, "For he is taken from the earth." R. Payne Smith ren ders it, " Who win care to bestow thought on a career so prematurely cut short ? " This agrees better with the spirit ot the passage than either ot the other interpretations, and though the Greek word rendered generation (ysved) has no where else in the N. T. the sense ot a single life, given to it by this translation, its Hebrew equiv alent in the original prophecy has that meaning. Calvin's interpretation of the entire passage is ingenious and even beautiful, if I understand him aright ; but I doubt if It be sound. It may be expressed tersely in a paraphrase : In his hu- mfliatlon his righteousness was exalted (made manifest ; comp. PhU. 2:9; Heb. 1 ; 9), and who shall declare his (eternal) lite (or perhaps his generation, which would then Include all his saints, who share with him eternal life) ; for his lite Is taken from the earth. According to this Interpretation, ver. 32 describes the Messiah's humiliation, ver. 33 his exaltation In consequence thereof. 34-36. Of whom speaketh the prophet this ? The earlier Jewish authorities aU under stood ch. 53 of Isaiah to reter to the coming Messiah ; the later Jewish writers treat It either as a composition of Jeremiah or Josiah, and as referring to the writer himself, or as fulfilled in and by the sufferings inflicted upon the Jewish nation as a nation. These Interpretations need no other refutation than that contained In the chapter itself. The nation, as a nation, was not cut off trom the land ot the living, nor had Its grave with the wicked, nor saw its seed and prolonged its days ; nor can it be said of the na tion that Its suffering was for others ; It was a Just punishment tor its own sins (isaiah 1 ; 4, 6 j jei. 17 ; 1-4). " All attempts to find any solution other than the historical one supplied in the Gospels are but Instances ot the blindness over which the prophet lamented (In ch. 53 : 1), 'Who hath believed our report?'" — (B. Payne Smith.) — Preached unto him Jesus. Literally, An nounced to him the glad tidings, Jesus. The name (Matt. 1 : 21) indicates the nature of the glad tidings announced, viz., that Jesus, by his fulfillment of this prophecy, had provided a way of salvation for all who accept him. The next verse Indi cates that the preaching Included some explana tion concerning the rite of baptism and Its sig nificance. PhUip could hardly have expounded Ch. VIII.] THE ACTS. 105 37 And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I ' be lieve that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. 38 And he commanded the chariot to stand still : and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch : and he baptized him. 39 And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord ' caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more : and he went uu ins way rejoicing." 40 But Philip was found at Azotus: and passing through, he preached in all the ciues, till he came to Caesarea. ryer. 12; Mark 16 : 16. . . . s John II : 27; 1 Cor. 12:3; I John4 : 16. .. . t 1 Kings 13:12; Ezek. S : 12, 14. . . . u Ps. 119 : 14, 111. the passage in question in Isaiah to a heathen, and not have himself obtained a broader concep tion of the universality of the Gospel than he ever had before. The case Is one of the teacher taught. — They came unto a certain water. The site Is absolutely unknown, and the attempts to Identify it with any existing spring or wady are almost necessarUy fruitless, since not even the road, much less the location on It, is known with any degree of certainty. The accompany- PHILIP'S FOUNTAIN. Ing Ulustratlon shows one of the traditional sites, which derives Its name from the Incident here recorded. It Is about five mUes south-west of Jerusalem, near one of the roads to Gaza, aud one less traveled than the others, a circumstance sUghtly confirmatory of the tradition which con nects it with the eunuch's baptism, and which dates trom about the time ot the crusades. This spring Is a favorite resort of the women, both for drawing water and for washing clothes.— What doth hinder me to be baptized ? "Faith within and water without were ready." — (Bengd.) 37. This verse is wanting In the best manu scripts. It Is omitted by Alford and Tischen dorf. Dr. Hackett declares against it. It Is thought to have been inserted from a primitive baptismal liturgy. Though probably not gen uine, it unquestionably embodies the spirit of the rite, which, whether Infants were baptized or not, was certainly never administered to adults except upon the condition of faith in Jesus Christ as a divine Saviour. 38-40. Into the water * * * out of the water. The original unquestionably im plies a going, not to, but into, the water ; but it does not necessarUy Imply Immersion, stUl less complete submersion. The two may have stood In the water, wbUe baptism was performed, either by sprinkling, pouring, or Immersion. See Vol. I, p. ra, for note on Form of Baptism. — He baptized him. Without waiting further to Instruct him, or delaying for a public ceremonial. There is nothing in the account to indicate that any were present, except PhUIp and the eunuch. — The Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip. The original is correctly rendered by the English version and seems to me to imply a sudden and supematural removal ot PhUip. The expression In 1 Kings 18 : 13, and 2 Kings 2 : 16, and the disappearance ot Christ In Luke 24 : 31, Interpret the statement here. So Alford, Ben gel, Baumgarten. Meyer, Olshausen, and Hack ett understand that nothing Is Implied, but that PhUip left the eunuch suddenly and under a divine Impulse, as he joined him ; but the Greek verb (uQ7tdt,io, caught away) always indicates a forcible removal by some power from without, never » voluntary act under a mere internal impulse. See, for examples. Matt. 13 : 19 ; John 6 : 15 ; Acts 23 : 10 ; 3 Cor. 13 : 2, 4 ; Eev. 12 : 5. — He went on his way rejoicing. "He no more saw, nor cared to see Pbflip, by reason of joy. He who has obtained the Scripture and Christ, can now dispense with a human guide." — (Bengd.) — Philip was found at Azotus. Or Ashdod, a city of the Philistines, near the Mediterranean and about midway between Gaza and Joppa. It was never thoroughly subjugated by the Jews ; was captured by Tartan the Assy rian general (isaiah 20 : i), and again by Psammeti- 106 THE ACTS. [Oh. VIII. chus (Jer. 26 ! 20). In the restoration, the daugh ters of Aslidod became a snare to Israel (Neh. is : 23, 24). In tbe N. T. It Is mentioned only here ; but in early ecclesiastical history. It became the seat of a Christian church. Its site is now called Es- dud, and its ruins contain remains of pottery and Other evidences of a former city ot considerable size.— In all the cities. These would include Ekron, Jamnia, Joppa, Apollonia, and perhaps Lydda. Csesarea. There were two towns of this name In Palestine, both named from the Caesars, one Caesarea Philippi on the northern borders ot the Holy Land, the other the Caesarea mentioned here and sometimes called Caesarea Palestlnae. It was on the Mediterranean coast, about seventy AZ0TU3. — ASHDOD. pdles northwest ot Jemsalem ; was buUt by Herod the Great, who constructed a theatre and amphitheatre, some of the walls ot which may stUl be traced. It is described as a magnificent city by Josephus, who speaks ot an artificial har bor formed by a breakwater. However exag gerated his description may be, there Is no doubt that the city was large, populous and prosperous. li was the residence of the Herodlan family; the mUItary headquarters of Kome ; and conspicuous from the sea by reason of Its fine public build ings. In N. T. history it is notable as the scene of Peter's visit to Cornelius (chaps. 10, 11), of Herod Agrippa's fatal stroke (cb. 12 : 19-23), and ot Paul's Imprisonment and trial (ch. 23 : 23, etc). • In ecclesi astical history, it is notable as the scene ot Ori- CfflSABEA PALESTINA. (From the north, showing the ruins of the harbor.) gen's retirement, when excommunicated, and of the later and riper literary labors ot his lite. It Is now utterly desolate ; Its ruins a quarry, out of which other towns are constructed ; but its name stUl survives in the Arabic Kalsariyeh. It was at the time ot Philip's visit, chiefly a GentUe city, and his preaching there was a continuance and an enlargement of the new dispensation, now opening before the church, in which the Gospel was to be preached to every creature, and prove itself the power of God unto salvation to Gentile as weU as Jew. Ch. 9 : 1-9. THE CONTEESION OP SAUL. Thb otw BIRTH tLLUSTRATEI). Of Saul's conversion there are three accounts Ch. IX.] THE ACTS. 107 CHAPTER IX. AND Saul, yet' breathing out threatenings and slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the nigh priest, 2 And desired of him letters to Damascus to the synagogues, that, if he found any of this way, whether they were men or women, he might bring them bound unto Jerusalem. 3 And'* as he journeyed, he came near Damascus: and suddenly there shined round about him a light from heaven : y ch. S : 3 ; Gal. I : 13 w 1 Cor. 16 : 8. in the N. T., the one here by Luke, .and two by Paul ; one in his address to the mob at Jerusalem (oh. 22 : i-u), the other in his address before Agrippa (oh. 26 : 8-18). The accouut here is presumptively derived from Paul, so that the three accounts come trom one source. The date is involved in uncertainty; there Is nothing to determine It. Opinions vary between a. d. 30 and A. d. 40. On the variations In the accounts and their reconcU- lation, the previous life of Paul, the authenticity and significance of the events here recorded, etc., see note on Conversion of Saul below. 1. But Saul. But (di) marks the contrast between the missionary zeal of Philip and the persecuting zeal ot Saul. Both are zealous ; but the conscience ot the one Is Inflamed by hate, that of the other is Inspired by love. — Breathing out threatenings and slaughter. A preg nant expression, signifying that his whole nature was full of an Impassioned hate of the disciples ot Christ. Paul expresses the same thing by describing himself as "exceeding mad against them" (cb. 26 : ii). — Went nnto the high- priest. As president of the Sanhedrim. The whole council considered and acted on the appli cation, the elders (ch. 22 : e) and tbe chief-priests (ch. 26 : 12) uniting with the high-priest in confer ring the commission. A TUKKISH FIKMAN. 3. And desired of him letters. It Is cus tomary in the East to issue letters of authority or protection, answering somewhat to the pass port, always nominally, often practically, required in European countries. These sometimes carry with them some special commission or authority. Thus Nehemiah (oh. 2 : 7, s) received letters trom the king to the governors of Palestine ; so at the present day the traveller in Turkey has to pro vide himself with letters (a firman) from the Porte or a pasha, commending him to the pro tection of the subordinate authorities. This firman must be authenticated by the Sultan's cipher, containing the interlaced letters of his name. Without this firman the traveller Is al ways liable to arrest as a suspicious character. The letters granted to Paul probably partook of this character, and were necessary, both as a passport and as an authorization to the syna gogue ofiScers In Damascus. Damascus. Probably the oldest existing city in the world. Its origin Is lost in antiquity. Ac cording to Jewish tradition it was buUt by Uz, great-grandson ot Noah. It was existing in Abra ham' s time (Gen. 14 : 15 ; 15 : 2), after which we hear no more of it untU David subdued it (2 sam. s ; e). In Solomon's time and under Kezon, It became the seat of the Syrian kingdom (1 Kings 11 : 23-25), and one of the most formidable rivals ot Israel. The two Benhadads waged long and bloody wars with the contemporaneous kings of Israel (1 Kings 16 : 20) ; aud when Hazael seized the throne of Damascus, the kingdom ot Israel fared stUl worse. At length the rising monarchy ot Assy ria got possession of Damascus (2 Kings 16 : 9 ; isaiah 10 : 9l, and during the contests for empire that ensued for many centuries, whUe Damascus often changed Its masters. It never became prop erly the capital of a kingdom. In N. T. history It is chiefly celebrated tor being Paul's residence Immediately after his conversion and the scene ot his first Christian labors. In later history It became the seat of a Christian bishop, but In process ot time the Christian influence in the city was overshadowed by the Mohammedan. It fell, A. D. 635, into the hands of the caliph Omar. Subsequently It shared In the manifold vicissitudes which passed over the provinces of Western Asia, tiU it fell, in 1516, into the power of Sultan Selim I. Since then it has remained under the sway of Turkey, the most populous and flourishing city which belongs to Asiatic Turkey. It occupies perhaps, tbe most beautiful site In all Westem Asia, at the eastem base ot Anti-LIbanus, in the centre ot a large plain of great fertility, watered by the rivers Barada and 108 THB ACTS. [Ch. IX. Awaj, the ancient Abana and Pharpar of Scrip ture. Its trees and surrounding gardens Impart to It a peculiarly picturesque appearance from a .distance. Its beauty Is Ulustrated by the legend that Mohammed once, on approaching the city, turned resolutely away after gazing upon it, saying: "Man can have but one paradise, and my paradise Is fixed above." The more notice able public buUdlngs are the eastem gate, which exhibits some remains of Eoman architecture, tbe castle, which In its foundation dates trom the Eoman period, and the great mosque ot the Omniades. There are upward ot eighty smaller mosques scattered through the city. The prin cipal street, a long, wide thoroughfare leading trom one of the gates to the castle or palace of the pasha. Is regarded by the Christian popula tion as "the street which Is called Straight" (ver. ii), and tradition designates that part of the city wall by which the apostle made his escape from his first persecutors (ver. 26). It has a present population ot upward of 150,000, com posed of Jews, Moslems, and Christians ; Al ford's estimate ot 350,000 Is almost certainly quite too large. Its manufactures are still of some Importance, though the famous Damascus blades exist no more, and Its famed damasks have lost their ancient renown. To the synagogues. This term, like our own word church. Is ambiguous ; It may mean either the buUdIng or the ecclesiastical organiza tion. Here It designates the latter. For history and description of Jewish synagogues see Matt. 4 : 23, note. In the Jewish economy. In which church and state were one, the synagogue was both ecclesiastical and civil ; it possessed judicial powers. It exercised these, however. In subjec tion to the Sanhedrim at Jerusalem, to which appeals were taken, and from which commands were received. Julius Caesar, by Imperial edict, B. c. 47, decreed that " Hyrcanus and his chU dren do retain aU the rights of high-priest, whether established by law or accorded by cour tesy ; and if hereafter any question arise touch ing the Jewish polity, I desire that the deter mination thereof be referred to him." This decree was subsequently confirmed by Augustus, and under these decrees, and the general policy which they embodied, the Sanhedrim at Jerusa lem continued to exercise its judicial powers over the Jews wherever found, and were sup ported In this by the acquiescence, it not by the active co-operation, of the Eoman authorities. Thus Paul's letters to the synagogues at Da mascus were adequate tor dealing with all Jew ish Christians, and as yet the Christian religion had not considerably extended beyond the bounds ot the Jewish church. The Jewish population at Damascus was 50,000; there would, therefore, have been a number ot synagogues. Presumptively there were a number of Christians, perhaps con verts returning after Pentecost from Jerusalem, or fugitives trom the persecution In that city. Observe that Paul applied tor the letters. He Instigated the persecution. — Of this way. The way of salvation in Jesus Christ. The phrase is elsewhere used in the N. T. with the same sig nificance, showing that It bad become a common one among the Christians (cb. 19 : 9, 23 ; 24 : 22). — Both men and women. Comp. 8:3; 22 : 4. Eellglous persecution spares neither age nor sex. — Unto Jerusalem. Por trial before the San hedrim, which alone had, under Jewish law, the power ot pronouncing the death-sentence. 3. And as he journeyed. There are sev eral roads trom Jerusalem to Damascus ; there is nothing whatever to indicate which he took. The distance is variously estimated trom 120 to l.TO miles, and would have taken five or six days. This gave Saul an opportunity for calm reflec- Ch. IX.] THE ACTS. 109 4 And he fell to the earth, and heard a voice saying unto him, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? '^ 5 And he said, Who art thou, Lord ? And the Lord said, I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest : it is hard for thee to kick i against the pricks. 6 And he trembling and astonished, said. Lord, z Matt. 26 : 40, 46 . . . . y cb. 6 : 89. tion, compelled him to reconsider the Gospel which he had heard from the lips of Stephen, and made his heart accessible to the influence of the divine Spirit. — He came near Damascus. Dr. Barrows notes significance In the fact that Saul was not arrested untU near the consumma tion of his joumey : " God beholdeth violent men setting out In their unjust attempts. He letteth them proceed on in a full career, untU they reach the edge of their design ; then In stantly he checketh, he stoppeth, he tumbleth them down or tumeth them backward. " Thus with Haman (Esther, ch. s), Pharaoh (Emd., ch. 14), Ablmelech (judges 9 : 5s), Absalom (2 sam. is : 9), and Sennacherib (2 Kings 19 : 28). — A light from hea ven. From heaven, but about him. It was not in the distant horizon, nor In the heavens above. It was midday ; the sun was shining ; this light shone above the brightness of the sun ; It was seen by Paul's companions as well as himself (cb. 22 : 6, 9 ; 26 : 13). All attempts to explain this light as an electric phenomenon substitute the Imagination of the commentator tor the nar rative of the historian. It was a great Ught, of what nature or how produced there Is no bint. But we may naturally connect it with the fact that both the O. T. and the N. T. manifestation of God was often In or accompanied with a lumi nous cloud, very generally entitled the glory of the Lord (Ezod. 3:2; 13:21,22; 19 : 9, IS; 24 : 16; 40 : 34, 36 ; Dent. 31 : 16 ; 1 Kings 8 : 10 ; Lnke 2:9; Acts 1 : 9, note ; Kev. 1:7; 14 : 14). See Matt. 17 : .5, note. Observe that this phenomenon occurred at midday, and when Saul was journeying, surrounded by companions ; the circumstances were not such as would tend to produce an imaginary toIou. 4. He fell to the earth. Not necessarily m the greatness of his terror, which Bengel Im putes to him. There is no intimation ot terror here or In either of his own accounts ; and his language of questioning. Who art thou ? and What wilt thou have me to do ? Indicates that he did not lose his presence of mind. See below. — Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? The name Is repeated for emphasis. So Martha, Martha (Lukoio:4i); Simon, Simon (Loke22:3i); Jerusalem, Jerusalem (Matt. 23 : 37). There might be a question whether this was an audible voice, or whether It spoke only within Saul's soul, but for two circumstances : In his speech before Agrippa Paul says that It spake in the Sebrem tongue, and here, in ver. 7, it is said that the men heard the voice. It Is, therefore, evident that there was an audible voice, not merely a spirit ual impression produced on the mind of SauL Observe the form of the question. Why perse cutest thou me ? not my disciples, nor my church. " Paul strikes In Damascus ; Christ suffers in heaven." — (Sail.) Henry's comments on this question are very suggestive. It is personal, Why persecutest thou me (comp. 2 sam. 12:7), shows the sin as one against the Son ot God, Perse cutest me (Matt. 26 ; 46), aud demands of his con science a reason for his animosity, Why per secutest (isaiah 1 : IS). 5, 6. And he said, Who art thou, Lord ? It is reasonably evident, from several considera tions, that Saul not only heard tbe voice, but saw Him who spake. This is implied by the declaration of ver. 8, that the men who were with him saw no man ; by the language of Ananias, "Jesus that appeared unto thee in the way " (ver. 17, comp. 22 : u) ; by the declaration of Bamabas, "how he (Paul) had seen, the Lord in the way " (ver. 27) ; and from Paul's subsequent distinct declaration concerning himself that he had seen the Lord (i Cor. 9 : i ; I6 : a), where he unquestion ably refers to this experience, for there Is no Indication that he ever saw the Lord prior to the crucifixion ; Indeed the language of 1 Cor. 15 : 8 Implies the reverse. Observe that Saul does not yield allegiance to the unknown speaker untU he has questioned him, and, by the disclosure of Saul's secret uneasiness (see nezt verse), the speaker has given evidence ot divine omniscience. They entirely misread Saul's character and the nar rative here, who attribute the change in him to the effect of mere terror. — But he, I am Jesns, whom thou persecutest. This is the literal rendering of the best manuscripts. Ob serve how the whole effect of this Interview Is to press home upon Paul's conscience his guilt as a persecutor of the Lord, and note its effect in his subsequent experience of humility and ot thankfulness tor divine grace (i Cor. i6 : 9, lo ; i Thn. 1 : 12-17). Observe, too, that the Lord calls him self here not Christ, the Messiah, the name of dignity, but Jesus, Saviour, the name of his earthly humiliation. — It is hard for thee to kick against the goads. And he trem bling and astonished said, Lord, what wilt thon have me to do ? And the Lord said unto him. These words are wanting In the best manuscripts. They are omitted by Al ford, Tischendorf, Alexander, Hackett. For the statement that Saul trembled and was astonished there is, therefore, no authority, for this Is not stated by him in either of tbe other accounts. 110 THE ACTS. [Ch. IX. what » wilt thou have me to do ? And the Lord said unto him, Arise, and go into the city, and it shall be told thee what thou must do. 7 And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but ^ seeing no man. 8 And Saul arose from the earth ; and when his eyes were opened, he saw no roan : but they led him by the hand, aod brought him into Damascus. 9 And he was three days without sight, and neither did eat nor drink. . . . . a Dan. 10 : 7. The rest of the narrative here is imquestlonably accurate, having been transferred, partly trom Paul's address before Agrippa (cb. 26 : 14, 15), partly from his address to the mob at Jerusalem (ch. 22 : 10). It is hard for thee to kick against the goads (pricks) is a proverbial expression, found both in Eoman and Greek literature. It is derived trom the use ot the ox-goad. This In Palestine was a strong pole, eight or ten feet long, with a point ed prick at one end with which to urge on ANCIENT OX-GOAD. the oxen, and a kind of chisel at the other with which to clear the plowshare of earth and weeds. The size of the Jewish ox-goad is Indicated by Judges 3 : 2L The ox, being driven from be hind, not, as with us, from the side, would strike against the goad it It resisted by kicking. The flgure is partially Interpreted by Eccles. 12 : 11 : "The words of the wise are as goads," because they direct Into the right path and stimulate to energy. Paul's conscience, it he had followed it, would have sImUarly guided him out of the path into which the pride of a perverted Intel lect was leading him. Though he thought he was doing God servlee in opposing the Christian church (cb. 22 : 3 ; 26 : 9), hc was all the time UI at ease. His soul was not at peace ; his life was one of real resistance to the guidance and the goading ot his own conscience, and it was hard for him. This single sentence, which revealed to Saul Christ's knowledge of his Inmost soul, gives us a glimpse ot It, and answers In the negative the oft-repeated question whether Saul was doing right In persecuting the church under the Impulse of a genuine religious zeal (see ch. 26 : 10, II, notes). What Wilt thou hovc me to do. Lord? is incorporated In the narrative here from '¦' ch. 22 : .10. The question Is that ot one over powered and bewildered, who does not under stand ; knows and feels that something must be done, but knows not what to do. It thus repre sents the natural Inquiry ot the awakened soul in Its flrst surprise, when the claim of Christ as Master is really brought home to the conscious ness. But the appellation Lord, Indicates in Paul's mind a recognition of a Lord and Master in the Jesus whom he had before been perse cuting, and the very form of the question Im plies a readiness to do what the Lord bids him. whatever that may be; and this implication is con firmed by his obedience to the divine directions. —Arise and go into the city. A severe test ot his allegiance. He expected to enter the city with prestige, armed with letters from the high- priest, to be received and honored by the chief men of his own nation; he was commanded to enter it In humiliation, as a disciple ot the Jesus whom he had publicly persecuted, and receive his Instructions trom one ot the before-despised and outcast Christians. 7, 8. The men * * * stood. According to ch. 26 ; 14, the men as well as Saul feU to the ground at the appearance of the light. On the reconciUation of these two accounts, see note below. — Hearing a voice. Literally, Of the voice, i. e., the sound ot a voice (on the signifi cance ot genitive after dxooiai, see Winer, § 30, «) ; but they did not understand what was said ; hence, in his speech to the mob in Jerusalem, Paul says. They heard not the voice of him that spake ; i. e., they did not hear it as an intel ligible voice, so that they could comprehend Its meaning. — When his eyes were opened, he saw no one. The reason is given in ch. 22 : 11, "When I could not see for the glory ot that light." Its effect had been to blind him; and apparently (see beiow) he never fully recovered from the effects. Saw no one, signifies not merely that he no longer saw the divine Person with whom he had been speaking, but he was no longer able to see at all. This Is indicated by the next clause of the verse. — They led him by the hand. This appearance of Christ does not appear from the narrative to have converted Saul's Jewish companions. So Christ's call to James and John was heard but apparently not heeded by their father (Matt. 4 : 21, 22). It Is not tor lack ot evidence, but for lack ot wUUnguess, that souls remain out ot Christ. 9. Neither did eat nor drink. It is hardly doubtful that this was a voluntary fast, under gone by Paul, in accordance with his Pharisaic education, in connection with prayer for pardon and guidance. This would have been in accord with his Pharisaic education, and would have naturally accompanied the highly wrought con dition of his mind. The other explanations, that It was a medicinal abstinence for the restoration of his eyesight, or the mere natural effect ot men tal excitement, are Improbable, the first highly so. His mental conflict is left undescribed ; it must have been heightened by his loneliness. Ch. IX.] THE ACTS. Ixl "He could have no communion with the Chris tians, for they had been terrlfled by the news of his approach. And the unconverted Jews could have no true sympathy with his present state of mind." — (Conybeare and Sowson.) Note on the Convebsion of Sattl. I. The fact. There are three accounts of Saul's conver sion, all contained In the same history, one by Luke, the other two in reported addresses by Paul. There are some differences in these ac counts, which wUl appear clearly by a compari son of the following tabular analysis : Acts 9 : 1-9. Luxb's Histobt. fjanl persecutes the Christian Church. Desires letters from the high-priest to the synagogues. To brmg Christians, both men and women, to Jerusalem. Near Damascus, a light suddenly shines about him. Be falls to the ground. A voice addresses him ; Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? He responds : Who art thou Lord f The Lord replies: I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. His companions stand speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no one. (See note on verses 5 and 6.) Saul is directed to go to Damascus for instructions. He is blinded. And led Into Damascns by the hand. Acts 22 : 3-11. Paul's Speech nEFOHE the Mob. Saul describes his birth and educa tion. Persecutes the Christian Church. Eecelves letters from the high- priest and elders unto the breth ren. To bring Christians to Jerusalem to be punished. About noon, near Damascus, a light suddenly shines about him. He falls to the ground. A voice addresses him : Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? He responds : Who art thou Lord f The Lord replies: I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou perse cutest. His companions see the light but hear not tbe voice. Saul asks : What shall I do f And Is directed to go to Damasaus for instructions. He Is blinded by the light. And led Into Damascus by the hand. Acts 26 : 9-18. Paul's Speech befobe Aobippa. Saul thought he ought to oppose Christ. Persecutes the Cim'xtL.— Details. Receives commission from the chief At midday, near Damascus, a light suddenly shines about him, abme tlie brightness of the sun. All fall to the ground. A voice addresses him in the He brew tongue : Saul, Saul, etc. It adds : It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. He responds : Who art thou Lord ? The Lord replies: I am Jesus of Nazareth whom thou perse cutest ; And proceeds to give him his com mission as a missionary to the Gentiles. Preacbes first at Damascns, in obedi ence to the heavenly vision. The variations in these accounts are Indicated by the Italics in the different columns. Of these only four are in the nature of discrepancies, and these present no serious difficulties, except to those who desire to find contradictions In the Scripture, or who needlessly multiply them by a ?heory ot verbal inspiration, such as the Scrip- lures nowhere claim, (a.) In ch. 9 : 1, 2, Saul re ceives his commission from the high-priest, In ch. 33 : 5, from the high-priest and elders, in ch. 26 : 13, trom the chief -priests. If granted by the Sanhedrim, this commission would be voted on by the body, comprising both elders and chief- priests, and would be issued in their name by the president of the Sanhedrim, the high-priest. Thus the same tact is in the three accounts de scribed in dlfflerent language. (6.) In eh. 26 : 14, all tell to the earth ; in ch. 9 : 4, 7, Saul fell to the earth, whUe his companions stood speechless. The word rendered stood is here used In a general way, to signify, not their posture, but the effect of their astonishment in depriving them for the moment ot power to move. They were both speechless and motionless. The difficulty Is cre ated in this case by a literalism which would not be applied to the Interpretation of any other book than the Bible, (c.) In ch. 9 : 7, Saul's com panions hear a voice ; in ch. 22 : 9, they hear not the voice ot him that spake to Saul. The most prob able explanation of this discrepancy is that they heard a sound, but did not distinguish any words ; and this view is confirmed by the language ot the original. See note above. So In John 12 : 28, Christ, and perhaps his disciples, distinguished the words, but the unbeUevers heard only an Inar ticulate and unmeaning sound, (d.) In ch. 9 : 6, 112 THE ACTS. [Ch. IX. 9, and 22 : 10, 11, Saul Is represented as going Into Damascus and there receiving his commission from Ananias ; In ch. 26 : 16-18, this commission Is represented as given directly and immediately by Christ, and nothing Is said of Saul's going to Damascus. To me it appears clear that, in his speech before Agrippa, where detaUs were need less, Paul summarizes the revelation ot the divine wUI made to him by Ananias and subsequently at Jerusalem, his object being to present suc cinctly the cause ot the Jewish enmity against himself ; while, in his address to the mob at Jeru salem, he explains In detail how this commission to the GentUes came to him first from Ananias, " a devout man according to the law," and after ward In a direct revelation from God, whUe he was praying In the Temple (ch. 22 : is-is). So Alford on ch. 36 : 16-18. " There can be no question that Paul here condenses Into one, various sayings of our Lord to him at different times, in visions, and by Ananias. Nor can this, on the strictest view, be considered any deviation from the truth. It Is what all must more or less do who are abridg ing a narrative, or giving the general sense of things said at various times." II. The essential tact in this narrative is the spiritual change wrought In the character ot Saul, and this change there Is no possible room to doubt. His unquestionably authentic letters Indicate both the original nature and the subse quent Christian experience and character of the man. He was by birth a Hebrew, was educated at Jerusalem at tbe feet of Gamaliel, belonged to the strictest of the two parties Into which the Pharisees were divided, was a believer In its as cetic phflosophy, and zealous In Its ascetic prac tices (cb. 22 : 2 ; 26 ; 6 ; Phil. 3 : 6, 6). ThUS he WaS taught that hate of the GentUe was a religioug duty, that righteousness consisted in obedience to a rigorous ceremonial ; that he must pray three times every day, fast twice a week, give tithes of all he possessed, wash ceremonially with sci'upu- lous care before every meal. See tor illustrations ot Pharisaism, Luke 18 : 11, 12 ; Mark 8:3. He held these tenets and practices of his religion with so unyielding a faith, that no cruelty of pun ishment seemed to him too great for the new sect of Nazarenes who denied thera (ch. 26 : 9, lo). He became atter his conversi^n tbe exponent ot all that was broad and catholic and progressive in the primitive church, preached that Jew as truly as Gentile Is under the wrath of God (Rom. s : 9), that righteousness consists not in obedience to law, but in love for God and trust in him (oai. 3 : lo-is), that days and weeks and ceremonies, even the most sacred ceremonial ot Judaism, cir cumcision, are insignificant (Rem. 2 : 28, 29 ; Oai. 4 : 9-11 ), and gave his life to the propagation ot those prin ciples which before he had hated, and which to tUs day the Christian church Is hardly able to comprehend or to accept in their fullness. That this change took place, and by the direct Inter vention and interposition ot the Spirit of God, is the essential fact in the conversion of Paul. W h at were the external circumstances is a matter of secondary importance. HI. That a supernatural light shone, that an audible voice spoke, and that a real sight ot the glorified Saviour was vouchsafed to Saul, is how ever unquestionably indicated by the N. T. his tory. And though, ot the three accounts which we possess, two are certainly, and the third prob ably, derived from Saul, his narrative is con firmed by the following considerations : (a.) It Is difficult, if not impossible, to account for a change so marvelous, so sudden, and so radical, except by means ot a direct and supernatural appearance, (b.) Saul, in his subsequent minis try, frequently referred to the event (Rom. 1 : 1 ; 1 Cor. 1 : 1 ; 9 : 1 ; 16 : s), and twlce narrated it in de tail. His companions on the joumey were still living, knew whether tbe tale was true or false, and yet throughout his lite, bitterly as he was opposed, both without and within the church, his account ot his call and conversion never ap pears to have been questioned, (c.) He refers in somewhat enigmatical terms to the marks ot the Lord Jesus Christ which he bore in his body, as an evidence of his apostlesbip (oai. 6 : n). What marks these were Is not indeed known, but it is a reasonable surmise that they are the "thorn in the flesh " (2 Cor. 12 : 7), and the " infirmity of the flesh" (Gal. 4 : 13), and made his bodUy presence "weak and contemptible" (2 Cor. 10 : 10) ; and his reference to the zeal ot the Galatians, who "would have plucked out your own eyes and given them to me" (Gai.4:i5), coupled with the temporary blindness here described, gives color to tbe hypothesis that In all these passages he refers to a weakened eyesight which, to his death, cdnflrmed his narrative ot his miraculous conver sion, at once a thom in the flesh and a manifesta tion "of the power of Christ" upon him. IV. The essential features of Saul's conver sion, as an Inward experience, afiord a profitable theme tor the devout student. Observe In re spect to them : (1.) The divine preparation : (o.) Stephen's speech aud heavenly vision ; the former contains the germs ot all Paul' s subsequent the ology ; the latter is a forerunner of his own sight of the glorified Jesus of Nazareth. See ch. 7 and notes, (ft.) Paul's o%vn earnestness ; honest zeal In a bad cause Is a better preparation for the Gospel than indifference, (c.) His enforced quiet and time of thought during his week's joumey to Damascus. (2.) The suddenness of the change. There Is no long struggle, no bitter remorse, nor deep, despair, no waiting for light, or for time to reform, or repair the past. Saul faUs to the earth a persecutor, he rises a disciple. (3.) The nature Ch. IX.] THE ACTS. 113 IO And there was a certain disciple at Damascus, named Ananias ••> and to him said the Lord in a vision, Ananias. And he said. Behold, lam here. Lord. II And the Lord said unto him. Arise, and go into the street which is called Straight, and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul, of Tarsus ; for, be hold, he prayeth, 12 And hath seen in a vision a man named Ananias coming in, and putting his hand on him, that he might receive his sight. 13 Then Ananias answered, Lord, I have heard by many of this man," how much evil he hath done to thy saints at Jerusalem : 14 And Iiere he <> hath authority from the chief priests to bind all that call ' on thy name. : 12 .... c 1 Tim. 1 : 13 .... d verse 21 e I Cor. 1 : 2 ; 2 Thn. 2 : 22. of the change. He bas heretofore done accord ing to his own will (ch. 26 ; 9) ; he now avows a su preme allegiance to Christ's wIU (ch. 22:10). (4.) The test of that allegiance : obedience. He goes to Damascus, receives his Instructions from a Christian disciple, preaches in the city where he came to persecute, accepts the service, of all most repellent to a Pharisee, the mission to the GentUes, and atter one remonstrance at Jerusa lem (cb. 22 : is-21), devotes himself unreservedly to it. Observe further, that this conversion In volved in Saul a change of creed : trom believing that he ought to do things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth (cb. 26 : 9), he became a worship per (ver. 11) and a believer in and preacher of his divinity (vers. 20, 22) ; a change ot moral purpose : from being a persecutor ot Christ, he became a missionary of the cross ; a change of allegiance : from doing what he thought in himself he ought to do, he became a devoted servant of Christ (cb. 26 : 9, note ; Rom. I : 1, etc.), praying WithoUt CCaSlug, Lord, what wUt thou have me to do ? a change of spirit: trom being exceeding mad against the disciples ot Jesus Christ (oh. 26 : ii), he became the chief exponent and apostle of love, patience and long-suffering. See epistles throughout. On his character before his conversion, see ch. 26 : 10, 11, note. Its key-note then was pride, henceforth It is love. See 1 Cor., ch. 13. 10, 11. Named Ananias. He was a Jew, "a devout man according to the law, having a good reputation ot all the Jews which dwelt there " (cb. 22 ; 12). Nothing Is known of his history, except what is mentioned here and there, except the tradition that he was subsequently bishop of Da mascus. — In a vision. Sj vision in the Bible is generally meant an experience in which the per son retains his consciousness. In which respect It differs from a trance, anil the object shown to him possesses a real existence. In which respect It differs from a dream. Thus the Transfigura tion Is spoken of as a vision (Matt. i7 ; 9) ; so the appearance to Zacharias in the Temple (Lake 1 : 22), of the angel to Cornelius (ch 10 ; s), and to Peter (cb. 10 : 17), though in the latter case Peter was in a trance (ver. 10). For other Ulustratlons of Biblical visions, see 1 Sam. 3 : 15 ; Dan. 2: 19; 7:3;8:1; Acts 16 : 9 ; 18 : 9 ; 26 : 19.— The street that is called Straight. This was tbe main thorough- tare of Damascus, being in a direct line trom the eastem to the westem gate. In the apostolic age it was a hundred feet wide, and divided by Corinthian colonnades Into three avenues — the central and broadest tor carriages and eques trians, and the two side pavements for foot pas sengers. At each end ot the street were the city gates divided into three compartments corres ponding to the roadways, whUe midway between them was a Roman triumphal arch. Remains of the gates and the colonnades are stUl to be seen. At present the street, now known as Sultany or Queen street, has been contracted by successive encroachments to one narrow passage — a mere by-lane. Near the west gate Is shown the tradi tional house of Judas, and near the eastern gate that of Ananias, both ot them in grottos. — Of one Judas. Nothing more Is known of him ; it Is hardly probable that he was a Christian. The surmise of Dr. Wolcott, that he kept a pub lic-house. In which case he must probably be known at least by reputation to Ananias, Is rea sonable. — Of Tarsus. See note on ver. SO. — Behold, he is praying. As a Pharisee, "touching the righteousness which Is in tbe law blameless" (phu. 3:6), he must have been accus tomed to pray before (Matt. 6:6; 23 : 14), but the implication of the language here certainly is, that he now for the first time humbly solicited divine grace and guidance. "He prayeth" Is always an Indication, If not a demonstration, of the gen uineness of conversion. 12-14. In a. vision. Tischendorf and Al ford omit these words, which were probably added by a copyist to explain tbe meaning of the original ; the explanation Is probably cor rect. — A man named Ananias. That is, in his vision, Saul had both seen the man and known his name. — And putting his hand on him. See ch. 8 : 17, note. Here the laying on of hands was to be accompanied by a miraculous evidence of the gift of the Holy Ghost in the restoration of Saul's sight (ch. 6 : 6, note). — Auauias an- swered. If we suppose that the Lord visibly appeared to Ananias, it is difficult to reconcile this answer with the spirit of reverence and allegiance to Christ. The impulse may have been so communicated as to leave Ananias in some doubt at first respecting its divine origin and authority. — To thy saints. This is the first time in tbe N. T. that this title Is applied to the disciples of Christ ; but it is the appellation commonly used by Paul in designating them. It 114 THE ACTS. [Ch. IX. 15 But the Lord said unto him, Go thy way : for^ he is a cliosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before^ the Gentiles, and kings,"^ and the" ciiildren of Israel: 16 For I will siiew him how great things he must suffer J for my name's sake. 17 And Ananias went his way, and entered into the house; and putting"* his hands on him, said. Brother Saul, the Lord, even Jesus, that appeared unto thee in the way as thou camest, hath sent me, that thou might- est receive thy sight, andi be filled with the Holy Ghost. 18 And immediately there fell from his ej'es as it had been scales ; and he received sight forthwith, and arose, and was baptized. ;, Rom.l:l; I Cor. 15 : 10 ; Gal. 1 : 15 ; EphBB. 3 : 7, 8....B Rom. II : 13: Gal. 9 ;7, S....b cb. 26; Job. 2»:23; if for. 11 : S3-27 i 2 Tim. 1 : 11,12.... k cb. 8: lT....li ch. 2 :'4. :, eto I ch. 28 : 17, etc.. is literally holy ones, and is applied to things or persons consecrated to the service of God ; hence to disciples of Christ who are set apart as priests to his service (Rom. I : 7 ; l Cor. 1:5; Ephea. 1 : 4). — All that call on thy name. This language clearly implies that the speaker was Jesus Christ, and as clearly that it was the custom of Christians In the apostolic church to pray to Christ (see ch. 2 : 21 ; 7 : 59 ; 9 : 21 ; 22 : 16 ; I Cot. 1 : 2 ; 2 Tim. 2 : 22). That the fame of Saul's mission was noised abroad Is evi dent from vers. 31, 26, ch. 32 : 19. 15, 16. But the Lord said nnto him, Go. The words, thy way, are added by the translators, and weaken the force ot the original. — For he is a chosen vessel unto me. Not, as Adam Clark, a choice or excellent instrument, the original does not bear that signification, but a .elected Instrument, i. e., selected by God, and for the purpose indicated in the remainder of the sentence. Whether the reader considers that Saul was selected because of his character, edu cation, and natural attainments, or that these were conferred upon him because God had chosen him for the work, wiU depend upon the reader's conception of the divine government. To the Call or choice here Indicated Paul often refers (Eom. 1 : 1 J I Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:1, etc.). The term ren dered vessel is a general one, signifying any kind of Implement. — To hear my name. This de fines the object for which Saul was chosen, and the verse, taken as a whole. Indicates rather that every Christian's work Is allotted to him by God, than that he Is chosen by God to be a special subject of redeeming grace. To bear my name is here to carry it as on a banner. — Before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel. This commission was repeated subse quently in Jerusalem (cb. 22 : 21), and fulfilled, as regards tbe Gentiles and Israelites, by Paul's whole missionary life, and as regards kings by his appearance before Agrippa (a. 26), and prob ably before Nero. — And I will shew him how great things he must suffer. In ful fillment ot this, see ch. 30 : 33, 35 ; 31 : 11. As illustrating the sufferings endured by Paul for Christ, see 1 Cor. 4 : 9-13 ; 3 Cor. 11 : 33-38. 17, 18. Putting his hands on him. On the laying on of hands, see ch. 8 : 17, note. Here evidently not an ordination to the ministry, but a symbol, in connection with which the Holy Spirit was conferred and the sight restored. That this was the object ot the laying on ot hands is clearly stated in ver. 13. — Brother Saul. The term brother seems to have been commonly used among the Jews In address, the kinship of nationality and religion binding all members of the race together as in one family (cb. 2 : 29, 37 ; 3 : 17). It was thencc transferred to the Christian church, and became a common appel lation of Christians In their conversation with each other. Its use here shows how fuUy and heartily Ananias had accepted the revelation and commission from God. — And be filled with the Holy Ghost. This is not In the commis sion given to Ananias as reported (vers. 12, le, 16). It Illustrates the truth, which the student of Scrip ture should ever bear in mind, that the Bible re ports are rarely If ever verbatim. It Is impossible to suppose that Ananias added this himself to the commission given him. Comp. with the lan guage here that of ch. 26 : 16-18, which probably embodied the message of Ananias here together with the commission later given to Saul In Jem salem, and observe the verbal differences.— There fell from his eyes as it had been scales. Not actual scales, but something re sembling them. Dr. Buck, ot New York, in a private letter In answer to a request for infor mation, says that "The ophthalmia, so common In the East, and which occasions blindness by producing opacity of tbe cornea, presents a grayish white spot, occupying the centre and spreading toward the circumference, thus shut ting out the entrance ot light through the pupU into the interior of the eye. This opaque spot might readily suggest to the popular observer the Idea of the presence of a scale in the eye, and give rise to the Idea that the restoration ot sight was effected by the falling of something resembling a scale." — Arose and was bap tized. Obseiwe that apparently here, and cer tainly in the case of the eunuch (cb. e ; 38), this ordinance was administered privately, and not in connection with any church, nor as a rite ot admission to any specific ecclesiastical organiza tion. Observe, too, that It was administered, an Indication that it had already been accepted by the church as the divinely-appointed symbol ot conversion and a new life. Clearly in this case the Holy Ghost was Imparted before baptism, and was the ground on which baptism was ad ministered, as in the case of Cornelius and his Oh. IX.] THE ACTS. 115 19 And when he had received meat, he was strength ened. Then was Saul certain da3'S with the disciples which were at Damascus."" 20 Aod straightway he preached Christ in the syna gogues, that he is the Son of God. 21 But all that heard him'^ were amazed, and said. Is not this he " that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that in tent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests ? 22 But Saul increased the more in strength,Pand con founded thei Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ. 23 And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel' to kill him. 24 But their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched " the gates day and night, to kill him. 25 Then the disciples took him by night, and let ' him down by the wall, in a basket. 26 And when Saul was come"* to Jerusalem, he as sayed to join himself to the disciples: but they were all afraid of him, aod believed not that he was a disciple. Gal. I:I7....n Gal. 1 : 13, 23.... o cb. 8:3. .. Pa. 21 : 11; 37 :32, ; t Ps. 84 : 7 q ch. 18 : 28... r ob. 23: 12; 25 ; 1. . . .t Josh. 2 : 16. . . .u Oal. 1 : IS. .B 2 Cor. II : 26, etc. ; companions (cb. lo : 47). The question has been raised, Where was Saul converted — on the road, or at the visit of Ananias? It cannot be an swered. Even In Saul's case the day and hour ot the radical change cannot be fixed. But be ware ot assuming that he had not been subject to the infiuence of the Holy Ghost prior to tbe visit ot Ananias, or even prior to the appearance ot the Lord to him on the road. The gift of the Holy Ghost, which Ananias came to bring, was such a bestowal as would be accompanied with an external and miraculous sign, here the resto ration ot Saul's sight. See ch. 8 : 17, note. 19, 20. And when he had received meat, he was strengthened. The implica tion Is that the fasting mentioned in ver. 9 had been so severe as to weaken him bodily. — Cer tain days. Not many. See next verse. — And straightway. Immediately. This word seems to me quite Inconsistent with the theory ot those who place the visit to Arabia, mentioned In Gal. 1 : 17, between Saul's conversion and his public preaching ; and, what Is more important, it is irreconcilable with Wordsworth's practical deduction : " Perhaps this retirement of Paul (into Arabia) atter his conversion was designed to be exemplary and Instructive, as Intimating that new converts ought not to be admitted to exer cise the functions of the ministerial ofiSce, with out some probationary term of silence, after their conversion." On the contrary, the "imme diately" here implies, so far as Saul's career is an example to be followed, that when tbe con vert has had, as Paul, previous education that fits him for the work of the ministry, he should begin at once to proclaim to others the Gospel which he has found himself (comp. John 1 : 41, 45 ; Mark 5 : 19). — Jesus in the synagogues. Being edu cated as a Jewish KabbI, he had no difficulty in securing an audience In the synagogues. On their form of service, see Matt. 4 : 33. The best manuscripts have here Jesus Instead of Christ. And the difference is not merely verbal. What Saul preached was, not the doctrine that the Jewish Messiah was the Son ot God, but the fact that Jesus of Nazareth was the Son ot God, and the long - promised Messiah, "the very Christ "(ver. 22). 22. But Saul increased the more in strength. In all the elements ot moral and - spiritual strength — the ardor of his convictions, the resolution of his purpose, the clearness of his apprehension of the new interpretation of the O. T., and the peculiar and indefinable strength that comes trom singleness of purpose and com munion with God. For his own interpretation of this phrase, see Ephes. 3 : 16-19. — Confound ed the Jews. Threw them into confusion and perplexity. There Is nothing to indicate that this his first preaching was successful, except in compelling the Jews to consider the claims of Jesus, to which before they had probably paid little, it any, heed. — Many days were ful- filled. There is nothing to indicate how many. — Took counsel to kill him. Not atter trial ; for the synagogue courts ot Damascus had no right, under Jewish law, to inflict the death sen tence. That could only be done by tbe Sanhe drim at Jerusalem. A conspiracy to assassinate Is Indicated. 24, 25. liCt him down by the wall in a basket. Paul's more accurate description in 2 Cor. 11 : 33, indicates the kind of basket (aa^ydnj), viz., one made of rope woven together. He also tells us that he was let down through a win dow. These lattice-windows of the East are buUt like a modem bay-window, overlooking the street, and In some Instances, where the house is built directly In tbe city wall, they extend beyond and over tbe wall, as in the annexed Illustration, and look out upon the country beyond. Through one oi these windows Saul made his escape, wbUe tbe Jews were watching the gates which were customarily closed at night, and through which no one could pass without liability to scrutiny trom the guard. The implication here, and still more in Corinthians, Is, that the guard were directed to seize him if he attempted to make his escape. Two somewhat difficult questions in chronol ogy are connected with this account. I. In Gal. 1 : 17, Paul, giving an account of his personal experiences at this time, says, " Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me : but I went into Arabia, and retumed again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went 116 THE ACTS. [Ch. IX. up to Jerusalem." Luke says nothing ot this visit to Arabia. When did it occur ? Some com mentators place it Immediately after tbe restora tion of Saul's sight, and before he commenced preaching, which seems to me inconsistent with the language of ver. 20, " Straightway be preached Jesus In the synagogues;" others place it dur ing tbe period when he "increased in strength" (tof. 22) ; others again during the " many days " mentioned in ver. 23 ; and still others in the inter val between vers. 25 and 36, i. e., after the at tempted assassination. The truth appears to be that we have no adequate data from which to determine the question. Luke does not mention >'^.> sir Av WINDOWS ON THB WALL — DAMASCUS. the visit to Arabia, either because he did not know of It, or because it did not come within his scope, his object being not to write a biography of Paul, but to narrate bis conversion and entrance into the ministry. Arabia is a very general term, indi cating then, as now, a large area of country, aud there is nothing to fix tbe time or place of his sojourn, and little to determine its object, though the context in Galatians indicates retirement for prayer and the study of God's word, rather than for tbe active preaching of tbe Gospel. See notes on Gal. 1 : 16-18. II. In 3 Cor. 11 : 33, 33, Paul, in referring to his escape trom Damascus, says, " The governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes." Aretas was king ot Petra ; Damascus was a Boman city. How, then, should the governor imder Aretas have control of affairs In Damascus ? There are no adequate ma terials to answer this question, except hypothetl- eally; but certain weU-known facts In history indicate the probable answer. War broke out about A. D. 33 between Herod Antlpas and this King Aretas (see for explanation of this war, Matt. 14 : 1-12, notes). In which Herod was signally defeated. On this, Vitellius, Eoman governor of Syria, was dispatched by Tiberius, the Eoman emperor, to march against Aretas ; but while he was on his way, Tiberius died and was succeeded by Cali gula. The new emperor, who was a personal foe to Herod, soon atter banished him to Lyons, made anew distribution of the provinces of the East, giv ing Herod's kingdom to Agrippa. That, in these changes, Damascus passed under the authority ot King Aretas, is a reasonable surmise, and It is confirmed by the fact that while coins of Damas cus are found with the heads of Augustus, Tibe rius, and Nero, none are found with those of Caligula and Claudius, an' indication that during their reigns, Damascus was not under Roman law. Aretas probably continued the Eoman edicts, already referred to, so that the Jewish population were allowed not only the free exer cise of their religion, but also to govern them selves, and punish offenders against then- own laws. The governor referred to in Corinthians was probably the Jewish governor, i. e., the chosen head of the Jewish population. 26, 27. And when Saul w^as come to Jerusalem. His object was to visit Peter ; why him more than any of the other disciples can only be surmised. Perhaps he had heard of Peter's mission to the Gentiles, recounted in the next chapter, and so was drawn to him for conference and counsel. He also wanted to preach the Gospel in Jerusalem, believing that his previous course there, and the Jewish acquaintance with bim, as a persecutor of the Christian church, would en sure him a hearing (ch. 22 : 19, so). In tbis he was disappointed (vor. 29). Three years had elapsed since his conversion, spent in Damascus and Ara bia (Gal. 1 ; 18), but uot nccessarlly three whole years. The expression In Galatians would be satisfied, according to Jewish reckoning, by one year and parts ot two others. Saul, during this visit to Jerusalem, abode with Peter ; it lasted fifteen days (cai. 1 : is) ; then, partly owing to direct instructions trom the Lord in a vision (cb. 22 : 18, 21 ), and partly owing to the danger to his lite (ver. 29), be retired to Tarsus, his native city. — They were all afraid of him. Believing the story ot his conversion, which may have reached them, to be false, and that he was hypo critically endeavoring to unite himself to them, for the purpose of more effectually spying out and bringing to punishment their chief men.— .e-' ,;¦?. 1^ ^1'/* '" ^'^^^-^ Ib^ft < f -' ^ / 1 TARSUS, THE BIRTHPLACE OF ST. PAUL. (The spectator is looking north, and Mount Taurus is seen in the background.) Pr&m Cahorde. Ch. IX.] THE ACTS. 119 27 But Bamabas' took him, and brought him to the apostles, and declared unto them how he had seen the Lord in the way, and that he had spoken to him, and how he had preached boldly^ at Damascus in the name of Jesus. 28 And be was with them coming in and going out at Jerusalem. 29 And he spake boldly in the name of the Lord Je sus, and disputed against the Grecians; but" they went about to slay him. 30 IVhich when the brethren knew, they brought him down to Caesarea, and sent him forth to Tarsus. 31 Theny had the churches rest' throughout all Ju- dsea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified ; "" and waHdngi" in the fear of the Lord, and in the comfort"" of the Holy Ghost, were multiplied." T ch. 4 : 36 w vers. S ..y oh. 8:1; Zech. 9 ; c Jobn 14: 16, 17. ....E P«. 94 ; 13.. .d Zech. 8 : 20-22. .a Rom. 14 : I9....bPs. 86:11; Col. I : 10.. But Barnabas took him. Barnabas was a native of Cyprus (oh. 4 : 36), itself only a tew hours sail from CUicIa, and the schools tor which Tar sus (see below) was famous may well have fur nished Barnabas with a part of his education. It is therefore not Improbable that Bamabas and Saul may have known each other in youth. — How he hath seen the Lord. Observe, not merely heard him. Comp. ver. 5, note and refs. — And how in Damascus he had been out spoken in the name of Jesus. Including his preaching, but not that alone. The emphasis of the original (na^^riaia!;ouai) is not on the public preaching, but on the open and pubUe avowal of his faith. 28-30. And he was with them. Of the apostles he saw at this time only Peter and James, the Lord's brother (oai. i : i8, 19). Perhaps the others were absent from the city. On his sec ond visit he saw John (Gai. 2 : 9). There is no evi dence that he saw any others of the twelve. — Coming in and going out. A phrase signifi cant of the closeness of his intimacy with them. See ch. 1 : 31.— And disputed against the Grecians. That is, in the synagogues ot the Grecians iu Jerusalem. It had been In these synagogues that Stephen bad preached the Gos pel; here he had argued, presumptively with Saul among others ; and to these synagogues where Saul had reviled the name of Jesus, he now returned to honor it. — They took it in hand (irti/jiQiia) to slay him. Either by secret assassination, as In ch. 33 : 13, or by mob violence, as In ch. 31 : 31.— Which, when the brethren knew. There is no inconsistency between this account and that in ch..33 : 17-31, which attributes Paul's departure from Jerusa lem to a direct commission trom God bidding him depart and preach the Gospel to the Gentiles. The providence and the word of God always agree ; Luke 'speaks ot the providence, Paul of the revealed word. — Caesarea. Csesarea Pales tina on the Mediterranean coast. See ch. 8 : 40. Sent him forth to Tarsus. Probably by ship. Paul's language in Gal. 1 : 31 is : " After- wardl came into the regions of Syria and Cilicia." This corresponds with the account in Acts. From Tarsus, the capital of Cilicia, Saul, at the solicita tion ot Bamabas, went to Antioch and preached there (ch. 12 : 25, 26). Tarsus (the word means wing), in CUicIa, chief town of the province, Is princi pally illustrious as having been the birthplace of Paul, altlioiigb It "was no mean city." It must have been c^ great extent, since the river Cyd- nus, a remarkauij' cold and swift stream, which then flowed directly through the city, dividing it In two wings, thus accounting for its name, is now more than a mile away, and recently-dis covered ruins show that it is the city which has shrunken and ,not the river which bas changed its course. It was a free city, i. e., though under Eoman rule, it made its own laws and chose Its magistrates. This freedom did not confer the right ot citizenship ; and though Tarsus subse quently became a colony, and so was entitled to that right. It was not until after the time of Paul. In matters of education and learning It was the rival of Athens and Alexandria, and many famous men were educated there. It was also Imporiant commercially. The broad mouth ot the river was artificially widened and docks constructed. After having been called by sev eral different names, the place Is now called Tersors, and contains some 30,000 Inhabitants. It Is no longer a place of wealth and learning, but a den ot poverty, filth, and ruins. There is some reason to believe that Saul preached the Gospel effectually at the time of this visit, and that It was during this ministry that there were gathered Into the Christian church some of those Christian kinsmen whom he mentions in Eom. 16 : 7, 11, 3L 31. Then had the churches rest. The best manuscripts have here the church in the singular ; the difference is important only In its bearing on the question whether the Christian churches were united at this early period of their history in one ecclesiastical organization, or were Independent of each other. Two causes combined In producing this rest : the conversion ot Saul, who had chiefly Instigated the persecu tion against the Christians (cb. 8 : 3, 4), and the fact that Caligula demanded that his statue should be set up in the temple, and be received, as elsewhere in the Eoman empire, as a god. The excitement produced by the opposition to this demand distracted the attention of the Jews trom the Christians (josephus' Ant., is ; 8, 2-9). — Through out all Judea and Galilee and Samaria. This Is the only distinct reference in the N. T. to 130 THE ACTS. [Ch. IX. 32 And it came to pass, as Peter passed throughout all quarters, he came down also to the saints which dwelt at Lydda. 33 And there he found a certain man named jEneas, which had kept his bed eight years, and was sick of the palsy. 34 And Peter said unto him, jEneas, Jesus Christ maketh « thee whole ; arise, and make thy bed. And he arose immediately. 35 And all that dwelt at Lydda and' Saron saw him, and turned e to the Lord. e ch. 3 : 6, 16 ; 4 : 10 . . . . f I Chron. 6 : 16 . , . . g ch. 11 : 21 ; 2 Cor. 3 ; 18. Christian churches in Galilee. — Being built up aud walking in the fear of the Iiord. There should be no stop atter edified, which in the original Is a participle. Both tbe upbuilding and the walking were In the fear ot the Lord ; the former expression refers not to Increase in numbers, but in spiritual life. Comp. 1 Cor. 8:1; 14 : 4; 1 Thess. 5 : 11, etc. — The fear of the Lord; that godly fear which leads to obedi ence of his commandments (oeni. 6 : 29 ; 6:2,- josh. 24 : 14), and accompanies trust and praise (2 Kings 17 : 36, 39 ; Psalm 22 : 33 : 96 : 4 ; 115 : 11 ; Prov. 14 : 26) ; It Is nearly equivalent to reverence and allegiance. — And in the comfort of the Holy Ghost. Kather in his helpful presence. No one English word is adequate to render the Greek (na^dxXriaig), which is derived from a verb meaning to call to one's help. — Were multiplied. This may mean either that the numbers of the churches or of the converts were multiplied, probably both. Ch. 9 ! 32-43. HEALINO OF ESEAS AKD EAISISG OF DOEUAS BT PETEE. The power of the Gospel mo THE POWER OF PRATER ILLnSTRATED. — CHRISTIAN CHARITY EXEMPLIFIED. The date of these events is uncertain. Peter was at Jerusalem at the time of Saul's visit (oai. 1 : 18). This tour ot Peter's must, therefore, have taken place prior or subsequent to that visit; more probably prior. Luke, having given the account of Paul's persecution of the church, his conversion, and his reception by the church at Jerusalem, goes back to recount the other Im portant providences of God which opened the LTDDA, WITH THE KUINS OF THE OHtTROH OF ST. GEOKGE. (The tall minaret belongs to a mosque.) door to the Gentiles. This account, including Peter's visit to and Interview with Cornelius, being brought to an end at ch. 11 : 18, Luke there resumes his interrupted narrative, showing how the persecution under Saul led to the founding of the church at Antioch, and Paul's ministry there preliminary to his first missionary tour (ch. 11 : 19-.10). If this view be correct, we can understand why Saul, having heard of Peter's mission to the Gentiles, should have been drawn to go up to Jerusalem to confer especially with him. 32. Peter passed throughout all. Not all quarters, as in our English version, but among all the churches referred to In the previous verse. This was not a missionary tour. — To (he saints. Literally the holy ones, see ver. 13, note. — At Iiydda. The Benjamitish town Lod of the 0. T. (1 Chron. 8 : 12; Ezra 2 : 33; Neb. 11 : 36), although apart from the rest of the territory of the tribe. It was about nine mUes from Joppa, on the road to Jerusalem. It Is mentioned in the Apocrypha, and Josephus speaks of it as a village not inferior in size to a city. The mira cle wrought by Peter quickened the interest in Christianity here, a church ot some Importance sprang up, and it became the seat of a bishopric frequently mentioned In ecclesiastical annals. It was probably the birthplace, and certainly the place of sepulchre, ot the renowned St. George. At present Lydda, or Ludd, is only a considera ble village, remarkable for nothing but the ruins of a magnificent church ei-ected to the honor of St. George, and some fine surrounding gardens Ch. IX.] THE ACTS. 121 36 Now there was at Joppa a certain disciple named Tabitha, which by interpretation is called Dorcas : this woman was fullb of good works and almsdeeds which she did. 37 And it came to pass in those days, that she was sick, and died : whom, when they had washed, they laid her in an upper chamber. 38 And forasmuch as Lydda was nigh to Joppa, and h I Thn. 2 : 10 ; Titna 2 : 7, 14. and orchards. There Is no further mention of it in the N. T. 33-35. A certain man named Eneas. Nothing Is known of him except the mention here ; bis name indicates that he was a Greek or a Grecian Jew, and the connection that he was one of the saints, i. c, a Christian disciple. — Sick of palsy. For description of palsy, see Mark 3 : 3, note. — Jesus the Messiah healeth thee. Observe that Peter makes this healing itself » proclamation that Jesus Is the Messiah, and heals In the Messiah's name, not in his own. Comparing the N. T. with the 0. T., observe that it Is Jesus the Messiah " who torglveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases" (psaim 103 : 3). — And make thy bed. Literally, Spread for thyself; the word bed Is not in the original. This, which others had before done for him, he was now to do for himself, as an evi dence ot the thoroughness of his cure ; arising showed strength in his lower limbs ; spreading the bed showed command of bis arms and hands. — All that dwelt in Lydda and Saron saw him. Not saw the cure, but saw him after he was cured, as in ch. 3 : 9, 10, and Jobn 9 : 8. Saron was the district in which Lydda stood. It 'Was a plain extending about thirty miles along the coast from Joppa to Csesarea. It has been conjectured that there was a village of that name, but no trace of it has been found. Luke's meaning is that tbe Inhabitants not only of Lyd da, but ot the plain generally , heard and believed. — And turned to the Lord, i. e., to Jesus Christ. It Is not meant that literally all the VIEW OF JOPPA, FBOM THE UORTBEAST. Inhabitants were spiritually converted to Christ, but that there was a general and popular recog nition ot Jesus founded on this miracle. 36. There was at Joppa. Joppa was an ancient PhUistlne city on the borders ot Dan. Its name signifies to be beautiful, to shine, and was probably given because of the eflfeet of the sun shine refiected from Its houses which rose, as now, tier on tier, upon the hill sloping upward. from the sea. It had a celebrated but not a very safe harbor, and has been since tbe days of Solo mon the port of Jerusalem. Here were brought the fir trees and the cedar trees in the times of Hiram and Zerubbabel. Here Jonah took ship to flee from the Lord. It was a prominent forti fication In the war of the Maccabees and in the later conflicts of the Crusades, when, for half a century, it was alternately built and destroyed. Judas Maccabeus, Antlochus, Herod, Cestlus, Vespasian, Omar, Saladin, Elchard, Godfrey, Napoleon, have all in turn laid siege to it, and It has at least once been entirely effaced. It is now calle4 Jaffla, and has a population of 15,000, a large proportion ot whom are Christians. Be sides the beauty of the exterior of the city Itself, are beautiful environs, with fragrant and shady groves of orange, lemon, olive, citron, mulberry, fig and palm trees. Commerce seems now to be returning to Jaffa with wonderful vigor, and a railroad, proposed between It and Jerusalem, Is likely to greatly Increase its importance. — Named Tabitha. This word Is Aramaic ; Dorcas is Greek. She is not again mentioned In the N. T. The name means gazelle, which was in the East a favorite type of beauty. See Solomon's Song 3 : 9, 17 ; 4 : 5 ; 7 : 3.— Full of 123 THE ACTS. [Ch. IX. the d4sciples had heard that Peter was there, they sent unto him two men, desiring him that he would not delay to come to them. 39 Then Peter arose, and went with them. When he was come, they brought him into the upper cham ber ; and all the widows stood by him weeping, and shewing the coats and garments which Dorcas made, while' she was with thera. 40 But Peter put J them all forth and kneeled down, and prayed ; and turning him to the body, said, Tabi tha,^ arise. And she opened her eyes : and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand, aud lifted her up, and when he had called the saints and widows,' presented her alive. 42 And it was known throughout all Joppa: andn» many believed in the Lord. 43 And it came to pass, that he tarried many days in Joppa, with one Simon a taimer. . j Matt. 9 : 26 k Mark 5 : 41, 42 j John 11 : 43 .... 1 1 Kings 17 ; 2 . -m John 13: II. li^^i^ > THE FOUNTAIN OP TABITHA, NEAB JOPPA. good works and almsdeeds. Literally, mer cies. The first phrase is general, the second spe cific, and Is Interpreted by ver. 39. — She made. With her own hands. She was not merely the almoner of others' charities. 37-39. Whom, when they had washed. For account of the preparation, according to Jewish customs, of the body for burial, see Mark 16 : 1, note ; John 19 : 39, 40, note ; Acts 5 : 6, note. — In an upper chamber. The houses of the poorer classes in the East have but one stoiy. In the best houses, tbe best rooms are often on the second floor. See Luke 33 : 13, note. Here may be intended such a second-story room, but more probably a large, airy hall, not untrequently constructed upon the root of a house and form ing a sort ot third story. Here the Hebrews re ceived company, gave feasts, and sometimes held religious services. Dr. Robinson (Researches 3 : 36) describes his reception In such an upper chamber. A similar apartment is common In Egypt and is called tbe "Kaah."— \igh to Joppa. About nine miles (ver. ae, nolo). — They sent unto him two men. They desired his sympathy and ministry, and possibly having heard ot the miracle at Lydda, had some vague hope of help.— That thou wilt not delay to come to us. This is the best reading and is adopted by Tischendorf and Alford. The varia tion is important only as the form Is a slight indi cation that Luke was perhaps an eye and ear wit ness of what followed. — Stood by him weep ing. Apparently there were no professional mourners and none of that ostentation of grief which Christ rebukes In Mark 5 : 39. That was a •lewlsh household ; this is a Christian company. — Coats and garments. The former Is the tunic, a loose shirt extendmg to the knees, the latter a large, loose cloak worn by day and used as a covering by night (iiatt. 6 : 40 ; 24 : is, notes). 40. Peter put them all forth. In imita tion ot bis Lord's example (Mark e : 40). Perhaps as In 3 Kings 4 : 33, tor privacy In prayer. — And kneeled down. This was a common attitude of prayer among the Jews (pb. ss : e ; Dan. 6 : loj Lute 22 : 41 ; Acu 21 ¦ 6). — Tubltha, Brise. In one respect this miracle is peculiar, in that Peter performs it without any reference to Christ, and as it in his own name ; but it his prayer were reported, we should probably find this otherwise singular omission supplied. The narrative Implies that he prayed for the restoration ot Dorcas as Elijah for the widow's son (l Kings n ; 20 ; oomp. 2 Kings 4 : 33) and that he received such assurance of answer to his prayer as justified his authoritative tone. AN ARAB WIDOW. — And she opened her eyes, etc. "Observe how he, as it were, awakes her out ot sleep ; first she opened her eyes ; then, upon seeing Peter, she sat up ; then, from his hands she received strength."— (C?ij^«osio»i.) — The saints and Ch. X.] THE ACTS. 123 widows. The saints are her companions in Christian faith and works ; the widows, those to whom she had ministered. The distribution of Christian charity Inaugurated at Jerusalem (ch. 6 : i) had been maintained In Joppa largely through tbe Instrumentality of Dorcas. The ac companying illustration shows the Arab widow of modern times in her mourning. She is re quired by custom to wear garments dyed purple or dark brown. Some have an entu-e suit of pur ple, with heavy crimson fringe in wool. The head- vail is ot wool, two yards by one, with fringe across each end, and half a yard along one side. When folded over the forehead, the extra fringe falls on the neck behind, as here indicated. 4a, 43, Many believed in the Lord. Evi dently, then, the miracle was performed in the name of the Lord, and was so understood throughout the community. — Simon the tan ner. Only mentioned here and In the following chapter. His house was by the seaside (oh. lo ; e), and one is now pointed out which Stanley thinks may occupy the original site. It Is close to the sea-shore ; the waves beat against the low wall. In the court-yard is a spring of fresh water, such as must always have been needed tor the pur- TEABITIONAL HOUSE OP SIMON THB TANNER. poses of tanning. This occupation was in Hi- repute among all ancient nations, especially the Jews. The latter considered entering into It atter marriage ground for divorce, and forbade any tanner to become high-priest or king. Peter's selection of this abode indicates both the slight esteem In which the Christians were held by the Jews at Lydda, and the diminished hold which Judaism had upon the mind of Peter. Ch. 10 ! 1-48. THE CALL AKD BAFTISM OP CORNELIUS. The cathoucitt of the Gospel: the blood op Jesus Christ is able to cleanse all srNNEKs and FROM ALL snt.— The chabaoteb acceptable to God: pibtt, charity, justice.— Walking aooord- rSG TO present light the WAT TO GKEATEK LIGHT. The teacher taught.— The Gospel in brief (43). —Baptism the stmbol, and baptism the fact (47). — See on verses 34, 35. The date of this Incident Is uncertain. It was, perhaps, before Saul's conversion ; more prob ably just subsequent; almost certainly, before Saul's visit to Jerusalem, recorded in the prfe- ceding chapter. See chap. 9 : 38, note. Nearly simultaneously the" Lord commanded Saul to preach the Gospel to the Gentiles, and by a divine revelation taught Peter, and through him the church at Jerusalem, that the Gospel is for Gentile as well as Jew. 124 THE ACTS. CHAPTER X. THERE was a certain man in Csesarea, called Corne lius, a centurion of the band called the Italian band^ 2 A devout vian^ and one that feared" God with all P his house, which gave much alms to i the people, and prayed' to God alway. 3 He saw in a vision evidently, about the ninth hour [Ch. X. of the day, an angel' of God coming in to him, and saying unto him Cornelius. ^ And when he looked on him, he was afraid, and said. What is it, Lord ? And he said unto him, Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memoriaji' before God. 5 And now send men to Joppa, and caU for one Si mon, whose surname is Peter : n ch. 8:2; 22 : 12. . . .o EccIcs. 7 : 18. . .pch. 18:8; Gen. 18:19; Ps. 101 : 2-7.. ..q P». 41 : 1.. 1 : 14....t Ifia.4fi : 19. .r Pa. 119 : 2; Prov. 2: 3-5. ...a Heb. 1,2. In Caesarea. For description and illus tration, see ch. 8 : 40, note. — A centurion of the cohort called the Italian. The Koman army was divided into legions, each of which was subdivided into ten cohorts, each cohort Into three maniples, and each maniple Into two centuries, containing from fifty to one hundred men, under the command of a centurion, who thus answered to the captain ot the modern army organization. The cohort to which Cor nelius belonged was called the Italian, because composed of men levied in Italy, not In Syria. Csesarea was tbe military headquarters of the Koman government In Palestine. — A devout man and one that feared God. The pros elytes are divided in the Eabblnical books into two classes, "Proselytes ot the gate," who ac cepted Jehovah as the true God, but were not circumcised, and "proselytes of righteousness," who formally united themselves to the Jewish church and accepted Its whole ceremonial ob servance. See Matt. 33 : 15, -note. Cornelius belonged to tbe first class. That he was not a proselyte of righteousness is clear from ver. 38. That he worshipped the true God is clear trom the language of this verse. He knew something of the lite of Jesus (ver, 37), but had no clear apprehension of Christ's character" or work. Whether he was a true regenerate child ot God before Peter came to him has been questioned, but chiefly because tbe supposition that he was so Is Inconsistent with our often too narrow theology. The very object of the narrative is to teach Peter, and through him the primitive church, tbe lesson which In all ages the church has been slow to leam, that God accepts every man, whatever Ms nationality or his religious ignorance, who reverences God, seeks further light from him, and does this in the way ot practical righteousness (Rom. 2 ; 6, 7; Mati. 8 ; 10, 11, note). See further on ver. 35 and on ch. 11 : 14. — Prayed to God always. That is, his habit ual devotions were offered to Jehovah ; he had no sympathy with that spirit ot Koman skepti cism, repeated In our own day, which counted all religions as equally commendable. 3. He savy in a vision evidently. He was praying at the time. For what? Alford, following Neander, supposes that the subject ot his prayers was that he might be guided Into truth, and it so, hardly without reference to that faith which was now spreading so widely over Judea. He adds : ' ' Further than this we cannot infer with certainty ; but it the particular difficulty present in his mind be sought, we can hardly avoid the conclusion that it was con nected with the apparent necessity of embracing Judaism and circumcision in order to become a believer In Christ." I should rather conclude, from ch. 11 : 14, that the burden of his prayer was the yearning desire for some clear revelation of redemption trom sin, and some clear light In respect to human duty and the problem of the future, such as we elsewhere meet with, both in the writings ot the best heathen philosophers and in tbe accounts of missionaries. For Scriptural illustrations, see Job 7 : 21; 9 : 33; 33 : 3 ; 31 : 5 ; Acts 17 : 37. On the nature of visions, see on ch. 3 : 17 ; 9 : 10. Evidently here indicates that there were some external and visible appearances ; these are more fully de scribed in ver. 30. — About the ninth hour. 3 p. M. This was a regular Jewish hour of pray er (ch. 3 : 1, note), and the language Indicates that Cornelius observed, at least In part, the Jewish ritual. — An angel of God. Tbe Jews believed that a guardian angel Is assigned by God to each individual believer for his especial protection and spiritual help. See Matt. 18 : 10, note; Acts 13 : 15, note ; 37 : 33 ; Heb. 1 ; 14. 4. What is it, Lord? Rather sire. The language is that of reverence, but not neces sarily of worship (see In Matt. 8 ; a). — For a memo rial before God. Tischendorf omits the words for a memorial, but Alford retains them. The meaning Is, God has heard and remembered them. See ver. 31, and comp. Kev. 5 : 8. The fact that the prayers of Cornelius were heard and answered, is ot itself conclusive that, before hearing the Gospel trom Peter, he was accepted as a child ot God. See Ps. 66 : 18 ; Prov. 38 : 9 ; John 9 : 31. 5-8. With one Simon the tanner. See on ch. 9 : 43. Se shall tell thee what thou oughtest to do Is omitted by Tischendorf and Alford, but correctly Interprets the object of the mission to Peter. Tlie household servants were domestics belonging to the household ; the soldier, probably a sentry belonging to the cohort. Joppa was about thirty miles south of Csesarea. Observe in Oh. X.] THB ACTS. 125 6 He lodgeth with one Simon" a tanner, whose house is by the sea side : he shall tell thee ' what thou oughtest to do. 7 And when the angel which spake unto Cornelius was departed, he called two of his household servants, and a devout soldier of them that waited on him con tinually ; 8 And when he had declared all these things unto them, he sent them to Joppa. 9 On the morrow, as they went on their journey, and drew nigh unto the city, Peter went^ up upon the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour : IO And he became very hungry, and would have eaten : but while they made ready, he fell into a trance, II And saw ^ heaven opened, and a certain vessel descending unto him, as it had been a great sheet, Itnit at the four corners, and lee down to the eaith ; 12 Wherein were all manner of four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 13 And there came a voice to him, Rise, Peter ; kill, and eat. 14 But Peter said, Not so, Lord ; for I have never eaten any thing that is y common or unclean. o ch. 9 ; 43 T ch. II ; 14 . . . . w ch. 11 : 6, etc. . . . z ch. 7 : ; Bev. 19:11 y Lev. 11:2, etc. ; 20 : 26 j Dent. 14 : 3, etc. ; Ezek. 4 : 14. the act of Cornelius the evidence ot his faith. He sends a great distance, to one apparently unknown to him, for instruction, declaring to the messengers Ms object, thus confessing to them his faith and his hope. Contrast his humility with Naa,man's pride (2 Kings 5 : 12). He received the kingdom of God as a little child. A KOMAU SOLDIER. 9, 10. Peter went up npon the house top. The housetop was flat, and was used com monly as a resort for conversation (1 Sam. 9 ; 26), for sleeping (2 Sam. le : 22), tor exercise (2 Sam. 11 : 2), for observation (jndgea le : 27; Isa. 22 ; i), for Idolatrous worship (s Kinga 23 : 12 i Zeph. 1 : s), for publlc moum- ing (i»a. 15 : 3 ; Jer. 48 : 28), for festival Celebrations (Neh. 8 : 16), and f Or a variety ot domestic purposes. —About the sixth hour. 13 m.— Would have eaten. Desired to eat. — Fell into a trance. His hunger was a preparation not for the trance, but for the vision which ensued. But for his hunger, the direction, Kill and eat, would have had less force. The trance is mentioned va. the Bible only here, in ch. 33 : 17, and In Numb. 24 : 4:, 16. Among scientific men it Is a recog nized mental condition, in which the mind loses the consciousness of outer objects, and is bome away, so to speak. Into another world of thought. It difEers from the dream in that It Is unconnected with any natural sleep ; and from the vision, because in the latter, tbe person retains his consciousness, and the objects shown to him possess a real existence. 11, Vi. And saw heaven opened, etc. In Interpreting this language we are to remem ber that it describes what was seen tn a trance, and, like the ordinary descriptions of a dream, is incapable of exact interpretation. The vessel was not a great sheet, but something like a great sheet, let down by the tour corners to the earth. It contained, not all manner of four-footed beasts, etc., a modification ot the original unnecessarily made by the translators, but all four-footed beasts, etc. — i. e., the Impres sion on Peter's mind was that of the whole ani mal creation presented to him. To the Jew's mind the clean would have been polluted by eon- tact with tbe unclean, so that all would have been aUke prohibited. Neander suggests that in tbe four comers there is an Intimation that men from the North, and the South, and tbe East, and tbe West, would appear as clean before God, and be called to a participation in bis kingdom, 13, 14. There came a voice to him. Cb. 11 ; 7 indicates an external and audible voice. — Kill and eat. This direction shows tbe dream like character of the occurrence. He could not have eaten the animal food without cooking, for which there was no provision. — By no means, liOrd. The negative Is emphatic— Common and unclean. This is the best reading; the conjunction or has been substituted for and to conform to cb. 11 : 8. The distinction between clean and unclean dates from as early as the flood (Gen. 7 ; 2). It Is lucorporatcd In the Mosaic law ; the fullest and most Important account of its provisions on this subject are contained In Lev., chaps. 11-15. The most essential features of these provisions were the following : (a.) All liv ing animals were clean, all dead bodies unclean, and this because death is the punishment of sin, and the corpse a symbol of moral putrefaction. (6. ) It was necessary to make provision for human food ; wherefore certain animals were allowed to be slaughtered for that purpose. The law pre- 136 THB ACTS. [Ch. X. 15 And the voice stake unto him again the second time. What God hath cleansed,'' that call not thou common. 16 This was done thrice : and the vessel was received up again into heaven. 17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made inqui ry ¦ for Simon's house, aud stood before the gate, 18 And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. ig While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit' said unto him. Behold, three men seek thee. 20 Arise "= therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing : for I have sent them. zi Then Peter went down to the men which were sent unto him from Cornelius ; and said. Behold, I am he whom ye seek : what is the cause wherefore ye are come? 22 And they said, Cornelius*^ the centurion, a just man, and one that feareth God, and of good report^ among all the nation of the Jews, was warned from God by an holy angel, to send for thee into his house, and to hear words of thee. 23 Then called he them in, and lodged them. And on the morrow Peter went away with them, and cer tain^ brethren from Joppa accompanied him. Matt. 15:11; Rom. 14 : 14, etc. ; 1 Cor. 10 : 25 ; I Tim. 4:4 a ch. 9 : 43 b ch. 11 : e cb. 22 : 12 ; Heb. 11 : 2 f veree 45. . .c ch. 15 : 7 d verse 1, etc. . scribed tbe animals and tbe method of slaughter. (c.) Its discrimination between clean and unclean animals, i. c, between those permitted and those prohibited as food, accords with, though not necessarily founded on, those sanitary principles which experience Indicates as ot nearly universal application. The ancient heathen laws agreed substantially In their discrimination on this sub ject with the laws ot Moses, (d.) There was one Important exception, the Gentile laws applied only to the priestly classes, the Jewish law to all the people. The revelation to Peter here shows clearly that the distinction was not merely sani tary, but symbolical and spiritual. For while sanitary laws remain unchanged, the death of Christ has taken away the sting and shame of death (i Cor. 15 ; 55-57), and purified all things. See on next verse. 15, 16. What God hath cleansed call not thou common. The Lord, by his direc tion to Peter, declares the O. T. distinction be tween clean and unclean meats abolished, and this because Christ, by his death, has cleansed all thijgs, for those who accept them to faith and with prayer and thanksgiving (Rom. 14 : 14-17 ; 1 Cor. 10 : 25, 26 J I Tim. 4 : 4, 5), hIs redemption Including In Its scope and power the whole physical universe (Ephea. 1 : 10 ; Goi. 1 ; 2o). But thls Is Only the symboI ; the especial truth symbolized is that Christ hath cleansed humanity, having taken away the sin of the world (John 1 : 29), SO that henceforth there Is no form of humanity, so debased In Ignorance and vice, as to be common and unclean to him who sees In every human being a soul for which Christ has poured out his cleansing blood. — Done thrice. To render tbe communication more emphatic (Gen. 41 1 82). — The vessel was received up again into heaven. Perhaps the descent trom heaven and the return to heaven may. be taken to indicate that from both the clean (the Jew), and the unclean (the Gen tile), is composed the host who have made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb (Rev. 7 ; 14). 17, 18. Stood before the gate. Which closed the arched entrance to the courtyard around which the Jewish house was usually built. For plan and illustration, see Matt. 36 : 69, note. — And called. To the porter whose busi ness it was to tend the door. There Is no ground whatever for Neander's assertion that the voices of these messengers attracted Peter's attention ; on tbe contrary, the implication of ver. 19 is that he knew nothing ot their coming tiU the Spirit bade him go down. 19, 20. While Peter was revolving in his mind concerning the vision. Dreams and visions were universally regarded In those days as revelations of the divine will ; Peter was still turning this vision over in mind to deduce from it the lesson intended, perhaps praying to God to Interpret It to bim, when, in answer to his prayer, came the message of tbe Spirit to him to go down and go with the men inquiring for him. Observe iu his case, as in that ot Cornelius, Peter was required to do something to show his obedi ence and faith, and this while the vision was still an unsolved mystery. — Doubting nothing. That is, without scruple or hesitation. When the invitation to preach the Gospel to a heathen was delivered to him by the messengers, he would, but for this revelation, have scrupled to comply. See ver. 38. — I have sent them. Because Cor nelius, In sending them, acted under the guid ance of tbe Holy Spirit. 21-23. Which were sent nnto him from Cornelius. These words are wanting in the best MSS. — A just man and one that feareth God. Coupling this with the declaration of verse 3, that he gave much alms to the people, we have In Cornelius a character which corresponds to the divine requirement as Interpreted by Mi cah 6:8," What doth the Lord require ot thee but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?" He was just In his military administration ; he was charitable to the needy ; he was a worshipper ot Jehovah ; and he had such respect to the Jewish religion as to be favorably regarded by the Jews. — All the nation of the Jews. That is, all of that nationality in Csesarea, or Its vicinity.— And lodged them. It was too late to return to Caesarea the same day. The men had started Ch. X.] THB ACTS. 137 24. .^nd the morrow after they entered into Csesarea. And Cornelius waited for them, and had called togeth er his kinsmen and near friends. 25 And as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met lilm, and fell down at his feet, and worsliipped him. 26 But Peter took him up, saying, Stand 8 up ; I my self also am a man. 27 And as he talked with him, he went in, and found many that were come together. 28 And he said unto them, Ye know how that it is an unlawfiil thing •» for a man that is a Jew to keep company, or come unto one of another nation ; but God hath shewed me' that I should not call any man common or unclean. 29 Ttierefore came I unto you without gainsaying, as soon as I was sent for : I ask, therefore, for what intent ye have sent for me ? 30 And Cornelius said. Four days ago I was fasting until this hour : and at tne ninth hour I prayed in my house ; and, behold, a man stood before me J in bright clothing, 31 And said, Cornelius, thy' prayer is heard, and thme alms are had in remembrance in the sight of God. ^ 32 Send therefore to Joppa, and call hither Simon, whose surname is Peter: he is lodged in the house of one Simon a tanner, by the sea side ; who, when he cometh, shall speak unto thee. 33 Immediately therefore I sent to thee: and thou hast well done that thou art come. Now' therefore e ch. 14 : 14, 15; Rev. 19 : 10; 93 : 9 h John 4:9 1 ch. 15 : 8, 9 ; Ephes. 3:6 j ch. I : 10; Matt. 28 ; 3 . k verse 4, etc. ¦ Dan 10 : 12 ; Heb. 6 : 10. . . .1 Deut. 5 : 27. after 3 p. M. ot the preceding day (veis. 3, ?) ; they had thirty miles to travel, and could not, there fore, have reached Joppa till well on In the sec ond day ; It was noon when Peter went up on to the housetop to pray ; and since then the trance had taken place. It was now, therefore, after noon, perhaps well on toward early evening. — Certain brethren from Joppa accompa nied him. In the investigation which ensued, they confirmed Peter's account (ch. 11 : i2,note). 24-27. And the morrow after. That is, the day after starting. Thirty miles is more than a day's joumey ; the accuracy of statement in detail indicates that Luke's Informant was an eye-witness of the events. — Near friends. Inti mate friends. Observe the indication ot the strength of his faith. He had sent a distance ot thirty miles, after a stranger, yet such was his assurance ot a favorable response that he had gathered his kinsfolk and friends before Peter's arrival. — Fell down at his feet and rever enced him. Not literally worshipped him (Mali. 8 : 2, note). The homage of an inferior to a supe rior Is indicated here ; Cornelius recognized In Peter a divine messenger, a prophet ot the Lord. That a Roman centurion should have prostrated himself at the feet of a Jewish fisherman. Is an evidence of his earnestness and his appreciation ot divine things. — I myself also am a man. Comp. ch. 14 : 15 ; Rev. 23 : 8, 9. It would be well if Peter's successors had succeeded to Pe ter's feeling. Jesus never refused similar hom age (Matt. 8 : 2; 9 ; 18 J 14 : 33, etc.). WaS he leSS Zeal- ous for the worship ot God than his disciples ? — He went in. Cornelius, expecting him, had gone out and met Peter, perhaps at the gate, possibly on the road to Joppa. 28, 29. How that it is an unlawful thing for a man that is a Jew to keep company with, or come unto one of an other nation. The 0. T. law forbade Inter marriage with the heathen, and discouraged inti macy of relationship with them (oeut. 7 : 1, 2, le, 23-26 ; 12 : 27-32) ; but neither the O. T. nor the Rabbini cal rules forbade all commerce between Jews and Gentiles. In that case the Jews could not have lived scattered throughout heathen lands. Social fellowship with GentUes was, however, accounted uidawtul. "Those foreigners who come to us, without submitting to our laws, Moses permitted not to have any intimate con nection with us." — (Jos., Contra Apion, 2 : 28.) So Juvenal says that the Jews " would not show the way, except to their fellow-rellgionlsts ; nor guide any but a circumcised person to a fountain of which he was In search;" and Tacitus, that "they cherished against all mankind the hatred of enemies ; they were separate in board and bed." So to-day. In India, the Hindoo deals with the English in business affairs, but rarely admits him to his house, or to any social fellow ship. The language of ch. 11 : 3 Indicates that on Peter's flrst entering, food was set before him, as, after a long joumey, would naturally have been done. In accordance with almost universal Eastem custom. It was this social fellowship with Gentiles to which he here refers, and for which he was subsequently criticised. — But God hath shewed me. He now understood th3 vision. Cornelius preached the Gospel to Peter no less than Peter to Cornelius, each teach ing the other its universality. — Without gain saying. Contrast Peter's promptness with the hesitation of Moses (Exod. 4 ; 10, 13) and ot Jeremiah (jcr. 1 : 6), and his gladness with the moroseness of Jonah (jonah 4 : 1). 30-33. Four days ago I was fasting. There Is some difficulty about the proper ren dering of this verse ; but that afforded by our English version accords with the original, and is the most probable. The other view regards the fast of Comellus as lasting tor tour days, i. e., trom the morning of the fourth preceding day to the time of tbis Interview witb Peter. But this Is not a necessary translation, and why should he continue to fast after receiving an answer to his prayer (vera. 4-6) ? — A man stood before me in bright clothing. He Is here described accord ing to his appearance, in verse 3 and in ch. 11 : 13 according to the reality ; here as a man, there as 128 THE ACTS. [Oh. X. are we all here present before God, to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. 34 Then Peter opened his mouth, and said, Of a truth I perceive that God >n is no respecter of persons : 35 But in" every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him. 36 The word which God sent unto the children of Is rael, preaching peace" by Jesus Christ: (he is p Lord of all :) 37 That word, / say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judsea, and began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached ; I Deut. 10 : 17 ; 2 Chron. 19 : 7 ; Job 34 : 1 ....o Isa. 67: 19; Col. 1 :20..,.p Ps. ; Rom. 2: II; Gal. 2:6:1 Pet. I : 17 n Rom. 2 : 13, 27 ; 3 : 22, 29; 10: 12,13; Ephea. 2: 18-18. i : 7-10 ; Matt. 28 : 18 ; Rom. 14 : 9 ; 1 Col. 16 : 27 ; Ephes. 1 : 20-22 ; I Pet. 3 : 22 ; Kev. 17 : 14. an angd. Comp. Matt. 28 : 5 with Mark 16 : 5. — Thy prayers are heard. See on verse 4. — Present before God * * * Commanded thee of God. Observe that Cornelius is atten tive, not to Peter the man, but to Peter as the commissioned messenger ot God. The presence ot God and the word of God are pre-eminent, the presence and word of Peter are subordinate. 34, 35. These two verses embody the lesson which this narrative Is Intended to teach. It contains a negative and an affirmative declara tion. The negative, that God is no respecter of persons, literally ot faces. Is equivalent to, God does not judge men by their external circum stances and conditions. It Is Interpreted by James 3 : 1, 9, where the verb is the same ; ac cords with tbe declaration of the O.'T. (ncnt. lo : 17 ; Lev. 19 : 16 ; I Sam. 16 : 7), and Is reiterated and con firmed by other passages in the N. T. (Rom. 2 : ii ; Ephea. 6 : 9 ; Col. 3 : 25). The affirmative. In every na tion he that feareth God and worketh righteous ness is accepted with him, indicates that race and nationality are among the external circum stances which do not affect tbe divine judgment. Two fundamental traits of character secure his approval, viz. , (1) a genuine reverence for and alle giance to the divine Being ; (2) a sincere endeavor to show forth that allegiance and reverence by practical right-doing in daily life. With this accords the teaching of Rom. 2 : 6-11. How, then, as to the heathen ? Taking the whole inci dent as a whole, noting the fact that In answer to the prayers of Cornelius Peter was sent to him, and the message with which he was charged was that of the Gospel, it clearly teaches, (1) that every man, whatever his race, education, or creed, who reverences God and shows forth his allegiance by right-doing according to his light, Is accepted by God ; (2) that this is no reason why tbe Gospel should not be preached to the heathen, both as a means for producing such reverence and righteousness of life, and also as an answer to the craving of soul of those in whom tbis spirit of piety is created ; (3) that such are received not for their righteousness, but In God's mercy, on the ground of repentance, i. e., aban donment of sin, .and faith, which in their case Is manifested, not by an acceptance of Christ be fore he bas been preached to them, but by a yearning for Christ, that Is quick to receive him when he is made known. The essential condi tions ot life eternal as here indicated are not dif ferent trom, but identical witb, those indicated elsewhere in the Scripture, as ofEered to those to whom the clear light ot the Gospel is un known. See Isaiah 55 : 7. The truth that this reverence lor God and this working of righteous ness are among the fruits of the Spirit, heard in the heart but not comprehended by It, Is not In issue here, any more than the truth that God's grace seeks as well as saves the sinner Is at issue In tbe parable ot the prodigal son. Every part of the Bible does not teach all the Gospel. See further ch. 11 : 14, note. 36, 37. The construction of these verses Is difiicult. Some scholars take 'Hhe word which God sent" to be an interpretation of what precedes, thus reading the entire passage, "/ perceive that Ood is no respecter of persons, etc., according to the word which God sent." So sub stantially Bengel, De Wette, Altord. I think it better to understand It as in our English ver sion, which makes the word (ver. 36) the object of the verb know (ver. 37). It is no objection to this view to say that Cornelius and bis friends did not know the word preached, tor how much they knew we have no means ot ascertaining except from this narrative. Thus rendering the passage, the declaration of Peter is that his auditors knew that Jesus Christ ministered throughout GalUee, working miracles and preach ing unto tbe children of Israel. It Is now made known both to him and them that this Jesus Is Lord of all. Gentile as well as Jew. — Preaching peace through Jesus Christ. Not, Preaching by Jesus Christ about peace, but, Proclaiming a peace afforded through tbe Ufe and death of Jesus Christ. Here It Is peace with God, soul- rest by his atonement and his Indwelling (inati. 11 : 29 ; Lnke 1 ; 79 ; 2 ; 14 ; John 14 : 27). — He is Lord of all. That Is, of all men. The larger truth that he is the Lord of all things, physical as well as spiritual (coi. i : i6, is), is not referred to here.— "That Avord ye know. That is, they knew that such a word had been preached to the chil dren of Israel. That the fame of Christ's minis try extended beyond the bounds of Judea, even during his Ufe, we know trom the Gospels (sinit. 4 : 24, 26 ; Mark 7 : 24). Philip had Subsequently preached tbe Gospel in Csesarea (ch. 8 : 40). It is very probable, too, that some of the soldiers present at Jerusalem at the Passover had re tumed to Caesarea, the Roman military head quarters, and had brought back reports ot tbe- Ch. X.] THE ACTS. 139 38 How God anointed ' Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power ; who ' went about doing eood, and- healing all that were oppressed" ol the devil : for' God was with him. 39 And we" are witnesses of all things which he did, both in the land of the Jews, and iu Jerusalem ; whom they slew and hanged on a tree : 40 Him God raised up' the third day, and shewed him openly ; 41 Not" to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before^ of God, even to us, who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. 42 And he commanded us? to preach unto the peo ple, and to testify that' it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. q Lnke 4: 18; Heb. 1 : 9....r Matt. 12 : 15 ...a 1 John 3:8. ...t John 3; 2. ...n oh. 2: 32; Luke 24:48....v Matt. 28 : 1, 14: 22; 20:20.... X John 15 : 16 y Matt. 28 : 19, 20....Z ch. 17 : 31 j John 5 : 22,27; 2 Cor. 6 : 10 ; 1 Pet. 4 : 6. ministry, the miracles, and the death of Jesus Christ ; and It has even been suggested that Comellus may have been the centurion who was present at Christ's crucffixion (Matt. 27 : 64; Mark 15:39).— And began from Galilee. It was from Galilee flrst that the fame of Jesus went abroad (Lnke 4 : 14, 37, 44 ; 7 : n j 9 : e). — After the baptism which John preached. Christ's pubUe ministry did not commence until John was cast into prison (Matt. 4 : 12), though some previous events In our Lord's lite, Including the conference with Nieodemus and the Samaritan woman, are recorded. 38. With the Holy Ghost and with power. The Holy Ghost descended upon Jesus immediately after his baptism. Bywer is not merely, as Dr. Hackett, the power to perform miracles, but the whole moral and spiritual might manifested by Christ's lite of doing good and healing. — Who went about doing good. A suggestive characterization of what Christ's life was, and what the Christian's life should be. — Healing all that were oppressed of the devil. The reference is to the casting out ot evil spirits from those possessed. See note on demonlaeal possession. Vol. I., p. 123. This Is singled out by Peter, as by Christ himself (Matt. 12 : 27, 28), as a coucluslve demonstration of his divine power. — For God was with him. The secret of Christ's power, as of the power of his disciples, was God In him (john 14 : 10). 39-41. And we are witnesses. Having preached Christ, Peter declares to Comellus his own mission and character. What his Gentile auditors knew only as a rumor, he has come to bear witness to as a fact. — Whom they slew and hanged on a tree. Alford notices the difference between the spirit of his address here to the Gentiles concerning the Jews, and his ad dresses to the Jews themselves (ch. 2 : 23 ; 3 : 14 ; 4 : 10 J 5 : 30), when he was working conviction in the minds of those who had participated in the crucffixion. There he barely states the tact ; there he characterizes and condemns the guilt of the people in the crucffixion. — Him God raised up the third day. On the resurrec tion of Jesus Christ, see Vol. I., p. 330.— Not to all the people. In fact, no appearance ot Christ atter the resurrection Is recorded except to his own personal friends. This was perhaps for the same reason that he would not work miracles at the demand of the Pharisees, because he would not have the faith of the people rest upon signs and wonders (Matt. 12 ; as, 39 ; Luke 16 : 31). — XJnto witnesses chosen before of God. They are represented in the Gospels both as chosen by Christ (Luke 6 : 13 j John 16 : 16), and chosen by God and given to Christ (John 17 : e). — Who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. Luke 24 : 30, 41-43 ; John 21 : 12, 13, are instances of such meal-taking after the resurrection ; the object of which ap pears to have been to afford tangible evidence ot its reality. 42. And he commanded us to herald unto the people. Not as AUord, the Jewish people. It Is true that the apostles at flrst so limited the commission, but at tbe time of Christ's birth his advent was announced as glad tidings to all the people (Lnke 2 : 10) ; after his resur rection, in tbe great commission, he directed the apostles to preach the Gospel to every creature, teaching aU nations (Matt. 2S : 19 ; Mark 16 : 15) ; and just before his ascension he promised them that they should be witnesses unto the uttermost part ot the earth (ch. 1 ; s). Peter is beginning to understand the tuU meaning of the Lord's com mand, and his use of the term the people, without adding the qualifying phrase of Israel (oh. 4 : 10 ; 13 : 17, 24), Indicates the change at work, under the influence of the Spirit of God, In his mind. This change Is consummated wheu he sees the Holy Ghost evidently bestowed upon the Gentiles. — And to testify. This word suggests the sol emn and weighty import and the certain truth of the words of the apostles, sworn, as It were, to speak the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the tmth. Observe the double office of the minister : he Is a herald to announce news, and a witness to confirm It, by his own testimony f.nd that (see neit verse) of the word of God. — Ordained by God, Judge of the living and the dead. Not to be judge. The words to be are added need lessly by the translators. Christ is now the judge ; his life and character are the standard by which every man is to judge himself ; he shows what is the ideal of humanity, and so, how far we have fallen trom it. He Is also to be the judge, by announcing the divine judgments on the sons of men at the last day. See marg. ret. The living and 130 THE ACTS. [Ch.X. 43 To him ' give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever ^ believeth in him shall receive re mission of sins. 44 While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost ¦= fell on all them which heard the word. 43 And they** of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost : 46 For they heard them speak = with tongues, and magnify God. Then answered Peter, 47 Can ' any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we. 48 And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days. a Luke 24 : 27, 44 ; John 5 : . . h John 3 ; 14-17 ; Kom. 10 : 11 . . . . c ch. 4 : 31 . . . . d verae 23 e ch. 2 : 4 f ch. 6 : 12. the dead are here to be taken, primarily, UteraUy ot aU men, past, present, and to come ; so taken, there is no objection to add, secondarily, a spirit ual meaning, and understand It to indicate both saints and sinners. Observe how both here and in ch. 17 : 31, the judicial office of Christ is brought into prominence ; a phase of bis charac ter and work rarely mentioned In modem preach ing. He Is Judge, as well as Saviour. 43. To him give all the prophets wit ness. Not necessarily to be taken UteraUy. But it certainly Implies tbe unquestionable truth that Jesus Christ was tbe central theme of the body of O. T. prophecy, both spoken and sym bolical. See on cb. 3 : 21, 24.— That through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. Another of Luther's " little Gospels," for which the apos tles' speeches are very noteworthy. See eh. 2 : 38, 39 ; 3 : 19 ; 4 : 12 ; 5 : 31. Here Is embodied (1) tbe only means ot salvation, viz., the name of Jesus, which signifies Saviour from sin (Matt, i : 21, note ; Acta 4 : 12) ; (3) the Universality of the offer of salvation, Whosoever believeth ; (3) the condition of salvation, believeth in him — not believing any doctrine about him, nor merely believing what he says, but beUeviug, trusting, relying upon him, as the one supreme object of confidence (see Matt, is : 6, note) ; (4) the nature of salvation, the remission of sins; not merely the forgiveness, i. e., the remission of the future penalty, but the remis sion of tbe sin itself, the cleansing from all unrighteousness. See ch. 2 : 38, note, and 1 John 1:9. It is very true that Peter's hearers prob ably did not, and even Peter possibly did not, tuUy comprehend the fuU significance of the lan guage. Tbe case Is one in which the Holy Spirit conveys more than the Immediate hearers could understand, and possibly more than the speaker himself understood. 44-46. While Peter was yet speaking. He was going on to say more, when interrupted by the manifestation ot the gift of the Spirit (ch. 11 : 16).— The Holy Ghost fell on them that heard the word. Not merely moved on their hearts and minds ; this he bad done before. In awakening in them a desire for a knowledge of the truth (see on ver. 2o) ; but, manifested his presence by an extemal revelation ot his power, here by conferring on tbe GentUes the power of speaking with tongues. See ch. 8 : 16, note.— They of the circumcision, etc. The Jewish Christians who had come with Peter (ch. ii : 12).— Speak with tongues. See ch. 2 : 4, note. 'The gift of the Holy Ghost was bestowed on aU that heard, and this declaration, coupled with the baptism which followed, impUes that aU accepted the word. 47, 48. Can any forbid the water that these should not be baptized ? Alford's deduction from the form of expression here, the water, that "the practice was to bring the water to the candidates, not the candidates to the water," appears to me tar-fetched. It is not by such Inferences that we can learn the apostolic practice as regards baptism, it Indeed, which I doubt, the form and method used by them Is, or Is meant to be, discoverable by us. But his comment on the fact that the bestowal ot the Holy Ghost preceded baptism is both trae and important. "The fire of the Lord feU, ap proving the sacrifice of the Gentfles (see Rom. 15 : le), conferring on them the substance before the symbol, tbe baptism with the Holy Ghost before the baptism with water: and teaching us that as the Holy Spirit dispensed once and tor all with the necessity ot circumcision in the flesh, so can he also, when it pleases him, with the necessity of water baptism ; and warning the Christian church not to put baptism Itself in the place which circumcision once held." He commanded them to be baptized. " By others ; he devolved the service on his atten dants.' ' — (Saekett. ) The facts that our Lord never baptized (John 4 : 2), and the apostles apparently rarely (i Cor. 1 : 14), Is slgnfficant, indicating that they held the rite to be quite subordinate to the preaching of the word, to which they chiefly gave themselves. It Is also Indicated that no minis terial ordination was required to perform the rite ; there is nothing to indicate that any of Peter's companions held any official position in the Christian church. — Certain days. There is nothing to Indicate how long Peter remained. Ch. 11 ! 1-30. RESULT OF THE EEVEIATION TO PETEE. FPUTHER OPENING OF THE DOOB TO THE GENTILES. The teaohins of God's Sphut acoeptsd BT THE CHunoH.— The QITT OT God's gbace is always A SOPPIOIENT TOKEN OP God's APPROBATION. — TOT Ch. XL] THE ACTS. 131 CHAPTER XI. AND the apostles and brethren that were in Judaea heard that the Gentiles had also received the word of God. 2 And when Peter was come up to Jerusalem, they k that were of the circumcision contended with him, 3 Saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and didst eat with them. 4 But Peter rehearsed the matter from the begin ning, and expounded it by order uuto them, saying, 5 I was in the city of*' Joppa, praying : and in a trance I saw a vision, A certain vessel descend, as it had been a great sheet, let down from heaven by four comers ; and it came even to me : 6 Upon the which when I had fastened mine eyes, I considered, and saw four-footed beasts of the earth, and wild beasts, and creeping things, and fowls of the air. 7 And I heard a voice saying unto me. Arise, Peter ; slay, and eat. 8 But I said, Not so. Lord : for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. g But the voice answered me again from heaven, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. IO And this was done three times: and all were drawn up again into heaven. II And, behold, immediately there were three men already come unto the house where I was, sent from Csesarea unto me. g ch. 10 : 23, 28 ; Gal. 2:12 h ch. 10 : 9, etc. SYMBOL TJNIMPOBTANT ; THE SPIRIT ESSENTIAL. — THE CONPIEMATION OP PETEB'S VISION IN THE CONVER SION OF THE Gentiles. — Barnabas illustbatbs the TEACHABLE DISPOSITION OP THE TRUE DISCIPLE. — Christian benevolence should be iNDivrotrAL, UNIVERSAL, VOLUNTARY, RELATIVE TO PECUNIARY ABILITY. -Benevolence at home helps to prepare THE church at AnTIOCH FOB FOREIGN MISSIONARY WORK. This chapter traces stUl further the develop ment in the mind of the church of the truth that the Gospel is tbe power of God to every one that beUeveth, both Jew and GentUe. Peter's course in consorting with Gentfles is criticised ; he sub mits himseU to the investigation ot the brethren at Jerusalem ; on his account ot the tacts, they accept, with him, the manifest wfll ot God ; that wfll Is further manifested by the Influence of the Spirit ot God, accompanying the preaching ot the Gospel to the Greeks, especiaUy In Antioch. This narrative leads to an account ot the estab lishment of tbe Christian church there, the origin of the name Christian, the preparation tor the subsequent missionary work of Paul and Bama bas, and In this connection Paul's second visit to the apostles at Jerusalem. The account Is not chronological ; at ver. 19 it goes back and recounts the effects of the persecution which Saul had instigated (ch. 8 : 2-4), and which, continuing after his conversion, paved the way for his subsequent Christian missionary work. Thus Luke brings together In this chapter the separate threads of his narrative, the whole of which is devoted to an account of the extension of the Gospel beyond the borders of Judaism, but by three concurrent instrumentaUties : (1) by the dispersion of the Jewish Christians through the persecution Inau gurated by Saul, narrated in ch. 8 : 2^, and here In verses 19-21 ; (2) by the missionary labors of Pbflip (ch. 8 : 5-40), and Peter (9 ; 32 to ch. 10 : 48), the preaching to and baptism of the Gentfles by the latter being conflrmed by the church at Jerusa lem (ver. is) ; (3) by the labors of Saul, whose biography, broken ofl at ch. 9 : 30, is resumed here at ver. 25, to be broken off again, and again resumed in ch. 12 : 25, and made thereafter the centre of the history, as he was the great apostle to the GentUes, and therefore the great instru ment In spreading the Gospel among the heathen. The dates covered by tbe events In this chapter extend trom A. d. 36 to a. d. 44 or 45. See chronological table In Introduction. 1-3. And the brethren that were through out Judea. That Is, belonging to the different churches In the province ot Judea. With the exception of sojourners In Jerusalem, these would nearly all be Hebrews by birth and educa tion. — Had also accepted the word of God. Not merely received the word, but acknowl edged Its truth and professed allegiance to It ; their reception Into the church is ImpUed. The word of God Is equivalent to the Gospel. Comp. ch. 4 : 31 ; 6:2; 8 : 14.— They that were of the circumcision. That is, the Hebrew Chris tians ; probably such proselytes as were In Judea were not prominent In this complaint. Later, there grew up in the Christian church a consider able party who maintained that circumcision was a prerequisite to Christian discipleship ; in other words, that the Gospel was offered only to those who were by birth, or by their own choice, Jews. Ch. 15 : 1 ; Gal. 5 : l-«, 12 ; 6 : 12. —And didst eat with them. This social fellowship with the Gentfles was the gravamen of the charge against Peter. See ch. 10 : 28, note. 4. But Peter beginning set before them in order, saying. That Is, he began at the beginning, and gave a consecutive narrative of his experience : his vision at Joppa, the message to bun trom Cornelius, the report by Cornelius of his own vision, the consequent preaching ot the Gospel to him and his friends, and the re sult. Observe that Peter is called to an account not only by the apostles, but also by the laity (the brethren), that he recognizes their right, and answers their Inquiries. He claims no apos tolic — certainly no papal — authority. 5-10. See ch. 10 : 9-16, notes. One or two points in the narrative here are' noticeable. It came even to me, indicates that the vision was not dim, distant, nor indistinct ; upon the which when 1 had fastened mine eyes I considered, UteraUy, upon 132 THE ACTS. [Ch. XL 12 And the Spirit ' bade me go with them, notliing doubting. Moreover, tliese six brethren accompanied me ; and we entered into the man's house : 13 And he shewed us how he had seen an angel in his house, which stood and said unto him, Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter ; 14 Who shall tell thee words,! whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. 15 And as I began to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them, as "^ on us at the beginning. 16 Then remembered 1 the word of the Lord, how that he said, John' indeed baptized with water ; but" ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost. 17 Forasmuch then as God gave ° them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, what" was I, that I could withstand God ? 18 When they heard these things, they held their peace, and glorified God, saying, Then hath God also to the Gentiles P granted repentance unto life. 19 Now they 1 which were scattered abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen, travelled as far as Phenice, and Cyprus, and Antioch, preaching the word to none but' unto the Jews only. . .j Ps. 19 : 7-11 i John 6 : 63, 68. n cli. 15 : 8. 9 o Rom. 9 : ..k ch. 2:4 I ch. 1 : 6: Matt. 3 : II; John 1 :S6, 33....m laa. 44 : 3 ; Joel 3:28.... 21-26 p Rom. 10: 12, 13; 15; 9, 16... q ch. 8 : 1 r Matt. 10:6. which, intent, I considered. Indicates that the voice did not speak to him untU he not only observed but pondered the meaning ; I heard a voice, Indi cates an audible voice. 11-14. See ch. 10 : 17-33, notes. Only from Peter's account here do we leam the number who accompanied him, six brethren. The lan guage Implies that they were present with him at this Investigation to verify his account. An angel, should be rendered the angd. The use of the definite article impUes that Peter's auditors had previously heard of the angeUc appearance to Comellus. In his house Is Inserted, it appears to me, not, as Alexander, to Indicate that Cor- neUus was not liable to be ' deceived, since it appeared to him ia his own house, but as an authority tor Peter's course ; If an angel of God could enter the house of a Gentile to bring a message of grace, surely Peter need not hesi tate to do so. — Who shall tell thee words whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved. Comp. ch. 10 : 6, 33. Tbe language here specifies more accurately than there the nature of the Information which ComeUus was expecting. It does not, however, necessarily imply that he and his house were not already In the way ot salvation, and ch. 10 : 3, 4, 31, 35 clearly indicates that before Peter came to him he was accepted by God. The language here, however, justifies the conclusion that he had no assurance of salvation, and that in his case It was the mission of the Gospel to bring peace by Jesus Christ (ch. lo : 35) to a heart already saved by divine grace, but lacking that restful assur ance ot salvation which only^he Gospel can im part. The promise to his house does not neces sarily Imply the salvation of the children on the faith of the father, for. In ch. 10 : 2, It is said that all his house feared God. 13-18. As I began to speak. Evidently the sermon (ch. 10 ; 34-43) was broken off by the manifest descent of the Holy Ghost. — As also npon us in the beginning. That Is, In the same manner as upou ns, and so with evident manifestation of power (oh. 10 : 46). — The word of the Lord. See ch. 1 : 5. This outpouring of the Spirit reoaUed and gave new slgnlflcance to Christ's promise. — What was I, that I could restrain God ? Tbe argument In the apostle's mind was this : Christ had promised the outpouring of his Spirit, that baptism of the Holy Ghost which John the Baptist had foretold (Matt. 3 ; 11) ; of this, water-baptism was only the symbol ; since this baptism of the Holy Ghost had been conferred by God upon the GentUes, how could Peter refuse to confer the symbol? The argument is one ot various application. Whenever we refuse to accept the work of God manifested in the hearts and Uves of men, be cause It Is not wrought according to our chosen ecclesiastical methods, or with the instruments which we have been accustomed to approve, we endeavor to restrain or limit God. — They held their peace and glorified God. Their ob jections were sUenced ; but praise was inspired. — Surely then to the Gentiles also God has given repentance nnto life. Not an opportunity to repent. The Jews never doubted that the GentUes might repent, be circumcised, and by thus becoming Jews become also heirs of etemal life. The language is to be taken lit erally ; to the Gentiles, whUe stfll Gentiles, God had granted repentance, a change of heart and life. The church accepts Peter's argument and his conclusion ; the divine result in gracious fruit Is tbe conclusive demonstration of divine approval, however strange the method by which It Is reached. Observe that repentance elsewhere commanded (Matt. 4 r 17 ; Acta 3 : 38) is here, as in ch. 5 : 31, treated as a divine gift, the disposition to repent being Itself awakened by the Spirit of God. It makes no real difEerence In the spirit ual meaning of the passage whether we connect unto life, as does Dr. Hackett, with repentance, understanding the meaning to be, Bepentance unto l\fe (2 Cor. 7 ; 10), or, as Alford, with the verb granted, understanding the meaning to be, he has bestowed this gift of repentance that they may attain unto lite. From this hour dates the division in the Christian church ; one party, the Judaizlng taction, putting the rite of circum cision above the spiritual significance ot the rite, the other accepting the teaching of God's Spirit, and conferring baptism upon and extend- Ch. XL] THE ACTS. 133 ing Christian feUowshlp to the uncircumcised. In different forms the contest has reappeared in the Christian church whenever the extemal forms have been put above the Inward spirit of religion. It is a noteworthy fact that, notwith standing Peter was the flrst to extend Christian f eUowshIp to the GentUes, he subsequently drew back (Gal. 2 : ll-u). 19. Now they which were scattered abroad upon the persecution which arose about Stephen. As described iu ch. 8 : 3-4. The historian goes back to the dispersion, there narrated, ot the Jewish Christians, produced by the persecutions instigated by Saul, and traces its results down to the time subsequent to Saul's conversion and first visit to Jerusalem, and sub sequent to the revelation to Peter, and his visit to ComeUus. — Traveled as far as Phenice. A smaU but important commercial country, trom one to twenty mUes wide, and trom 150 to 180 nules long, lying between the crest of Lebanon and the sea. Itself a fruitful country, Its fleets carried not only its own products, but those of Assyria, Babylon, and Egypt, to the Greeks and other inhabitants of Europe and of Northern and Westem Africa. It was peopled by the descend ants of Ham, and its principal cities, which were ordinarily independent, uniting only under the most powerful In time of danger, were Sidon, Tyre, Berytus, Byblus, Tripolls, and Aradus. Greece claims to have borrowed letters from the Pheniclans, and their characters are unquestion ably older than the Hebrew, of which they were perhaps the origin. They worshipped. In cruel rites, the sun, moon, and planets by the appel lations of Baal and Ashtoreth, and had a most pemlclous efEect upon the Israelites. The land is frequently referred to in the O. T. by the title ot its chief cities, Tyre and Sidon. Recent explorations bring to light much interesting proof ot the pro ficiency ot the Pheniclans In many of the arts. And Cyprus. A large Island in the Mediter ranean, about 60 mUes from the coast ot Pales tine. It Is fertile, though not extensively culti vated, and produces cotton, wine, and fruits. It has also Lome mineral products. Atter be- longuig to Egypt, Persia, and Greece, it became a Roman possession a, d. 58, and was added to Cilicia. It Is frequently mentioned In Scripture, and Is especially notable as being the birthplace of Bamabas, as early sending out Christian preachers, and as being the first point reached by Paul and Bamabas In their first missionary journey. Salamis, at one end of the island, and Paphos, at the other, were the principal cities. This island is now an object of great interest, since, in the recent explorations of Di Cesnola, a vast amount ot treasure bas been added to the antiquities which reveal so much respecting the ancients ; while to the devout student ot the Bible they are especIaUy valuable, because in so many points they testify to its truth. And Antioch. That is, Antioch In Syria. See map. This city, the capital ot the Greco-Syrian ANTIOCH IN STKIA. kings, was situated nearly In the angle formed by the coasts of Syria and Asia Minor, and In the vaUey where the river Orontes passes be tween the ranges of Lebanon and Tau. Its situ ation and circumstances were such as to make it a place of concourse tor all classes and kinds ot people. It possessed peculiar Inland and mari time privileges. The trade of the Mediterranean and that of the caravans from Mesopotamia and Arabia met here. For the first two centuries of the Christian era It was the "Gate of the East," and only gradually did Constantinople win trom it this honor. It was, in the time of Augus tus, a tetrapolis, a union of four cities buUt by the first and second Seleucus and the third and fourth Antlochus. Prosperous as it was under the Greek kings of Syria, it became still more so under the Roman rule,, when it was declared a 134 THE ACTS. [Ch. XL 20 And some of them were men of Cjrprus and Cy rene, which, when they were come lo Antioch, spake unto the Grecians," preaching tlie Lord Jesus. 21 And the' hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned « unto the Lord. 22 Then tidings of these things came unto the ears s ch. 6: 1; 9: 3g....t Luke 1 : 66 .. ..n ch. 16: 19; 1 Thesa. 1 : 9. free city. Antioch was one to two miles wide, and between tour and five miles long, trom east to west. It was encompassed by waUs 50 feet high and 15 feet thick, which were carried at a prodigious expense over ravines and the ridge of the mountain on the south, and whose re mains even now, after aU the ravages ot time and the havoc of war, astonish the traveler. Within these walls the city was divided Into four wards, each surrounded with Its own wall. The streets, symmetrical and regular, were flanked by colonnades and decorated with statuary ; and the main street, or Corso, built by Herod the Great, more than a league in length, and orna mented with four ranges of columns, formed two covered galleries, with a wide avenue In the midst. There were Immense publlc buildings and wonderfuUy beautiful statues — the noblest speclmeus of Grecian art. Having, too, a most delightful climate, it Is not strange that It gath ered from every quarter a population reckoned at over 500,000, among whom the languages spoken and the costumes worn were singularly diverse. Foremost In refinement and culture, false though they were, Antioch was also fore most In luxury and vice. It is probable that no populations were ever more abandoned than those of oriental Grecian cities under the Roman empire, and of these cities Antioch was one of the greatest and worst. Frivolous amusements were daily occupations, and vice the business of life. Though the terrible degradation did not sink into mere ugly vulgarity. It was none the less terrible because surrounded by beauty of art and tbe infinite charm of nature. It was a city of races, games, dances, processions, fetes, debaucheries, the fanaticism ot the orgy, the most unhealthy superstitions, and the most un bridled luxury. Its famous suburb was an epitome ot tbe city — the lovely Daphne, where the heathen gods Diana aud Apollo were en shrined in a temple, embosomed In groves of cy presses and myrtles ten miles In circumference — with fountains and buildings, crowds ot licentious votaries, and processions of pleasure-seekers In toxicated with sensuality — where "all that was beautiful in nature and In art had created a sanctuary for a perpetual festival ot vice." To this city, with Its outreaching radii, Divine wis dom directed the missionary disciples ; upon this "heathen queen" they made their earliest attack, and their victory in tbe power of the Lord was here made memorable, though unwit tingly, by those proud scomers who gave us the name ot "Christians." Nothing but ruins re mains of this one of the great cities of the world, and the changing ot the river's course and the earthquake have almost obUterated these. But unto the Jews only. This phrase shows that It is tbe ministry ot the dispersed Jewish Christians Immediately after Stephen's death that is here referred to, three years pre vious to Paul's visit to Jerusalem and conterence with Peter (ch. 9 : 27, ss ; Gai. i : 18), and probably some time previous to Peter's visit to Comellus. Their preaching to the Jews only, accorded with Christ's commission to the twelve while he was stiU Uving (Matt. 10 ; 6), and with their practice for the first few years after his resurrection and as cension. The first preaching, except to the Jews, was that of PhUip in Samaria (ch. 8 ; c) ; the first pubUc preaching to heathen, that mentioned In the next verse. 20, 21. Men of Cyprus and Cyrene. That is, natives ; but probably Jewish proselytes who had become Christians. Less blinded by Jewish prejudice, these proselytes were more ready than tbe Jewish Christians to accept the doctrine that the Gospel was tor GentUe as well as Jew. Cyrene was a city of Libya, on the north coast of Africa. For description, see Matt. 37 : 33, note. These exiles and missionaries traveled both north to Phenice and south and west to Africa. See map. — Spake also nnto the Grecians. Rath er the Greeks (%i.Xr]rag, not 'iXlrinatdg, Is the best reading ; see Hackett and Altord). Grecian Jews cannot be meant, tor the Gospel had been already preached to them, and they were a recognized and even important part ot tbe Christian church at Jerusalem (ch. 6 : 1) ; but the uncircumcised Greeks, tbe GentUes, In opposition to the "Jews only" of tbe preceding verse, which would In clude proselytes as well as Jews by birth. Whether this preaching to the Gentiles took place prior or subsequent to Peter's visit to Cor nelius we have no means ot determining. Ap parently the two events, the outpouring ot the Holy Spirit there, and tbe conversion of the Gen tUes here, with the report of Bamabas respecting it, were concurrent and nearly contemporaneous events, by which God's providence taught the church the fuU meaning of Christ's commission In Matt. 38 : 19 and Acts 1 : 8.— Preaching the liOrd Jesns. That is, proclaiming him as both Lord of aU, as in ch. 10 : 36, and Jesus, i. e.. Sa viour (Matt. 1 : 21) tor all ; else there would have been no significance in the fact stated that they I proclaimed him to the Greeks.— The hand of Ch. XL] THE ACTS. 135 of the church which was in Jerusalem : and they sent forth Barnabas," that he should go as far as Antioch. 23 Who, when he came, and bad seen the grace of God, was glad,* and exhorted'' them aU, that with purpose y ot» heart they would cleave unto the Lord. 24 For he was a good man, and full " of the Holy Ghost and of faith : and "^ much people was added unto the Lord. 25 Then " departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: V ch.9:37....w 3 Jobn 4....I ch. 13:43; 14: 3....y Pa. 17 ;3; o ch. 9 : 2 Cor. 1 i 37, 30. 17 z Prov. 23 : ...a oh. 6 : 6....b TOrse 21.... the Lord. Comp. Luke 1 : 66. The hand Is a symbol of power ; here probably, as in ch. 4 : 30, it was stretched forth to heal, thus affording a manifest sign of Divine approval on this exten sion of the evangelistic work to the Gentiles. — Turned to the Lord. That Is, turned trom their heathen faith and practices, and accepted tbe new faith, and Christ as their Lord. This, no less than the miracles, afforded a sign ot Divine approval ; for though success is not al ways a proof of God's approbation, spiritual success In spiritual work always Is. 22. They sent forth Barnabas. It is hardly doubtful what the object of this commis sion was. The Christians at Jerusalem criticised Peter tor eating with uncircumcised heathen (ver. 3) ; and subsequently Christians from Jeru salem Insisted on circumcision as a condition of admission to the church (oh. is : i) ; we may as sume, therefore, that these Jewish Christians would think the reception of Gentiles as Chris tian converts an offence. The object of this mission, then, was probably to Inquire into the supposed irregularity, and to correct it. Tet it is a noticeable tact that they sent tor this pur pose not a Judean, but a native of Cyprus, and one therefore who would be in sympathy with those whose errors they thought required correction. This view of the mission of Bama bas is confirmed by the verses which foUow. It is observable that not an apostle, but an unoffi cial member of the church, was sent on this mis sion, being selected trom personal, not official, considerations. On the life and character ot Bamabas, see ch. 4 : 36, note.— To go through (the churches) even to Antioch. He was to make a pastoral visitation ot tbe churches be tween Jemsalem and Antioch, inquiring Into their condition, and probably reporting results to the church at Jerusalem. 23, 24. Who when he came and had seen the grace of God. In the conversion of the GentUes. — Was glad. An Intimation that he had doubted whether he should find their conversion genuine.— And exhorted them all. GentUes as weU as Jews. — That with purpose of heart. Rather consecration ot heart. The Greek word rendered purpose (ngo^caig) means UteraUy setting forth, and is used to designate the shew-bread (Matt. 12 : 4; Mark 2 : 26; Luke 6 : 4) which was set before and consecrated to the Lord. Here the "purpose of heart " is a, heart slmUarly set before God by being wholly conse crated to his service. — They would cleave nnto the Lord. Continue with him ; abide In bim (John 16 : 4). For meaning of the Greek word (nQoafitvio) rendered cleave, see Matt. 15 : 33; 1 Tim. 1 : 3 ; 5 : 5. — For he was a good man, etc. This explains the reason, not why he was sent on this mission, but why. In its execution, he recognized the work of God in caUing and converting the uncircumcised. He was kind in disposition ; the inspiration of his service was not ecclesiastical pride or ambition, but love and good-wUl (tor this use ot dya&og, see Rom. 5:7; Titus 3:5); fuU ol and ready to be guided by the Spirit ot God ; and of faith or spiritual insight, the power which sees the things that are unseen (Heb. ii : i), and hence was able to ap preciate tbe spiritual. For these reasons he accepted the grace of God, literally tlie grace which was of God (Alford), manifested by the spiritual changes wrought in the character of the uncircumcised Greeks, as an evidence of the Divine approval which tar outweighed his pre conceived opinions as to tbe ecclesiastical regu larity ot the proceedings. The lesson for us is that spiritual results are always to be accepted with thanksgiving, whatever the seeming ecclesiastical irregularity of the method, and that they wlU be thus accepted by those whose religion Is one characteristicaUy of faith In God and good-will toward man. 25, 26. To Tarsus for to seek Sanl. Con vinced by what he had witnessed that the door was opened by the providence and Spirit of God to preach the Gospd to the Gentiles, and recalUng Saul's commission to preach it to the Gejitiles (ch. 9 : 15 ; 22 : 2i), Bamabas, who had brought Saul to the apostles after his conversion (ch. 9 ; 37), and perhaps had known him before, goes now to bring him to Antioch, to carry on the work as signed him by God. Tbe date is uncertain ; it was ot course some time subsequent to Saul's departure trom Jerusalem to Tarsus (oh. 9 : 3o), and therefore more than three years subsequent to his conversion (oai. i : is). MeanwhUe he had per haps been preaching In CUIcia (oai. 1 21), perhaps Uving iu retirement, and devoting his time to the study of the Word. It would appear trom ch. 33 : 19, as well as trom his course Immediately after his conversion (ch. 9 : 20, 29), that he at first desired to carry on a mission among his own people, the Jews; that his natural sympathies 136 THE ACTS. [Ch. XL 26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves witli the church, and taught tt much people. And the disciples were called Chnstians first in Antioch. 27 And in these days came ' prophets from Jerusa lem unto Antioch. 28 And there stood up one ofthem, named Agabus,' and signified by the Spirit that there should be great dearth throughout all the world : which came to pass in the days of Claudius Caesar. d Matt. 28:19.... e oh. 2 : 17; 13 : 1 ; Ephea. 4 : II f ch. 31 : 10. were always strong Is clear from PhU. 3 : 5 and Rom. 9 : 1-5 ; 10 : 1, and that he entered on his mission to the GentUes only when the word and providence of God excluded bim from Israel and opened the door to the GentUe. On Tarsus, see eh. 9 : 30, note. — The disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. The word Christian occurs in the N. T. only three times ; here ; in Agrippa's sarcastic response to Paul, "Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian" (ch. 26 : 28) ; and in 1 Pet. 4 : 16, "If any man suf fer as a Christian." The use of the term in the twd latter passages, and the fact that it Is never used by the disciples in speaking of themselves, indicates that it was first employed as a term of opprobium. It could not have been given by the Jews, for the term Christian (anointed one) was one of honor among the Jews, by whom the disciples were known as the "sect ot the Naza renes " (ch. 24 : 6; comp. Matt. 2 : 23) ; aud JullaU the Apostate later forbade their use of the name Christian, and decreed that they should be called GalUeans. The Inhabitants of Antioch are said to have been notorious for employing names of derision ; and the probability is that this name was Invented by the heathen ot that city, in de rision of the central doctrine of tbe new sect, the redemption ofEered through Christ Jesus, but was accepted and made an honored name by the disciples. So tbe words Methodist and Puritan were both originated as terms ot deri sion, but became terms of honor. Throughout the N. T. Christians are called "beUevers," "the faithful," "saints," "brethren," or "disciples.'' 27. In those days. Comparing vers. 36 and 30, it was evidently during the year which Saul spent at Antioch that the prophecy ot Agabus was uttered. — Came prophets from Jerusa lem. Tbe prophet was not necessarUy a fore teller. Tbe Hebrew word Is derived trom a root signifying to boU or bubble over, and simply conveys the idea ot the bursting forth, as of a fountain, ot truth with which God has Inspired the soul. The early English kept tolerably near this original idea. Thus Jeremy Taylor, in tbe reign of Elizabeth, wrote a treatise on the Liber ty of Prophesying, i. e., ot preaching. In the classics the Greek word (nQoipi'itrig) Is used to describe those who interpreted the unintelligible oracles, and, metaphorically, the poets as Inter preters of the gods or muses. In both the 0. T. and the N. T. the prominent idea In prophecy and prophesying is not prediction^ but inspira tion ; not telling before what is to happen, but delivering messages of warning, instruction, com fort,, helpfulness, such as are commissioned by or given under the inspiration ot the divine Spirit. This characteristic ot prophecy appears very clearly from the titles given to the prophets In the Scriptures. He is called "the inter preter," "the messenger ot Jehovah," "the man ot Spirit," "the man ot God;" and it Is declared that the "Spirit ot Jehovah" enters into him, or "clothes him," or, as here, that he speaks " by the Spirit ' ' (jndgea 2 : l ; e : 34, margin ; 1 Sam. 2:27; 9:6; 1 Kings 12 : 22 ; 13:1,2; 1 Chron. 13 : 18 ; 2 Chron. 24 : 20 ; E»ek. 2:2; Hos. 9:7; Hag. 1 : 13 ; Mai. 111). In the N. T. PaiU gives some detaUed description ot prophesying, which is distinguished from what we should caU preaching, only In that the pres ence and power of God is perhaps more promi nent (see references below). Bamabas, UteraUy Son of prophecy, Is rendered rightly "Son of consolation" (Acts 4: 36). The prophet might be of either sex (3 Kings 22 ; 14 ; Acts 31 : 9). The other principal references in the N. T. to prophets and prophesying are the toUowing : ch. 13 : 1 ; 15 : 33 19 : 6 ; 31 : 9, 10 ; Rom. 13 : 6 ; 1 Cor. 13 : 10, 38, 39 13 : 3, 8 ; 14 : 6, 39-37 ; Ephes. 3 : 30 ; 3 : 5 ; 4 : U 1 Thess. 5 : 20. The coming ot prophets, i. e. recognized Inspired teachers from Jerusalem, is an indication that the church there was satis fied with and approved the ministry of Bamabas and Saul to tbe uncircumcised. 28, 29. Named Agabus. He is mentioned only here and In Acts 31 : 10. Nothing more is known of him. — That there should be great dearth throughout the world. Not through out Palestine merely, but throughout the then known world (oizou,ui>ij). Including certamly the Greek and Roman, as weU as the Jewish territory. See Matt. 34 : 14, note. Josephus, Dlo Casslus, and Tacitus, aU testify to the fulfiUment of this prophecy, in several famines during the reign of Claudius Caesar, extending not only throughout Judeai, but also throughout Greece and Rome. Queen Helena of Actlabene, a Jewish proselyte, sent subsidies to the Jews, on the occasion of one of these, which Josephus designates as "the great famine." Many of the Inhabitants were swept away by it. These famines were not con temporaneous, nor does this prophecy necessa rily imply that they would be so. One affected chiefly Judea; another, Greece; two others, Ch. XIL] THE ACTS. 137 20 Then the disciples, every man according to his ability, determined to send> relief unto the brethren which dwelt in Judjea : 30 Which also they did, and'' sent it to the elders by the hands of Barnabas and Saul. CHAPTER XII. NOW about that time, Herod the king stretched forth his hands, to vex certain of the church. 2 And he killed James' the brother of John with the sword. g Rom. 15 : 1 Cor. 16 : 1 i 2 Cor. 9 : 1, 2 .... h oh. 12 : 35 .... i Matt. 4 : II j s Rome. — In the days of Claudius Csesar. See chronological table in Introduction. Clau dius was emperor at the time of this prophecy, and the famines probably succeeded it very closely. This is indeed impUed by the fact that provisions were, apparently immediately, sent to the brethren at Jerusalem. The date appears to have been about a. d. 45. — Every one ac cording to his ability. Not every mara. Ob serve the two elements which enter Into Chris tian charity: every one shares; but each one grades his contribution according to his own pecuniary abUIty. Comp. 1 Cor. 16 : 3. It Is indi cated also that It was a purely voluntary contri bution ; each contributor determining for him self his own share ; there was no ecclesiastical or priestly assessment. — Unto the brethren which dwell in Judea. This may Imply that the famine tor which they were providing was that which espeelaUy affected Judea. Antioch was, however, a wealthy commercial city ; In Jerusalem the wealth was probably conflned to the Pharisaic a.-ad.priestly party, from which few or no converts had come into the Christian church. 30. To the elders. The affairs ot each Jew ish synagogue were managed by a coUege ot elders (Matt. 4 : 23, note) resembling the modem ses sion or elassls ; and the language here ImpUes that the Chiistlan church at Jerusalem was organized In a slmflar manner. The same form of organization appears to have been adopted elsewhere (ch. 30 : 17 ; Titos I : 6 ; 1 Peter 6 : 1, 2) ; but whether there was any distinction between gov erning and preaching elders, such as is now main tained in the Presbyterian church, Is a disputed point. It is evident from a comparison of ch. 6 : 5 with ch. 6 : 10, and 8 : 5, that if this distinction was recognized. It was not rigorously maintained, ) and that officers in the church, appointed espe cially for the administration of its charities, assumed without hesitation and without rebuke the office of preachers and teachers. — By the hands of Barnabas and Sanl. The Chris tian church at Antioch, the regularity of whose organization and procedure had been questioned, took the best way to approve to the church at Jerusalem the genuineness of their Christian character, viz., a practical manifestation of their Christian sympathy and love. Ch. 12 t 1-25. PERSECUTION BY AND DEATH OF HEROD AGRIPPA. The twofold orpioE and work OFANGELS ulustbated: "The awqelopthe Loud ENCAjaPBTH round ABOUT THEAI THAT EEAR HEM " (Ps, 34 : 7). " Let the ansbi. of the Lobd pbesecutk THEM " (Ps. 35 : 6). — The power of fea-tek ahd the weakness of eaith illcstrated.— The bivine con demnation of VANTTT AKD SELF-CONCEIT. — ThF FOLLT of FIGHTING AGAtNST GoD ILLU3TKATED IK THE DE- LTVERANCE OF PeTBB AND THE DEATH OF HeHOD. From a description of the growth ot the church, Luke turns aside to indicate the resistance which it encountered, exempUfiedinthe death of James and tbe Imprisonment and threatened death of Peter. This was, as is indicated by ver. 1, contem poraneous with the events recorded in the pre ceding chapter, or nearly so ; the time of the year is definitely fixed by the language of vers. 3 and 4 as the spring ; Josephus fixes the date of Herod's death as A. D. 44 (see Conybeare and Sowson, VoL II, p. 544, note A) ; the date of the events recorded iu this chapter is therefore March or April A. d. 44. The Indications are that the Imprisonment ot Peter and the subsequent death ot Herod Agrlppa occurred during the visit of Paul and Bamabas to Jerusalem (ch. ii r so) and prior to their return to Antioch (ch. 12 : 25). The minute detaUs in the narrative, — the nam- ber and arrangement of the watch (ver. 4), Peter's adjustment of his dress (ver. s), his exit anij his own personal feeling (verses 9, 11), and the name of the damsel that came to the door (verses 12, 13), Indi cate that Luke derived his Information from Peter himself. On the twofold office of angels, as indi cated In this account, the reader wiU do well to examine the toUowing passages. On angels as messengers to and guardians of God's people, Gen. 19 : 1, etc.; 1 Kings 19 : 5, 7 ; 3 Kings 6 : 17 ; Ps. 91 : 11, 12 ; Dan. 3 : 25, 28 ; 6 : 33 ; Matt. 18 : 10, note ; Acts 5 : 19, 20 ; 10 : 3 ; 37 : 23. On angels as ministers ot God's judgments. Gen. 3 : 24 ; 2 Sam. 24 : 16 ; 3 Kings 19 : 35 ; Ps. 78 : 49; Rev., chaps. 7, 8, 9, 1.5. 1, 2. About that time. That is, about the same time as the visit of Paul and Bamabas referred to In the closing verses of tbe preceding chapter. — Herod the king. Herod Agrijipa. He was a grandson ot Herod the Great, and father of the Agrippa mentioned in chaps. 35 and 36 ; was brought up at the court of the Emperor Tiberius ; received from the Emperor Caligula the tetrar- chles of PhUip and Lysanlas ; won the title of king ; subsequently the tetrarchy of Antipas was added to his dominions ; and finally by Claudius 138 THE ACTS. [Ch. XII. 3 And because he saw it pleased J the Jews, he pro ceeded furtlier to take Peter' also. (Then were the days' of unleavened bread.) 4 And when he had apprehended him, he put him in prison, and delivered him to four quaternions of sol diers, to keep him ; intending after Easter to bring him forth to the people. 5 Peter therefore was kept in prison : but prayer j ch. 24 : 27 . . , . k John 21 ; 18 1 Exod. 12 ; 14, 15. he was set over the whole territory that had for merly been subject to the rule of Herod the Great. He assiduously cultivated the good-will ot the Jews. He was an Idumean by birth, and a Eoman by education, and excessively luxuri ous in his personal tastes, so that he introduced Into Jerusalem theatres, and amphitheatres, and games, and gladiatorial spectacles ; but he was also, both trom poUcy and from a certain senti ment of superstitious reverence, ardently at tached to the Jewish ceremonial, and regular In his ottering of sacrifices in the Temple. Thus his two fold character accords with his course here ; he would be naturally hostile to a faith which was subversive of Judaism, ready to conciliate Jewish favor by persecuting Its adherents, and quick to accept the deification profEered him by the multi tude. For some account ot the Herodlan famUy, see Vol. I, pp. 58, 59 ; for a condensed lite of Herod Agrippa, see Lewin's ^St. Paul, cb. 7, — To mal treat. Vex, in its ordinary signification, is not ade quate as a translation of the original Greek, which Is interpreted by the account which foUows, of his slaying of James and Imprisonment of Peter.-^ James the brother of John, He was prob ably own cousin to our Lord ; Is not to be con founded with James the Lord's brother, the prob able author of the Epistle ot James. On the lite and character of this apostle, of whom very Utile is known, see Vol. I, p. 148. — With the sword. That is, by beheading. This was accounted a specially disgraceful mode ot punishment among tbe Jews. It Is a noticeable tact that this James asked tor a first place in Christ's kingdom, and declared In response to Christ's questioning, that he was able to drink of Christ's cup and be baptized with Christ's baptism (Mark lo : 35-39) ; and that he was the first apostle to suffer a martyr's death, and the only apostle of whose death the N. T. gives us any account. It is also noteworthy that Luke, who gives a full account of the clrcum ¦ stances of Stephen's death, sums up that ot James, the apostle, in a single sentence. We may safely assume that if his death had been ORIENT AI, PKISOH. accompanied by any such ministry of the word, or any such gracious revelation ot the Master In heaven waiting to receive his apostle, it would have been recorded, and, with Baumgarten, that "James, the very reverse of Stephen, met his bloody end quite Uke an ordinary being, without any special or singular signs accompanying It." It Is not the manner of our death, but tbe spirit of our lite which affords the true test ot our dis cipleship. 3, 4. And seeing that it pleased the JeAVs. The implication Is that the slaying of James was Instigated rather by state policy than by any personal religious participation in their zeal against the new faith. — Then were the days of unleavened bread. The passover. It was not lawful, under Jewish rules, to put to death during this feast. Peter, therefore, was kept in custody until the festival should have passed, when he was to be brought forth for pub lic execution. — In prison. The accompanying Illustration gives tbe reader a good idea of the modem Oriental prison, which, probably, in its general character, resembles that of ancient times. It Is usuaUy connected with the gover nor's house ; the prisoners are allowed the free dom of tbe yard by day ; the guards sit about armed, and often conversing with their prison- Ch. XII.] THE ACTS. 139 was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. 6 And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two sol diers, bouna with two chains; and the keepers before the door kept the prison. 7 And, behold, the angel" of the Lord came upon him, and a light sliined in the prison ; and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quicldy. And " his cliains fell off from his hands. 8 And the angel said unto him. Gird thyself, and bind on thy sandals : and so he did. And he saith unto him. Cast thy garment about thee, and follow me. 9 And he went out, and followed him : and wist not ° that it was true which was done by the angel ; but thought he saw a vision.^ m ch. 6 : 19 ; Fs. 37 ; 32, 38 . . . . n ch. 16 : 26 . , , , 0 Fa. 126 : 1 . . . . p ch. 10 : 3, 17. ers. People come and go, bringing provisions. Prisoners of state are sometimes chained to their guards. — Four quaternions of sol- diers. A quatemlon is a guard of tour soldiers ; two kept watch within the prison-yard, two be fore the gate leading out into the street. These are the first and second ward referred to In ver. 10. The night was divided into tour watches (Mark 13 : 35) aud cacb quatemlon took one watch. — After Easter. After the Passover, i. e., the last day ot the Passover. Easter celebrates the resurrection ot our Lord, which took place dur ing the Passover week, which lasted from 14th to 31st Nisan; the phrase has been Improperly used here by our translators, in order to desig nate to the English reader the real time of the occurrence. The word so rendered Is every where else in the N. T. translated Passover. 5. But earnest prayer w^as made. Not witliout ceasing, a meaning which the Greek wIU not bear. For significance, see Luke 32 : 44, where the original Is the same. The object of their prayer is generally assumed to have been the deUverance of Peter ; the Lord had before deUv- ered him out of prison (ch. 5 : 18-20), and this fact may weU have awakened the hopes of the disci ples. But as help delayed to come, hope grew less ; that they did not reaUy expect his deUver ance Is evident from their surprise at his appear ance (ver. 15). Probably anticipating the death of Peter to foUow that of James, their prayer was that he might be rescued if it was the Lord's will, otherwise that he might be strengthened to suffler and die for him. Remembering how before he had denied his Lord, the disciples may weU have been intense In their prayer for divine grace to sustain him now. The trial of his faith In this imprisonment and waiting was especIaUy severe to a man of Peter's Impetuous disposition, who could dare much, but by nature endure but little. 6. And when Herod w^as about to bring him forth, that same night. That is, tbe night before he was expecting to bring him forth for execution.— Peter was sleeping. An in dication, when coupled with his subsequent his tory, of his trust in God, and of his steadfast purpose. It he had been divided in mind be tween the purpose of fidelity and the desire of personal safety, he would not have slept. Comp. Psalm 127 : 2 : "He giveth his beloved sleep ; " and, in Illustration ot this promise. Psalms 3:5; 4 : 8. Comp., too, the experience of Paul and Silas In prison at Philippi (ch. 16 : 25). — Bound with two chains. Probably to the two sol diers. It was the custom to chain the prisoner to his guard (see ch. 28 : 16, 20 ; Josephus' Ant. 18 : 6-8) ; the chains resembled our own except in tbe handcuff. The accompanying illustration represents some links of an ancient chain, now preserved as a sacred reUc In the church ot S. Pietro in Vinculis (St. Peter LINKS OF AN ANCIENT CHAIN. in chains) at Rome ; it Is said to be tbe Identical one with which Peter was chained In Kome. It Is not necessary to credit this legend In order to recognize In tbe chain a valuable antique, indi cating the kind used In ancient times. — The keepers before the door kept the prison. The other two soldiers. The door here is prob ably the gate leading out into the street from the Inner coUrt-yard, around which the prison was built. 7-9. An angel of the Lord. Not iw. ci^oror a Aiico r,r/,T,i,of gius Paulus, a prudent man ; who called for Barnabas and ^aiil. and n*»sirAH tnhf.ar thi. iwnrH nf rir»H u Auu wucu tucy uaa gone mrouga ine isie unit Paphos, they found a certain sorcerer, a fiilse prophet a Jew, whose name was Bar.^)esiis: and Saul, and desired to hear the word of God. ANCIENT SALAMIS (MODERN FAMAGOSTA). Enins of St. Sophia ChrlstUn Church. preach the Gospel to the Jews, and after their rejection of It to proclaim It to the GentUes (chaps. 13 : 46 ; I? : 2 ; 18 : 4 ; Rom. 1 : Is) ; and thlS, DOt because of any divine partiality for the Jewish nation, but because it was permitted to them to receive and become the heralds to others ot the grace of God, if they had chosen so to do. — John to their minister. As their assistant. The Greek word (ujrij j4ri)s) slgnifles Uterally an un- der-rower, then, iu a wider sense, an assistant of another. In classic Greek it signifies the heralds, messengers, or assistants of pubUc officers ; in Luke (* : 2o), a subordinate officer In a .Jewish synagogue ; elsewhere in the Gospels, the subor dinate officials of the high-priest (Matt. 26 : 58 ; Mark 14 : 64, 65; John 7 : 32, etc.) ; and three tlmcs in the N. T., In a spiritual sense, it is used for ministers or servants ot Christ (Lnie l : 2 ; Acts 26 : 16 ) 1 Cor. 4 : l). The meaning here appears to be that Mark went in the capacity of an agent or assistant ot the apostles, to make provision tor their entertain ment and their journeys, and also, perhaps, to act as the amanuensis of Paul. It has been sug gested that he may have administered the rite of baptism, which Paul himself rarely did (i Cor. 1 : 14-17). The value ot his services Paul recog nized in his letter to Timothy twenty years later (2 Thn. 4:11). 6. And when they had gone through the whole island nnto Paphos. This city was at the westem end of Cyprus, and, by a road which certainly existed A. d. 330, and very prob ably earUer, 100 miles trom Salamis. New Paphos is intended, about eight miles north ol the Paphos celebrated in classic poets tor the temple and worship ol Venus. — A certain sorcerer. Rather, magician. On the magi, their origin, history, and practices, see Matt. 3 : 1, note; Acts 8 : 9, note. The magicians did not merely pretend to foretell the future, but also to influ ence It, by the control which they claimed to ex ercise over the Inferior gods or demons ; It was caUed white or black art, according as the gods were good or evU. While the Jewish laws rigor ously forbade aU practice ot witchcraft and magic, punishing It with death (Bxod. 22 : is ; Dent. 18 : 9-22 ; Lev. 19 : 3i), the Jewlsh uatlou at this time, In common with other Eastem nations, contrib uted necromancers, soothsayers, and wonder workers, who played upon and profited by the superstitions of the people, and who brought under their Influence not only the lower classes, but also the aristocracy, the governors, and even the emperors of Rome. Marius, Pompey, Cras- sus, Csesar, and Tiberius all consulted them. It was not, therefore, strange that Sergius Paulus should have had such a magician as an adviser. For some account of their arts and Influence, see Conybeare and Howson, ch. 5. — A false pro phet. Not merely a false teacher, but one falsely professing to be an ambassador trom and Inspired by God. The language here and in verse 10 im plies that he was a deUberate and conscious im postor. — Bar-Jesus. A Hebrew word meaning Son of Joshua ; the name below, Elymas, is of Arabic origin, signifying the wise man, and ap pears to be a title which he had assumed, the' equivalent ol which is the magian, mistranslated the sorcerer. 7, 8. Which was with the deputy of the country. Literally, the proconsrd. The Ro man provinces were ol two kinds. Imperial and senatorial ; the former, those most requiring the presence ol military force and military law, were 148 THE ACTS. [Ch. XHL 8 But Elymas the sorcerer (for so is his name by interpretation) withstood " them, seeking to turn away the deputy firom the faith. 9 Then Saul, (who also is called Paul,) filled with the Holy Ghost, set his eyes on him, IO And said, O fiiU of all subtilty and all mischief. b 2 Thn. 3 : 8. governed by prefects caUed propraetors, who were appointed by the emperor, and were re sponsible to him ; the latter, of a more peaceful character, were governed by officers, called pro consuls, appointed by the senate. Sergius Pau lus was such a proconsul. The emperor Augus tus at first reserved Cyprus to himself, and it was accordingly governed by propraetors, and, this fact appearing In Strabo, it was for a time supposed that Luke had erred In giving the title proconsul to Sergius Paulus. But a passage has since been discovered in DIo Casslus which stated that Augustus subsequently relinquished Cyprus to the senate, and that It was henceforth gov erned by proconsuls ; and coins struck In the reign of Claudius, i. e., about the time of Paul's visit, have been found, on one of which this very title proconsul is appUed to a governor of Cy prus. Such minute historical confirmations show clearly that the Book ot Acts was written at or about the time of the events narrated, and its accuracy. Sergius Panlns, a prudent man. That is, an intelligent or thoughtful man. With this agrees PUny, who cites him as an authority on questions of natural philosophy, and Galen, who reters In flattering terms to the phUosophical abUity of a son or grandson of the same name. Because Bar-jesus was his counseUor, It does not toUow that he accepted uuquestioningly the impostor's teachings ; Indeed, the reverse is impUed by the course of the narrative. — Desired to hear the Word of God. He sent to the apostles to come to his court for this purpose ; slmUar experiences are recorded by modem missionaries In foreign lands. Tbe report of the preaching at the syna gogue had probably reached him, and aroused his curiosity, it not his spiritual Interest. — The Word of God. The Gospel ; that Is, the means ot salvation through Jesus Christ. — But Ely- mas. See above, on ver. 6. — From the faith, i. c, from accepting It ; because with Its accept ance the Influence ot Elymas would be at an end. 9. Then Sanl, who is also called Paul. Up to this time he Is designated In Luke's narra tive only by the Hebrew name Saul ; henceforth, in the narrative, only by the Latin name Paul, except in his own account of his conversion (oh. 22 ; 7, 13 ; 26 : 14). Why this Change of name ? And why does It take place at this time ? The N. T. does not answer these questions. Several hypo thetical reasons have been assigned: (1.) 'That he takes the name ot Sergius Paulus to com memorate the flrst remarkable victory In his missionary work ; so Jerome, and, apparently, Augustine ; but this is quite Inconsistent with the spirit of one who always refused to glory, save in Jesus Christ his Lord (2 Cor. 12 : 5-9 ; Gal. 6 : 14) ; or, (3) he adopts Sergius Paulus as his patron, assuming his name in token ot his depen dence ; so Renan ; but this is equaUy inconsis tent with Paul's notable independence of charac ter ; (3) that he abandoned the name Saul, be cause, though acceptable to the Hebrews, it car ried with it a degrading idea in Greece, the word meaning conceited ; but this suggestion is also at variance with the character of the apostle ; (4) that he adopted the word Paul, meaning little, as a title of humUity, and to indicate that he regard ed himself as the least of the apostles on account of his previous persecutions ot the church (1 cor. 15 : 9), tbis is a possible, but not probable explan ation ; it savors too much of the ostentation of humUity, and suggests no reason for the change at this time; (5) that both names were bome by him from chUdhood, Saul being his Hebrew, and Paul his Roman name, and that he from this time adopted the latter, partly to obtain the more readUy the advantages which were afforded by his Roman citizenship, partly because it would better give him access to the GentUe world. The use ot two names were common among the Jews, and may be traced through aU the periods ot He brew history. Thus Joseph took the name Zaph- erathpaaneah (oen. 41 : 45), Daniel was entitled Bel- teshazzar (Dan. 1 : 7), Esther received the name Hadassah (Esther 2 : 7). So in the N. T. we have the Greek names PhUip and Alexander, and the Eoman names Crispus, Justus, Niger, given to Jews, and this practice of taking GentUe names has been continued among the Jews to the pre sent day. This explanation seems to me the most reasonable, and It partly explains why the change is Introduced in the narrative, at the time of, and in connection with, the apostles' first missionary joumey. Filled with the Holy Ghost. PauPshi- veetlve was not then inspired by any personal irritation ot spirit, but by a holy wrath against imposture and the Impostor who was attempting to prevent the work ot God's grace and trath.— Set eyes on him. So Peter fastened his eyes upon the lame man In the Temple (ch. s : 4), and Paul on the Impotent man at Lystra (ch. 14 : 9), and again upon the council before which he was sum moned lor trial (ch. 23 : i). The language is that of an eye-witness, who was impressed by the intensity and power of Paul's gaze. Alford's Ch. XIIL] THE ACTS. 149 thou child of the devil, thou enemy of all righteous ness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the right ways of the Lord ? II And now, behold, the hand of the Lord is upon thee, and thou shalt be blind, not seeing the sun for a season. And immediately there fell on him a mist and a darkness : and he went about seeking some to lead him by the hand. 12 Then the deputy, when he saw what was done, believed, being astomshed at the doctrine of the Lord. conjecture that it refers to some imperfection In his sight, as though he looked Intently In order clearly to perceive Elymas, seems to me far less probable than that there was In his look a pecu liar moral power, a piercing through the outer sheU, which attracted the attention ol the origi nal narrator ot this incident. 10. O full of all subtilty and mischief. Deceit and recklessness. The Greek word ren dered subtilty (SoXog) primarily means a bait for fish ; then, any deception ; then, a desire or dis position to deceive ; the word rendered mischief (^adiovqyla) slgmfles what is done lightly, reck lessly, and hence an unscrupulousness In doing evU. I see no ground for Dr. Hackett's distinc tion that " deceit refers to his occupation, vncked- ness to his character ; " rather both refer to his character — one to its falsity, the other to Its utter unscrupulousness. — Son of the devil. Because a liar, and so a chUd of the father of lies (John s : 44). Meyer supposes an indignant aUusIon to his name Bar-jesus, Son ot Joshua or Son ot Jesus. — Ene my of all righteousness. He was not merely an opposer of Christianity, which one may be honestly and sincerely, as Saul himself, through the perversion of pride (ch. 26 : 9), but an enemy of aU righteousness, and therefore opposed to Christianity, because it conducted men to right eousness ; and this secret hostUity to truth, pur ity, and love, is the general cause of open opposi tion to the reUglon of Jesus Christ. — Wilt thou not cease to pervert the straight ways of the Lord ? Not, as Dr. Hackett, to misrepresent and malign the ways which tTie Lord requires men to follow, lor there is no evidence that Elymas had misrepresented the doctrine of the Gospel, which indeed he had but Uttle opportunity to do, with Paul present to correct the misrepresentation, and to pervert (diaarqtipm) has not properly the meaning ot malign; nor, as Alexander, Is the lan guage equivalent to turn away from the right ways of the Lord, tor it was not Sergius Paulus, but the right ways of the Lord, which Elymas was turning aside. These right ways are the same as the "path ot the Lord," which John the Baptist urged his hearers to make straight, that He might come to Israel (Matt. 3:3; Mark 1 : 3), the Way from God unto the hearts of men. The doctrine that the Holy Spirit holds communion with men, and that angels are the ministering spirits of the Most High to man, and that evU spirits are among man's spiritual foes (John 14 : 17 ; Ephes. 6:12; Heb. 1:14), Elymas, in common with all sorcerers of his da; and ours, perverted into a doctrine ol spiritism, and a practice ol pretended communi cation with spirits. Thus he perverted, turned aside, from a high and holy use, the truth, making It a means ol evU, and out ol It a degrading error. The most dangerous errors are always those which are perversions ot the straight ways ot the Lord. 11. The hand of the Lord (is) npon thee. A frequent BibUcal expression for the manifes tation of the power ot God, either in punishment (Eiod. 9 : 3 ; 1 Sam. 5 : II), Or In mCrCy (Acts 4 : 30 ; 11 : 21 ; Ezra7:8; Neh. 2:8). — Not Seeing the suu for a season. This phrase Indicates total blindness. In case of partial bUndness, the eye cannot dis cern objects, but is able to recognize the light; when the sun cannot be discerned, the blindness Is absolute. It is common for ocuUsts to test the character ot the difficulty by directing the eyes of the patient toward a strong light, and Inquiring if anything of it can be recognized. That the blindness was temporary is Indicated clearly by the language here ; but how long It lasted, or when or how it was cured, we have no means of knowing. Nothing Is known of Ely mas except what Is recorded here. — A mist and darkness. This indicates that the bUndness came on in successive stages, as the cure was wrought on the man at Betbsalda (Mark 8 : 22-20). This description affords no hint of the nature ot the blindness, whether an opacity on the eye, or a sudden taUure in the optic nerve. In both classes of cases the blindness comes on, as here, in successive stages, flrst a mist, then a darkness, and in neither is it ever so suddenly produced as In this case. 12. Then the deputy * * » believed. That he was spirituaUy converted is not certain, tor precisely the same language is used of Simon Magus (ch. 8 : 13). He was convinced by this mira cle of the power of the Lord Jesus, whose ambas sadors Paul and Bamabas were ; that he gave his personal allegiance to Christ does not neces sarUy foUow ; it Is not stated that he was bap tized ; and the ImpUcatlou that astonishment was the basis of his beUef, does not favor the hypothesis that he became a true chUd of God. — At the doctrine of the Lord. That Is, at the manner ot the teaching, not at the truths taught. Comp. Mark 1 : 37. He was astonished at teaching accompanied by signs and wonders so much surpassing any that Elymas had pro duced by his arts. In considering the practical and spiritual slgnl flcance ol this miracle, observe, (1) its parallel to 150 THE ACTS. [Ch. xm. 13 Now when Paul and his company loosed from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia ; and John departing " trom them, returned to Jerusalem, 14 But when they departed from Perga, thej' came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue ¦! oo the sabbath day, and sat down. c ch. 16 : 38 . . . . d chapi. 16 : 13 ; 17 : 2 ; 18 : 4. the conflict between Moses and the magicians ot Egypt (Eiod., chap«. (, s). lu both, the powers of Ught and darkness are seen in conflict ; in both, the hand of tbe Lord Is heavy in punishment upon the workers of deceit and wickedness. (3.) The symboUc character of the punishment. He who was endeavoring to lead others into dark ness. Is himself blinded; so ever the tramers and malntainers of superstition and ignorance are by it brought Into blindness of mind and of soul. (3.) The admonition to aU, who, in our own time, seek to turn inquirers away from the faith, or to pervert into error, tor their own pur poses, the truths ol God's word. (4.) Its direct and divine sanction ot Indignation against the deliberate and purposed opposers ot the truth, who resist it because they are enemies of aU righteousness. Ch. 13 : 13-52. PAUL'S SEKMON AT ANTIOCH. THE GOSPKL KEJECTED BY THE JEWS. The apostouo MISSIONAET TO THB JEWISH PEOPLE.— ThB UOCTBINB OP JUSTIFICATION BT FAITH UNFOLDED. With this address of Paul should be carefuUy compared the paraUel .address of Peter In ch. 3, and the partlaUy paraUel one of Stephen in ch. 7. Observe, however, that Paul brings out far more distinctly and sharply the doctrine of justifica tion by faith in contrast with justification by law, than either ot the others. 13, 14. Paul and his companions. From this time Paul is not only the chief speaker (ch. 14 : 12), but the leader ; Bamabas occupies a sec ondary, it not a subordinate position. — They came to Perga. An ancient and important city of Pamphylia, situated on the river Cestras, at a distance of eight or ten mUes from its mouth, PERGA IN PAMPHYLIA. airl celebrated in antiquity for the worship of Artemis (Diana), whose temple stood on a hill outside the town. The goddess and the temple are represented In the coins of Perga. The Oes trus was formerly navigable to Perga. The mod em traveler finds here only the encampments of shepherds, who pasture their cattle amidst waUs and towers, columns and cornices, a, theatre, a broken aqueduct encrusted with the calcareous deposit of the Pampbyliau streams, and tombs scattered on both sides of the town. Nothing else remains ol Perga but the beauty ol its natu ral situation, between and upon the sides ol two hlUs, with an extensive valley in front, watered by the river Cestms, and backed by the moun tains of the Taui-us.— In Pamphylia. One ot the southern provinces ot Asia Minor. As In the case of mo-'t other provinces of Lesser Asia, the boundaries of Pamphylia were frequently changed, but It maybe roughly said to have been separated from Pisidia by the Taurian range. The valleys are rich and fertUe, but toward the sea unhealthy. At the time ol Paul It termed a province together with Lycla. It was then a flourishing commercial province ; the rivers, now rendered useless for ships by the lormation ol bars across their mouths, were then navigable to a considerable extent. The inhabitants were ch.xiil] the acts. 15 And after the reading* of the law and the pro phets, the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying. Ye men and brethren, it ye have any word ' of exhortation for the people, say on. 151 16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand, said, IMCen of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience. e veirse 27 f Heb. 13 : 22. mUd and courteous in manners, and largely en gaged In commerce, to which, indeed, they were led by the peculiarly favorable situation ot the country. And John departing from them re turned to Jerusalem. John Mark, the author ot the Gospel ot Mark ; on his life and character, see Vol. I, p. 337. No reason Is assigned tor this departure ; that It seemed unreasonable to Paul, and an evidence of weakness, irresolution, or lack ot faith. Is evident from the apostle's refusal to take him &s a traveling companion on the sec ond missionary tour (ch. 15 : 37, ss). Various expla nations have been proposed ; as that he feared the dangers of the hazardous joumey ; that he hesitated to commit himself to the work ot preaching the Gospel to the GentUes ; that he was offended because Barnabas, who was a rela tive ot Mark's, no longer held the foremost place, which was henceforth occupied by Paul; that his mother dwelt at Jerusalem (ch. 12 : 12), and that tear and flllal love combined to caU him back. However this may be, if he was, as ver. 5 Implies (see note there), the agent aud Servant of Paul and Bamabas, having charge of aU arrangements for their entertainment, etc., and answering to the modem courier, his departure would have neces sarUy Involved great personal inconvenience to them, and a serious embarrassment in their work, quite adequate to account tor Paul's sub sequent unwiUingness to take him again in the same capacity. — They came to Antioch in Pisidia. So entitled to distinguish It trom the more important Antioch in Syria. It was buUt AUTIOCH IN PISIDIA. on a hill between two plains, one of which was in Pisidia and the other in Pamphylia. The site is near the modem vUlage ot Talobateh. There are remains ot three temples, a theatre, several churches, and an aqueduct, all ol stone and weU buUt. — And went into the synagogue. Eor lUustratlon ol Jewish synagogue, see Vol. I, frontispiece ; lor a description ol synagogue and its services. Matt. 4 : 33, note. 15. After the reading of the law and the prophets. The reading ol the Scripture formed an important part of the synagogue services (ver. 27). They were arranged in lessons, somewhat as In the Episcopal church ot to-day, one selection being taken from the law the flrst five books, the other from the prophets, which included the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings. The lessons on this day were probably Deut., ch. 1, and Isaiah, ch. 1. See Bengel on verses 17-19, quoted below. — The men of the synagogue. The synagogue was governed by a board ol elders ; the term rvler is usually appUed to the 153 THB ACTS. [Ch. XIIL 17 The God of this people of Israel chose s our fa^ thers, and exalted the people when they dwelt*' as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an high ' arm brought he them out of it. 18 And about -the time of forty J years suffered he their manners in the wilderness. 19 And when he had destroyed ^ seven nations in the land of Chanaan, he > divided their land to them by lot. gDeut. 7:6, 7....h Ps. 105:23 1 Ezod. 13 : 14, 16. . , .j Ezod. 16 : 35. . ..k Deut. 7:1 I Josh. 14 : 1, etc. presldent.ot this board, but here, and In Mark 5 ; 33, it appears to be equivalent to elders. Per haps the president or ruler invited Paul to speak, after consulting with the other elders. — Sent to them. They were sittmg with the congrega tion. Possibly something In the dress ot Paul and Bamabas Indicated that they were rabbis ; Paul had received a regular theological educa tion at Jerusalem from Gamaliel, and thus occu pied in Jewish eyes the position ol an ordained minister in our own times. Or, perhaps, they had already taught in private in Antioch, and the elders desired to give them an opportunity to explaia their views pubUcly. It was customary to aUow in the synagogue service any rabbi to expound the Scripture, and to make It the occa sion tor explaining the tenets of any new sect or school of Judaism. Comp. with the account here Luke 4 : 16-30. 16. And Paul stood up. The Jews appear to have given their instructions ordinarUy, as the Orientals stUl do In their schools, sitting, and Jesus did so (Matt. 6 :1; Liiie4i20). But the apos- tles appear to have spoken standing (Acts i : is j II : 28 ; 16 : 7). — And beckouiug with his hand. As a means of sUencing the assembly and secur ing their attention. There is no reason for regarding this gesture as a pecuUarity of Paul. See ch. 13 : 17 ; 19 : 33. The Indication is ot a, murmur ol curiosity to hear the new and strange doctrine, some rumors of which had probably already gone abroad, and a stir in the assembly, wheu Paul came forward to speak, and this he hushed with an uplttted hand, as a preparation for speaking. — Men of Israel, and ye that fear God. Two distinct classes are Included by the apostle, Men of Israel, are the Hebrews by birth ; ye that fear God, are Jewish prose lytes, converted trom heathenism to the wor ship ot Jehovah, and attending the synagogue service. Tbis phrase certainly does not Include any Gentiles who did not accept and worship Jehovah. — Give audience. He speaks as one who has an Important message to deliver, as a herald summoning attention to his proclamation. 1T.19. "The beginning ot this discourse, verses 17, 18, 19, has three Greek words which are both rare and altogether pecuUar to tbe Scripture (vii'iaatr, exalted; itQonoipoQrjaev, suffered their manners ; and xarixkri^ov o'/iijfftv, divided by lot) ; of which the first occurs In Isaiah 1 ; 3 (brought up), the second and third in Deut. 1 : 81, 38. And moreover, these two chapters, Deut. 1 and Isaiah 1, are to this day read on the one Sabbath ; whence it is suflaciently certain that both were read on that very Sabbath, and in Greek, and that Paul referred especiaUy to that reading of Moses and the prophets mentioned in ver. 15. For even the mention of the Judges (ver. 20) agrees with the lesson Isaiah 1 : 36, and the Jews are wont to take their discourses, or their beginnings, from the Sabbath lesson in the synagogue."— ^.Bfe«^e!.)— Chose our fathers. The choice was flrstmani- fested in the caU of Abraham (oen. 12 : 1-3), who is the father, not only of the Jews, but ot aU believ ers (Matt. 3 : 9 ; Gal. 3 : u). This doctriue, that the religion of the Bible, of tbe O. T. as weU as of the N. T., is one which embraces in Its promises aU peoples, more fuUy declared by Paul In his epis tles, especiaUy to the Bomans and the Galatians, Is intimated by his language here, our fathers, which is addressed to Greek proselytes as well as to the Jews. — And exalted the people. Not brought them up (Alford), a meaning never given in the N. T. to the original (vuda) ; Isaiah 1 : 3, which he quotes, does not sustain this translation ; the original would there be better rendered exalted. Nor is the reference here to Joseph's exaltation (Grotius), for Paul says that God exalted the people; nor to their miraculous deUverance (Calvin, Meyer), tor he says God exalted the people when they dwelt (UteraUy, dur ing their sojourning) in the land of Egypt. Their humiUatlon was their exaltation. They went thither 75 souls, ol separate lamiUes ; they were compacted by their serviUty into a united nation, made strong by suffering (ch 7 : 14, 17). So, by the American Revolution, God exalted the Amer ican colonists Into a great nation. — And about the time of forty years he nnrsed them in the wilderness. This is the best MS. reading (tqo(po(poqi(D, not rQOTtofpoQioi). The original is compounded of two Greek verbs, one signifying a nurse, the other to carry ; God is represented as carrying the IsraeUtes in his arms, as a nurse carries the ehUd. See Numb. 11 : 13 ; Deut. 1 : 31 ; comp. 1 Thess. 3 : 7. Analogous is the imagery ot Isaiah 40 : 11. — Seven nations. Deut. 7:1; Josh. 8 : 10 ; 34 : 11, give the names ot these seven nations : The Hittites, the Girgashites, the Am- orltes, the Canaanites, the Perlzzites, the Hiv- Ites and the Jebusltes. They were the descend ants ot Canaan, and most ol them take theii names trom his children (g«i. 10 : 16-19). They were not utterly destroyed ; fragments remained down to and through Solomon's time (1 Kings 9 : !o) Ch. XIII.] THE ACTS. 153 20 And after that, he gave unio them judges," about the space of four hundred and fifty years, until Samuel the prophet. 21 And afterward they"* desired a king: and God gave unto them Saui° the son of Cis, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. 22 And when her had removed him, he raised up unto them David i to be their king ; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have iound David the son of Jesse, a man' after mine own heart, which shall ful fil all my will. m JodlthS: 16.... n 1 Sam. 8:6 o 1 Sain. 10: l....p 1 Sam. 31 : 6 . q 2 Sam. 6 : 3 ... .i 1 Sam. 13 : 14. The fact that God ordered their destruction has given rise to much perplexity. Concerning this, it must suffice here to say : (1.) That the divine command to destroy these nations Is not more perplexing than the divine providence which has uniformly destroyed or driven out savage tribes to make room for a people possessing a higher civilization. The extermination of the aborigines of Palestine is not a stranger fact, to one who be- Ueves in God's controlling providence, than the ex termination ot the aborigines ol North America. (3.) That God deals with nations as weU as individ uals, and when a nation becomes hopelessly cor rupt he destroys it ; that in his Word he repeat edly declares this principle ol his government in the most solemn manner (isaiah s : i-« ; jer. 4 : 27-31 ; Ezek., chaps. 15, 25, 26, etc.) ; and that Israel was the executioner appointed to Inflict his judgment upon an idolatrous, cruel, lascivious, and hope lessly corrupt people. On their character, see Lyman Abbott's Bdigious Diet., art. Canaanites. — By Lot. The division ot the land among the twelve tribes was effected by lot, by Joshua (josh. ch. 13, etc.). 20. And after that he gave jndges. The history ot the Jewish people may be divided poUtlcaUy into tour eras : (1) the lormative pe riod under Moses and Joshua; (3) that under the judges, trom the death ol Joshua to the days ol Samuel; (3) that under the kings, trom the accession of Saul to the captivity ; (4) that in which the remnant ot the nation were tribu tary to and dependent on other nations, from the days of Nehemiah to the destruction ot Je rusalem. The judges here mentioned were the executive head ot the nation during the period between the occupancy of Palestine under Joshua and the accession ot Saul. They were specially raised up and appointed by God tor the deliv erance and govemment ol the nation ; were gen erally mUitary leaders ; were sometimes con temporaries, two governing at the same time in dUEerent portions ol the country. Their his tory is aU contained in the book of Judges. There were fifteen In all, viz. : Othnlel, Ehud, Shamgar, Deborah and Barak, Gideon, Ablme lech, Tola, Jair, Jepthah, Ibzan, Elon, Abdon, Samson, Eli and Samuel. — About the space of four hundred and fifty years. This agrees with the chronology of Josephus, who aUowB lor the entire period from the Exodus to the buUding ol the temple, 593 years (Aat. e : 2-11), that Is, In the wUdemess 40 years, under Joshua 35 years (Ant. 5 : 1, 29), under judges 443 years, tmder Saul 40 years, under David 40 years, under Solomon prior to the beginning ot the Temple 4 years (i Kinga 6 : 1), total 593. It agrees also with the chronology ot the book ot Judges, the spaces of time in which book, added together, equal 450 years. It does not agree with 1 Kings 6 : 1, which states that Solomon began the construc tion of the Temple In the 480th year after the chUdren ot Israel were come out of the land ot Egypt. AUowing as before 40 years tor the wil derness, 35 under Joshua, 80 under Saul and David, and 4 under Solomon, total 149, but 331 years would be left tor the period of tbe Judges. There is, however, good reason to doubt the au thenticity ol the date given in 1 Kings 6:1. It Is the only passage in tbe 0. T. which contains the Idea ot dating trom an era. The verse Is quoted by Origen without the date, and it is believed by good critics to be an interpolation ol the third century. (See Bible Commentary on 1 Kings 6 : 1.) Here, at aU events, Paul follows the chronology generally received among the Jews, as is evident both trom Josephus and from the book ol Judges. For other explanations ol the seeming discrepancy see Alford's Greek Tes tament. — Until Samnel the prophet. So designated, not because the flrst ot the pro phets, lor Melchlzedek, Moses, and others were prophets before him, but because the flrst ol the line ot prophetic teachers, which continued without a break trom his time down to and through the captivity, and because he organized the school ol the prophets, and gave to this form of religious teaching an impulse which was never lost so long as the nation preserved its Individu ality. 31. And afterward they desired a king. 1 Sam., ch. 8. So little Biblical authority is there lor the doctrine ot the divine right of kings, that the mauguratlon ol kmgly authority in Israel was in the nature of an apostasy. It was demanded by the people, who were dissat isfied with the govefnment which God had ap pointed, and who desired a king in order to be like the other heathen nations. — By the space of forty years. The length ot Saul's reign is not mentioned In the O. T. ; the statement here agrees with Josephus (Ant. e -. 14, 9). 32. And when he had removed him. The decree of the removal and the immediate 154 THB ACTS. [Ch. XIII. 23 Of this man's seed hath God, according to his promise, raised" unto Israel' a Saviour, Jesus: 24 Wiien John" had first preached, before his com ing, the baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel. 25 And as John fulfilled his course, ne said. Whom think ye that I am ? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose. 26 Men and brethren, children of the stock of Abra ham, and whosoever among you feareth God, to you ' is the word of tiiis salvation sent. 27 For they that dwell at Jerusalem, and their rul ers, because they knew him not, nor yet the voices of the prophets which are read every sabbath day, they" have fulfilled them in condemning him. 28 And though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. 20 And when they had fulfilled all that was written of him, they took him down from the tree, and laid him in a sepulchre. 30 But God raised him from the dead : 31 And he was seen* many days of them which came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, who are his witnesses unto the people. s Ps. 132 : 11 t Matt. 1 : 2> . . . . n Matt. 3:1-11 v Matt. 10 : 6 .... w Lnke 24 : cause ot it is reported In 1 Sam., ch. 15 ; David was almost immediately atter anointed, privately (i Sam., ch. 16) ; but Saul was not finally removed tUl twenty -five or thirty years later, when slain on the field ot battle, and not till then was David publicly recognized as king. — To whom also he gave testimony. No passage In the 0. T. exactly corresponds to the language here. The reference is probably to 1 Sam. 15 : 14 ; comp. Psalm 89 : 30, 31. The latter clause of the sen tence here interprets the first clause ; David was a man after God's own heart, because the domi nant purpose ot his life was to do God's wUl, not his own, and to exalt God, not himself. In this respect he was a type ot the Messiah, (psahn 40 : 7 ; Heb. 10 : 7). If Deut. ch. 1 was the Scripture lesson tor the day (see vers. 17, 18, note), we have a key to the structure of Paul's discourse. He begins there, with Exodus, and leads on, by a rapid historical resume, to the time ot David, through whom the Messiah was promised to Israel. 33. According to his promise. See Psalm 89 : 35-37 ; 133 : 11 ; Isaiah 11 : 1-10 ; Jer. 33 : 5, 6 ; 33 : 15, 16. These promises were so explicit that It was the uniform belief ol the Pharisees that the Messiah would be ol the seed ot David. See Matt. 33 : 43. — Raised nnto Israel. Bather, Brought unto Israel. (The best reading Is ilyayBv not I'lynqtv.) The original does not Imply that the Messiah was raised up for Israel, to the exclusion of others, but brought unto Israel, whether for them only, or for others through them. Is not Indicated! — When John had first preached. Seralded, going before, as a courier before the king. See Luke 3 : 1-18. Christ did not begin his public ministry till John's was closed by his Imprisonment (Matt. 4 : 12). As the clearest prophecies of the Messiah's coming were made to and through David, so the last were made by John, whose preaching had aroused the whole nation ; the rumors ol It doubtless had extended among all the dispersed Jews (Matt. 3:6; John 1 : 36, 44 ; Acts 19 : 3). — To all the people of Israel. Not that he had preached to aU Israel, tor his ministry was local, conflned not only to Palestine, but ap parently to one locality in Palestine; but he preached the necessity ol repentance to all, Pharisee and Sadducee as well as. pubUcan (Matt. 3:7, 8). — As John fulfilled his course. His appointed mission. He flUed it to the tuU and departed ; Christ's mission is not tulfiUed and wlU not be tiU the end come, and he see of the travaU ot his soul and is satisfied. — He said. Was accustomed to say. The imperfect tense car ries with it the Idea ot habitual action. For Ulustratlon ot such saying see John 1 : 19-33. For explanation of metaphor of shoe-latchet, see Matt. 3 : 11, note. 36-38. Children of the stock of Abra- ham, and whoever among you feareth God. This includes both Jews and those Gen tiles who accepted Jehovah as their God, and this whether they had been circumcised or no. See on verse 16. — To you. Some MSS. have to us; Tischendorf adopts that reading; Alford retains tbe reading of tbe text. — The word of this salvation. The news that such a Saviour has come Into the world. Observe that, ImpUed- ly, faith in and allegiance to one Supreme God is a condition precedent to the acceptance of Chris tianity ; the Gospel is offered only to those that fear Ood. On the nature of the fear here indi cated, see ch. 9 : 31, note. — Becanse they knew him not. The rulers then did not recog nize In Jesus the Messiah of prophecy. With this agrees ch. 3 : 17 ; and it interprets Christ's prayer (Lute 23 : 34), showing it applicable to all who partook In the crucifixion. — Nor yet the voices of the prophets. See 3 Cor. 3 : 14. For explanation of this ignorance see Malt. IS : 14, 15. The same ignorance exists to-day, not only among the Jews, but In all who either read the Bible with Indifference and unconcern, or Inter pret It through their prejudices and preposses sions. Observe that ignorance Is not always an excuse for sin. — Have fulfilled them in con demning him. See ch. 3 : 33, note.— Though they found no cause of death in him, yet desired they Pilate that he should be slain. This is literally true. Even in the trial before the Sanhedrim, no ground for Christ's condemnation could be made out by even su- homed witnesses (Matt. 26 : 60), and he was at last condemned to die on his own declaration ol his Ch. XIIL] THE ACTS. 155 3« And we declare unto you glad tidings, how that the promise' which was made unto the fathers, 33 God hath fulfilled the same unto us their children, in that he hath nosed up Jesus again ; as it is also written in the second palm, Tliou* art my Son, this day have I begotten thee. 34 And as concerning that he raised him up from the dead, novj no more to return to corruption, he said on this wise, I will give you the sure mercies of David. 35 Wherefore he saith also in ¦ another >ja/»j, Thou shalt not suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. 36 For David, after he had served his own geaeta- tion by the will of God, fell" on sleep, and was laid unto his fathers, and saw corruption : 37 But he, whom God* raised again, saw no corrup tion. y II have been spoken to you : but seeing ye put it from }rou, and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life, o, wei turn to the Gentiles. 47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I^ have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earih. Kch. 14: 22; Heb. 6:11, 13; 13:I5....h ch. 18 : 6....1 Matt. 10 : 6; Luke 24: 47 : Bom. 1 : 16....] Deut.82 : 21 ; Matt. 21 : 43)Rcm. 10: 19.... k lea. 49 : 6. ble as those predicted by Habakkuk and inflicted by the hands of the Chaldeans on our unbeUev- ing fathers.' " — (Alexander.) 43, 43. But as they were going out of the synagogue they besought that these words might be preached to them. This is the best reading, and is adopted by both Alford and Tischendorf. It has been changed to the form In our English version, probably because it was considered necessary to show that this re quest was preferred by the GentUes, otherwise It would be inconsistent with the hostUity ol the Jews Indicated In verse 45. In tact, however, the change In popular sentiment is just such as otten occurs where convictions are not deeply . settled ; moreover It is neither necessary to sup pose that all the Jews united In this request, or in that persecution. — The next Sabbath. Or, The Sabbath between. The original is capable of either translation, but that of our English ver sion Is adopted by the best critics (Meyer, Alford, Alexander and Hackett) ; it the other be adopted the meaning wIU be, on one of the week-day meetings of the synagogue. These were held on Monday and Thursday, and are said to have been arranged by Ezra. — Now when the congre gation was broken np. Dismissed ; set tree. —Many of the Jews and religions prose lytes. LlteraUy, T/ie worshipping strangers; here, the Greeks who accepted Jehovah as their God, and worshipped with the Jews. On the proselytes, and their division into two classes, see Matt. 23 : 15, note.— To remain in the grace of God. Or, Of the Lord, i. e., Christ ; there is good authority lor either reading. The burden ot the apostoUc preaching was that they should accept salvation as a free gift, and rest on the free graee of God, not on their own obe dience to the law. Comp. PhU. 3 : 9. 44, 45. Came almost the whole city to gether. To the synagogue. The throng em braced both Jew and GentUe; not merely the proselytes, but also those who had not thereto fore accepted Judaism. It was this thronging of their synagogue by the GentUes which aroused the opposition ol the Jews. " They could not endure the notion ot others being freely admit ted to the same religious privUeges with them selves. This was always the sin of the Jewish people. Instead of realizing their position in the world as the prophetic nation, tor the good of the whole earth, they Indulged the self-exalting opinion that God's highest blessings were only for themselves." — (Conybeare and Sowson.) The same feeling stlU underUes race and national pride and prejudice. — Filled with envy. Bather, With zeal. On the meaning ot the word (Cijio;) see ch. 5 : 17, note. It Is UteraUy heat or boiling. — Contradicting and blaspheming. Not only opposing by argument, but also by sneers, and denunciation, and evU speaking. To Ijlaspheme is here, not to take God's name In vain, but to speak evU and slanderous words. In the first centuries various forms ot Ucentiousness and unnatural crime were charged upon the Christians, for the purpose of bringing them and their doctrines into disrepute. 46, 47. Then Paul and Barnabas speak ing, boldly said. They had before implied (see ver. 26), rather than openly and freely asserted, the universaUty of tbe offer ot salvation. — It was necessary that the word of Gofl should first have been spoken to you. Not, It was proper, nor. It was our duty, but, It was necessary; because it was the divine pur pose, that the Jews should have the opportunity to accept and become themselves the bearers to others of the message of salvation. See ch. 3 : 26 ; Rom. 1 : 16.— Since ye thrust it away. As Christ rejected the human (john e ; i6) so these the divine crown. Comp. for meaning of the word and Ulustratlon ot their Spirit cb. 7 : 27, 39 ; 1 Tim. 1 : 19. See also Luke 19 : 14.— And judge yourselves not worthy of eternal life. Observe that as every soul by Its memory keeps the record of its own lite (luko i6 : 25), so every soul utters Its own condemnation. We are daUy judging ourselves unworthy ol di vine grace In every act ol relusal to accept and rely upon it. — We turn to the Gentiles. Hitherto their preaching had been to the Jews ; the GentUes had been only incidentally included in their meaning. So Wesley and Whitfield went to the fields to preach when the pulpits were closed against them. — So hath the Lord com manded. The quotation Is Irom Isaiah 49 : 6, 158 THE ACTS. [Ch. XIII. 48 And when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad, and glorified the word of the Lord : and as many ' as were ordained to eternal life, believed. 49 And the word of the Lord was published through out all the region. 50 But the Jews stirred up the devout and honourable women, and the chief men of the city, and raised ¦" persecution against Paul and Bamabas, and expelled them out of their coasts. 51 But they shook" off the dust of their feet against them, and came unto Iconium. 52 And the disciples were filled with joy," and with the Holy Ghost. I ch. 2 : 47 ; Rom. 8 : L 2 Thn. 3 : 11 n ch. 18 : 6 ; Mark 6:11; Luke 9:6 0 Matt. 6 : 12 ; 1 Theis. I : 6 The command there Is clearly given to Christ, and to his ministers only through him. Comp. with it Matt. 4 : 16 ; 8 : 11. 48. They were glad. Not all the GentUes ; but as it was characteristic of the Jews that they contradicted and blasphemed the Gospel, so it was characteristic of the GentUes that they re joiced In and honored It. — As many as were ordained to eternal life believed. This verse Is a battle-ground, by Calvin and by Cal- vinistic commentators generally It is regarded as a proof -text of tbe doctrine of predestination. "This ordaining can be referred only to the eternal decree of God. It Is ^ ridiculous eavU to reter it to the mind ot those who believed, as il they received tbe Gospel who were properly disposed In their minds." — (Calvin.) The Ar- mlnian commentators understand the word ren dered ordained as Indicating not the wIU ot God, but the disposition of the believers. So, apparently, Adam Clarke: "The verb (tuttio or Tdaam) sig nifies to place, set, order, appoint, dis pose ; hence it has been considered here as imply ing tbe disposition or readiness ot mind ot several persons in the congregation, such as the reli gious proselytes mentioned (ver. 43), who pos sessed the reverse of the disposition of those Jews who spake against those things, contra dicting and blaspheming." An intermediate view is taken by some commentators; thus Altord; "Tbe Jews had judged themselves unworthy of etemal life : the GentUes, as many as were dis posed to etemal Ufe, beUeved. By whom so dis posed is not here declared ; nor need the word be in this place turther particularized. We know that It Is God who worketh In us the wUl to beUeve, and that the preparation of the heart Is ot Him : but to find in this text pre-ordinatlon to life asserted, is to force both the word and the context to a meaning which they do not con tain." That the word here rendered ordained signifies not merely a disposition of mind in the actor, but a determination or decision affiectuig him by some one else, and here by God, is, 1 think, clear trom the foUowing considerations: (1) the form of the verb which Is the passive participle ; they were disposed by some power or influence acting upon them ; (2) from the verb itself (Taaaw) which signifies not a mere mental disposition or choice, but a determination or de- I cree. For its use by Luke, see Luke 7:8; Acts ICONIUM — KOurrEH. 15 : 3 ; 23 : 10 ; 28 : 23 ; (3) from other parallel teachings ot the N. T., yiliicb represent faith as the result ol divine grace, working in the heart ot the beUever. For Luke's recognition of this truth, see Luke 7:8; Acts 2 : 47 ; 5 : 14 ; 22 : 10. Comp. 1 Cor. 3:6; PhU. 2 : 13 ; Rom. 8 : 29, 30. Ch. XIV.] THE ACTS, CHAPTER XIV. AND it came to pass in Iconium^ that they went both together into the synagogue of the Jews, and so spake, that a great multitude, both of the Jews and also of the GreeRs, believed. 2 But the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles, and made their minds evil affected against the brethren. 3 Long time therefore abode they speaking boldly in the Lord, which gaveP testimony unto the word of 159 his grace, and granted signs and wonders to be done by their hands. 4 But the multitude of the city was divided : and parti held with the jews, and part with the apostles. S And when there was an assault made, both of the Gentiles and also of the Jews, with their rulers, to use them despitefully, and to stone them, 6 They were ware of /;', and fled' unto Lystra and Derbe, cities of Lycaonia, and unto the region that lieth round about : p Mark 16 : 20 ; Heb. 2 : 4 . . . . q ch. 28 : . . r Matt. 10 : 23. But there is certainly nothing In this passage to indicate that the divine disposing ot the GentUes to beUeve was an etemal or an irresistible de cree ; nothing more is indicated than an effectual work ot grace, accepted by the GentUes and for that reason effectual. 49-52. Was published throughout all the region. Not by the Apostles, for the his tory goes on with the record of their personal labors, but by the private ministry ot the new disciples, as in ch. 8 : 14 ; 11 : lil. — But the Jews stirred np the devout and honora ble w^omen. That Is, Jewish proselytes ot social influence. Sonorable reters to social posi tion, not to personal character. Women exerted a strong influence both for and against Chris tianity. It was probably by them that the oppo sition of the chief men of the city was Incited. To the persecution here mentioned Paul refers in 1 Tim. 3 : 11.— They shook off the dnst off their feet. As Christ directed In the first com mission ol the twelve. See Matt. 10 : 14 and note there lor explanation ol this symboUc act. Iconium. A considerable city ot Asia Minor, generally considered as belonging to Lycaonia. It lay In a fertile plain at the foot of Taurus, on the great Une of communication between Ephesus and the more eastem cities of Tarsus and An tioch, and the Euphrates. From Pliny's descrip tion It would appear to have been a populous and important city at the time of Paul's visit. Under the Byzantine emperors it was the metropolis of Lycaonia, was subsequently captured by the Turks and made the capital of an empire whose sovereigns took tbe title of Sultans of Iconium. During this period of Its history It acquired Its greatest cfciebrlty. It is now caUed Koniyeh, has a population variously estimated from twenty to thirty thousand. The houses are mostly of stone or sun-dried brick, and are poorly built, except the mosques and palaces. The place contains some remains and inscriptions, mostly of the Byzantine period. — And the disciples were filled with Joy. A practical commentaiy on Matt. 5 : 11, 12. Comp. Acts 5 : 41. The disciples are not merely Paul and Bamabas, but also the new converts. Ch. 14 : 1-28. THE MISSIONARY TOUR OF THE APOS TLES COSTINUED. Thb Gospel a swobd (Matt. 10 : 34) — Chbdcmtt is as antagonistic to the Gospel AS skepticism.— The apostles but servants ; Chbist THE only DiVlNB MaSTEE.— THE APOSTLEs' MISSION- abt argument to pagans. For some account of the general region through which the apostles passed in this chapter see Prel. Note, p. 144. 1-3. The length of this ministry in Iconium is not known ; In so rapid a missionary journey a few months would answer to tbe description here, a long time. The Greeks who beUeved were probably Jewish proselytes, since they attended the synagogue service ; the public ministry of the apostles in Iconium appears to have been confined to the synagogues. How the unbeUev- ing Jews evU afEected the minds ot the GentUes Is not Indicated ; not Impossibly by exciting political prejudice against them as preachers of another kingdom and another king than Caesar (ch. 16 : 20, 2i) ; or it may be that their ministry against idolatry was made an occasion tor pro voking a GentUe persecution (ch. 19 : 26) ; or there may be some historical basis tor tbe Eoman Catholic legend of St. Thecla. According to this story she was converted by the apostle's preaching, and refused to marry her betrothed ; the refusal resulted in Paul's imprisonment and banishment. See Conybeare and Howson, Vol. 1, ch. 6, or Mrs. Jameson's Sacred and Legendary Art, Vol. II, p. 556. The language here, evil affected against the brethren, which term Is a cus tomary N. T. designation ot Christian disciples (ch. 16 : 1, 3, 22, 23, etc.) Indicates, however, not a mere personal opposition to Paul, but an enmity aroused against aU tbe Cbrietain converts. 4-7. The populace of the city was di vided. The division of sentiment affected not merely the worshippers In the synagogue, but the people throughout the city. Such public contentions were not uncommon in the hetero geneous populations ot these Grecian cities. — And when there was a purpose * * * to use them despitefully. Not, an assault made. 01 course they would have been aware ot that. — And fled. As Christ had directed (Man. 10 : 23). Prudence is the twin ot true courage. — Lystra and Derbe. The site ot both towns is uncer tain. Lystra was undoubtedly in the eastem part ot the great plain of Lycaonia ; and there 160 THE ACTS. [Ch. XIV. 7 And there they preached the gospel. 8 And there sat a certain man at Lystra, impotent in his feet, being a cripple " from his mother's womb, who never had walked : 9 The same heard Paul speak: who stedfastly be holding him, and perceiving that he had faith * to be healed, IO Said with a loud voice, Stand upright on thy feet. And he leaped" and walked. II Aod when the people saw what Paul had done they lifted up their voices, saying in the speech of Ly caonia, The gods' are come down to us in the likeness of men. 12 And they called Barnabas, Jupiter ; and Paul Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. ' ¦ ch. 3 : 2 t Matt. 9 : 28, 29 n Isa. 36 : 6 are very strong reasons tor Identifying Its site with the ruins caUed Bln-blr-KlIisseh, at the base ot a conical mountain of volcanic structure, named the Karadagh. Here are the remains of a great number ot churches ; and it should be noticed that Lystra has Its post-apostoUc Chris tian history, the names of its bishops appearing in the records of early councils. Derbe was in the eastern part ot the great upland plain of Lycaonia, somewhere near the place where the pass caUed the Ciliclan Gates opened a way from the low plain ot CiUcIa to the table-land ot the interior ; and probably it was a stage upon the great road which passed this way. Lystra was the home ot Timothy, and as he knew ot the persecutions suf fered by Paul in this tour (2 Tim. 3 : 10, 11), and was already a disciple at the time ot Paul's second visit to Lystra (Acta 16 : 1), it is reasonably sur mised that his conversion to Christianity took place at this time ; that he was converted under Paul's ministry. Is Indicated by 1 Cor. 4 : 15, 17. It Is a notable evidence of the accuracy ot Luke's narrative that no persecution In Derbe Is Indi cated In this chapter, and none in Paul's reter ence in 3 Tim. 3 : 10, 11, to the persecutions suf- tered during this journey. — Lycaonia. One ot the provinces ol Asia Minor, tormerly within the limits ot Phrygia, but made a separate prov ince by Augustus. It is a bare and dreary region, unwatered by streams, though in parts liable to occasional Inundations. The Lycaonlans seem to have bad a language, or rather a dialect, of their own, but we have no traces of it remaining. The best authorities speak of it merely as a cor- mpt Greek. The people were a fierce and war like race, never fully subdued by the Persians, and conquered rather than amalgamated by the Greeks. — They were preaching the Gospel. The Imperfect tense indicates a ministry extend ing over some period of time. 8-10. There sat a certain man. No men tion Is made of any synagogue In Lystra ; it is therefore probable that Paul was preaching In the market-place («ee ch. 17 : 17) or In some broad thoroughfare of the city. In a similar manner the missionaries of to-day avaU themselves of the squares and publlc streets as preaching places. The lame man was sitting near by, perhaps brought hither to beg, as the one mentioned In ch. 3 : 2. — Who never had walked. An indi cation of the hopeless nature of his disease.— The same was hearing. (ifxa/iBv, Imperfect tense.) Not merely heard, but was listening to Paul.— Who * * * perceived that he had faith to be saved (aaiprivai). This is tbe literal meaning of the original and I believe its meaning here ; it so, what Paul perceived in the cripple was not an expectation ot a miraculous cure, but a spiritual acceptance of the Gospel ot Christ. This made the remedy possible. This faith Paul perceived In the expression of the countenance. There Is no ImpUcatlou ot any supematural knowledge ; rather the reverse ; It was In stead fastly beholding him that Paul perceived his faith. — With a loud voice. Baising his voice to attract the cripple's attention. — Stand upright on thy feet. It Is noteworthy that Paul, In per forming this miracle, makes no reference to Christ or to God. This remarkable omission may be due to the brevity of Luke's narrative ; or it may be that the theme ot Paul's preachmg was tbe life and ministry of Christ and especiaUy his miracles, and rendered the usual reterence to the Lord as the source of his own authority unnecessary ; or may we consider that the mis apprehension of the people, as indicated by theh' endeavor to otter sacrifices to Paul and Bamabas, was possibly partly due to the unintentional faU- ure of the apostle to make unmistaiably appa rent the divine source of his authority?— He leaped and walked. An indication that the cure was Instantaneous and complete. 11,12. In the speech of Iiycaonia. The nature of this speech, probably a corrupted dia lect of the Greek, Is not known with any certainty. The tact is here stated to explain why the apos tles did not earUer interfere. The people gener- aUy would have understood the Greek language In which Paul spoke, but he would not have understood the native dialect ot the people, especially In the babble and contusion ot voices which ensued.^The gods are come down to ns in the likeness of men. The Greek and Boman gods were deified men ; it was not there- tore strange that the people should beUeve, as they did, that these gods would on occasion visit the earth in human likeness. — Jupiter * * * Mercurius. Jupiter, " the heavenly father," was the highest and most powerful among the gods, had control oyer aU changes In Ch. XIV.] THE ACTS. 161 13 Then the priest of Jupiter, which was before their city, brought oxen and garlands unto the gates, and would * have done sacrifice with the people. 14 IVhich when the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of, they ^ rent their clothes, and ran in among the people, crying out, 15 And saying. Sirs, why do ye these things? Wey also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you, that ye should turn from these vjinities* unto • the living God, which made heaven," and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein : 16 Who ° in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. 17 Nevertheless,* he left not himself without wit ness, in that he did good, and gave us rain « from hea ven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness. w Dan. 2:46....! Matt. 26: 66....y ch. 10 : 26; James 6 ; 17 ; Rev. 19: 10. ...z 1 Sam. 12: 21; 1 KInga 16 : 13 ; Jer. 14 : 22; Jonah 2 : 8 ; I Cor. 8 ;4 a 1 These. 1:9 b Gea. 1 : I ; Fs. 33 : 6 ; 146 ; 6; Rev. 14 : 7 c ch. 17:30; Ps, ^ : 12. ...d Kom. 1 ; 20 e Job 6 : 10; Fs. 147 : 3 ; Matt. 6 : 46. the heavens, determined the course ot aU earthly afEairs, was the guardian ot the law, and was invoked at the beginning ot every undertaking, and pubUcly worshipped at the return from every successful campaign. Mercurius was the messen ger of the gods, hence the god ol eloquence and prudence, quaUtles combuaed in the classical representations of him with cunning, fraud, per jury, and even theft. He was also a customary companion ol other deities and attended Jupiter In his expeditions. Each ol the Grecian cities was supposed to be under the especial protection ol some deity; Jupiter appears to have been the tutelary deity ot Lystra, and his temple, or possibly his statue, stood just outside the walls of the city (ver. 13). It was a common belief among the ancients that the gods occasionally visited the earth In the form, ot men, and Ovid (Met., b. i, t. 211) has preserved a special tradition ol such a visit by Jupiter and Mercury to the house ol Lycaon, the supposed lounder ot one ol the principal cities ol Lycaonia. Thus the account here given ol the reception accorded to the apostles agrees singularly with what we know ol the character ol the people and their traditions. Observe that It is Bamabas aud not Paul who is regarded as Jupiter, and compare this with the statement ol his enemies that his bodily presence is weak (2 Cor. 10 : 10) ; hence we may reasonably surmise that he was ol small stature. 01 his power as a speaker, the Book ol Acts afiords many Illustrations. 13, 14. But the priest of the Jupiter which was before their city. There is bet ter authority lor reading city than gates, but the ueaning in either case is substantlaUy the same ; his temple or statue stood probably at or near the chief entrance to the city. — Brought oxen and garlands. The former to sacriflce, tbe latter either to decorate the animals or to crown the apostles, or decorate their house. The an nexed Illustration of an ancient sacrifice and altar, which represents the essential features ot this scene, Is Irom an antique medal. — Unto the doors. Not the gates ot the city, but the door or gate leading Into the court-yard ol the house where the apostles were. Paul had fin ished his sermon and gone into the house, and knew nothing ot what was going on, untU the priest and the multitude appeared in the street. This is impUed both here and in the language of the next verse. — But the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, hearing. Not hearing of the popu lar impulse by tbe reports of others, but hearing the tum,vlt before their doors. — Rending their clothes. To the Jew a natural symbol of grief or horror. — Rushed forth among the peo ple. That Is, from the house. The language ImpUes intense vehemence of action. They were horror-stricken at the idea that the result of their ministry, the object of which had been to lead these heathens to Jesus Christ as their Saviour, had. In fact, brought them to offer an idolatrous worship to his apostles. 15. We are also of like passions with yourselves, men. Emphasis is placed on the phrase of like passions. — And herald unto you as glad tidings. This message is glad tidings because it Is not merely a command to abandon Idolatry, but also a revelation ot the true God. — That ye should turn from these vani ties. That is, from these vain and profitless gods. Comp. Ps. 115 : 4-8; Isaiah 40 : 18-30; 43 : lY, 18. In contrast with these Inanities is the living Ood. God Is frequently thus de scribed in the Bible, especially by Paid. See Eom. 9 : 26 ; 3 Cor. 3 : 3 ; 6 : 16 ; 1 Thess. 1 : 9 ; 1 Tim. 3 : 15 ; 4 : 10. In a peculiar sense the preaching ol Jesus Christ as the Incarnation ol the Deity was a preaching ol a living God, i. e., ol a per sonal being entering Into sympathetic relations with man. See Matt. 16 : 16, note. — Which made heaven and earth, etc. The Greeks generaUy did not regard the gods as the creators ol material things ; matter was etemal ; the gods 162 THE ACTS. [Oh. XIV. i8 And with these sayings scarce restrained they the people, that they had not done sacrifice unto them. 19 And there came thither certain Jews from Anti och and Iconium, who persuaded the people, and, having stoned' Paul, drew him out of the city, sup posing he had been dead. 20 Howbeit, as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up, and came into the city : and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derbe. 21 And when they had preached the gospel to that city, and had taught many, they retumed again to Lystra, and io Iconium, and Antioch, f 2 Cor. 11 : 26. themselves were created In time ; thus Zeus was the son of Chronos and Rhea, and Mercury was the son of Zeus, or Jupiter ; and In their mythology the various domains ot nature had each its own deity. 16, 17. Who, iu bygone generations, suffered all the Gentiles to walk in their own ways. The word (l^vog) rendered naticm Is capable of either that rendering or the one I have given. The latter meaning seems best to suit both the context and the actual facts. The law was given only to the Jews; the Gentiles were left without any other law than that afEorded by nature and conscience. — Nevertheless, he left not himself without witness, etc. Observe that the essential element in tbe argu ment from nature, as the apostle presents it, is the beneficence of God — the adaptation of nature to provide tor the wants of man, both those of the body and ot the heart : he did good, gave us rain, filled our hearts. Tbe reference to rain was specially significant in a province where water was so scarce that it Is said to have been sometimes sold tor money. The authorship of this speech is conflrmed by some striking coinci dences between the phraseology employed here and elsewhere by the same speaker. See Acts 17 : 30 ; Eom. 3 : 35 ; 1 Thess. 1 : 9. EspeciaUy should the student examine Eom., chaps. 1, 3, where Paul elaborates the argument. He there explains why God left the nations to their own ways, viz., because they first left him, describes what those ways were, and draws clearly the con trast between the Jews who know the law, and the Gentiles who are without It. 18, 19. Tbe revulsion in publlc sentiment indicated in these verses is not without parallels in both sacred and secular history ; and the Lycaonians were a notoriously fickle people. Mr. Howson suggests that the Jews who came from Antioch and Iconium attributed the mira cle of healing to diaboUcal agency, as did the Pharisees in the case of Christ and his miracles (Matt. 12 ; 24). The popular Interpretation of what they had witnessed having been disavowed by the apostles, the people would readUy adopt a new Interpretation, suggested by those who appeared to be well acquainted with the stran gers, and who had followed them from distant cities. Paul refers to the stoning here mentioned in 3 Cor. 11 : 35, " Once I was stoned." From a comparison ot the account here and in ver. 5, with Paul's reference In 3 Corinthians, Dr. Paley draws a forcible argument for the authenticity of Luke's account. " Had tbe assault (In Iconium) been completed, had the history related that a stone was thrown, as It relates that preparations were made both by Jews and GentUes to stone Paul and his companions, or even had the ac count of this transaction stopped, without going on to inform us that Paul and his companions were 'aware of the danger and fled,' a contra diction between the history and the epistles would have ensued. Truth Is necessarUy consist ent ; but It Is scarcely possible that independent accounts, not having truth to guide them, should thus advance to the very brink ot contradiction without faUing Into It." Two other incidental coincidences confirm the narrative : (I) the perse cution which was Instigated by the Jews, was carried out by stoning, a Jewish mode ot punish ment ; (3) this attempted infliction of death, in Palestine, would not have been permitted within the city (ch. 7 : 68) ; in this heathen city no scruple prevented it. 20, 21. As the disciples stood round about him. Not in order to bury him, but contemplating moumfuUy his insensible form. Timothy was not Improbably one ot this group ; he resided at Lystra (ch. 16 : i), and knew of, it he did not witness, this persecution (2 Tim. 3 : 11). — He rose up and came into the city. AUord and Meyer regard this as a supernatural recov ery ; Hackett the reverse ; Alexander is doubt ful. I see no reason to regard it as anything more than a recovery after being stunned ; there is nothing In the fact that he came Into the city to Indicate "his Immediate restoration to his usual activity and vigor " ; the disciples were there to assist or even to carry him, if helpless, and his departure on the following day to Derbe was a natural means ot safety. The suggestion, re ferred to by Alexander, that Paul's swoon at Lystra is to be Identified with the trance described In 3 Cor. 13 : 1-4 Is more ingenious than sound. A swoon Is a state of unconsciousness, a trance is a state of exalted spiritual consciousness ; there Is nothing akin In them. — Derbe. For descrip tion, see ver. 6. — Had taught many. Kather, had made many disciples ; the success of their ministry Is Indicated. — They retnrned again to Lystra. "Advancing still eastward from this point, they would soon have reached the weU-known 'ClUclan Gates,' through which they Ch. XIV.] THE ACTS. 163 22 Confirming the souls of the disciples, and exhort ing them to continues in the faith, and tliat wei> must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom ol God. 23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commend ed them to the Lord, on whom they Delieved. 24 And after they had passed throughout Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. 25 And when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down into Attalia ; 26 And thence sailed to Antioch, from* whence they had been recommended to the grace J of God for the work which they fulfilled. 27 And when they were come, and had gathered the church together, they rehearsed*' all that God had done with them, and now he had opened' the door of faith unto the Gentiles. 28 And there they abode long time with the disciples. gch. 13:43 h Rom. S : 17; 2 Tim. 3 : 12 1 ch. 13 : 1, 3 j ch. IS : 40 . . . .k ch. 16 : 4 1 1 Cor. 16:9; 2 Cor. 2:12; Ect. 3:8. covild have descended easUy to CUicIa, and then have embarked from Tarsus for Antioch. They had the choice, therefore, of a nearer way to Syria; but their soUcItude for the welfare of the newly-founded churches constrains them to turn back, and revisit the places where they had preached." — (Saekett.) 22, 23. Exhorting them to remain in the faith. Not merely In the belief that Jesus is the Messiah, though this beUef might be shaken by his taUure to protect them trom persecution, but, in the life of faith, that is, in that Ute whose present strength and future hope is derived from a personal trust In a personal Saviour. Comp. 1 Cor. 16 : 13 ; 3 Cor. 13 : 5 ; Gal. 3 : 34-26 ; Col. 1 : 33. — And that we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God. For the reason why tribulation Is neces sary, see Eom. 5:3-5; Heb. 13 : 11. Comp. Luke 14 : 25-33. It was by this exhortation, not by any special rite, that the apostles confirmed the souls ot the disciples. There Is some question among the critics as to the significance ot the pronoun we In this sense ; some regard It as indicating a general law appUcable to aU Christians ; the meaning then would be. We as Christians enter the kingdom through tribulation. Others regard it as an indication that the words ot the apostle are in part" quoted ; they refer to the persecu tions which they have themselves suffered, as an tvidenee that all must enter the kingdom of God In the same way. Alford regards It as an indica tion that Luke has rejoined the apostles, having remained at Antioch during the joumey to Ico nium and back ; but there Is nothing in ch. 13 to indicate that Luke was with the apostles during any part of this missionary tour. — And when they had ordained them elders iu every church. The word here rendered ordained (Xii(>oToviim) Is etymologlcaUy and In classic Greek, to choose by a show ol hands, a custom ary method of election In the Grecian pubUo assemblies. In the N. T. the word occurs only here and in 3 Cor. 8 : 19, but in composition with the preposition before (rt^o) It occurs In Acts 10 : 41, where it describes a choice exercised by God. In later ecclesiastical Greek the word Is used to designate the ordination of a church officer by his ecclesiastical superior. On this state of facts three interpretations are afforded of this verse. Tbe first Imputes to tbe word ordained its later ecclesiastical meaning, and un derstands, as our English translators seem to have done, that the apostles appointed the elders over the churches by their own ecclesiastical authority. The second view imputes to It tbe etymological and classical meaning of an elec tion by a show ol hands, and understands that the elders were thus elected by vote ot the church members, as were the deacons In ch. 6 : 5, and their choice was then ratified by the ac tion ol the apostles, who solemnly set apart the elders to their office, as Paul and Bamabas bad been set apart by special religious services for their missionary work (ch. is : 3). This apparently Is Alford's view : " The apostles ordained tbe presbyters whom the churches elected." The third view, which seems to me the correct one, takes the word (/iiQotoriua), rendered ordain, in Its secondary meaning as equivalent to select or ajjpoint, and understands the declaration to be that the apostles appointed elders, without any indication whether the selection was made by themselves, or first by the lay members of tbe church and ratified by the apostles, or by the concurrent action of the two. In these GentUe cities, where the converts were largely without previous reUglous instruction In either the truths or the forms of religion, it seems very probable that the apostles would have exercised a con trolling Influence in the selection of church offi cers. There is nothing to indicate what was the authority of these elders except the facts that the name Is applied in the 0. T. to officers exer cising certain undefined political functions, analo gous to those of tbe modem shiek (Matt. 16 : 2, note), and also to designate officers who administered the affairs of the Jewish synagogue (Mati. 4 : 23, note). That their authority was conflned to the local church is impUed by the expression elda-s in every church. WhUe no very clear and definite lesson respecting church action is conveyed by tbis passage, one practical lesson Is plain and important : tbe apostles did not merely preach the Gospel, they also gathered the Christian con verts into deflnltely organized churches, with officers duly appointed, and, presumptively, with the ordinances duly administered. They brought 164 THB ACTS. [Ch. XV. them Into tbe visible, as weU as Into the invisible kingdom of God.— Commended them to the liOrd. Eather, Set them b^ore the Lord ; a formal reUglous service participated in by the apostles is certainly implied. Comp. 1 Tim. 5 : 33 ; 3 Tim. 1 : 6 ; Tit. 1 : 5. 24, 25. Pisidia. A province In Asia Minor. See ch. 13 : 14, note.— Pamphylia. Another province. See ch. 13 : 13, note.— Perga. The first point which they had reached on the main road after leaving Cypras. See ch. 13 : IS, note. — Attalia. A coast town ot PamphyUa, In the immediate vicinity of Perga ; It was tounded by Attains PhUadelphus, and is stUl an important place, with a population ot 8,000 ; it is now known as CittaUa, at least this Is the better opinion, though there is some uncertainty re specting its identification. The apostles appa rently went to AttaUa not for the purpose of preaching, but as a convenient point trom which to take ship for Antioch. 26-28. They had gathered the church together. A special meeting was held to hear their report. It is not improbable that there were several churches in Antioch whose mem bers were convened on this occasion. — They rehearsed all that God had done with them. Perhaps this rehearsal furnished Luke witb the material for his narrative. Observe how Paul here recognizes the truth afterwards in sisted on in 1 Cor. 3 : 6-9. This was a true "praise meeting." — Opened tbe door of faith nnto the Gentiles. That is, had by his grace given admission into the kingdom of faith unto the uncircumcised heathen. The metaphor is a favorite one with Paul (l Cor. 16 ; 9 ; 2 Cor. 2 : 12 ; Col. 4 : i). — liOng time. One or two years. Proba bly a.d. 48, 49. See Chronological Table, p. 30. Ch. 15 ; 1-35. THE SO-CALLED COUNCIL AT JERU SALEM. The relation of kites to the eblioion or Jesus Chbist.— The teaohihos or divine Peovi- DBNCE AN AUTHOEITT IN EELI6I0N.— HoW TO PEBVBNT CHTJECH QUAEEELS.— PRINCIPLB FEBMANENT, POUCT TEMPOBAET. PKELiMrNABT NoTE.— This chapter divides the Book of Acts Into two nearly equal portions. The first fourteen chapters describe chlefiy the operations of divine providence which brought the church to the decision here flnally announced, that the Gospel Is for the GentUe as well as the Jew, that Christianity is for humanity, not for a single nation ; the second fourteen chapters re count tbe methods pursued by the church, under the guidance of God, In carrying the Gospel to the GentUes. In studying this chapter consider the following tacts : (1.) Circumcision was ordained by God In the days of Abraham. It was the sign of the covenant between hlmsell and his people. It was a publlc profession of faith in and consecration to him. It opened the door of and gave admission to his kingdom. To be un circumcised was to be a heathen, a stranger from the commonwealth of Israel, without a part m the divine Inheritance (Gen. 17 : 14 ; Eick 23 : 10, etc). To deny circumcision therefore, seemed to a Jew ish conscience equivalent to denying God's cov enant and kingdom. It was not an unmeaning ceremony. It was as important a part of reU glon as any ceremony ever Is or ever can be ; to deny that It was essential to salvation was equiv alent to denying that any ceremonial Is essential to reUglon. (3.) Jesus Christ had not repealed, set aside, or said aught to weaken the obligation of circumcision. He was himself circumcised (Luke 2 ; 2i). Accused by his enemies ol relaxing the laws ot Moses he had denied the imputation (Matt. 5 : 17, note). Hc had choscu aU hls apostles from among the circumcised. In his flrst com mission he had bid them go not to any heathen province or Samaritan viUage (Matt, lo : 6). The fuU meaning ol his subsequent commissions (mm. 28 : 19, 20 ; Acta 2 : s) the apostlcs themselvcs did not at flrst comprehend. They had no direct extemal authority lor abandoning a test ol character which God had ordained, and which had been maintained lor over 1,800 years. (3.) The apos tles themselves had Issued no decree on the sub ject. Christ had appointed them to sit as judges ol Israel. He had conferred upon them an au thority, vague certainly, but not insignificant, and they had been sUent. The first preachmg to the Greeks was by PhUip, a Greek (ct. 8 : 6, 4o). The second was by Peter, but the case was ex ceptional ; he had been called to account for It ; no permanent ministry to the heathen had re sulted (chaps. 10, ii). Neither of them had organ ized the uncircumcised into Christian churches, or assumed to place Jew and GentUe on the same footing before God and the church. The action of Paul and Bamabas and tbe church at Antioch was therefore whoUy without extemal or ecclesiastical authority. They not only ap peared to disregard the traditions ot the church, to reject the ordinance established by God, to abandon a ceremonial haUowed by immemorial usage, but to do this without authority from Christ or his apostles. Pride and conscience re- euforced each other In the complaint preferred against tbem for this seemingly flagrant irregu larity, (i.) This conference, usually caUed a councU, was not one, in the modem sense ol that term. The churches ol Palestine were not rep resented; nor even the churches ol Judea. It was simply a meeting of the church at Jerusa lem. It was not called to settle authoritatively the question. In the mind of Paul there was no question. The complaints of the Pharisees awak ened no hesitation in his mind (oai. 2 •. 5). He would not have yielded his convictions, no, not Ch. XV.] THE ACTS. 165 CHAPTER XV. AND™ certain men which came down from Tudsea taught the brethren, and said. Except" ye be cir cumcised after" the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved. 2 When therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension and disputation with them, they determined m Oal. 2:12 n John 7 ; 22 o Lev. 12 : 8. to an angel from heaven (oai. i : 7, s). He did not even go up to Jemsalem tUl directed by a special divine revelation (oai. 2 : 2). Wheu he went he emphasized his own convictions by taking an uncircumcised Greek with him (oai. s : 3). The church at Antioch was as Uttle In doubt as him self. It accompanied Paul, Bamabas and Titus out ol the city, giving him a pubUc ovation (Acta 15 ; s). As the three joumeyed to Jerusalem, they visited the churches on their route, narra ting with thanksgiving the labors, for the Irregu larity ot which they were caUed to account. Paul refused to recognize in the apostles any authority over him and superior to his own (oai. 1 : 1, II, 12, 17-22), and arriving at Jerusalem, entered Into no debate or defence ; he simply gave an ac count of what he had done. If we could Imagine the Judaizlng party securing the decision of the church in their favor, we could not imagine Paul's yielding to it. The genesis of this con ference was simply this : Pharisaic beUevers came from Jerusalem to Antioch, claimed to speak by authority, and demanded the circumcision ol the Gentile converts. The Christians at Antioch sent Paul and Bamabas to Jerusalem to leam whether this self-constituted delegation possessed the au thority It claimed ; whether the church had authorized or would ratify their action. (5.) The constitution and forms ot proceedings ot the so- eaUed councU are uncertain. I beUeve, how ever, that the matter was first discussed In pri vate between the apostles and elders, that a result was reached, that it was then laid before the entire church and ratified by them, and that the addresses of Peter and the narrative of Paul and Bamabas, as well as the final utterance of James, are part ol this report, prepared, as it was, in committee. See ver. 6, note. (6.) The result Included both a principle and a poUcy. The principle is embodied by Peter's declaration that God recognizes no difference between Jew and GentUe, purifying aU hearts by faith (ver. 9). Faith Is not only the ground ot salvation, it Is the only ground. Nothing else is necessary. No ceremonial is ol the essence of Christianity. No ceremonial could be more sacred, either from Its origin, its usage, or its Import, than circumci sion. The policy is embodied In the counsel of James (vers. 20, 21, note), that the GentUes abstain from certain practices out of regard to the con sciences of their Jewish brethren. The princi ple is etemal. It is the same to-day as in the first century. The poUcy was perhaps never luUy carried out. It certainly did not outlast the time ot Paul. He openly declares the right ol a Christian to eat meat offered to idols, though he advises, in the spirit ol this conterence, that the right be yielded for the sake of others (Rom. ch. 14 ; 1 Cor. ch. s). (7.) This result was not obtained by an appeal to church authority: — neither to the O. T., though James quotes a passage from the prophets to show that the 0. T. does not contravene their conclusion ; nor to Jesus Christ, who is not quoted at aU ; nor to the Church, tor only the opinion of a local church was asked, except as the apostles may be regarded as rep resentatives of the church universal : — ^but by an appeal to divine providence. The ways ot God are as authoritative as his word ; and the teach ings of the one, If not as plain, are as decisive as the teachings of the other. For the discontinu ance of a ceremonial as old as the nation, the primitive church required no other authority than the evident blessing of God bestowed upon those who had not accepted and performed it (vers. 8-10). (8.) If I have read aright this narrative, it throws smaU light on methods of ecclesiastical procedure In N. T. times ; It gives no authority tor church councUs, as a divinely appointed method of settling questions In church govem ment or administration ; but it attests the truth, which even the church of Christ has not yet learned, that reUglon consists wholly In heart- lite and its issues, not at all in any rite or cere mony, however sacred in origin or hallowed by usage; It points out the method ot preventing ecclesiastical contentions and quarrels, and it indicates the difference between principle and policy — the former to be held with inflexible tenacity, the latter to be readUy yielded In ac commodation to even unreasonable prejudices (comp. vers. 20, 21 with Gal. 2 ; 6). 1. And certain men which came down from Judea. They were evidently mem bers of the Christian church In Jerusalem. See ver. 5. In Galatians Paul characterizes them as "false brethren unawares brought In. " They be lieved that Jesus was the Messiah, but regarded Christianity only as a reformation of Judaism. — Except ye be circumcised. Circumcision was flrst ordained by God In his covenant with Abraham (oen. 17 : 10-14). It probably tell Into disuse, lor it was renewed iu the person ot the son of Moses, a little before the exodus (exos. 4 : 24-26). It had been practised by other nations than the Jews — the Egyptians, Ethiopians, Tro- 166 THE ACTS. [Ch. XV. that P Paul and Bamabas, and certain other of them, sliould go up to Jerusalem, unto the apostles and elders, ai)out this question. 3 And being 1 brought on their way by the church, they passed through Phenice and Samaria, declaring the conversioil'' of the Gentiles: and they caused great joy " unto all the brethren. 4 And when they were come to Jerusalem, they were received of the church, and of the apostles and elders, and they^ declared all things that God had done with them. 5 But there rose up certain of the sect of the Phari sees which believed, saying," That it was needful to circumcise them, and to command them to keep the law of Moses. 6 And the apostles and elders came together,' for to consider of this matter. p Gal. 2 : 1 . . . q Rom. 16 : 24 ; 1 Cor. 16 : 6, 11 ; 3 John 6 . . . r ch. 14 : 27 . . . s Lnke 16 : 7, 10 . . . . t ch. 21 : 19 . . . n ver. 1 . v Matt. 18 : 2i glodytes, Caffres ot South Africa, and Islanders ot the Pacific Ocean, and is stUl practised both by Mussulmans and modem Jews. It was per formed on aU males on the eighth day after birth (Lev. 12 : 3), and accompanied the naming of the chUd (Luke 1 : 69 ; 2 : 2i). It was a painful cere mony, and was especiaUy odious to the GentUes, because in tbe public baths to which they re sorted, the circumcised were subjected to cruel insults. So far was this carried that the Jews sometimes endeavored to efface the evidences ot circumcision by a surgical operation. See 1 Cor. 7 : 18. — Ye cannot be saved. The point of tbe teaching was not therefore that It was expe dient to be circumcised as a concession to the prejudices of others, but that circumcision was essential to salvation. It was this substitution of an extemal rite for the spiritual lite of faith In a personal Saviour which rendered their teach ing subversive of the soul. See ver. 34, note. 2. No small dissension and disputation with them. The former word (aruaif). else where rendered insurrection, sedition and uproar (Mark 15:7; Luke 23 : !9, 25 J Acta 19 : 40) Implies a VlgOr- ous and determined resistance to the Judalzers by Paul and Bamabas ; tbe latter word (iijriiaig) Uterally questioning (i Tim. i : 4 ; 6 : 4) implies debate ; tbe doctrine and the authority ot these Judalzers were probably both questioned. In fact they had no authority to speak for the church at Jerusa lem (ver. 24, note).— They determined. That is, the church at Antioch determined. It appears also from Gal. 3 : 3 that Paul received a direct revelation from heaven. There is nothing Incon sistent In the two accounts. The revelation may have been afforded him by tbe voice ot prophets in tbe church (ch. 13 : 2, note), or It may be that a private revelation to Paul and the action ot the church combined In sending this delegation. So Paul was sent from Jerusalem both by the word and the Providence of God (ch. 9 : 29, 30 with ch. 22:18, 21).— Certain other of them. Titus was one (Gai. 2 ; 1, 3), and the fact that he ac companied Paul, being an uncircumcised Greek, as well as the statement In tbe next verse, indi cates that the mind of tbe church was with Paul and Bamabas, not with the Judalzers. — About this question. There Is nothing to Indicate an appeal to the church at Jerusalem as having authority to settle the question. The language ol Gal. 3 : 5 impUes the reverse ; there was no question in Paul' s mind, aud we may reasonably doubt whether he would have gone on this mis sion but for the direct revelation made to him. The false teachers came from Judea claiming to speak for the church there ; the brethren of An tioch sent to Jerusalem to leam the trath ot their representations. 3. Being brought on their way by the church. Officially escorted by delegates from the church. — Passed throngh Phenice and Samaria. "As GalUee is not mentioned, they traveled probably along the coast as tar south as Ptolemals (ch. 21 : 7), and then crossed the plain ot Esdraelon Into Samaria." — (Saekett.) — Declar ing the conversion of the Gentiles. In the missionary tour trom which they had just retumed. That they were not going to Jerusa lem to leam from the church there whether Gen tUes could be converted without circumcision is very evident. Their account was given to the Christian churches which had previously been estabUshed along the line ol their route (ch. 8 : 6, 40 ; 9 : 32 ; II ¦ lo). — Causcd great joy unto all the brethren. The Judaic faction had smaU influence in these churches. 4,5. They were received of the church. That is, cordially received. Apparently prior to any public meeting, Paul privately communi cated with the leaders In the church (Gal. 2 : 2). In the publlc meeting observe that he takes no part in tbe discussion, except to give a simple narra tive of the work which had been done through him and Bamabas, and of God's blessing upon it, both m the conversion of the GentUes, and in the wonders and miracles wrought among them.— There rose up certain of the sect of the Pharisees. For description of the Pharisees, see Matt. 3 : 7, note. We are not to understand that this Is a part of Paul's report, an account of the opposition encountered at Antioch ; these Pharisees rose up at this time in the assembly, and demanded that these GentUe converts should be circumcised and required to keep the whole law ; in other words, that they must become Jews before they could become Christians. Humanly speaking, the future of the church depended on the decision of this question. If the Pharisaic party had triumphed, the Christian church would have been burled In the grave of Judaism. Ch. XV.] THE ACTS. 167 7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them. Men and brethren, ye know* now that a good while ago God made choice among us that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 8 .\nd God, which ^ knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us ; 9 And put no difference between us and them, puri fying y their hearts by faith. IO Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke * upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fa- tliers nor we were able to bear ? II But we believe that through • the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they. 12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave au- w ch. 10 : 20 : Matt. 16 ; 18, 19. . . .x ch. 1 : .y Heb. 9:13, 14 i 1 Pet. 1 : 22....2 6al.{:l....a Bom. 3: 24; Ephes. 2:8; Tit. 3 : 4, 6. 6. It Is not easy to determine what was the constitution ot this so-caUed councU; the lan guage ot this verse impUes that the matter was brought before the apostles aud elders for their deUberatlon ; the language ot ver. 13, " all the multitude," ImpUes that the laity ot the church generally were present ; and the language ot ver. 33, " then pleased it the apostles and elders, uiith the whole church," impUes that they participated in the final action ; while the language ot ver. 19 seems to imply that James, as president of the councU, formally announced the decision. I sug gest, as a reasonable surmise, harmonizing the various expressions in the narrative, that after Paul's account given to the church, and the criti cisms on his course consequent thereon, the apos tles and elders met as a committee, and after much discussion, settled upon their report ; that to prepare the way tor It, Peter first presented his account ol the teachings of divine Provi dence several years before ; that Paul and Bar nabas followed with their account of their mis sionary work and God's approval ot it by mira cles and wonders ; that James then announced the decision which the officers recommended ; and that, finally, this report being ratified by the whole church, was embodied in the official document contained in vers. 33-39. It must not, however, be lorgotten that this was not a representative councU of the churches ol Chris tendom, nor even ol Palestine, but only the officers and laity of the church at Jerusalem, together with the apostles ; the latter, as the immediate life companions, of our Lord, would have had great influence, irrespective of any ecclesiastical authority which they may have 7-9. When there had been much disput ing. A promiscuous debate, but whether among the apostles, or among the multitude, Is uncertain ; it the surmise above is correct, only the apostles and elders took part in this dlscus- slon.— How that a good while ago. The conversion of ComeUus was not far from fourteen years previous to this time, assuming that Paul's expression In Gal. 3 : 1, "fourteen years after," dates trom his conversion. Peter reters to the lapse ot time to show that the question has long since been settled by the revealed wUl ol God. See chaps. 10, 11.— And the heart-knowing God. The value ot circumcision consisted in its evidence ot consecration to God. To the Judeans a relusal to be circumcised was an evi dence ol impertect repentance and consecration, as with us a refusal to be baptized, or to make a public profession of faith. To this unexpressed feeling, Peter replies. The heart-knowing God (jer. 17 : lo) has bomc witness to the genuineness ol their godly character by giving to tbem the Holy Ghost. — Even as he did unto us. That is, with the same miraculous gifts (ch. ii : i6, note). — Put no difference. Rather recognized no difference ; did not discriminate between tbem and us, having broken down by Christ the mid dle wall ot partition between Jew and GentUe. See Ephes. 3 : 14. — Purifying their hearts by the faith. Even tbe O. T. recognized the truth that circumcision, unaccompanied by puri fication ol heart, was valueless (jet. 9 : 26). Comp. Col. 3 : 11. This circumcision ol the heart had been granted to the GentUes, who thus were received into the covenant ot God. The faith by which their hearts were purified is not merely, as Dr. Hackett, a "belief In the truth," but, as explained by Peter himself. In 1 Pet. 1 : 33, that faith which obeys the truth through the spirit unto unlelgned love. The essential truth under lying Peter's argument, and equally appUcable to modem times, is that he whose heart has been purified by the Spirit ol God, and who gives evidence thereof by the fruits of the Spirit, as portrayed in Gal. 5 : 33, 33, is a chUd of God, however he may taU short of the ecclesiastical requirements of the church. 10, 11. Now, therefore, why tempt ye God ? By requiring any other evidence of the universality ot his grace. — To put a yoke npon the neck of the disciples. That is, by attempting to put such yoke upon them. — Which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear. This yoke is not the extemal observance ol the ceremonial law, for that the Jews did bear, but the burden to the conscience of one who accounts obedience to such law essential to salvation. It cannot be bome be cause it is not the object ot the law to give salva tion, but to afford a knowledge ot sin. See Kom. 3 : 19, 30 ; 7 : 9-34. In the latter passage Paul Illustrates the burdensomeness of this yoke. Contrast Christ's yoke (Matt, ii : 29, 30). — But through the grace of the Lord Jesns we trust to be saved, in which way they 168 THE ACTS. [Ch. XV dience to Bamabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought' among the Gentiles by them. 13 And after they had held their peace, James an swered, saying. Men and brethren, hearken unto me: 14 Simeon hath declared » how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets ; as it is written,** 16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David, which is fallen down ; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up : 17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called' saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. ' 18 Known" unto God are all his works, from the be ginning of the world. 19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned' to God: 2 d AmoB9:lI, I2....e Isa. 46 : 10....f 1 Then. 1 : 9. also. This is the Uteral rendering of ver. 11, which consummates the apostle's argument; the Jewish Christians are saved, not through circumcision, but through the grace of Jesus Christ, and that which does not bring salvation to tbe Jew, cannot to the GentUe. 12. From the effect upon the multitude, it is evident that Peter's address was delivered to the church as a whole, not merely to the apos tles and elders. Paul and Bamabas then re hearsed the miracles and wonders wrought by them among the Gentiles (ch. 13 : ii ; 14 ; 3, s-io) as an evidence ot the divine approval ot their work in preaching the Gospel to the uncircumcised. 13. James answered. Called in Gal. 1 : 19 the Lord's brother, and, as I believe, the literal brother ot Jesus, not a cousin or other relative. See note on Brethren of the Lord, Vol. I, p. 87. He was not one of the twelve, though designated by Paul as an apostle. He is probably the author ot the Epistle General of St. James. In ecclesiastical history he Is designated James the Just, and Is reported by tradition to have been appointed bishop of Jerusalem by the Lord him self. That he occupied a prominent and influ ential position In the primitive church Is evident. Comp. ch. 13 : 17 ; 31 : 18 ; Gal. 3 : 9. Tradition attributes to bim an austere and ascetic charac ter, whose sympathies would naturaUy be with the Hebraistic party in the church, and whose decision would therefore have special weight with the Hebrew Christians. Of aU the books of the N. T., his epistle probably most strongly emphasizes the necessity of works of righteous ness, and says least of the inward experience of faith. It accords with this aspect ot his charac ter that he refers to Peter by his Hebrew name, and to the O. T. Scriptures in support of the ad mission ot uncircumcised GentUes to the Chris tian church. 14-18. Simeon. Tbe Greek form ot the Hebrew name ; used once by Peter of himself (spet. 1 ;i), but iu connection with his Christian name. The name Peter was given to Simon by Christ (John I : 42; Malt. 16 : 18).— God at thC firSt. So Peter (ver. 7) says a good while ago. James recaUs the tact that God's visiting the uncircum cised GentUes Is not new in the experience ot the Christian church. — To take out of them a people for his name. Comp. 1 Pet. 3:9; Matt. 31 : 43, note. — The words of the pro phets. The quotation which foUowB is from Amos 9 : 11, 13 ; It does not agree verbally with either the Septuagint or the Hebrew version. The original passage Is thus translated by SchmoUer (Lange's Com.): In that day will I raise np The fallen hut of David, And wall up its breaches, And raise up its ruins. And buUd It as in the days of old ; That they may possess the remnant of Edom and all tbe nations Upon whom my name ia called, Saith Jehovah who doeth this. Edom is specified In the original prophecy be cause whUe they were related to Israel they were especiaUy hostUe ; to receive possession of Edom was therefore symbolical of Israel's great est glory. The fulfiUment ot this prophecy be gan with the coining of Christ the Son of David, and wUl be perfected when he is fuUy recognized King of all the nations of the earth. The tdber- naele of David is not the divine tabernacle, the precursor of the Temple ; the kingdom is de scribed not as the palace nor as the house, but as the booth or hut ot David, to indicate its taUen condition. The residue of men, Uterally the for saken. Is a designation ot the GentUes. So in Ephes. 3 ; 3 ; 1 Thess. 4 : 13 ; 5 : 6, the others are the heathen (there a» komog, here xavdXotTtog). Upon whom, my name is called is equivalent to. Who are surnamed by my name, that is, Who are called Christians. The quotation trom Amos ends with ver. 17; ver. 18 is added by James. The best reading Is, Known from the beginning of the world, the words unto Ood are all his works being added; so Meyer, TIschendorl, AUord. The variation Is not Immaterial ; adopting the better reading, the meaning ol James appears to be that this call ot the GentUes is not a new rev elation, but something made known trom the beginning by the prophets. The passage in Amos, then, as Interpreted by James, declares that atter the desolation ol Israel loretold Iu the preceding verses God wlU return in mercy and Ch. XV.] THE ACTS. 169 20 But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of s idols, and from fornication," and from things strangled, andyVo«« blood.' 21 For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him, being J read in the synagogues every sabbath day. 22 Then pleased it the apostles and elders, with the whole church, to send chosen men of their own com pany to Antioch, with Paul and Barnabas ; namely Judas surnamed Barsabas," and Silas, chief men among the brethren : 23 And they wrote letters by them after this man- g Eiod. 20 : 4, 6 ; 1 Cor. 8 : 1, etc. ; 10 : 8 ; Rev. 2 ; 14, 20 ; 9 : 20. . . .h 1 Cor. 6 : 9, 18 ; Col. 3 12 ; 16, 23. . . .j ch. 13 ; 16, 27. . . .k ch. 1 : 23. 5 ; 1 Theaa. 4 : 3. . . .1 Lev. 17 : 14 ; Deut. rebuUd the kingdom of David in such a way that the GentUes, accepting the name ot Christ, may themselves enter aud share in the kingdom ol God. 19, 20. Wherefore my sentence is. Lit erally, Wherelore I judge. The original (zjfvtu) signifles not merely an opinion, but a positive decision. See Matt. 7 : 5, note. But It does not indicate that the speaker's authority was greater than that ol the others. The phrase was a com mon lormula In the Greek assembUes, by which individual members gave expression to their verdict or decision atter discussion. " The whole proceeding is analogous to that which contlnu- aUy takes place in our own church-courts, when the roU is caUed to give the members present an opportunity of stating their judgment upon some important question." — (Alexander.) — That we trouble not them. By laying upon them bur densome ceremonial regulations. Comp. Gal. 5 : 13. That cu-cumcision was peculiarly bur densome to the GentUes, see ver. 1, note. — Are tnrned to God. Kather are turning. The judgment of James was against Imposing any burdens upon and hindrances to those GentUes who, under the Influence ot the Gospel, were turning to the Lord. — From pollutions of idols. The animals sacrificed to tbe gods were not wholly consumed in burnt offerings ; certain portions were destroyed, and the remainder were eaten by men In a festive meal, or sometimes sold In the markets. These meats were account ed an abomination among the Jews, and to par take ol them knowingly was a heinous offence (Pi. 106 : 28). To guard against the possIbUity ol unwittingly partaking ol such meat, some eon- fined themselves to herbs (Rom. « : 2). Paul sub sequently declares that these are needless scru- I pies, and that there is nothing unclean in such meats (Rom. 14 : 3, 14; I Cor. 8 ; 4-8), Wlth which agrCCS Christ's instructions In Mark 7 : 14r-33 ; at the same time he recommends the GentUe Christians to abstain trom eating them If partaking wIU be a temptation or an offence to others (Rom. 14 : 16-21 ; 1 Cor. 8 : 9-13) ; and that appears to be the principle upon which the recommendation to abstinence is given here by James. — And from fornication. It has been a perplexity to the commentators that this positive sin should be included with other matters in themselves IndifEerent. The explanation is, not that the word toraleatlon is used In any other than its natural sense, but that this vice, when practised by men, was not re garded as blameworthy in Greek society ; public opinion iu the ancient Greek cities upon this subject is Ulustrated by, but was far worse than, that which stiU exists in some European capi tals. " The young men ot Athens, previous to their marriage, spent a great part ot their time in the company of mistresses, without its being thought blameable in any respect whatever. Marriage, Indeed, produced on the whole a change In this mode of living ot young men, but in Innumerable instances even married men con tinued their Intercourse with mistresses, without drawing upon themselves the censure of public opinion. "^/Smiift's Diet, of Ant.) The Jews, on the other hand, are and always have been a char acteristicaUy chaste people. In specifying, there- tore, those pecuUaritles which distinguished the Jews from the GentUes, and which Christian converts were to maintain. It was necessary to Include personal chastity. — From things stran gled and from blood. Tbe Jewish law forbade the partaking ot blood in any shape (oen. 9:4; Lev. 17 : 13, 14 ; Deut. 12 : 23, 24), and this therefore involved a prohibition ot eating animals kUled by strangling, because they would contain the blood. To the present day the Jews maintain separate butchers' establishments, and kiU their meat In a pecuUar manner, on account of these prohibitions. 21. 'This verse assigns the reason tor the ad- moiutlons given to the Gentile converts. Tbe primitive Christian churches were composed ot three classes : heathen, proselytes, Jews — the two latter, attendants upon the synagogue, would hear the prohibitions of the ceremonial law con stantly read; if their fellow-Christians disre garded them, controversies, and perhaps schisms, would then ensue. It was tor the sake of peace that the GentUe Christians were to submit to a temporary limitation of their Christian liberty. 22. With the whole church. Observe that this commission was sent, not by the apos tles alone, nor by a council of churches, but by the church at Jerusalem.— Of their OAvn . The word company has no equivalent in the original. The meaning is, members of their own church. — Judas. Nothing further is known ot him except that he was a prophet (ver. 32, note). The fact that this Judas was surnamed Barsabas, while Judas the apostle (ch. 1 : 13) was surnamed Lebbseus or Thaddaeus (Matt. 10 : 3 ; Mark 3 : 18 ), indicates that this one is not the apostle. — Silas. Always so 170 THE ACTS. [Ch. XV. ner ; The apostles, and elders, and brethren, send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in Antioch, and Syria, and Cilicia : 24 Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain * which went out from us have troubled " you with words," subverting your souls, saying. Ye must be circum cised, and keep the law; to whom" we gave no such commandment : 25 It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you, with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, 26 Men that have hazarded p their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 yerae 1 .... m Gal. 6:12. I GaL 6 : 4 .... o Gal. 2 : 4 .... p eh. 13 : 60 ; 14 : 19. named in the Acts, always SUvanus In the Epis tles ; the former was probably his Jewish, the latter his GentUe name. He Is beUeved to have been a Grecian Jew ; Acts 16 : 37 Indicates that he was a Roman citizen. He accompanied Paul on his second missionary journey through Asia Minor to Macedonia (ver. 40 ; ch. 17 : 4), remained be hind In Berea (17 : 10, 14), and joined Paul again In Corinth (is : 6 ; 1 Thess. 1 : 1 ; 2 Thess. I : l), where he preached with Paul and TImotheus (2 Oor. 1 : 19). Whether he was the SUvanus who conveyed Peter's first Epistle to Asia Minor (1 Pet. 6 : 12) is doubtful, though the probabilities are in favor ot the Identity. — liCading men among the brethren. Personal Influence rather than offi cial position is probably indicated. 23. And they wrote by them. The Indi cation Is that an exact transcript of the original letter is given. The words after this mawner are wanting In the best manuscripts. — The apos tles and elders, brethren. The word and Is wanting in the ancient manuscripts ; the apostles and elders are not masters but themselves breth ren (Matt. 23 : 8; 1 Tim. 6 : 1 ; I Pet. 6 ; s). — Throughout Antioch and Syria and Cilicia. An indica tion both that Christian churches bad been organ ized throughout those regions, and also that the Judalzers bad demanded elsewhere than In An tioch tbe circumcision of GentUe converts. — Cilicia was the most south-easterly province ot Asia Minor, divided by Mount Amanus trom Syria. When Cicero was proconsul of ClUcia, B. c. 51-50, It Included Pamphylia, Pisidia, Lycao nia and the Island of Cyprus, and although subse quently reduced under Augustus to much nar rower dimensions, the term is probably here used in the larger sense, for It Is almost certain that the letter would be sent to the churches which Paul had organized in bis missionary tour throughout Pamphylia, Pisidia, Phrygia, and Lycaonia, as weU as to those which presumptively grew out ot his previous ministry In Tarsus, the capital of Cflicia proper (ch. 9 : 30). Syria, an abbreviation or modification of Assyria, like aU the ancient provinces, had Indeterminate because variable boundaries, differing at different periods ot Its history. In general terms they may be described as the Mediterranean on the west, the Euphrates on the east, the range ot Amanus and Taurus on the north, and the great desert of Arabia on the south ; these Include the provinces of Judea, Samaria and GaUlee, and the country of Phoeni cia, known In the N. T. from Its principal cities, as the coasts of Tyre and Sidon. Possibly the let ter was sent to the churches throughout aU these provinces, Including those converted through the ministries described in ch. 8 : 35, 36, 40 ; 9 : 33, 33-43 ; 11 : 19, 20. 24-26. Have troubled yon. Here In the sense of throwing into agitation and perplex ity. — Subverting your souls. Because reU- ance upon rites and ceremonies always leads the soul away from reUance upon Christ (oai. 6 : 2.^). — Saying, Ye must be circumcised and keep the law. These words are omitted by Alford and Tischendorf ; they were probably added by some scribe as an explanation, but it is a needless one. "The persons to whom the epistle was addressed would very well know what it was that bad disturbed their minds, and the omission ot formal mention of it would be natural, to avoid prominent cause ot offence to the Jewish converts, by an apparent deprecia tion ot circumcision and the observance of the law." — (Alford.) — To whom we gave no com mandment. The word sueh Is added by the translators ; the declaration of the letter Is that this self-constituted delegation was not author ized to speak tor the church at Jerusalem. That they had pretended to do so Is ImpUed here, and is perhaps confirmed by Paul's characterization ot them In Gal. 3 : 4, as "false brethren."— Being assembled with one accord. Or, agreed with one consent. Neander and Altord give the former, Bengel, Meyer, Hackett and Alex ander the latter, which seems to me better to agree both with the meaning of the original and with the context. The Greek (6fio9vjiuSov) sig nifies heartiness of accord (see ch. 1 : 14, note) ; and whUe there Is no special significance in stat ing that the church had assembled together, there is evident reason why they should state that the decision was unanimous and after dis cussion.— Our beloved Barnabas and Paul. An incidental but strong indorsement of them whose character and authority had been im pugned by the Judalzers (cai. 2 : 4-6). — Men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is the mean ing given by all the commentators. Literally rendered, however, the verse would read, Men, who have given their lives for the name of our Lord Ch. XV.] THE ACTS. 171 27 We have sent therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also teW you the same things by moutii. 28 For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden 1 than these neces sary things : 29 Tiiat ye abstain ^ from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from forni cation : from which if ye keep" yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well. 30 So when they were dismissed, they came to An tioch : and when they had gathered the multitude to gether, they delivered the epistle : 31 IVhich when they had read, they rejoiced for the consolation. 32 And Judas and Silas, being; prophets also them selves, exhorted the brethren with many words, and confirmed ' theyn. 33 And after they had tarried there a space, they were let go "^ in peace from the brethren unto the aposUes. 34 Notwithstanding, it pleased Silas to abide there still. 35 Paul also and Barnabas continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word of the Lord, with many others also. 36 And some days after, Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again and visit our brethren in ^ every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. 37 And Bamabas determined to take with them John,* whose surname was Mark. 38 But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed * from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. 39 And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other : and so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus : 40 And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recom mended y by the brethren unto the grace of God. 41 And he went through Syria and Cilicia, confirm ing' the churches. q Rev. 2 : 24. ..r verse 20 B 2 Cor. 11 : 9; James 1 : 27 V ch. 13 : 4, etc. . . .w ch. 12 : 12, 25 ; Col. 4 ; 1 John 6:21; Jude 20, 21 t ch. 14 : 22. . . .o 1 Cor. 1611; 2 John 10 10 X ch. 13 : 13 y chaps. 14: 26: SO: 32 z ch: 16 : 6. Jems Christ, and this appears to me to be its true significance. It is not the risks they have run which makes them beloved, but the fact that they have wholly consecrated their lives to hon oring Christ's name. The verse is interpreted by Paul's account of his own experience in Phfl. 3 : 8. He employs the same verb (na^aSlSiatiC) In describing Christ's love. In Gal. 3 : 30, " who loved me andgraw himself tor me." 2T-29. Who shall tell yon the same things by mouth. Not the same things that Paul and Barnabas had preached, but the same things contained in this letter ; they wpuld cer tify to its authenticity, and answer any .ques tions respecting the decision ot the church at Jerusalem. — To the Holy Ghost and to us. The claim implied to speak authoritatively for the Spirit ol God indicates unmistakably their beUef In their own divine Inspiration. It accords with tbe promise made by Christ to the apostles to Matt. 38 : 30 and John 14 : 36.- These neces sary things. Necessary, because Christian char ity required the GentUe converts to avoid need lessly offlending their Jewish brethren. Observe the radicalism of this letter ; circumcision, ablu tions, tbe observance of days, the discrimination between clean and unclean things, together with the whole Jewish ritual, was swept away. Take note also that the observance of the Jewish Sab bath Is not among the necessary things laid upon the GentUe Christians. — That ye abstain, etc. See on ver. 20. — Fare ye well. The customary conclusion of epistles. Comp. 83 : 30. The Ut eral meaning is Be ye strong. Together with this offlclal letter, were Instructions to Paul and Bar nabas to remember the poor (oai. 2 : 10), i. e., the poor at Jerusalem, and It is not Improbable that Judas and Silas, when they retumed from their mission (ver. 33), carried back with them from An tioch the contributions ol the brethren there. 30-35. They came to Antioch. Whence, probably, copies ol the letter were sent to the other churches. — For the consolation. In the assurance that the question was peacefully settled, and that there was no danger of schism. — Being prophets. Inspired teachers. See ch. 13 : 1, note. Their exhortations, therefore, possessed a special and recognized authority. — Had tarried a space. There is nothing to indicate the length of time. — Let go in peace. With peace, i. e., with the customary Jewish salu tation. Peace be with you ; here, with something of the significance imparted to it by Christ (John 14 : 27). — ^Ver. 34 Is wanting in the best manu scripts, and has probably been mserted to har monize the statement In ver. 33, Implying that Silas retumed to Jerusalem, with that in ver. 40, that he shortly atter accompanied Paul iu his second missionary journey. — Teaching and preaching. Teaching the Christian disciples ; preaching, as heralds, the Gospel to those that knew it not. This is the twofold function of the mmlstry. Ch. 15 : 36 to ch. 16 : 13. PillL EESUMES HIS MISSION ARY LABOKS. He hxustbates the spmiT of the COITNSEL or THB CHURCH AT JeHUSAXEM, THOUGH HE GOES BETONn ITS LETTER (ver. 3). — GREAT WORK, FEW woRns (ver. 6).— Eveh Paui. goes to the Gentiles ONLY WHEN COMPELLED BT THE SPIRIT OF GoD (verS. 7_10). — The first public preaching of the Gospel m Europe (ver. 13). The account ot Paul's second missionary jour ney. In which SUas Is his companion. Instead ot Barnabas, occupies up to ch. 18 : 33. It lasted three or tour years, A. d. 51-54. During this journey he revisits the churches in Syria and Cilicia, thence passing rapidly through Asia Minor, crosses into Europe, preaches the Gos pel at Philippi, Thessalonica and Berea In Mace donia, at Athens and Corinth to Greece, and thence retums by ship to Csesarea, stopping at Ephesus on the way, and reaches Antioch prob ably in the summer or tall ol A. d. 54. During this time he is thought to have written the two 173 CHAPTER XVI. THEN came he to Derbe* and Lystra: and, be hold, a certain disciple was there, named Timo- THE ACTS. [Ch. XVI. theus," the son of a ' certain woman, which was a Jew. ess, and beUeved ; but his father was a Greek : 2 Which was well " reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. a ch. 14 : 6 h ch. 19 : 22 ; Rom. 16 : 21 ; 1 Cor. 4 : 17 c 2 Tim. 1 : 6 . . . . d ch. 6 : 3 ; 1 Tun. 6 : 10. epistles to the Thessalonlans. See Chron. Table, p. 20. 36-41. Some days after. A comparatively short period is probably mdieated. — How they do. " In faith, love and hope " (Bengel). Paul was not content to measure his work by the number of conversions, but sought to strength en converts In the faith, and assure himself ot their weU-bemg. This was that "care ol the churches " which came on him daUy (2 Cor. 11 : 28). See ch. 18 : 33 ; 1 Thess. 3 : 5 ; 3 Cor. 11 : 3, 3.— And Barnabas purposed to take with them John. Who was a relative (ooi. 4 : 10, note). — But Paul thought proper, as to one who had fallen oif from them from Pamphylia, and had not gone with them to the work, not to take with them that man. This, which is Alford's translation, represents more accurately than our English version the rugged force of the origmal. — And the contention was so sharp. The orlgtoal (na^o^vaiiog, con tention) mdlcates bitterness m the controversy, and Implies blame on both sides. The event Ulustrates Paul's declaration m ch. 14 : 15. Paul's subsequent reference both to Barnabas (1 Cor. 9 : 6) and to Mark (2 xim. 4 ; 11) todicate that the separation was not permanent. — So Barnabas took Mark and sailed unto Cyprus. His native country (ch. 4 : se). Christianity subse quently became established to this Island, a fact presumptively due, at least to part, to his labors. But he Is not agato mentioned In Acts, nor Is any thing ot bis subsequent history known. The fact that a spurious letter of Barnabas existed as early as the second century Indicates that he occupied a promtoent place in the Christian church, otherwise his name would not be forged to such a document. — And Paul chose Silas. Who had perhaps not gone back to Jerusalem with Judas (yet, 34, note). Or possibly had retumed agato to Antioch ; perhaps at the request of Paul to be his companion on this joumey. — Being recom mended by the brethren. It is not without significance that Bamabas is represented as set- ttog out upon his journey with his nephew with out any special sympathy or approval, while Paul Is commended to the grace of God by the assembled church. We may hence fairly con clude that in this controversy the judgment of the brethren went, to the mata, with Paul. — Syria and Cilicia. See on ver. S3. The churches visited In Syria would possibly Include those in and about Damascus. In the sketch of his journey which follows we have no other todications to guide us than the mountain passes and some rematos ol ancient Roman roads. From these Indications we judge that he crossed Mt. Amanus, the natural boundary between Syria and CUioIa, by the gorge anciently caUed the Syrian Gate, now known as the BeUan Pass. In ClUela, whatever other churches he visited, he probably did not omit that which had been almost certainly established by his labors to his native city ot Tarsus. Thence he must have crossed Mt. Taurus Into the province ol Lyca onia, probably through the great fissure known to ancient days as the CUIcIan Gates, a gorge extendtog, Irom north to south, a distance ol some 80 mUes. Ch. 16 ; 1, 2. Derbe and Lystra. Paul's course, as above described, would bring bim first to Derbe, then to Lystra. For description ot these cities, see ch. 14, note ; In the latter city he had been stoned and left for dead. — A cer tain disciple was there. That is, at Lystra. Tbe language ot ch. 20 : 4 does not Imply that Timothy came trom Derbe, rather the reverse. He had probably been converted at Paul's pre vious visit to Lystra. See ch. 14, note. His mother's name was Eunice, his grandmother's name Lois (2 Tim. 1 ; e) ; they were both Christians, probably havmg been converted at Paul's pre vious visit. From chUdhood he had been m- strueted to the Jewish Scriptures (2 Tim. 3 : 16) at home, tor there is no todicatlon of any synagogue at Lystra ; the father's name is unknown, he was a Greek, possibly, though that is entirely uncer- tata, a proselyte. Marriages with the heathen were torbidden by the 0. T. (Deut 7 : 3, 4), but this law was otten disregarded by Jews resldtog m foreign lands (Ruth i : 4). Timothy, betog both ot Jewish and Greek extraction, would be thus peculiarly fitted to be Paul's coadjutor to his missionary work. The two epistles written by Paul to him contam Indications ot his character ;. he was not robust (i Tim. 6 : 23), naturaUy shrank from opposition and responsIbUIty (1 Tun. 4 : 12-16 ; 6:20; 6:11-14; 2 Tim. 2 ; 1-7), was tender and sensi tive (2 Tim. 1 : 4), and dcvout and eamestly conse crated to the service of God — this last betag Indi cated by his abandonment of his home to accom pany the apostle, and by his submission to the rite of circumcision. — A Jewess and be lieved. A Jewess by birth and education; a Christian beUever by personal conviction.— Which was well reported of by the brethren. This is stated of Timothy, not of Ch. XVL] THE ACTS. 173 3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him ; and took and circumcised him,® because of the Jews' which were in tliose quarters : for they knew all that his la ther was a Greek. 4 And as they went through the cities, they delivered them the decrees for to keep, that were ordained k of the apostles and elders which were at Jerusalem. 5 And so were the cliurches'' established in the faith, and increased in number dally. 6 Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and e Gal. 2 : 3-8 ; 6 : 1-3 f 1 Cor. 9 : . g ch. 15 : his father ; It has been surmised that the lather was dead. Observe the todicatlon that Paul made carelul toquirles before taktog Timothy as a companion ; he acts upon the counsel which he subsequently gave to him, Lay hands suddenly on no man (i Tim. 5 : 22). 3. And took and circnmcised him. This action seems to some critics toconslstent with Paul's refusal to circumcise Titus (oai. 2:3), his condemnation of Peter for refustog feUowshlp with the GentUes (oai. 2 : 12-14), and his subse quent condemnation ot those who demanded circumcision of the Galatlan Christians (oai. 5 : 2). These critics, however, f aU to notice the fact that Timothy was by his mother's side a Jew ; that Paul was gotog, not to visit Christian churches, but to preach the Gospel in new regions ; that It was always his custom to preach first to the Jews, and to the synagogue when there was one to the place, and that to have taken with him an uncircumcised Jew would not have helped but must only have htodered him. He acted here upon the principle enunciated to the Corinthians to 1 Cor. 9 : 30, 31. That neither he nor Tim othy nor the Christian churches to that region perceived any toconsistency between the cir cumcision ol Timothy and the resolution of the church at Jerusalem, is todicated by the next verse. After Timothy's circumcision he was speciaUy ordatoed to the Gospel mtolstry by the laytog on of hands (see chaps. 6:6; 8 : 17, notes) by Paul and the elders (i Thn. 4 : 14 ; 2 Tim. 1 : i), with which possibly was combined the good profes sion before many witnesses referred to to 1 Tim. 6:13. 4, 5. As they went throngh the cities. Not merely ol CUIcia, the whole revlsltatlon ot the Christian churches established by Paul and Bamabas (ver. 36) is referred to.— They deliv ered them the resolutions for to keep, that were determined by the apostles and eld ers in Jerusalem. The language ol this verse to our EngUsh version mdlcates an authoritative decree by the meettag at Jerusalem bindtog on aU the churches; but It is at least doubtful whether this meantog is sustatoed by the origi nal. The word rendered decrees (cJoyfa) to clas sical Greek signifies, flrst an opinion, then a pnbUc resolution, finally an authoritative gov ernmental decree, to which sense it is ordmarUy used to the N. T. (Luke!;l; Acta 17: 7). Nothtog more, however, is necessarily mdieated here than that Paul and SUas reported to the Christian churches the judgment or opmion ot the church at Jerusalem as embodied to their pubUc reso lution, to which, confirmed as It was by the unanimous agreement ol the life-companions ol their Lord, GentUe Christians would naturaUy yield a ready compUance. That it was not re garded by Paul as a law ot permanent obliga tion is evident trom his language subsequently to the Corinthians (l Cor. ch. S. Comp. Rom. 14 : 14). — Therefore were the churches established in the faith. Therefore, both because peace was secured between the Jewish and GentUe converts, and also because both were taught to rest their hope, not upon rites and ceremonies, the righteousness that is ol the law, but upon the mercy ol God through Jesus Christ. And increased in number daily. Not the num ber of churches, but the number oi Christians to the churches tocreased. 6-8. For the course ot Paul's journey so briel- ly Indicated In these verses, see map, p. 19. The route there marked Is wholly hypothetical to Its detaUs; we only know that he preached the Gospel to the provinces ot Phrygia and Galatia, then passtog through the provtoces of Asia and Mysia on the .^Bgean Sea, crossed over Into Eu rope, landtog at Neapolis, the seaport ot Phi lippi, in Macedonia. Apparently Paul would have conflned his ministry matoly to the Jews and Jewish proselytes ; but he was compeUed by the Spirit ot God to leave Asia Mtoor and carry the Gospel over toto Greece proper, the heart of tbe heathen world ; even here he does not straight way preach the Gospel to the heathen ; at Phl Uppl he is driven trom his comparative retire ment with the few Jewish women at the river side, by the providence ot God ; In Thessalonica and Berea he preaches only to the Jews (ch. 17 : 1-10); to Athens chiefly to the Jews and proselytes, untU tovlted by the GentUes to Areopagus (oh. 17 : 17-19) ; and In Corinth he remains a considerable time In "weakness, and to tear, and to much trem bling " (1 Cor. 2 : 8) before he tums from the Jews to preach to the Greeks (ch. is : 6). Phrygia. This was one ol tbe most Impor tant provtoces of Asia Minor. The Phrygians are beUeved to be descendants Irom the Armen ians; their legends contain an account ot the flood. The Trojans, Mysians, and other popula tions ot ancient Greece seem to be branches of this race. They were of a peaceful disposition ; agriculture was their chief occupation; their country was rich ta various products, especiaUy 174 THE ACTS. the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of' the Holy Ghost to preach tne word in ' Asia, 7 After they were come to Mysia, they assayed to go into Bithynia ; but the Spirit suffered them not. [Ch. XVI. 8 And they passing by Mysia, came down to ' Troas. 9 And a vision appeared to Paul in the night ; There stood a man"" of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying Come over into Macedonia, and help us. ' 1 Gal. 1:2; 1 Fet. I : 1 j Amos8:lI, 12; 1 Cor. 12 : 11.... k Rev. 1 : 4, II 1 2 Cor. 2 : 12 ; 2 Tim. 4 : 13 m ch. 10 : metals, marble, wtoe and sheep ; their religion, a modified form of the Greek mythology, ap pears to have combmed, to the worship, with the Greek rites, some ot the peculiarly Impure ceremonies ot the Syro-Phcenlcian tribes. At the time of Paul's visit Phrygia was not a dis- tmct Eoman provtoce. The term as used here indicates rather a race of people than a geo graphical or political division ot country. We cannot therefore define Its boundaries more ac curately than by saytog that with Galatia It occu pied the great central space of Asia Mtoor. — The region of Galatia. This region was to- habited by the descendants of the Gauls, who tovaded Greece and Asia to the third century B. c, and finaUy settled and became mixed with the Greek population. The Galatians were a brave, freedom-lovmg, enthusiastic, but fickle people, the Frenchmen of Asia Minor. On the history of this province and the character of its people, see Intro, to and notes on Epistle to the Galatians. During this visit Christian churches were estabUshed both to Phrygla and Galatia (ch. 18 : 23). Some detaUs ot Paul's experience in Galatia, particularly the enthusiastic reception accorded to him, are Indicated to Gal. 4 : 13-15, — Were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia. How forbidden, whether by some special providence, or by the direct communication of the Spirit, is not Indi cated. Asia Is of course not the conttoent of that name, nor Asia Mtoor, but a Boman sena torial provtoce bordering the jEgean Sea. In the N. T. the phrase Is always thus used to des ignate tbis particular provtoce. Why Paul was forbidden to preach the Gospel to Asia and sub sequently to Mysia and Bithynia can be only matter of surnuse. I beUeve it was because God wUled that he should carry the Gospel toto the heart of heathendom. See note on vers. 6-8. Mysia. A province, sometimes regarded as mcluded In Asia. Like Phrygla, the term is TROAS FROM TENEDOS. used to designate a people rather than a po litical division.— They essayed to go into Bithynia. That Is, prevented trom preaching to Asia and Mysia, they attempted to go north ward Into the provlnee ot Bithynia. This pro vince borders on the Euxlne or Black Sea, embrac- tog the northernmost portion of Asia Mtoor, and extending from the Black Sea on the East to the Bospborus on the West. Bithynia and Mysia are mentSoned in the N. T. only here.— They passing by Mysia came doAvn to Troas.. That Is, as Alford, passtog It by as regards the work of their preaching. They must have passed through Mysia to reach Troas, where they em barked for Macedonia. Troas Is the ancient Troy, rendered famous by Homer, though the Ch. XVL] THE ACTS. 175 IO And after he had seen the vision, immediately we endeavoured to go ° into Macedonia, assuredly gather ing that the Lord had called us for to preach the gos pel unto them. II Tlierefore loosing from Troas, we came with a straight course to Samothracia, and the ne^t'day to Neapolis ; 12 And from thence to Philippi," which is the chief n 2 Cor. 2 : 13 .... o Phil. 1:1. exact site ol the ancient city is probably several mUes Inland. The Troas here mtended Is either a seaport town, Alexandria Troas, named m honor ot Alexander, or the district to Its immediate vicinity. The town was a tree city (see ver. 13, note) and was not reckoned as belongtog to either Asia or Bithynia ; the district was an imdulattog plain extendtog about eight geographical mUes inland. Tbe accompanying Ulustratlon repre sents the plain of Troy as seen from the neigh- boiing Island of Tenedos, with Mt. Ida to the distance. 9. A vision appeared to Panl. On the nature of visions, see ch. 9 : 10, 11. The apostle havtog been led by the spirit ot God to the sea shore, and prohibited from further missionary labors to Asia Mtoor, the Spirit now directly indi cates to him the wUl of God, that he shaU pass over from Asia Minor toto Europe. — A man of Macedonia. Somethtog to the attire or ap pearance ot the visitant, or possibly his lan guage. Come over mto Macedonia, Indicated the appeal as comtog from that district. This vision has been rightly recognized by the church as interpreting the unuttered ciy of heathendom for help. The annexed illustrations, showtog the difference to dress and appearance between the Arab and tbe Greek, wUl todicate better than a description wUl do, that this Macedonian might have been recognized by his appearance ; the dialect also was peculiar. Into Macedonia. This was an Important kmgdom of ancient Greece, and subsequently a Roman provtoce. At the accession of Alexander the Great, the kingdom was bounded on tbe north by Moesia and lUyricum, on the south by Thessaly and Epirus, and on the east and west respectively, by Thrace and the ..SIgean Sea, and by Epirus and the Adriatic. The country may be described as an undulattog plam, toto which run the spurs ot several ridges ot mountains, and surrounded on three sides by tbe mountains themselves. Among the most distinguished of these are Athos and Olympus. Its ancient capi tal was PeUa, the birth-place of Alexander ; other important cities were PhUIppI, Thessalonica, AmphipoUs, ApoUonia, and Berea. The soU is fertUe, and the cUmatef healthy and temperate, though considered more severe than that of the more southerly parts of Greece. The ancient Macedonians were a hardy and warlike people, and their mUitary system was considered very perfect. The civilization of Athens reached them but slowly, and they never, even under Alexander, attained to an equality with tbe more favored parts of Greece. To the Biblical student Macedonia Is Interesttog chiefly as the site of Paul's successful labors. The churches at Thes salonica and PbUIppI were among the results of his missionary labors there ; and, from Paul's references to them to subsequent epistles, we are assured that the Gospel found a readier entrance and a warmer welcome among the hardy Mace donians than among the more cultured Atheni ans, and was more generously supported and carried out to subsequent contributions than among the wealthier Cortothlans. Comp. Acts 17 : 10-13 with 16, 33 ; 1 Thess. 1 : 5 with 1 Cor. 3:1; and Rom. 1,5 : 36 ; PhU. 4 : 10, 15, with 1 Cor. 9 : 7-li ; 16 : 1 ; 3 Cor., ch. 9. 10. After he had seen the vision, we endeavored to go. By seeking for a ship to which to cross the .lEgean Sea. It is notable that now, for the first time In his account, Luke employs tbe first person : we endeavored to go. Whether Luke was with Paul prior to this time Is uncertato ; It Is reasonably certain that he was Paul's traveUng companion in most ot the events hereinafter narrated. See Intro., p. 14. It has been conjectured, and the surmise is not unrea sonable, that he jotoed the apostle at Troas as a physician, on account of Paul's broken health. 11. We came with a straight course. That is, with a fair wmd. Tbe joumey took but two days. When subsequently gotog in the oppo site direction, the voyage occupied five days (ch. 20 : 6). It is only a strong southerly breeze which will overcome the current which runs from the Dardanelles by Tenedos, and this, com bined with the short passage, is one of the many 176 THE ACTS. [Ch. XVI. city of that part of Macedonia, and a colony : and we were in tliat city abiding certain days. 13 ^nd on the sabbath we went out of the city by a river side, where prayer p was wont to be made; and we sat down, and spake uuto the women which resort ed thither. p ch. 21 : s. marks ot the veracity of our narrative. — To Samothracia. An Island to the .^gean Sea, 38 mUes from tbe coast of Thrace, and about midway between Troas and Neapolis. It Is ot an oval shape, 8 mUes long, 6 broad, and remark- C.Akr( MAP or SAMOTHBAOIA. (From Lewln, Vol. I, p. 200.) able for its extreme elevation, rising 5,340 feet above the elevation of the sea. It Is without good harbors, but affords safe anchorage. If, as was apparently the case, the wind was from the south, there would have been smooth water anywhere along the north shore. The Implica tion Is that the ship spent the night at anchor, proceedtog the next day on Its course. — Ne apolis. The name is the same as Naples, and means New City ; this was the seaport of Philippi, trom which it was 10 mUes distant. Immediately back of the town the land rises to a considerable height, on the other side of which is the plain of PhUlppi. Traces of paved military roads are stUl found, as well as the remains of a great aqueduct on two tiers of arches with Latto inscriptions. Over one of these roads Paul must have passed to his destination, led by the voice ot the mysterious vision to he knew not what dangers and perils. 13. To Philippi. A city ol Macedonia which took its name trom Its founder, PhUlp, the father ot Alexander. The new city, built by the Bomans, appears not to have been on the site of the old, but in Its immediate proximity. The ancient name Is still applied to the locality, but there are no Inhabitants. The line ot the walls may be traced, and there are two lofty gateways amidst tbe fragments that are left. There are also the remains ol an amphitheatre on the sides of the overhanging bill, the seats of which are quite perfect. So tar as the N. T. history directly Informs us, PhUippi was the first' city to Europe which heard the Gospel message. How min ute the seed, a conversational service with a few women outside the gates ot PhUippi! how great the tree, European Christendom! Comp. Matt. 13 : 31, 32. On the character and subsequent history ol the church tounded at this time by Paul, see Epis tle to the PhUIppians, Notes and Intro. — The chief city of that part of Macedo nia. 'Either one of the principal cities of the province, a state ment which would be trae ot PhUippi ; or the first city of Macedonia, i. »., the flrst one to which Paul came after land- tog. Either interpretation is admissible ; Paul's visit to Ne. apoUs Is not inconsistent with the latter rendering, both because NeapoUs, strict ly speaktog, belonged to Thrape, and also because It was only the seaport of Philippi and in the na ture of a suburb. — And a colony. Thiswordoc- curs only here to the N. T. With this characteri zation of the city, agrees Luke's reference to the magistrates (arqarriyog, vers. 20, 23, 35, 36, 38) and sergeants (^ajSdovxog, vers. 35, 38). The fact that Philippi was a colony is mentioned here in expla nation of the events which f oUowed. The phrase is a technical one, applied ta Roman Uterature to certato communities possessed ot peculiar privi leges. No colony was estabUshed without spe cial authority trom the parent govemment at Rome, and no Roman could be sent out as a col onist without his free consent. When the place ot destination had been selected, the law passed and the volunteers organized, they v/ere sent to their destination to the form of ic army ; the limits ot the city, which was always an essential part ol a Roman colony, were marked out by a plow ; reUglous ceremonies accompanied ; and the anniversary was ever afterward sacredly observed. The city thus lounded was a minia ture ot Rome ; Its members had aU the rights ot Roman citizens ; the Latto language was spoken and the Roman law administered; the cohiage had Latin inscriptions. The govemment of the city was administered by magistrates, Duum viri, who frequently took, the name ol prcetors Ch. XVL] THE ACTS. 177 14 And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of Eurple, of the city of Thyatira, which worshipped God, eard us : whose heart 1 the Lord opened, that she at tended unto the things which were spoken of Paul. 15 And when she was baptized, and her household, she besought"^ us, saying, It ye have judged me to be faithful to the Lord, come into my house, and abide there. And she constrained us. 16 And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a cer tain damsel possessed * with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain ^ by sooth saying ; q Lake 24 : 43 r Heb. 13 : 2 I 1 Sam. 28 : 7 t oh. 19 : 24. (oT^atriyog), and who exercised functions In the colony analogous to that ot the consul at Rome to the days of the repubUc. Attendant upon them were the Uctors, the sergeants of vers. 35, 38, who were charged with inflictmg punishment upon those who were condemned by the magis trates or Duumviri. PhUippi, though origl- naUy founded by the Greeks, was subsequently made a colony by Augustus. The evidences that PhiUppi was such a colony appear to Latto inscriptions still found among the ruins. — Abid ing certain days. Perhaps some days pre vious to tbe Sabbath mentioned to the next verse. 13. On the Sabbath we went out of the gates by a river side. "After about twenty mtoutes' ride from the Khan, over grovmd thickly strewed with fragments of marble columns and slabs that have been employed to building, a river-bed 66 feet wide is crossed, through which the stream rushes with great force, and immedi ately on the other side the waUs of the ancient PhUippi may be traced. Their direction Is ad justed to the course ot the stream ; and at only 350 feet from its margm there appears a gap to their circuit todicattog the former existence of a gate. This is, no doubt, the gate out of which the apostle and his companion passed to the 'prayer-meeting ' on the banks ot a river, where they made the acquaintance of Lydia, the Thya- tlran seller of purple. The locaUty, just outside the walls, and with a plentiful supply ot water tor their animals, is exactly the one which would be appropriated as a market for Ittoerant trad ers." — (Smith's Bib. Diet.) It would also be an appropriate place for the religious meettogs ol the Jews, who were accustomed, when practi cable, to hold their reUglous services near the water, probably on account ot the frequent ablu tions customary among them, the obligation of which would be especiaUy urgent upon those liv ing among the heathen. The river was the Gan- glt38 or Gangas. The best readtogs give here as I have, out ol the gates, not out ot the dty, as to our EngUsh version. — Where prayer was wont to be made. There appears to have been no synagogue at PhUippi (comp. ch. n : i) ; per haps here was one ol those buUdings called proseuchce, which were distinguished from the synagogues by being sUghter in structure, and sometimes simple enclosures open to the sky ; or it may be, as our EngUsh version would todicate, that a mere spot by the river bank had been selected for open-air meettogs, which ap pear to have been attended only or chiefly by women. Ch. 16 ! 14-40. PAUL AT PHILIPPI. The tkob ahb THE FICTITIOUS SaVIOUB m CONFLICT. — THE SPIRIT OIT COVETOtrSNESS THE 8E0BET OF MUCH OF EELIGIOUS PBKSECUTION. — GRACE TO THE OPPRESSED IS TROUBLE TO THE OPPRESSOR.— Songs in the night.— Conver sion ILLIJSTRATED. — THE DIGNITY OF THE TRUE CHRIS TIAN. — The seed of sorrow brings forth the fruits OF LOVE and joy. See Bpls. to Phil. 14. A certain woman named Iiydia. That she was a Jewish proselyte is todicated by the language, which worshipped God ; ver. 15 todl- cates that she had her residence to or near Phi Uppi ; she Is not mentioned agato to the N. T., but may weU have been cue ot those women which labored witb Paul to the Gospel, and referred to to PhU. 4 : 3.— A seller of purple. Either tbe dye stuff, or robes dyed with purple ; these were not only worn by kings and other offi cials, but also by the wealthy and luxurious (jer. 10 : 9 i Ez. 27 : 1 i Lake 16 : 19 ; Eev. 17 : 4 ; 18 : 16). Dyctog Is stUl a customary trade In the East ; the dyer's shop, a room not more than 10 or 13 feet square, THE DTEE'S shop. is usually placed directly on the street among others ol the same trade ; the cloths, atter dip ping in the vats, are hung outside to dry, the passers to the street avoidtog them it they can. 178 THE ACTS. [Ch. XVI. It Is not Improbable that Lydia was carrytog on the dyeing trade and had her shop just outside the city gates.— Of the city of Thyatira. A considerable city ot the provtoce ot Asia where Paul had been prevented from preachtog the Gospel ; " thus, although forbidden to preach the Gospel to Asia, their first convert at PblUppi is an Asiatic." — (Alford.) Here a Christian church was subsequently established (Rev. i : n). It is called by Strabo a Macedonian colony, and although it seems clear that it existed prior to the Macedonian empire. It may have been greatly tocreased by colonists from Macedonia. In the middle ages the Turks changed the name to Ak hissar, which it stUI bears. Among the guUds which existed In this city dyers are especiaUy mentioned to tbe ancient toscriptions, and dyeing seems to have flourished here from a very early period. Thus Homer (Book 4 ; 141) : "As when some Carian or Mseonian dame Tinges with purple the white ivory, To form a trapping for the cheeks of steeds." The fact that Lydia is described as of the city of Thyatira does not Indicate that Philippi was not at this time her permanent residence. SimUarly Paul speaks ot himself as a Jew of Tarsus In ch. 31 : 39 ; 33 : 3. — Whose heart the Lord opened. Observe tbe tocldental recognition here of the truth that tbe word of God Is effica cious only as it Is blessed by tbe Spirit of God (1 Cor. J : 6 ; 2 Cor. 4 : 6. Comp. Mott. 13 : 16). "The heart Is of Itself closed ; but It Is for God to open It." — (Bengel.) 15. And when she was baptized and her house. This text is often quoted to support of the doctrine of tot ant baptism ; thus Mr. Barnes : "No mention is made of their having believed, and the case Is one that affords a strong presump tive proof that this was an tostance of household or infant baptism." Sl~iUarly Bengel: "Who can beUeve that to so many families there was no infant ? And that the Jews, who were wont to circumcise, and the GentUes, who purified them by washings, did not also present tbem for bap tism." To me it appears very clear that there is no authority tor the practice ot infant baptism In such Incidental historical references such as this ; tor (1) infant and household baptism are not the same ; there Is nothing to todicate that there were any Infant chUdren ta this household, or that Lydia was a married woman. On the other hand. It Is hardly credible that there should have been no adults, and it will hardly be argued, that because their faith is not stated, they were bap tized upon the faith of Lydia ; (3) assuming that there were Infants In tbe household In this and analogous cases mentioned In the N. T., it does not follow that they were baptized. If It was not the usage in the primitive church to baptize infants, but only adults, and upon a personal confession of laith, the historian would assume and the reader would understand, that only those capable ol maktog an totelUgent confes sion ot talth were tocluded to the baptism. Thus it a modern writer were to use the phraseology "Mr. A. and his famUy have been baptized and joined the Baptist church," It would be assumed by both writer and reader that only those capa ble of maktog an totelUgent confession ot faith were included. The whole question of totant baptism must be determined, not by doubtful deductions from tocldental references to the baptism of households, but by the view which the Bible student takes ot the nature of the church ot Christ, whether an organization of households or of tadivldualB, and by his view of the covenant of God with his people, whether that covenant Is entered tato for each soiU alone, or with Christian parents tor their chUdren. What may fairly be deduced from the language ot this verse is this : that by reason of Lydia's faith her household were brought unto Christ and his church. The first field for the mtolstry of the young convert is his home. If ye have judged me to be faithful unto the liOrd. Not merely an earnest, but also a modest petition. She asks as a favor the privi lege of conferring her hospItaUty. Comp. the story ot the woman of Shimem, 3 Kinga 4 : 8-10. See also Heb. 13 : 3. — She constrained us. By much entreaty. So to Luke 84 : 39, the disci ples constratoed Christ to accept their hospi tality. 16. As we went to prayer. Rather to the place of prayer referred to to ver. 13. See note there. — Possessed with a spirit of divina tion. LiteraUy, of Python. This was origmaUy the name of a mythological dragon who guarded the Delphic oracle ; ApoUo havtog slato the mon ster, took possession of the oracle, hence to hun was sometimes given the name of Python. He was the god of prophecy, punished and de stroyed the wicked, and had the power of ward ing off evU, or at least ot suggesting by his ora cles the means by which It could be averted. Accordtog to MtiUer, the essential feature to the character of Apollo is that ot the averter ot evfl ; and tbe title ot Saviour Is one given to him by Greek writers. Thus, this damsel was, as It were, an apostle of the heathen Saviour, a fact which gives especial significance to her testimony to Paul and his companions, as those who show the "way of salvation."— Brought her masters much gain by soothsaying. It was a cus tomary belief among the ancients that certain persons were possessed by the spirits of the gods; Apollo was generally the source from which the heathen diviners and seers professed to obtain their knowledge ol the future. These heathen prophets were not only tolerated, but Ch. XVL] THE ACTS. 179 17 The same foUowed Paul and us, and cried, say ing, These men are the servants of the most high " God, wEich shew unto us the way of salvation. 18 And this did she many days. But Paul, being grieved, turned and said ^ to the spirit, I command thee in the name of Jesus Christ, to come out of her. And * he came out the same hour. 19 And when her masters saw that the hope of their gains ' was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them into tne marketplace, unto ^ the rulers, a Gen. 14 : 18-23 y ch. 18 : ; Heh. 10 : 20. . ..w Mark 1 : 25, 34. : Mark 16 : 17 y ch. 19 : 24-27 z Matt. 10 : 18. protected and honored by the govemment, were consulted by leadtog men, and were honored counsellors to the pubUc assembUes. Besides these more respectable prophets, there were numbers of. diviners of an inferior order, who professed to explato signs and teU fortunes, and were popular with the lower classes of society ; they were not infrequently slaves, as to the case of this woman, who was owned apparently by two or three masters to common. Whether she was UteraUy possessed by an evU spirit, or was simply a lunatic, whose maniacal utter ances were turned to profitable account by her unscrupulous masters, who professed to toter- pret them as prophecies, Is a question difficult to determtoe. Alford, Alexander, and Cony beare and Howson, hold the former view ; Lewto, Meyer, and, apparently, Hackett, hold the latter view. That there is no demon or evil spirit cor- respondtog to ApoUo or Python Is clear from 1 Cor. 8:4; that demoniacal possession Is a real phenomenon, see note on Demoniacal Posses sion, Vol. I, p. 133. It seems to me both from Paul's language and trom Luke's, to ver. 18, that this was a case ot such possession, and that the act ot Paul did not merely expose a fraud, nor calm the perturbed mind ot a lunatic, but reaUy delivered this unfortunate from the evU spirit which possessed her. 17, 18. The same followed Paul and us and cried saying, etc. This may have been a supematural recognition ot the power ot God to the apostles ; see the analogous cases ta Matt. 8 : 39 ; Mark 8 : 11 ; Luke 4 : 41 ; 8 : 38 ; and this is the view ol most commentators ; or it may have been a cry ot sarcasm and derision, the KDINS IN THE MABKET-PLACE OF PHILIPPI. possessed foUowtog Paul with this outcry, some what as a crowd ot boys might do ; and this I am tocltoed to thtok more probable, since other wise her masters would have taterlered to pre vent her testimony. — The way of salvation. Or, the way of safety; In this more general sense the words would be understood by the heathen population.— But Paul being grieved. Rather betog Indignant, UteraUy exercised. See ch. 4 : 3, note, where the Greek word Is the same. " Not 180 THE ACTS. [Ch. XVL 20 And brought them to the magistrates, saying. These men, being Jews, do exceedingly trouble " our city, 21 And teach customs, which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to observe, being Romans. 22 And the multitude rose up togetberagainst them; and the magistrates rent o£f their clothes, and com manded to beat them. 23 And when they had laid many'' stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely : a ch. 17 ; 6 ; 1 Kings 18 : 17 h 2 Cor. 6:6; 11 : 33, 25 ; 1 Thefls. 3 : 3. mere annoyance Is expressed by this word, but rather holy todlgnatlon and sorrow at what he saw and heard ; the Christian soldier was goaded to the attack, but the mere satisfaction of anger was not the object, any more than the result, ot the ^xo\e."— (Alford.) Why Paul aUowed the evU spirit to go on unrebuked tor many days It is difficult to say, unless it be an todicatlon of hesi tation, it not timidity, of which other todications are afforded by his course. In preachtog only to the proselytes at PhUippi (ver. is), to the Jews only at Thessalonica and Berea (oh. 17 : 2, 10), and his first mtolstry at Cortath (ch. is : 1-5 ; 1 Cor. 2 : 3). From prudential motives he perhaps hesitated to provoke a controversy with heathenism by a direct attack on one of its most cherished and potent superstitions. — In the name of Jesus Christ. As a herald to the name and with the authority of his Ktag, Paul speaks. — He came out the same hour. See Mark 1 : 37. In this miracle Christ fulfils the promise of Mark 16 : 17 ; Luke 9 : 1. Comp. Luke 10 : 17. 19. The hope of their gains was gone. The first heathen persecution, like that subse quently at Ephesus (ch. 19 : 35-27), was set on foot by covetousness. Comp. 1 Tim. 6 : 9, 10. Like the Gergesenes (Matt, s : 23-34) they cared nothing that a soul had been saved to comparison with the loss ot their gains. — They caught Paul and Silas. The idea ot violence is conveyed to the original. Luke and Timothy seem not to have been seized, either because they were not present, or because they were less prominent, or because, not betog Jews, they were less obnox ious to the Greek population. — Drew them into the market-place. Or Agora; a publlc square, used not merely tor purposes ot market, but tor assemblages and other public business. For description and illustration see 17 : 17, note. The accompanytog Illustration trom Lewto gives the present aspect ot the rutos of the Agora at PhUippi, which Indicates the solid character of the structure enclosing it. — Unto the rulers. (ag/mv.) This term Is here a general one, equiv alent to the more specific one ol magistrates to the next verse. 30. To the magistrates (atarriyog). The duumviri or prsetora ; the former was their pro per name, the latter, as one of greater honor, was frequently used by tbem. See note on ver. 13. — Being Jews. An appeal to the natural preju dice agatost the Jewish nation who were held in peculiar contempt amongst the Romans.— Do exceedingly trouble our city. By curing this poor limatlc. To cast out ungodliness is a trouble to those that get gato by It. — And teach customs which are not lawful for as to receive, being Romans. Observe the con trast : they, Jews, trouble us, Bomans. While the Roman govemment aUowed to the provtoces the orlgtoal reUgion of the tohabitants, they forbade the totroductlon of tonovationa to reli gion, especiaUy into Roman cities like that of PhUippi, as calculated to unsettle the mmds ot the people and create poUtical disturbance. " How otten to the ages ot our fathers was it given to charge to the magistrates, to prohibit the performance of any foreign reUgious rites; to banish strolltog sacrificers and soothsayers from the forum, the circus, and the city; to search for, and burn, books of divtoatlon; and to abolish every mode of sacrlfictog that was not conformable to the Roman practice." — (lAvy, B. 39, ch. 16.) Thus, though the apostles had acted with all possible prudence, there was color for tbe charge brought agatost them. More over, every city had its own special protectmg deities ; to brtog toto it a new worship was an tovasion which the people were as ready to re sent as the magistrates to punish. Observe that to the superstitious city of PhUippi these prejudices were easUy aroused, but not m the phUosophical and skeptical city of Atheifs, nor to the commercial city ot Corinth (chaps. 17, is). 22-24. The multitude rose up together. * * * the magistrates rent off their clothes. The clothes of Paul and SUas. The mob and the magistrates acted together; but the impUcatlou is that the magistrates acted under the Impulse ol and to please the mob, as did PUate to the case of Christ. No attempt at toquiry was made, no oppor tunity waj given to the accused for defence or to plead their Roman citizenship. Paral lel to the course ol the mob here is that In ch. 19 : 38, 34; 21 : SO. — Commanded to beat them. The command was given to the Uctors, the sergeants ot ver. 85, and the beating was toflicted with the Ilctor's rod or fasces. These consisted ot a number of rods cut from the elm or birch tree and bound together with thongs; they were car ried by the Uctors before certain ol the Ch. XVL] THE ACTS. 181 24 Who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner pnson, and made their feet fast in the stocks. 25 And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed,^ and sang .izd^xr]g), which is not employed in classic Greek as a designation of municipal rulers, is found on the rutos of an ancient arch at Thessalonica, to an toscription which Informs us that the magistrates ot Thessa lonica were called politarchs, and that they were seven ta number ; and it is a curious comcidence that three of the name are Identical with those of Paul's friends to this region, — Sopater ot Berea (oh. 20 : 4), Gains the Macedonian (ch. 19 : ss), and Seeundus of Thessalonica (ch. 20 : 4). — These that have turned the world upside doAvn. An unconsciously true charactertzation of the ofllce of Christianity. Evidently the fame of tbe new religion had penetrated heathenism. — These all, i. e., these Christians wherever found. — Contrary to the decrees of Caesar. The Julian Laws gave a very vague and general deflnition ot treason ; " whoever violated the majesty of the state," was declared a traitor, and almost any offence could be easily brought by any magistrate within the terms ot so general a deflnition. — Th^re is another king. This charge here corresponds to that presented be fore PUate agatost Jesus (Lnke 23 : 2 ; John 19 : 12). Not improbably the report of that accusation had reached the Jews at Thessalonica, and was bor rowed by them for this occasion. Some color was given to it by the peculiar character of Paul's preaching at 'Thessalonica, to which Christ's kingly character, second advent, and final ktog- dom upon the earth, appear to have been prom toent (1 Thess. 1 : 10 ; 2:19; 3:13; 4:13-18; 6:1,2; 2 Thess. 1 : 6, 7-10 ; 2 : 1-12 ; 3 : e). 8, 9. Troubled the people. See on ver. 5. Mental perplexity and agitation are indicated. — When they had taken security of Jason and of the other. Possibly baU, that they would appear and answer when summoned for a future trial (so Leuiin) ; but this seems to me Improb able, stoce treason was not a baUable offence. More probably, security that the city should be no more troubled by them ; and this view is confirmed by the next verse. This pledge could be carried out only by sending Paul and SUas out of the city, which was done immediately. Whether any further proceedtogs were taken agatost Jason is unknown, but Paul's expres sions to his subsequent letters todicate that the persecution was In some torm continued (2 Thess. 1 : 4). With this, too, agree the admonitions ol his epistles (l Thess. 4 : 11 ; 2 Thess. 3 : 11). In studytog this Incident observe (1) the unscrupulousness ot religious animosity. The Jews tovlte the co-operation of the heathen, and of the lowest class of the heathen ; they throw the whole city tato tumult ; they present what they know to be a false charge ; they apostatize trom their own faith In repudiating a Messiah, and demanding the punishment ot one of their own nation tor preachtog that ktogdom of God which was, and stUl is, the stay and hope ot the devout Jew in his exUe. (3.) The tocldental and strlk- fag confirmation of Luke's historical accuracy. "He takes notice in the most artless and inci dental manner ot mtoute detaUs which a fraudu lent composer would judiciously avoid, and which, in the mythical result ot mere oral tradi tion, would surely be loose and Inexact. Cyprus Is a ' proconsular ' provtoce. PhUippi is a ' col ony.' The magistrates of Thessalonica have an unusual title, unmentioned to ancient literature ; but it appears, from a monument of a different ktod, that the title is perfectly correct. And tbe whole aspect ot what happened at Thessa lonica, as compared with the events at PhUippi, is in perfect harmony with tbe ascertatoed differ ence to the political position ot the two places. There is no mention of the rights and privUeges of Roman citizenship (comp. ch. 16 : 2i) ; but we are presented with the spectacle of a mixed mob ol Greeks and Jews, who are anxious to show them selves to be ' Cjesar's Irlends.' Comp. ch. 17 : 7 with John 19 : 12. No lictors (ch. 16 : 35, 33), with rods and lasces, appear upon the scene ; but we hear somethtog distinctly oi a demus (ch. 17 : s), or tree assembly ol the people (but quere, see on ver. 5). Nothtog is said ot reUglous ceremonies (ch. 16 : 21) which the citizens, 'being Romans,' may not lawfully adopt ; all the anxiety, both ol people and magistrates. Is turned to the one point ol showing their loyalty to the emperor (ch. 17 : 7). And those magistrates by whom the question at issue is ultimately decided, are not Roman prsetors (ch. I6 : 20, 22, 35, etc.), but Greek poUtarchs." — (Conybeare and Sowson.) 10-12. By night. To avoid danger Irom the mob. — Unto Berea. A walled city on the east em slope of the Olympian range, about 50 mUes from Thessalonica, on the left bank of the river HaUacmon, about five mUes from where that 188 THE ACTS. [Ch. XVII. J3 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had knowl edge that the word of God was preached of Paul at Berea, they came thitiier also, and stirred up? the people. 14 And then immediately the brethren sent away" Paul, to go as it were to the sea : but Silas and Timo- theus abode there still. IS And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Atliens : and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus' for to come to him with all speed, they departed. g Luke 12 : 61 h Matt. 10 : 23 i ch. 18 : 6 river breaks through an Immense rocky ravine from the mountatos to the plain. Though pos sessed of many natural advantages, that which has rendered It famous was its seclusion. It was a retreat, though not an Idle one for Paul, after the Thessalonlan trouble. Accordtog to Cicero It afforded, under widely different cir cumstances, a refuge trom the complaints of an exasperated people, for Piso, who, whUe praefect of Macedonia, had shamefully outraged his office. Under Roman authority It was assigned to the third region of Macedonia. It is weU shaded with plane trees, and so abundantly watered, that to almost every street there Is a runntog stream. It is described as one of the most agreeable towns In RumiU. It boasts of a pres ent population of 15,000 or 20,000, and Is placed to the second rank of cities to European Turkey. There stiU remains some rutos of the Greek and Roman period. There seems to be a general opinion that the inhabitants were ot a superior culture and disposition, but no other authority Is given than the expression here. — ^More noble than those in Thessalonica. Literally ot better birth. Not as In our English version in that they received the word ; two statements are made by the historian, one that tbe Jews at Berea were a better class than those at Thessa lonica, the other, a result and an evidence of this fact, that they received the word with readi ness of mind, i. e., & willingness to consider, and, it trae, to receive It. Observe their readiness was not that of a superstitious credulity, as that ot the Lycaonians (ch. 14 : 11), for they searched the Scriptures daUy to see whether these things were so. They Illustrate Paul's directions to the Thes salonlans (1 Thess. 6 ; 21).^ — Houorablc womcu. Occupying an honorable position in the commu nity. See cb. 13 : 50, note. — Greeks. Greek proselytes ; heathen would not have searched the Jewish Scriptures tor evidence ot Paul's message. 13, 14. Observe that Anti-Christ, as well as Christ, has his missionaries. How long Paul remained at Berea we have no means of know- tog ; he twice attempted to go back to Thessa lonica (i Thess. 2 : is), and as 1st Thessalonlans was written from Cortoth, we may assume that the endeavor therein mentioned was made while at Berea. By the phrase as it were to the sea, we are to understand, not that he made a pretence of gotog by sea, to deceive his enemies, and then went by land, which would have Involved a jour ney ot over two hundred mUes, but that he started to the direction of the sea. The histo rian did not go with him, and writes only what he personally knew. 15. They that conducted Paul. The dele gation from the church at Berea which accom panied him. They went with him to Athens, and retumtog brought the command trom Paul to SUas, who had rematoed at Berea, and to Timothy, who had meanwhUe gone back to Thessalonica, either trom Berea or trom Athens (i Thess. 3:2); but Silas and Timothy do not seem to have rejoined Paul untU he reached Cortoth. We have no direct Information what became of Luke in the meantime. Ch. 17 ; 16-34. PAUL AT ATHENS. Pantheism, ma terialism, POSITIVISM, kbfutbd. See Note on Panl at Athens. Pbeliminakt Note. — ^To understand aright, either the significance ot Paul's course at Athens, the meantog ot tbe tocldental allusions to his surroundings, or tbe full force of his maiTellous address, It is necessary that the reader should have a measurably correct apprehension ol both the extemal aspects ot the city and tbe charac ter of its people. Athens, the pre-emtoent an cient city in cIvUlzatlon, arts and arms, — distin guished for phUosophy and leamlng, — famous tor its architecture and statuary, and the mother ot the most celebrated warriors, poets, states men and phUosophers, — was situated to the plato ot Attica, the city proper betog about three miles trom the sea, although as described by Lewta and Smith it consisted of two circular wall-enclosed cities, united by another long and narrow portion, also wall-enclosed. One of the circular portions included the sea-ports Pireus and Phalemm, the other the Inland settlement ; the connecting fortification, known as the " Long Walls," betog a populous street, maktog a thh'd city, whose tohabitants were shut out trom all view ol the country by the vast waU on either side. It needs no graphic words to picture the misery ot a people thus Imprisoned, when to their ordinary suffocating crowding was added the horror of the plague, or the terrors ot a siege. The plain on which Athens was buflt was fertile only in architectural material, but the exquisite cleamess of the air, tbe beau tiful outlook over rocky emtoences to the sea, Ch. XVIL] THE ACTS. 189 with the dark green lines ol oliye groves wind- tog through the valley, formed a landscape both picturesque and tosplring. Athens is said to have been built by Cecrops and an Egyptian colony, about 15,50 years before Christ, and hence was caUed Cecropia even to later times, but to have received the name Athens trom the promtoence given to the wor ship of the goddess Athenae, or Mtaerva, whose oUve-wood statue and temple erected by Erec- theus I. were most sacred In the eyes of the But later an increased maritime power brought a greater prosperity, and her wealth, largely augmented by the tribute paid her by subject states, afforded ample means for the re-embel- Ushment ot the city. Under the admtalstratlons ot Themlstocles, CImon and Pericles most ot her publlc buUdings were erected. Subsequently through various vicissitudes, betog alternately ruinously ravaged and magnificently adorned, Athens came tato the hands of the Romans, under whose rule the commerce of the city was ^M-) ANCIENT ATHENS KBSTOKED. greatly in the various sieges to which it has been subjected. In 1834 Athens was declared the cap ital ot the new kingdom ot Greece, but it has little to glory to, except its treasures ot anti quity, which commend It to scholars. It has only a small university, and its trade is described as conslsttog ol "walking-sticks and smoking- tubes made ol the black thom of Old Parnassus." The city as Paul entered it is easUy reproduced. Though he left no minute description, we have the records of a traveler, Pausanias, who visited it only 50 years after Paul, during which time there had probably been but little change. We may presume that he landed at the Port Pha- lerus, the nearest port to Macedonia, although Port Pireus, on the other side ol the pentosula, was the more commonly used. Here at these two ports, was maritime Athens, once thriving, now, though retaintog some outward features of Its former prosperity, degenerated into a mere harbor for the upper city. Temples to Ceres, Minerva and Jupiter were the first objects to meet the eye ot the apostle as he stepped upon the shore ; aud as he passed turther on, altars erected to the deified heroes and to "unknown gods " (see ver. 23, note) met his view on every side. Paul's course would lead him between the ruins of the "Long Walls." The remnants of this fortress still remained scattered about, although some ot Its material 'had been used to the Roman siege for other military works. The foundations ol these immense soUd waUs, proba- 190 THE ACTS. [Ch. XVIL bly sixty feet high, are still to be traced here and there on the plain. StUl a third fortifying wall, caUed the Phalerlc, had connected the mato or upper city with the coast, but this had been aUowed to tall toto decay when the second or Bouthem ot the two Long Walls had been erected. Arrived at tbe city waUs, a distance ol lorty stadia or lour and one-half mUes, and entertog by the Piralc gate, the Pnyx lay on the left, the museum hUl on the right, and op posite the gate ran a street directly to the Agora (the market of verse 17). The walls were some seven and a half mfles to circumference, about the same length as those enclosing the Port cities. There are eleven gates mention. ed by name, and others the names ot which are unknown. At the very gate the eye must have been bewildered with the multitude of temples and statues. On either side ot the street was a colonnade, under whose porticoes were shops displaying their costly wares, with rows of bronze statues to front. At the end of the street was the Agora, the torum or market place, which had been the centre of a glorious l*B''l$ - ^ ' ''tK^I -^J^S ATHENS — MODERN. pubUc lite, but which could only impress the apostle as the meeting-place for lounging, con versation and business, of a people who spent their time to nothtog else but either to tell or to hear some new thing. In one sense, the whole quarter known as the Agora was a market, tor at the same time that it contained some of the finest temples, statues and public buildings ot Athens, it was one grand bazaar, where could be found the flower piazza, the slave mart, men's ,clothtog here and women's clothing there, fish- stalls, book-stalls, pottery, perfumes, fruit and vegetables. This strange medley ot commodi ties was to be found among the finest works ol art the world has ever seen. Here were statues ol the celebrities ot Athens — Solon, Conon, De mosthenes, the mythical Hercules and Theseus, and all the tabled divinities of Olympus. Every publlc building was the sanctuary ot some deity and adorned with his statue. Here was the Tem ple ot Apollo, called the Patroum ; the Temple ot the Mother of tbe Gods, or the Metroum; tbe Senate house, the altar ol the Twelve Gods ; the Tholus, with its circular stone dome, where the prytanes took their meals and offered their sacrifices. Here whUe the momtog markettag Ch. XVIL] THE ACTS. 191 and traffic called together a concourse, Socrates had come to find an audience, and here were the great informal gathertags of the people tor gen eral purposes. The Agora occupied a central position ta the city. Tbe Pnyx, where met the poUtical assemblages, adjotaed It on the west. In this semi-circular area, capable ot holdtog 12,000 people, the assembled citizens stood or sat on the bare rock early to the momtog, "at day break," to listen to their great orators. From the Bema ot this Pnyx, of which there are stiU some remains, Demosthenes, Pericles, Themls tocles, Aristides and Solon have addressed the Athenian people. On the east, wall-enclosed, was the Acropolis— the citadel— a square, craggy rock, ristog abruptly about 150 feet, with a flat summit of about 1000 feet trom east to west, by 500 feet from north to south. This, the original site of the ancient city — it had long before ceased to be Inhabited — was appropriated to the worship of Athena and the other guardian deities ot the city. Art havtog offered her sacrifices of mas- PLAN OF ATHENS. ter-pleees here, it became a museum. It was a votive offering to the unconscious deities, ot all that architecture, sculpture and painting could combine, and Nature crowned it witb the un rivalled ttottog which the sunlight In a won- drously clear atmosphere could produce. But to the Christian student the great attraction is the Areopagus. North of the Agora, between the Pnyx and the Acropolis, was a rocky height which was the meeting-place ot the Upper Coun cU, and the site of the legendary trial of Mars for the murder ol the son of Poseidon. Here the greatest criminals had received sentence, and the most solemn questions ot religion had been discussed and passed upon. The judges sat to the open air upon seats hewn out In the rock, on a platform which was reached by a flight of stone steps directly from the Agora, sixteen ot which stiU remain. On tbe brow of the enunence was a temple of Mars, and in a broken cleft ot the rock just below the judges' seat was the sanctuary ot the Furies. This spot was regarded with superstitious reverence, and was a " place of awe in the midst of the gay and 192 i6 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens,' his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly- given to idolatry. 17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout*' persons, and in the mar ket daily with them that met with him. THE ACTS. [Ch. XVn. 18 Then certain philosophers' of the Epicureans and of the Stoics^ encountered him. And some said* What will this babbler say ? other some, He seemetli to be a setter forth of strange gods : because he preach ed unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. ] Ps. 119 : 136 ; 2 Pet. 2:8 k ch. 8 : 2 1 Col. 2 : 8. frivolous city." Between tbe Areopagus and Pnyx was tbe street Cerameicus, a sort ot corso run ning from the Agora through the Ceramic gate to the outer Cerameicus, the place ot burial ot aU who were honored with a pubUc funeral, where were monuments to all the Ulustrlous dead of Athens. These were the most impor tant points of the city. But while the public buUdtogs were grand and beautttul, the streets adorned at every possible point with statuary ot bronze or marble, and temples of every shape and material crowded every public place, tbe private dwelltogs were, as a rule, mean ; the streets narrow and crooked, unpaved and dirty ; with poor supply of water, and very meagre sewerage. A people taught by the sages, the phUosophers and the states men, which were the pride of Greece, ought to have been noble men, but Paul found tbe Athen ians frivolous and profligate — their very culture lurtog them to vice, and their religion an Incen tive to shameless debauchery. The philosophy which bad been their especial glory, having no root in the Divinity, had ceased to flourish ; whUe the uneducated were given up to vice and superstition, the thinkers were "given up to a scornful skepticism." That the schools ot phi losophy stUl had their adherents we know, but there was no great leader In Athens to meet the apostle Paul. Such was the city in which, such the people to which, Paul preached on Mars HUl. 16. His spirit was stirred in him. Lit eraUy sharpened, or whetted, like a sword. The presence ot Ignorance and superstition, so far trom discouraging, aroused his courage ; as the challenge ot Goliath aroused the military ardor of David.— The city full of idols. Not, as to our English version, wholly given to idolatry. The actual presence of the Idols and temples which crowded tbe streets, Is indicated, rather than the spirit or character ol the people, ex cept as tbe former showed the latter. Petronlus says, satirically, that It was easier to flnd a god than a man in Athens ; Pausanias, that It had more Images than all the rest ot Greece put together ; Xenophon, that the whole city was an altar, a votive offering to tbe gods. Similar testimony Is bome by Socrates, Cicero, LIvy, Strabo, Luclan and others. 17. Therefore disputed he. Rather, he reasoned or discussed. Paul's method In preach ing the Gospel to those unacquatoted with It was never controversial, and the Idea of controversy is not tovolved in the original here.— And with the devout persons, i. e., the Jewish prose- , lytes from heathenism.— And in the market. LiteraUy, the Agora. In aU the larger Greek cities there was a place of pubUc assembly so entitled, used both for traffic and for the trans action of publlc bustoess. In the times of Homer enclosed with large stones sunk toto the earth and provided with seats of stone for the chiefs, it grewin later times toto a magnificent stracture — an open space enclosed by porticoes or colon nades, and surrounded with statues, altars, temples, and other structures for pubUc busi ness, for the administration of justice, and for market purposes. It was the centre ot poUtical and commercial tatercourse and ot religious life, answering to the gateway ot the Jewish city. Here were celebrated the first festive THE AGORA. (From Rich's Companion to the Latin Oictiouaiy.)' games, here centred the great highways ol the city, from here started the great reUglous pro cessions, here orlgtoally the great pubUc assem blages of the citizens took place, here the differ ent sorts of merchandise were gathered partly In permanent shops and partly to temporary booths, and here was the place of social auJ fashionable resort. This, at least, was the Agora In Its origtoal conception, though, in the larger cities, the commercial, the religious, and the political centres became more or less separated, and ta Rome almost every class ot provision deal ers had a market of their own. During the mar ket hours the Agora was a place of general resort ; it was also frequented in the afternoon and even ing, somewhat to the manner of our public parks to-day, except that, unlike the latter, the ancient Agora was resorted to by the wealthy and the cul- Ch. XVIL] THE ACTS. 193 tured, and it was even deemed discreditable not to be seen thereto. Socrates habltuaUy fre quented It for the purposes ol conversation and instruction. The accompanying Ulustratlon, Irom an ancient patottag, gives some Idea ol the simpler kind ot Agora. As Chrlst'p example sanctions field-preachtog, so Paul's street-preach- tog. For further description of the Agora at Athens, see Prel. Note. — Them that met with him. His tostruction was conversational, not oratorical ; his first direct conflict with idolatry was a band-to-hand combat. 18. Then certain of the philosophers, of the Stoics and the Epicureans. The two principal schools of Greek phUosophy. The ^ ^ founder of Stoicism was Zeno (340-260 B. o.). He opened his school to a porch, called the Stoa Pecile ("Patated Portico "), at Athens, whence the origta ot the name ot the sect. The Stoics in theory condemned the wor- ^ "^ ship of Images and the PHILOSOPHER STUDYING ugg Ol tCmplcS, but to A ROLL OP PAPTKUS practice justified the BEFOBE A SUN-DIAI,. f^"^"'^" J""''""^'^ "">= (From sn a«u,ne gem.) popular Polytheism, al- lowtog any and all ways ol conceivtog and worshipping the Supreme Betog. They were Pantheists ; and much ol their language Is a curious anticipation ol the phraseology of modem Pantheism. In their view, God was merely the spirit or reason of the universe ; the world was itself a rational soul ; matter was Inseparable trom the Deity ; he did not create, he only organized ; the soul was cor poreal, and at death would be absorbed to God. Thus, a resurrection from the dead was to Stoi cism an imposfelbUity. Nor was their moral sys tem less hostUe to the teachtogs of Christ. Ac cordtog to Stoicism, aU outward thtogs were alUie to the wise. Pleasure was no good ; pain no evU. AU actions conformable to reason were equally good; all actions contrary to reason were equaUy evIL Thus their phUosophy, whUe it approached the truth to holding one Supreme Being, compromised it in aUowtog any and all ways ot conceivtog and worshipptog him, and contravened It, to Its Pantheistic beUef that aU souls are emanations of him. In spin* It was directly opposed to the Gospel — holdtog the dependence ot man on no betog but himself, together with the subjection oi God and man alike to the stem laws ol an toevitable fate. Christianity is the school of humUlty ; Stoicism was the education of pride. Epicurus, the founder of the Epicureans, who are referred to to the N. T. only here, was bom B. c. 841, to the Island of Samos. In b. c. 306 ho opened a school ta a garden at Athens. His life was simple, chaste, and temperate. Of the three hun dred works he is said to have written, nothing has come down to us except three letters, giv- tag a summary of his views for the use of his friends, a number of detached saytogs, preserved by Diogenes Laertlus, and others, and some fragments of his work on nature, found at Her- culaneum. The additional sources ot our knowl edge ot Epicurus are the works ol his opponents, Cicero, Seneca, Plutarch, and of his follower Lucretius. Theologically, tbe phUosophy of the Epicureans was a system of materlaUsm, to the strictest sense ot tbe word. The world was formed by an accidental concourse of atoms ; the gods were merely phantoms, which bad no objective reaUty, or at least exercised no active influence on the physical world or the bustoess ot life ; the universe was a great accident and svifficlently explatoed Itself without any reter ence to a higher power ; as there was no creator, so there was no moral govemor ; all notions of retribution and of a judgment to come were, of course, forbidden by such a creed ; the soul was nothing without the body ; both body and soul were dissolved together and dissipated toto the elements ; and when this occurred, aU the Ute of man was ended. In morals the Epicureans were the utUItarians of the first century. They held that pleasure is the only good ; pain Is the only evU ; virtue is no good to be sought tor itself, vice no evU to be for itself avoided ; the one is to be sought lor the happtoess it produces, the other avoided lor the suffering It entaUs. As ori- gtoaUy taught by Epicurus, tbis doctrine was not sensuallstlc. Epicurus declares: "When we say that pleasure Is the end of life, we do not mean the pleasures of the debauchee or the sen sualist, as some, from ignorance or trom malig nity represent, but freedom of the body trom pain, and ot the soul trom anxiety-" But in Paul's time the phUosophy had degenerated toto that debased torm which its founder seems to have apprehended, and its current motive was, "Let us eat and drink for to-morrow we die" (l Cor. 15 : 32). A third school of phUosophy at Athens, scarce ly less important than the others, was that of the foUowers ot Plato. He was accustomed to meet his disciples to a garden, a grove once belongtog to Academleus; hence tbe name, Academicians. The variations ot doctrine among the successors of Plato gave rise to successive schools of philosophy, known as the Old, the Middle, and the New Academy. The essential principle ot the Academicians in Paul's time was that nothing was or could be known ; thus they represented, reUgiously, that torm of skep ticism which neither asserts nor denies that there 194 THE ACTS. 19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areop agus, saying, May we know what this neW" doctrine, miereof thou speakest, is ? [Ch. XVIL 20 For thou bringest certain " strange things to our ears : we would know therefore what these things mean. m John 13 : 34 ; I John 2 : 7, 6 .... n Hosea 8:12. is a Divtoe Betog, but denies that anythtog can be known concemtog Him. Though not dis- ttoctly mentioned in this account, we may safely assume, that the altar to the unknown God repre sented their phUosophy, or, at least, that univer sal outreaching after God, which such skeptical phUosophy can neither prevent nor appease. Such, without entertog toto detaUs at once ab struse and unprofitable, were the three great schools ot phUosophy whose representatives en countered Paul at Athens, and who not unnat- uraUy mocked when they heard of the resurrec tion. Let tbe reader observe how the apostle's address brings out to clear contrast with these pbUosophles the existence and the personality of a Divtoe Creator, and the resurrection ot the soul and Its accountabiUty to God, as well as the further truth in which he would have before hand tbe sympathies of tbe totellectual leaders, that the Deity could not be adequately repre sented by Idols. Some said, What will this hahbler say ? Other some, He seemeth to he a setter forth of strange gods. The first ridiculed MAKS HILL — THE ABEOPAQCS. him as a talker of nonsense, literally, a seed- picker, a retailer of small talk, of gossip ; tbe others, regardtog the matter more seriously, accused bim of what was a serious offence un der Roman law, and for which he had already been beaten and imprisoned in Philippi (ch. le : 21, note). It was tor setting forth strange gods that Athens put Socrates to death, B. 0. 399. — Be cause he preached unto them Jesns and the resurrection. The preaching of strange gods was charged upon him, not because he preached Jehovah, as the one only true God, lor Jehovah was not a strange God In Athens, where was a synagogue ol the Jews, and where, by pubUc vote ot the councU, a statue of Hyrca nus, the high-priest ot the Jews, had been erected to the temple ol Demus and the Graces (see Jos. Ant. 14 : 8, s) ; uor bccause he preached Jesns and the resurrection, in such a torm that the peo ple imagined that the resurrection was a god or goddess disttoct trom Jesus, an hypothesis which imputes equal obscurity to Paul and stupidity to his auditors. The plural, setter forth of strange gods, Is employed, not because he preached a multlpUcIty of gods, or set forth the Trinity, iu sueh a way as to give color to the be lief that he was a polythelst, but because that was the technical characterization of an offence recognized under both Greek and Roman law (see ahove). He Set forth Jesus as the mamtestatlon ot God to the flesh; they supposed that he desired to add another to the superabundant deities which they al ready possessed; and his address Is devoted to correettog this error, and setttog forth the one and only God, the God ol aU nations and times, and Jesus as the man by whom he wUl judge the world (vet. 3i, note). 19, 20. And they took him. Not with violence. Their spirit is not that ol aroused hostlUty ; the act Is not that of a mob. — And brought him unto Areopagus. Mars SUI; the word is the same so rendered to ver. 32. For descrip- It was famous chiefly a councU which bore the same name, which existed Irom very early antiquity, which had general charge ol order to the city, which had jurisdiction as a crimtoal court in cases of wUllul murder, and which exercised a general censorship over reli gious matters to Athens. Thus, it a lormal com- tion, see Prel. Note. as the official site ol Ch. XVn.] THE ACTS. 195 21 (For all the Athenians, and strangers which were there, spent their time in nothing else, but either to teU, or to hear some new thing.) 22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' Hill, and said. Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious." 23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE tJN- KNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly wor- stiip, him declare 1 unto you. 24 GodP that made the world, and all things therein, o Jer. 60 : 38 . . . . p ch. 14 : 16. platot had been lodged against Paul, it would have been naturaUy brought to trial before this court. This does not, however, seem to have been the case. Possibly there may have been an imperfectly formed purpose to present charges agatost bim, but it was not executed. It Is evi dent from the torm of their request here, May we know ? from the explanation ol the next verse, which attributes their action to curiosity, and Irom the final result (ver. 32), that it is not a judi cial proceedtog which is here described, but a popular assembly. — May we know ? The lan guage is courteous ; that of Greeks, famous for their poUteness, to one whose teachtog had thus far been, outside of the synagogue, of a purely personal and private character. See ver. 17, note. 21. A just characterization ol the Athenian people at this period of their history. Dissatis fied aUke with the reUglon and the phUosophy of the past, and too weU educated to remato con tentedly to ignorance, they were famed through out the land tor toteUectual restlessness. There is a certato subtle satire to the original, inade quately rendered to our EngUsh version. We may translate it, have time for nothing else but either to hear or to tell the latest news (xaivdrs^ov, ta the comparative, signifies something newer than what has gone before). 22. Then Panl stood in the midst of Mars Hill. To appreciate the courage ol the apostle to this address, and his unlaltering laith to God and truth, we must stand, in imagtoatlou, where he stood, the temple ol the Eumenides immediately below him, behtad him the temple ol Theseus, on his left the colossus ot Mtoerva, the champion of Athens, to the right the temple ot Victory, and opposite, at the distance ol 200 yards, the AcropoUs, so entirely occupied with temples and statues as to be, to the language ol Aristides, "one great offering to the gods." History has justified his laith ; the Parthenon became a Christian temple ; Athens ceased to be a city luU of Images ; and the repugnance ol the Greeks to Images and Image worship became so great, as to be a principal cause ol the schism between the churches of the East and the West, in the eighth century. — In every point of view. One can readily imagtoe the apostle em phasizing these words with a sweep ol the hand toward the statues and images spread out in the city below. — I see you more than others reverential to the gods. It is almost impos sible to give accurately to the EngUsh the exact significance ol the origtoal. " Superstition," says Cicero, "is a senseless fear ol God; reUglou, the pious worship ol God." To render Paul's lan guage here too superstitious, as ta our English ver sion, carries with it reprobation ; to translate it, as Hackett, more rdigious than others, carries with it commendation. Paul neither reprobates nor condemns ; he simply states as a tact, witnessed by aU the monuments about him, the exceedtog reverence for the gods, leavtog it unsuggested whether that be the reverence of love which Socrates commended, or that of fear which Plu tarch condemned. But his language is unques tionably sympathetic ; and puts him en rapport with his audience from the begtantag. From this general reference, he naturaUy passes to the altar to an Unknown God, and to show how, so tar trom betag a setter forth of strange gods, he has come to disclose to them the true nature of this Unknown. 23. For passing throngh (the city), and looking about, npon (reconnoitering, consid ering, not merely beholding) the objects of your worship (not your devotions, the acts of worship, but your altars, statues and temples, the objects ot your worship), I fonnd even an altar on which was inscribed. To an Un known God. Several such altars existed m Athens, accordtag to Pausanias. See Prel. Note. He reports the tascrlption as, "To unknown gods," but this may be because he refers to sev eral altars, each bearing an Inscription such as Paul reports. That is not, as in our English ver sion. To the Unknown God ; the definite article Is wanttag to the Greek ; nor to Ood the Unknown, for this rendertog there Is no grammatical au thority ; it has been apparently invented to har monize the language of the toscription more closely with Paul's speech. The origto of these altars is accounted tor to ditferent ways. There is a legend that to the time of a plague, it betog uncertato which god was offended, a number ol sheep were let loose, and wherever one lay down, an altar was erected to the unknown offended deity. Some suppose that these altars were ori- gtoally dedicated to some particular god, but the name havtog been lost, the place was thus sacredly kept. Others stUl imagine — tor there seems to be no basis lor the opinion — that Jeho vah was reaUy totended, and that it was an at- 196 THE ACTS. [Ch. XVIL seeing that he is' Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth' not in temples made with hands ; 25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though '^ he needed any thing, seeing, he ' giveth to ail hfe, and breath, and " all things ; 26 And hath made of one' blood all nations of men, for to dwell on all the face of the earth ; and hath de termined the times ^ before appointed, and the bounds ' of their habitation ; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they q Matt. 11 : ..sPs. 60: 8 t Job 12: 10; Zech. 12:1 a Rom. 11 : 36 vMaL2: 10 wPs.31 : 16.... x Isa. 45: 21. tempt on the part of the Athenians to concUiate the Jews. The real underlytog reason appears to be a sense, to the more cultivated Greeks, that aU the attempts to "find God" through statues, and altars, and temples, were, alter all, to vato, and that he was stUl unknown; ot this the writtogs ol the best classic authors afford abundant Ulustratlon. The accompanytog cut gives the reader an idea ol the structure ol the AHOIENT AITABS. ancient altars. The altar to an Unknown God probably resembled these to structure. There was a cavity In the top to which the fire was ktodled, and an orifice at the side or bottom, through which the libations of wtoe, or pieces of the burnt-offering, flowed. — Whom, therefore, not knoivingly, ye worship, him declare I unto you. Not ignorantly, which tovolves reprobation, if not contempt. He borrows his word (dyvovvteg) from the toscription on their altar (ayvoiorm). Observe that he speaks with respect of the worship, " an Important lesson for aU who have to deal with Paganism and Roman- ism."— (Alford.) 24. The God that made the world and all things therein. In a stogie sentence he sets forth the fundamental tenet of the Chris tian religion. In contrast with Epicureanism, which tuught that there was no God, and that the world was only a happy accident ; with Sto icism, which taught that the world was God and God the world; and with popular mythology, which believed in as many gods or goddesses as domatos In nature or political divisions In the state.— He that is IiOrd (master) of heaven and of earth, not in hand-made tem ples dwells. Though this truth bad been Im pressed on the mtod ot the Jewish nation by the 0. T. prophets, and was recognized by some of the better thinkers even in heathendom. It was nevertheless a radical and startling doctrtae to preach to the heart ol Athens. Observe that Paul begins with the loundation; he does not preach Christ cmcifled as a Redeemer tlU he has preached the one only God as Creator, and this tor the reason weU stated by Stier : " Only on the firm loundation ot the O. T. doctrine of creation can we rightly buUd the N. T. doctrine of Redemption; and only he who scripturaUy beUeves and apprehends by faith the earUest words of Revelation concemtog the Creator of all things, can also apprehend, know, and Scrip turaUy worship, THE MAN, to whom God's word, down to Its latest canonical revelation, gathers aU things." For a confirmation ot this truth, see Paul's language ta the synagogue at Antioch (ch. 13 : 26, note). Observe ta his phraseology here, hand-made temples, what we may weU believe is a reminiscence of Stephen's language to his last speech (ch. 1 -. 48, note). 25. Neither by human hands is served. Not worshipped; the Greek wUl not bear this meantog, and the declaration, so rendered, Is not true. On the contrary he caUs for worship from men's hands (Psahn 29 ; 2; 89 : 7j Isahh 66 : 6, 7; Hab. 2 : 20 ; John 4 : 23 ; I Tin. 2:8; Heh. IS : 28). But thlS worship is not service; to it God serves us, we do not serve him. The heathen brought costly offertags, and food and drink, suppostog that the gods consumed them; this idea ol the de pendence ol God on men, the reversal ol the truth, and one common to aU heathen and hea thenish systems, Paul disclaims and disproves (comp. Psalm 50 : 9-15). — As though he need- etfa any thing. This clause Umits and defines the term served (mistranslated wcrrshipped) to the precedtog clause. — He that gives to all life and death and all things. The fact that all comes from God, and is constantly pre served by God, Is a sufficient evidence that we cannot serve bim by givtog anythtog to him. (Comp. 1 Chron. 29:14.) 26. Has made of one blood all the na tions of the earth, that they may dwell together. Or, .Hos caused all the nations of the earth (sprung) of one blood, to dweU together. The latter meantog is preferred by Alford, De Wette, and Meyer ; the former is the more general view, and seems to me the better one, both because simpler grammaticaUy, and also because It better accords witb the context. The point is not that God has caused the nations to dwell together, lor to fact they had worshipped different and even rival gods, and Uved to perpetual conflict ; Ch. XVIL] THE ACTS. 197 might feel after him, and find him, though ' he be not far from every one of us : 28 For" in him we live, and move, and have our being ; as * certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his ofispring. 29 Forasmuch then as we are the 'offspring of God, we ought not" to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's de vice. 7 ch. 14 : 17 t Col. 1 : 17 a Titns 1:12 b Isa. 40 : 18, etc. but that he had made them of one blood. In order that they might dweU together to peace. Havtog asserted the unity of God, Paul proceeds to assert the unity of the race. There is some doubt whether the word blood is authentic or not. Al ford retatos, Tischendorf omits it. The question is only Important to its bearing on the scientific question, whether the various races of men de scended from a common parentage or not. The whole reUglous significance ol Paul's address is preserved, by the readtog which omits the word Wood, and understands his reterence to be to the divtoe origto ot men, aU races being offspring ol one Father (see ver. 28). This truth corrects, not merely national pride, which was a strongly marked characteristic ot the Athenians, who claimed to be aborigtaal, sprung trom the earth, but also controverts the fundamental idea of polytheism, which gives to every nation a differ ent origto, a ditferent religion, and a different god. — Having fixed the appointed seasons and limits of their abode. So Dr. Hackett, who gives the sigmflcance weU: "The apostle, by addtog this, admonishes the Athenians that they, Uke every other people, had not only re ceived their pecuUar advantages trom the com mon Creator, but that they could hold them only during the conttouance ol his good wiU and lavor. In assigntog to the nations their respec tive abodes, he had fixed both the seasons ot their prosperity and the Umits of their territory, i. e., it was he who decided when, and how long they should fiourisb, and how far their dominion should extend. We have the same idea exactly in Job 12 : 23." Let me add that the truths em bodied to this verse are peculiarly applicable to our own age and nation, to which all races toter- mtogle, and to which self-conceit is the predom- toant national vice. 27. That they should seek the liOrd. Rather, God, which is the best readtog. The whole object of the divtoe providence, in his dealings with nations as well as with individuals. Is to bring them to a knowledge ot the one true God. This is the declaration ot the apostle ; that it has important bearings on the Christian conception of national Ufe, and one peeuUarly appUcable to our own times, is apparent. — If haply they might feel after him. As a blind man gropes tor some object which he is unable to see. The same Greek word is used to the Sep- tuagtot In Gen. 27 : 12, 21, 22, which see for illus tration. How the heathen became so bltoded that they must thus grope after God, see Rom. 1 : 21. Observe that idols result trom a groptog atter a mediator able to reveal an unknown God to tbe soul, ff haply, todicates a conttogeney not likely to happen. In tact, so far as history todicates, the tostances of such findtog ot the true God by me groptog ot the heathen, though not unknown, are rare. — Though he be not far from us. He is hard to find, not because he withdraws from us, but because we withdraw from him. Our toiquities separate us trom him (isaiah 69 : 2 ; Jer. 23 : 23, 24 ; Rom. 10 : 6, s). 28. For iu him we live and move and have our being. Comp. Ephes. 1 ; 10 ; Col. 1 : 17 ; Heb. 1 : 3. The whole is to be taken Ut erally, not ot spiritual Ufe and betog merely. "A climax ristog higher with each term ; out ol God we should have no lite, nor even movement, which some things without life have (plants, water, etc.), nay, not any existence at aU; we should not have been." — (Meyer.) This decla ration gives no countenance to pantheism ; tfiat asserts that God Is aU, and all Is God ; this, that God is in aU, and aU is dependent upon God. — As certain also of your own poets have said. The reference is probably to Aratus. He Uved about B. c. 370 ; was a native ot CUI cia, Paul's native province, perhaps, though that is not quite certato, of Tarsus ; Uved, to his later years, to Macedonia ; wrote several poems and some prose works. Only two astronomical poems have been preserved, one of which asserts to the Introduction the dependence ot all thtogs upon Jupiter, and contatos the words here quoted, "For we are also his offspring." Cleantbes, who Uved about 300 b. c, and was bom at Assos to Troas, uses very nearly the same language to a weU-known hymn to Jupiter. Plato, In tbe same spirit, declares that God is the " father ot noble chUdren ; " and Plutarch, that the soul Is "not only made by bim, but begot by him." (Comp. Matt. 6:9, note.) Observe that Paul does not quote the Bible, but a heathen poet ; he quotes as an authority that which his audience wIU accept as such. Contrast his course in the synagogue at Antioch (ch. is), where his whole address Is based on Scripture. 29. We ought not to think. He classes himself with them, as though this error had for merly been his also. To those not under the law he becomes as not under the law, that he may win those not under the law (i Cor. o : 20). Observe how, without directly declartog the 198 THE ACTS. [Ch. XVIL 30 And the times of this ignorance God winked" at ; but now* commandeth aU men every where to re pent: 31 Because he hath appointed « a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness, by that man whom he hath ordained ; whereof he hatn given assur ance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead. 32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead,' some mocked : and others said. We will hear thee again « of this matter. 33 So Paul departed firom among them. 34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and be lieved : among the which was Dionysius the Areopa- gite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them. c Rom. 3 : 25 .... d Loiie 24 : 47 : TltuB 2 : 10, 11 .... e Rom. 3 : 16 . . . . f ch. 26 : 8 . . . . g ch. 24 : 25 ; Lnke 14 : 18. N. T. doctrines of Incamatlon and atonement, he leads toward them. It we are God's offspring, then we ought not to think that he Is Uke the work of our hands and device, for he Is like us ; then his highest manifestation wUl be looked for to a perfect Son, that man whom he hath or datoed (yci. 81). The argument here agatost idol atry is exactly analogous to spirit to that of Ps. 115 : 3-8 and Isa. 46 : 5-7. Observe that It applies to aU use of Images for the purpose of brlngtog God near to tbe soul through the imagtoatlou. This is the reason given for their use to the Romish church to-day ; the truth is, however, that the Godhead is not Uke to such images, and this is equaUy true of art representations ol Christ, stoce what is adorable In him is not the fleshly torm (2 Cor. 6 : 16), but the Inward, Impalpable spirit. 30, 31. The times of this ignorance God overlooked. Comp. ch. 14 : 16, where the thought Is substantlaUy the same. As to his infi nite mercy God Is said to forget the sins which he pardons, so fuU and complete is his forgiveness (jer. 31 : 84), SO hcrc he Is said to overlook, i. e., not to see, the stos which are the fruits of ignorance. Etemal Ufe has ever been given to even those to Idolatrous nations and times, who, by patient continuance to weU-doIng, sought tor glory and honor and Immortality (Rom. 2 ; 7, 10), and their idolatry, il it has not been accompanied by works ol darkness, has been overlooked. — But now commandeth all men everywhere to re pent. The command to repentance was not somethtog new, lor conscience, convicting the GentUes of sin, carried with it a command to repent (Rom. 2 : 14, 16). What was characteristic of the now was the fact that this command, hereto fore expressed directly by written or spoken word only to the Jews, was henceforth, through the Gospel ot Jesus Christ, to be carried to aU men, everywhere. ParaUel is the declaration of ch. 11 : 18, " Then hath God also to the GentUes granted repentance unto Ufe." — Becanse he hath appointed a day. The reason, not why he commands, but why men should make haste to obey the command. — In the which he will judge the world. The language certainly ImpUes a definite and fixed occasion of judgment in the future. It is hardly consistent with the idea ot a conttouous judgment, before which the souls of the dying appear Immediately upon death, and certsdnly not with the idea ol a grad ual development to the future life, carried on to aU alike, from the stage attatoed by the disci- pltoe ol earth. See Matt. 25 : 31-46, Prel. Note. — By that man whom he hath ordained. Jesus Christ. See John 5 : 25-29. Observe that Paul here reters to Jesus as that man, saytog noth tog ol his divtoe nature, his tocamatlon, his ktog dom, because he would then be liable to misappre hension, and might be thought to be addtog to the deities ot Athens another deified Jewish hero. But to Thessalonica he speaks ot Christ's king dom and second comtog (ver. 7, note), and to Cor inth ot his tocamatlon (1 Cop. 1 ; 22-24). He adapts his preachtog to the needs and the understand- tog ot his auditors. The word that is not to the origtoal ; the definite article is wanttog ; but it is ImpUed by the construction. See Alford's Qreek, Test. — Giving assurance. LiteraUy giving or offering faith, i. e., a ground for faith to rest upon. — In that he hath raised him from the dead. The resurrection ot Jesus Is, hIstoricaUy, the basis for faith to a supernatural Christianity. See Vol. I, i). 330, Note on the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. 32-34. But hearing of the resurrection of the dead. The resurrection of all the dead was necessarUy ImpUed by Paul's statements, viz., that the dead should aU come toto judg ment, and that the assurance of this general ris ing was afforded by the resurrection of the One by whom the judgment should be conducted.— Some mocked; and others said. The lat ter were no more serious, but only more courte ous, than the former. It was only curiosity that brought them together ; when that was satisfied they departed. There is no reason lor suppostog that the one class were Epicureans or the others Stoics. — But certain men clave nnto him. FoUowtog him personaUy and becomtog asso ciated with him. See ch. 5 : 13, note. — Diony sius the Areopagite. That is, a member ol the court ol Areopagus. Accordtog to Euseblus he became afterward bishop of the church at Athens, and died a martyr. The writtogs which have been attributed to him are undoubtedly spurious, probably the products ot the fifth or sixth century. — Damaris. Nothtog else is known of her ; there is no adequate reason tor the conjecture that she was the wife ol Diony sius. Paul at Athens. — ^In considering the practl- Ch. XVIIL] THE ACTS. 199 CHAPTER XVIII. AFTER these things, Paul departed from Athens, and came to Corintn ; 2 And found a certain Tew named i" Aquila, born in Pontus, lately come from Italy, with his wii j Priscilla j (because that Claudius had commanded all j ews to de part from Rome ;) and came unto them. h Rom. 16 : 3. cal lessons of this eventful day to Paul's Ute ob serve, (1.) His courage of faith. Alone, to the toteUectual metropolis of idolatrous Greece, whose religion was interwoven with its national and social Ufe, and sustatoed by pride, pecuniary toterests, poUtical ambition, and a habit of gen erations, he does not hesitate to set agatost it the simple theism of Christianity — One tovlsible God, Creator ol the world and aU that It con tatos — and to demand ol his auditors that they repent ol their idolatries, as of sto, bastog his demand on no other authority than their own consciousness, sustatoed by the utterances of one ot their own poets, and by the inscription on one ot their idolatrous altars. (2.) His wisdom to (a) the adaptation ot truth. He preaches re demption and justification to the Jews at Anti och to Pisidia (ch. 13), the ktogdom of a comtog Messiah to the few Jewish women in the proseu- chae at PhiUppi (ch. 16 : 13, note), Christ crucified, the glory and wisdom of God, to wealthy and aristocratic Cortoth (1 Cor. i : 23, 24), the One only true God, the Creator of aU thtogs, to skeptical, atheistic, and idolatrous Athens, (b.) His cour teous and concUiatory spirit. He speaks ot their superstition in terms ol respect rather than ol reprobation, and recognizes their reverence as real, whUe he endeavors to lead them trom the worship ot the false to the worship of tbe true. (c.) His method. He finds a potat of agreement with them to the toscription, To the Unknown God, and to the language of one ot their own poets. We are his offspring, and from that point deduces the doctrine of the unity and spirituality of the Divtoe Betog. (d.) He lays a foundation for Christianity to preachtog theism. It is use less to preach the higher doctrines ol the Gospel to those who deny the lundamental tenet — the existence, personaUty, and power of God. (3.) The seemingly smaU results. In PhUippi, where Paul is beaten ; to Thessalonica, from which he is driven; in Cortoth, where opposition arouses a mob, large and prosperous churches are early formed. In Athens, where there is no opposi tion, where curiosity tovites him to preach, and receives his message either with courteous skep ticism or mocktog disdato, he does not live to see any results ; there Is no Indication ol a Chris tian church ta Athens to his time ; to the time ol the Antontoes (2d century) paganism stUl flour ished there. Indifference is more discouragtag than open opposition. (4.) The paraUelism to our own time. The lorms of unbelief have changed ; their essential spirit and character are unchanged. Stoicism answers to modern pan theism, the doctrine that God Is aU and aU Is God ; Epicureamsm answers to modem mate rialism, the doctrine that there Is no spirit, noth tog but a mode of motion ; the toscription to the Unknown God represents the aspirations which, in a diflerent form, stUl express them selves ta the wrlttags of those who declare the Deity to be the Unknown and the Unknowable. Paul's treatment of the skepticism of Athens Is equaUy appUcable to the paraUel skepticism ot our own times. We are to recognize it as a tact ; to unhesltattagly attack it ; to treat it as a gen- utae conviction, with respect, and yet as a spir itual bUndness that Is a sta to be repented ot ; and we are to meet it, not by arguments drawn from Scripture, whose authority It does not rec ognize, nor by preachtag the higher doctrines of Christianity — the tocamatlon, atonement, and second comtog ol Christ — but by appealing to the toner consciousness of men, witnessed to and by themselves, and by laytog the foundation, in demonstrattag the truth of theism, for a demon stration of the truth of Christianity. Ch. 18 1 1-22. PAUL AT CORINTH. In season and OUT OP SEASON, PAUL THE TENT-MAKEE IS STILL PAXTL THE APOSTLE.— The minister mat SOMETIMES LEAVE THE SINNER, AND TET KEEP HIS OWN CONSCIBNCB CLEAN.— The Lord is with his children in the hoitb OP THEIR TREMBLINO AND WEAKNESS (COmp. VCrS. 9, 10, with 1 Cor. 2 : 3).— Overromno Providence il lustrated. — The wrath or man praises God. — The Christian's right sometimes to stop work POR THE sake op WORSHIP (ver. 21). 1. And came to Corinth. A city of Greece remarkable iu every aspect. It was about forty- five miles from Athens ; by sea, and with a fair wind, the voyage can be made In trom three to five hours. Pre-emtaently advantageous in situ ation, notable to commerce and manufactures, foremost, to time as weU as proflclency, to the fine arts, mentally and manually active, it had an important place to the history ol Greece and Rome. The Christian student Is attracted to it from the tact ot its having received so long a visit from the Apostle Paul and been tbe scene of the toitlal Christian correspondence, the most important of the epistles havtog all been written from or to Corinth. See Chron. Table, p. 20. From ancient Greece, or HeUas proper, the portion caUed Peloponnesus, or the Island ot Pelops, was almost severed by two seas — the Westem, fiow- tog to from the Adriatic and the Mediterranean, caUed the Cortothiacus Stous, now GuU of Pa- 200 THB ACTS. [Ch. XVHL tras and Lepanto ; the Eastem, trom the .^Egean Sea, caUed the Stous Saronicus, now the Gulf of Eglna. That this separation was not complete was owtog to a narrow, rocky, sterile plato, scarcely three and a half mUes wide at Its nar rowest point. This was the Isthmus, Pindar's "Bridge of the Sea," Xenophon's "Gate of the Peloponnesus," the home ot tbe Isthmian games. From this, the Isthmus, aU such connecttog strips of land have received their name. Entirely across the northern end ot the Isthmus stretched the Geraneiau mountatos through which there were only three passes ; on the southern end was the Oneian ridge not spanning the Isthmus en tirely — for between tbe ridge and the Stous Co rtothiacus rose the Acrocortathus, a sort of off shoot of tbe ridge separated from It by a ravine, leavtog stUl a narrow level place between tbe Acrocorinthus and the sea. Thus there were three passes on the south, one on the shore of the Saronic Gulf, one through tbe ravine, and one at the foot of the Acrocorinthus. Tbis path then, for all the traffic between northern Greece and Peloponnesus, this bridge, over which the richly freighted Levanttoe vessels were dragged from sea to sea to avoid the stormy passage around tbe pentosula, was a place of the utmost Importance, and here Corinth, planttog herself upon the slope of her citadel, tbe Acrocorinthus, reachtog out her left hand, her port town Lachse- um, to tbe Cortothlan sea, her right, the port town Cenchrsea, to the Saronic Gulf, supervised and controlled the communication between the East and the West. Although she looked out npon no tertUe lands, excepting the narrow plain, which gave rise to the proverbial expres sion for great wealth, "To possess what lies be tween Corinth and Sicyon," the scene from the summit ot the Acrocortothus was not a dull one. On one side, over across the sea, forty-five mUes away, could be seen tbe Acropolis ot Athens, with the mountatos ot Attica and Boeotia, and the islands ot the Archipelago ; on the other hand were the mountains of northeastern Greece, "Parnassus towering above Delphi"; just be low, the little plato resolutely keeping the waters of tbe East and the waters of tbe West from uniting, the busy Ute ot the two harbors, and the city Itself, spread out to view. Could a city thus disttogulshed endure ? Satisfied, elated, totoxicated, would she not tall from her regality ? Her history answers. Though concemed in many contests, with great expenditure of men and treasure. Its early history had been one ot general prosperity, but poisoned with jealousy it became Inimical to both Athens and Sparta, to turn jotolng one agatost the other, then became subject to tbe Macedonian kinge, and flnally to Rome. Still, however. It enjoyed a measure ot supremacy, betog united to the Achaean league. In 146 B. c, after the Romans were angered by the maltreatment of certain ambassadors who were to Cortoth for the purpose of conferring with deputies from the Achsean league, the city was entered by Mummlus, and an uncalled-tor and toexcusable destruction ordered. The works of art, many and valuable, were carried to Rome, the males slaughtered, the women and chUdren sold as slaves, the city piUaged by the soldiery, and set on fire. AU rebuUdtog on the site, which was accursed and dedicated to the gods, was prohibited, and " the eye of HeUas " was utterly exttoguished. After a century, JuUus Caesar resolved to rebuUd it, and 46 b. c. sent thither a colony of veterans and freedmeu, among whom were probably many of the Jewish race. The city which Paul visited one hundred years atter was not tbe Grecian Corinth, but Cor toth ot Rome, a colony (see ch. is : 12, note), stlU the capital of Achaia, and as such the residence of Its proconsul Galllo. In the arts and Uterature Cortoth had early established her superiority. It gave birth to patottog, the most elaborate order of architecture received from her Its name, the finest bronze was the Aes Cortothlacum, and here the most beautiful terra-cotta vases were sought. Although none of her sons are men tioned among the Ulustrious writers of Greece, poetry flourished in the early days of the city. It had been pre-emtoent, too, to Ucentiousness ; its patron goddess was Aphrodite, the Greek Ve nus, to one ot whose temples a thousand courte zans were kept tor the service ot strangers ; its most famous monument, that to the courtezan Lais, who took such sums from the merchants, who came to the city, as utterly to mto them. Pausanias, who visited Cortoth to the 2d cen tury, describes the temples and monuments to tbe numerous gods and goddesses, and espe ciaUy the famous fountato of Peirene, which Is said to have received its waters, which were de- Uclous and abundant, by some secret spring from a fountato on the summit ot the Acrocorinthus. Nothing rematos to us ot ancient Cortoth except a few Doric columns In rutos, and some possible rematos of a bath of Hadrian, an amphitheatre of stUl later date. It Is now a small unhealthy malarious town called Gortho. For further de scription ot place and people, see Intro, to Epis tles to Cortothlans. 2. And found a certain Jew named Aquila. 01 AquUa and PrisciUa we have no knowledge outside the Scripture narrative. From the tact of their holdtog Christian meettogs at their house both at Ephesus and Rome it has been supposed that they were persons of some wealth. The Roman form of their names may have come, as did Paul's, from some connec tion with a Roman lamUy. They accompanied Paul to Ephesus, and there AquUa rendered him Ch. XVIIL] THE ACTS. 301 3 And because he was of the same craft, he abode with thera, and ' wrought ; for by their occupation they were tentmakers. 4 And he reasoned in the J synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. 5 And when Silas ^ and Timotheus were come from 1 ch. 20 : 34 j ch. 17 ; 2 k ch. 17 : 14, 16. most important services. It appears that Pris ciUa was a woman of marked abUity, being not only mentioned as sharing to the hospitality ot the famUy, but also ta the theological tastruo- tlon of ApoUos. From the fact that her name Is always mentioned first it has been Inferred that she was the more energetic ot the two, but It is a tact worthy ot note that the two are always men tioned together, from which we may conclude that they furnish a happy example of harmony and sympathy to Christian Ute. — Born in Pontus. On Pontus, see ch. 2 : 9, note. — Lately come from Italy. None other than the ordtoary geo graphical sense is meant by the N. T. reterence to this country, which consisted of the pento sula between the Alps and the straits of Messina. There are three, or more properly four, references In the N. T. to It ; they Ulustrate the mUitary relations of the imperial pentosula and tbe prov toces (Acts 10 : i), the subsisting trade between the pemnsula and the Mediterranean (Acts 27 : 1), the spread ot the Gospel to the West (Heh. 13 : 24), and this verse aUudes to the large Jewish population which from other sources we learn It contatoed. — Because that Claudius. Fourth Roman em peror ; his fuU name was Tiberius Claudius Nero Duras Germanlcus. He was caUed from a quiet and obscure Ufe to succeed Caligula A. D. 41. He had been considered from chUdhood lacktog to toteUect, the natural Irresoluteness of his char acter had been tocreased by contemptuous treat ment from his relatives, and harshness and cruelty from servants. The evil wrought during his reign is ascribed to others rather than to him, and he Is said to have been good and honest. Herod Agrippa the First, who was concemed in nomi nating him to power, received accessions ot ter ritory from the emperor to retum. After a weak and foolish reign Claudius was poisoned by his fourth wife, Agripptaa, the mother of the Infa mous Nero. — Had commanded all Jews to depart from Rome. To what decree refer ence Is here made is uncertata. There is no question that the Jews were a general object of dislike among the Romans ; they were perse cuted by three successive Roman emperors ; see ch. 6 : 9, note. Suetonius says that Claudius drove the Jews from Rome because they were tacessantly raistag tumults at the instigation of a certain Chrestus. Chrestus was a common name, Christus was not ; the two were often used interchangeably; the pronunciation was the same, or nearly so ; hence the surmise is not unreasonable that Christianity had already reached Rome at this time ; that the Jews tastl- gated riots agatost their Christian brethren, as to other places to the Roman empire— Clorinth (ver. 12), Berea (ch. 17 : 13), Thessalonica (ch. n : s), Iconium (ch. 14 : 19), Antioch In Pisidia (ch. 13 : so) ; and that Suetonius, who wrote half a century atter the event, which he dismisses to a sen tence, formed the impression that this Christus or Chrestus was somehow responsible for the outbreaks, and therefore represented him as their instigator. The decree, whatever it was, did not remato long ta force, for we find AquUa not long after ta Rome (Rom. 16 : 3), and many Jews resi dent there (ch. 28 : ib). 3, 4. And because he (Paul) was of the same craft. I can see no reason for tbe surmise that AquUa and PrisciUa were Christians before this time. The language of ver. 2, A certain Jew, seems to me taconslstent with that opimon ; if pre viously converted, AquUa would have been desig nated as a certato brother. What brought Paul and AquUa together was their common Industry, and the practical lesson drawn by Conybeare and Howson Is legitimate: "The trade which St. Paul's father had taught him to his youth was thus the means of procuring him tovaluable associates to the noblest work In which man was ever engaged. No higher example can be found ot the possibUlty of combining diUgent labor to tbe common things ot life witb the utmost splr- ItuaUty ot mind." — And wrought, for by oc cupation they were tent-makers. Every Jew was required by Rabbinical laws to teach his sons a trade, that he might be todependent ; this was rendered the more necessary since the reUgious teachers, prophets, scribes, rabbis, had no state pay, and nothtog answertog to the modem annui ties often given by govemment to disttogulshed literary men. So Jesus himself was probably taught the carpenter's trade (Mnri 6 ; z), and Paul the trade ot a tent-maker. These tents were made of a cloth woven out of goat's-balr, sup- pUed by the goats ot Paul's native province, and hence known as CUicium. The same tents of goat's-hair are stiU seen covering the plains ol CUlcla to harvest. The use ot tents was then and still is very great in the East, and the busi ness of manufacture and repair was and is an important one. "Tent-maktog constitutes an Important occupation In Westem Asia at the present day. In aU the larger cities, and partic ularly at Constantinople, there Is a portion of the bazaar, or business part of the town, entirely devoted to this branch of Industry. Here may 202 THE ACTS. [Ch. XVIIL Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testi fied to the Jews that Jesus was Christ 6 And when they opposed' themselves, and blas phemed, he shook" his raiment, and said unto them. Your " blood be upon your own heads : I am clean^ from henceforth I wUl go unto the Gentiles. t 2 Tim. 2 : 25 .... m Neh. 6 : 13 .... n Ezek. 83 : 4. be seen men engaged to cutttog and sewtog can vas, In constructtog or finishing oft tents of vari ous forms and sizes, to mendtog and repairing those long used, or packtog them up for their customers. This Is what we have described as the mUitary tent, for the black tent of the no mads is made exclusively by themselves. But the mUitary tent Is not employed solely for the purpose of warfare. The cIvlUan often carries it with him ou his joumey, and pitches it at night; It Is frequently seen beside some hot spring, whose samtary waters are sought to mitigate the sufferings of the sick ; and one of the most refreshing sights of the advancing spring Is the herds of horses feedtog on the bar ley sown for the purpose to tbe neighborhood of every town, with the conical tents of their keep ers scattered here and there over the vaUey or plato. The apostle Paul was a tent-maker (Acts 18 : 3), and the tents he constructed were doubt less employed by the Roman soldiers, stoce no mUItary power existed to his day ta the lands where he wrought. The Roman tent, Uke the Grecian, Is probably identical with the tent stUI used to the same lands." — (Van Lennep's Bible Lands, p. 415.) Women, as weU as men, engage WOMEN WEAVTNa TENT-OLOTH. to the manufacture both ol the cloth and ol the tents ; the cloth is used also for garments. Mr. Rawson, whose sketch of modem tents and tent- makers accompanies this note, informs me that he has a cloak made from this cloth by an Arab woman. There is no reason tor understandtog by the language here that Paul was engaged In weaving the cloth; tbe natural meantog of the origtoal is that conveyed by our EngUsh version, which represents him as a tent-maker, employtog for that purpose probably the manufactured hair-cloth. It Is, however, possible that the raw material was an article of commerce, and that he wove the cloth as weU as made it toto tents. There was to those days no such division ot labor as exists to our day. The ancient tent was some times made, as generally with us, simply ot can vas or skto, stretched upou ends, and sometimes to whole or to part of wood, and covered with canvas or sktos. — And persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. Was persuading ; some mear sure ot success Is todicated by this word. The Greeks are here the proselytes, who attended the synagogue. Promtoent among them was Justus (ver. 7). 5. And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia. SUas from Berea, Timothy from Thessalonica. It is not necessa rily ImpUed that they came together. Compar- tog ch. 17 : 14r-16 with 1 Thess. 1 : 1, 2, 1 believe the tacts to be that Timothy was sent back to Thessalonica from Berea, not from Athens ; that Paul, findtog no opentog for his work to Athens, proceeded to Cortoth, and that Timothy proba bly rejotoed SUas at Berea, whence they both came on to Cortoth and rejotoed Paul there. For other views, see Conybeare and Howson, 1 : 406, note.— Paul was wholly given to the word. The best reading is to the word, not in the spirit. The meaning is not perfectly clear. It may todi cate (as Alford and Alexander) that Silas and Timothy found Paul "more than usuaUy ab sorbed to tbe work of testlfytog to the Jews, a crisis to the work betog Immtoent, which resnlt- ed to their rejection of the word ot Ute ; " or it may mean (as Hackett and Robtoson) that atter they came he gave himself wholly to the word, betog relieved by the contribution which they brought him from the Macedonian churches (2 Cor. 11:9) trom the necessity ot devottog a considerable part of his time to manual labor, to order to earn his daUy bread. Up to this time he had been ' ' in fear and ta much trembUng ' ' (1 Cor. 2:8), not from apprehension of personal injury, but from a sense of his own weakness and inability to cope with the corruption aud wickedness which he saw about him. This experience, here and to Athens (ch. 17 : le), indicates to Paul a strong sense ol need ol human sympathy and leUowshlp, such as is Ch. XVm.] THE ACTS. 1 And he departed thence, and entered into a cer- tam man!s house, named Justus, one that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue. 8 And Crispus,°the chief ruler of the synagogue, be lieved on the Lord with all his house ; and many of the Corinthians hearing, believed, and were baptized. 9 Then spake the Lord to Paul in the night by a vis ion, Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace : 203 10 For I P am with thee, and no man shall set on thee, to hurt thee : for I have much people in this city. II And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word ot God among them. 12 And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia. the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat. o 1 Cor. 1 : 14 p Matt 28 : 20. often found to strong, todependent, self-reUant natures.— Testifying to the .Jews the Mes- siah Jesus. Not merely, as to our English version, that Jesus was Christ, but the whole truth respecting the Ufe of Jesus, and how his lite lulflUed the prophecies ol the 0. T. concem tog the Messiah (see ch. 13). 6. Shaking his garments. Shaktog ofl the dust as a testimony against them; a common symboUcal act among the Hebrews. See ch. 13 : 51, and Matt. 10 : 14, note.— Yonr blood be upon your own heads. Comp. Ezek. 33 : 4. Paul's act here Ulustrates the principle laid down there. Contrast also Matt. 27 : 24. Like PUate, Paul declares himself innocent ; like PUate, Paul employs a symbol to emphasize his declaration. But PUate, though he uses the symbol, yet Is to tact guilty, to that he condemns the innocent to death ; Paul is guUtless, to that he does not turn trom the Jews tUl they refuse to hear his message ot salvation. — I shall henceforth, with a pure conscience, go to the Gentiles. So Altord. It is literally, I, dean, henctforth go, etc. Observe In this sentence a hint of the motive which led Paul always first to preach to the Jews : because be could not, with a good conscience, go to the GentUes with out first offlertog the Gospel to his own people. Comp. Rom. 9 : 1-3 ; 10 : 1. 7, 8. And he departed thence. Erom the synagogue, where he was denied a hearing. — And entered into a certain man's house named Justus. Not to Uve, but to preach. The tact that It adjotoed the synagogue made It convenient lor this purpose. The impUcation Is that, as he was preachtag, he was vehemently toterrupted to the service by the outcries of the Jews, and that he responded by shaking ofi the dust agatost them, referrtog to Ezekiel 33 : 4 to a citation which they would readUy understand, and departtog Immediately to the adjointag house — many of the congregation, perhaps toclud- tog the chief ruler, gotog out with him. The court-yard of any of the larger Greek houses would afford a conveiuent place tor religious ser vices. Ot Justus nothtog more is known than the statement here. The Syriac and Arabic ver sions have Titus, whUe the Vulgate combines the two names, Justus Titus. The description of him as one that worshipped God, todicates that he was a heathen proselyte, but not necessarUy at this time a Christian, though sympathlztag with Paul rather than with his heathen perse cutors. — And Crispus. He was baptized by Paul (i Cor. 1 : 14) and Is said to have subsequently become bishop of Egtoa. His name, which Is foreign, todicates some connection with heathen natlonaUtles ; his office that he was a Jew. — The chief ruler of the synagogue. On tbe con stitution of the synagogue. Its method of wor ship and form of govemment, etc., see Matt. 4 : 23, note. This ruler ot the synagogue was the president of Its board of elders. — With all his house. Comp. ch. 16 : 15, 34. Among the beUevers were Gains and Stephanas (1 Cor. 1 ; 14, le), who, with Crispus, were baptized by Paul's own hand. Tbe others were baptized probably by SUas or Timothy, not by "Paul. 9-11. By a vision. That is, by some super natural appearance to bim, though, very possi bly, ta a dream. Comp. ch. 37 : 28.- Be not afraid. Possibly, after so determtaed and bold a renunciation of the Jews, the apostle suffered a reaction, and doubted whether he had not de stroyed the hope of further work. — Speak, and hold not thy peace. The double form, affirm ative and negative, adds emphasis. Comp. Isaiah 58 : 1 ; J^ob 2 : 8.— For I am vrith thee. Comp. Jer. 1:8; Matt. 38 : 20 ; John 14 : 18-28.— Shall set on thee to hurt thee. So as to- hurt thee; a promise fulflUed to the experiences which foUowed. — I have much people in this city. LiteraUy, There is for me much people in this city. Not many people already conse crated to God, but many whom God recognized as his ; and this may Imply either that there were many who were appototed to become his own, or many ta whom he saw a preparedness to re ceive the Gospel.— And he continued there a year and six months. As the result of Paul's labors at Corinth, a Christian church was estabUshed, not only In Cortoth, but also to Its port town Cenchrea (Rom. le : 1), and apparently elsewhere to Achaia (2 Cor. 1 : 1). The year and six months probably includes the whole of his Corto thlan ministry, durtag which time the facldent narrated to vers. 12-17 occurred; some, how ever, regard It as extending only to that tocl- dent, the yet a good while ol ver. 18 todicattog a stUl lurther stay in the city. 204 THE ACTS. [Ch. XVIII. 13 Saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. 14 And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong, or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews,i reason would that I should bear with you : 15 But if it be a question of words and names, and of your law,' look ye to it: for 1 wiU be no judge of such matters. 16 And he drave them from the judgment seat. 17 Then all the Greeks took" Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judg ment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things. 18 And Paul after this tarried there yet a good q Horn. 13 : 3 .... r chaps. 23 : 29 ; 25 : 11, 19 ; John 18 : 31 s 1 Cor. 1:1. 12. Gallio being deputy of Achaia. Pro consul. On the difference between Imperial and senatorial provinces, see ch. 18 : 7, 8, note. Achaia was orlglnaUy a senatorial province, was made an imperial provtoce by Tiberius, remained so under Caligula, but was restored to the senate by Claudius, and was at this time, therefore, governed by proconsuls. OriglnaUy a narrow strip of land in the north of the Peloponnesus, whose cities were confederated ta an ancient League, ta the N. T. Achaia signifies the Roman provmce, Which, with Macedonia, tacluded all ot Greece. Hence the use ot the terms together. Gallio, mentioned to the N. T. only here, was the elder brother of Aunaeus Seneca, the phUos- opher ; bis own name was AnnsBus Novatus, and he received the name by which he Is known to us, because of bis adoption toto the famUy of Junius Galllo, tbe rhetorician. He died to A. D. 66, having, probably, but shortly before left Achaia for a sea-voyage for the benefit of his health. His brother's allusions to him, which are exceedtogly affectionate, todicate that he was a man of integrity and honesty, and beloved on account ot his amiabUlty and suavity, and the account here is to harmony with sueh a char acter. — Made insurrection. Rather, made an assault. — With one accord. Indleattog pre concerted action. The todications trom ver. 17 are that Sosthenes had replaced Crispus as chief • ruler of the synagogue, and was a leader to this movement. — To the judgment-seat. A mov able, or sometimes a permanent, throne or chair of state, used by the emperors at Rome, and to the provtoces by the proconsuls and other chief magistrates, in administering justice. For Ulus tratlon and description, see John 19 : 13, note. 13-17. This fellow. Though the word /eZ- low is not to the origtoal, the language is that of contempt, and is rightly represented iu our Eng lish version.— Contrary to the law. Tbe same accusation had resulted In the scourgtag and imprisonment of Paul aud SUas at Philippi. See ch. 16 : 21, note. But this judge was a very different type ot Roman trom the prsetors of Phi lippi. He perceived that It was not attachment to the Roman law which had aroused the rage of the Jews, and he would have nothtog to do with the settlement of their own religious controver sies. Some take the accusation as meaning against the law ol Moses, but without good rea son ; no such complatot would be preferred by Jews to a Roman magistrate. — If it were a matter of injustice (a plato violation ot law, infringing on tbe rights of others), or wicked mischief (even a mischievous act ot a mali cious ktod, not directly contraventog any special statute), reason w^ould that I should bear with you. The language is significant as todi cattog that he was, as a Roman, Impatient of the contentions of the Jews, who already had the reputation of betog a factious and disquiet peo ple. See on ver. 3. — Concerning words. Rather doctrines; here Jewish theology. — And names. To a Roman, the question whether Jesus was tbe Christ would seem to be a mere question of names. — And your laws. Comp. PUate's action (john i8 : 3o) and that of Lyslas (acu 23 : 29) and Festus (Acts 25 . 2o). But GalUo was a more courageous man than either PUate or Fes tus. Moreover, the Influence of the Jews at Cortoth was tasigmficant; at Jerusalem and Csesarea It was all-Important for the Roman ruler to keep them at peace. — I do not wish to be judge of these things. Observe, as an todica tlon of the simple truthfutoess ot the narrative, that tbe narrator does not hesitate to describe the contempt ot a Roman official tor the Jewish nation and the Christian cause. — And he drave them from the judgment-seat. Not neces sarUy, yet not impossibly, with force. — Then all the Greeks. The word Greeks, omitted by Tischendorf and Alford, and wanting ta the best MSS., Is doubtless an addition by a later hand, probably tavented to prevent the possible im pression that the friends of Paul beat Sosthenes. The interpolation probably correctly represents the facts. The Greeks took the occasion to beat the chief reUgious representative of the Jews; a very smaU occasion was sufficient to caU mto action their latent hatred and contempt ot the Jewish people. The optaion advocated by some, that he was a Christian and beaten by the Jews, Is highly Improbable. A Sosthenes of Corinth is afterward mentioned by Paul as a Christian (i Cor. 1 : i), but whether it Is this person, or another of the same name, we have no means ot knowmg. The name Is not an uncommon one. — And Gal lio cared for none of these things. An otten misappUed text. It does not refer to reU glous indifference to Christian truth, for there is no tadlcation that any Christian truth was Ch. XVIIL] THB ACTS. 205 while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila ; havmg shorn ' his head in Cenchrea : " for he had a vow. 19 And be came to Ephesus, and left them there : but he himself entered into the synagogue, and rea soned' with the Jews. 20 When they desired him to tarry longer time with them, he consented not ; 21 I3ut bade them farewell, saying, I must by aU means keep this feast that cometh in Jerusalem : " but I WlU return again unto you, if » God will. And he sailed from Ephesus. 23 And when he had landed at Ceesarea, and gone up, and saluted the church, he went down to Antioch. I ch. 21 : 24 J Nnmh. 6 : 18 n Rom. 16 : 1 T ch. 17 : 2 w chaps. 19 : 21 ; 20 . 16 X 1 Cor. 4 : 19 j JamoB 4:15. brought before him ; he did not even hear Paul speak ; but to his indifference to the Jewish ex citement, and to the mob violence against Sos thenes. With' an easy indifference to anythtog that did not threaten to weaken Roman authority, or impair seriously the peace of the city, he left the Jews to settle their own reUglous questions among themselves, and Sosthenes to the mercies of the mob. 18. Tarried yet a good while. Probably this time is included to the eighteen months mentioned In ver. 11. See note there. — Of the brethren. Perhaps leaving SUas behtod; he is not mentioned agato to Acts ; Timothy Is next mentioned at Ephesus, to ch. 19 : 22. — XJnto Syria. In that direction ; stopptog at Ephesus on the way. — Having shorn his head. Some think that it was Aquila, not Paul, of whom this was said. The great body of critics, however, apply it to Paul. The other view appears to be an afterthought, suggested by the supposed mcongruity of an O. T. vow entered toto by Paul, who so vigorously repudiated the obUgatlons of the ceremonial law. But (1) there is no reason why the historian should mention Aqutta's ghavtog his head, while tbis act by Paul was probably connected with his joumey to Jerusa lem, where the vow would require to be perfected by some sacrifices to the Temple (eee ch. 21 : 29), and Is thus stated to explain his refusal to remato at Ephesus, and his eamestuess to proceed. (3.) The torm ot the sentence almost necessarily con nects the statement with Paul, not with AquUa. " There are trom verses 18 to 38 Inclusive, no less than nine aorist participles, eight of which todis- putably apply to Paul as the subject of the sec tion, leavtog it hardly open to question that the participle having shorn must be referred to him also." — (Alford.) The vow here Is very gener aUy thought to be that of the Nazarite. The re strictions ot this vow were threefold. There must be entire absttoence from aU strong drtok, from the juice of the grape, and from everythtag be longing to the vtae. The hair ol the Nazarite was to be permitted to grow, no razor touehtog his head durtog aU the days of his separation, and he should on no account defile himself for the dead. When the term of the vow expired, the Nazarite brought a sto-offertog, a bumt-ofler- tog, and a peace-oflering, with the usual append ages, his hair betog shorn or shaven, and cast toto the fire which was under the sacrifice of the peace- oflerlngs, todicattog the ordtoary state of friendly communion with God. If the vow here men tioned was that ot the Nazarite, Paul must have shom, that Is, trimmed, not shaved his head at Cenchrea, preparatory to the vow, purposing not to cut his hair again tUl he had fulfiUed the vow by the offering at Jerusalem, or else the obUgation of the Nazarite had been changed stoce O. T. times. The customary term ot the Nazarite vow, when not for life, was, according to tbe rabbis, thirty days. The law concemtog it is found in Numbers, ch. 6; Scripture to stances are those of Samson (judges 13 : s), Samuel (1 Sam. 1 : II), and John the Baptist (take 1 : is). — In Cenchrea. The eastem and most Important harbor of Corinth, distant from it about eight or ntoe mUes. A double waU, extending from Cor toth to Its nearest harbor Lechseum, protected the Cortothlan shore, and the fortifications at Cenchrea were of great moment to the safety of the pass along the Saronic shore. It was a natu ral harbor, whUe Lechseum was an artificial one, and possessed a life withto Itself which the nearness of Corinth prevented at Lechaeum. Its Idolatry partook ot the same licentious char acter as that at Cortoth, and the temples and monuments which Paul must have seen are de scribed by Pausanias. There was an organized Christian church at Cenchrea (Rom. 16 : 1), and tra dition gives the name Lucius as that of its first bishop, appointed by Paul himself. It is now deserted, but the spot retatos a form of the name, and some rutos of its foundations remain. 19-22. And he came to Ephesus. A voy age of two or three days. On the place, see ch. 19 : 1, note, and Intro. to.EpIs. to the Ephesians. — They desired him to tarry longer time with them. Tbe only occasion to which he was urged to remato and preach the Gospel to the synagogue and to the Jews. The vow that called him to Jerusalem must have been one of pecu Uar sacredness to his eyes, to have enabled him to resist such a caU. — Saying, I must by all means keep this feast that is coming in Jerusalem. Tischendorf omits these words, and there is some uncertainty respecting them. They are, however, retained by Olshausen, De Wette, Meyer, Altord. The feast was either the Passover or the Pentecost; most probably the latter. This Is todicated by the fact that 206 THE ACTS. [Ch. XVIII. 23 And after he had spent some time there, he departed, and went over all the country of Gala/- tia? and Phrygia in order, strengthening' all the dis ciples. 24 And a certain Jew named ' ApoUos, bom at Alex andria, an eloquent man, and mighty in the scriptures, came to Ephesus. 25 This man was instructed in the way of the Lord ¦ andf being fervent ''in the spirit, he spake and taught diligently the things of the Lord, knowing *= only the baptism of John. y Gal. 1 : 2 1: chapa. 14 : 22 ; 16 : 32, 41 a 1 Cor. 1 : 12 i 8 : 4-6 ; Tltns 3 : 13 h Rom. 12:11; Jamee 5 : 16 c ch. 19 : 3. navigation was not ordlnarUy open early enough to make the voyage from Cortoth possible to time to reach Jerusalem in March or early AprU. Observe that he here postpones Christian work, to order to get the benefit of personal commu nion with other Christians, and an opportunity for public worship. — Landed at Csesarea. For description and Ulustratlon of Csesarea, see eh. 8 : 40, note. — And gone np and saluted the church. At Jerusalem. This was stUl regarded as the mother church. Only here could he have kept the feast. — He went down to Antioch. In Syria, whence he had origtoaUy started (ch. 15 : 35, 35). This completes Paul's sec ond missionary tour. Ch. 18 1 23-28.-PAIJL'S TfflRD MISSIONAET TOtE. HIS EAKLT MIHISTEY AT EPHESUS.— God uses All ISSTKtnitENTS. A. D. 54. With this verse begtos the third missionary tour of the apostle Paul. For Its general course, see map, p. 21. The first por tion of this tour we are unable to trace with ac curacy. Paul began (autumn, A. j>. 54), as be fore, by reylslttog the churches which he had previously tounded to the provtoces ot Galatia and Phrygla ; thence, by what route we have no means of determlntag, he came to Ephesus, which was to the provtoce of Asia a centre, as Athens and Corinth were to Greece. There he remained for a period of two years and upward (A. D. 55, 56 ; see ver. 10) ; thence he went toto Macedonia and Greece (ch. 20 : 2), probably revlslt- tog tbe churches at Philippi, Berea, Thessalonica, Corinth, and Cenchrea, perhaps Athens also; thence he retumed, by a route nearly every stage ot which we can trace by the geographical refer ences In chaps. 20 and 31, to Jerusalem. This was the end of his third missionary joumey. His arrest there prevented his returning to the point of his departure, Antioch to Syria. The whole duration of this tour is believed to be about four years, viz., from the autumn of A. D. 54 to the summer or fall ol a. d. 58. During this tour he is thought also to have written the tol- lowing Epistles, viz. : From Ephesus, spring, 57, 1 Corinthians ; trom Macedonia, autumn, 57, 3 Corinthians ; from Corinth, winter, 57, Gala tians ; trom Cortoth, spring, 58, Romans. See Chronol. Table, p. 20. 23. And after he had spent some time there. There is nothtog to Indicate the length ot time; probably a few months. Conybeare and Howson, whose chronology is generaUy weU considered, suppose that he reached Antioch In the summer and lelt ta the laU ol A. n. 54. On Galatia and Phrygia, see ch. 16 : 6, note. Comp. with this revlsltatlon ot the churches ch. 15 : 41, and observe how Paul is not less concerned to strengthen the satots than to convert stoners. 24, 25. And a certain Jew named Apol- los. Ot whom nothtog is known besides the to- tormation here given, except the tacts that his eloquence attracted many at Cortoth who would tato have made him the leader ol a Christian sect to the church (1 Cor. 3:6); that he would not per mit It, and, probably for this reason, refused to retum to Corinth, though eamestly urged to do so by Paul (1 Cor. le : 12), who testffies his regard for him to Titus 3 : 18. He Is regarded by some critics as the author of the Epistle to the He brews. — Born at Alexandria. A celebrated city and seaport of Egypt, on the Mediterranean, twelve mUes from the mouth of the river NUe, named to honor of Alexander the Great, who founded it, B. o. 833. He selected it for the Greek colony wWch he proposed to found, from the great natural advantages which it possessed, and from the admirable harbor formed by the deep water between Rhacotis and the isle of Pharos. It was buUt upon a strip ot land be tween the sea and Lake Marcotis, and connected with the isle of Pharos by a long mole nearly a mUe to length. Two mata streets, 240 feet wide, crosstag each other at right angles to the middle of the city, left a tree passage lor the sea-breezes. Though mentioned to the N. T. only tocidentaUy to the Book ol Acts (chaps. 6 : 9 ; 27 : 6), It exerted a powerlul influence on the history ot the develop ment ol Christianity. It was a great Uterary and phUosophlc centre, was the site of the largest library in the world, which under Cleopatra con tatoed 700,000 volumes, was a mother of phUoso phy and arts, and was a cosmopolitan city, to which Greeks, Egyptians, and Jews had their respective quarters. At this time nearly one- third ol Its population were Jews ; they had, however, materially modified their reUglous belief, to conform it to the dreamy phUosophy of the Orient, which there found a home. On this phflosophy, see John, eh. 1, Prel. Note. The Alexandrian Jews, though more leamed in foreign philosophy than those of Palestine, or even of Asia Mtoor, were despised by their Ch. XVIIL] THB ACTS. 207 26 And he began to speak boldly in the synagogue : whom when Aquila and PriscUla had heard, they took him unto them, and expounded unto him the way of God more ^ perfectly. 27 And wnen he was disposed to pass into Achaia, the brethren wrote, exhorting the disciples to receive him : who, when he was come, helped ^ them much which had believed' through grace : 28 For he mightily convinced the Jews, and that vah~ licly, shewing bye the scriptures that Jesus was Christ. d Heb. 6 : 1 ; 2 Fet. 3 : 18 .... 6 1 Cor. 3 : 6 .... f Ephes. 2 : 8 .... g John 6 : 39. brethren, because of their departure from the orthodox faith ot the fathers. Presumptively, ApoUos was a pupU of the Alexandrian school, a rhetorician, who had learned. In a very imperfect way, the tacts respecting the lite ot Jesus. See below. — An eloquent man. This is probably the meantog ot the origtoal here, though it may also be rendered, a learned man. — Mighty in the Scriptures. That is, to the 0. T. Scriptures. Observe, not merely leamed to them, hxit power ful in the use of them. Comp. 2 Tim. 8 : 17. One reason of his power is indicated ta the next verse ; he -was fervent in spirit, and he taught out of them the things of the Lord. Comp. John 5 : 39. A fervent spirit, a good knowledge of the Bible, and a search in It always tor the thtogs concem tog Christ, are the elements that give power In Its use. Observe, too, that, Ignorant as he was ta almost the first principles ot Christian theology, he was powerful, through the Scriptures. — Was instructed in the way of the Lord. Tbe word rendered instructed (zoro/iro) literally todi cates oral tostruction ; hence, leamtog by rumor, report, or hearsay. Comp. ch. 21 ; 21, 24. That appears to be its meantog here. He had heard, to an imperfect way, the story ot Christ's life, death, and resurrection ; It exactly accorded with the 0. T. prophecies ot the Messiah (see ci. 8 : 18, note), and wlthout turther tostruction he be gan to preach to the Jews from the O. T. that the Messiah had come. But of the nature ot his kingdom, and especiaUy of the baptism which he commanded, toto the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (Matt. 28 : 19), he knew nothtog. He baptized simply as John, unto re pentance from sto (Matt. 3 : 6). — Knowing only the baptism of John. That is, knowing no other baptism. He knew, probably, that the Christians were baptized, but knew nothing ot any difference between their baptism and that which John employed. 26-28. Aqnila and friscilla. Observe, a woman is here the instructor of the religious teacher, worktog equally with her husband for his enlightenment. Observe, too, that God, who uses the imperfectly Instructed ApoUos to preach his Gospel to the Jews, and to aid the GentUe Christians to replying to them, uses a layman and his wife, tent-makers, to tostruct the leamed aud eloquent ApoUos. — More perfectly. In what respect Is not todicated; hardly on the potot ot baptism, stoce the Christians at Ephe sus, where PriscUla and AquUa dwelt, seem to have been In Ignorance on this potot. See ch. 19 : 3, 4.— Into Achaia. See cb. 18 : 12, note. — He mightily convinced. Or vehemently, as to Luke 23 : 10 ; the adverb todicates the charac ter ot his speech, as fervid, vehement. Impas sioned. With this agrees the description of ApoUos as an eloquent man, and fervent ta the spirit. — The Jews. In the controversies which everywhere took place In the early church be tween the Jewish and GentUe converts, and be tween the Christians and the Jews, who were at first their bitterest opponents, ApoUos was an effective aUy, by reason ot his knowledge of 0. T. Scripture, of which tbe GentUe converts, and even the proselytes, were comparatively Ig norant. His labors In Achaia appear to have been specIaUy carried on ta Corinth, where his leamtag and eloquence, ta marked contrast with the sImpUcIty ot Paul's unoratorical preachtag (1 Cor. 2 : 1-4), attracted many friends, who endeav ored to organize a party or sect under his name (1 Cor. 1 : 12 i 3 : 4-6). See OU ver. 24. This "historical episode," as Meyer caUs It, appears to be Introduced for the purpose of showtog what agencies were , employed by the Spirit of God in promottog the spread ot the Gospel. Preaching was not confined to those that were ordained by tbe apostles, nor even to such as were directly tostructed ta the Gospel trom the fountain head. The tocldent Ulustrates and is partially parallel to Luke 9 : 49, 50. Comp. Rev. 22 : 17, "Let him that heareth say Come." Analogous to this story of ApoUos are some Inci dents in the experience of modem missionaries In foreign lauds. Dr. Chamberlain, of tbe Re formed (Dutch) Mission, has narrated such an one to me. A Hindoo purchased a Bible trom a native who had bought it from a mission station ; the purchaser was converted, with his wife, by reading the Bible ; they gathered the villagers together and read it aloud to them, organized a quasi Christian church, without, however, bap tism or the Lord's Supper, the necessity and na ture of which they did not understand ; he be- ,came known far and near as " the man with the book." His church some seven or eight years thereafter, was Iound by some missionaries dur tog a missionary joumey through the country, and alter being more perfectly tostructed fa Christian doctrtoe, was received by them toto the visible " communion ol satots." 208 THE ACTS. [Ch. XIX CHAPTER XIX. AND it came to pass, that, while Apollos" was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts, came to Ephesus ; and finding certain disciples. 2 He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed ? And they said unto him We have not • so much as heard whether there be any liolv Ghost. ' h 1 Cor. 3 : 4-6 .... 1 ch. 8 : 16 J 1 Sam. 3 : 7. Ch. 19 : 1-41. PAUL AT EPHESUS. The condition AND THE CONSUMMATION OP ChEISTIAN BXPEKIENCB : REPENTANCE AND PAITH IN CHRIST ARE THE CONDI TIONS ; THB BBCBIVrNG OP THB SPIRIT OP GOD IS THB CONSUMMATION (verS. 1-7).— PBODUAB EXIOENCmS RE QUIRE PECULIAR POWERS ; GOD ADAPTS HIS GIFTS TO OUR NEEDS (vers. It, 12).— The work op God and the works OF darkness in conplict : Christianitt contrasted WITH witchcraft (vers. 13-15). — Genuine repent ance IS APT TO cost SOMETHING (VCr. 19). — THB GREATER THE GOOD THB PIEROER THE BNMITT (vCrS. 10, 20, with 26).— Gain is not godliness (vers. 25-37 ; 1 Tim. 6 : 5).— The twopold bnemt op Christianity : WORLDLINESS AND SUPERSTITION (VCr. 27). — GOD raises up friends and defenders IN unexpected PLACES (vers. 31, 35). — The servant op the Lord MUST not strive (ver. 37; 2 Tim. 2 : 24). A. D. 54-57. Paul probably arrived at Ephe sus ta tbe winter ot A. D. 54 or the spring of A. D. 55, and left to the summer of A. D. 57. See Chronol. Table, p. 30. The episode related In the precedtog chapter probably occurred while Paul was making the tour ot visitation described to ch. 18 : 23. Thence, by what route we do not know, he came to Ephesus, where he had preached tor a stogie Sabbath to the synagogue about a year pre vious, on his way to Jerusalem (oh. is : 19). The tocldent narrated In verses 1-7 has given rise to much perplexity, and not Inconsiderable contro versy. It Is foreign to my purpose to enter tato these controversies, or to cumber my notes with statements In detail of taterpretatlons whlchjeem to me to be forced, and invented for theological or controversial reasons. I shall, therefore, simply indicate what appears to me to be clearly tbe meantag of this passage, and the lessons which are evidently taught by it. Much of the difficulty here, as elsewhere In Acts, has been Increased, it not created, by forgetting the fact that in this early stage ot church history, neither doctrtoe, church order, nor church ceremonials, had come tato a definite system, such as that in which they uow exist. Christianity, as a system, both of doc trine and order, was, as yet, growing ; and it is not at all surprising that Christian converts should have got only fragments ot it. 1. Having passed through the upper coasts. The eastern 'parts of Asia Minor, be,- yond the river Halys, or In that direction, are here Intended. See map, ¦ p. 21. — Came to Ephesus. The capltaljind most Important city ot the province of Asia — one of the chief of the free cities which were the nucleus of the Ionian league — ^the emporium of the trade of the East. Situated on the projecttog forehead ot the pento sula stoce known as Asia Mtoor, it was caUed one ot the eyes of Asia — Smyrna, forty mUes dis tant, being the other. Partly on the ridge of- Mt. Coressus, partly on Mt. Prion or Pion, and partly on the plato to the valley ot the river Cayster, trom which these emtoences arose, the city was built. . This plato, about five mUes long from east to west, and three mUes broad, was bounded on three sides by mountains, and on the fourth by the Icarian, one of the divisions of the' jEgean sea. The outer port of the city was formed by the channel ot the Cayster and the bay into which, it fiowed; the inner port was a sort ot lake, connected with the river, a short dis tance above Its mouth, by a canal. The land about was low, the waters abundant, and marsh es and lagoons, and a conttoual chaiige of form was the consequence. The wash of the sea and . the accumulations of sUt had already, ' at the time of Paul's visit, impaired the harbor ; and Its subsequent destruction, .-by the continuance of the same process, proved the death of the town. Ephesus has scanty material for history. Found ed by Androchus, son of Codrus, Ephesus was the royal residence ot the Ionian kings, was a ktod of sacred city, holdtog peculiar religious festivals, was successively under the dominion ol the Persian and Lydian ktogs, and came finaUy under the Roman rule — the provtoce ot Asia, with Ephesus for Its capital, being formed 139 B. c. At the time of Paul's stay there It was a free city and assize town, witli tbrlvtog com merce and a fair cultivation ot the arts and liter ature, with a fervor of idolatry, and bewitched with sorcery. Althbugh there are remains ot some beautiful buUdings, the only ones which m- terest us as students of the Bible are the stadium, the theatre, and the temple. From the rutos ol tbe edifices and the descriptions ot contempora neous visitors, we have very mtoute information respecttog these three buUdings.* The stadium, or circus, 685 feet long and 200 wide, was the arena of the beast fights, foot-ractog, wrestltog, and pugilistic combats. It lay at the end of a broad paved street, which led off to the north along the toot ot Mt. Coressus. Out ot the hUl itself the seats on the south were excavated, whUe those on the north were supported on arches. The eastern end was ot circular form, like a theatre ; the other extremity was built straight across, with open spaces on the north and south for the two entrances to the stadium. The theatre, ex- Ch. XIX.] THB ACTS. 209 cavated from the sloptog side ot Mt. Coressus, looked toward the west, faced with a portico, but, like other ancient theatres, without a roof. It is said to have been the largest edifice ot the ktod ever erected by the Greeks. It would seat 50,000 people. From the agora just below, the crowd quite naturaUy rushed Into the theatre, when matters came to so serious a pass with the Ephesians as to threaten an toterterence with the honor paid to the great Diana, and with the manufacture of .her shrtoes. But the crowntog glory of Ephesus was the great temple ot Arte mis or Diana,. one of tbe seven great wonders of the world, and whose magnificence has been a marvel ever since. It gUttered to brUUant beauty at the head of the harbor, and it was said that the sun saw nothtog to his course more magnificent than Diana's temple. From the earUest settlement of the city this deity had been honored. A temple reported to have been a grand one had given place to one yet more grand, commenced to the Macedonian period, and reared amid the admlrtog Greeks and Asiat ics, with aU the be'auty which the most noted ar chitects, aided by the most sklUtul workmen, could produce. Alter the long years spent to its creation. It was left but a short time to adorn the city. An Ephesian, Herostratns by name, set it oh fire, and on the birthnight of Alexander the Great It was destroyed. Tradition says that the divinity was absent from Ephesus superta- tendtog the advent ot Alexander, and the tem ple, thus lelt without a protector, was lost. But the temple was immediately rebuUt, with stIU greater magnificence. The women contributed their jewels, and aU Asia jotaed to restore to its Idol a fltttag home. Made of the purest marble, upon substantial foundations, which ta that marshy ground were at once costly and essen tial, it confronted tbe mariner immediately at the landtog-place. It was 425 teet long, and 220 broad ; its columns, ol Parian marble, were 60 feet high, and 36 of them -were magnificently carved. 'The porticos in Iront aud rear consisted each ot 32 columns, 8 abreast and 4 deep, and around the sides were two rows, tbe entire num ber ol columns, 127, betog given each one by a ktog. Belorer«entering the temple the worship pers must purify themselves at the lavatory to front. The great doors were 61 carved cypress, with jambs ot marble, and an enormous transom ot a stogie block, so Immense that it Is a marvel how it could have been put to its place. A legend says that the architect despaired ol rais tag it, but whUe he slept the goddess herself lifted it, and the stone was found properly ad justed to the momtog. The haU was adorned with the most wondertul statuary and patottogs, the works ol Polycletus, ol Phidias, and other famous sculptors, the masterpiece ol CaUiphon, and the greatest ol aU, Alexander tbe Great, patated by Apelles. This last cost $35,000, equiv alent, Chandler says, to $193,250 at the present day. In the centre of the court, under a roof ot cedar supported by eight colunms ot green jas per—now to the mosque . ot St. Sophia at Con- stanttoople — ^was the altar, rich with the carv- togs ot Praxiteles. Around, hung the gifts of devotion trom the rich and the poor, and beyond the altar hung the purple veU which concealed the deity worshipped by "aU the world." The goddess herself, the object ol aU this magnifi cence, was a very unattractive Image, made of wood, so tlmewom that its ktod, whether vtoe, TEMPLE OF DIANA (from an ancient cohi). eed'ar, or ebony, cannot be told, with a staff or trident in each hand, the upper part ot the body covered with paps, the emblem of fecundity, the lower part, a block or pyramid upside down, covered with rude carvings («ee ver. ss). Behtod the shrine was an apartment for the safe-keep- tog ol the treasures of nations and rulers. So great was the veneration of tbe people, that no one,.wauld have dared to venture toto this safe, much less disturb anythtog there. To go to the root ot the temple, a staircase ascended, which was made ol the wood ot a stogie vtoe Irom Cy prus. From the comer of the roof Mlthridates shot the arrow to mark the boundary ot the sanctuary or asylum ot the temple, "and the shaft went to the length of more than a fur long." The attendants on the temple were many. Including eunuchs under a high-priest, a host of virgins, and a great number ot slaves (»ee ver. 31, note). The sacTcd emblem ot Diana was a, bee, and the priestesses were caUed MeUIssse (bees). The city was personified as a devotee ot Diana, and boastfully exhibited on her coins "Ne- ocoros," or " temple-sweeper " (»ee ver. 36, note). Eph esus was a hotbed of sorcery. The tocantatlons used there had a wide reputation as Ephesian charms (see ver. 13, note). The f ematas of Ephesus are partly covered with -rubbish, and overgrown * with vegetation. They have been visited by many travelers, and the rutos are lull ol interest to antiquarians. The site Is now an utter deso lation. Lewln says that to 1862 he could not even 210 THE ACTS. [Ch. XIX. 3 And he said unto them. Unto what then were ye baptized ? And they said, Unto > John's baptism. 4 Then said Paul, John" verily baptized with the baptism of repentance,^ saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. S When they heard this, they were baptized in the name™ of the Lord Jesus, j ch. 18 : 25 k Matt. 3:11 1 John 1 : 15, 27, 30 . . . . m ch. 8 : 16 ; 1 Cor. 1 : 13. find a hut on the site of the capital of Asia. The only inhabitants withto her waUs were the beasts ot the field and the fowls of the air. And finding certain disciples. TSot Jews (as Conybeare and Sowson), nor disciples of John the Baptist (as, apparently, Baumgarten), nor men so called because they acknowledged the name of Christ as soon as it was made known to them (Saekett) ; aU these toterpretatlons are results ot an attempt to get rid ol the impUcation that one could be a dis ciple and not know ot tbe Holy Spirit ; and they take from the Incident one ot Its chief lessons, viz., that a genuine discipleship Is not Inconsist ent with great spiritual ignorance. One may be a pupil, and yet at the begtontog know Uttle or nothing. That these were Christian disciples is evident from (1) the word here used (fiatpritrig), which Is never employed to the N. T. except to designate Christian disciples ; (2) trom Paul's disttoct recognition ot them as believers (ver. 2), i. e., evidently beUevers In Christ. Nor is there any reason to suppose that these disciples were strangers who had just arrived at Ephesus, a purely gratuitous surmise. The unquestioned facts in the case are these : Paul coming from Cortoth, from six to ntoe months before, stopped at Ephesus, and preached one sermon to the syna gogue, produced a favorable Impression, but decltoed to remain (ch. is : 19-21). If we take his sermon at Antioch to Pisidia (ch. 13) as a type of his preachtog to the Jews, and It is the only fuUy reported sermon to his own country men which we possess, he did not undertake to set the whole Christian system before them, but simply tbe truths, (1) that Jesus is the Mes siah; (2) that through him, by repentance, is remission ot stos; nothtog was probably said about the Trinity, the gift ot the Holy Ghost, the form or nature of Baptism, or church order or organization. Havtog planted this seed, the apostle departed. He was followed by ApoUos ; but ApoUos knew the facts of Christianity only by ramor, and very Imperfectly (ch. is : 24-88), and nothtog concemtog tbe gift of the Holy Ghost, or tbe nature ol Christian baptism. Was this knowledge imparted to these Ephesian Chris tians by Aquila and Priscilla ? There Is no evi dence that it was ; to a city of so many thousand Inhabitants they may have never met, or even heard of these strangers from Corinth. Moreover, there Is nothing to todicate that the latter were Christian teachers, or had acquired anything more than the rudiments ol Christianity. There is no disttoct statement even of their conversion to ch. 18 ; or that they went to Ephesus as mission aries, rather than for the purposes of their trade' which orlgmaUy brought them and Paul together (ch. 18 : 2, note). And It Is evident trom 1 Corin thians, chaps. 1, 2, 3, that Paul's preachtog to Cortoth was ot the simplest description ; he told the story of the cross, nothtog else, and he bap tized only three or tour disciples (1 cor. 1 : 14-16 , 2 : 2 J 3 ; 1, 2, etc.). That there was at this time no Christian church to Ephesus Is todicated by the fact that Paul preached to the synagogue (ver. 8). I beUeve, then, that, as a result of the preachtog of Paul and ApoUos, a few Jews had accepted the truth that Jesus is the Messiah and had been baptized as a symbol of repentance, perhaps by ApoUos, certainly with a baptism like that of John; that tosomuch as they accepted Jesus as the Messiah, they are recognized as dis ciples, i. e., pupUs, though ignorant of some ot the fundamental principles ot Christian theol ogy; that they received no turther tostmctlon from ApoUos, who proceeded immediately to Greece, nor from AquUa and PriscUla, who were not rabbis, and had no opportunity to teach what they knew, pubUcly, to the synagogue, and who, for aught that appears to the narrative, had never met these disciples, and were, as yet, imperfectly Instructed themselves. 3. Did ye receive the Holy Ghost when ye believed ? This is a, better rendertog than our EngUsh version. So Alford, Saekett, Alexan der. —We did not hear whether there be any Holy Ghost. That is, nothtog was said about it at the time of our conversion and accept ance ot Christianity. They beUeved that Jesus was the promised Messiah; but the turther truth that another Comforter had come, who was given for Ught and Ufe to aU that would receive him (ch. 2 : 38, 39), they had heard nothtog of. The church StiU contatos many Ephesian Christians, who beUeve to God the Father, and Christ as the Redeemer, but not praetlcaUy to a Holy Spirit, on whom they may daUy and hourly rely, and m whose Inspiration and guidance there is perfect liberty. They have accepted the doctrine of repentance, baptism, and the remission ot sins; but they have not gone on to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 3, 4. Into what (dg) were ye baptized? Christ had commanded his disciples to baptize toto the name (tig ro ovofia) of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost (Matt. 2s : 19).— Into John's baptism. That is, toto the baptism which he, and, atter him, his disciples, admtois- Ch. XIX.] THE ACTS. 211 6 And when Paul had laid ° his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them ;*> and they spal^e with tongues, and p prophesied. 7 And all the men were about twelve. 8 And he went into the synagogue, and spake bold ly for the space of three months, disputing,i and per suading' the thmgs concerning the kingdom of God. 9 But when divers were hardened,' and believed not, but spake evil'of that" way before the multitude, he departed ' from them, and separated the disciples, disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus. IO And this continued by the space™ of two years; so that all they which dwelt in Asia" heard the word of the Lord Jtsus, both Jews and Greeks. n ch. 8 : 17. . . .o chape. 2 : 4 ateu's 2VJ01 nde 10. ...u vera ...q oh. 18; 19.. !S V 1 Tim. 6 ; .r ch. 28: 23. ...H Rom. 11 : 7; Heb. 3 : 5 w ch. 20: 31 x ch. 20 : 18. .t 2 Tim. I : 15 ; tered, the nature ot which Is here explained, as a baptism of repentance. See below. On John's baptism, see Matt., ch. 3, notes, and Luke 3 : 1-18, notes. 5-7. When they heard this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. This has been toterpreted for controversial rea sons as a part ot Paul's speech, as though he said. They, John's auditors, when they heard this, bis prophecy of a coming Messiah, were baptized into the name of Jesms. This toterpretatlon is manitestly false, since when John preached and baptized, he did not at first even know that Jesus was the Messiah, and never baptized to his name. It is pronounced by Hackett as now obsolete. Paul's re-baptism ol these Ephesian converts affords no authority lor re-baptiztog those who have received Christian baptism. Whatever ground there may be lor that practice. It Is not sustained by Paul's example here, stoce the rea son why he re-baptlzed was not an error or Infor- maUty in the previous baptism, but the fact that that baptism was not Into Jesus Christ, and therefore not tato covenant relations with the Triune God. — The Holy Ghost came upon them. There Is nothtog fa this language tacon slstent with the opinion that they had been pre viously converted by the power of the Spirit of God. On the meantog ol the phraseology, see ch. 8 : 17, note, where also is discussed laying on of hands. — All the men were about twelve. Apparently, they were all men. Of their pre vious and subsequent history nothing is known ; and nothtog ot their character, except what can be deduced trom the language of the historian here. From their ignorance concemtog the Holy Ghost, whose presence and infiuence is a matter of O. T. teachtog. It Is surmised that they were of GentUe rather than of Jewish extrac tion ; but this Is far from certain. WhUe It Is true that this episode suggests ' ' many questions, the solution of which our imper fect knowledge of the flrst Christian age has put beyond our reach " (Saekett), it teaches very plato- ly some very important truths. (1. ) The personal ity of the Holy Spirit. The language of the narra tive, especiaUy verse 2, is hardly consistent with the view that the Holy Spirit Is only an Imperson al, divtoe influence. (2.) The nature of Christian baptism. This is not a mere symboUc act by which the recipient publicly confesses his sins and his acceptance ol Jesus as the Christ. It also symbolizes the mutual act of God and man, by which the latter Is received tato covenant with the Father, has his stas washed away through the Son, and receives, as the principle and power of his future life, the gift of the Soly Ghost. Comp. ch. 2 : 38. (3.) The nature of Christian experience. This is not merely repentance and acceptance of Christ. It Is consummated only by the reception of a personal, present, and con tinuous gitt of the Holy Ghost, as tbe power of a new lite, to be malntatoed to, with, and by God, to which we have the Uberty of the sons of God, betog brought toto his likeness by his todweUtog. Comp. Rom. 7:6; 12 : 2 ; 1 Cor. 1:9; 2 : 12 ; 12 : 13 ; 2 Cor. 3 : 18 ; Ephes. 4 : 14. And ob serve the Importance which Paul attaches to this aspect of Christian experience, to that he ad dresses to these disciples at once the question whether they have received this consummattog gift ot the Holy Ghost. It is not without signifi cance that it is for tbe Ephesian church he sub sequently lilts up the prayer of Ephes. 3 : 18-21. 8, 9. Concerning the kingdom of God. Thus his theme here, as at Thessalonica (ch. it : ^, note), was the same as that of Jobn the Baptist and of Jesus (Matt. 3 : 2 j 4 : n). To the Jews he spoke of that ktogdom ol God which aU the Jews throughout the world were expecttog. — Spake evil of that way before all the multitude. PubUc debate witb open enemies of the grace of God is rarely profitable. Paul eschewed it. Comp. ch. 18 : 6. — School of one Tyrannus. Ot him nothtog Is known. He may have been the teacher of a Jewish school, such as was gen eraUy organized to every city, often to connec tion with tbe synagogue ; or a Greek sophist con verted to Christianity through the labors of Paul, and gladly allowing his school of phUoso phy or rhetoric, to be converted toto a school ol Christ ; or the founder ot a school, whose buUd ing, hired by Paul lor a preachtog-place, stUl bore his name ; and this last hypothesis seems to me the most probable. The reason assigned by Baumgarten appears conclusive against the first hypothesis: "But what consistency was it to depart Irom the synagogue, on account ot the general prevalence ol unbeUel to it, and to char acterize it as an unclean place lor the disciples to trequent, and thereupon to pass at once toto a Rabbinical school?" The reference to one Ty- 212 THB ACTS. [CH.XIX. II And God wrought specialJ nvjracles by the hands of Paul: 12 So that from his body were brought unto the sick handkerchiefs' or aprons^ and the diseases departed from them, and the evil spirits went out ofthem. 13 Then certato of the vagabond Jews, exorcists look upon them"^ to call over them whicn had evil spirits the name of the Lord Jesus, saymg. We adjure'' you by Jesus, whom Paul preacheth. 7 Mark 16: 20.... z ch. 5:15....a Mark 9: 38; Luke 9 : 49 h Josh. 6 : 2 rannus appears toconslstent with the second opinion ; It converted to Christianity, he would have been designated as a beUever. 10-12. And this continued by the space of two years. During this time Paul wrote 1 Corinthians (i Cor. 16 : 8, 9) ; It Is probable also that at this time the church at Colossse was formed, not directly by Paul, but by one of the disciples, named Epaphras (coi. 1 : 7). Churches appear also to have been organized, probably at this time, at Laodicea and Hierapolis (Coi. 4 : 13, 15, 16). Out of this ministry may also have grown other ot the seven churches to Asia, mentioned ta Rev., chaps. 1-3. Paul's address to the elders of the Ephesian church (ch. 20 : n-35) gives us a definite and graphic picture of bis ministry durtag these two years. — Special miracles. LiteraUy, un common powers, i. e., uncommon signs of power. Ephesus (see above) was a centre of magic and witchcraft,, as weU as of idolatry ; and as Moses wrought spedali miracles to break down the power of the magicians and sorcerers of Egypt, 60 berewas given to Paul special power to break tbe bonds which enthralled this superstitious people. It Is notable that Luke makes Uttle account^ generally, of the miracles wrought by the apostles, sometimes not even mentlontog them. Thus, but for 2 Cor. 12 : 12, we should not know that Paul wrought any miracles to Corinth.— Handkerchiefs or aprons. The former are bis handkerchiefs, with which he had wiped the sweat from his brow ; the latter are the aprons which he had worn in his daUy toll, by which, to Ephesus as to Corinth, he main tained himself (ch. 20 : S4). Thus, as Baumgarten, "the thought Is both natural and obvious that to these working garments, In this pouring out ot his sweat, the people saw and reverenced the plenitude ot Infinite love and power, which had shone forth in the apostle Paul. " In respect to these miracles observe (1) that they were excep tional, and not numerous ; this is impUed by the phrase "special miracles," and by the considera tion that Paul could hardly have possessed an unlimited supply ot handkerchiefs and aprons ; (2) that they required a special act ot faith In the healed, or their friends, stoce the garments of the apostle were sent for and carried away, and that thus the case Is different from that recorded in ch. 5 : 15, where, as I believe (see note there), no healing was wrought by the shadow of Peter; (3) that the only analogous N. T. miracle is that of the woman healed ot an issue ot blood by touchtag the hem ot Christ's garment (Mark 5 : 24-34, notes) ; hence the skepticism respecttag the ac count here Is hardly fairly dealt with by the commentators, stace it is founded, not on the im- possibiUty of God's worktog by what tostraments he wUl, but on the fact that he to no other au thenticated tostance wrought miracles to this way, whUe the method here described has cer tato at least extemal resemblances to the legen dary accounts ot cure by reUcs, etc. ; (4) that the true answer to this objection Is that the circum stances were special and caUed for special mea sures, that only special miracles could have had the effect, which by Paul's ministry was pro duced, to suppress magical arts and abate Idola trous worship (tcis. 19, 26) ; (5) that the tocldent here gives no countenance to reUc worship or the legendary miracles aUeged to have been wrought by reUcs ; rather the reverse ; for the reason stated by Alford : " In no eases but these do we find the power, even ta the apostoUc days ; and the general cessation ol aU extraordlnaiy gifts of the Spirit would lead us to the inference that these, which were even then the rarest, have ceased also." 13. Certain of the vagabond Jews, ex orcists. Though Ephesus was a Greek city, the manners of Its tahabitants were halt Orien tal. The image ot Its tutelary goddess resem bled an Indian idol. Its religion was totermixed with Asiatic superstition ; it was thus the centre both ot an Oriental phUosophy and the practice of witchcraft. Mysterious symbols, called Ephe sian letters, were employed to charm away evU spirits, either by betog pronounced by the charmer, or written upon parchment or en graved upon stone, and so employed as an amu let. The study of these symbols was an elabo rate science, and books both numerous and costly were compUed by its professors. These magical arts were practised by not a few ot the Jews ; the very severity with which the 0. T. forbids such practices (Eiod. 22 : 18 j Ley. 20 : 27 ; Dent. 18 : 10, 11 i 1 Sam. 28 : 3, 9) todlcatcs a national tendency toward them. The Talmud and Josephus give evidence ot a conttouance ol these practices at a later period, as do references ta Paul's epistles (Gal. 6 : 20 i 2 Thn. 3 : is). A knowledge of msglc was a requisite qualification ol a member ol the San hedrim, that he might be able to try those who were accused ot employtog it, and the art was beUeved among the Jews to have been derived Irom King Solomon. The Instruments employed Ch. XIX.] THE ACTS. 213 14 And there were seven sons of one Sceva, a Jew, and chief of the priests^ which did so. 15 And the evil spint answered and said, Jesus 1 know, and Paul I know ; but who are ye ? 16 And the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped ° on them, and overcame them, and prevailed against them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded. 17 And this was known to all tbe Jews and Greeks also dwelling at Ephesus; and fear'feU on them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. i3 And many that believed came, and confessed,' and shewed their deeds. 19 Many of them also which used curious arts brought their books together, and butned them before all men : and they counted the price of them, and found iV fifty thousand pieces of silver. 20 So mightily grew' the word of God, and pre vailed. 21 After « these things were ended, Paul purposed in the spirit, when he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia, to go to Jerusalem, saying. After I have been there, I must also see Rome.'' 22 So he sent into Macedonia two of them that min istered unto him, Timotheus and Erastus : ' but he him self stayed in Asia for a season. c Lnke 8: 29 d Lnke 1:66: chaps. S: 43: 5:6,11 e Matt. 3 : 6; Rom. 10: 10 fch. 12: 1 Rom. 16 : 23 : 2 Tim. 4 : 20. . e Gal. 2 : 1. . . .h Rom. 15 : 23-2 to its practice were chiefly Inmlgations, tocanta tlons, use ot certato herbs, and the employment ol charms, written or spoken. The exorcists here mentioned treated the name ot Jesus as such a charm, the mere pronunciation of which they thought would have power to expel evU spirits. Thus they classed Paul with themselves, and Christianity with magic. Their action todicates a certato degree of sincerity to their superstition ; they were given over to believe a lie (2 Thess. 2 : 11) ; whfle the language of ver. 18 todicates that they were also consciously guUty of fraud, and, to the event which foUowed, pubUcly confessed it. On ancient magic, see further chaps. 8 : 9, note ; 13 : 6, note. 14-20. Seven sons of one Sceva. Men tioned only here. Nothtog more Is known ot him. It is not certain that he resided at Ephe sus because his sons did so, nor whether he had been one ot the chief priests, that is, chief ot the twenty-four priestly courses at Jerusa lem, or was an apostate Jew and was one of the priests of Diana. The Greek word rendered chitf-priest was not only to general use among the heathen, but occurs repeatedly on cotos and to other toscriptions relating to the worship of Diana at Ephesus. — Jesus I know, and Paul I know. Two different Greek verbs are ren dered by the same EngUsh verb know; it may be rendered, / know who Jesus is, and as forlhul I am well acquainted with him. — Naked and wounded. Not UteraUy nude, but partlaUy stripped ol their raiment; perhaps here, as elsewhere, ol the cloak or outer garment. Tbe best manuscripts Indicate that only two ot the sons were engaged to this unsuccessful attempt at exorcism.— The name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. See Matt. 5 : 16. There is no ground for Olshauseu's remark, " This proceed ing served, as one would expect, greatly to raise the reputation of St. PauL" It was the Master, not the servant, who was magnified.— Many that believed. The context would seem to todicate here that beUef fa these magical arts is totended; but the phrase, when used as here Without quaUfication, always todicates fa the N. T. belief ta Jesus Christ. The ImpUcation of the narrative, then. Is that many of the Ephesian Christians conttoued their belief to and practice of heathen magic, and that the sons of Sceva endeavored, Uke Simon Magus (ch. 8 : 18, 19), to employ the power of Christianity for their own benefit. — And confessed. Not their stos In general, but their participation to magical arts. — Many also of them which used curious arts. The many ot ver. 18 are the dupes, those who had consulted the wizards ; the many ol ver. 19 are the wizards themselves. — Fifty thousand pieces of silver. That Is, drachms, equivalent to between $8,000 and $10,000. This burning Is very different trom and gives no war rant tor the burning of heretical books by tbe Ro man Catholic church ; in the one case, the books are burned voluntarUy by the owners, to the other to spite of the owners. 21, 22. After he had passed through Macedonia and Achaia. For account ot the execution of this purpose, see ch. 21. — I must also see Rome. This purpose was executed, but to «¦ manner very different from that anticipated by the apostle ; he went to Jeru salem, was there arrested, and sent as a prisoner to Rome. The object ot his visit to Jemsalem was probably, as before (ch. is : 21), to attend one of the feasts and to report to the Christian church the result ot his mtolstry; tocidentaUy also to carry thither collections Irom the richer churches ol Asia Minor and Greece (1 Cor. 16 : 1-4) ; the object ot his visit to Rome was not to see the Imperial city, but to have spiritual communion with tbe few converts there gathered (Eom. 1 : 9-12). —So he sent into Macedonia two, etc. One of the many tocldental confirmations of the authenticity ot the Book of- Acts is afforded by a comparison ol the language here with 1 Cor. 16 : 8-10 and with Rom. 1 : 13 ; 1.5 : 23-28.— Erastus. Probably a deacon or attendant ot Paul's at Ephesus, mentioned agato as at Corinth in 2 Tim. 4 : 20 ; not to be confounded witb the treasurer of the city of Corinth mentioned to Rom. 16 : 23. That an attendant upon Paul at Ephesus could have gone forward into Greece to 214 THE ACTS. [Ch. XIX 23 And the same time there arose no smaU stir' about that way. 24 For a certain man named Demetrius, a silver smith, which made silver shrines for Diana, brought no small ^ gain unto the craftsmen ; 25 Whom he called ' together with the workmen of like occupation, and said. Sirs, ye know that by this craft we have our wealth. 26 Moreover, ye see and hear, that not alone at Eph esus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying thaf^ they be no gods, which are made witli hands : 27 So that not only this our craft is in danger to be set at nought ; but also that the temple of Uie great goddess Diana should be despised," and her magnifi cence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the world" worshippeth. 28 And when they heard these sayings, they were fuU of wrath," and cried out, saying. Great is Diana of the Ephesians ! 29 And the whole city was filled with conftision : and having caught Gains 1 and Aristarchus,' men of Mace donia, PauPs companions in travel, they rushed with one accord mto the theatre. i 2Cor. 1:8; 6 : 9....k ch. 16 : 16-19....1 Rev. 18 : 11. ...m Ps. 115 : p Jer. 50 : 38 q Rom. 16:2: 1; Isa. 44:10-20 n Zeph. 2 : 11 o 1 John 5 ; 19; Rev. 13:8.... I 1 Cor. 1 : 14. . . .r Col. 4: 10. prepare the way tor Paul's mtolstry and have been straightway made chamberlato ot tbe city of Corinth, is highly Improbable. — But he him self stayed in Asia. Some critics (see Cony beare and Sowson) suppose that Paul made a short visit to Corinth at this time, referred to to 2 Cor. 12 : 14 ; 13 : 1, where he speaks of coming to them a, third time. Ou this doubtful ques tion, see notes there. 23-27. About that way. The way of the Lord, the Gospel (ch. 9 : 2, note). — Demetrius, a silversmith, which made silver shrines. SmaU, portable images or models of the temple ol the Ephesian Diana. Similar images are found on the coins ol many cities. It was the custom to carry these shrtoes on journeys and mUitary expeditions, and set them up as objects ol worship to private dwelltogs; the material might be wood, gold or silver ; the manulactur- tog ol them furnished an extensive and profitable traffic, visitors to Ephesus taktag them away as sacred memorials of their visit. Ot Demetrius nothtog more is known. It Is evident from the account here that he was a wholesale dealer and gave employment to various workmen. The word rendered gain should rather be rendered work or employment. — Whom he called to gether with the workmen of like occu pation. The craftsmen (ver. 24) are probably his own workmen ; the workmen, of like occupation are probably others engaged In the manufacture, either of other memorials, or amulets, connected with the Worship of Diana, or those not in the employ ot Demetrius, but engaged either in the same work, or In getttag out the rough material for the shrtoes. AU the men pecuniarily inter ested In matotalning tbe worship ot Diana were brought together on this occasion. — Almost throughout all Asia. An todicatlon ot the ex tent ol the effect ot Paul's labors. Comp. ver. 10. — That they be no gods which are made with hands. An todicatlon ol tbe character ol Paul's preaching. Comp. cb. 17 : 23-35, 29. But see below on ver. 37. WhUe the higher heathen phUosophy taught that the Images were only Intended to represent the gods to the Imagi nation, the superstitious and ignorant then, as now, regarded the idols themselves as deities. — Not only this our craft is in danger, but even that the temple of the great goddess Diana should be despised. Diana, the Latto name lor the Greek Artemis is here used lor the tutelary deity ot the Ephesians, an Arte mis quite unlike the Greek divinity, and more nearly resembUng Astarte. Her worship was said to have been established at Ephesus by the Amazons, and the Greeks on comtog to Ionia, fancying some potots of resemblance between this Asiatic divinity and their own Artemis, to- vested her with some ot her peculiarities and gave it her name. She was the goddess ol pro ductiveness, and was represented with a mural crown, many breasts, a, bar ot metal or sort ot trident ta each hand, and the lower part ot the body a mere "pyramid upside down," covered with figures of mystical animals. There was nothing attractive or Impressive to this rude, mummy-like flgure, but the very contrast to her magnificent temple (see on ta. 1), added to the superstitious devotion to this image. — Whom all Asia and the w^orld worshippeth. An extravagant expression, yet with some ground of truth ; the temple had been buUt at the com mon expense ot aU the Greek cities to Asia, and pUgrims repaired thither from aU nations and countries. 28, 29. And cried out. Were crying out; the impertect tense Indicates conttouous action. Probably at first a tumultuous procession marched through the streets ot the city sweUtog their ranks by this war-cry, " Great Is Diana ol the Ephesians." The mob having been thus suffi ciently aroused, Paul's traveUng companions were seized and a rush was made tor the theatre, which to the Greek cities was used tor pubUe gathertogs as weU as for sports. — Gains and Aristarchns. 01 Oai'us nothtog morels known. He is not the Gains ot ch. 20 : 4, who was ol Der be, nor the Gains of Rom. 16 : 23 and 1 Cor. 1 : 14, who was evidently a Cortothlan. Aristarchis was from Thessalonica (ch. 20 ; 4), saUed with Paul to Rome (oh. 27 ; 2) aud to Paul's epistle to the Co- lossians (4; 10) Is mentioned as a' lellow-prlsoner, and to his epistle to PhUemon (ver. 24) as a leUow- Ch. XIX.] THE ACTS. 215 30 And when Paul would have entered in unto the people, the disciples suffered him not. 31 And certain of the chief of Asia, which were his friends, sent unto him, desiring "^im that he would not adventure himself into the theatre. 32 Some' therefore cried one tiling, and some an other : for the assembly was confused : and the more part knew not wherefore they were come together. 33 And they drew Alexander out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. And Alexander " beck oned with the hand, and would have made iiis defence unto the people. 34 But when they knew that he was a Jew, aU with one voice, about the space of two hours, cried out. Great is Diana of the Ephesians ! B ch. 21 : 12....t ch. 21 :34....u 1 Tim. 1 : 20; 2 Tim. 4 : 14. laborer. — With one ac cord into the theatre. The theatre of tbe ancients was usually semi-circular to form and open to the air ; the seats were ranged around to tiers one above another, and the perform ances took place on a stage level with the lowest seats on the straight side of the buUdtog. Thus It resem bled the modem hippo drome rather than the modem theatre. The re mains ot the theatre here mentioned are stUl extant and attest its vast dimen sions and convenient situa tion. See turther on ver. 1. The temple of Diana could be seen trom It across the market-place. 3o, 31. Paul wodid have entered in. To rescue his traveUng companions, or to share their danger. This slight tocldent Is very signifi cant of his character. — Certain of the chief of Asia. Literally, Asiarchs. These were officers, elected by the cities of the provtoce of Asia, to pre side over their games and religious festivals. Each town chose one of its wealthiest citizens, and out ot the number thus chosen ten were selected tor this honored office. Such an Asiarch Is men tioned by Euseblus as presidtog at the martyr dom of Polycarp. The Ephesian games to honor of Diana took place in the month of May, which was consecrated to the glory ot the goddess, and was named, ta her honor, Artemlslon. "Receiv ing no emolument trom theii- office, but betag required rather to expend large sums lor the amusement of the people and their own credit, they (the Asiarchs) were necessarUy persons ot wealth. Men ol consular rank were often wUl- tag to receive the appototment, and it was held to enhance the honor ol any other magistracies with which they might be favested. They held tor the time a ktod ot sacerdotal position ; and when, robed with mantles ol purple and crowned with garlands, they assumed the duty ot regu- lattag the great gymnastic contests and control- TEEATBE AT EPEESTTS. Ung the tumultuary crowd ta the theatre, they might literally be called the 'ehiel ol Asia.' " — ( Conybeare and Sowson.) That Paul should have secured the friendship of one ot these Asiarchs is a remarkable, but not an Incredible circum stance. God raises up friends for his people where they are needed. To this tocident of the presence ot his traveling companions ta the the atre Paul perhaps refers ta 1 Cor. 4 : 9. 32-34. Most part knew not wherefore they were come together. They had rushed tato the theatre by a common impulse, the mob swayed, as is common, by a few master mtods, without knowtog the object or occasion ol the concourse. — And they put forward Alexan der out of the multitude, the Jews putting him forward. Fearful lest the mob, which is always unreasonable, should direct its ¦ fury against them, the Jews put forward one of their number to defend them, probably to explato that they were not to be confounded with the Christians. It Is not Improbable that tbis Alex ander is the coppersmith mentioned by Paul to a Tim. 4 : 14, and was one of the " workmen ot like occupation " ot ver. 25, and hence likely to have considerable influence with his guUd. This, which is the view ol Alexander, Hackett, Olshau- 216 THE ACTS. [Ch. XIX. 35 And when the town-clerk had appeased the peo ple, he said, Ye men^ of Ephesus, what man is there that knoweth not how that the city of the Ephesians is a worsliipper of the great goddess Diana, and of the image which fell down from Jupiter? 36 Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do^ nothtog rashly. 37 For ye have brought hither these men, which are neither robbers ^ of churches, nor yet blasphemers of your goddess. 38 Wherefore if Demetrius, aud the craftsmen which are with him, have a matter against any man, the law is open, and there are deputies : let them implead one another. 39 But if ye inquire any thing concemtog other mat ters, it shall be determined in a lawful assembly. ^o For we are in danger to be caUed in question for this day's uproar, there bemg no cause whereby we may give an account of this concourse. 41 And when he had thus spoken, he dismissed the assembly.? V Ephes. 2: 12....W Prov. 14 : 29 . . . .x ch. 25 : 8 . . . .y 2 Cor. 1 : 8-10. sen, and others, seems to me tar more probable than that suggested by Meyer and Alford, that he was a Christian, put forward by the Jews maUcIousIy, to bear the brunt ot the mob's at tack. The mob had already in their hands two of Paul's traveUng companions (ver. 29), and it is not probable that a third would have ventured tato the mob, where Alexander was. — Would have made his defence. Defence tor him self and his nation. — All with one voice for about the space of two hours cried out, saying. Great is Diana of the £phesians. This was Itself, according to the Oriental Ideas prevalent at Ephesus, an act of worship. See Matt. 6 : 7 ; 1 Kings 18 : 26. The Jews were rec ognized enemies ot image worship, and the mob was In no mood to hear trom them. 35-37. The town-clerk. Rather, The secre tary. The original (yjufi.uaieiJc), like our word sec retary, is a word ot various meantogs, used to char acterize officers of very different rank. The title appears on coins of Ephesus, and to sueh con nection with the title Asiarch as to suggest a quasi religious office. Tbe secretary ot the Greek cities kept the records ot the public as semblages and read the laws to the publlc gath erings of the people ; was present when money was deposited ta the temple ; and received and opened letters addressed to the city. That this man was one of no inconsiderable influence and authority Is evident from the narrative here. — Had appeased the people. Rather quelled them; i. e., by his appearance and the mere welghtof his authority. —He said. "Thespeech is a pattern ot candid argument and judicious tact. He first allays the fanatical passions of his listeners by a simple appeal. Then he bids them remember that Paul and his companions had not been guUty of profaning the temple or calum nious expressions against the goddess. Then he points out that the remedy for any tojustlce was amply provided by tbe assizes, or by an appeal to the proconsul. And flnally he remtods them that such an uproar exposed them to the dis pleasure of the Roman govemment." — (Cony beare and Soioson.) — The city of the Ephe sians is a worshipper of the great god dess Diana. The term here rendered wor shipper (vetjjxoQog, neocoros) is literally, temple-ke^- er or temple-sweeper, but no exact equivalent can easily be found for it in any stogie EngUsh word or phrase. The title is found in the toscriptions IMAGE OF DIANA. on Ephesian coins. It was a title ol honor given to any city noted tor the worship ot a particular deity to whose honor it had constructed a well- Ch. XX.] THE ACTS. 217 CHAPTER XX. AND after the uproar' was ceased, Paul called unto him the disciples, and embraced them, and de parted for to go ¦ mto Macedonia. 2 And when he had gone over those parts, and had given them mucli^ exhortation, he came into Greece, 3 And there abode three months. And when the Jews laid wait® for him, as he was about to sail into Syria, he purposed to return through Macedonia. I ch. 19:40 a 1 Cer. le : 6 ; 1 Tim. . b I Thess. 2 : 3, 11 c chapi. 23 : 12 j 26 : 3 ; 2 Cor. II : known temple. OriglnaUy an expression ol hu mUity, signifying literally temple-sweeper, and ap pUed to the verger or sexton ot the temple, it became an honorable appeUation, coveted by the greatest cities. — Which fell down from Ju piter. "Like the PaUadium ot Troy, Uke the more ancient Mtoerva of the Athenian Acropolis, like the Paphian Venus, or Cybele of Pessinus, like the Ceres to SicUy mentioned in Cicero, it was beUeved to have faUen down trom the sky." — (C of these things move me, neither count 1 my life dear unto myself, so that I mi^ht finish ° my course with \oy, and the ministry ,¦! which I have re ceived " of tlie Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. 25 And now, behold, I know that ye aU, among o oh. 19:1, 10... .p ICor. 16:9, 10.... s PhU. 3:18....t 2 Cor. 4:8-ll....n verso 3.... T Terje27....w 2 Tim. 4 : 2.... i Mark 1 : 16 ; Luke 24: 47... y oh. 19 : 21 z Jamea 4 : 14 a chape. 9: 16; 21 : 11 h ch, fil : 13; Rom. 8:86, 37; 2 Cor. 4 : 16. ...c 2 Tim. 4:7 d 2Cor.4: l....e Gal. I : 1. tween 20 and 30 mUes distant. From the state ment that these Ephesian brethren accompanied Paul to the ship (ver. ss), It seems that the landtog- place had already come to be some distance from the city. 16. Had determined to sail by Ephesus. That is, not to stop there. By gotog up from MUetus to Ephesus, a distance ol twenty-eight mUes, he might have missed his ship ; Paul neither owned nor chartered one, and was de pendent upon the movements, always uncertain, ol those engaged to commerce. On the possibUlty ot Paul's reachtog Jerusalem to time for the feast of Pentecost, see ver. 6, note. 17>I9. The elders of the chnrch. The body who administered the govemment, perhaps tocludtog its teachers, the distinction ta offlee between govemmg and teachtag not betag clearly defined. On eldership ta the apostolic churches, see note on ch. 11 : 30. — In all sea sons. '&aX!a.er,aU the time. This whole ministry in Asia was pursued in Ephesus, though its effects were felt throughout the province, and Chris tian churches were established at Hierapolis, Colosse, and elsewhere. See on ch. 19 : 10. — Serving the Lord Jesns. The minister is the servant, not of the church, but of Christ. — With all humility. LowUness ol mind, nei ther refusfag mtoor and seemtogly tasignificant work, e. jr., to personal conversation as at Athens (ch. 17 ; 17), nor hesltattog to engage In manual labor lor his own support and that of others (top. 34), nor arrogattag to himself to be a lord over God's heritage (1 Pet. 6 : 3). He here addresses them as overseers or bishops (ia. 2s), not claiming that ofiSce himself, a signlllcant fact. With his lan guage of self-commendation here, comp. 1 Cor. 9 : 4-15 ; 2 Cor. 6 : 3, 4 ; 13 : 14, etc. ; 1 Thess. 3 : 5-10 ; 3 Thess. 3:7-9; and observe that to know our own fldeUty, and to caU others to at test It, IS not toconslstent with true humUity. But also observe, that Paul never does this tor selt-pralse, but only as a means of stimulattag others to sImUar fideUty.— And with many tears. An evidence ol Paul's warm and demon strative character. Comp. 2 Cor. 3:4; PhU. 3 : 18 ; Ps. 136 : 6.— And temptations. Kather, trials. Perhaps tacludtag the temptation in his flesh aUuded to ta Gal. 4 : 14 and agato to 3 Cor. 13 : 7, but also the opposition encountered trom practitioners ol magic and others (see ch. 19), among whom were some ol his own nation, and the temporary detection ol some ol the Chris tian believers (ch. 19 : is, note). — By the lying in wait of the Jews. No sueh Jewish company to Ephesus Is mentioned directly by Luke; It may have been connected with the one referred to to ver. 3, though that origtoated at Cortoth. See note there. 20, 21. Kept back nothing that was pro fitable. The word here rendered kept baek is to ver. 37 rendered shunned. Neither fear of per sonal danger, nor Impaired popularity, had re strained his teachtog. Personal prudence may make us cautious how we present the truth, but It can never justify an absolute suppression ot the truth. Observe the qualification, profitable to you. What, as yet, they were unprepared for, he may have kept back till tbe time tor present- tog It should arrive. AU scripture Is profit able, but not to aU men at aU times. See John 16 : 13 ; 1 Cor. 3 : 1, 3.— Publicly and from house to house. Observe, that personal work was a characteristic feature to Paul's mtolstry, as it has always been ta the work ot spirituaUy successful men. — The repentance that is toward God, and the faith that is toward the Lord Jesns Christ. The first Is Ulus trated by Ps. 51 : 4 and Luke 15 : 18, the second by John 14 : 1 ; Acts 3 : 38 ; 16 : 31. Kepentance may not lead to faith, but repentance toward God the sense ot sto as agatost him, brings with It a conscious need ot a mediator and an atonement, and so leads to faith towards the mediator be tween God and man (2 Cor. 6 : 20, 21 ; I Tun. 2 : 6). 22-24. And now, behold, I go bound in the Spirit. Not Constrained by the Soly Spirit, for the term Holy Spirit ta the next verse is apparently used to distinguish it from the spirit, Paul's own spirit, referred to here ; nor, In imagination bound, i. e., foreseeing himself as UteraUy bound, lor the origtaal wUl not bear this 223 THE ACTS. [Oh. XX. whom I have gone preachmg the kingdom of God, shall see my face no more. 25 Wherefore I take you to record this day, that 1 am pure ^ from the blood of aU men. 27 Fori have not shunned to declare unto yon all the counsel e of God. 28 Take heedi^ therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made r2Cor. 7:2....g Ephea. 1 : II. .. .h Col. 4:17 j IThn. 4: 16. significance, and to the very next clause he de clares himself ignorant of what is to betaU him ; nor exactly, as Hackett, '¦^ comstrainedby aninvin- cible impulse or sense of duty ;" more than this Is ImpUed by the pecuUar language here. The word (diw) rendered bound, Is used by Paul to todicate obligation (Rom. 7 : 2; l Cor. 7 : 27, 39. Comp. Matt. 16 : 19, note) ; PavU, who does not hold himself under obUgation to obedience to the apostles as eccle siastical superiors (Oal. 1 : 17-22; 2:8, 9, u), uor to the law, as a system ol external rules and regula tions (Gal. 4 : 4, 6 ; 6 : 1^), recoguizes hlmsclf as under obligation to God, whose will is revealed by the Holy Spirit, to and in his own Spirit. Under tbis spiritual obUgation, he Is gotog up now to Jeru salem ; tbe impulse betog from above, and one not to be gatosaid or resisted (ch. 21 : 13, 14). — Wit nesses in every city. By the mouth of to- spired prophets (oh. 21 : 4, 11) ; also, perhaps, by his personal experiences of bonds and afflictions. See ch. 9 : 33, 29 ; 13 : 50 ; 14 : 5, 19 ; 16 : 33 ; 17 : 5, 10, 13 ; 18 : 13 ; 20 : 3, for such experience prior to this time. — But on no account do I esteem my life of value to myself. There is some uncertainty as to the reading ; this is the one adopted by Tischendorf and Altord. Ob serve, that he does not say he esteemed his life of no value, but ot no value to himself; he meas ures It wholly by its value to Christ by whom, and for whom, he lives. Comp. Gal. 3 : 20 ; PhU. 1 : 3L — So that I might finish my course. A suggested metaphor borrowed from the foot-race, a common Grecian sport. It is a favorite figure with Paul. See PhU. 2 : 16 ; 2 Tim. 4 : 7. With joy has been added by the copy ists to analogy to PhU. 1:4; Col. 1 ; 11, etc. ; but really weakens tbe force ot Paul's language. It is the work, not the reieard, which Is here upper most. Beware of considering so that (log) an ad verb of comparison. He does not say, I esteem my life of no value, to comparison with the comple tion of my course ; but absolutely, I esteem my lite of no value, so long as I am enabled to com plete my course. As the object of the race is the goal, so the object of this earthly Ufe is the completion of the work assigned us by God, and It Is of no value except for that purpose. Comp. 2 Tim. 4:8; Heb. 12 : 1, 2. If his afflictions can redound to the larger success of his work, to the glory ot the Gospel, he welcomes them (PhU. 1 : 12, 13). 25-27. Behold, I know that ye all * * * shall see my face no more. The knowl edge may have been disclosed to him by the Spirit ot God, or through some prophet; or the language may todicate simply one of those pre monitions, not uncommon ta experience to day, or simply a firm conviction derived from his purpose ol gotag to Rome and thence stUl further west. The language does not necessa rily Imply tasplred knowledge. Altord refers to ch. 26 : 37, ta which PavU expresses his convic tion that Agrlppa was a beUever ta the prophets, but does not imply an infallible knowledge of his heart. There is, however, no evidence that Paul was at Ephesus agata, though it is probable that he subsequently traversed this region, after his first Roman imprisonment. The all here sig nifies not merely the elders, but those whom they represented, the members of the Christian church at Ephesus, and perhaps those of other Christian churches to Asia, and even to Macedonia and Achaia. The language, among whom I have gone, heralding the kingdom, todicates a wide cir cuit of labor, not conflned withto a stogie city. — I take you to record. I tovoke your testi mony. He appeals to their own knowledge of his ministry. Comp. the analogous appeal ot Samuel In 1 Sam. 13 : 1-5. — Pure from the blood of all. See ch. 18 : 6, note. — All the will of God. Not merely the plan ot God respecttag the salvation of men, but his whole wUl, as revealed by the 0. T., and by the teach togs ot the Holy Spirit. 28. Unto yourselves and to all the flock. Observe, the first duty of the watchman is to watch over himself (Lake 12 : 41-44). The meta phor of the flock, borrowed trom Christ, and by him from the O. T. (john 10 : i-ie), and used by Peter (1 Peter 2 : 26), is uot clscwhere used by Paul, unless Heb. 13 : 30 be an exception. — Hath made yon overseers. The word overseer is a Uteral translation of the orlgtoal (Imaxanog, episkopos), from which comes our English word episcapiH; it is, however, everywhere else to the N. T. ren dered Inshop. It is agreed by nearly, it not quite aU scholars, that the words bislwp and dder (inlaxonog and Tiqea^vrcQog), ta the language ot the N. T., signify the same office. Thus Cony beare and Howson : "These terms are used to the N. T. as equivalent. The former (bishop) de- nottog, as its meaning ol overseer implies, the duties; the latter (dder) denoting the rank of the office." So AUord: "The EngUsh version has hardly dealt lalrly in this case with the sacred text, ta the rendertog ' overseers,' where- Ch. XX.] THE ACTS. 233 you' overseers, to feed the church i of God, which he hath purchased'^ with his own blood. 29 For I know this, ttat after my departing shall grievous wolves' enter m among you, not sparing™ the fiock. 30 Also of your" own selves shaU men arise, speak ing perverse things, to draw away disciples after them. 31 Therefore watch,*' and remember, that by the space of three years I ceased not to warn p every one night and day with tears. 32 And now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word ot his grace^ which is able 1 to build you up, and to give you an mheritance^ among all them which are sanctified. 33 I ¦ have coveted no man's silver, or gold, or ap parel. 34 Yea, ye yourselves 'know, that these hands have ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me. 35 I have shewed you all things, how that so labour ing ye ought to support" the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It' is more blessed to give than to receive. 36 And when he had thus spoken, he kneeled" down, and prayed with them all. 37 And they all wept sore, and fell^* on Paul's neck, and kissed him, 38 Sorrowing most of all for the words y which he spake, that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto the ship. 1 Heb. 13 : 17 j Prov. 10 : 21 ; Jer. 3 : 16 ; John 21 : 16-17; 1 Pet. 6 : 2, 3 k Ephea. 1 : 14; Col. 1 : 14; Heb. 9 : 12, 14 ¦ 1 Pet. 1 • 18 19- Rev. 5 : 9. . . .1 Matt. 7 ": 15 ; 2 Pet. 2:1 m Jer. 13 : 20 ; 23 : 1 ; Ezek. 34 : 2, 3 ; Zech. U : 17. . . .n 1 John 2 : 19 ; Jude 4, etc . . .0 2 Tim! 4:6....p Col. 1 :28.^.q John 17 : 17 r ch. 26 : 18 ; Col. 1 :12; Heb. 9 : 16; 1 Pet. 1 : 4. ...a 1 Sam. 12:3: 1 Cor. 9 : 12; 2 Cor. 7 : 2 t cb. 18 : 3 ; I Cor. 4:12; 1 Thess. 2:9; 2 These. 3:8 u Rom. 15 : 1 ; Ephea. 4 : 28 ; 1 Theaa. 6 : 14 v Luke 14 : 12-14 w ch 21 * 6 X Gen. 46 : 29 y veree 26. as it ought there, as to aU other places, to have been 'bishops.'" Rather, to aU other places it should be rendered " overseers." — To shep herd the chnrch of God. Not merely to/«c^, but to act as shepherd of the church, tocludtog feedtog with doctrine, leadtog by example, and perhaps administering govemment (i Petar 6 : 2, 3). The question whether this verse should read the church of God, or the church of the Lord is one of the most uncertato to textual criticism. For arguments pro and con, see Alford's Greek Tes tament ; he thus states his conclusion ; " On the whole, then, welghtag the evidence on both sides, seeing that it is more likely that the altera tion should have been made to of the Lord (xv^lov) than to of Ood (ifsov), more likely that the speaker should have used of Ood than of the Lord, and more consonant to the evidently emphatic posi tion of the word. I have, on a final revision of this volume, decided tor the received readtog, which, to the flrst writing of it, I had rejected. " The difEerence Is important, because of the clos- tog clause ot the verse, Which he hath purchased with his own blood. It this declaration Is made respecting God, the verse becomes a conclusive evidence ot the divinity of Jesus Christ. The representation of salvation as a purchased re demption Is agato employed by Paul to Ephes. 1:13. 29, 30. Shall grievous wolves enter in * * * Also of yonr own selves shall men arise. Grievous wolves are not perse cutors from without the church, but false teach ers withto (Matt. 7 : 16). The distmction is between false teachers comtog to Ephesus from other places and false teachers sprtogtog up withto the church. On the tulfiUment ol this prophecy, see 3 Tim. 3 : 17, 18, written to Timothy trom Kome, whUe the latter was to the victoity ot Ephesus ; see also Rev. 3 : 2. The wolves rav aged the flock ; the Christian temple ot Ephesus rivaled In magnificence and superstition that ot the heathen Diana; these gave place to the mosque ol Mohammed ; which has, iu turn, given place to utter desolation. — Perverse things. Perverted things ; the truth distorted and made an tostrument ol error. Comp. ch. 13 : 10, note. 31, 33. The three years consists of three months' preachtog to tbe synagogue (ch. 19 : s), two years' mtolstry in the school of Tyrannus (oh. 19 : 10), and three months or thereabouts to Paul's subsequent ministry. Observe how every word to this sentence here has its slgnlflcance : every one todicates personal work ; night and day, ceaseless tadustry ; with tears, warmth ot feel- tog. / commend you to God, is, I place you to God's hands, as for safe-keeping ; the word of his grace is to contrast with the law, and todicates the possession by the church at Ephesus of one or more gospels ; the metaphor of an inheritance Is a favorite one with the apostle. 33-35. Contrast with Paul's spirit that ol Demetrius (ch. 19 : 25, 26), and comp. his admoni tions to Timothy respecttog the danger ot covet ousness (1 Tim. 6 : i-ii). With hls relercuce here to his manual labor agrees 1 Cor. 4 : 11, 13 ; comp. 1 Thess. 3 : 8. These relerences todicate that the tent-making referred to only by Luke to ch. 18 : 3, was Paul's dependence lor support ; ob serve that he supports his traveltog companions also, an todicatlon that he was a successful arti san. The weak are not the weak to laith, nor the poor, but those who, trom any infirmity, were dependent on charity tor support. The words ot the Lord Jesus here quoted are not to the gos pels ; they are referred to by Paul as though familiar to his auditors and are quoted either from tradition or from a lost gospel. Analogous to spirit is Luke 14 : 13-14. 36-38. The scene here Is a touehtog one ; the sImpUcIty of Luke's description heightens the effect. "We teel tosttoctlvely that the eye must have seen what the pen has portrayed to so nat ural a manner." — (Saekett.) The student wiU do weU to compare this ad- 224 THE ACTS. CHAPTER XXI. ANB it came to pass, that after we were gotten from them, and had launched, we came with a straight course unto Coos, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Patara : [Ch. XXI. 2 And findtog a ship sailing over unto Phenicia, we went aboard, and set forth. 3 Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand, and sailed into Syria, and lauded at Tyre : for there the ship was to unlade her burden. 4 And finding disciples, we tarried there seven days: dress ot Paul with the analogous expressions of experience to the epistles, particularly his meta phors in vers. 24, 38, 33. The paraUellsms notice able to the EngUsh reader are stUl more notice able to the Greek student. No other passage to the N. T. of the same length presents so clear and vivid a picture of the characteristic features oi Paul's mtolstry : his theme, repentance and faith (ver. 2i), enforced by a heraldtog of tbe ktog dom ol God (vep. 26), a kingdom and toheritance of grace (ver. 32) ; his spirit, humUity (ver. 19), courage (vera. 20, 27), uuswervlng purpose (ver. 24), ceaseless todustry, ardent feeltog (ver. 31), unselfishness (veti. 33-35) ; his method, both a publlc preachtog and personal and private conversation (ver. 20). This address thus affords a suggestion of what are the essential elements of a successlul Chris tian ministry. Chaps. 21, 22, 23. PAUL GOES TO JERUSALEM. HIS EXPEEIEMCE THERE. The Chbistian in expebi- ENCEs OP TBiAL.— The Pbovidenoe op God mLus- TEATED. A. D. 58. Paul, bound ta the Spirit, goes up to Jerusalem, ta spite ot the remonstrances of prophets and of personal friends (oh. 21 : 4, 11, 12) ; he yields to the soUcItatlons of James and the elders at Jerusalem, and participates to a Jew ish ceremonial to order to remove the prejudices of the Jews and the Jewish Christians against him ; the plan falls ; this act is made an occasion ot a mob, trom which he is rescued by the Ro man soldiery ; and, after a second mob, and a plan for his assasstoation, he Is sent, under an escort, to Csesarea for trial before Felix, the Roman procurator. Except the story ot the shipwreck (ch. 27), there is no part ol Paul's Ute more dramatic than that recorded ta this chapter. His own courage, calmness, and dignity, and the contrast between his character and that ot the Jews on the one hand and ol Claudius Lyslas on the other, carry their own lesson ; he will best leam that lesson who acquatats hlmsell with the extemal aspects ot the history, and then reads the story, and takes to tbe tospiration ot Paul's lordly bearing, to his bonds, and betore his enemies. Like the story ot Joseph, this history ot Paul affords, also, a remarkable lUustratlon ol the strange way to which God works out his plans. The hate ol Joseph's brethren sends Joseph toto Egypt to prepare for their succor ; the hate ot the Jews provides for Paul the opportunity to make, without expense to himself or the infant church the joumey he had so long desired to make to Rome. See at close ol ch. 27. Ch. 21 : 1-3. When now it came to pass that we put to sea, having departed trom them, having rnn straight (i. e., before the wind), we came to Coos. More properly Cos, an island, "the garden of the .iSEgean," famous for its wines, otatments and textile fabrics, about twenty-three miles south ot MUetus, op posite Cnidus and HaUcamassus. Reference is here made probably to its principal town, which lay at the eastem extremity of- the Island, and possessed a fine harbor, which has stace become a malarious lagoon. It mnst have been of spe cial toterest to Luke, the physician, stoce it was the birth-place of Hippocrates, and boasted ot a school of medlctoe traditionaUy connected with Esculapius, whose temple was so fiUed with vo tive models, as to be to reaUty a museum of pathology and anatomy. The city is still to exist ence under the name Stanchio, a cormption ot " es tan Co ' ' (toward Cos) ; and ta the walls ot a Turkish castle there, which, however. Chris tian travelers are not aUowed to enter, are said to be some sculptures from the ancient temple to the god of healtog. — And the day foUow ing (having probably lato at anchor over night) nnto Rhodes. One of the most illustrious otthe .lEgean Islands, famous for its historical record, its fertile, though broken and rocky soil, and its climate, there betog a proverb that the sun shtoes every day to Rhodes. In this city were the famous temple ol the sun, an idolatrous tem ple erected by a Jew, and the chief of the seven great wonders of the world, the Colossus. The city, foimded and raised to a capital by the three ancient towns ot the Island, and buUt by the architect HIppodamus, "rose," It Is said, "to the midst of its perfumed gardens, and Its am phitheatre of hiUs, with unity so symmetrical, that It appeared like one house." The wonder tul Colossus, which had been thrown trom its height of more than 100 feet by an earthquake, lay for over 900 years along the margto of the port. — And from thence unto Patara. The port ot the city of Xanthus, the capital ol Lycla. It had a convenient haven, and was, therelore, a resort lor the coasting vessels, one ot which Paul Iound ready to take him on. Pt tara was a city ol some pretensions, and espe ciaUy noted tor Its temple and oracle ot Apollo, some repiatos of which, among other rutos, are supposed to be still seen, although the harbor, which was the occasion ol its mention ta the Ch. XXI.] THE ACTS. 235 who said" to Paul through the Spirit, that he should not go up to Jerusalem. 5 And when we had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way : and they aU brought us on our way, with wives and children, till we were out of the city : and we kneeled * down on the shore, and prayed. 6 And when we had taken our leave one of another, we took ship ; and they retumed home again. 7 And when we had finished our course from Tyre, we came to PtoKmais, and saluted the brethren, and abode with them one day. 8 And the next day, we that were of Paul's company departed, and came unto Csesarea: and we entered into the house of Philip •> the evangelist,'^ which was one of the seven ; ^ and abode with him. gAnd the same man had four daughters, virgins, ich " did prophesy. IO And as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judaea a certain prophet, named Agabus.' 3 12 a ch. 20:36 b ch. 8: 26-40.... c Ephee. 4: 11; 2 Tim. 4'.5v...il oh.. 6':E e ch. 2 : 17; Joel 2; Christian narrative, is now only a pestilential swamp. — Unto Phenicia. On the northwest- em coast ot Syria (see map, p. 21) ; also known ta the N. T. by its principal cities as "the coasts ot Tyre and Sidon." For description, see Matt. 11 : 31, note. — Having discovered Cyprus. LiteraUy, having been shown Cyprus. For de scription ol the island, see ch. 11 : 19, note. Without a mariner's compass, the Greeks seldom ventured out tato the open sea, the headlands ol the coasts or the islands serving them as guides. The direct course trom Rhodes to Tyre would leave Cyprus on the left. — Into Syria. Here used to a general sense for the whole of the Holy Land. See 15 : 41, note. — Landed at Tyre. See ch. 12 : 20, note. There the ship was to unload, an todicatlon that Paul traveled by an ordinary merchant vessel. 4-6. And finding disciples. The Gospel had been preached at Tyre to the early persecu tion Instigated by Panl(ch. u : 19).— Throngh the spirit. By the mouth of some prophet. — That he should not go up to Jerusalem. This must be interpreted by tbe prophecy in ver. 11 ; the prophet foretold what would betaU Paul, the disciples drew thence the conclusion that he should not go up. But he went " bound In the spirit" (ch. 20 : 22), the disclosure ot the divtoe will to his own soul betog to him a higher authority than the words of the prophet. — We kneeled down on the beach and prayed. A level, sandy beach extends tor a considerable distance on both sides of the ancient Tyre. Ob serve, the parting meettog Is a prayer-meeting ; observe, too, that there Is none of that false re serve so common in modem Protestantism, to forbid the gathering tor prayer where they are liable to observation ; the impUcation of the narrative is, that the spot was between the city and the potat of embarkation. 7-9. And having finished the voyage, we came from Tyre unto Ptolemais. Men tioned In Judges (i ; s) by its ancient name Accho, by Greek and Eoman writers as Ac6, and more recently as Acre. It had at this time passed out of the hands of the Ptolemies, from one ol whom it received its name here, and was a Boman colony, recently established by the Emperor Claudius. Situated about midway between Tyre and Caesarea, older than either and outUving them both,, it has had a continuous history, from a very early period to the present time. It was largely populated by Jews, for, at the outbreak of the Jewish war, besides those who were im prisoned, 2,000 were slato. It is evident there was already a Christian church here, and possibly its members were known to Paul. Here the apostle's voyage termtoated and the forty-two mUes, or two days' joumey to Caesarea, were traversed by land. The town has now a popula tion of about 10,000, and is at the termtaus of the great road trom Damascus to the sea. The pres ent anchorage, the best on the Syrian coast, Is at some distance trom tbe former .one, the mole which protected that betag now to ruins. — That were of Paul's company. These words are wanting In the best MSS.; there Is nothing In the origtaal to todicate any separation from Paul. — Philip the evangelist. One of tbe seven deacons (ch. 6 : 5). The last preceding mention of him In the N. T. Is at Csesarea (ch. s ; 40). — Four daughters. Observe, that to the apostoUc church women are not only teachers (ch. is : 26), as ta the Jewish church (ch. 22 : 14), but also to- spired teachers. On the nature of prophecy, see ch. 13 : 1. 10-14. Agabus. That this is the same per son referred to in ch. 11 : 28 is every way prob able ; his name, office, and residence, are the same.— Paul's girdle. The girdle was an es sential article of dress to the East, worn by both men and women. It was sometimes made of leather (2 Kings i : 8 ; Malt. 3 : 4), Sometimes of Itoen embroidered with silk, or gold or silver thread Jep. 13 : 1 ; Ezek. 16 : 10 j Can. 10 : 6 j Rey. 1 : 3 ; IS : 6) ; it waS sometimes fastened by a clasp, sometimes tied to a knot. The symboUc act of Agabus Is analogous to the methods ot the 0. T. prophets (i King. 22 : ii ; Isa. 20 : 2 ; Jer. 18 : 1 ; Ezei. 14 : 1 ; 6 : l). ObSCrVC that the prophetic language of the O. T. Is, Thus saith the Lord; in the N. T., Ihus saith the Soly Ghost. For fulfillment ot this prophecy, see ver. 33. Observe that it Is tulfilled In the spirit, not ta the letter : Paul is bound by the Gentiles, not by the Jews, and he is forcibly taken by the Gentiles from the Jews, who would otherwise have slain him. Observe, too, that the fulfiUment ot this prophecy afforded an answer, though to an unex- 226 THB ACTS. [Ch. XXI. II And when he was come unto us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet, and said. Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall 5 the Jews at Jeru salem hixid the man tliat owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him unto the hands of the Gentiles. 12 And wlien we heard these things, both we, and the}' of that place, besought '' him not to go up to J eru- salem. 13 Then Paul answered. What mean ye to weep and to break mine heart ? for I am ready ' not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus. 14 And when he would not be persuaded, we ceased, saying. The will J of the Lord be done. IS And after those days we took up our carriages, and went up to Jerusalem. 16 There went with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and brought with them one Mnason of Cyprus, an old disciple," with whom we should lodge. 17 And when we were come to Jerusalem, the breth ren received us* gladly. 18 And the day following Paul went in with us unto James ; "> and all the elders were present. 19 And when lie had saluted tliem, he declared par ticularly what things" God had wrought among the Gentiles by his ° ministry. 20 And when they heard it, they glorified the Lord ; and said unto him. Thou seest, brother, how many thousands of Jews there are wtoch believe ; and they are all zealous p of the law : 21 And they are informed of thee, that thou teachest all the Jews which are among the Gentiles to forsake Moses, saying that they ought not to circumcise 1 ^A«r children, neither to walk alter the customs. g verae 33; ch. 20:23. ...h Matt. 16 : 22, 23. ...I 2 Tim. 4 : 6.... j Matt. 6: 10; Gitl. 1 : 19....nRom. 15 : 18, 19... o ch.20 : 24; 2 Cor. 12 : 12 . 6:49....k Prov. 16:31 1 ch. 15:4. ...mch. 15 : 13, etc.; .pch. 22:3; Rom. 10 : 2... .q Gal. 5 : 3. THE GrKDIyE. peeted manner, to Paul's prayers tor an oppor tunity to visit Eome (Rom. i : lo). — And to break mine heart. An todication of the strength of Paul's sympathies ; though not to be shaken In his purpose, he Is deeply affected by the tears and entreaties of hls friends. — The will of the I/ord be done. There is small ground for Al ford's deduction from this sentence that tbe Lord's Prayer was used in the apostoUc church, though it is every way probable that sueh was the fact. The disciples recognized In Paul's determination an indication of the divine will. Their course illustrates tbe nature of true sub mission; they exercise their own judgment, exert all their influence for the course which seems to them wise, but cheerfully acquiesce when convinced that the Lord's will is otherwise. 15, 10. We packed up our baggage. Car riages in the modem sense of the term were un known to the ancients. Chariots and rude carts were sometimes employed, but travel was, for tbe most part, then, as now, on horseback, or on camels ; the term carriage in the Bible is gen eraUy used to the old EngUsh sense of baggage. There is some uncertatoty as to the reading here, some MSS. give (drtoa-xivdiui) having packed, away, i. e. stored, to Caesarea the luggage required on the sea-voyage ; others give (Ima- zEjiiJiu) having packed up, i. e., in bundles upon mules or horses for the joumey to Jerusa. lem. — And brought us to one Mnason of Cyprus. This Is tbe most probable rendertog. So Hackett and Alford. The words with them are not in the origtoal. Nothtog more Is known of Mnason ; he was probably a resident at Jeru» salem, and a disciple from the days of Pentecost ; or possibly, as Alford surmises, he may have been a personal disciple of Christ. 17-19. The brethren are the lay members of tbe church at Jerusalem ; James is tbe brother of tbe Lord, who occupied, perhaps by reason ot his relationship to the Lord, a position of special prominence to the church (see ch. 15 ; 13, note) ; the elders are the officers of the local church ; the apostles are not mentioned, probably because absent from the city to tbe work ot the ministry. Some may already have been dead. Paul, after the personal and toformal Interviews with the lay brethren, probably at the bouse of Mnason, mentioned In ver. 17, meets with the officers of tbe church, to give tbem a quasi official report ol his work, which he does particularly, i. e., in detaU. 20, ai. And when they (the elders) heard it, they glorified God. The best MSS. have God, not the Lord. A service ot prayer or praise Is Indicated. — Thon seest. They appeal to Paul's own experience and observation.— How many myriads of Jews there are. A general phrase, signifying simply a large number. Not only the dwellers at Jerusalem, but also those who had come up to the feast, would be Includ ed In this number. On the early growth of the church at Jerusalem, see chaps. 2 : 4W7; 4 ; 4, 31-83 ; 5 : 12-16. While these converted Jews believed that Jesus was the Messiah, and perhaps looked for his second coming, they still Ch. XXI.] THE ACTS.. 227 22 What is it therefore ? the multitude must needs come together : ' for they will hear that thou art come. 23 Do therefore this that we say to tliee : We have four men which have a vow on them ; 24 Them take, and purify thyself with them, and be at charges witti them, that tnev may shave® their heads : and all may know, that those things, whereof they were informed concemtog thee, are nothing ; but that thou thyself also walkest orderly, and keepest the law. 23 As touching the Gentiles which believe, we ' have written, and concluded that they observe no such thing, save only that they keep themselves from things offered to idols, and from blood, and from strangled, and from fornication. 26 Then Paul took the men," and the next day puri- r ch. 19 : 32 & ch. 18 ; 18 ; Numb. 6 : 2, 13, 18 t ch. 15 : 20, 2 held to the obUgatlons ol the ceremonial law, and that GentUes could become Christians only through circumcision, that is, by first becoming Jews (ch. 15 : 1). — They are informed of thee. Bather, they are possessed of the idea concerning thee. Tbe strength ot the original is inade quately rendered by our English version. — That thou teachest, etc. What Paul did teach was that neither circumcision nor uncircumcision was ol any consequence (oai. 5 : e ; 6 : 15) ; that the uncircumcised need not be circumcised, and that the circumcised should not become uncircum cised (1 Cor. 7 : 18, 19) ; that Jew and Gentile are alike guUty betore God, and are saved only by the grace ot God through Jesus Christ (Rom. chapa. 1-3). Hc is accuscd ot teachtog the Jews to apostatize (anoataala) from the law of Moses and to discontinue circumcision, and this, not as their liberty, but as an obligation imposed on them by the Gospel. 22.25. What is it, therefore? That the occasion requires. — It mnst needs be that a multitude w^ill come together. Not the multitude, i. e., ot Christians to an orderly assem blage lor consultation, but a multitude, i. e., of Jews and Jewish Christians, hostUe to Paul and excited by his presence. — We have four men. The language ImpUes that they were Christian beUevers. — Which have a vow on them. Probably the Nazarite vow ; tor deseriptlon ol which, see ch. 18 : 18, note. Baumgarten re marks that this is a vow ol the most extreme absttoence and purification ; Paul's publlc appro bation ol it, therefore, would be a complete refutation of the charge that he forbade Jews from obeying the ceremonial law. — Become a Nazarite with them. This appears to be the significance of the original. The Greek verb rendered purity thysell (dyvliui) is used in the Septuagtot (wmnb. 6 : 3) ta describing the Nazar- Ite's duties. Paul was to enter upon the same course of absttaence and reUgious consecration as the four men. — And be at charges for them. The offerings required (Numb. 6 : la-is) involved considerable expense ; others than the Nazarites sometimes shared in it, and thus in directly participated in the supposed advan tages of the vow. Thus Agrippa I, on arrivtog from Bome to take possession ot his throne, as a means ol purchasing popularity, paid the ex pense of numerous todlgent Nazarites. — That they may shave their heads. Not untU the appototed offerings had been made, could tbe vow be fulfilled and the hair cut. The shaving ot heads ta connection witb reUgious vows Is cus tomary among the Mohammedans to the present day. The modern barber's shop is probably the same in essential characteristics as that ot the days ot Ezekiel (Ezek. 5 : 1). The customer sits on tbe divan, or on a low chair, and otten leans against the side of the room. The barber is tbe newsvender of the East; while he shaves he chats and exchanges the latest news witb bis customers. Pipes and coffee are brought from the nearest shop tor those who may wish for them whUe waittog to be served. The hand- basta used for washing the beard has a crescent- shaped piece cut trom tbe side, as shown on the wall, the better to fit close under the chto. This basin and the razor are the signs of a barber to the East. — Walkest orderly. Literally, accordtog to rule, i. e., the Jewish ceremonial. But there Is smaU evidence that Paul did so. Partly owing to natural temperament, partly to a more teachable disposition, partly to the very thoroughness ot the change wrought in his intel lectual convictions at the time of his conversion, and partly from the broadentog effect of travel, Paul was emancipated from the law more thor oughly than James and the elders who had re- 238 THE ACTS. [Ch. XXL fying himself with them, entered' into the temple, to signify the accomplishment of the days of purifica tion, until that an offering should be offered for every one of tliem. 27 And when the seven days were almost ended, the Jews ^ which were of Asia, when they saw him in the temple, stirred up all the people, and laid hands 1 on him, 28 Crying out, Men of Israel, help : this is the man, that teacheth'ail men everywhere against the peo ple, and the law, and this pkce : and lurther, brought Greeks also into the temple, and hath polluted this holy place. 29 (For they had seen before with him, in the city Trophimus * an Ephesian, whom they supposed tliat Paul had brought into the temple.) 30 And all the city was moved, and the people ran together : and they took Paul, and drew him out of the temple : and forthwith the doors were shut 31 And as they went about •> to kill him, tidings came ' unto the chief captam of the band, that all Jerusalem was m an uproar : V ch. 24: 18.... w Numb. 6 : 13 x ch. 24:18 y oh. 26 : 2] z chaps. 6 : 13,14; 24 : 5, 6 a ch. 20 : 4....b 2 Cor. 11 : 23, etc. matoed at Jeausalem, The commentators gen eraUy appear soUcItous to show that Paul, in fol- lowtag this advice, did nothing taconslstent with his teaching. Perhaps not. Tet It appears to me very clear that he did from policy what he would not have done trom preference, nor felt caUed on to do by reUgious principle, and that the lesson which this Incident is totended to teach Is this, that embittered prejudices are sel dom overcome, and the cause ot truth Is seldom advanced by any poh'cy, however adroit, which tovolves any velUng or concealment of the truth. — We have written. In the resolutions passed by the so-caUed councfl of Jerusalem (ch. 15 ; 23-29). 26.30. In the temple. For plan and full description, see John 3 : 13-17, notes ; tor Ulus- 'tratlon, vol. I, p. 357. It must suffice here to say that the Temple consisted of a series of courts ; the court of the priests, the court of Israel, the court of the women, and the court of the Gen tUes, and that no GentUe was permitted to pass this outer court tato the interior of the Temple under pato of death. The tower of Antonia, built upon tbe same broad platform of soUd rock with the Temple, and adjoining It, overlooked tbe Temple courts ; it was at once the palace of the Eoman governor and the barracks of his legions. "The inward parts had the largeness and form of a palace, it betog parted toto aU ktods of rooms and other conveniences, such 'as courts, and places lor bathtog, and broad spaces lor camps, tosomuch that, by having aU conven iences that cities wanted, it might seem to be composed of several cities, but by Its magnifi cence. It seemed a palace ; and, as the entire structure resembled a tower, It contained also four other disttoct towers at its four comers, whereof the others were but .50 cubits high ; whereas that which lays upon the southeast cor ner was 70 cubits high, that from thence the whole Temple might be viewed ; but on the cor ner where It joined to the cloisters of the Tem ple, it had passages down to them both, through which the guard (for there lay to this tower a Eoman legion) went several ways among these cloisters with their arms, on the Jewish festivals, to order to watch the people, that they might not there attempt to make any innovations." — (Josephus' Wars, 5 : 5, 8). Paul entered toto the inner Temple, the court of Israel, with his four companions ; the mob caught him and drew him out mto the court of the GentUes; the gates leadtog from the court of the Gentfles toto the Temple proper were then closed ; news ol the mob betog carried to the chlel-captain, he came at once with a guard trom the adjototog tower ot Antonia and rescued the apostle. — making known (to the ministers ot the Temple) the accomplishment of the days of the puri fication, i.e., thathe bad come to accomplish them. This appears to be the significance of the original. — And when the seven days were almost ended. What seven days are intended is uncertata ; apparently the vow of these Nazar ites extended for seven days further, at the ex piration of which time, they would be released from it. Accordtog to the Eabbis, the shortest term of the vow was thirty days. — The Jews which were of Asia. The provtoce where Paul had been teachtog, and where he encoun tered, as everywhere, opposition from the Jews (ch. 19 : 8). — Laid hands on him. This was not a legal arrest by the Temple poUce, but an act of mob violence. — Crying out * * * hath polluted this holy place. By brtogtog Gen tfles Into this inner court, which was forbidden them. Observe how maUce puts an uncharit able construction upon a doubtful act and judges without investigation. Seetog strangers with Paul in the Temple, the Jews assume that they are Gentfles brought to for the purpose ot pol luting the sacred place ; they do not even Inquire whether they may be Jews engaged to an act of orderly worship. Obsei-ye, too, how Paul here is subjected to the same charge brought with his approbation agatost Stephen (ch. e ; is). — The doors Averc shnt. By the Levltes who had charge of the Temple. This was done possibly to prevent Paul's escaptag trom the mob to the altar lor refuge (Kiod. 21 : 13, 14 ; 1 Kings 2 : 28) ; more probably to shut out the mob, whose tocurslon would pollute the Holy Place. The Levites were carelul to protect the court, but not the life ot a worshipper. See Luke 10 : 81, 83. 31-36. Unto the chief-captain of the band. The chfllarch or tribune, Claudius Ly slas (ch. 28 : !6). Nothtog Is kuowu of him, except Ch. XXII.] THB ACTS. 32 Who** immediately took soldiers and centurions, and ran down unto tnem: and when they saw the chief captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. 33 Then the chief captain came nearj and took him, and commanded hint to be bound ^ with two chains ; and demanded who he was, and what he had done. 34 And some cried one thing, some another, among the multitude: and when he could not know the cer tainty for the tumult, he commanded him to be carried into the castle.^ 35 And when he came upon the stairs, so it was, that he was bome of the soldiers, for the violence' of the people. 36 For the multitude of the people followed after, crying, Away b with him ! 37 And as Paul was to be led into the castle, he said unto the chief captain. May I speak unto thee? Who said, Canst thou speak Greek ? 38 Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wil derness four thousand men that were murderers ? 239 39 But Paul said, I' am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, a' citizen of no mean city; and, I beseech thee, suffer me to speak unto the peo» pie. 40 And when he had given him licence, Paul stood on the stairs, and beckoned 1 with the hand unto the people. And when there was made a great silence, he spake unto them in the Hebrew tongue, saying, CHAPTER XXII. MEN,' brethren, and fathers, hear ye my defence,' which I tnake now unto you. 2 (And when they heard that he spake in the Hebrew tongue to them, they kept the more silence : and he saith,) 3 I am ™ verily a man which a-m a Jew, bom in Tar sus, a city in Cilicia, yet brought up in this city, at the feet of" Gamaliel, and taught according" to the per fect manner 01 the law of the fathers, and was? zeal ous toward God, as ye 1 all are this day. e cheps. 23 : 27 ; 24;T....d verse II; ch. 20:23; Ephee. 6 : 20.... e ch. 23 : 10, 16....f Pe. 65 : 9; Hob. 1 :3....g ch. 22:22; Luie 23; 18; JohD 19: 16; 1 Cor. 4 : 13 h chape. 9 : 11; 22:3....1 ch. 22 : 25. . . .j ch. 12:17.... k ch. 7:2....1 1 Pel. 3 : 16....ra ch. 21 ;39; 2 Oor. 11:22; Phil. 3:6....ii ch. 6:34....o ch. 26:5....p Gal. 1 : 14. ...q ch. 21:20; Rom. 10 : 2. such Information as is afforded by the account of him. In this and the succeedtog chapter. The Koman army was divided toto legions of from three thousand to six thousand soldiers, each legion being under six tribunes, who commanded to turn. This chief-captain was such a tribune, answering somewhat to a colonel, or perhaps a brigade commander in theU. S. army. — Soldiers and centurions. The centurion was the com mander of a century, ectuivalent to the modem company, and varytog to strength from filty to one hundred men. — Ran down. From tbe adjointog tower ol Antonia. See above. — When they saw. The sight ol the Roman soldiery was enough to totimidate the mob ; they did not wait lor actual toterterence. — Bound with two chains. To two soldiers, one on each side ol him. See chaps. 13 : 6, note ; 28 : 16. — Into the castle. LiteraUy, the garrison or barracks; i. c, that portion of the tower occupied by the troops; it furnished quarters for five hundred soldiers. — Upon the stairs. Leadtog up Into the tower. — He was borne of the soldiers. That is, Uf ted up from the ground and carried bodUy toto the tower. — Away with him. The same cry which echoed before this same tower ot Antonia agatost Paul's Lord (John lo : 15). 37-40. As Paul was about to be led into the barracks. Either for Imprisonment or for scourging (ch. 23 : 23, 24). — Canst thou speak Greek ? In which language Paul bad addressed bim. His speech surprises the chlel- captain, who had conlounded Paul with the Egyptian Impostor mentioned in the next verse. —Art not thon that Egyptian? Eather, Thxm art not, then. The aUusion Is here evi dently to somethtog well known and compara tively recent In occurrence. Josephus speaks ol an Egyptian impostor, givtog two different aud somewhat discrepant accounts ol him. It seems, however, trom both, that an Egyptian, with a band ot robbers caUed SIcaril, probably the Assassins, whose organized depredations are a matter ol history, gathered a rabble trom the neighborhood ot Jerusalem, and took them out ot the city, promistog to show them that the walls ot Jerusalem would fall at his command. Felix scattered them, kflltog, wounding and tak tog prisoners a part, the rest dispersing or follow ing the false prophet toto the wUdemess. For a fuUer account, see his Wars of the Jews 3 : 13, 5, and Ant. 30 : 7, 6.— Of Tarsus. See eh. 9 : 30, note, for description and Ulustratlon. — I be seech thee suffer me to speak, etc. Observe the todications of Paul's self-possession, confi dence to his cause, native dignity, and personal power. Unawed by the mob, be desires to address them ; by his personal weight secures permission from the chief-eaptato ; and there, chatoed to the two soldiers, his hair and gar ments stIU disordered by tbe rough handling he has received, with a gesture he sflences the crowd, and secures an audience. We no longer wonder that this man wished to go toto the thea tre at Ephesus and face the mob there (ch. 19 : 30). Ch. 22 : 1,2. In the Hebrew tongue. The Syro-Chaldaic, the mother-tongue of the Jews to Judea at this time, and the one, there fore, most likely to secure the attention of the mob. Observe that Paul speaks with equal fluency the Greek and the Hebrew. Comp. eh. 31 : 37. Luke's version of this speech is, of course, Greek ; the pecuUaritles in the phrase ology todicate that it was translated from the Hebrew by Luke, who was present In Jerusalem (ch. 21 : 17), and not Improbably himself heard the speech. 3. I am a man a Jew. That Is, by parent age. Both parents were Hebrews (phu. 3 : 5). — In 230 THB ACTS. [Ch. XXIL 4 And I persecuted^ this way unto the death, bind ing and delivering into prisons both men and women. 5 As also the high priest doth bear me witness, and all the estate of the elders: from whom also I received letters unto the brethren, and went to Damascus,^ to bring them which were there bound unto Jerusalem, for to he punished. 6 And it came to pass, that, as I made my journey, and was come nigh unto Damascus about noon, sud denly there shone from heaven a great light round about me. 7 And I fell unto the ground, and heard a voice say ing unto me, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me ? 8 And I answered, Who art thou. Lord ? And he said unto me, I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom thou per secutest. 9 And they that were with me saw * indeed the light and were afraid : but they heard not the voice of nini that spake to me. IO Audi said. What shall I do. Lord ? And the Lord said unto me, Arise, and go into Damascus ; aud there it shall be told thee of all things which are appointed for thee to do. II And when I could not see for the glory of that light, being led by the hand of them that were with me, I came into Damascus. 12 And one Ananias," a devout man according to the law, having a good' report of all the Jews which dwelt there. rchnpa.8:3; 26:9-13; Phil. 3:6; 1 Tim. 1 : 13....sch.9 : 2,etc....t Dan. 10 : 7 u ch. 9 : 17 7 ch. 10: 22; 1 Tim. 3: 7; Heb. 11: 2. Tarsus of Cilicia. For description and illus tration, see ch. 9 ; 30, note. — Brought np in this city. The original Implies, as to ch. 7 : 21, from early youth. See ch. 36 : 4. — At the feet of Gamaliel. On his history and character, see ch. 5 : 34, note. Schools were established to connection with every Jewish community ; the proper number of pupfls to the single teacher was fixed by Rabbinical regulations at twenty- five, the proper age to go to school at six. Be sides these primary schools, there were higher tastitutlons at Jerusalem, where young men were trained who proposed to become teachers of Israel. The principal themes ot study were the law and the commentaries ot the Scribes thereon, but aU subjects were discussed — the ology, phflosophy, jurisprudence, astronomy, astrology, medicine, botany, geography, arith metic, architecture. Tbe mode ot teaching was chiefly catechetical. The master deUvered his lecture and the disciples in turn asked ques tions; or he interrogated them and based his teaching on tbe various replies given. Stories, anecdotes, riddles, and parables, were all woven toto the discussions. The pupils generally sat on the floor cross-legged, and the teacher on a platform or dais a little raised above them ; this, at least, is the modern Oriental fashion, and it probably has descended unchanged trom the first century. — Taught according to the strict interpretation (dxQljisia) of the law of the fathers. — That Is, according to the stricter school of the Pharisees, who were divided toto two parties, the conservative or stricter sect, and the progressive or liberal sect. Paul was educated accordtog to the former. So to ch. 36 ; 5, ' 'After the most straltest sect ot our reli gion, I lived a Pharisee."— And was zealous toward God. But not full of the Spirit of God ; on the contrary, full of self-confidence. This is Implied in PhU. 3 : 4. Zeal, without humfllty and love, may only lead to sin and death.— As ye all are this day. Observe how Paul seeks to find a foundation of sympathy between himself and his auditors. Comp. ch. 17 : 32, note. 4, 5. I persecuted this way. That is, those that were to the way of the Lord (Matt. 3:3); to other words, followers ot Christ. So in ch. 9:3; 18 : 35 ; 19 : 9, etc. — Unto the death.' Paul gives fuller details of this persecution to his speech before Agrippa (ch. 26 : 10, 11). — The high-priest. TheophUus, the brother and suc cessor to Jonathan, who succeeded Caiaphas. He was stfll living, and to his witness Paul ap peals. — And all the estate of the elders. Here the lay members ot the Sanhedrim which Issued the letters ot authority, at his request (ch. 9 : 2). — Unto the brethren. That is, his Jewish brethren at Damascus. In ch. 9 : 3 the language is "to the synagogues." Here Paul Is emphasizing his Jewish character ; to the mob ot Jews he speaks as himself a Jew. — Them which were there. In the previous persecu tion Christians may have fled as far as Damascus (ch. 8 ; 1), or after the Pentecost Damascus con verts may have retumed thither. 6-11. Of Saul's conversion there are three accounts, viz., here and in chaps. 9 and 36. For a comparison ot the three, showing real or appa rent discrepancies, and a consideration ot their true harmony, see notes on ch. 9 : 1-9. The words to ver. 9, And were afraid, are omitted by Tischendorf, but retatoed by Alford and Meyer. The words "They heard not the voice of him that spake to me," signifies, not that they heard nothing, but that they did not distinguish ar ticulate words. The account here expressly states, what the other accounts only imply, that the cause of Paul's temporary bltodness was "the glory of that Ught." 12-16. A devout man, according to the law, having a good report, etc. Facts not mentioned to Luke's account of Paul's conver sion, where Ananias is only described as a disci ple (ch. 9 : 10) ; referred to by Paul here, the better to give acceptance with his Jewish auditors, to his account of the divine commission entrasted to him, — Came uuto me, etc. The account is more fuU in ch. 9 : 17, 18.— The God of our fathers. Paul again classes himself with the Jews. — Hath destined thee. LiteraUy, Sath Ch. XXIL] THE ACTS. 331 13 .Came uuto me, and stood, and said unto me. Brother Saul, receive thy sight. And the same hour I looked up upon him. 14 And he said, The " God of our fathers hath cho sen* thee, that thou shouldest know his will, and see^ tliat Just* One, and shouldest hear the voice* of his mouth. IS For thou *¦ shalt be his witness unto all men, of what thou hast seen and heard. 16 And now, why tarriest thou ? arise, and be bap tized, and wash*= away thy sins, calling "i on the name of the Lord. 17 And it came to pass, that when I was come again to Jerusalem, even while I prayed in the temple, I was in a trance ; « . 18 And saw ' him saying unto me, Make haste, and get thee quickly out of Jerusalem : for they will not receive thy testimony concerning me. IO And I said. Lord, theyB know that I imprisoned and beat in every synagogue them that believed on thee : 20 And when the blood of thy martyr Stephen was shed, I !> also was standing by, and consenting ' unto his death, and kept the raiment of them that slew him. 21 And he said unto me. Depart: fori I will send thee far hence unto the Gentiles. 22 And they gave him audience unto this word, and then lifted up their voices, and said. Away with such & fellow from the earth : for' it is not fit that he should live. 23 And as they cried out, and cast off their clothes, and threw dust into the air. w chftps. 8:13; 6 : 30 x ch. 9 : 15 ; Gftl.l : 15 y verse 18; 1 Cor. 9 : 1; 15:8....z chapa. 3 : 14; 7 : 62....a 1 Cor. 11 : 28: Gal. 1 : 12.. b chaps. 23: 11; 26 : 16, etc....c Heb. 10:22; I Pet. 3 : 21....d Rnm. 10 : 13; 1 Cor. 1 : 2....e 2 Cor. 12 :2 f verse 14. ...g verse 4.. h ch. 7 :58 i ch. 8: 1-...J ch. 13: 2, 47; Bam. 1:5; 11 : 13; 15 : 16 ; Gal. 2 : 7,8 ; Ephes. 3: 7, 8 ; 1 Tim. 2 : 7....k ch. 26 : 24. taken thee in hand. Tbe language here toter- prets that of ch. 9 : 15, Se is a chosen vessel unto me. — That thou shouldest know his will. Betog guided by bis Spirit (Rom. 12 : 2; Ephes. 5 : 17; Col. 1 : 9). — And see that Just One, etc. The reference Is to the revelation made to Paul just previously (ch. 9 : 17, 27 ; 1 cor. 9 : 1 ; 15 : s). — Why tar riest thou ? It one might ever tarry tUl his stos are partly purged away, betore coming to Christ for a free pardon, Paul might (i Hm. I ; 12-16). The words of Ananias to Paul are the Gospel's response to the spirit ot procrastination. • Observe that redemption does not merely reUeve from punishment, but washes away sin (iso. 1 : is), and that sin is washed away, not by baptism, but by the gift of God which is accepted to bap tism. See Ezek. 36 : 25-37. 17. When I was come again to Jerusa lem. A space of three years (oai. 1 : is) is passed over by Paul without a word. His object is not to furnish an autobiography, but to give the Jews bis divtoe authority for preachtog to the Gen tUes. This he does by narrating (1) the Lord's direction to him to go toto Damascus and receive his commission there (ver. 10) ; (2) his commission, as given by Ananias (vers. 14, 15) ; (3) the turther command given directly by the Lord to him in the Temple, and accepted by him, apparently with reluctance.— While I prayed in the Tem ple. Stm maintaining, therefore, his respect for the holy place. Special sacredness attached. In the Jewish estimate, to prayers there ottered.- In a trance. See ch. 10 : 10, note. 18-21. The connection appears to be this. Paul is accused of preaching against the law, and profaning the Temple (ch. 21 : 21, 28) ; ta his de fence he asserts that, atter his conversion, he came up to Jerusalem to preach tbe Gospel to his own countrymen ; the Lord commanded him to leave the city ; he remonstrated, urging that he was peculiarly fitted to preach the Gospel to the Jews, because known to them as one who had before persecuted the Christians. The providence of God enforced the Word of God, and drove him out ot Jerusalem (ch. 9 : 29, so). On the use ot synagogues as a place of trial and punishment, see Matt, i : 23, note. On Paul's participation to tbe martyrdom of Stephen, see ch. 7 : 58, note ; 8 : 1, note. The word martyr (fiaQtiJQ) signifies literally witness, and might be so rendered here. In early ecclesiastical Utera ture, tbe word is used In Its modern sense, and this appears to be the meantog here and to Eev. 17 ; 6 ; everywhere else to the N. T. the word Is rendered witness. By his sufferings the martyr Is a witness to the strength of that grace which sustatos bim In them. 22, 23. The doctrtoe that the Messiah was not exclusively for the Jews, but inaugurated a kingdom ot God for aU humanity, tovariably roused the ire of the Jewish people, especiaUy of those to Jerusalem, who hoped to see their city the mistress of the world. For this teachtog OKIENTAI/S CASTINO OIT THEIK CLOTHES. Christ was mobbed to Nazareth (Luie 4 : 28, 29) ; the same teaching in the Passover week was the im mediate occasion of his crucifixion ; and for reit- 233 24 The chief captain commanded him to be brought into the castle, and bade that he should be examined b;^ scourging j that he might know wherefore they cried so against him. 25 And as they bound him with thongs, Paul said unto the centurion that stood by. Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Romany and uncondemned ? 26 When the centurion heard thai^ he went and told the chief captain, saying, Take heed what thou doest : for this man is a Roman. 27 Then the chief captain came, and said unto him, TeU me, art thou a Roman ? He said, Yea. THE ACTS. [Ch. XXII. 28 And the chief captain answered. With a ereat sum obtained I this freedom. And Paul said. But I viasfree born. 29 Then straightway they departed from him which should have examined him : and the chief captain also was afraid, after he knew that he was a Roman, and because he had bound him. 30 On the morrow, because" he would have known the certainty wherefore he was accused of tlie Jews, he loosed him from his bands, and commanded the chief priests and all their council to appear, and brouglit Paul down, and set him before them. 1 chaps. 16:37; 25 : 16....m ch. a crating It, Stephen was put to death by a mob. The men did not lay off their clothes, as to the case ot Stephen, to stone Paul, tor he was to the custody ot the soldiers, and the force was too great to be despised ; nor was this a formal reU gious act, the mere shaking ofi the dust as a tes timony against Paul, accordtog to the religious usages of the East (see ch. is : 6, note), but an act of vehement and uncontroUable rage, increased by their very sense of Impotence. It Is stm not uncommon to the East to throw off the outer garment and trample It ta the dust, as an expres sion ot anger and scorn. The accompanying Ulustratlon by Mr. Rawson, represents this act as he has seen It in the East. 24, 25, Paul's speech has been untotelUgi- ble to the Eoman chief-captain ; he judges its character only by its results, and without further toquiry proceeds lo examine into the matter by ordering his prisoner to be scourged, till he re ports what he has done and said to excite the ire of the mob. For illustration of the Roman scourge, see Matt. 27 : 26, note. For this pur pose Paul is brought into the soldiers' barracks ; whUe, with the thongs, a sort ot leathern gear, they are bindtog him to the post for the scourge, he addresses to the centurion, who Is charged with the execution ot the sentence, the toquiry to torm, tbe remonstrance to tact, ot ver. 35. 26-28. A false claim of Roman citizenship was punishable with death, and, being easUy detected, was seldom made. The centurion, therefore, unhesitattogly credits Paul's ImpUed claim ot citizenship, enforced with the quiet dig nity with which it was preferred ; the chief-cap tain comes at once and asks Paul, not because he doubts the statement, but to consequence ot his own surprise, and perhaps to elicit an explana tion ot the fact. This is ImpUed by his own statement in ver. 23. The tohabitants of the Roman empire were divided toto three classes, Cives or citizens, Latlnl or Latins, and Peregrlnl or foreigners. The foreigners were without political rights; the citizens had full poUtical rights. Including, under the republic, suffrage and eliglbUity to oflBce ; the Latins possessed part, but not all, the rights ot citizenship. The privileges ot citizenship might be acquired to several ways, chiefly by purchase or by parent age. In what way Paul acquired them is a mat ter ot surmise. They would not, as assumed by some writers, belong to him merely as a native of Tarsus, though a free city ; this is evident, be cause the chief-captain knew him to be a native ot Tarsus (ch. 21 : 39) before ordering him to be scourged. Captives taken to war were often re duced to slavery, and there were many such Jew ish slaves In the Roman empire. For special ser vices these were sometimes set free, and the slave, manumitted with due tormaUties, became a citizen, his children inherittog citizenship trom him. Paul's trequent references In his epistles to himself as a bondman or slave of Jesus Christ, coupled with the fact that he customarily drew his Ulustratlons so largely from his own experi ence, gives some color to the hypothesis that he was the son of a slave thus manumitted. To scourge a Roman citizen, to subject bim to any personal violence, to deprive him of a fair hear- tog on any charge preferred against him, to deny him tbe right ot appeal, under the republic to the Senate, under the empire to the emperor, was an unpardonable offence, punishable, as trea son, with death. See ch. 16 : 38, note. 39, 30. Paul havtog been bound, the chiet- captato cannot undo what he has done ; It is, therefore, his toterest to secure an accusation which wUI serve as a justification for his course. The subordinate officers charged with the exam- toation by scourgtog, withdraw at once, without waittog for orders, as soon as they leam the facts ; Paul Is left bound, not to the piUar, but with chatos, as a prisoner, untU the morrow; and Lyslas then summons the Sanhedrim, to leam what charges are preferred against him. The result Is nothing tangible (ch. 2s : 9, 10), and he consequently seeks to avoid the danger of betag called to account, by tbe form of his report to Felix, In which he represents himself as rescuing Paul, because he was a Roman, from the mob (ch. 23 : 26-30). The meettog of the Sanhedrim here described could not have taken place to the Temple, which no Gentile was allowed to enter. It probably was convened to a room on Mount Zion, across the vaUey of the Tyropoean trom the Temple site ; accordtog to tradition, the San Ch. XXIII.] THE ACTS. 333 CHAPTER XXIII. AND Paul, eamestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I " have lived to all good con science before God until this day. 2 And the high priest Ananias commanded them that stood by him to smite him " on the mouth. 3 Then said Paul unto him, God shall smite thee thou whited wall: for sittestthou to judge me after the law, and commandest me to be smitten p contrary to the law ? 4 And they that stood by said, Revilest thou God's high priest ? 5 Then said Paul, I wist not, brethren, that he was the high priest : for it is written,! Thou shalt not speak evil ot the ruler of thy people. : 2 Cor. 1:12: Heb. 13 : 18. . .0 John 18 : 22 p Lev. 19 2 Pet. 2 : 10: 35 ; Deut. 26 : 1, 2 ; John 7 : 61 q Exod. 22 : 28 ; Ecclea. 10 : 20 ; Jude 8. hedrto transferred Its sessions to such a room a Uttle prior to this time. See Lewto 3 : li9. Ch. 23 : 1-3. And Paul, earnestly be- holding the council. Among them were probably some of those with whom he had been associated to the martyrdom of Stephen twenty years before, and from whom he had received let ters of authority for pursutog the Christians unto Damascus (ch. 22 : 4, s). Alford regards tbe lan guage here, earnestly beholding, as an todicatlon of that infirmity of sight with which the apostle seems to have been afflicted (oai. 4 : 13-15, note) ; I should rather regard it as an todicatlon ot that power ot the eye which Is often a characteristic of the most effective orators. See ch. 13 : 9, note. — ^Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God. Observe Paul addresses them as an equal, having been himself probably a member ot the Sanhedrta (ch. 1 : 58, note). It is difficult to cxprcss to English the fuU significance of the origmal Greek verb here inadequately rendered lived (nolitivu}). It may be paraphrased, I have ordered my life and con duct as a good citizen unto God. He is accused (ch. 21 : 21) of teaching the Jews to apostatize from the laws ot Moses ; he repUes that he has Uved accordtog to those laws. Comp. with his lan guage here ch. 34 : 16 ; 2 Tim. 1:3; Heb. 13 : 18. For the characteristics and accompaniment of a good conscience, see 1 Tim. 1 : 5, 19 ; 3:9; 2 Tim. 1 : 3 ; 1 Pet. 3 : 15, 16. See also 1 Cor. 8 : 7, 12 ; 1 Tim. 4 : 2 ; Tit. 1 : 15 ; Heb. 10 : 23.— And the high-priest Ananias. The son of Nehe- dacus, appototed high-priest by Herod, ktog of Chalcis, A. D. 48, and succeeding Joseph, son of Camithus. He was sent to Rome A. n. 53 by the Procurator Cumanus, on a charge of oppression brought agatost him by the Samaritans, but was acquitted, and probably resumed his office. He was deposed shortly before Felix quitted his govemment, and was assassinated by the sIcarU at the beginning ot the last Jewish war. — To smite him on the mouth. This mode ot en- jototog silence is practised at the present day In the Oriental courts. — God shall smite thee, thou whited wall. A reterence to the annual whitewashing of the sepulchres by the Jews, that all might know that the place was unclean, and to be avoided. See Matt. 33 : 37, note. As a prophecy these words were tulfiUed by the death of Ananias, by assassins. — Sittest thou to judge me after the law, etc. The meantog appears to be this. Do you judge me, for a disre gard ot the ceremonial law, and yourself disre gard that judgment which Is one of tbe weigh tier matters of the law ? (Matt. 23 ; 23.) Tbe act of Ananias violated the Mosaic precepts (Lev. 19 : 35 ; Deut. 19 : 17, 18 i 25 : 1), whIch required careful Inves tigation before punishment, and gave the ac cused a right always to be heard to his own defence. Paul's todignant outburst was natu ral, and accords with his Impulsive character, but not with the example of Christ under similar circumstances (john 18 : 22, 23), and we lose the sig nificance ot the lesson it we faU to note the con trast between the course of tbe Master, who never for an instant lost his self-control, aud that ot the servant, who recovered It, and apologized for his undue beat. "That Paul thus answered might go far to excuse a like fervid reply in a Christian or a minister of the Gospel, but must never be used to justify It. It may serve for an apology, but never for an example." — (Alford.) 4, 5. I had not perceived, brethren, that he is the high-priest. It Is best to take Paul's language here to this, which Is the most natural meantog. It Is no objection to this toter pretatlon that the high-priest would have been disttogulshed by his dress, for the meeting ot the Sanhedrim was a special one, irregularly summoned by the Roman chief-captato on short notice, and there is no evidence that the high- priest had on his pontifical robes, or that the councU was regularly organized, as It would have been for the conduct ot a formal trial, or that the command trom Ananias came to such form that he was recognized by Paul ; the voice came trom the throng, the speaker may not have been seen. Nor Is Paul's language In ver. 3 any objection, tor it would have been equaUy applicable to any member ot the Sanhedrim who undertook to prevent a prisoner trom being heard in his own defence. The principal other toterpretatlons are (1) / did not consider that he was high-priest (Bengel, Olshausen, Neander), thus interpretfag It as an apology ; but the Greek verb (oWa) wiU not bear this meaning ; (2) I could not be supposed to know that one who conducted him- sdf so cruelly and illegally could be the high-priest 234 THE ACTS. [Ch. XXIII. 6 But when Paul perceived that the one part were Sadducees, and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, Men and brethren, I ¦¦ am a Pharisee, the son of a Pliarisee : of « the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called to question. 7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided. 8 For the Sadducees * say that there is no resurrec tion, neither angel, nor spirit : but the Pharisees con fess both. 9 And there arose a great cry : and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying. We find" no evil in this man: but if a spirit^ or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not" fight against God. IO And when there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces ofthem, commanded the soldiers to go down, and to take him by force from among them, and to bring him into the castle. II And the night following, the Lord stood ' by him, and said. Be of good cheer, Paul : for as thou hast tes tified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome.y 12 And when it was day, certain^ of the Jews band- r ch. 26 : 5 ; Phil. 3 : 6. . . .8 chaps. 24 : 16, 21 ; 26 : V ch. 22 : 17, 18.... w ch. 6 : 39 x chapa. 18 : i ; 28 : 20. 27 : 23, 2 . .t Matt. 22 : 2 ,-. P>. 46: 1,7. ; Mark 12 : 18 : Luke 20 : 27 u chape. 25 : 26 ; 26 : 31 .y ch. 28: 30,31; Rom. 1 : 16....Z vera. 21, 30; ch. 25: 8. (Calvin) ; thus Interprettog It as a bitter Irony, a, meantag imputed to, not drawn from, tbe lan guage ; (3) I do not know that he is high-priest, thus interprettog It as denial by Paul of tbe offi cial character claimed by, and imputed to, Ana nias, and to support ot this toterpretatlon Is the tact that there Is some question whether he was, at this time, regularly to the office, from which he had been at one time deposed (see above). But it this had been Paul's meaning, he would have used the present, not the pluperfect tense, I do not recognize, not I did not know, and the language of tbe historian (ver. 2) appears to leave no ques tion that Ananias was, ta fact, at this time high- priest. — It is written. In Exod. 22 : 28. C-8. For a fuU description of the Pharisees and the Sadducees, see Matt. 3 : 7, note. The for mer were the orthodox Jews, the latter the tafi- dels among the Jews. Tbe controversy between them was a bitter one and had existed for yeans. The first persecutors of the apostolic church were the Sadducees, and this because the apos tles taught the resurrection of the dead (ch. 14 : 1-3, note), and in that first persecution they were de fended by Gamaliel, one ot the principal Phari saic rabbis (ch. 5 : 34, note). Paul, who was familiar not only with the history of these sects, but also with tbe division of sentiment which existed respecttag the early persecutions, avails him self of his knowledge to divide the court, before whom there Is no hope of a, fair trial. His statement. Of the hope and resurrection of the dead I am called in question, is the tmth, though not the whole truth ; the fundamental tact of Chris tianity betog the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead In attestation ot his Messlahship (chape. 2 : 32, 33 ; 3 : 16 ; 4 : lo). With PauI'S dCBCrlptlOU of himself as a Pharisee and the son of Pharisees (not of a Pharisee as In our English version), comp. Phil. 3 : 5. Charged with betog a violator of the law, he asserts his Pharisaic origto and faith. 9, 10. Paul's purpose is accomplished ; tbe Pharisees take sides against the Sadducees, and the court breaks up in confusion. The words, let us not fight against Ood, are wanting In .the best MSS.; the sentence in the original is broken off, as if by the violence of the tumult ; It may be rendered. What if a gpirit hath spoken to him or an angel ! The reference Is to his account, on the preceding day, ot his conversion aud the vision to the Temple. The diversion to Paul's favor appears to have been more than transient to its effects, for the Sadducees abandoned the hope of securing a legal conviction and execution, and resorted to plans for assasstoation (ven. 12-14). Lest Ihul should have been pulled in pieces, is prob ably to be taken UteraUy ; to the melee, the Phari sees endeavoring to protect and tbe Sadducees to destroy Paul, there was danger that he would be literally torn asunder. The language, go down. Is exact ; the barracks betog to a tower from which the soldiers must descend to the street and thence to the council -room. See ch. 21 : 26, note. 11. Three such experiences of divtoe encou ragement afforded to the apostle, under circum stances of peculiar peril or anxiety, are recorded to the Acts ; one when he was " to weakness and in tear and ta much trembltog " to Corinth (ch. 18 : 9, 10), once durtog the long storm at sea (ch. 27 : 24). Comp. analogous experiences in the lite ot Christ (Mark 1 : 13 ; Luke 22 : 43). Paul had COmC tO Jerusalem despite the counsel ot prophets and the entreaties of friends (ch. 21 ; 4, 10-14) ; no longer to tbe presence ot immediate danger, suffering tbe reaction consequent In a man ot his tem perament from the excitement ot the preced ing days, unsupported by sympathizing triends, doubts respecting the past, and forebodings re specttog the future, may weU have combtoed to produce In him extreme depression. Observe both the form and the significance of the Lord's words. Paul has declared that he counts his life nothtog, so that he may finish bio course and his testimony (ch. 20 : 24). The Lord declares that he shall finish his course and his testi mony, beartog witness In Rome, as he has al ready borne witness In Jerusalem. The Lord's answer thus Indicates the nature ot Paul's de pression to which It was responsive, a fear, not for his life, but lest his prayers to visit Rome (Rom. 1 : 10) are not to be answered. Alford weU notes the power ot comfort which these words of tbe Lord possessed, to his subsequent expert: Ch. XXIIL] THE ACTS. 235 ed together, and bound themselves under a curse, say ing that they would neither eat nor drink" till they had killed Paul. 13 And they were more than forty which had made this conspiracy. 14 And they came to the chief" priests and elders, and said, We have bound ourselves under a great curse, that we wiU eat nothing until we have slain Paul. IS Now therefore ye, with the council, signify to the chief captain that he bring him down unto you to-mor row, as though ye would inquire something more per fectly concerning him : and we, or ever he come near, are ready *= to kill him. 16 And when Paul's sister's son heard of their lying to wait, he "^ went and entered into the castle, and told Paul. I 17 Then " Paul called one of the centurions unto h im, and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain ; for he hath a certato thing to tell him. 18 So he took him, and brought him to the chief cap tam, and said, Paul the prisoner' called me unto him. and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee, who hath something to say unto thee. 19 Then the cliief captain toolc him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and asked him. What IS that thou hast to tell me ? 20 And he said. The Jews havee agreed to desire thee that thou wouldest bring down Paul to-morrow into the council, as though they would inquire some what of him more perfectly. 21 But" do not thou yield unto them: for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have killed him : and now are they ready, looking lor a promise firom thee. 22 So the chief captain then let the young man de part, and charged him. See thou tell no man that thou hast shewed these things to me. 23 And he called unto him two centurions, saying, Make ready two hundred soldiers to go to Casarea, and horsemen threescore and ten, and spearmen two hundred, at the third hour of the night ; 24 And provide them beasts, that they may set Paul on, and bring him safe unto Felix the governor. a Pb. 31 :13 b Hosea 4: 9 0 Ps. 21 : 11 : 37:32,33 d 2 Sam. 17:17.. 4:1; Pnilemon 0 g verae 12. . . .e Prov. 22 ; 3 ; Matt. 10 : 16....f ch. 28 : 17; Ephes. 3 : 1 ; .h Exod. 23 : 2. ences, " (1) to the uncertainty of his life from the Jews ; (3) to the uncertainty of his liberation from prison at Ccesarea; (3) ta the uncertainty of his surviving the storm in the Mediterranean; (4) in the uncertainty of his fate on arriving at Bome. So may one crumb of divtoe grace and help be multiplied to feed five thousand wants and anx ieties." 12-15. Such oaths by which men bound themselves to the performance of some act, were not uncommon among the Jews. See 1 Sam. 14 : 34. Josephus narrates a similar conspiracy to assasstoate Herod (Ant. 15 : 8 : 1-4). Several simi lar conspiracies had been previously formed against Paul (chaps. 9 : 24, 29 ; 20 : 3, 19). Analogous attempts were made at Jerusalem on the lite ot Christ (John 7 : 19 : 8 : 40 ; 10 : 39). That more than forty persons should unite ta such a conspiracy and should, without scruple, propose It to the supreme court of the land, seems to a modem almost tacredlble, but accords with the Jewish opinions and practices of that age. Thus PhUo, who Is one of the purest religious teachers out side the N. T., directly justifies the assasstaa- tlonof apostates from Judaism. "It is highly proper that aU who have a zeal for virtue shoiUd have a right to punish with their own hands, without delay, those who are guUty ot this crime ; not carrytog them before a court of judi cature, or the councU, or, in short, before any magistrate, but they should Indulge the abhor rence of evU, the love of God, which they enter tain, by inflicting immediate punishment on such Impious apostates, regarding themselves for the time as aU things, senators, judges, prsetors, sergeants, accusers, witnesses, tbe laws, the peo ple ; so that, hindered by nothing, they may without fear, and with aU promptitude, espouse the cause ot piety."— (PAiio.) From such an oath as that here taken, not to eat, etc., it was easy to secure absolution, under Rabbtolcal regulations. 16-19. Nothtog is known of Paul's sister, nor ot her son, beyond tbe Information here given ; neither are elsewhere referred to ta the N. T. Altord surmises that the son may have been at school to Jerusalem, as Paul had been, and thus heard the proposed assassination or Paul discussed. It Is evident that Paul had the liberty of the prison, as subsequently at Csesarea (ch. 24 : 23), and as John the Baptist at Macbasrus (Malt. 11 ; 2, note). He may have been bound to a soldier, and this Is todicated by tbe words, " Paul the prisoner " (diauiog), and stUl enjoyed some degree ot privacy and Uberty, as to Rome (ch. 28:16). The readiness ot the centurion to com ply with Paul's request, and of the chief-captato to give audience to the young man, and the spe cial heed given to his message, to taking him aside privately, todicate the influence which Paul, though a prisoner, had already secured by his personal character. Similar Indications are afforded ta the account of the shipwreck (ch. 27:30-37). Obscrve the promptness, vigor, and wisdom of Paul's course. 30-22. Comp. the account here given by the young man of the conspiracy with Luke's ac count above. The implication of the language, there lie in wait for him, is that the ambuscade, as weU as the conspiracy, had already been formed. The chief-captato enjotos secrecy, because he will avoid all hazard of an assault ; tor the same reason he starts Paul and his escort out by night. 23, 24. The two hundred soldiers are tbe com mon foot-soldiers of tbe Roman army. See ch. 10 : 7 for Ulustratlon. The horsemen are the ordi nary Roman cavalry. The spearmen cannot be deflnltely Identifled. The Greek word (dsimXd- (log) slgnitytog literally, taking the right, is not found ta classic Greek. It probably describes 336 THE ACTS. [Ch. XXIII. 25 And he wrote a letter after this manner: 26 Claudius Lysias unto the most excellent govemor Felix sendeth greeting. 27 This man' was taken of the Jews, and should have been killed of them : then came I with an army, and rescued him, havtog understood that he was a Roman. 28 And j when I would have known the cause where fore they accused him, I brought him forth into their council : 29 Whom I perceived to be accused of questions'^ of their law, but to have nothtog' laid to his charge worthy of death or of bonds. 30 And when"" it was told me, how that the Jews laid wait for the man, I sent straightway to thee, and gave'' commandment to his accusers also, to say be fore thee what they had against him. Farewell. 31 Then the soldiers, as it was commanded them, took Paul, and brought him by night to Antipatris. 32 On the morrow they left the horsemen to go with him, and retumed to the castle : 33 Who, when they came to Csesarea, and delivered the epistle " to the governor, presented Paul also be fore him. 34 And when the govemor had read the letter, he asked of what province he was. And when he under stood that he was of Cilicia ;p 35 I will hear thee, said he, when thine accusers'! are also come. And he commanded him to be kept in' Herod's judgment hall. i chapa. 21 :33; 24:7 j ch. 22 : 30. . . .k chapa. 18:15; 25: 19 1 ch. 26:31. p ch. 21 : 39 q chapa. 24 : 1, etc. ; 26 : . .m vera. SO, 21 . . . n chapa. 34 : 8 ; 26 : 6 o vera. 25-30. . ,6....r Matt. 27:27. some light-armed troops furnished with spears and javeUns, used by tbe right hand alone. The third hour of the night is ntoe o'clock. The dis tance from Jerusalem to Csesarea Is about sixty- eight mUes, and would have occujaed nearly two days ; to prevent delay a relay of horses is pro vided for Paul (beasts not beast). For a detaUed description of the route, see Conybeare and How son, cb. 31. The size ot the escort, 470 to all, seems disproportionate to tbe danger, but note that, to addition to the ordtoary peril trom the robbers and assassins which then Infested Judea, Jerusalem had been In a state of tumult. The soldiery had been already twice required to res cue Paul. The extent ot the present conspiracy could only be surmised, and Lyslas, havtag en dangered himself by bindtag and threatentag to scourge a Roman citizen, would naturaUy be ready to afford abundant and conspicuous pro tection to him. 25-30. This letter has evident marks of being a verbatim copy of tbe original. It Is probable that the original might have been shown to Paul, and a copy procured through him, or It may have been obtained trom the records ot the Roman procurator's court. Tbe Roman law required that the subordtaate ofllcer, in sendtag a prisoner to the proper magistrate tor trial, should send with him a written statement embodying tbe facts ta the case. The govemor, on receiving such a communication, was required to give the prisoner an Independent hearing. On Claudius Lysias, see ch. 31 : 31, note. Lyslas was prob ably his original Greek name, Claudius, a Latin name, assumed when he purchased the rights of citizenship. On the character of Felix, see 24 : 3, note. He was procurator ot Judea, the office filled by PUate at the time ot Christ's crucifixion ; as such, he was directly responsible to the empe ror for the administration ot the province, which was Imperial, not senatorial. See ch. 13 : 7, note. Comp. the account in this letter ot tbe rescue ot Paul with the actual facts (ch. s2 : 22-2e). Claudius seized Paul, believing him to be the Egyptian leader ot the assassins, Intended to examine him by scourgtag, and abandoned his purpose after learning, to his surprise, that he is a Roman, Observe the paralleUsm between Paul's experi ence apd Christ's. Claudius, Uke Pflate, per ceives that the accused has done nothing guilty ot death (john 19 : 4), and that the accusation agatast him Is one respecttog Jewish laws ; and, as PUate sought to rid himself of responsibiUty by sendtog Jesus to Herod (Lake 23 : 1), so Clau dius Lysias is glad to rid himself of responslbfllty by sending Paul to the procurator. 'This spirit of indifference to Jewish questions is analogous to that of Gallio to Cortoth (ch. is : 12-16). 31-35. And brought him by night to Antipatris. The precise site is unknown ; the old ittoerants Indicate the general locaUty, viz., about forty-two miles from Jerusalem, and twenty-SLx from Csesarea. Two good miUtary roads connected the two cities, the remains of which are stIU distinguishable. By a forced march the troops could have reached Antipatris ta ten hours, arrivtog there, therefore, about seven A. m. — On the morrow. Not necessa rily on the day after leavtog Jerusalem; more probably, as Alford surmises, the day after ar riving at Antipatris, where they, perhaps, re matoed for a day's rest. — Csesarea; i. e.,ot course, Csesarea Palesttoa, the military head quarters of the Roman govemor. For descrip tion and Ulustratlon, see ch. 8 : 40.— Of Cilicia. Of which provtoce Tarsus was the prtocipal city. For description, see ch. 15 : 33. — I will hear thee. As, In such a case, he was required by Roman law to do. See above. — Herod's judg ment-hall. Literally, Prcetorium ofSerod; the palace buUt by bim at Csesarea, and now occu pied as the residence of the Roman procurators. The ancient palace often had in connection with It rooms for the tocarceratlon of prisoners ot state. Ch. 24 : 1-27. PAUL BEFORE FELIX. A eeatheN LAWTKB AND A CHRISTIAN PROPHET TN CONTRAST. — The Christian mniER false accusation.— The dar- INQ OF INNOCENCE. — THE HOPE AND THE LIPB OP THB Ch. XXIV.] THE ACTS. 337 CHAPTER XXIV. AND aftar five days, Ananias ¦ the high priest de scended with the elders, and with a certain orator named TertuUus, who informed ' the governor against Paul. 3 And when he was called forth, TertuUus began lo accuse him, saying. Seeing that by thee we enjoy great quietness, and that very worthy deeds" are done unto this nation by thy providence, 3 We accept it always, and in all places, most noble Felix, with all thankfulness. 4 Notwithstanding, that I be not further tedious unto thee, 1 pray thee that thou wouldest hear us of thy clemency a few words. 5 For we have found this man a pestUent fellow^ and a mover of sedition among all the Jews through out the world, and a ringleader of the sect of the Naz arenes : 6 Who also hath gone about to profane " the tem ple: whom we took, and would have judged'' accord ing to our law. 7 But the chiefy captain Lysias came upon us, and with great violence took him away out of our hands. 8 Commanding his accusers ^ to come unto thee : by examining of whom, thyself mayest take knowledge of all these things, whereof we accuse him. 9 And the Jews also assented, saying that these thmgs were so. IO Then Paul, after that the govemor had beckoned aohap9.23:2; 25:2 t Ps. 11 : 2 u Pa. 12 : 2 vchaps.6:13; 16:20; 17:6; 21:28; Luke23:2; I PeU 2 : 12, 19 w chapa. 19:37; 21:28....s JohnlS : 31....y ch. 21 : 33....Z eh. 23 : 30. Christian. — A tbtte court preacher. — A lawfiji. END DOES NOT JUSTIFT UNLAWFUL MEANS : THB APOS TLE WILL NOT BRIBB A JUDGE TO RENDER EVEN A JUST JUDQMENT. A. D. 58-60. Paul Is tried before Felix ; no ground for condemnation is found to him ; he is reserved for further trial by the govemor, who hopes to receive a bribe for his release, and who, by retaintog him m custody, seeks to please tbe Jews. Tbe account of this trial accords with what we know concerning proceedtogs in the Roman provtoeial courts. See notes below. 1. After five days, i. e., the fifth day trom Paul's departure from Csesarea. — With the elders, i. e., with a deputation trom the Sanhedrim. — And with a certain orator, TertuUus. Nothtog is known ot him except the mention here. His name todicates that he was a Roman. The proceedings may have been either In the Greek or the Latin language. "Under the emperors trials were permitted In Greek to Rome itself, as weU in the senate as ta the forum ; and it Is unlikely that greater strict ness should have been observed ta a distant province." — (Lewin.) Paid advocates were em ployed both ta the Greek and the Roman courts, and in crimtoal actions both for the prosecution and the defence. The time of the speaker was limited by the court. Both parties were usually aUowed to make two speeches, the complainant beglnntag, the defendant following, the com plainant replytag, and the defendant clostag the case. As a general rule the accused, even when his case was conducted by a paid advocate, was expected to address the court himself, tor the judges liked to torm an optoion ot him trom his voice, look, and demeanor. The description of TertuUus here as an orator (^ijVwo) todicates that he was a paid advocate. It was common for young Roman lawyers to quaUty themselves for practice iu the Roman courts by provincial prac tice.— Who informed the governor, i. e., who formaUy presented the accusation agatost Paul. 2-4. Antontous Felix, a freedman of the em peror Claudius, and therefore sometimes called Claudius FeUx, was the govemor of Judea at this time. The circumstances and date (proba bly about A. D. 53) ot his appointment are to volved to doubt, Josephus and Tacitus differing somewhat In their accounts. There Is no differ ence, however, in their estimate ot his character and their statements respecttog his Ul-conduct. He was ferocious to his cruelty, pursutog his enemies without regard to law, and gave his lustful passions the same unbridled license. Some instances ot his queuing seditions, and subdutog bands ot robbers, are given, but it can not be that his admtolstration was emtoently successful even to that regard, stoce, when he was recaUed, and gave up his office to Festus (A. D. 60) his province was, it is said, "wasted and harassed by bands of robbers and slcaril, and the old plague of false prophets." TertuUus appeals with great subtlety of flattei^ to this man, whose feeltogs were easUy wrought upon, though not permanently moved. In this he compiles with a well-recognlzed precept among the ancient rhetoricians, which counselled the advocate always to begin his plea by praising the judge. 5-9. The accusation against Paul Is three fold; he Is charged (1) with causing factious disturbances among the Jews throughout the whole Roman empire, an offence disttoetively recognized and punished with death by the Ro man law ; (3) with being a ringleader of the he retical sect of Nazarenes, a name appUed to the Christians by the Jews In derision, but occurring In the N. T. only here ; this was charged, not as agatast Roman law, but as against the law of Moses ; (3) with an attempt to profane the Tem ple at Jerusalem, an offence against both Roman and Jewish law, since the former protected the Jews to the exercise of their worship. The ob ject of TertuUus, however, appears to be, not the condemnation and punishment ot Paul by Felix, but his surrender to the Jewish authori ties for trial. He therefore proceeds to misstate the facts respecttog Paul's rescue. Paul was 238 THE ACTS. [Ch. XXIV. unto him to speak, answered. Forasmuch as I know that thou hast been of many years a judge unto this nation, I do the more cheerfully answer"^ for myself: II Because that thou mayest understand that there are yet but twelve days since I went up to ^ Jerusalem for to worship. 12 And they neither = found me in the temple disput ing with any man, neither raising up tbe people, nei ther in the synagogues, nor in the city ; 13 Neither can they prove" the things whereof they now accuse me. i^ But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so *= worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are e written in the law and ^ in the prophets ; 15 And have hope' toward God, which they them selves also allow, that there shall be a resurrection J of the dead, both of the just and unjust. 16 And herein do I exercise myself, to have'' always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. \ 1 Pet. 3: 15 b ch. 21 : 15.... c chaps. 25 : 8; 28: 17....d 1 Pet. 3 : 16....e Micah 4 : 5....f 2 Tim. ] : 24: 27... .h ch. 13 : 15; Matt. 22:40; Luke 16 : 16; John 1 : 45 ; Rom. 3 : 21 i chape. 23 : 6, etc. ; 2i J..hn 5 : 28, 29 ; 1 Cor. 16 : 12-27 ; Rev. 20 : 6, 13. . . .Ii ch. 23 : 1. . . .1; chaps. ! 6, 7 ; 28 : 20 : 22; 28:23; Late tc. . .j Daa. 12:2; assailed by a mob, and would have been slain without trial but for the toterventlon of Lyslas ; TertuUus represents him as arrested legaUy, and taken from the hands ot the Jewish authorities by tbe despotic act ot the chief-captato. It should, however, be added, that the whole of ver. 7 and part of ver. 8 are of doubtful author ity ; they are omitted by Tischendorf, Griesbach, and Bengel, and doubted by Altord. But while extemal evidence is confllcttog, internal evidence is in favor of their retention. TertuUus reters to no witnesses ; tbe accusers to whom he reters In ver. 8 are the deputation trom the Sanhedrim, who have no direct personal knowledge ot the matter ; tbe Asiatic Jews who first accused Paul ot profaning tbe Temple (ch. 21 : 27) have not been brought up to Csesarea, perhaps because their testimony would tend rather tor Paul than against him. Of this fatal omission on the pai t ot the prosecution Paul wisely avails himself iu his defence (lat. 17-21). 10-16. Paulto his defence follows the course ot TertuUus, and answers to detail his charges ; (1) The charge of sedition he simply and emphat ically denies, and he demands the proof (vers 11-ia) ; (3) he admits and avoids the charge ot heresy, i. e.; admits that he belongs to the sect of the Nazarenes, but declares that Its doctiines ac cord with the law and the prophets, and In nothing sanction an immoral life (vers. 14-10) ; (3) to the charge of profantog the Temple he repUes with an account of the reasons which led him to the Temple, and with demaniUng the production ot the Asiatic Jews who falsely accused him in Jerasalem (vets. 17-19) ; finally (vers. 20, 21), with the boldness of innocence, he appeals to the Jews who are present to testify to the result ot the informal trial betore the Sanhedrim (ch. 23 : 1-9), and to which the Pharisees declared him without evU. — Thou hast been of many years a .judge. Felix was now in the seventh year ot his procuratorship. The contrast between the exordium ot Paul's speech and that ot TertuUus is noteworthy ; Paul, without using flattery, wisely expresses a good ground of his confi dence In Felix, as one who is well sklUed in the manners and the spirit of the Jewish nation. Analogous In its purport Is Christ's response to Pilate (John 18 : 34, note). — It is in thy power to learn. By independent testimony, and, as a conclusive evidence that he, Paul, had not been stirring up sedition In the provtoce to which Fe lix was governor. As to the charge of sedition to other parts of the world. It woulj be charac teristic of Roman administration to refer them to the governors ot the disturbed provtoces (Luke 23 : 6, 7). — There are yet but twelve days. There Is some disagreement among the critics in their reckontog ot these twelve days. It seems to me clear that the time from Paul's gotog up to Jerasalem to the time of his plea betore Felix Is all embraced In these twelve days, and prob able, trom tbe language of cb. 31 : 26, 37, that seven of these days elapsed betore the mob and tbe arrest to tbe Temple. This would allow the rest of the time to be thus accounted for : eighth day, appearance before the Saiibedrim ; ntoth day, departure from Jerusalem ; three or tour days subsequent, between that departure and the arrival of Ananias and TertuUus at Caesarea for the trial before Felix. — Neither can they prove the things. A direct challenge to his accusers ; and note, In this case, an lUustratlon of the justice of the apothegm that no man is to be condemned without a hearing ; for the circum stances were adverse to Paul. — But. From a de nial ot the false charge Paul passes to a statement of the truth respecttog himself and his reUgious optoions. — After that way which they called heresy. The same word translated sect in ver. .5 Is here translated heresy. Paul admits himself to be a Nazarene. — So Avorship I the God of my fathers. Conybeare and Howson give the argument well. "Our nation is divided toto religious parties which are caUed sects; thus there Is the sect ot the Pharisees and the sect ot the Sadducees, and so now we are caUed the sect of the Nazarenes. I do not deny that I belong to tbe latter sect ; but I dalm for It the same tole ration which is extended by the Roman law to the others. I claim the right which you allow to all the nations under your government, of worshipptog their national gods." — And here in, i. e., in this hope ; his religious faith led to no violation of the law, neither that of Moses nor that of Rome, but to carefulness and consclen- Ch. XXIV.] THE ACTS. 339 17 Now after many years, I came ' to bring alms to my nation, and ofifenngs. 18 Whereupon certain Jews from Asia found me purified in the temple, neither with multitude, nor with tumult ; 19 Who ought to have been here "> before thee, and object, if they had aught against me. 20 Or else let these same here say, if they have found any evil doing in me, whUe I stood before the council, 21 Except it be for this one voice, that I cried stand ing among them^ Touchmg the resurrection of the dead, I am called m question by you this day. 22 And when B'elix heard these things, having more perfect knowledge of that way, he delerred them, and said, When Lysias" the chief captain shall come down, I will know the uttermost of your matter. 23 And he commanded a centurion to keep Paul, and to let him have liberty," and that he should forbid none of his acquaintance to minister or come unto him. 24 And after certain days, when Felix came with his wife Drusilla, which was a Jewess, he sent for Paul, and heard him concerning the faith in Christ. 25 And as he reasoned ofp righteousness, temper ance,' and Judgment' to come, Felix trembled,' and answered, Go ^ thy way for this time ; when I have a convenient season, I wiU call for thee. 26 He hoped also that money" should have been fiven him of Paul, that he might loose him : wlierefore e sent for him the oftener, and communed with him. 2;; But after two years, Porcius Festus came into Felix' room ; and Felix, willing to shew " the Jews a pleasure, left Paul bound. 1 chaps. 11 ; 29, 30 ; 20:16; Rom. 16 : 26 m ch. 25 : 16 n verse 7 o chaps. 27 ; 3 ; 28 : 16.... p Prov. 16 : 12; Jer. 22 : 15.17 ; ©an. 4 : 27 ; John 16 : 8 q Prov. 31 : 4, 5 ; Dan. 5:1-4; Hosea 7:6; 1 Pet. 4:4 r Ps. 50 : 3, 4 ; Dan. 12:2; Matt. 25 : 31-46 ; 2 Cor. 5:10; Rev. 20: 12 s Ps. 99 : 1 ; laa. 32 : 11 ; Hab. 3 ; 16 ; Heb. 4 : 1, 12 t Prov. 1 : 24-32; Malt. 22 : 5 ; 25 : 1-10 u Exod. 23 : 8 v ch. 25 : 9 ; Mark 16 ; 15. tiousness, both toward God and man. Observe the force of the phrase, / exercise myself, imply- tag tralntag one's self, as ta an art that requires practice for Its perfection. Comp. 1 Cor. 9 : 27 ; 1 John 3 : 3. See also ch. 23 : 1, note and rets. 17-19. After many years. It was five years stoce Paul's previous visit to Jerusalem. — Alms to my nation, and oflTerings. Two objects ot this visit are specified ; one, charity to the poor ; the other, offerings to God to the Tem ple service. — Whereupon certain Jew^ from Asia, etc. Observe the potots impUed in this and the next verse. The accusation came not from the officer ot the Temple, but from Asiatic Jews; the apostle, so far from profantog the Temple, was there to complete a process of cere monial purification ; he was not responsible tor tbe disturbance, stoce the tumult was raised and the multitude called together by others; and the origtoal accusers should have been present to substantiate the accusation, not leavtog It to hearsay evidence. This demand was to accordance with the Roman custom, which was, not to judge a prisoner, without aUowtog him to meet face to face with his accusers. 20,21. Or let these persons themselves say what offence they fonnd in me, when I stood before the Sanhedrim ; ex cept it be for this one saying, which I cried out, as I stood in their midst. Paul reters to the taqulry before the Jewish court, re ported In ch. 23 : 1-9, ta which no other ground ot condemnation was found, than that afforded by his emphatic declaration ot faith in the doc trtoe of the resurrection made before the court. 22, 23. Having more perfect knowledge of that way, i. e., ot the Christian reUgion. In this sense, the phrase this way or the way Is used to the Acts (ch. 9 : 2, n j 19 : 9, 23). FeUx, as govemor, would have known somethtog ot It, but chiefly through the misstatements ot the Jews, who habltuaUy represented the Christians as seditious fa spirit (John 19 : 12 ; Acts I6 : 20, 21 ; 17 : 6. Comp. ch. 21 : 38). Paul's speech corrected this mis apprehension, and FeUx, perceiving that no offence had been committed against the Roman govemment, and yet desirous not to offend tbe Jews, made an excuse for deferring tbe case. There Is no reason to suppose that he ever sent tor Lyslas, or even intended to do so. The Ro man procurator was not bound to fix any definite time for the trial of an accused, but might hold him fa custody tadefinitely. — To keep Paul, and to let him have liberty. Three ktads of custody were recognized by Roman law : (1) Confinement in the common jail, for description of which, see cb. 16 : 24, note ; (2) free custody, accordtag to which the accused party was com mitted to the charge of a magistrate, who be came responsible for his appearance on the day of trial, tbis answered to the modem ball ; (3) military custody, according to which tbe accused was given tato the charge of soldiers, who were responsible for his safe-keeping. He was then otten chatoed to a soldier. It was to the military custody Paul was here committed, but the lan guage, let him have liberty (ix^'-'' ^« avsctij), implies that he was not bound. A form ot military cus tody, entitled observatio, to which the soldier kept watch of bis prisoner, but was not chatoed to him, was redbgnlzed by the law. Because FeUx left Paul bound (ver. 27) when he resigned the admtoistration ot the province into the hands ot Festus, it does not follow that he kept him bound during his own administration. 24-27. With his wife Drusilla. She was not really his wife, havtog been seduced trom her husband Azizus, prtoce of Emesa, by Felix, through the toterventlon of the Cyprian sorcerer Simon (ch. 8 : a). She was the daughter of Herod Agrlppa I, and sister ot Agrippa II. She had been at the age of six years betrothed to Antl ochus Epiphanes, prince of Comagene, but his refusal to submit to circumcision and become a Jew, prevented the marriage. WhUe living thus ¦fa adultery with Felix, she bore bim a son, Agrip- 240 THE ACTS. CHAPTER XXV. NOW when Festus was come into the province, after three days he ascended from Csesarea to Jerusalem. 2 Then the high priest and the chief of the Jews in formed him against Paul, and besought him, 3 And desired favour against him, that he would [Ch. XXV. send for him to Jerusalem, laying" wait in the way to kill him. 4 But Festus answered, that Paul should be kept at Csesarea, and that he himself would depart shortly thither. 5 Let them therefore, said he, which among you are able, go down with me, and accuse this man, if there be any wickedness in him. w ch. 23 : 14, 16. pa ; both mother and son perished in the erup tion of Vesuvius in the reign of Titus. — Heard him concerning the faith in Christ. So Herod was accustomed to hear John tbe Baptist, ¦ while keeping him a prisoner (Mark 6 : 20). — As he reasoned of righteousness, etc. The apos tle availed himself of this opportunity, not to plead turther In his own defence, but to preach the truth of God to one unaccustomed to hear It. Comp. cb. 38 : SO, 31 ; PhU. 1 : 13. Righteousness is rectitude of conduct and character accordtog to the law of God ; temperance is not absttoence trom strong drink, but self-control and modera tion as to all the animal appetites and passions. Instruction to and exhortation to both, were speciaUy applicable to FeUx, of whom Tacitus says that " he exercised the authority ot a king with the disposition ot a slave. In all manner of cruelty and lust." — Felix becoming alarmed, answered. Fear sent away, not the sin, but the preacher. — When I have an opportun ity. Not a convenient time for repentance, for there is no tadlcation ot any penitent feeling fa Felix, but an opportunity for further hearing. — lie hoped also that money should have been given him. Such bribery was exceed- tagly common ta the Roman provinces. Albi nus, who succeeded Festus, encouraged this ktad of bribery to such an extent, that none were held ta prison who were able and wUling to buy their way out. Doubtless the money for this purpose could easily have been raised among Paul's friends, but he would not employ corrupt meas ures to escape even a palpable injustice. — Wherefore he sent for him, etc. Not be cause of any Interest to Paul's person or doc trine, but trom a hope of obtaining money through him or his triends, Felix had these con ferences with the apostle. — Porcius Festus. See ch. 25 ; 1, note.— Left Paul bound. StiU to military custody, and perhaps, ou transferring him to Festus, actually In chains. Chaps. 25 : 1 to 26 ! 32. PAHL BEFORE FESTUS AM) AGRIPPA. The Chbistian put upon his sbip- UBFENCB : HIS DIGNITY ; HIS COUBAOE ; HIS BELP- RESTKAINT ; HIS SELP-TIEFENOB IS A DEFENCE OP THE Gospel.— The commission or the Christian minis- TKT.— The skeptic, the soobneb, the Christian, ni CONTRAST. A. D. 60. For the fourth time Paul presents his defence ; the first betog before the mob at Jerusalem (ch. 22), the second betore the Sanhe drim (ch. 23), the third before FeUx (ch. 24). The contrast between the conduct ot Felix and Fes tus agrees with what we know ot their respective characters. The latter does not do fuU justice to Paul, but, making due aUowances tor the times and the ordinary course of Roman gover- liors, his course is relatively commendable, though I cannot agree with Lewto to thinktag It worthy of all admiration. The general lesson of these chapters, scarcely noticed by the com mentators, is the apostoUe example of the spirit witb which the Christian should meet false accu sation, reslsttog palpable tojustlce by meekness without weakness, and dignity without pride or wrath, and making even the wrong-dotog of his enemies and those ot his Lord an occasion ot preachtog the Gospel. No words can add to the moral power of the simple contrast between Paul, the Christian prisoner, Festus, the cold and skep tical Roman, and Agrippa, the ambitious, lust ful and scornful man of the world. 1-5. Now when Festns. Porcius Festus was sent by Nero to succeed Felix, probably to the late summer or autumn of A. D. 60, and re mained in office tiU the summer of a. d. 62, a lit tle less than two years, during which time Judea was disturbed with the same difflculties with slcaril, robbers, and sorcerers, as durtog the admtoistration of FeUx. Festus is represented as being more efficient to their subjection than his predecessor, and a much more just and hon orable man. He had a difference with the Jews concemtog a high wall which they had built to prevent Agrippa from overlooking the court of the Temple from his palace. This wall also pre vented the Roman guard appomted to watch the Temple durtog the festival, from a view ot It. The procurator took sides with Agrippa agatost the Jews. But be permitted them to send to Rome tor a decision, and Nero's wife Influenced It ta their favor. Festus was succeeded by Albi nus. — Into the province. This term is used popularly not accurately ; Judea betag a procu ratorship attached to the province of Syria.— From Cfesarea. The mUitary headquarters of tbe Roman 'governor. — To Jerusalem. For conterence with the Jewish authorities on taktog possession of the office. — The high-priest. Ismael, the son ot Phall, the successor of Ana- Ch. XXV.] THB ACTS. 341 6 And when he had tarried among them more than ten days, he went down unto Csesarea ; and the next day sitting on the judgment seat, commanded Paul to be brought. 7 And when he was come, the Jews which came down from Jerusalem stood round about, and laid many and grievous complaints against Paul, which'' they could not prove. . 8 While he answered for himself. Neither against the law of the Jews, neither against the temple, nor yet against Caesar^ have I offended any thing at all. 9 But Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, an swered Paul, and said. Wilt thou go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these thtogs before me ? IO Then said Paul, I stand at Caesar's judgment seat, where I ought to be judged ; to the Jews have I done no wrong, as thou very well knowest. II For if I be an offender, or have committed any thing worthy of death, I refuse not to die : but if there be none of^ these things whereof these accuse me, no man may deliver me unto them. I appeal f unto. Csesar. 12 Then Festus, when he had conferred with the- council, answered, Hast thou appealed unto Caesar ?' unto Caesar shalt thou go. 13 And after certain days, king Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea, to salute Festus. 14 And when they had been there many days,.Fe&:- I ch. 24 . 5, 13 ; Ps. 85 ; 11 J Matt. 5 : 11, 12 . . . . y ch. 26 : 82. nlafi. Time had not cooled the hatred ot the Jews. — And desired favor. It is Uttle con sonant with our ideas ot justice that condemna tion should be asked ot a judge as a poUtical favor, but it was no strange thing for a Roman govemor both to release and to condemn prison ers, as a means ot ingratiating himself with the people. — Laying wait in the way to kill him. The ImpUcatlou Is that arrangements were already perfected tor an ambuscade, per haps by those who had two years before prepared one (ch. m : 12-16). We know from Josephus that the land was fuU ot assassins who were hired by various parties to kiU their adversaries. — But Festus answ^ered, etc. The reason for this answer Is given In ver. 16; See note there. He would, however, have subsequently complied with their request (ver. 9) but for Paul's protest and appeal. — Let them, therefore, said he, which among you are in authority. Not which are able to go, for the Roman magistrate would not make the trial of Paul dependent upon the convenience ot tbe accusers. He calls tor those who are officially able to represent the Sanhedrim. 6-9. More than ten days. The best read- togs have Not more than eight or ten days. — Sit ting on the judgment-seat. The official throne, or chair of state, used to admtolstering justice. For Illustration and description, see John 19 : 13, note. — Many and grievous com plaints. Their nature is indicated by the speech of TertuUus to the preceding chapter, and by the summary of Paul's defence here. They included charges of violattog Jewish law, profantog the Temple, and facittag sedition agatast Caesar. — ^Which they could not prove. The good fmit of Paul's caution is noteworthy ; not even maUce could find plausible ground for his condemnation. Paul exempUfies his own precepts (Rom., ch. 13 ; 14 ; 16. Comp. I Pet. 4 : 14-16). — Wilt thon go np to Jerusalem? The ostensible reason for this request of Festus is given ta ver. 20, viz., because he desires more Ught on the reli gious questions tovolved ; the real reason Is given here, viz., his desire to curry favor with the Jews. That this was not the real reason Is evident, (1) from the language of the historian here ; (2) from Paul's dignified and emphatic language ta ver. 10 ; (3) from the confessed perplexity of Festus when It becomes necessary to formulate the charges agatast his prisoner, to be sent with him to Rome. The proposition to transfer the trial to Jerusalem was also, in effect, a proposition to transfer the proceedings to the Jewish Sanhe drim which had accused Paul. Before me todi cates, not that Festus would conduct the trial personaUy, but that he would be present and supervise it. Altord supposes that Festus anti cipated Paul's refusal, but desired to make it appear to the Jews that the obstacle to compU ance with their request came from Paul, not from himself. Paul, having declared himself a Roman citizen, and no good ground of condem nation having been made to appear, he could not be transferred from the Roman to the Jewish tribunal, without his consent. 10-13. But said Paul, At the judgment- seat of Csesar I am standing ; there it is right for me to be judged. The Jews in nothing have I w^ronged, as also thou knowest better (than to prefer this request). If indeed I have wronged (any) and done aught worthy of ddath, I do not entreat not to die ; but if there is nothing in these things of which they accuse me, no one shall sacrifice me to them. To Caesar I appeal. This translation wiU aid to giving the spirit of Paul's response. It was his right, as a Roman citizen, to be judged before the Roman tribunal ; he had not transgressed the Jewish law; there was, therefore, no reason for gotog betore a Jewish tribunal. I do not entreat not to die presents Paul in contrast with his accusers. They ask Paul's condemnation as a favor : he de mands acquittal as a matter ot justice. Deliver me unto them, is Uterally, Grant me to them as a matter of favor. Paul, as a Roman citizen, re fuses to be used by Festus for his own political advantage. Ccesar Is here Nero ; it was a general title of the Roman emperors, as Pharaoh of the Egyptian ktogs. The courage and dignity of 242 THE ACTS. [Ch. XXV. tus declared Paul's cause unto the king, saying. There is a certain man left in bonds by Felix; 15 About whom, when^ I was at Jerusalem, the chief priests and the elders of the Jews informed me, desiring iohave\\idg;xixexxt against him. 16 To whom I answered. It is not the manner of the Romans to deliver any man to die, before that he whicli is accused have the accusers face to face, and have licence to answer for himself concerning the crime laid against him. 17 Therefore, when » they were come hither, with out any delay on the morrow I sat on the judgment seat, and commanded the man to be brought forth. 18 Against whom, when the accusers stood up, they brought none accusation of such things as I supposed : 19 But "^ had certain questions against him of their own superstition, and of one Jesus, which was dead, whom Paul affirmed to be alive. 20 And because I doubted of such manner of ques tions, I asked him whether he would go to Jerusalem, and there be judged of these matters. 21 But when Paul had appealed to be reserved unto the hearing of Augustus, I commanded him to be kept till I might send him to Caesar. 22 Then Agrippa said unto Festus, I would also hear the man myself. To-morrow, said he, thou shalt hear him. 23 And on the morrow, when Agrippa was come, and Bernice, with great •= pomp, and was entered into the place of hearing, with the chief captains, and prin cipal men of the city, at Festus' commandment Paul. 65 she was at Jerusalem pertormtog a vow, when she Interceded with Gessius Florus agatast his cruel massacre ot the Jews, the sole redeeming act ot an otherwise utterly infamous life. She Is reported to have won to her homage both Vespasian and Titus, the former. by her magnificent presents, the latter by her beauty. 14-31. There is nothtag to indicate whence the sacred writer obtatoed his report of this to- terview — apparently a private one — between Festus and Agrlppa. The substance ot it may have been communicated by Festus to PaiU or some ot his triends; but to Its phraseology it may reasonably be regarded as a dramatic rep resentation, by the historian, of the substantial facts, atter tbe maimer customary to both an cient and modern history. See Intro., p. 15. Agrlppa, one of the Herodian famUy, was famil iar with the Jewish religion, had the right ot ap pointment of tbe high-prlest, and was president ot the Temple ; it was therefore natural for Fes tus to communicate the facts respecttog Paul to Agrlppa, whose lite and character made him familiar with Jewish laws and usages. Chaps. 23 : 30 ; 24 : 19 ; 35 : 5 Ulustrate the declaration of ver. 16, which Is abundantly sustained by classical authorities. It Is more reasonable to .presume that Festus correctly reports his an swer to the request of the Jews, the result of which only Is recorded by Luke to ver. 4, than to suppose that he added this declaration re specting Roman law to gain credit with Agrippa. The language of ver. 19 indicates a real perplex ity In the mind of the Roman govemor, to whom the question whether .Jesus was aUve or dead Ch. XXVI.] THE ACTS. 343 2f And Festus said, Kmg Agrippa, and all men wtoch are here present with us, ye see this man, about whom all » the multitude of the Jews have dealt with me, both at Jerusalem, and also here, crytog tirat^ he ought not to live any longer. 25 But when I found that he had committed noth ings worthy of death, and that he himself hath ap pealed "^ to Augrustus, I have determmed to send him. 26 Of whom T have no certain thing to write unto my lord.' Wherefore I have brought him forth before you, and specially before thee, O king Agrippa, that, after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. . 27 For' it seemeth to me unreasonable, to send a prisoner, and not withal to signify the crimes laid against him. CHAPTER XXVI. THEN Agrippa said unto Paul, Thou art permitted to speak for thyself. Then Paul stretched forth the hand, and answered for himself: 2 I think myself happy, king Agrippa, because I shall answer for myself^ this day before thee, touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jews : 3 Especially, because I know thee to be expert! in all customs and questions which are among the Jews: wherefore I beseech thee to hear'' me patiently. 4 My manner' of life from my youth, which was at the first among mine own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews : 5 Which knew me fromthe beginning, if they would testify, that after the most straltest sect of our religion, I lived a Pharisee."^ e vera. 3, 7 f ch. 22 : 22 g chaps. :9,29; 26: 81 h vera. 11, 12 1 2 Tim. 3: 10 m ch. 22 .1 Prov. IS : 13 ! 3; PUI. 3:5. John 7 : 61....J Deut. 17 : 18....k ch. 24:4.. appeared to be a matter of no importance. Comp. the todiEEerence of Gallio, ch. 18 : 13-17. Ver. 20 assigns a reason for the proposition of Festus to transfer the case to Jerusalem, which would be agreeable to Agrippa, to whose judg ment on matters of Jewish law and custom Fes tus deferred. Tbe real redson Is given to ver. 9. See note there. Augustus Is not here the name of that Csesar so known to history. The title, an adjective denottog venerable or august, is strictly religious to its character, and was flrst given to Octavius, the first emperor, trom whom it was inherited by his successors. Tbe Csesar now on the throne was the infamous Nero, whose reign lasted from a. d. 54 to A. D. 68. 23-37. The plea of Paul before Agrippa is In direct tulfiUment of our Lord's prophecy ta Matt. 10 : 18 ; Mark 13 : 9. He was summoned betore the king for exhibition rather than tor trial, for the appeal already aUowed took the case out of the bands of the procurator, who could no longer render judgment either for or agatast the prisoner (ch. 26 : 32). Analogous to the course of Festus here is that ot PUate in sendfag Christ before Herod (Luke 23 : 6-12). The place of hearing was the auditorium, a hall or room fa the palaces of the Roman emperors, and In the resi dences of the provtaeial governors, for the pur poses of publlc receptions, the trial of causes, and other state busfaess. The chief-captains are the tribunes or chief mUitary ofllcers (aee ch. 21 : 31, note) ; the principal men of the city are prominent cIvUians. The pomp ot the royal auditors Is de scribed fa contrast with the lowliness of the pris oner fa chains. It is necessary that Festus should afford some excuse tor this public exhi bition of his prisoner ; hence the explanation of vers. 26, 27. The perplexity was, however, a real one, for the governor was required to send, to writing, with the prisoner, a statement ot the accusation (ace ch. 23 : 25, nofc) ; to scud Paul with out such written statement, or with one of a trivial character, would subject Festus to criti cism, it not to censure. It should, however, | have occurred to him that, If Paul had been kept fa prison for two years, without even a definite accusation, it was quite time- that he were set at liberty. Ch. 26 : 1-3. In tbe speech which follows Paul begtos by expressing his gratification In betag permitted to speak betore one familiar with Jewish laws and lite, and then enters at once tato what is a, response to tbe question of Festus— a statement of tbe real offence which has aroused the enmity of the Jews. He accord ingly narrates his early experience as a Pharisee, his conversion, his commission from Christ, and his course ta obedience to that commission, for which causes the Jews sought to slay him. Fes tus, regardtog him as a religious enthusiast, breaks to upon his discourse with the interrup tion of ver. 34 ; from Festus the apostle appeals to king Agrippa to attest the tmth of bis repre sentation ot the prophetic teachings ; Agrippa replies with the sarcastic response of ver. 28, eUcIttog from Paul, whose ardor neither skepti cism nor sarcasm can quench, the rejoinder of ver. 29, with which the audience closes. Thon art permitted to speak for thyself. But he does not ; he speaks tor Christ, and for those whom he addresses, preachtog the Gospel in season and out ot season. — Stretched forth the hand ; that was chatoed ; a significant and eloquent remtader that he, agatost whom Festus can flnd no deflnite accusation, is a prisoner. — Answered for himself. The Greek word (arto- XoyiofiaCjis not the same so rendered In Agrippa's permission. It simply means to plead or answer betore a tribunal. — Especially because thou art expert in all Jewish customs, whether established by law or usage, and questions, including the religious disputes between the dif ferent Jewish sects. 4-8. Know all the Jews. Not to be taken literally ; yet an todicatlon that Paul was betore his conversion a man of considerable reputation, and this Is confirmed by the tew known facts of 244 THB ACTS. [Ch. XXVI. 6 And now " I stand and am judged for the hope of the promise" made of God unto our fathers : 7 Unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly serving p God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake, king Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews. 8 Why 1 should it be thought a thmg mcredible with you, that God should raise the dead ? 9 I' verily thought with myself, that I ought to do many things contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. IO Which thing I also did in' JTerusalem : and many of the saints did I shut up in prison, having received authority * from the chief priests ; and when they were put to death, I gave my voice agatost them. II And I punished them oft in "^ every sjrnagogue, and compelled them to blaspheme ; and being exceed togly mad against them, I persecuted them even unto strange cities. 12 Whereupon as I went' to Damascus, with au thority and commission from the chief priests. 1 ch. 23:6....o ch. 13:32; Gen. 3:15; 22:18; 49:10; Dent, 18:15; 2 Sam. 7:12; Pa. 132 : 11 ; Iia. 4 ; 2; 7 : 14; 9 ; 6, 7; Jer. 23 : 5 ; 33: 14-16; Ezek. 34: 23; Dan. 9: 24; Micah 7 : 20; Zech. 13: 1,7; .Mai. 13 ; 1 ; Gal. 4:4....p Luke 2:37; 1 Theaa. 3:10....q 1 Cor. 15:12, 20. ...r 1 Tiui. 1 : 13....a ch. 8 ; 3 ; Gal. I :13....t ch. 9:I4....u ch. 22 : 19... .V oh. 9 : 3. his early history. — If they would testify. To their testimony Paul appealed to his address be fore the mob on the tower stairs (ch. 22 : 5). — After the most straltest sect. The Phari sees were divided toto two classes, the foUowers of HlUel and the followers of Shammai, the for mer liberal and cathoUc, the latter rigid and nar row to their Spirit. See Matt. 3 : 7. Paul be longed to the straiter or more rigorous faction, not to that which embraced such men as Nieo demus, Joseph of Arimathea, and GamaUel. Comp. his description of his character and expe rience to PhU. 3 : 4r-6. — For the hope of the promise made by God. This promise was of a Messiah^ who should deliver Israel, and should prove himself Ktog of kings and Lord of lords. For Agrippa no further reterence or description of this promise was necessary ; Paul wisely does not describe it, because any attempt to do so would be Uable to be misunderstood by the Ro- .man procurator, who doubtless knew that the Jews expected a political Messiah, and who could not have been made to understand the spiritual nature of the ktagdom that fulfiUed the hope to which Paul referred. — Unto which onr tw^elve tribes, in zealous worship day and night, hope to come. That is, it Is the hope ol the fulfillment ot this prophecy which tosplres the Jews to their zeal tor the ceremo nialism ot the law ; serving (latqivm) indicates ritualistic or ceremonial worship. — Why is it judged by you incredible if God raises the dead ? That Is, If God sees fit to raise the dead, what is there to that past your beUet ? The appeal is to Agrippa, who professed to be Ueve the 0. T. Scriptures (ver. 27), which contato unquestionable cases of resurrection from the dead (1 Kings n : 22, 28 ; 2 Kings 4 : 32-85 ; 13 : 21 ). 9-11. I thought within myself. Or, to myself. The language ImpUes a spirit of self- reUance, in contrast with the prayer which ac companied his conversion, "What shaU I do, Lord ? " (ch. 22 : lo). See also ch. 9 : 11, which cer tainly Implies that he bad not before really sought counsel and guidance of God. This is the secret, in part, ot hls sto ; he thought he ought to persecute the Christians because he had confidence to self, not that spirit of humility which makes Its possessor seel^ direction from God. — Ought to do many things against the name of Jesus of Nazareth. That Is; against the cause which centred about and was represented by that name. But observe, he does not say that he thought he ought to persecute to death. His conscience justified his opposition to Christianity; his pride and self-wiU embittered him agatost Its adherents. — Received author ity from the chief-priests. This commission was prior to that asked and obtatoed to pursue the converts to Damascus. — I gave my voice against them. Literally, least my pebble, i. e., my vote. In vottog fa ancient times, smaU round pebbles were used, the white for acquit tal, the black for condemnation. The language here clearly impUes that Paul had, at that time, a position which entitled him to vote to the tri bunal before which the Christians were brought for trial ; and as the Jewish law aUowed the m- fllctlon of the death-sentence only by the Sanhe drim, the conclusion has been very generally drawn that he was a member of that court. In that case, accordtog to Rabbinical rules, he must have been at least 30 years of age. — And I pun ished them oft in every synagogue. The synagogue was a court as weU as a house of wor ship, and was used as a place of punishment by scourging (Matt, lo ; 17). —Compelled them to blaspheme. LiteraUy, To speak evU of; here of the name ot Christ, i. e., to recant from their faith, and renounce Christ. The origtoal todi cates rather Paul's purpose than his success ; that they actually did blaspheme Is not necessarily im pUed, but is very probable. Such apostasies have occurred in aU times of persecution, and did occur to the primitive church (2 Tim. i : is ; 4 : lo ; Heb. 6 : 6). — An d being exceeding mad against them. This language effectuaUy disposes of the position of those who suppose that In all this persecution Paul was acting under the Impulse ot conscience alone, and fa a devout though mis taken service of God. He may have thought he did God service in slaytag Christ's disciples (John 16 : s), but It Is clcar that he was acttag under the influence ot pride and passion, which unfits the mind tor moral judgment. What one who Is " exceeding mad " thinks he ought to do Is no Ch. XXVL] THE ACTS. 245 13 At midday, O king, I saw in the way a light from heaven, above the brightness of the sun, shintog round about me and them which journeyed with me. 14 And wlien we were all fallen to the earth, I heard a voice speaking unto me, and saying in the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? it is hard for thee to kick agatost the pricks. IS And I said. Who art thou. Lord ? And he said, I am Jesus whom thou persecutest. 16 But rise, and stand upon thy feet : for I have ap peared unto tliee for tiiis purpose, to make thee a min ister" and a witness" both of these thmgs whicli thou hast seen, and of those things to the wSich I will ap pear unto thee ; 17 Delivering thee from the people, axidfrom the Gentiles, unto r whom now I send thee, 18 To open" their eyes, a«(f to turn • M^jk from dark ness to light, and from the power" of Satan unto God, that they may receive forgiveness" of sins, and inher itance" among them which are' sanctified by faith' that IS in me. 19 Whereupon, O king Agrippa, I was not disobedi ent unto the heavenly vision : 20 But shewed e first unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judsea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works ^ meet for repentance. 21 For these causes the Jews' caught me in the tem ple, and went about to kill me. 22 Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day, witnessing both to small and great, say ing none other thtogs than those which' the prophets and Moses did say should come : 23 That Christ should suifer, and that he should be the first" that should rise from the dead, and should shew light unto the people, and to the Gentiles. w Ephea. 3:Tj Col. 1 :23, 25....I ch. 2S : 15.... y ch. 22:21; Rom. 11 : 13....S Iss. 36.5. 42:7' Eohes 1-18 a Luka 1 • iq ¦ Inho * ¦ i* '-J ?"• f V* • ' ^"- 2 : »¦ - -l" Col. 1 : 13. .'. .c Luko 1 :'77 ; Ephea. 1 : 7 ; Col 1 fw. . .d Epi«.?l : 1 ; Coi: 'i ¦ 12 ¦ 1 Pet 5 '¦ 4 J Ska 24f27, « ". .k'l" or! l^'ss ^ ™ i I^'" '1 ¦ "• • • ¦< Ephea. 2 : 8 ; Heb. il : 6. ...g ch. 9 : 19' etc. . . ,h Mrtt 3 : 8 . .'.1 eh. 21 : it. ! !: trustworthy guide. — Strange cities. Literal ly, Cities without, i. e., without the bounds ot Ju dea. He was not content to drive heresy from his own land ; he determtoed to extirpate it. To understand Paul's conversion it Is necessary to form a clear Idea of his previous state of mtod ; and this certainly was not that of a bum ble, devout, but mistaken chUd of God. Cou- pltog the account here with other references In Acts and the Epistles, we may ascertam its es sential character. He was proud and self-confi dent (phiL 3 : 4), scrupulous concemfag the letter rather than the spirit (phu. 3 : s), angered by the determtoed endurance of the Christians (vet. 11), fuU of aud breathfag out threatenfags and slaugh ter (ch. 9 : 1), relentless, spartag neither men nor women (ch. 9 : 2), pursutag the disciples tato pri vate houses, ravagfag the church Uke a wUd beast (ch. 8 : 3, note), aud adding his own taunts and reviltags to punishment (1 Thn. i : 13, note), betag aU the time uneasy ta his own conscience, and by Its reproaches only goaded to more bitter anger (ch. 9 : 6, note). 12-15. For a consideration ot the discrepan cies, real and apparent, between the three ac counts of Saul's conversion here and ta chaps. 9 and 33, see 9 : 1-9, notes. Paul's account here Is the fuUest of the three, and contatas several features peculiar to it, viz., the description of the Ught as abcme the brightness of the sun, the lan guage of the heavenly voice, in the Sebrew tcmgue, the revelation of Paul's own faterior struggles, It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks. The latter occurs ta our English version in ch. 9 : 5, but was inserted there by the copyists from this place. On the meantag of the metaphor and its spiritual significance, see note there. 16-18. I beUeve, with Alford, that Paul here embodies fa one account the revelation ot the divine wiU made to him by Ananias (ch. 9 : 15), and subsequently fa the Temple at Jerusalem (ch. 22 : 18-21). See note on the Conversion ot Saul, p. HI, 1, d. These verses, constitutfag Paul's commission, todicate also the commission of aU Christian mtalsters. They are appofated to be witnesses to those thtags made known or to be made known to them by tbe Spirit ot God ; their protector is the Lord, who is with them alway even to the end ot the world (Matt. 28 . 20) ; the re sult of their testimony Is the opentag of the eyes of the blfad, that they may be turned from dark ness to Ught, from Satan to God ; therein recelv tog the remission, I. e., tbe puttmg away, of their stos, and an Inheritance among the holy, aU of which Is accompUshed by faith ia Christ. By faith that is in me qualifies receive ; the meaning is, That they may receive, by the faith that is in me, forgiveness of sin and inheritance, etc. The peo ple are the people of Israel, In contrast with the Gentiles. 19-21. I was not disobedient. It does not necessarUy follow that Paul devoted himself forthwith exclusively to preachtog ; and stoce, to his description of the regions to which he preached, Arabia Is not mentioned, tbe language here tends to confirm the hypothesis that his sojourn to Arabia (Gal. 1 : n) was rather for study and meditation than for pubUc ministry. His preaching ta Damascus followed Immediately his conversion (Acta 9 : 20-22) ; then, after his visit to Arabia, toUowed a brief ministry to Jerusalem (ch. 9 : 28) ; but there is no disttoct accouut of any pubUc ministry by him throughout the province of Judea. Observe the threefold elements fa ¦• Christian experience : repentance, i. e., abandon ment ot sfa; retum to God, i. e., faith; and works meet for repentance, i. e., the fruits of repentance and faith fa practical godliness. See Isa. 55 : 6, 7 ; Luke 3 : 8-14 ; Ephes. 2 : 10.— For these causes. PaiU has been requested by Pestus, impUedly, to give an account himself of the crimes laid agatost him. This he has done In what is, ta fact, a gospel sermon, though to form partially a self-defence. 22, 23. I continue nnto this day. Rather, Even unto this day I have stood; i. c, agatost 246 THE ACTS. [Oh. XXVI. 24 And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.' 25 But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus ; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness. 26 For the king knoweth of these things, before whom I speak freely ; for I am persuaded that none of these things are hidden from him ; for this thing was not done in a corner. 27 King Agrippa, believest thou the prophets ? I know that thou believest. 28 Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou™ per suadest me to be a Christian. 29 And Paul said, I would" to God, that not only thou, but also all that hear me this day, were both al most, and altogether such as I am, except these bonds; 30 And when he had thus spoken, the ktog rose up' and the governor, and Bernice, and they that sat witli them: 31 And when they were gone aside, they talked be tween themselves, saying, This man doeth nothing worthy of death or of bonds. 32 Then said Agrippa unto Festus, This man might have been set at uberty, if he had not appealed unto Csesar. 1 2 KingB 9 : 11 . 4 n 1 Cor. 7 : 7. foes without and fears withto (2 Cor. 4 : 8, 9 j 11 : 24-27), thus exemplifying bis exhortation to Ephes. 6 : IB. — Both to small and great. To the te-vr women without the walls of PhiUppi (Acts 16 : 13) ; to the procurator Felix and ktog Agrlp pa.— Saying none other things. So far from impugntog the law and the prophets, he has pro claimed their fulfillment ta a Messiah suffering, crucified, and risen from the dead, and so bring ing Ught, not only to the people of Israel, but also to the Gentiles. For prophecies of which this was a fulfiUment, see Isa. 43 : 6 ; 49 : 9 ; 60 : 1-3. 24-27. Festus, the cold and skeptical Roman, could not comprehend Paul's enthusiasm re specttag tbe resurrection of "one Jesus "(ch. 25:20), whom the Jews asserted to be dead, and Paul affirmed to be alive ; to him the apostle seemed a religious fanatic, as did Jesus to Pilate. Paul rpsponds that his words are those of truth and soberness, i. e., rooted in the truth, and com ing from a sane and self -restrataed mind ; and he appeals to king Agrippa, as one that knows both the tacts respecttag the life and death ot Jesus, and tbe testimony ta tbe O. T. prophets which those facts fulfiUed. 28, 29. In a little thon persuadest me to become a Christian. There are two difficult questions respecting the proper toterpretatlon of this verse, (1) The rendition of the idiom ; (3) the spirit of the speaker. Some scholars supply atter the words in a little, tbe word time, thus making the declaration. In a Uttle time thou wilt persuade, etc. ; this necessitates rendering Paul's , reply, Whether in a little time or in much time ; a substitution of or (1]) for and (xa\), for which there seems to be no warrant In the Greek, though this substitution Is made, without expla nation, by Hackett, Alford, and Conybeare and Howson. Others supply the word labor or endea vor, i. e., with a little endeavor, easily, thou persuad est ; but this is open to the same objection. I would supply, as Alexander, the word degree, thus rendertag the passage as In our English ver sion. In respect to the spirit of the speaker there are three views : The flrst regards Agrlp pa as expressing a serious conviction ; the second as expresstag a courtly and complimentary ap preciation of Paul's eloquence, implytag a recog nition of the truth of what he had said respect tag Jesus Christ and the prophets ; the third as ironical. I taclfae to adopt the latter view, from tbe considerations, that the term Christian was one of Ul-repute, never, apparently, used by the disciples among themselves (see ch. 11 : 26, note), and that this faterpretation accords better than either of the others with what we know of the character of Agrippa, and also with Paul's an swer, and the abrupt conclusion of the hearing. I would render, then, the passage thus. Then Agrippa said unto Paul, In a little measure thou persuadest me to become a Christian; and Paid said, I could wish to God, tliat both in a measure and in full, not only thou, but also all those who liear me to-day, were even such as I am, excepting only these bonds. The last words refer to Paul's cap tivity, but may have been enforced by holdtag up to view the chatas upon Ms wrists. 30-32. Paul's response brings the hearing to an end. Festus had already decided that Paul has not done anything worthy of condemnation under the Roman law (ch. 2s : 17-20). Agrippa ad judges that he is guUty of no offence agatost Jewish law. But the appeal made by Paul and accepted by Festus, has taken the case out ot tbe governor's hands, and he bas no longer power either to acquit or to condemn. Ch. 27. PAUL'S TOTAttE AKD SHIPWRECK. DmsB Providence anb Chbistian trust rttusTRATED. See note at end of chapter. Pkei-imikart Note.— a. D. 60. The date ot the events In this chapter is flxed by ver. 9 (see note there), as cxtcndtog from the early faU toto and through the wtoter, the mld-wtater months (ch. 28 : 11) betog spent to the Island ot Malta, and Rome betag reached to the early spring of A. D. 61. For the correct understanding of the chap ter, some knowledge of ancient ships and navi gation Is necessary. I have not only to this note, buf throughout this chapter, borrowed largely from, and toUowed closely, Mr. James Smith's monograph on the Voyage and Ship wreck of St. Paul, which is the recognized stand- Ch. XXVII.] THE ACTS. 247 ard work on the subject, not only to England, but also upon the Conttoent. Conybeare and Howson draw largely trom it ; Lewln furnishes some suggestive details ; the other commen tators add but very little totormatlon to these origtoal authorities. For an elaborate descrip tion ot ancient ships, the student Is referred, to addition, to William Smith's Diet, of Antiq., art. Navis. Or AuciENT Navigation. — The Mediterra nean was caUed by tbe ancients the Great Sea ; It was the theatre of an extensive commerce, but one necessarUy rude and Imperfect. The Greeks and Romans were ignorant of the use of the com pass ; they were without exact chronometers ; the instruments with which they took observa tions were very imperfect compared with those ot modern times ; charts were almost, if not quite, unknown ; it was therefore generaUy con sidered necessary to remain fa sight of the coast or ot some Island by day, steering by the stars by night ; fa wtater, navigation generaUy ceased altogether. The ancient ship was compara tively rude, both ta buUd and rig— the stem buUt exactly like the prow ; the sails gener:illy square, though triangular top-sails seem to have been known to the Romans. Merchant ships were con structed otlarge size, quite equal to those of alarge modern merchant vessel. The ship of Lucian de scribed below. Is estimated at trom 1,300 to 1,500 tons. Paul's ship carried 376 crew and passen gers (ver. 37), that fa which Josephus was wrecked, 600. The prow ot the ancient ship was generally ornamented on both sides with figures ; very commonly an eye was represented on each side. Hence, probably, the expression, to eye or face the wind (ver. 16, note). The stem was like the prow, variously adorned, especiaUy with an Image of the tutelary deity of tbe vessel (ch. 28 : 11, note). Banks ot oars were used to the naval vessels ; the great vessel of Ptolemseus Phllopator had 4,000 rowers ; but it is not necessary to enter here into a discussion concemtog the arrangement ot these oarsmen, stoce they were not a feature ot mer chant vessels. The rudder was not Uke our own ; it was an oar, or more generally two oars, with BOAT WITH TAOKLINO, ETC. broad blades, projecting one from each . side ot the stern, and in larger ships jotoed by a pole which kept the rudders paraUel, and brought them under the control of one steersman. Ropes or rudder-bands were provided by which these rudders could be drawn out of the water and fas tened to the side of the vessel when not ta use (ver. 40). Ships were constructed with one, two or three masts, made usuaUy of fir. In three- masted vessels the largest mast was nearest the stem ; the mato-yard was attached to the main mast by a wooden hoop made to slide up and down by means of ropes and pulleys. The an chors did not differ materially to form trom those ot modem times, except that they were otten constmcted with one fluke and sometimes witb none. A peculiarity of the ship furniture were the under-glrders used tor frapptog or under- girding the ship to time of danger (vet. 17, note). The ancient vessel could not at aU compete with the modem fa saUfag against the wind, but when ranning before the wind, made fair progress. The voyage from Rhegium to Puteoli, 183 miles, made in one day, 34 hours (ch. 28 r 13), though a quick, was not an unprecedented passage. These general features of an ancient ship wiU be made clearer to the reader by the accompanytog Illus tration from an ancient picture, representing the casting ot Jonah to the whale. In the centre Is the main-mast with tbe saU reefed up to the yard; in the stem are the two rudders; in the prow is the foresaU, miscalled mafasaU In ver. 40. A vivid picture of an Alexandrian corn-ship Just sueh as that fa which the apostle Paul was wrecked is described by Lucian, who lived next after tbe apostolic age. The vessel, the Isis, like that in which Paul saUed, had gone around by Syria, and along the coast of Asia Mtoor, and then, encountering adverse wtods, had been driven Into tbe Piraeus. It was an unusual sight In the port of Athens, and soon attracted a, crowd of Idlers from the city. Lucian totro- duces a dialogue amongst a party who had just examined the Isis ; and one of them is made to 248 THE ACTS. [Ch. XXVII. CHAPTER XXVIl. AND when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they delivered Paul " and certato other prisoners unto one named Julius, a centurion of Au gustus' band. 2 And entering into a ship of Adramyttium, we launched, meaning to sail by the coasts of Asia ; one Ari5tarchus,P a Macedonian of Thessalonica, being with us. 3 And the next day we touched at Sidon. And Ju lius courteously entreated i Paul, and gave him liber ty to go unto his friends to refresh himself. 4 And when we had launched from thence, we sailed under Cyprus, because the wmds were contrary. 5 And when we had sailed over the sea of Cilicia ahd Pamphylia, we came to Myra, a city of Lycia. o ch. 26 : is, 26 . . . . p ch. 19 : 29 % chaps. £ say, "But what a ship it was ! the carpenter said it was 180 feet long and 45 wide, and from the deck down to the pump at the bottom of the hold 45i teet, and for the rest, what a mast It was ! aud what a yard it carried ! and with what a cable It was sustatoed ! and how gracefully the stern was rounded ofl! and was surmounted with a golden goose, the sign of a corn-ship. And at the other end how gallantly the prow sprang forward, carrytog on either side the god dess after whom the ship was named ! and aU the rest ot the ornament, the patottog, and the flaming pennants, and above all the anchors, and tbe capstans, and windlasses, and the cabto next to the stem, aU appear to be perfectly marvel lous. AU the multitude of saUors one might compare to a Uttle army, and It was said to suf fice for a year's consumption for all Attica, and this unwieldy bulk was all managed by that lit tle, shriveled old gentleman, with a bald pate, who sat at the helm, twisttog about with a bit of hiandle those two monstrous paddles, one on each side, which serve as rudders." 1 , 2. And when it was determined that we should sail. Literally, sail from ; a nauti cal term used to the N. T. only by Luke. It Is evident from the use of the first person through out this and the next chapter, that Luke accom panied Paul on this voyage to Rome. See CoL 4 : 14 ; Philem. 34. — Certain other prisoners. A motley crowd, probably such as no modern convict-ship could present. Like his Lord, Paul was numbered among the transgressors. — Julin s a centurion. A commander ot a hundred, an-' swering to our captato. See ch. 10 : 1, note. He comes down to history as one who treated Paul courteously ; was perhaps one of the guard which had accompanied Festus to Caesarea, and was now retumtog toRome. It Is possible that he is the JuUus Prisons of whom Tacitus writes, who was a centurion, and afterward prefect of the Prae torians. Observe, to the Influence of Paul, a pri soner, obtained to this joumey over Julius, as pre viously over Festus (ch. 25), the chief-captato (ch. 23), and the Asiarchs of Ephesus (ch. 19 : 31), Indica tions of the apostle's dignity of character and per sonal power over men.— Of Augustus' band. Probably a part of the great Imperial or Prjeto- ilan guard, amounttog at this time to 10,000 men ; possibly identical with the Italian band men tioned in Acts 10 : 1 (see note there), Bometimefi spoken of as ItaUan, because levied fa Italy, and sometimes as Augustan, because attached to the emperor. It is not fadlcated that the band was fa Caesarea, but only that Julius belonged to It. — A ship of Adramyttium. A seaport in the province of Asia, situated in the district called .^oUs, and also Mysia (Acts 16 : 7). It was a place of considerable traffic, tor it lay on the great Eo man road between Assos, Troas, and the Helles pont, on the north ; and Pergamo8,lEphesu8, and MUetus, on the south ; and was also the termi nus of simUar roads tato the taterior. That It was the centurion's plan to take the vessel to Adramyttium, thence joumeytag to Rome by land, is Indicated, (1) by the language here, mean ing to sail by the coasts of Asia; (3) by that of ver. 6, which impUes that the centurion found unex pectedly the Alexandrian ship ; (3) by the fact that the time ot the clostag of navigation was near at hand. The overland road which conjec ture thus assumes to have been their proposed route, Is the same by which some years after the martyr Ignatius, under a guard ot ten soldiers, was conveyed trom Antioch to Rome, under sim ilar circumstances. Tradition says Adramyttium was a settlement of the Lydlans to the time ot Croesus. It afterwards became a Roman colony, and became under the ktogdom of Pergamos a seaport of consequence. Pltoy speaks ot It as at this time a Roman assize town. The modem Adramytti Is a poor viUage, but has some trade and shipbuildtog. — Aristarchns * * * be ing with us. See ch. 19 : 39, note. He was pos sibly one of the other prisoners mentioned to the precedtog verse. See Col. 4 : 10. That he left Paul at Myra, and afterward went to Rome, seems to me very Improbable ; whUe It Is not at all improbable that he was arrested with Paul at Jerusalem, or was aUowed of his own choice to share the apostle's Imprisoment and subsequent voyage. 3.5. The next day we touched at Sidon. Or Zidon, the modem Salda, not quite twenty miles north ot Tyre, and often mentioned in con nection with it. It was withto the tribal territory of Asher (josh. 19 : 28), but was never conquered by the Israelites (judges 1 ; 31 ; s : 3), was destroyed under Artaxerxes Ochus, was rebuilt, passed under the control of Alexander, keeptog Its own Ch. XXVIL] THE ACTS. 6 And there the centurion found a ship of Alexan- ... ,„,i .. T..,.. ^jj^ ijg p^|. ^^ therein. sailed slowly many days, and agatost Cnidus, the wind not 249 dria sailing into Italy ; and he put us therein. 7 An^when we had sailed slowlv manv < scarce were come over : vassal kings, was alternately ruled by Egyptian and Syrian uutU conquered by the Romans. It was famous to early history for the manufacture ot glass, Ifaen, sUversmlths' work, workers in timber, and other manufacturing arts. It was suffering us, we sailed under Crete, over against Sal mone; 8 And, hardly passing it, came unto a place which is called The fair Havens; nigh whereunto was the city ^ Lasea. also a famous commercial city, and SIdonian ships were celebrated. It is described as havfag had two harbors, one ot which was large, with a narrow entrance, where merchant ships could winter ta safety. Tbe harbor was filled up dur tog the wars of the middle ages, and It Is now a scene of utter desolation. It is sixty-seven mUes from Cffisarea ; as only one day was occupied to the voyage, they must have had a leadtog wtod, probably a westerly ; and this is the prevaUtog wtod to this part of the Mediterranean. — And when we had launched froni thence. Another nautical term characteristic of Luke (dvdyiii). We have no English term which ex actly corresponds ; It is nearly equivalent to our phrase, get under way. — We sailed under Cy prus. That is, under the lee, so as to be shel tered by it ; whether to the north or the south would therefore depend on the direction of the wtod. The question, though unimportant, has been hotly debated. But the facts that the wind was contrary, which would not be true of a northerly or northeasterly wind, and that the prevalUng winds in this part of the Mediterranean in the summer are the westward, which would be contrary, justify the optoion embodied In the map (p. 33) that the ship sailed directly tor the Ciliclan coasts, and then beat up against the wind along the coast. This is confirmed by the lan guage ot the next verse. When we had .sailed on the sea of Cilicia and Pamphylia, i. e., that part of the Mediterranean lytog immediately contiguous to these provtoces. For description of Cyprus, see cb. 11 : 19, note.— We came to Myra. One ot the most important cities ot Lycia, afterward its capital, situated on the river Andracus, partly on a hill and partly on the slope of it, a distance of twenty stadia trom the sea. It lay at the opening of a long and wonderful gorge which was the passage from the Interior of Lycla to the sea. Its port, Indriace, was one ot the many exceUent harbors In tbe southwestern part ot Asia Minor, and was a common resort ot ships when winds were contrary. Myra still exists bearing its ancient name, though called by the Turks Dembre. It is remarkable for Its fine ruins which are among the most beautiful of Lycla. 6-8. Found a ship of Alexandria. Not 250 THE ACTS. [Ch. XXVIL merely an Alexandrian vessel, but one from that port ; ttos at least Is probably, though not cer tainly, the meantag. Egypt was one of the granaries ol Rome ; ships of great size conveyed the grata thence to Italy. These were some times as large as our largest class of merchant ships. The cargo was wheat. The implication of the language is that this findtog ot a ship salUng di rect for Rome was unexpected. Myra appears far out of the course of a ship sailing from Alexan dria to Italy ; but with the westerly wtods which prevailed in these seas, ships unprovided with a compass, and ill calculated to work to wind ward, would naturaUy stand to tbe north tfll they made the land of Asia Mtoor, and thence sail eastward along its coast, which is very bold, and, from tbe elevation of the mountafas, visi ble at a great distance. — And when we had sailed slowly many days, and with diffi culty were come over against Cnidus. VIEW OF CKETE — MT. IDA IN THB DISTANCE. (From Searing's Virgil's .fincid.) This was a city of great consequence, situated at the extreme southwest of the peninsula of Asia Minor, on a promontory now called Cape Crio, which projects between the Islands ot Cos and Rhodes. 'The distance trom Myra is 130 miles, easily accomplished ta one day with a fair wtad. The language here impUes, not calms, but con trary winds. The word rendered scarce impUes, not that they did not quite reach Cnidus, but that it was reached with difficulty. It is the same word (iioXig) rendered hardly In the next verse. — The wind not suffering, i. e., not suffering them to get on in a direct course. — We sailed under Crete, by Salmone. Crete, the modem Candla, is a large, bold, and mountata- ous, but fruitful island, situated In the jEgean basin of the Mediterranean sea, and closing to the Greek Archipelago on the south. ^ has a conspicuous place to the mythology and early history of Greece, boasting especiaUy of havtog given birth to Minos. It was noted to early his toiy for its hundred cities. Tacitus has a story that the Jews were ot Cretan origin, which may have come from some confusion respetttog their early history, but it is quite certain that there had long been an acquatotance between the Cretans and Jews, and that many Jews settled on the island before the destruction ot Jemsa lem. At a subsequent period there appear to have been numerous churches In Crete, the foundations of which were probably laid by Cre tans present on tbe day of Pentecost (ch. 2 : ii) ; and Paul, with Titus, visited the Island, probably subsequent to his first imprisonment to Rome (TituB 1 : 6). Salmone Is a promontory on the east em extremity of the island. The wtod was probably in a north- rm westerly direction ; "^ the ship beat up agatost the wtod under tbe shore till it reached Cnidus ; here the laud sud denly trends to the north, at the open- tag of the jEgean sea ; the ship there fore changed her course, and ran, as a northwesterly wtad would have enabled her to do, under the lee of Crete. Along this shore they could work up against the wtod to a simi lar maimer tlU they reached Fair Ha vens, the last har bor before reaching Cape Matala, where the land trends suddenly to the north, so that be yond It an ancient ship could not go with north westerly winds.— And with difficulty pass ing it, came unto a place called Fair Havens. A city of Crete, not mentioned to any other ancient writings, but Its position is un doubtedly estabUshed as on the south of the Island, four or five mUes to the east of Cape Ma tala, the most conspicuous headland on Its south- em coast. It was probably the port of Lasea. As a winter harbor, Fair Havens would not be so safe as Phenice, though recent explorations todicate that it was somewhat protected, and Paul's advice was to adhere to a tolerable shelter rather than run u great risk for a better one. Ch. XXVIL] THE ACTS. 251 9 Now when much time was spent, and when sail ing was now dangerous, because the fast was already past, Paul admonished them, 10 And said unto them. Sirs, I perceive' that this voyage will be with hurt and much damage, not only of the lading and ship, but also of our lives. II Nevertheless, the centurion ^ believed the master and the owner of the ship, more than those things which were spoken by Paul. 12 And because the haven was not commodious to winter in, the more-part advised to depart thence also, if by any means they might attain to Phenice, and there to winter ; which is an haven of Crete,' and lieth toward the south-west and north-west. ¦ 13 And when the south wind blew softly, supposing that they had obtained their purpose, loosing " thence, they sailed close by Crete. 14 But not long after there arose against it a tem pestuous" wind, called Euroclydon. 15 And when the ship was caught, and could not bear up into the wind, we let her drive. 16 And running under a certain island which is called Clauda, we had much work to come by the boat; r 2 Kinga 6 : 9, 10 j Dan. 2 : 20 ; Amos 3 : 7 .... s Prov. 27 ; 12 .... t verae 7 . .' . . u verae 21 v Pa. 107 : 26. The ruins of Lasea were discovered by a yachttog party in 1856. 9-13. Duiing the wtoter months navigation was fa so far dangerous fa the Mediterranean that the sailing season was considered closed from November to March. The fast here men tioned Is the fast ot expiation (Lev. is : 99, etc. ; 23 : 26, etc.), which came on the 10th ot Tisrl, answering to our October — about the time of the autumnal equfaox. The question presented lor their con sideration was whether they should winter at Fair Havens, an imperfectly protected wtater harbor, or endeavorto proceed to Phenice, which was much safer. The centurion naturaUy ac cepted the counsels of the ship's master, rather than those ot his prisoner. In this he acted not unwisely, certainly not wrongly. Calvin sug gests the reason why Paul was led to give tbis counsel, viz., that it might subsequently serve to commend him and bis advice to the centurion. Surt and damage are rather violence and damage. There is not much doubt that the Pheiuce here mentioned Is tbe modern Lutro ; it Is the only good harbor on the soutli side of the island of Crete, and was a customary winter resort ot Alexan drian ships. Considerable difference ot opinion exists, however, respecting the proper taterpreta- tlon of tbe pecuUar phrase ta ver. 12, the proper rendering of which is, which looks toward the south west and north-west. The harbor of Lutro Ues open to the east, and Is perfectly land-locked trom westerly and north-westerly winds, agatast which tbe ship desired protection. The most natural explanation is that ot Dr. Howson, that "sailors speak of everythtag from their own potat of view, and that such a harbor does look, from the water toward the land which encloses It, ta the direction of south-west and north west." 14-17. But not long after there came down from it (i. e., from the high lands of Crete) a tempestnons wind— UteraUy' a ty- phonic wind (tvipwvtxog), i. e., a wtad accompa nied by those phenomena which ordinarily ac company a sudden change fa the direction of the wtad, whirling eddies and currents, violent blasts, a tossed and angry appearance ot tbe clouds, and a violent sea— called euro-equilo. BOAT WITH ETES. There is small doubt that this is the correct read ing. An eastern wtad was eurus, a northeast wtad equilus; this wa&euro-equilo, east-northeast. This is the most probable taterpretatlon of a disputed and doubtful word. Of the direction of the wtad there is no reasonable doubt. — And not being able to look the wind in the face (urrotp- &ak^iioi). This is the Uteral meantag ot the original, the nautical term being probably derived from the cus tom of painting eyes on either side ot the prow of a vessel, as in the annexed lUustra tlon, from a wall painting at Herculaneum. — ^We let her drive. Unable to face the wind, they were compeUed to scud before it. The Greek Is, UteraUy, given over to (the wind), we were bome along (by it). Sud den changes from a southerly tp a northerly or north-easterly wind are common in this region, partly owing to the mountainous character of the island. The fact appears In this case to be that the ship, under the Influence ot a southern wind, weighed anchor, saUed close along the shore to Cape Matala, doubled the cape, was proceeding prosperously on Its course with a fair prospect of reachfag Phenice (Lutro), only 34 miles distant, fa a few hours, when this sudden change drove her from her course. At the time the ship was caught fa the gale, she must have been near a small group ot islands called the Paxlmader, to the gulf of Messara. The island ot Clauda lay about twenty-three mUes to leeward, and is a Uttle south of west of Cape Matala. — We had much difficulty to come by the boat. The skiff, which had been towing behtad. It had been left there at flrst because the weather was fair and the anticipated joumey short ; durtag the flrst fury of the storm it could not be taken on board ; the difficulty experienced now ta raistag it was probably trom its betag nearly fiUed with water, fyet, ta case of shipwreck. It might have been of the utmost Importance. In the restilt, tWs boat, secured with so much diffi culty, threatened to become an instrument of destruction (vera. 30, 8i). — They used helps un- 252 THB ACTS. [Ch. XXVIL 17 Which when they had taken up, they used helps, undergirding the ship ; and fearing lest they should fali^ into the quicksands, stroke sail, and so were driven. i8 And we being exceedtogly tossed » with a. tem pest, the next day they lightened the ship ; 19 And the third day we cast»outy with our own hands the tackling of the ship. TV vei^e 41 z Pa. 107 : 27 .... y Job 2:4; Jonah 1:6. dergirding the ship. This was done by pass ing ropes under tie ship, not from stem to stem, as, by a curious mistake, it has been represented by some authorities, but around the middle ot the ship, at right angles to Its length, and near the mizzen-mast. This was a common practice among the ancients, the object being to prevent the worktog of the planks and timbers. Special cables for this pur pose were a part ot the ordfaary furni ture of an ancient vesseL The exten sive appUeation of Iron fa modem shipbuUdtog has rendered this oon- trivance less com mon, but Mr. James Smith and Conybeare and Howson give sev eral Ulustratlons from modern times. It Is now caUed frapping. — Fall into the quicksands. The Syrtis on the Afri can coast, directly to the southwest of the vessel and to the direction to which they were betog driven by the wtod. These quick sands were regard ed by tbe saUors as pecuUarly danger ous. The object ot the underglrdtog may have been to part to enable the vessel to stand the shock, tor a long er time, it It was driven upon this dangerous shoal.— Lowered the gear and so were driven. Not stroke sail. On the contrary, a stem - saU must have been set. Exactly what was lowered Is not clear ; probably that which was connected with the fair weather saUs. The language Is nautical and accords with modern nautical phraseology. A ship similarly situated Is said now to "send down" her top-gaUant-masts, etc. If this ship had strake-saU and scud before the wind, "slie would have been driven directly on the quick- Ch. XXVIL] THE ACTS. 253 20 And when neither" sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest lay on us, all hope = that we should be saved was then taken away. 21 But after long abstinence, Paul stood forth to the midst of them, and said. Sirs, ye should have hearlc- enedi' unto me, and not have loosed ° from Crete, and to have gained this harm and loss. C2 And now I ** exhort you to be of good cheer : for there shall be no loss oiany man's life among you, but of the ship. 23 For there stood by me this night " the angel ' of God, whose 8 I am, and whom ^ I serve, 24 Saying. Fear not, Paul ; thou must be brought before Caesar : and, lo, God hath given thee ' all them that sail with thee. 25 Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer ; for I J believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. 26 Howbeit, we must be cast upon a certain island."^ 27 But when the fourteenth night was come, as we were driven up and down in Adria, about midnight z Ps. 105:28 s Euh. 37 : ll....b verse 10... fUeut. 32 : 9 ; Fs. 135 : 4 : Isa. 44 : S ; MfU. 3 : : 16 ; John 12 : 26 ; Bom. I : 9 i 2 Tim. 1:3.. .0 verae 13 d Job 22 : 29; Ps. 112 : 7; 2 Cor. 4:8, 9....e ch. 23: 11.... f Heb. I : 14 17 i John 17 : 9, 10 1 1 Cor. 6 : 20 : 1 Pet. 2 : 9, 10. . . .h P». 116 : 16 ; laa. 44 : 21 ; Dan. 3 : 17 ; .1 Gen. 19:21, 29.... j Luke I: 46; Rem. 4:20, 21; 2 Tim. 1 :12....k ch. 28 : 1. sands, which were so much dreaded. What was undoubtedly done was this : Under the lee of the island she was brought round with her head to the gale, factog the north or a little east ot north, so as to take the storm on her starboard or right quarter. The fair weather sails and spars were taken down, a storm saU was set, and she was then suflered to drift betore the storm. In this position navigators calculate that she would drift to a direction west by north, at the rate ot thirty- six mUes m twenty-four hours. Thirteen days and a traction ot drifting to this direction, and at this rate, would brtog her to the island of Malta, and to that part ot the island which tradition identifies with the scene of the shipwreck. In this respect, therefore, modem calculations exactly confirm the Scrip ture narrative. For calculations to detail, see Mr. Smith's treatise, pp. 133-126. 18-20. And we being exceedingly tem pest-tossed, they made a casting out. The language here Is, as elsewhere throughout this chapter, nautical. What was thrown overboard was a part of the cargo (comp. Jonah i : 5), but prob ably not tbe wheat, which constituted an impor tant part of It (ver. 38). Matthew Henry quatotly remarks, that "any man wlU rather make ship wreck of his goods than of his lite ; but many wiU rather make shipwreck of faith and ot a good conscience than ot their goods." — We cast out with our own hands the tackling of the ship. Alford supposes the ship's furniture, to cludtog the beds, cooktog utensUs, spare rigging, and other movables. Mr. Smith suggests the mato-yard, an immense spar, probably as long as the ship, which would require the united effort of passengers and of crew to launch overboard ; he adds that the relief which a ship would expe rience by this would be of the same ktod as in a modem ship when the guns are thrown over board. There Is some uncertatoty as to the read ing ot ver. 19 ; Alford reads, vnth their own hands th^ cast out; internal evidence, however, seems to me to confirm the accepted reading, which todicates such degree ot danger, that the passen gers took part with the sailors In reUeving the ship. The course of the saUors thus far has ex actly corresponded with that pursued by mod em navigators to sImUar circumstances, (1) under glrdtog or frapptog ; (2) lowertog the top gear ; (3) laytog the ship to ; (4) Ughtentog tbe ship, first of its cargo, then of Its tackltog. — At last all hope that we should be saved was taken away. Why? The situation, without compass and without means ot observation, was one ot great danger, but not necessarily one of despair. The hopelessness ot their condition was probably due to the ship leaktog; they could not tell which way to make for the nearest land to order to run ashore ; and unless they did make the land, they must toevitably founder at sea. This conjecture Is confirmed by the repeat ed llghtentogs of the ship. 21-26. But after long abstinence. This absttoence was not only by Paul, but by all on board (ver. 33), and was due, not to a religious fast (Blunt), nor to tbe absence of any eatables (see ver. 35), but to the ImpossIblUty ot cooking, thetojury to provisions from water, and the general anxi ety and distress. — Thus would you have been spared this harm and loss. Either harm to their persons and loss to their property, or violence and loss. See on ver. 10. Paul's ob ject to thus recalltog the correctness of his for mer advice is to induce those on board to credit his present assertions. — The angel of God. " Paul knows not where he is himself ; yet God's angel knows where to find him out." — (Matthew Senry.) — Whose I am, and whom I serve. In time of danger the Christian's security Is this, that he belongs to God. His opportunity is this, that by his courage he may serve God. Observe the implication that his previous con duct had made him known and respected as an avowed servant of God. — God hath bestowed on thee all them that sail with thee. The language implies giving as matter of favor, and here to answer to prayer. Here Is a true Inter cession of satots. Observe how one godly man saves many ungodly men (oen. is : 23-33). " This is a stogular pledge ot God's love toward us, that he maketh certato drops of his goodness distil from us unto others." — (Calvin.) — Wherefore, men, be of good cheer, for I believe in God that it shall be, etc. In time of disaster good cheer Is to the proportion of a living faith in God. 254 THE ACTS. [Ch. XXVII. the shipmen deemed that they drew near to some country; 28 And sounded, and found it twenty fathoms : and when they had gone a little further, they sounded again, and found it fifteen fathoms. 20 Then fearing lest they .should have fallen upon rocks, they cast four anchors out of the stern, and wished * for the day. 30 And as the shipmen were about to flee out of the slup, when they liad let down the boat into the sea, We mnst be cast upon a certain island. This fact had probably been disclosed to Paul to tbe vision. 27-29. When the fourteenth night was come. From the time when tbe ship left Fair Havens. The storm had therefore lasted a Uttle over thirteen days. "A gale of such duration, though not very lErequent, is by no means unpre cedented in that part of the Mediterranean, espe cially toward wtoter." — (Conybeare and Sowson.) — As we were driven about in Adria, i. e., the Adriatic Sea. This phrase tacluded not only the Venetian GuU, but was used also to a more extended sense, so as to taclude that portion \ J « ^ V \ \ 4- * * h ^ KOjiiAN SHIPS. of the Mediterranean south ot Greece. — About midnight the sailors conjectured that some land was nearing thera. The graphic language of seamen, to whom the ship Is the principal object, while the land rises and sinks, nears and recedes. What was the cause ot this conjecture? Certainly not the smeU ot land, for the wind blew toward shore ; hardly the sight ot breakers, tor it was midnight and rain ing (ch. 28 : 2) ; probably the sound of breakers. " If we assume that St. Paul's Bay ta Malta is the actual scene of the shipwreck, we can have no difficulty in explatoing what these indications must have been. No ship can enter it from the east without passing within a quarter of a mile ot the point of Koura ; but, before reachtog it, the land is too low, and too far from the track of a ship driven from the eastward to be seen to a dark night. When she does come within this distance, it is impossible to avoid observtog the breakers ; for, with northeasterly gales, the sea breaks upon It with such violence, that Admiral Smyth, to his view ol the headland, has made the breakers Its distinctive character." — (James Smith.) — And casting the lead, they fonnd twenty fathoms * * * fifteen fathoms. These soundtogs exactly correspond with those of St. Paul's Bay, suppostog the ship to have drifted In a westerly direction as todicated on the annexed map. The ancient fathom (oq- yvid), etymologieally, the space which one can measure by ex tendtog the arms lat- eraUy, corresponds al most exactly to the modem one, six feet. — They cast four anchors out of the stern. Ordtoarily, an choring, ta ancient as in modem navigation, was trom the bow ; but the ancient ships pos ses sed hawser-holes aft; there was, there fore, nothtog to pre vent anchoring from the stem; and there were two reasons for so dotog : (1) the fear of swtogtag round and falltag ou the rocks to the leeward ; (2) the pur pose ot ranning the ship ashore as soon as day light enabled them to select a spot for this pur pose. In the naval battle of Copenhagen, the English ships anchored thus from the stem, and It Is stated by Conybeare and Howson that Nel son stated atter the battle that he had been read tog the twenty-seventh chapter ot Acts that morn ing.— And wished for day. The occasion was StUI one of great danger ; for the shore is full of rocky precipices, upon which the sea must have been breaktag with great violence. HappUy, the anchorage here is good. It Is thus described to the English Sailing Directions, " The harbor ot St. Paul is open to easterly and north- Ch. XXVII.] THE ACTS. 255 under colour as though they would have cast anchors out of the foreship, 31 Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, Ex cept these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. 32 Then the soldiers cut off the ropes of the boat, and let her fall off. 33 And while the day was coming on, Paul besought them all to take meat, saying. This day is the four teenth day that ye have tarried, and contmued fasting, having taken nothing. 34 Wherefore I pray you to take some meat ; for this™ is for your health; for there" shall not an hair fall from the head of any of you. 35 .\nd when he had thus spoken, he took bread, and gave thanks" to God in presence of them all: and when he had broken it, he began to eat. 36 Then were they all of good cheer, and they also took some meat. 37 And we were in all in the ship, two hundred threescore and sixteen souls. m Matt. 15 : 82 : I Tim. 5 : 23. . . .n 1 Kings 1 : S2 Matt. 10:30; Lnke 12 : 7 ; 21 : I8....0 1 Sam. 9 : 13; Mutt. 15 ; 3 6 : 11,23; 1 Tim. 4 : 3,4. Maik 8:6; John east wtods. It is, notwithstanding, safe for smaU ships, tbe ground generaUy very good, and whUe the cables hold there is no danger, as the anchm-s will never start." 30-32. Had let doAvn the boat into the sea, under pretence as though they would have cast anchors out of the fore ship. As if to carry out the anchors to the extent of the cable which was loosened. Their design to make good their own escape ta apparently the only boat is penetrated by Paul ; It Is not neces sary to suppose that It was supematuraUy com municated to him. — Except these abide in the ship, ye cannot be saved. Paul, with his usual tact, says nothtag to the saUors, but addresses tbe soldiers and centurion ; and with out words, they cut tbe rope, and the boat is tostantly borne ofl by tbe sea. Humanly speaking, the presence of the saflors was neces sary to tbe safety of tbe rest, for everything de pended on their subsequent management of the ship. The language here is not Inconsistent with that of ver. 23 ; for. In fact, it was God's wUl that the sailors should abide in the ship, and they did so. 33-37. And until it began to be day, i. e.. In the interval between the attetopted escape of the sailors and daybreak. Paul did not make a speech to the multitude, which the howling of the tempest would doubtless have rendered inau dible, but went from group to group personally cheering and exhorttog them. — And contin ued fasting. Not an absolute abstinence is intended ; they had eaten so Uttle that It Is legit imately regarded as nothtog. See on ver. 31.— For this is for your safety. Because weak ened by previous abstinence, they might other wise be unable to endure tbe hardship and perU which followed. — He gave thanks to God. Even to this hour of dire perU, Paul does not forget this simple ceremonial ; this instance af fords a strong argument for the habitual use of grace before meat. His own courage is impart ed to the others, and commends him to the con sideration and respect of the centurion. — And we were in all in the ship two hundred three-score and sixteen souls. "By this time the dawn ot day was approachtag. A tatat light showed more of the terrors of the storm, and the objects on board the ship began to be more dls- ttoctly visible. StiU, toward the land all was darkness, and their eyes followed the spray to vato as it drifted ofl toward the leeward. A 256 THE ACTS. [Ch. XXVII. 38 And when they had eaten enough, they lightened the ship, and cast out the wheat into the sea. 39 And when it was day, they knew not the land : but they discovered a certain creek with a shore, into the which they were minded, if it were possible, to thrust in the ship. 40 And when they had taken up the anchors, they committed themselves unto the sea, and loosed the rud der bands, and hoisted up the mainsail to the wind, and made toward shore. 41 And falling into a place where two seas met, they ran the ship aground ; and the forepari stuck fast, and remained unmoveable, but the hinder part was broken with the violence of the waves. 42 And the soldiers' counsel p was to kill the prison ers, lest any of them should swim out, and escape. 43 But tne centurion, willing to save Paul,) has been rendered matosaU, mizzensall, topsail, mast, yard, rudder, vane, etc. Mr. Smith, how ever, has shown pretty clearly that it was the foresaU. This was the best possible saU that could be set to order to run tbe ship ashore, bow on. (4.) They hdd fast for the shore is a nautical phrase, indicating holding the ship firm toward the land by the rudders. (5.) A place where two seas met describes exactly the appearance pre sented to the sailors as they neared the land ; the Island of Salmonetta (see map) is a long rocky ridge separated from tbe main land by a channel of not more than a hundred yards to breadth, and two currents, one ilowtog from east and the other from the north, meet at the point where the ship was beached. (6.) The stem was broken off, not merely broken ; the vessel parted amidships. The rocks of Malta distotegrate Into exceed- tagly minute particles of sand and clay, which, when acted upon by the currents or surface agi tation, torm a deposit ot tenacious clay ; but to StIU water, where these causes do not act, mud is formed ; but it Is only to the creeks, where there are no currents, and at such a depth as to be undisturbed by the waves, that the mud oc curs. In Admiral Smyth's chart of the bay, the nearest soundings to the mud todicate a depth of about three fathoms, which Is about what a large ship would draw. A ship, therefore, impelled Ch. XXVIII.] THE ACTS. 257 CHAPTER XXVIII. AND when they were escaped, then they knew that tbe island • was called Melita. 2 And the barbarous' people shewed us no little kindness : for they kindled a fire, and received us " every one, because of the present rain, and because of the cold. . t Rom. I : 14 i Col. 3:11 v Matt. 10 : 42 ; Heb. 13 : 2. by the force ot a gale toto a creek with a bottom such as that laid down on the chart, would strike a bottom ot mud, graduattog into tenacious clay, into which the fore part would force itself and be held fast, whUst the stem was exposed to the force of the waves. 42-46. The proposition to klU the prisoners Is not unaccordant mth the character of the Ro man soldiery. Observe, that tor the third time Paul is the means of savtag the lives of those witb him, first, by the promise of God In answer to his prayers (ver. 24) ; then by his toterterence to prevent the escape ot the saUors from the ship ; now, by the consideration paid to the other pris oners tor his sake. The commentators generaUy have given more attention to the historic and dramatic detaUs of Paul's remarkable experiences of danger and deliverance, than to. the reUgious lessons which this chapter ta his life is tatended to inculcate. What tbe story of Joseph is ta the 0. T., that is the story of Paul's voyage to Rome ta the N. T. — a striktag fUustratiou of the truth and the method of divine providence. It had been Paul's earnest prayer that he might be permitted to visit the Christian brethren at Eome (Rom. 1 : 9-13). Many obstacles prevented ; among others, the length and expense ot the joumey. God pro vides carriage without cost ; an escort which en sures protection trom assault by the Inimical Jews ; brings him tato dangers which call forth the exhibition ot his noblest quaUties of patience, endurance, courage, and cheerfulness — qualities appreciated readUy by those who did not com prehend the faith which was their source ; thus totroduces him tato Rome without an accuser or an accusation, and with the friendly countenance of the Eoman centurion, who, If JuUus Prisons (see ver. 1, note), was a person of some influence and consequence ta Eome ; as a result, Paul had larger Uberty of preachtag the Gospel to both Jew and GentUe as a prisoner ta Eome than as a freeman to Jerusalem, his very bonds aidtog to the more effective preaching of tbe Gospel to the Roman camp, and to the servants of Csesar (phu. 1 : 12-18), whom, as a Jew not officiaUy sent to Eome, he could not have hoped to reach. Thus aU things— the mob at Jerasalem, the unjust Felix, the irresolute Festus, the tofamous Agrippa, the tempest, the bonds— work together for his good, and for the promotion of that work to which he has consecrated his whole life. The fullness of his trast, the restf ulness of his soul to God, in the Irksome period of enforced inaction durtog the long Imprisonment to Caesarea, under the dan gers tovolved betore the judgment-seat, first of Felix, then of Festus, and throughout the voyage and shipwreck, to which he, the prisoner, be comes the leader, and, as it were, tbe captain of all there are with him, exemplify the power and value of tbe Christian's trast to times of dark ness and danger. Ch. 28. PAUL AT ROME. The prater or the apos tle ANSWERED (Eom. 1 : 13).— The prophecy of our Lord FcrLFrLLED (ch. 1 : 8).— The power of faith EXEMPUFIBD. 1 , 2. Melita. Some few writers have identi fied this Island with Meleda, an island of Austria to the Adriatic Sea, ntoeteen- miles W.N.W. of Ragusa ; but this opinion Is rejected by all the best modem scholars, is toconslstent with tbe gen eral course of tbe narrative, places Fair Havens on tbe north side of Crete, makes tbe Euroclydon (ch. 27 ; 14), the hot sirocco blowtog from the coasts of Africa, and, therefore, certatoly not on to the quicksands which Ue on that coast, and as cer tainly not a wtod to have brought rato and cold. It is shown to tbe notes above that St. Paul's Bay to Malta answers exactly to the description given to tbe preceding chapter, and Ues exactly where aship thrown by an E.N.E. wind would be brought by a tempest of thirteen days. The following objections are urged to Malta: (1.) That the inhabitants of Malta were not barba rians ; but this term was customarily used by Jewish writers to distinguish GentUes from Jews, or other races from Greeks and Eomans (Rom. 1 : 14; 1 Cor. 14 : 11) ; it ImpUcs Very much what our word natives does. (3.) That there are no vipers in Malta ; but Malta, though now denud ed ot wood, and so without vipers, was anciently well wooded ; it is not strange that they have now disappeared. (3.) That tbe disorder of the father ot Publlus does not belong to a locality so dry and rocky as that of Malta.; but, in fact, the disease is not uncommon there. (4.) That Malta Is not in the Adriatic Sea ; but (see ver. 27, note) this term had a much wider geographical Import for merly than now. (5.) That the sailors should have known the land ; but their ignorance of an unfamiliar part of it, in the darkness of the night and fa the drivtog storm, is not strange (ch. 27 : 39, note), and they did know it as soon as they had landed.— Because of the rain which had come upon us. Not necessarily suddenly, yet 258 THE ACTS. [Ch. XXVIIL 3 And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 4 And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves. No doubt ^ this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped tiie sea, yet vengeance suflfereth not to live. 5 And he shook oflf the beast into the fire, and felt^ no harm. 6 Howbeit, they looked when he should have swol len, or fallen down dead suddenly : but after they had looked a great while, and saw no harm come to him, they changed their minds, and said ^ that he was a god. 7 In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius ; who re ceived us, and lodged us three days courteously. 8 And it came to pass, that the father of Publius lay sick of a fever, and of a bloody flux : to whomr Paul entered in, and prayed, and laid ^ his hands on him, and heated him. 9 So when this was done, others also, which had dis eases in the island, came, and were healed ; IO Who also honoured ¦ us with many honours ; and when we departed, they laded us with such things i" as were necessary. II And after three months we departed in a ship of Alexandria, which had wintered in the isle, whose sign was Castor and Pollux. 12 And landtoif at Syracuse, we tarried there three days. 13 And from thence we fetched a compass, and came to Rhegium : and after one day the south wtod blew, and we came the next day to Puteoli ; V John 7 : 24.... w Mark 16 : IS ; Luke 10 : 19 x ch. 14: 11... y James 5 : 14, 15....Z ch. 19 : 11 ; Matt. 9 : 18; Mark 6 : 6; 7:32; 16; IS; Lute4:40; 1 Cor. 12 : 9, 28. ...a 1 Thess. 2 : 6 ; 1 Tim. 6 : 17....h Matt. 6 : 31-34 ; 10:8-10; 2 Cor. 9 : 6-11 ; Phil. 4 : 11, 12. the impUcation is that the rato had not faUen throughout all the tempestuous time. 3. 4. When Paul had gathered a bun dle of sticks. Probably dead wood from the forest. Observe that Paul does not leave this work to the saUors and soldiers. — There came a viper out of the heat. "The viper was probably to a torpid state, and was suddenly restored to activity by the heat. It was now cold. In consequence both of the storm and lateness of the season (ver. 2), and such rep tiles become torpid as soon as the temperature taUs sensibly below the mean temperature ot the place which they tohabit. Vipers, too, lurk in rocky places, and that is the character ot the re gion where tbe incident occurred. They are ac customed, also, to dart at their enemies, some times several teet at a bound ; and hence the one mentioned here could have reached the hand of Paul, as he stood in tbe victoity of the fire." — (Saekett.) The Greek word, like the English, implies a venomous serpent ; but the word ven omous ta ver. 4 is added by the translators. — A murderer whom * * * justice suflTereth not to live. A striking lUustratlon of the to justlce of forming sudden judgments, based upon appearances. 5,6. In this tocident Paul experiences a ful fiUment of the promise of Christ to Mark 16 : 18. It Is true that Luke does not expressly say that the serpent was poisonous, nor that he bit Paul, nor that Paul was saved from injury by divine Intervention ; but the whole course ot the narra tive ImpUes a miracle. The view ot the ration- aUstlc commentators Is well answered by Altord : "According to these rationalists, a fortunate concurrence ot accidents must have happened to the apostles, unprecedented in history or probability. Besides, did not the natives them selves In this case testify to the tact ? None were so well qualified to judge ot the virulence of tbe serpent, none so capable of knowtog that the hanging on Paul's hand Implied the communica tion of the venom ; yet they change him from a murderer toto a god on seetog what took place. Need we further evidence that the divtoe power which they mistakenly attributed to Paul him self, was reaUy exerted on his behalf by him who had said, ' They shaU take up serpents ? '" 7-10. Were estates of the chief man of the island. The Greek word rendered here chief man (nqmrog) probably does not signify the principal person to the island, but is an official title. Malta belonged to the provtoce of Sicily, and Alford supposes that PubUus was the legate of the prsetor of the province, and therefore his representative upon the island. Of PubUus here mentioned nothtog. more is known ; the name todicates that he was a Roman. The capital of Malta, now CIvita Vecchia, about 5 miles from St. Paul's Bay, and commandtog a view of it, was probably the residence ot PubUus, and here probably the cure of his father took place. — Three days. Probably tiU they could find suitable lodgtog. — Sick of a fever and dysen tery. This language, like that of Luke else where, is medicaUy accurate. — Honored us with many honors. Not, as some commen tators, with many gifts,' an toterpretatlon which does not accord with the origtoal, and scarcely with the spirit of Christ's directions to Matt. 10 : 8. 11-13. After three months. These were the winter months, wheu navigation on the Mediterranean was impracticable. Altord places the date of their probable departure as early to March. — With the sign of Castor and Pol lux. The ancient ship commonly carried a pic ture or image on tbe prow, whicli gave to It its name, and a tutela, or figure ot the tutelary god ot the ship, upon the stem ; In this case the two seem to have been the same. Castor and Pol lux, the twm sons of Jupiter, were the patrons of the saUors ; In tbis vessel Castor was probably upon one side of the prow, and Pollux on the other. — Syracuse. A celebrated city on the eastern coast of Sicily, and a Eoman colony. It was important both as a strategical and a com- Ch. XXVIII.] THE ACTS. 259 14 Where we found brethren, and were desired to tarry with them seven days : and so we went toward Rome. 15 And from thence, when the brethren heard of us, they came » to meet us as far as Appii forum, and The three taverns ; whom when Paul saw, he tlianked God, and took courage. "i 16 And when we came to Rome, the centurion de- 0 ch. 21 : 6 i 3 Johu 6-S d Josh. 1 : 6, 7, 0 j 1 Sam. 30 : 6 ; Pa. 27 : 14. mercial potot. It is about 80 mUes a little east of north ot Malta, a day's saU with a fair wtad. The tarrytag at Syracuse was either for purposes ottrade (Lewin) or for a favorable change to the wtod (Alford). — From thence we fetched a compass (rather sailed circuitous- ly), and arrived at Rhegium. A town at the southern entrance of the straits of Messtoa, and now existing under the name ot Eeggio, with a population ot 10,000; it is about the same distance from Syr acuse as Syracuse from Malta. The prevaiUng wtod to this pari of the Mediterranean is W.N.W. ; either the ship was obUged to beat up agatost this wtod, or, more probably, being under the shelter of the high mountain range of ./Etna, was obUged to stand out to sea in or der to fiU the saUs, and so eome to Ehegium by a circuitous sweep; either hypothesis ex plains sufficiently the language here descrip tive of their course. — The south wind blew. This (see map, p. 21) would be favorable for passing through the dangerous straits of Messi na, and for the rest of the voyage, for Puteoli Ues nearly due north from Ebegium, about 183 mfles. In this saU they would pass through the famous passage between Scylla and Charybdis, even at the present time considered dangerous. — To Puteoli. A maritime city of Campania, on the bay of Naples. Just across the Inner bay of Puteoli was Balae, the fashionable watering- place of Eome. Adjototog it was Baulos, the emperor's marine vUla. Puteoli was the Liver pool of Eome, and, though distant from the cap ital 150 miles, was the customary harbor for ships from the East, whence not only passengers, but merchandise ot aU ktods, were transported to the imperial city. The harbor, besides Its natural advantages, was protected by an exten sive mole, thrown out toto the bay, and sup ported on stone piers with arches between them. The remains of this mole are stfll to be seen, as to the accompanying illustration. Lewto says that ta 1851 he counted the ruins of 13 of these piers. The modem Pozzuoli, whfle 360 THE ACTS. [Oh. XXVIII. retaintog interesting relies of its former great ness, is a poor place of about 8,000 tohabitants. 14, 15. Where we found brethren. Who had probably been long hoptag and praying for Paul's comtog. Four years betore he had written bis letter to them, expressive of his purpose to visit Rome. — Were desired to tarry with them. This request was appar ently compiled with ; this Is both Indicated by the language follow ing, So (i. e., after tar- rytog) we went toward Some, and also by the fact that toteUigence of their comtog was for warded to the brethren at Eome. Their journey took them over the great Appian Way. Pu teoli lay some miles to the westward ot this celebrated road, but communicated with it by well-traveled cross roads. Paul's course probably lay through Cumas, a city on the coast, about six miles north of PuteoU, thence along the coast to Sin- uessa, where he would strike the Via Ap- pla. This was cer tainly tbe ordtoary way of travel 20 years later, and a branch of the Via Appia, the Via Do- mitiana, was con structed by the emperor Domitian for Its accommo dation. Tbe track ot tbe Appian road stfll rematos. " It was from thir teen to fifteen feet broad, tbe foun dation was of con crete or cemented rubblework, and the surface was laid with large po lygonal blocks of the hardest stone, usually basaltic lava, irregular in form, but fitted together with the greatest nicety. The distances were marked by mUestones, and at totervals of about 20 mfles were 'mansions,' or post-sta- MAP of PAUl's ROUTE TO EOME. Ch. XXVm.] THB ACTS. 361 livered the prisoners to the captain of the guard : but Paul was suflered to dwell by himself*^ with a soldier that kept him. 17 And it came to pass, that aiter three days Paul called the chief of the Jews together : and when they were come together, he said unto them, IMen and bretliren, though' 1 have committed nothing ag.ainst the people, or customs of our fathers, yet was I deliv- ereds prisoner from Jerusalem into the hands of the Romans : i8 Who, wheni» they had examined me, would have let me go, because there was no cause of death in me. ig But when the Jews spake against zV.Iwas con strained to appeal » unto Csesar ; not that I had aught to accuse my nation of. 2o For this cause therefore have I called for you, to see you, and to speak with you : because that for the hope J of Israel I am bound with this chain.*^ 21 And they said unto him, We neither received let ters out of Judaea concerning thee, neither any of the brethren that came shewed or spake any harm of thee. 22 But we desire to hear of thee what thou thinkest ; for as concerning this sect, we know that every where' it is spoken against. e chaps. 34 : 23; 27 ; 3 f chaps. 24 : 12, 13 ; 25 : 8 g ch. 21 : 33, etc h chaps. 24 : 10 ; 26 : 31 1 ch. 25: 11 j ch. 26 : 6, 7.. k ch. 26 : 29 i Ephes. 3 : 1 p 4:1; 6:20; 2 Tim. 1:16; 2:9; Phile. 10, 13.... 1 ch. 24.6, 14; Luke 2 : 34; 1 Pot. 2:12; 4:14. tions, where vehicles and horses and mules were provided tor the convenience of travelers and the transmission of government despatches." — (Lewin.) From Terraclna, 47 mUes from Sinu- essa, there were two routes, one by land around the Pontine marshes, another by canal directly across the morass. These two routes met at Appli Forum, a small town 18 mfles from Terra clna and 43 from Eome. The termtous of tbe canal, it was the ordinary lodging-place for trav elers at the end of the first day's joumey from Eome, and is described by Horace as full of to- solent bargemen and exorbitant tavern-keepers. There are now no inhabitants on the spot, but the site is clearly marked by considerable ruins, as weU as by tbe 43d mUestone. — Three tav erns (Tres Tabemm). A weU-known station 10 mfles from Appu Forum. A branch road from Antium here jotoed tbe Appian Way, maktog it a place of some importance. The exact site Is now unknown, although a spot is fixed upon about three mUes from modem Cistema. Here more of the brethren met Paul, and from this potot his progress was more like a triumphal procession than like the march of a crimtoal. — Took courage. Paul was by no means indif ferent to human sympathy, and the presence of these brethren gave him new hope, not for him self only, but for the fulfiUment of bis eamest prayers (Rom. i ; 10-12). Their very presence was a, partial answer to these prayers. 16. We came to Rome. For description ot the ancient city ot Eome, see Intro, to the Epis tle to the Eomans.— To the captain of the guard. The prefectus prcetoris, the commander of the troops, who guarded the emperor's per son. At this time a purely military oflBce, It sub sequently became, like that of tbe Vizier of the East, one tocludtog the superintendence of aU departments of the State. This officer was the one put to charge of aU prisoners trom the pro vinces.— With a soldier that kept him. To this soldtor it would appear, from ver. 20, Paul was bound with a chain, after the custom of the Eomans. Comp. Phfl. 1 : 13. It does not follow from the language there, My bonds are manifested in aU the palace, that he dwelt either to the prae torian camp established outside the walls-of the city, or in any portion ot the palace of Csesar, or even in its vicinity. Wherever he resided, a sol dier was his constant companion, and as tbe guard was continuaUy changed, and Paul was engaged In preachtog tbe Gospel, tbe report ot ".. IK f =d ^41^^^" -'^ A PEISONBB BETWEEN TWO KOMAN SOLDIERS. his preaching was carried throughout the house hold of Csesar. From the fact that he was per mitted at this time to receive and hold confer ence with the leading men of the Jews, it is pre sumable that he was from the first permitted to dwell In his own hired house, which had, per haps, been obtatoed for him by the Christian brethren at Eome. There is nothing extraor- dmary in this permission, since no prosecutor presented charges agatost him. Festus, it he sent letters, probably expressed a favorable opto ion, and the influence of Julius, the centurion, would also have been to his favor. 17-20. It Is not strange that Paul's confer ence with the Jews Is the only Christian work described, for Luke rarely mentions any work of the apostle among churches already formed ; he here, therefore, follows his usual custom to describtog Paul as a missionary, first to tbe Jews and then to the Gentfles. Tbe object ot Paul's address Is less to set himself right before them than to open the way for the preachtog of the Gospel. He therefore explains that he is not an ofEender against Jewish law, that he appealed to Csesar only as a, necessary act of seU-protection, and not for the purpose ot presenting any charge against the Jews, and that, as a herald ot tbe 362 THE ACTS. [Oh. XXVIIL 23 And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to him into his lodging ; ™ to whom he ex pounded" and testified the kingdom of God, persuad ing them concerning Jesus, both** out of the law of Moses, and out of the prophets, from morning till evening. 24 And some P believed the things which were spo ken, and some believed not. 25 And when they agreed not among themselves, they departed, after that Paul had spoken one word, TVell spake the Holy Ghost by Esaias 'the prophet unto our fathers, 26 Saying, Go unto this people, and say. Hearing ye shall hear, and shall not understand ; and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive : 27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed ; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. 28 Be it known therefore unto you, that the salva tion of God is sent unto the Gentiles,^ and that they will hear it. 29 And when he had said these Words, the Jews de parted, and had great reasoning among themselves. 30 And Paul dwelt two whole years m his own hired house, and received all that came in unto him, 31 Preaching' the kingdom of God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ, with all confidence, no man forbidding him. m Philemon 22. ...n chapB. 17:3; 19:8; Luie 24: 27.. ..0 ch. 26:6, 22.. Isa. 6:9; Jer. 6 : 21 ; Ezek. 3 ; 6, 7 ; 12 : 2; MfltU 13 : 14, 15; Rom. 11 : 8. Rom. 11 : 11 s ch. 4 : 31 ; Ephee. 6 : 19. .p chaps. U: 1: 17 : 4: 19 : 9; Eom. 3: 3....q Pfl. 81 : 11, 12 ; ,..r chaps. 13 : 46,47; 18 : 6; 22 : 21 ; 26 : 17, 18; Matt. 21 : 41 ¦ hope of Israel, i. e., of the Messiah, he is to bonds. 21, 22. We neither received letters, etc. There is nothtog remarkable, certainly nothtog tocredlble, In tbis statement; tor (1) before his appeal, the Jews had no reason to send forward any complatots agatost Paul, havtog no expecta tion that he would be forwarded to Eome ; and (3) stoce his appeal there had probably been no opportunity to do so. Had any deputation trom the Jews foUowed Paul to Jerusalem, they would probably have been impeded by the same storm which Impeded him ; but It Is not at aU probable that they would have undertaken to present their trivial complaints to the emperor in person. — Every where it is spoken against. This was emphatleaUy true ; the Christians being denounced, not only by the Jews, but by the Eomans, as guflty of various and enormous crimes. The very tact ot their combtoation to religious organizations, subject ed tbem to distrust ; and a little subsequent to this time they were subjected to the most fero cious persecutions by Nero, with apparently the hearty approbation of the Eoman people. 23-28. To whom he set forth, bearing witness, the kingdom of God * * * both out of the law of Moses, etc. Both the subject and the method ot Paul's mmlstry are Indicated. He set forth the true nature of the ktogdom of God for which the Jews were hoping; he bore personal witness out of his own experience, to its spiritual power and worth ; and he maintained the truth by an exposition of the 0. T. Scriptures; thus his preachtog was both expository and experimental. — From morning till evening. When the preacher and hearers are both greatly in eamest no ser mon seems long.— WeU spake the Holy Ghost by Isaiah. Isa. 6:9. On its meaning, see Matt. 13 : 14, 15, note. The solemnity of this admonition from the 0. T, is strengthened by Paul's prophetic addition In ver. 28. 29-31. Ver. 29 Is omitted as spurious by most of the critics ; Altord queries It.— And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house. The implication is, without a trial and stfll in custody, for nothtog is said of his preach tog to the synagogues or elsewhere, and the statement that he preached with aU confidence, no man forbiddtog him, todicates that there were reasons why toterterence might have been ex pected ; moreover, to the epistles written from Eome, he refers to himself as a prisoner (Eph. e : 19, 20 ; Col. 4 : 3, 4). This delay of his trial is not strange. The personal presence of the prosecutor was required by Boman law, and there is no todica tion that any deputation came to prosecirte the apostle from Jerusalem. Not untU later did the law provide that a taflure for a year ot the prose cutor was tantamount to an abandonment of the prosecution. Josephus gives the account of some Jewish prisoners sent by FeUx to Eome, there detatoed for three years, and then released oidy by Josephus' special toterterence. Among those who were Paul's companions at tbis time were Luke (Col. 4 : 14 ; Philemon 24), Timothy (phUemon 1 ; Col. 1:1; Pha. 1 : l), Tychlcus (Col. 4:7; Ephes. 6 : 2l), Mark (2 Tim. ttai), DemaS (phUemon 24 ; Col. 4 : 14), WhO, however, sufequently abandoned the apostle (2 Tim. 4 : 10), Aristarchus (Col. 4 : lO ; Philemon 24), and Epaphras (Coi. i:7; phiiemon23). During this cap tivity Paul is believed to have written the epis tles to PhUemon, the Colosslans, and the PhlUp pians. The latter especially gives an account of his experience at this time. For the traditional account ot the subsequent Ufe of Paul, see In tro., pp. 18, 19.— With all confidence, unfor bidden. Tet not without a hungiBrtog desire for human sympathy (Ephes. 6 : 19 ; Coi. 4 : is), so char acteristic of Paul's royaUy endowed nature. The secret source ot this confidence he has Imparted In his Epistle to the PhUIppians, "I can do aU things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Thus the Book of Acts, exemplifying Christian truth In action, fittingly closes with an account of the fulfiUment of that promise of our Lord, which constitutes the close of the first Gospel, "So I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." 3 9002 08837 5226 YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY From the Library of ANNIE BURR JENNINGS the gift of ANNIE BURR LEWIS m^m^mmmm^.m>mmmmi